Nora's Second Birthday

We had a great time celebrating Nora's birthday. 

The excitment with a set of drums at the Childrens Museum in K Falls.

 
Katie and Nora playing in a antique dentist chair.

Fun with static electricity.

Sad News

T.J. 's adopted mother Jolene Myers died after a long battle with ALS.  I flew down to L.A. for the memorial service.  Jolene was a very positive force in TJ's life and she will be greatly missed.  Memorial service set-up with Bob, Michelle, Lisa and TJ.

Trip to Klamath Falls February

Winter travel in Oregon is always an adventure. We took our time heading over the snowy Cascades to visit Matt, Katie and Nora. Crisp, but beautiful. Papa with Nora at the south end of Klamath Lake.

Christmas 2009 ~ A Light Adventure

We took a trip to Peacock Lane in Southwest Portland.

February 5 @ Sandy Actors Theatre

Nancy and I went to see one of my high school classmates from Chula Vista in a play at the Sandy Actors Theatre, in Sandy, Oregon. We had a great time and the play was very funny.  Jim is a retired  Air Force colonel and has been in several community theater productions. Jim and his wife just moved to the Portland area and we reconnected at our 45th high school reunion last summer in San Diego. Small world.

Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 by John Bishop

The Stage Door Slasher brought an end to one musical comedy on Broadway. Now the creative team responsible has gathered in a New York Mansion to try again...and so has the Slasher. In this zany comedy, acclaimed writer John Bishop pulls no punches accomplishing some amazing twists amidst the raucous laughter. A hilarious whodunnit!

Catch-up for January

It has been a busy month with appointments, dinners, catching up with friends, taking people to the airport, arranging activities and travel for the spring and summer. Plus, loads of projects in the shop for me and genealogy projects for Nancy. I gratefully celebrated my 64th birthday in Klamath Falls.

Goofy Papa blows out the candle.

January 2, 2010 Blazers

Phil, Linda, Nancy and I went to a Portland Trail Blazer game.  Both teams have injury problems and the Blazers only had 8 players suited up.  THEN - - - Golden State ran out to a 17-3 lead ( in less than 4 minutes)  and were up 41-31 after the first quarter, making 15 of 22 from the field.  It looked like a long night......   The Blazers pulled it together slowly and dominated the 2nd half of the game.   YEAAAAAAAH.

New Years Eve

We met with our good friends for our annual party to catch up and bring in the New Year. Champaign and hugs, as we watched the ball drop in Time Square. 

This picture of Times Square was from our hotel room during our recent trip to NYC.

December 29 The BIG Surprise

Doug and I took the boat to Newport to do some crabbing in the bay. We arrived before sunrise, launched the boat and put out the crab traps. After a couple hours of cold windy and generally miserable weather, we called it a day with one crab. Usually I would have tossed the little beggar back, but I was bringing something home.

Doug left for Albany and I took the boat back to Lincoln City before it started to rain. I beat the RAIN by a few minutes. I knew the weather was not going to get better, so I decided to head home after a short nap. I left (3:00ish) for a cup of Starbucks best and headed toward Portland. It is raining and I am watching the temperature gauge start slow decline, then little bitty flakes of snow, then bigger flakes and then lots of them. The traffic finally grinds (actually slides) to halt. Finally we find out that a SURPRISE snow storm slipped pass our weather people. NEWS FLASH Traffic is at a standstill for two hours with multiple wrecks.

Back to Lincoln City. About 5:30, I figure the wrecks are cleared and the snow stopped. Off again with a full tank of gas and about 10 miles from 101 traffic is meeting the snow. I drop to 4 wheel HI with my new all weather traction tires and get in line behind a pick-up (I am car the 8th in line) with apparently no traction devices and takes no opportunity to let any of us pass for the next 15 plus miles and we cruised between 15 and 25 MPH for a while.

I finally arrived home, to Nancy's relief, at 11:30 PM for what is usually two hour drive. I downed a large dose of medicinal scotch and headed for bed. Weather Surprise

December 27 and 28 Boat Ride

Doug and I met at Lincoln City on Sunday evening for a brew and burger to get ready for a drift fishing trip on the Nestucca River with Doug Miller  The water looked good and the weather was cold and sunny, but the fish were on vacation.  We saw a lot of boats on the river and not one fish caught.  Another day.

Christmas

We joined Doug and Pam in Albany for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.   Beth, Ty, Emily, Brian,  David, Sherry, Rocky and Stella were able to come together Christmas Eve.  Katie, Matt and Nora were joined in Klamath Falls with Katie's parents and brother.  Katie was on call at the clinic for the holidays.  We will join them next year. 

Bud and Nancy,  Brian and Emily,  Ty and Beth,  Doug and Pam,  David and Sherry

December 20 Sherry's Birthday

David, Sherry, Nancy and I met at PF Changs for a birthday dinner. 

December 18th "The Santaland Diaries"

Nancy and I enjoyed her birthday present from Matt and Katie. They gave her tickets to the Santaland Dairies.  It is a one man play about the time that David Sedaris, in his 30s and out of work, had to suffer the indignities of taking a job as an elf at the Macy's Santaland in New York City. The tale was first performed as a monologue by Sedaris on National Public Radio in 1992.  

December 17 Peacock Lane

After a visit to drop off some packages at Santas Ron and Sue ( Katie's parents) for a sleigh ride down to Klamath Falls, the intrepid explorers braved the crowds to walk down Peacock Lane in SE Portland. It is quite a spectacle.

We capped off the evening with a stop at the Laurelwood Brew Pub for a snack and libation.

Interesting Photos from NYC

Radio City Music Hall, billboard near Times Square, Ed Sulivan Theater, Nancy waiting in line to see Jersey Boys, going back to the hotel on a rainy night.

December 6th ~ Feed the Hungry

Ross, Debbie, Nancy and I prepared enough tuna noodle casserole, salad, beans & carrots to feed 120 people. It was a cold day and we had many guests that enjoyed our food. Workers included a group from La Salle High School, community service kids and several adults who enjoy working in the kitchen and serving the food.


Nancy and I went to bed early and got up late. Back to the regular and normal things of hanging out at home. Long breakfasts, reading the paper, defrosting the hummingbird feeder, washing clothes and it looks like it is time to hit the hay again.

Good Night all.

December 5th Our last day in NYC

Nancy and I slept in until 8:30 and strolled a few blocks over to Pigalle's for breakfast. After a nice breakfast and a final walk up 8th Avenue to the Saturday Market in Central Park. We hurried back to the hotel as a light mist was beginning to fall. Our suit cases packed and the room checked for forgotten items, we departed the Crown Plaza.

The rain had finally started with treats of snow in the evening. I mentioned the rain to the taxi driver and he said the city was crying because it was sad to see us go. The taxi ride to the JFK was about 35 minutes and uneventful. The pilot says we will arrive an hour early in Seattle. Yippy skippy and I hope we can get on an earlier flight to PDX. We did get an earlier hop to PDX and our friend Ross generously picked us up at the airport. We were almost home when our original flight was suppose to take off in Seattle. Confused on the time 10:00 PM or 1:00 AM, but it didn't matter. We are cooking for the homeless tomorrow and I am teaching Sunday school.

December 4 NYC

Light breakfast at Starbuck's, still stuffed from the ribs last night. Rick and Kate had some shopping to do, so Nancy and I walked down 5th Avenue to FAO Schwarz.

We also stopped at the see through cube for the Apple Store.

 Rick and Kate joined us and we all wandered around the Plaza Hotel and walked back down 7th Avenue to the Carnegie Deli. Nancy and I shared a giant pastrami sandwich. We waddled back to the hotel and dropped off our souvenirs.

Rick wanted to go to the New York Metro Transit Museum in Brooklyn. Naturally, we headed for the underground and another subway trip. It was well put together and fun for the train buffs. We came back to Manhattan on the "F" train for our last trip on the subway. Note - the subway look is between zombie and a blank stare at the floor. Eye contact is very seldom, except for children. 

Note the live in museum cat.

We were really tired and stopped at Rosie O'Grady's for some libations and a chance to rest our feet.


We went back to the to the Carnegie Deli for the best cheesecake we had during the trip. We window shopped all the way back to Times Square.

 We couldn't miss walking through the M&M Store and the Hersey's Chocolate Stores. What a madhouse. Rick and Kate were leaving early the next morning, so we said our goodbyes and went back to the room to pack.

December 3rd NYC

A walk through Central Park.

The NYC tour group ambled over to the Olympic Cafe to gain some sustenance for the long day ahead. A short ride on the #2 train to the west side of Central Park and a beautiful walk through the park and saw many of famous spots you see in the movies. One stop was at the Boat House for a cup of Joe. We finally made it to the east side of the park and Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kate really wanted a vending cart hot dog, so we all indulged ourselves before checking out the museum. I can tell you that the museum is reeeaaallllly big and has some great exhibits. We went to Virgil's Real Barbeque and chowed down on some delicious ribs and the portions were humongous. We did our best, but we had to leave some on our plates. We needed a long walk, so off to join the throngs of people looking at the gorgeous Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. Wow, what a lot of people and ice skating too. We walked by the Radio Music Hall, NBC studios and several theaters. The decorations around the big building were enormous and very well done.

Metropolitian Museum of Art

Dec. 2nd in NYC

Subway tracks and Grand Central Station

The NY Stock Exchange is just about a block from Trinity Episcopal Church, the place where George Washington was scorned as President, and many other financial instructions.

Below is St. Patrick's. This picture with the blue tarps is the new World Trade Center Memorial. This first picture of the church is from the sidewalk in front of the church. If you remember the remembrances placed on a fence. It was in front of this church

 

     

The plaza, just off Braodway and Wall Street, we had a nice lunch from the cart with the two umbrellas