OctoBrrr Part 2

40° and hailing... [teeth chattering noises]

Foliage Update #5

As always, the originals and as-of-yet-unblogged pictures can be found in my Picasa Fall Foliage album.

Weekly Update #8

The headlines: Jenni's family's visit, Ultimate update, books, and it's cold!

As I mentioned last weekend, Jenni's dad, sister, and grandmother came to visit. We went out to dinner to the literally world-famous Moosewood vegetarian restaurant. The wait was a ridiculous hour and a half and the food wasn't really all that great, but I can now at least say I've been there.

Some members of the "Breakfast Club"
on a similar weekend outing.

The next day we brought them along to our weekly weekend breakfast with various other grad-students and friends. The venue was our fall-back: Waffle Frolic, a local waffle-oriented restaurant opened by some Ithaca College grads. I ventured to try the chili-cornbread waffle; the risk paid-off wonderfully.

We then went up to give a tour of the Cornell campus, mostly by car due to Grandma Jean's immobility. We did get out to see Jenni's lab and a few of the bridges crossing the larger gorge that runs through campus. I've never seen someone so impressed with waterfalls. Jean was litterally jumping around and smiling. The falls were truly impressive do to recent rains.

As the trees show, this is a picture of
Beebe Dam above Fall Creek in summer

Jenni's family left that afternoon. That evening I played in the weekly Ultimate game. The temperature was in the upper 30's, so when we weren't on the field, we we literally jogging in place to keep warm. Our team won handedly, most of our veteran players returning after their fall break absence.

As you may be able to tell, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to find things for this week's update; it was a slow week. There was much reading, studying, and cups of tea. I finally finished War & Peace nine months after starting it and then blew through Harry Potter 7 over the following 3 days (in preparation for Part I of the film incarnation which comes out in November.

The studying to which I referred is in regard to the MCAT which I have decided to retake both due to a need for more recent results by some schools and for a chance to improve my chances at applying this time around. After swallowing my pride, I am looking into taking one of those terribly overpriced but annoyingly effective Kaplan courses in preparation (donations are very welcome).

Foliage Update #4

Yellow, red, and stick trees abound and, consequently, leaves are everywhere! We are at the point where there are an equal amount of leaves on the trees and on the ground. Jenni and I had a very mature moment as we wandered off the path in the park alternatively jumping on and kicking piles of newly fallen leaves. Ah, childhood memories of my 20's.

Weekly Update #7

On Sunday, lacking most of our team's veterans due to Columbus Day weekend (don't get me started on why east coast schools get a fall break and west coast schools don't), our team lost a very close game of Ultimate Frisbee. It was hard-fought and we were extremely outmatched but held in only to lose 13-12 at game point. If we keep-up the good play, there is a good chance we will play this team at the end of the "season" for the "championship." It's hard to use those words for a 4-team, 6-game fall league.

I finally got a haircut. For most people this would not be a noteworthy experience but it is the first time I have had someone other than my mom cut my hair for as long as I can remember. And the results were less than great. I said an inch and he took more like 1.5-2 and now my hair is shorter than I've had it since that 3rd grade buzz-cut disaster (no Mom, I haven't forgotten). Ah well, now I don't need to get it cut until I will be back in SB for the holidays and the cold weather here (high of 45° yesterday) necessitates the wearing of hats/beanies.

I called a few local doctor's offices to ask if I could shadow someone for a day. No responses yet. All's dry on the job front as well.

I'm this close ][ to finishing War and Peace which I've been reading for 9+ months. Expect an extensive review on my other blog soon.

Jenni's dad, sister, and Grandma Jean are visiting for the weekend. And I should probably get back to them...

Remember, you guys get weekly updates from me but I get none from you (other than what I can creepily gleam from Facebook), so send me an email with how you've been. ...or not ...whatever!

Foliage Update #3

We are now entering the realm of yellow with some orange and green. Beautiful! I'm rather impressed that these pictures came out much better than the one from Foliage Update #2 on which I cheated (yes, that is why the grass looks like it's radioactive).

OctoBrrrr?

Well, I said I wanted weather...

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

BINGHAMTON NY

324 PM EDT SAT OCT 9 2010

...WIDESPREAD FROST EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT...

.COLD CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL QUICKLY...WITH MORNING LOW TEMPERATURES DROPPING INTO THE UPPER 20S...AND LOWER AND MIDDLE 30S ACROSS THE AREA.

...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 10 AM EDT SUNDAY...

A FREEZE IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES FALL INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION. ALL WITH OUTSIDE AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS SHOULD TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT OR HARVEST THEIR PLANTS.