Friday we made the trip into the big city. We didn’t hit any traffic which was good, because we left a bit later than planned and had a reservation for our first dinner approaching rapidly. We checked in and got comfortable at the Historic Omni Parker House. Our room was bigger than we expected; maybe that was because we were in a handicap accessible room. The bed was super comfortable and the location was just perfect, walking distance to everything we wanted.

Then we headed over to Hamersley’s Bistro for a wonderful dinner.

I had

• Mixed Spring Greens with Tarragon Vinaigrette and Crispy Goat Cheese,
• Roasted Spring Dug Parsnip Soup with Maple Cream and
• Crispy Vegetable Lasagna with Ricotta, Soft Poached Egg, Leeks, Peas and Asparagus and White Truffle and Parmesan.

Jim had

• Three Warm Oysters Glazed with Crab Butter,
• Asparagus, Radish and Arugula Salad with Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette and
• Spicy Halibut and Clam Roast with Braised Greens, White Beans and Black Trumpet Mushrooms.

We shared the Warm Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream, Burnt Caramel and Maine Sea Salt for dessert. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had from beginning to end. I highly recommend getting to this Boston classic.

Food & Wine Magazine – See us featured on the ‘Go List 2008‘ of Food & Wine Magazine. Food & Wine writes: ‘For two decades, this homey, wood-beamed bistro has been a standout in the city’s now-gentrifying South End. In one of the first open kitchens in Boston,Gordon Hamersley prepares hearty country French–American dishes like his signature garlic-and-lemon-roasted chicken. We loved the halibut with roasted clams.’

We went back to the hotel to take a nap before heading out to Kings for a couple drinks, pool and bowling. I just love this place. It’s busy, but not crazy packed; there has been a jazzy band each time we’ve visited, not so loud that you can’t have a pleasant conversation.

Then, we just walked a bit up the road to Bukowski Tavern to grab a Stone Ruination IPA, not the best idea that late, but it’s not every bar that offers my favorite beer.

Needless to say, we woke up late and just meandered a bit around Boston, grabbed a Greek omelet at Steve’s Greek Restaurant, and headed to Fenway Park to see the Sox play the Blue Jays. We had great seats:

But. It. Was. Frigid. And windy. We almost bailed because we were so cold, but we held out and saw a win – finally, a win. After the game we had to warm up and stopped at the Island Creek Oyster Bar for a cold beer. Huh? Well, at least it wasn’t windy.

Again, we went back to the hotel for a warm nap then had a nice dinner at The Oceanaire Seafood Room. Even though it’s a “chain” it was really nice. We were too pooped to go out after dinner. So we watched a few episodes of Storage Wars (never even heard of it before because we don’t have cable; it was humorous, mindless TV for a sleepy night) & boxing – Berto vs. Ortiz, quite the match.

Sunday, Jim had planned some dim sum at Myers + Chang. It was really good. I haven’t had dim sum since Five Spice Cafe in Burlington, VT burned down; it was the only place around that had vegetarian dim sum. And although it wasn’t as good as 5 Spice, it was great because they had some delicious vegetarian options. The Green Papaya Slaw was super delicious. Service was terrific to boot.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out in Faneuil Hall, watching the Red Sox game at Purple Shamrock and Blackstone Grill, which was a bit more lively. For dinner we hit up a Todd English Restaurant, Kingfish Hall which was quite a disappointment. The decor was run down (like their website, apparently), the food was not top-notch (neither of us finished our meals) and the bathroom was quite gross. I’m not sure what happened to this place, but it’s not worth dining at any longer.

However, all was forgotten when we got to the Celtics game at the Garden. Our seats were 3 rows back from where the players entered the stadium and off the floor, just terrific.

Some friends and family even saw us on the TV broadcast. :) It was a tough game, the Celtics were behind for its entirety, but they pulled through in the last 30 seconds. Just awesome!!

We had just so much fun, Again, thank you, Jim. It was a super fun birthday.

I am lucky, blessed, really.

Each day I

• wake up to the sweetest alarm: my almost 4 year old daughter
• enjoy a calm, un-rushed healthy breakfast with my whole family at the dining room table
• work from home on my dream career: children’s photographer
• am grateful for free part-time childcare from my parents and mother-in-law
• eat a natural, whole foods, vegetarian dinner with my whole family at the dining room table
• relax in my cozy home
• read stories and snuggle with my daughter
• go to sleep next to the love of my life in an always cozy bed

In addition, each Wednesday is family day with Jim and Syna.

Each Friday night is date night with my husband. (We’ve been together for 19 years.)

Each Saturday is family date night with Jim and Syna.

Each Sunday is family breakfast with my dad’s family (whoever decides to show – 4-15 people)

I have nothing to complain about. Truly. And I worry about others. Most of the world doesn’t have it nearly as good as I do. I feel extravagant, even when I appreciate what I have and do what I can to minimize my impact on the planet.

We’ve downsized to 1 car, we got rid of cable television, we compost our food waste (and it’s most of it since we’re vegetarian) and recycle to the extent that our family of 3 “throws out” 1 grocery bag of trash per week, we telecommute, we used cloth diapers for our daughter, we bring our own reusable bags to stores and purchase items with limited packaging, we switched our heating system to a high efficiency solution, we shower every other day… We’re conscious of many of our decisions.

And yet we use so much. We have so much. We are never even uncomfortable. We have heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, food available 24/7, constant electricity, transportation, money, instant communication devices, we’re safe. Even on the coldest/hottest days, if I travel, I walk 30′ outdoors to my garage protected car, start it up, turn on the heat/air and I’m comfortably on my way.

It has long been my belief that to truly help others I must start with myself.

To put the world in order, we must put the nation in order.
To put the nation in order, we must put the family in order.
To put the family in order, we must nurture our personal life.
To cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.
- Confucius

But it doesn’t seem like enough when I have so much. And, really, it’s all by luck I ended up being born into my situation.

“There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

How do I stay happy when I am aware of so much suffering?