How I Met Your Mother Series Finale & other musings

9 years ago, a sitcom pilot aired.

Back then, I didn't know that it was a sitcom.  For whatever reason, I assumed that it was a reality show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris about kids reuniting with their estranged mothers.  I don't know why I thought that.  I was in my 20s.  I was young and stupid.

Fast forward to 2010.   I had just been laid off.  I didn't have any sense of direction.  One of my roommates had just received Disc 1 of Season 1 from Netflix.  (This was before the days of Instant Streaming!)  She invited me to watch it with her.  I discovered that it was not a reality show, but a really cool, well-written sitcom about 5 friends who were living in New York, and struggling with things that all 20 and 30-somethings struggle with.  Thus, an addiction was born.

We watched Season 1 together, then when I moved out, I continued to watch the show so that I could catch up and watch the show in real-time.  Since then, watching the show while eating junk food has become my Monday night tradition.

I recently turned 30, and as I watch my friends all around me settle in to their relationships, marriages and parenthood, I feel a bit like Ted.   I'm looking for some sort of direction in my career.  Unlike Ted, I'm not sure I ever want to get married, but it might be nice to one day find "The One"

Tonight, the show will come to end.  We'll see Ted finally find what he has been searching for for 9 years. 

Two weeks ago, the main characters reunited with someone from their past.  Future ted said something that really struck a chord with me.  It "hit me in the feels", as the kids say these days.  He was talking about losing touch with people in your life.  The quote was:

 "You will be shocked when you discover how easy it is in life to part ways with people forever. That's why when you find someone you want to keep around, you do something about it." —Ted Mosby, How I Met Your Mother Season 9 Episode 21: "Gary Blauman"


It really hit me because now, as an adult I understand how true that is.  I've been pretty lucky.  I have some friends from high school, college and past jobs that I may not see all the time, but still catch up with from time to time, either in person or online.  There are also some people that I didn't see for years and reconnected with later in life.  There are also some people who were once a huge part of my life, then life got in the way.  Sometimes a great friendship gets downgraded to an occasional Facebook comment, sometimes nothing at all.  Maybe one day, I'll find my way back to those people as well.

The truth is, kids, you can't plan every second.  You have to live your life, take things as they come, hope for the best, stay positive, and make sure the people you love know how much you care.  It's the best any of us can do.

Reflections on the Boston Marathon tragedy

The Boston Marathon is a time-honored tradition in Boston, Massachusetts.  Runners and spectators from across the country and around the globe come to Boston on Patriot's Day, or "Marathon Monday", as it has come to be known in Boston.

Cups all over Natick Center  - another Marathon Tradition

Qualifying runners and bandits alike come together to celebrate and test their strength and endurance along the 26.2 mile course from rural Hopkinton to the heart of Copely Square.

This is a tradition 117 years strong.  I have been attending the Marathon for as long as I can remember.  My parents ran the race in 1992, 1993, 1996, 2008 and 2011.  My 8th grade science teacher ran in 1998 for cancer research in support of our assistant principal, Mr. Adreani.   In 2009, I lived on Beacon St, just outside Cleveland Circle at the 22 mile mark.  I am no runner, but the Boston Marathon is a part of me.

My parents have been volunteering in some capacity or another for nearly 15 years.  2 years ago, I joined them.  Every year, on the day before Marathon Monday, we work at the information kiosk in Copely Square.  We talk to the runners and their family and friends, giving them directions or advice.  We explain how to navigate Boston's MBTA system, or the "T"  as it's known around these parts.  Sometimes, we give them suggestions on where to dine that night.  It's a fun tradition.  We get to meet people from all over the world, and be a part of one of Boston's biggest events.  The Boston Marathon jackets that we get as part of our volunteer stint are pretty nice too!

The 2013 Info Booth Crew

Every year, if I can manage it, I try to get as close to the finish line as I can.  I like to be there to cheer on the runners as they make their final turn from Hereford St onto Boylston St and push for the finish line.  I like to shout words of encouragement or take pictures of the funny costumes.

Guys dressed as Solo Cups at the 2011 marathon

On April 15, 2013, I headed into Boston like it was any other Marathon Monday.  I had spoken with my parents earlier in the day and we planned to meet in Copely Square around 2:30pm.  I drove towards Oak Grove Station to park my car, and had a little bit of a wait before I could get a spot.  Little did I know, this was a blessing in disguise.

I parked my car, and took the Orange Line to North Station, where I switched to the Green Line to head towards the finish line.  Throughout my train ride, I wondered to myself if I should get off the train at Arlington or Hynes (Copely Station was closed because of the Marathon).  The green line crawled along.  We finally pulled into Arlington Station, and the MBTA officials were asking everyone to get off the train and out of the station.  At first, I just assumed it was typical MBTA problems.  Maybe it was a switching problem or a medical emergency or something.  I exited the station, and immediately started receiving texts from friends and family asking me if I was okay.  I was confused because I couldn't figure out how they knew about the T problem, let alone that I was on that T.

Soon, news began to unfold about what was going on.  The city was in mass chaos.  People were crying in the streets and running for safety.  I finally got through to my parents who were cheering on their friends about 5 miles down the road, near Boston College.  They were still fuzzy on the details about what was going on, other than the fact that the whole MBTA was now shut down.  They suggested that I head towards  the common and meet them at the State House.  Their plan was to head up Beacon Street, and meet me there.  

I made my way to Boston Common, only stopping once I got out of the crowds.  I updated facebook to alert friends and family that my parents and I were all okay.  I reached the State House steps and received a few more phone calls from aunts and uncles and a close friend from work.  I filled everyone in as much as I could, and waited.

The next time I spoke to my parents, they called to tell me that due to police presence and street closures, they were unable to get out of Kenmore Square.  Their new plan was to back track and head towards Cambridge.  They suggested that I walk down Beacon St, down Charles St, over the Fiedler Footbridge and over to the Esplanade.  We would meet there as soon as we could get there.  

I sat on the steps by the Hatch Shell and waited.  After what seemed like hours, I finally met up with my family, and we walked back to their car, which was parked in the Boston Common garage.  They dropped me off at my car at Oak Grove.  It was a long day, but we all made it home safely.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families.  I can't stop thinking about little Martin from Dorchester, who lost his life at just 8 years old.   I think about Krystle, another marathon spectator who is exactly my age, and was another victim of Monday's horrible tragedy.

I'm grateful that my family and friends and I were all okay.  I've never been more grateful for a slow Green Line train.  If it had been on time, I may have been in Copely Square 10 minutes earlier.  I could have been there during the explosion.  I'm grateful for the friends and family who checked in with me throughout the day.   I guess there's really no way to wrap this up neatly, so I'm going to end here.  Thank you for reading, and please feel free to add your own reflections in the comments section. 

Fun things happening lately

Last week, I came across reasonably priced Bruins tickets, so I bought two, and my cousin Laura and I went.  We had a great time, even though they lost.  We got beers at The Harp beforehand, then headed over to the game.



On Friday, I went out with one of my oldest friends and her boyfriend.  They're visiting from England, and she's been showing him the sights in our hometown.  We met up for drinks and appetizers at the local Irish pub.  It was a great time.

On Saturday, I headed back to the pub to watch another Bruins game.  They lost again, but I had a good time drinking a few beers and chatting with some of the other patrons.  I had entered a raffle to win a Bruins jersey signed by Shawn Thornton.  I didn't win.  Oh well.  Maybe next time!

Today, I volunteered at the Boston Marathon info booth in Copely Square.  My parents have been doing it for many years, along with the captain of the Info Booth team, Marty.  I started doing it a few years ago.  This year, 3 girls who were around my age were also at the table.  We had a fun afternoon chatting with tourists from all over the world.

Scorpion Bowls, Grad School and More

Work has been fine.  The company is cool and my co-workers are awesome.  The job itself is okay.  I don't know.  It's not a career.  It's really just a placeholder job to pay the bills until I find something better.  I really need to pay off some bills, bulk up the savings account and find a place to live.

I'm almost 30.  I feel like I should have figured things out by now.  My 10 year high school reunion is in a month, and I really don't have any accomplishments to talk about.  I look at my classmates posts on facebook and I see PhD candidates, teachers, doctors, writers, and world travelers.  I wish I had something to show for the past 10 years.

I went to college, got a bachelor's degree, and worked in a few different jobs that built up my skillset a bit.  That's all well and good, but I wish I had accomplished more.  I thought by now I'd have worked in the same place for a while, and moved up rather than taken on a bunch of random entry level jobs.  I thought I'd have a house by now.  I thought I'd be in a happy, healthy relationship, maybe even a kid on the way.  I thought I'd have a few stamps on my passport by now.  (Canada refuses to stamp, and Mexico doesn't care.)

Oh well.  I'm in my late 20s and I have a supportive family and great friends.  Things like that make me happy.  I went out for scorpion bowls and Chinese food with my co-workers the other night.  That was fun.

I've been thinking about grad school again.  Since I was a junior in college, I've wanted to work in a college. So many college jobs require a Master's in higher education administration.  I wonder if I could find a job in a college that would allow me to travel the world a bit.  That would be the ideal situation.

Every few years or so, I go back to the idea of going back to school and getting my Master's.  It would be a huge undertaking, and quite honestly, a financial burden that I really can't afford right now.  Then I think that to not do something about it would be cheating on my life goals.

I guess it's just something I'll have to think about some more.

This train will run express to... Boston College!

Today, I walked the Final Five miles of the Boston Marathon route for the Jimmy Fund.

I ate breakfast, and headed off to park my car at Oak Grove.  I didn't know that there was a big event going on in Melrose today and that Main St. would be blocked off.  I had to drive all over creation to get back on track.  My goal was to park by 8:45 AM, and by some miracle, I still made it.

I took the orange line to North Station, and hopped on the first green line that came, and took it to Government Center so I could switch to a B train.  (The B train doesn't go through North Station.  annoying.)  I got to Government Center and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  3 Cs and 2 Es went by.  Then a D.  Then they FINALLY announced that the B train wasn't running out of Government today and that we had to go one more stop to Park Street.  I got on the next train, got off at Park Street and waited again.  The B train came pretty quickly, and I got on that and set off for Boston College (my starting point)

Once the train got above ground, they announced that it was running express to Packard's Corner.  (Right near one of my old jobs)  It went another couple stops, then announced that it was running express to Boston College!  Everyone on the train cheered.  I couldn't believe my luck.  That never happens on the B line.

I got off at Boston College, and went to the starting point to pick up my T-Shirt.  After I got it, I made my way to the official start for the 5-mile route.

I started walking.  I made my way up Comm ave, down Chestnut Hill Ave, past the reservoir, and down into Cleveland Circle.  I got some snacks at the first fueling station.  I walked past my old apartment.  I made my way through Brookline, and up into Kenmore Square.  A mile past the Citgo sign, I was welcomed by this:

What a great day!

Long Time No Update

Dear wonderful readers (I know you're out there somewhere!)

Sorry for the lack of updates.  I went to a job fair last Wednesday, and it resulted in a day of interviews, and 2 days of paperwork, background checks, and finally an offer.  I started today, so it's been kind of a whirlwind few days.

Anyway, The first day went well. :)

New Hampshire

I've had this whole week off.  My boss decided that we'd be slow enough to be closed all week.  It's unpaid, but it's also a welcome escape.

On Monday, I headed up to New Hampshire to visit my cousins who have a place up there.  Their cottage is a cute little cabin in the woods off the beaten track in the town of Raymond.  I've been there before, and usually taken 93 to 101, but the GPS wanted me to get off 93 at the 495 exit.  Always one to do what I'm told, I figured "why not?" got off the exit.  It led me to Route 125 in Plaistow, NH.

As I drove, I thought it was actually pretty appropriate, as that's the route that we always took to go camping in Hampstead, NH when I was a kid.  I even stopped for a coke at the Wendy's on 125 in Plaistow, NH, since my grandparents always took me there for lunch on the way up to the campground.

I arrived at the cottage during the late morning, and spent the day relaxing by the lake.  It was a great day.