First Weekend @ the Ocean - Jan. 7th & 8th
Suzy's Orientation to Salisbury University
UPON ARRIVAL at Ocean Pines, Guy saw this tremendous flock of ducks, thousands of them, just sitting in this field. Amazing!
THE FIRST STOP UPON arrival, of course, was the beach where this picture highlighted the fun!
AT 4 o'clock began the Redskin/ Tampa Bay playoff game. Sandwiched in between calls to Cathy and nervous pacing back and forth, the 'Skins won!!!
THEN IT WAS off to the Dough Roller for dinner.........
...AND THEN TO the abandoned boardwalk for a stroll. It got very cold after 10 pm and we all headed back. Guy left the next day, Sunday after mass and a snooze and the first half of the Panther/ Giant game....the Panthers blew 'em out - 23 - 0!
January 21st - The Movie "Glory Road"
GOOD STUFF! The first all black starting 5 in NCAA finals history. Beat Kentucky!
Big fight afterwards about Alex's car in driveway.
Jan. 28th - 29th - Suzy to Salisbury U. and OC
THE TRIP BEGINS! - loading the car with Suzy's goods.
THE FINAL TALK and chit chat before heading out to a new life.
START your engines...next stop Salisbury University.
THE NEW digs. Room for three, plus assorted parents.
THIS OSPREY came out of nowhere behind the dorms. Unusual for a bird like this to be on land unless looking for a free meal.
ON THE WAY to Ocean City it's typical to stop for a doggy break on Route 90.
ONCE SETTLED in the condo, it was time then for a sandwich and "refreshments" at Seacrets.
FOR A NIGHTCAP, it was QVC and dogwalks on the beach.
A Cold Weekend - Feb 11th & 12th
ON THE WAY back to Salisbury on Sunday afternoon after the storm, one last pose with the family
Another Cold Ocean City Weekend - Feb. 17th,18th&19th
AFTER DRIVING LATE to OC the Friday night before due to Guy's Bingo, the first stop the next day on Saturday was the Olive Garden for lunch...$70 bucks worth! Whew!
THEN IT WAS OFF to Suzy's dorm where we had the lounge to ourself, so we could watch the horror movie.........
...."THE FOG"....wooooooo
THAT NIGHT, Guy and Dianne watched Olympics for a time, then walked in the freeeeezing cold to the Pirate's Den for a nitecap where we met a millionaire business owner and played some shuffleboard where mommy beat daddy 2 out 3 games.
A March Dinner in Old Towne Sat. the 12th
THE DINNER menu at the Summit restaurant. The food was good, the beer better.
DIANNE WAS all smiles as we waited in anticipation. What a beautiful day this was - 75 degrees!
Friday Night Lights! March 24th
AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER, Dianne posed with the stage in the background at Asbury Park theatre.
THE PLAY bill for the night, "Murder on the Nile."
A RARE PHOTO of the old man in a moment of insoucience.
Cheers! to the end of a good evening, but wait!....Stephen was home!
Miami vs. Maryland Baseball - Sat. March 25th
THE GAME got started on a cold evening. Not the type Miami was used to, although they had rumbled through the ACC to the tune of 16 straight.
THE MIDDLE innings proved fruitful as the Canes took the lead.
ALL BUNDLED Up with nowhere to go.
THIS GUY turned out to be a scout for the Boston Red Sox looking at a Miami pitcher named Perez - 94 MPH heat!
........THE ONLY problem was the fielding. Miserable ball handling in the field produced a Maryland comeback.....
....AND A loss for the #14 ranked Hurricanes. Oh, well, the result was positive as the Home team won either way.
An Interesting and Painful :-) Day at the Office - April 7th
It started out at noon with this and wound up with half the old prostate snipped away. Unfortunately, there was no joy in Mudville when the verdict of prostate cancer came in during the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, April 14th the following week at St. Francis. :-(
A Day at the Air and Space Museum - Dulles - April 8th
POSING IN FRONT of some of the most formidable aircraft of WW II, the old man was all smiles...
..WHEREAS DIANNE, on the other hand, was bored to tears in front of the space shuttle. The contrast in size is extraordinary. To think an aircraft like that could have been blasted into outer space is incredulous!
THE MOST FAMOUS bomber in the Second World War - the Enola Gay, named after Colonel Tibbetts mother.
THE BUSINESS END of the bomb run. After 6 1/2 hours from Tinian, the bombadier looked through the Norton bombsite onto a bridge in Hiroshima and from right there in the cramped little nose of the plane he unleashed hell!
PERHAPS ONE OF the most famous squadron of fighters in WW II was Chenault's Flying Tigers....
....AND THE fighter that swept the Pacific ocean clean of Jap Zeros was this one - the magnificent Corsair.
Easter Dinner - Sat. April 15th
SUZY'S COOKIES were the hit way past Easter, even though the return to Ocean city had it's ...well.....problems.
THE GANG'S all here, really, for the first time in a long while. Christmas, perhaps.
THE OLD MAN with a grog of champagne. Unfortunately, the occasion was dampered by the sad news the previous Friday, but still, the food tasted wonderful. Thank you, Dianne!!
A Weekend @ the Beach - April 29th & 30th
THE FIRST stop after arriving, of course, had to be the Pirates Den, although $5 beers suddenly made for an early exit.
THE MOST MISERABLE job of cleaning up had to be this new air conditioner. Not only did we have to lug it from Wal Mart, but the plug adapter wouldn't fit.
THANK GOODNESS FOR Alex. He humped the old air conditioner all the way down the steps and into this trash can.
AFTER THE HASSLE of cleaning, it was off to the beach where the dog and Dianne really let loose.
THAT EVENING the dinner was on the old man at the Bull on the Beach. Good food, good company and full stomachs.
Then, it was off to the boards and fine ending to a fine evening.
Springfest in Ocean City - May 6th and 7th
FIRST THINGS FIRST. Had to stop in for a margarita on Cinco de Mayo at the World Famous MR Ducks. Wouldn't be internationally correct - especially on a Friday night, too.
AND WAS it packed at the Springfest in the inlet parking lot. Venders everywhere, food plentiful. A sunshine bath.
AFTER TAKING a stroll past all the food concessions and venders hawking their wares, the beach was a tranquil break from the hustle.
BUTTTTTTT.......the surprise of the evening came at 8 when this man started belting out the notes. Franky Vallie never sounding or looked so good. What a performance!!
Knights Convention Weekend - May 19th - 21st
A LITTLE BIT 'O fishing in my life. No catchy, though. The fishing pole ended up get stripped in it's gears and there wasn't even a bite - incoming high tide and south wind and sun, too! Dang!
SUZY TRIED to help out, too, by digging for sand crabs. We found some, but didn't have the heart to stick them on the hook.
AFTER THE PROCESSION after the Knights of Columbus mass, it was time to get a bite, and where did the majority head to....Seacrets. Food was excellent..as were the drinks.
AHHHHHHHHH.....isn't that cuteeee. :-)
AS ALWAYS, the convention fell upon the hot rodder weekend and here was one of them. Actually, there weren't as many as in the past...probably due to the $3 plus gasoline.
Memorial Day Chores @ The O C- May 27th - 28th
THE REASON for the season. Still dealing with it. Coldwell Banker should be taking care of it.
ANYWAY, after hours of arguing over the miserable AC, it was off to the beach. Dianne was not about to jump in - Guy did..briefly.
A COMMEN SIGHT on 31st street due to rip currents was this rescue. First day of the season.
BEACHING DIDN'T last long as you know what came in to make its presence felt. So, we just sat on the porch and helped ourselves to a few Coronas.
LATER SATURDAY evening, it was a drive North to Malibu, aka Bethany Beach, where the scent of wealth was in the air, and then to Dewey Beach where there was a different scent...that of perfume where ther must have been 4 or 5 girls for every guy. Surf City here we come, said Jan and Dean.
Last Stop Before the Tourists June 9 - 11
SUZY, OF COURSE, lounged on the couch....
WHILE DIANNE lounged on the beach.
WHILE WALKING along the boards, this beautiful sight of surfers under the moonlight captured our imagination.
THEN THIS picture we tried to make into a poster, oh well.
July 4th Extended Weekend
A Night @ the Ballpark - July 1st
THE BEGINNING...the wait at Shady Grove station..notice the looks of wonderful expectations :-).
FIRST STOP, the D.C. armory on the right and RFK in the distance.
THE PITCH....THE CRACK OF THE BAT....the groundout by Alfonse Soriano, our BEST man. Right.
AFTER 6 AND a dog and cold beer later, the NATs were holding onto a slim lead.....
UNTIL....FIREWORKS!!!!...A walkoff home run in the bottom of the 10th. Wow!
THEN CAME the ride ride home...sweat, armpit close and all.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIC!
Harpers Ferry - July 3rd
AFTER THE TERRIFIC rain storms lasting for weeks, a check on this place by the confluence of the Potomac and Shenendoah rivers surprisingly showed little erosion.
4th of July Fireworks
DELMA AND DIANNE sit on the asphalt of the the Lake Forrest mall. Not very comfortable, but adequate. The getting out was the tough part - 50 minutes! Also, thanks Kevin and Delma for the party before!
WOW!! went the crowd. OOOHHHHHH!
Weekend Before The Big Show - July 21st & 2nd
THE WAITING ROOM on Friday - Go for Monday..OOhhh!
DINNE FLASHES her pretty face at dinner in Higgins Crab House. She had a dainty crab sandwich.......
...WHILE GUY slobbered over all the crabs and beer.
WHILE THE DOG stayed inside, the weather on the beach was ominous so it was time to break camp.....
....ONLY TO find gas lines reminiscent of the late 70's, early 80's.
BUT DINNER was assured to be good since we took the time to get freshly bar-b-qued chicken and fruits and vegetables. Next stop - GW on Monday.
GW Hospital Prostate Operation - Weds. July 26th
ALL YOU CAN do is smile and take away the pain.
THE WORK, though, was neatly done and shortly after this picture
we went home. No problems.
The County Fair - Aug. 12th
A PLEASENT surprise awaited us as we walked in for a "country" dinner - The Beals were there. Unfortunately, the "country" dinner couldn't shake a drumstick to the St. Francis dinners from years gone by. Nevertheless, we filled up, anyway.
THIS YOUNG brahma bull became so curious it nosed its way right up to our hands and got its petting for its effort.
The Lights! The Colors! It was all there as we left for home. Thank goodness we didn't have the fortitude to go on some of those rides!
Suzy and Alex - 2 years and still Going, and Going....
Party @ Tom & Joanna - Sat. Aug 26th
MARIA, ARTHUR and Dianne feasted on the good food which was supposed to be a celebration of Ed and Karen's home closing. Unfortunately, the cowards backed out.
ALTHOUGH THERE was some disappointment, the games of horseshoes went on, as well as the beer flows.
ALL THE NEIGHBORS joined in for the occasion..as well as all the dogs, including Fifi who nipped Dianne in the hand. This was also the first time Guy actually petted Joanna.
Labor Day 2006
UNCLE MARC prepared the finest in steaks, plus corn and fixings.
THE CONVERSATIONS were pleasent and even Lucy got into the act.
AND HERE'S to the families and a succesful and healthy rest of the year!
A Fall Weekend @ O.C. - Sep 15th - 17th
THE FIRST STOP, of course, was M.R. Ducks. This was after we dropped Alex off at Suzy's apartment. Nice place..cold,though.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE WEATHER did not cooperate very much at first, but by Saturday night it was beautiful. Butttt...
...NOT SO MUCH for the score in the Miami/ Louisville game, as the scoreboard attested to.
A SATURDAY night walk on the boardwalk was relaxing, even though the roar of motorcyles vented the air everywhere during Bike Week.
O.C. Sunfest - Sep. 22nd - 24th
THE Annual Ocean City Sunfest Program
ON SATURDAY afternoon the mission was to walk on the beach with Snickers. Knowing Del. beaches had allowed dogs before, we drove all over the place, only to find they were charging $8 to get on and they didn't allow dogs anyway....not until Oct. 1st..same as O.C. Oh, well, it was a fun drive.
BACK AT THE ranch in the afternoon, there were still lots of people..even lifeguards!..on the beach, even though it was overcast. From here it was condo and football.
UNTL THE BIG show. First stop, now with Alex and Suzy, was the chow tents at the OC inlet, roast beef all around. Then, strolls through all the venders. Finally, the really Big Show...KC and the Sunshine Band. What a performance. KC kept saying"..55 years old, what the hell happened!"
THEN, SADLY, the long trek back to the car, a kiss goodnight, and a long trip home the next day.
The Condo Assoc. Meeting in OC - Oct 7th & 8th
OPENING THE door Friday night left it clear a lot of work had to be done on the storm window. Took all afternoon to get it squared away...with a lot of cussing. Hopefully it will stay fixed. The wind was what pushed it out.
.....AND SPEAKING of the wind, the waves were enormous with this n'oreaster barreling in ALL weekend long! Rain, cool temperatures, the wind howling down the corridors of the condo keeping everyone from moving forward up the stairs. Wild!
THE MAIN COURSE of the weekend was the Condo Meeting. It was fun seeing all the other owners. No shouting. And Brief..maybe an hour tops, right in the back roon of the Pirates Den.
AND THEN THERE was college football to attend to. Maryland lost to Ga. Tech, while Miami stomped N.C. 28 - 7.
THAT NIGHT we all went out to dinner and finally settled on the Seasons restaurant in the Carousel Hotel. Great choice. The ambiance inside the hotel was wonderful.
THE LOVERS TOGETHER enjoying their meal. Where's the sunglasses to darkened the shine off of the old man's head. :-)
Cathy's Trip - October 13th - 18th
THE FIRST TRIP was to Bear Country and Gettysburg where Cathy AND Guy picked up goodies, along with a fine lunch in G'burg, itself.
LATER THAT Saturday night, the rest of the clan posted for a soiree....buttt...
....THE ONLY fly in the ointment was Auburn, who came from behind and sacked the Gators. Bummer.
SUNDAY EVENING the family together celebrated with a delicious feast of roast beef and all the trimmings..again, while watching the Redskins lose this time.
THEN CAME THE LAST farewell at Applebees in the Mall...another fine meal and more fine conversation. A great time was had by all, it was just too short. :-(
A Dreary Weekend All Around - Oct. 27th - 29th
THE TRIP STARTED off badly with rain drenching the road all the way down to O.C. Then the front door was stuck shut because the knucklehead below caulked up our door.
BECAUSE THE RAIN was on in the morning...QVC..come on down!
ALAS! The sun broke through the cracks. Surf's up!
...BUT WHAT HATH this surf wrought? Sunshine and no beach.
AND THEN CAME the real downpour...Miami Losers to Ga. Tech. What a bummer.
BUT THE DINNER at BJ's was great..AND....Maryland was handling Fla. State when this picture was taken. They beat them later on as we watched in the condo. The Good - Maryland, The Bad - Miami Loss - and The Ugly - the rain, the stuck door and the beach erosion and cold front busting in after it stopped.
Spirit of Thanksgiving - Turkey Distribution Nov. 18th
THE CUBBARD was loaded with turkeys and care at the Mission of Charity in N.E. Washington, D.C. That, in itself, was an adventure trying to find it.
THIS SISTER, though, was the rock of Gibralter guiding us and another Sister from Rwanda through the maze of one-way streets and back alleys. The patience of a saint.
AND THE GANG's all here: from l. to r.: Colleen, Denise, Patty, Mary Kate, Charles, Dianne and Guy, and, finally, Paul.
Thanksgiving 2006
THE TURKEY is ready, boys and girls...come get it!
ALL SMILES, especially after beer and wine.
HERE'S THANKS for another year of life and family.
GREAT GAME for Guy's team..a stinky one for Uncle Marc's.
TERRIFIC VICTORY! Flutie....have a nice day..See ya!
A Night @ the Movies - Fri. 11/24
A SOON to be classic, this movie had it all...great stars, great performances, great plot!
BEFORE THE MOVIE, Dianne got her game face on at Starbucks.
A Cool OC Weekend - Dec. 2nd & 3rd
THIS WAS waiting for us Friday night....beach replenishment pipes. Ugly, but the beach needs it.
A TRIP to Berlin gave us all a warm Christmas welcome on Saturday.
WHAT MORE could be said when we left the town. This was followed by, in order.....college football.....dinner at Seacrets, which was exceptional.....more college football in the condo....a cold drink at the Pirate's Den......then sleep.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS included a trip down to the inlet Saturday night for the light show...which Guy erased....which compelled us to make one final stop on Sunday morning as we were heading out of town. All in all, a relaxing weekend.
A Play & and a Flick - Sat. Dec. 9th
THE EVENING began with "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"...somewhere in there in the past, though, was a ..."damn"...but this was a family show.
HOME, ONCE MORE and another treat, "The Polar Express," was on the tube. First time for both of us.
Homecoming for Suzy - Dec. 17th
MOM AND SUZY enjoying breakfast at Micky Dee's.
ALSO, GUY jumps into the act to with Suzy taking the photo. Good job.
AND HERE'S Mommy doing her favorite thing on earth....shopping 'til she drops.
THEN IT was dinner at B J's, which is quickly becoming our favorite place.
AN OC CHRISTMAS CARD right on the beach at the inlet
Montgomery Council's Christmas Party - Dec. 19th
DIANNE & SUZY ham it up at the entrance to the hall. This was the first time in months the family has been to an event because of Guy's illness.
GRAND KNIGHT Kevin Ginley led the prayers and conducted the job of EmCee for the evening.
OF COURSE, Wilbur got into the act....and how many days are actually in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas?....hmmmmm
Christmas at the Mall - Dec. 22nd
SUZY SOMEHOW breaks a smile while waiting in line at Sears with a present from Santa for Mommy.
GUY BEAMS a smile while waiting for a Starbucks Pepermint Mocha frapaccino.
THE LAKE Forest mall never looks better then at Christmas season. The decorations all over made the atmosphere festive.
Christmas Eve @ Marc's
FIRST UP was dinner and conversation. Marc regaled us with his I-Pod music.
SINCE BOTH brothers were celebrating their birthdays, both blew out the candles.......23 and 24 years old now ;-).
LUCY GOT into the act with Guy who attempted to eschew dancing by using the bear as a surrogate.
THEN IT WAS the girls' turn on the dance floor.
THE FINAL piece to the evening were these carolers adding a festive ring to Christmas.
Christmas 2006
"IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" was the theme of Christmas Eve night.
"A CHRISTMAS STORY" came in a slim second.
CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT at the Hawaii Bowl, 560 yards passing and 5 touchdown passes later, Hawaii disposed of ASU.
THE FAMILY finally got down to business opening gifts after the whistling fireworks
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, and to All a good night!
Christmas Lights @ Seneca Park - Dec. 28th
$10 WAS ALL it took to get to the winter wonderland of Seneca Park Christmas Light Show just beyond the magic lights here.
HERE WAS THE Russian Steppe House on the snowy plains.
THIS JOLLY blue elephant rang out with joy!
THE PENGUINS strutted their stuff.
THIS SCARY little racoon didn't frighten any of us.
JINGLE BELLS, Jingle Bells, jingle all the way..oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
LAST STOP.....Teddy Bear Land...All Aboard! See 'ya next year!
AND THE GANG'S all here at home afterwards.
Homecoming @ the Ranch - Friday, Dec. 29th
THE GANG'S all here, from Aunt Gloria, to her son Eric and family, wife Susan & Adam and Samantha and the rest of the Gaithersburg/ Florida contingent.
SUSAN WAS SO excited she wore herself out.
LATER ON CAME THE family portrait...sepia tone, that is. From front to back & L. to R.: Brian, Scotty, Dianne and Suzy; 2nd row - Theresa & Guy; 3rd row - Samantha, Eric, Cathy, Adam, Susan, Gloria & Johnny.
LATER THAT EVENING came the first of three big shows...Maryland whomped Purdue...next up - Miami/ Nevada on New Year's Eve...then a week from Monday with Florida battling Ohio State. Go Gators!!
Mountains and No Shots 'Cept for Ping Pong
ARRIVING AT the Cresap shooting tange, the troopers discovered the place had evacuated until next weekend, even though their web site said they were open. Should have called ahead of time. My bad. The gang then spent time on Sugarloaf mountain on the return. Here, Uncle Johnny and Brian have a beautiful vista of eastern Montgomery County to their rear.
NEXT, THE TROOP ascended to the top of the mountain, and there Johnny and Guy got a beautiful view of the valley below heading west to South Mountain.
LATER THAT EVENING, Scotty showed off his backhand until, alas, the last of the ping pong balls bit the dust.
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