Anglophiles

First, a weather report.  I just got off the phone with David and Paula, and they reported they had 7 inches of the white stuff, the heavy, wet version that he recalled Pop naming "heart attack snow."  While the temperatures here got up to the 50s yesterday, the ice was still so thick I saw 8 trucks on the lake yesterday.  The snow Rochestter got was pouring rain here, but not enough to melt the snow in the yard.  Not spring yet.

But, we did get a glimpse of what's ahead this past week when we went to a warmer climate.  Not south, but north (and east) where the Gulf Stream ends.  London was still chilly, but it was nice to be outside without a hat or gloves.  But, that wasn't the best part.  That was reserved for seeing Joe, and Annie who had arrived a few days before us.  Joe was a great host, and was able to take some time off from a busy work schedule to take us on some walking tours down to the Thames, Buckingham Palace, lunch in the Parliament, Greenwich Maritime Museum, Jack the Ripper's neighborhood (that I ad read about at UMass,) Trafalgar Square and St. Paul's Cathedral.  He has a loft-type apartment near a couple of local pubs!  We also met up with two of his mates, one from his boyhood days in Durban and one from Ottawa.  Mary, Annie and I also went to the British National Museum which climbed to to the top of our personal rankings of world class museums.  We saw there the Elgin Marbles (Parthenon), and incredible Mesopotamian sculptures, probably a little controversial now as those countries want them back.   

I should mention as well the soccer game.  I met up with members of the 1974 Princeton soccer team I played on, for the weekend which included a dinner and then a Manchester United football game.  I have been to World Cup games, professional and college games in the U.S. and outside, and to Mexico-U.S. games; nothing prepared me for these fans.  I think you could draw a direct line from the Roman gladiator fans to these guys.  I saw only a couple of women; the men sang songs, on cue, throughout the game, laced with obscenities, about the other team, about their own team, about the refs.  My real problem, though, was I was not sure they were singing or speaking English.  I had to ask one guy near me to repeat his request, which went something like "Make sure no one nicks my seat, mate" when he left to rid himself of a few of the pints he had been drinking before the game (no alcohol within eyesight of the field).  You can bet I let no one near his seat for fear of the consequences afterwards.  We lived to tell many tales and had many laughs. 

Enough of London. I am looking forward to hearing of Peter and Janet's trip to Berlin, which we saw a few pictures of on facebook.  We also saw a few photos of Jeffrey on the road, in California I believe again. We've seen a number of photos of Auden as well, including this one with her Aunt Claire, who was home from college for spring break

Speaking of travel, Margaret and Andrew went to Miami for a long weekend, and Margaret was ready to move there.  That's what happens on a good vacation,  Their wedding plans are proceeding, even if she is plugging through school and work at the same time.]

Annie had big news at school; she and a few classmates had entered a consultant cybermetrics competition on recruiting and selection procedures for Teach for America, and her team was chosen as a finalist to present in Philadelphia this past weekend at a conference on "People Analytics."  Sounds like applying Moneyball type statistics to the field of talent selection  She said her team presented for the General Manager of the Philadelphia Eagles, Google and others.  Different world (I'm not sure I got all the terms right Annie.)

So, we hope everyone is doing well, and getting ready for green.  And I'm not talking tax rebates.

Love from up here.  

Not spring yet

But almost there.  And I'm so excited I had to share it with Pops Weekly Letter.  I just got back from a walk and see signs, little ones, that are hopeful.  Just the fact that I was out for a walk, was one, and joined by at least two other people.  And there's more.  I saw bicycles and heard the pounding of a basketball outdoors.  Even some birds, other than crows. This week we saw the temperature climb above freezing for the first time in weeks.  And we were even able to go outside without a coat or gloves.   And, of course, the fact that it's light later helps a lot.  It means it will be dark when we leave the house, but I think I can say with some confidence that that won't be lasting long.

Of course the fact that there were 13 trucks on the lake tonight means we have a ways to go, especially with snow scheduled for later this week.  But I'm ready to mow some grass!  We have been so eager for that moment, that we have started to fill up our summer with plans, and they all have a common theme: water.  Assateague, Green Lake, Lake George.  What's wrong with the lake across the street?  Nothing, but it's missing you all.

Mary had good news on her tutoring front as the young boy she's been working with has made great progress, getting close to grade level in math and reading.  Looks like she will be able to pick up working with his two older brothers as well.  

We have a couple of late birthday wishes for Daniel and Lur.  Hope you each  had spectacular days.  

A short one this week, but had to share with you our springtime feelings.

Love from up here.

And the award goes to

12 Years a Slave, Matthew McConaughey, cate Blanchett, Lipita N'Yongo, and Jared Leto.  Place your bets.  I'm out on a limb here, hours before the ceremony.  Just like my bets before the Super Bowl, when I correctly called the Broncos defeating the Seahawks by 35-13.  

At least it's March, even if the signs on the New Jersey Turnpike were all about an impending snowstorm.  March is supposed to come in like a lion.  Maybe not like a roaring lion, attacking every antelope within a 100 mile radius.  We set a record for heating consumption and bill for the month of February.  Not a surprise at all.

You may ask why we were on the New Jersey Turnpike. Or, you are probably not asking at all but guess what!  I'm going to tell you.  Tell you that we went down to DC for a meeting on our Gabon project (we're trying to go back next year to fix up a school Peace Corps built in the 1960s).  While there, though, we met with friends from Peru, from Mary's school, from the State Department and, best of all, with Margaret and Andrew.  They are busy with work and school and with preparations.  They had been up in Lancaster the week before scouting out the court where they will be married.

On the way home, we stopped in NYC to see Annie who is also very busy with school.  She is about to start another internship with a program called the Fortune Society, an organization that helps prisoners re-enter society.  Annie will be doing some mediation work there.

Last week, Dan Boyle came up for the weekend, and we had a dinner with the Michael Boyle family and John and Marilyn.  We set a table for 15, which was kind of hard, but it was a wonderful get-together.  John and Marilyn left this weekend for Florida, and with any luck we'll visit them in April.

A nature note:  we have seen many animals in our yard, but Dan spotted a big fox walking gingerly over the crusty snow across the yard.  We wondered if he was looking for the kitty.  He looked pretty healthy for such a tough winter with so much snow cover.

The news from Dundee, and pretty much everywhere, is all COLD.  Daniel is closing out a great basketball season, and Claire was able to secure a position as an RA for next year.  Way to go.

Has this ever happened to you?  I was driving home from Amherst the other day, and I got a text saying "I'm in front of you."  Turns out it was Robbie, Colleen's son, who had spotted me pulling out of Dunkin Donuts.  I am pretty sure he has voice activated texting.

Mary told me today that in two weeks we will be in London, to see Joe. On the one had, it's wonderful we'll see him soon.  On the other hand, it means the first draft of my thesis will be done.  Yikes.

And on that note, back to the studies.  Happy March.

Love from up here.