The move goes on -- update from Providence

(my apologies to Sonny and Cher)

Well, this past Friday marked a turning point for me, a watershed of sorts. I moved from full-time salaried to part-time hourly. This allows me to work from Michigan and I’ll be managing the image library as well as fielding image requests for the university from there (or anywhere for that matter), at least for the next six months as they move to a full-blown digital asset management system. That’s the plan anyway.

Meanwhile, Susie is putting her baking skills on hold (mostly) and ramping up her packing expertise getting us ready for our return to Michigan midweek..

Since this move is being done piecemeal we have to sort out the things we’ll need to take Wednesday from those things we’ll pick up in June and finally from those things that the movers will eventually pack up. Of course, Susan is also doing all the packing as well so there’s that set of logistics: acquiring boxes, where to put things, etc. All accomplished while we continue our efforts to sell our condo while looking for a new place in Michigan.

In the midst of our (Susan’s) increasing efforts to pack up and move to Michigan, we took the opportunity to spend some quality time with family and friends, time well-spent over good food and wine. I had a going away party Thursday after work; a few colleagues and a few beers at a watering hole downtown along with some delicious nachos -- Susie even joined us.

Friday I had lunch with another colleague, a friend, someone who always had a kind word outmatched only by a lively smile. And funny in the bargain.

Saturday evening we were at Barnes Street on the east side to have dinner with Barbara, Andrea and Matt. Following a delicious pizza and salad, Susie provided orange hazelnut shortbreads and a scrumptious chocolate hazelnut financier.

At Barnes Street

chocolate hazelnut financier

Sunday morning Susie and I were second in line at Nick’s on Broadway for breakfast — Andrea soon showed up and joined us just before the doors opened.

Nick's for breakfast

frittata

hibiscus sorbet

Early in the afternoon we took a quick trip to Mount Auburn in Cambridge, Mass. Besides being one of Boston’s most lovely green spaces it also happens to be one of the finest cemeteries in the United States. There were lots of folks out strolling, looking, and connecting up with their past.

wild turkey mother and her brood

the Sphinx, dedicated to the Civil War dead

After an hour or so of strolling, we headed out to Douglas, MA for dinner at Dick and Dorothy’s. Carl B. was down from Bangor, and Frank and Cathy had driven in from Quincy, MA. We all sat outside enjoying sparkling wine and some special treats compliments of Cathy.

After moving inside we gathered around the table for warm conversation, tasty wine and lots of great food: potato salad, cole slaw, grilled chicken and green beans, ending with another of Susie’s creations: hazelnut cake on a blackberry sauce with homemade lime ice cream and toasted almonds, finished off with a crumble.

Dorothy

Frank

Carl

Dick

Our lives are always changing -- nothing profound in that of course. But when you decide to leave one home and move to another 1000 miles away, and actually begin that process of moving, that's when you realize just how much change is going on around you.

 This coming Wednesday we head to the Catskills to see the Archers. Thursday we push on to Ohio, spending a night somewhere east of Cleveland with a planned Friday afternoon arrival in GR.

While we continue our search for the next home, I hope to meet up with an old friend, Chuck P. on Saturday. We'll transfer our fitness club memberships, arrange for mail forwarding through the USPS, cancel Netflix and Verizon landline/internet service.

The next phase of our move will focus on a return to Providence sometime around June 10, when we’ll spend a couple of nights at the condo. Aside from my stopping in to work for a few hours we’ll load up more stuff and head back to Michigan.

We probably won’t return to Rhode Island until sometime in July, although right now I'm not sure why.

So much of our future now depends on what will happen to the condo: will it sell? Will we have to rent? Will Hillary stay with Bill? Will Ashley find true love with Vivian Leigh or will Bob, Carol, Ted and Alice move in together? So many questions, so little time.

Life is short.

Mallory's 15th birthday dinner in "The Sunroom," Douglas, MA

Susie and I drove up to Douglas, MA, this past Monday evening to help Mallory celebrate her 15th year on earth. The food was wonderful, company lively and Mallory was pretty much all smiles the entire evening.

Dorothy made Mallory's favorite: pasta with red sauce, Caesar Salad and garlic toast

A few photos from the Marathon

Just in case you didn't see the short movie here are several images of Dick VandenBerg running his first marathon in four years. Back in the saddle again, as they say in the cavalry.

Boston Marathon 2008

Well, we returned to Boston yesterday for the Marathon.

Susie's brother Dick from Douglas, MA, was running for the first time in four years -- he's run something like 14 or 15 Boston Marathons over the years and knee surgery knocked him out for the past few years. But he's back in fine form as everyone discovered Monday.

Patriot's Day began slightly overcast in Providence as Susie and I headed off for the train station about 8:30 a.m. After a 30-minute walk we strolled into the station and after a wait of about 20 minutes or so boarded the commuter rail for Boston. An hour later we got off at the Back Bay station, and a quick 15-minute walk put us right about Hereford and Newbury streets, the usual spot for catching Dick as he closed in on the finish line.

It had been five years since Susie and I had a chance to see Dick run in the marathon. There is now live music, buskers really playing a variety of jazz styles along Newbury, as well as outdoor art for sale -- fairly kitschy I thought -- but still plenty of people come out for the show.

Anyway, another first was that we beat Dorothy to our rendezvous spot -- she got caught in some horrendous traffic snarls since the Red Sox were also playing as well! But she soon arrived and shortly afterwards Susie's sister Mary arrived, along with her daughter Mallory and their friend Karen.

It was a gorgeous day, the sun was out but the air had just enough coolness to it to be comfortable even out of the shade.

A little after 1 p.m. Dick rounded the turn off of Commonwealth avenue onto Hereford and I could see him with his hand in the air signaling to his fans -- he shot by me but I got a few quick snaps.

After we said arrivederci to Dick and Dorothy and Mary and Mallory we had some time to kill before our train so we strolled around the Boston Garden and through the Common and back again.

We were back in Providence before 5 p.m. and a stroll towards home brought us by Broadway Bistro. We thought, "hey let's stop in and have a glass of sparkling wine to celebrate the day and Dick's return to running in the Big Time." Well, the atmosphere was so inviting, the conversation with Suzanne behind the bar so engaging and the smells wafting out of the kitchen so tempting that we couldn't resist the obvious: we stayed and ate dinner.

In the twilight Susie and I strolled back to our apartment firmly convinced that it was truly grand day to be alive!

Wish you had been there,

Steve