sad day...

I have no idea how to post pictures so too bad for all of you. I promise I will try to figure it out. In the mean-time, don't forget to keep up with tink and ariel on their personal blogs. I think we have both posted and plan to go back to them. use the links on the right - where it says Jenn's blog" and "Michelle's blog".

My pictures are posted online...

Home and getting settled. Ended up not working today, but still getting paid for it! So I had a day to recover and re-adjust to Pasadena pace. I went to bed early and actually woke up REALLY early (like 5:15am!!). So, I'm still not quite on the right schedule, but I'm getting there.

I've posted most of my pictures from the trip on my webshots page:
http://community.webshots.com/user/arielpsu

Please, check 'em out and let me know what you think! (=

Wait!!!! It's not over yet!

Ok folks - the "during-trip" blog was just the beginning. We now have time to show more photos and reminisce on days gone by . SOOOOOO - here are some pics of our time with Rachel in Concord, MA - home of Walden Pond and the dearly departed author Henry T.
we love this guy!
and climbing on him is fun too!

before heading to MUT's (Michelle's Uncle Tom). I look tired!!!!! Whew!!! And where the heck is all jenn's energy coming from?????


Boston: we love you, we need you, we miss you already. :(

Heading back to LA

Well, its Tuesday - the final day of our trip. We board a plane home in about 2 hours and we are, surprisingly, not ready to come home quite yet. We both leave Florida with a sense of sadness - Jenn is leaving her second home and family, and I am leaving my new second family. I highly encourage all of you to make good friends with Jenn because aside from her extreme good looks, she has a wonderful, welcoming family that are SOOOOO similar to my parents (ha! big surprise!) it is scary.
We know that LA is home - that it has the things that we have seen on our trip and the activities we have done on our trip. We also know that LA holds some of our most prized possessions - our loved ones, our friends.
For me, this trip has been one of altars. Many choices and decisions lie ahead for me. One of the many things that this trip has taught me is that people are worth spending all your money to be with. Relationships are worth stretching a dollar, or a minute, to behold. Time spent, time seen, time to just be in the presence of those you love, and those you have yet to love is worth far more than the fear of being broke.
We have met so many wonderful people on our trip: Anthony, Ed and I-Can't-Say from the Boston Fire Dept., Liz, Adam and Dave from Superkind in New Hope, Jenni and Brian from New York, Laura and Jacob at Disney (I already have a date in Orlando when I come back!- he's cute and an architect and I could go on but I won't here) and, of course, Jenn's parents and brother. I am so thankful that God has brought so many new people into my life - I can't wait to see why and how our lives reconnect.
More when we get home, but for now - we love you, can't wait to see you, and look forward to adventures ahead.

Michelle

Nearing the end of our travels...

Well folks, we have safely arrived in Florida. We had a bit of an adventure getting here yesterday...

We were up and on the road at the time we had planned, so we got to PHL with plenty of time to return the car (finally!) and get checked in. Rental car went smoothly - Michelle, the master, managed to turn the car in with only a smidgen of gas left in it, as planned. She was SMART and signed up for the "turn-the-car-in-empty-and-pay-our-price-for-gas" plan when she picked it up. The awesome part of that is that for once, it's cheaper that way! They were charging something silly like $2.50 or something - and gas in the area is still hovering around $3.

Crazy, talkative man in the airport - drove us both insane, but we lived. The plane was FULL of babies travelling to Disney... that was the Loooooooooooooongest short flight I've ever been on!!!

The adventure began at MCO airport in Orlando. We got our bags (mine was damaged!) and headed out to the parking garage to find the car that mom and dad left for us. But... no car. Can't find it anywhere near where mom said they left it. Wandered around for awhile... still no car. Called mom - we're where she remembers putting it - still no car. A nice woman, Etoi, drove me around for 10 minutes looking... still no car. I left Michelle with the bags and went in search of security peoples. Security said they could pick us up in 20 minutes to drive us around... but he recommended just walking over to garage B to look. There's another garage??? Mom said she didn't think there was.... hmmmmmmmm

I found the car in the other garage (note to anyone travelling through MCO - there are two parking garages!) in the exact place mom thought she left it. Much better...

Drove here in the rain... got some groceries... Michelle cooked dinner... watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail and drank a bottle of really sweet red wine (kinda tasted like grape juice with a kick!)...

Bed and now puttering around this morning. We're headed to Disney World soon, but we'll be there until 1am (it's Night of Joy night!) so we are in no hurry....

Love to everyone... look for pictures eventually. (=

OK folks...are you out there???

From the lack of comment-age, we believe you are not paying attention. To get more boys to write us, we now give you this:



Two hot women in front of the Baseball Hall of Fame - on purpose. Eat your hearts out men.

A long way to Cooperstown

Well, not really a long way in the distance sense of the word, but in the difficulty sense for sure. We arrived safe and sound, but the trip was insane. First of all, the break light in the car is busted, then I got a speeding ticket that was actually not fair (NO REALLY!!!) and then the car ate our IDL CD. Now, you may be wondering why that might be a big deal. Well, we decided not to mention it before, but this car we are driving now is NOT the sea-foam focus we had a t the beginning of the trip - we are in a new rental car because that one had a broken trunk. This is the second car - gold Malibu (HATE IT!) and it looks like we are going to be getting a third car once we are out of Cooperstown. Poop.
Well, it could be worse. Jenn and I are both pretty tired and looking forward to sleep. I went for a nice run today along Route 33 in Cooperstown. It is so weird that you can run on the highway and not die too bad.

Two days ago brought along Walden Pond and the home of Loiusa May Allcott (Jenn is a big fan, I know nothing and have never read Little Women, which, apparently, in Concord MA is a sin. We also saw the place the Hamptons lived at. Again, I am clueless. However, I do know who Thoraeu is and have actually read Civil Disobedience. Loved seeing his old stomping grounds and took a great hike around the pond. I swam to the middle of the pond and laid there, eyes to the sky, closed, with the sloshing of green water in my ears. A moment to not be forgotten and to be alive in my mind as an altar moment.
We saw Rachel's friend play the blues harmonica and sing that night. He was really good and we became fast friends. I also had this random conversation about the nature of God with this totally wacked out guy that I was to later find out was the TOMMY FLANDERS the man the started the band Blues Project in '69. Completely surreal.

I really like Rachel's church Mosaic Boston. Nice peeps, love God, 'nuff said.

Michelle's Uncle Tom (you guessed it - Jenn has an Uncle Tom too - actually she has 2) and Aunt Barb were welcoming and warm - I got to see two of my three cousins too. I love those chickens! Jeff and I are going to attempt to keep in touch and I am trying to get Kris to move to LA, much to the shegrinn of the parental figures. Tom and Barb - thank you thank you thank you - I love you all so much.

Tomorrow holds the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Farming Museum. We look forward to both whole-heartedly.

My My My My My...

Well, it has been two days since we actually told you anything of value. Guess what? You have to wait some more! HA

just kidding. I suck.

Two days ago we arrived in Boston after a long but beautiful and rainy drive through the likes of New Jersey and Connecticut with a last minute "it's our vacation and we'll do whatever we feel like" jaunt into NYC.

Boston greeted us through the lovely and talented Rachel - I'm telling you, she is a genious - check her out at www.b109.com and you'll see why. Or you could try her business blog www.decenturbanlifestyle.com too.

I think all together Jenn and I have taken like five hundred pictures, so we need to be very picky about what we show you.

Eventually, Jenn is promising over my shoulder, that we will post them on her groovy website-share-a-picture thingamabob.

Oh yeah, back to the trip:
The pedometer I wore yesterday logged 12.9 miles on it (ask our feet - they know!!!) and we would have it no other way. If you ever get to Boston, suck it up and WALK - don't take the T the first day - you'll miss way too much. We saw, well, everything. Harvard - lots of brick and a big mean black wrought iron gate ALL THE WAY AROUND IT. Really, all the way. Several people were nice enough, even though way too many mamsy men were wearing pink Polos. (Jorge, you are the only person we know who has enough testosterone to actually make that look good.)
We also toured MIT, had a moment in a really old (16...?) church, heard faint music from Copley Square, saw Harvard Medical school, walked all over Cambridge, ate the world famous "Chocolate #3 (Dark)" ice cream at Toscanini's, ate dinner at the Cambridge Brew Pub, found my parents old apartment on Beacon Hill, walked Boston Common, tried to get tickets to a Sox game, took pics at the bar that inspired the Cheers series, refused to do a Duck tour (don't ask) and believe it or not MUCH MUCH MORE. (remember, that was only yesterday!)
Today we went to Salem to see witches and we didn't so that kinda sucked. It is a really neat town that hasn't decided if it wants to exploit the witch thing or be all historic-cool. This makes for a boring day unless you have an extra $50 bucks to spend on all the museums that you could walk through. There was, however, a REALLY hot garbage man, and that somehow makes up for a lot of it.
Tonight we had the wonderful experience of the North End, which is Boston's Little Italy. I love it here, I am moving here next month. Not really, but hey, it never hurts to dream. We saw the US Coast Guard base that my Dad was stationed at when he met my Mom. COOL STORY ALERT! COOL STORY ALERT!
I was walking down by the pier and this guy yelled at me through the fence, and it was this firefighter lieutenant who was kickin' it on the pier because that is where his station got plopped when their house is being renovated. I told him what I was doing and he invited Jenn, Rachel and I inside the "firehouse" to get a better view of the pier next door- which is the USCG. He asked me not to tell his name, so I won't, but not only was he super friendly and helpful, he was photographer extradanaire and took loads of shots for us. My personal favorite is the one where I am sitting on Anthony's Harley with him. Anthony- you are my hero, and I want you to know that you are hotter than my roomate Dan even though he looks like you. You definatly win. Ed is the super rad guy in the photo with us in front of the Boston Firetruck - Ed is cool because he can drive a firetruck in his sleep - LITERALLY! Ed, you are a precious gem of a man - we loved your personality and your stories!
Last but not least, Mr. YouKnowWhoYouAre, thanks for everything you did for us. As for me - you made my night. It was so special to me that you would care enough and be nice enough to help me out. Your charm and grace are still warming my heart.
Thanks men for protecting the streets of Boston.

Mike's Pastries topped off the night - that put me over the fat edge - I am so full I might pu..... well - nevermind.

Walden Pond awaits us tomorrow and so does seeing a friend of Rachel's play Blues Harmionica (groovy baby!) We will write again soon, probably when we get to Cooperstown on Monday. We love you but honestly don't really miss you. (I got Jenn's permission to say that.)

A leet-el tees-el por tu

ok - there are some things that make a move to Boston an absolute necessity. Anthony may just be one of them.
















A little blurry, but here we are with Ed. Drive Ed Drive! but watch out for those back tires!

We're in Boston!

We have many stories to tell - but not enough time at the moment. I just wanted to put up a quick post that we are alive and well in Boston and will hopefully post our exploits from yesterday tonight!!