22 Dec
We ended up with five or so inches if snow (and, thankfully, we maintained power). Just as we bundled up and made our way outside this morning, neighbors Todd and Joe were heading down the hill. The kids had a great time playing while the grown ups made short work of the driveway and walks. Bryan joined the crew as they finished the street.
15 Dec
Bec, upon putting a receipt in Bryan’s drawer: “Um, Bry, is this a list of stupid things I’ve said?”
Bry: “Yes, it’s for my website, ‘Shit My Wife Says.'”
7 Dec
We trekked downtown for the annual Christmas parade this morning, and true to tradition, it was miserably cold. Thankfully, it was relatively short!
18 Oct
Bryan, who might as well just join Pinterest already, spent part of Sunday on a pretty exciting craft project: converting bottles into glassware by a process of heating and then breaking at strategic points.
He soaked kitchen twine in acetate, wrapped it tightly around the bottle, and then lit it on fire. (The girls were transfixed.)
Then, as the flame went out, he plunged the bottle into icy water, and in most cases, the bottle broke at the designated place.
It worked well with thin beer bottles, but not as well with anything larger (like liquor bottles).
He ended up with a couple of new drinking glasses that just need a quick swipe of sandpaper to smooth the edge.
Has anyone else tried this process? Any suggestions?
30 Sep
We woke to chilly temperatures Sunday, but by noon, it was clear, sunny and nearly 80 degrees. Tom and Katie accompanied us to the pumpkin patch (as did Bryan, though Ava noted I’d prefer he’d have stayed at home: “You buy A LOT more pumpkins when Dad’s not along.”) Halloween decorations are up (as is our fall task list) and we’re looking forward to the best season of the year!
28 Sep
Last Saturday, Bryan and I arrived in Boston. For the first time in many trips to Massachusetts, Katie didn’t meet us at the airport. We missed her, but we appreciated the cab ride through the city to our hotel—it’s important to be reminded of your mortality every now and then.
We stayed at Bryan’s conference hotel in South Boston, but spent most of our time up and down the Red Line. Our first top was Cambridge, were we revisited a pub Katie introduced me to years ago. We stepped in to find it filled with Husker fans, and we had a great time chatting with other Nebraska alumni during the game.
Towards the end of the night, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned around to find our friend Steve. He and Bryan were in the same lab in grad school, and Steve’s now a professor at Tufts. We toured his lab and had a lovely dinner at a Lebanese cafe in the area.
(I have to apologize for the photo quality throughout this post—I’m using a very old (vintage!) iPhone for a while.)
The next day, we walked most of the Freedom Trail, stopping along the way for a few “restoratives.”
We had dinner at another favorite of Katie’s—the Barking Crab. I love this restaurant. We sat at a picnic tables and drank wine from plastic cups, taking in the incredible view of the city and river.
Then, we met up with two friends from Lawrence—Alex and Laura, who just started post docs in Boston.
The next few days brought a bit of extra sleep, some remote work, and of course, a conference presentation for Bryan.
I was able to sit in on his presentation—while I can’t say I really understood a whole lot of it, I can tell you he was handsome and charming.
By Wednesday, I was so ready to be home, I didn’t even hassle Bryan (much) when he had me at the airport and through security a full three hours before our flight. We followed the sunset west, home to three sleeping kiddos and an equally exhausted Katie and Tom.
26 Sep
Me, on the way home from a five day trip to Boston: “Well, back to reality…”
Bryan, rapping an Eminem song in response: “Snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity. Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked. He’s so mad, but he won’t give up that easy, no. He won’t have it, he knows his whole back’s to these ropes. It don’t matter, he’s dope.”
Me: “Good talk, Bry. Thanks.”
9 Sep
As I was contemplating text for a Facebook post about Owen, I asked Bryan his opinion. Ava offered her advice, which was, “You want to say, ‘LOOK AT MY CUTE BABY, WHO LOOKS JUST LIKE HIS CUTE DAD,’ but without bragging.”
Exactly.
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