let the wild rumpus begin

As of yesterday, the Fall semester has begun. I had the first session of my first two classes last night, and tomorrow evening I'll have my third. I know many of you are also getting underway with new school years and I wish you the best of luck.

The summer came to a quick close, though it was not without its celebrations. Last week I visited California and it was really great to see so many of you before starting another semester. Here are some pictures from the visit.

After returning home this weekend, I had to work a couple of shifts at the restaurant. It will be interesting getting readjusted to school while also working there; hopefully they'll continue to be as flexible with my schedule as they've been thus far.

Sunday evening Danie and I went out for dinner and drinks to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of Fall. Having been apart for a week, it was really nice to get out for some fun together before starting a busy week.

This Thursday Danie and I will be going to my University's Convocation ceremony. Otherwise we're just working, getting organized, and starting classes. As the semester unfolds, I'll continue carving out time for blogging. My goal is to be better about it than I was last year. So, you can expect to hear from me soon!

The Nielsen Family's NY Visit

Earlier this month Danielle's entire family came to New York. While Wendy and Ryan had both visited us individually, it was the first trip for Bob and Jake, and Jake's first time ever seeing New York. As such, we started with a marathon tour of the city.

On their first day in town, Danie took the family through Central Park, to the top of the Rockerfeller center, through lower Manhattan to Battery Park, and to the East Village for dinner. By the time I got off work that night, everybody had already gone back to the hotel room to crash, except Jake who was staying with us in our apartment.

The next day we set off on foot again, this time as six. We started out walking through the Chelsea market and the highline, and then we meandered through the beautiful bending streets of the West Village. After grabbing lunch at one of our favorite spots on West 4th, called Red Bamboo, we walked up through the Village to Union Square where we took the Subway down to the Staten Island ferry. The (free) ferry goes right past the Statue of Liberty and has unrivaled views of the financial district, so it’s a fun thing to do when touring the city.

Our last day in Manhattan, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then walked through Central Park. That evening, we went to dinner in Times Square and saw the Adams Family on Broadway. The show’s cast and wit were hysterically funny, and Broadway always provides a feast for the senses. I really don’t think there exists a less-than-spectacular Broadway musical.

After three days in the city, we departed by train for a week in Long Island. Bob and Wendy generously rented a house that was sandwiched between the ocean and a bay. We spent the next few days relaxing, reading, working on a surprisingly challenging puzzle, playing board games, swimming, and sitting on the beach. The best part was just having a sustained period of time in which we could catch up and spend time together at a relaxed pace. As it had been over a year since we had all spent time together like that, it was really wonderful to reconnect.

In all, it was very meaningful and extremely memorable vacation. I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to spend time with the whole group at once, and again would like to extend my thanks to Bob and Wendy for planning and financing the trip. It is the sad reality that as we all get older and busier, coordinating schedules becomes far more difficult. The upside, however, is that when we manage to make a trip like this one happen, it is something we all deeply appreciate.

For pictures from the trip, click here.

points of interest

1. Why the floods in Pakistan are not receiving the same attention that the earthquake in Haiti did

2. Speaking of Pakistan's popularity, can you place it on a map? A terrific interactive map of the Middle East (hat tip to my Grandpa Martin)

3. Despite sanguine media/BP/government reports stating otherwise, University of Georgia researchers conclude that 79 percent of the oil released into the Gulf of Mexico has not been recovered

4. a wonderfully thought-provoking and seriously disturbing chart

5. "Dude, it's just a mosque"

6. the changing American consumer