Wico Week One

Here's some shots of Punky her first week or so of camp. She looks like she's having a great time. Photos.

Off To Camp

I had the great pleasure of bringing Rebecca to camp. We woke up early and headed to Midway. On the plane, Rebecca slept some time on my shoulder. We then drove from Manchester 90 minutes to Hebron. We stopped along the way for lunch which Rebecca hurried me through--she couldn't wait to get there. For months, weeks, days, hours and finally minutes away, she was so excited. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted. Rebecca gave some firm hello handshakes and then we were guided through the welcome process. I stayed in the background as none of this required me. We toured the grounds and then off to her nicely appointed cabin. Fifteen minutes later we kissed and hugged and with no hesitation she said goodbye. I slowly returned to my car taking a few more pictures along the way and imagining what Rebecca will be doing in surrounding fields and houses over then next 4 weeks. Before I knew it I was back home and eating dinner. Pictures.

(Thin) Air in Park City Utah

Rebecca added a few feet to the 10,000' elevation in Park City. Our first day on the slopes, the conditions were nice--a few inches of new powder on top of a packed base. In the afternoon we got a heavy downpour creating some whiteout conditions. The kids ran us ragged and us them. We skied an additional day at Park City and then headed over to Deer Valley day 3. Deer Valley Resort is spectacular. Like a fine golf course, the mountain is intelligently designed and meticulously maintained. That, combined with some sunny weather made for a truly unforgettable day. We'll definitely be back but they don't allow snowboarders there so not an option for Rebecca :-( . Our last day we headed over to The Canyons resort. The mountain is mostly blue and black runs--so not for the uninitiated. It was a snowy day making visibility a little tough but the runs were narrow and curvy making for some fun skiing. The kids had a blast weaving through the woods, chasing one another down the hill and taking the jumps in the terrain park. This was my #2 resort after Deer Valley. The five day trip was wonderful but it went by too fast. We agreed to find a rental on Deer Valley next year. The photos. The video.

Religulous

Some of my most religious experiences have been wine. (Photo from: PremierCru.net)

Sledding!!!

A big snow storm hit Chicago, so off to one of our finer sledding parks with the Sanders. No tow lifts or anything like that but it has a nice warming hut, complete with a fireplace. There were hundreds of kids braving the driving snow and cold. No better way to spend a Saturday. Slideshow.

Update: This great action shot is the photo-of-the-day on WBEZ.org

Pine 2008

We headed up to Pine Mountain again this year (fourth year running) for some skiing and snowboarding between the holidays. Rebecca sported her new suit and got to hang with lots of friends. In fact, I didn't see her much during the day. She played with her friends and me with mine. Conditions were cold (single digits and teens), we got some snow and there was little wind all of which made for some decent midwest skiing. A few photos.

Christmas in Kansas City

We spent a wonderful, relaxing Christmas in Kansas City with Sharon's family. The day after I took the girls ice skating, outside. It was over 60F out and the rink was melting. But no one particularly cared, especially Rebecca and Lily who were on the ice for about 2 hours.

Bug Snowboards Alpine Valley

Bug conquers Alpine Valley on heels AND toes! Check out the cool new Burton board from Aunt Ash. See Rebecca in action. A few photos.

Faulx in Chicago

The Faulxs took Chicago by storm with endless eating, skating, touring and playing.

Boston Visit

Rebecca and I spent the weekend in Boston. We flew up on Thursday and spent 2 days at my Stoughton office and then moved downtown. With big plans for Friday night, we took the T to Fenway for a game vs. Blue Jays. Sadly, it got rained out but we had a fun time anyway. Saturday was beautiful and we toured the entire city on bike. Our tour guide took us all over for three hours. In the evening, we headed to the North End, Boston's Little Italy, for the Fisherman's Feast--an annual event dating back to 1911. The Feast is based on the devotion of the fishermen from Sciacca to the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help). The streets were filled with food to eat, stuff to buy, games to play and music. Rebecca got a tattoo, kettle corn and chocolate covered strawberries. We hooked up with Hang and her friends, had lots of fun and watched Phelps earn his 8th Gold Medal. Sunday we toured thebeautiful Public Garden, walked up quaint Charles Street on Beacon Hill and then sadly headed home. It was a wonderful visit and I particularly loved hanging out with Rebecca and holding her hand as we walked everywhere. Pictures.

Volterra

On our last full day in Italy we packed in as much as we could, repeating those things we enjoyed and trying to visit those places still on our list. Warren and I traveled to Volterra where we discovered the world base for alabaster. Visiting several studios and shops, we saw beautiful craftsmanship using different grades of stone. Each piece seemed to be more beautiful than the next. The town itself was also a nice discovery. It's beautifully preserved with several piazzas and narrow walkways. Photos.

Borgo Antico

We all slept late and relaxed around the villa. The kids went for a hike and then a compulsory swim. We headed to Castelina in Chianti, passed through Radda (MUST go back) and then to Dimezzano for dinner at Dave and Laura's cousin's restaurant Borgo Antico. Photos.

Reach The Beach

We lounged around the Villa and then drove to Baratti Beach, about 2 hours from here. The roads were twisty, turny so not much fun for some of the family but the views were great. We then worked our way up to the Populonia Castle. It's situated on a peninsula a few hundred feet above the Mediterranean with an unbelievable view that included Elba. Dinner was at the only restaurant in the tiny town--quite good. We had a 4 course dinner with lots of just-caught seafood. We took an easier (but longer) trip home and heads hit the pillows around 1am. Pictures.

The Day in Firenze

Florence is about an hour away so we packed up the kids and hit the road. It's hard to do such a big city in a day but we hit the highlights, covering it all on foot. Sharon played tour guide, having studied here in college. Photos.

Hike from Montauto

The girls went horseback riding this morning at Agrifolio in Staggia and I toured nearby villas and vineyards. With Villa owner Jens Schmidt we drove up to Montauto where his friend owns the only home. It's isolated and has spectacular views at the top of the mountain. We hiked down to Case Monti and then onto Scorgiano. Photos.

Visiting Local Towns

We had a leisurely morning on Monday the 7th and then headed out to Casole D'Elsa and Colle di Val D'Elsa. Both are exquisite old small towns that have been well maintained and are fun to explore. There were few tourists so we had both mostly to ourselves. The evening was a late swim (with drinks of course) and another delicious team dinner. Photos.

Monteriggioni

After our drive up from Rome, we were happy to just hang out for most of the day at the unbelievable Villa Montecastelli. So we slept in, took a few walks and played by the pool which, on the north side of the estate, has breathtaking views of neighboring hillside villas and nearby towns. The kids got in plenty of pool time (which, of course is never enough). We pickup up some groceries and made our way to Monteriggioni where we experienced a Medieval Festival. In the US this would have been a little corny but in the setting of this Medieval castle town, it came alive. We picked up a case of wine from a much-appreciative local vintner and had a yummy dinner at the Villa by chef Sharon. Photos.

Flying

How cool is this?!!! Our friend Peter Vogt took a picture of Rebecca and his girlfriend Pam did a little Photoshop magic. Click on the image to see it bigger.

To Siena

We checked out of the hotel after another nice breakfast on the terrace and we walked to get our rental car (van). It was a nice walk north through beautiful streets. We got a bit lost but picked up the 9-passenger Europcar without incident. We picked up the girls and headed out of town. Again, the GPS was invaluable. It's about a 3 hour drive to Siena and we stopped halfway in a random town called Otricoli. Warren and I were debating as to whether to stop at a roadside stand (think: oasis on the Ohio turnpike, Italian style), or pay the exit toll and head into a town. We were greatly awarded for taking the path less traveled. Otricoli is a charming town overlooking the valley. We had a delightful, long lunch at their finest restaurant. After a little stroll, we headed onward to our villa. Follow the link to learn about it. It's absolutely spectacular, old and gorgeously restored. The views from Montecastelli are amazing and amenities, first class. It's a working olive farm with a few chickens for eggs and pigs for prosciutto--yum. We finished the day under a clear Tuscan night with stars, Milky Way and zipping satellites. Today's pictures.

Coliseum and Ancient Rome

What a HUGE day. We met Laila at the Coliseum and learned much about its history and how it was build. We then toured the oldest part of Rome, had lunch in a private dinner club in the Jewish part of town and then visited the cat orphanage. After a little nap we walked more and had dinner just off of the Piazza Navona. And no day is now complete without gelato. Photos.

Vatican City and Pantheon

We spent a very full day touring Vatican City and the Pantheon. Our guide was Laila Volpe. For now, I will let the 140+ pictures tell the story. When I have time I'll update the images with captions and details. We are having a spectacular time: learning lots, exploring, eating, drinking and laughing.

Roma

We arrived in Rome on 3 separate flights, meeting within 10 minutes and somewhat all well rested. We taxied downtown, checked in and hit the streets for food and sites. It's hot but tolerable. We're near the Spanish Steps in the heart of the city with most everything within walking distance. Sharon's effort to relearn Italian has immediately paid off, simplifying most interactions around the city, particularly with such important things and finding what's best to eat on the menu. Photos.

Rainbow

The Tourtellottes came over for dinner and to do some final Italy planning. It had been raining on and off all day--rain, sun, rain, sun... We were rewarded late in the day with a beautiful rainbow--lots if detail in the color spectrum. Seen here from our bathroom.

Cona Visit

The three of us flew to Cona for the weekend--nothing formal planned, just to hang out with Grandpa Jason. We swam in the pool, kayaked down the Yellow Breeches, had dinner with the McCorkles and Peter & Pam visited. The most memorable part of the weekend were the meals on the screened porch. I had SO many family dinners there as a kid and in the summers, with no A/C, we practically lived out there. I was glad that Rebecca, at 10, got to have several nice meals there with Grandpa Jason. Even though we've all aged, the sights, smells and woodsy environment there hasn't changed for the 35 years we've enjoyed Cona. A few pictures of the weekend.

$6,500 Raised

Some neighbors and I hosted a wine tasting fund raiser to benefit the Irving Park Community Food Pantry. It was a huge success, raising over $6,500 for the homeless and underprivileged in our community. It was their single most successful fund raiser ever and it created new awareness of the efforts of the organization in the neighborhood. Wine, food, venue and invitations were all donated. Photos.

Gert to Dataw

I brought Great Grandma Gert to see Grandpa Jason in Dataw. She had never been to the new house. We travelled together and had a great time. Spring was in bloom and the weather was beautiful. Jason has been setting crab traps at a neighbors dock. We caught a bunch is an awefullys smelly trap--steamed and ate them in a meat garnish. Yum.

Spring Concert

Rebecca performed in her first-ever band concert, blowing on her trumpet in a three-song set that opened the NPES Spring concert. She matriculates to 5th grade band and then Advanced band. As her smiles show, she had a great time.

Rebecca Turns 10!

Rebecca ushered in turning ten or "double digits" as she likes to call it. Of course it was celebrated with friends--no better way for her. So, cakes, parties, sleepovers were all part of the festivities. There was a little gift giving but nothing too excessive either requested or given, except for a cell phone. She would have given ANYTHING for a cell but a little too early and unnecessary. She just keeps asking and asking.... Photos of the celebration.

Rebecca to NYC

There's something magical about introducing my daughter to an old friend and watching them interact and, almost simultaneously, introducing my daughter to a city that I love, showing her many of its features. Again watching her interact, respond and enjoy it too is an amazing personal experience. Shots and a few more shots.

Warehouse Rules

NPES took over the Portage Park Theater for their annual school play. Warehouse Rules, written by school mom Wendy Andrews and scored by dad Chris Cameron, was a great production. Rebecca delivered an unprecedented 7 lines with 2 costume changes and some dance routines thrown in. Photos.

Ruben and Lily In The Snow

Nothing like a little snow to bring two dogs together for some fun. Cousins Lily and Ruben played in Aunt Ash's back yard after a few inches of fresh powder had recently nestled down. Photos.

Dance, Dance, Dance

Here are the Dance Pictures.

Last Day of Solitude

We were blessed with another great weather day. Reports from home were zero degrees. Here it was mostly sunny and in the 30s. The mountain was again not very crowded and no lift lines. We covered lots of runs with everyone making the most of our final day. The kids showed little fatigue as we followed them down the moutain. Rebecca regained her snow boarding confidence and tackled one of the steepest black diamond on the mountain. We skied Honeycomb Canyon again, a wonderful run that starts at the summit and goes along the back side of the mountain. The trail runs 3.5 miles--a real treat. The kids showed great improvement over our vacation. Here are some cool action shots.

Honeycomb Canyon

A gorgeous day--Sunny, 30s. Much of the mountain was groomed overnight making everything an easy ski. Black diamonds--no problem said the kids. Jack was back on skis leaving Rebecca the sole snowboarder. A few tumbles she took made me happy she was wearing a good helmet--thanks Ash. We covered lots of the mountain today including 2 trips through Honeycomb Canyon. The Canyon is on the back side of the mountain. Some areas of it are large and bowl-like. Others, a narrow tree-lined path. It was sun-fill and fast. Photos.

Big Day

Today was a Big Day. Jack rode a snow board for the first time and Rebecca mastered turning on her toes. Gregory used poles! We skied from lift open to close and finished the day in the hot tub. Photos.

Solitude Skiing

Today was a spectacular day. The weather and ski conditions were perfect. It snowed another 6-8 inches of fluffy powder over night. The sky was virtually cloudless and temps in the 20s. Ash navigated us across the mountain down mostly blue trails and the occasional black. Solitude Resort is beautiful with lots a terrain variety, beautiful views and no lift lines (!). The powder was as light as air, soft and gentle.


Jackson, we struggled to keep up with. Rebecca quickly adjusted to the powder (vs. midwest packed man-made) and Gregory is getting better and better. Pictures. Trail Map.

Solitude--Day 1 Hot Tub

Arriving at Solitude the conditions we're pretty harsh and the lifts were only open for another 2 hours so we decided just to hit the hot tub. Super cold outside and super hot hot tub. It was painful getting in and getting out. Photos.

Impomptu Party

We had a nice Playoffs party catching up with friends, having been away from home for much of January. I made some delicious home-made chili and the kids made a fun kids-sandwich -->.

Snowboarding and Skiing

Rebecca decided she needed to master snowboarding. So she declined her ski rental at Pine Mountain and instead got boots and a board. After two lessons and days of practice she worked her way down the steepest slope on the hill. We're very proud of her. Pictures.

Halloween 2008

We had a crazy fun time celebrating Halloween. For the 6th year running (at least) the dads and our kids collected out front: Kids in full costume, dads toting wine and beer and The Cous' dragging the beverage cart. Laura and Dave joined us this year as well as Kevin's sister Beth and her young daughters from Spain. It started off with all kids descending on the same house together. Then they quickly it spread out like a marathon race with the more aggressive kids at the front. We dads worked a zone defense armed with cell phones to make sure no child was left behind or lost--this would have been difficult to explain to the wives upon returning from the hunt. The wives, by the way, all stayed back at their respective homes handing out candy. Paper bags or plastic pumpkins are no longer good enough. Pillow cases are the "bag" of choice now among discerning trick-or-treaters. It won't tear, it holds more and it's easy to sling over your shoulder when it starts to weigh up to 5lb. (I'm not kidding). It's amazing how much candy can be amassed in such a short time. Tired and hungry we all returned to our house at 8pm for homemade split pea soup and delivered pizza--wives now all there. There was a mass frenzy of candy trading as the 8 seat square dining room table. Adults enjoyed wine, beer and, of course, one another's company. Now what to do with all this candy......! A few pictures.

Back yard complete

The back yard is finally complete (mostly)! It's been three years of construction site or just plain dirt. Lily, in fact, doesn't know what to make of it--she keeps finding mulch to lay in. Sharon, of course, designed it (with a landscape architect) and did a truly amazing job. Images (link to pdf file). Remember this!? >

Cleveland Visit

We visited the cousins in Cleveland. Rebecca brought along her trumpet and performed for the boys and some neighbors as they sat in the awesome tree house that Uncle Mike built. Jack and Greg had soccer on Saturday so we hung out at the field and on Saturday. Sunday we were treated an Indians game where the clinched the divisional title against the A's.

Architectural Boat Tour

We took an architectural tour of Chicago by boat along the Chicago River with Grandmommy and Grandpa Jason. A beautiful day in our beautiful city.

Camping

Rebecca and I with several schoolmates and their dads celebrated the last week of school with an outing to Sheboygan, WI. We camped for three days in the beautiful Kohler Andrae park. There, we pitched out tents, went bike riding, and played at the beach--it's right on the Lake Michigan. No camping trip would be complete with smores and endless playing with sticks, fire, sticks on fire, knives, etc. The kids ran all over camp in bare feet and ate dinner with only marginally clean hands--all stuff they would NEVER be able to get away with with mom around. ;-) Here are some photos of the great, long weekend.

Published

In case you missed it, WBEZ (Chicago's public radio station) featured on their home page one of my favorite photos of recent memory. It was shot at the end of a memorable day at the Field Museum.

Rebecca Celebrates her 9th Birthday with Friends

Rebecca had a nice birthday party at home with 15 friends--mostly from school. It was a Chocolate Theme complete with a chocolate "fountain", chocolate goodies, chocolate cake. Yum. The weather was great so most of the party was outside--good for running around on the sugar and caffeine buzz. Nana was here for the party, making it extra special. Rebecca also had her annual school play this weekend and Lily turned 2 years old (people years).

Grand Cayman Snorkeling

What's Grand Cayman without snorkeling? The Cayman Islands have some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world. It's very accessible and the fish and coral reefs are truly spectacular. The 80F water temperature allows you to do it for hours. We all brought our own snorkel gear and drove to several sites. Fish pictures to follow soon. What a great family vacation and a memorable way to kick off Grandpa Jason's retirement. Photos.

Birthdays and Celebration

We celebrated Grandpa Jason's retirement with a 1970 Grahams Vintage Port--the year he began practicing. It was fabulous. January is also Jason's, Gregory's and Mike's birthdays so we celebrated those too, with more cake and a little dancing. Photos.

Lounging Around

A few days on Grand Cayman, we just lounged around by the pool and lagoon in our backyard. The kids played endlessly in the pool, sand and ocean. The adults read, played games and napped. Photos.

Stingray City

We sailed out to the famous Stingray City where very docile stingrays swim right up to waders on the sandbar and eat fresh squid from their hands. It was a fun trip but the kids got a little scared. Photos.

Grand Cayman Holiday

We're spending the week in Grand Cayman, celebrating Grandpa Jason's retirement. We've got a house near Rum Point on the north fork of the island. It's right on the beach with a pool--very nice. Kids are endlessly playing in the pool, ocean and sand. I feel a little indulgent having just spent the week skiing but the rest away from home in the warmth is great. Pictures (25 of them so be sure to click the right arrow).

Pine Mountain Report

As Rebecca and I were the first of the Old Irving Park crowd to arrive at Pine Mountain, we thought we'd post a little ski report. It was in the teens overnight and they've been making snow steadily--there's just a little natural snow. Right now there's no meaningful snowfall projected for the next week or so. But it is good conditions for both snow making and skiing--cold at night and in the upper 20s/low 30s by mid-day. Right now just the Hematite chair is running. The triple, Panorama, should be open later today (some technical problem). Just the west half of the mountain is open see map--about 1/4 of the the actual trails. There's a mix of trails open from easy to hard including, yes John Patrick, Hermatite. More runs should be open soon.

The Famers Restaurant menu has seen some upgrades, along with the usual kid fare and bar food. There's even some decent wine. And everything is still reasonably priced. Lift tickets, in fact were only $25/adult (usual $36) because of the limited runs open.

Overall it's great up here. The air is fresh and clean and it's not crowded at all. See you on the slopes or in the hot tub. A few pictures taken mostly by Rebecca.

Joe And Julie's Christmas Eve

We enjoyed Christmas Eve with the extended Weinrich family, hosted by Joe and Julie. Lots of kids and gifts. Pictures.

Pre Christmas Gifts and Skating

We opened up gifts with Grandpa George before heading to KC. There, Rebecca couldn't get enough ice skating in! Photos.

Hawks Game December 2006

We had the pleasure of attending the Chicago Black Hawks hockey game as guests of the Cohn's (and the University of Chicago). We had fabulous seats--just 6 rows off the ice, behind the Hawks bench. Dinner before the game was at the Billy Goat Tavern, made famous by Dan Akroid and John Belushi in the 70s: "Cheeborger, Cheeborger, Cheeborger!" Although now they do serve fries--and good ones--and even wine. We walked from the restaurant to the game.

Game Photos

Deck The House

It's so exciting having the house finished and being able to decorate it for the holidays.

Holiday Concert

Rebecca, Mars and Thora at the annual NPES Holiday Program.

First Snow 2006

We've had our first real snow of the season--a nice 6 inches. Thankfully it arrived when neither Sharon nor I were travelling. Lily is of course loving it, as is Rebecca who has converted the mound of dirt remaining in the backyard from the construction into a ski slope. Gone are the days when just sitting on a sled is fun. Now she has to stand on the on it like a snowboard. For a child who has always found it challenging to just play alone and self-entertain, she really likes playing in the snow even in the 15F cold. A few winter shots. And movies--one, two, three.

Thanksgiving at Cona

Our annual family pilgrimage to Cona. Food, wine and family--what a good mix. A few shots

Chloe's party

Here are two shots taken at Cloe's Birthday Party. (c) Steven Gross.

Tortola

Yes, I know it's been awhile. Well, it's been a busy summer full of fun and selfishly I've been trying to enjoy the house a little bit now that it's done. We went sailing in June with the parents and Turtles. Had a GREAT time. Here are the best shots--sorry, couldn't keep it under 100 images but hopefully with the new image viewer you'll find it easy to flip through them. (Requires Flash 8).

New Kitchen

The kitchen is pretty much done save some ongoing furnishings, art, etc. Pictures

Braids Down

So Rebecca took here hair out of the braids from the BVI sailing trip. Doesn't she look exotic? I keep looking at her and seeing Aunt Ash.

Photos

Ball Game

It was a gorgeous day and Rebecca played well. Two for three at the plate and one or two outs in the field. A few more photos.

Goofing

more

Softball Season Begins

Softball season is in full swing. Two games a week through early July. Rebecca's greatly improved from last year (with little actual softball practicing). She's stronger and has more coordinated--must be all the cartwheels! After three games and 10 at-bats she's only struck out once. The rest are singles and one double. Batting 900--not bad. A few runs too including one you see at right against Hunter's team. Now if Rebecca's team could only win one. Well, maybe soon. Photos.

And More Birthday

OK, enough celebrating! ;-) I think this is the 4th set of candles this little girl has blown out. But Grandmommy REALLY topped the charts with this awesome, beach-themed cake--perfect for Dataw. Rebecca asked for a blue cake and this was mom's execution of it--fabulous and yummy too. Photos.

More Birthday Celebrating

Rebecca celebrated her actual birthday in Dataw. Dinner, golfing, cousins galore. Pictures.

Rebecca's Eigth Birthday Party

Rebecca celebrated her birthday with some school and neighborhood friends. Many of the 18 girls invited were out of town for Spring Break so it was a nice managable party of 8 (whew). Lots of activities in the new kitchen. And leave it to Rebecca to throw the first party in the new house! Pictures.

41!

We did a little birthday celebrating at home. Nothing fancy except for the fact we got to eat in our own kitchen! I grilled a rack of New Zealand lamb and Sharon made mashed potatoes and steamed fava beans. All of this was enjoyed with a bottle of 2001 Kistler Chardonnay "Dutton Ranch" and a 2001 Turley Zinfandel "Old Vines". Yum!!! It went well with the chocolate cake too. 

Kitchen Progress

The kitchen is looking fabulous. It's so nice having one to eat/cook in! If we don't eat carry-out pizza and Chinese for awhile, I'll be very happy. Drinking morning coffee in front of the warm fireplace, while reading the NYT as the sun shines through the east picture windows. I feel like I'm on vacation (but it's Wednesday). Hood, handles and furnishings remain. A few photos.

Lake Geneva

Yes, I know it's been awhile since I've posted. It's the dead of winter, where nobody goes outside, not alot going on and for us the house progress continues to muddle along. We're into month 12! The various trades have been doing a good job with few exceptions and with us closely managing them. I'm at the point where another weekend sleeping in the basement would set me over the edge. We had planned on carpeting the top floor before this weekend but that got moved to Monday so Sharon smarthly and swiftly planned a weekend away. We drove 90 minutes north to Lake Geneva and stayed at the nice resort there. Rebecca's friend Hunter joined us. Weather on Saturday was a spectacular 65F. I didn't think about the house once!!! It was really nice to get away. Photos.

Master Bath

Sharon is doing an awesome job designing our master bath. The shower tile is in and it looks stunning.

Hawks Game

Derek Moore treated us to a Hawks game in the executive suite (nice!). It was Rebecca's first hockey game so I had to explain to her that not everyone gets all this luxurious space, free food and a private, clean bathroom. Our teams lost but we had a great time. Photos.

Kitchen Floor

The much-anticipated, long-awaited kitchen floor of Sharon's is in and it's beautiful. It covers 800sf of kitchen, greatroom and pantry. The terra cotta is 3/4' thick reclaimed roof tiles from French Provincial homes. In total it weighs 4 tons and Sharon hand placed each tile. Yes, she and the tile guy have become good buds and he now has a lifetime of stories to tell his drinking buddies..."did I ever tell you about this crazy woman I layed a kitchen floor for? Well....". Next is sealing, then grouting and then 2 more coats of sealant. And none will be done without Sharon's close supervision of her biggest investment ever in stone. The fun continue and, yes, we're getting close to being done. A few photos.

Ski Vacation

Describing our ski vacation as awesome would be an understatement. Unbelievable, really--as in what just happened?. We drove 5 hours north to Iron Mountain, Michigan (U.P.) with our good friends Jennifer and Kevin and their kids. To begin with, our condo was right on the slopes and just steps from the from the lodge. The Pine Mountain was reopened this year under new ownership of some other friends. None of our kids had ever skied, so it was a whole new experience for them. They all had lessons for the first few days where together they quickly advanced from the Bunny Slope to bigger and better things. The mountain was relatively small but nicely manageable. I wasn't sure how my back was going to hold up after not having skied for 13 years and having back surgery 7 years ago. I was mentally prepared to read in the lodge most of the 7-day vacation. But to my pleasant surprise it was strong enough. It's amazing how having not skied for so long I could pick it right back up. The weather was great--not too cold and it snowed two of the nights, making for some great powder skiing. We stayed on property the entire week, moving from the condo to the slopes to the pool/hot tub to the lodge for all meals. That made it easy and the prices for everything was U.P. reasonable. Watching our kids advance was amazing. I think they even dreamt about skiing as they seemed to be even better the next morning. From green circle to blue square to black diamond, they covered the whole mountain and from time to time even went down the slopes on their own. They loved going on the lifts on their own and even the helpful lift operators commented how they were excelling. Rebecca loved hitting the jumps and left the mountain with a few face-plant scratches. Meaghan and John Patrick had fun keeping up with their friends on the slopes. And they all would just go straight down the hill with us parents yelling behind them "turn!". Later in the week Sharon arrived along with a few more friends, which made for some fun, festive evenings including New Years eve. There's lots more to be said about the unbelievable week. But for now, here are the photos and movies:

Rebecca Skiiing
Rebecca Jumps and Falls
Rebecca Jumps and nails it--a perfect 10
Meaghan Skiing
John Patrick Skiing the Black Diamond
Kevin and Jennifer Skiing
Sharon and Rebecca on the lift

American Girl

Rebecca, in her new dress from Grandmommy, off to American Girl Doll Store for lunch and a show. Here are pictures of the visit plus a few from Christmas Day.

House Progressing

House construction progress continues to plod along. The front porch is now mostly complete except for the front stairs which will probablyt go in in the spring when it's warm enough to pour concrete. We're really happy with the overall front of the house. Remaining interior work is all the trim, tile, flooring and cabinets. I took a few interior pictures but generally then don't show much--it's hard to capture the look and feel. Photos.

Weinrich Christmas

We made our annual Christmas trip to KC. Lots of active kids now (8, and I think we are all finished). Ice skating and stage productions were the big highlights. Plus Jack Stacks ribs (yum), KT Fryers chicken and lots for leftovers. The gifts were particularly thoughtful and generous this year. Photos of all the cousins.

Lily And Snow

Lily LOVES the snow. Lots of places to dig and bounce through. The cold doesn't seem to bother her at all. The only thing better than the snow is playing with her buddy Watson in it! So much fun. Within no time she gets herself covered in snow. It matts in her hair into little snow balls that she tries to eat it off when back inside. The only remedy is a towel in front of the new fireplace where she lays down and the snow slowly melts off (along with an occasional doggie-shake). The photos.

Sweet Christmas

Rebecca and Hunter made an awesome gingerbread house--well constructed and sealed, complete with a sweet walkway out front. Well, Lily liked it too and left alone with it, she gobbled up the front! Well at least we got this picture.

House For Lily

Grandpa George and Rebecca made a dog house for Lily. All it took was a great idea from Rebecca and the two were off to the garage where they collected some scrap materials including cedar clapboard and cedar shingles from our house project. The end result was a terriffic house that looked just like ours! Now all we need is to run some electrical, HVAC and plumbing to it and she'll be all set.

3833 Demolition

As part of our little house project, we removed the back half of Grandpa George's house. It was an addition constructed about 30 years ago that wasn't really being used and most importantly, it was obstructing Sharon's view of the backyard from her new kitchen. So, off with it! The process was actually quite cool. The carpenters literally cut the addition from the rest of the house using Skil saws and then the back hoe just carefully pulled it all down. Pitcures.

Cona Thanksgiving 2005

Thanksgiving was spent at Cona as usual. We had a great time. Drank lots of wine (the list). The kids, now a year older, were able to play outside on their own. Forget the park, playground, Chocolate World, museum, etc. They has 100+ acres to explore in. Much of the time was spend climbing up stone walls and across fallen trees. It scared us parents a bit as one little slip and they fall 8 feet. But everyone survived and the kids really had a blast. The Meal was had a day late this year to accommodate Mike's schedule. It actually worked out better not having the Big Meal immediately after our travel day. It allowed us to settle in a bit and just relax. I think we should do it that way next year too.

Halloween 2005

Well, halloween is here. Great for pictures, school plays and other stuff. Rebecca had a school recital this morning. Here she is in her devil costume (video copyright BB Productions--kinda). Short Video 1. Short Video 2.

And here's a few photos from Mike & Kathy's party.

Construction Climbing

Rebecca has invented a new sport called Construction Climbing. It involves salvaging construction materials and scaling unfinished construction projects. In this instance Rebecca demonstrates how to fashion a climbing harness from burial speaker wire and use another strand to attach to the harness and sling over a segment of electrical conduit. She climbs up the wall studs and self-belays her way down strattling the HVAC return vent. She plans on making this a demonstration event in the next Olympics. 

Spas

Rebecca and Meaghan enjoyed a little spa-ing this rainy afternoon. Pictures.

House Progress

Most of the house construction work has been on the inside lately--plumbing, electrical, heating, etc. The old kitchen is now gone and with it went the tv cabinet (all of which Sharon, I and Grandpa George had so carefully and lovingly build 6 years ago). So, often, you have to give in order to get. So now we have a big open room full of studs, joists and plywood. Progress has seemingly been creeping, but the tradesmen have all done excellent, careful work and we are VERY MUCH pleased with the results. With any luck this will all be sheetrocked in in a few weeks. Maybe done by Christmas? Who knows. For now we get by with hardly a kitchen and our neighbors have been gracious hosts for many dinners. Many people have asked how we've survived through all this mess. I tell them , 'Patience and Wine'. Pictures.

To The Top

Well, after months and months of trying, Rebecca finally made it to the top of the 18' rock climbing wall at Hidden Peak--we are so proud of her! The sequence.

Museum Day

We celebrated Yom Kippur at the field musuem. It was like herding cats, and Jennifer and I managed to not lose anyone (permanantly at least). The kids played very well together and we all had a lot of fun on what was a beautiful day.
Our photos.

Race Day

On Sunday, Rebecca, Marley, Grandpa George and I went to the Joliette for the NHRA races. My company sponsored a car and we got first-class treatment. It was fun and LOUD! Photos.

Dance

After dinner at the Tourtellotte's the girls put on an expressive dance show.

Cona Visit

We're at Cona this weekend, exploring the woods, rivers and wine cellars of south central PA. Lily came with us and is having a BLAST running free. Photos.

Faulx Visit

We spent the weekend visting the Cleveland crowd. Everyone had a great, relaxing time. Walks, backyard play, naps, rat trapping.... photos

Porch Progress

Front porch progress continues with the cedar floor down and columns in. It looks great! More images.

Jazz/Rib Fest 2005

With friend James, we participated as chefs in the McMurray's Labor Day 10th Annual Jazz/Rib Fest. Our rib entry, a Jamaican jerk rib rub was delicious--cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, scallions and more. We didn't win but had a great time. More photos.

Labor Day Party

The Battersons had a nice Labor Day party on their back deck. Blake made foo-foo drinks and the kids played on the swing set. We later moved inside for some fun karaoke and then helped ourselves to the Cousino's Jacuzzi. Photos.

First Day of School

Rebecca had her first day of Second Grade. She was a little trepidatious with the "strict" Mrs. Hawkinson but she learned otherwise. I had the pleasure of taking her there.

Front Porch

Ok, yes, I know it's been a while since you've been updated on life and house progress. August has been a bit of a slow month in terms of construction and most of the work has been interior mechanicals (HVAC, plumbing, etc). We just started work on the front porch and it's looking GREAT. It's massive and round and will be a great face to the new house (now, if we can only get rid of that pine tree in the front!). The current siding and (original?) cedar clapboard underneath is being removed down to the studs so that the new pre-painted cedar clapboard can be applied. This process has begun so hopefully soon I will be able to share with you new developments.

Visit to France

France was great. We were in Paris for a few days and then traveled to the south of France where the Canal du Midi meets the Mediterranean Sea. There, we chartered a river barge and motored north through the countryside of vineyards and other crops. We went through many little towns on the seven day tour. Stopping in most for a little walking or bike tour or for dinner or local fare.

There, there's an intoxicating pace of life that is peaceful and simple and centuries old. The barge doesn't go that fast, locks are closed for lunch and many shops are closed for some of the afternoon. I was hoping to be able to post while there but it was probably a good thing that I couldn't (easily). It's hard to capture the experience there on film (or pixels) because the sights are only hours and many shops close for part of the afternoon. This all helps sets the pace too.

Breakfast was picked up each morning in the local town (pain au chocolat, croissants); lunch of sausage, cheese, pate, bread and wine on the boat; more of the same for the early-evening snack and then dinner around 8pm "on shore" in restaurant along the canal.

We traveled in a week what's done on a highway in 90 minutes. I took over 400 pictures (that's after editing them down). So, without letting perfection be the enemy of progress, I've posted a bunch to share. I look forward to your comments and other posts.

The Pictures

Construction Continues

Construction on the house continues. The cedar tree and front porch are removed, new roof on (mostly), basement floor poured and HVAC is under way. We've made a few improvement changes along the way as things have taken shape like adding a few windows. More photos.

Construction continues

The cedar tree that hung over the front porch and roof is GONE. So is the front porch. The front of the house is now a total mess--and it's only going to get worse next week when the basement waterproofing guys come out. Rebecca's softball team continues to win and Lily continues to grow and entertain us. More pictures.

Awesome Father's Day

I had an awesome Fathers Day with Family and friends. Grant Park picnic and dinner at the Batterson's.

This is a self portrait taken in our reflection of "The Bean" a very cool new sculpture in the Park. Read more about it here and here.

Game Day

A beautiful day for a game. The Buckeyes lost by 2 runs--only their second loss of the season. More pictures.

Randall Visit

The Randall's came back for a visit from Kuala Lumpur having been away for 2 years! The girls are so grown up. Pictures.

Block Party

We crashed the Tourtellotte's block party. It rained and then cleared up. The kids enjoyed running around the street and a "drive-in" movie out back. More pictures.

Race Day

Rebecca, Sophie, Grandpa George and I went to my company-sponsored NHRA drag racing event at the Route 66 Speedway in Joliet. It was loud and fun. Cars went ripping down the 1/4 mile track at over 300mph. More pictures.

School's Out For Summer!

Rebecca's school finishes the school year with a picnic. This year was no exception with 90 degrees and sunny. Many of the parents were there--the usual cast of characters. Lily enjoyed all the attention too. A few pictures.

Lily Video

Lily's been with us for a week and she's doing great. She's now sleeping through the night in her cage, peeing and pooping outside (mostly) and is on good terms with the neighborhood families and their dogs. Here's some recent video.

After a slump in game 4 Rebecca has worked her way back to be a real hitter. In today's game as the leadoff batter she smacked 5 singles scoring 3 runs. Her fast base running has proved to be a real asset. Helping to cheer her on to victory was the ever excitable Lily. A few more pictures.