Quinnipiac University

I thought I should pay homage to the institution that has my husband so loyally bound to it's edifices. Quinnipiac (kwin-uh-pee-ack) has a gorgeous, quiet campus that sits safely nestled at the base of Sleeping Giant Mountain. (You can see part of the Giant's belly in the background.) We have yet to hike the many trials that trek over the Giant, but we have plenty of time for that. The building pictured is the main library. Quinnipiac is pretty small. There are only about 5,400 undergraduate students, and about 2,000 graduate students. How strange it is to be able to cover the entire campus on foot in a matter of minutes, having come from Aggieland that has it's own on-campus bus system so you can get to your next class on time.


Keith spends about half his time on main campus, and the rest at a more homey site affectionately labeled the "Sherm Shack" after its address on Sherman Ave. The Graduate Physician Assistant Program (ranked 14 out of 141 programs nationally) is housed here, off main campus, in what looks like a cabin in the forest. When we first came for his interview, we pulled up, parked, and looked at each other with the same expression that asked, "seriously?". As it turns out, the Shack is really nice, with all proper amenities included: very large classrooms, a physical exam room, a kitchen, several restrooms, a ping-pong table, computers, a lounge area, picnic table, and a lovely wooden swing. This is Keith's home away from home.

Keith has returned for the fall semester on August 25th. I have no doubt that he will do just as well. Our little Cheetoe is due to arrive during his final exams...let's all hope that this sweet baby decides to hang in there until Daddy is finished with finals!

family visits

Sorry so much time has passed since I last posted. We were lucky to have Keith's parents and sisters in town for the past week and between work, travels, and sightseeing, I never found a moment to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes. That being said...let me see if I can catch you up and fill you in on the highlights of their visit.

Our first evening, we went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant on the water and enjoyed typical fare...lobster bisque, shrimp, lobster rolls, swordfish, steamed lobster, and...did I mention lobster? Keith and I are big fans of seafood and before moving up here we thought fish would be cheaper (being right by the water and all.) As it turns out, only certain kinds of fish are cheaper. Salmon and tilapia, for example, are more expensive. However, lobster, shrimp, clams, and crab are more readily available and considerably cheaper. Oh - a dining tip for those of you planning on visiting CT - If the server asks, "Are you all set?", which I think asks if I am ready to eat, they really mean "Are you finished so I can clear away your plate?". So, if you are like me and relish taking your time to enjoy every last bite, being sure to soak up all remaining sauce with a piece of bread, this is an important phrase to not reply "Yes, thank you" to.

I worked the first 2 days of their visit while Keith played tour guide through the streets of New Haven. Then, on Wednesday, we were off to New York City for the day via train. Our plan was to seek out the half-price ticket booth so we could catch a matinee musical, followed by dinner, shopping, and then back home. Upon arrival to Grand Central, we walked to Times Square and found a VERY LONG line outside the ticket booth. Sigh. We were on our way to the end when an official looking guy stops us and asks, "You guys planning on purchasing tickets?" We all reply affirmative. "Well then, right this way," he says as he led us past the entire line to the front so he could lift the cord and let us under. Keith stepped up and purchased 6 tickets to Hairspray, and away we went not 15 minutes later. How was this possible? I got one word for ya...AINSLEY!!!!! We call Ainsley the Perk Queen because, well, she's just that. When you travel with Ainsley, you travel in style because she'll somehow always manage to get you something extra. (More on that later.)

We spent Thursday shopping in the Outlet Mall...with the men making bag runs to the car. Everyone came away with something, even little Cheetoe.

Friday we packed up the car and drove to Newport, Rhode Island. If you are not familiar, Newport became the prime summer vacation spot for America's richest and elite around the turn of the 19th century. Today you can tour these amazing mansions, among them the most popular being The Breakers, the "summer cottage" for the Vanderbilt family. It was completed in 1895, has 70 rooms, and is around 138,000 sq. feet. Eh hem. The kitchen is the size of a small house. They required a staff of 40 to run the place, but would only spend about 8-12 weeks a year during the summers at this home. (Their NY City home was 3 times as large...poor dears.) Anyway, we toured the inside and grounds of The Breakers and then moved on to Rosecliff, completed in 1902. This mansion was smaller, relatively speaking, and slightly more comprehensible. It was a frequent of Cole Porter and is also a popular movie set. (Ex. Great Gatsby starring Robert Redford, True Lies with Arnold Swarts (sp?), and most recently, 27 Dresses.) Oh, by the way, no one took our tickets upon entering Rosecliff because they were so focused on our little Perk Queen so we've got 6 tickets to go back and visit any other mansion. Any takers to join us?


And finally, on our way home from Newport, we stopped in New London on Saturday to see one of the DeSonier family friends, Danny O'Flarety in concert at the local Celtic Festival. Keith's parent's and Ainsley traveled to Ireland last summer and Ainsley discovered a love for the Bodhran, a celtic drum. Being the Queen that captures the hearts of all around her, she quickly become a guest performer with Danny in pubs across Ireland. When the family heard Danny would be performing in CT during their visit...well, there was no other choice than to stop by and allow Ainsley a moment in the spotlight. I will end with a video clip of Danny and Ainsley performing at the festival. Thanks for hanging in there...this was a long post. Much love to ya!

vacation, work, and visits

Keith has rightfully earned a 2 week vacation from school. Allow me to brag on my brilliant husband...it will only take a tiny moment of your time. He received his final grades and got six A's and one B+. I am SO proud!! It just reassures us that he's exactly where he needs to be. Go baby!


While he is enjoying his first vacation, I am back to work. Not as a teacher...but as a Medical Interpreter. I thought I'd go for a career change and choose something that would be a little easier to leave for 6 weeks while I'm home with our little boy. I inquired in early July at Yale New Haven Hospital and asked if I could shawdow their interpreters for a day to get a feel for the job. The first time I was dispatched out, we went to the ER. There I was, trying hard to listen and pay attention to the interpretation, when all of a sudden I started to sweat. My head began to swim, and darkness started closing in around my eyes. Next thing I know...I'm on the floor at the foot of the bed with the doctor, nurse, and interpreter leaning over me. Yep. I fainted. I'm still not sure why, but it was terribly embarrassing...especially because I was observing to see if it was a job I could handle. Needless to say, and despite the large bruise I had for a week on my hip, I decided to apply and was hired. Thankfully, they did not see the fainting spell as a sign of not being able to handle the job. I am proud to report that I went back to the ER today and there were no problems. I have seen so many amazing things...even a C-section...which I have decided I definitely do NOT want to have. I'm sure there will be more stories to come.
The old drawing is of the original building, built in 1833, housing only 13 beds. The facade still stands in a court yard today, but is now surrounded by a much larger hospital campus with over 1000 beds. I am trying very hard to learn my way around. For now, I am enjoying the new job, and really love the other Interpreters. Countries represented: Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Texas. (well, it was a country once.) The hospital only houses Spanish Interpreters, so we are like a mini Mundo Hispano Congress. We have lots of laughs and converse all day in Spanish. I'm in heaven.

Speaking of conversing in Spanish...this past weekend, our friend Ana Bello came to visit. She lives in Sevilla and works at the school where Keith and I met. She has been a wonderful friend to us both. We had a great time shopping, sight-seeing, and eating! Gracias por tu visita Anita...y por la tortilla de patatas. Lo pasamos muy bien contigo y ahora nos toca visitarte a ti. Besos y abrazos!

temptations and peaches

My poor hubbie has been studying like crazy and according to him, needs to "get a grip". He has three more days of tests next week (5 exams in 3 days!) and then he gets two weeks off. To help him unload, unwind, relax, and laugh a little, we met our friends Brad and Jane for a free outdoor concert here in sleepy little Hamden. We loaded up our chairs and some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and walked to the field from Brad and Jane's apartment. The band we were going to see was called the Tempting Temptations Review. We were thinking they would be some silly knock-off. To our amazement, the field was packed by time we arrived, so we just found a nice place off to the side to sit and visit. We didn't have a view of the stage, but figured we could just listen and chat. O contraire mon frere! When we heard the introduction of this motown revival and the music started, we had to get a better look. As it turns out, one of the original members is still performing and singing with the group...he's 65 (and the one singing lead in the video!) One of the other members is Paul Williams Jr., son of another original member. We were completely entertained, singing aloud (and cheesy "back-up" style dancing in a row) to so many familiar songs. I've attached a video clip. Now don't wish you were there!



Today...while Keith was back with his books and study groups, I met up with some of the wives to go picking. Yes, picking...as in peaches, blueberries, pears, tomatoes, squash, etc. We drove about 15 minutes to Lyman Orchards and were completely wowed by how immense and vast this place was. It was beautiful. Eager to get started, we piled out of the car and got lost in the peach orchards first. Lining a mountain top were rows and rows of gorgeaous peach trees at our disposal. The smell was intoxicating and the colors so vivid. We were lost in the trees, enjoying our moment, when a woman comes screaming into the orchard, "Get OUT of the ORCHARDS! Everybody OUT! The lightening is coming! The LIGHTENING is COMING!" She was in such a flury and panic that, well, we had to laugh. Yes, the skies were gray, but they didn't seem that menacing. We made our way up to the stand to purchase our small crop and with big smiles, piled back into the car just as the sky opened to pour fresh rain...following by a huge bolt of lightening. Needless to say, we had to drive past the pears, blueberries, and other delectables on our way out. Layman Orchards...we shall return!