The high school reunion - an event as American as apple pie and as awkward as all fuck, at least until the scotch kicks in. Like thousands of other classes, the Stoughton High School class of 1998 met up the day following Thanksgiving to reminisce, get reacquainted, and in general behave very, very badly. No matter how far we travel or how many degrees we receive, surviving 18 years in Stoughton and electing to return 10 years later is definitely an event worth celebrating.
Despite the fact that I went to college, bought a condo, and worked my way up to VP of Sales and Marketing, I still feel a small bit of social stigma because I wasn't cool enough to be invited to woodsies when I was 15. After getting over myself I realized that my main issue with my high school experience was that I was looking at through an adults eyes. As a teenager I placed all my self-worth on other people's perception of me. It took a few years, but at the age of 28 I am well aware that nobody really gives a shit. People are so self-involved with their own lives of going to work, raising a family, and securing a good divorce attorney that they don't remember nor do they care that I didn't drink Olde English with them 13 years ago in an elementary school playground.
Despite my initial hesitation, the reunion actually turned out to be a lot of fun. With a decade of maturity, some humbling life experiences, and an open bar, the friendly folks of '98 (and even some douchebags) rocked out at a very suburban function hall. Even if no one is lighting the world on fire (yet), it's refreshing to know that the people you spent so much of your childhood with are now upstanding members of society. The SHS class of 1998 is comprised of teachers, cops, business people, ex-cons, PhD candidates, soldiers, and attorneys. While they were fun to hang out with over a few drinks, I'm absolutely relieved that I don't have to worry about bumping into them on Monday in the B wing of Stoughton High. With the evening behind me, my hangover knocked into remission, and some incriminating photos, I look forward to doing it all again at our 25th.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
This is BIG
Dear Comcast,
You have been such a wonderful media provider. For a long time you were the only game in town, and I fell so head over heels in love with you. When others would bash your high prices and marginal service I would rise to defend your honor. I was smitten with your on-demand service offerings and high speed internet. While satellite and Direct TV would attempt to seduce me with their expanded programming line-up and low prices I remained your loyal friend.
It pains me to say this, Comcast, but I've been cheating on you. Verizon FiOS has come to Canton and there simply isn't room in my life for you anymore. I don't want to continue sneaking around so I'll just say it: I called Verizon this morning and they are making me a more compelling offer. There's no need to settle for you anymore, Comcast. Not when I'm receiving a better channel line-up, more HD channels, and faster internet for $40/month less.
Comcast, please try to understand that it's not you; it's me. I've evolved and have realized that I deserve better. A girl never quite gets over her first media provider, but for almost $500 a year I'm moving on fairly quickly. I'm sure that you'll make another family in a non-FiOS area very happy. I just hope that we can continue to be friends - at least until Monday when the Verizon people come.
Your loyal friend,
Pahkcah02
You have been such a wonderful media provider. For a long time you were the only game in town, and I fell so head over heels in love with you. When others would bash your high prices and marginal service I would rise to defend your honor. I was smitten with your on-demand service offerings and high speed internet. While satellite and Direct TV would attempt to seduce me with their expanded programming line-up and low prices I remained your loyal friend.
It pains me to say this, Comcast, but I've been cheating on you. Verizon FiOS has come to Canton and there simply isn't room in my life for you anymore. I don't want to continue sneaking around so I'll just say it: I called Verizon this morning and they are making me a more compelling offer. There's no need to settle for you anymore, Comcast. Not when I'm receiving a better channel line-up, more HD channels, and faster internet for $40/month less.
Comcast, please try to understand that it's not you; it's me. I've evolved and have realized that I deserve better. A girl never quite gets over her first media provider, but for almost $500 a year I'm moving on fairly quickly. I'm sure that you'll make another family in a non-FiOS area very happy. I just hope that we can continue to be friends - at least until Monday when the Verizon people come.
Your loyal friend,
Pahkcah02
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Supermarket Inferno
I returned from my weekly trip to Big Y this afternoon to discover that the section of street my condo complex resides on was shut down. I followed the detour only to realize that I still couldn't get through. I rolled down my window, explained to the sergeant that I lived in that complex and he proceeded to scream at me for about 2 minutes before I drove away. After safely pulling over to the side of the road, I called the Canton police non-emergency line and was informed that there was large fire in the building next to mine.
Obviously I was concerned for people's safety. Having said that, it would've been nice if the folks over at Canton emergency services (the ones who recently demanded an additional 2.5% of my money - obviously none of this money went to pay for sensitivity training) could've explained everything to me before a full-blown panic attack set in.
Without a clue of when I could return home and if there would even be a place to return home to, I set out for my parents house. After drinking all of their Diet Coke I called the fire department, where an extremely courteous fireman told me that my street had been re-opened and I could check out the damage for myself. It turns out that my building was spared but the folks to the right of me weren't so lucky. There's no visible fire damage to the exterior but I'm not quite sure if the six units inside the building are still habitable.
Moments like this make me extremely happy that I have family nearby, 24F weather to turn my trunk into a grocery fridge, and a comprehensive content insurance policy. Fires happen and the important thing is that people stay safe. However until the day comes when I have an address without a unit number in it, other people's noises, cooking scents, and carelessness with lit objects will have a direct impact on me. Content insurance runs about $250/year and is available through any insurance agent in Massachusetts. I'm thankful I didn't have to cash in my policy today but either way I still think it's the best $250 I'll spend all year.
Obviously I was concerned for people's safety. Having said that, it would've been nice if the folks over at Canton emergency services (the ones who recently demanded an additional 2.5% of my money - obviously none of this money went to pay for sensitivity training) could've explained everything to me before a full-blown panic attack set in.
Without a clue of when I could return home and if there would even be a place to return home to, I set out for my parents house. After drinking all of their Diet Coke I called the fire department, where an extremely courteous fireman told me that my street had been re-opened and I could check out the damage for myself. It turns out that my building was spared but the folks to the right of me weren't so lucky. There's no visible fire damage to the exterior but I'm not quite sure if the six units inside the building are still habitable.
Moments like this make me extremely happy that I have family nearby, 24F weather to turn my trunk into a grocery fridge, and a comprehensive content insurance policy. Fires happen and the important thing is that people stay safe. However until the day comes when I have an address without a unit number in it, other people's noises, cooking scents, and carelessness with lit objects will have a direct impact on me. Content insurance runs about $250/year and is available through any insurance agent in Massachusetts. I'm thankful I didn't have to cash in my policy today but either way I still think it's the best $250 I'll spend all year.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pahkcah02 Homemaker
I am attending a soup-themed pot luck dinner tonight. As much as I enjoy making soup, transporting soup without the proper Tupperware containers, is a bit tricky. After visioning what chicken soup infused leather seats look (and smell!) like, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and bake cookies.
As many of you who have visited me can attest to, I make delicious brownies so long as I have a boxed mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. I figure that if the Good Lord wanted me to bake from scratch then He wouldn't have invented bakeries. Over the years I've expanded my baking skills to include slice and bake cookies (or tear and bake cookies, for those occassions when I've simply been to lazy to slice and roll), and a Duncan Hines cake.
I've contemplated baking cookies from scratch all week. Unlike cooking, baking doesn't allow one to stray too far from the recipe, which makes it incredibly easy to fuck up. Before purchasing eggs I discussed my fears with the Troll, my fraternal twin with an identical set of baking skills. She reassured me that if I screwed up that I can just go to Shaw's and pass it off as my own - she did all the time and nobody's been the wiser.
It the grand scheme of things, baking cookies doesn't exactly require a PhD in chemistry. After all, 8 year old girls bake them all the time. However, being a perfectionist, I knew I would feel extremely defeated if I couldn't master even this most basic baking skill.
About an hour ago I set out my ingredients, laid out my parchment paper, and started mix, mix, mixing away. I baked them for 17 minutes as the recipe required but they didn't look done so I set the timer for another 8 minutes. The end result? I hope that they're cooked. I'd be so embarrased if I brought them to the party only to discover that they were still raw in the middle.
The moral of the story? When attending a pot luck dinner, always volunteer to bring the soda.
Update: I ate one, and they're not raw!! I done good!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
All That And a Can Full of Hummus
If you've never ventured into a local ethnic supermarket, you're definitely missing out. The key to shopping in an ethnic foodmart of course is to live/work in an area with a large immigrant population. In Brockton one could throw a stone and hit a dozen Carribbean markets; in Quincy there are Asian markets as big as Stop & Shop, and down by me there are a few small Lebanese markets.
Most chain supermarkets in greater-Boston sell a pretty good selection of foreign staples. However, ethnic markets of all varieties are awesome when it comes to produce. Despite the fact that the American-born workers at the market will probably shoot you a "what the fuck are YOU doing here look" as you aimlessly stroll the aisles, the prices on produce will completely shock the Stars and Stripes out of you. Most of the produce is way less than you'd expect to pay at a regular supermarket, some of it by over half.
Aside from cheapo veggies, you can also try some pretty kickass products for short money. I wandered into my local Lebanese market and bought a can of hummus...for $1.25. The verdict? I didn't like it. But seriously, it was a $1.25 so I'm not going to cry about it. The secret is to avoiding mark-ups is to steer clear of touristy Italian or Irish markets and go straight to the lesser known. Haitian and Filipino markets? Sign me up. Yelp.com has some pretty good reviews but in my experience it's better just to stop in and check them out.
Most chain supermarkets in greater-Boston sell a pretty good selection of foreign staples. However, ethnic markets of all varieties are awesome when it comes to produce. Despite the fact that the American-born workers at the market will probably shoot you a "what the fuck are YOU doing here look" as you aimlessly stroll the aisles, the prices on produce will completely shock the Stars and Stripes out of you. Most of the produce is way less than you'd expect to pay at a regular supermarket, some of it by over half.
Aside from cheapo veggies, you can also try some pretty kickass products for short money. I wandered into my local Lebanese market and bought a can of hummus...for $1.25. The verdict? I didn't like it. But seriously, it was a $1.25 so I'm not going to cry about it. The secret is to avoiding mark-ups is to steer clear of touristy Italian or Irish markets and go straight to the lesser known. Haitian and Filipino markets? Sign me up. Yelp.com has some pretty good reviews but in my experience it's better just to stop in and check them out.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Detroit Bailout City
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog that was all "rah rah" for the $700 billion bailout. The main reason why I supported it was to prop up mismanaged organizations like AIG, who's failure would've wiped out retirement savings for millions of innocent Americans. Now the Big 3 automakers are demanding a $50 billion bailout financed by the American taxpayer and mark my words, they will get one whether you like it or not.
The American car industry is failing because they make products that an overwhelming majority of Americans do not want to buy. Don't get me wrong - Detroit still designs a snazzy vehicle. There is absolutely no way to compare the American design of a Ford Mustang or Chrysler 300 to a plain vanilla Sentra or Camry. Unfortunately these eye-catchers drive like shit and still aren't even close to the Japanese in quality. The Civic may not win any beauty contests but unlike their fickle American counterparts, it starts up every morning. It's the least consumers expect when investing tens of thousands of their hard earned dollars into four wheels and an engine.
Ironically many Japanese models are built in the southeastern US and most GM's are built in......Canada? The mammouth conglomerate that is GM is hemmoraging money to the tune of $1 Billion (with a "B") a month while employing half of southern Ontario. But don't expect our neighbors to the north to bail out GM - even the Canadians aren't that socialist.
I think it would be a wonderful thing if the Big 3 went bankrupt. For starters, they would be forced to renogiate their labor contracts. I'm all for a livable wage but I'm not quite sure that assembly line workers with little more than a high school education have the right to demand $78/hour. Secondly, they need to cut down on inefficiencies by axing unprofitable lines. Ford's sale of Jaguar to Tata was a good start.
The best bailout Detroit can get is the confidence of the American consumer. American cars may still be a big hit with pro-union folks in flyover country but for most upwardly mobile urban professionals the idea of driving a Dodge Charger or Ford Fusion doesn't exactly spell success. If Detroit would stop playing catch-up with the Germans, Koreans, and Japanese and start building cars that Americans want to drive they wouldn't need a bailout. Recession or not, the Big 3 made their bed and this new administration is only too eager to sleep in it.
The American car industry is failing because they make products that an overwhelming majority of Americans do not want to buy. Don't get me wrong - Detroit still designs a snazzy vehicle. There is absolutely no way to compare the American design of a Ford Mustang or Chrysler 300 to a plain vanilla Sentra or Camry. Unfortunately these eye-catchers drive like shit and still aren't even close to the Japanese in quality. The Civic may not win any beauty contests but unlike their fickle American counterparts, it starts up every morning. It's the least consumers expect when investing tens of thousands of their hard earned dollars into four wheels and an engine.
Ironically many Japanese models are built in the southeastern US and most GM's are built in......Canada? The mammouth conglomerate that is GM is hemmoraging money to the tune of $1 Billion (with a "B") a month while employing half of southern Ontario. But don't expect our neighbors to the north to bail out GM - even the Canadians aren't that socialist.
I think it would be a wonderful thing if the Big 3 went bankrupt. For starters, they would be forced to renogiate their labor contracts. I'm all for a livable wage but I'm not quite sure that assembly line workers with little more than a high school education have the right to demand $78/hour. Secondly, they need to cut down on inefficiencies by axing unprofitable lines. Ford's sale of Jaguar to Tata was a good start.
The best bailout Detroit can get is the confidence of the American consumer. American cars may still be a big hit with pro-union folks in flyover country but for most upwardly mobile urban professionals the idea of driving a Dodge Charger or Ford Fusion doesn't exactly spell success. If Detroit would stop playing catch-up with the Germans, Koreans, and Japanese and start building cars that Americans want to drive they wouldn't need a bailout. Recession or not, the Big 3 made their bed and this new administration is only too eager to sleep in it.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Restaurant Review: Capriccio
Restaurant: Capriccio
Address: 2 Pine St, Providence, RI
Website: www.capriccios.com
Rating: A+
As far as one of my business partners is concerned, the three martini lunch is still alive and well (not so much for me, as I had to drive 30 miles home). After eating a modest lunch at Joe's American Bar and Grill a few weeks ago, we made a pact to try different restaurants every time we met up. My company is hosting a dinner at Capriccio in a few weeks so we decided to go there this afternoon as a test run.
Capriccio is the type of old school Italian restaurant that conjures memories of the of the Providence Renaissance glory days. The waiters don tuxedos and white gloves (for lunch!) while reciting a laundry list of specials from memory. Both my colleague and I started off with the lobster bisque which featured chunks of lobster meat completely void of the tart sherry taste that often plagues this appetizer. For my main course I chose the shrimp pollipeno, a light dish of shrimp, pasta, and garlic marinara garnished with cherry tomatoes. My colleague being the daring Rhode Islander that he is feasted on sole with a side of risotto, which he seemed to enjoy. We both agreed that the lunch portions were completely overboard, and neither of us even came close to finishing our main course.
While the food at Capriccio is outstanding enough to impress just about anyone, I was completely floored by their attention to detail. A lot of upscale restaurants use a crumb knife to clear the table between courses, but Capriccio went above and beyond the type of service you might expect to receive at a high end steak house chain like Capital Grille or Morton's. Our waiter came around multiple times with garnishes like fresh pepper and Parmesan, emptied wine from our old wine glass into our new round, and pulled my chair when I attempted to stand up. On the way home I spoke to my grandmother about my Capriccio experience and it was strikingly similar to the types of upscale restaurants she frequented while growing up in uber-formal post war Montreal.
Incidentally, the bill (which I totally get to expense, which may or may not be the reason I enjoyed this place so much) was only about $25 higher than our previous lunch at Joe's. Capriccio's is located near the courthouse in downtown Providence. Street parking and complimentary valet is available.
Address: 2 Pine St, Providence, RI
Website: www.capriccios.com
Rating: A+
As far as one of my business partners is concerned, the three martini lunch is still alive and well (not so much for me, as I had to drive 30 miles home). After eating a modest lunch at Joe's American Bar and Grill a few weeks ago, we made a pact to try different restaurants every time we met up. My company is hosting a dinner at Capriccio in a few weeks so we decided to go there this afternoon as a test run.
Capriccio is the type of old school Italian restaurant that conjures memories of the of the Providence Renaissance glory days. The waiters don tuxedos and white gloves (for lunch!) while reciting a laundry list of specials from memory. Both my colleague and I started off with the lobster bisque which featured chunks of lobster meat completely void of the tart sherry taste that often plagues this appetizer. For my main course I chose the shrimp pollipeno, a light dish of shrimp, pasta, and garlic marinara garnished with cherry tomatoes. My colleague being the daring Rhode Islander that he is feasted on sole with a side of risotto, which he seemed to enjoy. We both agreed that the lunch portions were completely overboard, and neither of us even came close to finishing our main course.
While the food at Capriccio is outstanding enough to impress just about anyone, I was completely floored by their attention to detail. A lot of upscale restaurants use a crumb knife to clear the table between courses, but Capriccio went above and beyond the type of service you might expect to receive at a high end steak house chain like Capital Grille or Morton's. Our waiter came around multiple times with garnishes like fresh pepper and Parmesan, emptied wine from our old wine glass into our new round, and pulled my chair when I attempted to stand up. On the way home I spoke to my grandmother about my Capriccio experience and it was strikingly similar to the types of upscale restaurants she frequented while growing up in uber-formal post war Montreal.
Incidentally, the bill (which I totally get to expense, which may or may not be the reason I enjoyed this place so much) was only about $25 higher than our previous lunch at Joe's. Capriccio's is located near the courthouse in downtown Providence. Street parking and complimentary valet is available.
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