It was a good start to the weekend because I found out I got paid for the first time!  It was the wrong amount, but at least I got some money.  One of my colleagues was moving into her place today, so last night a bunch of us had a last 'hurrah' at the Olive, a restaurant in town, to celebrate her leaving the hotel!  It was a great dinner to give Kathy a sending off.

[caption id="attachment_64" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Me, Kathy, Richard, Sarah, Zach, Larra, and Amy"][/caption]

We were discussing doing a "flash mob" dance for Homecoming in two weeks.  It'll be the first Razorback homecoming in history and we're all a part of it, so we want it to be good.

Today, Kathy, Amy and I went to the mall to try to get cell phones for Kathy and I.  It was a disappointing day because it turns out I can't get a phone unless I have a German bank account.  Actually, they'll accept a German routing number, so it looks as though I'm going to have to open an account here.  I was so mad because I was going to do that this morning, but my laundry took too long so I missed the bus to get there by the time the bank closed.  I guess I'll have to go this week.  I also found out for sure that using credit cards here is not going to work.  Amy tried to use her Visa to buy a GPS, but the guy at the store told her that we wouldn't be able to use those credit cards here.  That's why I want to open a German bank account and get one of those cards with the chip in them that they use in Europe.   If I don't, I'll be buying everything from Amazon and shipping it over.  I never carry cash.  It makes me too nervous.  I need to investigate it a bit.

The other thing that I've discovered is that I am probably going to have to get a car.  I am not excited about this, but I think it's going to have to happen.  The buses here do not run often enough to get me where I need to go in a timely manner.  If I get a place in town, which is what I'm hoping, I may have to suck it up and get a car.  Gas is not cheap over here.

It was disappointing because I really wanted to get a cell phone today and feel like I was starting to get a semblance of normal again.  I have a list of things that need to get done, so it's still a bit overwhelming.  But, again, it's nice because I'm not the only one feeling this way.

I found out yesterday that I'll be coaching basketball.  I'm so excited about it, but nervous at the same time.  It's going to be a great way to see the other bases in the area when we go to play them.

I'm going to need to rent out my place.  If anyone knows of any prospects for a great place in Bridgeport, let me know!

Well, grading calls!

Boston 4th of July Spectacular!

What a few days! Boston is THE place to spend the 4th of July!

Our journey began late Saturday night; for some reason, we decided that driving all night was a good thing. Our trip to Boston would take about 16 hours, and since Julie had never been there, we wanted to get there a little early to see things like Cheers, Fenway Park, etc. The hardest part of driving overnight is staying awake when you should be awake, and sleeping when you should sleep. My mom was wonderful enough to allow us to take her car, and her car is more high tech than mine. What does that mean? Basically, it means that her car tells you how many more miles you can go on the amount of gas that is left in the tank. Well, I'm famous for pushing a car to its limit, and this trip was unlike no other. Although I didn't run out of gas (the display said we could've gone 9 more miles), there was a scare since it was about 1:30 in the morning and when we pulled into the rest area, it looked like the gas station was closed!!! I was in a teeny bit of panic mode. Fortunately, it was open, and we were able to get gas, and continue the journey. Crisis averted.

Julie brought with her GPS, which was fondly nicknamed Lola, but Lola must have been confused as to where we were going because she sent us the wrong way for a bit. You know, my mom offered me a road map before we left, and me, in all my infinite wisdom, said we didn't need it. It's very strange; we have phones with GPS, an actual GPS thing, and all we wanted about halfway through the trip was an actual paper atlas, so we could check our progress! I'm sure my mom will never let me live that one down!

Fortunately we made it to Boston by about 2 in the afternoon! (By the way, the first rest stop on I90 in New York is the prettiest rest stop ever! However, I bow to my sister Mary and say she is correct that the cleanest and best rest areas are in Ohio.) Boston is such a great town, but it's confusing as hell to navigate in. Lola did earn some respect from us since she got us to the hotel relatively easily.

We headed to Cheers to eat...what better Boston haunt than Cheers. All of us were starving, and food of any kind was welcome. We walked by the Public Garden, and then went to get some things for the big day tomorrow. And of course, we had to walk around Fenway Park. All three of us are baseball fans, so something as iconic as Fenway had to be seen.

The next morning we woke up and headed over to the Esplanade to settle in for the day to see the BOSTON POPS 4TH OF JULY SPECTACULAR! Can you tell I was excited? I've watched the Pops' fourth of July show for as long as I can remember on the 4th of July, so to see it firsthand was so exciting. They're amazing. We were in line to get in, and what a line it was! Katie and I compared it to Wimbledon, but it was nowhere near as well run (sorry, Bostonians). We finally got it, but not after they searched everything we had, and when I say everything, I mean everything! They took EVERYTHING out of our cooler (which had ice and stuff in it) to check, and then we had to get rid of our aerosol sunscreen and bug spray! That was not on the list of forbidden objects on the website, but at that point it was of little consequence. We went and claimed our patch of the oval...it was much smaller than I had imagined, but people were crammed in already. Many had brought tents for the day, and if we had known we could have brought one, we probably would have to protect us from the sun. It was a hot day, but my excitement kept it from bothering me too badly.

Once we were settled, Julie and Katie went exploring. Many people dropped their blankets and chairs and then left until later that night. I guess we didn't realize you could do that, and I was too paranoid to leave our stuff just laying there while we walked around, so I stayed while they left. Words can't describe how I felt seeing all these people coming together to celebrate our great nation. It was as though we all had a common vision for the day...weird, but good-weird. The rest of the day was spent playing cards, reading, going to get lunch, and trying to stay cool. Throughout the day, they tested the cannons that would be used for the 1812 Overture, and that was pretty cool. We saw the National Guard from all posts of the military which was awesome. Once the sun went away, the evening was pleasant, and people were filling in the oval. There were people around us from all over; mostly New England.

When 8 o'clock finally arrived, we had been in the oval for about 12 hours! They began their broadcast in Boston and the Pops came out and starting performing. It was amazing. They'd play a couple of songs, then go to commercial for the broadcast; during this time, the Pops would play a song just for the crowd that was there. They played Sweet Caroline, ET, and some others. It was great being with all these people who were there for a common purpose of celebrating our great nation. We did a sing-a-long with all patriotic songs...it's funny how those are so engrained in you after all those years of singing them as a child. When was the last time I sang, "This land is your land?" So it was fantastic. Of course this was all a buildup to the 1812 Overture. I forgot how long the song actually is until you get to the part which is shown on TV in Chicago. It was overwhelming to be there, with the Pops playing and the cannons being shot in the background. Wow!!

After the overture, many people started to head to the banks of the Charles River to see the fireworks, but there was no way I was leaving until I heard "Stars and Stripes Forever." I think Katie said it best that we could see fireworks anywhere, but how often would we see the Pops? If I had my way, I'd be there every year, but I suppose that won't be able to happen. There was another sing-a-long, and then came the grand finale with Sousa. All in all, a great time to celebrate our great nation!

Boston here we come

Travel has been sparse over the last few months, but I plan to make it up this month. Sunday, I'm heading to Boston with Julie and Katie for an old fashioned road trip. The kind we used to take to South Dakota and Georgia! Headed to Boston to see the Pops spectacular! I can't wait.

New York, New York

Today is my last day and I'm finally heading to the US open!
Saturday night I went to a show called "Promises, Promises" and it was really good. It's a musical remake of The Apartment, with Sean Hayes from Will and Grace and Kristin Chenowith. The show was funny, but I forgot that the movie had a lot of dark undertones with adultery and suicide. Kind of like Cabaret Not usually the types of show I pick. The one guy who was in it played the killer in Kiss the Girls! And I think he played a murderer in something else so it was weird to see him in a musical role.
Sunday morning I got up and headed out to Queens again to go to the Open. I waited in line for about an hour and met a really nice guy and his dad, with whom I waited. It was fun and he even invited me to hang out with them for the day...he wanted to know what was wrong with me since no one wanted to come to NY with me! (I wasn't sure what to tell him.) We were about 10 people away from the ticket office when the lady on the mike announced that they were sold-out!! I couldn't believe it. The people around me were pissed! AND they weren't selling advance tickets for Monday--only Tuesday thru Friday! I left while the others stewed, and tried to get on ticketmaster to buy a ticket for Monday. It wasn't working, so I called my excellent sis, Mary, who ordered my ticket and I headed directly over to will call to pick it up.
Now I had to decided what to do for the day. I was going to do the sex and the city tour, but it was totally sold out for the weekend. I decided to take in another show. Waited in line at TKTS booth with some very nice New Jersey guys and their wives- had the heavy accents an everything- and ended up buying a ticket for Memphis. It won the Tony for best musical last year, so I figured it couldn't be that bad. It was outstanding...I bought the cd. It was about a white dj in the 50s/60s Memphis who plays black music on the radio. Then he falls in love with the black singer and all hell breaks loose in the town. The music was great- it was written by one of the guys from Bon Jovi.
After the matinee, I wandered around brazilfest. Some guys were performing and in sure they're a big deal but I didn't know who they were. Went for a walk in Central Park...I love the park! Chilled in Times Square for a bit; watching all the interesting people that are there then went to bed.
Today I'm on the train to the open and then this evening I'll be home. I don't even know the schedule of play yet, so who knows who I'll see today. Maybe my boy Andre will be there...

Another one bites the dust

I'm in New York for the weekend, and I must say it is working out better than I had hoped. I originally thought it was going to be depressing since I'm here alone, but it turns out I am excellent company! I know what I like and I don't complain about walking instead of taking a taxi or bus!
I was supposed to attend the US open today, but I didn't realize that they no longer allow backpacks in the park. My plan was to go right there when my plane landed and I did, but then I found out that I couldn't take in my backpack. Then I was going to check in to my hotel and go back out to Queens, but I decided to go tomorrow instead.
So. I checked into my hotel; which kinda makes the Y in Queens look like the Taj Majal, but I'm not planning on spending a lot of time there. Then I wandered around a street fair on 47th street; found a bag I really like, but due to the unfortunate break-in last week, I am unable to attain any cash. I have about $25 with me, and no way to get cash. It reminds me of the first time Katie and I came to NY and had to decide if we wanted spend our money on the food or the drink. This probably seems like a theme with me...I guess it kinda is.
After wandering around the street fair and walking up and down 5th Avenue, ("on the avenue, 5th avenue") I decided that I was going to walk across the Brooklyn bridge. In all the times I've been to New York, I've never crossed it and gone into Brooklyn. Well, today I did it! It's an amazing piece of civil engineering, and the views were unbelievable. I tried calling everyone because I wanted to share with someone where I was, and fortunately Julie answered her phone! She probably thought I was drunk the way I was babbling! Then I did get hold of my mom, who said it was very windy and she could barely hear me! I took lots of photos and video and unfortunately that will be all I have because I think my battery is dead and I forgot the charger. It was a great walk, and I've now stepped foot in Brooklyn, so I only have one more borrough to go to touch all five that make up this great city.

Monteverde Institute Day 2

We headed back to Monteverde Institute for a full day of activities; we were going to learn how to make guides to different flora. Willow Zucholski (I'm not sure if I spelled that right, but she was little, probably Polish lady who has done research in Costa Rica for a looong time) was our lecturer, and she has published guides to Costa Rican flora. Jeanne and Kathryn brought their books to get them autographed by her. With a name like Willow, I thought she'd be tall and long and 'willowy', but she wasn't. Just goes to show that names can be deceiving. She showed us, along with Rafa, our facilitator, how to take pictures of flora and create field guides that others can use! I really like this idea...I wish we had an environmental class at North, so I could take the kids out into the prairie and we could make our own guides...it would be so cool. We went on a fun hike...I love the hikes...then took our pictures back to the Institute to make our guides. In the real world, we would have actually found the names of the flora we took pictures of, but since we were on vacation, having a good time, we made up names...my flower had berries and was called "Julianna berrius"! :)
We had the opportunity to go to the Monteverde Cheese factory and actually ended up having ice cream! Very good and very satisfying after having fruit and rice and beans for the past few days! Later that evening, we had our final lecture from Korey about the data we'd been collecting all over the country dealing with water quality, sound quality, light quality, and soil quality, and then we had a nice discussion about the NSTA trip and what we all thought of it. I'm really looking forward to getting more involved in the International Committee which I have been appointed to. Hopefully, we'll be able to continue trips like this.
Had some good conversations after dinner with our drinks, and learned from Mike that "too much sex can make you deaf!" Huh?

Partying in Monteverde

We had an awesome time...Paulo took us out to a local establishment for some refreshment and dancing! I'm not so sure about "local"; there were almost only travelers there with us, but we had a fun time. We met some other Americans, some Dutch guys--one who had hips that could do things I had never imagined--, and the place was owned by an American from Texas. Not exactly what I'd call local, but whatever. It was a great time to be social!
The goal was to get everyone up to dance and have a good time. Tried some salsa and merengue; wasn't very good, but I had a good time dancing with Mike; then trying some of it with Paulo as well. Al even got out and danced with Jeanne, and we even got Korey and Kirk out on the floor as well! Kirk was doing some imitations of his students, and was freaking hilarious! I really want to take some Latin dance classes now that I'm home.