Christmas 2007

Yes, we have had an excellent time so far over the Christmas holiday.

December 20: Nicole and Kerry arrive, 11p or so.

December 21: large party at our house. This event turned out really nicely and involved most of the usual suspects.

December 22: party at Ray and Linda's place. Featuring seven-year old holiday brew - and caroling!

December 23: party at Mary Beth's place. Good food and lots of fun playing cards etc.

December 24: all three photos are from this date. Paul Jr. was coerced or whatever into playing Santa for a party next door - and did a fine job. Photo shows him getting his courage up with elvish assistants. Then we had a wonderful family dinner at Richardson's before returning home to open gifts. etc.

December 25: Patricia had to work. So we visited her in the afternoon and had fun saying hi to her friends. Chris came up with an amazingly fine Christmas dinner. Later on, (Patrick's U of A buddies) Michael and Taylor came over with a newish "video" game named Rock Band. This led to hours of singing. Two short videos here demonstrate the skills involved. Video one features Chris on vocals, Paul Jr. on guitar and Patrick on drums (check out the technique!) Video two features Kerry on vocals and Nicole on guitar.

December 26: something of a day off, though Patricia made a great dinner in the evening while others played Euchre. Then we watched a movie ("Joyeux Noel") which was entertaining though not great; fun to watch together.

Today: another big gathering for the Holiday Bowl (ASU v. Texas). And Jim and Carol will be arriving, yippee.

The only downside is that Patrick is spending chunks of time down in Tucson taking a winter session course.

More fun to come.

Christmas photos (1990)

I have no reason to post these photos from 1990, other than that it is Christmas, and I do like the photos. And check out the video game that Chris has (Jordan v. Bird, I believe). Ages here were Nicole 9, Chris 8, Kerry 7, Patrick 4, Paul Jr. 3.

Photos from Choral Union concert 12 03 07

Some photos taken at the Choral Union concert at Camelback Bible Church on the evening of December 3, 2007. Photos show performers, director, fans, warm-up. Courtesy of PJ's camera.

Choral Union Holiday Concert 2007

Chris, Paul Jr. and I had our (ASU Choral Union) holiday concert held at ASU's Gammage Auditorium on Sunday, December 2. We performed two sets of music: five of the choruses from Haydn's "Creation," and three pieces by John Williams from the movie, "Home Alone." The Haydn pieces were delightful. The "Home Alone" pieces were not our favorites. Performed per usual with the ASU Symphony Orchestra - neat. Patricia and I had dinner after at Carlsbad Tavern with Linda, Ray, Paul, Nedda.

We had a second performance at Camelback Bible Church on the evening of Monday, December 3; just performed the "Home Alone" stuff (with piano accompaniment instead of the symphony), and one of the Creation choruses (performed with four of the other ASU choruses so the sound was different/nice). Patricia and I had dinner with Chris at Chelsea's Kitchen after.

I missed the Saturday rehearsal with the orchestra. Patricia called from the side of the 51 freeway, just a bit north of the Northern Avenue exit - had a front-wheel blowout. So I drove there and we eventually got the tires taken care of. Which took some time but was sort of fun by the time we were finished.

By the way, it turns out that the "Creation" oratorio was considered one of Haydn's major works. There is some interesting info available by clicking here. Apparently the premiere was highly anticipated, and special crowd control measures were needed. Lawsuits were threatened over ownership rights, translation, etc. This all happened in the late 1790s but sounds quite modern indeed.

Photo is from the ASU website; perhaps you can recognize one of our performers if you click to enlarge. "Creation" selections below.

St. Paul notes

I wanted to mention some of the fun that we had in St. Paul during our visit for the big wedding celebration last month up in Minnesota (wedding is described here).

We spent four overnights in the twin cities, and the first two were at Therese's eminently fine condo. On the first evening, we just checked in, changed clothes and headed up to the opening night party at the home of dysfunctionals #1. They served up a pretty fine fajitas dinner, but after the party we were still hungry. (Because with the time change we normally eat dinner about four hours later.)

So after getting back to the condo we got up our courage and went walking through the neighborhood. It was cold, windy, and late. My wife alternated between insisting she was fine with the temps, and insisting that we eat at whatever was the first place we ran into. She may have been right on both counts. (At any rate, this was our last time out walking for the duration of the trip.)

This method of restaurant location led us to a fine local place called "The Muddy Pig." We split a chicken sandwich and some appetizer I don't recall, and I was impressed that the place had about 27 different beers on tap. The kind of place I wish we had more of here in Phoenix. We walked back through the wind and cold, and my wife stole Therese's sweater and two of her comforters. Then we were warm enough for a good night's sleep.

Therese had been kind enough to scout out in advance some good pastry for us, so the next morning we drove (no more walking) over for coffee, raspberry cream cheese pastry, chocolate croissant. Her field research paid off, it was fine stuff. Then after a bunch of errands we went to lunch at some place called W.A. Frost. The interior was gorgeous - lots of interesting rooms. Sweet menu, and interesting local beer on tap. Yum. Then off to join the crew and rehearsal dinner fun. By this time we had picked up Nicole from the airport for even better times. Very late night snack thereafter: a nice Chilean wine plus fruit plus some chocolate Therese had stashed (we knew it was good when the label reported that tribes used to go to war over this chocolate, and we have reason to believe the label). So it was another 1:30a bedtime.

Why mess with a winning formula? The next morning the three of us repeated the breakfast, then got ourselves organized and dressed for the wedding, then stopped back at old reliable W.A. Frost for another delightful lunch. All the places mentioned here were within a stone's throw of the condo, assuming a really strong throwing arm.

Then onto the wedding ceremony for the rest of the fun described in the previous post.

TMG = excellent hostess.

Testing audio insert

I'm working with a new service (at least new to me) that allows me to post audio clips here. If it works, you should be able to listen to the entire Beethoven choral fantasy (18+ minutes). Here goes:

Performing Beethoven . . .

We (being the ASU Choral Union) have two concerts in the fall semester. The fall concert is mostly music by the orchestra; there is quite a bit more vocal music in the holiday concert.

Anyway, on Friday (October 26) we performed with the ASU orchestra in Beethoven's "Fantasy in C minor for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra, op. 80 (1808)." You can read an interesting summary of the work by clicking here. Apparently this was written to premiere along with several other Beethoven blockbusters. The article explains how the theme is similar to the 9th symphony (the theme of which has been adapted into things such as the familiar hymn "Ode to Joy," to use Schiller's title).

OK, the chorus was something of a bit player in this whole production. But it was still Beethoven, and still a very fine work. The piano soloist did great. I much enjoy the rehearsals with the orchestra, and the night of performance was a fine evening all around.

The photo is lifted from a video taken by one of Paul's roommates. Paul, I and Chris are in the third row from the top (L-R), while Nedda is a couple rows down and to the right.

Patrick came up from Tucson and made it to the auditorium just in time for the performance, but not quite in time to take the video (per his usual contribution). He's our #2 fan; #1 also was in attendance of course. The video is pretty good but seems to lack Patrick's experienced touch.

The vocal portion of the work (in German, as you might expect) appears below. (It lasts about four minutes, with the chorus entering at the one minute mark. The entire piece (most of which isn't included below) was about 19 minutes long.)

Cool gift

KHG is back from Greece, bearing Grecian gifts. And mine is quite neat - check out the photo. It's also bronze - just like the originals.

I especially like it because it reminded me of the Aeneid, described here. The cover design on the book features a guy wearing a similar helmet (though you'll have to take that on faith as the image of the cover is too small). The battle scenes in the Aeneid make me believe that a warrior would trade off the reduced visibility of this helmet design for greater protection from swords and other lethal objects.

Checking around, it seems that this indeed was the classic design. Click here for a short discussion of the Corinthian helmet; the author claims Herodotus wrote about this.

Pretty, but . . .

Our pool looks very pretty, in a certain way, after windy conditions on Sunday. But this also is why the pool is very high on the endangered list. It continually needs to be cleaned. By me. And I had to get up about 1a this morning to fiddle with the pump, which was having some understandable difficulties dealing with the debris. This led to even more complaining.

Rookies put on amazing wedding!

We're back from a most excellent trip up to the Twin Cities for the wedding of Angela House and Kieran Houlihan. Patricia and I flew to MSP on Oct. 10 (Wed); easy flight; free upgrade to what passes for a Dodge Charger these days; off to Therese's apartment where we changed clothes and went to our first event of the wedding weekend. (BTW, we stayed for two nights at Therese's condo and enjoyed various St. Paul amenities; more on that in a separate post.) Anyway, that first night there was a get-together at the home of dysfunctional #1 - there were some tasty fajitas, good drinks, lots of good chat. Got to meet the groom and his parents and "mates", if I'm using the terminology correctly. Also got to see Carol & Jim, Steve, Cecilia & Margaret, etc. Nice all around.

Patricia, Therese and I eventually made it up to the House house after a late lunch on Thursday. Only to say goodbye to everyone going to rehearsal and turn right around to retrace our steps to pick up Nicole at the airport (flying in from Chicago). We were almost an hour late getting there; things are slow in this town after last summer's infamous I-35 bridge collapse. Made our roundabout way to the rehearsal dinner at Major's, where the group had its own room. Went around the tables with introductions by all; a very nice evening with good opportunity to get to know folks. And to catch up with my own family members, as seven siblings (plus HSG & EMG) were in attendance. Also some "big buck hunting" and the like downstairs as the evening wore on. Watched a bit of the Diamondbacks vs. Rockies NLCS game #1 during dinner (that's all I'm going to say about that series, our baseball fun peaked the previous week at the game described here).

Friday was the wedding day; similar to the previous day, we headed north to the church after a late lunch. It was fun talking to everyone before the ceremony, going through picture-taking etc. Then we were seated and enjoyed some pregame music, the high point of which consisted of Dolores and Clare performing the adagio movement from Mozart's concerto for clarinet and orchestra in A (K 622), a delightful excerpt from which appears immediately below (enjoy!):



This is a fine tune indeed.

After some uncertainty whether the ring bearer (Allison) would make her scheduled appearance, the ceremony otherwise went off without a hitch - very nicely planned. (Though the deacon reminded some of Montgomery Burns.) Then the usual fun going through reception line and yakking with everyone about how nice everything was.

We stopped briefly at the Hampton Inn (Shoreview) and checked in, then headed to the reception at Kozlak's - this turned out very well also. The four of us were at a table with Steve & Liz and family, which was fun. The place actually was capable of serving excellent banquet food at the right temperature, which is nice for fussy eaters like me. There was a nice video showing scenes around Sydney. The speeches were all quite good, and Steve H. actually generated some laughs with his description of Angie's studies "abroad." Wedding music and dancing, and I spent the evening talking to all the various folks that I don't get to see enough of. It was nice. By the time we got settled in at the hotel it was pushing 2a.

So we almost missed the hotel breakfast on Saturday morning except that the attendant took pity. That allowed us to finish breakfast by 11 and line up within an hour for a Green Mill pizza lunch courtesy of our intrepid wedding hosts. By the way, it was fun to hang around the breakfast room both mornings, another good opportunity for folks to talk. Patricia and I ran a couple errands for Cecilia and then went to the House house. This (Saturday) was the only day with scheduled outdoor activities, and it also was the only day with good weather - and it was fine indeed. Sunny, little breeze, mid-60s - sweet! Watched a softball game for awhile, then everyone gathered at the House house again.

The rest of the day was a bit rowdy and quite fun. Notre Dame fans were screaming continuously as their heroes fell to 1-6 courtesy of Boston College. The Aussies showed endless energy, even moving into some rugby action (supremely low quality video follows):



Had sandwiches, salads, etc. Plus ate some of the massive stack of cookies furnished by Grandma. Later, a pretty animated group gathered around the kitchen table to discuss whatever the heck they felt like discussing. This required additional fuel, so I started serving crackers with some smoked "buddha" cheese. Not sure how the topics all moved around, but it included items such as the dubious experiences of the EM Gales children with some of the vehicles that had been part of the EMG fleet over the years, including bluey and the bullet hole car, not to mention the three best cars that sadly had been wrecked. Even talked about digging the silver anniversary edition '64 Mercury out of Billy Devine's garage.

Then we pulled out some of the leftover fruit salad - a nice mixture of melon, grapes, raspberries, etc. Except that wasn't good enough for one of the conversationalists, who appeared to prefer "raspberries only" and shall remain nameless.

There was a spirited euchre game in the other room. Later we started yelling about ASU beating Washington (getting text messages from our sons in attendance at the game). At some point we went back to the hotel after a more than full day. The Summit Pale Ale continues to impress.

That takes us to Sunday - another nice session with all sorts of folks in the breakfast room; checked out; enjoyed attending 11:15a Mass with the group; picked up a quick lunch at LeeAnn Chin which we all ate at the House house; various folks peeled off from time to time for the airport or other destinations; more conversations; eventually said our goodbyes and Nicole, Patricia and I headed to the airport. It was v. nice that Nicole made the trip, though we missed the rest of the kids. Easy trip back to Phoenix after a slight delay on the runway.

A few editorial comments:

1. We of course knew that Kieran was lucky to get Angie, but learned that the luck runs in both directions. He is a v. good guy.

2. The Aussie contingent was lots of fun, those guys never seemed to tire, were excellent at dealing with the large contingent of new folks with whom they were dealing, etc. The "dysfunctionals" apparently were excellent hosts for these folks (and generally very helpful with the wedding as I understand things).

3. For being rookies at putting on weddings, Steve & Cecilia came through big time. The planning was great throughout. And this involved much more than many weddings do - they were planning for five+ days with folks from all sorts of different locations. Nice job.

4. This was the third out of four weekends that Patricia and I were on the road for multiple days. Completely different types of trips, all delightful; she is a fine traveling companion indeed.

5. Patricia and I did a lousy job of taking photos; most of what is posted here was taken from Charlie and Nicole, possibly with their implied consent. REMINDER, click on photos to enlarge, as always.

6. Didn't realize that Angie has a website for Australian info, you can reach it here.

7. Dan & Barb have photogenic children.

Salt Lake City and Park City (September 26-30)

This follow up an earlier post about our experience listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (which can be found here).

Anyway, Patricia was selected to attend an Emergency Nurse Association (or somesuch name) conference in Salt Lake City. She flew up on Wednesday, September 26 and I followed the next day; we returned to Phoenix on Sunday, September 30.

I certainly didn't have very high expectations for the trip, but it turned out to be wonderful fun. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir experience was great. The hotel - a Kimpton property (the Hotel Monaco) - was very nice, and Patricia had a beautiful room with views all around (unlike the room of the other Mayo nurse attending the conference). After the choir concert on Thursday evening, we had dinner at Bambera - the hotel restaurant.

On Friday, she went to a ridiculously early session or two, but we had most of the day to walk around the town. Had lunch at a brew pub named "Squatter's" - unusual local liquor laws require sitting in specific section of the bar to be served wine. Nice place, all fun. They had a bunch of entertaining T-shirts, etc. so we bought gifts for the kids.

During her afternoon session, I walked around Temple Square a bunch, including the museum and the genealogy center. Also walked far enough east to get a view up state street to the capital building. It is amazing what these folks have accomplished. Took a photo of the hand cart memorial as that is quite the striking image.

Then we (with Jackie) walked around town for awhile prior to dinner. Beautiful, warm weather. The downtown actually is quite nice, though massive rebuilding is underway. Walked to a nice shopping mall built around an old train station. Then walked toward our restaurant choices. I guess it would have helped if had made a reservation. One amusing incident was that some young kids were protesting the circus' abuse of animals, then switched to chanting about foie gras outside a nice restaurant before the cops intervened. I guess protests don't seem to have the same subject matter seriousness as in the good old days? We ended up at PF Chang's, which was ok under the circumstances (if barely).

On Saturday, we took a road trip to Park City. There was a fast-moving, one-day storm on this date, so drove through snow (though little accumulation) driving up the canyon and over the summit. Short, easy trip; more scenic than expected.

Park City is a fun little ski town; we walked the shops and had an amazing lunch at 421 Bistro. Continued to run into interesting microbrews. Also ran into interesting conversation at the Bistro, including this guy who was talking about his efforts to improve communication with China, etc. (with his Chinese significant other); you can read about him here. I was MVP of ordering with a sensational Beef Bourguignon. We walked the galleries and shops for awhile longer before heading out.

Stopped at the Olympic visitors center briefly on our way back to Salt Lake City. This was fun; the Chinese national team practices free-style snow board jumps, which involves coming down a ramp and landing in a pool. Interesting exhibits, etc. Eventually had a fantastic multi-hour dinner at Martine's; we benefited from a downtown dining promotion that happened to be going on during our visit. Filet tapas; pork medallion tapas; salads; duck entree; flourless chocolate dessert; espresso; yum.

Sunday - had our usual oatmeal & fruit breakfast at Bambera, a pretty room where they do a nice job with everything. Got organized to check out; another nice lunch at Squatter's; did our usual extended walking tour, including a bit more at the Temple Square; flew back to Phoenix. Just a great trip.

Jerome and Sedona (September 21-24)

Here are some photos from the trip Patricia and I took over the weekend of September 21-24.

We started out from Phoenix on Friday, September 21. Drove up through Prescott and had lunch at an old hotel there right on the old court house plaza. Lunch was fine, and that part of town is fun to walk around in. The remainder of Prescott (and particularly Prescott Valley) is getting progressively more depressing - just a bunch of housing developments, strip malls, chain stores.

So we drove up to Sedona via a beautiful, curvy road. Checked into the Jerome Grand Hotel - a converted hospital with a wonderful history, which you can read about here. The rooms are pretty spartan, but the place is clean and, perched atop the town, features unbelievable views. We always get a room on the third floor, which has a balcony.

Checked in, strolled around downtown a bit, then came back and sat on the balcony; our "neighbors" were chatty but amusing. Then had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant right in the hotel, named "The Asylum." Take a look at the interior photo. They do a great job.

Saturday, September 22 - we had planned on hiking the Woodchute Trail on Mingus Mountain, but the weather was cool and rainy. So we got our exercise in walking all around Jerome. Started with breakfast at the Mile High Inn - some of the local color was already hitting the bottle, but it was nice. Drove down to the old high school building, which now is used for art galleries. I really liked that place. Like the old hospital, the high school reflects a community that once was awash in money.

Then we drove to the house of the owner of the largest mine; now it's a museum. This wasn't as interesting as expected but was ok; I include a photo of the "Little Daisy" mine, it's interesting how they describe all this. Then continued walking the shops awhile, had a late lunch at a place called "Grapes." Fun food, beverages, waitress was a hoot. Rested at the hotel awhile, more walking all through the town, there was an interesting wine place with a cute dog. Another wonderful dinner at Asylum.

Sunday, September 23 - another breakfast at the Mile High Inn; then got organized and drove up to Sedona. Went to the Boynton Canyon trail head and did the hike past the Enchantment Resort and on up the canyon. I include a few pictures. Not much elevation gain, but we went at least five miles total. The part near the resort is average, then it gets more and more beautiful. We'd definitely go back. Back to town and had lunch at the Oak Creek Brewery in Tlaquepaque. Checked into the Orchards. This place has wonderful red rock views. Had a nice dinner creekside at Lauberge - everything very nice except it got a bit cold for us as the evening progressed.

Monday, September 24 - our only iffy meal of the whole trip was breakfast at some place in Sedona. But we had a nice cup of coffee and a spectacular view right down the street to make up for it. Walked the shops at Tlaquepaque and elsewhere; delightful lunch at The Hideaway (one of our regular spots in Sedona). Headed back to Phoenix and ended up for dinner at a new restaurant in Cave Creek named "The Spotted Donkey." Patricia had a salmon dish that was wonderful, it's a fun place.