This is Ian's and my eleventh year following the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. Between work travel and projects, a month of sickness, and the added complication of needing a babysitter, Ian and I once again were unable to make it to the Coolidge before the awards show. We're bummed to miss out on the highly commended shorts (Wishing Box and Tweet Tweet both look really good), but we're thankful we were able to catch all the nominees, courtesy iTunes and our personal Pixar collection. This year is an impressive lineup, which makes breaking our current losing streak a challenge (our prediction record is now 3 for 8, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts).
This is Ian and I's tenth year following the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. We had to improvise a bit this year, since a family vacation meant we wouldn't be able to catch them at the Coolidge before the awards show (we still plan to go, and it will be our eighth at the Coolidge). Even though we cobbled it together (thanks to Amazon, iTunes, and Netflix) I'm so glad we're still able to enjoy our longest family tradition (I can't wait until we can include Lucy!). Our prediction record is now 3 for 7, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts. Fingers crossed we can bump up our batting average this year.
I've wanted a cat almost as long as I can remember. And someone always said no. First my mom (who got me a cat stuffed animal for my 18th birthday as a joke... Mom, I still love you!), then K-State Housing and Dining Services, then all my landlords. So when we bought the condo, high on our list was finding a cat. We knew we wanted to get settled first, but as soon as we got back from Kansas for Christmas, I started planning when we could visit an animal shelter and combed through hundreds of PetFinder profiles. (Ian firmly told me he wasn't willing to drive more than an hour for a cat, no matter how cute.)
This is Ian and I's ninth year watching the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our seventh at the Coolidge). It's hard to believe we've kept the tradition for so long (and next year we'll need a babysitter...), but we look forward to it every year! Our prediction record is now 3 for 6, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts.
Our home buying story is later than I meant it to be (#storyofmylife) but it feels appropriate to share it exactly one year after closing on our first home.
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!
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.
This is Ian and I's eighth year watching the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our sixth at the Coolidge Corner Theatre). While this year's nominees didn't feel as compelling overall as in previous years, we still enjoyed our continuing tradition. Our prediction record is now 3 for 5, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts. I'm still disappointed The Dam Keeper didn't win last year — Disney seems to be our prediction kryptonite. But especially since there's not a Disney short in the mix this year, here's hoping we're 4 for 6 after tonight!
Sanjay's Super Team — Sanjay, a first-generation Indian boy, loves super heroes. But when his beloved cartoons conflict with his father's Hindu prayers, he is forced to reconcile his western culture with his storied heritage. I can relate to Sanjay's experiences as a first-generation American trying to balance his two identities. Through an entertaining story and beautiful visuals, Pixar reminds us that a fresh perspective is sometimes all we need to bring different worlds together.
World of Tomorrow — A little girl suddenly finds herself transported to the world of the distant future, where humanity has made vast strides in the effort to extend life. The short finds laugh-out-loud humor through the juxtaposition of an innocent toddler with the strange experiences of her glitchy digital future self. This contrast also illustrates technological "progress" is not always what it seems, and the short manages to deeply explore questions of life and what it means to be human. Its minimalist but clever animation is fresh and incredibly fitting. This is our bet to take home the Oscar.
Bear Story (Historia de un Oso)— An old bear spends his days as a street entertainer, telling his life story as a kidnapped circus bear through an intricate and beautiful mechanical diorama. The diorama is a unique and impressive storytelling device, but I felt the story itself was missing an intangible spark.
We Can't Live Without Cosmos — From the director of Lavatory, Love Story, this short follows two lifelong friends as they train to be cosmonauts, following their shared dream of making it to the stars. With delightful bits of humor sprinkled in, Cosmos explores the idea of shared dreams, friendship, and failure.
Prologue — The ancient war between Sparta and Athens is brought into sharp, hand drawn detail as four warriors battle to the death. This was a graphic and intense short, noted as "not suitable for young viewers." The well composed animation with realistic human rendering was astounding, but the story itself wasn't as thought-provoking as I would have hoped, given the dark and deep subject matter. Highly Commended Shorts If I Was God — A middle school boy daydreams about ultimate power during a science class frog dissection. The claymation was a perfect medium for this hilariously awkward coming of age story. We've enjoyed all the selections we've seen out of Canada's NFB, which produced Bus Story in 2015 and Wild Life and Sunday/Dimanche in 2012, and this year did not disappoint.
The Short Story of a Fox and a Mouse — A mouse, alone and without cover, escapes one danger only to enter a bigger predicament. But an unexpected alliance at the right moment can change everything. The pale winter scenes and bright animals were a beautiful way to tell a sweet if predictable story.
The Loneliest Stoplight — At the intersection of two local roads, an old stoplight tells his life story, from installation to obsolescence to one shining moment thanks to a pileup on the freeway. It's a classic story of small town charm versus the efficiency of progress, retold through an unexpected lens. This was another solid short from Bill Plympton, the animator behind last year's Footprints and one of our all-time favorites, The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger.
Catch It — A meerkat family has been anticipating the day they can finally enjoy the fruitful bounty of a nearby tree. When a vulture swoops in and steals their prize, the meerkats fight back, only to learn sometimes victory isn't so sweet.
As always, we enjoyed all of the shorts, and highly recommend catching them if you have the opportunity. Have fun watching the Oscars, and may the best films win!
*update: we predicted World of Tomorrow, but Bear Story took home the Oscar.
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.
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
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?
So, we bought a house. Technically, half a house (a condo in a 1930s two-family home). It's a 20-minute walk from our office, with a washer and dryer in the basement (no more quarters!) and a couple extra bedrooms (if you visit, you won't be on an air mattress in our living room anymore! okay, maybe still the air mattress, but in a bedroom!). We get to DIY to our hearts' content. We have three families of friends within a few blocks, and even more friends in the area. We're so excited!
But we're leaving Brookline, which simultaneously breaks our hearts. It has been our home all our 5-plus years in Boston. We love our quiet little street, and the park next door that is sometimes full of silly kids and Little League baseball games. We have lots of friends nearby, and are a short walk away from not one but two green lines. We can be downtown in 20 minutes, while still enjoying life in a quiet cozy neighborhood. We're practically next door to the library, Cutty's, and Orinoco, and we can bike to Sox games.
We know we made the right choice to move (our home-buying story is in the blog pipeline), but it is bittersweet to leave a place we love so well. Thankfully, it's not too far away and we have plenty of reasons (good friends and good food, not to mention our dentist) to come back often.
Here's to an amazing 5 years, 9 months, and 4 days in our beloved Brookline!
The New York Timesposted an article about a 12-foot tall snow mound that is still in the Seaport district. In July. Did I mention it's July?
I felt this was an appropriate time to reflect on the past winter, when Boston broke the record for total winter snowfall with a final tally of 110.6 inches. That's over 9 feet of snow, which would be 2 feet over Shaq's head, if you followed the Boston Globe's Shaq-o-meter in 2011. (Our mid-February very informal Ian-o-meter was photographed at 77.3 inches.)
After looking back through our photos, I have absolutely no complaints about the sometimes hot and sultry summer weather.
And an interesting article from the Boston Globe explores potential demographic implications of the past winter. No, we're not moving to warmer climes.
We were so honored to make the (very exclusive) guest list for Grey's birthday party, compiled by the birthday girl herself. That's how you know you've made it.
We've been friends with John and Erin since college, and it is so fun to watch their girls grow up (so fast!). We remember visiting the hospital and seeing G when she was a tiny little bundle of blankets, and now she's her own bona fide little person! She is kind, generous, artistic, and full of love, and so much fun to be around.
After signing her very pink cast (a recent wardrobe addition thanks to a minor playground accident involving a modern merry-go-ground), we enjoyed a chicken nuggets and fries picnic in the living room, followed by enthusiastic present opening and cake made by Erin (she makes GOOD cake). John wins quote of the evening with his birthday candle coaching: "Now don't spit; just blow."
Grey, thanks so much for inviting us to celebrate with you!
"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!
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.
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.
Marathon Monday snuck up on us this year. Probably because of all the snow. But a record-breaking winter and a cold, rainy race day can't stop Boston. I still feel so many emotions when I think about the marathon, but joy and pride definitely win out. Marathon Monday is Boston at it's best. And whether Ian and I are watching in person or tracking our friends online from the office, we're always cheering. We run together. #BostonStrong
Congratulations to everyone who has already crossed the finish line, and good luck to everyone still on the course. (Go Erin! Go Lynne! Go Stevie!)
