Dialog in the Dark and The Bodies Exhibits

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Ours began with a wonderful weekend with the boys and a family day. One of my gifts was tickets for all of us to the "Bodies Exhibit and Dialog in the Dark". http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/ - http://www.dialogtickets.com/ I requested no one make plans for Saturday December 20th the day was mine. The clues were a pair of sunglasses and a hand held operation game. Once they guessed where we were going we headed off to Atlantic Station. I knew that all the boys were not excited about the "Dialog Exhibit" but they were really excited about the "Bodies Exhibits".



We went to both exhibits and at lunch we had a great discussion about the exhibits and everyone agreed that the dailog exhibit was fantastic. The exhibit guides were all blind and they introduced us to their world. The exhibition is in the dark, you walk down a street, through the park and get on a boat! It was a wonderful exhibit and such fun. At the end our guide, Greg, sat with us in the dark of course and we asked all sorts of questions about being blind.



My favorite story was that Greg, who has been blind for only two years, had his oldest daughter re-teach him how to dance again so he could surprise his sixteen year old daughter for the father daughter dance.



The bodies exhibit was wonderful as well, it features actual human specimens and allows people see the body normally reserved only for medical professionals. To better understand how the elaborate and fascinating body works. It was really cool!

Friday Night Lights

The North Georgia Bulldogs made it to the playoffs! So there we sat in the stands in 30 degree weather freezing our ..... off and cheering our local high school team, Adrians school North Gwinnett. Going to the game is a cover for Adrian so he can hang out with his friends and his girlfriend. A good friday night activity! As close to family night we get these days. Hanging out with us is certainly not as much fun as hanging with his friends.

We won the game with a score of 42 to 21.

Ronaldo

Chunming, Sunny, Tricia, Denise, Judy, Terry, Tom, Melena and Ronaldo. Picture taken by Junfeng

Ronaldo, is one of the supply chain team in Merial Brazil. Sometimes you meet a counterpart from another division and you like them and than sometimes you meet someone like Ronaldo. He is just a wonderful person and someone we consider a good friend. He is funny and fun and a joy to be around. Terry and had to the opportuinty to go out to dinner with him on Thursday night and then on Saturday the gang went to the Tricia and Sunny's house for cocktails and then to Stoney River for dinner. When we went to Brazil Ronaldo made us feel so welcome, it was fun to introduce him to Atlanta.

Homecoming

Adrian attended his first dance of high school, the homecoming dance. He bought a ticket for him and his girlfriend and they met at the dance. He was meeting, Grant, Spencer, Joanna, Sylara and a few others, they run packs. A couple of weeks before (because I have to plan everything) I asked Adrian what he was wearing to the dance and does he want to get Sylara a corsage. Adrian told me he was wearing his normal closes and no he did not want to get Sylara flowers.

The Wednesday before the dance he informed me that I needed to take him shopping because he needed clothes for the dance. He had to dress and could not wear his regular clothes. We discussed it and agreed he would wear a black pants (cacky) a white button down shirt and we left tie on the table. We would finish the outfit with new black sneakers and a black jacket.

Once shopping, he hated the button up shirts, the pants and new black sneakers we okay and we settled for a casual white shirt. Of course when he dressed and come down in another white T shirt, a pair of black cargo pants and a black hoodie. He looked exactly like he does for school every day. But at 14 he knows everything, he will dress himself and will take advise from no one so I took his picture and drove him to the Dance. (Dad was out of town)

As soon as I drove up the first thing out of his mouth was "I am underdressed". He saw all the girls in pretty dresses and the guys in suits and ties. "Oh well, have fun and I will pick you up at 11:00".

When I picked him up I was informed that girls were mad at each other and there was 9th grade drama from the begining to the end! Oh to be 14 again!

Hola Amigos -

Mexico was wonderful, the time I was awake. Don't drink the water they said and I am not sure if that got me sick or what but 3 out of 6 days I spent in bed. Oh well that is how it goes! But when I was awake the water was wonderful the snorkelling was great!

My favorite adventures we took a taxi to town got on a city bus and went about 30 km and the bus dropped us off on the highway and we walked a quarter mile to the beach and we swam with turtles and saw the most wonderful coral reef. Some pictures on flicker!

CPR Training

Adrian & his CPR date

Terry, Adrian and I took a class in CPR and Fire protection training on Saturday. My company offered the class and I felt it was a good thing thing for the family to be prepared for emergencies. We signed up originally thinking it was for fire protection but it ended up being mostly CPR. So the three of us are certified in CPR. Adrian told me that in the Family Guy way he will run around pushing people to the ground and yell " I am certified in CPR please let me help you". So watch out for Adrian.

We did get to put out a fire but it was kind of lame!

The cookbook

Terry started laughing pretty hard when he came in saw me taking pictures of a martini glass full of water with an olive. I had to explain that I was taking a picture of a martini for the family cookbook. I have decided to begin the book with chapter one being about cocktails. The first recipe will be Dads famous Martini recipe. It may be a short chapter full of beer and wine with beachy rum drinks.

Now the boys think I am crazy because I am taking pictures of the food as we cook! What they do not realize is that I will be taking pictures of everyone, including them, making their favorite recipes for the book. I have been collecting Mom's recipes including Tourtiers (French meat pies), Gołąbkis (go'wompkis) and the Spaghetti sauce. Please send recipes and pictures and plan on seeing me my camera on a world wind tour of the southeast taking pictures of you all

Cooking on Sunday!

Sometimes just hanging out, watching football and cooking is a perfect Sunday. Today is that day. We went shopping came home with chicken and brisket and we cooked all day for the week. Terry cooked his famous Dr. Pepper Brisket and I cooked Chicken Francias and Chicken Parmesian. The Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons won today and we will be eating well this week. Just a great Sunday!

Weekend in Concord

I am a bit late at posting but we had a great weekend in Concord, NC. We drove in for the weekend so that Terry could play with Randy and Skip. The music was great, the food wonderful and the family time was fantastic! Debbie and Lewis came with us! Pictures of the weekend posted in flicker. The short of it is it was a wonderful weekend!

Glowsticking, Strings or Free Style?

Adrian went to his first "glow sticking" meet-up last night. Wikiapedia defines Glowsticking as a form of dancing with glowsticks or other glowstick-like instruments that share the same qualities: durability, consistency in light, safety to toss around, and the material of which they are made, often a soft and pliant plastic.

Actually Adrian, Terry, & I went to the meet up. It was the first time Adrian had met these kids in person. They met through a glow sticking website, James the organizer has a space book site. The kids share video's of themselves glow sticking and they give each other a tips and advice.

Of course we allowed Adrian go with the stipulation that we would be be with him. He was so excited to go and share his interests with the other kids. No one seemed to mind that Adrian's parents were hanging around. He had a blast. I have updated Flicker with pictures and another movie clip. Click the flicker link!

Finding Old Friends (30+ year High School Re-union)

My 30+ class reunion is a few weeks away. Once the e-vite came out, people and great memories flooded back. I had not thought about some of these people in years. Old Saybrook, CT was a great place to grow up. The CT coast is where I call home, it is where I went to elementry school, Jr. High and where I began High School. My best freind was Mary-Jo. She and I were joined at the hip. I am lucky to have kept in touch after we moved to VA, I went to her wedding and we met for the 15 year re-union. But life gets in the way and we lost each other for about 12 years.


Because of the up coming re-union, I was given her e-mail and we have started to talk again. I learned her daughter Emily (Em) is 15 and the family is doing great. What fun it will be to catch up. We cannot go the re-union, Adrian starts high school the Monday after so we need to be home, but I look forward to someday in the future meeting Mary-Jo and Tommy for dinner and catching up!

Mary Jo Garvey-LeQuinn (September 1978)

The Summer Hair Cut

I was tired of the heat; I was constantly pulling my hair back into a pony tail. So I decided to get my haircut short. I made the decision on a Saturday morning. I went to see Gail (my hairdresser) and I did not even think to tell Terry. I just got brave; I looked at a few pictures and told Gail to cut it something like one of the pictures. It was kind of a shock when I looked in the mirror; I had not seen myself with bangs and short hair in years, but I was happy. When I came home Terry, after the initial shock wore off, told me he liked the cut and I got a lot of complements from others. Over the weekend I went in for a trim and told Gail to go shorter.
Yesterday Terry and I were standing in line at Costco (the $100.00 club) he looked at my hair and said “your hair is really short you look like a dike”. I know he did not mean it the way it came out and I could not stop laughing, it was so funny. It is just a comment he will never live down!

He is not fooling me he likes my new haircut but more important I like my new haircut!

Becoming a feshman in High School

Adrian will begin High School in a few weeks. We will be busy getting clothes, new shoes and school supplies. Growing up Mom always got us a new piece of clothing to wear the first day of school, she believed the school year starts out right when you have something new and we will have a good year! I think it had to do with the way we feel in new clothes. If we feel good about ourselves we have a positive attitude. Anyway this is a tradition that I carry on.

I almost forgot a new cell phone. We held out on getting Adrian a cell phone until last year and when he turned 13 and wore us down, we gave in and he got a hand-me-down phone. The hand-me-down phone is on its last leg! 30+ years ago when we were in high school we would of called you crazy if you had told us our kids would be carrying cell phones, lap top computers and all other technology that is taken for granted today. But back then we went to Jr. High not middle school and our school supplies didn’t cost our parents an arm and a leg and so on. When did parents begin having to supply a folder for each class, sharpies, red, black, green and blue pens, pencils.................

I may be just a softy but to me it is so exciting to be 14 and ready to start the new chapter in a life. Adrian wants to buy band t-shirts and big UFO pants and a band hoodie, the "New Baxx Original V1". We had to order it from Australia, he saved forever to buy this hoodie, is hoodie even a real word? I had a good laugh when he informed me that he does not want to wear the band shirts of the bands he no longer listens too. Right keep on dreaming was my response; he can wear plain shirts if that is the case!

As the days get closer it is fun to see him getting excited about going to High school,( he is not excited about the work) just the next chapter! He and his friends are planning football games and all those fun high school activities. I know it is going to be a good year!

Family

Julie & Dad

This weekend part of the Goyette Family came together to celebrate Dad's 75th birthday.


I love having a house full of family. Collin, Carter and Caden were the icing on the cake. It was so much fun with little children running around they have so much energy and best of all you can send them home! (ha ha)


My book was a great success so all the fretting over it was worth every minute. Dad was so surprised and the girls liked the T-shirts. It is funny that one of my favorite moments of the weekend was when Harrison came home from work (after all 16 of us went to Steak and Shake for lunch) when he was asked by a coworker why the customer hugged him he said "that is my family".

I just loved being with everyone, all I can ask is that we do not wait do long next time. Remember everyone I have a big birthday next year. (he he)

It is family that make life worth while! I love you all!

It was a wonderful weekend the only thing missing was Russell, Sue, Russ, Travis, Addie and Tommy.

Road Trip & Ghosts

Terry and I took a road trip! We put 2,800 miles on the rent a car. We started with the kids and drove to Azel, TX (outside of Fort Worth). Next to New Orleans to play, on to Florida to see Dad and Patricia and then home to Atlanta.



The road was pretty uneventful it was just hours in the car. We had a lovely Christmas with the Paynes, the Browns and the Utters. We had fun with Dad and Patricia and had a great time in New Orleans

On the 26th Terry and I took off for New Orleans. The Kids stayed in Texas with the family. We got to the hotel (http://www.innonbourbon.com/) about 5:00PM. We walked all over the French Quarter, played on Bourbon Street and we took a "Ghost Tour". My choices were a Ghost Tour or a carriage ride.

The tour was good, the tour Guide was very entertaining, he loved history and he was a real story teller. One of the stories was about the Andrew Jackson Hotel. It was an orphanage and there a boy who died they are not sure whether he jumped or was thrown off the second story balcony. They say he roam the halls at night. woooooo................... Guests have heard the boy running and playing, how the items in their rooms move and one couple said that a picture of them was taken in their room while they were sleeping and no one else was in the room. But what makes it spookier was the fact that the picture would have had to be taken from above them. Wooooooo...... BOO
http://www.ghostinmysuitcase.com/places/notour/index.htm

Well I took pictures and I keep telling Terry that there is a ghost in one of the pictures but he does not believe me. So I will post the pictures and you can decide for yourself!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year, I wish everyone a Happy and Healthy 2008.