Storm of Thoughts

Birthday Memories

Birthdays have always been special in my family. From streamers and signs all over the house and cookies and ice cream for breakfast to special dinners and the power to turn the day into anything you want, we make celebrating a pretty big deal. (I once played a game, in fact, that determined what your favorite thing was. My favorite thing turned out to be birthdays. I was not surprised.) We even have a tradition of giving siblings (and now boyfriends) “unbirthday” presents on the other person’s birthday - something my parents probably planned to only carry on for a few years when we were little and cared too much about someone else getting attention and presents. (Funny how those things stick, huh?) Our newest family tradition involves giving a small surprise each day for one week leading up to the birthday - something that was thoughtfully invented by my dad. It was a good way to extend my mom’s birthday, especially since she’s the one who does most of the work making everyone else’s day so special.

Of course, it’s not only your own birthday that’s fun; birthdays are fun in general, and the ability to surprise someone or make their day tends to make your day too. But, let’s admit it - we all love our own birthday the best. Which is why yesterday was so much fun for me.

As you have probably now figured out, it was my birthday. And it was filled with exactly the kinds of surprises and fun that makes birthday memories so special. With packages in the mail (including a surprise cake from my mom), birthday cards from far-away friends, a shopping trip, a really nice dinner at the Melting Pot, and a bunch of perfect presents, it was a very nice day.

I’ve had a lot of nice birthdays and a lot of nice memories (including some fun childhood parties and surprise grandparent visits), and most of them involve pictures (although for the earliest, cake-in-the-face footage, you’d have to go to my mom). I don’t have pictures from yesterday yet (I say yet, since coverage is likely to be coming), but I do have some from the previous two years, which I’ll share in honor of birthday memories and special days.

Two years ago, we spent a weekend in Martha’s Vineyard:

And took what was clearly a riveting sightseeing tour.

This was a VERY exciting “blue box” to receive:

It was a necklace; Pete is a great gift-chooser, no?

And last year, a really leisurely day was spent wandering around Boston.

We sat here and ate ice cream

and found a beautiful little garden

before dinner in the North End. (I told you I always take pictures of this tower.)

What birthday memories do you have?

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Making the Most of Fall in New England

One of the best things about living in New England is the fall. Everyone told me that summer here is the best; days are warm and long, and the city clears out when college students head home in April and May. And, while summer was nice, it’s generally accepted that fall is New England’s greatest work of art. And, since we are lucky enough to be in Massachusetts this time of year, Pete and I try to visit places outside of the Boston/Cambridge area. Last year, at this time, we saw some pretty great foliage in New Hampshire. And two years ago, we spent an October weekend (which just happened to be my birthday) exploring Martha’s Vineyard. Recently, we headed to Rockport.

I’ve wanted to go to Rockport for several years, ever since seeing a picture of the town. North of Boston (and right near Gloucester), Rockport is surrounded by the ocean on three sides. The town if filled with history, old houses, fisherman, and artists - all of which make it a picturesque New England town. And while I’m sure it’s beautiful during all four seasons (I can image the flower-filled parks and window boxes in the spring, the sun-drenched boat decks in the summer, and the narrow streets and old houses lined with snow in the winter), I have a feeling there’s no better time to enjoy the town than right now.

We started out at Halibut Point State Park, where we spent the morning hiking through the wooded paths and along the Atlantic coast. Apparently, on a clear day like the one we had, you can see straight through to the coast of Maine. (Although how you would distinguish it from the numerous other visible coastlines, I’m not sure.) We also hiked by the quarry, where granite was taken at the turn of the century and used in numerous roads, bridges, and buildings, including the Custom House Tower in Boston (which I tend to take a picture of every time we eat in the North End).

Eventually, we decided to head back into town in search of lunch. Parking in Rockport was virtually impossible, but, after circling the center of town about three or four times, we finally found a spot. We had sandwiches at Brackett’s Oceanview Restaurant, an old town favorite that is known, of course, for its ocean view. We then wandered around town, ate some homemade fudge (how can you resist?), checked out a number of art galleries, and even saw a couple getting married.

We may not have eaten seafood or watched a Red Sox game but, all in all, it was the perfect New England day.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

An Open Letter to Massachusetts Drivers

Dear Massachusetts Drivers,

It’s not all of you. Let’s not generalize. But a number of you are…(how to put it nicely?)…not the best drivers. I know you’re in a hurry; we all are. And I also know you harbor a lot of not so secret anger over things like the Patriots’ last Super Bowl loss and Tom Brady’s injury and the state of the economy and the opposition to gay marriage. But there’s no need to take it out on the rest of us.

I grew up in New Jersey outside of New York City, so I’m all too familiar with the “kill or be killed” mentality. Yet here the motto is more like “kill and be killed.” For example, cutting me off and then stopping short is not safe for anyone. Additionally, while merging, it would be nice if you didn’t speed up and blow past three or four cars, nearly sideswiping all of them, just to get where you’re going 3 seconds sooner.

I think it’s also important to remember that not everything calls for honking your horn, and hardly ever does the occasion warrant laying on it for a full 90 seconds. If the first car at the light doesn’t start moving the second it turns green, said horn laying (which always seems to continue until that first car, you, and everyone else has made it through the intersection and then some) does not really make anyone move faster. Plus, no one is annoyed at the slow driver; we’re all mad at you, the horn-happy driver ten cars back.

Now I know this one is an easy one, and you would think it didn’t require repeating. But red means stop. I know you know. And yet I see cars that race through lights that have been red for several seconds every single day. And I can’t help but think about the car or pedestrian or group of kids walking to school who could be in that intersection when you carelessly barrel through. Of course, the flip side of this is that green means go. You know when you sometimes stop to let cars go out of turn or answer your cell phone or watch the wind blow in the middle of a green light? And then you make it through on yellow, but everyone else who has been sitting there for ten minutes is stuck through yet another red light? We don’t appreciate that either.

I would also be grateful if you stopped throwing garbage out of your window. Not only is it both annoying and distracting when it hits my windshield, as it invariably does, but it’s also not environmentally friendly. Maybe you didn’t get the memo, but we’re all trying to be a little greener these days. And I’m sure you pass a garbage can or two on the way to wherever you’re going.

Now let’s discuss the speed limit for a minute. To you, 30 mph seems to mean either 15 or 60. This can cause any number of problems for those around you. The government may not always tell you the truth, but please believe that they meant it when they said to stay at around 30 mph. After all, they went through all the trouble of putting up that sign. I’d also like to remind you that cars were given blinkers for a reason. It’s true, these people really thought of everything. If you’d like to move into my lane, just signal. It’s much easier than just trying to shoot in front of me. Alternatively, please do not signal when you have no intention of going anywhere. It’s confusing to the rest of us.

I know, I know - it’s a lot to take in. You’d think they’d hold classes or something. But, with practice, I’m sure you’ll get it in time. In the meantime, I’ll see you on the road. I’ll be the one in the silver Celica with the out-of-state license plate giving you dirty looks.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!