Philadelphia - AAA Conference 2009

This past Wednesday through Sunday, I was in Philadelphia for the American Anthropological Association's 2009 Annual Conference. I was fortunate enough to have been awarded a grant to go, so much of it was paid for. Wednesday I flew in to Philly with a friend from my Department. We got into our lovely hotel around 7pm and went over to the conference hotel to begin "networking." Then we paid way too much for a meager dinner in the conference hotel, not knowing what else was available in the area. Thursday morning we got up early and headed to the Marriott to check in and attend sessions. I caught this photo above in front of City Hall, which is reflected in the building on the right. Yes, that is a giant clothespin.
After attending several sessions Thursday morning, I checked out the book exhibit. To demonstrate how truly nerdy I am, I had this photo taken with an accurate replication of a Neanderthal skeleton. Yes, I know. My nerdiness is getting worse through this Grad School process.
Friday I set aside a few hours to get out of the Marriott and explore the historic district, and I'm so glad I did. It is all too easy to see nothing but the inside of a hotel when at a conference. Above is Independence Hall. It was beautiful and impacting to see where our country was founded.
Here I am in the signing room - where our Declaration of Independence was signed.

George Washington, outside of Independence Hall and next to the modern flag.
I also got to see Congress Hall, the temporary location of the national government from 1790-1800 and where John Adams was inaugurated. The Liberty Bell was also nice. Afterward, I headed back to the conference for the rest of the day. I was able to meet a few anthropologists who currently work in New Zealand, and it was exciting to learn about their experiences and exchange contact information. I felt like I hit the jackpot, as they told me to contact them with any questions as I pursue my research.
Saturday morning was spent in sessions. We caught lunch at a vegetarian Chinese food place, which was probably the most complete meal I ate during the entire four days. It snowed so hard that afternoon that I broke my umbrella and stabbed my hand with it. The flakes were the size of quarters! Saturday night I went to a party for a section of the AAA, and got to meet many interesting anthropologists and graduate students. I even met some of the "big names" in the field and got lots of ideas for research. Sunday our flight was delayed, we missed our connection, and my suitcase ended up in Cinncinatti. Fun!
The best part of the trip was probably staying with my friend in the Department who is getting ready to do her fieldwork in Indonesia. She gave me some amazing advice. Next year I hope to present a paper at the conference and am so glad that I went this year to see what it is all about, and make some great contacts.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was wonderful. My family came from out of state and we were so happy to see them. We only see them once a year, and my little niece grows so fast in between visits. We had a lovely Thanksgiving lunch/dinner - turkey (which Jonathan and I did not eat), mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, glazed carrots, rolls, cranberry jelly, pumpkin and pecan pie. Yum! I ate the least pie of any year I can remember - only two small slices of pumpkin. Above is Alex stealthily munching on a roll before the meal started. That night we stayed up late playing, Quelf, a very fun game. It's kind of like Cranium only very very weird.
The weather was uncharacteristically nice and we all went to the Dog Park to play. Uncle Ricky threw the frisbee and all three chased after it.
Uncle Jonathan is so popular! We also went to see some of Jonathan's family for Thanksgiving. I unfortunately do not have pictures of that aspect of the holiday weekend, but we had a very nice time. I hope everyone had as lovely of a holiday as we did. Kaylen, Uncle Ricky, and Alex - we can't wait to see you again very soon!

J.J.'s surgery

Thursday J.J. had surgery. It's a routine procedure (neutering) but I was a nervous wreck. We really hated to have it done, but we know that it was best for him. He's doing okay now. We picked him up Thursday night and he was still very drugged. He's on pain medicine for a few more days with strict orders not to run, jump, or play for 5 days. Poor little man! He already seems much better this morning than yesterday and I'm sure he'll be is old self in no time. You should have seen me though - crying like a baby and anxious all day. This is why I have a dog instead of kids! Can you imagine if I had a human child going through surgery?!
J.J. is on a diet of rice and chicken and this morning he bumped the bowl while I was putting it down. Rice and chicken went flying everywhere. You know what's great about having a dog and a cat around? You don't have to vacuum food off the floor!

One week until Thanksgiving break!

Zoie has already discovered the tree. It won't be long before we find her perched among the branches, bending them down and nearly knocking the tree over.

My two guys, just hanging out. I think this one shows how big J.J. is now.

Hugs!

High-five!

We are counting down the days to Thanksgiving break with mixed emotions. On the one hand, we are SO ready for a break. Really, I wish I could express how ready. On the other hand, we have so much to do before and after break that it's kind of scary. I wish I could pause time for about 3 days, do nothing but schoolwork, and then pick up again. I think that's really the challenge to Grad School - it's doesn't require a genius but someone who's willing to attempt to do more work than is possible given the amount of time. And then go at it again, semester after semester for 5+ years. Ahhhh. We're having fun. :)
Actually, we did have a fun weekend. Last night, Mom came over for dinner and I made barley vegetable soup and three grain baguette bread from scratch. She took our picture for our Christmas card and J.J. had the most fun clambering all over grandma. It's okay, she likes it. Today, Jonathan and I both got in the Christmas mood, put on some tunes, and put up the tree and stockings. I can't help it - I'm a Christmas fanatic. If I could get away with wearing an elf outfit to work, I totally would. Now we're getting ready for bed before our final week before break. Please, slow down Time!

Jumping for Leaves

In one week, all of the leaves have fallen to the ground. Now we are enjoying running through them, throwing them up in the air, and hearing them crunch. A puppy playing in the leaves will remind you of the childlike joy in such things. We have to take a break from deadlines, obligations, and work, to enjoy the little things in life that make it special.
Today is Halloween and we don't have plans except to study. We both have tests coming up and seemingly endless research to do. But maybe we'll take a break to try a locally brewed pumpkin ale.
J.J.'s adolescent bark alerted us to the presence of some visitors in our backyard. Two adults and one baby deer were passing through. That is one thing that I love about Missouri - wildlife is never far from your doorstep.
Jonathan built for us our first fire last night. Now our house is cozy and warm and smells like Fall. Now we just need to have some s'mores and it will be complete.
Rob and Wilma, we hope you have a wonderful flight home, and we hope that someday our obligations will lessen so that we can spend more time with you when you visit. We do apologize for not being able to visit more.
Happy Halloween, everyone!

We spent another beautiful Fall weekend locked away studying. Not to say that it was bad, though. We are really enjoying playing with J.J. in the leaves in our backyard. We've yet to turn on the fireplace but I have a feeling that it will be used very soon.
I apologize for not having anything too exciting to report. Aside from the special treat of visiting my mom's yesterday, J.J. had a rather boring weekend watching us sit in front of the mysterious white boxes at our desks that seem to require so much attention.
Rob and Wilma, we hope you've had a great first week of your vacation. We're sorry that we could not visit this weekend but we hope it was a good one for you!
My how time flies in Graduate School... Is it really almost November?

We have some exciting news. I've been awarded a grant to travel to my discipline's annual conference this December! I worked hard on the grant proposal and was awarded far more than I imagined. I am so excited! Philadelphia here I come!
This past weekend we visited family who came in from Holland. It was so good to see you, Rob and Wilma! I'm sorry that I forgot my camera at home and have no pictures to post from our brief weekend visit. We hope you have a great vacation and hope to see you again before you re-cross the Atlantic. Since we don't have pictures of family right now, here's one of J.J. coming back from the park all wet. It will probably be the last time we visit the park until J.J. is fixed and the weather improves.
We've been working so hard in school lately that I convinced Jonathan to allow me to buy him his favorite beer and kick back for a whole hour of no homework last Sunday. Sam Adams Octoberfest only comes around once a year and Jonathan needs a break! Congrats to Jonathan for giving in to his wife who made him be a bad student for not studying for a whole hour. :) Life is good.

Puppy School

This was J.J.'s second week at school and he did so much better! We were so proud of his improvement and have already found it to be a worthy investment. I think he enjoyed it a lot more yesterday as well.

After class he is pooped! And we are two happy puppy parents. :)
School is going well - we made it through our first exams and assignments. We are really looking forward to the holidays and the cooler weather, hot chocolate, pumpkin treats, and the smell of burning leaves.

13.1 Miles

Saturday I completed my first half marathon! I've been running since January and intensely training since June for the race. I think it's probably my most successful New Year's resolution ever. The race was great, although the course was incredibly hilly and it poured rain for the first 7 miles. I felt a great sense of accomplishment at the finish line.

The rest of the weekend was spent doing exams and homework. J.J. went to puppy kindergarten last week and did pretty well. It made us realize how much we need him in training, especially at the challenging age of 7 months. But mostly, what you see above is how we spend most of our lives now. We are loving the beginning of Fall, with beautiful colors and fresh, crisp air.

Jonathan's Birthday and a Wedding

Jonathan with the fried green pepper rings at a restaurant for his birthday. Don't cringe until you try them. They are amazing.
A picture from the wedding, overlooking the river. It was just beautiful.
Flowers and a smelly-good candle from family.
I apologize, I am really playing a lot of catch-up lately. We are so busy but that's probably something I'll be saying a lot between now and December. The weekend before last was Jonathan's birthday. I think it was a really good one. We started the day off with coffee and breakfast downtown. Then we opened presents and had lunch at a great jazz restaurant. Two of our very good friends got married in the afternoon and we spent the rest of the day with them celebrating with lots of good wine. The wedding was beautiful and all of our friends from the Hippie Gathering were there. Then we went to visit family for the rest of the weekend and enjoyed a cookout, brownies, and Sonic Blasts. J.J. always enjoys the pool especially.
This past weekend we stayed home, studying a lot. Jonathan's mom and aunt drove a 6 hour round-trip to come see us. It was such a nice surprise. They brought us flowers, a yummy candle, lots of goodies from Washington D.C. and some bones for J.J. They also took us to lunch where we introduced them to the green pepper rings. Thanks for coming!

This week we are trying to keep up with schoolwork and J.J. It's a great challenge.

Some Quick updates

We're so busy! School and our new jobs began last week and we are already in the swing of hectic schedules. I am working 30 hours per week at two jobs on campus, one of them as a Teaching Assistant, as well as taking a full course load. I will be giving my first lecture to a class of 120 students tomorrow. Yikes! Jonathan has two jobs as well on campus (he ended up getting his tuition and insurance waived!) and is also taking a full load of courses. Poor J.J. is adjusting to our increased absence. Tuesdays are super busy (I am gone from 7:30am to 7:15pm) so J.J. spends his day with Grandma. We are so relieved to have Mom in town to take care of him.

This is Zoie's life. Not much has changed.

This is J.J. on his bed, a gift from the Grandparents Cisco. I'm sure he misses us during the day but Jonathan gets home for lunch to let him out and I usually get home before 5. We're still walking him/playing with him nightly to burn off some of that crazy puppy energy.
I had my last day at work on the 21st and it was bittersweet. I am very happy to be a student again but I miss the interaction with my co-workers. They were so sweet to take me to lunch and I had a great dinner with my boss that night. It was a very good two years. But the life of the student is really for me. I am constantly running all over campus and have multiple obligations and work to do. It's great! Jonathan is liking his classes and Department so far and will be adjusting to the life of the student as well. We will be attending a wedding this weekend, celebrating Jonathan's birthday, and enjoying the three-day holiday weekend.

Celebrating Three Wonderful Years of Marriage

Sunday we celebrated our third year of marriage. We had a wonderful day. It began with a nice run together on the trail. Then we took J.J. to mom's house - thanks for puppy-sitting, mom! We had lunch at Cherry Street Artisan. They have great veggie options and really good coffee. Then we had some handmade ice cream downtown at Sparky's. We got home around 3 and played my favorite game, Life. Then we decided to get carry-out from Bambino's, a local Italian restaurant. We enjoyed a lovely meal, just the two of us, with local wine followed by Belgian chocolate. It really was a perfect day and we did it without spending much money. We picked up J.J. at around 8 and he was so happy to see us!

Ready to go out, at my mom's after dropping J.J. off.
Lunch at Cherry St. Artisan.
Ice cream! Yummy dinner with wine.

The Anniversary has made me reflect on some things. First of all, I realize how much I take a loving husband for granted. Sure, we have our little disagreements now and then. But overall, I am so lucky and we are both so happy together. So I thought I would briefly (and in no particular order) list 10 things that I love about you, Jonathan.

1. I love your smile - how your eyes sparkle and crinkle up when something makes you laugh.

2. Your tender heart - I love you how sometimes have the spontaneous urge to hug a stranger, just because your heart is overflowing with love for humanity.

3. Your patience, understanding, and appreciation for the female sacrifice - you are so good to me when it's "that time of the month" and so sweetly thank me for going through the pain and hassle that will eventually allow us to have children.

4. Your money managing - I know it's practical, but I am so appreciative that I have a husband who watches our finances so diligently, saves money that I didn't know we had, and always thinks about our future.

5. Your passion for learning new things- when you find something fascinating, you don't just read an article and call it quits. You dive in, striving to absorb all you can until there's nothing left.

6. Your safe driving - Again, very practical, but it has always made me feel so protected and cared for that you consider me "precious cargo."

7. Appreciation for other cultures - This is a big one. You enjoy meeting people from other cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds. And you don't just sit and enjoy hearing about their neat idiosyncrasies. You strive to find a common ground, something that we all share, no matter who we are, because we are human. And you see the beauty in that.

8. You hate to kill bugs - but you will kill a spider for me, because you know I am afraid of them. The best part is that you whisper an apology to it before you do.

9. Your concern for my health - As long as we've been together, you have reminded me to take my vitamins, wash my hands, take my medicine, cared for me during surgeries and illnesses. I have given you a hard time for it sometimes, but I know you do it because you love me.

10. Nearly every day, you tell me that I am beautiful. It means so much to know that after 6 years together and 3 of them being married, you still think I am beautiful. I do my hair, makeup, and clothing just for you, in anticipation that you will notice. And you always do.

So, though I don't say it enough, thank you. For being a loving, adoring, thoughtful, kind-hearted husband. I've never regretted the commitment that we made that day on the beach, three years ago. In fact, it gets sweeter by the day. I hope we'll share many more together.

Love,

Your Angel

Fun with Friends

On Saturday we had lunch with friends from out of town and went to the local winery for the first time. It is situated on top of some bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. It was beautiful and the wine was great. The rest of the weekend we spent at home, running errands, and playing with J.J. He's definitely hitting puberty, because he has been challenging us quite a bit lately. We hope to weigh him this week because he seems absolutely huge to us. Here are some pics from the park.

We all have lots of fun at the park but always end up filthy.

We tried some new recipes this weekend and they turned out well - homemade black bean burgers with pesto. Yum! This week we have only three weeks remaining to the beginning of the semester with new jobs and new classes.

Successful Garage Sale

Whew! What a weekend! Jonathan and I drove to family's house on Thursday night for our big family garage sale. Friday was the big work day and we spent the entire day and most of the evening sorting, cleaning, setting up, pricing, and preparing. LOTS of work. Saturday we kicked off the sale after 8 and had great weather for it. Cool with a good breeze. J.J. spent most of the day inside with swim and potty breaks and behaved pretty well. Saturday night the girls went out for a girl's night and had a good time. We went to a country bar which was pretty interesting. People watching was probably the best part. But I sure was glad to get back home to my boys!
Sunday we finished up the sale and took the leftovers out to a Charity thrift store. We all did quite well in the end and have some profits to account for our hard work and sweat. We all agreed that it was good but that we wouldn't do it again for at least 5 years. :)

The gals holding up the hard-earned cash.
This is J.J.'s "I love you, Mom" face. Melts my heart. It's the expression on his face right before he licks your nose.

J.J. spent nearly more time in the pool than out of it. His new toy is a frisbee which turns out to be a bad pool toy. I got a little wet rescuing him after a failed attempt at retrieving the frisbee in the water.

J.J., thinking contemplative thoughts. :) Actually, he had finished swimming with Jonathan and the kids and was too tired to keep going. He's watching them play "Marco Polo."

Hope you all had a good weekend!