Hello.

snowshoe

2009-03-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Little hike through the Notch last month.

Flight 1549

2009-02-08T07:20:00.001-08:00

About 2 minutes before flight 1549 went into the Hudson, probably right about the time the birds hit the engine, I was above the Hudson, in a US Air plane, in an approach to LGA, taking the below shot of ground zero. We landed at LGA at almost the exact time flight 1549 went into the river. The airport was strangely calm and normal, despite the PA announcement that "all flights were grounded due to an incident at the airport" and the TVs in the bar in the terminal showing the breaking news. I got on a plane an hour later to head to Florida. It was oddly normal.

MMJ MSG NYE

2009-02-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

New Year's found us in New York for a rocking My Morning Jacket show at Madison Sq Garden. Although the musical highlight may have been the LBJ freestyle on the subway out to Brooklyn. As always, one of my favorite parts of New Year's is the lazy day that Jan. 1 is.

Christmas 08

2009-02-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

For this first time, we stayed in VT for Christmas. It was great. My mom and Paul came up. We headed over to S&B's on Christmas eve.

Blog problems...

2009-01-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

Two reasons we have not posted in over a month:
1. Facebook
2. Our really outdated ibook.

We'll get back on it soon. Check back in early February.

Babysitting, take one...

2008-12-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Felix's six month birthday, Shannon and Benjamin spent the afternoon at the movies and left Felix for his first solo afternoon with Jay and I. It was awesome! Isabel was a little unsure of the whole thing at first, but eventually she wanted to do nothing but lick Felix's face. He didn't seem too bothered by her. I'm pretty sure they are going to be best friends soon enough. Jay fed Felix his first taste of zucchini and was proud that he actually got half of it in his mouth. Felix's new favorite album is Garcia-Grisman's "not for kids only," but he also enjoyed some raver dancing. The diaper changing was not too graceful, but we pulled it off. Pretty much, Felix loved it here we are already looking forward to his next visit.

slackers-

2008-12-11T18:11:00.001-08:00

As you may have noticed, Jay and I are really slacking on the blog-posting front. I think facebook has monopolized my computer use lately, so there hasn't been much blog action. Between that and our new wii, blogging just isn't a priority. In short, things here at the Curley house are going well. I have a new found interest in holiday decorating, which Jay is not too thrilled about. We cut down a tree last weekend and even put some lights on a tree in the front yard, which look awesome. Winter has finally arrived here, and it is a bit of a mixed bag this year. Neither of us have really cheap passes to the mountain (as we've had for the past few years), so it's kind of been a tough transition, but we're working through it and trying to get to the mountain soon enough. Otherwise, we are looking forward to holiday visitors and celebrating Isabel's first birthday. Hopefully we'll get back on the blogging train on a more consistent basis soon.

v

Isabel on Animal Planet

2008-11-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

Last night on a show called Dogs 101, Isabel was on TV for a few seconds. The show featured a few breeds including a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. One of my co-workers has one and was featured. In the process they showed a bunch of dogs at Ben & Jerry's including Isabel. So she's pretty much famous. If they show reruns, it will probably be listed here.

An endorsement

2008-11-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

A Single Pebble.

Tonight we had dinner at A Single Pebble. A Chinese restaurant in downtown Burlington that gets rave reviews, but I've always steered clear of. I must say, I now understand what all the hype is about. Very interesting and delicious dishes like Mock Eel and braised local beef with noodles. Here is the key to this place... You must go with at least six people (who are not picky eaters) that you can all share all the food. True family style, they even had a big lazy Susan in the middle of the table. This evening we had the pleasure of dinning with Shannon and Benjamin, along with Benjamin's father, brother, and sister - excellent company that really made the food taste that much better.

Halloween

2008-11-07T15:56:00.001-08:00

After stressing about what to be for Halloween for weeks, I ended up being an i pod commercial. It was a bit strange to be covered in black paint and a little annoying to have a giant piece of foam board attached to my back but, all in all it worked out pretty well...I didn't poke any eyes out or break any expensive collectibles in Lloyd and Kelly's new house. More importantly I made friends with Lance Black (Jay's costume), who made his first appearance when we were in college and let's just say we didn't really get along back then. Lloyd and Kelly's new house is great and the party was a blast. The prize for the best costume goes to Little Sean who didn't make it to the party but was showing off his costume for the family at lunch the next day.

Smell My Mule

2008-10-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Last night I ran a food drive a the Gov't Mule show at the Flynn. Warren and crew rocked it and I forget how awesome the sound is at the Flynn. One note on Mule fans and food drives, you have a real mix of hippies, red-necks, and bikers - kind of all rolled into one. They would much rather spend $30 on a lame tee shirt or Mule rolling papers, than pay $10 for a limited edition poster. Oh well. Ted did a great job on the poster (Jake, Cole, and Greg - I've pulled one aside for you).

wedding season 08...

2008-10-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

short of any shot gun weddings in the next two months, jay and i are officially done with wedding season 08. since april, we have been to five weddings and had to say no to one other. i have to say, i loved all five of them but i am glad we have some time until the next round begins. to officially conclude wedding season 08, we spent last weekend in preparation for wedding season 09. greg and beth, who will be married next october, had a fabulous engagement party at their home in belmont, ma. it was great to see friends and witness an epic family dance party in the living room. their wedding should be a blast given the dance moves that were brought out at the engagement party. jay and i forgot our camera, so these photos are compliments of greg's sister's boyfriend jim (thanks jim).

Trey is back

2008-10-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yep, last Sunday night, Trey rocked out at Higher Ground. He's back.

Urban Golf

2008-10-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we held the first annual Burlington Urban Gold tournament in the south end. We explored some of the lesser known and more industrial areas of the city. What's urban golf? Check out a video here or another site here, but it's basically just like it sounds. It was great time and we ended up at Franny-O's for a few beverages.

Leaf peepers

2008-10-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a great day for a hike with the family.

Happy 30th to Vermont's Finest

2008-10-18T20:11:00.001-07:00

Stacy and John's wedding

2008-10-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Stacy and John were married! It was an amazing fall Vermont day in the mountains, it could not have been a better setting. We had a little too much fun, but it was a beautiful evening. Pictures below:

Full gallery here.

Vacation!!

2008-09-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Jay and I spent last week lounging on the shores of lake champlain with some old friends and some new ones. It was just plain awesome! Highlights include: outdoor fires pretty much every night, amazing sunsets, great meals with great people, board game craziness, lakeside reading, llamas, an impromptu beer and cheese tasting, a visit to a local winery, Isabel's first canoe trip, white wine spritzers (Jay's new fave), swimming in the freezing cold lake, photo shoot with Felix and I in matching outfits, discovering cha-cha, and trying to play trivial pursuit with the first set of cards ever made (impossible!!). Hope to do it again next year. Better yet, we are saving up so that some day, we can own our own piece of paradise on the lake. Thanks Cleary and Amanda for organizing the trip! Enjoy the slideshow but, be forewarned that there are lots of shots of sunsets.

Full gallery here.

Niki & Tim

2008-09-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Niki and Tim rolled into town this week for a wedding and I had not seen them since we left Denmark seven years ago. It was great to show them a bit of VT and catch up. Niki also thought Isabel looked great in her scarf.

Surpise 30th

2008-09-14T18:08:00.001-07:00

The Donadio's were able to keep it a secret and Christine was certainly surprised as she walked into a room filled with friends and family to celebrate her 30th birthday. We had a blast seeing everyone and celebrating, well worth the trip down. Happy Birthday Chris!

_ of 1500: The Higher Ground and JDK book

2008-09-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

"_ of 1500" is a 112 page book that documents the show posters created by JDK for Higher Ground. This was the final project I worked at while at JDK and it is the piece I am most proud of. I was the account manager on about half of the posters and about 20 were created for Conscious Alliance food drives we ran. The book uses the posters from JDK and photography of Rick Levinson to tell the ten year history of the areas best venue for shows. Order one up today, as the name indicates, there are only 1500, each cover is individually screen-printed and numbered, just like the posters.

Art Hop

2008-09-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

The South End Art Hop was last night. We spent most of the night at JDK and Pursuit. It's only been two weeks, but it was nice to be back and see everyone. The show at JDK was a launch for the Higher Ground/ JDK book "_ 0f 1500" a ten year history of Higher Ground through the posters of JDK and photography of Rick Levinson (more on that later). It was also the final show at Pursuit as Seth and Skye are moving to a new space. Walking home we hit a few more shows. The event itself is amazing, you have thousands of people wondering up and down Pine st. enjoying art and partying. Can't wait until next year.

Party of the summer

2008-08-31T09:12:00.001-07:00

Last night Stacy and John had a big party at their house down in Waterbury. I think it might have been the party of the summer. A Dead cover band, a couple kegs, huge BBQ, killer bonfire, some fireworks, one of the best views in VT, and we think Isabel may have fallen in love. She was flirting all night with a black lab named Oli. Thanks for having us down, we'll be back in about a month for the wedding.

Season three ends.

2008-08-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

We lost in the playoffs last night. We played well, but they played better. Darren put it best:

Well, that was disappointing. But we gave it a good fight. The Boot is tough. A lot of good competition in the league this year. We set the standard and others are now catching up.

A quick history: last year, we were clearly the best team and lost in a fluke of a final; the first year, we were clearly the best team and romped through the entire season before taking the championship.

I have to say, I think we were beaten by a better team yesterday. There’s no shame in that, no criticism of us, either. We’re one of the elites, the only team to have made the playoffs every year of the league’s existence. Plus, we had to play out the end of the season without Coach Curley (and his game-changing speed) on the field.

That’s all right. Better yet, Miya is all right. That was a scary moment. I’ll be honest, when I saw her down I didn’t care about the game. The way we rallied around her, and Glenn (in our opening huddle), brought home again that the best part about kickball is all of you.

So, enjoy the offseason. Let’s come back next year and live up to our Go-Go legacy. Let’s kick some serious ass.

And I bid you good night...

2008-08-21T13:21:00.001-07:00

After six years (20% of my life), Thursday was my last day at JDK. I'm very excited to move on, but I will truly miss working there. It has been an amazing experience.

Kate and Ryan's wedding

2008-08-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Kate and Ryan were married in Harvard, MA on Saturday night. They had a beautiful ceremony, amazing food, and rockin' music (a New Orleans style brass band). We even got to bunk up that night, hostel style. It was great to see them, and meet new people. Also a big bonus for me is that we were sitting at a table with a bunch of people who work at NPR, so we had a lot to talk about.

Mike Gordon at the Waterfront

2008-08-20T15:22:00.001-07:00

We saw Mike Gordon play a free show at waterfront park Friday night. We had a little BBQ gathering at Shannon and Benjamin pre-show and then walked down. Page came out for a very cool version on Makisupa and they ended the set with a Meat. Overall it was a rocking show. Mike's on tour now, and it is certainly worth checking this band out.

Feist on Sesame Street

2008-08-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

This one goes out to Felix. Apparently being a kids is really hot these days (big in Japan).

Home Improvements-

2008-08-10T10:20:00.001-07:00

before

after

Last week we had new windows and a new front door put in. We are quite pleased with the result. It was tough to part with the decorative glass on the front door, but we are surviving. We are trying to decide what color to paint our front door. Ideas?? Suggestions?? We have a couple ideas, but I won't reveal them as I don't want to influence other people's creative process.

Not that it's a contest...

2008-08-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

but, the Roesch's are making us look like slackers when it comes to blog posting. We joined them this weekend in Stonington for lobster day, but unlike them, we took almost no photos (except for the cool sky picture below). Despite our lack of photos, we had a blast hanging out with family, playing with all the kids, eating clams and lobsters, and introducing Isabel to the family (as usual, she was awesome). Isabel's new pink red sox collar got mixed reviews; it was funny to see a couple yankees fans get upset when they realized it wasn't just a cute pink collar, but it was decorated with red sox logos. HeHe! Isabel's collar was not the only red sox/yankees conflict of the weekend... poor Joan is trying to figure out what to do with her seven year old son, who recently, after a lifetime of cheering on the yankees decided to be a red sox fan to impress a cute girl who lives next door. Joan, a Bronx native, is devastated with her traitor son. Jay, though delighted to have another fan on his side, couldn't quite wrap him mind around how hard that must be on a mother (or father). All in all we had a great time.

In other news, Jay had shoulder surgery on Monday and is busy getting better. Today has been the toughest day so far. He's in a fair amount of pain, but is hanging in there. He is sporting a pretty fancy sling (seen below), otherwise known as the ultra-sling 2000. I've been playing nurse for the past three days, and I have to admit that I will happily be returning to work tomorrow. Nursing is not really my specialty, but after three days, I have been able to master a pretty awesome milk shake recipe. Luckily, Jay has his mom to take care of him for the next couple days while I am at work.

Ang and Jimmy's wedding

2008-07-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

After three years of being engaged, Ang and Jimmy tied the knot on Saturday in West Hartford. It was well worth the wait. The ceremony was beautiful, the reception was rockin', and Pete's after party was, as Pete would say, "bangin'". Highlights include spending some quality time with old friends, Ramble on Rose sign along, the burger from Pete late night. Above all, it was great to see Ang and Jimmy so happy, and so in love. More photos here. Or check out the slide show below.

Coleman

2008-07-28T11:07:00.001-07:00

Swimming at the crooked path

2008-07-20T14:19:00.001-07:00

It was hot yesterday. We headed down to Kim's cabin, the crooked path, for a little swim. Isabel went for it. After being a little scared, she was back and forth, in and out of the water swimming all around.

Welcome Brody

2008-07-20T14:05:00.001-07:00

Laura and Jerry, welcome to the world of dog's and blogs. For those interested, check it all out here:
http://mulcahyblog.blogspot.com/

Beer is Good!

2008-07-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

Friday night marked our third celebration of the brew-fest. I was a bit grumpy at the start but I quickly remembered that the brew fest is one of my favorite summer events. It always seems like it is a lot of money for not that much beer and then somehow ten drink tickets turn into way more than ten beers and lots of laughs. It becomes a fun game to see which vendors take the tickets and which ones don't. My past two years of research proved that it is much easier for girls to get away with getting beer for nothing...not this year! Jay was better at the game than the rest of us. It was a blast!

Let's go Lake Monsters!

2008-07-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we headed to the Lake Monster's game with the Good Idea Society.
Maegen spent a lot of time with Champ (the mascot). I'm not saying I'm suspicious or jealous, but something might be up. If anyone sees them out around town together, let me know.

Isabel loves Felix too!

2008-07-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly enough, it has taken over a month for either Jay or I to post something combining our two favorite subjects: Isabel and Felix. That's quite impressive if I do say so myself. Anyway, Shannon brought Felix over last weekend with the hope that getting out of the house might help him to stop crying. I guess his nickname as of late it fussy pants Felix, though he wasn't too fussy while at our house. Isabel was just as excited about the visit as Jay and I. She was so awesome with him. She was really curious and really excited to meet him... I've never seen her tail wag so fast. She was excited but she was also appropriately calm and mellow with him. It's like she instinctually knew that she was supposed to be gentle. I thought it was pretty cool. I'm smitten with both of them, so maybe it's not as cool as I think.

Totally Fine

2008-07-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

About four years ago I was on a Merrell photoshoot and I grabbed the camera and jumped around some rocks. Merrell has finally done something with the footage. It's up on youtube and on Merrell Facebook page. Here it is, for your enjoyment:

Goats, Land, Fire, America

2008-07-06T07:25:00.001-07:00

Thursday night we headed up to the top of a hill in Central Vermont where our friend Neil just bought 120 acres and is going to build a barn/home. The plan was to camp out, have a bonfire and light off some fireworks. We arrived about an hour before Neil. He has two insane goats living up there that we battled for an hour before tying them up. Neil lit a big brush fire to help burn all the brush, it was pretty intense. Long story short, I hate goats, the mini-van did not survive the trip and is now officially dead, and I spent a lot of time in the back of a pickup truck. It really was a good time. The next day we went to the Warren 4th of July parade. I'll wait for the pics to tell that story. Happy Birthday America.

Cheese Loves Beer IV

2008-07-06T07:24:00.001-07:00

http://goodideasociety.com/

Redemption/next generation

2008-06-26T18:26:00.002-07:00

Kickball went well tonight. We beat the team we lost the championship to last season, 7 - 1. We played great, redemption is ours. We also had a fun cast (see pics below) of the next generation of Go-go's. Josephine, Cashel, and Felix were all on site (two with Tokiyo onesies on). It felt good to win, we felt like a family. Darren was the MVP.

Ask and you shall receive...

2008-06-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some before and after shots of the front yard for the anonymous comment writer who requested them and for the not so anonymous folks who have been asking for them. We are psyched! I am still hoping that some show on HGTV is going to arrive to transform the back yard because it is a disaster. Weeds grow like crazy when it is both raining and sunny every day. Don't worry- new windows and a front door without decorative glass panels are coming soon- hence, the cool looking zoning sign in the window.

what happened to my life??

2008-06-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

here are some of the highlights of my saturday...

took the car to get an oil change
tag-sale'ing in the neighborhood with the dog
meeting and chatting it up with the neighbors and the mail-lady
lots of yard work
farmers market
hot dogs at the christmas tree shop
home-depot
four seasons garden center
dinner at a mediocre pizza place in a strip mall
asleep by nine on the couch

meanwhile, a bunch of my friends were raging it up at a concert in new york and most likely spent saturday sleeping in and recovering. i'm not sure when this happened to my life. the good news is... the front yard looks fantastic. the bad news is...i actually enjoyed my dorky saturday!

Making/Selling Snowboards

2008-06-22T06:51:00.001-07:00

Friday I spent the afternoon at Burton's factory in South Burlington. We were shooting an ad with Kevin making his own board. I had not been to the factory in about seven years. What really stuck with me, was how labor intensive it is to make a board. With all the high tech manufacturing equipment there, it still takes a ton of hand work by a single person. These boards truly are "handmade". I'll have a new appreciation when I make my first turn next year.

Felix is ready for tonight's game.

2008-06-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Abe, Wigs, and Chaya

2008-06-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Yep, these guys rolled into town for a few days en route to a Saturday wedding in Woodstock.

Welcome Felix Delehanty Roesch!!!

2008-06-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Felix was born last night at around 7:05 pm. The nurses and doctors said Shannon made giving birth look easy, although she might tell a different story. My mom and I got to meet him like one minute after he was born. What an amazing experience- I was so happy to share in that moment. He is beautiful...with a full head of strawberry blond hair and weighs 8lbs 2 ozs. Today he got to meet his Grandpa Doug and Grandma Elizabeth. Felix and his proud parents are all doing well... happy and healthy. They will be heading home tomorrow. Jay and I could not be more thrilled to be an aunt and uncle!!

Close one.

2008-06-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

We were up three runs going into the 7th. But we could not hold on. The Enhancement Performers had a five run 7th and won by two. I think I could have been smarter with the line up and we need to step up the defense. We'll be back next week, ready to play, and have a beverage or two. More photos here.

HOT! at the beach

2008-06-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the hottest day of Isabel's life. After a night in Boston, we spent the weekend at the beach. We were living the high life, actually we were drinking High Life. Something about the clear bottle, they go down real smooth on the beach. Maegen and Greg actually went into the arctic waters, Isabel and I just got our feet wet.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss

2008-06-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday night we made our way to Boston to see a Robert Plant and Allison Krauss show. We had great seats on the fourth row and great company in Greg and Beth (who are recently engaged, congrats!). The show was pretty rockin'. Robert Plant truly is a legend and the harmonies with Allison Krauss were amazing. They played a lot of tunes from their new album and a few classic Zep songs like "Black Dog" and "The Battle of Evermore" and the Union Station song "Down to the River".

Tokiyo Go Go's are back!

2008-05-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

Kickball season is back. Thursday was week two and we ended the night with a 2 - 0 record. Last week we won a close one vs. the ONE team, this week we won a lot to a little. The team is looking solid this year. Almost the whole team returned and we have two new solid additions. We are aiming for the championship for the third year in a row. Check out the leagues blog here.

Lloyd's Wedding

2008-05-27T18:49:00.001-07:00

Lloyd and Kelly were married Sunday night in Boston. Our stay began with the rehearsal dinner on Saturday and some quality time at Tia's. Looking back, spending 48 straight hours with Jon J, Calum, and Mike G, I think I laughed more this weekend, then I have in years. It was great to see Lloyd's parents, and meet the Frawley's - a great family. Most of all, I'm so happy for Lloyd - I think he'll be rocking that big old Lloyd grin for many years to come. Congrat's. More photos here.

Enjoy the ride

2008-05-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

My new favorite website: http://www.enjoytheride.org/

Progress in the yard

2008-05-19T10:27:00.001-07:00

It might not look like much, but this represent some serious progress in the yard. My Mom and Paul came up this weekend and helped us out tremendously.

What a Saturday

2008-05-19T10:14:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was probably the best day of Isabel's life. It started at the farmer's market, where Maegen and I were signing up for our beef share through the makers of the best blue cheese on the planet. She met all sorts of kids and people. Next we moved down to the dog park where she met up with her cousin Stella, and they partied. Then we went out to James and Jill's in the mountains where she played well into the night with Sophia and the new puppy Strummer.

Farewell!

2008-05-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

It is with great pleasure that I announce the sale of our beloved mailbox. Today, for just $20, some lucky person became the new owner of this glorious piece. They came by, packed it in their car, and left the cash in our new, much less ornate mailbox, all while Jay and I were at work.

I am also very delighted to say, that the lace curtains have also moved on to a new home. Well, truthfully, they are in a trash bag in a closet, but perhaps they will find new owners as well. It was quite a process to hem, iron, and hang the new ones, but well worth the effort.

We are still looking for takers on the multi-unit bird condo. Someone was supposed to take that today too, but never showed up. So, if you are interested please let us know.

Welcome Ellery

2008-05-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

Welcome Ellery Kate Maupin to the world! Congrat's to Erin, Dean, and the whole Souder family. Video here.

BBQ bliss

2008-04-30T18:25:00.001-07:00

Shannon, Benjamin, and I were chosen by the local weekly newspaper to attend an all you can eat BBQ event at Nectars. I'm embarrassed to tell you how much we ate, but here's a sampling of what we tried...pulled pork, chicken, and beef sliders, bbq chicken, ribs, potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, cornbread, and my all time favorite- fried pickles! We had a blast and ate way too much. Here's the photo they took of us and posted on their website. Thankfully, the photographer promised he wouldn't snap action shots of us with ribs in hand.

Laura's Wedding

2008-04-30T18:12:00.001-07:00

My cousin Laura was married Saturday to a great guy named Jerry. It was a beautiful ceremony and a raging reception at the Long Wharf in Boston with a rockin' band. It was great to catch up with family. Thanks Laura and Jerry for having us and Tony and Mary Lou for hosting .

Road Trip

2008-04-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Isabel went on her first road trip this weekend. She and I drove down to Connecticut together where she got to spend a few days with her cousin Buddy. We then headed to Marshfield Mass. where she experienced the beach for the first time, as well as made friends with two of the biggest dogs around (Jake-a great dane with legs as long as Jays, and Royal-a 100 lb. american bulldog). On Saturday, she tried out city life in Boston and met two new boxer friends... Althea and Doser (thanks Alex and Kady for watching her!) She adapted well to the beach, even when a wave crept up and got her, but she couldn't quite figure out city life. With no grass in sight, she was confused about where the bathroom was. Apparently she got to play guitar hero during her sleepover with Althea and Doser...I'm bummed I didn't get to see that. All in all, she did great and had a blast.

We'll miss you Tommy

2008-04-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here's to an amazing father, husband, and brother's father-in-law. We'll miss you Tommy.

Sleep over

2008-04-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Isabel slept over Sophia's house this weekend. I think it was a non-stop party for two days. Thanks James and Jill for watching her.

Isabel meets Mona

2008-04-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

Benny got a 10 week old Olde English Bulldog named Mona three days ago. She is a little sweat heart. Isabel came over to meet her and they partied. Check out there matching purple collars.

Beer and Cheese tasting

2008-04-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

We hosted a beer and cheese tasting at our house last night as part of a Good Idea Society meeting. Details if you are interested: http://goodideasociety.blogspot.com/2008/04/meeting-19-recap.html

Spring is not all bad in Vermont

2008-04-08T17:43:00.001-07:00

We've been complaining a lot about spring up here. Sunday was everything that's good about spring in Vermont - spring riding. It was very sunny, 50+ degrees, the riding was great, and then some beer and BBQ in the lot. Oh, and JD cheated on Okemo and made a trip to Stowe. Good times.

Dr. Isabel - therapy dog

2008-04-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

Isabel went to work with Maegen and she played with some of her clients - since then, we've been calling her Dr. Isabel. Below are some sunset pics from Thursday night.

The Yard

2008-04-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

The yard showed itself for the first time this week as the snow finally melted. Not a blade of grass in sight, we really have our work cut out. Maegen is searching for a HGTV show that will give us a landscaping makeover.

Counsin Fest Spring '08

2008-03-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

Cousin Fest (Spring '08 edition) landed in Burlington this weekend. Matt Tedeschi, Jerry, and all three Donadio girls, along with my brother, Kelly, and Buddy were on-site (The Hazeltons were missed). My horoscope from yesterday in the Burlington Free Press summed the sediment of the weekend up nice:
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Sometimes you look at a family member and wonder, If we weren't related, would we be friends? Today, the answer is, absolutely, yes. You're not only getting along, you're having fun.

Highlights of the weekend include Isabel and Buddy getting long great and having a blast, great meals at Flatbread and Penny Cluse, and Karaoke at JPs. And for your viewing pleasure below are two Karaoke videos, one of Erica rocking out to Enter Sandman, and the other with all cousins (expect Matt who had to video it, plus random mustache guy) singing Sweet Caroline.

Isabel turns 3 months (or 13 weeks)

2008-03-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Isabel turned 3 months today. Here's a video of her being a puppy. If you are a stuffed bunny in our home - you're a marked man.

Easter at the Roesch's

2008-03-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

After sunrise mass, we feasted. Thanks for Benjamin and Shannon for hosting.

Sunrise mass

2008-03-23T06:45:00.001-07:00

It's officially a tradition, we did it last year and we plan on continuing - Sunrise mass at the top of Mt. Mansfield (Stowe). Wake up at 4am, drive down to Stowe, take the gondola up in the dark, and watch the sunrise during an Easter service. And then take a few runs. It was freezing, but beautiful.

More Isabel pics

2008-03-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm getting a little out of hand with the Isabel pictures. Here's this weeks installment.

spring fling

2008-03-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

according to the calendar tomorrow marks the first day of spring. it feels like kind of joke to me. spring is supposed to be about flowers blooming, leaves returning to trees, warmer weather, and baby birds chirping. the truth is, that kind of spring stuff doesn't really exist here for at least another month or two. right now, all we have is annoying mixes of rain, sleet, freezing rain, and snow usually in same day. All the snow that is left on road sides is brown, dirty and depressing to look at. In between the rain and snow mixes we do get some warm temperatures, but just enough to make everything muddy for a few hours before it turns to ice again. jay is wiping off our muddy puppy as we speak. i think the most annoying part of "spring" in vermont this year is potholes. the roads are a complete disaster, with an almost constant threat of a flat tire. maybe thats just my commute starting to wear on me. i'm trying to be hopeful that soon enough, i'll be lounging on the deck while jay is firing up the grill (which we don't even own yet). at least we discovered that there really is a deck underneath the snow.

Isabel and friends

2008-03-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a general Isabel update for the last week. She's doing great. She met some of her new family: cousin Stella, extended cousin Omar (Benjamin's brother Sean's Boston Terrier/French Bulldog was born two days before Isabel), and Lloyd. Pictures, pictures, pictures...

No Power and Guitar Solos

2008-03-12T19:19:00.001-07:00

Lloyd and Kelly came up this weekend - which was rad. Saturday night Nelia and Marin came over for a big dinner and in the middle of cooking, we lost power for a couple of hours. It was actually kind of fun. We could still cook on the stove top, had plenty of candles, and music on the laptop. Then, we ventured downtown and saw Grippo at Red Sq. Check out the Benny guitar solo video.

Hard'ack

2008-03-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, I went with about 20 co-workers and friends to Hard'ack Mt. in St. Albans. This place makes Mt. Sundown look like the alps. One run, one rope tow. On this particular night, it was a sheet of ice. Yes, we had a blast. Stay tuned for the video, Ross will probably edit it in the next few months.

"New Car"

2008-03-05T10:12:00.001-08:00

I got an old mini-van last weekend. '93 Nissan Quest, oh yeah! (for those of you keeping score, I now own a house, drive a mini-van, and have a dog)

What I really want is the new VW hybrid golf. By the time it's available in the States, I'll probably be able to afford it.

Isabel meets Sophia

2008-03-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

James and Jill brought Sophia (a two year old boxer) over to meet Isabel tonight. An intense play session went down and friendship was born. Sophia was very tolerant and nice to the puppy, but they did get a little rough. The video is not that great, but you get to see them in action.

Isabel at work

2008-02-29T17:18:00.001-08:00

I told you she would we take over the blog for a few months... The first 48 hours have been great. Not too much whining, only a few accidents. Yesterday I worked from home in the am, and then brought her to JDK in the afternoon. Today, she spent most of the day at work.

Welcome Isabel

2008-02-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Our family grew by one puppy last night. We brought Isabel (a Boxer, with some English Bulldog in her) home. What can I say, we're in love with her after 18 hours. For a puppy, she's been great. More updates, pics, video to come (Isabel will probably take over the blog for a few months).

Weekend wrap up

2008-02-24T17:26:00.001-08:00

Drinks Friday night at the new pad... Ross and I checked out the fancy new couch (yes, we own one of those). Neil and Caroline made it out and Molly came all the way from Portland (for a wedding). My mom and Paul became the first house guests. And Maegen caught up on some reading.

Happy Birthday Michael

2008-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Michael George Curley
Born: February 20, 1983
Happy birthday little brother.

Tuttle Ski Chalet Getaway

2008-02-18T18:01:00.001-08:00

I had not been to the Tuttle family ski house in nine years. We made up for it this weekend with two nights and a day of great times. We played some Balderdash, Monopoly, and made some turns at Stratton on Saturday. There was, of course, a Dead sing-a-long late night. And some Bloody Mary's were necessary on Saturday and Sunday mornings. We certainly cannot party like we used to, but that did not stop us from trying.

random snowday thoughts

2008-02-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today, we were blessed with another day of snow and wintry mixes (that's snow, sleet, and freezing rain to those unfamiliar with the weather of the Northeast). Anyway, I used the weather as an excuse to take the day off. I have to admit, I am a little tired of all this winter weather, particularly now that I have been introduced to the world of shoveling driveways, walkways, and even roofs, sometimes more than once in the same day. I guess I can't complain too much, as I spent both Saturday and Sunday mornings having a blast on my snowboard, and plan to do more of the same this weekend. I might even get paid to snowboard of Friday, which is a perk of my job that I have yet to take advantage of. Of course, I'll have to hang out with thirteen-year-old girls, but I suppose it's worth it. Here's a photo of Jay shoveling off the roof this weekend...I was so nervous, but not nervous enough to let the moment go un-photographed. He almost broke our mailbox(also pictured below) by chucking snow and ice chunks at it. I'm hoping he succeeds at that next time. Who would buy such a hideous thing? We're hoping someone will...as soon as we can dig it out of the snow, it will be up for sale. Let us know if you are interested.

before/after

2008-02-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

before:

after:

Captin Higgins

2008-02-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if the this is the funniest clip I've seen this year because it's so rad, or if it's because Darren is a friend, co-worker, Tokyo-go-go, and GIS member. Either way I think it's hilarious. Make sure you watch all the way through, you'll learn something and the outtakes at the end are the best part. Nice work Darren, Ross, and John.

House update: Whalers shrine

2008-02-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

We loaded all the books onto the book shelf on Sunday. We have space for a Whalers shrine, this is what home ownership is all about. The pic below is for my bro and Julie out in PDX, enjoy.

Sled Doggin

2008-02-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

We went dog sledding this weekend. It was actually a very short ride, but fun. Doug and Elizabeth were up for the weekend so we headed to Shelburne farms for winterfest. Some cheese and bread samples, sugar on snow, and an owl. Below is a shot of "O" bakery at Shelburne farms. They make the best bread in the world, I felt like I was visiting Mecca.

Floors

2008-01-31T11:14:00.001-08:00

The upstairs floors came out great. Scroll down to see the before shots. We have officially left Main St. and spent two nights at our new house. Once there are not boxes everywhere I'll post up some more pictures of the inside. It's been exciting, exhausting, overwhelming, and fun. And this is just the beginning.

Progress

2008-01-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

The wallpaper has been defeated, no more red and green walls, and the hardwood upstairs is getting the final coat of lacquer tomorrow. Thanks to Jackie, Bob, and Kate for all the help (and Lowe's, we've been there six times in 72 hours). This is not as easy as it looks on HGTV.

Day 1

2008-01-25T17:36:00.001-08:00

We closed this morning at 9am. By 10:30 we were ripping up carpet, and in the afternoon we moved onto stripping wallpaper. Below are some action shots of Maegen ripping out the "for sale" sign and some carpet, as well as some "before" shots of the floors and walls. Stay tuned for the "after" shots... hopefully we'll have them up by Tuesday.

cows and cemeteries

2008-01-25T17:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I learned a piece of Vermont culture that I never knew about. So, I was driving in my car with a very hyper ten year old boy who was looking for a way to help calm down. After ignoring my idea, he suggested we play "cows and cemeteries." I was supposed to look on my side of the road and count the number of cows I saw and he was going to do the same on his side. If we passed a cemetery, then one of us would lose all our points depending on which side of the road the cemetery was on. We played for a little bit, and I lost. I saw no cows or cemeteries. As we were playing, I realized that there are few places in the world where this game could be played with any sort of success. Vermont really is a special place!!

20 hours in NY

2008-01-23T12:34:00.001-08:00

In-and-out of the city in a day for work. Lucky I got to have dinner with some of my favorite people.

It has begun

2008-01-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

An evening of cultural experiences

2008-01-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

Last night, we went to a dim sum potluck at our friend Miya's house. It turned into quite the culinary experience where we sampled some really special concoctions. The highlight of the evening was definitely the Chelada... apparently the folks at Anheuser-Busch thought it was a good idea to recreate a Latino favorite in a 24 oz. can. A Chelada is a tasty mix of either Bud or Bud Light (we had the light version) with Clamato Juice (yup... clam and tomato) seasoned with a delightful mix of salt and lime all premixed for you. Apparently this combination is a big hit in some circles, but it did not go over well with our crew. It was disgusting.... think carbonated tomato juice that starts off with a nice bud light flavor and ends with a hint of clam. I can't imagine it is going to sell well. Another highlight in the beverage category was the imported tomato vodka from Japan. It tasted like a liquid tomato with sugar dumped on top...also gross, thought not nearly as bad as the chelada. At least the label was cool. We also sampled Absolut New Orleans which is vodka flavored with black pepper and mango. Sounds strange, but it actually got good reviews from the crowd. Luckily the food was slightly less adventurous and much more tasty. Miya cooked up some homemade chicken dumplings, and some hibachi style steak, tofu, and veggies. It was awesome.

The I.D. 40

2008-01-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

According to International Design Magazine's Jan/Feb 2008 issue, I work at one of the 40 most creative workspaces in the world. JDK even made the cover. (click the images for a larger view)

A PK production

2008-01-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

The latest video from Pat Simone. Pat's really having fun being sober, cheers to that.

TBM play the Dead

2008-01-13T09:10:00.001-08:00

Benny and Adam gathered a group of musicians Friday night at Metronome for a night of Dead tunes. It was fun, we saw all sorts of friends we have not seen in a while from the TBM/Valencia days. It reminds me that we're not the only ones up here beside Vin. It was a late night though and we're not in college anymore. Check out a tired Maegen in the elevator on the way home.

Burger Kings

2008-01-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

These are my friends and co-workers...

Saturday Shred

2008-01-07T19:28:00.001-08:00

Greg and Beth rolled up to VT last weekend. We headed out to Stowe for an amazing day, 30 degree temperatures, sun, and packed powder. We managed to keep a big crew together and get a good table at the Shed after.