Captain's Log

Stardate 66129.42 - Urgent Appeal

2012-02-17T09:00:00.003-05:00

Please sign the petition!!

Memorial Sloan Kettering wants to build a new out-patient facility right up against our home. Our building has been asking for compromises to preserve some light and air, and MSK is ignoring us. Please join us in protesting the decision of MSK to ignore the pleas of its new neighbors completely, and show total disrespect for our quality of life and the quality of life in the surrounding community by constructing a building without giving any thought to how it will impact its neighbors and neighborhood. The point of this petition is to protest MSK's decision to ignore its neighbors and the grave impact that the construction of its desired building will have on our community. We are asking for a cordial discussion with MSK officials so they can work with us to minimize the damage caused to our residents, our building and our neighborhood.

Please sign the petition asking them to work with us, not steamroll over us!

NYC

Stardate 65694.12 - 9-11-01, Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T08:45:00.000-04:00

Cheryl and I moved to NYC in November, 2001. She received the job offer in August 2001 and we were starting to make plans to visit Manhattan to look at apartments when 9/11 occurred. It was odd to be looking at apartments in the weeks after 9/11 and have landlords and agents ask if we were relocating from lower Manhattan. Of course, 9/11 literally hit pretty close to home as we were living in the DC-suburbs of Northern Virginia at the time. Cheryl was in her office at the US Census Bureau and I was in a meeting at my job at Booz Allen Hamilton. I came out of the meeting and had a voice mail message from my mom asking if I was in the Pentagon that day (I had Pentagon access at the time). I thought it a very odd question at the time, until a secretary ran by and told me what had happened. I called Cheryl and while I was on the phone with her she was told her office was evacuating so she started what became a long drive home. We lived only 10 minutes away from my office so I went home as well and we watched everything unfold on television for the rest of the day.

People asked me afterwards if we were still moving to Manhattan. I tried to explain that I could have just as easily been in the Pentagon on that day (and Booz Allen Hamilton did lose 3 people in the Pentagon that day). I don't think either of us really gave a thought to not moving.

Five years ago I took the following pictures from the balcony of our rental place at 66th and 2nd ave. We don't live there anymore and I don't think I've taken any more recent photos so I've posted these again now. I felt like I should put something up here on the anniversary but I also think we've moved on. Maybe because I personally didn't know anyone lost on that day, but at some point we have to get past it. Not over it - never over it - but past it.

I'm glad to live in Manhattan, to have my kids go to school there, to work there. Even though we usually spend our weekends outside of the city we have no plans to permanently relocate out of Manhattan any time soon. I said it 5 years ago and I'll say it again - we're proud to be in NYC since November, 2001.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 65669.46 - A Wedding on the Outer Banks

2011-09-02T08:34:00.001-04:00

Back in May my cousin Jenny Orrock got married on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was too far of a drive and too expensive to fly everyone down there, so I went to represent my family and my cousin Angelique went to represent her family. It was a wedding on the beach with reception in the large beach house they rented for the bridal party.

The mother of the bride, my Aunt Melinda.

My Uncle Harry, with his daughter Jenny.

I loved the cake with brown sugar as the "sand" on the beach.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 65669.43 - March of Dimes Walk

2011-09-02T08:26:00.002-04:00

So I am pretty far behind (as usual) in posting items to the blog. Back in April of this year, after we returned from vacation, we participated in the March of Dimes walk out in NJ. Our neighbor (Michael St.Amour) from when we rented the house in Highlands, NJ (before we purchased a place one town over) asked to borrow our kids for the walk. He had constructed a double-decker carrier for his own kids (who, as you can see from the pictures, are far too big to fit in it anymore), but had made a tradition of walking with this contraption. We walked with him in NYC last year with the kids in it, so we agreed to do it again this year (only in Asbury Park, NJ). Here are some photos from that event.

Here is daughter, now far too old to ride, helps get our kids situated.

It was a very overcast and cool day.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 65557.05 - April Vacation to BEYC

2011-07-23T07:46:00.012-04:00

Back in April we took a 1 week vacation to the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.

The club was great, but getting there was not. We were not sure Cheryl would be able to be away from work until shortly before Loren's Spring Break, and the cost of the airfare was so high we decided to travel on miles. This meant that we had limited options on getting there. So we flew from JFK to St. Thomas, stayed overnight on St. Thomas, took a taxi to the ferry which took us to Tortola, took another taxi to the dock where yet another ferry was to take us to Virgin Gorda and the BEYC. Then we repeated in the opposite direction for our return trip. It was a lot of travel to get to our destination and back.

Here is the pool at the hotel we stayed at on St. Thomas.

Here I am trying to keep Kate contained as we wait for the ferry to Tortola.

We ended up not seeing part of the paperwork we needed to complete to enter the BVIs, so after a huge melt-down (me and the kids) at passport control, we ended up missing the ferry to the BEYC. Luckily, they sent a power boat to come pick us up. Unluckily, it was quite a bumpy ride. When we finally got to the BEYC this was the view we had from our room.

Here Loren waits for the "taxi" car to take us down to the main resort.

The food was pretty good, especially the open air bar-b-ques at night. We ate right down by the beach and the kids loved being able to play when they were done eating and we could easily watch them while we finished eating.

Here is the view from our usual table.

There was also a pool, and for the first couple of days we spent a lot of time in the pool.

We took a sunset motor around the resort. It was supposed to be a sail but winds were very light while we were there.

Our room is in one of those little huts up on the hill.

We also took an excursion one day up to Anagada. This trip also involved open pick-up truck taxis to get us to the beach, after a high speed ferry ride to the atoll.

Here is one of their taxis, back at the resort. We walked the first couple of days, but it was a good 20 minutes to get to the main resort so by the end of the week we just called for the taxis.

Loren met a friend (Sadie) at the resort and we ended up hanging out with her parents a lot while the kids played.

We also took a small Boston Whaler out to Oil Nut Cove where a very exclusive resort was just about completed and ready for guests.

Here the girls play after breakfast on our last day at the resort.

And now we're back in the pool on Tortola before our flight back to NYC. At least our return flight was direct - we had a stop in Miami on the way down.

And finally, here are a couple of iPhone photos Cheryl took.

NYC

Stardate 65343.23 - Liberty Science Center

2011-05-06T06:44:00.004-04:00

One weekend in March, at Loren's request, we stopped at the Liberty Science Center on the way back from the beach house.

NYC

Stardate 65342.2 - Fisherman's 5K

2011-05-05T21:45:00.004-04:00

Cheryl decided to run a 5K so she entered the Fisherman's 5K in NJ and Loren also got to run, although Loren only had to do 100 meters. Cheryl worked hard and trained and did great!! Yea, Cheryl!! Loren also did very well and loves her medal.

NYC

Stardate 65342.18 - March in NJ

2011-05-05T21:35:00.005-04:00

Here are a few pictures from NJ from March. Here we visit with Cheryl's grandmother at her beach condo.

The weather was mild enough one weekend for me to break out the grill.

And it was warm enough to open up the windows while the girls practiced ballet.

NYC

Stardate 65342.14 - Welcome Jaya

2011-05-05T21:14:00.005-04:00

Back in late February we went to Philadelphia to visit Su Ming and Kathy and see their new baby, Jaya. Once we got there we took the girls to a nearby playground so they could work off some energy after being in the car for the trip.

Here Loren checks out Jaya as Kathy supervises.

Kate decided she loved the baby play mat. We had this exact same mat for Loren but never figured out which box we packed it up in while Kate was still a baby.

Cheryl takes a turn with Jaya.

And here Loren hangs out with Su Ming and Jaya.

When we left Philly we stopped at the Please Touch Museum for the kids to have some fun.

The girls worked as a team in the play grocery store.

And they enjoyed the merry-go-round.

NYC

Stardate 65229.25 - Fairies, Princesses, and Crazies

2011-03-25T16:15:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos from February of the girls. First, Kate is a Fairy!!

Next, Loren and Kate are Princesses on their thrones.

Here they pose in their "Big Sister", "Little Sister" shirt.

And this was some type of crazy clothes thing, where they wore pants on their heads and socks on their hands.

NYC

Stardate 65208.98 - Loren's Special Day

2011-03-18T06:41:00.002-04:00

Loren's school vacations and Citi's holiday calendar sync up, so when Loren has a day off from school I almost always have a day off from work. So she and I enjoy a father-daughter day together, which usually involves working on a project. In February we opened up a scrapbook project that she had received for Christmas and put it together. It was a lot of fun and we completed the entire project in one sitting, which is pretty good as it took a long time.

Loren's ability to sit and work on something and stay focused is getting better and better. Last weekend at the beach house, for example, she took a stack of books and sat on our bed and read for 30 minutes - all by herself.

NYC

Stardate 65208.94 - Kate's Birthday

2011-03-18T06:22:00.004-04:00

Wow. Not a single post in over 2 months. We've had a lot going on I guess, and I have been extremely busy at work with a series of full-week meetings, including a trip to Dallas and a trip to London. Some other events happened in January, like Kate turning 2. Here are some pictures of her birthday part at the beach house.

The girls enjoy sitting together and watching Dora in the morning while Kate plays with her new Barbie.

We also had another birthday party to attend of a former pre-school classmate of Loren's. It was a pirate-themed party.

We also had a loss in January as we had to put our cat, Squirt, to sleep after a 6-month battle with kidney failure. She was almost 15 years old, so she had a good long life but it was still a pretty sad event around here. I'll put up a memorial post for her as soon as I can dig up all the good photos of her we have digital as well as scan in some of her early photos.

NYC

Stardate 64988.2 - Fun in the Snow

2010-12-27T16:39:00.006-05:00

Once the sun came out and the wind died down a little we all ventured out. We made one aborted effort earlier in the day (photo immediately below) but it was cloudy, windy, and cold and the girls didn't last. I don't have snow pants or boots, but I do have my foul weather boots and pants for sailing, and with enough layers on under them (they are for summer use) they worked out pretty well.

Once we saw other people out sledding in the street we went back out and this time the girls had a blast on their new sled. Target was out of them on Sunday, but Cheryl saw a guy returning this one so she went and got it from the return desk on our way out.

Yeah, I'm not getting the car out anytime soon. Especially since I broke the damn shovel almost as soon as I started shoveling. I did the entire path from the car to the deck using Loren's small sand shovel, which I had luckily taken from the garage on Sunday in anticipation of Loren wanting to help shovel. Because I'm not getting to the garage anytime soon, either.

I'm a little worried about the weight on the gutters.

Later, while Kate napped, Loren played Nickelodeon Fit on the Wii.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64987.18 - Blizzard!

2010-12-27T07:45:00.005-05:00

Pictures from the morning of December 27, 2010 at our beach house.

The wind has created drifts. The table is clear but the door is blocked.

Our front door.

The side door to the deck.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64985.43 - Christmas in NJ

2010-12-26T16:27:00.005-05:00

We spent Christmas 2010 in New Jersey. Cheryl's parents hosted Christmas Eve, and the girls wanted to get dressed up for the event.

There was some Wii playing going on with Cheryl's Dad, her brother Steve, and nephew Ethan.

Steve was in charge of handing out gifts after dinner.

Christmas morning was spent at our beach house, just Cheryl, me, and the kids.

Later Christmas Day Cheryl's parents, grandmother, aunt Marie, and brothers and their families all came over to our place for a late lunch/early dinner. The cousins all had fun playing together.

And on Sunday (before the snow started) Loren and Kate showed up their new shirts while standing on their new trampoline.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64985.42 - Decorating for Christmas

2010-12-26T16:20:00.003-05:00

As I sit an watch the blizzard dump 12+ inches of snow on us the day after Christmas, I thought I'd catch up on posting pictures. Here are three from early December as we decorated the tree for Christmas out at the beach house.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64924.56 - Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-12-04T11:10:00.004-05:00

We didn't take too many pictures at Thanksgiving (in fact, we apparently never got the camera out during Thanksgiving dinner with Cheryl's family). But we did snap a few pictures outside cleaning up the garden a bit.

Loren likes to trace pictures and words in the condensation when the door is open.

Atlantic Highlands, NY

Stardate 64905.87 - Loren's Actual Birthday

2010-11-27T15:29:00.003-05:00

On Loren's actual birthday we made a Bizzie Beaver snack that she found in one of her magazines.

This is supposed to be a beaver with a propeller-beanie on his head.

Cheryl got cupcakes from Crumbs for birthday dessert, which the girls just love.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64903.14 - Loren's Birthday Party

2010-11-26T15:33:00.003-05:00

We had Loren's 5th Birthday Party at the Galli Children's Theater. They put on a play for the kids and then there is pizza and cake. Exactly what a bunch of 5-year-olds enjoy! Multiple parents came up to ask us how we'd found the place, as they were thinking about it as a venue for their children's birthday parties.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64903.08 - Halloween 2010

2010-11-26T15:01:00.007-05:00

We finally decided to get a handle on the odd-shaped closets in the beach house so we went to The Container Store and had them design one of their Elfa systems for us. In preparation for the installation we painted the closets white. Loren was really excited about helping and did a great job assisting us!

The Yacht Club had their annual Halloween Party the weekend before Halloween and I invited a former co-worker, Xandree, and he husband and their son Anders to come to the event. We also took Loren's playmate from across the street, and everyone had a blast!

Xandree talks to Loren.

That week Kate's school had their Halloween/Fall event.

As did Loren's school.

We also had costume day at gymnastics the day before Halloween.

Loren and Kate wanted to pose with the Jack-O-Lantern.

And they wanted to do some hulu-hoop demonstrations.

On Halloween we raked some leaves.

Loren wanted to hand out the candy so she sat out in the cold on the stoop with the bucket of candy.

Kate went as a chef.

Here are Kate and Loren at Kate's very first trick-or-treat house.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64903.06 - Soccer and Skates

2010-11-26T14:51:00.004-05:00

Loren has been bugging us about roller skates, so we finally got her a pair. She practiced in the driveway with a little help from her friend across the street.

Also this summer Loren has been enrolled in a soccer class on the weekends. Cheryl took a few pictures from one of the final classes.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64903.04 - Su Ming's Baby Shower

2010-11-26T14:39:00.004-05:00

In early October we went to a baby shower for Cheryl's best friend from High School and her partner. Loren and Kate loved the balloons.

Here is the expectant mother!

We used some of my Hilton points left over from all the traveling I used to do and stayed overnight. The next day we went to the Please Touch Museum with the kids and they loved it!

Napping in the house of the Three Bears...

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64903.02 - End of Summer

2010-11-26T14:32:00.002-05:00

Couple of late-summer pictures of eating on the deck of the beach house.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64903.01 - Loren's First Day of School

2010-11-26T14:23:00.004-05:00

In September Loren started her first year of real school as she started Kindergarten in the New York City public school system.

Additionally, I left my company of the past two years (Gartner) where I've been supporting the Board of Elections in the City of New York and joined Citi. After 15 years of consulting I decided I was ready for a corporate job.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64902.95 - A Little Vacation (Part Four)

2010-11-26T13:53:00.006-05:00

Whew! We've gotten a little behind on the blog. Let me try to wrap up this vacation trip. After the DC portion of our trip, I headed back home as I couldn't miss work this close to the Primary Election. Cheryl and the girls continued on down to Virginia to visit with Mom and Judy. While there they took a trip up to the farm in Bath County where Judy grew up.

They also visited Aunt Tracy and Cousin Zach at their new house.

And of course, there were lots of good food and desserts at "Nana and Kracker's".

They also took a trip down to the river where Nana taught them how to fish.

And then Cheryl and the girls returned to NYC and the vacation was over.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64812.64 - A Little Vacation (Part Three)

2010-10-23T14:49:00.005-04:00

On our trip to Virginia we also visited with Monique and Justin and their kids, Caelan (2) and Raicheal (new born). We went on a little pirate boat ride on the Patomic River out of Alexandria. It was a very hot day.

Here is the new Wilson Bridge. Cheryl and I had driven over the old one many times back when we lived in the area.

National airport in the haze.

It was a nice visit, despite the heat, and Loren and Kate even got pirate souvenirs!

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

My Guiding Principle

2010-10-23T09:26:00.000-04:00

Best. Comic. Ever.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64772.34 - A Little Vacation (Part Two)

2010-10-09T21:45:00.007-04:00

On one of those vacation weekends I did take one day off and we drove down to Northern Virginia to visit with several people, including Cheryl's brother Andy and his wife Jen. While we visited with them we took a trip to the Udvar Hazy center, which we'd never been to (even though we used to live in the area). It was really cool, although the girls lost patience quickly (I think they were a bit over tired and off from the trip).

The SR-71 Blackbird.

And of course, the Enterprise.

And and Jen pose with the stroller.

Another view of the SR-71.

We also took the girls to a little park for them to run around and burn off some energy.

Kate was really excited by Peru cooking...

We also had a little fun in Andy and Jen's music room.

And while we were visiting we also spent some time at a water park. We thought it was more of just a couple pools and had we known the extent of the area Cheryl would have brought her suit. But alas, it fell to me to keep the girls in line in the water. ;-)

The trip isn't over yet! Stay tuned for more visiting in Part Three.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64772.29 - A Little Vacation (Part One)

2010-10-09T21:20:00.006-04:00

Back in August Cheryl took 3 weeks off to hang out with Loren and Kate before Loren started Kindergarten. I was still on a project for the Board of Elections and couldn't take any time off in the weeks leading up to the Primary Election, so I came out to the beach house here and there (and on the weekends) while Cheryl and the girls remained out in NJ. Cheryl did enroll Loren in a day camp, which Loren really loved so we'll see if we can do something similar next summer.

Here the girls enjoy a cool treat in the heat.

Eating grapes in front of the TV.

Loren loves to play school! And she can read pretty well now, too!

My Dad and his girlfriend Valarie came up for a weekend and we had dinner at Moby's with Cheryl's parents. It was a cloudy day but pretty warm as I recall.

Loren killed time before dinner was ready by playing around on the docks.

Kate's hot dog was almost as tall as she is!

The next day we went up to Twin Lights and climbed the stairs to the top of one of the towers and got some great shots.

The town of Highlands is below, with Sandy Hook in the distance (and beyond that in the haze is New York City).

This little sliver of land is part of Sea Bright, where Cheryl's Grandmother lives.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64601.24 - Finally!

2010-08-08T10:57:00.004-04:00

While Loren's swimming has been improving, one thing she still hates is putting her face into the water. She won't jump into the pool during class because she doesn't want her face/head under the water. We may have just cracked the code on getting her comfortable with submerging her head:

Snorkel!!

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64599.69 - Blue Water Regatta

2010-08-07T21:19:00.005-04:00

Today I raced as crew on Tony's boat Saga in the cruising division of the Blue Water Regatta for the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. I remembered to bring the camera, but Cheryl had recently adjusted the resolution to take a bunch of pictures of Loren's artwork before most of it went into the recycling so all the pictures I took today are at the camera's lowest resolution.

Here are some of the boats lined up in the mooring field.

We are on the launch, dropping off racers at their various boats.

Here is Saga, a Pearson 303.

Here is the boat owner and skipper, Tony, at the helm during the race.

We finished 5th out of 8 boats in the cruising division. That is one place better than our last race 2 weekends ago. Here is a final shot of Saga on her mooring ball after the race.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64596.41 - Thanksgiving in July

2010-08-06T16:35:00.004-04:00

We had our annual Thanksgiving in July event this summer the last weekend of July at my Uncle Herb and Aunt Randi's place in Connecticut. As usual, there was a lot of interest in the pool.

He had recently had a massive tree come down in his back yard, hence the straw and grass seed.

Loren put on a vest so that she could go into the deep end and had a great time swimming and swimming around and keeping up with the bigger kids, like her cousin Zach.

Kate enjoyed the same red and yellow car that Loren enjoyed 3 years ago (the last time the event was in Connecticut).

Kate demonstrated her love of all things sweet and messy.

The cousins all enjoyed the play house (I have never asked why one wall is missing).

Herb and Randi's Great Dane kept a watchful eye on everyone.

When we were trying to pack up Sunday morning to return to NYC Kate just couldn't keep out of the pool.

A great big "Thank You!" to Herb and Randi for hosting it this year. I hear next year is Ginger's turn since she couldn't make it this year. :-)

NYC

Stardate 64588.72 - Picnic and Butterflies

2010-08-03T21:12:00.003-04:00

On July 11, Cheryl organized a picnic for Loren and her classmates, as many of them are headed off to Kindergarten this fall. It was held in the Peter Cooper Village complex. It threatened rain for the first 30 minutes or so, but finally cleared up and the picnic commenced.

At one point the kids entered the fountain in the complex, but as that was apparently against the rules they were hustled out of it by complex security.

Nana and Kracker had given Loren a butterfly kit for Christmas, but not wanting to watch them perish in the habitat, we waited until summer to order them. Two containers of caterpillars arrived, and after about a week they built their cocoons. About a week later they hatched into butterflies and after a few days in NYC we transported them to the beach house where they were freed on July 17th. Loren wanted some pictures before we let them go by our garden, so here are some not-so-focused pictures of the 10 butterflies (they all made it)!

And finally, a picture of the girls enjoying a moment together in front of the TV.

NYC

Stardate 64588.71 - Visit from Cool Uncle Andy and Aunt Jen

2010-08-03T21:07:00.003-04:00

The weekend of July 10 "Cool" Uncle Andy and Aunt Jen stopped by for a visit. Loren enjoyed playing Clue with a larger group of people.

And Kate showed off her scooter skills, sans clothes.

NYC

Stardate 64588.65 - Fourth of July, 2010

2010-08-03T20:35:00.007-04:00

We went out to the beach house for the Fourth of July and the Fireman's Carnival was underway in Atlantic Highlands.

We also spent a couple of days on the beach, enjoying the water and the cool ocean breeze.

Loren actually wanted to be taken out into the ocean so she could swim. We had a pretty calm ocean so she really enjoyed it.

We also purchased a slip-n-slide for the back yard because of the intense summer heat and both girls enjoyed it!

The garden started to yield some results.

And finally, here are a couple of slip-n-slide pictures to end the post with.

NYC

Stardate 64583.21 - Victorian Gardens

2010-08-01T21:00:00.007-04:00

Back in 2007 the company I was with at the time rented out Victorian Gardens in Central Park for the company picnic. Loren had a terrific time. This year on June 21 we were invited to the family donor event at the same place, and it was really neat to see the difference in what Loren could ride and to also see Kate mirroring the same activities that Loren did 3 years ago.

I was amazed that Loren wanted to ride things like the swings, all by herself.

Cheryl took both girls in the balloon ride (Kate's first ride).

Another ride where Loren was pretty far up in the air (for a 4.5-year old!) was the plane ride.

Kate enjoyed the slower rides like the boat ride, but there was also a mini-roller coaster that Kate loved and rode 3 times.

And, of course, she had to drive the truck just like her sister did back in 2007.

NYC

Stardate 64545.95 - Summer Weekend

2010-07-19T06:34:00.004-04:00

Our neighbors at the beach house are great, and Loren has had a blast playing with the little girl across the street. On a hot day in June all the kids were enjoying Popsicles in our back yard.

Back in mid-June we got into Cheryl's parents' pool for the first time this summer. Both girls had a blast, with Loren realizing that she can touch the bottom of the shallow end. We started Loren in her swim vest, but once she figured out that she can now walk around in the shallow end she quickly announced that she didn't need it anymore. She is also taking swim classes at the Y again, and doing much, much better than last year.

NYC

Stardate 64536.8 - Blessing of the Fleet

2010-07-15T22:27:00.006-04:00

We participated in the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club blessing of the fleet last year on Jeff and Emily Smith's boat. They sold Incandescent this year, and Tony and Teresa invited us out on their Pearson 303, Saga. Loren and Kate participated, too.

The sailing vessels looked impressive.

Once Kate feel asleep Cheryl and Loren sat on the bow to watch the boats jockey for position in the procession.

Tony and Teresa were our hosts.

We managed to rig up the starboard aft quarter-berth for Kate to nap in.

The boat below, Christmas, won the "Best Dressed Crew" award.

After the blessing we enjoyed some food in the cockpit.

Kate was awake for the trip in the launch back to shore.

Kate and Loren hung out on the bench near the club as we organized our stuff to go home.

New York, NY

Stardate Unknown - x90 Service

2010-07-08T08:22:00.000-04:00

I purchased a 40 trip pass before the service even started, I so much wanted to believe in this replacement to the MTA x90 service. For the past 2 weeks, however, the one word I would use to describe this service is "unreliable". Today, July 8, I arrived at the 67th street stop at 0736 for the 0744 bus. It never came. I have now been standing in the heat for almost 45 min while the next bus is also not here on time.

I gave these guys th old college try, but if they cannot get their act together in 2 weeks they are doomed. Unless things improve dramatically - and I mean DRAMATICALLY - this month, I will no longer be using their services. I am very sad about this, but I am now missing a meeting at work because of their crappy and unreliable service. And that is unacceptable. If you are providing transportation for people to get to work you CANNOT be unreliable. Which in a word, is what this replacement x90 service is. Unreliable.

New York, NY

Stardate 64511.63 - Memorial Day Weekend

2010-07-06T17:56:00.009-04:00

On Memorial Day weekend we decided to put a garden in. We had a framed box-o-weeds that was a garden last year for the previous owners and Loren was very excited about growing things. So she and Cheryl cleared the weeds, I turned over the soil, and our neighbor and Cheryl's Grandmother supplied us with plants.

Also on that weekend I took Loren sailing with me on Tony's boat. Loren was bored by the time we motored out far enough to catch some wind, but she did get to drive some.

And here Loren and I pose with the garden, now ready for planting.

We also went over to a small beach near her friend Lucca's house, where the kids took over a beached kayak.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64511.35 - Sailing Video

2010-07-06T15:29:00.004-04:00

Here is a video of part of the trip back to Newport from Martha's Vineyard. I like it because with the fog and clouds, you can't really see any land. It is like we are all alone on the ocean. And that is pretty cool.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64511.27 - Sailing to Martha's Vineyard

2010-07-06T14:47:00.016-04:00

So for my Birthday / Father's Day gifts this year, I took 3 days off from work and went on a nice, long sail out of Newport, RI to Martha's Vineyard. I went with Thomas (who I always do these log trips with), Terry (who I used to work with), Jay (who I have sailed to Block Island with before), Tony (a fellow member of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club who I sail with a lot on his 30 foot Pearson named Saga), and Justin (co-worker) and his girlfriend Jackie. Tony and I left early Thursday and met up with Thomas at his house and he drove us to Newport where we acquired Summer Magic, a 42-foot Beneteau. The rest of the crew trickled in throughout the evening so we could get an early Friday morning departure for Martha's Vineyard.

I don't know if it is because I'm such a Science Fiction fan or what, but I just think the navigation stations on these bigger boats are the coolest things. Especially since I know how to operate everything.

Here is the helm, which is what I like doing best. Tony had to pry my hands off the wheel a few times so he could get some time driving the ship.

We spent the night in a small slip at Fort Adams. The company we got the boat from, Bareboat Sailing, is based there.

Friday morning we left for Martha's Vineyard. Winds were light throughout the 5-day trip and we had to motor a lot more than I would have liked but when you go before the season really starts you take you chances. At least the rain held off for the trip. Below (left to right) are me, Tony, Justin, Jackie, and Thomas.

We put into Menemsha Friday afternoon, which is a quaint fishing village. There are only two mooring balls in the harbor and we took one. Since it was pre-season we couldn't hail the harbor master and subsequently didn't have to pay for the mooring. Thomas, Terry, Tony, and I got talk-out seafood from a super fresh store (Lawson's) and ate dinner on the boat. The rest of the crew took an excursion ashore.

Here is the narrow channel I had to bring the boat through in order to reach the harbor.

And here is Summer Magic, with the dingy off the stern, on the ball in Menemsha.

On Saturday Tony, Thomas, and I (the early risers) went to Edgartown for an early lunch while the rest of the crew slept off the night before. There is a pretty good and not too terribly complicated bus system for going all over Martha's Vineyard, and we frequently availed ourselves of it.

The next stop was Oak Bluffs, which had a village within the town of these small gingerbread houses (a former Methodist camp).

We met up with the rest of the crew for drinks at a local watering hole in Oak Bluffs. Here is the entire crew (left to right)--Jackie, Justin, Terry, Tony, Thomas, me, and Jay.

Then we split up again with Thomas, Tony, and I heading into Vineyard Haven to visit the famous Black Dog Tavern (although I got the t-shirt, we didn't actually go in).

Sunday morning we headed back under cloudy skies to Newport.

Once we got to Newport the breeze freshened and we decided to turn for Block Island. Then the fog rolled in, however, and although I was game for the trip (I also had the radar going with the AIS overlay in place) most of the rest of the crew seemed to be ready for an early return to Newport. So we turned back to Newport and located our home base mooring ball where we took in a cheese and cracker snack on deck.

I climbed into the dinghy for a shot back of the rest of the crew. That evening we ate in town and Justin and Jackie departed for home.

The next morning it was incredibly foggy.

After fueling and watering up the boat, we offloaded all the supplies and went our separate ways. Well, Jay went his separate way. Thomas drove Terry, Tony, and me back to Queens where Tony got a car service to return him to the ferry back to Jersey, while Terry and I shared a car back into the city.

It was a really good trip, and I had never been to Martha's Vineyard before! Sailing someplace is way cool. I mean, day sails are nice but to actually have a destination is really, really cool. And I love sailing the big boats that I cannot actually afford to buy! ;-) And although we didn't make it to Block Island this trip, I have sailed there before back in May 2008 and October 2008.

I'm already looking forward to the next time!!

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64505.96 - New Beach House

2010-07-04T16:11:00.003-04:00

After a year of renting a place on the shore in Highlands, NJ, Cheryl and I decided to buy a small place one town over in Atlantic Highlands. We used the rental almost every single weekend. It was a nice break to get out of the city and have access to the shore and to Cheryl's family. With housing prices and interest rates low, we decided the grand experiment was a success and purchased a house. It is a 2-bedroom, 1.5 bath single-family home with a detached garage and a basement. Although built in 1926, it has significant upgrades. Here is the kitchen:

Part of the dining room and the front door:

The dining area, the basement door, and the entrance to the kitchen:

Loren sits in the living room, making sure that the cable works:

Here is the big back yard and the detached garage. This was taken from the small deck on the side of the house.

Back of the house:

And the front of the house:

Here we try out the back yard and a slide Cheryl got at the big town yard sale.

The neighbors are all great, and Loren already has a playmate across the street and they get together at least once every single weekend. We can no longer walk to the beach, but we can walk to the marina with our yacht club where I sail. And the beach is a short 5 minute drive away for the bay beach or 10 minutes for the ocean beach. In short, we love it!

And Su Ming and Kathy came by for a visit shortly after we closed and moved into the house. Cheryl went with them and the kids to a restaurant in the marina (I was off doing something--I just cannot remember!).

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64505.94 - Mother's Day

2010-07-04T16:06:00.003-04:00

On Mother's Day weekend we had dinner at Elaine and Dave's place, and Kate discovered crudité--specifically the tomatoes.

Cheryl's Aunt Marie has a new pet named Pablo. He is about the right size for Loren to handle.

And in May we also celebrated Loren's 4.5 birthday. She has really gotten into celebrating half-birthdays for some reason.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64505.92 - Beach Weekend in NJ

2010-07-04T15:55:00.004-04:00

Wow. We haven't put up a post since early April. Things have been pretty busy, as everyone keeping up with us on Facebook is probably aware. Here are some pictures from early May, from one of the last weekends before the 12-month rental in Highlands, NJ ended and we purchased a weekend place in Atlantic Highlands, NJ.

We did get a used bike trailer, and the first weekend in May Cheryl took Loren over to Sandy Hook.

Here is the view from Sandy Hook back over to our small bay beach at Highlands, NJ.

One of Loren's friends from Highlands has a small beach near his house, and Cheryl took the kids over there for an afternoon. Here Kate multi-tasks by eating and playing in the sand at the same time.

Loren and her friend, Luka, play on the beach.

I like this photo Cheryl took of Loren a lot.

Here are a couple of pictures of the Twin Lights of Highlands.

Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64268.12 - Easter Sunday

2010-04-08T20:48:00.004-04:00

Easter Sunday we enjoyed Chocolate Pancakes for breakfast and some family fun time playing around.

The day got hotter and hotter and I was overheating while playing hide/find the eggs in the back yard with the kids.

We then went over to Cheryl's Grandmother's place in Sea Bright for Easter lunch with Cheryl's parents.

We took a stroll over to the beach after eating where the ocean breeze was refreshing.

Kate had a blast and kept running off down the beach. Cheryl managed to get her to sit still for a couple of pictures.

I really like this shot of Kate wandering away down an empty beach.

NYC

Stardate 64268.09 - Easter Saturday

2010-04-08T20:33:00.003-04:00

On Easter Saturday we got up early and drove to the beach house. From there we went over to Sea Bright for the Easter Parade and Egg Hunt. It was foggy and cool, which didn't exactly match our attire.

Our stroller took 3rd place in the stroller competition (competition was light). The parade part wasn't too bad (although the place was packed and losing sight of Loren multiple times in the crowd wasn't a great feeling). The egg hunt, however, was not fun. The horde of parents and kids swept across the beach with such ravenous greed that Loren and Kate and me and Cheryl (who were near the back, having never participated and didn't know where to prestage) got a grand total of 1 egg. That's right, Loren got a single egg out of supposedly 1,500 on the little kids' side of the beach. I saw kids with baskets overflowing, and poor Loren got a single egg.

Luckily, she was pretty excited about her one egg, and another little girl who had about 20 came up and gave Loren 8 of her eggs. So that was pretty darn nice and Loren got a few more eggs.

NYC

Stardate 64261.05 - Good Friday

2010-04-06T06:53:00.006-04:00

Cheryl had Friday off and daycare was closed so she spent the day with the girls while I was at work.

They went over to Central Park and spent some time in the Children's Zoo, which is one of Loren's favorite places.

They then had a picnic lunch in the park.

They also visited one of the playgrounds before heading back home.

NYC

Stardate 64228.22 - Bike Trailer

2010-03-25T07:14:00.003-04:00

We purchased a bike trailer off of Craig's List last weekend (when the weather was so wonderful). Loren has been asking for one for a year, but we didn't want to get one until we were sure the grand beach house experiment was a success and we were going to continue to keep a place on the shore. Of course, Loren is now a little too big for it but perhaps she'll get one season out of it. Kate should be able to ride for a couple of seasons at least. And of course, Loren has her own bike to ride, too.

NYC

Stardate 64178.9 - February Pictures

2010-03-07T07:15:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from a random day in February at the beach house when Loren and Kate were playing with the kitchen set.

And here are a couple of random February pictures from home when Loren and Kate were getting their bling on!

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64121.8 - Rockefeller Plaza

2010-02-14T11:01:00.004-05:00

From our point-and-shoot camera, Cheryl took these photos back in December when she and Loren went to Rockefeller Plaza to look at the Christmas Tree. They ended up also going to the Top of The Rock while they were there.

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64118.7 - Visiting

2010-02-13T07:49:00.002-05:00

Here are some Kate pictures. The first one is from a birthday party for one of Loren's classmates in White Plains.

That weekend we also went to visit some friends who now live in Battery Park City. Their son has a red car that Kate really liked.

Kate also ate her first sushi roll for lunch.

They have a really cool view from their windows.

NYC

Stardate 64118.56 - Kate's First Birthday

2010-02-13T06:39:00.005-05:00

We spent Kate's one-year birthday out at the beach house. It was sunny and a bit cool. We played at the local playground:

Loren showed off her skills at the community center's rope tower.

We strolled over to the beach. There is just something neat about being on the beach in the winter.

There was still snow by the water, and a couple of Loren's friends were there to play on the show with her.

Later, Cheryl's parents, aunt, and grandmother all came over for the present opening and dinner. Here Loren and Kate play with one of Kate's new toys.

And of course, there was cake!!

NYC

Stardate 64118.51 - First 2010 Photos

2010-02-13T06:13:00.003-05:00

Here are some of the first pictures we took in 2010 at the beach house. Here Loren and Kate play with their new (used) kitchen set.

Here we are diligently working on completing a puzzle.

Here are the stockings for the kids, before we started taking down the decorations.

And here we are back in the city, with Loren and Kate writing on the whiteboard. I think they were playing school.

NYC

Stardate 64084.5 - Ballet Recital

2010-01-31T20:19:00.005-05:00

On Sunday, December 27th, we drove all the way back to NJ from Verona, VA in order to make it in time for Loren's Ballet Recital (which had been postponed from the great snowy Saturday). We got back in time to stop for a quick lunch and to swing by the beach house to drop off the Virginia presents. Then we hustled over to the YMCA in Redbank for the recital. Cheryl's parents just made it as they were driving up from Arlington, VA where they had been visiting Andy and Jen. Cheryl's Grandmother was there before we even arrived.

Here the instructor, Miss Hannah, poses with Loren after the recital.

And I pose with the girls before we leave.

Loren did very well! Unfortunately, the next level class is not taught on the weekend so it looks like we won't be doing ballet any more this winter. We'll have to see what Loren wants to learn next.

NYC

Stardate 64079.25 - Holiday Time Wraps Up

2010-01-29T22:16:00.008-05:00

On Saturday we hung out with family for the day. There was a lot of family, and a lot of food.

In the afternoon we went over to Ginger's to see her new house and to have snacks and drinks. The "and drinks" part becomes important, as you will see as the pictures progress below. Here Kate sleeps with Aunt Susan holds her and all seems well with the world.

Then Loren decided to direct a play, and somehow I ended up with a gorilla mask.

But I wasn't the only one with a mask on...

Or a funny wig...

Or funny hats...

In fact, everyone got pretty silly while Loren tried to maintain order and do something vaguely resembling directing a play.

Finally, she gave up and a few of us went outside to test out Aidan's snowball blaster (a gift from us, by the way). Here I demonstrate the proper form for the device but apparently not the proper attire for being outside in the snow.

Cousin Hillary also give it a shot. (Pun intended).

The sky was pretty cool looking that evening.

Aidan and Loren played for a while in the snow in the back yard, long after I got too cold to stay outside with only a t-shirt on. Even if it was an awesome Jessica Stover t-shirt, which apparently gives you the power to be outside in the snow without any ill effects for a limited time.

Here Ginger poses in her backyard with me and Kate.

Then it was back over to Nana and Kracker's for the night. Sunday we had to get up very early and drive to NJ for Loren's ballet recital. But that is a topic for another post.

NYC

Stardate 64079.21 - Christmas in Verona

2010-01-29T21:57:00.005-05:00

Wednesday we arrived in Verona to visit Nana and Kracker. Loren participated in another gingerbread house project. She was starting to get pretty good!

There was still a lot of snow on the ground in Verona, and Kate loved the big glass doors and looking outside from them.

Here is Nana (my Mom).

Zack helped Loren assemble her Hot Dog Stand, and they then served their first customer - Kate!

Christmas morning came and it was time to open the presents.

Loren got a butterfly growing habitat.

Nana and Kracker pose with the girls.

We then went over to the parents' place of a good friend of mine from High School. Loren loved the tools their son had received for Christmas.

NYC

Stardate 64007.02 - Christmas in Richmond, Part Two

2010-01-03T13:32:00.003-05:00

Tuesday evening we headed over to my Uncle Harry and Aunt Melinda's place. Their daughter and my cousin Mandy is currently staying with them, and her son William had a ton of toys around for the girls to play with. Everyone did pretty well sharing, and Loren and Kate both loved the driving toys. We had an excellent dinner and enjoyed just sitting around in front of the TV some.

We spent the night and then Wednesday morning headed out for Mom's place in Verona.

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64006.97 - Christmas in Richmond

2010-01-03T13:07:00.004-05:00

On the Tuesday before Christmas we left Andy and Jen's in Arlington and traveled to Richmond to my Grandmother's place where my Dad, my sister Tracy, and Tracy's son Zachary met us. We opened some gifts, and then all went out for lunch. Afterward, Loren, Zach, and I played out back in the show for a bit.

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64004.06 - Christmas with Andy and Jen

2010-01-02T11:38:00.004-05:00

In an effort to cut down on long periods of time in the car, we started our trip to Virginia with a stop in Arlington and Cheryl's brother Andy and his wife Jen's place. Her parents were also there, but somehow we never ended up with any photos of them.

While we were there Loren worked on the first of the two gingerbread houses she made.

Here is the nearly finished product, which Kate is checking out.

Wednesday morning we had Christmas with Andy and Jen.

Loren got a chef's outfit, which she would later use a lot with her hot dog stand.

We got a picture of Uncle Andy and Aunt Jen with the girls before we left that morning for the drive down to Richmond.

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64004.0 - Loren's Camera

2010-01-02T11:06:00.006-05:00

Cheryl's Grandmother got Loren a camera for Christmas. The resolution is pretty low, but she can still get some fun shots with it. I think she took all these herself except for the ones with her in them.

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64003.88 - Snowy Weekend

2010-01-02T10:04:00.009-05:00

I know the big storm has long come and gone, but with the holidays we're a bit behind posting to the blog. Cheryl is out with Loren and Kate to exchange a Christmas Present (duplicate book) and to get shoes for Kate. Kate is about to transition to the "1's room" at daycare and has to have actual shoes for outside play (as long as it is above freezing and not raining they go out for a bit each day). So I have 60-90 minutes to try to get a few posts up. In addition to the big snow, on the weekend of December 19th we celebrated Christmas at the beach house (Santa came early!) since we'd be traveling on Christmas-actual.

All was calm on Saturday, before the big snow. In fact, they didn't postpone Loren's ballet recital until pretty late in the day as the heavy snow didn't really start until almost 6 PM.

By mid-day we only had a light dusting of snow. That didn't keep Loren from wanting to go out and play in it, however!

The girls were pretty excited on Christmas Eve.

That night, Santa came early since we were going to be away on Christmas Day. Here is the tree after Santa put all the presents under it.

The girls were pretty excited to open their gifts on "Christmas"!

Then, of course, there was the snow to deal with outside. Over a foot fell, and there was a good 2 feet that had drifted into the driveway. I had pulled the car all the way to the back door (which is normally how we enter/exit the house) and that meant I had a lot of driveway to shovel. It took me a few hours.

Here you can see the depth of the snow.

Someone (I think Loren) said our car looked like a cake.

Loren played outside with Cheryl while Kate napped and I shoveled.

We actually had a few rose blooms on the rose bushes when the snow fell.

Without a sled, Loren used her boogie board as a stand-in.

We left Sunday night and returned to the city for 1 day of work/school, and then headed to Virginia for the rest of Christmas week. Those photos will follow soon!!

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 64002.4 - Nikon D5000

2010-01-01T21:07:00.003-05:00

For Christmas, we got Cheryl a Nikon D5000 camera. It is pretty darn cool. Here are a couple of the first pictures she took with it.

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 63970.98 - Charlie Brown Christmas Killed by ABC

2009-12-21T09:46:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone watched ABC's presentation of Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, but they cut up the episode to insert more commercials. My friend Jess does a dramatic reading of a well-written letter to ABC:

NYC

Stardate 63949.62 - Trimming the Tree(s)

2009-12-13T14:42:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we put up our tree at the beach house. We purchased trees for years in the city at exorbitant rates, and dealt with finding needles for months and months afterward. So we finally purchased an artificial tree last year. Since it was in Cheryl's parents' attic, it was easiest to just bring it over to the beach house. They and Cheryl's grandmother came over to help.

Loren did a great job helping!

Kate helped by carrying around this ornament for most of the time we spent decorating the tree.

Here is an ornament I created from a kit when I was 10 (in 1979--30 years ago).

Cheryl's Mom helped Loren make a pizza for Loren to eat for dinner after the tree was done.

The next day we went to the Yacht Club for the Trim a Tree party there, and Santa stopped by with books and toys for the kids.

Here I read Kate's Santa book to her before we left the party.

NYC

Stardate 63911.87 - Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T19:59:00.003-05:00

For Thanksgiving we went to the beach house early Thursday morning. As we were getting ready to go, Kate started cooking her version of Thanksgiving dinner and Loren was busy working her sticker book.

Before Thanksgiving dinner Loren told me she "wanted to go for a walk". I suggested the sea wall, to look at the bay, or perhaps around town to see what houses were up for sale. She took my hand and started up the street and said, "No, Daddy. The school playground." So that is where we went.

There is a great view from the school down to the town of Highlands and Sandy Hook bay, then Sandy Hook and the Atlantic Ocean beyond that.

We apparently never got the camera out during the dinner at Elaine and Dave's place, probably because we were too busy chasing the kids around. On Friday we hung around the house, played with chalk outside on the back patio, and went to Cheryl's Grandmother's place for dinner. On Saturday we took the kids to the Monmouth Museum where they had a great time in the aquatic and space rooms.

Here Loren space walks...

Here Loren and Kate visit the Moon.

I don't want to spoil the illusion, but I see little pink fingers floating next to the space helmet.

We came back into the city early Sunday to beat the traffic, but not before snapping a few photos in the beach house at breakfast.

NYC

Stardate 63905.03 - Nana and Kracker Visit

2009-11-27T08:04:00.005-05:00

The weekend before Thanksgiving Nana and Kracker came up to the beach house for a visit with the girls.

Saturday night they watched the girls and Cheryl and I went for an early dinner at Bay Ave Trattoria. It was fantastic!! Must go back some time. The appetizers were especially distinctive and tasty. Being NJ it is a BYOB establishment, however a licquor store is just across the street by the gas station, and I was able to quickly procure a bottle of wine for the meal. Special thanks for the babysitting, Nana and Kracker!!!

On Sunday after they left we had to rake up some leaves in the side yard and so Loren got to jump into her first leaf pile.

On Sunday Loren had a play date with a boy who also lives in the city and has a place here at the beach. Here she is waiting for him to arrive.

We had a great visit and Nana and Kracker didn't hit too much traffic. We'll be seeing them again at Christmas.

Highlands, NJ

Stardate 63873.7 - Loren Rides Her Bike (Video)

2009-11-15T21:39:00.002-05:00

The audio is the funniest part.

NYC