Packing up and moving on

I think most of our blog readers have heard our job and moving news by now. If you haven't heard all the details and you count yourself among our personal friends, please drop us an e-mail and we'll fill you in.

Early last week Eric accepted a job in Minnesota. It's not the perfect job but it is a great job and we're grateful for it. Eric has been job-hunting almost without a break for eighteen months straight and the strain of always wondering about the next step was a bit much for our family. When we finally realized that Eric did have a job and we did know where we were going it was hard to believe.

We are quite sad about leaving DC. We've lived here a couple of years longer than the average DC resident and our time here has included our entire marriage and the births of two children. We have come to love urban living and we've made some wonderful friends. We'll really miss all of the (free!) cultural opportunities, our pedestrian lifestyle, lots of choices for churches and coffee shops, the East Coast and our relative proximity to family and friends here. I doubt we'll return to DC but we do plan to try to get back to the East Coast as soon as possible.

Fortunately, there is much to look forward to. It's pure coincidence that Eric got a job in Minnesota but it is a happy coincidence. Our landlord is selling our condo and we needed to leave by June 30th, anyway. Our plan was to put all our stuff in a POD and take our regular trip to the Midwest to visit family and friends. We'd save July rent and, we hoped, have a job lined up by the time Eric's mom got sick of us. Its worked out so that we can pretty much just keep to our plan but now we don't have the stress of wondering where we're headed after Minnesota. Our stuff will be stored for us while we look for a rental house in our new town and we can stay with Eric's mom until we get settled. Eric starts work as soon as we arrive in Minnesota.

We'll be living just thirty minutes outside the Twin Cities in a town where we have a few friends already. We're really looking forward to seeing more of Eric's family. His little brother, Ben, will be a senior in high school this year and we'll finally get to participate in all his school things that we usually miss. Both of the kids' godparents are in the Twin Cities and they'll all get to know each other better. I'm looking forward to becoming more familiar with Eric's "homeland." We'll be able to make easy trips to Madison to see more of Eric's family. And we hope to take a couple opportunities to indulge our love of road trips by venturing further west to sightsee.

I apologize for the infrequent posts but life, as you can imagine, is pretty crazy. Boxes piled everywhere and everything in disarray. Joseph hates change and is decidedly ambivalent about this move but Margaret can't get enough of packing.


We just have to be careful about what she's putting into those boxes:


I'll be back with more frequent updates once we're settled in Minnesota. I can't promise to post much before the beginning of August but I will try if I have the opportunity.

Benedict XVI

I don't know if the visit of Pope Benedict XVI has been big news in the rest of the country. Living in Washington we are always surprised at what seems like a big deal to us and is barely on the radar of friends and family outside the Beltway. But even if your local news isn't running 24-7 papal visit coverage this is, really, a big deal. The last time a pope came to Washington was in 1978, I think. I tried to look that up but I don't have time for lots of googling right now. John Paul II came to the US five times in 26 years, anyway. This was Benedict's first visit and most of you probably know that after spending a few days with us here he left for New York this morning.

Our family really had good luck in the ticket department. Every diocese in the US got tickets to one of the stadium masses and our parish had 65 that went into a random drawing. We only won one but, somehow, they found three more for us. The Mass was a long morning: we left at 6:30 for a 10:00 Mass that lasted two hours. But it was a great time. The kids did really well. The new Nationals Stadium here in Washington is very nice--it's only been in use for a few weeks--and we had fantastic seats so we were able to people watch down on the field. We saw the priest who baptized Margaret briefly (he lives in southern Virginia) and an old friend from the National Shrine who had the job of master of ceremonies for the Mass. Joseph loved seeing the procession of bishops all in red. Most of all it was wonderful to see the Holy Father in person and attend Mass with him. Here are a few pictures of his arrival in the stadium and the general set-up of the Mass:





We were also offered, at the last minute, tickets to get onto the CUA campus to view the Popemobile ride between two different talks Benedict was giving. We were pretty tired after being out all morning and getting lunch and getting home but we wanted to try to get a closer view of Benedict and we knew that the campus atmosphere would be very festive and fun and we wanted to be there with our friends. It was a pretty good party and our closest friends were all there. Lots of kids were running around and Joseph and Margaret got to play outside. We were all gathered on the lawn outside the National Shrine and many had brought guitars and drums. Benedict came by and Joseph got a great view from atop Daddy's shoulders. My view was a bit obstructed but we still saw him pretty close and had a great time visiting with everyone. I was holding Margaret in a crowd so I couldn't also get a picture of that sighting. But Margaret had a great time playing with our friend Emily.

The best thing about celebrating Christmas just a little different from all your neighbors:

Free Christmas trees.

We all had a really wonderful Christmas tour of New England this year. I was too busy to blog much about it but it didn't matter because we saw almost every reader of this blog in person. Thirty-seven relatives (including the surprise visit from GI Grandpa and Stephanie). We miss our family every Christmas so it was nice to share the holiday with everyone this time around.

Despite that, we did also really miss our own Christmas traditions that we've begun to cultivate over the last four years. We didn't do much by way of decoration, we didn't get to finish setting out our Nativity and, for various reasons, we didn't even exchange gifts with each other. We decided just before leaving on our trip to give gifts amongst ourselves on Epiphany, the Feast of the Three Kings, which is tomorrow.

Our family really likes to follow the liturgical rhythm of the Church year, especially at Christmas. We try to save Christmas activities and celebrations for Christmas itself and focus on Advent until December 24th. Then we put our tree up on Christmas Eve, decorate it and everything else, and break out the Christmas cookies. Last year we tried to stretch the celebrating through all twelve days of Christmas. This year was no trouble as we've had lots of family to see and gifts to open. But it was a little sad to come home to our undecorated apartment earlier this week and still be waiting for our own family's small celebration tonight and tomorrow.

Then we were out for a walk last night and Behold! Christmas trees everywhere! We joked several weeks ago about stealing one off the curb when we got back to DC but we weren't serious. Most of the trees are wet, dead or huge. But outside an apartment building just five blocks from here we found a perfectly healthy, perfectly little tree and we dragged it home. In no time at all we crammed two strings of lights on it and hung all our ornaments. It's a bit "Charlie Brown" but, hey, it was free. I love it.

Don't blame DC!

This one is for all of you out-of-towners who gripe about DC roads when you visit . . .

I submit the following idea for your consideration: You don't hate DC. You hate Virginia.

Today I had yet another dazzling encounter with what I've come to call the "Northern Virginia Traffic Vortex." It's always a bit different, but it's always awful. Let me tell you about this morning.

We were headed to a new handicapped-accessible park in McLean, Virginia. I used to live very close to this park. I looked up the driving directions before heading out but there were, like, four turns including getting on I-395, so I really wasn't worried about the trip. Famous last words.

My first fatal error was forgetting that there is no sign to mark the ramp to get on the G-W Parkway headed north. In the abstract, I know there is no sign, but I don't use this road very often, and even more seldom do I get on this road, headed north, from I-395, that I didn't really remember it in the moment. I saw the huge sign for G-W Parkway S and realized that I was already too late. No problem, I thought, I'll just get off a couple exits up where I'll be in familiar territory and take a different route to the Parkway.

Heading up Washington Blvd. I thought to take Rt. 50. At the last minute I remembered that I wanted Rt. 50 headed back into town (the opposite direction of where I normally go). I panicked and jumped off the freeway one exit too early. It was the Ft. Myer exit. Of course there was a big event at Ft. Myer. We waited 20 minutes in the "Show Picture ID" line and another 10 minutes in the "Vehicle Inspection" line before they let me make a u-turn.

We tooled around some generic suburban neighborhood for awhile before I found a route back to Rt. 50. But guess what! There still isn't a way to get on the Parkway headed north. South we went. All the way to the airport. At least the airport had nice signs. Before long we were finally, finally headed north.

We exited in McLean (this is all in Virginia, remember) and I see the sign for my road "Next Right." Whoa! No! The next right is the CIA. That was a close call.

I forgot my camera, but I hope to take pictures another time and post soon about the really fun park. Joseph had such a great time, as did Margaret who is so close to walking.

Getting home, I thought, should be easy. Getting home is always easier. In the past I've gotten tripped up headed home from the Parkway. I always seem to run into a guy with a really big gun. I figured I'd just misread the signs in the past. This time I was really, really careful. I double-checked all the signs and arrows directing me to I-395 North. Guess where I ended up? My friend with the gun at the Pentagon. There is a sort of frontage road that does continue to point in the direction of 395. I dutifully followed it but it definitely doesn't go to 395. I don't know who made all those signs. I got dumped onto Memorial Bridge. Fine! I was thinking of taking Memorial Bridge, anyway.

At no time after crossing the bridge or before getting on the freeway in the morning did I have trouble. Washington, DC, is not all that confusing. Sure, you might end up on an avenue, but just go one block and you're back on the grid. I'm never lost in town. So next time you visit, don't blame DC!

Since this is a blog about the kids, here's a cute picture. I hope to get up lots of birthday-related pictures, soon. I need to find our battery charger and get the camera going, again.

Move in progress . . .

. . . and therefore, limited time to blog. Things will be slow over the next couple of weeks as we transition and wait for phone jacks. That's right--our new place has no phone jacks. We're only the third tenant since renovation and, apparently, no one else ever wanted phone jacks. Anyway--here is a bit of a preview.

I'll send an address via e-mail, but the new apartment is roughly in our same area of the city. It's about one mile from our current place in a "transitional" neighborhood. A bit more rough around the edges, but perfectly safe. We're excited to watch things develop over the next year.

The front door opens onto the longest hallway ever:
The kids already love racing up and down this hallway. It's too narrow to use for anything, unfortunately. There are two bedrooms, then a bathroom and one more room at the end of the hallway. I didn't take pictures of the bedrooms. They are boring while empty, but each has a window and a closet. They are a bit on the small size: roughly 8X10. We'll be in one and Joseph will be in the other. The bathroom is pretty standard. The last room will be the "study" but also has a laundry closet with large (!) washing machine. There is back door out of that room with this view:
Sorry, it's a bit blurry. There is a bit of a patio where we will soon be putting a little grill. There is a small side yard where the kids could play. Across the street, you can see the vacant, overgrown lot. Ahhh, urban blight. This would be an awesome neighborhood if all those vacant lots were developed.

The other room, to the right of the front door is kitchen/living/dining all in one. The kitchen is at one end:
That's all of it. Pretty small, but very beautiful. I'm so happy for the nice counter tops (I really hope that formica is out of my life for good) and the gas range. I'd definitely take more cupboards over the microwave and dishwasher, but, oh well. Next to the dishwasher is the world's largest refrigerator:
This thing is crazy. It also almost completely blocks the window behind it. We uncovered the top part and we like the urban view of brick walls. The other end of the main room looks like this:
That is, more or less, the living room. The whole room is about 20X13. Definitely small, but I'm glad that I'll be able to work in the kitchen while visiting with guests or watching the kids. Plus, since the dining room table will be, essentially, in the kitchen, I'll have more surface area for working that way.

We are really excited about this place. The configuration is a bit odd, but works well for us. Eric's study is so far down that hallway that he'll never hear us during the day while he works. And, sleeping kiddos won't be disturbed by noise in the living room. So, for example, when we pack up all our stuff again in one year, the sound of the tape gun won't bother anyone.

I'll try to post again more specifically about the kids soon. But, keep us in your prayers as we move Saturday!

Sorrows and small joys

Early this morning the historic building which has housed Eastern Market for 134 years burned, leaving only the exterior walls and part of the roof. This market was truly the heart of Capitol Hill and the neighborhood is shocked and sad.

I think we've brought every out-of-town visitor--and some in-town visitors--to Eastern Market over the last five years. It's a bit of a local secret, just off the beaten tourist path but well-known enough that the weekend crowds are large and vibrant. Even during the slower weekdays I often passed the Market on my way to errands on Pennsylvania Avenue. It is only six blocks from our apartment and really served as our "convenience store" in a lot of respects. Every special occasion we walked up and down the main hall picking up delicious foodstuffs from vendors who had been in business for decades. Canales Meat Market had incredible bacon. The Calomiris family always gave Joseph a free banana even if all I'd paid for was a bunch of parsley. We could never tell if Mr. Bowers, the "Cheese Man", remembered us, but he sure acted like he did as he passed around slice after slice of gourmet cheese samples to actual and potential customers. If my pancakes weren't the best in the world, we might have often joined the long line of locals and visitors each Saturday for breakfast at the lunch counter. To those of us who live in the neighborhood, Eastern Market is The Hill.

Our sadness over its destruction is all the more poignant in the wake of the last several days. The doors all seem to be closing for a job in Brooklyn. It may be that Eric could land one of them still, if the stars aligned just right, but this last round of interviews brought much into perspective for him. We love Brooklyn and, if the job didn't matter, we would probably more there in a heart beat and raise our family there. The job does matter, however, and well it should after all this education! Eric needs time to finish up his dissertation and then needs a job that will advance an academic career. That means probably--though not certainly--staying in Washington another year. We are exploring several options and know ourselves too well by now to get over-excited about any one of them.

We are very, very sad about the loss of Brooklyn. In every way it is what we want for our family. Staying in Washington has always been Plan B--but even that is a bit uncertain now. We've just said goodbye to our last group of students and are trying hard to stay on the Hill. The loss of Eastern Market might seem trivial to some but to us, and to many of our neighbors, the Hill, too, seems lost.

I walked by this afternoon with the kids. Out doing errands as usual and I felt like I had to see it. I wanted to look and grieve, in a way, with my neighbors. It was good to be there with Joseph. Kids have such a way of not letting us take ourselves too seriously. Joseph isn't quite old enough to realize what had happened and he was jumping out of the stroller with excitement: "Towers!" (for TV crews) "A crane!" (clearing rubble) "Firetrucks!" (Full of very sad firemen). I didn't have the heart to finish my errands and we passed by again on our way home, partly to see it again and partly because I knew it would be so much fun for Joseph. So many simple joys in his life despite all the stress. The picture below if him kneeling at our windowsill. He went over to watch the garbage truck and stayed for an hour, looking at books and enjoying the fresh spring air.

Smithsonian

Everyone who comes to Washington wants to visit the Smithsonian. That means different things for different people. Some think it's the museum where you see the lunar rover. Some where you see the Hope Diamond or First Lady dresses. Some are looking for a Renoir. In fact, the Smithsonian Institution is a network of 19 museums. These include famous museums such as Air and Space, and Natural History (but not the National Gallery of Art) and lesser-known museums such as the Postal Museum.

Never heard of the Postal Museum? It's actually pretty new and quite small, but I've gotten to know it pretty well the last few months for one reason: the semi-truck. The museum is home to a life size semi truck cab (semis travel the "star route" hauling mail cross-country). Joseph LOVES this truck. We once sat in it for over an hour. We try to hit the museum when it's not too crowded (which isn't too hard at this little-known attraction) so that there aren't too many other competing kids.

The best part, of course, is that it's free just like the rest of the Smithsonian museums. I'm really going to miss that about Washington. That makes it okay to go to the Postal Museum twice a week, or to leave Natural History after ten minutes because the dinosaurs are too scary.