nice coworkers

I have to say, I do have some very nice coworkers. My new role at our new office location kind of has me in a 50/50 split between being an HR Coordinator and as the front desk receptionist, so I get quite a lot of exposure to staff members that I normally didn't get to see in person in the Fogg basement. So once in a while it's really nice to see a surprise on my desk ... a few recent examples ...

One coworker (who, sadly isn't with us anymore) left me this note after I helped her do something. I can't even remember what exactly I did, but it felt good to know she appreciated the assistance. Plus, this really made me smile.

I had a conversation with one coworker (which I seem to do a lot of being in this position, physically ...) about how her roommate works at Starbucks, how it was one of my all-time favorite jobs, and what we usually order (how I can't do the vanilla latte anymore because of allergy issues, etc.). Low and behold, a couple of days later I came back from my lunch break to find a freshly made latte waiting for me on my desk, made exactly the way I had described to her during the conversation. Not only was I touched by the fact that she thought of me while she was out running her errands, but I was so elated that she was actually listening to our conversation. This woman seriously has a big heart.

And then there is my Pocky friend, EK. I found this on my desk one morning and literally laughed out loud. Tiramisu flavored Pocky! Brilliant!!

Then last week, I heard that one of our coworkers went up to the Burdick chocolate cooking school in New Hampshire. She had a blast! I can only imagine how much fun that was. So after I talked to her about it one afternoon, the next morning I found these two beautifully handmade chocolates on my desk. Aren't they gorgeous?! She said that they were made with figs soaked in port, anise, and hazelnut cream ... yummy!! Such a sweet gesture. And by the way, if/when I win the lottery jackpot, she will have to be the head chocolate maker and teach us all her neat tricks.

And then this morning I found two nice things on my desk, one of which was this lovely jar of strawberry jelly from Cabot's Confections in Cape Cod. The deputy director's assistant was out last week on vacation and so I helped take care of his calendar and set up meetings while he was gone. It was so thoughtful of him to bring back this little token of appreciation.

Last but not least, I found this letter on my desk this morning from Jess after we had cat sitted (cat sat? is that proper?) for them last week. I love receiving handwritten notes, and the two little cat stickers on the envelope just made me giggle.

So again, I do have some wonderfully sweet coworkers. A nice thought for a Monday.

webs in northampton, ma

When I first heard about Webs, it was described to me as the Mecca of all things related to yarn. So when we first walked in there, I was kind of expecting to be wowed. You know, I knew it was coming. But seriously? I mean, wow.


Row after row full of beautiful yarns in so many different colors and textures!

And a whole wall (I believe it actually went on further than this) full of needles in every size imaginable. And the coolest (and cutest!) knitted samples all throughout the store. Like this adorable baby sweater that I think I petted for at least two minutes.

And tons of books and patterns to browse through! Such an array of fun projects to add to my list of faves.

So after telling the husband to go find a comfy chair to sit in (it was boiling hot outside so the car was not an option) because I knew I would be there for over an hour, he went off to meander and locate said chair. Alas, they were all taken by other waiting husbands/boyfriends but he did say to me, "Oh boy. You might want to go to the back of the store." And then I remembered: the WAREHOUSE!!

Um, yeah. I think I did wet my pants a teensy bit when I walked through that door. My pictures don't even do it justice (and of course, it's super blurry because I couldn't hold still long enough) - these aisles were long and stocked full of goodness.

It took me forever to go down each aisle, looking and feeling just about every single kind they had there. What is neat is that you can buy just one skein or you can get bags of the same colorway if you need to. Awesome. I snapped this photo of one called "Williamstown" because that's the town that Tony grew up in.

So what did I end up getting? Errr, you mean, what did I end up spending my horse race winnings on?! (See previous post.) I bought some extremely soft baby alpaca yarn in four different colors. Mostly because, well, they were only $4 each. And also because I couldn't pick just one color.

I got two skeins of this Misti Alpaca yarn simply because I love the color of it. I'm not sure what they will turn into but I couldn't resist the color.


And then I found this pattern that I am obsessively thinking about. I think it's so cute!
So I bought 10 skeins of this Classic Yarn in a dark grey and muted blue colorway to hopefully one day create the sweater. I couldn't believe they were only $3.25 a skein!

And to make the contrasting trim, I picked up two skeins in a soft green color (you know me and green!).


And then as a treat (again, back to the horse prize), I bought a swift and yarn winder. Although, I'm not so sure I'm psyched about the blue and orange combo, but it'll do the trick so it doesn't matter, right?

Anywho, as you can see by the new additions to my yarn stash, I think I'll be busy for a little while. I can't imagine living closer to the store than this (it's about a 2.5 hour drive) because I'm sure I'd break the bank with each trip there. Definitely worth the drive though! And an easy way to spend two hours!!

5 6 9

Sometimes, you just gotta believe.

Like when I saw this sign at the gas station on our way to the Berkshires last Saturday morning. I thought to myself, "Hmmm ... those would make good numbers to pick at the race track tomorrow." (Yes, I am weird like that. I have a weird fascination with numbers. Let's not even go there.)

Look a little more to the left. [Again to self:] "Hmmm, that's a red horse. That's a sign. A horse telling me to pick those numbers at the horse track tomorrow. Will I remember these numbers? Where's my cell phone? I should take a photo of them. Nah, I'll remember. 5 6 9. 5 6 9."

Fast forward to Sunday at the Saratoga race track. Race 5. And I picked the winning trifecta.

I shit you not my friend! And all with a $2 bet. How much did I win? Well, let's just say that I paid for dinner that night, including a nice bottle of Chianti (not the cheaper one!) and dinner with our friend the next night. Good times. Good times fo' sho.

my pocky friend

I wasn't sure if I should post this here on this blog or on that blog, but anyway, I want to let the world know that I have a Pocky friend. Yes, world! I have a Pocky friend.

My coworker, who will be known from here on out as EK, and I started chatting one day at work about a local Korean store near our office that he and I both frequent and then somehow we got on the topic of Pocky. I think I was complaining about how they don't have very many kinds at said store and that they're usually pretty low in inventory whenever I go (which isn't all that often even though, yes, I am half Korean - go figure!).

And then I remember telling him about our discovery in Vancouver during our honeymoon:

We were just walking along aimlessly in Vancouver when we stumbled upon this Asian market that apparently sold Pocky (can you tell by the signage?!). So of course we peeked inside and then found a huge section full of all sorts of Pocky variations. Incredible!

Ladies and gentlemen, this photo doesn't even really show you the vastness of Pocky supply in this store. I simply couldn't back up far enough to capture it all. Insane.

Anyway, back to the story at the beginning of this post. One day, I went to the market and actually saw that they had Pocky in stock. Not only did they have Pocky in the regular size in stock, but in the jumbo box size. So as a joke, I bought a box for EK and gave it to him the next day.

So fast forward to a little over a week ago (yes, I know, I'm a little behind in posting) and in walks EK. He hands me a plastic grocery bag. And what's inside? Four boxes of Pocky! Four!

He gave me a box of almond and chocolate ...

... strawberry ...

... men's bitter chocolate ...

... and almond crush.

The "men's bitter chocolate" box cracked me up - what the heck?! Anyway, it was a really nice gesture and it brightened my day to think that finding different flavors of Pocky in a store was equally exciting for someone else in this world. So there you have it folks, I have a Pocky friend!

The irony is that I can't eat Pocky because of my food allergies. Luckily, husband can. :) I mean, I do sneak one stick of the regular kind every once in a while but I wish I could divulge in the other yummy flavors once in a while. (I think we had the coconut kind back in Vancouver and that was pretty fricken good.)

And yesterday when EK brought his wife and two kids into the office, I shook his wife's hand and for some stupidly geeky reason blurted out, "I'm his Pocky buddy!" and stood there as she looked at me like I had four heads. Come to find out after he walked them out of the office to the car, I wasn't supposed to reveal that to her. Ooopsies! Talk about being too excited! :-\

So what other flavors will we discover out there? I wish I could go back to that store in Vancouver to buy a box of every single kind. Till then, I'll have to see if I can find a box of a Tiramisu flavor that EK supposedly found the other day.

my first pair of knitted socks

Are finally complete!!

Okay, not exactly sure when I started these (four weeks? five weeks? no, six+ weeks ago really??!) but I finally decided to just take them home and finish the toe on the second side last night. Voila! Not the most perfect pair but hey, they're my first!

(Hee hee ... it looks like I'm clapping my feet to cheer for myself in this picture.)

I messed up one row of the second sock (note to self: must pay attention to the pattern! stop talking so much during knitting hour!) so you can see how it bulges out a little funny on the top band, but oh well. They're mine and they're imperfect. C'est la vie.

I really like this yarn that I used and I have about a skein left of it. Trying to think of something to make with them but in the meantime, I like looking at the tiny stitches that it formed on the sock.

Going to continue dreaming of all the yarn that I'll get to see at Webs on Monday ... TGIF!! :)

knitting group

Does this ever happen to you? You know you should be working on one type of project but then the desire to work on something completely different starts to creep into your mind. That seems to be happening a lot to me lately which is quite frustrating. For instance, I know I should be making cards and coming up with ideas but I'd rather be knitting instead. Or then when I begin knitting, I start remembering that really cute little sewn placement set project that would just make the neatest Christmas present this year.

Well, thank goodness for my knitting group at work. At least twice a week for an hour at a time, I can sit and concentrate on completing a project. And have fun at the same time. I must say, our group has some of the funniest people I work with. It's such a nice break in the day and they are quite an inspiring bunch.

Anywho, I decided to snap some pictures of things that some of us have been working on lately during today's session. A few of us started on this sock pattern a few weeks ago. And here you can see Jessica's completed pair which turned out so super cute.

She also made this really cute bathroom mat out of some cotton yarn in fun colors. It's so sturdy and just the perfect size. We joke that her cats will love eating it.

We have a crocheter in our group, too. Jennifer has been making these adorable squares lately. It makes me want to learn how to crochet too. Oy, another hobby to add to my list!

And here's a photo of the progress I've made on a pair of socks. As you can see, one is done! I have to say that it was much simpler than I thought it would be and I really like the yarn I used for this pair. I'm in the last stage of completing the toe so hopefully this pair will be completed this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend and yarn ... it's going to be a three-day weekend for us in the Berkshires. Hallelujah! On our way back, we're planning on stopping in Northampton so I'm totally excited about going to Webs for the very first time. I hear that I'll need at least an hour in there to myself (note to husband: must find you something to do for an hour without me in Northampton) and that there's a whole wearhouse section in the back. Oh dearie. Sounds quite dangerous to me.

Back to crafting ...

15 movies

I posted this on Facebook but I thought it would be a good conversation starter on my blog.

15 movies that stay with you ...

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen movies you've seen that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

So here goes, in no particular order ... a little commentary after each title (of course):

1. Roman Holiday - this was the very first Audrey Hepburn movie I ever saw and I instantly fell in love with her. She played such an innocent character in this movie, and the whole story line was like a little fairytale. I always wonder at the end what happens between the two of them ... like, do they keep in touch? Do they just forget that the whole thing happened? Does she ditch the crown and go marry him?

2. Sense & Sensibility - I just love this story. And Emma Thompson. And Hugh Grant. And Hugh Grant in tight pants. :) The love story between them throughout the movie moves me each time I watch it (yes, sometimes I do still cry!), and I think I've watched it over a hundred times.

3. Pride & Prejudice - of course, the loooooooong version with Colin Firth. In tight pants, too! Here's a confession: I took an English class while at UMass Boston where we had to read something like five books within a month, then get tested on them by writing essays. One of them was Pride & Prejudice. So since I knew that the script for this movie was pretty much word for word by the book, I didn't bother re-reading the book. I just watched the movie again and aced the test. LOL Anyway, this is the other DVD I watch when I don't have Sense & Sensibility on auto-play.

4. Amelie - who doesn't love Amelie?! Audrey Tautou is so stinking cute. Even if she is a little malicious in this movie (she means well!). Of course, one of the most intriguing parts/themes in the movie was the photo booth mystery. I think the album that Nino put together of all the scraps and waste is a brilliant idea. And the traveling gnome inspired me to kidnap one of my old coworker's Mr. Potato Head doll/toy. Long story. Lots of photos.

5. The Green Mile - I think this was the first time I had seen Michael Clarke Duncan in a movie, and I was so moved by his performance. Tom Hanks was a great actor in this one too. It always makes me cry each time I see it, even though I know what's going to happen.

6. The Matrix - this sticks in my memory because it's the first movie Tony and I ever went to see together, but also because it's just an incredible movie both with special effects and the whole concept of the story. It's funny how we'll sit and watch it again if it's playing on TV (like we did this weekend) and how much more I understand the story each time.

7. Notting Hill - Yes, Hugh Grant again. Another one I can watch over and over again. I love how their relationship builds up, the setting, and the whole cast of charatcters just cracks me up.

8. Love Actually - holy crap! Hugh Grant again! (I must say, I do like him a lot. Even if he does dirty things off screen.) I have Jill to thank for introducing me to this movie. I like movies that have several story lines going on because it keeps in interesting. It's got all the people I really like in one film - Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth - and the funniest mock-porn scenes.

9. The Butterfly Effect - wow, this was a pretty incredible movie. Amy Smart did such an amazing job in this movie playing various characters and roles. Kind of a scary movie, but very good too. Kind of gets that whole "what if?" dialogue going inside your head.

10. Mystic Pizza - my sister and I used to watch this movie over and over again when we were younger. Before we even understood the concept of dating. Before we even knew the difference between races (i.e. that Portugeuse people were different). And I think before we saw Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. It's funny now as an adult to watch the movie and realize how much adult content is in this film (sex, adultery, learning the definition of a nymphomaniac), yet it seems innocent enough for two little knuckleheads to be entertained.

11. Spanglish - I like this one for so many reasons. I love how Adam Sandler is a chef in it, it's food parts, and especially Paz Vega. The way that she portrayed an immigrant struggling to learn the language and customs of Americans was brilliant. And you know that each time I watch it I still wish that she and Adam Sandler could've ended up together in the end!

12. The Sixth Sense - one word: creepy! But in a good way. I remember watching it for the first time and at the end when they reveal all the moments where he thinks he existed thinking that this was one of the most brilliant films ever. I still get goose bumps just thinking about some of the scenes!

13. Mad Hot Ballroom - now this was a very cool movie about school kids in NYC. They're enrolled in a ballroom dancing class and then later in the movie, it shows them (from start to finish) in a city-wide ballroom dancing competition. It's funny to watch them go from "girls suck" to being so enveloped in learning the dance moves and perfecting their steps at the end of the movie. A very uplifting and endearing movie.

14. The Visitor - we saw this at the Kendall Theatre last year and were totally thrown off by the subject matter because it wasn't what we had expected at all. But it was good! And actually quite a sad movie in the end (sorry if I'm ruining it for everyone). I think Richard Jenkins did a great job in this flick as he transformed into someone that became warm and caring about the state of others. Quite a moving piece.

15. Seven Pounds - I watched this a few weeks ago when I had some nose surgery and Tony was sweet enough to rent all nine movies I gave him on a list to help me recover. Wow. It's quite a disturbing movie but it all comes together quite interestingly in the end. Will Smith did an incredible acting job in this one as a man trying to cope from a traumatic accident that he feels he was at fault for. The way it ends is quite unexpected too.

How about you? What are 15 movies that stand out to you? Speaking of movies, we recently saw the new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie. I have to say, it's probably the best one out of the entire series. The special effects are amazing.

Two that I want to see: Julie & Julia and Alice in Wonderland. I never read the book that Julie & Julia is based off of, but come on, it's about cooking! I definitely have to see it! And the cast alone of Alice in Wonderland is intriguing -- Johnny Depp! Helena Bonham Carter! Alan Rickman! Anne Hathaway! It will be interesting to see this adaptation because it's not going to be a retelling of the story, rather Alice at age 17 going back to Wonderland.

(Just by the sheer look on Johnny's face you know this will be good!)