Well, we are getting a little more white stuff today. It's good and bad I guess. Good, because it covers up the dirty, massive piles of snow that are clogging the sidewalks and parking spots. Good, because it means more base for when I actually get out on the ski slopes. I was going to head out today to Mt. Sunapee for a day (only $49 on Thursdays....that's a deal these days!) but I took my skis in to get waxed and buffed and they're not done yet:( Bad, because well.....it's MORE SNOW! Boston did such a poor job getting stuff cleared the first time it dumped that there are a lot of problems now....see the previous sentence about the clogged sidewalks and parking spots.
I saw I Am Legend yesterday, the heavily hyped film with Will Smith as "The Last Man on Earth". It's kinda funny because the previews make it seem like he doesn't know that there are other things out there but you realize very earlier on that he knows.....oh yes, he knows. The premise is this, a cancer cure delivered to the body through viral means has killed much of the population of Earth. If you're not dead or immune (a very small portion), then you're....well, an interesting creature. Will Smith plays a immunologist who is searching for a cure to this viral infection and just happens to be immune too....LUCKY! The movie is basically about his days in NYC with his dog, Sam (a little twist on that in the movie) which is pretty cool since NYC is deserted and he can just do whatever he wants. He is obviously starved for company and is losing his mind a bit. He comes up against these "other" humans and has to find his way out of it. That's all I am gonna say. Just see it.....it's good. There are some freaky parts, lots of wandering around in dark places, and jumpy type scares occasionally but very action packed for the most part. Even the more boring parts are there to give you an idea of the routine that Smith follows to keep from going insane. I enjoyed it and would give it an A-.
I am heading off to St. Maarten with my family on Sunday to celebrate Xmas week in the sun and sand. It will be chock full of swimming, tanning, eating, and fun I am sure. It will be nice to get out of the snow for sure and hopefully they'll get a couple of warmer days up here in Beantown to melt some of it. Til then.....Ho, Ho, Ho and away I go!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Winter Wonderland
Welcome to Winter Boston.....we got about 8-10 inches yesterday in the big storm that pounded the Midwest a couple of days ago. It actually is a new record for single day snowfall in Boston on December 13th and more snow than the whole month of December typically averages. It appears that there is more on the way too but enough about that.
I just finished my written exams on Wednesday and close with a practical portion of one of my classes on Monday. Everything went great and I studied much harder for this stuff than I ever did at St. Mary's....maybe it's the whole "it'll be your career" thing. Anyway, I am starting to formulate some connections between the material I am learning and my everyday experiences although it is definitely challenging to explain what actually goes into an acupuncture diagnosis and treatment to the everyday layperson. How do you explain palpating the abdomen, looking at the tongue, and feeling the pulse of both hands in 3 places to the average person who is used to visiting a Western doctor for 15 minutes after spending 45 minutes waiting in the patient lounge? In order to get a better handle on my own health as well as experience each type of treatment style, I have been getting a regular Chinese style treatment, Japanese style treatment, and herbal treatment since the beginning of September. Chinese style typically uses slightly thicker needles, does a little more manipulation of the needles once they're in, and usually provides the patient with a strong feeling of Qi (the magical energy that flows through our bodies). Japanese uses thinner needles and a more superficial insertion that seeks to balance the Qi of the body. I feel like this trio has really worked for me and has helped me cope with some health issues that are chronic as well as dispel some that are more acute.
Now that I am off until January, I have more time to really enjoy the winter wonderland that is Boston. Just last weekend though (a nice long study break for me), Jules and I went to a delicious Indian restaurant in Waltham, MA called New Mother India. Now, I wouldn't put it in the same league as the one our friends Brigid and Dev took us too in NYC but it did the job. We had some crispy samosa for an appetizer and then filled up on 3 types of nan before our entrees came. Jules got the Shrimp Malsala with lots of big shrimp in a tomato based sauce. I choose the Chicken Goa which was a little spicy with a yellow curry sauce and a little tamarind/garlic flavor to it. Following our meal we headed over to the Regent Theater in Arlington, MA for a show put on by the New England Taiko drumming group. Taiko drumming is the Japanese style drumming with the large barrel like drums, that interestingly enough are made out of old wine barrels here in the US, and big, thick drumsticks. It is very rhythmic and Jules found herself almost lulled to sleep at points. It is also very martial and you could imagine many of the moves that the drummers did as they banged away, could have been taken from the ancient samurai field of battle. There was also a guest flutist who played some tunes on one of those long, Japanese style flutes....the ones that have the real wind like sound to them. Check out the YouTube videos bar of my page for some clarification about the whole Taiko drumming thing.
In all it was an incredible night and Jules and I were both thankful that we had an opportunity to enjoy the fine cuisine and dynamic performance.
I just finished my written exams on Wednesday and close with a practical portion of one of my classes on Monday. Everything went great and I studied much harder for this stuff than I ever did at St. Mary's....maybe it's the whole "it'll be your career" thing. Anyway, I am starting to formulate some connections between the material I am learning and my everyday experiences although it is definitely challenging to explain what actually goes into an acupuncture diagnosis and treatment to the everyday layperson. How do you explain palpating the abdomen, looking at the tongue, and feeling the pulse of both hands in 3 places to the average person who is used to visiting a Western doctor for 15 minutes after spending 45 minutes waiting in the patient lounge? In order to get a better handle on my own health as well as experience each type of treatment style, I have been getting a regular Chinese style treatment, Japanese style treatment, and herbal treatment since the beginning of September. Chinese style typically uses slightly thicker needles, does a little more manipulation of the needles once they're in, and usually provides the patient with a strong feeling of Qi (the magical energy that flows through our bodies). Japanese uses thinner needles and a more superficial insertion that seeks to balance the Qi of the body. I feel like this trio has really worked for me and has helped me cope with some health issues that are chronic as well as dispel some that are more acute.
Now that I am off until January, I have more time to really enjoy the winter wonderland that is Boston. Just last weekend though (a nice long study break for me), Jules and I went to a delicious Indian restaurant in Waltham, MA called New Mother India. Now, I wouldn't put it in the same league as the one our friends Brigid and Dev took us too in NYC but it did the job. We had some crispy samosa for an appetizer and then filled up on 3 types of nan before our entrees came. Jules got the Shrimp Malsala with lots of big shrimp in a tomato based sauce. I choose the Chicken Goa which was a little spicy with a yellow curry sauce and a little tamarind/garlic flavor to it. Following our meal we headed over to the Regent Theater in Arlington, MA for a show put on by the New England Taiko drumming group. Taiko drumming is the Japanese style drumming with the large barrel like drums, that interestingly enough are made out of old wine barrels here in the US, and big, thick drumsticks. It is very rhythmic and Jules found herself almost lulled to sleep at points. It is also very martial and you could imagine many of the moves that the drummers did as they banged away, could have been taken from the ancient samurai field of battle. There was also a guest flutist who played some tunes on one of those long, Japanese style flutes....the ones that have the real wind like sound to them. Check out the YouTube videos bar of my page for some clarification about the whole Taiko drumming thing.
In all it was an incredible night and Jules and I were both thankful that we had an opportunity to enjoy the fine cuisine and dynamic performance.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Finals, Finals, Finals...
This would be longer but I am studying for finals for my 1st semester courses at the New England School of Acupuncture. It has been an incredible semester full of learning strange and wondrous things....I'll give everyone an update about it when I am done with them this Wednesday. Til then a new YouTube clip of comedian Gary Gulman, who we saw this past Friday, will have to suffice.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
YouTube videos
I just added a new page element that has videos from YouTube that I think are funny or interesting. I will try to change it occasionally so check it out....
This week it is Frank Caliendo, an impressionist from Frank TV. He does some spot on stuff.
Enjoy!
This week it is Frank Caliendo, an impressionist from Frank TV. He does some spot on stuff.
Enjoy!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Ween
Earlier this week I went to see a band called Ween at the Orpheum Theater in Boston. Now the interesting thing about this group is that it was started by a pair of childhood friends who go by the monikers of Gene and Dean Ween....not their real names though. They have been around a while and actually got their start in a little town called New Hope, PA. For all those in the know about the Lehmann history, Jules and I lived in Lambertville, NJ for a while and right across the Delaware River was......you guessed it, New Hope. Now I never actually saw the whole band play in New Hope (something about Gene being in rehab) but I did get to see Dean Ween play in a little bar with about 75 other people. Pretty cool since he absolutely goes to town on the guitar.
I hadn't really listened to their music in a while but I always heard that they put on a good show so I forked over my cash to Ticketbastard (an $11 "convenience" charge...c'mon!?!) and went to see what they were all about. It being a school night, Jules couldn't come with but I think she was fine with that anyway. Now Ween is know for playing all genres of music and tonight was no exception. They played some country tunes (Piss Up a Rope, Help Me Scrape the Mucus Off My Brain), some metal rock tunes (Dr. Rock, Stroker Ace) and some good 'ole psychedelic rock tunes (Buckingham Green, Spinal Meningitis). In all, it was a real solid show, not too crowded and the fans were amped. They have a new album out and they also played some tunes off that, although my favorites of the night were Zoloft and Voodoo Lady. I would highly recommend catching a show by them sometime if you are under 35 or have a hankering for some good rock n' roll and silliness (as you can tell by the song names).
I hadn't really listened to their music in a while but I always heard that they put on a good show so I forked over my cash to Ticketbastard (an $11 "convenience" charge...c'mon!?!) and went to see what they were all about. It being a school night, Jules couldn't come with but I think she was fine with that anyway. Now Ween is know for playing all genres of music and tonight was no exception. They played some country tunes (Piss Up a Rope, Help Me Scrape the Mucus Off My Brain), some metal rock tunes (Dr. Rock, Stroker Ace) and some good 'ole psychedelic rock tunes (Buckingham Green, Spinal Meningitis). In all, it was a real solid show, not too crowded and the fans were amped. They have a new album out and they also played some tunes off that, although my favorites of the night were Zoloft and Voodoo Lady. I would highly recommend catching a show by them sometime if you are under 35 or have a hankering for some good rock n' roll and silliness (as you can tell by the song names).
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thanksgiving
Well, I hope that everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving. I know that I did since I had a whole week off from studying the location of acupuncture points, the theory behind the Oriental Medicine magic, and the origins, insertions, and actions of the body's musculature. It was our first Thanksgiving spent in Boston where we actually hosted the shindig and we entertained Julia's mom Lois, her companion Tom and our friends Alli and Steve.
Waking early enough to prep our 14 lb. turkey which, surprisingly enough, took about an hour, I patted him/her down with some herb de provence and stuffed it with lemon wedges, garlic cloves, onion chunks and some fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage). I put it in the oven and we all took turns watching the skin turn a crispy brown. Of course, we basted as often as possible to keep it moist although the main component of the meat's tenderness was the fact that our bird was brined. We purchased it from Trader Joes pre-brined which means that it is soaked in a salt water mixture that keeps the meat succulent throughout preparation. I would highly recommend this procedure to anyone or at least, buy a pre-brined turkey. I think our guests enjoyed it!
In addition to our favorite sleep inducing food, we also prepared mashed potatoes and stuffing. The rest of the meal came packaged up courtesy of Trader Joe's (ummmm, can you tell I like shopping there) and it included some delicious gravy, a spicy yet creamy carrot ginger soup, spiced hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks, warm buns and a cranberry sauce mixture with orange and chunks of real cranberries.
Alli and Steve brought the requisite green bean casserole (the one with the fried onion bits.....although it is kinda interesting that there doesn't appear to be any actual onion pieces in it) and one of her homemade apple pies which is one of the BEST I have ever tasted. I think her secret is not chunks of apple but flat ribbons of apple that get included in each scrumptious bite. Mix that with homemade brownies and vanilla bean ice cream.....oh, and the Reese's chocolate shell or caramel syrup for topping.....and you have a recipe for some serious food coma.
Sitting down to dinner early in the afternoon afforded us the option of refueling later that evening, as well as allowing us to catch all the gridiron action on the TV. The two puppies, Maggie and Zoey, who are Lois', behaved themselves beautifully and we didn't have any Christmas Story incidents. All in all, it was a successful Thanksgiving dinner and we couldn't have asked for anything else as we drifted off to sleep at night with dreams of all the deals to be had at JC Penney when they opened at 4 am on Black Friday......no thank you:)
Waking early enough to prep our 14 lb. turkey which, surprisingly enough, took about an hour, I patted him/her down with some herb de provence and stuffed it with lemon wedges, garlic cloves, onion chunks and some fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage). I put it in the oven and we all took turns watching the skin turn a crispy brown. Of course, we basted as often as possible to keep it moist although the main component of the meat's tenderness was the fact that our bird was brined. We purchased it from Trader Joes pre-brined which means that it is soaked in a salt water mixture that keeps the meat succulent throughout preparation. I would highly recommend this procedure to anyone or at least, buy a pre-brined turkey. I think our guests enjoyed it!
In addition to our favorite sleep inducing food, we also prepared mashed potatoes and stuffing. The rest of the meal came packaged up courtesy of Trader Joe's (ummmm, can you tell I like shopping there) and it included some delicious gravy, a spicy yet creamy carrot ginger soup, spiced hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks, warm buns and a cranberry sauce mixture with orange and chunks of real cranberries.
Alli and Steve brought the requisite green bean casserole (the one with the fried onion bits.....although it is kinda interesting that there doesn't appear to be any actual onion pieces in it) and one of her homemade apple pies which is one of the BEST I have ever tasted. I think her secret is not chunks of apple but flat ribbons of apple that get included in each scrumptious bite. Mix that with homemade brownies and vanilla bean ice cream.....oh, and the Reese's chocolate shell or caramel syrup for topping.....and you have a recipe for some serious food coma.
Sitting down to dinner early in the afternoon afforded us the option of refueling later that evening, as well as allowing us to catch all the gridiron action on the TV. The two puppies, Maggie and Zoey, who are Lois', behaved themselves beautifully and we didn't have any Christmas Story incidents. All in all, it was a successful Thanksgiving dinner and we couldn't have asked for anything else as we drifted off to sleep at night with dreams of all the deals to be had at JC Penney when they opened at 4 am on Black Friday......no thank you:)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Numero Uno
We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on our way to have "the city's greatest pizza". We were denied the pizza (a 45 minute wait in the cold for a pie is just a touch too long) but we were treated to some amazing views of the Manhattan Bridge and the city skyline. Following that brief introduction to Brooklyn, we hustled over to the Village where our friends Brigid and Dev introduced us to the wonders of the Luxor Lounge and the Middle Eastern hookah. We puffed away on a grape pipe while drinking mint tea (the BEST!) and chatting in the upholstered, low ceiling lounge room. Our friends Deirdre and John, who had joined us around Brooklyn, made the trip back into the city and lead us along the city streets to a restaurant called Old Devil Moon for some funky cajun style food. A yearning for some excitement took us to a karaoke bar that had somehow turned into a private birthday party (so we left) and cruised over to another bar where a DJ forced bleeps and hoots out of his turntables and synths. Since we are not quite as young as we once were, the rigors of the day caught up with us and we were forced to retire for the evening. The next day dawned brightly and blue skies greeted us as we headed into the city for a final time to enjoy some authentic Southern Indian food with our friends. 4 out of the 5 of us had a dosa (not sure on the spelling though) which is a large crepe-like meal stuffed with potatoes, onions, cilantro, lentils, and other vegetarian delights. After the meal, we said goodbye to our friendly hosts and made our way back to Boston, home of the 2007 World Champion Red Sox (sorry, Brigid).
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