July 11, 2009
Oh thank heaven...
Today was 7-11 and when I was surfing the net this morning I discovered that it was free Slurpee Day! Those who know of my love of Icees and all slushy beverages would know that I got very excited. Joel and I were going to the Sounders game so we went quickly and took Kenzie on a walk over to the 7-11. The free Slurpees were only 7.11 oz but it was quite delicious anyway and free is good! The day got even better because we went to see the Sounders and they beat the Dynamo 2-1. The second goal was a really sweet bicycle kick that everyone just went crazy for. I have watched at least one game of most pro sports and I have to say that soccer is definitely one of the best. The games go by so quickly and it's so exciting. Maybe it's more exciting since everyone is extra excited about this being the first season, but the fans of soccer are really into the game too. We have been standing for most of both games that I've been to but it's worth it. Tomorrow Joel and I are playing our first soccer game on a new co-rec team. I am really excited and really hoping I can keep up. I haven't been doing a lot of exercize, but did run 4 times this week in a desperate attempt to start getting back into shape. I think I may have to play the whole game since they are short on women, but I'm sure it will be okay. I am just happy to have found a place to play.
July 3, 2009
another trip
Well here I am again in Auburn, sitting at home enjoying the day off for Independence Day. I had a wonderful time visiting Charlotte, Pennsylvania, and New York over the past two weeks, though I did bring back a bit of a cold. First we spent time in Charlotte, and got to see my friend Bekah get married. It was a beautiful ceremony and there were a lot of Covenant friends there to catch up with. As always with that group there was plenty of laughter and seeing everybody there really made me happy to be there. I also got to see other friends who live in Charlotte and North Carolina now so it was a great visit. I could definitely see myself fitting right back in if we ever choose to move back to Charlotte.
Part of the reason we spent almost two weeks on vacation was that we wanted a chance to visit my grandmother in Pennsylvania. We saw Grandmother in Durham the day after we got to Charlotte, and then on Monday we left for the farm to go see everyone there. It was hard to believe I haven't been up there in four years. Even harder to believe is that while we were there Joel and I celebrated our fourth anniversary! I think we really qualify as "old marrieds" now!! :) At the farm we got to see everybody, though they were very busy with the hay since the weather had cleared up after two weeks of rain. They worked until 9 pm several days but we did have a chance to go get ice cream, and to have a cookout on our last night there. The farm is one of my favorite places. Not only do I get to spend time with family and of course hear many stories from my uncles, but it is a very relaxing place (of course that is because we didn't do any farm work!). I have so many great memories of feeding calves, swimming in the pond, many 4th of July picnics and softball games, and much game-playing with my cousins. I'm really glad we got to visit there too because we spend some time with Grandmother at the retirement home where she lives now. She seems pretty good but I know she misses living on the farm. She was pretty sharp when we were there and beat us at Scrabble and Uno. :)
At some point when planning our vacation it occured to Joel (or me, not sure) that we should try to visit New York City while we were so close. So we ended up planning for almost two days there. We took the bus from Philadelphia to NY, which worked great and was super cheap too! The first day we saw the Brooklyn Bridge and ate at a great pizza place in Brooklyn before we dropped our stuff off at a friend's place where we were staying. We rode the subway all over and headed up to Central Park. We were sort of pressed for time the whole visit since I wanted to see so much, but I'm glad we got to see a little bit of everything. Central Park was very beautiful and HUGE! I can see why New Yorkers love it so much because it was a break from the crazy crowds that were everywhere else. It was a bit rainy but it was still one of my favorite places. After that we walked down Fifth Avenue to see all the posh shops. We saw Rockefeller Center and Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and met up with Camille to go have dinner. She took us over to Grand Central Station and luckily knew how to navigate through the crazy crowds there. We walked through Times Square and had dinner at a brewery near there. Times Square was completely overwhelming, though they have actually closed some streets off so there was more space to move around than usual. They have put lawn chairs out in the street which evidently many New Yorkers hate, but I thought was really funny. I had heard they closed off streets since it is a city planning strategy motivated by some experiences in other cities, so it was cool to see the experiment. It was a bit weird because most people seemed to be staying on the sidewalks even though the street was open. Finally we headed over to see Hair. The music was really great and it was fun to see a show on Broadway!
The next day we got up early and took a ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty. I think seeing the Statue may have been my favorite part of the trip. I never realized that the statue is so huge! It is so striking and I can imagine how amazing it would have been to see that as one of the first sights when you entered America coming from Europe or other places. We visited Ellis Island too. After we went back to Manhattan we walked through the financial district and saw Wall Street and the Stock Exchange, and visited Tiffany's. Afterward we walked over to the World Trade Center sight which is now a really massive construction project. We rode the subway up to the Empire State Building and walked down 34th Street to see Macy's and a lot of other shops. By this point we were getting *really* tired so we saw the NY Public Library then rested in a park for quite awhile. It was our 4th anniversary so we decided to have a nice dinner before catching the bus back to Philadelphia. We ate at a nice Italian restaurant and then caught the bus back.
We had a really great trip overall and got to see so many friends and family. Whew, just typing all that has made me tired. It's good to be back here to sleep in my own bed, but it made me sad to leave after having such a wonderful time. Such is life traveling between two coasts!
More photos are here.
Part of the reason we spent almost two weeks on vacation was that we wanted a chance to visit my grandmother in Pennsylvania. We saw Grandmother in Durham the day after we got to Charlotte, and then on Monday we left for the farm to go see everyone there. It was hard to believe I haven't been up there in four years. Even harder to believe is that while we were there Joel and I celebrated our fourth anniversary! I think we really qualify as "old marrieds" now!! :) At the farm we got to see everybody, though they were very busy with the hay since the weather had cleared up after two weeks of rain. They worked until 9 pm several days but we did have a chance to go get ice cream, and to have a cookout on our last night there. The farm is one of my favorite places. Not only do I get to spend time with family and of course hear many stories from my uncles, but it is a very relaxing place (of course that is because we didn't do any farm work!). I have so many great memories of feeding calves, swimming in the pond, many 4th of July picnics and softball games, and much game-playing with my cousins. I'm really glad we got to visit there too because we spend some time with Grandmother at the retirement home where she lives now. She seems pretty good but I know she misses living on the farm. She was pretty sharp when we were there and beat us at Scrabble and Uno. :)
At some point when planning our vacation it occured to Joel (or me, not sure) that we should try to visit New York City while we were so close. So we ended up planning for almost two days there. We took the bus from Philadelphia to NY, which worked great and was super cheap too! The first day we saw the Brooklyn Bridge and ate at a great pizza place in Brooklyn before we dropped our stuff off at a friend's place where we were staying. We rode the subway all over and headed up to Central Park. We were sort of pressed for time the whole visit since I wanted to see so much, but I'm glad we got to see a little bit of everything. Central Park was very beautiful and HUGE! I can see why New Yorkers love it so much because it was a break from the crazy crowds that were everywhere else. It was a bit rainy but it was still one of my favorite places. After that we walked down Fifth Avenue to see all the posh shops. We saw Rockefeller Center and Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and met up with Camille to go have dinner. She took us over to Grand Central Station and luckily knew how to navigate through the crazy crowds there. We walked through Times Square and had dinner at a brewery near there. Times Square was completely overwhelming, though they have actually closed some streets off so there was more space to move around than usual. They have put lawn chairs out in the street which evidently many New Yorkers hate, but I thought was really funny. I had heard they closed off streets since it is a city planning strategy motivated by some experiences in other cities, so it was cool to see the experiment. It was a bit weird because most people seemed to be staying on the sidewalks even though the street was open. Finally we headed over to see Hair. The music was really great and it was fun to see a show on Broadway!
The next day we got up early and took a ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty. I think seeing the Statue may have been my favorite part of the trip. I never realized that the statue is so huge! It is so striking and I can imagine how amazing it would have been to see that as one of the first sights when you entered America coming from Europe or other places. We visited Ellis Island too. After we went back to Manhattan we walked through the financial district and saw Wall Street and the Stock Exchange, and visited Tiffany's. Afterward we walked over to the World Trade Center sight which is now a really massive construction project. We rode the subway up to the Empire State Building and walked down 34th Street to see Macy's and a lot of other shops. By this point we were getting *really* tired so we saw the NY Public Library then rested in a park for quite awhile. It was our 4th anniversary so we decided to have a nice dinner before catching the bus back to Philadelphia. We ate at a nice Italian restaurant and then caught the bus back.
We had a really great trip overall and got to see so many friends and family. Whew, just typing all that has made me tired. It's good to be back here to sleep in my own bed, but it made me sad to leave after having such a wonderful time. Such is life traveling between two coasts!
More photos are here.
June 17, 2009
In the town where I was raised...
Tomorrow morning Joel and I are are heading to the east coast for about two weeks to spend some time with my friends and family. This is sort of an opportunity trip. We weren't positive that we were going to make it to the east coast before August but found a great deal on airfare. We decided if we're going to visit for a weekend to go to Bekah's wedding, why not spend some time visiting more of my family too? So we decided to take enough time to spend a few days at the farm, a day in Chapel Hill, and even two days in New York City (since we never got there when we were living close by). I'm really excited about getting to see both my grandmothers, my family, and my hometown friends. The absolute hardest thing about living out here has been that I don't get to see my friends from growing up and my family very much. So far I've made the trip back about twice a year. I'm thankful Joel and I can afford the travel because I do love getting to visit. :) We haven't decided whether Seattle is going to be our home permanently but with housing prices and the job market as it is now we are probably staying put for a couple more years. It's hard to imagine my whole life here since I feel like North Carolina is part of me and who I am. But I was thinking the other day about this and realized it's been 7 years since I lived in Charlotte full-time, the summer after freshman year of college. I think I identify strongly with North Carolina here because it is something that defines me in the minds of people I meet. It's different than most people out here so whenever I meet people the questions follow about whether I like it here, how do I like the weather, what's North Carolina like, and so on. I talk about North Carolina a lot more out here than I ever did in college, and of course more than when I actually lived there. If we do stay here, though, I don't think I'll mind that people identify me with where I came from.
June 5, 2009
More photos
I put many more of the photos online from the week in Houston and Sarah's wedding. I didn't put them all up - Sarah I'll send you a CD with all of them! :)
They are here.
They are here.
June 4, 2009
interlude
I am in an interlude between wedding trips this week. Two weeks ago we were in Houston and two weeks from now we'll be in Charlotte. I turned 26 this week and had a nice birthday weekend including attending my first Sounders FC game, hanging out with friends, and having my favorite birthday dinner at the Chalmers house. :) I also had a great time in Houston. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and fun. I told Joel when we got back that when I get into the work routine I don't realize how stressed I can get and that it was nice to have a break!
The first part of the week Joel and I just hung out with Sarah and Jose. Once Mom and Dad arrived we went to an Astro's game, the butterfly garden, Battleship Texas, and the San Jacinto monument. Of course the best part of the week was the wedding festivities. It was really fun to hang out with my family and also to meet a lot of Jose's family too. I now have FIVE brothers and brothers-in-law. :) So cool. Congratulations Sarah and Jose! Here are a few photos. I took a bunch but haven't gone through them and posted them all yet.
The first part of the week Joel and I just hung out with Sarah and Jose. Once Mom and Dad arrived we went to an Astro's game, the butterfly garden, Battleship Texas, and the San Jacinto monument. Of course the best part of the week was the wedding festivities. It was really fun to hang out with my family and also to meet a lot of Jose's family too. I now have FIVE brothers and brothers-in-law. :) So cool. Congratulations Sarah and Jose! Here are a few photos. I took a bunch but haven't gone through them and posted them all yet.
May 17, 2009
warm!
Joel and I are in Houston for the week spending time with Sarah and Jose before they get married next weekend. And it's warm and humid. Quite nice really, except for when Sarah and I were running and it felt like running through clouds. Joel and I took a red-eye on Friday night after we spent a few hours with the Auburn team at Relay for Life. It was the first time I took a red-eye and it was a little rough but okay. I guess I would do it again since it's quite a bit cheaper, but I was pretty tired yesterday and I had even slept for most of the plane flight.
When we got to Houston we went directly to Chick-fil-A. Yum! We got to see Sarah and Jose's apartment and played some guitar hero for the afternoon. Sarah and I went to pick up her wedding dress from the alterations place and then came the best part of the day. We got to see their new house! It's under construction but they have drywall up so you can really get a feeling for what it will be like. It's really nice and I especially liked the layout because it's very open. Joel and I will have to visit again so we can see the finished house. I like our house but it made me wish I had been able to pick out all the details like floors, brick colors, and stuff like that. It was fun to see their soon-to-be home and on the way home we ate some delicious Mexican food since of course it's good here in Texas.
Today we had a pretty lazy day in general. I think I slept about 11 hours to get past the tiredness from the redeye. Sarah and I went for a run and we all watched lots of basketball since Houston was in the playoffs. We ate Mexican again for dinner with some of Sarah and Jose's friends and I had some pretty good tamales. I always want to try tamales because they were my favorite food in Mexico but I can never find any quite as good as the homemade ones I had in Reynosa. Today's were one of the best that I have tasted in the US. ;) Tomorrow Jose has to work so we are going to do some wedding things and relax some more. It is so nice to be in a place where I don't have to be doing anything. Even at home I could always be cleaning or working on something but here I'm completely relaxed. Nice for a change!
When we got to Houston we went directly to Chick-fil-A. Yum! We got to see Sarah and Jose's apartment and played some guitar hero for the afternoon. Sarah and I went to pick up her wedding dress from the alterations place and then came the best part of the day. We got to see their new house! It's under construction but they have drywall up so you can really get a feeling for what it will be like. It's really nice and I especially liked the layout because it's very open. Joel and I will have to visit again so we can see the finished house. I like our house but it made me wish I had been able to pick out all the details like floors, brick colors, and stuff like that. It was fun to see their soon-to-be home and on the way home we ate some delicious Mexican food since of course it's good here in Texas.
Today we had a pretty lazy day in general. I think I slept about 11 hours to get past the tiredness from the redeye. Sarah and I went for a run and we all watched lots of basketball since Houston was in the playoffs. We ate Mexican again for dinner with some of Sarah and Jose's friends and I had some pretty good tamales. I always want to try tamales because they were my favorite food in Mexico but I can never find any quite as good as the homemade ones I had in Reynosa. Today's were one of the best that I have tasted in the US. ;) Tomorrow Jose has to work so we are going to do some wedding things and relax some more. It is so nice to be in a place where I don't have to be doing anything. Even at home I could always be cleaning or working on something but here I'm completely relaxed. Nice for a change!
May 10, 2009
vacation...
Happy Mother's Day Mom!! :)
Less than a week until we leave for Houston. I am so excited to go spend the week with Sarah and Jose and then see them get married! Today we had Mother's Day lunch with Joel's mom at both his brothers were home too. Carl is about to leave for Europe so much of the time was spent talking about different cool things to do in various cities... Paris, Barcelona, Munich. Thinking of how fun that was makes me wish I could go back to Europe. At least vacation is coming soon. :)
Less than a week until we leave for Houston. I am so excited to go spend the week with Sarah and Jose and then see them get married! Today we had Mother's Day lunch with Joel's mom at both his brothers were home too. Carl is about to leave for Europe so much of the time was spent talking about different cool things to do in various cities... Paris, Barcelona, Munich. Thinking of how fun that was makes me wish I could go back to Europe. At least vacation is coming soon. :)
