Talcott Mountain Mini-Hike

May 18th, 2013

Earlier this summer went hiking and explored some of Connecticut's natural beauty. Reese heard of a place called Talcott Mountain from a friend from work and it was surprisingly close to where we lived, (in Bloomfield, CT). Since it was only about 10 minutes away we decided to make a day trip to the mountain and check it out. 

It ended up being a very beautiful mountain and it wasn't a very difficult hike. We saw a few other people, one was a mother and daughter who were about 10 minutes ahead of us. The daughter was about 3 years old and strapped to the back of the mom in one of those child backpack things..she ended up letting the child walk from about half way up. It was a steep, but short hike, it took about 15 minutes to reach the top.

The view was really pretty but the edges of the mountain were a bit dangerous, you had to be really careful not to get too close to the edge.. I was shocked to see that they were not fenced off since it was probably about 100 or so ft to the bottom.. a deadly drop off.. and the gravel was also quite loose. So unsafe.

We explored the top of the mountain for an hour, choosing different trails and searching for animals. We ended up seeing a bird that was singing a really interesting song, a few squirrels, and a very large woodpecker. 

On our drive back to the apartment, we passed our favourite local market. It was full of fruits, veggies and other homemade treats like jams and baked goods. We had visited the market the previous week and bought a jar of delicious homemade strawberry rhubarb jam and a couple fresh honey sticks that came from a nearby bee farm. Both were amazing and I’m looking forward to going back someday! 

enjoying our honey sticks

Taking a Step Back in Time: Washington, DC Trip

Reese had his 15 year reunion in Washington DC back in May on a Saturday, and on the Friday of that weekend he had another shoot in NYC, so we decided to make it a weekend trip and go visit his family in nearby Maryland as well. The drive from Connecticut was about 6 hours in total but since we were in New York most of Friday, it ended up breaking up the trip into 2 hours (to NYC) and 4 hours (down to Maryland). 

THE US CAPITOL BUILDING

In Maryland, we spent a lot of time with his parents and sister. I like his sister a lot, we are the same age, both love to play soccer and we have a similar personality, reserved and quiet natured. His parents are incredibly nice people, very welcoming and friendly. I enjoyed every minute of the time I spent with his family, including the trip I made with his mother and sister to a little thrift shop type place to pick up a table.. apparently his mother shops there a lot because the people knew her by name. I actually think she is their best costumer.. It seemed that she either bought, or planned to buy, everything there (not quite, but almost!). His sister and I had a pretty good time laughing the whole time in the store about how much she loved to shop and get a good deal.

After the boat trip through Washington, D.C

The reunion took place on a boat in Washington, D.C. since Reese went to a private school there when his was in high school. I got to see (well...drive by) the White House and the Capitol building on our way to the harbor where we were getting on a boat. 


It was neat to meet all his old friends, but it was even more interesting to sit and talk with all the wives and girlfriends. It seemed like the majority of them were from another country, which made me feel comfortable being a Canadian.. I was exotic too! Ha! I met a few really nice girls and had some great conversations. 



Overall, the trip was a success and we ended up visiting, or at least driving through, 7 States at some point during the weekend...Washington (D.C.), Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania (and Connecticut but I didn't count it because we live there). 

Shooting a Video:Parkour in NYC

Traffic on the way to NYC from CT

On March 23, we made a day trip into New York City because Reese was doing a shoot for the web-series "Mansome" about Parkour. For those of you who don't know what parkour is, it is like outside gymnastics and you're trying to get from point A to point B in the fastest, most efficient way possible. That's the easiest way I can describe it. And for those of you who have watched the movie "Mansome", the web-series is a spin-off of the movie.. basically short how-to videos for "manly" things, which I found amusing because the person teaching Reese how to parkour was a woman.

The parkour expert and teacher was Nikkie Zanevsky, and the idea of the show was to have her teach Reese, a regular fellow, the basics of parkour. I had the chance to chat with Nikkie while the crew and Reese were setting up and getting ready. She told me that when she first started, she was the only female in New York doing parkour. She now goes around to speak at schools and other organizations, teaches parkour lessons, and does video shoots like this one. I could tell she was really passionate about it and I was impressed to see she made a living doing something as obscure as parkour.

The shoot took place at a park called Tomkins Square Park in the Lower East Side of New York City. It was such a neat experience to be in a real NYC park (in real life, it really is exactly how you see it in the movies). There were so many people everywhere.. men and women were walking their dogs..  families were making use of the play structures.. a group of guys were playing a game of pick-up basketball.. various groups were working out and using whatever was available in the park.. and we, (well, not me really), were taping a show right in the midst of it all. The producers and film crew were somehow able to claim the monkey bars for the first part of the shoot, perhaps the expensive looking cameras and large equipment scared people off..


We didn't realize the shoot was taking place outside when we left CT, or maybe Reese knew but forgot to mention it to me, or he told me and I forgot.. I probably forgot. I had assumed that we would be inside so I wasn't dressed to be outside for long periods of time. It was a windy Spring day (yes, Spring in March!) and I was fairly cold from standing outside for a few hours, so I went to find somewhere to warm up for a bit. The shoot was also getting a little boring. I didn't know it would be so repetitive.. it was really interesting when I was watching the first few takes, but the producer had them go over every scene again and again, and then again from different angles. It's surprisingly tedious work to make a video, and now I know how actors memorize their lines so well.


There was a library across the street from the park so I tried there first. In addition to being cold from being outside for a few hours, I also needed to use the ladies room. I entered the library thinking I could find a quiet place to sit and read and also use the washroom... but I was wrong. I guess in big cities like New York, it is not easy finding a bathroom to use ANYWHERE. I couldn't believe the library didn't have a washroom for the public to use (or I just couldn't find it.. even though I wondered around for a long time looking for it).

I decided not to stay at the library. It was much too crowded and I wanted to go somewhere more peaceful. I walked a few blocks, (and mom don't be horrified, New York isn't as scary as you think, it was very safe), and found a cute little restaurant and decided to check it out.


Knowing they would have a hot beverage and a bathroom for me, and seeing that there were very few people inside, I determined it was the perfect place to set up camp for an hour or so.


I ordered a coffee but I didn't have any American money on me and they didn't take debit cards.. which was really strange to me. I used a bank machine and luckily it worked.  Once I finished sipping my New York City coffee, I headed out for a walk around the block. The side streets really caught my eye, at least in this area.. they were unexpectedly beautiful and bright. After admiring a few buildings from afar and taking pictures like a tourist, I began my journey back to the shoot. On my way back, I stopped to visit the nearby dog park to watch the overly excited dogs enjoy their freedom for a few minutes. Despite the fact that they were all unleashed and chasing one another and their toys, I didn't even see one dog attack another dog.. or owner. I was impressed!

When Reese was finished shooting, he showed me where I was supposed to use the washroom. The film crew had made arrangements with the barbershop across the street.. which also had a restaurant and a sitting area in the back.

I should mention, every person I met that day.. the film crew, strangers on the street, the library people, the waiters and owner of the coffee shop.. were all incredibly friendly people. I have yet to experience an overly rude or mean person in NYC..


Click the link to watch the final produced version of video:

 Mansome 174: Parkour Part Deux

More pictures from the day..

Nikkie and Reese discussing parkour



Reese doing a take

Taking a break in the back of the barber shop

Getting his audio hooked up

Introducing the video

A van we passed.. lesson learned: don't own a white van in NYC

From Canada to Connecticut

I was trying to catch up on my blog by going in chronological order but there's far too much to write about and I don't want to forget the details of recent events, so instead I'm going to write about both past and present events and adventures. I'll be sure to have the dates on each post to avoid confusion.

The morning of Sunday, July 28th, I began my journey back to Connecticut. My wonderful friend Ginelle was kind enough to pick me up from Sarah's place in Winnipeg at 5am to take to the airport for my 7:30am flight out. Ginelle knew how anxious I was about getting to the airport and the whole process of getting back to Connecticut because I told her the last few times I took a cab in the city that late (or early depending how you look at it) I had very interesting/creepy cab drivers... so creepy that I questioned whether they were taking me to the airport or not. Having Ginelle drive me, I felt much better about getting to the airport safely, plus she is a very punctual and reliable person, not to mention an impeccable driver. I always feel safe and calm when she is driving so I'm very appreciative that she drove me to the airport that morning (thanks, Ginelle!).

Once at the airport, everything continued to go smoothly.. I was the only one in line to go through security so it was really quick and easy, and the customs gentleman was the friendliest one I’ve had yet. It was a great start to my journey back to Connecticut, in addition to the pleasant drive to the airport with Ginelle earlier. I was feeling good. Before boarding my flight, which was on time (yay!), I also enjoyed a bagel and coffee from Tim Horton’s.. which was a little sad because I knew it would be the last of Tim’s coffee for a long time.. (however, I think we are going to New York City next Thursday and they have a few Tim Horton's there!).



Flying through the clouds into Chicago

The connecting flight was in Chicago which meant I didn’t have to go through security or customs again like I would have if my connecting flight was in Canada. This was especially nice because I had a fairly long layover which meant plenty of free time to explore the enormous airport, as well as time to relax before my next flight. I’m still astonished at how massive Chicago’s airport is in comparison to Winnipeg's tiny little airport. Chicago O'Hare is basically its own city! I found out that it's the world's second busiest airport and this does not surprise me at all. One time, I had to walk basically from one end of the airport to the other and I remember I almost missed my connecting flight because it unexpectedly took me over 25 minutes to get there not only because of the really long walk, but also because it was so crowded. It felt like I was having a nightmare and we, thousands of sweaty tired travels, were trapped in a never-ending airport maze that just kept going and going and going..

Nothing too exciting happened during the layover. I was aware of the enormity of the airport and knew how long it would take to get to my gate so I just moseyed about the airport with coffee in hand as I checked out the variety of shops. After I was bored of that, I went to my gate to patiently wait for my next flight and read a book. I felt a little uneasy because I don't currently have cell service in the US, and I didn’t feel the need to spend the extra money to get a few hours of Wi-Fi access at the airport. It’s a really vulnerable feeling to not have the freedom to text or to use the internet, especially in an unfamiliar place like Chicago (however, I was a bit less uneasy than I would normally be in this situation since it wasn't my first time at this airport). I often wonder how people a few decades ago managed to survive without internet, cell phones or smartphones. I barely remember those days.. pay phones? Paper maps? Talking to strangers..? Weird.

My second flight was from Chicago to New York City. Reese was driving in to meet me to take me back to Connecticut, a two hour drive away. The flight left on time and everything was going according to schedule until about an hour and a half into the flight. This flight was only supposed to be an hour and a half, so when the pilot came onto the intercom I thought he was about to tell me that we were landing. The pilot, instead, informed us that there was an intense storm over New York and we were unable to land. To allow the storm to pass, we had to fly around in the sky, I think in circles, and go through A LOT of turbulence for an extra hour until it was okay to make our descent into NYC. I wasn’t too pleased that the flight time had doubled, but when we landed at LaGuardia Airport, I was just happy to be safe on the ground and alive. I really dislike flying and don't plan on going in another plane for a long time (unless we go to the Air and Space Museum in CT!).


I had just awkwardly pulled my two fifty pound luggage bags off of the arrival baggage carousal and then Reese appeared out of nowhere to greet me! We left the airport and NYC shortly after and made it back to Connecticut without hitting any traffic on the way, then went out for sushi and called it a day.. a perfect ending to a very long day of an almost perfect day of travelling.

Fun in Philadelphia

March, 2013

As a Canadian living in the U.S., I struggle using miles instead of kilometers. I realized I was really bad at estimating times based on distance using miles when Reese was doing mental math to figure out how long it would take us to get to Philadelphia from Connecticut.

In Canada, I never had difficulty when calculating how long it would take to get somewhere. If I was travelling 300km to another town (or city) I could quickly assume that I will reach my destination in roughly 3 hours. When you’re driving in the US, however, it requires a lot more math skills since the average speed limit is about 70mph (give or take 10mph). I did not even attempt to do the math for travelling somewhere 300 miles away at 70mph.. there are apps that can do it much faster than my mental math skills AND we have a GPS that will also tell us, or Reese can figure it out. But now I feel a little stupid and lazy for not doing the calculations on my own (thanks America), and I only know how long it takes to get to Philadelphia from Connecticut because we went there in March for wedding ( if you were wondering, it took us about 5 hours).

The hotel we stayed at for the wedding was called Loews Philadelphia, located right in the downtown area and it was very fancy. Before the wedding, we were able to take in some sights that were within walking distance of the hotel. We tried to see the Liberty Bell but the lineups were way too long and we didn’t have the extra time to wait because we had to head to the wedding at 4pm.  In addition to a tour, Reese also gave me an American history lesson and explained how Philadelphia played a major role during the American Revolution. I also learned it was where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed. We also got in a little walk and got to see Ben Franklin's grave.. (Reese got a little emotional), Betsy Ross' grave, and stopped by a gift shop.

The wedding in Philadelphia was gorgeous, the couple was stunning and the venue for the reception was perfect. It was half inside, half outside in what seemed to be a courtyard or greenhouse. It really was lovely with all the nature around and I thought it was tastefully decorated. I didn’t know anyone there but it was still a lot of fun and I was able to meet some of Reese’s friends. The speeches were interesting even for an outsider not knowing either the bride or groom, and the meal was delicious. If I were a wedding critic I would have given the wedding a pretty high score.

On the last day that we were in Philadelphia, we HAD to stop at the front entrance and steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.. the same steps that are also referred to as the "Rocky Steps" because of the movie Rocky. Reese just had to mimic Rocky's famous climb, and surprisingly he didn't look out-of-place at all since a lot of people were also running up and down those steps. I'm sure Reese was singing the song that goes with the climb but I was too far away to hear him. I didn't have the energy to join him.. and also we were parked illegally and I needed to make sure we didn't get a ticket.

Overall, the trip to Philadelphia was a blast and I look forward to going back some day!

Here are some more photos from the trip..

Maroon 5, Mark Twain, and the Atlantic Ocean

I’ve been in the US now for over a month and Reese has taken me to see a lot of neat things. A few weekends ago we drove to Uncasville, CT, for a Maroon 5 concert. The concert was at Mohegan Sun, a gigantic casino.  Reese got free front row tickets from his work and after the show we were invited backstage to meet and hang out with the band. That was the first time I’ve ever been backstage and it wasn’t what I expected, it was much tamer than I imagined.  A few people had a couple shots to celebrate the concert going well, but other than that, everyone just sat around, acted classy, and chatted about shoes and other things. No drugs, or strippers, and not much drinking (thank goodness). Adam Levine wasn’t there either… apparently he really loves yoga so chances are he was off doing that. Despite his absence, it was an interesting experience. If you ever get the chance, go backstage and meet the band members of Maroon 5, they’re pretty friendly guys.

That same weekend we also went to the Mark Twain Museum in Hartford, the capital city of Connecticut. The museum was actually Mark Twain’s old house and we paid the extra money for the tour of it. The house was beautiful and had so much character. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any pictures inside the house. We did, however, get a few pictures outside of it.

Last weekend we made a trip to Long Island, NY. Before we could leave Connecticut for New York, Reese had to go to work for a meeting. Since it was on the way, I went with him but was dropped off at a nearby Starbucks in Southington, CT. I don’t have a phone yet so Reese left me his work phone in case I needed to contact him (and so I knew he would come back for me). ESPN headquarters is in Bristol, CT, which is about ½ hour from where we live and about 6 minutes from where I was waiting for him during his meeting. As I waited in the Starbucks, I felt the need to be very cautious of people so I avoided making any eye contact. As a “Friendly Manitoban”, I was raised with the belief that Americans are rude, mean, distrustful and selfish, but as I watched the people of Starbucks, I saw that they are just as kind as Canadians. An older gentleman even asked me to watch his laptop and briefcase while he went to the bathroom. I hesitated for a moment, thinking that maybe he could be a terrorist and he had a bomb in his briefcase and planned to blow up Starbucks or that he was a kidnapper and this was part of his plan to steal me...but he looked nice enough so I told him that yes, I could watch his items. He came back a few minutes later and thanked me at least 3 times before he left. He seemed genuinely grateful I had done that small favour for him… just like a Canadian would do. After this valuable learning experience, I was a lot more comfortable sitting in Starbucks alone and in being in America in general. Oh, I also found 50 cents, and yes, I picked it up. Now I have my own American money.

After we left Starbucks we went to Long Island, New York, because Reese was doing a stand-up show Saturday night with 3 other comedians at Stoney Brook University. The show went really well and it was the first time I saw him perform since we met almost 9 months ago. I also got to go backstage for this show but it wasn’t anything exciting. The back room the comedians were given was tiny.. Our hotel bathroom was bigger. The show was great though, and it was really amazing to see Reese make the audience laugh so much.

We stayed in Long Island most of Sunday as well. Our plan was to go to a beach that wasn’t too far away to see the ocean, but once we got close to the beaches, we found out that most were all closed for the season, except for Jones Beach. It was a lot further away than we expected to drive to see the ocean, but we went anyways. On our way, we stopped at Captree Island to look at the houses there. Most of the houses looked like summer cabins, only a couple looked expensive. There was one particular house that stood out to me, the one that was raised off the ground and looked more like a tree house than anything. It reminded me of the shanty houses I saw on the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild.

After Captree Island, we continued on our journey to see the ocean. We headed to Jones Beach (still in Long Island, New York). As we got closer and closer, the image on the GPS looked like we were going to drive straight into the ocean. There was sand all over the roads and when we did get as close to the ocean as we could in the car, we got out and prepared ourselves for the long trek through the long sand path to the shoreline. Reese changed his shoes and I got out his big red winter emergency coat from the trunk because I knew it was going to be really windy and cold by the water, and it was.

It took us about 10 minutes to walk from the car to the coastline in the soft sand. I found lots of broken shells, my favourite was the dead crab shells, I’ve never seen those before. The waves were really big and loud and Reese made me go touch the water.. I wasn’t sure about getting too close to the water since it was so cold and I didn’t want to get soaked by the waves. Despite my hesitations, I accomplished touching the Atlantic Ocean without getting my boots or jeans wet by running away from the waves.

After the trip to the ocean we stopped to see Oheka Castle, a famous castle which is in Long Island and was on our back to Connecticut. We were only able to get a glimpse of the castle (also a fancy hotel) because it was so big and the angles from the car allowed for only partial views. We discussed trying to sneak inside but decided that was a bad idea and continued on our way back to the apartment.

Earlier this week we went to a movie theatre in Hartford. I was surprised to see that they were selling small bottles of wine and other liquors at the concession stand. Who goes to a movie theatre to drink? Americans are strange sometimes. After the movie, we drove around downtown Hartford and went to a few pet stores. We are thinking about getting a pet soon and wanted to go check out and learn more about different animals. Anyone know what a ferret is like as a pet? Pretty cute..

 

That’s pretty much what we’ve been up to lately. The weather has been okay, warmer than Manitoba and definitely not as much snow. Reese has set up the house phone which has free international calling.. so if you would like my new number and would like me to call you, just message me on Facebook :)  

My First Week Living in the USA

I’ve been here in Connecticut now for a week and a half. I arrived on the 4^th, a Saturday, and we didn’t get up to too much. The following day was the Super Bowl and we decided to stay in and watch it. Prior to the start of the game, we went to Target and spent many hours walking through the aisles and picking out things we needed, including snacks for the game. It surprises me how much time we spend in that place when we shop there. That night, we watched the game and I was happy to watch my first Super Bowl in that States with a big football fan, and Reese was very excited to see the Ravens win since they were his second favourite team.

During the first week, I spent a lot of time unpacking and organizing the apartment. It was a bit odd to wake up on Monday and not have to go into work. It is a really nice change of pace, but I keep panicking because I forget I don’t have to plan or mark for school the next day.

Reese is usually home until 6pm, and while he’s at work I find things around the apartment to do. At midnight I watch his show and then make dinner/snack for when he gets back. My sleeping schedule has completely shifted, it is now the opposite to a teacher’s schedule, which I’m not complaining about.. I do not miss waking up at 5:45am to get ready for work.

When I first arrived, the weather here was warm and there was green grass on the ground. The temperature usually stays above 0 degrees (Celsius.. I haven’t learned Fahrenheit yet). I was surprised to see green grass in February and was also very excited I wouldn’t have to worry about wind chills and -40 degree weather anymore. However, I didn’t get relief from the snow.. this past Friday we received snow and a lot of it! Reese said that CT broke a record for most snowfall in one day. Late Friday night, we went to the entrance of his apartment building to look outside. The walkway to the parking lot was covered in about a foot of snow and was pushed up against the door. Also, the door was slightly open and there was snow drifting into the apartment building. It was shocking to see so much snow! The day before there wasn’t any snow in sight and now it was piling up everywhere. It continued to snow through the night and in the morning there was probably about 2 feet of it.

On Saturday, which was also my birthday, we decided to dig out the car. Since Reese isn’t used to this much snow, we had to find tools around the apartment to help us clear it away. We armed ourselves with whatever we could find, and left the apartment with a spatula and a dustpan in hand and headed outside. Luckily the walkway out of the building had been shoveled already and it wasn’t that cold out. When we got outside, there were many other residents also trying to dig out their vehicles. I’ve never seen so much snow! It completely covered the vehicles in the parking lot, top to bottom. The snow around and on top of Reese’s car was astonishing. The whole front of his car to the back window was buried in snow and we couldn’t get into any of the doors. Around the car, the snow was about 2 feet deep, or more. Shortly after we began digging it out, one of his neighbours from across the parking lot, shouted from her balcony and asked if we would like a shovel. She must have noticed our embarrassing shoveling tools and felt bad for us. Reese went and got the shovel and I thought to myself that that was very kind of the lady. Americans are friendly too! After about an hour and a lot of shoveling, we were able to back the car out of its space. We were relieved and winded, or at least I was, and went back inside.

We weren’t able to go out for my birthday Saturday since there was too much snow, so we decided to go out Sunday instead. We went out for a nice dinner to a nearby restaurant and I was thankful that the waitress said they can’t sing happy birthday songs and make a big commotion, despite Reese’s efforts.  They did give me a carrot cake cupcake though. Back at the apartment, Reese had baked me my favourite kind of cake and it was very delicious. I was mostly impressed that Reese was baking, and I think it made the cake even sweeter.

I had a lovely birthday and I appreciate all the birthday wishes I got from family and friends. There’s still snow on the ground but it’s melting more and more each day. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and Reese has the day off since he will be in New York on Friday for work. It’s time for my late night coffee so I can stay up with Reese when he gets back.

(Oh ya, I refuse to switch to American spelling.. )