Snippets from the holidays

[cjsmith]

I own a scooter. It cannot be used in rain or in puddles, and now that I am in Boston I have suddenly learned that its lithium battery can travel with me only if I don't carry a camera or a laptop, but I own a scooter. This is going to be way cool.

People to avoid sitting near on planes:
1. anyone remember those advertisements were people's heads were replaced with megaphones? Them, and
2. the woman who was wearing a jingle bell bracelet. Severe body odor would have been more bearable.

On multiple days now I have seen white stuff falling through the air. I'm not sure I've seen that stuff on the ground, let alone falling through the air, for years. I miss seasons. I miss them deeply. (I no longer ski, of course, and I don't get back to New England often.) Snow does not go well with these shoes, but it is beautiful. I love staring at it.

In fact, the whole area near my parents' house is gorgeous. There are evergreens with snow on them. There are leafless tree skeletons playing host to birds and squirrels. There's a lake, and there are skiers and snowshoers out on the lake, usually with a dog trotting alongside. (One family has a cat following the humans and the dog, trotting across the snow-covered ice. It's very cute.) A deer wandered through the back yard a couple days ago. I've had fun trying to take pictures of the jays.

I've gotten to see quite a few of my old friends and meet new ones too. cmeckhardt, it was great to meet you! Carolyn, ken_r, Bill, _opus_, Ruth, jtidwell, Rich, eichin, tytso, Nancy, jcgbigler, and M, it was great to see all of you again. I wish we could catch up with each other more often. And I got to meet two children I hadn't met before: a just-under-one-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl. My friends make good kids. Last night I got to talk to a pair of girls as bright and curious as any I've ever met, and polite and well-behaved, too.

I'm rather discouraged about veterinary stuff the last couple days. Students as old as I am are very rare.

My sister and brother-in-law taught me a new mixed drink: a vodka El Splendido. Apparently an El Splendido is a regional thing, and it is usually based on gin. The vodka version is two parts vodka, one part Chambord, and one part lime juice. It tastes fruity and packs a big wallop.

I got JAX cheesecurls. They make great packing material when sending a box of stuff home. Heh heh heh. :-)

Lunch time.

Comments

[apparentparadox]

Going someplace with seasons was one of the reasons why Mark & I wanted to move out of the Bay Area. I really love Fall, and of course, there isn't any such season in the Bay Area.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Amen to that. I love autumn. I love winter, although I'd be content if it were short; it just needs to exist. I love the first flowers of spring. All those signs of the turning of the year are in my blood. I suspect I wouldn't miss it if I hadn't grown up with it. But I did, and I do.

[ladyqkat.livejournal.com]

I suspect I wouldn't miss it if I hadn't grown up with it.

Not necessarily. I was born and raised in San Diego, left when I was 8, and then spent until my mid-30's in the Bay Area. Part of me always longed for fall and winter but I never realized it until I moved to Reno.

[composerjk.livejournal.com]

Don't fret about being older than the other students. Anytime we decide to study again, that's going to be the case. I've known a number of folk, including my mom, who went back to school (being the eldest of the students) and survived and made friends. I'm not quite in the same position, though slightly similar with all the time I spend dancing with Stanford students.

Good luck in not being discouraged.

[apparentparadox]

I can't tell you how happy I am every day when I walk the dog, and can look over & see snow on the mountains nearby, or see the trees really turning colors or any of a dozen things that mean seasons to me.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you! My major worry is the fact that age is a big factor in the admissions process. So far, with the little data I've gathered, it seems that if I wait another year I'd be a national record holder. That's... not good for my chances.

[gee, how did "I'bodye" get in there? fixed.]

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Wow. Yeah. This is one of the things Rob and I look at when evaluating a place we might want to move.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

There's a lot of imagery poured into us. A white Christmas, the colors and sounds of autumn leaves, the dog days of summer and the first robin of spring -- these are mentioned all over the place in books and songs and paintings. I guess it's not too surprising to hear that you longed to experience these things firsthand.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

My major worry is the fact that age is a big factor in the admissions process.

I can't recall - has anyone pointed that out or is this just from statistics? I was worried about age being against me until I started talking to faculty involved in the process, and I think it was beneficial to my admissions, especially considering my lack of previous natural science background. I'd think (and hope) your MIT education might work in your favor as well. Maybe. Just my $0.02. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It's been mentioned casually by people who are or were also interested in veterinary medicine as a second career. Once I heard that, I realized that when the competition for seats is that fierce, it would make sense for a school to consider how long the student could practice as a vet. Whether there's a lot of truth to that, though, is something I honestly don't know.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

a SCOOTER? your very own set of wheels to make you mobile when you otherwise couldn't be??? that is SO FREAKING AWESOME!!! *happy dance*

i will now play my girly-girl card and ask "what color?" ;-)

having seasons is nice, but Spring and Fall seem to be getting shorter and shorter. i'd gladly send you some snow, but i don't think it'd be as easy to do as sending you fall leaves.

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

Scooter! Huzzah!

(My brain has not regrown yet. Fortunately, I have nice simple things to do at work today.)

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

Scooter, yay! Are you still in MA? When do you take off?

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Very cool. Three wheeled or four? How fast can it go? Do remember to slow for pedestrians!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Silver with a black seat!

Spring and fall are so nice. They should be the longest.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm going to like it a lot, although the no traveling with the lithium battery thing is going to get old. At least I can do things like go to a museum or a quilt show. Heck, the MALL!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm still in MA for another couple of hours -- heading out to the airport in about five minutes. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Three. I don't know how fast -- faster than I'm comfortable with, given the brakes it's got!

Slowing for pedestrians is a huge issue. Pedestrians don't see anyone below about waist level. Anyone in a wheelchair or scooter learns this quickly: pedestrians are REALLY RUDE. I'm sure they don't mean to be. It's just that sudden stops mean nothing to them, and they have no idea the wheeling person is even there.

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

Darn, oh well. Maybe on your next visit we'll finally meet up for a cuppa joe (or tea).

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

sounds pretty. does she have a name yet? how easily does she break down for transport, or will you need to get a scooter-carrier for your car? pictures?! (when you get home and settled, of course) this is very exciting news for you - 2008 will be the year you get to get out and go without wanting to amputate your feet yourself!! oh, the possibilities!

i agree, spring and fall need to last much much longer. we've got snow on the ground now, so winter can hang out for a bit. snow makes winter more aesthetically pleasing.

[ken_r]

It was great to get to see you guys again too. :-)

Not to mention affordable housing

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

It's one of the things I miss most. That and thunderstorms.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Do you have bumper stickers?

Scooters are cool.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Maybe you need a flagpole and your own pirate flag.

Re: Not to mention affordable housing

[apparentparadox]

I really miss thunderstorms. My dog who was born & raised in CA doesn't like them at all, though.

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Having had friends in chairs all my life, I got used to being the "flag" for them in crowds. The first few times were eye-openers. Later, a friend with an electric chair (Love that phrase) put a 7 foot flag on her chair, then a loud horn. She was a riot to watch as she scattered crowds!

And a terror when the chair shorted in snow. Do heed those wet weather warnings, hon - the scooter will either die or become manic. On a crowded street the latter is disturbing as all heck.

Ride safe, be well!

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

waiting for pix of your scooter!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I think I better wait for naming until after I've kind of gotten the hang of folding it and unfolding it. Right now the name would probably be something I shouldn't say in front of children!

It folds VERY easily for car transport, but packing it up for airplane transport is a bear. The new battery rules don't make it easy either.

Snow makes winter so beautiful!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Scooters are WAY cool! No bumper stickers -- it doesn't really have a place to put any. It's a tubing frame with a seat on top. :-) I'll have to post pics.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

YES! I was trying to figure out how to arrange seeing everybody I wanted to meet AND have time to see the folks Rob wanted to meet, and given that a lot of people work, it got awkward. I was glad we got to do as much as we did. Next time, though, I want to meet up with you! That would be great!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

A tall flag and an AIR HORN! Hahahahaaaaaaa!

[cme]

It was great to meet you too! We'll have to do that again sometime. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh yikes. It never occurred to me that a scooter in the wet would do anything other than stop. That's scary stuff, man!

A flag would definitely be a good step, I think. Having seen me use scooters before, Rob makes a good "flag" for me. But when I'm alone it would be good to have some kind of visibility.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes! Note to self: Mary's run EVERY VISIT. ;-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Soon! I need to get them off the camera. Perhaps this evening, if I don't conk out early.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Definitely definitely! That was way fun.