Did I Tell You We Moved... Again...

More new business before we start:


1) Megan and I moved again.  We shouldn't move again at least for another year.  Our new address is:

3 Mountain Lane, Unit 2C

Penfield, NY 14625

A HUGE THANKS goes out to Rich for letting us crash at his place for the past month.  Also, to Dick Sr. for letting us use his garage as a storage unit, lending us a truck, helping move all of our junk in, and then giving us a ton of new furniture.  THANKS!!!

Onward to the photo bonanza!

For Halloween, Rachel went as Strawberry Shortcake



Megan and I handed out candy at Rich's place while he brought her trick or treating.  It didn't last long since she got scared when she saw a plastic skeleton.  



I am no longer phased when I see all of our junk in the back of a truck anymore



BEHOLD!  In all her glory!  Our new apartment.  It's slightly nicer looking than this since Megan took Monday off



Couch and TV are set, what else do you need?



This pic is weird to me since I've lived in Chicago for so long.  Why?  There are woods outside that window.  



Welcome to Barbie's Dream Bathroom



It's like I'm living in Legally Blonde...



The joint from the outside.



Corbett's Glen Nature Park in Brighton, which is just down the road from our place.
http://www.corbettsglen.org/index.html















More waterfalls.  This place has more waterfalls than they know what to do with...






Pumpkin just hanging out in the park






Megan checking out the old family stomping grounds.  Her parents use to own a house around here.  This is where they use to hold carnivals many, many years ago as well as where Megan played with her dog and wished they had a pony.



On top of a sand dune









Beaver dam



Cotton tree




















That's enough nature for one day.  Please let me know if you hear of any career opportunities in the Rochester area.  My resume is at: www.MikeKrausResume.blogspot.com


Thanks!!!

The Not-So-Spooky Halloween Cemetery

Again, first things first:

1) As many of you know, I'm job hunting after moving to Rochester.  So, I've put my resume off to the left side of the blog at the top.  I've also started another blog, which essentially is just my resume at: www.MikeKrausResume.blogspot.com in case you know of anyone hiring.

2) Like me on Facebook is also to the left.

Rich, Megan and I headed over to Mount Hope Cemetery for some historic Rochester fun.  If you're in town or interested in more info, you should check out Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery at www.fomh.org/, which gave us our tour.  It's the first municipal cemetery in the United States and this is a pic of the gatehouse.  

Since cemeteries use to double as city parks, this gazebo was a place to hang out 

Some fall colors with Mt. Hope's "permanent residents"

Rich and Megan listening to the tour guide

Hiram Sibley.  It's not the department store guy Rochestarians.  This is the guy who started Western Union Telegraph.

Keeney was the lucky guy who arrested Susan B. Anthony for voting.

Here's the old gal; Susan B. Anthony.  Don't know who she is or why she's important; you should be ashamed and go to this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony

Here's Frederick Douglass.  Again, if you don't know who he is or why he's important; you should question your educational background and go to this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass

George Ellwanger's grave.  Very fitting site since George use to own the property across the street, which grew pretty trees like you see here through the Ellwanger and Barry Company.

The grave of Bausch and Lomb.  You know, the eye care folks

Under the tree

The chapel.  We were here for a couple hours and didn't even see half of this place.  It's 198-acres with a bunch of other people of local and national importance including George Washington's drummer boy...

Rachel had to go home sick, which meant I had babysitting duties last week.  So, once we completed her homework, we played Candyland, Barbie, fixed a projector, and had an intellectual conversation about Spongebob Squarepants

Rachel as the afro-airplane!

Megan and I went to St. Bonaventure University near the southern border of New York state to watch a soccer game with her friend Liz, who's sister is the "Bonnie's" assistant coach

The Bonnies beat Dayton

Liz and Megan

See this Ewok/Gremlin looking thing?  It's named Gertie and we took care of her for a few days and sometimes she liked it because we played with her.  Sometimes she didn't when she seemed to try to spite me by peeing on the floor.  GERTIE!!!

Autumn In Upstate New York

Two pieces of business before we start off:

1) Thanks to everyone for wishing me a happy birthday and all. An extra special thanks goes out to my new family. Dick and Marianne for the dinner and ice cream cake and everything else over the years. And, of course to Rich and Rachel, for letting us take up space in your house and watch everything from Antiques Roadshow to Jersey Shore. Thanks!!!

2) On the left, you'll notice a Facebook "like" button. I'm not 100% sure how useful this is. It may be an easier way for you to get updates on the blog. It may just end up being a pain. But, if you like Mike Kraus: The Blog give it a try and we can see how it works together!!!

And now, for the show...

The theme of this past weekend was "agriculture of Upstate New York. Megan is showing you some of the fine produce of the Rochester area

For my birthday, Rachel made me a card showing us holding hands because we are friends.

The Penfield Hots Garbage Plate. One of the most dangerous meals known to mankind. It's everything you like on one plate that will make you hate yourself when you eat it all.

The Apple Tree Inn, http://appletreeinn.us/, in Brockport, which is just west on Rochester. We met up with Pete and Sarah Marche here for an "afternoon of apples." You really can't go wrong with any meal here. Collectively, we had the salad with some kind of walnut apple dressing, the pumpkin spice soup, vegetable mac and cheese, "Our Famous Chicken Pot Pie," and a couple of other things. All of them were great. It was great by itself, not in comparison to the previous garbage plate...

Pete, Megan, and Sarah and Robb Farm, http://www.robbfarms.com/, picking apples

How 'bout dem apples?

What do you do when you see an apple you want high up on a tree? Ride someone's shoulders of course!

Moments after this shot, I had a decision to make: capture an iconic image of Pete standing at a 45 degree angle with his wife flying through the air or catch said wife for safety. I think helping catch Sarah was a wise decision since I don't want to alienate the few friends I have here.

Well... So much for not wanting to alienate myself. I have to show this pic of Sarah climbing the tree like Tarzan going after an apple? What's strange is I don't see any apples on this tree...

A few bags of apples later, a few other purchased fruits and veggies, and an apple donut later, we are all set. Thanks Sarah and Pete!

Here's Rachel "Tachel" at Wickham Farms, http://www.wickhamfarms.com/, which is some kind of a farm/farmer's market/amusement park/roadside attraction. It's a pretty popular place to bring the neighborhood kids and an interesting way to preserve some of the agriculture which is being depleted by the quickly expanding suburban developments. This is a bunch of kids of the Jumping Pillow

More of Tachel on the Jumping Pillow

Whoops...

One last bounce into the sand...

I believe this sheep is named Molly. Maybe the goat was Molly. Maybe there was no Molly at all...

Little Jerry Seinfeld knows how to take care of himself

Tachel milking the wooden cow. Just for piece of mind, don't look under the board on top of the cow.

Megan looking over the pumpkins that will soon be painted and carved

Tachel running through the little corn maze. There's a bigger corn maze, which is a 30-45 minute experience

Tachel the Scarecrow...

That's all from the hamlet of Rochester. Thanks again for everything involving my birthday. Also, don't forget to click the "like" button on the left.

xoxo,

Mike