Musing the Big Apple

Things I (Carrie) miss about New York:

* public transit
* walking to where you're going
* Nuts 4 Nuts vendors
* Central Park
* the relative ease of knowing which direction you're going at any given time
* Lanky monsters emerging from the skyscrapers to attack stupid unsuspecting tourists
* My coworkers at the Gap
* the bagel guy on the corner of 90th and Columbus
* our visitors
* the increased probability of running into Jerry Seinfeld and chasing him down the street, shouting Seinfeld lines at his back.

Thanks to Shane and/or Darron for the photo. But mostly to Shane for the compilation CD of New York pics.

Ski Report 2006

I'd like to congratulate the folks over at CarrieandBrian.blogspot.com on the pregnancy and wish them the best in the future. (Please note that this is BrianandCarrie.blogspot, we do not know the other people of the same names, we are NOT going to have a baby within the next nine months, and this is a confusing and poorly written entry that may lead to one's belief that we're having a baby. Which we're not.) We're happy you've joined us at BrianandCarrie... My cousin Audrey logged on to the former site and was shocked and appalled to learn that she had to go online to learn about the baby. Who, with apologies to our parents and Julie Jacobs, does NOT yet exist. I almost fell out of my chair laughing and the thought of Audrey going to the wrong site. For those of you who know her well, I'm sure you'd agree that it's just the perfect Audrey story.

Our first skiing adventure of the year took place Sunday at Steven's Pass, not Mt. Baker as previously reported, in the Cascade mountain range. No pictures to share at present--just imagine lots of pretty snow and lots of pretty trees with snow and lots of pretty mountains with snow. Started the day off getting a $7 discount on my lift ticket because the ticketseller, who was from Sedalia MO, gave me a Missouri deal. Then I took a dramatic (but not painful) spill and busted up my ski boot, and they felt sorry for me so I got a free boot rental. Saved about $20 total all things considered, and contrary to the beliefs of my ski buddies, I did not have to do anything Mardi-Gras-esque to achieve it.

While skiing, Brian received a snow enema and Anne took a sweet jump and somehow kicked herself in the butt. Though I do not wish falls or pain upon them (though the descriptions of such are usually funny), it is encouraging to know that even really good skiers such as them take spills once in awhile. I've been skiing about once a year for eight years now, and one would think that I'd have adapted a little better in that time to going down snowy mountains on two thin boards. However, I'm still about as good as a crap sandwich. Oh, well, at least it sometimes makes for a good story.

Can you believe it? The Turpins have a BLOG? The TURPINS?

The Turpins have entered the 21st century! Many of you still don't believe that Brian has his own cell phone, let alone access to a blog. Though we are still without a digital camera, which would no doubt make my/our ramblings more interesting, we'll try to supplement our stories with photos from friends. (Shane.)

We've been in Seattle for two weeks now, and it's been great living here. We have a great view of Mt. Rainier from our east window. Our only window. Often it's cloudy and we can't see it, so we forget how BIG it is. Then the skies clear up and we're blown away again. Sure would be a great time for a picture, right? Someday...

So we have the Cascade mountains to the east and the Olympics to the west, and Anne Powell, my good friend and college roommate who we're so happy to have as a neighbor here, is taking us to Mt. Baker in the Cascades tomorrow to ski. Brian has had all our ski gear laid out on the living room floor since he woke up this morning--you know he MUST be excited if he purposely clutters up a living area and doesn't plan on cleaning it immediately.

Mom and Dad came up to visit last weekend, and JEEZ did they treat us well. Lots of dinners out, just like Parents' Weekends in college. They helped us explore our new hometown--we walked around the piers and downtown and the Pike Market and some great parks. Brian bought scallops from the fish vendors and made Dad an amazing birthday dinner. Everyone should be so lucky as to have a birthday dinner prepared by Brian. If you ever get the chance, remember to ask him to make the recipe that calls for his special homemade mayonnaise.

Many of you would be very amused to know that Brian and I took Mom and Dad to the most rip roaring--hand holding--gospel singing Catholic Mass you could possibly imagine. When Mass was over, which was no small thing as it lasted just under two hours, Dad told me that he was happy we took him there because he "wouldn't have believed it otherwise."

So right now Brian is watching Forrest Gump on TV and learned that there is a book about it, too. I asked him if the movie was based on the book or vice versa. Because if it's a book based on a movie it's probably no good. I would know--I read The Karate Kid.

Happy Weekend!
Love, Carrie