Wednesday, July 21, 2010
July 2010 Update from Boston
July 2010 Update from Boston
Back in Boston since June 7. Left Bangalore on May 31 for Paris, France, where we stayed for one week. Turns out I'd forgotten how much I loved that city, and it's like a time warp, being there again almost 30 years after I was there last, and this time with three kids and a husband! Stayed in the 5th arrondissment, le Marais, on the Right Bank. Turns out, that area has become as fashionable as the Left Bank and the Quartier Latin. Ate tons of cheese and baguette and sampled a fair amount of lovely, affordable French wine.
Reached Boston's Logan Airport on June 7. My sister Mary picked us up at the airport and brought us to Mom's. About a year since we'd last seen them.
Stayed in Methuen until June 15, when we flew to Fort Lauderdale then drove to Miami, Florida so Badri could interview for a job with Third Solutions. Drove to Naples to visit my sister Patty and her family, then back to Miami in time to fly out June 22 back to Methuen. Upon returning to Boston that day, Badri drove to Armonk, NY to interview with IBM. The following day he drove back to Boston and met with folks at Enernoc. Head spinning.
Kids started summer drop-in camp (that means they can go when they want, anytime between 8:30 and 3 Monday-Friday) on June 28. Schlepped our things over to Mary's July 5 to stay there for the month of July. She and Andrew, Max and Alex went out west for a month to camp and hike in Moab, Yellowstone, Dinosaur National Park, Glacier National Park, and the Grand Tetons.
The people renting our Lincoln house moved out by July 18, so we're getting a painting quote from my brother Ski and will hopefully get the inside painted and move in by August 1.
Badri got a verbal offer from IBM the first week of July, and final offer July 19.
July 20, 2010
Brought the kids up to Seabrook Beach with Mom today. They were happy to go there instead of camp. Took about 45 minutes from Mom's in Methuen to Uncle Dan's "cottage" a block from the beach. Mom's brother Dickie, his daughter Erin and son-in-law Richard are staying there for a couple weeks with their daughters Molly and Melanie. The cottage has become quite the gorgeous place since Badri and I stayed there with Maya in 2001 when she first came home from India. It's gone from three bedrooms/one bath on one level to five bedrooms/three baths on three levels. There's a gorgeous master bedroom on the second level, you go up a few steps to a deck that has great views, then a few more steps up to the "loft" with beds on opposite sides below two porthole like windows.
I took a long walk along the beach and was heated up enough that I dove in the water with the kids and rode the waves. It wasn't as cold as New Castle, New Hampshire was the 4th of July weekend, but not as warm as the bay at Dennis on the Cape. Refreshing enough that you could stay in for quite a while without going numb. Molly lasted the longest. Every time she came in on a wave, she'd jump up at the end and give a thumbs up sign. We easily spent five hours there before heading home.
I enjoyed spending time talking with cousin Erin and Uncle Dickie. He'll be turning 80 in December and does aerobics five times a week! He said he'd be dead if he didn't.
July 21, 2010
Picked up the kids from camp and brought them to Littleton where we picked up my friend Erin's daughter, Sarah, and brought her horseback riding. Maya's interested in getting back to riding, so I thought "let's try this place where Sarah goes." She'd ridden several other places and like this one best.
Went into the barn where the girls were grooming their horses and met Jen, who runs the place. Another friend, Jennifer, send her daughter Kathryn here. They like it here because the girls do a lot of care and grooming of the horses. One of the girls in the barn was blindfolded and was tasked with preparing the bridle, or riding gear.
The horses are gorgeous, of various sizes and colors. Molly and Charlie really liked two of the 13 cats who live there, especially Pipsqueak. Somehow the conversation turned to India and Sarah asked what kinds of animals there are in India. I mentioned elephants and camels and she asked if elephants are all over the place. I told her there are more cows milling around. "How cool! All we have our squirrels. Maybe we could trade our squirrels for their elephants."
Tonight Charlie asked me to read in bouger language and I said I'd rather not, because it's kind of disrespectful to the book. What did Charlie say? "I know that's kind of disrespectful for Indians, but no one's watching but God and Santa Claus."
Back in Boston since June 7. Left Bangalore on May 31 for Paris, France, where we stayed for one week. Turns out I'd forgotten how much I loved that city, and it's like a time warp, being there again almost 30 years after I was there last, and this time with three kids and a husband! Stayed in the 5th arrondissment, le Marais, on the Right Bank. Turns out, that area has become as fashionable as the Left Bank and the Quartier Latin. Ate tons of cheese and baguette and sampled a fair amount of lovely, affordable French wine.
Reached Boston's Logan Airport on June 7. My sister Mary picked us up at the airport and brought us to Mom's. About a year since we'd last seen them.
Stayed in Methuen until June 15, when we flew to Fort Lauderdale then drove to Miami, Florida so Badri could interview for a job with Third Solutions. Drove to Naples to visit my sister Patty and her family, then back to Miami in time to fly out June 22 back to Methuen. Upon returning to Boston that day, Badri drove to Armonk, NY to interview with IBM. The following day he drove back to Boston and met with folks at Enernoc. Head spinning.
Kids started summer drop-in camp (that means they can go when they want, anytime between 8:30 and 3 Monday-Friday) on June 28. Schlepped our things over to Mary's July 5 to stay there for the month of July. She and Andrew, Max and Alex went out west for a month to camp and hike in Moab, Yellowstone, Dinosaur National Park, Glacier National Park, and the Grand Tetons.
The people renting our Lincoln house moved out by July 18, so we're getting a painting quote from my brother Ski and will hopefully get the inside painted and move in by August 1.
Badri got a verbal offer from IBM the first week of July, and final offer July 19.
July 20, 2010
Brought the kids up to Seabrook Beach with Mom today. They were happy to go there instead of camp. Took about 45 minutes from Mom's in Methuen to Uncle Dan's "cottage" a block from the beach. Mom's brother Dickie, his daughter Erin and son-in-law Richard are staying there for a couple weeks with their daughters Molly and Melanie. The cottage has become quite the gorgeous place since Badri and I stayed there with Maya in 2001 when she first came home from India. It's gone from three bedrooms/one bath on one level to five bedrooms/three baths on three levels. There's a gorgeous master bedroom on the second level, you go up a few steps to a deck that has great views, then a few more steps up to the "loft" with beds on opposite sides below two porthole like windows.
I took a long walk along the beach and was heated up enough that I dove in the water with the kids and rode the waves. It wasn't as cold as New Castle, New Hampshire was the 4th of July weekend, but not as warm as the bay at Dennis on the Cape. Refreshing enough that you could stay in for quite a while without going numb. Molly lasted the longest. Every time she came in on a wave, she'd jump up at the end and give a thumbs up sign. We easily spent five hours there before heading home.
I enjoyed spending time talking with cousin Erin and Uncle Dickie. He'll be turning 80 in December and does aerobics five times a week! He said he'd be dead if he didn't.
July 21, 2010
Picked up the kids from camp and brought them to Littleton where we picked up my friend Erin's daughter, Sarah, and brought her horseback riding. Maya's interested in getting back to riding, so I thought "let's try this place where Sarah goes." She'd ridden several other places and like this one best.
Went into the barn where the girls were grooming their horses and met Jen, who runs the place. Another friend, Jennifer, send her daughter Kathryn here. They like it here because the girls do a lot of care and grooming of the horses. One of the girls in the barn was blindfolded and was tasked with preparing the bridle, or riding gear.
The horses are gorgeous, of various sizes and colors. Molly and Charlie really liked two of the 13 cats who live there, especially Pipsqueak. Somehow the conversation turned to India and Sarah asked what kinds of animals there are in India. I mentioned elephants and camels and she asked if elephants are all over the place. I told her there are more cows milling around. "How cool! All we have our squirrels. Maybe we could trade our squirrels for their elephants."
Tonight Charlie asked me to read in bouger language and I said I'd rather not, because it's kind of disrespectful to the book. What did Charlie say? "I know that's kind of disrespectful for Indians, but no one's watching but God and Santa Claus."
# posted by Kelly @ 9:49 PM 
