My Week in a Word: Doable

Somehow "short" work weeks never feel short at all; they feel shorter at best. As the week moved inched on, my friends and I cheered each other on by renaming days. On Tuesday: Well, today was really our hump day. On Wednesday : Today is our Thursday or Tomorrow's Friday! On Thursday there were high fives and heavy sighs and Amens.

Another week done.

March (Meteorological) Madness

Last March, and the March before, I enjoyed unseasonably warm weather that made me happy, that put me in the mood for Mexican food and margaritas (and San Diego). With no such weather luck this March for New Englanders like me, and no plans for an April trip to San Diego, I still have a spring in my step these days.

It was still light out last Sunday when drove home from Boston (after a super--albeit cold--weekend there), even though it was dinnertime when I left. And it was light out when I got out to my car every morning this week. Only once did I have frost on my windshield.

So I know spring is out there, just around the corner, waiting with April to appear. And I know that summer follows spring.

Already my mood has improved.

Photo Journal: Saturday Splurge

Steak frites
Eastern Standard, Boston

My Week in a Word: Frustrating

I know now that it is possible to eat a salad without croutons or a sandwich without potato chips. Possible. Not awesome or super satisfying or my new favorite thing, but possible, and I am pleased with myself that I even just tried to forego those crunchy delights. But I am frustrated that in my third week of passing on the chips and croutons I didn't lose weight. The first two weeks I did, but not this week. I know that it is unrealistic to want to drop a bunch of weight--that I put on over several years--in a month, but I would like a little more positive reinforcement.

Because this week, of all weeks, I would have loved to crunch my way through a bag of chips or Cheez Doodles or scarf a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies with a glass of milk and call it dinner.

I thought about it, but I didn't.

Onward.

Sunday Soup

Spring is a little reluctant to make an appearance this year, so I thought I would take advantage of a chilly Sunday afternoon (one of the last, I hope) to make soup. Since I had the time and the onions, and the patience to let them caramelize, I decided on French Onion soup.

I have no regrets.

My Week in a Word: Exhausting

And tonight I'm too tired to explain.

Glad it's the weekend.

Meet You at the Obelisk

We didn't know it would be pouring rain (in fact, I left my umbrella back in my suitcase at a hotel in London--it hadn't rained in London, why would it in Rome?-- where I'd be returning after my adventures in Italy), but Amy and I had a plan to meet in the morning at the obelisk in St. Peter's square. And we did meet there. We have a picture to prove it.

We waited in line and toured St. Peter's Basilica.

We did all the things that tourists do-- mainly because it was my first time there. Amy, my Latin teacher friend and frequent flier to Rome, indulged me as I played tourist and she played guide.

Later, with Amy's guidance, we dined like locals. (And I learned firsthand the power of limoncello.)

But now I am moving away from St. Peter's square, where Amy and I met at the obelisk in the rain...where for days the faithful have gathered, and today they celebrated the announcement of the new pope.

I was there!!

It was one of the best memories of my life.