Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Last Day

After the geezer workout, we went to McDonald's for beverages as we always do, and guess what? McDonald's was gone - totally leveled! We've been going there every M-W-F, so it was quite a shock! We got beverages over on Carpenter Road, and then went to say goodbye to Belleville.

The first stop was on David Street - our poor house is a little down-at-heel.




Dick had it landscaped so beautifully! I guess when things got overgrown, they just tore them out and didn't replace any plantings. Tom and Jana were born while we lived in this house. We lived there from 1962 until 1971.

Then, for old times sake, we ate breakfast at The Red Apple. It has not changed. Our bill was $11 for two - just like old times.

Here's our house on Haggerty Road. I think it looks really nice. I love the color - although I liked our yellow also.




We lived here from Christmas 1970 until June of 1991. Most of us, when we have dreams of a house, this is the house we dream of. We were here through all the trauma of teen-agers - Laurie graduated from BHS in 1979, Tom in 1982, and Jana in 1984. Laurie graduated from the University of Michigan in 1983, Tom graduated from MIT in 1986, and Jana graduated from Michigan in
1989. Whew! That was some decade, the eighties!

We had a barn and a barnyard, which we never really used for anything - and here's the house thst now sits in our old barnyard!



Since it was our last night in AA, we invited Bill and Jan to come over for Japanese at Godaiko - it was a great meal with wonderful company. We'll see them later in the month.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Natural Beauty

Today we went for a drive through the Waterloo and Pinckney Recreation Areas. It was a great day for a drive, and we also found seven caches, so it was a lot of fun. Much of the time we were on narrow gravel roads, some of which were designated as Natural Beauty Roads.
They were beautiful - like driving through canopy of trees.

There were sandhill cranes walking along the edge of the road - it looked like they were finding bugs to eat, maybe. Do cranes eat bugs? It could be that they were eating what was left of that field crop.


Monday, September 28, 2009

Cheonan, Korea

Today Tom flies to Cheonan, Korea on United Airlines for Cymer. He's going as a kind of consultant for some Korean laser clients. He'll be there for two weeks.


죄송합니다. 요청하신 페이지는 찾을 수 없습니다.

Cheonan (Cheonan-si) is a city located in the northeast corner of South Chungcheong, a province of South Korea, and is 83.6 km south of the capital, Seoul[1].

City Tree : Weeping willow
City Flower : Golden bell flower
City Bird : Dove
City Animal : Dragon

The city has been designated the high tech headquarters for Korea. A number of colleges and universities are located there.


Believe it or not, there are American geocachers living in Cheonan! In their photo, they certainly look like typical geocachers. What a hoot!

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM76G7



Geocaching Korea - Cheonan, Korea
in Geocaching Tour Guides
Posted by: silverquill
N 36° 47.816 E 127° 07.217
52S E 332297 N 4073993
Quick Description: Come geocache in the "Land of the Morning Calm!" It can be a confusing place at first, but we can show you how to get around and visit caches on your route. We live in Cheonan, only an hour from Seoul or the Incheon Airport.


Bon Voyage, Tom. I hope it's a pleasant visit including success with your clients!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Homecoming and 50th Class Reunion




Dick's 50th Class Reunion was well planned and very enjoyable.



The Alumni Association provided super easy access, which I really appreciated. I took a complimentary shuttle bus from the Marriott to the Oosterbaan Fieldhouse - door ro door service! Dick parked the car in our regular space and walked over - he got there before I did. The food was good, and we were entertained by the cheerleaders, the men's glee club, and Jim Brandstatter.



The only negative was that the sound system was way too loud. Afterwards, we took a shuttle to the stadium, and by a lucky fluke we were able to get off right by our gate!

Our team made many, many crucial mistakes, and showed a disturbing lack of pass defense. We were extremely lucky to pull out a victory in the final minutes again. This team is very hard on the fans! We have to sweat it out to the very end.

Michigan Rallies for Homecoming Victory Over Hoosiers

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #23 Michigan 36, Indiana 33
Records: U-M (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten), Indiana (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 108,118
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Oct. 3 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After freshman quarterback Tate Forcier found sophomore slot receiver Martavious Odoms for a 26-yard touchdown with 2:29 remaining, junior cornerback Donovan Warren picked off an Indiana pass at the Hoosiers' 30-yard line with 2:14 left to seal a 36-33 homecoming victory for the University of Michigan football team on Saturday (Sept. 26) at Michigan Stadium. Forcier pushed the Wolverines 52 yards down the field during the winning drive, rushing five yards for a first down and later completing a 26-yard pass to Odoms for the go-ahead score.


Interesting sidelight - for the last two games there have been men on top of the structure with binoculars and spotting scopes watching the area around the stadium. They were all dressed in black, and stood there for hours with their eyes glued to their lenses. We assume it was an anti-terrorism measure. We wonder what would happen if they should spot any terrorist activity - an orderly evacuation of the stadium? Yeah, right! We think this action is related to the recent indictment of the man from Denver who supposedly had a plan for a bombing somewhere. It's kind of a weird feeling to see them up there all through the game.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Snider Steaks

Hooray! Steak dinner and a movie! (Or a BHS football game.)

Bill manned the grill, Jan made the potato salad, and it was delicious.



After dinner, Jan and I went to Emagine and saw Love Happens, with Jennifer Anniston. It was only OK - she's cute, the male lead wasn't. (Aaron Eckhardt) I just couldn't warm up to him - his character was a phony and a hypocrit, and I couldn't get past that. The storyline was a little weak, too. Plus I hate that whole walking on hot coals concept.

Dick and Bill went to the Belleville vs. Romulus game, and saw Belleville enjoy a rare victory! Here's a blurry picture of Randy, Bill, and Tom F.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Dundee Has Been Done!

Rain is predicted for Saturday's Homecoming game against Indiana. My rain jacket is hanging on the back of a chair in the dining room in T.C. We have emergency ponchos, but they don't breathe, and so they stick to your skin over time - really only good for emergencies, as the name implies. One of our missions today was to find some good rain protection for me. Dick had the good sense to bring his rain jacket!

Our first stop was on campus to pick up our packet for Dick's 50th Anniversary Homecoming Tailgate on Saturday. (Class of '59) We each have a lanyard with our nametags, a Univ. of Mich. tote bag and a packet of information about the reunion.

Target was next - we bought a good quality poncho so I would be covered (literally) in the rain even if we couldn't find a jacket.

We geocached our way south in the general direction of Cabela's in Dundee. If anybody would have a jacket, they certainly would!

We passed through Milan, and stopped to take a picture of Grandma Kanitz's house. It looks well-maintained and nicely landscaped.


Dick found a series of caches called "Where's Bob?" which took us down great country roads past lovely farms. It was a fun series - it used a variety of container types.

It was after noon by the time we got to Dundee, so we had lunch first at Applebee's. Then off to the wonder of Cabela's. As I pushed my cart around a corner, I saw a sign saying "30% off all rainwear in stock". Oh yeah, we came to the right place! I found the perfect jacket.

Well, OK, it is lime green, but it fits, it has huge pockets and a great hood - I'm very happy!

Cabela's has impressive displays of animals in their natural habitats. It's interesting and fun to see them. Dick photographed everything! The fish photos didn't turn out so well.








Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Breakfast at the Barrel

We met Dan at the Belleville Cracker Barrel for a great breakfast. It was very much fun to catch up with him and to see him doing so well in spite of his serious health problems. He keeps busy with the BHS football team and weekly golf games. We both admire his "can do" spirit. Good breakfast and good company.


An employee offered to snap all three of us together - it's a bit blurry, but here we are.

We photographed two of our previous homes just for the heck of it while we were driving around the Belleville area. This one is our first Belleville home, right in town. Our apartment was on the ground floor left. We lived there from June, 1957 until the fall of 1960. Lydells lived above us for a while, and then Thibaudeaus moved in. Thibaudeaus were much more fun! Mrs. Mitchell lived across the hall. She would knock on our door periodically with plates of muffins.

Here's our second home, in Quirk Sub. This is where we lived when Laurie was born.
We lived here from the fall of 1960 until the fall of 1962. Dick came down with the mumps in this house. and was on the couch with orders not to move during the time when Laurie took her first steps! Steinhauers lived next door. They had twin boys and a young one named Karl who was just about Laurie's age. They were good playmates for her. This house had a really big backyard - long and narrow.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Dick's B-Day


Happy Birthday dear Richard!

For his special day, Dick wanted to go geocaching and exploring in the downriver area.
Around 8:30 a.m. we set out in the general direction of Flat Rock. Altogether we visited Belleville, New Boston, Flat Rock Rock wood, South Rockwood, Trenton. etc., etc.

All in all, 13 caches were found by the intrepid cache-master - he's a natural.

Lunchtime found us in the Trenton area. Gave Nuvi the hint that we were ready to eat, and she led us directly to George's Family Restaurant. Wow. Good service, homestyle good food, low prices - it was the perfect birthday lunch. The only things missing were cake, ice cream, and singing waitstaff. We loved it.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Jana's B-Day


(I picked this image from the 18 million google birthday images because I think it looks a little like Angelina!) I'll bet your kitties would really like Angelina!

Happy Birthday, dear Jana, Happy Birthday to you!!!!

Enjoyed our phone conversation - I think the highlight was the story of our Dancin' Dylan! Who could have guessed that he would be the Beau of the Ball ?!?

Sunday, September 20, 2009

45th Kanitz Reunion


The 45th Kanitz Reunion was held once again in the Tri-County Sportsmen's League in Saline. This year's attendance was 111. Jim, Dick and I were the representatives of our branch of the family.
Here I am giving my brother an earful.


Who's in charge next year?? OMG!!


Well I guess we got over it - we'll be in charge next year. Holy Moly!


Crowd shot



The groaning board - the food was as abundant as ever.


Dick at the dessert table in the yellow shirt. He had his choice of everything chocolate.


Jim went back for seconds - photographic evidence!


My first cousin Ron - the highlight of the business meeting. He is 85 years old - so hard to believe!


My first cousin Loyola and her husband Duane. There were 6 first cousins there altogether - Ron, Wayne, Loyola, Rex, Jim and I. Originally, there were 27 of us.


The younger set - it looks as though the Kanitz name will live on for a while yet!


Factoid: Jack's son Jeremy (1st cousin once removed) got back from Iraq 4 months ago. He said it wasn't that bad if you like adrenalin at night.

Quote: Linda (1st cousin once removed) said, "I've never seen a Kanitz that wasn't good looking!"

Joke: Cousin Ron recited an inspirational poem. He said it was by Helen Hunt. He said,"If you want a copy you can go to Helen Hunt for it." He broke the place up!

Relief: We had several offers of assistance to help with setting up next year's reunion. It's hard for Jim and me since we live far away and don't have much family nearby to pitch in. Plus the 3 of us are all in our 70s and not as spry as we once were!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

M vs. EMU

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: #25 Michigan 45, Eastern Michigan 17
Records: U-M (3-0), Eastern Michigan (0-3)
Attendance: 107,903
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Sept. 26 -- vs. Indiana (Michigan Stadium), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After a closely-contested first half, the No. 25-ranked University of Michigan football team posted a 21-0 second-half scoring advantage to defeat Eastern Michigan, 45-17, on Saturday (Sept. 19) at Michigan Stadium. Michigan's strong running game paved the way in the victory, U-M's 875th all-time, with a total of 380 yards on the ground.


Dick said we couldn't lose either way because we each have degrees from both schools (BA from Uof M, MA+ from EMU), but you know he didn't really mean it!

We came, we saw, we enjoyed.

Justin and Emily came and used our two extra tickets.


Justin bought this cap for his baby Braylon, who is now 5 weeks old.








Just an ordinary Saturday:
The number of people who were arrested on charges of being a minor in possession of alcohol or who needed medical assistance during Saturday's University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University football game was on par with other games, despite the cross-county rivalry, University of Michigan police said.

The announced attendance at Michigan Stadium was 107,903.

According to Diane Brown, public information officer for University of Michigan police:
# Seven people were arrested on charges of being a minor in possession of alcohol.

# Ten people received citations, nine for alcohol in the stadium and one for illegal sales of tickets.

# Twenty-three people were ejected from the game, 20 for violating stadium rules and three for disorderly conduct.

# Emergency medical treatment was required for 61 people, 13 of whom were transported to the hospital.


For some reaon we were exhausted afterwards - more so than the last 2 games. Maybe sitting in the noonday sun takes more out of you than sitting in the 3:30 sun.

We collapsed at home and watched the fantastic State game, which was fantastic right up until the final score - a good game with an unfortunate outcome.

We had pizza, did some laundry, got 5 achievements on WoW and went to bed - yawn!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Our Week That Was

Dick went to visit with Dick D. at his home. They had lunch with homemade bread and lots of conversation. Jan and I met at Showcase Cinema and saw All About Steve with Sandra Bullock. Don't bother! It had its cute moments, and was mildly entertaining, but generally, it was just Bullock being way too goofy. We went out to lunch at Red Robin - good food and lots of fun talking.

The bad experience of the week was being backed into in the Meijer parking lot. Meemic was very understanding and we'll have the poor Rav repaired when we get back to T.C.



On one of our geocaching expeditions, Dick inadvertently left his roll of stickers in a cache. He logged what he had done, and the cache owner went out and retrieved the stickers and left them for us in an easily accessible place. We had fun going back to look for the stickers, and Dick left him one of our coins as a thank you. One of the joys of geocaching is that 95% of cachers are friendly, helpful, and thoughtful.

One of the joys of Ann Arbor is having lunch at Zingerman's Roadhouse. I loved the salad and the side of mac and cheese - the best thing I've ever tasted! Well, maybe.



Friday, Tim and Susie were in Ann Arbor. We went to meet up with them to say hi. Here they are with Tim's Dad, squinting into the late summer sun.