A Very Happy Co-Birthday Weekend

Had a very nice & relaxing time up at Lake Spofford for a Co-Birthday Party. Momma did a great job in getting the house ready (including monkey balloons) as well as in restaurant selection. We had truly an EXCELLENT meal at Luca's Mediterranean Cafe. A lot of laughs, music & bocce. A very good time was had by all -- thanks Momma! Shenanigan photos HERE.

A Beautiful Day on Lake Spofford

Despite a dreadful weather forecast, the sun is shining & the lake is gorgeous. A wonderful setting for a low-key celebration of The Wife & Marvelous Matt's birthdays.

Helmet Memories

Many years ago, on eBay, I purchased my brother a tie-fighter pilot's helmet from "Star Wars" that was made from the original mold used in the movies. Geeky? Perhaps. But at least it has survived "the troubles..."

En route to New Hampshire

Making good time up to New Hampshire...

Cleo

One of the absolute greatest cats ever...

Sugarpants Class on Amtrak

Rolling up to CT & then New Hampshire with my brother (nicknamed "Sugar Pants") and Marvelous Matt S.

RIP: Jim

Jim lost his battle today - but BOY did he FIGHT. I don't have the pictures I would want to share - he was a better photographer. I don't have the words - he meant too much to The Wife, her family, and mine, as he & Chris hosted our Engagement Party. But that does not begin to capture the man. He was - and I choose my words carefully - a wonderful man. Full of wonder. Full of hope. Full of life & joy.

And so, lacking the proper photo, the proper words, all I can say (because we shared a love of music) is that... "The Boy's doin' it..." (So let's not be TOO sad... He would not want us to be.)

Good sir, I was happier every time you were around.

Godspeed. You did it. And kept on doin' it...

Sugar Pants!

My brother is on the way from Texas!

Nantucket Offroading

Mark, his wife, myself and The Wife go "offroading" on Nantucket. We parked on this beach and then got stuck in the sand. When we tried to go past Wauwinet up to Great Point, we REALLY got one of the Jeeps stuck. Of course, that's because Kevin forgot to put it in to 4 Wheel Drive... And we all almost ran out of gas. But still, a great day...

Dead to Me

As predicted, Will Simon of Brooklyn, NY won the New Yorker's Caption Contest with MY quote. I am furious. And Will Simon of Brooklyn, NY is now - officially - Dead to Me.

"Objection, Your Honor! Alleged killer whale."
Will Simon
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Nantucket Bumper Sticker

Nantucket Offroading

Nantucket Kadima!

Mid-Afternoon Monkey Nap

Sometimes, The Monkey needs go s'eeps...

Nantucket!

A great day on Nantucket. Spectacular weather & we're about to surprise the guest-of-honor Jeff for his 40th birthday.

The Cruelest Month

When TS Eliot wrote that April was "the cruelest month", he had not experienced this June. From the absurdly minor (losing our AC & having the truck break down) to the tragically major (a lost relationship & a close family friend counting away his last minutes in a hospital bed as I type) our Inner Circle has taken some severe hits of late.

All I can do is hope that those affected will lean on us, their family & friends to rise from the ruins and move, even if haltingly, forward knowing that we love all of you very much.

Unhappy Wife

Her SUV died on the West Side Highway & we are now awaiting a tow truck...

Dad's Night Band @ The Office

Opened with Eric Lindell's "Casanova". (!!) Playing Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken" now. Made up of local fathers who started their own garage band and are now getting gigs, including their annual night before Father's Day blow-out at The Office.

Father-in-Law's Day @ Smith Bros.

As my father-in-law Bob just said to our waitress, "We're trying to pick up girls." An older lady walking by started laughing & I said, "That was easy!"

She responded, "You want young ones - like that one!" pointing to a pretty young thing walking by.

Bob responded, not missing a beat, "Well, experience counts..."

USA! USA! USA!

By contrast, proud American that I am, I have been to 66% of the States in America (34). God bless her..


create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Places I've Been

The strangest thing about travel is that the list never gets shorter - the more places you go, the more places you realize there are to go. This web site tells me that I've been to 32 countries, a mere 14% of those in the world. (And I thought I was a pretty serious traveler... It's a mighty big world.) Of course, also very telling are the places that you return to...



create your own visited countries map

See? I Told You So...

Speaking of my "Dead To Me" List... #1 is The Manatee. Someone recently asked me, "Why do you hate the manatee so much?"

I would think the answers would be obvious, and legion. But for those who have never stopped to think about it, they are useless creatures. Hideous, inedible, and they get in the way of boats. I refer to "the sea cow" as "Nature's speed bump." I also have to assume they take massive poos.

The fact that people would confuse these hideous beasts for mermaids also flicks my tail. Mermaids rule, manatees blow. The amount of energy that people exert to save this awful, awful creature is simply shocking to me and could be far better spent. And so, I really hate the manatee. (As Marvelous Matt S. said years back when I first explained my position, "Huh. You're kind of kidding, but kind of NOT!") You betcha. Screw the manatee.

I recently was pleased to get even more validation in my correct opinion from none other than my comedic hero, Stephen Colbert. Here is a photo of him punching a manatee dead in the face:

GO POLAND!

Had a meeting cancelled, so I threw on my Polska jersey & went to legendary soccer bar Nevada Smith's to watch the first half of Poland v. Austria - a MUST-WIN for the Polish! Knew I made the right choice when I saw this Polish beer truck parked outside...

Dead to Me

Following directly on the heels of Kubica's historic win in Montreal, Poland played Germany in the Euro 2008 soccer tourney. Big day for Polish sport. Unfortunately the heavily-favored Germans proved too tough for the pesky Poles and Germany won 2-0.

That would be bad enough, but both goals came from POLISH-BORN Lukas Podolski with an assist from POLISH-BORN Miroslav Klose, both of whom also proved lethal against the Poles in the last World Cup. (!!)

Congratulations, you traitorous bastards. You have just made my "Dead To Me" list.

A Great Day to be Polish

(as most of them are)

For the first time in history, the Polish national anthem was played at a Formula One Grand Prix, thanks to the stellar victory of my main man Robert Kubica. Well done, Robert. Well done...

The Jasinskis!

At the Semester-at-Sea reunion!

Breakfast Cheesesteak

On our way to the Bahamas for the Semester-at-Sea event.

THE LAST G*D-DAMN STRAW!

Okay... THIS is infuriating... As even the casual reader of this blog knows, I am obsessed with the New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest. Imagine my rage when I opened up the current issue of the New Yorker to find a nearly IDENTICAL caption to the one I submitted as one of the finalists!!!

I submitted "Objection! Alleged killer whale." While Will Simon of Brooklyn's "Objection, Your Honor! Alleged killer whale." was judged superior. I am beside myself with rage. To come SO CLOSE...

It's a good thing we are traveling for most of this week, I would hate to run in to Brooklyn's Will Simon...

A very nice dinner

The Wife made a very nice dinner of some of my favorites. Chicken breasts marinaded in my favorite marinade, cucumber / onion salad, corn on the cob & cut mango for dessert. Delicious & we watched a Battlestar Galactica marathon.

[Also, The Wife hates this picture and my Mom thought she looked "sad." Nope. Just intently watching Battlestar Galactica, unaware I was even taking a picture. We've both become BSG addicts.]