Road America

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't updated this blog in ages, other than to post updates on our trip into the hell of Hurricane Sandy. Some of you may also have realised that stuff has happened in the last couple of months - most notably, getting married!

Before I get into that though, I have something to catch-up on from before the wedding - the Run Offs, at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - where my future brother-in-law was competing, amongst many other races. Finally, I have sorted the picture and put them up, so let's complete the job with a blog update!

Racing, especially at Road America, has been a big part of Laura's family's life for decades; indeed this is how her parents met, and still meet with friends today. Her brother, Ethan, competes in Formula F (currently) and made the whole family proud with a win last time out. Now, it was time for the National Championship Run-offs, and we went to support him, meet said friends and family, and enjoy 2 of the many-days of racing this event had to offer.

Upon arrival, I was put to work - to help Ethan work out the weight distribution in his car. Cue comical readings of my weight, gasps of amazement, and then the equipping of lead shot to make me weigh more like the real driver.



After the work was done, we went to hang out with some of Laura's family friends and watch some qualifying. First up were the T2s.



We stayed until sunset, but the F5s were still qualifying.



But eventually we headed off to a nearby town for a night in a hotel. The track looked so pretty at dusk!



The next day, there were more races before Ethan's Formula F - we watched the SRFs (Spec Racer Fords), a number of which took a couple of nasty knocks!



Before some super-charged Mutangs and the likes in the GT1 class.



But then it was on to the main event. Laura, her Mom, and I took our place in the stands at turn 5 - one of the best apparently, to watch Ethan. He qualified in third, but some unsporting manoeuvres from his competitors near the start saw him drop a few places. Still, every time he went past, it seemed he was about to overtake on our corner.



A couple of drivers ahead of him spun, and a great overtaking move saw him get up to third on the last lap. Sadly, it wasn't to be, as a more powerful car overtook him on the final stretch; but fourth was a great finish given the issues at the start. We knew he gave it his best shot, and he has a proud family (new brother-in-law included!) no matter where he finishes.





A great couple of days out and the opportunity to spend time in Wisconsin are always welcome by me. Of course, just to add more weight in its favour, Wisconsin once again provided some amazing scenery and a dramatic skyline on the way home, to accompany us on our more timid drive home.



The full set of photos from Road America can be found here.

The New Office Views

I should probably have done this ages ago.. say, when we moved in over 2 months ago. But anyway. We moved our office upstairs from our temporary home on Floor 30 of 7 World Trade Center, with our view over the Twin Towers site and 9/11 memorial. We swapped it for Floor 46, our own home, and a view across to Brooklyn and way up Midtown. I think you'll agree the views are ridiculous.

Here's most of Manhattan:


With the Empire State Building in the centre, as it should be really:


Across to Brooklyn:


And to Jersey:


And our Emmy Award is looking pretty nice against such a huge city backdrop:


Unfortunately, we had to move onto the floor as soon as it was habitable. Whilst the construction team have done a really good job with the ceiling, we have been trying to complete the "industrial feel" of the place with a polished concrete floor... but it has been messed up more times than we can count. We have some desks, and the glass separators for the meeting room and kitchen areas are in, but we can't finish the job - putting up TV screens, installing desks and lunch areas - until the floor is ready. Nevertheless, here's a sneak preview:


When it is all fully kitted out, I'm sure there will be a new post! Until then, enjoy the views. I certainly do!

A Nearby Walk

One thing I loved doing in London was wandering. Just picking a direction and going with it. More often than not, I accompanied my fiancée for walks along the Thames, on the path near our flat. I decided to try out some of the new area where I live for the same effect. I was in luck; the nearby Hudson riverside of New Jersey is a nice little walk. Not quite London, but it boasts dramatic views of Manhattan and a few other sights on the way.

I took my camera and walked the area from the harbour at Newport:

Past the little lighthouse:

Enjoying some wildlife on the way:

And eventually into Hoboken:

Hoboken is lovely, if not a little pricey and loud and trendy at the weekends. But it has a nice grassy pier to sit on and some more of the riverside path. You can watch cruise ships go by or just people watch. I did both.

I'm glad I've found a walk to relax my brain for a little bit. I even shared it with my fiancée when she visited, so we have some similarities at times to life back in London.

The rest of the pics from the walk can be found here!

A Temporary Home

Moving-in-day finally came round on May 1st. My grand plan of taking a half-day off work for moving all my stuff a few blocks from Matt's was hampered by the fact I was really ill most of the day. Flu or something. I eventually got my things round in the evening. I blew up my air-mattress which is now not as uncomfortable as you might think as I have piled sheets and covers and such all over it.

My new flatmates came home shortly after, sadly our socialising didn't happen because my illness meant all I wanted to do was sleep! Anyway, they are nice people. They customise guitars with arty designs and their decor kind of matches their personalities; a bit arty, a bit old-school rocky. Here's a picture of them looking completely different from their actual characters (the overalls were from painting, the rest was just them being silly). Lyuba and Matt:

I've made my bare room a little more bearable; the aforementioned bedclothes and a rug helped, as did hanging a Scotland flag (what a cliché!) and of course, putting up a picture of me and Laura, and our Caveys!

I also have my own bathroom, so I bought a rug, some towels, and a new shower curtain for that. I have to remember I'm only planning to be here a couple of months so anything else could wait. I'm missing a TV (for my XBox) and a guitar to play with (especially as I hear Matt playing his a lot!) but maybe I'll pick those up soon. Until then, this is home, in the Garden State of New Jersey!