Richenza

A boxing-day miracle...

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:26:50 GMT

So, I was rushing to take out the trash. I hauled it out to the curb with about 30 seconds to spare when I saw something awesome. Some idiot had parked halfway into the road, and the garbage truck could not get through. Two of the garbage guys were trying to lift the rear end of the car and scoot it over, but couldn't quite get it to move. They tried squeezing the truck through anyway, but stopped when it was clear that it wasn't going to fit. Finally, the guy driving put the truck in park and came out. All three garbage guys grabbed hold of the rear end of the car, and with one gigantic heave moved the whole thing about a foot closer to the curb.

Merry Cristmas, blue-car driving moron. You certainly did not deserve it, but the guys at DPW did you a solid this morning. Frankly, I'd have been tempted to just rip your side mirror off to teach you a lesson.

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:33:09 GMT

My efforts to do a more or less minimalist Christmas for the boy have been somewhat thwarted by impulse buys and Amazon filler. We got him one big present and one medium present, but I have been filling out any orders that don't qualify for free shipping with board books, so there are lots of those. Ah, well. One never can have too many books.

We picked up our Christmas goose last night - the idiots at Shaws failed to call like they promised they would, but my plan of checking on Mondays worked out. (Mondays being the typical delivery day for food service.) We bought a tree last night and have been letting it settle. We'll decorate the tree tonight with Rob and anyone else who reads this and would like to drop by and help.

The holiday baking is done and the packages shipped. Jack has been great about taking the boy in the evenings so that I can roll dough and ice gingerbread men. It's been really nice to just put on some carols and rock out some cookies. This is actually the first year I am not totally sick of Chirstmas music - my last year in foodservice the Christmas station was on all day, as the alternatives were the Terrence and Bonnie Karaoke Hour or my boss' Very Venezuelan Christmas CD.

I'm done shopping for nearly everyone - of course the one person I have nothing for is Jack. (Well, I ordered a thing for him, but it will not show up until after Christmas) Hm. Not sure what to do there.

Anyway, I'm starting to feel almost ready for Christmas. :)

Writer's Block: Hocus pocus

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:36:04 GMT

Have you ever purchased a lotion, potion, or pill that promised miraculous weight loss, perfect skin, or fantastic sex even though you knew it was (probably) a hoax?

Submitted By a_jake_justice

View 395 Answers

I bought my son one of those amber teething necklaces. I haven't noticed much of a difference, but that doesn't really surprise me. It was one of those things you buy at 3 a.m. because you're desperate for something to work. If I thought ground-up whale penis would make the screeching stop, I would have considered it.

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:36:13 GMT

Both Jack and I are walking wounded today. The TinyTerror has busted out four teeth in ten days. He's grumpy, no one is sleeping, and my nipples hurt. Feh.

In other news, been quite the busy weekend. Friday was a CF fundraiser wine-tasting, at which Jack and I were badly out of our social class. We enjoyed ourselves anyway. Saturday was baby-swimming and full-time napping. Sunday was Chad and Amanda's housewarming, followed by dinner with an old college friend. I think I'd be whipped even without someone waking me every three hours for milk.

I feel vaguely guilty for not updating LJ more, but all of my time seems to be devoured. It's going to get worse next week, too, because Jack will be in Prague. Plus, Tuesday afternoon I must blow out of work early to haul ass downtown to fight with the BRA about stupid Charlesview development. You'd think in this day and age "don't wedge all the poor people together in a ~~concrete box~~ brick box, it perpetuates the cycle of poverty" would go without saying. Also, in yet another douchetastic move, the BRA has issued "updates" to the project at 5 p.m. Friday night, roughly two business days before they vote on it without further input. Way to act like you give a damn, BRA.

Sigh.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:38:11 GMT

Memorable moment from passing out candy last night:

Small child looks over our candy selection with the serious and judgmental eye of a connosieur. After a moment's review he brightens and informs us "you guys bought the good candy!"

Hee.

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:46:25 GMT

An excellent reason to buy honey locally, from small producers.

signal boost

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:46:51 GMT

Anyone know who played "Dogberry" in the Pensic Known World Players production of "Much Ado About Nothing?" The person was mistaken for myself, and I'd like to pass along a correct ID. Thanks!

Our mayor is a complacent douchebag...

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:14:43 GMT

who has zero interest in Allston and whom I would be delighted to see unseated. I just mailed the following letter:

Dear Mayor Menino,

I can't tell you how upset I was to read this:
A Brighton resident asked Menino for comment on the project during an appearance at the Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse on Wednesday.
“I would like to see Charlesview moved through as quickly as possible,” Menino said. “I liked the plan, but I guess some people still have problems with it.”
in the AB Tab today.

I understand the need to redevelop Charlesview, but pushing through a project that doesn't meet the needs of Charlesview's residents or those of the community is irresponsible and wrong. I can't believe that the developers are allowed to call their current plan "mixed housing". Saying that the frosting of market rate and ownership housing around the central core of segregated section-8 housing is "integrated" is like saying that a slice of bread with jelly next to a slice of bread with peanut butter is a PBJ sandwich.

I have exactly zero faith that in 40 more years, the section-8 portion of the project will not be exactly as dilapidated as Charlesview is now. When this happens I will hold you personally accountable. You have just lost my vote, sir, and I have just donated $100 to the Flaherty/Yoon campaign.

Sincerely

Laura Bethard

Charlesview, again...

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:26:32 GMT

(For those who don't live in Allston and don't care, apologies in advance.)

Yesterday evening was the last meeting for input on the Charlesview project. I have no idea how it went. At this point, I think it's a telling indicator of the amount of respect the city planners have for Allston's residents that they canceled our last input meeting with somewhat less than 24 hours notice. Dick move, there.

Anyway, lots of people pissed about Harvard's unwillingness to use its land bank, or at the very least, tell us what they are going to use it for. This, I have some sympathy for. My primary issue, however, appeared largely to go ignored, at least until J got the microphone: If we don't actually integrate Charlesview, it has the potential to become a functional ghetto.

As it stands, certain of the Charlesview residents are accusing the neighborhood of making them live in squalor because we want "things for us" - greenspace, home ownership - and because we don't want poor people. This pretty much burns my muffins.

First, if the Charlesview building is squalid, it's not the resident's fault and there is no excuse for allowing it to continue. If the Charlesview is falling apart so soon, it's because they did a shitty job building and maintaining it - probably because so many of its residents are poor and they figured there's not much they can do about it. I lack faith that if the current, non-integrated plan goes ahead we will not see the same thing in 50 years, when the outer frosting of "market rate" and ownership buildings are manitained, and the big Western Ave building (section 8 housing) is not.

Second, I'll admit to not really caring about the greenspace. Also, I don't need another house, so home ownership is not a personal gift for me.

Third, I personally would love to have Charlesview's poorer tenants move in next door to me. It would beat the transient students any day. Charlesview residents are long-term residents, who raise families here and have a vested interest in the neighborhood. I want them. I just want them to finally be really made part of our community instead walled up away from everyone else.

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:17:54 GMT

Well, my high-maintenace farm game and fake zoo have been eating most of my internet brain (such as it is) but I'm coming back, slightly ashamed, to my first internet love. LJ, I missed you.

Anyway, good weekend. Went to fes42's cupcake birthday party. Brought experimental key-lime-pie cupcakes (win) and hyper-social baby (mostly win). I felt slightly bad about taking the boy home - he was quite grouchy about being put back in the car - but he'd reached that point of overtired where his giggles and verbalizations were getting kind of manic. Oh, well. Guess it's better to have a baby who is creepily happy when overstimulated than pointedly unhappy.

For day 2 of baby overstimulation we went to Topsfield Fair on Sunday. We had a great time and much fair food was consumed. There wasn't really any baby-friendly food, though I did get some unsalted sweet potato fries for sharing. Nathan, who ordinarily views sweet potates with dep distrust, was pretty content to gumm up one fry. (I think the difference may be that the fried sweet potatoes are not squishy on the outside.) This was a short-lived victory, however, because apparently the carousel was one stimulation too many. He upchucked the fry about ten minutes later, shortly before passing out for a nap in the Bjorn despite the noise. Sigh.

Discovered the nursing mother's station at the fair somewhat later. Nice! Water bubbler, padded benches, (free vaugely creepy) handmade toys and door guards to keep the prurient out. I approve. Nathan and I spent a while in there just winding down from the noise and excitement. We were then ready for phase two of animal poking and aimless wandering. Fun! By the time we left, the boy was so tired that he passed out in the Bjorn on the walk back to the car.

Wearing him out may have been an awesome plan, because he slept without waking from ~10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. last night. Joy! Too bad he and I fell asleep on the couch - my shoulder is badly out of place today. Such is the price of folly.

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:31:57 GMT

This is awesome.

sigh.

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:06:43 GMT

Am still itchy, though now bearably so. Spent all last night at the ER to find out that my blistering rash is likely "something like poison ivy". Have acquired Prednisone. The doctors and the internet all say that it is safe for pregnant and breasfeeding moms, but I will probably burn some of my frozen milk supply to insure that the tiny terror gets as little as possible.

Jack took the boy (somewhat reluctantly) while I was at the ER. The boy repaid him by being a screechy nightmare for 3 hours, then promptly passing the hell out, nipple in mouth, the second I got home. Everyone is tired and grumpy today.

Does anyone remember what I am supposed to be doing on Sunday? Zuania's baby shower got moved to the 20th, but I know there was something else. For the life of me I cannot remember what, and I clearly did not write it down.

Arggh!

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:50:12 GMT

Nuance has been installed on my computer. That isn't itself a huge issue, but now I have to go around re-setting everything to default to Acrobat again because that's the app my process uses. Anyone know how to re-set IE7 to use Acrobat? I can't figure it out, nor can the other IT guy!!!!

I KILL EVERYONE!!!!

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:37:16 GMT

All I want is a space-saver high chair I can push up to the tabe on a regular chair. I want it to not have a vinyl cover - I want fabric I can take off and wash. (This is the reason I don't like the Fisher-Price one, which is what everyone stocks.) I looked up several other varieties on-line but figured it would be easier to just go to a store to buy. Apparently fucking not. I checked Target's inventory on line, but when I showed up the one I wanted was not there.

I actually called Babies R'Us to see what they had. Of course, the one I want has been discontinued, but (says they sales lady,) "they have a really big inventory" and "there is probably something similar" and I should come down and look. I fucking hate going there - it's in that nowhere mall in Everett that is impossible to get to, and it's always full of idiots (and shell-shocked new parents). However, I am tired of having the baby on my lap for every meal so I figure it's worth a shot. Bullshit! Their inventory is smaller than the local Target, and the only space-saver is the damn Fisher Price with the vinyl seats! An hour and a half wasted, with the baby in tow.

I kill them all.

Going to the internet. Don't fail me, sweet internets...

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:03:36 GMT

Spent the evening at a town meeting because I hate the current economically-segregated Charlesview proposal. Whee. Local politics are just like more general politics: whenever someone cares deeply but isn't good at debate, they just get mad and shout louder.

As I see it, we've got two main problems. First, Allston is not very unified in achieving its goals. Certain of the Charlesview residents just want non-crumbling infrastructure already and they blame the non-Charlesview residents that they don't have it. I'm not sure I follow their logic, but I can understand their anger. That does leave an opportunity here for the developers, and by extension Harvard as the financier, to say "well the people who have to live there think it is good enough". I think that this is disingenous, but it has certainly been an effective strategy if the goal is to pull the community opposition apart into bickering factions.

The second problem, to my mind, is that it seems like our options are being presented as a dichotomos choice of "build what we say you can have" or "fight the Man to your mutual deaths and God will know his own!" The few reasonable people asking for modest changes - adding a few of Harvard's vacant buildings to the Charlesview land, for example - got largely shouted out by "You should all be ashamed for making us live in squalor!" or "We want all 28 acres of Harvard's holding in Allston, and also ice cream and puppies".

Sigh.

An open letter to the Public Works department...

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:13:56 GMT

Dear Boston DPW,

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I really like the new paving you put in for us on North Harvard Street. It's pretty sexy. And I was kind of over the moon when I saw that you actually drew in the bike lane we non-drivers had been begging for. There's just one teensie little problem.

If you don't enforce those "no parking - tow zone" signs that you put up, people are going to keep parking in the bike lane. This means I am probably going to die in a fiery crash because some jerk is trying to keep within the painted lines, despite the fact that some other jerk parked in the bike lane, and jerk-the-first will be so distracted by the cars which bump out into the "driving" lane that he won't see me on my bike and will mow me down like crabgrass.

So, please, do the right thing and line the city's pocket by towin' some cars.

KTHXBYE

ways to tell the internet is a strange place

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:15:13 GMT

When searching for "baby costume -tutu" on Etsy, this is in the results. (Very slightly NSFW, if you work with the prudish.)

Odd.

It's never too early to start thinking about these things...

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:34:25 GMT

View Poll: creating new blackmail photos for my son...

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:56:24 GMT

Am home and a bit whipped. Single parenting at War was surprisingly less awful than I thought it might be, but was still a pretty intense experience. Nathan (who was so good all week that my campmates called him the "RealBaby doll") had a screaming meltdown the second we got in the door at home. Oh sigh. I guess I did predict that. Anyway, much fun was had, many dances were danced, excellent classes were attended and a serious raid on the merchants occured. Perhaps I will document these later when I am less melty myself, or perhaps not. Cheers, everyone....

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:45:19 GMT

Pennsic-bound first thing tomorrow morning. Jury duty yesterday was, for once, not a total loss for me personally; I managed all the hand-stitching necessary to finish the boy's green linen tunic. Now all I have to do is figure out how to wedge my remaining supplies into my carry-on, because I'm damned if I am checking luggage after having sent 99% of my stuff with Daffydd. Now I must go back to trying to focus on work, so as to be properly free next week. See you all at WAR!

ROBBERY! Also, ride from airport to Pennsic - anyone?

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:30:23 GMT

Anyone out there possibly able to pick me and Nathan up on August 1st (any time after 12 p.m) or drop us off on August 8th (at airpot by 5 p.m., but happy to go earlier)?

I had no luck finding a ride by messaging the carolingia list, and so I just booked with the airport shuttle folks. They want $189 round-trip, since Nathan's car seat takes up one full seat. That's more than our flight cost - and may be more than a taxi. (Still checking into that one.) I'll pay it if I have to, but I thought I would try here to see if anyone might be passing that way....

[edited to add]
I'm happy to pay folks a reasonable amount to help cover gas/mileage out of the way. Nearly $200 just seems excessive.

Heraldry nerds - help?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:36:40 GMT

I registered the following, about two years ago:

Per chevron vert and sable, a chevron between two lozenges ployé and a key wards to chief argent.

I've lost the drawing and no longer remember what this should look like. Is the following close?

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:56:01 GMT

Getting ready for Pennsic - Does anyone know if the pennsic clas list has been made into a daily spreadsheet? I &#%!* hate the daily long-description format. I don't want to read 100 pages to find out whether there might be a class I want to go to at any given hour...

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:37:00 GMT

Sigh. Baby tunics came in the mail - don't fit at all. Seller is going to make new ones, which is good, but I will have to meet up with her at Pennsic to get them, which is less than ideal.

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:12:22 GMT

Oh internet. The baby has killed our love affair. I never write or call, I know... I'm going to try to update but it feels a bit like this:

So, we went to Canada for Darius and Lynette's wedding and Known World Dance Symposium. Both were lovely. Both were full of babies - it seems Nathan was born into a SCAdian baby boom. That's not a bad thing, though it was a bit funny at the wedding how one hallway ended up being claimed by the nursing mothers. It was somewhat out of the way of the rest of the event, and had nice comfortable couches in little alcoves every nine feet or so. If someone was already nursing in the first alcove, you'd just move on back to the next one down. It was strange to see so many SCAdian faces in everyday clothes. I was sitting at a table with Del and didn't recognize him until he started talking. We made some new friends at our table - Wilhelm and Cristobel are lovely Canadians we hope to see again. (As opposed to Wilhelm and Connedale, who are lovely New Yorkers whom we expect to see again, also seated at our table) Anyway, the wedding itself was lovely and the couple were endearingly awkward and beaming with happiness. That's a good match, there.

KWDS was a different experience with a baby in tow. I was occasionally annoyed by the fact that my dancing was fairly limited. Overall, though, it wasn't too bad. I took several interesting classes with Nathan strapped into the Bjorn, and watched several others from the sidelines. Baby falls asleep to saltarellis - strange. I am reminded that I need to hassle someone in the know to repeat Gregory's daunting galliards-every-day-at-Pennsic feat. I enjoyed Del's class, but frustratingly could not make my feet remember the steps even an hour later. Repetition with a teacher really drilled the steps do I know in. Susan said she might be up for it, but doesn't like camping and so would only consider Pennsic if she were given a pretty extensive class roster - she'd like to do one hour of galliards every day, plus two hours of other dance class. I wonder with whom I should discuss such a thing? I don't know how badly overbooked the dance tent is, or how willing the site is to let us use non-traditional spaces. I remember Greg's clas moved from the barn (terrible floor) to that little arcade room next to the flushie toilets after just one day. There weren't that many of us, so we all fit more or less ok in there. Must think more on this...

Last weekend was the test run for Pennsic - I took Nathan to Great Northeastern War. Camping solo with a baby was something of an experience, though not nearly as bad as I had feared. I think Pennsic will be just fine. I ate barely any of the food I packed, as Jess and John seemed determined to feed us at every opportunity. The Carolingian encampment were lovely campmates, and with Jen and Troy also camped nearby, I was able to hand off the baby for a bit while I did take-down the next morning. I broke down quite early, as the baby went down for his first nap at 8:30. 'Make hay while the sun shines', and all that. Break-down was significantly expedited with the help of Lucien and Dreda, and the sweet German lady whose name I have once again forgotten. The double-bell wedge can be erected and dropped with 1.5 people, but it's super-fast to do it with four.

Tomorrow is week 2 of baby swim. Time to un-bury the swimsuits!

Whew. It feels like it took nearly as long to write as to do. Back to work with me!