Wow, this is embarrassing. It has been two weeks since my last report! I hope this never happens again. I was going to write after the weekend since nothing happened last week and I knew that the weekend would be the fun, blog-worthy part. But then, things ran away with me. Oh well, this just means a longer entry!
So, last week was pretty much a dud week. The weekend of the 16-17th, I did manage to make my first pilgrimage to IKEA, which for those who don't know, is the biggest furniture store I've been to in my life. I really, really should never go back without someone being in control of my wallet. I did purchase two pieces of new furniture for the apartment; a small side table, which gives me more room to put books on, and a drop-leaf table for when my family visits me for Thanksgiving. After lugging those up to my place, I turned around and got right back in the car to drive back to basically the same place to see 'The Social Network', which has the distinction of being the first movie I've seen since moving out here. I'm sure I'm the last person in the world to see it, but if I'm wrong and one of you hasn't seen it, go! You can't go wrong with Aaron Sorkin/West Wing fast-paced dialogue. After Saturday, nothing news-worthy happened for another week. Oh, I got homemade cookies sent to me from across the country. That was awesome. :D
The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) annual conference was being held in Philadelphia this year and one of my professors strongly encouraged us to go. So for the past few weeks, my friends Stephanie, Emily and Jesse and I had been planning on how to go to the conference. There was work and classes to work around, so it took some doing. Finally, we all agreed that we would go to Philly on Sunday, sight-see that day, and then do the conference on Monday and drive back so that Emily and Stephanie could get to their Monday night class. So on Sunday I met up with the girls at SHU and we drove in Emily's car to Philly.
I had booked us a room at the Hyatt Regency at Penn's Landing, where the conference was being held. The room was gorgeous and very swank. We got in around 1:30, checked in, dropped out bags in the room and then headed out to find some lunch. We ended up eating at the City Tavern, which is the the Liberty Tree Tavern at DisneyWorld, only real. I had the extremely delicious Lobster Pie (a pot pie with lobster). After lunch (which we had decided would be our big meal of the day), we walked along the historic district. We saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the Revolutionary War, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross' house. Guess who ended up with '1776' songs stuck in her head for the rest of the day??
After a lot of walking, we decided to retire to the room to rest up before hitting the town and possibly a few bars later. We hit a bit of a snag in those plans when Stephanie got sick. So Jesse, Emily and I went to the hotel grill and bar to have a light dinner and some drinks/dessert. We sat there chatting and, before long, Stephanie was feeling better and joined us. We shut the place down and then went back upstairs and ended up talking til almost 1:00 am. It was a lot of fun, but maybe not the best idea when we had to be up by 9:00 the next morning.
Somehow, Monday morning saw all of us clean and dressed to impress. We partook of the continental breakfast the conference provided and then went to the only breakout session we managed that day. It was called 'Things that Go Bump in the Night: When Collections Bite Back'. It was about all of the things in a museum's collection that could be potentially harmful to the staff. It was really interesting, plus one of the panelists was the curator from the Mutter Museum! Once the session ended, the girls and I went to see what free stuff could be grabbed from the vendors' booths. By the time we were done looking at archival boxes and chatting with the head of the Registrars' Committee, we had already missed the next set of sessions. So, the rest of the group decided that the Mutter had seemed like an interesting place and that we should go there. Well, I'm not one to say no to going back to an awesome museum, so off we went. The other girls didn't seem to like the Mutter as much as I did, but that didn't surprise me. :D Before heading out of town, we stopped by a Chipotle to get some lunch. Fun fact: New Jersey has three Chipotles in the entire state. What is up with that?????
So now, here I am, home again. Besides the normal school and work stuff, nothing much has happened since the conference. I did manage to write my first grad school paper, so that was a nice little accomplishment. This weekend I am headed off to a covert, top-secret meeting that will attempt to restore sanity to the nation. But, alas, my friends, that will have to wait until next week.
To be continued . . .
XOXO,
K
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A Week of Family, Friends and Food
Hello, yet again my friends!
So, when I left you last week, I had hinted about my weekend. Well, said weekend turned in to one of the best I've had since I moved out here. On Saturday, I got up VERY early to drive to Milford, NJ (which is almost Pennsylvania). Milford is home to the Better Image Conservation studio, which is located in Milford's old opera house. I got there way too early, but the man we were meeting with had already opened the place up and had coffee and donuts waiting. Another early classmate and I talked with the conservator and his intern and looked over the building (it's not that big). Once everyone had arrived, we sat down and proceeded to learn almost everything one can learn about the history and chemistry of photography in three hours. It was amazing! Unfortunately, we had to be out of Milford before 2:00 pm, because the town was having it's annual fall festival and they were closing the only main street in town for bed racing!
I hopped in my little car and proceeded toward Princeton, NJ. I had made up my mind to visit an ice cream shop that my cousin, Mark, had recommended. It took about an hour by backroads to get to Princeton and, once there, I realized that I had hit Princeton on its University Weekend. The town was PACKED with students and their families. So, no ice cream for me. I still plan on going, maybe just not on University Weekend. I drove another hour home. What I got out of this trip was some sight-seeing of the nice, rural part of New Jersey. I like it better than the area I live in, since it feels more like home :D
On Sunday, I spent the morning doing chores that there hadn't been time or energy for on Saturday. That evening at 4:00, I was going to have dinner with my cousin, Mark, and his girlfriend, Katherine. Finally, at 1:45, I left for the train station to go into NYC. I just barely made the train, thanks to a VERY slow elevator and stupid drivers. But, I got on the train in time and rode in to NYC. I wasn't supposed to be at Mark and Katherine's for another hour, so I took my time and walked up to a subway stop. I was still incredibly early when I got up to Spanish Harlem, so I walked around the neighborhood, which was a portion of NYC I had never been in before. Finally, at 3:45, I rang up to the apartment and was buzzed in.
Mark and Katherine's apartment was beautiful and very quaint. They have a great kitchen and used it to the best of its ability. They cooked me a very nice and fresh italian meal that was mixed with some great wine. We talked and told stories and Mark and I caught Katherine up on family history. Finally, when I looked at the clock it was 10:00! So, Mark and Katherine packed up leftovers for me (YAY!) and walked me to the subway stop. I wasn't back in my apartment until midnight and I had to be at work at 7:45 Monday morning. But it was worth it just to be with family and have good food.
This week, school-wise, has been fall break. Tonight will be the first time this week I have had class. Work used my free time and gave me a bunch of hours. Luckily, I didn't mind it since I would have had nothing else to do but watch TV.
That about catches you up on this week's funtimes! I'm not sure how exciting this next week will be, but I'll keep you all posted!
XOXO,
K
So, when I left you last week, I had hinted about my weekend. Well, said weekend turned in to one of the best I've had since I moved out here. On Saturday, I got up VERY early to drive to Milford, NJ (which is almost Pennsylvania). Milford is home to the Better Image Conservation studio, which is located in Milford's old opera house. I got there way too early, but the man we were meeting with had already opened the place up and had coffee and donuts waiting. Another early classmate and I talked with the conservator and his intern and looked over the building (it's not that big). Once everyone had arrived, we sat down and proceeded to learn almost everything one can learn about the history and chemistry of photography in three hours. It was amazing! Unfortunately, we had to be out of Milford before 2:00 pm, because the town was having it's annual fall festival and they were closing the only main street in town for bed racing!
I hopped in my little car and proceeded toward Princeton, NJ. I had made up my mind to visit an ice cream shop that my cousin, Mark, had recommended. It took about an hour by backroads to get to Princeton and, once there, I realized that I had hit Princeton on its University Weekend. The town was PACKED with students and their families. So, no ice cream for me. I still plan on going, maybe just not on University Weekend. I drove another hour home. What I got out of this trip was some sight-seeing of the nice, rural part of New Jersey. I like it better than the area I live in, since it feels more like home :D
On Sunday, I spent the morning doing chores that there hadn't been time or energy for on Saturday. That evening at 4:00, I was going to have dinner with my cousin, Mark, and his girlfriend, Katherine. Finally, at 1:45, I left for the train station to go into NYC. I just barely made the train, thanks to a VERY slow elevator and stupid drivers. But, I got on the train in time and rode in to NYC. I wasn't supposed to be at Mark and Katherine's for another hour, so I took my time and walked up to a subway stop. I was still incredibly early when I got up to Spanish Harlem, so I walked around the neighborhood, which was a portion of NYC I had never been in before. Finally, at 3:45, I rang up to the apartment and was buzzed in.
Mark and Katherine's apartment was beautiful and very quaint. They have a great kitchen and used it to the best of its ability. They cooked me a very nice and fresh italian meal that was mixed with some great wine. We talked and told stories and Mark and I caught Katherine up on family history. Finally, when I looked at the clock it was 10:00! So, Mark and Katherine packed up leftovers for me (YAY!) and walked me to the subway stop. I wasn't back in my apartment until midnight and I had to be at work at 7:45 Monday morning. But it was worth it just to be with family and have good food.
This week, school-wise, has been fall break. Tonight will be the first time this week I have had class. Work used my free time and gave me a bunch of hours. Luckily, I didn't mind it since I would have had nothing else to do but watch TV.
That about catches you up on this week's funtimes! I'm not sure how exciting this next week will be, but I'll keep you all posted!
XOXO,
K
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Where's Vigo? We Came to See Vigo!
Has it been another week? Wow! Tempus fugit!
First, let me say that classes are still going well. Things are beginning to pick up and I'm already starting to research and write things that aren't due til the end of the year! Of course, rough drafts and outlines are due much earlier, which is partially why I'm starting now! I'm also a goody-two-shoes who likes to have things done WAY before they're due! Work is crazy and incredibly busy. Customers are crazy and, well . . . crazy. :D
So, this past Saturday found me, once again, in the "citeh" as I like to call it. My Object Care class was visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the morning. So I caught the 8:04 am train with a group of my classmates into the city. We all took the subway uptown and then, the smart girl who had already timed the walk across the park and how to get from one side to the other (I wonder who that could be???) led the group to the steps of the Met with plenty of time to spare! We went into the Met at 10:00 sharp. We met our guide, who is the Modern Art Conservator for the Met, and proceeded into the bowels of the museum. I must say that the coolest thing about the conservation labs is that, to get in, you have to scan your hand! So James Bond-like! She led us around the conservation labs, which were incredible! They have an in-house x-ray system and their very own scanning electron microscope. Too bad I didn't study chemistry or I could work there!
After two hours, we left the Met. It was lunchtime, so a group of us ate 'al fresco' at a hot dog cart right outside the museum. Some of us also partook of the cupcake cart next to the hot dog cart. 12:30 found a group of girls (myself included) and the teacher standing around outside chatting. Our teacher randomly suggested that she treat the six of us to a cab ride to the next place we were visiting. So, we flagged down one of the minivan cabs (not the Cash Cab, sadly) and made our way through the park and up to the Central Park West apartment of the private conservator we were visiting at 1:30. I must admit that, for all the times I've been to NYC, this was my very first NYC cab ride!
The private conservator was . . . interesting. She was incredibly eccentric and, well, let's just say that I wouldn't want a million dollar work of art of mine in her place. We spent two hours at her studio and I learned almost nothing about private conservation work. I did learn that she hates museum architects! The view, on the other hand, was incredible! So, I did relish the fact that I will probably never, in my life, be in a Central Park West apartment building again.
The rest of the week has been work and school. I am very excited for this weekend, because our class is going to a photograph conservator's studio in eastern New Jersey, which mean ROAD TRIP! I also get to see some actual family this weekend. But, unfortunately, that will have to wait til next week.
XOXO,
K
First, let me say that classes are still going well. Things are beginning to pick up and I'm already starting to research and write things that aren't due til the end of the year! Of course, rough drafts and outlines are due much earlier, which is partially why I'm starting now! I'm also a goody-two-shoes who likes to have things done WAY before they're due! Work is crazy and incredibly busy. Customers are crazy and, well . . . crazy. :D
So, this past Saturday found me, once again, in the "citeh" as I like to call it. My Object Care class was visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the morning. So I caught the 8:04 am train with a group of my classmates into the city. We all took the subway uptown and then, the smart girl who had already timed the walk across the park and how to get from one side to the other (I wonder who that could be???) led the group to the steps of the Met with plenty of time to spare! We went into the Met at 10:00 sharp. We met our guide, who is the Modern Art Conservator for the Met, and proceeded into the bowels of the museum. I must say that the coolest thing about the conservation labs is that, to get in, you have to scan your hand! So James Bond-like! She led us around the conservation labs, which were incredible! They have an in-house x-ray system and their very own scanning electron microscope. Too bad I didn't study chemistry or I could work there!
After two hours, we left the Met. It was lunchtime, so a group of us ate 'al fresco' at a hot dog cart right outside the museum. Some of us also partook of the cupcake cart next to the hot dog cart. 12:30 found a group of girls (myself included) and the teacher standing around outside chatting. Our teacher randomly suggested that she treat the six of us to a cab ride to the next place we were visiting. So, we flagged down one of the minivan cabs (not the Cash Cab, sadly) and made our way through the park and up to the Central Park West apartment of the private conservator we were visiting at 1:30. I must admit that, for all the times I've been to NYC, this was my very first NYC cab ride!
The private conservator was . . . interesting. She was incredibly eccentric and, well, let's just say that I wouldn't want a million dollar work of art of mine in her place. We spent two hours at her studio and I learned almost nothing about private conservation work. I did learn that she hates museum architects! The view, on the other hand, was incredible! So, I did relish the fact that I will probably never, in my life, be in a Central Park West apartment building again.
The rest of the week has been work and school. I am very excited for this weekend, because our class is going to a photograph conservator's studio in eastern New Jersey, which mean ROAD TRIP! I also get to see some actual family this weekend. But, unfortunately, that will have to wait til next week.
XOXO,
K
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