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Some stories are a lifetime in-the-making

A childhood friend of ours organized a reunion of sorts for our elementary school classmates. A dozen or so got together in June. Unfortunately we were unable to attend. But we did receive some photos of the event. Included in those pics were some class pictures.

Here is our 5th grade class in 1973. Yes, that is Eva and I. That was 35 years ago! It is hard to wrap one's mind around 35 years. Thinking about all that has happened and we've done in just the last one year is an eye opener. Literally a lifetime had passed between our Jr. High graduation and when Eva and I reunited. By the 5th grade, Eva and I had already known each other for 2 years.

Since our class remained intact for 4 formative years in elementary school, many of our classmates left lasting impressions. This class picture triggered a ton of memories. All of them good. And although I already have a great appreciation for Eva, thinking about what we've both individually gone through to get to where we are now gives me an even greater appreciation for her (if that is possible).

Sometimes you meet the love-of-your-life at a very early age.

 

Cruisin' (on more than just a Sunday afternoon)

We just returned from a 5 day cruise... and what a cruise it was! Here's a shot of the 4 of us as we disembarked at our first port of call, Catalina Island. Yeah, it's only a few minutes away from the mainland of California. Yeah it is still in the United States. But, there is something very special and unique about the little town of Avalon.

It's been a while since our last leisure vacation. 3 years to be exact. We planned on taking a cruise last year, but because of the time required for preparing for Family Camp and the inability to line up a time when all of my kids back East would be available, we decided to postpone it. For a variety of reasons, my kids back East were unable to join us for this cruise. But we were desperately overdue for a vacation so we had to forge ahead with the plans anyways.

We sailed on Carnival and had an awesome time. We had a chance to really unwind and relax. I actually got into the hot tub a few times and lounged on the deck. The food was fantastic. The entertainment was top-notch. Since Jeremy and Elizabeth were in the teen group, they had a bit more freedom, which meant that Eva and I had a bit more freedom too. The highlight of the trip for me was going to the Disco onboard and dancing with Eva during the "Flashback dance party". (The first time that we danced together!) When we returned to our cabin, Elizabeth was waiting, with her arms folded and proclaimed, "it's about time you kids came back!" LOL

WillysJeepMan Origins

Some people wonder where the nickname "WillysJeepMan" came from, why I changed from "sracer" (Speed Racer). As you can see by this photo taken in 1966, I did indeed look like Speed. I was even sporting a black racing jacket that my grandfather hand-tailored for me complete with nifty Bobcat emblem. (He had just made his own racing suit for Kart racing and had some material left over)

That grey early-50's Willys Wagon was my grandfather's only vehicle for nearly 20 years. I've spent many hours riding in that jeep. Weekend trips upstate (when we were living in NYC)... the occasional unexpected pitstops to make a roadside repair... trips towing the go-kart trailer to Blitz Karting Stadium on Long Island... Willys Wagons, and that one in particular were my grandfather's trademark.

So it was only natural that when I purchased a Jeep Patriot last year, that I would pick up the mantle of "the jeep man". Every time I get behind the wheel, I have a split-second flashback to a patient, fun, and loving grandfather spending time with his 4 yr old grandson.

The Holy Grail of Mechanical Pencils

The most perfect mechanical pencil ever produced was the (classic version of the) Quicker Clicker by Pentel. It may sound like hyperbole, but it's true. It was made to last literally forever. It's design didn't try to make a fashion statement. It was a no-nonsense pencil that worked. The barrel was just the right diameter. The side clicker was conveniently located. The eraser's metal clip enabled one to use the entire eraser.

I bought my first Pentel Quicker Clicker pencil back in 1988. It was a blue .05mm model. It served me faithfully daily for 15 years. It was with me for every soccer and baseball game I coached. It was with me on every school field trip. It was with me for every program and system that I designed during that time. The internal lead feed mechanism finally failed in 2003.

When I went to buy a replacement, I discovered that Pentel had changed the design of the Quicker Clicker. The new model had an integrated comfort rubber grip and was made of inferior material. Luckily, I found a spare green .05 classic tucked away in one of my moving boxes. I've been using it daily ever since. But I was concerned that should it get lost or broken, I would be left without a classic Pentel Quicker Clicker for the first time in 20 years! After scouring the 'net, I found a "hidden" web page on Pentel's eCommerce site where they were selling the last of their stock of classic Quicker Clickers. I immediately purchased 6. I can now sleep better at night knowing that I have a lifetime supply of classic Quicker Clickers.

Even though I'm posting this on April 1st, this is no joke. Just ask Eva!

Starbucks... in Bensonhurst?!

Unbelievable! Inconceivable! A sure sign that we are living in the Last Days. It was bad enough when the movie theatres, Italian pastry shops, and Jewish delicatessens all closed down. It was inevitable as the Italian and Jewish residents moved up and out. But for a faceless national chain coffee shop to open up on 86th St. in Bensonhurst is really just too much. The fact that it happens to be next door to the legendary "Lenny's Pizza" is simply adding insult to injury.

What's next? Lenny's will be closed down to make way for Pizza Hut?! My last visit to the old neighborhood was in June 2006. Muslim presence there was quite surprising. As was the number of houses for sale. Quite a bit of the neighborhood appeared to be rundown and in disrepair. Those elements that were new, lacked character. Soul-less chainstores. Thomas Wolfe was right, "you can't go back home".

Thankfully I have with me all that I need from that neighborhood "home"... my dear wife Eva, and my memories.

Goodbye 360... Hello PS3!

Yes, hard to believe it, but I have traded in my "launch day" XBox360 for a brand new 80GB model Playstation 3. Owning an XBox360 has been a mixed experience. On the one hand, I enjoyed playing games like: Project Gotham Racing 3, Amped 3 (snowboarding), Viva Pinata, numerous arcade games, and most of all the Zombiefest known as Dead Rising.

But with that fun came a lot of aggravation. RROD aside, for over 3 weeks, XBox Live outages prevented me from playing offline games that I bought, Arcade games that I purchased, and even caused the 360 from fully booting as it attempted to connect to the Marketplace. Enough was enough. So I packed up the 360, games, and accessories and carted them down to GameStop. I traded the whole kit and kaboodle towards the purchase of a PS3.

The PS3 is an amazing console. It feels like a solid, well-made device. As a DVD player, it upscales them better than my best standalone DVD player. Blu-Ray movies look awesome. The PS3 console menu and online store offer quite a bit of capabilities. Multimedia support is outstanding... playing DivX and WMV videos, mp3 music, display photos, etc.

Wonder Twin Powers...Activate!

"Wonder Twins" is a reference to twin brother and sister superheroes Zan and Jayna from the 1970's TV show "Superfriends". Although they are twins, they have unique abilities and personalities. Wonder twins definitely describes Jeremy and Elizabeth... the only thing missing is a space monkey.

This Christmas more than others in the past really illustrated their differences. Elizabeth being the more cerebral enjoying Nintendo DS Lite games like Brain Age, Big Brain Academy, and Petz. While Jeremy loves rockin' out arms flailing as he fingers through riffs in Guitar Hero III on the Wii.

They're the youngest of all my kids and we share a very special relationship. They are awesome kids, I love them so much, and I am so thankful that they are a part of my life.

Daddy's Little Girls

It's that time of year again. The days after Thanksgiving are usually when I scavenge up my Christmas music and photos. As I was gathering some pictures, I ran across a few photos from a family trip to Florida about 12 years ago. These pictures were taken with an 110 camera and then scanned in using an ancient scanner. Hardly the hi-res megapixel images found on today's digital cameras, but the memories they represent are just as vivid.

There's just something special about daughters. When they're infants they're all dressed up in frilly pink outfits. Even when they are being rambunctious, they look so sweet. A daughter's smile can melt the heart of a dad. I'm so thankful that I have daughters.

These pictures were taken in 1995. Even back then Nicole exhibited a flare for the dramatic. Camille, the older, responsible, and mature one. She absolutely loved "I Love Lucy" and was a big fan of Lucille Ball. Having her picture taken at a replica of Lucy's star on the walk of fame was a unique experience for her.

I love all of my kids equally but in different ways. And although it feels like a lifetime since those photos were taken, they will forever be.... Daddy's little girls.

Field of Dreams

The other day I was going through some boxes of stuff and ran across my old binder of baseball cards. There's approximately 400 cards from the 1960's through the 1970's. These aren't cards that were bought as an adult, but the actual cards that I saved through the years...eventually making it from shoe boxes to binder.

Inserted amongst the Tom Seavers, Catfish Hunters, Reggie Jacksons, Pete Roses, and other legendary greats, I ran across the two most valuable cards pictured here.

1995 was the year that Tommy started youth baseball. Fatbat wiffleball helped introduce 5 & 6 year olds to youth sports and the fundamentals of baseball. It was the year that Frank graduated to the "Minors" where the coaches pitched to their 7 & 8 year old players.

I had the pleasure and honor of coaching my boys for the entirety of their youth baseball experience. I was not the stereotypical over-the-top parent/coach that is unfortunately too common today. My sons are the most respectful and kind boys a dad could ask for. Any time we spent together was a great time.

Coaching youth sports takes a lot of hard work. But the treasure trove of memories I have coaching my boys makes it all worth it. To see and help Frank develop into a player with pro-ball potential is something that makes a dad proud. It was great to see Tom avoid the trap of trying to follow in his brother's footsteps and carve his own path. He too developed excellent, all-round skills and abilities but added an additional element of critical thinking.

Tom and Frank are now 18 and 20 respectively. Neither one will be playing pro-baseball. But our baseball memories are what dreams are made of.

Chiller Theatre

Dude, the show was a dud but we had a great time!

During my visit to NY last week I took the opportunity to join my brother, nephew, and a mutual friend for October's Chiller Theatre Horror & ScFi Expo. As has been the case for the past 6 years, the show was a bit of a letdown, but we had a great time anyways.

There were enough vendors present to be able to find some of the items on my wishlist.. notably the complete collection of all 120 episodes of the 1960's Batman TV show on DVD, the complete 26 episodes of "Salute Your Shorts", and the official limited edition CD soundtrack of "Day of the Dead".

The typical gaggle of guest celebrities were present. Val Kilmer was advertised but nowhere to be seen. Butch Patrick "Eddie Munster" was there along with the kids from "A Christmas Story", surviving cast from "What's Happenin'", Frank Stallone, Mark Goddard, Laraine Newman, Chyna Doll, Henry Winkler, David Faustino, and assortment of forgettable guests.

Every year we say that this will be the last year we attend, and it just might be... but we'll plan on getting together again regardless.

Zunestock!

The Zune I snagged on the latest woot-off arrived a few days ago. Unfortunately, the unboxing ceremony was not very well attended. That's okay, because after a DOA false-alarm, the Zune was charged up, synced, and customized.

Feature for feature it isn't as flexible as my Creative Zen Vision:M, but the Zune has a straightforward interface and style that simply plays media files with no frills or fanfare. It only supports WMV formatted videos, which is fine with me given my considerable experience working with the file format. I've got some accessories in transit that will round-out my Zune experience.

Fun at 45?

...at least I still have 5 years before I'm eligible to join AARP.

Well... today I turned 45 and I don't really know how I feel about that. Since I feel like I'm perpetually 25 years old the fact of actually being 45 doesn't compute. So I'll just let this day pass as any other day. Besides, every day is pretty special to me anyways.

I was however, motivated to revamp the website. I've switched to a template that has proven to be very versatile and easy to modify.

Bible Study group

Since January 2007, a dozen or so of our friends gather at our home twice a month to study God's word, pray for and love one another, and just enjoy spending time together. We've had a great series of studies on the Attributes of God and now we're studying the Biblical account of creation... verse by verse.

We have been blessed by how the Lord has been ministering to us through His word. In the process of preparing these studies, I have composed handouts that make nice reference material.

Stop by at our Bible Study website for more information and downloadable and printable material from our studies.

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