Isaac

Born in Prescott, AZ on September 21st, 2008 and moved to Dave & Rae's house in Albuquerque, NM on December 8th.

Here is Isaac & Dave at the breeder's house in AZ.


Isaac is a German Shepherd Dog and he is our first dog! He is a very energetic dog and requires A LOT of exercise & discipline. Dave and I are learning to be calm and assertive pack leaders (reading lots of manuals). He gets his last puppy shots this week and will soon after begin puppy training school.

Here is Isaac posing for a portrait under the Christmas tree at Auntie Kate's house.


We think he will be ahead of the curve in puppy class. We've been training him (he loves cheese) and so far will sit, lie down, and stay (with moderate distraction and distance).

Isaac is a snow dog! Here he is in Taos!


Kate got a puppy (her first as well) a week after Isaac came home. Blue is a Labrador Retriever and he is also very smart and playful and energetic. We are all happy to have the puppies together because they play and play until they get tired and calm down.

Here is Isaac with he best buddy Blue!

The reason behind lack of blog posting...

Obama Rally

Last night, Dave and I marched with several of my co-interns to the field at UNM for the Obama Rally. It was very exciting!



Check out the video footage!!



We were in the crowd that rushed the field to get in for a closer view. We actually got close enough to be able to see him as he and other politicians and George Lopez made their speeches.

You may have heard in the news that NM is a major battleground state. McCain had a rally at the fairgrounds on Saturday morning and had fewer than 1000 people attend. The Obama rally attendance was estimated at 30,000!!! If attendance at the respective rallies indicates the direction the race is going here, then I am hopeful we'll go for Obama!

Go Obama!

Albuquerque Tennis & Exercise Report

Have been playing tennis once or twice a week since I hooked up with a tennis team here in Albuquerque. It was a surprisingly easy task to find a team! I gave my name to the head guy at Jerry Cline Tennis Center (about a mile from my house) and the next day, Romela (captain of a 4.0 and 4.5 team) called and invited me out to practice and then join the team! The courts (all outdoors and lit) are beautiful and it is cheap cheap cheap! So far, the players I have been on the court with are great 4.0 players and I hear that there are about 10 4.0 teams! Wow!

In other exercise focused news, you likely recall Kate's blog posts on the topic of Crossfit whilst she resided in Montana. Well... Dave and I have also joined in on the fun! The facility here is excellent, trainers are awesome, and most of the time I am able to walk and life my arms the next day! On the day of my "fitness evaluation" - in between sets I asked my trainer (who is a member of the female world rugby team) - "Can I get a drink of water?" She looked me in the eye, with no malice at all just totally matter-of-fact, and said "no".

Albuquerque Living

As the whirlwind settles, I reflect on how I got here:

Dave and I arrived on July 1st at our new home with a fun welcome dance by dear sister Kate (and she made us a big Welcome sign too)!!


On July 3rd, we were rewarded (Thank you Barb & Rollie!!!) with the most fantastical delivery. This "bouquet" of pineapple & strawberries was not only delicious but was ENTIRELY edible! I documented the deconstruction of this masterpiece (yes, that is a head of iceberg lettuce) and encourage you to check out Edible Arrangements!!




July 7th - 13th: We continue the process of unpacking; I attend a largely pointless new employee orientation at the VA for my internship; Dave interviewed (successfully) at Sandia!

July 14th - 19th: Dave headed back to Troy to finish out his job at RPI and I took on my first week of internship. There was a lot of finagling with my schedule. I sat in on a number of groups and got oriented to my first two rotations in Behavioral Medicine and Men's PTSD Clinic. The workload was not at all heavy but I ended the week just totally exhausted in every way. Being at work all day and coming home to complete an endless list of tasks and errands so as to finish the last 10-20% of the unpacking and organizing was just TOO MUCH!!

Two unrelated issues that I have to mention:
1) STORAGE: For anyone who is considering moving to a climate/region where bugs, and particularly cockaroaches, are a problem... storing anything in a cardboard box is out of the question because cardboard is "cockaroacha candy". Thus, we have invested in numerous huge Tupperware bins and have recycled/given away a thousand boxes (thanks to Craigslist).

2) URGENCY: I am someone who operates most of the time with a sense of urgency, likely related to free-floating and first-week-of-internship-related anxiety. My new supervisor in BMed picked up pretty quickly on my "sense of urgency" and yes he did use those words exactly. It was a much needed reminder that I MUST protect my time and energy by PACING myself so that I don't burn out or die of exhaustion. Any insights on how to do this are welcome.

Shout Out to My Syracuse Supporters!!!

Leaving Syracuse is bittersweet. Although I was not able to spend as much time as I would have liked saying "so long for now" (never goodbye) to each important person, I am so grateful for the closure I was able to gain as I prepared myself for departure.

My life in Syracuse consisted primarily of working and playing tennis. Here are just a few of the people who helped me in many ways and made my life in Syracuse joyful everyday!

Each and everyday that I went into my office to be a diligent graduate student was entertaining and enjoyable only because of the people who make up the Upstate Partnership for Health team! Jenny, you are the best office mate and friend I could have asked for. Thank you for everything! D.Lawrence (silent c), I miss our daily "therapy sessions" - how are you going to survive without me!?!



Tanesha, best of luck in your new job! I know the lab will never be the same with you gone. Congrats on your upcoming marriage - I hope the wedding is perfect!
Courtney, best of luck to you along your journey! I am sure the next year holds some exciting new experiences in work and in play!



My dear friend Mara... you have been a lifeline for me both on the tennis court and even more so in navigating the challenges of being a "grown-up". Thank you for creating the space for me to celebrate the friendships I have developed with some fantastic tennis players!



And finally... Lesley & Katie... two women who expertly party it UP and are so extremely dedicated to improving their tennis games and KICKING ASS!! California was an amazing adventure - best of luck as your 4.0 team moves on this season!



And there you have it!

Amarillo, TX - Where eating beef is a sport with cash rewards

We have made it to Amarillo, TX. Home of the "Free" 72 oz steak dinner at the Big Texan! The dinner consists of a "specially cut 72-oz. top sirloin steak, a baked potato, salad, dinner roll and shrimp cocktail." The fine print states that you have to pay (currently $72) prior to beginning the eating challenge and if you finish in under an hour - your meal is free. Check out the "Facts and Stats" for some disturbing information.


On a more appetizing note... Our accommodations along the Syracuse - Albuquerque journey have been notably accommodating!

Drury Inn & Suites gets 5 stars from Dave and myself and here is why:

1) Free popcorn in the lobby at all locations.
2) Pet friendly completely - no charges, no questions.
3) Really comfy beds and nice bedding.
4) Fridge & microwave in all the rooms.
5) Waffle Maker at the free breakfast in the morning (Dave gives 2 thumbs way up).
6) You do not have to eat 4 and 1/2 lbs of cow to get a restful night of sleep.

The Vanishing Cat

We stayed at a place (StudioPlus it is called) across from Wright University in Dayton, OH that has a kitchenette and was just so-so qualitywise - comfy bed but smelled weird. We were awakened from our very restful sleep this morning (5:00 am) to ravenously hungry kitties. After feeding them, I went back to sleep until the alarm at 7am.

At 7 we got up and were readying our things for departure. Dave and I took a load down to the car and retrieved the kitty valium from the car so that we could dose the kitties for our departure. When we returned to the room 5 minutes later... Snowflake was nowhere to be found... he had VANISHED!!

Now, I must emphasize that there were quite a few nooks, crannies, and cupboards he could hide in but we are essentially talking about ONE room with only ONE door which exited to a long hallway on the second floor of the hotel! We checked all the obvious places... cupboards, drawers, stove, refrigerator, freezer, under the bed, inside the box springs, all the obvious kitty hiding places. He was nowhere and after 30 minutes of searching we were starting to panic... Maybe he'd escaped into the hallway and stealthily made his way to the outdoors, craving the grass beneath his paws and the fresh air in his nose. Maybe he'd been kitty-napped by some evil-doer who wanted nothing more than to fuck with some cat people at 7am on a Sunday morning. Who knows...

Finally, after literally an hour plus of searching inside, outside, and even checking with the front receptionist for any "lost and found" pets :) - it was his big brother, ever the protector, that helped to locate the scaredy-cat named Snowflake.

As we pulled out and lifted the mattress and boxspring for the second or third time, Swayze stuck his head around the edge of the back of the nightstand and attempted to crawl UNDER the nightstand through a gap roughly 5'' high. Because Swayze is big boned, he was unable to actually get underneath the nightstand but of course in watching his ill-conceived attempt, a great big light bulb went off.

Sure enough, we moved out the other nightstand and tilted it up to have a look...



Tonight we are in Springfield, MO. Cozy at the (free popcorn in the lobby at all locations) pet-friendly (no charges, no questions) hotel "Drury Inn & Suites". Where will he find to hide tonight?

Move to ABQ is Underway!!

Just a quick little post to my sadly neglected blog.

Synopsis - Friday we loaded the truck with the unbelievably helpful assistance of Larry, Jenny, and Frank. Jenny was the star of organizing and kept me on task - which I greatly appreciate - Larry, Dave, and Frank were the heavy lifters - way to go strong men! We JUST fit all of our stuff into a 26 foot Penske Truck over a 15 hour day of packing, cleaning, loading, and finally falling over into a coma like sleep for all of 6 hours before we were up and starting all over with last minute cleaning before hitting the road around 10:00am!

We drove for about 10 hours (traveling time 11-12 hours) through mostly good weather (torrential downpour on and off for about an hour outside of Cleveland) and minimal traffic. We landed in Beavercreek, OH (Hometown of my dear friend Jenny) with three very happy to be out of the car kitty-kats at 9:30pm! The sedative worked VERY well for about 8 hours today - we'll see how they do tomorrow since tolerance tends to develop quickly to the kitty valium.

Tomorrow we are on to Springfield, Missouri! I am letting go little by little of Syracuse and know that the real grieving process will only hit me once I am in ABQ and missing the ease, fun, and friendship of my life as a graduate student!

Anywho, much much more to post about on this and other topics but I must sleep and map the course for tomorrow!

Phase 1 of the Moving Process: To Lighten the Load, "Signage is KEY"

The two pieces of wisdom I gained from Phase 1 of the Moving Process were:
1) Lighten the Load
2) "Signage is KEY"

Our two-day "moving sale" was hugely successful despite weather conditions that included rain, rain, and more rain. However, people came in their rain-gear prepared to buy anything and everything that was not nailed down, including Dave's motorcycle and the plants in our front garden area. Far exceeding our wildest dreams, we sold at least 80% of what we put out and made a whopping $720!! Adding to the monetary profit was the solace we took in letting go of some major boat anchors including our snow related gear (shovels, snowblower, snowtires), a once used breadmaker, and a papasan chair. We also got rid of at least one hundred books (people even took the ancient engineering books from the free bin), some pieces of furniture, bags and purses, clothing, shoes, kitchen stuff, and the list goes on and on. People will buy anything!

The other, more practical lesson from the moving sale experience was that Signage is Key. On the internet, I found the advise: "Make sure the signs you make are large, clear and, if possible, waterproof. Use well made, creative signs because they will attract more buyers." Following this advice, I created weather-proof bright green poster board signage with clear information about the dates and address. Living near a busy intersection also definitely helped to draw more people.

Overall, the sense of relief and accomplishment that we took away really bolstered our spirits! Letting go of the old really frees you up!

The 2000 Mile Journey Begins June 28th

Oh what fun it will be to drive across the country with 3 sedated kitties...

I have been contemplating our upcoming travel plans. Dave will be driving the big moving truck with Snowflake as the co-pilot and I will drive my car with Swayze and Dusty as my co-pilots. With some help from Google maps and intention to drive no less than 500 miles/day, I came up with the following tentative plan:

June 28th - Day 1: Syracuse, NY to Dayton, OH (543 miles; 8 hrs 40 min)
June 29th - Day 2: Dayton, OH to Springfield, MO (575 miles; 9 hrs)
June 30th - Day 3: Springfield, MO to Amarillo, TX (544 miles; 8 hrs)
July 1st - Day 4: Amarillo, TX to Albuquerque, NM (287 miles; 4 hrs)


View Larger Map

So, July 1st is our anticipated date of arrival in Albuquerque!! The last day of driving will be somewhat light so that we can arrive with time to upload and set up a place to sleep!

There is much to do between now and then - switch stuff from Syracuse and Troy, garage sale, pack boxes, clean, finish dissertation, play tennis & golf, sleep...

... all good things! I am getting more and more excited about the journey and new adventure in New Mexico!

Notes and Observations on Moving

Sunday: Dave is golfing (in the rain) and I am multitasking in preparation for upcoming garage sale (May 31st).

Observations for future reference: One cannot subsist on only caffeine and chocolate. Real food is needed in order to avert marital conflict, general chaos, and rash decision making.

Action Item: Obtain real food. I am on my way to meet Dave and Jeong (in celebration of Dave's "best round of golf ever") at Alto Cinco - chips and salsa here I come!

I will not burden you with the details of our adventure in Albuquerque house hunting. Such details are not digestible without the aid of a comforting, reassuring glass or wine or cup of coffee, either of which should be accompanied by chocolate.

As with all great adventures, the prize (a clean, safe, modern, beautiful house with a great landlord/owner) was made all the sweeter, and the recipients all the more grateful, for the trials and tribulations endured along the way.

Indeed, in the wake of sheer exhaustion and despair, we met victory head on and welcomed its generous embrace in the form of:

1) A backyard with grass, several full grown trees providing the perfect shade for a sunny day, which welcomes the presence of our felines and future canine friends.

2) The Sunflower Market (two blocks west of home). It just opened and is glorious!

3) TWO TENNIS COURTS located two blocks east of home - in a park with more grass, tress, playground, and wide open space for dog training!

Victory is so SWEET!!

The Road to Albuquerque

Tomorrow we begin our quest to find a home in Albuquerque. Kate is joining up with us and we're all going to be exploring this new and exciting geographic region know as the Southwest!

While we are there Dave will be meeting with some people at the Air Force Research Lab at the Kirtland Airforce Base - which is conveniently located next door to the Albuquerque VA Hospital (my future place of employment) and just a few miles from the UNM Hospital (me & Kate's future place of employment).

We will definitely be spending quality time at the Flying Star Cafe & Satellite Coffee Shop. Having spent the past six years in the cafe of Barnes & Noble (which is about as exciting as American cheese), I am ready to embrace the local cafes, coffee shops, and co-ops with a vengeance. I am sure I will become closely acquainted with these places as I spend my weekends writing my dissertation :)

This weekend there is an International Native American Powwow happening around the UNM campus. We will be sure to check out this uniquely New Mexico happening, the first of many fun cultural experiences we will surely have in our new home!

I am also excited to check out the vegetation and learn how to create a Southwest Garden in my future yard. I was recently inspired by an Albuquerque "award winning garden" - check it out. There is grass!!


I think the first order of business when we move will be a patio dining set with an arbor (see below). I am sure that is something you can pick up at the local garden center, right??

My Continuing Mission...

Here I go. I am not good at this. It is like picking out new earrings. I look and look and look but can never decide on one pair so I end up buying nothing and feel as though it was a big waste of time!

I have many ideas for blogposts but tend to filter and edit myself so much (I am doing it right now) that I end up no where with no product to show for all my effort. Perhaps it is my natural analytic way of being. Perhaps a tinge of perfectionism?

I started this post with a video clip of the Star Trek Intro (see below) because I find the theme song so classic and it fits with the whole theme of my blog: new adventures.



But then I thought... Theme Songs... What a great idea for a post. I also love the Intro to BSG. It evokes anticipation, excitement, curiosity, energy, action! These are all good things to have when going on adventures!






So here I am in the midst of what I will call my "blog process" and I slowly begin to realize that this IS what it is all about! It is the journey I am here for... the moment where and when I stop trying to make sense of it all and just be here now!

Ponder this...

I often think of myself as a leaf on a stream - going with the flow wherever the water takes me. However, the surface of the water is usually turbulent and there are many obstacles that can catch you up when you are a leaf.

Beneath the water it is quiet. The deeper you go beneath the surface... the calmer it gets. What is it like to be a pebble at the bottom of the water? What might I observe about myself and the world if I wasn't stuck in the surface current of the river?