temperature was in the 30's this morning when i left the house, climbing up to as high as 40 degrees by the end of the day, although a strong wind kept the wind chill down to 30 degrees. i grabbed a $2 vietnamese sandwich for lunch (those things always leave me hungry an hour after i eat one, it's pretty much just a large bread with a few slices of cold cuts and vegetables, nothing particularly filling). crossing the street back to the office, i was approached my a man with a bus schedule and some dollar bills in his hands. "could you spare a dollar?" he asked me, "or maybe i can give you $4 and you give me $5," he continued, "i need to buy a bus ticket to new york." when i refused his request for money, he got angry and started berating me, "why can't you help me out? can you explain that? why?" i quickly crossed the street. around 3:30 alex and i went out running on possibly the last good running day (i.e. warm enough that the risk of freezing to death is low) for the rest of the week. we ran by the woman walking her shiba inu (we see them all the time). "if that wolf bites me, i'll kill it," alex said very matter of factly. the wind was strong but bearable, we came back with the setting sun casting a warm photogenic glow on the charles river.
i didn't get home until close to 7:30pm, where i immediately started making the lasagna. joel showed up just when i was still preparing the meat sauce. i was embarassed to be caught with my cookbook opened on a barstool (like being caught with training wheels). 
i had invited joel over so he could fill us in on his recent vacation down to brazil and to show me his new sony-ericsson T616 camera phone which i'm thinking about getting for myself to replace my old nokia. 
julie showed up a little later. just three former screen house coworkers spending the night having dinner and watching television, it was like a mini-reunion just minus the beer (which usually seems like a prerequsite for these xtshers get-togethers). julie tried to offer my some helpful advice on lasagna cooking from her own experience, most of which i didn't follow since i had my own way of preparing lasagna. 
i was also going to make rice pudding but it was already 9pm, time for 24. with the lasagna cooking in the oven, we watched the show. when the food was ready, i also made some fresh garlic bread in the toaster oven. 
24 was followed by an episode of law & order: special victims unit (queer eyes once again a repeat, yawn). joel fell asleep on the couch, then woke up to go home. julie stayed as late to catch some nightline then went home as well.
the temperature by then had dropped to 5 degrees. rumor has it that tomorrow will be the coldest day in boston in several decades. i can't wait!