a day on Martha's Vineyard

Before the impending move, Micki really wanted us and Grandma Judy to experience Martha's Vineyard together (we'd never been and neither had Grandma Judy). So the last weekend before their big move to Colorado, Ian and I headed to the Cape for a final hurrah. We arrived Friday evening, and woke up bright and early the next day to catch the Island Queen Ferry. It was a beautiful day, and so we picked seats on the upper deck to enjoy the views. And we even saw a biplane fly-by!



A short 30 minutes later, we arrived on Martha's Vineyard. Micki had a full day planned for us, to make the most of our time. We strolled around Oaks Bluff (after picking up some Murdick's Fudge and caramel corn to sustain us). The gingerbread cottages were particularly fascinating. The cluster of tiny, ornate houses started out as a summertime Methodist campground with open air revivals. Lodging for the revivals started out in tents, which were eventually replaced by permanent structures. From the outside, it's hard to believe these tiny summer cottages, built in the mid-1800s, have transitioned into modern homes.



We made our way to the bus stop to get to our next destination — the Polly Hill Arboretum — but due to some unlucky timing, we ended up taking a cab. We spent a few hours wandering the grounds, and it turns out we were there at an incredible time. All of the peonies were in full bloom, and we saw some incredible trees in bloom as well, like the dogwood allée, and the giant Julian magnolia.



We finished up just in time for the private island tour Micki had scheduled with a local guide. He picked us up at the arboretum, and we spent the next few hours driving all over the island. We picked up some chowder and crab cakes at Larsen's Fish Market, visited the Gay Head Cliffs and Lighthouse, passed lots of locations where Jaws filmed, and learned more of the local history and culture. We finished up back in Oaks Bluff with just enough time before the ferry to make an ice cream pit stop.



The next day, back on the Cape, we stuffed ourselves at the Old Yarmouth Inn's brunch buffet before beach hopping the afternoon away, and ending up, as we usually do, at Katie's for ice cream.



Micki and Grandma Judy, thanks so much for making our first trip to the Vineyard such a great one. We're going to miss our New England adventures with you!

Memorial Weekend adventures around Boston

Micki and Grandma Judy headed our way to spend the long weekend in Boston, as part of our attempt to squeeze in as many sights and fun memories as possible before they move to Denver this summer (#denial).

Saturday included a stop at our favorite sandwich shop followed by an afternoon at the Gardner Museum. It was their first time there, and they loved it! As a return visitor, I especially appreciated the Off the Wall exhibition. The second floor in the original building is under renovation, but they temporarily moved some of the key pieces into a gallery in the new wing so patrons could still view them. It was so interesting to get a closer view of some those famous paintings in a modern museum setting (i.e. at eye level with optimal lighting and more information and context), along with larger prints and the history of the famous stolen paintings. And no visit would be complete without stopping by El Jaleo, the courtyard, and the greenhouse.



Sunday was overcast, but after church we headed to the Crane Estate in Ipswich. A wealthy industrialist purchased the land in the early 1900s as a summer retreat, and built a gigantic mansion in  the 1920s. Walking through the house and grounds made me feel like I was stepping into The Great Gatsby. We strolled the long lawn to take in some beautiful ocean views, then found the path down to the beach. I love gray days on the beach — it's empty and quiet and hauntingly beautiful.



Before heading back to Boston, we stopped for dinner at the Clam Box, which apparently is an institution. We waited in line, but it was worth it. I'd recommend the fish and chips!

Monday (I love long weekends!) we visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The highlight was the renovated Blaschka glass exhibit, showcasing Harvard's rare and priceless collection of botanical samples crafted in glass. A first look is unimpressive: they're just plants. But the Blaschkas' skill to craft glass into something so delicate, beautiful, and lifelike remains unmatched.



After wandering around the museum, we grabbed lunch at the nearby food trucks and Micki and Grandma Judy headed home. We'll miss them dearly when they're gone, but we're so thankful we can make the most of their remaining time in Massachusetts!

worlds 2016: a figure skating fan's dream comes true

Two years ago, Boston hosted Nationals for figure skating, and Ian and I went to the exhibition where we saw the entire US Olympic team, as well as every single US Olympic champion. #bestillmyheart

This year, Boston hosted Worlds, and once again we snagged tickets to the exhibition. I watched every moment of the competition that I could catch on TV in anticipation. (This required kicking Ian out of the house for March Madness viewing, because I figured a sports bar wouldn't carry figure skating. Just a guess.)

The day of the exhibition, we arrived early at the Garden and inadvertently bumped into the small medals ceremony for the pairs and ladies free skate (the top three finishers in the free skate, not to be confused with the overall top three finishers). After the awards were handed out, the medalists stuck around for a Q&A with the audience. Most of the questions came from elementary school girls, and I tried to imagine what it would have been like for 10-year-old Anna to have the opportunity to ask Michelle Kwan or Nancy Kerrigan a question (it would have probably involved tears and maybe passing out before actually saying anything). After they headed backstage to prepare for the exhibition, we made our way to our seats.

Exhibition performances may not be packed with technical difficulty, but they make up for it with fun and personality. It's fascinating to see what skaters choose to perform when they're freed from the requirements of competition and are skating simply because they love it. And I feel honored to have seen so many of the big names in figure skating, as well as up-and-coming skaters with lots of promise. I was especially excited to see Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia, whose competition performances left me transfixed, Papadakis and Cizerone of France, who set a new world record score for their free dance, and Patrick Chan of Canada, who's one of my favorites (perhaps in part because like Michelle Kwan, Olympic gold continues to elude him). Not to mention Yuzuru Hanyu, Mao Asada, and the Shibutanis. And I was in awe of 2016 World gold medalist Javier Fernandez of Spain. He's powerful but also brilliantly artistic in every last detail, and reminds me of Michelle Kwan at her best. I couldn't think of a more perfect skater to top off the Exhibition of Champions.

Helsinki 2017, anyone?

Great Scott, it's MUTEMATH!

We've been MUTEMATH fans for a long, long time. The summer after my sophomore year of high school, I went to church camp in Nebraska, where I heard "One Time" by Earthsuit. I loved it. I bought a CD so I could listen to it over and over. But this was before the internet was really a thing you could use to find the answers to life, the universe, and everything, and they eventually fell off my radar. Until a few years later, when Ian shared a band called MUTEMATH, a new project from a couple former Earthsuit members. I was hooked.

When we lived in Philadelphia, MUTEMATH was my soundtrack as I walked to work at Reading Terminal Market. And after we caught them opening for 30 Seconds to Mars in Boston, I couldn't get enough. We saw them open for Matt & Kim, and headline on their Odd Soul tour. They were meant to make music, and their passion is palpable.

When we heard they were coming back to Boston this September, we bought tickets the moment they went on sale. The show sold out in hours. They added a second night. It sold out the same day. We soon learned the venue, Great Scott, is tiny. Surprising, knowing they can fill the House of Blues. But also amazing, knowing we'd be up close and personal with the band and music we love so much.

We grabbed dinner at our beloved Roxy's, then jumped in line at the venue. While waiting, we saw Paul walk out the front doors on his way somewhere before the show, saying hi on his way. The doors finally opened, and we hustled in. Quiet Entertainer kicked things off fantastically, and then it was on to the main event. We were front and center, so close I couldn't fit the whole band in one shot (sorry I only got part of your guitar, Todd!). This was a tour to say thanks to all their longtime fans, before the new album came out. They played their big hits, crowdsourced, which resulted in "Peculiar People, and shared music from their (at the time) upcoming album, Vitals.

Vitals, like all of their previous albums, feels like it was written specifically for me, right now. Stacia Brown puts it best in her Washington Post article: "Sometimes it isn’t the music a band produces that most endears us to it. It’s how precisely its albums can be synced to our lives; it’s the notion that the band is evolving in tandem with us." The song "Light Up" especially hits me. After eight years of marriage, I know exactly what the lyrics mean when Paul sings "Sometimes we just have to walk through the fire / Just to see once more what has never shined brighter."

Paul, Darren, Roy, and Todd, thank you so much for sharing your talents and passions with the world. We'll be listening as long as you keep making music.

Color Us Rad, the snowpocalypse homebuyer edition

Shortly after last year's Color Me Rad, I got an email offer for a big discount on registration for the 2015 race. I made sure we didn't have other plans for April 11, 2015, then signed us up. Since it was still months away, I marked it on our calendar, then didn't give it another thought.

The night before the race, with our car reserved and white shirts and running gear waiting by the door, I pulled up our tickets on EventBrite, and panicked. The tickets said August 1.



Stomach sinking, I did an email search and discovered I had missed seeing a race update with the subject line: "Color Me Rad Boston changed to August 1st due to record snowfall." #fail. I looked at our calendar. We would be in the Dominican Republic on August 1. The next morning I sent a quick email asking for our options, and thankfully was assured we could transfer our registrations to the August 29 Providence race.

But what to do with the rental car and our now wide-open Saturday? Ian suggested we stop by some open houses. We were close to our down payment savings target, and it would be a great opportunity to see if that target number could get us into a home we loved. We spent Saturday morning driving to a few homes Ian had scoped out on Trulia, and Saturday afternoon crunching numbers and charting our plan.

We connected with a highly recommended realtor (a fellow REUNIONer), who ran through the process with us — a mini first-time homebuyers class — and recommended a mortgage broker. By the end of May, we had a concrete budget, and by mid-August, we were closing on our first home. I'll share more of that story soon, but suffice to say, it was a busy summer. Over the next two weeks, we spent our evenings moving all our worldly possessions and said goodbye to our Brookline apartment.



Move completed, we headed to the Cape to avoid the chaos that is Boston on unofficial moving weekend (most leases start on September 1, when the city plays a giant game of upset the fruit basket). We were ready to relax and to relieve some stress by chucking colored cornstarch at each other (after a short drive to Providence). The race that prodded us along on our homebuying journey was also our finish line — one we were thrilled to cross.

See more of our 2015 race photos on Flickr. Official race photos are marked with the Color Me Rad logo. Curious about our past races? Color Me Rad 2013 | 2014

The Science Behind Pixar, or that time I hugged WALL-E

I love Pixar. We own every single movie (except Cars 2, which is on the wish list). I quote them all the time. In fact, Ian quizzed me on random Pixar quotes he pulled from our Pixarpedia (yes, I know), and I was able to correctly identify almost every single one. So it was only appropriate that for my birthday we went to the Science Behind Pixar exhibit at the Museum of Science.

We arrived a little early for our timed ticket, just to make sure we weren't late. Promptly at 1:30 p.m., everyone in our time slot was ushered into a small room to watch a short introduction video hosted by Pixar characters, and then the doors opened and we were released to explore the giant interactive exhibition space.

We got to meet our favorite characters as we slowly worked and played our way through the process of creating an animated movie. Eight areas highlight modeling, rigging, surfaces, sets and cameras, animation, simulation, lighting, and rendering, each illustrated with a different movie set. Everything is interactive, allowing visitors to experiment with the process: we played with the lights on a miniature set from UP! and adjusted camera focus with Wall-E. And the exhibit was sprinkled with plenty of videos interviewing Pixar employees about their jobs and how what they do fits into the big picture.

We spent 2+ hours wandering around and learning about the complex science that goes into creating Pixar's incredible and beautiful stories, and loved every minute. In fact, we spent so much time there we weren't able to use our tickets to the museum proper (but we've got six months to squeeze in another visit). We highly recommend catching this special exhibit before it closes on January 10!

See more of our photos from the exhibit on Flickr.

family fun at Fenway

In the middle of our big move, Ren and Emily headed to New England for a weekend on the Cape. While we would have loved to spend a relaxing weekend with family, our move meant we had to settle for a Friday night Sox game (if you can call baseball at Fenway settling).

It was a beautiful night, and Grandma Judy, a lifetime die-hard Royals fan, got Alex Gordon's autograph and a wave from Ned Yost so we were all in a great mood.

Shortly after the game started, we discovered we also had the pleasure of sitting in front of two incredibly entertaining British gentlemen (seen standing in our classic family ballpark photo), who were absolutely delighted to be partaking in America's pastime. In the middle of the eighth, when "Sweet Caroline" began blasting through the sound system, one of them exclaimed, "Now that's what I traveled 4,000 miles and two plane rides for."



They also turned to us with a pressing question about a concession stand item:

British Gentleman 1: What do you Americans call that?

Us: Fried dough.

British Gentleman 1: God bless America.

British Gentleman 2: Indeed.

I love Fenway. Ren and Emily, come back soon!

Wait Wait Don't Tell Me @ the Wang Theatre

"That's why we edit. And that's why you're at the live show." —Faith Salie

We've been longtime fans of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! (I might even double press the talking crosswalk request buttons just to hear "wait wait"). So when Ian discovered the show was coming to Boston (so Peter Sagal could once again run the Boston Marathon as a sighted guide for a visually impaired athlete), we jumped on tickets.

Just like most Wait Wait fans, we crossed our fingers for Paula Poundstone but were still thrilled to see nameplates listing Tom (Bodett), Faith (Salie), and Maz (Jobrani) alongside Peter and Bill.

Here's the thing: you can listen online. So it seems pretty pointless to write about the actual show. What's interesting about catching a radio show live is seeing how it works, and hearing the bits that don't make the cut in that hour-long time slot.

Before the recording started, Peter explained a little bit about what to expect and warmed up the crowd (requesting the audience express "enthusiasm up to but not including flipping police cars over" and sharing his love for Boston). Bill made some jokes about the venue name, and then the benevolent overlords wearing headphones hit record.

The Not My Job guest of the week was Dick Flavin, Red Sox poet laureate. He was hilarious, but some of the panelist's questions for him resulted in less entertaining stories. Not boring, just not laugh out loud funny. But thanks to the magic of pre-recording , everything that Dick Flavin said on the radio was comedic gold. (They also cut out all of Peter's attempts to get Dick to say Peter Sagal the way he announces MLB players.)

There was a hilarious extra back and forth with one of the panel questions before they zeroed in on the answer of grilled cheese, but by the time the show aired on Saturday, we had already forgotten it. Womp womp. If we ever remember, we'll update this post!

By the time they closed out the show (with predictions about the next gyrocopter news event), the producers had a list of lines that needed re-recorded. Anything that Peter, Bill, Tom, Faith, or Maz flubbed or stumbled on the first time around was repeated so that by Saturday they would all be well spoken and witty (guests and callers don't get the same opportunity, but the edits were generally to their advantage). This was followed by a Q&A, to reward all of the fans who stuck around through the re-recording.

It was an evening well spent, and the next time they're recording in Boston, we'll be there!

Gregory Alan Isakov and his "Suitcase Full of Sparks"

Apparently some of our favorite musicians favor the Sinclair: Pomplamoose, Brooke Fraser, and now Gregory Alan Isakov.

We first saw him play at Newport Folk Festival, and it was just the kind of music you want while sitting under a giant tent, rain tapping along and thunder rumbling with the base line. Although the Sinclair is a much different space, they didn't disappoint. Old suitcases, a glowing globe, and a cozy rug set the vibe. He introduced his band as his best friends, and you could feel their easy camaraderie. Imagine sitting around a campfire in the Rocky Mountains, cuddled under a blanket, with your favorite people in the circle around you, and you're almost at the show.



Our favorite is "Suitcase Full of Sparks," which Ian sang at Fox and Sara's wedding (Ian tweaked the lyrics slightly so the details reflected their relationship and the wedding). And it gets me. every. single. time.



(Also, "Stable Song" and "Amsterdam," because.)

I'd say more, but the Boston Globe says it better. Meanwhile, I'll be listening to "Suitcase Full of Sparks" on repeat...

Brooke Fraser, Brutal Romantic

For Valentine's Day, Ian nabbed us tickets to see Brooke Fraser at the Sinclair. We've always been captivated by her incredible voice and songwriting, and love her latest album, Brutal Romantic. The week's snowstorm threatened to cancel our plans, but thankfully held off until the wee hours of the morning. (Giant flakes began to fall as we walked up to our front door around midnight.)



She was funny and down to earth. Her voice was pitch perfect. And we love the new techno vibe to her music, as she continues to evolve and explore her craft. In addition to songs from Brutal Romantic, she also played some of her old favorites, like "C. S. Lewis Song," remixed to her current style. She said, since the songs were now over a decade old, it was rather like teenagers getting tattoos and piercings. I like her similes.

The show was amazing, and the perfect Valentine's Day respite from the crazy snow. And the next time Brooke Fraser comes to Boston, we'll be there.

PompTour Boston 2014

As soon as I found out the Pomplamoose Season 2 #PompTour included Boston, we purchased tickets for the September 23 show at the Sinclair in Harvard Square. I may have slightly modified the lyrics to "September" as I counted down the days.

Much like our first Pomplamoose show, we began our evening with burgers and ice cream, this time at Shake Shack, before heading to the venue. We weren't too far back in the line, and scored a fantastic spot in the mezzanine right above the sound board. John Schroeder kicked off the show with a solo acoustic set. His Spanish guitar skills are off the chain, and his soulful songs are equally impressive.



One set change later, and the Pomplamoose band was on stage. Based on their 2011 show, I knew it would be crazy, entertaining, and full of amazing music. But they completely blew my expectations out of the water. Not only did they kill it with their set, Jack started a "mosh fractal" that culminated in a dance party, Nataly crowd surfed for the first time, and they capped off the evening with "La Vie en Rose" for an encore, with just Nataly singing and Jack playing accordion.



After the show, we landed at the end of the meet and greet line. It was late for a weeknight, but while we waited we had a great time chatting with Carlos, the drummer, as he shared more about Jack, Nataly, and the history of Pomplamoose.



When it was finally our turn to say hi, I didn't clam up like last time. And they remembered us! Also, they were still impressed with my Pomplamoose shirt, and Jack told me I look like Catherine Zeta Jones. They were so kind and patient, and they were incredibly accommodating for a Fingerwarmer fan photo.



Jack's full financial disclosure of the tour has drawn a flurry of criticism, but as a longtime fan who has attended both of their tours, I feel qualified to say they made a smart investment. The PompTour show was electric. Almost everyone we talked to in line before the show discovered them more recently, and that kind of performance can only solidify and grow their fan base. We have friends trying to make a living with music, and one thing they emphasize is they are small businesses, and if they don't treat their careers that way it isn't sustainable. The idea of artists creating art for the sake of art is romantic, but artists also have to pay the bills. I appreciate Pomplamoose's transparency, and hope they continue "making it" for a long time to come. We're already looking forward to the next Pomplamoose tour. Please come back to Boston!

See the rest of our PompTour photos on Flickr.

Megan and Phil walk all over Boston

Winter is fast approaching. We've pulled out our down coats and shearling-lined Bean boots to guard against the wet chill mixed with snow flurries that signal the eternal long New England winter is imminent. Which makes looking back on Megan and Phil's Labor Day weekend visit that much more wonderful, photos full of t-shirts, sandals, green grass, and that brilliant summer sun.

Megan has graced Boston with her presence twice before (both memorable: the first coincided with Hurricane Earl, and the second involved stealing a homeless man's vodka).  This time, she brought Phil, a good friend from our K-State days. We spent four days walking all over Boston (55,965 steps according to Breeze), packing in as much as we possibly could before their Monday afternoon return to Kansas.



We started at the office. Phil, as a planner involved with public transportation, was excited to navigate the MBTA to Watertown and also tour Sasaki. Megan was excited to eat at Roxy's on the way home (one of the many reasons why we're friends).

The next day we were up bright and early. We took the T to the Innovation District, and meandered over to the harbor to get in line for the Harpoon Brewery tour. Our last attempt at this particular tour (which also happened to be with Megan) was cut short as they sold the last tour tickets to the people in front of us in line. We were determined this wouldn't happen again. We shouldn't have worried. Harpoon had recently opened a new beer hall, which also exponentially increased their tour capacity. We purchased our tickets, learned all about Harpoon's brewing process, then hung around the beer hall for pretzels. (Forget the alcohol; I could eat those pretzels all day.) Post-pretzels, we headed straight to Yankee Lobster for our next meal, then walked it off by exploring more of the Innovation District and playing bocce at Sasaki-designed Lawn on D. And we kept on walking. We strolled the Greenway so Phil could experience the Big Dig, and we ended up in the North End for cannoli and lots of history (and inadvertently the Saint Anthony's Feast celebration).

Sunday, after a great morning at REUNION, we headed to Fenway for a ballpark tour followed by Sweet Cheeks biscuits. We enjoyed learning more about the history of Fenway and the Sox, and exploring the places most fans don't get to experience on a typical game day: the visitor's locker room, the Green Monster seats, the press box, and more.






On Monday, we had some time to kill before Megan and Phil's flight home, so we rented a ZipCar and headed to a place Ian has wanted to visit since we moved to Boston five years ago: World's End. In the late 1800s, Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture, designed it to be a residential subdivision. The carriage paths were created and trees were planted, but the houses were never built. The peninsula was eventually shortlisted to be the UN headquarters, and later considered for a nuclear power plant site, but the community worked hard to raise funds to protect the land. Now, it's a beautiful park with tree-lined walking paths and stunning views of Boston and the harbor. We walked around the entire peninsula, and even managed to dip our toes in the Atlantic.




Megan and Phil, thanks for spending your vacations with us! We had so much fun wandering around the city, eating good food, and nerding out about city planning and landscapes. Come back soon! (And Phil, congratulations on your engagement! Next time, bring Ashley too!)

Visit Flickr for more photos of our weekend!