Superbowl Sunday Steelers vs Cardinals 09

I went for the upset, and thought that it was pretty exciting.



Uncle Roy brought 3-D glasses which we had some fun with.



Otis wanted to get into the act!



The guys were throwing a ball for Otis. They'd throw it across the yard which
happens to have an ice pond in the middle of it. Every time Otis chased the ball
he'd slip and slide across the pond which was hysterical.




A little hot tub action.

Stamford Site

Gotta look for the silver lining, these were delicious and we ate dinner in our room.




Gary's Stamford "office" (that little orange box hanging off the building)



ground level view

Gary's winter digs.......one site

Tommy Loder doing a very nice Vanna White imitation

Brittany's new do

What more can I say...........but........stinkin adorable

What a little angel.




Nemo is such a sweetheart, I love him. Just below Nemo is a pic of our terrific
room in WV.

Then there is Gary holding Erik ..a natural










One little guy with so many Moms :-)

January brings new challenges.........

Gary and I just got back from West Virginia.


Gary has been working out of town and
we try to get together when ever possible. Last Thursday I took a flight out of Green airport to Scranton PA. Wayne (Amanda's hubby) picked me up and I got to visit with them for a few days, kiss the "boy" Erik, play cards with the girls etc. Gary
pulled in on Sunday just in time to catch church and watch Erik get dedicated. What a wonderful church and pastor Erik(same name is a coincidence) is terrific. We went back to Amanda's that day and left on Monday morning EARLY like 4:30am. West Virginia is only about 3 hours from A and W's. Gary went to work and I had to stay at the Holiday Inn. Ed (Gary's boss) was kind enough to share his rent a car with me. I went shopping and visited the local Humane society to pass the time. There was a small dog, brown and white, very sweet. Hugely pregnant and ready to have her pups any second. Poor thing. But the weather didn't want to cooperate and soon it was like blizzard conditions. I didn't want to take any chances so I got the car back to the hotel and parked it. Upstairs I went to wait out the rest of the day. The car was fun to drive...... a Cadillac LTS 2009...black on black.





The Jacuzzi was luxurious. But .............
All I could think about was Gary up in that terribly cold weather, on an outside hoist. Just awful.

On Wednesday we felt a little more rested and took a ride down to see the VICTORIA
in her winter digs. She was frozen solid in the ice.



The snow and Ice must have weighed several hundred pounds. Gary and I started diggin her out. I hammered (literally) gently at the 2 inch ice taking great pains not to hit the paint. Fresh water is our boats enemy. But with a plastic spatula, a hammer, and a pathetic little yellow broom. I worked my way around the boat.



Gary did the same and once in a while he'd take a shovel and remove everything we had chipped away at.




It was an all day affair but we got her uncovered. Then we chipped away at the hatches and discovered that the bilge pump was pumping....and pumping........and pumping. The batteries were dead and we were taking on water. The batteries were dead because the hose to the bilge pump was frozen, and that meant that the pump just kept going..and now the pump was burned out.

Gary worked frantically to save the boat from taking on any more water. If we can't get a handle on the problems ................we could be looking at the end of the VICTORIA. She could sink right before our eyes at the dock...and there wouldn't be a whole lot we could do to stop it. It was scary.

After a trip to the local West Marine for a replacement pump, things started looking up. We need to get the boat pulled. But we can't do that until we get a thaw. Lets hope we can keep her up on top of the water until then.

J.R.'s Fastlane Brittany and Chet

Brittany is Chet's backup at her first real "gig". Chet writes his own songs and he asked Brittany to sing them. Background melody as well. Very nice. Had a great turn out thanks to the Elevator Constructors Union local 39 of which Gary is the Vice President. Also thanks to Mike and Kim for coming all the way from Pawtucket the bucket!! A great time was had by all.

Brunch and PA visit cont'd

Mom and Pop posing with the kids.





Here Brittany is posing with Kirah and Amber in front of her new car. She worked
her butt off (60 hrs a week!) to save up and bought it herself!! She'll be using it
to get back and forth to CCRI in Sept when she resumes her education.



Amanda gestating. 6 months along now!



Brittany and Kirah enjoying the water. It was great weather.



Brittany with her Uncle Mike and Auntie Kim. Auntie Kim doesn't like taking pictures
but Uncle Mike would have none of it.

Our PA family in for a whirlwind visit-got alot done!!

Cousins Jason and Amanda share a joke.






After several pictures Amber went from holding her fish and smiling to asking me
to hurry so she could put it down. Hahahaha too funny




Amanda and Jason ready for a serious pic.



Deanna and Isabella came for the brunch too! Matt would have come but he was busy getting back from Hawaii (work related). The brunch we had so that those who couldn't
go to the boat could still get together. Rebekah and her hubby Josh stopped by too but they are working crazy hours and had to get some sleep, so the boat was out.




Amanda and Wayne yuking it up.

Highlights from Declans Christening-Mass

"Aunt" Alice and Declan






Brittany holding little Declan




Proud Grandpa Skip



Gary, "Pop" and Roy

Newport Folk Festival- things we saw

Host and Hostess
Mike, Amy, Frankie and Gary.
We had a great time spending time with some "folks" from our favorite's list.
What a tasty buffet courtesy of AMH.
Here is a young woman standing on a surf board paddling her way to the Folk festival. We saw every mode of water transport imaginable.
Note the people being dragged
on the floating "Island" behind this overloaded party boat. Later we saw them driving up a side road with this massive still inflated "island" on top of an Escort.
Did I mention that there was 3 feet of "island" hanging off both sides of the car!!
The young woman's counter part

Eddie spends a night in jail!!

Eddie bolted Saturday afternoon after a thunder boomer startled him. Gary and I
had people out on the boat at the Newport Folk Festival. Brittany called with the
unsettling news that he was gone. She was very upset, understandably and searched
up and down route 2 until she had to go to work. The next morning I woke up at 6
and immediately drove around searching for the nasty little dog that annoy's me
to no end. Crying that I couldn't find him and imagining all the terrible things
that could happen. Damn Fisher cats, coyote's and cars.

Then Gary got home from sleeping on the boat and called me.
It was about 7 when he suggested that I drive to the animal shelter and see if
anyone posted a note or something. I figured it's Sunday morning, the roads are
empty.......but I tried anyway. I walked in with a bag of dog food that we had
wanted to donate anyway and placed it on the counter. The Shelter attendant was
very nice and said "Good Morning how are you doing today?" I broke down right away
and mumbled that I couldn't find my dog. She asked what kind is "he"? I said Corgi.
and she replied, "I think we have him" Oh my GOSH I was so relieved I cried again.
This time from relief.

Long story short. Eddie may have spent a night in "jail" but I doubt that he
has been rehabilitated.

picture is of Eddie shedding and resting after his harrowing ordeal.