So Long 2016!

A lot of us can’t wait for 2016 to end. We lost many pop culture icons – David Bowie, Carrie Fisher, Gene Wilder – but on a personal level, I lost too many people close to me this year. 1/2 my grandparents – Mom’s mom passed in September, and Dad’s dad in November. Also, we approaching the anniversary of my friend Rhett’s death in January, and I still miss playing video games with him.  Travel was numerous and long, my job had long and stressful hours, but a lot of good and fun things happened this year as well.   Let’s move past the sad things that happened in 2016, and carry the good, warm memories into 2017.  Here are a few special items to note:

The annual journey to CT for Food Allergy Awareness had our biggest team yet!  Cousins who live nearby joined us, and my parents came down too.  We raised over $1,000 again this year, giving our team special recognition at the event.  I am so thankful for all of our generous donors!

Texas was this year’s Horror/Haunted house destination, and this time I was able to visit my friend Russell in his native city of Austin.  We visited haunts in Dallas, Houston, AND Austin in a three day multi-destination road trip!  We had a blast.  If you’ve never been to Texas, their haunts have something I’ve never seen before – the dreaded foam room.  Floor to ceiling foam filled a 20 foot hallway (see pic), and while we started to choke almost immediately, we barreled through and we came out totally soaked, but triumphant!

 

 

Escape rooms became my new obsession in 2016.  I did a bunch with my nieces and nephew over Easter, and I quickly wanted more!  These feel like point-and-click computer games come to life.  I found more to do over my birthday.  And now it seems every time I see my family, we add a new escape room challenge to the visit.  For my CNY friends, I highly recommend Escape the Estate (Shoppington Mall) and 5 Wits (Syracuse Destiny) for a great night of family fun.

The rest of my family continues to be in good health and good spirits.  Although too many funerals brought us together, it was good to see everyone.  Nephew Tyler is almost as tall as me (just short by 3 inches) and he’s only 13!  Niece Samantha has joined my escape room addiction, and she and Tyler visited me in Chicago this past summer (we did Fox in a Box here).  Dad is still working, but we will see how long that lasts.  Mom is part-time tutoring.  My sisters and niece Alexis work long hours, but still remain beautiful and fabulous.

I’ve lost 15 lbs over the past 1.5 years, and thrilled with my progress.  I hope that the upcoming year will be better than 2016, and I bet good things await you.  Remember, even when there are tough times, there is still joy to be encountered in this world.  Make sure to squeeze your loved ones daily, as you never know how much time any of us have here on earth.  Wishing everyone peace and love (and a little silliness) for the new year.

So Long 2015!

It’s not often that I’m sad to see a year come to  a close, but they were so many great things about 2015 – I don’t want it to end!  Here are some of the highlights.

My friend Melissa tipped me off to this great new musical called Hamilton.  Ever heard of it?  I had bought tickets before it opened, and waited six months to see it.  On December 13, on a beautiful day in NYC, I finally saw the production.  The President of Israel was in attendance, but people were more excited that Kevin Nealon was in the audience.  Hamilton gave me shivers from the opening number.  It made me laugh, cry, cheer, and sing along.  It’s a show not to be missed.  And while I wouldn’t sell my first born child to get tickets, I might sell off the third or fourth one.  😛

There was some sadness in 2015.  We lost Grandma in May.  At just a bit past 90 years old, she lived an amazing life.

Celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary in 2007

She was the matriarch over a huge family, almost 60 of us if you include spouses and great-grandchildren.  All of us came home for the funeral, and the 13 grandchildren each played a role at the service.  Grandma’s wish was that I would sing Danny Boy for her.  I needed Mom and Dad to help me, but we made it through the song together.

She is such an integral part of my memory that I know I won’t forget her.  I love remembering her telling stories, laughing, and catching up with all her family members on the latest gossip.

My favorite Icon…The Storyteller…

For October, Universal Studios celebrated its 25th Anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights.  My friend Russ and I headed down for this Sinister Silver, and I am so glad we did.  Universal pulled out a lot of tricks and scares from its history.  We spent the whole weekend at Universal, so got to see many things twice.  Met some of my personal favorites (The Storyteller as seen above).  I almost couldn’t leave where it was Halloween every day, but real life beckoned.

Another proud accomplishment of 2015 was losing 10 lbs.  I did this to mostly lower blood sugar (which seems to be back in the normal range) but I’m keeping up the better diet and exercise into 2016.  I love running by the lakeshore in Chicago, and hope to lost another 10 in 2016.

I spent a beautiful week in San Diego for the first time in April.  I joined my church as a cantor for the Saturday vigil masses.  I saw many wonderful productions in NYC, including Fun Home.  I sang for my cousin Kristie at her wedding.  My parents celebrated 45 years of marriage.  And I raised over $4,000 for the Food Allergy Avengers – making us one of the top 5 teams in all of Connecticut.  All in all, this has been an amazing year!

The rest of my family continues to be in good health and good spirits.  We were all together over Christmas, and I treated everyone to a local production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  A friend of ours snapped the below photo.  You can see how thrilled Tyler is to attend live theater (I’m sure he’d rather watch football) but I loved having us all together sharing Christmas spirit.

We never know what next year will bring, but I hope it’s filled with happy moments that outweigh the rough times.  Make sure to squeeze your loved ones daily, as you never know how much time any of us have here on earth.  Wishing everyone peace and love for the new year.

So Long 2014!

A friend told me recently that while describing your past events, the conversation should not revolve around medical problems or politics.  And while I could go on about my numerous doctor visits last year, I will follow his advice.  On to pleasant things!

In October, I was fortunate to travel to the Philadelphia area for some Halloween fun.  My friend Russell and I visited the Pennhurst Asylum.  This location was in operation until the 1980’s, and then was abandoned when scandal over poor patient care and abuse came to light.  Since then it’s been turned into one of the scariest attraction in the US.  After attending, I quite agree.  This is the best haunted house attraction I’ve been to – anywhere.  The minute we finished, I wanted to go back.  Highly recommend for anyone seeking out extreme scares and creepy locations for next Halloween.

Prepare to be scared by any means possible!

Everything seemed to be in order for our annual Food Allergy fund-raising walk in CT.  That is, until a fire in a Chicago area control tower cancelled all flights for the entire Midwest.  I was without a plane ride to get from Chicago to CT.  And the walk was in less then 24 hours.  I got one of the last rental cars available at the airport, and drove 14 hours from Chicago, IL to Milford, CT.  I got there with 45 mins to spare.  Mom and Dad were able to attend the Walk for the first time, and it was exciting to see if Uncle Chris was going to make it in time.  We raised well over $1,500 this year.  Thanks to everyone who donated for your generous support!

(They gave me a chair, cause I was a little tired from the drive…)

I saw a lot of Broadway this year, but one show in particular moved me.  The Curious Incident of the Dog of the Night-time.  I’ve never seen a play evoke what it’s like to be an autistic child until I saw this one.  Moving, heart-breaking, surprising, and funny.  I was blown away by what theater in the modern age can do for storytelling.  Everyone tells me the book is also phenomenal, so if you cannot attend the show, this is a book recommendation for you!

Speaking of books, I read The Fault in Our Stars, and loved it.  After dealing with a surprise tragic death in April, this book helped ease my grief.  If you are not into books, it was also a wonderful movie that opened last spring.  Check it out!

The rest of my family continues to be in good health and good spirits.  We were all together over Christmas, and I managed to get a new family photo in (complete with Alexis’s new dog).  I’m sure this will be a Christmas card next year.  I’ve been lucky to still have all four grandparents alive…each added day with them is a blessing.

We never know what next year will bring, but I hope it’s filled with happy moments that outweigh the rough times.  Wishing everyone peace and love for the new year.

Holiday Traditions: Richardson-Bates Museum

Growing up in a small town may seem boring, but when you are a kid, you fall in love with certain traditions that make the season special.  Over the Christmas break, I had the chance to re-visit one of my favorite ones with my family.  When we were young, we would often visit the Richardon-Bates house.  It was this very large and ornate 4 story house on the East Side, built in the 1800’s.  One of the richest men in Oswego owned it, and all the posessions along with the house was turned over to the historical society in the 1900’s.  The house is almost a perfectly preserved picture of the Victorian Era in America.

Front Entrance (Grand Staircase)

It happened to be open on the Saturday we were there for Christmas.  I hadn’t been inside in over 15 years.  We took my nephew Tyler, and there was a polite elderly man who gave us the tour.  He spent over an hour with us, and I remembered some of the stories from my childhood.   I loved walking through the old rooms again, my adult mind adding up all the $$’s in terms of art, wood work, furnishings, and silver.  No one specifically told me not to take photographs, so I snapped some when the tour guide wasn’t looking.

Front Entrance (Door)

Front Entrance (Mirror)

Receiving Room

Drawing Room

Study

Dining Room

Can you guess how many leaves this table would put in to comfortably seat 16 in the Victorian Era?  For a frame of reference my parents use two leaves when the need to make a big table to seat 10 at Thanksgiving.  The answer? 10 leaves.  Just imagine how long that table would become!  Be a little hard to pass the salt…

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Sharing this time with my sister, nephew and parents, made the holiday special for me, and meant more than opening presents or a ham or twinkling lights on a tree.  It was nostalgic in so many ways.  When I asked my 10-year-old nephew what part he liked the best, he said it was the story about the ghost.  The tour guide had showed us a bedroom where he saw a faded dress materialize at the door.  And I thought how that would have been the part I would have loved at his age.  But now I was fascinated by the carvings in the mirror frame and the detailed wood workings of the ceiling.   Wonder what I will notice 15 years from now?

So long 2013!

When I look back at 2013, there are many interesting events that took place.  The negative ones, like getting shingles for the first ever back in May, I would like to forget.  Fortunately, the positive ones far exceed the bad experiences.

Let’s start with my nephew Tyler.  For the first time ever, his food allergies have weakened such that he can enjoy milk products.  It was a year of firsts for him – first doughnut, first homemade choc chip cookie, first cannoli, first pizza after a baseball game – the list goes on and on.  I know it’s not the direct way, but to me it justifies all the donations we raised for Food Allergy Research and Education.  Seeing Tyler eat chicken parm next to me for the first time makes all the fundraising worth it.  Thanks to everyone for your generosity!

Both Mom and Dad took tumbles this year.  Mom broke her shoulder, and Dad destroyed his knee.  Mom managed to avoid surgery, while Dad needed some intense repairs.  As of 2014, both are much better, except perhaps a little slower and more careful.

My sisters continue to work hard, and have fun when they can.  Denise has two new bulldogs that take up most of her time.  Laurie is just happy for a quiet night at home once the kids are in bed.

My niece Alexis came to visit me in Chicago in October.  It was great to finally show off my city to someone in my family.  We saw a lot of the major cites – The Bean, The Fountain, Hancock Building – and by the end of the weekend, she was making plans to move here.  🙂 Can’t wait to show this great city to the rest of my family in 2014!

Life otherwise is great.  I’m happy to still be working every day, and to have my health (post-shingles) in good shape.  It’s been fun to discover that there’s a Renaissance Festival nearby, or that St Louis is just a short drive away.  I’ve made some additional friends here in Chicago, and my friends in Buffalo continue to come visit me in the city.  I try to get back and see them when I can too.  With technology today, it never seems like any of them are that far away.

What will 2014 bring?  I hope it’s filled with happy moments for us all.  Wishing everyone peace and love for the new year.

Chicago – One Year Later

I started this blog to help document my transition to Chicago.  I thought it would be a good way to share adventures through stories and pictures with friends and family back in New York.  I also thought it would be a good activity to keep me busy so I wouldn’t get bored.  As evidenced by the rare postings over the past several months, I haven’t been bored in a while.  🙂  As the anniversary of my move is here, this seems a good time to reflect on the journey.

There are still times when I can’t believe I’m living in such a great city.  Sometimes I catch myself thinking I’m still on vacation.  More and more though, this feels like home.  I still miss all my New York friends terribly, but I’ve been thrilled that they keep coming to visit.  Now I just need to get my family to take that trip…starting with my niece Alexis in October.

Many of you know me as a “cluttered” apt dweller.  Has Chicago changed that?  Here are some Before and After pictures representing a virtual tour of my apartment.  Before means prior to my move date on August 8.  After is as of August 2013.

To quote my favorite musical RENT, “I can’t believe a year went by so fast.  Time to see what we have, time to see.  Turn the projector on!”

Before – Entrance Way

After – Entrance Way

Before – Hallway

After – Hallway

After – Hallway

After – Kitchen

Before – Kitchen

After – Living Room

Before – Living Room

After – Living Room

Before – Living Room

After – Living Room

After – Living Room

After (Chicago Apt)

Way WAY Before (Buffalo Apt)

After – Bedroom

Before – Bedroom

After – Bedroom

Before – Bedroom

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After – Boxes

Before – Boxes

After – Bedroom

After – Bathroom

Before – Bathroom (Photo Not Available)

After – View

Before – View

Exploring Chicago’s History

May had some struggles.  I was knocked out for a while by shingles, but despite the constant pain, I managed to enjoy some Chicago history this month.

First up, the Chicago History Musuem.  I had previously been here just to purchase a Christmas present in the gift shop, so it was nice to enter the musuem proper.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was worried it might be boring placard after placard about the city’s politicians.  Far from it!  This was an exciting and enjoyable experience!  This history of the city was presented in many sections.  From the Columbian Exposition to the World’s Fair.  From the Great Fire to the stockyards.  They even had an L train inside!

I tried to drive it, but this one’s broken

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Vivian Maier worked as a nanny in Chicago in the 1960’s and 70’s.  In her spare time, she captured on countless rolls of films the gritty urban streets of Chicago.  Some of her prints were displayed on special exhibit here.

Ever want to play Project Runway?  The other special exhibit celebrated 50 years of Ebony fashion magazine.  Numerous gowns, pant suits, and dresses were displayed from various fashion premieres.  I had fun playing Michael Kors, and decided which dress was in, and which dress was out!

A couple weeks after the musuem, I took some friends from New York on an architectural boat cruise.  It was a beautiful spring day, and we learned so many fun facts on our cruise.  Like why the Sears Tower is now the Willis Tower (hint: it has to do with Sears moving out of the building).  I attached some pics I snapped.  How many famous buildings can you recognize?

      

So Long 2012!

The world may not have ended in 2012, but for me, it radically changed.  New job, new city, new car – you name it!  Deciding to move to Chicago was stressful and scary at first, but this “reboot” has amazing.  After living here for almost 5 months now, I’m still very happy and grateful to all the people who convinced me to take this chance.  You can check out my other posts to see what kind of fun I’ve been up to since moving here.

The Food Allergy Walk was another rousing success!  We raised close to $1,500 and our teams was honored as one of the top teams in the state.  We humbly thank all our donors.  Look for more adventures from the Food Allery Avengers in 2013!

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Because of the chaos of the transition to Chicago, I only made it to NYC once.  I still saw six shows when I was there, the best being Once, Peter and the Starcatcher, and the Christmas Story musical.  However, lots of shows do their pre-Broadway tryouts in Chicago.  I saw Kinky Boots in October, and it was so much fun!  Cyndi Lauper, who wrote the score, was in the audience.  Later, she got lost on the way to the bathroom.  :-p

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My new role has me traveling a lot more, mostly to Houston.  I’m enjoying learning about a new side of my corporation.  The people in my new office are very friendly, and make me feel right at home.  Still haven’t found a church that reminds me of the welcoming spirit of St. Christopher’s, but I’m still looking.  Similarly, I’m taking a break from singing until I find the right musical group to join.

Here’s an update on the rest of the family:

Mom – Will have major foot surgery mid-January.  She’ll be laid up for a few weeks, and will have a slow recovery process.  She needs this remedy as the pain has been bad.  I keep encouraging her to really follow through on the physical therapy, especially if she intends to visit Chicago.  She’ll need her walking feet!

Dad – Continues to work, have good and health, and of course, smile often.

Denise – She has lost over 20 lbs, and has really committed to eating better, and taking control of her health.  Recently lost her pug of 12.5 years to disease.  While sad now, I don’t think we’ll wait too long before she gets a puppy.

Alexis – Passed her boards and is a registered nurse!!!  She got a job working in Cortland, NY in the ICU.  She graduates with her Bachelor’s in May, and will move to Cortland after the semester ends.

Laurie – Continues to build a life for her and the kids in her new house.  I hear the inground pool was quite a success this past summer.

Sami – Is six now, and has a very sharp wit for someone so young.  She is improving on her reading and writing skills.  She still loves Champ, my dad’s golden retriever, the best.

Tyler – Despite him becoming more and more a sports fan, we still bond over comic books, video games, movies, and music.  At age 9, he has discovered Skype recently, which has helped keep the family in touch despite us being thousands of miles apart.

Grandparents – Both sets are still alive, but are showing signs of aging.  They have slowed down, and have health problems, but still seem in good spirits.  My dad’s father turns 90 next month.  I had lovely visits with them all over Christmas.

Let’s make 2013 even better than the last!  Happy New Year!

Need a new Christmas Tradition? I recommend Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory”

I can remember first hearing this story read to me when I was in 5th grade.  The reader broke down crying, which even at a young age, struck me how emotionally powerful this story remains.  It’s my favorite Christmas tradition – every Christmas Eve, when I finally retire, I take my worn copy of Capote’s A Christmas Memory, snuggle into bed, and transport to a different time.  I have an old video of A Christmas Memory narrated by Capote, so I continue to hear his distinct high-pitched voice speak the story as I read.  Capote’s words are patiently and precisely picked to paint a beautiful memory of his beloved best friend.  Every time I read, I discover something new.  My favorite scene – where the lazy Miller’s wife tries to buy Buddy and Sook’s tree, after they spent hours finding it, is summed up nicely by Sook: “There’s never two of anything in this world.”  It’s those moments that I love to revisit every Christmas.

Christmas in the Condo

The spirit of the season moved me to decorate last weekend.  Renting a condo in Chicago means I can’t decorate like I used to in Buffalo.  Lack of storage space is the primary reason.  Even if I chopped up a six-foot artificial tree, it still wouldn’t fit in my storage space, which is humorously called a “locker.”  Even with those constraints in mind, I managed to make the place look festive.

You’ll notice that Baby Jesus is MIA.  This is a standard practice in my household.  He’s not born until Christmas, so why would he be in the manger?  The angel is there mostly to monitor preparations until his arrival.  And Paddington Bear?  He was in the neighborhood, shopping for marmalade.

An advent wreath lies directly behind the stable.

Likewise, the sheep and shepherds remain lounging in the fields.

Why is it snowing in the Middle East?

The wise men are still in Egypt (aka the kitchen counter) and slowly make their way to Bethlehem by 1/6.

I think we take a left at the sink…

This place is not perfect until it has a polly.  Hang that stocking with care!

The library has some new recommendations for the holiday season.

These carolers are my favorite.  Even made of ceramic, they survived the bumpy trip to the Midwest.

Fa la la la…

Finally, the tree.  Despite its small stature, it’s packed with most of my favorite ornaments.

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Merry Christmas!