little things #5: the best kind of friend

It's officially Peppermint Mocha Season, and my friend Elise is the best kind of friend.

little things #4: casual Fridays

We have reached that fantastic time of year where every building with central air continues to blast AC despite ever-declining temperatures. Doomed to the business casual staples of dress pants, khakis, blouses, and button-downs, I often find myself depending on my lab coat for warmth. But not on Fridays. 

The warmth of jeans and cords, riding boots, and cable-knit sweaters are all welcomed on the beloved Casual Friday. As if Fridays weren't great enough already. 

You said it, Archer. 

little things #3: impromptu photobooths

You know that period of time where you are still figuring out how close you are with a new friend group? It's right after that span of time where everyone is just getting to know each other, when there is still so much to talk about, still so much to learn and to do and to laugh at. And then that transitions into this weird stage of friendship where everyone is feeling a little more comfortable with each other, and there is a sturdy foundation of inside jokes and embarrassing moments that aren't embarrassing anymore, but you're still not at the point where you can hang out and just do your own thing and have a perfectly good time not saying anything at all. It doesn't last very long, but when it passes, what's next is that rather spectacular, heart-warming, effortless friendship you know from 90s sitcoms and summercamp. 

This past weekend, part of my staff celebrated the 21st birthday of one of our own. Between arguments over the birthday card selection in Whole Foods and team-wallflowering at a party full of acquaintances, I think that level of friendship was reached. Obviously, there is a warm fuzziness inspired by spur-of-the-moment photoshoots and late-night life-talks that we will always associate with our very best friends. But when you all stay up snuggling until three AM, talking about everything from true love to flatulence, you should know that you've got something there. When you can dive atop each other on a stranger's couch and take embarrassing photos on a camera that doesn't even belong to you long before the night has actually started, that's friendship. 

More goofy photos....

little things #2: life's bluebirds

Every Friday at my work, at approximately 8:30 AM, two boxes of fresh donuts are lovingly placed atop the file cabinet to the left of the R&D printers. We get a catered breakfast of pastries and fruit and bagels on Fridays, which we all appreciate quite thoroughly, but these donuts hold a special place in everyone's hearts. Their source is a boisterous old man who makes little noises whenever he picks something up and has a small bit of white hair on either side of his head and glasses that always sit a little crookedly on his face. His name is Jerry. 

No one seems to be exactly sure of what Jerry does, or why he feels the need to shout at people he hears coming down the hallway around the corner, or how he gets away with making fun of the safety officer on a daily basis, but I have realized one thing: on an early Sunday morning, Jerry is the bluebird chirping incessantly outside your bedroom window, loudly and without regard to your fatigue. And while, in that moment, the thing you want most is to lie in bed and look at nothing but the insides of your eyelids, it won't be long before you are silently thanking the bluebird for waking you up in the best way it knows how.

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little things #1: walks with yourself

As the month of October begins, I encourage you all to partake in one of my favorite fall activities: the quiet afternoon between-season stroll. Pay notice to the sound of fall crunching beneath your boots, the mosaic shadows of dancing branches masking the sidewalks, and the warmth of the afternoon sun challenging the bite of autumn air. And while you're at it, try out this playlist for some songs to compliment your seasonal wanders.

This place might just surprise you: Autumn on Melnea Cass Boulevard, Roxbury, MA.