Olympics!

Hi everyone. I apologize for my absence last week. This summer is turning out to be way more hectic than I anticipated. I am spending most of my time between two places: the pool and the apartment (specifically at the desk where I'm doing my dissertation work) and unfortunately that doesn't make for very many interesting or varied photo opportunities. So, this week will be a compilation of the past two weeks into one.

Before I begin I just want to take a moment to gush about how excited I am for the Olympics. The summer Olympics are one of the most exciting times for the sport of swimming since we get highlighted and are put up front and center for the country to see. I just love all the attention the sport gets around this time, not to mention all of the dramatic swims we get to see. If you've missed it there are two very entertaining youtube videos circulating right now: 1) The US Olympic swim team lip syncing to this summer's big song, Carly Rae Jepson's "Call Me Maybe" and 2) A parody of this highlighting Ryan Lochte's win over Michael Phelps in the men's 400 IM. Both are great and exemplify the hype surrounding swimming this summer. I could write pages and pages of commentary about swimming in the Olympics, but I'll spare you and move on to the photos.

Monday: Morningside Park
The apartment in Manhattan is right next to Morningside Park, a small park that is situated on a steep cliff. Recently I've decided to walk along the park in the morning instead of the busy street. It is a very calming view, even on rainy days.

Tuesday: Snack bar at the pool 
The pool at Rye Golf Club has a snack bar, which on long, hot days is a big relief for the lifeguards. When we start feeling weary or tired they always have delicious iced tea and iced coffee for us. Also, it is great to chat with my friends working in the snack bar when I need a break from staring at the pool.

Wednesday: The Hot Car
When riding the subway it is usually preferable to get on a car that is less occupied. That way your chances of getting a seat are better. However, if you happen upon an entirely empty car beware. This car resembles a ghost town for a reason: It is not air conditioned. I happened to get on one of these cars this week, but since I was going only a few stops I decided to tough it out and I got a few good pictures of the distinctive yellow and orange chairs while I was at it.

Thursday: Union Square
Union Square park is at the centre of the east portion of downtown. It is a hub for street artists, protesters, tourists, and vendors. Most days of the week there is also one of New York's largest farmer's market in the park. On days when I feel I need a scenery change, I'll head down to Union Square. It feels worlds away from my neighborhood on the Upper West Side.

Friday: 110th Street Subway 
One of the nicest things about the subways in New York is the beautiful tiling and decorative work that still exists at the stations. Among the dirt and the occasional rat, the historical artwork of the subways stands out and is a reminder of the city's history.

Saturday: Hummingbirds from the porch 
Rich and I spent the weekend in New Jersey visiting his family (and watching the Olympics of course!). One of everyone's favorite pastimes during the summer is bird watching on the porch. I was lucky to catch a couple shots of the elusive hummingbirds flitting around the yard. Hopefully I'll get a chance to take some better shots at the end of the summer.

Sunday: More from the porch 
This is definitely one of the most relaxing places to spend a nice summer day.










I hope everyone is getting a chance to tune into the Olympics or follow them online! Have an Olympic-ally great week!

60-hour work week

This week has been pretty grueling. I switched shifts with the other pool manager over the weekend, which resulted in a 60-hour work week at the pool. Fortunately, this week will be only a 16-hour work week to make up for the extra hours last week!

Monday: Dunkin' Donuts
Like many people living in the northeast, I turn to Dunkin' Donuts for a good, dependable cup of coffee. Fortunately, there is one on my way to work. I definitely took advantage of this over the course of this long week!

Tuesday: 4 Sale 
This car has been sitting in the parking lot of a local mechanic since last summer (or possibly longer). I pass by it ever day as I walk to the pool and I wonder if some day someone will buy it. On occasion the mechanics take it for a spin around the Rye neighborhood streets. I'm always surprised to see it whizzing past me instead of in its typical stationary state.

Wednesday: Paul Harding's Tinkers 
Ever since Tinkers won the Pulitzer prize in 2010, I've wanted to read this book. However, I always balked at the list price ($20) for a book that is a mere 150 pages. I was delighted to find this on sale at a used book at one of the local book stores a couple weeks ago. As with most Pulitzer prize books, the main topic (death and dying) is not the happiest, but the writing is magnificent.

Thursday: Welcome to Rye 
Rye is the town where the pool and golf club are located. This sign is directly across the road from the sign of neighboring town, Harrison (which I wrote about here). I think it is funny to see the comparison between the two. The message I get from this is "it's great to live in Harrison", but if you live in Rye you'll win at most sports (or at least your children will).

Friday: Cupcake heaven 
How can I describe a passion for Magnolia Bakery cupcakes in a way that those before me have not? I don't think I can. All I can say is that after tasting the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery I have come to realize that all other cupcakes are merely a charade, posing as beautiful and tasty confections, but ultimately they will disappoint me. I've become such a member of the Magnolia cupcake cult that I rarely taste a cupcake made elsewhere (unless it is homemade-- the only other type of cupcake that can match Magnolia's). On my day off Rich and I had a short date night at Magnolia to enjoy their tasty baked goods!

Saturday: The truth about New York 
I feel like so much of what I show you here about the city is pretty and fun, but I have to tell you the truth about New York. You may have seen it yourself or you may have heard the rumors, but I'll tell you it is a fact: New York is full of garbage. On any day of the week, while you are walking down your flower-scented sidewalks enjoying the aromas of fresh-cut grass or backyard barbecues, we here in New York are assaulted with the scents of putrefying trash. It is just one of the prices (besides sky-high rent) one pays to live in the city.

Sunday: Rye Homestead (or mansion) 
I walk through a quiet neighborhood on my way to work every morning and I always enjoy looking at the beautiful homes I pass on my way. This is just one example of the luxurious homes that exist in this community. The proximity to New York city alone will tell you that it is not cheap affair to purchase and own one of these houses, but the 4 or 5 car garages attached to the 4 or 5 story homes with palatial and well-manicured lawns adds an entirely new level of decadence to the locale. What always surprises me is I never see kids outside enjoying the fresh cut grass, chasing the multitude of lightning bugs that float around these homes at dusk, or riding their bikes along the tranquil streets.

Sorry if I was a little more verbose than usual this week. I'm looking forward to a lot of free days off this week and hopefully some opportunities to take some pictures around the city!

4th of July!

I'm back for post number two today!

Monday: Harrison 
Harrison is the little town that I take the train to in the mornings on my way to the pool. It is full of a bunch of small, local stores and it a delightful place to walk through on my way to work.

Tuesday: White picket fences
The area around the pool I live in is very affluent. Nearly every house has a white picket fence around its perimeter. At times I feel as if I have stepped out of real life and into a Norman Rockwell painting.

Wednesday: 4th of July
4th of July is the busiest day of the year at the pool. This year we had over 1,700 people come to the pool! The golf club always goes all out for the 4th: they hire a DJ, have field games, and decorate the whole place.

Thursday: Christine visits!
My friend from Toronto, Christine, is in town this weekend for a visit. On Thursday we hit up Kitchenette, one of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood and of course had fun playing with our cameras.

Friday: Model Sailboats
One of my favorite stops in Central Park is the Conservatory Water, a small pond near the East side where a flotilla of model sail boats rest. You can pay to rent out the controls for the boats and direct their movements across the waters.

Saturday: The top of the Met 
This weekend Christine and I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and on a lark we went up on the roof. We were delighted to find a lively rooftop party happening replete with cocktails and socialites. In the center of all the action was a giant sculpture made of mirrors, which reflected the wonderful views of the Manhattan skyline.

Sunday: Westside Market 
The end of the weekend means time to prepare for the week ahead. Today Rich and I began the usually preparations for the week including grocery shopping at our local store, Westside Market. I'm always enticed by the gleaming array of fruits and vegetables they have on sale outside of the store. It is hard to not fill your basket up there before even walking inside!




I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day! I'll be back next Sunday for another update.

Belated post: July 1st

Today I'll be posting twice since I missed last week. As the pool gets busier I get increasingly tired and somehow last Sunday I was asleep before I could even remember to put up my pictures.

Monday:  Watch the Gap
The warning I see every morning as I step on the train. I've never seen any one trip or have a run in with "the gap." I wonder why they don't have something like "be careful of extremely fast moving trains" or "don't fall on the tracks" or something of that sort. I feel there are so many other dangers around the train tracks. "The gap" is the least of those, is it not?

Tuesday: Big blurry bird
There is a large white crane (heron? ibis?) that inhabits a pond near the pool. I'm continually trying capture a good picture of this bird. On Tuesday it swept across the road, perched itself on the little stone bridge across the pond, and then swooped dramatically away. I only had a couple seconds to pull out my camera before it hid itself in the foliage. I got my picture, though it is a little blurry.

Wednesday: The Hours
Following Mrs. Dalloway I decided to read a book based on Virginia Woolf's classic, The Hours. The writing in this book is equally exquisite as Woolf's work. It is a complicated story of three women in three different time periods and deals with pro-feminist issues. The novel won the Pulitzer prize in 1999 and in 2001, as you may recall, the book was made into a movie starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman.

Thursday: Moonrise over St. John the Divine
I was strolling around on Thursday evening when I caught a glimpse of the moon rising over the local Episcopalian cathedral, St. John the Divine. A beautiful sight on a summer evening!

Friday: Tips for the unemployed
Seen walking past a local bar: "No Job? Drinking Helps. Internships Available."

Saturday: Hungarian Pastry Shop
On Saturday I spent the afternoon reading in the Hungarian Pastry Shop, a neighborhood favorite for dessert and bottomless coffee. The Hungarian Pastry Shop provides an array of unnamable confections. The baked goods do not bear American names like "cherry pie" or "chocolate cake." They are rather, foreign pastries with names like "roulade" or "dobos" or "stephania." Usually I order by pointing, as if I were in a bakery oceans away from New York city.

Sunday: Olympic Litter
The summer olympics are on their way and even the trash on the street is advertising it! I am very excited to watch the swimming this year. It is great to have my favorite sport highlighted in the news and on television every 4 years.







That is all for this morning! I'll be posting this week's pictures tonight!

Turning up the heat

Well we've finally got the heat of summer upon us, just in time for the solstice and the end of school for the kids in the area. Although it was hot this week, it was a relief to wear a swimsuit instead of sweats to work.

Monday: A wall's responsibility
In the closet where the guards keep their things there is a large sign that reads, "not responsible for personal property." I look at it and wonder, who is not responsible for personal property? The golf club? The management? The wall? Sometimes having a subject in your sentence can make a huge difference!

Tuesday: Gift wrapped and only 185 days until Christmas
Near the train station in Harlem sits this very festive wall. It is all ready for the holidays. Too bad we're 6 months away from exchanging "Merry Christmases" and "Season's Greetings" with one another. Oh well, I guess it is better to be early than to be late.

Wednesday: Hello, Mrs. Dalloway
After finishing the very masculine literature of Jack Kerouac, I've moved on to the notably feminist writing of Virginia Woolf. In my opinion, her beautiful metaphors and imagery are some of the best in anglophone literature. Beware though, she is famous for long sentences. It is not unusual for her sentences to extend through the full length of a page.

Thursday: Battle wounds (tan lines) of a lifeguard
One of the benefits of being a lifeguard and out in the sun for 40 hours a week is that you gain a nice tan. One of the drawbacks is you'll also get some pretty funky tan lines as per my flip flop tan here. After 10 years working at pools, I have come to accept this as an occupational hazard.

Friday: Mister Softee
Mister Softee is a nearly ubiquitous sign of summer here in New York. The Mister Softee ice cream truck offers soft serve cones with sprinkles or dipped in chocolate, sundaes, and milkshakes to hot New York residents and visitors. Summer just wouldn't be the same without the Mister Frostee jingle resounding through the streets as the vender trucks around looking for customers.

Saturday: Central campus
Columbia's central campus is one of the most beautiful campuses I've seen (besides University of Delaware's of course). The design is unique for New York city, with its large courtyard and green spaces. When you enter campus you feel like you're worlds away from the noisy surrounding streets of Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.

Sunday: Pasta dinner
Rich and I decided to experiment with making our pasta sauce from scratch tonight. It was quite a delicious experiment! We have lots of leftovers and I can't wait to eat them up for dinners this week.







Well it is time for me to prepare for another week in the sun. Have a great first (official) week of summer! -K

Rain again and Art All Night

This week the rain continued and subsequently the pool was very quiet. However, I'm sure it was a calm before the storm. The temperatures are supposed to reach the 90s (~32C) by mid-week. (For you Texans, that is scorching hot in this part of the country.) Not only will the heat draw a crowd to the pool, but the end of the school year this week will ensure all the kids kept away from the water so far this summer will be free to splash and play from opening till close. This weekend I took a brief trip down to New Jersey to visit Rich's family and to attend Trenton's Art All Night event, a yearly occasion for all of Trenton and Trenton area artists to display their visual, musical, and performance art work.

Monday: Rich's Birthday! 
I wasn't able to make/procure the traditional vanilla cake with chocolate frosting for Rich's birthday because I was at work until late on Monday. Instead he had to suffer through a cheesecake brownie as a substitution.

Tuesday: The Pool
I took advantage of the rainy day to snap a picture of the pool. The majority of the pool is taken up by the 8 lap swimming lanes, which are usually full. To the left is the baby pool and as you can see the pool has two diving boards at the far end (to my chagrin).

Wednesday: Jack Kerouac's On The Road 
Since there are only so many pictures one can take of a swimming pool, I've decided to add some pictures of my summer reading to the blog. This week I've been reading Kerouac's On The Road. Rich and I have had many discussions (arguments?) about this book because he loves it and for some reason I'm finding it hard to relate to. As I move along further I'm understanding it better and it is growing on me, but I still believe that it speaks best to a young male audience, rather than a female reader.

Thursday: Tom's Restaurant
The famed "restaurant" sign from Seinfeld sits only 8 blocks away from us on Broadway. Although this sign is most often associated with Seinfeld, it actually was immortalized before the sitcom met success. Tom's Restaurant, which is closer to a diner than a restaurant though it is not open 24-7, first entered the limelight with Suzanne Vega's song "Tom's Diner" in 1987, two year before Seinfeld aired on TV.

Friday: Sunset on campus
Columbia has a beautiful campus and I was lucky enough to catch a stunning sunset on Friday evening while strolling around the brick-laid paths.

Saturday: Art All Night
While there were many exciting things to see at Trenton's Art All Night, one of the centerpieces of the night was the Iron Pour. Throughout the night the large furnace was filled with scraps of iron and heated until it liquefied (sorry if I'm not using the proper terminology for this...). Once it was ready, the liquefied iron was poured into large molds. It was a fascinating process to view and in the evening when it was dark, it was also exciting to watch the scintillating sparks jump as the furnace was prepared. (Click here for more pictures of Art All Night.)

Sunday: Happy Fathers Day (or Go Chargers!)
Happy Fathers Day, dad! Thank you for being such a great dad. I'm all ready for this year's football season. I'm excited to put on my jersey for some good Sunday football games this year. Go Chargers!















And now it is far past my bed time, so I will bid you all good night! Until next week. ~K

Brr, is it really June?

Early this week was very cold for June. The highs were only in the 60s (about 15C)!  The lifeguards and I shivered our way through the week. Less than a dozen people came to swim over the course of three days and I don't blame them. Brr! Thankfully, this weekend it warmed up just in time for Rich and me to trek out to Burlington, VT for a couple days.

 Monday: Lifeguard tubes
Lifeguard tubes are one of the most essential pieces of equipment at the pool. They're used for almost any possible rescue a lifeguard could perform. On cold days, like Monday, they work great as pillows for napping guards, too.

Tuesday: The folly of graffiti
Outside our apartment is a large dumpster used to dispose of random fixtures (toilet seats, faucets, etc.) from apartments under construction. On my way home from work on Tuesday I noticed this graffiti aphorism ("we are who we aren't"). The lesson here? Don't turn to graffiti for wisdom or sage advice!

Side note: This is my 100th picture since I've started!

Wednesday: Guard of the week
Once a week the other manager and I choose one exemplary lifeguard to be guard of the week. This guard is rewarded with a free lunch and public recognition at the pool. This Monday I will be announcing the first guard of the week. I always enjoy recognizing a guard for his or her good work.

Thursday: Harlem- 125th street station
The Metro-North train station in Harlem straddles 125th street, one of the busiest thoroughfares in uptown Manhattan. Every day I take a bus across town to catch my train up to the pool from here.  I'm always intrigued by the elaborate decorations adorning the overpass.

Friday: Cherry Garcia St., Burlington, VT
Rich and I traveled in our usual way (by bus) up to Burlington, Vermont this weekend. Burlington is a delightful town of which I cannot say enough. In the center of town is a pedestrian street lined by unique shops, gourmet food carts, and open air cafes. Of course, you can't go to Vermont without some local Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. The street names in this area are a subtle reminder to stop by the shop for some ice cream as you stroll.

Saturday: Lake Champlain
Burlington is not only a quirky college town, but a mecca for outdoors enthusiasts. Settled right on Lake Champlain and wedged between the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains, there are few places more beautiful on the East Coast. Rich and I had a hard time deciding what to do with our precious time in Burlington. Should we sample the myriad of maple syrup products? Should we taste the local cheeses? Should we explore the hiking trails or walk along the lake? Needless to say we'll be returning to Burlington soon!

Sunday: A day of rest
After all the excitement in Burlington, Rich and I spent most of today resting and recovering. We're back in good old New York city where the pace of life is much faster and there are much fewer cows (if any).














Before I end this post I want to say happy birthday to Debbie (Rich's mom)! I'm off to prepare for another (probably warmer) work week. See you all next week!