Bill's Trips 2011

Trip to Kansas City Fourth Day

2011-08-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Peter and I got together early Sunday morning to do some photography. We went to downtown Kansas City to take a look at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It is almost complete with only landscaping on the south side which is the front of the building. So we spent our time on the north side.

It is a breath-taking building which seems to rise up out of the grass used to landscape the north side. It is due to open in October. I look forward to many return visits to capture the north side and indeed to see it at different times of the year.

Also this area of the convention center displays the commitment that Kansas City has made to public art. You would rarely see works like these other than on a college campus or the grounds of a museum. I was particularly taken by the reflection of the center in the glass wall of the Bartle Convention Center.

After lunching and visiting with Mom, Peter, and Anola, I drove out to the airport and had an uneventful journey home. After such a busy summer, it was good to be back home!

Click here to see more pictures of the Kauffman Performing Arts Center.

Click here to see pictures of Kate and Ryan's wedding.

Click here to see more pictures of my Kansas City trip.

Trip to Kansas City August 2011 Third Day

2011-08-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Kate and her father, my brother Terry

I started the day with breakfast with Anola and Peter at Dunn Brothers Coffee and then a long lunch with Louisa at Brio. It was a warm and sunny day and we enjoyed a stroll around the Plaza after lunch. I returned to Grand Court to take a nap and prepare for the big festivities of the trip: Kate Pickett's wedding.

The wedding and reception took place downtown at the Terrace on Grand. The cocktail hour after the wedding and before the dinner was held on the roof top with a spectacular view of the downtown skyline. As you might imagine, I took a lot of photos; there were great pictures everywhere, both people and things.

Wedding guests with Sprint Center and downtown
in background

I not only took photos but video as well. I will get the video posted when I return home. But for now you can see pictures of the wedding, by clicking here.

You can click here to see other pictures of my Kansas City visit.

I will also post a blog about Sunday's activities but that will wait until I return home.

Trip to Kansas City August 2011 Second Day

2011-08-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

The weather was beautiful today, just right for a drive to Liberty to visit Matt and Amy at ACES Cake Shop and Bakery Supply. Their business is very impressive and doing quite well. I can personally vouch for the apple dumplings. I bought a couple and when I got back to Mom's place she let me know that I shouldn't eat hers! Gee, I thought I was going to get both. Matt looks great. Obviously this all agrees with him. I am sure that he will eventually add a shipping option. For now, we can all just make that short side trip to Liberty when we fly into town.

Meanwhile, back at Grand Court, Mom was busy putting the finishing touches on her wedding gift to Kate and Ryan, getting her hair done for the big event, and then chilling out with a quick game of Spider. While she was getting her hair done, I went out to do some shopping, including a stop at the Russell Stover shop to get some special chocolates for Marilyn's Mom.

Mom had dinner at Grand Court while I went to Kate and Ryan's house for a dinner for out of town guests. It was a lovely evening with delicious barbecue and apple crisp for dessert. Afterwards I stopped at Bob and Mary's--just around the corner--for a visit before returning to Grand Court.

Click here to go to the photo album.

Trip to Kansas City August 2011 First Day

2011-08-26T04:14:00.000-07:00

I am traveling to Kansas City for my niece's wedding on Saturday. After some travel delays due to a strong storm system between Rochester and Dulles in Washington, I made it to Kansas City and then drove up to Clyde to visit Sr. Paula. I had a lovely afternoon visit with her and got to see the damage from the horrific storm that struck the area a week ago. They had 1 1/2 inch hail along with 100 mph plus winds. While most of the damage had been cleaned up, you could still the evidence of the violent weather. Fortunately no one was injured. They are busy filling out insurance claims and completing the clean up. Their friends and neighbors have been gracious in coming to their aid. A group of Benedictine nuns from Atcheson KS have traveled each day this week to assist. You can see some photos of the damage on my Picasa site by clicking here.

This photo shows the extent of the hail and wind damage to local crops. This is a corn field right next to the monastery property that would be tall, green, and full of ripe ears. A week after the storm, it looks like a combine has been through in October. Nothing to do but plow this under and take the loss on the entire crop.

Fortunately, as you can see, Sr. Paula is just fine with her deeply spiritual sense of humor fully in tact. We had a wonderful visit including a walk around the monastery grounds. She is feeling well and is loving her Kindle, a gift from some friends. One of the nuns told me that Paula is their technical wizard at Our Lady of Rickenbach, their independent living facility. Apparently this means she knows how to load, play, and unload their DVD player!

Take a look at the photos of my visit.

Trip to Charlotte Third Day

2011-08-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

The day began with an 8:00 am soccer game for Marin. Her team won. You can see from the picture that they were really playing hard. On the way home, we stopped at Panera's and took on a load of bagels including their cinnamon crisp and some honey walnut cream cheese. After downing three of these, I took a nap while the rest of the family did chores. It appears that no one eats for free around here! Well, almost everyone. I think Eibhlin may be an exception.

We are off to the movies: boys going to Cowboys and Aliens and the girls taking in Smurfs. The movies were very enjoyable; everyone enjoyed their choice. Once we got home, there was more work to do. Liam and Aidan husked corn in the back yard. You will note that Aidan is using a "husking glove." This is his own invention and its purpose remains a mystery. Liam cut the grass which is quite an operation, especially in this hot and humid climate.

Click here to view the photo album.

Trip to Charlotte Second Day

2011-08-21T02:57:00.000-07:00

Liam about to receive a pass.

Saturday was a full day of watching Time-Warner technicians work on restoring consistent internet access to Liam's house and watching Liam and Marin play sports. I got to see the last hour or so of Liam's football practice. His first scrimmage is this coming Wednesday so I will miss that as well as any games. This is his first year and he doing very well. Once he adjusts to the fact that football is a contact sport, I think he will enjoy it even more. I did get to see him practice on offense as full back and tight end.

Marin blocks their leading scorer!

Marin played in a soccer tournament. While she played very well, her team lost both games against U10 opponents. Her team is U9 and she is only 8. Playing up doubled! While she played a few minutes at midfield and stryker, she played middle defender for most of both games. She has another game at 8:00 Sunday morning. If they win, then a final game at 12:15.

Click here to view the photo album.

Trip to Charlotte First Day

2011-08-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it is August and I haven't posted since my trip to Huntington Beach in May. That doesn't mean that I haven't been traveling but rather that I have been traveling so much that it became a bit overwhelming. Now, however, I am in Charlotte with Liam, Marcie and the kids. Marin is till at a friends house so I haven't seen her yet but the other three are around and engaged in their typical activities. I will post more later.

Marin returned and then everybody left again for a variety of evening activities. Aidan got back first and we went to get some Red Box videos. Then Marcie and the girls returned and I got this nice shot of Liam, Aidan, and Eibhlin watching The Adjustment Bureau.

Saturday will be a day for watching football practice and a soccer tournament. Lots of pictures forthcoming. For now, click here to see the beginning of the album for this trip.

Trip to Huntington Beach Fourth Day

2011-05-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

My fourth day was Monday and everybody got back to their normal routines: school and work. Everyone except Robert who developed a nasty little cold over the weekend and stayed home. True he was not sick enough that he was unable to practice his guitar but sick nonetheless.

After the kids got off to school, I went to campus with Galen for his office hour before class (no one came by) and then his lecture in the mechanics course.

His lecture was interesting and engaging because he used his bicycle as example. I actually understood why my front wheel brakes always seem stronger than those on the rear wheel: static friction on the front wheel is greater and poses the greater risk of going end up especially going down hill. After class we stopped by The Sports Authority so I could pick up a long sleeved rash-guard t-shirt for sun protection on our bike ride.

Once back home, I had a couple pieces of fruit and we set off on the recumbent bikes. Click here for a link to our ride. It was a beautiful day with a nice tail wind on the way out and a head wind on the way back. Everything went well till we were making the transition from the beach trail to the street on the way back home. I failed to negotiate the pole auto barriers and crashed into one. Fortunately neither I nor the bike were injured, just a bit sore: me not the bike as far as I know.

We had pizza for dinner and then out to one of my favorite places, Cherry on Top, for self serve frozen yogurt with a huge variety of toppings. All for 39 cents an ounce. Nice. Tonight I was the first to go to bed!

Go to the updated Picasa album.

Trip to Huntington Beach Third Day

2011-05-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

As those of you on Facebook know, Sunday began with Galen baking cream puffs! They were delicious. Unfortunately we ran out of whipped cream so I volunteered to leg it up to Trader Joe's to get a fresh supply. When the cashier thought I needed it for early morning coffee, I proudly explained that my son was baking cream puffs for the family.

I polished off several of these as I was finishing up Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends the initial volume in his vampire trilogy. At Sean's urging, I have discovered his work and have been enjoying it immensely. In discussing all this with Galen, I had said that I need to get to Barnes & Noble to get the second volume, You Suck: A Love Story. He suggested that I use his Kobo reader to borrow it from the Monroe County Library System back home. I could then send the reader back to him. I check the MCLS resources and the book is available for e-borrowing. I have downloaded to my laptop and will transfer to the Kobo today and start reading. This will be a good test for me of an e-reader. I probably wouldn't go with Kobo but the Color Nook looks promising. I just checked and think it will support my Rhapsody membership. I know that Meg just got a Color Nook and look forward to learning of her experience with it. With the android 2.2 upgrade, it is looking like a really good buy.

After breakfast, Galen got his second recumbent bike set up for me and I gave it a try. Once I got it going, it wasn't bad but clearly I would need more experience before I would bike with him to work along the Pacific Coast Highway. So on Monday afternoon we are going to some biking on some side streets and trails where the worst that I can do is run into something rather than run the risk of something running into me. I believe him when he tells me that it takes about 500 hours before you get really comfortable on one of these in traffic.

After a quick lunch, Galen and I took the three youngest to a program run by the anthropology department at Cal State-Fullerton at the Fullerton Arboretum which is on the campus. They got to experience presentations about the life of native peoples in this area, the Chumash: arts, crafts, games, and canoe building. They also were able to participate in a "dig" which they seemed to really enjoy. Graduate anthropology students were assisting as well undergraduates from the general education anthropology course. Toward the end, Galen noticed that the undergraduates were all reading different MLB caps. I noticed a young woman with a Royals cap. turned out that her family was from the Kansas City area and she was a Royals fan. We had a nice conversation. After witnessing the canoe launch, we drove home. Robert, by the way, had spent the day at Knott's Berry Farm with a friend.

After a brief recovery at home, we went out to dinner at Don Ramon's, a Mexican restaurant nearby. That's where we learned about the death of Osama bin Laden actually via a phone call from Robert who told us it was on CNN. This seemed strange to his parents until we realized that he had not returned home but to his friends house where he was informed by his parents. Robert is not that 14-year-old who comes home and immediately checks CNN for his news update.

We returned home to watch more coverage on CNN. This night I was the last one to go to bed. Quite a day!

Go to the updated Picasa album.

Trip to Huntington Beach Second Day

2011-05-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Galen was up early and baking. He made brioche. He uses Julia's recipe. According to Galen, when it is a French bread, he does exactly what Julia says with no innovation on his part. His only change is that he bakes it as rolls rather than a loaf since that works better with a "grazing" family. They were yummy especially with the lemon curd. I also had a chance to get some nice photos of Marshmallow, the family pet. He is obviously the guardian of the family remote control.

Galen, Laura, and I took Maggie and Thomas to Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Beach where the annual community event was underway. I went last year as well. We visited the booth for the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve. Laura is active in the leadership of the Bolsa Chica Stewards, a group of volunteers that work in the reclaiming of the area for native plants. Galen and I hiked around some of the trails with Thomas and Maggie.

When we returned home, I took Robert and Henry to the movies. They chose "Paul" which, as Robert said, was a lot better than he thought it might be. For some reason they didn't want to see "Fast Five," the latest "Fast and Furious" release. That was disappointing to me since I rely on adolescent grandsons to justify my attendance at...well, more adolescent movies.

Then it was back home for some sliders. After dinner we all watched "Fantastic Mr. Fox" which was quite good with great voice talents: Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, and George Clooney. As usual I hit the sack earlier than everyone else and am now up at 5:00 a.m. writing this before even Galen gets up. Sunday promises to be big day as well.

View the updated Picasa album.

Trip to Huntington Beach First Day

2011-04-30T05:16:00.000-07:00

After a flight delay, I arrived in Los Angeles around 1:00 pm, Galen was there to pick me up. It was a bit on the cool side although temps should get to 80 over the weekend. We got to the house just in time to join Laura in walking to the grade school to meet Maggie and Thomas. They are as energetic and lovable as always. We also stopped to see the courtyard/atrium that Laura cleaned up that morning. Working with kids from Maggie's and Thomas' class, she installed some new native plants. They are not finished but it looks great and will be even better as a few more are added along with some mulch.

After a trip to Trader Joe's to get some food for dinner, Galen and I took Maggie and Thomas to their karate class. We had a delicious dinner topped off with some ice cream for dessert. We put off a trip to Cherry on Top till Saturday when we have a lot of outdoor activities planned and it will be HOT making a frozen treat all the more enjoyable.

View the Picasa photo album.

Visit to Kansas City Fourth Day

2011-04-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

My last full day was Sunday. We began by picking up Anola and going to her parish, St. Therese, for Mass. With all her demands to bring her novel to publication, Anola has temporarily stopped singing in the gospel choir. Nonetheless we enjoyed the Mass, the music, and the wonderfully diverse and friendly assembly.

We returned to Mom's apartment and spent a lazy afternoon napping (me), working crosswords (Mom), and chatting (both of us.) The temperature got to 90 which led me to run out to Starbuck's for some ice tea which we both enjoyed.

Around 4:00 we left her apartment for a tour of the city before we met Anola, Peter, Gerry and Kara for dinner at Pierpont's in the Union Station. Mary had told us Saturday about the new public art at the MAX bus stops. We had visited two Saturday night and decided to see the third on the way to dinner. It is located at 31st and Troost, a place where we would often walk for movies at the Isis Theater which is now a vacant lot on the corner...well not vacant but home to a MAX bus stop, a park and ride lot, and an impressive public art mural. View a video pan of the entire mural.

The high point was the sculpture at the bus stop that was set in motion by the approaching MAX bus. I am always impressed and proud of my hometown for its commitment to public art. There is a local ordinance that any public construction project (roads, bridges, buildings, etc.) must include a certain percentage for public art. Marilyn and I always comment on the art integrated into what would otherwise be very ordinary overpasses.

We continued our tour of downtown Kansas City, commenting on how much things had changed since we used to come downtown on the streetcars to shop. Suddenly I saw a structure that simply took my breath away. It is the almost completed Kauffman Performing Arts Center. It is a gift to Kansas City from the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Foundation. Kansas City is blessed with people of wealth who use that wealth to improve the quality of life of the community. They set an example for all of us, even if we are not wealthy.

Finally we arrived at the Union Station and had a wonderful meal with the others. It was great to spend some relaxed time with Gerry and Kara, whom I had last seen at their wedding. It was my coincidental good fortunate that a wedding in Texas had brought them to the US from Abu Dhabi.

I left the next day fro home and arrived safely and on time. My next visit to Kansas City will be July for Mom's 99th birthday.

Visit to Kansas City Third Day

2011-04-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

I started the day with a visit to Starbucks and a conversation with my sister, Louisa. She is in the final few weeks of rehab after knew replacement surgery. She is feeling good and I couldn't notice any limp in her walk. After we finished, she went to mom's to set her hair in preparation for dinner tonight at Sweet Tomatoes and Sunday at the Union Station.

The temperature on Mom's thermometer on her deck reached a high of 92. So hot, in fact, that when I returned from a trip to the Plaza, she asked me to turn on the AIR CONDITIONING! Believe it or not!

We picked up Anola and then drove to Sweet Tomatoes where we met Louisa and Mary and Bob. We had a leisurely meal and good conversation. One of the things I learned was that the MAX bus system in Kansas City has been commissioning works of art in and around the major transfer points along Troost Ave, the main thoroughfare of my growing up in Kansas City. After dinner Mom, Anola, and I visited two of them: at 75th and Troost and 39th and Troost. There are a couple of more--one of which sounds spectacular--that I plan to visit Sunday.

View the photo album.

Visit to Kansas City Second Day

2011-04-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

The day began with breakfast in the dining room. Mom typically does not get going early enough or she just doesn't want to go through the hassle of going down, but when she has company we usually do go down. Then it was off to do some shopping. She is always concerned about getting her place organized and putting things where she can remember their location. She has decided that she needs another under-bed storage box. So off we went to Walmart. There were some but Mom thought they were too expensive so off we went to Lowe's. Same result, of course. However we did find some extra large film storage bags. These were reasonably priced and that sealed the deal.

I had lunch with my brother Terry. It was an enjoyable two and a half hours of conversation and humor. It was wonderful that he and Johnny were in town for one of their extended visits.

Back at the facility, Mom and I had dinner at her usual table. It was good to see Bill, Bill (there are two Bills at the table), Barbara, and Rose. The wait person was Joanie who it is always nice to see. I went out after dinner hoping to find some good light for some photos. Alas, I should have stayed at Mom's. When I got back, I took some lovely shots of her and Gertie.

The day is ending as it often does in Kansas City this time of the year: severe storm warnings. I have seen lightning or heard thunder since last summer. I am looking forward to it although the golf ball sized hail is a little off-putting.

View the photo album.

Visit to Kansas City First Day

2011-04-08T04:52:00.000-07:00

I flew to Kansas City on Thursday April 7. Leaving Rochester was delayed due to low ceilings and visibility at O'Hare in Chicago. I learned that when a flight is headed into challenging weather, it takes on extra fuel in case the flight needs to divert and spend time in a holding pattern. As a result, my fully booked flight was overweight. Since I had a four hour layover at O'Hare anyway, I volunteered to take a later flight, still able to get my original connection. Result? I got a $200 voucher! An excellent beginning to the trip.

I found Mom in good spirits and looking great. I will post some images soon. Fortunately Terry, my brother, had proceeded me and had left some roasted chicken breast and plenty of fresh fruit. I will have lunch with him Friday.

Pleasant Hill Fourth and Last Day

2011-03-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

I am writing this as I sit in the United Red Carpet Lounge with Sean. He is leaving at 8:00 on a flight to Copenhagen and I am leaving at 10:30 for Rochester and home. I had a wonderful visit. I had some great times with Sam, playing indoor and outdoor games. He has quite an interesting personality and a nicely cultivated sense of humor. He and Julie left for a Tiger Scout pack meeting just before we left for the airport.

We all survived the switch to DST although the day did get started a little slowly. I went up to the Pleasant Hill City Hall to take some pictures but the overcast light frustrated my efforts. However, next time I can see that a visit around sunset with the accent lights turned on will produce some very nice images.

I had two helpings of Julie's muesli--very delicious. We went on a field trip to a wildlife museum and then had a lunch of lasagna leftovers and delicious lamb chops.

See all the pictures in the Picasa album.

Pleasant Hill Third Day

2011-03-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

The big activity for Saturday was Sam's birthday pictures. We had a 10:00 appointment at Sears Portrait Studio. Sam is getting quite good at this. He takes direction very well and has such a sweetness about him along with a "big boy look" that the results are quite stunning. After that we all had the traditional after photo shoot lunch at Johnny Rocket's in the mall.

We returned home and Sam got back to work on his 1000 piece Lego kit that he had gotten for his birthday; the rest of the household took some naps! Sean and I walked up to the Ace Hardware Store to get some closet hardware for a project that he will tackle Sunday. Sam and I got in some play time in the backyard: baseball, soccer, and football. Later Sean and Sam played some basketball.

Julie and I went to 5:00 Mass at Christ the King and then came home to a yummy lasagna dinner followed, of course, by some ice cream for dessert. The two big events in the evening were

the completion of Sam's Lego project which he proudly showed us. The other was the inaugural voyage by the new hamster, Speedy McNibbles, in her exercise ball. She quite good at it and seemed to be actually steering around the house. Tonight is the night for day light savings time to begin. When we went to Starbuck's Saturday

morning, the barista reminded us to set our clocks ahead one hour and then observed that it gives the farmers an extra hour of daylight. For a minute there, I thought I was in Indiana.

To see more pictures, visit the Picasa album.

Pleasant Hill Second Day

2011-03-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

Because of the three hour time difference, I am up at a very early hour and learned of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Following that news was a constant all day. However, life went on here with Sammy getting off to school and Julie to work. Sean had a couple of phone meetings in the morning. Ana electrician came by to give an estimate on work they needed done as well as an arborist looking especially at the black walnut tree in back. Then Sean and I transported several cartons of books to contribute at the library.

Wiht all that accomplished, we went to the movies and saw Battle: Los Angeles. It was an entertaining action flick with awesome special effects. Of course, the good guys won. We picked up Sam who had stayed for an after school celebration of March birthdays, picked up some great Mexcican food, and had a leisurely dinner at home.

Saturday the big event is Sam's birthday photo session at Sear's followed by lunch at Johnny Rockets. I am looking forward to that.

Pleasant Hill First Full Day

2011-03-11T04:24:00.000-08:00

While I arrived on Thursday, things didn't get cracking until Friday, which was Sam's seventh birthday. Sam went off to school while Sean, Julie and I spent the day around the house getting a number of tasks done, mainly lightening the load at 167 Cynthia Lane. We made numerous trips to the Salvation Army, the recycling center, and the Crisis Center in Concord. We dropped off supplies of bottled water and toiletries Sean collects on his travels which they packaged in packs for homeless persons.

Sam had a great day at school sharing yummy cupcakes with classmates. We picked him up and went immediately to his favorite place to eat, Sweet Tomatoes.

We came home and he and Sean--mostly Sean--assembled one of the gifts he received at his party last Sunday, a table top foosball game. Sam and I played three games as soon as it was ready to go. After a game of checkers and then some soccer scrimmage in the backyard, Sam visited with Grandma on Skype, followed by birthday cake and the opening of presents that had accumulated at home. His favorite was a 1000 piece Lego Kingdoms Castle. He will get right on that when he gets home from school Friday. After watching some Arthur on TV, he was read a story and went to bed. Grandaddy actually beat him to bed after this long day of activity.

View the Picasa photo album of the trip.

Trip to Cleveland February Third Day

2011-02-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

This was a day devoted to snowboarding and the Super Bowl. Brendan and I took Brock to a snowboard competition. We arrived at the ski area around 8:30 and left around 3:00. Fortunately it wasn't terribly cold although my feet certainly felt the effects on standing on ice and snow for five hours! I was able to get inside for lunch, some rest, and the award ceremonies. Brock competed in the border cross and slope style and took first place in his age class. No surprise to me that he was the youngest competitor in both.

When we got back to the house, we got cleaned up while the kids played out in the snow. Eileen had fixed some awesome chili for the game. Brock is rooting for the Steelers while Brendan and I are pulling for the Packers who are leading at half time. Well the Packers pulled it off. Congratulations to all the cheeseheads I know and love.

You can see more pictures of the snow boarding on my Picasa album.

Trip to Cleveland February First & Second Days

2011-02-06T02:14:00.000-08:00

Normally I go to San Francisco to visit the Pleasant Hill Picketts and watch the Super Bowl with Sean. However, this year his international travel schedule made that impossible. So I drove over to Cleveland--sunny and dry road all the way--to do the same with Brendan. Friday was my first day and it was very relaxed; we just stayed home. Brady--shown at left--provided us with his humorous perspective on life while we waited for the rest of the crew to arrive home. Brock and then Braden arrived from school. They got their grade reports last week and did very well. Braden got all A's with a couple of A+'s! She is in middle school. Brock is still in grade school where they try to downplay academic competitiveness but still everyone knows that a "+" is the equivalent of an "A" and he got all +'s! Eileen got home from her job after a hectic week there. We went out to dinner at a very good Mexican restaurant. After the kids went to bed, we watched Restrepo, a documentary about an outpost in Afghanistan directed by Sebastian Junger.

Saturday was a typically active day in the Pickett household. We went to Braden's basketball game, Brock's soccer game, and then Brock skateboarding at Chenga 2 indoor skate park. The basketball game started out pretty lopsided with Braden's St. Raphael's team up 8-2. The other team closed the gap and tied the game in the fourth quarter. St. Raphael ended up winning 13-11. Braden played tough defense and had at least two assists.

We got to Brock's soccer game in progress and unfortunately missed his goal. His team ended up losing 5-4 with the winning goal scored in the final minutes. He really enjoys playing and is quite good. After that we spent a couple of hours at the skate park as he demonstrated another sport he is good at and enjoys.

That evening they had a birthday dinner for me. Eileen's parents--Tom and Peg--came over. It was good to see them and to celebrate with the family. Tomorrow is big day with Brock competing in some snow boarding events and Braden in soccer. It won't be possible to catch all or even any of her game unfortunately.

View the photo album.

Final Day in Charlotte

2011-01-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

This was supposed to be a day that Marilyn and I would spend with the kids, but Marilyn is home sick and the kids went to school for a snow make-up day. I have spent today getting packed, reading an Elmore Leonard novel I bought yesterday, and updating my blogs and web sites.

Marilyn isn't feeling any better really and is going to see the doctor this afternoon. She may stay home from school tomorrow and perhaps even longer. This has not been a good winter for her.

It has been cloudy here today and although it isn't much cooler than yesterday feels that way without the sun. I leave tonight around 8:00 and get in around 9:40 or so. It is a non-stop so I should not have any problems.

I took some final pictures of the kids this morning. You can see them in my Picasa album.

Fourth Day in Charlotte

2011-01-17T03:06:00.000-08:00

Our day began with attendance at Transformation Church. We went there the last time I visited. It is a newly formed church which will be celebrating its first anniversary in February. They have three services: Saturday afternoon, Sunday 9:00 am and 11:00 am. It exemplifies the well known strategy for planting a church: good contemporary music, good preaching, and good hospitality. Find out more about Transformation Church.

After church, we joined the Epperly family for lunch at don Pablo's, a wonderful Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. A usual, I ate more than I should have and enjoyed every bite. After a quick nap--mine, that is--Liam and I took Aidan and Marin to see the latest Narnia movie. They enjoyed it a lot. When we got out of the movie, we learned that Seattle had battled back in the game with Chicago but lost nonetheless.

When we got home, we found a lot of visitors both adult and children. Liam and I started watching the Patriots and Jets. During the game, Liam grilled up some of the tenderloins from the deer he had bagged...with a bow no less. I ate that and then ate a full fillet from an ordinary cow. Both were delicious. Marcie had made a carrot cake which had been getting even better in the refrigerator over night. I had more than one piece of that as I watched the Patriots lose.

Liam and I stayed up to watch a movie: Boondock Saints with Willem Dafoe. It was different to be sure. After all that food, I, of course, had a hard time staying asleep and spent a restless night which is unusual for me.

See the photo album.

Third Day in Charlotte

2011-01-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

Oh, no! Bad news this morning! Grandma Marilyn woke up sick and had to cancel her flight down to Charlotte. Marin had many activities planned for her, but nonetheless seems very understanding.

the kids had another XMA training and practice session. This time I focused on Marin and her routines with the bowstaff. She is quite accomplished and really looks the part as well.

When we got home, Liam and Marcie went out to dinner with their friends Russel and Judy and I babysat the kids except for Liam who had a sleep over at a friend's house. I took the opportunity to take some pictures of Marin and Eibhlin along

with Eibhlin's stuffed animals. You can take a look in the photo album. Here is a sample of Eibhlin and her menagerie.

Second Day in Charlotte

2011-01-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

After we got Marcie off to work and the kids off to school, Liam and I took the light rail to Uptown and visited the NASCAR Museum. It is very interesting and filled with all the stuff you would expect. Since this is a school day, it was practically empty. The building itself is also quite impressive.

The two gentlemen in the picture apparently have been charged with removing ice from the entrance plaza which as you might notice is in the shade most of the day. They appeared to be unfamiliar with this particular tool which in any event would be of little use in removing the ice without some chemical application. You see snow and ice all over Charlotte from the storm earlier in the week. Even though the skies are clear and sunny, it remains cold getting down into

the teens at night. A warm up is forecast for this weekend getting close to 50 degrees. This is great because Grandma Marilyn arrives Saturday morning and will be looking for some warmth after coming 750 miles south from Rochester.

The morning was filled with the usual activity,

including some last minute homework that Aidan attended to while Dora the Explorer played in the background, keeping Eibhlin occupied.

View the photo album.

Later in the day, I was able to go watch Liam, Aidan, and Marin practice their XMA demonstrations. Originally they were to perform at the Bobcats game Saturday but that was rescheduled to March. Nonetheless I got to see them do their routines. Here is a video of Liam and Aid doing their bowstaff routines. Very impressive. They also practice Saturday and I will get some video of Marin.

First Day in Charlotte

2011-01-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

No sooner did I get home to Rochester than I left for Charlotte. Liam invited me down to celebrate my birthday--a couple of weeks early. Marilyn is coming down Saturday and we will return Monday. Unfortunately the kids here had snow days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and thus will have a makeup day Monday. Marilyn and I will have to find somethings to keep us occupied.

The kids just got home from school. You can see Aidan and Marin to the left. Eibhlin is still napping after an exhausting first trip to the dentist. More pictures will be coming later today.

Marin took me on a tour of the house before dinner. This seemed a little strange since I have been here before...many times. However I understood her thinking when she showed me her

room, the last stop on her little tour. She did the design and it is spectacular. she even has a little fairie cave underneath the bed. Then she surprised me with two gifts. A ceramic rabbit and a paper turtle rattle. Only after I was taking a picture of them did I realize that she had given me a tortoise and a hare. When I asked her about that, she said she hadn't realized that either. We had a good laugh about it.

For more pictures, including one of Marin in her fairie cave, go to the photo album.

Final Day in Appleton

2011-01-12T04:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it is about time to leave. I have an 11:30 flight to ORD and then on to Rochester. I checked this morning and both flights seem to be operating on time and there are currently no delays at ORD. Hopefully that will continue through the day. It is snowing in Rochester but not bad enough to cause any problems. I get home around 4:00 and then leave tomorrow morning for Charlotte to visit Liam and his family. Marilyn will be flying down Saturday for the long school holiday weekend.

I had lunch with Harry yesterday and another nice visit. Bronwen and I have had a nice time with each other as well. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with both of them as they carry on their busy lives. Meg and Lynne are both doing well. I look forward to another visit although next time I think I will come in the spring or summer. My last two visits have been in the winter and I have had enough of that.

Fourth Day in Appleton

2011-01-11T04:29:00.000-08:00

This was a quiet day. I got some reading done and then watched the football game in the evening, or at least half of it. We are expecting some snow in the next 24 hours but not very much. I am hoping that the storm in the East will not delay my trip home on Wednesday.

I did get a nice surprise when my sister, Anola, sent me a link to her new web site. It is very nice and highlights her life long work as an author. She has several published works and her newest will hit the bookshelves this April. It is a fascinating story of what actually happened to a young girl named Hannah. More on that when it appears. Congratulations to her. Visit her website.

Third Day in Appleton

2011-01-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

This is St. Mary's Parish in Appleton where I went to Mass this morning. My home parish is St. Mary's in Rochester so it was nice to go to another. After Mass, I stopped by the Starbuck's to enjoy some coffee and to continue reading a book written by a friend of mine: Archbishop Oscar Romero: A Disciple Who Revealed the Glory of God by Damian Zynda. I took two of her courses in spirituality at St. Bernard's. This book grew out of her doctoral dissertation at the University of Toronto. The first chapter is a very useful summary of Romero's life and especially his person, spiritual, and psychological growth. She then uses insights from St. Irenaeus to explore his life and spirituality. I haven't finished it but I would very much recommend it.

When I got back to the house, we all settled in for a day of football. After Saturday's very interesting games, it was a bit of a let down to watch the Chiefs being dismantled by the Ravens. My consolation is that the Chiefs are a young team which will only get better as it gains experience and this year they over-achieved anyone's reasonable expectations. Harry came over for the Packer's game which was much more entertaining and closely contested. Thankfully the Packers won which will put everyone in Wisconsin in a much better mood Monday morning.

Bronwen came down this morning in a darling outfit and I got some nice photos of her and Harry. I will be taking Harry to lunch Tuesday anywhere off campus he would like. Apparently this will be a Thai restaurant in town. It has been a year since I had seen Harry. Immediately I noticed that he seemed thinner. It turns out that he may be the only first year student in an American college who lost weight rather than gaining the "freshman fifteen." This may have something to do with the non-existent minimum drinking age in England and the colonists' insistence on 21.

In between the two football games, I scouted around for some likely picture making sites and found a couple along the Fox River a bit upstream from the University. Appleton and the Fox River were the home for major American paper companies because of the water power of the river and thus the possibility of mills. Many of the dams creating this power are still here even though the water power is little used. The water, the dams, the ice, and the afternoon sunlight resulted in some nice though not spectacular images.

There have been some additions to the photo album. View the Appleton Visit Photo Album.

Second Day in Appleton

2011-01-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Meg got off for Seattle today. After walking over to campus to work out, I spent the day around the house. I went to the store to do some shopping and then fixed a pasta dinner for Bronwen and me. Lynne is feeling better but decided to just have some the pizza left over from last night. Watched the surprising Seahawks beat the Saints and am now relaxing watching the Colts and Jets. No pictures today but some coming tomorrow.

First Day in Appleton

2011-01-08T03:49:00.000-08:00

The day begins early here with Bronwen up at 5:00 to get her 6:40 bus to school. Tycho, the new cat, seems to be up all the time as you an hear her collar jingle at any hour. Meg and I walked over to the indoor recreation facility on campus. She ran eight miles on the track while I used the treadmill and stationary bike and then did some core work. We came home, got cleaned up and then went over to her office. Harry dropped by and we had lunch with him. He looks every bit the typical college student and seems very engaged with her studies. I came back to the house to, well, take a nap.

Lynne returned early from Whitewater. It was great to see her

although she was slowed by some back pain. Her new job is going very well. Bronwen returned from school and got ready for her job interview at Subway in the Fox Valley Mall. Since Meg had a meeting, I got to driver her there. She thinks everything went very well and I am sure they did. She is as sweet as she looks.

After her interview, I went to campus to join Meg at the faculty happy hour in the Viking Room, an on-campus pub. It was very nice meeting and re-meeting many of Meg's faculty friends. Back at the house, we enjoyed pizza and some yummy apple turnovers--Lynne's idea and an excellent one. Tomorrow Meg leaves for Seattle and my custodial duties begin.

View the photo Appleton album.

Arrival in Appleton

2011-01-07T08:26:00.001-08:00

The weather was perfect for flying and both flights arrive early. Meg picked me up at the Appleton airport. We spent the evening at home with Bronwen who has become even more the young lady since i last saw her a year ago. I didn't unpack my camera last night so I don't have any pictures but will soon. Bronwen has a job interview at Subway on Friday to which I will take her since Meg is tied up in a meeting with a student. Meg and I will lunch with Harry on Friday and perhaps I will get a peek at his dorm room. Meg cannot go there since faculty are not allowed in student residence areas or something like that. Appleton has lived up to its reputation weather wise. It is cold but at least not windy and now snowing.

Grandaddy's Big Adventure 2000

2011-01-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

Just a little more than ten years ago, I traveled to Chicago to be with my two oldest grandchildren--Harry and Bronwen--while their parents were attending academic conferences. It was June and Harry who was eight and Bronwen who was six had just finished school in Hyde Park. We had a great time beginning the summer vacation for several days. I posted pictures on line and kept an account of what we were up to. That narrative is long gone but the pictures are not.

This came to mind because I am preparing to travel to Appleton WI where Harry is a first year student at Lawrence University and Bronwen is a junior in high school. The reason for my trip--at this particular time--is that Meg is off to an academic conference and Lynne has taken a new job that requires her to be in Whitewater during the week. Hence, Grandaddy is again providing custodial care--sort of-- for a few days. It will be great to be with Harry and Bronwen in a reprise of our earlier adventure. Of course, school is in session and Harry lives in the residence halls. Oh yes, and they are 18 and 16 respectively.

Click here to see an album with some of those 2000 pictures.

2011 Trips Begin

2011-01-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

This blog will contain my postings as I travel around the country visiting family. This will include Ohio, Wisconsin, California (Northern and Southern), North Carolina, and Missouri with perhaps some side vacation trips. I will be posting both text and pictures. My first trip will be to Appleton Wisconsin.