Java and More Java

Chihully Glass Museum

It has been a few days since I have arrived at my new home. I apologize for the slight delay in posting to the blog especially to folks who have been waiting for more pics of the journey across the country. My traveling buddy- Rick- has taken the photos en route and they are now posted on his Flickr account right here.

A few photo uploading glitches and waiting for new cable internet service also contributed to the delay. In addition, I wanted to take some time to drive around and get a lay of the land. I did need to pick up essential items such as a coffee pot! Living in the coffee capital of the world, I needed to get on the bus so to speak!

I am the type of person that needs to get organized and good to go as soon as possible. So, I have been spending the past few days un-packing. Unfortunately, the bad news is that most of my glassware and dinnerware was damaged by UPS! Box after box contained pieces of shattered glasses and plates. Even a box that contained some glass-frames with sketches was destroyed. It was even packed in bubble-wrap, but the frames were shattered to pieces! The damage even extended to one of my frying pans! The pan was actually bent and is now useless. Talk about force! It was a solid heavy pan. They were insured and I will have to file a claim with UPS.

The weather has been outstanding here. Blue skies everyday since my arrival. Yesterday, I had a chance to visit the Farmers market in downtown Tacoma. It was a great opportunity to sample what Tacoma has to offer. I also have been checking out the local eateries and the shops nearby. I will abstain from plugging the area for now...but here is some info and a link to a local festival that will be taking place in my neighborhood on September 8th just to give an idea of the great community spirit.

Walking around with Milo in the neighborhood has also given me a chance to see the homes that surround the area and meet the neighbors- especially those with dogs. Milo has never had a yard for his use. So far he has been enjoying the yard but seems to wait by the door a few times for me to let him back in the house. He has had to adjust to the other dogs barking at him as he walks by there yards! In turn, he has taken note of his new home and now barks when he sees someone walking up to the house or even passing on the street. Hopefully, he won't become a nuisance and disturb the neighbors.

I will be spending the next few days continuing to get organized plus I will be off to the Seattle area to play tour guide(?) for Rick. He also wants to check out Seattle Public's main library. He did get a chance to visit the main library at Tacoma Public yesterday when I stopped in to say hi.

Enjoy the pictures and stay tuned...

Day 5 Tacoma, Washington

Dateline: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:00pm
Sorry for the delay...We made it to Tacoma after leaving Missoula in about 6 hours! I am getting un-packed and will be back here for a full update with more pictures soon... until then...

Day 4 Missoula, Montana

Dateline: Monday, August 27, 2007 10:38pm MST

We are here in beautiful Missoula, Montana! This is a beautiful state! The drive was the longest we have ever done since our journey began. We logged in over 650 miles today.

Our original plan was to travel from Dickinson, ND to Butte, MT- however, we decided to push it a few hundred miles to Missoula. It was hard. At times we were getting antsy from sitting and driving so much. If it wasn't for cruise control we would still be in Ohio! Much is to be said about the 75 mile an hour speed limit. There is probably a reason for this- there are miles of highway running through nothing but farms. Occasionally, small towns would appear such as Beach North Dakota. We saw hundreds of Angus cattle crazing in the fields throughout Montana. By far, Montana is our favorite state during this cross country adventure.

Rick and I became use to a daily schedule for our journey. Up semi-early and consumed the java and continental breakfast at the hotel and then hit the road. This morning we started our journey and made a stop at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. It was beautiful. More pictures have been added today and are available on the Flickr page here.

Eating on the trip was another story. It almost seems that the healthy food wasn't an option. Or maybe we felt more inclined not to eat healthy or even workout as we did on a daily basis in NY. Last night we did have a chance to use the pool at one of our hotels but only as a means of relaxation. We found ourselves at Red Lobster, Applebees, Burger King and some other places. Yes- salad's do exist at the above mentioned restaurants but who wants to eat a salad when you can have a Bison burger?

We are off in the morning and will hopefully arrive in Tacoma in the afternoon. I will try and wrap our adventure over the next day or so with additional pictures. Until then...

Day 3 Dickinson, North Dakota

Dateline: 10:01pm, MST.

We are here on the 3rd day of our travels across the country in a town called Dickinson in North Dakota. It was a long journey. We were on the road since 8:30 this morning. We started from Eau Claire, Wisconsin and drove on I-94 for about 600 miles.

Our travels took us through Minnesota and then into North Dakota. It was route that would bypass Minneapolis and as a result we did not get to see the city. Passing through Minnesota, it was Garrison Keillor who provided the car radio entertainment as we were in the heart of "Prairie Home Companion" territory.

The weather was hot. For most of the drive, we followed a straight path through most of the state. Very little in the way of terrain. North Dakota was pure agriculture. For most of the drive we saw nothing but fields and fields of farmland. I have never seen so much hay or barley in my entire life. Interesting facts about North Dakota agriculture can be found here. We were also able to see plenty of cows and buffalo.

We took pictures at various stops along the way. The pictures are now available online and have been added to my flickr account. More are forthcoming.

We are heading out to Montana in the morning and should reach Tacoma by Tuesday afternoon. More later...

Day 2 Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Dateline: 8:12pm CST. We've made it to Eau Claire, Wisconsin this evening. It was a long day- about 12 hours of driving. We hit severe weather in the Indiana area and the interstate was closed due to severe flooding. Most of the Midwest was affected by torrential downpours and flooding. We missed the severe weather but the devastation clearly had an impact on the roads. As a result we did have to go almost 100 miles out of our way to go around the closed highways!

This alternate route took us through the farmland and suburban sprawl of Indiana. No shortage of strip malls. This route was long and tiresome with stop lights for most of the local route. When we did finally make it to the interstate- we were already off course and had to make up miles of lost time.

Milo has been enjoying the trip and this morning when we left the Best Western motel, there were a few dogs that he did get to play with. He has learned to jump from bed to bed in the hotel room. Today, we are staying at a Quality Inn and we have a small balcony overlooking the pool. As expected, the pool is crowded with children.

One other good amenity that we have found thus far in the hotels is the free wi-fi internet access. I am so use to paying for it at most hotels. I had to keep asking the hotel clerk if it was free. Unfortunately, the internet access is not the greatest and the speed is poor. We are having problems accessing the blog for postings AND we are also having problems downloading the pictures we have been taking. Stay tuned as we attempt to work out this glitch and add photos as soon as possible.

Day 1 Wauseon, Ohio

Dateline 11:54pm EST. From Bay Ridge Brooklyn to Wauseon, Ohio. It's about 600 miles later, Rick and I have finally made it to our first stop on an incredible journey across the country! We are exhausted and have spent almost 12+ hours on the road. Unfortunately, we ran into a few minor construction delays on I-80 that set us back almost 2 hours.

If anyone ever says to you that Ohio is flatter than a pancake- it's TRUE! Driving through Pennsylvania was un-eventful. Nevertheless, we are at our evening resting place and resting is probably an understatement.

The morning started at 5am when Rick and I spent a good hour or so packing the SUV. The end result was that we did not have enough space for Milo and had to put him on the roof! You have to have a sense of humor when you travel such a long distance! He was given his own cool space in the car and enjoyed the ride!

As we drove through New Jersey into Pennsylvania, the temperature did increase. In Ohio, it poured and lightening did flash all around us as we drove into Ohio.

Tomorrow, we are off through Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and will most likely end day 2 of our journey in and around the Minneapolis area. Stay tuned for more...

Final Thoughts Part 2

As I spend the day running down a list of things to do before the move, Milo has been looking mighty puzzled these days. I get the feeling that Milo is beginning to suspect something is up. There is no carpet for him to lounge, no bed to relax and nothing seems to be where it should be. Better yet, there is nothing but empty space.

If I could only read his mind? I am hoping that he will enjoy the adventure. I am not sure if I was in his shoes (paws?) that it would be much fun cramped up in a car for 10 hour days listening to Rick and I sing "99 bottles of beer on the wall"! Ok- maybe not.

Last night, I went out with friends and made note of the crowd in the restaurant. We were in Bay Ridge so it was a local crowd. A crowd that I have grown to know over the years. It wasn't a special crowd, it was just a neighborhood crowd. No gloss, no glamour, no fashionista's-- just good ole folks. Folks that make this my neighborhood. I will miss Bay Ridge.

I will be hitting the road this Friday and I am planning to blog our adventures across country. This will be a challenge and I look forward to it. Until then...

Final Thoughts Part 1

It's hard to believe that D-DAY (D for departure) is literally this Friday! Yesterday, I spent the majority of the day taking everything that has not been packed or shipped and placing it out in my living room to take inventory. What was I thinking?

As I look around, I realize I still have more to pack and ship. In some cases, it might be easier to throw everything into a box and ship it out- and label the box "junk"!

These last few days, I have been doing a few things that represent the best of the neighborhood! Places that became a staple for me while I lived here for the past few years. Last night, I ate from my favorite Chinese take-out restaurant Xing Wong. I will be having dinner with friends this evening at Cebu- another local restaurant. I will stop into Rocco's Pizzeria around the corner and order my 2 slices and 5 garlic knots and say my farewell to the brothers that have been running the family owned business.

Bay Ridge has been a great neighborhood. Unlike many neighborhoods, where know one will give you the time of day, Bay Ridge has a homey neighborhood feel. Everyone is friendly and you know your neighbors. You see the same folks with dogs in the parks and on the street people say hello.

I will miss my neighborhood a great deal. I will miss the restaurants, bars, family owned and operated stores, parks, the promenade on the water with sweeping views of the New York skyline. Heck- I will even miss the fact that Bay Ridge had it's 15 minutes of fame when that Tornado touched down a few weeks ago just a few blocks away.

Milo will also miss the walks around the block and Shore Road Park and dog-run. He will miss running into the other dogs in the building- especially Buttercup- a female golden retriever. She was the first dog Milo ran into when we first moved into the building. He will even miss the hydrant in front of the building!

If you think about it, what's not to be missed? To be continued...

Reflections and Chicken Wings

This past week marked the end of a chapter in my life. Friday, was my last day at Brooklyn Public Library after more that six and half years. Those six years were a part of my life that would inevitably set the stage for my career and my future.

I have been asked over the past few days by several friends how I am feeling about leaving the library and NYC? Of course, my answer is that I feel sad. On the other hand, I feel that I have accomplished quite a great deal in those six years and that I have done the job I set out to do many years ago. As a result, it was a perfect time for me to move on to better opportunities.

On Thursday, the library had a good-bye luncheon for me. A few words were spoken about my first days on the job. Hard to believe that when I started it was pre-library school days! In the evening, the PULSE trainees had a farewell party for me at a pool hall in Brooklyn. Pictures of the evening can be seen here. Perhaps this was the most difficult of the good-byes since the PULSE program was a project that I spent most, if not all, of the past three years working on. The evening was sentimental for me. A big farewell card was given to me at the party with photographs of all the trainees from the past 3 years. The librarian trainees over the three year program were exceptional and, there is no doubt in my mind all of them will be leaders in the library profession- one of the main goals of the funded program.

On Friday, I did the rounds and said my good-byes and to thank everyone who I had worked with and who played such a large role in my development in the library profession as well as those who supported the program over the years. I could not have gotten to where I am now without the help and support of many people. I could fill an entire post on this blog with all the names of those individuals.

As I begin to turn the page and start a new chapter this week, I will make a few more posts to this blog before heading out on the road. Though, I hope to write about my travels across country, I am dependent upon having access to the internet. In this day and age, I don't find that to be a major issue.

Heat of Summer

It's been a few days since I have posted here and I have to admit that I have been really busy getting ready for my move out west. I have been packing and shipping boxes. In addition, I have been selling my furniture on Craigslist which has been time consuming- in the sense that I have folks coming by to see or buy the furniture.

I find Craigslist a great service, however, I also find it problematic. I have posted everything from a TV to a dresser to bed. In most cases, I get several responses from people who are interested in the furniture. Those people express an interest in coming by to see the furniture and I oblige by arranging a time for them to come over. Problem is they never show-up or call to cancel! I have learned this is common.

I don't know if this is a New York thing or common in other cities? I do know that the scams are everywhere. E-mails from folks that will send a cashier's check and send a moving company to pick up your lamp is a bit odd.

Nevertheless, even though I can't use Craigslist as an excuse for not writing. I can blame this summer as the reason. What? It's true! Seriously, I have the proof. Lisa Belkin in a recent article in the NY Times writes about how we are a bit slower and lazy during the summer months. She couldn't even get herself to write the article- curiously I felt the same way about writing this post. I just could not get myself in the write mode. Maybe the heat, maybe everyone on vacation also allows us to pretend we are on vacation, maybe we are programmed to slow down during the summer months. I for one seem to get tired during these hot days and find myself taking a nap- which seems to only happen during the summer!

What does this all mean? I apologize to anyone who wakes up and grabs their morning java and reads my latest post du jour! Yes- I do have a sense of humor! Needless to say, I will be pulling the plug next week and disconnecting my internet service as I get ready to hit the road. Even though I have every intention of trying to update this blog while on the road, and detail my travels with Milo and my friend Rick, the hotter the weather the less likely I might see myself sitting in a cafe in Fargo, North Dakota banging away at the keyboard.

A Tree Falls in Brooklyn

I am just about 2 weeks away from making the trip across country to Tacoma. Tuesday night's storm aka tornado that hit those of us here in Bay Ridge seemed to be mother nature's way of giving Milo and I a special send-off!

During the middle of the night, when the violent storm swept through the neighborhood, I was awake because Milo was panicking because of the intense lightning and thunder. He was very spooked and was staying close to me. The lightning was so intense. It was more like a strobe light and the flashes of light were constant not intermittent. The devastation captured in photographs says it all.

I was not aware of the extent of the devastation until I received a call from a friend asking me how I was getting to work? I explained like I normally do- by subway- he quickly explained that there was no train service! Confused, I quickly turned on the news. Needless to say, what unfolded over the next few hours made national news!

As the rain stopped and the storm passed, I took Milo out for a walk and to check on the car! I have seen storms over the past few weeks knock tree branches onto cars and I wanted to see if any damage was done to the car or even on the block. Luckily, tree branches were on the street and narrowly missed the car!

The commute to work was amusing- for lack of a better word to explain the chaos. This is New York City so anything goes. It took much longer than usual but I did manage to make it to work. At the end of the day, I took Milo to the park and was stunned by what I had seen. The park that I take Milo to for a walk everyday was devastated. Almost every single tree, block after block, was laying on top of homes and cars. It was as if someone had walked around chopping down every single tree.

Now, 24 hours later, a picture perfect day! Life seems to be returning back to normal. Trains are running and people are sharing their stories about how this storm chose Bay Ridge as it's path of destruction.

Power of Advertising

I have commented in the past on the difficulty I have watching the Animal Planet channel sometimes. Especially the Animal Cops program or the Emergency Vets program. I don't know how pet owners can watch a program and see badly emaciated dogs and cats, some severely beaten and barely able to open their eyes. As much as the program focuses on cruelty to animals and does attempt to incarcerate those guilty of such crimes, the main focus is always on the injured dog or cat.

The New York Animal Care and Control launched a new advertising and awareness campaign kicked off by Bernadette Peters yesterday in Union Square. The campaign is very good and the images strong. Like most advertising, images are sometimes (if not always) intended to strike a chord.

It does send a powerful message and I hope it will make more NYers aware of the need for providing homes for these dogs and cats. According to the NYACC, the photos are of animals who are up for adoption and are "victims of circumstance and not abuse". Created in the style of a mug shot- the photos are in black and white. The entire campaign is available for viewing here.

Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

I have been reading a few of blogs and the news postings about the devastation of the bridge in Minneapolis the other day. I frequently have commented on this blog about the news and information sources that have literally changed the way we learn about events.

I recently commented on how Wiki's are a source of information for disasters such as the airplane crash in Brazil and now a Wiki has been created about the bridge disaster. Another way of sharing information is through the camera lens. The photo above is just one of over a thousand pictures that have been posted on Flickr since the other day. Many photographs are amazing and show the devastation and impact of the bridge collapse.

We often talk about how the internet and technology has made an impact on our lives and the world we live in. It is hard to imagine just 15+ years ago the internet was not part of our daily lives. We did not have access to these photos and sites like Flickr did not exist- much less TV or print news online. We would have to rely on TV news footage and the newspaper to see these pictures- most still in black and white!

What about people around the world that do not have access to the internet or television or newspapers? How do they see the world?