H-A-Double L-O-Double U- Double E-N Spells Halloween!

This year's Halloween was so fun, when Tuesday the 31st rolled around, I forgot that all of the parties that preceded Halloween meant that Halloween hadn't actually happened yet. The only thing that made me sad about Halloween was the fact that on Halloween I missed the free munchkins and candy that accompany "student appreciation day" at the law school. I almost went out and bought a whole bucket of munchkins so that I could make myself sick and feel like I didn't miss out on the experience of going to school.

So last year I had three different costumes...this time I only had 2. The nun idea came when I was laying on the beach in the DR, thinking...man I gotta think of a good costume. My roommates, my brother and I kept trying to think of something we could all be together. Then thats when the idea of nuns came. And my brother was supposed to be a priest.

But, just like my life, my costumes are very spontaneous. Even volatile.

First party: Law School. Last year I had a blast b/c there was a small dance floor, pool tables, and I could actually talk to people. But this year, its was a little too crazy for the likes of me. We showed up and the music was so loud I couldn't hear myself think. It made me feel like I was 50 years old. Thankfully we found my posse and then went upstairs where Brian and I started our own dance party.




Me sandwiched between the missionaries.


A nun, 2 Mormon missionaries, and Prefontaine walk into a bar....

I had such a blast dancing the night away and I was sick!

Second Party: Murder mystery dinner. My brother and I were thrilled to be invited for over to Lauren's for a Canadian (?) tradition. I was Cynthia Masters, a fashion magazine editor. My brother was Peter someone and he pulled off the British accent really well all night. He and I had some good laughs at others expenses, and I don't think they appreciated it as much as we did. But, we were successful in throwing everyone off because we took all the attention away from the real killer, Chris.


Here are all of the lovely murder suspects. Check out Lauren in the wig. So hot right now.


This was supposed to be "look like you're innocent" pic. Everyone instead looks like they are trying to be models. Except for my brothers face, priceless. Thats my brother....woot.

Third Party: The Hulets in Belmont. After the murder mystery dinner we ran home quick quick and I had to dig out my wonder woman costume that was buried in my closet. I also had to dig out the red lipstick and blue blue eyeshadow. But it all came together, and again I felt like I had super powers. You know, I thought the wonder woman costume would get old. I've only worn it like 8 times since I bought it 4 years ago. Every time I put it on though, I smile and go...hmmm...nope. Still fun!


My brother and I with our recycled costumes. Cam had actually been Beckham before. But he's a dang good one. And I helped with the mohawk.



We also party hopped and showed up at the Institute dance for a little bit. Thankfully I ran into one of my favorite people, Amanda Robison. We're bay area girls at heart.


Here's that picture I promised Cheryl. See post below to find out what this is all about. If you look closely, you can see the silhouette of me and my lovely red coat.

Fourth Party: Hilloween on Beacon Hill. Okay, so I know that I always talk about how much I love living in Beacon Hill, and Halloween was no exception. I walked out my door at 6 after my run and they had shut down all the roads and they were filled with trick or treaters. All the posh porches in Beacon Hill were all done up and there was a lot of candy! I didn't take any b/c I felt too old, but I saw the cutest kid costumes and it made me really want to have kids. At least just for Halloween and then I could give them back when they started acting up. :-)
The best part of the night though was that it was literally 70 degrees outside! 70 degrees! I didn't even need a jacket (i just wore one as an accessory).


This was a fabulous porch just right next door to us on W Cedar.


Here's Louisberg Square, the corner were John Kerry lives, just a couple blocks up from us.

There was a large crowd in front of John Kerry's the whole night. They had BOWLS and BOWLS of candy but no John Kerry sightings...

In the middle of Louisberg Square they put all these jack o lanterns in the middle. I love the jack o lanterns and then the lit porches in the back ground. I climbed on top of a fence to take this pic. I'm so hardcore.

Acorn St., the most photographed street in the United States (according to Katherine Mackey). But it was so cute, they had orange and black balloons.


This house had these huge spiders on it. Cool.


Love these porches. Everyone had their door decorated and open and they were having huge parties inside. It was so fun to see into these gorgeous houses.


There was a courtyard that was all decorated and "haunted" good times.




This door wasn't decorated. But I loved it. Mom, I took this pic for you. The mint green was so purty.


This house had these amazing detailed cut outs in all the windows.




More porches. :)


On the way home from Upper Crust, we walked by this couple that had a chihuahua...it was 2 pounds! She dressed it up in a ballerina doll dress and she was SO cute. I couldn't even get a picture of her because she was running around so much.




This was definitely one of my favorite halloweens of all time. Man. I can't wait till next year.

I never want to leave Boston. Ever. (at least until next week)

So my BFF Karren from California came out to Boston this weekend after much coaxing. She lucked out on the weather --it couldn't have been more beautiful. Plus, she got to attend one of the most successful housewarming parties in the history of housewarming parties.
My sleep deprived week was all worth it for this weekend.

Friday:

• Evidence (lesson of the day: dont take acid and then sell marijuana)
• Spent 6 hours cleaning my room to make it presentable
• Visited the old stomping grounds in Coolidge Corner
  
• Went to Melissa for a trim and a fabulous head massage
  
• Joe Johnston comes over at 730 to help with party prep (he saved me!)
  
• 9:03 pm -- first guests show up
• 9:30 pm -- about 20 people
• 10 pm -- about 40 people
• 1030 pm -- 60!
• 11 pm -- most mormons leave and go to bed
• 1130 pm -- most law students leave to catch the last T
  
• 12 am -- dance party just getting started
• 130 am -- last guest leaves
• 200 am -- Karren and I giggle before going to bed

Saturday:

• woke up before my alarm (again!)
• Giggle with Karren about Cam's air guitar from the night before
  
• Called peeps to gather for a scrumptous breakfast in Sommerville (although I normally hold a policy of never driving in sommerville, Sound Bites is the exception)
• Moseyed for a bit
• Joined Karren, Joe, Cam, Jeremy, and Brian for breakfast
• Enjoyed Eggs Bene w/ Tomato and Avocado
• Walked around Beacon Hill, Acorn St, Public Garden
• Down to Milton for Pumpkin Soup, Gracie, lots of Diet Coke and great conversation
• Sped back to Weeks Footbridge for Nada Surf
• Caught the last half of Nada Surf (it was lame b/c the last time I saw them in Chicago, they played the SAME set....grah)
• Moseyed
• Harvard Square for quite possibly the best chocolate experience ever. And the novices felt sick (they aren't used to rich things I guess)
• Lots of moseying
• Mel's Bday Celebration
• 10 pm...ran out of steam very quickly.
• 11 pm in bed
• 1 am awaken by roommate who forgot keys
• 130 am purchased a tshirt I simply cant wait to wear
• 2 am back to bed after nyquil and milk

Sunday:

• Church
• Forgot vegetables, drove home during sunday school
• More church
• RS board meeting (this totally took it out of me)
• Picked up Karren's high school friend Jo for a delicious meal in North End
• Pesto Tortellini
• Chocolate Dipped cannoli
• Cite checking when I wished I was at a fireside instead (but I found the cites! and let out a funny giggle/cackle/sigh/yelp -- ask karren)
• GAME NIGHT. one of the things i look forward to all week. This was crazy nuts with so many people but still fun. And my brother and I and jeremy were on the same team so we cleaned house, per usual.
• Went to bed very happy and slept VERY well
  

Monday:

• Woke up before my alarm (again!) what! what! what! what!
  
• Went to class and got to drive and park at my favorite broken meter
• Volunteered in class at 10:07 am...what! what! what! what!
• Came home, showered, giggled
• Breakfast with Karren, I had the BEST bfast ever....one chocolate chip pancake, one banana pancake, and one blueberry pancake. Karren went with the delcious omelette.
• Pedicures!
• Jeremy Dittmer and Anna Dittmer and Newbury St
• I bought my first johnny cupcakes shirt while wearing my new favorite red coat
• Took Karren to the airport :-(
• But had a dang good run.
  

Illustrations:


The roofdeck on Saturday was perfect for viewing such a gorgeous fall day.



Joe is like a foot taller than I am. Literally. 5'4'' and 6'4". (actually he informs me he's 6'5" if he stands up straight)


We are so cute.


Once they take off that green scaffolding, I'll be really really happy with that view.


We are so cute it makes me sick.



BFF .



Acorn St in Beacon Hill. Its the most photographed street in the US. And its dang cute.


Karren and the Big Yellow Tree in the public garden.


Me singing along with Nada.



Cam and I singing along with Nada Surf "Imaginary Friends". Hey calling alllll imaginary friends.


In Burdick's, I just ate my mouse and thats the tail hanging out.



I love this pic b/c of Blaire in the background and how I'm holding the box the mouse came in.

A little taste of the DR.

I have so much stuff to do today, I decided that this would be the perfect time to blog. I mean why, not. I always do this. Its called: procrastination. I might need to join a support group.

But i've been dying to post these pics.

Conformity Makes For Lousy Music

Tuesday night after my soccer game Cam and I went and got a bite to eat at Trident Booksellers on Newbury. I went to the bathroom and instead of a mirror, someone had draw the face of a woman and a bubble out of her mouth with this phrase.

And I loved it. So true.

Thank goodness all the bands I like are really weird people deep down. And even superficially.

02114

This morning on my way to school, I walked down charles st past one of the many preppy clothing boutiques that inhabit the main drag of beacon hill. I almost spit out my tall starbucks nonfat hot chocolate with whip when I saw they had a canvas tote with "02114" in large colorful embroidered numbers. Classic. Truly.

On second thought...maybe I will sleep on the floor.

Perfect Brightness of Hope.

C.S. Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

My mom gave a talk in sacrament meeting today in my home ward in California. She called me this afternoon and read it to me. It was one of the best talks I've ever heard. While I was walking around my room attempting to clean it, finding the flip flops I lost and the coke caps I need to enter codes for, my eyes welled up with tears when she read this quote to me by C.S. Lewis. It rang so true, I asked her to read it to me three times.

My mom also talked about when I came home from Africa and how I cried because when I came home and saw my closet full of clothes, my house, my computer and my car, I couldn't believe what I was born with. I didn't understand how I could be born in California with the gospel, the freedom from my government, the educational opportunities, and the material things while all of my friends I met in Africa were given so little. I had to sleep on the floor because I felt too ungrateful about getting into my comfy bed that night. When my mom reiterated what she said in her talk, I remembered this experience and again got emotional. I really forget sometimes how lucky I am.

Sometimes my life is so busy with distractions and getting caught up in school. I'm so thankful for Sundays when I can really stop and reflect on the most important things in my life. I'm eternally grateful for hope that comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Concert craziness.

The past two days I went to two incredible concerts. And mind you, I attend a lot of concerts. These two were amazing though. Seriously. Badly Drawn Boy's 2 hour set was mind blowing and I would place it in my top 5 concerts of all time. Minus the Bear is my all time favorite band to see live. They have such an incredible energy and their songs sound so rich when you have this 14 foot speaker blaring it instead of listening to it on my ipod.

I began to reflect during Badly Drawn Boy on Tuesday night why I love concerts so much. I think its because during the day I'm supposed to be ms. serious lawyer woman...traveling the country interviewing at these prestigious places and then at night I can act like a 10 year old girl. And I love that. I like being with that punk kid crowd. So the crowd was a little older at Badly Drawn Boy but at Minus the Bear, everyone was under 21. And I was in the front, elbowing, pushing and jumping around acting like an idiot while totally loving the music. I even took out my ear plug at times for minus because they sound so incredibly awesome live. How do I get all caught up in the music? I dont know. I have to say I was a little hesistant to bring my brother along to minus. After all, the last minus concert I went by myself and danced and sang like a ninny in the front row. This time would I have to act more subdued in front of my own flesh and blood? Thankfully I didn't. And my brother got me an awesome spot right in the front when he broke up a fight.

The past two nights when I got home from the concerts, I was so riled up I couldn't go to bed. Live music makes me go into this other worldly state of mind. I was also wondering to myself during Badly Drawn Boy if I would ever grow out of this. I mean, when I'm a mom am I going to be still following these bands? I don't think so...but I don't think its necessarily a maturity thing. Its just a I will have kids type of thing. haha.

And I"m so glad minus didn't disappoint. Back in August when Snow Patrol came and played in a huge venue, part of my heart broke that night. and I don't think its repaired still. I want my bands to stay small just so they play small venues. There is nothing more disappointing than when your favorite band sounds like garbage and you have to sit on a floor in a seat while they struggle through a set. Speaking of a band that can play the large venue and the small venue...the strokes. I just saw them in Salt Lake a couple weeks ago at a small club and I saw them in April in a huge venue in Boston. They translated their energy well.

okay this is TOTALLY rambling now.

And I have nothing to really sum it up with. But I know a lot of you out there understand what I mean about live music. And if you dont, then you need to go to more concerts and get rough with the crowd.

Erase and Rewind. I've been changing my mind.

Have you ever gotten something that you thought you really wanted and then realized maybe you don't want it? And you want something else?

Thats whats happening to me right now. I thought I really wanted to move to the Bay Area. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I want to stay in Boston.

I think its the roof deck's fault. Well and Beacon Hill. And my brother. And my friends. And my ward.