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Our Wedding Photos April 20, 2009Posted by Natasha in Wedding.
Tags: Wedding Portsea Hotel Mornington Peninsula
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Our Wedding Photos
The Year of Living Frugally April 15, 2009Posted by Natasha in Life, News and Drivel, Uncategorized.
Tags: Change, Debt, Frugal, In-Laws, Saving
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We got married 10 days ago, and are currently around $10,000 in debt. In 12 months, we want to buy a house. Sounds impossible, but I want to make it happen.
Renting is expensive. Rent, utilities, food, travel, luxuries… they cost a fortune. Our plan would not be possible without the very generous support of our families, and a lot of sacrifice on our behalf. We're going to move in with my in-laws. They have a reasonably sized room above their garage, and limited storage space, so we're downsizing from our 2 bedroom unit and moving in there. We don't, however, want to have to buy things in 12 months that we already had, so I'm currently in the midst of working out what we really, actually need. Hopefully this will also go some way to solving our mess and clutter issues.
I hate moving. I've done it twice in the last 3 years. Every time, it starts with a massive clean out of junk. That's the stage I'm in at the moment. My favoured strategy is working room by room, cleaning and clearing out as I go.
The Bedroom
We have 2 built in robes. DH has the wardrobe in the study, I have the wardrobe in the bedroom. Theyre both pretty big, and mine is overflowing. I haven't counted, but I must have at least 50 tops. This perhaps suggests a reason why washing and laundry is such a huge issue for us. I need to get rid of clothes, desperately.
I had been collecting house stuff since I was 16. I moved out of home at almost 23. DH had lived out of home a few times before moving in with me, and at 33, had had lots of time to collect lots of 'useful' things. We ended up with at least 2 (usually more) of pretty much every kitchen item, and a whole lot of other things. We need to get rid of all this stuff!!
Love them, hate them. Love having them, and having an impressive library, hate having to store them. For now, they go into storage.
Storage, about that.
We toyed with the idea of getting a self storage unit, but will instead use the as-yet-unfinished home theatre of B&SIL.
Our Wedding Day April 14, 2009Posted by Natasha in Uncategorized.
Tags: Bride, Mornington Peninsula, Portsea Hotel, Wedding
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After having the last week of term off school, I was feeling relaxed and excited. I had had my hair, nails, tan and waxing done, my scalp had miraculously cleared up, and I had managed to stay blemish free – was feeling good!
I had spent Saturday finishing packing, both for Sunday and for our honeymoon.
Saturday afternoon, A&R came to pick up Mr G, who drove R to Portsea where they stayed the night. I hadn't eaten anything – Was too busy! Mr & Mrs Yellow came to pick me up in the statesman. The Rye house was a pleasant surprise – heaps of room for everyone! We spent the evening chatting, primping and preening, then went out to dinner. When we returned, more preening ensued, I had a bit of a panic after running out of hot water just after my shower, but R managed to fix the system. M did her nails, I did Mrs Yellow's. Finally dozed off about midnight, only to awake at 3am to Mr Yellow snoring. Laid awake, trying to get back to sleep. Mrs Yellow's phone went off at 4am because she had mucked up the daylight savings change over. I got up "for a drink", hoping to be able to go out and sit on the couch. I realised, after walking into the heater loudly, and bumping into R, that M was asleep on the couch, so I would have to head back to bed. Walking back, I heard Mum whispering to D. I chatted to her for a bit, but was conscious of not waking A. I sat out on the couch for a while, and write a note in my phone: Its 4am, and I am sitting here awake, having managed to wake up about 5 other people. I get married today!
By 5, people were up and about. I had a shower, then Janine arrived at 6. I was worried Deanne was going to be late, but she got there after about 15 minutes, having also mucked up the DST changeover. My hair was set, then our makeup was done. People gradually started getting dressed. Once my makeup was finished, I had my hair finished off. Unbelievably it was 9′oclock!
Jayne arrived just as I was saying "the photographer will be here in half an hour". I was time to get dressed Grandma and Mrs Yellow helped me into my dress. R was being a pain with his camera, pretending to try to follow people into the bathroom, and up my dress as I was putting on my shoes and garter.
Anyway, the flowers arrived, made Mum cry. A arrived with C to get the boys' flowers and Mr G's note.
M had arrived in the car without me realising, finally I took note though, because I had been worried he was running late!
We had a few photos taken. I got a mark on my dress and the baby wipes I used to try cleaning it left a big white mark! Ah well. D was being really sweet, kept offering me water. We had been told to tell Corinne when we were leaving, so A rang and was told that not everyone was there, so we had to wait. The weather was just perfect at this point, after having looked quite threatening all morning, I just wanted to get going.
The trip down was surreal. The sky was too bright, like it knew that it couldn't hold the weather back for long. The bay was as sparkly as I knew it would be.
When we arrived we had some videos taken, then we went into the foyer, spoke with Corinne and had a drink. We then walked up the stairs to the Nepean room, and waited for the music to start.
Everyone was there! I could see Rachel, Glenn, Sally, Phil, Nick & Ben. It hit me – this is really happening!
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
Still in my heart this moment
Or it might burst
Could we stay right here
Until the end of time until the earth stops turning
Want to love you until the seas run dry
I've found the one I've waited for
All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
Want to stay right here
Until the end of time
til the earth stops turning
Going to love you until the seas run dry
I've found the one I've waited for
The one I've waited for
All I've known
All I've done
All I've felt was leading to this
All I've known
All I've done
All I've felt was leading to this
Want to stay right here
til the end of time till the earth stops turning
I'm going to love you till the seas run dry
I've found the one I've waited for
The one I've waited for
The one I've waited for
Want to stay right here
til the end of time till the earth stops turning
I'm going to love you till the seas run dry
I've found the one I've waited for
The one I've waited for
The one I've waited for
As I rounded the corner, I locked eyes with Mr G, who burst into tears. He looked gorgeous, and so fragile! I wanted to run and give him a big hug. D walked me to the end, and I forgot what was supposed to happen next, I thought we were supposed to wait for Corinne. Douglas shook Mr G, kissed me on the cheek, and I took Mr G's hands. It was incredibly emotional. I wish I could remember what he said to me.
It was cold and windy, but so far, dry. Corinne had written a beautiful ceremony. Grandma read…
To love is not to possess,
To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one's self in another.
Love is to join and separate,
To walk alone and together,
To find a laughing freedom
That lonely isolation does not permit.
It is finally to be able
To be who we really are
No longer clinging in childish dependency
Nor docilely living separate lives in silence,
It is to be perfectly one's self
And perfectly joined in permanent commitment
To another–and to one's inner self.
Love only endures when it moves like waves,
Receding and returning gently or passionately,
Or moving lovingly like the tide
In the moon's own predictable harmony,
Because finally, despite a child's scars
Or an adult's deepest wounds,
They are openly free to be
Who they really are–and always secretly were,
In the very core of their being
Where true and lasting love can alone abide.
When I heard the reading we had chosen for our ring exchange, I couldn't hold back the tears.
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love, that hold yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other all the days of your lives.
These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look in each other's eyes, eyes that are filled completely with overwhelming love and desire.
These are the hands that will work along side yours as you build your future together, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and soothe you like no other.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you struggle, and support and encouragement to chase your dreams.
These are the hands that will wipe tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled with age, will be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.
Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realised.
Ingrid read…
… live your lives with passion, compassion & excitement. Play, dance and share in life's long journey… make footprints in the sand, sail in the gentleness of the winds, climb mountains together, laugh together, cry together and smile often. Make life magical and extraordinary, be happy, be silly, and rejoice in life's beauty from now on and into all of your tomorrows. You will be partners in love for life, remembering while sailing on the great ocean of marriage to always be one other's best friend.
We then signed the registry, and it started to rain a bit. Then we were announced as Mr and Mrs G! We walked back up the aisle under the umbrellas, people gave me good luck charms, and J chucked a handful of rose petals down the front of my dress – saying "this is for Mr G, for later". Corinne told me that there were a few spots on our certificate, but I didn't care. Everyone came for kisses and cuddles. Rich said "Welcome to the family!"
We had photos, then everyone went for canapes, which I am told were amazing. We headed down to the beach for photos. Shoes off, then photo time. I sat down in the sand, and walked through the waves. Everyone was laughing and having fun.
The rain started and stopped, then it started pelting. Everyone except Chris left Mr G and I with the umbrella, and ran inside!
We had a few photos done inside the hotel, then Rod suggested going back outside again. I'm glad we did – we got some amazing photos down on the rocks.
When we came back in, we had a few glasses of bubbly, then it was time to head up to the reception.
We were presented to our guests. When we sat down, the sun was streaming in on us! The food was amazing. I had the salmon / chicken terrine / pastry. Our dance was excellent, Mr G sang all the way through it.
The speeches were beautiful, and made me cry. During dessert, I was trying to speak to everyone and eat at the same time – Fail! At some point, a helicopter came in and winched someone out of the water – great excitement. The band was the perfect Sunday afternoon sound that we were after.
When we had the leaving circle, I bawled again, saying thankyou to everyone special.
We went downstairs, back into the car, and my veil blew clean off! It felt like a fitting end to our day.
Mr and Mrs Yellow drove us up to Arthur's Seat, and I had to ring for the code to the locks. Once we were inside – Phwoar! *Stunning* views out over the bay, a spa, king sixed bed and gigantic couch.
We said goodbye to M&M yellow, then I had to get out of my dress. I was really quit sad, because I knew that I would never get to have a day like that one ever again.
Once I was comfortable, we went and sat on the couch, ate some cake, and drank champagne. I gave Mr G his present, and took out my hair. A spa was the perfect end to our beautiful day.
Honeymoon, the rest. April 13, 2009Posted by Natasha in Honeymoon.
Tags: Daintree, Honeymoon, Kuranda, Mossman Gorge, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Queensland
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The notes get a little sketchy from here. All I know is that Thursday was spent cruising from Palm Cove to Kuranda, then on to the Atherton tablelands, stopping for rainforest walks and Devonshire tea at Lake Barrine along the way.
Friday, I think, we headed up to the Daintree. Palm Cove and the actual town of Daintree were underwhelming, but Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree river were lovely.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday were spent lazing by the pool, in defiance of the impending trip home, and also in defiance of every sunsmart commercial ever made, because by the time I returned home, I looked like Dr Zoidberg.
Honeymoon Day 3 April 8, 2009Posted by Natasha in Honeymoon.
Tags: Diving, Great Barrier Reef, Honeymoon, Palm Cove, Queensland, SCUBA, Snorkelling
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Paul wakes me after his shower, it must be all of 6am. We make it to Cairns by 7:10, but we're feeling the pressure to get to where we need to be. We seem to have brought Melbourne's weather with us, as it can't make up its mind whether it wants to rain or shine. We have our second breakfast aboard the boat, and Phil Lance the Whale Marine Biologist briefs us for our trip. Mr G turns a nasty shade of green, then heads to the back of the boat to become re-acquainted with his breakfasts.
After quite a lengthy trip out, we arrive at the reef. Getting our gear on, and plunging into the aquamarine sea, we are again amazed at the warmth of the water. We strike out toward the reef.
The darker blue water eventually gives way to a shimmering silver, as the rock formations became clear. More and more reefs rose to meet us, as an abundance of tropical fish dart about. Some people dive down for a closer look. I lost Mr G at one point, and feel like an intruder into another world, floating above the reef.
After finding Mr G again, it is almost time for our dive. We took a few photos, then it was time to get our gear on. We sat at the back of the boat, anticipating what we were about to experience. Plunging into the water, I am worried that I don't seem to be sinking as much as I would have expected. As we head off, I try to swim down, but once I reach a certain point, my right ear simply won't equalize. I could see that at the bottom there were coral formations and big fish. Every attempt to swim down is futile and painful, as I keep floating up, amidst painful squaking from my ear. All too soon, the steps up into the boat loomed in front of me, and our dive was over. I realised just how heavy the SCUBA gear was as I tried to get back out of the boat – standing up – FAIL. Ever the image of coordination, I had to get someone to haul me to my feet via the tank. Heading back into the boat, it was time for lunch, and the trip to the second site for the afternoon. Lunch was an amazing feast, enough to satisfy even Mr G's now rabid hunger. Chicken, Ham, Lasagne, huge bread rolls, potato, pasta, garden and cheese salads and coleslaw. We settled down for the trip across the reef, and hoped that Mr G's lunch wouldn't request an encore.
After the briefing for the afternoon site, we were told about the coral gardens – visible across the reef as brilliant patches of turquoise – we were eager to get back into it. Mr G had decided to do the second introductory dive on offer, and we had both decided to take Phil the Whale biologist up on his offer of a guided snorkel tour.
Back in the water, we were yet again amazed by the temperature, a lukewarm 29 degrees. Diving in, we disturbed a school of reef Schnapper. They must have known that we couldn't capture them – despite being told that they were delicious eating fish – they weren't at all scared by the intrusion. We linked hands and swam toward the reef 0 although it was somewhat awkward, as being low tide, it was too shallow to swim across and we had to go around the outskirts.
No matter – the brilliant coloured coral formations were still there, as was the myriad of fish – blue, yellow, purple, turquoise, red – and every colour variation possible. We were guided out to the the coral gardens – a sight to behold! The were a roughly bowl shaped formation, approx 10m across, absolutely filled with thousands of species of hard and soft coral, and the same abundance of fish. The 300 year old giant clams were a treat, and we were both able to swim down and touch them. Their response – closing up to avoid the intrusion. We swam around some more, spotting many different creatures, until such time as Mr G had to leave for his dive.
I swam around by myself for a bit longer, but was too nervous to make the precarious shallow swim through the the coral formations, worried that I wouldn't have room to turn around once on the other side. Of course, faced with all this beauty, all I can think of is horror stories of coral scratches and major systemic tropical infections and coral colonies growing inside me and OHNOES TEH CORAL IZ GONNA KILL MAH!
I swam back toward the boat and rejoined the guide, although I had grown tired of his tourist pleasing "Look at the Nemo Fish" babble, he was able to direct me from the edge of the reef back to the coral gardens.
Meeting up with Mr G again, I was a little upset to hear of his amazing underwater adventures. On the trip back, there were no sea sickness issues, and we arrived back in Cairns exhausted, but ready for another swim.
Honeymoon Day 2 April 7, 2009Posted by Natasha in Uncategorized.
Tags: Honeymoon, Palm Cove, Queensland
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We wake uo to brilliant sunshine, go for a swim, take some photos and decide to go and get the car and some food. We head into Cairns to collect the car, and are amazed at the scenery, not having seen it the night before. We are directed to the Reef Experience cruise for snorkelling and diving, so we sign up for Wednesday. Arrange dinner with Justin, and head to "Woolworths" for food.
On the way back, we stop at a roadside food stand, and stock up on some lucious, and cheap, tropical fruit. Back to the resort, for a lazy afternoon. The last few days have caught up with me, and I'm not feeling the best.
We head to bed early, in preparation for our trip.
The Honeymoon April 6, 2009Posted by Natasha in Uncategorized.
Tags: Honeymoon, Palm Cove, Queensland
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I will admit that I am backdating these. All of these posts are written from notes that we wrote during our trip.
We wake up at Arthur's Seat to the incredible views. Breakfast consists of a fresh loaf of home baked bread, and we decide to take the remainder of the loaf with us, along with all the condiments we can find.
We head home, finish off the final packing, check our emails, and make the all important Facebook marital status updates. People have already started to post photos, but we don't linger, dreading being one of those couples that live-blogs their honeymoon.
We drive Mixy to Mum's, show the photos from my camera to Mum, D, G&G. D Drives us to the airport. I pick up the suitcase awkwardly and manage to burst a little blood vessel in my right ring finger, making it impossible to remove Mum's ring, which I still have on from yesterday.
Not long after our departure, we are surprised to hear our names being called over the PA in the plane, as "very special guests who are travelling with Virgin Blue on their honeymoon"! We turn around to see the hostie with a bottle of chamgpagne! The flight is otherwise uneventful.
We arrive in Brisbane, and have a short stopover before getting back onto the plane. We arrive in Cairns 3 hours later, and we are floored by the humidity, even late at night. Cairns International Airport seems to closely resemble a shack, complete with shipping containers as boarding gates.
When we get to baggage collection, there is the usual slight nervous feeling as we wait for our luggage. Mine comes around, but we are getting more and more agitated sa Mr G's fails to appear. Gradually, the lounge empties, and it is clear his bag is not going to appear. We head to passenger services, and they eventually find his bag. We find our driver, who takes us to Palm Cove.
When we arrive at Mango Lagoon, I am tired, hot, bothered, and snarky. I have a minor meltdown because – of all things – I can't make the airconditioner work. I finally work out how to call the after hours receptionist, who I am sure is delighted to be woken by me, and sort it out. Instant calm. Don't think it will be turned off in a hurry!
Over my initial attack of the bitch, we are delighted to see the pool that is mere metres away from our door. We are quick to test it out.
Realising we are starving, and having had little of substance since our loaf of bread, we decide to order a pizza. We had to walk down an unknown road, in an unfamiliar town, un the dark, with noone around to pick it up. We get lost, walk back twice, then ring the shop to ask for directions. Finally we get to have our pizza on the beach, near the stinger net. I head to the water's edge, and I am shocked to feel the temperature of the water – it feels like a bath at nearly 11pm! We took our time walking back, until Mr G fell down some stairs. He is ok apart from a bit of a twisted ankle, and a few skinned patches.
The whole esplanade is paved with bricks, and we walk back looking for a short cut. Epic Fail. We resolve to get a hire car on Tuesday.


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Fish Hoek AC – Time Trails
26th July 2017 @ 6:15 PM - 9:15 PM
Time trails take place every Wednesday evening at 6.15pm sharp. Announcements by the Club Captain are made at 6.10pm.
Runners have the option of participating in a 3km, 5km or 8km time trial. There is also a 1.2km run for the little ones. This takes place around the fields so the kiddies don't go out onto the street. Times are recorded for all distances by Derek Eve. We are most grateful for his help!
Wednesdays are by far the most popular evening at the FHAC. Our showers are hot and our beers are cold! A braai fire is lit and members are encouraged to bring along their braai goodies. Needless to say the bar is open. We are still the cheapest pub in town!
Prospective members are invited to join us on a Wednesday evening to get a sense of what we are all about!

subset: commoncrawl


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REGAL changed the market with the introduction of the FASTRAC Hull design. It is the main way REGAL is able to extract the maximum performance from its boats with less demand for power. With its innovative stepped hull, which Regal calls FasTrac, air is drawn in from the sides as the boat moves th...more
We're sorry to see this one go but check out some other options below.
REGAL changed the market with the introduction of the FASTRAC Hull design. It is the main way REGAL is able to extract the maximum performance from its boats with less demand for power. With its innovative stepped hull, which Regal calls FasTrac, air is drawn in from the sides as the boat moves through the water. That air is then channeled under the hull to break the surface friction and drag. The result is a faster and more efficient hull.
REGAL builds a great, tough boat. This is the reason this particular boat was chosen for use in a rental fleet at LAKE TRAVIS, Texas.........Lake Travis is an exceptionally clean freshwater lake.
The boat has been painted from the waterline up, and it is a pretty good paint job. I've detailed a few of the expected bumps and bruises found in a former rental boat. The boat looks good.
The hull shows evidence of minor damage but appears to have been adequately repaired. The boat hull could be better finished......if you are a DIY guy the areas mentioned ( see photos ) could easily be redone and would significantly enhance the boat's look and value.
The current owner ( 2nd owner ) installed great looking vinyl flooring which in not only functional but gives the interior a great look.
The Volvo Penta engine has been meticulously maintained and runs perfectly according to the seller.
The lower unit was replaced in 2015 due to a shifting issue.
The new lower unit operates flawlessly.
The current owner installed a classy FUSION stereo system with BLUETOOTH, and massive tower speakers powered by a new amp.
Lower Unit was replaced in 2015 due to a shifting issue. A complete VOLVO-PENTA drive unit was professionally installed and still operates perfectly.
Numerous chips on the hull were also repaired at that time.
The PROP should be replaced as its blades are either nicked or chipped. It is repairable but should be used as a spare, not the primary prop.
We have several active listings for Sea Ray, Chaparral, Bayliner, and Wellcraft. If you're in the New Braunfels, San Marcos, Schertz, or Kyle areas, please use the form on this page to let me know what you're looking for and I'll get back with you today about any other wake/ski boat / bowriders options we have locally that may meet your needs.
60-day Sea Tow membership* comes standard with your boat purchase!
All reasonable offers will be reviewed and presented to the seller.
All offers are contingent upon being fully satisfied with unit after personal inspection and/or professional inspection.
Check out this 2015 Regal 1900 es in San Antonio, Texas! #MyRegalboat #popyachts https://www.popyachts.com/wake-ski-boats-for-sale/regal-1900-es-in-san-antonio-texas-157600
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Illinois, an MBA from DePaul University,
and a law degree from Loyola University.
Prior to his current position, Horwitz
worked at a claims administration firm,
where he provided legal administration
solutions to clients, and before that
was a practicing attorney at Perkins
Coie LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
He holds a law degree from DePaul
University and a bachelor's degree
from Michigan State University.
Robert Musur has joined Great
American Group Inc. as managing
director in the firm's Corporate Valuation
Services division. He has more than
30 years of experience in valuation
services related to intangible assets,
business entities, and option and
warrant valuations, and has performed
across a variety of industries to support
M&A, bankruptcies, fairness opinions,
dispute resolutions, and financial
statement and tax-related valuations.
Prior to joining Great American Group,
Musur served as a senior partner in
the Economic and Valuation Services
group of KPMG in its Chicago office. He
holds a bachelor's degree in materials
engineering from the University of
James A. Peko has been appointed
national managing principal of Grant
Thornton LLP's Corporate Advisory &
Restructuring Services practice. Peko
has more than 24 years' experience
in capital markets and restructuring,
serving companies in transition for the
last 12 years. He has been a principal
with Grant Thornton for more than six
years and most recently served as a
principal in the Corporate Advisory &
Restructuring Services practice. Peko
holds a bachelor's degree in accounting
from St. Peter's College and an MBA
from Fordham University. In addition,
he is a CFA, a CIRA, and a FINRA general
securities registered representative
– Series 7, and holds a certification
in distressed business valuation.
principal of the firm's restructuring
practice. The two have a combined 60
years of experience in the restructuring
industry. Toney and Korf will continue in
their roles with existing clients, including
serving as CEO and COO of Brookdale
University Hospital and Medical Center
in Brooklyn, New York, as well as leading
the post-emergence Saint Vincent
Catholic Medical Centers of New York.
Mark E. Toney and Steven R. Korf
have launched ToneyKorf Partners
LLC, which provides interim
management and restructuring advice to
underperforming organizations. Both are
former principals at Grant Thornton LLP,
where Toney was the national managing
Bert Weil has joined Getzler Henrich
& Associates in New York as a
managing director. He has more than
20 years' experience and is responsible
for financial and business analysis,
business and restructuring plan
development and execution, and process
improvement to reposition clients for
future growth and profitability. Weil's
industry experience includes light and
heavy manufacturing, imported- and
domestic-product merchandising
and distribution, food processing,
apparel and textile, printing, medical
imaging, nonprofit, and retail, and also
includes balance-sheet restructurings,
operational and profit improvement
programs, liquidations, organizational
restructurings, debt replacements,
and sell-side transactions. J
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Mealey's (October 9, 2019, 7:45 AM EDT) -- SEATTLE — In a recently filed reply brief, insureds ask the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to reverse a lower federal court's ruling in favor of insurers in a coverage...
Federal Court 'Misread' $3.5M Arbitration Award, Insureds Argue To 9th Circuit
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A portion of our ginger range is certified organic through the USDA and ECOCERT, in concert with accredited certifiers such as Quality Assurance International (QAI). We encourage you to read product labels and use your own discretion in deciding whether a product is appropriate for your consumption given your specific sensitivities. The Ginger People makes every effort to provide you with the information necessary to make an informed decision.
If you have additional questions, please contact us.


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Photographed by Lopez Photo Design, this German house based in Koln is the epitome of gorgeous, modern design.
A tour of this home shows how a few splashes of colour combined with classic, clean architecture can create a house with incredible personality—before any humans have even set foot inside. This is a house with character and spunk!
The photographers have captured every element of this home, portraying every little bit of detail through a beautiful lens.
The architects have had a large amount of space to work with here, creating big rooms and spaces of luxury and style. Each piece of furniture has been carefully chosen to fit into these rooms, adding personality and colour.
Follow us on a tour as we explore the house inside out through Lopez Photo Design's beautiful photographs!
The colour and personality of this German house is evident from the exterior, where the white and brown neutral colours are complemented by splashes of red and blue. This home is a sight to behold from the outside!
A fantastic way to add personality to any home is to paint the front door a bright colour, such as blue, red or even green. Look at how it enhances the detail of the front door and brings a whole new look and feel to the exterior of the house. And it's easy to do! Buy some paint and get painting—a whole new house awaits!
The architects have also played with volumes and space here, adding different levels to the house, which creates an eclectic look and feel. Large windows and doors open the house up onto the exterior, creating a subtle division between the two.
Notice how the designers have also made use of the exterior garden space, putting down a beautiful bench and stone flooring. Each piece of the ground has been beautifully landscaped, creating a pristine home with perfect finishes.
We will start off in the bathroom, just to give you an idea of how perfectly and uniquely designed this home is, where there is a finishing touch in every space.
The bathroom is modern and sophisticated, with neutral and sleek colours—white and grey. The tissue holder and soap dispenser are also modern and sleek, enhancing the look and feel of the bathroom. These are the only accessories in this space, adding to the minimalist design. This is a great tip, especially for a bathroom. You don't want all of your personal items cluttering the counters in your bathroom.
Two silver vases of flowers have been carefully placed in this bathroom, adding gorgeous pink hues to the room, breaking up the white and the metallic.
The living room and dining room open up onto each other, creating a large and wonderful space living space.
The dining room table and chairs are neutral colours—wood and beige, complemented by a patterned blue rug. This creates an elegant and modern design. This is a great tip to for any dining room space. Add a darker colour to brighten the room up, without creating a space that is too bright or funky. Instead the overall look and feel is luxurious and sophisticated.
Beautiful, modern lights hang from the ceiling, adding a touch of creativity to the room. This works well with the table accessory.
The fireplace is a modern feature in this room, separating the living room from the dining room. These types of fireplaces add a modern and trendy element to any house and can be fairly easy to install. Chat to experts in your city about getting one for winter!
This living room is the epitome of modern and stylish design where a traditional living room collides with funky elements.
The focal point of this area is the cow print recliner chair, which enhances the living room, transforming it into a space of modern luxury. The designers haven't gone over the top, however. The other sofa is a neutral beige, subtle and sophisticated.
This works with a burnt orange rug and beautiful wooden floors. This is another great tip! Brighten up a living room with a colourful rug and a funky sofa.
The bookshelf on the wall is intricate and unique, adding another bit of character and personality to the house. These types of shelves are a great addition to any room and can even be crafted by you. Make it a family project and get creating!
This space shows how the designers have truly created a home of personality and colour.
Wall art has been placed on this wall, totally brightening up the bathroom space. The wall art gives the feeling of long stems of grass blowing in the breeze, which adds a very neutral and warm effect to this space. The designers have included burnt orange towels into the area, complementing the warm, grassy look and feel.
The rest of the design is minimalist, where only the bare necessities are included in this space—a basin, towel racks and a side table. This is where wall art works the most effectively!
This area of the house shows how the architects have ensured that every square inch of this home is luxurious, quirky and trendy.
This part of the house is made up of a steam room—a feature more commonly found in spas than in homes. However the size of this house allows for extra, luxurious touches that set it apart from the average family home. Personality, yes?
You'll notice that the minimalist style here remains, where only the necessities are needed—a hook for the gowns, towels for the steam room and gorgeous, light glass that separates the steam room from the rest of the room. There isn't an abundance of accessories or over the top ornate features.
What you will notice, however, is that wall art plays a role here again, adding texture, art and colour to the space. Plants set against a skyline are used again here, although this version is different to the last piece of wall art that we looked at.
The steam room also looks out through large glass doors onto the surrounds, making this the perfect relaxation spot. A steam room with a view!
The bedroom is the last stop in our tour, which features a beautiful, modern bathtub right there next to the bed—a trendy feature that is cropping up more and more in bedroom design.
This room oozes a sophisticated and elegant personality, just like the rest of the house. The wallpaper on the back wall of the bedroom adds rich, texture to the space and keeps it feeling warm and cosy due to it's beautiful, golden hue.
The linen has been chosen to work with this theme—white, gold and bronze. The overall effect is a beautiful, golden chamber.
The funkiest part of this bedroom is the small stepladder that has been converted into a towel rack—a great way to add trend to any room, while looking after the environment. Simply recycle and old stepladder by giving it a fresh coat of paint and you have a functional and aesthetically pleasing piece of furniture.
The Germans know great design, which is why this house is flawless. This the type of house that you have a long-term relationship with, a house that you love forever. Because let's face it, it's personality speaks volumes!
If you liked this home, then don't miss: This House is Dressed to Impress.


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A Blog is an informational website where an individual (known as a Blogger) shares his/her knowledge about the topic(s) of their interests. But, I can characterize a blog as an Online Content!
That's the SIMPLEST definition one can get, from any source. A blog is considered as the most prominent format of content. Therefore, it becomes vital to be able to produce an effective blog for the betterment of the readers.
So, the query, how to write blog content gains a lot of significance and this entire blog is based on this topic only!
So, let's start.
9 Easy Steps Towards Writing an Effective Blog Content.
Following 9 steps/strategies when heeded with allegiance, can cultivate a well-written and crafted blog!
1. Know your Audience
This is conceivably the most fundamental aspect of starting any business. Knowing your audience beforehand can help you in the long run. Having a clear understanding of your audience gives you a clear vision of their demand(s), what do they want, what they care about, etc.
For instance, if your reader is interested in starting his/her own business, then you probably won't provide them information regarding social media tactics, etc. Minimal knowledge of social media tactics is what they can show interest in but, they will primarily accept business-related blogs from you. And, the best way of doing so is to prepare a user persona.
A Persona is a fictitious character that you create in order to represent different users who follow you, show interest in your brand, etc. A persona helps you in modifying your blogs/contents according to your user's needs.
So, whenever you wish to start a blog, always know who your target audience is and what they desire!
2. Spend Time in Harvesting New Topics
As we have just talked about how vital is it to know your audience for whom you are putting in so many efforts, the topic of your blogs deserves the same percentage of importance from you because it's said that if the topic is of no interest to the readers, then no matter who you are and how decent your content is!
So, the ability of a blogger to harvest new and interesting topics (also, meaningful!) on a consistent basis is what decides his /her future in the industry.
Note: I know sometimes it becomes difficult to reckon new topics after some time so in that case, consider taking assistance from either Quora or your website FAQ, AnswerThePublic, etc. Mark my words, these are the gold mines of attractive topics.
3. Do some Keyword Research
After deciding the topic of your interest, it's the right time to do some keyword research. Many bloggers keep wasting their time finding keywords from here and there.
So, in this section, I will discuss everything about keywords like what are they, why are the important, how many types are there, and how to find the BEST keyword, in no time! So, let's start!
What is a Keyword?
It is basically a group of words in your blog post that helps the search engine rank your article a top when people search for the same keyword(s) in the search bar. For example, my article is about 'How to Write Blog Content'.
So, people will search for write blog content in the search bar and thus, my keyword is 'How to Write Blog Content' (it's a long tail keyword!).
Two Types:
Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords
Short-tail Keywordsare those whose length ends after a maximum of 3 words. Like, 'Write Blog Content'. Short-tail keywords have high competition and a huge search volume. Long-tail Keywordsare ones whose length exceeds 3 words! Like, 'How to Write Blog Content'. These have low search volume and low competition.
Hence, for effective SEO, usage of long-tail keywords is recommended as an article with long-tail keyword has better conversion rates and is easier to rank higher.
How to find the BEST Keyword
Now, let me give you those 2 tools that helps you in getting gripping long-tail keywords without wasting too much of your valuable time.
SEMrush:It is by far, the best keyword research tool I have ever used and its 'Keyword Magic Tool' is all you want to fetch a long-tail keyword with low Keyword Difficulty (KD), high Search Volume and higher Word Count.
Ahrefs: The only tool that stands at the same level of SEMrush is Ahrefs. It works similarly like the SEMrush. Type your keyword in the explorer, enter your preferred values of KD, search volume, and word count. It's a matter of a few minutes for Ahrefs to produce the result.
4. Write Compelling Titles!
Do you know your article's title will decide the number of clicks you will get. A good and attractive title is enough to catch the attention of the reader. For instance, consider the below two titles.
Heading 1: How to get traffic on your blog?
Heading 2: How to get traffic on your blog in 5 EASY STEPS
Out of these two, which one deserves more clicks and viewership?
Your answer will be the 2ndone and it's true! But sometimes, crafting a title can be a herculean task for the beginners and to help them, I am providing my top 2 strategies via which, crisp and attractive titles can be produced in no time.
Strategy #1:
Always make use of modifiers in the titles, either in the beginning or in the end. Examples of modifiers are Best,Free,Guide,Current Year, etc.
Strategy #2:
Always mention odd numbers in your headings as search engines give more inclination to odd numbers than even numbers.
So, combing the above two strategies, my final blog title will look like:
9 Easy Ways of Making Money from Social Media.
5. Concentrate on the Opening first!
Consider the case that you encountered an article with a poor opening paragraph which is not even in the context of the topic. How much time would you spend on that article?
If I were you, not even a second, literally!
So, this ascertains how valuable is the opening paragraph in making readers go through your blog. So, making the hook or the opening paragraph to point should be your first priority.
How to write an effective opening paragraph?
The ability to craft a soulful opening paragraph depends on the skills of the blogger and the amount of information he possesses about the topic. But, below-listed strategies are universal and can be adopted by anyone.
- Put your readers in a story. The sole aim of doing so is to make your reader nod his head, thinking, 'Yeah, that's me!'.
- Ask a few questions to your readers and make them believe that the answers to such questions are contained in that blog only!
- Add some interesting facts or stats that are in line with your topic.
- Add useful sayings (Quotes) from some of the renowned faces in the beginning so as to get sheer motivation.
- Bond over a problem, which you possessed and your readers are most likely to possess.
- Lastly, don't take the opening para too deep. That is, don't start your main article content(s) there only.
In this way, you can craft an effective opening paragraph for your blog.
6. Insert Compressed Images and Screenshots
Always remember, A picture says thousands of words!
So, using images, videos, screenshots (all relevant to the topic) is highly recommended, to a newbie and a professional. Now, you may be wondering why I have used the term 'Compressed' with images and screenshots, right?
This is because, original images, and screenshots have larger file sizes and take extra to load. As page loading speed is an important ranking factor, reducing their size (by compressing them) reduces their size and increases their loading time.
The best tool for taking screenshots is Full Page Screen Capture which I personally use because it's easy to use.
Note: While compressing an image, always keep in mind to not make any compromise with its quality. A tool that you can use to make this happen I Compressjpeg & ImageResizer.
7. Organize your Blog to make it more Readable
Suppose you have two blogs in front of you.
In the 1stone, the entire information is presented in the form of small paras of only 4-5 lines with tuning images. The latter one has only 1 big and dense paragraph but, is more informative. Which one would you opt for?
Obviously, the former one as information presented in small paras is easy to understand and give your the blog that extra readability.
So, organizing your blog content in small, digestible chunks are proposed by the experts! Also, this helps in the SEO process! So, try to encompass this strategy and see your business rise high.
Note: Also, don't forget to add a Table of Contents(with suitable headings & sub-headings) in the very beginning, after the introduction part, and before the actual article. This gives the reader an idea of what's inside the blog and also helps you in knowing what you have to write next!
8. Believe in Evergreen Content!
Evergreen Content is that type of content that doesn't lose its value even after years of publishing. These types of content will award you with views even after years of publishing. Readers find evergreen content more useful as they can consider reading it anytime in the future, as and when they desire.
Furthermore, Evergreen Content saves a lot of your time as evergreen content not always need up-gradation. So, always disseminate evergreen content on your blog as and where possible.
9. Keep Writing
Do you know that out of every 10 people who yearn of being a Blogger in the future, only 6-7 turns out to be one in the future. And do you know, why this isn't 10/10 even though Blogging is considered a straightforward profession?
The reason is that they get fed up of writing only after a brief period. This shouldn't happen at any cost. One should keep writing as much as possible, even if it gets tougher due to sheet competition.
Whenever you feel out of ideas and enthusiasm to write, always take a look at the blogs you admire to feel motivated. This simple strategy can help you in residing at the bleeding edge of the industry. So, keep learning and keep writing!
Final Words!
Although a promising blog doesn't come out on its own but adopting these 9 strategies can definitely help you in crafting one on your own!
These 9 strategies have been employed by some of the renowned bloggers in the field of blogging and are very helpful in shaping up your blogging career. So, it's the perfect time to transform yourself into a high-end blogger!
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Friday, May 03, 2019
(This series of ARTICLES are DESIGNED to be part of an EXPERIMENT which will take place over 60 days wherein we will discuss 30 COMMON BELIEFS held by MANKIND. Only a select few who volunteered will be privy to this information before it is released to the rest of mankind!)
Day 25 of the 30 DAY ADVENTURE; The USELESS and TOTAL WASTE of TIME the PRACTICE of MEDITATION is!
Today on DAY 25 of our ADVENTURE we are going to use a previous article published during a series which is explained at the beginning of the article where we took 'The Psychegnosis News' to court for the many claims made over 10 years of publications. As this ADVENTURE is part of an investigation by you the reader it will help those who desire to understand the mission of this newspaper and why it is the most important information ever revealed to mankind which is indeed a very bold claim to make. Here is the evidence presented during that court case. ENJOY!
Article 41 in our new SERIES of articles pertaining to the CREATION of the PHYSICAL WORLD we dwell upon and ask that all those who desire to DISCOVER whether we are here by ACCIDENT or by DESIGN. We will discuss the EVIDENCE presented by modern-day SCIENCE as well as that which we can see with our own eyes. We remind all those who are reading these articles that PSYCHEGNOSIS is NON-RELIGIOUS and ask that you lay aside any BIAS either for SCIENCE or RELIGION.
(We have set up a fictitious courtroom which over the next few weeks we will investigate in detail the claims contained in this newspaper 'THE Psychegnosis News)
PSYCHEGNOSIS V SCIENCE; Why MEDITATION is Part of the PROBLEMS of MANKIND!(40) DAY (5) IN COURT
PROSECUTION COUNCIL; The charge today is concerning the beliefs of billions of people who practise MEDITATION. This is a serious allegation, how do you plead?
PROSECUTION COUNCIL; We ask that you put your evidence in front of the JURY!
Meditation has been around for thousands of years and we do not wish to demean those who are advocating the use of MEDITATION because as with POSITIVE THINKING it is understandable that to treat our emotional information as the problem for mental health issues seemed to be the only answer, but as our findings are based upon our emotional information NOT requiring to be fixed we reiterate that it is dangerous as well as useless to try and repair that which requires no fixing!
The problem with MEDITATING is that it is another form of treating a dead entity which is the 'ILLUSION' that we have all been brainwashed into believing is 'who we are', therefore reinforcing the erroneous belief that our vibrational impulses are 'who we are!
The facts are that MEDITATION is taking our 'ILLUSION' as being a reality when in fact it is no more than something that is only a creation in the mind of the individual.
We have within the Archives of this newspaper literally hundreds of articles pertaining to why MEDITATION is not only unnecessary but is also a waste of valuable time and is therefore something that must be abandoned or it will continue to be a barrier to bringing about both peace for us as individuals and most importantly mankind!
In MAY, 2009, we published a series of articles explaining in minute detail the reason we believe MEDITATION being used for the purpose of treating our emotional information is unnecessary and for those of the JURY who may wish to investigate further our findings on MEDITATION these articles are readily available within the archives of this newspaper.
Here are two of such publications which we would like to present to you the JURY today;
PSYCHEGNOSIS or Meditation - what is Reality? (Part 7)
May10th 2009
Please update with reading the first 6 articles before commencing on this chapter on Meditation.
The important thing to take note of in this article is, that we are not saying that Meditation has not helped mankind in the pursuit of Peace.
What we have discussed thus far; is the practise of Meditation necessary - when we realise what PSYCHEGNOSIS has to offer?
Let us again look at what PSYCHEGNOSIS has to offer the World.
We believe that Life itself is the source of Peace.
That the thinking minded have controlled the World since the beginning of time.
The connection to our thinking being "who we are" has caused War and strife.
Not only between nations, but in communities, families and in the body and mind of every individual.
Our understanding that our thoughts are "who we are", has brought us to the point of total mayhem and insanity, in every generation of man.
This connection to our minds being "who we think we are",is evident as we look at our own individual world we live in.
By this we mean - look at our own behaviour and then those of our family and friends.
Ask yourself these questions -
1) "Are any of the problems that any HUMAN BEING have, that are not connected to thinking"?
2) Do we (ALL MANKIND), constantly create a "STORY", that backs up our insane behaviour?
3) Does this "STORY" rule their/my life?
These are important questions, when answered, will give us a better understanding of the insanity of both the world and ourselves, when we connect "who we BELIEVE we are",to our thinking.
The evidence, is overwhelming.
This belief has brought about the need to rely on Religion as well as countless forms of self help groups and methods.
They are all sincere in their beliefs that they can solve the insane behaviour of mankind.
They all give a message of hope and an explanation of how their philosophy will "save the individual" from the behaviour that they are caught up in.
The difficulty is, that the behaviour is NOT the problem.
Our behaviour is only an end result of the real problem.
This problem is our belief in our thinking mind being "who we are".
The behaviour is the symptom but isnot the problem.
The thought is what has brought about the behaviour.
We (MANKIND), have tried unsuccessfully since the beginning of time by blaming our behaviour.
This has been unsuccessful because we have used further thinking, to fix the behaviour.
It does change the behaviour, but it istill leaves us being controlled by our thinking mind.
We have only changed the behaviour, not the the problem.
The thinking mind is the problem because it will do anything it can to keep its control.
That a change in behaviour for good is good, but it does not cure the problem.
Meditation, makes great changes in human behaviour, but it does not cure the problem.
This change is based on opting out of experiences, and creating a refuge within the mind.
It is a change of thinking and is only temporary.
It is reliant on "how we think", and is mind based.
It is not Reality.
It is an "illusion".
It does indeed desire Peace and goodwill to all mankind, but it is based on tricking the mind into what is not Reality.
Reality is Life as it "IS".
PSYCHEGNOSIS has revealed that "we are not" our thinking.
That LIFE itself is all we require to bring about the Peace that ALL mankind is seeking.
That to see things as they are is Reality.
When we realise that our thinking mind and the thoughts that it creates - are only thoughts that it creates - is the key!
This brings Reality into our lives.
This supercedes the "illusion" of being connected to our thoughts, and brings into focus the Reality of Life itself.
Peace is only available in the present, and not in past or in future thoughts.
Before we present our second piece of information we remind the JURY that we have numerous articles explaining our stance and we ask that you study and investigate further and you along with every other person who decides to read the information will have peace beyond anything they have experienced.
We further reiterate that we believe that we do not desire to take away the good side of MEDITATION but wish to add that it is not used as a form of escape or to bring about conflict between our physical body and our real self.
The second of our articles is taken from another series concerning MEDITATION we did in November of 2009;
Meditation - Why the "illusion" loves it? (Part 3)
Please read our previous article on Meditation before reading this part.
We shall continue our debate on Meditation by putting together some interesting pointers on why we at Psychegnosis News believe it is not the permanent way to Peace.
We spoke in our previous article about the escapism from life itself that the practise of Meditation gives.
We also wrote that it gives only temporary relief from what we have been taught to belief - that this world is a bad place.
That life experiences needed to be avoided are also an ingrained belief.
These beliefs need to be reversed to have Peace.
When we say our beliefs need to be reversed - we mean exactly that.
Our Sub-Conscious beliefs that to dislike this world, that life is a bind, and that our physical body needs to be escaped from to have peace, are deeply entrenched within it.
We have been taught to believe that these teachings are True.
Our ancestors have passed them to us through our D.N.A..
Our teacher's and those who influence us in our early years have told us that there is a better place to be, than here on earth.
Perhaps our religion has influenced us to believe these things.
The world in general believes them and they carry a significant influence in our world belief system.
It is easy to see why we believe that here on earth is a bad thing.
It is not difficult to understand the reason Meditation is sought after when we consider all these factors.
We are brain washed into these beliefs.
We at Psychegnosis News wish to say that when we understand who we are not that it shall realign our beliefs.
When we understand that we can control what we believe we can open our minds to what - IS.
We can suddenly detect that our programmed beliefs are not who we are.
We shall understand the "illusion" of our feelings that we once comprehended as being who we were.
We shall also feel free from reacting to our emotions.
That the world around us will become a friend and not a curse.
We shall not fear what life gives us.
We shall simply be one with all that is.
The feeling of Peace will be had from our life and there will be no need to escape into Meditation.
PSYCHEGNOSIS and understanding who we are not is the key.
Question for the JURY to contemplate is; DO I REALISE THAT MEDITATION IS BASED UPON ESCAPING REALITY AND IS ACCUSING LIFE AS BEING BAD THEREFORE REQUIRES US TO BRING ABOUT A HATRED OF OUR EMOTIONAL VIBRATIONAL INFORMATION RATHER THAN APPRECIATING OUR VIBRATIONAL IMPULSES AS BEING PART OF OUR AMAZING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM?
We could say more but we will leace it at that for you the JURY to decide if our reason for our stance on MEDITATION is correct or not!
It as it 'IS'! END OF ARTICLE


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Happy Friday everyone! Labor Day weekend is one of my favorite holiday weekends of the year. I love celebrating the last days of summer with my family and friends, and the extra day off doesn't hurt! Whether you are planning a weekend getaway with your family or just getting some much-needed rest and relaxation, here is a little easy reading for you. We've selected our favorite stories from around the web this week. We don't mind if you stray from time to time, just don't forget who really loves you: Baby Gizmo!
- A back to school tech series to make this school year easier. -Cool Mom Picks
- Ever wonder what professional chefs pack in their kid's school lunches? -Time Out New York Kids
- Great information on how to ease your children's fears about natural disasters. -Baby Center
- Have you seen these spikey backpacks popping up on the playground? -Baby Box
- A new California bill that might make it even harder to afford a babysitter. Great. -The Stir
- Do celebrity moms have the same struggles as working moms? -Her Say
Have a great weekend!


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If you are a man and you are planning to ask for the hand of your lovely girlfriend for years then you should be aware of the different engagement ring options. Aside from the wedding, it is also one of the occasions, or not literary occasion
January 2013
Wedding flowers can transform a lackluster and dull space into a booming and vivacious one with personality. These wedding flowers come in different sizes and shapes and can be catered easily to the personality of the person.
Weddings are among the biggest events that need to be planned carefully or else, your dream will surely turn into a nightmare even in just a single mistake.
For women, wedding is the most important occasion in their life and having the best wedding dress that will perfectly fit with their body is one of the main considerations that women have.
Each and every couple that is about to marry are really particular about every single detail during the preparation of their wedding. Indeed, a wedding day should be the most special event of their life.
Wedding planning for the new year 2013 need not be a daunting task for couples because by simply determining the things that you like, allowing sufficient room for possible adjustments as well as being organized, you will surely be able to organize the best wedding event ever.


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The Morning Download: Artificial Intelligence Starts With Data
Good day, CIOs. Deep within mighty artificial intelligence--harbinger of homo deus / destroyer of jobs--lies a weakness hearkening back to the earliest days of information technology, nay back to the beginning of humanity itself. Bad or mistranslated data is worse than useless. CIO Journal's Sara Castellanos tapped into the data standardization angst Tuesday at a conference hosted by open networking group ONUG.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to wholly transform a large company's information technology infrastructure, but algorithms can't work properly without a standardized way of formatting the data that makes up an enterprise's back-end infrastructure, IT leaders said Tuesday at the conference.
"Two years ago we were asking ourselves will we ever get to a standardized place … it sounds like that's still not settled," said Neal Secher, senior vice president and head of networks and data center modernization at State Street Corp.
Or as Bob Friday, co-founder and chief technology officer at AI-driven wireless network company Mist Systems, put it: "AI starts with data, and if the data is lousy, you're not going to make any great AI."
Apple's Tim Cook calls for comprehensive U.S. privacy law. Apple Inc.'s CEO called for a U.S.-wide privacy law, citing the European Union's new data-protection rules as a benchmark to counter corporate abuses of personal information. The Journal's Emre Peker and Sam Schechner have more on Mr. Cook's call to action, delivered Tuesday at an international conference on data and privacy organized by the EU.
Swipe at the tech rivals. "Technology is and must always be rooted in the faith people have in it," the Apple chief said. "We also recognize not everyone sees it that way—in a way, the desire to put profits over privacy is nothing new."
To be sure. A U.S.-wide regulation could put Apple, with its strong emphasis on being a privacy-conscious company, at a relative advantage compared with Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google—both of which have grappled with massive data breaches.
The advantages of being a device maker vs. data broker. The company uses encryption to protect its devices and says it keeps sensitive information, like facial profiles, on individuals' devices, rather than its servers.
Cyber attack on Saudi petrochemical plant linked to Russia. Cyber firm FireEye Inc. believes a research institute owned by the Russian government is linked to a malware attack targeting a Saudi plant's safety shut-off system. The system, designed by Schneider Electric, was considered critical to defending against catastrophic events, The Journal's Dustin Volz reports.
A new phase. Experts said the attack, first disclosed last year, potentially represented a start to a new phase of attacks on control-systems computers used to manage factory floors, chemical plants and utilities.
U.S. Cyber Command targets Russians. The New York Times says that the efforts is the first known campaign aimed at protecting American elections and stopping the spread of disinformation. The agency would not go into detail about the operations, some carried out in recent days, but they appear aimed at individual Russian operatives.
Astro Teller heads up X, the Alphabet Inc. lab tasked with making new businesses such as Wing and Loon. The WSJ's Douglas MacMillan recently talked to him about what makes a great X project, celebrating failure and the tech that will have the biggest impact in the years to come.
Q. Will people rely on artificial intelligence to create products and businesses in the future?
A. Starting around the '70s, people were using microprocessors as a new arrow in their quiver when they went to solve a problem. People became increasingly aware that when you were thinking of how to solve the problem, you should have at least considered using a microprocessor. I think it's exactly how artificial intelligence—and machine learning in particular—will feel.
Dyson plans to build electric cars. Dyson Ltd., the British company best known for its high-end vacuum cleaners, said Tuesday it plans to build electric cars in Singapore, The Journal's Daphne Zhang reports. The company has said it plans to rely on its innovative engineering and design credentials in developing vehicles, and that it won't collaborate with other car makers.
Brexit hits London's fintech scene. The city remains Europe's most popular tech hub, but not by much as Brexit approaches, Reuters reports. According to a survey of 540 tech founders, London's popularity dropped to 41% from 55% in 2017. Berlin took second with 40%. The survey was conducted by the European Startup Initiative.
Business automation startup People.AI gets $30 million from Andreessen Horowitz. The startup scrapes contact information from various systems, including emails, and uses machine language to create contact portraits that help sales and other executives, ZDNet reports.
Behind an Amazon Prime Day glitch: Oracle. Amazon.com Inc.in a report says a move from an Oracle Corp. database to its own technology led to a technical problem at an Ohio warehouse, delaying the delivery of thousands of packages. The glitch happened in mid-July during the company's annual 36-hour sales event. "My guess is that they changed databases a while ago, didn't test the exact load model that occurred during their Amazon Prime Day and got surprised, badly," Henning Schulzrinne, a computer science professor at Columbia University, tells CNBC.
A hyperloop system could be coming to the Middle East. Reuters reports that Hyperloop Transportation Technologies plans to begin work in Abu Dhabi by the third quarter of 2019. A hyperloop, composed on levitating pods hurtling down airless tubes at speeds of up to 750 miles-per-hour, have never been used commercially.
President Trump escalated his attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, saying he threatened U.S. economic growth and appeared to enjoy raising interest rates. (WSJ)
Rising costs, a stronger dollar and concerns over growth in China are posing new challenges for U.S. manufacturers. (WSJ)
Target said it plans to offer free two-day shipping on online orders this holiday season, undercutting competitors like Amazon and Walmart. (WSJ)
Tesla shares soared after it announced plans to report quarterly results sooner than expected, fueling speculation that it has good news to deliver. (WSJ)
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text:
These last several days have been tough ones for me. After sitting through a half dozen interviews this week alone, I still find myself without a job. I'm broke and frightened and I'll admit, insanely depressed. One out every eight New Yorkers is unemployed so I know that I'm not alone in this struggle. I can't help but feel miserable, though. I've been trying my best to keep myself out of this funk, doing whatever means necessary to make most of the situation and keep a smile on my face and in my heart. My friend, Courtney, wrote me a sweet letter recently and reminded me to think about all the things that make me happy. Life may not be going my way right now but I have plenty to be gleeful about…
I wake up every morning. It's hard to but then, I remind myself that I'm given this privilege that a lot of people are denied. Yes, it might be hailing outside and bitter cold but I know that I need to approach this gift with sunshine and gratitude. Each new day holds a new promise and a new adventure- I'll never know what happens but at least it's happening.
My family. I don't see them often but I love them very much. My mom surprised me with a quick trip into the city last week and made sure that I had enough to eat that day. My youngest sister, Jordan, writes me the cutest love notes, which I stash away in coat pockets and my purses to read whenever I feel blue on the subway. I know that my dad and stepmom are just a phone call away whenever I need advice, as well as my multitudes of aunts, uncles, cousins (and etc!) that are scattered across the country.
My friends. They say that friends are the family you made for yourself and I'm grateful for the ones I have, here in the city and those beyond. I can count on them if ever I get lost in the East Village and am jonesing for some crack pie, need a super long hug or getting my ass in shape with accompanying me to a complicated yoga session. Thanks to them and my family, I know that I have a lot of love around me.
Animals. The best thing about being unemployed is the free time I now have. I've been spending a lot of that time volunteering at the Brooklyn Animal Rescue Collation's cat loft, petting some cuties and getting my tabby fix. It's one of the few places where I can truly be in the present moment and think only about making the furball curled up on my lap happy and keeping him purring. Plus, my pets at home are equally awesome. Mobile and Birmingham are quite the snugglers.
Music. Come on- tell me who doesn't love music? It always makes me feel better (even if it's listening to Christina Aguilera's "You Lost Me" for the eighth time in a row).
True, I have plenty of other things to be joyous about (and I keep that list lose always). And true, with a little patience and a little bit more faith on my end, I know that things will look up for me soon enough. I hope that you, dear reader, carry around such a list. If not, I challenge you to look around at the beauty surrounding you and ask yourself what makes you smile from ear to ear.


text:
China's One Child Policy Was 'The Stupidest Thing A Country Ever Could Have Done'
Dr. Dudley Poston, demographer and professor of sociology at Texas A&M University, discusses China's one-child policy and its global implications. (56 min., 19 sec.)
A sociologist who has worked closely with senior Chinese government demographers says that China's recent shift from a "One Child Policy" to allowing two children per family will do little to alleviate fallout from the long-standing birth limits.
"No, there will not be a baby boom, and yes, there will be an economic bust," said Dudley Poston, a Texas A&M University demographer and sociologist who has researched China's population issues for 35 years.
Poston, who was speaking at Asia Society in Houston last month, noted that, starting in 1971, the Chinese government had pushed the wan-xi-shao (later, longer, fewer) campaign, which exhorted later marriage, longer intervals between children, and fewer children. The fertility rate subsequently dropped from its 1960s peak of more than seven children per woman to less than three in 1979. When the strict "One Child Policy" was then fully implemented in 1980, it pushed the fertility rate down even further, leaving it at around 1.3 to 1.4 children per woman today, according to Poston's estimates. This timeframe was much tighter than in the United States, he added, which saw its fertility rate peak at seven children per woman around 1800 before very gradually falling to 1.9 today. "[China] did it extremely rapidly," Poston said. "It was among the most successful fertility reductions, but its success and speed has raised all sorts of issues."
One of these issues is a population bottleneck. Because China is aging so rapidly, its workforce shrinks by millions every year and the productivity dividend the country once enjoyed from its large young population is fast disappearing. "I tell my undergraduate students, take off your shirt or coat and look in the back and you'll see 'Made in China,'" Poston said. "If you do that in 20 years, it'll say made someplace else. China will no longer be the world's manufacturer."
Poston also cited the growing gender imbalance, which stems from a traditional preference for sons and sex-selective abortion exacerbated by the birth limits. At its 2008 peak, 120 boys were born for every 100 girls in China, according to government statistics. In the past 20 years, Poston noted, nearly 50 million Chinese boys have been born for whom there will not be Chinese women to marry when they grow older. Among other serious side-effects, Poston's research has found that the resulting increase in prostitution, coupled with a massive "floating population" of migrant workers, could take HIV/AIDS from a concentrated outbreak to a generalized one. "[We] have estimated that China faces the possibility of an HIV/AIDS epidemic that could rival the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, which has 8 percent of the world's population and 70 percent of HIV cases," he said.
Last year, in attempt to reverse these trends, China announced it would further relax its family planning policy to allow two children for all families. Poston noted that local pilots and surveys have already shown that this will not result in the desired baby boom, since women are more preoccupied by education and careers and increasingly put off by the high costs of raising a child. "Officials initially predicted as many as 10 million extra babies," Poston said. "It seems the increase will not exceed one million."
"This was the stupidest thing that a country ever could have done," Poston added of the "One Child Policy," saying that the wan-xi-shao campaign and socioeconomic development were already bringing down the birthrate. "The Chinese demographers agree that it was a very very stupid thing to do. You didn't have to do it."
Watch Poston's complete talk in the above video


text:
The Centre and Its Purpose
The Centre, founded in October 2009, is a research institute of the Law Faculty of Charles University in Prague. Its research agenda focuses on private and European law. The Centre participates in domestic and international projects, in the exchange of researchers, and cooperates with domestic and international research and educational institutions. The Centre is headed by the director and employs three other researchers and other specialists. The Centre seats in the Law Faculty building.
Through its activities, the Centre participates in the development of law in a broad sense. It undertakes research on current problems in the fields of private law and European law. The output of the Centre, most of which is published, aspires to enhance the quality of legal regulation by analyzing relevant legal concepts, phenomena, and categories in the Czech legal order and legal orders of other states and supranational organizations. The Centre's main contribution consists in enhancing the functioning of law in both legislative and application spheres.
Basic Research Methods
The fundamental thesis of the Centre is that legal science and research cannot be limited by a national framework. Like other areas of human activity and scientific interest, legal research is mostly and primarily state- and nation-indifferent. This indifference recedes only in the case of the positive expression of legal norms of regulation, which is a product of the particular national or supranational mechanism. However, science and research are international. Legal comparison is therefore the fundamental method of the work of the Centre.
Within its capacity, the Centre focuses on Anglo-Saxon, German, and Roman legal culture. This requires appropriate language abilities of the Centre's academic and research staff, which form an important criterion in the selection of researchers.
The Centre employs various interdisciplinary approaches, especially the economic analysis of law and the findings and categories of social studies and political science.
Implementation of Objectives
The Centre implements its objectives through three basic forms – research projects, educational events and colloquia, and expert opinions.
Research projects
The Centre undertakes research projects subject to previous internal approval. The Centre focuses on both extensive projects of foundational research and the relatively less demanding analysis of current problems.
Scientific conferences, Educational events and Colloquia
The Centre organizes events where it presents its current research agenda and preliminary results and where researchers of the Centre and external collaborators discuss the problems and tests the validity of their arguments.
In addition to the outcomes of its own research projects (see below in Part II), the Centre organizes, in its own capacity or in cooperation with other institutions of academia and legal practice, seminars and colloquia, e.g., on research projects of Ph.D. candidates and international guests of the Centre, and occasionally also of researchers of other Czech academic institutions.
Expert Opinions
In addition to its research agenda, when requested, the Centre provides its expert opinions in its areas of expertise on specific current problems.
Publications are naturally the major results of the work of the Centre. The Centre also publishes part of its output on its webpage. The majority of the publications are made up of monographs, conference proceedings, peer-review journals articles and research papers.
Educational work
Depending on their capacity and their area of expertise, the researchers of the Centre are involved in teaching and other educational and vocational training.
The researchers of the Centre are employees of the Law Faculty and their salaries and other allowances and expenses form part of the Law Faculty budget. However, remuneration may flow from other sources as well. Direct expenses are covered in part from the Law Faculty budget and in part (especially travel expenses) from other sources.


text:
Guide to the Jeanne R. Lowe Papers, 1959-1973
Table of Contents
- Collection Summary
- Biographical Note
- Scope and Content Note
- Subject Headings
- Administrative Information
- Access and Use
- Encoding Information
- Container List
Collection Summary
|Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries
|Lowe, Jeanne E., 1924-1972
|Jeanne R. Lowe Papers
|34.5 cubic ft. (34 boxes, 2 scrapbooks, and 1 folio volume) - also includes 2.5 shelves of her book and magazine library.
|Materials pertaining to urban renewal, urban housing, role of women in the sciences, race, public housing, the National Urban Coalition, community planning, and academic classes and seminars she led at Goucher College, the New School for Social Research, and New York University. Also includes manuscripts and scrapbooks relating to her book Cities in a Race with Time (1967), biographical material, and miscellaneous items relating to Vassar College and her participation in its 100th anniversary.
|Forms of Materials:
|Correspondence, reports, speeches, and articles.
Biographical Note
Jeanne R. Lowe (1924-1972) was born in Pelham, NY, and attended the Horace Mann School for Girls. After she was graduated from Vassar in December 1944 (Class of 1945-4), Lowe began a career in journalism. In time her interests focused on urban affairs, and she became known as an expert in that field. From 1959 to1960 she directed Goucher College's seventy-fifth-anniversary, year-long program on urban society. She was a frequent lecturer on college and university campuses, and spoke before numerous national organizations. A regular contributor to magazines such as HARPER'S and THE NATION, Lowe's major publication was her book, Cities in a Race with Time, published in 1967. She was engaged as a consultant by many organizations, including the National Urban Coalition, the Fund for the City of New York, and the Ford Foundation. At the time of her death Jeanne Lowe was a senior fellow at the Urban Center of New York University and a lecturer at the university's Washington Square campus.
Return to the Table of Contents
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, reports, speeches, articles, and other materials pertaining to urban renewal, urban housing, role of women in the sciences, race, public housing, the National Urban Coalition, community planning, and academic classes and seminars she led at Goucher College, the New School for Social Research, and New York University; specific cities covered include New York, New Haven, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Miami, Sunnyvale (Calif.), Chicago, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C.; manuscript of her book Cities in a Race with Time (1967) and scrapbooks of reviews and references to the book and her other work in urban affairs; her diary for 1968; and miscellaneous materials relating to Vassar College and her participation in its 100th anniversary.
Return to the Table of Contents
Access and Use
This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library without any additional restrictions.
Return to the Table of Contents
Subject Headings
- Goucher College.
- National Urban Coalition (U.S.)
- New School for Social Research (New York, N.Y.)--Faculty.
- New York University.
- Vassar College--Anniversaries, etc.
- City planning.
- Housing.
- Public housing.
- Racism.
- Urban renewal.
- Women authors, American.
- Women college teachers.
- Women in science.
- Women journalists.
- Women--Diaries.
- Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions.
- Cleveland (Ohio)--Social conditions.
- Miami (Fla.)--Social conditions.
- New Haven (Conn.)--Social conditions.
- New York (N.Y.)--Social conditions.
- Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions.
- Pittsburgh (Pa.)--Social conditions.
- Sunnyvale (Calif.)--Social conditions.
- Washington (D.C.)--Social conditions.
Document Types:
- Diaries.
- Scrapbooks.
Return to the Table of Contents
Encoding Information
Encoded by Elizabeth Clarke, February 2007.
Return to the Table of Contents
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Jeanne R. Lowe Papers, Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries.
Processing Information
This collection is currently unprocessed; however, a preliminary box listing is available.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Joseph Lowe.
Return to the Table of Contents
Container List
|Boxes 1-2
|Biographical information, special projects and ideas for projects, and correspondence. Includes information about the Lowe papers; career résumés; publicity; material on urban renewal; Andrew Haswell Green; material on the Goucher College 75th anniversary program, 1959/60 (a seven month seminar on "Human Values in the Emerging American City," directed by J.R.L.); Citizens Union proposal for decentralizing city government; Committee for Economic Development project on Rochester, N.Y., with report and related materials; relations with MacDowell colony; urban renewal seminar at the New School, 1965; lectures at colleges and universities, and other lectures; correspondence with McCall's as Urban Affairs Editor and with the Saturday Review; material on European cities; the Negro woman; New York City housing; relations with Twentieth Century Fund; Municipal Art Society; Committee on Architectural Preservation; Architects Technical Assistance Center; New York University course, "The City in Crisis," 1972; and Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar, 1972-73.
|Box 3
|Copies of articles and speeches by Jeanne Lowe, including material relating to her visit to Vassar, October 1971, as a participant in the program for the 100th anniversary of AAVC.
|Box 4
|Correspondence, promotion, reviews, etc., relating to J.R.L.'s book, CITIES IN A RACE WITH TIME (NY: Random House, 1967).
|Box 5
|New York Urban Coalition materials and report, New York City Housing Authority, and Fund for the City of New York Report.
|Box 6
|Committee for Economic Development; Lowe program for cities; Ford Foundation Report, 1971, and earlier versions; N.Y.U. urban course; housing round table, 1969; N.Y. State Urban Development Corporation.
|Boxes 7-8
|Sloane Foundation Report on the role of women in the sciences with materials collected during the preparation of the report, 1971; materials collected during a tour of European cities, 1970; items relating to Vassar, including student papers.
|Box 9
|N.Y.U. secondary curriculum studies and manuscript of a book on urban studies for junior high schools.
|Box 10
|Materials on housing (middle-income housing, public housing, race, and housing).
|Box 11-13
|Metropolitan planning and problems (transportation, taxes, local government, etc.). Box 13 also includes material on new town and speeches by Paul N. Ylvisaker.
|Boxes 14-19
|Manuscript of J.R.L.'s book, Cities in a Race with Time; additional versions of individual chapters with materials related to the chapters.
|Box 20
|Washington, D.C. and federal programs for cities; redevelopers; James Scheuer.
|Box 21
|Victor Gruen Associates, including an interview with Victor Gruen, 1959; George Raymond; New Jersey planning.
|Boxes 22-23
|New York City and Robert Moses
|Boxes 24-26
|New Haven
|Boxes 27-29
|Box 30
|Box 31
|Box 32
|Box 33
|Chicago, Chelsea, Cleveland, and other cities
|Box 34
|Copies of J.R.L.'s book and other publications, and a 1968 diary.
|Box 34
|Also two large scrapbooks of reviews and references to Cities in a Race with Time and other items relating to J.R.L.'s work and the New York City Planning Commission's Plan for New York City, 1969. A Proposal.


text:
We are home from a fun, long week in NYC with Bech's parents. We had a wonderful time!
We decided to take the Megabus to NYC. We weren't sure how parking would be, so we didn't want to drive. And the train was the same price, but we would have had to drive 45 minutes to Lewistown (the nearest station), then leave our car there for 7 days. So Megabus it was!
Jack was SO excited about riding the bus. We talked it up for about a month before hand. And I gave him Bertie the bus (a Thomas vehicle) when we got on the bus. We were lucky enough to snag the 4 seats that face each other, and Bech's classmate, Eric, who happened to be on the same bus, sat with us (a decision he may be regretting now...).
He really did pretty well. He would NOT sleep on that bus ride, though! He was a little wiggly and, sometimes, a little loud, but overall it was a good trip.
When we got to the city, we grabbed a taxi to take us out to Brooklyn, where Bech's parents had rented an apartment. And Jack fell asleep within 5 minutes of that taxi ride. Of course.
We ordered in Chinese and Korean food and hung out with Bech's parents and brother in the apartment.
(A lot of nights were like that, just hanging out in the apartment, which was perfect for Jack, and for his pregnant momma!)
Monday was probably our most tiring day (and definitely the day we walked the most!). Bech's little brother just finished culinary school and is going to be working in the city at Cafe Boulud. He is renting an apartment in Brooklyn, near Prospect Park, but he has no furniture. So Monday morning we headed to Ikea to fix that.
After a morning at Ikea (and some Ikea cinnamon rolls...yum!), we headed to Hunter's apartment to drop off some purchases. The big items were scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday. We got back on the subway and headed to Chinatown.
Chinatown is crazy and a little overwhelming! But we found a fun little restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner. We had fun looking around, and Bech got some brushes to use for glazing pottery.
We headed back and sat on the rooftop of our apartment for a while, watching the sunset in Brooklyn. My mother-in-law has a fitbit (which I am now obsessed with)--we walked 7 miles the first day! Needless to say, we all went to bed pretty early!
Tuesday was definitely a Jack day!
Tuesday morning, Hunter headed back to Hyde Park for two more classes before CIA graduation, Mr. John (my father-in-law) headed to Hunter's apartment to wait for the furniture delivery, and Miss Karey (my mother-in-law), Bech, Jack, and I headed to Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn.
This zoo was so fun and cute. It is not big at all, but that was perfect for Jack. He loved playing and seeing all the animals, especially the monkeys.
But is favorite thing was the petting zoo, where he fed the goats and sheep. I was really surprised...my kid screams if a butterfly gets near him! But he LOVED this part. In fact, now he tells us that his favorite animal is a goat!
We found a cute little pizza place, Gino's Trattoria, nearby for lunch, then headed to the Brooklyn Children's museum, where Mr. John met us.
And, of course, Jack fell asleep 5 minutes before we got to the museum. We let him take a cat nap, then woke him up a little early to play. I left my phone with the stroller, so I didn't get any pictures of him in the museum. But he had a blast! I am a sucker for Children's museums, and this one was really fun. I felt like it was really unique.
We headed back to the apartment and had another fun night in.
Wednesday morning, we all split up. Mr. John hung out at the apartment. Bech and his mom hit Union Square for some shopping, and Jack and I headed out to meet some Mississippi people living in New York.
Jack and I had fun visiting with our new friends (although Jack was NOT on his best behaviour...sorry, Sarah Denley!). And I loved the excitement of being all along with Jack in New York...terrifying and thrilling at the same time!
We met up with Mr. John near the subway stop, then headed into Union Square for lunch at Republic (which was one of my favorite meals!). After lunch, we split up again: Bech and his dad went to the Whitney to check out the Biennial show, and Miss Karey, Jack, and I went to Central Park (with a stop by Dylan's Candy Bar first!).
We thought surely Jack would fall asleep walking around the park, but he was too excited! We stopped for a snack break (Spiderman popsicle, of course!), looked at the sailboats, and played like we were John Smith.
We met back up with Bech and his dad, ate dinner at a local diner, then split up again. Bech and his dad went to a Dorothy Parker reading, and Miss Karey and I took Jack home for bed.
Thursday was our LONG day. We got up at 5:30 a.m. and didn't get home until 9ish.
Thursday morning, we took the 7:15 train from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie to go to Hunter's graduation from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). After the graduation, there was a reception with tons of fancy food prepared by CIA students. Seriously...think Top Chef and Iron Chef worthy.
Jack isn't much of a foodie. But he couldn't resist playing with Uncle Hunter's chef hat. Future chef, perhaps?
We loaded up Hunter's dorm room and rode the train back to the city. After unloading all of his luggage at his new place, we went to Momofuku for a celabratory dinner.
I didn't really eat the duck dinner, but I did enjoy a cereal milk milkshake from the Milk Bar after dinner!
I think Friday may have been Jack's favorite day! We headed out a little later and hit up FAO Schwartz first. Jack is still talking about the big toy store! We had told Jack that he could get one "happy" at the store. The first thing he wanted was a medium sized Woody (from Toy Story) doll. We tried to talk him out of it by walking all over the store and pointing out tons of different, fun toys...I mean, we have three Woody's at home! But this boy wanted that doll...so now we have four Woody's.
We headed to UNIQLO next. Bech's parents have been raving about this store since they first went up to NYC to drop Hunter off. And it was really cool. No maternity section, but Bech got some cute pants. I have now made a shopping trip to UNIQLO one of my motivators to lose the baby weight this fall!
And while we were there, two friends, Jeff and Angeline (who is a classics professor at UVM) headed over to meet up with us). I haven't seen Angeline since we moved from Vermont...it was great to catch up with her! Plus she has a conference around the New Year in NOLA, so I'm hoping I can see her in 6 months too!
Not the best picture, but you get the idea.
We headed to the LEGO store next. Jack is OBSESSED with Lego's. He loves building and playing with his duplo sets. He was in heaven in that store! Plus his grandparents may have bought him a couple of birthday presents.
We had lunch outside (the weather was amazing the whole week!), then headed to Eataly to check it out. Um...that place is amazing! It was really crowded. I don't know if it was the time (mid afternoon Friday) or the start of Memorial Day weekend. I would love to go back at an earlier, less crowded time and check out the whole store.
We headed home and had another lazy night in.
We decided to check out the Brooklyn Flea Market in the morning. I enjoyed that, but my favorite was actually a market we stumbled onto a little later. As we left the flea market and headed for the subway, we ran into a once a year African market. AH-MAZING. I bought a happy for myself and a present for my goddaughter's first birthday. Most of the vendors were from West Africa, and I loved talking to them!
We headed into Manhattan, wandered around the Union Square Farmer's Market (which is really fun!), and had a late lunch/brunch at Resto. Since I didn't take any pictures all Saturday, here's a shot of Resto that I found online:
It was super yummy. We let Jack play around at Union Square in the park before heading home. Hunter made us an amazing dinner (having a chef bro-in-law definitely has its perks!).
Ever have one of those days where everything works out really well? Sunday was that for us!
You can't call a taxi to come pick you up in Brooklyn. You can call a car service, but that's twice as much! Bech walked a couple of blocks away and was able to hail a cab to take us into Manhattan to the Megabus stop. We got to the stop two hours early, but there was an earlier Megabus heading to State College. There was room (and a really nominal fee) and we got to switch to the earlier trip! Then we were able to get four seats facing each other again, and Jack fell asleep!
Seriously, it was great...everything just kept working out! Jack did pretty well on the second Megabus trip, and we got home an hour and a half earlier than we thought we would.
We had such a wonderful time in NYC. And now that Hunter has an apartment there, I see a couple more trips in our future...!