Oh yeah

I forgot to post about my Saturday activity a couple weeks ago. How interesting it was...

As you may know from my previous entries, I have become somewhat of a runner. I'm not very fast, and I'm not particularly graceful while I'm doing it, but I can go a pretty far ways before feeling like I'm going to die. Well, two Saturdays ago, me and Ashlee ran the Jolly Jaunt 5K here in town, for the Special Olympics--to benefit the Special Olympics, I should say. I swear, they will close a road for anything in Boston.

Anyway, this was the first outside running I'd done since early October, when we did the 10K. And it was COLD. Like, maybe 20 degrees, and very windy. It was miserable. I loaded on pantyhose and winter weight running pants (this is a trick from my old cross-country skiing days), and then I had a long-sleeved t-shirt, a turtleneck sweater, and a fleece on top. Plus scarf, hat and gloves. I felt a little bit like Randy in The Christmas Story, running down the street unable to put my arms down.

So, we start off feeling good. Eric and Ash's boyfriend Brian were there to see us off (after which they went to get a coffee and missed our crossing the finish line. It was kind of a doghouse moment for the two of them, but we're over it). And then we get maybe a mile or so into the race and I start to get all wheezy. I keep running because it's the only way I'm staying even remotely warm. I'm disgusted with myself because not only is my nose snuffy, it's actually dripping and I've not brought any Kleenex, so my glove is covered in snot. AWESOME.

This 5K felt like an eternity, but it took us exactly 31 minutes to run 3.1 miles, which means we averaged 10 minute miles! I couldn't believe it. We're so studly.

Mid-December Update

So, I can't remember ever being more excited for a trip home to Michigan. This is due to several factors:

• I get to spend more than a weekend. We're actually going to be home for like 5 days! It's not like before I didn't want to spend more than a weekend at home, it was just that I worked for an agency that operated in full-on panic mode from approximately November 15 through the end of January.
• We have snow here. Snow in Boston actually makes me like this place more, mainly because it covers up the dirtiness, and things seem peaceful, at least for a little while. We got dumped on last night, about a foot, and it was a glorious walk in. One of the funnier things I saw was that someone had made a very small snowman in the middle of the sidewalk, and pretty much every dog that had walked by must've decided it was a good place to pee. Poor yellow snowman. I also saw a lab with snow all over her snout, which I love... But anyway, if there is snow HERE and I'm loving it, I will love the snow at home even more, because I know it's not covering up filth, and because the peacefulness there isn't just a feeling that I would get, but actual peace.
• I really truly love Christmas. I reached the point years ago where I stopped caring if I got anything at all for Christmas, and after that, it started being a lot more fun. I just love being home and chilling out with the fam. It's the best.
  

Here's my favorite quote. It's something good to think about as we enter into this election year:

"A great nation is not saved by wars. It is saved by acts without external picturesqueness; by speaking, writing, voting reasonably; by smoting corruption swiftly; by good temper between parties; by people knowing true men when they see them, and preferring them as leaders to rabid partisans or empty quacks." ~William James

Giving Thanks

As this year slowly but surely draws to a close, and as Thanksgiving itself was several days ago and I totally missed it, I want to give thanks for lots of things, in no particular order:

My big sweetie, Eric, who, despite being the biggest school-work procrastinator in the world, is all A's in my book. How lucky I am to have found a person who loves me for my idiosyncrasies, and tolerates my bad habits, like dirtying every dish in the cupboard while preparing a two-ingredient meal, making sure the laundry is folded right away but not feeling like putting it away for days, and being a big nag about finishing his math homework. Love him.

Trips away from Boston. We've been to so many places over the last couple years, from California and Idaho, to more familiar haunts of my past, to New Jersey, where I will never ever venture again. The longer I live here, the more thankful I am to get away whenever possible. Thank goodness for other places.

My job. Despite the never-ceasing drama that is the Board of Higher Education, and the incredible frustration I feel in knowing that the true leaders of this system are the people who are often overshadowed by politically appointed idiots, I do love my job. And that is the first time I've been able to say that in a long time. My boss is also pretty great--it's a good thing working for someone you respect. Again, I couldn't say that for a long time.

The Fam. My recent purchase of a cell phone has done wonders for my relationship with my family. It's weird, but the only time I want to talk on the phone is when I'm walking home from work. It's about a half-hour walk, and it's the perfect time to catch up. I've learned in many ways, including through interactions with other families, that mine is sane, rational, and loving. I've been very lucky to become friends with my parents as we've grown older--that is one of the best things about being an adult, I think.

My friends, particularly Katie and the Boston girls, and Joey and Jayson. Katie, of course, has been the first person I call when anything remotely exciting happens for about 10 years. The Boston girls, Ash and Abs, are just wonderful people who have made me feel more at home here than just about anyone else. Joey and Jayson... Ahhh, my boys. They're so cute. Joey was actually the first person I ever met at Franklin--we sat next to each other in the math placement test. It was lucky, because the second person I met was a big meanie. If not for Joey, Franklin probably would have been a very different experience.

Christmas is coming. When I was a kid, it was all about the feeling of Christmas morning, when Abby and I would wake up at like 5:00 and wait at the top of the stairs for three hours, because the rule was that we couldn't go downstairs till 8:00. We'd open presents and then head over to Grandma and Grampa Stuart's house, where my aunt, uncle and cousins would be there. We'd have dinner and be a big family... We don't really do that anymore, and Christmases are really small around our house, but I LOVE being home at the holidays.

Memories of really good people. Heard last night that my old friend Halley Hughes passed away a week or so ago. Halley was a friend of my grandparents and one of The Bandits, a group of old men who frequented the golf course I worked at during high school and college. What a great guy. I hadn't seen Halley in several years, but we always sent Christmas cards and kept each other updated. He was a special man who reminded me a lot of my grandparents. Once, my grandparents told me they were going to give me a big surprise. I got pretty excited--maybe they were going to get me a car or something (though that would have never happened in a million years). So they put me in the car, and drove out to the river, and we pulled into Halley and Mary-Louise's house. That was the surprise. They taught me how to play pinochle that night. It was an honor to have known Halley, and I will surely miss him.

This Blog: www.claudiasroom.blogspot.com. Profanity-laced commentary aside, I adore this blog and check it frequently hoping she's updated it. Hilarious. This girl, who must be around my age, is reading all of the BabySitter's Club books from her childhood, and then writing about them. I LOVED the BSC when I was a kid, and read every book I could get my hands on. Just reading these entries makes me remember wanting to wear that Famous Cities skirt that MaryAnne wore to her first dance with Logan....

Anyway, it's been a bit of a funky couple weeks. There's no doubt in my mind that my current level of hatred of Boston (19 out of 10) is due to the wonderful visit I had with the fam/Scottsburg folk back in Indiana a couple weeks ago. I do know that I have to just enjoy the here and now, and appreciate that I am where I am for the time being, but I am just currently finding little if anything redeeming AT ALL about this place.

That being said, I am looking forward to a holiday party we're attending in a couple weeks called Drink the Tree, which features thousands of nips on a Christmas tree. I got a new fancy cocktail dress, and Eric's wearing a matching tie. Whoooo!

I LOVE INDIANA

And right now, I'm kind of hating Boston a little... But that's just because I haven't encountered any strangers who have been nice to me, or any friendly cows or horses, or charming old barns. And it's mostly because we had such a great weekend that coming back couldn't have been anything other than a let down.

So, we got off the plane in Louisville, KY, and were immediately happy, for some reason. I think it was because it was a nice day, and because no one sneered at us as we got off the plane. We went to the rental car station, where the clerk engaged us in pleasant conversation, and he led us to the rental car lot, which was right outside the terminal--no shuttles. That was great. We drove north to Columbus and saw about 10,000 bats flying across the dusky sky. Eric thought they were birds, because "there's not that many bats in Southern Indiana." Umm, clearly, he hasn't spent much time in Southern Indiana, because I think there are like a billion bats there.

We got to my Aunt Ro's house in Grammer, Indiana, and my whole family was there--mom and dad drove down from Michigan, and my cousins were there, and Corky the dog was there... My mom and aunt were about three glasses of wine deep into the evening, so that made things even more fun.

Saturday, we went to my Book Signing, which I was expecting to just be a little reception where I would sign like three books. But I signed about 200 books! And it was great! The most wonderful thing about Scottsburg and the people is that they are so earnest and thoughtful and grateful. I loved writing this book for them, and we're already talking about The Scottsburg Story II. Here, I'm pictured with my favorite Scottsburgians, and Graham, who is in the pink shirt. He's just one of my favorite Hoosiers in general.

One of the big highlights of the weekend was that Joey's mom, dad, aunt, uncle and nephew showed up at the signing! I couldn't believe it--they drove up from Jeffersonville, and were on their way to the Rodeo. So great to meet them again, and see the charming little Camo, who apparently loved me just as much as I loved him. So cute. I wanted to put him in my bag and take him home with me.

Anyway, Sunday was filled with activities like going to Fazoli's for lunch, and to Steak and Shake for a shake for dessert, and hanging around reading for the entire afternoon... It was awesome, and I loved every minute I was there. But my pants are too tight.

So, anyway, I'm feeling pretty homesick right now. But it is nice to be back in my own bed. Eric is still recovering from his cold (the same cold I finished up about a week ago... Curious, no??) and is a snoring fool. About every third night I'm so tired I just sleep through it. The other nights, I'm up, periodically kicking or nudging him and resenting the hell out of him. Anyway, he snored like the dickens the whole time were there, and somehow, I've lost the ability to sleep wherever I want. What happened that I suddenly get a sore back from sleeping in an unfamiliar bed? Getting old.

This picture here is Eric cuddling with Corky, Ro and Shorty's old puppers. She was VERY happy to have us around and we spent some good quality time together. She especially loved Eric, but then, don't we all???

Eric vs. Pomegranite

One of my most favorite things about fall is pomegranites. I LOVE them, and would eat about 10 a day if it were financially or gastrointestinally wise. Seeing that it's neither, I do truly enjoy them when I get the chance. Like eating little rubies. YUM.

Eric, too, enjoys pomegranites, but finds them more difficult to consume than I do, probably because he eats everything like it's his last meal. Pomegranites become an ordeal--we require a towel and an old shirt (or no shirt during the summer). Take this evening... We had both, and he still managed to get juice on his shirt, the towel, a throw pillow, the couch, and the wall. Jeez. If he wasn't so darned cute, I'd be mad. :)

It's 3:30 and it's getting dark

No joke. Daylight Savings Time in Boston is ridiculous. By the middle of December, it will be like midnight at 4:00 in the afternoon.

To my thinking, this is just one more reason why we should move back to a state that doesn't participate in such nonsense... But I learned yesterday that Indiana does indeed now do Daylight Savings. I guess I will have to rely on my other ten million reasons why Indy is better than Boston to persuade Eric to move there...

If you haven't been reading the news or, like, me, care less than anything in the whole world about sports, it's still likely that you've heard about Boston's recent winnin' ways, what with the Sox taking the World Series, the Pats being the Colts yesterday (Booo!!!!!!), and the Celtics actually winning a couple games. Approximately 96% of all local news coverage in the last couple weeks has been devoted to sports, and I'm getting pretty sick of it. As soon as teachers start making as much as football players, I will start being a professional athletic supporter (hehe...). Till then, Tom Brady, you're cute, but MEH! I say to you! MEH!

However, my lovely hub-unit, the Big E (as my dad has taken to calling him), is beyond obsessed with sports. I'm not sure why, and I'm not ready to plumb the depths of his subconscious to figure out why--likely has something to do with fading aspirations and his father... But anyway, we spend a good deal of time watching sports, or talking about them (talking about them is me asking an obscure question, like "why is that guy putting his knee down on the ground after that other guy kicks the ball? and Eric saying, "That is a touchback, blah blah blah... etc.). We spent the afternoon yesterday at Joey and Jayson's house eating chili-based food (chili dip, vegan chili and meaty chili--all delish) and watching the Pats/Colts game, the outcome of which I've already discussed.

My point--we had a really nice time watching the game at Joey and Jayson's. It was great. Here is Jayson and Tico, our mascot.

It's days like these when I've spent too much time working on spreadsheets and not enough time interacting with other people that make me feel like I need to go outside and "blow off some steam," as my mom used to say when we were bugging her in the house.

The whole point of this blog... Jeez. I logged on to announce that today is my and Eric's 6 month anniversary! Wow!!! So, exactly 6 months ago right now, I was wigging out in our hotel room at the Jurys, drinking far too much champagne far too quickly. Ahh, time flies. It's been a great 6 months. Doesn't feel like that long, in some respects--we're definitely still in the schmoopy-schmoopy phase of marriage. In other ways, it feels like we've been married forever. Like when Eric leaves his socks on the floor. Every night. :)

And those are my thoughts of the day. What I'm looking forward to:

• Trip to Indiana and cutest-town-in-the-world Scottsburg visit!
• Night out at Heroes next Saturday--The Smiths, The Cure, and Depeche Mode just came on all in a row on my iPod. I fiercely feel like dancing.
• Thanksgiving--long weekend HOLLA!
• Christmas!!!! Baby shower for my friend Ann, Christmas Eve breakfast with old high school friends, and a whole week in Roscommon. Bliss. Keep your fingers crossed for snow.
  

XOXOXOXOXO,
haley

A Runnin' Fool

Okay, I wouldn't exactly call myself a runnin' fool. But I DID finish the Tufts 10K on Monday, knocked at least 20 minutes off last year's time, and came in around the middle of the pack. I averaged 11:51/mile, which is great considering that I am part turtle, and considering we walked about a mile of the race. It was necessary. Totally cold and raining outside, which was also a good thing--the cold kept my internal thermometer down (usually set at "self-clean" during runs), and the rain covered up how sweaty I was. Couldn't have been better.

Picture was taken around mile 5.5, and that is my little buddy Ashlee, who was a trooper--she got a cramp around mile 2. Poor little legs! My face is blurry because I was moving so fast!

In other news, my trip to Indiana is impending, and I couldn't be happier. Difficult as always to get away from work, but I will be heading to Columbus on Friday, Nov. 9 and coming back on the 12th. We're going to have a little reception at Jeeves & Co. on the square in Scottsburg, and a signing apparently. Though I don't know who beyond my parents would want a signed copy of the book. It's not like I'm a celebrity and they're never going to see me again, or it's going to be worth something on ebay... But I guess one never knows. In 20 years an original signed copy of The Scottsburg Story could be worth millions. Good reason for you to get your own copy!

Eric emailed earlier today and said he wanted to make "mini-meatloafs" for dinner. This is unprecedented. 1) He doesn't cook, 2) he almost never suggests that HE make something, 3) mini-meatloafs???? He must've come across a recipe--he loves the ketchup/brown sugar sauce you put on meatloaf. Anyway, that's what we're having. He sounds very excited. I'm just excited to not stick my hands in raw meat. Gross.

Up to Nothin'

All is well here. It's stunning to me that it's almost October. A part of me feels like I didn't do a darn thing this month, but I guess I have been rather busy. Or worrying about how busy I'm going to get in just a little while--that's more like it. I have got a crazy fall coming up. And I'll tell you, if I could just wear my courderoys and sweaters, I'd be much happier about it. But for right now, I am stuck in summer clothes because it's hot here.

I've also been worrying about Global Warming and its consequences, but I digress...

September 5: I entered the final year of my third decade of life. Yes. I am 29. It wasn't hard. 24 was the hardest for me, mainly because I was in a phase where I felt my self-worth tied directly to my accomplishments and how much faster I'd accomplished them relative to my peers. Meaning, having finished both a BA and a masters by the time I was 23 was kind of a big deal. Completing both by the age of 24--no big deal... Anyway, I'm over that. Eric took me out to dinner and bought me a new pair of running shoes. My girls and boys took me out for dancing at my FAVORITE dancing place on this planet. It was a raucous night, definitely. One of those nights where the cab let me out on the wrong block, I didn't notice, and then I got really confused--"where the heck am I?" sort of thing. Anyway, "Heroes," our favorite night at Axis, is awesome. They play all my favorite music, and it's kind of gay night, so there are no idiot undergraduates spilling beer on you. I love it.

The running shoes: I've been running. And surprisingly, it's going well. Normally, I sort of operate under the tenet of "Don't run if you're not being chased. Or unless you're chasing some sort of food." But I'm really liking this whole running for pleasure. It's not really pleasure, though, especially when I look at myself in the mirror afterwards and ask myself if my face could get any redder without exploding (answer usually no). But one day, I think I will find myself just pleasantly exerted after running 4-5 miles, and I won't be a tomato-face.

My friend Ashlee and I are doing the Tufts 10-K in a couple weeks. Should be interesting. Last year, we mostly walked, except for a short stint during which pictures for the event were taken. So somewhere on the internet, and I'm not telling you where, are pictures of me running, my hair sticking straight out for my head, a pained look on my face, clutching a messenger bag. I had suspicions before this, but I am now convinced that I look better when I'm not in motion.

We went to the beach down at Eric's Aunt Linda's house in Duxbury. It was awesome. Not too hot and Ashlee brought some really good popcorn from Indiana, which made me a little homesick. I'm not big on the whole ocean thing, though. There are sharks in there, and whales and jellyfish and eels and a ton of other things with teeth. Plus, salt water makes my legs itch. But we had a great time anyway, and went to dinner afterwards at the Franklin Cafe in the South End--AWESOME. Eric devoured a big plate of ribs in about 2.5 seconds, and even ate the slaw that accompanied them. And you all know that his big rule is "No slaw is good slaw."

Biggest news of all... My BOOK is finally going to print! I am waiting right now for the final mock up to come for my approval, and then it will be off to the printers in Indiana for a release sometime in November. Now, you're not going to be able to buy this at Barnes and Noble or anything, but I do think there's some info in there that could help out Roscommon and other small towns. They're available for pre-sale at $6 each. Tell your friends!

No joke, I am really proud of this accomplishment, and feel like this is the start of my REAL career--not just a job I'm doing to gain experience for later. I'm meant to write, I'm meant to help people, and I'm meant to use my brain in a real, productive way. This book really solidifies for me that I'm moving in the right direction. Plus, anything I can do to help the wonderful people of Scottsburg, Indiana... I'm down with that. I love it there. If you're ever on 65 south on your way down south, STOP in Scottsburg and go into town. Lovely lovely.

I should get back to what I was doing. Until next time...

More Pictures

The Fam--it's a shame that Dad's eyes aren't open. This is just about as close to a good picture as we've ever taken. Not really a photogenic bunch, us Glovers.



The Wedding Party--10 of the coolest people Abby and John have ever met.



Dad is a dancing fool. This particular boogie was done to the tune of Thriller. I wish Alan had captured the "zombie hands," because they were spectacular. Ever since he learned how to do the cha-cha, Dad has been a very confident dancer.

Summer of Love

We only went to three weddings this summer, ours included, but it felt like a lot more than that. I learned a lot:
-One should not drink three glasses of champagne BEFORE one participates in a marriage ceremony
-Always sign the marriage license in black ink
-Traveling to New Jersey a minivan, while it makes logistical sense, does not translate into a good time
-North Carolina is the hottest place on earth
-Weddings make me cry. A lot.

So, we just returned from my sister's wedding in North Carolina. She has been married a whole 6 days, and from all reports, it's going pretty well. We had a lovely time--it was a very emotional weekend, though. I started crying during the wedding, which happens all the time--I cry at all major life events. My own wedding, a commencement speech at my Syracuse graduation, every time I leave a job (even if it's a job I hate)... I just can't help it. It's what I do. Anyway, I started crying and I just didn't stop! I think the majority of it was the fact that I was saying goodbye to the fam that night (we left early the next morning), and I just hate that. I hate saying goodbye.

Anyway, North Carolina, though lovely, is indeed the hottest place I have ever been. I spent most of my 5 days there sweating, complaining about being sweaty, or taking a shower to wash off the sweat. It's gross, I know. But so so true. The funniest thing was, the natives didn't seem to mind, while everyone from Michigan was wandering around with a slightly dazed look on their faces, clutching at bottles of water.

But enough about the details... The wedding itself was wonderful. Abby, as always, looked beautiful. And John was great--he was so excited. You could see it in his eyes that he had no second thoughts and that he felt like the luckiest guy in the world to be marrying my sister. Of course, he is...

The lead-up to the wedding was spectacular. Parties, parties, and more parties!

A bachelorette party:


Sports:





Recovery from sports:


Wedding preparations:


Celebrating with Dad:


More pictures will come.

Congrats to Abby and John!

August

So, I guess I'm managing about one blog a month. It's so crazy how time slips past you in the summer.

But it's not like I've just been hanging out in front of the air conditioner this whole time. We have been all over the place in the last month or so, and we're gearing up for one more big trip in a couple weeks. We haven't even fully unpacked our suitcases--it just doesn't seem worth it.

In the middle of the month, we went back to Roscommon and we had SUCH a good time. Since moving away from Rosco, and since moving to Boston in particular, I have such an appreciation for the time I get to spend up north. This place has NOTHING on northern Michigan, especially right now--it's 93 degrees outside.

Boston @ 93 degrees * concrete * stinky trash in the allies * walking everywhere = :(

That was just a little view into my life as an analyst. Nothing is simple anymore...

Anyway, we did have such a good time. My parents threw us a combo party/bridal shower for Abby where I got to see all of my old friends and Eric got to meet them all. We spent a whole day out on the lake with an old high school friend and got fried to a crisp (hurt, but was totally worth it). I finally got the last Harry Potter book and everyone left me alone for the 7 or so hours it took me to read it... Heaven.

The weekend after that, we took a trip down to Princeton, NJ to attend Eric's cousin Brett's wedding to his lovely bride Katherine. It was a great wedding, and we had a really nice time. But the trip as a whole was nothing short of excruciating. There was a big accident on the highway on Friday morning, which forced us to sit on said highway for THREE HOURS, traveling about 8 miles. Then, because we were late by 3 hours, we hit New York City at 5:30. It took us 10 hours to get to Princeton.

We were in a minivan with Eric's parents and sister and brother-in-law. We all like each other, thankfully, but have decided that we will no longer be traveling in the minivan together in the future. It's for the best.

Next on the list is a weekend of rest and recouperation (and cleaning the house!). I'm pretty excited about having no plans. :)

Love

Haley

It's July!

Holy crap! Where did June go?

Well, I guess in many ways it went just like any other month, except that I spent most of it at A NEW JOB! Hooray!!!!

It couldn't have come at a better time. My distaste for my old job had just gotten to a point where I couldn't take it anymore. I was angry all the time, and being snarky about stuff, and honestly, that is just not me. Okay, the being snarky part is, but only once in a while.

I am now the Senior Policy and Planning Analyst for the Mass. Board of Higher Education. I've been on the job about a month, and I'm ear-deep in fiscal policy as it relates to public higher education in the Commonwealth. Infinitely more interesting and engaging, and I am so much happier. SO much.

In life news, in a couple days The Big E and I will celebrate our 2 month anniversary. For our 1 month anniversary, he bought me a chili dog. Perhaps this time we will upgrade to a hamburger.

Married life is good. Great, in fact. We've always had an extremely functional relationship, in that we don't fight, we're good friends, and we seem to understand each other (except for the whole loving baseball thing. I don't get that!). I didn't really know whether being married would change all that much about us, and in a lot of ways, it hasn't. But there is something that is stronger, happier and more special now. I like it.

We're also saving $200 a month by moving E onto my state insurance. So the economics of marriage are working out well, too! Yea!

On the docket for this month: A TRIP HOME! I am so excited--haven't been home since Christmas, and I do miss the old Rosco. I believe we're going to have a little party, introduce Eric properly to our little village and its citizens.

Happy 4th of July to all! We're having a get-together with the Boston crew and one member's 'rents--having a cookout/in with our new indoor grill (thanks to Abby and John) and heading out to the Esplanade with all crazies for the fireworks. I'm not a patriot, but there is something about the 4th in Beantown that makes me all verklempt.

Big hugs!
Haley

More pics

Pictures!

I'll post more as soon as I get them!

Love,

Haley

THANK YOU!!!!

WOW. What a weekend.

I couldn't have asked for a better time, both during our Saturday activities (where I discovered another vocation, should the whole "public service" thing not work out--straight man on the Freedom Trail), and at the wedding. Truly, I don't remember the ceremony, only looking at Katie's face, willing my knees to stop shaking, and hearing my mom sniffle behind me.

Thank you SO MUCH for everything. For those of you who could come, I hope you had as great a time as I did--it was wonderful to see you and to have you with us on our special day. And for those of you who could not come, we'll definitely be home for a bit over the summer.

I haven't yet received our pictures, but they should be coming soon. If you took any, I'd love to see them! Keep checking back here--I'll post the good ones here. :)

Tomorrow, we take off for a little trip up to Maine. Here's where we're staying: www.innatoceansedge.com Looks pretty great to me! And the weather is supposed to be perfect. SWEET!

All the best,
Haley

Update

Oh my GOSH. The wedding is in less than a week, my parents fly in in 3 days, and I'm going to be MARRIED soon!

Happily, things are going very well, and I think we're going to have a great time. I have a meeting over at the hotel this afternoon to determine whether the sound system will work with my computer. This is the only potential problem we've got going on. We also bought a large spinning-light disco ball, and I think that will add a little something special to the party.

But aside from the impending nuptuals, I have other big news... I got a new job! If you've read posts preceding this, you'll know that I have a love/hate relationship with my current job. I enjoy the access I have to powerful officials, the potential that my ideas might make it into policy, and the people here are great. However, in recent months, the "hate" side of the relationship became much stronger. I was really frustrated and upset about some of the changes that my position underwent, and so, when the opportunity for me to move on came along, I jumped. I'll start as a Senior Planning Analyst on May 28 at the Commonwealth's Board of Higher Education. In that position, I'll be doing much more policy than budget work, will have a chance to work at the intersection of my 3 main policy interests (ed, workforce and economic development), and will have great potential to grow within the job.

I could not be happier about this change, but I have to say, I will miss the people here, particularly Ashlee and Abbey (picture right), who have become two of my best friends. They are pretty awesome and I will definitely miss seeing them on an 8-hour a day basis.

Can't wait to see you this weekend! YEA!!!!!

Saturday Activities

Hello all!

Goodness! Time passes quickly. Just yesterday, it was January, freezing outside, and I had so much to do. Now it's April, freezing outside, and I have so much to do!

I am getting so excited to see all of you in a couple weeks. We're going to have a great time at the wedding itself, but I'm also excited to tell you what we've got going on for Saturday during the day. Keep your fingers crossed for nice weather.

I've arranged for us to take a walking tour of the Freedom Trail, complete with a guide dressed in Colonial garb. Now, honestly, in other situations I might josh a bit at participating in something so touristy, but this will be a great way to take a nice walk through the city, see some good sights, and get to know a little bit about the history. We'll be looking at the Boston Common, New State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel, Site of the first Public School, Old Corner Bookstore, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Site of the Boston Massacre, and Faneuil Hall. And if you feel like a canoli, we can take a little jaunt down to the North End and see Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church.

We'll meet at 11:30 in the Boston Public Garden, which is located in the Back Bay/Downtown between Charles and Arlington Streets. I will leave directions and T-stop information for you at your hotels.

If you feel like looking, here's the website for the tours. www.thefreedomtrail.org

YEA!!!!!

Also, big news to report in a day or two!!!! YIKES! So much happening this spring!

Love,
Haley

Some More Information

This is a joke, but I think that after you visit for a couple days, you will understand why sometimes, I feel like Boston is on a different planet. :)

Information on Boston and the surrounding area:
There's no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square, and no water on Water Street.

Back Bay streets are in alphabetical 'oddah': Arlington, Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, etc. So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc. If the streets are named after trees (e.g. Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill. If they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley.

Massachusetts Ave is Mass Ave; Commonwealth Ave is Comm Ave. South Boston is Southie. The South End is the South End. East Boston is Eastie. The North End is east of the former West End. The West End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.

How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly:
Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah)
Gloucester: Glawsta
Leicester: Lesta
Woburn: Wooban
Dedham: Dedim (like denim w/ a D in the N pace)
Revere: Re-vee-ah
Quincy: Quinzee
Tewksbury: Tooks berry
Leominster: Lemon-sta
Peabody: Peabuddy
Waltham: Walth-ham
Chatham: Chattum

Definitions:
Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't.
If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic.
Soda is CLUB SODA.
'Pop' is Dad.
When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER.
The smallest beer is a pint.
Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish.
If you paid more than $6/pound, you got scrod.
It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah.
It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel.
It's not a spucky; it's a sub.
It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage.
It's not a purse; it's a pockabook.
They're not franks; they're haht dahgs. Franks are money in France.
Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a 'crooza'. If you take the bus, you're on the 'looza crooza'.
It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic.
It's not a traffic circle, it's a rotary.
'Going to the islands' means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket.
If something's good, it's 'pissa'. If something's really good, it's 'wicked pissa'.

Things not to do:
Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd .. they'll tow it to Meffa (Medford) or Slumaville (Somerville).
Don't sleep in the Common. (Boston Common)
Don't wear Orange in Southie on St. Patrick's Day.

Things you should know:
There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, three Hancock buildings (one old, one not so old,one new.)
The colored lights on top the not so old Hancock tell the wetha:
'Solid blue, clear view....'
'Flashing blue, clouds due....'
'Solid red, rain ahead....'
'Flashing red, snow instead....'(except in summer; flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out)
Route 128 is also I-95 south. It's also I-93 north.
The underground train is not a subway. It's the 'T', and it doesn't run all night.
Order the 'cold tea' in China Town after 2:00 am you'll get a kettle full of beer.

So, please, my wonderful friends, use this information judiciously, PLEASE don't go to Chinatown after 2:00 in the morning, and practice up on your "wicked pissahs." I use it all the time, and in no way is that weird.

Menu

Hello!!!

I am so excited to post this. We've been waiting forever for the restaurant to come up with the spring menu, and finally, we have it.

First Course

Caesar Salad
Hearts of Romaine Tossed in our House Made Caesar Dressing
With Toasted Focaccia & Pecorino Romano Cheese

Second Course

Herb Crusted Misty Knoll Statler Chicken
Served with Potato Pave, Asparagus & Madera Jus

Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin
Marinated In Garlic & Fresh Herbs, Grilled & Served Over Rillon Potato Hash & Haricot Vert.

Fresh Rosemary Pasta
Accompanied with Grilled Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms & Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes. Served with a Smoked Melted Gouda Cheese.

Perfect Ending

White Chocolate Crème Brulee
With Fresh Berries & a Sugar Cookie.

I've had the tournedos. They're divine.

Love,
Haley

Registry, Menu, etc.

Hi all!

My mom suggested last night that I let people know where we've registered...

Target: www.target.com
Crate and Barrel: www.crateandbarrel.com
Macys: www.macys.com

Registries are under Haley Glover and Eric Matson.
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The restaurant hasn't yet created the spring menu, so we weren't able to include that information in the invitations. That should be ready around April 1. What I thought I'd do is get in touch with you via email or phone and let you know what the choices will be. If I don't have your email address, could you send it to me? haley_glover@yahoo.com I'm very excited to see what they'll come up with. The food there is very interesting and VERY delicious.

We're not going to have a cake, mainly because I don't really like cake all that much. The Grille makes a mean creme brulee, which is our favorite, so that will definitely be on the dessert list. The picture to the right is me enjoying said creme brulee. WICKED delicious. I also like the idea of little desserts, like chocolate strawberries or truffles. Still thinking on that.
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We're enjoying a short period of down-time before things pick up again. Eric's classes are pretty slow, so he's been catching up on some homework and trying to work ahead. I'm just loving having two whole days off a week.

Love,
Haley

Maid of Honor

Because the wedding will be nice and small, and because there's no way I could imagine getting married without her up there with me, my sister Abby will be my maid of honor. And I have the distinct pleasure of being HER maid of honor in August when she gets married to her lovely fiance John.

For those of you who know her, I'm sure you'll agree that Abby is one of the most adventurous and interesting people you'd ever want to meet. She and John, for instance, spent a good 6 months touring the world. And not touring the world the way I would probably tour the world, hopping between hotels and museums--she washed elephants in Thailand, got pissed off by Maoists in China, swam in the Dead Sea, and saw John through surgery in an Indian hospital. And each time they posted an update on their blog, my jaw dropped a little further, because how did my little sister end up on the other side of the world washing an elephant???

Abs and I lived together for about a year when I moved out to Santa Fe. I had been there for about 9 months when she found a job working at the Santa Fe Rafting Company as a guide on the Rio Grande. That summer... such memories... Anyway, it was about a month before we coordinated a trip out on the river for some friends, with Abby as the guide. The first trip down the river was great--the water was nice and high, the rapids were fast, and importantly, no one fell out of the raft.

The second trip did not go so well. This time, we took the trip farther north and went through the Taos Box, which is a considerably harder run. My transmission went out about a mile out of Santa Fe, too, and we had to coast the car back into town. It was a bad start. Anyway, we were having a great time--Abby as guide, me and 4 friends, and some dude who was a jerk. And then we entered the Rock Garden. We maneuvered through all of the rocks, and then we started to get hung up... The back of our raft swung around, and Abby, the jerk, one of my friends, and the cooler got flung out of the raft, while four us of were left hanging on the now-perpendicular-to-the-water raft. For two hours.

Finally, I ended up getting dragged into shore by a tow-rope (which was held by a guy who, in normal circumstances, I wouldn't have trusted to hold my purse!), and the boat dislodged itself. It was awesome, and the entire event was captured on videotape, and is set to music from The Matrix. It nearly gave my mother a heart attack when she watched it...

Anyway, the reason I tell this story is because I think there is a turning point in the lives of siblings where they cease to view each other as merely a sister. And I guess it was then that I started admiring her not just as my sister, but as a friend and a competent adult. Abby has spent her entire adult life surprising me. She follows her dreams in a way that very few people have the confidence to do, and that just blows my mind. She's hilarious, kind, and just a totally awesome person. Yes, we have many many differences, but there is no one in this world who I trust more than Abby, and there's no one who I admire more than her. Maid of Honor, indeed.

My Face Hurts

Because the braces are installed. And they are accompanied by the headaches, sore mouth, and spit overproduction that are their calling cards. It's awesome to be re-entering adolescence at the age of 28.

Actually, aside from the tender face, they're quite awesome. You can't see them, they only marginally affect the way that I talk (my Ses are now sibilate... Yeth... Yeth, they are...), and I can take them out when the urge to do so strikes me.

So, on to business. I know you're breathlessly awaiting news on the shoe hunt.

Friday, I left work early (and still worked 50 hours that week, if that gives you any indication of how much we've been working), and headed over to the mall for some retail therapy. I bought two pairs of shoes. The first was a relatively simple pair of sandals, and the second was a major high-heel, gold, glitz, etc investment. I loved them. I took them both home, and tried them on with the dress, and.... they were both too high. My entire foot stuck out the bottom of my dress, and made me look like a sasquatch in satin.

So, I took them back and found a cute, comfortable, and extremely practical pair of flats. I am happy.

Love,
Haley

What I wanted vs. What I got

Got My Life Back

The budget came out on Wednesday, and after sitting through a four-hour hearing yesterday that made me even more convinced that we should re-write the Constitution to remove the legislature completely from government, we are FINISHED. Thank goodness. We basically condensed about 8 weeks of work into 4, and in addition, put the whole thing online with a bunch of extra information. So, if you're interested in looking at it, it's at www.mass.gov/governor. I'll tell ya, it's FASCINATING.

This hearing... I can't get over it. Not only was it, as I mentioned before, FOUR HOURS, it was about 90 degrees in the hearing room, which was last refurbished in 1966 with chairs that weren't all that comfortable even back then. Then we got lectured by people who's sole mission in state government is to get the Merry-go-Round in Holyoke included in the budget, because, you know, people across the state will definitely go to Holyoke to ride on the merry-go-round, and it'll be a big boost to the local economy... Bridge to Nowhere, indeed. Uf. It's frustrating. But it's over. And with that, I will move on to things that are more interesting and fun for me. Like our wedding.

I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the positive responses we've been receiving. I can't believe how many people are coming from out of town! I was never expecting that, and it really makes me so happy that all of these great people will be there with us.

Eric and I picked out our bands last weekend, which was a lot of fun. If you know Eric at all, he's definitely not the jewelry wearing type. He didn't even have an earring in the mid-90s. Oddly enough, he picked out a pretty blingy band. I suppose next will be the thick gold chain with a dubloon on it or something...

Next on my agenda is shoes. Now, I have to admit that my tastes have gotten considerably more sophisticated since my move to Boston (it's a crying shame that my bank account hasn't followed suit). It's tempting looking at all of these glorious pairs of shoes and thinking, "Oh, you only get married once, go ahead and buy those $400 shoes. Think of all the places you'll wear them." Thankfully, my practical side knows that with $400, I could do a whole heck of a lot of cool stuff AND get a good pair of shoes, and that clearly, I would wear a pair of $400 shoes exactly once because I would be too paranoid that I'd wreck them. So, I'm on the hunt. Last weekend was what shall be known as the Undergarment Incident of 2007. Seriously. I won't go into details, but let's just say that squeezing myself into nude-colored spandex implements of torture did not make for the best Saturday afternoon of my life.

But I look fabulous in my dress. Which is nice.

Love,
Haley

Update

Invitations are OUT! HOORAY!!!!!! So, they should be at your door within the next few days.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they didn't get all dingy in the mailbox. See, we've had some "wintry weather" here lately, and by "wintry weather," I mean, "the most hellacious cold, ice, snow, and dirt mixture I've ever experienced." So who the heck knows. There could've been a puddle in the bottom of that mailbox. But just know that when I put them in there, they were sparkling white and beautiful.

I ordered a new dress last week, and it should be here any day. I am very excited about it. But if it doesn't look good, I have another one in reserve. I love lenient return policies.
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So, in a life update, things are going okay. Eric turned to me the other day and said, "I think I have that sun disease." To which I responded, "What?" Turns out, he meant Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I'm right there with him. Besides the fact that I haven't really even SEEN the sun in several weeks except through a window, because I'm arriving for and leaving from work before it gets light and after it gets dark, it has just been a really crappy winter. But that being said, my ice-maneuvering skills are coming in handy. One of my best girlfriends is from Texas, and she's a mess. Falling all over the place and mincing around on the ice, whereas I boldly stride. Go Michigan!

Another update... I'm getting braces! Not the metal-mouth kind, thank goodness, but Invisaligns. I am wicked psyched about this, mainly because even though my teeth LOOK straight, they are really not and I've been having some issues (I don't FEEL stressed out, but apparently, I am a grinder). Anyway, after approximately 3 months of being molded, prodded, pulled and photographed, and after about $3000 in costs, I FINALLY got a phone call from the ortho with the great news that they're ready for me. Of course, I am glued to my desk at work and couldn't get two hours off if I was bleeding from my ears, so... Two weeks it is!

I was a little worried at first about these braces, given that the wedding is in May. What bride wants braces? So I asked the ortho about 12 times, are you absolutely sure you can't see them? And she, while no doubt thinking "Shut up, woman!" in her head, replied, "Yes. You can't see them. I'm wearing them right now? Can you see them? No." So, I am assuaged.

Other than that, my life is revolving around the precious few hours of sleep I can eek out of my nights, and days spent doing various ridiculous things in the name of state government. It is all at once rewarding, frustrating and discouraging. But this too shall pass...

In more hilarious news, we just discovered a website that lists "safe bands" and "gay bands" for parents who want to make decisions about music. And I think the funniest things are two parenthetical references:

George Michael (Texan)
Ted Nugent (loincloth)

Who knew that wearing a loincloth makes you gay? Well, shoot, I guess we'll have to re-evaluate Eric's outfit for the wedding...

Anyway, I am getting so revved up for this thing! I hope you're all doing well, and please, let me know if I can be of any help!
Haley

Breaking News!

I just heard from my mom, and she said my aunt and uncle got a room at the Newbury Guest House for $179/night. This is a great little B&B, right downtown. Seriously, it's a block from my house. And between the breakfast part of B&B, the non-requirement of cabs, etc., it'll likely be a better deal than you'll find elsewhere.

1-800-437-7668

www.newburyguesthouse.com

I'd make reservations via the phone, because online, it says they require 3-night stays. They don't--I spoke with the reservation agent.

Also, I found The Chandler Inn Hotel. I don't know why with the "Inn Hotel" thing, but it looks halfway decent, is less than $150/night, and is within walking distance of the Jurys and downtown. In fact, it looks to be about 3 blocks from the Jurys, on the edge of the South End and Theater District. Found that on Priceline... Search under Boston (city) for location.

I'm a little stunned, honestly... It's not the Ritz, but... www.chandlerinn.com 617-482-3450

ALSO!!!! One of our guests did a little searching and found The Midtown Hotel. www.midtownhotel.com. Looks reasonable, is in a good neighborhood, within about 9 blocks of the Jurys, and nice! Look at all these places I didn't even find!

Hope this helps! And I apologize for the disjointedness of this all--I keep adding when I learn something new. Perhaps one of these days, I'll pull it all together and be really organized. But perhaps not. :)
Haley

More Hotel News

I've been doing a little recon on the internet re: hotels, and some decent deals have come to my attention. While they're outside of walking distance from downtown and the Jurys, they look decent, are near public transport, and most importantly, do not cost an arm and a leg.

I found the following on Expedia:

Holiday Inn - Somerville. Somerville is pretty much the same as Cambridge, and is across the river from Boston. This particular place has a free shuttle from the airport, and operates a scheduled shuttle into and out of town. $142 ave. per night.

Sheraton - Newton. This hotel is kind of weird, because it straddles the Mass Pike. It's definitely a landmark. West of town, it takes about 5 minutes via cab, or 20 minutes via public transportation to get into downtown. $139 ave. per night.

Holiday Inn - Airport. I think this is located about a miles from the airport, so it's like that it's near transportation, and perhaps a $15 cab ride into town. $166 ave. per night.

Howard Johnson - Fenway. I live less than a half mile from Fenway, which is a pretty nice part of town. It's definitely within walking distance from everything. However, on a game day, it becomes intolerable. Red Sox fans are insane. I will check the schedule. $175 ave. per night.

Hampton Inn - Airport. This hotel has a shuttle to both the airport and town, and is close to a T-stop. $170 ave. per night.

Here's an option for you. If you'd like, I will make reservations for you--give me a call and we can work on it together, or send me an email and I'll get in touch with you. :)
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Had additional meetings with the Governor last night and this morning. I'm pretty lucky, actually, because my policy areas are those that are receiving a lot of attention. Last night's went GREAT. This morning's??? Umm, I got a little big for my britches. But overall, I'm pleased with the way things are going. I've developed a little "crush" on the Governor. There is something that is just so cool about the way he's approaching his job. Like last night, we were talking about housing initiatives. And he brought up homelessness, and he said, "I don't want to help homelessness. I want to END homelessness." And then he proceeded to totally dig into the investment strategy that my agencies were proposing, and made it better. I'll tell ya--this is the kind of leadership that all levels of government need: big goals, logical thinking, innovative solutions... It's good stuff, and I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be kind of excited about my job again...

Hotel News

Good afternoon! I don't have much time, but wanted to let everyone know that there have been a couple snafus in the hotel planning process. Of course.

-I was unable to reserve a block of rooms at the Courtyard where my parents are staying. The going rate per night through the hotel itself is $249, though I was able to get our rooms for significantly less via priceline.

-I did reserve a block of rooms at the Jurys. However, they are astro-freaking-nomical, and while they are lovely lovely rooms in a lovely lovely hotel, they are way much--$365!!! Boston is a ridiculous place.

-Apparently there is a convention in town that weekend, and hotel rooms are filling up fast. If you are planning on coming, it would be a good idea to make arrangements soon. Please let me know if you need ANY help--I will do my best to get everything situated for you!

Invitations are pending... We're shooting for mid-February, and that is like next week!

In funnier news, I've finally met the Governor of Massachusetts, and he's pretty great. I've had a couple meetings with him over the last few days, and they've gone great. However, being me, I did do something to draw attention to myself, however inadvertently.

In going over budget news, Governor Patrick pointed out how he liked explanations for each line item, how he would learn more next year, the year after that, the year after THAT, and then next term. Because he's been in office all of three weeks, I giggled at the "next term" comment, because that's awesome--AMBITION and committment to the state! No one else laughed. So the Gov looked at me (smiling, thank goodness), and said, "What!?" And I said, "No, no! That's GREAT!"

I believe that by the end of the month, I will either be fired or promoted. I'll keep you posted.

Love,
Haley

***ADDENDUM: One of our guests found a hotel outside the city on Expedia for $179/night--Doubletree Club Hotel. It has limo service, and is located on a subway line--technically located in Southie, and looks lovely.

If you check out Expedia, you can pick a specific location from the dropdown menu--Theater District/Downtown and Quincy Market/Financial/Waterfront are within walking distance, as well, and there are a few with reasonable rates. And anything located remotely close to Logan Airport will be right on a T-line/short cab ride into town for MUCH better prices.

Ha!

What's that they say about marrying the one who makes you laugh? I'm totally submitting this one to the Herald.

February

Where the heck did the last month go? Let's see--between 7-day work weeks, extra-large coffees, and an unspeakable amount of candy, I honestly have no idea.

In any case, it's February and we're one month closer to the big event. I am getting so excited--I ALMOST want to just skip ahead and be there now. Except I have to get to the gym to work off the unspeakable amounts of candy... Okay, I'll settle for living in the here and now.

Purpose of this blog... Invitations are HERE! I am thrilled thrilled thrilled. We're working on getting them assembled, and they should be in the mail by the middle of the month. So keep your eyes out for it, and please, email me if you have any questions about accomodations or travel plans or anything.

Further evidence that we never take a good picture...

Where The Fam is Staying

So, in a fit of panic yesterday, I went on a mad search for hotel rooms for the fam and Katie. Even though it's January, and this thing isn't until May, my tendency towards overplanning just couldn't be denied.

I used priceline.com to find hotel rooms--it was easier, because I was booking in bulk over multiple nights. We found a great hotel for a reasonable price, and it's extremely close to the Jurys--either a 3 block walk or a $3 cab ride if your feet are too tired from dancing... By the by, my parents are taking dancing lessons, as are the Scotts. I fully expect a dancing contest to take place between Jim Scott and my dad at some point during the night. They're very competitive.

Anyway, here's a link to the hotel--it's a Marriott Courtyard. http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/BOSDM If you do end up wanting to stay there, and you'd like me to book for you, please just let me know. Or if you'd like to be on the same floor as mom and dad so you can throw a late-night kegger or something, I can absolutely give them a call and ask them to do so.