Life as J

Last night, I packed my bags and reflected on these past few months. I'm sure you'll agree that it's been quite the experience - those of you who have followed my adventures. Before I came, I figured it would be a term of boredom in the middle of nowhere. With no cellphone (I couldn't make a call without incurring ridiculous roaming charges) and no car, what else would I be able to do except watch TV and download movies? I was wrong though - after a slow start, I went on my first trip to Hampton Beach for their annual Seafood Festival. I experienced different areas of Boston on numerous occasions , even attending a U2 concert ! Not everything has to revolve around the city - I also went hiking on Mount Monadnock and did some apple picking in Hollis. I fired my first bullets at the Manchester Firing Range and, somewhere along the way, won roundtrip tickets around the world! Yes, luck was definitely on my side. However, my most memorable experiences were g...

It was my roommate's birthday on Friday, so we decided to head out to Boston on Saturday night to celebrate with coworkers. First item on the itinerary was dinner at La Famiglia Giorgio's. If you're ever in Boston and in the mood for great Italian food, that's the place to go - especially after you see the prices! I had the linguine alla matriciana, which came in a huge plate with tons of prosciutto, for $12.00 plus tax and tip. The atmosphere was very informal and perfect for our large group. Before we headed to the improv theater for comedy, we decided to head up to the famous Mike's Pastry to feast our eyes on Italian pastry. That's another spot you must visit if you're in the city - it was packed with people when we got there, but that was apparently nothing. On busier days, the line-up to get into the store can stretch past a block! Even though I was stuffed from dinner, I couldn't resist picking out a chocolate florentine - so yummy! Once ...

I've been feeling much better these past couple of days - my knee is able to bear my weight, almost normally. In the mornings, it seems as if I have full flexibility, but if I discard my splint and crutches (which I've been doing), my knee gets pretty tired by the end of the day. Hopefully the physical therapy will help with that. Since I'm on my feet again, I decided to bake a custard pie to sort of celebrate. It turned out pretty well, so I've posted the recipe below. Custard Pie Pastry: 3 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup margarine 6 to 8 tbsp hot water Custard: 3 eggs 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups milk Method: 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking pan. 2) Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in enough water to form a dough that sticks together. 3) Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to form a square large enough to cover the baking pan. 4) Fit pastry sq...

It's been 4 days since I injured my knee and in that time, at least 40 phone calls have been made either to schedule appointments or to settle insurance matters. On Saturday, when I skied into the first aid office on the mountain, I was able to get medical treatment without paying a cent up front. However, I was given paperwork to fill out with my insurance information in order to cover the bills, as expected. When I got home that night, I tried to call the local hospital to see if I could schedule an appointment with a specialist. After a few more calls, I ran into a dead end - the orthopedic center was, understandably, closed on weekends and I would have to wait until Monday to speak to anyone. I then tried to contact my visa sponsor to discuss insurance coverage, but they weren't open on weekends either. I should have stopped there, but I gave the insurance company a call too - to no avail. On Sunday, I made zero phone calls. Instead, I mulled over my two insurance opt...

Yesterday, I went skiing at Waterville Valley - my first time skiing on the eastern half of North America! I have to say, it was much better than I expected, and since I went right after a huge snowfall (Nashua received 12 inches of the white stuff), the powder was almost perfect. There were still a couple of icy patches, but what else can you expect when everyone decides to hit the slopes? From what I could tell, there was one main chairlift which took us right to the top of the mountain - I went up twice. The first time, carving my way down on my skis was exhilarating - it made me wish the holidays were sooner so I could do some skiing at home! However, on my second run, I took a turn and something awkward happened to my right knee. I was turning left, and for some reason, it felt as if my knee joint twisted right before turning left with the rest of my body. I didn't fall, nor did I feel any pain, so I figured everything was okay. That was until I completed the turn and ...

Many of you are familiar with my dislike for squirrels - those of you who weren't are now privy to the knowledge. Thanks to a tip, I came across some disturbing news supporting my view on the nasty creatures. After you read the article, please consider the dangers associated with further domesticating the "cute" critters. I'm not saying that we should launch an anti-squirrel campaign, but it's certainly food for thought!

For a few years, I've noticed the effects bad posture has had on me. Most people don't think I procrastinate, but let me say that this is a perfect example. Ever since I started using computers more frequently (which is to say, when I started university), I've spent most of my time hunched over either a keyboard or a notebook. Nothing drastic happened, so I didn't pay much attention to proper ergonomics. The only change that I recall occurred at night when I went to sleep - my back would crack (which never happened before). This probably started a couple of years ago. Within the past year, my neck started getting sore - some might have diagnosed the problem as knotted muscles. I didn't give the pain much thought since it only bothered me when I worked for long periods of time. That's not to say that I cast it aside though - I did mention it in the sense that I jokingly brought up getting a professional massage. I know, that's not the same as getting t...