Stephen's Eighth Birthday!

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

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

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!

How the mighty have fallen:

Tigers Accept Bid To Chick-Fil-A Bowl

Sure, I'll have fries with that!

Ping Pong Wizard

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

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Olympics: Time Sink

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

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

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

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IMPORTANT BLOG NOTE -- YOU CAN ORDER PRINTS

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

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

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

Like A Phoenix From The Ashes . . .

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!

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

Budapest

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!

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

Tulane-68  LSU-63

Christmas 2007

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!

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.