Easter

Sang at church, watched the Master's, enjoyed some Ava Marie chocolate and hard boiled eggs. Happy Easter!

Great Find

Our building has a backyard that isn't really that functional, with the exception of a place to put furniture or large item that need to be thrown out. Over the weekend while coming in through the side entrance I noticed a wire chair in the furniture pile. What caught my eye was the pad on the seat, it looked like the "bikini" pad designed by Eames. Sure enough the tag on the chair indicated that the pad was made by Herman Miller. The interesting element was that the wire chair, although looking like the Eames original had a rolling base. I had never seen that option before.

I contacted the Eames Office (which is actually the Eames museum) to see what model it might be. they mentioned that it was indeed an original Eames, model PKCC-2 (the 2 indicates that the pad is the bikini pad) and made probably around 1959. Quite a find, especially considering the new versions cost in the range of $600-1200. Here is the link from the Eames Office. http://www.eamesoffice.com/vintage/worksheet_detail.php?id=68

Peepers

For the non-New Englanders in the crowd, Peepers are Chorus Frogs, a type of Treefrog (not to be confused with Peeps, those marshmallowy Easter treats).

Hearing Peepers croaking away is one of the sure signs of spring. Happily, I heard that sound on Sunday night when I came home from a rehearsal. Daffodils, crocus and tulips are next!

What a Mess!

Now that most of the snow is gone, the extent of the damage is even more evident. Plenty of work for years to come!

!!!Max's 4th Birthday!!!

March 14th, 2009.  Max's birthday.  Max crept into our bedroom this morning and gave me a kiss, and then snuck around the bed and gave Lauren a kiss.  Then he jumped up and did a 'ta-da' with is hands and yelled "Look at me, I'm four!"

We got Max a balance bike.  With the warm weather just around the corner we are going to have fun with the bike in the park.  He loves playing with balloons.  It was a busy day that started and ended at Seton Park.  In the middle we came home for lunch and Max went into his room and listened to his music.  He asked to wear my headphones.  After dinner we had birthday cake, a delicious yellow cake with chocolate and vanilla frosting.  Did I mention that it was delicious?  Max did a good job of blowing out the candles.  

MaxSnow

Max has been visiting us for several days. He was supposed to go home today, but plans got changed when the big Nor'easter dumped all that snow on the east coast.

Max was thrilled with the chance to enjoy the snow. Sledding, of course. But it's also fun just to try to walk when the snow is so deep. And it tastes good, too!

FIRST Robotics

Max and Deeda went to watch the ATC/ConVal team compete in the FIRST Robotics competition today. Max liked seeing all the robots with their moving parts. He also liked wearing the team t-shirt. And he really liked cotton candy! But he didn't like wearing the safety glasses (they are required of anyone entering the pit area).

Watching robots is tiring business (yes, Max is asleep on Deeda's head).

Fire!

So, from previous posts, you know that my truck suffered about $3,000 in damages from the ice storm. It took a while for me to get an estimate (a delay on my part). Then, because of the large number of vehicles damaged in the storm, the truck didn't go into the shop until about a week ago.

Imagine my surprise to get a phone call this morning to let me know the truck had been damaged during a fire in the body shop!

The truck had no external damage -- it was 3-4 cars away from the fire. But the back window of the truck had been removed as part of the repairs, so water from the sprinklers and fire hoses got inside. I've been assured that everything will be corrected. But, still....

Here's the news item as carried on WMUR, Channel 9. FWIW, the news story is wrong. I was told that three cars were a total loss and that 4-5 others (including mine) were damaged.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Two cars were damaged during a fire at Prestige Auto Body late Monday.Fire officials said one employee was in the shop when the one-alarm fire broke out. He heard the fire alarm going off, looked into the bay area of the building and saw smoke, then called the fire department.Crews were already responding because of the building's automatic fire system notification.Fire officials said the fire broke out in the engine compartment of a car that was hooked up to battery power. That car was destroyed. Another car suffered fire damage to its rear section.Crews said the building's sprinkler system extinguished a good portion of the fire. The building did not suffer any structural damage.Fire officials said the fire was not suspicious.

Cigars

I enjoy an occasional cigar - 10 to 12 a year?

It still feels a bit strange for my sons to buy tobacco products for me. (I continue to think of them as much younger people, not the adults they are.) But, this Christmas, both Brian and David shared some excellent cigars with their father.

On the left, the beautiful two-toned cigar came from a small shop Brian found in NYC. The shop has been in existence since 1891 and is owned by a family from the Dominican Republic. They still roll all their own cigars. Can't wait to visit the shop.

On the right is an H. Upmann Cuban corona that David brought back from one of his trips to London to visit Amanda's parents.

Both cigars were excellent. Thanks, boys!

Frost Heaves

Those bright red-orange signs have begun to appear - the first harbinger of spring!

[Image added later] It occurs to me that those people from away* probably don't know what a Frost Heave sign looks like.

* from away (adverb)
If you can't claim that at least three generations of your ancestors lived here (or if your ancestors are from here, but you've moved away and then returned) then you're from away. If you've moved here (even if from the next community) then you're from away. A regional joke states that, like children born locally to parents from away, "Hatchin' chickens in the stove doesn't make 'em muffins, does it!"