Mid-Week Thoughts
Good Morning all!
It’s a bright, sunny March Wednesday out, so far, and I thought I’d drop a few notes about some stuff that’s been rattling around in my noggin these past few days.
On Monday, Nate and I had a chance to meet up with a fellow blogger and resident of the North End. His name is Brian. You can find out more about him at:
We had a lovely time, meeting up for coffee and wandering around our neighborhood. Brian led us through a side of the North End we don’t normally visit – the area between Christopher Columbus Park and North Square, for those who are familiar with the ‘hood – and we discovered a lovely little market down there which Nate and I will be going to more often. It was really, really nice to meet a fellow member of the Tribe that lives in this uber-macho neck of Boston, and to have him turn out to be also level-headed, easy to talk to, and just all-around good natured and good humored was a pleasant surprise. We will certainly be seeing him again!
Yesterday was a trip to Nate’s grandmother’s for another AWESOME home-cooked Italian dinner with his family. I got to spend time with his aunt Carol, and the new niece of the family, Tracey, which is always a good time (I’m a sucker for babies), and actually found myself connecting a little with his other niece, Jade. I don’t know why, but maybe it’s because she’s now the oldest sibling that I understand some of her behaviors better. I was the oldest of two – we’re not sure how many baby Browns that Jade will preside over – but, as those of you who are also eldest siblings know – there is a certain level of responsibility, of expectation, and effort that goes into being the eldest one. In any case, I got to teach Jade to say please AND bat her lovely eyelashes whenever she needed something from me. It works like a champ every time!
On another note, I’m in the process of making plans to attend Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday, in South Boston. I have put out the word to those who follow me on Twitter (ukthom) or Facebook, and have got a few people on board. I did, however, get one response from a fellow Twitter follower that made me do a little thinking, and I will talk a little bit more about that later. There’ s a certain level of history regarding this specific parade in terms of being a member of the GLBT family, and my time has run too short this morning to talk about it. Maybe I’ll post about it tonight, or tomorrow.
The school app is being sent off tonight, as well. Here’s to being nervous about that!
I also have managed to secure an appointment for my travel shots at Beth Israel Deaconess’ Travel Clinic here in Boston. I’ll be all shot up with the interesting vaccines one must take when traveling to certain countries next week, so that ought to be interesting as well. I’m SO excited to have finally started putting the ball into motion regarding this trip, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve had a few rough ideas about how to best present the trip, and everything about it, to you all, so stay tuned for happenings with the blog. I’m thinking I might try to implement WordPress MU, if that’s a hint…
Anyway, time IS short, and I must fly to work. Have a wonderful rest of your week, and I’ll post again soon!
XX
Thom
A New Tuesday
Get Moving
So, I woke up this morning, at my usual 5:30, but unlike most mornings I’ve had over the past 17 years, I did not immediately go outside for a cigarette. No, no. Instead, I put the new sneaks (as seen above) I had got last week, and decided that I needed to get a little walk in before starting my day.
It wasn’t much of a walk – RunKeeper marked it at 2.35 miles. It honestly felt like a good way to start my day. Far better than any rolled, dried tobacco product could ever make me feel. Next time, though, I’m thinking of bringing my camera. There are some amazing colors in the sky in the morning – pinks, purples, blues, grays – that I would love to capture and share. It did feel awesome, however, to get out and be on the move this morning. I didn’t sleep that well last night, which I think is going to happen as my body adjusts to the new chemistry going on inside it. Still, I feel alive, full of fresh air, and have a rediscovered bounce in my step.
In other news, my time off request was approved, so now I need to get the ball rolling with regards to shots and prepping to go to Ethiopia. I’ve got a few months yet, but I still need to get things in line.
In any regard, here’s to a better way to start my day, and to hoping you all have a good one too!
-Thom
A Quiet Sunday
I know, I know, I should have put out a show today. I got my notes all together, and nearly started recording, but the ADD kicked in, and I started the dishwasher instead. Just as it was finishing, Nate came home, and as he was out late last night, I didn’t want to keep him from catching a few zzzs this afternoon. In fact, he’s still sleeping – a 31 hour stint of awake time yet again. I love him to bits, but I get so worried when he does this to himself. Call me Worrywart Wanda, I guess.
This morning, I will admit, wasn’t without it’s productivity, however. I managed to dive head-long into a story I’ve been writing for a bit now. It’s a story about a young man who wakes up and realizes what opportunities he missed by following instructions, rather than his own personal instincts, while in college. I know that sounds super-generalized, but I don’t think I can really give anymore out than that. Someday, you’ll be able to read it, but for now, it remains a nebulous creation of yours truly. That, and it’s four other sibling-stories, are sitting there, looking up at me everytime I open my Google Docs account, and saying “do something with us, will you?”
Yes, my stories talk to me – like little children.
Along those lines, I did manage to get my FAFSA filled out and in the mail today. Now, all I need to do is secure one more letter of recommendation – something I’m going to do start after writing this post – and get my transcripts from UNH sent to Goddard. After that, I just hit the “Submit Application” button on the Goddard website, then cross my fingers. Hard. And my toes.
Gosh, there aren’t many hurdles left for me to overcome with this application, are there??
Don’t mind me, just having a bit of a reality moment.
…
Anyway, so I managed to do that this morning. I’m liking the way my editing skills are starting to take initiative, too. I feel I can really look down the bones of my stories and pull out the essential bits, and refine them to where they sound reasonable and logical, and closer to what I had initially envisioned. I suppose this skill just comes with time and practice, but of course, I wouldn’t have known that without first going through the paces.
I also want to drop a quick note to my Brother and Sister in Law as they welcome their new daughter (and my new niece) Tracey into the world. I haven’t had a chance to see the little sweetie, but mom and baby are doing okay, by all accounts, and are resting at the hospital for a bit before coming home. Hopefully next weekend, I’ll be able to go meet the little darling.
In other news, there’s not much else going on. It’s my last week at DSW this week (three more shifts – Monday, Thursday, and Friday). I’m pretty pleased with that. I’ve been fighting off the urge to just walk out of every shift since I gave my notice, but I’ve managed to keep it together, so far.
I guess that’s it! I’ll have more to talk about on tomorrow’s Early Morning Edition of the From Bostonia podcast. I want to go a little deeper with my writing, and my thoughts on my writing, and as promised, I will talk a little about the photo shoot I was at last night. I do hope this post finds you all well. I’m keeping the Chilean people in my thoughts, and I hope you are too.
-Thom
Decided To Post
It has been a while since I had written anything here – or at least it’s felt that way to me, so I figured I’d sit right down and write myself a blog post. Yes, it’s been one of those weeks.
Things are winding down for me at DSW, thankfully. Today was, hopefully, the last Saturday morning I have to give up to the gods of consumerism and chasing paychecks. I won’t be working next week at 8am, and personally, I’m thrilled by that prospect. I only have a few short shifts between now and the end of my moonlighting job there, and to say that I’m happy to be rid of the place is an understatement. There have been moments in the recent shifts I’ve worked out of a sense of duty and responsibility to fulfill my two-week notice, that I just wanted to throw down my discount card and walk out. The petty, silly, stupid games played by managers in such a retail establishment, all focused on driving up numbers that equate to bonuses for them, just does my head in. I don’t live in that reality anymore, and frankly, I just don’t give a shit if a customer buys a pair of shoes or not. I just don’t care.
Tonight, Nate is off to Providence with his Friday Night Boys. It’s a gang of men he’s become friends with (and I have too, of course) that usually meet up on Friday nights at the Alley bar, here in Boston. It’s a great group of men, and though I already have plans tonight with Sean, I do hope he and the boys have fun in Providence. He has been working like a dog just to stay up to speed at his job, and he truly does deserve a night away from it all. That said, he works in the morning, and will be doing an all-nighter tonight…it’s what he does in order to have any semblance of a social life. No, it’s not the healthiest way to be, but needs must, and Nate needs to have a space of sociability in his life.
For my part, I’m all gussied up for an evening with friends myself, with dinner at friends, and then playing assistant on a photo shoot with Sean. It should be a good time, and I am looking forward to seeing an artist in action. This has been something he’s been planning for a while, so I hope it all goes good, and that I’m not in the way. I also hope to learn a little something about the photographer/model interaction. I will give a full report on the podcast tomorrow 
Things, as far as I know, are a go with Ethiopia, too. I put in for the 6.5 days off that I ‘d need to take, which would eat up all of my vacation time, but haven’t heard back anything from my manager.
Anyway, that’s about it. It was a long, arduous week at work, and I’m glad to be facing Saturday night again. It’s a good place to be.
-Thom
Before We Go…
So, before we head off to Provincetown, MA for our anniversary celebration/mid-winter break from reality, I wanted to do a quick blog post, and just share a few of the thoughts rolling in my head.
As most of you know, the Prop 8 Trial has started in California. Though I’m very much on pins and needles to see how the trial turns out, honestly, I’ve tried my damnedest to not get too worked up over it. I know, I know…but, Thom, you’re a gay man who’s married, and this trial can have a direct impact on your life and the legal status of your marriage…believe me, I’ve been saying that to myself for days now. After the loss of gay marriage rights in Maine, though, I’ve recoiled, and in a way, turned my attention inward. I don’t agree that the right to marry should be on display, or even up for judgement. It should just be. That said, I appreciate the legal system we have in this country, and I appreciate the process of getting the laws written down in such a way as to protect current and future people from discrimination. I do hope for a positive result of the trial, and I desperately want my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in California to be afforded the same rights that I currently share with Nate here in Massachusetts. I still don’t understand the ramifications of this case being tried on a federal level, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a precedent-setting result, one way or the other.
I’m also staring down the application for school that is a constant reminder on my desktop. The application essays need to be edited, the questions all answered to the best of my ability, and honestly, I haven’t had the courage to face them lately. It’s not that my passion for it has waned, as I know going back to school, and doing it the way I’m applying to, is the right direction for me. I just need a little more reassurance, from myself to myself, that I’m worth and capable of chasing down this goal and achieving it. I’m hoping that the recharge of my batteries this weekend will provide me with that assurance, and though I’m not going into this break in P’town with any real expectations or goals, it would be nice to come back with a clearer head, and a more focused drive to get this application off my desk. For that, I’m just going to need to dig deep.
I will be going “radio-silent” while we are away, though I have a feeling Nate isn’t going to be the same this time around. If you do need to reach me, you can send an e-mail, and if it’s urgent, I’ll respond, but until Tuesday morning, you won’t be hearing much from me. Unplugging worked wonders for me the last time we took a break like this, so I’m hoping to have a repeat performance.
Thank you to all of you who have wished us the best, and who continue to follow me, and us, online. We’re a funny couple of guys, but truly, we do appreciate the love and support you all have given us.
My thoughts are also with the people of Haiti, as they come to grips with the massive earthquake that has rocked that tiny, desperately poor country to its core. Please, keep them in mind, and do what you can to help. Even a good thought (or prayer, if that’s your thing) will do a small amount of good. Heaven knows, there’s not enough attention paid to the others who inhabit this planet, and taking a moment out of our days to send some cosmic good out there would be a refreshing change for most of us, myself included.
Till Tuesday!
XX
Thom
So Many Thoughts
So, I’ve just spent the last hour doing research. I’m trying to build the bibliography I had mentioned in an earlier post, and I’ve discovered a side of me that I forgot was there – my inquisitive side. Digging deeper into citations, the reference lists of various scholarly articles, and pouring over documents that I could find online has proven to be not only successful, but as I go deeper, and dig further, I find myself smiling. Truly smiling. I want to go further with this, I want to see where this line of inquiry takes me.
I also want to see how it affects the writing I do. My goal is to broaden and deepen the writing I’m already doing. I’m still searching for the right tone/voice for my characters. For me, having a past, a sense of place, and a history to draw from helps in understanding who my characters are.
Of course, now it’s just after 7am, and I need to put it all on hold to go to work. ARGH!!! Such is the frustration of my life these days. I suppose getting up a little earlier might work – though I’m up at 5:30am as it is just to give myself this small window of time already. It just reminds me, daily, how different I want my life to be from what it is today. Someday, soon I hope, I will be living in a world where I set my own schedule, to a point, and where I can take the time/space I need to follow both my head, and my heart, and not just go chasing a paycheck.
SoundByte 52
Hello and Happy New Years all! Today’s show is a nice reflect on the weekend past, a little on the present, and a little look into what I hope is in my future. The music is a bit mellow for all you post-party people. I hope you all had a safe and wonderful New Years, and I want to welcome you all to 2010! Thanks for downloading!
Music:
- Beach Vibes by ATB
- Give a Little Love by Bob Sinclair
- Say Hello Wave Goodbye by David Gray
- If I Could Fly by OceanLab
- Rainbow Connection by Sarah Maclachlan
- Breathe Me by Sia
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Breakthrough…a beginning
This morning, I stared down the question on the application for school that has me detailing my plan of study for the next two years. The program I’m applying to is self-directed, so as part of my acceptance into the program, I need to demonstrate that what I want to do, and how I intend on achieving a Masters in Fine Arts, is up to snuff. I need to demonstrate that I can plan, I have a goal, and that there’s some semblance of direction with my course of study.
I have spent a large portion of time locked in this sort of freeze-up in my head. Each time I sat down to plan, I felt like I was staring down the barrel of a gun, and if I strayed from what is considered acceptable, my application would be tossed into the bin, and I’d be passed over for a better candidate, a better student, someone with more focus and vision. I have been in utter terror of that happening, and in fact, that’s been the entirety of the application process for this program. With each question on the application, I’m faced with the fear of being judged, of being tossed aside. This morning, though, I had a little bit of a psyche-up with myself, and broke through that fear, at least a little bit.
I got angry with myself for being scared, and then set about detailing the stuff I want to do while I go back to school to earn my MFA in Creative Writing. No, it may not be the most polished plan, and I still have a couple of semesters to fill in, but it’s something. I don’t want to get into too much detail here, yet, but suffice to say, what I want to get out of further education, and how I intend on using my time at the school I’m applying to (if I stick to what I’ve written so far), will be some of the most amazing, creative work I’ve every taken on. I’m putting my heart and soul into this opportunity, and I would love nothing more than the opportunity to see where this path leads me.
I guess, in the end, I could do what I want to do on the plan I’ve created without attending school, but as an educator in search of a higher degree, if I can incorporate earning a better pay rate, and another credential on my resume, with a deep-seeded passion of mine (writing), then it’s all for the better.
Again, and as always, more details to come as all this unfolds.
-Thom
In Flight
So, I’m currently mid flight between Boston and Minneapolis, MN, on my way to San Diego, CA to attend and work at the ACTFL conference. It has been the craziest month getting ready for this, and last night was the pinnacle of stress and anger as I worked furiously to make a major piece of presentational material ready for the show. Of course, it was wracked with problems and last-minute changes. Still, the end product us what it is, and I don’t want to make any more changes. Once we land, I will get to mess around on the laptop to get it all figured out.
It’s been a while since I’ve been away from Nate for any length of time, and actually, I think it might be a nice break away, if only to build the affection we share when we are together. I hope he has a great weekend, and I can’t wait to hear what he got up to.
For now, I’m at 34k feet, tired, hungry, and have a LONG day ahead of me.
Thom
SoundByte 30
I couldn’t come up with an apt title for this show, but maybe “Ranting and Bitching” would have sufficed? Have a listen, and you’ll see what I mean. Big hellos to all of you new listeners. Also, while I’m trying to get my older shows back up and running, you can subscribe to the podcast using the link below, which will give you the feed to ALL of the audio files I’ve created. Thanks again for downloading! http://feeds.feedburner.com/FromBostonia/SoundBytes
-Thom
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This Weekend
Hey All!
Just wanted to let you know that I’m taking off for Maine this weekend. It’s a combination trip to celebrate my gram’s birthday, my best friend’s birthday and anniversary, and Father’s day. There won’t be one long show from me, however, there will be small bytes from me, as I’m going to use my phone to send some lovin’ your way.
Be prepared for pictures, smiles, and hopefully good weather. It’s been so rainy in Boston for the month of June, I’d pretty much kill for a decent day with sunshine.
Anyway, stay tuned!
Stopping the Running…for Now
So, I was just out for a run, like I have been doing every weekend now for a while. It was a run I’d done before, about 10K, and not that hilly, or treacherous. I’ve run it before, and had a great run in the past. Well, today, my right knee said, “No.”
I got this pain behind my kneecap, and it was small at first, but as I continued, it seemed to get worse and worse. I stopped and stretched three times, stopped to walk for a little bit, but it seemed with each step I took, the pain would shoot up my leg. So, to much chagrin and anger with the limitations of my body, I had to walk/limp back to the apartment. Right now, it’s okay, I’ve taken some Naprocen, and am now sitting down. I’ve gone up and down the stairs a few times, and it doesn’t hurt, so I don’t think I did any permanent damage. What I think I have done, however, is called:
Runner’s Knee
(Chondromalacia of the patella)Description:
Pain around and sometimes behind the kneecap. One of the most common injuries among runners, runner’s knee most often strikes as runners approach forty miles per week for the first time. Even after taking a few days off, the pain seems to come right back, sometimes even intensifying, after the first few miles of the next run. The pain often feels worst when running downhill or walking down stairs, and the knee is often stiff and sore after sitting down for long periods. You might hear a crunching or clicking sound when you bend or extend your knee.The sure-fire test for runner’s knee: sit down and put your leg out on a chair so that it’s stretched out straight. Have a friend squeeze your leg just above the knee while pushing on the kneecap. She should push from the outside of the leg toward the center. At the same time, tighten your thigh muscle. If this is painful, you’re looking at runner’s knee.
Likely causes:
It’s actually not your knee’s fault at all. Blame your feet and thighs; for one reason or another they aren’t doing their jobs properly. Your knee moves up and down in a narrow little groove in your thigh bone. It’s a nifty design: when your legs and feet are working efficiently, your knee moves smoothly and comfortably with every step. But trouble appears when your kneecap moves out of its track, or rubs up against its sides. That trouble becomes pain when you factor in nearly 1000 steps per cartilage-grinding mile. Over time the cushioning cartilage around the knee becomes worn. That smarts. And that’s runner’s knee.How did your knee get off track? Probably because of relatively weak thigh muscles and a lack of foot support. It’s your thigh muscles that hold your kneecap in place, preventing it from trying to jump its track. Running tends to develop the back thigh muscles (hamstrings) more than those in the front (the quadriceps), and the imbalance is sometimes enough to allow the kneecap to pull and twist to the side.
Your foot, meanwhile, may not be giving you the stability you need. It’s likely that your feet are making a wrong movement every time they hit the ground, and you’re feeling the constant pounding and repetition of this mistake in your knee. Maybe you’re overpronating (rolling your foot in) or supinating (turning it out too much) when you run.
Runner’s knee is further aggravated by simple overuse. If you have steeply increased your mileage recently, you might consider holding back a bit. Likewise, back off on new hill work or speed work. Runner’s knee can also be brought on by running on banked surfaces or a curved track. Running on a road that is banked at the sides, for example, effectively gives you one short leg, causing it to pronate and put pressure on the knee. Try as much as possible to run on a level surface, or at the very least give each leg equal time as “the short leg.”
Remedy:
This is an easily treatable injury with a little patience. First, relieve the pain by icing your knees immediately after running. You can use commercially available cold packs or simply put a wet towel in the freezer before you run. Wrap the cold packs around each knee for about fifteen minutes to bring down the swelling. Take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or aspirin after running, too, but only with food and never before running. Before bed, put heating pads or warm wet towels on your knees for half an hour.
Stabilize your feet. Make sure you have the right kind of shoes for your foot type (review our tips on shoe shopping). Consider buying a commercially made foot support in the footcare section of your drug store. If, in combination with thigh-strengthening exercises, the foot supports are not enough to get rid of the injury, see a podiatrist about whether you might need orthotics.
That was from Cool Running. I think, after reading it, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I know that from my visit to the physical therapists about a month ago, I don’t have the musculature in my thighs and lower back that help keep my legs running as they should (no pun intended), and I need to work on building muscles that will help support how my legs operate. That means, basically, I need to do some weight training (of some sort) or find some way that will strengthen my body’s core without straining my knees.
I’m not happy, but I suppose this is what I need to face up to. I’m not in the best of shape, muscle-wise, but I now realize I need to be. I need to build up the rafters, footings, and beams that form the structures the rest of my body relies on.
-Thom
Memorial Day Weekend Run
So, I came real close, if not actually making, my goal of 10 miles. I really, really came so close to 10 miles of continuous running! I am finding that my body is still catching up to what my mind thinks its capable of, but truly, if I keep this up, and keep off the cigs (on my 3rd week of no smokes as we speak!), I might just be able to do something with this running thing…
So Sweet is the Feeling of Anticipation
Yesterday, as the day dragged ON FOREVER at work (it was too nice outside to be tied to my desk), I got a phone call on my cell phone. As is normal protocol, I don’t answer the cell while at my desk – it’s not allowed, and frankly, unless I know who it is, I don’t pick up. This one I didn’t know, but shortly after the ringing stopped, there was a follow-up buzz that whomever it was left me a voice mail. I was curious, but not too intrigued to interrupt my day. I resumed drooling with boredom into my keyboard, doing the data entry project I’ve been struggling to finish for a bit now.
Eventually, I had to get up to go to the bathroom, so I grabbed my phone, and prior to going to the loo, I checked the voicemail to see who it was that had called me. Well, I nearly burst – it was a call back from a school I had applied to!!!
I don’t want to jinx it too much, but basically, I had applied via SchoolSpring back in April. There were strict instructions not to follow up with a direct call to the School department’s office, so like a good duckie, I follwed the rules – but never heard anything back, other than that my application was under review. I submitted my application, having just taken the MTEL, but not having my results back – so at first my thoughts were “at least I can try.” I was pleased to be able to follow up and say I had actually passed the test, but that was about a month ago…still no word.
That is, until yesterday.
The message told me to call back today, Saturday, between 8am and 1pm. Well, as you might imagine, I was up at 5:15, all nerves, and anticipating the phone call. I got up, had coffee, went for a short run (40 minutes, for those of you who are tracking – about 4.5 miles) and showered, just to deal with my nerves. By the time I was feeling more relaxed, it was time to make the phone call, and the butterflies started fluttering again in my belly.
The phone call was pleasant enough. The woman with whom I spoke was curious about a few things on my resume – my adventure in England, my post-high school experience (which I called non-traditional in my resume and had to explain), and what my biggest weakness. I had actually learned that about myself in my last few months at Springwood – I struggle when challenged by ultra-bright kids – those who probably know more than I do – which is something I need to work on. She then explained that I was one of over 200 applicants, and she had narrowed down the field to 20, and then had to filter again to present them to her faculty members. From there, the top 6-8 would be asked to come in for an interview.
I’m impressed I was chosen out of 200 people – but I’m nervous about being chosen out of about 16-18 people, let alone 6-8 people! Still, it was a call – it got me thinking about being a teacher again – and that was worth getting up so early for.
Of course, I’ll keep you all posted!
-TEACHER Thom
Pride48
Hey all! Just wanted to let you know I’m taking part in a special event for next month, as part of Pride Month. Go ahead and click the picture below for more information!
Today’s Run
This is today’s run. Honestly, I didn’t run ALL of it, but a good 90% of it was spent at a jog pace. I was out for about 2 hrs total, with some time in there for stretching a couple of times, and some spates of walking, just to make sure I didn’t hurt myself. It felt pretty good, and its a good thing I did this today – the in-laws are coming over tonight to take Nate and I out for a meal I know there will be some overeating involved!
View
Run 9 May 2009 in a larger map
At the Fan Pier on Sunday
I went out yesterday morning for a lovely walk. It was a grey day, with not much going on in terms of shadows and light, but it was pleasant, nonetheless, and was a decent day to go down to Boston’s Fan Pier to see what the whole Volvo Ocean Race was all about.
If you click on the picture of the blossoms, it will take you to the other pictures I took yesterday.
Apparently, the Volvo Ocean Race is a huge event, where boats and sailing teams race around the world. Boston is one leg of the trip, and the boats will be here for a while, with inner harbor racing taking place next weekend. I don’t know if I’ll be working, but I’d love to get back down to the waterfront to see it.
Click and enjoy!
-Thom
So sorry
I wanted to put up a small apology to those of you who are anticipating a new SoundByte from me. We have had to go through the entire process (ok, Nate has…I don’t have the patience) of tranfering files and making sure it gets set up correctly. In short, it’s taking a little bit longer to get to where I can produce a show, but it’s nearly time. That I promise! 
Thank you for your patience!
Thom
***REALLY BIG NEWS***
I PASSED MY MTELs!!!
This means, for all of you reading this, that I am a LICENSED TEACHER IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS!
Have I overstated it? Can you tell how I feel!
YAHOOO!!!!!
Of course, this means I need to keep my eyes open for potential future positions, but for now, I’m pleasantly pleased, chock full of myself, and very proud to be me.
The Eeyore in me says “this too shall pass” but for now, I’m grinning!
Happy Easter All!
-Thom
There…Pics are Up!
Here are some pics of yesterday’s wander around town.
and here’s a video I shot on Saturday:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fpax9H5nqo[/youtube]
Enjoy!
I meant to post this a while ago…
So I went out for a substantial run back in March, and I said I’d try to post a map of my route. Well, here it is, 2 weeks later, but here, nonetheless.
I hope it works
-Thom
Checking In and an Update…
Hey All! I know, I know…no show this past week. Not even an utter! Honestly, it’s been rather trying since the ol’ iMac decided to die on us, but I’m still here…even though it’s a bit quieter without my voice (or my damned music) in your ears.
Last weekend was a rather good one. On Saturday, I got a text from Nate saying he wanted to get out of town and take a roadtrip to a place of my choosing (but within 90 miles, as Zipcar has a 180 mile limit per day on any rentals you do with them). So, between reading pages and pages of a really good book, I found a destination that I’d never been to, but have often wondered about – Rockport, MA.
It’s a cute little fishing village on the end of Cape Ann in Massachusetts, and this time of year, it’s mostly just locals who are taking up any space on the roads along the coast, so I thought it would be a good place for us to go. Under Nate’s direction, I packed us a little picnic dinner, we hustled off to pick up our car Brighton the BMW, and off we went!
It was a fabulous trip up the highway, even with a little detour in North Reading, MA to pick up oil…apparently, Brighton was a bit thirsty. The sun was shining, and though there was some traffic as we careered up Route 128, by the time we got past Beverly, the roads cleared, and we made our way up to our destination. I took pictures along the way, which are posted here, and some of the better ones are over here.
Yesterday, Sunday, was also a great day, for me, as I crossed a threshold that I haven’t crossed in a VERY long time. I woke up with the urge to go for a run, but because it was still so damned cold out (it IS spring…but tell that to the weather gods…), I dallyed around the house for a bit. I ate breakfast…read some more…ate lunch, and finally stepped outside to check the temperature. Lo and behold, around noon, it was finally reasonable outside, so I donned a pair of shorts, my sweatshirt, sneakers, and a fully-loaded iPod, and took off. At first, it was slow going, as it usually is with me, but as I continued on, I soon shook the short breath and early cramps, and was on my way.
I made my way along the waterfront, down towards South Station. I then crossed the Fort Point Channel, near the Children’s museum in Boston, and then turned into South Boston for a while. I made it down A Street, all the way to the Gillette World Shaving Headquarters, where I found an overpass over the tracks that lead into South Station, and an underpass under I-93, which dumped me in the South End of Boston (NOT to be confused with Southie…South Boston). I then found my way to Berkeley Street, and ran all the way across town to the Charles River, along the Esplanade, and back towards the Science Museum. At that point, I swung my way past the TDBanknorth Garden, and on back into the North End.
I know most of you won’t have a CLUE where I went, but there are some of you who do, and if I’ve got the skillz enough, I’ll create a Google map for you all to look at. I was gone for ONE WHOLE HOUR of SOLID RUNNING. Something I haven’t done since I was training for the 10k race I ran last year. ONE HOUR is a long time of running for me, and something I’m very proud of. I’m not even that sore…just a little pain in my right leg, but nothing major. I feel really good, and can’t wait to get out and do it again.
For me, I think the reason I managed to make it that far was because I was exploring. I’ve never gone into some of the parts of Boston I ran through, so it was also a sight-seeing adventure. I think that’s half the challenge to running…keeping your interest up, and varying your route enough to make it interesting.
Anyway, it was a fabulous weekend, something I was DYING to talk about on my podcast…but that’ll have to wait.
Talk again soon!
-Thom
