Texarkana

Today is a monumental day for me. I am in Texarkana. Texarkana is where The Bandit from Smokey and the Bandit picked up 400 cases of Coors beer and had to truck it over state lines to the Texas Southen classic truck race, or something crazy like that. Much to my liking I got my first ride in a true real Big Rig Mack truck!!!

The views out here have been pretty wild driving through Texas. I have never seen so many wind mills or oil rigs in my life. Very interesting seeing one of the sources of environmental issues in the same field with a green solution.

At this point we haven't seen to many amazing sights that can compare to the balloon fest, but I did see this really sweet billboard in Texas. It was awesome. Look for more updates as I continue to take photos.

Fall Tour 2009

October 7th started my first official tour with the United States Army Field Band, The Volunteers. Our first stop was in Albuquerque NM for the International Balloon Fiesta. This was by far one of the most wild things I have ever seen. Hundreds of Balloons littered the sky making it seem like the city was being invaded.

The band played for the Friday night glow where the balloons were tethered to the ground and they would make them glow by firing the heaters. This was followed by a great fireworks display. The band was very well received on Friday night and definitely gained some new fans. We also played Saturday morning for what was called the Mass Ascension. 550 balloons were launched started as early as 6:00am. The earlier launches were in the dark. Watching the balloons disappear into the sky lighting up the early morning darkness was incredible.

Now the band is on the road to Truth or Consequences NM. So far my first tour with the volunteers is off to a great start.

it's been a while

I haven't posted much in the recent months, though its not because there hasn't been much to say. We were out of the city pretty much every weekend since the beginning of February, mostly taking trips to CT to see Jen and Tim, and of course to MA to see the parents, and the almost-here Baby Cook. We skiied a bunch, but for some reason I can't find those pictures.

Here are a few snapshots from the past months:

It snowed, and my mom graciously let Glenn clear the driveway.

We made beer!

This is the sludge at the bottom of the bucket.


We drank some wine, and got to see a beautiful baby bump.


And through it all the cats were generally unimpressed with us.


More updates to come soon; the semester is almost over and i'll have more time to get some things up here!

oh the joys of city living...

We were sound asleep for about an hour last night, when Glenn was awoken by Eve trying to walk all over his head. While this is not unusual in the early hours of the morning when she's hungry, it is odd behavior for midnight. So Glenn gets up--mostly because he can't sleep with paws on his eyes, and discovers that there is a large cockroach on the wall above the bed. Eve is trying desperately to attack this bug. Probably because she thinks it's fun, but I'll try to believe that she was protecting us.
So Glenn wakes me up, and I go running about trying not to turn on any lights (the roach would run for cover, and make him difficult to catch) and fetch the standard cockroach removal tools. A glass and piece of cardboard. In case any of you find yourself in a similar situation here's the technique that works for us:
1. Put glass over bug
2. Slide cardboard under cup and now the cockroach is trapped!
3. Have your team member open a window and toss that bug, or move to the bath room and flush the toilet. When the water begins to swirl and go down toss that bug--with some force to make him leave the glass and shoot down the pipes.
The only problem with this last part is I always think about him crawling out when I use the bathroom... *shudder*
Other options include cornering the roach and spraying him with an array of household cleaners--scrubbing bubbles works exceptionally well.

Everyone reading this knows how much i love all the critters of the outside, and that given the chance I'll rescue bugs before I squish them. But these guys are a different thing---2 inches long, creepy, and responsible for allergies and other not great stuff....I don't feel particularly inclined to save 'em.

So quite the adventurous night for us. Eve got an extra treat today for being the brave protector of her two humans. She for sure earned her keep last night.

But this just confirms my desire to get the heck out of NYC...

Back in Brooklyn

I'm back in Brooklyn, after a wonderful (though too short) trip home. I had a fantastic Christmas with my families. Got to spend some time with my mom, which was certainly one of the best parts. Here are a few pictures from the different places we visited to cap off 2008.

On Robertson Christmas Eve:
Danielle and I opened gifts from Grandmom...

Glenn and Kim shared a moment...


On Christmas Day we watched 'Paint your Wagon' with my parents. Not the most captivating movie I've ever watched, but I think my dad was happy.

And not everyone made it through the movie :)


Then on Saturday we had Christmas at Danielle and Seth's where I was able to spend time with my other boyfriend.

And we had some fun with Kiley's microscope gift. (That red thing on the TV is Glenn's tongue!)

Token self-portrait shot with the new SLR camera, which came out pretty decent considering.

Guys in the kitchen.


Then it was off to Vermont for the annual skiing trip! I rented new equipment, and experienced a whole new world of ability on the slopes. So much fun. We also rented snowmobiles!


And then I dragged the boys out to a Very 'local' bar to watch Penn State lose to USC. But we had fun.


So now here we are in 2009. And there are so many things to look forward to already! I'll be attending my very first conference tomorrow (Association of Science Teacher Educators--ASTE) with my friend and colleague Kara.
Danielle and Seth are visiting this weekend, and my mom will be down in February.
Classes start up again in 2 weeks, and while I'll be missing Jhumki everyday for the rest of my career, I'm excited for the semester to start.
Plus Coleman will be here in May! I can't wait to be an almost-auntie! And we already have 3 weddings for the month of August. Looks like it will be a busy summer...

But in the mean time its good to be back home with my own little family.