Gymnastics Dreams: Looking Back on Quitting the Sport

I did gymnastics competitively for ten years. One day I stopped competing. Here is the story.

The Bar in the Dream - Exploring a Sense of Place

Plonk in Bozeman

Years ago, a neighborhood pub would appear in my dreams. This was a welcoming, comfortable place where my friends and I would gather, a spot we considered "ours." In the dreams, the pub always retained a pleasant, low-key vibe without any rowdiness or drunken shenanigans. Upon waking, the image of the bar along with the feelings it conjured hung over me like a warm robe, and I'd start the day off happy with strong feelings of comfort, connection and friendship.

Bob Dylan & the American Love Affair with the Road

Celebrating American Pride Through A Chrysler Commercial

I've been thinking about road trips recently. Partially because I recommended them in a recent post and partially because Mike and I recently took one. It had been several years since I embarked on a long car trip and I was reminded of the excitement that comes with hitting the American road.

Vast distances and inadequate public transportation make having one's own wheels a necessity for many Americans, and so many towns and cities have developed and grown with the car in mind. Given these realities is it any wonder that Americans are big fans of the car and the open road?

A Super Bowl commercial from 2014, featuring Bob Dylan, perfectly captures not only the essence of the American love affair with cars but our strong sense of identity and American pride.

This is Bozeman - Retelling the Story

A Work-in-Progress

Mike and I walked in the rain to meet Cathy and Don for dinner at a place that screams, "I'm a pizza parlor," while offering gluten-free and sprouted grain crusts.

Completing the Trifecta - Exploring Three Random Lakes in the Southern Madison Range

The days of summer are dwindling and I'm glad to say that I've gotten out on numerous adventures so far. One great thing about having seven mountain ranges within an easy day's drive of home is that you can live here for a while and still have new places to explore. Thus is the case with a series of random lakes in the southern Madison range. 

Cameron Lake

Shohola Orchard, A Poem by Jim Culleny

Below is Jim's poem about the River House in Shohola. You can also find it here on his blog.

Naughty By Nature's Hip Hop Hooray, A Guilty Pleasure

Dance Club, Laramie Style

Update: This story has been updated and worked into a longer essay found here.

Studio 360 is a cool variety show that is on KGLT right before my radio show. At the end of last week’s program, right before I went on the air, host Kurt Anderson sent out a call for stories of “guilty pleasures,” the corny things in life we dig, but often keep to ourselves. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, those pieces of music or film or pop culture, clothing or whatever, that we like despite its cheesiness and lack of high regard. For me one of my guilty pleasures is Naughty By Nature's Hip Hop Hooray.

The A-List Olympic Gymnastics Primer

Gymnastics season is upon us. With the 2016 Olympics on the way, it's the one time every four years you can find gymnastics on TV.  After Sunday night's Olympic trials there is lots of talk and social media posts about the sport, which can be interesting and, for a former gymnast like myself, a tremendous time waster. Although I don't keep up with the sport like I used to, these last few days and subsequent web searches brought me up-to-date on all of the happenings. It's going to be an exciting Olympic games for gymnastics with a diversity of athletes to watch and teams to cheer for. Below you will find a few things to know and stories to look for during the games.

Independence Day Exploration in the Crazy Mountains

July 4th is a great time to celebrate America's independence, but it is even a better time to get out for a few days in the mountains. Mike and I always manage to do something memorable over the Independence Day holiday and this year was no exception. Our destination, the Crazy Mountains.

Where are They Now? An Update on New Haven Establishments

My most recent post lead to lots of conversation and many questions about New Haven with "I wonder what happened to....?" and "I remember when..." being the two most common responses. 

UPDATE - Since this was originally posted, I have added to the list -

• The most recent list from 2021 is here: http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2021/06/new-haven-establishments-2021.html.  

• Where are they Now? 2019 can be found here: http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2019/05/where-are-they-now-2019-update-on-new.html.  

Both are worth checking out as they each have different links and stories.

Broadway, Gateway to New Haven

Below is an update on some New Haven establishments that were popular in my day. I copied the list from my original post and added a few others based on what people have been talking about. There are a few times when I couldn't find the full story or my memory fails me, so I'll need your  help to fill in the gaps. Feel free to leave your stories in the comments section of this post. I am sure there are a ton of great places I am missing.

Rambling Reflections on New Haven

Lately, I've had New Haven on my mind. Discovery of the Elm City Diary Facebook page coupled with a slow and boring week at work was all it took to set me off on a Google search. When I stumbled upon Eva Geertz's blog post in New Haven Review, my curiosity about New Haven turned into full-fledged nostalgia. As I read the post, the names of local institutions, the sights and sounds of the Elm City, its people, its vibe, and whole slew of thoughts, feelings and images came flooding into my mind.

New Haven Green