Ariel visited us yesterday. We made sausage and eggs and pancakes, and afterwards went on a walk around the academy. Jackson showed Ariel his campus and later she and he walked and talked ahead of Cyndi, Rylee and me. I overheard snippets: Ariel had questions about his classes; Jackson asked her about what she did. Unfortunately, Jack's soccer game was cancelled. It wasn't due to the weather. I'm afraid the league's season is off to a shaky start, especially with a week postponed, a week cancelled, and uniforms on back order. The most unfortunate thing was Ariel didn't get to see him play. I hope the soccer season doesn't lose momentum. It looked like Jack would have a good season.
Jackson told me about his art class before and this morning I saw his work online, with his teacher's comments attached. Wow, it was really good. He called it contour drawing. The composition was two plants. There were different weights of lines, and they paid attention to "negative space."
The academy sends out weekly reports of what they are doing and what is coming, so I do know something of what he's doing. Right now he's studying upstairs, in between "breaks" on his computer. Sunday appears to be his heaviest day for homework. Rylee is outside, playing baseball in the yard with his friends. I think it's the fourth game of their World Series. Cyndi is taking a CPR class. I'm cooking a pot roast, and I'll go pick up Ariel in about an hour. She leaves on a red-eye tonight back to NYC.
Rylee had two games this weekend. Friday's ended up under the lights on the major field. His friend, Nathaniel came along, and it was cold. Many people showed up to see Rylee's game late on Saturday afternoon: Ariel, Jackson, Cyndi, and me; Cyndi's sisters; and Nico and his parents, our neighbors. Rylee pitched the first two innings, got himself into a jam a couple of times, walked a few on full counts, threw several fast, unhittable pitches over the plate and very few wild pitches. He had an enthusiastic section in the stands rooting for him. I kept worrying he would get tired. At one point, he and the catcher had a talk on the mound, without the coach. I wondered what that was about, and he later told me Scott, the catcher, was giving him the signals for a fastball and a change-up. The next pitch was a strike. With bases loaded at the end of the other team's at-bat in the second and a full count, Ry threw one right down the middle. The batter smacked it right back at Ry. Ry reached up and snagged the line drive and the inning was over. Ry's team was ahead and they stayed ahead for the remainder of the game.
Ariel got to watch Ry play catcher in the third, hit a single through the gap into left field, and even play second before the game was called in the fourth at sunset.
On Thursday morning, Ry was off school. He and I rode our bikes to the balloon fiesta before dawn. From the bicycle trailhead in Journal Center to the free bike valet near the balloon fiesta museum was about two miles. We outfitted our bikes with lights, including a fllashing strobe light on the back of Ry's. It was the morning for special shapes balloons. Although the winds on the ground were calm, the pilots said the winds were blowing over 19 knots at 400 feet. Many of the special shapes inflated, but none launched. Ry had a great time collecting the balloon trading cards.
Total cost: $8 for an adult entry, $3 for a tall hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a token donation in the bike valet jar. Total time in a line: zero. Total fun: immeasurable.
Showing posts with label Ariel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ariel. Show all posts
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
white sands
Cyndi went to a conference in Tampa Bay for four days at the end of February, and it so happened the boys had no school on Thursday and Friday for parent teacher conferences during that time. We did have to show up Saturday morning at the baseball fields for cleanup day in preparation for the new season. The general meeting was held on the following Monday, and the boys found out what teams they are on. I am very excited for them as they both got on good teams. Rylee will play for the Marlins in the machine pitch II league, and Jackson will play for the Yankees in the (player pitch) minor league. Each team looks to have a good group of boys that will be a good fit for each of them, but I was also very pleased to see that each team also had experienced head coaches and assistant coaches, all of whom were not only experienced coaches but also experienced players and, what is more, were experienced working as a coaching team together. This was very good luck, as I think they will both get some good challenge, develop lots of skills, and have fun.
Meanwhile, Ariel was attending a conference of some kind in Barcelona. She called me after she returned while she was going on an 8-mile run more or less along the East River from Manhattan across the Queensboro Bridge and returning across the Williamsburg Bridge. She said she actually stayed in Sitges, a coastal town about a 30-minute train ride from Barcelona. She loved the region, she loved the people, and she loved the food and wine. Chris, I gathered, is very busy with research work and graduate work.
Santa brought the boys backpacks for Christmas, and they had not been used yet. On Thursday we adjusted each of the backpacks and the boys grabbed a few things to bring along. Their bags were mostly filled with a sleeping bag, some layers of clothes, extra socks, gloves, and ski hats, and each had a bottle of water. Mine was filled with the tent, extra down blankets, the usual emergency and first aid kits, a lantern, a stove, a couple of old pads, cups, spoons, a knife, a cutting board, and my own water bottle and extra clothes.
Oh, and we did remember our toothbrushes. Jack packed vitamins, too. Plus, we brought the disc sled we got in Ruidoso to slide down the sand dunes.
After a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon, we went by the market and got bagels, summer sausage, a gallon jug of water, string cheese, dried apricots, instant oatmeal, and instant hot chocolate. We got a few things for the drive. Jackson got sour cream and green onion chips for his "snack". I got Funyons. Ry got a roll of candy. Since we only planned one night, packing in late afternoon and packing out early morning, we didn't need much of anything else.
We gassed up at Costco, picked up submarine sandwiches at the Subway next door, and then drove to White Sands, about a three hour drive. This part of the adventure did not appeal to Jackson, since he did not have his computer and did not appreciate the drive. We retraced much of the same route as our trip to Ruidoso, except in Carrizozo we turned toward Tularosa and Alamogordo. Along the way, I played a CD Ariel gave me ten years ago. We talked, the boys played, and I don't recall any fights between them. Tularosa and Alamogordo both seemed like nice enough towns and places one might retire to on the cheap. Alamogordo, in particular, seemed to be developing and had many hotels, restaurants, a college branch, and the Space Museum, which we were going to visit on our return.
We arrived at White Sands about 4:30 and the Ranger registered us and assigned us a campsite. The National Monument only allows overnight stays in ten primitive camp sites disbursed along a two-mile loop in the dunes near the end of the road. They lock the main gates at night, so no-one comes in at night. On the back of the permit is an emergency number to call if you need to get out.
The visitor's center was great (its bathroom not so great), and there was a little museum and gift shop. Among other things, the center and gift shop sold the disc sleds for about six times what you might pay at Walmart at the end of the winter season and about three times what we paid in Ruidoso. They also sold wax for the bottom of the sled, which we later found out might have been worth purchasing. The Ranger gave the boys some Junior Ranger books, but Jackson would have no part of that kid stuff. She also gave the boys a booklet on "ordnance" that might be uncovered by the shifting dunes from a past history of drops (or strafing?) from fighter planes from the major air force base next door. (The White Sands Missile Range is in this area, too.) She warned to leave these alone if, by chance, you ever see one, which, of course, we never did. But the warning provoked lots of comments from the boys until, eventually, they forgot about it. She also told us about the Leave No Trace/Pack It In, Pack It Out camping. (Don't leave toilet paper; dig a hole for any potty. I brought a trowel, but in the sand the heel of your shoe worked just as well.) While we were there, a number of families stopped in to sign up for the Ranger-led stroll at sunset, before the park closed.
The Visitors Center is actually at the edge of the dunes. I brought out the string cheese, which the boys devoured, saying they hadn't had some in a long time. We paid $9 total for admission and our camping permit fee. The road goes about 10 miles in all, most of it covered in sand. We passed the cars parking for the stroll. The backpacking trailhead is at a large parking lot about 8 or 9 miles in, with a vault restroom, at the base of enormous dunes of sand. When we arrived, there were about four or five cars parked at the trailhead. There were two families up on the dune next to us, sledding, and Rylee immediately grabbed the sled and ran to the top, coaxing Jackson, who joined him, as I readied all the packs, making sure all the loose clothes, food and extra water were packed away.
It's not really a trail, although there were several footprints you could follow. The trail is really a series of posts about a 100 yards or so apart. When you reach one, you look for the next one. One post had tumbled over from the shifting sand. You go along the crests of the dunes and up and down dunes. The footing can be firm in spots but often was very soft when climbing. The trick is to find a route that keeps you on top of the dunes. Of course, the view is tremendous. White sand as far as you can see. The boys thought it looked like snow. Closer to the beginning of the trail there were small valleys of scrub vegetation, grass, and cacti, living in the sand, but these became fewer as you hiked in.
The Ranger assigned us campsite #1 as the closest, and it was no more than three-quarters of a mile in. Jackson hiked along, talking about the ordnance and much surprised at how easy backpacking was. He kept track of the posts. Rylee would dash about and a couple of times fell face first into the sand. He stopped for water once. I led the way and wondered if we had passed campsite #1 where we saw the post that had tumbled down a dune. We kept going. We'd see a post in the distance, arrive, but no number. Finally, we were certain we must be at the spot and we decided to stop and pitch the tent at the bottom of a dune, away from any wind I hoped. It was getting late, and I was certain it would turn cold almost immediately at sunset.
The boys played as I pitched the tent. Ry had brought a ball, and we also brought along a frisbee. They had their caps on and thick sweatshirts and fleece parkas and insulated vests. I laid the mats and sleeping bags in the tent. Ry remembered the rocky tent pad we had in Durango. Here it was firm sand. Jackson arranged the extra down blankets on top and the boys nestled in. Jackson mentioned food and I crawled inside with the bagels and summer sausage. Jack said, don't cut yourself. The apricots were not appreciated, but the bagels and summer sausage were a feast and the boys loved it as we ate laying down inside the tent, a small lantern and flashlight on. We talked. It was pitch black outside, a faint glow over the top of the dunes from the horizon. We had nothing better to do, and it was too cold to sit outside to see the stars, so we slept.
Off and on I had watched the weather at White Sands, trying to calculate when we could go. Summer would be too hot; spring would bring winds and busy baseball schedules would make any backpacking plans difficult. This particular time promised sunny days and official highs around 60. Close to freezing at night, but no wind. Almost a full moon. I knew the moon would rise about 9:30 and last until dawn. Sometime in the middle of the night I got up and walked about while the boys slept. It was actually very comfortable. The moon glow prevented a good view of the stars. The light reflected from the sand glowed all about me, with no shadows.
We slept better than I thought we would. Three times I awoke to hear a light wind flapping the fly cover. Each time it seemed the temperature dropped. Several other times I awoke from being sore from sleeping in one position on the ground. I'd awake to be sure the boys had their caps on and that each was covered. We slept very close to each other, thriving on our body heat. Only just before dawn did it seem to get uncomfortably cold and the sides of the tent had frost. But once the sun began to come up, the morning warmed up considerably.
I boiled water on the stove and made hot chocolate and oatmeal. The boys hiked all over the surrounding dunes. Sure enough, on the very other side of the dune by our tent was the post for campsite no. 1. We hiked over to see some protuberance of hardened sand, which at first from a distance we thought was a tent, but it turned out to be a crust where a cactus once grew; its skeleton lay beside it. The boys played in the sunlight and "moon walked" down the dunes, hopping down the soft sand. From the top of the dunes we could get telephone service, just barely, but enough to talk with Cyndi, who was warmer and worried in Tampa. The boys kept playing as I began to take down the tent and pack the bags in a slow and methodical way.
Just as we were leaving our site, another backpacker approached from the trail from further out in the dunes. It was a woman hiking out from her campsite. She remarked, after I asked, how she had heard us at one time in the night but the sound was gleeful, how she wondered at all the stars visible before the moon rose, and how cold it was. Jackson commented how he was a "techie", something he said a couple of more times to people who asked about our overnight at White Sands. The return hike was even better because we could see all of the dunes stretching out and we saw not only the course we had taken the day before but many, better alternatives to get back to the trailhead. From atop the dunes, facing in the direction of the road, you could see a little "backcountry" playground laid out among the dunes, perfectly accessible from the parking areas at the end of the road. In the distance we could see another early hiker coming or going, I don't know which. It looked like he was carrying a tripod.
Jackson really liked the bagel and summer sausage meal and there was some left, so when we got in the car we drove to the visitor's center, bought some drinks and made sandwiches in the parking lot. We saw the ranger who checked us in. She said their gauge showed the temperature had dropped nearly 50 degrees during the night, nearly to single digits. We drove to Alamogordo and visited the Space Museum. As it turned out, it was a free admission day for New Mexico residents. The museum had several real and replica missiles and space capsules and some mock ups of space stations and shuttle controls. Lots of displays of gear and food, space suits, satellites, and technology.
Driving home, Rylee was preoccupied with his tablet for most of the trip. Jackson brought his video camera and microphone but we left it in the car during our hike because we thought the sand might not be good for it. He took it out for a few minutes on the drive. Jackson really did not like the driving and at one point I looked back and saw him sitting, staring out the window. At that moment, I thought that was okay. He doesn't get much chance to be bored and lost in his own thoughts. Rylee had dibs on a bath when we got home. Jackson, I'm sure, was ready to get on his computer. Which was okay, too, I thought.
Meanwhile, Ariel was attending a conference of some kind in Barcelona. She called me after she returned while she was going on an 8-mile run more or less along the East River from Manhattan across the Queensboro Bridge and returning across the Williamsburg Bridge. She said she actually stayed in Sitges, a coastal town about a 30-minute train ride from Barcelona. She loved the region, she loved the people, and she loved the food and wine. Chris, I gathered, is very busy with research work and graduate work.
Oh, and we did remember our toothbrushes. Jack packed vitamins, too. Plus, we brought the disc sled we got in Ruidoso to slide down the sand dunes.
After a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon, we went by the market and got bagels, summer sausage, a gallon jug of water, string cheese, dried apricots, instant oatmeal, and instant hot chocolate. We got a few things for the drive. Jackson got sour cream and green onion chips for his "snack". I got Funyons. Ry got a roll of candy. Since we only planned one night, packing in late afternoon and packing out early morning, we didn't need much of anything else.
We gassed up at Costco, picked up submarine sandwiches at the Subway next door, and then drove to White Sands, about a three hour drive. This part of the adventure did not appeal to Jackson, since he did not have his computer and did not appreciate the drive. We retraced much of the same route as our trip to Ruidoso, except in Carrizozo we turned toward Tularosa and Alamogordo. Along the way, I played a CD Ariel gave me ten years ago. We talked, the boys played, and I don't recall any fights between them. Tularosa and Alamogordo both seemed like nice enough towns and places one might retire to on the cheap. Alamogordo, in particular, seemed to be developing and had many hotels, restaurants, a college branch, and the Space Museum, which we were going to visit on our return.
We arrived at White Sands about 4:30 and the Ranger registered us and assigned us a campsite. The National Monument only allows overnight stays in ten primitive camp sites disbursed along a two-mile loop in the dunes near the end of the road. They lock the main gates at night, so no-one comes in at night. On the back of the permit is an emergency number to call if you need to get out.
The Visitors Center is actually at the edge of the dunes. I brought out the string cheese, which the boys devoured, saying they hadn't had some in a long time. We paid $9 total for admission and our camping permit fee. The road goes about 10 miles in all, most of it covered in sand. We passed the cars parking for the stroll. The backpacking trailhead is at a large parking lot about 8 or 9 miles in, with a vault restroom, at the base of enormous dunes of sand. When we arrived, there were about four or five cars parked at the trailhead. There were two families up on the dune next to us, sledding, and Rylee immediately grabbed the sled and ran to the top, coaxing Jackson, who joined him, as I readied all the packs, making sure all the loose clothes, food and extra water were packed away.
It's not really a trail, although there were several footprints you could follow. The trail is really a series of posts about a 100 yards or so apart. When you reach one, you look for the next one. One post had tumbled over from the shifting sand. You go along the crests of the dunes and up and down dunes. The footing can be firm in spots but often was very soft when climbing. The trick is to find a route that keeps you on top of the dunes. Of course, the view is tremendous. White sand as far as you can see. The boys thought it looked like snow. Closer to the beginning of the trail there were small valleys of scrub vegetation, grass, and cacti, living in the sand, but these became fewer as you hiked in.
The Ranger assigned us campsite #1 as the closest, and it was no more than three-quarters of a mile in. Jackson hiked along, talking about the ordnance and much surprised at how easy backpacking was. He kept track of the posts. Rylee would dash about and a couple of times fell face first into the sand. He stopped for water once. I led the way and wondered if we had passed campsite #1 where we saw the post that had tumbled down a dune. We kept going. We'd see a post in the distance, arrive, but no number. Finally, we were certain we must be at the spot and we decided to stop and pitch the tent at the bottom of a dune, away from any wind I hoped. It was getting late, and I was certain it would turn cold almost immediately at sunset.
Off and on I had watched the weather at White Sands, trying to calculate when we could go. Summer would be too hot; spring would bring winds and busy baseball schedules would make any backpacking plans difficult. This particular time promised sunny days and official highs around 60. Close to freezing at night, but no wind. Almost a full moon. I knew the moon would rise about 9:30 and last until dawn. Sometime in the middle of the night I got up and walked about while the boys slept. It was actually very comfortable. The moon glow prevented a good view of the stars. The light reflected from the sand glowed all about me, with no shadows.
We slept better than I thought we would. Three times I awoke to hear a light wind flapping the fly cover. Each time it seemed the temperature dropped. Several other times I awoke from being sore from sleeping in one position on the ground. I'd awake to be sure the boys had their caps on and that each was covered. We slept very close to each other, thriving on our body heat. Only just before dawn did it seem to get uncomfortably cold and the sides of the tent had frost. But once the sun began to come up, the morning warmed up considerably.
I boiled water on the stove and made hot chocolate and oatmeal. The boys hiked all over the surrounding dunes. Sure enough, on the very other side of the dune by our tent was the post for campsite no. 1. We hiked over to see some protuberance of hardened sand, which at first from a distance we thought was a tent, but it turned out to be a crust where a cactus once grew; its skeleton lay beside it. The boys played in the sunlight and "moon walked" down the dunes, hopping down the soft sand. From the top of the dunes we could get telephone service, just barely, but enough to talk with Cyndi, who was warmer and worried in Tampa. The boys kept playing as I began to take down the tent and pack the bags in a slow and methodical way.
Just as we were leaving our site, another backpacker approached from the trail from further out in the dunes. It was a woman hiking out from her campsite. She remarked, after I asked, how she had heard us at one time in the night but the sound was gleeful, how she wondered at all the stars visible before the moon rose, and how cold it was. Jackson commented how he was a "techie", something he said a couple of more times to people who asked about our overnight at White Sands. The return hike was even better because we could see all of the dunes stretching out and we saw not only the course we had taken the day before but many, better alternatives to get back to the trailhead. From atop the dunes, facing in the direction of the road, you could see a little "backcountry" playground laid out among the dunes, perfectly accessible from the parking areas at the end of the road. In the distance we could see another early hiker coming or going, I don't know which. It looked like he was carrying a tripod.
Jackson really liked the bagel and summer sausage meal and there was some left, so when we got in the car we drove to the visitor's center, bought some drinks and made sandwiches in the parking lot. We saw the ranger who checked us in. She said their gauge showed the temperature had dropped nearly 50 degrees during the night, nearly to single digits. We drove to Alamogordo and visited the Space Museum. As it turned out, it was a free admission day for New Mexico residents. The museum had several real and replica missiles and space capsules and some mock ups of space stations and shuttle controls. Lots of displays of gear and food, space suits, satellites, and technology.
Driving home, Rylee was preoccupied with his tablet for most of the trip. Jackson brought his video camera and microphone but we left it in the car during our hike because we thought the sand might not be good for it. He took it out for a few minutes on the drive. Jackson really did not like the driving and at one point I looked back and saw him sitting, staring out the window. At that moment, I thought that was okay. He doesn't get much chance to be bored and lost in his own thoughts. Rylee had dibs on a bath when we got home. Jackson, I'm sure, was ready to get on his computer. Which was okay, too, I thought.
Monday, February 4, 2013
on her way to Kuala Lumpur
I just got off the phone with Ariel, after missing her a few times and having just written a note about her trip to South America. This time she was on a double-deck airliner just before take off to Dubai and then on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she is going to meet some agricultural engineers to do a story on rice farming. I guess the assignment just happened. She must be very excited about it. Sounds like she will have an opportunity to explore the countryside, too.
The boys signed up for little league. Jack decided to play baseball again, even though he really liked soccer last fall, because he thought that he might not play baseball again if he missed this season. I thought it was a smart reasoning, and now want to make sure they both have a good season. He is on the cusp between minors and majors; and Ry is on the cusp between machine pitch and minors. Both the boys seem to understand this and don't have preconceived ideas about which league they should play. I talked to a coach for a bit, and it seemed reasonable they should just try out for both of their age group leagues and decide which fits best in about a month from now.
The boys signed up for little league. Jack decided to play baseball again, even though he really liked soccer last fall, because he thought that he might not play baseball again if he missed this season. I thought it was a smart reasoning, and now want to make sure they both have a good season. He is on the cusp between minors and majors; and Ry is on the cusp between machine pitch and minors. Both the boys seem to understand this and don't have preconceived ideas about which league they should play. I talked to a coach for a bit, and it seemed reasonable they should just try out for both of their age group leagues and decide which fits best in about a month from now.
Friday, February 1, 2013
la piedra parada
I couldn't go longer without including Ariel & Chris's trip to Argentina. I haven't heard many details, and perhaps they will post some pics somewhere, but it involved flying into Buenos Aires, camping along the Chubut River, climbing, and lots of beef. La Piedra Parada is in the Patagonia region, the southern part of Argentina and Chile. The comparable coordinates for their location in the Northern Hemisphere, by my calculation, would be in the Sea of Maine, east of Portland. The climate should be their equivalent of our midsummer. I don't know how they got there from Buenos Aires. I'm pretty sure they went there on their own and the map shows a web of roads somewhere about 1200 miles from Buenos Aires, closer to the Andes than the coast, about half way from Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego. I think they were there a good week or so. So here's one pic of them and a video I thought might show something of what they experienced. Maybe they will add something?
Petzl RocTrip Argentina 2012 - Official Teaser from Petzl-sport on Vimeo.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thanksgiving stuff
Ariel and Chris arrived Thanksgiving day, after their connection in Houston was cancelled. They stayed overnight there, provided by the airline, but I think they were rerouted the next morning, hopping over New Mexico to Phoenix before getting to Albuquerque. Anyway, we managed to see them Friday, after they did a trail run in the foothills. We had lunch and a birthday cake for Ariel. We drove to Santa Fe, where we met Janey and Nikki, who took the train, and mostly wandered about the plaza. I tried to get reservations earlier at The Shed but the reserved block was booked through the weekend and we tried the walk-in route. The wait time seemed very foreboding but worked out well in the end. We managed to get a couple of tables in the bar area, and about the time we were into our second round of Margaritas and chips and salsa, they said they could serve us dinner there. (They made an exception, it seemed, because there was a snafu with another large party.) It worked out well and any doubts we had about the chilly day disappeared with the tequilla and food. On our way out, we walked through the plaza, which was bright with strings of lights throughout the trees.
Oh, we did stop as usual at J Crew, where both Cyndi and Ariel found some deals, while Chris and I took the boys to the toy store. Jackson found a $5 magnetic toy (Jack knew my limit, especially before Christmas) and Ry found a new play figure. Looked like the Riders of the Apocalypse, the horse and the rider sold separately. Combined, they were well above the limit. So Ry suggested just getting the horse, and getting the rider next time we are in Santa Fe. That was great. Chris was taking notes on possible Christmas gifts. We also stopped for hot chocolate in the shop in the La Fonda, visited Cyndi's favorite shoe store, and sat in the basilica for a spell. Ariel and Chris found some New Mexico food gifts to take back.
Thanksgiving Day was pretty good. The weather was good. Ry and I got up about 5:30 to put the turkey in the oven. Cyndi had already pretty much taken care of everything else. So when it was time to take the turkey out of the oven, I first poured out the juice in one jar, the stock from the giblets into another jar, put the turkey in the back of the truck to rest, and we drove with Janey joining us. We played some travel bingo on the way, while the radio was already playing Christmas songs. This was Janey's second time playing with us.
I couldn't keep track of what the boys did. Jack was mildly disgruntled because we said no computer or other electronics on this trip. But I saw him having fun on a scooter later. Rylee loved the turkey. It was one of the better family holiday meals. Good food, well organized and orchestrated by Cyndi. Everyone in good spirits. Ursula broke her wrist again from a fall, and Cyndi was quite concerned. In fact, she went back on Saturday to take care of her mother.
Ariel and Chris went to Ojo Caliente on Saturday and we saw them for a brief time on Sunday to get some coffee (and hot chocolates and scones for the boys) and take them to the airport, with a quick stop to buy a bag of whole red chiles.
They are planning to travel to Argentina (and Patagonia) for the Christmas holidays through New Year's.
Ry got a haircut the other day. It's very short. People comment on it all the time, but he loves it. Jackson seems very happy these days. While he knows my administrative password on the computer, he wanted to try his hand at hacking it anyway. It almost was a disaster, but we managed to repair the damage. The boys have been playing more indoors lately, lots of rambunctious running around and jumping on furniture. They came up with their own secret handshake.
Oh, we did stop as usual at J Crew, where both Cyndi and Ariel found some deals, while Chris and I took the boys to the toy store. Jackson found a $5 magnetic toy (Jack knew my limit, especially before Christmas) and Ry found a new play figure. Looked like the Riders of the Apocalypse, the horse and the rider sold separately. Combined, they were well above the limit. So Ry suggested just getting the horse, and getting the rider next time we are in Santa Fe. That was great. Chris was taking notes on possible Christmas gifts. We also stopped for hot chocolate in the shop in the La Fonda, visited Cyndi's favorite shoe store, and sat in the basilica for a spell. Ariel and Chris found some New Mexico food gifts to take back.
Thanksgiving Day was pretty good. The weather was good. Ry and I got up about 5:30 to put the turkey in the oven. Cyndi had already pretty much taken care of everything else. So when it was time to take the turkey out of the oven, I first poured out the juice in one jar, the stock from the giblets into another jar, put the turkey in the back of the truck to rest, and we drove with Janey joining us. We played some travel bingo on the way, while the radio was already playing Christmas songs. This was Janey's second time playing with us.
I couldn't keep track of what the boys did. Jack was mildly disgruntled because we said no computer or other electronics on this trip. But I saw him having fun on a scooter later. Rylee loved the turkey. It was one of the better family holiday meals. Good food, well organized and orchestrated by Cyndi. Everyone in good spirits. Ursula broke her wrist again from a fall, and Cyndi was quite concerned. In fact, she went back on Saturday to take care of her mother.
Ariel and Chris went to Ojo Caliente on Saturday and we saw them for a brief time on Sunday to get some coffee (and hot chocolates and scones for the boys) and take them to the airport, with a quick stop to buy a bag of whole red chiles.
They are planning to travel to Argentina (and Patagonia) for the Christmas holidays through New Year's.
Ry got a haircut the other day. It's very short. People comment on it all the time, but he loves it. Jackson seems very happy these days. While he knows my administrative password on the computer, he wanted to try his hand at hacking it anyway. It almost was a disaster, but we managed to repair the damage. The boys have been playing more indoors lately, lots of rambunctious running around and jumping on furniture. They came up with their own secret handshake.
Monday, October 29, 2012
storm surge
At this moment, Hurricane Sandy is bearing down on the northern Atlantic coast. This is the one which has been touted as the "perfect storm." Ariel and Chris live right on the East River, so they were in the zone ordered to evacuate. Ariel told me they boarded a bus yesterday and they are staying at Chris's family in New Jersey. High tides and ocean surges are threatening low-lying areas around Manhattan. There's no transportation in the city; no airlines; no trains. So far I haven't heard of any power outages. Electioneering has taken a reprieve.
Cyndi has been making many apple crisps since Mom & Dad were here and has decorated the house for fall and Halloween. They boys are gearing up for Halloween. Rylee is a werewolf, and Jackson is a "phantom." We went to a party a couple of weekends ago, so the boys could preview their costumes. Cyndi went as a "hillbilly", and I went to the closet and tried to pick out whatever clothes seemed the most comical together and ended up looking like an eccentric Scottish duffer, so I took a golf club to the party to complete the look. The hostess's house was elaborately decorated for Halloween and there was great food. Lots of kids costumed. Not a bad party; not a great one. Pete & Dorie will have a pumpkin carving get-together Tuesday night and the kids will go trick or treating on Wednesday evening.
Rylee finished his baseball season. It was a good season for him, mostly due to the opportunity to play with the big kids and some really good coaching and regular practices. He didn't get to play many key positions often during the games, as the coach played the big boys a lot to complete an undefeated season but he did play second (or third or short) during the late innings of most games, moving in from left or center fields. Ry got many walks, having the shortest strike zone in the league, but in the last game he made contact with the ball at every at-bat. That was a great accomplishment, even though he got thrown out at first and didn't have a chance to run the bases, which he loves. He is very fast on the bases. He got a chance to play in some pretty serious games, with some real baseball, and see how the game is played at a higher level. The boys grew into a great cohesive team together. They included Ry wholeheartedly and he played with them as equals. He wasn't intimidated at all.
So here's something that struck me as humorous: Ry is younger than his teammates by three or four years. They are bigger and taller. A couple are serious pitchers; several can smash the ball with that resonant ping. But the coaches and the other parents in the bleachers really liked Ry. His fielding and throwing skills always surprised them. A couple of parents mentioned club ball, which is a huge commitment and a level of playing way above the little leagues around town. I've been curious but not especially motivated to start club ball. One parent, however, approached me during the last game to tell me about a ball club that was interested in Rylee joining them. Rylee was being recruited! He's in second grade.
This past weekend, Ry's last game and Jackson's soccer game were almost at the same time. I had to get Ry to warm ups, so I didn't get to watch Jackson's. He told me he got another goal, and no one scored when he was the goalie. I'm glad to see him love the game. He's very confident about his skills this year, loves practicing his footwork, and I think he must be playing at school, too. He seems to be especially good as a tackler on defense, and is really aggressive as a forward. He's the best goalie on the team this year. I don't know what to do in the future, however, as I think he will have to move into a more competitive league next year or, certainly, the one after. He does want to play baseball in the spring. I'm hoping he develops into a pitcher next spring, as I think that would be a good position for him and he had such a great success at it during his last game. But so far, he and Ry haven't been playing much catch as pitcher and catcher together, preferring to play soccer together right now.
It's great fun when they play together. They are often wrestling each other without it coming to tears. Ry often plays with Nico, our neighbor, often on scooters. Ry loves being outside. Jackson will sometimes join them, more so lately.
Jack's first love, however, is still the computer, and he's always telling me more about some software or something else that can let him do this, that or the other thing. I almost got a sense the other day that he may be on the verge of hacking as he was talking about networks and servers and codes. It's harder to follow what he is talking about. The great thing is that Jackson loves talking about it. Part of it is he wants to keep me apprised about what he is doing on the computer. He still asks me if it's okay to download anything new.
The school school year is getting better for him. I think it's a new crop of friends; some from his soccer team, too. He seems to be getting some higher level mathematics: some geometry this month. And now we practice spelling every Thursday night so he gets a perfect score the next day. He's getting recognition again for his computer knowledge. He's proud to be a bit "weird", it's the word he uses, in his interests. The Academy had an open house on Sunday, and we checked that out. I think he was excited. I know Cyndi is. It remains to be seen whether that is an option. It is not only very competitive; it is very expensive.
Ry continues to do well at school himself. I think his reading and math are way ahead of his level. He makes up math problems for himself, so he is constantly thinking about the concepts. He's big into square roots and multiplication powers, and he breaks down operations into parts so he can do them in his head. He reads ferociously. He gets Jack to check out books from the part of the library reserved for the older grades.
Ry and I watched a lot of the playoffs and world series games--bits and pieces mostly, here and there. He was for the Tigers, once they bumped off the Yankees (his first baseball cap) but he started getting into the Giants the more we watched them.
The leaves of the cottonwood started turning a bright yellow this weekend. The chrysanthemums are blooming, and so are the roses. The grass is turning brown in spots and, with other plants, has stopped growing. The leaves of the little aspen have been turning brown around the edges for weeks, and someone said this is a sign of a cold winter. Generally, it was a slow growth summer, with very little rain. We took a beating with our water bill. Saturday morning was so cold that we had to close the evaporative cooler ducts and turn on the furnace. We only get about two weeks in the spring and again in the fall when we aren't running one or the other. These days, however, are sunny with crisp morning temperatures and sunny skies.
Monday, June 25, 2012
next time you're in a bookstore or at the gym
Ariel started back at IEEE Spectrum full time a month or two ago, but looks to have had a piece just published in Scientific American, titled Perils of Newborn Screening. I had not seen it yet, but Cyndi was at the gym last night and saw a copy of the magazine there, leafed through it, and found Ariel's article. She brought it home. I read it, and once again was amazed by Ariel's talent.
Cyndi's extended family had their reunion this weekend. Bennie had 11 brothers and sisters, and he was was of the youngest. The cousins are spread throughout southern California, central New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and I thought I heard maybe even around Austin, Texas. There was a time to meet on Thursday, a picnic on Friday, and a restaurant on Saturday. Otherwise, a work on the home weekend and hamburgers on the grill last night, even though it was in the high 90s and brutally hot.
Cyndi's extended family had their reunion this weekend. Bennie had 11 brothers and sisters, and he was was of the youngest. The cousins are spread throughout southern California, central New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and I thought I heard maybe even around Austin, Texas. There was a time to meet on Thursday, a picnic on Friday, and a restaurant on Saturday. Otherwise, a work on the home weekend and hamburgers on the grill last night, even though it was in the high 90s and brutally hot.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
mid June
While we were gone, the grass died a bit. It's been in the 90s, no rain, 3 percent humidity. There are some fires in the state.
I posted an outline of our trip to Ariel's wedding below, and then posted some pictures from a trip Cyndi and the boys took during spring break and another post of pictures from our trip. I hope to get more pictures of the wedding from others to post.
Talked to Ariel on Friday as she and Chris were on their way to France. She sounded happy, but it was a brief conversation as they were about to get off the train to the airport.
Jackson finished his baseball tournament Saturday. He had a very good last three games. His team had a pool, potluck and trophy party Friday afternoon, just as Cyndi was getting back from Kansas City. Rylee selected The Secret Garden as a birthday gift, and he has finished two chapters already. He's anxious to play more baseball, and he and Jack and Brendon play pickle a lot together whenever they can these days.
I posted an outline of our trip to Ariel's wedding below, and then posted some pictures from a trip Cyndi and the boys took during spring break and another post of pictures from our trip. I hope to get more pictures of the wedding from others to post.
Talked to Ariel on Friday as she and Chris were on their way to France. She sounded happy, but it was a brief conversation as they were about to get off the train to the airport.
Jackson finished his baseball tournament Saturday. He had a very good last three games. His team had a pool, potluck and trophy party Friday afternoon, just as Cyndi was getting back from Kansas City. Rylee selected The Secret Garden as a birthday gift, and he has finished two chapters already. He's anxious to play more baseball, and he and Jack and Brendon play pickle a lot together whenever they can these days.
Our trip to Ariel's wedding
There is a narrative of our trip below. These pictures show our overnight in NYC, dinner with Ariel and Chris, the train ride up the Hudson Valley, the bridal shower, the rehearsal dinner and some of Ariel's wedding before the camera lost its charge. There were so many people taking pictures that I'm sure we will get more to assemble a proper montage once they send me some. It concludes with a couple more pics when we had a bit more time in NYC on our way back.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
a June wedding in the Shawangunks
Ariel and Chris got married on the first Saturday of June. It could not have been more perfect.
The setting was an open-air pavilion on the Mohonk Preserve, just a few miles from New Paltz in the Hudson Valley of New York. The ceremony took place on a lawn just below the pavilion, with a backdrop of the Catskill Mountains. Ariel and Chris picked this place because they often drive here from Manhattan to climb the Gunks, as the Shawangunk Ridge, a part of the Appalachian Mountains, is known. A perfect place to begin a lifetime of adventure together.
The ceremony took place in the middle of the afternoon. A light rain fell most of the morning, but the rain stopped by noon and the sun came out from behind the clouds just as the procession began and continued to shine without any threat of rain for the rest of the day, the clouds just adding to the panoramic backdrop above the mountains, along with a spectacular sunset at the end. All weekend, there was a gentle breeze.
Chairs were arranged below the pavilion on the lawn before the Catskill range in the distance. The moms were escorted to their seats. Chris and the best man, John, were standing before the guests, along with Naomi, the minister. A blue grass band played nearby. (It was Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, as I remember.) Jackson and Rylee and Emily made their procession, and I accompanied Ariel to join Chris.
Ariel wore a beautiful dress that rolled at the hem, which she purchased in France, and carried a bouquet of flowers. She was radiant. Chris was handsome, and I noticed his eyes were focused only on Ariel.
The reception took place under the pavilion. Ariel had made most of the arrangements, and everything was perfect. Even the Preserve director thought it was the best ever. The food had a New Mexico theme, from the appetizers to the buffet, with plenty of wine and beer on tap. The blue grass band played an eclectic blend of Appalachian music and popular songs. Everyone commented on how perfect it all was. Everyone just seemed to be beaming.
There was some dancing, lots of picture taking, and even some frisbee thrown on the lawn below the pavilion. When the band took a break, the fathers of the bride and groom were asked beforehand to give toasts, followed by John, the best man, and Emily, the maid of honor. The fathers talked about Ariel and Chris as children, while John, with wonderful humor, and Emily, with wonderful grace, brought the story of Ariel and Chris up to date. I got a chance to dance with Ariel when the band played a waltz. I fumbled a few steps but we ended with a gentle twirl. Ariel was all smiles and took time to go among all the guests to chat with each. When it was time to cut the cake, Chris delicately fed Ariel a piece on a fork. Ariel followed by delicately smearing cake on Chris. Then Chris introduced Rylee as his brother-in-law and they brought out a cake for Ry, who was turning 7 the next day, and the guests sang happy birthday.
There were plenty of guests. So many of Ariel and Chris's friends were there: childhood friends, college friends, friends from New Mexico, from Alaska, from New York, from California and the Pacific Northwest, even Hawaii. There were plenty of Bleichers and Orcutts and all the new relatives to meet on the Wilson side. Uncles and aunts and cousins. The grandparents got a special mention to honor them during the ceremony. Some parents of friends came; a couple of babies. All terrific people; all equally delighted to be part of the occasion.
For many, the special weekend began with a bridal shower at midday on Friday at a tea room in an historic shop in New Paltz that Cyndi and Emily hosted. Cyndi did quite a bit to make this happen, and made turquoise bracelets for the guests. A rehearsal took place later that day, followed by a wonderful rehearsal dinner at the Elmrock Inn, a four-course dinner in a lovely dining room of the inn, preceded by a cheese platter and bread basket on the patio outside, overlooking a large lawn, where the boys played soccer. Chris's parents, David and Tricia, hosted this event, and it was a good time to meet some people for the first time or catch up with family not seen for a long time.
Chris's parents also treated Ariel and Chris with a stay at the Mohonk Mountain House, a very Conde Nast sort of resort, and on Sunday morning they were joined by others at a brunch there. There was also talk of a climbing expedition with friends. I thought I heard rain cancelled that but Ariel told me they got some climbs in Sunday and Monday. There was some partying among Ariel and Chris's friends the night before the wedding and again after the wedding itself, but I only had the slightest inkling of that. As one of their friends told me, tongue in cheek, they'd be partying in honor of the older parents and guests.
I am told that Ariel and Chris had to return to NYC for a few days of work and then would head for their honeymoon trip to France by the following Friday. You can get a sense of their trip from this registry: http://www.honeyfund.com/wedding/arielandchris. In case the link is no longer up, it includes the Mediterranean and Provence and such adventures as canoeing in Perigord and rock climbing in the Verdon Gorge.
For us the trip began on Wednesday, and it became quite a travel adventure. We caught a 6 am flight from Albuquerque, with four bags that we checked in. The boys each had a rolling carry-on, and so did Cyndi. My bag swung from a shoulder strap. Each of the boys and Cyndi had a backpack. The boys' were filled with a computer, toys and books. I carried my suit and our wedding gift (a setting of dishes set aside for Ariel and a frame and scrapbook a friend of Cyndi's made). We changed planes in Chicago and ate hot dogs and ice cream between the flights. We arrived in Newark (which we now think beats La Guardia in so many ways), retrieved our bags, bought tickets for the train to (NY) Penn Station, and found the monorail from the airport.
You must imagine that every move we made meant lugging all of our backpacks and carry-ons around, up and down escalators, elevators and even some stairs, along moving and concrete sidewalks, over curbs, and around people, with me often in the lead, Ry and Jack pulling their bags behind them, and Cyndi making sure she never lost eye contact on the boys. The hotel we stayed at in NYC, which Beth and Gary arranged for us, was only about 5 blocks from Penn Station, so we walked down 7th to 28th and found our hotel in the Flower District. Jackson noticed how friendly the hotel staff were. We had a nice room on the 22nd floor and enjoyed two cold beers and some chips, which Cyndi found next to the front desk, when we arrived. We called Ariel and arranged to meet her and Chris about 6:30 at an Indian restaurant near their apartment, less than a mile from our hotel. We hadn't made any plans, so we walked to the Empire State Building and then back down to Madison Square, where we stopped at a toddler park and then in the median in front of the Flat Iron building, before meeting Ariel and Chris for dinner. The food was delicious; I'm a convert. Jackson fell asleep, but Rylee shoveled in the rice and bread.
I made sure to make it a point to the boys that they should take advantage of the hotel breakfasts, and we had a great one that first morning. We walked to Rockefeller Plaza, after first going through Times Square, so the boys could go to the Lego store, where Rylee got his birthday present and Jackson found something for himself, too. We walked back to Times Square and took the subway back to the hotel.
After packing up, we came down into the lobby with all our gear again (plus additional bags from Lego and Anthropologie), headed for Grand Central Station. The doorman loaded up a cart and led us to 6th, where he could quickly hail a cab for us. The traffic was heavy at midday but it was a perfect way to go. We went up 6th to 42nd and drove by Bryant Park and the Public Library. We entered Grand Central from the street into the grand concourse, where we bought our train tickets to Poughkeepsie. The next train did not leave for a while, so we found a table in the lower level and Cyndi found thick turkey sandwiches and I found a piece of cheesecake.
We found the track for our train and rode up the Hudson Valley for the next 1 1/2 hours. The track goes along the bank of the river, with wonderful views of the boats and hills and towns. We went past West Point. At Poughkeepsie, the end of the line, we took a taxi to our hotel. We bumped into Caroline and Bud at the hotel. Ry and I scoped out the area and played some catch in the parking lot. We ordered pizza.
The next day was busy as everyone came in. The boys and I were just on our way to play catch in some grass in the front when all the Bleichers arrived. As they checked in, I saw Chris's parents and Caroline's sister, Nan. Cyndi and the women then went to the bridal shower, while David, Dad, Gary, Eric and I chatted in the dining room off the lobby. Some later headed to the FDR Presidential Library while Cyndi, the boys and I headed off to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, following Chris's parents. Saturday morning went by fast. Cyndi and I went for a walk. The boys, especially Ry, played catch with Eric. Jackson was loving his independent time in the hotel room. More family arrived and more people to meet at the hotel. Before two, we boarded a bus to the wedding. We returned by the bus that evening, after dropping off some of Ariel and Chris's friends and the keg at a New Paltz motel.
Sunday was fun. We walked the bridge over the Hudson, ate at a very good nearby diner (which was about the time the rain started up again), and then drove to West Point, just in time for the canon to boom at five, a bugle playing retreat, as the flag was lowered on the campus. That night we ended up all eating at a Chile's near the hotel.
Monday was an all-day travel day but not hurried. After breakfast and goodbyes, David took us to the train station and we returned to Grand Central. With some time on our hands, Rylee got a frisbee from the sports store next door to Grand Central and we walked over to Rockefeller Center again for the Lego and Nintendo stores, bathroom breaks, and a Starbucks in the subway station. We walked to 7th and grabbed a taxi to Penn Station, got tickets for Newark airport, hopped on the next train, transferred to the monorail, checked our bags in and easily got through security. The plane was delayed for departure. We had a nice dinner in the terminal while waiting, and saw some friends on their way back home, too. With the delayed departure, we ended up with about two minutes in Denver to get across the terminal to our gate. We arrived in Albuquerque, along with all of our bags, about 11 p.m., grabbed the shuttle to the parking lot and got home close to midnight. I went to bed. The boys stayed up to play with their new Legos, and games, and the new skateboard Wii game Ry got from Ariel and Chris. It was a perfect birthday gift slash wedding gift. Ry and Jack each carried a ring during the wedding procession and presented them when it was time to exchange rings during the ceremony.
Then back to work. Cyndi is off on a business trip today. I hope I get some pictures to publish here.
The setting was an open-air pavilion on the Mohonk Preserve, just a few miles from New Paltz in the Hudson Valley of New York. The ceremony took place on a lawn just below the pavilion, with a backdrop of the Catskill Mountains. Ariel and Chris picked this place because they often drive here from Manhattan to climb the Gunks, as the Shawangunk Ridge, a part of the Appalachian Mountains, is known. A perfect place to begin a lifetime of adventure together.
The ceremony took place in the middle of the afternoon. A light rain fell most of the morning, but the rain stopped by noon and the sun came out from behind the clouds just as the procession began and continued to shine without any threat of rain for the rest of the day, the clouds just adding to the panoramic backdrop above the mountains, along with a spectacular sunset at the end. All weekend, there was a gentle breeze.
Chairs were arranged below the pavilion on the lawn before the Catskill range in the distance. The moms were escorted to their seats. Chris and the best man, John, were standing before the guests, along with Naomi, the minister. A blue grass band played nearby. (It was Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, as I remember.) Jackson and Rylee and Emily made their procession, and I accompanied Ariel to join Chris.
Ariel wore a beautiful dress that rolled at the hem, which she purchased in France, and carried a bouquet of flowers. She was radiant. Chris was handsome, and I noticed his eyes were focused only on Ariel.The reception took place under the pavilion. Ariel had made most of the arrangements, and everything was perfect. Even the Preserve director thought it was the best ever. The food had a New Mexico theme, from the appetizers to the buffet, with plenty of wine and beer on tap. The blue grass band played an eclectic blend of Appalachian music and popular songs. Everyone commented on how perfect it all was. Everyone just seemed to be beaming.
There was some dancing, lots of picture taking, and even some frisbee thrown on the lawn below the pavilion. When the band took a break, the fathers of the bride and groom were asked beforehand to give toasts, followed by John, the best man, and Emily, the maid of honor. The fathers talked about Ariel and Chris as children, while John, with wonderful humor, and Emily, with wonderful grace, brought the story of Ariel and Chris up to date. I got a chance to dance with Ariel when the band played a waltz. I fumbled a few steps but we ended with a gentle twirl. Ariel was all smiles and took time to go among all the guests to chat with each. When it was time to cut the cake, Chris delicately fed Ariel a piece on a fork. Ariel followed by delicately smearing cake on Chris. Then Chris introduced Rylee as his brother-in-law and they brought out a cake for Ry, who was turning 7 the next day, and the guests sang happy birthday.
There were plenty of guests. So many of Ariel and Chris's friends were there: childhood friends, college friends, friends from New Mexico, from Alaska, from New York, from California and the Pacific Northwest, even Hawaii. There were plenty of Bleichers and Orcutts and all the new relatives to meet on the Wilson side. Uncles and aunts and cousins. The grandparents got a special mention to honor them during the ceremony. Some parents of friends came; a couple of babies. All terrific people; all equally delighted to be part of the occasion.
For many, the special weekend began with a bridal shower at midday on Friday at a tea room in an historic shop in New Paltz that Cyndi and Emily hosted. Cyndi did quite a bit to make this happen, and made turquoise bracelets for the guests. A rehearsal took place later that day, followed by a wonderful rehearsal dinner at the Elmrock Inn, a four-course dinner in a lovely dining room of the inn, preceded by a cheese platter and bread basket on the patio outside, overlooking a large lawn, where the boys played soccer. Chris's parents, David and Tricia, hosted this event, and it was a good time to meet some people for the first time or catch up with family not seen for a long time.
Chris's parents also treated Ariel and Chris with a stay at the Mohonk Mountain House, a very Conde Nast sort of resort, and on Sunday morning they were joined by others at a brunch there. There was also talk of a climbing expedition with friends. I thought I heard rain cancelled that but Ariel told me they got some climbs in Sunday and Monday. There was some partying among Ariel and Chris's friends the night before the wedding and again after the wedding itself, but I only had the slightest inkling of that. As one of their friends told me, tongue in cheek, they'd be partying in honor of the older parents and guests.
I am told that Ariel and Chris had to return to NYC for a few days of work and then would head for their honeymoon trip to France by the following Friday. You can get a sense of their trip from this registry: http://www.honeyfund.com/wedding/arielandchris. In case the link is no longer up, it includes the Mediterranean and Provence and such adventures as canoeing in Perigord and rock climbing in the Verdon Gorge.
For us the trip began on Wednesday, and it became quite a travel adventure. We caught a 6 am flight from Albuquerque, with four bags that we checked in. The boys each had a rolling carry-on, and so did Cyndi. My bag swung from a shoulder strap. Each of the boys and Cyndi had a backpack. The boys' were filled with a computer, toys and books. I carried my suit and our wedding gift (a setting of dishes set aside for Ariel and a frame and scrapbook a friend of Cyndi's made). We changed planes in Chicago and ate hot dogs and ice cream between the flights. We arrived in Newark (which we now think beats La Guardia in so many ways), retrieved our bags, bought tickets for the train to (NY) Penn Station, and found the monorail from the airport.
You must imagine that every move we made meant lugging all of our backpacks and carry-ons around, up and down escalators, elevators and even some stairs, along moving and concrete sidewalks, over curbs, and around people, with me often in the lead, Ry and Jack pulling their bags behind them, and Cyndi making sure she never lost eye contact on the boys. The hotel we stayed at in NYC, which Beth and Gary arranged for us, was only about 5 blocks from Penn Station, so we walked down 7th to 28th and found our hotel in the Flower District. Jackson noticed how friendly the hotel staff were. We had a nice room on the 22nd floor and enjoyed two cold beers and some chips, which Cyndi found next to the front desk, when we arrived. We called Ariel and arranged to meet her and Chris about 6:30 at an Indian restaurant near their apartment, less than a mile from our hotel. We hadn't made any plans, so we walked to the Empire State Building and then back down to Madison Square, where we stopped at a toddler park and then in the median in front of the Flat Iron building, before meeting Ariel and Chris for dinner. The food was delicious; I'm a convert. Jackson fell asleep, but Rylee shoveled in the rice and bread.
I made sure to make it a point to the boys that they should take advantage of the hotel breakfasts, and we had a great one that first morning. We walked to Rockefeller Plaza, after first going through Times Square, so the boys could go to the Lego store, where Rylee got his birthday present and Jackson found something for himself, too. We walked back to Times Square and took the subway back to the hotel.
After packing up, we came down into the lobby with all our gear again (plus additional bags from Lego and Anthropologie), headed for Grand Central Station. The doorman loaded up a cart and led us to 6th, where he could quickly hail a cab for us. The traffic was heavy at midday but it was a perfect way to go. We went up 6th to 42nd and drove by Bryant Park and the Public Library. We entered Grand Central from the street into the grand concourse, where we bought our train tickets to Poughkeepsie. The next train did not leave for a while, so we found a table in the lower level and Cyndi found thick turkey sandwiches and I found a piece of cheesecake.
We found the track for our train and rode up the Hudson Valley for the next 1 1/2 hours. The track goes along the bank of the river, with wonderful views of the boats and hills and towns. We went past West Point. At Poughkeepsie, the end of the line, we took a taxi to our hotel. We bumped into Caroline and Bud at the hotel. Ry and I scoped out the area and played some catch in the parking lot. We ordered pizza.
The next day was busy as everyone came in. The boys and I were just on our way to play catch in some grass in the front when all the Bleichers arrived. As they checked in, I saw Chris's parents and Caroline's sister, Nan. Cyndi and the women then went to the bridal shower, while David, Dad, Gary, Eric and I chatted in the dining room off the lobby. Some later headed to the FDR Presidential Library while Cyndi, the boys and I headed off to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, following Chris's parents. Saturday morning went by fast. Cyndi and I went for a walk. The boys, especially Ry, played catch with Eric. Jackson was loving his independent time in the hotel room. More family arrived and more people to meet at the hotel. Before two, we boarded a bus to the wedding. We returned by the bus that evening, after dropping off some of Ariel and Chris's friends and the keg at a New Paltz motel.
Sunday was fun. We walked the bridge over the Hudson, ate at a very good nearby diner (which was about the time the rain started up again), and then drove to West Point, just in time for the canon to boom at five, a bugle playing retreat, as the flag was lowered on the campus. That night we ended up all eating at a Chile's near the hotel.
Monday was an all-day travel day but not hurried. After breakfast and goodbyes, David took us to the train station and we returned to Grand Central. With some time on our hands, Rylee got a frisbee from the sports store next door to Grand Central and we walked over to Rockefeller Center again for the Lego and Nintendo stores, bathroom breaks, and a Starbucks in the subway station. We walked to 7th and grabbed a taxi to Penn Station, got tickets for Newark airport, hopped on the next train, transferred to the monorail, checked our bags in and easily got through security. The plane was delayed for departure. We had a nice dinner in the terminal while waiting, and saw some friends on their way back home, too. With the delayed departure, we ended up with about two minutes in Denver to get across the terminal to our gate. We arrived in Albuquerque, along with all of our bags, about 11 p.m., grabbed the shuttle to the parking lot and got home close to midnight. I went to bed. The boys stayed up to play with their new Legos, and games, and the new skateboard Wii game Ry got from Ariel and Chris. It was a perfect birthday gift slash wedding gift. Ry and Jack each carried a ring during the wedding procession and presented them when it was time to exchange rings during the ceremony.
Then back to work. Cyndi is off on a business trip today. I hope I get some pictures to publish here.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Bleicher boys baseball day
We are all very excited to be going to New York for Ariel & Chris's wedding. After much coordination with Beth and Ariel, we are flying into Newark before the wedding and taking the train into Manhattan for one night. We hope to have dinner with Ariel and Chris and visit the Lego store before taking the Hudson Line from Grand Central Station up to Poughkeepsie, where the next day we should be joined by Mom, Dad, Beth, Gary, David, Sandra, Eric, Sarah, Terra, Karl and Roscoe. Cyndi's been planning the bridal shower for Friday at a tea room in an historic New Paltz building. The wedding is Saturday at the Mohonk Preserve a short distance from New Paltz.
The boys' baseball season is ending. In fact, Jackson had his final regular season game before tournaments, and Rylee has just one more game. It was a fabulous day Saturday. Ry, Jack and Cyndi took a long walk in the morning, while I cleaned up the yard a bit and watered. By mid-afternoon, it was in the low 80s, sunny, with the slightest of a breeze to keep it all manageable. (Low, low humidity, of course.) The games were at 1 and 2 in the afternoon, with a pool party afterward.
Jackson has not been excited this year. At bat, he gets ahead of the ball and that's thwarted his confidence. But he still manages more times than not to get on base. Saturday, however, was a terrific game. He pitched. He was great. He looked good. He loved it.
He threw a lot of strikes, both swinging and called, and none of the wild pitches that the regular pitchers throw and that have cost runs all season long. He almost got a hard line drive right back at him and his adrenaline was pumping when he threw the ball to second. Oh, it was so fun to watch him play again. It was like last year when he was so into the game. He'd get into his stance on the mound and take a deep breath. His throws were right over the plate and into the catcher's glove. The fans were loving it, and they shouted enthusiastically and gave him glowing praise afterwards. So did his teammates.
Some of this enthusiasm and confidence has been building just in the past two weeks. Rylee always wants to play catch with me in the front yard, but only in the last weeks has Jackson asked or joined us, and the two of them play catch together a lot now. Sometimes Ry dons on his catcher gear and Jackson pitches to him. Rylee has been equally supportive of Jackson's pitching and I think he is very proud of him. The boys also had a good game of pickle with their cousin Brendan all afternoon on Mother's Day in Belen. It was fun, yet competitive, for all of them and it quickly honed some new skills and confidence.
Rylee started catching regularly behind the plate a couple of weeks ago. He catches about three innings a game now. At first, he seemed uncertain. He could catch okay but did not seem especially alert to what happened once someone hit. Now the catching is just second nature, hardly a thought, he's so nonchalant and easy behind the plate. The fun part is watching him throw off the helmet and make outs from the plate or guard the plate and tag players trying to come home. That's been exciting to see.
So this last game, I had just seen Jackson pitching at his game. I was so proud of him and delighted in his happiness. Then I watched Rylee play. He was on third base when he was not catching. Third base is where they put kids with strong arms. (Short stop is routinely reserved for the coach's son this year; last year at this level, Jackson played short stop.) Rylee, who is the smallest and, still 6, the youngest on the team, earned it when he made the first 5-3 out of the season a couple of weeks ago by running laterally and scooping up a hard grounder on the hop and rifling it over to first. He repeated something like that this weekend but he made another spectacular catch that ignited the stands. It was a high pop up. I watched his eyes intently on the ball, his glove above his head, as he kept peddling his feet backwards. To reach the ball, he had to dive almost backwards, and he got it and threw to second. He got the game ball that afternoon, and he's very proud of that. The other funny thing is, is that his fielding glove is falling apart and he needs a new one. He's breaking in a glove he uses for catching.
When we got home, Jackson got on his computer that evening and helped Ry build a new Lego set. Rylee played outside in the early evening, climbing on the fort David helped us build. I fixed a rickety bench and decided to paint it. I sanded it and found some old blue paint in the garage. Ry helped me paint it and then went on another walk with Cyndi.
The boys' baseball season is ending. In fact, Jackson had his final regular season game before tournaments, and Rylee has just one more game. It was a fabulous day Saturday. Ry, Jack and Cyndi took a long walk in the morning, while I cleaned up the yard a bit and watered. By mid-afternoon, it was in the low 80s, sunny, with the slightest of a breeze to keep it all manageable. (Low, low humidity, of course.) The games were at 1 and 2 in the afternoon, with a pool party afterward.
Jackson has not been excited this year. At bat, he gets ahead of the ball and that's thwarted his confidence. But he still manages more times than not to get on base. Saturday, however, was a terrific game. He pitched. He was great. He looked good. He loved it.
He threw a lot of strikes, both swinging and called, and none of the wild pitches that the regular pitchers throw and that have cost runs all season long. He almost got a hard line drive right back at him and his adrenaline was pumping when he threw the ball to second. Oh, it was so fun to watch him play again. It was like last year when he was so into the game. He'd get into his stance on the mound and take a deep breath. His throws were right over the plate and into the catcher's glove. The fans were loving it, and they shouted enthusiastically and gave him glowing praise afterwards. So did his teammates.
Some of this enthusiasm and confidence has been building just in the past two weeks. Rylee always wants to play catch with me in the front yard, but only in the last weeks has Jackson asked or joined us, and the two of them play catch together a lot now. Sometimes Ry dons on his catcher gear and Jackson pitches to him. Rylee has been equally supportive of Jackson's pitching and I think he is very proud of him. The boys also had a good game of pickle with their cousin Brendan all afternoon on Mother's Day in Belen. It was fun, yet competitive, for all of them and it quickly honed some new skills and confidence.
Rylee started catching regularly behind the plate a couple of weeks ago. He catches about three innings a game now. At first, he seemed uncertain. He could catch okay but did not seem especially alert to what happened once someone hit. Now the catching is just second nature, hardly a thought, he's so nonchalant and easy behind the plate. The fun part is watching him throw off the helmet and make outs from the plate or guard the plate and tag players trying to come home. That's been exciting to see.
So this last game, I had just seen Jackson pitching at his game. I was so proud of him and delighted in his happiness. Then I watched Rylee play. He was on third base when he was not catching. Third base is where they put kids with strong arms. (Short stop is routinely reserved for the coach's son this year; last year at this level, Jackson played short stop.) Rylee, who is the smallest and, still 6, the youngest on the team, earned it when he made the first 5-3 out of the season a couple of weeks ago by running laterally and scooping up a hard grounder on the hop and rifling it over to first. He repeated something like that this weekend but he made another spectacular catch that ignited the stands. It was a high pop up. I watched his eyes intently on the ball, his glove above his head, as he kept peddling his feet backwards. To reach the ball, he had to dive almost backwards, and he got it and threw to second. He got the game ball that afternoon, and he's very proud of that. The other funny thing is, is that his fielding glove is falling apart and he needs a new one. He's breaking in a glove he uses for catching.
When we got home, Jackson got on his computer that evening and helped Ry build a new Lego set. Rylee played outside in the early evening, climbing on the fort David helped us build. I fixed a rickety bench and decided to paint it. I sanded it and found some old blue paint in the garage. Ry helped me paint it and then went on another walk with Cyndi.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
congrats to Ariel and Chris
I talked with Ariel yesterday. She got hired by IEEE Spectrum as an associate editor. She will start in a couple of weeks. Her area will be telecommunications. She is thrilled for so many reasons, not the least of which is the compensation and some good travel for assignments and conferences. She will remain in Manhattan. Chris was accepted at NYU, although I think he is still considering other options.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
a weekend
I've still to finish a post on our holidays, with pictures of our trip, but in the meantime let's see how quickly I can write a post on our past weekend before Cyndi and I go over to the school this morning. Jackson's teacher recommended him for the gifted enrichment program, and we've filled out some questionnaires and today we meet with a committee before Jack takes an initial test to measure "intellectual ability." I think that's some form of an IQ test. We prepared by going swimming last night and Cyndi made sure the boys had a good breakfast.
The beginning of the weekend is a bit of a blur. We went to a new Italian place in the far Northeast Heights and ate pizza, with a beer, a wine and an Italian soda. Saturday was going to be a big day, with an early registration for a chess tournament and then sign-ups for baseball. Elley, Nicholas and Lauren were coming over for dinner later, and I took out a chuck roast from the freezer.
On Saturday, we had a breakfast of blackberry pancakes and bacon. Both of the boys were being rambunctious, and Rylee especially was on a whirl. He just wouldn't listen to me, and I had to get stern with him. The chess tournament had a huge turn-out, but like us most of the parents had not pre-registered. That put a crimp in the organization of the tournament that never really got better. We also learned that it was going to take the better part of the day. The children would play four rounds.
These chess tournaments, since we are so new to this, are very stressing. We had a one-game tournament during the prior week for elementary school children, which Jackson played in. We got there early and Jack set up his new set from Santa. He would play in second position for his school. I asked the director if I could grab a chair and sit along the side of the room with Ry, which is how it was done at our only prior tournament experience. He said they were going to have the parents in a separate room. I looked around the room, which was filling up with parents eager like me to watch their child in competition, and I thought to myself that wasn't going to go over well. He said the parents could walk in for a few minutes during the play. That struck me as odd. Sure enough, the parents were directed into the room. Ry and I grabbed a seat in there. Equally certain, many parents did not comply and there was no followup to enforce it.
Just before play began, I checked on Jackson. He was already a little upset because the coach from the school he was playing against had moved him up a chair because the first seed from Jack's school hadn't shown up yet. Jack wanted to move his set, instead of strangers playing on it, and he wanted to wait for the first seed, but the opposing coach belittled him for not complying with her. After play began, Ry and I went inside the room with the chess players, and the opposing coach was hovering over Jackson during play. I could see Jackson was distracted, and I wondered why coaches were allowed to do that. Even worse, the opposing player's friend was "talking trash" to Jackson and even reached over and moved pieces on the board Jack was playing on. Jack held his own on that, I thought. Then Jack made a few mistakes and he became more despondent. He even tried to retire. He was devastated when he lost. The opposing player was good but Jackson could have beaten him. It hurt to watch Jackson so demoralized.
He sat there watching the players next to him playing a game on his board. It turned out that those players had already finished their game and were playing a friendly game. Ironically, the opposing coach thought Jackson was interfering with the game and asked the director to move Jack away. When the director did, I looked at him questioningly. He told me he had a complaint. I almost lost it. I said, complaint? I said, I wasn't going to say anything but now I have a few complaints of my own. The director became apologetic. He tried to tell me the coach didn't know how to play chess. I said that really didn't matter; she was a distraction.
Well, all that recap and support lifted Jack's spirits a bit, and we told Cyndi all about it when we got home.
The Saturday tournament was just as stressful. I remember back in fall when we went to the tournament at the school and I was so impressed with the children. This time I thought many of them were obnoxious and rude. In the first round, both Jack and Ry won their game. Jackson simply overpowered his opponent. Ry was playing a kid that was really a good kid, but as I watched the kid I swore he was secretly moving pieces out of turn and poor Ry tried to call him on it. That game ended when Ry put him in check and the kid thought he was in checkmate and conceded the game. The rule is that when both players agree who won, then the game is over. I told the director that the boy just didn't see one move that would have saved him from checkmate, but the director said that was the rule. The same thing happened a few other times that day.
So the boys having won their first games, I was relieved. At least they would both have a win.
In the second game, Jackson made some mistakes and he ended up retiring. He was devastated again. I grabbed him as he tried to leave the room and asked, did you shake hands? He said he didn't. I said I would insist that he do it. He did. I followed him out and we went outside to talk and we talked about many things. He didn't come around immediately but I knew he was listening. I was glad he won the first game and I was glad his second opponent was actually a good and gracious player. I thought this was a pretty good way to learn about losing a chess game in a tournament. It was also a pretty good way to learn about winning.
We went to lunch. On the way, we signed up for baseball. Nothing remarkable there, except that they are going to have an evaluation session for Ry to see which machine pitch league he should be in and a draft session for Jackson to see what minor league team he will be on. I figured Ry, because of his age, ought to repeat the first level of machine pitch, but maybe we'll see he should move up already. Either way would be good I think. Jack has had the same coaches for several years now and they want Jackson on their team again. It's been a great group of boys. The pressure is off Jackson for the tryouts for minor league, because his coaches actually hope he does poorly so they can draft him onto their team. The boys saw some friends at the fields and played with them. The boys got out their gloves, balls and bats later that day to play at home and all three of us played catch on Sunday in the front yard under the trees.
We had a light lunch and chocolate milkshakes at Flying Star, looked at a house Cyndi and the boys like to look at, and we got back to the chess tournament by 1. The third round had already begun. One of the officials had told several parents the wrong restart time. The director moved things around and Jackson and Rylee were playing. Jackson won his. Ry played a very obnoxious little kid but he was also a very good player and Ry lost. The boys both lost their final games and we drove home to start the dinner.
Ry wasn't sure if he wanted to play in the tournament but said he was glad to get the tournament experience. He wants his own Santa chess set now. Jackson said he could move to varsity now that he had played a tournament. There's another one next month.
Speaking of Santa: I'm sure Ry is wise to the whole thing. He overheard me talk about the skateboarding shop and ordering the firehouse Lego set on Amazon. He's not saying, but he knows, I'm certain. We started unpacking and sorting the firehouse Lego pieces (there's thousands), the one Ry got from Santa, while we were in California. Karl watched us enthusiastically, anticipating Roscoe someday building one. It took a few weeks to get it started. The set comes in two stages and as Ry and I sat down to do the first stage it was apparent that were many pieces missing. We were trying to substitute, but it became more and more difficult and we finally had to stop. We hardly got off the ground. So I called Lego tech support, and they knew exactly what bag of pieces was missing and would send them from Denmark. In the meantime, we decided to start on stage two, which is the second floor and the roof.
Ry has done all of it by himself. He is so engrossed in it now. I stand around and he allows me to find the pieces from the bags we put together to help sort them all out, but he has built it himself, piece by piece, except for one roof feature that he asked Jackson to help him with. It is now nearly completed, and he loves it. He's already playing with it. He's planning to add on other buildings. He carries it up to the bedroom at night, along with the shoebox of bags of pieces, just to be able to see it when he wakes up. He devoted most of Sunday to it.
Jackson spent most of the day Sunday designing his Cool Club website. He's researching new software tools to code the page, as well as researching things like copyrights and licensing. He designed a new console, with its own unique USB ports. I told him he ought to send it off to the Patent Office. He has since put together an online employment application. He and his friend Zach talk about it on the phone. Guess they're going into business together.
First thing Sunday morning, Jackson, Rylee and I also went to the skateboard park. Right now, they are using the new scooters they bought with Christmas gift money. We stopped first at Starbucks where the boys get their Kid's Hot Chocolate with Extra Whip and our baristas put them into tall cups for lots of extra whip cream. Jackson also got a donut and Ry an apple fritter. They each gave me a piece and saved a piece for Cyndi.
Ry says he can't wait for Dixon's Apples again so he can have one of their apple fritters. Jackson wants lots of their apple cider. We're not sure of the fate of Dixon's Apples, which suffered freeze, fire and flood all in one season last year.
We stayed a few moments and played our Set card game (a traditional game from Ariel's childhood) before heading to the park. Cyndi got it out for Jack and Ry last week, and Ry and I played one night before bed. Later Sunday, we all went together, with Elley, Nicholas and Lauren, too, to see "We Bought a Zoo."
Funny, when I thought I should write about our weekend, there were so many details I wanted to share about things they said, things they did. Can't think of them now, but here's something I did remember. We've been battling over bad language. We call it cussing. Finally, I said that when they use those words they are looking like a baby. Since that discussion, both of them, particularly Jackson, has cut the words out. Now, whenever I cuss, of course, they tell me I'm acting like a baby.
They are such good boys. I love the way Ry gets so engrossed in his projects and talks about them. I love the way Jackson is growing up, getting so mature in the way he talks and thinks. And I love that he still asks permission. Ry not so much.
Meanwhile, Ariel is back at work in NYC. She's going through a pretty intensive interview process for a really great new job, making wedding plans, and being busy with everything else. Chris is the midst of graduate program applications and interviews. They are planning a honeymoon in southern France and the Alps that includes some climbing and mountaineering. Ariel is very excited for June.
The beginning of the weekend is a bit of a blur. We went to a new Italian place in the far Northeast Heights and ate pizza, with a beer, a wine and an Italian soda. Saturday was going to be a big day, with an early registration for a chess tournament and then sign-ups for baseball. Elley, Nicholas and Lauren were coming over for dinner later, and I took out a chuck roast from the freezer.
On Saturday, we had a breakfast of blackberry pancakes and bacon. Both of the boys were being rambunctious, and Rylee especially was on a whirl. He just wouldn't listen to me, and I had to get stern with him. The chess tournament had a huge turn-out, but like us most of the parents had not pre-registered. That put a crimp in the organization of the tournament that never really got better. We also learned that it was going to take the better part of the day. The children would play four rounds.
These chess tournaments, since we are so new to this, are very stressing. We had a one-game tournament during the prior week for elementary school children, which Jackson played in. We got there early and Jack set up his new set from Santa. He would play in second position for his school. I asked the director if I could grab a chair and sit along the side of the room with Ry, which is how it was done at our only prior tournament experience. He said they were going to have the parents in a separate room. I looked around the room, which was filling up with parents eager like me to watch their child in competition, and I thought to myself that wasn't going to go over well. He said the parents could walk in for a few minutes during the play. That struck me as odd. Sure enough, the parents were directed into the room. Ry and I grabbed a seat in there. Equally certain, many parents did not comply and there was no followup to enforce it.
Just before play began, I checked on Jackson. He was already a little upset because the coach from the school he was playing against had moved him up a chair because the first seed from Jack's school hadn't shown up yet. Jack wanted to move his set, instead of strangers playing on it, and he wanted to wait for the first seed, but the opposing coach belittled him for not complying with her. After play began, Ry and I went inside the room with the chess players, and the opposing coach was hovering over Jackson during play. I could see Jackson was distracted, and I wondered why coaches were allowed to do that. Even worse, the opposing player's friend was "talking trash" to Jackson and even reached over and moved pieces on the board Jack was playing on. Jack held his own on that, I thought. Then Jack made a few mistakes and he became more despondent. He even tried to retire. He was devastated when he lost. The opposing player was good but Jackson could have beaten him. It hurt to watch Jackson so demoralized.
He sat there watching the players next to him playing a game on his board. It turned out that those players had already finished their game and were playing a friendly game. Ironically, the opposing coach thought Jackson was interfering with the game and asked the director to move Jack away. When the director did, I looked at him questioningly. He told me he had a complaint. I almost lost it. I said, complaint? I said, I wasn't going to say anything but now I have a few complaints of my own. The director became apologetic. He tried to tell me the coach didn't know how to play chess. I said that really didn't matter; she was a distraction.
Well, all that recap and support lifted Jack's spirits a bit, and we told Cyndi all about it when we got home.
The Saturday tournament was just as stressful. I remember back in fall when we went to the tournament at the school and I was so impressed with the children. This time I thought many of them were obnoxious and rude. In the first round, both Jack and Ry won their game. Jackson simply overpowered his opponent. Ry was playing a kid that was really a good kid, but as I watched the kid I swore he was secretly moving pieces out of turn and poor Ry tried to call him on it. That game ended when Ry put him in check and the kid thought he was in checkmate and conceded the game. The rule is that when both players agree who won, then the game is over. I told the director that the boy just didn't see one move that would have saved him from checkmate, but the director said that was the rule. The same thing happened a few other times that day.
So the boys having won their first games, I was relieved. At least they would both have a win.
In the second game, Jackson made some mistakes and he ended up retiring. He was devastated again. I grabbed him as he tried to leave the room and asked, did you shake hands? He said he didn't. I said I would insist that he do it. He did. I followed him out and we went outside to talk and we talked about many things. He didn't come around immediately but I knew he was listening. I was glad he won the first game and I was glad his second opponent was actually a good and gracious player. I thought this was a pretty good way to learn about losing a chess game in a tournament. It was also a pretty good way to learn about winning.
We went to lunch. On the way, we signed up for baseball. Nothing remarkable there, except that they are going to have an evaluation session for Ry to see which machine pitch league he should be in and a draft session for Jackson to see what minor league team he will be on. I figured Ry, because of his age, ought to repeat the first level of machine pitch, but maybe we'll see he should move up already. Either way would be good I think. Jack has had the same coaches for several years now and they want Jackson on their team again. It's been a great group of boys. The pressure is off Jackson for the tryouts for minor league, because his coaches actually hope he does poorly so they can draft him onto their team. The boys saw some friends at the fields and played with them. The boys got out their gloves, balls and bats later that day to play at home and all three of us played catch on Sunday in the front yard under the trees.
We had a light lunch and chocolate milkshakes at Flying Star, looked at a house Cyndi and the boys like to look at, and we got back to the chess tournament by 1. The third round had already begun. One of the officials had told several parents the wrong restart time. The director moved things around and Jackson and Rylee were playing. Jackson won his. Ry played a very obnoxious little kid but he was also a very good player and Ry lost. The boys both lost their final games and we drove home to start the dinner.
Ry wasn't sure if he wanted to play in the tournament but said he was glad to get the tournament experience. He wants his own Santa chess set now. Jackson said he could move to varsity now that he had played a tournament. There's another one next month.
Speaking of Santa: I'm sure Ry is wise to the whole thing. He overheard me talk about the skateboarding shop and ordering the firehouse Lego set on Amazon. He's not saying, but he knows, I'm certain. We started unpacking and sorting the firehouse Lego pieces (there's thousands), the one Ry got from Santa, while we were in California. Karl watched us enthusiastically, anticipating Roscoe someday building one. It took a few weeks to get it started. The set comes in two stages and as Ry and I sat down to do the first stage it was apparent that were many pieces missing. We were trying to substitute, but it became more and more difficult and we finally had to stop. We hardly got off the ground. So I called Lego tech support, and they knew exactly what bag of pieces was missing and would send them from Denmark. In the meantime, we decided to start on stage two, which is the second floor and the roof.
Ry has done all of it by himself. He is so engrossed in it now. I stand around and he allows me to find the pieces from the bags we put together to help sort them all out, but he has built it himself, piece by piece, except for one roof feature that he asked Jackson to help him with. It is now nearly completed, and he loves it. He's already playing with it. He's planning to add on other buildings. He carries it up to the bedroom at night, along with the shoebox of bags of pieces, just to be able to see it when he wakes up. He devoted most of Sunday to it.
Jackson spent most of the day Sunday designing his Cool Club website. He's researching new software tools to code the page, as well as researching things like copyrights and licensing. He designed a new console, with its own unique USB ports. I told him he ought to send it off to the Patent Office. He has since put together an online employment application. He and his friend Zach talk about it on the phone. Guess they're going into business together.
First thing Sunday morning, Jackson, Rylee and I also went to the skateboard park. Right now, they are using the new scooters they bought with Christmas gift money. We stopped first at Starbucks where the boys get their Kid's Hot Chocolate with Extra Whip and our baristas put them into tall cups for lots of extra whip cream. Jackson also got a donut and Ry an apple fritter. They each gave me a piece and saved a piece for Cyndi.
Ry says he can't wait for Dixon's Apples again so he can have one of their apple fritters. Jackson wants lots of their apple cider. We're not sure of the fate of Dixon's Apples, which suffered freeze, fire and flood all in one season last year.
We stayed a few moments and played our Set card game (a traditional game from Ariel's childhood) before heading to the park. Cyndi got it out for Jack and Ry last week, and Ry and I played one night before bed. Later Sunday, we all went together, with Elley, Nicholas and Lauren, too, to see "We Bought a Zoo."
Funny, when I thought I should write about our weekend, there were so many details I wanted to share about things they said, things they did. Can't think of them now, but here's something I did remember. We've been battling over bad language. We call it cussing. Finally, I said that when they use those words they are looking like a baby. Since that discussion, both of them, particularly Jackson, has cut the words out. Now, whenever I cuss, of course, they tell me I'm acting like a baby.
They are such good boys. I love the way Ry gets so engrossed in his projects and talks about them. I love the way Jackson is growing up, getting so mature in the way he talks and thinks. And I love that he still asks permission. Ry not so much.
Meanwhile, Ariel is back at work in NYC. She's going through a pretty intensive interview process for a really great new job, making wedding plans, and being busy with everything else. Chris is the midst of graduate program applications and interviews. They are planning a honeymoon in southern France and the Alps that includes some climbing and mountaineering. Ariel is very excited for June.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
chez nous
I've talked about it before, but it's something we still continue doing. Ry and I leave the house around 7:30 in the morning every Saturday and Sunday. Our first stop is Starbucks for an Americano espresso, a hot chocolate with extra whip cream, and a maple pecan scone.
After we back out to drive to the skateboard park, where he's practicing new tricks and skills, there is a restaurant called Chez Bob on our way.
Ry is in first grade now. He talks a lot about things he just learned in school, repeating what he heard his teacher say. This week it's even and odd numbers and compound words.
He reads everything in sight, including shop signs and road signs and billboards along the streets. And so he reads the sign for Chez Bob. He knows chez is French; he knows it's pronounced shay but he like's to say chezz instead to be funny, and he knows it means the place of Bob. So he applies the word to all manner of places, like Chez Sanchez, and wants to know how to spell other French words and also Spanish words.
Spelling tests are a breeze for Ry. Jack was missing words on his spelling tests, and his teacher wrote him a nice note, basically saying he should do better and it's just a matter of learning them. So I quiz him the night before the test. It only takes a few minutes for him to get them down cold and this week he got all of them correct. He tells me things he's learned in school, but the subjects are becoming more sophisticated and expansive: human physiology, history, political science, astronomy. His class had a field trip about a month ago or so to las Golondrinas, the living museum on the way to Santa Fe, and while we've gone a couple of times as a family I think the experience of going with his class and his teacher, along with the volunteer docents and artisans who guided the class, made a big impression.
Jack had a chess tournament last week. It took place in the cafeteria of his school. I was quite surprised as there were easily over a 100 elementary-aged kids playing; probably a half dozen schools, both public and private, and each school had about three teams of five players each. The parents sat at the edges of the room, and there were assistant tournament directors monitoring the play. The director outlined the rules.
It was fascinating to watch the children and how their personalities were displayed during play.
One boy wore a jester's hat; a few of the older kids feigned indifference; small children displayed decisive and aggressive play beyond their apparent maturity, moving pieces quickly, slamming them down. Others wrote down the moves studiously, carefully moving. I saw one young girl "con" her even younger opponent into a draw when she was losing.
Jackson played a girl who seemed a little older. As Ry and I watched him play, Jackson took his time to move and to record the moves, and then fidgeted and swayed in his seat while waiting for his opponent, as though he were listening to some internal music. It wasn't distracting; it was just kinesthetic.
Many of the games were over, and Jackson still seemed to be playing defensively. I couldn't detect an end game. Then I noticed Jackson methodically taking pieces and then he had two queens. You knew it would not be long. The girl sat patiently. She knew. Jack took his time to write down the final moves. It was excruciatingly painful. Just move your queen, Jack! He wrote some more. The girl waited. Finally, he moved his queen. Checkmate. Jackson and the girl shook hands above the chess board, an etiquette that starts and ends each game, a particularly impressive sign of sportsmanship because it requires both players to reach over the table to extend their hands.
The boys each had teacher-parent conferences Monday. The reports were good to glowing. They are both doing exceptional in mathematics. Ry has many good friends in his class. He writes wonderful stories about skateboarding. He was last week's VIP, which meant he got in front of the line, and got to bring in things to show (some Legos, a plush Angry Bird), and had a big poster with pictures of him and his family and his favorites things. Jackson's teacher wants him tested for the "gifted" program and thinks he should apply to the academy for middle school. He and his friend are part of what his teacher calls the Geek Team and she sends them off to other classrooms to set up and fix computers. Jack talks about going into business with his friend now. The boys are off this week for Thanksgiving. There will be turkey in Belen. As we drove to Belen last weekend, "Albuquerque Turkey" came on the Saturday morning children's radio show. Sung to "(Oh, My Darling) Clementine ", it goes something like this:
Albuquerque is a turkey,
and he's feathered and he's fine
and he wobbles and he gobbles
and he's absolutely mine.
He's the best pet that you can get,
better than a dog or cat
He's my Albuquerque turkey,
and I'm awfully glad of that.
Albuquerque is a turkey,
he's so happy in his bed,
'cause for our Thanksgiving dinner,
we had egg foo yung instead.
For Christmas, Jack has already put together a modest Christmas list for both him and Ry. It's some new Wii game. Ry desperately needs a new skateboard and there's Legos he's sure to want. Jack wants a tournament chess set that includes a clock. And maybe they'll get scooters, too. Ariel and Chris are coming just before Christmas and we've talked about maybe seeing the luminarias together in Old Town on Christmas Eve, after supper in Belen and before it's time for the boys to go to bed. Jackson wants to be involved in Santa this year. Ry overheard me tell someone where we got his skateboard. I told the kid the name of the store. I don't remember if that was a Santa gift, but later Ry asked me if I bought it. I think he was figuring out something. He usually says he can ask for anything from Santa because Santa doesn't buy the gifts, he "steals" them. And the boys are very excited about our newest idea of driving out to California on the day after Christmas in Poppa's small RV. I told Mom & Dad, and they were excited.
The last soccer games were this past weekend.
It turned out to be such a great season for both of them. They had good coaches and, just like the baseball season in the spring, you could see their skills and knowledge rapidly rise. Ry was fast on the field, and the coach said he was the best tackler out there. Jackson scored goals in the last two games, and was making spectacular midfield headers.
It really boosted his confidence. The best part of his last goal was seeing his sheer joy. It was a spectacular shot. He couldn't believe it scored. Jack had an iffy start to the season. I'm not sure he was really enjoying it, but as the season and his playing developed, you could see his enthusiasm and involvement rise. He started talking more, both calling out plays and cheering for his teammates. I think Ry was enthusiastic the entire season, because he just loves to run with other kids.
 |
| on the lip of the half pipe |
Ry is in first grade now. He talks a lot about things he just learned in school, repeating what he heard his teacher say. This week it's even and odd numbers and compound words.
 |
| biking at the skateboard park |
Spelling tests are a breeze for Ry. Jack was missing words on his spelling tests, and his teacher wrote him a nice note, basically saying he should do better and it's just a matter of learning them. So I quiz him the night before the test. It only takes a few minutes for him to get them down cold and this week he got all of them correct. He tells me things he's learned in school, but the subjects are becoming more sophisticated and expansive: human physiology, history, political science, astronomy. His class had a field trip about a month ago or so to las Golondrinas, the living museum on the way to Santa Fe, and while we've gone a couple of times as a family I think the experience of going with his class and his teacher, along with the volunteer docents and artisans who guided the class, made a big impression.
 |
| chess tournament in school cafeteria |
It was fascinating to watch the children and how their personalities were displayed during play.
 |
| another angle |
Jackson played a girl who seemed a little older. As Ry and I watched him play, Jackson took his time to move and to record the moves, and then fidgeted and swayed in his seat while waiting for his opponent, as though he were listening to some internal music. It wasn't distracting; it was just kinesthetic.
 |
| zooming in to Jack's game |
The boys each had teacher-parent conferences Monday. The reports were good to glowing. They are both doing exceptional in mathematics. Ry has many good friends in his class. He writes wonderful stories about skateboarding. He was last week's VIP, which meant he got in front of the line, and got to bring in things to show (some Legos, a plush Angry Bird), and had a big poster with pictures of him and his family and his favorites things. Jackson's teacher wants him tested for the "gifted" program and thinks he should apply to the academy for middle school. He and his friend are part of what his teacher calls the Geek Team and she sends them off to other classrooms to set up and fix computers. Jack talks about going into business with his friend now. The boys are off this week for Thanksgiving. There will be turkey in Belen. As we drove to Belen last weekend, "Albuquerque Turkey" came on the Saturday morning children's radio show. Sung to "(Oh, My Darling) Clementine ", it goes something like this:
Albuquerque is a turkey,
and he's feathered and he's fine
and he wobbles and he gobbles
and he's absolutely mine.
He's the best pet that you can get,
better than a dog or cat
He's my Albuquerque turkey,
and I'm awfully glad of that.
Albuquerque is a turkey,
he's so happy in his bed,
'cause for our Thanksgiving dinner,
we had egg foo yung instead.
For Christmas, Jack has already put together a modest Christmas list for both him and Ry. It's some new Wii game. Ry desperately needs a new skateboard and there's Legos he's sure to want. Jack wants a tournament chess set that includes a clock. And maybe they'll get scooters, too. Ariel and Chris are coming just before Christmas and we've talked about maybe seeing the luminarias together in Old Town on Christmas Eve, after supper in Belen and before it's time for the boys to go to bed. Jackson wants to be involved in Santa this year. Ry overheard me tell someone where we got his skateboard. I told the kid the name of the store. I don't remember if that was a Santa gift, but later Ry asked me if I bought it. I think he was figuring out something. He usually says he can ask for anything from Santa because Santa doesn't buy the gifts, he "steals" them. And the boys are very excited about our newest idea of driving out to California on the day after Christmas in Poppa's small RV. I told Mom & Dad, and they were excited.
The last soccer games were this past weekend.
 |
| Ry tackling |
 |
| last soccer Saturday this season |
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
first day in school & a travel book
The boys' first day back in school is today. It is also Jack's birthday this Friday. They've been excited about both. Rylee did his usual countdown to today, and last night he made sure to go to bed early. They were both up early this morning, and I made them breakfast before taking off to work. Cyndi ironed their clothes, packed their lunches, and filled their backpacks with the last minute school supplies. As I write this, she is taking them to school. School is starting and ending about an hour earlier this year.
For his birthday, Jackson has asked for a small projector for months, and he understood he was not likely to get it. Last week, he valiantly came up with alternative gift ideas but I don't think he had his heart set on any of them and, frankly, a few were expensive with a one-week halflife. So, against my previous best judgment, I ordered the projector. He will be thrilled, of course. I hope he understands things will be different come Christmas. Rylee, meanwhile, is excited by the prospect that he is getting Cyndi's IPod.
The boys celebrated their last day of summer, as they called it, by going swimming with Lauren last night. Last Friday, we met their new teachers. Ry has a teacher that Jack did not have, and so he was disappointed. But she seems great, her room is great (with a huge storytime projector!), and many of his friends are in the class. So he's excited. Jack feels all grown up with his new classroom in one of the buildings detached from the main school. His teacher is also new to us and seemed great, with lots of experience. We will have a curriculum night in a week or two, so we will learn more about what they're up to this year, but I noticed there were some New Mexico history books in Jack's desk already and the teacher said they have several field trips this year, including one to El Rancho de las Golondrinas.
When we went to the school on Friday, we also put down the boys' names for cub scouts. The status of Jack's den is very uncertain; Ry would be a Tiger. There's also probably soccer, and Jack and Cyndi have been talking about Chess Club.
Meanwhile, I also talked with Ariel. She's off soon to Atlanta for an interview for an article she's working on for Discover magazine, and then she and Chris go to southern California for a couple of weddings.
I earned a free book, so I put together one on our trip. It should be arriving soon, but here's a preview. You can play from the cover, and it will page through the book, or you can click on a larger view.
For his birthday, Jackson has asked for a small projector for months, and he understood he was not likely to get it. Last week, he valiantly came up with alternative gift ideas but I don't think he had his heart set on any of them and, frankly, a few were expensive with a one-week halflife. So, against my previous best judgment, I ordered the projector. He will be thrilled, of course. I hope he understands things will be different come Christmas. Rylee, meanwhile, is excited by the prospect that he is getting Cyndi's IPod.
The boys celebrated their last day of summer, as they called it, by going swimming with Lauren last night. Last Friday, we met their new teachers. Ry has a teacher that Jack did not have, and so he was disappointed. But she seems great, her room is great (with a huge storytime projector!), and many of his friends are in the class. So he's excited. Jack feels all grown up with his new classroom in one of the buildings detached from the main school. His teacher is also new to us and seemed great, with lots of experience. We will have a curriculum night in a week or two, so we will learn more about what they're up to this year, but I noticed there were some New Mexico history books in Jack's desk already and the teacher said they have several field trips this year, including one to El Rancho de las Golondrinas.
When we went to the school on Friday, we also put down the boys' names for cub scouts. The status of Jack's den is very uncertain; Ry would be a Tiger. There's also probably soccer, and Jack and Cyndi have been talking about Chess Club.
Meanwhile, I also talked with Ariel. She's off soon to Atlanta for an interview for an article she's working on for Discover magazine, and then she and Chris go to southern California for a couple of weddings.
I earned a free book, so I put together one on our trip. It should be arriving soon, but here's a preview. You can play from the cover, and it will page through the book, or you can click on a larger view.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
a very special announcement
Ariel and Chris went to Costa Rica this past weekend. Ariel just called me, and after a while she told me that Chris proposed on a beach. I'm never sure I get stories the right way, and it is their story afterall to tell, but Ariel did call me before they left to say Chris had arranged to fly to Costa Rica and off they were going. They stayed in some national park a few miles from the coast in what I imagine must be tropical rain forest. One night they stayed on the beach and they walked to another, more secluded beach, wading through high tide to get to it. Chris had a ring made from some Ariel had looked at before, and he proposed on the beach. I asked Ariel what she said. She said, yes. A pretty nice story, even if I only have some of it right. They're thinking a summer wedding next year, in the San Juan Islands off Washington. Congratulations. We send our love.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
a week gone by
We just got back from a "picnic" at the Academy. There's a soccer field we sometimes go to. We set up our chairs in the shade of some cottonwoods, and we even laid a blanket on the ground. It was about 75 degrees, sunny, with a slight breeze. The boys brought soccer gear, baseball gear, and frisbees. We brought a red ball that takes about a half hour to inflate and once it's fully inflated one of the boys can crawl inside and roll around on the grass and down the hill, tumbling inside it. While Jackson was inside it, Ry and I played catch.
An interesting week it was, because Cyndi was in Iowa for some training. She had the boys' clothes all ironed and laid out for each morning she was gone. The boys were very cooperative all week. They got dressed when I asked. Jackson brushed his teeth without me saying anything at all. Rylee picked up his Legos. Jackson has no more homework for the school year, but Ry still has his weekly vocabulary and reading tests, so we worked on that together until he had it cold. There usually was some quiet time in the evening and also about a half hour after everything was packed up and before we had to leave for school. The work days were short for me, as I took the boys to school and picked them up in the afternoon. It was wonderful to watch them. When we arrived on the school grounds, the boys would separate and place their backpacks in their class lines. Jack played soccer or met Nicholas. Rylee would run around with his classmates, playing lots of tag.
The boys kept track of the time when Cyndi would arrive. She came back Friday evening and we met her inside the airport. Cyndi borrowed Jack's carry-on bag and she had a new briefcase for her new work and to carry her laptop. The boys hugged her all night, even at the restaurant that night.
Jackson has been working on his stop motion animation. Here's the first one he put on YouTube: click. This is probably the third he's done, but he had trouble saving the first two, which were longer. The soundtrack is a favorite of his; he just recently uploaded it from iTunes. You can see how the Legos are ideal for making these kind of YouTube videos, and there's lots of kids doing it on the internet. The minifigures are especially popular and ideal for these movies. Rylee is building lots of Lego cars, planes and houses. He researches Legos constantly on the internet. We are trying to plan a trip to New York City to visit Ariel for a couple of days, and the boys have already planned on a visit to the Lego store at Rockefeller Center. Ariel is in southern France at the moment, joining her mother at the last minute. She wants to go to an international science journalism program in Dakar at the end of June. (More catchup on family whereabouts: Mom & Dad are in Hawaii. Sarah, I heard, got a new job in Chico, and Emily starts work this summer in San Francisco.)
This has been a wonderful season for little league, except for the winds and the late cold fronts we've been getting. But that kind of weather is unfortunately typical for little league season. Ry enjoys his first year on machine pitch (MMP I division). There's not much in real fielding, and frankly there's almost no field coaching once the games begin. Ry is getting many hits, and I especially love watching him run the bases. He puts his head down, pumps his arms, and charges down the baselines until he's safely on base. He's amazing at catch. Because of his age, he'll repeat MMP I next year, and I suspect it will be a stellar year for him.
I am especially so pleased with Jackson's year. I didn't know what to expect. This is probably his last year on machine pitch (MMP II division). The coach really likes him. I've talked a lot about Jackson's play in previous blogs. Typically, he starts in center field and he is all over it, backing up plays, fielding grounders to throw outs at second. He had a particularly great play this week, where he hustled to grab a ball and saved a run and a loss. Then beginning with the third inning, he plays shortstop for the rest of the game and the coach can relax then, knowing he's got his best fielders in position at that point. Jackson has made some very good 6-4 and 6-3 plays. What's also great is that the other boys are also coming along now and we're starting to see some great plays from all of them.
The bleachers behind home plate are packed with parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents, and the games are getting more exciting. When there's a good hit or a good play, the cheers go up, no matter what team is involved. This week, I was keeping score in the stands with Rylee sitting next to me. Jack's team was ahead most of the game, but the other team, the visitors, had a good penultimate inning and lead by one. In the last inning, Jackson's team scored a run to tie it up. The game went into extra innings. Jackson made a really great 6-4 play that shut down the other team and kept them from scoring. When Jack came to bat for his team in the bottom of the inning, there were two outs. Jack got a hit and was safe on first, the winning run. Jackson also has developed into a good base runner, but his team couldn't get him home and the game ended in a tie. Perhaps the best game of the season.
It's been a kick to watch the boys. When we went to our "doubleheader" on Saturday, I could see that Cyndi was glad to be back home, heading toward the stands for one or the other of the games. That is how we spend our Saturdays this time of year. Cyndi takes the coach blanket out of the car (the one I got from Sandra and David many years ago) to sit on in the bleachers. She might talk a bit on the phone during the game, or often a sister or a friend will join her in the stands to watch the game.
So we spent a little of this weekend cleaning up the yard. Ry ran around the yard and the house dressed all in black, including a black stocking cap and black cotton gloves, playing spy. The boys also found some Nerf guns, with red light beams and spongy darts, to play with. Ry's birthday is coming soon. He has a long, ever changing list of Legos he wants but Friday he told me he drew a picture in school of the "tree house" he wants for his birthday. The painting is still at school, dry by now, but I gather his idea is to enclose the bottom part of the playhouse we built with David and make it into what I would call a clubhouse, with a door and a window. Nice idea.
An interesting week it was, because Cyndi was in Iowa for some training. She had the boys' clothes all ironed and laid out for each morning she was gone. The boys were very cooperative all week. They got dressed when I asked. Jackson brushed his teeth without me saying anything at all. Rylee picked up his Legos. Jackson has no more homework for the school year, but Ry still has his weekly vocabulary and reading tests, so we worked on that together until he had it cold. There usually was some quiet time in the evening and also about a half hour after everything was packed up and before we had to leave for school. The work days were short for me, as I took the boys to school and picked them up in the afternoon. It was wonderful to watch them. When we arrived on the school grounds, the boys would separate and place their backpacks in their class lines. Jack played soccer or met Nicholas. Rylee would run around with his classmates, playing lots of tag.
The boys kept track of the time when Cyndi would arrive. She came back Friday evening and we met her inside the airport. Cyndi borrowed Jack's carry-on bag and she had a new briefcase for her new work and to carry her laptop. The boys hugged her all night, even at the restaurant that night.
Jackson has been working on his stop motion animation. Here's the first one he put on YouTube: click. This is probably the third he's done, but he had trouble saving the first two, which were longer. The soundtrack is a favorite of his; he just recently uploaded it from iTunes. You can see how the Legos are ideal for making these kind of YouTube videos, and there's lots of kids doing it on the internet. The minifigures are especially popular and ideal for these movies. Rylee is building lots of Lego cars, planes and houses. He researches Legos constantly on the internet. We are trying to plan a trip to New York City to visit Ariel for a couple of days, and the boys have already planned on a visit to the Lego store at Rockefeller Center. Ariel is in southern France at the moment, joining her mother at the last minute. She wants to go to an international science journalism program in Dakar at the end of June. (More catchup on family whereabouts: Mom & Dad are in Hawaii. Sarah, I heard, got a new job in Chico, and Emily starts work this summer in San Francisco.)
This has been a wonderful season for little league, except for the winds and the late cold fronts we've been getting. But that kind of weather is unfortunately typical for little league season. Ry enjoys his first year on machine pitch (MMP I division). There's not much in real fielding, and frankly there's almost no field coaching once the games begin. Ry is getting many hits, and I especially love watching him run the bases. He puts his head down, pumps his arms, and charges down the baselines until he's safely on base. He's amazing at catch. Because of his age, he'll repeat MMP I next year, and I suspect it will be a stellar year for him.
I am especially so pleased with Jackson's year. I didn't know what to expect. This is probably his last year on machine pitch (MMP II division). The coach really likes him. I've talked a lot about Jackson's play in previous blogs. Typically, he starts in center field and he is all over it, backing up plays, fielding grounders to throw outs at second. He had a particularly great play this week, where he hustled to grab a ball and saved a run and a loss. Then beginning with the third inning, he plays shortstop for the rest of the game and the coach can relax then, knowing he's got his best fielders in position at that point. Jackson has made some very good 6-4 and 6-3 plays. What's also great is that the other boys are also coming along now and we're starting to see some great plays from all of them.
The bleachers behind home plate are packed with parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents, and the games are getting more exciting. When there's a good hit or a good play, the cheers go up, no matter what team is involved. This week, I was keeping score in the stands with Rylee sitting next to me. Jack's team was ahead most of the game, but the other team, the visitors, had a good penultimate inning and lead by one. In the last inning, Jackson's team scored a run to tie it up. The game went into extra innings. Jackson made a really great 6-4 play that shut down the other team and kept them from scoring. When Jack came to bat for his team in the bottom of the inning, there were two outs. Jack got a hit and was safe on first, the winning run. Jackson also has developed into a good base runner, but his team couldn't get him home and the game ended in a tie. Perhaps the best game of the season.
It's been a kick to watch the boys. When we went to our "doubleheader" on Saturday, I could see that Cyndi was glad to be back home, heading toward the stands for one or the other of the games. That is how we spend our Saturdays this time of year. Cyndi takes the coach blanket out of the car (the one I got from Sandra and David many years ago) to sit on in the bleachers. She might talk a bit on the phone during the game, or often a sister or a friend will join her in the stands to watch the game.
So we spent a little of this weekend cleaning up the yard. Ry ran around the yard and the house dressed all in black, including a black stocking cap and black cotton gloves, playing spy. The boys also found some Nerf guns, with red light beams and spongy darts, to play with. Ry's birthday is coming soon. He has a long, ever changing list of Legos he wants but Friday he told me he drew a picture in school of the "tree house" he wants for his birthday. The painting is still at school, dry by now, but I gather his idea is to enclose the bottom part of the playhouse we built with David and make it into what I would call a clubhouse, with a door and a window. Nice idea.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
a few notes, late spring
It's been a very windy season, cold even, and it tried to snow this weekend. It'll be back up into the 80s for Mother's Day. Jackson has been busy on the computer and making movies. Rylee is busy building his own Lego creations. They boys have been very loving recently. We are often doing back-to-back or simultaneous ball games. Jackson made a fabulous play at shortstop this weekend. A beautiful 6-3. You still don't see many of those at this level. He also had a bit of an asthma attack earlier during last week. The new aspen is quaking in the severe winds, and I'm worried if it will survive. I had a wonderful talk with Ariel, and she's been working on putting together this site: http://arielbleicher.com/
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
We're already up early this morning, and the plan was to leave for Belen before mid morning. We got a light dusting of snow during the night. It is below freezing now and not likely to get above freezing until noon. And now there are reports that the roads are shut down due to ice and accidents. It may be a bit of a challenge.
I just dropped a couple of notes to Ariel, who is spending her birthday and Thanksgiving in Paris. It must be almost evening there. I've been watching a live web cam at the Eiffel Tower. The lights are already coming on, and there's dark stormy clouds covering the city. Looks cold there, too, and a chance of snow. Ariel was very busy when we traded notes earlier in the week, but she thought she'd find some time to visit places there. I think she's found a place in the Montmartre, 18th Arr., part of the city.
Cyndi has been busy this week getting the food for the Thanksgiving meal in Belen. She must have made three shopping trips at least. She's been making the sweet potatoes, a spinach dip, and a salad and passing out food for others to prepare. I hear the turkey is in the oven. Janey is there and Jeff came over, too, I just heard. There is an abundance of food. I even got a few extra items.
As I was writing this Ariel came on Skype, and we video chatted for a few minutes. She was in her small room, eating a croissant she bought earlier in the day. The room looked exactly like I saw it online. She was thinking of going out for dinner, maybe after she has a chance to talk with Chris. She has been busy, interviewing scientists and visiting the National Library. She said she managed to get away yesterday to visit the Louvre (she found a good breakfast near it), Nortre Dame, and the Basilique du Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, near where she is staying. Mixed reviews on dining. She says her French is good enough to get around the subways, ordering meals in restaurants, and asking directions, but her interviews have been in English. She did say it snowed for a minute today. It was sunny when she first arrived. She looked good. I think she was a bit overwhelmed by her writing project, and she was probably wondering how it would all come together. She also mentioned that the city was less overwhelming than it might have been had she not been living in NYC. The subways, she remarked, were similar. She leaves Saturday.
I just dropped a couple of notes to Ariel, who is spending her birthday and Thanksgiving in Paris. It must be almost evening there. I've been watching a live web cam at the Eiffel Tower. The lights are already coming on, and there's dark stormy clouds covering the city. Looks cold there, too, and a chance of snow. Ariel was very busy when we traded notes earlier in the week, but she thought she'd find some time to visit places there. I think she's found a place in the Montmartre, 18th Arr., part of the city.
Cyndi has been busy this week getting the food for the Thanksgiving meal in Belen. She must have made three shopping trips at least. She's been making the sweet potatoes, a spinach dip, and a salad and passing out food for others to prepare. I hear the turkey is in the oven. Janey is there and Jeff came over, too, I just heard. There is an abundance of food. I even got a few extra items.
As I was writing this Ariel came on Skype, and we video chatted for a few minutes. She was in her small room, eating a croissant she bought earlier in the day. The room looked exactly like I saw it online. She was thinking of going out for dinner, maybe after she has a chance to talk with Chris. She has been busy, interviewing scientists and visiting the National Library. She said she managed to get away yesterday to visit the Louvre (she found a good breakfast near it), Nortre Dame, and the Basilique du Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, near where she is staying. Mixed reviews on dining. She says her French is good enough to get around the subways, ordering meals in restaurants, and asking directions, but her interviews have been in English. She did say it snowed for a minute today. It was sunny when she first arrived. She looked good. I think she was a bit overwhelmed by her writing project, and she was probably wondering how it would all come together. She also mentioned that the city was less overwhelming than it might have been had she not been living in NYC. The subways, she remarked, were similar. She leaves Saturday.
Monday, November 8, 2010
some excitement
I got a call this morning from first-time great grandparents, telling me that Terra had a baby boy this very day, named Roscoe Philip. All must be well. When I told Cyndi that she was a great-aunt, she made the same joke as my dad: well, I knew I was great.... Wonderful news.
Ariel just gave me a call. I knew from a message she left me that she was in Hartford, Connecticut this weekend. For what exactly, I don't know. She called to tell me she got an assignment to report on some program at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (the National Library of France), along the Seine, in Paris. For a week. In two weeks, just before Thanksgiving. I'll have to get more information from her, but it has to do with the fact the library is the official repository of everything published (in all media) in France, a monumental undertaking. So she's looking into a place to stay in Paris and brushing up on her French.
And the week before, she travels to Georgia to report on sustainable design at the community organic farm she worked at before Fairbanks. (You may remember: Serenbe, near Palmetto, just south of Atlanta.)
These are part of her work at IEEE. I know she's also producing radio podcasts. There may be some connection to Science Friday or the National Science Foundation, or both. I'll have to get that sorted out and let you know.
In any case, Ariel is very excited. This is all very new news.
And David told me all is well with Terra and Roscoe. Sandra is there already. David won't see Roscoe until March. Everyone is excited. Both Cyndi and Ariel were delighted when I passed on the news.
Ariel just gave me a call. I knew from a message she left me that she was in Hartford, Connecticut this weekend. For what exactly, I don't know. She called to tell me she got an assignment to report on some program at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (the National Library of France), along the Seine, in Paris. For a week. In two weeks, just before Thanksgiving. I'll have to get more information from her, but it has to do with the fact the library is the official repository of everything published (in all media) in France, a monumental undertaking. So she's looking into a place to stay in Paris and brushing up on her French.
And the week before, she travels to Georgia to report on sustainable design at the community organic farm she worked at before Fairbanks. (You may remember: Serenbe, near Palmetto, just south of Atlanta.)
These are part of her work at IEEE. I know she's also producing radio podcasts. There may be some connection to Science Friday or the National Science Foundation, or both. I'll have to get that sorted out and let you know.
In any case, Ariel is very excited. This is all very new news.
And David told me all is well with Terra and Roscoe. Sandra is there already. David won't see Roscoe until March. Everyone is excited. Both Cyndi and Ariel were delighted when I passed on the news.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
