Kathee called at 9:30 this morning to ask Dick to come in and substitute at the Visitor Center. He was gone in a flash. He loves the Visitor Center!
I prepared the next installment of Family Tree books for the mail, and went into town to do errands - post office, UPS Store, bank, dry cleaners, Copy Shop.
No Parking signs have been put up all along the TBAYS Soccer Fields - it looks terrible. They used the orange plastic storm fence that always looks so bad along the Parkway during the Cherry Festival. It will be effective in preventing parking, but it looks ugly and very temporary. They'd better remove it before the first snow plow roars past.
In the afternoon, we went shopping at Glenvo's in the middle of the quitting time traffic - the detour makes it so much easier! I hope the new intersection will make it easier too, when it's finished.
We are dreading the game tomorrow - U of M vs. MSU. State has already scored 14,694 points this season (well, it seems like it) while we appear to have given up offense this year. We bought comfort food at Glenvo's just in case we lose our appetites tomorrow. Go Blue.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Odawa
Dick went to the dentist this morning and while he was there I went to the Copy Shop and picked up the next batch of books, went to the UPS Store and had them bundled up for shipping, then back to the dentist to meet with Dick, and we were off to Petoskey.
Dick made a MMAP presentation to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians at their beautiful complex in Petoskey. (See link above)
Lunch at La Senorita, and home.
Dick made a MMAP presentation to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians at their beautiful complex in Petoskey. (See link above)
Lunch at La Senorita, and home.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Pie
Dick had all day training at the Agency today. He has to learn how to help people decide which Medicare drug plan to sign up for. It doesn't go into effect until Nov. 15, but they're preparing now for a barrage of questions and confusion. Tomorrow we're driving to Petoskey so he can make a presentation to the Petoskey Band of Odawa Indians.
I had lunch at Scot's Harbor Grill with cousins Ken and Bev Block from Grand Rapids They were in town to have their RV repaired at TCRV. After lunch we visited Mother, so they had a chance to see Concord Place.
When Dick got home, he tried to take a nap, but it didn't work, so he mowed the entire yard. Good timing, too, because now it's raining hard.
At 6:30 I was back up at Concord Place. It was a coffee and pie party. There were many varieties of pie, and approx. 30 attendees. Mother had a good time. She talked to Leona Lather, and Thelma, and a couple of others. As much as she protests, I think she really treasures the times when she can talk to the other residents. She was thrilled that Thelma said she would come and visit.
I had lunch at Scot's Harbor Grill with cousins Ken and Bev Block from Grand Rapids They were in town to have their RV repaired at TCRV. After lunch we visited Mother, so they had a chance to see Concord Place.
When Dick got home, he tried to take a nap, but it didn't work, so he mowed the entire yard. Good timing, too, because now it's raining hard.
At 6:30 I was back up at Concord Place. It was a coffee and pie party. There were many varieties of pie, and approx. 30 attendees. Mother had a good time. She talked to Leona Lather, and Thelma, and a couple of others. As much as she protests, I think she really treasures the times when she can talk to the other residents. She was thrilled that Thelma said she would come and visit.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Jiggety Jig
We are home again. Hooray! The mail is sorted, the first load of laundry is in the machine, the car is unloaded, the phone messages have been deleted...it's good to be here.
We drove into town to pick up the mail, so we had to do the Subaru Cruise - down Front Street, along the Bay, through the marina, etc. It's all still there.
But if you leave town for a week you have to expect some changes. At the one-lane bridge on Cass Street, there is now a traffic signal. There is also a traffic signal at the intersection of Keystone and Cass. Can't leave this place for a minute, or something will change.
Welcome Home to Us!
We drove into town to pick up the mail, so we had to do the Subaru Cruise - down Front Street, along the Bay, through the marina, etc. It's all still there.
But if you leave town for a week you have to expect some changes. At the one-lane bridge on Cass Street, there is now a traffic signal. There is also a traffic signal at the intersection of Keystone and Cass. Can't leave this place for a minute, or something will change.
Welcome Home to Us!
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Not the Best
Not every day can be perfect. Into each reign a little life must fall.
We were heading out of town and taking Jana to CQ to pick up her car when we were stopped dead in our tracks by street closings. It seems that today V.P. Cheney was returning home from the hospital after knee surgery, and so the rest of us had to sit and wait and wait and wait - until finally an intelligent officer showed up and allowed us all to go straight (we had wanted to make a right turn). So finally we were underway again. Whew! How frustrating that is.
We took Wisconsin Ave. straight out of town, entered Maryland, and were on our way - heading for Youngstown, Ohio. Everything went well and was totally uneventful until we reached Youngstown. Then we got a little lost, overshot our exit, and were too far past Youngstown - past the point of no return. I called and cancelled our room for the night, and then Dick reserved a room in Fremont, Ohio - in the same Comfort Inn we stayed in a week ago. It added an extra hour and a half to our trip, but that means we'll be able to get home by tomorrow night.
About 20 minutes from Fremont, the rain started. It was a light rain at first and then got really heavy - to the point where drivers were pulling over. Luckily we were right by our exit, and were soon in our cozy motel room.
Jana said...
Well naturally, any day you say goodbye to ME would be an anticlimax.
We had the singular misfortune to run into the most power-mad police officer on the force, blocking the intersection of M and 22nd.
Especially if it *was* Cheney. They don't block streets for Cheney's motorcade -- the presidential motorcade is the only one streets are blocked for. But, even if it was the president, this cop was overdoing things arbitrarily at this one intersection.
Once Mom and Dad dropped me off and went along their alternate route out of town, I had no problem whatsoever getting home. I turned out of the CQ garage onto 22nd about 10 yards from where powermad cop was enjoying the gridlock he had created, drove home along the route he was blocking and didn't even *see* another motorcycle cop or not-so-secret-service squad car, much less have my way be blocked by one.
We were heading out of town and taking Jana to CQ to pick up her car when we were stopped dead in our tracks by street closings. It seems that today V.P. Cheney was returning home from the hospital after knee surgery, and so the rest of us had to sit and wait and wait and wait - until finally an intelligent officer showed up and allowed us all to go straight (we had wanted to make a right turn). So finally we were underway again. Whew! How frustrating that is.
We took Wisconsin Ave. straight out of town, entered Maryland, and were on our way - heading for Youngstown, Ohio. Everything went well and was totally uneventful until we reached Youngstown. Then we got a little lost, overshot our exit, and were too far past Youngstown - past the point of no return. I called and cancelled our room for the night, and then Dick reserved a room in Fremont, Ohio - in the same Comfort Inn we stayed in a week ago. It added an extra hour and a half to our trip, but that means we'll be able to get home by tomorrow night.
About 20 minutes from Fremont, the rain started. It was a light rain at first and then got really heavy - to the point where drivers were pulling over. Luckily we were right by our exit, and were soon in our cozy motel room.
Jana said...
Well naturally, any day you say goodbye to ME would be an anticlimax.
We had the singular misfortune to run into the most power-mad police officer on the force, blocking the intersection of M and 22nd.
Especially if it *was* Cheney. They don't block streets for Cheney's motorcade -- the presidential motorcade is the only one streets are blocked for. But, even if it was the president, this cop was overdoing things arbitrarily at this one intersection.
Once Mom and Dad dropped me off and went along their alternate route out of town, I had no problem whatsoever getting home. I turned out of the CQ garage onto 22nd about 10 yards from where powermad cop was enjoying the gridlock he had created, drove home along the route he was blocking and didn't even *see* another motorcycle cop or not-so-secret-service squad car, much less have my way be blocked by one.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Best Adventure Day
This was a terrific day for adventuring in the D.C. area because we had our own private chauffeur. Jana isn't working this weekend - so we could all go adventuring together.
We started out at the Secret Garden cache which was a community garden in the middle of Rock Creek Park extension. I waited in the car while they went strolling down the path to find the cache. It was a very nice neighborhood for waiting.
Then we stopped in at CQ to use the bathroom and shower because Jana had walked through some poison ivy in her sandals and wanted to scrub her ankles.
Did I mention what a beautiful building CQ has? It was quite unusual to have our own private facilities right there in the heart of D.C. We had the building to ourselves, with the exception of Carlos, who seems always to be there.
We purposely avoided the mall area today because there's a huge anti-war protest going on there today. I saw one woman heading in that direction with a fluorescent green sign that said, "It's the incompetency, stupid!"
Driving through Georgetown we were lucky enough to find a parking place smack dab in front of Johnny Rocket's Original Hamburger. There are many, many eating establishments there, and we had decided that we would eat wherever we could find a parking place. We felt extremely lucky! Our waiter was Ijaz, from Pakistan. You just have to love D.C.
Next, we went across the bridge to Arlington, Virginia to find a cache called No Bricks in this Wall. It turned out to be a section of the Berlin Wall displayed in the Freedom Park. It's a small but important display, and we were all surprised to learn that a piece of the wall is in this area.
The Freedom Park is unique - we saw a statue from Tianamen Square, a toppled headless statue of Lenin, a ballot bin from South Africa, and cobblestones from the Warsaw ghetto in 1943. The Freedom Park is located at the Newseum in Arlington. We listen every day to NPR and often their shows originate from the Newseum. It was very enjoyable to see it and to walk around a bit in the Freedom Park.
By the way, on this trip we saw the NPR building in downtown Washington - the Bank of America was on the ground floor, and NPR in the rest of the building.
Dick and Jana also found the Dark Star Cache.
There was a virtual cache at the Iwo Jima Memorial, which is right next to Arlington National Cemetery, but it was difficult for us to locate the entrance. Once you get on the correct street, there are plenty of signs thank goodness. It's a beautiful big monument - a statue of the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima photograph from WWII.
We didn't claim the cache because the other stages were over by the mall, and that's what we were trying to avoid.
For the U of M vs. Wisconsin game, we went to Tommy Joe's in Bethesda. There we met Spank, Nico, and Jared. We called Tom right before the kick-off and passed the phone around so everyone had a chance to talk to him. The food was good, the company was excellent, but the game was a huge disappointment.
This from mgoblue.com:
Wisconsin's John Stocco scored on quarterback draw with 24 seconds left in the game to give the Badgers a 23-30 win over the No. 14 U-M football team Saturday, Sept. 24, in Madison, Wis. The loss snapped Michigan's 23-game winning streak in conference openers. After Wisconsin scored 13 unanswered points to go up 16-13, Chad Henne found Mario Manningham on a 49-yard flea flicker to give U-M a 20-16 edge with 9:03 remaining in the game. The Wolverines head to Michigan State next week for a noon kickoff on ABC.
Added by Jana:
Anyway, this was a very fun day. My Dad and I had a nice walk in the woods to the garden, it went through a dog playground with lots of happy dogs running around and nipping at each other. 3 of them came up to us, my favorite was a little guy with doberman coloring that looked out of place on his little wriggly body.
I got to show Mom and Dad the Methodist church in Rosslyn that has a gas station in it. I was really excited about the berlin wall sections -- I didn't know that was there at all.
It was a great visit on my end, I hope it won't be long 'til Mom and Dad come back, there's so much else to see! The FDR and WWII memorials, the Japanese-American WWII memorial, the Museum of the American Indian, and like 8,947 caches! Have a safe and fun trip home!!
We started out at the Secret Garden cache which was a community garden in the middle of Rock Creek Park extension. I waited in the car while they went strolling down the path to find the cache. It was a very nice neighborhood for waiting.
Then we stopped in at CQ to use the bathroom and shower because Jana had walked through some poison ivy in her sandals and wanted to scrub her ankles.
Did I mention what a beautiful building CQ has? It was quite unusual to have our own private facilities right there in the heart of D.C. We had the building to ourselves, with the exception of Carlos, who seems always to be there.
We purposely avoided the mall area today because there's a huge anti-war protest going on there today. I saw one woman heading in that direction with a fluorescent green sign that said, "It's the incompetency, stupid!"
Driving through Georgetown we were lucky enough to find a parking place smack dab in front of Johnny Rocket's Original Hamburger. There are many, many eating establishments there, and we had decided that we would eat wherever we could find a parking place. We felt extremely lucky! Our waiter was Ijaz, from Pakistan. You just have to love D.C.
Next, we went across the bridge to Arlington, Virginia to find a cache called No Bricks in this Wall. It turned out to be a section of the Berlin Wall displayed in the Freedom Park. It's a small but important display, and we were all surprised to learn that a piece of the wall is in this area.
The Freedom Park is unique - we saw a statue from Tianamen Square, a toppled headless statue of Lenin, a ballot bin from South Africa, and cobblestones from the Warsaw ghetto in 1943. The Freedom Park is located at the Newseum in Arlington. We listen every day to NPR and often their shows originate from the Newseum. It was very enjoyable to see it and to walk around a bit in the Freedom Park.
By the way, on this trip we saw the NPR building in downtown Washington - the Bank of America was on the ground floor, and NPR in the rest of the building.
Dick and Jana also found the Dark Star Cache.
There was a virtual cache at the Iwo Jima Memorial, which is right next to Arlington National Cemetery, but it was difficult for us to locate the entrance. Once you get on the correct street, there are plenty of signs thank goodness. It's a beautiful big monument - a statue of the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima photograph from WWII.
We didn't claim the cache because the other stages were over by the mall, and that's what we were trying to avoid.
For the U of M vs. Wisconsin game, we went to Tommy Joe's in Bethesda. There we met Spank, Nico, and Jared. We called Tom right before the kick-off and passed the phone around so everyone had a chance to talk to him. The food was good, the company was excellent, but the game was a huge disappointment.
This from mgoblue.com:
Wisconsin's John Stocco scored on quarterback draw with 24 seconds left in the game to give the Badgers a 23-30 win over the No. 14 U-M football team Saturday, Sept. 24, in Madison, Wis. The loss snapped Michigan's 23-game winning streak in conference openers. After Wisconsin scored 13 unanswered points to go up 16-13, Chad Henne found Mario Manningham on a 49-yard flea flicker to give U-M a 20-16 edge with 9:03 remaining in the game. The Wolverines head to Michigan State next week for a noon kickoff on ABC.
Added by Jana:
Anyway, this was a very fun day. My Dad and I had a nice walk in the woods to the garden, it went through a dog playground with lots of happy dogs running around and nipping at each other. 3 of them came up to us, my favorite was a little guy with doberman coloring that looked out of place on his little wriggly body.
I got to show Mom and Dad the Methodist church in Rosslyn that has a gas station in it. I was really excited about the berlin wall sections -- I didn't know that was there at all.
It was a great visit on my end, I hope it won't be long 'til Mom and Dad come back, there's so much else to see! The FDR and WWII memorials, the Japanese-American WWII memorial, the Museum of the American Indian, and like 8,947 caches! Have a safe and fun trip home!!
Friday, September 23, 2005
Let There Be Light
Jana had to go to work today - so Dick started working to install Jana's new motion-detector security light by the back door. It only took 5 hours, and 2 trips to Home Depot (we didn't get lost)! Now the light is installed, but a prowler would have to jump up and down and wave furiously at it to make it light up. It's a little bit too high.
We drove to DuPont Circle to do a virtual cache - it was a fascinating labyrinth at the ruins of a church that was burned down by arson. We met a fellow geo-cacher, nando0126, there. He is from New York, and the labyrinth was his 20th cache of the day. (See link above)
Later on, we drove to CQ (again we didn't get lost - brag brag). We picked up Jana and went out to dinner at Mimi's - what a great place. They have live entertainment - piano and vocals by the wait staff - very enjoyable. Dick had paella for the first time. He raved about the paella, and said that the calamari in particular was very tender and tasty.
It was fun driving through D.C. at night - a rare treat.
We drove to DuPont Circle to do a virtual cache - it was a fascinating labyrinth at the ruins of a church that was burned down by arson. We met a fellow geo-cacher, nando0126, there. He is from New York, and the labyrinth was his 20th cache of the day. (See link above)
Later on, we drove to CQ (again we didn't get lost - brag brag). We picked up Jana and went out to dinner at Mimi's - what a great place. They have live entertainment - piano and vocals by the wait staff - very enjoyable. Dick had paella for the first time. He raved about the paella, and said that the calamari in particular was very tender and tasty.
It was fun driving through D.C. at night - a rare treat.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Dick Richard's B-Day
To celebrate Dick's birthday, we did a little bit of work, followed by our very own Taste of Washington.
Jana's office is being moved tomorrow - through the loading dock, across the alley, up a hill to the Warren Building. It's a great little space for Jana and her group of approx. 13 - but her office is not nearly as spectacular as the former one. But - it's a corner office with 2 big windows, so it should be bright and airy. She may have trouble finding room for all of her things in there, but she can take her time getting organized. Everyone is moving, so the 2nd floor of CQ was a beehive of activity today.
We got a chance to meet Hank, Kit, George, Jeff, Yee Ling, Blendi, Betty, and Jimmy Johnson. The three of us worked on packing things into plastic packing crates - poor Jana was pelted with decisions - do you want this? Is this a pitch or a keeper ... you know how that is.
She brought a lot of things home, too. And we got some good cache trade items!
We had a late lunch at Meiwah, which is a terrific Chinese restaurant quite near CQ. We could just walk over there. The building it's in is beautiful - and it had massive wooden doors - quite unusual. The sweet and sour pork was excellent! I felt
very metropolitan. It was very far from the Hard Luck Cafe!
We drove around the mall area, and scouted out places to visit and places to park, etc. There are always tons of tourists in D.C. Right now the city is preparing for a big anti-war protest this weekend. From the car we saw the WWII memorial, the Jefferson, Viet Nam Memorial, and the castle of the Smithsonian. Tomorrow while Jana's at work, Dick and I will come back and do some caching.
After some TV watching, a nap, and some conversation we were off to get Dick some Tanqueray for his birthday. It was another really fascinating drive around the District. This time we drove through Georgetown - a lovely area. We went to Pearson's for the gin, and Rockland's for some ribs to take home for dinner. Rockland's appears to be quite popular and famous.
The ribs were delicious. The cake and ice cream weren't bad either. Happy Birthday Dick!
JANA said:
Yeah, it was, "Happy Birthday Daddy! Clean my office!" I would feel worse about it if I weren't *so* very grateful for the assistance! I don't know how I could have gotten it done otherwise.
Now I am in my new office, staring at my nine crates. My favorite, of course, is the one that is labeled "7 of 9."
Everyone has been telling me all day how great my parents are. But then, I already knew that. :)
Jana's office is being moved tomorrow - through the loading dock, across the alley, up a hill to the Warren Building. It's a great little space for Jana and her group of approx. 13 - but her office is not nearly as spectacular as the former one. But - it's a corner office with 2 big windows, so it should be bright and airy. She may have trouble finding room for all of her things in there, but she can take her time getting organized. Everyone is moving, so the 2nd floor of CQ was a beehive of activity today.
We got a chance to meet Hank, Kit, George, Jeff, Yee Ling, Blendi, Betty, and Jimmy Johnson. The three of us worked on packing things into plastic packing crates - poor Jana was pelted with decisions - do you want this? Is this a pitch or a keeper ... you know how that is.
She brought a lot of things home, too. And we got some good cache trade items!
We had a late lunch at Meiwah, which is a terrific Chinese restaurant quite near CQ. We could just walk over there. The building it's in is beautiful - and it had massive wooden doors - quite unusual. The sweet and sour pork was excellent! I felt
very metropolitan. It was very far from the Hard Luck Cafe!
We drove around the mall area, and scouted out places to visit and places to park, etc. There are always tons of tourists in D.C. Right now the city is preparing for a big anti-war protest this weekend. From the car we saw the WWII memorial, the Jefferson, Viet Nam Memorial, and the castle of the Smithsonian. Tomorrow while Jana's at work, Dick and I will come back and do some caching.
After some TV watching, a nap, and some conversation we were off to get Dick some Tanqueray for his birthday. It was another really fascinating drive around the District. This time we drove through Georgetown - a lovely area. We went to Pearson's for the gin, and Rockland's for some ribs to take home for dinner. Rockland's appears to be quite popular and famous.
The ribs were delicious. The cake and ice cream weren't bad either. Happy Birthday Dick!
JANA said:
Yeah, it was, "Happy Birthday Daddy! Clean my office!" I would feel worse about it if I weren't *so* very grateful for the assistance! I don't know how I could have gotten it done otherwise.
Now I am in my new office, staring at my nine crates. My favorite, of course, is the one that is labeled "7 of 9."
Everyone has been telling me all day how great my parents are. But then, I already knew that. :)
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Happy Birthday Jana!
Frederick, Maryland to Washington D.C.
It takes only a little over an hour to drive from Frederick to Jana's house. The last 9 minutes was the most fun, because we had Jana on the phone telling us where to turn, and when we turned onto her block she was standing on the front porch waving.
We had a birthday lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street. I've wanted to go there ever since Jana moved to this neighborhood. It's a chili dog place where Bill Cosby used to take his wife when they were dating, and it was yummy.
Jana took us on a scenic drive of D.C. - we saw embassies, and really really upscale neighborhoods. We saw where the Cheney's live. Whoop Whoop. The Finnish embassy is kind of an architectural mystery - a kind of greenish, metal framework type of a thing. Yuck. Turkey is remodeling its embassy - it's a beautiful old building - hope they don't change it too much. The U.K. has a huge embassy - I think it takes up a full city block.
We went by Jana's old neighborhoods - the Adams-Morgan area where she lived on Kalorama, and the National Cathedral area where she lived on Mass. Ave. It was very much fun.
Jana had 3 tickets from CQ for the Nationals/Giants game at RFK Stadium. The parking was great, the seats were great, and the weather was perfect. The game was really beautiful under the lights - and they do a lot of fun graphics on the jumbo-tron and on other areas around the edges. It's loud, and bright, and colorful, and fun. After each inning they do something special, like shooting T-shirts up into the crowd.
Because it was D.C., and because we were only 12 rows behind the box seats, we saw some celebrities - first was James Carville, soon joined by Tim Russert. Then, around the 6th inning, Jesse Jackson walked in. Eventually, he went over and sat with the other two.
Barry Bonds plays for the Giants, and he got cheered (or booed) no matter what he did. When he hit a homerun, the crowd really got excited and cheered loudly. When he stepped up to the plate, he was roundly booed. When he struck out, he heard loud cheers again.
We are about ready to have cake and ice cream for Jana's b-day. We'll have the rest of it tomorrow for Dick's b-day!
This was a most happy day.
JANA said...
This is the most excellent birthday I have had in 9 years -- which is the last time my parents were here for my birthday!
I never would have predicted I would become a baseball fan, but I love having the Nats in DC. Vinnie Castilla is my favorite -- he hit a double, but I was getting my Mom a sausage. That's love.
10:33 PM
It takes only a little over an hour to drive from Frederick to Jana's house. The last 9 minutes was the most fun, because we had Jana on the phone telling us where to turn, and when we turned onto her block she was standing on the front porch waving.
We had a birthday lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street. I've wanted to go there ever since Jana moved to this neighborhood. It's a chili dog place where Bill Cosby used to take his wife when they were dating, and it was yummy.
Jana took us on a scenic drive of D.C. - we saw embassies, and really really upscale neighborhoods. We saw where the Cheney's live. Whoop Whoop. The Finnish embassy is kind of an architectural mystery - a kind of greenish, metal framework type of a thing. Yuck. Turkey is remodeling its embassy - it's a beautiful old building - hope they don't change it too much. The U.K. has a huge embassy - I think it takes up a full city block.
We went by Jana's old neighborhoods - the Adams-Morgan area where she lived on Kalorama, and the National Cathedral area where she lived on Mass. Ave. It was very much fun.
Jana had 3 tickets from CQ for the Nationals/Giants game at RFK Stadium. The parking was great, the seats were great, and the weather was perfect. The game was really beautiful under the lights - and they do a lot of fun graphics on the jumbo-tron and on other areas around the edges. It's loud, and bright, and colorful, and fun. After each inning they do something special, like shooting T-shirts up into the crowd.
Because it was D.C., and because we were only 12 rows behind the box seats, we saw some celebrities - first was James Carville, soon joined by Tim Russert. Then, around the 6th inning, Jesse Jackson walked in. Eventually, he went over and sat with the other two.
Barry Bonds plays for the Giants, and he got cheered (or booed) no matter what he did. When he hit a homerun, the crowd really got excited and cheered loudly. When he stepped up to the plate, he was roundly booed. When he struck out, he heard loud cheers again.
We are about ready to have cake and ice cream for Jana's b-day. We'll have the rest of it tomorrow for Dick's b-day!
This was a most happy day.
JANA said...
This is the most excellent birthday I have had in 9 years -- which is the last time my parents were here for my birthday!
I never would have predicted I would become a baseball fan, but I love having the Nats in DC. Vinnie Castilla is my favorite -- he hit a double, but I was getting my Mom a sausage. That's love.
10:33 PM
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
The Subaru Went Over the Mountain
Clearfield, Pennsylvania to Frederick, Maryland (via the back roads).
Near Clearfield is the Continental Divide east of the Mississippi. It was a cache site. Now we have been to both of the Continental Divides. We saw the beginning of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
We drove through many tiny Pennsylvania towns in the mountains. It was enjoyable to see the Penn State campus at State College. We did a cache in the parking lot for Beaver Stadium - It was so far away from the stadium, I couldn't believe it.
We did another cache right outside the stadium - it was a statue of Joe Paterno. We took a picture of Joe's statue wearing Dick's M hat.
Their stadium is very high - lots of climbing involved. Penn State fans must be really buff to walk up and down mountains from the parking lot and then climb all those stairs. Cheesh. We visited the Alumni Garden on the campus - very nice indeed. It's a big, beautiful campus.
After State College, we headed for Frederick, staying off the Interstate. We saw the home of Memorial Day (Boalsburg), the home of Nellie Fox, baseball Hall of Famer, interesting place names such as Hemlock Hollow and Burnt Cabins. We drove up and down mountains and through valleys. Some of the mountain roads are so steep that the truckers have to go 20 mph. We were caught up in a monumental traffic tie-up on a mountain road under construction- all kinds of unusual experiences.
We're pooped - it seemed like a long day - but we had a great time. Did one cache here in Frederick before tucking in just so we can say we did a cache in Maryland.
Near Clearfield is the Continental Divide east of the Mississippi. It was a cache site. Now we have been to both of the Continental Divides. We saw the beginning of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
We drove through many tiny Pennsylvania towns in the mountains. It was enjoyable to see the Penn State campus at State College. We did a cache in the parking lot for Beaver Stadium - It was so far away from the stadium, I couldn't believe it.
We did another cache right outside the stadium - it was a statue of Joe Paterno. We took a picture of Joe's statue wearing Dick's M hat.
Their stadium is very high - lots of climbing involved. Penn State fans must be really buff to walk up and down mountains from the parking lot and then climb all those stairs. Cheesh. We visited the Alumni Garden on the campus - very nice indeed. It's a big, beautiful campus.
After State College, we headed for Frederick, staying off the Interstate. We saw the home of Memorial Day (Boalsburg), the home of Nellie Fox, baseball Hall of Famer, interesting place names such as Hemlock Hollow and Burnt Cabins. We drove up and down mountains and through valleys. Some of the mountain roads are so steep that the truckers have to go 20 mph. We were caught up in a monumental traffic tie-up on a mountain road under construction- all kinds of unusual experiences.
We're pooped - it seemed like a long day - but we had a great time. Did one cache here in Frederick before tucking in just so we can say we did a cache in Maryland.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Cruising Through Pennsylvania
Fremont, Ohio to Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Everything is going smoothly. I dozed in the car again today. We listened to Books on Tape: Black Coffee by Agatha Christie.
Now we're into the Allegheny Mountains, and it's definitely not Michigan.
We've been having fun cruising around, visiting small towns, and doing a couple of geo-caches.
Now we're into the Allegheny Mountains, and it's definitely not Michigan.
We've been having fun cruising around, visiting small towns, and doing a couple of geo-caches.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Kanitz Family Reunion
Said good-by to Sniders and left for the Reunion around 11 a.m., after we all had breakfast at Bob Evans.
Took a nostalgic drive down Willis Road to Moon Road, arrived and set up the books and pins. We began handing out the reserved books and collecting the money. It was great meeting all of the cousins that I hadn't really known before, and seeing the cousins whom I had known.
Dan and Pam came with baby Jace. He is such a cutie, and a very good baby. I had so much fun holding him - he is literally a bouncing baby boy. It was good to see Jim, and we enjoyed talking to Pam and getting to know her a little bit better.
It was great fun connecting names with faces (thank goodness for name tags!) After working on the family tree, correcting it repeatedly, proof-reading it over and over, and working on it every day for months, I was really able to remember who was who, and even who their children, grandchildren, and husbands were. It was so much fun!
We left around 4 p.m. and drove to Fremont, checked into the motel, and went geo-caching until around 7:30 (we found 3 - I found 2 out of 3!). Then I said Uncle.
Tomorrow we head for Pennsylvania.
Took a nostalgic drive down Willis Road to Moon Road, arrived and set up the books and pins. We began handing out the reserved books and collecting the money. It was great meeting all of the cousins that I hadn't really known before, and seeing the cousins whom I had known.
Dan and Pam came with baby Jace. He is such a cutie, and a very good baby. I had so much fun holding him - he is literally a bouncing baby boy. It was good to see Jim, and we enjoyed talking to Pam and getting to know her a little bit better.
It was great fun connecting names with faces (thank goodness for name tags!) After working on the family tree, correcting it repeatedly, proof-reading it over and over, and working on it every day for months, I was really able to remember who was who, and even who their children, grandchildren, and husbands were. It was so much fun!
We left around 4 p.m. and drove to Fremont, checked into the motel, and went geo-caching until around 7:30 (we found 3 - I found 2 out of 3!). Then I said Uncle.
Tomorrow we head for Pennsylvania.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Univ. of Mich. vs. EMU
OK, It was a lop-sided match-up. OK, the entire western world knew that Michigan would win. OK, the politically correct people all felt sorry for Eastern because they are probably really nice kids who would have a hard time dealing with such a loss. In spite of all that, it was a MOST enjoyable day for me - despite the drizzle. mgoblue.com called it the Battle for Washtenaw County!
I just loved being there, seeing our stadium friends, watching the game, seeing Michigan doing so well and looking so good, and talking to Holden, who reminds us very much of Dylan.
The half time show was so terrrific. It's the best half-time show since the Blues Brothers and the School of Animal Husbandry thing. It was based on Monty Python and Spamalot and featured the Lumberjack and the Attack Rabbit, The Bridge of Death, and the Bring Out Your Dead golf cart. It involved characters Bucky the Blitzed (Wisc), Sparty the Green (MSU) and Brutus the Nut (OSU). I'm sure that the band intends to repeat this show for all of their road trips. All of those games will be away games this year. What a fantastic idea!
Sorry Eastern - I loved the game, and waved my pompom proudly after every score. ... all 55 points. I loved the whole day. Sue me.
Back at the Canton Condo, we cheered as MSU dominated Notre Dame - thank goodness somebody can beat them even if we can't!
Out to dinner at Mexican Fiesta - home to watch more football.
I just loved being there, seeing our stadium friends, watching the game, seeing Michigan doing so well and looking so good, and talking to Holden, who reminds us very much of Dylan.
The half time show was so terrrific. It's the best half-time show since the Blues Brothers and the School of Animal Husbandry thing. It was based on Monty Python and Spamalot and featured the Lumberjack and the Attack Rabbit, The Bridge of Death, and the Bring Out Your Dead golf cart. It involved characters Bucky the Blitzed (Wisc), Sparty the Green (MSU) and Brutus the Nut (OSU). I'm sure that the band intends to repeat this show for all of their road trips. All of those games will be away games this year. What a fantastic idea!
Sorry Eastern - I loved the game, and waved my pompom proudly after every score. ... all 55 points. I loved the whole day. Sue me.
Back at the Canton Condo, we cheered as MSU dominated Notre Dame - thank goodness somebody can beat them even if we can't!
Out to dinner at Mexican Fiesta - home to watch more football.
Friday, September 16, 2005
My Big, Fat, American Biopsy
At 8:30 a.m., off I went to the luxurious new offices of Dr. Saunders, my dermatologist. I never expected to have a dermatologist, really. But wherever my doctor sends me, I will go.
The dermatologist looked me all over, and I passed every inspection with the exception of the small thing I have on my arm. So he drew a circle in the middle of it with his ballpoint pen, injected my arm with a pain killer, and did a biopsy - removing a chunk of arm about the size of a pencil eraser. He will have the results around the time we return from our trip.
Then we were off on the beginning of our fabulous September road trip to D.C. I don't know if I was just tired, or whether the pain killer injection had an effect on me - but I got groggier and groggier, and slept for over an hour in the car. And after that I still felt groggy. Don't know what was up with that.
We stayed in Sniders' new condo in Canton - which is extremely comfortable - and enjoyed seeing Sniders, who are extremely hospitable. We had pizza from Jet's Pizza (very yummy) and then Dick and Bill went off to watch Belleville lose to Allen Park. Jan and I watched "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding" and had a great time.
Dick said...
What Nan left out was a listing of our mental glitches.
First, just past Kingsley we realized that we had left the tickets back on the bulletin board.
Second, when we arrived in Canton at Jan and Bill's I realized that I had left my shaving kit back on the counter in the bathroom. Jan saved me a trip back to TC by having Dr. Kim phone in a temp supply of meds to the local CVS. I have always said that the reason we cary credit cards is to replace the things we forgot. This trip to CVS racked up $120 +.
Third, when I got dressed for the game I discovered that I had forgotten to pack my game hat. My game hat is an M hat that I only wear to games. I have worn it to every Michigan game that Lloyd has coached. I guess it's not that essential, I wore it to the ND game and not to the EMU fiasco.
The dermatologist looked me all over, and I passed every inspection with the exception of the small thing I have on my arm. So he drew a circle in the middle of it with his ballpoint pen, injected my arm with a pain killer, and did a biopsy - removing a chunk of arm about the size of a pencil eraser. He will have the results around the time we return from our trip.
Then we were off on the beginning of our fabulous September road trip to D.C. I don't know if I was just tired, or whether the pain killer injection had an effect on me - but I got groggier and groggier, and slept for over an hour in the car. And after that I still felt groggy. Don't know what was up with that.
We stayed in Sniders' new condo in Canton - which is extremely comfortable - and enjoyed seeing Sniders, who are extremely hospitable. We had pizza from Jet's Pizza (very yummy) and then Dick and Bill went off to watch Belleville lose to Allen Park. Jan and I watched "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding" and had a great time.
Dick said...
What Nan left out was a listing of our mental glitches.
First, just past Kingsley we realized that we had left the tickets back on the bulletin board.
Second, when we arrived in Canton at Jan and Bill's I realized that I had left my shaving kit back on the counter in the bathroom. Jan saved me a trip back to TC by having Dr. Kim phone in a temp supply of meds to the local CVS. I have always said that the reason we cary credit cards is to replace the things we forgot. This trip to CVS racked up $120 +.
Third, when I got dressed for the game I discovered that I had forgotten to pack my game hat. My game hat is an M hat that I only wear to games. I have worn it to every Michigan game that Lloyd has coached. I guess it's not that essential, I wore it to the ND game and not to the EMU fiasco.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
All Packed
Our little Subaru is pretty much packed up for our big trip. I think we're taking everything we own. When we were young, with 3 kids and a dog, and full time jobs, we used to throw things in the camper and go camping for a week with not much fuss. These days, it takes us a week to get ready to go away for a week. Go figure.
Stopped in to say good-by to Mother - got her some new lotion (Gold Bond) for her itchiness. The beautician was alarmed at how much she has been scratching herself. We discussed Laurie, Chip and Dylan, Mother's assets, Concord Place, a little football, etc. etc. She seems fine - except that she's acting like we're going away for a month instead of a week.
Did some shopping at Meijer, Walmart, and Staples - now we have everything we need. (!)
We hope to hit the road before noon tomorrow. Sniders have been warned!
Stopped in to say good-by to Mother - got her some new lotion (Gold Bond) for her itchiness. The beautician was alarmed at how much she has been scratching herself. We discussed Laurie, Chip and Dylan, Mother's assets, Concord Place, a little football, etc. etc. She seems fine - except that she's acting like we're going away for a month instead of a week.
Did some shopping at Meijer, Walmart, and Staples - now we have everything we need. (!)
We hope to hit the road before noon tomorrow. Sniders have been warned!
"Big Trip"
Hey! We're going to take a trip! It's been years! Since Dad died, we've stuck around to be near Mother, but now that she is comfortably situated, we feel free to wander again!
It starts tomorrow - we'll drive to Sniders and spend two nights. Saturday we go to the University of Michigan/Eastern game, and Sunday is the Kanitz Family Reunion in Saline. I've been looking forward to it because it's the culmination of my Family Tree Project - we're taking 41 books with us, and most of them are reserved already.
Sunday night we'll stay in Fremont, Ohio - Monday night near State College, Pennsylvania (Chip said "Don't forget to get your shots!") - Tuesday night in Frederick, Maryland, and Wednesday - our destination - JANA'S HOUSE in Washington, D.C.
Wednesday is Jana's b-day, and her boss gave us all tickets to the Nationals baseball game - how much fun is that?!? Thursday is Dick's b-day, and he will be allowed to do almost whatever he wants.
Jana wants to show us her new office, which I'm really looking forward to, and
she wants to take us to an Improv performance also. (She's on the Board of WIT, Washington Improv Theater.) And there are dozens of virtual caches in D.C., so we'll never run out of things to do.
We'll most likely leave Sunday morning, September 24 and drive as far as Youngstown, Ohio.
The next night we'll either be home, or stop somewhere around Midland.
We are just about all packed - just last minute items to stick in the suitcase tomorrow morning, and then we're off. Go Blue! Go Nationals!
It starts tomorrow - we'll drive to Sniders and spend two nights. Saturday we go to the University of Michigan/Eastern game, and Sunday is the Kanitz Family Reunion in Saline. I've been looking forward to it because it's the culmination of my Family Tree Project - we're taking 41 books with us, and most of them are reserved already.
Sunday night we'll stay in Fremont, Ohio - Monday night near State College, Pennsylvania (Chip said "Don't forget to get your shots!") - Tuesday night in Frederick, Maryland, and Wednesday - our destination - JANA'S HOUSE in Washington, D.C.
Wednesday is Jana's b-day, and her boss gave us all tickets to the Nationals baseball game - how much fun is that?!? Thursday is Dick's b-day, and he will be allowed to do almost whatever he wants.
Jana wants to show us her new office, which I'm really looking forward to, and
she wants to take us to an Improv performance also. (She's on the Board of WIT, Washington Improv Theater.) And there are dozens of virtual caches in D.C., so we'll never run out of things to do.
We'll most likely leave Sunday morning, September 24 and drive as far as Youngstown, Ohio.
The next night we'll either be home, or stop somewhere around Midland.
We are just about all packed - just last minute items to stick in the suitcase tomorrow morning, and then we're off. Go Blue! Go Nationals!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Oh Boy
Oh Boy, yesterday the physical, today the dental prophylaxis. It's just a coincidence that everything is happening at once. So now I have the cleanest teeth in the neighborhood, and two more appointments coming up in October. One is for bleaching, and one is for making minor repairs.
While I was trapped in the dental chair, Dick went to the Library to find out whether our laptop works in a wireless environment. It does.
Today we had brunch at the Omelet Shoppe - best thing about having these appointments is going out for brunch!
While I was trapped in the dental chair, Dick went to the Library to find out whether our laptop works in a wireless environment. It does.
Today we had brunch at the Omelet Shoppe - best thing about having these appointments is going out for brunch!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Let's Get Physical
Yes today is the day I've really been looking forward to: the day that I get a physical exam and a mammogram - a veritable walk in the park. It helps that my doctor is the world's best doctor.
http://www.munsonhealthcare.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/mhc.woa/wa/PhysiciansListDA/DisplayPhysician?id=474&wrapper=physicians
In actuality, the anticipation was so awful that the reality was "not so bad". I had all of the tests possible to do on bodily fluids, and the mamm was not as bad as I remembered.
Dr. Burke is referring me to a dermatologist to take a look at a skin thing I have - no big deal. Coincidently, the dermatologist's name is Dr. Saunders, the same name as the pediatrician we went to for years in Ann Arbor. Cosmic.
And I got to meet Dick for brunch at Hard Luck, so that made my day.
http://www.munsonhealthcare.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/mhc.woa/wa/PhysiciansListDA/DisplayPhysician?id=474&wrapper=physicians
In actuality, the anticipation was so awful that the reality was "not so bad". I had all of the tests possible to do on bodily fluids, and the mamm was not as bad as I remembered.
Dr. Burke is referring me to a dermatologist to take a look at a skin thing I have - no big deal. Coincidently, the dermatologist's name is Dr. Saunders, the same name as the pediatrician we went to for years in Ann Arbor. Cosmic.
And I got to meet Dick for brunch at Hard Luck, so that made my day.
Monday, September 12, 2005
My Daughter the Corporate Barracuda
BRAG, BRAG, BRAG!
Who's Who in the Leadership of the U.S. :
The following individuals are listed in the News Media Yellow Book and The Leadership Library® on the Internet.
David Steck, CNN
Craig Stedman, Computerworld
Bill Steiden, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jana Steiger, CQ.com
Paul Steiger, The Wall Street Journal
William Steigerwald, The News Journal
Tom Steighorst, Sun Sentinel
Valerie Steiker, Vogue
Copied from The American Press Institute: (The caps are mine.)
CQ.com goes from automated to custom made
While BaltimoreSun.com has migrated to the use of a shared database, CQ.com, the Web operation of Congressional Quarterly, has evolved from an almost entirely database-driven subscription service to a robust site that more resembles other newspaper-based Web sites.
"Because we first came from this database background, when we first went on the Web, we had a tradition of having everything being 100 percent automated," said JANA STEIGER, editorial product development director. "No editors touched content that was on our front page. We evolved from that and have a little more editorial control."
But while its home page has evolved, STEIGER pointed out that because of CQ.com's heavy emphasis on e-mail delivery, much of its audience remains oblivious to any home page changes.
"When we were going out to gather information from customers [in response to a redesign] we talked to people who had no idea we had redesigned the site. They thought we still had frames, because all they would do is click their email. [They would say] 'Oh, I never click through.' Because our customers are paying us, we're not ad-driven. We have the luxury of not being wedded to whatever gets the most [Web] traffic."
From the CQ Masthead:
Editorial Masthead
Editorial Product Development Director: Jana Steiger
Senior Editors: George Codrea, Camille Kurtz, Kit Unger
Federal Information Editors: Jorge Banales, Betty Richardson, Brendan Spiegel, Yee Ling Woo BillTrack: Jon Lewallen, Neil Ripley
Jana will be making a presentation at the September 29th meeting of the Washington D.C. chapter of the Usability Professionals' Association:
Congressional Quarterly Case Study
Date and time:September 29, 2005 (Thursday)7:00-9:00 p.m.
ProgramDinner: 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Meiwah for those who would like to join us (directions below)
Location: Congressional Quarterly, Inc1255 22nd Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20037
Description:E-mail alerts are a handy way to let users know when new content has been added to your web site. But how do you make sure every piece of mail you send users is something they really want? How do you control the volume of mail and the pertinence of the content? Where is the boundary between giving users control over their own parameters, and making alerts easy to create and manage? And what about the special needs of BlackBerry users?
Congressional Quarterly has been addressing these issues since 1998, when it launched its first e-mail alert service. Now, after experimenting with many different approaches, our speaker, Jana Steiger, will share what she's learned along the way. In this case study, you'll learn the top seven usability problems of e-mail alerts, and the strategies one development team has taken to correct—or at least diminish—them.
Speaker: Jana Steiger is the Director of Editorial Product Development for Congressional Quarterly, where she oversees the development of new Web products and design prototypes, as well as ongoing improvements to CQ's market-leading online news and legislative tracking service, CQ.com. In her 14 years at CQ, Jana has filled a number of roles -- product editor, interface developer, newsroom operations manager, usability specialist, and product requirements writer. This broad range of experience gives her a multi-faceted understanding of product development, allowing her to balance the needs of users, developers, and product owners against project deadlines and cost.
Jana graduated from the University of Michigan. She has presented at Comdex and the Online News Association, and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Virginia. She's excited about swapping stories with DC usability professionals, and looks forward to this event!
Registration: Advance registration is recommended.
Who's Who in the Leadership of the U.S. :
The following individuals are listed in the News Media Yellow Book and The Leadership Library® on the Internet.
David Steck, CNN
Craig Stedman, Computerworld
Bill Steiden, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jana Steiger, CQ.com
Paul Steiger, The Wall Street Journal
William Steigerwald, The News Journal
Tom Steighorst, Sun Sentinel
Valerie Steiker, Vogue
Copied from The American Press Institute: (The caps are mine.)
CQ.com goes from automated to custom made
While BaltimoreSun.com has migrated to the use of a shared database, CQ.com, the Web operation of Congressional Quarterly, has evolved from an almost entirely database-driven subscription service to a robust site that more resembles other newspaper-based Web sites.
"Because we first came from this database background, when we first went on the Web, we had a tradition of having everything being 100 percent automated," said JANA STEIGER, editorial product development director. "No editors touched content that was on our front page. We evolved from that and have a little more editorial control."
But while its home page has evolved, STEIGER pointed out that because of CQ.com's heavy emphasis on e-mail delivery, much of its audience remains oblivious to any home page changes.
"When we were going out to gather information from customers [in response to a redesign] we talked to people who had no idea we had redesigned the site. They thought we still had frames, because all they would do is click their email. [They would say] 'Oh, I never click through.' Because our customers are paying us, we're not ad-driven. We have the luxury of not being wedded to whatever gets the most [Web] traffic."
From the CQ Masthead:
Editorial Masthead
Editorial Product Development Director: Jana Steiger
Senior Editors: George Codrea, Camille Kurtz, Kit Unger
Federal Information Editors: Jorge Banales, Betty Richardson, Brendan Spiegel, Yee Ling Woo BillTrack: Jon Lewallen, Neil Ripley
Jana will be making a presentation at the September 29th meeting of the Washington D.C. chapter of the Usability Professionals' Association:
Congressional Quarterly Case Study
Date and time:September 29, 2005 (Thursday)7:00-9:00 p.m.
ProgramDinner: 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Meiwah for those who would like to join us (directions below)
Location: Congressional Quarterly, Inc1255 22nd Street N.W.Washington, D.C. 20037
Description:E-mail alerts are a handy way to let users know when new content has been added to your web site. But how do you make sure every piece of mail you send users is something they really want? How do you control the volume of mail and the pertinence of the content? Where is the boundary between giving users control over their own parameters, and making alerts easy to create and manage? And what about the special needs of BlackBerry users?
Congressional Quarterly has been addressing these issues since 1998, when it launched its first e-mail alert service. Now, after experimenting with many different approaches, our speaker, Jana Steiger, will share what she's learned along the way. In this case study, you'll learn the top seven usability problems of e-mail alerts, and the strategies one development team has taken to correct—or at least diminish—them.
Speaker: Jana Steiger is the Director of Editorial Product Development for Congressional Quarterly, where she oversees the development of new Web products and design prototypes, as well as ongoing improvements to CQ's market-leading online news and legislative tracking service, CQ.com. In her 14 years at CQ, Jana has filled a number of roles -- product editor, interface developer, newsroom operations manager, usability specialist, and product requirements writer. This broad range of experience gives her a multi-faceted understanding of product development, allowing her to balance the needs of users, developers, and product owners against project deadlines and cost.
Jana graduated from the University of Michigan. She has presented at Comdex and the Online News Association, and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Virginia. She's excited about swapping stories with DC usability professionals, and looks forward to this event!
Registration: Advance registration is recommended.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Happy Birthday Mother
Today is Mother's 97th birthday.
It was very interesting to see how Concord Place celebrates the birthdays of the residents. After she ate lunch in her room, we wheeled her down to the dining room.
There was a beautiful large birthday cake inscribed to Marian, and all of the residents sang Happy Birthday. I cut the cake and Dick served it. Betsy dished up the ice cream and served the punch.
There were a couple of very gracious toasts from the residents. Mr. Petertyl, who is 102 years old, raised his plastic cup of punch and said, "I am honored and pleased to attend your birthday."
It was all very nicely done, and everyone had a good time. Mother was quite touched by the whole thing.
It was very interesting to see how Concord Place celebrates the birthdays of the residents. After she ate lunch in her room, we wheeled her down to the dining room.
There was a beautiful large birthday cake inscribed to Marian, and all of the residents sang Happy Birthday. I cut the cake and Dick served it. Betsy dished up the ice cream and served the punch.
There were a couple of very gracious toasts from the residents. Mr. Petertyl, who is 102 years old, raised his plastic cup of punch and said, "I am honored and pleased to attend your birthday."
It was all very nicely done, and everyone had a good time. Mother was quite touched by the whole thing.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Labor Day Friday
We cached in and around Holland and Saugatuck. Both Saugatuck and Grand Haven remind me of Grand Bend, Ontario. Saugatuck is openly touristy - great shops, great beaches, great atmosphere.
Then it was off to Battle Creek by way of Allegan.
Then it was off to Battle Creek by way of Allegan.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Off to Ann Arbor
Labor Day weekend - and first Univ. of Mich. home football game weekend - so we decided to leave a little bit early and do some geo-caching on the west side of the state. The weather is predicted to be spectacular for the entire weekend, so we think we'll have good luck in that department.
We're listening to NPR so we're keeping current with developments in New Orleans. It's so chilling to hear the reports of constant suffering with no help in sight. Our government may be guilty of human rights violations. No one seems to be in charge of relief efforts.
We found 7 or 8 caches today, saw a couple of deer, and thoroughly enjoyed our drive.
We're not staying with Sniders this weekend, because I don't feel confident about how I may feel after going to the game on Saturday. I'm still a little nervous about it, although I'm also excited to see our new reserved parking space and gauge the distance between the parking and the stadium. We have reservations in motels for all three nights that we'll be away - Holland, Battle Creek, and Flint.
Observations on West Michigan cities - Pentwater is a nice, tourist-friendly small town right on Lake Michigan. It was crowded with people, shoppers, bathers, and cruisers like us. It reminded me of Leland.
Grand Haven is a marvelous place! http://www.lakemichigancam.com/ It's a combination of a Larger Leland with a smaller Traverse City, and it's right on Lake Michigan with spectacular beaches, city parks, and very upscale shops. We love Traverse City and Leelanau, but I have to say that Grand Haven is strong competition. It's so lovely. The drive from Grand Haven to Holland was beautiful, shady, calm, and relaxing. The homes were so well-kept and attractive. The road was winding and lush with trees and flowers. We were impressed.
Holland is a nice city - really pleasant city parks and magnificent beaches. I like Traverse City better.
We're listening to NPR so we're keeping current with developments in New Orleans. It's so chilling to hear the reports of constant suffering with no help in sight. Our government may be guilty of human rights violations. No one seems to be in charge of relief efforts.
We found 7 or 8 caches today, saw a couple of deer, and thoroughly enjoyed our drive.
We're not staying with Sniders this weekend, because I don't feel confident about how I may feel after going to the game on Saturday. I'm still a little nervous about it, although I'm also excited to see our new reserved parking space and gauge the distance between the parking and the stadium. We have reservations in motels for all three nights that we'll be away - Holland, Battle Creek, and Flint.
Observations on West Michigan cities - Pentwater is a nice, tourist-friendly small town right on Lake Michigan. It was crowded with people, shoppers, bathers, and cruisers like us. It reminded me of Leland.
Grand Haven is a marvelous place! http://www.lakemichigancam.com/ It's a combination of a Larger Leland with a smaller Traverse City, and it's right on Lake Michigan with spectacular beaches, city parks, and very upscale shops. We love Traverse City and Leelanau, but I have to say that Grand Haven is strong competition. It's so lovely. The drive from Grand Haven to Holland was beautiful, shady, calm, and relaxing. The homes were so well-kept and attractive. The road was winding and lush with trees and flowers. We were impressed.
Holland is a nice city - really pleasant city parks and magnificent beaches. I like Traverse City better.
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