New York

Last week Jeff and I went to New York so that I could attend the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). I was pretty darn busy, but still managed to squeeze in some fun. Jeff got to explore NYC and played much more than I. Professionally it was a good conference (lots of connections made and reconnected, SUNY is interested in the edited collection Anne and I are working on, etc). Personally, it was good to see people again. Got to catch up with Jenny, Kathryn, Cheryl, Matt, Hayengas, Yang (but very briefly), Jim, Lori, etc etc. The Bedford party was at Tavern on the Green. Great food, open bar, crazy atmosphere--good times. Ate good food all over the place. Ate at Esca (a Mario Batali restaurant), a yummy Korean place in the East Village (where we ran into Ilan, Bravo's Top Chef winner and dreamboat), Grimaldi's pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge (BEST.PIZZA.EVER), ate ate ate, drank, slept very little. Got back late last Saturday, and then Jeff got the flu and was down and out for most of the week w/ a 103 fever, sweats, chills, the whole bit. Knock on wood, I haven't gotten it.

Some pics:
After eating best pizza ever, before getting chocolate from Jacques Torres amazing chocolate shop.
Matt Hill's head at the Bedford party @ Tavern on the Green. That place is odd.


The MTU party where the MTU alum outnumbered the current MTUers. Strange days indeed.


Times Square post Bedford party and MTU party. That would be Jeff.
Mom and I entering the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. Why? To see an exhibit from Erica Lord, Houghton native. Wacky stuff.

Look, it's Erica's name on a wall in a museum!
...and Erica's multimedia video art installation. Way cool. Like totally.

The view outside our door in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Stayed at a BnoB. Cheap, easy subway access, and that view is absurd.

Ok, it's late-ish and I'm sleepy, so that's that for now.

we bought a house!

we bought a house! we close May 1. check it out:
http://www.wsu.edu/~arola/garyhouse/

2.5 months w/out a post

So apparantly I've been busy, since I haven't posted in ages. Here's a few general life updates.

December: went home for the holidays. Flew into Chicago and drove up with the Martins and back with Katie. Weird Christmas b/c there was NO snow, which I hear is no longer a problem. Spent New Years Eve in Chicago. Visited people. Drank beer. Ate too much food. Good times. Highlights:

No snow at the camp!


Grandparent pics (or, Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum):



Anne learns to make the secret family recipe:


Christmas Eve singalong w/ Myrtle and Maggie:


We spent a lot of time at the KBC which such people as--
Dad & Kelly

Jokes


Jeff read bedtime stories to Ani:


Then New Years Eve in Chicago, was was just surreal. Fireworks in Millenium Park and post-midnight party in Omni hotel suite (of ex-Houghtonite).

Fireworks and champagne!



Ok, so that was December and a bit of January. Whne we got back in January we kept getting this weird freezing fog, which is just really strange stuff. It's just really cold foggy mist, but sticks to trees and crystalizes them in these crazy beautiful ways, for eg:

But imagine this all over every tree, shrub, and branch--it's like a crystal wonderland! Really pretty. Januray was January. Teaching 2 new classes, getting back into work, etc etc.

February we started looking at houses to buy again. Sort of depressing in comparison to Houghton prices, but I suppose it's really cheap in comparison to Seattle. Alas, we're still looking. We also visited Chris and Sharon in Coeur d'Alene twice. Once when we went shopping in Spokane, and once when Jeff and them went snowboarding at Schweitzer mountain. Obviously, no pics from shopping, but....

Schweitzer at the base looking over at the lodge and village, with the mountain to my right and straight ahead and down...b/c, well, I'm on the mountain:


Looking down at Lake Pend O'Reille (pronounced: Ponderay):


I went snowshoeing with some strangers, it was nice snow and fun trails:


Good times were had by all. Silas spent the day in Saturday daycare, which he really enjoyed and didn't want to leave (b/c we're all so terrible to hang out w/).

Silas:


March has involved more househunting, lots of working, looking forward to New York in 2 weeks, and GO COUGS! The WSU basketball team did well this year, ended up ranked at #11. We went to the UCLA/WSU game last Thursday and has a really good time. We ended up losing, but the crowd was really fun--the students are insane, they spent the night outside waiting for seats.

So that's about that. We've been having fun in the NW seeing new things.