40 Grit Should Do It, Ma'am

Have I mentioned that Home Depot is a frightening place? Well, add to that frustrating and, sometimes, dare I say it, WRONG. This weekend was the weekend that I had designated to sand my kitchen floors. There are layers of god knows what on the hardwood, so I wanted to get all the crap up and see what I had under there.

So, after a delightful night on a boat with young Bentley alums in the Boston Harbor, Bryan and I ventured into HD on Saturday to rent a sander and all the necessary accompaniments. I spoke with a man who seemed knowledgeable, answering all of his questions about my floor:
"What's on the wood now?"
"Dunno"
"How big is the room?"
"Not sure"
"What kind of sander do you want?"
"Dunno", again
We finally figured out that there was polyeurathane on the floor and that I should start with a 40 grit sanding pads, which is supposedly rough, on the most expensive sander available to rent (I was sold by the statement, "it sucks up 80% of the dust"). After 40 grit, 80 grit should be used and then 120 grit to smooth out the scratches. Well, after getting the heavy-ass machine home and sanding for 4 hours on one of the hottest days of the summer with very little result, we realized that we were out of 40 grit pads.
Back to HD - a little aggravated.
Different guy:
"What's on the floor?"
Polyeurathane
"What kind of sander are you using?"
"That kind" pointing.
"Why'd you start with 40 grit? You should've started with 24 grit."
"Really?" I then realized that I was never going to get those 4 hours of mine and Bryan's life back.
Now, angry as a cut snake, I get back and put on the 24 grits. Much better, but that didn't do much to mollify me and our wasted hours.

We had to take a break, so we took in some excellent action on the football field of the Marlboro Shamrocks, the team for which my brother Joe plays. They won 21-8 with Joe kicking all 3 extra points.

Sunday - More Sanding! I now hate dust, wood, sanding pads and my kitchen floor. However, we were getting some noticeable results and the wood peeking through is quite lovely. After several more hours, we managed to smooth out the floor to a warm and polyeurathane-free wood. Back to HD where I complained about the incorrect 'advice' of 40 grit to start and thereby received a small discount, making the whole ordeal slightly less irksome.

Sealing the wood comes next but not until the weather is less tropical and our backs have recovered from bending over the sander and from repeatedly sweeping the floor. I do love homeownership :)

We did not find a roommate yet. My car is running ok. Our new washer and dryer was delivered today so I will have clean clothes at my own house. And I'm still loving my job. That's all for now.

Coming up roses

This week has certainly ended so much better than it started, and it didn't even start that badly.

I've settled into work and my job pretty effortlessly. I really enjoy the people that I work with and the teachers who come in to use the Library's resources. I have received a lot of nice compliments this week about my presence here at PS. It is always nice to hear that one is helpful and friendly. I also found out that I am the youngest employee here. Me, the librarian, youngest. Kinda cool.

Picked Bryan up at the airport Weds night. Don't want to make anyone vomit into their Friday afternoon coffee, so I'll just say, oooweeee, was it great to see him. And the drive to and from Logan, so easy thanks to the Williams Tunnel. Yay, Boston, you actually created a structure to aid the flow of traffic that works. Well done.

Dingers last night at Fenway didn't involve any actual dingers, but it was a great time. The Sox were ahead for most of the game; there were some tense moments as there always are, but Arroyo pitched a strong 7+ innings and there were a lot of doubles and singles and some errors by the Tigers that made it a fun game to watch. And, Bryan and I sat in a short aisle (11 seats and then a pole) that turned out to be filled with 5 of the oddest looking and kind of smelly people on our left and 4 of the ugliest people on our right, all of whom made it up on the big screen (Bryan's right arm got in). Yes, I'm saying that the 2 most attractive people in the row were bypassed by the camera in favor of 9 fans from the island of misfit people. I'm kidding, but it was funny and they were ugly. Oh well. Add this enjoyable night to the unexpected surprise of getting paid by my new employer for this week, a potential roommate visit on Saturday afternoon, and a Bentley young alum booze cruise this evening, and BAM! you got one hell of an end to the week.

Thank you all for coming, enjoy the fish, I'll be back here next week.

Who brought the tank?

Yesterday, on my way to my 2nd day of work, my car, a kindof beat-up 1990 Saab 900, turned into a tank. I was driving along on the Mass Pike when I heard a mighty engine roaring. I turned my head to stare at the car coming up on my left because his car was so freaking loud. Then I realized that MY car was, in fact, the one that was so freaking loud. I drove the rest of the way to Watertown and called the Saab dealership. They said that they could fix an exhaust problem in about an hour and a half so if I could get it in by 4pm, they would work on it. So, on my second day of work, I asked my new boss if I could leave early. Quite impressive of me, eh? Anyway, I got it to the dealership where they looked at my exhaust system and said they would love to help me but the entire thing was completely welded together and all new parts would cost $1900 (as opposed to just the pipe that was actually broken which would've only cost $300). Well, the car is probably not even worth $1900, so I asked if they had any suggestions. Midas. That was the suggestion. So, I got back into my tank-like vehicle and drove down the road to Midas. When the mechanic there lifted up the car, he, too, discovered that the entire exhaust system was welded, but he had full confidence that he could put in new clips and pipes and muffler, all for the bargain price of $470. What could I do? Today, my car sounds as quiet as it ever has and I may put off buying new bedroom furniture for a few weeks!

In other house news, I laid a linoleum tile floor last night with the help of my favorite home-repair guru, my mom. Whew! It was much harder than it looked like it was going to be (why was I surprised by that?) but we managed to get most of it down, enough so that we could take a shower and get out without sticking to the flooring that was there when we pulled the old tiles up. Joe bought a new entertainment console, so our living room is coming together. Now, if we could just find a roommate and move the rest of our stuff in, I would be a very happy homeowner.

In more important, personal life news, Bryan returns from his week-long road trip tonight and the day cannot go by fast enough until I leave work to pick him up at the airport. Luckily, I have a smooth, quiet ride to meet him at the curb.

Whole Lot Goin' On

It's been almost a week and I've done a lot and seen a lot; so, here goes.

Wednesday: went to NYC with Dana (Bryan's roommate who is leaving in a few days for grad school in Albany) on the Lucky Star (one of the infamous Chinese buses) to see an art exhibit (Modigliani) at a museum (Jewish Museum). When I wasn't being bumped into by a Jewish grandmother-type with a large purse or an even larger grandkid on her hip that she was trying to get to "see the colors", it was quite an amazing exhibit. It was really the only thing that we saw there since the rest of the museum was dedicated to Jewish history or Jewish eating (Kosher cafe on the ground floor). Modigliani was an Italian Jew who only lived to the age of 35. He painted mostly portraits but he also had a really beautiful oevre of female nudes, 4 of which were on display.

After the museum, we ate at a deli (mmmmm...cheesecake), went to the Whitney Museum of American Art and then headed back to Chinatown after strolling down Park Ave. to catch the bus back home. I managed to pick up a mini wooden Buddha for Bryan and a glass turtle for the boys (thought I'd give them a taste of another breed in case they were getting bored just seeing one another in their tank). The bus got us home just a little late and both rides were incident, Chinese-translated movie-free. Excellent.

Thursday: I attended my going-away shindig at Clery's with a few of my present and former MBEL buds. I got some great cards and a Librarian action figure - also drank a few tasty Basses. After 9pm, Bryan, his sister Colleen and her friend Beth, Kate and Jerry and I headed over to a local Northeastern bar, Conor Larkin's, where an enthusiastic (and hopefully wealthy) young man named Krishna bought pitcher after pitcher of Bud Light for the entire establishment. Thanks for the hangover, man.

This weekend: Went to CT for Erin and Manny's wedding. I spent Friday watching Madi with Sheri's mom, Sue, while Sher went on a 'bridal hike' followed by a pedicure. The wedding day dawned hurricanerific. Torrential downpours, huge lightning zags and heavy winds were not what anyone had in mind, but no one postpones weddings because Mother Nature sends down some crap-ass weather. Erin was bummed, but excited to be married and therefore, in the highest spirits possible. By the time the ceremony started at 4:45, the rain had turned to a drizzle and the winds had died down, so the night ended better than the day began. The ceremony was mostly in Greek, so Tom and I hadn't a freaking clue what was going on. And we stood for most of the 70 minute event leading me to lean over periodically and ask, "what are they doing now?" Anyway, the service ended the same way as all the others I've been to - bride and groom married.
The reception was at the Farmington Club, which was really nice. It was a bit chilly, though, so I started with a whiskey on the rocks, then switched to red wine. Needless to say, the train that ran me over sometime during the night kept right on pulling its high-pitched whistle all the way through Sunday. I had a blast drinking and dancing and eating filet mignon. The only thing that was missing to make it a truly wonderful time was my handsome wedding date. But he was off at a family reunion, so I made do dancing my butt off alone and then going home with Sheri & Tom.

Today: My first day of work at Primary Source and it was excellent. People are excited that I am there and they actually want me to do the work of a librarian. I had a few moments of shock today when I realized that if I suggest something or want to implement something, people are going to consider, and even embrace, it. Wow! And at lunch, everyone was talking about a going-away party that they had this past Friday because someone had brought in homemade Sangria and a few of the head honcho people got drunk! Oh my god! I think I had my mouth open for a few seconds because I had to explain that I am coming from a place that won't even use cooking wine in their cafe, they are so opposed to drinking, when asked if that was strange by one of my new co-workers. Whoopie - can't wait for the next event/party!

That's all here - counting the minutes until Weds when my incredible wedding date/baseball-watching partner/exraordinary game competition returns.

Shoutout to Nicole and Brian - congrats on your engagement!

Upward and Onward

My last day at the job flew by today. Besides an embarrassing send-off party where lots of people I didn't want to touch me hugged me with great enthusiasm [I apparently made a little bit more of an impression than I thought and people genuinely seemed sorry to see me go], I managed to wrap up all the loose ends and pack up my desk and walk out the front door. Well, going I am and happily, though there are definitely elements of my workplace that I will miss (shout out to the lunch crew).

Off to NYC for the day with Dana to see the Modigliani exhibit at the Jewish History Museum tomorrow. Taking the Lucky Star with a tiny bit of trepidation but I do like adventure, so it should be an interesting and enjoyable day. Thought it was a good thing to do on my first day of Library freedom. Enjoy your work day, everyone.

Hurricane Charlie

Wednesday night met Bryan's Aunt Susan and Uncle Don and his 2 adorable cousins, Lydia and Rachel. We enjoyed some swinging on the swingset, an excellent dinner and great conversation (along with some playing "pretend", reading the Very Grumpy Ladybug, and helping find a new pair of underpants for a 3-year-old).

This weekend marked Jen and Charlie's wedding in New Hampshire. Hurricane be damned, this wedding was going to be perfect, and it was.
The festivities included:
*Friday, bridal luncheon at Jen's grandmother's house: tasty food and much wedding talk.
*Friday night, rehearsal and dinner: excellent aisle-walking and more tasty food, plus presents for the bridal party in which I received a lovely bag named Jill from LL Bean filled with all sorts of useful bath products and pens also named Jill.

*Saturday morning, hair salon: Though a hurricane had threatened, we woke to a perfect blue sky. I then had my hair pulled in several directions and suffered many moments of panic when I thought that a bird's nest was being erected on top of my head, but in the end, I marveled at the amazing updo that was created not only from my hair, but for all of the bridesmaids. And Jen's hair and makeup were incredible and the super-model bride was ready to go and get married.
*Saturday, wedding and reception: The Portsmouth String Quartet played throughout the ceremony, Charlie cried like a baby when he first saw Jen and during his vows, Charlie's father cried during one of the readings, and the minister cried before announcing the happily married couple. Through all of these joyous tears, Charlie and Jen managed to get married.
The reception was at Jen's aunt and uncle's house, which was incredible. Besides the indoor basketball court and gym, movie theatre, and game room, the house had a pool, hottub, outdoor bar, and a lawn large enough to accomodate a gigantic tent. There were pink roses and candles everywhere and the glow of the lights in the tent was only eclipsed by those coming from the newlyweds. It was a perfect day and a wonderful wedding. I was honored to be a part of it. I was also thrilled to watch Bryan and Kate shake their groove thangs throughout the evening and to share another fantasticly entertaining wedding with Bryan as my date.

*Sunday, the morning after: I woke up pretty refreshed since my bridesmaid duties kept me just busy enough to avoid over-drinking. Bryan and Kate, however, were not so fortunate as they both slowly re-entered the light of day after the open bar from the night before kicked their asses into a dark pit. We had a nice brunch under the tent once more before heading home, listening to the Sox on the radio, at a low volume for those with 'headaches', of course.
*Sunday night: Found out that it was 'about time' for which I was the recipient of a beautiful bracelet, got my ass handed to me in Trivial Pursuit and ate a tasty, salty dinner at the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse.

Today I am whistling through my second to last day at the Liberry and looking forward to some time off and another wedding this weekend.

House Pics

I have posted some pics of the house. Work is coming along. The kitchen has been painted, the living room has furniture and the spare room is empty and waiting to be rented. My room and Joe's room are finished and the den is just awaiting furniture, which will be moved in when Joe's leg is better (he injured it Sat night at his football game).

Went to see dingers last night. I do believe that Curt Schilling is god-like, but boy did he have a rotten night. I think that Francona could've pulled him early in the 5th instead of letting him get deeper in the hole. Is our bullpen that weak? Was Terry trying to give Schilling a vote of confidence? I could never manage a baseball team, but I'm not entirely certain that our current skipper should be either.

Bedroom 

Living Room 

Hallway from office/den to kitchen 

Kitchen 

Ponies were good to us

Saw my very first horse races this past weekend in Saratoga. I won a decent amount on the first two races I bet on, got overzealous, lost all of my winnings and then some on the next 4 races I bet on, then won the last race to come out $7 up. This was enough to cover the $6 lemonade I bought, but not quite enough to cover the $6 admission. All in all, not bad. I had a lot of fun watching the horses run and didn't lose my shirt. Bryan didn't quite lose his shirt either, but he did lose 40 bucks while his friend Eric walked out of the track $240 up. His brother-in-law came out $120 ahead which then led to a tasty, paid-for dinner (thanks, again).

We discussed gambling at great length throughout the day and came to the conclusion that it is a great effin feeling to win, which causes one to continue to bet in the hopes of winning again. But ultimately, you aren't supposed to win, so if you just stay even or end up only a reasonable amount down, you have enjoyed a day of entertainment for a small price. I realized that I could never become a gambling addict since I really hate to lose money for any reason.

Thanks to Eric and Shayna for putting us up in beautiful Saratoga and for getting stupidly drunk with us on Friday night and then to Eric for feeding the game-playing need in both Bryan and myself with Trivial Pursuit for 4 hours.

It was great to finally meet the famous baby from Bryan's computer and to hear one of the best answers to the question "what does a horsie say?" from this adorable baby. Had a great dinner with Bryan's sister and brother-in-law and I got to meet Kobe the dog.

I have one week left at the Library, which equals just 5 more work days. I am looking forward to geting out of here and starting over at a new library that needs someone who really cares about the functions of a library. I am also looking forward to a few days off in between jobs. Joe and I actually have a few bites on a roommate for our extra bedroom. We have slowly started moving stuff into our apartment which is really exciting. I have to finish the kitchen which is going to be the hardest room, workwise. Once that's done, we will officially live there. No date is going to be put down in writing here in case Bryan tries to hold me to it, but I see living there by the time September is here. If anyone wants to/knows how/knows someone who knows how to wainscot walls, let me know.

Rock on, Bruce

This piece appeared in today's NY Times - it is written by Bruce Springsteen, one of my favorite song writers and singers. He has been brilliant at articulating the pulse of our country since he started creating music in the 70s. Since you need to register to gain access to the NY Times Web page, I have copied the article in its entirety, copyright be damned.

August 5, 2004
Op-Ed Contributor

CHORDS FOR CHANGE
By BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

"A nation's artists and musicians have a particular place in its social and political life. Over the years I've tried to think long and hard about what it means to be American: about the distinctive identity and position we have in the world, and how that position is best carried. I've tried to write songs that speak to our pride and criticize our failures.

These questions are at the heart of this election: who we are, what we stand for, why we fight. Personally, for the last 25 years I have always stayed one step away from partisan politics. Instead, I have been partisan about a set of ideals: economic justice, civil rights, a humane foreign policy, freedom and a decent life for all of our citizens. This year, however, for many of us the stakes have risen too high to sit this election out.

Through my work, I've always tried to ask hard questions. Why is it that the wealthiest nation in the world finds it so hard to keep its promise and faith with its weakest citizens? Why do we continue to find it so difficult to see beyond the veil of race? How do we conduct ourselves during difficult times without killing the things we hold dear? Why does the fulfillment of our promise as a people always seem to be just within grasp yet forever out of reach?

I don't think John Kerry and John Edwards have all the answers. I do believe they are sincerely interested in asking the right questions and working their way toward honest solutions. They understand that we need an administration that places a priority on fairness, curiosity, openness, humility, concern for all America's citizens, courage and faith.

People have different notions of these values, and they live them out in different ways. I've tried to sing about some of them in my songs. But I have my own ideas about what they mean, too. That is why I plan to join with many fellow artists, including the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., the Dixie Chicks, Jurassic 5, James Taylor and Jackson Browne, in touring the country this October. We will be performing under the umbrella of a new group called Vote for Change. Our goal is to change the direction of the government and change the current administration come November.

Like many others, in the aftermath of 9/11, I felt the country's unity. I don't remember anything quite like it. I supported the decision to enter Afghanistan and I hoped that the seriousness of the times would bring forth strength, humility and wisdom in our leaders. Instead, we dived headlong into an unnecessary war in Iraq, offering up the lives of our young men and women under circumstances that are now discredited. We ran record deficits, while simultaneously cutting and squeezing services like afterschool programs. We granted tax cuts to the richest 1 percent (corporate bigwigs, well-to-do guitar players), increasing the division of wealth that threatens to destroy our social contract with one another and render mute the promise of "one nation indivisible."

It is through the truthful exercising of the best of human qualities - respect for others, honesty about ourselves, faith in our ideals - that we come to life in God's eyes. It is how our soul, as a nation and as individuals, is revealed. Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.


Bruce Springsteen is a writer and performer."

Theater, Music, a Book Worth Reading

On Sunday night, went to see the Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Boston Common with Bryan, his roommate Dana & her mom. Besides somnolent limbs, it was a picnic-irific time: perfect weather, good company and food, and an amazing performance by the actors, particularly the one playing Benedick. It was the last night of this season, but if you live in Boston and have never gotten around to going, SITP does this every year for the month of July for free and it is usually a worthwhile and well-done production.

I noticed an article on Boston.com today about musicians uniting against Bush's reelection. There will be a bunch of benefit concerts that sound unbelievable.

Just finished reading She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb and I found it heart-wrenching and well-written. The main character, Dolores, is crass and cracked and as flawed a character as I have ever met. The story is so well-crafted and I was so drawn in that I had some trouble reading the parts about her late adolescence and attempt at college. I found myself thinking about her situation even when I wasn't reading the book and hoping that she made it through her life. I was hesitant to read the book since it was pegged a 'good read for women' and selected as an Oprah book club book back when the big O ruled the literary ebb and flow, but it was highly recommended by a trustworthy source, so I gave it a shot. I am very glad that I did and I look forward to reading Lamb's other book This I Know is True.

Goodbye Nomie

I got a new job! Starting August 23rd, I will be the new librarian at Primary Source in Watertown. My last day at my current job is August 17th. I am so happy at the prospect of working somewhere with a clear mission and normal people who actually respect and value their library. It is a small, non-profit organization that works with teachers to create curricula for history classes. The library supports the organization and is in need of some organization and tlc. I am looking forward to the challenge!

In other news, while I was staying in town for the DNC, my mom 'lost' my air conditioner out of my bedroom window in a mad rush to "shut all the windows" in case a drop of rain made its way, sideways, onto the hardwood floors in my new house. Her devotion to dry wood caused her to approach the window with the ac in it, notice a gap, and attempt to close it, thus spilling the large unit onto my driveway 2 stories below, crushing it with totality. No rain got in that day. Well done, mom.

I also co-hosted (with Kate) Jen's bachelorette party on Fri night. She loved being handcuffed to blow-up Charlie while completing fun and dirty tasks (so much so she asked to keep the handcuffs and blow-up doll!!) We started at Kate's apartment, moved onto Dick's Last Resort where they really know how to abuse a bride-to-be and ended at the Hong Kong in Faneuil Hall with meat on a stick and scorpion bowls. Kudos to Jen for completing all tasks all the while "not feeling drunk at all" (as she slurred her way through every word in the English language). On to the wedding in 2 weeks.

Well, I knew it could happen, but I guess I didn't really believe that it would. Nomar Garciaparra has been traded. In return, Boston received 2 Gold-Glovers who can play amazing defense and as evidenced by last night and today's game, not much offense. I know that Sox management wants to win a championship worse than its fans, so I will trust this move, but I really would have liked to see Nomar finish his career in Boston. According to Dan Shaugnessy from the Boston Globe (I can't even link to his article, he is such a douche), Nomar hated Boston and was miserable, so good riddance. But, I think that he was an amazing player, who got hurt, had management lose trust in him so he became discouraged. I think he is focused and driven and has a few years of good baseball in him. I wish him well with the Cubbies. At least he has as much of a shot, if not less, at winning the whole thing this year.