Happy times

Hi team!
I'm holed up at home today, basically waiting to see what Hurricane Irene is packing. It's barely raining, but we don't have anywhere to go anyway. So AJ and I are just bumming around my apartment with candles, flashlights, and water at the ready.
As I know most of you already heard, AJ proposed last week! (And I said yes.) We were out in Oregon visiting his family, which was lovely. It was a great spot too-- we were on a hike when we saw a great little stony ledge with a view. So AJ pulled me over to take some photos, and then, bam! Little black velvet box.
I thought I'd include my favorite picture-- a panorama that AJ took right after. (click on it to see the whole thing.)

Anyway, I am super excited to see y'all next weekend, assuming Irene doesn't completely wipe out Manhattan! Andrew, is our hotel-place going to be flooded out?  And anyone interested in a celebratory squeal, I'm in!
Love,
Katie

hey team

what's up? The seniors (i.e. '11) are starting to plan their senior week plans and i wondered if we were thinking more about our reunion plans. let's do it! 

The City of Brotherly Love

This weekend, AJ and I made a little whirlwind trek up to Philly to see the Cleopatra show at the Franklin Institute (which was ok, but maybe not worth the money) and Erin Coffey, who is always worth it. :-)
In the style common to both Baltimore and Philadelphia, it was something of a "drive-by visit", but we got two museums, awesome Ethiopian food, and to sleep on Erin's absurdly comfy air mattress + plush egg crate. We hypothesized that the Ethiopian food gave us strange dreams, since Erin vacationed on a tropical island with us before going back (late!) to concert band, and I dreamed I was a pirate who came home to find mice, rabbits and pigeons taking over my house. Hooray.
Next weekend, off to spectate at Yale v. Doesn't Matter. Hopefully pictures, assuming that the 80% chance of precipitation and 40 degree high called for in today's forecast do not come true.

Visit to a Hollywood Set...

Chris and I visited an ancient village in rural Anhui called Hongcun. It is famous for its picturesque scenery and young artists. It was also a site for filming "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The village itself was rather small. We walked around it in about one or two hours. Hello from China!



Btw, I'm coming to New York in just a few days. If anyone's around this next weekend, let me know!

Annie

My parents would be so proud...

Some of y'all may know that, a couple of months ago, I got hired to sub as a Turbo Kick (cardio kickboxing) instructor at my gym.

Well, now I have my own class! Actually, my own two classes! I'm teaching Turbo Kick and then a total body conditioning (aka lifting) class on Wednesdays. I'm a little nervous (a regular class is pressure! If people don't come, it's because they hate you) but also excited! And I'm going to be so buff by the end of the season.

Being a group exercise instructor doesn't pay much (especially when you work less than 2 hours a week), and there was a lot of overhead cost associated with getting certified and paying for music and choreography DVDs. BUT now I get to be on a microphone in front of people and yell at them and tell them what to do. Again!

Better late than never...

Hi everyone!
I just got back from a delicious Labor Day BBQ at Katie's (awesome, spacious) house, where we finally took care of the fact that I had not joined this blog. The next step is me figuring out how to email the 09 list (because when I tried to email the list to ask, it wouldn't let me, duh). Anyway, Marina was there too and we had a great time! Katie made an amazing apricot pork roast, homemade veggie burgers, fruit salsa, homemade baba ganoush (sp?) and much more, and her roommate made some awesome strawberries and cake thing (didn't catch the name of it). It was the best I've eaten in a while- well done, Katie! I guess I should add that I'm in Baltimore doing post-bac pre-med at Hopkins... I'll be here for about 14 months! So far it has been hot, and orgo is hard.
I'm excited to be joining the blogging community- hoping to see you guys at one of the big games!
-Lauren

Road Trip

Wheeee.

Botanical gardens in Montreal

AJ and I just returned from a 2200 mile roadtrip, mostly through the province of Quebec.

The car (and AJ) at mile 1002.

I'm not going to turn this into an epic travelogue, but I will tell you that we:

• met many Canadians who spoke no English
• ate poutine
• ate elk, bison and moose
• saw a moose along the side of the road
• learned the French word for moose
• saw three species of whales and grey seals
• saw the most Canadian sign ever:

We also stopped into Rochester to visit Rosa for a night! Hurray for a mini-management reunion. Rosa made a great ratatouille and we took a sweet field trip to the Mega-Wegmans. Oh man, best grocery store ever. I could live on only the cheese cases (I counted 7, not counting the deli) or the bagged shredded stuff.

Anyway, we're home now and I have to return AJ to New Haven soon, which is good for him but sad for me. Funny to think that oh-lev are seniors now and oh-ten is dispersed. But Baltimore is gaining another YPMB alum in Marina, who's going to be working for a Hopkins lab. One more reason you should totally come visit me.