March 21, 2009

Spring Break!

WOOOOOOOOO SPRING BREAK WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I only had one paper to write, but it's been an intense first half of the semester, so after finishing my paper this afternoon I decided to take the rest of the weekend off. That means I can finally give you an update!!

I'll start with last night. I made a lamb stew/tomato sauce, put it over pasta, and enjoyed it with my friend Larry. Afterwards, we went to his apartment (4 houses down) and played Rock Band! 

This morning, Maggie and I took Panda to the dog park, and she got chased by a greyhound (three times her size) named Maddie. They ran so fast!

Tonight, Maggie and I will finish watching the last episode in season one of Mad Men, which (despite a slow start) is excellent. 

Topics for future posts: Birthday Presents, Panda's Agility Training, Dissertation Progress, Maggie's Trip, Garden Plans, Home Improvement...

February 21, 2009

Florida!

More pictures! No time to chat! Talk soon!






This one really encapsulates the whole Florida experience . . .

February 10, 2009

Again!

I have got to get back on the posting wagon. There are tons of Florida pictures and videos to share! And second semester just started, so I have all kinds of updates on classes I'm taking and teaching! On the home front, I have new kitchen gadgets to gush over! And Panda has a new training program! And and and . . .

But all that will have to wait. For now, I leave you with the masterpiece of filmmaking that Maggie and I improvised one morning a few weeks ago. 



January 19, 2009

Update

Mom's doing better - she's been out of the hospital almost two weeks, and except for a new annoyance (bursitis in her right hip) she's recovering nicely. We're hopeful that she'll be back to work in a week or two. Keep sending get-well-vibes her way!

Last weekend, I took a time-out from mommy-care and joined Maggie on a quick jaunt to Milwaukee. We spent some time with Maggie's dad, attended the wedding of two of her college friends, and enjoyed several of Milwaukee's excellent museums. Sure, it was cold, but the coffee was plenty hot and plentiful to boot. You can see pictures of our visit here.

After Milwaukee I went back to New Jersey, where Panda and Sophie had learned how to play with each other. Cousins Sandi and Jacob came over to help me take down Plasticville and the trains. Nick cooked us dinner, and I made a successful spinach mushroom quiche. Finally, on Saturday, I headed back to Somerville. Allison had been planning on coming to visit, so Panda and I were able to ride with her, which was delightful. 

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Maggie had off from work. We joined our across-the-street neighbors Alyssa and Talya for an adventure: a trip to the Middlesex Fells!



View Larger Map

Our hike through the snow-covered terrain took us all the way around the South Reservoir, with views of the Middle Reservoir. 






Here are Talya (with Panda), Alyssa (lounging), and Maggie on the bridge that separates the South and Middle Reservoirs. 









It would be an understatement to say that Panda had the time of her life. She alternated between running way ahead of us, then sprinting back to where we were and beyond. 



She dashed over the frozen reservoir, played with other dogs she met, sniffed at the cross-country skiers, and exhausted herself thoroughly. The following video encapsulates most of that. We can't wait to go back!



Tomorrow evening, Maggie and I leave for a week in Florida, visiting family and taking a break from the bone-chilling temperatures of Milwaukee, South Jersey and Boston. I look forward to sharing more pictures, videos, and stories when we get back!

January 5, 2009

Sad Times Mommy

You wouldn't be able to tell from the last few posts, but since the evening of Sunday, December 28th, I've been hanging out with my mom - in the hospital. She has a severe case of clostridium difficile colitis, a bacterial infection of the large intestine. It's unpleasant stuff, and her recovery is likely to be long and arduous. The good news is that she doesn't need surgery - that's the last thing we wanted, after what happened in August. 

What My Mom is Teaching Me is perserverance - the ability to overcome challenge after challenge. She's well on her way to overcoming this one, but for good measure: 

Get well soon, mom!

January 4, 2009

Google Chrome

When you start typing a website's name in the address bar in Google's new browser, Chrome, the browser tries to guess which website you want before you finish typing. It usually guesses the websites you visit most frequently, or the website you visited most recently. Collectively, the websites that Google Chrome guesses based on each letter of the alphabet say a lot about me.

alluc.org
boston.craigslist.org
craigslist.org
drudgereport.com
espn.com
fivethirtyeight.com
google.com
hulu.com
ingdirect.com
jing.com
kayak.com
login.facebook.com
maps.google.com
nytimes.com
omf.paris4.sorbonne.fr
pandora.com
questionablecontent.net
realclearpolitics.com
southwest.com
twofeetmaggie.blogspot.com
umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest
verizonwireless.com
whatmydadtaughtme.blogspot.com
xkcd.com
youtube.com
zipcar.com

It's not exactly science, but interesting enough, I hope?

January 2, 2009

Panda! in the snow!

The first snowfall this year was a good one - we got around a foot and a half. Panda loved it! Here's a video of her showing off her agility skills. Jump, Panda, Jump!




Here's another one - she's still learning!