How's that for a giant leaf pile?

Its 3 houses worth of leaves. They got completely lost in there. - karen 

Karen goes to her 20th HS reunion

I talked to people who I grew up with but never was really friends with. It was great to catch up with people. This was most of our class' favorite teacher. We were so surprised she came to the reunion. Some friends from grade school. Its amazing how many people married other HS classmates. Most of our class lives within 20 minutes of home. But there were 3 other Virginians now. I had a really good time. Not sure how much fun it was for Barry but he was a good sport. 

Quick Before Anything Else Goes Wrong

That was the persistent theme for our Thanksgiving. First, it was a cold, rainy day from the time I awoke, 6am, until getting to sleep at 11pm. That meant bunko for the kids. Given that they sat in car for 9 hours the day before, they survived bunko very well. As we started getting dinner ready. Karen and my sister-in-law Tracy noticed a stench in the living room. Normally, this could easily be attributed to Faith, as the sole child still in diapers, but she was not around. It was only Tipper in the room. After a closer smell test, Tipper was confirmed. It was her coat. Given that it was a cold, rainy day (did I complain about that already), we let Tipper in the backyard instead of walking her in the afternoon. She must have found some animal by-products and rolled in them while outside. This same phenomena occurred about 2+ years ago during a previous visit here; she's in our backyard in VA all time and never rolls in crap! So, it was doggie bath time. Always a Thanksgiving favorite. After finsing every available old towel, my Dad and I gave her a bath and she came out smelling fine, but... It was just as we were finishing up the bath, that we heard the reports from the kitchen that the dishwasher was not draining. Paper plates for Thanksgiving! Part of the crew waiting for dinner. Tipper and Dad carving the Turkey Even with the all the mishaps, it was still just nice being with the family. Later, gotta get back to bailing out the dishwasher basin ;-)

We Made It

Long trip to Long Island yesterday. I got my work finished Tuesday night, so were able to leave early on Wednesday. We left the house around 9:30am, stopped to get bagels, and then hit the road in earnest at 10:30. All looked good through VA, and MD. Traffic started to slow up before the Del. Mem. Bridge, so we stopped for a break in a Del. rest stop. Beautiful, cold and rainy day throughout our journey. Nothing better than walking Tipper at a rest stop in a cold rain. On the bright note, Tipper did leave a number 2 behind in lovely Del. About 45 minutes later we were back on the road, eating our lunch in transit. Road opened up again just before the bridge and then breezed our way through Southern Jersey, until... The 30 mile Backup. Just after exit 5 on NJ Turnpike, we hit a wall averaging about 10mph. After 90 minutes of that, we got off at a rest stop near exit 7 along with everyone else on the road whose bladders were bursting while getting nowhere. Rest stop was packed, but for us it was just a pee break. Though I did pick up some free trucker sales mags at the rest stop for the kids. Great reading entertainment for Reuben and Jacob. I must say given the circumstances, coupled with the fact that we couldn't find the power cords for the mini-van's DVD players this morning (so no videos), the kids were very good in the van. Except for Jacob pulling the seat belt strap around his neck, there was very little yelling (by Karen or I, the kids yelled plenty but mostly happy yells). Back on the road and into 15 mph heaven. Tuning in to the NY news station didn't help because its traffic report never mentioned our congestion being that we were still too far South. But, it gave me hope, since they didn't talk about the turnpike near NY being bad. So we called Grandpa to check the traffic report online. He confirmed our 30 mile backup, but reported that it cleared up at exit 8. Sure enough about 30 minutes later we were sailing pretty again, never saw an incident or accident throughout the backup and it cleared up before the highway expands to 6 lanes. So I'm not sure why it ws so bad in that stretch. Couple of more stops, one for gas and one for bathrooms and we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house; 9.5 hours after leaving our house. Kids were very excited, but Tipper was ecstatic! More pictures too come.

Thank God Its Almost Monday

Busy weekend! We went to Synagogue yesterday morning and didn't get home until about 1:30. The place was packed, must have been a large Bar Mitzvah crowd. Then in the evening we had our neighbor's birthday party. It was a nice little get together, though I don't think I made a good impression. I beat up on the birthday girl and her younger sister (11 & 6 yrs. old) at Connect Four. Karen says I should have let them win at least a game. But, Connect Four is MY game!! (MIT geek story that I will share sometime; need to find the associated picture circa 1990). By the end, I had the younger sister climbing all over me trying to distract me while playing her sister. She's pulling my shirt and yelling in my ear. Too bad it didn't work ;-) Today, the boys had back to back birthday parties and then for dinner we had our Chavarah get together. Here is Karen and the kids preparing birthday cards for the parties. The Chavarah theme this month was dinner and a movie - "Cars" & pizza. Cars kept the kids attention for awhile, but the basement was also very appealing. For the most part, the kids watched the movie or played in the basement, while the parents were able to socialize some. Throw in a few trips to Home Depot, finishing touches on the shed, and a little office work, and you get a competely jammed packed weekend.

"We'll succeed," Bush added, "unless we quit."

Can you hear me scream!!!!!!! This is Bush comparing the success of the Vietnam war (because they are now embracing free trade) to the potential outcome of Iraq. This guy just does not get it. Can anyone remind him that the US alone had almost 60,000 GI's killed?

Casualties
RVN dead: 230,000 wounded: 300,000 U.S. dead: 58,209 wounded: 153,303 R.O.K. dead: 5,000 wounded: 11,000 Australia dead: 520	D.R.V./N.L.F. dead: 600,000* wounded: 600,000* PRC dead: 1100 wounded: 4200
Civilian dead (total Vietnamese): 1,000,000* (* = approximations, see Notes below)

30 years later, through no result of the war, Vietnam (still Communist) is finally coming together and starting to prosper. Is this hope for Iraq, another 10 years of US soldiers fighting, followed by civil wars, and international isolation, and then in 2040 a potential trading partner. Without our involvement, I'm pretty sure the same or expedited path may follow. In a way I'm glad Bush exposed his thoughts, frightening as they may be. Maybe it will finally give Congress and the American people the backbone to reject this nonsense.

And The Shed Stayed Dry

Pretty good storms yesterday. Our closest weather station was reporting about 3 inches of rain within a 4 hour period, much of it in 1 hour. It looked pretty windy, but the station only reported 20mph gusts. Anyway it was a good early test of the shed. I can proudly say, the floor is completely dry and all the walls are standing!! Oh and if you were concerned about our basement (I was), it also stayed dry. Karen was periodically checking the drain right outside the door out of the basement. When it starts backing up, you know trouble is imminent. No such backups occurred; basement was safe and sound. Next task is get a contractor in to put in a sump pump so I can stop worrying all time.

Days Are Getting Short

The kids go crazy if they don't get a chance to play outside. With all the rain lately, sometimes after dark is the only time to play outside. This photo was from Monday night when it was still a bit colder than today. Tomorrow is supposed to be another rainy day. Earlier today the weather report was stating the possibility of torrential rains and winds up to 60 mph. Though the latest report has lessened the severity a bit. But, it will still likely be another day not going outside for the kids. Wish Karen well ;-) 

Goodbye To Mark and Jess

Last night Uncle Mark and Aunt Jess gave the kids puzzles. Jacob got a Thomas puzzle. It was pretty hard with small pieces. Fortunately Jacob can tell which engine a piece goes with by only seeing a very small sliver of the engine. Faith got a magnetic set for dressing up dolls with different outfits. All the dolls wound up with something purple. Reuben meanwhile was absorbed by his dinosaur puzzle; that is until he joined Faith playing with the dresses. Hopefully a phase ;-) Last night Mark, Jessica, and I went to see Borat. I have never laughed out loud at any movie, as much as I did watching this movie. Sacha Baron Cohen is a true genius. However, I must warn folks who know my wife or my mother's taste in movies. This movie is not for you. As a point of reference I laughed vigorously out loud at the toilet scene in Dumb and Dumber. Borat was that kind of laugh out loud, but with many more great scenes and not all scatological. 

Clemyjontri - With Uncle Mark and Aunt Jess

Uncle Mark and Aunt Jessica came for a visit this weekend and what a beautiful day we had. This morning we met my brother's childhood friend and now a friend of mine who lives in our area, at Clemyjontri park in Mclean. There is a long story that goes with the creation of this park that you can probably find by Googling it; but the bottom line is that it's amazing. A more complete set of photos can be found on my web album

clemyjontri

In the afternoon, Mark and I also built my shed. I have finally cleared a todo list item that is over 5 years old!!! Next on the list, tuning in to that hot new show Survivor ;-) Here are a couple of shots of the new shed. Mark and I putting on the roof. Karen and Reuben enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Laughing In The Leaves - The Movie

This season's new holiday classic.

Another One Bites The Dust

Yesterday Northrop Grumman acquired Essex Corp. Essex Corp. is very similar, in many ways, to the firm that I work for. Both Essex and my firm is a Government contractor, has about 1000 personnel, has had stellar growth over the last 5 years, and has similar revenue. My firm actually competes with Essex in several overlapping technical areas and would certainly be considered in the same industry group of Aerospace and Defense. These mergers types go in waves. Grumman picks up Essex, Lockheed then picks someone else, and then L-3, Boeing, Raytheon fight over the scraps. We'll see what happens over the next few months. Here is the story as reported by the Washington Post. Northrop to Purchase Columbia Tech Firm By Griff Witte Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, November 9, 2006; Page D04 Northrop Grumman Corp. said yesterday that it agreed to purchase Essex Corp., a technology firm in Columbia, in a deal valued at about $580 million. The deal continues a trend in recent months of the biggest defense contractors scooping up small to medium-size companies that do intelligence work. Essex specializes in technology that the National Security Agency and other government agencies use to process the signals, images and information they collect. It has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding from fewer than 50 employees to nearly 1,000. Revenue has increased from a few million dollars a year to a forecast for 2007 of $300 million to $350 million. The firm's rise mirrors the growth of contracting opportunities for companies that specialize in intelligence work since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Northrop will pay $24 in cash per common share and assume Essex's debt. "After careful consideration, we on the Board of Directors believe it is time to declare victory and success for all, and at a price that represents an attractive valuation to our shareholders," Essex chief executive and president Leonard E. Moodispaw said in a statement. Los Angeles-based Northrop said it expects the deal to close in the first quarter of 2007. "Through its robust technical capabilities and performance, Essex has earned an exceptional reputation with its customers," Jerry B. Agee, president of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, said in a statement. Essex reported yesterday that its third-quarter profit rose 8 percent, to $2.4 million (10 cents a share). Revenue rose 56 percent, to $66.5 million. The company also raised its revenue estimate for the full year.

Laughing In The Leaves

At the bagel shop early this morning, I had a meeting with a synagogue group to help organize a December dinner and plan for future events. I signed up to help organize the next poker night. Then I decided it would be fun to get the boys and Faith out with rakes and play in the leaves. Get them good and tired so the rest of my day would be easier. We had a blast. Too many good pictures to post so I'm trying something new by posting the embedded html of my Google web album of the photos.

Laughing In The Leaves

Tinker Toys In The Morning

This morning we brought out the tinker toys. Below is Jacob's windmill robot. Meanwhile Reuben was loading his firetruck with the circular parts calling them cookies. This way the firetruck could make people happy when it made its trips. Finally there is Faith who still enjoys playing the role of Godzilla. Though, she then quickly plays the "I'm cute" card which always seems to work, as shown below. The morning was the highlight of the day. Right after lunch moods soured, lots of yelling (Mommy and Daddy included) pursued, no naps were taken, and lots of time was spent in their respective rooms. Faith is getting two molars in, so her crankiness is understandable. But, it seems she has a way of setting the atmosphere for everyone. On the brightside, tomorrow is another day. And, I have them alone from 2pm on... 

It's Mommy!!!

"Look its Mommy!!! Ha Ha." - Jacob This is Jacob's statue of Mommy. Later he took off her head and showed it to Mommy. "Look Mommy has no head." Frankly, I see the resemblance ;-) 

Fall Colors

Walking Tipper this morning, the Fall colors finally struck me. So after our walk, I took a look in our backyard and the scene from the yard was beautiful. Then grabbed the camera and only captured a hint of nature's beauty. For some really nice fall pictures take a look at some of James' postings from last week.