Last Weekend of March 09

And like that 1/4 of 2009 is gone.

I didn't have any big plans this weekend, and with the increased trips to the gym, until I can figure out how to work out in the morning before work, my schedule will remain pretty booked. Friday night Kate and I were to meet at Borders at Downtown Crossing in Boston, and then head to Regina's Pizza at Wellington Station.

I made it to Borders a bit early and bought myself a book. I just finished Richard Russo's "Bridge of Sighs" which was nothing short of excellent. I found that Matthew Pearl has a new book out called "The Last Dickens". It is brand new and only available in hard cover, but much to my surprise I found "The Poe Shadow" in paperback which I also have not read. This book is a mystery around Edgar Allan Poe's death and takes place in Baltimore in 1849. The book by Pearl which I have read is "The Dante Club" which took place in Boston, also set in the 1800s and based around a set of serial killings that were based on Dante's Inferno. I look forward to starting The Poe Shadow, and eventually getting around to "The Last Dickens" as well.

After completing my purchase I headed outside, sat down on the bench in the lovely 50°F weather and watched people while listening to my mp3 player. And suddenly I see my friend Mike Caprio walk by. He was just heading to Borders himself, and we chat for a while. While we exchanged some banter, suddenly a noisy group of probably 50 cyclists (do I exaggerate?) heads down Washington St towards government center. The bikers are shouting and suddenly when the head from the pedestrian zone into the traffic you can hear the disgruntled honking of horns that ensues. I made some sarcastic comment about what the economy has driven people to, and we watch the strange spectacle in awe. It must have been some sort of biking club, it definitely did not appear to be a sanctioned race or event.

Suddenly I notice Kate through the window, she must have slipped by while I was distracted by the noise. Mike and I head in and we say goodbye.

Kate and I were disappointed when we arrived at Regina's. There was a 40 minute wait, and in the past we had not encountered this sort of problem there. We decide that we don't want Regina's that bad, mainly because I wanted to go to the gym, and Kate had a TV show that she wanted to catch. So we to Melrose and pick up some take out from Andrea's which I must say has finally climbed its way to the top of the take out pizza joints (aside from the center house in Wakefield which makes a damn good Sicilian pizza). After 2 slices and bread sticks I head off to the gym and tell Kate I'll see her in a couple of hours. On the way back from the gym, I pick up a cake (chocolate cream cake) for a late night snack. Kate and I have some small pieces, and head off to bed not long after.

On Saturday Kate heads off to do her errands, and I as well have a full day of laundry, the gym, some errands, and some general apartment cleaning etc. Kate comes over for supper, and I've made chicken cordon bleu from a recipe I found on the Internet. I made plenty, and will probably be eating left overs for much of the week. I think that it came out pretty good.

Sunday, we head over to Watertown and go to Deluxe Town Diner, which I must say was a keeper. Kate had an omelet, and I had a burger. The burger was absolutely heavenly. I haven't had a hamburger in what seems like a month, and it was just so good.... I think I almost cried.

Afterwards Kate and I played a game off candlepin bowling at Lanes & games in Cambridge. If you add both of our scores together we broke 100. As I drove Kate home there was a down pour and I ended up taking a wrong turn in Watertown making our trip a little longer than I had anticipated.

All in all, it was a busy, yet fun weekend.