My Corner of Connecticut

Must See TV...

2012-02-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

I realize that I have been noticeably absent from the blogosphere. It is something a high school friend reminded me of when he sent an email recently, and I just spent an hour catching up reading some family blogs as I sit here and wait for Sue to come home for the evening. As a result, I thought I should attempt a comeback. The theme for today is television shows that are "must see" in our household in Wallingford.

I have never been much of a couch potato. I tend to be a very regimented person and a creature of routine. This is something that Sue often teases me about but then she says it is one of the many things she loves about me. My current work schedule is all over the map with very early mornings or late evenings and all times in between.

Together however, we do find time to enjoy some of our favorite shows together, and now that the February sweeps are in full swing the DVR stays busy during primetime throughout the week. We watch a lot of things from drama, reality, and the good old fashioned sit-com. Some shows she has introduced me to, others, I have introduced her to, and others still we look at each other and say, "we should check that one out."

Here are some of our favorites and why we enjoy them.

Survivor
This is one that I started watching way back in 2000 when it began the reality show genre in earnest. After watching for several seasons, I got bored with it, or just spent my evenings being a father to young children during the pre DVR time period. I began watching again a couple of years ago when my children were old enough and the theme was Heroes vs. Villans. It featured the return of some of my favorite castaways, and I got back into it along with my children. Even now that they don't live full time with me, they wait until they come to our house and then catch up on the DVR every two weeks. It is something special they share with me.

Jeff Probst is the host and continues to show why he is great at what he does. He enjoys his job and it shows. By the end of 39 days the remaining few survivors are beat up psychologically and physically. It is very entertaining!

True Blood
Brought to us by the great creators at HBO, True Blood is a show set in modern day Louisiana. In it, vampires have "come out of the coffin" thanks to a synthetic blood that was invented in Japan. As a result they can co-exist with humans. True Blood is strictly a fantasy show, but is gritty, dark and very entertaining. I have always enjoyed the vampire genre since being a kid, so this was something that interested me when I read about it. A great cast, certainly does help too!

I introduced Sue to this and although she is not a fan of the horror genre (True Blood can be gory), she borrowed my season one DVD's and watched them over a weekend early in our relationship. She now watches it religiously with me when it airs each summer on Sunday evenings. Just last night I reminded her that before long, season five will be starting.

Boardwalk Empire
Yet another one of HBO great series, this show is a crime drama based in the 1920's. Set in Atlantic City during the prohibition era, this show features silver screen alumnus, Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson. Mr. Thompson is the County Treasurer of Atlantic County and is very corrupt. The show is epic in its portrayal of the prohibition era including great sets and great costuming to give the show a very authentic and historical look.

This is another Sunday evening HBO show that we watch together faithfully. It parallels historical records of gangsters such as Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano, and Al Capone. It is yet another home run by our friends at HBO.

Celebrity Apprentice
Yes, I know some people consider Trump to be arrogant, pompous and always looking for press, but we got into this last year. We just started watching one evening on a whim, but then remained glued for the remainder of the season. It was great seeing people such as Gary Busey and Meatloaf attempting to raise money for charity. Meatloaf was quite good but Gary not so much. As time went on, I became a John Rich fan and was happy to see him win in the finale.

This season starts on Sunday and I am looking forward to the cast that Trump has put together. Arsenio Hall, Clay Aiken, George Takkei, Paul Teutel, Victoria Gotti, Debbie Gibson, Teresa Giudice are just of few of the 18 celebs that will raise money for charity in the months ahead.

I am happy to have DVR. The show airs, 9-11 on Sunday nights and I have to be at work on Mondays at 5:00 AM. Chances are this will be added to our Monday night lineup thanks to the DVR!

Two and a Half Men
This show Sue got me hooked on. With all of the press that Charlie Sheen was getting last summer, Sue asked me if I saw this show and that it was really funny. I had never seen it, but upon watching a few reruns, I realized I enjoyed it a lot. Winning!

We now watch it weekly and think Ashton Kutcher is a pretty good addition/replacement to the cast. As a result of watching this show, the show that airs right after is the next show on the list.

Mike and Molly
We have been hearing a lot about Melissa McCarthy and as we watched the recent awards shows, we have been hearing a lot about the female lead. We decided to add this show to our routine and quickly got into it. It's a great show!

Modern Family
For months, I kept hearing about this great show and you literally have to be living under a rock to not know about it many awards and cast who appears to be everywhere. Married with Children alumnus, Ed O'Neil plays the patriarch of a family. He is the older man with a significantly younger and beautiful latino wife. His daughter has a "fairly" conventional family with a husband and 3 children, and then he has a son who is gay and has partner. Together they have an adopted daughter. The show is set in a mockumentary style kind of like The Office. This is probably my new favorite show. It never fails to make me laugh and often times Sue and I look at each other and just crack up watching it.

Well, that took a little while to post but it certainly made my evening go by pretty quick! The even better news is that Sue will be home in a few minutes!

Ciao for now!

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-27T19:15:00.003-04:00

Well she is on her way...Hurricane Irene. The hype was building all week. Last evening, the humidity arrived, this morning the showers arrived, and this afternoon, more steady rain began to fall. Overnight, the wind will arrive along with torrential rain.

Working at The Home Depot has been rather interesting this week. Generators first flew off the shelfs, then flew off trucks upon arrival. D batteries went first, followed by C Batteries and 6 volts. Today people were buying downspouts and pipes to draw the water away from their homes.

I am now home to ride out the storm. Food is stocked. We have propane for the grill, cars are gassed up, and we have enough food to last for a few days. Prior to going to bed, the tub will be filled with a water supply in case we lose our water supply. One of my main concerns is Jasmine being able to go outside to do her thang!!!

Connecticut appears that it will have a landfall sometime during mid morning tomorrow (8/28). It should be a rather interesting day and a half.

Recent Rants...

2011-08-12T21:00:00.002-04:00

Wow, hello again blogosphere! It's been too long. I have kept up with family blogs, but with the Facebook revolution, I became lazy with blogging. Maybe I will change this, maybe I won't, but I'm here now, so lets roll.

A lot has happened in the last year, divorce, career change, and new love. It's amazing when I look back at the last year and ponder how much my life has changed. It's all been for the most part good, and I am in a very happy place right now. I couldn't say that for the last several years.

It's amazing how a single event can have so much effect on one's life. My divorce had an effect on time with children, career, living arrangements. Should that be? I would tend to think no, but that could be a blog for another day. I definitely don't feel like going there today!

It's hard to believe that summer 2011 is almost over! Labor day is in 3 weeks! Wow, where does the time go? At least I do know where my Christmas tree is! Perhaps I will actually put one up this year!

Politicians in Washington are a hot mess are they not? Why can't they just put party aside and fix the country? Now we have the start of a Presidential race, so the mud slinging will begin in earnest. I read recently that Obama's team is ready to "beat" Mitt Romney. If the economy doesn't improve, I'm thinking Mr. Obama will need a lot more than his hired best. The 280+ million Americans are a fickle group and will vote for anyone different in a time of domestic crisis. I don't think the brightest republican is the answer either, but we need our elected officials to roll up their sleeves and go to work!

On a bright note, I decided to do a tune up on my car, my first ever. The car I bought in March is a low mileage older car, but had a clean CarFax report so I went ahead and bought it. It did however, run rough with the A/C on. I utilized the free diagnostic service at AutoZone and determined it needed a tune up. I had the AutoZone associate explain to me what I needed to do, and then spent the next 90 minutes tuning up my car. It runs so much better and I can use my A/C without it running rough! I guess I am getting resourceful in my old age!

The Yankees are doing ok. It would seem that they will clinch a playoff berth unless they fall flat the last 6 weeks. October should be fun. Will we get a NY/Boston LCS? That would make for some long, stressful nights.

I took my kids to an air museum today and assisted them with a flight simulator. Had a huge ego boost when the museum staff asked if I was a pilot when they saw me assisting my kids land a Cessna in the simulator. Both kids landed the plane with my assistance.

Just some rants on this cooler New England night. Until next time...

Spoiling Myself

2010-03-28T19:11:00.003-04:00

Since starting this new adventure in my life these past couple of months, I have decided that each paycheck that I am going to spoil myself a little bit. My expenses are rather low now living alone and that leaves me with the "funds" to spoil myself...just a little bit.

Two weeks ago, I purchased a new GPS for myself. I gave Elaine my old one due to the fact that she is by far more directionally challenged than I. That is not a dig at her, but rather the blatant truth. In the interim I was using VZ Navigator on my BlackBerry. I did not like that for a few reasons. One, it killed the battery on the phone! Two, I couldn't text or read text that came in while I was driving, or place any calls without shutting down the application.

I decided that I was going to buy myself a new GPS because I was tired of using the VZ Navigator for the above mentioned reasons, as well as the $9.99/month charge to my Verizon Wireless Bill.

I began shopping and realized I wanted to get a decent GPS. It had to say street names and be a large screen model. Upon checking out Best Buy.com, I realized that the TomTom XL540S was on sale for 50% off. This GPS has a huge 5 inch screen and has advanced lane guidance. That feature shows a photo realistic image of the highway, and tells you what lane to be in for your exit or your through traffic at busy interchanges. I got right into the car, and drove to BestBuy, and was happy they had one in stock.

Last week when Tracy was down visiting, she and I went into the Sunglass Hut and I found a pair of Oakley Sunglasses that I absolutely loved. They fit my face well and looked good on me. I determined that when I got paid, I would pick up a pair. I have always wanted a good pair of sunglasses but never splurged on them. Well yesterday I did, and I really like the Oakley's. They have polarized lenses and are just about perfect as far as using them for driving in sunlight.

In addition to buying the sunglasses, I also wanted to treat myself to something else. I considered buying a new shirt, but being in between seasons, I was really unsure if I should get long sleeve or short sleeve. Decisions, decisions!!

I decided to buy a new cologne. I haven't bought cologne since I was a cadet and I still use that bottle on occasion, but I felt I needed something new and something in this millenium! I decided on Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue. It really smells good and is a nice light scent.

Spoiling myself has been fun! While in the mall yesterday, I was checking out MacBooks, but that will require a little bit more saving!!

New Camera--Trip to New York

2009-09-20T22:05:00.003-04:00

For the past year or so I have kicked around the notion of getting a new camera. I guess it comes from using my neighbors camera and being impressed with it. Her camera is a very high end Sony point and shoot with a nice digital zoom.

While sitting in an officers councils last week, I received a text from my sister Tracy telling me she was going to be buying a video camera for our upcoming cruise in 4 weeks and change. I replied to her that I really wish I could get a new camera. Well after saying that, I began to conspire in my mind a way to be able to get said camera.

When I got home that afternoon, I jumped on the computer, and began looking at point and shoots. I found 2 that I liked, one Sony, and one Canon. The Canon didn't use a lithium ion battery pack but relied on AA batteries. I purchased the point and shoot that I was using with a battery pack to avoid changing batteries, so that was struck out. I then decided to see what a low end SLR camera would run and I was surprised to see for a legligible price increase I would be able to purchase the camera I have always wanted...a Canon EOS Rebel.

Well, I fired a quick text message to Elaine, explaining the financing of the camera and she told me, "sure, you're crazy LOL" I got on and placed my order.

The following weekend (this past weekend) was Youth Councils for our division and Elaine was going to be away for the whole weekend. I really wanted to do something special for my kids on Saturday. I didn't want to be around the TV, Computer all day, but instead I wanted to spend the whole day with them and give them a memorable day. I decided to take them to New York City for the day. We took the train from New Haven into Grand Central Terminal. We then hopped on the NYC Subway to Battery Park where we boarded a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We spent a good couple of hours on Liberty Island and then headed uptown to 30 Rock (GE Building) to the Top of the Rock Observatory on the 67th-70th floors. We enjoyed wonderful views from 800 or so feet above midtown Manhattan.

Part of my madness was to use my camera to document all of this. Please check out some of the pictures...

In closing, I know it has been awhile since I have blogged, but I anticipate blogging more often in the days ahead.

Happy Birthday Dad...Hello Yankee Stadium

2009-04-25T20:37:00.005-04:00

A few months ago, my sister Tracy had the idea to take my dad to a Yankee game for his birthday. She looked at the schedule, and we determined to buy tickets to the April 17th game. That was the 2nd home game in the new stadium. Dad's birthday is on the 18th.

We woke up very early on the morning of the 17th, and began the trek down I-95 and the Merritt Parkway to Yankee Stadium. I was a little worried that the parking lot I normally park in would be unavailable due to construction to the new train station for the stadium, but it was open and we were granted access through the yet to be completed station.

Upon crossing E. 161st street, we were immediately captivated by the sight before us. The new stadium is indeed grand, and after posing for a quick picture in front of Babe Ruth Plaza, we entered the Great Hall. Soundbites of great moments of Yankee history greeted as we walked through the hall, we made a dash to see the field and all agreed that everything felt closer.

We then walked through the great hall and around the entire stadium. I checked out my season seats in section 237, and then we grabbed a few Nathan's Hot Dogs. As we leaned against a window screen which looked out on the street below, I immediately began to feel as though this new stadium was a ballpark. It wasn't as isolated as the former stadium. There was traffic around it on all sides.

We took our seats and relaxed until the game started. Joba Chamberlain wasn't too sharp, but the Yankees kept him close. We witnessed homeruns by Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, and then the game winning home run by the Captain Derek Jeter. Mo (Mariano Rivera) came in and got the save. We sang "Enter Sandman" enthusiastically as he entered the game.

One of the funniest things was dads birthda greetings. Mom paid $10 for dad's birthday to be displayed on the screen. He left for the bathroom in the top of the sixth and wasn't back when his name was displayed. That is so typical with dad! Tracy and I were saying, everything was scripted that day even the snafu with dad missing his greeting.

We were there for the first win in Yankee Stadium. It is something we will be able to share with generations to come.

My 2nd Home...Section 237

2009-03-28T09:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I received the telephone call I have been waiting all winter for. I received a call from the New York Yankees regarding my relocation and season ticket plan for the new stadium. I have been on pins and needles all winter, thinking that I might be squeezed out of the new stadium based on my relatively low (2 year) seniority and the fact that I also get the smallest ticket package.

I was given a few seating options including the terrace level and main level, but I am a bleacher guy. So for slightly more than a price of a movie, I can go see the New York Yankees in their brand new home, and see Mariano Rivera close out a game, Mark Teixeira hit a homer to score a few runs, and see Derek Jeter inside out a clutch hit.

My new home is Section 237. It is a significant change from last year where I was in the right field bleachers with the world renowned "Bleacher Creatures," but I am nonetheless thrilled to be in the new stadium. As a result, I now have a home in the new stadium for as long as I see fit and as long as I can afford. Here is a computer generated image with Section 237 circled in red.

The seats look convenient to monument park, and the Center Field Food Court. When I go to my first game this season on April 17th, we are purposely getting there very early so that we can wander around a bit and check out the new digs.

So there you have it. I am a very happy Yankee fan and have been on Cloud 9 since yesterday around 1:00 PM.

Shameless Plug--Fantasy Baseball

2009-02-23T17:20:00.002-05:00

Hey readers! I am just wanting to post something really fast as I wait for my Baked Stuffed Shells to finish. Yummmm

I have a Fantasy Baseball League with Yahoo Sports. Right now, we have 6 teams and I have solid committments from a few more. The larger the league, the more fun it will be. We are having a live draft in a few weeks. Everyone registered so far is pretty excited about it. It is a head to head league where you will be competing with another team each week. The stats for your players will go toward points in key categories. For each category you beat your opponent, you get one point. At the end of the week, the results are added to the standings.

If anyone is interested, let me know and I will get you an invite.

My New Toy

2009-02-17T20:57:00.005-05:00

Today was a nice day for me. It was upgrade day! I have owned several cell phones. If I stop and think about it, I can probably count how many I have had. Ok, I just did that...I have had 7, and today I got my my eighth.

I have never got a "good" phone. I have always settled for a cheap one, or whatever phone was having a promotion. My last phone was the LG Chocolate. Functionally, it was a great phone...at least for me. Elaine had three of them and had all sorts of problems, but mine never gave me problems. I just did not like the overall feel, and the sensitivity of the various buttons.

When Elaine's last Chocolate died in November, she upgraded to a new phone, an LG EnV2. It is a very nice phone and she absolutely loves it. While browsing the store while she was getting set up, I noticed that BlackBerry's had come down considerably in price. I said to her, I am going to get a BB when I am eligible for a new phone. The Pearl, was the entry level model and was able to be had for virtually nothing. After talking to people, they all said, "forget the Pearl, get a curve" (the midlevel model).

So, up until recently, I had my heart set on the BlackBerry Curve, that is until, I played with my neighbor's iPhone last week. I absoulutely loved the touchscreen. I then decided that on 2/17, when I was eligible, I would be getting the brand new BlackBerry Storm.

I walked into the Verizon Wireless store today like a kid in a toy store. When the sales person asked if she could help me I said, "yes, its upgrade day, and I am here for a banging new phone." When she asked if I had any ideas, I replied eagerly, "I want the Storm!"

After programming it and activitating it to the BlackBerry Service, I was ready to go with my new smartphone. I spent most of the day figuring it out, the various capabilities, plugging in my calendar information, and of course, buying new ringtones.

I must say, I am thrilled to finally get the phone I wanted. So many times, I said, "no, i don't need or want it." This time however, I am looking forward to being connected, not to work, but to friends, to fantasy sports, to news. We live in a connected society, and I have officially joined on. It seems every hour or so, I discover a new feature on the BlackBerry. Just an hour ago, I downloaded the Yankees mobile application. It is pretty cool.

I think I see now why the President was adamant not to give his up.

President Obama Calls out School Cancellations

2009-01-28T20:28:00.004-05:00

I read this off the NY Daily News Website and got a kick out of it.

At a Roosevelt Room meeting today with business leaders to press his economic stimulus plan, Obama couldn't resist verging off script to suggest that "some flinty Chicago toughness" might be in order to deal with the Capital's first icestorm of the winter.
"My children's school was canceled today, because of what? Some ice," Obama said, as the room erupted in laughter.
"As my children pointed out, in Chicago, school is never canceled," he continued in amazement. "In fact, my 7-year-old pointed out that you'd go outside for recess in weather like this. You wouldn't even stay indoors."
Asked if he were calling Washingtonians weather wusses, Obama gleefully responded: "I'm saying that when it comes to the weather, folks in Washington don't seem to be able to handle things."

Today most if not all schools in Connecticut were closed and for what? We had a couple of inches of snow, followed by 15 minutes of sleet then rain for the remainder of the day. My driveway is down to the wet pavement already and the snow is melting off the roof of the van in my driveway. My kids didn't have school today due to a teacher's professional day, but I expect today would have been a snow day for them as well.

I can relate to what the President is saying. More often then not, snowdays are a joke! My sister went to high school in Erie, PA. I think she had one snowday in 4 years! She went to school with serious lake effect snow! Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if my kids have a delay tomorrow because the rain will freeze and their may be black ice in spots, but the roads will be more than passable! Our school buses here even have the automatic tire chains, but for what!?!?!? They never drive in the snow!

I just think there is some serious over reacting when it comes to this, and I am glad our President thinks so too!

Changes...

2009-01-25T18:06:00.002-05:00

This past month, there have been some minor changes in my life. No we are not and have not moved, but some things have changed. Some minor and others not so minor. Let's take a look shall we.

Closer to 40!
On January 1st, I became 35 years old and upon marking that milestone in my life, I no longer was closer to 30, but now am rapidly approaching 40. I have always felt that the 30s were a great decade of life, and despite my receding hairline, feel good about myself.

Get Fit Chris!
I have finally made it a point to start at the gym and get myself in shape. A lot of this has to do with the previous point in approaching a time in my life where health issues begin to crop up occasionally. I am very healthy, but want to be even more healthy. I want to do this to insure that my heart keeps ticking and my lungs stay healthy as well. I currently go to the gym 2 mornings a week, and am trying to fit in a 3rd time.

DirecTV
For years, I have relied solely on cable TV. For the most part it has served its purpose well. I remember living in Harrisburg, PA and getting cable TV for the first time. Grandpa and Dad were so excited that they could get WPIX Channel 11 out of NY. For those of you that knew my Grandpa and know my dad, you can probably figure out why they were excited. Yes, they were able to watch the Yankees! Ever since that day, I have had cable tv. Over the years the options increased, but while researching our cable options here in Norwich, I determined that satellite TV was a more cost effective solution. As long as I could get YES (Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network) for free I was sold! We are saving money and have a lot more channels to chose from. I have been impressed with the selection and service since getting the service a week or so ago. We now have over 200 channels, plus HBO, Starz, Showtime and The Movie Channel. There is always something to watch. I love it!

President Barack H. Obama
On January 20th around 12:06 PM, President Obama took the oath of office for President of the United States. I watched this live and was moved by what took place. As the President said, 60 years ago, his father would not have been served at a restaurant in DC, and now he was taking that sacred oath. Watching the peaceful and smooth transition of power made me proud to be an American. I believe that the President will truly be a transformational figure and begin to restore the republic to where it should be. He seems like a man of integrity and a sincere man. I see great things happening under his watch and will support him in prayer regularly. I am proud to say that he received my vote on Election Day.

Valkyrie

2009-01-05T16:21:00.004-05:00

For the past few weeks, a couple of the boys from the corps have been asking me to go to the movies with them. Initially, I wanted to see Quantum of Solace, but I waited to long and alas it is no longer in our local cineplex.

As I looked at the listings the last few days, I decided that Valkyrie was the movie that appealed to me the most. I told the boys and we agreed to go Sunday afternoon after our church activities.

Ever since Tom Cruise has acted a little strangely, I haven't been one of his fans. I thought he was great in such movies as Risky Business, Top Gun and was stellar in A Few Good Men.

In Valkyrie I think Cruise did a lot to redeem himself in the eyes of us "common folk."

Valkyrie starts in North Africa, where the main character Colonel Staffenberg is the Executive Officer of the German 10th Panzer Armored Division. After the truck he was in is straffed by British fighters, the Colonel is seriously wounded and the movie fast forwards to him recovering in a hospital somewhere in German occupied Europe.

Staffenberg is clearly disappointed in the direction Hitler is taking his beloved country and wants to do something about it. He stages a coup d'tat that begins by changing some executive orders regarding the German reserve Army.

However the bottom line of any coup, is the death of Hitler, which Staffenberg plans and executes...no pun intended.

Knowing history, I knew that any such attempt on Hitler did not work as he committed suicide at the close of WWII when the Allies surrounded Berlin. I therefore knew that the film did not end in a positive way for Staffenberg and his co-horts.

The movie moved slow toward the beginning, but was a very enjoyable movie. I enjoy WWII history so I was right at home seeing the story told from a German point of view...albeit a revolutionary point of view.

I would recommend this movie. It was enjoyable and Cruise did a fine job in the lead role. He was passionate. However do not look for him to have a German accent. I think the director attempted to make a transition from German to English like what happened at the opening to the 1990 movie Hunt for Red October.

Welcome Back Cruise!

A Night out at the MGM Grand--KC and the Sunshine Band

2009-01-03T16:42:00.004-05:00

No I didn't go to Vegas...

In the last several months, one of the large casinos nearby has expanded and included the notorious MGM Grand brand. So now Foxwoods Resort and Casino can maintain its notoriety as the largest casino in the world. However, I am digressing.

Foxwoods was a large sponsor for the recent Extreme Makeover Home Edition that recently was filmed in our area. In addition to supplying food for the tent and canteen, they provided logistical support with equipment, parking, shuttle service, and hosted the wrap party the evening the night was revealed to the family. At the wrap party, Foxwoods provided complimentary tickets to all Extreme Makeover volunteers to one of three shows. The three shows we had to choose from were, Bozz Skaggs, comedian Jay Mohr, or KC and the Sunshine Band. Our first choice was the comedian, but all of the comp tickets were gone when we got to the staff who were passing them out, so we decided upon KC and the Sunshine Band. This was an odd choice considering that they were popular when I was a toddler. I went to the concert with an open mind and knew I would enjoy it either way.

There were 8 of us together, Elaine and I, our neighbors, two officer friends, and two of their friends. We hit the Festival Buffet in the casino prior to the show then found our way to the MGM Grand theater. As we arrived, KC had alrerady started his act. Immediately I could sense the high energy eminating from the stage and sound system. I soon found out that I knew pretty much all of KC's songs. Despite being 58 years old the guy could still sing, and could still dance quite well. I was particularly impressed with the "sunshine band." There was a live horn section and two drummers. These guys could really play! KC's style is a mix of dance and latin music. The night was filled with high energy and long sets. We were on our feet clapping and moving to the beat pretty much all night long.

The hour and 40 minute concert was incredibly enjoyable and as we walked out of the theater we all remarked to each other how hot we were due to moving around. It was a really fun night. I would pay to see that show next time KC comes to town.

Christmas goes to the Dogs...literally

2008-12-27T08:39:00.003-05:00

Our dog Jasmine has become a very large part of our family. We often try to take her on vacations with us as things allow. Immediate family usually has no problems with this, so she almost always accompanies us to both our parents homes when we vacation. Jasmine is a great traveler and will always find a comfy sport in whatever house we are in to lay down and take a nap.

When I was loading the car on Wednesday afternoon, Jasmine kept following me each and every trip to the car, watching me intently. I think she was afraid for some reason she wasn't going. When it was time to leave, I put her leash on her. After making a quick sweep of the house, I said to Elaine, "where's Jazz?" I called her and she was nowhere to be found. I opened the door and she was on the back porch just standing there waiting for me to open the car for her to grab her seat.

After a quick stop at the local chinese takeout for some crab rangoon and boneless ribs. (Elaine was craving and no she isn't pregnant). Elaine quickly told her Jasmine to take a seat because she didn't want Jazz to be begging her, and Jazz was prepared to do just that by standing up on the console between our seats. I do think Jazz might have got a rib or two though.

When we arrived at Mom and Dad's, Jasmine quickly said her hellos and found Taylor. Together, they hung around with each other. Taylor and Jasmine get along great! They really do like each other.

On Christmas morning both Jasmine and Taylor were excited. Taylor really likes Christmas as she knows she gets a present or two. Taylor began walking around, sniffing all of the gifts until she found hers and Jasmine's. Much to my childrens dismay, the dogs got to open the first gifts on Christmas Day. They each received a box of biscuits. Here are pictures of them looking around. I believe in Taylor's picture, she is barking at mom to give her the present. Jasmine's head had just turned as the picture was captured on hers but she is right in front of where her gift was as well.

As I type this, Jasmine is laying next to me fast asleep. At least until she hears Taylor wake up and come downstairs!

Interesting Christmas

2008-12-25T16:34:00.004-05:00

Well first of all let me say that I am glad Christmas is finally here! From November 13th through December 24th, I drove 6,264 miles in my Chevrolet Express Van. That doesn't include the occasional trips in the Sienna to pick up kettle when the van was being used. Our Christmas programs in Norwich are very tiring and I am really glad we have another season behind us.

A couple of notable things happened in the last month...

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Comes to Eastern Connecticut

The popular TV show came to Eastern Connecticut and The Salvation Army was asked to support the volunteers by having a 24 hr presence for the 6 days the home was being built. I managed to put in an all night shift and a few other 6 hour shifts. It was fun to be a part of this and meet some of the stars of the show. We also enjoyed a fun after party at Foxwoods. I even got to meet and have my picture taken with Miss Connecticut!

Mom and Dad come to Visit

Mom, Dad and Tracy came to visit the weekend before Christmas. They had tickets to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York and offered to do our meetings that same weekend. It was great to have them visit us and help us in so many ways! Dad helped take out kettles when my other drivers were snowed in and mom cleaned the house and got us caught up on laundry. They also took the kids back to Maine with them a few days before Christmas to give the kids a slight vacation and give us a break while wrapping up our Christmas distribution and kettles.

Fast forward to Christmas Eve...The kettles come in, the car is loaded and Elaine and I make the drive to Portland, Maine to join our family for Christmas. It was a smooth albeit, rainy trip, but I rarely had to cancel my cruise set speed of 75 mph. We made it in 2 hours and 50 minutes and enjoyed the traditional Cheese Fondue when we arrived.

Today was a great Christmas for us! The kids have wanted a Wii for a while now and we were able to get one this year. In addition to a few great games, we also got RockBand for it and have already played it together as a family, I on Guitar, Jay and Sam alternate on drums, Elaine typically on vocals. Its a great game and I look forward to advancing from EASY level and unlocking more songs.

However, perhaps the biggest surprise was a gift that Tracy got me. Ever since I was a child I have wanted the ship Millenium Falcon from the Star Wars movies. As a child, I never received it, and it became a running joke in our family. Well this year, Tracy got me the Falcon, or should I say she got it for Jay and me.

As I write this, we are relaxing and enjoying the day. The Wii has been set up, and as I type this, I am syncing the first of two iPods for the kids. Our Prime Rib dinner should be ready in an hour or so.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Questions

2008-12-13T18:27:00.003-05:00

I got this off my cousin Jonathan's blog. Given the busyness of the year, I guess its okay to copy others ideas.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper. I never use gift bags for Christmas

2. Real tree or artificial?
Always artificial

3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually the days after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down?
January 1st (my birthday) at the latest.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Not really

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
I honestly can't remember, but I do recall a couple of very cool Tonka trucks, a 4x4 and a van.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Either my mom or grandparents.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Elaine she is very specific.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
A little one over our fireplace.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A broken VHS tape from an unamed person. The movie was good, European Vacation.

12. Favorite Christmas movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
October or November for the kids.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Prime Rib

16. Lights on the tree.
Yes.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night, and Christmas Eve Sarajevo by Trans Siberian Orchestra

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home.
Now that parents are close we travel.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen...but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer!

20. An angel or a star on top of the tree?
Currently a star

21. Open the presents on Christmas eve or Christmas morning?
Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Grumpy people, bad drivers, but hey I live in Connecticut so that is all year!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
Homemade

24. Favorite dessert for Christmas dinner?
Surprisingly enough I am not a huge dessert guy

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Rockband for our new Wii, also a Christmas Gift

26. Any special Christmas traditions?
Fondue and hor d'erves on Christmas Eve, Reading Luke Chapter 2 KJV prior to opening gifts.

Ford to GM

2008-11-12T21:34:00.002-05:00

Many of you know me as a car guy. I am told ever since I was very young that I have had a fascination with cars. I do recall always being into cars and I always like tv shows featuring cars ever since I was a kid. These include, Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, etc.

Over the years I have had my favorite cars and have favored certain models and makes. Since the 80s in regards to full size vans (vehicles that I have always been guaranteed to have in my driveway since childhood), I have favored the Ford models, but in the last few years Ford has put a very sour taste in my mouth and I will not purchase one at least for the foreseable future. I will share a few reasons why.

When I was commissioned in 1998 and sent with my wife to Sanford, Maine, we were pleased to hear that we had a brand new 1998 Ford van. It was a nice color and was as loaded as possible for the model year it was. It was a great van and I only had to put a heater core and rear heat lines in the 3 and a half years, and 114,000 miles that I owned it. It was the best van I have ever owned. I traded it in in Feburary of 2002 for a van that I essentially had custom ordered to my specifications, right down to the color. My 2002 van was a nice looking van, again, it was as loaded as was allowed for the model year, but right away I noticed very subtle things about it. It seemed louder on the road in regards to wind noise, and my arm would get cold as I rested in on the drivers door. Despite being a mid level XLT with the nicer door trim, seat trim etc, it seemed Ford scimped on the sound insulation. Later on I realized that whenever the van was drivien in a rainstorm on the highway, the turn signals would not work for 2 days. Apparantly there was a short and this was a problem until I left in June 2005. The dealer tried to reproduce the issue but had no luck doing so.

The van also would have a knock in the engine. I asked the dealer about it and told them about it. They told me there was no knock. I sort of argued that there was and that I was not new to this engine. My 1998 had the same engine and did not make the racket that the 2002 made even with the high mileage on it. They insisted it must be something I was doing, despite using Exxon Mobil gas at the recommended octane rating! Sometimes, I think they despised me at that dealership! I said to the service tech once, "well maybe Ford dropped a Lincoln Navigator engine in this and I should have been putting 93 octane in this." They looked at me like I was from Mars. Its sometimes sad when you know more about the car then the so called experts!

The van didn't have serious issues, but stupid unresolved issues and that bothered me almost as much as the major issues. I believe this van is still being used by the Sanford corps with nearly 150,000 miles. I finally swore off Ford when I observed my dads 1 week old Ford van last summer before they moved from Erie. While parked in my grandparents driveway, I noticed that the bumper was installed crooked. I pointed it out to dad to verify that I wasn't seeing things and he noticed it too. The gap between the bumper and the body was signficantly wider on one end than the other! I said to dad, "if they can't put a bumper on straight, what else is wrong with it!" Ironically two days after seeing that bumper gap, I had to go shopping for a new van as my transmission failed on the way to the congress that previous weekend. Let's just say I steered clear of the Ford dealer!

I do believe that now Chevrolet vans are superior to the Ford vans. They are far more comfortable to drive. The driving position is more relaxed and less confined. The engine has signficantly more power and torque, and is quieter as well. I believe the styling is more refined as well. The seats are mounted into the floor instead of on brackets. This allows for easy loading when needed with no floor obstructions. The GM vans ride better as well!

My Chevrolet van has 28,000 miles on it and I don't think I have put $500 into it in maintenance since purchasing it in June 2007. The GM service people are informed and know their product well.

Over the next 6 weeks, I will be spending a lot of time in my Chevrolet Express 3500 as I drive all over eastern Connecticut. Its a good van and I am now a huge fan of GM products. Lets hope they can survive the next year!

Challenge...What You Have Done

2008-11-11T16:29:00.002-05:00

Reading Uncle Dave's Blog, I decided to do my own challenge using the template he has and altering it as needed. My "yes" answers are in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower / Watched the Northern Lights
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland never to CA, but DisneyWorld 6 times
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped / White Water rafting with at least one level IV rapid
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea..everynight night for 7 nights on our last cruise
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty / Been to the top of all four classic tall structures in North America (CN Tower in Toronto, the Sears Tower in Chicago, World Trade Towers in NY City, Empire State Building in NY City)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train / Slept overnight in an airport
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when youʼre not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar and lunar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (both)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on an overnight cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangeloʼs David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt / Seen the wheat fields of the Prairies
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted--a long time ago..my mom has it somewhere
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (used to own an ATV)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie / Been on television / Been on the radio
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies/ Sold Boy Scout Apples
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check..stupid bank had a 5 day hold on a check I deposited!
68. Flown in a helicopter / Flown in a plane that took off and/or landed on water
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial / Toured Parliament Hill / Toured Capitol Hill
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt / Changed our car’s oil
73. Stood in Times Square / Visited Old Quebec City
74. Toured the Everglades / Gone Shopping at West Edmonton Mall / Gone Shopping at the Mall of America in Minneapolis
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London / Watched the Rose Parade in person.
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book / Recorded are record or CD I am on a Pendel Brass CD
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a New Car...not for me, but business yes
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House / Visited inside the White House (attended a reception) / Visited Ann of Green Gables
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating / Eaten Moose or Deer / Eaten Squid / Eaten Allegator
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someoneʼs life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (I met former President George Bush at our Annual Dinner)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake / Swam in all five Great Lakes
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100.

Red to Blue...

2008-11-04T18:35:00.002-05:00

Over the past few years, I have felt some subtle changing in my overall political thought process. I don't know what has spurned this on, but I have been more open to thinking more moderately and less along my traditional party line that has been established since the late 80s and eary 90s.

Two years ago, I supported Senator Joe Liebermann (I) for US Senate here in Connecticut. At the time, I thought I was beginning to shift my thinking. Senator Liebermann lost the Democratic primary and decided to run as an independent. He defeated both the democratic nominee and the republican nominee and despite his war record and his support of Senator John McCain's Presidential campaign, still caucuses with democrats. This was the beginning of my change in ideology.

While on vacation this year, I decided that I needed a good book to read and read Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. In reading this book, it became clear that this man has what it takes to be our leader, and our advocate. I was encouraged and uplifted as I read the pages on the sands of Rehoboth. I was not completely convinced, but I thought, "gee, I might vote for this guy."

For the past 2 months, I have been going back and forth as to who would earn my vote for President. Last evening I decided on Senator Barack Obama. I believe as Secretary Powell has said that Senator Obama is "transformational figure." I believe that he is the man that we need as leader in these uncertain times both on the domestic and foreign sides. My fear would be a McCain Presidency would be a continuation of the Bush mess, and this is from a man who voted for Bush twice! It was very evident that the "maverick" McCain was lost to the Republican establishment.

While I don't agree with Senator Obama on every issue, I do believe that he can provide the healing and despite the challenges will put his best foot forward in making America a better place.

So today, I was proud to fill that circle in for Senator Barack Obama for President and Senator Joe Biden for Vice President. Incidentally, I also voted democrat for my congressman as he has done a fine job securing appropriations for additional submarine production which is a crucial aspect to our local economy.

I guess the title fits...this registered Republican has shifted to blue.

Fall Fun

2008-10-13T16:29:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted, but my mom has requested that I post some pictures of the kids pumpkins that Tracy bought for them this weekend. Before I share those, I will talk about the nice weekend we had with Tracy.

This weekend Tracy was to be home alone. She decided a week or so ago that she would come down and visit us for the weekend instead of being alone.

On Saturday, she said she would buy the kids pumpkins so we went to an area farm, took a hayride, picked some apples, then picked some rather large pumpkins. I will share more about them after I post the pictures.

It was a fun day and we had a good time with each other over the weekend. Last evening, we had a bonfire and smores with our awesome neighbors and then after that Tracy and I went over to the MGM Grand, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun to people watch and check out the recent expansions. I forgot to tell her that Mohegan Sun just opened a Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, so she spent some time checking out the t shirts and other things in the gift shop. I will have to venture back there as the menu and theming of the place looked awesome! We settled for some Ben & Jerry's...it was 11PM after all, and then found our way home.

Today we were just lazy and had a good time just hanging out until she headed home to Portland about 30 minutes ago.

So...now for the pumpkins.

Jays Pumpkin weighed in at 42 pounds, while Sam's weighed in at 32. They are huge, the biggest we have ever got!

Classic Music...for my Generation

2008-08-31T19:24:00.002-04:00

Over the last few years I have begun to realize that my generation has its own classical music. The music of late, since the mid 90s has pretty much stunk, at least in my opinion. My iPod has some great "classical songs" and I will list a few of my favorites.

Anything by Styx
Styx the popular band from the 70s has several ballads that rock...literally! I honestly don't know what song is my favorite, so I will list them.

Come Sail Away--my new ringtone on my phone
Lady
Babe
Mr. Roboto

Their music has a lot of great piano and guitar solos. Its truly music. Some of their lyrics are a little weird, but the music is absolutely incredible.

Dancing on the Ceiling--Lionel Richie
I have always loved this song. It is the typical 80s anthem. Lots of partying, lots of synthesizer and a state of the art video for its time. This song is just fun!

Hold On--Wilson Phillips
This song was released in very late 1989 or early 1990. It features the trio of Chynna Phillips, Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson. This group has some of the tightest and most beautiful harmony. The girls blend well together and have some awesome guitar parts in the song. This is another "feel good song." The chorus is as follows.

Some day somebody's gonna make you want toTurn around and say goodbye

Until then baby are you going to let them Hold you down and make you cry

Don't you know?..Don't you know things can change

Things'll go your way

If you hold on for one more day

Can you hold on for one more day

Things'll go your way

Hold on for one more day

Sara--Starship

This song has somewhat sentinmental value. No, I don't have a gf named Sara, but it was one of the first music videos I ever saw. It also has a great sound to it and strong lead vocals by Mickey Thomas. Bottom line, I love this song!

Jump--Van Halen

The opening cords to this song set the stage for an awesome song. It also features an awesome guitar rip by Eddie VanHalen. The synthesizer line is also trademark 80s. This remains one of my favorite songs of the 80s and gets a lot of playing time on my iPod.

Pour Some Sugar on Me--Def Leppard

Like Jump by Van Halen, this song is typical 80s. I realized that it was a classic in 2001 when driving the teens to my corps to DisneyWorld. While driving through Georgia on our way to Florida, this song came on, two others in the van who were chaperones recognized the song when it came on. We all got excited and sang along in the van. One of the younger teens said, "Captain why are we listening to oldies?" I told him that this was an oldy but a goodie. Great song with lots of great musical rips in it.

Kyrie--Mr. Mister

This song like Sara was one of the first music videos I had ever seen. Remember I lived in Punxsutawney, PA and we did not get MTV until 1988, and I didn't hear of VH-1 until I moved to Connecticut later that year. I saw this video on NBC's Friday Night Videos. It is a great song by the Band Mr. Mister that remains their top single and is heard on the radio to this day.

Dancing Queen--ABBA

When you hear the piano glissando followed by the hummed vocals, you know the song that is coming on. It's no other than Dancing Queen by ABBA. The piano line is good on this song. Benny Andersson is incredible and the lead vocals of Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad is both sensual and harmonious. This remains one of my favorite songs and I have several versions of it on my iPod, but I always prefer the original ABBA versions.

There you have it. Those are just a few of the classic songs from my time. I welcome any comments that anyone would have.

Vacation at Rehoboth

2008-08-29T08:12:00.003-04:00

Its been a while since I have posted, but we have had a busy few weeks. This culminated with our annual trek to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Rehoboth has been important to our family since 1981 when Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa and I went down and spent a week there. I fell in love with the water and the rides at the tender age of 7 and had a great time. The following year, Aunt Dot, Uncle Steve and Krista joined us and that was a lot of fun. It's always good to have a cousin to hang out with and ride rides with! It was also our last vacation with Grandpa and I have some great memories of that week.

Over the years, beginning in 1986, my parents began regular trips. I joined them in 1986-1988, then I began working at Camp. I would not resume going again until 1999, then as a married man.

This year our kids were really looking forward to going. Jay kept saying, "Dad, only two more days until we can eat Rehoboth and eat Grotto Pizza. Sam was looking forward to riding the Haunted Mansion and her new favorite ride--The Paratrooper, a ride that was once my favorite also.

We awoke Saturday the 9th and began our trek through, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Delaware. We hit some serious traffic in Central New Jersey, but this would be a blessing in disguise as the traffic around Rehoboth had dissapated by the time we got there.

We enjoyed our regular first evening dinner...Grotto Pizza. The kids went on rides, played games etc.

It was a great week. The water could have been warmer, but we were still able to enjoy it. I read a book while having my feet in the sand. In fact, I read Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope. I enjoyed it and reading helped me see that this man who is now the Democratic Nominee is a real guy. He seems like one of us.On the way home, we stopped quickly in Lancaster County to visit Grandma and stopped by to see Grandpa at the Nursing Home. Mom, Dad and Tracy stayed behind a day, but we returned back home on Saturday. On the way home, driving up I-95, I was excited to get home. It was good to go on vacation, but once I am in the car going home, I want to get home!

Our next big vacation will be another cruise with Mom, Dad and Tracy next fall. That should be a good time.

Vacation in Maine

2008-07-18T20:22:00.004-04:00

I know I just posted about a vacation, but yes, we have just returned from another short vacation. This time we went to Maine to visit Mom, Dad, and Tracy at the Cove House at Camp Sebago for a few days. We then returned to their house for a day and a half prior to coming home.

After our Sunday services and community meal on Sunday, we drove the 223 miles to Camp Sebago to meet mom and dad at the Cove House. It is a very nice 2 bedroom house on the Camp property at Camp Sebago. It is called the Cove House because, you guessed it, it is in a Cove on lovely Sebago Lake. When we arrived on Sunday evening we had a quick meal and headed down to the lakeside to build a fire and make some smores. That was fun as in my 34 years of life, I don't think I have ever made smores with mom and dad. Tracy and Matt came down and joined us. Jay was especially proud to see Matt. He adores Matt!

On Monday, we went to the Officers and Employees Picnic. It was nice to see people from our former corps there and some old friends. The food was pretty good too! After lunch, we headed down to the dock and enjoyed a boat ride on the lake. Following the boat ride, Jay and Sam, got on the inflatable obstacle course that featured a waterslide at the end. It looked fun and if the splash down water wasn't so dirty, I would have jumped on as well.

That evening, Tracy and I took the kids on a canoe ride. They enjoyed that a lot.

Over the next couple of days, the kids went swimming, back in the canoes, more smores. You get the idea. It was a lot of fun.

Our final evening, Mom, Dad and I sat out on the dock outside of the lodge and just enjoyed the moonlit lake. It was a very peaceful hour or so.

Our time at Sebago was short, but we then went to their home in Portland. It was nice to just relax and enjoy being with the family.

On Thursday, Mom took us to the beach. While I don't LOVE Old Orchard Beach, it is okay in a pinch. Initially, the water was very cold, but the kids got right in. The waves were rather large, but the kids stayed out of the way, while still enjoying the water. I went in up to my knees to snag a few pictures. Sam unfortunately had some bad luck and got scraped up on some rocks. She wanted to wait to shower until Dad and Tracy got home because she wanted to show them her wrapped up leg. She cracks me up!

Thursday evening was especially nice for Mom and Elaine as they went to the OOB Pavillion and enjoyed a Sandi Patty Concert. They both enjoyed it and had good things to say about it.

In three weeks our "REAL" vacation will be here. That is when we go to Rehoboth Beach for a week. The water is warmer there. The bathrooms don't cost money, and the rides are much cheaper!!!

July Vacation--Part One

2008-07-10T21:48:00.003-04:00

On Sunday evening following our Sunday services we departed Connecticut for the hills of upstate NY to hook up with Elaine's parents before setting out for our first vacation of the summer season.

For the last few years, Elaine has wanted to go visit her mothers family in the Watertown area of New York State. For all of this time, I expected that we were going to Watertown. When I was programming the GPS on Monday morning, I was concerned when the device could not find the street address. Would you know, that we were not going to Watertown, but Alexandria Bay. Now just the sound of that, sounds much more like a vacation. Nothing against Watertown, NY, but Alexandria Bay has a much nicer ring to it. When we arrived at Alexandria Bay, I knew we were far north. We exited the last exit prior to the bridge to Canada! Shortly after arriving at Elaine's cousins home, we ventured down to the riverfront and I was very impressed with this little town. It had a unique resort feel and seeing the watercraft on the St. Lawrence River got me excited. I even saw a few classic wood motorboats. I would sooooo love to have one of those!

The kids went swimming, but instead, I looked around. I looked across the American Channel at the legendary Boldt Castle. I ventured downtown to check out the various shops. I really felt like I was on vacation, and I was excited to see this part of the country I have never been.

All in all we had a great time. We enjoyed a 2 nation tour on the river, we ate really good courtesy of Judy and Bill's cooking, and the weather even cooperated despite a very late evening Thuderstorm.
I would like to return to this area of the country again in the next couple of years. Next time with a passport in hand so I can cross the border to Canada and check out that side of the St. Lawrence.

Oh and by the way, Jay is so proud he has a license to drive an Uncle Sam Tour Boat up to 100 tons, and "he is only six!" Those latter and very former are his exact words! Please see the pictures attached of our vacation.
We will be leaving for a short vacation to Maine on Sunday evening to stay in the Cove House on Sebago Lake.

Jay's First Yankee Game

2008-06-05T08:54:00.003-04:00

As a child going to ball games with my dad and grandpa, one of the things I used to think of was how cool it would be when one day, I would take my own child to a Yankee Game. That instance came sooner then expected.

As many of you know, I have a small season ticket plan to the Yankees. Last evening was the 3rd of 8 games that I have tickets to this season. A couple of the people that I was going to originally ask to go along with me had schedule conflicts, so I got a great idea. My idea was to take my 6 year old son. I thought that I was about Jay's age when dad and grandpa took me to a few games in Baltimore to see the Yankees play the Orioles. I was 6 when I went to my first game at Yankee Stadium, so I thought, "let me give this a try."

Well the weather didn't look good as glanced at the forecast early in the week. It seemed like the game would be a washout or rain out. Early in the afternoon, it seemed there was a break in the weather, so I said to Elaine, "I think I am going after all." Jay had no idea. Our car was at the Toyota dealer getting a major service...all preventative, so Elaine dropped me off to pick it up, and then went to pick up Jay and Sammi at school. I couldn't wait long enough for the bus to come. We had to leave as soon as they got home!

A minute or so after being picked up my phone rang, "dad, why did mom pick me up from school? Are we going to the Yankee game?" Of course I replied with an affirmative. As soon as Jay got home, he looked for his hat, got a weather proof pull over on...just in case, then we got in the car and headed for New York.

He took my advice to take a nap and pretty much slept the whole way. I woke him up in Yonkers to prepare him for his first trip to not just the Yankees, but to New York City as well.

After parking the car, Jay immediately was filled with excitement. He said hello to everyone he saw. He remarked to me, "Dad that girl has a Jeter shirt." My response was, "you will see a lot of Yankee shirts here." He saw some MTA cops watching the tracks and said hello to them. We soon crossed the pedestrian bridge and the stadium came to sight. "Dad, Yankee Stadium is so big," was the first thing he said. He broke into, "Dad, I am so proud this is my first day at Yankee Stadium."

Since we were a little later than I normally get to the ballpark, I decided we should eat in the stadium as there were long lines outside at Stan's. We went into the stadium, got a couple hot dogs, a couple of sodas, then Jay literally ran up the tunnel saying, "Dad, I want to go into the stadium"

As soon as we sat, while still eating his hotdog, Jay inquired, "Dad where is the roll call guy." He of course was asking about Bald Vinny the leader of the roll call. He couldnt wait for the game to start and quickly rose to his feet when the Yankees took the field.

The game progressed well despite the occasional drizzle, but Jay is expensive to take to a game. He wanted a second hot dog and a second soda. At Yankee stadium, that is a $10 expense. He quickly made friends with the people around us and was able to recognize the players on the field. He was especially excited to see, A-Rod, Jeter, and Johnny Damon.

In addition to being a great game with nostalgic value for me, history was also made at Yankee Stadium last evening. Derek Jeter surpassed Mickey Mantle to claim third place on the Yankees all time hit list. Only Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig have more hits as a Yankee than Derek Jeter. After getting his hit, the 50,000+ in attendance were all on their feet chanting his name. Jeter reluctantly tipped his helmet to the fans. He is not one for self accolades.

The Yankees defeated the Blue Jay 5-1. Mariano came in and very nearly struck out the side in the top of the 9th. He never ceases to amaze me. The crowd were on their feet for the entire 9th as Mo did his thing. When the final out was made, Jay looked at me and said, "dad, the Yankees won!" He then jumped up into my arms and gave me a hug as Sinatra's New York New York played on the stadium speakers.

As we left the stadium and walked to the car, Jay said to me, "dad are you so proud the Yankees won for my first game?" I responded, "I sure am. Maybe I should bring you to all the Yankee games."

It was a great night for the Yankees. It was a great night for me and Jay.

Family Get Together--Grandma's 80th Birthday

2008-05-28T10:43:00.003-04:00

This weekend was a great time for our family. We all descended or ascended depending on geographic location to Leola, PA to celebrate Grandma's 80th birthday. It was a great time to get together with loved ones, and have a good time celebrating Grandma's 80th year of life.

We left Norwich on Friday morning and had a pretty smooth trip to Lancaster County. In light of today's gasoline prices, we all squeezed into Dad's minivan for the 290 mile trip. With DVD player's, Ipod's, the trip was fairly easy for the 6 and 8 year old in our midst.

We arrived, got checked in and enjoyed a nice meal with Grandma, Grandpa, and the Kentucky clan of our family. Jay was particularly happy to see Campbell. This was the first time since our wedding that Elaine was able to truly get to know many members of my family, so I was happy for that.

On Saturday morning, the DC area contigent of our family arrived and soon we left for the "Birthday" dinner Miller's Smorgasbord. It was perhaps the largest buffet I have seen in quite some time and the food quality was great. What was better was enjoying the time together with family and having some nice chats with my cousins, Aunts and Uncles. After filling up on top sirloin, ham, and of course, PA dutch chicken pot pie, among other things, we returned to the house for some wiffle ball and fellowship. Jay and Sam really fine tuned their wiffleball skills and enjoyed their time with Grandpa (my dad), and Uncle Steve, although Sam threw a bat accidentally and it hit Uncle Steve right on the lip..OUch! Jay was guilty as well as he line drived his grandpa who was pitching. His great grandmother watching from the porch was laughing at the action that she witnessed.

We shared some cake, and then Grandma opened her gift. The family bought her a digital photo frame. It was very enjoyable to see the pictures from the past and have the memories of past vacations and times with family come flooding back. It was a great time to share memories.

On Sunday we all went to the Lancaster Citadel for worship then to a great italian place for lunch. It was great to once again to sit and talk with the family. I really enjoyed this perhaps more than anything else over the weekend. The Chicken Parmigiana wasn't bad either! It was great that Grandpa was able to join us for lunch on Sunday as he has been having difficulties getting around. The family was truly complete and a great time was shared over Italian food. Perhaps it is no accident that our family last name is Sicillian and that is why we all love italian food!

We returned for pictures and said our goodbyes. It has been a long time since we have all been together. I hope we can do it again soon.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Random Thoughts...

2008-05-10T13:15:00.003-04:00

It is one of those days where there is a whole lot of nothing on my mind. I spent the last 15 or so minutes catching up on the various blogs on my favorites, and after reading about vacations at the beach, politics, drum corps among other things, I thought it was time for me to update as well. It is one of those days where I will summarize some Random Thoughts.

Politics...
Hillary please drop out! It is obvious you lost! Is your ego really that big that you honestly think you have a chance at the nomination??? The Clintons are really something else and believe that they are truly in a different league. The numbers and math add up to an Obama victory as the presumptive nominee. This was further enforced by his almost rock star reception given to him on Capital Hill the other day. Drop out now Hillary and save what sliver of dignity you may have left in you.

Awesome Music...
I got an iPod for Christmas and for that I need to thank my awesome mom for getting it for me. Prior to using itunes as my music provider on my pc, I used Napster. On one of my old computers, I had some great songs that I purchased from Napster. This computer has not been used since the summer, and as a result, those great songs never made it to itunes and my new computer. Last evening I pulled the old computer out, went through several tries to remember my Napster password, and was able to burn 4 cd's of great songs. I did have to add them manually to itunes, but it was soooo worth it in the end. Last evening I watched tv with the closed captioning on, so I could listen to the newest additions to my iPod. Now all I need is a FM modulater for road trips!

Vacations...
This summer our vacation time is scattered all throughout the summer months. It's great, because there is rarely more than a few weeks between the various excursions. This will start with a weekend trip to Lancaster County, PA to celebrate Grandma's 80th birthday. This will be over Memorial Day Weekend and will be immediately preceeded by a Yankee Game against Baltimore for Dad and I. This will be a great time for our family to get together again. Last time Elaine was not able to join but she will this time. I am looking forward to Elaine getting to know members of my family that don't really know her.

Our next vacation will take place the 2nd week of July where we will go to upstate New York to visit Elaines family and journey up along the souther and eastern shore of Lake Ontario and spend a day at 1000 Islands. I have never been to this part of the country and am looking forward to it. We will be home from that for a few days before travelling to Maine and spending a few days on Sebago Lake with Mom, Dad, and Tracy. That will be a good time and Sebago is an awesome lake, a little chilly, but absolutely beautiful.

After returning from Maine, we will be home a few weeks before heading out to Rehoboth Beach for our annual vacation there. My kids, like Tracy and I have fallen in love with this seaside resort. In fact, when we were planning a possible trip or cruise next summer, Jay got upset because Rehoboth wasn't in the plans. He would rather go to Rehoboth than DisneyWorld! He has been saving all of his change for his favorite "Pirate Game" on the boardwalk.

So there you have it, my random thoughts for the day. Now the Yankees are on, so I will focus my attention to the game taking place in Detroit. Go Yanks!

Bleacher Creatures Roll Call Opening Day 2008

2008-05-01T17:29:00.001-04:00

I tried to upload this another way, but it only works as a separate post.

First Night in 39

2008-05-01T16:53:00.002-04:00

After a great time in Pittsburgh at our Territorial Development Conference, I made a stop on the way home at the Stadium in the Bronx for my first of 8 Yankee Games.

Some of you may recall previous posts indicating my Christmas Gift of a E Ticket License at Yankee Stadium. Each ticket is only a few dollars more than a movie, so it is a great deal.

Upon arriving in the Bronx, and taking a quick peek at the new stadium across the street, I went into the stadium to see the Yanks wrap up batting practice. I was just getting ready to go up the tunnel to the seats, when a ball rolled down the tunnel. I was able to scoop it up and claim it for my own! I have been going to ball games for nearly 30 years, and have never got a ball. I later found out that the ball was hit by Johnny Damon, left fielder for the Yankees. While standing there and talking to other fans, I noticed that Joba Chamberlain was horsing around in front of us. Everyone was asking for a ball, so I thought, let me say something that may get a response. Joba's father, Harlan was just released from the hospital, so I yelled to Joba, "how's your dad Joba?" Joba looked at me and said, "he's doing good," and gave me a thumbs up. I returned the thumb's up and said, "thats great." It was great to have the player interaction. Yankee's closer, Mariano Rivera, my favorite Yankee was play CF during BP and having a ball. He is quite the fielder I might add. Mo even would yell, "heads up" to the fans in the seats when a home run ball was coming their way. He is truly a class act.

After grabbing a hot dog and a coke, I settled in my seat and got acquainted with the fans around me that will be sitting around me for the season. We had some great discussions about how we feel about the current state of the Yankees. Soon it was time for the game to get going.

Shortly after the Yankees took the field, and the National Anthem, a fellow Bleacher Creature named "Bald Vinny" started a clapping motion which signfiied the start of the roll call. I was on my feet and joined the chorus of applause. Vinny then motioned the group to be quiet, and yelled, "Yooooooooooooo Melllllllllkkyyyy (Melky Cabrera). At which time we all chanted, "Melky, Melky" until he turned, waved and acknowledged us. This was repeated to all defensive positions except for pitcher and catcher. Below is a video of this year's Opening Day Roll Call.

Things were pretty settled until the 8th inning or so, when people started to leave. Then the regular creatures had a little fun and got a little rowdy. It was a lot of fun to see and hear the interactions.

Despite the Yankee loss, the cold game time temperature and wind, it was a fun night at the ballpark. My next game will be May 22nd and my dad will be joining me in 39. It should be a lot of fun!

Worst Flying Experience/Aircraft I have Flown in

2008-04-20T15:28:00.002-04:00

I will complete the last of the blog challenge today, but also issue a challenge of my own to my readers. After I tell my very short worst flying experience, I will list the aircraft I have flown in and number or times/legs in each airframe model. I am a plane junkie, what can I say!

Worst Flying Experience

While on my last cruise, I developed a nasty head cold the last few days. The day we disembarked, I had a particularly bad runny nose, and spent the day at Sea World while waiting for our flight home to Connecticut. While at Sea World, I kept a supply of paper towels with me to take care of the constant drip. On the flight home, we were over Long Island, NY when we began our initial approach into Bradley. When the plane dipped its nose, I felt the mucus in my cheek sinus cavities move into my ears, while making a crackling noise. I could not unclog it, and my ears were popped for at least a week due to this.

I understand that is not a major issue, but I have stayed informed and do my homework while traveling. Not a whole lot is unexpected when I fly.

Aircraft I have flown in

McDonnell Douglas DC-9 5 Legs
Boeing 737 (various models) 10 (I think!!!!)
McDonnell Douglas MD-80 6 legs
Boeing 767 3 legs
ATR-72 (turboprop) 2 legs
Airbus A320 1 leg
Saab 340 (turboprop) 1 leg
ATR 42 (turboprop) 1 leg
Fairchild 328 Jet 1 leg
Canadair C-100 Regional Jet 5 legs
Canadair C-700 Regional Jet 1 leg
Boeing 757 5 legs
Cessna 152 (single engine trainer) 1 leg

Wow, now that was a challenge! I had to count each multiple times. I should have had paper, but if there is anyone savy enough to try this, I welcome it, and would enjoy seeing the aircraft you have flown on.

Of those planes, I do have some favorites. I would have to say that my favorite aircraft to fly in is the Boeing 757 and MD-80. Both are very comfortable, and the 757 is just fast. It climbs very well! I enjoy the 2-3 seating arrangement in the MD-80 and being the plane junkie I am, I enjoy sitting about 2/3 of the way back and hearing those fuselage mounted Pratt and Whitney JT8D engines spool up.

I look forward to seeing the responses.

Favorite Airport

2008-04-18T08:31:00.003-04:00

In keeping with Uncle Dave's blog challenge, and because my last post went rather long, I am continuing the challenge with a separate post.

I have traveled through or from 24 airports in the US, Canada, and Caribbean. I have not really been able to experience many airports abroad, so my comments reflect the airports listed on my comments on Uncle Dave's Blog. I will list those airports now.

Newark (Liberty) Int'l, NJ

Buffalo Niagara Int'l Airport, NY

Toronto (Peterson) Int'l Airport

Rochester Int'l Airport, NY

Pittsburgh Int'l Airport (Old one)

Lexington(Blue Grass Field) KY

Pittsburgh, Int'l Airport (New)

Atlanta (Hartsfield) Int'l, GA

San Juan (Luis Munoz Marin), PR

Chicago (O'Hare), IL

New York, LaGuardia

Cleveland (Hopkins Int'l), OH

Portland Int'l Jetport, Maine

Providence (T.F. Green), RI

Detroit (Wayne County, MI

Erie Int'l (Tom Ridge), PA

Orlando Int'l, FL

Philadelphia Int'l, PA

Cincinati,(Erlanger, KY)

Tampa Int'l, FL

Boston (Logan Int'l)

Sanford Regional, Maine

Hartford (Bradley Int'l) Windsor Locks, CT

Charlotte (Douglas), NC

Of those I would like to announce that my favorite airport for a variety reasons is.

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

In addition to being the gateway for awesome vacations that commenced from central Florida and the Space Coast, Orlando International is a sprawling modern facility that is lovely. It features 4 terminals connected to the main central terminal via automated peoplemovers. Upon landing and seeing the beautifully green Florida landscape on approach, the feel of the Terminal's air conditioning is a reminder that you are in Florida. The concourses are clean and broad. Upon embarkation on the automated Bombardier people movers, one is able to see the network of ponds surrounded by palms and landscaping. The Disney Store, Universal Store, and Sea World Store greet you as you disembark the people movers in the central terminal. It is a very easy airport to navigate, and have never had a problem as it relates to baggage, ground transportation or ticketing.

I must however, give an honorable to the following airport.

Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT

Honorable Mention

I have only had the opportunity to fly out of BDL on two occasions, once for vacation and once for business. Both times were totally painless. The airport is a "large small" airport. I realize that may not make much sense, but the airport provides direct flights to most Florida cities, Toronto, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, and all of the other "standard" airline hubs. In addition, Northwest flies a trans Atlantic flight to Amsterdam Schirpol Airport with a daily 757.

I have never had to wait to check in. Security lines are never present, and the TSA workers are friendly. I even got into a Yankees/Red Sox debate with a few.

Parking is very reasonable. I parked for 8 days and it only cost me $42. The bus service was efficient and fast to and from the terminal to the satellite parking.

Low Cost Carriers Southwest and Frontier are present and Southwest has a significant presence.

So there you have it. My favorite airport/s.

Experiences Flying

2008-04-16T20:17:00.007-04:00

Uncle Dave over at Reflective Wanderings, has suggested a blog challenge. He writes and I quote...actually copy and paste.

Here is a second challenge, post a blog telling us a) which airport in the last ten years you have disliked the most and why, b) which airport or two in the last ten years you have liked the most and why, and lastly c) which was your worse flying experience. I have two but as they were shared with Evie, I will let Evie post hers choice and then I will post mine.

Airport I Disliked

I am a pretty easy/happy go lucky kind of guy in regards to air travel. I am a savy traveler, so I travel prepared. That said I will reflect my comments to the physical structure and layout of the airport or delays related to the same. Therefore my vote for worst airport is...

Philadelphia International Airport

I have had a few not so pleasant experiences at PHL. Most of which circulate around my connecting flight coming home from MCO (Orlando International for non air junkies). I was returning from CMA on one of my least favorite carriers US Airways. Upon landing we were immediately stuck in the line for takeoff. Something in mind found that hard to comprehend, but we could not get to the gate quickly due to this bottleneck. It seemed to take forever! Upon exiting the 737, I could not find too many decent places to eat. I settled for a cold soft pretzel. Upon finding my gate for my connecting flight to PWM (Portland International Jetport), and finding a cozy seat to sit and read a magazine, the gate agent came on and said we would have a gate change due to a faulty part on our aircraft. We were sent from Concourse E to Concourse A, a signifcant walk. Concourse A happened to be the international terminal and the time was about 8:00 PM. I say that for some air savy readers. That was the time all of the Trans-Atlantic red eyes were getting ready to depart. So we have about 6-8 heavies (wide body two aisle planes for you non air savy readers) getting ready to depart to London Gatwick, Manchester, London Heathrow, Paris DeGaulle. It was a madhouse! This of course was pre 9/11 so family and friends were also in the gate area to say goodbyes. In the middle of the chaos, I was just barely able to hear the announcement from the gate agent saying that flight %$@ (can't remember the flight #) to Portland would be departing from our original gate in the E concourse. I relayed the information to the others waiting and we again, made the long walk to our gate. Even the flight crew were scratching their heads as they walked alongside us.

That story was much longer than expected! However, I have two other stories about PHL that are not complimentary. We were getting ready for our cruise in 2006. We were at our gate at BDL (Bradley International Airport). The agent came on saying that our departure would be delayed due to a ground delay at the airport our plane was departing from to come to Bradley. That airport was non other than PHL! I knew it before she said the name!

Just this Thanksgiving, I picked up Dad and Tracy at PHL. They had arrived just prior to me exiting I-95 and travelling on the loop road. Tracy called me and said that they had no checked bags and would be curbside at arrivals waiting for me at Terminal F. Well i kept driving, first past Terminal A, then B, then C, D, E, but no F! So I waited at E and looked down a bit. They were traveling US Airways, so I was hanging out there, No Dad, and no Tracy. 2 more trips around the very long loop road, no Dad and no Tracy. So finally, I pulled over and asked one of Philly's finest about Terminal F. He said, there is no arrival area for Terminal F and that I would need to go around the loop road again...yes a 4th time and go to the departures area, and that is where I would find Dad and Tracy. I told him with a laugh, "I hate this airport and avoid it like the plague when I travelled." He agreed with me and we wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving. One more trip around the loop road, and there was Dad and Tracy, at Terminal F in the departure area despite being an arrival!

Well I will continue this challenge tomorow night or the next night as I have talked long enough! Enjoy reading.

New Knight Rider

2008-02-22T14:44:00.003-05:00

Everyone who knows me knows that I am truly a child of the 80's. Despite being born in the early half of the 70s, I love 80's stuff, 80s music, 80s movies, and yes, maybe even 80s fashion. One of my favorite TV shows of the 80s was Knight Rider.

As a kid, and as an adult I have loved cars, so when I heard about Knight Rider as a child, I thought, "thats my kind of show." Prior to watching the first incarnation of Knight Rider, the Pontiac Trans Am was one of my favorite cars. Add, computers, and a computer that talks, and I was in pre testosterone heaven. I even had the talking KITT toy car that I used to play with all the time.

When I heard that NBC was bringing back Knight Rider in 2008, I had mixed reactions. In the past, there have been attempted restarts but they were not good. When i saw the teaser trailer for this one, I was pretty excited. KITT is now a Mustang, and not just any Mustang, a Shelby Cobra GT 500 KR edition. Gee, I wonder what the KR stands for???? As you can see from the photo it is a very nice looking car. In the hood scoops, is a double red strobe light instead of the single strobe on the Trans Am. I just found another pic to show that.

James Daniels is no longer the voice of KITT. He is replaced by the very arrogant Val Kilmer, so given the character that KITT is, I think that is a good match. The driver of the car is the estranged son of Michael Knight who made a cameo appearance at the end. Man does the Hoff look old!!!!

The 2 hour back door pilot was enjoyable, at least for this fan of 25 years. I hope that this is picked up for the fall television season. I don't think Knight Rider can ever get old, and it is great to see a KITT in the 21st Century. The Mustang was a nice touch, but I did feel like I was watching a 2 hour long Ford commercial. The Mustang is the only Ford I would buy, but every single car in the show was a Ford Motor Company product, including and owned companies, (Volvo, etc). Every single commercial break had at least one Ford commercial.

All in all, I did enjoy it. It did have some campy moments, some hints at the past, but all in all it was a good couple of hours. I still have it on the Tivo, so I will probably watch it again soon.

Random Thoughts

2008-02-14T20:57:00.002-05:00

While I don't have anything specific to blog about tonight, I thought I would just throw some random thoughts out there.

Presidential Politics
I just want to gloat for a few mintues that Hillary Clinton is no longer the front runner for the Democratic nominee. I think she is polarizing, corrupt, and on the fence on many issues depending on what the polling numbers go. The last thing this country needs is Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton. Why should the same two families have the Executive Branch of Government for potentially 28 years. That is not change like Senator Clinton is promoting. Oh Well, go Barack! Work hard in Texas and Ohio!

Steroids in Baseball
My oh my! Thanks to a 90 minute school delay yesterday, and having my morning totally screwed up by that, I was able to watch a good portion of the debacle on Capital Hill yesterday. I must say that I have lost all respect for Roger Clemens. I once made a special trip to Toronto from Buffalo to see him pitch for the Yankees in 2001. I wanted to say, "I saw the Rocket pitch", and I got giddy along with most Yankee fans in May of last year when he stood in George Steinbrenner's box at Yankee stadium and said, "they came and got me out of Texas, I'll be talking to ya'll real soon." All that is gone now. He not only appeared to lie through his teeth, but even threw his beautiful wife under the bus. I mean come on, do you mean to tell me that this guy McNamee was in the Clemens bedroom injecting illegal drugs into Debbie Clemens butt and Roger not knowing about it?? It is becoming more and more bizarre and it appears that the book may be closed on this...for now. This brings me to my next thought...

Spring Training
Today at noon was the time for pitchers and catchers to report to the Yankee Complexes on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. This is an exciting time. The boys of summer are getting ready for the 2008 season. For the Yankees and their fans this is an interesting time as half of the starting rotation is under the age of 25...Chien Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlin are all youngsters. Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina are the veterans on staff and should assist these guys well. This is unusual for the Yankees to focus on a youth movement, but these kids have some great potential. Joba is especially impressive as is Hughes. In addition to the kids, A-Rod is back, as is Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. I am excited to consider myself a fan of this group. I will be listening to sports talk and reading the offical releases as the spring unfolds and they prepare to come north for the last year of baseball in the current Yankee Stadium.

Birthday Wishes
Today is my baby girl's 8th birthday. I can't believe that Sammi is now 8 years old and that she has been a part of our lives for so long. She is truly a unique kid and we all love her very much. However, when our kids age it means that we age, and i am always reminded of that as I use this very computer with its silver keyboard. Since it is silver, it is very easy to see the hairs that fall off of my head as I continue the balding process. Oh well, I guess I can thank Mom and her genes for that!

Happy Birthday Sammi!
Go Yankees!
Go Barack Obama!

Section 39 Here I Come!

2008-02-08T18:37:00.000-05:00

Today has been a good day. I spent the afternoon at Mohegan Sun watching the annual Mike and the Mad Dog Show celebrating the Jon Ellis Dinner. I got to once again see some Yankee Greats in person. These included..

Mel Stottlemyre

Don Zimmer

Jon Ellis

Moose Skowron

Robinson Cano

Goose Gossage

Don Mattingly

There were other greats there that included Detroit Tigers Manager Jim Leland. I also got to meet Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo and have my picture taken with him. He seems like a really great guy and was very friendly and courteous.

One of the neatest things was upon returning to the Wolf's Den following a quick bite to eat, I looked at who was walking in front of me and it was none other than Goose Gossage. He is a pretty big guy! Unfortunately, my ball and pen were left at the table I was walking to, so I didn't get his autograph! Ah timing is everything, but it was neat to be so close to the newest Hall of Famer. A similar situation happend earlier as I virtually bumped into Mel Stottlemyre.

I met an officer friend there and we had a good time together. It was a fun and great day. However the icing on the cake was returning home to check my email and to see that the Yankees wanted me to contact them regarding my season ticket plan. I immediately called the Yankees Ticket Office and talked to a representative. I am so excited as I was able to score seats in Section 39, row HH. If anyone is remotely familar with the Yankees, this is the home section for the Bleacher Creatures. I am excited to join this band of faithful, crazy Yankee fans, and look forward to April 30th when I can attend my first game. Perhaps by the Red Sox game on July 3rd, I will truly be able to wear a Bleacher Creature T-shirt.

Section 39, here I come!

New TV Season--Termintor--The Sarah Connor Chronicles & Others

2008-01-15T08:36:00.000-05:00

After a relatively tame fall televsion season as far as shows for me goes, it seems that things are beginning to really heat up for me.

I have heard the various plugs on both tv and the radio about the new fox Show, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Being a fan of the franchise, I was somewhat reluctant. I mean, come on, a tv show about such a well known film icon as The Terminator? What is Fox thinking? After hearing yet another plug on the radio, I went home and tried to set the Tivo. I couldn't come up with the correct name in the search, and gave up trying to set the Tivo. However, as I watched the Giants/Cowboys game on Fox, yet another commerical came on advertising it, with the thumbs up Tivo icon flashing in the corner telling me to press "thumb ups" to record. I did so.

I didn't get a chance to watch it Sunday night as I helped get the kids to sleep, but following dinner Monday night as the kids were getting their baths and playing, I decided to sit down and watch the pilot. Wow!!!! This show was pretty impressive. The action is non stop and the first hour was like a min Terminator movie. The actors I think are rather impressive despite having big shoes to fill, namely the actress who plays Sarah Connor. There is a lot of fighting and shooting, but done reasonably well for primetime TV. After watching the pilot, I could not wait the 2 hours for the 2nd episode to air. Following watching the pilot, I set up a Season Pass on the Tivo. I don't know how I ever lived without Tivo!!!!

Another show that Jay and I watch together is the reincarnation of American Gladiators. Sure it is campy, sure it has some bad writing. It's hosted by Hulk Hogan, and he has never been camera shy. Regardless, its fun tv and Jay and I have a good time watching it together. On Sunday as we were getting ready for church to start, he said to me, "Daddy, I want to be on American Gladiators when i grow up, not a gladiator, but one of the blue or red guys (contenders)." He thinks the "big girl" is rather impressive. Her name is Helga and lets just say she is the only gladiator to wear a skirt instead of the rather tight high cut shorts. Last night, Helga got launced in Assault into a the pool to get defeated. Jay especially enjoyed that.

The excitement never ends it seems. As a child I was a huge fan of Knight Rider. Most of my readers know that ever since I was a child, I have been a car nut, so a show about a super car is right up my alley. It can be 1983 or 2008, sign me up! There have been some teasers on NBC and the internet giving some hints about this incarnation of this classic show. Some facts: KITT is now a Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby. Of course black in color and has the red rolling strobe, but I believe he has double strobes under the hood scoop. In the one teaser I have seen, we see the shape of a Mustang under a sheet, after a few seconds, we see the red strobe start to begin, and we hear the words, "hello Mike." It should be a good time, I can't wait.

Of course a lot of the timing of this and my other favorite shows hinge on the writer's strike. I also can't wait for Jericho and Battlestar Galatica to return. However, the few I mentioned should keep my interest for a while. So far, so good!

Home Again!

2008-01-11T17:25:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it home from Retreat and lucky for us, Mom had Lasagna ready for us when we got home. I was supposed to get it for my birthday last week, but Mom, Dad and Tracy were not able to come down due to weather. Since Mom came to watch the kids, I asked if she could do this favor for Elaine and I.

We had a good time at Retreat, but it is always good to be home. I have found that as I age, I am becoming more and more a home body. Apart from vacation, I don't like to leave home too much. I like my recliner, I like my TV, and my laptop computer!

My son also shares these feelings. He likes being home as well, so in addition to looking alike, we sometimes act alike.

Its great to be home!

Thoughts from Massachusetts...while thinking a bit about New Hampshire

2008-01-08T22:43:00.000-05:00

Tonight I write to you from the Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. We are away at Officer's Retreat. Don't worry, any would be theives that are reading this our house is still guarded by a 50something tough lady who shall remain nameless and an extra viglilant Brittany Spaniel.

We had a good start to Retreat. Our guests are USA National Leaders, Commissioners Israel and Eva Gaither. Our paths have crossed multiple times over the years and consider them friends. They are great people, and Commissioner Israel Gaither has presented the Word in his standard...most excellent manner. Sorry, I had a Bill and Ted moment there!

As I type this, I am a little sad that Senator Clinton was just named the winner of the New Hampshire Primary. The Senator has looked broken over the last few days. This will now give her a little bounce. I did not buy her emotional episode yesterday. I firmly believe her ego was bruised, and not her feelings. I just feel that a Clinton 44 Presidency will be just a carry over of the "Old Washington" style, and you will know from previous posts, I am a firm believer that this attitude has to change. Hopefully, Senator Obama can establish a good strategy for the upcoming states leading to Tsunami Tuesday. That is a new one I heard today I believe on MSNBC.

The next few weeks should be rather interesting.

Oh, something else. The Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2008 was announced today and former Yankee relief pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage was the only player for this year. One thing to note is the minimal support for Mark McGwire. I believe his final numbers were eitehr 23 or 24 percent, far short of the 75 percent needed for induction. Goose was an incredible pitcher in his day and still tries to intimidate at the Yankees Annual Old Timers Day. He regularly "plunks" the first batter he faces.

Ahhh, Hillary is gloating now. This should be interesting. Let's see what she takes credit for tonight.

Election 2008

2008-01-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

The last 72 hours have been exciting for me. For the past few months, I have been on the fence regarding the Presidential candidates. None of them have really excited me. I recently had a change of heart.

Since I was 18, I have voted Republican. I was incredibly excited that there was a presidential election the year of my 18th birthday. That year, especially after the success of Gulf War I, I chose to vote for George Bush 41, despite the temptation to pull the handle for Ross Perot. I still have enormous respect for Bush 41 and have met him and his lovely wife Barbara.

The next election, I was at the SFOT, and at the time did not feel the need to file an absentee ballot. The 2000 and 2004 elections changed this philosophy! I also was not excited about President Clinton, nor Senator Dole. I just could not get into the 1996 election.

When 2000 came along, I was on the fence at least as far as the Republicans were concerned. I really liked the honesty of Senator McCain. I think I even voted for him in the Primary. However my support of him was eventually shifted to then Governor George W. Bush.

Like many other right wingers, I was irritated when I heard of the pranks that the Clinton White House did on inauguration day. I was a die hard republican, and how could those Clinton's be so immature? I thought that Bush 43 would be a good President, and like many others, seeing him in action in the days immediately following 9/11/01, I thought I am glad we have this guy and not the other guy.

However, in the last 6 years, things have changed. Our country has become incredibly polarized more so than in the Clinton years. We are now identified by the states we live in. For the past 10 years, I have lived in two blue states. We even refer to ourselves specifically as right or left, conservative or liberal, or even moderate. I dream of day where right and left sing God Bless America together for a good reason rather than a terrible terrorist attack. We are all freedom loving Americans after all.

All of this leads me to my initial statement regarding a change of heart. As I look at the Republican candidates, none of them excite me. I used to like Senator McCain, but that was 8 years ago, and he is now 71 years old. He would be older than Ronald Reagan when he was elected in 1981.

I am no longer on the fence. I am supporting Senator Barack Obama for President. I believe that the Senator will bring healing to our nation. He is open to healing our image both domestically and around the world. I particularly was swayed following the Iowa Caucuses as I watched his speech. In my mind, he seems very Presidential. On Friday, I began researching the various candidates and was immediately impressed with what I found out on Senator Obama. He has been honest about his past, and he has worked in the trenches to help the poor on the south side of Chicago. His father came to the US from Kenya, and I believe his mother is from Kansas. I cannot recall specifically because I have read so much in the last few days!!! His rivals attack his lack of experience, but lets look at his rivals experience. Senator Edwards (whom I like) was a one term Senator and lawyer prior to that. Senator Clinton was first lady for 8 years and a term and a half Jr. Senator from New York. Sure she has legal experience, but she has not been without scandals of her own. I believe that Washington needs an out with the old and in with the new philosophy. Last night in the debates when Senator Clinton was attacking her rivals, Senator Edwards spoke up and said, "look at this, when you go against the status quo you are attacked." He went on, "When Senator Clinton was ahead, she didn't attack, now look." That of course is a rough paraphrase, I can't recall specifics. I personally think he is aligning himself with Senator Obama hoping to find a place possibly on the ticket. He is a young man himself and has a bright future ahead of him.

So there you have it. A lifetime conservative has crossed over to the "other side." In the days ahead, I will be changing my party affiliation so that I can vote for Senator Obama in the Super Duper Tuesday Primary. I have also registered on Obama's website, and perhaps in a few weeks, will order a bumper sticker.

To quote Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV..."I guess what I'm trying to say is, if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change"

Change is good...Barack Obama for President

Christmas and New Year's

2008-01-05T11:38:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a while, but I am back! This year's kettle campaign was the most difficult of my 10 years of officership. I would love to go into details, but due to our policies on blogging, I will decline!

After kettle were brought in on Christmas Eve, we loaded up the Sienna and headed north to Maine. I made record time and didn't even speed excessively. The cruise was set at 75 and due to minimal traffic, we pretty much stayed at that speed the whole 191 miles. However I think I did increase on the ever fast, I-495 to 77 mph. I was going 75 and being blown by!

Upon arrival to my parents home, we quickly enjoyed a family tradition of having cheese fondue for Christmas Eve. Added to the lineup this year were BBQ chicken wings, chocolate fondue, mozzarella cheese sticks, and other finger foods that I cannot recall at this time. Soon the cookies and milk were left for Santa and Jay and Sam went to bed.

Lucky for us, they slept in reasonably well the next morning. I think we all woke up around 8:30. Below is a picture of the sight we witnessed after being visited by Santa during the night.

Santa was good to all of us, The kids got a lot of what they wanted, For Jay, this included Star Wars toys, movies, and nice clothes. For Sam, Hannah Montana Stage, MP3 player, CD's, dolls, great clothes and all that good girly stuff .

Elaine got a Vera Bradley purse, a leather coat, and plenty of nice clothes. I got a 8 game season ticket plan to the Yankees, some clothes from Mom, Dad, and Tracy. Mom however, bought me a special gift....an i-Pod. In fact, I am listening to Billy Joel right now as I type this post on my silver i-Pod classic. Thanks Mom! I cannot forget to mention another great gift from Tracy, although it truly can be a shared gift for Jay and I. She bought me the original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. Jay and I have already enjoyed numerous showings in these last couple of weeks. Jasmine and Taylor (mom and dads dog) made out well with gifts as they each got biscuits and dog blankets from LL Bean. Our dogs are loved!

That evening we did something most people don't do on Christmas Day...we went shopping! Yes we made the short trip to Freeport to buy Jasmine the aforementioned dog blanket. She loves laying on blankets that the kids leave around, so we bought her a heavy blanket designed for dogs to lay on. Below is a picture from LL Bean Christmas night.

After a quick day on the 26th visiting and loading songs on my i-Pod, we loaded up the car and headed to Oneonta, NY to visit Elaine's parents. It was a about a 5 hour trip, and in Albany we hit a nasty snow squall that had me a little nervous, but I knew we would be fine for the last hour. The snow quickly stopped but not before my clean car was dirty again! We arrived in Oneonta, opened more gifts and again, I was busy dealing with unpackaging the toys for the kids.

The next morning my father in law and I headed over to Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. I had not been there since 1993, so I was excited about this. We spent a few hours there and had a good time. One thing to note is the evidence of the steroid era in the records room, particularly in home runs, and since the Mitchell Report...pitching, specifically, Roger Clemens. Below are a couple of pictures from the Hall of Fame.

It is nice to visit family, but it is always nice to come back home. We came home on Saturday the 29th, and then celebrated my 34th Birthday on New Year's Day. I cooked one of my specialties, Baked Stuffed Shells and we had a good day at home. For our birthday's, Elaine and I went to see Wicked a few weeks ago in Hartford. It was an enjoyable evening and Wicked is a great show. Its no wonder why it ranks up there with Hannah Montana tickets on Stub Hub and is considered a sold out show on Broadway.

Well that summarizes our holiday festivities, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year's!

Over the River and Through the Woods...

2007-11-19T18:29:00.000-05:00

Yes you know how the song goes. On Wednesday morning, Samantha, Jay and I will be heading over the river...welll a few...three large ones...the Connecticut, Hudson and Delaware to grandmothers house for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Our family is gathering at Grandma's house in Lancaster County for the Thanksgiving holiday. Originally, i was not going to attend, but my wonderful wife literally told me to go and take the kids to see the family. She will remain behind and pick up the workload in my absence.

It will be a nice time together. Some of my family have never met my children and I don't think we have all been together in a very long time. For that reason, Elaine pushed me to go.

It should be a fun trip in the car with two kids. We will play the alphabet game, point out landmarks as we cross the Hudson River at the Tappan Zee, and point out some lighthouses, etc along the way.

This will probably be my last entry until I return. There is no wireless internet at Grandma's house or the motel we are staying in, but thats okay spending time with family will be great. I just hope my kids are on their best behavior!

A-Rod is Back!

2007-11-17T17:21:00.000-05:00

While it isn't official yet, it does appear that the greatest active player in all of baseball will remain a Yankee for the duration of his great career.

I must say, I was upset and angry at the 3rd baseman of the Yankees when his agent pulled that coup de tat during the clinching game of the World Series. My attitude was, "take the money and run."

There is a flip side to this story though. A-Rod since he was 16, has had his uber-agent, Scott Boras as a father figure, and that is not necessarily a good thing. Scott Boras has not been good for the business of baseball. He is manipulative to both team management and his clients.

On a recent show on 1050 AM New York, radio/tv host, Michael Kay asked Scott Boras what he would have to do if he hired Boras as an agent. Boras' answer was, "turn all control of your life to me."

It is clear that A-Rod was merely a puppet for Boras with Boras holding the strings. The good news is, for the first time in his career, Alex stood up to Boras and said, "I am making my own decision." Alex then reached out to the Yankee ownership through a third party intermediary. He expressed his desire to remain a Yankee. It appears that his sincereirty is genuine and that he negotiated his new deal with Boras strictly as an advisor not chief negotiator.

As a Yankee, Alex will have baseball immortality. When he breaks the home run record whoever happens to be the caretaker of that record at the time (Aaron or Bonds in light of recent events), he will do so as Yankee. His number will be retired, a monument will be erected and he will enter Cooperstown as a New York Yankee. He will be uttered in the same breath as Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and other baseball greats.

I am looking forward to chanting his name during the Roll Call when I am indoctrinated into the Bleacher Creatures of the right field bleachers in Yankee Stadium this year. A-Rod, A-Rod, A-Rod!

A-Rod...its good to have you back!

Back from the Beach!!!! LOL

2007-10-27T17:58:00.000-04:00

Well friends, I am officially back from a very long virtual day at the beach. The other day I received a comment from a reader who shall remain nameless, at least for now, asking if I was still at the beach. Virtually, this was true, but realistically, I was at the beach solely in spirit.

The $64,000 question is and shall be for this blog...where have you been since, and what have you done? I will attempt to answer those.

The short answer is a combination of writer's block, and busyness. However, I will write a synopsis of my activities over the last few months.

August

In August, we went on vacation early in the month to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It is a great resort in the Mid Atlantic states that when asked about it in New England, I refer to it as the Cape Cod for Washington DC. There is a wealthy population that vacation there as well as a large gay population. While we fit neither of those demographics, it is a great place to go on vacation. My granfather discovered it back in 1980 and we have gone back to it over the years. My own parents made an annual pilgrimage there from 1986 to 2001. We have resumed going there this year and plan on making our own pilgrmimages there annually for the foreseable future. I am sorry that I do not have any pictures as I realized while enroute on I-95 in Wilmington, DE that i forgot my camera at home. It was a great time of vacation as a family and we are looking forward to next August already.

Just a few days after Rehoboth, my sister Tracy got the idea to try to get tickets to see the Yankees/Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Well obviously, there were no tickets available from the Yankees, but there is a great site called StubHub that allowed us to purchase tickets to the game. There was a reason for planning this. My dad had a meeting at THQ in West Nyack, so we planned to all meet at the hotel the evening before and travel to the Yankee game. A few minutes after we arrived, we headed to the Bronx. As soon as we parked in my "special" spot, I immediately sensed that this would be a different experience. There were more barricades then usual, there were more police then usual, but those are good things typically. After grabbing, some hot dogs at Stan's, we heading into our seats in the left field bleachers. Our seats were located just behind the Yankee dugout, so we were able to see Yankee starter, Andy Pettitte warming up. As the Red Sox lineup was announced and the fans booed, we could see Andy laughing as Youklis, Manny, Big Papi, and Varitek were booed with intensity. The game was simply amazing! Andy pitched solid, handed the ball to new Yankee phenom, Joba Chamberlin, who in turn gave the ball to Mariano Rivera. I have always wanted to be at Yankee Stadium when Mo comes in. To sing, Metallica at the top of my voice seeing Mo come through the fence, was amazing! It was also amazing to join the cheers for Joba as he came in and chant his name as he struck out the side with a fist pumped that is still seen on highlight videos on YES. The bleachers were an amazing place to sit. The fans were totally into the game, and I think I will be sitting there much more often. For one, it is cheaper, secondly, it is a lot more fun.

September

While they actually began in late August, September typically marks the beginning of school, and Jay and Sam are now in Kindergarten and 2nd grade respectively. They are both excited and eager to begin a new year in school.

In the middle of the month, we regretfully had to say goodbye to Tucker. Despite training, he had grown very agressive and was becoming dangerous to keep. We had to make some tough phone calls to the SPCA, Lab Rescues, Training Centers, and all told us, that no one would take him due to his agression. This was sad because 99% of the time he was a sweet dog, but his agression was coming out more and more. It was determined that it was a genetic problem due to his breeding most likely at a puppy mill. We took a chance with him, and never would have dreamed this would have happened to us. When I took him to the vet for the "last time" the vet reassured me I was doing the right thing, and that he himself had to make the same decision with one of his dogs. The good news in this is we still have a great dog in Jasmine and she is truly spoiled!

In late September, I had the opportunity for yet another Yankee game. This was from a rainout that I and a friend attempted in April. It was a day game make up so the stadium was relatively empty. I did remember to take my camera to this game and have attached some pictures. Again, Andy Pettitte pitched, but it was a boring game. Both teams did not seem to into it, and despite having awesome box seats in the home run porch in RF, I was missing the bleachers. I kept wishing I was sitting there.

Here are some pics from the game.

October

In October we were able to have a quick visit from Mom, Dad and Tracy. Even better was that they did our meetings for us! It is always great having family come and now that they are closer we will be seeing them more often.

Today as I write this, we have just returned from our...I can't even say it, Christmas Party. I am sorry, but to this day, I still have difficulty singing carols in October! It was a great time in Waterbury, and the kids had a good time with friends and swimming in the hotel pool. I was shocked, Jay actually went under water on multiple occasions. The kids both got gift cards to Build a Bear Workshop. Sammi got Webkinz, and Jay got a couple of Transformers.

It is hard to believe, but October only has a few more days left. Where has the time gone!

I promise I will be back to regularly scheduled blogging!!!!

Yet Another Day at the Beach

2007-07-22T19:52:00.000-04:00

As I have stated before, this year our family has enjoyed our days at the beach. We usually go on Sunday afternoons following our Sunday Services.

An interesting phenomenon has taken place this year as Jay is no longer afraid of the ocean. It used to be that Jay would just sit and play in the sand, but this year he has come 180 degrees and is usually the first one in the water. Today the waves were larger than usual at Rocky Neck State Park, so Jay and Sam were enjoying frolicking in the waves.

Here they are both surrounded by other kids.

Here he is about to catch a wave...

And another...Now Sam is floating around...too far from shore to ride a wave in, but she enjoyed the bobbing motionSam was more into making a sand castle earlier in the day, despite the tide coming in washing away her creations. Jay was enjoying the water so much, I am glad I brought the camera to document it.

All of this is making more excited for our vacation in just a few short weeks to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. There are decent size waves there and the kids should be ocean pro's by week's end there.

Blog Update

2007-07-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

I know it has been forever since I last posted. Perhaps I have had a bit of writer's block! Some fun things have happened over the last month.

The beginning of July, I was able to visit with Aunt Evie and Uncle Dave for a day. We went to a drum corps show in Bristol, RI. That was a good night and we got to see Josh for a few minutes before he caught a late dinner from the food trailer...a very impressive setup despite being rather spartan compared to others.

Unfortunately, Elaine and the kids were not able to visit with Aunt Evie and Uncle Dave as they were all at Music Camp. Samantha did rather well in the Ashford Band and Jay did great in the Boys Noise Voice Class. It was a long week by myself, but I was happy they were able to experience the camp.

A few days after Camp, we traveled to Maine to visit Mom and Dad in their new house. That was a nice time to see them over a long weekend. The house is nice and they are settling in well in Portland.

This past week we have had a busy one at the corps with fund raising. This culminated with a Baseball game last night at Dodd Stadium with the Connecticut Defenders. The Defenders are an AA affiliate of the San Fransisco Giants. We received an on the field check presentation from the team and Jay was the first of several "first Pitches" prior to the first of 2 games last evening. See the pictures below.

Check presentation

Jay's Delivery! I think he might have some good stuff!!!!!!

The pitch as it rolls to the waiting Defender player...He made it about halfway in the air, almost the whole way on a roll.

Other "first pitchers" for the evening including a CO for a submarine.

The lights are on during the 2nd game

It was a good time despite watching a baseball game in my uniform! More exciting things are coming down the pike, so stay tuned!

What a Weekend Part 2 and Random Thoughts

2007-06-20T10:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I have recovered fully from the Kaleidoscope Congress 2007! All in all it was a good weekend. I was blessed, I got to see my grandparents for a little bit, and even though our van broke down, our new one should be ready any day now. In fact, as soon as Elaine gets back from a meeting, I have to run to the corps and FAX our old registration to the dealer so they can process the new registration.

The General was good. Sometimes due to the sound system it was difficult to understand him, but he was good. The area around Hershey, Harrisburg, and Lancaster is one of my favorite parts of the country despite bad roads courtesy of the PA DOT. I love Pennsylvania, but I do not miss the bad highways and ever present construction! On the way home we were stuck in traffic for an hour on I-78 in the middle of nowhere. It made no sense, but then again it was due to construction. My salvation was that my rental car Chrysler Town and Country had Sirrius satellite radio! I found the 80s station and was set for the whole ride home. I am sure the people in adjacent cars thought I was nuts at times pounding the steering wheel to the beat of an 80s classic. It was funny, Crazy Train by Ozzy Ozbourne came on and I got really excited. One of the people from the corps was a little surprised I knew that song. I confessed to her that was the only Ozzy song I knew...and it was the truth!

The kids are now out of school and summer is here. We have already been to the beach and have ordered our State Park parking pass for the year so that we can get to the beach often. In the past, we have gone on Sundays after church. Even though the water is a bit chilly, there is something very therapeutic about sitting on the beach watching ocean with your feet in the sand.

I know there was nothing really formal about my latest entry...just some random thoughts.

What a Weekend Part One

2007-06-12T12:43:00.000-04:00

When you read my title you may think I had a good weekend. I will tell you how it went, then you decide.

On Thursday morning, we were all set, gassed up and luggage loaded to make our journey to Hershey, Pennsylvania for our Territorial Congress (really big Salvation Army event). Both of our vans were ready to go. Soon all of the people were picked up and we were ready to hit the road. I drove our full size van and Elaine drove the Sienna.

It was 1:15 and we were entered I-395 to begin our trek. Things were going smoothly, albeit slowly as I was not able to drive the speed I normally do with someone following me. Oh well, I was in no rush.

Shortly after 3:00 PM, I passed someone on the Merritt Parkway around Greenwich. The transmission in the van downshifted as I passed. A minute later, I looked in my side mirrors and there was smoke everywhere coming from underneath the van. The Merritt is a narrow parkway, so I found the first patch of grass that was wide enough and long enough for both cars to stop safely. I opened the hood and saw nothing out of the ordinary, I looked underneath the van and saw transmission fluid everywhere. I had a feeling that our trip and taken a dramatic turn and would be altered. Elaine and I discussed the situation and agreed to get off the next exit.

I began to notice that the van was starting to run rough. Upon exiting the parkway, I saw signs for Westchester County Airport. I knew that if we got to the airport, we could at least rent a van to continue our trip. The airport was a few miles off the road, and the transmission was starting to slip really bad. I pulled up in front of the terminal and Elaine went in to get us a rental van. After a few minutes the police came over to me, and I reassured them that my transmission was gone and that I was securing alternate transportation. They were fine and very friendly. I would later get to know Westchester's finest rather well.

We were able to secure a minivan and a mid size car to continue our trip, but AAA would soon prove to be a major influence and not for the better. I finally got hold of AAA at 4:00 and they explained to me that they could not tow my van on airport property due to local government agreements. They suggested I try to move it to the first street off the airport, then call back. I informed the police and they wished me good luck. I got into the van and tried to move it. It took a few seconds for the transmission to catch, but soon I was underway. It kept slipping as I drove off the airport property. As soon as I exited the airport, the transmission was slipping, so bad that there was no more power going to the wheels and a whole lot of smoke coming from under the van, I pulled off and quickly coasted to a stop.

I then got on the phone again with AAA. This time, they claimed they did not know what street I was on. I explained to them several times exactly where I was, still no luck. After an hour, I flagged down one of my new friends...a Westchester County cop who gave me a physical street address, still they had a hard time. It took 2 hours for the them to figure out where I was! I received a call at 6:19 telling me that they would pick up the van by 8:19. I told Elaine to load up both minivans with our people and I would remain alone to wait for the tow truck. I sat on a flower planter in the middle of the traffic circle about 100 yards from the van, so that I could show the tow truck where to go. That was the advice of the Westchester County Cop.

The minutes dragged on. At 8:00 I called AAA asking them for an update. They told me it would be 50-90 more minutes. I was hungry, but unable to get food, getting chilly, and had no jacket or sweatshirt. I was getting very discouraged! My new cop friends would come by occasionally, check on me, share a laugh with me, and provide what assistance they could.

I soon started to feel like Forrest Gump, just sitting there on the wall. Occasionally people would point at me, laugh, probably saying to theirselves, "look at this idiot just sitting there." If they only knew my ordeal!

At 9:00 I called AAA again. They told me 90 more minutes! I was quite aggravated and gave them an earful about being stuck now for 6 hours. It was now 5 hours since I first called them! It was dark and increasingly dangerous for me to keep walking to the van and my rental car. I soon noticed that my battery was now dead in the van from the flashers being on for 6 plus hours. Fortunately, my rental car was still flashing just behind the van. I received a call at about 9:30 from the tow truck saying they would be there in half an hour. I explained to him the exact location of the van which he was able to understand. Finally, I could leave the wall in the middle of the traffic circle and go sit in a car! At about 10:00, the tow truck arrived and started the process of picking up my van. It took about a half hour to get it secured on the flatbed, and at 10:30, some 7 and a half hours after the breakdown, I resumed my trip to Hershey.

I was able to make good time, and finally at around midnight in Clinton, NJ, I was able to get something to eat, but at that time of night/morning, only a pepsi and snickers could satisfy! I arrived in Hershey around 2:00 AM. I would be waking up to get ready for Officer's Councils with the General in just 4 hours.

Councils was okay, but my mind was just not into it. I was incredibly tired and stressed. I decided after councils to not join our corps people at Hersheypark for the afternoon. I instead got a good lunch and relaxed which was good considering I had only had a snickers and a pepsi in 24 hours!

After a good meal and some rest, I felt much better and was able to enjoy the Friday night program. Things were starting to look up.

More to come...

May Photo Challenge--Just a Few Days Late!

2007-06-03T22:54:00.001-04:00

This is my first photo challenge entry. Below are some family pictures.

The previos one is all of us together. Its too bad the Disney Cruise Line cast member cut off me and dads head!

Samantha's Dance Recital

2007-05-26T21:50:00.000-04:00

Today, was a LONG day! It was Samantha's dance recital. Now, some may think, "a recital, how can that be a long day?" Well let me tell you, we left at 11:50 am and got home tonight at 7:00 PM. It was a long day. Especially for a father that has difficulty sitting in a dance recital.

We left for New London before lunch this morning. Samantha had to be backstage at 12:45 and we had to drop Jay off at a sitter for the day. If I would have difficulty sitting through the recital, Jay would have been a nightmare! We arrived a right on time after securing a parking space at the New London Corps...just a block from the venue, the Garde Arts Center.

Elaine and I dropped Sammi off at the back door stage entrance then took a walk down to the River. I took my camera as I hoped to grab a few pictures of some boats and if I was really lucky, a submarine coming in or leaving Sub base New London. I have always enjoyed living near the water and SE Connecticut is great in that regard. Its history is rich in maritime tradition starting with whaling, ship building and now, submarine building and support. Here are a few pictures of the Thames River and the mouth of the river which dumps into the Long Island Sound.

After short time on the pier, we began the walk back to the recital. I must say, I wanted to see Samantha, but I was going to have a hard time sitting for 3 hours watching 250 other kids perform. We found our seats, the lights dimmed and the show started.

After about an hour into the first act, I found myself beginning to drift. The dancing was good. Some of the groups are awesome, but for me, it was very hard to sit for so long in this environment. I broke the rules, and pulled my cell phone out and started texting my sister. Before I knew it, I had a second wind and was raring to go. The first act was finally over, and Sammi would soon be up in the 2nd Act.

When I saw Sam come out, I was incredibly proud. She looked so grown up and she moved in sync with her group. She is in a jazz group and she does quite well. I was a proud father and after she went, I began comparing her to the other groups as if to say, "Sam can do that!"

The time went by...slowly for the most part, but I must say, next year, I won't look at this with as much trepidation as I did this year. It helped that some kids from the corps were in several other groups, so I was able to pick them out from time to time. I have attached some pictures of Sam prior to the dress rehersal as photos were prohibited at the actual show. There is also some taken of her at the monument across the street from our house..

It was a good time overall. I got to know the father of the kids from the corps better. He does not attend, but their mother does. He is a retired submariner and currently a cop, so I had a lot to talk to him about over dinner at the Olive Garden. Perhaps a friendship can be made and he will join his family at the corps.

It was a good day. As I type this my little girl sleeps after a long day. She certainly deserves it!

Changes

2007-05-25T17:08:00.000-04:00

Its that time of year for us who call The Salvation Army home. No, we are not moving, but both pairs of parents are. I must say that we are very pleased at the distance that our families will be from us for the foreseable future. Mom and Dad Camuti are moving to Portland, Maine, and Mom and Dad Smith are moving to Oneonta, NY.

These last several years there have been between 430-610 miles from our families. The gap closed a bit when we moved to Connecticut, but it was still a good day in the car to visit both of them. Now we are looking at 190 miles for Mom and Dad Camuti and 230 miles for Mom and Dad Smith. Very manageable at 75 mph!

Mom and Dad Camuti will be the Secretary of Program, Women's Ministries Secretary and Divisional Secretary respectively for the Northern New England Division. It will be strange going to visit them in Portland as we know all of the tourist sites and good restaurants. We have even been in their "new" house a few times.

Mom and Dad Smith will be the corps officers for the Oneonta, NY corps. We are very happy they will be closer, and I look forward to visiting Cooperstown just up the road from them on many visits. Their last appointment was near Niagara Falls, so we would go there from time to time when we visited. Now baseball will be the theme. Elaine may not care for Cooperstown, but I can't wait!

These changes will be here before we know it. It seems I finally memorized addresses, phone numbers, cell phone numbers, now that will all change again!

Congratulations on your new appointments Moms and Dads!

Entertainment Rant

2007-05-24T20:43:00.001-04:00

Okay, I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I haven't had too much to talk about. As I was browsing through some other blogs, I thought of my current rant...the entertainment industry.

I am a little irritated with the CBS Network right now. Last week, it was confirmed that my favorite new show, Jericho would not be picked up for a second season. Their excuse was that the ratings started strong, but struggled after the holiday hiatus. Anything will fail when it has to go head to head with American Idol auditions! I was angry, sad, you name it at CBS. The VP who made the press release went on to say that serial dramas are not popular with viewers and that CBS has the CSI in its varied forms to appeal to viewers.

I am also irritated at the cost for movies. Last weekend while my wife was away at Youth Councils, I took my kids to see Shrek the Third. We went to a matinee, and the tickets were $19.00 for the three of us...for a matinee! I then proceeded to the snack area for snacks. I am fine without snacks as I think they are overpriced into the stratosphere! I can't however convince a 7 and a 5 year old that they can go to a movie without a popcorn and soda. I got my kids each a kids snack pack which included an 8 oz soda, small bag of fruit snacks, and a very tiny bit of popcorn. I then thought, I might as well get a soda. Those things came to a total of $14.50!!!!! Then, the theater tried to charge me for it twice! I told the guy, you broke my bank once already, I don't need to give you anymore.

There are other movies I want to see this summer, but I am thinking I can wait until Christmas. You know all of the summer blockbusters will be out on DVD by the holidays to cash in on holiday sales. I can rent the movies for a dollar at Stop & Shop!

The movie was good. I didn't think it was as good as the first or second, but there is a neat bit in it that paid homage to the James Bond movie Live and let Die. I was singing along the song in the theater.

Baseball...What a Great Game!

2007-05-09T17:31:00.000-04:00

For the past few days, I have been riding a wave of excitement. I have been really excited about baseball. My son, played his first Tee-Ball game over the weekend. I was glad when he was assigned #4. If you have any familiarity with Baseball history, that is the number of Yankee Great, Lou Gehrig.

Jay did pretty well his first game. He got a couple of hits, but he gets bored playing the field. I was yelling out to him over the course of the game to stand up. He likes to crouch down and prepare for the ball the whole time he is out there. Here are a few pictures.

My kids, both of them do enjoy baseball as well. Sammi and Jay both know a good portion of the Yankee starters, and even Elaine the other day remembered who Jason Giambi was. The piece de resistance however is Jay mimicking Yankee broadcaster John Sterling. If you have ever listened to a Yankee game on the Yankees radio network, you will know that Sterling is known for his corny calls. Some of his calls are, "it is high, it is far, it is, goooooone," or, "Yankees win, thhhhhheee, Yankeeeeees wiiinnn!" He does have one line that Jay repeats almost every day. Whenever Yankees 3rd baseball Alex Rodriguez or A-Rod hits a home run, Sterling often says, "An A-bomb, from A-Rod" Now whenever Jay hears that on the radio whether as it happens, or as part of a sound bite, he breaks into saying it in his own 5 year old way. I love hearing it. While watching American Idol last night, we flipped to the Yankee game during commercials and sure enough on one Idol break, A-Rod hit one to the right field bleachers. I said Sterlings line, and Jay followed suit. I can't wait until the kids are old enough to attend a game.

Last but definitely not least is the return of Roger Clemens to the Yankees. I had a feeling when his good pal Andy Pettitte re-signed that the Rocket wouldn't be able to resist a return to the Bronx. I was actually on the phone on Sunday with my dad, when I looked at the tv and saw Roger at the stadium. I said to dad, "Clemens is at the stadium." His response was, "Really, thats pretty cool." Before he had a chance to finish, I interupted my dad and said, "he is saying something." My excitement was starting to build. The Rocket with mic in his hand said, and I quote, "They came and got me out of Texas. It is good to be back, and I will be talking to y'all soon." With that statement, Roger Clemens returned to the Yankees. I immediately hung up with my dad and called my sister who was on the way home from Youth Councils. By the way, he was in agreement to call Trace! YES Announcer, Michael Kay summed it by saying, "it looks like the Yankees found their #4 starter."

Isn't Baseball great?

Tucker Goes to School

2007-04-30T18:41:00.000-04:00

Today was Tucker's first day of class. He is getting big. I am guessing at least 50 lbs. Since he is going to be such a big dog, he really needs to go to obedience class to learn basic commands. Over the weekend we got in touch with the trainer that was recommended by a friend. We caught it just in time, as class started today. (April 30th)

The class started with basic introductions. I had to verify that Tuck had all of his immunizations. Class soon started with an attention exercise. The instructor demonstrated that it is important for the dog to pay attention to its master before anything is to be taught. Thus began that "watch" command. It started with using a treat to get the dogs attention and then to put the treat (fortunately a hot dog) and have the dog take it from a spot on your face. That is where the watch/attention comes from. The attention shifted from the hands to the face. When I saw the trainer do this, I thought she was nuts as she had Tucker take a hot dog from her mouth. She then looked at me, handed me a handful of hotdog pieces and told me it was my turn. After several times of doing this, I started to notice how much his whiskers tickled my face! I couldn't believe I was allowing my dog to do this, but he learned to focus.

Next on the was taking a treat...Eassssssy. The instructor stressed the tone of our voices is very important. Tucker picked this one up easy as well. This was followed up quickly by the basic commands of sit, then sit and down. We soon worked up to a trot around the room, focusing on the focus command...having the dog look at us as we walked. I was really impressed with how fast he was picking things up, but then again, he is a really smart dog.

The last thing was sitting and staying. The trick was to have Tucker stay at my left side. I would instruct him to sit, then stay. I would then pivot to the front of him then back, rewarding him if did indeed stay. That was the hardest for him to grasp, but he got the general idea after a few tries.

The class ended by a trot around the room combining all of the commands learned that day. Tucker did really well. The trainer even complimented his intelligence and said that he was picking the commands up quick. At that time, I could relate to a bumper sticker I see often that reads, "my Labrador Retriever is smarter than your honor student." I think I got a special dog here.

When the kids, Elaine and I were all together at home, I demonstrated what we learned. They were impressed. I guess my $110 will be worth it in the end! That in addtion to the $140 it will cost to have him fixed next week! While my wallet will be lighter than usual, not that it is full by any stretch of imagination, it is all worth it in the end.

Sorry I don't have any pictures. My one hand held the leash and my other hand held the pieces of hot dogs for rewards.

Yankee Game--Postponed

2007-04-27T11:25:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday afternoon, I departed the sunny skies of Norwich at about 1:00 for New York...specifically the Bronx. On my way, I was stopping in Trumbull to pick up a friend who shares my love of the team that resides at 161st St. and River Avenue in the Bronx. The Yankees were hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. I was excited to see the Yanks play the Jays as they have a good team, and I have seen the Jays and Yanks at the Rogers Center. (oops I mean Centre for my Canadian friends)

When I exited the Merritt Parkway in Trumbull, I noticed that the sky was looking rather ominous. I began to get a little worried. I picked up my friend, and we continued our trek down the Merritt, to the Hutch (Hutchison River Parkway), to the Cross County, to the Deegan South. Those are all nicknames for the various highways. By the time we got to the stadium the clouds had thickened considerably. We parked and went into Stan's, a sportsbar that Lou Gehrig used to frequent. I grabbed a burger as I anticipated enjoying a Stadium hot dog a few hours later. Soon the hour approached for the stadium to open. With tickets in hand we proceeded to section 333. Our seats were in the right field homerun porch. I was totally excited as I may have the chance to catch a home run. Here is the view from our seats. The tarp was a sign of things to come.
After a little while of having some conversation, my friend told me to go to Monument Park. I hadn't been there since the late 80s. A lot has changed out there, and some monuments were added since I last was there. Here are some pics.After my visit to monument park, I was walking back to the other side of the stadium, I heard the voice of legendary Yankee PA announcer Bob Shepard come on the loudspeaker. I was thinking, "its too early to make general announcements." He of course said that the game was postponed. After driving 130 miles, paid $14 to park my car, I was dissappointed, but there is good that can come out of this. The Yankee Bullpen can get some much needed rest!

I was back in the car at 6:15 and of course thousands if not millions of other people were on the highways exiting NYC and heading toward Westchester and Connecticut, so getting home took much longer. I got home around 9:30. It was a long day for nothing, but the good news is my tickets are good for the make up game. The unfortunate thing is that has yet to be announced. I just hope it doesn't conflict with anything on my schedule.

Restoration

2007-04-24T20:25:00.000-04:00

One thing that has been on my mind lately is restoration. My sermon at the Homiletical Symposium I attended was entitled Restored. I spoke on Simon Peter's Restoration following Christ's Resurrection. I shared in the opening comments that my desire is to one day get an older car and restore it to its former glory. I have not yet had the chance to do this, but would definitely like to someday. A Camaro, Cutlass, or a Mopar vehicle would be ideal. A Corvette would be awesome, but I digress.

As I have blogged last month, we are in the process of teaching children how to play brass instruments. I knew my mother had an E flat Alto horn that my Grandfather gave her when she was teaching kids to play in their first appointment some 20 years ago. Well, to make a long story short, I gave her a call and asked her if she was using that great little horn. I was pleased when she said, "no, you can use it if you want, just take it with you when you move!" To the gossipers out there who read, no we are not moving as far as we know this year!

Last week, while in Erie, my mom handed me the horn. It looks like it has been sitting for some time. It was seriously dirty and tarnished, but I knew I could get it restored and looking good.

Fast forward to today. While waiting for Jay to finish his lunch before catching the bus, I decided to take the valves and slides out and pull out my silver polish. I started rubbing gently and low and behold the shine was coming back. If I had thought about it, I would have taken before and after shots, but alas, I only have after shots.

As you can see from the pictures it is a Salvation Army Triumphonic E Flat Alto. I can tell you that these are incredibly high quality instruments. When I removed the valves, I was immediately impressed that they were solid brass. The instrument itself feels solid...almost heavy. They sure don't make these like they used to. I have no idea how old this horn is, but I estimate it to be at least 50 years old.

Elaine is thrilled, she has always wanted an Alto to play around with if she needs it. She has most of the musical talent in our family. Thanks Mom, we will take good care of it.

Now, does anyone know where I can pick up a case for it?????

Jay Tee Ball and Tucker Update

2007-04-21T18:03:00.000-04:00

Last evening, we raced home from Erie. Well, we didn't really race, but the cruise was set at 75 most of the way home. The reason for rushing back was for Jay's first Tee Ball Practice. While in Erie, we picked up a glove and Jay was ready to go. The whole way home he was asking if it was Tee Ball Practice yet, and when we told him no, he was quite upset.

Grandpa Camuti worked with him a year or so ago with a Fisher Price Tee set, but now he is using aluminum bats and "real" balls. Below are some pictures.

While on vacation, I had a good time, but something was missing. The two things that were missing were none other than Jasmine and Tucker. They were really happy to see all of us. Last evening while getting into my pjs, Jasmine staked out a spot on the bed as if to say her life was restored. Below are some pictures of the dogs.

On Vacation

2007-04-13T21:09:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I write to you today from the frozen Tundra of Buffalo, NY. No, unfortunately I do not drive a frozen Tundra...that is my dream truck, but it is very cold for the middle of April.

We have come to visit family while our kids are out of school for spring vacation. On Monday, we will make the trip down the southern shore of Lake Erie to Erie to visit my parents.

We arrived last evening and enjoyed some Buffalo Wings on arrival...can't beat that! Today we all went Bowling. The kids had the rails up so they did quite well. However, Jay did not get enough velocity on his rolls to make much of an effect. Sammi was getting mad because Jay's turns were taking so long! Elaine managed 4 straight frames of gutter balls. Her first game score was around 25! I scored a personal best 140.

I am going to keep this short as my father in laws computer space bar does not like to work well, and we all know mine is STILL at the Geeksquad.

I will update throughout the week.

PS Theives there are still 2 dogs, and a dog sitter at the house. Tucker and Jazz hear anything!

PC at Geeksquad...Again!

2007-04-04T16:14:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around, but my laptop was on the verge of death, but thanks to the service plan I paid big bucks for when I bought it, my computer should be as good as new when it returns.

I do have a computer at the corps that I can use to blog with, but more often than not, I don't have the time to sit and write a blog as I sit and do my work. I have on occasion, but I can't do it regularly.

I should be up and running again any day now. I hope to get my computer back soon as it has been about two weeks getting repaired.

Casino Royale or James Bond 21

2007-03-20T10:45:00.000-04:00

Last evening I had to the chance to finally enjoy a movie by myself. I went to the corps and brought the DVD player from the corps home and plugged it into the TV in my bedroom. With small children, I don't often get a chance to enjoy a "guy" movie. Jay likes James Bond, but I like to prescreen it first, not just so I know that it is suitable, but he asks so many questions, that I like to have the answers for in advance!

It all started yesterday morning when I woke up feeling a little ill. I was supposed to go to Rotary but just felt like I was hit by a truck. Elaine convinced me to stay home for the day. I read all of my newspapers online, read the DISboards, and just relaxed. Elaine had to go to the store and asked if I wanted her to see if Casino Royale was in at Blockbuster. That is like asking a guy if he wants his dinner served to him! My answer was a resounding yes! I had tried to rent it on Friday when we had our snowstorm, but of course, everyone else had the same idea and it wasn't in.

So last night, I got cozy in my room, called the dogs up and popped in the DVD. My initially reaction to Daniel Craig of James Bond was positive. I thought he seemed intense and hard core...typical of what a MI6 spy should be. There was not the one liners of the Roger Moore era, instead this James Bond was serious about his work.

The locales were awesome as usual. They included Madagascar, the Bahamas, and Montenegro. Seeing James Bond behind the wheel of a DB9 Vanquish is always exciting. Its an awesome car that I wish I could actually see on the road in the US!

In this movie, Q was absent, and so were many gadgets. James Bond relied on standard technology such as high tech computers and smart phones to do what he needed.

The Bond girls were beautiful as always. I don't recall their actual names just yet, but both of the girls he hooked up with were strikingly beautiful. There is an interesting twist with the character of Vesper Lind. She had quite an effect on James...you will have to watch to see.

It was interesting to see James meet his American counterpart Felix Leiter for the first time. That along with many other cues suggests this is a prequel. I won't share any others.

I like this new James Bond, and I hope the franchise continues in the same direction Casino Royale moved.

The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun (Stereo)

2007-03-15T17:12:00.001-04:00

Here is another great song from Celtic Woman.

Mo Ghile Mear (Stereo)

2007-03-12T19:19:00.001-04:00

This is my favorite song from Celtic Woman...Mo Ghile Mear

Celtic Woman Live

2007-03-12T19:06:00.000-04:00

Last night, Elaine, Samantha, and I went to see Celtic Woman at Mohegan Sun. It was a great night! Those of you who have been readers of this blog since December, know that in December, I literally fell in love with the music of Celtic Woman. In late January, Elaine convinced me to buy the tickets, and we decided to take Samantha with us.

After a long day at the corps, we were home for an hour or so before we headed out to the casino. I was curious to see what type of crowd these women would draw, so while waiting for my girls to be done in the restroom, I did a lot of people watching in the concourse of the arena. There were people in suits sipping martinis and people in Harley Davidson t shirts drinking beer. We were in casual clothes drinking lemonade!

Shortly after arriving, the lights dimmed and the music started with Mairead playing her fiddle to the opening of the song, The Sky, the Sun and the Dawn. Hayley, Lisa, Chloe and Orla followed her and soon we were underway.

During the first half of the show, we enjoyed many of our favorite songs, The Prayer, Orinocco Flow, Caledonia, and my favorite, Mo Ghile Mear. I have posted it below.

The second half was just as good as the first. Perhaps even better. I enjoyed all of the songs, and I must confess that Chloe is my new favorite. Her voice is so pure and angelic...she is awesome and she is just a kid. I believe she turns 18 sometime this year. Mairead was also simply amazing on the fiddle. At the end for the encore, she flew through highlights of the show...messing up on purpose in the transitions. I got all giddy when the chorus of Mo Ghile Mear came on again for the final curtain call.

These women offer a truly unique style of singing, and I must confess that their CD gets a lot of use both in the car and on my office computer. In fact, this evening while waiting for our dinner at Ruby Tuesday's Car Side to go, I was listening to what else, Mo Ghile Mear in the car. I was reading the CD case to learn the Celtic words. I think it is either Celtic or Gaelic. I looked up and there was the girl with my food at my window giggling a bit. I rolled it down and she asked, "did you get a new cd?" Rather embarassed and flattered at her slight flirting, I muttered something about being embarassed about being caught singing, I turned the cd off and paid quickly. This music does something to me!

I will look forward to the next Celtic Woman tour, and being so close to the main concert venue in the state, just 4 miles, I plan on going again when the opportunity presents itself.

Brass Banding is Alive and Well in Norwich

2007-03-09T18:14:00.000-05:00

In the last 15 years or so, it seems there has been a shift in The Salvation Army. It seems we were dangerously getting away from our musical heritage. We were focusing more on the "gospel arts" as we have come to refer to them. These include, sacred dance, drama, etc. It used to be, that you could not participate in a musical program unless you played an instrument or a tamborine. I am not taking away from gospel arts, but it seems that there was less of an emphasis placed on our brass band heritage.

In the last few weeks, we have pulled our old instruments at the corps out of the "mothballs." No they weren't packed in mothballs, but they had been sitting for some time. I have also purchased some instruments of Ebay, and am currently watching a couple of cornets that the auctions end tonight. This last week I picked up a Yamaha cornet and Yamaha Euphonium for very good prices!

As I type this, the kids of the corps are being instructed by our Divisional Music Director the basics of music theory. In the weeks ahead, they will be assigned instruments and the junior band will be formed.

I think it is great that these old instruments are getting use once again. We have about 10-12 kids interested in learning how to play.

Brass banding is back...in Norwich anyway!

Enjoying a Holiday!

2007-02-19T16:16:00.000-05:00

It seems Elaine, the kids and I were not the only ones enjoying the President's Day holiday! You can see that Tucker is getting quite large and that Samantha was playing with her blanket on the sofa.

I got up from the sofa, saw the two dogs sleeping and tiptoed to get my digital camera. I was surprised they stayed sleeping while I got up.

We have enjoyed our day off. It is cold out, but I built a fire and fixed a few things around the house. I replaced a socket and switch on a lamp and installed a new light fixture in our upstairs hallway.

As a family we have been playing Dance, Dance Revolution on the Playstation. Sammi bought it with her birthday money. Of all of us, Elaine is the best, Sammi and I are about tied, and Jay brings up the rear. It is the game that is popular in the mall arcades. A music soundtrack is played with arrows on the screen, you have to step on the proper arrow on a mat at the proper time. It is fun as there are a lot of great songs from the 80s on the game.

I hope you had a great holiday as well.

Homiletical Sympsium Days 4 & 5

2007-02-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

Thursday was a good day at the Symposium. In the morning we were blessed by Dr. Ellsworth Kalas' preaching class. He shared 9 convictions of Preaching. They are as follows.

1. Be a Biblical Preacher
2. Be a creative Preacher
3. Find the Plot
4. See the human side
5. Don't lose the plot
6. Keep the frequent fliers alert
7. Don't waste words
8. Little Things matter

As I review my notes, I must have been distracted, and forgot to copy the 9th conviction! I will have to email my fellow classmates for the ninth.

After Dr. Kalas' class we went to chapel and were blessed by Rev. Larry Eddings of the Wind of the Spirit ministries. He spoke on healing and forgiveness and it was very moving and liberating.

Following lunch, we enjoyed Dr. Don Demaray's class. Dr. Demaray has been at Asbury since the 1950's and is pretty much a homiletical genius! He has a vast mind and the Holy Spirit revealed Himself in the class.

The rest of the afternoon was free and we were able to study and go to the library. Following dinner we had another great workshop with Dr. Mike Pasquarello. It was a question and answer time once again and some critical issues came out regarding mission and the Army's identity.

On Friday, we were honored to be invited to Dr. Demaray's home for tea and to see his vast library. His library had more books than I have ever seen in a private home! I mentioned to him that one of my uncles was a student of his, and yes Uncle Dave he remembers you and sends his regards. I purchased a book off him and had him sign it for me.

We enjoyed a luncheon and then I was driven to the airport. There is not much to do in Lexington Blue Grass Airport for 2 hours, so a few of us found a cafe/pub, grabbed a soda and enjoyed each other's fellowship for our remaining time together. Shortly thereafter, I boarded a CRJ and we were wheels up to Charlotte. It was great to see the Smoky Mountains from 27,000 ft. They were quite impressive even from that altitude. We landed in Charlotte, grabbed dinner at Chili's and waited to board our 757 to Hartford. We were wheels up about 20 minutes late due to ground traffic, but once airborne it was a nice flight up the east coast over Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, and New York. Flying over those cities at night is really something.

The experience of the symposium was a very positive one. I plan to apply what was learned and build on my knowledge of preaching.

Symposium Days 2 & 3

2007-02-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was a great day at the symposium. It started off early enough with having my sermon videotaped. I have never been videoed while preaching, so this was a new experience for me. I must say it wasn't bad and went quite well. Once I get home, I will try to post the video of my sermon on the blog. That should be fun.

After watching my other classmates do their sermons, we enjoyed a chapel service. The afternoon was free for research and meetings with our faculty mentors. In the evening we had a preaching workshop with Dr. Mike Pasquarello. It was an amazing night of just asking questions and dialoging. I got back to my room around 10 PM and promptly went to sleep.

Wednesday turned out to be a rather busy day. After morning devotions, I made my way to the bookstore and picked up a few books. One written by Dr. Pasquarello will be a valuable resource for my final paper. After a stop at the bookstore I went to my faculty advisor's office for a quick meeting. We re-scheduled my meeting for after lunch to review my sermon DVD. I must say, I did feel it went well, but I was very open to criticism. Dr. Strawhun (Lee) was very supportive and had good things to say about my sermon and delivery. It was very encouraging and uplifting to hear that.

After my meeting, we had the opportunity to sit in on Dr. Pasquarello's Preaching class. That was very informative and enjoyable. We seem to be hearing a recurring theme to preach with theology! Get into the word! It is sounding like a resounding gong.

After our class time, we went out as a group to SpindleTop Hall for dinner. The SpindleTop Hall is a mansion that now serves as a private club for the University of Kentucky Alumini. It is a lovely facility, but I thought it was rather stuffy. I would have rather gone to Applebees, TGIFriday's or a restaurant like that.

On the way home, I got to drive an antique Mercedes that someone in my class owns. The car is older than me, and was a thrill to drive such an old car in great condition.

Upon return, I went to my room and watched the final cut for American Idol. However, since I missed Tuesday night episode, I was kind of out of the loop. Oh well, such is life!

More tomorrow, if I do indeed get a chance to get to the computer!

Homiletical Symposium Day One

2007-02-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first official day of the Homiletical Symposium and so far I think all is going well. There are only six of us here for the symposium, so there is an emphasis on the small group dynamic. There is plenty of time built in for research and study for our final paper that will be due next month. The topic of that paper is "The Theology of My Preaching." I have begun to think about a rough outline for my paper, and should have something in writing in the next day or so.

One of the things that I am excited about is to sit in some "real" seminary classes. I believe we get to sit in on 3 or 4. I don't have my schedule open as I type this! Two of the professors are literally world renowned, so it should be quite a treat. Dr. Demeray and Dr. Kalas are both highly regarded in the Methodist community, so we are in for a good time.

In 45 minutes, I have to go to the preaching chapel and preach to the red light. At 9:30 it is my turn to be video taped preaching. I am hoping that it goes well because I enjoy having an audience to look at, and make frequent eye contact. I do have a good imagination, so that should help!

Today is mostly a day dedicated to research, so I expect it to go by rather slowly. I am not much of a student, so I will really have to force myself to go to the library and take advantage of what the ATS library has to offer.

Well, I am off to break now. I will update again tomorrow.

Safe In Kentucky

2007-02-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

Everything went well today as I traveled to Kentucky. US Airways provided safe and smooth transportation and my luggage arrived when I did. That is always a good thing. I was picked up at the airport by my Aunt, Uncle, Cousin and cousin's husband. We enjoyed a good meal at a place called Ramsey's. I was told by my cousin Krista that it is a "Lexington institution." I did enjoy my chicken and dumplings as I don't get good southern food in New England. After enjoying a good time with the Kentucky members of my family, I was dropped off at Asbury. I got my room and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.

I enjoyed dinner then with some Asbury College students who are close family friends. After the good food that I had today, I should be fattened up enough to live this week considering the food at the Seminary is not too great!

Tomorrow the Symposium starts. I am excited to see what is in store for the week. It looks like I will have some good one on one time with my preaching mentor, as well as quality class time. There is a business center here at the Asbury Inn, so I will be sure to give daily updates.

Well, I am off to the room to find something to do until Battlestar Galactica comes on.

Kentucky Here I Come

2007-02-09T12:43:00.000-05:00

Very early Sunday morning, I will board a US Airways 757 to Charlotte, NC, then board a Canadair Regional Jet to Lexington, KY. After visiting some family nearby for lunch, I will be dropped off at Asbury Theological Seminary for the first ever Homileticial Symposium for 5 days.

The Symposium is a follow up to the regular Preaching Seminar sponsored by ATS and our own education department. I attended the seminar in 2002 and must say it was a highlight of my officership. I was very impressed with the quality of instructors and the overall experience.

This Symposium promises to be that and more. It is a small group experience. I think there are only seven officers from our territory appointed to the symposium, and seeing the list, I know for a fact that I am the youngest attending! I hope I don't stir the pot too much with my thinking!

There were written assignments that needed to be done prior to the on campus portion of the seminar. These included three interaction papers on books read, and two sermon critiques. One of the critiques was very hard to be tough on. The preacher was Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, who I think is one of the best preachers/speakers I have ever heard.

The final piece is to write a sermon. I have completed all but this, but I will have it completed in a few hours.

I plan to blog from Asbury as long as the computers in the lab don't block blogger. I don't expect this to be the case, but you never know! The Salvation Army after all blocks myspace!

PC at the Geek Squad

2007-02-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness for the Geek Squad! No I am not being rude and putting myself on an intellectual pedestal. I am truly grateful to the Geek Squad at Best Buy.

Over the weekend, my laptop was shutting down early due to overheating. I got online at work, (on my desktop), and chatted with a Geek. He told me I should bring in my laptop. The next day bright and early I made a journey to the Waterford Best Buy to see what they could do with my computer.'

It seems that my computer has a lot of dust in it which is causing it to run hot. So it is away being opened up and cleaned out. The Geek at the Best Buy told me that was probably in the best interest of the longevity of my computer. I will be without it for about 2 weeks, but that is okay as I am going to Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky for 6 days next week. I was hoping to be able to take my computer as my work is on that, but oh well, this is better for it in the end. The only drag is now I have to finish my assignments on my work computer which is not as convenient.

I am truly grateful for A) my service plan, and B) the Geek squad for always being there to help a guy like me!

A Contrast of Winters

2007-02-03T13:46:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I have had it! I really have. Don't get me wrong, I like warm weather, but I do occasionally like a good snowstorm. This year I have yet to pick up a shovel and have only brushed off my cars to save my wipers. I just think it is absolutely obsurd that here it is February 3rd and I have yet to lift a shovel or start my snowblower! Below is a picture of our driveway 10 minutes before typing this post.

Now mind you, last evening we were supposed to get 1-3 inches and although that is not much in any sense of the word, I was excited about it. Instead it rained, with some flurries before a cold front came and froze all of the rain that fell.

Now the next picture was taken just two years ago, almost exactly to the day. Now it was taken in Maine, but that is only about 140 miles north of Norwich.

This wasn't a fluke! This happened quite often in Maine. To put a frame of reference, the van is 7 ft high. The snow banks at the end of the driveway were about 6 ft high and backing up one was totally blind for a day or so until the snow compacted. In Maine the snow didn't melt, it just compacted.

I know I posted a couple of weeks ago that winter had finally arrived, but I am still not convinced. Sure it got bitterly cold for a few days and the forecasters are predicting the same for the days ahead. However, when I lived in Connecticut from 15-20 years ago, I seem to remember the weather men being wrong quite often. It seems not much has changed in the time since. I guess it truly is the job where you can be wrong a lot and still have job security!

How is your winter going? I am curious to see how this winter will end up. Perhaps in a few months I will blog about it again.

Happy Groundhog Day!

2007-02-02T13:31:00.000-05:00

Today is February 2nd and you know what that means...its Groundhog Day! Having lived four years of my life in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, this day means a little bit more to me than others.

Well today, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow. That means that spring is just around the corner. I guess Phil is conscious of this crazy weather the Northeast has been having.

Punxsutawney is truly a unique community. It is about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, and its population is around 6,100. That is down from the 7500 that lived there 20 years ago when I did. The groundhog truly is the centerpiece of town. In addtion to having a climate controlled den in the library/civic complex, Phil's image is all over town. The local school sports teams are the Punxsutawney Chucks. One of the shopping plazas is Groundhog Plaza. If I remember correctly, the logo for the main volunteer fire department in town is an image of a groundhog with a fireman's hat, holding a hose. Despite its quirkiness, it is a great place to raise a family.

I occasionally keep tabs as to what is going on in Punxsy by reading its newspaper online. Not unlike many other small towns, I still to this day read about people that I knew 20 years ago. The same people are doing the same things...they are just older.

So today...here's to you Punxsy and Punxsy Phil! This Connecticut Yankee salutes you.

New TV Shows I Love!

2007-01-30T21:43:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know that this past summer I got a Tivo device. I absolutely love it and it has allowed me to begin to watch tv again despite having kids that like to hog the family TV. Having the Tivo allows me to record a program while Jay or Sam are watching one of their DVD's for the upteenth time. I am going to highlight some shows that I have recently got into.

JERICHO
This show debut'd this past fall and we quickly made it a weekly staple in our house. WE have the season pass set on the Tivo and we catch every episode despite our busy schedules. It is about a small town in Kansas that one day sees mushroom clouds on the horizon. The show then reveals that facts of this attack as the residents of the town discover what is happening outside of Jericho. The show is currently in mid season hiatus, but will resume again in a few weeks.

24
I don't know what made me finally watch this new action show. Perhaps it was the personalities on Fox and Friends who were talking about it, or just I finally disciplined myself to watch it. Regardless, I have got into the life of Jack Bauer and the rest of the support staff of CTU. My father in law has the first 4 seasons on DVD, so perhaps when I visit his home in April I will have to sit down either in front of his tv or my laptop and catch up on some things.

HOUSE
On Monday night while watching 24 in real time, a commercial aired that featured the return of House on Fox. In the upper right hand corner, my Tivo put a thumbs up icon, saying, click "thumbs up" to record. I thought, "what the heck." As I type this, I watching my first epsiode of House. I must confess to having to stop and rewind it as it records to hear some of Dr. House's well known punchlines.

Do you have any shows that you can't miss? I have a few others, but these are the new ones on my repetoire.

Share!

Can We Be Friends????

2007-01-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

The picture is self explanatory. I think we have two friends in the making here. I imagine that in a few days they will be inseperable.

Welcome Tucker!

2007-01-26T16:48:00.000-05:00

Today we decided to add a new member of the family. What started as a joke between Elaine and I snowballed into us getting another dog. Welcome Tucker!

Yesterday at lunch, Elaine was looking in the paper and was saw that there were some Husky puppies for sale. She said how much she missed having Ashley around, and jokingly said she would call to find out how much. She did, and started to convince me that she wanted another dog. I know...the pictures above are not of a husky! I will explain.

Well today there was an ad in the paper for a Lab puppy that was cheaper than the husky. So we asked the kids, do you want a dog like Ashley (our former Husky) or a dog like Taylor (my parents dog). They said in unison...Taylor!

We made an appointment with the breeder. The dog that was advertised wasn't quite what we wanted. He was older and pretty hyper. He didn't take to us as well as the other family there, but there was another absolutely adorable puppy. His eyes are beautiful, and as soon as he was brought out to us, the kids eyes lit up. He bathed them with kisses. We brought him home and he is getting used to our house and huge yard.

Enjoy the pics! More information will be coming as Tuck grows up.

Winter Has Arrived

2007-01-22T22:04:00.000-05:00

The first snow has arrived in Connecticut. It is amazing but it is January 22nd and we have had no snow on the ground until today. It is only a dusting, but the roads are just a little slick. We just arrived home from Divisional Roller Skating and the drive home was a little bit slower to compensate for the little bit of snow on the highways. In fact this evening is the first time I have used my snow brush/scrapper all winter.

The weather this winter has been especially strange. It is hard to believe that southern California and Texas have had measurable snow before New England or the Tri State area of NYC. The midwest and Rockies have been especially hammered.

I have been saying we will either not see any snow, or we will be hammered later on. There are still 8 or so good weeks of solid winter left. We shall see how it plays out.

As for me and my house, I will stock up and windshield washer fulid and I will make sure I get gas for the snowblower! However right now, I have a date with my tivo. I tivo'd 24. I think I am going to like this show.

American Idol

2007-01-16T19:26:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the night! American Idol is back! The television phenomenon and ratings giant will be airing on the FOX network in just under 33 minutes. For the next several weeks, we will see the infamous auditions where wannabe stars come out by the thousands for a chance to be the next American Idol. People who think they have talent, but clearly were not blessed with musical talent from God, will try to convince Randy, Paula, and yes, even Simon that they are worthy for that coveted trip to Hollywood.

The judges are for the most part...great. Of course my favorite is Simon who tells it as is. If a contestant gets a compliment from him, they should cherish it. I also like Randy. He is fair, but doesn't necessarily bruise the ego the way Simon does. I can appreciate Paula as I was in love with her as a teenage boy in the late 80s early 90s. However, she clearly does not have the backbone to be an effective judge.

I am looking forward to the return of one of my favorite tv shows. It should be a fun few months on Tuesday evenings.

Prayers of Children

2007-01-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

For the last six months, our territory of The Salvation Army (USA East) has had a prayer initiative. The challenge is that the entire territory will be at prayer 24/7 for an entire year. The trick is to have various corps (churches) or headquarters commit to taking a "shift." Regrettfully, our corps has not been able to do this as we don't have the committment from our members. This is definitely something to work on!

However, my main focus tonight is the prayers of children. There is one instance that I do not mind my children arguing. How can you condone your children arguing you might ask? Lately, they have a competition as to who can say grace at meals. Usually, Jay wins and insists on praying prior to our meals. If one of us fails to say Amen, or he notices an open eye or two, he insists we or better yet, he pray again. It is funny stuff! This also carried over on our cruise vacation a few months ago.

The other night, we had family devotions and before we had a chance to even begin, Samantha wanted to pray. Elaine reminded her that this was not a prayer..."God is great, God is good, let us thank Him... She told her that she would have to say something different. Samantha quickly rebuked us and told us as she often does, "Yes I know Mom and Dad!"

When the reading was complete, Samantha bowed her head and prayed the sweetest little prayer. It was only a couple of sentences, but it was from her heart. I was reminded of the story of Jesus and the Children, where He said, "unless you become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of God."

I was especially proud the other night of my little girl!

Officer's Retreat 2007

2007-01-11T21:51:00.000-05:00

Elaine and I just returned from Sturbridge, Massachusetts where we enjoyed our second retreat in the Southern New England Division.

Initially some things did not seem right. Almost always, there is snow on the ground as we go to retreat. This was especially true in Northern New England, and was true last year here. As we drove to retreat the temperature was near 50 degrees on the thermometer in our car.

It also seems like we went right from Christmas to Retreat. This was compounded by illness and family visits.

Upon arrival in Sturbridge we quickly got into the swing of things. We registered, got our room, and unloaded the Sienna. However, Elaine soon realized that she was developing Bronchitis!

For her, the few days of Retreat were enjoyable, but her illness was a serious nuisance, and did not allow for her to enjoy her time as much as she should have.

I, on the other hand, had an exceptional time. The first reason is I/we performed in musical groups!

Our division has recently had an influx of energy for brass banding, and I have enjoyed playing once again at Family Camp Meetings and now here at Retreat. I actually felt that I played well. In fact, Elaine and I will be scouring Ebay for some reasonable instruments. I am watching an Euphonium for her right now!

We also were able to sing in a group. I haven't enjoyed singing in an ensemble since my days at the SFOT. Since then, I haven't felt challenged, but I did enjoy myself this week on some beautiful songs that we sung. I was happy to find my pitches finally halfway through the song, "I Know a Fount" today! I am so out of shape!

The guests were top notch as well. Our main speaker was Dr. Katrina Bright Cochran. She is a psychologist who has worked alongside the Army following the events of 9/11. She has spoken to our senior territorial leadership as well as at the SFOT. She was easy to listen to and is clearly a very bright (no pun intended) woman.

Our worship and devotional leaders were Lt. Colonels Lyell and Elaine Rader Jr. (R). I have always enjoyed them since they were on the staff at SFOT. I especially enjoyed Lt. Colonel Lyell's study and sermon on Peter. He entitled it "A Man Goes Far to Find out What He Is" The Saga of Peter. In his usual, highly visual delivery, I felt pulled in to what the Colonel was sharing and truly enjoyed all that was said. I have heard Colonel Rader over the last 10 years of my life, and would have to say, today was the best. Perhaps, I was just especially intuned with what the Spirit had in store for me. I will have to drop the Colonel an email as I didn't get a chance to thank him personally.

All in all it was a great week. I feel bad for my wife with her illness but she came home and got right into the doctors. She now has some high powered medication and should be her usual chipper self in the next day or so.

Happy Belated 2007

2007-01-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

Greetings family and friends! It has been a crazy couple of weeks since I last posted. We enjoyed the Christmas holiday. Jay has been glued to his PS2, and Sam has been modeling all of her new clothes. We have had family visit, and all of us have got sick! In fact, I have been sick since Wednesday the 3rd, and now Jay has joined the ranks of the sick. He and I are home from the corps today. Fortunately for Elaine we have special guests!

I hope your 2007 has started well. It is promising to be a good year for our family. Jay and Sammi still continue to amaze us with what they are learning in school. Jay types his own name on his PS2 games. I never showed him, he just figured it out. Samantha is reading away and writing away. They are both involved in activities outside of the corps. Samantha is in Jazz dance and Jay is in Karate. Sam really enjoys Jazz and shows us every week what she has learned. Jay just graduated from his white belt to a White/Orange belt. If he stays with it, he could be a black belt by age 8! Scary thought!

We are in the midst of planning for vacations. We will be spending time with family over April School vacation as well as in July. In August, we will once again make the trek to one of our family favorites...Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I first went to Rehoboth when I was 7 and it is such a thrill to take my own kids there to share with the next generation. This is the first time we will be staying somewhere different. Our formal rental was recently bulldozed to make room for multi million dollar condos. We found something even closer to the beach...just a hundred yards. I am really excited about this vacation. The only problem is that this new rental is pretty much adjacent to the Rehoboth Beach rides...aka Funland. My kids will see the rides morning and night! Oh well, fortunately they are relatively cheap and we will just save our cans to pay for the rides!

2007 promises to be a good year for our family and I hope it will be for yours.

It's Over!

2006-12-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

Kettle season 2006 is officially over. All of the kettles and stands are back in storage, our dining room now resembles a dining room rather than a counting room. The bells are out of the van. What will I do when I don't hear a jingle every time I go over a bump?

In all seriousness, we have had a record year of kettles. As of Monday, December 18th we exceeded our goal of $68,000. I won't know the final figures until at least Wednesday when our coins are counted at the bank, but I am estimating that we will come in at about $80,000. Last year we did $63,700. I enjoy the thrill of kettles. I enjoy challenging myself and my workers to push a little harder. Only once in my 9 years of doing this by myself have I not exceeded my goal. I am not bragging that is is just fact.

Here are some numbers from the last 6 weeks of my life.

Miles put on Chevrolet Express Van---7,350
Miles per gallon on those miles--11.7
Hours per work each day---14-15
Black Bags under my eyes--2

Seeing peoples faces as they receive gifts and knowing the Army's work will go through in 2007...priceless!

That is what it is all about. My soldiers told me to get rest. They noticed the bags under my eyes! Today Jay was thrilled that there would be no kettle pick ups tonight or for the next 11 months.

As I type this our home is clean, and our kids are laying down in anticipation of Santa coming to Norwich. It was good hard work, but I am glad it is over.

Merry Christmas!

Follow Up to Yesterday--Celtic Woman

2006-12-19T11:40:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUFnKLu4w9s

Non Traditional Music

2006-12-18T18:41:00.001-05:00

Lately for some reason, I have been drawn to music that I have is non traditional in nature. Don't worry, I can't stand hip hop, but when I say non traditional, I mean music that I don't "traditionally" listen to. Here are the two examples.

Trans Siberian Orchestra
I first came across the Trans Siberian Orchestra when I was a subscriber to XM Satellite Radio. I used to listen to channel 23 Holly at Christmas time and TSO was often featured on that channel. Now, I normally would not have paid attention to the artist, but one of the great features of XM is the display which tells you a variety of information including song name and artist.

TSO features traditional holiday music to a rock and roll rhythm. My favorite song by them is Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24. It features several well known Christmas carols to a very rock and roll beat. It is a very exciting group and there is something to be said of hearing an electric guitar wail out Carol of the Bells or O Holy Night.

Celtic Woman
Last evening while flipping the channels during the NY Giants debacle against the Philadelphia Eagles, I turned to none other than PBS and discovered 5 women singing awesome harmony to a full orchestra in front of a British Castle. The song was Orinoco Flow made popular by Enya, but these ladies were very impressive. The orchestra and rhythm section was also impressive. I went to their website today and read some background information on them and that they will be at Mohegan Sun in March. I think I will have to save my money. I love hearing women sing harmony and 5 part harmony is even more beautiful. As a teenager, I used to love the group Wilson Phillips. The three members of that group had great harmony and I still listen to their first hit, "Hold On" These women of Celtic Woman are very talented and what started as a one night concert now has a global fan base. I went to itunes today and downloaded their debut album and am listening to it now as type this.

Non traditional music rocks! Pun intended!

Return of the Lefty

2006-12-10T17:44:00.000-05:00

I don't mean to double post, but I found this pic on the YES Network Message boards, and it is great!

Pettitte's Back!

2006-12-08T21:42:00.000-05:00

It is a good day to be a Yankee fan. As my sister said, "Christmas has come early!" For the last several years, Yankee fans have got Christmas gifts, but none as sweet as this one. Our beloved lefty, Andy Pettitte is returning to the Yankees after three years pitching for his home team Houston Astros.

Today he agreed to a 1 year $16 million dollar deal with a players option for the 2nd year. He is far from gutless as the pitchers the Yankees have signed as of late, Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, Kyle Farnsworth to name a few. This guy can pitch in the pressure cooker that is Yankee Stadium and better yet, he can pitch under the bright lights and cold temperatures of October baseball. Who could forget Game 5 of the 1996 World Series when then 24 year old Andy was huddled under his towel in the late innings after pitching a great game. He couldn't bear to watch, but his work was done, he did his job. He has proven his toughness over the years, and has pitched over 200 innings these last two years for Houston. He, I believe could be the link the Yankees have been missing these last few years...A big game pitcher.

He is a family favorite! Even my mom loves him. In fact, she is the one who called Tracy to let her know. Additionally he is a Christian and shares his faith.

Welcome home Andy! I can't wait to see you pitch again!

Samantha--Junior Soldier

2006-12-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone! It has been a very busy Christmas season, but I want to quickly give a little family update.

Yesterday, Samantha, along with 8 other children were enrolled as Junior Soldiers at the Norwich Corps. It was a good day, and a proud moment as Samantha signed her promise.

She looked so cute in her little uniform! I can't believe my kids are growin up so fast. People said it would happen and of course I didn't believe them.

There are a lot of great things happening here, and we are staying busy. I hope to give some more updates again soon.

Follow Up on Jeter

2006-11-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

Here is the official statement by New York Yankee short stop Derek Jeter. Many of my arguments and statements are reflected in his release.

"While I know that voting for these awards is primarily based on differing opinions and statistical debates, it's also part of what makes baseball such a great sport.
"Having said that, I'm flattered and honored to have been considered for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. I want to congratulate Justin Morneau on this well-deserved honor. He is a special player, and I suspect this won't be the last time you will hear his name mentioned when awards are being passed out.
"You've heard me say it a thousand times, but winning the World Series for the New York Yankees continues to be my main focus. There is no individual award that can compare with a championship trophy, and I look forward to working towards that challenge again in 2007."

Derek Jeter...11/21/2006, courtesy of the New York Yankees www.yankees.com

Anti New York???

2006-11-21T17:45:00.000-05:00

Today the American League MVP was announced and to many people's surprise, New York Yankee short stop, Derek Jeter was not awarded this coveted award. Many in the sports world thought that he deserved this award for his stellar play this year.

Jeter was awesome this year...absolutely awesome! He rose to the occasion it seemed whenever his team needed him. The one home game I attended this year, Jeter hit a double to score the go ahead run. The Yankees ultimately lost the game, but he started a much needed rally. It was a rush to hear the roar of 55,000 fans as the ball rolled into the left field corner. As Jeter stood at 2nd base the same 55,000 fans chanted MVP at the top of their voices. I must confess to joining this massed choir, and it was a thrill for me.

Looking back over the last few years, the New York Yankees have been snubbed by the MLB offices and these awards. Many felt that the 2005 American League Cy Young award should have gone to Mariano Rivera last year, who was lights out for the entire season. I have heard a well known radio broadcaster who is a New York Mets fan, say that Rivera could be the MVP for all of baseball for the last 10 years, but he has never won such accolades from the baseball writers.

Why do you say? I believe that in the baseball world, there is a hatred for the New York Yankees. I believe it is the old philosophy that you either love or hate the Yankees. Clearly that may seem so in this case. Derek Jeter is excellence on and and off the field. He does whatever it takes to win. He may not have the best numbers, he did rather well this year, but players would rather be on his team than against him. Fans can remember the "Flip" play in the 2001 ALDS against the Oakland A's, or the dive into the stands on July 1, 2004. Red Sox fans cried out in the latter as their "star" shorts stop Nomah Garciapara was sitting on the bench sulking. They acknowledged the supremacy of Jeter. I heard it with my own ears on Boston sports talk WEEI.

Justin Morneau had a great season, but Jeter was clearly ripped off. I am sure he is a little saddened, but he has four world championships, and for Jeter he would trade all of the personal accolades for a team championship. He would say the award doesn't matter, he wants the championship.

That my friends is the attitude of a true team player, a winner, a true MVP.

It's That Time of Year Again!

2006-11-14T12:58:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year again! Last Friday, the 10th, we started our kettle season in Norwich. The first day was a bear!!!! We have two new stands about 30 minutes frome the corps, but only about 20 minutes from our home. These stands are definitely worth the drive, but it is proving to be very hard work. In Sanford, I could pick up all my kettles in 20 minutes and be home. Here, but more specifically on Friday, it took 3 hours! I have another person helping me, so I have that knocked down to 2 and a half hours. I have been getting a day and half on a tank of gas in our van. Now, I am not complaining, but to raise the amount of money we are looking to raise, will require some sacrifices.

All that being said, we are looking to have a record year in Norwich. A few factors will assist with this.

1) Good help...ie kettle workers--It appears we have a good bunch this year

2) Two new stores--the more stores the more money! $$$$$$

3) We have started a week earlier--More stands, more stores, do the math

The need for assistance and operating funds is at an all time record high. We are serving more people, and our community continues to grow as a result of casino expansion, and economic development.

I must confess to taking a certain level of pride with being able to raise money at Christmas. I love to compete against myself and strategize on how I can beat myself. That is how I got the two extra stores.

Well, I wanted to post an update as I didn't have a chance to turn my computer on from Friday to Sunday! I hope to post updates to my blog every couple of days at the very least in this busy season.

Afternoon at the Movies

2006-11-05T20:44:00.000-05:00

Well, the holiday business is upon us. I am looking toward spending hours daily driving my Christmas kettles around, late nights, early mornings, but all of this comes with the necessity of working to raise the dollars needed to fund our programs. We stand to have a record year here in Norwich, and the hard work will be worth it. Due to the so called, "calm before the storm" we decided to go to the movies as a family this afternoon and go see The Santa Clause 3---The Escape Clause.

This movie must either be in an extremely limited release or perhaps an early release as the main cineplex that we usually go to, one that has 12 theatres did not have this movie playing. We drove 20 miles away to Colchester and caught it at a smaller theatre.

The movie was basically killed by the critics. I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I was surprised though however as the movie was a decent family movie. Martin Short was good as Jack Frost. All of the original cast from the previous two movies were also there. For you Star Trek TNG fans out there, Michael Dorn, aka Lt. Commander Worf, played the Sandman .

If you have seen and enjoyed the previous sequel, you will probably enjoy this movie. If you have small children that are easily impressed and aren't interested in quality movies, they will like this movie. It will not win any oscars, but the movie was fun and the family time together was even better.

We picked up some Chinese food and returned home this evening. As the busyness of the season begins on Friday, it was a nice time to enjoy together with no stresses and no work to think about. The only work in the outing was dropping our big van off for service tomorrow. I have to get it ready to be on the road for 14 hours a day for 37 days!

It's Amost Here....Election Day

2006-11-04T21:22:00.000-05:00

As I drove throughout the Connecticut country side today, it seemed as though there was an ocean of election day yard signs. Some examples...

I'm Sticking With Joe--Lieberman for Senate

Ned Lamont for Senate

Rob Simmons for District 2 US Representative

Joe Courtney for District 2 US Representative

Jodi Rell--Governor

Joe DiStefano--Governor

There were more of course for the local and state representatives, but these are the ones that I will be involved in making a decision for.

There has been much national attention given to our senate seat. Senator Joe Lieberman was a former VP nominee, and Presidential candidate. He lost the democratic nomination to Greenwich millionaire Ned Lamnot, who doesn't have a whole lot to say except that he opposes the war. Many know that Senator Lieberman has been supportive of the war in Iraq and had a much photographed embrace with the President following a recent State of the Union Address. One thing I admire about Joe is that he doesn't play the party line. He votes with his heart and is not afraid to cross the aislet to get things done. He will have my vote on Tuesday.

The House race is especially tight. Incumbent Rob Simmons (R) is being challenged by Joe Courtney. One of the big successes of Congressman Simmons and the aforementioned Senator Lieberman is saving Submarine Base New London. This base was on the BRAC commission closure list and these two guys fought tooth and nail to keep it open. Their work was successful and the base survived this round. For that alone, Congressman Simmons gets my vote. He seems like a hard worker in Washington and serves on the several key committees. If the base was lost, it would have had a ripple effect on the economy in SE Connectiuct which may have led to further lay offs at Electric Boat in Groton...the world famous builder of Submarines.

The Governor race I must confess to going along party lines, but Governor Jodi Rell, stepped up into a scandalous posiotion following the indictment of former Governor John Rowland and has served our state admirably. At one point recently, I heard she had a 80% approval rating. She has brought integrity back to the capital and seems to be a hard worker. Being a fairly new resident of Connecticut, I am not aware of all of the states problems, but Governor Rell seems like the right person to have in Hartford at the time.

In a few days, all of the signs will come down, the commercials will be off, and life will return to normal. What will the news commentators have to talk about????

Full Size Vans

2006-10-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

In a few weeks, The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory will be making a decision on the future of our our full size vans. Over the last few years, there has been an outcry from the federal level all the way down to consumers regarding the safety of these vans and their rollover rate. These vans have been the mainstay of our fleet for as long as they have been in existence, 35 years or so. In Norwich we use our 15 passenger Chevrolet van for everything from picking up children, picking up food, soda, etc. It gets a lot of use! I don't know all of the details, but it appears there are new laws either on the table or forthcoming that requires vehicles that transport more then 10 children to built to school bus safety standards. This elminates full size vans from being used for many of our programs. I have grown up around these vans, my mom even picked me up from school when I gave a girl a ride home one day! I could have killed her!

There are some alternatives, and I will list the pros and cons for each

Minivans
This is the obvious alternative. These smaller vans are light duty vehicles and all but one that is on our authorized list is a well built and designed vehicle. I won't say what model that is! These would make things feasible, but would present challenges to our programs.

Pros
Low operational cost--economical engines/economy
Manueverability--very easy to drive

Cons
Only 7 or 8 passenger capacity
Light duty vehicle--could it take the beating? Designed for families not commercial use

Dodge Sprinter Van
These vans are designed by Mercedes Benz. Mercedes is a company within the Daimler Chrysler brand which is why they are badged as a Dodge. They are ugly as can be. They were built for Europe, and have a very European design. You can see them on the roads as Fed Ex or UPS delivery vans. They do make a 10 passenger model. They have a 2.7 liter 5 cylinder turbo diesel engine that makes it very economical. I am not sold on these one way or the other, but I thought they could be an alternative.

Pros
Very economical--diesel engine gets an average 22 mpg...amazing for a commercial vehicle!
10 passenger seating--apparantly the new standard
Mercedes Engineering--Mercedes makes amazing vehicles
Commercial Duty--could take a beating

Cons
Higher initial cost--several thousand dollars more than a current full size van
Diesel engines don't like the cold--would officers remember to "plug them in"
High profile would make them a sail in the wind

Full Size SUV
When I mention full size SUV's I am not talking about your friendly neighborhood family vehicle. I am talking of the big ones that used to be used in commercial applications prior to being a suburban fashion statment. I am thinking specifically of the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition EL (extended length). These vehicles are truck platforms. They are designed to have comfortable seating for up to 9 and be able to carry cargo.

Pros
Truck toughness--could take a beating!
Mixed use vehicle--could haul passengers and cargo with ease.
New engines make them very economical--new Suburban gets 20 mpg highway! 15 in the city!
4 wheel drive would be helpful in the northeast!
9 passenger seating--more comfortable than a minivan!

Cons
Higher purchase cost--however due to the high gas prices, discounts are sure to be there.
Slight higher cost to operate over minivans

Summary
Those of you that know me know that I am a car nut! I read magazines and study cars a lot. I feel that the best way to move forward with this if we do in fact get rid of the vans is to go with the full size SUV's. They are very spacious and could truly be a mixed use vehicle. Minivans are great! I love the one we have, but I would hate to see how they respond to being a mixed use vehicle that transports a lot of weight, whether it be people or cargo regularly. I am sure the transmissions would take a beating, tires, seats, etc. Minivans are currenlty designed more for families and that is evident by the seating and features currently offered in them. The Sprinter is unproven as far as I am concerned. My fear would be that officers would not maintain a diesel properly, as they do require different maintenance then gasoline vehicles.
The Suburban has been in production for 70 years. IT is a proven truck that can be comfortable and haul lots of food, toys, kettles, soda, and several of your average Home League ladies. Being that it is a truck, it could do these tasks and still shine for several years. I was more convinced when I saw that the standard engine has the cylinder deactivation mode that shuts down 4 of the 8 cylinders when they are not needed. That is why it is so economical.

What will happen? I have no clue! I am a low man on the totem pole and my voice is not heard. I will purhcase whatever vehicle I am allowed to and whatever vehicles makes the most sense for my application in Norwich.

What do you think???????

Debate on Halloween

2006-10-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

Much can be said of the celebration of the day Halloween. While, I did not research this, I heard some discussion about it at the recently held Officer's Family Gathering in Waterbury.

As a child, I was not "held" back in regards to celebrating halloween. Growing up, my parents were not officers my whole childhood, but they were Christians. We would go to the corps and celebrate halloween by having a party. When my folks were in the SFOT, I believe that my costume contributed to having Halloween cancelled there for a few years. I was the devil...I didn't want to be Satan, I was just having fun with a costume! I don't think Satan looks like a guy in a red suit with ears and a tail!

Whatever people think of this holiday, and there are arguments for and against. Innocent children do not understand the spiritual warfare that is going on. They just want candy and have fun dressing up. Thats what I wanted, and I am sure thats what kids today want. Kids aren't thinking about being evil for a night. I never for once thought I was doing something sinful when I would go out with my friends trick or treating. My children will be going to the mall Trick or Treating. Sam will be dressed as Belle, and Jay will be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. For them, it will be a time to fill their baskets with candy!

I understand that there are those who think my thoughts on this are way out there. That's ok!I don't hold that against you. I tend to be more liberal on issues related to the church than others. I listen to rock and roll, enjoy action movies with good guys beating up bad guys. The bottom line for me in this debate is that kids have fun, and for all intents and purposes halloween is harmless fun. Hey I celebrated it, and I think I turned out okay. I even did the occasional prank here and there! That is a subject for another day.

Sorry for the controversial subject! I welcome comments.

Christmas in October!

2006-10-23T19:53:00.000-04:00

This week will be an interesting week! I, myself, just me am taking three days of vacation this week. I am going to Lancaster County, PA to visit my grandparents. I will join my parents there for a short visit. It is always fun to get to Lancaster County and step back a hundred years and see houses without electricity, horse and buggies, and road apples. It will be interesting traveling from Mystic country Connecticut, an area built in the maritime tradition (whaling, ship building, submarines) to Lancaster and seeing the transformation to the "heartland" and everything in between. I just hope that I-95 and the Merritt Parkway aren't too jammed. I figure I-287 will be! Since I will be alone, I will drive fast, blare music, and take in all of the scenery.

After returning home on Friday, we will immediately get in the car, turn around and head to Waterbury for our Officers Christmas Party. For the non Salvation Army readers that translates into corporate or company christmas party. What is so funny about this trip is not only the fact that I spent three years of my life in Waterbury, but the venue for the party is none other then the hotel formerly known as the Waterbury Sheraton Hotel. It is now called the Connecticut Grand Hotel. You may be asking...why is this significant?...what are you setting up for? My junior prom was held in this hotel, probably in the same ballroom we will have our party in!

It is amazing how life sometimes comes full circle. On Friday evening, if it isn't too dark when we arrive, I look forward to driving the family past all of my former stomping ground, our house, my school, and who knows what else! I haven't been off of I-84 in Waterbury except to get a meal at Frankies...a great gourmet fast food joint, in 11 years since participating in a friend's wedding. I haven't lived there in 15 years, so it will be great to see how much the neighborhood has changed.

Vacation Report #9 Disembarkation and Sea World

2006-10-12T13:59:00.000-04:00

September 16, 2006

This was to be a LONG day! We awoke at 5:30 am for our final meal on the Magic. Our breakfast was to be in Animator's Palate and our servers Dante and Cloverly would be serving us one final time. I must say, I never have an appetite that early in the morning so I did not eat much. Also, I was getting a nasty cold, so that too may have affected my appetite. Shortly after breakfast we gathered our carry on bags, and walked off the gangblank back to reality. We found our way to the lower level of the cruise terminal, located our luggage, and breezed through customs. All we had to do was hand over our declaration forms to the customs agent, get the all clear and walk out of the terminal. Dad and I found our way to the Budget Rent a Car shuttle, and hopped in to get our cars. Elaine, Mom, Tracy and the kids remained at the terminal with our belongings.

After a quick ride to the Budget office, Dad and I soon had the keys and paperwork for matching Chevrolet Malibu's. I followed Dad back to the ship, and we picked everyone up. Mom, Dad and Tracy would be heading directly to Orlando International Airport, while we continued on to Sea World. We said our goodbyes at the ship and we followed one another as far as the airport. When we past the exit for I-95 I immediately fell in love with the notion that I would not have to drive that road all the way to Exit 76 in Connecticut! Soon we were passing the airport, we honked our horn to the Pennsylvania Camuti's, and continued on.

A few minutes later we were in the Sea World parking lot. I have not been to Sea World in 27 years! The last time I was there was 1979 with Grandma, Grandpa, Mom and Dad. I don't remember a whole lot, so I was excited to be returning now. Elaine has been bugging me to go to Sea World everytime we go to Florida, so I finally relented. I am a Disney fan, so it was hard to disown the mouse. However, he got enough of my money, so I can I can give a couple hundred to a beer company this once. No I didn't drink any beer! I am digressing!

We got into the park, looked at the show listings and made a rough plan for our day. The first thing we did was go to the Sea Lion show. I don't think the prop has changed in 27 years. I think it was the same stage and props that were there when I was a little kid. The show was fun and I think sea lions are cool.

Next we went to the Shamu show. This started good, but a few minutes into it, everything got quiet. Soon one of the trainer's came out and said one of the whales wasn't cooperating due to late term pregnancy. She was ready to go at any time! The show did go on, but I am sure it wasn't the entire show. I read a few days later that the new whale was born on September 18th, just two days after our visit.

For the rest of the day, we enjoyed the stingrays complete with jokes and comments about the late Steve Irwin. People just can't leave well alone! The highlight however was feeding the dolphins. When I was younger I was afraid to do this! This time all of us except Jay fed them. They reminded me of puppies. They love having their chin rubbed and would do anything for food! We spent a few dollars here on fish and pictures of us feeding them.

We enjoyed the rest of the park, then finished our day at the dolphin show. This was amazing. There were acrobats, dolphins, all in all a great show. It was a great way to wrap up our day. Soon we made our way to the Malibu and the Beach Line Expressway. We returned our rental car, and this time got a cart to carry our luggage! I wish I would have thought of that when we arrived in Florida! Soon we were past security and waiting for Southwest 2315. We had an on time departure, and we wheels up headed for home. Our cruising altitude was 39,000 ft for the flight home. I caught this picture of the sunset.

We arrived back at Bradley on time, and soon were on the shuttle to the Sienna waiting for us in Lot 4. Ahhhhh, it was so nice to be back in my Toyota after a couple of rental cars! An hour later we were back in Norwich and Jasmine who was waiting for us. We arrived home at 12:05 am on Sunday the 17th. A 19 hour day!

Our vacation was over and our tans would soon fade. I hope my readers enjoyed my vacation reports. I enjoyed our cruise, but could not take a Disney cruise more than once every several years. There is of course the financial aspect, but also the feeling of getting the same experience over and over, and knowing that the trip would cost a few thousand dollars. I can't justify that. Elaine and I will be researching various vacations in the years ahead to determine the best for our family as far as good times, bonding and economically.

Parasailing Pics

2006-10-11T21:50:00.000-04:00

The first picture is of Elaine and I getting ready to go. The other two are dad and Tracy.

Enjoy!

Vacation Report #8 Castaway Cay

2006-10-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

If you know anything whatsoever about Disney Cruise Line, you would know of Castaway Cay. It is Disney's private island and all Disney cruises make a call there. It is simply paradise! It is in the Abaco chain of the Bahamas about 250 miles due east of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I woke up and saw the island coming into view from our porthole as Captain Tom backed the ship in. What a beautiful site. Soon the ship was docked, breakfast was in our stomachs and we were off! Dad, Tracy, Elaine and I had an early excursion booked. We were going parasailing. Mom took Sam and Jay to the family beach where we would meet them after flying like Peter Pan!

We went to our meeting spot, had our orientation and soon boarded the boat with our Bahamian guides. Elaine was a little nervous about getting dipped in the water. She kept telling our guide Gibson that she didn't want to be fed to the sharks. Soon, Gibson was calling Elaine, "Bahama Mama." We were the last two groups to go up> Dad and Tracy went up before Elaine and I. While they were in the air, we were strapped in our harnesses. Soon they were back on board and Elaine and I were strapped in the parachute. The captain flipped a switch and we were off into the wild blue yonder. After a couple of minutes, I made the mistake of fidgeting just enough that I was no longer in a seated position, but in a standing position. This translated into a huge wedgie! Elaine could tell I was uncomfortable, but I soon relaxed, albeit slightly uncomfortable and enjoyed the ride. When we were being pulled back in, we got dipped not once, but twice! Elaine felt honored and enjoyed her double dip! Once back on shore, we boarded a tram and went to meet mom and the kids.

Right away, I got into the magical azure waters and splashed around. Sammi was really trying to swim but was a little nervous. She kept swimming back and forth to me and dad/grandpa. After a short time in the water, we made our way to Cookies Bar-B-Q and enjoyed hamburgers, barbecue chicken, corn on the cob, and awesome chocolate chip cookies. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the aforementioned azure water. It was sooooooo warm! Regretfully, it was time to make our way back to the ship.

Dad asked me to take him to the computer lab and help him check in with Southwest. As we were wrapping up, we looked out the windows and saw the water swirling. The Magic was underway. It was a double whammy...airline check in, and departure from Castaway Cay! Soon it was time for our final meal. It was a sad time, the tips were given out, and shortly after dinner we were in the Walt Disney Theatre for the "Remember the Magic" show.

After the show, our luggage was tagged and left outside our door. This was too much! Our vacation was nearing its end, but the last straw was the Til We Meet Again presentation in the atrium. At 10:15, all of the characters and stage people come to the atrium for a final farewell. The kids were able to say goodbye to all of their favorite characters, then all of them line the staircases and wave to everyone! I wish I could post more than one picture to show the photo op! This was it! We would go to bed and wake up in Port Canaveral! After the Til we meet Again, I took a walk around the ship and retired for the evening! The next day we would eat breakfast and walk off to our rental car. However, we still had a day in Florida before our 7:50 flight...We are going to Sea World! That will be my final vacation entry.

Vacation Report #7--Day at Sea

2006-10-05T12:36:00.000-04:00

September 14, 2006

Days at sea! They are a very special thing about cruising. It is a time for total relaxation! You can just sit back, and do as much or as little as you want. As usual, we started our day with a breakfast at Topsiders. We enjoyed the pools before they got too crowded. Elaine, the kids and I then went to see the movie Cars. However, the kids were a little tired and we left about halfway through. I was bummed as I was enjoying the movie. I am sure it will be out on video around the holidays. After the movie, we grabbed a quick bite to eat. Elaine and the kids went to the stateroom to take a nap, and I grabbed my suit and headed for the adult pool. I splashed around a bit by myself. Soon I was joined by mom, dad, and Tracy. Shortly after they arrived some members of the cruise staff came, and started pool games. I bolted up to deck 1o and watched from above as the suckers that volunteered did synchronized swimming and dancing to music!

We all relaxed and just enjoyed the warm breeze as the Magic cut through the smooth ocean. This day, we had about the smoothest seas I have ever seen! You can see from the picture above that the ocean was glass. It was simply amazing!

We enjoyed dinner that evening in Lumiere's. We then made our way to the Walt Disney Theatre to see the show Disney Dreams. This is the original show for Disney Cruise Line. It features Peter Pan as he comes into the bedroom of a young child and convinces her to dream a little bit. Several scenes from Disney movies were featured, and it was a very nice show.

The next day we will be docking in Castaway Cay...Disney's private island. Until then!

Vacation Report #6 Cozumel, Mexico

2006-09-28T19:49:00.000-04:00

September 13, 2006

As we again enjoyed breakfast at Topsiders Buffet, we were gliding between the Island of Cozumel and the Mexican mainland...specifically the Yucatan Pennisula. As we approaced the Punta Langosta pier, the ship slowed its motion and we saw the tender boats approaching.

Again, we had no tours scheduled, so we took our time getting off the ship. Our day would be a day at Paradise Beach. We boarded the huge tender boats. Cozumel did have three enormous piers, Punta Langosta, TMM International Pier, and the Puerta Maya. The latter was owned by Carnival cruise lines. All three were put out of comission when Hurricane Wilma hit last year. I believe she was a Category 5 when she stalled over the region for 60 hours! The piers are slowly getting back into repair. Due to this we boarded the aforementioned tenders. The tender process was much slower in Cozumel as the ships were much larger and the ship was anchored further from shore.

We finally were feet dry in Mexico. Immediately I noticed Hurricane damage to the Punta Langosta mall area. This bustling area is directly on the waterfront and a section of the mall was totally gone! I remember walking through the shops and on floors that were no longer there! As we rode in cab south on Avenida Rafael Melgar, more hurricane damage was evident as sections of the seawall were missing or crumbling. However, it was good to see new construction. As we went into the jungle south of town, there was evidence of trees being uprooted. We soon approached our destination. We got out, picked out our chairs and were in the Caribbean Sea. After about 40 minutes, storm clouds approached and the floodgates opened. For a short while, we all huddled under our umbrella, but soon Elaine took the kids to the pavillion. The storm refused to let up, so I soon joined them and then grabbed a cab back to town and the ship. Once in town, Elaine the kids and I, shopped in a few stores and bought some Cozumel t shirts. We had to get one for our dog sitter!

Soon we were back on board and in dry clothes! Dad, Mom and Tracy returned a little later and they reported to us that the storm cleared up and that they were able to rent a jet ski. They had a good time and were able to travel a great distance in a short time.

The theme for the evening was Pirates In the Caribbean. We came to dinner and were immediately given pirate bandanas. Dante and Cloverly tied them and placed them on all of our heads. Dinner was a tropical theme. I had Buccaneer's Sun Ripened Pineapple for an appetizer, Caribbean style Spicy Vegetable Gumbo soup, Castaway Cay's Chicken Breast rubbed with Pirate Island Spice, and for desert Walk the Plank triple layered Chocolate Gangplank Cake. This was one of my favorite meals! It was great! I must say that I enjoyed the tropical menu's the most!

The program for the evening was the Pirates In the Caribbean Deck Party. This started at 9:30 and concluded at about 10:45 with fireworks. It was a great time! Following the party, there was an 11:00 pm showing of Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black Pearl on the Big Screen at the Goofy Pool. Tracy and I grabbed a lounge each and watched the first hour or so of this great flick.

While enjoying one of my favorite movies in the Caribbean, i began to doze off and soon decided to head back to our stateroom. Our next day would be a relaxing day at sea.

Vacation Report #5 Grand Cayman, BWI

2006-09-27T20:26:00.000-04:00

September 12, 2006

Today we arrived bright and early to the beautiful island of Grand Cayman, BWI. This is my favorite island in the Western Caribbean. It is small, and very clean. A stop in Grand Cayman is not complete unless you visit the world famous 7 Mile Beach.

We arrived in Grand Cayman prior to waking up. I looked out our porthole and saw the tenderboats tieing on to the Magic. We went up to Topsiders and had a good breakfast underneath a bright Caribbean sky. As we were eating, some "Pirate" ships were circling the Magic as well as the Carnival Miracle. I was surprised to hear cannon shots, and it added to the unique realism. Grand Cayman after all, was a pirate haunt before the British navy banished and killed the pirates. Pirates such as Captain Morgan and Blackbeard frequented Grand Cayman.

We took our time to catch a tender as we did not have any tours or anything planned. Upon arrival on shore, we met our taxi driver Damon who took us to the beach and showed us some of the devastation from Hurricane Ivan in 2004. He took us to Sea Grape Beach, a section of the aforementioned 7 Mile Beach. We enjoyed our time there. It was interesting. There were some young adults no doubt from the Carnival Miracle floating around near us. They spotted a jellyfish. They had to be land locked as they were totally terrified by it. Samantha, my 6 year old daughter, grabs her bucket, scoops up the jellyfish and drops it in the sand! I guess she is a true new englander! Soon some storm clouds gathered just south of the beach and we decided to go back to the ship. Damon our driver was waiting for us. Dad and I took the kids to the ship, while Elaine, Tracy and Mom hit some of the shops in Georgetown.

For dinner we returned to Animator's Palate and had a good meal. The show for the evening was Twice Charmed. It is another story to Cinderella. This time the evil stepmother tries to change time with the help of Franco, the wicked godfather.

After the show, we took a quick walk around the deck and witnessed what would become a regular event in the evening. A light show on the horizon. Each night at sea we saw lightning off in the distance.

Our next stop...the island of Cozumel, Mexico