New Home: Stimulting this here economy

As told by the car dealership:
"The banks don't know what to do with you guys, you have just moved around so many times...are you guys terrorists?!?!?"

Honestly this is how a recent conversation started at a car dealership when Jeremy were going to pick up Jeremy's new car. Honestly yes, we are. This is how we are. We being the happy couple together decided to settle down. We decided it was time to make contributions to American society and settle in, god forbid, a house, in Connecticut. We being nice wholesome gay Americans decided to settle in a state where our marriage (contract signed in another country have you) would actually be recognized. We being nice wholesome Americans decided to be that statistic and stop paying someone elses mortgage...and start paying our own. God forbid we contribute to American society even though the Federal Government does NOT recognize us as a couple. To them we are two Americans who purchased a house together, we co-signed our names on about a million documents...and settled. At least our new state of residency says "Yes, you are married, and yes your relationship matters." That I am happy for. So we bought a house.

The next thing we did, was buy a car. I like driving, I like driving my car but I am always looking for something ever so slightly better, I drive a Hyundai (must be because I am supporting that Korean car maker.) We got Jeremy a Honda, he has always driven a Honda, so we got another one. A hatchback/station wagon nonetheless. Man we are becoming the good ole wholesome Americans each and everyday. So we bought a car.

In CT their "rules" for registration and licensing of cars and yourself are a little different then I am used too. Then again I have only been licensed in ME and MA. In ME you go to the DMV wait in line with your birth certificate and SS card, get your picture taken and wait a week of so to get the hard copy. In MA you go to the RMV and pretty much do the same thing. You have to surrender your out of state License first and then you get the new one. You can go Monday-Friday normal business hours, of course you wait in both states in a line like everything else. In MA I registered my car after getting my insurance cards and surrendering my out of state registration and getting inspected and having pictures taken of my car. In Maine, registration is done at your local City Hall/Town Office and you pay your taxes and they give you what you need and life goes on it's merry way...in CT it seems a little more inane and inefficient.

First I had a day in my office (a Monday) that I was going to grab my license and register my car and what not. Surprise, DMV: not open on Monday...really come on, instead it is Tues-Saturday, okay I can deal with a Saturday to do this stuff...but of course it is only open until 12...and they LOCK THE DOORS at 12...if you leave and need to come back...sorry...not going to happen. So we get to the DMV with what we thought would be sufficient paperwork. No. We had the insurance cards and forms of ID and all that jazz, what we didn't have was a postmarked letter...really just the envelope with a postmark on it to say we lived in the address that was on the insurance cards. So we went home, grabbed the envelope that the insurance cards were in and I noticed my form of ID (Passport) was expired...and they wouldn't take an expired passport, even though other places do...whatever. So with mail in hand, mortgage stuff in hand, License in hand I go and get a number and wait about 30 min to go to the counter to pay for my license and make sure my form is filled out, fine. Than I ask about car reg, first you need a license, ok fine. So we wait to get called for our eye test (literally 5 secs). Then we wait to get called by the woman who enters our info into the computer (wait didn't they already do this???) Then we wait to get our picture taken, then we wait for our license from the guy who asks your birthday before he will give it to you...really? Necessary, maybe, highly inefficient...definitely. So we started our day at the DMV at around 9:30 only to leave after 12:30. Wait I forgot to mention that fact that when I was called for my license and gave my birthday...WRONG! I was wrong, I have had nearly 30 birthdays and I was wrong? NO WAY! "There is a problem." Birthday guy said "What? I have my birth certificate here...I should know my birthday." -Me. Entered wrong in the computer, of course it was. They entered the day my certificate was issued...not my birthday. Really, so I had to start all over again. Only to realize when I left that my license expires two months AFTER my birthday...awesome. NOT MY FAULT.

As for the car reg...she was all confused by the fact that I had a NY mailing address and a MA registration...seriously lady it's fine, just let me pay the money and go, I have been here just about as long as you and need a drink. URGH!

Andy Explains Stuff 2: Applesauce Bitch

SO here is installment two of Andy Explains Stuff, this time I did Applesauce...you know it's easy to make, hope you enjoy!

travels as of late

Hi folks, haven't blogged much lately, then again I haven't had much time for it or I just haven't wanted to? I don't know, any number of things. Maybe I haven't had much to talk about. I would like to say I have been traveling to exotic places and learning lots of new things, but well it just isn't true. As of late I have not traveled to any place exotic and have no complaints of airlines or travel in general. What I would like to say is that I have actually traveled (again no place exotic) but I have been to some places I have been before but this time I got to see people I have not seen in a while and I got to attend a great conference for the professionals in my field.

Closing the Gap



I suppose that is all, the only other exciting thing about going to MN in October was that it snowed a tad and I got to get to some of my favorite soup from Eddingtons. you'll notice it is right near the hotel...it's a chain but hey it has great soup...YUM!

A Maine Vacation...in under 3 min.

So here is a quick and dirty into to Maine for some people who have never been there...a little more though: This is the woods of Maine so there is no ocean in this video. The places visited include:
Spring Rd, Lake Auburn, Auburn, ME
The Appalachian Trail in Madrid, ME
Piazza Rock on the AT
Smalls Falls, Madrid, ME
Rangeley Lakes State Park
Height of the Land, RT 17

Travels...third times a charm, and a run a few weeks after

SO this was the picture from the seat I was sitting watching my first MLB game since either middle school or college (I can't remember if I went while I was living briefly in Boston.) So while I was in Pittsburgh for a conference I was able to get to go see the Pirates loose to the Cardinals with some great people (one being a co-worker.) I was really excited actually because I had been to Pittsburgh twice already and this time I got to explore the city a little more. I mean don't get me wrong I had fun the other two times but one time I was under age (I did get a tattoo that time) and the other time I was there for a wedding which was tons of fun, but there was LOTS of prep work to do. In the end we had so much fun at the wedding. Anyways, so this is a different trip, different sites to see! So this time I got to see a whole other side of Da Pitt! With my co-workers we ate some great unhealthy food. The first place we went was a saloon beer called Fatheads this place was cool, lots of good beer and other drinks and great unhealthy food. I ate a burger with a pirogi on it, seriously?!?! I don't know if I have had something that great in a while. It not only had a pirogi, but it had bacon, cheese, and onions...the best worst thing ever. So Pittsburgh had some bad food but you know what you need that every once in a while. I did counter this delicious culinary concoction with some good grilled fish, and it good...and it was MAKO SHARK. The place was called Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, silly name, but delicious with a delicious view to match it was on the top of Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh. We also went on the incline, which was very cool. Another fun place we went just for drinks was Hofbaurhaus. This place had the big liters of beer and pretzels and skishots and German music and the like, basically it was a fun time had by all. Pittsburgh was fun and I guess the third time was a charm!


The other thing I wanted to post about was my Half Marathon...or SECOND half marathon. The following are the times from my two races.

Providence Cox Sports Half Marathon: 2:44:38 with a pace of about 12:35

New York City Half Marathon: 2:27:09 with a pace of about 11:14

I have said it before I realize I am not a great runner, I am not a fast runner and have only been running more or less for a little under a year. I have done other 5K races but nothing big, a few in Maine and one in NYC. I was happy with the time, and I know I could have done slightly better. I did walk about half of the mile from mile 11 to 12 and it was also in the 80's (at about 6:30 it was 77 degrees with 75% humidity) so you know, my time was a little affected by the heat...I am sure. I right I am looking forward to another half marathon (maybe a cooler one say February??) I am also looking forward to running in the NYC marathon...fun times fun times!

Andy Explains Stuff: Cooking

Here it is folks, an attempt by me to make some kind of 10 min Vlog or something like that. I hope this isn't the last one, well I am working on one about Science...should be fun!

It's been a month time to post

SO it's been a month and I guess a lot has happened in that month. The most important thing that has happened I think would be be that SUMMER is now upon us, officially. I like summer for a couple reasons, mostly because everything is so much more happy and cheerful, even when it's not, it is. The colors come out, the water and sky are more blue, the grass is more green, the lightening bugs come out. You know happy things. We play whiffle ball in the park, running takes place after 8:30 (oh I found the joys of running at night.) Everything is just that much better. The other thing I have always looked forward to are the rainy days of summer, not the ones that last days on end like we had earlier this month, or the ones that it might rain it might not rain. I like the days that it is sunny, hot an humid for a few days, and than we get a nice break with a rainy day. These are the days that kind of reset everything until it's sunny out again, like a nice cleanse for the world. That is today and I think I may be the only one who likes this weather. Maybe it is because I don't feel bad about staying in and getting stuff done in my office, like cleaning.

So in the past month it seems like I have been trying new restaurants left and right. I must say these restaurants are a crap shoot (and I only mean this literally for one or two of them.) A friend of mine was in town going to see a show and I thought I would meet her afterwards. We walked around and decided we were all hungry. As you usually do when you are hungry you kind of pick some place random (if you don't know anything around) and hope for the best. Of course we were on 10th ave...and I don't know 10th ave (Hells Kitchen...something like that) and we picked a what restaurant...Ethiopian...yah...it was to say the least interesting. Orion described it after I told him we ate it as "a diaper full of different colored baby poops," yah that just about sums it up. There is no telling the differences (besides color and spicyness) of the plops of "food" and of course the Ethiopian jokes quickly ensued...fabulous.
We also ate at a restaurant in Little Italy...bland. Unless I don't know the different tastes of Italian food...it was bland bland bland...Parmesean, Eggplant and Chicken are three foods that are good...but when combined...bland...not great and well I don't recommend this restaurant.
Besides the sushi place (Yo sushi...I don't know what it is called but I love it) The other new place is this little hole in the wall in the Bronx, in our neighborhood called Go Green. Delicious panini sandwiches, Yuca fries...everything was really good. I am excited there is a good "go to" place in my neighborhood, that isn't a chain. Well I guess that is all, been busy here getting the apartment put together and training for those races...and loosing a little weight (197ish now) so I will post again soon...btw I am still mad about the BMI charts...