St Patrick’s Day

Mar 17,

Today we did not have any grandiose plans for St Patrick's Day. No parties to go to, and no plans to go see the parade. But I still wore green in support of the celebration. Lionel and Bella did go to the Patriots' stadium to see FC Cincinnati play against New England, but they said the stadium and the atmosphere are definitely not even close to what we had in Cincinnati. Not enough fans. Still, it was a good Papi-Bella outing. Nothing like getting out of the routine and doing something different.

For dinner we ended up deciding to go to Paddy's around the corner. When we sat down they gave us a special menu for the day, which did not sound good to us at all, but luckily we were able to order from the regular one. After that we came back home and I started getting ready to call it a night. I have to get up at 3:00 in the morning for a business trip to Mexico, so I need to go to bed at a decent time.

9 sunny miles

Mar 16,

Today I woke up at 8:40, which is super late for me - I guess I needed it. I was supposed to run 9 miles, and although part of me thought "It is too late to go now", I got up and got going. It was a not too cold and beautiful sunny morning, and and usual there were plenty of runners. The extra sleep and the sunshine carried me through, and although slow (which is my new normal), I once again finished my run. Just a few more long runs, ahead of the Flying Pig, so I need to stick with it. I can then go back to 6 miles as my base for my Saturday mornings. 

Chill Sunday

Mar 10,

Today was a chill Sunday. A short run in the morning, a Tatte visit in the afternoon, and in general just getting ready for the week.

9.5 miles and Ikea

Mar 9,

This morning I really did not feel like running, but I pushed myself to get out there - because it had to get done. I ended up running 9.5 miles. Slowly, but it counts. Then, in the afternoon, Bella and I went to IKEA. She wanted to get some shelves for her desk, to organize it better. It is not super close, but it is not that bad either. I feel like it was about the same distance as the West Chester IKEA was from our house in Cincinnati. Besides getting what she needed, she also enjoyed  the entire visit reminiscing of going there when they were little. They still carry some children's products from back then, which brought her good memories. It was so great to see her happy like that.

Worcester Academy

Mar 8,

Today, after patiently waiting for about 2 months, we finally got the decision from Worcester Academy. And, luckily for Bella and our family, she was accepted for the next school cycle starting in September. Getting that letter provided major relief, as having another school option is a true lifeline, but Bella still needs to think about it. While she is definitely not thriving where she is at, and it has been a tough year so far, she also knows WA comes with some sacrifices: Financially, logistically, and the work and stress of starting over in a brand new place - with no guarantees it will be a better social environment. Simply put, there is no such thing as a perfect option.  We do have to give WA our final decision by Apr 9, but before then they offer an option to revisit the school - which we will do on Mar 28. Sofia is here from college that week, and I hope she will want to come to the revisit. I feel like Bella would appreciate having her opinion.

Running Club

Mar 7,

At work they started a running club a few weeks ago and of course I signed up for it. Unfortunately they run at 4:00 pm on Thursdays, which is a terrible time for me because I am always in meetings. But this Thursday I had a meeting cancellation and, miraculously, my calendar remained open. So I was able to go running with them for the very first time. It was supposed to be a 3.1 mile run, but they miscalculated and it ended up being about 2.7. I normally would keep running to get to the 3.1 exactly, but it fell too square to do that when I was with the group - especially on my first appearance. So I stopped at 2.7 and was just grateful that, for once, I was able to walk away from my desk and join the run.

Fuji

Mar 4,

Today Cheryl, another co-worker and I went to Fuji for lunch. Not sure if it is the same restaurant as in Newton, but it was good. We actually did not intend to go there, as we were going to check out a Mexican food restaurant, but that one was closed. So we ended up here. It is about a 10-15 minute  walk from the office, and I also discovered there is a Tatte right there, which I will definitely be visiting someday.

A chill weekend

Mar 3.

This was Cheryl's last weekend with us before closing on her new apartment, and we took it relatively easy. On Saturday morning, while walking them, the dogs made me fall. So I had two scraped knees. Fortunately I was still able to go for my run. On Sunday we went to check out a brunch place called Colette, in Cambridge, and then Cheryl and I helped Bella practice lacrosse. Maybe we were not the best players ever, but we got the job done.