Yes, We Visited the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

I’m hanging out on my couch (futon) watching the new Monday Night Football game on ESPN (so far I think it was better as the old Monday Night Football on ABC) and trying to decide what I’m going to write about last weeks Labor Day trip up North.

This is what I’ve got to say—Vermont is spartan but awesome. New Hampshire sells liquor at its highway rest stops. Rhode Island is small, I mean really small. Massachusetts is a New England movie set. Connecticut needs to get rid of that Republican light Senator. And New York loves toll roads. Along the way we ran into Paul Reveres’s grave, some micro-brewed Vermont beer and the beginnings of the fall season. Michelle had to stop at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, just because it would be so un-cool to stop at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. We went for a bike ride along Lake Champlain and one through Massachusetts into the historic town of Concord. And to top it all off we found an REI in Boston. It was awesome.

Not Saddle Sore

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Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

Let humidity hang out somewhere down south. Michelle and I don’t want it. And on Sunday, we didn’t have it. It was an absolutely beautiful September Sunday, full of great weather, clear skies and humidity levels that someone from the northwest could appreciate. It was also the perfect day to take our new bikes on a long, long ride.

Some of you may know that we just purchased road bikes (two Trek 2100's) and we are learning the wonders of wheel sets, cranks, carbon forks, saddles, saddle soreness and the like. Yesterday we took our bikes on the North County Trailway, a 22.1 mile paved bike trail just north of New York City, and rode for 35 miles. It was the longest ride we’ve had in the 2 week period we’ve both had bikes. Neither one of us had any problem with the distance and I’m happy to say, I love blowing past those runners on the path.

I don’t see any Tour ‘de Frances in our future, but I can see many long rides together. Of course, Michelle is already talking about “our first 100 mile day”. She can’t wait until we have one, while I’m just happy to be on the bikes together. We’ll see what happens. All I know is that this biking thing has got a future. We can’t wait to do some miles on some of the beautiful Oregon roads.

What is it?

Two weeks which is more like 12 days which is more like 2 weddings which is more like a liquor store full of alcohol which is more like a million hugs which is more like a bunch of repressed tears which is more like some not so repressed tears which is more like my home. I had a great time in Oregon. Unfortunately the days ended. Or fortunately… I needed a little sleep. Michelle and I went nonstop for what seemed like a never-ending trip of friendly trips. So now I’m back in NYC and Michelle is a Portland holdover for another two-and-a-half weeks. Nothings shocks your system into knowing what you have until you don’t have it for a while. The amazing thing is, on the whole trip, I didn’t miss NYC at all. Not one bit. I always miss Oregon. That being said, New York has been great for me (and, I believe, Michelle). It’s a great place, but it’s no Oregon. I’ll tell you, it is no Oregon.

Portland news from the NYC

Aaron or Arron or Aron or Arrrrrrrronnnnn or however he spells it just finished up a campaign for MUSICFESTNW. The viral webspots are up on YouTube and I've link them here. Any northwest beer snob, coffee drinking, no umbrella using person will feel right at home when they watch these viral spots. Feel free to share them with friends. There's also a tv spot that will be playing on your boobtube soon. Aaron's company Family is starting to heat up. Check out the spots.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Get Married

Ryan and Christen are enjoying a beautiful honeymoon, but first they had to dance some salsa, eat some Cuban food, get congratulated by about a 100 people, smile for the camera, smile for the camera again, walk down the isle, hold in some tears, say some vows and kiss. Congrats to the newlyweds. Elijah and Chamille are this weekend. Click here to see Schmalmer wedding pictures from the lense of Erik and Mindy.

A Small Hill

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Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

It’s SWVETTTY. I have come to understand the phenomena of hiking inside a sauna. Needless to say, wicking materials in your clothes are a godsend. Unfortunately my underwear contained no such materials on this day. A day that we decided to climb 2,000 feet straight up for 3 constant, non-stop, moisture inducing miles. It was good workout. My sweat glands work. Thank god I put an extra shirt in the car for after the hike.

Me: “So what does the hike look like?”

Michelle: “It goes up.”

Me: “Up huh. How up?”

Michelle: “Straight up. I’d call it a steady incline.”

Me: “Nice.”

Once finished with the hike, we took the scenic route to our favorite hangout in New Paltz, the Gilded Otter Brew Pub. I’m sure they were glad to see us. We ordered some food, a couple beers and listened to a local band as they brutalized a bunch of mid 90’s indie rock tunes. It was great. We couldn’t have been happier. And the music got much better after we had a couple of beers. Or was it after they had a couple of beers.

Lazy is Good

June 18, 2006 004
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

So the weekend of the 10th we ended up in Loveladies on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. There is this unfair belief that Jersey, well, sucks. And in a lot of ways Jersey, well, sucks. But, it doesn’t all suck. Pete and Gen (not J E N but pronounced the same) have a family place on the beach in Loveladies. And truth be told, it is, by far, the nicest beach that Michelle and I have come across since landing on the East Coast. It is a real beach (we’ve had a diffucult time finding beaches that are free of boardwalks, gravel, annoying merchants—think Rose Festival—and real, soft, lovely sand). It’s not too populated this time of year and the weather was absolutely perfect. We laid out on the sand, went for a jog, laid on the sand some more, ate, laid on the sand some more, juggled, played catch and laid on the sand some more. It was, fucking awesome.

erik + mindy = wedding pictures

They tied the knot. They also happen to have a boatload of friends who are pro photographers, which means that they have kick-ass pictures. Check them out. They're worth it and you just might see yourself in one of the shots.

A picture's worth a war

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Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

We took the mom's to the West Village and ran into this picture.

Smile

IMG_2863
Originally uploaded by Polish Carpetlayer.

Eight days into the visit, Michelle and Marie get a family photo with a background straight out of Glamour Shots.