9 to 5

Long time no see, Internet. I can't use the excuse that things have been really busy--what it comes down to is that I'm just plain lazy.

SO! I told you all about Israel in my last post. Did it really happen almost 2 months ago? That's seems insanity to me. And yet, it's fact. My 4th of July was a good time, made even more wonderful by the fact that I got Friday, July 3rd off from work. Yay long holiday weekends! I celebrated our nation's independence in South Boston at my friend Seamus's house, which is about a 10 minute walk from the beach (not that I went swimming in the ice cold Atlantic waters). I hope all of you had a fabulous 4th of July as well!

Yuval's birthday was also in July, and he got some pretty nifty presents from his girlfriend (everyone said so). A cover for his Kindle DX, an Amazon gift card, this shirt, and a delicious dinner at KO Prime in downtown Boston (where I had my first in-restaurant filet mignon--it was soooo good).

Other than that, not too much else of great note happened in July. The lovely Kathryn VanArendonk and Annie Lambla paid Boston a visit, which resulted in a delightful picnic dinner in Outlook Park in Brookline. Much wine and cheese and carbohydrates were consumed. The Immunology Division had its annual pool party and cookout, which was a little hectic for me to organize but turned out very well. It's always nice to see what colleagues are like out of the office, especially with their kids. I've also spent a LOT of time arranging things for the big move at the end of the month. Trying to find a rental truck in Boston for August 31/September 1 is one of the most challenging tasks you can ever face in your life.

The big recent event was the McGinley family reunion I attended from July 31-August 3. Over 35 relatives converged on our house in Cincinnati, a great many of whom I'd never seen or heard of before. While I feel most family reunions are supposed to be dull affairs, this one was a ton of fun. I love meeting all these people and hearing story after story about my grandpa and great aunts and uncles. Plus, there was really good food. I also got to meet my two new twin cousins, Samantha and Madison, for the first time. They are 4 months old and, like most babies of that age, chubby things of extreme cuteness. It's remarkable how individual their personalities are at such a young age. Needless to say, they were pretty much the star attractions of the reunion. It was also my Great Aunt Beck's 90th birthday, so of course my mom orders the most beautiful (and delicious) cake to celebrate. I'm so happy I got to go to this reunion, especially because I had to miss the last one.

Plans for this weekend include attending Frey's birthday party (a friend from kickball) and helping Yuval wash his hockey gear. The latter may not sound fun, but I'm strangely fascinated by the way the water turns yellow when he's rinsing off all the sweat that's built up.

Was that gross enough for you?

Oh, and don't forget to live every week like it's Shark Week by tuning in tonight and tomorrow for the last two days of programming! And if you're sad like I am that you missed some of the programs, you can download full episodes on iTunes from the website. Hurrah!

Read
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
It Sucked and Then I Cried by Heather Armstrong
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Hungry Ghosts by Jasper Becker
The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

Seen
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
9 to 5
Gran Torino
Step Up 2: The Streets
Ferris Bueller's Day Off