To the Travellers

I see that you are reading the blog.
We're all fine, except Ashwani, who is recovering from an unusually bad cold. We miss you. The snow is almost gone, but it is expected back this weekend. Your basement was fine yesterday.

News from Rome

My father has been in the hospital since Tuesday. It is nothing too serious, I hope. His red blood cell count was very low so his doctors decided it was best that he receive a blood transfusion. He should be back home by tomorrow.

Just an FYI to my family

I don't know if you got my email, but my phone isn't working. I don't know what I did to it, but I went to the AT&T store and they gave me a number to call. However, my phone isn't working so I can't call the number. My best bet is to go to an apple store, but the nearest one is in Syracuse. I'll see if I can get a ride to one Saturday or Sunday.

Until then, I'll be phone free and the best way to contact me is via email. I have a really busy weekend (mock collective bargaining exercise), so I won't be able to do anything about the situation until at least Saturday afternoon.

Just thought I should let you know.

dreary day

Sunday was a dreary day. All 5 of us went downtown, Chandran wanted to go to a book fair. When we arrived at our favorite restaurant in the village, Miracle Grill, it was closed. We had hoped it was simply a fluke as they still had their valentine decorations up and people kept on stopping by and looking surprised. Unfortunately it is closed for good and the saddest thing is that a Marc Jacobs store may open in its stead (they already take up half the block). This is especially sad for us, as we have been coming to this restaurant in its various incarnations for the past 20 years or more. We eventually did find another place to eat, not as good. Chandran went to the book fair and I went with the kids to a small playground nearby, it rained and by the time Chandran reached us we were all cranky and cold.

and the winner is....

SAM.



so happy kate won! even though i didn't vote for her

Penelope Cruz is terrible

felix!!

has been e-mailed to you, hopefully. took me foreverrrrr. i'm never doing this again

good luck

best feelings

here are some examples of best feelings. post yours. maybe i'll make it into a book or something

watching a sunset
a baby falling asleep on you
boston beer works nachos
when a plane lands and you know you are safe
feeling pretty
head rubs
thinking you lost something forever and then finding it
falling in love
stretching
getting a good grade on something you worked really hard on
lying on a warm beach and feeling the wind
the part of a manicure where they rub lotion on your hands
waking up and being told it’s a snow day
seeing a friend you haven’t seen in a long long time
being really thirsty; that first sip of water
saying “i told you so”
when your dog hates your evil ex-boyfriend
working at a pre-school... that first day of spring when you don’t have to get all the kids into their snow suits
thinking you've missed a train... and then justttt making it
getting the last of something, right before it sells out
feeling cold and then putting on warm clothes right from the dryer
when a crush is requited

my dad's best feeling: finding a match on eharmony.

Adirondack Trip

Tracks on the lake. Look closer at this one, and tell me what you think.


Living room scene.


Kathy taught Susi to knit.

poll

what is the best feeling in the whole world?

this morning when i came home and i found limeade in the refridgerator... that was the best thing i ever felt.

elizacalvin@gmail.com
SEND IN YOUR BALLOTS
i have 3 so far

actually the best feeling will be when i win the felix this year

this song is for Jo

here here go here

also, don't forget to get your felix ballots in by this sunday!

Happy Calvin News

Keith and Luciana are engaged!
He proposed on their Vermont dog sledding trip on Valentine's Day. He's had the ring since Thanksgiving and was planning different proposal scenarios (including underwater while scuba diving in December).

Chris conducting the girls

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone.

(What's left of St. Valentine)

Dehra Dun

I'm having money waved over my head for cooking for my in-laws for the first time. I made chapatis.

Dad and Sumesh in Vijay's yard


The women--I don't know why people think it's advantageous to be a man in male-oriented societies,. As far as I can tell, the entertaining conversation is happening in the kitchen. Left to Right: Veena, Madhu, Sumishta, Vinod, Neeru.


On the front steps of Vijay's college. The guy on the right is the director. He's an entrepreneur rather than an academic, but seemed very pleasant.

A funny video

Fortunately I have not yet learned how to post you tube videos on the blog.
So here’s a link:
YouTube - Joaquin Phoenix On Letterman 2-11-09

News from NYC

It was a busy and fun weekend. Chiara had her birthday party with Isabella. It started on Friday with a sleepover at Isabella’s house, though from what I heard they got very little sleep. The next morning I picked them up and brought them over here for pancakes. We had planned to go see Inkheart but unfortunately it was no longer playing at our local theater, so we went to see Hotel for Dogs instead. All enjoyed the movie. I think all the girls had fun. Suzanne and Murray are in town; they came over Friday night for dinner they were joined by Eliza and Kamala. All 4 also joined us for pancakes on Saturday, and came over today for lunch. It was very nice to see everyone, especially Murray, whom we had not seen in the city for so long.

Murray, Nick & Laura

Pancakes
Isabella, Laura, Kelly & Sarah

Allison & Chiara

i am in charge of the Felix this year :)

1.  e-mail your choices to elizacalvin@gmail.com.

please vote on every category listed here . the person who gets the most correct will win. best cinematography will be tie-breaker.

2. under my new administration, i am abolishing the Buster. 

3. the deadline is february 22nd @ 3 pm eastern.

Back to India

Here is Kannu with his parents. He was home for knee surgery, but was called up early, and had to leave the day we got there. He is a Captain in the Light Cavalry stationed in Rajasthan. Starting in March, however, he'll be ADC to his general in Ambala.


Vinod was pretty reluctant to be photographed in this brace. She has had bone density issues since adolescence, and she had come to a point where compression in her neck was causing dizziness and even occasional black-out. She's much better know, but hopes to strengthen enough to lose the brace eventually.


Here is Vinod's garden. Behind the pillar is the Norfolk Pine Mom bought for Christmas in 2004.


Here is Kannu with the neighbor boy.

Montreal

This weekend I went to a model UN conference in Montreal. My committee was no fun, so me and my friends decided to go have fun instead. These are a few of the things we saw:

The Notre Dame Bascilica from the outside. It was very cold.





The main altar. They were very into blue (Mary's color, I guess). Probably the second prettiest church I've ever been in other than Santa Chiara in Rome.




The secondary chapel. The altar was completely bronze. There's a two year waiting list for summer weddings (you wouldn't want to go outside in a dress during winter in Montreal).





We also went to the Biodome which was built for when Montreal hosted the Olympics. Here are some monkeys in the Jungle ecosystem.




This is a beaver underwater chewing through a log. It was very cool. The beavers at the Seneca Park Zoo never come out.





Penguins. This was the only exhibit that felt at all like a cage at a zoo. They were the main reason for us going. For some reason nobody wanted to go until we mentioned that there were penguins.

Note: The pictures are sort of small and bad because I took them with my phone

Happy Day-after-Groundhog-Day, Everyone!

Happy Birthday Chiara!

Happy Groundhog Day, Everyone!

Houseguest

Bappu stayed with us this weekend. It was very nice to see him. Last night we went out for dinner to Saravanna’s, Eliza and Junu joined us. Rupa and her fiancé were supposed to come also but were prevented by subway construction (the 7 train was not running)