Updates of all updates...

Every time I look at Julia and Dave's blog I get upset that there are no new posts to look through (I mean how else am I going to keep in touch with my twin sister who's 2,000 miles away? I know, phone, email...but it's just not the same). Then I realized others might feel the same about our blog, seeing as my last post has been up just as long as Julia's. So, I think it's time I updated our loyal readers of our life here in Boston.

So Phil and I have been her in Belmont for 3 months. We currently reside in the "Yellow Room" in the Barbara Rd. house while our stuff resides in storage. Both of us have actively been pursuing gainful employment. We have written numerous emails, sent in a plethora of applications, had phone interviews and real interviews...but to no avail. We are still looking! It doesn't seem like the best time right now to be looking for jobs with the way the economy is going. But we're pretty sure higher ed, health care, and nonprofit organizations aren't suffering as bad as financial institutions, so we're hopeful.

But with all our free time Phil and I have discovered a love for the local Belmont Library. Sure, it's old and smells funny, but it has lots of great books. Those of you who know Phil know that he is an avid readers, reading 2 or 3 books at a time (I'm a one book kind of girl) and since all of our books are in storage and we don't have the money or the space to purchase new books, the library has been our closest resource for our reading enjoyment. Here are two recommendations that I have:
1. Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, by John Wood is a really good read about the struggles of starting an internationally operated nonprofit, plus I really enjoyed his casual style of writing.
2. North and South (this one is more for the ladies, unless you gentlemen get as much enjoyment out of a love story) by Elizabeth Gaskell. I read this book because my sister-in-law Hannah recommended it. And let me tell you ladies, this one is great. I would also recommend viewing the the miniseries BBC produced, I would put it on par with the miniseries A&E did for Pride and Prejudice.


I guess another update that needs to be done is on my diet. As many of you may know, I have been on the Atkins diet for the past 12 weeks. I have never really done any dieting in my life and I felt it would be a waste of time to try because I just wouldn't have the sticktoitiveness (many may think this is not a word, and it most likely isn't, but dictionary.com has it, check it out) to see it through. Surprisingly I have been able to stick with it rather well and I have lost...drum roll please...28 lbs! I know I know, you want to see pictures, but I promise that results will be better when January comes and I have hit my goal...then I will share pictures of my new frame. For now, I still have a lot of work to do. I work out three days a week (on Erin's treadmill in the attic) along with the diet, which I think helps. Although, technically you don't have to work out to lose weight with Atkins, I find I feel better if I do. Well anyway, I don't usually like to talk about my weight...but I wanted to share this accomplishment with all of you.

So that's pretty much the Jen and Phil update. If anyone knows of any good jobs available in the Boston area, let us know! For now, I will leave you with some pictures from a trip we took up to Kittery, ME this past Friday. (the last three pictures were taken at a beach in York, ME just past Kittery)

pretty tree

another pretty tree

pretty jen and phil

pretty beach

pretty beach houses