Do You Know Me?

8 Sep

So anyway, I went out last night with Sara and her “knight in shining armour,” Todd. We talked about when her computer died and the weekend she went to New Jersey. And of course, she wished me happy blogiversary and asked how things were going at work in the two months since I was promoted. And we talked about how some people call me Martin and some call me Marty and what that’s all about.

The funny thing was, this was actually the first time Sara and I had ever hung out (if you don’t include a brief conversation at the reunion back in June). But because we both have blogs, we already knew a great deal about each other and what we’d both been up to. Which was cool and all, but also sort of weird because it reminded me just how much of my life is put out on this blog for public consumption.

I mean, it’s not all here. You don’t read about work or my dating experiences, for example. But you know when I go to the movies and how I spend my weekends and what TV shows I’m watching (for better and for worse) and how I feel about various topics, and all sorts of other stuff.

So it’s funny. How many conversations start with something like, “What’s new?” or “What have you been up to?” But if you read my blog, you already know the answer to those questions, don’t you?

It’s not that I mind people being able to live my life vicariously through this site. Far from it. If that was a problem, I wouldn’t keep a blog like this one. And hey, if you find my life that interesting that you keep coming back every day, week, or whenever, well, then that’s cool. It’s just that it’s sort of weird to talk with people and not have to catch them up on what’s going on with me because they’ve been following along on here and they know all my stories already.

Not that it stopped Sara, Todd and I from keeping a conversation going last night. On the contrary. In fact, every so often we’d say something or do something or see something and wonder if the other would put it in his/her blog. And, well, I guess this posting (and Sara’s posting) just goes to show that yes, some aspect of the evening did get documented. Blogs are funny like that sometimes.

The Other Side of the River

8 Sep

I don’t often go to Cambridge, and it’s not just because getting there by T is an uncomfortable experience.

Or at least it used to be. When I first moved to Boston, I worked for five months at a public relations firm in Kendall Square. Then they fired me, which was the best possible thing because I was not the right person for this job and I truly did not like it.

But while I worked there and for a couple years after that, every time I’d ride the T, I’d get an upset stomach every time we’d go through the Kendall/MIT station.

No joke.

It was like a Pavlov’s Dog kind of thing that my body just knew where I was and hated being there.

All that has passed now, thank God, and basically I just told you a story for no relevant reason to this posting. Continue reading →

Oh, Baby

6 Sep

I know I’m late to the discussion on this, but since I’ve been asked a couple times today, let me add my two cents …

Say what you will about her father, but Suri Holmes Cruise (or whatever her name is) is one adorable baby. As What Would Tyler Durden Do? says, the only way the photos from Vanity Fair could be any cuter would be “if there was a baby tiger and a baby panda dressed in little Halloween costumes in the background. The tiger would be dressed as a pirate and the panda would be a ghost in a sheet with holes cut out for eyes. And then they went to the house and the person ran out of candy after giving candy to the baby pirate tiger, so the baby ghost panda didn’t get any, so then the baby pirate tiger would share his candy with the baby ghost panda. Other than that, I think the cuteness is pretty much maxed out.” Click on this link to see all the sickeningly sweet cuteness. (Or click here if the other link has been taken down.)

Good for Katie, I say. If this is the type of child she produces, Katie can procreate with me any day of the week if she’d like to. Otherwise, fine, I suppose I’ll settle for Jennifer Garner. But damn. I can’t get over how f’in cute this baby is.

Bright Sun

5 Sep

Picked up Ray LaMontagne‘s new CD, Till the Sun Turns Black, this weekend and I have to say, I love this album. You already know I love Ray’s cover of “Crazy” (the Gnarls Barkley song that everyone, even Billy Idol, has covered this summer) and this makes me like him even more. From the lush (can I use that word to describe Ray’s music?) and string-filled first track, “Be Here Now,” and “Can I Stay,” to the more jangly, jazzy “You Can Bring Me Flowers,” and on, this is great listening. I especially love “Three More Days,” which is soulful and catchy, and sounds like classic Joe Cocker. Till the Sun Turns Black is a beautiful album that seems to be a big jump from Ray’s last CD, Trouble (which, admittedly, I don’t own, but have heard a lot of). Consider this one highly recommended. Go pick it up and listen for yourself.

I Can See Clearly Now …

4 Sep

… the rain is gone. Sunday sucked. Simply said. Were it not for the great U.S. Open matches, the day would have been a total waste for me.

… because I picked up my new glasses on Saturday. They’re rimless and more stylish than my old pair. And, they’re a better, more up-to-date prescription (which always helps). Still, I’m not convinced I want to keep them. The titanium is just too light, the frames feel too loose, they look funny, and it’s been a weird adjustment. Thankfully, LensCrafters‘ 30-day guarantee gives me that flexibility. So I’m keeping my eyes open. Pun intended.

… that school’s back in session. Yes, it takes longer to drive down Comm. Ave and the city’s just generally more crowded. But most importantly, shopping at Shaw’s is no longer a pleasure. (I mean, not including the eye candy, which is great and back in abundance.) You may know that I take a small degree of pride in my ability to get through the self-checkout lane quickly, and these newbies do nothing but hold me up and make all the lines longer. Avoid 4–6p.m. at all costs.

… that some people just suck. I needed an activity today, so I ventured up north to Jordan’s in Reading to check out (but not take advantage of) the trapeze lessons (and have a hamburger at Fuddruckers), and then I went to the Burlington Mall. Well, what must have been a half hour later, I still hadn’t found a parking spot at the mall (yes, I was being really patient) and I decided to just go home. So a giant F.U. to the two people who literally stole my spots. One was right behind me and wouldn’t back up so I could get the spot I had been waiting for because she wanted it, and another pulled out in front of me and grabbed a spot that had become available and that I was clearly entitled to. Not sure I’ve cursed that much in a long time. (That is, until someone in my building removed my clothes from the washers within five minutes of it being done. WTF? People can’t give a person a five minute grace period?) ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

They’re Back? Yes and No

1 Sep

Yes: The T is full of stupid kids trying to squeeze on to already-full trains. There are random mattresses in random hallways, moving trucks on the side of the street, and clueless parents spending money to help their kids settle into their new apartments. There’s activity in the streets after 10 p.m. Louder volumes in the malls and restaurants and most everywhere else you go. Are the students back in town? You bet.

No: Despite all their health scares and the off-field drama, the Sox have now won two games in a row for the first time in about a month. It’s a frickin’ miracle. So are they back in the pennant race? No, I don’t think so.

Happy Anniversary!

31 Aug

Anyone who knows me probably knows that I’m easily distracted and don’t always finish the things I start. (I’m also a bit wordy, so get ready.)

So it stands to reason that when I started keeping a blog, few people (including myself) thought I’d keep it going for very long.

But here it is, one year later, and Martin’s Musings is still going strong, with posts almost daily.

Happy Blogiversary to me! Continue reading →

Looking Back: part four

30 Aug

All week I’ve been counting down the top five most memorable moments of my first year of blogging. Here’s number two.

From September 1: “Better Late Than Never“
How could I do a countdown and not include the one that started it all? I had wanted to keep a blog for a year or so before I started. Actually, I wanted to do a lot of things. But this is the one goal I actually accomplished. And I’d say it’s worked out quite well. I don’t have much more to say about this post, other than its obvious significance in my blogging history. Of course, it begs the question, if my first blog entry is only the second most memorable one, what is first on the list? For that, you’ll have to come back tomorrow. For now, you can read my very first posting here.

Yesterday: number 3
Tuesday: number 4
Monday: number 5

Pondering the Pita

30 Aug

Here at Martin’s Musings, I only like to ponder the really important issues of the day. Here’s a quick question that’s on my mind at this present time: When and why did pita bread become the standard bread to hand out with food at take-out places? At most places, no matter what you order, you get pita with your meal. For example, today I got a chicken parmigiana “dinner” (i.e.: it included pasta) from Taste of the Town, and instead of, say, Italian bread, I got pita. When I used to go to the Kingston Deli, they would give you pita. And various other take-out places give it to you as well. I can understand it if you’re getting a kebob or salad or something you might make into a sandwich. But where is the logical connection between chicken parm and pita? I just don’t get it.

Looking Back: part three

29 Aug

It’s the third day in my weeklong look back at the top five most memorable moments in Martin’s Musings history. So without further ado, number three.

From May 28: “What a Waste“
This posting has the distinction of being the most read of any I’ve written so far. (Yes, I can track such things.) Who knew so many people cared so much about cupcakes — or Johnny Cupcakes, for that matter. Thanks to a link on Universal Hub, people have been coming for months now to read and find out why I called a new Newbury Street store such a let-down and a disappointment. Every week I still get a couple hits on this particular post. I even posted an update a few weeks later. So here you go: you can read the most-read of my postings here.

Yesterday: number 4
Monday: number 5

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