Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Things that make us happy...
1. Finding a Dairy Queen closer to home. The oh-so-lively Hadley Mall features a Dairy Queen and a roller-skating rink, so if Jay and I were in middle school we'd have the makings of a perfect date.
2. Free parking in Northampton (courtesy of the Northampton Business Association), making our Christmas shopping a little less expensive.
3. Bailey's Irish Cream, which I get to enjoy when I am done with my papers and finals (to do so before that time would probably make for funnier papers, but poorer grades)
Oh, and we're excited to come back to Minnesota in five days, too...Family, friends, and Leinie's Honey Weiss!
--hbc
2. Free parking in Northampton (courtesy of the Northampton Business Association), making our Christmas shopping a little less expensive.
3. Bailey's Irish Cream, which I get to enjoy when I am done with my papers and finals (to do so before that time would probably make for funnier papers, but poorer grades)
Oh, and we're excited to come back to Minnesota in five days, too...Family, friends, and Leinie's Honey Weiss!
--hbc
The Hold Steady @ Pearl Street, Northampton MA 12-15-06
Heidi and I went to see The Hold Steady on Friday night at The Pearl Street, a small club here in Northampton. A really great show – both band and crowd were in good moods, lots of joking and banter. It’s not often that you see bands looking like they’re having a good time on stage, but these guys clearly were.
HS’s massive AC/DC-meets-Thin Lizzy riffs and Craig Finn’s manic narrative bark are tailor-made for a venue like this, and most of the crowd raised their beers and sang/shouted along at all of the appropriate ‘whoa-oh’ points. They ran through all of the tunes from the new album, plus a few favorites like “The Swish” and “My Little Hoodrat Friend” from earlier records.
Openers Catfish Haven were pretty cool too, despite that horrible name – acoustic/electric soul/punk, and they had one guy whose primary role was to bang the heck out his cowbell.
Show ended with Catfish joining HS onstage, and eventually lots of people from the crowd packed onstage too and surrounded the bands while Finn climbed up on the drum riser and led everyone like a big choir.
Pretty dang cool.
- JBC
P.S. As far as I know, Heidi was not involved in Friday's riot at UMass.
HS’s massive AC/DC-meets-Thin Lizzy riffs and Craig Finn’s manic narrative bark are tailor-made for a venue like this, and most of the crowd raised their beers and sang/shouted along at all of the appropriate ‘whoa-oh’ points. They ran through all of the tunes from the new album, plus a few favorites like “The Swish” and “My Little Hoodrat Friend” from earlier records.
Openers Catfish Haven were pretty cool too, despite that horrible name – acoustic/electric soul/punk, and they had one guy whose primary role was to bang the heck out his cowbell.
Show ended with Catfish joining HS onstage, and eventually lots of people from the crowd packed onstage too and surrounded the bands while Finn climbed up on the drum riser and led everyone like a big choir.
Pretty dang cool.
- JBC
P.S. As far as I know, Heidi was not involved in Friday's riot at UMass.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Puttin' on the foil.
Was great to see some live hockey. UMass pulled out an ugly, scrappy 2-1 victory over Boston College on Friday night -- the Minutemen were outshot, outmuscled, and didn't seem to understand what it meant to be on a power play, but they've got speed, and goalie Jon Quick stopped 39 shots en route to the victory. (BC promptly trounced UMass in the Saturday game, 5-2.)
Most of the sports excitement around Amherst this week is for the university’s football team, now on its way to the NCAA Division 1-AA national championship game after defeating Montana 19-17 in Missoula in the semifinal game. UMass plays defending national champs Appalachian State in the final on Friday night (ESPN2).
- JBC
Most of the sports excitement around Amherst this week is for the university’s football team, now on its way to the NCAA Division 1-AA national championship game after defeating Montana 19-17 in Missoula in the semifinal game. UMass plays defending national champs Appalachian State in the final on Friday night (ESPN2).
- JBC
Friday, December 08, 2006
"He was in the crease!"
It’s Friday, and the Blapps shall be experiencing the in-person wonder of Hockey East action as #16 UMass hosts #6 Boston College. It’s Mullet Night at the game.
I think the #16 ranking means that the Minutemen are only about 6% as good as the #1 ranked Gophers.
Still -- it is Mullet Night!
- JBC
I think the #16 ranking means that the Minutemen are only about 6% as good as the #1 ranked Gophers.
Still -- it is Mullet Night!
- JBC
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Get your grub on!
One of our favorite finds is The People's Pint in Greenfield. The Pint is a microbrew with fabulous food and a great atmosphere. Live music, dark woodwork, a friendly host who never seems to take a day off--we love this place! Paired with: Jeff, Andi, and Dylan (we forgot to mention that they're kid-friendly!)
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Signs that Christmas is coming...
The man who stands outside Whole Foods wearing a cape and playing a bucket added a Santa hat to his attire.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Turkey Day weekend in Massachusetts
We celebrated our first major holiday here in the commonwealth. We missed our traditional family gatherings but made the most of the four day weekend. On Thanksgiving Day we ate dinner at the Blue Heron restaurant. We ate there on our anniversary, so we knew it was good, but the four-course turkey dinner was amazing! Grandma Bauer and T.L. Bear make better turkey, though.
On Saturday we set out to explore New York City. We drove to New Haven, CT and took the train into Grand Central Station.
Jay can barely contain his excitement on the train.
Grand Central Station is a great welcome to New York City. The classical architecture is amazing, but the huge crowds are a little overwhelming. Jay compared it to the most crowded day at the Minnesota State Fair, minus the cheese curds and pronto pups!
Times Square hypnotized us with the flashing lights. For some reason we left feeling like we should buy something...I'm sure it had nothing to do with the dense concentration of ads we saw.
We gave in to the pull of the street vendors and got hot dogs but resisted the temptation to buy "real" Prada handbags, although there was a lovely blue leather one that would look stunning with Jay's eyes...
Even though it hasn't been officially "lit" the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is impressive! We were surprised at how small the skating rink was, however.
We walked through the Theatre District right in the middle of the Saturday matinee rush. If you look closely at the people in the bottom of the picture you'll notice a man being arrested, which on its own isn't very entertaining, but it happened in front of the families in line for "The Lion King". Jay was particularly impressed with this scene.
Hanging out in Central Park enjoying the beautiful weather. We didn't see any celebrities during our visit (we tried, Sarah!) but Jay swears he saw a guy who looked exactly like Brian Lien in the Park. Hmmmm......
After Central Park we went to the American Museum of Natural History, where we came across this statue from the Olmec culture in Mesoamerica. Heidi was especially excited to find it since she had talked about them in a lecture she gave on the Olmec just last week. Jay was not expecially excited to find it, even though he sat through Heidi's practice lecture. He lost even more points when he laughed at the fact that the evolution wing of the museum was closed for renovation.
Before we left the museum Jay got a call on his cell phone from his grandma. When he told her where we were, her response was "Oh, for heaven's sake!"
-hbc
On Saturday we set out to explore New York City. We drove to New Haven, CT and took the train into Grand Central Station.
Jay can barely contain his excitement on the train.
Grand Central Station is a great welcome to New York City. The classical architecture is amazing, but the huge crowds are a little overwhelming. Jay compared it to the most crowded day at the Minnesota State Fair, minus the cheese curds and pronto pups!
Times Square hypnotized us with the flashing lights. For some reason we left feeling like we should buy something...I'm sure it had nothing to do with the dense concentration of ads we saw.
We gave in to the pull of the street vendors and got hot dogs but resisted the temptation to buy "real" Prada handbags, although there was a lovely blue leather one that would look stunning with Jay's eyes...
Even though it hasn't been officially "lit" the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is impressive! We were surprised at how small the skating rink was, however.
We walked through the Theatre District right in the middle of the Saturday matinee rush. If you look closely at the people in the bottom of the picture you'll notice a man being arrested, which on its own isn't very entertaining, but it happened in front of the families in line for "The Lion King". Jay was particularly impressed with this scene.
Hanging out in Central Park enjoying the beautiful weather. We didn't see any celebrities during our visit (we tried, Sarah!) but Jay swears he saw a guy who looked exactly like Brian Lien in the Park. Hmmmm......
After Central Park we went to the American Museum of Natural History, where we came across this statue from the Olmec culture in Mesoamerica. Heidi was especially excited to find it since she had talked about them in a lecture she gave on the Olmec just last week. Jay was not expecially excited to find it, even though he sat through Heidi's practice lecture. He lost even more points when he laughed at the fact that the evolution wing of the museum was closed for renovation.
Before we left the museum Jay got a call on his cell phone from his grandma. When he told her where we were, her response was "Oh, for heaven's sake!"
-hbc
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Today is Julia Child Day; Dylan in concert
Today, Thursday, Nov. 16, Smith College celebrates Julia Child '34 and her contributions to the college community. Her recipes are featured at the Campus Center Café and Smith College Club for lunch as well as in the Smith dining rooms and the café for dinner. “What I learned in the Kitchen,” a panel with Smith faculty discussing the pleasure treasures of a life well-lived and loved, will take place in the Campus Center at 4:15 p.m. and will be followed by a gala reception.
-------------------------
Last night’s concert deserves a ‘pretty good’, but not a ‘great’, in the humble opinion of this Blapp.
Openers The Raconteurs = indie songwriter stud Brendan Benson + the rhythm section of Cincinnati’s The Greenhornes + some manic fidgety guy named Jack White who plays a pretty mean guitar and sings a bit too. The flashes of Led Zep worship shown on Broken Boy Soldiers were in full effect live, and several songs were extended by bluesy psychedelic Page-esque noodlings that probably would have been much cooler in a small club setting.
White blew his voice out mid-way through the set, but gamely kept reaching for those high notes anyways. Ouch. Rhythm section was very solid, but clearly relegated to second-fiddle status backing up the Benson & White show. A noisy version of “Steady As She Goes” was the closer and highlight of the set, which ended promptly at 8:30 PM.
Dylan? Well, Dylan’s songs speak for themselves, but on this night he was definitely not a showman or a performer. He played the keyboard and the occasional harmonica line, facing his band, shoulder to the audience - his only verbal acknowledgement of the crowd was the mumbled afterthought of, “Thank you, friends” as he left the stage.
Interesting demographic mix in the audience, with an about-even mix of boomers, gen Xers and college-age troopers.
An excitable young fellow sitting near us apparently felt that giving the “devil horns” sign for each song was an appropriate tribute, and his friend’s yelled proclamation to anyone and everyone of, “He’d better f&*#ing play ‘Like a Rolling Stone’!” midway through Dylan's set was . . . um . . . charming.
Mr. Zimmerman and his band performed songs drawn almost entirely from the new record Modern Times, with the notable exceptions of “Highway 61 Revisited” and a driving version of “Like a Rolling Stone” as the crowd-pleasing finale. Dylan's voice was a bit ragged and scratchy; of course Dylan’s backing band was fantastic, propelling each song with precision and finesse.
-------------------------
Last night’s concert deserves a ‘pretty good’, but not a ‘great’, in the humble opinion of this Blapp.
Openers The Raconteurs = indie songwriter stud Brendan Benson + the rhythm section of Cincinnati’s The Greenhornes + some manic fidgety guy named Jack White who plays a pretty mean guitar and sings a bit too. The flashes of Led Zep worship shown on Broken Boy Soldiers were in full effect live, and several songs were extended by bluesy psychedelic Page-esque noodlings that probably would have been much cooler in a small club setting.
White blew his voice out mid-way through the set, but gamely kept reaching for those high notes anyways. Ouch. Rhythm section was very solid, but clearly relegated to second-fiddle status backing up the Benson & White show. A noisy version of “Steady As She Goes” was the closer and highlight of the set, which ended promptly at 8:30 PM.
Dylan? Well, Dylan’s songs speak for themselves, but on this night he was definitely not a showman or a performer. He played the keyboard and the occasional harmonica line, facing his band, shoulder to the audience - his only verbal acknowledgement of the crowd was the mumbled afterthought of, “Thank you, friends” as he left the stage.
Interesting demographic mix in the audience, with an about-even mix of boomers, gen Xers and college-age troopers.
An excitable young fellow sitting near us apparently felt that giving the “devil horns” sign for each song was an appropriate tribute, and his friend’s yelled proclamation to anyone and everyone of, “He’d better f&*#ing play ‘Like a Rolling Stone’!” midway through Dylan's set was . . . um . . . charming.
Mr. Zimmerman and his band performed songs drawn almost entirely from the new record Modern Times, with the notable exceptions of “Highway 61 Revisited” and a driving version of “Like a Rolling Stone” as the crowd-pleasing finale. Dylan's voice was a bit ragged and scratchy; of course Dylan’s backing band was fantastic, propelling each song with precision and finesse.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
DQ!
An important update / correction to information posted previously in The Blapp Report:
New England DOES have Dairy Queens after all
I found one, in Springfield’s Holyoke Mall
My Blizzard purchase: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough,
I consumed it swiftly, I’ll have you know,
Blizzards taste great any season - winter, spring, summer or fall.
So...
We’re seeing some guy named Bob Dylan tonight – he’s in concert at UMass, with The Raconteurs opening. Looking forward to the show.
- Jay
New England DOES have Dairy Queens after all
I found one, in Springfield’s Holyoke Mall
My Blizzard purchase: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough,
I consumed it swiftly, I’ll have you know,
Blizzards taste great any season - winter, spring, summer or fall.
So...
We’re seeing some guy named Bob Dylan tonight – he’s in concert at UMass, with The Raconteurs opening. Looking forward to the show.
- Jay
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Voting is neato, eh?
The election is over, which is fantastic because it means that my TV viewing will again be dominated by irritating product commercials rather than irritating campaign commercials. Bravo to the Dems for their successes this week – or, more appropriately, bravo to the voters for their success, right? (My political leanings are a lot like my preferences in dress shirts – blue, light blue, blue with stripes, and a little bit of green – so I’m pretty pleased about Tuesday’s results.)
MSNBC recently reported that over $160 million was spent solely on campaign advertising – the vast majority towards negative ads. Imagine the collective good that amount of money could have done if it was distributed to some school districts, health clinics, and business development organizations rather than to cruddy TV commercials...
Here in Massachusetts, Deval Patrick (D) won the race for governor by 20+ percent margin over the Republican challenger. He is a former civil rights lawyer who worked in the Clinton administration. He also had a high-power exec job with Coca-Cola for awhile, which briefly raised the ire of some uber-lefties a few months back, but they quickly got over it. He comes across as thoughtful, humble, and charismatic – a leader who doesn’t seem like he’ll result to “just folks” style pandering. Good stuff.
I will admit to being confused by Patrick’s campaign slogan, “Together We Can”. No announcement has been made about what it was that we are canning… Pickles? Tomatoes? Perhaps he’ll tell us when he formally takes office.
In other news, I saw Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth with her daughter while we were wandering around Northampton last week. This was cool as heck.
Which reminds me: Derailleur scored a gig at the Guthrie this Friday night. You should go.
Be good; be good at it.
- jbc
MSNBC recently reported that over $160 million was spent solely on campaign advertising – the vast majority towards negative ads. Imagine the collective good that amount of money could have done if it was distributed to some school districts, health clinics, and business development organizations rather than to cruddy TV commercials...
Here in Massachusetts, Deval Patrick (D) won the race for governor by 20+ percent margin over the Republican challenger. He is a former civil rights lawyer who worked in the Clinton administration. He also had a high-power exec job with Coca-Cola for awhile, which briefly raised the ire of some uber-lefties a few months back, but they quickly got over it. He comes across as thoughtful, humble, and charismatic – a leader who doesn’t seem like he’ll result to “just folks” style pandering. Good stuff.
I will admit to being confused by Patrick’s campaign slogan, “Together We Can”. No announcement has been made about what it was that we are canning… Pickles? Tomatoes? Perhaps he’ll tell us when he formally takes office.
In other news, I saw Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth with her daughter while we were wandering around Northampton last week. This was cool as heck.
Which reminds me: Derailleur scored a gig at the Guthrie this Friday night. You should go.
Be good; be good at it.
- jbc
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Visitors!
It has been a busy few weeks here in the wilds of western MA, so a little catching up is in order:
We recently hosted our first official visitors, starting off with the esteemed Mr. Adam Soderlind two weeks ago. Hiking, pool, pizza, and pandas were featured elements of the visit. We had a great time, and I shall be scouting out local off-road cycling trails in anticipation of his next visit.
Hiking up Mt. Holyoke.
Next, Heidi’s parents, sister Holly, and brother Troy flew into town, as Holly was visiting several colleges out here. During their time here we spent a day in Historic Deerfield (it was Archaeology Day!), trekked to the top of Mt. Holyoke, and, for old times’ sake, I defeated Troy at NHL hockey on my trusty old Playstation.
We really enjoyed seeing people and being able to show everyone around the area of our adopted home.
A final update: I’ve now begun my new job at Smith College in nearby Northampton, MA. I am working as a counselor for the college’s Career Development Office. Am really enjoying the work, and this position is closely related to my original professional goals when I decided to pursue graduate school. I miss my colleagues at Capella and will definitely miss the work and work environment of that institution, but am also very excited about this next step in my career.
- jbc
We recently hosted our first official visitors, starting off with the esteemed Mr. Adam Soderlind two weeks ago. Hiking, pool, pizza, and pandas were featured elements of the visit. We had a great time, and I shall be scouting out local off-road cycling trails in anticipation of his next visit.
Hiking up Mt. Holyoke. Next, Heidi’s parents, sister Holly, and brother Troy flew into town, as Holly was visiting several colleges out here. During their time here we spent a day in Historic Deerfield (it was Archaeology Day!), trekked to the top of Mt. Holyoke, and, for old times’ sake, I defeated Troy at NHL hockey on my trusty old Playstation.
Putting Troy to work: loading up for a run to the garbage dump.
Another trip up Mt. Holyoke -- great views of the Pioneer Valley.
In Historic Deerfield: Holly expresses surprise when she realizes she doesn't already know everything, while Troy plots how to stump Jay with his next batch of Green Bay Packers trivia questions.
Randy with camera on Mt. Sugarloaf.
We really enjoyed seeing people and being able to show everyone around the area of our adopted home.
A final update: I’ve now begun my new job at Smith College in nearby Northampton, MA. I am working as a counselor for the college’s Career Development Office. Am really enjoying the work, and this position is closely related to my original professional goals when I decided to pursue graduate school. I miss my colleagues at Capella and will definitely miss the work and work environment of that institution, but am also very excited about this next step in my career.
- jbc
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
More fun in the local news...
From last Friday's Greenfield Reporter:
Shelburne woman seeks aid with stray cat tormenting her
SHELBURNE — Mechanic Street resident P. Goodwin complained to the selectmen this week that a stray cat has been tormenting her for three years.
She presented selectmen with a petition, signed by four neighbors, who would like to see the cat removed. Selectmen indicated that cats are not within the animal control officer’s jurisdiction, but said that Goodwin could have a warrant article at town meeting to have cats registered.
Goodwin said that the cat has prevented her from sleeping because of its yowling. It also is frequently in fights with other neighborhood cats, and once intruded into her home, she said.
Goodwin indicated that Selectman Joseph Judd has tried to capture the cat with a Havahart trap but has not succeeded. The trap has only been successful in capturing a skunk, she said.
Goodwin said Friday she was unsatisfied with the selectmen’s response and plans to seek a gun permit so she can “defend” her house against the cat, which she said has entered her house through a cat window as recently as Thursday night.
--hbc
Shelburne woman seeks aid with stray cat tormenting her
SHELBURNE — Mechanic Street resident P. Goodwin complained to the selectmen this week that a stray cat has been tormenting her for three years.
She presented selectmen with a petition, signed by four neighbors, who would like to see the cat removed. Selectmen indicated that cats are not within the animal control officer’s jurisdiction, but said that Goodwin could have a warrant article at town meeting to have cats registered.
Goodwin said that the cat has prevented her from sleeping because of its yowling. It also is frequently in fights with other neighborhood cats, and once intruded into her home, she said.
Goodwin indicated that Selectman Joseph Judd has tried to capture the cat with a Havahart trap but has not succeeded. The trap has only been successful in capturing a skunk, she said.
Goodwin said Friday she was unsatisfied with the selectmen’s response and plans to seek a gun permit so she can “defend” her house against the cat, which she said has entered her house through a cat window as recently as Thursday night.
--hbc
Friday, October 06, 2006
Fun with linguistics...
Since I still don't understand most of what I am reading, Jay and I decided I might as well have some fun with linguistics. The terms lend themselves quite nicely to insulting-sounding phrases. Our favorite so far: "Take your fricative dipthong and go aspirate yourself!" I don't think this counts as extra credit for the course, however...
-hbc
-hbc
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Turf Wars
Greenfield is a town just north of Deerfield; it's a bit bigger in population, more retail and restaurant options, and a bit more "stuff" going on -- Greenfield is the Brainerd to Deerfield's Baxter. The following item was reported in the Greenfield police log for October 2:
"5:05 p.m. -- Group of youths in front of Fiske Avenue location swearing and yelling at residents and refusing to leave, officers sent, spoke with involved parties having a turf war, one subject believes she owns the street, peace restored."
- jbc
"5:05 p.m. -- Group of youths in front of Fiske Avenue location swearing and yelling at residents and refusing to leave, officers sent, spoke with involved parties having a turf war, one subject believes she owns the street, peace restored."
- jbc
Saturday, September 30, 2006
A trip to Yankee Candle Company--Yippee!
The flagship store of Yankee Candle Company is right down the street in South Deerfield, and today we felt as if we had resisted its pull long enough. We ventured in to see what brings hundreds of cars and tour buses full of people each day.
Jay is amazed by the parking lot--this only shows about 1/5 of the cars.
Jay is having second thoughts once he gets a whiff of the place...
But once we get inside, Jay gets carried away in the scent sampling room. He carefully followed the instructions on how to properly sniff a candle, then made his way through the seemingly endless rows of shelves in order to choose his favorites.
Once he had selected his favorite scents (sadly, "pizza" and "chocolate chip cookie" are not among the options) he proceeded to the votive candle smorgasbord. This gigantic room is set up like the produce section in a grocery store with bins of votive candles organized by scent. You walk around with an egg carton-like container so you can mix and match your custom selection. Eighteen candles for only $19.99!
As exciting as the candle selection was the highlight for Jay was an encounter with the King Candle. Disappointment set in when he realized it was not for sale...
The visit proved to be a bit too stimulating for Jay, and he was grateful when we finally left so he could give his nose a break.
Jay perked up when we got home and he opened his custom mix of the best votives Yankee Candle Company has to offer! It may take a little while to get the scent off his clothes, though...
-hbc
Jay is amazed by the parking lot--this only shows about 1/5 of the cars.
Jay is having second thoughts once he gets a whiff of the place...
But once we get inside, Jay gets carried away in the scent sampling room. He carefully followed the instructions on how to properly sniff a candle, then made his way through the seemingly endless rows of shelves in order to choose his favorites.
Once he had selected his favorite scents (sadly, "pizza" and "chocolate chip cookie" are not among the options) he proceeded to the votive candle smorgasbord. This gigantic room is set up like the produce section in a grocery store with bins of votive candles organized by scent. You walk around with an egg carton-like container so you can mix and match your custom selection. Eighteen candles for only $19.99!
As exciting as the candle selection was the highlight for Jay was an encounter with the King Candle. Disappointment set in when he realized it was not for sale...
The visit proved to be a bit too stimulating for Jay, and he was grateful when we finally left so he could give his nose a break.
Jay perked up when we got home and he opened his custom mix of the best votives Yankee Candle Company has to offer! It may take a little while to get the scent off his clothes, though...-hbc
Friday, September 29, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Cover story in this week's Pulse...
For Twin Cities folk:
Track down a copy of the Sept. 20-26 edition of Pulse! The very cool cover story "Crossing the Great Divide: A bike trek through Bush country" was written by Heidi's aunt Anne. (That's Heidi's sister Holly pictured on the cover.)
If you can't find a hard copy, you can view the article here.
Track down a copy of the Sept. 20-26 edition of Pulse! The very cool cover story "Crossing the Great Divide: A bike trek through Bush country" was written by Heidi's aunt Anne. (That's Heidi's sister Holly pictured on the cover.)
If you can't find a hard copy, you can view the article here.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Along the trail: Holyoke Range
The Holyoke Range runs west-east just south of Amherst (one of the only mountain ranges in North America that is not aligned N-S) -- tons of hiking trails, great views of the Pioneer Valley. Last weekend we got out for a short hike to the top of one of the "peaks", called Bare Mountain.
On the trail.
Overlook, facing east, about two-thirds of the way up.
Looking north from top of Bare Mountain.
View south from top of Bare Mountain. If you click on this picture to enlarge the view, look closely near the left side of the picture -- you can see the modest skyline of Springfield, MA, roughly 25 miles away. We could also see Westover Air Force Base, home to the massive C-5B Galaxy transport planes that can often be seen lumbering over the valley.)
Belated pictures: Heidi's first day at school!
A tasty, nutritious, inspiring lunch...
nice new backpack and the good ol' Nalgene bottle...
and out the door she went...
Monday, September 18, 2006
Why I am not a linguistic anthropologist...
Actual line from one of my course readings:
"We may approach the process of entextualization in performance in formal and functional terms by exploring the means available to participants in performance situations to render stretches of discourse discontinuous with their discursive surround, thus making them into coherent, effective, and memorable texts."
I'm taking suggestions on what you think this means, because I have no idea...
(The article is "Poetics and performance as critical perspectives on language and social life" by Richard Bauman and Charles Briggs, just in case you want to check out the full text. It's good reading, I tell you what.)
-hbc
"We may approach the process of entextualization in performance in formal and functional terms by exploring the means available to participants in performance situations to render stretches of discourse discontinuous with their discursive surround, thus making them into coherent, effective, and memorable texts."
I'm taking suggestions on what you think this means, because I have no idea...
(The article is "Poetics and performance as critical perspectives on language and social life" by Richard Bauman and Charles Briggs, just in case you want to check out the full text. It's good reading, I tell you what.)
-hbc
Friday, September 15, 2006
It's the little things...
Whisps of fog on the upper parts of Mt. Sugarloaf this morning – peaceful and pretty. It makes me feel like a hobbit, and I’m suddenly motivated to find a good walking stick and use the word “precious” to describe things.
I just dropped my car off for the fine folks at Fisher’s Garage to administer their inspection magic, and I’ll find out the results later today. In the meantime, I wait and wonder how harshly my trusty Mazda will be judged.
Inspection blues: someone told me that his car failed a recent inspection because his front turn-signal lights “were not yellow enough”.
While walking back home from the garage, I saw a gentleman perched upon a lawn tractor, parked in his driveway. The tractor wasn’t running. He was just sitting there, observing quietly as the day passed by. The king on his throne, surveying his kingdom…
- jbc
I just dropped my car off for the fine folks at Fisher’s Garage to administer their inspection magic, and I’ll find out the results later today. In the meantime, I wait and wonder how harshly my trusty Mazda will be judged.
Inspection blues: someone told me that his car failed a recent inspection because his front turn-signal lights “were not yellow enough”.
While walking back home from the garage, I saw a gentleman perched upon a lawn tractor, parked in his driveway. The tractor wasn’t running. He was just sitting there, observing quietly as the day passed by. The king on his throne, surveying his kingdom…
- jbc
Monday, September 11, 2006
Get Your Grub On!
We visited the Moan and Dove when we were first here back in February, and it made our decision to move out here a little easier...true pub atmosphere with barrels of peanuts, dark lighting, large wooden booths and over 100 different types of beers. This place has brews from around the world, including one category simply labeled "Mystery Brews". They even pour the different types of beers into the proper type of glass...
Paired with: Tom Clapp and T.L.B. (of course)
Jerry's Place (no website yet!) is right on the busiest corner in bustling South Deerfield and was suggested to us by Jay's parents when they were in town to help us move. This is a true small-town diner complete with counters and stools, waitresses who call you "hon" and the ability to start a tab (if Jerry, the owner, knows you by name). Coffee is free with breakfast, and the fried egg sandwich would make Heidi's grandpa Bauer proud, so this is paired with: Grandma and Grandpa Bauer
Paired with: Tom Clapp and T.L.B. (of course)
Jerry's Place (no website yet!) is right on the busiest corner in bustling South Deerfield and was suggested to us by Jay's parents when they were in town to help us move. This is a true small-town diner complete with counters and stools, waitresses who call you "hon" and the ability to start a tab (if Jerry, the owner, knows you by name). Coffee is free with breakfast, and the fried egg sandwich would make Heidi's grandpa Bauer proud, so this is paired with: Grandma and Grandpa Bauer
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Academic Watchdogs
Yesterday was my first day of class at UMASS--I felt like a little kid going off to my first day of kindergarten! I'm taking three courses and serving as a TA for one undergraduate course, which means Jay will not see very much of me this semester. The workload for my courses is pretty heavy (one professor just listed weekly readings as "yes, lots") but I know I'll be able to stay on task because my portable nerds are watching over me and cheering me on while I am at my desk. Thanks guys!
-hbc
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Get Your Grub On!
We'd like to introduce a new feature we developed while out to dinner one night--we don't have many conversations with anyone but each other lately, so we've had to get creative in our topics!
In "Get Your Grub On" we will profile a restaurant/pub we visit, then "pair" that eating establishment with family/friends we think would also like it.
We went to the Blue Heron on our anniversary. The food featured lots of local ingredients, handmade pastas, and a great wine list. We would definitely go back for a special occasion or long dinner with good conversation and good friends. Paired with: Jen and Scott
Thai Blue Ginger in Greenfield does not quite compare to our favorite Thai place in Minneapolis, but it's pretty close. Fresh vegetables from local farms are featured in most of the dishes, and the "spice" is scaled at levels we Minnesotans can handle! Paired with: Karla and Brian
Stay tuned for more Grub!
In "Get Your Grub On" we will profile a restaurant/pub we visit, then "pair" that eating establishment with family/friends we think would also like it.
We went to the Blue Heron on our anniversary. The food featured lots of local ingredients, handmade pastas, and a great wine list. We would definitely go back for a special occasion or long dinner with good conversation and good friends. Paired with: Jen and Scott
Thai Blue Ginger in Greenfield does not quite compare to our favorite Thai place in Minneapolis, but it's pretty close. Fresh vegetables from local farms are featured in most of the dishes, and the "spice" is scaled at levels we Minnesotans can handle! Paired with: Karla and Brian
Stay tuned for more Grub!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Scenes from South Deerfield, part 2: Who was Capt. Lathrop?
Perhaps this monument to Captain Lathrop and his men will enlighten us?
Text reads:
On this Ground Capt. THOMAS LATHROP and eight four men under his command, including eighteen teamsters from Deerfield, conveying stores from that town to Hadley, were ambuscaded by about 700 indians, and the Captain and seventy six men slain, Sept 18th 1675 (old style). [Eds. note: Whoa! No one likes to be ambuscaded! Bad luck, that.]
The soldiers who fell were described by a contemporary Historian as "a choice Company of young men, the very flower of the County of Essex none of whom were ashamed to speak with the enemy in the gate." [Eds note: So you're saying they were nice fellows, then?]
And SANGUINETTO tells you where the dead
Made the earth wet and turned the unwilling waters red
[Eds note: Wow -- check out the fancy pants literary reference to Lord Byron's Child Harold's Pilgrimmage.]
The Same of the slain is marked by a Stone slab, 21 rods southerly of this monument.
[Eds note: why southerly and not just south? Geez, get an editor next time...]
Anyways, the whole event became known as the Battle of Bloody Brook, which you can read more about here. The brook itself runs right through our backyard -- we are very pleased to report that the water has long since shed its reddish hue; these days it maintains a murky, slimy earth-tone brown.
So there you have it: this week's edition "The Happy History of South Deerfield."
- jbc
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Headlines
From the Greenfield Recorder (As you can see, our news is a little more low-key these days...)
Dog found: Northfield dog, Hank, found in cellar hole after 7 weeks
NORTHFIELD — “We feel like somebody has died and come back to life,” said a very happy Marianne Wood.
Her dog Hank, missing for seven weeks, was found on Monday, alive and remarkably well for a dog that had wasted to 54 pounds from a healthy weight of 75 pounds.
Speaking from her mother-in-law’s summer home in upstate New York, Wood told the story of her beloved golden-haired bloodhound/Labrador retriever cross.
The story actually goes on for about twelve more paragraphs. It was bigger news than the use of a helicopter during a police chase (the helicopter was already in the air for police training, and yes, they did catch the bad guy).
-hbc
Dog found: Northfield dog, Hank, found in cellar hole after 7 weeks
NORTHFIELD — “We feel like somebody has died and come back to life,” said a very happy Marianne Wood.
Her dog Hank, missing for seven weeks, was found on Monday, alive and remarkably well for a dog that had wasted to 54 pounds from a healthy weight of 75 pounds.
Speaking from her mother-in-law’s summer home in upstate New York, Wood told the story of her beloved golden-haired bloodhound/Labrador retriever cross.
The story actually goes on for about twelve more paragraphs. It was bigger news than the use of a helicopter during a police chase (the helicopter was already in the air for police training, and yes, they did catch the bad guy).
-hbc
Registering a car in Massachusetts (is not fun)
In order to become official residents of the commonwealth (and who doesn't want to--it's a commonwealth!), we needed a driver's license and license plate for each of us. We made our way to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (don't call it the DMV, they don't like that) and filled out the necessary paperwork. Jay, as usual, is not smiling in the new photo for his driver's license, although they still look cool with the semi-high-tech graphics. I successfully registered my car, but Jay has to wait until a copy of his title is sent from Minnesota. He is excited because he gets to keep his Minnesota plates a little longer--this allows him to drive as poorly/slowly/erratically as he wants and people will just forgive him as a crazy out-of-state driver.
After putting the new plates on my car (and saving one of the Minnesota plates to hang in my office) I took it in for the required inspection. The commonwealth requires all registered vehicles to pass a safety and emissions inspection once a year, and you have seven days to complete this task once a new registration is entered. I, of course, waited until 4 p.m. on the 7th day, only to find out that my beloved (and well-maintained!) Saturn had failed. Actually, to avoid damage to my car's self-esteem, I don't like to say that it failed but merely didn't feel comfortable passing the first time around. The problem was with the exhaust system and according to Massachusetts law I was not allowed to drive the car until the problem had been corrected and the car passed inspection. Apparently spewing toxic emissions into the air is a no-no in the commonwealth.
There are three car repair shops in South Deerfield--one was busy getting all the school buses ready for the start of the school year and one was closed until Sept. 5th because the mechanics were on vacation, so that left me with Fischer's Garage. They have proudly been in business since 1912 (I don't think people around here trust a business less than 50 years old) and still have full-service gas pumps, complete with the little hose you drive over to make a chiming noise in the shop so someone will come out and pump your gas. After two days and $395.22, my car has a new exhaust system and proudly displays a "passed inspection" sticker (see right). As Jay's car has not yet been registered or inspected, expect a "Part Two" of the car saga soon...
-hbc
After putting the new plates on my car (and saving one of the Minnesota plates to hang in my office) I took it in for the required inspection. The commonwealth requires all registered vehicles to pass a safety and emissions inspection once a year, and you have seven days to complete this task once a new registration is entered. I, of course, waited until 4 p.m. on the 7th day, only to find out that my beloved (and well-maintained!) Saturn had failed. Actually, to avoid damage to my car's self-esteem, I don't like to say that it failed but merely didn't feel comfortable passing the first time around. The problem was with the exhaust system and according to Massachusetts law I was not allowed to drive the car until the problem had been corrected and the car passed inspection. Apparently spewing toxic emissions into the air is a no-no in the commonwealth.
There are three car repair shops in South Deerfield--one was busy getting all the school buses ready for the start of the school year and one was closed until Sept. 5th because the mechanics were on vacation, so that left me with Fischer's Garage. They have proudly been in business since 1912 (I don't think people around here trust a business less than 50 years old) and still have full-service gas pumps, complete with the little hose you drive over to make a chiming noise in the shop so someone will come out and pump your gas. After two days and $395.22, my car has a new exhaust system and proudly displays a "passed inspection" sticker (see right). As Jay's car has not yet been registered or inspected, expect a "Part Two" of the car saga soon...-hbc
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Scenes from South Deerfield, part 1
View of our backyard.
Reverse psychology?
Captain Lathrop is the protagonist in my rock opera ode to South Deerfield (work in progress)
Park and water fountain in "downtown" S. Deerfield
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Buy stuff!
After our first few weeks here, it seems appropriate to give you a review of some of our Pioneer Valley shopping discoveries. Consumerism = good, right?
There are no Dairy Queens here. This is a problem.
No Chipotles either. This is also problematic.
Minnesota-based retailers are well-represented in nearby Hadley, with a Target and a Best Buy. Nothing that fantastic about either of these stores, but it is nice to have some familiar names close by.
The Hadley Mall also features Dave’s Soda and Pet City. True to the business name, this warehouse-style store caters to the multifaceted needs of the region’s dog, cat, fish, and reptile owners, while offering those same owners the convenience of replenishing their dwindling supplies of carbonated beverages in the same shopping trip. Not the cheapest place to buy that 24-pack of Diet Coke, but it is perfect if you’re desperate for Diet Coke AND kitty litter…
Yesterday we made our way down to the Holyoke Mall, just north of Springfield. Readers familiar with any of the ‘Dales in the Twin Cities would feel at home here, as this mall features pretty much the same shopping options – Gap, Old Navy, Abercrombie, Sears, JC Penney’s, DSW, and so forth.
Virtually every town out here has a Dunkin’ Donuts. We haven’t yet succumbed to the pull of our local Dunkin’, but rumor has it that their coffee is decent, so we can’t avoid it forever.
Favorite new find so far: Trader Joe’s in Amherst. Hippie/granola/organic foods, fun atmosphere, cheaper than Whole Foods, pre-made cheese enchiladas – how can you go wrong?
- jbc
There are no Dairy Queens here. This is a problem.
No Chipotles either. This is also problematic.
Minnesota-based retailers are well-represented in nearby Hadley, with a Target and a Best Buy. Nothing that fantastic about either of these stores, but it is nice to have some familiar names close by.
The Hadley Mall also features Dave’s Soda and Pet City. True to the business name, this warehouse-style store caters to the multifaceted needs of the region’s dog, cat, fish, and reptile owners, while offering those same owners the convenience of replenishing their dwindling supplies of carbonated beverages in the same shopping trip. Not the cheapest place to buy that 24-pack of Diet Coke, but it is perfect if you’re desperate for Diet Coke AND kitty litter…
Yesterday we made our way down to the Holyoke Mall, just north of Springfield. Readers familiar with any of the ‘Dales in the Twin Cities would feel at home here, as this mall features pretty much the same shopping options – Gap, Old Navy, Abercrombie, Sears, JC Penney’s, DSW, and so forth.
Virtually every town out here has a Dunkin’ Donuts. We haven’t yet succumbed to the pull of our local Dunkin’, but rumor has it that their coffee is decent, so we can’t avoid it forever.
Favorite new find so far: Trader Joe’s in Amherst. Hippie/granola/organic foods, fun atmosphere, cheaper than Whole Foods, pre-made cheese enchiladas – how can you go wrong?
- jbc
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Forced family bonding in Colorado...
Six days after we arrived in Massachusetts, I left Jay to finish unpacking boxes in our new apartment and flew to Colorado for a family reunion. Leaving so soon after we moved was stressful for both of us, but Jay enjoyed some much needed "chill-out" time and I loved spending time with family in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Our time together was a mix of scheduled activities and free-time, which allowed us to participate in lots of fun activities together and still have time to recover before the next group activity. Highlights of the trip were whitewater rafting (in the same boat as my two of my youngest cousins, Benjamin and Jonah) and spending time in the arts and crafts house with my sister, mom, and grandma.
I also got to spend a night at the new home of my brother Chad and his wife Laurie. Like us, they recently sold their house and moved to a new town. Laurie will be attending grad school at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. I have to thank them again for getting up so early to drive me to the airport!Looking forward to the next Morey reunion...
-hbc
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