Since my parents basically live in Florida, going down there is more like going home than going on vacation.
That said, going down to Florida with my niece, Abby, makes it a vacation. And that’s exactly what I was doing last week.
We all went down for our first full family vacation with Abby. The first half she was with my sister, brother-in-law, and his family, and the second half they were with me and my folks. Continue reading
When I say that visits to Boston by my niece, Abby, are getting to be routine, that’s not meant to say that they’re getting boring. Far from it. What I mean is that Abby comes to Boston twice a year and I can look forward to them now because I know that come December, she’ll be here (same with Labor Day weekend). It’s predictable and routine, in the best possible way. And this past weekend’s visit didn’t disappoint. We had a fun brunch at my place on Friday (with Barrah, Farry, and Scott), a visit to the Children’s Museum on Saturday, lots of Wii, lots of “Old MacDonald” (aka “EIEIO”), and lots of fun. If anything, it was too quick. Thankfully, I took lots of pictures, and that will help preserve the memories. Want a look? Just click here.
People often ask me, “Martin, if you don’t like cold weather, why have you stayed in the Northeast your entire life?”
And invariably, my answer is, “Because of days like today.” Continue reading
Abby has learned some new words since I last saw her (in June): “More” and “No.” She said both many times this weekend while she was here in Boston for her family’s now-annual Labor Day Weekend visit to Boston. Nothing was ever enough, and she knew what she wanted (and what she didn’t want). Suffice it to say, a great time was had.
Abby’s an exhausting little girl now, but an endlessly fascinating (and fascinated) one. I loved watching her walk all over — my apartment, an open field, a playground, Farry & Barrah’s apartment, the Pru and Copley malls, the Public Garden, Boston Common, the B.C. campus … you name it, she was there exploring every nook and cranny. Abby’s been to Boston before (most recently in January) but each time she comes, she’s more aware of and curious about her surroundings. I could sit and watch her wander around for days and days. And that’s pretty much what I did.
And, as if Mitzi and Jason didn’t have enough to tire them out with chasing Abby around, they also got a little bit hooked on my Wii (Mitzi especially). Who knew they’d like it so much? It’s safe to say that when the three of them left on Monday, we all wanted a little bit “more” time to spend together. Alas, real life beckons. Thankfully, we’ll always have the pictures to remind us of the great time we had (click here to see them). Till their next visit …
While driving through Watertown earlier today, I saw this sign. Anyone know which two ways you can drive on Pleasant Street? Is it really up and down?
I say it every time I go there, but it’s true: Chicago is my kind of town.
And my trip over the past few days was definitely one of the best yet.
Sure, I do some of the same things whenever I’m in the Windy City (hello, Bean), but I haven’t had the same agenda twice.
There’s always something new and different to do. Continue reading
With all due apologies to Dr. Seuss, today was a great day to be out and about in the Back Bay area. Not that I saw anything soooo exciting, but the sights and sounds were nice enough that I thought they merited a quick blog post.
The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the weather was warm, there was a pleasant breeze at times, a parade was going by on Boylston St., musicians were playing in the Public Garden, flowers were in bloom, stores were practically empty, outside dining areas were crowded, people were wearing less clothing … and I took it all in with a great big smile on my face.
This has been a really great weekend and it’ll be a bummer to have to be back in the office tomorrow. Continue reading
I was home in New York this weekend because 11 months after she was born, Abby finally had her Naming, where she received her Hebrew name. (Usually this happens much sooner after a baby’s birth.) It was also a significant weekend for me because for the first time since Abby was born, I slept overnight at my sister and brother-in-law’s house, which was a lot of fun — even at 6:15 on Saturday morning, when I woke up early to greet Abby. It was also amusing being there Saturday night when she spent about an hour babbling in her crib, telling her best bud, Quackers (a stuffed duck), all about her day, and wouldn’t go to sleep. Ahhh … babies. Abby’s still so great, and she and I just have a really special relationship. She always remembers me, and lights up when she sees me. I am one of the few people, it seems, who can consistently make her smile and laugh. And then there are the quiet times when I just sit there holding her, and she just relaxes without fidgeting. It’s adorable, and it excites me to no end. And of course, that’s partly why I take so many pictures of Abby when I see her. So yes, I thought I’d share this weekend’s collection. Enjoy.
As problems go, this one is not really a problem. Abby came to visit for a few days this weekend to wish me a Happy New Year, and she had gotten so cute (cuter than the last time I took photos and even cuter than the last time she was in Boston) that my camera just kinda went nuts while she was here. (Saturday we even did an impromptu mini photo shoot when she was cuddled up against me in my apartment.) Now I’ve got a surplus of great photos and I’m not sure which ones are the most frame-worthy. It’s a definite quandary, especially because I’ve already got a few photos of her framed and, you know, when do you replace the older ones of her when she was younger with the newer ones now that she’s eight months old? I just can’t figure out what to do. Help me: Check out the latest collection and tell me which ones are your favorites. It’s a tough choice, eh?
This was the view out my window onto Commonwealth Ave. around 10 p.m. last night …
… and this is what it looks like around 8:30 this morning.
It’s certainly nicer than the view out my old window was. There’s lots of snow, lots of digging and plowing to do. Thankfully, my car’s now parked indoors in a garage so I can relax and make some waffles and wait till it’s all clear and I can go out again. From the looks of it, I could be waiting a while.
Martin's Musings 
