mac-spedition

The mac is going on a small field trip - its airport card (wireless interweb) hasn't worked for a few weeks, and apparently it's a hardware problem. It's connected to the wired internet but I really miss being able to take it around the house with me. So it's off to an 'Authorized Service Provider' tomorrow evening - I'm really hoping that they ping a new card in and I trundle home with it but something tells me it's not going to happen that way...

I'll be interwebbing on John's PC (if I'm nice to him), so I won't go through too much withdrawal.

We really need to move in to our study properly - we have our desks set up but there are no pictures on the wall (waiting for mom) and all the books are crammed on one small bookshelf (and the floor). We're John's torn between getting a cheap 'Billy' bookshelf from Ikea or waiting and getting one that we really love. I'm not that fussed about bookshelves - I'd rather have a cheap one and get the crap up off the floor - nobody's going to be looking at the shelf and we can always paint it if we get desperate.

I'm still trying to get my sewing corner set up as well - I think I need to do some more rearranging. In my infinite spare time, of course.

Ooh...and three more tomato plants arrived today - I think they're part of the ones that Freda ordered for me - I'll pot them tomorrow night and send them on their way!

Rest and recuperation...

After a really fun weekend with C, she headed home this morning. Back to London and then home to Boston. It was kind of strange to have her here - almost like worlds were colliding, but it was SO good to see her. Yesterday we watched Miss Potter (very cute but predictable) and The Fountain (redeemed by the fact that Hugh Jackman is hot but otherwise VERY strange). I'd had a fit of decadence at Waitrose and bought 5 different bags of 'odd flavor' British crisps - we had Thai Chili, Mango Chili, Sea Salt + Balsamic Vinegar, Spicy Lime, and Roast Chicken with Herbs. Yum-o! Not all at once, but over 2 days we managed to eat all the (little) bags.

I also planted some herbs in the garage which I then put out in trays in the garden and managed to COMPLETELY bugger my back. It wasn't my usual lower-back-twinge-oh-shit-I-can't-move... this was more of a hmm-that-doesn't-feel-good-ok-now-it's-killing-me-and-I-can't-sleep. Lovely. I was NOT a happy bunny when I woke up this morning and I spent most of the day 'on bed.' I managed to finish Digging To America and start in on The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Digging was not what I'd expected it to be - I thought it would be from a completely different perspective and I kept waiting for it to get 'good.' It wasn't bad, just not particularly memorable. And quite similar to The Namesake, which I also read recently. So far, Memory Keeper is pretty good, although I'm not terribly attached to the characters so I may give up. I still have 19 Minutes (the Jodi Picoult, signed) sitting on my nightstand...I think it's next in line after MK.

I'm also the newly appointed newsletter editor for the Bury Bach Choir - lucky me. I'll have to do some tinkering in Pagemaker or Scribus (the Linux version, on John's pc).

Tourists

I had a fab day in London with C and Ellie- we all managed to meet up at the American embassy at the appointed hour, and then trundled around the city. We went to Harrods, Hyde Park, the National Gallery, St James' Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, walked along the Thames, and then we went to Foyles and had curry in Soho. Phew. Here we are in front of the 'green' Trafalgar Square:


Then yesterday we went to Aldeburgh (after touring scenic downtown Stowmarket...). We had supremely chippy chips (and fish) and window shopped with the rich people.



We made a pit stop in Woodbridge on the way home to look at the boats, and then had a light-ish and very late dinner as we were all still recovering from the chips.

Wheee!

The King's Singers were really good on Friday night - they have really solid stage presence and their musicianship is unlike any other performers I've ever seen. They know exactly what the other ones are going to do, and when, and they blend SO well. We were sitting in the third row (thank you, free 'sponsor' tickets from work!), and it truly couldn't have been a better concert.

We took the boy to the Rougham Kite Festival on Saturday - it was super-windy and we all had a great time.



We James built a kite in the kids-build-kites tent.



It was WAAY too windy for it to fly so we...customized it a little. The tail needed more weight so we attached some hair clips that I had to the bottom and then it flew really well.

Here he is, flying it.



And here it is, with the other kites.



They were also running a ride-along thing with the kiteboarders - so we paid £1 and signed James' life away. He had a BLAST. We took a little movie of it - as soon as I figure out how to get it on YouTube, I'll post it.

Miscellany

John and I are off to see the King's Singers at the Bury Festival tomorrow night. I saw them with my parents some time in the early 90s in the UK (and have the t-shirt to prove it), and I can't wait to see them again. They're going to be singing mostly madrigals and early music - it's going to be SO good!!

I bought my Mom a notebook from Taylor Made Designs - it's similar to the one that I got Andrea for her birthday and I just couldn't resist. She's been carrying around an old cast-off notebook that I had written Keep OUT (in bubble letters, natch) on - it was time for something a little nicer and they're SO cute.

One other thing - if you're a guy, stop reading. Gone? OK. If you're still reading, check out the Mooncup (UK) or the Divacup(US). I bought a Mooncup after stumbling on a recommendation on another blogger's site about 6 months ago and I haven't looked back. The mooncup is kind of an odd thing to rave about (John's getting a little sick of it), but it's truly awesome - it's cheaper, better for the planet, better for my insides, and generally fantastic. Ok, infomercial over.

Men, you can come back now.

"It looks just like the picture!"

John and I had a particularly decadent food day today. I called my friend Elia this week and invited her and her husband (she's American, he's a Brit) over for lunch today. They called to confirm this morning and I suggested that they come over around 12:30 or 1. John asked what we were having for lunch, and I panicked. Elia was really funny when I talked to her in the morning - she basically said that "canned soup warmed up would be fine for them." I don't really like canned soup (too salty), so I attacked this month's Good Food for suggestions.

And found this:

We went to our favourite butcher in Needham Market this morning and got lamb steaks, which I broiled under the grill with some herbes de Provence and olive oil. Then I put it with the smushed tomatoes and zucchini that I'd sauteed in garlic. It was GLORIOUS. And Elia announced that it looked "just like the picture!" Success!

Then, for dinner, John and I wanted something light - I'd gotten some smoked trout and champagne as splurges at the grocery store yesterday - we had some vouchers and wanted to spend them on things other than juice and veggies. So we had the trout on the caraway and poppy bread that John made last weekend - it was amazingly good.






And we're having another beautiful evening - it's been raining on and off all day (and POURED during the hour that we decided to walk in to town...) I think I'm going to make this in to my new banner.

Roomies

It looks like I'm going to have 2 (count 'em, 2!) roommates in the UK in the next few weeks. Both C and Ellie are going to be here for various reasons. I definitely feel spoiled!

I got a new cell phone (same number) this week - Vodaphone called and said that my contract was up and did I want to renew and get a new phone. Um, yeah. So I'm now the proud owner of a sexy little blue Motorola Krzr. And I've moved my Indigo Girls ringtone (it plays 'Rise Up') on to it. What more could I want?

Oh yeah, ROOMIES!! In England!! And possibly Stowmarket!

Bread and Sky (2 kinds)

John made bread yesterday - he added caraway and poppy seeds, which was REALLY yummy. James and I made a box of American Betty Crocker brownies from the airbase, which went down very well. Here's the aftermath of all that baking:


It was really showery yesterday, and at one point in the late afternoon the sky was really dark and rainy on one side of the house, with the sun shining brightly on the other side.


And I even caught the rainbow:


I'm a sucker for rainbows, and they happen all the time in the UK because the weather changes so fast!

So the OTHER 'sky' in the title is Sky TV. For the Yanks, nobody here has 'cable'...you either have an aerial or you have satellite TV. Sky is essentially the only satellite provider, which is a bit of a bother. We ordered their cheapest, off the grid plan (all we REALLY want is BBC2 and the odd football/tennis match and dog show - and the TV is v. snazzy and we love it - thanks mom and dad!), and when the guy came to hook up the dish, he couldn't. Basically, they're only insured to drill through external walls. And as our TV isn't on an external wall he suggested we move it. We then pointed out that there was a TV point on the wall behind where the TV is. He looked at it and said that we'd have to hire an 'independent' (i.e. not Sky) to install, as he'd need to go into our loft space to hook up the already existing and perfectly functional except that it needs to be connected to a dish satellite plug. BAH. So now Sky are refunding our £ - hopefully - and we have to pay MORE money than we'd originally paid Sky to get the thing hooked up in the loft. So the fancy-pants pre-wiring of the TV that the builders did ends up costing us extra. Go figure. And it's going to be at least another week before they can hook it up.

My mother has a theory that everything that's done in England has to be done at least twice...it's shaping up to be true (although I haven't had the best of luck with Verizon/Cablevision/TimeWarner etc in NYC either...)

Thoughts, moral support, and invitations to come over and watch TV would be appreciated. :)

Post Mills -> Bury

First cool thing? Jodi Picoult signed my copy of Nineteen Minutes.

Second cool thing? She and I had what she referred to as a 'moment'.



I was about the 6th person in line for the book signing (behind 2 Americans), and when I got up to where she was sitting, she asked me how I was doing. "Great," I replied. "I think ALL the Americans in the whole county are here today!"

"Oh, where are you from?"

"New York"

"Really? Where?"

"New Rochelle...[a knowing nod]...but I've spent a lot of time up in Hanover [NH, where she lives - it's on her bio]"

"Oh wow - were you there for college?"

"Nope, I went to camp just down the road - in a little town called Post Mills."

"POST MILLS?! Which camp?"

So I told her. Much shrieking of recognition.

It turns out that her daughter has been a camper there for the last two years and is going back for her third summer this year. It's a teeny-tiny world. She thought it was really funny that she was meeting someone who'd been so close to home, so far away.

Jodi Picoult - in Bury tomorrow!

I'm psyched - when we were in Bury today for the America 400 festival that Ian suggested, I wandered into Waterstones' bookshop and noticed that Jodi Picoult (the crazy famous bestselling author) is going to be there signing her new book tomorrow (it's a 3-day weekend in the UK). WOAH!

I bought the book today (in hardcover, gasp!) and I'll be bringing it back for her to sign tomorrow. Pics, I promise!!

Message from the pancakes.

We made pancakes last weekend - I seemed to have a message in mine:


I WILL be posting more pictures of the house- I'm just supremely unmotivated at the moment. Silly house thing of the day - we were cold (it's a chilly spring evening and we're both wearing sweaters). So what did we do? Turn the heating on. And now, we're warm. AMAZING.

Here's our first bird in the garden. He didn't really want to have his picture taken, but what can you do?

DomestiKate

Well, we're pretty much moved in. There are still wardrobe boxes in our bedroom (we haven't bought wardrobes yet and there are no closets), but other than that, all the boxes are unpacked and stuff is put away.

Our bed (finally) arrived yesterday - it's really beautiful and looks great in the bedroom. We did an Ikea run today and got some storage for the bathrooms and a picture for the front hall. We almost bought another bookshelf for the study, but it didn't quite fit in the car. Since Ikea now deliver (!) to the work postcode, we'll just order it online and have it delivered to the office. Then we can borrow the big van and we'll be all set.

We also saw some couches that we liked a lot - they're definitely a 'someday' purchase, though.

Our car has been somewhat exciting lately - it's a Citroen and it has moments where it reminds us that it is French and we are not and it's going to make sure it knows who's in charge. There's a short in the drivers' side window control panel, which means that the right hand rear window will spontaneously roll down. It's always a surprise when it happens, especially if we're on the highway. It happened on Friday night on the way home from work, and the only way to roll it back up again is to reach in to the back seat and roll it up at the window. If you're reading this, C5, it's ok, you're in charge. We understand.

I've been kind of a blog slacker lately - work is really draining (but engaging), and my workspace at home in the study isn't quite set up yet, so I've been avoiding spending a lot of time with the mac.

Computer Geek-In-Training

John's been tinkering with Ubuntu Linux on his computer for a few weeks now (he's having a blast...), and keeps threatening to install it on my mac. Not a chance.

I'm helping out in another department at work, in addition to some of the stuff I was doing in my other job. Part of what I'm doing involves using a different interface to access the same data that I used before - I'd been told by the IT geeks that it was much faster but I hadn't given it a shot until last week. And they're right, it IS faster, although I had one problem.

I'm addicted to the keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste (if you don't use them, you're missing out), and the interface that I was using didn't seem to support them - it would error whenever I pressed CTRL C or CTRL V. BAH. So I asked the programmers if there were any hacks or workarounds, and they said no.

John said that he thought it could be done, although he didn't know exactly how to do it. So this morning after using my mouse to paste something in for the umpty-leventh time, I started digging around under the hood of the interface. And found the keyboard remapping section. And remapped my keyboard (and my colleague's) so that we can use our keyboard shortcuts. And then marched triumphantly into the programmers' office to tell them that not only was it possible, but I'd done it. By myself.

I was more excited than I should have been...but it was one of those little nuisances that was making a really good interface annoying. FIXED!

Remember when I acquired a stepson?

James is cracking me up lately - we were out at dinner (curry, as usual) last night, and he had lamb tikka. Yum. The lamb was v. tender, and he announced that it was as good as the steak that he'd had when he was in New York. Apparently he's over his 'meat well done' phase, which is good.

John and I split a bottle of wine (we walked to the restaurant - it's a little further than walking from our old flat, but it's do-able), and I offered James a sip of wine. I warned him that it might taste funny, since it's alcohol.

He took a small sip, thought about it for a moment, then announced, "it tastes different to other red wine." Um, yeah...he's 9. John and I cracked up.

John and I had seen lots of kids playing in the neighborhood but James hadn't gotten plugged in with them yet- it's tricky when he's only here every other weekend. So tonight after I'd started dinner, he and I went out with the frisbee and threw it around on the main green for a few minutes. By the time I left him, 10 minutes later, he was playing frisbee and kicking a soccer ball with 15 other neighborhood kids who had appeared out of nowhere. He was out with them until I brought him in for dinner an hour (!) later. They now know where he lives and that he's here every other weekend...I think we've seen the last of him sitting on the couch whining that he's bored and has nobody to play with.

Unpacking the NY trip

Lizzie and Greg's wedding was great - everyone looked fabulous, the weather was perfect, nothing was too stressful, and it was lots of fun. Somehow, I only took five pictures, and they were all from the day BEFORE the wedding. I'm a bad bridesmaid, I guess. :)

So here's Lizzie and Allie getting pedicures:

And here I am with JJ (Lizzie's new sister-in-law):


I had an uneventful flight back on Monday - after all the crazy stormy weather in New Rochelle, somehow my flight was on time. It was, however, filled with screaming children. Damn that day flight. I set a new world record for getting out of Heathrow airport: sitting on the plane to sitting in the car (having gone through immigration AND collected my baggage) in 18 minutes. I'm so cool.

I was upgraded (FREE) by Virgin to Premium Economy (you don't ask, you don't get!) on the way to NY, and so sitting in a middle seat in American Airlines' coach was a bit of a struggle. Virgin has such better entertainment (TV, movies, etc, all on your own schedule), and the food is better. I may have to start springing for them even when it's a few bucks more.

One small thing on the Virginia Tech shootings, as my heart goes out to all the families affected. I truly can't believe that the gun lobby is using this as a case for MORE guns, so people can defend themselves. It doesn't seem like a wise choice.

New York, by the numbers

Cosi lunches with Andrea: 1
Bags of tea purchased (from Sympathy For The Kettle): 6

Pastrami Sandwiches (Katz's, natch) consumed with Emily: 1/2 (each)

Knishes consumed with Emily: 1/2 (each)

Pickles: 2 (each)
Whole foods grocery bags purchased: 1
Subway trips: 3
Metro North trips: 2
Sitting on the wrong Metro-North train-s (Stamford was NOT where I was headed): 1

Today:
Wedding programs folded: 190
Bows tied: 75

We're gearing up for Lizzie and Greg's wedding on Saturday - it's going to be SO beautiful. I'm picking up my dress tomorrow morning, then things are pretty much kicking in to high gear.

Oh, and I downloaded a new plug-in for my iTunes - it searches through all the artists in my playlist and compiles a calendar of who's going to be near us. I set it to a 200 mile radius around London. AND.....TORI is going to be in London on July 3 and 4. WOOHOO! The last time I saw her was in Portland, ME, with my college roomie, Liz. John is a closet Tori fan - we'll definitely go.

Bunny Cake

It's been a pretty crazy few days so far - I saw Andrea and Kim on Saturday and then went to the 10 year CT '97 Lochearn reunion. I spent 6 summers at Lochearn Camp in Vermont, and loved (almost) every second of it. There were so many great women that I met there, and it was amazing to see a few of them on Saturday night.

Sunday was Easter, so I went to Redeemer and then came back to New Ro for a family easter and the famous Bunny Cake. My mom's been making this cake since before I can remember...no bunnies were harmed.


John's busily unpacking - for those of you who need a house fix, here's the view out of the kitchen towards the back yard.

I wanna go back to Stowmarket

Have been having a whirlwind time in NY - it's going to calm down a little this week. Looks like the New Ro police had fun last night...

Chaos in New Rochelle: Train rider saw 'yelling and screaming'
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: April 9, 2007)
NEW ROCHELLE - More details are expected on last night's downtown pandemonium when the city and owners of New Roc City hold a press conference at 1:30 p.m. today at the entertainment center.

More than 1,000 unruly teenagers, ordered to leave New Roc City, faced off with police in riot gear last night, leading to at least one stabbing, two robberies and six arrests, police said.

"It started out as one large, unruly crowd and then dispersed into several smaller crowds," Capt. Kevin Kealy said. "We just had too many people here at once."

A countywide red alert was issued, with state, Westchester County and more than a dozen local police departments rushing to the scene in riot gear. Witnesses said they heard shots fired, and the New Rochelle police found two discarded handguns in the area, but no related injuries were reported.

"Nobody showed up in any emergency room (with gunshot wounds)," said New Rochelle police Sgt. David Lonergan said today. Six ambulances from nearby jurisduictions were brought in to cover the city, Fire Chief Ray Kiernan said.

A 15-year-old Bronx youth was stabbed in the chest near North and Lockwood avenues and suffered a superficial wound, police said.

James O'Toole, the landlord of a North Avenue apartment building a block from New Roc City said he got calls from frightened tenants while he was working at a bar nearby. He returned to find chaos that forced him to park more than two blocks away.

"It was crazy," said O'Toole, 41. "In my life, I've never seen anything like this, and I hope I never do again....On North and Main streets there were cops all over the place, kids in the street, people yelling, screaming, just a mass humanity, of people."

The wild night struck in the heart of the area where the city is trying to spark a renaissance with several towers under construction or planned. That change in the city's direction began with the opening of New Roc City in 1999. It was built by Louis Cappelli, the developer building the Trump Plaza tower a half block away and a full-block development across the street with two towers that may soar more than 500 feet high.

City boosters today said the weekend's problems will not stall the city's rebirth.

"I think that New Rochelle's renaissance is bigger and broader than a single one-time incident involving a unique circumstance that should not repeat itself," said City Councilman Barry Fertel, an attorney whose office is about two blocks from New Roc City.

Lonergan said the city's fire department alerted police to overcrowding in the arcade section of the entertainment complex.

Fire officials did not ask people to leave, but did prevent anyone else from entering New Roc City, Kiernan said,

Police arrived shortly before 6:30 p.m. and ordered the crowd to leave the outdoor courtyard area at New Roc City at LeCount Place and Anderson Street. When the crowd refused, police armed with nightsticks pushed through the courtyard, sending hundreds of people streaming out in all directions.

Unruly mobs of teens taunted and cursed at officers, then moved out onto North Avenue, overturning trash cans and menacing shop owners. As backup police units from nearly every municipality in the county joined state, county and Metro-North agencies, the crowd converged on the train station, where at least one man was assaulted.

The unconscious man was taken away by ambulance as police wrangled as many people as they could onto a southbound train that arrived shortly before 10:30 p.m.

The disturbance peaked between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., Kiernan said. "All of a sudden New Rochelle got picked to receive large groups of kids," he said, noting that they were not from New Rochelle.

"It was the largest mobilization of police resources I have ever seen in New Rochelle," Kiernan said.

At the train station, an 18-year-old young man from the Bronx was ticketed for disorderly conduct, Metropolitan Transportation Authorty Police spokeswoman Mercedes Padilla said. It was the only summons or arrest by the MTA police, she said.

Jordan George, a Manhattan resident who was taking the southbound train from Mamaroneck after visiting a relative for the Easter holiday, said he and fellow passengers were terrified when the train pulled into New Rochelle and riot police and teenagers streamed into the car.

"Picture this from my point of view: I've been riding this train for 12 years without any kind of incident, and all of a sudden we pull into a station and hundreds of kids and police in riot gear come flooding in," George said today.

"They was a lot of yelling and screaming going on, and thank God nobody got hurt, but it was right on the edge, I was genuinely frightened for my safety and my girlfriend's safety."

George said that he got off the train at the Fordham stop, where about 50 New York City Police Department officers were on the platform awaiting the crowd. George and his girlfriend made their way to the street and took a cab to his home in Gramercy Park.

New Rochelle police are continuing the investigation, Lonergan said.

"This was unusual for us. We're not exactly sure what happened," he said. "There were a lot of people apparently coming in from the Bronx. I don't know what the problem was, or why they were all up here."

Several witnesses in the crowd said the teens had come to New Rochelle from New York City after being denied admission to the New York International Automobile Show at the Jacob Javits Center, although a Javits Center spokesman could not confirm that today.

Boxes, boxes, boxes, and more boxes

We're IN! The house is FULL of boxes, but it's ours. We don't have internet access yet (gasp!), so posting has been a bit thin on the ground lately. I'll post more once I'm in New York next week.

Box Update and Concert

Box update: about 20 packed, about 20 to go.

We've packed James' room, all the books, the tops of the closets, and under the beds. Now all we have to do are the kitchen and the front hall.

I'm singing in a concert this weekend, so our box packing time is a bit limited, but we should be fine.

If you're in the area, it's going to be pretty spectacular. The Bury Bach Choir is singing Bach's St Matthew Passion (with a full orchestra and the Bury Cathedral Boys' Choir). Here's the link to the details - you can still get tickets!