Scott and Emma

Goof Balls

2010-04-13T22:28:00.001-04:00

HMcleaning
Originally uploaded by EmmaC2010

All Together Now!

2010-03-05T11:27:00.001-05:00

Awwww.....

Items Both Sundry and Diverse

2010-03-03T16:10:00.005-05:00

Hi! It's been dreary and wintry around here so I bought some flowers!I'm also reading Jane Austen for the first time (my understanding thus far is that the art of flirtation and the drama of heartbreak is about the same now as it was 200 years ago). But ignore that picture. I meant to place it after the flowers, but Blogger isn't letting me move pictures. (What's up with that, Blogger? Just because we don't post anything for a few months, you're giving us the cold shoulder? Not cool.)

Back to flowers! The first one is a cylcomen, and the picture really doesn't do it justice. Those magenta flowers are so glowy and lovely, it's enough to make a gal forget the slush outside. And then I got these African violets:
Wait a speck! What's that mysterious substance on the leaves? Let's take a closer look.
Yes, that's hot sauce all right! Mmmm! My hope is that it will deter certain trickster felines from chewing on the leaves. I will report back on my success/failure.

In other news, my parents were here for a few days to enjoy the lovely grey weather we've been having in Columbus. And also to see the Chihuly exhibit at the Franklin Park Conservatory. And meet our cats. And buy us dinner. Aaaand also theoretically to spend some time with me and Scott, though you can see how far down on the list that was.

This is Mom! Looking pensive, as well as slightly yellow due to the brilliance of her raincoat.
And my dad!
As requested, we took them to see the Chihuly pieces at the conservatory.
Chihuly is this crazy-awesome glass artist famous for doing really large, brightly colored pieces of glass art - many of which are designed after something in nature. Hence, a greenhouse conservatory is a really great venue to see his pieces.
Here, I believe Scott and my mom were looking at this:
Which, if you can imagine, was even more spectacular in person. There were also these:

And a little J.Crew modeling on the side:
Plus, my dad hiding from the paparazzi:

Wily paparazzi! You caught him!

Also, this was pretty:
At home, Dad showed me how to shape baguette loaves.
And also how to let them rise inside garbage bags. You learn something new every day.
And I'll leave you with this shot of a panade we made for dinner last night. Leftover baguette + cheese + veggies + chicken broth baked until creamy and gooey = crazy delicious. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be.

Honey and Müney

2009-12-12T13:31:00.004-05:00

Hello! We got a little side-tracked there. See, we've had these new house guests...

This is Honey. She likes climbing into your lap for five seconds before bounding away, being brushed ALL THE TIME! ALWAYS! RIGHT NOW!, and staring at you indignantly as you walk away. Love me!

This is Müney. He likes hiding beneath our laundry drying rack, being 15 pounds, and complaining loudly about nothing in particular.

We adopted them from two co-workers of Scott's who have a two-year-old. Apparently the cats and the two-year-old weren't so much getting along. We found them when we got back to Columbus right after our wedding, hence Honey and Müney. (Honey...Moon...get it? Also, umlauts just rock.)

They're kind of the best cats ever.

Beer Maturity

2009-11-08T19:47:00.003-05:00

So as we were getting ready to brew our second batch of beer (New Low #2, for those of you keeping score at home), Emma and I were having a discussion about different beers and flavors. We stumbled across a memory from what I think is winter 2004 (possibly early 2005). Emma and I were in our Bynner Street apartment and our friend Sara Tunstall came from Portland, OR to visit. Sara, please confirm any of this story if you can. As part of our celebration we were like "Yeah, lets go get some beer!" So off we go to the store, and we look for a beer with a cool, funky, colorful design on the 6-pack box. Yes, I know that this is exactly how you are supposed to pick beers, just like how you pick a book based on its cover design (or at the very least, reading the back ). We ended up picking out Victory Golden Monkey. We had no idea about beer, and when we got home and cracked it open...well I'll make a long story short: I hated it. If you read the review you'll get a sense of the types of flavors to expect from this beer. I was not ready for anything like that.

I think I only drank about 1/2 the bottle and then I was ready to pour the rest of the 6-pack down the sink. I have since assumed that all Victory beers were going to be terrible, and had never drank another one since that fateful day.

UNTIL!

We were at our local beer store, saw another Victory beer, and I wondered, since I've been doing more beer tasting, if I would like it any better than I did before. They didn't have the Golden Monkey, but they did have the Victory Hop Devil IPA. I thought it would be good to try and dissect this beer while brewing our own.

And I am happy to report that this Victory beer experience was much better than the first! Granted, this was an IPA and the Golden Monkey was a Belgian Tripel, so it's not apples to apples (it might be more like grapefruit to potatos). But the IPA definitely gets a thumbs up from me, and Emma liked it too.

This IPA had a pretty good amber color and a strong hops aroma. The taste of the hops was balanced out by a round of malt flavors. I was very surprised at how the beer finished; I was expecting a bitter kick at the end, but instead it was smooth and not overpowering. This beer had about a "medium" carbonation to me, which I thought was a good amount for the overall feel of the beer.

I've had a few IPA's now (I mean in my life, not as I'm writing this) and this was a good one. I would have it again. Our local brewpub, the Columbus Brewing Company, brews their own American IPA, but they also brew a seasonal double IPA that I will have to try.

Now that I'm over my irrational fear of Victory Brewing, I'll have to give the Golden Monkey another try. It's only fair. For all I know it's an incredible beer and my ignorance just wasn't prepared for such a spiritual experience that the Monkey was offering me. With a little more age and wisdom under my belt, I might be ready.

New Low Brewing Company: The First New Low

2009-10-31T12:23:00.006-04:00

We now pause in our regularly scheduled wedding coverage to bring you a summary of the first homebrewing attempt by the New Low Brewing Company, co-founded by Scott Heines and Emma Christensen:

Adventures in Homebrewing (click each link for the full scoop on the Kitchn website):

• Basic Homebrewing Equipment

• The Wort and Primary Fermentation

• Siphoning and Secondary Fermentation

• Bottling the Homebrew

• Tasting the Homebrew

NO PAPARAZZI!

(Many thanks to Faith Durand for taking most of these pictures while Scott's and my hands were busy!)

Let's Get Married! Museum of Science Entourage

2009-10-27T20:53:00.013-04:00

I think Scott and I both forgot that there would actually be...you know...people? In the museum? When we were all getting there? We made a scene.

Still. Arriving at the museum was kind of awesome:

(As before, click on the pictures to see them bigger!)

A tender moment with my momma, taking in the view over the Charles River as we walked into the room.

Work was already well under way getting everything set up!

A quick consultation with my mom making sure the felt flower arrangements were just right.

Hello, Sister Marilyn! She's a friend of my parents from when they were all teachers together at a catholic school in Portland, Oregon. She and another sister, Sister Rosie, did all the lovely napkin rings.

And look! My two awesomest buddies from college, Ruthie and Camilla! They hung out with me all day - cracking jokes, force-feeding me delicious pastries, and handing me tissues as needed.

Wait, who's that on the phone?

This guy! I like this guy!

Yeah, this guy for reals! I'm totally going to marry this guy (his name is Scott) in about two hours!

Awww...

More awww....!!!!

Wait, this doesn't bode well....

Let's Get Married! Getting Ready

2009-10-20T21:48:00.010-04:00

Whew! As many people warned us it would be, the wedding was a complete whirlwind! A lovely, fantastic, emotion-filled whirlwind. It's been really fun to go back through all the pictures and relive the moments that seemed to slip by so quickly.

(Click on any of these pictures to see them larger!)

The morning of the wedding, I headed over to the Taylor House, a bed-and-breakfast in Jamaica Plain where my family was staying.

My lovely aunt took charge of my hair. She was a hair stylist in another life, and it was special to me to have her be the one to do my hair. The original idea was a simple French twist, but Char really went to town!

Here's Char (on the left) and my mom Joyce (on the right) having a quick consult about the 'do.

Me, attempting to sip my mimosa through layers of hair!

Char and her mighty can of hairspray, making triple sure my hair wasn't going anywhere for a while. It didn't.

A moment with Dad.

Mom, pinning felt flowers in my hair.

With jewelery and make-up!

A last minute fit of nerves once I saw myself in the wedding dress (and boob check, apparently).

Meanwhile, across town...

Scott putting on his tie.

Scott and Troy (and Jana, the photographer!) waiting for the bus to the Museum of Science!

And we're off!

Wedding Sneak Peak

2009-10-12T15:07:00.004-04:00

Arriving at the Museum of Science with my entourage.

(Click the image to see it larger)

More photos coming soon...

Zoooooom!

2009-08-16T20:26:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, Scott and I headed out of town in search of a very large race track with cars going very very fast. Why? Because that's the kind of adventure-seeking thrill junkies we are! Plus we had free tickets. And we haven't left the 1 mile radius around our apartment for the last month. But also: thrilling!

We drove and drove, and the freeway dwindled to a highway, which dwindled to a two-lane road, and still there were no signs of the race track. We were just starting to feel a wee bit concerned that we'd taken a wrong turn, when we rounded a bend in the lane and saw our destination on the horizon.
Or rather, we heard it. Those cars are LOUD! As Scott said when I pointed this out to him (you know, in case he'd missed how REALLY LOUD these cars were), "Who needs a muffler if you're not driving on real roads?" Right.
Zoom!
Wheee!!! This was the only Ferrari racing that day. Since it was also the only car that I could identify with reasonable consistency, I decided to cheer for it the loudest.

If you've never been to a race like this, allow me to enlighten you. The cars go really really fast around a track. The car that does the most laps within a certain time period is the winner. This track is a road course, meaning that it has left- and right-hand turns, hills, straight aways, and curves (as opposed to the oval-shaped track you see in Nascar).

The cars that look more like regular cars are regular cars, but with various modifactions to make them speedy and awesome. The cars that look like slinky spiders are prototype cars, and they are not at all like regular cars. The regular-type cars are only racing against other regular-type cars, and the prototypes are only racing against the other prototypes. But they're both racing on the same track at the same time.

"But that's silly," says Emma, "It's like if people were playing a football game and a soccer game on the same field a the same time!"

"And how awesome would that be?!" says Scott.

Ah. Right!
This was a cool swoopy part of the track. The cars are accellerating like crazy on the straight-aways, and then have to hit the brakes to make the turns. Some of them don't quite make it.

Sweet, back in the game!

About this time, I spotted this woman's shoes:

Needless to say, I was impressed. I am definitely not woman enough to wear pointy-toed faux-snake skin stilletos to a hilly, un-paved, rock-strewn fairground.

Later on, we used our Super Sweet Honda Employee Passes to get into the gated area where the teams have their trailers. We were actually able to go right up to the pit area. Each team has a little section of the pit area, and it's set up with a million computers and monitors and extra parts and tires. It was almost as impressive as that lady's shoes.

We saw this SPEED TV gear abandoned nearby, and briefly contemplated some improv broadcasting.

These guys were leaving the area because their car off-roaded in that same swoopy area from above and it couldn't get back on the track. It's racing days were OVER! Or, at least, over for this particular racing day.

Also, I thought their little jump-suited, techie-belted derriers were awfully adorable.

Speaking of adorable:

Adam, we saw this mini and thought of you.

And look, Jesse, a whole FLEET of s2000's! Zoom!And how bad-ass would you look on a Ferrari scooter?

I'll tell you: very bad-ass.

Zoom!

When It Rains, It Pours

2009-08-02T13:58:00.010-04:00

Yeah, so it's been a little while since we updated this thing. It's been a pretty full week, and somehow time got away from us and well here we are. As I said it was a full week, so this weekend we decided to try and have some fun and explore our nearby downtown area.

On Saturday night we found a local brewery. You'd think we would find tons of local breweries, since we live in the Brewery District, but actually there are tons of local bars but not as many breweries. But we found a cool one, called Elevator Brewing Co., so we headed there to check out their beers. It's about a 20 minute walk from our apartment. We thought it might rain, so we packed our raincoats in my backpack and headed over. It never rained. The bartenders were very cool, and we got ourselves a flight of all 13 of their beers (a bakers dozen of beer!). They came arranged from lightest to darkest, and we asked a bunch of questions to educate ourselves about the different styles, flavors, colors, textures, tastes, and names. We were so inspired that we finally committed to get ourselves over to the local homebrew store very soon to start our own brewing. In preparation for our upcoming sudsy entrepreneurship, we settled on a name: New Low Brewing. Then we went to GoDaddy and bought the url (newlowbrewing.com). Then we reserved the blog name (newlowbrewing.blogspot.com). Big plans are afoot! Although nothing has actually happened yet, except for the "research" we did at the bar.

On Sunday morning we thought "Hey, what better way to treat ourselves than to walk down to our nearest Dunkin Donuts and get some good old fashioned Boston coffee!"

So we got up and headed out for another walk downtown, once again thinking that it would rain. So we packed our raincoats in my backpack and headed out to DD. It never rained. When we got there:

it was closed. I know right! Closed on a Sunday morning? What's up with that? Depressed and hungry, we headed back to our trusty standby, Cup O'Joe on 3rd Street for their massive breakfast sandwiches. Here I demonstrate the delicate dance involved in eating one.

Why the need for all this fun on the weekend? Well, as I said it was a long week, summed up by this picture.

That's my car. In the Volkswagen dealership. Because it stopped running.

Hmm, a trunk full of engine parts can't be a good sign.

Especially when coupled with an engine that is half apart. Lordy!

I was minding my business one day, on the way to work. Everything was going smoothly, until I heard an odd noise off to my right. It sounded like the right front tire blew out, and was leaking air. But I noticed that the car was driving too smoothly to have a flat tire at 70 mph, so I thought about what it could be. Could it be a coolant hose that blew? Well, maybe. But that would just be too wierd, right? Wouldn't a coolant leak cause some smoking in the engine area, and wouldn't I be able to see it? Yes, I thought so. As these thoughts were bouncing around in my head, the car lurched as if someone hit the brakes. But I didn't hit the brakes. Hmm, now I know something is pretty wrong. So I pull over to the side of the highway, and take a look. Sure enough, a coolant hose blew out. I could see a nice puddle of coolant on the road as I pulled over. Ok, so I am out of coolant. Let's see if the car will restart. Uh, no. Bad news. However, it was not raining.

In quick succession: panic and freak out, call Emma, make her freak out, have Emma get number for local VW dealer, call local VW dealer, panic, get number for towing company, call towing company, sit and wait for tow truck, panic, call boss, explain situation, freak out, get mad, continuously look at engine as if I can fix car with no tools on side of highway, watch as tow truck driver loads car onto flatbed, deal with tow truck driver's weak attempt to diagnose the problem ("Woah, is that a fuel leak?" "Um, no sir, it's antifreeze." "Oh."), hop into tow truck, freak out, head to VW dealer, deal with chatty tow truck driver tell me how he once towed a Lamborghini, drop car off at VW dealer, get VW rental car, head to work a few hours late. (panic a bit more)

The damage: Timing belt broke, which caused internal engine damage. Here you can see the damage to the pistons where the valves hit, highlighted by the thin red oval (this is cylinder 4, cylinder 1 was similar).

Cylinders 2 and 3 were not as bad:

Here's what happens to valves when they smash into the pistons at 3000 rpm; they bend.

So after a week of exploring options, freaking out, and getting mad at myself, I'm putting a used engine in the car (which comes with a 1 year warranty). I'll spare you the analysis of all the numbers and options, but it just seems like the best solution at this point.

Lesson learned.

But this is a good intro for our brewing tagline: "When your life reaches a new low, reach for a New Low beer..."

Because of that little fiasco, the apartment is still pretty much in the same shape it was a few weeks ago. Now we can move on from the car issue and get back to the other things we want to do with our lives, like get a cat and get brewing. And we can look forward to this for next weekend, complete with pit passes!

And hopefully, it won't rain.

Random Moving Pictures

2009-07-06T18:22:00.006-04:00

So the last few days have mostly consisted of this:

Followed by massive amounts of paper. I had no idea how much paper the movers used. Everything, everything, was wrapped in paper, and don't spare the trees! The TV remote: three layers of paper. Plastic tupperware lids: two sheets of paper. A box of kleenex: one sheet of paper. Ye gads!

The avalanche of paper led to this of course:

Here, Scott demonstrates some excellent paper-stomping technique:

And if you've ever wondered if Scott could fit inside a cardboard box...

He can!

This here's one of the last kitchen boxes to get unpacked. Scott commented that although the kitchen accounts for the least amount of actual space in the apartment, it contains the largest amount of actual Stuff. Not sure who's fault that is...

The fridge is there on the right, with the oven in the middle. On the left, across from the fridge, is a little pantry. And across from the oven is the sink and dishwasher. I've belatedly realized that once you account for all the appliances et cetera, there's not a lot of counterspace. We'll probably buy some sort of butcher block/kitchen island to give me a little more space to work.

And the requisite shot of our fridge contents, circa two days ago.

Don't worry. We've rounded things out since then. Now there's at least a quart of milk and some lunch meat. And more beer. Hey, unpacking is thirsty work!

Moving Day: Reprise

2009-07-02T22:22:00.006-04:00

Yesterday marked the first official day in our new digs. Yay! The movers showed up bright and early, and promptly began unloading. Scott and I helped of course:

Maybe we'll get rid of our living room furniture and put in a few bike ramps instead. Eh? Eh?!

The fun was shortlived, however. The movers quickly put us to work marking off the inventory list and making sure all our stuff was indeed, well, ours:

We did fit in a small photo shoot.

No paparazzi this time, thank goodness. We were in NO MOOD for their shenanigans!

The movers had finished hauling in all our worldly goods by about noon, and we were left us to our own devices. Whhhaaat?!

This unpacking business has been hard. Harder than we thought it would be. Or, I guess, more emotional than we thought it would be. It's hard to explain. I guess...now this move feels real. Moving into this great apartment is both incredibly exciting and also very final. The past two days have felt like a complete roller coaster of emotions. Which took us off guard, I think, because we kind of thought we were already done with that stuff. Whhhaaat?!

It's also just exhausting. It was a lot easier when we moved into Bynner Street with only an armchair and a milk crate to call our own. Anywho. At least we have our bikes.

You're gonna be a star, kid! A star!

2009-06-19T12:56:00.002-04:00

Thought you'd all get a kick out of this:

1-Minute Tip: Two Ways to Peel Garlic from Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn on Vimeo.

Faith and I are doing some little "one minute tips" for the Kitchn. Tee hee!

Emma's Turn!

2009-06-17T21:32:00.006-04:00

Hello!

Lots of people have been asking about what I'm doing now that we've moved and Scott has started at Honda, so I thought I'd write a little about that.

This has been kind of a strange transition for me. Things are, perhaps obviously, very different. For starters, I'm in this whole new city in a whole new state. And then there's the fact that Scott is now working a regular 9-to-5 after four years of being a student - that's a big schedule change for both of us to adjust to.

But my daily life is also much the same as it was before we moved. I'm still writing for The Kitchn. I'm still working on articles for the Tribune (just got one published about seasonal berries! Yay!) I still work from home - usually out on the porch in the two-chair set up pictured above. I still go for runs in the afternoon and read a lot of books.

So it's a big transition...but it's also not.

A big goal of mine right now is to keep pushing the food writing. I love doing it and it still feels like a good direction for me. Between the Kitchn and the Tribune, I've gotten some really great experience under my belt and I think I'm in a good place career-wise. My next step is to be regularly pitching articles to larger print publications, and hopefully, getting some bites.

It's rough, though. And definitely not easy. There have been a lot of afternoons where I sit and stare around this room and don't really know what I'm doing. I feel like I'm in limbo - I want to be doing more work, but I don't have it yet. I don't know how to balance that drive to keep doing and pushing all the time with the knowledge that I also need to give myself a break and go easy.

It's also hard to stay positive. It's a creative and highly competitive industry, and there's a voice that says, "There are a million other people out there who want to do exactly what you want to do, and another million who are already doing it. What makes you think you're so hot?" It's hard to hear that voice and then keep doing it. I've gotten a lot of positive rejection letters, which is good but also kind of a downer.

I spend a lot of time on our porch here in the temporary housing. Most days, I take my laptop out there to work. It's a lot more relaxing than the table in the living room, plus I don't have to sit on a pillow in order to be at the right height for typing. And also, it's just nice to work with the sound of trees in the background. (Evelyn - so far I've seen cardinals, yellow finches, lots of robins, and even a few hawks circling around!)

I'll be very glad when we move into the new apartment at the beginning of July. This temp housing has been great, but I'm definitely starting to chomp at the bit. It's lonely here - not so much in the sense that most of my friends are back in Boston (sniff!), but more in the sense that this place feels...empty. It's a fairly large complex, but I feel like we rarely actually see or interact with people. I go on my runs through the surrounding neighborhoods and it's not unusual to see no one else the entire time. It would feel different if I were running out in the country or in a park, I think. Somewhere I don't necessarily expect to see a lot of people. But I'm mostly running through actual neighborhoods and they're full of big, quiet houses with well-kept lawns and swing sets in the back. It's all kind of spooky.

In the new apartment, there are a lot of things in walking distance - a grocery store, a coffee shop, several restaurants, and even a book store. In scoping out the neighborhood, it felt like there were a lot more people just out and about doing their business. I'm ready to settle in and curious to meet our new neighbors.

In any case...that's what I've been up to. Calls and e-mails are very welcome - even if you don't actually have anything to say! You know where I'll be...

Suburbia, Driving, and Honda

2009-06-15T21:07:00.010-04:00

This past weekend Emma and I had some serious adventures in Suburbia, and confirmed our love...of living in the city. In case you forgot, we're staying just northwest of the city in a town called Dublin. It's certainly not the smallest town I've ever been in, but the little things all add up. For example! One thing we like to do on weekends is walk to get some coffee and/or breakfast. In JP this was a snap. We could throw a rock and hit a few coffee shops, and at least one breakfast place (yes, I really threw a rock to see if I could hit any of them. I have a deceptively strong pitching arm.). Out here, not so easy. One of the appealing things about our new place is that we are within walking distance of things like coffee, breakfast, and a bookstore (Emma assures me the bookstore thing is totally a coincidence. Totally.).

So this weekend we realized there was a Panera near our current apartment. Great! It's better than the gas station coffee, and they have breakfast sandwiches too! We head out and walk to Panera on a nice Sunday morning. First issue: Panera is in a mall. Ok, not everything can be nice storefront space as is more common in Boston. Second issue: Panera, in the mall, is on the other side of the highway. Third issue: there is no sidewalk on the bridge over the highway, making for a very uncomfortable walk. Fourth issue: our bikes are still packed in storage, so we can't ride to Panera. But we're determined to not be beaten! Plus, we're hungry and by this point we are drooling for a fried egg on a bagel. (Note: we did not have bagels at home, otherwise we would have had a solid Plan B). So we decided that a 1/2 mile walk in the middle of traffic was not a nice Sunday morning activity. So we walked home, got in the car, drove the 1/2 mile to the mall, parked, went in Panera only to find that they stop serving breakfast food at 11:00. I know! Have they never heard of brunch? So we have lunch-type food, and at least we stopped being hungry, although we both still wanted eggs.

We are both excited to be closer to things by foot and bike. And for getting our bikes out of storage. We should also just get some bagels and make eggs at home I guess.

And now onto Honda. I've been there about a week now, which means of course that I am an expert on the place. So let me tell you: it's not too shabby. The first week was a lot of the standard paperwork and orientation kind of stuff. The last half of the week I got to work with some of the test engineers. We ran some transmissions on the dynomometers and then tore them apart to see what kind of things happened on the inside. Honda automatic transmissions are different than what I have seen before, so it was good to get to see them all opened up. The mechanic in me was also extremely jealous of the facilities that the test engineers get to work in. It sure makes a job fun and easy when you have all the fancy tools you need, an arm's length away, and everything is clean and kept in good shape, and you have all the space you need.

My second day on the job there was a "managers meeting." This is where all the group managers (about 60 of them) get together to go over what's going on in the company. And they make the new employees stand up in front of the group and introduce themselves. So I end up being first to go. My boss introduces me to the group, and I walk up to the front and give my little speech about how I just graduated, excited to be on board, I like long walks on the beach, etc. As I'm talking, the guy leading the meeting asks me to move closer to the microphone, because this is a teleconference meeting. With Japan. And then I noticed the woman at the front, translating everything into Japanese. I admit, when you are talking and it is being translated into another language, it makes you sound important. Or at least, it makes you hope that you are not making a fool of yourself in front of 2 continents worth of Honda engineers. I haven't heard back from Japan yet.

Security is pretty tight at the facility. No cameras whatsoever, ever. So during orientation I asked what about my cell phone, since it's kinda handy and I would like to have it and not have to leave it in my car every day. No problem, I'm told by the orientation leader. I'm going to give you your company cell phone in a few hours. Sweet. Next to having my words translated, getting issued a cell phone made me feel pretty important too. And there were business cards too. I admit, I'm easy to please.

This week is all CAD training on CATIA V5 (engineering design software). It's a week long training class, with a big thick book of tutorials. It's an entirely different software package than SolidWorks or Pro/Engineer, which I have used at other jobs. CATIA is handier in some ways, and not so handy in other ways, which is about what I expected. But no matter what the software, when you see an entire car as an assembly, with everything from the body panels down to the valve springs, it's impressive.

I work in the transmission design group. This is a pretty small group compared to other groups; there are only about 8 of us who are design engineers, and then we have our managers. By comparison, the biggest group has about 100 engineers. My boss is my age, and the other engineers range from about 24 to early 30s. Everyone seems to get along well, and seems to have a good personality. It seems to be a low-stress environment, but everyone is getting plenty of work done. Maybe I'm just overlooking the stress, since I am not assigned to any projects yet. Our workspace is a big, open design floor that is about as long as 2 football fields. We sort of have cubicles, but the walls are only about waist high. So I feel like I have my own space, but I don't feel closed in, and I feel like I have easy access to the other engineers. Somehow I figure that Honda planned it that way.

Oh, I just found out today that in the next few months I'll be taking the Honda driver training class, which will give me a license to drive test cars on the test track. This includes the high speed test track (zoom!), the skidpad, and a bunch of specially designed roads and tracks to put the car through some of those gruelling tests you might have heard about.

I guess that's about it for Week 1. So far, so good. I think I'll stay for a bit. And for those of you wondering, the commute is currently about 35 minutes, and I don't find it that bad. There's no traffic, so I just set the cruise control and ~~go to sleep~~ listen to NPR.

...But this is where we'll ACTUALLY be living!

2009-06-08T19:05:00.012-04:00

Scott and I have to keep reminding ourselves that we've only been here two weeks. Two weeks! Crazy! It feels like it's been much much longer, mostly because we've been packing in lots of activities and cramming our noggins full of new sights and sounds.

And also apartment hunting. Oh, apartment hunting.

It's been exhausting. It's been several years since Scott and I had to look for an apartment, and I don't think either of us were prepared for how mentally and physcially exhausting it was going to be. I think we kinda figured we'd scope out a few places and PRESTO! The most perfect apartment would magically fall into our lap.

Instead, we spent the last two weeks (which felt like two months, as we've established) combing Craig's List every half hour, narrowing down which neighborhoods we liked, and looking at far too many bad apartments. There were some good ones ones thrown in there, but honestly, most of the time we would walk in the door and know within thirty seconds whether it would work or not. Usually not.

But at last, finally, and even somewhat magically, we found it:

Oh, um, we're not actually renting the whole place. Just one of the units inside. And our unit is on the other side of the building, facing south. Check it out:

P.S. All the pictures I took on my camera came out really crappy, so these come to you courtesy of Dooley & Company Realtors. Our realtor was a dapper fellow named Bradley, who we adored.

We had a few key criteria for an apartment. Foremost and utmost, we wanted a place that felt like us and that fits this new stage of our lives together. This is how the Bynner Street apartment felt to us when we first walked into it five years ago, so we were looking for that same, "Ah, this is home" feeling.

We also really wanted our apartment to be within walking distance of a good number of things, like a grocery store, parks, a coffee shop, and a few restaurants. We wanted it to be within biking or bus distance of other cool parts of town and friends. In a nutshell, we wanted to be able to get around without having to drive everywhere.

This apartment is an old brewery that has been converted into condos. The building is in a part of town called, appropriately enough, the Brewery District. It's just south of downtown and adjacent to German Village. (Note to Jana and Troy: Even if we weren't already planning on doing it, I think living in a place like this would require getting into homebrewing, right?!)

Some more material requirements were a good kitchen (for me), including a gas stove. I would have made do with an electric or a glass top if everything else about the apartment was perfect, but...luckily I don't have to!

We also wanted a washer and dryer in the unit (or at least in the building) because Bynner Street spoiled us and we just can't do laundromats anymore. We wanted enough room to be able to entertain and have overnight guests (that's YOU! Come visit!). We wanted good natural light. Scott also asked that the apartment NOT have a clawfoot tub. The man's particular about his showering environs, nuff said.

Oh, and we wanted stripper poles:

Just kidding, mom! Tee hee hee!

But really, we got to this room, which is the master bedroom, and Bradley the Awesome Realtor says, "Lots of storage space over there. A walk-in closet over here. Oh, and of course, built-in stripper poles." There was a slight pause, and then Scott and I busted out laughing. We want Bradley to be our bff.

So anyways, that's it! That's our new digs! Or what will be our new digs in a few weeks. We move in July the First, providing the moving company can deliver our stuff then.

A few other questions that might come up:

1. That random window in the side of the wall in the pictures of the living room/dining room area actually goes into the second bedroom. The master bedroom is above the living/room dining room area. It's hard to describe, really. You'll just have to come visit.

2. Yes, we can have a cat! The place was originally advertised as "no pets," but we begged and wheedled and pleaded, and the owner was like, "Oh, a cat? Sure, that's cool." So, yay!

3. One of the only downsides of this place is that there's no private outdoor space. I was really hoping to have a little garden, but alas, this will have to wait. Honestly, there were so many other great things that we loved about this apartment, I was ok with making this one compromise. I might see if there are any nearby community gardens. Or I'll just sneak into Faith's backyard and pull weeds by moonlight (Faith, you've been warned). But all in all, I'm not too upset about this.

4. Scott's commute will probably be a little under an hour, which seems shocking but isn't so terrible since it will be all highway and no crazy Boston neighborhood traffic. This was also a compromise we decided to make so that we could live in the city. Not knocking Marysville or any of the smaller towns closer to the Honda facility, but they're just not for us.

Um, that's it, really. We can't wait to move in! Eep!

The Arc of an Automotive Engineer

2009-06-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Today I start work. Actually, I keep reminding myself that I'm starting a new career. As long as the auto industry doesn't entirely collapse (insert awkward panic laugh), I imagine I'll be working at Honda for a while. This weekend I've been reflecting on how I got here. It has certainly been an interesting journey for me, and for those of you keeping track at home, here is a summary of how it all went down:

Fall 1993: Apply to colleges. On my applications I put myself down for the mechanical or electrical engineering programs. Went to Carnegie Mellon with Chris Demas to check out the school. Met with one of the mechanical engineering professors. He showed us mathematical models of air flow inside jet engines. I remember thinking that was "cool."

May 1994: Graduate from high school (yeah CHS!).

Sep 1994: Go to UMass as an engineering major.

Oct 1994: Transfer out of engineering program and become a math major.

Feb 1995: Drop math major and become a sociology major.

Summer 1997: In South Africa, I was riding in a car with some friends on a long trip. Their Honda CRX suddenly stops working. We find a mechanic who says he can fix it. I remember thinking "I wish I knew how to fix it."

Spring 1998: During my last semester at UMass, I "volunteer" to help out at a local Midas shop. I offer to sweep up and help clean the shop if they'll teach me things. Surprisingly, they were fine with that. And they taught me some things.

June 1998: Graduate from college (Part I).

July 1998: Start working for Jiffy Lube. Official title: "Lubrication Technician." Amazingly, I still can't think of any jokes about that title. Upon getting hired, the boss told me my sociology degree made me a "good candidate for management."

July 1999: Move to Phoenix, AZ for car school.

July 2000: Graduate from car school, move to Portland, OR to work for Ferrari.

Nov 2000: Ferrari career comes to an abrupt halt.

Dec 2000: Start working at Jim Fischer Volvo. Basically I do oil changes, install roof racks, and inspect new cars before customers take them home.

2001: Get promoted to full mechanic at Volvo. Get to do new things like timing belts and brakes.

2002: Become an ASE certified Master Mechanic as well as and ASE certified Advanced Engine Performance Specialist. I also got certified as a Volvo Master Mechanic.

2003: Get to do bigger jobs at Volvo, including pulling transmissions and cylinder heads.

Dec 2003: Move to Boston, MA and decide I want a change. Decide to work for "ze Germans" and take a job with Audi.

Mar 2004: Back to work for Ferrari, this time at Ferrari of New England, Newton MA.

Jan 2005: Get to rebuild the engine in a Ferrari 355. And it worked after I was done (bonus!).

Feb 2005: Get introduced to a customer who brought his car into our shop. He happens to teach in the mechanical engineering department at Northeastern University in Boston. I'll call him Prof. Ferrari.

Sept 2005: Head to Northeastern University for another undergrad degree. This time I stay with mechanical engineering all the way through.

Spring 2007: Take a class on internal combustion engines with Prof. Ferrari.

Summer 2007: Prof. Ferrari tells me he has an invitation to attend a conference with Honda over at MIT. He can't go. Would I like to go? Sure. He gives me his invitation. When I get to the conference, I find my nametag, "Scott Heines, Northwestern University." Eh, close enough. I meet a design engineer in the suspension department. We talk for a while. We are both a bit unsure of why we are at this conference.

June 2007: Email Mr. Suspension Engineer at Honda. He puts me in touch with someone in the Honda HR department. I email Ms. HR Department and tell her I'd like to do an internship with Honda in 2008. I get an interview, but I don't get the internship.

Oct 2008: I email Ms. HR Deparment again, reminding her who I am, and saying I am still interested in working for Honda after I graduate. She says my timing is good; they are getting ready for interviews and she'll put my resume in the pile.

Dec 4-5 2008: Honda invites me out to interview. During the 2 days I built a tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks, played some Wii Bowling, and won a stuffed Stewie doll.

Dec 23 2008: After a whirlwind of a week, I accept the offer from Honda to be a design engineer in the automatic transmission department.

May 1 2009: Graduate from college (Part II).

Personally, I like "Design Engineer" better than "Lubrication Technician."

(Special thanks to Chris Demas for getting me interested in cars in the first place.)

Where We Could Have Lived

2009-06-07T15:01:00.008-04:00

We took a trip the other day to explore some of the areas outside of Columbus. Between Columbus and Honda, the biggest town is Marysville. It's a much smaller town with a much more rustic feel. It certainly has its charm, but Emma and I are a bit more at home in city. Here are some highlights from the trip.

Apparently, Marysville is on the other side of the fence:

We found my building supply store, complete with giant chicken:

Everyone knows how excited I get for some good, down-to-earth, truck on truck action!

Emma's parents live in a dome home in Minnesota, and we were impressed to see another one out here:

The next picture didn't come out as I had hoped, but it's basically a tattoo and piercing shop next to the Republican headquarters on Marysville. I can only imagine the hijinks between these two.

Then we stumbled across this little number on our way out of town:

Sweet.

It's Official...We're Ohioans!

2009-06-02T18:21:00.014-04:00

Check us out! We both passed the much-dreaded written driver's test with flying colors. Whew! (Scott missed four. I got a perfect. Ahem.)

Our favorite sections of the driving handbook were the bits about trains, where we were given such sage advice as:

• Once you have started to cross the tracks, keep going, especially if you see a train approaching.

• Never race a train.

(and our personal favorite)

• If your vehicle stalls while on the tracks and a train is approaching, unfasten your safety belt, get out of the vehicle, and run as far away from the tracks as you can. Run towards the direction the train is approaching. If you run from the train, you may be hit by debris when the train strikes your vehicle.

Anyways. Moving on.

Here are some pictures of Columbus taken during exploration adventures!

The arches down High Street leading toward (or away from?) downtown Columbus. This area is called Short North, and it's ideally where we'd like to find an apartment. No luck so far on that, but keep your fingers crossed for us.

This one's for you, McNally:

What's that? Why, yes, it's a dragon holding a toothbrush. Awesome.

And one for Russ:

Possibly the bestest Dunkin' Donuts EVER! Dude, there's a MARQUEE! And outdoor seating! We're psyched.

And one for my Book Club Ladies:

Consider this my official bid for the Book Club Tour of Two-Thousand-WIN. Nearby is the Haus Frau Haven. Just sayin'.

FYI, this part Columbus is called German Village and it's our second choice for living environs.

But nay, we did not stop at the Hey Hey Bar & Grill that day. Instead we moseyed on up to a restaurant recommended by Faith, my #1 Columbus Pal: the North Star Cafe.

This here's some sort of gingery thirst-quenching awesomeness. With mint. It was like a mojito sans liquor and it was fantastic. You could actually get a real mojito version as well, and I'm sure that would also blow my mind.And this was one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. I'm pretty sure it was primarily made of black beans, brown rice, and beets with something holding it all together. It had a great char, making it crunchy and smoky on the outside and soft in the middle. Yum.

Faith, I think we'll have to put our chef hats on and figure this recipe out, agreed?!

And then we wandered further down the street and stopped by Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Of course.

Jeni's is like the Jelly Belly of the ice cream world. Bizarre flavors, but so delicious and enticing. This here's a cup of grapefruit-hibiscus. Scott got Kona Stout. The other day I tried Gravel Road, which was salted caramel ice cream with bitter almonds. Man, oh, man.

And then it was time to head back home. This is the sunset over the Scioto River.

Toodles!

This is Scott's Fault

2009-05-30T22:04:00.006-04:00

We've been here about one week now. We're still alive, but very short on supplies. We've been trying to communicate with the outside world via this homemade transistor radio. We are almost out of batteries. If anyone can hear us...please send food. The natives have been wandering closer to our secret campsite. I fear that soon we will be discovered, and then our true identity will be revealed. Everything will have been for naught. Wait. I think I hear someone coming.

So Emma has been detailing some of the early parts of our Ohio move. But really this whole ordeal is my fault. I can't outrun the truth. Today was the first day where I accepted my responsibility for what I have done. So like any adult would do, I took Emma out to see Honda.

Plus I needed to see how long my commute is going to be.

We're currently living in the northwest area of Columbus. Technically we're in a town called Dublin, just barely outside of the Columbus city limits. We scoot out of our apartment and head over to I-270N. We're only on this road for one exit, then we jump onto I33 West. I'm fairly confident that 33 runs more North/South, based on my ability to read a map, but who am I to question these things? After about 20 miles, we see signs of civilization:

That's right, Honda has its own parkway. We continue onward. Before we get to Honda R&D, we pass the manufacturing center. This is the main manufacturing plant for all of Honda's North American operations. Everything that I will eventually design for Honda will get made in this beast of a facility. Parts are assembled in various plants around the country, but everything gets designed in my building, and then made here.

Honda Manufacturing is so big that it has at least 4 entrances. We drove past Gates A-D, but the biggest building is here at Gate C. And here it is:

This picture does not do justice to the sheer enormousness of the plant. Hopefully this next picture will help.

I'm not sure how big this actually is. I'm hoping they tell me that during orientation next week. But there are about 7 train tracks leading into the place. The light colored section behind the train tracks is a sea of Hondas ready to go somewhere else. Behind the car ocean is the plant itself. Maybe you'll just have to see this to believe it. Not the most subtle carbon footprint.

Finally we get to where I need to go: Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

Here is my business card (not to scale):

I can't get into the building yet because I don't have my employee ID yet. I decide not to rassle with the security, so this is as close as we got.

I'm pretty sure that the security was the same when I drove to Montreal a few years ago.

Hopefully I'll be able to give you some more pictures at a later time. The grounds are actually quite impressive. In addition to the main building, there is a lake with walking path around it, 2 tennis courts, a basketball court, gym, test track, car wash, and a full service shop to service employee's cars as well as do work on the race cars.

Ohio Corn

2009-05-29T19:52:00.001-04:00

Look, Dad!

This is how corn grows in Ohio!

The Orchard, Dah-ling

2009-05-27T21:45:00.010-04:00

Welcome to the Orchard, our new (temporary) home! In my head, I always say, "The Ooo-chahd," and flash back to that episode of Friends where Phoebe asks, "Where do you summah?"

You know which episode I'm talking about. Don't pretend you don't.

Ahem. Moving on.

The infamous front gate. When Scott and I first arrived on Monday, there was no one in the office (Memorial Day) and the gates were open. We had been mailed the keys, so we blithely wandered around the complex until we found our new abode and let ourselves in.

We just as blithely left the (still un-gated) neighborhood, went out to dinner, and then nearly rammed into the now-closed gates on our return journey. It was a bit flummoxing.

Never fear. There's someone on call 24 hours to assist hapless gated-community novices like us. We discovered that we had, in fact, been mailed an access code. Which did, in fact, open the gate. We sheepishly puttered back to our apartment.

Our digs are up on the second floor!

Here's our lovely green front door.

And Scott looking out from our lovely balcony. I'm a little in love with this balcony. Might have to take it with me. Here's the view:

It doesn't look like much and that's because it isn't. We're really really in the middle nowhere here. Right now, the Orchard is at the very front edge of all the new development pushing out into the cornfields and Ohio wilds and whatnot.

Which is fine with me because I like these trees. They make a really nice swishing sound. Especially when freak storms spring up unexpectedly at about 4:00 in the afternoon.

Right after I took this shot, it rained so hard that you could barely make out the trees. For about five minutes, anyway. And then the sun came out again.

Oh, crazy Ohio. It's like we never left Boston.

In any case, we've been settling in very slowly the past few days. Unpacking slowly. Exploring slowly. Breathing slowly. Both of our instincts are to jump in and do everything right now and make it all ok as quickly as possible. So we're trying to, well...not do that. We're reminding ourselves that it's ok to take things slow and find a balance between being excited about our new home and really really missing our old home.

Scott has also been practicing Midwestern driving. So far he's mastered the friendly wave ("No, you go first!") and is beginning to retrain his aggressive-defensive driving instincts. I'm rediscovering the things I love about the Midwest (big skies, Steak n' Shake, friendly strangers) and also the things that...I love not so much (strip malls every few blocks, driving everywhere, feeling like a black sheep). Meh.

So...slowly, right? One step at a time. Ok, now the sun is out. We're off to explore!

Boston to Columbus: The Drive

2009-05-25T21:08:00.011-04:00

Driving. Lots of driving. That said, our days weren't so bad. We did a little jaunt out to Springfield on Saturday night, then 6 hours yesterday and another 6 today. Lots of breaks. Lots of scooby snacks. Lots of silliness.

We stayed in Buffalo, New York, on Sunday night. Although we weren't downtown as we'd expected, our little off-the-highway Holiday Inn Express did have this in the near vicinity:

We could smell the doughnuts driving by, which of course meant that we couldn't drive by. I got a glazed sourcream doughnut. It was so deepfried and drenched in glaze that it actually crunched when I bit into it. Perfect.

Unfortunately, this was all that was left by the time I thought to snap a picture.

I have no idea if Dickie's is an institution or a random find, but if ever you pass through Buffalo, I highly recommend it: Exit 1 off I-190. You can't miss it. (P.S. Then I'd also recommend continuing on to downtown Buffalo for the rest of your stay, because there wasn't much more going on for this little corner of town...)

Back on the road again this morning. Most of the time our view looked like this:

Not too shabby, though any view is bound to get monotonous after a while. Until you stumble upon something like this:

I think we need a closer look:

Let's discuss this for a moment, shall we?

We've got Jelly Belly's, a favorite delicious candy, being advertised next to fireworks. Not quite sure how those two go together. And then there's a sign for Steak 'n Shake next to one for something called "Quaker Steak and Lube," which troubles me on many levels. And then in the bottom right corner, we are notified that this is really all just an "Attraction." Indeed. Indeed.

The Steak n' Shake, at least, received a thumbs up.

I do love Steak n' Shake and I'm happy to be back in the land where they are plentiful. I especially love that it hasn't changed one iota since it was my high school hangout. Normally that would be a negative, I know, but not in this case. Here's a hint: for those of you who've tasted my Crack Burgers, the ones at Steak n' Shake are near rivals. Right down to the "secret" dressing.

And right around noon today, we saw this:

Columbus or bust!

Cliffhanger for tomorrow: It's all fun and games until you get gated out of your own gated community...

Moving Day!

2009-05-24T11:31:00.003-04:00

Hello from the Holiday Inn Express in Buffalo where the shampoo smells like vanilla frosting and the lotion is labeled "Soothe." Yes, please! But backing up a few days, we thought we'd bring you a few snapshots from moving day.

After being stuck in the traffic for most of the morning (we won't miss that!), the movers showed up Friday morning and got right to work packing, disassembling, and loading.

The crew was really really awesome. They moved too fast to get a good shot of them, so this is the only group photo. That's Todd on the left, then Mikey, then the boss man, Gilberto.

We really couldn't have asked for a better crew. Even though they had to work into the evening after getting off to that late start, they were chipper and careful and took time to chat with Scott and I. As stressful and emotional as it was to watch our belongings get packed away, the respect and attention these guys showed really helped set our minds at ease.

They finished packing up in a few hours and started loading the truck.

Although the movers seemed happy to let us hang out, it was pretty obvious that they had things well in hand. We were really just cramping their style, truthfully.

Since packing our own car didn't really have a lot of appeal...

...things quickly disintegrated into goofiness.

We even got a visit from our favorite neightborhood dog and dog walker. In the five years that we've lived in this neighborhood, this man has never made eye contact or smiled at us despite our escalating attempts to force his hand and the fact that his dog OBVIOUSLY wanted love from us. I surreptiously snapped this shot as the dog walker passed by (still avoiding eye contact as usual, of course).

So mysterious. So intriguing. We'll miss you, strange dog walker man! And your cute dog, too!

Thing were still a little slow, so we decided to do some pro bono modeling work for J Crew.

Until the paparazzi showed up, that is. No paparazzi!

All too soon, the van was loaded. That's all our stuff! It will be going into storage in Ohio until Scott and I find a place of our own. (We're in temporary housing provided by Honda until then. Thanks, Honda!)

Goodbye, stuff! See you in a few months. Eep!

And then it was just me and Scott in an empty apartment.

A very dirty empty apartment.

Guys, this still feels like our apartment.

It feels like we're just on vacation. It feels like we'll be back next week. 112 Bynner Street still feels like home.

What's this all about?

2009-04-28T18:00:00.002-04:00

Scott and Emma are getting married! For reals!

Here's the scoop:

Who: Scott and Emma (That's us!)

What: Getting married (No joke!)

When: Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Where: Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts

Why: Love is awesome! So is cake!

Please arrive near-abouts 5:30, as we'll be starting the ceremony at 6:00. After we say lovey-dovey words to each other, please stick around for yummy food (fried chicken! mac n' cheese!), tasty drinks, and silly dancing.

You can park for free at the Museum of Science or take the Green Line all the way to the Science Park stop. The museum itself is just a hop and a skip from the station.

Also, children are very welcome. In fact, we have access to free one-day passes to the museum for our entire guest list, so if you or your family would like to do some scientific exploration that weekend, let us know!

No gifts are necessary or expected, but if you just can't resist giving us a token of your love, check out the places where we're registered on the "A Note About Our Wedding Registry" link to the right side of the page over there. I'm not quite sure how this registry thing works (never done this before!), but I think that at both sites, you can search for either Scott's or my full name and our registry should come up. If this isn't working, let me know.

With family near and far, not to mention the fact that Scott and I are about to embark on our move to Columbus, this here website will be Grand Central. Stop in to say howdy and check out things are coming along!

A Word About Our Wedding Registry

2009-04-20T13:50:00.005-04:00

Here's the scoop: No gifts are necessary or expected. Like, seriously, you guys!

But! If you just can't resist giving us a token of your love and affection, we're registered at the following fine establishments:

Chez Target (Registry #013399700244798)

Misters Williams and Sonoma (Registry #N2738200)

Gift cards in any amount are also completely okie dokie with us. Also, I think there's, like, three things on the Target registry right now, so check back in on that one.

I'm actually not sure how this registry thing works (never done this before!), but I think that at both sites, you can search for either Scott's or my full name and our registry should come up. If that doesn't work, try entering the registry numbers. If that doesn't work...er...let me know!

Oh, and a final note: the registry should already be set up for this, but please go ahead and have gifts ordered online mailed to our place in Columbus. That just makes everything easier. If you don't have our address, shoot us an e-mail.

And...thanks!

Share Your Favorite Songs for Dancing the Night Away!

2009-04-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

Turns out that our reception space comes with its very own dance floor! How can we not have a little dance party, right? Right!

Scott and I have already picked our our favorite grooving tunes and are putting together a wee play list. So far that comes to about 10 minutes of awesome dancing time. Help!

What songs do you recommend for dancing the night away?

Fun Things to Do in Boston

2009-04-03T13:50:00.001-04:00

*If you'd like passes to the Museum of Science, please let us know! We have free one-day passes for all our guests that are good for any day the weekend of the wedding.*

Museum of Science - Yeah, we know you're coming to see us get hitched and ogle at the awesome view of the river from our reception hall, but there's lots of other fun things to do at the museum too! Scott and I particularly recommend the Lightening Room (no, they wouldn't let us get married there. We asked.)

New England Aquarium - This was actually one of our runners up for Places to Get Married - they would have let us get married next to the penguins! So go, visit, and say hi to all the silly fish creatures for us.

Children's Museum - Boston - Have an ice cream cone for us at the Milk Bottle, kay?

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) - FYI, Thursdays at the ICA are free! If you're in town early, check it out.

Boston Duck Tours - If you've never been to Boston before, this is a great way to get a feel for the city. Plus you get to quack and yell and say all sorts of goofy things to the people on the sidewalk as you pass by.

Freedom Trail Tour - Feel like a spot of history? Find the red line running all through downtown Boston and the North End, and follow it to lots of historic spots.

Faneuil Hall Market Place - Lots of stalls with food vendors and plenty of crowd gazing to be had.

Hotels in Boston

2009-04-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

*Our wedding is over Columbus Day weekend, so be sure book your hotels soon before they fill up!*

Since hotels in Boston can be, shall we say, "spendy," we've provided a few different tiers of hotels, inns, and B&B's. For the places outside of Boston, we've made sure that they're in cool areas (we think!), close to a train stop, and no more than 20 minutes from downtown by train.

We didn't have enough people to register for a group discount anywhere, so we suggest just talking to your buddies and making sure you're all staying at or near the same place.

Also, as a final note, if the hotel prices are making it cost-prohibitive for you to come to the wedding, please send us an e-mail. We don't want this to be an issue for you and it might be that we can work something out.

With all that said, here you go!

Tier 1 : Brookline

All these places are close to Coolidge Corner in Brookline, MA. There's a little shopping area, restaurants, a movie theater, and parks. The closest T-stop is Coolidge Corner and it's about a 20 minute ride straight downtown and to the Museum of Science.

• Beacon Inn - http://www.beaconinn.com/rates.shtml - $99 per night and up

• The Beech Tree Inn - http://www.thebeechtreeinn.com/bti_guestrooms.htm - About $119/night

• The Longwood Inn - http://longwood-inn.com/ - $114 - $135/night

Tier 2: Cambridge/Harvard Square/Porter Square

Harvard Square is about 15-20 minutes from downtown on the T and requires 1 change of trains to get to the Museum of Science. It's a very cute area with lots to do and see - especially if you've never been to Boston before!

• Harvard Square Hotel - http://www.harvardsquarehotel.com/ - $229 and up

• Friendly Inn at Harvard Square - http://www.afinow.com/ - $97 - $197

• Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge - http://www.cambridgebnb.com/ - $75 - $190 - some rooms have a 3-night minimum, it seems.

• Mary Prentiss Inn - http://maryprentissinn.com/ - $129 and up - This one is closer to Porter Square. It's a little further out, but still a nice area. Near where I went to culinary school, in fact!

Tier 3: Downtown Boston

These three hotels are right in Copley Square, near the Boston Public Library, the Boston Public Gardens, and lots of shopping and restaurants. It's a short ride on the T to the Museum of Science and other museums.

• Copley Square Hotel - http://www.copleysquarehotel.com/ - About $250

• Colonnade Hotel - http://www.colonnadehotel.com/the_hotel/ - About $250

• Westin at Copley Place - http://specialoffers.starwoodhotels.com/westincopleyplace/ - About $250