I've been slacking in lots of departments lately, the exercise one included. It was a warm evening, a good night to get out and stretch my limbs down at Castle Island.
As I was strolling, I came across a family having a minor meltdown, which is likely to happen in the summer heat after a long day. The mother held her toddler daughter in her arms as the little one wiped furiously at her face, red hot tears matting her hair down. They appeared to be in a standoff, staring across the boardwalk at dad and who must've been her twin brother, since they were the same size and, sadly, seemed to have the same haircut too. She, though, was in a dress and he had on the requisite blue outfit. You could tell that some sort of hitting or pinching fight had just transpired...
... and it reminded me of a conversation I've had within the past year or two with one of my friends. A story was being told about a brother and sister duo who are twins, and one of my brilliant friends asked, "Are they identical?"
Read that last line again if you must.
Um, NO, one has a penis and one has a vagina.
"Oh, ha, yeah I guess that make sense. But explain to me again how twins happen?"
If one little eggy splits in two, they are identical... if there's more than one little eggy...
"Oh, right..."
I wish I could remember who it was because, I'd like to a) harrass them about it again now and b) thank them for providing a much needed giggle after a trying day.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
held onto it
Summertime thunderstorms. Nothing like 'em. The air gets so hot and juicy, then sizzles itself into an uproar and downpour. During the day, a great work distraction. At night, a fantastic, romantic light show.
Today we had our first bout of the season, just before work let out, so that when I left for the day the sidewalks were no longer steaming hot and the air was almost refreshing after the stifling air of my lunchtime sun bath.
One of my favorite summer memories is of a thunderstorm the summer before Junior year of high school. Nicole and I had been stuck at her house all day having aimed to make it to the beach, but were lulled by the heat into soap-watching in the A/C. Having given up on the neverending saga of Luke and Laura (for the day), we wandered around the house pestering her mom into entertaining us somehow. Take us to the mall? Not going out in the traffic. Bake cookies? Too hot.
Suddenly, a breeze picked up. The sky got dark. Here was our entertainment! We leaned out the windows and gazed upwards. Big, fat drops splatted on the driveway, a couple at first, here and there. The leaves on the trees were twisting round and flaunting their pale green undersides. Then the skies gushed.
Just as fast as the storm had rolled in, Nicole had me by the hand, dragging me outside. We kicked off our Keds at the door and ran up her driveway. It had rained so hard, so quickly that puddles were already forming and streams were running down the side of the road to the gutters. We jumped and splashed and squealed and kicked and laughed - laughed with sheer glee - through the end of the storm, ignoring the choruses of "Jesus, girls, really!," coming from the house.
It was one of those moments that you begged yourself to hold onto, to enjoy as the kid you really still were, because you were on the cusp of being too cool for everything of the sort. Hanging with the older kids and partying and driving around in cars with your newly-licensed friends and worrying about kissing boys and not being seen as a little girl anymore was all-consuming. There wasn't time for silliness anymore, friends might not think you could cut it in the big leagues.
Except when moments like this presented itself, with one of your best friends out of the gaggle, who was on the same page as far as taking high school by storm, but, like you, peeked back over her shoulder every now and then and wanted it all to be easy and uncomplicated again. Who thought maybe there was something to that notion of not trying to grow up too fast, which at that tender age just couldn't admit to.
I'll never forget that day with Nicole. After jumping and laughing ourselves into a breathless tizzy, we held hands, peering up into the sky, letting the rain soak us through and drop into our mouths. And reveled in the sheer giddiness of being a kid... on the verge of not.
Today we had our first bout of the season, just before work let out, so that when I left for the day the sidewalks were no longer steaming hot and the air was almost refreshing after the stifling air of my lunchtime sun bath.
One of my favorite summer memories is of a thunderstorm the summer before Junior year of high school. Nicole and I had been stuck at her house all day having aimed to make it to the beach, but were lulled by the heat into soap-watching in the A/C. Having given up on the neverending saga of Luke and Laura (for the day), we wandered around the house pestering her mom into entertaining us somehow. Take us to the mall? Not going out in the traffic. Bake cookies? Too hot.
Suddenly, a breeze picked up. The sky got dark. Here was our entertainment! We leaned out the windows and gazed upwards. Big, fat drops splatted on the driveway, a couple at first, here and there. The leaves on the trees were twisting round and flaunting their pale green undersides. Then the skies gushed.
Just as fast as the storm had rolled in, Nicole had me by the hand, dragging me outside. We kicked off our Keds at the door and ran up her driveway. It had rained so hard, so quickly that puddles were already forming and streams were running down the side of the road to the gutters. We jumped and splashed and squealed and kicked and laughed - laughed with sheer glee - through the end of the storm, ignoring the choruses of "Jesus, girls, really!," coming from the house.
It was one of those moments that you begged yourself to hold onto, to enjoy as the kid you really still were, because you were on the cusp of being too cool for everything of the sort. Hanging with the older kids and partying and driving around in cars with your newly-licensed friends and worrying about kissing boys and not being seen as a little girl anymore was all-consuming. There wasn't time for silliness anymore, friends might not think you could cut it in the big leagues.
Except when moments like this presented itself, with one of your best friends out of the gaggle, who was on the same page as far as taking high school by storm, but, like you, peeked back over her shoulder every now and then and wanted it all to be easy and uncomplicated again. Who thought maybe there was something to that notion of not trying to grow up too fast, which at that tender age just couldn't admit to.
I'll never forget that day with Nicole. After jumping and laughing ourselves into a breathless tizzy, we held hands, peering up into the sky, letting the rain soak us through and drop into our mouths. And reveled in the sheer giddiness of being a kid... on the verge of not.
Monday, June 12, 2006
back to ack
This picture was taken on the coldest , bitterest (not sure if that's a word but only proves the extreme absurdity of the temperature) day of the year on the highspeed ferry to Nantucket. It's a "production still" - Michael and I made a cameo appearance in a movie being filmed by the London Film School. The shot consisted of us walking (or skating for the sheer ice coating) out across the deck of the boat, gazing out at the horizon, turning lovingly towards each other, locking lips and then skating back across the deck.
Yep, we got up at 5 a.m. to drive down to the Cape and hop on the ferry in order to freeze our buns off for productions stills and copies of the dvd (still waiting on those). And the experience, of course!
As we pulled into the harbor, I longingly pointed out some of the places I've come to know and love over the fifteen years I've been visiting the island, thanks to my dearest Eliza. Most of them were closed for the season, but I could see Michael working up the mental images of "hot fun in the summertime, " having never been before. We didn't even step foot on the island before we were highspeeding it back to Hyannis, with the visions of summer tempting us to come back.
We're headed back to Nantucket this weekend for Film Festival to do some networking and maybe a little hobnobbing. Also to check out Eliza's latest accomplishment - the design of the newly opened LoLa! A much needed, quick little getaway - work, fun, food and sun! There will be a full report of any and all celebrity sightings upon our return.
What am I going to wear?! Dressy but not overly so, hip but island-esque, hot... but chilly nights. The funny thing is that Michael will obsess more than me... I have a feeling we'll be going shopping before our departure on Saturday.
Yep, we got up at 5 a.m. to drive down to the Cape and hop on the ferry in order to freeze our buns off for productions stills and copies of the dvd (still waiting on those). And the experience, of course!
As we pulled into the harbor, I longingly pointed out some of the places I've come to know and love over the fifteen years I've been visiting the island, thanks to my dearest Eliza. Most of them were closed for the season, but I could see Michael working up the mental images of "hot fun in the summertime, " having never been before. We didn't even step foot on the island before we were highspeeding it back to Hyannis, with the visions of summer tempting us to come back.
We're headed back to Nantucket this weekend for Film Festival to do some networking and maybe a little hobnobbing. Also to check out Eliza's latest accomplishment - the design of the newly opened LoLa! A much needed, quick little getaway - work, fun, food and sun! There will be a full report of any and all celebrity sightings upon our return.
What am I going to wear?! Dressy but not overly so, hip but island-esque, hot... but chilly nights. The funny thing is that Michael will obsess more than me... I have a feeling we'll be going shopping before our departure on Saturday.
competing priorities
First, read Lala's last two posts here.
Make sure to read the comments under "Cake or Pie?"
So as I get the the bottom of the latest post, I call Laura and berate, "Um, hello?"
And she said, "What, pie?"
"Um, nooooo. Something a little more exciting than pie! Which, by the way, is still just wrong."
"Ice cream cake just ruined it for me. And all the bad frostings..."
"But, even bad can be good, and all the soft chocolately goodness... YOUR MOTHER IS ENGAGED?!"
Make sure to read the comments under "Cake or Pie?"
So as I get the the bottom of the latest post, I call Laura and berate, "Um, hello?"
And she said, "What, pie?"
"Um, nooooo. Something a little more exciting than pie! Which, by the way, is still just wrong."
"Ice cream cake just ruined it for me. And all the bad frostings..."
"But, even bad can be good, and all the soft chocolately goodness... YOUR MOTHER IS ENGAGED?!"
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
casey love
Does it get cuter than this? Only in real life.
I babysat my little nephew tonight, for a mere two hours. Not enough time to drink in all his smiles and giggles and sweet baby smell and love. Not enough time at all.
I babysat my little nephew tonight, for a mere two hours. Not enough time to drink in all his smiles and giggles and sweet baby smell and love. Not enough time at all.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
personal fave
Here's my personal fave from the trip: my daily chats with my adorable nephew. I swear, and I know everyone says this about their near and dear, but he's the cutest kid alive. AND, I'm his favorite auntie.
sunset at la papaya
It's a rainy day here in South Boston and I'm hankering for another dose of this here view - the one we got every day from our villa in St. John in March. Now seems like a distant memory...
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