January Doings......

We hope that you all had a nice holiday and a happy new year! Life at the beach has continued to treat us well. It continues to be quiet and relaxing, exactly the reasons we came here.

We were both elated to hear that some of Rachel's previous research (from when she worked at an evolutionary biology lab at the University of California San Diego in 2004) was recently highlighted in the Feb 2009 edition of National Geographic. While at UCSD, Rachel helped find the single letter in a single gene that contributed to the difference in beach mice fur color. (This research was originally published in the journal Science a few years ago). The National Geo article briefly discusses the conclusions generated by Rachel's previous boss (Hopi Hoekstra) and her "colleagues" (that included Rachel!). Additionally, there are two pictures in the magazine, one that shows Hopi in the field, and another depicts mice skins that Rachel helped prepare (and the DNA from these organisms was obtained so that the molecular work could be done later).

Additionally, Rachel continues to tutor students on a regular basis. She also made a brief trip to San Diego, where she visited her friends Kira and Nicole. It was great to get back to sunny, 75 degree weather, and have real Mexican food again! (While Aaron was freezing his tuchus off in sub-20 degree weather in Delaware)

Aaron continues to work regularly at the gym, where he has had great success with his kick-ass classes. He also does a lot of personal training and has noticed great progress in his clients' overall fitness in just a few months. Even though Aaron took his Georgia State Exam at the beginning of January, he has still found time to head back to the coffee shops where he used to study, but this time, he's there to just relax and read a good book.

We have also found time to go see matinees of some good (and not so good) movies. Our favorite, by far, was "Slumdog Millionaire." What an amazing story and sountrack! Additionally, we have seen "Mall Cop" (don't recommend), and "Frost Nixon." We are looking forward to seeing "Gran Torino," "The Wrestler," and "Defiance."

We continue to work-out regularly at the beach and at home, try our hand with new recipes (yes, even Rachel is doing this), and enjoy playing with our pups. We will be here until the end of April, so please remember, our door is always open.

December Happenings.......

Well, it's been a while since we have posted, mainly because we have actually been quite busy! We traveled to Lakewood, NJ for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with Aaron's side of the family. We took the Cape May-Lewes ferry for part of it, and as you can tell from the picture, Sidon and Pepper enjoyed the ride!

Aaron's personal training work has picked up quite a bit in the last few weeks. In addition to working at a local gym where he teaches his own version of a kick-ass bootcamp, he has obtained personal clients of his own. I think his classes are a shock to everyone's system; I don't think Delaware has seen this style of working out....EVER. (It's a bit slower here in slower lower Delaware). During his down time, Aaron has been diligently studying for a Georgia Elementary exam that he will be taking down in Atlanta in January (he must pass it before he can teach there next Fall). Because one can't study at home effectively, we have been forced to find new, cute coffee shops in the area, where we (especially Aaron) have become regulars. I'm not sure where they will obtain their income once Aaron takes his test!

Meanwhile, Rachel's tutoring has picked up a bit as well. She tutors a student in math every week, plus a few at-risk girls at a local elementary school. Rachel has also become quite busy with her online tutoring, which she never thought would be this rewarding. She tutors students of all ages, from elementary school through college, in math and science. From her experience thus far, most of the students seem to be at-risk of not passing. In many sessions, she can tell from the response of her students that she has really made a difference. Although at first she doubted the effectiveness of online tutoring, Rachel presently has a MUCH different opinion. Oh, and yes, she is still working part-time (albeit VERY part-time) at the local Banana, where she has seen, firsthand, the negative effects of the recession.

When we aren't busy working, we are still enjoying our semi-retirement here at the beach. We are still able to fit in regular workouts/walks on the beach, and the pups are still happier than ever with their ample yard and long walks. Aaron had his big 33rd birthday in November, and we celebrated with a homemade pumpkin cheesecake made by the chef herself, Rachel (ok, stop laughing!) Yes, it is hard to believe that she made such a complex dish, and even she was surprised by how great it came out!

We are off to N. Virginia for the holidays, so until we return, we hope everyone has a happy holiday and a joyous new year!

Ah, the little things.......

We realize how very fortunate we are to be able to take this six-month sabbatical while we're in our 30s, a mini life-retreat, if you will. But it would be worthless if we didn't use the time and appreciate the daily beauty surrounding us...and the many opportunities we have. Taking time to reflect, think, and engage in an undistracted manner is a luxury not many of us get. Taking time off from our chosen professions may temporarily put a hold on our upwardly mobility, economically speaking, but what we're not earning monetarily we're more than making up for holistically.

For example, so many of us walk by parks daily such as the one shown here, but rarely do we stop and absorb the beauty they hold. I don't know if the image adequately captures the colors of the autumn foliage, but I can assure you, it was so striking that I had to return to photograph it.

Even such simple tasks as taking the dogs out for a walk become more than exercises in just letting them poop; rather, they morph into quality time between us and the dogs, a chance to bond, exercise, and further develop the relationships in life that we often take for granted.

Bulldog kissing and a whole lot more......

This weekend was the annual Sea Witch Festival in Rehoboth. On Saturday, it rained a bit, but it didn't keep the thousands of children and adults (dressed up) away from the parade! Aaron and I sat at a local restaurant on the main drag as we watched the hour long parade. It was pretty good for a small town parade!

Next, I hit the bulldog kissing booth.....because, yes, bulldogs are my favorite dogs after Sidon and Pepper, of course. At the booth, I encountered Porterhouse, the sweet looking dog with a face to die for. The dollar that I gave for the sloppy kiss goes toward helping rescue homeless bulldogs in the Frederick, Maryland area.

On Sunday, we went back to the main drag to check out day 2 festivities of the Sea Witch Festival. At about 1pm, a dog costume contest/parade began. We brought Sidon and Pepper out (not dressed up) so they could laugh at all of the dogs that were dressed up by their owners ;) It was amazing the lengths that owners went to to win this contest......one of the pictures shown here is of a wagon that a few people made to put their 4 Chihuahuas in for the parade. The people who made the wagon dressed up as if they were from the wild west. Talk about people who need hobbies!

So it was an eventful weekend, and through all of this, Aaron managed to work 4 shifts at the new restaurant where he is waiting tables. I'm just awaiting my second training at "the Republic" tomorrow, where I hope to learn more than just how to take down shoplifters :)

Hard at work....

While Rachel began her much anticipated first day at the "Republic," Aaron was busy cooking up a Libyan stew at the neighborhood foodie store. Rachel already foresees spending all of her hard earned money on the oh so glorious discounts that are available to her (and Aaron as well). She gets a whopping 50% off the already heavily discounted prices during her first month, and 30% thereafter (yes, we consider this information VERY important for you to know; you never know when you may want to visit and take advantage of these wondrous discounts as well. Admit it.)

Back to the busy chef......as you can see from the picture below, Aaron was all decked out in his chef's attire, feeling right at home in the well-stocked kitchen as he prepared his feast. The crowd was pleased (yes, they had been drinking wine as well which probably accounts for their happiness). Needless to say, the intimate gathering was composed mostly of locals who pride themselves as much on their localdom as their foodiness.

Oh, and by the way, between our busy day of walking the dogs, Aaron's kitchen adventures, and Rachel's training session on how to take down shop lifters, we found time to sip lattes and chai at a local coffee shop. Oh, the days of a short term retirement in our 30's :)......

Arrival.....

We decided to have a quiet winter at the beach, stepping off of the hamster wheel of the DC area for a little while.

We arrived at the beach last week, and have been having a great time ever since. We found a bunch of local restaurants, and even better, found some great "locals" deals. For one, we found an excellent sushi bar (The Cultured Pearl) that has a $10 locals special on Monday nights (this includes a ton of sushi, miso soup, a drink and an appetizer! Talk about a great deal! :)) We also found a sandwich place (Arenas) that is similar to the Lost Dog (one of our favorite stops in Arlington for lunch). Tonight is half-off sandwiches, so we are heading out there for a tasty chicken philly.

As far as the dogs go, they are loving their new home. They have a spacious fenced-in yard and 3 bedrooms to run around in. Starting Nov 1, we will be able to bring them on the beach, which we are excited for! Sidon and Pepper have made many new friends, as this is a very dog friendly area.

Aaron and I have been doing a lot of walking, since we are only 4 blocks from town and 5 blocks from the ocean. We have also been utilizing our bikes a lot........it's great not having to use our cars.

As far as jobs go, we are both in the process of looking for random jobs for the winter. Aaron is going to be a "celebrity chef" at a local food store, Beautiful Foods, tomorrow night, where he will be making a Libyan stew for visitors. I'll be sure to post him in his cooking jacket! He is also pursuing catering, serving, retail (in coffee shops), and personal training opportunities. Meanwhile, I got a part time job at one of my favorite stores, Banana Republic. I am also working part time from home doing online tutoring for math and science (yes, in my pjs!)

That's it for now, but we'll be sure to update this often!