Trip to Spain

European Vacation

Friday Stop in Iceland Calling flat Shuttle to train Train to Victoria Tube to Gloucester Walk to flat Arghhh Dinner with David & Jane Boys to pub Saturday Tube to Picadilly Walk to Trafalgar square Walk to Eye Boat cruise Walk to pub for lunch Walk to Shakespeare Globe Theater Walk to London Eye Walk Walk - Feathers pub...then to tube to Hereford Arms for dinner Sunday Tube to Hyde Park corner Walk to Marble Arch Bus ride to Oxford Tour of Christ Church Big rain Walk about - bought CCD t-shirt bought fudge looked through Oxford castle bus back MCD & I got dinner at Earl's Court pub boys ordered pizza Monday slept in for boys tube to Tower of London tour boys took off MCD and I walked to St. Pauls walked to Picadilly Circus for Spaghetti House dinner - boys met us there. Saw Book of Mormon Tuesday Met Pernille - Barry Thomas' wife at the Westminster Palace, where she's a tour guide. She gave us a very in depth tour of the rooms and the history of the building and the Houses of Parliament. We wandered about in the neighborhood and found a pub to have lunch in. We let the boys off on their own and we wandered down to Buckingham Palace and then on around St. James Park to the Churchill War Rooms. It had rained while we were inside and had cleared up enough there was now a bright late afternoon glare though some spots We had dinner plans with Barry and Pernille and needed to get back to the flat and freshen up. From the tube stop, I met an old friend, Sue (Green) Colwell for a drink at Earl's Court Tavern. Martha and I then went to Victoria station and found Queen's Arms Tavern and our dinner partners. Barry was in good form - if not a little grayer and we had very nice visit, covering books, politics, memories and cultural American-Brit quirks. Sad to say, we left with an impression that things have not gone well for Barry and he's a bit strapped. Really felt quite bad for him. Wednesday Our transition to Paris. We had to get up quickly enough to pack, clean up the flat, get connected with the manager - for keys and, hopefully, some part of the deposit. And since we were leaving from Kings Cross/St. Pancreas station we also needed to give ourselves enough time to see the Harry Potter 9 3/4 train track and gratis pianos in the foyers for Patrick to play. A gleaming station - though the Potter track turned out to be an overcrowded tourist attraction and the pianos we're beat-up, out-of-tune uprights. It was a very fast two hours going through the British countryside, through the Chunnel and across the French landscape. There really was quite a difference in the look and feel of the French villages and development from the Brits. The English side seemed a bit more industrial, while the French, from what we could see, was mostly small towns. Both though seemed to share the U.S. and universal habit of piling their refuse and grimy industrial backdoors along rail routes. Landing at Gare de Nord we fumbled our way to the metro station and figured out buying five day metro/bus passes. Faced with a completely different language we had to now navigate through a new map system as well. We were all somewhat dependent on Martha's guidance from earlier visits and her bits of French. We'd hoped Nathan might be able to help with some translation - but that didn't happen. Whereas the London tube lines were a bit like New York, a bit gritty with serpentine tunnels and connections, the Paris Metro was dirtier and with surlier characters. Martha advised we stay on the buses. We found our way to the Rambuteau stop and our Paris flat overlooking the George Pampidou museum and square. A bit busy and noisy- but so is just about everywhere - and it turned out to be a great location. We were greeted by Ireana who went over all the features of the flat - which included a dishwasher and dryer! (vs. our London flat) When we were a bit settled Martha and I found the neighborhood grocery store - G20 - for some supplies. A small and really packed little store and clearly wasn't about buying in bulk. The largest milk was only a liter. For dinner we wandered about in the streets nearby a bit indecisive and finally just landed on something that seemed like something Americans would typically patronize. Thursday We slept in and never really got completely on Europe time. By late morning we decided to split up. The boys walked all the way to the Eiffel Tower. Martha and I walked to the islands and crossed over to through St. Germain and wandered through some darling side streets. We stopped at a cafe - that seemed like a French diner - and had eggs and a 'milkshake' which was more like whipped chocolate milk. Our the Champ Elysses and walked over to the Louvre. Then went over to the Bastille area to see Cathy's old apartment - sat in the Sully Cafe for some wine and ran into a couple other Americans. Then walked though Place des Vosges and back through the Marais district. Boys and I went to the store and picked up odds & ends for dinner; mostly cheese, sausage, sweets and wine. Then figured out where we were going the next day. Sunday - traveled to Provin by train - Chris stayed in Paris. Sunny but cold. Took at train to the end of the line and crowded on to a shuttle to that took us to the Medeival village - it was a French version of a Renaissance festival and a bit touristy -- and pretty crowded. We tried to find some place for lunch and ended up walking through the old town to find a cafe. It was a cute little place, the waiter didn't really speak English and Patrick ended up without his food -- and had to pay cash. We walked back into the old section and got some chocolate and meandered down to a 'show' of knights and ladies on horseback fighting evil trolls; like the 'Medieval Times' but more quaint and certainly more authentic since it actually was in the shadow of real medieval castle. A bit cheesy and hard to follow, since the dialogue and narration was in French, but we generally got the idea and appreciated the spirit. We caught a bus back to the train station, then back to Paris. Patrick and Nathan didn't want to go out for dinner, so they grabbed some sandwiches near our flat while Martha and I went to Le Cavalier Bleu on the corner. Monday - Last day so we decided to go brave the lines at Notre Dame, which was a short walk from our flat. The day was bright and cloudless and though the line was long it moved along quickly enough that we inside in fifteen minutes. The boys joined the line afterwards and then took off for another attempt at climbing the Eiffel Tower. Martha and I wandered through Isle St. Louis, listened to a band on the bridge, ate a sandwich, sat by Siene, admired the lock bridge, strolled back to our neighborhood, where she bought a necklace and some earrings, then picked up a couple things for evening nibbles and lounged back at the flat until the boys came back. They'd only made it up to the second floor; but that was some 600 steps. Nate had also gotten tricked by some street vendor. Martha went out again to the Pompidou museum. Tuesday - return home.

The Year Recapped

Procrastinating again; so here are some recollections of highlights for the latter part of the year. As we wound into summer Patrick and Nathan did their usual three-week trip to Camp Highlands. It was Patrick's last year as a camper. In 2015 he'll be a counselor in training. Chris, of course, couldn't do camp since he now has a full-time job.

After they got back from Camp we did our usual drive out to Castle Park - again without Chris, who had to stay home and work. We were joined there by Jamie who we had fly out for a break. He was able to play golf and tennis with Patrick and Nate and visit with his grandmother and Uncle Da-Da.

While I was in Castle Park I set up Nathan's electronic drum kit in Ernie Kelly's garage and went over to practice the 'picnic tunes' each day. It was quite a nice part of a routine that included jogging, swimming and bike-riding with Marth. After we got back it was a brief three weeks before I drove back to Chicago for the annual picnic routine - this time in my car rather than the van. It turned out I had a business event (with FARE) in the days before the picnic gig. So I went out earlier and first stayed out at Hyatt Rosemont and then moved to a hotel off Michigan Avenue downtown where we had the conference. And then stayed at Dan's for the weekend. The 9th Annual Neighborhood Picnic was another success, thanks to everyone who pitches in for it. I contributed the video cameras -- one of which was toppled by some over-hyper little urchin. With a few exceptions, my songs and performances came off relatively well. I'm coming to gauge both the selections and scripting better each year -- and balancing out literal and spontaneous interpretations. And so I'm also enjoying it more.

Shortly after returning, I switched jobs; leaving FARE and starting with the National Patient Advocate Foundation. In many respects it's a bigger job with a bigger organization (on paper). But even though it was smaller, FARE was a much more professional organization. NPAF is racked by an institutional structure and personal legacy issues that have stifled it's growth, professionalism and even competence. And it's much too dependent on drug company money. On the boys; Nathan was selected to be in The Immortals - the Loudoun Music Instruction's top band made up of the most dedicated and talented students. We had to debate some time whether to pursue sports or make this very sizable commitment. Nate essentially made it himself, realizing that now in high school he'll have limited ability to make it in the sports teams. And he can still pursue tennis and do some intrumural basketball. He was also selected by Loudoun Valley Jazz Band, which means that both he and Patrick are in it. We are extremely proud. As part of his drama class, Patrick and the other students competed in the Virginia Theater Association against 50 other Virginia high schools with an original play called "The Trial of Ygor".....and won first place!! They are now going to Chattanooga in March to compete in nationals -- though we have to find ways to raise quite a bit of money to support it. Otherwise, Patrick decided against doing the big fall drama production at school -- which was the Addams Family. He felt it was a little too 'cartoonish' and hasn't been getting along with the drama director (and neither have many of the other kids and their parents). So he decided to do community theater, in a production of Oliver. He played the Artful Dodger and did a marvelous job (see video). His grandmother and Uncle Dave came out to see it and were justly impressed.

Patrick also loved the directer, Karla Louis, who runs a theater production company. So when she asked him to be part of a Christmas Pageant, he jumped at it - performing "Let It Snow" as part of a large and touching production. For Christmas we had Jamie come out for about a week and it was nice to have him here for the holidays.

About The Books

I just added some 'recent reads' on the right and they are not all I've read recently. Usually I try to stick to a regiment of one 'serious' book - history, biography, social commentary, etc., followed by a fun, fiction book. Sort of like having a meal and dessert. Since most of my books are from the Loudoun Library and checked out on my iPad, they have a 14 day limit. Some of the serious books can be such a slog that I don't get through them that quickly. In which case, I don't highlight them. On the other hand, I whip through some fiction books so quickly and voraciously that I don't list them either. In particular, I've become a huge fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series and read almost every one. But it would be an embarrassment of gluttony to admit that.

Legally Blonde

Early last month Loudoun Valley staged Legally Blonde, with Patrick playing Warner, the jerk boyfriend. It was a wonderful production and helped solidify Patrick's commitment to drama.

Monocle Reunion

Time flies -- for good and ill. A few months ago I got together with the 'ol Dixon crowd at our traditional watering-hole, the Monocle. They included Charlie Smith, Wade Nelson, Katie Lamb-Heinz, Maria Petaros and Paul Stilp. A warm, but restrained evening. We're not as wild as we used to be.

Trying to Keep Up

The year is already flying by. Jamie had been out for Christmas and the New Year. He's now taking some classes in Oakland and finding an academic/career path for himself. With Martha's help, Christopher landed an apprenticeship with a HVAC company and he's doing marvelously well at it. He gets up early every morning and is out the door by six thirty. If he keeps it up he'll rise in the ranks, make some very respectable bucks and have a solid road ahead of him. It was because of this new job that we had to leave Chris behind when Martha, Patrick, Nate and I went to Park City, Utah at the end of February.

It was our first trip west to ski and despite the warmer than usual weather, we had a wonderful time. Patrick has already been the lead in a school play - The Crane Wife - as a lead character. He's also done his first Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream - and is now in the high school musical, Legally Blonde. He just did an interesting p.r. stunt at Dulles Town Center to build attention to it. He continues to advance on the piano and has now gone through two more teachers trying to find the right direction. Nathan went through a season of basketball - house league - and they won the 'championship' though it was colored by a ball hogging player who was the coach's son. He's since started ice hockey where he's struggling. He's never done it before. It's cost us some big bucks, so he better stick with it. He's also doing lacrosse and is part of a team with all his buddies. He's also been invited by his music teacher to become part of The Immortals - the premier band in the school. He's torn because it would take a lot of time and compromise his sports. It's his decision, but we've been trying to point out that in high school his sports opportunities will be more limited. So maybe becoming a better drummer is something he can aspire to. Marth is now in Florida with her mom and the boys and I are being decadent for a few days.

A Year's Transitions

November 3- 2013 - In a nutshell - to catch up. Most of the last few months I've been adjusting to the work regiment; getting up earlier, plodding through the 'to-do' lists and getting used to the people at the office, the people in the community and defining my role. Much of that has been building an agenda and an advocates network. We recently had great success with a bill that passed both chambers and is now being signed by the President. And we've had great success with state "stock epinephrine" laws. I'm now planning campaigns on restaurant legislation, EMS bills and, somewhat hesitantly, on airline rules. My comfort level, confidence and ambition have been taking hold in the last few months and been a welcome transition. Patrick's performance in Urinetown was remarkable (see videos) and was capped off with a trip to the Kennedy Center for the Cappie Awards -- at which Loudoun Valley scored numerous awards. Over the summer the boys went off to Camp Highlands - Chris as a counselor and Patrick & Nathan as campers. Chris had an incident as the leader of a trip going down a waterfall in the dark. And Nathan had a miserable expedition in soaking rain. But otherwise they had a gas, as usual. Martha and I took advantage of the 'kid-free' time to book a trip to Costa Rica at a resort on the Pacific side. Other than an snorkeling excursion and a trip to a local town for some shopping we didn't do much - which was the whole point. Jamie only pursued his western odyssey as far as San Francisco. Warren came home and Jamie has attempted to set up a life there. It's clearly been a struggle, but Mimi has joined him there and we're immensely proud of his courage and determination -- and his growing maturity. He just came back for a brief visit a couple weeks ago and we had a nice visit. We're especially encouraged by his commitment to get back to school when he gets settled. He's now doing seasonal work at UPS which will hopefully turn into something permanent. Chris is now working at both Pump It Up and at Nick Greer's restoration shop. That keeps him relatively busy - though we are now having to help him manage his money. Since the incident with my aunt's car, he needs to save up enough to get another to relieve us -- especially Martha -- from having to juggle his needs with our schedules. Patrick latest drama production is The Crane Wife - a Japanese folk tale in which he plays the lead again. It's a one act - 45 minute play with a very interesting story. (see rehearsal video) Last weekend he spent in Reston at a competition and the LVHS drama team took fifth in a field of 40 with this play. Not bad. He's continuing 'zero period' at 7:30 to accommodate jazz band and musical theater, taking piano lessons in Winchester at Shenandoah Music Conservatory, working at Pump It Up on the weekends and skateboarding whenever he can. On that last item; he's damaged his ankles so much, he's now going to physical therapy. While Patrick was away on this Reston weekend, Martha and I stole away to an inn in West Virginia. It was a little odd in that it was close quarters - but novel. And it gave us a chance to go on a beautiful hike to a mountaintop. Slowly we're also redoing our family room. We've had the fireplace redone with stone (Canaan Valley!) and bought some new furniture -- though making decisions on it is a grind. In the process of this updating, most of our older stuff has moved in the basement, where the kids now have a tv/couch hangout pit. And I've moved the drums around, set up a desk with computer near Nate's kit, along with drum mikes so he has a great recording setup! In late August I went back to Chicago for the 8th annual Neighborhood Picnic. I finally bought myself an acoustic kit (DWs no less!) - and did it through Dan at the Drum Pad - so I was able to pick them up at his house and play them for the Picnic. I'd practiced enough that I acquitted myself adequately -- though I still screwed up plenty. (see videos). My aunt has managed to get out of Lexington and into her own apartment in Lake Zurich. We helped her a little financially and Mary and Jack are giving her a hand where they can. She's looking to have an operation on her eye and eventually drive again -- but the real test will be whether she's able to discipline herself and avoid some bad habits.

Normally I don't comment on the books to the right -- and normally I'd include them only after I'd finished them. But on "God & Stephen Hawking; Whose Design Is It Anyway" I put it down at about one-third read. His angle is countering the arguments of Stephen Hawking and science in general, that hints at any question of God. So I'd expected some intriguing, thought-provoking arguments. But I was thoroughly disappointed. When I finally got to "God is a person from whom natural law comes" I couldn't take it anymore. Clearly he is too invested in the mythology. Beyond that, his arguments seemed sophomoric and his tone is snide and condescending. Hawking has nothing to worry about. I'm glad I only spent five dollars on the book.

Developing Storylines

Lots of changes and developments. I start a new job tomorrow and am thrilled to be back in the saddle. It doesn't mitigate pain of last year, but at least it gives me new focus. And we've managed to come out with some financial benefits that have allowed us to do a few upgrades around the house; especially a new bed and closet. It's also allowed us to catch up on obligations with Frank and assure the boys of going to Camp Highlands. Nate finished the season with the Bulldogs (travel basketball team) disappointed. Over the season he sat on the bench more. Most of the starters are taller which would account for some of it, but we believe the coach is more interested in coaching a game than in coaching a team. Winning is paramount. That reality comes with moving up the seniority curve, but Nate may have reached his limit. Fortunately, he's gotten on a lacrosse team (with the help of the Poncins) for the spring, and Martha has signed him up for tennis, which could be a good direction for him. Patrick has won a leading role in "Urinetown" that Loudoun Valley High School is putting on. He has rehearsals almost every day after school. He was also in some short performances in the "black box" theater and did very well (see videos). Unfortunately, he also severely sprained his ankle skateboarding and has been on crutches the past week. He's also working at Pump It Up on weekends, so his time is pretty booked. Through it all, though, he seems to be maintaining an "A" grade in all his courses. Keeping our fingers crossed. Chris just took a trip down to Richmond to visit Jamie. He's continuing at NOVA for this semester, working as a counselor at Camp Highlands for the summer, then - hopefully - starting at Radford in August. This is a double keeping our fingers crossed. And like Patrick, he's working at Pump It Up whenever he can get the hours, though mostly weekends. Jamie has decided on his grand odyssey and is coming up here before he heads out to the west coast with Warren. He's given up his job and his living arrangement and making a big plunge to see what he can find. I'm very proud of him. It's a scary proposition -- but best done at his age (and wish I'd done it myself...though the move to DC was a huge gamble at the time). After all the struggles we've gone through cleaning out Aunt Carroll's house, getting her set up in the nursing home and selling the house, etc......she's make a remarkable turnaround and much of her memory has returned. Some of it may be due to a drug patch she's been wearing, but some from not drinking, too, we're sure. Jack, Mary and Tom are now taking her out and she can start to catch up with friends. All in all, things are going o.k. for now.

The Week & Times

An account of a week; Martha convinced me to go skiing with her on Tuesday. The kids are in school and it's a weekday - and the weather had been cooperating. Liberty was pretty empty and we had a wonderful time just taking our time. Turns out most of the Baltimore crowd was at the Ravens victory parade following their Superbowl win. The previous week Chris got in an accident which essentially totaled his car. Now we're back to driving him to work and helping him figure out how he gets to class. Fortunately we have Alex living here and he can pick up some of those duties. Jamie called with some medical problems that he had to have treated and we are concerned because of his cancer history that he be seen at the pediatric cancer as soon as possible. The end of the week saw Patrick's musical theater/drama classes perform at the 'black box' at the high school. They were just individual numbers or skits from musicals or plays. As the only boy in the musical theater class, Patrick was in three numbers and did quite a nice job; especially with Abby; his former partner in Annie.

2013 Opening

Here's hoping that 2013 is a lot better than 2012. Aside from the LLS massacre, family problems have cropped up again. I spent the better part of December in Chicago - over two driving trips - sorting through some problems with my aunt. She has been like my mother since I was about fourteen (which is another story), giving me opportunities and support that otherwise may have left me in worse shape. My brother Jack reported that after several falls she'd developed dementia and after a rough episode had to be taken to the hospital. From there she was admitted to Lexington, a long-term care nursing facility, where she was given a room on the top floor with all the Alzheimer's patients. It was a shock to see her the first time. Only 72 buts looks 100. Frail and stooped, she was delusional; hallucinating and confused. It's especially depressing because you can't really have a conversation with her. She may think I'm someone else and lives in other worlds, as though her brain is firing off from memories or fantasies in arbitrary ways -- but not the here and now. So visiting her is a futile affair. She's slowly deteriorating, but in many ways it's like she's already dead. And that finality was driven home as I sorted through the house and her affairs. On the first trip I interviewed three real estate agents to put the house on the market, rented a dumpster to start throwing the accumulation of junk in the house, interviewed an estate sale firm, had the two cats put to sleep (very depressing, brought clothes to good will and spend hours sorting through financial papers and cleaning out closets and drawers. It was a physical and financial mess. I ended up spending about 10 days there on the first trip, but needed to get back from a job interview...which turned out to be a waste. The second, between the holidays, was primarily focused on getting my aunt's car for Christopher. During the first visit, my brother Jack - a very handy guy - installed new front brakes, changed spark plugs, the oil and other fluids. This second drive included Chris and two of his friends, Ellis and Alex, and we drove straight through to Lake Zurich in about 13 hours. That was a Thursday. The car still had several needs and on Friday morning I was determined to knock off as many as possible. And it turned out to be a day of productivity for the record books. First, I dropped it off at an interior detail shop (it stank and was filthy!), then drove to Secretary of State's office in Libertyville to get title and registration taken care of, then picked the car up and over lunch called to get insurance coverage. Then went to Best Buy to have a stereo installed - which had to be done at 4:00. So in the meantime we went to Mexico Muffler and Brakes (a real hoot!) which took care of exhaust problems in less than two hours; then back to Best Buy. The car was legal and pretty good to go, so Chris and his buddies went to visit his cousins in Evanston...and ended up staying there for the next four nights. His aunt Betsy was very patient and when I picked them up on New Year's day brought her some fruit and flowers. We stayed at the Smiths on the way back and had some other minor repairs done before we hit the road back to VA. Chris now has a car of his own to get to school and help us with transporting his brothers. I did some other clearing out of my aunt's house and will no doubt be going back at some point; if for a funeral if nothing else. The house is under contract, thank god, which means we'll have to arrange an estate sale pretty soon. Hopefully that will not require my return, but who knows.

Fall Transition

After returning from Castle Park, we had two weeks at home as the summer wound down. The fall always seems like a new year, with the start of school and new chapters for all of us. Christopher left for Iowa to start a ten-month program with Americorps - as a part of FEMA (which as of this writing appears pretty dismal and boring). Patrick started high school, with an ambitious schedule to accommodate his desire to be in both jazz band and musical theater.....and requires me to take him to a separate high school at 7:30 each morning. Nathan starts 7th grade and has already started hockey and he'll likely make the basketball team again. So our schedules will be consumed by sports. (And he even has the two of us embroiled in a 'fantasy football league' that will be a time-suck.) Martha's work has picked up, which gives her satisfaction and helps the household balance sheet. As the end of August approached, "The Picnic" loomed ever larger. I became more focused on my song assignments and planning for the trip to Chicago. For better or worse, I wasn't nearly as anxious about my performance as in years past; either because I passed muster last year or because I felt pretty confident in handling this year's selections, or because I'm also feeling more comfortable with my friends and the support network they offer. After having done this seven years now, I've gotten more comfortable with the process, the people and the expectations. And I'm undoubtedly a better drummer than I was seven years ago -- as Danny observed. I drove out to Indiana on Thursday the 30th and stayed with the Smiths -- and had to endure watching the Republican convention with them. On Friday I drove to Chicago and met Wade and Ellen at "the former Ricarrdo's" on Rush, then headed up to my aunt's. Bright and early Saturday I met Dan for breakfast and then set up the garage and drums for the day-long practice. I had a few hiccups -- mostly due to Bobby "distractions", but they didn't seriously shake my confidence. The day of the Picnic Dan, Lynn and I went out for breakfast, then made it to Dam #1 by 8:30 for set-up. Again, I felt fairly relaxed -- at least compared to past years -- but the whole day went remarkably fast. And it was extensively documented. The pattern and growing tradition continued; going back to Bob's after tear-down with Doug and Fran picking up fried chicken as all of us verged on adrenaline-drained collapse. On Monday, like everyone else, I recuperated, but took a few hours to drop in on Dan and download some of the video discs -- that will keep him occupied for months. That evening I took my aunt out to dinner at Hackney's. She is noticeably declining and I'm increasingly concerned about how my siblings and I are going to handle her very complicated - and compromised - situation. On Tuesday I headed back to Indiana to stay with the Smiths. Wednesday I did the long 10-hour journey back to Virginia, taking my time with several stops. I thoroughly enjoyed the drives out and back, with no obligations or distractions I was able to both enjoy the moments and think about a number of things. Among them the job search. Now that the August break is over, the kids have started school and the Picnic is finished, it's time focus full time on the next chapter of my career.

Summer Passages

We spent an extended period -- three weeks -- at our summer place in Castle Park, Michigan, leaving in late July and staying until mid-August. With just Patrick and Nathan it seemed we were traveling lighter; a sign of things to come. I made a routine of jogging down to Macatawa every other day, alternating with running down to the Castle to work on job-hunting. The ritual rhythms fell into place easily; runs to grocery stores, late afternoon treks to the beach, fixing dinner for the family, watching the sunsets on the Dance Dune. Fulfilling what we increasingly see as our contribution, I spend periods painting some porch furniture, the boys did some cleaning chores for their grandmother and Martha helped her sort and clean out cabinets and closets (whew!) While this was the "high-season", Castle Park seemed decidedly quieter. There was a "July Jubilee" and a "Burger Broil" and even a cocktail party or two, with quite a few people we knew; but the Park is much less the social bee-hive is used to be. Especially during the last week most folks seemed to be renters. We ended up seeing The Dark Knight Rises twice so Nathan could see it (He was on a fishing trip when Patrick and I saw it.) After a violent night-time storm we had a beach day with 6-8' swells that made body surfing a gas. Jamie and Mimi came for a few days, but unfortunately, they had some crummy weather. Nathan and I drove over to Chicago for the last weekend, mainly to pick up Christopher who came down on a bus from Camp Highlands ending his counseling session. But it was also to meet my childhood buddies to practice for our "Neighborhood Picnic" gig on Labor Day weekend. We stayed with Aunt Carroll, took her out to dinner and had a nice visit. On the drive back from CP, we left Chris so he could have a bit more time there and we stopped at Tom & Joan Smith's in Indiana; a wonderful break where the boys got to shoot a .22 and drive 'the Gator.'

Summer Rhythms

After being without them for three weeks, we were grateful to pick up Patrick and Nathan from National. They were full of enthusiasm and stories; clearly gaining a lot from the camp experience. They've since fallen into the summer rhythm of sleeping late and hanging with their buddies. We've had visits to orthodontists and dentists and a few fun outings. Martha and I went to Alexandria to meet my friend Paul and his wife, Lori, at a nice Greek place. Paul offered up tickets to a Nationals game the following week that I took Nathan and his buddy, Daniel, to see. (Patrick declined). A few days later Martha and I took Patrick to see Westfield High School's production of "Anything Goes" (Nathan declined). A really stunning production, far exceeding anything normally associated with a high school play. Then last night we walked over to 21st Street in Purcellville for the first wine and food festival and visited with neighbors and friends. Quite a success and hopefully will be repeated. Now we're preparing for the trip to Castle Park where we'll spend the next three weeks.

To Date.....

A few months later.... So far 2012 has had some decidedly high and low points. Nathan finished off a first year of being in the travel basketball league; a significant honor. Then he went on to lacrosse where he had a number of his friends as teammates. Patrick won the role of Daddy Warbucks in the production of Annie and even agreed to have me shave his head for the role. A brave move that made me proud. Both of them performed in the Loudoun Music Instruction spring recital at Franklin Park -- both as soloists and in bands. Martha had begun working in a Home Exchange network and we went to Blowing Rock, NC in early April to a beautiful mountain home. In May we suffered an unexpected blow when LLS fired the entire public policy staff and me. I've since been grappling with the implications, but that's for another blog. In June Christopher graduated from Loudoun Valley High School. Jamie came up from Richmond for it and we enjoyed some low-key celebration. Right afterwards, Chris took off for Camp Highlands to work as a counselor for the summer. With school out, Patrick took part in a production of "Guys & Dolls" where he was a drunk, a gambler and a Cuban dancer. Nathan had a week of basketball camp. As a special treat, we took them to the Kennedy Center to see "Memphis", their first real Broadway show experience. They both then left for their three weeks at Camp Highlands; leaving Martha and me alone (!) For the first week we did another house exchange with a couple in Easton, MD A beautiful spot on the water where we rode bikes, explored St. Michaels and Oxford and relaxed. When we got back we went to see a Dolly Stevens production of "13" - which Patrick would have been in if not at Camp.

2011 Year-End

Egads, what a lapse. One of the most striking things about the holiday season was a trip to Chicago. Dropping our usual routine of skiing on Christmas Eve and celebrating with our family, we decided it was past due that we make the trek back to to Chicago and visit the extended family. Aunt Carroll, Grammy, and Uncle Da-Da are getting older and the cousins hadn't seen one another in years. It was dependent on Jamie, because we couldn't leave him in Richmond for Christmas. Fortunately, he decided to come with all of us in the minivan on December 23rd.

Betsy graciously let us stay in her home; Martha and me in the basement, Chris and Patrick in a spare bedroom and Nathan in with little 4 year old Teddy; who proved to be somewhat obnoxious. Jamie stayed with Allison and her boyfriend in her apartment.

On Christmas Eve we went up to Aunt Carroll's where she hosted my side of the family. The family X-mas is not as glorious as it once was, with piles of presents and extravagant frills. But it did have a more 'fun' element, and even though - or maybe because - gift-giving is limited to 'white-elephants' there is less pressure and more openness talk and enjoyment of one another. In that regard, it was heart-warming to see an interest by all the cousins in getting to know and appreciate one another. They are all very different and don't really know each other. But they know they have a connection and are making the effort to strengthen it.

I was especially proud of my sons during the evening. They exhibited a self-confidence and solidarity that made both Martha and me proud. Regardless of their achievements individually in contrast with their cousins (and they still have many) they seemed to demonstrate a more developed sense of confidence. And it was clear that they had a strong bond with one another.

We had the same experience on Christmas Day at Betsy's the following day - though in a slightly different context. During the day Chris went to visit with Jamie and Allison at her place. I took a walk with Patrick and Nate (they on their new skateboards) along the lake behind Northwestern University. It was blissful. Not too cold. Christmas Day. No obligations - no expectations. Everyone off. I luxuriated in the opportunity to savor the moment looking out over the lake with my sons.

As the evening developed we were joined by Aunt Maxine and her daughter Mary, Martha's cousin. I was extremely proud of my sons as they dutifully introduced themselves and engaged with an elderly relative. Their cousins, however, did not conduct themselves well. Allison got upset with her sister and stormed out of the house, boycotting Christmas dinner. And Carolyn closeted herself in her room without seeming to understand her obligation to be part of a family dinner -- and abruptly left when she was finished eating. (If our boys had done either of those things, we would have chewed them out).

The following day - the 26th - we met my brother Tom, Jerry and Matt for lunch in downtown Evanston. We then went to the Shedd Aquarium - though because we borrowed season tickets from Michelle only Patrick, Nate and I ended up going. Martha went to a Starbucks with her Uncle Dave. We met them later and they dropped me off at Catch 35 where I met Michael Pelletier. It was a somewhat controversial meeting because of the bitter divorce between him and Betsy. For the most part we just caught up with each other's lives, the kids activities and compared notes on experiences and perspectives. We have a lot of similarities in outlook -- especially in how to handle the kids issues -- and he remains, in my opinion, a good and decent fellow.

After leaving Michael, I walked over the Hubbard to meet Jamie at Andy's Jazz Club. Jamie was late, but when he showed up we sat at the bar, had a couple beers and had a wonderful conversation. It's a great pleasure to begin to connect with him as an adult. I'm become more proud of how he's approaching his life.

Since we were leaving early the next morning, Martha and Betsy decided to comedown and pick us up.

Early the next morning - the 27th - we hit the road back to Virginia; a 13+ hour odyssey. While we'd expected to the trip to be difficult, filled with bickering and trouble, it actually turned into a warm bonding experience between the us and the boys - and them with each other. Maybe it was the shared challenge of facing the relatives or the contrast with their cousins; but we came away feeling much more solid as a family unit.

Developments

Over the past month we've seen school start, the routine and task list begin with new developments for new ages. Chris and I took a trip down to Christopher Newport University in Newport News. It's very new, very clean and very grand. It's also very staid and sterile. We both pretty quickly noticed that it's also fairly conservative and preppy. If VCU is the edgy end of the VA college spectrum, this is the other end. No tatoos, piercings and even sloppy bulletin boards. Just a lot of izods, docksiders and skirts. So much for that one. Early November we visit Radford and Longwood.

Setting the stage for an exciting school year, Nathan made the 'travel' basketball team, which is the top team. He's thrilled and we're proud. In the short term, he's playing both hockey and basketball. He also needs to realize that he'll no longer be the star of the team, but that playing with better players will make him better. He also continues to take drum and band lessons.

Patrick has just begun taking voice and acting lessons from Dolly Stevens, which together with his piano and band lessons puts him on a solid musical track. Dolly has also just announced that the middle school play will be "Annie," which Patrick should have a good shot at joining. For his 14th birthday, I got him most of his desires; an 88-key electronic piano, a long-board and ibeats headphones -- all of which set me back quite a bit. It's amazing to think that he's a teenager. His age coincides with the death of my father-in-law, Tec and my mother and I often reflect on what they would have thought of him and the progress all the boys have made. What would they think?

And time rolls on. We just celebrated Martha's 51st birthday -- in a low-key way. AFter we both put in some time working, she and I just went out for a nice lunch, then went shopping for a den chair and groceries. Not very exciting, but the weather prevented a hike.

2011 Picnic Recap

Just completed the now-annual 'neighborhood picnic' or 'dam at the jam.' It's a production of practice beforehand and logistical headaches during. After sweating the few songs I had to perform, I drove the family minivan out for the sake of moving equipment, along with cameras. Fortunately, I didn't have to bring or rent any drums this year. Dan had decided that playing together was too difficult, so we loaded all my songs at the beginning and I played his drums left-handed for the first hour and then switched them back to righty for him to play the rest of the day. While I was hesitant about this arrangement at first, as an attempt to compartmentalize me (which it may have been), I actually liked this arrangement. Through Facebook and a Maine North high school reunion, there were some 300-400 people this year; many of whom were old friends I hadn't seen in decades. So the arrangement actually gave me more time to socialize -- though I was still stuck messing with cameras. There was also another side benefit of diminished anxiety. The songs I was doing were easier to begin with, I had some practice with the guys a few weeks before, I'd heard Dan's interpretations on some recordings, and now I was playing them earlier in the day, before there were too many people and I could get them over with. I actually surprised myself. Maybe it was because we've done it for several years, but right up until the time I sat down to play, I really wasn't a freakin' nervous wreck. (Of course, I still was during, which showed). This may have also had something to do with the atmospherics of the group. I'm not the only one who's had anxiety and frustrations. Dan and Matt have had to coach, console, mediate and manage a host of personality issues. Consequently, I detected a sense of "o.k., it'll be what it'll be" with a bit less pressure. And it helps suspecting that I'm one of the lesser personality problems in this bunch. Actually, my enjoyment was more just hanging out with Dan (stayed at his house two nights) and the other guys; as it really should be.

The Undiscovered Shore

On the final day in Michigan I ran a few miles in the morning and then jumped into Lake Michigan. The Lake was calm with just a few ripples, refreshingly cool and clear enough to see the bottom in more than five feet of water. The beach was bare and the water felt like silk. It was heavenly. People on the coasts worship the ocean-front and jam the shores to swim in gritty, vermin infested water. Little do they know the beauty and tranquility of these Great Lakes shores.