Episode 55: April-June 2011
Highlights of the quarter:
• Our new home;
• Visits from Dad (Borg) and Mum and Dad Sheorey;
• Road trip to Pittsburgh;
• Neal rides the MS 150;
• Deb’s business trips to Shanghai and Brazil;
• Vacation in Colorado;
• Our 5th wedding anniversary, birthdays, our first Bar Mitzvah, and a concert to remember.
The work on our new house continued through mid-May, at which time we officially became owners of our first home together. The process of selecting finishings and finding furniture and art to make the house feel like a home consumed multiple weekends and state-wide road trips. It also taught us a little more about one another than maybe we had bargained for! We’re glad to say that our relationship survived and thrived through it all, and if anything, it made us look forward even more to moving into the house in July.
Dad Borg made a quick trip to Midland on his way to a business trip across the country. With the nasty weather, we did not get up to much. Still, while he was here, he was able to meet some of our friends, visit the house under construction, and conquer a jigsaw puzzle with us. We were also glad that Mum and Dad Sheorey were able to make it out for a long weekend visit, which was filled with much of the same adventures (minus the jigsaw puzzle) as Dad Borg’s trip. By the time they visited, they were able to see the house in its almost-finished state.
In April, our friends, Michelle and Ed, joined us for a road trip over a long weekend to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We had all heard that Pittsburgh has become a great city – transformed from its gritty past – and we thought it was worth checking out firsthand. The city is only a 6-hour drive from us, so we packed into the car and headed off. The weekend was perfect, filled with exploring the multicultural town, stumbling across different ethnic street markets, and eating great food.
Another highlight of April was Easter Sunday. The day was spent having a fabulous lunch, hosted by Freedom and Jason, followed by an Easter egg hunt that was a highlight for young and old.
During the quarter, I had two long business trips to Brazil and Shanghai that spanned three weeks away from home. While in Brazil I was able to stay a few days with our friends, Stephanie and Luis, in their beautiful new home there. Stephanie’s level of Portugese amazed me and she made a terrific tour guide to the local farmers’ markets, some fantastic restaurants, and a wonderful day in the park. While in Shanghai, I enjoyed a day of sightseeing, exploring some local temples and historic sights of the city, as well as visiting the fabric markets where I had a few garments made.
There were also quite a few celebrations over the quarter. In addition to attending several birthday parties, we were invited to our first bar mitzvah, which was very fun and a great cultural experience for both of us. Neal and I both celebrated a birthday, as well as our 5-year wedding anniversary – all done in low-key style with food as a central theme.
The weather started to warm up later in the quarter, which allowed us to hit some of the local lakes for some boating adventures with friends, as well as spend a lot more time outdoors. We were also able to dust off our bikes. Neal got in some much-needed training time before riding the MS 150 in Holland, Michigan in early June. The MS 150 is a 150-mile bike ride (split over two days) that is meant to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I was so proud of him for completing the ride, despite not having much training time. More importantly, we were proud to raise money for a very worthy charity. Although I did not join in the ride (I didn’t think my butt was up for two days straight on a bike seat), I spent the weekend in Holland to show my moral support for the riders. We are already looking forward to next year’s event.
In late-May, we took off for a week’s vacation to explore Breckenridge, Colorado. The week was really focused on catching up with one another given our hectic work and travel schedules. So, we took the time to relax, take a few hikes, and rented some bikes to explore some of the picturesque scenery. The food scene in Breckenridge is great – lots of quaint restaurants, with a focus on showcasing locally-sourced produce. And of course, the town is surrounded by snow-capped mountains all around, which just naturally makes the food and drink better. It is a beautiful part of the country and well worth the visit!
After waiting a year for Bono to recover from back surgery, we finally got to fulfill one of my bucket list items and see my very first U2 concert – the 360 tour. We were joined by 3 other couples, including our friends, Ed and Michelle. Thanks to Ed’s ingenuity, we did the whole trip it in style – we rented a limousine to take the 8 of us to the concert in Lansing, which is 1.5 hours from Midland. The concert was amazing – everything I imagined it would be and more. Even Neal – who admits that he has never been a huge fan of U2 and was not overly excited about seeing the band live – could not stop raving about it.
That wraps up the first-half of the year. Until next time, take care!
