Laura and I went to two family events today. A cookout at my parents, attended by a whopping 2/3rds of my family and then cocktails at the Dunes Club with Laura's grandparents and her Aunt and Uncle.

I call her crazy, but Laura was struck by the disparity between our families. Her's is very talkative and political (on this we agree), while mine is quiet and reserved. I disagree on this. I may be quiet and reserved, but there was no silence (uncomfortable or otherwise) that I was aware of at my family's gathering.

If there is any difference, it probably comes from the fact that her family is full of lawyers, and mine is full of engineers.

Laura and I went to Flora for dinner tonight. The Company picked up (most of) the tab, as a bonus for all the hard work I've been doing lately. That's super nice of them, especially since I don't think I've been working especially hard lately. As hard as I usually do, surely, but nothing extraordinary.

Flora was awesome. On the expensive side, but definitely something I would consider again for a special occasion. A full review will be forth coming.

I realized something today. Before I took this job, I used to constantly read technical books. I'd always try to stay on top of the latest trends in Computer Science. I'd pick up new languagues like C# or Ruby on my own, just based on their intrinsic coolness. Some times I'd read books that would help me become a better programmer, like the highly recommended Pragmatic Programmer. Or Writing Solid Code.

The thing is, I haven't read a single technical book since I moved up here about 2 years ago. I'm not sure if this should worry me. Maybe I'm losing my drive to become a better programmer. It could be, instead, that my job is simply pushing me in ways that no previous employment has. I feel very fulfilled at the end of the day. I have a constant supply of interesting and challenging projects to work on. It helps that I'm of the opinion that the end product doesn't have to be all that interesting for the work to be interesting. (I mean, I don't have any desire to work at a game company). I just enjoy solving programming problems every day. After working here for 2 years, I finally feel that I'm in a position where I could go anywhere and pick up any new job easily. This, of course, is something that I won't have to put into practice for some time. Its a nice feeling nonetheless.

Another Mexican Casserole tonight. This time with smoked chipotle rice (a Lipton rice packet thingy) and 2 green peppers. I also inverted the crunchy topping and the cheese, based on the advice of the esteemed Alton Brown. I can't wait to dig into this.

If anybody is interested in making this, please let me know how it comes out!

Laura and I took a little walk this evening. I even had some other pictures ready to go up for today (for example), but this one was just too good to pass up.

What a spectacular sunset to end such a lovely day.

Today at work we had a fire drill. You know, the kind where you all have to shuffle outside in the oppressive 95 degree heat, and line up with your class, I mean company, until the all clear gets sounded.

Why do we do this again? This is the first time I've ever done one since I was in High School, so its not as if its a wide spread practice. I guess its to get accustomed to where you have to go if there's an emergency (no elevators!). But if it were a real emergency, would people be filing out so calmly? What happens if that stairwell is blocked? I don't even know where the other one is. Oh, the humanity!

After what seems like forever, I finally reached a milestone in my diet. I got below 200 pounds. I started about 2 years ago, when I weighed 260. Yes, I was a very large man. I could barely see over my burgeoning gut, and it was uncomfortable sleeping on my stomach.

Those days are no more. Now I regularly receive comments on how thin I look. I can sleep just fine. And I think my digestive system is thanking me for its new-found efficiency.

I only have 14.5 more pounds to take off. After that its just maintainence. Maintainence is easy. In fact, when I first moved up here, I stayed at about 215 for a good 4 months straight. Lets hear it for eating less!

We hit JP Licks in Davis Square. They have the best ice cream flavor there: cake batter. I'm not really sure how they make it. I don't really care either, as long as they keep it coming. Of course, I couldn't really partake in the eating due to my raging lactose intolerance. Instead Russ and I sat in the square, surreptitiously taking pictures of people.

Listen. Its really hard taking a picture every day. You try it. Yeah, that's what I thought.

This mutant miniature took it upon himself to sneak attack Russell from the Hill of Dice. It wasn't very successful, as there were hardly enough reinforcements to get the job done. Gaming night kicks ass. I finally found an "orc voice" that doesn't sound like a pirate.

Speaking of pirates, I heard a great piece on Shakespearian english on NPR during the drive home. Some linguists taught some players the Original Pronunciation, and they are taking it to the stage in Troilus and Cressida. These people sound just like pirates! Or more correctly, I suppose, pirates talk like them. Or did, back in the 16th century. Honestly to me it sounds most like a combination of a brogue and pirate-speak. Go ahead, go listen!

I love the contrast between the red of the flower and the black of the hydrant.

Laura woke me up at 7:30 this morning. She had to get to Barnes and Noble to buy the new Harry Potter book. 10 hours later and she's 3/4 of the way through the book. She'll regret reading it so fast when she realizes it'll be another 2 years before the next and last book comes out. I'm not complaining though. The sooner she finishes, the sooner I can read it!

Christina is hereby always invited to dinner, as long as she brings s'mores for dessert. We made these over our gas stove, and man were they delicious. I still say that they're much better over a campfire. I think its the combination of even heat from the coals, as well as that outdoorsy atmosphere combined with happy childhood memories. So maybe Laura won't be able to enjoy that last bit. That's not to say she doesn't have happy childhood memories, just none that involve camping. You too can enjoy some of my culinary creations if you bring a dessert worthy enough!

Jon and Nathan Short (no relation!) joined us for lunch. Originally I was going to post a picture of Jon to make up for the fact that I captured his arm in a previous picture but neglected to credit his vital contribution. Unfortunately his picture didn't make the cut.

Nathan recently joined me at the Company, and will be moving up to Wakefield shortly. Hopefully he'll start coming out with the gang to trivia, poker, etc. The more money on the table the better, after all.

The roses in our garden taken with a reversed lense for that supermacro effect. Jeff has a great picture of some raspberries hanging in his kitchen that I think uses this same technique. The light was dying when I took this; it probably would've been better with a lot more light in the frame.

Another easy picture: Mystic Lake at Sunset. Its nice having such a photographable subject so close to home. The runners up included a panorama of the homestead (for posterity sake I guess), and another picture of the ice cream I made yesterday, this time in a more wholly frozen form. In the end it was an easy call. This is a great picture.

The protesters were out in force today at Rt 60 and Mass Ave. I can never figure out the schedule that they're on, but they're usually out there once a week holding up signs like "Fund Education not War", or "G.I.s died for Bush's Lie". I can never really figure out the motivation people have for doing things like that. Maybe they believe these things a lot more passionately than I do. I'm glad somebody's out there anyway. Makes me proud to live in a town like this.

Another lazy sunday filled with cooking. Today it was some homemade ice cream (courtesy of Cook 1.0), and chocolate sauce. And for dinner I threw together a great pasta dish: 1 onion halfed and sliced thinly, a few handfuls of fresh spinach, olive oil, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes all sauted. Once the pasta was done, I mixed in the onion and spinach along with half a lemon (squeezed), a cup of chopped basil, and half a cup of shredded parmesean cheese. Toss with 2-3 more Tbsps of evoo. On top of all this goes a balsamic vinegar reduction. Absolutely delicious. We used whole wheat pasta for the extra protein kick. If anybody's interested I can point out the recipe that I received from the CooksIllustrated.com people. I'm on their mailing list, and every missive includes a recipe, several of which I've made.

Very similar to yesterdays, but I upped the saturation on this picture. I really like how it came out.

This picture almost came out perfect, but you can't really tell what the camera is focusing on when you're working with a 1.5-inch screen. I really love the splash of red in the background though.

It was a lively party. People were outside drinking while Eva walked her dog around the house. She couldn't bring her tiny mutt inside for fear of the large dogs there.

A few hours in the hot sun has made Avery thirsty and she is looking for a refreshing refill. She comes running up the stairs on the front porch and tosses the contents of her cup off the side. Mostly ice and water spray all over the trees and bushes. Eva, having just rounded the bend with her dog gets soaked as well.

"Hey, you just threw your drink all over Eva!" exclaims Dan.

"You named your tree Eva?" Avery asks, incredulous.

And that is how Eva became Eva the Tree.

I guess this is Peter's corollary to the Third Party Rule: 4th party stories can still be funny. A little bit anyway.

Poker went really well. I made up for my double bust-out last time by leaving with $55. I thought I played really well towards the end. I tend to get a rush of adrenaline whenever I'm in a big hand, so I think a little bit of alcohol helps me out. Not so much that I'll bluff off all my money, but enough to make a big bluff when it counts. (3 last night! Ha ha ha suckers!)

Trivia factoid for the day:

All U.S. currency is printed on special patented paper made of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. This paper is made only by the Crane Company, based in Dalton, Mass. Crane obtained the patent for this paper for the Treasury in 1879.

I'm not terribly upset that Jeff shot my answer down at trivia. I wasn't really sure about it anyway, and his made as much sense at the time. I think if we paid more attention to the wording of the question we might've gotten it right. We'll get 'em next time.

On my way home from work an idea struck me. Fajitas for dinner. We haven't had them for an entire year. At least, I don't remember ever making them at our current place of residence. I think my cooking skills have improved greatly since the last time I made fajitas. These were quite excellent, but I guess it really all just comes down to the fact that I cooked the peppers and onions correctly. Just a splash of oil, a pinch of salt, and a quick saute over med-high heat until nice and translucent. Laura and I always put the wrapped fajita back on the heat to get a nice crispy finish.

I also make some chocolate chip cookies last night, sort of on a whim. This was the 3rd thing I made in my new Kitchen-Aid mixer. Let me tell you, that thing kicks ass. It made what is usually a bowl juggling mess into a quick and easy. Although it was unclear whether I should let the machine mix in the chocolate chips or not. Between that, my new scooper (to make consistently portioned cookies) and my scale, baking is a breeze! I can't wait to tackle more challenging things like pie crusts, or even loaves of bread!

I can't believe how fast these kids grow up. Such a cliche, I know, but it's true. This was actually the first time I met my niece Julia. She has got to be one of the happiest babies that I ever met. Just like her sisters, she takes after her father both in looks and in disposition.

This was also the first time I saw Margaret, another niece, in a long time. She's almost two now. She's just like a real person, with a personality and everything. :) Okay okay, so I'm a little sheltered here in Boston. Young children aren't exactly common place, if you didn't notice.

Our neighbor, two doors down, has a fantastic garden. I noticed this for the first time last night when I strolled past on my way to get money at the ATM. It takes up the entire yard and is filled with vegetables and flowers. An assortment of tiger lillies, roses, and tiny little yellow flowers line the outside. The whole thing is surrounded by a 8 foot fence supporting a creeping vine. This fantastic pink rose sits at the corner and provides a colorful foreground to this shot.

I definitely don't have a green thumb. It seems that every plant I have invariablly ends up ill-kept. I managed to keep an ivy plant for a year and a half, but it finally succumbed after we went on a 2 week vacation. I never think to ask the cat-sitters to water the plants and they invariably suffer. Last year I grew tiny little tomatoes out on our west-facing deck. After harvesting, I completely forgot to use them! That would never happen now, I use tomatoes all the time. Although I still don't really appreciate the taste of tomatoes, but they go really well with a little salt, garlic, onion and olive oil.

Jeff's annual July 4th cookout was a blast as usual. Except for when you get singled out in the water ballon toss, or blamed for breaking the neighbors priceless heirloom rose bush with an errant toss of the football.

The food was fabulous as usual, and I'm glad everybody seemed to enjoy my contribution. Here is the recipe for anybody interested, it comes courtesy of Alton Brown, via the Food Network.

2 lb carrots, approx 12 - 15 medium
1/2 c mayonnaise
pinch kosher salt
1/3 c sugar
1/2 c canned, crushed pineapple, drained thoroughly
1/2 c golden raisins
2 t curry powder
1 t minced garlic
pinch celery seed and/or caraway seed (optional)

Wash the carrots and peel, if necessary. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the carrots into wide noodle shaped strips.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, salt, sugar, pineapple, raisins, curry powder, garlic, and celery and/or caraway seed. Add the carrots and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour to serve cold.

I just got back from War of the Worlds. That was a very stressful movie. Laura freaked out a few times. Hopefully she'll be able to sleep tonight, and not think that the fireworks going off in our neighborhood are intergalatic visitors. Overall I thought it was good. Definitely worth the money, but it had a few minor plot holes, and a goofy ending which kept it from perfection.