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.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

A week ago today, I was at my parents table for Thanksgiving in MA. The trip home was wonderful, as it always is to be back home. But more hectic than other holidays with a wedding on Saturday in Newport, RI. We had dinner in Charlton with the Coughlin/Brady clan and then it was off to see the Robertson/Swenson folks for dessert and the 'big sandwich.' I do love that Glenn and I are able to see both families every time we go home. But I must admit the holidays are particulary busy, shuffling back and forth between 2 sets of loved ones, feeling like you don't get to see anyone for long enough. (Everyone should just come to us in NY.) We had a great time though, both on Thanksgiving and in RI. And while I didn't get a complete reprieve from school work, I did return energized to finish up.

Now that we're back, I do wish that it felt more like Christmas in NYC. I'm still waiting for the cold, and some snow flurries. But I'm ready!--been ready since October in fact... We haven't gotten a tree for the apartment yet, but the decorations are up, and I'm playing Christmas music constantly. Thankfully, Glenn's finally on board with Christmas and all it entails. He likes to take it 'one holiday at a time,' a theory I don't pretend to understand. So I had to wait until Nov 28th to sing Christmas songs outloud (without getting scolded, that is.)

So here I am, finally closing in on the end of my first semester. While only 1 big deadline remains, I'm still feeling that pressure to get it all accomplished. But, as always, it will get done. Because it has to. Looking forward to another holiday season in the city. It really is a beautiful time to be here.

A Birthday Weekend

This weekend my mom visited. We had a great time, celebrating her birthday and enjoying the city, rain and all. She arrived Friday, making the drive in just 3.5 hours! Except for a little detour into the Key Food parking lot, the ride was uneventful. We spent the night drinking yummy blueberry wine, eating pizza and talking, talking, talking. Saturday we visited the Met--which is extraordinarily huge; I had no idea! (One of the best things about having visitors here, is that I get to do things I've never done!) And after traversing Central Park in the rain to cross the island, we emerged from the trees just in time to jump on a train to Rockefeller Center. But of course, the trains were running all funny and confused because of the weekend/track work (Displaced New Yorkers feel our frustration.) So we ended up having to walk back North 10 blocks. We made it just in time to plop down in Radio City for The Christmas Spectacular!! And it was just that, Spectacular. The Rocketts were amazing, and--sadly for Glenn--I'm feeling quite Christmasy now.
The show wasn't in our plan for the weekend, but on a whim we checked for tickets on Friday night, and found Orchestra, dead center seats! Quite the luck we had! Saturday night was capped off with margaritas and fajitas at El Cantiniero on University Pl.
Sunday we made an apple pie and drank tea.
What more could a girl and her mom ask for in a weekend?

This weekend was such a welcome break from classes and reading and pretending to be thinking smart thoughts all the time. Sometimes, you just need to breathe, and have a cup of tea with your mom. Perhaps that should be my mantra.
Tonight, it's back to writing and reading, and worrying about the week ahead, but at least I've had a wonderful respite. Thanks, Mom.

a fall weekend in new york

We had a wonderful weekend; too bad the weather wasn't as nice all summer when we were in Maine and Vermont.
Saturday we went mountain biking at this place on long island called Glacier Ridge. The trails were amazing--really difficult, but so beautiful. Most of the time I couldn't see Glenn in front of me on the trail, the trees were still so dense. And of course, i took a spill over a jump--i was due for some good lookin' bruises. And to complete the day, we watched Penn State destroy Wisconsin.

Yesterday though was by far one of the best days I've spent in Brooklyn in a while. After a morning of grocery shopping, we decided to head down to Coney Island to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Somehow we've managed to lose three baseballs in this house, so we took the football. I practiced my spiral on the beach, and when we got tired of gawking at the big men in little bathing suits, we walked out on to Steeplechase pier. Fishermen lined the railings, there was a guy playing a conga drum, and a woman selling some sort of indistinguishable food.
We watched a few people pull up small fish, and we could see these huge schools of tiny fish, swishing and swooshing through the water. Then all of the sudden from one end of the pier there was this massive feeding frenzey! The water seemed to be alive with jumping fish. I've never seen anything like it. The fisherpeople were just dropping their lines into the water and pulling up fish!

After almost being hooked by an overzealous 10 year old, we walked up to the board walk, had a beer and some fried shrimp, and decided to ride the Wonder Wheel--the huge ferris wheel. It was just lovely. We saw a wedding party taking pictures at one of the carnival games, visited a local candy shop, and bought beers on a street corner and sat at a picnic table watching the array of folks walking by. If only the Pats had won, it would have been an almost-perfect day.

Coney Island this past summer---is there any sand under all those people?

The Last Hurrah of Summer 2008

This past weekend we made a trip up to Lake Sebago with some friends to attend a Brewers Festival. Aside from the continuous rain, the septic tank being deemed 'inoperable,' and the motor on the Whaler committing suicide, we had a great time.

Friday night we had a visitor! A baby snapping turtle wandered into the garage while we were playing beer pong, so of course I scooped him up, showed him to everyone, and then brought him out to the beach where he could be in the water. The next morning I went out on the off chance he might be lingering, and look who I found!
Isn't he just the most amazing thing ever?!

And then we were off to the beer fest! Everyone seems to have had a great time, and we were glad to host the 1st annual Brewfest Weekend.

This week..

Wednesday evening after a long day in the library, I smooshed on to the D train (rush hour is just the worst), sidled up to a little old woman holding on to the pole, and glanced up. And there staring down at me was the greenest, most beautiful grasshopper. I have no idea how he got up there, or where he might have been going, but he made my day. I wanted to scoop him up when I got off, but I was afraid that he'd make a break for it and land on someone's head. A grasshopper freak-out on a crowded train didn't seem like thing for the grasshopper, or the people. So he traveled down to Coney Island where I can only imagine he got off , grabbed a hot dog at Nathan's and took a stroll on the boardwalk.
_______________________________________________________
This weekend Glenn is out of town picking up his new car! and visiting some friends on the Cape. I'm here with the furry family....

two of the loves of my life....

trying to get ahead of the game for school next week.

It was also a tough week here school-wise. My mentor is very sick, and there is talk of her going on leave this semester which, as one might expect, is hard on several levels. So as much as I miss Glenn when he's away and wish I could be visiting home this weekend, I'm thankful for the time to regroup and sort out all of what is happening.

Rent-a-pup

I'm dog sitting for a co-worker of Glenn's this weekend. My little black fuzzy buddy is named Slider, but he's way cuter than the tiny hamburgers that share his name. (Don't worry Beemer, you're still my favorite.)
So I was up bright and early with the pup today and we walked for about an hour before heading over to the dog park. I love the city early in the morning. The streets are quite (not like now--9:30 0n a Saturday night.) and peaceful. There are a few other people out, mostly with dogs or exercising. Slider ran around for a while in the dog park and then we headed back to the apartment. Incidently, this apartment is fantastic! It's not as big as our place in Brooklyn, but the location is just amazing. It's across the street, literaly, from NYU, which works out just perfect for me.
I also found that having a dog makes people want to talk to you. In just 24 hours, I've had more random conversations with folks on the street than I have in 2+ years. Quite the people magnet, this little guy.
We had a busy day, 3 walks so far, with one more to go, though right now, he's passed out on the couch. So another glass of wine for me, and then a quick walk in the drizzle before bed.

Back to school

According to Glenn, yesterday was my 19th first day of school. But then, that seemed like an awful lot of years to be buying notebooks and pens, so I counted for myself, and found that it's actually my 20th first day of school. (That 5th year at Penn State had to be counted somewhere, I suppose.)
And yesterday morning I felt just as nervous as I did walking into Shepherd Hill to start 7th grade. A tiny fish in a big pond. Then I went to class and realized that I can do this. It's what I've been preparing my whole life for (though I didn't know it)--the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the world.
This afternoon I don't feel very nervous anymore; my desire to be successful far outweighs any apprehensions I may have. And perhaps I feel this way because I know that the people I've surround myself with will help me when I inevitably stumble or have a massive meltdown, which ever comes first.
So now that I have spent the entire day being productive in the library, I'm going to meet Glenn for a drink and celebrate my 20th first day of school and the promise of a few more.

Summer 2008

We have had a fantastic summer. Trips to Vermont, Maine, Las Vegas--it was all so much fun; I wish it wasn't almost over!
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few months:

MAY

Memorial Day Weekend Glenn surprised me with one of the best gifts I've ever received--a private tour of Lake Champlain in this plane! It was scary, exhilarating and peaceful all at once.





This is the view of our house on the
lake from the plane!





We did some kayaking though the dugout...


JUNE

We went to the Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn at Coney Island and drank big beers from the back of a truck.



JULY

Then it was off to Las Vegas!

AUGUST
Our friends Sabine and Matt got married in VT...Congrats guys!

The NYC girls (sans Sabine) arriving at the condo in VT...


Wedding Shenanigans.



Finally up to Maine...






Beers in Portland.


More to come soon... Summer isn't over yet!

Home Sweet Home

Hi All!
I've created this blog to keep friends and family who live far away updated on the goings-on of life in New York City. I'll be doing my best to chronicle my adventures in New York, complete with pictures (I hope!).

Today is one of the last days I'll be working at the job I've had since we moved to New York. I'm actually interviewing my replacement in a few hours. Our little non-profit will have to go on without me, I suppose. But as much as I will miss my boss and the work I do here, in just 2 weeks I start my PhD. Yikes! How did that happen?!
It feels like just months ago I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and which grad school would be a good fit, and now here I am, Master's in hand, looking at 4 more years of school. Will wonders never cease?

Check back for pictures of our apartment in Brooklyn, our neighborhood, where we work, etc!