Fall Reading List

I've got plenty of reading for school, but reading for fun provides a nice change of pace. Here's my fall reading list so far. Recommendations welcome! And if anyone can loan me books 2 and 3 for the Hunger Games I would be very grateful!

• Getting to Yes by Fisher, Ury, and Patton - technically this was assigned by my Negotiation professor, but it was a slim book that I enjoyed reading, so I'm counting it on the "fun" list.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I finally checked out the bestselling novel about a post-apocalyptic world where teens have to fight gladiator-style, and I'm hooked. I bought it at a bookstore with Dan around 11pm, and was done by 3am. I'm looking for the next two books, and the waitlist at Boston Public Library is in triple digits.
• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - no, I never read this in school, unlike the rest of the world. What a great book, I'm glad I finally understand all the references that have been made to it.

On deck:

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
  
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• Little Dorritt by Dickens - started this book in summer 2009 and I'm 2/3 done, but haven't read it regularly in a year. I'll finish it someday.
  

Undefeated again :)

It's been a bumpy rugby season for me. Fortunately, compared to last year when I had back pains all season, I was pretty healthy. Part of the reason I escaped unscathed was how little time I actually spent in contact. I was mentally checked out for a lot of September and rugby just didn't feel the same. Fortunately, the rest of the team kept winning, and I got a little time on the Div 2 B side. We met the also undefeated Portland team yesterday on a puddle-soaked Moakley field. I ran touch for the A side game, and it was a tight match with the teams trading the lead back and forth. Town was down 10-17 with about 15 minutes left, and ran in a beautiful try. Our fullback converted, and suddenly the match was tied. With just a few minutes left, Portland committed a penalty inside their 22, and our fullback slotted a perfect kick through the uprights. Town wins, 20-17! It was a great game and a perfect end to the season.

Unfortunately, because of some sort of administrative rule, Town can't come in, destroy Div3, move up to Div2, destroy Div2, and go to Div2 playoffs. No clue why, but somehow as a new team/part of the larger Beantown program, we can't. So that's the end of our season. I got a run as wing in the B game, which I believe we won 12-7.

Saturday night was Town's 35th Anniversary celebration. We booked a fancy ballroom and had dinner (for those who could pay- not me!), videos from the 1986 National Championship and an awesome 2007 game won in overtime with a drop kick, and lots of rugby singing.

While the season was bumpy, the last two practices were so much fun - the best I've had in years, I felt like I was back at GW. And Saturday was such a great team experience, both the last-minute, come from behind win and then the social with all these amazing women who played and won Nationals throughout the 80s. I'm looking forward to a little more free time in the evenings, and not sure how I'll feel next season, but I am happy with how this fall ended.

Foxes, Raccoons, and Opossums, Oh My!

My new neighborhood, Mission Hill, is pretty great. It's mostly well kept houses that have been divided into three apartments, similar to the triple-deckers in JP but without as many porches. I have just over a mile walk to school, which works out to be a 6 minute bike ride when I'm running late. But the best part is the FIELD.

The field is a baseball field right across the street that is fully fenced. Except for occasional little leaguers, it's a dog park for Izzy and 15 of her new best friends. One of my neighbors is a NUSL 1L and has two German Shepherds! Izzy can chase a tennis ball around the field for hours, and Justin takes her there almost every afternoon after work. There's also a middle field next to it, with a baseball backstop and a soccer goal, and a smaller upper field to walk her around.

Even though we're in a city, these fields and the woods behind them are home to a few wild creatures. In just one month in this neighborhood, Izzy and I have encountered a fox, a raccoon, and even an opossum while walking at night! The fox has made a number of appearances, but we steer clear of it.

We've also discovered Fitzgerald Park, a beautiful spot at the top of Mission Hill and just a few blocks from our apartment. It has a tiny fenced dog park and colorful puddingstones. My favorite way to spend a non-rugby weekend morning is to wander around here with Izzy and enjoy the view of Boston.

Wedding II: Elle and Zach in San Fran

This past weekend in San Francisco was one of the best weekends of my life! First, Elle, one of my college roommates, got married to Zach, a wonderful guy who makes her the happiest I've ever seen her. Second, Justin and I went on our first just-the-two-of-us vacation, which was a lot of fun and hopefully there will be more trips in the future once I have a paying job. Third, we explored a new city for both of us, and we did SO MUCH in four days.


We did almost everything on the map above...and it was amazing. We hit a couple great brewpubs/beer bars:
21st Amendment
Magnolia
Social Kitchen
Thirsty Bear
Toronado
Monk's Kettle


We spent hours wandering around Golden Gate Park and even saw bison! We rented bikes and pedaled across the Golden Gate Bridge, one of my favorite moments. We went to museums: SF Modern Museum of Art (half price tickets on Thursday nights), de Young Museum (20% off coupon online), which had a special Picasso exhibit, and a maritime museum with a free map exhibit. We enjoyed ice cream at the Ghiradelli factory and sampled dim sum and spring rolls at a food truck festival with over 30 vendors. We stayed in a beautiful hotel right next to the church and enjoyed cocktails on the 39th floor lounge overlooking the city. We were able to walk or bus everywhere, saving money for food, beer, and museums.

Published again!

The Law Center just published a blog posted I drafted my last few days at work. It was a great way to wrap up my summer co-op.

The Reason for this All