Trotting around...

Cantering around...

Going over a crossrail.

Ribbons...

Fishy Heaven

Sadly, I was informed by my parents this week that Sherbet the goldfish had gone to fishy heaven, also known as the Francis Creek sewage pond. She was about six years old, and died either from old age or the chronic results of a tragic cleaning accident several months ago. (Moral of the story--never get between my mother's scrubbing pad and a dirty glass tank.) I got Sherbet at the beginning of my junior year of college, from my sophomore-year roommate who loved fish and was done using Sherbet (the 19-cent fish) to balance the pH of new tank water for her real fish. Sherbet lived in Chadbourne for two years and then the shady Frances St. apartment. Instead of moving to Syracuse, she moved in with my brother (and his questionable tank-cleaning abilities) and finally wound up receiving the good care of my parents for the last several years. Sherbet was preceeded in death by five small fish, "The Sprinkles," who were her indistinguishable tankmates.

RIP, Sherbet.

New England Weekend

We started with a plan to take in the U.S. men's soccer team's last friendly match before the World Cup, in Hartford, CT. We ended up with a fantastic long weekend in the good company of Leeny and Brian, in addition to the weekend with the "best all-around" food we've ever had while traveling (thanks in large part to the purchase of a Zagat guide--entirely worth the investment and never steered us wrongly). We met Leeny and Brian in Boston on Thursday, went shopping/browsing on Newberry St., and ended up at the harbor to have Legal Seafood for dinner. An evening at the Black Rose (an Irish pub) finished the night. On Friday we began with Mike's pastry, walked the freedom trail, and toured a bit of Harvard. Rain drove us in search of dinner, which we found at Bangkok Blue, an amazing Thai place off Newberry. Saturday was our last time with Leeny and Brian, so we had a big breakfast at the Trident Bookstore and Cafe. (The French toast stuffed with lemon and ricotta and topped with blueberries was great.) Then Braden and I spent the afternoon in the Harvard area relaxing, with a nice dinner at Tanjore (Indian). We drove down to a hotel outside Plymouth. Then on Sunday we decided to tour a bit of Cape Cod, as we've never been there. After walking the beach, we found the "Brazillian Grill," which was probably the most interesting culinary experience we've had to date (see below). Still meat-stuffed, we arrived (somewhat late--thanks CT) at the U.S. soccer match, where they defeated Latvia 1-0. Then we drove home. We fear that our tastebuds will never be the same.

The vet where we boarded Tsuki is closed today, so we're going to spend the day putting stuff on the floor, placing food on low tables, and leaving doors open and gates down. Happy Memorial Day!

The four of us by the harbor...

Braden and his giant bowl of shellfish and seafood--"cioppino"--at Legal Seafood. Our seafood-filled weekend was in part to celebrate Leeny's partial return from the vegetarian realm.

Sunset at the harbor...

On Friday, the four of us hit the "Freedom Trail" to take in some history. (Here is Braden carefully following the trail.) Before that we fueled up with some wonderful pastry from Mike's in the Italian neighborhood.

Brian and Leeny by the Paul Revere monument.

The U.S.S. Constitution on the left, some kind of battleship on the right, and the Bunker Hill monument in the background.

We took a tour of all three decks of the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides." She is not in fact made of iron, but a "sandwich" of oak, with live oak in the middle.

Braden shows off one of the big guns.

The many old gravestones...

Studying the graveyard map...

At Harvard... we spent a fun afternoon wandering, browsing bookshops, and sitting in coffehouses. We had dinner at a wonderful Indian place in Cambridge called "Tanjore," which according to the Zagat guide is known for its "regional diversity."

We took a trip along the Cape Cod national seashore. We stopped at Marconi Beach to wander a bit.

Braden...

At the beach...

The lone photographic proof of the wonder that is the "Brazillian Grill" in Hyannis on Cape Cod. Braden and I can't decide if a franchise of this place in Wisconsin would go broke immediately or be a smashing success. You pay one price for a buffet of side dishes and unlimited meat. Men in Brazillian dress wander the restaurant, each one carrying a giant skewer/sword of some kind of spit-roasted meat (every kind of steak, prime rib, bacon-wrapped filet, several kinds of chicken, chicken hearts, bacon-wrapped chicken, salmon, and roasted pineapple). You tell them whether you want some, and they slice off some, which you grab with the above-shown tongs. They keep coming until you turn the card on your table from "green" to "red." We still haven't really recovered.

Happy Mother's Day!

In honor of Mother's Day (and because we were in need of pastry for Sunday morning), I made my first attempt at Grandma's butter horns and coffee cake. They came out great, except for a few misshapen ones, but they all tasted the same. (Not quite as good as Grandma's, but give me another 40 years...) And the upside of making them yourself is that you don't have to battle about 18 cousins for seconds :) .

Butter horns! (Eaten approximately 2 minutes later.)

Tsuki Retrospective

We've had Tsuki for exactly one year, today. To honor the occasion, we've recreated (sort of) some of the shots from that day. The rope toy is the same one... the dog has put on about 17 pounds. (No comment on the humans.)

Tsuki intently watching out the window.

Then...

Now...

Then...

Now...

Then...

Now...

Congratulations!

After four days of writing on comparative politics and international relations, and successfully orally defending said written material last Thursday, Braden has passed his comprehensive exams! And not just with a "pass", but with a "high pass." So after Monday, he will be done with his graduate coursework. (I, however, have another year left...). On to the dissertation!

In honor of his achievement, here is one of the first pictures I ever took of Braden... our "first date" hiking in Hemlock Draw, in January 2001.

So I was reading someone's blog today, and she'd posted pictures under the theme of "Way Back Wednesday." I was inspired to look at the oldest digital photos I have (from Christmas 2000, I believe), and this is a fun one. Meghan had left cookies out for Santa, and received this note (suspiciously similar to Josh's handwriting) with the paper plate: "Dear Meghan, Sorry about the plate. Blitzen was a little hungry. Love, Santa."

Here's one more picture of us at brunch at Leah & Antony's (notice new backsplash tile and cabinets in the background!).

Our Spring Adventures

So, we haven't updated in a while. Sorry, but things have been pretty hectic. I'm taking three classes this semester and taught a unit (four weeks) of one of our master's level classes in higher ed. Braden's been taking two classes and studying for comprehensive exams, a two-day written exam plus oral defence ordeal which takes place in about two weeks. (Picture approximately 84 books sitting in piles on our office floor.) When Braden said to me the other day, "Did you know graduate students can check out 250 books at a time from the library?", I knew we were in trouble.

Anyway, we got back from winter break and had all three of our birthdays. I also had a conference in DC over spring break, so we stayed with Braden's cousin Erin, who generously let us crash at her awesome apartment, a mere five blocks from my conference hotel. We spent several days sightseeing and eating fabulous food. We also got to visit Braden's cousin Leah and Antony, and their two kids Dominique and Scotten. We had a great brunch at their new house and played with the kids at a local park. It was a wonderful trip.

I just got back from another student affairs conference in Indianapolis, which I have no pictures of because I was basically in a conference center and hotel, and it was cold and snowy, and I was at the conference the whole time. But I got to see a number of people, including Leeny who was job-searching there, and Jim, who was a House Fellow with me at Madison. All the presentations at these conferences have gone well.

We're now mostly back to life as usual... although Braden will be significantly less stressed out when comps are over, I'm sure.

Yes, it's the White House... moments later Braden claimed to see Gregory Roberts on his way inside.

Braden and I in front of the White House, before meeting Erin for lunch.

It was such a nice night, we took a stroll around the monuments (Washington, Lincoln, WWII, Vietnam).

Another angle...

Another...

Abe...

On a beautiful spring day, we all head to the park after a great brunch at Leah and Antony's new place. (Not pictured is Antony, who is at home laying a stone laundry floor.)

Erin talking Dominique off the roof...

Dominique hangs out on the monkey bars.

Swinging is a pretty good time, too.

Braden and Scotten have a great time on the slide.

Scotten thinks he now wants to go head first...

Braden and Scotten play in the sand, while Dominique and her neighborhood friend swing in the background.

Erin and Scotten, on the way to the park.

A gruelling semester for all...

Back in Syracuse, we celebrated Braden's 25th birthday at the end of January... who doesn't need new boxers?

Dan and Cathy brought their three girls, Sarah, Emily, and Grace, to visit on their way through Madison.

The girls play with Tsuki (the blur in the middle).

At Braden's parents' over winter break, Tsuki and Camby arrived at a sort of grudging coexistence... sort of.