Sunday, September 15, 2013

Lovin' her senior year @ Penn State

Clearly it's about academics ... with a little tailgating and football on the weekends thrown in for fun. This weekend did not disappoint. Photos from Carolyn.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Labo(u)r Day weekend in FL

We love going going to Florida. 
Our condo neighbors - always up for an evening together!
Typical late-afternoon summer sky.
The clouds roll in for a late storm - short-lived.




Friday, September 6, 2013

August visitors from the other London

Just had to document our visit from Arnie and Mary Lou a few weeks ago. To celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary they had booked a week at a seemingly cute, rustic resort in the Poconos that turned out to be more rustic than cute. After a few days of golf and plans to meet us for dinner, they ended up coming here early and spending a few nights. We loved having them.

To make them feel a little like they had extended their Pocono's holiday, we couldn't provide a heart-shaped bed but we did try for a little romantic ambiance! I'm sure Arnie read love poems to Mary Lou long into the eve.


We shared a lot of laughs and caught up on their lives and kids' lives over food and wine.
Mary Lou, Don & Arnie
They brought the food!
Happy 30th Anniversary!
We first met these two just weeks after their wedding at a baseball game.
We caught our dinner fresh at King's Grocery store.
I had a special request - no eyes.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

And he's off again

After a year of working at KPMG and living in Brooklyn, Bryan decided it was time to travel again before he got too entrenched in work life. His trip through Europe last summer only whet his appetite for more adventure. We moved his few possessions back to our house and off he went.

This time he left on August 25th packed into a car with 3 high school friends and their luggage. One of the guys is starting college in Seattle so was moving himself out west and the others tagged along for the adventure.
Tim, Tom, Tony & Bryan packing up in our driveway at 5:30 a.m.
Their plan was to drive a day, hike a day, drive, hike, drive. The first night they stayed at a sorority house at Indiana University. Nice. The next day they drove to Badlands National Park in South Dakota where they camped two nights, and hiked the day in between. Don noticed reported temperatures over 100 degrees that day - adding a little challenge to the hiking!

Hiking in the Badlands
Bryan and Tim with a guy they met from Montreal and his dog.
From the Badlands, they visited Mount Rushmore (well worth it they said) and then drove to Yellowstone National Park for more camping and hiking. I have not received any photos from this leg of the trip. Again, Don noted temps of 40 degrees overnight - one extreme to the other.

And finally, by late Friday night, they pulled into Seattle to stay with another high school friend, Dan, who has been in a master's program and living there the past year. And luckily, Dan's girlfriend, Darcy, sent me this photo.
Darcy, Dan, Dan's friend?, Tom, Bryan, Tony and Tim
We just got a text from Bryan today saying he was en route to Vancouver with some PSU friends, Nick & Andrew, who also arrived in Seattle this week. They are visiting a PSU friend who lives in North Van for a few days and spending three days at Whistler.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Kathy comes to Kinnelon

Last weekend Don's sister, Kathy, came to town for a visit. I am bummed that we did not take ONE photo the entire time, not counting the pic I took of my new Sperry's that I purchased at the outlets to show my Sperry-addicted friend.

We had a great visit - lots of talking and catching up, a little outlet shopping, dinner with friends, walking (10,000 steps), beaching, eating - a perfect visit.

And, may I say, we celebrated Kathy's svelte new look! She's lost >35 lbs since Christmas! Way to go, Kath! You look great - even though I didn't take a pic. Can't believe we didn't.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Another birthday

That time of year again. Every birthday is a good birthday ... that in and of itself implies I'm getting up there! Who says that when they're young!?

In keeping with our tradition of 'birthday person picks the restaurant,' I chose The Liberty House, a restaurant located in Liberty Park that overlooks the Hudson R. and lower Manhattan. You can clearly see the new Freedom Tower from here.

Before dinner pics:

Don & I ... its about 100 degrees still.
Tommy & Carolyn

Carolyn & Bryan
During & after dinner pics:
We had a nice table with a view - sushi man in the back!
The family and the skyline at night.
We had a really nice evening. We dropped Bryan off in Hoboken to meet his friends and then finished the evening with a game of euchre with Tommy & Carolyn when we got home.

Friday, July 26, 2013

We're in red


Guess you'll just have to take my word for it - we're in there somewhere. 

Verizon Corporate Classic - taken: July 18, 2013 (one of the hottest days of the summer)

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Zac Brown Band on July 19th

Lucky for us Carolyn couldn't use her tickets to see the Zac Brown Band so Don and I took them. We cruised down the Parkway to the PNC Arts Center, and found a great spot on the lawn under a clear night sky. It was a perfect way to spend my summer birthday.

Don checking out the crowd, waiting for Zac
Zac Brown Band on stage way down there and on the screens
We weren't exactly Zac Brown Band fans, in fact we didn't know any of their songs, but apparently they are quite popular and the thousands of people all around us knew every word! :)  It was a really fun evening and now I'll have to download a little Zac Brown. "Wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere ..."

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Verizon Classic in 100 degree heat

Carolyn signed up for the Verizon Classic 5k corporate run in Morristown on Thursday night, along with Don and Tommy. Tommy couldn't make it so I tagged along. Since the weather was stinking hot on race day, the race was reduced to 2.2 miles and it was downgraded to no longer a race but a come-out-and-do-whatever. I walked it with my friend, Denise (Carolyn's internship manager), while Don, Carolyn and Denise's boyfriend, Jim, ran it. We were all sweating bullets before we even started and were soaked when we finished!

As part of the Verizon team we got running tees and swag bags with another t-shirt and a few other things. There were 5000 participants raising money for the Jersey Battered Women's Center. The route was through the streets of Morristown, which blocked off many homes. Many people came out of their homes to cheer on the racers and had their garden hoses set up to spray out onto the street over the runners. I have never participated in a run before and found it amazing how kind and supportive everyone was ... even to us walkers. It was a fun evening.

Monday, July 15, 2013

July Birthday Babies Beach Bash - again

Once again the July birthday babies and spouses met on the beach for our annual birthday celebration. We are reducing in numbers due to July babies moving away and so sadly, one who passed away last Oct. and another travelling.

It was my second and last year as co-chair - a very easy job requiring a few emails and getting down to the beach early on the day to reserve a couple of picnic tables - and as I arrived at the beach early Sunday to meet Susan, my co-chair, we noticed a unique phenomenon ...
... actually pretty funny. Looked like some late-night pranksters stacked all the beach chairs in one tall stack! This would usually be at least four shorter stacks.

July birthday babies: Nick, Susan, Me, Tracey, Bob, Susan, Dave, Eileen

Keeping to the shade on a very hot day! Marian, Dave, Tracey, Paul, Don
Great friends in a great community. So lucky.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Twenty-one years old!

Our little girl turned 21 yesterday. A much anticipated day by her, with countdowns on her phone and in the kitchen, that arrived while we were in a hotel room in Fayetteville, NC with a 10-hour day of driving ahead of us. Not exactly the celebration she had in mind!

We organized an interesting day for her, beginning with her first gift - a birthday crown, which she wore all day - only while in the car and almost outside of the car once but caught her reflection in the car next to us in horror. I decided we'd pass the day by giving her 21 gifts. This worked out to one gift every 30 minutes. So I set my phone timer to 30 minutes and repeated it all day. Carolyn got gift cards for $21, a few clothing items, a few gifts of cash ($21), a couple of bottles of wine, and lots of small gifts just for fun. It actually made the trip quite fun. That and the texts with good wishes from friends, and an email and card from Nana. You're never alone with a smartphone. We got home just as the gifts ran out; perfect timing.

Today, when she came home there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting for her from Tommy. They really are nice - pretty from every angle. She was thrilled. Very thoughtful.



I baked her a cake after work tonight, which she ended up decorating!
Our beautiful 21 year old!
The cake as iced & decorated by Carolyn
We're very proud of you, Carolyn! We wish you a life of happiness, good health and enough wealth to buy the handbags you love! :)

Monday, June 24, 2013

Father's Day and a weekend visitor

Just posting a few fun, June photos.

Father's Day dinner on the deck
Carolyn & Bryan chillin'. So fun to have them both home.
Tommy and Carolyn at the SR beach this weekend


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Memorial Day weekend in FL

Don and I got down to Florida for a quick visit over Memorial Day weekend. We had tile laid throughout the condo while we were gone and we were anxious to see how it turned out. We also had some wall repair and painting done in the bedrooms. We arrived at the condo at 2 a.m., after a late flight, and as we opened the door, our fingers were crossed. Fortunately, it looked great. It is so hard to imagine what an entire room will look like from one square tile sample. Phew.

Living room with tile (before putting pillows, etc. back in place)

Master bedroom with newly painted walls & tile
After cleaning every single room, item, window, blind, etc., since everything was covered in tile dust, and installing a new vanity, sink and faucets, we made time every day to walk the beach and enjoy our favorite coffee/bagel store.

On our last night, Memorial Day, we joined a small group of owners at the pool where we shared appetizers, hamburgers and beverages. Always hard to say good-bye but nice to know we'll be back.

Cathy & Cathy at the pool! One of our favorite neighbors.

Monday, May 27, 2013

New roof

Just as our Victoria Day weekend friends were pulling out of our driveway last Monday, the roofers arrived. After getting 30 years out of a 20-year roof, we figured it was time. We had had a few leaks around our skylights. All but one of the roofing estimates we got noted that we must replace the skylights. The catch: the size needed for exact replacement is not made anymore. We decided to go with the one roofer who said our skylights are fine. In less than three days several teams of guys rotated through to get the job done.

Don worked from home on the first day and got some photos. One team shoveled the tile off the roof. Another gathered the debris in tarps and got it ready for another team who whipped in and carted it away. And a few crazy installers ran up and down our steep, way-too-high-for-me roof, working a section at a time to completion. Quite an efficient process!



We are away this Memorial Day weekend and with lots of rain at home, we were anxious to hear how the roof was holding up. Bryan, who is home Toby sitting, reported no leaks. Yah!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Crossing guard Don


Don volunteered to help out with a local fundraiser called Brake the Hunger Cycle. He was put on crossing guard duty and the local newspaper snapped this photo of him. He looks pretty good at it! Sign him up!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Victoria Day Weekend 2013

Don and I celebrated the Canadian long weekend with guests from the north, including Nancy & Mac from Toronto, Sue & Ron from Ottawa, and fellow NJ local Canadians Linda & Craig.

The weekend started with food and drink and lots of laughs.

Don & Nancy, Sens fan Ron modelling what not to wear in Ottawa, Craig & I, Sue & Nancy, Linda & Mac
looking at Nancy's creative book filled with photos from our Italy trip Sep 2012.
Staying with tradition, the weekend is never complete without a trip to the Outlet Mall, and once again, we made it worth our while! Between the four of us (Nancy, Sue, Ron & I) we did a lot of good damage in many stores. As you know, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. This grueling day was followed by a delicious dinner at The Smoke Rise Inn.

The next day was our NYC day. Unfortunately mother nature wasn't quite with the program dealing out a day of steady, but warm, rain. We traveled in by PATH train, being serenaded along the way by a group of talented men singing a few doo-wop classics. First on the itinerary was a visit to the 911 Memorial at the foot of the new Freedom Tower. A somber experience around an incredible memorial.

Ron, Sue, Nancy, Mac, Don
Beautiful and sad
This was followed by a walk to the Brooklyn Bridge entrance where we met Craig & Linda again, then trekked across the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River to Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) where we found a great restaurant for lunch and to drip partially dry in.

9 Old Fulton Restaurant, Dumbo in Brooklyn
Then back to Manhattan via the Manhattan bridge, learning the reason that no one talks about crossing the Manhattan bridge - the subway passes right beside the walkway rendering you deaf every 5 minutes or so as it passes. A walk through Chinatown, west on Houston and through Washington Square up to Union Square (again, while its pouring rain) earned us another break for refreshments. From there we hopped back on the path where this time we were entertained (?) by PDA activity.

Tired, wet, and, of course, thirsty, we arrived home where we enjoyed our final, fun night together.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Helicopter delay

About six months ago along the windy route that I used to take to work, a large area was cleared, leveled, gravel was spread, and fences of hay bales erected. The purpose was a mystery to everyone. It turns out that it is a staging area for building and dismantling huge hydro towers. The towers lie in parts in these giant holding areas and then a helicopter transports the pieces to the location where they are assembled and stand for however long these things last.

Every time the helicopter appears to do its work, traffic is stopped both ways. It is a minor inconvenience because we get to watch this cool feat of helicopter skill. And some of us grab our cameras:

Coming in to the staging area
Rising after picking up a load
And off it goes with whatever to wherever. 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Bryan's birthday

Yesterday was Bryan's birthday. His first birthday living out of the house, not including the last 4 years of college. We met him in Manhattan for lunch, then drove back to his place in Brooklyn where I took a few photos. Unfortunately I didn't take any at lunch or the previous evening when we met Bryan at the Prudential Center in Newark for the Devils/Leafs game, where, by the way, the Leafs won. Carolyn came home from PSU on Friday night for the weekend so was there for all events.

As well, Don's cousin Ted, and his wife, Barb, drove down from Hamilton, Ontario for the hockey game, an overnight visit with us, and are now taking in the sights and sounds of NYC.

My ''raison d'etres" in Bryan's room.
Bryan's home: outside the apt door, newly refaced facade, checking out the backyard.
View of NYC, looking across the East R., about 2 blocks from Bryan's apt.
We are proud of him and his independence but love to see him whenever we can. Happy 23rd Bry!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

St. Patrick's day

Palm Beach Shores has an annual St Patrick's Day parade consisting of town residents, a few local businesses, lots of mummers with amazing costumes, TWO pipe bands, and lots of enthusiasm! Pretty impressive for a very small town. 

My cousin and her husband volunteer each year to run the 50/50 sales table. The funds help to defray the cost of the parade and supports other local events. They also sell green bling and other festive items. I hung out with them this year.

After the parade, our table was moved to a nearby pool bar where the town enjoyed music, food and drink, and could win prizes from the 50/50 tickets. The big money draw was at 5pm when the winner received over $1000 - pretty good! But it wasn't me - drat.

The weather was perfect and I met a lot of nice people. Don was in NJ this weekend, having just arrived home from a week in Las Vegas for meetings and a trade show, or so he says ... What happens in Vegas ...

Link to local photographer's pictures of the parade.