Thanksgiving Weekend

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving here in the States and perhaps more importantly Wednesday was Nicholas' 8th birthday.

Mary Ann's Mum was staying for the week and we both worked until Wednesday

I picked the boys up around midday on Thursday and bought them home for a very tasty feast that Mary Ann prepared. Traditional Thanksgiving food, turkey, sweet potato, pumpkin pie, etc. Mary Ann's brother John and his wife Jessica came for Thanksgiving dinner. We ate about 5pm and were absolutely stuffed by 6. It was a very pleasant evening and we had a lot of fun.

Friday we acted like it as Nicholas' birthday and opened his presents. He got a globe of the world, a pirate board game and a game called Jenga from Mary Ann's Mum. All very exciting.

Even though we had lots of left-overs Nicholas decided we wanted fish for his birthday dinner so off it was to the grocery again to buy salmon, swordfish and shrimp which I cooked on the BBQ.

On Friday Mary Ann and her Mum disappeared to the wool shop and then for a fitting of her wedding dress. While they were doing that the boys and I went to shot some hoops and went blowing.

Friday night I wasn't feeling very well so went to bed early and didn't get up until 10.30 on Saturday morning by which time Mary Ann had been to the gym and back.

We messed around the rest of Saturday and Saturday night went to Longwood Gardens and met up there with John and Jessica. Very pretty with all the trees lit up. Photos attached (and also some of the wedding we went to up in Corning a month or so ago)

Toni's Wddding and Thanksgiving 2007

Mary Ann's Mum went back with John and Jessica and we got home about 10.30.

Sunday morning it was training at the gym. Somehow Mary Ann's dress fitting turned into my back getting pummelled with a whole lot of exercises on Sunday morning - go figure.

When we got home it was such a beautiful day we loaded the bikes on the back on the car and went to Mercer Park for a bike ride. Nicholas was very excited.

Dropped the boys off Sunday night and MA and I went to see a movie (No Country for Old Men). Pretty weird, but pretty enjoyable.

November Thus Far

Has been a while since I posted, apologies for all those who wait by the computer for their weekly update.

Has been a very busy last month. Had to hop on a plane down to NZ end of October/beginning of November as Mum was very ill. For those of you who don't know she passed away on November 3rd. She had been pretty crook for a while so it wasn't a great surprise, however it is still a shock when it happens.

Presumably now she is having those conversations with John Paul II face to face and just waiting for the Queen to get up there.

Got back after 6 days in NZ and had to head straight up to White Plains, north of NY for a 4 day meeting. Nothing quite like 24 hours flying and then getting caught in an hour and a half traffic jam at 1am in the morning to say "Welcome to America".

Finally got home Friday night and picked the boys up. That weekend Mary Ann and I hired a truck and a guy and emptied the garage out and put it all in storage.

Last week MA had to go back to Chicago for work and I had to go up to Boston so we were a bit like ships that pass in the night. She got back Thursday night, I got back Friday evening. Saturday we all went to pick up her Mum at her brother's place (outside Phillie) as her Mum is staying for Thanksgiving week. We took the opportunity to go and have a look at one of the Amish towns on central Pennsylvania. It was pretty touristy.

Sunday was rainy and miserable and we didn't do that much.

Gearing up for Thanksgiving this Thursday. Lots of food will be cooked and eaten.

Weekend of October 20-21st

Another busy weekend.

MA and I picked the boys up on the way home from work Friday night. Home for tasty home cooked dinner and MA and I did some more work around the house while the boys watched a little bit of TV.

Saturday is was up to go to the gym then quickly home to change as we had to go up to Corning for a wedding. The boys came with us and we all stayed the night at the mother of one of MA's friends up there.

The wedding and reception was at a beautiful spot at the top end of one of the Finger Lakes. Had a great evening. MA caught up with a lot of her old friends. I was the designated driver so was able to sit back and watch some pretty slick moves on the dance floor from everyone other than me.

Sunday we got up and went for a hike through a gorge at the bottom end of Lake Seneca called Watkins Glen. It is a gorge carved at the end of the last ice age with a river running through it with lots of Water Falls, etc. It was really cool, and the boys loved it. Hike took about 1 1/2 hrs with lots of stairs to climb.

Here are some photos from another web-site of Watkins Glen

Attached here are photos we took of the weekend.

Weekend of October 13-14

Been very hectic last couple of weeks.

Mary Ann moved weekend of Sept 29th - 30th. No rest for the wicked, come Monday we were both commuting into NY for work.

All her stuff arrived on Thursday and there were boxes everywhere in the house and the garage. We had the boys for the weekend, but most of it was spent unpacking boxes, hiring a storage facility and moving some stuff in there and trying to arrange Mary Ann's stuff in the new place.

The garage is now completely full of stuff that needs to go into storage (some of MA's, some of mine).

Last week we went down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a few days. Had wonderful weather, around 27-30 degrees every day. Went swimming most days. Played a round of golf on Thursday and the golf school I did a few weeks back must have paid off as shot a 77.

We drove back on Friday and picked the boys up Friday night. Nicholas and I watched a movie on Friday. Saturday was very busy. MA and I went to the gym in the morning. Picked up bagels on the way home. We then went to the Trenton farmer's market and picked up all sorts of tasty food for the pasta we were having for dinner.

Got back and did some more unpacking. In the afternoon the new dining room table arrived which was very exciting. We took the old one to Goodwill, and ate our dinner on the new table on Saturday night.

Saturday evening we played Bingo (which Nicholas one) and a game called Blokkus (which Kieran won).

Sunday MA, Nicholas and I got up and went to 8am Mass. We then came home and cooked up a big feast for breakfast (smoothies, apple cinnamon pancakes and frittata).

We then went out and got a storage unit for the kitchen which we all put together when we got home. I think MA is starting to get somewhat happy with the kitchen. Pot land is now sorted out and Tupperwareville is in a lot better shape than it was a week ago. Apparently a pantry is something you fill with food, something I was unaware of!!!!

After that MA and the boys carved a pumpkin for Halloween (photos attached, plus some photos of the weekend in Chicago that Mary Ann moved). It was very scary by the time they had finished and Nicholas refused to protect me if I got scared looking at it.

Carving the Pumpkin

At 4pm we went to a function at the parish for new parishioners which was a lot of fun. Met a guy there who worked for Reuters on the West Coast for about 10 years, so talked to him for a long time. They had tasty food so the boys were happy.

Dropped the boys off Sunday evening and MA and I went out for a beer to watch the second half of the Dallas New England football game (might as well start watching the American Football as the All Blacks can't seem to win anything).

Weekend of Sept 29-30th

Been a busy couple of weeks.

Week before last I was in London. Pretty hectic although did manage to see a bit of the 20/20 cricket from South Africa on TV which was great, especially seeing the Poms being humiliated.

Got back on Friday and picked the boys up and we went out for dinner. Dropped them back at Anita's Friday night as they were going to a wedding on Saturday. Went home and packed again for another week away.

Saturday morning went to a golf school for the day which was a lot of fun. Flew up to Providence, Rhode Island Saturday evening from Phillie for a conference at Newport which was Sunday thru Wednesday.

Conference was OK. Played golf up there on Sunday.

Wednesday night stayed at Lisa and Stephen's just outside Providence which was fun. Drove up to Bedford Thursday and then Thursday night flew to Chicago from Boston to help Mary Ann move.

Friday the movers came in and took out all Mary Ann's stuff from her apartment. We stayed in a hotel for a couple of nights and Sunday afternoon flew back to Phillie and drove home. She is now officially a resident of New Jersey and is still getting used to that fact!!!!

Weekend of Sept 15-16

Short entry.

Picked up MA Friday night from Phillie.

Saturday was spent doing jobs in the morning. In the afternoon we drove back down to Phillie as we were all staying in a hotel as MA and I ran the Phillie 1/2 marathon on Sunday morning.

Saturday afternoon we checked into hotel and went to get our race numbers etc from Exhibition Center. When we got back to the hotel the boys and I went for a swim. Then it was an early dinner and early to bed.

Woke up at 6am to head off to the run. We had organized a babysitter for the boys at the hotel room. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and a great day for running. We were confident of breaking the WR.

Walked to the starting area and the race started at 7.45. It was a loop around the city and then up and back down the river (31.1 miles). At the 4 mile mark we passed backl were we started. Because it takes a while to get going to we got to 4 miles around 55 minutes after we started, just in time to see the elite runners finish the race 9and we still had 9 miles to go)!!!!

Did pretty well but I started to suffer after about 10 miles, so the WR was out of reach for this race.

Finished the race (none of you need to know the time) and MA was sporting enough not to race miles ahead of me. It was a great experience and am keen to do another.

Hobbled back to the hotel and after a shower we all went out for Dim Sum and the first beer MA and I have had in 4 months (tasted very good).

Dropped MA at Phillie airport in the afternoon. Have to drop the boys off soon as I am off to Newark as am flying to London tonight. Hate to think how stiff I will be when I wake up tomorrow.

Weekend of September 8th-9th

It has been commented that there is too much information of what was eaten for dinner etc on this blog which some people may not find particularly interesting, so this posting will be food free. Just take it as read that no-one starved.

Picked up the boys on Friday night and we drove up to Mary Ann's friends place in Pawling (Chris, Sue and baby Alex). Got there about 10.30, set up the beds and the boys were out like a light. Had a couple of drinks then it was off to bed for all of us. The exciting thing about the drive was it was in MA's new car a Scion Tc which we bought last week. Little sporty stick shift car. All very exciting. It even got a thumbs up from the purveyor all all things cool, Kieran!!

Saturday morning got up and watched the All Blacks deal severely with the Italians in the World Cup game and then Chris and I went off to play golf. The boys and Mary Ann stayed at the house and apparently spent the next 6 hours in the pool.

Pawling - Sept 2007

Got back from golf $40 poorer (take it from me if you don't know golf it is hard to beat a guy if you are playing on the same handicap and he starts the back nine par, birdie, par, par, birdie).

Played Bingo on Saturday night which was a great hit and an early night for all.

Headed off on Sunday about 11.30, stopped at the shops at MA needed a new bag for work and got home about 4.

It was then time for the great clothes cull as the new closets had been installed on Friday and my clothes had to go back into them. MA, Kieran and Nicholas had a great time abusing my sense of sartorial elegance and threw away my clothes willy nilly.

Dropped the boys off and then MA and I went for a 5 mile run.

Dropped MA at the airport Monday morning (the last 6am flight she will hopefully ever take back to Chicago). She is back again on Friday as we are running the Phillie 1/2 marathon on Sunday morning (God help us).