Monday, October 22nd, 2012
Mohonk Mountain House (Thursday & Friday Oct. 18th-19th, 2012)  Sunset-ish

Good morning!  Sorry I missed you all last week on Thurs. and Fri.  I was away at Mohonk Mountain House for the second time this year at the Immunology Retreat.  It was a great success - lots of fun.  We invited an external speaker from Harvard to give the Keynote address on Thursday evening and his talk was absolutely fascinating.  We also had time for some hiking (pictures shown above), dancing, drinking, eating, and enjoying the place.  I absolutely love Mohonk - I don't think it could ever get old. 

All of that fun was eliminated this weekend when I spent literally 15 hours in lab over Sat. and Sun.  I have to give lab meeting this morning, and I had a ton of data to organize, process, and think of how I would present it.  It's weird how time just slips away when you're in lab on a weekend.  You walk in at 11:30am, and when you leave it's dark and 6pm and you've just been sitting at your computer the entire time.  I've practiced a few times now and give it at 9:30am this morning.  I'm a little nervous, but mostly just excited to get a chance to share my data. 

Well - time to practice and make a few little updates to my slides before meeting! 

Have a great day!

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:50am

Good morning,

Interesting things happen at sunrise and dusk.  The sky often does things that are beautiful while it makes way for the morning sun or nighttime sky.  Since I live on the East side, I often don't get to see the spectacular West side sunsets over the Hudson.  Honestly, I'm also usually still at work when the sun is setting for most of the year.  Because of all of this, I savor my morning sunrises in the Park.  I've learned that some of the most beautiful skies are produced mornings after thunderstorms in the summer and on the coldest of cold days in the winter.  That's just anecdotal - but it's something I've noticed.  Sometimes you're just surprised and there's no reason apparent for the lovely sky. 

This was one of those mornings I was so thankful to be up to see it.  When I opened my door to go outside, it was cold - not uncomfortably cold - cold enough to jolt your senses.  It was quiet in the Park when I arrived - and still dark.  Dark enough to make me feel mildly more aware of my surroundings.  I was alone - except for the long-time Parks Conservancy worker (John) cleaning up around the benches.  The cold air against my face and in my lungs, and my hands warm in my pockets I started whistling and waved good morning to John.  I didn't see many folks until I broke on to the Great Lawn.  This is when I was greeted with this stunning sky.  It only lasted about 10 minutes before it transitioned to bright blue with high, streaky white clouds.  I stopped for a few moments and leaned against the fence to survey the pink, cold sky against the backdrop of changing leaf colors - it's not hard to love Fall.  I feel this way every year. 

There's some magic in the early mornings.

Carpe diem!

 

Tuesday, October 16th, 2012

Central Park East - 7:05am

Good morning!  A beautiful, cool, very blustery day in the Park made for giddy pups.  They were extra - rambunctious this morning and I was smiling the whole time watching them.  Mornings like these always remind me why I do this every. single. day.   My morning walk in the Park is something good for me and for them. Even when they pull and make my life difficult getting out the door and actually to the Park, once I let them off leash and see them joyously bounding around in the grass in the early morning darkness - it always makes me smile.  

Have a great one!

ps.  Dad you remember how you would never let us get cereal for breakfast that had more than a certain amount of calories from fat, or too much sugar, or not enough fiber?  Well I'm eating Grape Nuts today.  Old habits die hard. 

Monday, October 15th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:25am

Good morning!  A nice warm yet refreshingly breezy morning in the Park.  Georgeous sky, as well.  The interesting part that I'm not showing you in these pictures, is that on the other side of the bottom shot, the sky is entirely dark and cloudy & looks like rain.  In doggie-land my little Bear has officially ripped up (meaning destroyed), 4 pairs of my underwear and a pair of shorts.  Sorry - I know this is gross but most of you are dog-owners so you know how they are (disgusting).

In human land, Brian and I ran a half marathon yesterday in honor of the late, great, Grete Waitz.  Grete died of cancer last year at the age of 68 after winning the NYC marathon a record 9 times (more than any man or woman ever), the London Marathon twice, and a handful of World Championships, an Olympic silver medal, and various other big deal things.  She was an incredibly prolific runner (one of the best to ever live) and also championed running for women at a time when the sport was not really a "woman's game."  Her own parents thought it was insane for her to pursue professional running.  She promoted and founded various organizations for running and health and truly made the world a better place during the time that she was here and after her death.  After she died, her husband founded the AKTIV foundation - to raise money for cancer research.  I'm proud to say Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center now has a partnership with this organization.

It was great to go out and run to remember the legacy of this incredible person.  I had trained for this race since I was out in Oregon in August, so it was pretty happy for it to finally come to pass.  I finished in 1:49:44 (a few minutes ahead of Brian ;).  It was a tough race - felt very hilly and at mile 8 I really wanted to be done.  By mile 11 I knew I could do it and mile 12 to 13 I just toughed it out.

I think the best part about running long distances is being able to eat whatever you want so I finished an enormo bagel with cream cheese after I finished and then a gigantic choc. chip cookie that Brian got me after I got home from work (yes, I had to work yesterday after I finished my run - believe me - I did NOT want to).  I'm shocked that I'm not even a bit sore today - feel great as a matter of fact.  I think it's the carbs that refueled me (wink wink DAD).

When Brian and I returned home from the race, we found that our runkies had chewed up 2 highlighters and a chapstick.  Thanks for the support, pups.

Anyway, I'm off to work.  Have a great day!!

FRIDAY, October 12th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:15am

Good morning!  As I just typed in "October 12th" it hit me.  October is halfway over.  What the HELL!  This is one of my favorite months!  October, November, and December are my favorite months of the year.  Can we talk about something?  I LOVE HALLOWEEN.  I FREAKING LOVE IT.  There is something about dressing up in a costume that I find to be so much fun - much alcohol is consumed - inhibitions are gone - and before you know it you're sliding through your sticky, beer coated living room truly believing you are Tom Cruise from Risky Business (see below).  I have fought the urge to dress my dogs in costume.  Mainly because they will hate it - try to pull it off - and those costumes are expensive.  My dog can't understand that it's a celebration of witches, broomsticks, hauntings, skeletons, candy, and generalized spookiness.  Last year was a sad year for the Halloween world.  I did NOTHING.  I had a huge experiment that day and I remember at the end of it, I just wanted to go home.  I didn't want to do anything but go to sleep.  That was the first year I've EVER not celebrated Halloween (again, see below).  This year will NOT be a repeat.  I have not 1, not 2, but 3 Halloween parties to attend.  I will not tell what I will be dressed as - you'll see later. I'm also plotting with my neighbor on the 6th floor about how we can get trick-or-treating going in our building, so that we can see the little kids all dressed up and finally be grown up and hand out candy. 

I love the concept of holidays that are a little magical.  Like Christmas - I'm not going to lie - a part of me still believes that Saint Nick somehow magically makes Christmas miracles happen every year.  He might not be the one handing out the presents - but maybe he's off living in some snowy Scandinavian forest with a herd of flying reindeer making old fashioned wooden toys?  I don't know.  That's what I like about Halloween.  That maybe while you're drinking some kind of orange alcohol-laden punch from a skeleton chalice, there's actually some black magic about. 

Here's a little playback of some of my Halloween costumes of the past 5-7 years.

 Ok - maybe this one is from longer ago than 5-7 years - but that is a bomb clown suit.  And - bonus - someone gave me a disembodied head on a stick!

Halloween of '06.  I was GI Jane and those are some of my basketball teammates.  Left top is Krista - she was a gangster, then below is Amy - she was 80's workout barbie, and Right is Timisha - she was Stewie Griffin from Family Guy.  

Now I believe this was Halloween of '07.  I was an Eagles player.  And I call this my "Busch Light" period. 

 

Oh boy, folks, this year was a doozy.  This was '08 - the year I graduated.  We hosted the party of the century this Halloween.  Me and my 3 roomies put together a horrifyingly awesome party complete with keg (which remained in our backyard until SPRING the following year), coated all of the walls with black garbage bags, put up skeletons everywhere, had a playlist of only Halloween-ish music (think MJ's Thriller, the theme from the Adam's family, the theme from Psycho, the theme from The Amityville Horror, Britney Spears Toxic....you get the idea).  I was Tom Cruise from Risky Business (ok - I don't even like Tom Cruise - I just wanted an excuse to wear nothing but boys underwear, an oversized pink button down and tube socks). 

 This was '09.  See that tattoo?  Drew it on with Sharpie - yea - I'm that devoted.  Brian and I were Micky and Mallory Knox from the movie - Natural Born Killers.

Another doozy of a year - '10.  That is blue latex paint.  Yes, Blue.  Latex.  Paint.  I'm a Naví from the movie Avatar.  That guy is Mike Fath - one of my dearest Philly friends.  I have to say - this was commitment.  I cried when I took that paint off - it was a full body wax experience.  It took hours for us to be completely painted.  And we constructed our other clothes out of a brown curtain.

Do you need some help getting into the Halloween spirit?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA 

Have a great one! 

Thursday, October 11th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:30am

Good morning, folks!  I'd like to take a step back from my recent ranting and raving post and say "sorry."  Why?  Well....to be frank, little dogs big park is a happy blog.  Not a whiny, ranty one.  I promise, I won't do it again.  I've been a bit sleep-deprived lately, and it's been affecting my mood.  I got a good night's sleep last night and so am feeling much more bouncy today.  It was also a beautiful morning - nice and cool.  This a picture of my little runkies rolling in the grass under the tree on dog hill.  Looks like nice grass to roll in, right? 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:05am

Good morning!  Another rainy one today.  I only saw between 5-10 people with their dogs out this morning.  You know what amazes me?  How I can go on walks in Central Park every morning, and while most days I see lots of people, for the most part they are complete regulars.  I see them almost every day.  Some are more die-hard than others.  In the past year, the regulars between the hours of 6 and 8 are probably in the realm of 35-60 people.  35-60!  Granted this is just one little 3 mile slice of the Park during one little 2 hour slice of time, but don't you find that a bit surprising?  The population of Manhattan is just over a million and a half people.  We'll cut out the tops and bottoms of the city, because they aren't going to come to the Park - too far.  Even if you took the people just in my immediate vicinity, we'll say 60's-80's on the East and West side, that's THOUSANDS of dogs. 

I just find it surprising that the Park isn't overrun by dogs every morning.  It is on the weekends, but not during the week.  I'm glad it's not overrun with dogs - because I would probably enjoy it less - but I'm surprised.  I think this reflects the typical NY'ers view about dogs.  Typical NY'ers view their dog as a sort of human-cat-like thing.  It definitely needs booties and maybe some sweaters or overalls.  DEFINITELY raincoats.  It may need to be pushed in a stroller.  It probably needs doggie daycare - whatever that is.  It most likely needs grooming and blueberry facials (I'm not kidding - someone handed me a flyer in the Park once advertising a posh upper east side dog spa that offered blueberry facials).  Despite all of this lavished attention, it also seems to only need a walk down the block - literally not even around the block - down the same street as the building is on. 

I think that all of this reflects a sort of attitude of wealth and privilege and laziness here.  What your dog really wants, no matter how little and dainty it's been bred to be (my own dogs being a perfect example), is for you to take that raincoat off it so it can roll in the mud.  It wants to run off leash and chase squirrels and birds into bushes.  It wants to eat horrifying things it finds around trash cans.  It wants to crunch up rotten acorns.  It wants to bark and smell other dog's butts (get over it - it's how they investigate one another!!!!).  They want to roll in dead things and swim in mucky ponds.  It wants to be a dog.  The only thing that makes a difference are the toys I think - Nan - they really like the toys :)

NY'ers - especially upper east siders - need to stop pretending that buying things is what will fix everything.  Buy your children posh educations - go ahead!  They'll just learn how to blow Adderall in the bathroom while at their SAT prep courses.  Then the NYTimes will run an article about how the "pressures of school have driven kids to drugs."  WRONG.  They're on drugs because:  1.  They're too accessible because you give them too much money and 2.  You taught them that if something doesn't work they should just buy something to fix it.  And buy your dogs doggie daycare memberships - they'll just sleep there - when they could have been comfy sleeping on their couch at home.  These people are literally buying an opportunity for their dog to be at the equivalent of the pound - loud - crowded - not much oversight or attention.  So stupid.  Just give your dogs some more attention!  

Woah.  I got all worked up there.  Let me settle down.  It's the upper east siders - they're getting to me.

It probably sounds like I'm up on my high horse - "I do everything right - you should do stuff like me."  No, I don't actually think that.  I don't think that I do things right.  I work all day - I probably should have never bought dogs to begin with because I'm not home enough.  I probably don't give them as much exercise as they need.  I don't do enough obedience training with Bear so he's not as well behaved as Sofie.  They both jump up on people with muddy little paws and beg shamelessly for food.  Bear still has accidents in the house because sometimes at the end of the day - I'm beat and I don't want to take him out as much as I should.  Sometimes I sit on my computer all evening instead of interacting with the little living beings romping around in my living room.   So please - don't think that little rant was about me thinking what I do is great - because I have a lot things I'm working on.

I guess what I'm saying is this:  (and I saw this on one of those church signs that says stuff like "Ephesians 1:100 Looketh to the Lord for guidance - and come to morning service on Sunday 11am!")
"How do children (or dogs, or your spouse, or your friends) spell LOVE?  T. I. M. E." 

Have a wonderful, wonderful day!