Rich Text

The last few weeks have been very interesting, eventful and noteworthy. It’s great when life gives you oodles of blog-blurb-able material; the only problem is that I haven’t had enough time to write it all down! Since I seem to have a few minutes before bed, I’ll try to squeeze out as much as I can. Where to start…

New Job!

In a few weeks, I start a new job as an administrative assistant at the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity at MIT. Although leaving the family business is bittersweet, I can’t wait to get started. I’ll be working directly for two professors, each of whom is conducting fascinating research in compelling fields (photovoltaics and nano-technology). Peter Drucker recommends that young workers be given job descriptions that are broad and challenging, and this job appears to fit that particular bill. In addition to basic administrative duties and class logistics, I’ll have the opportunity to take part in web design, construction project management, community outreach and a host of other activities.

Albuquerque w/the Sprout

The weekend before last, Whitney and I went Albuquerque for her cousin’s wedding. It was a great time, as we got to see Native American petroglyphs dating back centuries, the Tent Rock formations near Los Alamos, and old town Santa Fe.

The trip was a wonderful experience, with the exception of car rental (insurance is such a rip-off!) and the flight home. We spent 5 hours waiting in the terminal in Albuquerque, unable to leave due to heavy thunder-storms and hail in Denver; we passed the time goofing off and going through a book of Mab Libs we had picked up at the airport bookstore. We eventually made it to Denver, although we were too late to catch our connecting flight to Boston. This would have been a catastrophe were it not for Sprouty’s widely dispersed network of Peace Corps friends. Heather, one of her best buddies during her service in Mauritania, generously picked us up at the airport and gave us shelter until the next morning, when we returned home. Our plane circled Boston and then angled down over my native South Shore as it made it’s landing approach. We were granted a breathtaking view of the city and its environs, from the Longfellow Bridge, to the South Shore Plaza in Braintree, to the Georges Island in Boston Harbor.

Crouching Dragon, Worn Out Biceps

The Boston Dragon Boat Festival is drawing nearer and nearer! Excitement (and perhaps anxiety?) is mounting as Living Root Dragon Boat club squeezes out as much practice time as it can before hitting the lanes this weekend. Last week, I spent at least 12 hours on the river; supposedly the Charles is perfectly clean, but I’ve still got my fingers crossed lest I start growing a third eye-ball on my shoulder. The number of paddlers amassed under the Living Root banner is truly staggering: 75 people, on three mixed adult boats and one youth team. I’ll be paddling as an alternate on the 1st team, and then Whit and I will be drumming and steering respectively for the high school kids. The kids are fantastic, and their enthusiasm is indefatigable. Boat 1 will be exciting too, although a different species of excitement; as a new club, we’ve got a lot to prove this year. Last year’s best time at Boston was rather lackluster. This year is going to be different.

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 4th, 2007 at 6:42 pm and is filed under Life and Times. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.