On to destination #3!!!!

December 2nd, 2010... we drive out of Monroe with Palm trees and beaches in sight!! I must say I haven't thought about Boston nearly the way I thought about Denver. I miss my friends but other than that I can't say I ache to go back. The best part about driving down to florida, for me, is that it gets warmer and warmer the further we get!! I'm so glad I got to go into the city Monday night. Even if it was a short time it always reminds me that the city isn't going anywhere. It really is my home and I'll miss it until I see it again. As soon as I stepped out of the path train til the minute I got back on I was grinning ear to ear. Everytime I go back I have a new and different appreciation for it. Also, the christmas shops were open a week early this year so that was a little bonus =) I love those things. So we're taking the "outline" approach to our road trip this time. We had originally planned on stopping and staying a lot but then we got eager to get there haha. Hopefully I will see my family soon though cuz I do miss them. Anyways... Happy December everyone!! Enjoy your shopping and holiday season... I know I have a lot to be thankful for lately. I'm getting used to this adventure thing that's for sure. Love to my second family who took such good care of us the past couple days... as always =) And to my family... see you in Florida in less than three weeks!!!! Love, Rachie

Welcome to Adventurer Etiquette 101

Well I was going to make big ol' whopping deal over our hundredth blog, my Rachie took my thunder without knowing it! She snagged number 100, that little sneak! Well, if one hundred was as interesting a number as 101 we would have one less dalmation running around, wouldn't we? So pats on the back all around to all of us. We've reached blog 101 in our adventures and the journey still goes on strong. As many times we feel Boston has tied our shoes together and kicked us in the knees, the ending result is a very good one. Rach and I are the most united as a couple that we've ever been. I think we needed a good knee kickin. Our transitions so far have been filled with lots of arguements, lots of yelling and an endless list of disagreements and discouragment. This transition however is proving to be filled with happiness, love and hope. The only thing we've disagreed on so far is which cleaning supplies to leave our subletter. (She left us toilet paper, laundry detergent etc.) This disagreement was solved when I came home to find half our cleaning supplies on the kitchen table and I was told we were taking those with us. Problem solved. Comprimising, I'm learning, is the key to success. I'm remembering how mildly stressful, albeit exciting, packing is. Last time we packed the car it was pretty much at its limit and of course, we've acquired a few things. Thankfully we just have to get it to Monroe where we can reaccess the madness and leave choice items there. Tonight, we're cooking in, keeping our minds focused on the fact that we won't have jobs soon. It will be very nice next Thursday when my direct deposit kicks in and I recieve a pay check for seemingly going on a fun road trip. I'm actually going to miss my job. I'm going to miss a lot of things. Things are always better in retrospect and I'm excited to slowly discover things I didn't know I loved about Boston. I'm sure there will be plenty of things and I feel so badly that I few bad events had to shape my feelings about this city. I'll give Boston this always though...it is absolutely beautiful. You can't argue that. I was walking down the street with my friend Ally the other day and we were talking about me not liking Boston. "The people are just mean here!" I shouted angerly. "I mean, people think New Yorkers are mean, but they're not. They're just smart asses, the people here are just genuinly assholes!" She laughed and nodded in agreement. Just then a woman tapped my arm. "Excuse me." I turned around expecting someone to start defending the Massholes in all their New England glory and suddenly felt guilty for saying what I said perhaps too loud. The woman smiled. "I just want to know if my memory is ok. Do you work at...?" She trailed off obviously nervous now that she might have stopped the wrong person. "Clio?" I suggested. "Yea! I was in there in September, you had waited on us!" (Nice that people think I'm their waiter when I get 20% of what the actual servers make) 'Oh! How are you? How did you enjoy dinner?' It was all I could think of to say. "Clio was great, the service was excellent." I told her I couldn't believe she would remember me from September. She said I had made an impression and just wanted to say thank you. Jeez. Just as I'm screaming down the street how everyone in this town sucks. It shows me for the next place not to stereotype anyone for the place they leave. Everyone should be innocent until proven guilty. I have to admit though, I wanted to chase her down the street and ask her where she was from. I'd bet ten bucks she's not from Boston. -lj

Thanksgiving

Hi guys... Rach here. I figure I always have to say when it's me because Joanna blogs a lot more than I do. Soooo it's finally here!!!!! "Hell week" as we like to call it... when really this time it seems like Heaven week. Not one arguement... not one discrepency about why, when, where and what to pack... just sitting in between the kitchen and living room smiling as bags are being filled!! I have to admit I will really really miss the friends that I have made it Boston. We all got very close in a short amount of time and I hope to keep in touch with all of them. It does seem however that even if I stayed at my restaurant most of them would be leaving as well. So it's good I am getting out now I guess. I finally told my bosses Sunday that I was leaving. I hesitated to tell them sooner because they are known for letting people go the minute they give their two weeks and I didn't want that to happen. So I gave them one week. The owner, Richard, was sad to hear I was leaving and even offered to hire Joanna so that we would stay haha. Tempting... The chef on the other hand stated, "I'm not surprised. I'm happy for you guys. Get out of here. Boston sucks. I hate this city." Well... that's decided then. As Jo wrote... we have been having a lot of fun the past couple weeks. I'm glad we got to see some of what Boston had to offer. I took my parents to the top of the Prudential building, down to Fanueil Hall, to Clio, and to Cambridge. They had a great time. It's always good for them to get away from their crazy lives. We also got to see some extended family from both sides which was nice. So today I will be heading to the South End Buttery to help package pies. Yes, Joanna is not the only one to always say yes when someone at her restaurant asks for help lol So from noon to probably six I'll be folding boxes and organizing pies for thanksgiving orders. Hopefully I can snag one for poor Jo who I am selfishly leaving tomorrow for two days. Wish we could all be together for the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Eat lots of turkey.

smoke and combustable mirrors

Being inside of a machine such as a car or a train can suddenly become very frightening when you begin to smell something burning. At least for me. At first you wait for it to pass but as the smell lingers you internaly, slowly start to panic. God help your insanity if the stench grows any stronger. This happened to me on the train today. I was in a car with maybe ten strangers only three stops away from my home when the unspecific burning smell loomed into my car. Must be something outside. We travel to the next stop. The smell remains and is getting stronger. I look around and see no smoke or signs of distress nor destruction. None of my fellow riders have broken their idle stare that seems to last their entire commute. Their noses remain uncrinkled and apparently, unaware. I sit in my seat moving my head and eyes in tiny darts searching for evidence of disaster. Nothing. If TV and movies have taught me anything it's that at any moment my train is about to explode. Without warning and I will be faced with the decision of whether to save myself or someone else. One more stop to go. No one smells that? I study my fellow travlers faces for signs of recognition. Either no one smells it or they don't watch the same movies as me. It's my stop. I'm safe. I seem to suffer from paranoia that I think manifested itself inside of me after breaking my leg. If I pass a construction site while in my car and take in a burnt tar odor, my eyes automatically go to that "H and C" gauge on the dashboard. Without any knowledge of cars I simply assume that if my car is about to blow up, the little hand will shoot dramatically toward either the H or the C away from where it permanently rests (in the middle). I constantly think that my whereabouts is suddenly going to burst into flames. Heater making a funny nose? My house is surely about to combust. Milk not steaming properly? This old cappucino machine in Clio is clearly seconds away from igniting my latte on fire. At the Bed and Breakfast in Ptown our room was freezing because I wouldn't allow Rachel to remove the iron gate infront of the fire place. Why not? The fire was obviously going to leap out and burn the whole town to the ground. I did however have a breakthrough last night. I allowed the candles in my house to be lit while I ran down to the basement to grab the laundry. Adventurers unite! -lj

10 more days

I would start by apologizing, but I'm assuming that after my ever repeating offense of desserting the blog, my apology wouldn't hold much ground. Rachel and I just fine, just busy and just about outa here! I'm sitting on my couch, new tiny laptop in, well, my lap, and reveling in the fact that I was just cut from work and get to spend some "me" time alone on this chilly Friday night. On way home I was able to read a chapter of the new book I just started "Medium Raw" by Anthony Bourdain. (I have to laugh that if I were in high school I would get points off this blog for not underlining the name of a novel. Only short stories should be in quotes however, underlining doesn't seem to be an option on this blog program). Anyway, I came to my stop on the train, shut my book and headed home. On my walk home, by the way its freezing outside, I was thinking about how I wanted to blog as soon as I got home and I then got to thinking...why? I haven't wanted to blog in the last two weeks, why such an urge today? And then I realized that when I suffer...you suffer. Two days ago I finished the book "Tuesdays with Morrie". The book had come highly recommended by several people whose taste in books I very much respect, but I gotta say... I struggled. You know I'm reading a good book when I'm blogging a lot. I read good writing, I want to write. Very simple. Well I finally finished the book, am on to Anthony Bourdain and have a feeling, you'll be hearing more from me. Last we spoke, we were going to Ptown. Ptown was fun even though apparantly the big party was the night before Halloween. We finally found one bumpin' place and I spent the next day extremely hung over. Rach and I have seriously decreased our alcohol intake since Denver and my body now rejects large quantities of it, go figure. Since then, fun events include me driving to New Haven, Connecticut to hike with best pal Christina, a really great dinner at a restaurant called Aura, the New England Aquarium and just this morning the much awaited...Harry Potter. The Aquarium was great even though the only "petting" part was a shallow tank full of starfish. Just so we're on the same page...that is NOT as fun as feeding stingrays as was the case in Denver. Once again, Denver wins. The aquarium did however boast signs that advertised a big petting portion that will be installed in April. Sorry we missed it, but I wouldn't even come back here to pet sharks. Well..maybe just to pet the sharks but only to pet the sharks! Speaking of sharks there were also signs up informing us that the sharks from the "open ocean" tank were currently at another aquarium because they were ridding the tank of some bacteria. We asked a staffmember when the sharks would be back. ..."tomorrow". Damnit! I asked a co-worker how she thought a shark would be transfered from one aquarium to another. She said they were both near the harbor and that they channeled the sharks through the harbor! Tell me thats particulary awesome. I hope its true, cause that sounds very very cool to me. Also in the past two weeks, we've mapped our trip to Florida which includes nights in Delaware, Viriginia, North Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. It also includes lunches in Providence, Philly, and D.C. We also chose a route from North Carolina that drives along the coast. 1650 miles and we absolutely can't wait. I'm also very very much looking forward to our three days in New York where my family awaits. Rach is going to Buffalo for Thanksgiving so she'll get to see the Popson fam then. Thankfully I got to see them when they came to visit us two weeks ago. I unfortunatly had to work most of the time and didn't get to spend anywhere near the amount of time with them as I'd like to. I hate when I don't blog for along time because I have to spend the whole blog catching up. You'd think I'd learn my lesson. But there's the catch up. hm (happy mom)? :) -lj

why does boston suck?

We noticed a hand print on our window today that leads out to the porch. Checking it out we saw that it had been unlocked. Didn't we lock it? The screen has been ripped that goes around the deck so someone could have climbed up? Are we crazy? I mean...we made sure all our windows were locked and now the one with the handprints on it has been unlocked. We locked it. Maybe we're just crazy. We hate it here. One more month. We knew about the screen which had been tacked up when we got here. Whenever its windy the tacks come out so it's not like someone ripped it. Gonna go buy the little alarms mommy told us about. We were just starting to let it go too. We were thinking about setting boobie traps like in home alone. We're both working tonight. Hopefully our stuff is still here when we get back. Seriously... we can't wait to get outa here. At least we're going on vacation this weekend, then the weekend after that momma and daddy Popson are coming to visit. Then its just two weeks and then we're leaving and never looking back. -lj

"In two months it will be the day after Christmas!!"

So... as i walk into the kitchen to get our morning coffee I hear Joanna shout this from the bedroom. Christmas?!!!! Boy is time flying... and Florida is just around the corner!!! The treats we've left for Little Joey are gone and the sun is shining. We're up a little earlier than usual so it's nice to have a whole day ahead of us. Yesterday I had the brilliant idea of typing "Subway" into Barbara (our GPS) because I was in the mood and we wanted to go get Halloween costumes before Jo had to work. So we're driving down Tremont and park in a sort of weird looking area but we didn't think much of it. We go into Subway and immediately feel uncomfortable. There is some guy asking very loudly if Buffalo chicken is a 5$ footlong. To his disappointment it's not... then he proceeds to ask well how much is it then... while his oh so cute girlfriend has been in the bathroom for the while now. She finally comes out, looking extremely disheveled, starts talking to some other man who looks cracked out who happens to be buying a cookie for his daughter. Very upsetting. We quickly order our lunch and without even discussing it take it to go and make our way back to the car. I lived in NYC for 7 years and I swear I never felt so grossed out, scared or uncomfortable ever. I guess I'll still give Boston a chance but man it's not easy. So then we move on with our day to the Halloween store. Well... this was fun to say the least. We went in looking for cruela deville and a dalmation costume and came out with a giant Monkey suit and Harry Potter's sexy sister's costume. You can imagine who is going to be who haha. PTOWN here we come!!! We're off today... then 4 days of work... then out of here! =) Hope everyone has a good week! Happy Halloweeenn!!!!!! xoxo, Rach

burrata bummer

So we were too sick for the haunted hay ride. It would have been an hour drive both ways and then sitting in the cold...no good for fighting immune sysyems. I hate making responsible decisions. We did go to Coppa for dinner. It's one of Chef Oringers tapas place in the South End. We had Burrata, pork rillets, tuna sashimi, and mussel and squach fusilli with narsidium. Oh and risotto balls. The risotto balls were pretty good. Everything else was sadly a disappointment. Maybe we just have bad palettes? Bad palettes or not we didn't really love anything and we flat out hated the Burrata. (which is a cheese that is made by seperating and then reindroducing the curds and whey...i think) Oh well. We had a good time because we've been disgustingly in love lately. We wanted to try his other tapas restaurant Toro, but now I don't know. We're still definitly going to Clio, we just don't know when. Starting today I'm working six days in a row since we're understaffed until our new backwaiter Seth is fully trained. My manager promises that he'll probably cut me one of the days. I hoping I get cut tonight since Rach has the night off. She has tomorrow off too, but hopefully she can pick up the extra shift and we can both work. We have a groupon for a restaurant called "Aura" that we might check out tonight if I get cut. Its so unfortunate that I have to actually go to work before I get cut. The process of walking in just to walk out takes a little over an hour. I wish they would decided before hand and then call! Saturday night I got a great surprise though! My second cousins, Anthony and Sharon, came into Clio for dinner. They were going to surprise me but five minutes before they got there one of the backwaiters (who has English as a second language) accidentally ruined the surprise. She didn't really understand I think that she wasn't supposed to tell me. They sat and ate and had stuff sent out to them that I actually don't think they even wanted and it was really good to catch up. Hopefully Rach and I will get a chance to go up where they live (half hour north) and she can meet my moms side of the family. She'd really love them. Hopefully next time I blog it will start with "I got cut last night!". I may have just jinxed it. oops. -lj

Is it Sunday yet?

So we're both sick now. Drinking fluids and trying to get pity parties at work. Our fingers are crossed that we'll be better by Sunday so we can enjoy the haunted hay ride which we're going to no matter what! I'm tired of blogging about Biggest loser and Little Joey (no offense little joey). We've decided to treat ourselves and we're trying to plan a trip to Ptown for Halloween. We're very excited but still havn't booked anything because we have to see if our requests for work went through. Yesterday was my day off but I recieved a phone call around four o clock from Ian, my manager, asking me to come in since they didn't realize they were understaffed. They made the schedule with Wenderson on it and then fired him. How on Earth did they not realize they would have one less person every day he was supposed to work? I noticed right away and figured they had to have known but didn't care. So I ironed my shirt quick and rushed to work. Bye-bye day of rest. I can't wait to find out what I made. When I tell you you're gonna laugh. A hundred bucks means an awesome night and last night was not particulary awesome. Me and my silly ideas with this restaurant. My next day off is Sunday now. I'm hoping they feel overstaffed tonight with four backwaiters and one training back waiter and they send me home since I was supposed to be off last night. When Rach and I finally eat there next month this will all be worth it. If we order the nine course tasting, they'll totally send us a bunch of extra courses and give us special treatment. I hear all the time with tastings that its "the best food we've ever had". Man, I can't wait. -lj

A Bahston Shinah!

False Alarm! Joey is Okay! The morsels are gone. But turning our attention toward another mystery that I somehow forgot to tell you about... I woke up Monday morning to a very peculiar thing. Well, Iactually didn't wake up to it. We woke up normal and shared a pot of coffee while watching TV on the couch, as we do every morning. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. We decided to go for a run around the lake and I got up to change into my running clothes. As I pulled my sweatshirt over my head Rachel squinted at me and asked me what was wrong with my face. "What did you do? What is that?" I figured a fuzz was stuck to my face and I glided my hand across my cheeks, chin and forehead. Her squint remained. "You have a black eye". A black eye? My thoughts immediatly brought up the memory of the pepto bismol turned black tongue in Denver. Why must these weirdo things always happen to me? I didn't hit my eye or anything, did I? I walked into the bathroom to inspect this supposed "black eye". Surely it was a mistake. A smudge of dirt smeared in just the right spot to make it look like I was punched in the face. I looked into the mirror to find million dollar baby staring back at me. I don't sleep well so its common for me, especially without a tan, to have dark circles under my eyes, but this was different. I hadn't drank the night before, I didn't trip into anything, yet there it was. I had a bit of a shiner going on and I have no idea how it got there. WebMD to the rescue says maybe its sinuses. I finally realized there's a bit of a sore spot by my cheekbone, maybe I hit it in my sleep. Bottom line is I have a black eye and have no explanation for it. My coworker, Courtney, suggests that Little Joey is angry at me for trying to catch him and so he beats me while I sleep. Crazy enough, its the best explanation I can think of. -lj