Monday Numbers

• On Friday, we learned the Thriller dance in a class that was 1.5 hours long. The dance was really fun to try, but it's so hard to remember the different parts and to make your body move in a certain way. Even so, I had a blast! We even got 2 of our friends to joins us. At the last minute, I decided to dress like a newsboy, while Alex was a mountaineer. Random? I know.
• We got up super early to head down to Washington, DC on the Chinatown Bus. The drive took nearly 4 hours, so we got to DC a little bit before the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear started. We headed to the mall with thousands upon thousands of people. Shockingly, everyone was quite civil and well behaved. We did witness one Segway group tour trying to head through the mall. That might have been a bad idea. Other than that, we saw lots of signs, many people in costumes, and had a great time. Mostly, it was awesome to see so many people out, asking for some temperance and sanity in the fear-mongering that the media gets away with. Some of my favorite signs: "I may disagree with you, but I don't think you're Hitler", "Free Hugs from a left wing liberal with a gay agenda", "All the words on this sign are spelled correctly", "Trust women", "The only thing to fear is Fox News". Most of the signs were funny or catchy, most were reasonable, some were silly or dumb. The people at the rally were quite polite, saying "Excuse me" to get past you, and trying not to bump into people. Most people cleaned up after themselves, such that, after the rally, the trash cans were full and the trash was piled neatly around the cans, not everywhere else. 
• We hit 2 museums and 2 fast food joints while in DC. We checked out the Air & Space Museum, which is always a great time. And we checked out the National Portrait Gallery, which was super cool. We saw the original Obama "Hope" poster, and all the interesting portraits of the Presidents of the United States. Some things I learned at the National Portrait Gallery? Walt Whitman was gay. A display of pictures and writings by artists who are gay requires a sign in the room warning patrons that this art display explores ideas of sexuality. Odd. There was a president named Andrew Johnson, who became president after Lincoln was assassinated. While the room with writings and artifacts about gay people (but no nudity) required warning about "gay themes", the room next to the Hall of Presidents, which contained, nudity, pictures of same sex couples kissing, or engaging in vague sex acts, or pictures of people who are dying or have died of AIDS required no "warning". You just walked seamlessly from pictures of the Bushes and Reagan to pictures of naked men. The disparity was bizarre since, (methinks) its the "act" of being gay that really bothers people, not the words and letters from gay artists. Oh well, both displays were still really cool.
• Our trip back to Philly was much shorter (2.5 hrs) since the traffic had thinned considerably. We sat in front of a group of college kids who talked incessantly for the last hour of the bus ride back. There were two boys who sang showtunes, and then discussed awkwardly how one of them liked somebody and what to do about it. It made me nostalgic for those days of college, but glad that I am where I am. When we got into Philly, we bought one bottle of Gatorade and one bottle of water and waited about 6 minutes for our bus home. Long day!
• Alex visited two different stores in order to find Halloween candy yesterday. Apparently, there was a candy shortage in Philly because it was nowhere. He finally found three bags of candy and came home. We got about 12 trick or treaters last night.
• I did about 6 loads of laundry yesterday, along with making one pork roast in the slow cooker and baking one loaf of banana bread. Sometimes, it's really lovely to be home on a Sunday and not have to work.

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
Jon Stewart - Moment of Sincerity
www.comedycentral.com
Rally to Restore Sainty and/or Fear The Daily Show The Colbert Report

I just feel like this is such an important message....so well said and so true.

New Baby Haiku Friday

Welcome to the world,

baby boy Javier! You

are just too cute-y!

***

Watching you grow in

your mom's tum, I said to you

Hola Bambino!

***

So teeny and just

perfect. I am so happy

for your new parents!

Congratulations, Liliam & Stephen! Baby Javier was born on 10-27-10 at 0209am. He weighs 6lbs, 1oz and is 19 inches long!

The Good, the Bad, The Ugly

The Good:
We checked out the "Terror Behind the Walls" at Eastern State Penitentiary the other night, and, man! was that fun! The whole place is an abandoned prison built sometime in the early 1800s and was abandoned in the 1970s. It's a totally imposing structure, and super spooky. They offer daytime tours, and during the fall season, they put on this "Terror Behind the Walls" with differently themed areas to walk through. It was both scary and hysterical (are those emotions even close to each other?). I had "prisoners" follow me, and talk into my ear, people jump out at me, and there was even a rad 3-D part, which was great. The whole night was super fun, and the money goes to support the preservation of this super cool place that used to be a prison. Great time all around.

The Bad:
We're heading down to Washington, DC to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Saturday, and as such are missing out on a block party in our neighborhood. Our street has decided to do Halloween on Sat instead of Sunday, so we are going to miss out on seeing all those super cute kids in their little costumes. Also, no need to carve pumpkins, right? Although...I might just carve one for myself!

The Ugly:
We saw Me First and the Gimme Gimmes the other night at the North Star Bar. Unfortunately, their sound was off the entire night (as in, I couldn't tell what the lead singer was even singing) and the crowd liked to shove people. I've got a pretty gnarly bruise on the top (!) of my foot. Ugh. The good about that? We were so close to the stage, I could read the setlist and see the sweat dripping off the band members. The bad about that? The skipped a TON of songs on the setlist, prolly because it was hot as hell in there and the sound sucked. Go figure.

Me First

In 1998, I took a trip with my friend D to visit Berlin, Germany. That trip was the first trip I took without my parents, and we had a blast. We stayed with a friend, Jens, who lived in Berlin, and the first night that we got there, he threw us a party. Actually, let me correct that, his friends (whom we had never met) threw us a party. We drank beers and hung out until the sun came up, trying to live up every minute we were there. We tried our hand at speaking German, we visited palaces and countrysides and the up-and-coming area of Berlin called "Mitte". It was such an amazing time, and such a lovely city, that I've always wanted to go back. I found Jens and his friends to be much more informed about world affairs, and they were so candid and interesting to talk to. The whole Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky thing was going on and I remember everyone asking me, "Why do Americans care about the mistress? We all know our President has a mistresss, it has nothing to do with how he runs the country!" To this day, I still don't know how to respond to that. Everyone spoke several languages, I felt rather inadequate speaking only one. Breakfast was cheese with bread and tomatoes, all water was carbonated. We hung our clothes out on the balcony to air the smoke out of them. At the party the first night, I met Martin. On our last night there, he asked Jens if he could "take me out on a date" (not that Jens was going to give permission, I think it was more of a language thing). Of course, I said "absolutely!" and Martin came to pick me up in his tiny car. He took me to dinner at McDonald's ("isn't this what Americans like to eat?") where we got beers and cheeseburgers. Then we headed to a concert by an "American Band" since he thought I might like it. It turned out to be Me First and the Gimme Gimmes singing some brilliant punk covers of songs I knew by heart. We jumped around, sang at the top of our lungs and had a great old time. That night was so bittersweet - hanging out with friends we had made during our stay in Berlin, realizing we had to head back home and would likely never see them again.
This summer, Alex mentioned that Me First was playing a club down the street from our house. He got us tickets and we're headed there tonight. I guess I'm a little bit older, and perhaps a bit wiser, but I can't help experiencing some nostalgia for those days in Berlin, exploring a foreign country, two girls against the world. My friend, D, is married now. We don't talk much anymore, but I still think about her all the time. I'm so glad I still have these memories, and I can't wait for the concert tonight. I'm looking forward to pretending to be 20 again...

Monday Numbers

• On Friday, we went to one thesis defense party (although I had attended three defenses in the last week!). I had two High Lifes - the Champagne of Beers.
• Rode our bikes over 60 miles on Saturday to Iron Hill Brewery in Phoenixville. There were 6 of us in a group, and I tried out my new road bike with the clipless pedals and new seat. The seat, I think I'll change. The pedals were scary and will definitely take some getting used to. But, thankfully, I did not crash or fall off the bike, but I was pretty tired come the end of the day. We then celebrated with one bottle of wine and a large amount of dinner.
• Watched the Phils lose to the Giants, 4-3. What a bummer. But honestly, I'm kinda glad the season is over. I think the Phils performed to the best of their abilities. We've made it to the World Series or the NLCS the past 3 years in a row! Personally, I think they're an awesome team and I am really proud of how they played. I don't think the Giants will win it, though. Their pitching just isn't that strong. But I guess we'll see....
• Ran errands and made all things apple yesterday. We literally had over 30 apples, so I made apple bread, apple cobbler and apple butter (canned). I made 9 jars of apple butter. Christmas presents perhaps? I must admit, my arms hurt a little today from all the apple peeling....ugh!
• Today, I am writing 2 articles for our departmental newsletter. There have been some pretty cool science-y things going on around here and I get to write about them. Love it!

Model T Haiku Friday

Model Ts are tough

built to stand the test of time

still running even now.

***

They performed greatly,

even in snow, rain, wind and fog.

Climbing hills, on flats.

***

Faster than horse and

buggy or bike, but not much 

else, like buffalo.

***

As passengers, it

reminds you of olden time

how Grandma travelled.

***

Model Ts make you

acutely aware of all

changes in weather.

***

We appreciate

trees and hills for their help in

blocking wind and rain.

***

If you ever get

the chance, take a ride in a

T you won't forget!

Loading up in Teton Village and getting ready to head out!

1921 Model T Ford in the Grand Tetons.

Guess where the gas tank is? Under the front driver's seat! Also? No gas gauge or automatic shutoff, so Dad just has to watch for when the tank gets close to full. We got about 20mpg on the trip, which would have been better if not for the altitude and the inability to adjust the carburetor.

Thankfully, tarps kept the cars dry when it rained overnight. When it rained while we were driving? Well, not much we could do about that except for plastic blankets, raincoats and hats. Oh, and the brakes aren't so good in the rain, so we tried to avoid driving in it as much as we could.

Some (most) of the people on the trip were characters. This is Uncle with Bob, who has his closet in the back of his T!

The best part about traveling in the Model T was the frequent stops, and the closeness you feel with the environment around you. We could have literally reached out and touched tree branches and buffalo as we drove by, pretty unprotected, unlike in a modern car.

We only had one problem, which was one of the back tires clickety-clacking while we drove. It got pretty bumpy and uncomfortable, but we made it back to Jackson just fine. While we were stopped here, people actually pulled over to ask if we needed help. I've never met friendlier folks.

Raves

• I am really loving the TV series Ghost Adventures. I'm not sure whether it's because its getting to be Halloween and Fall and "spooky", but this show just fascinates me from the beginning. As we don't have cable, I had no idea this show existed until we stumbled across it while watching TV during our vacation to Yellowstone. It follows Zak, Nick and Aaron as they are "locked down" in some purportedly haunted place overnight. They walk the areas with infrared cameras, essentially in the dark, and place static night vision cameras around the places to try to capture "ghosts". Now, I am not sure how real ghosts are, but man, do I love this show. It's shot in infrared, so it's already a little creepy. And every show, they have some sort of unexplained phenomena, such as cold spots, peaks in electromagnetic energy, unexplained sounds or voices, "shadow figures", or physical experiences, such as scratches or being touched. The guys are likable, if a bit dorky, and the whole setting is spooky and somewhat interesting, as they try to put historic spins on things. I literally cannot get enough of this show, and am pretty excited to discover Netflix has at least three seasons to instantly watch online. I've already gone through the first season, and have just started the second.
• I had a great experience today at Breakaway Bikes on 19th and Chestnut. Remember the pedal Alex couldn't get off of my bike? Well, we walked it over to Breakway, and they got it off in less than 5 minutes, and put my new pedals on, no charge. I'm headed there for a fitting tomorrow, so they the guys all introduced themselves to me and were really nice. One of the guys there said he'd take me out for a ride after the fitting to help me get used to the whole clipless pedals thing, which seems super nice and cool. And? Apparently they train real athletes there, so he asked me what my "goals" are? Hmmm...to learn how to ride a road bike and to be able to accompany Alex on long rides? Is that goal enough? Nope, he's trying to talk me into women- only triathlons. Hmmm...open water = scary, but 7 mile bike rides are nothing....maybe I'll have to look into this...we'll see. The bike fitting was so awesome, too. Apparently, I have very long femurs (haha, that's when SHE said). Who knew? A ride this morning was really nice, although I'm using muscles I don't normally use on the road bike, so we'll see how this death march to Valley Forge on Saturday goes. Ugh.
• The weather is so amazing right now. Except for some rain last night and this morning, I could not ask for more beautiful weather. Every year I forget how amazingly beautiful fall is, with the colorful trees, the chilly nights and warm, sunny days, and the anticipation of holidays and changing seasons. It's really, really lovely, and probably one of the things I will miss the most about PA.

The Good, the Bad, The Ugly

Courtesy of Coodence:

The Good:
We went dancing last night for our dance lessons, and we really ended up having a blast! We've started improving pretty quickly, which is awesome. It's only taken 9 or 10 lessons! Ha! The cool thing is once you get the hang of the dance, you can just shut off your brain and just enjoy the music and add in a couple little fun moves just to have a good time. Our teacher even played some Madonna for us, which made it lots of fun since I could remember dancing around my bedroom to her music when I was a kid. Then we took another class on Blues dancing, which turned out to be pretty fun and unstructured. I am really loving dance and I'm hoping we can do some more classes like that one.

The Bad:
I got new dance shoes the other day, and I'm trying to get used to them, but it's kinda hard. Firstly, I don't wear high heels, so my balance is off. Secondly, they're new shoes, so I haven't broken them in yet. Sadly, I'm nursing some ugly blisters on my toes. Am considering buying some dance socks, just till I break in the shoes. I know, I know. Socks with high heels are a terrible idea.

The Ugly:
This morning, as the coffee was being loaded into the pot, Moue ran across the kitchen and shoved herself behind the refrigerator, with a lot of noise and fanfare. Shortly afterward, I saw a big old mouse run across the kitchen and underneath the stove. While I'm glad Moue was on mouse patrol, I'm not too happy that there are rodents in my kitchen. I haven't seen any droppings or evidence of their presence before, so I am hoping this is just a dumb mouse. I also don't want to come home to a gift on my pillow. Yuck!

Book Review Tuesday

As you probably know by now, I am unable to physically walk by a Used Book Store without stopping to peruse the books. When we were in Jackson, we took a walk with my Mom and ended up at a store that was really lovely. Piled from floor to ceiling with books, books, and more books, Mom and I were in heaven. I picked up a couple books by David Sedaris, while Alex picked up Abraham Lincoln Vampire Killer. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim was the first of Sedaris' books that I read. It's basically a collection of short stories and essays that are great for anyone with very little time on their hands to read. I have read a few other of Sedaris' books and have thoroughly enjoyed them, at some points laughing out loud at the stories he tells. This book was not nearly as funny and I wonder if it's because his weirdo family and all the characters he's described before are making another appearance. This book is much more about his adult life, as opposed to the childhood memories that mostly composed Me Talk Pretty One Day. I did still laugh out loud at some of his stories, but I also felt that he wasn't trying to be funny in some of them. He was just trying to describe his life. For example, he writes a story about his husband (boyfriend? not sure) and how they get into fights in front of their guests all the time. He talks about how they had made a New Years Resolution not to do that anymore, but they still fight (more of a nitpicky fight, not really a fight - fight) in front of the guests. He describes how they will both go about cleaning up after the party without talking and how the first one to talk "loses" the argument, and the "fight game". This story so rings true on so many aspects of relationships and life. And mostly, it's funny because it's true, but it's not really that funny, know what I mean? His crazy neuroses also come to light, even more so than in his other books, which at times, drove me a little crazy. But a few pages later, the story would be over and it would resolve itself. Altogether, this book was neither phenomenal, but it wasn't bad. I think it was likely more honest that his previous books, as he's beginning to look a little bit more inward, instead of describing his crazy family and friends. There are some sweet and touching stories, some that make you laugh out loud and some that might make you cringe, but it was a pretty good read. The stories are short, you can put it down and walk away from it for a while and not lose your place, and it was pretty entertaining. A great read before bedtime.

Monday Numbers

Welcome back to Monday, folks. Here's an idea of what went on this weekend:

• we rand a bunch of errands on Saturday that included about 10 miles of biking. 
• I purchased two new pairs of shoes, one for dance and one for the new bike. 
• We took a dance class called Salsa 101 and I think we finally figured out some of the basics we've been struggling with lately.
• I ordered proofs for 2 or 3 "Save the Date" cards, so we'll see if we like any of them.
• Alex went for a 100-mile bike ride yesterday, so he was gone from 7am until about 6pm. He came back smelly, exhausted and tired. I spent the day doing about 7 loads of laundry, running about 5 miles and chatting with a few neighbors. Man, is it nice to have a Sunday off where I don't have to go into work!
• We decided to start the whole "registry" process at two stores. One was Macy's, which took about one hour since the lady had no idea how to enter in our info. The other place was Fante's, one of the oldest cooking stores in Philly (it's 106 years old according to a staff member!). It's located in the Italian Market area, and it's one of those cramped, uneven, city stores with more stuff crammed into that store than you thought possible. I'm not sure it will work out since they don't have their registries online.
• Made one batch of pesto, which included one of our 10 or so basil plants in the backyard. I have a feeling more pesto is in my near future!
• Bout two new pedals for my new road bike. Alex tried to get the old pedals off, and one would not come off, no matter how hard he tried! So, I'm scheduled for a bike fix and fitting this Wed at 5:30. Should be interesting. Not only will the ride there be interesting (rush hour traffic in Philly is not my forté) but they are going to measure my legs and arms and torso and set up the bike for my size and height. 
• Watched two Phillies games, one where they lost, 4-3 and one where they one 1-6. Also watched one Eagles game (they won that one) and one Vikings game. Altogether, this weekend included a lot of sports watching.

A New Blog Haiku Friday

Starting the wedding

planning, thought I would write a

blog about the task.

***

Lots of planning still

but I feel like there's progress

in the few things done.

***

So thankful for my

friends and family who are

just as excited!

Check out the new blog! We'll try to post details about the wedding, the planning, and anything we might find funny or entertaining.

Starting at the Beginning

Having just arrived in Jackson, "Papa, is that you? What the heck are you doing here?"

Are we sure we want to go on this thing?

Eek! I'm scared! Don't look down, don't look down!

Woah! The breeze was, let's say, um, refreshing. Yeah, that's it.

Hmmm...maybe refreshing wasn't the right word...

But the view of the Tetons? Spectacular. Even if it was below freezing.

Those smart Jacksonians even serve beer at the top, which couldn't have tasted better!

Heading back down, you pass the other tram heading back up at exactly halfway down the mountain.

We even saw a moose from the tram. She had a calf and was just hanging out eating.

I was really lucky to have Alex to sit next to me on the ride down. I was pretty freaked out.

Monday Numbers

• This weekend, we went for two bike rides on the new road bike. We are lucky enough to live near West River Drive, which is a four lane road that goes through a part of Fairmount Park. Every weekend, both Sat and Sun, they close this road to cars, allowing anyone with bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, etc. to head up and down this street all day long without cars. It's brilliant. I wish it would extend through the wintertime too. Anyways, we took the bikes out for about 10 miles each day, heading up and down this closed road. We stopped multiple times to adjust things on my bike, mainly my shifting and the seat. We travelled for a total of about 20 miles, which resulted in two very sore buttcheeks. Bet you wanted to know that.
• I practiced my talk for our graduate group symposium approximately one hundred time. At least it felt like that.
• Tried my first Sixpoint Pilsner, in honor of Coodence. We were lucky enough to find it on tap at The London Grill, a local restaurant. We enjoyed it while watching the Phils kill the Reds, 7-4. We're back in the NLCS again. For, I think the fourth time in four years? Can that be right?
• Made two pie doughs. One resulted in a canadian bacon and Muenster quiche. I'm not sure what I'll do with the other one, but MAN was that quiche good. And easy too. Who knew?
  

Ode to the Family Haiku Friday

Waiting for dinner at this silly Western show place in Jackson.


Memories of our
trip to Yellowstone are at
the front of my mind.

Ha! The pig races. Literally!


Rainstorms, hail, freezing
wind, steep grades, flat lands, tons of
food, talk, beer, laughter.

Sharing our first Chocolate Malt at the Sweet Shoppe. As an aside, this lady who served up told us it's great to live in a small town. Her sister (who also works there) had a brain aneurysm and she rushed to be by her side. The town kept her business open by volunteers taking shifts and learning how to make the treats. They kept it open for 3 weeks while she cared for her sister. Pretty amazing, huh?

They may drive me nuts
but they're all mine and I'm stuck
with them forever.

Just had to share!

This just made my day!

Gym Confessions

I used to be real embarrassed to head to the locker room in the gym here on campus. I hate changing in front of people and I thought everyone was looking at me and how fat my ass is and all my cellulite and all my flaws. Turns out? No one even looks at me. Huh, guess I'm not that interesting, eh? So, I started swimming, and I have to take a shower after the swim, since I have to get the chlorine out. So, I essentially have gotten over the whole showering, changing, naked thing in the gym. I've been taking a 7:30am yoga class at the gym, which is usually pretty great. Afterward, I head to the locker room to get showered and changed. Apparently, there are other women who are not entirely "over" the whole changing in the gym thing. I've seen women stand there with towels that are too small trying to cover all the bits and pieces, and desperately trying to find their chonies or bra in their locker. Seriously? I just drop the towel. Haha! Probably terrifying for all involved, but she doesn't have anything I haven't seen before, right? I've also seen women butt naked running around the locker room, so I guess it takes all types. But the rule of thumb apparently is there is no talking in the gym. Unless its absolutely necessary, like someone is standing in front of my locker or something like that. I've made minor small talk with some women (like, oh my gosh it's cold today, or I love that lotion or that dress or whatever) and I'm always met with blank stares and shocked looks, like I've broken a covenant or something. Who knows? Maybe it's just a Penn gym thing, but it kinda cracks me up. I'm turning into that old, naked lady who parades around the gym, talking to people.
LOL, who knew?

Numbers Monday

• drove a couple hundred kilometers this weekend, shopping for bicycles, bicycle parts and getting bicycles fixed. Oh, and also attending a bicycle race. Ironic that we drove a car to these things, right? Oddly enough? The rental car was set up in kilometers - as in, the mileage, trip and regular odometer, and gas efficiency was in kilometers. Perhaps the car was Canadian?
  
• Had at least 14 hour days, both on Sat and Sunday. I am exhausted!
• Got to visit with La Chang and her professor husband. They live only about 30 miles from Philadelphia, but the drive takes at least an hour!
• Awoke at 6am both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, we headed to Trexlertown (I can't make this up, people) for the semi annual bike swap, which opened at 8:30am. We got there at 8:45am, and the line was out the door, around the corner and down the street. Who knew cycling was that popular?
• I purchased a road bike for myself, so I can try to keep up with Alex. The bike was marked down from $1200 to nearly half off. Problem is? I spent my wedding dress money on it. Whoops! Haha!
• I am not looking forward to the rain over the next three days. The weather has changed dramatically, from high 70s to high 40s in the last two days. Brrrr!
  
• Our house now has 4 bikes, one bike trainer, two toolboxes, three new sets of brake pads, two helmets and 8 different blinky lights for the bikes. We have more bikes than furniture at this point. I hope you don't come over soon. Our house looks like a bike garage.
  

Monday Numbers

• Counting today, I have worked the last 8 days in a row.
• Today, I biked in my normal 3 miles to work. Except that it was in the rain. Booooo! Thankfully, I have a change of clothes for the gym with me. So now everyone has to put up with me in spandex. Zexy!
• This week, it will be one year until our wedding! We've already booked the venue, and we might have the honeymoon organized to a certain extent. And I might also have found a photographer, and some great entertainment. Other than that, the whole thing's up in the air.
• This week, I have about 25 experiments to do. I hope they all turn out with results!
• Tonight, I have yoga at 5:15pm. Hopefully, she won't be as hard on us this week as she was last week. I literally had trouble walking, bathing and clothing myself for at least two days after that last class!
  

Ode to My Fear of Heights Haiku Friday

Upon arriving
in Jackson, we headed to
see the mountaintop.

***

Half of the ride was
fine, but the cliffs got to me.
Had to close my eyes.

***

Wind clocked at 40
on the top. Literally
blew us off our feet.

my shaky pic of the aerial tram as it approached the dock. it was freezing cold, windy and terrifying to head back down the mountain.

Yes, I was a bit shaky, but I made it to the top!

Wow, that view was unreal!

What helped? Moose Drool, a beer from Montana. It was pretty good, and they thankfully sold it at the top of the mountain, in order to fortify my ride down. Also? We spotted a moose and her baby on the tram ride down (no pics unfortunately, I was too terrified clutching the side of the tram to take any pics).

Dear Wyoming,

I honestly knew nothing about you until I arrived two weeks ago. The flight into Jackson is pretty hairy, so I was unsure what to expect. But I have to say, the view from your tiny, tiny airport was breathtaking. Your roads are amazingly well taken care of, you seem to have snow fences in all the correct places. Your museums were superb, and your landscape was unreal. Add to that a very friendly population, even whilst driving, and I can't imagine a better place to vacation. I'm not too sure why people see Wyoming as a not so interesting place to visit, but I was smitten. And still am. And I am looking forward to a return visit.
with love,
ceedee

Numbers Monday

(courtesy of coodence)

1) In the last 2 weeks, I have travelled over 5200 miles. 4000 of those were by airplane, while 1200 were by a 1921 Model T Ford.

2) I took over 650 pictures, which I am sure you will be subjected to over the next few weeks.

3) We spent nearly one week in Yellowstone, followed by one week on the road around Yellowstone.

4) We visited two states, Wyoming and Montana.

5) We drove with nearly 20 other Model Ts, which included going through a pass at 11,000 feet, as well as driving on a road with a 10% grade.

6) Surprisingly, the T got about 20 miles to the gallon, and did not break down once, while my parents, in their modern motorhome, had a hell of a time getting up to Jackson, WY.

7) Alex and I packed all our things in one suitcase and two backpacks.

8) The first few days, the temperature hovered around 32 degrees! We were very thankful for the hot pockets my cousin Alison brought along.

9) We saw countless animals, including numerous buffalo, two moose, several elk (including on standing atop a ridge at sunset, bellowing to the females), many, many deer, one fox or coyote, and thousands of stuffed animals.

10) We stayed in 10 different places over two weeks. I am both glad and sad to be home. Back to work!

Grad Student Haiku Friday

Library empty
Closing early, holiday
weekend is soon here.

***

I kind of love the
silence, the stillness, hum of
machines tick tock tick

***

No cell phones, whispers,
to break my concentration.
Just write and finish.

This is Colorado

Taken as we were eating lunch next to a stream.

End of Summer Haiku Friday

All the undergrads
heading back to Penn soon enough
air getting cooler

***

Not sure if I am
ready for summer to end
sunny, lazy days

***

I like the longer
days, the warm sun on my face
also vacation!

Vacation Pics

Seriously, the best thing about the end of the meeting I attended in Albuquerque? The aquarium. So cool!

Alex and I climbed a mountain in Colorado. Can you tell I am scared here? I was terrified because the rock just dropped off into oblivion right past where I am sitting.

King of the World!

Toadstool! I had never seen one before!

Alex and his niece Kaitlyn, playing on the playground!

To my new nephew

Happy birthday, little buddy! I am so glad you are here in this big world of ours. I know your mom and dad have been really excited for you to get here. I can't wait to meet you!
xoxo,
ceedee

PS: we have the same initials! isn't that neat?

Random Commentary

• I went to Colorado and I didn't want to come back. I am really, really ready to get out of Philly and move on with my career / life!
• We rode our bikes out to Conshohocken - 30 miles roundtrip. What a godforsaken place of strip malls and suburbia. Holy cow - it was pretty bad. I was glad to be able to check out REI, but pretty glad to get home too!
• I bought rain pants. They are plastic pants that will keep me dry whilst biking in during a rainstorm. I also got new pedals for my bike and new handgrips. It's the little things in life!
• I have recently discovered the wonderful world of Etsy. Especially the holiday decorations part. I am a little obsessed. I love holidays and decorations. Makes everything special. I am definitely turning into my mother.
• Alex and I set a date for the wedding! October 1, 2011. 10-01-11. We'll be having it in Ventura, CA, right on the beach, so it should be pretty nice. Now, I just have to figure out the rest of the details. Like, food, cake, dress, DJ, photographer, rehearsal dinner and god knows what else - feels like a daunting process!
  
• I will try to post some pics of my trips sometime this week. Hopefully sooner than later. Ha!
• I am going on another vacation in two weeks! Yellowstone, here we come!

Random Snippets

• Got back from a conference in Albuquerque, NM and a trip to Colorado Springs, CO on Saturday.
  
• New Mexico has some of the best salsa I have ever tasted.
  
• Albuquerque is not really a "city", per se, but the public transportation was awesome. $1 to ride, bus runs every 10 mins - better than Philly!
• I breathe better when there is no humidity.
• I am prone to altitude sickness.
• People in the western US just seem happier than people in the eastern US. I am not sure if they hide it better, or if they are genuinely happier, but they are much more pleasant to deal with.
• There are a lot of white people in Santa Fe, NM.
• I bought a ring from a Native American woman in Santa Fe. I'm not sure what to do with the unreasonable poverty and lack of education pervasive on Reservations. Because I am so far removed, I don't know how to approach and think about it. And I'm still not sure how I feel about the casinos, either.
  
• I like the mountains. I miss seeing them.
• Flying into Dallas is not fun. The heat and humidity makes for a rough ride landing.
  
• Flying out of Philadelphia at 6am is a good time to go. Even if it is 6am.
• Colorado Springs is not a good airport to fly out of. They're not too sure what they're doing. My computer had to be re-screened several times.
• One nice thing at Colorado Springs, is they let the families of soldiers accompany them to the gate to see them off. I was crying, just watching the interaction. I sometimes wish there was no need for military and good-byes.
• Ugggghhhh, it's humid.....
  

Grumpy Haiku Friday

Woke up on the wrong
side of the bed this morning
Feel full of anger.

***

I don't understand
how nobody else knows how
anything works here.

***

Lost reagents, dumb
questions, irritated to no
end. Ready for home.

Up in the Air

Sometimes you watch a movie and it really reminds you of how lucky you are to live the life you live. Such was the feeling I got after watching Up in the Air this past weekend. This movie spoke to me on so many levels I'm not sure I can even describe it. The movie was just so right, I can't emphasize it enough. From the opening shots of the ground from the air to the scenes of going through security, sitting in a lounge, waiting for the plane, renting the car, etc. It was all so much a description of my experiences travelling, it was eerie. Truthfully, this movie was very sad. As always, George Clooney is an amazing actor, portraying, essentially, some sort of version of himself, I assume. The eternal bachelor, with no place to call home, loving the fact that he travels everywhere and nothing (and no one) to tie himself down. Of course, his view of the world is challenged by a younger co-worker and a woman he meets "on the road". He gets to see his life, and subsequently the things that he does to other people, from a different perspective, and eventually gets what's coming to him (karma's a bitch, right?). I loved this movie for a number of different reasons. I started out working in "Corporate America" and left my job to come back to school. I have never regretted that decision, and this movie somehow reinforced that. I loved that Clooney's character was being honored for his "loyalty" to one airline, while his job required him to be hired by managers who were not loyal enough to their employees to fire them themselves. I thought his motivational speeches were so great - this is the bullshit they feed you in the corporate world - forsake everything, sacrifice your life, give up your family and friends, and work your fingers to the bone. All for what? To be fired by some asshole hired by your company to fire you. I loved the character played by Anna Kendrick. She was such an honest character, a grad of Cornell, coming in with new ideas, trying to be as professional and as astute as her older co-workers, but yet failing. And failing (and flailing) so honestly. As young women in the corporate world, we are expected to have it all and keep it all together, and not show any cracks or weaknesses which people might perceive as our inability to do our job. Kendrick's character makes some mistakes that we've all made, is beautifully acted, and is such a wonderful combination of the motivated, dedicated young worked, and yet the dreamy romantic. I have to say I loved this movie because it reminded me that I don't work in corporate America, I have made some of the mistakes that Clooney and the other characters have made, but I've survived them, and I'm on a path for a pretty rad life that I love mostly every minute. This movie made me appreciate that, which, I must admit, is a pretty powerful thing.
PS: for another viewpoint on this movie, head over to Randi's blog, where, apparently, our similar taste in movies is diverging right now :)

Haiku Friday

First the hot hot heat
then the humidity makes
bike riding not fun.

***

Sweating and red face
looking good, let me tell you
I get lots of stares.

***

Storming the Bastille
tomorrow, then its pack pack
head home to catch up.

The Princess and the Frog

I was pretty sure I was going to love this movie, and guess what? I did. I loved the music, I loved the characters, I loved the accents, I loved the animation, the artistic interpretations of New Orleans, the Bayou, etc. I loved it all. I loved that Disney finally made a strong female character (a strong black woman nonetheless) who works hard for her dreams, instead of waiting around, changing her whole life, just to nab "Prince Charming". I didn't really love the Prince in this movie, but I think that's OK. I do however, think this movie might be a bit frightening for the wee ones. The voodoo was a little intense and scary, but I loved it. The animation was beautiful and amazing, and it really reminded me of the old Disney movies I loved as a kid. This "princess"? I'm OK with little girls looking up to her!

Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh

I have to admit, I've given up on Book Club. It was great for a while, but just not cohesive enough for me. I may, however, continue to check out the books they are reading, since most of them have been really good. The title of this book is super lame (it's the name of one of the chapters in the book) so that kinda put me off it for a while. But once I picked it up, I loved it. Sudhir is a sociology graduate student at the Univ. of Chicago, living in the "nice" part of the city. He decides that he wants to study gangs and gang life (and essentially urban poverty), but not from the sterile, isolated environment of academics. He decides to somewhat infiltrate a gang to see how they work from the inside. He literally walks into the projects, asks who's in charge, and is lucky enough to meet up with s sympathetic gang leader who takes him under his wings. His narrative is written in this naive voice, as in "I had no idea these people carry guns", but he ends up being somewhat non-judgmental, which works well. To a certain extent, there were a lot of things that surprised me about gang life. For example, the gang is run like a corporation. The guys selling stuff on the streets are the lowly worker bees, while the actual gang leaders live in luxury, usually somewhere in the suburbs (ironic, isn't it?). So all those arrests for possession of drugs with intent to distribute essentially do nothing to stop drug dealing, since some kid will come along and do that job again. Another interesting thing is that there are areas were the police are not in charge. I guess I kinda knew this, but once I saw it written down, I thought about it more. When I'm in trouble, or I need help, I call the police and they will come help me. But apparently, there are some place where they won't respond, or they have too few patrols to actually do anything. I remember being somewhat shocked when Kanye West said "George Bush hates black people" on the Katrina Help program. But now, I kinda believe it. And, really, it's pretty sad. This book gave me a new perspective on gangs, poverty, urban life, and black people (is that OK?). Read it, it's phenomenal.

Weeds

I love this show. I am addicted. I fully admit this. It's been so hot and humid this week, I've been having trouble sleeping. So, I get up, head to the computer, and turn on Weeds. (thank god for netflix instant viewing). This show is so well made, I just can't stop thinking about it. The first season starts off with Nancy Botwin and her two sons, Silas and Shane, trying to recover after her husband dies suddenly. The kids are totally screwed up, and Nancy (clearly) doesn't have any sort of job or skill set, so she sets out to sell pot to all the suburban people who live in the neighborhood. The portrayal of suburbia, specifically Agrestic, their fictional, San Fernando Valley-esque housing development is phenomenal. Elizabeth Perkins is such a bitch you love to hate her. The lost brother in law, Andy is amazing. The kids are so good, and Mary Louise Parker....well, wow. I just don't know what to say about her. This show makes me think a lot. The acting is so good, I think it's spoiled me for network television. The characters are so well portrayed you both know what they're thinking/feeling and you don't know what they're thinking/feeling. They're both normal, and so far from normal you can't identify. I cannot say enough good things about this show. I am pretty sure I will be purchasing the episodes on the interwebs as they come out. And I never do that...

Disturbing.

My folks sent me to private school, which, in Oxnard, turned out to be pretty conservative Christian school. I had a few friends who were big fans of Jesus, but I didn't think much of it. With the advent of Facebook, and being able to get in touch with all these people now, as adults. Sometimes, it's pretty scary. I try to not publish my political or religious views on FB, mostly because I'm friends with my family and just don't want to get into stuff like that. I'm more interested in seeing pics of people's cute kids or their latest vacation, and seeing what people look like now, you know, that kind of stuff. For some reason, I am friends with a guy, we'll call him Tom, who's apparently a minister somewhere in the Midwest. Tom sends out different messages daily, like "God's blessings to you!" and "Nana Bishop was called home to her Lord and Saviour today! Praise Jesus!". Honestly, these types of things kinda crack me up, so I kept him around. However, I think it might be time to kick him to the curb (on my friends list, that is). He's recently published a manifesto-like thing which explains why he can no longer be a fan of the baseball team he's been rooting for his whole life. To give the short version, it's because they have a float in the gay-pride parade and they support gay rights. Are you kidding me? What on earth is wrong with these people? He basically said that since his religion says being gay is "wrong" he can no longer support the team that supports something that is "wrong". While I am all for the 1st amendment and I believe everyone, no matter how ignorant deserves their own opinion on things, I just can't help but wonder if he sees they hypocrisy staring himself in the face? Sports teams, no matter how bad, are enormous promoters of sloth, greed, gluttony, etc. Baseball, especially, promotes cheating since there is no comprehensive drug program preventing steroid (or performance enhancing drug) use. Don't get me started with football. But all those are "OK" sins? It's OK to overcharge people for a bag of popcorn and bulldoze a couple neighborhoods to put in a new stadium because those are "acceptable" while being gay is not? I'm just so sick of people choosing which "sins" are the OK ones and which ones are eggregious. And I'm pretty sure that there's a lot in the Bible about being judged by god and god alone (not that I am in any way religious). To a certain extent, I just wish people would worry about their own, and not place their judgments on other people. I'm just trying to live my life the way I want to live it. No harm no foul.

Random Snippets

• I am still stuck in writing hell. And my boss has stopped coming to work. Yay.
• This weekend was hotter than hell. Literally. Hell. I am not joking.
• I ride my bike to work every day. It's hot and humid out, and I've got about a 3 mile ride. When I get here, I am pretty sweaty, pretty red in the face (I imagine), and I'm carrying a bike helmet. I can't tell you how many people give me the evil eye, or the "ewwww, gross! what is WRONG with you?" look. Then I kinda laugh that they have to sit in traffic or on the train, and I get to ride my bike home and get home way sooner than they will. Tee hee!
• There way a Philly triathlon this past weekend. Someone died. Actually, he drown in the river. That I run next to all the time. I saw the boat looking for him. So sad.
• I went to another BBQ in NJ this past weekend. Burgers and potato salad and pasta salad and good times. It was nice to get out of the city and sit on someone's huge ass back deck and hang out. Very nice indeed.
• We rented a car this weekend, and we ended up with a minivan. How funny, right? The thing is that the minivan had automatic everything. Like, sliding doors. That you literally couldn't close yourself. And a backup cam. That is one car I would never in a million years buy.
• The festivities start for the Welcome America festival, celebrating the birth of our nation. Its pretty fun around here for the 4th. Free concert by the Goo Goo Dolls, showing of Rocky on the Museum steps, a mile long hoagie. Should be a blast.
  

Crazy Storm Haiku Friday

Darkening clouds head
this way, an odd blue color
roiling, spreading.

***

Chunks of ice plink plink
downpour, biblical nature
thunder and flashing.

***

No tornado, they
say, but the destruction left
sure looks like there was.

Live and Let Live

I don't necessarily consider myself to be a granola crunching natural woman type, but I find myself slowly leaning that way. I have tons of friends having kids right now, and I have a lot of friends who have had kids or who plan to have kids. All of this has got me a little bit closer to some debates which really rile people up. Like breast feeding. Who knew? To state it (in case you couldn't tell) I am for breast feeding. Even in public. I'm actually a "live and let live" kinda gal. I won't give you my opinion unless you ask for it. Everyone's got their issues and situations - who am I to judge? And, as a bike commuter who lives in the city, I know sometimes kids get hungry at the most inopportune times. I'm not exactly sure why people are so offended by breasts. I understand there is a sexual connotation about them, but honest to god, could you put that aside for a few minutes and let a lady breastfeed? Or, there's always the argument about the "children". Oh my god. The kids. How can they ever see anybody's breast? How traumatizing! How scarring! Honestly, the shit people come up with is astounding. In my mind, the benefits far outweigh your uncomfortableness at seeing a mammal feed their child. Breast feeding gives babies much needed gut flora (ever wonder why there's so much IBS and intestinal problems?), gives kids antibodies they need early on in life. Breast feeding bonds mother and child, provides nourishment, and has even been shown to improve kids academic and social lives long after breast feeding has stopped. What could the problem possibly be?
Well, let's see. Many jobs don't provide areas for women to pump breast milk (I am hoping this will change soon) and many public places only provide bathrooms for women. When I was a kid, the women's restroom in Broadway had a lounge and a bathroom. Mothers could go into the lounge to breastfeed, change diapers, etc. That seems perfect - why aren't more places like that? I don't know about you, but I don't want to feed my kid while sitting on a public toilet - blech!
So, I am hoping that people can get over this ridiculousness. Of course, I am sure, my friends are much more comfortable at home feeding their babies. But, you know what? Life happens. And sometimes you just gotta feed your kid. Get over it.

Random Snippets

• this weekend, headed out to NJ to a BBQ in the 'burbs. It was lover-ly, very nice place, nice neighborhood, great food, great company.
  
• made Randi's mom's blueberry cheesecake - like thingy. It was deee-licious. And totally reminded me of summer as a kid.
• Speaking of remembering, I read an article in Vanity Fair about the making of Michael Jackson's Thriller video (a preview can be found here). It took me back to backyard BBQ's, sleepovers, scary movies, Strawberry Shortcake sleeping bags, Oreos for breakfast, and a plethora of other childhood memories. The funniest part? Apparently, they couldn't find anyone to put up the money to make the video. So they decided to do this new-fangled thing and get some money from a company that would put the video for sale/for rent to the public. Haha! I can't tell you how many times we rented that movie! Over and over again. We likely paid for half the cost of the making of that video!
• We hung more pictures, and got a little bit more settled in.
  
• Summer has arrived! So glad! And, I have yoga today, which is lover-ly.
• I'm pretty boring - mostly working. However, I am looking forward to being done with this paper and heading out on vacation!
  

Haiku Friday

USA soccer,
you totally rock. I can't
wait to see you win!

***

Computer screen blinds
me, too many numbers, lots
of info collate.

***

Nice weekend ahead,
two BBQs, food, folks fun
hopefully a nap.

Left out

Yesterday, I got the saddest email from Alex. His lab had gone to lunch for some people's birthday and he was not invited. They even had the gall to ask him to sign the birthday cards. At first, I just felt that blow to your stomach, that feeling of rejection, and I just felt so bad for him. How rude, right? I mean, I know there are probably people you work with who you may not like that much. But, you know what? We're all adults, and everyone should be included, no matter who they are. EVERYONE.
That's my public service announcement for today.

Things I don't understand

• What about gay people is threatening? We happened upon the Pride Parade this past weekend, and as far as I could tell, it was a bunch of people dressed up, dancing to some club music and throwing a parade. Why are there people threatened by this? What is threatening about homosexuality? Are you afraid they might "getcha"? Like the boogeyman? Lordy.
• Why would the powers that be allow shallow water drilling technology to persist when drilling deep water wells? I'm no engineer, but I could tell you that the pressure of water that deep is so high, I would automatically think it would require different technology, and for that matter, different permits and liabilities. But that's just my opinion.
• Along the same lines, why would you let the same government agency regulate the oil companies as well as collect fees from them? Seems a little incestuous, if you ask me.
• Why would we blame Obama for everything? Why is it his fault that there was a financial crisis? Did we forget that it started to happen (in fact was well under way) when Bush was still President? Also, why is Obama blamed for the oil spill? I am pretty sure the oil spill is the result of faulty engineering and greediness, not from Obama pushing some magic button somewheres and causing the Gulf to explode.
• Why is this oil spill not causing a more serious discussion of alternative energy sources? Literally half (if not more) of the country could run off geothermal, solar or wind energy. Why is there not more discussion of this? Do we only discuss this when gas is too expensive? Lack of forethought sound familiar?
• Why are we not investing more money in infrastructure, public transit, making our suburbia more walk-able and bike-able? Europe has been focusing on this for years and years, making train and bus travel very convenient, sometime even moreso than flight. High speed train lines would do wonders, especially here in the Northeast, if they were made a bit more affordable. But public support of public transit is really lacking.
  
• On corruption: why are people not forced to pay back money they stole? For example, the person in charge of taking care of juries here in Philly apparently stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city. That money was to go towards providing coffee and some sort of breakfast food to jurors when they came into serve. Granted, it's a perk, but it was nice (and relatively cheap). Since the woman stole the money, jurors are no longer provided with any perks, and the lady got off scott-free. No retribution to pay, and she's moving to another state. Shouldn't she at least have to pay the money back?
  

Random Snippets

• Had a nice weekend, still trying to get unpacked (I swear, I think I just need to throw out about half our stuff). But we did get some pictures hung and some rugs laid down, which always seems to be the last thing you do.
• Got caught in a rainstorm yesterday. We biked down to Reading Terminal to pick up some produce, and, man! What a storm on the way home! I was soaked, and so glad to have a dry roof over my head. Alex ventured out a bit later to do some drills on his bike and he got caught again! Yuck!
• Our roof leaks. I think we are cursed.
• One of my biggest pet peeves? People who hold long conversations in the library. Take it outside, folks!
• I have yoga today. Yay!
• We watched Best in Show this past weekend. Such a hysterical movie!
• We went out with some friends on Friday to this college bar called "Mad 4 Mex". Yeah, I know. It was really, really awful. The burritos were $9(!) and super crappy and they couldn't even make a margarita. I feel really lucky that where I went to college, there were ALWAYS decent burritos for way less than $5. AND? They were open 24 hrs a day. Oh, Freebirds, how I miss you!
• I can't find the thingy that connects my camera to the computer. I have a ton of pics I'd really like to show you!
• I got a new pair of shoes and they've given me 6(!) blisters. Ouch.

Tuesday Snippets

1. man, was this weekend HOT. I mean, really, really hot. And the air was stagnant. Here, I thought that moving closer to the park would mean cooler temps, but apparently not.
2. Sometimes when it's really hot, you actually WANT it to rain. Weird, right?
3. My cat has lost her mind. She wakes us up at 5am to chat. Really loudly.
4. We have mosquitoes in our backyard (no big surprise there). Really wish I wasn't such a tasty morsel to them.
5. I am having to deal with some bureaucratic bullshit lately. It does not make me happy.
6. I think we are almost moved in. The kitchen is done (thank god), as is the bar (LOL) and the "TV room" (is that what it's called if it's one giant room?).
   
7. There is a Veteran's Memorial literally two houses down from our new place. We went there yesterday and watched the re-dedication ceremony. It was nice.
8. My Dad and his friends rode in a Memorial Day parade yesterday. I think they had fun.
9. I got lucky today - had to head over to the library, and it rained while I was there. When it was time for me to leave, it stopped raining. Then, when I got back to lab, it started raining again. Sometimes, it's the little things.