diners diners and diners

I'm considering starting a weekly diner review from the Boston area.  Each Saturday morning (or sometimes Sunday if life gets in the way) H and I go out for brunch at a diner around town.  We started off going to the usual ones in the neighborhood each week, but the past few weeks we've been exploring a new one every time.  For a couple weeks now we've been talking about starting a review of all the Boston diners.

Here are some scales that I'm considering for the rating system:

number and length of times my coffee cup goes empty on a scale from "hold on your throwing off the milk and sugar balance" (1) to "do you think it's self-serve?" (10)

quality of pet names the waitress calls us from "mama" (1) to "hey you" (10)

spicyness of their breakfast potatoes from "mmm, it's like Texas" (1) to "pass the rooster sauce" (10)

spring forward

I spent much of winter denying it - single digit temperatures compared to 40 or 50 degrees; snow compared to sunshine; rain and slush and shoveling and cold and wet compared to... .  A month or so ago, a coworker was attempting to explain to me the beauty that is spring in Massachusetts.  She talked about the first really warm and sunny day; how people are out in shorts and t-shirts even though it's really only March and really only, maybe, 60 degrees.  She told me about how happy and kind and considerate people are.  My response was something like, "Yah, that sounds wonderful... except every day in Texas is like that and people are always happy and kind."

But now, I actually feel it.  There is something very impressive... something surprising... something magical and powerful and overwhelming about the coming of spring up here.  The truth is that none of it happens overnight.  The snow melts gradually.  The temperature climbs slowly higher and higher.  But seemingly, one morning, I woke up and the sun had returned.  The grass was visible.  I saw small shoots of green coming up in gardens around town.  Indeed, I saw small shoots of green coming up in the garden outside my front door.  And I wear no jacket on the walk to work, and I take Roswell out in only a sweatshirt, and I officially moved my winter 'gear' into the bottom (usually untouched) drawer of my closet.  It is spring.  And I am so happy that it has come.

Midwifery

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

I love this movie, and my wife for making sure that I saw it.  Midwifes are present for over 70% of births in European countries and less than 8% of births in the United States.  Also, the United States has the second highest infant mortality rate of all developed countries.  Hmm...

missing

sometimes i wonder if i made a mistake leaving Austin

TraniWreck

Best quotes of the night:
"This whole night reminds me of 'Better Than Chocolate'"

"I just didn't wanna go up on stage. I'm wearing too many clothes for that."

"Oh my, what did I miss??!"

Chronicles of Beaufort Life

What fall really looks like:

No more fake seasons for me!  I'm in the northeast now.