Chanukah and elephants

Can you guess which is which? ;)

Tejas!

Ok--so San Antonio was better than I thought. Although I admit I saw three blocks of it. Sunny blue skies and honestly one of the best "business" type hotels I've ever stayed at! People were ridiculously nice, the room was great (best bed!) and the pool was amazing for a city hotel. Room service=gross but what's new. And once you leave the three square blocks around the conference center, everything quickly deteriorates. Almost reminded me of Albany...!?

I got lost on the "famous" Riverwalk which was actually a really nice try at charm and beauty! Kind of like a Texan Venice! It's a broad canal that runs for a couple miles and is lined with shops, hotels and restaurants. It's kind of under the main streets, like the one going from Cherry Creek to REI so it's quiet and almost country looking.










Nicely landscaped and lots of cute baby ducks. :) Tons of Tex-Mex and ice cream. I looked up the "best" Mexican on Riverwalk (yelpers agreed that nothing is good on Riverwalk since locals consider it Disneyworld. I told Danny it's like Little Italy on water for miles-- or Epcot Center Texas.) But I went to the one reviewers said is the only semi-authentic restuarant on the river. Fish tacos for me:



And no. It wasn't that good. But I topped it off with Ben and Jerry's so all ended well.

Back to the hotel for a nap in the sun and a swim!






Tht night I returned with a colleague for a "drink" (pomegranate juice and club soda) and couldn't believe how packed everything was! Margaritas and mariachis everywhere. I was glad to run back to the room and was asleep by 9:30.

I almost forgot--all this after a successful panel with the CDC on the glory of Health Bucks!

Winter approaching...

The view from my office window tonight...



And I'm off to Texas for my last sun of the season!

ClearWater Initiative & Army Ten-Miler Race

I have mentioned to some of you that my friend, David Abraham, recently volunteered to help lead the ClearWater Initiative, an organization his friend founded.

Friends and volunteers are raising money for it by running in the Army Ten-Miler Race this weekend.

I've attended and supported them at other events they've had, and they needed volunteers to help out with the race.

I somehow got stuck with making signs for people to wave in support at the race.

Kinkos and a paint store did the trick.

I made 10 of these, double-sided with each info.

6 month pics!

Sunday, October 17, 2010, My Birthday

My original plan was to go swimming and then to the National Gallery of Art for lunch and art, but then I found myself volunteering to help a friend move apartments. So I started the morning with that. Then, when I made my way back to her old place in Georgetown to retrieve my bike and keys I had left there, I found her apartment locked, so I had to wait around in Georgetown until she could make her way back there to meet me and let me in.

With time to kill, I first went to get gelato. Chocolate hazelnut and pistachio ginger.

Then, I walked through the streets and found myself at Dumbarton Oaks Garden, which I had always wanted to visit. It costs $8 to get in.

Walking back to her apartment, I passed by many nice houses in Georgetown.

Gourds, galore.

Jeremiah's Birthday 2010

Our yearly pilgrimage to celebrate Jeremiah's birthday was a great success. We combined Autumn outdoor fun, good restaurants, home cooking, cultural participation and spa playing. Sabrina's current gestational state added to the excitement.

• Chicken Dinner and birthday cake
• Storm King Outdoor sculpture
• Apple picking
• Horse farm (?)
• "The Pitman Painters"
• Cafe Boulud
• Spa Kastle

Autumn comes to Colorado

The change of seasons is dramatic in Colorado especially with the onset of Fall. New adult ed classes, the DCPA starts up, a new symphony season begins, the Broncos are on the field, the baseball season is winding down, reduced prices ski passes are on sale and fall wardrobes are changing with new styles and fabrics. But most dramatic are the incredible Aspen trees which glisten in brilliant yellow and make us smile in amazement. This week I slowly drove Squaw Pass early in the morning to avert the traffic and then regularly stopping in jaw-dropping wonderment. Check this out:

Tornados and Tummies

Last night there was what we think was a tornado in NYC! Park Slope was hit pretty badly and we happened to be driving through the wrekage, totally unknowingly!









Notice Danny correctly has BOTH hands on the wheel! :)

We also had just come from our first appt with the midwife practice and were feeling very upbeat since we were told I am exactly the right size and all is looking good! 5 months!






Now can I get a seat on the train please?

We came home to find an anxious Oscar who, after a big dinner, passed out on the couch in relief that the tornado hadn't swept him away. :)



(Notice the Econ textbook--Danny's the TA!) Oscar has no respect!

Biking the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

I joined 150 other bicyclists for 6 days of cycling and camping. We did a loop around the eastern upper peninsula of Michigan doing 60 miles per day over flat terrain. We drove north from Ann Arbor across the Mackinac Bridge which separates Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and deposits us into the Upper Peninsula.

We ferried to Mackinaw Island and biked the perimeter and then did a loop visiting small towns and camping on the high school fields. Biked also along Lake Superior and cruised the flat terrain, the vanishing small towns and got into the lore of Great Lakes freighter shipping visiting museums, docked freighters, and famous shipwreck sites.

Camping doable and economical which leads to lots of commeraderie and cooperation among participants. Well organized and a great fun and new experience for me.

Neiel Visits NYC June 2010

I had a wonderful visit to NYC. It was hot but New York filled my plate.

Dinner with Sabrina at Indonesian Ali Baba

Swan Lake Ballet at the Met.

Mus of Natural History: Race to South Pole Scott vs. Amundsen; Silk Road

Biked Ocean P'kway to Coney Island - Nathans

Dinner with Dan and Sabrina - Aldi La

Dinner with Naomi and Stefan - Ali Baba - Turkish

Metropolitan Museum of Art - Picasso, Women's Fashion

I finally get to see Marcus Aurelius in sculpture

Yankees lose to Seattle.

Biked deep into Bronx on Moshalo Bike Path - Pizza

Jer's June Weekend in New York

Burgers n' beer at the Double Windsor in Windsor Terrace, the place we didn't go to last time.

Vietnamese lunch at Pho Pasteur, at 85 Baxter Street in Chinatown:

Soho - CB2, Bo Concepts, and coffee/lemonade/chocolate chip cookie at Olives, on Prince Street.

Hats for sale on Prince Street:

West Elm in Chelsea, "Baxter Sectional":

2 "Baxters"...!

Met Dan for Italian dinner at Malatesta in West Village.

Sunday afternoon yoga at Jaya Yoga in Park Slope.

Dinner at The Good Fork in Red Hook.

Yampa River Canoeing

In mid June I went canoeing with an organized group on the Yampa River just west of Steamboat Springs. I took my bicycle for an outing the day before and toured the Yampa River Bike Trail in Steamboat. The next day our paddling adventure started. The sun shined half the time and that was glorious and easy going on the fast moving current. Intermittent rain and HAIL added risk and adventure. Two nights of camping, excellent food, "birding" with naturalist and being with fun and happy people.