July 09

Today's Photo of the Day was selected with the advice and sage counsel of my friend and doorman, Ennio.

Some days, it's easy to get a great photo. Other days, you kind of have to pick from the best of a mediocre lot, perhaps photoshop it a bit for an artsy-fartsy effect and hope your readership (all five of you) will give you a pass. When you get a day sort of in the middle, with three possibilities, all dodgy, you have to call in your arbiter of taste -- in my case, that's Ennio.

Ennio thought the fuzzy, through-the-windshield shot of the man with the questionable fashion choices was "too weird." He found the photo of the statue of Athena atop the Cambridge Athenæum "unmoving." So it fell to the DUKW --pronounced "duck" -- to carry the day.

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June 01

There is a no-tipping policy in place at the high-end luxury apartment building where I work. "It's all part of the service," is what we're supposed to say when refusing gratuities from grateful residents.

Many of our residents, however, will not be deterred so easily. Ennio and I are often the recipients of gifts of food -- everything from dinner to snacks to sweets -- that our residents bring us to show us their appreciation for our hard work. Today, over the course of about ten minutes, one resident brought us fudge and macaroons from Ocean City, NJ, while another brought us an Edible Arrangements selection of chocolate-covered strawberries (pictured, with an appreciative Ennio).

As I've said before and likely will say again, the residents may offer us the occasional tip out of a feeling of obligation. When they feed you, though, you know they like you.

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April 29

My doorman Ennio could have been an interior decorator.

In the lobby of the building where I work, we have a low fireplace with a large mirrored mantle over it. The space spans about 7 by 7 feet, so it's difficult to fill effectively. My manager wanted something to go there, though, so Ennio took on the challenge. He hacked off some pear tree branches with buds, selected a tall vase, worked his magic and voilà! A pretty -- and free -- lobby decoration that effective fills the 49 square foot space.

With all the straight lines and modern decor, it's nice to have something organic to break up the severity of the lobby. And, of course, it's great to have somebody like Ennio around who can work this kind of magic.

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April 20

The not-at-all-exhausted looking lady next to me here is Kathryn Nixon. I have trouble making myself presentable most mornings, yet she looks beautiful after having run 26.2 miles in a marathon in 3:52:37.

Kathryn is a former resident in the building in Boston's Back Bay where I work. She and her family moved a few years ago, but she ran the Boston Marathon again this year and dropped in for a short visit with Ennio and me. It makes me feel good that people leave with fond memories and, indeed, visit us occasionally.

Indeed, with all the hassles of driving to work today, with closed-off streets, little or no parking, and thousands more pedestrians than normal, Kathryn's visit may be the best thing about Patriot's Day in Boston.

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April 02

It's nice working with somebody who can find and nurture beauty in the least likely places.

My doorman -- and good friend -- Ennio found a forlorn little azalea plant in our loading dock, thrown out by a resident and waiting for trash day. Ennio has a green thumb and didn't have the heart to get rid of it, so he took it, cleaned it up, watered it, and brought it back to health. Now it's in a place of honor by the concierge desk, so everybody can see it.

After this brutal winter, I needed a little green and a little prettiness to cheer me up, and Ennio provided it.

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March 29

Now this is one pampered puppy dog.

That social life I almost have was in full swing tonight. Dale, a former resident where I work, good friend, and grande dame, invited Ennio and I over to her new apartment for a very intimate dinner party. Red -- the pooch in the picture -- is her apricot-colored miniature poodle, and he's quite the little guy.

Ennio arrived and took over the cooking, which was entertaining. The food was extraordinary, which is to be expected. Dale only likes the best and Ennio only cooks the best. I was kind of a slacker, since I didn't have to cook and didn't have to clean. I took responsibility for keeping Red amused, so of course I had the best experience of all.

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February 16

My coworkers Ennio, Helder, and I got together to play a joke on my colleague Robin today.

On holidays and when the boss isn't around, Robin takes off her uniform tie. In her defense, it's not a very attractive thing; it's a floppy little clip-on thing that falls off at the slightest provocation and won't stay in place without the help of a strategically-placed safety pin. In her place, I'd skip wearing it, too. However, since Robin is such a stickler for uniform rules, we thought it would be funny if we all doffed our ties -- in solidarity, of course.

Such an occasion demands a photograph, and the best of the ones we took sans cravates was our blowing kisses at the camera.

(Note the pretty new cufflinks on my sleeve, my Valentine's Day gift from my boyfriend.)

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