Monday, June 15, 2009
Mystic, Connecticut; June 13th, 2009 -- JOHN I. CARIJA LIFE CELEBRATION.
Family and friends came from near and far to pay tribute to the life and times of a remarkable man, or as John, Jr. so aptly called his father -- a "Gentleman Engineer." Of course it was also an emotionally charged weekend as thoughts of John and what his life has meant to each one of us ran through our hearts and minds. We stood in the midst of all the fruits of his labor and it was extraordinary to see and think about all that he has accomplished. Although cut short, I believe John enjoyed a wonderful life filled with many great accomplishments. I know he was loved and will be remembered fondly.
Virginia organized a great celebration and thankfully the weather cooperated. We could all see that John has left the operations in very good and capable hands as she carries on his legacy.
And it was sure great to see her able to smile again. I hope she can let John, in a way, fulfill the promise that he made to her back in 2005. I know she can do it. Enjoy life!
"We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of Time:
Footprints which perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again."
-- LONGFELLOW
Friday Photos
Saturday Photos 1
Saturday Photos 2
Saturday Photos 3
Saturday Photos 4
Saturday Photos 5
Saturday Photos 6
Saturday Photos 7
Saturday Photos by BernieHere is the wonderful and special toast that John, Jr. gave for his father: (best to right click and save to your own computer unless you have a really fast connection)
Posted @ 06:04 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7th - Charles' 31st Birthday Celebration.
Because of all the comings and goings of everyone, we couldn't get together to celebrate Charles' birthday until now.But a birthday celebration is great no matter when they occur. We traveled to Bloomington and once again Tessa made a superb dinner, vegetarian this time. It fit in quite well with the diets and it was delicious.
You know you're getting old when a wall paper steamer gets you excited.
Posted @ 11:27 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Thursday, June 4, 2009
May 27th to June 3rd, 2009 - Boyz Week Out; Utah & Las Vegas.
We were able to make it back to southern Utah to explore some new territory. Of course Arthur had already seen most of the areas we visited. But it was still a great time to be visiting these areas and we were awfully lucky with the weather. Cedar Breaks had been opened only 5 day prior our visit and there was still plenty of snow on the ground. The area had received around 2 inches of rain the previous week, so some of the dirt roads were severely rutted or impassable. But many of the desert flowers were in bloom, so this was a special time to be in the area.
Oh, and don't forget to check out Otto, a.k.a. "Best Dog in the World." We met up with him at Laid-Back Larry's around lunch time in Kanab. Great food, by the way.
Among the places we saw were Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Kanab, Cedar Breaks National Monument, the Wave, Grand Canyon North Rim, Pipe Springs National Monument, Glen Falls Dam, Antelope Canyon (Slot), Zion National Park, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon.
Wednesday Chris' Photos - Dinner at Zion
Wednesday Arthur's Photos - Dinner at Zion
Thursday Chris' Photos 1 - Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Thursday Chris' Photos 2 - Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Thursday Chris' Photos 3 - Road to Nowhere
Thursday Chris' Photos 4 - Hoo Doos and Cedar Breaks
Thursday Chris' Photos 5 - Cedar Breaks
Thursday Chris' Photos 6 - Laid Back Larry's and Otto
Thursday Arthur's Photos 1
Friday Chris' Photos 1 - The Wave
Friday Chris' Photos 2 - The Wave
Friday Chris' Photos 3 - The Wave
Friday Chris' Photos 4 - The Wave
Friday Chris' Photos 5 - Grand Canyon North Rim
Friday Chris' Photos 6
Friday Arthur's Photos 1 - The Wave
Friday Arthur's Photos 2 - The Wave & Grand Canyon North Rim
Saturday Chris' Photos 1 - Pipe Springs, Glen Falls Dam & Antelope Canyon
Saturday Chris' Photos 2 - Antelope Canyon & Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Sunday Chris' Photos 1 - Best Friends Animal Sanctuary & Zion National Park
Sunday Chris' Photos 2 - Zion National Park
Sunday Chris' Photos 3 - Zion National Park
Sunday Arthur's Photos - Zion National Park
Monday Chris' Photos 1 - Hoover Dam and new 93 Bypass under construction
Monday Chris' Photos 2 - Hoover Dam and new 93 Bypass under construction
Monday Arthur's Photos - Hoover Dam and new 93 Bypass under construction
Tuesday Chris' Photos - Red Rock Canyon
Tuesday Chris' Photos 2 - Downtown Las Vegas
Posted @ 07:22 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Sunday, May 24, 2009
SUNDAY; MAY 24, 2009: Battle Ground & Prophetstown State Park & Eastburn Farm
Janet just finished reading "Panther in the Sky" by James Alexander Thom which is an excellent novel about the life of Tecumseh and the Battle of Tippecanoe. So on the way to the farm we made a stop in Battleground, IN and also went to the new (opened 2004) Prophetstown State Park. Both were well worth seeing and experiencing.
Battle of Tippecanoe & Prophetstown State Park Photos
We went on to the Eastburn Farm. There was much work to do as the house was really a mess. We also planted a couple of trees in memory of our parents. Small crowd, but still very enjoyable.
Memorial Weekend at the Eastburn Farm Photos
Also took the Miata for a spin around the track on Community Day, Wednesday, May 20th.
Posted @ 04:11 PM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Monday, May 18, 2009
May 17, 2009 CNO - Black & White Party
We had a Couples Dinner minus Ron & Julie. Unfortunately Ron suffered a mild stroke in the morning while cutting grass and had to be rushed to the hospital. Sharon and Arthur offered to pinch-hit as hosts which was very thoughtful.
We are all hoping the Ron's condition is not too serious and that he can make a full recovery.
The theme for this party was black & white in honor of the 500. Everyone was supposed to wear black and white and the food had a touch of black & white as well.
Arthur cooked on the grill, Sharon made a couple of salads, Janet H. brought a peanuty pasta and Janet made an easy recipe Black Forest cake. Just kidding about the easy part -- took her two days to bake and assemble, but it was well worth it. Everything tasted wonderful.
CNO - Black & White Party Photos
May 16th MAYOR'S FIRST ANNUAL BIKE RIDE
This was great fun though we got drenched in a spring shower. Total of about ten miles from downtown to Ellenburger Park and back.
May 10th MOTHER'S DAY
We went to Bloomington to celebrate Mother's Day. Took a walk around campus then had a picnic in the park. Compliments to Charles, Tessa and Jane for the great appetizers and dinner. The house and yard is looking great.
April 11th BRETT'S OPEN HOUSE
Though not quite finished, Brett's hosted an open house to show off his new digs in Broadripple. He has made great progress since December.
Posted @ 07:41 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Friday, March 20, 2009
March 10th - 19th, 2009: Budapest, Vienna & Prague -- We traveled to Eastern Europe with Arthur and Sharon to visit three of the most beautiful cities in the world. And to say the least, we had a wonderful time. All three cities had been high on Janet's "Must See" list.
These cities offer not only world class architecture, but they shaped much of the history of Europe. We enjoyed the wealth of public transportation opportunities and kept hopping from restaurant to museum to coffee house all day long. We also did quite a bit of walking which made the food and drink more enjoyable. The people were also beautiful and friendly. Luckily, many were happy to communicate in English.
Budapest Photos 1
Budapest Photos 2
Budapest Photos 3
Budapest Photos 4
Budapest Photos 5
Budapest Photos 6
Budapest Photos 7
Budapest Photos 8
Budapest Photos 9
Budapest Photos 10Arthur's Budapest Photos 1
Arthur's Budapest Photos 2
Arthur's Budapest Photos 3Vienna Photos 1
Vienna Photos 2
Vienna Photos 3
Vienna Photos 4
Vienna Photos 5
Vienna Photos 6
Vienna Photos 7Arthur's Vienna Photos 1
Arthur's Vienna Photos 2
Arthur's Vienna Photos 3Prague Photos 1
Prague Photos 2
Prague Photos 3
Prague Photos 4
Prague Photos 5
Prague Photos 6
Prague Photos 7
Prague Photos 8
Prague Photos 9
Prague Photos 10Arthur's Prague Photos 1
Arthur's Prague Photos 2
Arthur's Prague Photos 3
Arthur's Prague Photos 4
Arthur's Prague Photos 5Here are the movie clips:
* Budapest Panorama* 8,445KB
* Budapest Panorama* 14,580KB
* Budapest Panorama* 8,445KB
* Budapest Subway* 6,264KB
* Budapest Subway* 7,671KB
* Budapest Long Escalator* 42,352KB
* Budapest Night Scene* 9,066KB
* Budapest Night Scene* 12,520KB
* Budapest Dinner Music at the Rezkakas* 8,034KB
* Budapest Dinner Music at the Rezkakas* 47,078KB
* Budapest Dinner Music at the Rezkakas* 46,445KB
* Budapest Dinner Music at the Rezkakas* 33,899KB
* Budapest Dinner Music at the Rezkakas* 25,170KB* St. Stephan's Cathedral Church Bells - Vienna* 6,902KB
* Schloss Schonbrunn Palace - Vienna* 14,458KB
* Street Performers - Vienna* 59,897KB
* Street Artist - Vienna* 59,897KB
* Street Marionette - Vienna* 16,347KB
* Pedestrian Traffic - Vienna* 26,364KB
* St. Stephan's Cathedral - Vienna* 6,905KB
* Amusement Park Ride - Vienna* 13,035KB
* Amusement Park Ride - Vienna* 25,930KB
* Amusement Park Ride - Vienna* 34,683KB
* St. Stephan's Cathedral Church Bells - Vienna* 6,902KB* Dancing Pinocchio - Prague* 10,616KB
* Astronomical Clock 4 PM - Prague* 21,883KB
* Subway Escalator -Prague* 11,121KB
* Astronomical Clock - Prague* 2,937KB
* City Center - Prague* 4,856KB
* Astronomical Clock 12 noon - Prague* 31,609KB
* Subway Escalator - Prague* 16,229KB
* Subway Escalator - Prague* 9,831KB
* Farewell Dinner - Prague* 11,120KB
* Farewell Dinner - Prague* 3,807KB
* Farewell Dinner - Prague* 25,977KB
* Farewell Dinner - Prague* 27,005KB
Posted @ 05:25 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Sunday, March 8, 2009
March 7, 2009: Dennis, Kayla and Sam came down from Marquette so Sam could visit Depauw Univ. Also happened to be my birthday so that was fun also. Derrick and Jim were also able to join us for dinner. And Charles and Tessa came up, too. It was sure great to see everyone.
Posted @ 01:25 PM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Saturday, March 7, 2009
March 5, 2009: Jim and Janet hosted a Couples Night Out dinner with a Norwegian theme. Ron and Janet both have roots there and Janet had been wanting to have this for quite some time. They had made a potato crepe that we added butter, sugar and cinnamon to. Or else honey and crushed pecans. Janet wore a traditional Norwegian dress and she looked like she just got off the boat.
* Dinner Talk Movie Clip* 79,993 KB
* Dinner Talk Movie Clip* 48,373 KB
* Dinner Talk Movie Clip* 23,672 KB
* Dinner Talk Movie Clip* 15,732 KB
* Dinner Talk Movie Clip* 39,159 KBPosted @ 03:42 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
February 19 to 23, 2009: Las Vegas Golf Trip. Dale and I met up in Las Vegas for golf and fun. This was my first time there and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. We were joined by two friends of Dale's, Frank and Reggie. And as Dale had warned me, they were both very good golfers. Frank was probably the best golfer I had ever had the opportunity to play with. It was great fun. There was so much to see and do in Las Vegas. It is truly like a Disney World for adults. We played golf in the mornings and did sight seeing in the afternoons and evenings. Watch out for those Crazy Girls!
On Monday, Dale and I played at Rio Secco Golf Club which was a course that Tiger Woods frequented when he was being coached by Butch Harmon. They even had his hole-by-hole course record 64 on the score card. Dale finally beat Tiger Woods' score on number eighteen with a birdie four. It was a great way to end the trip.
Right click and "save target (or link) as" to save and view the movie clips on your own computer.
Friday Photos 1
Friday Photos 2* Highland Falls Golf Movie Clip* 7,665 KB
* Inside the Venetian Movie Clip 1* 6,900 KB
* Inside the Venetian Movie Clip 2* 14,072 KB
* Inside the Venetian Movie Clip 3* 11,513KBSaturday Photos 1
Saturday Photos 2* Bellagio Water Fountain 1* 58,743 KB
* Bellagio Water Fountain 2* 57,851 KB
* Caesars Palace Curved Escalator* 12,908 KB
* People watching at Caesars Palace 1* 4,215 KB
* People watching at Caesars Palace 2* 33,529 KB
* Bellagio Water Fountain at Night 1* 43,255 KB
* Bellagio Water Fountain at Night 2* 33,400 KBSunday Photos 1
Sunday Photos 2* Lion at MGM Grand* 9,845 KB
* Volcano at the Mirage* 6,387 KB
* Volcano at the Mirage* 81,129 KBPosted @ 06:52 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Monday, February 9, 2009
Saturday; January 31, 2009: We traveled to Bloomington for the opening of a Quilt exhibit at the Mathers Museum. This is the very talented group that Janet is a member of. Of course, we also took time to visit with Charles and Tessa at their home. They are hard at work stripping wall paper and painting. Tessa made a very delicious chicken dinner.
Posted @ 10:21 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
January 20, 2009: On the day of Barrack Obama's inauguration, here is what we happened to see outside our window.
Posted @ 05:40 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Thursday, January 1, 2009
December 31, 2008: Happy New Year 2009! At the CNO Christmas Party, we decided to get together one last time in 2008 for an impromptu New Year's Eve celebration. We made it a Peru themed party, because I had just finished the Peru trip show. Arthur made great Pisco Sours and Janet made the Sopa Criolla. We just about drained the whole bottle of Pisco and I do believe the group was in rare form. Be sure and see the picture of Sharon at the dinner table. If she and Arthur don't make the perfect couple, I don't know who does.
For a little added fun, I introduced the Boyz to MarioKart Wii. Then Ron and I lost a beer to Jim and Arthur playing Wii Golf. Our tab keeps growing.
Posted @ 08:02 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Friday, December 26, 2008
December 24th & 25th: Once again, Christmas has come and gone. How sad. What's really sad is sister Joyce went and broke her right femur 2 1/2 weeks ago by falling on a patch of ice in her driveway. But amazingly, she got released from rehab last Friday. They had to put in a Titanium rod held by a couple of screws at either end and she's doing remarkably well, all things considered. She uses a walker for now, but the doctors are very encouraging. Heck, they even cleared her to drive again so I know that will boost her spirits. Since she was planning on hosting family Christmas Eve this year, we volunteered to host it at our house. Everyone brought either appetizers or desserts and we just skipped the dinner. And I don't think anyone went away hungry.
Tessa's Mom, Patricia, was able to join us once again, which was a special treat. And on Christmas Day, Patricia and Tessa teamed up to make a magical Christmas dinner. Brined roasted chicken, spinach and quinua. My mouth was watering while I was carving the chicken. For dessert, they had made-from-scratch a blood orange sorbet and short-bread cookies. All we could say was "Hmmmmmm-good!"
Posted @ 12:12 PM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
Sunday, December 21, 2008
December 20, 2008: As I looked around the room, I wondered how Janet and I were so fortunate to have such a special group of good friends to share life with. I know in China, eight is considered a very lucky number and I'm beginning to realize why this is true.
We celebrated the Christmas season at Sharon and Arthur's home and got to experience the newly remodeled kitchen in all its glory. Julie made a wonderful hot artichoke dip appetizer. Ron had to cut the bread. Arthur made the featured cocktail -- martinis -- shaken, not stirred, which was a newly acquired taste for him. Sharon outdid herself with a choice of either a New York Strip roast, chicken, corn bread pudding, baked beans, beets, asparagus, fresh bread ... no way could we eat it all. Janet made a stuffing, which was exactly how we felt. We took a breather and exchanged gifts. Then, the Janet (II) brought out a wonderful cheese cake with a choice of either a carmel/nut or raspberry topping.
Over the top.
It had turned icy outside while we were inside and unfortunately Ron took a little fall on the steps when leaving. I know he banged his elbow pretty good, but I don't think anything got broken. 'Tis the season.
Posted @ 05:51 AM PDT [Link] [No Comments]
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