A Heartfelt Apology

A Heartfelt Apology

I feel like I owe someone an apology. There's only so much time in the day, and most of us have more to get done than we can handle nowadays. So I'd just like to say "I'm sorry" to the mysterious RW visitor from somewhere in the UK who has spent so many hours this week playing Raspberry World Memory. I hope it hasn't taken too much time away from more important things.

And for all the addicts victims fans of that evil game, look for the addition of some new pictures after we get settled in our new home and I have my own computer (and more importantly, beloved Photoshop) back in my possession. There are many more things to add, including a trip to Italy, summer in Germany, and the return to Connecticut. Stay tuned, and I'll announce it here when the new pictures are in the mix.

Of course, if you want to practice before then, you can: Raspberry World Memory.

If I had a way of categorizing posts, this one would be filed under "fun with webstats."

Hiking in Connecticut

Hiking in Connecticut

On Sunday we hiked around a small lake near our hotel. We started at Giuffrida Park in Meriden, and hiked up 377 feet to Chauncey Peak. Then we followed the blue-blazed trail alongside a quarry and back through the woods, and then made our way back around the other side of Crescent Lake, an emergency reservoir. Crescent Lake is also known as Prospect Lake or the Bradley-Hubbard Reservoir. It has a lot of names for such a small lake!

This was an easy hike that took us less than two hours. We enjoyed the weather, and the views across central Connecticut. Here are a few pictures I took:

Click on pictures to enlarge.

1. Crescent Lake, seen from atop the dam at Giuffrida Park
2. Looking west from Chauncey Peak -- my car is visible in the parking lot below. In the distance are the Hanging Hills of Meriden (also called the Lion's Paw)
3. The rocks on Chauncey peak, with a view to the east -- you can see the blue paint on the rocks marking the trail
4. Marty on the rocks above the lake
5. Hiking downhill through the woods
6. Walking along beside the lake at the end of the hike, looking back down the lake towards the dam

Meriden by Night

Click to enlarge all photos.

Meriden by Night

It's been busy since I last wrote! I've had some job interviews and Marty's been busy at work. We're getting ready for our move to Middletown in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime we are enjoying Meriden. Once known as "Silver City," in the 1800s Meriden was a center of production for all kinds of useful items like belts, hoops, pewter, guns, cutlery, nails, buttons, lamps, ivory combs, tin ware, organs, coffee grinders, and of course, silver. The first mechanical piano was even created in Meriden. In the 20th century, most of the industry in Meriden was closed, but in 1944 the town was honored as “The Nation’s Ideal War Community” for its industrial and patriotic contributions. It is also the home of a Connecticut culinary specialty, steamed cheeseburgers.

Here are a couple of pictures of Meriden by night.

1. Monument Boulevard on Broad Street honors Meriden natives who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces during various wars.
2. Cold beer on a hot night.

Connecticut Landmarks

Connecticut Landmarks

Click on all pictures to enlarge.

Just look at that sunset over the diner!

Today marks two weeks since we arrived back. We are getting pretty tired of temporary housing and eating at restaurants for almost every meal, but all in all we have accomplished a lot and are feeling productive. We both have cars to drive now, and we have a place to live under contract already, with plans to move soon after labor day. Not bad for barely two weeks in the country!

Since my last update we've been happy to see some of our friends here. We had a fun visit with Amanda and Frank last Thursday, and last night we were over at Trish's for dinner. We missed you guys!

Thanks to the remnants of hurricaine Charley, today was pretty rainy up until just an hour or so ago. Now the sun is trying to come out. But last week was gorgeous! I took these pictures last Tuesday, at the Olympia Diner on the Berlin Turnpike, and at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield -- two Connecticut landmarks.

1. Olympia Diner at dusk.

2. Milkshake and tabletop jukeboxes -- two signs of a true diner.

3. The European burger mystifies me.

4. Old-fashioned scale. No springs attached.

5. Lyman Orchard on a Tuesday morning.

6. Pigeons roosting beside the duckpond.

7. The home of the best apple pie in Connecticut.

Back in the Saddle Again

Back in the Saddle Again

Or at least, cruising the Berlin Turnpike.

Click all pictures to enlarge.

Connecticut is not very different from two years ago, with the exception of a Tim Horton's in Meriden (although honestly, I'm not sure how long that's been there) and an obsession with carbs which I think is typical of the entire USA. I am a little different from how I was two years ago, though -- the cars seem very large to me, and the air conditioning seems very cold, and yesterday I think I freaked a woman out by standing too close to her in line. I wasn't close by German standards, but I think I may have been a little close by US standards. Oops.

Marty and I have been busy since my last update, with a weekend trip down to Virginia to see Scot and Jim, and lots of settling-in activities in Connecticut. It was fun to take a road trip. I've missed New York, and just driving through and crossing the George Washington Bridge made me realize that we need to make a day trip there soon. I took this picture as we were exiting the Major Deegan Highway to climb up to the George Washington Bridge.

We've also visited a lot of different areas of Connecticut, since we've been looking for somewhere to live. Central Connecticut sure does have some pretty countryside. I've visited several of my old haunts, including Lyman Orchard (just this morning). I have taken a few pictures since we've been back, but right now I think I'll post a few photos from our last week in Munich.

1. Self-portrait with bicycle, reflected in our front door in Munich.
2. Our apartment building, as seen from across the street. (The small white van belongs to the movers who were packing us up that day.)
3. Funhouse mirror at the Munich City Museum. Look at my feet!
4. Long-waisted friends.
5. The Harmunichs Sommerfest 2004, on my last day in Munich.
6. Heatwave! My final performance with the Harmunichs.
7. Lagerfeuer (campfire) on our last night -- Marty is in the background, if you can see him.

We are back!

I don't have time to post a long entry right now but I wanted to say we made it back to Connecticut. Monday was a long day (about 25 hours for Marty and me, 22 for Ziggy), but we are back in the US and looking for a house. We do have internet access in our hotel room, thank goodness, and I will update as time allows. I hope to get my camera hooked up and post some pictures as well, soon.

Thanks for all the good wishes and thoughts! We appreciate it!