BEST. CONCERT. EVER.

Every Thursday, I get "The Weekly Round-Up," an e-mail from Rhode Island Monthly with various to-do's around the state. They have anything from concerts to art shows, petting zoos (I'm not kidding, there was one this past weekend!) to local festivals (i.e. Newport International Boat Show). I hadn't made any weekend plans, so I thought I'd take an extra close look to see what was going on over the weekend. I was a little disappointed by my options (ex: the petting zoo) until I saw option #5: RODRIGO Y GABRIELA!!!

I love all types of music, but it is usually my brother that ends up introducing me to new genres and/or groups. Ryan introduced me to Spanish bacchata several years ago (when we were still at Purdue), followed by Rodrigo y Gabriela some time after that. There are no vocals to any of their music (with the exception of a few yells here and there during live music)- just two acoustic guitars.

So, needless to say, I bought my tickets in less than five flat after I say they were going to be in Providence. The concert was at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, which is sort of a combination bar/concert venue. It has some seats right in front of the stage, as well as some in the mezzanine level. There weren't any seats left by the time I bought my tickets, but general admission was fine with me. (I mean, let's be serious... no way I'd be able to sit down and not dance during the concert!)

Some information on the duo, courtesy of iTunes:

Guitar heroes from Mexico via Ireland, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have been dazzling fans internationally since the release of their Rodrigo y Gabriela album in 2006. Armed with only a pair of acoustic guitars, the duo creates a full, energetic sound. Rodrigo covers leads and melodies, while Gabriela’s specialty is harmony, rhythm, and guitar-based percussion.

Before they became the most visible flamenco duo of the early 2000s, guitarists Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero bonded over heavy metal while growing up in Mexico City. They combined their talents for a time in the metal group Tierra Acida, playing around D.F. in the roughest clubs the city had to offer. Though they recorded some material, Tierra Acida never hit it big, and an album was never released. Instead, Sanchez and Guintero concentrated on learning more guitar styles, teaching lessons during the day and playing bossa novas in hotel bars at night. Bored and frustrated with their chances in the Americas, the two decided to try their luck in Europe instead.

Rodrigo y Gabriela traveled to Dublin, where a friend had offered them a place to stay. The musicians spoke no English, carried little money, and upon their arrival found that their offer of European hospitality had vanished. The pair soon turned toward busking on the streets on Dublin, a move that enhanced their reputation and helped land several contacts. Among their new found friends was fellow busker Damien Rice, who soon asked them to accompany him on tour. The Mexican duo had, by this time, developed a large repertoire of original material in a variety of styles, and they released their debut record with 2003’s Re-Foc. A concert album, Live: Manchester and Dublin, followed one year later.

Rodrigo y Gabriela became the newest fixture of the world music circuit, known for their nimble-fingered guitar work and diverse background (few flamenco guitarists could boast a background in metal music.) Their third album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, was released in 2006 and debuted atop the Irish charts, beating out Arctic Moneys for the number one spot. They continued to tour, making their way through Japan and America, and 11:11 expanded their discography upon its 2009 release.


Below are some of the pictures I took at the show, followed by a few short videos. (Don't worry, I wasn't one of those people that holds their phone/camera/whatever up to film the entire thing, how annoying.) Just like anything else, it's difficult to capture the whole experience in a picture or video clip, so take them for what they are worth. The last video is my favorite song, Tamacun.

After a few songs, Gabriela talked to the crowd for a bit. There's nothing better than watching people who are extremely talented and loving what they get to do, but even better yet, still thankful for every opportunity they have to play.

Every time I had a good shot, someone with an enormous head got in the way.

They played a short set (between all of their songs) with the intro act- one of the songs was by Pantera. How crazy is that?!

During a couple of slower songs...

My favorite picture from Friday's concert

If you ever have the chance, you *have* to see them in concert! For those of you in Indy, they are going to be at The Vogue on May 13!!!

Enjoy the videos!

Arts, Culture, and Exploration

I've been a very busy bee lately... I'm trying to fit in as many sites/attractions before my time in Rhode Island is up. We have had gorgeous weather the past two weekends, so I was able to do some exploring. I'll start with telling you about my Saturday in Providence and Boston (two weekends ago).

After a breakfast of fresh orange juice and Mini Spooners (the generic version of Frosted Mini Wheats... I actually think they are better than the brand... the cereal is much crunchier and has more frosting), I headed down to Providence to do some exploring. Both Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) are in downtown Providence in the College Hill district. Thanks to Rhode Island Monthly's weekly communication about upcoming events in the area, I learned that RISD was having several free activities on Saturday to compliment a new exhibit in the RISD Museum.

The Carrie Tower on Brown's campus reminds me of the clock tower at Purdue (When I was an RA on the eighth floor at Shreve, I had an amazing view of the tower... so many great memories from Purdue!). On the bottom of the tower is an inscription that reads, "Love is strong as death." (Kind of creepy if you ask me!)

The Van Winkle gates mark the entrance to Brown University. According to Mitchell in the Brown Encyclopedia, "They are opened inward to admit students at the beginning of the college year and at the beginning of the second semester and on Commencement Day are opened outward to allow the procession to pass through, at which time the graduates traditionally doff their caps."

The students frequently have art fairs to showcase and/or sell their work... I bought a pair of dangly, gold earrings that are made from aluminum cans.

This is a picture of the featured exhibit at the museum. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get it. I drew things like this in kindergarten, and no one called it art, framed it, or paid money for it. (If you can't tell, the drawing is made up of cross-hatches and scribbles. There was another piece of "art" where the artist had drawn a square and filled it repeatedly with the alphabet. (It's a good thing I waited until the museum was free to attend; otherwise I think I might have felt ripped off.)

How about this for an admissions building?

I climbed the fire escape (don't worry... it had stairs and was somewhat sturdy) and took this picture of the city skyline. (Okay, so the trees are blocking most of the buildings, but I thought it was an interesting point of view.)

A church sits at the bottom of College Hill- doesn't this look like it belongs on a postcard?

I thought this was a charming old building... I love the name--"What Cheer Garage"

After RISD experience, I headed into Boston for another cultural experience. A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and purchased a GPS (tax return + amazing deal at Target = can't miss opportunity), which made it MUCH easier to a) navigate through the city and b) find parking. I can't believe I didn't own one of these earlier this year, but there are two sides to every story. I did get lost quite a bit, but without a GPS, you really get to know your way around an area. After a quick dinner (and changing in Uno's bathroom), I went to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. About a month ago I received a notice (I am on so many list serves- you wouldn't believe it) that they were having a sale on tickets this spring. If you were under 40 years old, you could buy 2 tickets for $20 each (that tells you what the crowd is like), as long as you could show identification when you picked up the tickets. I didn't find out my seat location until I picked them up (they don't tell you), but I was in the fifth row!!! I loved being at the symphony... the music was beautiful and the backdrop was breathtaking (plus, who doesn't love to get dressed up?). The original featured violinist was unable to make the performance (he was stuck in Europe because of the ash cloud), but I was delighted to learn that there was a French horn soloist instead. For those of you who don't know, I played the French horn for 5 years (middle and high school). Learning to play a musical instrument is something I believe every child should have the opportunity to try- it teaches discipline, hard work, responsibility, teamwork, and an appreciation of the arts.

Here is a picture of the inside of the symphony hall... I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but I'm not sure my camera would even have the capacity or I would have had the angle for you to appreciate it. (Photo from the BSO website)

I did manage to sneak a picture of the light fixtures on the ceiling....

...And another one of my view of the stage (no zoom involved!)

I'm going to do my best to make a Boston Pops concert before I move back home, too--I'm just going to miss their July 4 show (I leave the day before), but I'm sure they are just as good any other weekend (and probably less expensive!).

Doing Something for Those with Nothing

Last Friday my department spent half of our day performing community service at the Rhode Island Food Bank. They have a new marketing campaign they'll be launching at the beginning of May, and they needed assistance assembling displays that will be distributed to Dunkin' Donuts and Whole Foods stores in the area. Before we began, there was a short talk by the director- did you know that a $2.99 donation can provide 10 lbs of food to a family in need? It just goes to show that a little can go a long way.

I really enjoyed interacting with my co-workers outside of the office environment- I am lucky to have such a great team. (No, I'm not just saying that- most of them don't know I have a blog or know and don't read it.) Even though I'm excited about moving home, it will be hard for me to leave my RI work family.

Here are a few pictures from our department outing...

Our group picture--the lighting was not the greatest in the warehouse where we were working. Naturally, I'm on the left side right in the streak of sunlight and can't be seen.

Deb and I taking a break for a photo op

Here are the cans that we had to stack on the displays. Jim, Amy, and I raced Bill, Kevin, and Lauren to see who could stack the cans the fastest (we're not competitive at all!). The cardboard display was made of two parts, a top and a bottom, both of which had to be socked with empty tin cans (labels out, Dan!). After assembly, the team had to place a cardboard cover over the display without disrupting the cans! You'll be happy to know that my team came out on top.

Doesn't Lorna have a great smile?

Glenda (left) and Jeanne make building boxes look easy

Don't mess with Jim!

Deb! In the office (and outside of work, I guess) I always call Debbie by her first and last name together, so it feels a little incomplete to just type her first name.

Look for more pictures to come- I'm having some difficulty loading the rest of them onto my blog.

And speaking of volunteering, I'll tell you about the clinic I've been volunteering at in Providence later this week.

A Weekend With My Valentine

This past weekend I had a very special visitor! Nick flew into Boston on Thursday afternoon (he will do anything to avoid connections, and there is not a direct flight from Indianapolis to Providence) and I picked him up after work. In order to avoid rush hour traffic, we decided to eat dinner in the city. I took Nick to Newbury St, a popular shopping area in Boston. I was starting to get a little hypoglycemic, so we ate an early, casual dinner at Upper Crust (*love* their calzones!), followed by some window shopping in some ridiculously expensive stores.

I ended up going into work on Friday after much debate between the two of us about the underlying meaning and implications of me not taking a day off. From my point of view, why wouldn't I take the day off, and why didn't Nick want me to? His argument was that we would still be able to spend time together and that I'd have an extra vacation day to visit him for a 3-day weekend. In the end, I didn't take the day off for 2 reasons: 1. I had a lot of work to do in the office 2. I started to agree with Nick's point. He is going to China in April (*so* jealous!), so I won't be able to visit when I originally planned (he will be gone on his birthday, April 4). At least now I'll have the option of taking a 3-day weekend in March. (I hate it when he's right!)

When I had gotten home from work, Nick had flowers and chocolates waiting for me.

They smell wonderful! Fresh flowers are one of my favorite gifts.

As a combination Valentine's Day and birthday gift, I got Nick a new iPod nano! Apple offers free engraving (he wanted his full name and new e-mail address) and free shipping. The new nano shoots video, which will be nice for his trip this spring.

On Friday night, we went into downtown Providence. My co-worker, Alan, had given me a free pair of tickets to see the Providence Bruins game at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Our tickets were in the luxury suite, which was more relaxing, and there were 5 other people from work watching the game. It wasn't anything fancy, but we had a nice time. Nick had never been to any type of professional hockey game (his last one was a high school game), so the opportunity for free tickets couldn't be passed up. After the game, we went out to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. (I know, I didn't take him to any local restaurants, but it was what sounded best to both of us at the time.)

Alan and his son, Daniel, who was so well-behaved for a two year-old

So upset that we forgot to take a picture of ourselves!

On Saturday, Nick and I made one of our wonderful homemade breakfasts. We had blueberry pancakes, fresh orange juice, turkey bacon (for me- it's not really my favorite, but I need the protein), and an omelet for Nick (complete with tomatoes, goat cheese, peppers, and onions- this guy doesn't mess around in the kitchen!) Nick and I make a good team- my pancake batter is better than his, but I always end up burning them, while he seems to cook them just right. We lazed around and watched some of season five of The Office that Nick had brought with him from Indy. Nick had never really seen the show when we started dating, so we began watching the seasons on DVD. When the fifth season came out, we vowed not to watch the new episodes until we could watch them together (Awww, how cute).

On Saturday afternoon, Nick and I drove to Princeton, Massachusetts to go skiing on Wachusett Mountain. This area is only an hour from my apartment and had night skiing available (we aren't always morning people on the weekends). There are 22 trails with a peak elevation of 2,006 feet. The weather turned out to cooperate, too- it was just above freezing and not too windy. I had not been skiing in seven years, so I guess I was what you call "rusty." However, for whatever reason, I didn't think I'd have that many problems, but I struggled a little more than I thought I would.

A picture of Wachusett Mountain at night

The trails at Wachusett Mountain

Nick had skied much more than I have, and I didn't want him to be bored by going on all of the easy trails. (He was such a good sport the entire time- it was so nice to ski together.) We started off on a blue square trail (medium difficulty), which didn't seem all that bad until about a third of the way down the mountain. I managed to have two major falls with my feet over my head both times. (At this point, I am laughing hysterically after my falls- I am sure that I looked like some sort of cartoon character tumbling down the snow.) After a couple of runs, I started to get the hang of it with the help of my ski instructor (that would be Nick). He was very patient with me, even when I got frosty with him (no pun intended) a couple of times. (I can take one piece of advice per run... e.g. I will focus on keeping my skis together this time, but I can't keep my skis together, keep my back straight, and look for soft spots in the snow to turn.)

Before our skiing adventure

On one of the lifts... we look like we are going to rob a bank!

Nick and I went inside the lodge at the base of the mountain to get a drink of water and find the bathroom. I went into the restroom and looked into the mirror to pull off my hat, gloves, and scarf. There was a woman who was cleaning up around the sinks.

The cleaning woman: "Is it raining outside?"

Me: "No, I just fell a couple of times."

The cleaning woman: "On your face?"

Me (laughing so hard that I could barely answer her): "Twice!"

I had gotten so much snow underneath my hat during my falls that my hair had become so wet that it looked like a bucket of water was dumped on me.

After our quick rest, Nick and I decided to try to find Bullock Lodge. Bullock Lodge is a small cabin about halfway down the mountain in between two black diamond trails (aka difficult) that serves hot cider and doughnuts, so you know that it was a high priority stop for me! We started down one difficult trail but not the right one- the trail that the cabin was located off of was closed shortly for grooming. I fell on the trail after about 200 yards, but after regaining composure, I did well going down the rest of the trail, well enough for me to even give a "woo-hoo!" scream. When we returned to the top, the trail to the cider house had been opened (another difficult trail). There is a split halfway down the mountain, and instead of going left, Nick and I went right. We spotted the lodge through the woods, and Nick quickly yelled that there was a path through the woods that we could use to reach it. I was in front of him (going way too fast, I might add), so I didn't have much time to cut over. I made it onto the trail, but because I was out of control, took a serious tumble about 50 yards later (It was more of a face-plant that a tumble). This fall hurt the worst of all... I felt my chest and face hit the hard, icy ground, and my left leg had a sharp pain. Nick helped me get up- no broken bones, but I was definitely banged up.

We made it into the cider house for our respite, and I was so glad to be there. Not only were the homemade cider and doughnuts amazing, the lodge was warm and inviting. A local farm, Red Apple Farm, makes both the doughnuts and cider- just thinking about them makes me hungry!

Not the greatest picture (my camera kept fogging up!), but here's a view of the inside of the lodge

We went down several more trails, and after one more serious head-over-heels fall, I was done for the day. I went inside to the lodge at the base of the mountain to warm up, while Nick did one more run on his own. All in all, it was a very successful (and fun!) day on the slopes.

Nick and I made dinner at my apartment on Saturday night- tacos, Spanish rice, and frozen margaritas (well, for me... Nick stuck to his wheat beer). We were thinking about enchiladas, but I had forgotten to pick up the sauce and chiles. I can only make a few meals that both of us like, and this happens to be one of them. Sometimes it is more relaxing to eat at home than to try to go out to eat, especially on holiday weekends. (Growing up, we would always try to eat at home for Mother's Day and Father's Day- it can be too crazy to even make the trip worth it.)

Nick had to be at the airport by 1:00 PM today (Sunday), so we took it easy in the morning (more pancakes!) since we had to leave by noon. I still get sad every time he or I leave one another (well, I get sad when anyone leaves after visiting me here, for that matter), but for Nick, it usually doesn't hit me until I get back to my apartment. All of the little things around my place start to have memories connected with them (why else would I have olives, Dr. Pepper, or Franziskaner in my refrigerator?). I've been doing really well the past couple of months as am working to "embrace" my experience here in Rhode Island, but there is a part of me that will always miss my valentines at home.

Working for the Weekend

Well, next weekend, that is... I've been attempting to get ahead of the game the past couple of days so that I can relax next weekend when Lisa comes to visit. I normally don't have to do too much work on the weekends. However, I am going to be in Arizona next Monday through Thursday helping with immunization training in Tempe (back to my old stomping grounds!). I actually spent two months in Tempe when I did a summer internship several years ago, so I'm looking forward to going back... it may be hotter than hades there in the summer, but it is *gorgeous* when it's not scorching.

Mrs. K, I am so sorry that I missed your birthday on Monday! Nick reminded me about a month ago, and I forgot to write it down. He claims he said something about it that day, but I *know* I would have remembered if he had told me recently. Hope you had a happy birthday! (I also realized that I don't have any pictures of you or your family... looks like I've got a mission for Thanksgiving.)

Speaking of the K's, I never finished telling you about Nick's visit last weekend. We were watching an episode of The Office when he suddenly got up from the couch and told me to close my eyes and cover my ears. I had no idea what he was doing, and I was anxious to know what was going on! (read: me screaming "eeeee!") A couple of minutes later (it felt like much longer), he let me open my eyes. First, he gave me the sweetest card (last weekend actually marked a year since we met... and yes, he was the one that remembered). I know most guys aren't into cards/notes, but I think Nick knows how much I love them. Then, he gave me a copy of The Prince of Tides, one of his favorite books he's been telling me about for some time. (Note: I was at the bookstore about a month ago looking for a good book to read when Nick called. I asked him for the name of the book he had been telling me about, but he "just couldn't remember" it. I thought nothing of it at the time, but it turns out he had already gotten the book for me.) Then, he had me close my eyes again-- I asked if I was going to get a kitten (wishful thinking!). I opened my eyes to find a small backpack in front of me. Before I even opened it, I had an idea of what was inside... a picnic! (When we were in Mainz, Germany this summer, we saw the most adorable picnic basket that I desperately wanted to take home with me. We still had over a week of travel, and there really wasn't a good way for me to take it back to Indy without spending a fortune on mailing it home. I was absolutely delighted that Nick remembered the picnic basket that I loved.) The backpack had several compartments: an insulated portion for storing food, a pocket for miscellaneous storage, and a large, zipped area that kept plates, silverware, glasses, napkins, a cutting board, a knife, a wine bottle opener, and mini salt and pepper holders (I'm sure I am forgetting something.. Oh yes, there is a side holder for a bottle of wine.) What a great gift!

On Easton Beach in Newport with my new pinic basket!

On Saturday night, Nick and I went into downtwn Providence to see "Waterfire." I am not really going to do it justice by trying to explain it, so here's Wikipedia's version...

"WaterFire is a popular environmental art installation created by Barnaby Evans in Providence, Rhode Island. It consists of a series of up to 100 bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence in Waterplace Park (the Woonasquatucket, Moshassuck, and Providence rivers), with accompanying world and classical music, sometimes with live performances. Started in 1994, events continue to be scheduled on an approximately biweekly basis from April through October. WaterFire is a public art work that uses the urban experience and its attending visitors as an element within the artwork. One impetus for WaterFire is to continue the revitalization efforts in the downtown Providence area by bringing residents out to celebrate in the city's downtown streets and through increased tourism from out of state visitors (60% of viewers are from outside the state). Average attendance is 45,000 a night, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000. WaterFire is presented for free, with twenty percent of the funds needed to cover the expenses provided through governmental means and the remainder coming from on-site donations by visitors, private donors and corporate sponsors."

So, there you have it. When we arrived around 7:30 PM (it was supposed to start at 7:15 PM), there were a ton of people standing around, but nothing was really going on. We decided to stake out a spot just off the main part of the park so that we'd be able to have an unobstructed view. As the sun was setting, the action began. There was a procession of people from that week's sponsor, United Way, carrying torches to the center part of the park and around the lake. Then, several boats full of people all dressed in black came down the river to light the fires. During and after the fires were lit, there were opera singers staged around the park singing songs I couldn't understand but sounded very beautiful (Italian, maybe?). I had *very* different expectations from what it ended up being. I was imagining some type of Indiana Jones student show you'd see in a theme park, complete with blowing fire, loud music, and people swinging from ropes. A little disappointed I didn't have anyone shoot fire at me, but I still liked the event.

Part of the Providence skyline

At Waterplace Park before Waterfire starts

An attempt to photograph fire (it's as hard as it looks)

Another attempt to photograph fire (Better but less than ideal)

I made a promise to myself that no matter what I'm doing, I will take a picture of a group or couple if they ask me (I've asked for more than my share, that's for sure)

After that, we walked around Providence until we decided to eat at Capital Grille. The restaurant is very nice (I've eaten there once before with Deb and Troy), but unfortunately, we didn't have the greatest waiter (I think I may have gotten my mom's restaurant curse!). If there is one pet peeve I have, it is running out of water and having to wait to get more to drink. I mean, I'm not talking I drink all of the water and if they aren't there lickedy split, it's the end of the world. I could probably even do 5 minutes. BUT, I was eating something spicy (calamari with hot cherry peppers), and he was in the general area at least five times before we could get his attention. (And the only reason he brought me water is because Nick stopped him on his way to the bathroom to tell him his girlfriend was dying of thirst!) Despite a slight lack of water, the dinner was wonderful... great food, great scenery (we sat outside, and you could still hear the music from the river), and great timing (we didn't have to wait!).

I would finish, but I need some beauty sleep! More to come tomorrow about our day in Newport.

TGIF

Friday, July 10, 2009

6:00 AM: phone alarm goes off (Ringer is the theme from Saved by the Bell)

6:05 AM: hit phone alarm snooze

6:10 AM: Sweetheart alarm goes off, hit phone alarm snooze

6:30 AM: wake back up to phone alarm. (must have fallen asleep after alarm #3)

6:33 AM: finally get out of bed. Sure my neighbors love me at this point-the walls here are a little on the thin side.

6:50 AM: get out of the shower and attempt to pick out an outfit.

6:58 AM: dry and curl my hair, which I realize is getting long. Not looking forward to finding somewhere to get it cut around here.

7:14 AM: Try to pick out an outfit again. Pick a purple dress.

7:17 AM: Eat breakfast, make lunch, and read parts of the article my students are presenting on later that day.

7:29 AM: Realize that I had better get ready to leave for work. Also realize I wore this dress last week. Quickly change into heather-brown dress pants, a coral top, and brown heels.

7:30 AM: Put on my make-up. Normally would have put it on in the car, but Nick convinced me otherwise a couple of months ago. Read this.

7:36 AM: Leave for work. Decide I'll take a different route this morning that I think is faster.

7:40 AM: Make a wrong turn onto 146 N instead of 146 S.

7:46 AM: Still driving on 146 N. No exits, no where to turn around. Wire fence and steel graters in the highway divider.

7:48 AM: See a dirt road with a sign that says "For Official Use Only." Don't see any exits down the road. Feeling pretty official. Decide to use it to turn around.

7:49 AM: Successfully get onto 146 S. Finally on my way to work. See flashing red and blue lights.

7:50 AM: Get stopped by an older policeman. Took my license and registration (By the way- I HATE my license picture! It is atrocious! Now you're not allowed to smile (with your teeth showing) in Indiana. They claim it helps with computer-driven face recognition. That's fine, but this makes my face looks chubby.)

7:59 AM: After convincing him I am a) a new RI resident b) trying to get to work and c) really sorry and I'll never do it again, he lets me go without a ticket or warning.

8:24 AM: Arrive at work. Sea of cars forces me to park all the way in the back row. While getting out of my car, I realize I forgot my lunch.

8:32 AM: Stop by Debbie's desk. Tell her about my morning. All she can do is laugh.

What a morning! I end up having a great day at work, even if the morning was a little bumpy. I had two more meet n' greets- Debbie has been kind enough to set up meetings for me with people all over the company that I'll be working with throughout the year. I met with a lawyer who is charge of HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) in the morning, and later that afternoon, I met with two people in our pharmacy marketing/merchandising group. One of the individuals is a pharmacist who is now in charge of working with manufacturers to purchase all of the branded prescription drugs we carry. I've always said that I love the variety of opportunities that are available for pharmacists, and so far, my residency has made that even more apparrent.

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do Friday night, but I knew I had to go do something or I would go crazy! Following some advice, I headed to Thayer Street in Providence. It is a busy, eccletic street near the center of Brown University. I think it was a little slower that normal, seeing that school wasn't in session, but I was okay with that. I didn't stay out too long- just some people-watching (love this!) while sitting at an outdoor table, sipping a glass of wine at a local restaurant, Paragon. At the end of the night, even though I didn't want to go out by myself, I'm glad I did. It's funny- I've never felt uncomfortable about doing things by myself until now, when I actually have to. Having the option of being with people or doing something alone somehow seems different to me than my current situation.

A big thank you to those of you who have called, sent e-mails, written cards, and mailed packages! Mrs. K- you are so thoughtful! I am looking forward to seeing you at Andrew's baptism. Debbie and Jerry-- I love the new kitchen accessories! I was actually in desperate need of dishtowels- and they are in my favorite colors! I'll put a picture of them up tomorrow for all to see.

Stay tuned- more to come on today's adventure in Wickford Village tomorrow! Goodnight!