Carol's parents Dennis and Mary were our guests for the second half of October. As always, it was wonderful to have them with us. Charlotte spent the first whole day glued to Grandma's lap.
We did some fun sightseeing together. We took the T into town and then the T ferry across the harbor to Charlestown to visit the USS Constitution Museum. Carol also took them to walk part of the Freedom Trail and back up to Russell Orchards to buy pumpkins.
Dennis and Mary borrowed our car for a couple of days and drove to Provincetown at the end of Cape Cod. While on the Cape they also visited Plimoth Plantation. The fall colors were almost at their peak when Dennis and Mary left so they got to see that, too.
We were sad to see them leave. We look forward to seeing all of the grandparents again when we visit them in February.
Speaking of fall colors: they were quite beautiful this year. The amount of color depends on weather conditions throughout the spring and summer - how much water they get and when, plus the temperature range the trees experience. This year the recipe was just right. Then once the color appears ill-timed wind or hard rain can strip the trees before we can enjoy the colors.
I finally took some photos on the way to work one day this week. And Carol took a few around the house as well. The downside of deciduous trees that turn colors? The leaves fall off and must be raked. And raked. And raked.
That raking has a benefit of it's own: it produces a very large pile of leaves that's perfect for jumping into. Audrey and Charlotte loved it. And the neighbors kids Anna and Parker came over and joined in the fun.
We've had plenty of other fall fun, too. The girls went to a big Halloween party at Audrey's school a week ago. On Halloween itself we had dinner at the neighbors' and then all the kids and the moms went Trick or Treating while the dads handed out candy at their respective houses. We got a lot of kids! Our retired neighbor Victor was telling me today that when their kids (now in their 20s) were young the neighborhood was full of kids, but they all grew up and moved away. He's enjoying the fact that many families with kids have moved in again. So are we.
I've been meaning to mention Tessa, the female tabby we brought home from the shelter in August. She is the perfect cat. We are really in love with her. In case you missed it, I posted a video of her playing fetch with Carol.
Yesterday we visited the Museum of Science for Harry Potter: The Exhibition. The girls have never seen the movies (and won't for several years, probably), but they like wizards. They really liked the exhibit. We also saw the "lightning show" in the Electric Theater and spent a bunch of time in the Discovery Center. We barely touched the main museum, but we bought a membership so we can go whenever we want now. It's a fantastic museum.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tessa the Fetching Cat
Tessa has been living with us for a couple of months now, since we brought her home from the shelter. We couldn't have chosen a better cat. She's purrfect. She's gentle with the girls and affectionate. She won't sit on anyone's lap yet, but she sleeps with us and sometimes on top of Carol.
Tessa is also generally very well-behaved. The only time she misbehaves is when she isn't getting enough attention. Her favorite form of attention is playing fetch with Carol in the evenings. And her favorite fetch toy is the small plastic cups that toys come in for a quarter in the grocery store vestibule. They keep getting lost, so Carol has to buy a few more every time she goes shopping. They play fetch for an hour every night.
Tessa is also generally very well-behaved. The only time she misbehaves is when she isn't getting enough attention. Her favorite form of attention is playing fetch with Carol in the evenings. And her favorite fetch toy is the small plastic cups that toys come in for a quarter in the grocery store vestibule. They keep getting lost, so Carol has to buy a few more every time she goes shopping. They play fetch for an hour every night.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A Trip to the Esplanade
A couple of weeks ago we took the T into town and went for a walk on the Esplanade. It turned into a reenactment of "Make Way for Ducklings." Enjoy the video!
Monday, October 12, 2009
New York Weekend
I met Brady in the summer of 1981 when I was a camp counselor and Brady was a camper. Brady and his buddies would have the whole camp rolling on the ground when they performed Monty Python skits at talent night in the campfire circle.
A few years later we met again on the street in Seattle's University District and we have been great friends ever since. Brady is one of my longest friendships. He moved to New York in 2001 for his wife Julie to pursue graduate studies. Brady needed a hobby so he decided to create a high school from scratch. He's the founding principal of Validus Preparatory Academy, a New York City charter school.
One of the benefits of moving to Boston is that I'm closer to two of my closest friends: Brady and my friend Bill (also in NYC).
Brady invited us down for this past weekend. We were excited to go; it was our first trip to New York since moving (we hope to have many). I had two goals for this trip: take the girls to the American Museum of Natural History to see a classic museum with dinosaur bones (and a huge whale model); and see the High Line.
The High Line is a new park built on an old elevated freight railway in previously industrial southwestern Manhattan. The structure had been abandoned since 1980. On a previous trip to New York, Carol and I saw models and concept drawings, at MOMA, for the park which was at that point only a dream. I've been following its progress since then. The first section of completed park just opened and I was excited to see it.
Carol and the girls picked me up at work Friday afternoon and we drove down. It would normally be a 3 1/2 hour drive, but traffic leaving Boston was bad and it took us more than 5. But we found Brady's apartment in Stuyvesant Town pretty easily and got settled in.
Saturday morning we headed out, stopping for breakfast first at Cafe Centosette. The forecast was for a few possible showers in the morning but then nice weather the rest of the weekend. That's exactly what we had. After breakfast we rode the subway up to the museum on the upper west side. The girls loved it as I'd hoped they would. The adults liked it too. It still has plenty of the old school museum feel with dioramas and mounted skeletons. I kept imagining growing up in New York, say, in the 60's and learning about wildlife that way.
After a good visit at the museum we decided to head to FAO Schwarz. I can't remember all the recent history, but the corporation went bankrupt and someone bought the remnants and re-opened the flagship store on 5th Ave. We walked across Central Park to get there, past the zoo.
FAO Schwarz is quite the place. We had a great time browsing. Each girl got one toy, and we managed to escape for less than $30.
Right outside is the flagship Apple Store so we had to poke our heads in. It was mobbed. We stayed about two minutes.
From there we headed east to Lexington Ave. and Dylan's Candy Bar, a favorite place for Brady's family. They have every nostalgic candy from our childhoods plus every other type of sweet you can imagine. They have a chocolate fountain into which they will dip strawberries, graham crackers or marshmallows for you. We ended up with Jelly Bellies, Zotz and fudge, plus candy corn for Audrey and a big rainbow lollipop for Charlotte.
It was getting into evening by now, so we hopped the subway back downtown and went back to the apartment where Brady whipped up a delicious pasta dinner. Audrey got to play their Wii with Isabel. I got to keep reminding her to back up. As she played a sword game she kept inching toward the TV and I was very worried she'd eventually smack the screen with the controller.
Sunday morning Brady was back in the kitchen making a hearty breakfast before we headed out to see the High Line. There we met up with Brady's wife Julie who had been busy with work on Saturday, and also with Julie's daughter Gilly and a friend.
The High Line is pretty cool. It just opened in June. Most of the people there were visiting for the first time, like us. Everyone seemed very pleased with it. Plenty of the design details are evocative of the railroad origin. It's amazingly calming even though it is above busy streets. Even with limited landscaping it still feels like an oasis.
One of the coolest parts is the amphitheater. It has modern wooden benches sloping to a wall of windows that are directly over 10th Avenue. It's a mundane scene, but somehow viewing it through framed glass makes it more interesting. I wondered if it is because we are so media-centered - that we can relate to the real world better if it is presented to us like TV or a movie.
After an out-and-back walk along the length of the completed portion of the park (from Gansevoort St. to 20th St.) we had a pleasant lunch at a sidewalk diner. Then we walked the 12 blocks from 9th Avenue back to Stuy Town on Avenue C, past the market in Union Square. Charlotte was in an umbrella stroller and really liked it when I drove her over the subway vents so she could hear vibrato in her humming.
We hung out at the apartment for a bit. Audrey got to play some more Wii (perhaps there is finally a game console in our future - maybe for Christmas). Then we packed up and had an easy drive back to Boston.
Oh, one little "treat" of our trip - we got to use our toll transponders. They're free so I got them for both cars when I registered the cars in MA. They are good on almost all toll roads throughout the northeast. It's great to roll right through the toll booths. Plus it gives Big Brother one more way to keep track of us.
The weekend was fantastic. Thanks, Brady and family!
We shot a bunch of video during the visit. When I have some time I'll get it edited and post it.
A few years later we met again on the street in Seattle's University District and we have been great friends ever since. Brady is one of my longest friendships. He moved to New York in 2001 for his wife Julie to pursue graduate studies. Brady needed a hobby so he decided to create a high school from scratch. He's the founding principal of Validus Preparatory Academy, a New York City charter school.
One of the benefits of moving to Boston is that I'm closer to two of my closest friends: Brady and my friend Bill (also in NYC).
Brady invited us down for this past weekend. We were excited to go; it was our first trip to New York since moving (we hope to have many). I had two goals for this trip: take the girls to the American Museum of Natural History to see a classic museum with dinosaur bones (and a huge whale model); and see the High Line.
The High Line is a new park built on an old elevated freight railway in previously industrial southwestern Manhattan. The structure had been abandoned since 1980. On a previous trip to New York, Carol and I saw models and concept drawings, at MOMA, for the park which was at that point only a dream. I've been following its progress since then. The first section of completed park just opened and I was excited to see it.
Carol and the girls picked me up at work Friday afternoon and we drove down. It would normally be a 3 1/2 hour drive, but traffic leaving Boston was bad and it took us more than 5. But we found Brady's apartment in Stuyvesant Town pretty easily and got settled in.
Saturday morning we headed out, stopping for breakfast first at Cafe Centosette. The forecast was for a few possible showers in the morning but then nice weather the rest of the weekend. That's exactly what we had. After breakfast we rode the subway up to the museum on the upper west side. The girls loved it as I'd hoped they would. The adults liked it too. It still has plenty of the old school museum feel with dioramas and mounted skeletons. I kept imagining growing up in New York, say, in the 60's and learning about wildlife that way.
After a good visit at the museum we decided to head to FAO Schwarz. I can't remember all the recent history, but the corporation went bankrupt and someone bought the remnants and re-opened the flagship store on 5th Ave. We walked across Central Park to get there, past the zoo.
FAO Schwarz is quite the place. We had a great time browsing. Each girl got one toy, and we managed to escape for less than $30.
Right outside is the flagship Apple Store so we had to poke our heads in. It was mobbed. We stayed about two minutes.
From there we headed east to Lexington Ave. and Dylan's Candy Bar, a favorite place for Brady's family. They have every nostalgic candy from our childhoods plus every other type of sweet you can imagine. They have a chocolate fountain into which they will dip strawberries, graham crackers or marshmallows for you. We ended up with Jelly Bellies, Zotz and fudge, plus candy corn for Audrey and a big rainbow lollipop for Charlotte.
It was getting into evening by now, so we hopped the subway back downtown and went back to the apartment where Brady whipped up a delicious pasta dinner. Audrey got to play their Wii with Isabel. I got to keep reminding her to back up. As she played a sword game she kept inching toward the TV and I was very worried she'd eventually smack the screen with the controller.
Sunday morning Brady was back in the kitchen making a hearty breakfast before we headed out to see the High Line. There we met up with Brady's wife Julie who had been busy with work on Saturday, and also with Julie's daughter Gilly and a friend.
The High Line is pretty cool. It just opened in June. Most of the people there were visiting for the first time, like us. Everyone seemed very pleased with it. Plenty of the design details are evocative of the railroad origin. It's amazingly calming even though it is above busy streets. Even with limited landscaping it still feels like an oasis.
One of the coolest parts is the amphitheater. It has modern wooden benches sloping to a wall of windows that are directly over 10th Avenue. It's a mundane scene, but somehow viewing it through framed glass makes it more interesting. I wondered if it is because we are so media-centered - that we can relate to the real world better if it is presented to us like TV or a movie.
After an out-and-back walk along the length of the completed portion of the park (from Gansevoort St. to 20th St.) we had a pleasant lunch at a sidewalk diner. Then we walked the 12 blocks from 9th Avenue back to Stuy Town on Avenue C, past the market in Union Square. Charlotte was in an umbrella stroller and really liked it when I drove her over the subway vents so she could hear vibrato in her humming.
We hung out at the apartment for a bit. Audrey got to play some more Wii (perhaps there is finally a game console in our future - maybe for Christmas). Then we packed up and had an easy drive back to Boston.
Oh, one little "treat" of our trip - we got to use our toll transponders. They're free so I got them for both cars when I registered the cars in MA. They are good on almost all toll roads throughout the northeast. It's great to roll right through the toll booths. Plus it gives Big Brother one more way to keep track of us.
The weekend was fantastic. Thanks, Brady and family!
We shot a bunch of video during the visit. When I have some time I'll get it edited and post it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)