#17 Boston - This is How You Win Medals! Sept 30 2005

How do you win medals? Here's the deal - you sign up for a local road race (there is always one somewhere) with a smaller group of participants - this usually means that there are not too many folks in your age group (we are talking about those of us who are a bit less young) . You hope that a good percentage of those in your age group actually end up walking the race rather than running it, and boom, you are a medal contender! No one was more surprised than I last weekend at the Shape Up! Somerville 5K where I ended up second in my age group and was the proud (slightly embarrassed) recipient of a medal. I also posted my PR (personal record) of 8:42 min/mile, which is not too shabby, I might add. I have had a little tiff since then with the timing company, which posted my time correctly after the race, but made an error on the coolrunning.com website, and of course, I can't let that go. I want those five seconds, darn it! I worked hard for them!!

"Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart, Play Hart" is actually a grant-funded project which involves one thousand children from first- to third-grade who attend public schools in Somerville, Mass., and two thousand children from two control groups in Brockton and Everett. The kids are evaluated to determine their Body Mass Index and participate in an intervention program designed to teach healthy eating habits and increase physical activity at school and at home. http://nutrition.tufts.edu/research/shapeup/
Pretty cool!

Taking advantage of a beautiful late summer Saturday and trying to experience new and exciting ways to get bruises on my body, I grabbed my friends Elaine and Jo and headed for the Quincy Quarries for REI's 2005 Climbfest (http://www.climbfest.com/gallery/index.htm) What fun! After an introductory stint on an artificial climbing wall, we headed for the real rock and attempted to improve our novice climbing skills just like real climbers. Pumped up and motivated by Elaine's cheers ("Climb like a Girl!!") I put up a respectable performance, and returned from the rock with only a moderate amount of skin damage. Highlight of the day was the Tyrolean traverse (http://www.climbfest.com/gallery/index.htm), which involves you standing on top of a rock cliff, all harnessed up, and clipped into a rope. You then proceed to jump off the cliff and sail along the rope to the other side, where you have to pull yourself up a little bit to reach the next rock cliff!! Instructions and the hook-up was performed by a former SWAT team member, who in no uncertain terms gave you instructions on what to do and "under no circumstances" what not do to (Yess Sir!). This was sooooo cool! In particular in light of my well-developed acrophobia, this was no small accomplishment!! Also of note was the speed climbing contest, during which some of the participants appeared to morph into geckos and scale a 40-foot ridiculously steep wall in less than a minute!! (BTW - did you know that there is a Global Gecko Association?? http://www.gekkota.com/ - This is for all those gecko enthusiasts among my friends....)

The Quincy Quarries are a pretty cool place, according to rockclimbing.com they are "Boston's essential cragging experience." Located just a short drive from the center of town, the quarries are a reminder of the once vibrant New England granite quarry industry, and some of Boston's famous landmarks, such as the Bunker Hill Monument, were constructed from Quincy Granite (http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/quincyquarries.htm). At one point, Quincy was actually known as "The Granite City."

In weather-related news, fall has won the tug of war, summer has given up officially, and the first signs of autumn are everywhere here in New England. The temperatures have dropped (currently at a pleasant 60 degrees F = 15 degrees Celsius), everyone is drinking apple cider like it is going out of style and first plans to go see the fall foliage are being hatched. None of that 89 degree at 8PM temperature crap! Yesss!! My favorite season is about to begin!

What else is new here in the hub?

**The City of Boston this past weekend celebrated its 375th anniversary - celebrations all day, fireworks, you know that kinda stuff
**The Red Sox versus Yankees - Again! Need we say more!! Thank you David Ortiz!
**I have written my first Letter to the Editor to the local news outlet, the Beacon Hill Times - some of my neighbors are apparently not happy with the new Whole Foods store (the previous supermarket was a somewhat dilapidated Stop and Shop, and I can see how you would miss that). They are apparently not happy with the exorbitant prices - who is?? I am not happy about any prices for that matter....
**Newly discovered resource: Boston Event Guide: http://www.bostoneventguide.com - this Monday Ellen and I will head to the Boston Harbor Hotel for a Cinderella Makeover Party (http://www.bostoneventguide.com/events/cinderella05.htm) - a benefit for the Ellie Breast Cancer Fund). More like salvage therapy in my case.....
**Name change for yours truly from Yee to Loesch officially initiated at the Suffolk County Courthouse. Will keep you posted.

Last, but not least - the answer to last week's Boston Trivia question: "Why is Boston known as Beantown?"
The correct answer was: Because molasses was plentiful from Boston´s trade routes. Boston´s trade routes meant that there was a ton of molasses being stored and used in the Boston area. Molasses was a primary sweetener back in colonial times. Beans were cheap, plentiful and easy to store. The combo was natural!

First prize goes to our beloved Joan Bossart who was the first to answer this correctly. A can of Boston baked beans is on its way!!

Happy Weekend everyone!

pet:)

#16 Boston - Tug of War - September 23 2005

It has been a tug of war here in the hub between the summer and fall seasons - while the first signs of autumn are there and have claimed the early morning weather spot, summer has been trying to hold on, creating beautiful warm days and balmy evenings that invite New Englanders to rev up the BBQ one more time. I for one look forward to slightly cooler days, fall colors, fresh apple cider and the desire for hot chocolate. So far the only breaks we have experienced from the summer-fall tug-of-war have been hurricane-inspired torrential rains that led to my having to go home and change outfits in the middle of the day (don't ask).

Taking the chance that I might bore you to death with my running exploits, I would like to submit for your attention the events of this past weekend - a solo run along the Charles River Esplanade for a stretch of 10 miles that left me quite sore and with the knowledge that I might have to re-evaluate my recently purchased footwear for their appropriateness for long-distance running. On the fun side (still, I started out sore) the MGH Running Partners group participated in the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Run (5K aka 3.1 miles) on Sunday - 15 MGHers ran their hearts and soles out for a good cause. I ended up pushing my crippled self across the finish line in a laudable time of 28.26 (=9:09 min/mile). Last year's Komen race was the first ever road race in my one-year running career, and I do feel particularly fond of it. Yeah, Team MGH!!

Probably due to absolute craziness at work the week has been zipping by like a Japanese bullet train, and my as-usual packed social calendar has put me in a state of mind where I just want lay in my bed and moan for a while. Don't get me wrong, it was all good stuff, in particular a dinner with my old college friend Sigi, who I have not seen in I swear almost twenty years. Sigi lives in the US as well and also works in the scientific field, so our meeting at my favorite Thai place, The King and I on Charles Street in Beacon Hill, ended up being a good mix of talking shop and reminiscing.

My volunteer work with Boston Cares (www.bostoncares.org) is picking up again, mostly due to the fact that Boston's theaters and concert venues have started their performance seasons. First on the list was last night's play at the Boston University Theater "The Real Thing" (http://www.huntingtontheatre.org/season/production.aspx?id=1317&src=t). Written by Czech-born English playwright Tom Stoppard (http://www.complete-review.com/authors/stoppard.htm), this play definitely proved Stoppard's clever wizardry with the written word. His nimble weaving of a story line about the intricacies of love and passion - love itself, love of acting and writing, love for music, passion for social activism, was proof of his extraordinary talent. Curiously enough, it bothered me throughout the whole play that all the actors spoke in British accents (and I am always a sucker for that) - on occasion whole paragraphs were completely lost on me. Overall though - an enjoyable experience, and the play has been packing the house at the BU Theater since it opened.

Other news - I am now starting in on the bureaucratic nightmare that involves changing my name back to my maiden name (Loesch) and also renewing my green card - unbelievable! Oh my soul and body! Starting with the Suffolk County Court house to get a court order to get my name changed (for a nice little fee), and certain-to-be-enjoyable visits to the Social Security Department, the RMV, the IRS, the bank, the immigration service, this will be something you will hear me bitch and moan about for a while (a whine and jeez fest of sorts). So you better get used to it!

My friends, the weekend looms, I will attend a rock climbing fest tomorrow at the Quincy Quarries and on Sunday head for a road race in Somerville. As for tonight, I am leaving you with the promise that I will sleep 12 hours and with a little Boston trivia quiz:

Why is Boston called beantown?
1. Because pilgrims grew beans as their first crop
2. Because molasses was plentiful from Boston´s trade routes.
3. Because green beans are a primary crop of the Boston area.
4. Because of all the universities in Boston (bean is slang for brain).

I will provide the answer next week, and maybe the winner will get a price. Maybe not.

pet:)

#15 Boston - Eggboy and Friends - September 16, 2005

Let me introduce you to Eggboy and his friends - Slimer, Pepperoni, Stinky, Fatty and Ella Bella - even though they sound like the Boston version of the Rugrats, they are the current resident cats at the MSPCA animal shelter at the Angell Memorial Pet Hospital in Jamaica Plain. Eggboy, the group leader, was most impressive as he had overcome the impediment of being afflicted by cerebellar hypoplasia. This condition manifests itself in a decreased ability to properly coordinate movement - in plain English, the cats fall all over the place. This made Eggboy even more endearing as he tended to plop gently into your arms and rather than getting up again, nestle himself quite comfortably there. Unfortunately the Boston Cares volunteer posse last night consisted mostly of bird owners, and while Eggboy might enjoy meeting Oscar or Marge for lunch or dinner (if you know what I mean....), he was not able to go home with any of us. Three adoptions took place though: Bailey - the cuddliest of all rabbits; Chelsea, an equally cuddly and delicate feline female; and the utterly misnamed "Fatty", who is actually quite slender and will receive a more appropriate name by its new owners.

As usual it was just wonderful to be at the shelter, and our visit there was followed by a trip to Centre Street in JP - first dinner at the Purple Cactus wrap and burrito bar, then ice cream at the original location of JP Licks. A veritable Boston institution, JP Licks (I finally got the name, J P Licks - I always thought it was some dude's name.....) they have been around since the early 80s (http://www.jplicks.com/). As with many Boston ice cream stores (we are a bit of a Mecca for the tasty treats), they feature unusual flavors, either in name or in taste - of note are Cucumber (yumm!); Cherry Ortiz (originally this was Cherry Garciaparra, but after Nomar left the Red Sox, he got stripped of his flavor. Yeah! That'll show him.....); Cow Tracks; and my choice for the evening, "One Sweet World Series", which was a combination of coffee, caramel and Heath Bar. How's that for a sugar rush!!

I was so much in need of a good sweet after this week - I returned Monday night from beautiful, foggy California to sweltering Boston weather (82 degrees at 10 PM,and of course, humid like crazy). Work has been absolutely insane, just everything happening at once, including the FDA inspection yet again rearing its ugly head (they had delayed their audit due to the hurricane in New Orleans). I have been trying to cruise along, plagued by jet lag and feeling out of sorts, but I am now soooo ready for the weekend.

In an exciting development in my neighborhood the long awaited opening of the Whole Foods Supermarket on Cambridge Street took place on Tuesday night, and I have never seen so many happy people wandering around Beacon Hill and the West End (http://www.cityofboston.gov/neighborhoods/). It seemed like an early episode of Star Trek where everyone looks the same; you were hard pressed to find anyone without a Whole Foods bag in their hands that night, and a big smile on their face. This part of town had been without a supermarket for quite some time, and I for one, am very excited.

Re-entry to Boston was mostly smooth aside from the jet lag - it was so good to see most of my friends in California, and have some quality time with all of you. Special thanks to Mr. Ziggy Moe for lending me his room and sleeping quarters, Miss Lisa Miller for her hospitality and for helping me arrange the BBQ!! And if I do not mention that my friend Pat took me to the"Englander" pub in San Leandro (40 beers on tap!!! My selection: "Arrogant Bastard Ale") for some tasty bangers and mash, I will be in the dog house. So here we go! I am sorry to have missed some of you, I promise to make you top priority next time. Doesn't mean I don't love ya!

Some comparative observations and funny tidbits collected on the West and East Coasts:

I very often hear Cambridge labeled as Berkeley East - after my visit, I have to say "Not even close! Not even in the same neighborhood." If you think Cambridge is "granola", Berkeley is "organic-sustainable-pro-choice-radical-vegan-environmentally-correct-PC-feminist-pesticide-free-and-free-of-whatever-else-you-can-think-of"!

Only in Berkeley: Here I was at the North Berkeley BART station waiting for my friend Lisa, when I heard the sound of music - actually it was Chubby Checker (http://www.chubbychecker.com/) singing "Let's do the twist". An investigation on my part revealed a station wagon driving around the parking lot with its back hatch open, music blaring, and 25 women of various ages following the car doing jazzercise!! You could not find a hiking path??? A gym maybe??

Not Berkeley Specific: My friend Martin came back from a county fair with a brochure by the National Pork Board targeted toward Children - "Learning All About Pork" introduces our young citizens to the miracle of the other white meat, and we were particularly enticed by a coloring picture, where kids were supposed to find "different kinds of pork hidden in the picture". Boy, how bored do you and your kids have to be to pull that one out of the closet?

In another episode of Boston versus Berkeley, it took just about five minutes in my car to fall back into the local habit of honkin' and hollerin, engage in slalom driving and again, adhere to the very different rules of the road here (this one from a website called Lori's Humor Page - http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/bos_driv.htm):

"To obtain a general idea of driving in Boston, go to a Celtics game, and carefully watch the fast break. Then get behind the wheel of your car and practice it."
"Drivers whose cars sport "I brake for animals" bumper stickers may brake for animals, but not brake for you. Watch it."
"Never, ever stop for a pedestrian, unless he flings himself under the wheels of your car."
"Learn to swerve abruptly. Boston is the home of slalom driving, thanks to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which puts potholes in key locations to test driver's reflexes and keep them on their toes."
"Never get in the way of a car that needs extensive body work."
"Always look both ways when running a red light."
"Speed limits are arbitrary figures posted only to make you feel guilty."
"If in doubt, accelerate."

On that note, I am accelerating myself home for some well-deserved sleep and a restful weekend.

See you next week.

pet:)

#14 Boston - We're out of Poki - September 8, 2005

Well at least they were out of poki at Cuvae, a snazzy little restaurant in Oakland, California, where I had one of the most exquisite dinners ever. Located on College Avenue not far from my old apartment it is proof that good and tasty things do come in tiny packages. Space-wise on the modest side, it impresses nevertheless and chef Jeff Chow is an absolute master in the kitchen and dazzled us with Asian-Fusion cuisine at its finest. Yes, they were out of ahi poki, but they made up for it with a tasty little Korean treat, Soju – a distilled liquor that was introduced from China in the 13th century and was a big hit with the Korean kings and noble folk at the time. It is kind of like vodka, much smoother, and apparently the highest percentage liquor (25%) you can sell on a beer and wine license. Worked for me!!

This happened to be the meeting of my Bay Area dinner group who treated me to this wonderful experience last night, and I for one do not hesitate do shamelessly advertise this place. The Korean soju hit the spot pretty well, and we actually managed to get lost on the way home, which is a sad statement considering that we all live (or used to live) in this neighborhood.

In fact, my trip to California has been mostly a culinary experience. From burgers at “Flippers” in Oakland’s Montclair district, to extraordinary Thai food at Soi4 (http://www.soifour.com/ - according to one review “it puts the bang back into Bangkok Cuisine”), and old favorites such as “Long Life Veggie” chinese food in Berkeley – my stomach has been very happy and content. Best new discovery though is the “Bittersweet Chocolate Cafe” in Oakland – ohmygod, ohmygod – truffels to die for and after the first taste of their “spicy hot chocolate” I was completely in love with the place.

Of course with all the eating, carousing and beer drinking, I have had to compensate by doing some running, hiking and falling down a set of stairs. Yes, my friends, I am consistenly upholding my record as the klutziest person around – this time sailing down the stairs in my friend Felicia’s home (Note to self: wool socks and polished wood floor = danger). It was not the prettiest of sights, and I am sufficiently sore and stiff, but at least noone got hurt, right??

Running has been a bit of a challenge as a result, I look as if I swallowed a broom – still, I have enjoyed some relishable jogging trips around the old neighborhoods, and even discovered a few new gems: the city of Alameda (http://www.ci.alameda.ca.us/community/history_01.html) which thanks to the housing boom in the Bay Area has developed from a bourgeois little suburb to a pretty cool place to live in (http://www.alamedainfo.com/Alameda_Photos.htm) and its extension Bay Farm Island, where one can nicely jaunt for a few miles and end up with a fabulous view of San Francisco.You eventually meet up with the San Francisco Bay Trail, an enormous network of trails to hike and bike and rollerblade - it connects the shoreline of all nine Bay Area counties, links 47 cities, and crosses the major toll bridges in the region. To date, approximately 240 miles —over half the Bay Trail’s ultimate length—have been completed (http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/map.html_).
Another outdoor excursion led to Redwood Park – almost 1900 acres of hiking joy along the Oakland hills extending into Contra Costa county - http://www.bahiker.com/slideshows/east/redwoodpics.htm. My hike with my friends Jimmy and Ximena up and down the somewhat steep French Trail surrounded by majestic Redwoods, groves of Eucalyptus trees, Madrones, California Bay and of course, our old favorite, the all-present, vicious poison oak, reminded again of the beauty of the area and why I got into hiking in the first place (well, maybe the poison oak did not.....).

Having a good time to sum things up, and I have to hurry off right now for the next installment of Petra’s “Wine, Dine and Run” tour of California – dinner with my former neighbors in the Rockridge district of Oakland.

I am hereby sending kisses out to my Boston friends, in particular “Team Oscar” who has been taking care of my little feathered friend and roommate, and I hear that there is some singing (and possibly dancing), but definitely chirping going on at 2 Hawthorne Place.

See you again next week from the hub!!

pet:)

#13 Boston - DC - Calcutta - It's All the Same - September 1, 2005

Just when you think that the calendar dictates that the first signs of fall should appear, the monsoon comes to New England and the East Coast, and no matter where I was over the past week, it was grossly hot and too humid to even breathe. Running felt as if one was moving through molasses and the way the clothes were sticking to you, if felt as if you just emerged from a swamp.
Washington, DC is of course known for that type of climate, and it was a good thing that I spent most of my time there in a nicely air-conditioned hotel. I landed in our nation's capital last Thursday for a conference on targeted anticancer therapies which took place in the posh Omni Shoreham hotel (http://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/default.asp?topic=photos&h_id=6). Located near Woodley Park Zoo it is one of those classy old grand hotels - excellent service, great food, heated outdoor pool, a gym - it's as good as business travel gets.

Trying to see how many of the Smithsonian Institutions I could cover in one afternoon, I met up on Thursday with my equally dynamic colleague Matt at the Museum of American History (http://americanhistory.si.edu/). I had stumbled in there to escape the heat, and while gazing at the American Flag that was draped down the Pentagon walls after September 11th, got sucked into the tail end of a presentation on the civil rights movement ("From Selma to Montgomery") and before I knew it I stood there arm in arm with strangers singing "We Shall Overcome."

An exhibit titled "Within These Walls" (http://americanhistory.si.edu/house/) featured a partially reconstructed house that stood for 200 years at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts (30 miles north of Boston) and followed five families who inhabited this house at one point in time: the Choates family (Abraham Choate, a merchant, had this house build for his wife and 8 children - it was a house that was three times the size of a typical house in the 18th century); Abraham Dodge, a sea captain and patriot who fought in the Revolutionary War, occupied the house after 1777; reformers and anti-slavery activists, the Caldwells were its residents from 1836-1865 and were followed by Irish immigrant workers, Catherine and Mary Lynch. Its final inhabitants until 1945 were Mary Scott, a war time home maker, and her family.

"This precious relic of my father's fame" - as the Star Spangled Banner was called by Louisa Amistead, whose family handed down the flag for three generations (http://americanhistory.si.edu/ssb/2_home/fs2.html) is currently being restored at the American History Museum. You can witness first hand how the staff performs their meticulous and careful restoration work on this national treasure. The flag has been cared for by the Smithsonian for the past century.

Of course, that was not nearly enough American History, so we bustled over to the National Archives (not part of the Smithsonian but in the National Mall (http://www.nps.gov/nacc/) ) - this is where the most important documents in American History live: The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, the Louisiana Purchase - you name it, it's here: http://www.archives.gov/. A must for every visitor to DC!
We could not get tickets to the Capitol, so we decided to first hit up the National Gallery of Art (http://www.nga.gov/), where we visited some of my old favorites: Degas, Cézanne (highlight - "The Boy in the Red Waistcoat - http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pinfo?Object=92165+0+none), Monet and of course, the Dutch masters, in particular Vermeer, who always makes my heart and eyes happy. Least liked painting for the day: 18th century English romantic painter George Stubbs' "Poodle in a Punt" (http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pinfo?Object=109837+0+none).
Should I also tell you that we quickly had to visit the Natural History Museum on the way home - http://www.amnh.org/ - oh yes, I should! Why not, I say??. What's one more museum?

Are you exhausted just from reading this? Imagine how we felt!!! It was time to go and replenish, so Matt and I met up with our colleague Paul (who is Irish) at "Murphy's in DC" for some good pub fare and beer. Paul was completely shocked when it came to my ignorance regarding Irish whiskeys and thus started my introduction to (and newfound love for) Jamieson's Irish whiskey. The more I drank the smoother it went down, my friends!! Supplemented by Paul's encyclopedic knowledge of anything Irish and a crash course in how the IRA came into being ("Before you know it you are giving up your guns to the British....."), this proved a most pleasant evening. In my happy state of "inebriateness" I made the serious mistake and committed to an early morning jog with Paul, which promised to be quite entertaining. We left in darkness alongside Rock Creek Park, a 1775-acre area north of the National Zoo along the Rock Creek Valley - our five mile jog, which made me sweat out the whiskey pretty efficiently, provided beautiful views toward Georgetown and led us past the now infamous Watergate Towers.

Friday night, the whole gang went to RFK Stadium (http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/american/rfksta.htm) to attend a major league baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals - what a fun night! Good sausages, good beer, the home team won, fireworks went off - what's not to like!!

The week since my return has been a very mixed bag, most of it a bit on the stressful side. As if it is not bad enough to handle all kinds of stuff before going on vacation, the FDA announced a surprise inspection for next week - don't you love it!!

On the home front, Oscar and I were hosting Marge, the gender-confused Cockatiel, while his/her parents, Ellen and Patrick, were moving their household. It has been just like Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" in my house, with Oscar trying to puff himself up and attempting to intimidate a bird three times his size, both of them flying around the living room screeching. Marge at this point still feels somewhat ambivalent toward me, rotating between hissing and kissing, but I think somewhere down the road we are going to be best budds. What helps is that I am in possession of Marge's favorite snack, Cheerios!! Ellen and Patrick tell me that he/she tends to sing to the Cheerio box in the hope that something might come out of it.

It is Friday late afternoon and vacation time has arrived - I am excited about tomorrow's trip to California, where I will spend the next ten days and I am hoping to return to Boston on September 12th with the fall in full (or partial) swing.

Cheers!

pet:)