I know, I’ve been quiet for almost two months. Lots to update about, but just been busybusy. I’ll write again here soon, promise.
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Flickr Photos
Awesome weekend
Jun 1, ’11
12:53 PM
I took Friday off this past weekend to give myself the holiday weekend vibe, and just generally unplugged myself from all my work stuff, and it was awesome.
On Friday, The Girlfriend & I went to Boston Common to have ourselves a picnic! Found a nice quiet spot in the shade, and proceeded to enjoy a nice, languid day. Ended up wandering down Newbury after a while, checked out some sweet hats at Goorin Bros. (and found quite a few for both of us!), and finally ended up relaxing at my place for a while. Headed back to her place after a while, and she cooked up some super tasty lemon chicken, which I promptly gobbled up!
Saturday consisted of us lazing about for a while at her place, then packing up our swimsuits & heading to her friend’s place down in Dedham to enjoy a pool party! The Girlfriend’s good friend E came with us, and it was fun to get to know her, as we’d only exchanged hellos previously.
While we didn’t get a ton of time in the sun (the pool was in the middle of his complex, and we didn’t get outside until later in the afternoon), we had a great time, lots of good conversation & laughs. We ended up passing out at about 10pm that night at my place. Exciting, aren’t we? :P
Sunday consisted of us waking up at our normal weekday time (grrr, one of those “features” of getting old), but then we proceeded to watch No Strings Attached, which was both a super cute movie, and definitely channeled some of our own relationship quirks. Totally crazy, we definitely saw parts of ourselves in the characters in a big way.
After that, we met up with her friend L & L’s boyfriend for brunch at Daedalus by Harvard Square. Super tasty, and L’s boyfriend & I hit it off for sure; we’re both developers & musicians, so that’s fun. Proceeded to meander through some shops & pick up some tasty gourmet groceries in Harvard Square, then headed back to The Girlfriend’s place for an impromptu dinner party.
Much bourbon was drank, a whole chicken consumed, courtesy of The Girlfriend’s brilliant cooking, and hilarity ensued.
All in all, an abso-frickin-lutely awesome weekend!
Sunday Funday!
May 23, ’11
11:39 AM
So yesterday, The Girlfriend & I spent the day together; went to brunch, did a bit of wandering, relaxed all afternoon at her place.
For brunch, had myself a super tasty Cuban sandwich, and I tried her mussels (first time I’ve ever tried ’em), which I found quite good! This, of course, threw her for a loop again, as she’s been trying to figure out what flavors/textures I like, and which ones I don’t. I’m all over the place with this though: I like sushi, but not mushrooms, french fries, but not potatoes. The list of random pickiness goes on.
The food thing has been really interesting with us; she’s a serious foodie and a great cook, but also super allergic (and has decided to go gluten-free), while I’m pretty basic in my food tastes and, quite simply, somewhat picky. But her excitement for food is completely contagious; I find myself totally wanting to try the things she concocts/orders/mentions.
After brunch, we meandered down Beacon to Coolidge Corner, stopping in a few shops, then relaxed with some coffee (for her) and lemonade-tea (for me), while reading and enjoying the gluten-free cupcakes I’d picked up for her at Sweet.
Finally, we went back to her place, where we dozed, snuggled, and nerded out for the rest of the day. Just a really brilliant day. Looking forward to many more with her!
A week in San Fran
May 3, ’11
2:14 AM
So, I’ve been in San Francisco since last , working at the Elative offices. Been a beautiful week here in SF weather-wise (50–60’s, blue skies every day), and working in the office is always an excellent change of pace, but I’m definitely looking forward to returning home & seeing my baby :D
And I need to give my hosts Steve & Stacy a super awesome shout-out, they’ve put me up for the whole week, and have taken me out with them to a bunch of great places. There’ll be some Yelp reviews soon!
A little life update
May 1, ’11
3:49 AM
So, last time I posted was to say that I’d met someone. That’s turned into a relationship, and it could not be more awesome. It’s been years since I’ve had someone in my life like this, but she’s totally brilliant, and is totally keen on me too :)
She’s been on two trips since we got together, and I’ve sat at home without her; this time I’m the one off on a trip, leaving her at home, and man, fun as it is to see my friends in San Fran, it feels the same either way: I miss her terribly.
I’m pretty sure she’s gonna show up at the airport to greet me (which is amazing), but even if not, my first stop after arriving in Boston will be to see her. Unpacking can wait!
Interesting to note, I’ll be publishing this on the one month anniversary of us getting together. One month is definitely a short amount of time in the grand scheme, but I’m a sucker for milestones all the same :D
Unbelievable awesome
Apr 10, ’11
11:11 AM
So, I met someone.
Ok, maybe met is the wrong word to use, since I’ve known her for quite a few years, but the idea of that phrase is the right one. Went out to her birthday party last Friday, and things went from fun to amazing to unbelievable. Still can’t believe how it all happened.
Riding pretty high right now, and we’ve been talking every day since then. She had a vacation planned for this past week in the Caribbean, so I haven’t been able to see her since last Friday, but lots of talking/Twitter messaging has occurred, and, um, well, I just keeping learning more & more how spectacular she really is.
Smart as can be, talented, gorgeous, full of joy, smiles all ’round, and with a laugh that is brilliant and infectious. And she has a super awesome set of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass.
So… yeah. On cloud nine.
Addendum:
So I surprised her at the airport yesterday, bringing her flowers, and it was brilliant. Spent the whole rest of the day together, ordered in some food, talked all night. Just awesome. And now, off to get brunch together at a friend’s place!
Life Update
Jun 11, ’08
3:39 PM
So I’ve been posting a lot of links, reblogs, quotes, and media lately, but nothing of a more personal nature. Life seems to have settled into a bit of a routine, which is probably why I haven’t bored anyone who happens to be reading (comment! I love comments!), but I felt the desire to write about my own life.
Work is going well, definitely settled in finally, learning to fulfill some new roles. Forgive me for withholding more detail, but the Fruit Company™ is a bit touchy with blogging.
Musically, things are slow, but it’s still there. Tony Brown & the Faithful (the new name of Tony’s group) has been rehearsing quite a bit, primarily in an effort to build up a repertoire of music. Having only an hour’s worth of music tends to limit the kinds of gigs we can take. Sadly, our drummer JoBeth had to leave the group, but we’re soldiering on. We’ve already begun auditioning new drummers, and hopefully we’ll have somebody on-board soon! As for Maria McNeil, nothing on the horizon at the moment, but keep an eye on the gigs list (or RSS feed if you like) for my upcoming gigs.
Saw Amber this past weekend, which was fantastic, and this coming weekend we’ll be winging out way south to Knoxville, TN, to enjoy my friend John Wiesehan’s wedding. It’s gonna be a ball, really looking forward to it. Interestingly enough, it’ll be the first time we’ve ever gone somewhere & stayed in a hotel together. One of those random little “firsts”, y’know?
Updates & other such
Feb 6, ’08
7:38 PM
So I finished college in December.
That just needed its own line, all to itself. I spent the last month trying to figure just what the hell I’m going to do with myself. I’ve managed to become gainfully employed again at the Apple Store CambridgeSide. Which means that I will no longer be discussing anything related to Apple on this or any other blog of mine.
Musically, I find myself a member of Matt Germak Band, Maria McNeil Band (also can be seen on facebook), and Tony Brown Band. In addition to those groups, I’m also helping to start up two groups: a rock/hip-hop group led by John Cooke as well as a jazz quartet/quintet with Ellie Martin. We’ll see how those go.
Still trying to do more freelance web coding work (XHTML & CSS are my specialties folks) so if anyway who reads this has a design that needs coding, or is a designer who needs a partner, please email me at berkleebassist [at] gmail.
On another, I’ve contemplated changing how this blog works. It’s entitled berkleebassist, but that’s neither its domain name or real focus. I think I’m going to explore spinning this blog off to berkleebassist.com (which I do own), which will be my personal blog, while jeffbyrnes.net will become my professional internet persona. We’ll see. If anybody feels compelled to comment on that, please do so!
And back
Jan 17, ’08
1:45 PM
So this would be my first post after coming home from vacation. I’ll put some pictures up soon, but it was magnificent, even if it rained off & on many of the days. Did some diving, which was just amazing.
As for this site, I’m going to be trying to post more often, as well as find a focus for my blogging, throughout the year this year. Suggestions & comments are welcome.
On another note, I’m in dire need of gainful employment, so if anybody has a gig for me doing freelance web coding, freelance bass, or as a salaried/hourly worker, please comment or email me.
Vacation!
Dec 19, ’07
2:11 AM
So I will be going away on vacation from this Friday, Dec. 21, until Sunday, Dec 30th. I’ll be out of the country in fact, on holiday with my family in the Society Islands. I hope everyone has a happy holiday, whatever you may or may not celebrate, and I’ll see you in the new year!
