Tuesday, August 30, 2011
First Days of School, Environs, Food, etc.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Ottawa National Refuge
Yesterday Javier, Paco and I drove to the Ottawa National Refuge, a migratory bird haven about an hour away on Lake Erie. It was beautiful with multiple pools, patches of woods, wild grapes, queen's lace, carnibal, Northern Blazing star (plus many more) wildflowers attracting plenty of butterflies, egrets, blue herons, frogs AND a jet black snake (maybe a garter, racer, or water snake). Luckily, Paco can be amazingly unobservant so while both the snake and I were startled, Paco had no encounter with it.
What follows are photos and video Javier took on our sweet little day trip.
Look closely for the frog
Crane Creek and Lake Erie beyond
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RsjZB9v_k0
Enter the link for the lovely lily pad video
What follows are photos and video Javier took on our sweet little day trip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RsjZB9v_k0
Enter the link for the lovely lily pad video
Thursday, August 18, 2011
South Bass Island, Lake Erie
My mom wanted a boat ride on Lake Erie and luckily she did because we spent a beautiful day at Put-In Bay village on South Bass Island, about an hour and 15 minutes from BG. Put-In Bay thrives on tourism during the summer but in the winter only about 100 residents remain. Provisions and mail are flown in periodically during the cold months, and once a week bank employees are flown in so residents can do their banking. The island is only about three and half miles long and a mile and a half wide.
On the ferry my mom suggested getting a golf cart to ride around on and I admonished the idea for being silly. However, once we arrived we saw nearly everyone from the ferry queing up at golf cart rental stands. Soon we were puttering around the island on "Lucky Lucy" among the golf cart, car, bicycle, lawn mower and motorbike traffic.
It was fun to have Javier chauffeur us on the cart but if we go back again, or if we go to another Lake Erie Island, Javier and I decided our bikes would be the best modes of transportation.
Paco's first boat ride
International Peace Memorial at Put-In Bay
View from the State Park
Action Shot
Our golf cart, "Lucky Lucy"
Paco on the golf cart
On the ferry my mom suggested getting a golf cart to ride around on and I admonished the idea for being silly. However, once we arrived we saw nearly everyone from the ferry queing up at golf cart rental stands. Soon we were puttering around the island on "Lucky Lucy" among the golf cart, car, bicycle, lawn mower and motorbike traffic.
It was fun to have Javier chauffeur us on the cart but if we go back again, or if we go to another Lake Erie Island, Javier and I decided our bikes would be the best modes of transportation.
Paco's first boat ride
International Peace Memorial at Put-In Bay
View from the State Park
Action Shot
Our golf cart, "Lucky Lucy"
Paco on the golf cart
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Mom Visits & Ann Arbor
My mom arrived yesterday from D.C. and today we drove the 13 track cd (as I like to time it) drive to Ann Arbor. I wished we lived there, but the commute for Javier would be a little ridiculous so weekend trips and these photos will have to suffice.
Breakfast before the day trip. Notice the squirt gun used for a misbehaving Paco. He was, however, on his best behavior during the trip and he got so much attention I think I'm going to look for commercial sponsorship for him.
Mom at the sweet Aunt Agatha's New and Used Mystery Bookstore. When I called to double-check that dogs were allowed the owner said, "Heck ya!"
One cool dude plus a passion fruit cupcake
The University of Michigan's Arboretum. Yes, we were hounded by dog-size mosquitoes (especially Javier), but I want to go back. I bet fall there will knock-out beautiful.
Mom, Paco, and I at the Arboretum
Paco having the time of his life in his first river
Javier trying to run Paco ragged, or vice versa
The prairie landscape at the Arboretum
Lovely pods in the prairie
Breakfast before the day trip. Notice the squirt gun used for a misbehaving Paco. He was, however, on his best behavior during the trip and he got so much attention I think I'm going to look for commercial sponsorship for him.
Mom at the sweet Aunt Agatha's New and Used Mystery Bookstore. When I called to double-check that dogs were allowed the owner said, "Heck ya!"
One cool dude plus a passion fruit cupcake
The University of Michigan's Arboretum. Yes, we were hounded by dog-size mosquitoes (especially Javier), but I want to go back. I bet fall there will knock-out beautiful.
Mom, Paco, and I at the Arboretum
Paco having the time of his life in his first river
Javier trying to run Paco ragged, or vice versa
The prairie landscape at the Arboretum
Lovely pods in the prairie
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Photos!
I'm in Javier's office at BGSU where the WiFi rocks so here's some fotos!
Paco and his car throne
Earth, TX
The house I spent many an hour chasing rabbits in Paducah, TX
My dad and Paco fighting over a taco from Big Truck Tacos (our best meal on the road) in Oklahoma City
111 W. Evers Avenue
Paco and his frontporch domain (he loves eating cardboard)
Hanging basket with mixed lettuces
Black Pearl Chilies
Container Garden with basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, dill, tomatoes, and Black pearl chilies
Amidst Ikea Assembly Madness
Our Room
Dining room with Ikea table
The finished living room, post-Ikea
Paco and his car throne
Earth, TX
The house I spent many an hour chasing rabbits in Paducah, TX
My dad and Paco fighting over a taco from Big Truck Tacos (our best meal on the road) in Oklahoma City
111 W. Evers Avenue
Paco and his frontporch domain (he loves eating cardboard)
Hanging basket with mixed lettuces
Black Pearl Chilies
Container Garden with basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, dill, tomatoes, and Black pearl chilies
Amidst Ikea Assembly Madness
Our Room
Dining room with Ikea table
The finished living room, post-Ikea
How I Barely Survived the Wood County Fair
Javier and I had discussed going to the fair in BG and on the last day we ventured out to the fair grounds, a mere mile from our house.
The fair was a stamp-size version of the Pima County Fair with the same game booths where you can win a 10 foot, stuffed boa constrictor by plunking pennies into goldfish bowls; the same fried and sugar-saturated food (I overheard one girl ask her friend, "You want a deep-fried Snickers?"); the same livestock pens and craft competition barns; and a handful of the same rides.
Javier and I first looked at the "Fine Arts" barn where mostly young people had submitted artwork into various categories in the hopes of winning a ribbon. It was fun to see the photos, paintings, and drawings of so many students and reminded me of all the talented teenagers I've had the chance to work with.
We also went into the building the housed the gardening, baking, flower arrangement, quilting, etc. competition remnants. The "best of show" flower arrangement was a bouquet of white mums, red carnations, and pine boughs tucked into an ice skate for the "Father's Day" category. Halloween and Eeyore were common themes in the quilting/sewing area. We were somewhat confounded by the glass counters encasing pieces of bread, cake, and muffins that had been part of the baking competition four days prior.
After wandering through these buildings we bought 12 tickets for the rides. We started with the Orbiter, which looks like an octotpus with three suction cups (the cars) per arm and which whirls these cups around and up and down. As soon as the ride started I knew I had made a terrible mistake. Immediately my stomach lurched, I closed my eyes and realized I needed to go to a place of peace in my mind. What heightened the nausea was that every time our car swung down, we zoomed by the speaker which blared "Barbara Ann." Even more horrible than hearing the Beach Boys shrilling in my ears was that there were two false stops. The arms would start to slow, I would breathe normally, flex my hands which had been clamped to the metal safety bar, and then the arms would pick up speed again. When this happened the last time, frantic thoughts filled my head: What signal could I give (because the carnies obviously wouldn't be able to hear me scream "Stop!") to show them I wanted off? Was the ride stuck? Could I force myself to faint?
During this whole torturous time Javier also had his eyes closed but would laugh occasionally and say things like, "I don't want to be a pilot." When we finally stopped he had to help me out of the car and we made our wobbly way to a bench. After several minutes of trying to quell the waves in my stomach by taking deep breaths, I forfeited my remaining tickets to a young couple, we went to watch part of a 4-H auction, I ate a soft pretzel and Javier ate a chocolate dipped piece of key lime pie, and Javier declared our day divided into "Before the Orbiter" and "After the Orbiter."
The fair was a stamp-size version of the Pima County Fair with the same game booths where you can win a 10 foot, stuffed boa constrictor by plunking pennies into goldfish bowls; the same fried and sugar-saturated food (I overheard one girl ask her friend, "You want a deep-fried Snickers?"); the same livestock pens and craft competition barns; and a handful of the same rides.
Javier and I first looked at the "Fine Arts" barn where mostly young people had submitted artwork into various categories in the hopes of winning a ribbon. It was fun to see the photos, paintings, and drawings of so many students and reminded me of all the talented teenagers I've had the chance to work with.
We also went into the building the housed the gardening, baking, flower arrangement, quilting, etc. competition remnants. The "best of show" flower arrangement was a bouquet of white mums, red carnations, and pine boughs tucked into an ice skate for the "Father's Day" category. Halloween and Eeyore were common themes in the quilting/sewing area. We were somewhat confounded by the glass counters encasing pieces of bread, cake, and muffins that had been part of the baking competition four days prior.
After wandering through these buildings we bought 12 tickets for the rides. We started with the Orbiter, which looks like an octotpus with three suction cups (the cars) per arm and which whirls these cups around and up and down. As soon as the ride started I knew I had made a terrible mistake. Immediately my stomach lurched, I closed my eyes and realized I needed to go to a place of peace in my mind. What heightened the nausea was that every time our car swung down, we zoomed by the speaker which blared "Barbara Ann." Even more horrible than hearing the Beach Boys shrilling in my ears was that there were two false stops. The arms would start to slow, I would breathe normally, flex my hands which had been clamped to the metal safety bar, and then the arms would pick up speed again. When this happened the last time, frantic thoughts filled my head: What signal could I give (because the carnies obviously wouldn't be able to hear me scream "Stop!") to show them I wanted off? Was the ride stuck? Could I force myself to faint?
During this whole torturous time Javier also had his eyes closed but would laugh occasionally and say things like, "I don't want to be a pilot." When we finally stopped he had to help me out of the car and we made our wobbly way to a bench. After several minutes of trying to quell the waves in my stomach by taking deep breaths, I forfeited my remaining tickets to a young couple, we went to watch part of a 4-H auction, I ate a soft pretzel and Javier ate a chocolate dipped piece of key lime pie, and Javier declared our day divided into "Before the Orbiter" and "After the Orbiter."
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Chiltepin, Transplanted
We've been away from Tucson for over two weeks and living in Bowling Green, Ohio for nearly a week and a half. We did A LOT of driving and we've done much in terms of home improvement. Here's our journey thus far (photos will come later as the public WiFi is not cooperating):
The Drive Out
Our move began a little late on Monday, July 25 due to re-packing the trailer and the bed of my dad's truck. We drove to Ruidoso, NM very cautiously to get accustomed to pulling the trailer. However, our self-imposed 60-65 miles speed limit faded away as the miles piled on.
There were only a few minor incidents as the caravan drove east. Paco escaped from his seat belt once while Javier was driving alone and the caravan got split up twice (once in Oklahoma City and again around Indianapolis) but thanks to cell phones and common sense we were quickly reunited.
Our trip also included a brief stop in Paducah, Texas because Javier wanted to see where my dad was born and where he spent the first six years of his childhood. We visited with the son of one of my grandparents' friends at the house where my sister, dad, grandmother and I would visit every summer or so and where Alana and I would chase pet rabbits gone feral and I watched way too much Country Music Television and ate Wuther's butterscoth candy non-stop.
The Arrival and Initial Impressions
Javier and I drove the last half hour together into Bowling Green and were a little anxious, needless to say. We pulled up to our new home and I was relieved to see the house we found online and selected by looking at a hand full of photos turned out to be cute and in a sweet little neighborhood just two blocks from a park, a short walk to downtown BG, and an even shorter walk to the beautiful county library.
On initial explorations of BG I was slightly disappointed as all I noticed at first were bars and tattoo parlors, obviously geared to undergrads that make up the largest percent of the population in town, and strip malls leading in and out of town. Now the town has grown on me as we have found some gems, like the Wednesday afternoon farmer's market (we bought several yummy treats, including a potted chile plant called a Black Pearl-the chilies really look like knuckle-sized, deep purply-black pearls), the used bookstore and cafe, a Bulgarian restaurant, and again, the garden-bedecked, light-filled library where we use the internet and check out gardening books. The residential neighborhoods--those especially west of Main Street/the Dixie Highway--are charming, filled with so much greenery; the fireflies at dusk, and the fact that Thai and Indian food are just a few towns away has also helped win me over.
Projects
Javier's projects have been many and include putting up screens, removing storm windows, creating a compost system, hanging hooks, etc. I've been focused on gardening and my dad and Javier helped me build a 4'x8' raised bed garden; I've also planted salad greens and cress in hanging baskets for the front porch and assembled a small container garden of starter plants. Much of our time was consumed by shopping trips, more shopping than I've ever done in such a short period of time. Home Depot has become a continuous stop-over, and the trip to Ikea was both fun and stressful-I have to admit a few tears were shed on my part by the end of the maze. But now, thanks to the generosity of my dad, we have some great furniture and, thanks to Home Depot, plenty of hardware.
Paco
Paco has had many firsts on this trip and has done remarkably well, most of the time, with these. First cross-country trip, first staircase (it's adorable to see him go waddling down the stairs; he and I often race up the stairs at our house.), first fleas with first flea collar and flea shampoo bath, first carpets (that didn't go too well initially: he "christened" the carpeted bedrooms straight away). We've blocked off the entrance to the front porch with a baby gate and stake him in the backyard in lieu of a fence and he seems content in these outdoor domains.
Job Prospects, Etc. for Moi
I signed up for a class at BGSU; it's an elective for the PhD program in Rhetoric and Composition and it's titled "African American Gothic Literature." The book list looks fabulous: a mix of fiction by Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, and others, as well as nonfiction books about slavery and identity.
I have an interview in late August with a company the contracts substitutes for local county school districts, I applied for a part-time Youth Services Assistant position at my local library, and I found out yesterday I'm a candidate for a fellowship in the College on Innovative Learning at the University of Toledo. One concern is that the letter informing me of my candidacy addressed me as "Dr. Conway." While the title sounds great, I hope it was a simple error made by the admin. assistant typing out the letter and not the belief that I possess a degree higher than I actually have.
El Fin
I was sad to see my dad leave yesterday and head back home, but thrilled that my mom is coming to visit next Saturday. Javier's parents plan on visiting in October and his sister in the spring. We welcome all our friends and family to visit and we have a guest suite to offer (I know: you never expected to visit Bowling Green, Ohio, but now you have personal guides to introduce you to this piece of Midwest farmland).
The Drive Out
Our move began a little late on Monday, July 25 due to re-packing the trailer and the bed of my dad's truck. We drove to Ruidoso, NM very cautiously to get accustomed to pulling the trailer. However, our self-imposed 60-65 miles speed limit faded away as the miles piled on.
There were only a few minor incidents as the caravan drove east. Paco escaped from his seat belt once while Javier was driving alone and the caravan got split up twice (once in Oklahoma City and again around Indianapolis) but thanks to cell phones and common sense we were quickly reunited.
Our trip also included a brief stop in Paducah, Texas because Javier wanted to see where my dad was born and where he spent the first six years of his childhood. We visited with the son of one of my grandparents' friends at the house where my sister, dad, grandmother and I would visit every summer or so and where Alana and I would chase pet rabbits gone feral and I watched way too much Country Music Television and ate Wuther's butterscoth candy non-stop.
The Arrival and Initial Impressions
Javier and I drove the last half hour together into Bowling Green and were a little anxious, needless to say. We pulled up to our new home and I was relieved to see the house we found online and selected by looking at a hand full of photos turned out to be cute and in a sweet little neighborhood just two blocks from a park, a short walk to downtown BG, and an even shorter walk to the beautiful county library.
On initial explorations of BG I was slightly disappointed as all I noticed at first were bars and tattoo parlors, obviously geared to undergrads that make up the largest percent of the population in town, and strip malls leading in and out of town. Now the town has grown on me as we have found some gems, like the Wednesday afternoon farmer's market (we bought several yummy treats, including a potted chile plant called a Black Pearl-the chilies really look like knuckle-sized, deep purply-black pearls), the used bookstore and cafe, a Bulgarian restaurant, and again, the garden-bedecked, light-filled library where we use the internet and check out gardening books. The residential neighborhoods--those especially west of Main Street/the Dixie Highway--are charming, filled with so much greenery; the fireflies at dusk, and the fact that Thai and Indian food are just a few towns away has also helped win me over.
Projects
Javier's projects have been many and include putting up screens, removing storm windows, creating a compost system, hanging hooks, etc. I've been focused on gardening and my dad and Javier helped me build a 4'x8' raised bed garden; I've also planted salad greens and cress in hanging baskets for the front porch and assembled a small container garden of starter plants. Much of our time was consumed by shopping trips, more shopping than I've ever done in such a short period of time. Home Depot has become a continuous stop-over, and the trip to Ikea was both fun and stressful-I have to admit a few tears were shed on my part by the end of the maze. But now, thanks to the generosity of my dad, we have some great furniture and, thanks to Home Depot, plenty of hardware.
Paco
Paco has had many firsts on this trip and has done remarkably well, most of the time, with these. First cross-country trip, first staircase (it's adorable to see him go waddling down the stairs; he and I often race up the stairs at our house.), first fleas with first flea collar and flea shampoo bath, first carpets (that didn't go too well initially: he "christened" the carpeted bedrooms straight away). We've blocked off the entrance to the front porch with a baby gate and stake him in the backyard in lieu of a fence and he seems content in these outdoor domains.
Job Prospects, Etc. for Moi
I signed up for a class at BGSU; it's an elective for the PhD program in Rhetoric and Composition and it's titled "African American Gothic Literature." The book list looks fabulous: a mix of fiction by Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, and others, as well as nonfiction books about slavery and identity.
I have an interview in late August with a company the contracts substitutes for local county school districts, I applied for a part-time Youth Services Assistant position at my local library, and I found out yesterday I'm a candidate for a fellowship in the College on Innovative Learning at the University of Toledo. One concern is that the letter informing me of my candidacy addressed me as "Dr. Conway." While the title sounds great, I hope it was a simple error made by the admin. assistant typing out the letter and not the belief that I possess a degree higher than I actually have.
El Fin
I was sad to see my dad leave yesterday and head back home, but thrilled that my mom is coming to visit next Saturday. Javier's parents plan on visiting in October and his sister in the spring. We welcome all our friends and family to visit and we have a guest suite to offer (I know: you never expected to visit Bowling Green, Ohio, but now you have personal guides to introduce you to this piece of Midwest farmland).
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