Memorial Day weekend came with infinitely better weather than suggested by the forecasters or the preceding two weeks of rain.
We spent time with Andrea, John, Nyla & Noah and others including the Browns. Struggled to fit in three barbecues. Missed John Sr. and Jeannette.
The Orton siblings gathered in Berkeley Heights NJ for a reunion this weekend. The last time all four were together was in 1997 at Nantasket Beach.
Today’s outing featured a trip to watch Noah Gilstrap play lacrosse in Princeton NJ. Mom and Dad were there also as was sister Nyla.
Torrey Orton fulfilled an objective of the trip with a visit to the hot dog stand. Nostalgia takes strange forms.
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Noah Number 8
post game picnic
I have used computers regularly at work and home since the early 80’s. I built my first website in 1999. My earliest computing goes back to punch card days. I use Skype videoconferencing regularly with clients. We share documents back and forth. Karen and I maintain more than six websites for business and personal uses. I build new websites for businesses here in Hudson. All of this is just to indicate that computers are not a novel notion for me.
The other day Karen and I heard the telltale signal that Skype was calling us with some incoming call. Given the time of day, we knew that it was Hong Kong calling. Instead of answering it on my desktop machine I popped open our two week old iPad and answered. There were Jonathan, Nan, Jesse, and Anna in Hong Kong. We were sitting in our breakfast nook and they on the floor in their living room.
The usual family blather was conducted. Jesse showed us his stuffed animal cat and fed it carrots. Anna demonstrated her walking. Then I noticed Jesse wandering off to do something and I was struck by the notion that this videoconference was just part of the furniture of his life. He talks regularly with at ,east two sets of grandparents and probably others. I was sitting there struck at the same moment by the novelty of this event occurring not on a large desktop computer with all of it’s wires, external hard drives and printers cluttering a desk, but on a panel 9.5 x 7.5 inches and a mere .38 inches thick sitting without any dangling attachments.
In fact, as I am writing this, I realize that I have been planning ahead for this to happen. Recently I bought another WiFi router and set it up towards the back of the house. Initially I was just thinking of improving the signal in the breakfast nook. Then we had a day of warm weather and I sat on our deck in the back yard and played on the iPad. Soon we will video conference with the grandchildren from there too.
Still, I am struck by how miraculous this all is.
We got up early and drove down to Brewster to watch Nyla play in a lacrosse game. I admit to be somewhat befuddled about the rules. Unlike the boys game which features lots of “checking” of opponents (really whacking, flailing, pummeling, and hacking are better terms), the girls game does not allow this. So, the strategy seems quite different. I will have to find the rules for girls lacrosse and examine them further.
At any rate it was great fun seeing Nyla play, even if I experienced some trepidation that hyper-competitive mother Andrea might rush on the field to lead the charge.
This appeared a couple of weeks ago opposite the Hudson Opera House on Warren St. here in Hudson. Not sure who is responsible for this juxtaposition of “shalom” and “salaam”, though a quick search on the web shows that this is new only to me.
Somehow, as we approach our second anniversary in Hudson, we finally wondered about this weed sticking up in the corner. Aromatic enough. Must be a white lilac.
A few images from a morning walk.
I have taken hundreds of pictures of fire connections. Not sure why. Recently I have only added to this collection when I see a new use for them. Sometimes this is people perching on them. Sometimes they are holding up coffee, beer bottles, candy wrappers….
The City of Hudson clearly doesn’t believe in modern chemistry. Can’t think of the last time I saw so many dandelions.
My favorite stairs.
Maybe this is just part of a seasonal business’s normal cycle, but??
I know that this is a worn out topic here in Hudson. Nevertheless, I remain amazed at the bad taste of the county government to litter one of the best parks in the city with all of these signs. Why have a ark if you don’t want people to loll in the grass? Is the only purpose of this park to be a prop for war memorials? Why did they so proudly tout that a local builder had replaced the roof on the gazebo when it is almost never used? Strange thinking.
Got up early and noticed people standing around outside PM Winebar. Kevin Moran, owner, had promised to open up early so that people could come and watch the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William together in front of his big screen. Apparently he he didn’t set an alarm.
So, with Susan Johnson bringing her scones and a couple of pots of coffee we invited those gathered to come in and watch on the gallery monitor.
~ 7:04 am
Couldn’t resist the hats…..
~ 7:31 am
Conversation with Actinica. They continue to get more sales, but still need to develop better commercial sensibilities. Prompted them about acting on cash flow by asking a customer for an early payment. Then pointed out that they need to be ready to outline how they want to do business with a new possible vendor who has a track record as a rain maker. Still and all, a tremendous change in their sales and their self-confidence as business people instead of just engineers.
Finished up avageyer.com. What a strange world it is that parents are so hands on in working with their children to get into college. Obviously not unusual, but still strange. I don’t remember even a teacher at Taft reviewing my college essays let alone parents!
Second significant snow of the season.
Woke up to snow flurries. Noticed the clear outlines of the heating coil in the sidewalk of the house across the street. Where is some plain common sense about energy and $? Even rich people should have some sense of embarrassment over such behavior.