Cooling off

This week was a much nicer week with temperatures in the 80s and some days even in the low 70s! We're already at the end of July, but there are still two more months left of pool time. The pool I'm working at this summer will be open until the end of September.

Right across from the hotel pool another hotel

is being built. It seems like it is rising a floor

almost every week. Soon it will be much taller

than us.

This isn't the clearest photo, but Tony

had commented a couple weeks ago

that my picture of Columbus Circle

in the morning didn't look as quiet 

as I had suggested. This is what it really

looks like at 6am. No people,

no cars! 

 My good friend from Toronto, Chris

is traveling across Canada and the U.S

this summer. She has been sending us 

unique postcards from along the way!

On Thursday this week a television

network hosted a party at the pool.

They decorated everything in yellow

and threw these beach balls in the water.

The stacks at the Columbia library

always look like a set for a horror film. 

There must be ghosts here...

The lobby of the hotel I work at is 

very modern and sleek. This abstract

"sculpture" is behind the front desk

area. I see it every morning when

I come in for work. 

I hope you all are enjoying some cooler weather wherever you are. If not, I hope there has been lots of pool time and ice cream! See you all next week!

Can't Beat the Heat!

This week has been cripplingly hot here in New York. It has felt nearly impossible to beat the heat, especially outside or in the sizzling subway stations. All the hours out at the pool have really worn me out, but thankfully, it looks like we have cooler weather in sight!

An interesting ad in the Lower East 

Side asking for the return of a lost/stolen

computer and camera so the owner

can remove the files. The owner pleads that

s/he will let the person keep the camera and the

computer, but the files are irreplaceable. 

A sign outside of my favorite bookstore

reads: "Proust for a Pittance! Chekhov

on the Cheap!" 

 

One of the greatest health initiatives 

in the city is subsidized fruit carts. 

Most produce from grocery stores is

very expensive, but these carts provide

very affordable, very fresh fruit and veggies! 

This 2012 article in the New York Times 

discusses the logistics of these carts, 

which have been around since 2008. 

I found a Tim Horton's (the Canadian

equivalent of Dunkin' Donuts) around

the corner from me at work this week!

 

A lovely post-swim sunset on 59th street.

 

Rich has been working tirelessly

the past few months to finish up his 

degree and translate his research into

publishable articles. He is getting closer

and closer to the end, and I'm very excited

for him! 

I hope everyone has been staying cool! Have a great week, and I'll be back next Monday! 

Summer Summary (so far)

The summer seems to be rushing by. Most of my days are dedicated to the hum drum work at the pool and the grind of dissertation work. At the end of June I decided that I would bite the bullet and join the masters swim team I've been hoping to swim with here in New York (Red Tide Masters Swimming). So far I am loving it. I am starting off slow with 2 practices a week and I'm hoping to build on that by the fall. The practices are challenging and the swimmers are all really friendly. It is great to spend time with people who love swimming like I do.

Without further ado here are some random selections of photos from the past few weeks:

One of the books I got through this summer

was Dicken's Great Expectations. What a 

wonderful book! I highly recommend this for

anyone who is interested in a thrilling story

with some good plot twists! 

It seems like all of New York is

under construction in the summer. Here's

a shot of the Lincoln Center through 

all the construction on Broadway.

Rich is getting close to finishing up

his PhD! I've been hanging out with

him some nights in the chemistry lab

while he works. 

The Lower East Side is known for its

gritty side, but is also seeing huge growth

and some gentrification too, which makes

it an attractive place for young people (with

money) to hang out. Lots of swanky 

new hotels are going up in this area too.

Konditori is a coffee shop right next 

to the Thompson hotel where I work. 

I used to think that New York didn't have 

good coffee options, but this place has 

proved me wrong! 

 My morning walk to and from swim practice is

right through Columbus Circles, one of my favorite

parts of the city. In the morning it is so quiet

and there are so few people. It feels like being 

in a museum after hours. 

 As you may know, one of the highlights of my summer
so far was the chance I got to appear on David Letterman.
I didn't take many pictures while I was there, but I did snap

this quick shot in the green room. All of the guests who had waited in
this green room (they had at least 3 different green rooms)had
signed the wall and the air ducts! 

 I hope everyone is staying cool and finding some time to relax this summer!