Another Birthday

I am Three decades away from "My College Days"
I am Four decades away from "My High school Rock Band Days"

No I'm not every going to be a "Rock Star," Famous artist, nor am I going to find a cure for cancer,
or come-up with an equation merging the "Standard Model" of particle physics with general relativity. In four hundred plus years from now, no future Dan Brown is going to be searching for hidden clues in my photography.

Truth be told, I will likely never do anything of any special importance.


It's O.K, I mean I'm not terribly upset about where I am.
Sure, I would like to have money cascading into my bank account with Niagara Falls velocity,
rather than a small stream, but I'm thankful that I have a stream.

I’m happily married, have a child I that brings me joy beyond my wildest dreams. My Parents both
Look and act 15 years younger than their actual ages. Ilene’s family is well. I’m surrounded by the warmth of extended family and we have an amazing group of friends.

Sure, I’ll fall back into my moments of drama, and even spend a few fleeting seconds envying something some else has, something that would look good in my garage, or on my back.But in the scheme of things, I have a great deal to be thankful for this birthday.

Help the Earthquake Victims in Haiti

An overnight 7.0 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti- has the pontential to leave more than one hundred thousand people dead- and an untold number of families homeless.
We can all remember back to the death, destruction and general horror that was Katrina. A death-toll so large that it stretched our ability to truly comprehend. Years have passed, yet New Orleans is still wearing the visible scars, and any sense of normalcy, can still be years away. It is with that in mind, that we read about the devastation that occurred today of the island nation of Haiti. it is truly impossible to grasp what it means to hear of Hundreds of thousands are feared dead in the wake of the 7.0 -magnitude earthquake. Haiti, already the poorest nation in the hemisphere, has few resources to even begin the long task ahead.
Click below for a list of licks to help.
http://www.urbaninsuranceagency.com/insurance-articles/544/help-the-earthquake-victims-in-haiti.html
Together, we can make a difference

End of the Year Pictures

At the close of 2009, once again Ilene, Lane and I headed down to South Florida. We have been making the Christmas vacation trip since we were first married (Back in the 1700s).
For many years we would stay with Shirley in her Ocean-view condo in Boca. It's a beautiful unit facing the inter- Costal on one side and the Ocean clearly visable from the oposit bank of windows. The pool was a little heavy on rules, but the beach was just accross A1A.

When Judy and Jerry bought their town house at Glen Eagles in Del Ray, we moved or base of opporations there. Since it is tricky for both Jerry and I to be gone from Urban Insurance at the same time; we arrainge to be in Florida while they are back holding down the fort in Chicago.
This works out well because it gives on the place all to our selves for much of the time.

Going to Florida is less of a vacation, and more of a home away from home. Having the luxury to keep clothes in Florida reduces the amount of luggage we need; but it does involve another type of baggage. Could you picture paul gauguin heading off to Martanique to "get a way from it all."
Im trying to imagine how he might have reacted if upon arriving he found himself surrounded by parents, In-Laws, extended family and friends, negociating dinner reservations for twenty. Or having to get up early to "Save Chairs" around the main pool; an action that often placed Ilene, the Chicagoan up against anyone of an army of New Yorkers, in a struggle that resembled a Charles Knight mural of Triceratops in a Life-or-Death battle against Tyrannosaurus.


(by the way--Ilene won)


Jori and Eleo had us over for a Christmas day brunch, where we exchange Hanukkah gifts.

The next day we were off to Flamingo World.
It is one those "Old-Style" Florida attractions, the kind of place that you would expect to find advertised on a 40 year-old bilboard. That a big part of it's charm. It makes me miss the old Parrot Jungle World,
The trick to getting an acceptable picture of me, is to get the person to stand very far back, and then take the picture with a camera with crappy resolution. Lane the Golf pro


The morning after a very fun "Sleep-over" Lane had with James Garlin, His brother Duke, and Jack. Morgan joined them for the big carnival at Glen Eagles.

Lane found this little girl in the airport, not only did he entertain her, he tried to teach her to play. Well at least he found a way to Kill time during our very long trip home.
Happy New Years

One Brave Kirsch

Kirsh Family hanging out in Mexico

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