tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82398772011-11-17T01:11:21.528-05:00assorted travels and eventsdeannoreply@blogger.comBlogger2421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-17477672865994286842011-05-04T21:34:00.005-04:002011-05-04T22:01:38.846-04:00

Remodeling one of the bathrooms (the other one will get done later). Demolition filled a large dumpster pretty much all the way. Lesson learned: cordon off the area beforehand with plastic to reduce the amount of dust all over the house. We had an old carpet that I cut up to protect the hardwood floor, that worked out nicely (but it sure is dusty).Having the plumbing and electrical brought up

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-88540823033798389312011-02-27T19:57:00.002-05:002011-02-27T21:05:43.162-05:00

Spent a couple of days a the Stonehedge Inn in Tyngsboroh MA (about an hour north of Boston). Nice guestroom with a jacuzzi bath, a spa with an indoor pool, and a really good restaurant all in one place. Arrived Thursday evening, had a nice dinner with a 1997 Maison Bigot & Alex Gambal "Clos des Avaux" from Beune. Got massages and sat by the pool Friday during the day, relaxed in our room then

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-41997509895130431092010-12-05T11:43:00.002-05:002010-12-05T11:55:59.042-05:00

I've lived in Roslindale for a decade now, and over the years our dining-out pattern has changed from Debbie going downtown to meet me after work, to me coming home to eat at one of the great places near us. Here's a nice article about the main square and the shops and restaurants there.What a mixed bag: urban, hip, old, new, neighborly, and all in plain sight

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-11684851053793009532010-11-14T17:20:00.009-05:002010-11-14T18:17:33.299-05:00

Our third time at Sandals Resort in Whitehouse Jamaica. Where the hardest decision you have to make is whether to sit by the pool or on the beach. We walked around the resort a bit more this time and had a look at some of the infrastructure and the plant nursery. Watched a few weddings from our balcony, went on a nice boat ride, ate a ton of treats. And when it came time to decide whether to

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-5443761687371770412010-10-09T20:07:00.002-04:002010-10-09T20:14:21.964-04:00

Started off the Fall by attending a couple of fundraisers. Oct. 2nd we were in Little Compton, RI, attending a fundraiser for the community center. Oct. 9 we attended a fundraiser for the Rasin Foundation, group of medical professionals who volunteer their time to help people in Haiti.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-52713177790727312992010-10-09T19:28:00.007-04:002010-10-09T20:07:28.681-04:00

Went to the Newport Jazz festival in Rhode Island in August.Spent a few weekends in Little Compton, RI; took a boat ride to see Newport from the water.Saw The Bad Plus, Paula Cole and numerous other musicians during the Beantown Jazz Fest.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-62299797944083149642010-07-29T22:43:00.004-04:002010-10-09T20:04:58.523-04:00

Instead of traveling and spending money on a hotel room, we're putting that money towards doing things locally. Took a booze cruise, them met up with Debbie's nephew and niece-in-law, took a cooking class and drove around Maine, spent a day at nearby hotel pool, saw a Cirque Du Soleil show, went to an Improv Asylum show, visited with friends and went to the DeCordova Sculpture museum, and saw

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-20942825962899161872010-05-31T20:38:00.009-04:002010-05-31T21:03:18.380-04:00

The landscaping looks great, we have a little guest family, and the dogs have fun in Rhode Island.2010-05-31Here's what our yard looked like four years ago (June 2006)2006 Summer Landscaping

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-948751713870809242010-05-23T19:41:00.002-04:002010-05-23T19:52:30.927-04:00

Long weekend in NYC. Took the slow route down; caught the car ferry from New London CT to Orient Point NY, visited a couple of wineries on the North Fork, http://www.shinnestatevineyards.com/ and http://www.bedellcellars.com/. Saw a few new or newish things in NYC:http://chelseamarket.com/http://www.thehighline.org/http://limelightmarketplace.com/ate from a few food carts, grilled chicken in

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-82454148469062675182010-05-01T18:22:00.003-04:002010-05-01T18:29:34.513-04:00

Water main break on an aqueduct that brings water to Boston, so there's a state of emergency telling everyone to boil their water before drinking it, brushing your teeth, etc. Going out for Mexican food tonight with some friends (in an area not impacted by the break). Hey, it's like we're going to Mexico tonight!! Ole!

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-30052962812387630562010-04-18T21:53:00.004-04:002010-04-18T22:23:29.536-04:00

The last couple of months have been spent upgrading and repairing things around the house. Water heater sprung a leak just a couple weeks shy of ten years old, so had that replaced. We've been thinking about replacing the aging (50 year old) boiler (house heat); lately some of the peripherals (pump, pressure regulator valve) have been acting up, plus the newer boilers are easily 30% more

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-87839668320624467312010-01-26T12:46:00.005-05:002010-01-26T13:03:18.398-05:00

Long weekend in LV with Sheila, Laurence, Lynne and Lou. Stayed at the MGM Grand and visited a lot of the other hotel/casinos. Had a great meal at Sea Blue and saw the Crazy Horse Paris show at MGM Grand. Saw Cirque de Soleil's "Love". Went to Fremont Street. Had drinks at the Ghostbar and and played video blackjack at the Playboy club.2010 Jan Las Vegas

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-12159887519938690642009-12-12T13:13:00.004-05:002009-12-12T13:24:35.628-05:00

The gentlemen sitting at the table next to us at KO Prime steakhouse gave us the leftovers from their 40 ounce steak. From Hugo

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-35256757925594758052009-11-28T15:26:00.005-05:002009-11-28T15:42:28.999-05:00

Took Tim, Betsy, Connor and Kathryn on the Holiday Express. It's a fundraiser for the VNAB maternal child health program. 2009 Nov Holiday Express

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-6757386603493478662009-10-24T22:08:00.002-04:002009-10-24T22:15:19.485-04:00

Just traded in our cars (2000 Subaru Legacy and 2004 Subaru Forester) towards a brand new 2010 Outback Premium with the cold weather package. It was the heated seats that got Debbie's attention. Nice car, although it's now considered an SUV, and just won Motor Trends SUV of the Year (we didn't know this, we just like Subies).

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-65636822304718606952009-09-12T23:24:00.003-04:002009-09-12T23:47:11.354-04:00

It's raining like crazy, but that didn't stop us from driving down to Duxbury for the Island Creek Oyster Festival. Lots of chefs cooking up bite sized treats, and tons of oysters. It got a little crowded, but I think if the weather was better everyone would've been more spread out (outside of the tents). Check out "A Geography of Oysters" by Rowan Jacobsen if you're interested in learning

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-21567630440178757822009-08-24T20:15:00.003-04:002009-08-24T20:35:53.356-04:00

It's been a rainy summer (more like springtime). Tomato plants got blight and had to be pulled out. Got lots of salad greens, will plant some more for the fall. Cucumbers are doing well, the Zucchini has wilted from the heat, and the eggplants are looking good. Might have to water them, but it's still raining pretty regularly. Somewhere amongst the wildflowers are blueberry and raspberry

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-89416996287412809562009-07-01T21:50:00.002-04:002009-07-01T21:55:17.975-04:00

Tickets = 10 dollars each. Beers = 10 dollars each. I guess that the seats would've been empty otherwise, so the Bank of America Pavillion was selling cheap tickets to this show (available if you were already inside the venue at a previous show). Fun, nostalgic, I may have had the fullest head of hair of all the men in the audience, and if not the fullest, the darkest (not grey).

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-10594689410167436482009-06-23T21:03:00.005-04:002009-06-23T21:52:31.415-04:00

I was perusing the interwebs and came across the website for Otow orchard, http://www.otoworchard.com/. I remember visiting the farm as a kid, so reading about it brought back pleasant memories of food, running around the fields, putting wood on the fire, and bags full of dried fruit. I knew that dried persimmon was special (it takes a lot of time and effort to dry), but who would've thought

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-14607210908639305242009-06-15T20:11:00.003-04:002009-06-15T20:12:43.685-04:00

Saturday night at the Bank of America Pavillion, with an orchestra backing up the band. Sunday night at the Providence Performing Arts Center, just her and the band. Excellent shows both.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-24433976550902390742009-06-09T17:19:00.005-04:002009-06-09T18:20:35.249-04:00

Spent (in all senses of the word) a long weekend in Las Vegas. We got an offer in the mail for 3 free nights at the Bellagio. Well, we did end up paying for the room but out in the gaming area instead of at the front desk. Sat by the pool the first day, great weather, a little windy but not too hot. Walked through Siegfried & Roy’s Lion and Dolphin Habitat. Saw the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-90697888428694168392009-06-09T17:03:00.006-04:002009-06-09T17:19:15.027-04:00

Went to a wedding in Newport, RI at the end of April. There were two professional photographers and lots of other people with cameras so I didn't take a ton of pictures. Besides, it's hard to hold a camera when you have a drink in the other hand :-)The Photosynth view from the beach outside our room: http://photosynth.net/userprofilepage.aspx?user=deanstravels (you may need to download and

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-43401685716253393712009-04-09T23:41:00.002-04:002009-04-09T23:55:30.586-04:00

Saw The Derek Trucks Band at the House of Blues in Boston last week. Lousy venue, great band. Trucks is an awesome musician, no muss no fuss just great guitar, and the band is equally talented. His wife Susan Tedeschi sang a few songs too. Funny thing is that I'd have a hard time naming one of his songs, yet we've seen him play a ton of times, sometimes as the headliner, sometimes opening

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-7156718307569013192009-03-29T12:59:00.002-04:002009-03-29T13:07:03.551-04:00

Article in the Boston Globe today about the comeback of 80's styles, including acid wash jeans and harem pants. Apparently this guy knew about the trend ahead of the rest of us...maybe his grandma works in the fashion industry?

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-83314782177029967492009-03-22T21:04:00.002-04:002009-03-22T22:04:23.766-04:00

Went to the Tour De Champagne a couple of weeks ago. Tried bidding on some of the auction items (to benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank) only to lose at the last minute. So this weekend when we were at the Heroes in Healthcare fundraiser (for the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston) I hung around and made sure my bid was the last on the list. Ended up the high bidder on a 36"x36" acrylic by

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-71585203265369733352009-02-16T22:05:00.006-05:002009-02-16T22:49:05.555-05:00

The joys of home ownership. Bookmark http://www.toiletology.com/, it will come in handy some day. I've now replaced the innards of two toilet tanks with help from the site. A few things I've learned, either from reading or experience:Clean the toilet thoroughly before you work on it, you're going to have your hands all over it.Check the shutoff valve before you do any work, if it's tight

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-25532378949127953112009-01-12T21:47:00.005-05:002009-01-12T22:11:28.737-05:00

"There's no such thing as bad weather... only inappropriate clothing." (but it sure is nice to walk barefoot on the beach). Back in the snow and slush, forecast says temps in the 20's this week. But my feet will be warm in my Sorel boots. Kind of overkill, but I can walk right through a snowbank, no problem mon! We were discussing how Fur coats are no longer popular, I think that Gore-Tex

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-8291196140870864802009-01-11T21:00:00.005-05:002009-01-12T12:16:23.700-05:00

Just returned from a week at the Sandals in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Beautiful location and close to the airport. You get used to the planes taking off right overhead; the noise forces you to take a pause in any conversation so it becomes part of the rhythm of the day.If you're using Internet Explorer or Firefox, check out my "synth" picture of the main patio at the resort. You'll probably need

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-26160815372984066982008-11-30T14:25:00.010-05:002008-11-30T16:43:45.737-05:00

Hugo is generally pretty mellow, but he has lots of energy to burn off. If we haven't taken him for a walk or played in the yard, he likes to play inside.In a frenzy (click to launch video)

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-57124499030417552882008-11-06T22:04:00.002-05:002008-11-06T22:08:23.464-05:00

Just fixed my dishwasher, lots of helpful advice and diagrams on fixitnow.com Funny thing is, the only Torx driver I had around was in a computer repair kit, and I perched my laptop on the counter top nearby to see the site. High tech meets low tech.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-35382156856398722008-11-01T20:44:00.003-04:002008-11-01T20:53:34.828-04:00

Back in the day I'd use the last couple pictures of a roll of film to take pictures of the dog. Film is no longer a limiting factor, but out of habit I still take a couple of pictures of the dog after using the camera for something else. Here are Debbie, Anthony, me and a bunch of friends and acquaintances at a Halloween party. Then a few pictures of Hugo perched atop the couch.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-80104784629105697772008-10-29T22:26:00.007-04:002008-10-29T22:49:05.759-04:00

It's not all planting trees and traveling. During the workweek (and occasional weekend) I'm an IT person. Although it's not usually the default web browser in corporate environments, I'm a fan of Firefox. A relatively new add-on that I use everyday is Foxmarks. It keeps my bookmarks and passwords synchronized between my PC at work, my desktop at home, and my laptop. For my aging eyes,

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-53013618797366739372008-10-29T21:58:00.000-04:002008-10-29T22:26:46.301-04:00

The City of Boston is running a program to encourage residents to plant trees, Grow Boston Greener with a goal of 100,000 by 2020. I planted ten in my side yard last year, and either planted or transplanted about 70 plants (not sure how many were trees) when we did the landscaping. Oct. 18th weekend I helped out with plantings in the wetlands behind our house, and Gretchen from the GBG program

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-67587066458290200342008-10-05T10:22:00.003-04:002008-10-05T11:08:28.424-04:00

The Big Dig cost 22 Billion Dollars to improve traffic flows in and around the city. Another result was the creation of the Rose Kennedy Greenway along the areas formerly occupied by the raised roadway. http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/ It's a great improvement, and they had some festivities to celebrate it this weekend.Saw Madeleine Peyroux perform at the Orpheum, she was opening for

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-69501416182186688612008-09-03T21:11:00.002-04:002008-09-03T21:14:53.235-04:00

There are lots of good restaurants in Roslindale, but the dogs seem to like Geoffrey's Cafe. Here's a link to some pictures taken on the patio there.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-53409633960494341752008-07-21T19:07:00.007-04:002008-08-20T08:34:49.128-04:00

Visited with family and paid a visit to the west coast office of GMO. No, not Genetically Modified Organism; GMO is the asset manager I'm consulting for. We probably did see a lot of the other kind of GMO's driving though the farmlands, but that's a whole different topic.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-76604151011997217442008-07-06T18:29:00.006-04:002008-07-10T21:26:22.347-04:00

New living room furniture, replacement of a concrete walkway with a stone walkway, resurfacing the steps. Hmmm, about the same amount of dough we spent last year traveling up and down the East Coast, but on home improvements instead. For July 4, we stayed in Cambridge at the Royal Sonesta, had a fancy schmancy dinner, and watched the fireworks from the street, then walked back in and retired to

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-73110831959307796452008-05-11T16:14:00.003-04:002008-05-11T16:33:12.386-04:00

Sunday May 11 was Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum, close to where we live.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-31054090132940532332008-05-09T22:57:00.004-04:002008-05-09T23:59:16.453-04:00

Relaxed and listened to a ton of great music the second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Music Festival. We're going to try to go back, but our friends are getting married that week next year; so we're trying to convince them to go there for their honeymoon if the dates work out. Met some really nice people there from Metairie, LA, an area hard hit by the flooding from Katrina.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-81311519871439482962008-05-09T22:47:00.002-04:002008-05-09T22:56:58.820-04:00

Drove down to Manhattan for a long weekend April 18-20. Got a good price on a room at the Hilton next to Ground Zero. Realized why the price was low as we listened to the construction that went on through the night 47 stories below us. Oh well, probably no more noisy than anyplace else there. Got a good night's sleep Saturday, I think they stopped construction to set up the grounds for the

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-43149641949879326212008-01-03T11:39:00.000-05:002008-01-03T14:24:54.072-05:00

We stayed at the Sandals resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica for New Years Eve. It was a blast to dance in the main pool and even nicer to relax in our private pool. Here's a slide show of our pictures, to see any of them in a larger format just click on the picture window to go to the photo album. Another piece of our vacations is the ride to and from the airport. For not a whole lot more than it

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-4257541228398424202007-11-18T13:48:00.000-05:002007-11-18T16:22:23.911-05:00

Back to Sandals resort in Whitehouse, Jamaica. In very subtle ways the food, amenities and service were just a little better than when we were there in April. We also knew our way around the large resort this time. Here's a slide show of our pictures, to see any of them in a larger format just click on the picture window to go to the photo album. We met some really nice fellow travelers at

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-87818369263994267242007-08-28T23:31:00.000-04:002007-08-29T00:15:54.733-04:00

Anthony dog-sat his boss' dogs for a few days. They're both rescued puppies and are about 5 months old. It's funny to watch them wrestle, the Pomeranian is slightly dominant over the St. Bernard but they get along great. They're well behaved and quiet, but I don't think we're ready to have dog toys and dog slobber all over the place, so a few days was just the right amount of time to have them

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-19606054069228455672007-07-07T23:03:00.000-04:002007-07-13T08:24:24.714-04:00

1700 miles driving, 1300 miles on a cruise ship. It was a very busy month of touring along the Eastern Seaboard. We started planning this trip in February, made lodging arrangements in April and May, and hit the road June 3rd. Drove for 16 days, spent a few days at home, then got on a one week cruise from Boston to Nova Scotia. Here's a summary of where we went.... Atlantic city, NJ

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-65359365421907644642007-05-27T19:55:00.000-04:002007-05-31T08:38:12.041-04:00

Couple of pictures from a baby shower that Debbie hosted for a coworker. The second picture was a mistake, but it came out pretty cool looking.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-41138648487271147772007-05-10T11:14:00.000-04:002007-08-25T09:09:28.601-04:00

http://equallysharedparenting.com/ Raising children, housework, errands, work, yardwork... How do you share the responsibility equally? My coworker Marc and his wife Amy have a good grasp on things and a great website about it.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-5608684904044525712007-04-15T16:27:00.000-04:002007-04-15T16:49:26.368-04:00

Visited a few local wineries this weekend. Stocked up on sparkling wine and chardonnay from Westport Rivers Vineyard, got a bottle of frost wine from Running Brook Wine, and some Vidal Blanc from Sakonnet vineyard. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday.Speaking of locally grown goodness, Stillman's farmstand will be having their Garden Roots festival at the end of May, and in June we'll begin

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-62919014658064177792007-04-11T13:28:00.000-04:002007-04-11T14:16:01.819-04:00

We stayed at Sandals Resort in Whitehouse, Jamaica.We liked it so much that we've already booked our next stay there in November. Here we are with the kind lady who helped us with the reservation.view from our balcony (4th floor).sunset from our balconyDesert table at one of the outdoor buffets.Sandals Signature Guest (return guests) Dinner. We were seated with John, the head of landscaping for

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-48877588022766375362007-03-19T19:05:00.000-04:002007-03-19T21:59:41.179-04:00

In the interest of saving water, I've been looking into getting some rainbarrels to save the water from the gutters. Additionally, the rainwater is better for your landscaping since it's not chlorinated. The biggest objection to using a barrel is that it's ugly sitting there under your downspout. But there's a diverter that allows you to put the barrel anywhere a hose can reach: http://

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-85708001707865764822007-03-15T10:26:00.000-04:002007-03-21T21:19:43.135-04:00

Cousin Eric plays Bass on this album. Please buy a copy. He's my cousin, give him a buck.Video too.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-15567217343472095542007-03-12T17:45:00.000-04:002007-03-12T18:17:47.854-04:00

Wine: we just finished a five-session class on the wines of Italy, and also an afternoon class focused on red Burgundy (Debbie's favorite). Our instructor is Paul at Musings On The Vine. We're also almost done with the Wine Sisters self paced course I bought Debbie, seven of use get together for the classes about once every other month. Women: Debbie and her friends get together once a month to

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1166799570383377302006-12-22T09:53:00.000-05:002006-12-22T09:59:30.426-05:00

We don't have small children (Debbie's son is 21 years old and 6'4", so definitely not small) but here's an interesting site about sharing responsibilities for all things household. I work with one of the co-authors and he's a great guy. http://www.equallysharedparenting.com/

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1165085071353347252006-12-02T14:21:00.000-05:002006-12-02T14:20:53.406-05:00

Spent a long weekend in Washington, DC in September. So much stuff to see and do! Here's Debbie at the National Mall.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1165086422748928012006-12-02T14:06:00.000-05:002006-12-02T14:19:28.706-05:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1165085868559650882006-12-02T13:57:00.000-05:002006-12-02T14:17:59.490-05:00

Dean and Maestro MouseMichael Doucet avec BeauSoleil

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1164125343725016552006-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:002006-11-21T11:09:03.736-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving. Food, we like it (as evidenced by our ever larger stomachs). We really enjoyed our weekly box of locally grown produce from Stillmans Farms this year. Now they're offering meat, think we'll sign up for that. It's called "Community Supported Agriculture" (CSA), more info can be found at http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ Taking it a step further, http://www.localharvest.org/

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1157853044880569522006-09-09T21:49:00.000-04:002006-09-09T21:53:55.946-04:00

Our landscaper had something a bit more drastic in mind regarding the grass. Basically, nuke the lawn full of crabgrass and start over. And since we have a rototiller here, might as well level out the uneven back yard too. So while his guy was rototilling, I raked the yard for I think the tenth time. Wire rake to pull out the crabgrass, then hard rake to smooth out, then the wide landscaper rake

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1157855165952946432006-09-09T21:24:00.000-04:002006-09-09T22:27:29.466-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1156210537338659202006-08-21T21:29:00.000-04:002006-08-21T21:35:37.350-04:00

the lawn looks great...from a distance. when you get closer you see that it's crabgrass. I could mow it or something, but it'll die on its own once the weather cools down. I'm going to help it along with an application or two of vinegar, it's supposed to kill the top part of the weed so that the more desirable grasses have a better chance. Thankfully the raised beds are dramatic enough to

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1151623476885960072006-06-29T19:23:00.000-04:002006-06-29T19:59:46.810-04:00

Debbie and I have been helping out as much as we can. We've been helping on the weekends, and I took a day off work and worked on my shoveling and raking skills. Debbie has been shoveling, planting, and making sandwiches for the crew. I think we're on the third case of Gatorade. raised bed after raking (took me about 45 minutes to do).a raised bed before raking

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1151627147199188192006-06-27T20:09:00.000-04:002006-06-29T20:27:48.763-04:00

Rakes, a cooler full of Gatorade and sandwiches, folding seat, C-leg prosthetic. The C-leg isn't the appropriate tool for this job, Alban is looking to get a simpler heavy duty prosthetic for work. In the meantime he's using his crutches. I missed getting a picture of him with his right leg on the ground and the left part of his torso on the the back of the truck as he shoveled gravel out the

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1151196633420874792006-06-24T20:47:00.000-04:002006-06-24T21:06:27.100-04:00

What's wrong with this picture?A) The guy sitting down doesn't have a left legB) The guy shoveling is paying the guy sitting downC) It's raining and they're working in the mudD) All of the aboveThe weather isn't giving us a break at all, thunderstorms this weekend. But the work must go on; we need to get the raised beds planted and shaped before the grass goes in, and in a few weeks it'll be

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1151197141022239252006-06-24T20:45:00.000-04:002006-06-24T21:00:26.146-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1150844880067104672006-06-20T19:00:00.000-04:002006-06-23T11:38:37.536-04:00

Spent a long weekend in Manhattan. Traveled to and from there on the Limoliner. Stayed at the Hilton (got a good price on Priceline). Walked around East Village, Chinatown, Little Italy and Lower East Side during the day, and the Theatre District and Midtown in the evening. Had a great dinner at Oga Japanese Tapas, check it out if you're in Manhattan.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1150844203692289442006-06-20T18:56:00.000-04:002006-06-20T18:59:30.516-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1150844149754987512006-06-20T18:55:00.000-04:002006-06-20T19:09:02.210-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1150843974102382962006-06-20T18:52:00.000-04:002006-06-24T21:13:50.996-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1150844020770639072006-06-20T18:50:00.000-04:002006-06-20T18:54:39.213-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1150843909539155892006-06-20T18:47:00.000-04:002006-06-24T20:45:44.750-04:00

While wandering around we came across the store/studio of James De La Vega.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1150083483076385332006-06-11T22:34:00.000-04:002006-06-11T23:41:54.193-04:00

Today was the first sunny day in a week. Debbie was up at 7:30 am digging little trenches to get the water to drain out of the big puddles. Alban arrived at 10:00 and fired up the frontloader. I was the proverbial guy with a shovel standing around, except I learned that the guy with the shovel is actually quite busy- directing traffic, telling the driver when to stop as he's backing into the

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1149634323158012222006-06-06T18:50:00.000-04:002006-06-07T13:23:03.930-04:00

Doesn't come out to well in a picture, but the landscaping is taking shape, one of the raised beds and the patio area are shown here. The frontloader (coming in from the left side) is being driven by the landscaper. After the work is done we will load it with dollar bills to pay for all the work.Debbie and Alban, also known as the Crazy French One Legged Landscaper. He lost his left leg in

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1149632010386019952006-06-06T18:13:00.000-04:002006-06-06T18:14:14.876-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1149631907722612892006-06-06T18:10:00.000-04:002006-06-11T22:34:05.903-04:00

That's a lot of dirt. Fortunately for Anthony there's a front loader on its way to spread it out.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1149357461606609862006-06-03T13:52:00.000-04:002006-06-07T13:24:23.726-04:00

If a landscaping job requires a backhoe, you know it's gonna be some big bucks.The FBI came to look for Jimmy Hoffa in our yard.Maybe not, but it looks like it.Thanks to the summer rains, our yard is currently a giant mud pit. The good news is that Alban can see how to setup the drainage. He noted that the old lawn was causing the driveway to be eroded and will remedy that issue.To the left of

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1148946438820997672006-05-29T16:19:00.000-04:002006-05-29T19:47:18.883-04:00

Saturday afternoon we drove about an hour northwest to Stillman's Farm for their Garden Roots Festival. Soon we'll be picking up our vegetables and fruits from them; we pre-paid for a season's worth via their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Not only are we helping to support farming nearby, but for the amount of stuff we get it's a good deal, and it isn't shipped across the

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1148783701445971912006-05-27T22:06:00.000-04:002006-05-27T22:37:27.453-04:00

Saw some live jazz at Symphony Hall. Started with the Jim Funnell Trio in the lounge, then the Pops played Jazz and then backed up Jane Monheit, and the evening closed with the Laura Brunner Quartet in the lounge. The first and last groups are Berklee College of Music students, I wouldn't be surprised to see them headlining somewhere in the next few years.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1148489541661796762006-05-24T12:48:00.000-04:002006-05-24T23:43:26.276-04:00

GotFrijoles.com If you need to sell your stuff online, or are looking for odd electronics and stuff, Bean is your guy. Yeah, his name really is Bean, like Pinto Bean. Sometimes your nickname as a kid just sticks with you.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1148529034482352222006-05-21T20:45:00.000-04:002006-05-24T23:51:25.296-04:00

Spent a weekend on the Cape. Forgot the camera, but there are plenty of pictures of overweight tourists on the Cape already on the Interweb. We stayed in Harwich and drove all around the Cape from there.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1148047178587320282006-05-19T09:52:00.000-04:002006-05-19T09:59:38.600-04:00

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/80s-tech.htm

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1147641130536814602006-05-14T17:06:00.000-04:002006-05-14T17:15:32.690-04:00

It's not quite as pretty as you get when you go out, but it sure is a lot less expensive, and it's fun to make. Fried soft-shell crab, tuna and salmon nigiri, tobiko, a soft-shell roll and hand rolls with real Alaskan King crab. Fish and soft-shell crab came from http://seatoyouboston.com/ a local wholesaler that sells retail on Saturday mornings, the King Crab came from Costco.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1147050125005428042006-05-07T21:01:00.001-04:002006-05-07T21:03:27.683-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1147050094929282222006-05-07T21:01:00.000-04:002006-05-07T21:03:12.813-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1147050060762941632006-05-07T21:00:00.000-04:002006-05-07T21:03:42.010-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1147050014832524142006-05-07T20:59:00.000-04:002006-05-07T21:04:53.053-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1147049883233081982006-05-07T20:57:00.000-04:002006-05-07T21:08:30.490-04:00

We visited the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park. It's only about a half hour away from us, nice to know such cool stuff is nearby.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146377035569224592006-04-30T02:01:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:39:36.220-04:00

Debbie had a Seating and Mobility conference to attend in Scottsdale Arizona. After she completed the weekend seminar, we went to the Grand Canyon and then to Sedona.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146376877475208842006-04-30T01:59:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:40:09.813-04:00

It almost looks like I'm out in the hot sun hiking around, but I'm really in a little cactus garden next to our hotel room. Don't want to get too far from civilization and risk missing lunch or something.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146375980596073032006-04-30T01:42:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:40:25.560-04:00

Apparently my camera focused on the brightest outfit in the room :-) Willey, Caroline and their daughters.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146375655861627132006-04-30T01:30:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:41:04.600-04:00

I learned a funny bit of trivia from a friend whose father was an apprentice of FLlW. While he was working on the tower outside the bookstore, his fellow apprentices thought it would be funny to stick his hammer in the concrete mold. And so, there it is still.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146374990879797342006-04-30T01:10:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:41:29.366-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146373071803806302006-04-30T00:53:00.000-04:002006-05-02T18:35:19.493-04:00

The rental car company offered us either a midsize or an extra grande car for the same price. We took the land yacht, perfect for the Arizona highways. Speed limit is 75, and is seemed like the average was just a little under 90.We brought along our own GPS and XM Satellite radio, they were great to have along for the ride. Rental companies offer them, but we're familiar with our own and

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146372552334685842006-04-30T00:47:00.000-04:002006-04-30T20:38:49.143-04:00

About 90 minutes north of Phoenix. The first real visual clue that you're slowly but surely heading uphill.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146372731598468062006-04-30T00:45:00.000-04:002006-05-02T18:37:42.723-04:00

Poisonous Snakes and Insects. And stay on the walkway too.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146372331647071542006-04-30T00:43:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:46:52.996-04:00

On the way to the Grand Canyon we went to see Montezuma Castle, an easily accessible example of a cliff dwelling. The offramp leads two ways, we went to the right and found a casino. Dropped off a few dollars then headed back the other way to the monument.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146372109911187702006-04-30T00:39:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:47:12.856-04:00

"It's not a castle and Montezuma was never here."

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146371920163002432006-04-30T00:36:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:47:31.736-04:00

If I had pursued my degree in Anthropology, maybe I'd be making models like this.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146371775365535862006-04-30T00:35:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:47:49.326-04:00

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146371685805691172006-04-30T00:22:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:48:10.100-04:00

Hard to see from this angle, but the dark stone on the ground that I'm pointing to has a worn surface on top. It's not very often I get to impress Debbie with my knowledge of North American Archaeology. Actually, I'm not sure if she's impressed with it, or just humoring me. Heck, the stone looks a lot like the thing she makes guacamole in, so she probably could've spotted it herself.

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146370573421860772006-04-30T00:01:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:49:14.293-04:00

This was our first trip to the Grand Canyon. We arrived in the park about 5:00 PM, checked into the Maswik lodge, and caught the last bus out to watch the sunset. We ate breakfasts and one dinner at the El Tovar, that was very nice. Portions there are huge, they must think you've just hiked up the canyon and are really hungry. The elevation is around 7000 feet, so we were just a little out

deannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8239877.post-1146369642546935322006-04-29T23:50:00.000-04:002006-04-30T11:49:37.883-04:00

Debbie is afraid of heights, so getting this close to the edge took a lot of courage. Along the way we ran into others with the same issue. It's a good place to try to overcome that fear since you're on solid ground and the view is so spectacular you're motivated to get out there and see more, the railings and rock walls are strong, and you know that millions of others have been here before.

deannoreply@blogger.com