craziness

well, i guess i have a lot to update on!  i’ve only been m.i.a. for a week, but i’ve managed to keep myself pretty busy.

first up: portland.  i had a total blast with sarah in portland!  so.  much.  fun.  we met at the airport there on friday and took the lightrail to our hotel in downtown.  we stayed in the gorgeous, fabulous governor hotel.  it was a great choice!  and once we were checked into our beautiful room, we headed out to dinner.  and from there on out, it was a weekend of eating delicious things and buying beautiful ones.  pretty much, we covered the entire town dining and shopping and just enjoying hanging out with each other.  it was perfect.  it was 1 part traveling, 3 parts vacationing.  and that’s exactly what we both needed, i think.  and i made it back here monday night without incident.  great weekend!  seriously!

and if you’re still interested in the boston trip i just returned from, the photos are finally up on flickr.

and now on to what’s going on right this moment.  well, in case you haven’t already heard, i’m moving this weekend.  mom, dad, and aunt nancy arrived in town this evening to help me pack and move.  and i need the help!  it’s a little crazy to have so many people in here all at once, but i do appreciate the effort and the help immensely.  and all the moving should be enough to keep me busy at least through the weekend, so expect infrequent (if any) updates until then.

anyway, i think i need to get some rest tonight.  more when i can. :)

jetsetter

well, i only have a moment, but i wanted to post. :)

i made it back home from boston.  that was a good trip, if also not ideal.  and this afternoon i am off to portland for a weekend of fun with sarah.  i’ll be back monday. :)  talk to you then…

please come to boston

well, it was my last full day in boston, and it was a day pretty much crafted for me.  i mean, i was kind of in charge of the planning, so that makes sense.  but still.  i got to enjoy a variety of things i like.  it was fun. :)

this morning, i went to my last session of the conference, which was presented by a man with a british accent.  so i loved it. :)  well, it was quite good, also.  anyway, it was a good final session.

and then there was the closing keynote address.  it was incredible.  i mean it.  awesome.  like in that life-changing sort of way, and no, i’m not just being dramatic.  seriously.  the speaker was bill strickland.  you can google him if you’d like.  i’ll try to post more on him later when i’m a little less tired.  i’m going to read his book as soon as i can get my hands on a copy.  he’s changing the world.  really.  i feel like i sort of need to digest this one before i tell you more about it.  give me a little time.

so the conference was over.  chris and i then headed over to fenway park and took a tour.  what a cool experience, especially since i didn’t get to go to a game.  it was really fun to hear all about the history of the park and walk all around it.  loved it! :)

after grabbing some lunch, we headed to the museum of fine arts, which was pretty spectacular.  they have quite a collection with a huge variety.  to no one’s surprise, i loved the impressionist stuff the most.  also, they have a spanish exhibition going on right now full of el greco and velazquez pieces.  what fun!  :)  i have a thing for those spanish painters and all their portraits and black paint.  did you know? :)  anyway, we spent about 3.5 hours there seeing everything that was on display.

then we had a little trouble agreeing on dinner and ended up at the cheesecake factory, much to my dismay.  at least it was delicious, even if not unique.

and now i’ve just finished packing up my suitcase (hope it’s not too heavy!) and making sure i’m ready to take off tomorrow.  our flight’s in the evening, so we’re planning on going out to cambridge to see harvard and that area.  should be fun!  and then i’ll be landing in long beach around 8:45 pdt tomorrow night.  don’t know if you’ll hear from me then.  if not, it won’t be until after i get back from portland on monday (i’m not bringing my computer there with me).

anyway, that’s the news!  more soon…

hey there, beautiful

i keep getting this from strange men in boston.  geez, how i’ve missed being a pedestrian in a big city all the time! ;) haha!  okay, so i actually do hate getting “hit on” (if you can really call it that) while just trying to walk from one place to another in the city, especially in a city that’s new to me.  i never quite know when i’m safe, so i’m wary of everyone.  however, being here and doing lots of walking and riding the subway and such does make me miss living in the city (london) or even just spending time in big cities a lot.  i’m enjoying it here for sure, and i’m trying to take advantage of my time here in boston.

okay, so let me fill you in on my day.  it was a good one.

it started out pretty early.  by 7:30, i was at the convention center in a photoshop tips and tricks session.  i love sessions like this as sort of add-ons to conferences.  however, at that hour of the morning, i can be a little foggy, which makes digesting lots and lots of little details a challenge.  but i wrote down lots and i can go back to my notes later.  it was a good session and worth the early alarm clock setting.

after a quick breakfast, it was on to the first true session of the day, an interview with michael bierut, which was really fun.  it’s good to witness a great interview like this live.  i would have listened for several more hours if that were possible.  and then it was on to a session about strategic thinking and leadership, which was a little dry but full of good ideas.

then it was lunchtime.  we went over to a place about a block from the convention center called spike’s junkyard dogs, recommended by frommer’s for a quick lunch.  it was pretty delicious, especially for a greasy little place.

and then it was back to the conference.  my afternoon sessions were especially great.  the first was on fostering creativity.  the whole presentation was really well done.  and then second was on writing copy.  again, the whole presentation was spot on.  perfect.  someone told the presenter during the q&a that it was the best session he’d been to at this year’s how conference.  i might have to agree.  i’m still digesting.

anyway, i was on my own for the evening, but that was fine.  i had a plan. :)  i went up to beacon hill and wandered around the old, narrow streets with cobblestone paving and rows and rows of gorgeous old brownstones.  it was just lovely to be there enjoying the experience.  if boston didn’t have such terrible weather, i think i’d really enjoy living in this area (of course, who wouldn’t want to live in one of the fanciest sections of town).  anyway, then i went to a little place frommers recommended called grotto for dinner.  it was a cool little place in a space set below street level.  the food was basically modern italian with really fresh, great ingredients.  i had a spectacular chicken parmigiana that came with one cannelloni.  it was really, really amazing.  and then she tempted me into ordering dessert with the dessert menu.  i had a melted chocolate cake.  it was fab.  i couldn’t finish it, and it felt like a tragedy.  but anyway, i left there totally satisfied with a great meal. :)

and then it was back here, as it was starting to get late.  i did do a little wandering in the copely place mall, though, when i got back.  it’s attached to the hotel i’m in, but i hadn’t been there yet.  i decided i want everything in j.crew, but i resisted buying anything.  i’m saving up shopping for the weekend, which i’ll spend in portland with sarah.  anyway, then it was back to my room for the evening.

i’ve just been hanging out catching up on email and talking to annahita.  and now i’m about ready to tuck in.  i have another very full day planned for tomorrow, so i’ll need the sleep.

more soon…

how about if i play accountant

greetings from boston, once again! :)  i’m having a really wonderful time here still.  this city is treating me so well.  i love it!

i should pick up where i left off yesterday.  the conference kicked off last night with the opening keynote, which was interesting.  and it was cool to see about 4,000 designers gathered together.  and afterwards, we crammed into to the resource center, how’s version of the exhibit hall.  i tried not to pick up anything that i wasn’t really going to use or take home with me.  i did pick up some fun things, though.  and it seemed like exhibitors were giving away bigger free stuff this year.  i picked up a week’s worth of free t-shirts.  more for me to wear to the gym!  actually, some of them are pretty cool. :)

and by the time we were done at the convention center and had dropped off all our swag at the hotel, we were so, so, so tired but also really hungry.  figuring trekking very far would be kind of miserable at that point, we went across the street to the cheesecake factory.  it was so delicious (likely because we were starving).  then we came back here, and i crashed almost immediately.

i was up bright and early this morning, and i hit the hotel gym.  i loved the elliptical with the tv attached to it!  perfect! :)  and then i got cleaned up and met chris so we could walk over to the convention center, where we took advantage of the free continental breakfast.

and then there were the two morning sessions.  they were decent, but not the best.  i also met up with sarah’s friend from work, laura, who’s very nice.  chris and i lunched at the mall food court but had famous boston pizza, so that’s cool.  didn’t miss out on a boston meal. :)  oh, and it was really, really good!  and then we did two afternoon sessions.  these were better, especially my second one.  i learned a lot, and i feel like i can go back to the office with great ideas.  and that’s the point of them sending me here, right?

this evening, i had a fun time planned, and it was even more awesome than i had imagined.  we wandered down newbury street, where all the cute boutiques and shops and galleries are.  it was a nice little walk, even if i didn’t get to do much shopping with chris in tow.  and then we took the t up to the north end, boston’s little italy.  but so much better.  i love this section of town.  it’s right in the city but feels like (and is) an old neighborhood.  the people are all italian, seem to all know each other, have great boston accents, and ahve probably been living here for as long as anyone can remember.  oh, and the neighborhood is crammed with italian restaurants, bakeries, and markets.  oh my goodness!  it’s probably my food heaven!  so anyway, chris and i went to giaccomo’s ristorante, which is a hole-in-the-wall-sized place with a line out the door (apparently at all times of day).  we got in line and waited to be seated.  er, crammed into a tiny little spot in the restaurant.  anyway, it was a truly bostonian experience, and i loved it.  everyone there was from boston, i swear.  and the waitress, gina, presumably somehow related to giaccomo, was fully the italian wife.  she yelled a chris for fussing on his iphone.  it was awesome!!!  :)  and the food was spectacular.  i had butternut squash ravioli with asparagus and prosciutto in a mascarpone cheese sauce.  so good!  i even made chris try it (he doesn’t try new foods) and he really liked it!  so anyway, i was happy and full leaving giaccomo’s.  but my night in the north end couldn’t end there.  so we went to modern bakery, apparently the supplier of tiramisu to most north end restaurants.  i had the best cannoli i’ve ever had.  and then i was really, really, really full!  but so happy! :)

so it was time to head back here for the evening.  i caught a little tv, talked to the parents, and am now ready to get some sleep before another full day.  :)   i’ll keep you updated on the rest of our adventures…

what’s with all the socks?

well, well, well.  i certainly have been good at ignoring my journal lately.  oops!  i guess i’ve been busy or distracted or something.  i don’t really know.  anyhow, i figure it’s time to post an update because i’m not exactly in the same place as i was when i last wrote.  but let me back up…

okay, so what have i been up to?  well, working a ton.  going to the gym.  the usual sorts of things, really.  this is not the interesting bit of what i have to say.  let’s move on to now…

i’m currently in boston!  yep!  all the way on the other side of the country.  in a city i’ve been meaning to visit (i was last here as a little kid).  and so far, i’m having a wonderful time!

i’m here for work.  my co-worker chris and i are attending the how design conference (the same one that brought me to vegas and atlanta in years past).  i was in charge of the planning, so there’s a little extra time for us to do some sightseeing.  of course, i love this, being fully addicted to traveling.  chris is sort of along for the ride, as he’s not done much traveling.

we took a red-eye flight out of long beach (on the fab jetblue) last night and arrived this morning around 5am (edt).  we got checked into our hotel and then had a delicious breakfast at a french brasserie.  then we got ourselves checked into the conference.  after putting away our conference materials, we headed out bright and early on a sunday morning to start being toursists!  we did the freedom trail, which winds it way around boston though tons of historical sights.  it was really fun, but also a lot of walking.  at least it was a beautiful day to be out and about.  highlights included faneiul marketplace, paul revere’s house, and the old north church (where the lanterns were hung).  it was a really cool way to see a lot of the city in a few hours, and i enjoyed it, even though my feet are pretty tired now.  after finishing the trail (well, most of it), we headed back to the back bay area where we’re staying and found some lunch.  then chris needed a nap, and i decided to skip that and take a brisk walk over to fenway park, where the sox are currently playing the brewers.  it was so fun to see the place alive, even if i couldn’t get inside.  and then i walked back.  it’s not so far from here, and i found my way just fine.  and i just took a little time to get cleaned up.  in about an hour, chris and i are headed over to the hynes convention center for the opening keynote of the conference.  i’m pretty excited about the sessions; i think i’ll learn a lot and have fun.

so that’s about it.  i’ll keep posting so you can keep track of me here in boston.  also, check out my twitter for more frequent updates. :)

more soon…

the words are blurry

okay, so there’s been a lot going on.  i feel like i have a lot to report.  i think this is a good thing for me.  also, some of this news is very exciting!  so here we go…

1) the volleyball
last weekend, the pepperdine men’s volleyball team unexpectedly won their conference tournament and therefore a birth in the ncaa final four (yes, only 4 teams compete for the national championship).  this year, the championships were held at uc irvine, just a few minutes up the road from me.  so thursday night, i headed up there and watched two great matches of volleyball.  first, i saw penn state beat ohio state 3-1.  penn state looked awesome, but it’s always a little hard to tell how good a team is if they’re not playing a west coast team (even if their record is 28-1).  anyway, then i got to watch long beach state get swept by my pepperdine boys 3-0!  awesome!  and they were looking so great!  especially my personal favorites paul carroll and jonathan winder.  :)  anyway, it was a great night of volleyball, even if it meant i got home late.
so saturday with mom, dad, and adam all in town with me, i really wanted to go watch pepperdine compete for the national championship.  we didn’t have tickets to the sold out event, but we went up there anyway.  we ended up finding two pairs, so we got to watch.  and while my boys didn’t play their best, penn state just was plain better.  pepperdine lost 3-1.  it was still really fun, though!  we definitely saw some amazing volleyball.

2) the family
my parents came down to visit me for the weekend.  and we picked up adam to join us on saturday.  it’d been a while since i’d seen them last, so it was really nice for me.  we even met up with my cousin theresa on saturday after picking up adam.  she took us to her local chipotle for a really delicious lunch. :)  and now the family’s all gone.  they made it home safely, and i’ll see them again in less than a month.

3) the maggies
the reason the parents came down for the weekend is that i asked my dad to be my date to the maggie awards.  you might remember that a while back i mentioned that i’d been nominated for a few awards for work i’ve done on magazines.  so the ceremony was friday night in l.a.  marke, katrina, dad, and i all headed up there to meet up with jason, his wife angela, aaron, cassy, chris, and chris’s friend tera.  the ceremony’s a little boring, but we made it more fun by betting quarters on each award.  i think i did alright.  i probably broke even.  we didn’t win in the category in which we were three of the six nominees, which was a bit discouraging.  and then late in the event, they announced the winner for the best media kit (yes, of any magazine).  and it took me a moment to process that they announced rtc as the winner.  but then i was so excited!  jason went up to the stage and accepted it and thanked me.  anyway, this award feels really important to me because it was a project i worked so hard on.  jason let me take it home for the weekend.  i’ll bring it to the office tomorrow and hopefully we’ll get to celebrate a little. :)  oh, and there are a few photos on my flickr.

4) the rest of the weekend with the family
we had a good time between volleyball and seeing adam and theresa.  we also had a great dinner (really good service!) at selma’s.  and we enjoyed watching “dan in real life” together.  i liked it more than i expected to.  steve carell is so awesome.  of course. :)

5) the new life
and there’s one more bit of amazing, incredible news!  my friend (who i’ve known since she was about 3) stephenie just had her first baby!  it’s a girl named danica jean, and she was born very early this morning.  i talked to steph’s sister, mel, today.  she said everyone is doing great and that the girl is just gorgeous.  of course.  so anyway, i’m so anxious to meet baby dani, so i’ll have to figure out how to get up there in the next few months.  i stole a couple photos from mel just so you could see.  :)

and honestly, i think that’s everything for tonight.  should be another busy week, though.  i’ll keep you informed. :)