Posted by nathan on Dec 29, 2009 in
Eckenrode 
Today, our friends from Cambridge, who happen to be from Japan as well, came to New York City. Originally, we had scheduled our visit to be ice skating at Wollman Rink but since the temperature is 20F (feels like 8F with the wind) and we all have had a cold of some sort the past couple of days, it was decided that a trip to the Museum of Modern Art would be a better outing. So that is exactly what we did. Of course we were not the only people in the world who had this idea. In fact, it seems as if everybody else in the world decided that today was the perfect day to visit MOMA. This did not daunt either family for various reasons and we just pressed on with our wonderful exposure to art of all sorts of Modern type persuasions. As you see in the photos, TheBubster and her friend were into the artwork, this particular piece encompassed the entire gallery and made TheWife yearn for such work to be replicated in the bathroom. You can see her yearning face in the photo below.
I rather enjoyed the experience as well, the MOMA is one of my favorite museums in NYC and I am contemplating getting a membership as I know now that those types of investments really do pay off in my life. This is especially helpful in my capacity as childcare provider, super especially as we are heading into the cold cold season and it will be hard to get the kids to be able to play outside. If I have a membership to a museum then, we can frequent them and not knock heads together in the house so much and our life at home will be much more peaceful and even cultured.
Posted by nathan on Dec 24, 2009 in
Eckenrode 
TheBubster went to Macy’s to sit in the Old Man’s lap and have her picture taken, and yes that is blue Sharpie™ ink onher face from the previous night’s play.
Tags: Christmas, Santa, Sharpie, TheBubster
Posted by nathan on Dec 21, 2009 in
Eckenrode 
So if you have not been distracted by shiny silver balloons lately, you’d know that a huge snow storm caused milk and toilet paper shortages in several states below 39º 44′ N. Here in New York City, its pretty while its falling and maybe in the center of some of the larger parks for a couple days afterwards. For the rest of the urban center, we get a wet, grey soup that impedes the flow of foot traffic and causes any number of pairs of pants to become soaked to the knees. While this particular storm was falling, TheBubster was seriously excited. She would run to the window and make sure it was still falling; makes you remember what it was like when you were a kid and you had that first big snow storm.
Around here, we take very seriously our roles as shapers of memories, particularly the memories of those who are slowly developing their first memories ever. So, with that in mind, during the midst of the last big blizzard of the Naughts, I set out with TheBubster to fetch her first Christmas tree. We trekked three whole blocks, I fought with ardor to get cash out of the ATM, and negotiated the flat rate for purchasing a tree and stand. Then the two of us successfully managed to transport the evergreen carcass back to our building and up the stairs with only a minor bump or two (including the time I accidently whacked her nose with the trunk of the tree.)
Now we have a tree, with some lights and a couple of decorations. Its nice. I don’t think we’ll put too much stuff on it or under it,we’ll just have a tree for a couple of weeks and then kick it to the curb, that is assuming that the curb can be found again by then as it may be awash with a new tide of grey slushies by then. Anyways, here’s hoping you all enjoy your trees and the festival of light of your choice. As tonight is the longest night of the year, I’ll be having a good wallow in the dark.
Posted by nathan on Dec 15, 2009 in
Eckenrode Everything we are taking from the old place is out, anything left inside of it will be removed by charity or Junkers as the place is prepared for tenants. We cut a lot of weight from one place to another and now we are adjusting to having less, yet still too much stuff.
We are also adjusting to our new community, despite having lived in NYC before, it is a new neighborhood and a new community. Plus we have never had a child in the public school system before so we have to adjust to the realities of that and leave behind our Cantabridgian standards of open inclusiveness.
The new place is slowly getting settled, today I am anticipating the connection of our Internet service. That will be nice as we will be able to download some new entertainment as well as put the finishing touches on my penultimate class for University.
We’ll be staying in town for Winter Holidays but hopefully we will have family and friends visit with us and try out our loft as a sleeping area.
Tags: 10036, Hell's Kitchen, moving in, nyc
Posted by nathan on Dec 12, 2009 in
Daughter,
Eckenrode,
Father I have been reading science fiction since I was a young boy, so I know when the future has arrived, it happened tonight. Actually I happened a lot earlier than that but I love having the future is now moments.
Due to my small statue as compared to all the Telcoms, there is no Internet access in our Hell’s Kitchen fifth story walkup, despite my having the foresight to schedule a connection to be made. This means I have talked to three companies in the last couple days to arrange for somebody to actually provide us service.
I’ll believe it when it happens.
So, we have been completely dependent upon our phones for connectivity. Tonight I am on my way back to Cambridge to fetch our car and some other things. I used my phone to book a trip up on a bus; Bolt Bus only charges twenty bucks to get there and they have WiFi and power points to charge devices. I got the conformation email on my phone. I went to a street corner, the bus arrived, I flashed my ticket at the driver and got on; oh yeah, my ticket was on my phone. Phones these days are multipass commerce devices and that, My Family, is the future.
This past Monday, I had an appointment to go fill out paperwork at PS 51 for the free public PreK. It took me nearly two hours to complete the corms and I am a good form filler outer. Immediately afterwards, the administrator took TheBubster to her new class and that was that. So she is in a new school.
They are singing in a program next week and one of the songs they are working on is “Feliz Navidad”. She’s not very good at it but it is very cute as she is listening to WCBS on her old-fashioned radio and singing along everytime it comes on.
She seems to be adjusting fairly quickly, despite the schedule being much tighter than the private school she went to in Cambridge. We’re all adjusting. There was a workday T her school so she was home today. Which means I was awakened this morning by her shaking a Christmas wreath made of bells and the kids both played as hard as they could all day even during the part where I accidently started a fire in the oven trying to cook a pizza. We just went to the pizzeria downstairs where they had real cooked New York pizza and fake fires.
Like I said, the future is now, kids, the future is now.
Stay safe and enjoy your weekend.
Tags: move, nyc, School, scifi
Posted by nathan on Dec 3, 2009 in
Eckenrode Yesterday was TheBubster’s last day at her preschool, it was also her last day in Cambridge. That was not the original plan, but then again moving back to New York City was not really the original plan either. As luck would have it, my friend who has a van and runs a delivery company in NYC had been given a run up to Waltham. Friends being what they are, he offered to bring some stuff down for us.
I was delighted to take him up on his offer. It did have some unintended consequences though, one of which being that I had to drive down over night so that we could empty his van in the morning before he started work today. So TheBubster and I got into a loaded moving van and drove through the pouring rain to our new apartment in Manhattan. I brought one of the little mattresses in and we slept on the floor.
At the beginning of the trip, she told me that she was “very excited” and that we were on a big kid adventure together. She had been working that out all day at school.
She is still asleep on the floor and I am nervously preparing for a day of hard labor. Here is the view from our living ro windows.
Today, our friends from Cambridge, who happen to be from Japan as well, came to New York City. Originally, we had scheduled our visit to be ice skating at Wollman Rink but since the temperature is 20F (feels like 8F with the wind) and we all have had a cold of some sort the past couple of days, it was decided that a trip to the Museum of Modern Art would be a better outing. So that is exactly what we did. Of course we were not the only people in the world who had this idea. In fact, it seems as if everybody else in the world decided that today was the perfect day to visit MOMA. This did not daunt either family for various reasons and we just pressed on with our wonderful exposure to art of all sorts of Modern type persuasions. As you see in the photos, TheBubster and her friend were into the artwork, this particular piece encompassed the entire gallery and made TheWife yearn for such work to be replicated in the bathroom. You can see her yearning face in the photo below.
I rather enjoyed the experience as well, the MOMA is one of my favorite museums in NYC and I am contemplating getting a membership as I know now that those types of investments really do pay off in my life. This is especially helpful in my capacity as childcare provider, super especially as we are heading into the cold cold season and it will be hard to get the kids to be able to play outside. If I have a membership to a museum then, we can frequent them and not knock heads together in the house so much and our life at home will be much more peaceful and even cultured. 
