Missing Everyone!

This week I've hit a big 'missing everyone' wall, and though Tim hit it awhile ago, we can now miss together. I think it's all the Christmas music. It comes with all these memories of great people enjoying it together! All there is here right now are my books, the sun pouring in (nicely) the windows reflecting the shadows of bare tree branches all over the apartment, and words like "soon we all will be together..." but when is soon? Not soon enough!

Anyway know that no experience or people in Boston could replace our dear friends and family that really know us and have shared great things with us. A big shout out to the best!

PS Be praying for my family today, mom is in surgery for removing skin cancer from her face for the second time in several years. It's not a fun process and we want the doctors to get everything out this time! Pray for a quick recovery and healing. Also my grandma Oma had some sort of a stroke last week, and we are unsure what the consequences will be.

Thanks everyone, we love and miss you!

Turkey Trip

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to everyone! We just made it back last night from a great Turkey Trip through Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, then back to New York and back to New Jersey. And that was all on the way there! South Station bus terminal in Boston

It took us a LONG time to get out of Boston.

It took 9 hours to bus and train with traffic, and our bus driver decided he'd try to go around any possible traffic going into NYC which is why we came through New Jersey...all to find out the traffic was gone into NYC by the time we would have come straight down. Frustrating! Our friend Michelle was on a bus to NYC that left an hour after us and got there an hour before. Oh well, I got some homework done.

The Empire State Building lit up outside the Train station at our transfer

We finally ended up in Phillipsburg, New Jersey to visit Tim's friend, Trip, and his family and friends. Trip isn't really a turkey but he did make an amazing turkey for us to eat!

Tim met Trip at UPS and it was great to reconnect with him and meet his wife Kira, and their two adorable kids, Anya and Asher.

Anya telling me about her carrot and dip (hummus)

Asher loves apples (what healthy eaters!)

Their friends Michael and Anna are PhD students in Delaware, and we loved chatting with them as well. I especially enjoyed talking with Kira about the local farm they get almost all of their food from. We ate very fresh and tasty food!! Kira is learning to be a Doula and actually had to leave the dinner table on Thanksgiving to help her friend deliver a baby boy...wow! While she was gone we cleaned, watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving with Anya, and sat around a bonfire in the backyard into the late night hours after the kids went to bed. It was really fun to be around a family and friends.

(egg nog latte)

Train station in New Brunswick, NJ

on our way back home
All in all it was a super trip that was totally worth the traveling! Tim's back hard at work and will be through the holidays. I'm trying to balance the final projects coming up like mad through the next 3 weeks, the STILL unknown result of the job interview, the excitement of Boston holiday events and adventures, urges to rip out the holiday decorations even though I haven't dented my papers for this week, and cravings for Christmas cookie making. We miss everyone a lot this season and are thankful for your friendship, e-fellowship and love! Thanks be to God for His great gifts and grace.

celebrations

Last night we went to the first of many public Boston tree lighting ceremonies. It was weird. They blew tons of tiny white paper pieces into the crowd that were supposed to be snow, but we were right next to one and it was not very realistic if that is what they were going for! Plus it was probably like 15 degrees so we were huddling closely together to stay warm, thus unable to hear any of the ceremony speakers. Since no one could hear anything and the lighting was taking a long time, people around us started booing the speakers and chanting 'Light that tree! light that tree!' wow, what an impatient crowd!! But it was nice when they finally got down to it. Everyone dissipated in like 5 minutes afterward!

Here's one gang of friends we were able to find, Michelle, Christine and Steven are brother and sisters, and Steven's friend came too. We went to a pub to get warm afterwards and met up with some of my friends from school which was fun. Everyone should be meeting up again together tonight for my birthday too. Lots of partying this weekend!And I got a great package from my parents today with cute placemats I've been eyeing from Anthropologie:) And I got one of Tim's famous birthday cards too!! What a gift. Combined with the chocolate french toast covered in raspberry sauce from Zaftig's restaurant this morning (thanks for the gift card Julie, we finally used it!!), it's been a great day.
Here are a few more pics from the birthday evening:
Nico, me, Megan, Erin, Alexis, and Michelle at Bukowski's

The poetic Bukowski wall

28: new placemats, new haircut, and peanut satay stir fry!
Life doesn't get much better.

23 degrees

It's 9a.m. and it's only 23 degrees outside. Sunny, but 23. They say this week has been abnormally cold (without snow) and that we usually don't see highs in the low 30s until mid-February. I guess that's good news! Brrrr! With the wind, which is non stop, it's gotta be like 10. Tim says as he rides his bike to work and back, tears that flow from his watering eyes freeze to his cheeks. We're buying him some long underwear.

Still no word on the interview, basically I think I have a 50/50 chance of getting the job since there is another candidate with more research background but who isn't as cool:) But 2 other jobs seem to have come into the running this week as well, so something is bound to work out.

Today, swimming, homework, laundry and groceries! Tonight is a fun holiday event that I will write about later so that will be my reward. Happy Saturday!

JOB INTERVIEW!!

Hey everyone, I have an official job interview tomorrow at 10:30!! It's my first choice, a Research Assistant position, actually in my department at school. I have no idea what else it is, or even what study it's for. I don't really care, I just got an email from my department manager (to whom I sent my resume and keep asking about progress....) that she wants to interview over the phone tomorrow since she's out of town. Praise God, I sure hope this leads somewhere! Either way we know He has something in mind. I'll keep you posted!

Christmastime is Here

Christmas has arrived at Apt 2 in Worcester Square! For some reason this morning, and in unusual annual behavior for me, we awoke with winter glee (perhaps because the blustery wind literally ripped every leaf off the rows of trees along our street last night). We broke out the holiday CDs, put eggnog in our coffee, saw Nutcracker advertisements in the morning paper, bought red and green popcorn balls at the grocery store (the only holiday packaging yet available), ate chicken legs for dinner (seems holiday-like, or at least Daggett-like), and are now finishing the night with a hot cup of caramel apple cider. Tim even gave me a present: we finally got something liquid-resistant to cover the carpeted kitchen (area) floor! On our way home from hearing Bishop N.T. Wright speak at our church this afternoon, we saw one lonely holiday starlight display strung in the space between two downtown buildings. And Starbucks is about to start its official Holiday Madness. Next step, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Back from the Big Apple

This is the first week that I've looked outside our window and seen bright yellow leaves falling from baring branches, rather than bunches of green waving in the breeze. Fall must be turning cold. It is such a shock to see such a color change in just a weekend! It also must have been pretty windy this weekend to clear so many of those leaves out. I'm sniffling and coughing my way into this post, having come down with the first official cold of the season. Tim's nearly recovered, but we both would have more fully enjoyed our weekend visit to NYC had we been totally healthy. Still, it was a blast.

We took the bus down and were able to stay with our friend Darcy from UPS and her husband Timo, and 10 month old daughter, Molly. They live in Upper East Manhattan and gave us great tips for the weekend. Of course we couldn't do it all, but we'll be back soon to see more.

Tim in subway reflection

The first rainy day was filled with soggy sights - seeing the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park, the trade center site, and the musical Spamalot with Clay Aiken. He can sing, but we're not sure he can act. Still it was a funny show based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Fun to remember that crazy movie. They added their own spoofs as well. Broadway is crazy!!

Central Square Fountain

On Broadway

It was fun to meet up with Stephanie and her mom - they gave us a great reason to make our first trip to the city! We shared breakfast and walked though Central Park with them on a beautiful, crisp Sunday morning.

Empire State Building, near Penn Station

Overall we're glad we live in Boston instead of an unending land of skyscrapers. Next time we want to see a show, or hang out in historical musicians' favorite spots, we'll be back!!

New Orleans Lives Again

"New Orleans lives again." That city slogan was plastered all over on t-shirts, billboards and brick walls. I just returned from a five day Starbucks conference in New Orleans. The city is incredibly beautiful but carries a weight of sadness. The people were warm and radiant, but their faces said silently that they had seen some hard days. With 10,000 store managers in town we rolled up our sleeves and did some good work. We volunteered on various home rebuilding projects, planted trees, and painted murals for schools. I got to paint the livingroom of a home that was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The woman was living next to the home in a trailer and it was a pleasure to meet her and show her the warm brown she picked for her livingroom walls.


Starbucks inspired me through their announcement to continue to be a "company with a social conscience" in the midst of economically turbulent times. On top of our massive community service efforts, the company was commended by the head of Transfair USA for being the largest purchaser of Fair Trade coffee in the World. Bono even showed up and spoke quite eloquently about the role commerce has to play in addressing the world's poverty and illness crises. He, of course, was there to announce that Starbucks was going (RED) and that money from our delicious eggnog lattes and peppermint mochas would be buying antiretroviral drugs for Africans. In fact the money Starbucks will donate from the sale of just four delicious espresso beverages will be enough to purchase one days worth of medicine.


Most of all I was inspired by seeing the people I've met along the way at Starbucks. Paul O'Leary, Geoff Parker, Sandi Logman, Nancy McLaughlin and all of the Tacoma Titans reminded me better than any Powerpoint presentation could of the values of the company holds. These values have always been best embodied in the people it attracts. I was refreshed by seeing these good friends and encouraged for the work ahead. "Onward," as Howard says.


As an aside for those of you tracking celebrity sightings at my new store in Boston - Robin Williams stopped by while I was gone. My team took pictures and tried a few of their jokes on him. He drinks a doppio espresso, in case you were wondering.

fall is still here

Note to anyone who might come here next Fall: the leaves in the city now are just about perfect. Maybe last weekend was the best, but I had expected everything to be done by November and that's not true! I was waiting for the trees around us to change while everything in New Hampshire seemed golden perfect earlier last month...and it just takes time. So you have plenty of options and time for next Fall!

After Tim's awesome trip to New Orleans (he will share about it soon), we had a very relaxing and mellow past couple of days together. We spent a great Fall afternoon at the Arnold Arboretum, owned by Harvard but nowhere near it, on Friday. Here are some pics.

Midterm Report

I admit that blogging (among other things) is an official procrastination from piling homework, including tonight! It's also a distraction from me missing my husband for the 3rd of 5 days (I know, I can hear the violin music). However I'm going to justify it by attempting to summarize, briefly, what it is exactly that I have been learning for the past 2 months. For those academic enthusiasts out there, this one's for you. For for the rest of you, check in next time! Oh yes, and what's a post (from me) without pictures? Here I am in a current state of despair:

(Ok, it's not that bad. Mostly I'm playing with PhotoBooth.)

8 weeks complete, 7.5 to go. This semester is focused on grasping a basic knowledge of the underlying sciences of public health. I'm not as much of a science person, so it's been a little 'over the top' for me. However, science and professors are great at proving things, including why their classes are relevant. And I agree with the importance of finding solid evidence before making a real recommendation to real people about their health.

Let's start with epidemiology, which is essentially a structured way to identify determinants or risk factors of health and disease. Realization #1: To "study" something here doesn't mean to look at it for awhile until it's temporarily memorized or generally understood. It means to conduct an actual study, with money, that includes analyses, methods and results with hopes of finding an association between an exposure and an outcome. I'm learning all about exactly how an investigator does these, even though I'm not sure I will ever do one myself (doubtful by the end of class!). I AM learning how to critique and interpret them, though, in order to make generalizable statements through program or policy. Aha.

Next, and very much related, is biostatistics (I feel like I'm writing a paper, this is horrible). Biostaticians do all of the analyses on population data that epidemiologists collect. I'm back to calculating p-values, 95% confidence intervals, and chi-square tests with fancy computer programs to compare risk proportions in multiple groups, just so I can talk the language of the study people.

On a totally different spectrum, health policy and management: how the health care system is and isn't flawed. Mostly IS. The overall feel I get in this class is that hospitals, health care, doctors, long-term care, prescription drugs, mental health, and everything else is in big trouble in this country and there's nothing that's going to fix it. Unless I do something about it. Great! I'm already trying to help the poor prevent diseases, and now I need to fix their treatments when they get sick? I mean, 3 hours on a Tuesday night, who would enjoy this class? God bless good doctors and nurses out there! I'm glad I know a few that can give a realistic balance:)

A little more up my alley is environmental heath, sadly and probably my first and last such class here. While I can tell you about greenhouse gases, toxicants, landfill management, biological vectors, and 'nucular' power, I am also disturbingly aware of the hazards of such things and feel I may have been poisoned with lead as a young child (not intentionally, mom and dad!). jk...mostly...

Newly added to my agenda (as of yesterday) is an international health writing course. This one looks like it's going to be really fun and useful. I'll get to refine my writing skills specifically by focusing on concise language (like all you need to know in 250 words or less!), learn how to solidly interpret evidence-based public health studies, and dive in detail into two HIV studies from Tanzania and Uganda. Keep your eyes out for a much more concise Finals Report in December, after I have taken this class!!

Finally, my favorite (and my concentration, so this is a good thing) is studying public health from the perspective of the social and behavioral sciences. We study (in the normal sense) a lot of theories and models on human behavior from tons of social disciplines, and then learn how they are all flawed even though they are widely accepted (do I sense a theme here?). Well that's the general consensus. Most theories (including modern economics) explain that people always behave in a rational manner and in their own best interest when they have the information they need to do so. If this were the case though, then more people, if not all, would choose not to smoke or eat fatty foods or do drugs, for example, since everyone knows these things are bad for us. Clearly, there are other environmental factors at play, which are rarely considered in public health interventions. In fact, you and I both behave in a predictably irrational manner almost all of the time. In a sense, I am learning how to 'influence' people's behaviors toward certain health goals (this works in other areas of life!) by finding out what's important to them. I also get candy and prizes regularly in this class and get to watch movie clips:)

Ok I'm done and thinking maybe I should forget the real homework tonight - I feel ready to graduate! Thanks for your listening ear (eye?). Feel free to offer your muses and offenses and what-nots! I'd be happy to share more (if that's possible)! Don't forget to vote!!

Much happier, striking a strikingly Palin-similar pose....??