How I (almost) became Mrs. Ryan Reynolds

Yesterday, I got to meet Ryan Reynolds (of Proposal, and generally having a hot bod fame). 

 Oh, wait. sorry, that was how this blog was supposed to start. You know, after a succesful stalking session and real proposal (on his part). Instead, as I write this, I'm nursing an intense injury to my right heel resulting from a speedwalk in flats that love to rip the skin off the back of my feet. 

It's a tough life I lead, folks. I can't sugarcoat it all for you.

Sorry, are you confused? Maybe I should start at the beginning. Yesterday, not long before lunch was to start, I decided to take a pre-lunch break and hop on facebook for a little update of everyone's lives. The usual. 

Randomly a status popped up on my newsfeed, that this guy had just seen Ryan Reynolds filming a movie on Newbury St. in Boston.  Needless to say, like any true american girl in my place would do, I freaked out. I emailed my coworkers the good news, and headed on google to get the dirt on the RR sighting. Could it be true? Could Mr. Reynolds be right in my backyard, just waiting for the woman of his dreams to stroll by the set. And by woman of his dreams I obviously mean ME (Incidentally, I've never really spent all the much time thinking about Ryan. The promise of a brush with fame threw me over the edge, I guess).

After some quick online searching, I discovered RR has been in town for awhile filming a new movie with Kevin Bacon and Jeff Bridges, all of whom has been spotted throughout the area from Charlestown to Fenway. And yesterday, blessedly, Ryan was on Newbury Street, barely any distance at all from my office (or so I told myself).

I convinced the girls at lunch that we'd for sure have time to eat and still make the trek over to Newbury Street,it's like soo close. So with high spirits, we headed out on our celebrity stalking adventure. Despite warnings from the others (and knowing it myself, but not admitting it) that we would get to Newbury and have to turn back to make it back to work in time, we pressed on. Sure enough, just as we reached the beginning of Newbury it became clear that even with a brisk walk back to the office we were going to be late. Nevermind trolling the street for a glimpse of someone famous.

So, without ceremony, we started hoofing it back to the office. My shoes, whose biting heels had. up until then, been held at bay with a bandaid, were soon grabbing visciously at my skin. I ignored it as we focused on making record time. Finally, we arrived at the office, hopped in the elevator and spilled out sweaty and breathless into our lobby. Trying to be discreet, we crept in the through the glass doors and scattered to take various routes back to our desks.

 Ten minutes after two, I slumped into my chair and looked down at my heel to see what kind of blister I'd sustained, only to see blood. Everywhere. This was not blister. This was a chunk of my foot missing kind of thing. It was incredibly painful, and disgusting. Twenty four hours later, I'm still in pain and limping slightly.

And so it was that my dreams of being Mrs. Kathryn Reynolds came to a (rather gory) end. It's not like he's really my type anyway. I mean, come on: buff, good looking, and famous? Please. 

Calling It In

I decided to take a sick day today, surprisingly, because I'm not feeling so great (does anyone ever actually do that?). Last night, I'd pretty much decided that since I'd been feeling crummy all week, if I woke up still not well, I'd make the call. Just as I got in to bed, however, I realized that I couldn't remember the extension of the person I'm supposed to call when I'm going to be out sick.

This was particularly frustrating because I actually work with her all the time and while I managed to think of the first two digits of the extension, it was the last two that were evading me, and the ones that really matter. So it was, that at 11pm at night while lying in bed, I pieced together an extension that seemed familiar and decided I'd give it a try (you know, to hear from the voice mail who it was).

I dialed a number and waited while it rang and suddenly remembered that old proverb, "If a tree falls in the woods and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?" and began to think of the office, silent and dark for the night, when suddenly the overly loud shrill of the phone breaks the silence, the red call light providing an unusually bright light with everything else so dark. You know what happens next. Yes, I did in fact think the thought, "If a phone rings in the office and there's no one there to hear it, does it really make a sound?

Apparently I'm super philosophical late on the eve before a sick day. And also strangely persistent when it comes to try to track down someones extension.

As it turned out the extensions I'd dialed was wrong, as was the next one, and at that point I realized the futility of my actions. There are probably about 80 extensions in my office, and there are only 2 of them I actually know by heart. One of those is mine. Not to mention, all I had to do in the morning was call the receptionist (a friend of mine) and be transferred. Furthermore, I may be the only person in the history of corporate America who has gone on an extension dialing spree (albeit a short one) in order to fully prepare myself to maybe call out sick the next day depending on how I felt. There's a first time for everything, I s'pose. 

Back on Planet Earth

Remember me? I used to do this thing called blogging and write all about the fun, funny, interesting, and zany things that happened to me?

Don't worry I apparently forgot too! But I like to think I'm getting myself back on track. 

I'd like to pretend that some reason of great purpose urged me back onto the scene but no, just more KatyDidWhat crazy.

Sunday night I was able to go visit my younger brother who just began his first year at college not far from Boston.

A friend and I headed out from an earlier meet up with friends nearby the school and met my brother on campus. He obliged me by answering my endless list of questions, showed me around the school and I even got to meet some people he's friends with at school. 

Tim, Rachel, and I were walking along one of the paths near the student center when a guy came up behind us and greeted Tim. Hoping to appear every bit the confident, cool, and friendly big sister that we can all agree I definitely am, I took it upon myself to introduce myself to him. It went a little something like this.

Kid: Hey, I'm Nate.

Me: Hey, Nate. I'm Kate. . .ty 

Kid Nods

Me again: I'm Tim's brother!

silence

Rachel: You mean, your Tim's sister?!

Me: raucous laughter. Right, right. hahahah. I'm also smarter than I first appear!

Kid: Umm, let's hope so.

Do you ever have those moments where someone six years your junior makes you feel like a total idiot with just a few words. I think it's clear this was not one of those moments. not. 

Weekend Part 2: Purgatory Chasm

As this weekend was Labor Day weekend, I wanted to end it with something of a bang. . .or at least something fun to celebrate the extra day of rest! Some friends and I planned to meet up at a place in central MA called Purgatory Chasm. It's a national reservation and was created, supposedly, during the last ice age. 

Filled with cool formations, fun trails to walk, and picnic spots, it's a great place to kill a few hours exploring the great outdoors. . .or being scared of you or other various fellow "hikers" plummeting to your deaths with one misstep. . .

Running into other friends at the Chasm made our outing all the more exciting and ending the day with some Cherry Moose Track ice cream at a local creamery was the icing on the cake! 

And, how fitting it should end as deliciously as it began.

Weekend Part 1: Gourmet Grilled Cheese

If you live in Boston and are looking for a fun lunch or dinner alternative, you gotta try Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese food truck. Though most recently of Food Network fame, these Boston natives have been rocking the food truck scene around this city for quite some time. 

I'd heard of Roxy's through friends and acquaintances before, since they spend a lot of their time hanging around near my neighborhood and then saw them on a couple of episodes of The Great Food Truck Race with Tyler Florence. At some point it clicked, and I realized who they were. So, naturally, I had to try them.

I called up a friend to join me and this weekend we stalked their location and headed there for dinner. A gang of homegrown Boston boys with their accents and a truck full of cheese. . .yes, please. 

My lovely pal Elissa and I indulged in The Green Meunster, an intoxicating blend of bacon, guacamole, and muenster cheese, as well as their Rookie, with Vermont Cheddar and fresh tomato. We found a nice grassy spot and dug in! Oh, and did I mention the truffle fries? No?

Those were great too. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah

You know that moment when you're dancing around the living room with your friends, and you start to think. Man, we're pretty good. We should totally make a music video!

And you know how after you think it, you go back to dancing because it's a nice dream but, get real. Well, some of my lovely gal pals and I never really make it to that second part.

As a result, about a year ago we debuted our first music video. Inspired by a sunny Labor Day trip to the river and our red maned beauty of a friend Kait from Cali, we tore it up to California Gurls by Katy Perry.

 A year later, we're back with a grittier, darker offering: our take on Yeah 3X by Chris Brown. The thrice talented J.Swick co-starred in, filmed, and edited much of the film herself. Get it girl!

Are we ridiculous? Yes. Do we always have an amazing time together because of it? Yeah, yeah, yeah!

and in case you're curious about our first foray into the music world. Check it.

 

I took myself on a "date"

Yesterday and today, I had days off from work, the result of some vacation day stragglers that I had to use or lose before the first week of September. I decided to take these two days off mid week, knowing Friday would be an early closure at work, and then Monday would be the holiday. It's been like a little mini vacation!

 

Today, I had an eye appointment near one of my favorite parts of the city. When I got out, it was lunch time and I decide to take myself on a little solo date ;) I went to the Paris Creperie, a great little (what else!) creperie in Coolidge Corner, lounged in the sun reading, popped into various stores and stopped by the farmers' market. It was a relaxing and fun time, and I felt so calm as I watched the chaos of The Big Move. That is, most leases in Boston begin on 9/1 so there is a huge amount of people moving today in the city. It's insanity. But I enjoyed it all through the lense of a frozen nutella mint hot chocolate and my phone's camera!

 

(From top: 1}move in chaos; 2}Plums at the FM; 3}My favorite little book shop; 4}mint nutella frozen hot choc and a greek crepe; 5}The Greek (sans olives)-spinach, feta, sundried tomato and greek dressing, yum; 6}enjoying every bite! 7}I love the stamp on their boxes!)

 That's all she wrote folks! Peace out, from me and this gnarly (but delicious) farmers' market carrot. 

PS- Is anyone else feeling the irony of me getting a Greek crepe at a French restaurant?