change is in the air

Well, it's been an exciting couple of weeks. Last weekend, my friends Steph (the connection to my roommate Vanessa) and Rachel from MSU came to visit. It was very, very cold to be walking around Boston doing touristy things, but we managed to ice skate... probably for about 30 minutes. It was all we could stand. I was nervous and excited to be skating again. If you recall, I took figure skating lessons in my youth, but it's been many years since I've skated. I was shocked to get on the ice and realize that IT IS VERY HARD. I was struggling just to stay balanced, but after a couple rotations around the ice, I finally started to get a feel for it again. I even skated a little backwards, but that was difficult becasue the rink was very busy and I was afraid of crashing into people. I would definitely like to go back when it's not so cold and a little less busy.

I have been cooking more - this week, I made stuffed shells (enough to last me about five meals), filet mignon & beets, and a replication of the pizza I mentioned in the last post: carmelized onion, goat cheese, and butternut squash. It was REALLY good.

Maybe I'll turn this into a foodie blog and start posting recipes and photos of my creations, haha. This weekend has been pretty lazy. I've spent a lot of time laying around watching episodes of "Lost." I am now caught up to the episodes currently airing on Wednesday nights. It is an intense, addictive show!

Last night, Jessica, Rachel (Luke's fiance, who is in Boston for a few weeks), and I went to see "Slumdog Millionaire." It lived up to all the hype - and more. I highly recommend it. The cinematography and music are stunning, and it has a powerful message about power and wealth.

This post wouldn't be complete without a mention of Inaugural Day. At work, we huddled around the biggest-screened computer in the Marketing Department to watch the Inauguration ceremony via the live CNN feed. It was truly inspiring to see all those people gathered - there was such a feeling of hope in the air. I think my dad said it well in his blog post.

Here are some stunning photos from the day that a co-worker passed on to me. They really show what a huge moment this was for the entire world.

Keep believing -
aks

The 4-1-1 on 2-0-0-9

The first full week back to work was a little tough. Fortunately, we spent one day taking a field trip to the new Equal Exchange cafe in Boston's North End. It was fun to get out of the office (even went for a nice Italian dinner with the marketing department) and see the new cafe. It is pretty cool.

There are so many movies out right now that I want so see. The last two weekends, I saw "Revolutionary Road" and "The Wrestler." Rev Road was intense - a very real look at a suburban couple facing the reality of an empty life. The Wrestler was entertaining and thoughtful. I enjoyed both films in different ways. I still want to see Benjamin Buttons, The Reader, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire... all of which I've heard great things about. Especially Slumdog Millionaire.

Yesterday I went to the dentist after a year and a half, and the dental hygienist scraped the crap out of my teeth (literally). Between that and the deep flossing, it was seriously a bloody mess. I need to floss more!! And so do all of you, probably. But no cavities!

Despite the sore mouth, I went out for a yummy pizza in Harvard Square: roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, sage and creamy goat cheese

Quote me on that

The State News, MSU's student newspaper, interviewed me after my Peru trip. Here's the article.

It was weird being the one answering the questions and not asking them.