Hundreds of Miles from Home: April 2006

The Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge. On stage is a Miss America pageant contestant from one of the New England states with a surprisingly powerful voice.

Scott, Ricky, and I at the banquet

Me with editor Marie and associate editor Angeline

At The Tech banquet in Morton's Steakhouse

Near a cemetary on a pond in Maine

Train tracks stretch toward the horizon

Walk the line

The freshmen, minus me, on the train tracks

Swing: Grant and Erik

Swing: me

Swing: Bill

Joyride tractoring

The inside of a huge grain storage barn

A neat sign I found with Bill

Grant in a tube

On the porch

All of us at the Maine House

Chapter meeting in Maine

Dinner is served

Did I mention there was a hot tub?

Ante and George in a tussle

Tejus, cuffed and intoxicated

Of Midnight Trains and Thrift Stores

The retreat ended up being a relaxing, albeit short weekend in Maine. The weather stayed slightly overcast but spirits were high and I had an interesting time with the brothers.

Last week I attended a jazz night at the Ryles Jazz club in Cambridge. Amid a crowd of Kiira’s family and friends I met some fascinating characters, including an older man who walked in, had a beer, told a wildly inappropriate yet hilarious joke, and left the club.

Next week is going to be another grueling crawl through college, but OK Go is playing on Thursday at Wellesley followed by Cake and Matt Pond PA at MIT on Friday.

Meanwhile I’m trying to finalize summer plans in Boston. I have a job through MIT’s Information Services and Technology department but I’m looking into working at the Media Lab for a little spice to the summer months. Networking appears to be the name of the game.

I’d like to begin writing again, but with all the work this semester it’s been all but impossible to find the time to jot down a few thoughts. After finals I’m returning to WV to live in semi-solitude for a month. A welcome break, indeed.

What You Can Find in a Junkyard

Bill and Grant roll Sanchez down a hill.

Boston at night from the roof of Baker

Photodetector setup

A lab in 6.099

Wiring up a circuit, lego style

The magic of static

Vladamir, Bill's advisor, helping with the lab

The aparatus setup for light splitting

Photodetector testing

Retreat!

Coming to you from the sunny banks of Bryant Pond, Maine, it’s the Theta Chi retreat. While relaxing in a rocking chair on a southern-style porch I found a few photos from class over the past weeks.

This morning a few of us took a walk into the small town of Woodstock, finding an abandoned antique store and ancient cemetery. A few photos included, but expect more after tonight’s festivities.

Great weather for Marathon Monday

Lots of balloons at the Church of Scientology

Bus ride to Harvard Square

Welcome back dinner for a Mr. Mikko Solomon

Hereee's Mikko

Revenge of the Georgeface

Some sort of a foul going on here

Point-guard Ben

4 on 4 basketball

A most embarrassing moment

Forced into a smile

Kiira and I

After the soccer game

Short pants and a Thai beer shirt in action

Porch snapshot

The obligatory family photo

White Chocolate is Not Real Chocolate

The Boston Marathon was run today and Kenya yet again kicked America’s overweight ass. Congrats to Robert Cheruiyot for being a real classy gentleman and beating the record by one second, clocking in a 2:07:14.

Yesterday was Easter brunch and egg hunt with Kiira’s family near the town of Wellesley. A fun afternoon, to say the least, and watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with kids less than half your age is always a treat. Also heard some great stories of apartment life in New York.

Bill and I, airport style

Cambridge skyline by night

Ahh, TEAL Physics

Bill and Jessica with firearm

The famed CalTech cannon

From left to right, Professors White, Kaelbling, and Abelson with Pat Maher. Enough smarts in this photo to do dangerous things

Sanchez and his base

Zeta Alpha semi-formal at Wellesley

Chair races at OX

Oh yeah!

Pre-frosh at CPW

Time Away

More excitement brewing here at the Institute. MIT steals CalTech cannon, freshmen visit campus for CPW, and Scott makes a homemade firearm.
No classes this coming Monday or Tuesday in honor of a Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin-only holiday, Patriots Day, honor of the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.