Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays..

State of Affairs

Phase 1) Drive home from Warren Dunes, with check engine light glaring, driving severely under the speed limit, with hazards flashing, gripping the steering wheel and fearing for my life.

Phase 2) Autozone said could be mass air flow sensor and turned off the check engine light.  I thought that sounded kind of wimpy.  Go back to driving normal speed, sans hazards, sans fear for life, but drive straight to mechanic.

Phase 3) Mechanic suggests replacing mass air flow sensor -- expensive -- can't hear bad sounds.  Drive home, now fearing for my financial solvency.  Listen for sounds, can't hear them either.  Wonder if I'm crazy.

Phase 4) Hear sounds again, but check engine light doesn't reappear.  Drive to Chicago for an already planned weekend and figure Dad can take a look in the meantime.

Phase 5) Dad looks and listens, decides to take the wheel off to check brakes.  Using superhuman force, Dad operates lug wrench and does get the lug nut off, but snaps the lug in half in the process.  (Weight lifting will do that.)

Phase 6) All mechanics are closed for Sunday, drive back to Chicago with three lugs.

Phase 7) Exit highway, turn left on my street, hear loud pop, feel ticking under my feet.  Slow down and begin to fear for my life again.  Turn left into parking space and feel/hear loud clunk under my feet.

To be continued...

Up a Crick without a Paddle

Oh, the irony.  After complaining through yesterday's post about how I feel dependent on my car I took myself about an hour and a half west to Warren Dunes State Park just a few miles over the Indiana-Michigan border.  My good friend, Lisa, from Chicago met me (sort of halfway) to hike through the dunes and then have dinner/lunch at a cafe before each heading back our separate ways.

The day couldn't have been nicer.  We both ended up ditching the fleeces in favor of long-sleeved shirts and the piles of leaves on the trail gave each step a satisfying crunch.  The mood was just very November-ey.  Looking out at the dune forest, most of the trees were bare and the leaves were spread thickly over the ground.  Every once in a while we'd find a shrub with red or purple berries, or a tree with yellow leaves still clinging.  The bogs were boggy and the dunes were steep.  At one moment we emerged from the forest and climbed to the top of one dune only to be hit smack-dab with an incredible view of Lake Michigan (hitherto unseen).  Our trail dropped us out on the glorious empty beach where we were supposed to walk south along the shore for nearly a mile.  This quickly got old with the wind whipping around, so we were thankful when we finally found the marker (after some frustrated searching, we have a word or two for Warren about the state of its markers) that took us back into the forest cover again.  From there we wound our way along, admiring the silver birch trees whose white bark stood out so strikingly from all the grays, browns, and deep oranges.  Nearly at the end of our loop we came upon a sign with a giant exclamation point and the words "Trail passes through open hunting area!" And underneath, the words, "Season closed Apr-Sept."  We stood there for a few minutes talking over a strategy and then sprang forth singing and talking very loudly.  Luckily we were soon greeted by another sign that heralded our safe arrival into 'no hunting' grounds.  Phew!

At the end of the hike we deposited ourselves into a little cafe that Lisa found that sources ingredients from local farmers and serves such delicacies as creamed spinach with a parmesan sweet potato chip crust.  I'll say no more except that I'm glad Lisa was in charge of that part.  My search only pulled up locations of Subways and McDonalds.

We hugged and said goodbye.  Lisa pulled away as I arranged a few things in the car.  I forgot to say that about the time I rendezvoused with Lisa I noticed my car making a bad sound.  A bad, unexplainable sound.  Nothing else indicated there was a problem, so I winced, drove slowly, and then turned it off to hike and eat for several hours.  After Lisa pulled away, however, I turned the car on, and there, glaring at me menacingly was the check engine light.  Bright orange and almost gleeful, seemingly cackling at my distress.

I called the folks who talked me through checking the oil and transmission fluid.  They were fine.  And I was about 70 miles from home.  I ended up driving back under the glare of the check engine light, at about 55 mph with the hazards on the whole time, singing in time to the rhythmic flashing to try to distract myself from the anxiety.  Longest drive ever, but I made it.  But now it's Sunday and all potential mechanics are closed.  Ah well.  Just another day, just another day...

Kzoo Vs. ChiTown

There are many things I really like about Kalamazoo.  The farmers market is huge and inexpensive with tables practically overflowing with wholesome and brightly colored goods.  The fall leaves were bright and cheery and lasted forever.  The people couldn't be friendlier.  Orchards and cider mills abound.  I even sighted my first ground hog and wild turkeys ever.  I've seen stars.

This is what I expected when I moved from Chicago.  It was what I craved.  But Chicago had a few things going for it, that try as I might, I can't account for in Kalamazoo.  Public transportation. A grid system. And an urban accessibility to name a few. The ability to consistently get from point A to point B whether or not you know your way around town.  If I got on the Brown line at Rockwell and stepped off at Southport, I ended up in the same place every time.  All there was to do was orient myself to the Southport station and walk in the correct direction to wherever I was going.  Kalamazoo is riddled with twisty, windy, doubling-back-on-themselves streets that change names at least 3 times in a mile and a half stretch, so even if the bus did come more often than once every half hour, I would have no idea which one to take.  So then in the car, you press the accelerator, clutch the steering wheel, pick a lane, and hope for the best.  I tend to end up being spit out into a different place every time.  And then there's the stress of trying to figure out where parking is allowed and more importantly, where it is free.

Oh, how I miss being able to jet out my door and go to the grocery, the library, a bar, a cafe, a concert, a class, work, a festival, a park, a party, a picnic, etc and leaving my car at home!  Having the car to worry about is like an extra burden to deal with.  Yes, it took a lot longer to get everywhere, but there was a lot more time to take stock of what was going on around me.  A new storefront, a first tulip, all kinds of crazy human activity (like the guy I passed one time who was out taking his parrot for a walk)..  Not to mention the inherent exercise that came with moving by the power of my own two legs.  If you're walking down the street and you miss your turn, no problem.  You just turn around and go back.  If you're driving and you miss your turn, first of all because you're going at least 30 mph, it might be several blocks before you realize you've missed your turn.  Then you have to take another turn and probably two or three more in hopes that you can get back on track.  However, if you're me and in Kalamazoo, this probably means you'll get caught in twisty, windy, one-way streets that will take you further from your intended goal, but you won't necessarily realize that because you'll be all turned around like the blind-folded participant of the game pin the tail on the donkey.

And so, I'm sorry to say that in the 2.5 months I've been here I really haven't taken too many opportunities to venture beyond my own backyard (and by that I mean the parking lot of my apartment building and the straight shot to the music building at school).  When I was exploring Chicago, I would get on the train, pick a stop and just wander around for a while seeing what there was to see.  Why does it seem to take so much more effort to motivate myself to get out and explore Kalamazoo??  I don't know.  But I think it's time to assign myself some homework.  One new place every Friday until Christmas.  Maybe I'll make myself post about my explorations to provide some incentive and accountability.  Until then..

To be a Music Therapist

Today I successfully put on a pig snout and a pair of ears and played the blues on the ukulele while singing about how I loved to rub mud on my ears and nose in front of about 100 5th graders at a local elementary school.  My group of 4 fellow students has been working for the last month to write a 30-minute musical from a children's book, and today we took it to the streets.  With great success, I might add.  We wrote a theme, jammed on some mud-lovin' blues, re-wrote the lyrics to Pop Goes the Weasel and then segged to chopsticks while we played leapfrog.  (Let's just say we had to get down real low to be jumped over... that game is a little more athletic for grown-ups.)  Three of us did body percussion and beatbox sounds while the Loon led the kids in the cha-cha slide, then we re-wrote the lyrics to Brahm's lullaby, all fell asleep, got woken up by an amped electric guitar, and ended with an epic rendition of the Journey song, Don't Stop Believin'.  Good times were had by all, but probably most of all by us!

Since last writing, I started school and just completed midterms.  It is crystal clear that I made the right decision and this is the field I should be in.  In case you're wondering, here's a little slice of what my weekly life is like:

a) dress up like a pig and play the blues on the ukulele for 100 5th graders
b) moderate a discussion on the effects of music therapy for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and discuss what the ramifications will be for the special ed field at-large
c) practice blues licks on the harmonica
d) pick apples
e) memorize the symptomologies and etiologies of common physical disabilities like cerebral palsy, muscular distrophy and spina bifida
f) attend a presentation on how music therapy is used in the NICU
g) create a session plan to address cognitive rehabilitation for a client with a traumatic brain injury
h) tab out a tune for the appalachian dulcimer
i) learn the names of every bone in the wrist and hand and be able to identify the muscles and nerves of the hand and forearm on one of six cadavers.  Also be able to indicate the muscle's origin, insertion, action, and innervation.
j) after reading various research articles, write a statement about how implicit memory of music affects our perception of music
k) wash dishes

As you can see, it's all over the map, and while it took some adjusting at first, I really like the variety.  When all is said and done I'll be prepared to handle anything they throw at me.  The fall colors are gorgeous here in Michigan, and before we know it the holidays will be upon us!  I usually don't wish away fall, but I can't WAIT to meet little Evelyn at Thanksgiving!

Until next time my pig outfit is available for birthday parties, bat mitzvahs, etc, but the ukulele would be an extra charge...

Evelyn Dorothy Light 10-20-2011

We have a new little personality in the family as of 10:24 am this morning, 10-20-2011, when Evelyn Dorothy Light came into the world and saw the light of day. She was 7 lb 4 oz and 20" long, born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Laura woke up around 4:45 am with definite contractions and decided to get up. She was wary about rushing off to the hospital too soon so she waited a while before waking up Mike and then decided to take a long (loooonnng) shower. By the time she got out she had trouble standing up and Mike was standing by with an iron grip on the car keys ready to roll - they had a 40 minute ride over the mountains to the hospital. They arrived OK around 8:30 am and learned Laura was 9 cm - the nursing staff was already hustling. Laura started pushing around 9:30 and the baby was born at 10:24. No sense wasting any time.

Evelyn is a cutie with a bounty of long dark hair and sparkling dark eyes. She nursed without hesitation and was peaceful and content when Linda and I arrived from Long Island around 4:30 pm. We got to hold her a bit and watched over her first bath. She has good lungs, but was a happy camper once bundled up again in a warm blanket.

Yosemite 2011

As indicated from Linda's distribution of some our pictures, we're back from our epic great circle tour through our western National Parks. We had a great time and are still speaking to one another, which is impressive considering we had to take turns blowing up the queen size air mattress every couple of hours when it died on us in Sequoia Nat'l Park. What was worse, getting up to visit the privy in 45 deg temps in the middle of the night, or feeling your rear gradually contact the cold hard ground - or both?! We made it through replacing the air mattress, breaking and jury-rigging two tent poles, and replacing a leaking propane cook stove.

We finally got to see the North Platte train yards (impressive) after many years of passing through, visited roommate John Latourrette and his wife at their mountain cabin NW of Reno, NV, and then hiked until our legs were putty in Tuolumne Meadows (pronounced "two owl on me"), Yosemite Valley, Sequoia, King's Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. The vistas were dramatic and we were extremely fortunate to be able to see active waterfalls in all areas due to the high snowpack from last winter. The ranger at Yosemite told us in her twenty years she had never seen Yosemite Falls still active in September. We saw lots of bears, elk (one right in camp sniffing in our car), marmots, deer, coyotes (one howling at the moon outside our tent one night), California Condors, bluebirds, magpies, woodpeckers, bison, etc.

We were conscientious about keeping hydrated and allowing for adapting to altitude changes, so we avoided those problems and were pretty much able to do everything we wanted. We didn't suffer from a lack of food either in spite of cooking dinners with the camp stove on a picnic table. We became expert at one-pot meals. We also splurged once in a while and took in dinner at the lodges in the parks, all of which were great quality at reasonable prices. We had to be extremely careful with our food and anything with a fragrance to use bear boxes and not leave anything in our car or the tent. Bears are known to pull the doors off of cars to get at any food left inside. We had no such encounters, thankfully.

We ended our great circle route by passing through Durango, CO and taking the narrow gage train up to Silverton and back. We decided to get up into the Rockies since we knew that at the end of September the aspens begin to turn a brilliant yellow. Sure enough, we hit it perfectly with the mountains streaked with golden foliage amidst the dark green firs and pines. What a sight! All the way home through Nebraska and Iowa we were trying to figure out what we should do next.....

Final Product!

I'm now 36 weeks! It's so hard to believe that I could have this baby at any time now. Weird. We've finally finished all but minor finishing touches in the baby's room/Mike's office and we have the majority of the things we'll need for baby. So now there's just that whole delivery thing. We can't wait to meet the little peanut!

O Laptop! My Laptop!

O Laptop! My Laptop! our fearful trip is done;

The ship has weather'd every rack; the prize we sought is won;

The school is near, the bells I hear, the students all exulting,

While follow eyes the campus map, the textbooks grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Laptop lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

My Laptop does not answer, its lips are pale and still;

My motherboard does not feel my arm, it has no pulse nor will;

Yet I am anchor'd safe and sound; my voyage closed and done;

From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Laptop lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

Thank you to Walt Whitman for providing the basis for the above verse. Since I started in verse, I figured I might as well finish in verse. Although they say these misfortunes come in threes, so there may be one chapter left to go. I'm crossing my fingers that all has passed, however. I have paid tuition, paid rent, bought textbooks, bought a parking permit, bought groceries, replaced my windshield, will soon be replacing the motherboard of my laptop..

My first class was a good one. As suspected, I think I am the oldest one in the group, but we seem to be a bright-eyed and motivated bunch. Many of the grad/equivalency students will be in a few more of my classes tomorrow, so I'll begin to get a better read on their characters. The biggest struggle thus far is figuring out the e-learning portal that all professors seem to rely heavily on. THANKS to Kevin for providing me with a loaner laptop while my computer lies fallen cold and dead in his office. I would literally be lost without it.

The other biggest struggle was a physical one, and occurred when I decided to go off in search of a field of goldenrod. I had it in my head that a lively bouquet would be just the thing to bring fresh, growing energy to my new apartment. The chosen field was literally swarming with grasshoppers, who didn't seem able to distinguish between the field and my body, but were stirred up into a frenzy by my approaching footsteps. I persevered toward my object, despite the thousands of little bodies that seemed to be dive-bombing my trunk and limbs. I pulled my sweater tight around me (it was 50 degrees today) to keep them from touching my neck or face, and I practically ran to the goldenrod, karate-chopped a few choice stalks, and high-tailed it back to the car. Not as peaceful nor contemplative as I had imagined, but worth it for my sweet little bouquets.

Onward and upward (I hope).

Our New Hobbies

Laura and I have recently taken up a couple of new hobbies, with varying levels of success. For a few years now I have been considering taking up wood-working, and last weekend I bought a chair at Goodwill for the new baby and decided to restore it. I sanded it down (by hand), painted it using the same colors we used to paint the baby's room, and coated it to protect the wood. I also had to replace part of one of the legs. The end result is what you see here. Overall, I think it came out pretty good. The project was not without a few 'gliches' but I think on the whole was a success.

Our second hobby, on the other hand, went less well. This morning I asked Laura to give me a hair cut. This was to be part of our new "belt-tightening" before the baby comes. The result (shown below) was less than successful. I guess I will just have to wear a hat for the next few weeks. After this, there was unanimous agreement that this hobby should be scratched from our routine and that maybe the $15 for a haircut is worth it.

We'll let you know how our next hobby adventure goes...

Kala–where?

Here I sit in sunshine on my new balcony
A newly minted grad student of music therapy.
Toasting my beginning with one of Dad’s home brews
Feeling bewildered and elated for my first day of school.

Thanks to Mom and Dad, Kevin and JP,
Erin, Lisa, Jessica, Sam, Brian and Suzy!
I couldn’t have moved without you, nor your brains and brawn
Not a dish was broken, nor a box left on the lawn.

After a week back in Chicago to tie off the loose ends,
Farewell parties, birthday breakfasts, and tlc with friends,
I arrived in Michigan last night with a flourish, as you’ll see,
For my car didn’t make the journey, just my stuff and me.

We three had packed my car all up, tetrus on our minds,
And with some frustration, affixed my bike to my car’s behind.
But in the process of the rigmarole when Mom tried to pop the trunk,
She inadvertently popped the hood, and therein lies the funk..

We kissed, we hugged, we said goodbye and I went on my way.
10 minutes on the road, however, I met with a delay.
My hood flew up, caught the wind, and overextended it’s reach
It smashed into the windshield with a crash, a bang, a screech.

All was well in health and heart, but my car was out of commission.
Dad pried my hood back down again, and Mom went to confession.
We transferred all the goods into Dad’s fancy car,
But fishing glass out of my foot took half an hour more.

Undeterred, I set out again, to Michigan I was bound,
And I understand completely why Dad keeps this car around.
I cruised in style—smooth and quiet—with an air conditioned seat,
And finally I arrived, aching to fall asleep.

But not until I made six trips up three flights of stairs,
Lugging plants and instruments, and sweating through my hair.
Nevertheless, I’m happy to be “home,” and I’m settling in quite well.
After my music theory exam tomorrow, we’ll see what I live to tell.

But I now reside in Michigan, a town called Kala-where?
Kalamazoo it is, my friends, and I’ll expect you there!

Heat Wave

We've been running both our AC units on high since Sunday. But with heat like this I begin to wonder, what is the point? Then again, one might ask how high the temps would soar without AC at all.

I will say that all of the lovely people who have said, "oh, I kind of like the heat actually..".. they ALL have central air.













Yes, that says 98, and it is the one in my bedroom. I finally found relief on Tuesday night when I blew up the air mattress and put it 18 inches in front of the unit in the living room.

Let's just say that cooking has been completely out of the question. When I can stand still in my house and still be dripping sweat, the last thing I want to do is stand in the kitchen with ANY heat producing appliance running. But after eating out way too many times this week, I forced myself to boil some water for corn. Hot hot hot.

Any other no heat food ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Valley Forge

After spending 2 1/2 hrs at the prison, we drove the 20 mins to Valley Forge, where Washington and his troops wintered during the American Revolution. It is actually a sad story, some 2000 soldiers died there without a single shot being fired, from starvation, disease and harsh weather. It was HOT when we got there, we were under a heat advisory for the day, so we didn't do as much hiking/walking around as we would've liked. I'm feel more like Elinore these days, where I melt in direct sunlight. I seem to be constantly searching for a tiny patch of shade. It was a beautiful National Park and we hope to go back in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. It is 3500 acres with various monuments and sites on a loop. Mike got pretty into the history of the place and jumped in the bunks of one of the soldiers cabins. A triple bunk that housed 12 men, almost as bad as coffin-racks on naval ships.

We saw Washington's headquarters, which we learned was a rental, nothing was acquired by force. The house smelled like Gram's house, with all the antiques and the old timber. Our last stop in the park was Washington Memorial Chapel. It was a gorgeous church with old hand-carved pews and fancy woodwork. There was a gallery off the sanctuary that housed a replica Liberty Bell dedicated to the Daughters of the Revolution. The grounds were beautiful and I'm sure weddings there would be pretty spectacular. We got some really nice pictures of each other, though I'm realizing now, we need to be better about getting pictures together. Part of this is my fault because I'm paranoid about my camera being stolen.

We spent our drive home discussing our 1st year together, recalling our favorite memories from our wedding. I feel very lucky to be so happy and to have found someone I can share my life with. We've adjusted to life together very well, though we still struggle somewhat with finding the balance between work and home. We're very excited to be starting a family. It is amazing how time seems to have flown by, yet stand still. So much has happened since last July. We're really excited for Rocky Mt and cannot wait to see everyone. This baby is quite a world traveler already!

First Anniversary

Mike and I just celebrated our first anniversary! We had some surprises and we celebrated by going to Philadelphia. Mike had never been to the historic district and I do not remember much of the last time I was there. I suggested it, Mike planned it and we had a wonderful time. Mom and Dad stopped through on their way to Long Island the Thursday before we left, filling our house with baby things and the top tier of our wedding cake. Neither Mike or I realized they had saved it. Another shout out to Bobak's, the cake tasted pretty delicious after a year in a deep freezer, and the four of us really enjoyed eating it. Mike is always full of surprises and while walking in downtown State College, we passed by a photography studio and Mike said, 'what do you think of that one?' I turned and my attention was caught by my own face staring back at me. I knew he had been planning a surprise, but the surprise was better than I had imagined. He coordinated with a photographer, using pictures from our wedding and copies of our vows to make a beautiful piece of art we can hang in our house. It's very fortunate one of us was blessed with the sentimental gene and can give these kinds of gifts, I'm a bit lacking in that area and my gifts tend to be entirely practical. I got him a hiking pack for Longs Peak/other hiking trips.

I had the 11th and 12th off, so Mike booked us a hotel right on the Delaware River within walking distance to historic Philly. We arrived, checked-in, lathered on sunscreen and set off to see Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the many other sites of Philly. It was a pretty hot day, but we made the best of it, ducking into air conditioned buildings frequently and keeping full bottles of water on us. Independence Hall was under construction, but we were still able to tour the inside and see where the Declaration was signed and an old courtroom. We've started collecting Christmas ornaments from the various places we have visited, starting with Hawai'i. On our honeymoon we got a really nice shell angel, then in Jamaica we got a similar style shell star and in Philly we found an ornament with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell on it. Before we leave State College we'll have to get a Penn State ornament. There were a lot of buildings we would have liked to have gone inside, but because we couldn't get to Philly until near noon, many of them were closed by the time we got around to them. Next time.

We headed back to the hotel about 5 for a rinse and cool-down before dinner. Mike made reservations at a restaurant called Moshulu. The restaurant is a four-masted ship, and is the largest in the world still afloat. Again, within walking distance of the hotel. It was beautiful! When Mike made the reservation, he told them we were celebrating our first anniversary, so after we ate they brought us little mango sorbets (delicious). We were among 2 other couples celebrating anniversaries and the couple next to us got engaged before we left. The food was spectacular! A close second to Chef Amaury's. I had a virgin pina colada, Mike a salty seadog or something along those lines. An appetizer of the lighest gnocchi we've ever had, and the sauce! We both had steaks for dinner with sides of mac-n-cheese, fries, cream corn, and heirloom tomatoes. Now I don't like raw tomatoes, but even I thought these were better than your average tomato. the cream corn was made with fresh cream, fresh corn and bacon. Yum! The mac-n-cheese. Holy cow. Move over Two Brothers and share your podium with Moshulu for best cheese sauce I've ever had. I savored every bite. And even though I was full, I couldn't stop. Mike had to take one for the team and finish the mac-n-cheese or he might have been rolling me back to the hotel. It is safe to say, we've welcomed Mike to the foody ranks.

For day 2 of our anniversary trip, we went to Eastern State Penitentiary. Yes, we went to prison for our anniversary. I'm sure you're thinking 'Oh, how romantic'. I was a bit skeptical, but this place was pretty awesome. Opened in 1829, it was the world's first penitentiary, designed in a hub and spokes design and it was abandoned in 1971. It's right in the heart of Philly and is a pretty ominous structure, looking more like a fortress of a castle than a prison. I got to open the 2 ton gate. The whole of the prison is a self-guided audio tour. We got there at 10, when it opens, and ended up staying till nearly 1. Much longer than we anticipated. It was a bit eerie inside the prison, and the tiny cells made you appreciate your freedom. Some of the most interesting things (to me anyway) in the prison were that Al Capone was held there for about 10 months. Check out his cell. Pretty sweet deal compared to every one else.
There was a plaque in the hub that gave thanks to prisoners that fought in WWI, however they are recognized only by their number. Their names are not mentioned at all. Initially, the prison was designed to be one where punishment was complete solitude. Prisoners were brought in with black bags over their heads, so as not to learn the layout of the building, they were led into their cells from an exterior room. They spent 23hrs of the day within their tiny cell, completely isolated from human contact, with the idea that isolation brought penitence. 1hr a day they were allowed to move into the annex of their room that allowed sunlight and fresh air. Guards patrolling the cell blocks wore wool socks over their boots to muffle the sound of their footsteps. And unlike prisons today with a door that opens to the corridor, there was only a feeding door. Imagine spending a yr in a place without any human contact. A lot of them probably went crazy.

Some of the funnier, interesting things about ESP were the successful escape attempt, in which a prisoner dug a tunnel, that is still present today, and led 10 other prisoners to freedom just outside the prison walls. What's funny is that all were caught and one showed up 8 days after the escape at the prison door asking to be let back in because he was hungry. The white line shows where the tunnel is.

And by far the most interesting bit of history at ESP is Pep: The cat murdering black lab. Rumor was, Pep killed the governor's wife's beloved cat and was sentenced to life in prison. Complete with a number. He looks pretty guilty in the photo. He was actually donated to the prison, following an example from another prison elsewhere, but he did have a number. The prison closed in 1971 following a riot that seemed to make people realize 'oh, there's a prison in my backyard with death row inmates'. Very interesting, I'd recommend visiting if you're in Philly, they do tour on Halloween too!

Fowl Foul

I was late to work this morning because I was observing pigeon courtship from my kitchen window. The pair landed on the windowsill of the building next door. The male did his puffed-up whirly dance while the female paced back and forth, clearly a little interested but not willing to commit right away. Then the male stopped and they both stood there with a size-able gap in between, not facing each other, in what I imagine was kind of an awkward silence.

After a minute or two the female walked right over to the male and took his beak in hers and did the "ok" dance. The male just stood there like a moron. She walked away, confused (in my opinion), but neither flew away from the sill.

They stood there for a few more minutes in awkward silence and then the female marched over determinedly again, took his beak in hers and shook him around. Then she laid down right next to him. (I think you can imagine what she probably intended by that..) And amazingly, the idiot just stood there. She got up and walked to the other end of the sill, probably wondering what she'd done wrong and feeling duped by this dumb*** bird-brain... like, you came over to ME shaking your tailfeathers. I fell for you, and I put myself out there for you, and now you're rejecting me?? I thought you liked me!

I watched the whole painful encounter once more. She approached, did the beak-shaking thing, laid down, and the male stood there for a moment and then actually walked away. Then they flew off and left me to ponder. I won't lie, I was muttering expletives under my breath about that stupid male pigeon all the way to the train. Give a sister a break.

Hawaiian Girl

 
 
Mom asked me to put a picture of Elinore in this new dress up here. I think Aunt Barby helped pick out the fabric in Hawaii. She loves it!