A Poem For A Birthday (!)

Happy birthday, Dad! This poem doesn't have much to do with birthdays, so I apologize for the misalignment there, but it does remind me of my "grass is greener" thoughts earlier this week. I don't particularly love the poem (so yeah, here ya go, enjoy it!) but I certainly recall moments in these dreary months of desperately yearning for the scene the narrator describes.

Paradise
Louis Jenkins

January finally drags into February and one fumbles with
numb fingers at the ordinary knots and hooks of life. People
are irritable, difficult. Some days you want to stay in bed
with the covers over your head and dream of paradise. A
place where the warm sea washes the white sand. There
are a few palm trees on the higher ground, many brightly
colored fish in the lagoon, waves breaking on the reef
farther out. No one in sight. Occasionally an incredibly
large, split-second shark darkens the clear water. Sea birds
ride the wind current, albatross, kittiwake, ... and pass
on. Day after day, sea wind and perfect sky ... You make a
big heap of driftwood on the beach.

Love / Hate

Yesterday we returned from a weekend in the Big Apple, which was the perfect reminder of the classic love / hate dynamic. I love it there. And I hate it there.

It's sort of like dessert. I love donuts, chocolate cake and canolis, but really hate the resulting ooze over the top of the pants. Or winter. I love snow but hate freezing my eyeballs when it's -12 degrees. And I obsessively adore the NY Rangers but want to strike them all down with giant ogre fists when they lose. What can you do? You have to take the good with the bad.

New York City is the same. There's so much good. Nearly infinite (and superb) dining options, that thrill when you first glimpse the skyline after being away, quaint cobblestone streets of Brooklyn and that amazing vitality omnipresent 24 hours a day. It's the only place in the world like it. Yet it's also a pressure-cooker of claustrophobia and tiny size -4 fashionistas who make you feel like crap merely by walking down the street.

We're in a constant state of evaluating whether or not it's somewhere we would return to on a more permanent basis. Actually, we're searching for our utopia. Isn't there a place on the planet that has those NYC qualities but with affordable, ideal housing (lake on one side, ocean on another and mountains surrounding), quick and easy access to nature, six-figure jobs for both of us (mine would be two days a week) and every single friend and family member of ours within a 10-block radius? Is that too much to ask?

The reality is twofold. Utopia doesn't exist and it wouldn't be easy to just pack up and move there. As much as we hem and haw over where we most want to settle, we don't often get to chose our destinations. Therefore, we have to invest in non-place based satisfaction. Like our jobs and our dwellings and our out of work time activities. It's tough though, because no matter what you do and no matter where you park your carcass, the grass always seems to be greener on the other side of Connecticut.

Shameless(ful) Plug

It has always been challenging to come up with good present ideas for the hubs. He's a boy, which instantly makes it more difficult, but he also perpetually asks for things like socks, underwear and grocery store gift cards. As you can imagine, I have to get creative. This Christmas was no exception but unlike years past, I'm relatively pleased with the results of my sweat and tears (yes, there were tears).

Simon's office relocated and it was clear that he needed some cheer on his new walls. I wanted to create a piece of "art" but am not exactly artistic. I was also desperate to incorporate maps, as over the 8 years that we've been together, we've developed a nice little roster of travel destinations. What to do?

So after torturing numerous people with questions, problems, and crafting queries, I decided to make 16 maps that could be assembled into a grid for his wall. They would be mounted on thick wood squares to provide a little depth. With the help of some map-finding elves, a serious jar of mod podge, and a little patience, I finally had a gift that was hopefully more exciting than a week's worth of milk and eggs.

Done and done!

Places!

Swimming in Snow

HA! (Not in slow motion...)

Holiday Recap--Part II

After two days of "working" (in retrospect, I am seriously regretting my pathetic productivity...) we shipped off to Upstate, NY for Christmas Round 2. We were looking forward to meeting our niece and younger brother's girlfriend for the very first time and also watching Merwin romp in their recent two feet of snow. As you'll see below, our niece is obviously adorable and it was so exciting to finally see her! She didn't seem too into Aunt Kelly but will hopefully grow to understand and appreciate my oddities. She did, however, enjoy gnawing on some hands.

Merwin was in heaven. Prior to our arrival a crew of shovelers took to the backyard and dug an intricate system of trails for him to run on. Good thing, because when he ventured off of them, he looked like a doggy submarine.

So there concludes our 2012 Holiday Tour, although you may not be done with me just yet. I have a particularly hysterical video of Merwin in the snow that may help with those winter blues in the coming days. In the meantime, Happy New Year!

Holiday Recap--Part I

The past few weeks have been a blast, but I really hate how when the holidays are over, they are seriously over. New Years comes and goes and we're left with dirty snow, holiday displays that seem to mock their own inappropriateness, and the prospect of being cold until May. In early January, I generally slip into a depressed state and this year is no exception. However, reliving the excitement on a virtual platform is just what the doctor ordered and I'm sure what you're all dying to see.

We started the fun on the Vineyard and enjoyed some long, chilly beach romps with Merwin. It's such an amazing place at this time of year--relaxing, charming and so incredibly peaceful without the hordes of summer tourists. Quite enjoyable and beautiful.

For Christmas Eve dinner, our resident chef whipped up braised beef short ribs over gnocchi and MJ followed it up with a delectable apple pie. YUM! For all you doubters, I did have a hand in the cooking by providing Christmas Day sour cream coffee cake, a family classic. The few days there were a relaxing festival of fires, board games, and festive attire...

Best. Day. Ever.

I never thought it would happen. Nightmares of hockey-less days, weeks, months, and even years occupied my thoughts and I had nearly banished my Rangers duds, accessories and knick-knacks to the darkest depths of the basement. But alas, a miracle took place before the sun peeked over the horizon this morning.

HOCKEY IS BACK!!!!

Granted, I am thrilled, ecstatic, overjoyed and elated, but I'm embarrassed to be so happy. Not because I am ashamed of being a fan but because it feels pathetic to be pumped when the situation was so utterly lame from the get go. How could they have let it happen? 510 games went unplayed and the lockout lasted over 100 days. At this point, I really haven't the faintest clue what they were even fighting over....

But I'm tucking away those negative Nancy ideas and crossing my fingers that when the schedule is released, my Blueshirts will be slated to enter TD Garden and give me some Bruin Bruisin'.

Happy camper again!