Ugly sweater live band karaoke

Thursday night I went to live band ugly sweater karaoke at the Landsdowne. I had a blast!

The french fries looked so good here but I passed on the fires and ordered corned beef and cabbage spring rolls. They were very good so I didn't feel too deprived.

Fiona is helping model my food.

I was too chicken to sing karaoke with a live band. Once I actually decided I was ready to do it the sign up sheet was really long so I didn't sign up. Next time I'm going to suck it up and do it.

Live band karaoke is intimidating. They do have lyric sheets though which helps. Lil-Anne gave me her ugly sweater koozie that she got for singing.

This was quite the drunken duet. They sang twice, I'm sure you can imagine how the second time went.

MacKenzie - keeper of the coats.

Apparently the bathroom and I decided to coordinate. Man I'm so cool. Check out the ugly sweater koozie.

There were no hooks in the bathroom stalls. I had to pee with my purse around my neck. Don't worry I am not actually peeing here. That's a whole different level of selfies no one wants to see. I'm still standing up in the stall.

There was also an ugly sweater cut out that Fiona is modeling here. I'm the elf in the photo. Please look for me in the second Hobbit movie.

Moving on to Friday night! Derek and I had Thai food at Montien. I ordered a Pom Pom Margarita. It had pomegranate juice in it and it was really good. I also successfully tied a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. File that under "skills that do NOT pay the bills".

After dinner we tried to find a bar that wasn't super packed. We ended up going to Sweet Water. I was going to snap chat some of my friends and I heard these guys saying they should photo bomb so I asked them if they wanted to be in the snap chat.

Can't really remember who I snap chatted with this but I hope you enjoyed!

Now I'm just waiting to see when this snow storm is going to start and if it will alter my Saturday night plans.

Day 12 of no french fries or potato chips. Hold me!

I'm on day 12 of 30 days of no french fries or potato chips. Every day it gets a little easier. There's still the temptation - the co-worker who eats Cape Cod chips with her sandwich, the table next to me at a restaurant who orders a burger with golden truffle fries. I must stay strong and not let the sound of a potato chip crunching or that delicious freshly fried french fry smell lead me astray. I say NO to your salty deliciousness!

What really keeps me going is the bet I have with Derek. He thinks I can't stay off the chips and fries for 30 days. And also God because I think that's what you're supposed to say at the end of a speech like this. I imagine him watching over my shoulder and patting me on the back every time I pass up a chip or fry. "That's my girl G. That's my girl...."

Thank you Boston for being the soundtrack to my 20s.

Sorry, but I'm going to get a bit sappy here.

I was walking home the other night and even though it was cold and snowing, I took my time and took a few pictures.

I started thinking about how lucky I am that I've had the chance to live and work in such a great city. One of my former co-workers said to me once "I wish I had done that in my 20s, lived and worked in a city". As 30 creeps ever closer I look back on my 20s and smile. Boston has been the soundtrack to my 20s and I am pretty damn lucky for that.

Don't worry, I still plan on traipsing around Boston in my 30s. I may not be single and singing Death Cab at the top of my lungs with Melissa down Beacon Street anymore but I'm not done with this city yet.

Maybe I should share those pics.

Ok this last picture is kind of random but this is really the only MBTA booth I've seen decorated and they had Chirstmas music pumping through the speakers.

You would never know that Jingle Bell Rock was playing by the look on her face.

Window shopping is depressing

I have no idea how much this dress is (the one on the mannequin wearing a fur neck brace), but I can guarantee I can't afford it.

Gah! I want it so bad though. It's gold and shimmery and would be perfect for New Years Eve. But seriously, what is up with the fur neck brace? I bet it's the most expensive thing in the window too.

To the right of the dress of my dreams are some amazing black boots.

There's a little tassel on the zipper and cute little studs going up the back. I'm sure these lovely boots are also out of my price range.

Damn you Lord & Taylor and your tempting window displays. I'm not even going to call it window shopping anymore. I'm renaming it window dreaming.

P.S. Mannequin is spelled like that? I seriously had to google it because I could not for the life of me remember how it was spelled.

21 year olds are now a foreign species to me

I'm not going to name names but someone may have partied a little to hard last night. Ok, well I partied hard for a 29 year old.

Derek and I met up with Charlie, Todd, Kristen and Katie for dinner and drinks. We went to Fanieul Hall around 6 p.m. thinking that would be early enough to get dinner and drinks at The Point. We were way wrong. Apparently there was a Bruins game, Haymarket was open and there was some Christmas themed bar crawl. We did see Jesus which was pretty great. Maybe the bar crawl was his early birthday celebration. Derek and I got there early so we walked around Fanieul Hall trying to find a place that was not packed. We had no luck. We walked back to The Point to meet up with the rest of the group and find a place to go. We ended up getting a table at Anthem. Their fried pickles are awesome by the way. I was tempted to get french fries but I did not! This is going to be a long 30 days with no french fries and no chips.

After Anthem we went to Durgin Park to continue the drinking. Apparently they were out of half of their beers. Around 10:30 everyone else was heading home and Derek and I decided to go to T's Pub. Apparently I was very under dressed. No one told me I had to dress like I was going to a club to go to T's. Great people watching though. I kept sending Melissa snap chats of people dancing or of their awful outfits. Florescent pink seems to be the cool color to wear when you're 21. I also saw a guy that looked like a hipster version of Duck Dynasty and a guy wearing a button down shirt with cats on it (amazing!!). Derek and I were drinking pitchers of Bud Light and now we're at this morning where we both feel like death.

So if anyone wants to bring me a giant cheesy calzone I will love you.

I'm texting with my cousin Alexis who went out to some Spanish club last night and also feels like death due to everyone doing shots at the club. I think she might be feeling worse than me.

Time to take some milk thistle and think about cheese.

Ginny's #Bachelor picks and the Notebook mention count.

It's no secret that my guilty pleasure TV is the Bachelor and Bachelortte. I can't help it don't judge me! ABC finally revealed the 27 ladies who will be battling it out for Juan Pablo. This is like the real life Hunger Games (or at least the people on the show act like their in the Hunger Games). I thought I would share my favorite and not so favorite profiles.

My number 1 pick is Victoria.

Victoria is a legal assistant so I've got her back right off the bat. She also has a V name. (yes my choices are really based on stupid crap like this).

She lists her favorite moves as Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Mean Girls. We have a nerd folks! Love it.

Final point for Victoria is that she owns a cat.

My 2nd pick is Andi.

Despite that fact that her name is Andi with an I I like her. She can't help that her parents named her that. Although having a name with an odd spelling is the perfect name for a Bachelor contestant (besides Ashley or some variation of Alli).

Andi's favorite TV show is Scandal so I know she likes good tv.

What really made me like Andi is that she lists her biggest accomplishment as getting a murderer convicted in 8 minutes. Yes my top two are in the legal field.

Her answer to the boring "what three things would you bring if you were stranded on a desert island" question is a pilot, a plane and fuel. Seriously girl, you have some sense about you despite having ombre hair and being on the Bachelor.

My 3rd pic is Sharleen.

She's an opera singer which I think is pretty cool.

Her favorite movies are The Royal Tenenbaums, Spirited Away, Match Point. All great choices and bonus point for not mentioning the Notebook.

Her favorite writer is Haruki Murakami. Thank you once again Sharleen for having good taste and not picking the Notebook or 50 Shades of Grey.

An honorable mention goes to Lacy for listing Hot Cheetos as her favorite food. I was going to smash something if one more girl said fruit and/or almonds.


Let's move onto my non picks. These are not in any type of order.

First up is Alexis.

Alexis lists her favorite book as The Bible. It's fine if you enjoy reading The Bible but really? You're going to list that as your favorite book? Ok Rebecca Ann Leeman.

Her favorite movies are Home Alone 2, Elf and Titanic. Home Alone 2? What about Home Alone 1? Way better. Titanic is a good movie but that's right behind the Notebook for favorite movie clichés.

Sorry Alexis, I just don't think I can root for you.

My second non pick is Kelly.

Kelly lists her occupation as "Dog Lover". I'm translating this to either unemployed or crazy or both. I love dogs (and cats) too! But I also have a real actual job.

Her favorite television show is the Bachelor. She sounds like she might be a super fan. You don't actually list the show you're on as your favorite show.

Kelly's favorite book is Eat Pray Love. Wow, very original. I bet your second favorite book is THE NOTEBOOK.

I will admit that I'm glad she lists her favorite food as steak and potato.

Third pick is Amy L.

Sorry I can't get past this shirt. What is this shirt? That's all I have to say about Amy L. I can't get past the shirt and white jeans. She does have nice hair. See I said something nice.

Let's get the final counts of things mentioned the most in the profiles. Drum roll please.

Home Alone 2 (not 1, just 2): mentioned 2 times.

The Notebook: mentioned 4 times.

Favorite food is nuts and/or fruit: 4 times.

I can't wait for January

25th Floor Drinking Team at the Salty Pig

Every once in a while all the businesses that reside on the 25th floor meetup after work for some food and drinks (mostly drinks). We complain about the companies that work on the other floors and try to guess the names of the other people who work on our floor but don't make it out.

Last night we met up at The Salty Pig. When we first walked in the place was empty. We were put into a corner as we were told there was going to be a large party arriving later that would take up half of the small restaurant. It is the season for work parties and the like so there's not much you can do about that.

Here's a picture of the very empty restaurant when we first arrived.

I've never eaten at the Salty Pig due to it's unusual menu (at least to me) of "salty pig parts". This is not a vegetarian's ideal restaurant. I'm not a vegetarian but reading the words "salty pig parts" makes me a little queasy. Elizabeth took charge and ordered us some good sampler platters and a yummy white pizza.

Fried egg on a pizza? Weird but not bad.

The meats were actually very good and not gross at all. I don't know what I was expecting really but I was pleasantly surprised and full of salty pork and beer by the end of the night.

I think my favorite thing at the Salty Pig is the little notebook that comes with your check. Customers just write or draw whatever they feel like and I spent at least 10 minutes flipping through and laughing.

Pretty good Simpsons drawing if you ask me. A bit like the early era Simpsons.

Sad times my piggy friend. I'm sorry for eating pork! :(

Our contribution (mostly, my contribution with Justin adding the belly button to the pig).

The bathrooms of the Salty Pig were covered with comics. I LOVED it. Who doesn't want to read some comics when you're sitting down for a wee.

Here is your favorite Boston blogger taking the all important bathroom selfie.

I'm lucky to have such fun people that work on my floor. We don't actually work together and yet we see one another everyday in the halls, elevators and bathroom so it's nice to actually meetup and hang out. We're thinking of planning a floor party in January in one of the offices.

Today is going to be a long day my friends, but at least I know I do not suffer alone.