Jenn Martinelli Blogging in Boston

Oh no, Greta Binford, your job scares me a lot.

I am not capable of being very rational about spiders, I'm sorry. Although my fear of them is not quite at the level of Clementine or even Rob, I would certainly prefer that there was someone around to kill them for me, and I don't want them in my abode.

Let's find out! You know I couldn't resist when Melissa put this up on her site...

Create your own Friend Quiz here

This is pretty funny. For those in Hollywood without the common sense to figure it out on their own.

Please forward to Britney, Paris, Lindsey and anyone else it may apply to.

Banana Republic has some nice spring dresses, but why do they have an ugly girl modeling them? So that I can think how much better they would look on me?

My new header photo is not, as at least one person assumed, Whole Foods. No, it is actually Wegmans, in Buffalo, NY. (Technically in Amherst, which is by the North Campus of UB.)

The reason I took it is because we were once again amazed by how much bigger, nicer, and cleaner the grocery stores in poor little Buffalo are than the stores here in Boston. I specifically took this picture because the produce section alone is about the size of the entire Whole Foods store in Charles River Plaza, which is the one we shop at here at home.

I have a whole tangent to go off on about how little towns and cities and suburbs have better services than this city but that's for another time. For now I just wanted to mention the photo because I didn't change the "Title Photo" description on the left yet. I'll try to remember to take care of that tonight.

This header photo was originally posted 12/3/2006. Boston is rolling out Wifi and this is one of the first areas they put it. This is taken in City Hall Plaza in Government Center. The free Wifi covers this area as well as Quincy Market and Columbus Park for now.

Are the crazies out in full force today? I'm not sure yet but so far I submit the following evidence:

1. A too-long conversation I couldn't escape from (because I was trapped in an elevator) with a courier at my building about how I have great skin so I shouldn't start smoking (I don't think skin is the primary health concern related to smoking last time I checked) and about how he wished we would call earlier in the morning for our packages going to one particular office because he goes there every morning by 9. Um, yeah, but what if we don't have a package going there till 10? Then we probably can't call you and have you pick it up at 8, right? Crazy.
2. A random delivery guy in a cheese truck honked and waved at me. When I made a face and gesture like, Why are you honking at me, I don't know you? he did it again. Great, I have a cheese truck boyfriend.
3. Nobody in CVS knew how to stand in line. I mean no one. It was like I had just been transported to Germany or something. (Germans don't know how to stand in line. Seriously.)

So our internet service was down suddenly the other day and we couldn't figure out why.

Unfortunately it was because someone yanked the cable out of our DSL circuit box or whatever it's called, and cut it so it was too short to reach, then wrapped it around some other random phone cord.

So sadly for us, our DSL line was never really installed correctly but suffice it to say fixing it involved throwing a new cable out our bedroom window, climbing around in a sketchy alley behind a restaurant and re-attaching the copper wires to our DSL circuit.

Excellent!

So who knows what will happen next?

A yarn problem.

Rob and Heather might say it is already out of control as I have one giant box of yarns and knitting and crochet needles in the apartment right now, but if I could, I would fill a room. Really.

The only problem I see with it is that I don't have the room for such an obsession, nor do I have the time at the moment. I guess I'd better work on retiring early so I can sit in a rocking chair doing nothing but knitting all day as soon as possible.

But there are so many cool yarns and really nice patterns to make. For example, look at this new yarn, Bonsai from Berroco. It's so pretty. Also, Hip-Hop looks so cozy and bright, great for fall or winter.

And then heaven forbid I go to an actual yarn store. There are always all these really cool hand-dyed yarns and stuff, I want to get one of everything.

I would really be happy with the following:

1. a clean house
2. with a giant room filled with yarn
3. and another filled with books
4. and a big tv and endless movies to watch
5. and a rocking chair

Rob thinks I'm insane for loving knitting so much. I can't really explain it. I guess I like making things with my hands, it must be the art major in me. I like that I can, in theory, make a lot of useful things.... blankets, rugs, sweaters.... though all I've made so far technically are hats, scarves, and shawls.... but I'm almost done with my first sweater and no longer scared to follow a pattern.

Anyway, I'm admitting I have a problem and that's the first step, right?

First we spent dinner time watching Survivor. (Don't worry, we Tivo'd My Name is Earl and The Office.) Then Heather watches Grey's Anatomy, which I don't care about so I went into the kitchen to do a backlog of dishes. Rob stayed in the livingroom cleaning and making fun of the show.

I made cookies for dessert and soup for me for lunch tomorrow while the TV watching in the livingroom continued into Nashville Star.

Right now I'm done baking and cooking and I walked back into this scene: Heather and Rob both looking up stuff about Cowboy Troy online because apparently they had been treated to a rap by him on this craptastic show and they were trying to find the lyrics to whatever he performed tonight, "Bufalo Stampede" or something.

Heather was sitting on the floor with her laptop and Rob was at the desk using the server. They were randomly quoting lyrics to each other and Heather was playing clips of Cowboy Troy songs from iTunes. The dogs were lying down on the floor looking like they wished we were watching better TV. Oh, and thanks to Tivo the terrible show was paused.

Now the show is back on. Um, yeah. I'm a TV whore for REAL but I can't even deal with this show. These people are super lame.

Now for some reason Rob is asking me to look up "sale of Dollywood".

We are FUCKING COOL, folks.

I meant to post something earlier but I was too crazy busy all day.

So what did we do for Valentine's Day? We ate tacos which required no trip to the store because we already had everything we needed, and then I made heart shaped cookies which were quickly eaten.

I was going to have us eat out but it was too freaking miserable. Once I got home I had no interest in leaving again! Tomorrow morning is going to SUCK.

At least my very kind friend Melissa is picking me up in the morning because she is surely a saint.

Today was kind of a crap day at work - lots of people were pissed about the weather, lots of annoying stuff related to the weather was happening, everyone seemed to have a little cloud over their heads. Of course, then a certain lovely Tara came by with cupcakes which made the end of the day better. Hooray for cupcakes, that's what I say. I'm sure all my readers will agree.

Well I'm kind of rambling and I'm up too late, so I'm off to bed now.

Um, WTF? For REALZ everybody.

Sorry, I was catching hell from people for my site being down. It's back.

I don't have anything interesting to say right at this moment, but I'll try to come up with some gems.

Anna Nicole Smith died. I think I know what she died from based on this picture. Sun exposure.

Here is her site.

And apparently her death is still a mystery.

I personally miss the fatter Anna Nicole from when she had her reality show. She'd lay around on her couch eating donettes and drinking chocolate milk. I think she was happier. She might have lived longer that way.

Global warming is unstoppable.

How very excellent.

That seals the deal, no babies for me, Hester Willa, I'll just have to spoil you extra.

And leave that sweet picture of me with baby Hester as the most recent post.

Because the crap in Boston yesterday with the "bomb scare" has my brain melting down.

This guy pretty much said what I wanted to and I couldn't bear to make a post about it last night.

And yes, as I've said many many times on this blog, I would, in fact, rather be more free and less safe. Yes, I'd rather that someone might be able to smuggle a bomb into a public area than have to have my bag searched every time I use public transportation. Yes, I'd rather that someone be able to hide bombs in garbage cans than that you remove all garbage cans from city streets. Yes, I'd rather that someone be able to smuggle something shady in a shampoo bottle onto a plane than not be able to carry any toiletries with me on a trip.

"That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves." - Thomas Jefferson

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

"Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin

God forbid someone in Boston actually find one of these.

Here I am holding little Miss Hester Willa! See how sweetly she is sleeping? It's been so long since I held a newborn, I couldn't believe how tiny she was. She made a few crazy old man faces at me but mostly she slept sweetly like this.

Good to meet you Hester, I look forward to spoiling you rotten in the future!