Oregon part 2

We hung out with the family until Monday afternoon, and then we set off. Mike and I did not have a set plan so we found ourselves wandering to the coast. We figured the weather was clear so we should take advantage of that. We drove along the coast south and just made scenic stops. The beaches were beautiful and we watched the pelicans, seals, and whales. I actually was able to spot whales while we were driving on Monday which is a new one. The ocean was fairly flat with light winds so that aided my spotting ability. There are state parks lining the coast one after the other.

On Tues we headed off to try 2 hikes we found in a book we borrowed from Pat. One hike was in the Cape Arago State Park in Coos Bay. The trail skirted cliffs high above the dramatic coastline. There is a section across from a rocky outcropping that hosts hundreds of seals and sea lions. They are about 1/2 mile away, but you can smell them and hear them barking. You look at the rocks, and they are totally covered with marine mammals.

Our other hike was in the Oregon Dunes Nat'l Recreation Area. The area is along the coast for 50 miles. We found a hike that is in a section closed to dune buggys. It was pretty dramatic and amazing. I had Tea in the Sahara stuck in my mind when we were walking there. You had to pay attention to the route on this hike! The trail led to an empty beach. It was beautiful, but we did have to make it back before night. There were these forests that we crossed to get into the beach that were very tight like jungle (it reminded me of Costa Rica). Mike was overcome at one point, but I was able to get him out.

Western Dispatch

We are back home after our time out in Oregon. We are pretty wasted from our travel day today. Our flight was really early in the morning in Oregon, but at least it was a nonstop. The flight was actually hot, and there was this constant bathroom line for the last 2 hours of the flight which was weird. Then we lost our gate and had to sit on the runway for an additional hour (I did a grampa Simpson change into my short sleeved tshirt on the plane in my seat I was so friggin' hot). Oh the joys of NY area airports! We touched down at 2:30 and we did not drive out of long term parking until 4:30 (only to meet the traffic in Queens!). JFK is a pain in the arse. At least we did not get stuck in some random connection city. The terminal for Delta really gets me on edge. It is loud, crowded, and disorganized. You should have seen us wandering around trying to find departures on the way out. I have never been confused about such a thing before in an airport (except for the car return in Paris with the incorrect airport map).


We headed first to visit Pat, Lhes, and Shua. Shua was pretty excited when we got there and immediately was seeking playmates. It was cute. We ended up camping the night we arrived at Mirror Lake (near Mt. Hood). Shua was dancing with his flashlight, playing in the lake, and singing. The sky was clear and amazing. We spotted a ton of satellites and occasional shooting stars. We tested the echo across the lake which was OK since we were the only ones camping there! Lhes and Shua did well for their first backcountry excursion. The party was over in the morning since Shua did not feel good. Poor little guy. He kept saying he did not like camping! I think he is OK with camping again now. When we got back, we played Wii and found out how unfit we are on Wii fitness.

Summer Wrap Up

I have been busy trying to enjoy summer before it slips away. We have the last few weeks all booked up. Concerts the first few weekends followed by travel. We will be out of town the next 2 weekends when we are in Oregon.

We went to Newport and raced a tri on Saturday. There are hardly any Saturday races, and it was fun to get it over with so we could enjoy the rest of the weekend in Newport. I was not going to obsess over watching the Olympics on Saturday since we were out on the town, but we ended up ducking in a bar to watch swimming. Never in my life did I expect the bar to turn the music off, change all the TV to the relay, and cheer for a swimming team. I could not believe that everyone was into it so much. That will never happen again! The only wrinkle in our plan was that our timing leaving Newport was bad and we got stuck in a never ending traffic jam in Connecticut. We ended up playing the alphabet game (and license plate) which was challenge since there are not billboards along 95. The only signs were official highway signs most of the way. Mike's only complaint was that it was sort of a vision test so it was not fair for him! We managed to get further than I expected, but we suspended play when we reached high speeds to avoid accidents. We also celebrated somebody's birthday over the weekend.

Sia - Soon We'll Be Found (SXSW 2008)

We saw her this weekend at All Points West, and she was one of the most amazing singers I have seen live. I immediately downloaded her music. It is fun to find new music. I had listened to her on KCRW before, so we made sure that we did not miss her show.

Micheal Phelp's father

So, I am used to seeing all of the coverage of his mother all over NBC, so I wondered what is the deal with his dad? Don't you think he would come out for at least the Olympics? I figured he was alive since they did not do a somber "swimming for my dead dad" up close and personal piece. So I just dug in the internet, and he may be actually at the games (one website said so, but who knows what it was?). The consensus is that his parents divorced and he is not close to his dad. It is just weird to see his family mentioned over and over without one word about his father.

DCP

Here is the update: This scary picture is actually an IMPROVEMENT from last night. It actually got worse throughout the day despite all of the steriods and antihistamines. I looked it up further and my sources said the venom takes about 24-36 hours to fully hit you, so hopefully I am over the hump. I now assess my appearance as a demented cabbage patch doll. I am not treating again today so I keep my client caseload. Mike suggested that I get out today, but I do not want to cause a public disturbance.

The answer!

I actually look much worse today. The swelling spread across to my other eye, so I went to the Dr this AM for some meds.

Mike and I were enjoying a terrific bike ride at dusk. Then thwak! and something hit me in the eyebrow with immediate pain(I guess I must ride fast). Then I realized what hit me was still in my eyebrow stinging me. I popped my feet out of the pedals, whipped my glasses off, and finally had to pull out the buzzing insect (I do not know if it was a bee or wasp, but it hurt like hell when it hit my forehead). I was more upset about disrupting my bike ride and I thought I could keep going. Mike over-ruled me immediately and made me go to a 7-11 to buy ice for it right away. Needless to say I cancelled my entire day! I did not want all of my 18-24 month clients traumatized by me further!

Come play along!

A cash prize will be awarded to the individual who is able to guess why my face looks like this!

Iconic stone arch collapses in southern Utah park - Yahoo! News

Iconic stone arch collapses in southern Utah park - Yahoo! News

Olympic fever

Holy crap, that 400 free relay tonight was friggin' incredible! I am all amped up, and I need to go to sleep!

Tourist Trap

wcbstv.com - Tourists Trapped In Empire State Building Elevator
I just thought my headline was slightly better.

8-8-08

I am excited for the Olympics as usual. I am a junkie and I love watching the games (although I am sad that I do not have access to CBC, perhaps I can get it on the web). I am not an opening ceremonies lover though. I just like watching all of the sports that never get coverage (and of course seeing swimming on TV). I think a lot of them are cheaters.

I am planning on making Gazpacho this weekend. The farm market is abundant with good tomatoes, and I saw some at Whole Foods yesterday that got me thinking about it. I figured I could whip it up at a fraction of the price, and it is good for summer. Hopefully it works out well.

We are going to All Points West festival on Saturday. That should be an experience. They are acting all eco, so you have to take light rail from Jersey or the ferry from Manhattan, so logistics should be interesting for us. The location for the ferry in Manhattan is not the easiest for us, but parking in Jersey City may also be a challenge. I am psyched to see Radiohead.

thewinger.com » Black Cherokee

thewinger.com » Black Cherokee
By the way, the video does not have "adult" material, so I do not know why they had you click OK.
There is this dude who is always right by the FDR drive. We have been seeing him as long as I have lived here. Last night we drove by his spot, and he was gone. He had all these signs up saying, "Google Otis Houston". So that I did and I learned some more about that dude we always see there. It appears that they are doing construction on his spot so maybe he got kicked out. It is like a small scale Tyree Guyton sort of thing I suppose.

2 down, 1 to go

Last night we saw the Police way out in Jersey. They sounded awesome, and there are not too many concerts that you go to that you really know all of the songs. It was disappointing only due to the fact that it is a Pine Knob like set up, but we could not see the stage at all (even getting to the venue on time). They allowed lawn chairs, and there were tons of people getting in later than we were that had to sit in the food court. It was even hard to see the big screens showing them. I have never been to a venue like that and not been able to see the stage from afar. It was still fun, and we got home at a reasonable hour.

Tonight we caught up with Ed, and he told us a lot of cool stories about Nairobi and his adventures. He is there until the end of next year, so who is up to go out and visit?

Happy Birthday J!

Wishing a very happy birthday to J who is 6!

Conflict averted

In March, I tried to sign up for a race we like nearby, and the entries sold out in less than 2 hours. I did write a bitter post here as I recall. I whined in an email, and they told me we were on the wait list. Well I got an email on Thurs AM that I was in, but they did not say if Mike was in or not. So, do I forge on without him? Thankfully I emailed back and they told me that I could register Mike as well, so now we can gear up together and finish holding hands! The only crappy thing is that the race is so friggin' expensive! At least it benefits charity, but I am sure I can not write it off. So now we have to get off our sorry arses and actually train this summer.

Tommorrow begins our social life. Of course nothing has been going on for weeks, but when it rains it pours. Sunday night we are seeing the Police with Anita, but it is way out in Sandy Hook, NJ. Monday we are getting together with Ed in the city. Tues we are meeting with Regina and Igor as well as Tracey, Marcello, and baby Stephanie. It never fails that all our plans fall at the same time.

Saw a good flick last night. It was a French thriller called, "Tell No One", and I give it a thumbs up. Catch it at an artsy fartsy screen near you!

Bear hunt under way in Harrison | lohud.com | The Journal News

Bear hunt under way in Harrison | lohud.com | The Journal News

Maybe they need a pic-a-nic basket! That is right up the road from us!

The endless? summer

I can not believe it is almost August. The summer seemed really short since the schools I work in got out on June 26 and Labor day is September 1rst. I wish summer could seem as long as it did when we all were kids. It seemed like endless hot days at the BHAC. Lazy weeks at Aunt Catherine's cottage and the adventures we had there. That is where I learned to be an expert Petosky hunter, rehabilitate tent worms (from their trials at "Death Stadium"), and knock the wind out of myself via the sand dunes.

Mike and I spent the weekend doing some real training. We rode at Harriman on Saturday which is always intense due to the huge hills (and occasionally exciting traffic). We ran on Sunday which was pretty warm and muggy. We hit Rockefeller preserve with the rest of the runners. I wanted to do a tri on Sunday in Greenwich, but luckily we sat it out. They had to make it a duathalon since there was a thunderstorm when it started. A duathlon is my idea of a nightmare. We tried to swim but we got kicked out 10 minutes into it on Sunday. They close the Y pool (indoor) for lightning. Recently they closed it thinking the weekly Playland fireworks was a storm. When we drove home, we saw the biggest lightning bolt ever, so I was glad they over-react in the Y.

This morning I got an email from the Westchester Tri. That was the race that sold out in less than 2 hours, and I emailed on got on the waiting list. I am in, but I am not sure if Mike got in. I included his name in the email. So that may cause a dilemna. I just as soon let him do it since my hour run felt pretty bad on Sunday.

This weekend, The Police in Jersey
Next weekend, Radiohead in Liberty State Park (Jersey)
Weekend after, Tri in Rhode Island
Then vacation,
Then back to serious work :(

Fitness - Recent Triathlon Deaths Have Experts Searching for Answers - NYTimes.com

Fitness - Recent Triathlon Deaths Have Experts Searching for Answers - NYTimes.com

She Likes Kielbasa - Scrubby

While Dyngus day was on my mind, here's an old ditty we all can appreciate.

Rude awakening

I was lying on the couch trying to wake up yesterday, and I put on the mindless morning news shows. They are all so dumb, but there is nothing else on and I wanted to check weather. On at least 2 channels they were showing women getting a new type of pedicure where they put there feet in water with a bunch of baby carp (I think but am not certain)to gnaw on their feet. I had to change the channel on one story, and there it was on another channel. That is so f'in gross, and I found it hard to get my coffee down. I have no idea why there was a media blitz over that. I also have no idea why I found it so gross since I can tolerate most everything (except for coughing phlegm, puking, and saying the word fluids).

Bad Moon Risin'

It has been friggin' hot and humid as of late. I noticed the last few days that the moon has been full too. I do not know if it is the heat or the full moon, but there is a great deal of tension in the air around here lately. People driving like maniacs for no reason. People seem louder than usual. I think the heat makes me slower and more quiet. The moon has been really excellent lately, full of colors with a haze around it (beauty=pollution). Tonight we got some good Peruvian food for dinner (with some bitchin' ceviche) and decided to go to Rye to walk it off and gaze at the sound. We ended watching the moon rise. I have not seen many moonrises, and this one was pretty cool. The moon was red. Hopefully the humidity will burn off so I do not feel like I am going to suffer from heat exhaustion every time I step outside. We ran this AM, and we decided it was for tolerance to the heat versus speed or performance.

The Best Nest

I do not know if anyone remembers my pictures of the 13 Robins nests in various stages of completion under our new deck. It seemed like the Robin thought, "This is great place for a nest", started building, and abandoned the project over and over again. I have noticed a Robin hanging around too much, and alas there are some chicks now. She just did not pick the nest I expected. I guess the Robin did not struggle finding the best nest which I recall as being one of my favorite early childhood books.

Dara Torres - Profile - Olympic Swimming - NYTimes.com

Dara Torres - Profile - Olympic Swimming - NYTimes.com

Tour De Jersey

Today we raced, helped out Mike's sister, hung out with Mike's family for dinner, dropped off Mike's sister and drove home. We left the house at 5:30 AM, and did not get back until 9:20. Here is a summary of our day of driving which I coined, "Tour De Jersey".

PURCHASE, NY 10577
RANDOLPH, NJ
Distance: 63.2 miles, Time: 1 hours 15 mins

Point Maneuver Distance Cumulative Action
RANDOLPH, NJ
WHARTON, NJ 07885
Distance: 5.8 miles, Time: 18 mins

Point Maneuver Distance Cumulative Action
WHARTON, NJ 07885
LITTLE FERRY, NJ
Distance: 34.2 miles, Time: 39 mins

Point Maneuver Distance Cumulative Action
LITTLE FERRY, NJ
ORADELL, NJ
Distance: 10.5 miles, Time: 18 mins

Point Maneuver Distance Cumulative Action
ORADELL, NJ
DUMONT, NJ
Distance: 2.8 miles, Time: 10 mins

Point Maneuver Distance Cumulative Action
DUMONT, NJ
WHARTON, NJ 07885
Distance: 38.6 miles, Time: 50 mins


Point Maneuver Distance Cumulative Action
WHARTON, NJ 07885
PURCHASE, NY 10577
Distance: 62.8 miles, Time: 1 hours 9 mins

Total Distance: 218 miles, Total Time: 4 hours 39 mins (approx.)

A reason to stick to the Great Lakes

Great white shark reported at 'Jaws' filming site - Yahoo! News
I thought K+A would appreciate this.

Noise Pollution

I swear whenever I am outside in my neighborhood during the day(or out visiting client's homes), I am bombarded by the deafening drone of massive lawnmowers and leaf blowers. There are towns nearby that have a leaf blower ban over the summer months, and I think it is a good idea. What seems to always happen is that the minute it gets nice and I take a kid outside, I can not hear a damn thing. I guess I am really getting old! This morning they were fired up outside my window at 8:10 AM. I think that is obnoxious to say the least.

Mike just informed me the financial world is crashing! If Freddie and Fannie fail, we may never get a mortgage. Oh well, at least we are saving money for a distant rainy day. I just suggested that we rent a sweet mansion and blow our down payment. There seems to be plenty that are not selling around here.

On a totally unrelated note, have you seen the ad for Nuvaring? It is a birth control method. The ad features a bunch of synchro swimming cartoon characters (who mimic birth control pills). They are wearing old school swim suits with caps. The thing that strikes me is that some of the swimmers break away (rip off the conservative suits, shake their long sexy librarian hair out of the swim caps, and walk over to a hot tub with other liberated swimmers who use nuvaring). All the cartoon women that break away are wearing some slutty bikinis and one piece number. The message that I gleaned from the ad was that the nuvaring is for hoochie mommas. Is it just me?

We are racing this weekend in NJ. It is just a short sprint, but I swear my body has not recovered from last weekend. I suppose it is the fact that I do not rest at work and began working with some big and difficult to handle clients again this week. No excuses though. I recall the bike is hilly, and the run ends on a trail so W has the edge. My goal is to finish the trail section without a spill. The other funny thing about the race is that it is going "Green" this year. They had you offset your carbon footprint and are encouraging carpools this year. Wow, I am so eco-conscious that I am driving about 50 miles to race! I suppose we should stick to local races to save the planet.

Our Towns - Build a Wiffle Ball Field and Lawyers Will Come - NYTimes.com

Our Towns - Build a Wiffle Ball Field and Lawyers Will Come - NYTimes.com

Still married

6 years and counting. That went really fast.

Breakin' Turbo Broom Dance

This one's for Pat.

Upstate Update

We were really spontaneous this week. We packed the car and headed north on Tues night without a real plan. We were prepared to cross over the Vermont if need be or even Montreal. We were ready to hike, bike, read, and play guitar.

We headed up the thruway and went mountain biking the first day. We stopped at the ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) info center for hike and bike recommendations. The trail was a dirt road for the first few miles, and then there was a snowmobile trail that was in nice shape. We have not been mountain biking much since we moved out here. The riding is very rocky and technical, and my forearms can not take it. I may be the only mountain biker who gets more sore in the upper body after riding (as Brian and KC can attest). I like to get dirty and work up the hills the most. We also tried out our new pedals and shoes (proud of us finally doing on the mountain bikes Brian?). I of course had a low speed tip over with my feet clipped in. That is the first set of scratches I got for the day. I did not know what I was in for! We discovered that whenever we would stop, the black flies would swarm me (and a few deer flies to boot). I was just covered with them, and Mike was not getting attacked to the same degree as I was. I suppose I can thank genetics for that (Caraher trait). I would scratch my head and was greeted by dried blood and bug carcass. Mike kept singing, "My wife has fleas". Mike thinks that my jersey was attracting the bugs since it was blue like a flower. We continued since it was OK as long as we were moving and the woods were cool and beautiful. Then the unthinkable....I got a flat! Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
Let me just say here that Mike is officially my hero. I tried to get the bike pump going, but I was getting swarmed so bad I was trying to work the pump with my ear on my shoulder and doing a spastic dance. He sent me for the car and I left fear behind and tore down the rest of the trail. I guess I need proper motivation. He sent me since he was not getting bit like I was, but I felt bad about it since it was my bike that pooped out.

We headed up to stay in Saranac Lake which is 10 miles down the road from Lake Placid. The guidebook said that it was less touristy so we chose to stay there. We stayed in an old hotel, and we kept running into a local dude who worked there. We then discovered that the town was on the rough side from him. The hotel was old and historic, but good. The town did kinda suck though. We looked for a bite to eat, and there were 4 pizza joints and 1 Chinese restaurant. I am not kidding about the pizza. We settled on one, and ordered. The guy kept coming back and asking us what we had. He forgot our salads (the place was not crowded by the way). He brought me a burger when I ordered a chicken sandwich (twice). I was going to be a good sport and just eat the burger, but it was almost raw. So I tracked him down and also told him we never got salad (I was starving by then). He then told us some weird story about our salads getting stolen and how that happens around there. We decided to eat in Lake Placid the next night!

The next day was rainy, and we ended up doing a road ride in the evening when it was clearing up. We checked out Lake Placid too. We picked up some new sports when we were in Lake Placid.

We moutain biked again the next morning, and we had a black fly bailout plan. The trail was fine for bugs and the ride was beautiful. It was a rail trail through wetlands and forest. We saw several beaver dams along the ride. We also got a hike in (Poke o' Moonshine mountain) that had an amazing view and fire tower on the top. We could see Burlington, Vermont and Lake Champlaign from up there. The descent did not agree with my knees. I need to bring poles up there!

We drove down to Lake George on the 4rth, and we watched the town fireworks from our dinner table outside. The place was a zoo and the traffic would not clear out of town. It took us an hour to drive 2 miles, and we waited an hour and 15 minutes to leave after the show. Lake George attracts a rough crowd so we did not want to hang out too late. Sat we hiked on the Tongue mountain range. It was really hot, and we ran into a couple on the trail who had a close encounter with a Eastern Timber rattlesnake (the guidebook we had said they are rare and seeing one would be a "treat". We saw a picture of it, and it was 2 feet long! We stayed in Bolton Landing last night, and today we were too sore to run, bike, or hike. We kayaked and read books before heading home.

Hitcher

When Mike came home from work last night, he handed me a little bottle of water. He then told me it was from his hitchhiker. I thought he just meant that he gave somebody a lift from work, but he really meant a hitchhiker. He was driving down the road (about 2 miles from home), and some dude dressed up in golfing clothes and carrying a big bag was trying to run down the road. He was in the way, so Mike slowed down since there was oncoming traffic. Somehow he talked to the guy, and he had missed his bus and wanted to catch it down the road. Mike picked him up. At about the same time, a cop stopped from the other direction and warned Mike about picking up people he did not know. The area he stopped is right next to a golf course on the border with Greenwich, and the guy was Krameresque (versus homeless looking). Mike said he had the look of someone rushing to their gate at the airport. So Mike dropped him off at the next bus stop. After Mike turned the car around, he flagged him down again. Mike this time stopped reluctantly, but the guy said something like, "Thanks Dude" and handed him a little bottle of water. So Mike survived picking up a hitcher in a affluent area.

From 1978 - Carvel Ice Cream Store

I think this may be what KC was talking about!

Clean Bill....

I had 3 doctor's appointments in the last week. I have to get a physical every year since I am a provider for the dept. of health, and I managed to get some appointments quickly for some other doctors while I was thinking about it. I decided that I needed to start seeing a dermatologist for skin checks due to my Irish heritage and years lifeguarding without sunscreen. Luckily my appointment went well, but I learned that I will need to put some sun protection on when I am treating in the pool. The pool is technically indoors, but it is under a glass atrium. Apparently, UVA rays go through glass and UVB do not (or the other way around, I can not remember). Time to buy your Coppertone stock!

We walked at Rockefeller tonight, and there were new signs saying that runners can not run in groups larger than 3. There must have been an incident like an impromptu race. I wonder what cranky person complained about runners. I think people should not walk in large groups of 3 either.

I am taking next week off, but still no plans. We will see after W closes his deal (or not) tommorrow. Good thing we are spontaneous.

I was schooled in Carvel tonight. I am not familiar with Cookiepuss or Fudgie the Whale. Cookiepuss is a little scary looking. His facial proportions are off. I guess I am so midwestern when I do not know anything about these ice cream cakes. Mike told me that they are the same basic shape, but they make it into several different characters depending on the season. Like the whale turns into Santa. That is a clever business model. The dumbest cake design I saw was back to school. It must be for the adults!

http://www.carvel.com/products/signature.htm

His Abs are criminal!

Vital Signs - Researchers Find Link Between Crime and Fitness - NYTimes.com

Happy Birthday Ann!

Radler Part II

Mike asked me to enter "Radler" into the German-English search engine. The result was not the drink I am familiar, but "cyclist". It sounds like the right drink for me after hearing the history of the dring. Here is the text I lifted from Wickipedia (seemed accurate since it matched Mike's story).

The Radler (“cyclist”) is a beverage consisting of a 50%/50% or 60%/40% mixture of lager beer and German-style lemonade. It was invented by the Munich gastronomer Franz Xaver Kugler in September 1922 when approximately 13,000 cyclists visited his tavern. His beer started to run out, so he cleverly mixed the remaining beer with lemonade and pretended he created the Radler especially for the cyclists so that they could ride home without the risk of falling off their bicycles. Nowadays the Radler is not just drunk only in Bavaria but across Germany and Austria. During the summer months, Radler is very popular there due to its reputation of being a thirst-quencher.

We rode 56 miles today, so guess what I am drinking right now!

Guten tag Yanet!

I recently picked up a client from Germany, and she is 2. She does not speak English, and I am sure she thinks I am an idiot in German. In fact she kept looking at me and repeating "yellow ball" yesterday to teach me. Her mom told me that she did not think she could pronounce my name, so I told her she could say Yanet. Thank God Mike taught Kefin and I the word for "Hedge Hog Toy", because part of the compound word is coming in handy.

Sign of the Times

We get certain signs that tend to pop up along the road near busy intersections. One of them is for a youth sports program. Inevitably one of the youth sports signs always gets another stapled to it that states, "This is a BAD idea". I can not imagine what horrible event will cause somebody to always have a answer to staple to the youth sports ads, but there is a vindictive parent out there that is always ready. I am telling you all that the youth sports signs for a particular company always end up with the response signs nailed to them.

The latest smear campaign by us has been popping up over the last 2 weeks. They all say, "Shame on you ------ -------". The name is not important, and I do not want to smear anyone. Somebody must really be mad at that guy. The mad people must have a lot of time on their hands to make signs that probably get taken down daily.

Moral of the story? Do not piss off the New Yorkers!

Odds and Ends

I spent my father's day in a way that most fathers would enjoy most. Hours of drinking German beer, eating Brats, and (of course) yummy cake. I did worry that the Jaegermeister or Killipitch would appear, but my father in law had mercy on me. Mike and I did dilute the brew into Radlers at one point, so we did not drive home under the influence. My in laws are active in a German-American club, and they go to many of the picnics. Since the club is way down in Jersey (I think it is exit 145 off the Parkway), we have not been to a picnic there in some time. I have been to one since I moved here. The traffic out that way is notoriously horrible, and there used to be several toll booths charging a quarter every 2-3 miles (I think they are getting phased out). So we heard a lot of Oompah music and hung out with the folks (or volks).

We did laundry tonight. I need a house.

There is a cafe nearby called the Fair Deal Cafe. I think it is quite a bad name for a eating establishment. It implies that it is not a good deal or a bad deal. It is just a fair deal which does not make me want to rush over there and chow down. Even if the price is fair, maybe the food would be considered "fair".

We concluded last night that everyone in NYC metro area should be required to have an EZ pass. You would not believe the massive traffic jam we encountered just for the tolls at the Tappan Zee. If you can afford a car, it is likely that you have a credit card too. Just get the damn thing already! Think of all of the gas that would be saved and the reduction of pollution. As for you paranoid people who do not want to be tracked, get over yourself! I am sure the kind people at the Thruway authority have better things to do than stare at what bridges you have been crossing.

Note to governors: This is what losing a hockey bet looks like - Puck Daddy... - NHL - Yahoo! Sports

Note to governors: This is what losing a hockey bet looks like - Puck Daddy... - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
I liked that he was drinking Faygo, and it looks like Rock N' Rye which is one of my favorites.

Happy Father's Day

Here is a shout out to all of the Dads who are closest to my heart!

I can relate...

Realtors Blame Housing Market For Slump In Creepy-Mansion Sales | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Are you kidding me?

property details connecticut real estate from william raveis real estate, one of the leading real estate agencies in connecticut, featuring homes for sale in ct: fairfield, ridgefield, hartford, greenwich, stamford, litchfield

Look out KC!

A Pint-Size Problem - WSJ.com

This essential article was sent to me by alert Brian Z! I guess it will curb drunk driving!

Taormina's spot on US Olympic team now official - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

Taormina's spot on US Olympic team now official - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

B and M

We got some mailings this week that were addressed with our last names properly spelled, but with the following first names:
Bronwen
Meghan
We decided Mike gets to be Bronwen, and I am Meghan. He can be Bron or Wen for short, and I am Meg of course.

We went to some open houses yesterday and looked at some overpriced homes that have not been changed for 45 years. They were asking 1.2 and 1.3 million respectively, and one of them was the brownest house I have ever seen. It was just too hot to do anything else frankly.

Garden Vigilantes - NYTimes.com

Garden Vigilantes - NYTimes.com

Wild Westchester

Last week, I saw a big coyote on the side of the parkway when I was exiting to go home. It was weird since he was trotting around in broad daylight in the open. Yesterday, I thought about the coyote when I was driving home, and I saw it again in the same place.

I also saw a flock of wild turkeys yesterday (7-10) on a street in Rye. Some of them were even puffed up Thanksgiving style. It was pretty cool.

Pomp and Circumstance

I spent this weekend in Indiana with nearly my entire family (only missing Pat) to celebrate Jim's graduation. It was a mad-cap weekend to say the least, but it was really great. We had tornado warnings, multiple airport pick ups and drops, belated birthday gift exchanges, and graduation itself. Jim was salutatorian and delivered a fantastic speech at graduation. The twist in the weekend plans was that Jim also qualified for state meet in his individual event in track (800 meters). Graduation started at 4, and his race was at 7:45 in Bloomington (which is 90 minutes away roughly). Crazy timing to say the least. So Jim spoke, grabbed his diploma, changed into his track uniform, and we all piled onto a school bus to Bloomington. His poor track coach was subjected to us on the bus for 3 hours total--poor guy. I have to say that John managed to make the countryside interesting. Jim was quite a star in Crawfordsville to say the least. He kept getting pictures and interviews in the local paper. It really did not get to his head. I capped the weekend off by getting delayed by a day coming home and knocking my brand new cell phone into a cup of coffee (after all, I was in the land of basketball). It still beat getting stuck in Chicago last night! I could have used the dryer Sue demonstrated from the restaurant in Bloomington. It was like drying you hands with a jet engine. I managed to get a shot of Brian's face since he was surrounded by family with cameras and we could get him!

Misc

I dreamed last night that I somehow broke an ancient Greek statue in 3 pieces. I was at a museum with Sue looking down on them (a sort of balcony), and somehow knocked over something that fell and broke the statue. The guard did not notice for a while, and I am still free.

There is a phenomena (doo doo doo doo doo!)that I think is local. I just do not recall this happening while I was still in MI. The stores here have narrower and more crowded aisles, and I prefer to leave my cart and run down aisles to get things. Inevitably, somebody takes my cart (with the things that I have gathered so far). I find it to be incredibly annoying. Go walk your lazy ass to the front and get your own cart! Or if the store employee counts to 10 and it is not attended, they start to clean up. I do not know, but I swear it never happened to me before I moved here. It is in stores like Target, but not grocery. I realize people take carts by mistake all the time (but you quickly correct it when it happens). When I found my cart last night, the lady said, "I thought you were done with it". Yeah, I leave 10 items in a cart and just leave the store piehole!

Busy Students Get a New Required Course - Lunch - NYTimes.com

Busy Students Get a New Required Course - Lunch - NYTimes.com

This one's for A and K

Car thief held after stand-off with boars - Yahoo! News

Obama, Clinton, McCain Join Forces To Form Nightmare Ticket | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Obama, Clinton, McCain Join Forces To Form Nightmare Ticket | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Quick trip to Beantown

We just got back this afternoon from a short jaunt to Boston to see Mom, John, Ann, Kevin, and Peg. There was a lot of relaxin', good eatin', and tourin'. We hit Glouchester up to Rockport yesterday and had dinner at Kowloon (a wild and kitschy Asian restaurant). Here is the link for Kowloon, and it is quite a cool joint.

http://www.kowloonrestaurant.com/

I am the eggman...

Walruses - Animals - Natalie Angier - Science - New York Times
I have to say when this picture appeared on the NY times homepage, I could not resist. I have now concluded that Walruses are pretty kick ass, and I recommend listening to their sounds.

When it rains...

Normally we have nothing going on. The social life out here is really tough, and many of our closest friends out here have moved away (or do not live nearby). Most weekends we putter around and try to figure out plans. What always seems to happen is that everyone comes to town or suddenly wants to do something all the same weekend. This was one of them. Sat night we met with friends from Jersey.
Yesterday seemed to be the day when we packed it all in. We got up at 6, went to ride a bike tour with our friend who now lives in Ohio and our other friend that we do not see much. We rode the tour (beat the rain too!), drove to friend's hotel to say Hi to wife and kids, went home and showered, drove to city, dropped off friend (in pouring rain), got a good parking space, and met up with Jon. We arrived back home at 11:30. So that was about 3 days of activity in one! It was all good, now it is time to get back to mundane life!

Fake out

I am a good sleeper. I rarely have trouble getting shut eye. Mike has trouble some nights, but I think he just drinks way too much coffee. Yesterday I had a can of pop at 5:30, but I can usually get away with drinking coffee at the Ws and sleeping (despite the high octane brew).

Last night, we did an intense workout (starting to train a little seriously) and did a lot of responsible and productive chores. I went to bed at 1:00 which is late for me (I usually fall asleep on the couch at about 11:18 every night). It took a while to fall asleep. Then I woke up hot at 3:30, because Mike was scolding me for something (I just asked and he said I was shaking the bed like crazy). I dozed off, and about an hour later I went to the bathroom. Our room was hot, so I decided to try out the couch. I heard Mike get up right after me to go to the bathroom and I went back to sleep.

Suddenly I woke up right before Mike was about to lie down on me on the couch! I scared the daylights out of him, and he spun around and fell over. Mike tends to walk around either without glasses or with his eyes shut at night. I just really messed with his routine. He usually goes out to the couch to sleep when he is having trouble.

I guess it was payback. Mike and I were riding our bikes the other night, and I gave him the decision about how far (I always want to go further and I get in trouble for it). He started rolling into the parking lot like we were done, and suddenly shot out for another loop. I was really faked out!

Tiger Stadium Faces Partial Demolition Amid Opposition - New York Times

Tiger Stadium Faces Partial Demolition Amid Opposition - New York Times

Mama!

Happy Mother's day to all the mamas in the family!

For the Birds

The deck in the backyard was replaced last summer. The old deck was home to a perfect bird nest that was used year after year. Mike wondered if any new nests would appear, and here is the answer.

We think that the bird (or birds) kept trying out different sections before realizing the boards were not wide enough. There are about 13 partial nests.

Bird-Babble to Song Takes Surprising Route - New York Times

Bird-Babble to Song Takes Surprising Route - New York Times

Holy Pollen!

Mike had a whopper of an allergy attack the rivaled Nuremnburg yesterday. We were out biking, and thank God he was wearing glasses! You all should be proud that I did not laugh at any sneezes either. I must be growing up.

We went to more open houses. I received a lukewarm response by one of the realtors when she asked my price ceiling. I guess I can not afford your fancy town!

Goodbye Escort Wagon :(

We took the remaining wagon to the junkyard today, and it barely made it. 1999-2008 is the '94 Wagon that will always be known as "BCC".

The Paper of Montgomery County

The Paper of Montgomery County

Heaven?

Oh Good Lord!

Moss Makes a No-Care Lawn - New York Times

Moss Makes a No-Care Lawn - New York Times
Mike is always talking about having a alternate lawn, so it was funny to see this here.

Paging the Donner party

Occasionally when I am treating in the pool, a bunch of pilots come in and get survival training. They always blow up their clothes and float, and the finale is always blowing up this huge lifeboat with a top (and 10 guys piling into it). Their trainer is an military looking dude who talks non-stop about what they should do in every survival at sea situation. Usually I am working and I do not pay attention much to what they are saying. A discussion occurred yesterday that caught my attention.

"When your buddy dies on the lifeboat, do not throw his body overboard". He discussed cases where the body came in handy.

Now that's good eatin'!