Never a dull moment...

TOMORROW: Lucky 13 Boston Marathon Run for Dana-Farber

2010-04-18T21:34:00.001-04:00

(Repost of my annual pre-marathon email)

Dear family, friends and colleagues,

Par for the course, it’s past 9pm, and I don’t expect to be ready for bed for at least another two hours. Don’t worry – I did the same thing last year!

Welcome to my annual “night before the marathon, and I’m here to answer all your questions” email. This, like not going to bed on time, has become an annual tradition, and I’ve been pinged all day from folks asking when I was going to “send out the details.”

So, here we go: my annual answers to all your spectating questions!

What I'll be wearing: at the start, likely a light blue running jacket; further along, you'll see this year's singlet (colorful as always, but this year's is mostly orange) over a long-sleeve black shirt. Wellesley College baseball cap. Black capri running pants. For those of you on Facebook, I've posted a picture of this year's shirt.

What is my number: 22681

When the race starts: there are two starts for runners. 10am for the speedsters, 10:30am for the rest of us. Nearly all of the DFMC runners are in the 22000s corral with a 10:30am start.

How will you find me out on the course: Let’s face it: I’ve been in physical therapy since New Year’s and am not expecting this to be the year I set a land-speed record. Slow and steady, hoping my foot holds up. This is what I describe as “directionally correct,” or the earliest time you will find me passing through your neighborhood

Start: 10:30am

5 miles: 11:30am

10 miles: 12:45pm

13.1 miles (halfway mark):1:15pm

15 miles: 2pm

20 miles: 3pm

25 miles: 4pm

finish: 4:15pm

If you are planning to be out on the course, your best bet to seeing me is to let me know where you'll be standing -- it's easier for me to find a spectator than it is for you to find me!

How you can monitor my progress from afar:

The most official: www.baa.org will have an electronic monitoring system up and running tomorrow morning. Enter my number and watch me truck along.
Sign up for text messages before 6am on Monday: to get a text message when I pass various points in the race, sign up for the AT&T Athlete alert by either texting the word RUNNER to 31901 (you will receive a response in which you’ll then be directed to enter my bib number – see above) or sign up online at http://registration.baa.org/2010/cf/RegAthleteAlert/pg_AthleteAlert.cfm?mode=preentry&snap=67012610&)
Far more fun: Tom has set up Twitter on my Blackberry and I’ll be tweeting the entire day away, beginning when he drops me off at 6am for the Somerville Road Runner bus to Hopkinton, then out on the marathon course. Follow me at hkhagerty. For those of you not on Twitter, we’ve set up my account so that it will repost my tweets on Facebook.
And last, but by no means least: Just call or text me ANYTIME on Monday at 617-699-6914. Seriously, please call! It totally makes my day!

How the fundraising is going: as of tonight, I have raised more than $3,000, 30% toward my twin goals of $10,000 this year and exceeding $100,000 raised throughout my soon-to-be 13 years running for Dana-Farber. Many, many thanks to those of you who have already contributed to my run. If you have not done so and would like to, please visit my website, http://www.racedirectors.com/H/marathon.html. I'll be accepting donations through the end of June and hope to reach $10,000. 100% of your contributions support vital innovative research at Dana-Farber that otherwise would not find funding.

Somerville Journal interview: Last weekend, two BU students from the College of Communication interviewed me and three other Somerville residents about our marathon runs for charity. It was published this weekend - enjoy!

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/features/x43859284/Boston-Marathon-Somerville-runs-for-charity

http://kellieryan.net/BostonMarathon.html

And as always, lots of hugs to my two angels, Brittany and Amber. At this afternoon’s pasta party, I was not only joined by Amber and her entire family, but also by Brittany’s sister, Brianne. I couldn’t have asked for a better kick-off to The Big Run. I’ll be thinking of both families and look forward to meeting Amber at Mile 25, where she’ll join me to finish that final mile.

Time to pack! See you at the finish line!

-H.

*******

Heather Kispert Hagerty

hkispert@alum.wellesley.edu

617.699.6914

Please support my 2010 Boston Marathon run for research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute!

http://www.racedirectors.com/H/marathon.html

2010 Marathon Letter!

2010-04-16T07:52:00.002-04:00

Dear family and friends,

I’m sure you’re asking yourself: is she running again? The answer is yes, I’m running….and running late with my annual letter! This Monday, April 19th, I will be running the 114th Boston Marathon as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. My 13th year!

I did a tally recently. Over the past twelve years, I have:

Gone through nearly 30 pairs of sneakers – thank you, Marathon Sports
Drank so much Gatorade (Riptide Rush, to be exact) that I should have bought stock
Participated in hundreds of road races and received enough t-shirts that I could probably wear a different one every day for six months and not repeat
Ran 314 miles between Hopkinton and Boston (that’s 26.2 x 12) and walked it another 2-3 times for good measure through the Jimmy Fund Walk
Raised more than $90,000 for cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

I stand on the brink: this year, “lucky 13,” I hope to reach 340 miles run and $100,000 raised for Dana-Farber. I hope you will help me!

I am constantly reminded that we now live in an era where all of us will know someone who has battled cancer. I have had the privilege to hear directly from researchers at Dana-Farber about the advances that have been made and how far we have come in treating cancer patients.

I am also reminded how precious our own lives are. Just this winter, both of Tom’s parents were diagnosed with various forms of skin cancer. Thankfully, both have been treated successfully. However, as I look in the mirror, I wonder: did I do enough to prevent skin cancer for myself? I think: it’s likely not a matter of if, but rather a matter of when.

And then I hope: someday, we will not only cure cancer. We will prevent it. This is why I run.

And why, you ask, was this year’s letter so late? I was running well this winter until I ran a half-marathon on Cape Cod and limped away with a painful foot injury. Three doctors, two physical therapists and one MRI later, I finally found a magician who believed in both my body and my cause, enough to tell me that I would toe the line once again. I’ll be there Monday, taped foot and all, ready to break 340 marathon miles. But I need your help to reach $100K.

Please take a few minutes today to support my 12th marathon run. 100% of your tax-deductible donation funds Barr Program researchers at Dana-Farber, ensuring novel approaches in basic cancer research.

With thanks and appreciation,
-Heather

PS: As I have every year, I will be wearing the names of your loved ones, cancer victims and survivors, on my marathon-day singlet to spur me forward. Be sure to email me so I can include them.

Thoughts from today's Boston Marathon...

2009-04-20T21:14:00.008-04:00

Every year I say I'm going to write down my experience immediately after. Well, I finally did it. Warning: it's rather long, like the race. Enjoy!
*****
4am Ouch. I am SO not a morning person. Who moved up the start time from noon to 10/10:30am?

4:30am. Heather: I've never had less confidence about finishing a race. Tom: *I* have never had less confidence about you finishing a race. H: WTF? T: Oh come on, it's Chevy Chase. You set it up perfectly. H: You're an ass...

5:30am. Head out the door to drive over to Wellington to meet the Somerville Road Runner bus. We both reflect how early we are this year -- last year I was one of the last ones on, nearly giving Tom a heart attack.

6am. Bus heads out. I now realize that having volunteered to help out with the logistics for the bus ride has its downside: the driver doesn't know for sure how to get to Hopkinton, so now I can't snooze the ride away.

7am. Arrive in Hopkinton. Gordon and I head over to the Dana-Farber refuge, a church several blocks away (for those of you keeping track, this is where today's mileage starts to tick upwards of that 26.2 miles). We're early -- no kids out collecting our autographs yet.

7:15 to 10:15am. Hang out with the Dana-Farber runners. Uta Pippig comes to wish us well. A group of us hanging out trade war stories with some newbie runners. Justin, our favorite photographer, takes a great photo of me from the ground, showing off the writing on my left leg. Linda, Brittany's mom, calls from Florida to wish me luck. The entire team of 550+ gathers for a fantastic group photo in front of the church. I bring my bag to the bus to send it on to Boston, debating whether to throw on another shirt and/or take my jacket. I do both, which will prove to be the best decision I'll make all day. I eat more bagels and bananas until I'm sick of them, then eat a few more. Upteen trips to the bathroom, the last being at 10:15am with Jan shouting into the ladie's room that we *really* need to get a move on it.

10:25am. Finally make my way to the 22,000 corral (still keeping track of that "extra" mileage, anyone?). Damn, I have a pebble in my shoe. I debate too long about taking the shoe off and get caught in a ridiculous dance of shuffling forward with the crowd, trying to tie the shoe back on, all while neither getting trampled nor knocking over the girl behind me.

10:30am. The gun goes off. It will be six or so minutes before I cross the starting line. Our coach, former Boston Marathon winner Jack Fultz, is up in the press box calling out greetings to the Dana-Farber runners as we pass.

Mile 1. Pretty non-descript. You're jostling for position and chuckling at the men (and some brave women) dashing into the woods for a last minute commune with nature). I'm taking things slow, not sure how the pulled calf muscle is going to react, so I'm getting passed on all sides by eager runners taking on the downhill. No matter -- I see a few that are sure to burn out later on!

Mile 2. Fairly flat, still crowded. We're now in Ashland, although I think I missed the sign. All body parts are doing what they're supposed to do. I turn on my iPod to listen to the great mix Tom made for me in 2007.

Mile 3. Still in Ashland. Everything feels good. I decide right then and there that no doubt, I'm going to finish. I cross over the electronic pads on the road for the first athlete alert at the 5K. Chirp!

Mile 4. More Ashland. I look for the island in the road and stick to left. A few hundred yards ahead, I see Kim Balkus who waits every year for me to take any unwanted clothing and replenish me with food and liquids. I waffle as I approach her: dump the jacket tied around my waist, or keep it. Finally I decide to keep it -- it's not bothering me, aside from the sweat collecting at my lower back. My second-best decision I'll make today.

Mile 5: A few small rolling hills as we head toward Framingham. I'm nervous about those tight calf muscles and walk up one of them, trying to stretch everything out. Five miles is where I start to get a comfortable pace, now confident that the legs are working according to plan. We round a corner, heading into Framingham.

Mile 6. All respect to Framingham residents aside, not my favorite stretch on the course. It gets industrial, the crowds thin out a little. I reach the 10K and hear more chirps. Less than 20 miles to go. Somewhere along the way I step off the course and shake the pebble out of my shoe. Ah...much better. Like the Princess and the Pea, it had been growing to boulder proportions.

Mile 7: A more entertaining part of Framingham. Chicken Bone anyone? I ponder whether its Boston location went under as Tom recently heard. People have been partying here, and there are more little kids running out to high-five you. A few hundred yards later I see the first major DFMC crew and run over to give Delores and Wayne Weaver a sweaty hug. They're owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the research program supported by DFMC is named after Mrs. Weaver's mother. Hey -- they told us last night at the pasta party to come in for hugs!

Mile 8. We're working our way out of the industrial area into suburbia, aka Natick. I lose track of the miles and stare in disbelief at a 20+ minute mile, until I realize I must have forgotten to hit the lap button. Oh well... Somewhere around this point I got passed by the two guys running in their briefs. Yup, undies. Oh man, they're going to get COLD!

Mile 9. The wind picks up around Lake Cochichuate, without any trees to block it. I'm grateful that I added an extra shirt and hung on to my jacket, although I don't put it on yet. At the 15K mark, another set of pads mark our progress, with photographers in a glorified cherry-picker take candids. Smile for the cameras, Heather! I pass one of my favorite houses just after the Lake -- they hang a huge banner every year that says "shortcut" and points to their backyard. Always a party going on there!

Mile 10. I had promised my mother that I would check in at Mile 10 and fight with my phone for several minutes. Sunscreen and sweat have covered the phone's face, and I'm reluctant to take off my sunglasses, as they're protecting my contacts from the increasing wind and flying debris. It's been cranky as of late, and wouldn't you know it -- it gets hung up. I nearly fling it to the ground in a fit of rage, regretting my decision to hold off on replacing it for a few more months. With a sigh, I shut it down, run for a few to Natick Center, then fire it back up, finally get a text off to my parents, sister, Tom and Amy Darosa, Amber's mother. Mission accomplished, but I've lost patience in reading the dozens of messages and texts that have arrived -- back to my job at hand.

Mile 11. A very residential area in between Natick and Wellesley. Crowds are thin here, but the piece de la resistance was a guy dressed in drag. Seriously, it was awesome! Updates flood in on the Red Sox game. Tom, who was supposed to go to the game, ran into a snag with a work project and is instead locked into his computer at home. I suspect he's not a happy camper...

Mile 12. Wellesley. The Scream Tunnel. Seriously, you can hear this coming more than a half- mile away. I learned my lesson many years ago: stop yelling "Wellesley alum coming through" because you'll waste valuable energy. Instead, I wear a Wellesley hat, which I tap as I run by, and also have "Wellesley '95" in big letters on medical tape across the front of my singlet. The women go nuts. I have a chance encounter just before the Tunnel with fellow alumna Christy Doran. After the tunnel, I walk for a few minutes with fellow DFMCer Tom Zappela, who borrows my phone. Then I call into my sister to let her know I'm approaching. 20K in. I finally find a portapotty with no lines/no waiting, thank goodness!

Mile 13. Mom and Alison are positioned at the same spot every year: Talbot's red door, nearly exactly at the half-marathon mark. A few years ago I ducked into entrance to rip off wet clothing and replace with dry ones, much to the horror of both my mother and the sales clerks. I guess my mother thought I would use a dressing room... This is my opportunity to sift through my packed belt pack for lip balm, my inhaler and a few other odds and ends that were too difficult to dig out while running. A few hundred yards later, the winds pick up considerably, and I quickly pull on my jacket, leaving it mostly unzipped so the crowds can see my name, number and Dana-Farber.

Mile 14. All of a sudden, my on-again/off-again foot pain reappears. This has been plaguing me for more than a year, but never with any consistency. It's the far left side of my left foot, almost feeling as if it's taking too much of a pounding. I adjust my stride slightly and concentrate on striking more center. I call Tom to complain as the pain escalates. Now my left knee is bugging me -- no pain, just not right. Doctor Tom recommends two Advils STAT and to take it easy until they kick in. Thus begins my walk in Wellesley Hills.

Mile 15-17. I'm thoroughly pissed here about my foot. There's no two ways about it. Let's just say that I walked more than I ran and leave it at that. Somewhere I pass 25K. This also covers another one of my least favorite parts of the course: going over 128. I pass Newton-Wellesley hospital and have a brief moment of humor: I'll be here tomorrow for my annual physical (such timing) and can get these pains checked out then.

Mile 17. I stop at the next DFMC pit-stop and pilfer a few Swedish fish and water. I say hello to Dave Brno who is volunteering with DFCI. With heavy heart, I head out again. What's this? The Advil has kicked in and the pain has been dulled. Either that or the placebo effect from the candy. No matter, I'll take it. I hustle through the gauntlet known as PowerBar gel, then pull out my preferred GU. A half mile or so later, I make the turn at the Newton Firestation and officially begin the ascent: the hills of Newton. I text an update to my usual suspects letting them know that the foot is better and that I'm climbing. Strategy: walk the hills, because I'm moving faster than the people next to me are running, and it saves energy. I didn't train enough on hills, sobeit.

Mile 18. Hike up. Run down. Loan my cell phone to a guy experiencing a lousy race who wants to notify his friends that he's alive, but not moving quickly. I look for the Somerville Striders water stop, but missed it somewhere. A little further, I find the Somerville Road Runners water stop, which has many familar faces and delectable Fig Newtons. Thanks, Karin! Another checkpoint reached, more photos. 30K down. Somewhere along here Jim Rhoades took my photo...

Mile 19. Coming into Newton City Hall where my father waits every year at the Johnny Kelly statue. I see he's not alone -- some how my mother has managed to beat me there. I take a few sips of Coke, disappointed that I had forgotten to open it earlier in the weekend and dispense with most of the carbonation. A few photos, and I'm off to tackle the rest of the hill.

Mile 20. Still more hills. A few novices around me get dishearted, and I try to give them a visual of the six miles ahead. One more mile to BC. Then a mile to Cleveland Circle. Shortly after that the Citgo sign, and you're practically there. They're not buying it. I forgo taking a sip of beer from enthusiastic BC kids -- I did this a few years ago when I was feeling like a rock star and was burping the rest of the way in. Lesson learned.

Mile 21. I crest the hills and see the familiar facades of Boston College. Lots of screaming college students, but they don't hold a candle to Wellesley (sorry, BC!). They're also more drunk, so there's a delayed reaction to "BC alum." Entertaining! I text my usual suspects and ask Tom to log into my Facebook to update everyone. Listening to messages with this wind has become a royal pain in the you-know-what. I scan text messages instead. Downward ho!

Mile 22. My foot and knee are hurting a bit more, so I take the decline into Cleveland Circle with less gusto than I usually do. Police and military types line the turn onto Beacon Street. The crowds get thicker and more lively around here. I text my usual suspects that I have rounded the Circle. Amy, her father and Amber leave Somerville to head to Mile 25.

Mile 23. More crowds. Now I see an occasional marathon finisher, thankfully not running back, which would have completely bummed me out. I get confused by the intersections in Brookline -- several people have told me that they watch here or have homes here, but I can't remember where. Luckily somewhere around 23 and 24, Bonny Kellermann spots me and jumps out to walk with me for a few minutes.

Mile 24. Crowds are now spilling out into the road, creating a narrow lane of passage for runners. Mostly college kids celebrating the day and cheering us on. I text my usual suspects: Amy and family are in place at Mile 25. I've discouraged Tom from coming in, given his most recent battles with public transportation, and instead agree to a post-marathon dinner. About halfway to 25, I spot a medical tent and ask a group of women for help getting out of my singlet, putting my jacket back on as a base, then putting the singlet over it -- all without knocking my baseball hat off. Guys -- try the whole ponytail through the back of the cap thing, and you'l appreciate why I needed help for this seemingly simple feat. I approach the base of the bridge into Kenmore Square and call ahead to Amy to confirm where they're standing.

Mile 25. Amber rushes out to great me at the top of the bridge, letting me know that it's freezing. Really? Hugs from Amy and her dad, and a beautiful poster cheering me and fellow DFMCers on. Amber and I are off, walking hand in hand. She's grown quite a bit since last year and is much chattier -- she updates me on the underwear guys (yes, they looked cold, but I think she's too young to understand terms like "shrinkage") and a few other strange sites that have come through. Because she's bundled up for the cold, she has no "signage" on her that would cause the crowds to cheer her name, so we volunteer the information for more cheers. My marathon is done at this point -- I don't care how long this mile takes. We walk under Mass Ave, then turn right onto Hereford Street. More photographers snap our photos. We turn left onto Boylston and spot my parents at the corner (once again, they've beaten me in).

The Finish. As Amber and I drink in the sights and sounds of the last few hundred yards, we plan our strategy. At the second street light, which is now red, we'll make a break for it and run the rest of the way. With a giggle, she sets off, commenting that she can almost walk faster than I'm running. Lovely! As we approach the finish with no other runners near us, the PA announcer calls out my name, notes my Dana-Farber affiliation, then remarks on my beautiful daughter accompanying me to the finish line. This has become a long-standing joke between me and Amber -- for one mile, every year, she's my daughter...at least in the eyes of the fans and announcers! We high-five as we cross the finish line, and remarkably I remember to hit stop on my watch. Just 15 seconds over six hours. Not exactly one of my finer performances, but I'll take it.

The Walk. Oh, but wait, you're not done! You still have to walk to get your mylar blanket, walk some more to hand in your chip and collect your medal, then walk some more to find the bus that has your bag. THEN, we have to walk all the way back to Copley to the Marriott where our families will be meeting us at the DFMC gathering. Sorry folks, it's SO not a 26.2 mile race. It's well over 27 or even 28 when you add it all up. Sorry to burst your bubbles!

So that's it: my six hour journey from Hopkinton to Boston. I wish I had trained more. I wish the weather had been better (I'd like it about 10 degrees warmer with a tailwind, but at least the rain held off). I would have liked to have taken calls on the course, but apparently I need a new phone for that one. But it's another one in the books (, and I'll take it any way I can get it!

What I can't describe is the number of people who shout out to you "thank you Dana-Farber." At 550+ strong, we're the largest charity running group out on the course, and we get a lot of love. We're making a difference for so many folks out there, so my hat's off to all of you for supporting me along this fun, occasionally painful, journey.

As for the 2009 Boston? I'm asking for a mulligan on my performance -- I've signed up to run the NYC Marathon in November!

Final marathon preparations and answers to your annual questions!

2009-04-19T22:37:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,

Yikes -- it's 10:30pm, more than an hour later than I swore I'd be up, but here I am going through last minute checklists.

Timing chip tied to sneakers. Check.

Number pinned to my singlet. Check.

Gear for sun (suncreen), wind (sunglasses), cold (gloves) and rain (jacket). Check, check, check, check.

Assuming my alarm clock goes off without a hitch, I'll be out the door around 5:30pm. Tom will drop me off in Everett at a bus just for Somerville Road Runners, then off to Hopkinton where I'll join the rest of my Dana-Farber teammates at a special refuge inside (key word: inside!) a local church near the starting line.

So, my annual answers to all your spectating questions!

What I'll be wearing: at the start, likely a light blue running jacket; further along, you'll see this year's singlet (colorful as always, but this year's is mostly red) over a long-sleeve black shirt (I'm expecting cold rather than hot). Wellesley College hat (sorry, BC, but nothing beats the screams of Wellesley women when one of their own is passing by!). Black capri running pants. For those of you on Facebook, I've posted a picture of this year's shirt.

What is my number: 22192

When the race starts: there are two starts for runners. 10am for the speedsters, 10:30am for the rest of us. Nearly all of the DFMC runners are in the 22000s corral with a 10:30am start.

How will you find me out on the course: Tom and I came up with the following numbers last year, and it's directionally correct...if you add another half hour on top! Consider it the EARLIEST I'll be passing through your neighborhood.

Start: 10:30am

5 miles: 11:30am

10 miles: 12:30pm

15 miles: 1:30pm

20 miles: 2:30pm

25 miles: 3:30pm

finish: 3:45pmish

If you are planning to be out on the course, your best bet to seeing me is to let me know where you'll be standing -- it's easier for me to find a spectator than it is for you to find me!

How you can monitor my progress from afar: www.baa.org will have an electronic monitoring system up and running tomorrow morning. Enter my number and watch me truck along.

I can't believe she answers phone calls? Yes, I'm running with my cell phone! Feel free to text or email me ANYTIME on Monday at 617-699-6914. I won't return text messages, but I'll try to take/return calls (if I don't answer, it only means I don't happen to hear/feel my phone at the moment). Seriously, please call! It totally makes my day!

How the fundraising is going: Off to a bit of a slow start given how late my letter went out, but moving right along. Many, many thanks to those of you who have already contributed to my run. If you have not done so and would like to, please visit my website, http://www.racedirectors.com/H/marathon.html. I'll be accepting donations through the end of June and hope to reach $10,000. 100% of your contributions support vital innovative research at Dana-Farber that otherwise would not find funding -- this is the REAL reason why I run every year!

And finally, a big shout out to my two angels, Brittany and Amber. I spent this morning over breakfast with Brittany's sister, Brianne, and had a wonderful time talking about Brittany. She got me to the starting line back in 1998, and her memory spurs me on. Tom and I spent the afternoon with Amber and her family at the Dana-Farber pasta party. As always, she'll be waiting for me at Mile 25 to finish that final mile with me. These girls ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time for bed! See you at the finish line!

-H.

Please support my 12th marathon run for cancer research

2009-04-08T23:46:00.001-04:00

Dear family and friends,

It’s that time of year: in less than two weeks, on Monday, April 20, I will be running the 113th Boston Marathon as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. A dozen years… Who would have guessed when I nervously toed the line in 1998 that I would return year after year to run the granddaddy of all marathons? Certainly not me—the few times I did join friends for a run, it usually both began and ended with me grumbling: the early hour, their far-too-quick pace, an accumulation of blisters from ill-fitting sneakers. What changed? I have been inspired—a dozen times over—by the most amazing young women, waging their own personal marathon against cancer research.

By Brittany Lambert. Brittany was my patient-partner that first year, an amazing teenager who celebrated life as passionately and fearlessly as she faced death. I have remained close to her family and earlier this winter went to a Bruins hockey game with her sister, Brianne. Brianne has grown into a beautiful, self-confident young woman who openly shares her dedication to Dana-Farber. As we reminisced and enjoyed one of Brittany’s favorite pastimes, my mind traveled back in time, recalling nearly verbatim a conversation with Brittany about meeting her favorite Bruin. Brianne now shed new light on that encounter, describing how Brittany had been feeling poorly, but had perked up ten-fold when the opportunity presented itself. Carpe diem, after all. Two incredible sisters, the same conversation, a dozen years apart.

By Amber DaRosa. Six years ago, Amber was diagnosed with leukemia. Although four year-olds are not usually allowed in the patient-partner program, an exception was made because Amber’s parents are high-school friends of Tom’s. She meets me every year at mile 25, and I have had the immense pleasure of watching her evolve into a healthy, cancer-free young lady. The first year, we pushed her in a carriage. The next, I carried her most of the way. The following year, a slow walk. Most recently, she’s been the one pushing and pulling me along that last mile. This winter I joined Amber and her family at a special party for runners and their partners at the Children’s Museum and could not help but wonder at the transformation of this nearly-ten year-old as she easily (and repeatedly) climbed a rock wall. It’s nothing compared to what she’s already survived.

These young women, and their families, inspire me through the miles each year. And they remind me that we still have many miles to go. Please take a few minutes today to support my 12th marathon run. 100% of your tax-deductible donation funds Barr Program researchers at Dana-Farber, ensuring novel approaches in basic cancer research.

With thanks and appreciation,
-Heather

PS: As I have every year, I will be wearing the names of your loved ones, cancer victims and survivors, on my marathon-day singlet to spur me forward. Be sure to email me so I can include them.

General update and news from the front...

2009-03-12T00:25:00.003-04:00

A quick and brief update:

As you may have heard, I recently accepted a position at Boston University to return to frontline fundraising. This Friday will be my last day at THD, although I will be staying engaged in the hiring process for my replacement. I'll be taking two weeks off before starting at BU, so expect some massive updates to the blog and our photo page on Shutterfly. I've been writing partial entries over the past two months that need to be finished, so be forewarned, you'll be reading about mischief from weeks ago! Bear with me as I catch up on life!

Still more cake decorating!

2009-02-23T22:08:00.006-05:00

Tonight is the last night of Course I for cake decorating.

We finished our three-step lesson on how to make a rose (really, was it necessary to drag it out three classes?).

We learned how to make various leaves and vines. A few of us also learned a smaller flower, the sweet pea.

How did I do?

More cake decorating!

2009-02-16T22:07:00.006-05:00

For tonight's class, we made the EXACT same cake that my mother made for me as a child. Goes to show you that if something isn't broken, don't change it!

Voila, my clown cake. Yes, I named him Tom. I was practicing my letters, but didn't have room for something longer!

I looked through my photos to see if I had that photo from when I was a kid, sticking my finger into the frosting while wearing yellow feetsie pajamas (not unlike my friend, the clown), but no luck. My sister will have to do some spelunking in the family archives for that...

Cake Decorating, take 2!

2009-02-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

Alas, i didn't take a picture, but made a sweet little Valentine's Day cake. We learned how to make hearts, dots, and shells.

I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo. Seriously...

Cake Decorating 101

2009-02-02T22:05:00.002-05:00

In my never-ending quest to limit whatever freetime I may have, I signed up recently for a cake decorating class. Wilton, the ubiquitous supplier of professional cake decorating products, offers small classes at both Michael's and AC Moore. My mother took a class when I was a child and I remember her bringing home amazing cakes. I've been dying to take a class for years, so when I ran across a class at AC Moore, I jumped on it. $22 for the class, plus supplies.

Well, the supplies could run you considerably more, if you don't watch out! At first I thought I could borrow most things from my mother -- at least the frosting tips. Most of the other supplies don't age well, so it was off to the races to buy pastry bags, couplers, icing colors, etc. Tom accomplanied me on one trip and quickly calculated that it's cheaper in the long run for me to buy an entire kit, using those wonderful 40-50% off coupons that are in the paper, than it is to purchase items individually.

Tonight was the first class -- an introduction to making the frosting, how to level a cake, how to put together a pastry bag with the frosting tip. Good thing I watched my mother as a child do all these things!

For each of the next three classes, we bring in a plain, small frosted cake to decorate with whatever skills we've learned from that class. Stay tuned!

A Trip in Atlanta...literally

2009-01-21T22:03:00.004-05:00

Moana and I flew down to Atlanta last night for a quick visit with one of our client companies. Our main contact met us this morning at our hotel to walk over to our breakfast meeting. As we're walking down Peachtree, Moana is reflecting on how nice it is to be able to walk without worrying about slipping on ice. Just as I'm about to comment on how much of a klutz I am...

BOOM

Down I go. If it weren't for my bag, it would have been a face plant, and if it hadn't been for gloves, surely I would have gashed both hands. As it turns out, the sidewalk had a big divot that I completely overlooked. Yeah...that's it...

Our client was horrified. Moana almost died laughing. My knees were sore and dignity bruised.

Home Economics

2008-12-15T22:02:00.003-05:00

There was a great article a few weeks ago in the New York Times about budgeting during these touch economic times, and I set it aside to comment on. I can related to the story about homeowners who find themselves buy large quantities of food because of a good price. We installed open shelves a few months ago and unearthed a good deal of food supplies...and discovered we have all sorts of dry goods that we'll never eat!

Tom and I both feel very, very lucky to have what we hope are stable jobs. We were even luckier to have found tenants earlier this year for our house. But now is the time for everyone, lucky or not, to take a step back and look a their home finances.

Recently we canceled our gym membership. I think this is the first time since my college days that I don't have a membership somewhere, but we found ourselves wasting it for months on end. I've been rationalizing that by not paying $110 or so a month, within three months we'll have saved enough for a Wii! On a more serious note, we're hoping to walk the dog more and get back into running, maybe buy some weights off of craigslist.

As for food shopping, we've seen the prices go up and quality go down at our local Shaws. We've been buying more items in bulk, where appropriate, at BJs. I got a big kick out of picking up a three-pack of Chai tea mix. It's the same stuff Starbucks is using to make my $3.78 Chai lattes, and I got at least 20 or so-worth for just $7. Now if only I could find bagels that Tom likes nearly as much as those at Dunkin Donuts!

Tom rediscovered the local butchershop, McKinnon's in Davis Square, where the prices and quality are outstanding. We're still participating in the meat CSA, but find for cold cuts and one-off items that we don't plan to freeze, McKinnon's is the way to go. We ended up dropping the vegetable CSA, feeling that we wasted more than we ate. We recently dropped by Wilson Farms in Lexington, and while the prices aren't complete bargains, the quality and selection is so much better than the supermarket, it's worth shopping selectively.

We sold my car last year and have survived 13 months on one car. This cut back on insurance, taxes and fuel costs significantly, and we were pleasantly surprised at how we dealt with the change. We plan our weekend errands much more carefully now, so I imagine we've cut back in a small way on one-off trips that waste time and gas.

What have you cut back on? What habits have you changed to save money/energy?

Finally, a Christmas tree...

2008-12-13T23:21:00.003-05:00

When Tom and I first moved in together, he spent an outrageous sum of money on a very beautiful Christmas tree, having grown up with fake ones for most of his life. After that first year, the novelty wore off, and he realized that having a real tree is a bit more work than he had anticipated.

The past two years, we haven't had xmas decorations, much less a tree. Two years ago I was traveling like crazy, and last year we were in between houses. I think maybe I had a wreath. So when I announced to Tom earlier this month that I fully intended to get a tree, let's say he was less than thrilled...

They're such a mess...
Where are we going to put it - we don't have room for our regular stuff...
It's two weeks 'til Christmas - why bother...
They're too expensive...

And so forth... But I dug in my heels. We compromised: I could get a tree, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Ha -- a familiar refrain to many wives (kind of like the dog he wanted, but I make sure she has food and gets baths on a regular basis...but I digress!) So off I went to Home Depot tonight, where decent trees can still be had for $29.

The chase was on, however, for the stand. I went down to our house in Plymouth after Thanksgiving and collected all of our holiday decorations. No stand to be found. I don't know what it is with these things -- I'm fairly certain that in the nearly 15 years that I've been living on my own, I've bought at least five or six of them. They mysteriously disappear every few years...no doubt still attached to a tree and thrown out in a fit of rage when they fail to unscrew.

Target: sold out. Kmart: cleared out. Home Depot: nada. Yikes -- I have a freshly cut tree and no stand! I'm about to run out to the 24-hour CVS in Porter Square when my mother-in-law calls me from the front door: wait! My sister-in-law may have an extra! Many, many thanks to Judy who dug through her basement and found a spare stand!

A little help from my father-in-law getting the tree upstairs and upright in the stand, and presto: Heather has her tree.

Take that, Tommy! ;)

A very Aimee Christmas...

2008-12-10T23:15:00.001-05:00

Tom and I have been ridiculously sick for the past week or so -- as in "missed my work's holiday party Saturday night" level of sick. And I can't remember the last time we were sick at the same time, so it's an added bonus to have two miserable people in the house. Needless to say, the dog has been camping out with Tom's parents for hours on end, only coming up to make sure we're alive when she wants to be fed.

A few months ago, I bought us tickets to an Aimee Mann concert at the Somerville Theater tonight for Tom's birthday -- he is a huge fan! We didn't read the fine print and were disappointed to learn a week or so ago that it's a Christmas concert, not a regular show. And by this week, feeling as lousy as we did, I can't say that either of us was mustering up a lot of enthusiasm. If the concert had been anywhere other than just over a mile away, we probably would have bagged it.

And we would have missed an awesome, very eclectic show!

For starters, the Somerville Theater in Davis Square is a wonderful place to see a show. Plenty of parking, cheap refreshments (as neither of us was up for a beer, we paid just $4 for a soda and tea!), and the theater portion of the building makes for a very intimate setting. To our delight, Aimee Mann is very down to earth, with a wonderful sense of humor and biting sarcasm (and occasional potty mouth!). The evening was emceed by a rising comedian, Todd Barry, from New York who has that really dry, laid-back personality that quickly had us in stitches. Mann was joined on stage by artists Juliana Hatfield (I can't believe she's 40 -- she looks about 20!) and Nellie McKay (wonderful, very different type of singer whom we had never heard of, but thoroughly enjoyed). Lots of funny, off-beat holiday songs, including a number by the preggo Hanukah Fairy, and a hillarious three-part film that spoofed The Christmas Carol and starred notable actors like John C Reilly and Michael Cera. I almost died laughing!

To Tom's neverending joy, about halfway through the show, Mann says, to hell with this -- not everyone likes Christmas songs, and proceeds with six or so of her own songs, including one or two from her latest album. What an incredible voice -- and as Tom pointed out, with so little perceptible effort!

The show ended up being a real treat! Happy birthday, honey!

Happy Larry Bird to Tom!

2008-12-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

He's sick as a dog and has a final tonight, but be sure to wish Tom a happy 33rd birthday!

A well-tended bookshelf

2008-12-05T20:02:00.001-05:00

I recent read a great and timely article in the NYT about managing a ever-expanding collection of books -- it made me laugh about my own problem! Anyone who has visited my home will tell you that I have books everywhere -- I convinced Tom to install floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in a particular useless corner of our living room; I have a basket of "to read" books in our bedroom; our home in Plymouth has at least 3 different sets of bookshelves throughout. To say nothing of the collection I left behind at my parents' house and have yet to ransom out.

Although not quite as bad as I am, Tom is an avid reader himself. We have pretty much every Stephen King and Henry Rollins, and he's building an impressive collection of both cookbooks and books about cooking.

Through our many moves, I've been whittling down the collection. Those that I read and didn't care for usually go to the local library or the MIT Furniture Exchange. A pretty significant stash is still down in Plymouth -- old textbooks from grad school classes, a random assortment on the top shelves that I didn't get to sorting.

I love looking at my collection, although I only just started re-reading some recently -- "From Beruit to Jerusalem" seems particularly relevant these days. I have an adversion to lending out anything other than those I disliked -- have you ever noticed how the favorite book you lent to a good friend never seems to get returned?

And yet I buy more! When I traveled out to the West Coast a lot, I had at least a half dozen independent bookstores I liked to visit and especially peruse the discount sections. There's nothing I like more than finding a book I wanted to read marked down to mere dollars! Tom keeps telling me I need to get a library card -- the Somerville Library is a reasonable walk from the house and probably a lot less expensive. But then I recently rediscovered one of my favorite places as a child: the New England Mobile Bookfair in Newton. Oh my lord - book heaven!

How do you manage your collection?

The evolution of Christmas shopping

2008-11-28T23:29:00.000-05:00

I was up and out the door at 6:30am, driving down to Plymouth to meet friends for breakfast and drop by our house to check on things. On my way back up, I stopped at a few malls in Plymouth and Kingston and was pleasantly surprised to waltz in and easily find a parking spot. A disturbing sign of the economic times... I also, once again, wasn't impressed by the bargains. I got a few good deals, but for the most part, just window shopped.

Tonight's shopping, however, was more productive and worth posting. We were tired of leftovers and opted for a low-budget dinner and drinks at the nearby 99 where our friend's wife works. We were hanging out at the bar, and I began sorting through the wads of paper in my bag. Coupons, circulars, lists, more coupons, expired coupons. The next thing we knew, we were online on my Blackberry, sitting at the bar, ordering one niece's Christmas gifts online at Amazon. My how the times have changed -- and talk about multi-tasking!

Happy turkey!

2008-11-27T21:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving all! Tom and I were at the Gobble-Gobble-Gobble, Somerville Road Runner's annual Thanksgiving Day road race, celebrating ten years since my friend Cindy first introduced me to him at the race in '98. Always makes for a fun story when people ask how I met my husband!

This afternoon we deep-fried a turkey for the first time. We've heard horror stories about how folks have almost burned down their houses, so yes, a fire extinguisher was on hand! In the end, no flames and probably one of the best, juiciest turkeys I've ever had. Clean-up, however, is bound to be a pain -- we're hoping the oil coagulates overnight and we can scoop it out, but I'm wondering if it will be cold enough...

Oh no! My favorite cookie factory...closed!

2008-11-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

Tom and I were catching up on things today, one of which was some serious grocery shopping. For years, I've snacked on Archway Cookies, whether the large, soft iced oatmeal variety or the bag of crunchy ginger snaps.

So I'm in the snack aisle, doing loops up and down, wondering where they've moved my favorite cookies to. A stockboy stops me and asks what I'm looking for. When I tell him, he laughs, saying "oh, you must be one of the last people who buy them. Archway went out of business last month."

Oh no -- say it isn't so! Sadly, this cookie did crumble...

Miami trip: day 5

2008-11-24T21:52:00.001-05:00

Our last morning in sunny Fort Lauderdale. We headed south around 9am to Miami airport, and became somewhat concerned when the GPS led us through several miles of really down-troddened neighborhoods. Trailer houses, check cashing facilities, strip joints, lots of homeless. We stopped briefly for gas, and even though he was only three feet away, Tom had me lock the car doors as soon as he stepped out. Makes you grateful for what you have...

Uneventful, yet long flight home connecting in Dulles again. We laughed at the onslaught of inaugural tourist-traps inside the airport. The capital is gearing up for January's main event!

Tom's already talking about planning a return trip to Florida this spring -- oh for a money tree!

Miami trip: day 4

2008-11-23T21:38:00.001-05:00

Today was the second highlight of our trip: New England Patriots at the Miami Dolphins. Two friends from Boston flew down to Tampa yesterday to stay with another friend and his wife (he's formerly of Boston), then drove down to meet the six of us to go to the game. We joined up with the two boat captains (also Patriots fans) with their friends (all Dolphins fans) for a great tailgate. Hubie struggled without his usual stash of every-supply-under-the-sun, and there were lots of jokes about how next time we'll be shipping down a box.

Patriots fans travel well -- perhaps not quite to the same level as Red Sox fans who seem to travel in droves across the country -- but definitely to Miami. When we came down for the game two years ago, it seemed like 75% Patriots fans. This time, we were probably just over 50%, as Miami has improved dramatically this season, but suffice to say we were in good company. Likely because there are so many transplants (see our Tampa friend and our two boat captains as case in point).

Unlike some cities, Miami fans are also good sports and very friendly. No harassment out in the lots or in the stadium. Some good-natured ribbing when the Patriots fell behind during the first half -- it didn't last long when Miami fell apart in the second half.

The girls sitting behind us (more former Boston folks!) took a fantastic picture of me and Tom. Yes, I'm wearing a pink jersey -- the kind I make fun of at every game. But I can defend my apparel -- we were all the way to Logan when I realized I forgot to pack a Patriots jersey. When we connected with our friends that evening, Hubie's wife Meghan immediately offered one of her two jerseys, Moss or Welker. I picked Welker, only to see seconds later the shirt was pink. Needless to say, our friends at the game who have heard me make fun of the women-wearing-pink-or-blue-sports-apparel-phenomenon gave me a lot of grief!

Miami trip: day 3

2008-11-22T21:36:00.000-05:00

Today was our recovery day, with no set agenda. Tom and I enjoyed a lazy breakfast at the hotel, then headed down to the pool for drinks. Two of our friends staying at another hotel joined us. Kind of a crummy pool day -- a little bit overcast and fairly windy. We eventually made our way inside and found seats at the bar. To our surprise, next to us were three men who will be officiating Sunday's Patriots-Dolphins game!

Miami trip: day 2

2008-11-21T19:55:00.000-05:00

It should be a sin to get up at 4am while on vacation, but sure enough, there we were. Up at 4am, left our hotel at 5am, pit-stop for bagels, met the rest of the crew at the second hotel at 5:30am, and leaving the dock at 6am. Did I mention I'm not a morning person?

However, you are rewarded with views like this...

We sailed for about 20-30 minutes and stopped for an hour or so to "make bait," collecting about a hundred or so small fish to use as live bait. I have to admit -- I chose to skip this process and instead nap inside, so I can't speak to the experience, but Tom thought it was fun to catch five or six fish at a time!

We then sailed about five miles off the coast and began the real fishing for dolphin fish (aka, mahi mahi) and sailfish. Tom and I had fished for dolphin back in May, so reeling in the first two or three was old hat.

The sailfish, however, was an entirely different story. Much larger, a lot more fight to them, and it's catch-and-release. I actually gave up on my first sailfish and handed the rod and reel over to Tom's friend, Hubie, to finish the job. Then I was feeling really sorry for my lack of upper body strength when I reeled in a puny, rather sorry looking fish that had to been about 15 lbs. Tom had a huge battle on his hands with a very feisty fish and nearly fell off the boat when a wave knocked us around at the same time the fish was giving him a run for his money. He successfully reeled in the fish, but had a nasty egg on the top of his knee for good measure.

I had the last word with the sailfish, however, reeling in the final fish of the day. Adam and the mate brought the fish aboard for a very quick photo op, then gently returned it to the sea. Unfortunately, that photo was taken with another couple's camera, so I'm still waiting for the evidence, but check out our photos online.

Miami trip: day 1

2008-11-20T19:49:00.002-05:00

After a long night trying to get caught up/ahead of my work, Tom and I left for Florida. The good news is that we used frequent flier miles to pay for our flight. The bad news is that we were boxed into connecting flights through Dulles and thus ended up traveling most of the day.

We finally arrived in the late afternoon in Miami and spent a good 40 minutes wandering around the airport trying to find the proper path to the car rental companies. I guess we should have read the fine print -- they're off-airport. Even better, the streets surrounding their neighborhood were under significant construction, and within minutes we knew we would never find our way back through the detours. That made a last-minute decision to pay $12/day for a GPS system easy...and it paid for itself within the first 15 minutes getting us out of a rather crummy neighborhood and on our way to our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.

Low key evening spent driving from our Marriott (thank you again, frequent stay miles!) to have dinner at our friends' digs at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. I think I created a new world record for successfully losing $20 in a slot machine in about 70 seconds. Gambling has never been my forte. Early night tonight -- big day fishing tomorrrow!

Our favorite annual laugh for a great cause: Comics Come Home

2008-11-16T09:08:00.004-05:00

Last night, Tom and I went to see Comics Come Home, benefiting the Cam Neely Foundation. Now in its 14th year, CCH is apparently the longest running charity comedy show in the nation. I started going in its early years, a year or so before I met Tom. He's gone with me to at least 8 or 9 of the past ten years, so I'd say this is a strong annual tradition.

Neely was one of my favorite players on the Bruins -- #8. A heavy hitter when you needed him to be, he retired far too early in his career after taking a nasty shot that debilitated his already-shaky hip. On the personal front, both of his parents died of cancer in the 1990s, and he and his brother quickly realized that there are not nearly enough resources for families dealing with cancer. The Foundation established the Cam Neely House, a home away from home similar in concept to the Ronald McDonald House. They've been very successful over the years, raising $19M and establishing several different cancer centers in the Boston area, including the most recent addition, the Neely Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the Children's Floating Hospital in Boston, a fantastic hospital at which Tom's nephew was treated years ago.

The show last night was AWESOME -- probably one of the best in a few years. They've decreased the number of acts and lengthened their time on stage. They also got rid of a few all-to-familiar faces, such as Steve Sweeney, whose acts were simply a regurgitation of the previous year's and no longer funny.

Denis Leary is the perennial emcee and steals the show every year. Local boy, swears every other word, and a fantastic singer (here's an old video of The Asshole Song for the uninitiated - -warning, it's pretty off-color and not for little ears to hear!). I'm still laughing at his hilarious story last night about shitting his pants by accident while traveling in Italy with his family. He's irreverent as hell, and took a few minutes to make a very personal and clearly angry statement about the backlash against his upcoming book in which comments he made about autistic families were completely taken out of context and politicized. George W was also a big target this year -- Denis started with a song about how much he'll miss making fun on him.

Jim Breuer was pretty hilarious - Tom and I saw him Friday night at Montien when we had dinner before the Smashing Pumpkins, and yes, he always does look stoned. Lenny Clarke, another Boston boy done well, was simply fantastic -- he's lost a lot of weight, his material is fresh and always taking a jab at Boston politics. Al Madrigal, who co-stars with Jay Moore on a show that I haven't watched, was a pleasant surprise -- his bit was about his new baby and how his world view has changed. My personal favorite was his bit about children who are tethered on leashes. He went over to pat one, the parent said "my child's not a dog," and he responded, "exactly, so why the F*** is he on a leash." Who hasn't wanted to say that!

Tom Shillue and Anthony Clark were both okay -- Clark needs new material. Mike DeStafano got heckled by some jerk in the audience who was promptly escorted out (score 1 for security for acting so quickly!). The show ended with Patrice Oneal who is disgustingly funny - not for the faint of heart!

A shameful, not smashing end for the Pumpkins

2008-11-15T17:30:00.003-05:00

Last night Tom and I went to see the Smashing Pumpkins play at the Wang Theater. Totally last minute, Tom picked up newly released seats five rows from the stage on Thursday afternoon. We're not huge Pumpkin fans and don't have a single one of their newer albums, but the tickets were so good, yet cheap that we couldn't pass them up (and given the choice between a family baby shower and the concert, the Pumpkins won hands-down -- sorry Wally!).

At first, we were REALLY impressed. Show started on time (never happens) and with no opening act (another thing you rarely see). They played for 2 1/2 hours straight -- again, impressive. Of the original band, only lead singer Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin remain. There's a girl playing bass who blew me away -- first of all, she's all of 5 feet, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet, and I swear the bass was bigger than she is! She was dressed up in an outfit that made me think of the Jetsons. But all joking aside, she rocked! There was another girl who played keyboard that within the first few minutes, Tom immediately commented "she's a babe." She totally looked like a 1920s pin-up girl, and I was immediately jealous -- not of her looks, but of her clear talent on the piano!

Billy Corgan is either completely out there or absolutely brilliant. We were so close we could see his fingers flying over his guitar, and he did a rendition of the national anthem that was completely Hendrix. But let me ask you: isn't he creepy? Does he look more like a Jack-O-Lantern or more like James Carville?

But I digress. At the end of the show, after a 15 minute jam session on some song, they walked off stage. No good bye, no nothing. The crowd was a little taken aback and confused, so there was what I like to call a "smattering of applause." After a few minutes, the house lights came on. Applause now turned to booing. Security is running around like crazy -- they don't know what's going on either. After about 15 minute of this nonsense, they come back on stage. First it's someone dressed up as Manny Ramirez poking fun at Red Sox fans. Then it's Billy Corgan berating the audience: "We're just back from Europe, and they have this thing over there that you may have heard of: cheering." WTF? He gives the crowd a hard time, then the band comes out and they do two lame numbers, once of which is "Everyone is Beautiful" on kazoos.

Now I've been to a lot of concerts, but never have I seen the band give the audience a total "F.U." What started out as a fantastic show ended on a completely sour note. Brilliant or not, Billy Corgan behaved like a spoiled brat. Read the review from the Boston Globe the following day and see if I'm totally off-base on my assessment.

Manners

2008-11-10T23:51:00.001-05:00

How many times have you held the door open for someone...and never get thanked?

How many times have you let another car cut into a line...and never get a wave?

For everyone who has (and you KNOW you have!) on occasion sarcastically muttered "you're welcome" in response to no thanks at all, this article on "reverse etiquette" is for you!

Sign up to be a bone marrow donor

2008-11-08T09:30:00.001-05:00

I received an email from Dana-Farber today, and they're spotlighting the need for bone marrow donors. I signed up several years ago -- it's a very simply blood test, and your record goes into a bank that is culled daily for those in need. While I haven't been called to donate, I've heard from others that the marrow collection is a relatively simple, although somewhat uncomfortable process -- but imagine saving someone's life just because you have similar genetics!

Democracy...

2008-11-05T00:13:00.000-05:00

"Democracy is...the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people."

Harry Emerson Fosdick in Harper's Monthly Magazine in November 1925, reprinted in Real Simple November 2008.

Here's hoping we've found an extraordinary man...

Get out and VOTE!

2008-11-04T17:38:00.004-05:00

My Dad used to joke about voting early and often, and today I practically did. Tom and I stood in line for an hour this morning in Somerville, with approximately 200 folks ahead of us all waiting to vote. Very, very cool stuff -- no matter who you vote for, this year's election has turned out voters like never before.

Part two came when I headed to Lexington to take my grandmother to vote. Unlike Somerville, there were no lines, no waiting. Thankfully so -- she had a hip replacement last Christmas and never could have stood in line like we did.

Tom sent me a link to a blog that he read earlier today that I want to share with you -- this really summed up today's events...

Obama's informercial

2008-11-01T15:38:00.001-04:00

I was tied up Thursday night and couldn't watch Obama's infomercial, so Tom DVRed it for me. I finally sat down this afternoon to watch it. I couldn't help thinking we're watching history being made -- next week's election is going to be interesting.

What did you think of the infomercial? Good use of time and money? Did it change your opinion?

A new perspective on home ownership: Habitat

2008-10-30T20:37:00.002-04:00

Another non-profit I'm doing work with is Habitat for Humanity. Established in the 1970s as a Christian ministry, Habitat has built 300,000 homes across the globe for families in need. Moana and I spent the morning with the development officer for Habitat's New England fundraising, and visited build sites in Dorchester and Newton. This was really a wonderful opportunity and incredibly inspiring to see. Our company is supposed to participate in both a local and international build over the coming year, and I can't wait!

Dorchester site:

The Dorchester project takes place on Blue Hills Avenue. Once a thriving Jewish community, this area has really fallen victim to crime, drugs and a faltering economy. This is a very unusual project for Habitat -- it's larger than normal (multiple buildings, 24 new homes) and will include 2000 square feet of commercial/retail space. Foreclosures run rampant in this area -- we visited several neighborhoods where home after home is boarded up, and on one street, 11 out of the 14 homes have been foreclosed. We visited Building #1 -- I believe Habitat is still in the process of selecting families for this development, and part of the retail space was recently purchased by a local salon owner to create a hairdressing school.. We had a chance to also drive by a series of Habitat homes that were built more than a decade ago -- all of those families still live there and are thriving.

Each unit has a kitchen, living area, bathroom, storage pace and two/three bedrooms. I'm jealous -- there's some serious closet space!

Newton site:

The Newton property came about as part of a bequest from an elderly woman who owned three acres of land in Newton. Part was given to the local conservation department, the other was dedicated to affordable housing. Habitat is building a two-family home from the ground-up. The two families have been chosen. One is a single mother living in public housing, and the others are both pre-school teachers who were getting by living with family. Both have been very active in the build process.

Hobnobbing with New Yorkers...

2008-10-28T23:37:00.001-04:00

I've been very fortunate throughout my life to have interesting opportunities come my way through my work, things that I could never afford to do on my own. Several years ago, I chaperoned a travel program on a week-long cruise of the Great Lakes. I've met former Secretary of State Shultz, worked with Nobel prize winners, and have been taken on a private tour of a linear accelerator.

Tonight goes up there as one of the highlights, as I flew down to New York with two colleagues and attended the annual Alzheimer's Association Rita Hayworth Gala at the spectacular Waldorf-Astoria. Amazing event for a wonderful cause. The gala is chaired by Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn, daughter of the late actress Rita Hayworth who battled Alzheimer's Disease in an era when little was known about it. Watching the Princess speak was a special delight -- she is clearly passionate about this cause, yet very uncomfortable in the spotlight. There was something so honest and humble about her.

Tremendous people-watching to be had. Celebrities, gorgeous evening gowns, breathtaking jewels. I only wish I had the nerve to whip my camera out and take pictures to share, but I thought it might be a tad improper!

Is this really only my 2nd Pats game this season?

2008-10-26T21:36:00.003-04:00

It's nearly November and it's only the second game we've gone to. It's been a busy, busy fall, especially now that Tom's gone back to school. We run out of steam by the weekends and have been more than happy to share our BC and Pats tickets with the long line of friends patiently waiting for them!

This was Tom's week to provide the beer and food, and, as usual, it was a fantastic spread. The boys have finally straightened out the issues with the satellite dish, so we had the TV up and running by mid-morning. And the weather? Seriously, Tom and several of the guys wore shorts, and I quickly ditched my sweatshirt in favor of a t-shirt. Global warming is frightening, but sometimes in late October, you just roll with it!

Luckily our boys in blue and silver won!

Pre-Halloween costumes unveiled!

2008-10-24T23:35:00.009-04:00

Tonight our friend Laura hosted her long-anticipated 80s themed Halloween party. Tom's been working on his costume for weeks: Beetlejuice!

The Costume:
He picked up a tuxedo jacket from The Garment District in Cambridge and used white duct tape from the Home Depot to make the white stripes. White duct tape? Am I the only person who didn't know this stuff came in anything other than silver? Not only do they have it in white, but try yellow, red, green...even camo!

Tom paired the jacket with a pair of black pants and a white collared shirt he already had. Throw on some black shoes, and he's ready to go.

The Make-up
Okay, this got messy, but very cool! Tom picked up a black wig from The Garment District -- I think it was some sort of rocker style. He sprayed it with both white and green Halloween hair color (the temporary stuff you can pick up anywhere) and hung it upside down from a door frame so the hair would dry sticking out all over. We had a lot of laughs over how much it looked like a dead animal. His sister, Judy, trimmed it a bit to make it look more like Michael Keaton's do.

Judy also did Tom's make-up, using a few photos Tom had pulled off the internet as a guide. I have to say, as the night wore on, the make-up got better and better! I have to hand it to Tom -- I would go nuts if I ever had to do full make-up! But Tom's the "go big or go home" type, and his costume came out awesome.

And what did I do? I changed my mind about 50 times. For awhile, everyone had lobbied for a Revere Beach 80s Prom Queen (with all due respect to folks from Revere). My sister dug up a few old dresses at my parents, but let's just say I can no longer wear a size 7 or 9 juniors! So random 80s chick it is! I like to describe this as my "Madonna meets Debbie Gibson" look!

Networking with women in the non-profit sector

2008-10-15T22:35:00.002-04:00

Tonight I attended a networking get-together for Women in Development of Greater Boston. Those of us who work in fundraising in the Boston area are extremely fortunate to have access to such a fantastic network -- New York has the only other WID organization of which I'm aware. Fundraising crosses many industries, from health care to museums, social causes to education, and this has been a great way to learn about other fields in development and, more importantly, the women who are leading them. Having graduated from a women's college, I have developed a deep appreciation for networks like this where you can learn from their career choices and challenges.

Tufts 10K

2008-10-13T18:52:00.000-04:00

Moana and I walked the Tufts 10K today -- her first time and my 13th. What a glorious day -- absolutely perfect conditions.

The Tufts is a race like no other -- or for many of my friends, the closest experience they will get to the Boston Marathon. A sea of 7000+ women lined up on Beacon Street next to the Common, then the surge up Charles Street over the Longfellow Bridge. Women screaming as they run through the underpasses on Memorial Drive, listening to their echoes. Cheering on the lead runners as they double-back on the other side of Memorial Drive, heading toward the Mass Ave Bridge. Passing spectators on Comm Ave, some who are there every year to cheer on the women, others who are woefully stuck in traffic, wondering why they didn't know about the race. And turning the corner at the Common and racing toward the finish line.

Treking the hills of Breakheart Reservation

2008-10-11T18:45:00.001-04:00

Today Tom and I took a trip up to Saugus to visit Breakheart Reservation, the potential site for a 5K race we're planning for one of NEEM's clients. What a beautiful oasis outside of Boston -- I had no idea this was out here!

Breakheart offers two paved loops (1.9 miles and 2.9 miles) and miles of wooded trails. The Visitor's Center in Saugus is just off of Route 1, and quite impressive -- areas for cooking (gas only), childrens' playground, a workout center. You can hike about a mile in to a beautiful beach. Warning: it's quite hilly!

We're very excited about the possibilities here and looking forward to sharing the details with our client.

Girls-only wine series: round 3

2008-10-05T18:23:00.006-04:00

The lovely ladies came by today for Round 3 of my continuing wine series. This time, the theme was fall flavors and luscious red wines.

For the wines, we enjoyed:

Penfold's Thomas Ayland Shiraz --- 2002
Crane Lake Cabernet Sauvignon -- 2002
Les Traverses de Fontanes Cabernet Sauvignon -- 2002
Napa Valley Silverado Vineyards Sangiovese -- 2004
Soltione Chianti Classico -- 2004

A note about Les Traverses -- this was a wine that Tom and I sampled earlier in the week at Dave's Fresh Pasta. Dave's has a fantastic wine merchant who picks up excellent wines at reasonable prices. Definitely worth a visit.

For the menu, we sampled:

Beef & roasted red pepper crostini: Tom makes this for a lot of family events, and it has a wonderful taste. I bought the wrong bread (the thick french bread, rather than the smaller baguettes), but it worked out fine. The recipe makes a healthy serving, so cut back if you're making it for a smaller group like I did (Moana's son was the happy recipient of many leftovers!).
Creamy squash and apple soup: this got rave reviews, and I personally loved it. In the recipe, the author suggests holding back only 1 cup of the reserve broth. The soup ended up a lot thicker than we had expected (much closer to a side dish than a soup) so Tom opened up an extra can of chicken broth and threw some in to thin it out. Next time, I'd recommended holding back all of the broth and adding to desired thickness (probably closer to 2 cups).
Crispy prosciutto and scallion fritatta: the saltiness of the prosciutto and parmesan cheese makes for a really nice taste. I've found in general that I need to cook fritattas for longer than suggested, but it could be just my oven.
Persian spinach and yogurt dip -- again! I made this for the last party and loved the flavor so much that it made a repeat appearance. The cinnamon in particular lends itself to a wonderful fall flavor! I served it with french bread, rather than crudites or pita.
Fresh raviolis from Dave's Fresh Pasta and homemade pesto sauce: The sauce was incredibly easy, yet messy to make. Tom found it in a book, but there are plenty of version online.
Applesauce spice cake: Our friend Mike and his family went apple picking recently and, in a desperate attempt to use their surplus apples, gave us a jar of homemade applesauce. I hunted around for a dessert recipe that would use it, and this cake got rave reviews. The raisins plumped up something ridiculous in the baking process! Served with Brighams (of course!) vanilla ice cream -- yummy!

We talked quite a bit about cooking, and for those of you who wanted more information about the two CSAs we're doing, here you go:

Stone Soup Farms (veggie CSA)
Chestnut Farms (meat CSA)

Next gathering will be in December for a cookie swap!

VP debate: rants

2008-10-02T22:26:00.000-04:00

Ah yes, the moment we've all been waiting for: Biden vs Palin. How bad would it be?

I will say, when you have decidedly diminished expectations, you almost have nowhere to go, but up. Palin managed not to completely make an ass of herself, as she did with an interview earlier this week with Katie Couric. However, she did manage to completely and blatantly dodge every question that was clearly out of her league. Amazing!

A few rants:
1. Joe clearly was told to play it easy and not look like a jerk. It wasn't until nearly the end when he said, look, don't tell me I don't know what it's like to sit at the kitchen table. Irony: if you do a quick look at Palin's assets, she's a lot further from the kitchen table than most of us.

2. What's up with the winking? Seriously...

3. Joe Sixpack did not go over well with our group.

4. It's nuclear, honey. Didn't you learn anything from W?

5. Gosh darn it, you betcha.....my god, I felt like I was watching Fargo!

Making Pasta with Dave

2008-10-01T22:17:00.003-04:00

Tonight Tom and I took a pasta making class at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Square. Tom learned about the class through Slow Food Boston, an organization that runs counter-culture to "fast food nation" and promotes eating local.

The class, which held about a dozen people, was taught by Dave himself. We began by learning the basics of pasta making, creating a simple dough from flour (duram and semolina), egg and a pinch of salt. Tom scored well on the dough-kneading -- his was used as the "model" for the rest of us to follow. We left one ball of dough plain and added parsley to the other. After 20 minutes in the fridge, we rolled out the dough and sent them through the cutters, making both angel hair and linguini.

Dave then gave us a tutorial in sauce making, including a great, absolutely easy marinara sauce. Tom asked for a few pointers with his own garlic/white wine sauce, and Dave quickly identified the problem: not enough salt and/or cheese. What a difference it makes using the right quantities! He also made an alfredo sauce and a very cool sauce with blue cheese.

Next class in November is for raviolis -- we're hoping we'll be able to sign up!

National Childhood Cancer month

2008-09-28T18:38:00.003-04:00

September is National Childhood Cancer month, and if you haven't had the opportunity yet, take a look at the special segment on Boston.com devoted to this topic. There's a photo montage of children who have survived, are battling and have died from various forms of childhood cancer. One of the photos is of Larry Theriault, one of the patient partners for whom a fellow Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge runner runs for -- it's wonderful to see him doing so well.

Childhood cancer rates are incredibly high -- and often you see instances of pediatric cancers striking teenagers or even young adults. I've lost two adult friends to forms of cancers that are typically treatable in children, but can be deadly in adults. I run in memory of Brittany Lambert who died at 13 of myelodisplasia, Tom's nephew Bobby who died just before his second birthday from a brain tumor, and in honor of Amber DaRosa who has successfully completed treatment for leukemia several years ago.

So much more work to be done...

On of my favorite all-time actors...

2008-09-27T10:17:00.002-04:00

Tom woke me up this morning with the sad news that actor Paul Newman passed away last night from cancer. Newman was one of my favorite all-time actors, a generous philanthropist and one of the few Hollywood marriages that has stood the test of time. Coincidence -- it was just last week that we caught The Color of Money on TV.

Happy Punctuation Day!

2008-09-24T08:20:00.003-04:00

In honor of National Punctuation Day, please take a few moments to assess the proper use of your favorite em-dash, semi colon or period.

I had a hell of an English teacher in middle school who drilled into us the proper use of punctuation, among other grammatical rules. Some of my pet peeves:

1. Punctuation ending a sentence belongs inside the quotes, not outside, unless a parenthetical follows. Example: He said, "I can't believe it's not butter."

2. Use it's when you mean it is and its when you mean the posessive form of it. (okay, that's more grammatical than punctuation, but I digress)

3. Use a semi-colon to link independent clauses, not dependent clauses. Example: I enjoy going running when I travel for work to see new cities; however, this trip I forgot to pack my running sneakers and had to walk in sandals instead.

4. The proper form of the ellipsis is three dots. Two means you made a typo. Four is just plain wrong. Three dots, that's all it takes...

Clinton on the economy

2008-09-23T20:00:00.004-04:00

Those that know me, know that I'm just not a fan of either Clinton. That being said, I was watching David Letterman last night in my hotel room and listened to Bill Clinton give one of the most comprehensive, yet simplest explanations yet of the current economic crisis in the US. Worth listening to!

It's amazing some of the commentary I hear -- the US economy is in its most fragile state since the Great Depression. I think of the 30s, I think of The Grapes of Wrath, dust bowls and bread lines. Today, there are so many households living beyond their means. Materialism has taken "doing without" to a whole new, rather disturbing definition.

I spent today at Habitat for Humanity and was really taken aback by some of the statistics I read about housing and poverty. The official poverty line in the US is somewhere around $19K, but if you add up the basic, most rudimentary costs for living (heat, electric, a roof over your head), you still go north of $20K. So where do these families find the money to get by? And how many middle-class families are falling further and further behind in debt, having overextended themselves over the past few years in low- or no-money down mortgages?

What a mess we've created. No wonder the rest of the world is in a panic, hoping that their economies don't lurch into a tailspin right after us!

A bout of bad luck....

2008-09-21T23:22:00.005-04:00

Over the past few weeks, Tom and I have narrowly missed a few certainly-ugly car accidents. The usual idiots not paying attention and swerving dangerously into our lane. The guy who blatantly ran a red light and would have t-boned us if I hadn't been slow to start on my green light. And most recently the woman in Porter Square who was more interested in eating her muffin and drinking her coffee than paying attention to our car which clearly had the right away. I find these altercations annoying at best, but Tom gets downright angry, given the nasty accident he was in two years ago.

Well, our luck ran out today, although thankfully neither of us were in the car. Our neighbor's construction worker lost the brakes on his van and, given the choice between hitting our car, a brick wall, or people, choose wisely and hit our parked car. Sheered the bumper right off the front.

No one was hurt, and the aftermath is more annoying than anything else, but oh, the ironies! We were supposed to be at the Pats game today, but gave our tickets away to Tom's friends. I was supposed to have left already to meet Tom at a local restaurant to watch the game, but was puttering around the house trying to get just a few more things done. I would have normally pulled in temporarily in the alley in front of my in-laws cars, but didn't want to get a nail in my tires from aforementioned construction. Sigh....the best laid plans!

Poor Tom -- I'm flying out to Atlanta tomorrow and he gets to deal with all the follow-up!

Revisiting a favorite childhood activity: Boston Harbor Islands

2008-09-20T22:55:00.003-04:00

Tom and I were recently approached by an organization interested in hosting a race on one of islands in Boston Harbor. We bailed out of both of our football games this weekend, citing loads of laundry and general fatigue, and took a trip out this morning to Spectacle and Georges Islands to scope things out and enjoy a day off in the sun.

When I was growing up, my father would take me, my uncle and his then-girlfriend (now wife) out boating on the weekends. We would drop the Midido (name leftover from the previous owners down in Florida) into the Charles River at the public boat launch in Watertown, travel down the river into the Harbor and out to Georges Island. I have very fond memories of tooling around the Harbor and running around the island.

It's been easily 20, maybe even 25 years since I last went to Georges Island, and Tom's never visited any of the islands, so this was a great treat. Spectacle was very cool -- open, untamed land covering a landfill. Beautiful vistas of the city and the other islands. The trail along the perimeter is just over 1.5 miles, so there are great possibilities for a fun road race here. Great investments have been made in amenities like a visitor's center, a modest eatery, and plenty of tables and benches. We had the good fortune to meet one of the Park Rangers while we were out measuring, and she gave us incredible insight as to all the island offers. A caretakers lives there year-round, and the rangers live in temporary dwellings called yurts.

To the right is Tom just ahead of me on the path walking with our measuring wheel. We got a lot of strange looks from folks on the T that morning, and quite a few inquiries as to what we were doing when we reached the island. :)

Georges Island is home to Fort Warren, a civil war era fort that has been incredibly well maintained. We stopped at the Information Center for a quick bite to eat (note to self: this late in the season, 'tis wise to bring one's own picnic lunch!), then headed inside. We couldn't resist putting Tom behind bars at our first stop!

It amazes me how accessible the fort is -- there were a few nooks and crannies that definitely gave me the creeps, and a few precarious stairwells and edges overlooking deeps wells that would make me think twice about letting a child run around on their own. Yet, this is exactly what I was doing as a child!

Our trip to the islands brought back great memories for me, and Tom couldn't help but note how he has lived his entire life near the city, yet never took advantage of the harbor islands. The ferry rate is a fair price, and you can bring your own food, games, and other beach gear and enjoy a great day out of the city.

Add this to your to-do list next summer!

We came, we directed, we got soaked....

2008-09-14T22:50:00.006-04:00

This weekend, Tom and I directed the 9th Annual Flutie 5K road race. I haven't posted much, if anything, on this blog about our side-business directing road races. For years, we both directed races for our respective favorite causes and received quite a bit of really positive feedback, encouraging us to make this a paying gig. So much so that on a whim, Tom grabbed the url, www.racedirectors.com, and we hung on to it, even while we were busy getting married and my four years at BC working on that MBA. Once I finished, we found that the interest in actually hiring us to direct niche road races was still there, and we've been in the fortunate enough to earn contracts to direct a handful of events over the past 1-2 years.

The Flutie race is a great experience for us, and we enjoyed working with the Foundation's staff immensely. Pre-reg numbers were on track all the way until the close of online registration Friday night to easily break 800-1000 on race day, but sadly, the weather gods were not with us today. I have to say: even we were caught completely off-guard. When we got up at 4am today (yes, 4am), forecasters were still calling for scattered showers. As Tom reflected tonight, were all the showers scattered over Natick, MA? Nevertheless, we had a terrific team of volunteers and really wonderful -- and more importantly, good natured! -- runners that made for a great fundraiser for the Foundation.

Now, to dry out.....

Long sports weekend....

2008-09-07T22:28:00.002-04:00

This year, in addition to Patriots season tickets, we decided to throw BC football tickets into the weekend mix. Those of you keeping score heard over the past year how Tom's nephew, Nick, was recruited by some great schools and ultimately accepted a terrific offer from BC. We knew it was highly likely he would red-shirt this year, but decided to go ahead and get season tickets regardless. Oddly enough, I haven't been to a BC game since easily 10-12 years ago, well before I ever went on to become an Eagle myself. We figured we were due!

We're looking at 4-5 long weekends this fall with back-to-back BC/Patriots home games. Oooph -- deep breath! Home opener looked good until the last quarter when they just started getting completely outplayed. BC is definitely missing their now-pro QB Matt Ryan. Nick (#71 in the center of the picture to the right) dressed, but stayed at the sidelines. Our seats are less than stellar, and we quickly found space sitting on a wall of the stadium where we could get a little more air on a humid day.

A brief overnight break, then we were on to the Patriots home opener. Stadium has changed quite a bit over the summer -- Patriot Place is trying to appeal to the masses. I think the boys are too hard core to try "game and a movie." ;)

At any rate, as you can guess, there we were in the end zone, busy watching Randy Moss fumble a pass from Brady, when...oh wait....why are all the trainers on the field around Brady? Oh no....you mean, Cassel? I have to give this kid credit: from where we were sitting, he received equal boos and equal cheers (although the cheers were almost pleading, "come on kid, you can do it").

Cassel or Brady, BC or Patriots, the real story was the start of the tailgating season. Just a few photos of the boys' very serious tailgate.... Hmmm..upload is slow - coming shortly!

It's that time of year again -- DFMC 2009!

2008-08-29T20:43:00.004-04:00

Just received the special invitation to join the DFMC 2009 team, made available only to current team members, and filled it out immediately.

One of the application questions asked you to tell something about yourself. My answer made me smile: we're back in Boston, I'm traveling less and not in school, and I'm stepping down from one or two more volunteer activities. Could it be...do I really...have more time to TRAIN with the gang???

Heartbreak Hill, here I come!

PS: If you didn't get a chance to support my 2008 Boston Marathon run yet, this is my not-so-subtle hint that it's not too late! I just learned I can accept donations through the end of September, so if you can make room for a wonderful cause in your budget this month, please consider supporting me!

A historic moment

2008-08-27T21:47:00.003-04:00

Hilliary Clinton made the right move today by moving to suspend voting and declare by acclamation Barack Obama the party's presidential candidate. I admit: I am not a huge fan of the Clintons. However, it was wonderful to see a female presidential candidate go so far and only fitting to see this finally end on the anniversary of women's right to vote. The next woman will go further and, perhaps, into the White House itself.

Equally historic is seeing the first African American candidate named as the party's candidate. It's about time.

Running of the Brides

2008-08-23T09:32:00.008-04:00

This Friday was the bi-annual "Running of the Brides" at Filene's Basement. It's turned into quite a production, and I'm proud to say that I did it before it went totally commercial!

Just a week or two after Tom and I got engaged, my now sister-in-law, Mary, urged me to go with her to the upcoming sale, telling me to have no expectations, be prepared to be shocked and amused, and to just go with it and have a good time. I have to say: I had no interest whatsoever in going. When I was young, my mother used to drag me into Boston to catch a good sale at the Basement, and I have very strong and rather unpleasant memories of being practically bowled over by over-eager women of all ages trying to get a bargain. Running of the Brides is not my idea of fun.

I gave in. Mary met me around 6am and we headed into town. We were there by 6:30, and I think the doors (of the original Filene's Basement) opened at 7am. Some girls had camped out for an hour or two, but we were fairly close to the front. At her suggestion, I wore running tights and a tank top that I could easily scoot a dress over. The doors opened, we rushed in, grabbed whatever we could, then the trading began. All very cordial -- I'll give you this for that. I saw a petite girl wearing the dress I would ultimately buy and told Mary "we have to get that dress!" No expectations, but I somehow ended up with a designer dress that cost thousands for only $250. Apparently there was local TV footage later that night of me trying the dress on and twirling around in front of a mirror.

Today, the footage is a little more frightening. Girls camping out the night before. Grooms with them, ready to defend their future wife's dress stash physically if necessary. Cutesy matching t-shirts with catchy slogans. Way too many whistles. Way too much flesh being bared -- apparently my modesty is a thing of the past. I think these girls have seen Sex and the City one time too many!

Wounded Chef

2008-08-19T22:26:00.005-04:00

No, I didn't hurt myself cooking, just making a play on the show "Iron Chef." I did, however, injure myself walking my dog out the front door this morning....ever fulfilling my role as a klutz.

Long story short, Maddie zagged while I zigged. I tripped over her and in an impressive attempt not to step on her paws and wake up the neighbors at a really early hour of the morning, I slipped on the concrete stairs and put a big gash in my baby toe. I'll spare you the details, but.... Big gash as in "well, do you need to go to the hospital" asks Tom. Big as in "hmmm...maybe you should see someone about getting a stitch in that" states my father. Yup, this is a multiple band-aid job for the near future. No more pedicures this summer.

So, what did we get in today's CSA? Leeks and potatoes! At Tom's request to make something, anything that he actually will eat (let's just say that between our polar opposite likes/dislikes in veggies and his mild allergy to lemon, he's come out on the losing end), I found an old recipe tucked away from years ago when we were dating: Una McKeever's Famous Leek and Potato Soup. Una was a fellow runner and a lovely lass from Ireland. At several potluck affairs, she brought her family favorite soup, and somewhere along the way, I got and kept the recipe. Very easy stuff, although my version needs a little something-something. Kind of bland. I'm sure Tom will weigh in with an idea or two!

I would like to boast that I made this soup entirely on my own -- Tom was up extraordinarily early to finish a lab report for school and went to bed early, completely exhausted.

Since we got only one ear of corn last week, I picked up a few more at Shaws last night, on sale. And of course, what did we get: multiple ears of corn. It was getting late, and I had already maimed myself once on the concrete today, so instead of heading outside and grilling them, I threw them in a pot of boiling water and will share them with Tom's parents tomorrow.

Other odds and ends: several different kinds of tomatoes, a handful of green beans, a few red potatoes, some sage, and long veggie that looks like it could be a squash. There's always one in the bunch we're not sure about. Bummer about the sage -- the cut herbs never seem to last more than a day or so, and it always seems to be an herb I just bought within the week at the store. Someday I'll figure out the right balance between the CSA and Shaws!

A weekend up in Portland

2008-08-18T21:53:00.003-04:00

For our anniversary this weekend, we headed up to Portland, Maine with Dave and Kelli. With gas prices what they are, Tom quickly discovered in the planning process that taking the Downeaster train was the way to go: $45 round trip per person, only a few minutes longer than driving. Sure beats $70/tank for our 4Runner!

We arrived in Portland on Friday and had lunch at a great seafood restaurant on the waterfront -- the kind that is tucked in next to the big touristy seafood restaurant and is the one where the locals seem to go. We checked into the Portland Harbor Hotel mid-afternoon, then headed out in the evening to see the Portland Sea Dogs take on the Harrisburg Senators. Minor league games are the best -- up-and-coming stars (Beckett, Buckholtz, and Ellsbury all played here, and even Ortiz spent some time here a few weeks ago on rehab), cheap prices for great seats, and quality entertainment by the various mascots (Slugger the SeaDog and the TrashMonsters...sounds like a Sesame Street Band).

Saturday we had brunch at the hotel, then headed down to the harbor for a tour of the lighthouses in Portland Harbor. The fog was pea-soup thick in some areas, bright and sunny in others. We saw equal amounts (few!) of lighthouses and seals, and were entertained throughout the ride by a very peculiar couple who were....several sandwiches shy of a picnic?

Back in Portland, we poked around and shopped for a bit (I made my annual stop at Lovell Designs), making our way across town to a restaurant that Tom had been talking about for months: DuckFat. And yes, never fear, he was right on the money. Who wouldn't like french fries cooked in duckfat and delicious paninis? We found a very neat culinary bookstore just around the corner from it -- the selection was incredible, but we couldn't help poking around and thinking how we might get a better deal online. Must be so difficult in this day to be an independent bookseller.

Saturday night, we went for round 2 of Tom's incredible culinary tour and had dinner at Cinque Terre, which was awesome. The boys befriended a wonderful gentleman at the bar who surprised us later on by sending a bottle of champagne up to our dinner table. Food was great, wine was great...I was full and buzzed by the end! Dancing followed at a local club, but I can't say I remember much there!

Sunday morning we lazed around, then headed across town to a restaurant recommended by one of Tom's managers, Caiolas. More awesome food and a real off-the-beaten path find! Tom, in fact, is still talking about his burger. We decided to walk back to the hotel and burn off some of the calories we "collected" throughout the weekend. Beautiful afternoon, followed by a very quiet (zzzzzzzzz.......) ride back on the train.

Love the city of Portland -- great restaurants, very walkable, some good shopping (can be a little hit or miss, depending on whether you pick the right shops). This is the second time we've spent a weekend there and will definitely go back.

Happy anniversary!

2008-08-15T07:43:00.003-04:00

Five years ago today, Tom and I got married -- love you, honey!

ps -- I love it that my husband writes comments on my blog!

Success!

2008-08-13T22:03:00.001-04:00

The gazpacho is delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More adventures in cooking!

2008-08-12T21:53:00.006-04:00

So I've taken Tom's advice to heart and have been keeping an eye out for recipes that are relatively easy to follow. This weekend's brunch was a big challenge, as he was down the Cape fishing and unavailable to rescue me, even by phone!

Our menu:

Baguettes and several dips/spreads: herbed dipping sauces, rosemary & sage white bean dip, herbed goat cheese, and Persian spinach dip. I was excited particularly to find a spinach dip that doesn't have mayo in it -- instead, you use yogurt. The goat cheese was a hit with those who liked the lemony bite -- I normally love lemon, but thought it was a bit too much. I was nervous about the white bean dip -- it seemed too dry when I first made it, but sitting overnight did the trick (actually, they all sat overnight and were probably the better for it).
Several salads: green salad with feta and grapes (minus the citrus dressing, as I didn't have white wine vinegar); corn salad (very yummy -- no mayo!); and a squash-based garden salad with citrus dressing.
Frittata with spinach, potatoes and leeks. I followed suggestions and added more basil, but it was still a little bit on the bland side. It also took WAY longer than 25 minutes to cook -- try closer to an hour. Overall it was fine, but needed a little something-something.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the spread, and no emergency take-out orders to the Chinese restaurant down the street were placed. :) I learned how to saute onions and spinach and even used the dutch oven several times. I'm also getting better with Tom's knives, particularly the santoku knife I've jokingly referred to as the sudoku knife!

Today, Tom picked up our latest CSA delivery and was pleased to find all veggies he recognized (those of you who played "name that vegetable" with us last week will be amused to learn the dirt balls were beets and the green bowling ball was in fact a watermelon). Tonight he helped me make gazpacho, something I've always loved and have been dying to try. I had ripped out another version of the recipe from Yankee Magazine last year because it had instructions on how to peel and seed a tomato -- apparently I just learn how to blanche, according to Tom! It's another recipe that calls for an overnight in the fridge, so stay tuned...

Why did the turtle cross the road?

2008-08-11T21:41:00.001-04:00

Yesterday morning, I was driving out to Wellesley to meet my parents and sister for breakfast to celebrate my mother's birthday. Just off of 128 onto Route 16, five or six cars in front of me locked up their brakes and scattered all over the road. They all inched their way through, and low and behold the culprit: a turtle trying to cross the road from one embankment of the river to another.

No one seemed intent on stopping (hmmm...running late to church?), so I pulled over, waved down an approaching car, ran into the middle of the intersection, picked up the turtle and ran him (or her) over to the other side. What did I get for my troubles? Well, he actually hissed at me, then comically pulled in all four legs and his head like a cartoon. A station wagon full of kids cheered me on.

Needless to say, I was late for breakfast, but I'm sure "I was rescuing a turtle" was a new one for my parents!

Girls-only wine series: round 2

2008-08-10T21:55:00.006-04:00

Several years ago, I read a wonderful article about a group of women who got together once a year at someone's home or summer home and spent a weekend together eating, drinking, laughing...no real agenda except the occasional pedicure. This really struck a chord with me, so I floated the idea among my friends. Long story short, by the end of a beautiful early spring weekend, close to 30 women had passed through our house in Plymouth. Some dropped by for an afternoon, others came down for a day, still others stayed overnight, and a few girls even came from out of town! Those who couldn't make it begged me to continue the tradition, saying that not only did they look forward to some girl-time, they needed it!

This year, we put the house on the market and eventually rented it out in the last spring, so using Plymouth was out of the question. We live in a two-floor apartment in Somerville, so having a houseful of girls for an entire weekend is sketchy at best. So, Heather's girls-only wine series was born!

I threw together a last minute wine & cheese in June, featuring Australian wines, and only a few girls could make it. This time, I gave the gals a few weeks notice and was delighted to have a full table of girls over for brunch today. Our theme: champagnes and sparkling wines. Why? Because I had somehow accumulated four bottles in our fridge between the SuperBowl and a few other parties and I desperately need the room!

Our selection:

France: Perriet Jouet Grand Brut
Spain: Freixenet and Segura Viudas Brut Reserva
Italy: Prosecco Brut Mionetto and Zardetto Proseco
US East Coast: Westport River Blanc de Noirs 2000
US West Coast: Mumm Nappa Blanc de Noirs
El cheapo: Korbel

Yes, we did drink eight bottles of champagne (French)/sparking wine (all others), much to Tom's disgust!

A good resource for the uninitiated: Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wines. I think the writing is hilarious and have learned a lot from it. The best part is for each type of wine, he recommends best buys under $15, as well as those to impress under $30. Several of the above were his recommendations.

The nicest surprise of the day, however, was Tom's early anniversary present. He had come home from the Cape a wee bit hungover, so instead of heading out with the boys, he spent a few hours in the a/c upstairs in bed, then later in the afternoon settled in on the couch to watch TV. He must have been listening to our conversation about jewelry, because he suddenly appeared with a bag from DePrisco and said "here, I thought you might have fun showing these to the girls." A beautiful pearl necklace and matching earrings! Totally caught me by surprise -- we're heading up to Portland this coming weekend to celebrate and I hadn't expected us to exchange gifts (sneaky little bugger!). But apparently I needed to stop borrowing my friend's pearls (namely Cindy's for our wedding) and have my own. What a guy!

Now this is how a concert should be: Coldplay

2008-08-05T08:57:00.003-04:00

Tom and I went to the Boston Garden...er, Fleet Center.....er, TD BankNorth Garden or whatever they're calling the building on Causeway, to see Coldplay.

The show itself was fantastic -- I love the emphasis on piano in their music. Their light/visual effects were incredible -- really very cool. Toward the end of the show, the band hopped into the crowd, went across the venue and picked back up on a very small stage in the middle of the crowd to play one or two songs. Very, very cool! My only complaint -- they should play longer shows (played for one hour, then a 2-3 song encore).

Our seats were the bonus for the evening. We bought into a luxury box through one of Tom's friends with 24 other people. Really pricey and not something we're likely to do again, but we had a private box with a great view, free food, a personal bartender, security to keep the riff-raff out, and nice cushy seats, including couches. Very, very comfortable.

Ah, if only we had a money tree in the backyard!

The perils of moving over a six-month period: stuff, stuff and more stuff...

2008-08-03T17:41:00.005-04:00

Last night, Tom and I went to The Container Store and spent $$$ on Elfa shelving for our dining room. There's an alcove where his parents' hutch fit perfectly, but alas ours does not even come close. Tom decided, given our storage constraints, the best plan of attack was to install shelving and cover it with curtains. We sat down, figured out exactly what our storage needs were, and found ourselves happily designing a space that's 57" wide by 93" tall by 18" deep. Yes, it's the little things in life.

A few swears later this morning, our shelves were in place, and I spent most of the day going through boxes and bags of stuff yet unpacked from our frenetic move from Plymouth.

So here's what happens when you put your house on the market, move over a six month period, then decide to rent said house semi-furnished: you can never remember what's at the house, what's buried in the apartment, or what you simply don't have. This is why I uncovered the following this weekend:

13 sticks of my deodorant, and at least 8 of Tom's
Cans and cans of beef and chicken broth, at least half of which expired 1-2 years ago
Several opened boxes of crackers that didn't need any further investigation to determine staleness
4 bottles of Frebreeze air freshener
2 boxes of Saran wrap, 3 boxes of freezer bags, and an extra box each of sandwich bags, tin foil and trash bags
Unopened flour (yup, re-bought up here for Christmas baking), vanilla (same), honey (probably the same), and the bottle of key lime juice my father picked up for me two years ago when I had intended to make a cake for one of our Pig Roasts, then ran out of time. Now that, I might use next weekend....

Yikes! Tossing half of the canned goods really killed me, but as Tom said, they were probably bought when we lived in Somerville the first time, brought to Plymouth, then brought back. Sigh....

So, with our new and improved shelving system, I went through our cabinets and reorganized everything. The things we tend to keep buying are now in plain view, whereas the things that I don't mind collecting because they get used up so quickly (marinades, pasta sauce, BBQ sauce) are in the cabinets. We're already off to a good start: Tom was reacquainting himself with the basket of sauce and seasoning packets and discovered one for herb roasted potatoes which will nicely take care of the potatoes from last week's CSA delivery.

I swear, when the day comes when we consider redoing the kitchen, we have a good case for using glass doors just to keep track of the "stuff."

Knowing when to admit you're too old for some things...

2008-07-30T17:20:00.003-04:00

Back in 2000, shortly after having knee surgery, I had my belly button pierced. I have both ears pierced multiple times and liked the idea of the belly button ring. Unfortunately, it never seemed to heal quite right and required a degree of looking-after that grew tedious in recent years. But still, I liked my belly button ring.

Flash forward to last week, just before my birthday. I met Tom at Primal Instinct in Malden where his tattoo artist is working on the massive piece of art on his leg. I was chatting with the owner, who teaches piercing, and mentioned the ongoing battle with my belly button ring. He was surprised, saying it should have healed by now (eight years later!) and asked to take a look. A few seconds later, a full diagnosis: pierced too deep, the ring had settled to one side. And my skin was clearly allergic to the metal (I had replaced it a few years back with what we thought was a titanium ring, which we thought was least reactive). His recommendation: replaced the ring with a stainless barbell immediately, and potentially re-pierce the navel down the road if the barbell didn't straighten things out.

What ensued was a week of being VERY uncomfortable. It became quite clear that the piercing was just plain off, and instead of laying vertical, the barbell twisted on one side and pulled my skin. Finally tonight I couldn't take it anymore and decided enough was enough. Out it went. Within just a few hours, I had no pain and the skin no longer looked angry. But it's clear that I'm going to have scaring from the allergic reaction my skin had to the various metals over the years.

Moral of the story: at 35, looking "cute" doesn't cut it when I can barely sit still because of the discomfort. Mind you, I have no regrets and would do it all over again, given the opportunity. But I wish I had gone to a better piercer!

Other things that cease to become cute at 35:
1. Mini skirts (I don't mind short skirts, but have been picking skirts that fall just above the knee)
2. Baby doll dresses. At this age, you get mistaken for actually being pregnant.
3. Some tattoos. Most people know I have one tattoo on my bikini line, and I get razzed for how small it is. But at least it's not some trashy tat that I'll regret when I get older!
4. Denim shorts. I don't know why, but they just look better on teeny-boppers.

Oh, I'm sure there are more!

Another passing: the last lecturer

2008-07-25T18:56:00.005-04:00

It was so sad to hear this morning that Randy Pausch, the CMU professor who was diagnosed more than a year ago with pancreatic cancer, finally succumbed to the disease this morning. I wrote about him several months ago, and have read his blog and watched his amazing "last lecture" to CMU students after his diagnosis time and time again since -- including tonight. So much of what he had to say was so simple, yet touched so many, including me.

The news media say it best: the man who was told he would die, taught us how we should live. I think back to my moments with my patient partner for Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, Brittany Lambert, and remember quite clearly her stating to me "well, it's not like I'm going to die tomorrow." She lived life well.

Live today like you have no tomorrow. For then, you will have lived a wonderful life.

Birthday musings.....

2008-07-24T09:18:00.000-04:00

Birthdays really just aren't my thing -- I'm much more of an Easter or Christmas kind of gal. And today is off to a rip-roaring start with torrential rain, the worst traffic I've hit yet going to my still-relatively-new job, and a leak has appeared in my office ceiling. But I digress....

Top things I hate about turning 35......
1. I am now closer to 40 than I am to 30. Or, as Tom pointed out, today I'm exactly half-way in between, but once midnight strikes, I'm on my way to 40. I've always had issues with the birthdays ending in 5s and not the 0s. 25 - miserable. 30 - one of my favorites. We'll see where 35 lands...

2. I'm twenty pounds heavier than I was at 30 when I got married. There - I put it in writing. And I have nothing but beer and Tom's good cooking to blame. And my morning can of soda. And my sweet tooth. But seriously, the upward slide needs to stop.

3. Just don't bounce back like I used to. The dog kept me up last night because of thunderstorms, and I had the hardest time getting out of bed. Is this the same person who could stay up until 1, then get up at 5:30 and do it all over again? I'm just hoping I last long enough to enjoy drinks tonight with friends.

4. Aches and pains. I had a lot of hip pain after last year's marathon and spent a good deal of time in PT trying to work out the kinks. After this year's marathon, I noticed that my other hip now gets achy. At least my knees are still functioning....knock on wood.

5. I'm starting to get ma'am at the grocery store from pimple-faced teenagers. Don't need to expand upon that at all.

There are bright sides......
1. I'm told I barely look 30 and still occasionally get carded.
2. I'm still a size 8 (hmmm....so where the heck is that 20 pounds going?)
3. If I were really motivated to run faster, I just got another 5 minutes added to my qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.
4. I have an awesome husband of nearly five years and a ridiculously full calendar of things to do every week!
5. The things I used to sweat and worry about in my 20s are downright laughable in my 30s.

Things to ponder over drinks tonight!

Tom's annual fishing extravaganza

2008-07-12T19:09:00.001-04:00

This weekend, Tom and the boys participated in their annual fishing tournament down in Orleans. From what we heard from where us girls were lazing on the beach, the fish weren't biting until nearly the end of the day. All in all, they didn't do too badly -- after all, a bad day fishing is far better than a good day in the office!

Their catch.........

More cooking!

2008-07-07T21:57:00.000-04:00

I've been getting into trouble in the kitchen again! As Tom pointed out, I keep trying recipes that are way more difficult than I can handle. Thank goodness I have a supervisor!

On the 4th of July, we (emphasis on the we) made risotto with fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes and basil. We got a basil plant from the CSA a few weeks ago, and I wanted to start using it, plus we love caprese salads, so I figured why not. Yeah, risotto is a bit more complicated than I realized -- thankfully Tom has made it several times and bailed me out about half-way through. It came out pretty well, with two exceptions. The mozzarella melts almost instantly and really thickens the risotto, so as Tom pointed out, this is a dish to make when you're going to eat it instantly. The recipe also had you boil down balsamic vinegar (there was some technical term Tom used that I forget - caramelize?). When everything was said and done, this sauce had thickened so much that we ended up pouring it over the entire risotto, rather than over each dish. Worked out fine. I felt like the salty chicken stock was a bit overpowering -- maybe more basil?

Tonight I tackled some of our leftovers from last week's CSA. Of course, after buying cucumbers and green onions at the store, what did we get? Cucumbers and green onions. We also got a totally wild looking root vegetable called kohlrabi. Looks like a beet, sort of tastes like jicama.

So first plan of attack was the kohlrabi. I found an interesting recipe online called kohlrabi and apple salad with creamy mustard dressing. The recipe called for heavy cream, but some of the posters who critiqued the salad recommended using sour cream. Tom picked up some fantastic ground mustard -- nice and spicy. I used dried parsley instead of fresh -- eh, should have used fresh. Definitely a 1:1 ratio apple to kohlrabi works just fine. Instead of julienning either one, I also went with the recommendation to use a box grater (use the widest slice) - far easier than using Tom's professional-grade knives!! Great tangy taste; unfortunately since Tom's semi-allergic to lemon, he'll just have to take my word for it.

My last dish tonight was dilled potato salad with feta -- another attempt to use up cucumbers, green onions and some more dill. Aside from the fact that I think I boiled the potatoes too long, this was pretty easy to make. It's chilling in the fridge -- I'll try it shortly -- but the colors are fantastic. A nice alternative to regular potato salad which has mayo -- both Tom and I hate mayo enough that we've been known to return sandwiches when sub shops make the mistake of adding it. Unfortunately Tom hates dill and cucumbers (I'm not sure what his opinion is on feta), so it would be cool if I could figure out some substitutions here. Anyone ever have a spicy potato salad?

So I still have one zucchini (what can one make with just one?), a few garlic scapes, some green onions and yet more cucumbers. Suggestions? Next veggie CSA pick-up is tomorrow. Please, please, please send us veggies that my husband likes!

Learning how to cook, take one!

2008-06-30T23:11:00.000-04:00

Since Tom's going back to school, my days of living life large off of his cooking (no pun intended) are numbered. We unfortunately were so busy last week and this weekend, that a few of the vegetables from last week's CSA went unused. Thank goodness we split them with one of Tom's coworkers who kindly picked them up while we were at DMB.

Over the weekend, I searched around Cooking Light's recipe index for some good, easy recipes to use up the beets and dill, neither one of which Tom particularly likes. Well, it's ridiculously hot in our house and the A.C. is broken upstairs, but I thought it was a great time to make soup!

The dill was turned into a lovely (and thankfully cold!) Cucumber-Dill soup. Came out pretty well -- I think it needs a little more dill (ours was looking a little worse for wear, so I tossed more than I used).

The second was a hot Beet Soup, which came out awesome, but a little thinner than I had expected. I've learned how to sautée onions and use the blender on liquefy and puree (as opposed to the usual crush needed for margaritas!). Tom is still laughing at my joke "so this is what a dutch oven really is." I know...poor taste, especially around food!

I still have garlic scapes that look like they're in good shape, as well as some rhubarb. I was going to make a pie with the rhubarb, but every recipe seems to call for more than I have. I'll have to take a good look at it again tomorrow and get Tom to estimate how many cups we can get out of it.

Meanwhile the Iron Chef (aka Tom) was not to be outdone and is marinating chicken wings and legs with the intent to make fried chicken tomorrow. Did you know that Kellogg's corn flakes come in boxes of crumbs? Seriously, I knew you could get graham crackers that way, but if you take a good look at the Shake & Bake section, you'll find Kellogg's horning in on their act!

DMB, take two

2008-06-27T02:21:00.001-04:00

We went to the second DMB show last night. Tom had researched the parking a bit and thought we could park in the pay lots early, but alas, no parking anywhere now until 4pm. Not to fear, we drove aimlessly in downtown Mansfield to kill an hour or so, then quickly called his friend Hubie, a Mansfield guy, to see if perhaps we had missed something interesting to do in town. His solution: hang out in his backyard, stick our feet in the pool, and raid a beer or two from the fridge in The Barn (what in our house is affectionately referred to as the Man Cave, seeing as how we don't have an actual separate building!). Needless to say, we asked him to call his very good-natured wife, Meg, to make sure it was okay -- she was feeding a friend's dog with the kids and on her way home, but true to self, said "see you in a few." So for an hour, we hung out with his dog, a longtime friend re-doing his roof, and a motley crew of rabbits, hens, a rooster and a few goats. I stuck the requisite toes in the pool, while Tom fished in the beer fridge. What, did we have a concert to attend?

Long story short -- we left Hubie's to pay $30 to park in a private lot. Had a few beers, weren't terrorized by the cops. Walked a bit further to Great Woods, but well worth the state of mind. Were horrified when GW security harassed a husband and wife -- at least ten years older than I -- when the husband offered a sip of his beer to his wife. She must have had a duplicate license -- an absolute no-no -- and the acne scarred pip-squeak tossed the $8 beer in the trash. Oh, did we have a concert?

Yes, the show was great, although we were disappointed to not hear some of our favorites. The encore was bordering on the bizarre -- he played a very low-key, nearly solo song that neither of us knew, then the whole band returned to cover an old 60s song along the lines of "thank you for letting me be who I am" (or something to that effect). Very disappointed until he ripped off his headset and started dancing around the stage. Dancing was an understatement -- he really tore it up! At some point, Tom and I went from disappointed to amused to laughing it up. Still wish he closed with one of his classics, but it was different!

DMB, take one

2008-06-25T11:58:00.001-04:00

Last night we went to the first of two Dave Matthews Band shows at Great Woods....er, the Tweeter Center....er, the Comcast Center. The show itself was fantastic -- hearing the crowd jam to Everyday was awesome! Tim Reynolds guest performed on electric guitar, which Tom and I had never heard before. A little strange not having piano (although Dave did play for one song), but it did give some of the songs an interesting sound.

The venue, however, was a bit of a nightmare. If you haven't been to Great Woods recently, you now have to show your tickets when you pull into line to park. No tickets, you get sent to Will Call, a temporary parking area in which you have 20 minutes to produce a set of tickets or you are asked to leave. We had three cars and were immediately split up based on tickets (will call, VIP and our regular issue).

The town of Mansfield is cracking down heavily on public drinking, even those of age. In the past, if you've used plastic Solo cups and were of age, they looked the other way. No more -- the police force and event security must be triple what it has been in the past. Granted, you see a lot of kids running around that look extra young, but they weren't messing around. Coolers taken, cars raided. We eventually closed up our car and headed over to meet our friends in the VIP area where not only was the average age closer to ours, there was less fuss.

We complain every year about how stressful it is to see concerts at Great Woods -- maybe this will be the last of the shows we attend.

Another sad passing: George Carlin

2008-06-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

I was sad to hear this morning that comedian George Carlin passed away Sunday night. When I was in middle school, my father would let me watch Carlin on HBO with him -- providing I didn't tell my mother! I loved his candid, sometimes obscenely so, humor, and the famous seven words you can't say on TV was one of our favorites. For several years now I've been saying to Tom that we ought to get tickets to see one of his shows; alas, now it's too late.

It's only appropriate to tag this with "rants".......

Sweet 17!

2008-06-18T08:06:00.000-04:00

I'll fully admit to being a bandwagon fan (I prefer hockey, baseball and football), but congrats to the Celtics for their 17th championship!

Support your local CSA

2008-06-17T20:01:00.000-04:00

Tom has signed us up for two CSAs this spring and summer, one for vegetables at Stone Soup Farm in Belchertown, MA and a second for meat at Chestnut Farms in Hardwick, MA.

What is a CSA, you ask? Community Sustained Agriculture. Basically we have bought shares in the farm and get regular (weekly for the veggies, monthly for the meat) local deliveries of a somewhat random assortment of food. Our veggie CSA started today, and Tom came home with kale, summer squash, garlic scapes, a mixed bag of arugula, scallions and a small basil plant. Awesome selection and quality!

Father's Day

2008-06-15T15:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

To the man who taught me enough electronics to build my own doorbell, how to use a level to hang my pictures properly, how to hook-up computers, TVs and other appliances on my own, and other tricks of the trade that a father would typically teach a son, not a daughter, yet still comes to my rescue when a household project has gone terribly wrong. To the man who taught me how to drive, but made me get AAA for fear I would stubbornly change my tire on the highway. To the man who told me to get into the best school I could and that he'd find a way to send me there, even at a difficult time for our family financially. To the man who would listen to a problem, give me food for thought, but never quite tell me what to do-- yet I always felt he'd stop me if I was going over the cliff! Thank you always!

More on Tim Russert. I've been catching up on news online and watching some of the videos from the coverage the past two days. One has really struck me: a voice-over that Russert did a few years ago for Father's Day, talking about the birth of his son, Luke, how it changed his life, and how he hopes his son will live by his grandfather's ideals: "to live a good and decent and honorable life."

On this Father's Day, I think of my own grandfather, Ralph, who died my senior year in college. He was the second-most important man in my life growing up, and had he lived, I would have asked him to join my father in walking me down the aisle. One of my great disappointments is that Tom never got a chance to meet him. He was a simple man, self-made, of many principles. I always think of a plaque he had in his house which quoted Abraham Lincoln:

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”

Happy father's day.....live well and be proud of all that you have taught the rest of us!

Remembering Tim Russert

2008-06-14T13:38:00.000-04:00

Tom is known for his phone calls, text messages or emails when someone famous passes away, always beginning with "Put the eggs and bacon away, so-and-so isn't coming down to breakfast." I got down to Plymouth yesterday and he calls. "Put the eggs and bacon away, you're not going to believe me." Tim Russert at age 58? Unbelievable.

While I wouldn't describe myself as a faithful "Meet the Press" watcher (sleeping in on Sunday mornings IS a favorite pastime), when I was jolted to reality by Tom or the dog, we usually ended up putting it on and watching Russert poke holes in the latest presidential candidate's platform. What we both enjoyed was that A) he kept it clean and B) he was remarkably bipartisan in his approach, unlike other political shows which demonstrated clear biases. You could also count on Russert for his average-working-man's take on Washington, a refreshing change.

His book about growing up with "Big Russ" is actually one that I've heard wonderful things about, but haven't yet read. Devoted family man who never forgets his roots. There's a great video at BC that Russert did with his son that shows how much he enjoyed life.

A big hole in the world of journalism and politics - he will be greatly missed.

Packing, packing and more packing

2008-06-12T13:16:00.000-04:00

Our tenants move in this weekend, so Tom and I are frantically trying to get the house in order. Our space in Somerville is less than half of that in Plymouth, and storage even less so. So furniture needs to be sorted, books need to be boxed, concessions need to be made about what we need versus what we'd like to have our hands on. Although we both grew up in homes in which we were the third or fourth generation in the family to live there, I've moved nearly a dozen times since college and have far more patience than Tom in the what stays-what goes debate. But we're both feeling good about the decision to rent the house, rather than sell at a loss, and become first-time landlords. Wish us well!

Happy 40th anniversary, Mom and Dad!

2008-06-08T13:10:00.000-04:00

Today marks my parents' 40th anniversary. They met in elementary school in Dover, MA, then stayed in touch throughout middle and high school when my father left Dover public schools for Phillips Academy. They married one week and one day respectively after their college graduations on the auspicious date of 6-8-68 (always made it an easy one for my sister and me to remember!). In an age where the divorce rate is quoted at nearly 50%, I'm proud to share that childhood sweethearts can indeed go all the way!

Congratulations, Mom and Dad!

Presenting Chris and Kristine Shatas

2008-06-01T14:00:00.000-04:00

My cousin, Kristine, married her boyfriend, Chris, yesterday down at White Cliffs in Plymouth, just down the road from our house. I was able to get the one photo that escaped me at my own wedding five years ago -- the whole family photo. So, without further ado, may I present my grandmother, Lorraine Morse, her three daughters and their families (Kispert, Chandler and Delano), her son and his family (more Morse lineage), Tom and I as the Hagerty's, and our newest additions, the Shatas'.

Windy City

2008-05-30T01:41:00.000-04:00

I'm back in Chicago to meet with my primary client. Got in a little early and wasn't able to meet with one colleague as hoped, so I had a chance to walk up and down the Magnificent Mile a bit. Sales tax is very high here, so yes Tom, it was only window shopping! Had a full afternoon (into the evening) of excellent meetings, then back to the hotel to change.

Tom was busy on Chowhoud lining up a good restaurant for dinner, and he didn't fail to deliver: Bistro 110. I got back to the hotel in time to realize that shows keep their EDT time slot and that Lost was already an hour in. I was a little confused, but watched the final hour -- awesome! No spoilers here...

Unfortunately, I think I'm getting sick all over again. Grrrr....as soon as I walked back to the hotel, I started sneezing and the head congestion came back with a vengeance. You've got to be kidding me! I just hope I get out of here tomorrow so I can recoup a little before my cousin's wedding on Saturday -- there's a line of severe weather heading toward Chicago, and it looks ugly. Wish me luck!

Tenants and Benefits

2008-05-26T13:26:00.000-04:00

Our house situation appears to be near resolution! After six months of being on the market with precious little interest (a glut of houses at our price point in Plymouth), friends of ours introduced us to a couple who are living in a winter rental in town and need new digs. We met with them yesterday morning and found them to be really personable and trustworthy. Tom has done a 180 and agreed to pull the house off the market if they would agree to a one-year lease. We still need to finalize the details, but if all goes well, they should move in mid-June!

Yippee! Selling the house in this market would have been financially foolish, and Tom is very relieved to be renting to a somewhat known-entity. Our stress level is beginning to diminish...only to be slightly offset by a minor flood from our second floor bathroom earlier in the morning through the light over our kitchen sink on the first floor. Help -- anyone know a plumber?

Last night we were at the BBC for a benefit for one of our favorite bartenders, Kenny, who is battling lymphoma. The folks at the BBC pulled out all the stops for his family and did a wonderful job raising more than $15K at last count. A pair of Tom's Patriots tickets sold for $500 in a live auction! Technically Kenny's disease should be curable through chemo and a bone marrow transplant, but three rounds of chemo to date haven't decreased the cancer. Ironically, he has been denied disability because of the cure rate, putting him in an awful Catch-22 of health care. Yet another reason why a new administration is needed in the White House to put things to right.

Tom of course dropped $$$ on raffle tickets and walked away with all sorts of goodies -- at one point, the crowd began to turn on him for winning so often, so he quickly passed off the remaining tickets to a friend and let her take the rest of the winnings!

All that travel finally caught up with me....

2008-05-23T16:37:00.000-04:00

My latest travel took me to Atlanta for a day this week, and by the time I got back last night, I had a raging sinus infection. My doctor took one look at me this morning and promptly pulled out her prescription pad for some antibiotics. Ugh....can't breathe......hack, hack.....achoo! So much for thinking it was just allergies!

We're off in the morning to Plymouth to do some outdoor work at the house and hang out with friends....hopefully I'll be somewhat less germy by then!

Vacation: Day 5

2008-05-13T00:51:00.000-04:00

Sigh.....do we really have to go home? We spend a lazy morning hanging out, then finally bolt at checkout time. We originally planned to stop for lunch on the way up to Ft Lauderdale, but Tom's worried we'll have problems returning the car, given all the swapping and what not. To our (pleasant!) surprise, not only is a piece of cake to return the car, but Hertz has given us four days free. In the end, we pay $100 for a Mustang rental and $0 for gas. Probably the only inexpensive part of our trip!

Now we need a vacation to recover from our vacation.... Hubie and Tom are already scheming to return to Florida in November with a few other couples to do some more fishing and go to the Patriots-Dolphins game!

Vacation: Day 4

2008-05-12T00:48:00.000-04:00

We're all hungover, so the Mother's Day brunch originally planned was nixed in favor of Burger King. Let's just say that we think we have discovered that one thing that Tom will never be able to eat again post-gallbladder removal: greasy fast food. Ugh -- pass the Tums...

Had a great dinner, however, at a local Brazilian BBQ restaurant. Incredible salad bar, endless slabs of meat brought to the table. Not for the faint of heart! I finally got my key lime pie for dessert!

Vacation: Day 3

2008-05-11T00:43:00.000-04:00

Today was the Big Fishing Day -- we spent the day out in the ocean fishing for Dolphin. No, not
Flipper, but rather Mahi Mahi.

Really cool fish! In the water, they are blue, but once you hook them and they start to fight, they turn green. Not the smartest fish, either -- all you need is for one to fall for the hook, then they all follow like lambs to a slaughter. Of the three schools we fished, we caught all but one fish.

Tom caught a barracuda, which was brought up but then cut loose -- apparently they're not tasty. It was a slow fishing day -- catching the 18 we did was impressive.

At the end of the day, the guys from the boat filleted the fish, and we brought it to a local restaurant where you can have your catch grilled. Awesome -- the Cape needs to do something like this!

Vacation: Day 2

2008-05-10T00:31:00.000-04:00

We got up this morning to find that our Mustang had a flat tire. Kid you not -- only we could drive from airport to hotel and get a flat! I spent the morning on the phone with Hertz -- they sent AAA only to discover no spare. When everything was said and done, a guy running a Hertz office in the Keys got the manager of a Miami office to send a replacement Mustang down on a flatbed to swap for ours. In his words: take your phone, go to the pool and relax, and we'll call you in three hours when we get there and just swap the keys. Jeffrey and Jackie -- you're wonderful!

So we hit the pool for the morning, then worked our way over to the tiki bar, then met the Hertz guy. Swapped the keys, back to the bar for lunch.

In the evening, Tom and Hubie headed out to do some tarpon fishing. Tom caught one, but unfortunately the rest of the crew didn't know how to work the video on our digital camera, so all we have is this action shot of him reeling it in.

Vacation: Day 1

2008-05-09T00:28:00.000-04:00

We met up with Tom's friend, Hubie, and his family at Logan and flew into Ft Lauderdale. When we booked the trip, Tom took all my Hertz points and upgraded us to a Mustang Shelby convertible. Sweet! It was a pain, however, getting it out -- apparently for this level of rental, you have to go over it with a fine tooth comb with the location manager and make sure everything is perfect. And then, they gave it to us with a half tank of gas. No matter -- instead of waiting yet another hour to get that rectified, they agreed to let us return it half-filled.

Got down to Key West and immediately hit the pool and tiki bar. Didn't take long to get our inaugural sunburns, even in the late afternoon!

Vacation at last!

2008-05-08T08:01:00.000-04:00

We're off today for five days in the sun at Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Tom's energy level is up, so we're hoping that he can enjoy some R&R, as well as some fishing, under relatively normal circumstances.

Staple removal

2008-05-06T21:57:00.000-04:00

We saw the surgeon this afternoon for a follow-up appointment, and he seems quite pleased with Tom's progress. He removed his staples (and even had me take a stab at one -- poor Tom was less than pleased with my handiwork). The pathology report came back -- all that fuss and just one gallstone. Some people go their entire lives with dozens, if not hundreds, of gallstones, and never have a single problem. Go figure. The surgeon seems convinced that he will not have to change his diet, although we have read online that most people seem to find that one or two things that they cannot eat. If that's the worst of it, so be it!

Catching up....report on my patient

2008-05-05T20:18:00.001-04:00

Mea culpa. I'm only now catching up on emails, phone calls and regular mail (starting with the bills!). Tom came home Wednesday and stayed home for the remainder of the week. Per doctor's orders, he was up and walking every day, and Sunday we even went out for an hour to do some last minute clothes shopping for our trip to Florida later this week (quickest way to lose weight: take out an organ).

He went to work today, but was dragging by mid-day, so I picked him up around 3pm. He's been in bed sleeping practically ever since. He'll head back to work tomorrow, but we're leaving early for a follow-up appointment with the surgeon to assess his healing progress and take out the staples. He's feeling much better, although sore, tired and a queasy stomach. Hopefully he won't have any long-term side-effects.

It's somewhat of a mystery how this happened, but the surgeon made it clear that he has been sick for some time. A friend who is a nurse says she sees gallbladder infections frequently in men who have gone through a rapid weight loss (Tom started back at the gym early this year and is running 3+ miles at a clip now).

For those of you keeping count, here's a recap of the past two weeks: fly to Chicago, fly home, run the Boston Marathon, fly to Chicago, detour to St Louis, fly to Boston, spend 12 hours in the ER, remove one gallbladder. Now do you see why I named my blog "never a dull moment"?

Hmmm...maybe now I can finally write that post-marathon report!

Tom is coming home today!

2008-04-30T10:08:00.000-04:00

Barring any complications, Tom expects to be released sometime this afternoon. Woo hoo!

Update on Tom - my email to family and friends

2008-04-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry for not getting an update out via email last night -- I ended up staying overnight at the hospital again at Tom's request. Surgery was at 7pm, he was out by 9pm and in recovery until about 11/11:30. The surgeon was able to remove the gallbladder lapriscopically instead of cutting his ab muscles, which will speed up recovery tremendously. It was much more infected than we had thought -- apparently this has been brewing for some time, which would explain a few days over the past weeks where he was feeling kind of blah, for lack of a better description. Because the infection was more pronounced, they kept one incision open with a drain, and he'll remain in the hospital until at least tomorrow and treated with high doses of IV antibiotics.

His pain has been very well managed (a big difference from his car accident two years ago!), and he was able to get out of bed this morning under his own power, which impressed me. He's still exhausted, as am I, after three days on little-to-no sleep, but starting to hit that bored phase. He now has his cell phone and I'm sure would love calls (617-686-5449) or visitors (Lawrence Memorial in Medford, room 229). We should be in the hospital through tomorrow (Wednesday).

Thanks for the well wishes, as well as the grief for missing the golf tournament yet again -- he's been enjoying the ribbing!

Tom is having surgery this afternoon

2008-04-28T16:56:00.000-04:00

After spending nearly all day Sunday in the ER with chest/abdominal pain, Tom has been diagnosed with an infected gallbladder and will have surgery this afternoon to remove it. The infection is fairly far along, but the surgeon hopes to do it lapriscopically, rather than through his ab muscles.

Planes, trains and automobiles

2008-04-26T20:00:00.000-04:00

Talk about a travel nightmare. I was scheduled to fly home from Chicago yesterday after lunch. Flight #1 was delayed until mid-afternoon, then after an hour sitting at the gate, the flight was canceled due to mechanical problems. I scrambled on the phone to United and was told the next available flight was Saturday night. Argh! The trick is to respond "this is unacceptable" and within a half hour, United booked me on a flight Friday evening on American. I pick up a second airport book and hang out at a chain restaurant for dinner, then work my way over to the gate for Flight #2.

By now, to paraphrase an old classic, the weather started getting rough and the tiny planes were tossed. Sure enough, Flight #2 is cancelled shortly thereafter, and I trudge over to the American customer service area. My cell phone is dying, but I manage to reserve a room at the local Marriott, expecting the worst.

After more than an hour, I arrive at the front of the line, and a tired customer service rep gets to work. Leave tomorrow through Toronto -- well, I don't have my passport. Leave Sunday straight to Boston -- I have plans between now and then back in Boston. Can't you get me there? Ah ha -- we could fly you to St Louis tonight, just to get out of this mess, then fly you to Boston tomorrow. Hello Marriott -- cancel Chicago and find me a bed in St Louis.

I finally got home 24 hours after I had started!

The Post-Marathon Report

2008-04-22T19:59:00.000-04:00

Coming soon!

Marathon #11 in the books!

2008-04-21T22:31:00.001-04:00

Hi all,

I came, I saw, I finished. Full report tomorrow, but rest assured, I toed the starting line and gallivanted across the finish with Amber 26.2 miles later. No injuries aside from a few minor blisters -- kudos to Tom for those 6am gym times all winter lifting weights. Full report sometime tomorrow -- but thanks to all for your support!

Pre-marathon prep

2008-04-21T02:48:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Tomorrow's the Big Day -- my 11th year running the Boston Marathon as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team! Many thanks for all the emails and phone calls I've received over the past few days -- I appreciate all the karma and good luck! Feeling pretty good, a few nagging injuries and a sore throat that I hope will lay low until after the deed is done. Weather for tomorrow looks beautiful -- much better than last year when monsoon conditions were predicted!

So, my annual answers to all your spectating questions!

What I'll be wearing: at the start, likely a light blue running jacket; further along, you'll see this year's singlet (colorful as always, but this year's is mostly blue). Boston College hat this year (alas, my faithful Wellesley hat was forgotten in the back of my closet in Plymouth during a quick trip down yesterday!). Black shorts or running tights. On my website, I've added a few quick photos of my shirt, as well as some from today's Runners' Expo and the DFMC Pasta Party:http://www.racedirectors.com/H/running_photos.html

What is my number: 22456

When the race starts: there are two starts for runners. 10am for the speedsters, 10:30am for the rest of us. Nearly all of the DFMC runners are in the 22000s corral with a 10:30am start.

How will you find me out on the course: Tom and I did some back-of-the-envelope math, and the following are the *earliest* that I will arrive in five mile intervals (we're expecting me to be slightly slower, but this is close enough)

Start: 10:30am

5 miles: 11:30am

10 miles: 12:30pm

15 miles: 1:30pm

20 miles: 2:30pm

25 miles: 3:30pm

finish: 3:45pmish

If you are planning to be out on the course, your best bet to seeing me is to let me know where you'll be standing -- it's easier for me to find a spectator than it is for you to find me!

How you can monitor my progress from afar: www.baa.org will have an electronic monitoring system up and running tomorrow morning. Enter my number and watch me truck along.

Is she really taking calls again? Yes, I'm running with my cell phone! Feel free to text or email me ANYTIME on Monday at 617-699-6914. I won't return text messages, but I'll try to take/return calls (if I don't answer, it only means I don't happen to hear/feel my phone at the moment). This has worked out great in recent years to hear from family and friends all over the country -- it really makes my day!

How the fundraising is going: Very well -- I just broke $4,000 this morning and am nearly halfway to my goal. Many, many thanks to those of you who have already contributed to my run. If you have not done so and would like to, please visit my website, http://www.racedirectors.com/H/marathon.html. I'll be accepting donations through the end of May and hope to reach $8,200. 100% of your contributions support incredibly important innovative research at Dana-Farber that otherwise would not find funding -- this is the REAL reason why I run every year!

And finally, a big shout out to my two angels, Brittany and Amber. Brittany got me to the starting line back in 1998, and her memory is the wind at my back pushing me along throughout the years. Amber waits for me at Mile 25 every year and pulls me home. I couldn't do it without either one of them!

Time for bed! See you at the finish line!

Just one week away

2008-04-14T13:29:00.000-04:00

About this time next Monday, I'll be lining up for the second wave of runners at the Boston Marathon, my eleventh year in a row as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. Want to know what it'll be like? Check out this interactive guide to the marathon, from a runner's point of view. It's surprisingly accurate!

Ready, aim, fire!

2008-04-12T02:51:00.000-04:00

Tom and I finished our pistol class tonight and passed our written exam. We're now proud owners of two pieces of paper that says we're qualified to shoot a gun -- next step is to convince the local authorities as such!

Shift happens

2008-04-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

I was at a conference yesterday, and a keynote speaker ran the following video which was developed last year by a group of students at a school in the mid-west (if I remember correctly). Very cool stuff -- makes you think!

"Shift happens"

Last lecture

2008-04-07T10:12:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already, you need to read or watch Randy Pausch's last lecture. It's an incredibly optimistic view of a life lived well by a Carnegie Mellon professor who has pancreatic cancer and only a few months left to live.

One of my favorite parts of his talk:

"So my next piece of advice is, you just have to decide if you're a Tigger or and Eeyore. [shows slide with an image of Tigger and Eeyore with the phrase "Decide if you're Tigger or Eeyore"] I think I'm clear where I stand on the great Tigger/Eeyore debate. [laughter] Never lose the childlike wonder. It's just too important. It's what drives us. "

I don't think there's any doubt in anyone's mind that I'm a Tigger. Several of my posts have included lists of things I want to do when I have time. But it's a bit more than that -- everyone should have a list of the 101, 1001 or million things they want to do before they die -- have something to aspire to!

Women Don't Ask...

2008-04-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

Great NYT article today entitled: "Women, Repeat This: Don't Ask, Don't Get."