So, culling the 600+ pictures we have so far into something manageable for a blog post is taking longer than I thought it would. We're leaving tonight for Hampi and will be gone for a few days, and then Jason and I leave and spend a few days in Paris and then we'll be back home. I may not be able to post anything of quality until then, but I'm excited to show you all the pictures!
Sarah and I stood up to our auto rickshaw driver who tried to rip us off last night and Jason and Brandon were so proud. We came home from the south side of Bangalore during rush hour and had to settle with paying meter plus 20 rupees because of the hassle. The drivers aren't supposed to do that according to all official rules, but they do and there's not much you can do about it when you need to get home. The men followed us in another rickshaw.
We passed some familiar landmarks and then all of a sudden the driver turned off the main road and into a more residential area. He drove down narrow streets for awhile and checked the meter twice without even trying to hide it. When he turned around the third time, I covered up the meter and said, "What are you doing?" He kind of smiled and said, "Oh when it hits 90 rupees, I have to reset it." OK. But considering it only took us 81 rupees to get to the place when we went down there, why would it even hit 90 rupees?
After that, he wound through a couple more streets and then came back out on the main road. Based on my sense of direction, it felt like he just popped off the main road, did a U through the crowded back roads to run up the meter, and then got back on the main road. Sarah called Brandon and found out their meter was about 30 rupees lower than ours. By the end it was at 102 rupees, meaning he wanted us to pay 122. We refused and Sarah handed him 100 rupees.
He refused to take it and just said "120" over and over while we said, "No. 100." We were both mad and pointed out to him that he took us all around the neighborhoods and all over the place. Sarah said she lives here and knows how much it costs. 80 is fair and 80 plus 20 is 100. The guy eventually took the money, spat at us, and then drove along near us, yelling at us for a few feet.
When Brandon and Jason showed up, we found out their meter was at 70 rupees. Yeah, don't tell us that guy didn't take us on a wild goose chase.
Jason pointed out that we made a big stink for about 60 cents, but it's the principle. And he was proud anyway.
Sarah said probably 2 out of 3 auto drivers are honest, based on her own experiences being driven around town. Sometimes autos are the only way to get to a place and you just have to deal with it.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
A Couple of Days in Bangalore
Just back from a stay in the jungle for a couple of days while we do laundry and get ready to go see medieval ruins. I have several good stories and one amazingly awesome story, but they will have to wait until tomorrow, because I am dead tired.
Also, if I never hear a barking dog again, I will be the happiest girl in the world. Bet you didn't know India is the capital of feral dogs and they stay quiet all day in the warm sun, but really perk up and start barking in large groups at about midnight. Or 4 AM. Whatever. Who's keeping track?
Also, if I never hear a barking dog again, I will be the happiest girl in the world. Bet you didn't know India is the capital of feral dogs and they stay quiet all day in the warm sun, but really perk up and start barking in large groups at about midnight. Or 4 AM. Whatever. Who's keeping track?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Jetlag & Food
I was sooo cocky and proud that jetlag wasn't really ruling my life. Then today we went out to the university where Brandon works and I got slammed with tiredness. I fell asleep on the bus ride back. The bus ride on the bumpy roads with the honking cars and buses and auto rickshaws. I very rarely fall asleep in vehicles, but I was out. We went to lunch and came back to the apartment and I fell asleep sitting up on the couch. I just woke up from a 2 hour nap and even though I feel like kind of a spoilsport, I do feel more rested. Now Jason is snoozing on the couch next to me so apparently I'm not alone.
About lunch. We went to Brandon and Sarah's favorite neighborhood restaurant, which serves South Indian food. Most of the Indian food you get in the US - the curries and the masalas and such - is North Indian cuisine. Apparently North Indian food is a little greasier and heavier than South Indian food, and now that I've had the South Indian food, I can really tell the difference.
We got lassis and the vegetarian meal, which consisted of a sampler of several different dishes. One of the reasons B&S love this restaurant is you can order the meal every day and have something different each time because they switch up the dishes.
They bring out a banana leaf and spoon out rice in the middle of it, with about 10 little metal bowls full of different things to mix in circling the leaf. Sarah and I also got a chapati to dip in a yummy lentil gravy. The bowls had another lentil mix, a super spicy soup, a spicy veggie mix, a dry veggie mix of potatoes and peas, buttermilk and cilantro (to help with digestion), a lemon sauce, and yogurt to cut the spice (for those who can't handle it). Using your right hand only, you mix the various stuff into the rice, roll it up in a ball, and shove it in your mouth. Yum!
Everything tasted amazing and at the end the waiter mixed a spoonful of raw sugar into our little bowl of yogurt (because we're awesome and can handle the spice) for a sweet treat. The best part of all of this is I have license to play with my food, which Jason is always nagging me about. It's not like I play while I'm eating, but afterwards if there's stuff left on the plate, I've been known to push it around and mix things, to the point that Jason compares me to Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I can't help it - I'm fidgety. However, South Indian cuisine lets me play while I'm eating and satisfies that urge. It's perfect.
Tomorrow we venture to the jungle and I promise my reports will become more interesting and less of a food diary. But seriously, the food is kind of worth documenting.
About lunch. We went to Brandon and Sarah's favorite neighborhood restaurant, which serves South Indian food. Most of the Indian food you get in the US - the curries and the masalas and such - is North Indian cuisine. Apparently North Indian food is a little greasier and heavier than South Indian food, and now that I've had the South Indian food, I can really tell the difference.
We got lassis and the vegetarian meal, which consisted of a sampler of several different dishes. One of the reasons B&S love this restaurant is you can order the meal every day and have something different each time because they switch up the dishes.
They bring out a banana leaf and spoon out rice in the middle of it, with about 10 little metal bowls full of different things to mix in circling the leaf. Sarah and I also got a chapati to dip in a yummy lentil gravy. The bowls had another lentil mix, a super spicy soup, a spicy veggie mix, a dry veggie mix of potatoes and peas, buttermilk and cilantro (to help with digestion), a lemon sauce, and yogurt to cut the spice (for those who can't handle it). Using your right hand only, you mix the various stuff into the rice, roll it up in a ball, and shove it in your mouth. Yum!
Everything tasted amazing and at the end the waiter mixed a spoonful of raw sugar into our little bowl of yogurt (because we're awesome and can handle the spice) for a sweet treat. The best part of all of this is I have license to play with my food, which Jason is always nagging me about. It's not like I play while I'm eating, but afterwards if there's stuff left on the plate, I've been known to push it around and mix things, to the point that Jason compares me to Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I can't help it - I'm fidgety. However, South Indian cuisine lets me play while I'm eating and satisfies that urge. It's perfect.
Tomorrow we venture to the jungle and I promise my reports will become more interesting and less of a food diary. But seriously, the food is kind of worth documenting.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Bengaluru
We're here! I'm not sure what my internet access will be for the next couple of weeks, but for right now we're at Sarah and Brandon's and I can get online.
Yesterday is the longest I have ever spent on airplanes with a 5 hour flight from Boston to Paris and a 9 hour flight from Paris to Bangalore. I had kind of psyched myself up for it, though, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Especially since the flights weren't even close to full and we had room to spread out.
I highly recommend Air France. For one, they are very nice and won't mock you if you don't understand the simplest questions in French. For two, in-seat TV screens with 12 movies to choose from. Not good movies necessarily, but movies nonetheless. For three, Camembert and mini baguettes with 3 out of 4 meals.
I am a world travel novice and felt a little thrill watching the route map on the TV screens as we passed over Romania, Turkey and Afghanistan and just skirted north of Baghdad. Shortly after we took off from Paris I spent a good half hour staring at the Alps just south of us.
Today we spent the morning laying about. Actually, I thought I had escaped the jetlag thing by staying up during the 9 hour flight (I wasn't really that tired) and getting to bed by 2 AM last night. Pretty good considering that it was 12:30 PM Boston time, right? Then I woke up this morning with a smashing headache and feeling woozy. After a few hours I felt well enough to head out on the town, but I think my body and my brain realized they had missed a day on the way over.
Today we ate great Indian food at one restaurant in a shopping district, and another restaurant just around the corner from their apartment. Our whole dinner cost about 9 dollars. India is probably about the only country left in the world with a decent exchange rate against the dollar. We poked around some shops and looked at curios, bought a couple of presents, tried on some clothes.
Observations thus far:
Yesterday is the longest I have ever spent on airplanes with a 5 hour flight from Boston to Paris and a 9 hour flight from Paris to Bangalore. I had kind of psyched myself up for it, though, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Especially since the flights weren't even close to full and we had room to spread out.
I highly recommend Air France. For one, they are very nice and won't mock you if you don't understand the simplest questions in French. For two, in-seat TV screens with 12 movies to choose from. Not good movies necessarily, but movies nonetheless. For three, Camembert and mini baguettes with 3 out of 4 meals.
I am a world travel novice and felt a little thrill watching the route map on the TV screens as we passed over Romania, Turkey and Afghanistan and just skirted north of Baghdad. Shortly after we took off from Paris I spent a good half hour staring at the Alps just south of us.
Today we spent the morning laying about. Actually, I thought I had escaped the jetlag thing by staying up during the 9 hour flight (I wasn't really that tired) and getting to bed by 2 AM last night. Pretty good considering that it was 12:30 PM Boston time, right? Then I woke up this morning with a smashing headache and feeling woozy. After a few hours I felt well enough to head out on the town, but I think my body and my brain realized they had missed a day on the way over.
Today we ate great Indian food at one restaurant in a shopping district, and another restaurant just around the corner from their apartment. Our whole dinner cost about 9 dollars. India is probably about the only country left in the world with a decent exchange rate against the dollar. We poked around some shops and looked at curios, bought a couple of presents, tried on some clothes.
Observations thus far:
- Bangalore traffic is INSANE. However, auto rickshaws are pretty awesome. I wouldn't want to ever drive in this city, but I'm okay with being shuttled around. I think I surprised both Jason and Sarah by not being completely freaked out. I figure the drivers know what they're doing. Pretty much. Despite the craziness and one vehicle's proximity to another and the continual cutting off and the constant horn beeping, everyone is remarkably civil about it all. Traffic like that in Boston, or anywhere in the US for that matter, would also include shouting and heated arguments and nasty hand gestures.
- I think Indian fashion needs to be adopted by American women. Seriously, the clothes are beautiful and comfy and would make us all feel like princesses every day. Sarah and I did a little shopping today. She bought herself a salwar kameez in a beautiful teal color. I actually tried on a kameez (the long shirt) in a pale yellow with embroidered white flowers that was lovely, but I just couldn't justify buying it since I knew I probably wouldn't be able to wear it anywhere really. I'm just not cool and funky enough to pull it off. I did buy another, shorter top with beading and embroidery that I will be able to wear with jeans or a skirt. On the way home from the shops I enviously looked at the Indian women on the streets in their beautiful clothing. Anyone want to start this fashion trend with me?
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Family Ward
Jason and I went to a new ward* yesterday. Since we got married he has kept singing every Sunday with the Episcopal church we were married in and then we've moseyed over to catch the end of the singles ward with the Mormons. However, the choir director at the Episcopal church just went on sabbatical and it seemed like it was the time for us to figure out where we were supposed to be going to church.**
Some friends of ours have been going to the ward in Providence so we knew what to expect: not a lot of experience, lots of people drifting in and out depending on their mood, only a few dependable people to fill all of the callings.*** The ward is in a poor area with a lot of new members. Wards like that love long-term members who know what's going on when it comes to church responsibility and hierarchy. And, frankly, in urban wards there's the belief, right or wrong, that the white members (usually transplants from Utah who are there for grad school) know what's going on. It was always kind of odd in the city wards I went to in Chicago to see a largely black or Hispanic congregation with a very white bishopric seated up front. To be fair, usually the locals are very recent converts to the church and really don't know how the organization works, but it's no secret that the Mormon church has race issues.
So we walk in and I see the bishop eying us as soon as we sit down. Immediately after Sacrament Meeting he walks up and introduces himself and then pulls us out of Sunday School for a little meet and greet with him and his counselors.
As Jason said wryly yesterday, "We're now part of the ruling white minority." Lovely.
One of the bishop's counselors and his wife invited us over for dinner last night. We were sort of wondering how it would be, since they seem more mainstream Mormon than us, but we had a lot of fun. She has an MA in Art History and he is working on a PhD in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies so interesting things to talk about. They're interested in the art and theater scene in Providence and even though they're from Utah can say that they would be happy to live in New England after he finishes school. Most Utah transplants here for grad school can't wait to get back.
The ward is so, SO different from what I've been experiencing in Boston and DC for the past few years. I have gotten used to big wards full of highly educated people, most of whom are in the city for advanced degrees or really exciting-sounding jobs. Now I'm in a very small ward with huge variances in education level, income level, etc. I know that we will probably be getting major callings as soon as we get back from India. One of our friends was immediately called to be the Primary president, and still is a couple of years later, through her pregnancy and early motherhood. In bigger wards, women are released from huge callings when they give birth, particularly with the first child. But they didn't have anyone to take over so she stayed put.
Then we have the whole "little wifey" syndrome, which is a completely bizarre experience having been single for 31 years. I kept my last name, but found myself introducing myself as just "Kelly" because I didn't really feel like getting into any of the politics of it all by saying something like, "This is my husband, Jason W., and I'm Kelly M."
I think people assume we've been married for longer than we have and that I am sort of tagging along as Jason does his education thing. The men all turned to Jason, asking him what he was doing in Providence, but then didn't ask me the same question, because, you know, I'm just the wife. Jason, very kindly, deferred to me when the bishop asked us to tell him about ourselves.
I know that Jason regrets not being able to sing every week (although he will still sing with the monthly Evensong choir). But the thing is, how much longer could we keep going to the singles ward? And we live in Providence. Driving up to Cambridge every Sunday and sort of hanging out all day wasn't an ideal situation. However, I did miss the Episcopal service this week. It's so very different from the Mormon service, but also touches a spiritual part of me.
Jason came out of his meeting at the end of church with some really strange stories. The women's lesson was boring, but pretty benign. The lesson was about Joseph Smith's First Vision and the teacher in Elder's Quorum apparently started talking about his own visions. Oooookay. And then he proceeded to talk about how he would never swim in the Nile because there is a fish that will swim up a man's penis****, which didn't really relate to much of anything as far as Jason could see. And this was the teacher. Jason said, "At least it will be entertaining every week."
Entertaining? Yes. Spiritually uplifting? Debatable.
* "Congregation" for non-Mormons
** The Mormons organize congregations by geography
*** OK, I'm about done with the explaining the Mormons thing. Basically, we have no paid clergy so all leadership positions, teachers, etc. are members of the ward who are "called" to perform particular duties.
**** Real fish, although it lives in the Amazon, not the Nile. But I think that is seriously beside the point.
Some friends of ours have been going to the ward in Providence so we knew what to expect: not a lot of experience, lots of people drifting in and out depending on their mood, only a few dependable people to fill all of the callings.*** The ward is in a poor area with a lot of new members. Wards like that love long-term members who know what's going on when it comes to church responsibility and hierarchy. And, frankly, in urban wards there's the belief, right or wrong, that the white members (usually transplants from Utah who are there for grad school) know what's going on. It was always kind of odd in the city wards I went to in Chicago to see a largely black or Hispanic congregation with a very white bishopric seated up front. To be fair, usually the locals are very recent converts to the church and really don't know how the organization works, but it's no secret that the Mormon church has race issues.
So we walk in and I see the bishop eying us as soon as we sit down. Immediately after Sacrament Meeting he walks up and introduces himself and then pulls us out of Sunday School for a little meet and greet with him and his counselors.
As Jason said wryly yesterday, "We're now part of the ruling white minority." Lovely.
One of the bishop's counselors and his wife invited us over for dinner last night. We were sort of wondering how it would be, since they seem more mainstream Mormon than us, but we had a lot of fun. She has an MA in Art History and he is working on a PhD in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies so interesting things to talk about. They're interested in the art and theater scene in Providence and even though they're from Utah can say that they would be happy to live in New England after he finishes school. Most Utah transplants here for grad school can't wait to get back.
The ward is so, SO different from what I've been experiencing in Boston and DC for the past few years. I have gotten used to big wards full of highly educated people, most of whom are in the city for advanced degrees or really exciting-sounding jobs. Now I'm in a very small ward with huge variances in education level, income level, etc. I know that we will probably be getting major callings as soon as we get back from India. One of our friends was immediately called to be the Primary president, and still is a couple of years later, through her pregnancy and early motherhood. In bigger wards, women are released from huge callings when they give birth, particularly with the first child. But they didn't have anyone to take over so she stayed put.
Then we have the whole "little wifey" syndrome, which is a completely bizarre experience having been single for 31 years. I kept my last name, but found myself introducing myself as just "Kelly" because I didn't really feel like getting into any of the politics of it all by saying something like, "This is my husband, Jason W., and I'm Kelly M."
I think people assume we've been married for longer than we have and that I am sort of tagging along as Jason does his education thing. The men all turned to Jason, asking him what he was doing in Providence, but then didn't ask me the same question, because, you know, I'm just the wife. Jason, very kindly, deferred to me when the bishop asked us to tell him about ourselves.
I know that Jason regrets not being able to sing every week (although he will still sing with the monthly Evensong choir). But the thing is, how much longer could we keep going to the singles ward? And we live in Providence. Driving up to Cambridge every Sunday and sort of hanging out all day wasn't an ideal situation. However, I did miss the Episcopal service this week. It's so very different from the Mormon service, but also touches a spiritual part of me.
Jason came out of his meeting at the end of church with some really strange stories. The women's lesson was boring, but pretty benign. The lesson was about Joseph Smith's First Vision and the teacher in Elder's Quorum apparently started talking about his own visions. Oooookay. And then he proceeded to talk about how he would never swim in the Nile because there is a fish that will swim up a man's penis****, which didn't really relate to much of anything as far as Jason could see. And this was the teacher. Jason said, "At least it will be entertaining every week."
Entertaining? Yes. Spiritually uplifting? Debatable.
* "Congregation" for non-Mormons
** The Mormons organize congregations by geography
*** OK, I'm about done with the explaining the Mormons thing. Basically, we have no paid clergy so all leadership positions, teachers, etc. are members of the ward who are "called" to perform particular duties.
**** Real fish, although it lives in the Amazon, not the Nile. But I think that is seriously beside the point.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Traveling
I know I've made a couple of veiled references to it, but just so you know, we're going to India. Jason's brother and sister-in-law (and I guess my brother-in-law and sister-in-law) are living there for a year. When else are we going to know someone who actually lives in India? I'm sure we'll have lots of pictures and stories when we get back. I mean, Jason managaed to take 1100 pictures during our honeymoon in Maine. He's probably going to go hogwild in India.
As an added bonus, we're flying Air France and when Jason made the reservations they said we could take an extended layover in Paris if we wanted to. So we're capping off the trip with three nights in Paris.
Although I've always wanted to travel, I've never really had the means or the opportunity (or known how to make the opportunity for myself) so this is the first time I'm leaving the country, other than jaunts into Mexico* and a trip to the Bahamas a few years ago. I think going to India and Paris is a pretty good start to my whole world traveler plan.** We're leaving next week and I'm so excited!
* Which sort of don't count as international travel since I grew up 45 minutes from the border and heard Spanish almost as much as English growing up.
** I'm already planning a visit to my friend Ryann whose family will be stationed in England for 3 years. Just warning you now, Ryann.
As an added bonus, we're flying Air France and when Jason made the reservations they said we could take an extended layover in Paris if we wanted to. So we're capping off the trip with three nights in Paris.
Although I've always wanted to travel, I've never really had the means or the opportunity (or known how to make the opportunity for myself) so this is the first time I'm leaving the country, other than jaunts into Mexico* and a trip to the Bahamas a few years ago. I think going to India and Paris is a pretty good start to my whole world traveler plan.** We're leaving next week and I'm so excited!
* Which sort of don't count as international travel since I grew up 45 minutes from the border and heard Spanish almost as much as English growing up.
** I'm already planning a visit to my friend Ryann whose family will be stationed in England for 3 years. Just warning you now, Ryann.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Fortune Cookie
This is the fortune I got last night:
Who am I to argue with the fortune cookie?
"Everyone agrees
you are the best"
Who am I to argue with the fortune cookie?
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Scoop
So I got a new job that's actually located in the town I live in. Neat-o.
Basically, a firm I worked for in law school just opened a Providence branch with one attorney. I went in to chat with him about the Providence health law scene, doing the networking thing, blah blah blah. He mentioned that he might be looking for someone associate-level around the beginning of the year, maybe early Spring, so I put that on the back burner of my mind to get in touch with him again around then.
A few days later he emailed and asked me for a writing sample. When I sent it, he said thanks, and he was going out of town for a couple of weeks, but he'd be in touch after the first of the year.
A couple of days after that he called and offered me a job. And flattered my writing. And told me he hoped my commute was awful that night to show me how much I want to be working in Providence.
I got the offer letter on Friday and accepted. It pays more than the firm I currently work for and though it's for 3 days a week to start, my new boss says he sees it rapidly ramping up to something more full time. After I got the letter, I forwarded it to Jason and called him to discuss. He said, "Um, more money with career potential and you get to work in Providence? That sounds like a no-brainer to me." Yes. Yes, it does.
Downside: I have to take the MPRE again in March.
Upside: The passing score is much lower than the Massachusetts score and I passed it for Mass.
Downside (and the reason I'm taking the MPRE): I have to take the Rhode Island Bar. The whole thing. Both days. Including the Multistate, which killed me the first time around.
Upside: Not until July! I'm being all Scarlett O'Hara with my not thinking about it today.
Upside 2: The firm is paying my Bar fees and at least half my Bar prep fees (we're in negotiations for the whole amount). For those not experienced with Bar hell, that's about $2500.
I called my current boss on Friday night and he was actually really happy for me because he knows that A) they weren't in a position to offer me something that would be full time, and B) commuting sucks and it took me 8 hours to get home during that one blizzard. So that's nice. No awkwardness. No resentment for my last 3 days of work there.
I'll start the new job when we get back from India.
Basically, a firm I worked for in law school just opened a Providence branch with one attorney. I went in to chat with him about the Providence health law scene, doing the networking thing, blah blah blah. He mentioned that he might be looking for someone associate-level around the beginning of the year, maybe early Spring, so I put that on the back burner of my mind to get in touch with him again around then.
A few days later he emailed and asked me for a writing sample. When I sent it, he said thanks, and he was going out of town for a couple of weeks, but he'd be in touch after the first of the year.
A couple of days after that he called and offered me a job. And flattered my writing. And told me he hoped my commute was awful that night to show me how much I want to be working in Providence.
I got the offer letter on Friday and accepted. It pays more than the firm I currently work for and though it's for 3 days a week to start, my new boss says he sees it rapidly ramping up to something more full time. After I got the letter, I forwarded it to Jason and called him to discuss. He said, "Um, more money with career potential and you get to work in Providence? That sounds like a no-brainer to me." Yes. Yes, it does.
Downside: I have to take the MPRE again in March.
Upside: The passing score is much lower than the Massachusetts score and I passed it for Mass.
Downside (and the reason I'm taking the MPRE): I have to take the Rhode Island Bar. The whole thing. Both days. Including the Multistate, which killed me the first time around.
Upside: Not until July! I'm being all Scarlett O'Hara with my not thinking about it today.
Upside 2: The firm is paying my Bar fees and at least half my Bar prep fees (we're in negotiations for the whole amount). For those not experienced with Bar hell, that's about $2500.
I called my current boss on Friday night and he was actually really happy for me because he knows that A) they weren't in a position to offer me something that would be full time, and B) commuting sucks and it took me 8 hours to get home during that one blizzard. So that's nice. No awkwardness. No resentment for my last 3 days of work there.
I'll start the new job when we get back from India.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Legal Pop Quiz
I just got a job opportunity that would have me working in Providence for 3 days of the week. You know, Providence. Where I live.
I would have to take the Rhode Island Bar in July.
In addition, I just found out that the Rhode Island Bar requires you to have taken and passed(with a score of 80) the MPRE no more than 2 years before you take the Bar exam. I took the MPRE in the Spring of 2005. I just called Rhode Island and yes, to take the July Bar, I have to take the MPRE in March.
I've basically come to terms with taking the Bar again, but having to take the MPRE too is just putting salt in the wound.
Thoughts?
I would have to take the Rhode Island Bar in July.
In addition, I just found out that the Rhode Island Bar requires you to have taken and passed(with a score of 80) the MPRE no more than 2 years before you take the Bar exam. I took the MPRE in the Spring of 2005. I just called Rhode Island and yes, to take the July Bar, I have to take the MPRE in March.
I've basically come to terms with taking the Bar again, but having to take the MPRE too is just putting salt in the wound.
Thoughts?
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Hair
Item 1: I chopped my hair.
Love. It.
I actually cut it about a month ago because my hair was driving me insane. I put off cutting it for a long time so I could wear it up for the wedding, and that taught me that I no longer deal well with long hair. It just looks too scraggly and gets in my way. According to my hairdresser, she cut off somewhere around 6 or 7 inches. She was so nervous and kept asking me if I was sure. I used to be really anal about my hair, but for the past few years my attitude has been, whatever. As long as I trust my hairdresser, that is. It's hair. It grows.
Item 2: Jason's beard is officially out of control, as evidenced by this furry picture of him from Williamsburg.
Arrrr, me mateys.
And this picture of us dressed up for the fancy wedding in New York.
I prefer this level of face hair, if we must have the face hair.
As soon as he gets home I'm attacking him with the beard trimmer.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Back to the Grind
Went to Williamsburg for Christmas and had lots of jolly olde colonial fun. More details with pictures to come. I got two cookbooks for Christmas - the Jane Austen cookbook and the Williamsburg cookbook - and am trying to decide whether to try to make an Austenian or Williamsburghian feast first.
Jason, his parents and his sister are still down there while I am back in Massachusetts, toiling away. I thought maybe I could finagle another day, but last Thursday one of the partners said we would hammer out some details on a project today so here I am. I flew up from Richmond yesterday. We left late from Richmond and I had a really long layover in Newark because apparently Continental routes all its flights through Houston, which had a storm. The Richmond gate agent enthusiastically wished everyone a happy new year and told us all he knew we could get on the plane in 15 minutes and make it out of there only 20 minutes late. Once we all boarded, he came on the intercom, thanked us for our cooperation and told us we beat the time by two minutes. Contrast that with the Newark gate agents who just really looked like we could all die and they would be thrilled. Jason said he doesn't trust the forced niceness of the South, but frankly I like exchanging real smiles with people and having them say a genuine "thank you" when I patronize their establishments. However, I do not like waiting 15 minutes for a soda because the super friendly counter lady is helping out the eight-year old customer by listing off all the hamburger toppings for him multiple times. Um, his mom couldn't do that before they got to the front of the line? Also, I had no patience for the screaming baby on the Monticello tour yesterday. I officially declare that one and a half is too young for Monticello.
Anyway, thanks to storms in Houston, I missed the 10:25 train to Providence and had to wait for the midnight one, which meant I got in around 1:15 AM. However, I am glad I came into work since everyone is here today (to which I think, if I was a partner, I would take Christmas week OFF).
Last night was the first night that Jason and I weren't together since we got married, which, you know, I feel like should have some sort of dramatic impact on my psyche or something, but I was on my own for 31 years so I guess I'm pretty okay with the whole concept. Although I did miss my morning kiss good-bye as I headed off to work. However, Tiny, who has been alone in the house for 5 days, kind of made up for it by writhing around in my lap in ecstasy and butting my head and purring like crazy any time I sat down for a few seconds.
I will be celebrating the husbandless state of the apartment tonight by watching a couple of period pieces that I received for Christmas.* It will be more pleasant to watch them without Jason moaning and whining and asking inane questions about "Mr. Darby" in the background.
* Seriously, my mother-in-law has my tastes nailed (probably because they're similar to hers). Give me some British accents and romance all wrapped up in period costume and I'm happy.
Jason, his parents and his sister are still down there while I am back in Massachusetts, toiling away. I thought maybe I could finagle another day, but last Thursday one of the partners said we would hammer out some details on a project today so here I am. I flew up from Richmond yesterday. We left late from Richmond and I had a really long layover in Newark because apparently Continental routes all its flights through Houston, which had a storm. The Richmond gate agent enthusiastically wished everyone a happy new year and told us all he knew we could get on the plane in 15 minutes and make it out of there only 20 minutes late. Once we all boarded, he came on the intercom, thanked us for our cooperation and told us we beat the time by two minutes. Contrast that with the Newark gate agents who just really looked like we could all die and they would be thrilled. Jason said he doesn't trust the forced niceness of the South, but frankly I like exchanging real smiles with people and having them say a genuine "thank you" when I patronize their establishments. However, I do not like waiting 15 minutes for a soda because the super friendly counter lady is helping out the eight-year old customer by listing off all the hamburger toppings for him multiple times. Um, his mom couldn't do that before they got to the front of the line? Also, I had no patience for the screaming baby on the Monticello tour yesterday. I officially declare that one and a half is too young for Monticello.
Anyway, thanks to storms in Houston, I missed the 10:25 train to Providence and had to wait for the midnight one, which meant I got in around 1:15 AM. However, I am glad I came into work since everyone is here today (to which I think, if I was a partner, I would take Christmas week OFF).
Last night was the first night that Jason and I weren't together since we got married, which, you know, I feel like should have some sort of dramatic impact on my psyche or something, but I was on my own for 31 years so I guess I'm pretty okay with the whole concept. Although I did miss my morning kiss good-bye as I headed off to work. However, Tiny, who has been alone in the house for 5 days, kind of made up for it by writhing around in my lap in ecstasy and butting my head and purring like crazy any time I sat down for a few seconds.
I will be celebrating the husbandless state of the apartment tonight by watching a couple of period pieces that I received for Christmas.* It will be more pleasant to watch them without Jason moaning and whining and asking inane questions about "Mr. Darby" in the background.
* Seriously, my mother-in-law has my tastes nailed (probably because they're similar to hers). Give me some British accents and romance all wrapped up in period costume and I'm happy.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Big Apple
Last week we went to New York City. Jason's cousin got married to this New York society girl. The wedding was at a very fancy place and the food was AMAZING. The food served during the cocktail hour consisted of things like caviar, salmon and creme fraiche on toast points, fried oysters with salmon eggs, duck and shumai. I was shamelessly diving for the trays whenever a waiter walked by, belying the classiness of my fancy cocktail dress and pearls. Jason had bison for dinner, I had scallops. Then there was this HUGE dessert buffet with chocolate covered strawberries, key lime tarts, mini brownies, piles of cookies and a flourless chocolate cake, accompanied by giant white cotton candy puffs on every table. Oh yeah, and the wedding was lovely too.
This was my very first trip to New York. Yeah, I know. I've lived on the East Coast for 5 years so that's pretty ridiculous. Kind of like how I lived in Arizona for 17 years, but never made it to the Grand Canyon.* I have tried a few times before to go and it just never worked out. We bunked with Jason's parents in their hotel in Times Square and the wedding was on Park Avenue so we were right it the heart of it all.
Wednesday night we went to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was spectacularly cheesey, which was exactly what I was hoping for. The Rockettes kicked and danced their hearts out and it was so fun. Then we went to go see the tree in Rockefeller Center.
Thursday, Jason, Marissa and I went to a lessons and carols service at St. Thomas's church, which was lovely. Then we lunched at a pub and met up with Jason's parents at Macy's. You know, the big one on 34th Street. As in Miracle on 34th Street!** The guys left and we three girls shoe shopped, because you know, we were in the biggest Macy's in the world at Christmas time. The shoe department is huge and the sale racks actually had nice shoes in my size, which never happens. I've been looking for new black and brown heels and I found them. Comfy ones, even.
So how did I like New York? I loved it! Honestly, it reminded me a lot of downtown Chicago on a busy night, with it's big city energy. Even at midnight on a Wednesday it was still humming. That energy sort of flows into me as I dodge through the people who don't know how to city walk and make my way down the street, soaking it all in. I can't explain it, but I felt it the first time I went to Chicago and loved the energy.
There is so much to do and to see and to buy. If I lived in New York, I could see myself succumbing to the siren call of materialism. The beautiful dresses and bags and shoes, all with fancy names. I would max out my credit cards and have to go into hiding from the collection agencies and escape to Mexico under cover of night. But at least I would have pretty things.
It was a short trip, and I'm already planning what to do the next time we go.
* However, I would just like to point out that Tucson to the Grand Canyon is no day trip.
** I tried so hard the whole time to look all city savvy and not like a total rube because I have lived most of the last 10 years in big cities, but I admit to being a little starstruck by it all. Like, LOOK it's Times Square! With the big TV's! Just like in the movies! And look! The Tree! And the ice skaters!
This was my very first trip to New York. Yeah, I know. I've lived on the East Coast for 5 years so that's pretty ridiculous. Kind of like how I lived in Arizona for 17 years, but never made it to the Grand Canyon.* I have tried a few times before to go and it just never worked out. We bunked with Jason's parents in their hotel in Times Square and the wedding was on Park Avenue so we were right it the heart of it all.
Wednesday night we went to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was spectacularly cheesey, which was exactly what I was hoping for. The Rockettes kicked and danced their hearts out and it was so fun. Then we went to go see the tree in Rockefeller Center.
Thursday, Jason, Marissa and I went to a lessons and carols service at St. Thomas's church, which was lovely. Then we lunched at a pub and met up with Jason's parents at Macy's. You know, the big one on 34th Street. As in Miracle on 34th Street!** The guys left and we three girls shoe shopped, because you know, we were in the biggest Macy's in the world at Christmas time. The shoe department is huge and the sale racks actually had nice shoes in my size, which never happens. I've been looking for new black and brown heels and I found them. Comfy ones, even.
So how did I like New York? I loved it! Honestly, it reminded me a lot of downtown Chicago on a busy night, with it's big city energy. Even at midnight on a Wednesday it was still humming. That energy sort of flows into me as I dodge through the people who don't know how to city walk and make my way down the street, soaking it all in. I can't explain it, but I felt it the first time I went to Chicago and loved the energy.
There is so much to do and to see and to buy. If I lived in New York, I could see myself succumbing to the siren call of materialism. The beautiful dresses and bags and shoes, all with fancy names. I would max out my credit cards and have to go into hiding from the collection agencies and escape to Mexico under cover of night. But at least I would have pretty things.
It was a short trip, and I'm already planning what to do the next time we go.
* However, I would just like to point out that Tucson to the Grand Canyon is no day trip.
** I tried so hard the whole time to look all city savvy and not like a total rube because I have lived most of the last 10 years in big cities, but I admit to being a little starstruck by it all. Like, LOOK it's Times Square! With the big TV's! Just like in the movies! And look! The Tree! And the ice skaters!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Pumpkin Trifle
Jason's parents came into town yesterday and I made a holiday feast for us all since we're going to be in Williamsburg, Virginia for Christmas and aren't really sure what Christmas dinner will be. Plus, I bought a turkey at Thanksgiving when they were cheap because Jason loves turkey and since we were in Chicago for Thanksgiving we didn't get any leftovers.
I made turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes with crunchy pecan topping* and a pumpkin trifle. Jason made cranberry sauce. I am especially proud of the pumpkin trifle, which I put together as a mishmash of a couple of recipes I found, and I even threw a couple of sugar-free and lite things in there to counterbalance the unhealthy. See, I care.
Pumpkin Trifle
First layer:
Spice cake mix, baked according to directions and crumbled
Second layer:
3 packages sugar-free cheesecake pudding, prepared according to directions
1 can pumpkin
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
Third layer:
1 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans
Fourth layer:
Thin layer of whipped topping (I used Cool Whip Lite)
Layer in trifle bowl twice, reserving a little of the toffee/pecan mix to sprinkle on the top of the final layer of whpped topping.
You may only want to use 2/3 or so of the cake because it's puffy and makes the trifle bowl really full. REALLY full.
* For those of you for were in the Longfellow Park Ward a few years ago, the sweet potato recipe is in the Longfellow Dishes recipe book.
I made turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes with crunchy pecan topping* and a pumpkin trifle. Jason made cranberry sauce. I am especially proud of the pumpkin trifle, which I put together as a mishmash of a couple of recipes I found, and I even threw a couple of sugar-free and lite things in there to counterbalance the unhealthy. See, I care.
Pumpkin Trifle
First layer:
Spice cake mix, baked according to directions and crumbled
Second layer:
3 packages sugar-free cheesecake pudding, prepared according to directions
1 can pumpkin
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
Third layer:
1 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans
Fourth layer:
Thin layer of whipped topping (I used Cool Whip Lite)
Layer in trifle bowl twice, reserving a little of the toffee/pecan mix to sprinkle on the top of the final layer of whpped topping.
You may only want to use 2/3 or so of the cake because it's puffy and makes the trifle bowl really full. REALLY full.
* For those of you for were in the Longfellow Park Ward a few years ago, the sweet potato recipe is in the Longfellow Dishes recipe book.
Friday, December 14, 2007
8 Hours
That's how long it took me to get home from work last night, a distance of 50 miles.
Yes, EIGHT HOURS.
We had a blizzard yesterday dumping about 2 inches per hour on New England. I left work at 1 PM, as soon as the flakes started falling. I got home at 9 PM.
Because of the speed of the snow and the fact that there were so many cars on the road, no plows or salt trucks could get through. So not only was the traffic bad, but the highway (I-95 to be exact) was covered in snow and the street was littered with cars mired in snow and unable to get out. I have to give kudos to my little Elantra who got through it all, even though she slid around quite a bit and at two points I really did think we were stuck. But we got out of it.
2 hours in, I stopped at a service area to get some lunch. The service area was 6 exits down from where I started. Yeah. That was when I started to realize how bad it really was.
The first hour I was really, really angry at the whole thing. The second hour I was resigned. The third hour I got a little angry again, but by the fourth hour my attitude was pretty good. Last weekend I downloaded a bunch of podcasts of Agatha Christie mysteries, so those kept me entertained the whole way. A good story is a good distraction.
By the time I got home, I was starting to feel a little hysterical. After I passed the halfway point of my drive, it got much better. Visibility was down but there weren't as many cars and I was moving along at about 25 miles per hour, which felt absolutely decadent. However, right before the Massachusetts state line all of a sudden traffic stopped. As I passed exit 2 and then exit 1, I started to realize why. I passed at least 3 cars and an 18-wheeler stuck in the snow and parked in the middle of the highway. I thought I would be home by 7, but by 8 it had taken me an hour to go about a mile and a half. I figured that there must be a hundred more cars littering the highway ahead of me and blocking us all. My exit was several miles away.
So I called Jason, told him where I was and asked him to find me a way home off the highway. The side roads were not well plowed yet, but there were hardly any cars out and I made my way through Pawtucket into Providence at a good speed. Thanks to a turned sign, I wound up on the wrong street, tried to turn around, and got seriously stuck. I wiggled around, turned my steering wheel and finally got unstuck, although the smell of burned rubber makes me wonder if I hurt my car. Then I got behind a plow and the plow stopped and the guy waved me around to which I thought, Are you crazy, I can't climb that mountain of snow. But I did.
After all of that, two hours from when I thought I would be home at the worst moments, getting stuck and lost on the back roads of Pawtucket, I was close to tears.
And I think that pretty much counts as one of the worst commutes ever for me and everyone else who was stuck in it. Thinking about it now, it feels completely surreal. How could I have been stuck in traffic for 8 hours?! As Jason pointed out last night, I could have driven to DC in that time.
Yesterday was one of the better days to be married, I have to say. Jason called me consistently throughout my ordeal, offering encouraging words and mapping out a new route from the highway so I could get off the parking lot that was I-95 coming into Providence. He shoveled me out a place to park. He had yummy warm soup waiting for me that he and our friend Matt trekked out into the snow to pick up for all of us. And finally, he gave me a huge hug when I got home and told me it was okay to cry - which I didn't really, even though I felt like it.
Observation: BMW drivers are big jerks! I'm sorry if anyone who owns a BMW reads this, but I stand by my statement. Let me illustrate. There was a sense of camaraderie in our misery. Everyone on the road yesterday encouraged each other and was patient as people jumped out to clear off their windshields because since we were more stopped than moving the snow accumulated almost as if we were standing still. At one point my windshield wipers completely froze up and I leapt out of my car to free them. A man in an SUV slowly crawled by and called out his window, "You okay?" I said, "Yeah, my wipers just froze up." He laughed and said, "You need to be able to see!" I said, "Exactly." Then he told me, as the traffic continued winding by, "Well, be careful!"
Two separate people at the service area where I stopped wished me good luck as I headed back out. Everyone was tired and annoyed, but still managed to encourage each other.
Then I got some gas and a BMW cut me off as I was waiting to leave (and one had already not let me in as I was trying to get on the highway in the first place). There was a car in front of me who had stopped while its driver ran inside. I was kind of annoyed, but was waiting for him to get back. This BMW came weaving around me, I guess thinking he could get by the car, which he couldn't. Jut like I couldn't. THEN when the driver did come back, the BMW sped up and cut in front of me. Because, you know, being that one car in front of me is going to make SO much difference at this point.
Add to that the four or five times when I was changing lanes and BMW's sped up to not let me in. You know, sped up to eight miles an hour versus six. This is including times when I changed lanes to get around a stalled car in front of me. Every other time I changed lanes the cars slowed down to let me in. And I let in my fair share of cars. Beamers were the only ones who didn't. I'm just sayin'.
Yes, EIGHT HOURS.
We had a blizzard yesterday dumping about 2 inches per hour on New England. I left work at 1 PM, as soon as the flakes started falling. I got home at 9 PM.
Because of the speed of the snow and the fact that there were so many cars on the road, no plows or salt trucks could get through. So not only was the traffic bad, but the highway (I-95 to be exact) was covered in snow and the street was littered with cars mired in snow and unable to get out. I have to give kudos to my little Elantra who got through it all, even though she slid around quite a bit and at two points I really did think we were stuck. But we got out of it.
2 hours in, I stopped at a service area to get some lunch. The service area was 6 exits down from where I started. Yeah. That was when I started to realize how bad it really was.
The first hour I was really, really angry at the whole thing. The second hour I was resigned. The third hour I got a little angry again, but by the fourth hour my attitude was pretty good. Last weekend I downloaded a bunch of podcasts of Agatha Christie mysteries, so those kept me entertained the whole way. A good story is a good distraction.
By the time I got home, I was starting to feel a little hysterical. After I passed the halfway point of my drive, it got much better. Visibility was down but there weren't as many cars and I was moving along at about 25 miles per hour, which felt absolutely decadent. However, right before the Massachusetts state line all of a sudden traffic stopped. As I passed exit 2 and then exit 1, I started to realize why. I passed at least 3 cars and an 18-wheeler stuck in the snow and parked in the middle of the highway. I thought I would be home by 7, but by 8 it had taken me an hour to go about a mile and a half. I figured that there must be a hundred more cars littering the highway ahead of me and blocking us all. My exit was several miles away.
So I called Jason, told him where I was and asked him to find me a way home off the highway. The side roads were not well plowed yet, but there were hardly any cars out and I made my way through Pawtucket into Providence at a good speed. Thanks to a turned sign, I wound up on the wrong street, tried to turn around, and got seriously stuck. I wiggled around, turned my steering wheel and finally got unstuck, although the smell of burned rubber makes me wonder if I hurt my car. Then I got behind a plow and the plow stopped and the guy waved me around to which I thought, Are you crazy, I can't climb that mountain of snow. But I did.
After all of that, two hours from when I thought I would be home at the worst moments, getting stuck and lost on the back roads of Pawtucket, I was close to tears.
And I think that pretty much counts as one of the worst commutes ever for me and everyone else who was stuck in it. Thinking about it now, it feels completely surreal. How could I have been stuck in traffic for 8 hours?! As Jason pointed out last night, I could have driven to DC in that time.
Yesterday was one of the better days to be married, I have to say. Jason called me consistently throughout my ordeal, offering encouraging words and mapping out a new route from the highway so I could get off the parking lot that was I-95 coming into Providence. He shoveled me out a place to park. He had yummy warm soup waiting for me that he and our friend Matt trekked out into the snow to pick up for all of us. And finally, he gave me a huge hug when I got home and told me it was okay to cry - which I didn't really, even though I felt like it.
Observation: BMW drivers are big jerks! I'm sorry if anyone who owns a BMW reads this, but I stand by my statement. Let me illustrate. There was a sense of camaraderie in our misery. Everyone on the road yesterday encouraged each other and was patient as people jumped out to clear off their windshields because since we were more stopped than moving the snow accumulated almost as if we were standing still. At one point my windshield wipers completely froze up and I leapt out of my car to free them. A man in an SUV slowly crawled by and called out his window, "You okay?" I said, "Yeah, my wipers just froze up." He laughed and said, "You need to be able to see!" I said, "Exactly." Then he told me, as the traffic continued winding by, "Well, be careful!"
Two separate people at the service area where I stopped wished me good luck as I headed back out. Everyone was tired and annoyed, but still managed to encourage each other.
Then I got some gas and a BMW cut me off as I was waiting to leave (and one had already not let me in as I was trying to get on the highway in the first place). There was a car in front of me who had stopped while its driver ran inside. I was kind of annoyed, but was waiting for him to get back. This BMW came weaving around me, I guess thinking he could get by the car, which he couldn't. Jut like I couldn't. THEN when the driver did come back, the BMW sped up and cut in front of me. Because, you know, being that one car in front of me is going to make SO much difference at this point.
Add to that the four or five times when I was changing lanes and BMW's sped up to not let me in. You know, sped up to eight miles an hour versus six. This is including times when I changed lanes to get around a stalled car in front of me. Every other time I changed lanes the cars slowed down to let me in. And I let in my fair share of cars. Beamers were the only ones who didn't. I'm just sayin'.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Nano
If I'm a very good girl this year I might have an iPod Nano waiting for me under the Christmas tree.
My 40GB iPod has finally and officially bitten the dust. Actually it most likely just needs a new hard drive (apparently a common problem with that generation of iPods), which will cost about $150. The thing is, the iPod has been a great companion, but I think I want something a little more compact now, particularly when it comes to taking it to the gym.
The question is color. I haven't made it to an Apple store lately and am not sure when I will have a chance to in the next couple of weeks. I thought I might want the green based on the pictures on the packaging on the Nanos at Costco, but then I looked on the Apple site and the green is all in your face bright pastel seafoam green. It looked more subtle on the package.
So I think red might be the thing, but on the website it looks like a kind of pinky red, which I don't want. Can someone who has seen the red Nano in person tell me if it is a good, true red?
Santa thanks you for your help.
My 40GB iPod has finally and officially bitten the dust. Actually it most likely just needs a new hard drive (apparently a common problem with that generation of iPods), which will cost about $150. The thing is, the iPod has been a great companion, but I think I want something a little more compact now, particularly when it comes to taking it to the gym.
The question is color. I haven't made it to an Apple store lately and am not sure when I will have a chance to in the next couple of weeks. I thought I might want the green based on the pictures on the packaging on the Nanos at Costco, but then I looked on the Apple site and the green is all in your face bright pastel seafoam green. It looked more subtle on the package.
So I think red might be the thing, but on the website it looks like a kind of pinky red, which I don't want. Can someone who has seen the red Nano in person tell me if it is a good, true red?
Santa thanks you for your help.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Day Four
We're just going to ignore the fact that it's been over a month since we got back from the honeymoon and I'll keep trekking through the days for you all. K?
On Day Four we woke up and headed out to explore points northward a bit more. Actually I was kind of wondering what we would do that day since we were planning to head up to Acadia on Day Five and (I thought) had exhausted the charm of Camden on Day Two. Au contraire, says Jason*, who took us to the Camden Hills State Park just past Camden.
But first, we stopped in Rockland for breakfast. I had noticed The Rockland Cafe on our way through Rockland a couple of days before and had a feeling it would be a great local diner with amazing greasy food and waitresses who call you "Hon". I was not disappointed.
Even though we arrived at 10:55 and they stopped serving breakfast at 11, they still let me order some bacon and eggs. And on the side instead of toast I got a blueberry bagel that I think they just flat out dipped in butter and grilled because Oh. My. Gosh. I have never had such a divine bagel.
After filling up on grease, we drove to the Camden Hills State Park and spent the rest of the day hiking and gazing at amazing views. At the top of a hill I did a little jumping cheer when we reached the marker at the top. Jason snapped a picture and then said, "Ok, do that again, only this time reach your hands up even higher over your head." I did that and then realized just as he took the picture that he was really focusing in on my exposed midriff when I raised my arms over my head. Yeah, you all won't be seeing that picture.
However, here are a few.
We ran into another honeymooning couple who had also been married the Saturday before and we all took each other's pictures.
After our hike we drove to an overlook and watched the sun set over Camden below. Then we drove back to the cottage, stopping at the grocery store to pick up something for dinner. We got a major deal on a big bag of Prince Edward Island mussels and some chopped clams.
Note: plug in electric burners do not heat up giant pots of water very quickly. It took about an hour to get the water to boil for the pasta, and then another 20 minutes to get it to boil again for the mussels.
* Not actually. Just in my blog. He's not that pretentious.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Insecurity
Sometimes I let myself get comfortable and then, Wham!, I'm reminded that I'm still essentially a temp worker and not as secure as I thought.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)