Another Delco Guy In South Jersey

WordFUL Wednesday

Screw Worldless Wednesday for this week.  I am in a rut.  I seem to write a lot of the same things on here and i need to break out of that  cycle.  Sure, I write about my great kids and we all love that, but hearing how great my kid are gets boring even to me after a while. 

I write about how things have changed in my life and how it's hard but I am coping with it. Yeah, everyone's life is hard, they just don't all have blogs where they whine about it every day.  Seriously, some of the stuff I have written makes we want to listen to James Taylor, grab a bottle of Jack and stare morosely into space for a few days.

A lot of the stuff I have written since starting the blog back up in June have been the basic updates about life.  Seriously, reading back, I can't believe several dozen people actually stop by to read this crap every day.  I'm bored out of my skull reading it and it's my friggin' life!

Back in the day, I was way more wide-ranging.  I did some news analysis, social commentary, sports discussion and reviews of books, restaurants and the like.  Semi-interesting stuff that assumed that people cared what I thought.  

You're all on notice.  I'm going back that way.  Yeah there will still be family updates and the like, but there's going to be a more concerted effort to actually write about stuff that matters outside my small circle of family and friends.  Not really for more readers, either, but really because I am feeling the need to expand what I am thinking and writing about. 

So read the blog if you want to, if not, you've got Facebook for the updates.

Back To The Real World

For the first time in over two weeks I had to go to work today.  I know.  Most of you are not sympathetic.  I get it. 

Today really started last night with the making of lunches, selection of outfits and review of what was needed for the week. It took me a little while to wind down last night and everyone was a bit drowsy this morning.  Even after needing to spend a few extra minutes getting Emma moving, we still all made it to school and work on time. (I was even early!)

I'm amazed at how quickly it all gets right back up to speed.  Dance class started back up last night.  We have doctor and other appointments this week.  Baseball workouts also get started this week, which means that we are scant weeks away from actual outdoor practices. 

We've still got de-decorating to do. John and Emma don't want any parts of that, so I guess I will have to do it solo this weekend. I love having the lights and decorations up, but I saw more than a few trees out at the curb this morning on the way into work. 

I made a few mid-year resolutions in 2011 that are pretty big and have been doing fairly well on them.  I have two for 2012 - I want to begin eating healthier.  I started with a healthy breakfast, but I suspect the 2 cans of Coke and the ham sandwich for lunch are not the best way to get through the day.  The second is to do more writing away from the blog.  I have a few projects that I have put on the back burner, but I want to get them moving again.  I like writing and it makes me feel better about the world, but I get sidetracked too easily.  Hopefully this is the year one or more of those projects comes to fruition.

On the sports front, my kids and I really enjoyed watching The Winter Classic yesterday.  I can honestly say that if every game were played with that intensity, I would watch a lot more hockey.  While I don't think that there will be anything to it, I am eagerly anticipating at least the possibility that Jeff Lurie will end our long local nightmare and can Andy this afternoon. 

On the weather front, it's 28 degrees today, we already saw our high temperature out there and tonight it will be dropping into the teens.  If you have been using your back step as an auxillary holiday beer cooler, bring the stuff in our you will be cleaning up quite a mess when temps jump back up to the 50s this weekend.

Anyway, welcome to the 2013!  I'm looking forward ot the year and all that it brings.  Hopefully I will do a little less daddy blogging and get back to restaurant reviews and opinion pieces, but who knows.  Enjoy!

2011 - A Year In Review

I've tried to write this year in review a few times without it sounding too maudlin.  Speaking candidly, 2011 is a year I am glad to have over and I am looking forward to 2012 and the promise that it brings.

As the year draws to a close, I have weathered some significant storms.  There were moments when I thought, 'Can there really be anything else coming?'  Some things will take more time to play out fully, but I think that at the end of 2011, things are looking a bit brighter.

We all know the hard things that have happened, but there have been some wonderful moments as well.  Emma and John are the stars of the circus that is my life. They have been super though all of the changes we have seen this year and I am so happy for all of their achievements.  Emma is a happy and determined little ballerina and John makes the most of his talent on the baseball field every day.  The best times I have had this year were watching them do the things that they love.  The kindness they show each other and to their family and friends makes me wonder how I got so lucky.  I am lucky to know a lot of great kids, but they are the best of the best!

My brother Matt and Heidi got married this summer in a beautiful place that we all love.  I was honored to speak for them on their special day.  It is without any irony in the world that I say that they deserve each other. I will always be grateful for advice and support he has given me over the years. She is a beautiful person who I am so happy to have as a sister.

My parents and sister and rest of the family have been with me at every moment along the way and the kids and I have appreciated the gifts, kindnesses and the places to sleep as we have made our personal adjustments.  They say blood is thicker than water and this has been a year where I have fond that be be a very true statement.

That is not to say that I could have done it without my friends.  You guys (and ladies) have been an amazing well of support, helping me move in the heat, feeding me, entertaining me and the kids, checking in by text and email and dropping by to say hello, you have made things fun for me again in a way that I cannot begin to thank you for fully.

I'm most sad for the friends I have lost this year, both for me and for my kids.  We are who we are today in large part because of all that they have meant to us over the years.  However, I am also very happy to have met some new friends int he last few months.  With every change there is opportunity and I have appreciated getting to know some new people.

While things have been difficult at times, I have to say it's been a great year in a lot of ways.  I have re-discovered my writing voice, both here on the site and in some other work I am doing.  At my core I am a writer and that re-birth has been an exciting journey.  As someone said to me a few months ago, 'You write better sad.'  I don't know about better, but I certainly write MORE.  I've also been able to take a lot of photos this year, mostly of the kids, but also of places I have visited, games I have covered and generally everything that is around me. 

Sometimes I write, sometimes I take pictures.  Either way, I am trying to be more than a journalist of my life. I appreciate all that you friends have done to be part of my life this year. 

So as the lyrics of 'What are You Doing New Year's Eve' play though my head, I wish you all a wonderful New Years Eve and I hope that your 2012 is fun, exciting, safe and prosperous.

Winding Down

It's a few minutes before the season finale of Boardwalk Empire, signalling the end of my weekend.

Friday night was a fun time, drinks, dinner and dancing with old friends out in Philly.  I will be doing a review of one of the new spots we hit.  Saturday was a day of college basketball and football, and a night with some new friends.

I've been looking for curtains for my room for a few weeks.  Emma vetoed the last set after I hung them with a disgusted shake of her head and the remark, 'Daddy sometimes you have no clue.'

So after the Eagles' big win over Miami today, I returned the rejected curtains, and picked out another set that at least matches my comforter.  After a few hours of grocery and Christmas shopping, I waved the white flag, but not before crossing two more names off the list.

After making myself some comfort food, I am now relaxing on the couch by the lights of the Christmas tree awaiting the last Boardwalk Empire for 9 months.  Sigh.

Back To Work!

It's a slow Sunday night here in Medford.  I'm winding down the weekend and waiting for Boardwalk Empire. 

I will be the first to admit that I am still struggling to find a rhythm to the weekends when the kids are not here.  The contrast between the whirlwind they create when they are home and the silence of the walls when they are not is so striking that I need to stay busy or go crazy.

And it was certainly a busy weekend!  Wednesday night's brush with mortality gave me a great deal to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.  The kids and I enjoyed the day Thursday, making 12 pounds of mashed potatoes before heading over to Carin and Kevin's for Thanksgiving dinner.  The food and family were great, and everyone pitched in to make it a good time. 

The kids played Wii while I met The Hills and Chicken for the traditional post-family decompression.  The conversation was outstanding as always, though I am not sure we will make The Plumstead the new location in future years.  It's a mite grungy for even a dive bar aficionado.  Carin convinced me to drive her to the hellish nightmare that was pre-Black Friday at Toys R Us.  45 minutes in line to be herded like cattle through a maze of merchandise to another line for electronics.  Sadly we didn't make it in time to get the item she was hoping for.  A drive by Target at midnight convinced us it was time to call it a night.

I participated in Black Friday, hitting Kohl's in PA with my mom and sister before my shopping meter hit the red zone.  Later, the kids and I hit Best Buy and Target, before we retreated to the relative quiet of Medford.  After the kids left, I worked a bit Friday night and really felt my age, seeing all the young folks back home visiting their families and desperate for a drink.

Saturday was a busy day, with several hours of leaf removal that sandwiched a visit from Carlo 'The Chief' Iacono.  He rescued me from a waist-high pile of leaves and took me for a ride in his '67 Mustang. We spent an hour talking about kids and Occupy Philly and how much our lives have changed.  I got back in time to wrap up the yard work for the year.  After a quick dinner with an old friend, I did some curtain shopping and saw a movie with a new friend. 

Saturday wrapped up at the Indian Chief, commiserating with a fellow soccer coach and listening to perhaps the worst cover band I have ever heard.  At least the company was good. 

The glorious weather of the weekend rolled on today.  I did some light hiking at a nearby nature preserve and worked up a pretty good sweat, showing just how out of shape I have managed to get.  After discovering there was no way to get electric to my christmas lights, I decided to add an outdoor outlet so I could hang the icicle lights. 

I weathered the Eagles loss before realizing that shopping is not my forte.  While all the curtians are the same size and color, two different patters were mixed together.  I guess I need to go back!

So, long story short, I made myself as busy as I could this weekend.  There were some highlights and some tough moments.  Still, now it's Sunday night and I can't believe how quickly this beautiful weekend passed! A four day weekend with glorious 60 degree weather in November and some very fine moments and wonderful people. 

Have a great week!

Wrapping Up The Youth Sports Seasons

Yesterday, Emma played the last game of her soccer season for the TAA "Green Machine."  She thoroughly enjoyed her first year of soccer, and I enjoyed coaching her and her friends.  I still say anyone must be qualified to coach soccer if I can, but it was still a great time.

Emma has begun to understand how to move to the ball and how to use her size against smaller, quicker players.  She has gotten a lot better at being able run around for the whole game without losing interest or getting tired.  She has been one of the first to volunteer to play when other kids don't want to.

I'm very proud of all that she learned and I wish we had her play soccer before this fall.  It was a far better experience for her than the T-Ball experience two years ago!  The last game was not a win, but the trophy helped the sting of the loss.  Thanks to Coach Dave and Coach Jim for really doing the real work of coaching this year.

John's fall baseball season ended a while back, the last games a casualty of the freak pre-Halloween snowstorm that hit the Mid-Atlantic.  His War Eagles squad really came together this fall, winning the last 5 games of the season. He is a big boy who is still growing into his long legs and big frame.  He's got a lot of potential and determination, but his progress this fall was incremental rather than spectacular.

John loves playing baseball and is a darn good pitcher, but his footspeed limits what he can do in the field.  His bat began to come around this fall after some coaching that found a problem with his swing.  Tryouts for the spring War Eagles teams were held last weekend and he did well, and he is on pins and needles waiting to see if he made the team.

For me, this fall season probably brings to close my 6 years of youth coaching.  The fall has been a struggle for me to balance coaching duties, work schedules and getting the kids where they need to be every day.  As John has moved up the baseball ladder, my ability to help the teams he is on has been smaller and smaller.  While Emma and I enjoyed me helping her soccer team this year, there are plenty of folks who can do what I did for the team.

Sometimes something has to give when you are a single dad, and I have known this moment was coming for some time.  Coaching my kids has given me some of the happiest moments of my life.  Seeing them grow and succeed, have fun with their friends and learn some hard lessons has been an absolute privilege.  Thankfully, there are lots of good coaches in baseball program to be able to help my son develop.  I'm still not sure how good a soccer coach I was, so I am sure someone (anyone) can fill those shoes! 

I'll still be at the games, and some of the practices, but I'll be in the stands with the other dads and moms, taking my pictures, grumbling about the coaches and enjoying every minute of it!

Getting Back In The Swing Of Things

Here in the Mid-Atlantic region, we've just finished the first weekend of the school year.  Temperatures are still warm and there is a goodly touch of humidity to remind us that the dreaded dog days of August are not too far in the past.

It always seems like the first week and weekend of school are jammed packed with forms to fill out, meetings, activities, games, homework and everything else under the sun.  We're coming off just such a week and even after the weekend, I feel exhausted.

I started with my annual fantasy football draft on Labor Day.  I was getting out this year, but my brother convinced me to come back and try to improve on my 4th place finish from last year.  The draft food, provided by Shane and Maria Zack of Rosalita's Fresh Mexican was stellar and mean I probably need to make a trip out to Malvern some day soon. I picked first this year and grabbed Adrian Peterson, who immediately underperformed in Week 1. Typical. 

After one last night out, it was back to school on Wednesday for the kiddies, with John starting 6th grade and Emma going into 2nd.  John has a real 'big kid' schedule, with 11 different teachers including all the 'specials.'  I guess I need to begin saving for his teacher holiday gifts now.  Emma's teacher is actually a neighbor of ours!  In a fascinating coincidence, she used to live in the house that we moved into in August.  Emma now sleeps in the same bedroom as her teacher did a decade or two ago.

After dentist appointments and sports practices last week, the weekend heralded the real beginning of fall sports season.  John's travel baseball team had a scrimmage against the 11U NJ state champion Sacred Heart Angels.  He was our starting pitcher and worked an economical 2 innings, giving up 2 hits and no earned runs, walking no one with a K.  He struggled a bit at the plate however, getting caught looking on an outside corner pitch that is his nemesis.  His War Eagles dropped the game 5-1, but really played quite well for their first game of 'real baseball' on the 50-70 field.

Emma had her first ever soccer game on Saturday morning.  She enjoyed herself despite the mugginess.  She had one really good series bringing the ball up the field for a scoring opportunity.  While she prefers to play defense, we are still working on some basic concepts with the team.  Apparently ANYONE can coach youth soccer, as I have been tabbed as an assistant.  Prior to Emma joining soccer this year, I am pretty sure the last time I was on a soccer field was for Mr. Logue's gym class at St, James in 1987.

Saturday afternoon marked the return of the annual Pesotski Crabfest, hosted this year by my sister Carin and her husband Kevin.  Normally Crabfest is held on Father's Day, but Emma had her Dance Recital on Father's Day this year and my father was under the weather, so we re-scheduled.  It was an enjoyable afternoon, not nearly as hot as some of our previous gatherings and the food, beverages and company were excellent. 

An added benefit of waiting until late in the crab season is that prices were the lowest in memory, with my brother Matt snagging a bushel for the unheard of price of $150 at Seafood Connection in Linwood.  I found a nice selection of fall beers at Medford Wine and Spirits, including Seirra Nevada's amazing Tumbler.

We wrapped the weekend up yesterday with baseball practice, some football on TV, John's late summer reading essays and Emma's forthcoming 'Classmate in a Box' project.

Things don't slow down at all this week with dance class starting up tonight, 2 practices, back to school night and a baseball tournament looming for the weekend.  How are the other daddy an mommy bloggers handling what Jennifer terms 'the layering on of activities' that begins the school year?

Where I’ve Been

The questions have been coming in greater frequency as the summer winds down. Friends and readers, well meaning but curious. Everyone puts it a bit differently, but the gist is the same. The basic approach: "Has the blog gone dark?" Or the complimentary: "I really miss your writing. I hope you start again soon." The prodding: "The little mobile updates aren't enough."Finally the general concern: "is everything ok?"

It's all very flattering, and you've got to have a bit of an ego to have a personal website and expect folks to read about you and your misadventures, the accomplishments of kids they don't know and reviews of restaurants far from where they live. I'll admit the ego is here. The desire to write just hasn't been.

Even before this summer I had been having somewhat of a crisis of purpose about the blog. It had evolved from the daily series of quick hitting comments on the happenings of the Philadelphia region though a series of fits and starts into what can only really be classified as a 'Daddy Blog." Daddy blogs are great. I enjoy posting about my kids. I love bragging about how smart they are, how well John is pitching and how sweet Emma is. But the interest level outside my family is minimal and the genre doesn't provide much opportunity to stretch my writing skills.

So the blog was in a rut.

Hence the Summer of Benign Neglect.

Benign Neglect turned into flat out neglect as issues with my ex wife heated up, work was more demanding than ever and all of the million things that can get in the way of writing if you let them did just that. That's not the whole story, but it is enough of the story to give you a pretty full picture. The rest is just too boring to write about so I will skip it.

The good news is that I have been feeling the stirrings of wanting to write again, so we will see where this goes. I am not making any promises to myself that I will write every day, but I do feel like using computer to do more than play Facebook games for a while.

I appreciate very much the folks who checked in on me in my blogging absence. Things are fine. They really are. A summer vacation was in order. That's all. Thanks as always for reading.

Getting The Engine Started Again

It's been a while since I actually sat down and pounded out a blog post at the keyboard.  There have been a lot of reasons from there being no compelling sports on TV, to a new game I am playing that takes up too much of my time, to business with family and kids over the holidays, to just feeling like I needed to take a break to freshen up my thoughts and get ready for a new year.

I've got a few blogs in the can now and ready to go.  I'll be musing on the new way to announce your engagement, finally getting around to the year that was 2009 and also catching folks up on the life I live here as Another Delco Guy In South Jersey.

Somewhere along the way I may share some new photos, drop in a restaurant review or two and get things moving here again.

Sorry for the month off, but I am back now!

Sorry - Been Busy!

Sorry for the recent delay in posting.  Between kids and work and travel and such, I can't say I have had the time.

I have a few great posts in the editing bin right now and hopefully will get some writing done tonight on my flight to Dallas.  Look for some posts tonight and tomorrow.

Coming attractions include:

• An overview of my thoughts about the NCMPR conference session I was part of in Atlantic City on Tuesday.  All kinds of goodies about new media, working with bloggers and how social media will affect us all in the coming years.
• Some photo updates from the week, with special attention given to my little birthday princess.
• A hands-on review of my new HP Home Media Server.
• A discussion of photographic rights in public spaces.

Right now I have some shopping and packing to do for my trip, so I will have to see you all soon!

Happy April Fool's Day

Your eyes are not deceiving you and this is an actual post on my blog!  And no it has nothing to do with April Fool's Day.

I will admit to neglecting things here a bit lately.  Between coaching two baseball teams and running John to CCD down on Long Beach Island twice a week, there has not been a ton of time to do much of anything that is not directly related to the kids.

I even took last Friday off to take care of a few matters of personal business like getting a haircut and having the car serviced.  Still, after a frantic weekend of driving hither and yon I staggered into Monday feeling like I had not had a weekend at all, let alone a long weekend!

I've also got a new writing project for work, nothing much, but still it takes away from the creative time at the keyboard.  As part of an attempt to help demystify financail aid for families looking at higher education options, I've launched a blog at work.  It's not much to look at yet, but we're adding more stuff all the time.

This weekend marks John and Emma's Opening Day of baseball on Saturday and the Phillies opener on Sunday.  I'll be at both and there will be plenty of photos!

Monday night after John's game, I have to head south to the new Gaylord National Harbor for a higher ed software conference.  I am a bit bummed that it is not in DC itself this year but rather in some planned community/conference destination that was recently constructed southeast of DC.  In the past versions of this conference, I have enjoyed wandering DC on the free afternoons and seeing the cherry blossoms and nearly being arrested.

I guess I will have to check out the pool instead.

Great American Pub - Radnor

I spent a few hours in Downtown Wayne, PA catching up with Cabrini buds Matt Hodlofski and Lou Monaco. In between ripping the Mets and discussing our hatred of both Superbowl teams, I enjoyed a few beers and some grub

Great American Pub - Radnor

I spent a few hours in Downtown Wayne, PA catching up with Cabrini buds Matt Hodlofski and Lou Monaco. In between ripping the Mets and discussing our hatred of both Superbowl teams, I enjoyed a few beers and some grub

Great American Pub - Radnor

I spent a few hours in Downtown Wayne, PA catching up with Cabrini buds Matt Hodlofski and Lou Monaco. In between ripping the Mets and discussing our hatred of both Superbowl teams, I enjoyed a few beers and some grub

Great American Pub - Radnor

I spent a few hours in Downtown Wayne, PA catching up with Cabrini buds Matt Hodlofski and Lou Monaco. In between ripping the Mets and discussing our hatred of both Superbowl teams, I enjoyed a few beers and some grub

Great American Pub - Radnor

I spent a few hours in Downtown Wayne, PA catching up with Cabrini buds Matt Hodlofski and Lou Monaco. In between ripping the Mets and discussing our hatred of both Superbowl teams, I enjoyed a few beers and some grub

A Good Day

It's a DAMN good day.

A major project wrapped up at work.

The boss taking me and the staff out for thank you drinks.

A night at The Bank watching the Phightins' scratching and clawing their way tot he top of the NL East.

I'll be down there... drop me a line if you will be too.

Out and About In Philly

Sorry about the lack of posts lately, but it's been a rather crushing week or so at the job.  While the project isn't complete yet by any means, the finish line is on the horizon and I can at least THINK about other things.

On the positive side, I have had a couple of very good meals this week since I have been too tired to cook.    On Monday, the GF whipped up a great Italian sausage sandwich made with turkey sausage.  Very good!  Tuesday was 12th Street Cantina pizza at work - actually very good stuff!

I was a big fan of the meal Thursday night at Alma de Cuba.  Lobster and Crab ceviche was tasty and there was a good-sized portion, not something you can always say about a Stephen Starr appetizer.  While I think it wasn't a true ceviche, it WAS finished in a very nice citrus sauce.  The sugarcane tuna entree was very good, excellent rare tuna with a coffee and sugar searing that was
a nice change to the usual tuna preparations.  Their caipirinha  was more sour than I usually have, but still very good.

Friday, we tried the newish Mexican Post outlet at 1601 Cherry.  I love the hot, cramped, noisy 2nd Street location.  But they should have stopped there.   While it was a Friday, you should still be able to get decent service and good food.  You can't.  The 2 high-end margaritas I had differed widely.  We were largely ignored in our corner of the dining area and the food was not up to the Post standards.  Skip it unless you're looking for a happy hour crowd.

The King Tut exhibit at The Franklin Institute afterwards was very interesting and had some wonderful and exquisitely detailed work, but lacked a "WOW!" centerpiece.  It's amazing how well-preserved the 3200 year old relics are, but the splendor associated with the words "King Tut" was absent.

Last night, the GF and I met the parents in the city for a visit to Sotto Varalli.  I've eaten here a good bit and the one thing I will say is that these guy know how to make risotto.   I started with six Malpeque oysters on the halfshell that were good-sized and salty. I had the seafood risotto as an entree, filled with excellent littleneck clams, some middling mussels, shrimp, half a lobster tail and a huge hunk of crab.  A+!!!  The GF's chicken risotto was also well-received.  My parents raved about the Maine-inspired corn and crab chowder and the colossal crab appetizer.  I had mango mousse for dessert, the ladies had bread pudding and my dad had creme brulee.  All the desserts were tasty, but basically average.  The house chianti was terrible at best, but the pinot noir was smooth and easy to drink with the seafood.  Service by both our new server and the experienced Eddie was top-notch.

We finished the night at my usual haunt, where Laurentiu was making a surprise appearance behind th
e busy Valanni bar.  I celebrated my recent decision to remain at UArts with a healthy pour of Lagavulin 16 year old, which I had last with my brother to celebrate his promotion last year.  It's still damn good stuff.   The GF had a Laurentiu creation that tasted spot on like a watermelon Jolly Rancher.

Today I am going to join the Great American House Hunt, looking around the area for new digs.  Also planning to try to catch some of the Phils and Eagles games.  Enjoy the day!

Summer Blogging

Damn it's hard to keep up a blog in the summer.  With the various vacations to Orlando and Maine, NH and Newport as well as business trips to DC, Florida and the Big Easy, I just have not been home much.

When I have been here, I have been all about trying to spend some time with the little ones in between piles of laundry.  Yesterday John and I got the chainsaw out and headed over to Carin's new place in Swarthmore to teach Kevin a thing or two about clearing brush.  All I am saying is that I would have cut more stuff down if Carin had let me.

Today we're taking it easy a bit before heading over to see my cousin Patrick who is in town with his new fiancee Audrey.  Everyone is looking forward to it, but a day at home would have been just what the doctor ordered.

On tap for the week is a full week in the office (my first since oh, Memorial Day), the Phils game with Dan and Mary Ann and a party at Carlo and Anne's on Saturday.  Somewhere in there I need to get the grass cut.

Life is normal and boring right now, but I have a few things on my mind that I will be posting about soon.

Try to stay cool!

Great To Be home

The place is a mess, but I can't tell you how happy I am to have spent the evening with my kids and to now be collapsed on the couch watching the Phils.

11 states in 12 days is a bit much.  Last night on my final night in The Big Easy I got take out from Mother's and read a book.  Yes you read it right.  No kids, no GF, and I skipped Bourbon Street.

I will post a full New Orleans Update tomorrow, but let's just say that evidence of Katrina's wrath is everywhere.

Talk to you soon!

New Photo Sets

After much work trying to learn Photoshop CS3, I have posted three sets of photos from my recent vacation on my Flickr site.  The Boys Night at Fenway is memorialized, including shots of the rain, the Green Monster and us in the bar waiting.  One of my favorite places on earth, Cape Porpoise is caught in a photo shoot.  I got a chance to shoot one of the best sunsets I have ever seen in Newport, RI is recorded in another set.

There will be a bunch more pictures coming, as I have plenty more from that trip and several others I have taken recently.

Look, comment and Enjoy!

Back In The Swing of Things!

Sorry for the long absence, but we've been on the road! 

Some photos of Emma getting us back into the normal cadence of life are up at my Flickr site.  She had a good time yesterday, hitting the ball off the tee in the back yard.  John got into the act a bit, helping her refine her swing a bit.  It was hilarious to watch it!

We are back from our trip to the center of all that is Mouse.  Disney was HOT.  I mean weather-wise.  They made lots of jokes about deodorant testing.  It wasn't funny.

We'll have a full wrap up of the Disney trip and some photos up later in the week.  Today is a rest and recover day.

We're looking forward to John's birthday tomorrow, but it will be a low-key affair with just a few of use getting together on Wednesday to celebrate.

Sunday Stuff

While 'lil Bro recovers from rabies shots at the CoreStates Championship err the Philadelphia International Championship, the kids, girlfriend and I will be headed South.

We're taking in inter-league baseball as the Orioles take on the Rockies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  There will be great beer, crabcakes and a family-friendly fans.

We will have photos and notes up later.

In case you were sleeping, a near-miracle occurred last night as Jon Leiber pitched a 3 hit, complete game shutout.  Outstanding work picking up for Freddy "15.43 ERA" Garcia, there Jon!

Enjoy the cool weather!

Quick Thoughts

Sorry for the lack of posts.  I have been suffering from an eye issue and it's pretty hard to write at the end of the day when you only have one worrking eyeball.

Would Barry Bonds' head fit in Curt Schilling's mouth?

What is Dale Earnhardt, Inc. without Dale Earnhardt?

John's teammates amazed me last night as they were more than ready for 'coach pitch' in T-Ball.

Am I wrong to wonder if there is an insurance scam going on when I am forced to have an office visit to get allergy medication?