State of Nature II

Foreshadowing

2011-12-25T07:37:00.000-08:00

In March, Matthew swam in his first meet ever, a family fun meet at our local YMCA. Little did we know then that he would join Stephen on the team just a year later. As you can see from the picture below, he's definitely got the game face of a veteran!

8 & Under YMCA State Championships

2011-11-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

February 7, 2010 was noteworthy for more than the Saints victory over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. It was also the day of Stephen's first "big" championship meet in swimming -- the New Jersey YMCA 8 & Under State Meet.

The picture above is Stephen's coach taking a Sharpie to him to "remind" him of his name, team and event numbers. Here are a few pictures from the meet.

Maybe Big Corporations Aren't All Bad

2010-02-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

I admit I am biased because I work here, but this is a pretty good story.

Battleship Encampment

2010-02-02T18:04:00.001-08:00

So there was more going on last weekend than just the trip to the Saints-Vikings game. Stephen and I spent the night before that trip with his Cub Scout pack aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey. The New Jersey is a very impressive, and highly decorated, Iowa class battleship. It was decommissioned in 1991, and now is docked in Camden, NJ. It is essentially a museum, and has a program for group encampments, which is what we did with the Scouts. It was a really fun evening, complete with a very informative tour, horrible cafeteria food, and sleeping in coffin-like racks in close quarters with the other kids and dads in our pack. After spending the night there, I have a heightened level of respect for the many sailors who spent months at sea on these things.

Here is where Stephen and I slept:

And here's a nice shot from the deck during our night time tour:

To see more pictures, click here.

Pictures From The NFC Championship Game

2010-02-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

I've finally uploaded the pictures from the fabulous trip David and I took to New Orleans and Baton Rouge for the NFC Championship Game. To see the full album click here -- and remember to use full screen view so you can see the captions.

I also wanted to put some of the photo highlights directly onto the blog (scroll down to the posts below for my live-blogging of the trip).

So, first is a picture of David in full regalia outside the Dome just before we went in:

And I love this shot of Drew Brees psyching up the team before the game:

The Dome was absolutely shaking when Garrett Hartley kicked the game-winning 40-yard field goal. Here is a picture of the bedlam just after the kick was made -- you can see the score on the scoreboard, and also on the Jumbotron: "NFC Champions!"

Coach Sean Payton lifts the championship trophy:

Heading Home

2010-01-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

New Orleans, 2:30 p.m. -- Well, David and I are heading home now from our great adventure. Last night after the game was like Mardi Gras Day in N.O. People poured onto the streets from the Superdome, screaming "who dat", dancing on cars, hugging and slapping high fives. Driving was virtually impossible, but no one really seemed to care.

A copy of today's Times Picayune is like gold. We're hearing stories of people going into stores this morning buying 5, 10, even 30 copies at a time.

Our flight is delayed due to bad weather in Newark, but like the people stuck in gridlock last night after the game . . . I just don't care.

I got lots of great pictures and will be posting them when I get back and have a chance to recover.
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BEDLAM!!!!!

2010-01-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

Superdome, 9:22 p.m.

SAINTS - 31
VIKINGS - 28
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OVERTIME!!!!!

2010-01-24T20:21:00.000-08:00

Superdome, 9:05 p.m. -- We are getting our money's worth.
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On our feet

2010-01-24T20:20:00.004-08:00

Superdome, 8:00 p.m. -- Everyone in the stadium has been standing up the entire game. Incredible!
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Mardi Gras in the Dome

2010-01-24T20:20:00.003-08:00

Superdome, 6:50 p.m. -- They are playing "The Second Line" after every Saints TD. Awesome.
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Get your earplugs

2010-01-24T20:20:00.002-08:00

Superdome, 6:25 p.m. -- It is unbelievably loud in here. The place is rocking. So far, has not helped the defense.
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It's Great to Be Back in the Dome

2010-01-24T20:20:00.001-08:00

Superdome, 5:15 p.m. --Ah, the familiar sights and sounds of the Superdome. The stadium announcer is the same guy from back in the 70s and 80s when we were going to Tulane games. A very distinctive voice. Sometimes I catch that voice when watching a game on TV and get nostalgic. Great to be hearing it in person again.
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What a Scene

2010-01-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

Superdome, 5:00 p.m. -- David and I just walked down Poydras Street to the Dome, carried along in a sea of black and gold. It's incredible. People yelling "Who dat"; street jazz bands playing on every corner; guys selling beer out of ice chests. Not like your average Tulane game, that's for sure!
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It's Great to Be Back in the Dome

2010-01-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ah, the familiar sights and sounds of the Superdome. The stadium announcer is the same guy from back in the 70s and 80s when we were going to Tulane games. A very distinctive voice. Sometimes I catch that voice when watching a game on TV and get nostalgic. Great to be hearing it in person again.
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First Disappointment

2010-01-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

French Quarter, 2:15 p.m. -- After driving down to New Orleans and checking out the former homes of both my sets of grandparents (while giving David lots of the obligatory boring stories of my memories of visits there as a kid), we finally landed in the French Quarter. We then hungrily worked our way to Central Grocery, eager for THE Original Muffeletta. We finally got there and what did we find?

CLOSED ON SUNDAY!!

I am very hopeful that this is our worst disappointment today.

Actually David will probably happier where have now settled in lieu of Central Grocery -- he just ordered a big plate of red beans at Montrel's Bistro (a place we hit a couple of times when we were all here in October 2008).

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Here we go

2010-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Baton Rouge, Sunday, 9:30 a.m. -- As part of the trip to the game, I'm trying to incorporate a little "heritage tour", to remind me and David of my roots in New Orleans and in Louisiana. After all, without those roots, I would not be a Saints fan and David certainly would not be.

The first step was a nice run this morning through some of my old stomping grounds. Lots of great memories as I ran through the streets of Baton Rouge.

Just a couple of hours till David and I head down to N.O.!
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Off To New Orleans!

2010-01-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

Newark, Saturday, 3pm -- David and I are at the airport waiting for our flight to New Orleans for the NFC Championship Game. I jumped at the chance to make this trip, because I just had to be in the Dome for the first NFC Championship Game hosted by the Saints. Who knows when, or if, this chance will come along again.

David and I kicked things off appropriately by popping in my Mardi Gras music CD for the ride to the airport. The first song, as we were pulling out of the driveway: Pete Fountain's version of "When the Saints Go Marching In"!
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St. Lucia

2010-01-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

For our 20th Anniversary, Lisa and I spent a perfect five days on the exquisite island of St. Lucia. St. Lucia is in the southeastern Carribbean, just to the west of Barbados. It is perhaps most identified with the striking Piton Mountains (see picture above). There is a lot to do on the island for the adventuresome (or energetic), including things like mountain biking or zip lining through rain forests, hiking or mountain climbing. However, true to form for us, Lisa and I chose to lie on the beach basically the entire time.

We stayed at the beautiful and remote Ti-Kaye Village, a collection of about 30 cottages set on a cliff overlooking the Carribbean. Here's a shot of Ti-Kaye from the beach:

When you go to Ti-Kaye, your are really getting away from it all. It is located by itself on the Anse Cochon, about one mile off the "main road", and several miles from the nearest town. The Anse Cochon is considered one of the best snorkeling and diving spots in all of St. Lucia. Spectacular coral reefs abound all around the cove, and as a bonus, there is a sunken ship about 1/2 mile from shore that is another great diving spot. I literally spent hours snorkeling, exploring until I was too worn out to keep going. Along the way I saw all kinds of coral and tropical fish of every color and combination of colors. But best of all was the sea turtle spotted twice near the sunken ship.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. For highlights of the trip, check out the pictures here (I promise I was judicious - I think the album has about 25 pictures). Again make sure to use full screen view so you can see the captions.

Finally, Lisa and I are eternally grateful to Mamere and Pops for staying with the kids back in frigid New Jersey, and making the whole thing possible!

Merry Christmas 2009

2010-01-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful Christmas this year. Mamere and Pops joined us for the festivities, and then most graciously stayed with the kids while Lisa and I jetted off for our 20th Anniversary trip to St. Lucia (see post above).

For whatever reason, I did not take that many pictures (could be because I played "Santa" on Christmas morning and handed out presents to keep things relatively orderly). Mamere took a lot more pics than I did, and I'm sure she'll post them soon. My main photographic goal for Christmas this year was to get just one decent picture of all the kids together. So we "herded the cats" after Mass on Christmas Eve and started snapping away in front of the tree. Above is the best of the lot.

Additional photos can be found here.

Stephen's Ninth Birthday

2010-01-18T16:56:00.001-08:00

I'm finally getting caught up on blog posts from a very busy late December. First up is Stephen's birthday. We did his party on his actual birthday, bringing a nice group of his classmates and friends to the Funplex, for a "foam frenzy" session!

The picture above is a nice shot of Stephen and a couple of friends enjoying pizza after the foam frenzy. For a complete album of photos from the party, click here.

Read This!

2009-12-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

If you love New Orleans, do yourself a favor and read this article. While there is some Saints focus, it is at its core more about the city and its people, including the bounce-back from Katrina. You don't have to like the Saints, or even football, to enjoy this moving piece.

Christmas Tree.2009

2009-12-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

Between swim meets, basketball games and snowstorms, we managed to get our tree up the weekend of December 12-13. It's not the biggest tree we've ever had, but it came together very nicely. Particularly after I followed up what I refer to as the kids' "provisional" ornament hanging with a little recalibrating.

Stephen and Nina are the most diligent and focused decorators, as evidenced here:

Although David gets bonus points for figuring out how to simultaneously hang ornaments and consume a gigantic spoonful of cookie dough:

And, of course, Matthew is Matthew:

More pictures of the tree trimming here (view in full-screen mode to see captions), although I just realized as I was putting together this post that I did not get a picture of the finished product! I will rectify that in a later post.

Tempting The Gris-Gris

2009-12-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

I know Saints fans everywhere are excited about the 11-0 start. But Saints fans of all people should be well aware of the power of the "hex", and therefore should avoid things like this, which I found buried in the article linked here:

Even Mardi Gras is making way. One parade was canceled because it was set to roll on Feb. 7, the day the Super Bowl will be played in Miami. Another parade will be moved to the following Tuesday if the Saints make it to the big game.

That's what I call getting ahead of ourselves. All the 11-0 record means is that the Saints will finish no worse than 11-5. To be canceling Mardi Gras parades at this point, on the assumption the Saints will be in the Super Bowl, is sure to cause a major gris-gris to envelope the Superdome!

Is The Po' Boy Endangered?

2009-11-15T14:19:00.001-08:00

This terrific article from Wednesday's NYT Dining section has me worried.

Haunting Mountain Lakes

2009-11-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2009 was wet and (thankfully) warm here in Northern New Jersey. This year, we were scattered in several directions for the festivities. David went to a party with friends and then out to trick-or-treat. Stephen raided the houses of Mountain Lakes for candy with a pack of his classmates. And Nina and Matthew had a great time trick-or-treating together while Lisa and I tagged along, enjoying some socializing in the streets with the other parents.

Here are Matthew (Commander Rex) and his friend Danny preparing for the Wildwood School Halloween parade:

Stephen said he was going as a "rebel":

And finally, Nina -- some kind of "grim reaper" figure -- was a huge help escorting Matthew around the neighborhood:

Matthew Is Six -- Lisa is ??

2009-11-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

We had a birthday extravaganza on the third weekend of October, spilling into Monday and Tuesday. We celebrated both Matthew's and Lisa's birthdays, with lots of help from Christina, Olivia, Michael and Nonni. There were cakes, cupcakes, ice cream and presents starting on Saturday, and not concluding until Tuesday evening (Matthew's actual birthday)!

So it started Saturday making the first cake for the celebration with cousins Olivia and Michael:

Then that night, he blew out the candle (singlular), and we all enjoyed the home-baked cake:

Then, it was on to Lisa's birthday (Monday), and then cupcakes at school for Matthew with his class on Tuesday. That night, there was yet another cake!

Whew! After all that, we will need a whole year just to work this off.

Stephen's First ("Real") Swim Meet

2009-11-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

On October 24, 2009, the mighty Dolphins of the Morris Center YMCA took to the Hackensack High School Pool in a showdown with the Greater Bergen YMCA. This would be the first true test for rising 8&Under star Stephen Graf of MCY. Below, MCY Coach Cecala huddles with Stephen and his 8U buddies to talk strategy.

Finally, it was time to race. Stephen started strong, with a very impressive third-place showing in the 25 yard freestyle. MCY swimmers took second and third to tally four big points for the Dolphins. Here's a video of the race (a little shaky at the end . . . sorry).

Then it was on to the next race, the 25 yard backstroke. True to Graf family tradition, Stephen struggled a bit in backstroke. Reflecting on his race later, Stephen puzzled over why it is that anyone would want to swim a race that requires sprinting headlong toward a cement wall while looking up at the ceiling.

But then Stephen finished strong on the freestyle relay. Unofficial splits had his time at 19.7 seconds, his first time under the 20-second barrier. Video of that race is below

Stephen's First Swim Meet

2009-10-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Stephen competed in his first swim meet last weekend! It was an intrasquad meet, and a perfect way to get him accustomed to the mechanics and atmosphere of a meet. He swam pretty well, too. The video below is of his first race ever -- the 25 meter freestyle. He did a great job, winning his heat and dropping a ton of time from his race at the tryout. Stephen is in the second lane from the top of the screen. He is the one with the quick start, like his Dad! Sorry it's a little fuzzy at the beginning - I had a focus issue.

Playing With The New Camera (Triangle Regatta)

2009-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

I also tried out the new camera on a beautiful day at the Triangle Regatta in Kinnelon. This was David's second regatta this year, and his first aboard his sleek new racing Sunfish. David had a great day -- he ended up second in his division, and also beat a number of adult sailors. I was able to get a number of nice pictures, like this one, for example:

More here (David is sail number 82036)

Playing With The New Camera (Soccer)

2009-10-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Just before we left for our vacation in August, my camera died. I didn't have time to get a new one before we left, so took my pics on vacation with a very old camera. Now I have replaced the broken camera, and have been having lots of fun with my new toy. It has a really good zoom, which helps when trying to take pictures at events like soccer games and sailing regattas. The first weekend with the camera, I took it out to the soccer field and put it through its paces.

Here is a shot where I was able to zoom in on Stephen playing goalie, and capture him throwing the ball out after a save.

More pictures here.

Never Underestimate The Power Of The Hex!

2009-10-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I am excited about the Saints' 4-0 start. Living where I do, the victories over Philadelphia and the NY Jets were especially sweet. The former earned me a free lunch from a rabid Eagles fan at work, and the latter gives me bragging rights with numerous fans of that local team.

But . . . and there always is a "but" with the Saints . . . I am tempering my enthusiasm in light of a lifetime of disappointments. David does not undertstand this yet, but I am trying to teach him. Here is a nice article about the mood in N.O. and on the team -- the key quote is this:

It’s all added up to one of the most dominant starts in franchise history, begging the question: Could this finally be the year New Orleans plays in its first Super Bowl?
“The funny thing is, we’re talking about it, but we’re also taking it one game at a time,” Randazza said of her discussions with fans. “We don’t want to overdo it because we’ve always got that voodoo hex here where we might have something go wrong if we get ahead of ourselves.”

Lego House In The UK

2009-09-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

This is Matthew in 30 years. He could probably build something approximating that house with the Legos we have in our basement.

We're "Swim Parents" Now

2009-09-20T18:47:00.001-07:00

I'm getting a somewhat mild taste of what my parents experienced when I was growing up. Stephen has finished his first week of practice on the Morris Center YMCA Swim Team, and Lisa and I have finished our first week as "swim parents"! Stephen will be swimming all winter and through early Spring on this team. This week, he practiced four times. On Sundays they allow parents on the deck to watch practice (not so on the other days, which I think is great). I sat through the practice today, and was really impressed in how much progress Stephen has made in just one week. I guess I should not be surprised, given that he had never swum on a team before when, out of the blue, he came to Lisa and me and said he wanted to try out for the Y team.

Anyway, Stephen is having a great time so far - hopefully that will continue. Looking forward to the intrasquad meet in two weeks!

Football Is Here!

2009-09-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the official opening day of the NFL season. Of course, that means four long months that inevitably will culminate in my beloved Saints disappointing me in some incredibly excruciating way that cannot now even be imagined.

But on a more positive note, it also means the return of the weekly "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" column on espn.com, by one of my favorite writers, Gregg Easterbrook. Longtime State of Nature readers have seen my posts in the past singing his praises. This week's column is particularly entertaining, and a great example of what Easterbrook brings every week. It's a rollicking combination of riffs weaving together football, current events, technology, history, science and even haiku! Really great stuff.

Ocean City 2009

2009-09-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Literally minutes after the Regatta wrapped up (see below), we loaded up the van for our annual expedition to Ocean City. We had a really terrific week. The weather was pretty much perfect all week, with only a little rain toward the end. And mighty Hurricane Bill passed by the East Coast at the optimal distance, such that it did not disturb our weather at all, but did generate some very large surf. The body surfing was some of the best I've ever experienced.

The kids had lots of fun on the beach, of course, but we also made our traditional mini-golf outing, and even added a day at a water park this year.

The photo above shows Stephen heading into the surf on one of the calmer days we had. Lots more pictures here.

Sailing

2009-09-09T17:38:00.001-07:00

So our major new activity this Summer was sailing. There is a long tradition in Mountain Lakes of kids learning to sail on the lake. The vessel of choice is the Sunfish. There is an extremely devoted group of men and women in town who organize and run a six-week sailing camp each Summer to teach the kids the ropes. And on Saturday mornings, a guy who grew up in town, but now lives in New York City, comes out to Mountain Lakes to give free racing lessons to any kids who are interested. This year, both Nina and David went to the sailing camp, and had a fantastic time while learning a great deal. Lisa spend a significant amount of time repairing boats -- first our boat, and then several of those belonging to the sailing club.

In late August, David capped off his first year of sailing by competing in the Sailing Association of North Jersey Lakes (SANJL) Sunfish Championship Regatta, right here on our own Mountain Lake. The competition involved five races, and the sailors earned points based on their placing in each race. It was David's first regatta, and he came through with a very impressive second-place finish in the 13-under division.

Here are the sailors lining up for the first race of the day (David is in there somewhere):

All in all, sailing was a great experience for the kids. We will surely be back for more next year . . . although Lisa might look to decrease her boat repair workload somewhat.

This Is Why I Open Windows In The Winter!

2009-08-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

It's always nice when science confirms something I've been saying all along. Now excuse me while I go turn down the thermostat.

I'm Back!

2009-07-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

After a slight delay due to my encountering a "bump in the road", I've now raced my first two triathlons of the year. The results were encouraging. On July 12, I kicked off my racing season with a second place finish overall at the Randolph Lake Triathlon. This is a great race for me to do because it's only 20 minutes from my front doorstep! Full results are here. Then, two weeks later, I headed down to Princeton, NJ for the New Jersey State Triathlon. I had another great finish on a very warm and humid day -- 8th place overall, and 1st in 40-44! Results here.

All systems seem fully recovered from the accident.

Business, Not Pleasure (Unfortunately)

2009-07-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

I recently made a trip on business to the beautiful island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. I have a series of cases pending in the courts there involving some issues at the massive Hovensa refinery, and the court ordered the parties to participate in a mediation process in an attempt to settle one of the cases. I was there for two days and, unfortunately, saw much more of the inside of a law office than I did of the more scenic portions of the island. However, at the end of my first day of work there, I managed to get out the beach just before sunset, and started snapping pictures. My favorite is this one.

If you are ever in St. Croix, I can definitely recommend the Buccanneer Hotel, where I stayed this time around. Very nice rooms, good service, and beautiful beaches.

The good news is that we managed to settle the case at mediation. Perhaps even better news is that it looks like I will be going back in early September for mediation in another set of the cases! It certainly beats where I will be in early August: a chemical plant in Metropolis, Illinois.

Wear Your Helmets, Boys And Girls!

2009-06-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

As many followers of State of Nature already know, back at the end of April, I was hit by a car while on a cycling training ride. I was taking a left turn and was broadsided by a driver who ignored a stop sign and pulled onto the road right into me. I was taken from the scene by ambulance to a nearby hospital to learn I had sustained a fractured rib, and to get three stitches above my eye. Fortunately, after about a month, I was mostly recovered, and now am fully back to normal.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my bike. As you can see from the pictures below, the impact of the accident snapped both legs of the fork clean in half.

In addition, the frame had a large crack down one side.

This latter damage rendered the bike beyond repair, and it was totaled. Fortunately, a very reasonable insurance settlement has allowed me to replace the bike.

So the bike has been replaced, and my injuries have healed. But the extent of the damage to bike and person in what was a pretty low-speed accident highlights how much worse it could have been. Be careful out there, and WEAR THAT HELMET!

Not To Make Excuses, But . . .

2009-06-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I have been way behind on the blog . . . very few updates, and when they come, they're a month or more dated. So our schedule for a recent weekend may help explain the blog neglect. Here was our day on May 16:

8:30-10:45 - Stephen lacrosse tournament
11:00-1:00 - Matthew T-Ball

12:00-1:30 - Stephen baseball game
1:30-3:15 - Stephen goes to birthday party
2:00-4:30 - David rec baseball game (extra innings!)
4:45-5:15 - David travel baseball batting practice
7:00-9:00 - David travel baseball away game

This was an extreme case, but actually somewhat representative of our weekends over the last month or two.

Stephen's First Communion

2009-06-11T17:44:00.001-07:00

I'm continuing to catch up on the blog . . .

Stephen's First Communion was March 2, and it was a fantastic weekend. Family from all around made the trip to Northern NJ to share in the festivities. We had visitors from Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and North Carolina! What great turnout, and lots of good food and conversation.

Here is Stephen fully dressed and ready to head to the church.

More photos here.

Matthew Starts T-Ball

2009-05-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Matthew all dressed and ready for his first day of T-Ball. He's been at it for a few weeks now, and let's just say he's got a long way to go to reach the level of David or Stephen. But he sure looks cute!

Easter 2009

2009-05-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

We had a very quiet Easter this year, but a very nice one nonetheless. Despite the relative quiet and calm in the State of Nature, the Easter Bunny did find us, hiding Easter baskets, and eggs throughout the house. We also did our traditional egg dying/painting on Holy Saturday (see photo above). On Easter Sunday, I broke somewhat from the normal cuisine for this occasion, and deep fried a turkey. Although high winds, made the frying somewhat challenging, I managed to complete the task safely, and the finished product was fabulous.

For more pictures of the fun, click here.

Drinking The Kool Aid

2009-03-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

If state-sponsored religion (or, in this case, town-sponsored religion) were legal, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, just might establish the Church of Lacrosse. I am only partially kidding. The people of this town seem to eat, sleep and live lacrosse 24-7-365. Stephen will be playing for the first time ever, so we received our "baptism" Saturday morning at the annual Mountain Lakes Lacrosse "Fun Run" -- the official start of the season. It was a real spectacle and, I have to admit, kind of fun. All the kids from all the teams, second grade through high school, gathered at the elementary school and went for a short jog around town as a group. Then, when they returned, they got an inspirational talk from the high school coach. I guess the rather obsessive commitment to this sport in Mountain Lakes pays off: I learned Saturday that the high school team is ranked 5th in the country this year.

The picture above is of Stephen, fully equipped for lacrosse. Except a jersey will presumably be added over the pads at a later time. More pictures here.

Parents vs. Play Station

2009-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a little more ammo we can use in our constant battle to keep video game systems out of the house. So they don't just turn kids into slack-jawed zombies, they also cause physical harm.

Digging Deep For Good News

2009-02-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

Guess you could call this a silver lining in the current economic situation. And it's not bad for the sharks either, as they don't really like to eat people anyway. At least that's what I'm told.

It's A Start

2009-02-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

So this winter has been so cold and snowy we have been forced to dip our toes ever so slightly into the world of winter sports. First, a little ice skating, and then, a couple of weeks ago, some fun sledding on a local hill. At first the kids were a little reluctant to venture out into the arctic landscape, but after one or two runs down the hill, they were sold . . . that is, at least until Stephen got snow inside his clothes! Picture taking was a little rough, as I had to ride the sled down with Matthew over and over, but I did manage to get a few, including the one above, and some more here.

Brrrrrrrr!!

2009-01-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here is my weather station at 6:40 a.m. today. The top number is the temp outside!

Is This Good Or Bad?

2009-01-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

So, heavy coffee drinking causes hallucinations? I haven't experienced this yet, but I'll be on the lookout!

Happy New Year - 2009

2009-01-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

We had a nice, quiet, family New Years Eve last week. We started the evening with fondue (very retro!), and then moved on to roasting marshmallows in the fireplace, playing board games, and enjoying some champagne and Sprite (for the kids) as we counted down to 2009. All four kids made it until midnight, but only one of the six of us was still going strong at 12:01. Three guesses who that was, and the first two don't count! In case you hadn't guessed, it was this one:

Check here for more pictures of the festivities.

Can't Say This Surprises Me

2009-01-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

Guess the Tigers were feeling just a bit defensive about having to stoop to accepting a bid to the "Chik Fil A Bowl" this year. Check this out, from one of my favorite writers on politics, current affairs and technology, Gregg Easterbrook, who also writes a great football column on espn.com:

Bad Sportsmanship Watch: Unless you went to LSU as an undergrad and then attended grad school at Georgia Tech, you weren't watching the fourth quarter of the Chick-fil-A Bowl late on New Year's Eve. But leading 38-3 in the fourth quarter, LSU staged a fake punt, trying desperately to run up the score. LSU threw nine passes in the fourth quarter, despite having a 35-point lead, as it frantically tried to humiliate Georgia Tech. Running up the score to impress pollsters bothers TMQ more than the lack of a true national champion in college football. Les Miles knew that if he could push the victory margin just a little higher, that might add one more notch to the school's final ranking in the post-bowl polls. This perverse incentive must be eliminated -- the polls system rewards poor sportsmanship, so poor sportsmanship is what we get.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Entire article linked here.

Christmas -- 2008 Version

2009-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a really terrific Christmas here in Mountain Lakes this year. While we missed seeing extended family for the holidays, with a group as big as ours, we're never lonely even if just with the nuclear family! We were having so much fun on Christmas that I kind of neglected the camera a bit. Here are the pictures I did get. I do, however, want to highlight the following shot.

This is what we left for Santa on Christmas Eve. Cookies, obviously, but also a really classic note to Santa from Stephen. Click on the picture and it will blow up enough for you to read it (at least page 1 . . . it continues on the back). Enjoy!

Stephen's Eighth Birthday!

2008-12-30T18:30:00.001-08:00

Okay, it's been pretty busy here of late, so I'm a little behind on blog posts. But absolutely not lost in the Christmas frenzy was Stephen's birthday. We had a little scare as our second snowstorm of the weekend came the morning of the birthday, and the party! We were on pins and needles waiting to see if the gymnastics facility would call us to cancel, but thankfully they did not. A great group of Stephen's friends (see picture, above left) braved the elements, and I'm confident they are all glad they did. I think you'll agree when you see the pictures.

Prepping For Santa

2008-12-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

We put the finishing touches on our Christmas decorations last weekend. The tree is now up (above right). Cookies have been eaten. Now if only I could finish my shopping . . .

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the raising of the tree.

Safety First

2008-12-14T12:51:00.001-08:00

We had a lovely fire on one of our very cold days last weekend. However, concerned that the conflagration might burn out of control, Matthew called out the Lego Fire Department.

Buck-Buck Braaawwwwk!

2008-12-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

How the mighty have fallen:

Tigers Accept Bid To Chick-Fil-A Bowl

Sure, I'll have fries with that!

Ping Pong Wizard

2008-11-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

So when we were in Ocean City a couple of weeks ago, we spent a lot of time playing ping pong, but let me assure you it was nothing like what you see in this video!

Not My Idea Of Fun

2008-11-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

I have racked my brain in vain trying to figure out what would possess a person to embark on something like this, much less to pay $250,000 to do so.

Why Do Spammers Spam?

2008-11-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

Because it actually works sometimes!

As long as people like this are permitted to own computers, the Nigerian scam emails will not end.

The Beach Can Be Fun In November

2008-11-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean in the Carribean or somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

Last weekend we met up with Peter, Marcie, Christopher and Caroline for a long weekend in Ocean City, Maryland. We had been looking for a chance to get together with them, and finally meet Caroline. With our kids off from school on Thursday and Friday, we thought that would be the perfect time to meet the Raleigh Grafs "halfway" for a visit.

The weather was even worse than you might expect for November, with pretty much constant clouds, fog, rain and wind until (of course) we were leaving on Sunday (see picture, above right). But Ocean City is a pretty good place to be if the weather does not cooperate. The place we stayed had a nice indoor pool with two ping pong tables on the deck, so we spent plenty of time there relaxing and swimming . . . and David even taught Peter a thing or two about ping pong. We also found an indoor miniature golf course, got decadent donuts from the Fractured Prune, and had a nice dinner at Mancini's in Fenwick Island. The good thing about the weather is it kept us indoors for a lot of quality visiting with Peter and Marcie, and among the cousins.

Look here for pictures.

Blog News

2008-11-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

The demise of AOL continues. AOL has discontinued the blogging service that I previously used for this site. So I am in the process of moving everything here. The text of all posts, and the embedded web links, are all here now, going back to when I started the site in 2005. The trick is the pictures. AOL is also discontinuing the AOL Pictures service, and so I have moved all albums that were linked to posts in the blog to Photoworks. I am in the process of linking up all those albums to the blog posts. I've started, but it's going to take some time.

I think you'll like the links to Photoworks albums. You should be able to purchase prints of any of the pictures directly from the albums -- please give it a try and let me know if you're experiencing any problems.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Here's some fun stuff from another great Halloween here in Mountain Lakes. To the left is a scene from the Wildwood School's Halloween parade. As you can see there were two Imperial Stormtroopers -- Stephen is the one sans helmet. More pictures here.

Business in Switzerland

2008-11-05T16:24:00.001-08:00

I was back in Switzerland recently on business. Longtime followers of State of Nature know that I have made several trips there over the years, but probably have noticed that I've never had any pictures to post. This time I finally had a little time to see the sights in Zurich -- on a brilliant October day, as you can see from this shot of the city along the Limmat River.

Other highlights that you can see in the photos linked here include the Grossmunster (a church built starting in 1100 A.D.), Fraumunster (another church dating back almost as far), Lake Zurich and St. Peter's Church (the oldest parish in Zurich, with a tower featuring the largest clock face in Europe).

I also got to Geneva on this trip, but had no time to see anything but the inside of a law office, and the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the airport. Maybe next time!

New Orleans Visit

2008-10-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the whole gang (even parents . . . imagine that!) at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Only a few days after I arrived back in the country from my week in India (see post below), it was back to the airport for a weekend in the Crescent City. Our "excuse" for going was a reunion of former law clerks of Judge Martin L.C. Feldman, for whom I clerked in 1991-92. The reunion was in honor of the 25th anniversary of Judge Feldman's appointment to the Federal bench. So what a perfect time to bring the family down for a four-day weekend of fun in New Orleans.

Mom and Dad joined us as we tried to show the kids everything there was to see in New Orleans. In addition to the zoo, we toured the Aquarium of the Americas, caught a movie at the IMAX theater, shopped in the French Market, rode the streetcar, ate beignets at Cafe du Monde (twice), and more. It was a really great weekend, capped off by the party for Judge Feldman at Antoine's Restaurant.

Check here for the best of the pictures.

Trip to New Delhi, India

2008-10-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, I took a one-week business trip to New Delhi, India. I was there for an arbitration hearing in a case between Honeywell and a Mumbai-based company. To say the least, it was eye opening to get a first-hand glimpse of the Indian legal system. Also, as much as you might read about it in advance, it is really jolting to see so much progress, modernity and wealth, cheek-by-jowl with absolutely abject poverty. Nowhere was this more evident than in the city of Guragaon, which is on the outskirts of New Delhi. On the last day of my stay in India, I visited two Honeywell facilities in Guragaon. Driving there on a massive eight-lane highway, you see huge, sparkling new office buildings on all sides, between which are interspersed groups of people living in ragged tents and tin shacks. This article from the NY Times will give you a sense of it. The trip really was quite an experience.

I only had a little time on the Sunday before my arbitration hearing to do some sightseeing. I did a whirlwind tour of some of the key spots in New Delhi, including the India Gate, the Presidential Palace (above right), the Lodi Gardens, and Humayun's Tomb.

I got a good number of pictures -- to see the album, click here. Also, check out the links above for further info.

Nation's Triathlon, Washington, DC

2008-09-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

As noted in the post below, I closed out my 2008 triathlon season on September 14 at the Nation's Triathlon in Washington, D.C. What a fantastic race course! We swam in the Potomac River, under the arches of the Memorial Bridge, and then back with views of the Washington Monument. Then it was on to the bike, around the Mall, out the beautiful Clara Barton Parkway, then back past the Kennedy Center and out the Rock Creek Parkway, with a return trip to the transition point in East Potomac Park. The run proceeded around Hains Point and then up 15th Street, with a jog over on Constitution Avenue and then up to Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th, where we turned around and headed down Pennsylvania to the finish at 12th Street. The website for the race has a really cool video tour of the course.

I ended up having one of my best races ever, finishing 3rd overall out of approximately 2500 entrants. Really a terrific way to cap off the year. I even got a mention in an article about the race in the Washington Post, which is linked here. If you're interested in complete results, go here. Special thanks to Aunt Katherine and Uncle Rob for the great pre-race meal and restful accomodations!

Matthew's First Soccer Team

2008-09-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Matthew has started soccer this year, and so far, he's having a ball. I was a little concerned that he would get distracted or bored, and wouldn't want to stick with it. But those fears were dispelled, and Matthew's true dedication to his new sport was proved, during his very first practice. As the kids were warming up, Matthew went into the goal to retrieve his ball, and his coach (not me, I promise!) kicked another ball in and hit Matthew right in the face. Even though he had a bloody nose, Matthew reassured me: "It doesn't hurt . . . (pause) . . . uh, it hurts a little." I took him to the sidelines and cleaned him up and he went right back into the fray. That's the way to play through the pain! Since then, there have been no significant injuries and he is thoroughly enjoying his practices and games.

The shot above is one of Matthew and fans after his first game. Here are more pics from his first practice and game.

Back to School!

2008-09-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

Just days after returning from Ocean City, it was time to welcome a new school year. For those who have lost track, the breakdown is as follows: Nina is beginning 7th (!!) grade at Briarcliff Middle School. David has now moved from elementary school into the 6th grade at Briarcliff. Stephen started 2nd grade at Wildwood elementary, and Matthew is now in his final year of preschool at Scribbles. Got all that? Good, in the spirit of the new school year, there will be a test later!

Here are some pictures from the first day.

Ocean City Vacation

2008-09-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous week in Ocean City, MD, at the end of August. I will dispense with boring text and get straight to the pictures.

More From The Races

2008-09-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've had a successful year so far on the triathlon circuit. In addition to the Escape From Ft. Delaware race described in the post below, I had a personal best time at the Columbia Triathlon by several minutes, and have placed highly in my age group and overall at all my events. A big highlight was the New York City Triathlon in July --- swim in the Hudson River, ride on the Henry Hudson Parkway, and run through Central Park. I attribute the good results mainly to the fact that I have not been traveling for work and therefore have been able to train very consistently over the last six months. This, however, is going to change radically after I wrap up the season this weekend at the Nation's Triathlon in Washington, DC. I will be traveling extensively this Fall, to some pretty far-flung places. Stay tuned to State of Nature for more.

If you're interested, you can check my race results below:

Columbia Triathlon (1st in 40-44; 43rd out of 1700 overall)

New York City Triathlon (1st in 40-44; 49th out of 3600 overall)

SBR Sprint (1st in 40-44; 4th overall)

Yes, Parents Have Birthdays, Too!

2008-08-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

And they have birthday wishes. What I wanted for my birthday this year was to have my whole family accompany me to the Escape From Fort Delaware Triathlon, which was actually on June 28. This was a really fun race. The swim starts from an island in the middle of the Delaware River where there is an old Civil War fort. Participants in the race were ferried out for the start. The only downside this year was that the weather was extremely hot. And the race did not start until after 8:00 a.m., meaning that we were running in the real heat of the day. I suffered through and made it to the finish line, in no small part due to the inspiration I drew from having Lisa and the kids there waiting for me. Here I am recovering afterwards.

The race generally was a success, as I finished first in the 40-44 age group and in 6th place overall. For full results, click here. And here are a few of the pictures Lisa snapped -- I think she has a future as a sports photographer!

This Explains A Lot

2008-08-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

I've found the missing element in my swim training regimin for all those years. Clearly, I could have been an Olympian if only I had watched my diet more carefully. Back when I was swimming competitively, I was probably only consuming 1/3 or 1/2 of what Michael Phelps eats during a typical day:

Phelps has to keep his intake up in order to compensate for all the calories he burns during the 30-hours per week he spends in training. He told NBC that an average day might have the following menu:

Breakfast: 3 fried egg sandwiches, 2 cups coffee, 5-egg omlette, bowl of grits, 3 pieces of french toast, 3 chocolate chip pancakes

Lunch: 1 pound pasta, 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

Dinner: 1 pound pasta, 1 large pizza, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

Three years ago, Phelps told an interviewer:

I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't have a strict diet. It's all about cramming in as many calories into my system as I possibly can. To be honest with you, I have a tough time keeping weight on.

IGNORE MY POST ABOUT ORDERING PRINTS

2008-08-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

Aunt Katherine has pointed out to me that, in fact, when you view the blog through an external web browser (i.e., not signed in on AOL), you do not get the option to order prints. I am currently researching whether there is some way that is not immediately apparent for all of you out there to order prints from the blog. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I'd be happy to send prints of any pictures you might want. Just send me an email.

David's Birthday - Yankee Stadium

2008-08-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

Since we moved to NJ, David has become quite the Yankee fan. And I am a baseball fan myself, and have a deep appreciation of the game's history. So, with Yankee Stadium in its last season, the perfect outing for David's birthday this year was a trip to the Bronx with David and two of his friends (see picture below) for a game against the Cincinnati Reds.

We definitely got the full Yankee Stadium experience. We arrived early enough to watch the teams take pre-game batting practice; we saw the great Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Reds hit a home run; we got caught in a huge rainstorm and experienced a one-hour rain delay; and then, in the end, saw the Yankees win the game.

Here are a few pictures from the day.

Fifth Grade Graduation

2008-08-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge believer in elevating mid-stream "graduations" (pre-school, kindergarden, elementary school) to a status that approaches that of a real graduation, but our Wildwood School does have a nice ceremony for the Fifth Graders who are moving on to Briarcliff Middle. This year, it was David's turn. I was thwarted in my attempts to get decent pictures, but did manage to snap the one below of David with two of his classmates at the reception after the ceremony.

Olympics: Time Sink

2008-08-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

Updating the blog over the past several days has taken a back seat to watching the Olympics. Trying to get back on track now. However, before getting back into updates on our family events, I have to pause to comment on the swimming competition we have seen so far from Beijing.

Now, what we are seeing from Michael Phelps is truly spectacular. He is a once in a generation, perhaps once in a lifetime athlete. However, the best performance we will see in these Olympics will not be any swim by Phelps; or Natalie Coughlin, Katie Hoff or any of the others who got all the (well-deserved) pre-Games hype. Instead, the best swim we will see at these Games, and perhaps the most remarkable swim any of us will ever see, occurred during my personal favorite event -- the men's 4x100 freestyle relay -- and was turned in by someone that only swimming geeks had ever heard of before Sunday night. If you did not see this, go find it on nbcolympics.com and watch. The anchor leg by Jason Lezak for the American team was absolutely phenomenal. Lezak entered the water for his swim a full six tenths of a second behind the French anchor, world record holder Alain Bernard. That's a huge time differential against anyone, but against this guy, it obviously meant game over, right? Wrong.

Lezak swam the perfect race; a race far beyond anything he'd ever done before; the kind of race that, in my experience, can only happen in the team dynamic of a relay event. Lezak used his experience, and pure will, to triumph over Bernard's suprerior talent, but relative lack of experience. Bernard clearly took the race out too fast -- his stroke tempo was that of the 50 meter free all out sprint, not the 100, where you have to hold at least a little something back. Bernard also drifted over to the side of the lane nearest Lezak, allowing the American to catch a healthy draft until, with about 10 meters to go, and Bernard tying up, he was able to slingshot even with, and then just ahead of the French swimmer at the wall.

I would not believe it if I had not seen it.

April Visit To Maryland

2008-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

In late April, we traveled to Maryland for a weekend visit. This was my first chance to meet baby Michael Lopez. Lisa and the kids had been to visit before in February, not long after Michael was born. He's just short of 3 months old in these pictures.

The Olympic (Mind) Games

2008-08-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article bringing you behind the scenes to the "ready room" where swimmers wait before their races at the Olympics.

I Just Like This Picture

2008-08-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

IMPORTANT BLOG NOTE -- YOU CAN ORDER PRINTS

2008-08-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make sure everyone was aware that you can order prints of any of the pictures I post here on State of Nature. Click on the picture that you see in the blog entry, and there is a button in the top right of the window that says "Order Prints". Just follow the links and go to town!!

Easter 2008

2008-08-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

In bringing the blog up to date, I'll try not to belabor too much ancient history. But in case the hot weather where you are has you pining for Spring, below are a few pictures from Easter here in Mountain Lakes. Yes, I know, Easter was in March. However, for the sake of completeness of the record, I feel compelled to at least post a little something. The pics here are of our Easter egg dying party.

You Had To Figure This Was Coming

2008-08-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Better living and fitness through pharmaceuticals -- and now how you probably think!

Like A Phoenix From The Ashes . . .

2008-08-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

State of Nature has risen up and is back and, hopefully, better than ever (or at least more consistently updated with new material than ever).

Bookmark this page and check back over the next week or so as I bring things up to date!

Barack Gets Crucial Endorsement!

2008-02-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

And no, I do not mean from Ted Kennedy. This should seal it for Obama.

Budapest

2008-01-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

I've recently returned from another business trip to Europe. I had to head back to Zurich, Switzerland for a one-day continuation of an earlier arbitration hearing, and arranged some other business on the continent so I would not have to immediately turn around after flying 8 hours to get there. A lawyer from India I am working with, and with whom I have needed to meet for some time, agreed to meet me "halfway" and so we got together in Budapest. Since I had no idea when I might ever get back to Budapest, I decided to stay an extra day after our meeting and see the sights. It's a fascinating city, with a great deal of history. Hungary has been a more central country in Europe's history than I had appreciated. The food was very good also, and a nice surprise. Above left is a picture of looking across the Danube at the "Pest" side of Budapest, and here are a few more pictures from my day of sightseeing.

The Good Guys Win!

2008-01-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Once in a generation (literally), something like this happens:

Tulane-68 LSU-63

Christmas 2007

2008-01-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I've already said this to many of you, but a belated "Merry Christmas" to those to whom I have not!

This year, Christmas was a quiet affair, with just the six of us celebrating here in Mountain Lakes. However, it nevertheless was a lively two weeks, with visits both before Christmas (from Nonni, and then Elllie, Bob and family), and after (from Grandpa Joe, Christina and Olivia). Since we elected not to send out Christmas cards this year, we hope this blog entry will be a proper substitute. Here are some highlights of the Christmas week.

Stephen Turns 7!

2008-01-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

The other huge event in December (besides Christmas, of course) is Stephen's birthday. This past December 21, our little puppy turned 7. The multi-day extravaganza included a visit from Nonni, a trip to an indoor "skate park" to ride scooters, and a gymnastics birthday party with Stephen's friends. The skate park was quite an experience. This drab, warehouse-like building in an office park was populated by slack-jawed, low hanging pants wearing teenagers whizzing around on skateboards, jumping and doing tricks. To the bemusement of the regulars (and of his parents), Stephen forged right into the fray, motoring around on his scooter and avoiding grievous injury. Stephen never gave even the slightest hint that he did not belong, or that there was anything unusual about a seven year old on a scooter steering up and down a skateboard halfpipe. . For those of you who know Stephen, this will come as no surprise.

Here are some photos of all the festivities.

Tree Is Up!

2007-12-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

We unofficially opened the Christmas season last weekend by obtaining and decorating our tree (yes, we actually did this all in one day!). The specimen is one of the best, if not the best, we've ever had -- just the right height and thickness. In fact, it is so stereotypical in its appearance that one might even think it is artificial. But all of my sneezing while carrying it into the house, putting it into the stand and stringing the lights was proof of the tree's genuineness. Here are a few pictures of the finished product, and of the kids decorating.

Merry Christmas, and here's hoping all your preparations are going well!

Come Again?

2007-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a funny excerpt from Gregg Easterbrook's column this week on ESPN.com:

******************************************************************

I Am Not Making This Up: On Wednesday, the Maryland countiesaround Washington, D.C., area received 2 inches of snow. As a result ofthe snow, the city of Gaithersburg, Md., canceled part of its winter festival for the day.

******************************************************************

By the way, many of you may recall that Easterbrook, formerly of the New Republic, is one of my favorite writers on science and current affairs. His weekly column on ESPN.com is ostensibly a football column, but if you take a quick look, you'll see it ranges far afield at times, often to very interesting places.

Turkey Frying

2007-11-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

I am preparing for what will be, this Thursday, my first attempt at deep frying a turkey. With the big day rapidly approaching, I am now in the research phase of my preparations. I spoke with Peter for about 30 minutes tonight, and he provided valuable tips which hopefully will help me make a turkey that can measure up to the one he made for us three years ago in Raleigh -- to this day the best turkey by far I've ever had (see picture to the left).

And as with most anything these days, I then turned to the internet for further information. In doing so, I ran across this article, which describes a quite prudent response by Arizona State University to what was a really bad idea to begin with.

Trip To West Point

2007-11-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, David and I joined a group of people from his Cub Scout Pack for an Army football game at West Point. It was a really terrific atmosphere, with the cannons, cadets doing pushups after each Army score, and the roving spirit band (which actually stopped for a few minutes and played in the section we were sitting in). West Point is a really beautiful place, and is only a little over an hour from Mountain Lakes. The game was really wild, with tons of scoring and over 1,000 yards of combined total offense by the two teams. Unfortunately, for the home fans, Army lost the game 49-39 to the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (ponder for a moment that odd choice of mascot).

We will definitely be going back when Tulane visits West Point again in two years.

Clash of the Titans!

2007-11-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe it's not Ohio State-Michigan, but it'll have to do for us eggheads.

Tulane-45 Rice-31

Halloween 2007

2007-11-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

No need for any boring text here -- just check out the pictures!!

Late October Project Status

2007-11-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos showing the status of our renovation project (remember that?) in late October. At that point, the Master Bath was virtually complete, lacking only the glass enclosure for the shower, and the basement was drywalled and tiled. I'll post more soon, as we are now getting really close to completion. We are hopeful that it will be done by Thanksgiving . . .

Seagull Century

2007-11-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Back in early October, we trekked out to Ocean City, Maryland, for the Seagull Century (for me) and a little beach R&R. The Seagull Century is a 100-mile organized bike ride that starts in Salisbury, Maryland (about 25 miles inland from Ocean City), winds its way out to the shore, a then heads back to Salisbury. This was my third time doing the ride, but this year was extra special. In addition to Uncle Rob and Aunt Katherine (Uncle Rob does the ride every year), Marcie, Peter and Christopher met us there for the weekend. I tried to talk Peter into doing the ride with us, but he demurred and stayed back in Ocean City with the rest of the gang, while Uncle Rob and I rode.

We had a perfect weekend -- mid-80s and sunny both days! In fact, after we got back from riding, I actually got in the ocean for a little swim. Poor Stephen was begging everyone all day to take him in, but no one would, for fear it was too cold. So I took him in, and surprisingly, although it was cold, it was bearable. Certainly the water would be considered warm for October -- I never thought we'd be able to get in the water, but it had been a relatively warm Fall to that point. The next day, after a breakfast which included legendary Fractured Prune doughnuts, we spend another hour or so on the beach before heading home. Stephen and I took another refreshing dip in the Atlantic.

It was a really great weekend, and a terrific way to cap off the "Summer". We (Lisa) only got a few pictures, but if you want to see more, check out Marcie and Peter's picture site - look under October 2007.

September in Paris

2007-10-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the second half of September in Europe! An arbitration hearing brought me to Zurich for three hearing days and several preparation days spread over a two-week period. But what to do with the four-day weekend that magically appeared in the middle of all the work? Why, how about getting a baby-sitter for the kids back in NJ and having Lisa meet me in Paris? Sound like a nice idea?? Well, that's exactly what we did, and it was spectacular.

Following a somewhat comical false start trying to find each other Friday morning at Charles deGaulle Airport, Lisa and I spent a fabulous weekend in Paris. The weather was absolutely perfect. Making our home base at the Waldorf Trocadero Hotel, we walked until our shoes (and legs) were worn out, ate entirely too much, and saw many well-known, and some less well-known, sights. Here are some pictures to help recount our visit.

Responding to complaints that my photography is too heavy on children and buildings, I made a special effort to get pictures of Lisa and me on this trip. Enjoy!

Delaware Diamondman Triathlon

2007-10-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Time to get caught up on the blog entries.

September was a very busy month -- starting the weekend after Labor Day with my last triathlon of the season, the Delaware Diamondman Triathlon. This one was the half ironman distance: 1.2 mile swim/56 mile bike/13.1 mile run.

As luck would have it, we were handed a day with blazing sun, 90 degree temps and no wind. That was fine during the swim, obviously, and even during the bike. But the run was a different story. Although I set out on the run at what I thought was a conservative pace, deep suffering began began to set in about halfway through. I had led the race after the swim, and finished the bike in approximately 9th position. At one point during the run, I had climbed into 5th place overall. But then the wheels fell off. The sun was unrelenting, and there was no shade on the course. I slowed considerably, and even began taking short walking breaks -- the first time I have ever had to walk during a race of any kind. Getting to the finish of this race was probably the most difficult thing I've ever done athletically . . . and that includes brutal 10,000 meter workouts back in my swimming days. I finally did get to the finish, and surprisingly only three people caught me after I had moved into 5th place. So I finished 8th overall.

What a way to finish the season. Here are the results if you're interested in taking a look.

First Day of School!!

2007-09-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the first day of school for all four kids. We made four stops during our grand tour of the Mountain Lakes schools. First, Lisa walked Nina across the street at 8:00 to Briarcliff School for her first day of middle school. Then, by 8:15 we were in Stephen's classroom at Wildwood for his introduction to first grade (David walked separately to Wildwood -- too cool for us -- guess that's what happens when you hit 5th grade). Next it was off to Scribbles preschool where the action got undeway for Matthew at 8:50. That was quite a morning, and it's sure to be quite a year. Check out the pictures.