We Went Back to Club Passim

 Back in the end of August, Club Passim announced that they were moving towards a vaccine only policy.  That was a game changer for us.  Club Passim is small, you sit very close to the other people, and there aren't windows that can stay open during the shows.  As soon as they announced this policy, I bought tickets for Mark Erelli's show in October. 

The Mark Erelli show ended up being in the middle of our moving weekend and we thought about skipping it.  I'm so glad we didn't.  It was amazing to be back at Club Passim.  (Not going to lie, it was a bit nerve wracking being in such close proximity to everyone but most of the time we were masked and everyone was vaxxed and being able to see live music again made everything ok.)

Mark put on an amazing show.  He was definitely enjoying being back at Club Passim.  He released a new album during the pandemic and never got to do a real album release show.  This show was basically his album release show, a year and half after the fact.  Mark always puts on a good show but this was a different level.  It felt so great to be able to do something we did before the pandemic.  

Moving

 I'm not a fan of moving.  JO on the other hand, says he loves moving and that it's easy.  You can move in one day.  Easy, no problem.  Guess what?  Moving is hard and it takes a long time and the dolly isn't always as secure as you say it is 🤣

and the Ikea cubes aren't as under control as you think they are.

We took a weekend in the middle of October to move into our new place.  It had been 265 days since we moved into our tiny rental that we moved into thinking we would only be there for a few weeks, maybe six weeks at the most.  For 265 days, most of our stuff was in storage.  Moving was like Christmas morning for me.  I had my books back and my clothes back and all my kitchen stuff again.  

I love my new closet, by the way.  

And my bathroom that I don't have to share with my cats.

At one point I went back to the apartment to pack up more stuff and I had forgotten the dolly.  I improvised with the Whole Foods shopping cart that the building has in the garage.  It was a great way to transport a bottle of gin and crock pot!

After a really long weekend, it was nice to be able to enjoy our patio, which was really the main reason we gutted things out through the craziness.  

We still have some house drama, because this is the house that keeps on giving, but that's ok.  We're surviving and I have a lot more clothing options now 🤣

October- What a Blur

 October was a blur.  We moved into our new condo,  ten months after our original closing date.  I hate moving.  I hate boxes and having things not in the spots they belong in.  I hate changing my address everywhere and I certainly hate doing all of these things during the school year.  (And I really hate doing these things during the hardest month of teaching during the pandemic.  Ask any teacher.  October was rough.) But we did it.  We moved in the middle of October and have been unpacking and catching up ever since.

Right before the move I was feeling super stressed.  I texted JO at lunch time and told him we needed to be on a patio that night.  He understood the assignment and got us a table at Colette.  I know I've raved about this place a lot and I'm going to do it again.  Colette is amazing.  From the decor inside to the beautiful patio outside, the wine list, and the food, everything is perfect. 

It was the perfect cure to moving stress.  

Anniversary Weekend and Chasing Magic

 We had so much fun celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this past weekend.  This is my favorite picture from our wedding weekend and it always makes me smile when we walk past this mural in the square.

We started our festivities at the Kendall Hotel, where we got engaged and stayed for our wedding.  Unfortunately, we didn't realize their restaurant is still not open.  We usually get a drink there and we were pretty disappointed but we turned our frowns upside down by stopping in Catalyst for drinks by their fireplace.  It was really fun to be inside a restaurant again.  (We decided to sit inside because it was fairly empty and we were spaced pretty far apart from other people.)

After Catalyst we headed over to the Commander, where we got married, for a staycation!  It was so fun to not be in our living room!

We had dinner and desert on the beautiful patio at the Commander's restaurant, NuBar.  This is a really fantastic patio- safe, pretty, and special!  Plus, the food and drinks are always great!

After dinner we headed out to walk around the square and over by the river.  It was so nice to be out and about in the city again.  I've really missed doing things like this.  While we were walking around we saw an ad for the first live show at the A.R.T. theater in their return.  I was so inspired, and the ART has a vax and mask policy, that I scooped up two tickets for Sunday. 

The next day, we headed into the Seaport to go to the ICA.  We thought we had tickets to a special exhibit but we were wrong.  Oh well.  It was still really fun being in a museum again and being down in the Seaport on such a beautiful day.  

We found a new restaurant we need to try.

Since the weather was so nice, we stopped by the Paris Creperie in the Seaport for drinks and a snack.  I love this spot. It has a real French bistro feel with the round tables and how it's tucked away in a pedestrian way.  They had a fun cocktail menu and the crepe was pretty good.

On Sunday night we headed over to the A.R.T. to see Chasing Magic, a dance show featuring tap dancing.  The minute we walked into the theater I was overwhelmed with emotions.  I have so missed the arts these last 18+ months.  I dealt with almost everything else pretty well but not seeing theater and dance and art really was tough for me.  This show was mesmerizing.  This was the perfect show to see as a return to theater because it had dance and music and sound all in one.  The A.R.T. is a small theater and it made the whole experience even more exhilarating.  

After the show we decided to extend the evening by getting a drink at Longfellow's.  The bar wasn't crowded so we felt like it was ok.  The cocktails here are so good and I'm so glad it survived.  It almost felt like we were living our old life.  It felt great to be City Vicky again!

Life is a Blur but I Managed to have Brunch at Harvest

 The last three weeks have been a blur.  I always forget how overwhelming the first few weeks of school are.  It's like having 1,000 tabs open on your computer and going back and forth between them all at the same time.  

Thankfully I had a brunch/lunch date to look forward to with a good friend.  Normally I'm the one that picks the restaurant but I didn't have the mental capacity so she took over and booked us a table at Harvest in Harvard Square.  It was so nice to get a bit dressed up and head into the Square again.  I loved seeing people out and about.  It's been so long since the Square felt alive and it was really invigorating for me.

If you are looking for a patio then look no further than Harvest.  I love how both interior walls of the restaurant open onto the courtyard patio.  Everything feels so light and airy.  We were able to sit on the patio and it was beautifully shaded by a lovely pergola.  They pack a lot of people into their patio but I never felt too crowded.  It was a great time catching up with my friend and the perfect setting for some city living!

Harvest has a great brunch menu.  It's not a huge menu but it has some great variety and everything is delicious.  And they have a grand mimosa that is out of this world!  We ended the meal with some mock mojitos and they were also delicious!

I'm very much looking forward to that magical moment in the school year when things start clicking and I settle into a routine so I can get back to city living!

End of Summer Recap

 Wow! I can't believe it's the end of summer.  I kind of feel like it was just yesterday that I was logging off my Google Meet for the last time.  Now, I find myself heading back to in person teaching in a new school in a new grade.  The last ten days have been unreal.  We had some life stuff explode on top of unpacking a new classroom and getting ready to teach a grade I've never taught before.  Along the way, we tried our best to still get out an enjoy the city.

Evviva Trattoria

If you find yourself in Malden, check this place out.  We visited my dad earlier this week and on the way home realized we hadn't actually eaten dinner yet.  (That's how our life has been lately.)  This place is around the corner from my dad and I've been intrigued by their fire pits every time we drive by.  (The heat index was in the low 100s on this day so the fire pits were super confusing, but still, I will definitely bring my dad here when it's cooler.) I was seriously impressed by this place, especially the Aperol Spritz!  The menu is huge, varied price levels, and the staff were so friendly.  

NuBar and Noir (N Squared)

On Friday night, I really wanted to do something to celebrate the fact that we were still standing and to also celebrate the end of summer vacation.  Of course, we headed to NuBar.  They have such a pretty patio and the food and drinks are always great.  (This steak was delicious!)

After dinner, we extended the evening by stopping by Noir for drinks and dessert.  This patio has really been a bright spot in our pandemic lifestyle.  It's safe, pretty, and has a great ambiance, so we don't miss eating inside.  (Note- you can definitely eat inside at Noir but we have made a choice not to eat inside.)  The manager always gives us a complimentary mini-champagne cocktail at the end of our time which is just such a nice gesture.  

And as I head back to school, here's a pretty sober reminder of how important it is to be responsible.  I can't believe this teacher made the decisions she made.  We have a duty to protect each other!

Currently Thinking

Currently on my mind!!!