Last updated: 17 March 2023
Clocking in at 2 years old and 10 pounds, 2 ounces, chihuahua mix Freddie Mercury came home with us from the Animal Rescue League of Boston on February 12, just in time to be our Valentine.
Freddie came to us from a terrible hoarding situation where he was being kept with 18 other dogs, so he’s very undersocialized and anxious all the time (though the latter is just, from what I understand, a standard chihuahua feature).
Day by day, his personality reveals itself just a little bit more to us, and he becomes more and more comfortable and settled in his new home.
I can’t wait until the day he lets me dress him up in little outfits without a fight.
Pega went through some layoffs early in the year; and luckily, I survived them. My former team was eliminated, and I am now a member of a new team where I am very happily carving out a niche for myself.
In a more positive area, I joined the leadership team of the Pride@Pega employee resource group as its Communications Liaison, running a monthly member and allies newsletter as well as involving myself in other activities associated with the group. I'm thrilled to be doing my part to help.
I also took a trip to Houston in January to attend the North America regional sales kickoff conference, and finally got to meet in real life one of my creative counterparts, Raynaa.
We took a trip to Portland, Maine with some friends for a weekend of eating, sightseeing, shopping, and revelry for one of their birthdays. A highlight was an unforgettable meal at Twelve, which featured a lobster roll on a fresh, buttery croissant.
As a holiday gift to myself, I went on a solo weekend trip to New York in January. I didn’t see any shows, just people. It was a really wonderful way to recharge after a chaotic few weeks, be quiet with myself, and to see many friends I hadn't spent time with in years. It was also my introduction to a magnificent Lebanese restaurant in LES, Au Za’atar.
Then, tacked onto my work trip to Houston (would not recommend), I found myself in Washington, DC to see some more friends and some shows. Ride the Cyclone at Arena Stage was a particular treat.
I headed back to Portland, Maine, with my best friend Will for a weekend, and it was another delight. We ate our fill of lobsters and oysters, and enjoyed some amazing cocktails at the likes of Blyth and Burrows and Après (and a queer watering hole called Cocktail Mary, which was an experience unto itself).
We hosted Thanksgiving at our condo as the first large meal since we’ve moved here. Fitting 12 in our new place was no small task, but I'm very proud of the ingenuity and panache we exhibited while doing so.
In my opinion, Christmas is a holiday that is best spent on your own terms, and we began a new tradition this year that we’re very eager to keep up in the future: Christmas eve with my family, Christmas day just the two of us at a nice restaurant, and the day after Christmas with Patrick’s family.
We rang in the New Year with dear friends over dinner at LUCIE drink + dine and cocktails at The ’Quin House. I can't say I remember much about it, but if that's any indication, I had a magnificent time. Hawaii 5-0 brunch the next morning at Bar Mezzana was the perfect remedy.
In January, we were able to host our first large party at our condo, our annual Twelfth Night open house. We moved it to the afternoon to be able to accommodate more people, but somehow our final guest still ended up leaving at 1:30am! I consider this a great success.
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