The Boston Marathon

On Monday, we were spectators at the start line of the Boston Marathon! I always want to go every year and at the last minute Sean talks me out of it :)  But not this year! We went with his mom who grew up in Hopkinton (near the start line) and it was surprisingly easy (& so quick) to get there and get home.

// strong like mom tee-shirt //

// s'well water bottle // water shoes //

After we parked our car we took a school bus to the festivities! It was quick and so much fun -- though I was annoyed I had to move all my stuff over to a provided-clear ziploc bag. I guess when they say NO BAGS allowed, they are serious! Javi enjoyed looking at everyone and desperately wanted to pet the K9s (he didn't quite understand that they were working). He also thought the clapping was for him and loved the whole cheering-thing. Totally for this guy!

Seeing all those runners and hearing their inspirational stories really make me want to join in -- but then I remember you really have to train and have the right mindset. I'm not there yet. Maybe one day!

You never know!

A birthday celebration.

Over the weekend, we celebrated Sean's mom's birthday with a Boston Harbor cruise and dinner in Boston. Sean doesn't like the city and told me to get my "city fix in" since he has no plans to bring us back there any time soon. I only sort of laughed. But I did take that as it's probably about time I cross another goal off one of my to-do lists -- go to Boston and pretend to be a tourist. I took a lot of pictures; luckily it was a beautiful day to be on a Harbor cruise. After, we walked around Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. The whole area reminded me and Sean of taking our engagement pictures three years ago since we were around the same area that we took all those pictures. Crazy how time flies.

It was a great way to spend time with family and celebrate another year of life!

I'm ready for a new week.

It's been a really rough week for us in Boston and all around Massachusetts.
With Monday at the marathon and then Thursday night, into Friday morning --
continuing all day/evening.
The amount of stress and anxiety and fear around these parts were intense and real and strange.

This video sums up a lot of feelings in Boston, as of last night:

Happy Saturday.

Tonight's National Anthem.

Here's a video from tonight's Bruins game at the Garden.

After seeing it, and then re-watching it multiple times,
I'm having a hard time thinking of something to write about.

I'm going to cut this short tonight, and leave you with this...

Here are some stories of people who acted selflessly, compassionately and unafraid.

Boston, you're my home.

Typically I wait a few days to post anything about real world events.
It just seems a little rash to post about something when I don't yet know the facts,
or when I haven't yet had time to process my thoughts.

This time is different.

Yesterday, if I could have torn myself away from talking/texting family & friends,
sorting through Facebook & Twitter for the "I'm ok" posts,
filtering out real news from rumors,
to post about this -- I would have.

This hits close to home, because this is my home.

It's such a rare feeling to see something tragic on the news,
and to know exactly where it's happening.

To be able to reach into my memory of the last time I was on that street [2 days ago],
and become flooded with feelings of pain and sadness and confusion and fear.

It's not common for me. 
I understand that it is common for many, unfortunately.

I've heard people say "this happens all over the world, every day."
I've heard people say "it was only a matter of time."

And maybe it happens all over the world, everyday.
And maybe it was only a matter of time.

But it's still my home, and it's still painful,
and those statements don't make it hurt any less, or provide any clarity to the tragedy.

The feeling of going through your brain of every person you know:
family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, people in the community, neighbors,
families at my school, parents of children in my classroom, children in my classroom.
(It's absurd how many people one actually knows.)

And then racking my brain "who told me they were going?"
Who should I text first? It's terrifying.

While most schools here are closed for vacation, mine isn't.

And today, I stood in my classroom, twenty minutes away from where the bombs went off,
and listened to small children tell me about what happened.
And they asked why it happened and wondered why there are bad people in the world.

And all I could muster, without tears, was to say:
Sometimes really sad things happen 
and grown-ups don't know why.
But what we do know, is how to keep you safe - 
and I'm so glad you're safe.

And I meant it.

Wicked Sweet.

via.

This month Sean and I saw Ted. 

(Well, I saw Magic Mike on my own time while in CA...)

Maybe, I thought it was so funny because it's set in an area I'm really familiar with. So all the "Boston", "Massachusetts" and "New England" jokes... I understood. Who doesn't like to laugh at themselves?

At the same time, I will say I don't live IN Boston. I never have and most likely never will. But that doesn't stop me from LOVING movies set around here: Good Will Hunting, anyone??

If you search online, you can easily find those "you know you're from Boston when" forums. Most things are true. I know what a regular coffee is, I probably tail-gate awfully too close to the person in front of me, I order jimmies with my ice cream, I didn't go to school when the Pats won the Superbowl, and I go down the Cape, often. Oh, and there's that word I say. A lot. Do you know it?

via.

via.

Oh yes, wicked. It's a part of my daily speech.
In case you don't know how it's used: "that's wicked cool", "I was wicked upset", "she's wicked smart smaht". I guess it's a synonym for "really" or some other word that just magnifies whatever follows.

Last weekend, Sean and his bandmates in Widow Sunday had a yard sale.



It wasn't your typical yard sale. Intrigued? They sold lots of musical things that I have no idea about it.
There was a bunny costume, discussion about partnering up with children selling lemonade across the street in hopes to "bring in more business", multiple attempts at a Pogo stick and a unicycle, and lots of traffic slowing down because of the signs:

translation: "wicked sweet yard sale, kid..."

Lots of people stopped to look.

Lots of people stopped to buy. 

Lots of people stopped... just to take a picture of the sign.

People thought it was clever, unique, and hysterical.
There's definitely something to be said for laughing at yourself.