As many of you have heard, my dad is sick, though he currently feels and looks great. He was in the hospital Monday-Wednesday, but they sent him home temporarily while the doctors await the results of his tests. Kevin and I went to visit this weekend at my parents' home and had a nice home-cooked meal with them. Dad will be starting treatment soon, and I will try to keep you updated. Thank you for all your kind wishes and calls and emails. I love you guys too. That's why I keep this blog, to remember all the wonderful times with all of you.
Update: The diagnosis is kidney cancer in his brain, lungs, and kidney. As some of you know, dad had kidney cancer 11 years ago and had one kidney removed. This is a recurrence. The brain tumor was what warned us, as cancer is typically silent. We are very hopeful about the treatment which will begin next week.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Visiting Sarah and Donald in Michigan 2010
After our wonderful airline experience, already documented by Kevin, the fun began in Ann Arbor. First and most importantly, Sarah, Donald, Kevin and I went to worship the Sandwich at Zingerman's. The Zingerman Reuben, on French bread (a Sarah-substitution) was divine. It was so good that it reminded me of Schwartz's smoked meat sandwich in Montreal.
We walked up and down Main Street and State Street, checking out the Farmer's Market. We walked around the campus and the law school.
As you know, Sarah and Donald are engaged and they are getting married through the Catholic Church, so we also swung by the Ann Arbor church where they are taking their pre-marriage classes.
Back at their house, I got to see Donald's Supreme Court Clerkship offer letter from Justice Scalia. I thought about taking a picture of it, but somehow that seemed weird.
For dinner, we had Indian at Shalimar's Restaurant. I ate chicken korma for the first time ever. Then we went home to relax and watch the History Channel. Watching the History Channel, is, afterall, how Sarah and Donald got engaged in the first place. Since eating is one of our favorite things to do together, we started the next day with breakfast at Afternoon Delight. Again, I had something I had never eaten before, cheese blintz. Who knew Ann Arbor would be such a culinary adventure?
Sarah and Donald have long been soccer fans, and Kevin and I enjoy the World Cup so we were all excited to watch the final together. We were all rooting for Spain (and even attempted to buy matching Spain shirts- but failed) and Donald invited a few clerk-friends to join us, one of whom was rooting for the nasty cheating Netherlands. I am particularly supportive of Xabi Alonso because we share a last name, and De Jong from the Netherlands kung-fu kicked him square in the chest. It was hard to imagine how it could have been a mistake. Thus, Spain victory was doubly sweet.
Thank you for a wonderful weekend, Donald and Sarah!
Sarah and I outside of Zingerman's
Ann Arbor Farmer's Market
Michigan Law School courtyard
Their Michigan church
For dinner, we had Indian at Shalimar's Restaurant. I ate chicken korma for the first time ever. Then we went home to relax and watch the History Channel. Watching the History Channel, is, afterall, how Sarah and Donald got engaged in the first place. Since eating is one of our favorite things to do together, we started the next day with breakfast at Afternoon Delight. Again, I had something I had never eaten before, cheese blintz. Who knew Ann Arbor would be such a culinary adventure?
Sarah and Donald have long been soccer fans, and Kevin and I enjoy the World Cup so we were all excited to watch the final together. We were all rooting for Spain (and even attempted to buy matching Spain shirts- but failed) and Donald invited a few clerk-friends to join us, one of whom was rooting for the nasty cheating Netherlands. I am particularly supportive of Xabi Alonso because we share a last name, and De Jong from the Netherlands kung-fu kicked him square in the chest. It was hard to imagine how it could have been a mistake. Thus, Spain victory was doubly sweet.
Thank you for a wonderful weekend, Donald and Sarah!
At The Arena sports bar, watching the World Cup
Hooray! Spain wins!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Things My Husband Complains About
Reposted from Kevin's Customer Service Circle of Hell blog:
Flying from New York City to Detroit is quick, only about an hour in the air. So you can understand how frustrated I would be when I arrived 13.5 hours late. Here's the time-line:
Flight #1: New York to Detroit (Delta): Canceled
I'm thinking, well, stuff happens. Weather, mechanical, best to be careful. Surely, they'll put me and my wife on a later flight since it's mid-afternoon. Wait, what's that? You want to send us the next day? Through Minneapolis, which is several hundred miles past Detroit? And you believe this critical information should be delivered via a robot that doesn't leave a phone number where I can ask follow-up questions? Eventually, I found a phone number and an android who would confess, when bullied, that it had lied about (minimum): 1) there being no other flights that day, and 2) their ability to place me on another airline. Eventually, we were placed on an American flight leaving 75 minutes later. It had a connection in Chicago (again, going past Detroit), but at least we'd only arrive four hours late. Why the flight was canceled remains a mystery.
Flight #2: New York to Chicago (American): Delayed
My attempt to get a meal voucher (since we're missing dinner with our friends) is dismissed with something between indifference and abject hatred. To be expected, but I'm getting a little worried because that 75 minute window between when one flight lands in Chicago and the next flight takes off for Detroit is shrinking. And the delay stretches. And now the best case scenario is that the plane lands 20 minutes after the connecting flight is scheduled to take off, and my wife is weeping on account of not being able to see her friends, and hating to fly, and having to spend the night in Chicago for no good reason.
Flight #3: Chicago to Detroit (American): Delayed
Hooray for this delay! After sprinting through O'Hare with despair in our hearts to catch a connection that had surely already left, we find that the plane is still there and the kind attendants are willing to let us board it, even though boarding is over and the doors are sealed. But wait!
Flight #3: Chicago to Detroit (American): Canceled
Two flights--on two different airlines--canceled in one day, surely this is a personal record. There is no mystery here, though. The flight was canceled for the trivial reason of not having a pilot. Hotel and meal vouchers for all, leading to this exchange:
Me: May I have a meal voucher for my wife, as well.
Attendant: This voucher is for you and your wife.
Me: $10 each?
Attendant: $10 total.
We'll dine like kings in Chicago for $5 each! We'll split a "Chicago-style" dog and bottled water--who are you to ask for more? Later, this conversation happens:
Other passenger: You can use that voucher almost anywhere in the airport.
Me (inside my exploding skull): ALMOST ANYWHERE? Thank God, it's only five hours until our next flight leaves because I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight!
Flight #4: Chicago to Detroit (American): On time
This was a relatively painless flight. They did try to move my wife across the plane but failed. We had a nice time in Michigan.
Flight #5: Detroit to New York (Delta): Lost reservation
We're not in the system. The several confirmation codes I have are meaningless. This is confirmed by the attendant behind the desk. My wife explains most of the bad things that happened, while the attendant makes phone calls and whispers things like "this is strange" and "it's just not there." But wait!
Flight #5: Detroit to New York (Delta): Delayed
We're there, after all. You only have to look capable of crying or screaming for long enough. The flight is about 30 minutes late, but by this point, the delay seems positively generous. When the very, very bumpy flight is over, there are other planes at the gate, but this scarcely matters. We're home, and our hatred of domestic air travel cemented.
Final Stats!
Actual flights: 5
Delayed flights: 3 (remarkable since we only booked 2 flights)
Canceled flights: 2
Lost reservations: 1
Flying from New York City to Detroit is quick, only about an hour in the air. So you can understand how frustrated I would be when I arrived 13.5 hours late. Here's the time-line:
Flight #1: New York to Detroit (Delta): Canceled
I'm thinking, well, stuff happens. Weather, mechanical, best to be careful. Surely, they'll put me and my wife on a later flight since it's mid-afternoon. Wait, what's that? You want to send us the next day? Through Minneapolis, which is several hundred miles past Detroit? And you believe this critical information should be delivered via a robot that doesn't leave a phone number where I can ask follow-up questions? Eventually, I found a phone number and an android who would confess, when bullied, that it had lied about (minimum): 1) there being no other flights that day, and 2) their ability to place me on another airline. Eventually, we were placed on an American flight leaving 75 minutes later. It had a connection in Chicago (again, going past Detroit), but at least we'd only arrive four hours late. Why the flight was canceled remains a mystery.
Flight #2: New York to Chicago (American): Delayed
My attempt to get a meal voucher (since we're missing dinner with our friends) is dismissed with something between indifference and abject hatred. To be expected, but I'm getting a little worried because that 75 minute window between when one flight lands in Chicago and the next flight takes off for Detroit is shrinking. And the delay stretches. And now the best case scenario is that the plane lands 20 minutes after the connecting flight is scheduled to take off, and my wife is weeping on account of not being able to see her friends, and hating to fly, and having to spend the night in Chicago for no good reason.
Flight #3: Chicago to Detroit (American): Delayed
Hooray for this delay! After sprinting through O'Hare with despair in our hearts to catch a connection that had surely already left, we find that the plane is still there and the kind attendants are willing to let us board it, even though boarding is over and the doors are sealed. But wait!
Flight #3: Chicago to Detroit (American): Canceled
Two flights--on two different airlines--canceled in one day, surely this is a personal record. There is no mystery here, though. The flight was canceled for the trivial reason of not having a pilot. Hotel and meal vouchers for all, leading to this exchange:
Me: May I have a meal voucher for my wife, as well.
Attendant: This voucher is for you and your wife.
Me: $10 each?
Attendant: $10 total.
We'll dine like kings in Chicago for $5 each! We'll split a "Chicago-style" dog and bottled water--who are you to ask for more? Later, this conversation happens:
Other passenger: You can use that voucher almost anywhere in the airport.
Me (inside my exploding skull): ALMOST ANYWHERE? Thank God, it's only five hours until our next flight leaves because I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight!
Flight #4: Chicago to Detroit (American): On time
This was a relatively painless flight. They did try to move my wife across the plane but failed. We had a nice time in Michigan.
Flight #5: Detroit to New York (Delta): Lost reservation
We're not in the system. The several confirmation codes I have are meaningless. This is confirmed by the attendant behind the desk. My wife explains most of the bad things that happened, while the attendant makes phone calls and whispers things like "this is strange" and "it's just not there." But wait!
Flight #5: Detroit to New York (Delta): Delayed
We're there, after all. You only have to look capable of crying or screaming for long enough. The flight is about 30 minutes late, but by this point, the delay seems positively generous. When the very, very bumpy flight is over, there are other planes at the gate, but this scarcely matters. We're home, and our hatred of domestic air travel cemented.
Final Stats!
Actual flights: 5
Delayed flights: 3 (remarkable since we only booked 2 flights)
Canceled flights: 2
Lost reservations: 1
Friday, July 9, 2010
Grandma Daisy 80th Birthday 2010!
¡Feliz cumpleaños, Abuelita!
With Grandma Daisy, "Abuelita," when I was born
My brother David and our Abuelita at our wedding
Christmas 2009
Monday, July 5, 2010
Fourth of July 2010!
We had a fabulous time on the Cape this weekend with Kevin's mother "Ma," and got home a little early to do some more home shopping for the new place and work.
On Saturday, we had a delicious lobster and calamari lunch at Chatham Bars Inn, then walked around the beach and checked out the Chatham lighthouse. Then we went shopping around-- The Christmas Tree Shops are a requirement every time we go to the Cape, though it's always tough to decide which one. Kevin had a Cape Cod League game high on his to do list, so I bravely sat through a game between Orleans and Brewster (this might provoke another TMWCA). Ellen had a fabulous Spanish-theme party for her third birthday complete with paella and sangria. Then various local renegades set off fireworks around Follins Pond. It was quite the show.
Sunday, the three of us set off early for the beach but many of the beaches, even the residents-only beaches were really backed up by 10 a.m. We finally ended up sunning and swimming at West Dennis Beach. Actually a pretty roomy beach and the sand wasn't as rough as usual and the seaweed was somewhat under control. I swam around with tiny schools of fish and jellyfish. Finally, finally, the thing that I had been waiting for-- Moose Tracks Icecream at Lil' Caboose. We rounded out the weekend BBQing with Ma, Fran, and George. Perfect.
On Saturday, we had a delicious lobster and calamari lunch at Chatham Bars Inn, then walked around the beach and checked out the Chatham lighthouse. Then we went shopping around-- The Christmas Tree Shops are a requirement every time we go to the Cape, though it's always tough to decide which one. Kevin had a Cape Cod League game high on his to do list, so I bravely sat through a game between Orleans and Brewster (this might provoke another TMWCA). Ellen had a fabulous Spanish-theme party for her third birthday complete with paella and sangria. Then various local renegades set off fireworks around Follins Pond. It was quite the show.
The Tavern at Chatham Bars Inn
The birthday girl is three!
Fireworks on Follins Pond
West Dennis Beach on the 4th
West Dennis Beach
Nom nom nom nom.
BBQing burgers and ribs- yum
Fran, George, and Kathy
Saying goodbye to Nomar
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Donald is Kind of a Big Deal 2010
This is something that only the best of the best law students have the opportunity to do. First you have to be brilliant, then you have to clerk for another judge, and then if your application gets picked from among a stack of other brilliant people with brilliant applications, you get to interview. In Donald's case, Justice Scalia interviewed him and chose him to clerk. I've seen Scalia in action in the Court and I can't imagine that being
Congratulations, Donald! We all knew you could!
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