I haven't been feeling my best the past few days and so when Nick asked me what I wanted to do tonight, the first night of a long weekend, I thought a movie sounded just fine. Most of the summer blockbusters will open next weekend and so we had slim pickings. We chose Made of Honor to soothe my Patrick Dempsey fix.
Nick was not crazy about going to this chick flick, I think he was just trying to make things as simple as possible for me.
The movie theater is less than a two minutes walk away. It's a block away and across the street. As we were discussing how much we're going to miss our 2 minute walk to the AMC downtown theater and enjoying the lovely spring evening, something came into the periphery of my vision.
A man on a bike, from behind us, looked like he was trying to go around Nick's right side (I was on his left). He was going at a pretty fast rate so I grabbed Nick's arm and pulled him away from the bike man. Surprisingly, the bike guy kept going around to the right side and it looked like was going to ride straight into a building. He bumped the building and whirled the bike around to come on my side now as if he was trying to run ME over this time. I was getting freaked out and wondered what in the world this guy wanted, and before I was able to sputter any words, he leaned into my face and loudly growled like a wild animal, hungry for a meal.
I looked at him like a strange alien and stopped walking. He biked onward.
We watched in disbelief as he knocked over two more people on the sidewalk.
We hurried to the movie and quickly became absorbed in the cheesy plot. Before we knew it, the credits were rolling and dim lights began to fill the room. The first thing Nick says after every movie, "I gotta piss." I always reply, "I know, I'll wait in the lobby."
We parted ways, Nick to the restroom and me walking in a daze toward the lobby. I was just thinking about how I would have preferred the ending to be when I looked up and saw a young woman screaming at a young man. I thought they were just fooling around because her hands were holding onto his shirt and it looked like he was trying to get away from her.
I kept thinking, "I think Patrick Dempsey looks ridiculously good for a man in his forties...."
The young woman screamed, "Give me my f---ing phone! Give me my f---ing phone!"
At this point I looked up, cleared my thoughts and just saw this man shove her to the ground, but not before she nearly twisted his shirt into rags. I was about to help because I was the closest person to her and I saw it might be getting serious, but something clicked in my head to keep moving, I don't know why. Keep moving.
A clatter. I look down to see what the noise was and it seemed like something had come out of the young man's jeans and I figured it was the stolen phone she was screaming about. I look down and I see a black handgun on the floor. I was less than five feet from them and the closest person to the gun.
I turned my head and saw Nick coming, just wanting to get out of there.
There was a flurry of movie goers and AMC employees gathering around the gun. Murmurs guessing that it was a fake or possibly a BB gun began to make their way.
Any thoughts of Patrick Dempsey vanished as NIck and I quickly left. On the escalator toward the lobby, we saw the police rushing upstairs. I slowly shook my head and looked at Nick a long time, speechless over the incident.
As we pushed the doors open into the spring city night, the fresh air swept over my face, calming me down. Nick took my hand and said, "There's a slight possibility that we'll see a gun again sometime in our lives, but I don't think we'll ever have any fool on a bike growl at us ever again. Now that's the most exciting thing that happened tonight, huh?"
I just looked at him and shrugged.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
New Munchkins
My sister-in-law just gave birth two days ago to a new baby boy! Nick and I have another nephew! Joseph Guatano Factora was born a big 8lbs and some ounces at 3:30am May 14, 2008.
A big congrats to Lisa and Nick Feczko for their bouncing bundle, Andrew who was born this week as well!
YAY for munchkins!
A big congrats to Lisa and Nick Feczko for their bouncing bundle, Andrew who was born this week as well!
YAY for munchkins!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A HOUSE!
We're 2/3 of the way there.
We put an offer in.
Negotiated.
Accepted.
We're in for the inspection phase.
[waiting, waiting]
We put an offer in.
Negotiated.
Accepted.
We're in for the inspection phase.
[waiting, waiting]
Friday, May 9, 2008
Springing Forward
There is something tragic about Spring that I cannot put into words.
The lush green trees, the sweet clean air, and the sound of baseball meeting a bat. Spring time.
I sit here with red eyes, a scratchy throat, and compressed lungs that wheeze when outside for more than 5 minutes. I hate my allergies. Egh.
Other than the arrival of beautiful Spring while Boston is rated the third WORST CITY IN THE US for allergies, other things have been going on.
Last weekend, Nick's parents came into town and it was a lovely break to have some family around us in our home. If you haven't already, please ask Ron and Nick about their first lobster experience. Two words: DIS-ASTER. I don't know if Nick is allowed back in Maine after the mess he created on the table. I wasn't there, but I heard the stories. My reaction when he told me he ordered a lobster, "You don't like seafood, so I don't follow why you even tried it in the first place." His reply, "I live on the edge! That's how I roll."
He's been saying that a lot lately and it is getting old.
This past Monday, Andy Wendelon was in town and since I was trapped in the third ring of hell (work), Nick went out to dinner and showed him a fine bar of Boston. Tomorrow, my bud Jennifer Buckley will be visiting from NYC along with a potential Memorial Day visit from my oldest brother Victor who lives out in Los Angeles. They've got the right idea folks -- if you want to see Boston, get here sooner rather than later cuz we're outta here pretty soon.
So other than lobster feasts and family/friends visits, we have been running around like mad with school letting out, moving, house hunting, job hunting (me), and my impending trip to the Philippines. My scheduled departure date is June 23rd.
That's a quick update from the east coast. Hopefully, I will have more to share as our final weeks in Boston begin to dwindle.
To spring! Cheers!
The lush green trees, the sweet clean air, and the sound of baseball meeting a bat. Spring time.
I sit here with red eyes, a scratchy throat, and compressed lungs that wheeze when outside for more than 5 minutes. I hate my allergies. Egh.
Other than the arrival of beautiful Spring while Boston is rated the third WORST CITY IN THE US for allergies, other things have been going on.
Last weekend, Nick's parents came into town and it was a lovely break to have some family around us in our home. If you haven't already, please ask Ron and Nick about their first lobster experience. Two words: DIS-ASTER. I don't know if Nick is allowed back in Maine after the mess he created on the table. I wasn't there, but I heard the stories. My reaction when he told me he ordered a lobster, "You don't like seafood, so I don't follow why you even tried it in the first place." His reply, "I live on the edge! That's how I roll."
He's been saying that a lot lately and it is getting old.
This past Monday, Andy Wendelon was in town and since I was trapped in the third ring of hell (work), Nick went out to dinner and showed him a fine bar of Boston. Tomorrow, my bud Jennifer Buckley will be visiting from NYC along with a potential Memorial Day visit from my oldest brother Victor who lives out in Los Angeles. They've got the right idea folks -- if you want to see Boston, get here sooner rather than later cuz we're outta here pretty soon.
So other than lobster feasts and family/friends visits, we have been running around like mad with school letting out, moving, house hunting, job hunting (me), and my impending trip to the Philippines. My scheduled departure date is June 23rd.
That's a quick update from the east coast. Hopefully, I will have more to share as our final weeks in Boston begin to dwindle.
To spring! Cheers!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Spring Time
Don't you just adore spring?
Aside from my wheezing lungs from springtime allergens and the increased number of tourists in the city, I tell you, there is nothing like spring.
Today, the Boston Marathon cancelled all classes around the city and Nick and watched about 25,000 folks run their fannies off. We were at the finish line and stood for an hour, squished, shoulder to shoulder with screaming strangers who were ringing mini cowbells in our ears.
Pretty awesome and inspiring to watch.
More importantly, Congrats to Staci Condon! Nick and I are so pumped for you and Josh!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Reasons For Change
There's nothing like change.
There's nothing that brings the woes of anxiety or the ecstasy of surprise more than the shifting landscape we call life. Even with Nick's practicality and my intuition put together, we will never be able to predict where the bend of the road will take us.
Deep thoughts, by LFB.
And now, it is with great pleasure (and relief) that I announce some major changes to your favorite Bostonians.
First, as some of you may have heard, Nick has decided to leave his doctoral program at Boston College. While a marriage is an archway over two souls, it's really his story to tell as to why he's leaving and I feel funny trying to explain for him. But, essentially, in a nutshell sold at Kroger, Nick is an individual who thrives in helping people in a relational setting; a ministerial purpose drives his personality, faith, and career. Academia can be an extremely isolating and elitist experience. You spend sometimes over 10 hours a day reading and researching topics that only a handful of people will fully understand. With meeting students who have progressed into the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years in the same program he was in, we observed that not only did the stress never let up, it only intensified with job hunting, more researching, tenure, and the pressure to publish. And just like in any other facet of life, it's not so much about right and wrong, it was about the question of fit. Nick recognized in the past few months that the fit just wasn't there. It's as complicated as that. It's as simple as that.
Shortly after we began discussing our options, Nick, on a whim, sent his resume to a parish in Cleveland, St. Dominic, who was hiring for a multifaceted position as Pastoral Minister. We were on our way home to Ohio for Easter when this opportunity rose. Within a few weeks, Nick had interviewed, received a wonderful offer, and accepted.
I truly believe that as we get older, it becomes more difficult to communicate in original phrases. The cliches of "follow your heart," and "you just know," and "only time will tell," are so overused, I cringe at the thought of further exploiting their usage. But, it's true. These stupid cliches are completely true. What has transpired in our lives in the past few months has been painful, wonderful, difficult, and unpredictable. (Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way, but it's hard on the emotions.)
We had begun to build our home here in Boston, but found ourselves growing silent to more urgent questions of sustainability, fit, and future. What we thought we wanted has, quite simply, changed. We are also crazily blessed that we are able to shift our lives and dreams in accordance to our desires and find support in every avenue we seek. In times where many are without jobs, the market is bleak for so many, and the economy continues to plummet, Nick and I feel are so grateful for our blessings and opportunities.
Then began the House hunting.
I have been wanting to buy my own house since I was, like, seven years old. Finding the right home for Nick and I has been an incredibly exciting journey, but a strenuous conversation in terms of all the countless considerations when buying your first home. Nick and I will be the first to admit proud and loud: WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BUYING A HOME. Very similarly when we planned a wedding, we started from scratch. We build a layout of what we want and slowly go from there. Very similarly in how we planned our wedding, Nick thinks mechanically: paperwork, mortgages, and equity. I think details: window replacements, roof, foundation, and air conditioning. Now more than ever in my time of knowing Nick, I have thanked God a hundred times this month that he and I are so often on the same page.
This past weekend, we went to Cleveland and between this weekend and Easter, we've probably seen about 25 houses. To put it lightly, we are exhausted. This out of state shopping is so hard! But, we have possibilities and we're keeping the stress level in check. Nick has had more success with that lately.
Onto other big news...as if a new job, house hunting, and moving isn't enough - I am going on a massively large trip...a trip of a lifetime.
In January, I applied to study in a program that would allow me to study and live in the Philippines for six weeks while I attended crash courses in economics, history, literature, and language classes. The program, built specifically for Filipino Americans who have never been to the Philippines, was a golden find. I was accepted last week and will be conducting my own research at the University of the Philippines, their premier university and one of the oldest in the world. The scholars I will study under are some of the best philosophers, historians, and professors in the country and I am more than excited to go. I will leave sometime at the end of June and return sometime in August (dates are uncertain). This has been an opportunity that I have been looking for my whole life and there are no words to express how perfect this is for me at this time in my life.
And so, I have resigned from my job at Emerson College and have begun peeking around Cleveland for possibilities. But I'm in no rush. My focus is on the trip and preparing for it as best as I can. Nick will begin his new job in July and we're prepping each other for not seeing each other for six weeks. My heart hurts already just thinking about that.
And, so, our dear family and friends, forgive us for not spilling the beans earlier, but we wanted to wait until we were certain of our plans. And now they are certain. We continue to be grateful for your support, wherever we may be. (Hence the change in the blog title!)
There's nothing that brings the woes of anxiety or the ecstasy of surprise more than the shifting landscape we call life. Even with Nick's practicality and my intuition put together, we will never be able to predict where the bend of the road will take us.
Deep thoughts, by LFB.
And now, it is with great pleasure (and relief) that I announce some major changes to your favorite Bostonians.
First, as some of you may have heard, Nick has decided to leave his doctoral program at Boston College. While a marriage is an archway over two souls, it's really his story to tell as to why he's leaving and I feel funny trying to explain for him. But, essentially, in a nutshell sold at Kroger, Nick is an individual who thrives in helping people in a relational setting; a ministerial purpose drives his personality, faith, and career. Academia can be an extremely isolating and elitist experience. You spend sometimes over 10 hours a day reading and researching topics that only a handful of people will fully understand. With meeting students who have progressed into the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years in the same program he was in, we observed that not only did the stress never let up, it only intensified with job hunting, more researching, tenure, and the pressure to publish. And just like in any other facet of life, it's not so much about right and wrong, it was about the question of fit. Nick recognized in the past few months that the fit just wasn't there. It's as complicated as that. It's as simple as that.
Shortly after we began discussing our options, Nick, on a whim, sent his resume to a parish in Cleveland, St. Dominic, who was hiring for a multifaceted position as Pastoral Minister. We were on our way home to Ohio for Easter when this opportunity rose. Within a few weeks, Nick had interviewed, received a wonderful offer, and accepted.
I truly believe that as we get older, it becomes more difficult to communicate in original phrases. The cliches of "follow your heart," and "you just know," and "only time will tell," are so overused, I cringe at the thought of further exploiting their usage. But, it's true. These stupid cliches are completely true. What has transpired in our lives in the past few months has been painful, wonderful, difficult, and unpredictable. (Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way, but it's hard on the emotions.)
We had begun to build our home here in Boston, but found ourselves growing silent to more urgent questions of sustainability, fit, and future. What we thought we wanted has, quite simply, changed. We are also crazily blessed that we are able to shift our lives and dreams in accordance to our desires and find support in every avenue we seek. In times where many are without jobs, the market is bleak for so many, and the economy continues to plummet, Nick and I feel are so grateful for our blessings and opportunities.
Then began the House hunting.
I have been wanting to buy my own house since I was, like, seven years old. Finding the right home for Nick and I has been an incredibly exciting journey, but a strenuous conversation in terms of all the countless considerations when buying your first home. Nick and I will be the first to admit proud and loud: WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BUYING A HOME. Very similarly when we planned a wedding, we started from scratch. We build a layout of what we want and slowly go from there. Very similarly in how we planned our wedding, Nick thinks mechanically: paperwork, mortgages, and equity. I think details: window replacements, roof, foundation, and air conditioning. Now more than ever in my time of knowing Nick, I have thanked God a hundred times this month that he and I are so often on the same page.
This past weekend, we went to Cleveland and between this weekend and Easter, we've probably seen about 25 houses. To put it lightly, we are exhausted. This out of state shopping is so hard! But, we have possibilities and we're keeping the stress level in check. Nick has had more success with that lately.
Onto other big news...as if a new job, house hunting, and moving isn't enough - I am going on a massively large trip...a trip of a lifetime.
In January, I applied to study in a program that would allow me to study and live in the Philippines for six weeks while I attended crash courses in economics, history, literature, and language classes. The program, built specifically for Filipino Americans who have never been to the Philippines, was a golden find. I was accepted last week and will be conducting my own research at the University of the Philippines, their premier university and one of the oldest in the world. The scholars I will study under are some of the best philosophers, historians, and professors in the country and I am more than excited to go. I will leave sometime at the end of June and return sometime in August (dates are uncertain). This has been an opportunity that I have been looking for my whole life and there are no words to express how perfect this is for me at this time in my life.
And so, I have resigned from my job at Emerson College and have begun peeking around Cleveland for possibilities. But I'm in no rush. My focus is on the trip and preparing for it as best as I can. Nick will begin his new job in July and we're prepping each other for not seeing each other for six weeks. My heart hurts already just thinking about that.
And, so, our dear family and friends, forgive us for not spilling the beans earlier, but we wanted to wait until we were certain of our plans. And now they are certain. We continue to be grateful for your support, wherever we may be. (Hence the change in the blog title!)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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