This week begins a new... everything.

There is nothing more beautiful than an autumn morning, with the sun peaking through the gold-turning trees and the sight of your breath in front of your face. The end of the summer comes, and with it, the end of an era.

This week I embark on a new adventure; a new career, a new set of principles and a new sense of accountability and responsibility professionally and personally. Today I set out with higher standards for myself. I set out with higher expectations, performance requirements and even expectations of the people around me.

I'm looking forward to the fall. And the winter. I'm ready for it. It's the season of change, and change is upon us! Go forward and grab life by those invisible horns. For you - and only you - have the ability to choose to make today better than yesterday. Strive harder, reach farther and run faster; only you can be the force for good in your life that guarantees that life, every day, will get better.

the city that never sleeps

I adore New York. I do. So very much.

When I ran into my good friend Toji in Provincetown over the 4th of July, we made celebratory plans for my birthday in the city. And what a weekend it's turned out to be!

Last night I had a date in Times Square at 10 pm. This was no ordinary date - it was a best friend date that was almost a year overdue! I ran into Snookie Sarah Hurdelbrink and though it had been months, it felt as if it had only been a few days since we saw each other. Sort of like seeing someone every day at work, and then coming back after a long weekend.

It was so good to see her! She is doing incredible things with her life - including moving to New York to work for Teach For America in Brooklyn. She is quite the young lady and I am thrilled for her and her life here.

We went to a local pizza place. You knew it was authentic because of the gruff tone of the waitress (assuming she's probably the owner, too). The pizza was incredible, as expected, but the night was still young (come on! Midnight is early in NYC!). We strolled down 8th Ave to my favorite margarita bar, Arriba Arriba.

"You want the Big Momma or the Hey Daddy size?" The burly, straight-to-the-point bartender shouted across the loud room. Assuming momma was smaller than daddy, I went for the momma. No need for a Cadillac tonight, right? Wrong. My fault for assuming. Our Big Momma margaritas were 36 ounces of frigid bliss.

Two more hours passed by in an instant. We laughed so hard we cried. I almost peed my pants once. That's how you know the friendship runs deep with me. Make me laugh so hard I might pee my pants.

This morning, the sun woke me up around 7:45 am. I swear I thought it was after 10 or 11... But it wasn't even 8.

I rallied, met some friends for coffee and hit the gym. I used an awesome new app (saving it for my next post because I'm so excited) and figured out that I subsequently walked more than 13 miles!

I saw all of my favorite neighborhoods and explored uncharted territory. I haggled in Chinatown, ate lunch in the West Village, window shopped along 5th Ave. I had a latté in a quaint little café in NoHo after spending some quality time in Muji and Uniqlo - my two most favorite Japanese stores - in SoHo. I spent too much in the Apple store on things I shouldn't have to replace.

I saw Central Park, people watched at Shake Shack and enjoyed the gorgeous day outdoors.

Originally, I was going to spend the day at the spa. Instead, I gave myself a gift of excursion and discovery. I saved more than I would have spent, and didn't have to go to Queens.

Now I await Toji ... And we will make a decision on dinner to celebrate my birthday. I'm pumped...I love celebrating any of life's accomplishments. And to me, knowing I've made it to 26, it's definitely worth celebrating!

quote of the summer

‎"He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can.

He’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you." —Bob Marley

perfect sunset

Sometimes all you need is a perfect sunset.

And that, my friends, was what I saw tonight. Sometimes all you need are

life's simple pleasures. I didn't need

anything more than my

soul, a camera and my bike.

Yippeee for my bike, ps. :)

I'm a recovered recovering soul. But I'm learning that life is all

about picking up your bags, carrying on and moving forward. Take a minute to bike down the Charles. Find a small little spot on a secluded dock. Poke your toes in the water and watch the sun gently crest the

horizon. It'll sink behind a tall building, but don't worry. It's not gone yet...

The twilight teases you, just for a moment. You think it's falling away.. Yet it holds on just for a little longer. As the warmth falls away from your face, there is nothing more fulfilling, more provocative. It tantalizes your senses and teases your mind. As if it might come back..

And then it's gone.


What astounds me is that it remains consistent. If for a day I turn my back, I know it'll be back when I wake tomorrow. I can put my trust and faith in it and will always feel it's warmth on my face. There is nothing better than saying goodnight to the sun. Because it is never really goodbye.

And it shows that nothing really has to be permanent.
With tomorrow comes a new sun. A new beauty on which the day will blossom. It shines forgiving rays and will cover you in a blanket of comfort. Much like grandma's quilt, it too provides an assured safety and delight. It is a fresh start.
So for tonight, goodnight. I look forward to seeing you, dear sun, in the morning.

goodbye, july

The minutes are counting down. We're an hour away from August. Which means... birthday is just around the corner. Two weeks and two days. Woo hoo.

As an early gift to myself, I went bike hunting today. Don't worry, it's not as glam as it sounds. But in checking out bikes in Boston, I learned a couple tough lessons:

1. Boston/Cambridge will not do resale bikes. No second hand. No used. Why? Too many bikes are stolen and sold black market. Go figure! So the only feasible response for bike stores is...

2. Bike stores only sell new bikes. Well of course! Why sell a used bike for $100 when you could sell a new one for $500? Or for that matter, a single speed cruiser for $499, 10-speed for $599 and... if you are the god of bikes, a fancy racing one in the thousands.

I respect cyclists. I do. For those of you who race or live your life on your bike, invest. I will never judge you. BUT. . . if you're a jack-around-town like me, just using it for a little back and forth to work, quick gym time, a visit to the Charles river on a gorgeous Sunday, why would you ever spend five hundred big ones on a bike from that shop?

(I suppose you could always check Murderlist Craigslist, but I'm not wasting my time on something without a guarantee or refund policy. Yay Target with a 90 day return policy and a 'lifetime warranty.')

Shop local, yes. I would normally argue that as well. But I'm also a fan of shopping smart. Granted my Target special (imagine the French me saying tar-shjay) doesn't come with a free year's worth of tune ups (and maybe I'm saying this too soon), but I'm pretty content. This ole bike hung in for an entire day. The lights still work, the bell still chimes and the gears seem to shift like they're supposed to. I'm a happy camper and feel as if I'm a smart consumer.
Not to mention the most exciting part: I'm now FREE! Free to see gorgeous parts of Boston without anything holding me back! See for yourself below... gorgeous. Get yourself a bike and join my club - the Boston bicycle cool kids club.

a day at sea

Just another beautiful day in Boston.

Boat.... Check.
Sunscreen.... Check.
Friends.... Check.
Vino.... Check.

Gorgeous day..... Check.

We boated around Boston harbor, felt the incredible rush as planes took off overhead from Logan airport, and went along the Charles. We did some tubing (and I didn't chip a tooth this time, be proud!), wakeboarding and cruised the harbor.

For the ocean, I suppose it was relatively calm on the sea. For a boy who grew up on lakes in mid-Missouri, it was wicked rough. But was one hell of a time!

Thanks for such a great afternoon to my new and old friends.

out this panoramic photo, too. From the Charles River, you can see Cambridge and Boston, including the Prudential, John Hancock and other noteworthy buildings on the horizon.

Crazy how the summer is already on the downhill slide. Tomorrow is August! What's next? I need a few more adventures before the summer can be archived in the memories of 2011. Any suggestions?

edge of glory

Have you ever felt an instant connection? With another person, a song - something? Not just a connection; lightning. A joy and excitement that was so robust, you could hardly contain yourself?

Recently, I found myself in a torrent of whirlwinds of emotion - full of love, anger, disappointment, excitement and anxiety. The irony is that we as humans despise the feeling of vulnerability. Putting ourselves out there with a hope that maybe...just maybe... this time it could be right.

Regardless of the outcome, I find that each time I have an experience in my life that pulls in the deepest emotions that I see on rare occasion, I find a song that touches me. It doesn't happen on purpose and I don't search for it. Its a song which makes me think about life. Again - not necessarily for my health - this song drums up some of the deepest seeded emotions I've felt in some time. What a song.

(note: these songs are added to playlists that I create each year entitled 'soundtrack to my life, vol. x)

In life, some of the hardest lessons are learned at the disappointment (and often times neglect or maltreatment) of those who mean the most to us. What do we say when "I'm sorry" just isn't adequate? To stand on the edge of something incredible, only to have it swept out from under us.. and the part that destroys me is the lack of option for recourse or recompense. I hate knowing that my regret and change of course will never be enough. But I am sorry.

Lady Gaga, who I'm guessing none of you have ever heard of, is someone who works magic with words. I ran across this video at random, but found it to be one of the most beautiful, thought provoking and emotionally moving songs that my ears have ever had the pleasure of purveying.

I'll let you be the judge. It's been a while since a song has moved me to tears - but Gaga, I've gotta hand it to you. Rock on.

Real tales of seafood, chowda and summertime

There is no better way to spend a gorgeous, 80-something degree day in July than outdoors, under a tent and with people you work with (hint, not at work, we all tend to be more fun). Right?

And how can you make it better?

1. Do it on a Friday. When does HR ever close? Wait...it doesn't. Except today. And at 3 pm, we all go home early. Check.

2. Give us a feast. Not just any feast, mind you. A true New England lobster boil with all the fixin's. And make it all you can eat. Oh, and some of us want burgers, ice cream, watermelon and anything else you can think of. Check.

3. Don't require us to play games. Instead, make us want to play. Play "Name that quote in a tv show or movie," and let the winners (and the losers) get a free pizza party. Check.

I work with some very talented and amazing individuals. And I couldn't think of a better way to share it with them. It's a nice treat to be invited and to be included in their fun, especially as a part of the family. Looking forward to Lobstah-fest 2012!

And...we're back!

Let the summer of the Lawn and Chowder Society begin! Nothing like a summer in Boston to get us pumped and moving in a fun direction. Photos and more to come!

The photo you see is from Boston Pride 2011 - with my friend and colleague Sharon Brooks. She's an incredible friend and supporter, and so excited we were able to spend the day - though under rain showers - marching through Boston.

The sun has since perked up - let summer begin!