"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be
taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took
place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his
own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth
in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged
to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary,
who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While
they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave
birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him
in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
"And
there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch
over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and
the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But
the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of
great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a
sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manger.'
"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared
with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'
"When the
angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one
another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.'
"So they hurried off and
found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When
they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told
them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were
just as they had been told." (Luke 2:1-20)
About Me
- Robert
- I'm a 2009 graduate of Dartmouth College who loves Jesus, my wife and all things Northeast.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Of politics and prayer
On Election Day 2008, Pastor Don Willeman sent out the following email to the congregation of Christ Redeemer Church in Hanover, NH. It's the best and most succinct writing on the topic I've ever encountered, and it is just as relevant today as it was four years ago, so I reprint it in its entirety here. And may I add my own personal encouragement for you all to vote today.
"What a long ride it has been been to this day! After what has seemed like an eternity of campaign ads and and endless stream of lawn signs, it is easy to lose perspective and become cynical, or just plain tired.
"What a long ride it has been been to this day! After what has seemed like an eternity of campaign ads and and endless stream of lawn signs, it is easy to lose perspective and become cynical, or just plain tired.
In the hype of this election day, it
is easy for us to become disoriented--to lose sight of what is truly
weighty. I offer the following words to help us keep our eyes fixed on
that which is ultimately important, and so give us the much needed
gospel ballast for engaging one another, even on the matters pertinent
to our democratic republic.
The first thing that we must remember is that the most important election is not the choice we make today. Human rulers come and go. Rather the most important election is the choice that God has made to call us to Himself in Christ. In Scripture we are called 'chosen
of God, holy and beloved' (Colossians 3:12). This means that for us as
Christians we are in a unique position for being a blessing to our
friends and neighbors, if indeed we are drawing on the resources
inherent in the gospel. The gospel is that God reached out to us in
grace. And so, we are able to do the same.
While
fulfilling our duties as citizens of this world, of which voting is
certainly one of them, we need not fall prey to the temptation of
looking to politics as a place of salvation (i.e., a place in which we
find our ultimate hope, our ultimate/eternal significance and security).
Every election cycle I see this tendency expressing itself on the right
and on the left. 'If we can only get our guy in the White House, then
all will be well.' But as Jesus said to one of the most powerful
politicians of His time, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom
were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might
not be delivered up..., but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm'
(John 18:36).
This, of course, is not a
license for us to neglect our responsibilities as members of the kingdom
of this world. Rather, it actually allows us to engage the realm of
human politics in a totally different way---in a much more helpful and
redemptive manner. It keeps us from having to look to the realm of
politics with a sense of desperation. For the Christian there is never
any need for desperation. (Besides, desperate people tend to do dumb and
often dangerous things.) Rather, the gospel, as it shapes our view of
politics, liberates us so that we can hold our grip on the voting lever
loosely, as opposed to idolatrously. As Christians at the end of the day
we are called to represent a kingdom not of this world, with resources
not of this world. And so we have infinite resources, with no need to
fear or act foolishly. We are free to sacrifice, in very practical ways,
our personal peace and affluence for the common good (even eternal
good) of our friends and neighbors. In this way, the kingdom of God
grows just as well under Solomon as it does under Caesar.
This bring us to our duty of prayer.
The
Gospel of John records for us Jesus' words to his disciples: 'You did
not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and
bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of
the Father in My name, He may give to you.' As is evident even from this
verse, in the broader context Jesus is talking about prayer and its
central role in our responsibility in this world. In another place He
says, 'If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you
wish and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples' (John 15:7-8). God has elected you to bring blessing to this world by your faithful perseverance in prayer."
Friday, October 12, 2012
Literature in the news
The 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Mo Yan of China on Thursday. My feelings about the prize committee notwithstanding (my annual rants are here and here; apparently I let it go in 2010), I was stumped yet again by this year's selection. It seems to me that the Academy is moving steadily away from the mainstream. There used to be a time when the Nobel Prize winner was someone people actually read. T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Jean-Paul Sartre were all Nobel laureates. Even as recently as 2005, Harold Pinter was honored. But overall, the laureates seem to be people familiar only to those who have spent time in the ivory tower.
In my eyes, the Nobel Prize in Literature is beginning to suffer from a legitimacy crisis. There was no Pulitzer Prize awarded in fiction this year, and with that meaningful omission came the opportunity for the Nobel committee to reassert itself as the dominant voice in the world of literary prizes. That's not to say that the Pulitzer and the Nobel are in direct competition, but award committees have an opportunity to influence the direction of the global conversation. With no Pulitzer in fiction this year, there was a relative vacuum that the Nobel committee could have used to solidify its leadership.
I don't mean to take anything away from Mo Yan; I'm sure he's an extremely talented author. And it goes without saying that popularity does not necessarily equate with quality or significance. But there are a lot of equally talented, less obscure writers out there, any one of whom would have been a deserving recipient and probably would have quieted the chorus of "Who?" that erupted when the announcement was made (Cormac McCarthy for one). Instead, the Nobel committee once again made an obscure, ivory tower choice, further reducing its own relevance on the world stage.
In my eyes, the Nobel Prize in Literature is beginning to suffer from a legitimacy crisis. There was no Pulitzer Prize awarded in fiction this year, and with that meaningful omission came the opportunity for the Nobel committee to reassert itself as the dominant voice in the world of literary prizes. That's not to say that the Pulitzer and the Nobel are in direct competition, but award committees have an opportunity to influence the direction of the global conversation. With no Pulitzer in fiction this year, there was a relative vacuum that the Nobel committee could have used to solidify its leadership.
I don't mean to take anything away from Mo Yan; I'm sure he's an extremely talented author. And it goes without saying that popularity does not necessarily equate with quality or significance. But there are a lot of equally talented, less obscure writers out there, any one of whom would have been a deserving recipient and probably would have quieted the chorus of "Who?" that erupted when the announcement was made (Cormac McCarthy for one). Instead, the Nobel committee once again made an obscure, ivory tower choice, further reducing its own relevance on the world stage.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Dartmouth still on top
The recently-released U.S. News & World Report 2013 college rankings once again crowns Dartmouth top in the country for "Strong Commitment to Teaching" (and tied for tenth place overall). This designation, which Dartmouth has now won four years running, recognizes the faculty's emphasis on teaching undergrads without sacrificing the scholarship and research that in many cases is what drew students to Dartmouth in the first place.
I'm proud and pleased, if not surprised, to hear that Dartmouth took top honors in this field again. At Dartmouth, when you hear someone talk about "TA'ing" a class, they are in most cases simply glorified grading assistants for the professor and homework resources for the students. Student TAs would hold office hours once or twice a week, but absolutely all of the classroom instruction was done by professors. Which is not to say that TAs aren't a useful resource; they are. But their utility is maximized by the fact that they supplement, not supplant, the faculty themselves.
In general, I'm skeptical of the criteria U.S. News & World Report uses to compile these lists (a brief glance at their website showed that they have replaced these details, which they used to publish, with vague platitudes. No doubt they're afraid people will make fun of their system). Nevertheless, it's gratifying to see Dartmouth receive some well-deserve recognition. Keep up the good work!
I'm proud and pleased, if not surprised, to hear that Dartmouth took top honors in this field again. At Dartmouth, when you hear someone talk about "TA'ing" a class, they are in most cases simply glorified grading assistants for the professor and homework resources for the students. Student TAs would hold office hours once or twice a week, but absolutely all of the classroom instruction was done by professors. Which is not to say that TAs aren't a useful resource; they are. But their utility is maximized by the fact that they supplement, not supplant, the faculty themselves.
In general, I'm skeptical of the criteria U.S. News & World Report uses to compile these lists (a brief glance at their website showed that they have replaced these details, which they used to publish, with vague platitudes. No doubt they're afraid people will make fun of their system). Nevertheless, it's gratifying to see Dartmouth receive some well-deserve recognition. Keep up the good work!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
News from the CPR front
I couldn't help but notice when The New York Times picked up a story two weeks ago about a change in thinking about the benefits of prolonged CPR (putting "CPR" in the headline of anything pretty much guarantees I'll read it). The article detailed new research recently published in British medical journal The Lancet suggesting that patients who go into cardiac arrest while inpatients (and excluding patients in the operating room) may be viable much longer than originally thought.
I have to admit, my interest started to wane when I read that the research was only directed toward in-hospital arrests (I may someday find myself working in the hospital and/or clinic environment, but EMS was explicitly excluded from the new recommendations). Nevertheless, medicine is an extremely adaptable field, and what is found to improve patient outcomes in one setting or environment may start popping up in others.
I'll be curious to see how the American Heart Association receives the news and if they will make any changes when they issue the next set of Emergency Cardiac Care guidelines. There are a number of differences between the in-hospital and pre-hospital environments when it comes to attempting resuscitation; hospitals have more available manpower, better environmental conditions, and an easier time getting the patient optimally positioned than do EMS crews. So it's possible that these new findings may not reverberate outside hospital walls, but in any event, it's good to know that new ground is being broken in this all-important field.
I have to admit, my interest started to wane when I read that the research was only directed toward in-hospital arrests (I may someday find myself working in the hospital and/or clinic environment, but EMS was explicitly excluded from the new recommendations). Nevertheless, medicine is an extremely adaptable field, and what is found to improve patient outcomes in one setting or environment may start popping up in others.
I'll be curious to see how the American Heart Association receives the news and if they will make any changes when they issue the next set of Emergency Cardiac Care guidelines. There are a number of differences between the in-hospital and pre-hospital environments when it comes to attempting resuscitation; hospitals have more available manpower, better environmental conditions, and an easier time getting the patient optimally positioned than do EMS crews. So it's possible that these new findings may not reverberate outside hospital walls, but in any event, it's good to know that new ground is being broken in this all-important field.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Road trip 2012
On Thursday, August 30, Ellen and I said goodbye to New Hampshire and
began our journey to Colorado. We had planned out a road trip that,
while not exactly the most direct route to the Rockies, gave us maximum
opportunity to see friends, family, and sights on the way west. And so
as we left behind the place that had been our physical, professional,
and spiritual home for a combined fourteen years, in front of us lay
eight days and 2,717 miles of the most beautiful, moving, and
bittersweet travel we may ever be privileged enough to do.
Day One: Massachusetts
Ellen and I gave ourselves an easy first day on the road; two and a half hours to the Boston suburb of Needham, MA to visit my grandmother. It's always a blast getting to see her; I hope I'm so vibrant and vital when I close in on my 90th birthday! She especially enjoyed getting to see the photos Ellen and I had taken of our recent trip to Cape Cod. We played a closely contested game of Scrabble (I'm deliberately omitting who won), and then it was early to bed and early to rise, for the next day we had New York in our sights.
Day Two: New York / New Jersey
We started our travels by visiting my mother and stepfather in Putnam County, where we had a nice brunch with them. My stepfather is an avid photographer, and Ellen and I enjoyed looking at the photos from their recently concluded European vacation. Then we stopped in to return the last of my gear to the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps and visit with captain Mike Tagg (whom I'd known since before he was an EMT!). I was delighted to see how the Corps has continued to grow and thrive in the three years since I stopped riding with them.
Next up was lunch at Mario's Pizza (still the best pizza I've ever tasted) with Jason and Briana, two good friends from high school. I've only kept up a few relationships from my high school days, but I'm glad that these two are among them. After lunch, Ellen and I braved the George Washington Bridge to get to Jersey City, NJ, where we were spending the night with Ellen's old roommate, Laura, and her boyfriend. We parked outside their place and took the train to New York City, where we were able to see Corey, another of Ellen's college friends, as well as my father and stepmother. Originally we'd made plans to see my brother, but unfortunately the timing just got too tight. Indeed, my biggest regret from the whole trip was that we were so rushed this day; it felt like we either missed or rushed too many of our visits.
We returned to New Jersey for dinner with yet another college friend, John, before heading back to Jersey City for a nightcap of peanut butter cookies and conversation with Laura and Pete. Modern technology has made it easier to keep in touch over long distances, but there's just no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Rushed or not, Ellen and I thoroughly enjoyed all our visits! And we were both pleased that despite not having any non-New England paper maps in the car, we never got badly lost, which probably had more to do with Ellen's common sense than with my phone's GPS app.
Day Three: Washington, D.C.
Fortified by a delicious breakfast of homemade banana waffles, we tackled I-95 en route to Washington, D.C. I appreciate I-95--north-south travel on the East Coast would be immeasurably more difficult without it--but it can still make for unpleasant driving. Suffice it to say nothing had changed since the last time I was on that road. Except perhaps the number of tolls (it didn't decrease). Driving through Delaware and northern Maryland reminded us of the last time we had seen those sights, from the window of a bus as we returned from the West Coast last August following Hurricane Irene.
One of my senior year roommates, Nathan, graciously hosted us for the night, and he was generous enough to share his talents as a tour guide upon our arrival, driving us around some of the sights that we would never have had time to see otherwise (I particularly enjoyed seeing John Philip Sousa's home and the Marine Commandant's barracks). After he dropped us off on the National Mall, Ellen and I spent the rest of the afternoon playing awed tourist, which wasn't a difficult affect to don.
Ellen collects brochures from National Parks and National Historic Sights she has visited, and by the end of the day we had managed to expand her holdings significantly (we gathered a brochure from each site that had them, although on her tally of parks visited she is fairly counting the National Mall and its environs as all one big site). We saw the White House, the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, Constitution Gardens, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, the Korean War Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the District of Columbia War Memorial, the George Mason Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. Not bad for one afternoon! Ellen was also delighted to get to use her new camera (and make good use of it she did! What a talented photographer); selected photos have been posted to Facebook.
We had dinner with Nathan and his girlfriend, as well as another former roommate, Chris. I hadn't seen either one of them much in the ever-lengthening time since we graduated, so I was glad to have that opportunity. In addition, I was grateful that that evening's thunderstorm waited until we were finished sightseeing and safely indoors enjoying pizza before opening up!
Day Four: Washington, D.C. / Somerset, PA
It seemed criminal to me to pass through Washington, D.C. with a space physicist and not visit the National Air and Space Museum (which Ellen had never seen before). So we spent our few sightseeing hours on Sunday surrounded by aviation and aerospace history. My favorite artifacts were the Apollo 11 command module and The Spirit of St. Louis, to name but a few; Ellen liked those but also relished the circuitry and data exhibits. I'd been there once before, but it was a blast to see the museum through her eyes.
Once we left DC, we traveled to Somerset, PA to visit my old roommate / best man, Chris, and his wife Megan. There wasn't a lot of sightseeing to do in rural Pennsylvania, but we weren't there for the tourism! It was great to see them both, and they taught us a new board game called "Survive: Escape from Atlantis." Anytime you get to attack your competitors' pieces with a sea monster, you know you're onto something good. Ellen showed a natural aptitude for the game, but Megan managed to edge us all (as for my final showing ... don't ask). As always, we left encouraged but wishing we had more time to spend visiting.
Day Five: Chicago, IL
Ellen and I celebrated Labor Day with a laborious nine-hour drive from Pennsylvania to Chicago. I can't remember ever visiting Illinois before; Ellen has passed through its airports numerous times but has never ventured outside. Our recently married college friends Kristin and Cullen (for whom Ellen was the matron of honor; Kristin was also a bridesmaid in our wedding) played both host and tour guide for us. We really enjoyed getting to see Chicago; it has a number of charming qualities (not least of which is the river running right through downtown). The Chicago Tribune building was a highlight for us, as was the Hancock Center. We got to go to the lounge on the top of the latter and take in the panoramic views of the city and Lake Michigan.
While I have yet to meet the city that can hold a candle to Manhattan in my estimation, I nevertheless have to admit that Chicago in early September is a very nice place to be. It is cleaner and more spacious (if not less crowded, people-wise) than NYC, and the double-decker train cars were novel. I also got to see the Chicago Fire Department Scuba Team's truck drive by, which was pretty cool.
After our sightseeing excursion, the four of us returned to our hosts' apartment for dinner and continued catching up. Wedding participation notwithstanding, it's hard for two graduate students and their irregular-hour keeping spouses to all stay in as close contact as we might like. The time we got to spend with them that evening was cherished.
Day Six: Sioux Falls, SD
We made a quick exit from Chicago--slowed only by morning rush hour traffic--and set sail for Sioux Falls, SD, where we would celebrate our second wedding anniversary. Funny story about that: Back in May, when I was making reservations for the trip, I found a restaurant I wanted to take Ellen to for our anniversary. The phone conversation went like this:
Me: Hi, how far out can I make a reservation?
Employee: There's no limit.
Me: Great. Can I make a reservation for two people at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 4?
Employee: Umm ... I guess you could ...
Me: You see, my wife and I are traveling cross-country, and we're going to be in Sioux Falls on our anniversary, and--
Employee: Oh! Certainly, I'll write you in. There's no one else down for that day yet.
Okay, digression over. The trip out to South Dakota went smoothly; there was virtually no traffic after we left the Chicago city limits. Crossing the Mississippi River was fun--it's a lot less impressive way up here--and there was a lot of scenery to take in. Plus, we were able to make the kinds of stops that give trips like these their unique character. For instance, imagine our surprise when we stopped for ice cream in Blue Earth, Minnesota and found a sixty-foot statue of the Jolly Green Giant next to the Dairy Queen!
Day Seven: Badlands National Park / Rapid City, SD
This was the only day of the trip where we didn't cross a single state line (not bad considering we passed through sixteen states plus the District of Columbia!). We did get to cross over the Missouri River, though, which like the Mississippi is much less impressive this far north. The highlight of the day was our visit to Badlands National Park and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
Badlands was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The sheer barrenness of the landscape was astonishing, and so was the beauty that it shrouded. Ellen and I went on a short hike while we were there, and at one point I asked her to stop and listen.
"What is it?" Ellen asked. She hadn't heard anything remarkable.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," I answered.
And it was so. When I stopped moving and held my breath, it was the most profound silence I had ever experienced. I knew then what Verlyn Klinkenborg meant when he wrote about "deafening silence" in the Siberian night. No photograph can ever capture the primal desolation I felt in that moment.
A few miles from the Badlands Visitor Center was the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, which detailed the eponymous ballistic missiles the United States deployed during the Cold War. We got to see one of the decommissioned silos, complete with (training) missile, and we were even able to tour one of the underground control facilities. The park ranger who led the tour of the control center was extremely informative, and one of the things she said that struck me the most was that of all the electronics and computing equipment in the launch room, they paled in comparison to just one of our digital cameras or cell phones. Technological curiosity aside, it was sobering to see just how ordinary was the installation that could have participated in the end of civilization. I couldn't wrap my mind around it.
Day Eight: Mt. Rushmore / Arrival
On our final day, Ellen and I went to Mt. Rushmore on our way out of South Dakota. Honestly, it was one of my favorite sites from the entire trip. The scale of the undertaking, not to mention the incredible precision with which it was completed, is nothing short of spectacular. There was a display showing the scale model created by sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln, as well as the techniques they employed for measuring and directing their work. In particular, learning that 90% of the rock that was removed in the construction of the monument was done with dynamite just blew me away.
The only thing I did not like about Mt. Rushmore had nothing to do with the sculpture itself, but I found the literature and displays around the site to be excessively sanitized. For example, it remains a topic of debate whether or not the United States government has legitimate ownership of the land on which the monument is built. Some Native American tribes contend that the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 grants them ownership over the Black Hills, to include Mt. Rushmore itself, and the government's later seizure of the land violated the terms of the treaty. Furthermore, while Borglum was certainly a noted sculptor, he was also an active member of the Ku Klux Klan. These details, while perhaps unsavory, are nevertheless an important part of the overall history of the site and the nation whose history it memorializes. To ignore them seems dishonest.
After leaving the Black Hills, Ellen and I exited South Dakota and made our way across Wyoming (although exactly when we began the latter leg is somewhat unclear, since they don't seem to be big on putting up signs at state borders out here). As we passed through one small Wyoming town, we decided it was time to stop for lunch. Noticing a tour bus pulling into the parking lot behind us, we knew we had to act quickly to avoid getting stuck at the end of a long line. But where to go, Subway or Arby's? When we walked in and heard, "Welcome to Arby's. We're giving away free turkey sandwiches today," we knew we'd made the right choice.
Finally, at long last, we arrived at our destination in Louisville, CO. We knew that our work was not done--having reached our new home, we now had to begin the arduous task of unpacking and getting established in a new place--but we could reflect on our recently concluded journey with satisfaction. We have so many cherished memories of those days ... breathtaking scenery, historic sites, time with family and close friends. But the most treasured thing of all was the time we spent sitting in the car together. Whether we were discussing our future plans, reading to each other, playing "What's the coolest animal we're going to see from the car," or just speculating as to how long it would take an ambulance to reach us if we went off the road in rural Wyoming, I wouldn't trade a single moment of that trip for anything.
Day One: Massachusetts
Ellen and I gave ourselves an easy first day on the road; two and a half hours to the Boston suburb of Needham, MA to visit my grandmother. It's always a blast getting to see her; I hope I'm so vibrant and vital when I close in on my 90th birthday! She especially enjoyed getting to see the photos Ellen and I had taken of our recent trip to Cape Cod. We played a closely contested game of Scrabble (I'm deliberately omitting who won), and then it was early to bed and early to rise, for the next day we had New York in our sights.
Day Two: New York / New Jersey
We started our travels by visiting my mother and stepfather in Putnam County, where we had a nice brunch with them. My stepfather is an avid photographer, and Ellen and I enjoyed looking at the photos from their recently concluded European vacation. Then we stopped in to return the last of my gear to the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps and visit with captain Mike Tagg (whom I'd known since before he was an EMT!). I was delighted to see how the Corps has continued to grow and thrive in the three years since I stopped riding with them.
Next up was lunch at Mario's Pizza (still the best pizza I've ever tasted) with Jason and Briana, two good friends from high school. I've only kept up a few relationships from my high school days, but I'm glad that these two are among them. After lunch, Ellen and I braved the George Washington Bridge to get to Jersey City, NJ, where we were spending the night with Ellen's old roommate, Laura, and her boyfriend. We parked outside their place and took the train to New York City, where we were able to see Corey, another of Ellen's college friends, as well as my father and stepmother. Originally we'd made plans to see my brother, but unfortunately the timing just got too tight. Indeed, my biggest regret from the whole trip was that we were so rushed this day; it felt like we either missed or rushed too many of our visits.
We returned to New Jersey for dinner with yet another college friend, John, before heading back to Jersey City for a nightcap of peanut butter cookies and conversation with Laura and Pete. Modern technology has made it easier to keep in touch over long distances, but there's just no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Rushed or not, Ellen and I thoroughly enjoyed all our visits! And we were both pleased that despite not having any non-New England paper maps in the car, we never got badly lost, which probably had more to do with Ellen's common sense than with my phone's GPS app.
Day Three: Washington, D.C.
Fortified by a delicious breakfast of homemade banana waffles, we tackled I-95 en route to Washington, D.C. I appreciate I-95--north-south travel on the East Coast would be immeasurably more difficult without it--but it can still make for unpleasant driving. Suffice it to say nothing had changed since the last time I was on that road. Except perhaps the number of tolls (it didn't decrease). Driving through Delaware and northern Maryland reminded us of the last time we had seen those sights, from the window of a bus as we returned from the West Coast last August following Hurricane Irene.
One of my senior year roommates, Nathan, graciously hosted us for the night, and he was generous enough to share his talents as a tour guide upon our arrival, driving us around some of the sights that we would never have had time to see otherwise (I particularly enjoyed seeing John Philip Sousa's home and the Marine Commandant's barracks). After he dropped us off on the National Mall, Ellen and I spent the rest of the afternoon playing awed tourist, which wasn't a difficult affect to don.
Ellen collects brochures from National Parks and National Historic Sights she has visited, and by the end of the day we had managed to expand her holdings significantly (we gathered a brochure from each site that had them, although on her tally of parks visited she is fairly counting the National Mall and its environs as all one big site). We saw the White House, the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, Constitution Gardens, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, the Korean War Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the District of Columbia War Memorial, the George Mason Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. Not bad for one afternoon! Ellen was also delighted to get to use her new camera (and make good use of it she did! What a talented photographer); selected photos have been posted to Facebook.
We had dinner with Nathan and his girlfriend, as well as another former roommate, Chris. I hadn't seen either one of them much in the ever-lengthening time since we graduated, so I was glad to have that opportunity. In addition, I was grateful that that evening's thunderstorm waited until we were finished sightseeing and safely indoors enjoying pizza before opening up!
Day Four: Washington, D.C. / Somerset, PA
It seemed criminal to me to pass through Washington, D.C. with a space physicist and not visit the National Air and Space Museum (which Ellen had never seen before). So we spent our few sightseeing hours on Sunday surrounded by aviation and aerospace history. My favorite artifacts were the Apollo 11 command module and The Spirit of St. Louis, to name but a few; Ellen liked those but also relished the circuitry and data exhibits. I'd been there once before, but it was a blast to see the museum through her eyes.
Once we left DC, we traveled to Somerset, PA to visit my old roommate / best man, Chris, and his wife Megan. There wasn't a lot of sightseeing to do in rural Pennsylvania, but we weren't there for the tourism! It was great to see them both, and they taught us a new board game called "Survive: Escape from Atlantis." Anytime you get to attack your competitors' pieces with a sea monster, you know you're onto something good. Ellen showed a natural aptitude for the game, but Megan managed to edge us all (as for my final showing ... don't ask). As always, we left encouraged but wishing we had more time to spend visiting.
Day Five: Chicago, IL
Ellen and I celebrated Labor Day with a laborious nine-hour drive from Pennsylvania to Chicago. I can't remember ever visiting Illinois before; Ellen has passed through its airports numerous times but has never ventured outside. Our recently married college friends Kristin and Cullen (for whom Ellen was the matron of honor; Kristin was also a bridesmaid in our wedding) played both host and tour guide for us. We really enjoyed getting to see Chicago; it has a number of charming qualities (not least of which is the river running right through downtown). The Chicago Tribune building was a highlight for us, as was the Hancock Center. We got to go to the lounge on the top of the latter and take in the panoramic views of the city and Lake Michigan.
While I have yet to meet the city that can hold a candle to Manhattan in my estimation, I nevertheless have to admit that Chicago in early September is a very nice place to be. It is cleaner and more spacious (if not less crowded, people-wise) than NYC, and the double-decker train cars were novel. I also got to see the Chicago Fire Department Scuba Team's truck drive by, which was pretty cool.
After our sightseeing excursion, the four of us returned to our hosts' apartment for dinner and continued catching up. Wedding participation notwithstanding, it's hard for two graduate students and their irregular-hour keeping spouses to all stay in as close contact as we might like. The time we got to spend with them that evening was cherished.
Day Six: Sioux Falls, SD
We made a quick exit from Chicago--slowed only by morning rush hour traffic--and set sail for Sioux Falls, SD, where we would celebrate our second wedding anniversary. Funny story about that: Back in May, when I was making reservations for the trip, I found a restaurant I wanted to take Ellen to for our anniversary. The phone conversation went like this:
Me: Hi, how far out can I make a reservation?
Employee: There's no limit.
Me: Great. Can I make a reservation for two people at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 4?
Employee: Umm ... I guess you could ...
Me: You see, my wife and I are traveling cross-country, and we're going to be in Sioux Falls on our anniversary, and--
Employee: Oh! Certainly, I'll write you in. There's no one else down for that day yet.
Okay, digression over. The trip out to South Dakota went smoothly; there was virtually no traffic after we left the Chicago city limits. Crossing the Mississippi River was fun--it's a lot less impressive way up here--and there was a lot of scenery to take in. Plus, we were able to make the kinds of stops that give trips like these their unique character. For instance, imagine our surprise when we stopped for ice cream in Blue Earth, Minnesota and found a sixty-foot statue of the Jolly Green Giant next to the Dairy Queen!
Day Seven: Badlands National Park / Rapid City, SD
This was the only day of the trip where we didn't cross a single state line (not bad considering we passed through sixteen states plus the District of Columbia!). We did get to cross over the Missouri River, though, which like the Mississippi is much less impressive this far north. The highlight of the day was our visit to Badlands National Park and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
Badlands was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The sheer barrenness of the landscape was astonishing, and so was the beauty that it shrouded. Ellen and I went on a short hike while we were there, and at one point I asked her to stop and listen.
"What is it?" Ellen asked. She hadn't heard anything remarkable.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," I answered.
And it was so. When I stopped moving and held my breath, it was the most profound silence I had ever experienced. I knew then what Verlyn Klinkenborg meant when he wrote about "deafening silence" in the Siberian night. No photograph can ever capture the primal desolation I felt in that moment.
A few miles from the Badlands Visitor Center was the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, which detailed the eponymous ballistic missiles the United States deployed during the Cold War. We got to see one of the decommissioned silos, complete with (training) missile, and we were even able to tour one of the underground control facilities. The park ranger who led the tour of the control center was extremely informative, and one of the things she said that struck me the most was that of all the electronics and computing equipment in the launch room, they paled in comparison to just one of our digital cameras or cell phones. Technological curiosity aside, it was sobering to see just how ordinary was the installation that could have participated in the end of civilization. I couldn't wrap my mind around it.
Day Eight: Mt. Rushmore / Arrival
On our final day, Ellen and I went to Mt. Rushmore on our way out of South Dakota. Honestly, it was one of my favorite sites from the entire trip. The scale of the undertaking, not to mention the incredible precision with which it was completed, is nothing short of spectacular. There was a display showing the scale model created by sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln, as well as the techniques they employed for measuring and directing their work. In particular, learning that 90% of the rock that was removed in the construction of the monument was done with dynamite just blew me away.
The only thing I did not like about Mt. Rushmore had nothing to do with the sculpture itself, but I found the literature and displays around the site to be excessively sanitized. For example, it remains a topic of debate whether or not the United States government has legitimate ownership of the land on which the monument is built. Some Native American tribes contend that the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 grants them ownership over the Black Hills, to include Mt. Rushmore itself, and the government's later seizure of the land violated the terms of the treaty. Furthermore, while Borglum was certainly a noted sculptor, he was also an active member of the Ku Klux Klan. These details, while perhaps unsavory, are nevertheless an important part of the overall history of the site and the nation whose history it memorializes. To ignore them seems dishonest.
After leaving the Black Hills, Ellen and I exited South Dakota and made our way across Wyoming (although exactly when we began the latter leg is somewhat unclear, since they don't seem to be big on putting up signs at state borders out here). As we passed through one small Wyoming town, we decided it was time to stop for lunch. Noticing a tour bus pulling into the parking lot behind us, we knew we had to act quickly to avoid getting stuck at the end of a long line. But where to go, Subway or Arby's? When we walked in and heard, "Welcome to Arby's. We're giving away free turkey sandwiches today," we knew we'd made the right choice.
Finally, at long last, we arrived at our destination in Louisville, CO. We knew that our work was not done--having reached our new home, we now had to begin the arduous task of unpacking and getting established in a new place--but we could reflect on our recently concluded journey with satisfaction. We have so many cherished memories of those days ... breathtaking scenery, historic sites, time with family and close friends. But the most treasured thing of all was the time we spent sitting in the car together. Whether we were discussing our future plans, reading to each other, playing "What's the coolest animal we're going to see from the car," or just speculating as to how long it would take an ambulance to reach us if we went off the road in rural Wyoming, I wouldn't trade a single moment of that trip for anything.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Upper Valley "Best of"
I meant to publish this post before leaving New Hampshire, but the timing just didn't work out. So, without further delay and roughly grouped food-services-activities, I present my "Best of the Upper Valley," as determined by six years of living there. May you find it useful and entertaining! And as always, please leave a comment if you think I overlooked something or committed an injustice by omitting your favorite.
Best ice cream: Mickey's Roadside Tavern (Enfield, NH)
There are surprisingly few ice cream outlets in the Upper Valley. I give Mickey's the edge over Fore-U (Lebanon, NH) largely on the strength of its cotton candy and peppermint stick flavors and the Brobdingnagian dimensions of a "small." Being within walking distance of our apartment and situated next to a stream often occupied by fish or ducks didn't hurt either.
Best pizza: Ramunto's (Hanover, NH)
Every Dartmouth grad has a soft spot for EBA's (Hanover, NH), but delivery hours notwithstanding, Ramunto's just makes better pizza (although I highly recommend the EBA's pepperoni-and-bacon pizza during their Wacky Wednesday promotion). Besides, EBA's once served me a quart of caffeinated root beer. Not that I'm holding a grudge.
Best all-around restaurant: Molly's (Hanover, NH)
Any of the three former Blue Sky Restaurant Group members (Molly's, Lui Lui's [Lebanon, NH], and Jesse's [Hanover, NH]) would have been worthy recipients. In fact, Ellen and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Lui Lui's. In terms of menu diversity, atmosphere, service, and college-town setting, though, Molly's gets the nod.
Best breakfast: Lou's (Hanover, NH)
This one was easy. I mean, have you ever eaten there??
Best ethnic (or "ethnic," if you prefer) food: Golden Ming (Canaan, NH)
Ellen might have preferred Mai Thai or Jewel of India (both Hanover, NH), and I enjoyed both restaurants ... but it's my list and I prefer Chinese food to Thai or Indian, so Golden Ming it is. The lunch special combination plates are a particularly good value (less so the dinner specials).
Best mechanic: Doug's Sunoco (Lebanon, NH)
Another easy choice. Knowledgeable, honest, and fairly priced. In our experience they always helped us make the best decision, even if it weren't what they could bill the most for. HIGHLY recommended.
Best dentist: James Brackett (Hanover, NH)
It's tough to title this category "best," since Ellen and I only tried two different Upper Valley dentists in our combined fourteen years, but we both had excellent experiences with Dr. Brackett. He is extremely knowledgeable and takes a "hands-off" approach to interventions; you get the definite feeling that you and he are partners rather than having your care dictated to you.
Best oral surgeon: Craig Cohen (Lebanon, NH)
Once again, the only provider I've been to in the region, but he did a phenomenal job with my wisdom teeth extraction last October. I highly recommend him to anyone in need of oral surgery services in the Upper Valley.
Best hospital:
Given my occupation, I think it would be unfair of me to offer a public opinion on this topic (feel free to ask me off-line for my thoughts, though). But I will say that whenever I needed emergency care, I went to DHMC (Lebanon, NH).
Best hike: Mt. Washington (Sargent's Purchase, NH)
Technically not in the Upper Valley, but it's the tallest mountain in the Northeast. The feeling of accomplishment alone makes it worth it. The views from near the top aren't bad either (just don't expect to see anything except clouds and fog from the summit itself!).
Best hike actually in the Upper Valley: Gile Mountain (Norwich, VT)
Accessible rain, shine, or snow, the summit has a fire tower that offers a wonderful panoramic view. Gile boasts easily the best view-to-effort ratio in the Upper Valley, which gives it the nod over Mt. Cardigan. You can make it up in thirteen minutes if you're hustling after lost sunglasses or down in even less time if you're being chased by a thunderstorm (done both, would recommend neither).
Best walk: Enfield Rail Trail (Enfield, NH)
Honorable mention goes to circling Occom Pond (Hanover, NH), but there's just no beating the views of Lake Mascoma. Not worrying about getting run over by golfers running late for their tee time is a plus too, as is the wild raspberries growing along the trail. Great for running, biking, and even horse riding, too.
Can't-miss annual event: Dartmouth Night (Hanover, NH)
You don't have to go to Dartmouth to appreciate a thirty-foot bonfire!
Best ice cream: Mickey's Roadside Tavern (Enfield, NH)
There are surprisingly few ice cream outlets in the Upper Valley. I give Mickey's the edge over Fore-U (Lebanon, NH) largely on the strength of its cotton candy and peppermint stick flavors and the Brobdingnagian dimensions of a "small." Being within walking distance of our apartment and situated next to a stream often occupied by fish or ducks didn't hurt either.
Best pizza: Ramunto's (Hanover, NH)
Every Dartmouth grad has a soft spot for EBA's (Hanover, NH), but delivery hours notwithstanding, Ramunto's just makes better pizza (although I highly recommend the EBA's pepperoni-and-bacon pizza during their Wacky Wednesday promotion). Besides, EBA's once served me a quart of caffeinated root beer. Not that I'm holding a grudge.
Best all-around restaurant: Molly's (Hanover, NH)
Any of the three former Blue Sky Restaurant Group members (Molly's, Lui Lui's [Lebanon, NH], and Jesse's [Hanover, NH]) would have been worthy recipients. In fact, Ellen and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Lui Lui's. In terms of menu diversity, atmosphere, service, and college-town setting, though, Molly's gets the nod.
Best breakfast: Lou's (Hanover, NH)
This one was easy. I mean, have you ever eaten there??
Best ethnic (or "ethnic," if you prefer) food: Golden Ming (Canaan, NH)
Ellen might have preferred Mai Thai or Jewel of India (both Hanover, NH), and I enjoyed both restaurants ... but it's my list and I prefer Chinese food to Thai or Indian, so Golden Ming it is. The lunch special combination plates are a particularly good value (less so the dinner specials).
Best mechanic: Doug's Sunoco (Lebanon, NH)
Another easy choice. Knowledgeable, honest, and fairly priced. In our experience they always helped us make the best decision, even if it weren't what they could bill the most for. HIGHLY recommended.
Best dentist: James Brackett (Hanover, NH)
It's tough to title this category "best," since Ellen and I only tried two different Upper Valley dentists in our combined fourteen years, but we both had excellent experiences with Dr. Brackett. He is extremely knowledgeable and takes a "hands-off" approach to interventions; you get the definite feeling that you and he are partners rather than having your care dictated to you.
Best oral surgeon: Craig Cohen (Lebanon, NH)
Once again, the only provider I've been to in the region, but he did a phenomenal job with my wisdom teeth extraction last October. I highly recommend him to anyone in need of oral surgery services in the Upper Valley.
Best hospital:
Given my occupation, I think it would be unfair of me to offer a public opinion on this topic (feel free to ask me off-line for my thoughts, though). But I will say that whenever I needed emergency care, I went to DHMC (Lebanon, NH).
Best hike: Mt. Washington (Sargent's Purchase, NH)
Technically not in the Upper Valley, but it's the tallest mountain in the Northeast. The feeling of accomplishment alone makes it worth it. The views from near the top aren't bad either (just don't expect to see anything except clouds and fog from the summit itself!).
Best hike actually in the Upper Valley: Gile Mountain (Norwich, VT)
Accessible rain, shine, or snow, the summit has a fire tower that offers a wonderful panoramic view. Gile boasts easily the best view-to-effort ratio in the Upper Valley, which gives it the nod over Mt. Cardigan. You can make it up in thirteen minutes if you're hustling after lost sunglasses or down in even less time if you're being chased by a thunderstorm (done both, would recommend neither).
Best walk: Enfield Rail Trail (Enfield, NH)
Honorable mention goes to circling Occom Pond (Hanover, NH), but there's just no beating the views of Lake Mascoma. Not worrying about getting run over by golfers running late for their tee time is a plus too, as is the wild raspberries growing along the trail. Great for running, biking, and even horse riding, too.
Can't-miss annual event: Dartmouth Night (Hanover, NH)
You don't have to go to Dartmouth to appreciate a thirty-foot bonfire!
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