Archive for July, 2008

On the Road Again

July 31st, 2008

Tomorrow morning (every early) I’m off on another adventure – this time to visit Mandy in Washington, DC. Besides the requisite monument/memorial tourist stuff, we’re going to The Source with Allison to sample the fine cuisine of Mr. Drewno, and we’re going to catch a Washington Nationals game. Yay!

This picture has nothing to do with my trip, in case you hadn’t already figured that out. It was taken yesterday at work, when one of the boys needed a shot of a Field Engineer (which I’m not, but I play one very convincingly). Don’t I look all scientisty with my eye protection and my fancy blue coat? It totally cracks me up!

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Posted in Friends, Random, Travel

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, DH!

July 26th, 2008

Last night Lindsay, Diane, and I got together for some dinner and Wii action. It’s the last time we’ll see DH for awhile… She’s off for an extended (and much deserved) vacation with family, and then heads south to begin her new adventure building houses in the bayous of Louisiana. Have a great trip, Snoopy Huhn. We’ll see you in New Orleans!

This morning brought a bit of adventure, as you can see from the picture above (notice Chavo having a little post-dinner bath in the background). Gilda’s Gang was doing a 6.5-mile walk through the streets of Roch, and around mile six, I tripped over a pipe that was jutting out of the ground and took a header right onto the pavement on Monroe Avenue. Nice! I have a bruised and swollen left knee, bruised palms, and a bump on my right cheek. I’m happy to report, however, that I hopped right up and finished that last half mile, bleeding knee and all. As Paul said when we hit the finish line: that’s a badge of honor. (He also said, “You’ll live.”) I guess this is what they mean when they call us “road warriors”!

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Posted in Chavo, Friends, Training/Races

Summer in the City

July 23rd, 2008

Spent last weekend in Philadelphia with Sarah S – and have been spending this week recovering! I drove down on Friday morning, and Friday night we had a delicious seafood dinner at Devon’s. Then we hiked (in the sweltering heat) to the Walnut Street Theatre to see Mr. Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean in Les Mis. The show was fantastic, and Hugh spent a good deal of time standing directly in front of us on stage. After the show we hung around outside until everyone had gone… and out came Hugh! I’d sent a note and a copy of a picture of the two of us (from 1993, mind you) backstage before the show, never expecting he’d actually get it, or read it. But he did. When I walked up to him, he smiled, said, “Oh, Bethany!” and gave me a huge hug. We chatted for awhile and took some pictures. Here’s one!

Waaaay better than the one from 15 years ago, which I refuse to post. Ha! After that fantastic adventure, Sarah and I spent Saturday sweating, getting pedicures, sweating, eating lunch in Rittenhouse Square, sweating, shopping in KOP, sweating, and seeing a movie (Mamma Mia). A fabulous (albeit sweaty) weekend! There are a bunch of photos here.

Last week also brought some terribly sad news: Mike Feiock, a friend since Day Care and a fellow member of PYA’s Class of 1992, died unexpectedly. I went to PY for the calling hours, and although it was very sad, it was also like a mini class reunion. Several us spent the evening at the Keuka, raising a glass in Mike’s name. There are some pictures from the evening here. And here’s a picture from the last time I saw Mike, which was at our 10th reunion in 2002:

Finally, some training news. I’ve decided to forgo the attempt to run a long race, and focus instead on my power walking again. I’ve signed up for the Fleet Feet Summer Fest, a 12K at the end of August that Gilda’s Gang is using as part of their training. So there’s that to look forward to, plus the Rochester Half on September 14th, and finally the big one: Houston 2009. On a final athletic note: Congratulations to Alex, who became an Ironman on Sunday!

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Posted in Entertainment, Family, Friends, Training/Races, Travel

The Song Sings Itself

July 13th, 2008

It’s mid-July already? The summer is flying by. Here’s a quick update of what’s been going on… The picture above is from my new digital camera (my old one bit the dust) – a close-up from Janet and Lil’s backyard garden here at Briar Manor.

Cindy and Chris drove up from Tennessee for a quick visit, so I added a few more pictures to the family Fourth of July album (even though, technically, it was the Eighth of July when I took them), which you can see here. Here’s a picture of the Arizona/Florida/North Carolina Richmonds:

On Friday night, the girls came over for pizza, wings, and Wii fun. I rented Mario Kart Wii for Jena – what a riot! Not only did I capture some great Wii moments, like the picture of Diane and Linds below, but we also used the Photo Booth application on my computer to take the most ridiculous pictures ever. We laughed so hard and so long, I still don’t think my poor stomach has recovered!

You can see a few more flower pictures taken with the new camera, as well as more Wii bowling and Mario Kart shots, in the Summer 08 album, here. And if you’re brave, you can look at the Photo Booth ridiculousness here. Here’s a sneak peek:

The title of this post is from a quote by William Carlos Williams:

In summer, the song sings itself.

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Posted in Family, Friends

A Family Fourth

July 6th, 2008

It was a family-filled weekend in the 315! Ann and Steve were here from Tuscon, Matt and Buffy were up from Florida, and Arlene and Olivia (that’s her in the pool above) were in from Charlotte. Of course, all of the usual suspects were in attendance, too. We ate too much (repeatedly), swam, sunned, and laughed. A perfect holiday weekend! Here’s a picture of some red, white, and blue (sort of) slurpees at the Windmill. Very patriotic, don’t you think?

When our forefathers were founding this great nation, I doubt that they envisioned a celebration that would involve a Jeff Gordon propane tank cover (who knew?) worn as a tube top. And yet:

As Steve pointed out, that pays pretty well on an hourly basis! There are a ton more pictures from the weekend here. And a cute video of Miss Olivia having a bowl of ice cream here. Happy Independence Day!

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Posted in Family, Holidays

Who Am I? Who Am I?

July 1st, 2008

I’m Jean Valjean!

Actually, Hugh Panaro is Jean Valjean. He’s currently starring  in the Walnut Street Theatre summer production of Les Miserables in Philadelphia. I’m heading down to stay with Sarah S and see the show on July 18th. Bought the tickets this morning!

The very first show I saw on Broadway (back in 1990) was Les Mis, and Hugh was then starring as Marius. Now he’s all growed up and playing the lead! Sarah W-M, Mon Pion, and I sat in the fifth row and fell madly in love with Hugh (well, I won’t speak for Mon, anyway). I saw Hugh again in Showboat up in Toronto in 1995, and Sarah W-M and I had some near-misses with The Red Shoes and Sideshow. Alas!

Sarah S and I will be sitting in the fourth row for this production. Can’t wait!

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Posted in Entertainment, Friends, Travel