| My Attempt at a Web Page |
| last updated 4/10/08 |
| RECENT TRAVELS ENGLAND-SCOTLAND-IRELAND - Feb 08 - toured several cities in the UK and Ireland with the highlight being my friends Carla & Don's wedding in a Scotish castle complete with a bagpiper and kilts. Click here to view photos. LOS ANGELES AREA - Dec 07 - traveled to Alhambra, CA with my brother over Christmas to spend time with our 91-year-old-grandmother and visit with other relatives KALAMAZOO/PAW PAW, MI - Oct 07 - annual visit to K College for homecoming - this time for our 15 year reunion! Enjoyed seeing former classmates and spending quality time with Jill and Kristen and their families. THE PINERY, CANADA - July 07 - returned for a surprisingly rain-free visit which including the usual camping activities: eating, hiking, eating, walking on the beach, eating, enjoying the campfire, eating . . .you get the picture TUSCANY and AMALFI COAST, ITALY - May/June 07 - spent a week with eight others hiking through beautiful Tuscany. Four of us stayed in Italy after the hike to explore the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. Click here to view photos. SAN CARLOS, SONORA, MEXICO Feb 07 - a return trip to Mexico with VOSH. We saw over 1,600 patients, performed eye exams and dispensing glasses. I helped with registration (I can now ask if your upclose vision is blurry in Spanish) and accuity (reading eye charts). Click here to view photos. Our return flight to snowy Michigan was delayed due to snowstorms, so I got to spend some time with Big Rob in Phoenix. We had a good time catching up and made a trip down to do some hiking at Saguaro National Park. CAMPING at the Pinery, Aug 06 - camping at the Pinery has become an annual tradition. Unfortunately camping in the rain has also become a tradition. This year we enjoyed both sun and rain as well as some nice hikes and of course lots of food. PROVIDENCE, RI Summer 06 - I feel like a resident now, having spent several weeks (much to my cats' dismay) to help implement a new process at work. I've enjoyed my travels there, although the work can be tough and hours long. BURBANK, CA - 3/17 - 3/20/06 - unfortunately the main purpose of this trip was my Uncle Sam's funeral. He was my dad's younger (and only) brother, and my only remaining uncle who passed away unexpectedly at what seemed like the prime of his life. Many moving tributes were made and memories shared. SAN CARLOS, SONORA, MEXICO 2/18 - 2/25/06 - a wonderful first trip to Mexico with VOSH (Volunteer Optimetric Services for Humanity) where we saw about 1,100 patients. We performed eye exams and dispensed glasses to needy residents. While not at clinic in nearby cities, I enjoyed a deep sea fishing trip, local cuisine and culture, a crash course in Spanish, and a very chilly dive in the Sea of Cortez. BRISTOL MT, NY - 1/20-1/22/06 - joined the Skiwi Ski Club for their annual instructional weekend which included a long bus ride, two days of skiing, and beautiful accommodations in the Finger Lakes area. KAUA'I - 12/27/05 - 1/2/06 - Met my friend Big Rob on the Garden Isle of Hawaii for some wonderful weather, catching up, and R & R. Enjoyed the food, the people, the sights, and a shore dive. FRANCE - Fall 2005 - Practiced my rusty French and hiked through some beautiful countryside during a ten day group trip to France. Flew into Paris and took the TGV to Avignon where we spent the night before moving on to St Remy de Provence where the tour began. We hiked 5-15 miles per day through southern France. Stayed at some great inns, ate wonderful cuisine and drank lots of red wine. After the tour, I spent a day in Strasbourg and a few days in Paris. WISCONSIN 2005 - Several business trips enabled me to visit with Aunt Jacki in Sun Prairie. What a treat to enjoy her company, not to mention home-cooked meals! CAMPING - 9/25 - 10/3/04 - camping, hiking, and sight-seeing in NM, CO, UT, and AZ. See Four Corners Forray photos on the photo gallery page. Camped at the Pinery in August and Hocking Hills in May. In 2003, the big trip was in CA and OR. See my Cascade Cavort Journal for the whole story. |
| Photo at right: Venus and Huey practicing for American Feline Gladiators. No animals were harmed in the taking of this photo. |
| VOLUNTEERING AT OPEN HANDS (Click here for more info.) I'm still coordinating volunteers at Open Hands Food Pantry in Royal Oak. Oakland County is one of the richest in the nation, yet there are still over 1,000 homeless people and 30,000 families on food stamps. Imagine deciding whether to spend their money on paying for rent, utilities, medication, or food. Each Saturday morning, volunteers serve between 40 to 80 families. |
| I have joined the ranks of Michigan's unemployed population as a result of my company outsourcing my division (a total of 60+ people). Job searching sure has changed in the last 15 years . . . My two fuzzy friends (see above) continue to entertain me. They still antagonize each other, but provide me with dramatic tales including thoroughly embarrasing me at the vet, waterbowl swimming, a love/hate relationship with a gray squirrel, and an unnatural interest in the garbage truck. Click here to view the latest cat slideshow. Be sure to read the captions. |
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