What a week!

It was exactly one week ago tonight that we had a little surprise that really shook things up for us. So the final story is that a 6 inch sprinkler pipe burst on the ninth floor (our floor) and flooded it and all the floors below it. Turning off the water was not a problem, but the 20 stories of water above the break all drained onto the floors below as well. The entire building was evacuated and it was 48 hours before we could go back in and assess the damage. Unfortunately the damage in our apartment was bad enough that we would likely be unable to move back in for several months, so we had to look for alternate living quarters. We have become really comfortable in this building and didn't want to leave it. We also really enjoy being right by the Commons and Chinatown. After a week in a hotel we were more than ready to find a place to live. With a little bit of luck (and some begging) we were able to acquire another apartment in the building on the nineteenth floor. We are very fortunate because there were hundreds of people affected by the flooding. The only negative was a significant reduction in square footage. Suffice it to say we moved from a 3 to 1 bedroom apartment. Here you can see the living room after moving.....sure there is plenty of room.

We had to do a little downsizing. Here are the hangers left after we donated our clothing. It really is amazing how much stuff one can accumulate over the years.

If I had to choose one picture to sum up the experience of the last week,this would be it. Trying to sneak a little rest while moving....

Kenzie was a great assistant. Here she is helping Jennifer.

Hey there! No sleeping on the job Kenzie!

While our new apartment is smaller, it does have some great features. I like the hardwood floors and the granite counter tops. What I like most of all is the view....

Not too shabby.....

Through all of this Kenzie has been our moral support. She still loves to smile and laugh.

Drumroll please.... here is the result of two days of very hard work. Yes this is the same living room. We still have some more organizing to do but we now have a comfortable place to call home. And we are very thankful!

Jen and I have moved six times since we've been married. SIX! I think we have one more move left in us and we may just be settling down for the rest of our lives. 

I can't believe that I am even typing this. We are forecast to receive another 20 inches of snow between Tuesday and Wednesday. This has been an incredible winter season by all accounts. I believe that after this storm we will have already recorded a top 10 snow season in Boston history and it's only February!

Well I will look forward to kicking back with a cup of coffee and watching the snow fall over that beautiful landscape out the window. Here is one last picture of Kenzie enjoying her new home. Here's to a great (and uneventful) week!

Ashley

An update...

I got to make a quick run into the apartment today. I was given a grand total of 15 minutes to get everything we needed. We have some damage to our things but it isn't nearly as bad as it could have been. The entire bottom 9 floors are uninhabitable, unfortunately. It looks like we will be able to relocate on a higher floor sometime next week. So we have another week of hotel living to look forward to. I think we have been adapting well. Here is our modified clothes line......


And kenzie's been great as usual. Here she is sitting up like a big girl in the hotel restaurant.


and hanging out with Dad.....


Jen had a very detailed list of things for me to get out of the apartment. In the mad dash I forgot her underwear. Looks like she will be wearing CVS high cut briefs tonight......my bad.


We are expecting another twelve inches of snow tonight. Bring it on....we'll just order room service tomorrow!
Sorry for the poor pic quality...all taken with my iphone.
Ashley

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The four words you never want to hear......"evacuate the building immediately"!

Life is never boring, that is for sure. We were awakened around midnight to the sound of an alarm demanding we evacuate the building. At first we were annoyed when it woke Kenzie up-I was sure it was a false alarm. Then I stepped out of bed and felt our wet carpet. I assumed that I had accidentally left something on until we looked out in the hall and saw this....


So we left our apartment and found this outside. Oh how we wish we would have grabbed a few more things.


We even ended up on the local news while we were evacuating. It was cold outside!


We are now staying at a hotel near the apartment. We are hoping that we may get to go in our apartment tomorrow to get a few things and check on the damage. We are fortunate to have insurance that is helping us pay for clothing and food while we are in transition. Kenzie has been so precious through all of it. Never crying, always laughing and smiling! Here's jen and Kenzie making the best of it.


There was a time that this would have really stressed me out. We really don't care if our belongings are ruined, it is just stuff. I'm just happy we are all safe and warm. Thanks to everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and concern. We will keep everyone posted when we know more.

Ashley

Cold is not an adequate word......Frigid is better!

Click on the player above for a Judy Garland classic, "Somewhere over the rainbow"

Well this week brought another 10 inches or so of snow. Even the folks who've lived here for awhile have been commenting on how much snow we have gotten so far this year. We are also looking at one cold weekend coming up. I mean, -8 degrees, seriously? Take a peek at the local forecast below. 

I am in the process of learning how to drive in this nasty weather. Unlike back home, things pretty much go on as usual unless the weather is really severe. I did take a little video to give you an idea of what it can be like during the morning commute. Disclaimer: I have both hands firmly on the wheel and am going about 10 mph!

When I pulled into work Friday morning, I encountered this (a bunch of cars with their windshield wipers sticking straight up).... I promptly got out of my car and did the same thing figuring it must be a good idea. What a neat little trick. When I left lecture this morning I had several inches of snow on my car but my wipers were not frozen to my windshield!

My car after two hours.....

One of the problems with all of this snow is that there is no where for it to go. This was taken before the 7 inches we received on Friday. You can see that there isn't too much left of the sidewalk!

Kenzie has been thinking about her future a lot lately. She does like it here in Boston and she decided today that she would like to complete her undergraduate degree at Harvard. You can see her sporting her "Harvard class of 20??" shirt below. I calculate that she will be in the graduating class of 2033 or maybe 2032 if she decides to finish in 3 years... :-)

 My only concern is summarized well by a fellow Southerner, "Harvard ain't cheap!" I have already worked out a plan to begin tackling this issue, see below.....

Another Disclaimer: I will not put any excessive pressure on Kenzie to go to Harvard (any other Ivy League school will also be acceptable).

I know that you are all aware from my previous posts that I am a pretty big fan of Kenzie smiles. I put together a little compilation of the best of Kenzie if you have a moment to view it. I don't think you will be disappointed.

My voicemail and email have literally been filled with blog readers angrily demanding that I bring back the "Featured Flashback". So here it is back by popular demand. There is nothing better than going home to relax and take a nap after a stressful week of medical school examinations. That is until your brothers and father wake you up from said nap by trying to crush you beyond recognition while your wife captures the moment with a camera. Circa 2005

Here's a picture of Kenzie all dressed up to go out!

And another picture just after waking up this morning. We hope that everyone has a great week!

Ashley

Another foot of snow!

Much of the news this week surrounds the big snow storm that also impacted much of the south. The storm moved up the east coast and left us with somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 inches of snow in Boston!

Here's a picture of Kenzie monitoring the weather situation through the bedroom window....

Another pic of the snow falling. At times it was difficult to see beyond several yards!

 And here is a short clip of the snow falling. You can hear the constant sound of snow plows in the background. I have been really impressed with the way the city handles these snowstorms. Everything is pretty much back up and running within 24 hours!

We decided to venture out the day after the storm. Here's Kenzie ready to head out on the town...

Now that is a big pile of snow!

The blowing, wet snow stuck to the trees in the Commons

Another shot in the Commons.....

.....and Granary burying ground

Even Benjamin Franklin received a coating of snow!

 While we were out we stopped in a few department stores. In what is seemingly a normal clothing store, they were selling top hats! Just seemed a little strange to me.....but I enjoy feeling like I belong in a Charles Dickens novel!

I understand that it is never too early to begin teaching your child the alphabet. For Christmas Honey gave Kenzie a very special set of alphabet flash cards. They are not your everyday alphabet cards....they are a bit more.....let's say....challenging. We will review a few now.

K is for Kepler's 3rd Law (an equation used to describe the motion of the planets around the sun)

L is for lunar eclipse....

C is for cell membrane....

 Did you get all of that Kenzie?

When Kenzie's not contemplating the physics behind Einstein's theory of relativity, she does enjoy playing with her Dad.....

 ....and her older brother

 Occasionally she even has time for a little dancing. See video below!

Another week has come and gone! Kenzie is excited about what next week holds and wants to wish you the best one ever!

 Regards,
Ashley

Making the most of the time I am given....

Click on the player above to listen to "Stuck like Glue" by Sugarland.

The post title sums up just one of my several resolutions this year. The new year is a great time for self reflection and I seem to find myself doing a lot of it these days. I have always been a person that is continually looking forward...."4 years from now I'll be done with X", "6 years from now I'll be here or there". I like to think that this make me a "goal oriented" person but I've decided that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. If we spend our days constantly thinking about where we want to be, we easily forget to enjoy the things that we have right now. As a great author put it-

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live" -J.K. Rowling

As a geriatrician I see a lot of patients that are nearing the ends of their lives. Too many times I have heard someone say, "I wish I spent more time with my kids" or "I should have enjoyed my life more". I have resolved to slow down a bit and make everyday count. I will not take the simple things for granted anymore. I will make the most of everyday that I have because it is nothing less than a gift. I will be a little less materialistic and focus on the things that money can't buy, after all "I can't take it with me!"

Since Kenzie was born she has been sleeping in a bedside bassinet on my side of the bed. I have to confess that I really enjoyed having her sleeping close by so I could obsessively check on her throughout the night. Well, needless to say she has outgrown it! So this week marked a big occasion, she moved to her crib. I have to say that I was a little sad about it-just a reminder that time passes too quickly and she is growing up too fast. Here are a few pictures before getting ready for bed....

And we were all smiles when we woke up the next morning (after 10 straight hours of sleep mind you)

It looks like we will be getting some more snow here in Boston this weekend and from what I hear we are not alone. Looks like lots of folks back home in Mississippi will be getting snow too! 

Well here are a few more pictures of Kenzie to end this post. For those of you struggling to stick with your New Year's Resolutions, here is a great quote to keep you motivated-

"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there."-Josh Billings

Ashley