Dairy Queen

As the title suggests, this post will include Dairy Queen, but goes much beyond our first visit to a Dairy Queen here in New Jersey. 

After a night out on the town, the clock hit 9:30, and we were beat (are we getting old?). Before heading home, Meara suggested we hit up a Dairy Queen so she could get the Pumpkin Blizzard, since there aren't enough pumpkin things surrounding us this time of year (as I type this I am drinking a Pumpkin Spice latte...). Naturally, I am not one to turn down a Dairy Queen blizzard (although always stick to Oreo), so Meara typed it in the GPS, and we were off. 

We soon found out that Dairy Queen's out here are much different than back home. No burgers, no fries, no chicken fingers, just milkshakes, blizzards, and hard ice cream. Not that I'm complaining, but weird! So we are waiting in line, and waiting, when the gentleman in front of us FINALLY gets his blizzard. Unfortunately, the highly qualified individual behind the counter wearing sagging sweat pants and a tattered t-shirt made his blizzard wrong. Luckily he decided to go in the back and get some help, and out comes the manager/owner, looking worse for wear than the employee... After waiting longer than I ever have just to order a blizzard, we are informed that they are out of Pumpkin Blizzards. Awesome... Meara quickly moves on and orders some Apple Pie thing, and I stick to the good stuff. Just as we finish paying, the manager informs the employee where the extra pumpkin supplies are in case anyone wants a Pumpkin Blizzard. Awesome... I think we need to find another ice cream place. 

We then continue on our way home, driving through a town about 10-15 minutes outside Highland Park. It's about 10pm on a Friday night, so quite a few people are out and about (not sure why they aren't at home). We turn a corner, and a man darts in front of our car across the street, narrowly avoiding becoming a hood ornament. We then quickly realize why he is running. On the opposite side of the street we see a man carrying a baseball bat, and another carrying a big heavy chain. We see the first man has joined a group on the other side of the road, and more men are coming to join those carrying the beat sticks (flashback to the fight scene in Anchorman). And we are stuck in between these two parties. I quickly punch the gas, ducking behind the wheel as if I am dodging bullets like they do in the movies. Neither of us have experienced something like this, it just doesn't happen too often out on the farm, as far as I know. 

We wind through the streets without any other incidents, and pull into Highland Park to find: the local Jewish Temple has just let out. So instead of stopping for men carrying weapons, we kindly stop for two gentlemen wearing suits and their Kippahs as they head home from worship. Good feeling to be back in our neighborhood. 

-Kevin

Front Page!

Meara is making it in the big time over here in New Jersey! Here is a link to her front page article! Go check it out!

http://comminfo.rutgers.edu


-Kevin

A Rough Afternoon

Unfortunately, our great Saturday was capped off with a not-so-great welcome home. As we were entering our house, our downstairs neighbors' dogs broke out of their house and attacked Moxie. It was a pretty traumatizing event for everyone, but luckily no person was injured, and Mox came out with minor injuries. It's been a hectic few days recovering and trying to move forward from this. Moxie checked out at the vet, and should be okay in a few days! Here's just a couple of pictures of Moxie's battle wounds!

This was the worst of them. The vet shaved around it just to make sure there wasn't more to it.  

Moxie has been scratching at it and making it worse, so we had to try and bandage her up. She is definitely not happy about it!

Manasquan Reservoir

This past Saturday we headed out to Manasquan Reservoir, which is about an hour from our house. We have been trying to find a spot for Moxie to swim, and got this suggestion from our neighbors. It turned out to be really nice! There is a walking trail all the way around which is about 6 miles, and we found a beach spot for Moxie to swim. There were plenty of other people there with their dogs, but none of them were swimming. Pretty sure we got plenty of dirty looks as Moxie was splashing around in the water. I think the couple in the canoe trying to fish just out from where we were playing fetch probably had the biggest issue with us. But we didn't care! :) And neither did Moxie! We had a great time, and I'm sure will be heading back. Just wish it was closer!

Spent some time on the walking trails!

Moxie was so happy to be back in the water. She played fetch for well over an hour!

 So Happy!

Even Meara had fun! 

The Big Question

No, I haven't asked Meara to marry me for the second time, even though I know Meara would love to do the whole wedding thing over again (but I'm sure Tim and Jhon wouldn't want to see that bill). The big question we keep hearing over here is, "Why the heck did you move to New Jersey?!" 
Honestly, every time I say that I just moved over here from Seattle, people have the same response, "I've heard Seattle is so beautiful! Why in the world would you move over here?" I mean, c-mon people! You aren't making this any easier! And how about representing your state? It would be nice to hear, "Oh wow, well you will love it here! We have so much to offer!" But no, we continue to get the same response... So I think I'm just going to stop telling people I just moved from Seattle. Maybe I'll change it and say I moved from South Dakota. New Jersey HAS to be better than South Dakota, right? 

-Kevin

A Night Out

Last Friday we went out to celebrate Meara completing her first week of being a college professor. Since we got our kitchen set up, we've been trying not to eat out too much, since we spent about a month straight eating out while in the process of moving. But we figured this was an occasion to celebrate! I let Meara choose the place (I know, generous) and she decided we should try out Benihana. I know some of you out there are avid "Friends" fans, and you may remember Ross eating at Benihana on a date. It was a pretty fun experience! However, don't go here expecting a nice quiet, intimate dinner. You get seated at a table with 6 other people (in our case it was 3 other couples) and are sitting around a giant stove. They didn't consider elbow room, or table room when constructing this setup. Everyone orders their food, and then you have a personal chef come out to your table and cook all the food for you. It turned out to be really fun, and great food!

 Our chef making the fried rice!

 It's a flaming onion!

Drivers Cont...

Okay, just a few more rants, and then I will be done!

You know how the saying goes, "Green means go, yellow means GO FASTER!" It always seemed to be a joke when you saw someone blow through a yellow light. But here in Jersey, that saying is taken to heart. Meara was actually warned by someone to not brake on a yellow light, because there is a good chance you may get rear-ended. I think the saying even goes "Yellow go faster, and red you better really punch it!" in New Jersey.  They actually have delayed green lights, which are signified by a sign at many intersections, for the sole reason that they know people will be blowing through these till the last second. UNBELIEVABLE!

Horns: I think they should stop putting horns in cars. I have never been honked at so many times in my illustrious driving career. You better make sure that foot is ready go once that light turns green, or someone is bound to lay on their horn. I feel like I need some lessons from Jeff Gordon on how to get off the line. I think I am learning that you just need to ignore the horns you hear. In Seattle, you only honked if something truly terrible happened. In Jersey, if you don't honk at least once every time you are out on the road, you may be liable for a ticket (at least that's my perception). So I'm trying to get better and just go about my business, and try to ignore that constant horn in my ear...

Roads: Wow... Every time we move, we somehow expect the roads to get better, since we feel they are so terrible everywhere we have lived. However, the opposite has happened. Spokane, was bad, Seattle seemed to get a little worse in places, and New Jersey is on another level. I've never been jostled and thrown around so much by potholes in my life. And it never stops. You hope the next road you turn down will be better than the last, and that has yet to happen. I wonder if this is why all the drivers are so cranky?