'Tis the Season

.... to bake my favorite brownies for a holiday party and to add a layer of crushed candy canes. And when the brownies stuck to the pan, I broke them up and bought ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. Sundaes for everyone!

.... to stand waiting at the stove Christmas morning as M cooked bacon and to grab it as soon as it came out of the skillet.

.... to run down Boylston Street, past the twinkly lights, breathing in air so cold that it hurt.

.... to stop just for a minute and to watch the crowds skate rhythmically around and around on Frog Pond. And to think maybe there's still a little Christmas left in the air....

Still Running

We start running -- and we talk and talk and talk. And when I get really enthusiastic, I leap and start flapping my arms like I'm about to take flight. This happens a few times. L just laughs. She's used to it by now.

We run past quiet, dark streets in Southie towards to the brighter, taller lights of Boston, finally turning around at the Convention Center. And when our hips are sore and our noses are running, it's time for music.



We keep running - we realize we've taken the long way - but we keep running... down Broadway, down O Street, around the curved, windy stretch of road by the Old Harbor.

When we finally stop running, it's late, much later than we'd planned.

That's What I Call Breakfast

11:30 am at Balthazar: Brioche French Toast, served up with bacon and the New York Times.

New York Again

A year ago, I was in New York.

Six months ago, I was in New York.

I woke up this morning in Boston, packed my bag, took a cab, and boarded the Acela. Before I knew it, I was in New York again.

And when I got off at Penn Station, I couldn't find a cab. I started walking uptown and, when A called, I knew I'd much rather talk and walk than hail a cab. So I went uptown, then crosstown, and talked to A, with cold hands and the excitement that always comes when I arrive here.

Hi New York. It's been a while.

It's Totally Okay

... to spend Saturday morning hitting the snooze button.

... to have one song on repeat. All weekend long.

.... to be secretly overjoyed when you find Felicity on Netflix Instant Streaming. Oops. I guess it's not a secret anymore.

..... to decide to bake blondies when you're running late, you haven't made your bed or washed the dishes, and you were supposed to be at North Station like five minutes ago to take the commuter train up to the North Shore.

I Just Want to Dance

I just want to dance.

Whether it's to this...

Or this...

I have music playing non-stop... which means I'm always dancing. You see the girl on the T, tapping out a beat with her foot? That's me. You see the girl on the street, whose shoulders are swaying a little? That's me.

I don't have enough time to dance though. I mentally committed to running a marathon. The next Boston Marathon. So, I've been applying for charity runner entries through a number of organizations. And I'm waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I'm going out for three or four long runs a week and preparing myself for early, chilly runs for the next five months.

But I always have a back-up plan. If I don't get an entry, I'm going to get serious about dancing. It's been a long time since I gave it enough of my time. And I just want to dance.