The problems with eating at Pax for lunch is that as you leave, you will see these delicious bars by the exit. And you will not be able to resist buying one and chowing down on it. Awful.

And now for a meme that has been going around:

What were you doing ten years ago this month:
I was in my junior year of high school. I remember this spring as being the busiest ever. Studying for the SATs, which I took in March, playing the flute in the school band, orchestra and outside on my own, babysitting for my cousins, and on the track team at the same time. I used to take mini naps for ten minutes at time. Oh, and there was a huge snow storm and school was cancelled for two days, and I got two extra days to write a paper on Hamlet for my English class.

What were you doing eight years ago this month:
I just came back from winter break my freshman year of college. I was pre med. I figured out that I didn't need to take Calculus though because I had AP credit for it. So I dropped my calc class, which was great because the first weekend back from break I slipped on the ice and dislocated my knee and was on crutches for quite a while. And the math department was all the way across campus. I nded up spending as much time in the physical therapy room at the gym as I had in swim practice each day.

What were you doing six years ago this month:
It was the middle of my junior year in college. I had just decided to switch into engineering. And I left to go to London for the spring semester abroad. I had also just dislocated my knee again and had a surgery to repair it in my future when I got back from England (after summer school of course). I love London. I haven't been back since but hope to soon.

What were you doing four years ago this month:
I was finishing up my fifth year of college. I only had to take a few classes since I was only part time my fifth year, and I was working at a geotechnical engineering firm in their environmental services group part time as well. It was a great work experience and helped me realize it wasn't a place I wanted to work. Though I loved the people I worked with. I applied for grad school, though I had no intention of going that year since I wanted to get some more work experience in. I was desperate to get a job in NY. By August I was back in the city.

What were you doing two years ago this month:
I was working for an environmental engineering firm up in White Plains. I was bored out of my mind at my job and I couldn't wait to go to grad school. Sam and I had started dating and we were blissfully happy in a new relationship state.

What are you doing now:
I'm working for a civil and environmental engineering firm doing green design. I love it, though I could stand to work a few less hours. I have been married for six months. I just came back from four months of job training in San Francisco and I am so happy to finally be back in NY, living in Brooklyn, with my husband.

What have you learned from this:
I've known what I want to do for quite a while, but it took me a while to actually get there.

Some leftover photos from our trip to Pratt last weekend. This weekend entailed a lot of walking too, but mostly just looking at apartments in the neighborhood. We're testing the market to see whether there is something worth buying out there. We love where we're renting right now, so its going to have to be pretty nice to convince us to leave, but still, its never too early to start looking. So far, things have fallen into a few categories: our price range but tiny, our price range but in need of a lot of work, and nice places but way out of our price range. Sometimes, I can't believe I'm actually an adult.

On our way to Pratt on Saturday, Sam and I walked through Fort Greene and Clinton Hill and found ourselves i n awe of the beautiful old houses in Clinton Hill. Sure its inconvenient getting to Manhattan, but living in one of those beautiful houses could make it worth it. Almost. On our way back, we took a detour through downtown Brooklyn to stop off at Macys (love that it was empty, helping disuade my hatred of the store, but then realized it was empty because it HAS NOTHING in stock), and walked back along State Street. Absolutely beautiful. The houses reminded me of those in Philly and DC, and it was hard to believe that downtown Brooklyn and Flatbush was so close by. I love Brooklyn.

On Friday evening, a friend of Sam's told us about the Steam Engine Room at Pratt. Its the oldest working steam engine in the US and they keep it in amazing shape. And they let anyone who wants to come in and look around. So on Saturday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked over to Pratt to check it out. Its amazing, though maybe that's just the engineer in me talking. And the cats walking around, hopping around the turbines, just adds to the experience.

Brooklyn, NY*
Stanford, CA*
Santa Barbara, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Alford, MA*
Washington, D.C.
Williamsburg, VA
New York, NY*
Bangkok, Thailand*
Phuket, Thailand
Chaing Mai, Thailand
Sukhothai, Thailand
Pattaya, Thailand
San Francisco, CA*
Pittsburgh, PA
Tahoe City, CA
* = multiple times

Following Jason's example, my year in travel. I was also tagged by Mingaling to think of five weird habits I have, but I couldn't think of any. Which isn't to say I'm not weird, I just couldn't think of habits, weird or not. I talk too much, but that's weird, just annoying. I asked Sam what weird stuff I do, and he said I married him. But I don't go around marrying people, so not quite a habit. Some other time I guess.

Yesterday, the 2 train conveniently stopped just past 14th St. After a few minutes of waiting, the conductor announced that we would be unable to continue to Brooklyn due to a customer injury/police action at Borough Hall in Brooklyn. And then it kept going. At Chambers St, they cleared the train, but didn't direct anyone on what to do for a few more minutes. I contemplated walking to the C and taking that home instead, but then the announcer told everyone to get on the 1 train to South Ferry and then get out and walk to the Bowling Green station and take the 4 or 5 instead. Instead of taking only one train home and it taking about 1/2 an hour, I had to take three, taking twice that time.

This is making me think very hard about whether it is worth it for me to walk to Atlantic Ave (instead of getting on at Bergen St) and taking the N/D in to Manhattan instead. More walking, but only 3 stops to get me to work, and way more options if there are train problems....

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the 2 train was running on the 5 train's tracks today. But then again, this is the first time I've ever had that happen to me on a weekday. The train sitting for about 10 minutes between Atlantic Ave. and Borough Hall didn't help either. I decided to sit it out on 2/5, rather than trying to wade through the mess of people at Atlantic Ave and just transferred to the A train at Fulton instead. That train too seemed to be moving at a snail's pace, leading me to be 1/2 an hour late to my doctor's appointment (my knee is fine and dandy). So in all, I was about 2 hours late for my first day of permanent work in NYC.

Oh, New York how I've missed you.

My, doesn't my husband look cute with his beard. He shaved it off the next day, but he looks cute bare-faced as well. And less like Tom Green which I guess is a good thing.

My fellow enginerd from undergrad, Liz, just moved from Seattle to Stockholm for a year on a fellowship from her grad school. And she started a blog for people to keep up with her on this side of the Atlantic. I wish more of my friends did that because its hard to keep up with people over the phone.

Oh, and I just had my performance review. It was really good. Pretty close to awesome. Now if only I can live up to my boss's expectations in New York.

2005 was a pretty big year for me. I recieved my master's degree, moved back from California, got married to the most wonderful man ever, took an amazing honeymoon to Thailand, moved into a new apartment, got a dream job, moved back out to California for job training, and one week into 2006, I will be moving back to NYC to start up my company's New York office and begin married life for real.

My 2006 New Year's resolution? Travel less. Love those freqent flier miles, but I could do with a few less cross country trips this year. And to continue swimming at least as much as in SF - I signed up for a relay team of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in June, and though I'll do fine if I'm not in top shape, I'd love to be in great shape for it