Star Wars

I'd been kicking around the idea for this post for a while, but the recent release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens back in December gave me the necessary kick in the arse to sit down and write it now. You see, I've been a huge Star Wars fan for my entire life, or at least as much of my life as I can remember, which goes back to about the age of three. While I'm not one of those fans who dresses in costume, learns to speak the alien languages from the films, or tries to use the Force to move objects around, I have seen the movies an obscene number of times and known way more about the minutiae of the Star Wars universe than I probably need to. It's not the only science fiction franchise I'm a big fan of...I also love Star Trek, for instance, but for different reasons. While Star Trek appeals more to me because of the deeper themes, more complex storylines, and it being a more realistic vision as to what the future may hold, Star Wars is just rollicking good fun. Creator George Lucas has stated numerous times that he was inspired by the Flash Gordon serials he loved to watch a a kid, and the label of swashbuckling space opera that has been levied on Star Wars seems more than appropriate to me.

In discussing my love of Star Wars, let me point out that I was born at the beginning of 1980, so even though I was too young to see the original trilogy in the movie theaters, my parents did and I grew up never knowing a world in which they didn't exist. I was three years old in 1983 when Episode VI: Return of the Jedi was released and I had (and still have) a lot of memorabilia from that era. I used to have several of the action figures and playsets, including the Ewok village, but all I can find now in my garage and my parents' basement are a few scattered figures (the Rancor keeper, General Madine, an AT-ST walker) and two books: one a full color picture book of the movie and the other a pop-up book with highlights from the movie's story. My love for all things Star Wars really blossomed in the late 1980s when I saved up enough of my money from Christmas and birthday gifts in order to buy the original trilogy on VHS...in fact, it was a boxed set of all three movies, plus a fourth tape about the behind-the-scenes making of the films called From Star Wars to Jedi. I've still got the tapes somewhere, but from that moment I probably watched the films every few months and learned all I could about the characters, alien races, planets, and backstory of the Star Wars universe. This was aided greatly by some books my mum bought me in the early 1990s: three of them were on the making of the films and included a wealth of information, concept art, and special effects secrets, while the fourth was a Star Wars encyclopedia. I was able to come full circle when the original trilogy was re-released in movie theatres in 1997 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the the first of the series to be released, Episode IV: A New Hope. While it was a thrill to see all three on the big screen and with surround sound, it was quite jarring to see how George Lucas had modified the films I had memorized by heart over my entire life up that point. While some of the additions weren't too bad (for example, adding more X-Wings in the background during the assault on the Death Star), others were unnecessary (changing the band and music in Jabba's palace), clunky (re-inserting the deleted scene in A New Hope where Han Solo now talks to a CGI Jabba the Hutt, a scene that is actually beneficial in explaining why Jabba is after Han, but which suffers from primitive CGI), to the downright stupid (having Greedo shoot first). I vowed there and then that I would never watch the modified versions of the films again, although this became increasingly difficult to do as Lucas made sure only the special editions were available to buy on DVD and digital download going forward.

You can imagine my excitement and surprise when I started college and heard that Lucas was going to make Episodes I-III! New Star Wars movies...what more could I ask for? Ever since I was a kid and had read that George had originally planned nine movies in the series, I'd always hoped that someday he'd make them. The excitement in the build-up to the release of Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999 was unbelievable, and not just personally but for all Star Wars fans. However, my initial reaction after I saw the film three times in the theatres was that it was just okay. I enjoyed it because if was Star Wars, because it set up the beginning of the story that would lead up to A New Hope, and because there were some fantastic characters and actors in it (Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, Ewan McGregor's superb portrayal of young Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ian MacDiarmid as the younger Darth Sidious/Senator Palpatine, Darth Maul, Christopher Lee as Count Dooku in Episodes II and III). However, there was also some terrible acting, most notably Natalie Portman (Padme Amidala), Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker in Episode I) and Hayden Christensen (teenage/adult Anakin in Episodes II and III). Portman and Christensen are usually decent actors who nonetheless delivered wooden, stilted performances in these films. Granted, the dialogue George Lucas wrote (one of his self-admitted weaknesses) didn't help, but still, good actors should be able to overcome. Even Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, while passable, was hampered by the dialogue that left his character a bit less than what he should have been.  Episode II: Attack of the Clones was a bit better than Episode I although some of the romantic dialogue between Portman and Christensen was unbelievably bad. Again, though, I enjoyed it because it was Star Wars, but for me the only one of the three prequels that approached the brilliance of the original trilogy was Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It had action and adventure, emotional pull (Obi-Wan expressing his anger, disgust, and heartbreak at Anakin's ultimate fate at the conclusion of their epic battle is a favorite scene), some very efective editing (the cuts back and forth between Luke and Leia's birth and Anakin's transformation into Vader), and the climactic moment we'd all waited for when Anakin took his first breath as Darth Vader. In fact, I rank Episode III in my top three films in the series. If I rank the films in order of favorite to least favorite, it looks like this:

1. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
2. Episode IV: A New Hope
3. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
4. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
5. Episode VII: The Force Awakens
6. Episode II: Attack of the Clones
7. Episode I: The Phantom Menace

That being said, I continue to enjoy all of the films and have come to appreciate them more with the passage of time, especially the prequels. (I even don't hate Jar-Jar Binks as much as I used to, even though I could still do with MUCH less of him in Episode I). I also need to mention that Ewan McGregor's portrayal of the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi was tremendous throughout all three prequels and he is firmly cemented as one of the great characters and performances across the entire series. Even the way he appropriated Alex Guinness' mannerisms and accent from Episodes IV-VI in order to make him wholly believable as the younger version was masterful (not to mention he's long been a favorite actor of mine). The original trilogy will always hold the most special place in my heart as those were the original three movies that hooked me and everyone else, and as you can see above they make up three of my top four films in the series. Even though I ranked the new film fifth, I thoroughly enjoyed it and think it is a worthy and perfect continuation of the series, capturing the spirit of fun, adventure, and humor that was at its most effective in the original trilogy and which was slightly lacking in the prequels. (I'm deliberately shying away from saying anything more about the new film in case any of you reading this still haven't see it yet!). Seeing so many of the old characters in the film and falling in love with the new ones was really cool and struck the right balance between nostalgia and something new that was needed to appease the older fans while bringing in the new ones.

What's been the best thing for me lately about Star Wars, besides it giving me an excuse to relive my childhood (some would say I still haven't outgrown it) and revel in my geekiness for all things Star Wars-related, has been getting my kids into it. In particular, my second oldest daughter and my son sat and watched all six films in order with me in the weeks leading up to the premiere of the new one. My son has been into Star Wars the past couple of years in terms of toys and costumes (he's been an X-Wing pilot the last two Halloweens), but it's turned into a full-blown obsession akin to how I was at his age. He dressed in his X-Wing pilot costume and my daughter dressed as Princess Leia (complete with the hairstyle, courtesy of my talented wife!) when we went to see The Force Awakens. Although I don't think their goosebumps matched the nostalgic rush of mine when the opening fanfare and story crawl first hit the screen, they were definitely on the edge of their seats with excitement as much as I was.

Getting back to my son, he has loads of Star Wars action figures, Legos, cars, etc, and now that he has learned to read he is devouring every book about the films and the Star Wars universe that he can get his hands on. He is even blowing me away with his knowledge of the different creatures, planets, vehicles, characters, etc. He knows which movie certain events happened in and at the age of six and a half, as well as how and why they connect with the other films. Another thing that has struck me is that since he has grown up in a world where the six films have existed, some of his favorite characters and moments actually come from the prequels. Yes, he loves Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Yoda, and Darth Vader, but he also routinely lists Mace Windu, Anakin, General Greivous, Qui-Gon, Darth Maul, and Count Dooku as some of his favorites. His willing acceptance and enjoyment of the prequels for what they are allowed me to watch them with a less cynical eye and realize that while they are for the most part definitely weaker than the original trilogy, they also suffered from the unrealistic weight of expectations leading up to their release (especially Episode I, which had sixteen years of anticipation and a huge amount of hype leading up to its release that it could never meet or exceed) and they have been overly vilified by fans and critics alike.  Sure, they're weren't as good as the originals, but they certainly weren't as bad as the conventional wisdom makes them out to be, either. That's my opinion, at least.

With all of this being said, my kids and I are now eagerly counting down to the release of Episodes VIII and IX. While I consider myself fortunate that I've been able to see all of the films on the big screen, I'm also glad that my kids will get a chance to experience the excitement and anticipation of each new film in a new trilogy. Additionally, their experience of seeing the six films in order from I-VI as opposed to how I and others of my generation experienced them (IV-VI, and then I-III) is different enough that I'm glad it gives them their own unique way to experience the wonder and fun of the Star Wars saga. In the end, sharing in all of this fun and sense of wonder in the realms of imagination with my kids is the best part about the entire experience for me.

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Personal Growth, Change, and the Power of Positive Thinking

This is going to be a bit different for me as I'm going to get a little personal, yet at the same time I intend to keep this post pretty vague as I don't want to divulge too many personal things. However, I felt as though this is something I needed to share since it was quite profound and impactful. I hope it can spur discussion with anyone out there who has gone through the same thing, or perhaps even help someone out there who is trying to make the same kinds of changes that I am.

Like most people, I've been shaped by the experiences I've had over the course of my life, and like most people a lot of them have been good and a lot have been bad. However, one of the problems I've had over the years is that I've allowed negative experiences, the ones that have hurt me, embarrassed me, or otherwise changed me for the worse, to linger. Beyond that, I've let them change my actions/reactions to certain situations, and I've allowed them to color my perceptions of and interactions with people around me. Most frustratingly, I've known this for many, many years but could never seem to change it. If I really put in the effort, I could change it for a few weeks, but it was more of the "fake it until you make it" approach as opposed to any real sea change in my thinking and processing. I just couldn't seem to let go and move on from anything that had hurt me in the past, and I couldn't seem to stop projecting all of the hurt, anger, and resentment I had toward those past situations and people onto the people around me in the present who had nothing to do with it. It was affecting me and those around me, near and far, quite negatively and, in all honesty, I felt like I was hopeless to ever meaningfully, permanently change it. I was really good at seeming like I was happy and carefree on the outside, but inside I was constantly nagged by all of the slights, however real or perceived, large or small, that I'd absorbed over the years and they completely skewed how I viewed the world and people around me.

And then something amazing happened...

As I said, I'm intentionally keeping this post vague in terms of details because it is my personal life, after all. However, something huge happened to me that changed me forever, and in a life-alteringly fantastic way. Now, I'm a religious person and always have been. I'm a devout Christian and I read the Bible and pray on a regular basis. I believe in the power of prayer and that while we are imbued with freewill and make our own destinies, God does listen to us and offers help, strength, and guidance we need it.  On this particular night a couple of months ago, as I was laying in bed, something triggered what seemed like a lightning bolt inside my heart and mind (metaphorically speaking, of course). Everything that had ever happened to me, all of the hurt and anger, resentment and mistrust, cynicism and negativity, all of the jaded and bitter feelings I'd been clinging to deep inside...they all seemed to just fall away from me. A light bulb went off in my mind and I had a sudden realization that I could let it all go, I could stop letting the past affect my present, and that I had been treating those closest to me as though they had wronged me when they never had.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that when I woke up the next morning, I felt like a completely different person. More than that, I also finally understood that one of the reasons I was never able to grow and change in the past is because I was always looking toward the future, and impatiently (anyone who knows me knows that patience has never been a virtue of mine). I decided then and there, that morning, to live in the present, one day at a time. To put it simply, I was going to just focus on making each moment, each day, great for me and those around me. By focusing on my thoughts and actions each day, I wouldn't be overwhelmed or impatient by worrying about what the future would hold...I would live in the moment. This was quite a contrast from having one foot planted firmly in past hurts while simultaneously having another planted in an uncertain future I was impatient to arrive at. Everyone around me noticed how different I was and were probably skeptical that it would last. I did a lot of reflection and a lot of crying over the first couple of weeks, yet here I am months later, and it's not only here to stay, but feels effortless. I think it's because I'm not putting as much concerted effort into changing (although I am working very hard at it) so much as it seems to be just how I am now.

Two things that have been huge helps in keeping me centered throughout this monumental change are basic meditation and regular prayer, the former for stress/anxiety relief and the latter as a source of guidance and strength. Both have proven to be even more powerful and helpful than in years past...whether this is actually the case or whether I'm just noticing it more, it doesn't matter as the end result is the same. More than that, I'm finding that I'm opening up more, both to myself and others, about my feelings and that I'm communicating and listening better than I ever have.  Given how absolutely terrible I was at all of these, I sometimes feel like that's not saying much, but it's been a process akin to learning to walk although I feel like it's not as scary as I thought it would be.  I have to say, in all honesty it all feels really good although I'm still aware that I've got a ways to go until I'm where I want to be. Rebuilding myself and my relationships with those around me is not a quick fix and learning patience, how to take responsibility for my mistakes, and how to pick myself up and keep moving forward with a positive attitude are difficult things that I'm doing better now than I ever have. However, I know that I'm still a complete work-in-progress. Just tonight (as I write this), I screwed up badly and ended up stung quite deeply by the consequences. While I'm still dwelling on them and kicking myself repeatedly for my mistake, I'm intending on waking up tomorrow morning with a positive attitude and working as hard as I have to to make tomorrow a great day. I'll learn from tonight's stupid mistake but won't keep beating myself up over it...rather, I'll use it as a springboard for growth and for making sure it doesn't happen again.

I know that I've got such a long road ahead of me to become the person I've always wanted to be, but for the first time in my life it doesn't seem daunting. In fact, for the first time in my life it seems like it's completely within my reach. A positive attitude, a lot of changes, and asking for guidance when it's needed will take me a long way. The journey has been great just over these past couple of months...I can't wait to see where it takes me next.

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To the Cats

Apart from some fish when I was six or seven years old, I never had pets growing up. Sure, I love animals, but my only exposure to cats and dogs were at the homes of friends and family members who had them. My parents like dogs but we never had one because of my dad's very busy job and my mum having to ferry the three of us kids to and from school, sports, music lessons, and other activities. We also went on a lot of vacations so having a dog wasn't a sensible thing. My mother, sister, and I are severely allergic to cats so that ruled them out as pets. While I was growing up, I had relatives and friends who had both cats and dogs and I always swore I'd have a dog when I grew up. I just loved how friendly and playful and loyal dogs were, and I always found the aloofness and coldness of cats off-putting. When I met my wife, she had had cats her whole life and didn't like dogs due to a bad experience she had with one when she was a kid. Coupled with my cat allergy, it looked like we were just not going to have any pets. As soon as we started having kids, that was further reinforced.

However, after thirteen years of marriage and four kids, both my wife and I really wanted to have some pets, never mind the constant questions our kids had asked like "can we get a dog? Can we get a cat?" Dogs were out of the question for the reasons stated above, plus we're always in and out of the house taking the kids to school and their various activities and practices, so any dog we had wouldn't necessarily get the attention and time outside to play and go to the bathroom that it would need. That left cats...animals I wasn't particularly fond of and seriously allergic to. How bad are my allergies? Usually if I'm at someones house and they own a cat, after twenty minutes my nose gets stuffy, my eyes, nose, and ears start itching, my eyes start watering, and I start sneezing. It's BAD! Still, it was either cats or nothing and a bit of research online showed me that taking over the counter allergy medicine like Claritin should mitigate my cat allergy. Mrs. Chemist and I decided we would surprise the kids with a cat for Christmas this year as soon as we moved into our new house (which happened in late September). Of course, things never go as planned and so...

...we found ourselves on Labor Day with time to kill, all six of us sitting around the house a little bit bored. I suggested we take a drive just to get out of the house and also thought we could do something we've done before in the past, which is drive to PetsMart just to walk around and look at the animals. (Think of it as a free zoo for little kids!). So in the car and over to the store we went. The kids, as always, enjoyed looking at all of the birds, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, snakes and lizard, fish and frogs. That brought us to the area where the kittens and cats available for adoption are kept. Now, the way it works at least in this area of Pennsylvania is that an outside pet rescue and adoption agency, PAWS, cares for the animals and houses them at various pet supply stores (like PetsMart) so that people will see them and hopefully will want to adopt them. As we looked through the window, the six of us were immediately struck by what we saw...so many cute kittens!  For me, the minute I saw a tortoiseshell kitten named Piper, I was in love...she was cute and had the most beautiful coloration I'd ever seen on a cat. My wife fell in love with a kitten named Ladybug who was a mackerel tabby that looked just like one of the cats she'd grown up with. The kids fell in love with twin tiger-striped orange tabbies named Andy and Amanda. We had a good time watching the cats in their cages before making our way back home. Once we got home, the kids dispersed to play and read while my wife and I sat down. She and I decided we should adopt two cats around the end of September as a housewarming present to the kids...that way, there would be enough cat love to go around for our family of six. We also decided that even though we thought Piper and Ladybug were gorgeous, we'd go for Andy and Amanda since they were so cute and were siblings. My wife then started reading so I puttered around the house doing little things that needed getting done. However, I kept thinking that since we were moving into our new house in a few weeks, those kittens might be gone by then and we'd miss out. Eventually I went to my wife and said that I thought we should just take the plunge and adopt them now as an early housewarming present for the kids and ourselves, especially because we'd regret it if they were gone in a few weeks. It being Labor Day, there wasn't anyone from PAWS scheduled  at the store, but we gathered the kids, jumped back in the car, and drove back to PetsMart with the intention of filling out an application for Andy and Amanda.

Imagine our surprise when someone from PAWS was there and all of the kittens were out of their cages in the little room, playing and lounging. What luck! We went in to check them out and visit with them. However, we found something out...Andy and Amanda were skittish and a bit nervy. Any time we picked them up, they backed away and weren't too sure about us. However, Piper and Ladybug were just the sweetest; we all picked them up and cuddled them and they seemed like they'd fit right in with us. At that moment, we changed our minds and decided it was those two we wanted. We filled out the paperwork, submitted it, and were told we'd hear back by the end of the week. We were nervous when we walked out as other people were coming in to look at cats and seemed to be interested in the same two we were. The next couple of days were so nerve-wracking waiting for the phone call. We all desperately hoped we would get Piper and Ladybug and I even found myself dreaming about us getting them. Me, the non-cat person, can you believe it? Then, two days later, we got the good news...we could adopt them! All of us were so excited...the only bummer was that we had to wait until that Friday to pick them up.  That Friday evening, we went to the store, bought pet carriers, food, and litter, and got everything and everyone into the car. On the drive home, Ladybug was quiet in her carrier but Piper started meowing and pawing at the door of her carrier. Before we got home, she had pooped (her pawing was probably because she wanted to get out to go to the bathroom) and then thrown up (many cats get carsick). Poor Piper! We got them into the house as quickly as we could and let them out. We cleaned up Piper and her carrier, showed them where the food, water, and litter was, and then just sat back and watched them explore our house. The first few nights they slept under the couches and were still getting used to our house and the chaos and noise of a household with four kids. Our children are incredibly well behaved, but even so, four kids between the ages of 4 and 10 make a lot of noise and have a lot of energy! Ladybug was quite skittish, bolting under the couch at any loud sound or sudden movement, while Piper was a bit standoffish and not too affectionate. However, we noticed them getting more comfortable after a few days and by the end of their first week with us they were settled in. Ladybug is not skittish any more and is just incredibly sweet and mellow. Piper is a real diva and is definitely the boss when it comes to her and Ladybug, but she is so sweet and affectionate. They wrestle and play with each other all the time, usually instigated by Piper and tolerated by Ladybug, although lately Ladybug has been countering...probably because she realized that even though she's younger than Piper, she's also bigger! Piper sleeps at the foot of our bed my wife every night, while Ladybug sleeps up near our heads. They've seamlessly become part of our family and members we could never imagine being without. It's like we've always had them and I really feel like they're the perfect cats for us. Getting a little more cosmic, I really do feel that most times in life, things happen for a reason ("there's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be" and all that), and I feel as though deciding to go back to the store when we unexpectedly had the chance to interact with the cats and find out that Piper and Ladybug were right for us was guided by an divine hand.

Piper

Ladybug

So yes, now I'm that guy going to the pet store late at night to restock our supply of cat food and doing research online to make sure we feed them the best stuff and take care of them the best we can. And I'm happy to report that my allergies haven't been one bit of a problem...three cheers for loratadine!

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Supraterranean Homesick Blues

(with apologies to Bob Dylan for the title of this post!)

It's been just about a year since my wife, kids, and I moved to Pennsylvania from New England. The adjustment has taken quite a bit of time as both my wife and I had lived all but two years of our lives there, and those two years away were during my postdoctoral fellowship in South Carolina when we knew we'd end up back home once I got a job. Our kids were all born in New England and it's all they had ever known. However, I don't regret the move from the standpoint of providing for my family; I love my job and know that this is an opportunity that will allow me to provide for them in a way I would have struggled to do had we stayed in the Boston area (which is one of the most expensive in the country in which to live). Still, I think that out of all six of us, I've taken it the hardest as far as being homesick. We live in a really nice town, the kids go to a good school, we've made several really good friends, and we find a lot of fun things to do as a family.  Even so, as well as things are going, I really...REALLY...miss home. My wife and kids have made trips back to visit, but I haven't been able to because of work. The last time I went back home was Thanksgiving 2014, and we were going to take a vacation next month to spend time there to stay and visit with family, but it fell through due to conflicting schedules so it's not going to be until October before I go back, and only then for a weekend.

The weird thing is that the homesickness hits me at different times, seemingly at random, and can be triggered by the littlest things. Sometimes I overhear someone mention a town/city in New England that they've been to (for instance, a colleague mentioned a business trip he took to Boston last year). Other times it's when I see someone at a store wearing a Red Sox hat. It might be the emcee at a magic show we took the kids to last week who mentioned he grew up in the same town in Massachusetts where I was born, or someone at work asking me how far our company's facility in New Hampshire is from the town I'm from (it's only ten minutes away and I remember seeing it many times). Beyond these reminders, I find myself missing a lot of the little things you take for granted when you've lived somewhere for so long, especially when the place you're from has a unique and interesting culture of its own the way New England does.

What do I miss? A bunch of different things, really. I miss saying particular regional slang, words, or phrases and having everyone understand what I mean...no one knows what I mean when I ask for jimmies on my ice cream (chocolate sprinkles in New England), I found myself explaining brown bread in a can to some coworkers last week (a New England staple with hot dogs and beans!), and explaining the difference between a milkshake and a frappe is a losing proposition. I get teased for using the word wicked all the time, but always in a good-natured way. I miss being able to wear Red Sox/Patriots/Celtics/Bruins shirts or hats in public without getting funny looks (everyone here LOVES the Steelers and HATES the Patriots). I miss getting real, fresh seafood anywhere I want, real whoopie pies (they try hard here, but they're not the same), having Dunkin' Donuts everywhere, and grocery shopping at Market Basket. I miss never being more than an hour from the ocean, and I miss the different New England accents I've heard all my life, so much so that when I met a coworker who had a thick Massachusetts accent a few months ago, I struck up a conversation with him because it was so nice to be able to talk to someone about home. I miss listening to the sports talk radio shows on the Boston stations during my commute, with all of the passionate (and sometimes delusional) fans calling in to debate our teams strengths or (more entertainingly) perceived weaknesses. I miss being able to watch every Celtics, Bruins, Patriots, and Red Sox regular season and playoff game on TV because all of the teams have their own channels that are automatically included in every cable package. I miss seeing trees and mountains instead of endless rolling fields of corn, and I miss being less than an hour from a world-class city like Boston with its numerous museums, concerts, and sporting events (the dearth of live music and being way off the beaten path for any musician I would go see in concert is a HUGE killer for me here).

I realize when reading back that list, which by no means covers everything I miss, it seems as though I'm complaining. I'm not...as I said above, things are going well here and we're adjusting slowly but surely.  That being said, I spent 32 years of my life (accounting for the two postdoctoral years down south) in New England and always thought I'd live the rest of my life there and would die there. That's why it was so jarring for me, and for all of us, to move away. The good thing is that we've met some other New England lifers who are now living here; there's an instant connection when we discover someone else is from back home. Even better, we're only a 5-6 hour drive from home. In the meantime, while I don't think I'll ever stop being homesick, I've been embracing what it is to be from New England and how that makes me unique. The internet helps me keep up with events and news back home, and I'm able to get the Boston sports channels on DirecTV so I can watch my teams. All in all, I've found it's okay to be homesick as long as I don't let it get me down. I'm getting better at focusing on what we've got going for us here, still missing home without getting (too) sad, and realizing that like everybody else, I'm a product of where I'm from and that's something that I'll carry with me no matter where I am.

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What Would You Do With An Extra $100?

See the C note? Wouldn't it be nice to have an extra one?

(WARNING: The following is a fun little post I was inspired to write...I had fun thinking about this and writing it and I hope you have fun reading it, too!)

Being the parents of four energetic and wonderful children, my wife and I are always looking for ways to save money. That's why we do things like buy our groceries in bulk at wholesale clubs, keep our kids' clothes clean and in good shape for hand-me-downs, and try to live slightly below our means.  When we do spend some money on nice things, we always make sure it's of high enough quality that it's going to last a long time so that we get our money's worth. It's also one of the reasons why I still drive a car that is twelve years old and has almost 300,000 miles on it.  Any money we can save can be spent on something more important, or saved in the bank for the future. In today's uncertain and dismal economy, every penny is important.

Being a man of Greek descent, I'm also always trying to save money and time on shaving. I should be shaving every day but my sensitive skin can't handle that, so I stretch it out to every other day. Even so, I have the literal shadow on my face after my morning shave that shows up well before five o'clock.  And any man who has to shave on a regular basis knows that razors are damn expensive! I try to get as many uses as I can out of each cartridge but this leads to dull razors and a shave that is decreasingly close each time and really chews up your skin. While there are many ways to save money on razors, one of the ways I've been considering doing this is by signing up for Dollar Shave Club, which delivers razors to you every month for half the price of the store brands.  In fact, if one were to do the math, this could leads to savings of $100 a year! So when I first heard about Dollar Shave Club via one of their humorous TV ads, I thought it was a great idea and it made me think about the money I could save. I thought it'd be a good idea to write a post describing what I would do if I had an extra $100 in my pocket, and during my last shave  this is what I came up with...

If I'm being responsibly practical, I'd spend it on...

- A few new pairs of dress pants or dress shirts to wear to work

- Some new clothes and shoes for my kids who are growing so fast!

- A nice piece of jewelry for my wife
- A day at the museum or aquarium with the family

- A place in my savings account so it can go toward something bigger

However,  if I'm being irresponsible and self-indulgent, I'd spend it on...

- That pair of the Beatle Boots I've always wanted

- A whole stack of CDs to add to my already massive music collection

- A bunch of new books

- Music gear

- This jacket

- A nice dinner out with my wife (without any kids!)

While saving money is important, it's also important to spend it since you can't take it with you. Even if you're responsible, you need to live a little and have some fun! I know I can come up with a bunch more ways to spend an extra $100 and I'm sure you can, too!

How about you? What would you do with an extra $100?

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Happy Thanksgiving

I know it's cliche to do a Thanksgiving post on a blog, but it's my blog and I'm a sentimental fellow so here goes!

2014 has been a tough year for me and my family...not tough in a bad way but in terms of a lot of change, some bad but mostly good. I'm definitely taking a little bit of extra time this Thanksgiving to reflect and be thankful for all of God's blessings on us. I've got a wonderful wife who has been with me every step of the way and who is the true backbone of our family, we've got four amazing children who bring us so much joy, we've got families that are loving and supportive, and we've got friends old and new who enrich our lives. I'm thankful to finally have a stable job, where I'm really happy and excited on what I'm working on, and I'm thankful to live in such a great country with all of its freedoms and rights.  Finally,  on a blog-related note, I'm thankful for all of the great opportunities that have opened up because of my writing on this sight, all of the great people I've met online through blogging and writing, and for all of my loyal readers who have made The Rock and Roll Chemist the popular and successful site it is today. 

So sit down today with family and friends, enjoy your meal, watch some football, relax, visit, and take a little time to reflect on the good things, the things you have to be thankful for in your life. It's too easy, especially in today's fast-paced world, to lose sight of what's really important and not count your blessings. Try to keep from falling into that trap and instead count your blessings...you'll be glad you did. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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New England

I was born and raised in New England and have always been fiercely proud to call the region home.  My family came from Greece to America almost 100 years ago...my father's side settled on the New Hampshire seacoast by the end of WWII and my mother's side arrived in the same place by the mid-1950s via Boston and New York City.  My parents, aunts, and uncles were all born and raised in NH (and all except for my parents still live there). I was born in Massachusetts, lived there for the first two years of my life, and after a year in Pennsylvania from the age of two to three, moved back to New Hampshire where I lived until I was twenty-six. My wife was born and raised in New Hampshire and lived her whole life there as well. In 2006, I completed my PhD and, at the ages of 26 (for me) and 28 (for my wife), we made a big move down to South Carolina so that I could spend two years as a postdoctoral fellow. However, when I completed my fellowship, I got a job in Boston and we moved back to New Hampshire.  Six years of a grueling commute caused us to move down into the Boston Metro West area to make it easier for me to get to work.  Apart from the two years we spent down south (which we loved!), we're New England lifers. All four of our kids were born in NH and it's all they've ever known.  I, my wife, our kids...we've lived here our whole lives and I thought we would never live anywhere else. Well, I was wrong! The six of headed off on a new adventure earlier this month when I accepted a new position at a company in central Pennsylvania and, for the first time in my life, made a permanent move out of New England.

Now, I know it's not that far away...it's not like we moved to California or Alaska! It's an easy day's drive from where we're from to where we've moved to. However, it's a very different place and will take some for me to adjust to, the same way it was in South Carolina when we first arrived. For as united an identity as we Americans have, this is also a huge country and each region has its own unique heritage, culture, identity, accent, cuisine, and traditions. All of these changes, which are exciting but also have my head spinning at how fast they all happened, got me thinking about what makes New England such a special place, why I love it so much, why I'm sad to have left it, and why no matter where I live, it will always be home to me and my family.

I *NEED* this shirt!

For those of you reading this who are outside of the United States (or for those of you within who don't...shame on you!), New England is the northeasternmost region of the country and is made up of six states: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut. It is the site of the earliest English settlements and by the 18th century, the region initiated the resistance to the British Empire that eventually resulted in American independence. Nicknamed "The Cradle of Liberty," the area was where the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's midnight ride, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Boston Massacre, and numerous other pivotal events which helped shape the eventual push for freedom by the colonists and birthed the USA.  New England is steeped in history and tradition relating to the Revolutionary War of Independence and the very beginning of the USA. It's also the only geographical region in the country that has clearly defined borders and a name that doesn't have any reference to its geographical area.  Each of the six states has a unique identity and variations on New England traditions that are specific to them.  Boston is not only one of the major cities in the country, but is the unofficial "capital of New England" due to its size and status as a city world renowned for its universities, hospitals and medical research centers, history, and culture (art, music, literature).

As I mentioned above, each state in New England has its own identity and, as is typical, there are stereotypes that are generally accepted by all who live here regarding each state. For instance, Maine is the land of beaches, seafood, and wilderness, while New Hampshire is the no-tax, freedom-loving, gun-toting land of Live Free or Die.  Massachusetts is a mini Soviet state filled with terrible drivers, funny accents, and high taxes, while Vermont is full of farmland and hippies. And lastly, Rhode Island is a wannabe Massachusetts on the water while half of Connecticut roots for New York teams and isn't even really a part of New England, anyway (that last part is true, actually!).  Now, I mean no offense to anyone who is from any of those states who might get upset...it was meant to be lighthearted and in good fun...in fact, if you're from New England, you probably agree with some or all of them!  There's a germ of truth to them, too, as there is with nearly all stereotypes.  What a lot of people who aren't from the region don't understand is how provincial and proud we are. Most of us love living here and cannot and will not consider living anywhere else.  I certainly didn't think I ever would, and yet here I am 400 miles away in Pennsylvania!  That got me thinking as to what it is that makes New England so special to me. Many of these things will be the same for anyone else who lives here or is from here, while others will be of a more personal nature and unique to me. In any event, I thought it would be fun to list them all, so here goes!

1. Geography

One of the best things about living in New England is how close you are to just about every type of terrain you could want.  The seacoast, lakes and rivers, mountains, forests...there's everything except deserts, and let's face it...who wants to go hang out in the desert? (No offense to any of my desert-loving readers).  You also have access to towns and cities of all sizes, as well as major cities, most notable of which is Boston.  And of course, people I speak to always marvel at how all of the town and city names here are either from Native American or British descent.

2. Climate

Typical to see between December and March

I realize this one won't be popular with everyone, and there will be many native New Englanders who will be aghast at what I'm about to write, but the weather in New England just might be one of its strongest selling points. And like we always say here, if you don't like the weather in New England, wait half an hour.  For starters, we get all four seasons without fail, every year (although depending on the year, Spring is sometimes called "Mud Season," while other years it's little more than either an extension of winter right up until summer starts, or an extension of summer right after winter ends). Autumn in New England just may be the best season anywhere the country, period. The crisp, cool yet comfortable weather still has a fair amount of daylight, the air smells fresh and earthy once the leaves have fallen, and the foliage when the trees turn color is absolutely gorgeous. There's a reason leaf-peepers from all over the country descend on the region in September and October.

Just look at that foliage!

The summers are typically nice, with temperature rarely exceeding 90 oF, although we do often get stretches of oppressive humidity that can make it uncomfortable. Even so, the summers are so short, lasting only from June through August, that it's rarely unbearable. Which leaves us with winter...yes, the winters are loooooooong, they're bitterly cold, we get a LOT of snow, with barely 10 hours of daylight at its peak. Some winters, like the past two from 2013 and 2014, have started earlier than usual (early November) and dragged on well into mid-April.

Even hardened lifers such as yours truly can get sick of them. But there is something beautiful about being outside on a cold, clear day when the temperatures are well below freezing, there's not a cloud in the sky, and the sun is shining down on the snow-covered landscape. And let's not forget that skiers from all over flock to our mountains for some of the best skiing on the East Coast.

3. Sports

Our teams have won titles for decades, the most recent stretch coming since 2001

I've written about our sports heritage and teams before, so I won't belabor the point too much, other than to say that we have old, storied, championship-winning franchises in all four of the major sports, and we are routinely listed as one of, if not THE, best sports towns in the country year after year. Our loyalty, devotion, and fervent support for our teams is well-known, often-mocked, and rarely equalled. The region is not a hotbed for college sports at all...unless you support your alma mater (for instance, I am still an avid fan of UNH Hockey), the only college teams with a sizable following are Boston College's basketball and football teams, and even then it's only when they're doing well. In New England, it's all about pro sports and in that regard, we're nearly without equal, especially given our championship success, both history and in recent years.

4.  Food

New England clambake, anyone?

Every region of the country has specific cuisine it's known for, and New England is no exception. Given our proximity to the ocean, we have some of the best seafood in the country, from Maine lobster to shrimp, steamers, fried clams, mussels, scallops, and a whole host of delicious fish (cod, haddock, flounder, etc).  Everyone knows about New England clam chowder. There are also regional dishes within New England, like whoopie pies, clam cakes, grilled bagels, bar pizza, and more.  We've also got the love-it-or-hate-it soda Moxie, Necco Wafers, and a bunch of other things that make us different from other parts of the country.

5. History

Nicknamed "The Cradle of Liberty," there's a ton of history in New England. It was one of the oldest settlements in the country, the pilgrims having landed at Plymouth Rock, and the region gave birth to the men and the movement that eventually launched the American War of Independence. From Paul Revere's midnight ride and the Boston Tea Party, to the Boston Massacre and the Battle of Bunker Hill (which actually took place on nearby Breed's Hill), so much of our nation's early history took place in the region. You can still visit the Old North Church, Fanueil Hall, Paul Revere's grave, and walk the Freedom Trail, among many other things you can do in Boston, which brings me to...


6. Boston

"I love that dirty water..."

Boston is the unofficial capital of New England and one of the major American cities. It's one of the oldest cities in the country and is rich in tradition, history, character, and charm (as is the rest of the region).  It's the closest you can get to a European feel in an American city and has quirks all its own. It also happens to be a very modern city, with many of the country's most respected and cutting edge hospitals and medical centers, as well as being a hub of technology. Much of this is due to the city having the most colleges and universities of any city in the nation, including top-notch research institutions like Harvard University, MIT, Tufts, and Northeastern.  There's also a rich cultural tradition here, from art museums like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, to Boston Symphony Hall and the Boston Pops. There's an active and vibrant live music scene, with local, up-and-coming, and established major touring acts passing through playing concerts all over the area.  Basically, Boston is similar to every other major American city in many ways, but unique enough to make it special in its own right.

8. We're Provincial and Proud

Of course, our regional magazine is called "Yankee!"

Again, I've written about this before, but we are very provincial and initially wary of outsiders here in New England. It's a place we're all fiercely proud of...we're proud of being from here, proud of our traditions and way of life, and proud to live here.  It's somewhere where outsiders just can't understand the appeal and draw to those of us who hail from here. I remember when we were living in South Carolina and I'd told a friend I'd made there how I couldn't wait to find a job and move back. He gave me a puzzled look, scrunched up his noise, and asked "WHY?" As in, "why on Earth would you want to move back there?" Like I said, if you're from here, you'll understand; if you're not, you never will.

7. Accents and Slang

Finally, I can't finish writing about New England without touching on one of the major things we always get made fun of for: our accents and slang! Let me say right off the bat that I and my family don't have the typical accents...in fact, we come from a region in New Hampshire that has NO accent. But I've been around everyone else who does for so many years that it's natural for me to hear. The most famous is the thick Boston accent that gets made fun of in movies, TV shows, and more.

But there is also a thick Rhode Island accent that sounds like a cross between a Boston and a New York accent, where a word like "source" is pronounced like "sauce" and "crayon" is pronounced "cran." And don't forget the Downeast Maine accent, where "yes" is "ayuh," and the phrase "you can't get theah from heah" was made famous.

I also grew up hearing people pronounce "drawer" as "draw" and "draw" as "drar." In fact, that's another funny New England accent, mainly in northern New Hampshire: where an "r" is added to every word that shouldn't have one (ironically, since the Boston accents DROPS "r" from the end of words). So for instance, someone with a Boston accent says "cah" instead of "car" or "yahd" instead of "yard," but someone from northern NH will say "idear" instead of "idea" or "raw" as "rar."  And let's not forget our most famous slang, the use of the word "wicked" to mean "really," as in "this ice cream is WICKED good!" I'm guilty of this and have been my whole life...if you're from here, it's just how you talk. I had an English teacher in high school complain that it made no sense, because how can something be "wicked" and "good" at the same time? The thing is, she wasn't originally from here, so she didn't get it and she never would.

So there you have it! I certainly could have gone on and on even more about how much I love New England, but I don't want to belabor the point. If you're a native like me, you'll get everything I've written, and if you're not, you're either tired of reading about it (I hope not!) or not convinced it's anywhere special. That's absolutely fine and I respect the opinions of everyone reading this. The impetus for writing this was my homesickness at having moved out of the area for the first real time in my life, which made me really step back and take a look at why I was so sad to leave. It made me reassess the place that is such a part of me; it's an irreducible and integral and part of who I am. No matter where I live until the day I die, I'll always be a New Englander.

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The Rock and Roll Chemist is On the Move!

To my loyal readers and newcomers alike, this is just a little announcement to let you know that it's going to take a little longer than usual for me to publish my next post here. That's because a few weeks ago, I accepted an exciting new job opportunity! I start this new position next week, but it necessitates moving a few hundred miles away from my beloved native New England. That is an entire topic for a dedicated blog post which I am currently working on and will publish at a later date.  What this means, however, is that I am in flux right now...my wife and kids have already moved to the new house so that the kids could start school, while I've been here wrapping up work at my old job and getting ready for the movers to come pack up the old house and load it into a truck before I head out to join them. Then there will be time spent waiting to get the Internet set up at the new place, unpacking, and so on.  Have no fear because I will be back blogging as soon as the dust has settled...The Rock and Roll Chemist isn't going anywhere! I just wanted to let all of you know that the whole operation will be in transit, so please just bear with me while my family and I make this big change in our lives and before you and I both know it, things will be back to normal here.  Thanks!

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How and Why Routines Are Important in Everyday Life

The subject of this post is something I've reflected on for many years and it was brought into relief yet again this past week, so here goes...

This cycle doesn't just pertain to exercise!

We humans are, in general, creatures of habit.  With rare exceptions, we've all got habits and routines ingrained in our brains for just about everything. Whether it's how you get ready to start your day in the mornings, how you pack your suitcase, or what you do before going to bed at night, you subconsciously have a routine for nearly every facet of life. They provide structure and comfort, and keep us tethered to a sense of normalcy in an increasingly chaotic world. At their core, a habit, whether it's good or bad (and we all have both good and bad habits), is something you do so often that it becomes second nature and eventually perform without thinking about it...almost like a reflex. Many related habits bundled together make up a routine. Our brains tend to reinforce the habits, good or bad, by whatever reward we get as a result. Eventually, the reward leads to a cycle of stimuli or cues, followed by the reflexive habitual behavior, and finally the eventual reward (reward in this sense not necessarily meaning only positive, but either positive or negative). Once the pattern becomes ingrained, it becomes routine and eventually the effort involved is no longer truly conscious as the brain has by that point been trained to react to cues.  However, get thrown off of your routine and it's almost as it your brain initially panics and doesn't know how to react...it can feel a bit like a needle skipping across a record, at least to me!

I was reminded of this yet again when I was away on a business trip last week; I'm sharing it here with the assumption that many, if not most of you will be able to relate to what I'm describing.

I have a lot of routines in my life, from daily routines like how I eat my meals at roughly the same time every day, to when I wake up in the morning, how I get ready for work in the morning, when I exercise, how I relax at night, and what I do before going to sleep. In addition to these behavioral routines, my body itself is in a pretty consistent rhythm as far as when and how I sleep, eat, drink, exercise, and "stay regular" (euphemistically speaking).  I've been settled in this way for many, many years and apart from the rare occasional blip, I don't deviate from it.  I'm sure most of you have similar patterns that you follow throughout the course of everyday life.  However, last week I took one of my many business trips down to South Carolina and spent five days there. From the outset, I was completely thrown off my routine: first, I had to go bed much earlier than usual because I had to wake up at the ungodly hour of 3:30am in order to get to the airport in time to catch a 6am flight. Then, throughout the week, I was working long days and eating meals whenever I and my coworkers could fit them in.  Breakfast was usually between 7:30am and 8am so that wasn't too bad, but lunch was anywhere from noon to 2pm, and dinner any time from 6 to 9 pm. It's also very hard to eat healthy and feel good when you're on the road since every meal is eaten at a restaurant. Even ordering lighter dishes like salads or sushi only helps so much, because a salad at a restaurant still sits heavier in your stomach than one prepared at home.  Depending on when we ate dinner and then sat around the hotel lobby having a drink and planning the next day's work, it was anywhere from 10pm to midnight before I was finally able to get to sleep, only to wake up early and repeat it the following day. By the time I got home on Friday afternoon, I was exhausted, my stomach felt heavy and gross, my body rhythms were completely thrown off, and I hadn't exercised in a week.  I quite literally just did not feel right in the slightest. It took me until Monday morning to feel like myself again, and having finally gotten back into my routines, today I'm now back to normal (until the next time I get thrown off again)!

How many of you out there can relate? Do you ever get thrown off of your routines and how long does it take you to get back on track? Let's discuss in the comments section below!

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Family Fanatics: We're Wicked Big Sports Fans!

Sports are a big part of my life and always have been; I not only played them a ton when I was younger, but I still stay active both for the health benefits as well as sheer enjoyment. And of course, I've been a dedicated fan since as far back as I can remember. So when I was approached by Fanatics asking if I would participate in their Family Fanatics campaign, I jumped at the chance. Fanatics is a leading online retailer for sportswear and apparel, not only of all of the major sports leagues, but college and international sports as well. The invitation to contribute to the Family Fanatics campaign was to write about experiences where sports have brought our family together, which seemed interesting and exciting...you can read my contribution below!

 

There are numerous reasons why I always feel that I've been very fortunate to have lived my entire life in New England. One of those reasons has to do with being a sports fan. We're a very provincial region, loyal to and proud of our traditions and where we live, and one of the ways that this is manifested is in our devotion to our sports teams.  Here in New England, we've got some of the oldest teams in each of the "Big 4" sports leagues, including a founding member of the NBA in the Boston Celtics, one of the original American League baseball teams in the Boston Red Sox, a founding member of the AFL (which was later absorbed into the NFL) in the New England Patriots, and an Original Six hockey team in the Boston Bruins. We're devoted to our teams and support them rabidly in good times and bad...no fair-weather fans here! Having grown up a sports fan and rooting for these teams, I've been able to share that passion for sports with my wife and now we are raising our four children to be fans, too. From our son constantly wearing his Red Sox hat and Celtics shirt to our daughters loving the Red Sox shirts they got after the team won the 2013 World Series, being a New England sports fan is something we do together as a family.

Luckily for our kids, they're growing up during an unprecedented run of success for our local teams. As a kid myself in the 1980s and 1990s, the only winning I knew was the sustained excellent of the Celtics, where they made five NBA Finals appearances, winning three of them. I also knew heartache, seeing the Patriots lose two Super Bowls, in 1986 and 1997, watching the Bruins come up short in the 1988 and 1990 Stanley Cup Finals, and the ultimate heartbreak that was the Red Sox and the 1986 World Series. However, my fandom never wavered, and starting in 2001 our four teams have appeared in a staggering ELEVEN championship finals combined, winning eight of them. I've been lucky enough to be able to share in watching all of these with my wife (who was a big sports fan herself before we even met) and, for the more recent ones, our kids as well. Our oldest two daughters had a lot of fun watching World Series games with me last year as we cheered the Sox on to victory again, and they had a blast at "Red Sox Day" at their school the next day, when they wore their favorite Sox shirts and hats to school. They've also known the heartbreak of defeat, seeing the Bruins lose in the Finals in 2013 and the Patriots in 2011, but that's okay...while obviously we would have been happy had our teams won, learning to lose with grace is an important life lesson; they've learned this through their own experiences playing on soccer teams, but losing as a sports fan is also good lesson for anyone to learn, especially since at the end of the day it's all in fun.

The beauty of sports is that we can sit and watch them together as a family and really have fun with it. We even have a family tradition that we started years ago that all of us really look forward each and every NFL Sunday: whenever the Patriots are playing, we have pizza delivered and enjoy a "picnic" in our living room, where we all sit in our favorite seats and have either a late lunch or early dinner (depending on whether it's a 1pm or 4pm game) of pizza while we watch the game. We have so much fun doing this, none more so than our kids, who even now are asking me how many weeks are left until football season starts again so we can resume our tradition!

In addition to watching sports as a family, we also like to participate in them together. In 2011, I decided to get back in shape and started running...I ended up losing a lot of weight, which I've kept off, and I've continued running regularly to the present day; it's something I can't imagine not doing for the rest of my life. Since then, the whole family has taken to running 5k races together and we have had a lot of fun doing it. It's also been a great way for us to set an example for the kids that regular exercise and a healthy and active lifestyle should be an important part of their lives. This summer we had our most fun yet, participating in the Finish at the Fifty race at Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots, during the Independence Day weekend. Even though it was the hottest day of the summer (at a scorching 95 oF with unbearable humidity), we had a blast spending the day together.  Our three youngest kids did the fun run, my wife and our oldest ran the 5k, and I ran the 10k.  As an added bonus, all of the races ended on the field at the 50-yard line and it was a real treat to be able to walk and run on the same field where we watch our beloved Patriots play every week during football season! The entire experience was great for our family in many different ways. In preparation for the race, my wife and two oldest daughters started running a few days a week in order to get ready for their 5k, while I ramped up my mileage in order to prepare for the 10k.  On race day, we arrived early in order to enjoy the family activities that were set up all over Patriot Place before we got ready to run.  First, our youngest three did the kids fun run, then my wife and oldest did the 5k, and finally, I ran the 10k. While the oppressive heat and humidity made the running quite miserable (if I'm being honest) and we all ran slower on purpose in order to avoid heat-related exhaustion, overall the day was a ton of fun. We cheered each other on during our races, proudly wore the medals we received, took pictures of each other crossing the finish line...the best part was just spending a wonderful day together as a family. Even the hour-long drive back home later that night was fun, since we were all so excited about what we had done and it was a relief to spend the time in an air-conditioned car! What it really showed us is that not only does being sports fans bring us together and allow us to spend quality family time, but so does participating in them!

Pat Patriot getting everyone pumped up to start! He must have been HOT in there!

Stella and Sophia getting ready to watch the Fun Run

Penny showing off her medal after the Fun Run while Evan checks his medal out

Evan proudly showing off his medal

Me with Penny and Evan walking off the field after their run

Trying to pose for a picture, but they weren't sure where to look!

Stella getting ready to run her race

Stella after the race!

Kristie and Stella after Stella's Fun Run

Kristie and Sophia crossing the finish line!

Me and my number, getting ready to run

Me crossing the finish line after the 10k

Me with my medal

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