Happy Father's Day!

Me and my Dad. Kitchen at Warren Road. ClevO.

My Dad died less than a year after Richard was born. I learned a lot from my Dad (but not hair cutting). And I learned a lot about my Dad after Richard was born. Suddenly, a lot of things about my Dad became much clearer to me.  Thanks for all that you taught me Dad.

Me and Richard (flowers by Lynn).

I spent much of the afternoon with Richard. He was in one of those moods. You know, the kind when you've have two teeth yanked out, your gums cut open and stitched up, and you can't eat hardly anything, at least not the good stuff.

We tried to play mini-golf at a place in Simsbury. First time for us but I had a coupon. But it didn't really work out. They had a Blue theme and even colored the water the kind of blue that is in your toilet. Richard found all the fountains to be annoying (too loud).

After a quick lunch at Boston Market (mac-n-cheese and meatloaf cut into tiny bits), we went to an indoor glow-in-the dark place with a nice soothing atmosphere of dance music and strange colors that jumped out of the dark. He liked that better and we ended with a tie score. See the picture at the left (Richard is in the lower right corner).

When we got back to Lynn's place, the weather was so delightful, the three of us took a walk around the block (the long way - for about 45+ minutes). By then, the rain delay for the Indians game was over. We watched the last 3 innings and saw the Tribe win on a dramatic 3 run homer for a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yeahh!!

I really appreciate all the cards I received for Father's Day (plus the email from my brother). I taped the cards to my door so I can see them (see picture below-do you see yours?). It is a real pick me up. Thanks!

Charlie's Barbershop

Charlie's Barber Shop, Naugatuck Avenue, Milford, CT.

When we moved to Milford all those years ago, we lived for a short time near Walnut Beach. That's when I found this barber shop a few blocks away. So pretty much that is were I have been going for a haircut every month (well, except when I worked in NYC).

Walk-ins only (no appointment); Charlie is the only barber (but he does have a substitute for when he's away). He does hair cuts and shaves, no styling or shampoo as far as I know. I don't know exactly how old Charlie is but I saw something that said he's been in business for more than 50 years.

Ironically, Charlie lives in the same town as me but we both have to go to Milford for the barber shop. If you have to wait, he has the local paper and a NYC paper plus magazine: Popular Mechanics, National Geographic (my favorite), and various car and golf magazines. Sometimes, there are some interesting conversations going on: sports, religion, politics, and current events. Charlie is a big Boston Fan (Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics) and a golfer.

Today, Charlie told me about the time he and a customer were engaged in a discussion about religion (Charlie is RC) when another customer came in to the shop. This customer was holding a large grinder (that's a sub sandwich for those outside of New England). He asked if he could eat it while waiting for his turn. Being a down to earth guy, Charlie said sure.

So this guy carefully unwraps this fabulous sandwich: it had the works and was super size. Meanwhile, Charlie and the other customer are debating religion. Something prompted the sandwich man to chime in: "Aw, you guys are nuts. Don't you know there is no God?" And as he said this, he made a dramatic wave of his hand to emphasize his point but simultaneously knocked his grinder off the table and onto the floor filled with a day's worth of hair clippings. Charlie and the other guy cracked up laughing at how God had intervened so perfectly to demonstrate that, yes, there is a God.

School's out (& so are the teeth); Another win!

School's Out
Technically, Friday (6/17/2011) was the last day of school for Richard but in reality he was finished on Thursday. This past week was devoted to final exams. Thursday's exam was for Technical Theater and included setup and takedown for the graduation ceremony. Being curious and interested, he attended the ceremony to see what it is all about. After enduring all the speeches, he now wonders what all the fuss is about.

Grades should be in soon.  I wonder how he did.

Oral Surgery
In a recent post, I mentioned that Richard had gotten braces for his teeth. The rest of that story involves oral surgery needed for two (2) teeth. Since his calendar was free on Friday, Lynn thoughtfully scheduled the surgery so that it would not be hanging over his head during this summer. So Friday morning Lynn and I accompanied Richard to the oral surgeon who removed the two (2) teeth and attached a bracket to one tooth that was hiding under one that was removed.

The surgeon presented us with the two (2) teeth just like when you get your car fixed. "My what big teeth you have Grandma Richard!" Wow, what whoppers they are. If I can get a picture, I'll post it.

So now, his mouth is sore again; back to soft foods like mashed taters, oatmeal, mac-n-cheese, etc. Oh, and did I mention the bill? There goes my income tax refund.

Richard wins another one
Last week, I mentioned how Richard is adapt at winning the game of Monopoly. As he was recovering from his oral surgery yesterday (see above), he suggested a pleasant game of Monopoly as a soothing balm. You might think that since he had the effects of anesthesia coursing through his body, along with painkillers and antiswelling medication, that his winning streak would be in peril. Not to worry. He beat me again!

I think the key to his success is the railroads (that's what I get for all the Thomas the Tank Engine and model train events during his early youth). He quickly obtained three (3) of the four (4) railroads. It wasn't long before I was forking over $100 in rent. That drained my cash and I wasn't able to build houses and hotels on Park Place and Boardwalk. He finished me off by obtaining all three (3) of the Yellow properties and improving them with houses and then hotels. I quickly went bankrupt. Perhaps I should let him manage my finances.

Update

5K Family: I've updated the blurb in last Sunday's post about my brother Kurt and the 5K run by adding two (2) pictures supplied by my sister, Tina.

Heublin Tower Hike: I updated my report on our recent hike to include a scan of a postcard view that I like. I also added to the narrative to make the post flow evenly with the additional picture.

Speech & Debate: Last week I reported on a visit by my sister & her family. My niece made it to the semi-finals for the speech and debate National Tournament that she attended.

Entertaining Angels

My sister Sharon and her family (Randy and children: Elizabeth, Jon, Anna, and David) stopped by yesterday on their way to Boston.  They stopped at Lynn's apartment last night and she graciously invited them to spend the night (see picture above).

They started the day in Philadelphia and experienced a New York style traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge. When they arrived, we picked up 2 big pizzas from one of favorite places, Angelina's, and enjoyed each other's company. I understand that Richard and Jon and David were up late watching TV and talking.

They got an early start this morning to continue on to Boston where they are going to attend the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association National Championship at Gordon College in Wenhem, MA. Elizabeth is in two events. Good Luck!

Richard Wins Again!

The Winner and Champion!

In a previous post, I mentioned Richard's fondness for the game, Monopoly. Yesterday, the weather was ideal for playing: rainy. And so I accepted Richard's challenge. Unfortunately for me, my strategy of trying to prevent Richard from acquiring all the properties of a single color did not work. He quickly acquired 3 of the 4 railroads. I lost track of the number of times I had to pay him $100 rent when I landed on a railroad property. Ironically, a train was my playing piece.

But the deciding factor was Richard's ability to acquire both Boardwalk and Park Place and erect a hotel on each. Somehow, I survived my first "visit" to Boardwalk ($2,000 "rent" - see the picture above). I was ready to concede at that point but Richard urged me on. So we continued for a while longer until the inevitable happened: I landed on Boardwalk again. The End!

Celebrate The Day

We call this event "West Hartford Days" (but it's official name is "Celebrate! West Hartford"). It is held on Saturday and Sunday in June but since Lynn and Richard moved to West Hartford, we have attended on Saturday. It is a combination of arts & crafts, community service booths, local food & entertainment, carnival rides, and the library book sale.

This year the weather was threatening: it rained in the morning and was cold. But things settled down, the rain stopped, and it warmed up for the afternoon.

Our day started with the usual roller hockey game. Unfortunately, Richard's team lost 9-2.  Perhaps the rain got the team into a funk.

But by the time we went to the bank, and Richard showered and changed clothes, the sky was no longering leaking. So onward to West Hartford Days.

Always interesting food at these kind of events. Richard's favorite is Thai (garlic) chicken on a stick (with a side of rice and veggies) from a New Haven-based restaurant. The line for this was always long. He also enjoyed a bottle of Stewart Key Lime soda and a fancy cup cake. I tried an order of Greek stuffed grape leaves. Lynn and I sampled some free yogurt (coincidentally, I had Greek-style).

Friends of the Library BIG BOOK SALE (Sat. 10 - 4)

A favorite event for us is the annual book sale. Richard didn't have much interest but Lynn and I found a few things. Just as I was getting ready to pay, they announced the $5/bag deal. That worked out good for us. Lynn and I were able to stuff a few more books into a bag and got a good deal. She got several mysteries novels and a hockey book for Richard. I found a few Bible-related books including The Dartmouth Bible (2nd Edition) and the Reader's Digest Bible, Illustrated Edition. I also tossed in a decent copy of Treasure Island.

After the book sale we took another walk around the booths and rides. We ran into a long-time colleague of mine, GaryP and his wife. I used to work with Gary at HSB in Clevo and Hartford; and ran into him a few years ago when we both worked in NYC.  Lynn was kind of amused that although she has lived in West Hartford for 4 years that we run into a friend of mine.

Earlier, Richard had run into a school chum who was passing out helium balloons. Keep Richard in your prayers because he has final exams this coming week.

When we got back from West Hartford Days, we watched the Clevo Indians on the tube. They lost to the NY Yankees. Thankfully, we did not spring the big bucks to travel to NYC to Yankee Stadium. It takes a small fortune in order to attend a major league event.

Finally, June 11th is my brother Kurt's birthday (Happy Birthday Kurt!). He celebrated by running a 5K race with his daughter, Ellie, and my brother David and my sister Tina. Ellie finished ahead of them (41:21); then came Tina (43:15); and Kurt and David were only a whisker behind (43:17).

The joy of victory!

After the race (L to R): Tina, Ellie, David, Kurt.

Miracle of the Surfing Madonna

Surfing Madonna mural in San Diego, CA.

This story caught my eye today and I couldn't resist sharing it with ALL of my friends and beloved family members who follow my blog (HAHAHA). It combines a sense of humor, art, beauty, and subversion.

If you google "Surfing Madonna San Diego" (either the web, news, or images) you can probably find a number of articles and pictures. Basically, the story is: in April, just before Easter, a group of artists disguised as hard hatted construction workers installed a mural under a railroad bridge in San Diego. 

The mural depicts a Madonna-like figure riding a surf board with the words "Save the Ocean" at the left side. The problem is that according to city regulations it is considered graffiti and needs to be removed. However, due to its high artistic quality and its mysterious appearance, it has become something of a tourist attraction.

And today, it has been reported that the mural is quite secured to the wall and it will take a miracle to remove it. This is really upsetting those who think that if the city leaves it up, all kinds of graffiti will propagate. On the religious side are those that think the city is promoting religion if it leaves the mural in place and then there are the conservatives who see it as blasphemous.

As you can see from the above picture and detail, the artwork is exquisite. The LA Times has a nice article dated May 9, 2011 titled "A Surfing Madonna appears in San Diego." Click on the pictures there to see high def details.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Out in Africa

"When I was younger, so much younger than today..." one of the attractions of visiting my grandma was the unusual air mail letters (aerogrammes) that she often received from a Jesuit missionary priest in Uganda. What a thrill it was to hear about the "adventures" of Fr. Gene Hattie.

I got to meet him once when I was in college. He used to return to the USA during summers to visit his patrons. My grandma was involved in mission Circle 7 at her church. That particular summer, grandman hosted a visit from Fr. Hattie. We had cake and coffee and, of course, said a rosary.

By the time I moved to Connecticut, my grandma's health was fading. She was dying for 40-some years (but she finally was right). Anyway, during that time, I lost track of Fr. Hattie.

Then, about 4 years ago, something of a miracle occurred. I received one of those junk mail letters from the Jesuits soliciting donations for their holy work and the letter specifically mentioned Fr. Hattie! What was even more significant was that just a few days before receiving the solicitation, I got to wondering about "what ever happened to ol' Fr. Hattie."

So I started to send a few bucks to Fr. Hattie every month and, sure enough, I received one of his famous aerogrammes, written by an old fashioned manual typewriter (see picture above and extract below).

About a year ago, Fr. Hattie was sort of forced to retire due to health reasons. So now he is in a Jesuit Retreat Home in Kenya. You can write to him at:
     Fr. Eugene F. Hattie, S.J.
     Pedro Arrupe Community
     P.O. Box 978
     Karen, Nairobi 00502
     KENYA

If you are interested in supporting Fr. Hattie's most recent project: the orphans of Nsumba Uganda, he recommends that donations be sent to the nuns who are now running the orphanage (do not send any money to Detroit or Chicago):
     IHMR
     Sr. Christine Nantaba
     5244 Manning Road
     Indianapolis, IN 46228
Clearly mark on the check: Fr. Hattie's orphans in Nsumba Uganda.

Of course, the Jesuits have missions all over the world and you are free to donate $ to whatever mission and wherever. But Fr. Hattie has a special place in my heart. I hope that you will pray for his health and his orphans.

National Trails Day

The weather in CT was beautiful today: started cool (50s) and got sunny with blue sky (near 80).

We started early today with an 8 a.m. roller hockey game. This is the start of a new session (Summer). Richard's team, the Rangers, got a good start by winning 10-0.

I had seen some adverts about today (Saturday June 4, 2011) being some sort of trails day (i.e., hiking). I later learned that today was National Trails Day 2011 (see logo above) and Connecticut Trails Day Celebration 2011. 

Heublein Tower

Lynn was game and had several ideas on where we could hike. She likes to walk around some of the trails around the local reservoir. We agreed (although Richard was somewhat reluctant) to hike to Heublin Tower from a different direction than we have done previously. From the map, it looked like about 1.5 miles each way.

View from tower looking toward Hartford.

We started at the parking lot of Water Treatment Facility at MDC Reservoir #6 in Bloomfield, CT. We hiked up the hill on one of CT's blue trails, the Metacomet Trail to the top of the ridge and the Heublein Tower which is part of Talcott Mountain State Park.

Richard and I climbed the 120 steps to the observation deck and got great views (see picture above). As you can see from the postcard (at the left), the Tower is located on the edge of a long ridge; look carefully, and you will notice the city of Hartford in the background.  As part of Trails Day, the Friends of Heublein Tower were there selling hot dogs and hamburgers and snacks. So Richard and I had a burger to fuel us for the descent back to the car. Lynn wanted to show us the Talcott Mountain Science Center, a private school a "short" walk down the traill; it is located at a former Nike missile/radar site what seemed like miles from the route. But what the heck, it was a nice day.

Who knows how far we actually hiked today but it was probably at least 5 miles. And boy were we hot & tired, stiff, and sore by the time we returned to my car.  Richard enjoyed it too; see how happy he looks in the picture (clicke by Lynn) at the right? What kept him going was thought that at the completion of the hike was Dad's car that has "max A/C" (versus Mom's car with "green A/C" [i.e., windows]).

Of course, all the walkin' caused Richard to work up an appetite, so Richard and I returned to Angelina's Pizzaria for a salad and slice of pepperoni pizza. They had the Red Sox game on while we ate (see picture below). We dropped Lynn at her apartment so she could catch a nap since see had been up since 5 a.m.

Inside of Angelina's Pizzaria.

What a good day. Thank you God.