Last Couple of Weeks

The summer seems to be flying by and the weeks blurring together.  Last weekend we were in Chicago for the long weekend.  It was nice to get away, but I had a horrible cold that made trekking around the city less fun.  Don't worry, we still had fun despite my cold.  We left Chicago in the morning on the 4th since we both needed to be at work bright and early Tuesday morning.  This meant we spent our third 4th of July in Ann Arbor at Burns Park where this renegade Ann Arborite puts on one of the best fireworks displays I have ever seen.  It might even beat Disneyland?!

@ The Bean in Chicago

Burns Park, Ann Arbor

 After a long week, we decided to take it easy this weekend and hang around town.  It has been WONDERFUL!!!  We also had a house guest- her name is Molly and she is a 9 week old German Shepherd/ Lab mix.  We had a lot of fun with her and wore her out...

XOXOXO,
Kate

Our Camping Trip

I had the post already to go and then life got a little crazy...

We stayed at the Platte River Campground, in a walk in site that was about a half mile from the Lake Michigan shore.  It was beautiful and nicely private.  The first night, there was quite the storm with lightning and thunder.  Thankfully, we were dry in our tents and the storm stopped before we got up in the morning.  I'll admit that it was a little freaky, but it was also pretty cool to listen to the storm in the tent.

The next day we did the dune climb and a scenic drive.  The weather was slightly cool and overcast, which was great given that we were hiking in sand with no shade.  Our last full day, we went kayaking on the Platte River, played in Lake Michigan, and in the evening we went to the drive-in.  The river was fantastic, the lake surprisingly warm, and the drive-in was pretty memorable.  

Northern Michigan is gorgeous!  We will definitely head up north again!

This weekend we are headed to Chicago, which is always a blast...

Another Wonderful Summer Weekend

We had another great weekend!  Our garden is looking really nice and I am getting super excited for our first harvest.  I am already planning on making tomato sauce and some yummy butternut squash dishes.  Besides a little bit of weeding, we spent the weekend preparing to go camping this upcoming weekend.  We are headed to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park- it is about 4 hours northwest of Ann Arbor on Lake Michigan.  

I found this photo online, but I am taking my camera and I will be sure to post some of my own when we are home.  I'm excited for our first camping trip in Michigan!  We are planning on kayaking and doing the famous dune hike... Luckily we have both been working out, so it should be a piece of cake :) 

Now, just to get through the week...

Long weekends are the best!!!

We have had a fantastic weekend! Today we had a picnic in the park, checked on our garden and now we are making crystallized ginger. Loving the rest and relaxation!!!

There has even been time for a blog post ;)

In the garden this year:

- Potatoes

- Beets

- Tomatoes

- Bell Peppers

- Jalapenos

- Beans

- Peas

- Zucchini

- Broccoli

- Butternut Squash

- Swiss Chard

- Fennel

- Rosemary

- Basil

Epidemiology for me & Chicago for Steffen

What is Epidemiology?

I can answer this question now and have been forced to memorize a whole bunch of related formulas... Oh man!

Simply: 

It is the study of health and disease in human populations.

Comprehensively:

It is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in human populations. 

Think good thoughts for me as I take the test tomorrow!!!  Also, Steffen will be off to APS in Chicago for 2 days to work, work, work! As a reminder folks- he doesn't have any cell service there :( 

The Year Ahead...

Our blog has been very empty and lackluster over the past few months; however, now that we are settling back into routine I hope the blog can come alive again.  That said, it is time for an update on the year ahead...

2011 will be a big year for both of us! Steffen has embarked on his candidacy preparation and will have his candidacy exam in April of this year. This means lots of preparation and lots of bench work! In  January Steffen gave two talks about his work, one to his entire program and one to his lab group. Both went well and he has a clear plan for the upcoming months. I am sure he will do superbly and come summer he will officially be a PhD candidate in Chemical Biology!!!

For me 2011, will bring graduation! December 17^th, 2011 I will graduate with my MSW and MPH. I am thrilled for this day to come and to celebrate this accomplishment. Until then, I will be working hard in class and in the field.  With summer will come a break from classes for me. This will be my first semester without classes in about 18 months! Instead of classes, my summer will be focused on a public health internship. As of right now, I’m not quite sure where my internship will be…

Aside from graduate school the two of us are enjoying some special events in Michigan. In January, we went to the North American International Car Show in Detroit and a fantastic concert by the Life Sciences Orchestra. In February, we will head west to join friends at the Michigan Winter Beer Festival just outside of Grand Rapids. Beyond that, we will see what develops but I am sure that there will be fun trips scheduled and perhaps some visitors!

Here comes the snow!

Hoard the Bananas and Grind Your Coffee- It's the Great Snowmaggedon!  (Ann Arbor News)

I still have fond childhood memories of the blizzard of '78.

Photo courtesy of Jill Tewsley.

Ok, I will admit it. I am fully invested in this whole Snowpocalypse thing. I am excited. I am stocked up. I've got my snow game face on.

Step one in my blizzard preparedness routine came via this blog post from Ann Arbor coffee guru John Roos this morning: "Pre Grind Alert for all of southern michigan and rustbelt coffee drinkers!" That's right - if heavy snow and wind take down power lines, you'll find it difficult to grind your coffee beans. I ground enough for a few days worth of coffee this morning.

Of course, grinding your coffee beans in advance doesn't help much if you depend on an electric coffee maker to brew your joe. Which I do. So next stop was Plum Market, where I finally picked up a replacement Chemex coffee carafe after years of procrastination. So now, as long as I have matches to light my gas stove and water to boil, I will not be lacking in the coffee department. Phew!

My friends and I have all been laughing about the random run on bananas at local supermarkets, but the truth is that my frenzied blizzard-inspired shopping trip resulted in items that could be considered equally unnecessary. Like everyone else, I stocked up in bread and milk. But I inexplicably also ended up with a fridge full of lunch meats. I never buy lunch meats. Somehow though, with a storm front rushing toward us and Weather Channel anchors rubbing their hands together with gleeful anticipation, thinly-sliced turkey, ham and salami seemed crucial to my survival.

But I didn't stop there. In the grips of blizzard fever, I tore through the grocery store and REI, grabbing snow day "essentials." I've now also got enough organic raspberries to last a week, several six-packs of Michigan micro-brews, a pound of 9-month Boerenkaas, a half pound of Callebaut dark chocolate, light bulbs (light bulbs?) and a brand new rechargeable Coleman camping lantern. Ok, that last item could prove to be necessary, but while I was picking it up it took every ounce of my willpower not to buy a pack of ten hand warmers and a four-person tent (it was on clearance!)

All kidding and self-deprecation aside, do be careful out there. Jen Eyer has tips on staying safe through the blizzard, and you can find more information on how to prepare for it here. Charge up your cell phone, gather some firewood and let it snow!