the eye of the morning commute

The leather strap on his tan bag is worn on the edges with little notches, like laugh lines. His khaki green trench coat flutters around his knees as he boards the train, but his white curls flecked with dark grey don't budge. A woman apologizes for the lack of space. "It's okay, I can practice my flat Samantha," he laughs as he smooths his tie.

The bubble of clear enamel protecting his American flag lapel pin reflects a distorted rectangle of the green-tinged florescent light overhead. He pulls out a thick manuscript and a tiny black case containing rectangular glasses just big enough to read a few lines at a time. He juggles these two objects, balancing amidst a tangle of people that resembles a plate of spaghetti, arms everywhere.

A few stops down, he steps off the train so others can get out. As people begin to board, he steps back. The train pulls away and he's standing alone on the platform reading the manuscript through his black-rimmed glasses, unaffected by the rush around him. He is the eye of the storm.

grown up mac & cheese

I cooked a bit too much penne when we made the Pioneer Woman's chicken piccata. And of course, my automatic cooking response to plain pasta is mac and cheese — I'm a big fan of comfort food. Combine that with Ian's experimental kitchen habits, and you get the plate below.

And it's pretty simple really.

You can cook the pasta (the eco-friendly option can add to the creaminess) while you make the sauce and the timing is just about perfect. Or you can use leftover cooked pasta in your fridge. I think we had 3-4 cups and it worked out just right.

You start with a roux. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan, then add 4 tablespoons of flour and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook this for a few minutes stirring constantly. It should start to puff up, which is good. Just don't let it get burnt.

Add 2 cups of milk to the pan and continue to stir until it boils and thickens up.

Note: if you'd like to make more or less sauce, adjust the measurements in a ratio of 2 T butter : 2 T flour : 1 cup milk.

Add cheese — either cubed or grated for quick melting. We ended up using mozzarella and Havarti because that's what was in the fridge from the past week (we love cheese). I'll say we probably used about a cup total, but it's up to your and your taste buds. Keep in mind though, with bigger flavor like sharp cheddar, you'll need less.

Finally, we had tomatoes and cilantro in the fridge. Ian chopped it up and generously garnished the plates.

I think this could possibly be the best macaroni and cheese we've ever made. It's simple, fast and wholesome. Take that, easy mac.

B&A: Marathon Monday

Contrary to common perceptions, I am not a runner. In middle school track, my favorite event was high jump. Sure, I get a rush after sprinting to catch the train, but I think that's the elation of bypassing a 15-minute wait.

I do, however, respect and admire runners. So when Ian reminded me the Boston Marathon is kind of a big deal, I was ready to spectate. Alas, extenuating circumstances (Watertown's non-observance of Patriot's Day resulting in no holiday for us, Ian's workload, my meager PTO stash) forced us to miss this year's race.

What we didn't miss is the before and after. Thanks to MBTA route changes, our commute took us directly through the final stretch.

We saw the calm before the storm — vendors setting up with healthy snacks for the spectators, empty streets waiting to receive 26,000 runners, serious fans sitting along the sidewalk at seven in the morning with blankets, chairs, coffee and encouraging signs.

We traveled home through empty streets next to bar patios stuffed with people, trash scattered across the sidewalks like confetti, clusters of EMTs and police officers just waiting.

Most interesting however, was how difficult it was to pick out runners from the crowd — their identities betrayed only by the flashes of yellow and blue ribbon around their necks. It struck me how universal running is. You don't need special talents or a particular body type, just time, hard work and will power. It makes the medal that much more impressive: the culmination of a single-minded pursuit of a passion.

So congratulations to you all, Boston Marathon runners, and we'll be there next year to cheer you on.

Click here for more photos.

the wonky knee

She had long, almost blonde hair, gathered into a ponytail that emerged from below her baseball hat. The canvas bag she carried looked as if it could have used laundering a few years ago. It curved out in the middle, much like it's owner. Her finger maneuvered up to push the stop strip. ding.

"You want the third stop?"

"No, I need Bacon Street."

"If I make the loop it'll take an extra 10 minutes. You sure you can't just cross the street?"

Her voice grew louder and more emphatic. "I need Bacon Street. I can't walk. I'm the one with the wonky knee!" She threw her shoulders back a little and her eyebrows dove toward her pointed nose.

The bus pulled up to the first stop, and she walked off without a limp.

As the bus pulled away the driver laughed, "Wonky knee my ass. She just lazy. hoohoo!"

Blogger's blogs of note

Yesterday I opened my e-mail, where all your comments appear in my inbox lest I overlook them. I generally get a couple every week(ish). Yesterday I had ten.

Thoroughly confused yet elated, I started browsing these comments to discover I/we've been added to Blogger's Blogs of Note.

In under a week I've gone from 11 followers to 45. I must admit I've had small bouts of nervousness — my degree is in creative writing, and now people I don't know are actually reading my words. What if I disappoint?

But mostly I'm excited. Just ask Ian. Yesterday I couldn't peel the smile off my face. Everyone has been so positive and encouraging, leaving lovely comments. So to everyone who's new (and everyone who isn't), thanks for taking the time to make my day. I hope I can continue using my words and photos to bring joy to your life as you have to mine!

Karemy comes to Boston

This past weekend, we had our first visitors — Karen and Jeremy, or as we affectionately refer to them, Karemy. They flew in late Thursday night, and we introduced them to the T before they crashed on the air mattress in the living room.

Friday Ian and I had to work, so Karen and Jeremy were left to their own devices. Might I add that it rained, giving them a less than warm welcome to the city. They still managed to see part of downtown and Harvard, but MIT was elusive in the rain with no tour guide. We warmed up their spirits with the Pioneer Woman's Chicken Piccata recipe. And FYI, it's less messy to eat when you use penne instead of spaghetti. Promise.

Saturday we slept in before we ventured out into the beautiful day. Our first stop was Fenway, where we took the tour for only $12 a person — well worth it! The tour guide was fun with lots of interesting information, and we got to experience the field and the view from the green monster. Photography is completely unrestricted, so we took lots of photos!

After the tour, we stopped for some "chowdah" at the Union Oyster House. It was tasty, but a little bit pricier than we planned — future reference, it's a tourist destination, and you can get cheaper, just-as-good-if-not-better chowder elsewhere. Of course, other places can't claim the title of America's oldest restaurant. If you do go, split your meal — two bowls of chowder and four lunches was way too much for the four of us.

Stuffed, we crossed the street to the Holocaust Memorial — a must-see for everyone who visits us.

We continued on to the North End, passing through a farmer's market on the way.

We spent some time in the Old North Church and a little Italian pastry shop across the street, where we saw the end of a sledge hockey game where the US beat Japan to win the gold medal in the Paralympics — it was entrancing.

We finished up our outing with a stop at the harbor near the ICA, where we made friends with a goose.

Exhausted from walking and still a little full from lunch, we rode the green line back to Brookline and decided to have a nice light sushi dinner at Fugakyu. It was the best gastronomical decision we made the whole weekend. Even at 9:30 p.m. there was a wait, but they made up the time with how quickly the food came out after ordering. And wow was it tasty! On top of the delicious food, most of the tables are enclosed in little boxes that evoke rice paper doors and rooms in Japan. The servers are dressed in kimonos and wear the traditional white socks with black sandals. It's definitely going on the list of places to eat whenever we have visitors.

We finished out our evening with Pass the Pigs and Bang: The Bullet.

Sunday we introduced Karen and Jeremy to Reunion, where we're starting a new 10-week series on "Becoming Who We Are" and followed it with a visit to Boloco.

Fox took over tour guide duties and we went to the Esplanade, Beacon Hill and the Public Garden before Karen and Jeremy packed up and headed to the airport.

Thanks guys, for such a fun weekend and giving us another excuse to be tourist in our own city. We can't wait for you to come back for a Sox game!

As usual, there are lots more photos on Flickr — check out the rest of Karen and Jeremy's visit here!

an amuse-bouche of summer

If I didn't ride the T, I would have missed it. Missed the improv jazz band playing at the corner of Copley Square, the saxophonist swaying with his eyes closed. Missed the peanut vendor on the phone telling her boss she sold lots of drinks today. Missed the train full of Red Sox fans on their way to tonight's game against the Yankees, which will decide the series. Missed the sunburnt guy asking a girl he's never met before about her engagement ring, then telling her how he's going to sell his motorcycle so he can buy a ring for his girlfriend. Missed the sun dresses blooming like spring flowers. Missed the old Japanese couple dressed to the nines in black, he in a three-piece pinstripe suit, she in a polite skirt and long-sleeve cardigan, as if 80 degrees has no effect on them. Missed the bow-legged man with white hair, white shirt and white shorts, stopping in the middle of the crosswalk to look through his camera lens. Missed the delicious amuse-bouche of summer in the city.

going green in Boston.

Funny how moving to a place with less green space actually provides more green choices. It helps the Boston area is passionate about the environment. So how has living green changed for us?

We sold our car and rely on public transportation. When we need a vehicle, say to pick up a chair Rachel so generously gave us when she moved, we use ZipCar. It's fast, easy and inexpensive — renting a parking spot on top of higher insurance, gas and maintenance costs is a lot of money. And we never have to worry about scraping windshields, finding a parking spot, navigating the angry traffic... Doing the environment a favor really did us a favor too.

We signed up for the green option with NStar, our electric company. For less than $7 a month, our electricity is now 100% from wind energy, significantly reducing our carbon emissions.

More of our trash is recyclable! We've always had to throw away those butter tubs, but no longer. Sasaki recycles all plastic #1-7.

There are a couple organic dry cleaners with competitive prices. We picked A-List Cleaners because we want to support local businesses, but there's also a chain of eco-friendly cleaners in the area. I've read mixed reports about how green alternative dry cleaning solvents really are, but it sounds like they are better than perc, which is most common.

We could eventually join a community garden or local farm co op. At the very least we can visit our local farmers market or the highly-praised Copley Square Farmers Market.

The only downside to our new urban life is no more composting. I was really excited to watch our food bits turn into dirt (yes Ian, I said dirt), but we don't have a yard or even a patio. If we end up joining a community garden, perhaps we can eventually add this back in.

Thanks to EarthLab I know all these changes have reduced our carbon footprint. It's a satisfying feeling to see that number go down! The site also provides simple suggestions that add up to a big impact. First and foremost is their tag line, "consume less. live more."

What do you do to live green?