If you like your music filled with rock and puppets, you should go here and check out Uncle Monsterface's new album, This is an Adventure. They make wonderfully fun and catchy music, in addition to being good friends of ours.

Also, their live show is not to be missed. They play shows in New York quite often and they're going on a national tour this summer.

This was an incredible sight. Not quite what we expected to come across at 111th St. and Amsterdam Ave.

I know that Carissa has already posted most of these, but I wanted to recap, via photos, our all-night adventure. We decided to go out Saturday night and stay out until (at least) sunrise on Sunday morning. Special thanks to John and Robin for making it through the night with us and also seeing the sun come up, though sadly, on the platform waiting for the F train. ( Click for photos )

I'm going to write a post about our all night excursion in New York City. It will be here soon. First, we are going to take a walk and I'm going to call my Mommy. I'm also thinking of using this as a photoblog. We'll see how that goes.

As mandated by Carissa.

She is typing right now. Randolph never updates his journal. I asked him to update. He said he didn't want to. I told him I'd help him through it. I'll choose a bunch of topics. He types his opinion on each. Thirty words or less. Simple? I'd have to agree.

Here are the topics.

1/New year's resolutions
2/The possible extinction of the American buffalo
3/Snow
4/The three [modern] contributors of the English language (being French, German, and Dutch)
5/The latest issue of apt
6/Which is cuter? Welsh Corgis or Pomeranians?
7/The state of readership in the United States
8/This one is totally self-serving...talk about my book.
9/Excitement over 2008, wherefore?

That's it. We'll cap it at nine.

And...go.

Apparently, after attempting to hand the laptop to Randolph, he assumed I was taking dictation.

So, I'm the one who shall "go."

1/A very bad idea. They are akin to giving gifts to the one you love only on Valentine's Day.
2/This seems strange to me as David Mamet told me everything would be fine. But, I...you--my people...
3/I remember playing in feet of it as a child. I'm positive I would do that now if it would only snow.
4/Each are a very strange people in their own way (typist's note: As if Americans aren't strange...), but the Germans moreso than the others. Thanks for the words.
5/I am always amazed by the quality of writing we receive. I wish we had the money to make it a print magazine. An actual magazine, not a 'zine.
6/Oh Jesus. Jesus, honey. Stop it. This is like asking which is more important to human life: air or water? Next.
7/Can we move there?
8/I love how much it has grown and changed since I first read it. I still enjoy reading it and I hope you're happy with it.
9/Okay, list, GO!
Portland
Photos
[Grad] School
Trips to Boston
Sweet Pea
Being able to see my Mom more
Things that will happen that I cannot yet comprehend.

I just got back from a wonderful date with my bride. :)

After a long but rewarding day at work, I made my way to Davis Square to meet Carissa. We headed to Anna's where we had long-awaited burritos and then we were off to Somerville Theatre to see The Departed. It was a very good and very violent movie that neither of us ever really wants to watch again.

Oh, I'm also married now. I'll post more on that later. And, our Thanksgiving vacation begins in one week. Yay!

For now, bedtime.

The wedding is only nine days away. I'm so excited. I can't temper my excitement for anything: the wedding, Montréal, Thanksgiving, my birthday, etc. Things at work are also going very well. I'm finishing projects that have taken way too long and I'm getting other things done as I go.

My life? Not too shabby. :)

I almost forgot, we used our new ice cream maker for the first time last night. We made mint chocolate chip. It's delicious.

Today has been such a busy day at work.

*makes gurgling noise*

*falls on floor*

On a day earlier this month (perhaps late September) I was staying late at work to finish some things and out of the blue, Carissa showed up at the door to my office with something small and red on her shoulder. She then introduced me to Jeremiah. He is a small frog/paperweight made of dyed red leather and stuffed with something quite heavy (stuffed with the stuff that is coarse, methinks). He's very small and very cute. Oh, and he likes to dance. It was a very sweet gift and it came from London Harness Company, a store that taunts me every time I walk by. I swear, deep down inside, I'm a very stylish 70-year old retired banker. I'm rich and I like silly expensive things. Pictures of Jeremiah are ( here )

Today, we met up with Pete and Jesse and had a wonderful lunch in Harvard Square. Before that, we took pretty pictures of the changing leaves outside of our apartment.







And(!) we finished designing the poster that will hang outside the Gamble Mansion, alerting people to the location of the wedding. Yay!

After the last week (read: three) at work, I was more than ready for this three-day weekend to begin. Thus far, it's been wonderful. Last night, Carissa and I met after work and made our way to Harvard Square. We walked down to Grendel's Den and waited for the rest of the crew. Within the hour, we were joined by Robin, Jesse, John, Abby, Tim, and briefly, Roger and Jonathan. Many drinks were consumed and much half-price food was ingested. It was so nice to have a large group of friends in one place, at one time. It happens less than it should.

After spending several hours at Grendel's, we made our way back to Boston and everyone spent some quality time at our apartment. I mostly fell asleep. Long weeks and tequila will do that to you. John and Robin spent the night on our futon. This morning, the four of us ventured back up Beacon Hill and had a yummy breakfast at Paris Creperie. Then, Carissa and I were off to do some shopping.

Without too much effort, I found a shirt for the wedding and new shoes. Both were inexpensive and that made me very happy. In addition, it was a lovely autumn day and we spent much of it walking around Boston. I will miss it very much when we're gone. Few places have felt like home in my life (besdies the Lehigh Valley) and Boston has certianly come closest. If only there weren't so much more of the world to see, I'd say we could just settle down here. Perhaps, one day.

More soon.

So, I know I haven't updated in a while but I had to post this. Also, there is a three-day weekend upcoming and I plan to post a nice, big update.

Happy birthday to Carissa. I honestly cannot imagine my life without her.

Carissa's birthday is not until Monday, the 11th, but we're celebrating nonetheless. This morning, Carissa received two very sweet birthday cards from my Mom. She's always, at least as long as I can remember, given me more than one card because she can never decide which one she likes more. I'm glad to see that tradition remains intact.

This afternoon, we went to the Boston "ahts" festival (actual name) and we saw lots of pretty things we can't currently afford. Now, we've made a brief stop at the library and then it's off to CVS and a liquor store to pick up some final items for tonight's party. I'm very excited. 

Happy birthday, Carissa. I love you. :)

From an article in today's NY Times:

Myron Ebell, director of energy policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative research group in Washington, and a prominent critic of efforts to curb global warming, also dismissed the California plan.

“We cannot reduce our carbon emissions by making ourselves poorer,’’ he said. “That is not acceptable in a democratic society. It might work in North Korea, but it will not work here. If global warming turns out to be a problem, we have to work on technological changes. All of that is something California has tremendous capacity to do — not by going on an energy diet.”

How are people so short-sighted and blinded by the need to advance a narrow agenda over the needs of every living person? I hate people.

Still not feeling well. In fact, I'm feeling worse. I was better yesterday and now, somehow, I feel like I'm suffering all the symptoms of a cold more accutely. Carissa is also not feeling well. I think we're both going to take the afternoon off.

I just found out that two things that had been listed on my credit report as "negative items" have been removed per my request. Neither were mine and, in my on-going quest to be a financially sound individual, I asked that the offending items be removed. While I still don't have what you might call "good" credit, I'm getting closer every day.

As we've been working on issue six of apt, I find myself eager to redesign the site. People seem to very much like the look of it. Someone even sent a submission complimenting not the content of the site, but the design. If I remember correctly, their work wasn't very good. Issue seven, to be produced some time in November, will be the first issue of our second year. To coincide with such an event, I would like to find time to change the look of the site. I have some colors and layout schemes in mind. If anyone has certain things they like or dislike about website design, please let me know. I'm always acutely aware that the way I use something may be very unlike the way others use it.