Oh, that Island

We spent the weekend on Long Island, visiting Joe's folks, and sisters, and future brother in law, and his parents, and various aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma.

First stop was Sagamore Hill, home of Teddy Roosevelt, on the Long Island Sound.

The sound, which Melissa promptly waded into.

A gift from the Japanese, Roosevelt had a cherry tree!

Since the Sound isn't really the ocean, we went to Jones Beach the next morning, so Melissa could splash around some more.

After working with a woman who jokingly referred to Long Island as "Strong Island," Melissa was way too excited to see this sign on the LIRR.

The best thing about New York City is...

On Good Friday, we headed to NYC for some much needed rock. And it was just lovely.

Rockefeller Center, with its flower show!

Central Park Zoo, with penguins and polar bears and seals and monkeys!

The Met, where Joe stared at some Van Gogh's,

The 21 Club, with its funny little jockey obsession,

And an eerie, foggy, Empire State Building greeting us after we danced for three hours to Franz Ferninand and Death Cab For Cutie.

Bra Birds.

Melissa wrote a story for Metroland about artist Emily Rawitsch, and an installation that she created in Troy, called Transcend.

To read the cover story, go to Metroland.

While researching the project, she found a number of Long Island angles, and then got Newsday interested. It ran in Part 2.

The installation at Pi Naturals in Troy runs through April 29. For more info, please go to Emily's site.

Two months later...

Sorry! Life has gotten too busy for updates!
In the last two months, we've...

Had lunch at the Culinary Institute of America

Celebrated our friend Shawn's 30th

Went to Albany's St. Patrick's Day parade

Befriended a Panda at an Albany Patroons game

Visited the Van Buren homestead, which Joseph gave a thumbs down (not the best presidential home... even in a 100 mile radius!)

Melissa judged the Ed Wood Film Festival Quickie Night.