North End

If ever you're searching for a great way to end a weekend (or start one for that matter), I have the perfect solution. Simply navigate the Storrow Drive jungle to Boston's North End and overload your tastebuds. That's exactly what Jill, Juliana, and I did tonight. Butternut ravioli, pumpkin tortellini, shrimp and scallop linguini... oh my! Giacomo's was amazing; the dessert at Modern Pastry was equally decadent. We had a great, much-needed catch up session! I was so distracted, especially by the feast, that I forgot all about the camera in my pocket until our plates were clean. Fortunately, we remembered my camera when a familiar face walked in the bakery. Let's put it this way, I think someone called Al will be calling me Betty. (Get it? Paul Simon's song 'Call Me Al'?!... Nevermind.)

What was left of dessert: nothing... just our payment and a few dirtied utensils. (Juliana so kindly pulled a Vanna White and showed off Modern Pastry's menu!)

Bags of Easter treats hung from the ceiling.

Creeper picture of Paul Simon (anyone else think it's him too???) that Jill strategically snapped. Be thankful I cropped my face out of the foreground.

Bad Blogger

How many ways can you say lazy? Because that's what I've been, a lazy blogger. My sincerest apologies... again (I'm going to try to stop the sporadic blogging). Anywho, back to business. The weather today, and for the known future, is bleak. Very bleak. The perfect weather for ducks and apparently a swan.

They swam away the instant my camera powered up. Bummer

'I Spy'

I had my 53rd Remicade treatment today. Over the past ten years (Valentine's Day marked the ten year anniversary of my diagnosis... nothing celebrates Crohn's like candy hearts haha!), I've become very skilled at passing the hours during my infusions. Today was no different. I whipped out my camera and began snapping. The photos aren't interesting (after all it's just one tiny room), but I managed to find a heart among wires. I'd like to think of it as my own 'I Spy' page. Can you find the heart? Haha. *Sigh* I miss those books!

You have to love the digestive tract diagram!

You Had Me at Cupcake

I was going to boycott Valentine's Day. I say that every year. I stay strong... until that little hopeless romantic voice within begins to speak. So instead of boycotting, I baked. My family and the Inn staff received nauseatingly romantic red velvet cupcakes. Here are a few photos of the work in progress and the final products. Unfortunately, the staff didn't see the intact versions. While driving to work, the sun beamed through the windows and warmed the chocolate sculptures I creatively piped. Hearts turned to noodles. Abstract cupcakes, anyone?

Whip it good!

The batch

(A treble clef+love) "If music be the food of love, play on"

In a nutshell, I had a blast decorating :)

Mid-Bake

Co-workers began complaining that I hadn't supplied baked goods in a while. They were spoiled around the holidays, what can I say? Well, I baked for them. Chocolate chip cookies. Simple is always safe. (For Valentine's Day I'm also making red velvet cupcakes... depending on how they come out, there may be a second baking blog in one week. Keep your fingers crossed!) While the cookies were baking, I decided to risk my camera's life and snap a few shots in the oven. The cookies were mid-rise and sparkling with their ooey-gooey, almost complete deliciousness. I'm drooling.

Baker's Note: I only recently discovered the glory of Silpat (those fancy, schmancy, oven-safe rubber mats for the kitchen... I highly recommend investing in some. That's what these cookies are resting on.) Seamless removal everytime! :P

Calm After the Storm

Meteorologists state-wide predicted that the South Coast would be blanketed with snow Wednesday. As meteorologists are allowed, they were wrong. Twelve to twenty inches became three. True, they were slightly off with the accumulation; however, their predictions for the strength of the storm were spot on. The wind roared all night (I still don't know how Rochester only lost power for ten minutes!). Branches littered the streets. Thursday morning painted a different picture... a cloudless sky, the shining sun, and serene snow twinkling.

Snow-topped branches on a Caribbean blue sky... talk about contrast!

Drops of snow pelted the ground below (and my car while driving to work)

Pandora-esque

I still have some catching up to do. While trying to make up for missed blogs, I've broken my own rule. Rather than take a new photograph, I've used old ones... definitely not from 2010. For shame. I'm about to break that rule again. Forgive me?
Last night, my dad treated me to a movie. We met at Flagship, which translates to: I sprinted into the lobby toting my puffy vest for added warmth and a purse chock-a-block full of discounted snacks purchased moments earlier at a nearby Cumbie's (rather than the exorbitantly priced theatre snacks that probably expired in 1999 but still have enough gumminess to rip out any decent tooth filling therefore causing an even more expensive dental repair the following day) where Dad was waiting with tickets and 3-D glasses in hand; he passed them off in as if handing me a baton while we quickly said hello, found our way to the appropriate theatre (or "port," as Flagship so cleverly calls it), quickly caught each other up on the various activities of our days while Johnny Depp's interpretation of the Mad Hatter filled the screen, then donned our stylish goggles and nestled in for three hours of Avatar. I'm not saying this because the critics are boasting it, but... go see it! It's definitely worth it. I completely forgot I was wearing those sexy glasses, that's how phenomenal it was. (Then again, I'm a nerd when it comes to CGI... Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story... pff, any Pixar for that matter... the things you can do with computer graphics amaze me!) After seeing Avatar, I figured I should dedicate a post to Nature, specifically really big trees. Here are a few photos from my family's trip to California this past summer. We spent a majority of our time in Arnold, a remote town high in the Sierra Nevadas that happens to be a stone's throw from a redwood park. Some dedication to Avatar, huh?

If only 'the People' had a sign like this... could've helped their cause, just saying.

Truly breathtaking

The hopeless romantic side of me loves this carving, seems to have been done ages ago.

Ginormous doesn't begin to describe.

Storm

Weather reports have been warning that the South Coast is going to be blanketed with snow today. So far, the storm isn't terrible. The morning started with rain that was desperately trying to turn to snow, which it eventually did around noon. Snow has been steady ever since, but it doesn't appear to be accumulating like they predicted. Any case, the storm was the perfect excuse to get things done early then spend the rest of the day curled up in pajamas with a cup of tea. In the interest of checking things off early, I headed to the gym. On my way out the door, a snowflake landed on my mitten. (I've lived in New England all of my life... this happens.) I decided to spend a few minutes in my idling car photographing the flake and later the water droplets as they slid down my windshield (this may prove that I'm actually the flake haha). Ah, I love my camera!

A teeny hexagon amid mitten fluff. I decided to stick with black and white after the other day.

I am slowly figuring out the various settings on my digital... it's only taken 3 years.

Ah, Paris

It's official: I have plenty of blogging to catch up on. Honestly, though, I wondered why waste the blog when I had nothing to report? No moments required a camera. Friday through Monday meant work, work, and more work, broken up by the Super Bowl (way to go Saints!). Monday night I waited on a family of five with four generations present. The youngest member was a little boy named Alden (I learned this after he politely asked me my name, which he quickly followed with a request to take me home. Precious.). When he first arrived, Alden proceeded to point out the various lighthouses decorating the dining room and mentioned he'd seen the Eiffel Tower. (His mom quietly told me that he thinks all tall buildings are Eiffel Towers. I suppose in the eyes of a two-year old, this only makes sense!) The mere mention of the Eiffel Tower got me reminiscing. I'm ready to head back to Europe. My bags are packed... anyone interested???
So, in the honor of the Eiffel Tower, I figured I'd share some of the photos I took while in Paris (in 2008... wow, time flies!).



Sigh... I miss this.

Ansel Adams

It's another gray day, as expected. It is winter in New England, after all! While driving home, I decided to appreciate Winter's beauty and possibly enhance it using black and white photography. I would have loved to use my manual camera (with actual rolls of film... how archaic!), but I've found that no matter how much gray-enhancing one may wish to do, overcast days do not make for great prints. So I stuck with my trusty Canon Power Shot (how's that for product placement?) and photographed around the house. I can only dream that Ansel Adams would be moved. I highly doubt it. Regardless, I love black and white photography, no matter how amateur :)

Dead leaves

Lonely pool

Contrast

Cats and Dogs

Tonight's photo was captured about a week ago, but it will have to do. February, so far, is proving to be as enthralling as January. Suffice it to say, it's not enthralling at all. (Although there is still plenty of time, I have faith!) Anywho, I ran at the gym (without falling), baked some delicious vegetarian enchiladas (winged it with success), and watched Julie&Julia with Mom (highly recommended).
Julia Child seemed like a wonderful woman. She was such a strong, inspirational, energetic presence. I would love to try to cook my way through her book, too! I think I'd better save that blog for 2011 though. Somehow I doubt I'd be able to keep the same pants size while doing it; 'Julie' couldn't have possibly stayed petite while using pads of butter!
The movie got me thinking. I love spending time in the kitchen. Particularly, I love baking. Add in my new-found love of blogging and an idea hit me. I would like to complete a slightly toned down version of Julie Powell's cooking blog. She cooked 524 recipes in 365 days. I would like to simply try a different baked good once a week. (When trying to lose weight and get healthy, it probably isn't a good idea to bake everyday. Just saying...) Sunday will most likely be deemed "Baking Day" here on 2010 in Film. (One blog is enough for now!)
I digress. Here is today's photograph. It relates in no way to what I discussed above. My apologies...

Cat and dog are finally friends, at least they pretend to be...

More Winter

Punxsutawney Phil woke up bright and early this morning. He pried open his eyes and stretched his little groundhog legs. He crept out of his burrow to greet the day. He saw his shadow. Stupid Punxsutawney Phil! Now, I don't know about the rest of that mumbo-jumbo, but I do know that he saw his shadow. It seems we're in for another six weeks of winter. Normally, I am the leader of the snow dance (if there is such a thing). I love winter. It somehow seems magical thanks to all of the snowflakes, flushed cheeks, hot cocoa and more. This year, however, I am hopping on the spring bandwagon. Bring on the warm days and cool nights! Bring on the outdoor running weather! I don't know about you, but I have my fingers crossed that Phil is wrong.
Anyway, I wonder if the turkeys I passed saw their shadows too. Rochester has the finest flock (are groups of turkeys called flocks?) of turkeys around. Droves of them love to dart out in front of speeding vehicles. I managed to capture these elusive creatures while driving back from the gym. Beautiful birds. Suuuuuuure...

A portion of the flock, they ran at the sight of the camera!

The straggler of the group