Two Weeks of Exploring without a Blog Post

Well, I am not doing my best at keeping my word. Here I am just two weeks since my last post, after promising to keep this thing up for the sake of informing friends and family of our adventures and I have slacked on my duties. Therefore, I need to make a quick and simple post to catch up in the hopes of starting anew.





We started last weekend with a trip to Albany. I wanted to show Jodie the unique Capitol Plaza I had discovered at my job interview the week before. The Plaza is highlighted by a several block long fountain filled walkway that is set off by "The Egg". The Egg is a indoor performing arts center that had an odd shape which resembles a perfectly cracked egg turned sideways. We followed up our walk with an afternoon trip to the New York state museum. I highly recommend a visit to the museum to anyone who has the impression that New York state is merely a buffer around the greatest city in the world. This free museum really gives the visitor a chance to see the diverse biology, geology and anthropology of one of our original thirteen colonies.

On Sunday we decided to travel up into the Catskill mountains to see some waterfalls we had passed in the rain the week before. According to Wikipedia; "Kaaterskill Falls is a two-drop waterfall located near in the eastern Catskill Mountains of New York, on the north side of Kaaterskill Clove, between the hamlets of Haines Falls and Palenville in Greene County's Town of Hunter. The dual cascades total 260 feet (79 m) in height, making the falls the highest in New York, and one of the Eastern United States' taller waterfalls. The falls are one of America's oldest tourist attractions, with it appearing in some of the most prominent books, essays, poems and paintings of the early 19th century. Long before Alexis de Tocqueville's famous essay on America, Kaaterskill Falls was lauded as a place where a traveler could see a wilder image, a sort of primieval Eden. Beginning with Thomas Cole's first visit in 1825, they became an icon subject for painters of the Hudson River School, setting the wilderness ideal for American landscape painting. The Falls also inspired "Catterskill Falls", a poem by William Cullen Bryant."

The falls were breathtaking. However, the images we were able to capture and take in were nothing compared to what we learned about ourselves. On that mile and a half long walk in the woods, free from vehicles and email, Jodie and I remembered some things about our childhood that we thought we would not miss. From the hikes our parents took us on, to the camping in the woods. These were things, that after my job of doing just that day in and day out for 5 years, I thought I would never miss. However this short walk, culminating in some of the most spectacular falling water I had ever seen, brought back a renewed passion for both of us. We have decided to do something like this at least twice a month as long as we can in this short life.



Fast forward a week, and yet another activity filled weekend awaited us. My sister and law and my niece and nephew came to visit from Connecticut. This was exciting for Jodie, but especially exciting for me, as I had not seen this part of Jodie's family since our wedding 2 1/2 years ago. The kids have grown up a lot and we had a lot of fun. They arrived on Saturday and we quickly decided to take everyone to the State Museum. I think a good time was had by all as it is a place that is very kid friendly. After that we all decided to take a trip to Saratoga Springs. Jodie and i have decided that this town, or at least in the general area is where we want to purchase a home. We did some window shopping and had a great time. It would have been a little better if it wasn't raining, but at least it wasn't 30 below. On Sunday morning Joleen and the kids headed out on their two hour trip home. It was sad to see them go, but we will see them soon. I had a lot of fun with Kerri and Ryan.



The weekend was capped off perfectly with a Minnesota Vikings win against the hated Green Bay Packers. Lately I have been having to watch the box score on my iPhone. However this weekend we were invited to Jodie's bosses house, who is also a Vikings fan to watch the game. I couldn't have imagined a better way to cap of the weekend. Great win, great friends, and great food and beverages. Until next time....cheers!

I've been tagged...

Since I've been tagged by two of my fellow bloggers, I figured I should probably join in the fun:

Here are the rules:
1.Post the rules on your blog
2.Write 6 random things about yourself
3.Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4.If you are tagged, just do it, and pass the tag along!

Here are my six random things:

1. I LOVE pickles. I love all kinds of pickles. I could eat pickles with every single meal of the day or just for a snack... When we moved from Minnesota to NY and Andy cleaned out the refrigerator, he took a picture of the 17 jars of pickles I had in the fridge. My favorite pickles are the barrel pickles that you can get at Wawa for $1.

2. I've never had a professional job that I didn't love. I'm very fortunate in that I knew what I wanted to do before I went to school, got my degree and worked in it ever since. I have had six professional jobs since graduating from college and I have loved every single one. Don't get me wrong, I don't love them every second of every day, but I've enjoyed every job I've had.

3. I can't wait to buy a house! We thought we were going to have to wait a few years to buy a house, but in light of some new events in our life, we're planning to buy some time in spring. Andy sent me one today that I am absolutely in love with and if we can buy this house, I will live in it forever...or mostly forever, anyway!

4. I'm looking forward to growing our family... Not just yet, but planning for the next couple of years is exciting... We're looking forward to babies and more dogs with enough room for all of them to run around.

5. I love NY! Now, this is something that I always said when I was younger and I wanted to live in the City... But, now that we're in upstate, I'm gaining an entirely new appreciation for the state of NY. There are beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers and places to see outside of the greatest city on earth! I'm really looking forward to spending the next year or two exploring all there is to offer.

6. My best friends in life are girls that I met in elementary/middle school. While I've made several really good friends in college and working, the girls that know me better than I know myself, I've known for more than 25 years. I am so thankful for them every day and am so glad that we still have the amazing friendships we formed so many years ago!

Since I don't have many people to tag, I'm tagging Raya and Misty! Have fun!

Trying to Catch Up...Andy's first Blog.

I have to admit that I wasn't completely sold on the idea of blogging. I didn't really know why we would want everyone to know what we were doing all the time, and if we did, when would there be time to write about it?I guess I have come around. I have been in New York for almost a month now, and I have come to realize that I have been really bad at letting my friends and family know what we are up to and how we are doing. Therefore, I am going to make a conscious effort to contribute to this undertaking as often as possible. 

After our scenic and erratic journey into the Adirondacks, I became quite excited about our time in New York. Sure, I have always loved visiting the city, and experiencing sights, sounds, and especially smells, that you can never quite experience with an upbringing in southern Minnesota, but this New York is different. As I have told those who I have talked to, there is truly two New York's.

The Adirondacks, brought me a strange but beautiful mixture of the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota combined with the mountains of north central Pennsylvania. The fall colors framing the peaks, valleys, and lakes in a distracting way to this driver. It was after this trip that I vowed; regardless of how long our stay in New York is, my ever exploring self will continue to exist.

The third weekend in October brings about a "special" excitement and a plethora of feelings in Jodie that are hard to explain to anybody who is not from the small burrough in the Pennsylvanian Appalachians known as Pine Grove. This, my friends, is the Halloween Parade. I however, was not so sure if I was going to participate in this annual pilgrimage. After all, this was always Jodie's thing, a time where she was among friends and family, and did not have to worry about my level of joy, sanity, or anything for that matter. That being said, I decided to see what this was all about. I needed to get out of our quaint town at the foot of the Catskill Mountains. I quickly learned just how much time is needed to immerse yourself fully in the Halloween experience in PG. There are craft fairs, Parades, family gatherings, unregulated class reunions, and stick less foods on a stick smorgasbords that must all be choreographed into less than 72 hours. I wasn't sure what to make of any of it, my head was on a swivel, and I was most certainly over stimulated. I do have to admit, from the 18 holes of golf on Saturday morning through the 18 floats of Shriner's on Saturday night, the trip was more than worth it. It is hard for this former Army Ranger, and oft emotionless guy to admit, but the two weeks at our new home with just the dog were starting to wear on my senses. A busy, but great weekend with family and friends was a great cure and I am thankful for that. 

Throughout this New York, or should I say upstate New York experience I have had  the long standing belief that we need to explore, socialize and stay active, at least until we get a true lay of the land, and an understanding of our surroundings and a group of people we truly enjoy. Last weekend we had a great mixture of all of that.

On Friday we headed out for dinner at a local diner. Jodie and I share the belief that whether life has you down, indecisive or just plain bored, the local diner can often be the cure. This particular place, which shall remain nameless, seemed harmless on the outside and even more so at first glance at the menu. This was hit home with the authority of Ryan Howard as soon as Jodie saw that they served "Disco Fries". I have no clue what this name means to this strange concoction of fried potatoes, sliced cheese and what appeared to be some sort of poultry based gravy but eating it  must have conjured up images of polyester suits sliding across the dance floor to the likes of the Bee Gees to its creator. However, my food decision, which should have went against every culinary instinct I possess, was to order seafood at the diner. I regretted this decision immensely just 90 minutes later.

After the diner we headed out to meet our friends Ed and Julie at a brewpub in Albany aptly named the Albany Pump house. This former factory is still littered with the formally functional decor of its original occupants. There were heavy block and tackle sets hanging above dining tables, and the industrial feeling fit well with its current purpose of supplying great tasting micro brews to the Albany, NY masses. 

After a couple of rounds at the brewpub we headed to a local Irish bar in the neighborhood before heading home. All in all it was a great time. This was the first time we had really headed out with friends since living in New York and it was well worth the wait.

The next morning, much to my dismay, we awoke to a steady rain on our townhouse windows. For the last few days, I had planned a Saturday trip into the Catskills to take in some of the scenic views I had read so much about. At one lookout point, it is said you can see five states. The rain however, had put an abrupt stop to my viewing plans. I was not however, going to let it stop us from going. Therefore, around lunchtime, we go in the Prius and headed up the mountain. Although the cloud cover took away the distant views, I can honestly say the Catskills were among the prettiest areas I have had the good fortune to see. We went through ski villages, trout streams and between tall peaks. The greatest part of the trip was the winding, slippery, and extremely narrow passage back down the mountain. I cannot wait to head back up and see it all again. I did manage to get a couple of great pictures out of the trip though.

Until next time....enjoy!

In Minnesota, when you drive north of the Twin Cities, it’s considered “Up North”. In New York, pretty much anything north of NYC is considered “Upstate”. So, on Saturday, Andy and I decided that we would drive “upstate” and see some of the fall colors in the Adirondak Mountains. Andy, of course, did research on driving tours and found one that would take us by Fort Ticonderoga and through a good portion of the mountain range. To complete the total trip, it probably would’ve taken us about five hours. So, we started out on our adventure, up the Thruway (the NY version of a turnpike) and then into the small towns that make up the real Upstate New York. We kept thinking that we’d reach a mountain peak where we could get out of the car and take pictures, but that never happened. We did make it to Fort Ticonderoga, Lake Champlain, almost to the Canada border, in fact… After a few hours, we figured it was time to turn around and head back “downstate”. On our way, we passed Lake George and decided to stop in the town and look around. Lake George is a beautiful resort community. The lake is a glacial lake that stretches 32 miles and is surrounded by mountains. It certainly offers a spectacular landscape. We’re hoping to go back this summer for a weekend to enjoy the lake, shops and restaurants…

The weekend adventures don’t stop there… Andy’s sister, Amanda, was in NYC for a graphic design class she’s taking at Iowa State. She didn’t have much free time during her visit, but had a few hours on Sunday morning before heading to the airport to return to Ames. So, Andy and I woke up at 5 a.m., hopped in the car and drove to the train station to hitch a ride to the City. The train ride from Poughkeepsie to NYC is a beautiful ride. The train rides right alongside the Hudson River with views of West Point, bridges and quaint riverbank communities. We arrived in the City at about 9:30 and met Amanda in Columbus Circle. We had an entire day planned of sites to see. Andy wanted to find Grant’s Tomb, so we started on our journey toward the Upper East Side. We walked about 20 blocks only to find that the Tomb was nowhere to be found. We tried asking a few people, but no one was really sure where it was. So, after much deliberation and persuasion by Amanda and me, we convinced Andy that we should turn around. From there, we hopped on the subway and headed to the Financial District and walked to the South Street Seaport for and over-priced, under-satisfying lunch. By that time, we only had a little time left with Amanda, so we walked to Battery Park to look at the Statue of Liberty. Then, back to the subway, back to Columbus Circle, said goodbye to Amanda, back to Grand Central and back to Upstate.

I almost forgot to mention the “highlight” of the weekend. When we returned home on Sunday evening, we were sitting out on our front porch reflecting on the weekend. Andy called his parents, so I decided to let Gunner out to sit on the porch with us, sans collar. So, he came out and ran over to the tree to relieve himself and then came back and was walking along the front porch. I was keeping an eye on his wagging tail and all of a sudden, noticed that I couldn’t see it anymore. So, I ran around to the side of the house and Gunner is nowhere to be found. Andy and I searched the entire yard and called for him, but he wasn’t responding. I grabbed a flashlight and started running through the neighbor’s yards trying to find him without luck. Andy got in the car and drove around the block to look for him, too. When he came back without Gunner and I didn’t have him either, we decided it was time to call the police. I called and let them know that he was missing without any identifying information. They said that they’d notify their patrol cars and if we found him, to call and let them know. Well, we got back in the car and started driving around with flashlights, a bag of treats and a box of tissues… When we got back without any sight of him, both of us were pretty discouraged, but to our surprise, there was our little black bundle moseying up to the steps. I ran up and hugged him, while Andy yelled at me because I shouldn’t baby him for being naughty. We called the police to let them know that we found him. I’m not sure where he went or what he got into, but he was sick for two days afterward. Needless to say, he’s not allowed out without his collar anymore…
This post is actually from the weekend of the Oct. 10. I started it that next week, but got so busy that I was unable to finish it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it… I hope to make another post today or this weekend! Stay tuned…

New York... at last...

It’s official. We are New Yorkers… We haven’t switched our license plates, driver’s licenses or the like, but we are now living and working in New York. Andy, amazingly enough, has even picked up a slight accent in the week that we’ve been here. He says that I have too, but I disagree… He’s wondering how it took me four years to acquire some Minnesota slang, but all of about three days to start spewing New York-speak.

With that said, Andy has been diligently working on the townhouse. Every night I come home, he has another room unboxed, organized and all set up. It’s been nice to have him home to get that stuff done and deal with all of the set up – phone, tv, maintenance, etc. Plus, I’m sure Gunner is loving having him around as he adjusts to his new surroundings…

My Mom and Dad came up to New York with us on Friday, helped us clean and then helped us unpack Saturday and Sunday. We are so grateful for their help! We would probably still be living in a sea of boxes if it weren’t for them. So, thanks Mom and Dad… We really appreciate all of your help!

The town that we’re living in is very quaint. It’s a very small town, but it’s a very pretty area. We can see the Catskill Mountains from the office window and just a few blocks away, we can walk in the park along the Hudson River. It’s a great time of year in upstate New York too, as the leaves are changing making for beautiful scenery.

Unfortunately, because we are in such a small town, there are only two restaurants that we can choose from and we’ve eaten at one of them four times since Friday. Needless to say, I’m sure that they will know our names and faces before long. But, they have great pizza and a good Italian menu – full of pastas, subs and salads.

On Saturday night, we were going out to dinner with my parents and driving out of the development, my Mom and Andy noticed an animal in the grass next to the road. At first, they thought it was a deer, but after Andy stopped the car and he and my Dad looked a little more closely, determined that it was a coyote. I’ve never seen a coyote in person before, so it freaked me out just a little bit. It was so close to the houses, apartments and townhouses and didn’t seem at all nervous that we stopped and were looking at it. I was a little hesitant to let Gunner out later that night, but just made sure to keep him close by. Everyone told me that they don’t like humans and will run when they see me, but Gunner is so friendly, that I was afraid he’d want to run up to it and become friends with it. Later that night, I was lying in bed and I heard them howling in the woods across from our house. It was a little unsettling, but it’s become a common occurrence. Every night, we hear the coyotes, honkers and the train passing through. It’ll take a little getting used to, since NorthGate was such a quiet neighborhood, but we’re adjusting.

Other than that, work is going well. I’m glad to finally be living where I’m working. Things are much easier when you can integrate. I’m still learning the ropes and the culture, but it will come in time, I suppose. I’m really busy, which helps, but it’s challenging to identify the network I can reach out to.

This weekend, we plan to attend a local festival with some friends if they stay in town. Hunter Mountain is a ski resort close by, but they have a variety of festivals throughout the year. This weekend is Oktoberfest. We’re looking forward to attending, but may decide just to explore the area a little more if our friends leave town.

Next weekend, we’re off to Pine Grove for the annual Halloween Parade. I’m so excited… Andy is going with me for the first time. He’s not really into parades that much, but I’m just excited that he’ll be there with me. Usually, he wants me to have that weekend with my family and friends, but I talked him into going this year. He’s going golfing with my cousin on Saturday while I go to the craft show with my Mom and Nana.
We’ll hopefully post some pictures of the area this weekend after our adventures. We hope you all are well and appreciate all of the e-mails, text messages and FB and MS comments we’ve received. We hope you all are well and to hear from you soon!

Second to last state....

-- Post From My iPhone

On the road by 0530...

-- Post From My iPhone

Needed some rest...

After a few days full of mental and physical stress the drive is going well but we needed a break as evidenced below. We are stopping overnight at K and T's house in DeKalb, IL before we head to PA tomorrow and on to NY on Friday. Until then, a picture from the road.




-- Post From My iPhone

Two states down

-- Post From My iPhone

Progress

-- Post From My iPhone

So long, Minnesota...

Well, this will be my last post from Minnesota. The movers come on Monday, we have closing on Tuesday and then we leave the state on Wednesday. It's bitter sweet. As I've mentioned in many of my previous blogs, we've had a lot of mixed emotions about leaving Minnesota. While we're excited for what lies ahead, it's scary leaving what's comfortable, familiar and home. We will dearly miss our family and friends in Minnesota, but extend an open invitation to anyone who wants to visit us in NY.

Last week, Andy finally received word that he was accepted into the bachelor's degree program at the Culinary Institute of America. He even received a scholarship! He starts classes on January 23. Until then, he's going to find a job to occupy his time... We're hoping that he can find something in the restaurant industry to help him acclimate to the culinary world he's about to enter.

We still don't have a definite arrival date of our stuff in NY. The moving consultant told me that she would have a day for me this week, but when I e-mailed her, she told me she won't know for sure until the 29th or 30th. So, our stuff will get to NY sometime between Oct. 3 and Oct. 8. In the meantime, we're going to spend a night in Illinois and the rest of the time in Pine Grove until we can move in to the townhouse. I'm finding that we're probably going to also have to find a storage unit in Coxsackie. I'm not sure that all of our stuff will fit in the basement of the townhouse. So, that's on the agenda for today, as well as, packing up some clothing and things for our trip and making sure that all of the dishes and clothes are washed.

I'm looking forward to actually living where I'm working. I'm so glad that I won't have to live in a hotel anymore! It'll be so nice to go to work and come home to a place where it's my stuff, my husband and my dog.

Autumn in New England is beautiful and we're planning a little road trip into Vermont or New Hampshire to see the foliage. Already, Andy is planning stuff for us to do! Stay tuned to our blog for the latest pictures and updates on our journey! And, please, keep in touch!

Moving right along...

It's been awhile since my last post, but as you can imagine, things have been quite busy. I'm back in New York right now and went to see a few rentals last night. We decided to rent a townhouse in Coxsackie for now. We're going to keep looking for a house, but considering the luck we've had so far, we decided to rent for the time being and keep looking. We have one year from my start date to use the relocation benefits, so if we find something between now and then, great! If not, well...

The townhouse is nice. It's newly renovated, two bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms with a full basement. We are on an end in the last building, so we will have some privacy. The back deck looks big enough for our patio table and our grill. Gunner will have some yard and woods to run in, which I'm sure will be a big hit for him. It's a good location for both of us and a nice place for the interim. The rental company will let us out of our lease with 30 days notice if we find a house, so it's a good option for us for now.

With that said, I fly back to MN on Friday and then we only have one more week as Minnesotans. Our house gets packed on the 29th and loaded on the 30th. We will probably stay in MN on the 30th as our closing is later in the day. The next day, we plan to drive to Chicago and spend the night with the Stevenson's and then off to Pine Grove the day after that to wait for our stuff to arrive in NY. My parents are going to go with us when we go to help clean and move stuff in. We're very thankful for that.

While it's sad to leave everything that we have in Minnesota - house, family, friends - we're looking forward to our new adventure. We're excited about being close to so many fun things and places. We'll keep you posted as our journey progresses. Please keep in touch and drop us a line from time to time!

Bipolar...

Yep, that's right... The title of this blog is bipolar because Andy says that's the behavior I'm reflecting lately. I never thought that this move would be so hard. I never thought I would be so sad to leave Minnesota and our life here. We really have created a life here - a good life with a nice house in a good neighborhood, great friends, our favorite restaurants and stores, the things we like to do on the weekends and the list goes on... We went to the State Fair yesterday for the last time - for a few years anyway - and it was really sad driving through Minneapolis and St. Paul. I started remembering all of the things that I loved about living in St. Paul - the little breakfast places we'd go to eat on weekends like Keys and the St. Croix Broiler. We drove through our old neighborhood in Minneapolis on our way home and I missed going to Lake Harriet and eating at Brits. Now, as I walk through stores or drive through town in Mankato, I realize all of the things I will miss about here. Last night, our neighbors - Carly, Joel, Misty and Kevin - came over and just talked to us for a few hours. Those are the things I will miss. Most of all, I will miss my house. This was our first house and we put a lot of work into it during the short time we were here. I will miss my flower gardens and our deck... I'll miss my walk-in closet and having a garage. I love this little house and I hope the new owners will appreciate it as much as we did.

As for our housing situation out East... We've decided that we're going to rent for awhile. We weren't able to find a house that we really liked and we don't want to rush into anything. I was lucky enough to find a rental company that will let us have Gunner and let us out of a lease early if we want to get out of it. So, while I hate the thought of going back to renting, I think it's the best thing for right now. We'll be able to continue looking for a house, determine if we really like the area and make real decisions about the chapter after this. Who knows where we'll end up...

Homeless...

Well, we have closing on our house in six short weeks and we've yet to find a new place to live. Andy and I were in New York last week and we spent the entire day on Saturday and most of Sunday looking at homes. All told, we probably saw about 12 houses. We narrowed it down to four and my parents came up during the week to look at those final four with me. None of them really suited my Dad, so we're trying to figure out next steps. Neither one of us will be back in NY until we move, so we have to make a decision quickly.

I, of course, am a complete ball of stress trying to figure out how we're going to make all of this work. I'm probably averaging about 2 anxiety attacks per day, but am trying to keep my sanity for the most part. Luckily, work is busy, so I have plenty to do to occupy my mind.

Then, to make things a little worse, I was driving Andy's car on Friday afternoon and a stone flew up and hit his windshield, cracking and chipping it, so we're getting the windshield replaced on Friday. Saturday, Andy mowed the lawn and when he was finished, the lawn mower broke. So, as they say, there's always something... I hope that there's not much more... I think I'm almost at my limit!

I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for reading my rant. Hope to hear from you soon.

Sold...to the highest bidder...

I've been a little lax about updating this blog and for that, I apologize. As you all can imagine, things are quite hectic at the moment. However, our house is SOLD! It was only on the market for one week and the first couple that looked at it is the couple that bought it. We close September 30 or sooner. We were very excited to get an offer so quickly, but also a little sad to see our house go to someone new. We will miss our little house on the prairie and all of our neighbors and friends very much!

On another note, we're headed East today to look for a new house. We've got a few prospects and are planning to spend the day on Saturday with our realtor to find our dream. (well, close to it anyway) We found a house that we are really interested in. We just hope that it looks as good in person as it does online. It's an old, 1880 farm house that was gutted down to the posts and renovated. It's gorgeous inside now - 3 bedrooms (enough for guests), 2 bathrooms, 2 fireplaces...oh and did I mention a hot tub and a pool? Andy isn't crazy about the idea of the last two, but if they come with the house... Bonus! It will need some cosmetic work outside, but we like landscaping and yard work, so we're actually looking forward to that part.

Andy applied to school this week, so all of the wheels are finally in motion. We should hear something within the next few weeks as to when he can start.

Well, that's where we're at on the home front... Hopefully, we'll have more updates with new information soon! Please feel free to comment or send us an e-mail. Even though we're a little busy and aren't posting very often, we still love to hear from you!

Hope you all are well!

It's officially, official

I'm back in Minnesota for a few weeks to help oversee the (hopefully) sale of our house. On Tuesday, our new realtor, whom we adore, came over and put the sign in our front yard. It was much more emotional than I thought it would be. As excited as I am to start a new journey, I'm very sad to leave behind everything we've got here in Minnesota. I LOVE our house. It's not a great, big house, but it's mine. It's big enough for Andy, Gunner and me and it's our first home. We made a nice little life for ourselves in North Mankato. I like our community, our neighbors, what we do on weekends and spending time at home. It will be very hard for me to leave, much more than I thought.

However, the wheels are now in motion and we have to move forward and follow through. The first open house is on this Saturday. We're hoping that the offers come rolling in! The realtor is optimistic about us selling. I hope she's right!

In the meantime, we've been looking for houses in New York. I spent some time driving through communities last week and I met with our NY realtor last Thursday. We're having a hard time deciding what to do. On one hand, we want to buy an older (like, OLD) house that is less expensive...something that we can live in for the next three years until Andy is finished with school. We don't want to be house poor and there isn't much in between really old and really new. However, we're a little concerned about the cost of heating an old home. The insulation probably isn't as good and most of the old homes in NY have oil heat. We may be better off buying a newer home that costs a little more, but is more heat efficient. When I go back in a few weeks, Andy is going to go with me. We're planning to drive my car out to save the cost of rental cars. We are hoping that my parents can come up that first weekend and go house hunting with us. My Dad is good at inspecting things and making sure that everything is in working order for us - furnace, roof, plumbing, electrical, etc. I'm not really good at looking for those things.

We've been busy over the past few days getting the house ready for sale. We put up a new moisture barrier in the basement, since Gunner destroyed the old one. We de-cluttered as much as we could. We cleaned out closets, the garage and the basement. We still have to work on the deck and do some rearranging in the bedroom, but for the most part, it looks pretty good.

We did have some very sad news this week and I'll leave you with this. Most people reading this blog probably don't know Leon Zimmerman, but I wouldn't feel right not mentioning him. Leon and his wife Deb are very good friends of my parents. On Monday, Leon went into cardiac arrest at work. His heart stopped beating for 25 minutes. He was rushed to the hospital and surgery was performed, but the outlook was grim. Yesterday, at about 1:45 p.m., Leon passed away. It has been a very emotional week for my parents. They lost a very dear friend. However, we know he is in good hands. He was a good steward of the church and just a joy to be around. You very rarely saw Leon without a smile on his face or without some sort of joke to crack. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him. Rest in Peace, Leon.

Alive and well...

It’s been awhile since my last post, two weeks, if I’m not mistaken! I apologize for my lack of consistency in updating our blog. I tried to get Andy to publish a post, but he conveniently doesn’t remember getting the e-mail from the provider. Anyway, enough about that…

The last few weeks have been quite the whirlwind. We were having some realtor issues… It’s a really long, drawn-out story… I’m happy to explain it to anyone who wants to listen, but basically, we are now on our third realtor, but we’re very happy with her and if all goes as planned, our little house on the prairie will be on the market by July 25th. Our realtor is very optimistic about the sale of our house. What I like about her is that all of the same things that I think are good selling points about our house are the same things she pointed out to me. So, we have a list of things we need to do before she’ll list it for us, but that just goes to show that she really wants to sell our house. I’m glad that she’s putting the effort and time into it.

With that said, the mad dash to find a house in NY is on… I spent some time last week looking and am planning to go out again tomorrow night. I found this great little community about an equal distance from Andy’s school and GE. It’s actually more mileage for me, but a longer commute for him. (I hope Tyler R. is reading this since he LOVES it when I talk about commuting) Anyway, the community is so pretty… One of my colleagues drove down to see it with me and loved it too. It’s in a private community with lots of woods, access to a pool, a lake and tennis courts. The lots are small, but most of them are tree-lined so you don’t have to worry about seeing your neighbors. I’m going on a tour of a few of them this week with our realtor in NY. Hopefully, something in our price range will catch my eye.

Other than that, Andy is getting the house ready to sell. We have some work to do to get it ready for listing. I’m in New York until Friday, when I head back to Minnesota for two weeks. I found a GE office in Eden Prairie, so I’ll be commuting back to EP again for a little while. They have an office all set up for me, so at least I’ll feel a little more like I’m part of the team than when I work from home.

This past weekend, I went to Pine Grove to attend the wedding reception of one of my very best friends from high school. He and his wife got married last month in Jamaica and held a reception at their home on Saturday. It was a great time and I got to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in years. I also got to spend some time with good friends and family, which is always a bonus.
Well, I guess I better sign off… Back to work for me. Hope you’re all doing well! And, please feel free to e-mail us or post comments on our blog. I recently changed the settings so that you don’t have to sign in to publish a comment! We’d love to hear from you! Take care.

Back in Minnesota

So, I came back to Minnesota last Friday. It's now Tuesday and I feel like my time is quickly slipping. I'm heading back to New York on Sunday for two weeks. I'm getting a lot accomplished working from home and enjoy the ability to actually focus without interruptions, but I know that I need to be in the office for some things too. Luckily, we have a global team. Everyone is good at dealing with people in different time zones and with different work environments.

Since I've been home, time has gone by so quickly. Friday night, we didn't do much of anything. Saturday night, Chris - Andy's friend from high school - came over with his new girlfriend. She's really nice and really cute. So, we're both very happy for Chris. Sunday, we went to Friendship Days in Nicollet. For those of you that don't know, Nicollet is the hometown of our very good friends Fred and Dianne Froehlich. Fred was an instrumental part of Andy's campaign and I had the pleasure of getting to know both Fred and Di through that experience. They invited us over to their house for brunch, then we went to the parade and the beer garden. I love the town of Nicollet. It reminds me a lot of Pine Grove. It's a small community and everyone knows everyone. We walked around the park and knew a lot of people there. That's the first time I've had that feeling since moving to Minnesota. Many of the friends we've made through Fred and Di congratulated us on our upcoming adventure, but told us they were sad to see us go. Times like those make me glad that we will always come back to Minnesota.

I'm meeting with the realtor tomorrow, so if all goes as planned, our house should be on the market before Friday! Keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted! :)

Week 2...

Well, week two is nearing an end. I spent the week in Atlanta at a team meeting. It's been great to meet the entire team since GE is so global. We have team members in NY, Houston, Atlanta, Germany and Asia. It's great to get everyone together to hear the challenges and accomplishments they have.

While it's been a great two weeks, I'm ready to get back "home." I'm having a hard time calling Minnesota home right now, but New York isn't home yet either. I'm feeling slightly displaced. I am glad to be in MN next week though so that I can get some relocation stuff done in addition to my actual work. Luckily, next week is a big vacation week for GE employees, so most of the people I need to deal with are out of the office. That gives me a little time to prepare for the following week's meetings.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing Andy and Gunner. I miss them terribly... I'm not quite sure how military families do it. I'm not quite sure how families where one person is a traveling sales person do it. I married my husband because I want to be with him. Not only is he my husband, but he's my best friend and my support system. We do everything together, not because we feel obligated to, but because we genuinely enjoy each other's time. We occasionally go out with friends, but usually spend our free time together. We have a good time together and I think that's what marriage is really about... My coworkers met Andy last Friday and all they've been saying all week is about how sweet he is and I know that I'm very fortunate to have him in my life! So, even though this is a great career move and ultimately, what we wanted to do, it's hard being away from such an amazing person!

Enough of the mushy stuff now! I hope that all of you are well and have a great July 4th. I'm sure I'll post between now and then, but feel free to e-mail or call too! Next week should be a little less hectic!

Andy visits New York

Andy made his first trip out to upstate New York this weekend. He arrived on Wednesday evening and is leaving tonight - in a few minutes, in fact. We had a great time exploring our soon-to-be new home and managed to have some fun along the way.

Andy went to see the house that I wanted on Thursday. Its lack of a garage and central air didn't do much for him. Not to mention "the undesirables" that live in the vicinity... I guess we're back to square one on house hunting. We drove through some neighborhoods on Thursday night and he showed me the CIA, which is beautiful. I'm excited for him to start... So is everyone that I work with... They're looking forward to him testing out his new skills on them!

Friday night, we had an outing with my new coworkers. We went to Saratoga for dinner and drinks. It's a really quaint little town, from what I can remember of it anyway... It was dark and did I mention drinks? Luckily, we were smart enough to take a cab to and from Saratoga. Our cab driver, Guy, was quite eclectic.

Saturday, we decided to take a trip into Manhattan. We drove down to Poughkeepsie, which is about an hour south. From there, we were able to take the Metro North into Manhattan. It's about an hour and a half train ride, but it takes you right along the Hudson. It was a beautiful day, so we were able to do some sightseeing from the train windows.

We had a blast in Manhattan. We were able to make reservations at Bobby Flay's restaurant - Bar Americain. Ironically enough, Bobby was working that night and agreed to have his picture taken with our aspiring chef! We called our parents to tell them our exciting news... My mom proceeded to go to church today and tell everyone that Andy met Bobby Bouflay (or however you spell it - remember, the Waterboy). Needless to say, I'm sure no one knew who she was talking about and if they did, they probably wondered why she was so excited for Andy to meet Bobby Bouflay.

A couple of funny things happened during our journey, so here's our latest top 10 list:

1. Bobby Bouflay

2. The Hare

3. Braless and commando at the same time

4. Football uniform

5. The Dream - not so dreamy

6. Fat nose picker guy

7. Guy

8. Taking a cab for two blocks in Manhattan

9. The Metro North Pick Up

10. Sitting in gin

I know this list is cryptic, so if you want the details, e-mail Andy or me and we'll fill you in... There is a very specific reason that we can't be more explicit. It has to do with number 2 on the list!

We hope you're all well and we look forward to seeing your comments!

And so it begins...

Well, I made it safely to New York, have a great hotel, a nice rental car and a short commute to work! For those of you that know my previous commute, you'll appreciate that! My first day went swimmingly. I got on campus, got my badge - so, now it's official - and met my coworkers. Unfortunately, there was a snag in the on-boarding process that sent my drug screen results to California instead of New York, so that delayed a lot of the pre-start processes. I probably won't have a computer for at least a week or two. I still don't have a phone number. I don't even have an e-mail address yet. And, with a company this size, everything is done through a process, which makes sense, but it's hard to get through those processes without having access to the tools you need. That all starts with an e-mail address. Hopefully, I'll have that tomorrow!

The relocation process is underway, but not moving as quickly as I'd like. We can't actually speak to the relocation consultant until next week, which means another delay in putting our house on the market. We've been looking at houses in New York online for some time, just to get an idea of prices and what's available. I drove down to Athens today to see the one that I really liked! Now that I've seen it in person, I like it even more. It's quaint, secluded and quiet! I love it! It almost makes me feel like I'm at my Dad's cabin in upstate PA! I'm hoping that it's still there when we can buy!

Andy is flying out tomorrow and I can't wait to see him! The hardest part of all of this is not being able to share it with him. We do everything together and it's been that way since we met. So, for the first time in four years, I have to do some things on my own and I'm not very fond of it! I'll be so glad when our house is sold and he's here with me full time! I miss Gunner too... We can never forget about him! However, he's not only being kenneled this weekend, but he's staying at the elite Mankato Paws Pet Resort and Spa. He better get the noble treatment for what it's costing!

With that said, GE is great! So far, the people I'm working with our great. Our team is relatively new, so I can define the position as I go, which is a nice benefit. I'm going to have a lot of work to do, but I'm looking forward to the challenges it will bring. I had to go to our creative division today to meet some of the folks. They told me that they have original photos from Thomas Edison's time... I think I may have to spend an afternoon there looking through them!

Well, I guess it's time for me to hit the hay! Hope everyone is doing well! I'm checking Gmail during the day, so feel free to send me a note! Stay tuned to our blog for the latest...

It all starts here...

It's been a very emotional few days. I find myself sad that we're leaving Minnesota, but excited to start something new. What I'm having the hardest time with is leaving my husband and my dog. I know it sounds a little crazy because I'm not leaving forever, but I'm not used to doing things without Andy. He is my support system and I depend on him so much. He says that we're only a phone call or e-mail away, but it's not the same.

I'm leaving for the airport in 45 minutes. I'm really excited to start my new job! I'm excited to explore a new area. But, as I said, it will be hard to leave Minnesota. This place has been good to us. We've had a lot of really great times, met some really great people and managed to have some fun along the way!

Wish me luck tomorrow!

The world as we know it...

Well, if you're reading this blog, it means that you've received my e-mail regarding my new job, Andy's plans to attend school and our big move East! I think I'll use this blog partly to keep everyone updated, but partly as a journal to keep myself somewhat sane! :)

I intereviewed with GE Energy a few months ago and was completely surprised when they even called me in the first place! I never in a million years thought they would call and when they did, I couldn't find my cover letter or the job description for the position. Needless to say, after the interview, I waited a few weeks only to find out that they planned to fill the position in France. However, the hiring manager wanted to keep in touch with me because of a position he saw coming up on the horizon. About a month went by and he sent me an e-mail asking if we could talk. I agreed and he informed me that a position opened up in his department that he wanted me to consider. For the next few weeks, we talked about the position, job responsibilities and relocating. Just when I thought things were looking really glum, he called and offered me the position. After discussing it with Andy, we decided that it was a great career opportunity for me and a wonderful opportunity for us both to move East for him to attend school.

Although we planned to move back East at some point, we certainly didn't expect it to come up this quickly. Andy recently started a new job with Senator Norm Coleman, which he loves. I loved my job at RedEye RPM. We loved our house and our neighborhood and most of all, Minnesota summers. So, the decision was hard and it still is, but we're also looking forward to starting the next chapter...