Today we picked up our 16' moving truck. What's great about a truck that size is that it comes with a built-in ramp, which makes loading and unloading a LOT easier! My only complaint is that the cab reeks of cigarette smoke, and I'm not looking forward to smelling that stench for the 20 hours we'll be on the road. I tried spraying some disinfectant/deodorizing spray into the cab and closed the doors, so I'm hoping some magic will happen tonight and the smoke stench won't be so bad tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
Paul and my dad managed to get pretty much everything into the truck this afternoon. I'm sure lucky to have strong men around to do the heavy lifting! We'll see what happens when we get to Bloomington and unload... but luckily we have the truck for a couple days on that end in case we need the extra time.
Tomorrow we're going to my grandmother's house to load some things she's giving us, and then we leave from there on Saturday morning.
Both of us are pretty stressed out about the move, but so far it's gone pretty smoothly!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Puppy Hunt
The puppy hunt is on. Since we've got less than a week left before we move to Bloomington, we're starting to get more serious about our search for a puppy. The Bloomington Animal Shelter usually gets lots and lots of puppies in the summer. The woman I spoke with there even said we'd probably be able to get a golden retriever mix, which is fantastic!
We're also starting to check out breeders of purebred goldens, but most breeders have waiting lists for their puppies months in advance, meaning we'd be looking at puppy availability in July or August. I'm not convinced that for a family pet a breeder is going to give me a puppy all that much better than a pound puppy, so it looks like for a number of reasons we'll probably wind up adopting a puppy from the pound some time this month.
To prepare for a new puppy, we started looking into training books. We bought "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete - yes, they are real monks who raise german shepherds and spend their days studying and training the dogs. They even have a doggie boarding school where for $2000 you can send your dog there for 3-4 weeks for intensive training! You can read about them here. Paul is just finishing up the book, and I'm going to read it next. So far, from the excerpts Paul has read me, it's very helpful in understanding and responding to dog behavior.
In the meantime, we're working on names. So far the winner seems to be "Rewley", after the street we lived on in Oxford. But of course, we'll have to see how the dog responds to the name.
Hopefully the right pup will come along soon!
We're also starting to check out breeders of purebred goldens, but most breeders have waiting lists for their puppies months in advance, meaning we'd be looking at puppy availability in July or August. I'm not convinced that for a family pet a breeder is going to give me a puppy all that much better than a pound puppy, so it looks like for a number of reasons we'll probably wind up adopting a puppy from the pound some time this month.
To prepare for a new puppy, we started looking into training books. We bought "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete - yes, they are real monks who raise german shepherds and spend their days studying and training the dogs. They even have a doggie boarding school where for $2000 you can send your dog there for 3-4 weeks for intensive training! You can read about them here. Paul is just finishing up the book, and I'm going to read it next. So far, from the excerpts Paul has read me, it's very helpful in understanding and responding to dog behavior.
In the meantime, we're working on names. So far the winner seems to be "Rewley", after the street we lived on in Oxford. But of course, we'll have to see how the dog responds to the name.
Hopefully the right pup will come along soon!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Information Hogs
I don't really consider myself a tech geek, and I'm definitely not up on all the latest gadgets, computer technology and "social media" avenues out there. I don't even own an IPOD or use I-tunes, and I don't intend to in the future, mostly because I like the radio and I don't see the use of spending money to do the work of making my own playlist - I prefer to be surprised. I don't use Twitter, and I recently deleted my Friendster profile because it was one too many "profiles" to maintain. What I do use is Facebook, and I've been using it since 2003 to keep in touch with friends and share pictures and contact info. Some of the games on there, like Scrabble, have been fun too.
But here's where I am starting not to like Facebook - it's becoming, to sum it up, too commercial. For example, they've got all these neat features, like a map where you can "pin" the places you've been to. Well, by signing up to use this "tool", you give whoever made the map program permission to use your personal information from your profile, and the personal information of any of your friends for marketing purposes. I don't like that.
Now, I don't want to seem like an old stick in the mud, but I'm not a big fan of the "improvements" being made on Facebook - like advertisements that use information from your profile. I guess the marketers like to call these "targeted messages". For example, if I look at my husband's profile, I see ads with headlines like "trying to have a baby?" Yeah, it's that creepy.
But what's really starting to get to me is the idea of a "Feed". It's a big deal in marketing right now, as companies try to "feed" you, "the consumer", their goods in "innovative" ways using the "web 2.0" and "social media". OK, I understand, everyone's trying to make a buck in this economy, but it seems to be getting out of control. Not only are targeted ads using my personal information to entice me to consume goods, but now when I click to look at my list of friends to see who has new info (I suppose this counts as a "feed"), Facebook instead takes me to a page that says "We'd like to help you find your friends". Oh really? Gee, I thought I already found them, and that's why I'm trying to look at my friend list!
What it really comes down to is Facebook wants to grow their marketing database and sell more ads. Sure, sounds great if you're trying to sell something, but it starts making Facebook less useful for me and many others, I'm sure. I guess people are starting to use Facebook to market themselves and their services, but I'm not.
So here's what I have to say about the direction that "social media" seems to be moving - I am not your fat pig to consume your "feed" at an electronic marketing trough.
It's too bad, I used to really like the site for its simplicity and ease of keeping in touch with my friends. And to be honest, I don't mind having some ads in exchange for keeping the site free. But this kind of information-pulling from the people most important in my life is not something I condone.
But here's where I am starting not to like Facebook - it's becoming, to sum it up, too commercial. For example, they've got all these neat features, like a map where you can "pin" the places you've been to. Well, by signing up to use this "tool", you give whoever made the map program permission to use your personal information from your profile, and the personal information of any of your friends for marketing purposes. I don't like that.
Now, I don't want to seem like an old stick in the mud, but I'm not a big fan of the "improvements" being made on Facebook - like advertisements that use information from your profile. I guess the marketers like to call these "targeted messages". For example, if I look at my husband's profile, I see ads with headlines like "trying to have a baby?" Yeah, it's that creepy.
But what's really starting to get to me is the idea of a "Feed". It's a big deal in marketing right now, as companies try to "feed" you, "the consumer", their goods in "innovative" ways using the "web 2.0" and "social media". OK, I understand, everyone's trying to make a buck in this economy, but it seems to be getting out of control. Not only are targeted ads using my personal information to entice me to consume goods, but now when I click to look at my list of friends to see who has new info (I suppose this counts as a "feed"), Facebook instead takes me to a page that says "We'd like to help you find your friends". Oh really? Gee, I thought I already found them, and that's why I'm trying to look at my friend list!
What it really comes down to is Facebook wants to grow their marketing database and sell more ads. Sure, sounds great if you're trying to sell something, but it starts making Facebook less useful for me and many others, I'm sure. I guess people are starting to use Facebook to market themselves and their services, but I'm not.
So here's what I have to say about the direction that "social media" seems to be moving - I am not your fat pig to consume your "feed" at an electronic marketing trough.
It's too bad, I used to really like the site for its simplicity and ease of keeping in touch with my friends. And to be honest, I don't mind having some ads in exchange for keeping the site free. But this kind of information-pulling from the people most important in my life is not something I condone.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Off-site call centers for drive-thru orders - WEIRD!
Paul and I were just watching the History Channel, where they explained how some McDonalds are using off-site call centers to take orders at their drive-through windows. Isn't that just bizarre? I rarely go to McDonalds, but I still think this is totally strange. They did mention that it's unlikely the call centers will be moved to India, which I'm sure is a huge relief to Americans who want both their jobs and their fast food.
And on a similar note, is it better to spell it "Drive-Thru" like it says on the signs, or since I'm not writing it on a sign, is it "Drive Through"?
And on a similar note, is it better to spell it "Drive-Thru" like it says on the signs, or since I'm not writing it on a sign, is it "Drive Through"?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Packing and moving stinks!
Move number 19 is quickly approaching. We leave Massachusetts on May 9 and arrive in Indiana on May 10, with a stopover and visit to my friend Julina and her husband Michael (who I still haven't met!) in Pittsburgh (thank you once again for putting us up!). I don't remember going to Pittsburgh, so I'm looking forward to seeing a bit of the city that was voted one of the best places to live.
I'm also looking forward to the drive itself (ok, well Paul will actually do the driving), the open road and seeing lots of different places along the way, however fleetingly. Plus, there's a law of nature that calories don't count on road trips, so it's burgers, milkshakes, hot dogs, beef jerky and other tasty all-American goodies along the way. And the idea of having our own place once again (even if it does have someone else's furniture) is exciting, as is the possibility of getting a puppy once we settle in - I peruse the petfinder.com listings daily.
But for now, we're finishing up the packing and stacking of boxes. Sure, most of it has been packed for nearly 2 years now, but it's all those small odds and ends that are left, particularly those treasured trinkets from when I was 5. Do I need that slightly dented tin ring from a 25c machine? How about that box full of ticket stubs from events like Sesame Street Live? Or my collection of shaped soaps that I'd forgotten about 10 years ago? Or those computer disks from college - yeah, the square ones. I don't even have a computer that reads those! It really feels like it never ends!
I guess we all go through this cleaning out process eventually, especially those of us who grew up in the same house throughout our childhood. I'm trying to pack only those things that are actually useful or valuable and throw out the rest. I've moved so much and thrown out so much that I do feel guilty for trashing so much perfectly useful stuff, but there's no sense in keeping things that you're not going to use.
We've probably got enough boxes to fill half to 2/3 of the truck. Our only piece of furniture is a desk chair from the Marshall Field's outlet in Chicago. So that leaves us a good deal of wiggle room and space for those things Grandma said I'd have "one day", because "one day" is here!
Well, time for more packing and less typing. Let's hope move #20 in August is easier!
I'm also looking forward to the drive itself (ok, well Paul will actually do the driving), the open road and seeing lots of different places along the way, however fleetingly. Plus, there's a law of nature that calories don't count on road trips, so it's burgers, milkshakes, hot dogs, beef jerky and other tasty all-American goodies along the way. And the idea of having our own place once again (even if it does have someone else's furniture) is exciting, as is the possibility of getting a puppy once we settle in - I peruse the petfinder.com listings daily.
But for now, we're finishing up the packing and stacking of boxes. Sure, most of it has been packed for nearly 2 years now, but it's all those small odds and ends that are left, particularly those treasured trinkets from when I was 5. Do I need that slightly dented tin ring from a 25c machine? How about that box full of ticket stubs from events like Sesame Street Live? Or my collection of shaped soaps that I'd forgotten about 10 years ago? Or those computer disks from college - yeah, the square ones. I don't even have a computer that reads those! It really feels like it never ends!
I guess we all go through this cleaning out process eventually, especially those of us who grew up in the same house throughout our childhood. I'm trying to pack only those things that are actually useful or valuable and throw out the rest. I've moved so much and thrown out so much that I do feel guilty for trashing so much perfectly useful stuff, but there's no sense in keeping things that you're not going to use.
We've probably got enough boxes to fill half to 2/3 of the truck. Our only piece of furniture is a desk chair from the Marshall Field's outlet in Chicago. So that leaves us a good deal of wiggle room and space for those things Grandma said I'd have "one day", because "one day" is here!
Well, time for more packing and less typing. Let's hope move #20 in August is easier!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
It's official: Providence is the worst for jobs, cost-of-living and low income
A couple days ago Forbes.com listed the "U.S. Cities Where It's Hardest to Get By" (see the article here). And guess which city came up first...that's right, Providence! And why was it first?
HIGH unemployment,
HIGH cost of living, and
LOW median income.
Not exactly what you want to hear as a job seeker in the Providence area, but it does help us feel better about being two people with master's degrees from top world universities who couldn't find jobs here. And it explains why Rhode Island is experiencing "brain drain", with university graduates moving to other states for jobs.
I'm somewhat surprised Phoenix didn't make it on the list because our resumes seemed to go into black holes out there too.
Well, it is reassuring that we're moving somewhere that at least has a low cost of living, and a much lower level of unemployment.
HIGH unemployment,
HIGH cost of living, and
LOW median income.
Not exactly what you want to hear as a job seeker in the Providence area, but it does help us feel better about being two people with master's degrees from top world universities who couldn't find jobs here. And it explains why Rhode Island is experiencing "brain drain", with university graduates moving to other states for jobs.
I'm somewhat surprised Phoenix didn't make it on the list because our resumes seemed to go into black holes out there too.
Well, it is reassuring that we're moving somewhere that at least has a low cost of living, and a much lower level of unemployment.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Pea Soup and Pancake Thursday
In the past few weeks, I've noticed that a lot of churches, schools and other organizations are having pancake fundraisers. While most Americans probably think of pancakes as a breakfast food, growing up in a Swedish-American household we often had pancakes for lunch or dinner. Swedish pancakes are similar to crepes, only a bit more chewy and buttery. You probably could fill them with savory things like a crepe, but we usually have maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar and/or whipped cream. And yes, it still counts as dinner.
On Thursday evening I joined my grandmother for a local Vasa lodge's pea soup and pancake fundraiser (ärtsoppa och pannkakor). But perhaps I should first explain this combination of foods to those of you who aren't familiar with Swedish cuisine. As part of a long-standing tradition, the Swedish military and other government institutions (like schools) serve pea soup followed by pancakes on Thursdays. I'm not really sure when this tradition originated, but wikipedia.org says it may have something to do with preparation for fasting on Fridays, back in pre-Reformation times. Whatever the origin, pea soup and pancakes are tasty and the meal is still served throughout Sweden on Thursdays.
Unfortunately Paul was sick with a stomach bug, so he wasn't able to make it for pancakes and pea soup. But I was still happy to have some time with my Grandmother, and I made sure to make Paul some pancakes the next morning since he missed out on the feast.
On Thursday evening I joined my grandmother for a local Vasa lodge's pea soup and pancake fundraiser (ärtsoppa och pannkakor). But perhaps I should first explain this combination of foods to those of you who aren't familiar with Swedish cuisine. As part of a long-standing tradition, the Swedish military and other government institutions (like schools) serve pea soup followed by pancakes on Thursdays. I'm not really sure when this tradition originated, but wikipedia.org says it may have something to do with preparation for fasting on Fridays, back in pre-Reformation times. Whatever the origin, pea soup and pancakes are tasty and the meal is still served throughout Sweden on Thursdays.
Unfortunately Paul was sick with a stomach bug, so he wasn't able to make it for pancakes and pea soup. But I was still happy to have some time with my Grandmother, and I made sure to make Paul some pancakes the next morning since he missed out on the feast.