Month: February 2020

Here’s a shot of a courtyard which serves as a part of Trinity Church in Boston that I shot last month or so. I was trying for different angles.

Here’s an update on some television shows I’ve been watching lately:

• A Million Little Things (although the drama on this show is so over the top it’s ridiculous) on ABC
• Forensic Files II on HLN (and of course the originals still as well even though I’ve seen them a million times)
• Ice Cold Blood (a show hosted by Ice-T that’s like those ID shows) on OWN
• The Big Interview with Dan Rather (he interviews musicians and we get to learn their stories – just watched the one on Frankie Valli) on AxsTV
• Batwoman/Supergirl (yeah yeah, I know) on CW
• Law and Order SVU (because it’s what you do) on NBC
• Autopsy (little morbid but I like the backstories they do one the subjects) on Reelz. Actually watch a bunch of stuff on Reelz just to unwind.
• Dateline/20-20/48 Hours et al.

Also on YouTube – Lost Weekend, a documentary from filmmakers Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb: In 1984, two friends from small-town Pennsylvania won an MTV contest and the chance to party with Van Halen for 48 hours. See what happened!

I acquired some theater tickets to see the live show Mr. Joy playing in town in a couple weeks with LD. The show is hitting a bunch of neighborhoods in the coming weeks and since it was free, I’ve decided to go check it out and see what the buzz is. Actually, she’s the one who told me about it. I’ll share my thoughts after I’ve seen this one-person play.

Scituate Light is in the center background of this shot. I was experimenting a little bit with this. Not totally happy with how it came out but I guess it’s not too shabby. Anyway, the location is called Museum Beach, it’s not all that large and right off the main road with no parking but it does provide a nice look at the lighthouse and residential properties across the bay. You can read how the place got it’s name here if interested. (I always like to find out why things are named the way they are or how certain things came to be known).

It was nice to look outside and see that some green leaves are starting to come up through the ground of last year’s dead detritus. Things like daffodils and crocus leaves are starting their climb – a harbinger of the thoughts of spring to come not too far away now. Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to stay hopeful but it’s tough. Yep, still bumming out a bit and that’s why I’ve been radio silent lately – just didn’t have the interest to update anything about my mopey self. Well, it is what is and what will be, will be. I’ve never really been in the position that I’m in these days – I’m just not all that happy these days at work, but feel trapped and have to try to remain in it for the good of it all. I wish I could just be happy and worry free again. I know the good Lord will see me through someway, but I hate feeling the way I do and having to try to do the things I have to. Not good for my mental health for sure.

Going to see a friend’s child perform at a sporting event later this afternoon – should be fun. Honestly, I’ve never been to any kids sporting event viewings before – never had the need or interest. Something different anyway. I’ll update later on what it was all about.

Maybe it’s not a good sign for the start of the week when you fall down the stairs and clog up the toilet. That’s how my Monday started this morning between the hours of 6 and 7 am. Luckily the fall wasn’t anything major (I was trying to avoid the cat at the base of the staircase) and the toilet wasn’t anything major apparently, so that’s good.

Did so much cooking last night while watching the Oscars and I also took to watching some program on John Gotti Jr. which I thought was pretty good. Did you know with the exception of some tiny parts of Thelma & Louise I have never watched a movie that had Brad Pitt in it. I actually can’t stand the guy. That’s not why I never watched any of them – it just happened to work out that way, but now I have to keep the streak alive. Never saw Fight Club? Nope. Seven? Nope. Oceans Eleven? Nope. Nada. None. I don’t think he’s that great to begin with – can’t act for beans in my opinion.

This morning started out with a visit to the dentist to get going on some procedures I need to get done and completed with a full set of new x-rays of my mouth. After that I prepared getting ready for what I’m making for dinner tonight – a little dish called Balsamic Fig Chicken with potatoes and mixed greens. Looks like a pretty simple recipe actually but that’s for later tonight….

Next, I’m working on some plans to do an overnight sometime up on Plum Island. Did it a couple years ago and it’s time to do it again – enjoyed ourselves there pretty much so it might be great to revisit. Maybe also check out the Pink ‘Spite’ House again. Speaking of that, I did pass by one in the North End of Boston last week,locally known also as the Skinny House. A spite house is a building constructed or substantially modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes. Spite houses may create obstructions, such as blocking out light or blocking access to neighboring buildings, or can be flagrant symbols of defiance.

I then spent part of the afternoon going through and filing my taxes for last year. I decided to get through it all a bit early this year – now that’s that out of the way I can focus on other things.

Random thoughts: My amaryllis is down to it’s final bloom. I was pretty pleased overall with the way the plant did – to think I picked it up at a local supermarket. I’ve been reading some online articles about it and may attempt to get it to re-bloom next season, assuming I can keep the plant alive that long. We’ll see.

Also I need to be able to catch some breaks lately – plugging away but starting to get a little overwhelmed. It’s like two steps forward and one step back. However, I know I tend to jump to conclusions in my mind (maximizing worst case scenarios) that sometimes end up being way out of proportion, but after I sit with it for a while – I realize that that way of thinking was foolish and not helpful. Brains are weird. Hope that’s the case starting next week and that I’m freaking/bumming out for nothing. Until the next occasion which lately seems to happening all too frequently and all too quickly for my tastes and I do it all over again.

This is shaping up to be the year of live music shows for me. On tap for us so far are the following:

• Def Leppard/Motley Crue/Poison/Joan Jett @ Fenway
• Bat Out of Hell Play (Meatloaf)
• Johnny Mathis ( something different for sure for my musical tastes)
• Bon Jovi/Bryan Adams in Jerz
• Damone (possibly, but I saw them last year)

The following shows I’ve entered contests to win tickets:

• Hall & Oates (had entered to win tix but lost)
• Goo Goo Dolls
• Guns n Roses

and maybe some more to come! Seems like a lot of acts are coming out of the woodwork this year.

Finally heard back from that other group. I need to set up a meeting sometime next week to see if I’d be a good fit and if so formally apply for the position (which is weird because I’ve been here so long already and that kind of work for over 10 years now), so not to jinx myself but hopefully things’ll turn out right in the end. I think I’ll need to format my resume though – I haven’t done that in so long!

Well this day has started out great so far – my external monitor at work just crapped the bed – luckily after about a half hour the IT dept was able to get me another one so that’s back in business. Just a hassle, you know?

Damn, that Irishman was one long ass movie. Not sure why it was up for so many awards – it was OK but I didn’t see anything particularly Oscar worthy about it. Spending the rest of the evening watching the Puppy Bowl, could care less about the real big game.

I think I drink too much coffee. I can’t help it, I feel sometimes as though I need it. I must be addicted to the caffeine I think. Usually I’ll have a cup a little bit after I wake up. I do this because it helps me to get started, it gets my cognitive functions going, so to speak. And I like the plain old coffee, none of that specialty flavored stuff. During the week I’ll also have 2 or three in the afternoon. And finally, once every two days or thereabouts I’ll have a cup in the late evening. It doesn’t affect my sleeping at all.

Today is the Superbowl but since the Pats aren’t in it, who cares? Not that I cared even when they were in it. Instead we’re going to hang out over another couples house and watch the Irishman. More later…

On the corner of Prince Street, in the heart of the North End of Boston. Prince spaghetti day! No, actually it’s Groundhog Day and he didn’t see his shadow which means an early spring, so let’s hope that’s true!