Some new Pictures

Sam and Hope after a Loyola Football win. After a series of "Open" fencing tournaments, that saw Lane fencing NCAA competitors, we were off to Kansas City for the North American Cup. While there, Ilene had the good idea to look up an old friend.

Back in the days when Lane was still in his crib, Ilene had joined a play group. One of the moms, had ended up moving away to Kansas quite a few years ago. Since we don't have many occasions to go to Kansas City; it had been many years since we had seen them. It was wild to see her two girls all grown-up.

Lane, Hope And Sam, Well, being Lane Hope and Sam

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We went to Detroit for thanksgiving. It was great to spend time, of course Lane and I need to be constantly entertained; so the two of us went of to Cranbrook museum one day then to Greenfield Village the next.

At Cranbrook Lane forgot his phone in the car; so he made me take pictures of the names and formulas of some 60 different mineral samples. (It's a good thing an iPhone can hold all those pictures)



Greenfield Village was fun. The weather cooperated, which I must say was a big plus considering that the whole activity consists of walking form one historic home to the next. The homes all have famous histories; but they have all been moved from their original location and brought here by Henry Ford.

In between running the largest privately held business, and writing love letters to Hitler; I guess he found time to build this village.

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We also had the opportunity to get together with freinds that were also in-town visiting their family.

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Unwilling to let anything stand in the way of "Throwing a party," Shirley decided to have a "Few family members" over for a Hunnukah Party. By a few, she meant 75 people.

October

Lane and his friend Dante out at the movies.

This is why we have to "Over see" Lane when he goes clothes shopping.

I still find it so strange to watch Lane fence in an "Open".

He has to fence NCAA fencers. These kids are in college.

Clearly he was not going to win or come in the top 8, but I was really proud that he gave each opponent a run for their money. He scored touches on each person he fenced, and even won some matches.

Catherine Cook Girls SoftBall
They won the season.... Undefeated.

With all of my Medium Format SLR Film Cameras, I ended up taking this with my iPhone. In fact I take almost every picture up here with the iphone. One I always have it with me. Two the Bronica cameras weigh about 15 lbs in the case. Three, I can't afford the $35,000 Hasselblad digital camera system I want.

New Pictures (End of Summer)

After a summer that seemed to never get started, we finally began to get some decent weather just about at the time School was ready to began again.

Oak Street Beach seemed to be a favorite destination for Lane and his friends this summer. I have to admit that I like the ease of East Bank Club. The beach always involves a lot of packing and unpacking the need to remember to "Bring things" rather than just depend on the club waiting to fill your order.

On the plus side, the beach does not require a membership; and is therefore an easy destination for gathering up a group. The Beach does have a restaurant; but it requires that you take Tranquilizers, to deal with the slow speed, and out-right confusion that accompanies each order.

Maybe my expectations are too high, but it seems to make sense that if I order chicken strips with fries; that they would both be served at the same time, in the same basket. (Thus the name "Chicken strips and a basket). Not once during the summer did the two items ever come-up at the same time, let alone in the same basket.

I think of the sand on a beach as giant Tempur-Pedic® mattress.

I understand that for many, the sand is a building material, the key, if not sole ingredient in the construction of sand castles.


That said, there is also another use for sand, to bury people.


When Sam and Taylor asked if ( told me) the could bury me in the sand, I had this image of 3 inches of sand being gently poured over my legs. It did not dawn on me that they learned how to bury one in the sand by watching the Soprano's.

At first it was fine. I thought it was so sweet of them to offer a towel to cover my face; so as not to get any sand in my eyes. It was later that I found out that they were well trained in the "Art" of Water-Boarding.
I assume there are no pictures of me being buried, based on the lessons learned at Abu Ghraib.


Jack and Lane sharing some chips

After a cold winter, and a less than warm summer, the water never seemed to get warm.

Sam

A few days in Spring Green

Except once in while when I'm riding my bike, I am quite aware of just how flat the land truly is in and around Chicago. For mountains, we must look to the walls of buildings lining Michigan Ave. or LaSalle; so it's a pleasant change to find myself surrounded by at least rolling hills.

Spring Green at about a 3 1/2 hour ride, is too far for a day trip, but makes for an easy weekend destination. Save for the unending stream of often disappointing, always nerve wracking, fencing trips; we had not gone away much lately; so we were happy to join friends on a quick trip.

The first night there we saw "Comedy of Errors." It was performed outside, the actors were good, the weather was perfect.

The architectural style of the House on the Rock could best be describes as a cross between the Hobbits, and a van from the 70s. This is what King Arthur would have built, if he was 5 feet tall, orange shag carpeting had been invented, and he was "Tripping on acid."

House on the rock has a massive collection of, well, collections.

This is clearly not the work of a curator carefully selecting the choicest examples exemplifying a particular style. This is about "The more, the bigger, the better.

From dolls, to guns, room-sized nickelodeons filled with a complete symphony of instruments, each slightly out of tune, playing while 10 other machines each playing their own tune, can be heard.

The very idea that there is a place called the Mustard Museum, demands that you visit.

We also went to this cute little Norwegian town. Cute to look at today as a visitor; but it would have been one very difficult life to have to live.

Lane's Trip to Washington with Judy and Jerry