Season's greetings!

A little Holiday Card preview =)

Picture Updates!

Without further ado -- the pictures as promised!

Finnegan's week of terror:

He can also perform this high-wire act on the shower rod. Fair warning, this is his new favorite attack location.

A visit with old friend is not complete without some questionable boardgames. Shown below, Gassy Gus!

My Portland presentation!

Our beautiful Halloween pumpkins =)

Catch it up II

Alright alright, This post picks up where we left off...

And once we're through here, We'll be caught up through October and ready for the pending, Waco Thanksgiving Celebration (in our apartment).

Right, So! I think we still need to 'carve' it up with... The Pumpkin.

It's a real contest. You've got to pick a design that will appeal to both the judges and the general audience. But, you've also got to do it in a time frame. Yes, the Quadrangle Pumpkin Carving Contest is a real combination of art and efficiency. The best carved pumpkin gets $75 off its creator's rent for the month of November with other prizes for 2nd and 3rd place. We didn't win, but at least we had a fun time carving some cool pumpkins. This year, I finally carved a Trogdor pumpkin (thanks to Kristin for finding the template!). And I was able to help K with her pumpkin, suggesting she do a Pumpkin π.

We'll post pictures soon!

So we weighed Finnegan and he is starting to turn into... A Monster.

Yeah, he's grown at a pretty good clip. He's at least eight pounds now, which puts him just three pounds under Loki. And, he will probably fill out his already lengthy frame. So he will at least catch up, if not surpass greatly, Loki is the Size department. And of course, he is still very much a Kitten at heart. He does not really respond to discipline, in that he still jumps up places we have greatly discouraged. But he has learned. Learned that he's going to get wet if we are around when he does it (which doesn't seem to deter him...) But the last fun nugget of news about Finn is that he has now taught himself how to get a whole roll of toilet paper off the roll. Yeah, so we're going to leave the TP under the sink for a few weeks before we test it out again.

And Lastly, I've caught up to current evens with... The Conference.

Kristin is a Scientist. And Scientists always need more ideas, or at least to make sure their ideas are valid, good, and worthwhile. So, this past week, Kristin has been talking work with a bunch of fancy-famous people from Labs all round the country to share her ideas and catch up with what's going on round the field. Portland OR is the location of this year's SETAC convention. The Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists draws in researchers from all realms of environmental work. Researchers from both Schools and Government programs (like the EPA and USGS) are the main contributors of the material. Kristin did a poster session (where she compressed her work to fit on a 3' by 4' surface) and she attended many platform presentations of research. She got a lot of good feedback and a lot of positive interest in her paper.

So yeah, that's October through now. We'll patch in some images from this past month soon here, and we are super excited to host the (immediate) Connors family for Thanksgiving!

DJC

PS

You should totally click on the Trogdor link, this is probably one of the Best Strongbad Emails ever created on www.homestarrunner.com

Catch it up

Bangarang!

Dan is writing the Blog again!

We’ve had a few days of activity and I’m going to catch ya’ll up to speed.

But, before we begin, I need to issue a disclaimer. There will be no fun images presented for your enjoyment in this blog entry. Kristin is, at the moment, still in Portland, OR, and she has our digital camera. So, tune in next week for the visual element to enhance your blogging experience.

Right, so, we’re covering four topics today, chronologically ordered. We begin with… The Theater

Presentations of Gypsy was put on by the Baylor Drama Department and they just finished their run for the season. Kristin (pleasantly) surprised me with tickets on opening weekend. Gypsy is one of the most prominent classic Broadway musicals, and I had never seen it before. The best part about college productions is that you get to see a quality show without a heavy ticket price ;)

Next, we’ll transition over to another venue… The Arena

Steve Ott plays hockey for the Dallas Stars. He may not generate the most points, but he has huge presence on the ice. But the best reason to know Steve Ott is the most-excellent Ott-oberfest promotion the Stars put on every year. For a hundred bucks, customers may purchase pairs of tickets on the *premium* level (not quite ice level, but the first tier up). On top of that you get two free (12 oz) drinks, two free (cheap) T-shirts, and (coupons for) twenty wings at Hooters. Seriously though, it’s an excellent deal. Plus, you have the opportunity to hob-knob with the rich folk that hang out on the suite level.

Taking a break from the night life, we caught a mid week homestead with… The Visitor

We are always excited to have guests over, but even more so when said guests are from the North and like to play Board games. So, when Gokey came to visit us for a couple of days after her Dallas excursion, we were positively delighted. She really didn’t have to do this But… She got us a gift that has since become my obsession. Dominion is not actually a board game, but rather a Strategy Card Game. Suffice to say, we played this game a lot. But we also got an opportunity to catch up with an old friend, show off the best weather we’ve had in Waco all year, and to cook up some sweet-awesome spicy peanut balls!

Homecoming is a time honored tradition at Baylor; full of Events, Football, and of course… The Parade

For over one hundred years, Baylor University has put on an annual parade over their homecoming weekend. This is one of the longest running collegiate parades in America. I mean, if you think about it… this parade has been an annual event since before parking lots… because cars weren’t too common 1909. Anyways, there were a lot of good looking floats from the Greek organizations and a few classic cars to see. I saw the new University President, Kenneth Starr for the first time (and it’s sad that I don’t even remember why he was important during the ‘impeach Clinton’ years).

But the most sad thing was that I totally called a potential disaster. We are in Texas, I know, but the Baylor Motor Sports group did not need to have such an elaborate demonstration. Basically it was a couple guys with 4-wheelers zipping around, using the full berth of the street. I think a lot of people were concerned about it, but that still didn’t stop a little girl from getting hit, along with a couple other people. Nothing serious, as far as the injuries, but still, I doubt the Motor Sports club will be invited back next year.

Right, so. More soon. Wish Kristin Good Luck at her Conference!

DJC

Video Game Finished!

Last night Kristin and I completed our latest video game purchase: "Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4". We played this game on our Wii and really enjoyed it. I have to admit that this is not our first Lego-based game. Lego Star Wars, Lego Batman and Lego Indiana Jones have all found their way into our media collection.

I remember first playing the first Lego Star Wars at a friend's place and thinking that I had to own this game. Getting Kristin sold on the idea was a bit more difficult, but the games are easy to pick up and have a lot of good content.

Mostly its just fun to see the movies recreated in Lego pieces.... and then breaking it all apart!

It was actually a lot of fun learning new spells, saving "students in peril", and wandering around in the massive Hogwarts Castle. We still aren't experts with our Wii just yet, but this game was easy enough to pick up and play. The best part is that Kristin and I always had good characters to play with (there were over 150 characters in the game).

In the other games there were a lot of times when Player 1 was like, an awesome Jedi, and Player 2 was like, some Dumpy Stormtrooper with an over-sized Blaster.

Anywho, we now have our 100% completion rating that we can be proud of, and we attained that with a great deal of help from the internet. Yes, call it cheating if you like, but you're only going to have a worse in-game experience if you can't figure out where the last Freaking Gold Brick is!

Visitors, Art Festivals, Weddings, Road trips and all around good news =)

Sorry for the lack of updates! We have been out having too much fun. =)

The semester is in full swing and I am getting bogged down with teaching, writing publications and preparing for scientific meetings. Dan is also busy paying his dues at work with overtime and other such excitement. BUT! He got a pretty awesome RAISE today!! And got recognized by his parent company for all his hard work. I'm so proud of him! I'm so thankful he has been able to find a job in Texas where he can excel, do meaningful work and continue to grow professionally.

In other news.. My mother came to visit us for an extended weekend early this month. We did a lot of adventurous cooking and became utterly addicted to our new favorite card game: Dou Di Zhu. (Taught to us at our community game night by some Chinese grad student friends). Warning: If you come over to our house, we will probably make you play with us!

Sadly, the weekend after she left, Waco held a Cultural Arts Fair complete with potters and folk singers. You would have loved it, Mom. We had some great conversations with artists and finally got the scoop on the best pottery shows to attend throughout the year. We even picked up a new piece for our living room.

Dan especially enjoyed the closing folk group, Trout Fishing in America. Apparently his High School choir warmed up every class to some of their songs. It was a fun walk down memory lane.

This weekend's adventure was our 6 hour road trip to Lubbock, Texas to celebrate the marriage of one of my lab-mates. Of course, no road trip is complete without some road trip snacks! We found these local treasures (both made in small Texas towns) at one of our first gas stations.

Chick-o-Stick. The name alone begged for the purchase. It was a very strange crispy, then excessively chewy peanut butter and coconut creation. The bright orange color and the.. texture.. were a bit alarming. But not too bad. (We were really hungry..)

Let me warn you to STAY AWAY from the Super Peanut Pattie!! Smushy peanuts sunk into a bright red bed of corn syrup. Yuck yuck yuck! When we were desperate for protein during the drive, we took to excavating peanuts for this semi-hard red puddle. Never again!

The wedding was very low-key and intimate -- and for the reception we all met at a cowboy bar to hear some live country and watch brave souls dance the two-step. (Hopefully before we leave, we can learn how!). Instead of turning around and driving straight back to Waco the next morning, Dan and I decided to pick some apples at an orchard just outside of town.

That 5 gallon bucket was very deceptive. We thought we were picking in moderation -- until we weighed our haul. 8+ lbs for two people. Yikes! Anyone have good apple recipes?

And lastly, a few pictures from the drive home. It was a gorgeous drive. I especially enjoyed watching the oil rich scrub land surrounding Lubbock gradually gain more trees and hills and we approached the Waco hill country.

Right outside of Lubbock. No trees, plenty of oil rigs.
A few hours east -- Sweetwater, Texas. World's biggest wind farm area. Starting to see a few squat little trees.
Green grass, beautiful green trees.
Welcome to hill country! This is our new dream house.

Almost home! If you are lucky, maybe we will take you to the Burger N Wok when you visit ;) -- We don't really want to go, but aren't you even the least bit curious?

Paint Ball and Such

So Paint-ball is actually really fun. I wasn't sure how Kristin and I would take to it, not being the angry, shoot-things-with-guns sort of people, but we ended up enjoying it overall.

So you are probably wondering what the 'hey' I'm talking about at this point, so I'll try to cover the W's.

Who?

Kristin's lab and the neighboring Chem lab all know each other and are not only very scientific but also very competitive...

Why?

The idea of a paint-ball game sparked the interest of the labs initially. When Dr. Brooks jumped on the 'bandwagon' all of the interested parties followed suit, and a date was set...

When?

A large group of scientists and significant others' used carbon dioxide powered rifles to batter each other with hard, breakable, pellets over the labor day weekend. The competition lasted from about 3pm till, oh, say about 7pm. Or there about. And it was held at...

Where?

Guru Paint-Ball. Not the best named place we'd ever heard of, but we played on a course/field that was well set up for ducking, hiding, and generally avoiding the shots from ones opponents. To get there, just follow University Parks west of campus (past the Ferrel Center) for about 10 miles. Not quite the boonies, but certainly out of town.

...

ok, I know I'm missing a W...

Oh Right!

What?

Paint-Ball. We set the teams based on lab affiliation and shot at each other with little breakable pellets that left a visible mark to indicate if one had been hit or not. We played with elimination as the goal. Last team to have one or more players without a hit won the round. I had a good time trying to scope out new vantage points, but I also got hit a lot. Movement seemed to be key, though and it proved to be an excellent use of an evening.

So yeah.

The actual, 'getting hit' part was something that, yes, did hurt. But I think because so many people had always said that it would hurt, I was almost too ready to take a shot to the leg/torso. It really doesn't hurt that bad. I mean it stings, leaves a welt, and bruises after a spell, but it is not disabling or anything. I didn't ever want to sit out a round because I had been shot.

In Sum,

I know Kristin and I had a great time, and I'm pretty sure everybody else did too. It was fun to finally try paint ball, and I'm sad that I never played it sooner. It was really fun trying to guess where your opponents were, trying to figure out how to get the best shot off, and trying to keep yourself paint free. And, even though we were sore for a few days afterwards, it was fun being reminded of the weird/exciting activity that is Paint-ball.

Ultimate grilled cheese

For those of you that know me well, you probably know that my favorite comfort food.. my biggest vice.. is the grilled cheese sandwich.

Over the past year, I have created two new twists that can make my toes curl. 1) Thick slices of fresh mozzarella with a little dash of herbs. Served along side a big bowl of french onion soup. 2) Sharp horseradish white cheddar cheese, with the occasional slice of corned beef. Mmmmm..

Yes, I realize my favorite treat has wheat in it. Yes, I get sick within 30 minutes of eating my sandwich. No, it by no means diminishes my love of gooey cheese and crunchy, toasty bread. And no, I won't be giving up this vice anytime soon.

As a self-proclaimed NPR junkie, when I saw that the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me guys had discovered the ultimate grilled cheese.. I knew I had to find my way to Denny's. Yes, Denny's. I know. And please, don't talk about the calorie content or mention how my arteries must be doing. I know. But Oh. My. God.

Imagine and perfectly amazing grilled cheese sandwich that just happens to have 4 mozzarella sticks hidden inside. Don't judge me! It was sooooo good!

Behold! http://www.npr.org/blogs/waitwait/2010/08/30/129529771/sandwich-monday-the-denny-s-fried-cheese-melt

Less than 48 hours after telling Dan about this sandwich -- we found ourselves sitting in a Denny's diner. Was it grilled cheese overkill? Almost. Did we both get sick? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Not sure... but man was it good!

Under a hundred

So we've finally cooled of here in Waco (and the greater part of Texas) as the thermometer has stayed under 100ºF for the last few days now. The hot spell we just got out of was one of the longest Texas has seen; 24 days of 100+ degree weather makes this my least favorite August on record.

However, the heat finally broke just in time for our trip to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. As when we visited Target Field, I took way too many pictures, but here are some of the best:

Of course, the Twins lost... But we still had a great time, and I don't think we pissed off too many people. Actually, we met a lot of people from MN or with Minnesota ties, and had a lot of fun talking about the '91 World Series.

Anywho, the ball game was a great break from work for me (I'd worked 9 days straight before Wednesday) and it was Kristin's last Hoo-rah before this new semester really gets in gear. Kristin will be doing quite a bit over the next few months. Ted (now Dr. Ted) will be leaving the lab in October, so K will be climbing the Seniority ladder and taking on a bit more responsibility. On top of that, she's taking her own advisor's class (always a thrilling prospect) and preparing for SETAC (the Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists).

If everything goes according to plan, Kristin will be presenting research she has done for her paper in Portland come November. So at least this semester will be busy for her if nothing else.

And lastly, we've now lived a year of our lives in Waco, TX. It's interesting looking back because it's easier to see the goals that have been accomplished and the ones that were left by the wayside. We really wanted to buy a house down here, but we never got up the nerve to seriously shop for houses. We have yet to really find a decent social niche down here. I've gotten to know Kristin's lab mates pretty well, and there are a few people from our building that we've gotten to know, but for the most part we've been very independent.

But there are great things that we've done down here as well. We are both now well respected in our positions, I feel that I am an important presence at my job and Kristin is really working well in Brian's lab. My relationship with Kristin has benefited in that we have adapted to a new culture together. We have really been there for each other to help make many a difficult situation livable, and I think we're closer because of it. And now, Kristin might still say that she's here for the degree, and nothing else; but I like to think that we'll be better for the experience of living outside of our state, region and culture. Maybe I'm being a bit of an idealist, but it makes me happy to think that we are working to make ourselves better people.

Anywho, that's all for now, and yes honey, I will start writing more of these blog posts so it isn't just up to you anymore. ;)

DJC

One year Texans

Can you believe it? Today marks our first full year (and one day) living in Texas.

Ya'll come visit now, ya hear?

Finnegan Cone Video

I admit. We are bad parents. We took a video of Finnegan stumbling around with his cone (goose-stepping, back-peddling, head-ramming and all!).

Ignore the messy house -- watch the adorable kitten instead ;)

Weekend Escape

We have a squash monster on our hands. While unpacking groceries, I noticed I am missing one yellow squash. Strange. It resurfaced an hour later -- under our shoe bench. Can you guess who is responsible?


















Dan continues to work ridiculous hours -- BUT as a reward for all of his hard work, his wonderful boss scheduled a 3-day weekend off and told him to go far far away. So we packed our bags and spent 3 relaxing days in... San Antonio!



We did the typical tourist thing on our first day -- enjoyed strolling along the Riverwalk, gawked at the Alamo and ate really tasty Mexican food. In an effort to avoid the oppressing heat on our second day, we visited a quiet Japanese sunken garden that had been carved out of an old cement quarry. It was absolutely stunning (and definitely made me homesick for my Grandmother Ellie -- I think she would love it here).





















































































During the heat of the afternoon, we visited the McNay Art Museum -- an expanded personal collection shown in Marion McNay's Spanish Colonial Mansion. Complete with original Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse, O'Keefe, Picasso, and so so much more. The paintings were amazing -- but her house (and courtyard in pictures below) were to die for. Next time we find ourselves in San Antonio, we will definitely be coming back!



































All in all, we had a great trip.

Anniversaries, Birthdays and Crickets

Have we really been home from our vacation for 3 weeks already? I keep feeling like we haven't left for Minnesota yet -- that I really should get around to packing our bags so we can go home once more.

The past two weeks have been blissful and busy. Dan continues to work ridiculous amounts of overtime at work, and our little boys have maintained a vigilant watch of the front door (read: stalking black crickets as they enter the house).

Between the two of them, they have easily caught and devoured 50+ crickets a week. That is, until Finnegan had his date with the Veterinarian to get neutered.

We felt like terrible parents for laughing at his cone-headed antics. But we really can't help ourselves. His cone weighs down his head so he has to goose-step and bob as he tries to motor around. Poor Finnegan no longer has the ability to accurately judge the proper height of his jumps, resulting in over-leaping steps, under-leaping the couch cushions, etc etc.

But don't pity him too much, he still manages to catch his fair share of crickets -- cone or no.

His new method involves stalking the cricket and then trapping it within his cone. He then snaps his little jaw wildly in an act of desperation to catch it. If successful, he runs around the living room (frequently running into coffee tables, feet, walls, etc). And then, inevitably, the cricket escapes his jaws, and begins to run circles around the base of the cone. Finnegan then begins to run in circles trying to find his cricket, while Loki circles the kitten trying to catch the cricket for himself. It's quite the ordeal.

Aside from cheap cat entertainment, we have had a lot to celebrate this week. This Monday we celebrated our second wedding anniversary! We enjoyed a romantic Italian dinner out, and a quiet evening at home. It is hard to believe that it's possible to love someone more and more with each passing day <3

It's amazing how much our lives have changed in a year's time: moved to Texas, Dan found a new job, I finished my Master's and started a PhD, we adopted two adorable kittens and hardest of all, we have had to learn how to cope with being so far away from all of the people we love so dearly.

Thank you for all of your love and support!

-K&D

Trip home!

Here is a little glimpse from our vacation home.

We spent our time lounging in hammocks...

.. revisiting some of our favorite Northern Minnesota hiking trails..

.. sight-seeing in Duluth..

.. going to a Twins game, and spending lots and lots of time with friends and family -- including 5 new little family members! It was so wonderful to see everyone again. Miss you all like crazy!

Life went back to its crazed pace hours after we landed in Texas. Dan has been awarded some new work responsibilities, and has been working absolutely ridiculous overtime hours. And I have been running experiments and writing like a mad-woman.

As for the boys, the annual late summer black cricket infestation has kept them very entertained.

More pictures to follow!