Frozen ponds, Gospel choirs and a guy named Boris

I took a moment to reflect during this much-needed long weekend on how much interesting stuff I've had the chance to do this past week or two. Sure, winter in this town has a way of freezing the very fibers of one's soul, but I haven't let it stop me from having a blast. Here's the list of rather random highlights of the week:

1. Last-minute Valentine's Day concert. It was in Somerville (where I live), of all places, and featured one of my absolute favorite bands. Imagine a piano, a guitar, a cello, a ukelele and a poignant, self-loathing genius from Cambridge on stage. That's Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields.

2. The Banya. Some of my friends here discovered this crazy Russian spa in southern Boston where you pay $25.00 to sit in a room that gets up to 240 degrees as a small, bearded gnome named Boris ladels water onto hot stones, fans you with scorching air, then pulls you out to dump ice cold water on your head. In between scaldings, Boris beats you skillfully with a cluster of young birch branches. I found it delighful, if a bit sadistic. You then drink rounds of tea, mineral water and borscht (you can order meat dumplings and pickled herring, too) and do it all over again. I'm not quite sure if I felt as much "relaxed" as "utterly exhausted" afterward, but my skin looked great and I slept like a little Babushka that night.

3. Kumbaa, the Harvard College Gospel Choir. I saw a great performance Friday by a passionate, spiritual, African-American (mostly) group of singers from the Cambridge community. Their songs celebrated the triumph of the Black American spirit over slavery, violence and injustice. I had to do everything I could to stop myself from dancing in the aisles of the chapel (though they encouraged the rather reserved crowd to do just that).

4. Ice skating in the Boston Common. Well, I suppose it wasn't technically skating. I was walking through the Public Garden Sunday and realized that the duck pond (you know, the one from the 'Taster's Choice' moment in Goodwill Hunting?) was frozen solid. So I skidded to the center of it in my sneakers and practiced my triple axel as the tourists--and one annoyed policeman--looked on. 10.0...9.8...9.7...10.0----YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! Put that in yer pipe and smoke it, Brian Boytano!!

5. Brunch around town. A friend bought me brunch Sunday at a bakery in Beacon Hill, the fanciest pants part of town. The french toast was so delectable, I nearly cried. I did applaud, however.

This weekend, I'm headed to warmer climes, as I meet my fellow former Clarkies and my friends Bridget and Christie in Washington, D.C.