the cork

A few stops past the bus's point of origin, a couple boards through the front. They tap their cards as the bus lurches forward. He wears a black leather coat that laces up the sides, but the laces are missing and lines of eyelets on leather flaps dance with the movement of the bus. His hair is in a neat ponytail that stretches in one thick solid line to his waist, black with five inches of mousy brown roots. He stops a third of the way down the aisle, obscuring his traveling partner from view. They begin an animated conversation as the bus continues on it's route.

At each stop, people exit out the back door as more people enter through the front. The man steadies himself on the poles, a hand latched onto each side of the aisle. At each stop, new passengers peer around this blockage to see an empty aisle while they press against total strangers. They peer up at him, then exchange glances, speak in low whispers, united in a shared plight. The man's eyes dart around the bus. Do they register the crowd ahead, and the space behind?

Halfway through the ride, the couple steps out the back door and into the dark night. The crowd expands down the aisle like foam insulation into every gap. The collective exhale is almost audible, and the quiet whispers increase to laughing conversations.

a weekend in the Charles Street Jail

After our first swanky dinner at CLINK., we knew we'd love to spend a night at the Liberty Hotel. Designed by one of Boston's premiere architects of the time, the Charles Street Jail was a stunning building; and thanks to an award winning restoration, it now welcomes guests of the voluntary sort.

When we decided to celebrate Valentine's Day with a stay-cation like we did last year, we knew the Liberty was at the top of our list. It's also pricey. So when Ian found a great deal for a weekend in March, we were happy to adjust our plans to match.

We arrived mid-afternoon on St. Patrick's Day, still mourning the tournament loss of our beloved 'Cats. But the complimentary bubbly while they prepared our room for arrival helped to alleviate the pain. And the lobby, open to the roof and showcasing the stunning three-story windows, isn't a bad place to wait.

We watched people in green mill around the lobby until the front desk clerk handed us our key cards. We walked into the elevators that are reserved for guests only, and shot up to the 10th floor.

We spent some time relaxing in the room (which also involved some reruns of The Voice) and admiring our view, then headed back downstairs to find a dinner spot in Beacon Hill. We ended up at Artu per a recommendation from Kelly, and it was amazing. The service was a bit slow and the space lacked sparkle, but the food and cozy atmosphere more than made up for it. I could eat that tortellini in a sage butter sauce all day. The pasta itself was perfectly made and cooked, and who knew sage was so good on things besides turkey? Ian's gnocchi with veal also was a winner.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, doing our best to avoid the green-clad, and at this point loud and belligerent, revelers clustered around bar entrances. The hotel lobby was full of partiers as well, but with a quick flash of our guest card, we were given the VIP treatment, and quickly ushered past the bouncers. We used our key card to get to the upper balconies for a birds eye view of festivities, then headed back to our room. Because the giant soaking tub in our room was calling my name. In my book, the bathroom alone made our stay worth the money.

The next morning, we slept in extra late thanks to a late check out, then headed downstairs to CLINK. to check out Sunday brunch. My french toast and Ian's grass-fed burger topped with fried egg were solid but lacking that j'en sais quoi to make the dishes really noteworthy. Given the choice, I'd pick their dinner menu (but maybe still order that pomegranate mimosa...).

We left our bags with the concierge and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Beacon Hill and Newbury Street—something we don't do often enough, before calling it a day and heading home.

All in all, it was a wonderful belated Valentine's weekend, with the perfect valentine (love you, Ian!).

a night with the odd souls of MUTEMATH

The same week we saw Viggo Mortensen, we also saw MUTEMATH. Yes, it was a busy week. No, we have no regrets.

We'd already seen them live (twice!) since coming to Boston, but this was the first time they were headlining, with their Odd Soul album no less. Their latest is arguably their best yet: their iconic sound fused with a little extra soul and a lot of open honesty about roots that Ian and I can relate to.

The evening started off with Canon Blue, which didn't captivate me, but was a solid opening act. Then we were on to the main event.

The band marched in from the back to a single snare drum, holding poles that lofted strings of summer lights above the short parade that weaved through the crowd and onto the stage.

Paul Meany started off by saying they would play every song on the Odd Soul album, with plenty of older favorites in the mix as well. Which equaled two and a half hours solid of amazing sound.

The set was stunning. A white pyramid of screens behind them filled with constantly changing projections: clever and artistic graphics that responded to the music, interspersed with live shots of the band playing.

And during several songs, Paul Meany and Darren King each made their way to the middle of the floor via a rolling piece of stage and, in once instance, a double tall air mattress lined with lights that looked rather like a spaceship hovering over the crowd.

I'm still amazed at the humility and joy these guys exude when they're performing. They love what they do, and while I'm sure they want to put on a great show for their fans, they'd be making music with or without us.

And really, isn't that what great art is all about?

See more of our photos here.

thankful list | March

01. again, our MFA membership and nearby Sweet Cheeks Q.
02. free (classic) books on my iPhone reader.
03. my book club ladies.
04. getting to attend "An Evening with Viggo" with Ian.
05. the opportunity to stay involved editing + developing content for the web site.
06. MUTEMATH live with Ian.
07. the [REUNION] MBTA ad campaign.
08. kitchen canisters that hold 5 lb. bags of flour and sugar with room to spare.
09. L.L. Bean socks.
10. spring weather.
11. the answer to my makeup issues: allergies.
12. organic makeup via Whole Foods to avoid the allergies + be green.
13. watching The Help with Ian.
14. a weekend in Beacon Hill at the Liberty Hotel.
15. tortellini in sage butter sauce.
16. scoring a sweet Anthro necklace for $15.
17. rereading the Hunger Games trilogy.
18. the new shirt Ian bought for me.
19. Ren's visit.
20. spicy tuna rolls at Fugakyu.
21. being done with taxes.
22. the early arrival of spring.
23. impromptu dinner dates.
24. purple crocuses (croci, if you prefer) and magnolia blossoms.