my semi-annual post

It seems I can't be bothered to update the blog regularly anymore, and I'm very sorry. When you're not travelling or doing anything to speak up except for studying, life doesn't lend itself quite as well to blogging. But here's what we've been up to since Obama got voted in last November (my last post) ...


In January, my cousin Karly came to stay with us. Just back from Scotland, she has decided to go to nursing school, and she was in New York to see if the community college/working part time thing would work for her here ...


So there was some IKEA-going as she settled in. (It turned out she found a better situation back in Seattle, and she left us in March ... but she'll be back someday, we hope!)


In March, it snowed. This resulted in very wet feet on the way to school, which later resulted in the buying of rubber boots.


My friend Cadence (upside down, right) and I went to the Armory show, because she had connections and got us in for free. The most interesting thing was the people watching.


I've been working all year at a public school here in Brooklyn, doing after-school tutoring for fourth graders. Here are some of my students. Aren't they fabulous?


And here's the classroom I tutor in -- it's a first grade classroom during the day, so I get to sit on little people chairs.


One of my classes visited the National September 11th Museum and Memorial planning offices and spoke with the Director of Collections for the museum. The offices have a really good view of the WTC site -- you can see the memorial ("Reflecting Absence" - two huge, square waterfalls in the footprints of the towers) taking shape.


It's spring, and there was a big thunderstorm a while back. It took me about 20 tries to get this photo, but isn't it cool? We don't get this kind of weather very often in Seattle, so it's super exciting for me.


My friend and classmate Aaron and his wife Laurie have been inviting us along to the opera recently. Not only is the music good, but the building is by one of my favorite architects, Wallace K. Harrison.


The chandeliers are cool too.


On a recent trip to the movie theater, we noticed this vending machine. I'm sure it's always been there, but it's in an unobtrusive corner ... only in New York. Or possibly Florida.


Open 24/6, except for Passover ...


Another recent discovery has been the neighborhood of Hunter's Point, which is just a 10 minute walk from our house. There's a really amazing state park there, right on the East River. They've preserved the old lifts where freight used to get transferred from rail to ferry to get to Manhattan.


The park has the most amazing view of the Midtown skyline ...


... and comfy reclining benches! It's our new favorite destination on a beautiful evening like this one.


Here's the view on our walk back home ... and that brings us to spring in Greenpoint, where it's now raining and I'm glad for the rubber boots. Finals are here, we're frantically writing term papers, and dreading the onslaught of summer with its 90 degree temperatures and humidity. It's almost AC time!

See you at Christmas, probably ... :)