talking

Grandson appears to observe pretty much everything.  And now - starting with conversations with his parents - he's progressed to wanting to discuss what he's observed.  In detail. 

Sure his technique could benefit from a bit more refinement, but this is quite an excellent start.  At least I can't stop watching this.  (Captured by PJ 15 May 2018.)

some April - May - June wanderings

PJ and I had some fine wanderings recently.

To Flagstaff in late April for a Gregory Alan Isakov concert.  Stopped in Sedona on the way up to try out a new trail (a loop on the "Hogs" trails) - lovely as always in Sedona though this particular route won't go top of our list.  PJ and I had a great dinner at Brix in Flagstaff.  CPG, PJr and Pat Herrera joined for concert - fun day - including some phone time as CPG and Dharma wheel and deal on house purchase.  Dark Sky Brewery impresses.  But Isakov has lost his way, at least in our view.  Hiked on Mt. Elden as well.

McMillan's (Flagstaff)

Not much photography, here's a Sedona trail look:


via GIPHY

Dark Sky Brewery was a success; better-than-expected dinner at some new Italian place (Flagstaff).

Cooperative weather allowed us another trip up to Spur Cross on May 7 - and this time we did the full Elephant Mountain loop.  A favorite place.  Cloudy/cool conditions.  Epic brunch follows at Richardson's - green chili pork eggs benedict, yes!  Pairs well with Sculpin-on-tap.

Elephant Mountain - Spur Cross Nature Conservancy

We get out to the Superstitions on May 16 and hike the Peralta Trail for the first time in several years.  Supremely cooperative weather.  We agreed that this trail is even nicer than we recalled it.  Mid-week hiking kept the crowds down and simplified parking.  Amazing place.  Followed by lunch at another amazing place - Arizona Wilderness brewery.  My little designated driver was quite helpful (not to mention a fine hiking companion).  Here's Weaver's Needle:


via GIPHY

Superstitions + AZ Wilderness = strong combination.

Unusually fine atmospheric conditions in the Superstitions.  We need to get out there more regularly.

Celebrated wedding anniversary #37 with a road trip to our favorite Laguna Beach hotel - three nights, great weather, we walk the town relentlessly but offsetting calorie intake not a problem for me.  Meals at our usual favorite spots.  Shopping trip at the outlet malls on the way home.  Another delightful trip.


via GIPHY

So many meals at Nick's . . . 

A short staycation at FoundRe hotel in downtown Phoenix over 10 June weekend.  The usual:  wandering, eating; weather warm but manageable.  Much enjoyed our walk (and visit) to the Phoenix Art Museum, then light rail to Arrogant Butcher for a surprisingly good lunch.  Our favorite dinner was at Breadfruit.  Had a tour of the Cafiso's construction site - pretty fine location (and basically next door to our hotel).  Fun getaway.

Top - Match restaurant (in the hotel).  Bottom - life on the rails.

36th wedding anniversary (Winslow/Flagstaff)

PJ and I repeated one of our favorite trips in observance of our 36th wedding anniversary - probably the third time we've done pretty much this exact loop?  It will be repeated.  Here's what we did:

"waterfall" atop Tonto Natural Bridge

Hit the road after breakfast on Saturday, May 28; quite a bit of traffic in and around Payson as it is Memorial Day weekend.  We proceed up to the Tonto Natural Bridge state park - lovely weather - we wander beneath the waterfall, scramble over all the slippery rocks, hike all the way through the creek area per usual (my ageless wife doing fine throughout) - a unique spot.  We drive onto That Brewery up in Pine - the place is packed but we end up with very fine outdoor seating and enjoy the food and beverages.

Where else would one wander in Winslow?  (Saturday afternoon)

Onto Winslow and we check into Mary Colter's marvelous La Posada Hotel.  Got our same room looking over the railroad tracks to the south.  We are rather obsessed with this hotel, and if anything we liked it more than previously.  We wander around town a bit but mostly relax; loved our dinner at the Turquoise Room.

Pretty sure we won't find "Piki Bread" elsewhere.

Endless whimsical touches; these two brayers are among my favorites.

Sunday, May 29 - three amazing meals at the Turquoise Room - not to be missed, they do a great job with all three menus.  After late/leisurely breakfast we drive up to the Hopi Reservation - we love the look of this countryside - ran into a guy in a shop that we think will be a useful contact point for future trips there.  Made it back for late lunch - one of our favorite meals of all.  Again did quite a bit of walking around the area before dinner.

One of the lovely common areas at La Posada.

Meteor Crater is a big hole in the ground.

Monday, May 30 - breakfast at the Turquoise Room, we were sorry it was our last meal there for this trip.  Eventually we check out.  Weather continuing favorable - not all that hot and not windy at all - so we take a flyer on "Meteor Crater" - which we've managed to drive past dozens of times without any strong inkling of stopping.  But it's right off I-40.  Interesting enough, but I'd say one visit will be plenty.  On into Flagstaff; early check-in; lunch at McMillan.  We wander around town per usual; stop at Historic; back to hotel eventually.  Dinner at Tinderbox.

This shot gives a little better perspective on the hole. [Meteor Crater postscript below.]

Tuesday, May 31 - breakfast - amazing - at Martanne's.  Perfect weather.  Which we take advantage of via a quite-nice hike south of town - nice, and overdue, to get out of town a bit.  Back for lunch at Criollo; then return to Phoenix where we have dinner later on.

Flagstaff-area hiking speaks for itself.

Hard to beat this stuff, another excellent anniversary observance with my pal.

Breakfast at Martanne's ( as always)

Flying Phoenix - Minneapolis 17 days after visiting Meteor Crater
(first time seeing it from ground level, now from the air).

100th anniversary reunion - Notre Dame Glee Club (30 September - 4 October)

Unexpectedly, the Notre Dame Glee Club ended up being one of the central activities of my undergraduate years at ND - really, the main one.  Demanding from a scheduling standpoint, but a genuine payoff both in terms of the music and the socializing and travel.  Met a lot of really fine folks.  Still - and given how fine it was - when it was over, that was also OK (if not a bit welcome).  And we've rarely attended NDGC reunions - the few we've attended were enjoyable enough and usually had some real high points - but always involved the hassle of a football weekend and fairly sparse/mixed attendance from folks we knew.

A view of the Friday evening doings at the Morris Performing Arts Center, downtown South Bend.

With that said - PJ and I were much looking forward to this year's reunion - which was linked to observing the 100th anniversary of the Club's founding.  Preparations were at an entirely different level in comparison to other reunions, and the organizers should be proud of what they accomplished.  Based on advance communications we knew there would be good turnout from "our years," and the overall schedule sounded promising.

Yet the weekend turned out far better than our high expectations.  Just a delightful experience all around.  Everyone in attendance knew that it was a "once-only" experience - there's no way that a group this size, and an agenda this ambitious, will be repeated (maybe in another 100 years)?  The "once-only" sensation intensified the appreciation, but suffused events with an underlying wistfulness, if that's the word.  This combination of folks obviously won’t ever be assembled again.  In terms of our class - one could look around at the various events and quickly see that folks were a lot older than they were in the late 1970s.  David Isele seems poised to continue indefinitely - but he isn't getting any younger, either.

(Several times I thought of that so-effective scene in book 7 of Remembrance of Things Past - where the Proust-character walks into a party with a large number of folks he'd not seen for quite some years - he couldn't immediately recognize many of the folks he had known so well (happened to me plenty often this reunion weekend) - the Proust-character was convinced that the party-goers were disguised via wearing masks and/or white-powdered wigs and such (that sensation applied here also) - the unstartling observation being that we continue to see, and see through the eyes of, our far-younger selves - I'd say this weekend was a bit of an eye-opener in that regard.  Which could be a bit sobering.)

Wednesday evening was quite lovely as PJ and I walked around the lakes . . . 

Anyway, the reunion turnout was just amazing – quite an experience to sing with 550 or so from all those decades of NDGC classes.  We were told there was an age difference of 77 years from the youngest singer to the oldest singer on stage for Friday’s concert.  Yet there is enough continuity in the programming that all feel comfortably connected - nice!  Choral music - among the very-very finest things.

[And it struck me that the NDGC is better-positioned to hold reunions than many or most campus organizations.  For example no doubt the 1978 football team would enjoy getting together, but it would be challenging for them to "play football" in any meaningful sense ~40 years after graduation.  What does the Observer staff, or the debate club, do if they even bother to get together?  Etc.  But for the NDGC - this is one organization where we can get together 40 years later and do the exact same things with the exact same folks - rehearse, perform for a big audience, sip a bit, sing informally (or not depending on one's mood), hang out together - the only real difference is that the beer is so much better these days.  This is a fine situation to enjoy - and we definitely did.]

Here's what happened during the weekend:

Wednesday, September 30

PJ caught this view looking out from the Grotto (Wednesday evening).

PJ and I catch an early flight to Midway and make our way into South Bend in time for a late lunch - stopped at the O'Rourke's at Eddy Commons (staying at the hotel right down the street).  Food isn't the greatest, but it's a familiar starting point.  Lovely weather; we took advantage with our typical extensive campus wandering.  Lit a candle for Grandma at the Grotto.  Walked around the lake.  Etc.  The day had been designed for us just to have a little time on our own, and it worked beautifully.  Dinner in downtown South Bend at Cafe Navarre - where they do a great job.  This was a fine day.

Thursday, October 1

PJ and I  enjoyed walking the campus
on Thursday morning . . . 

PJ and I still on our own in the morning.  Gorgeous fall day; we walk around campus, stop at the bookstore, etc.  Dave Kollar arrives and the three of us have a fun lunch at The Mark (Eddy Commons).  Mike Hough sets up a text msg group which is an ideal outlet for smart-ass-ery in addition to useful logistics communications.  After lunch the three of us wander all over campus on a lovely afternoon - a nice chance to chat through the old and the recent.  Then the three of us went to dinner with Joe Gales and Mike Hough at Corndance Tavern in Mishawaka - this was just nonstop talking and laughs, a great event.  (Even if the restaurant didn't meet its rave reviews.)

By the time we finished with dinner and laughs, we were a bit (OK, a lot) late (meaning we had switched seamlessly to Glee Club Standard Time) for one of the opening events on the agenda - some sort of gathering at the "Whiskey Exchange" in downtown South Bend.  Weather was turning for the colder by now.  Huge crowd down there, it worked well enough as an opening get-acquainted session.  If a little noisy for actual conversation.  But it was evident folks had arrived, and clearly were fired up for the weekend.  So that was good.

We make it back to O'Rourke's by perhaps 11p or midnight - a nice-sized gathering, mostly of folks of our vintage - mostly folks we know very well and like very much - this lasted until 3a and was just delightful.  No singing - just catching up, and enjoying hearing the familiar voices talk away . . . this is what we came for.  Dave and I learn that Tom Conlin truly grasps the daunting challenges facing piano accompanists.  As few others do, it seems.  Finally we wrap up and fortunately it's a short if freezing walk to the hotel.

More wandering on Thursday afternoon . . .

Friday, October 2

This was the one day during the weekend that was pretty heavily scheduled, but everything went really smoothly.  Rehearsal #1 in the morning included everyone in attendance - so (as one would expect!) this involved reviewing the songs that all reunion attendees would perform.  This was followed by a buffet lunch outside the rehearsal venue.

Everyone from all the classes seems to know "Prayer" from Lohengrin (per PJ's rehearsal video immediately below) - definitely a NDGC classic.



Rehearsal #2 (early afternoon) included only the reunion attendees from the "Isele years" - so this group worked on the three or four pieces that Isele would conduct and "just us" would perform.  Of course this was a quite enjoyable rehearsal - in undergraduate years we rehearsed one hour every single day for four years - that creates a certain rhythm, and memory set - and while this rehearsal was different from those days, it was close enough to be plenty evocative.  Isele continues to be great to work with.

I get a kick out of the "Sleigh Ride" clip below - because it includes a fair amount of DCI back-and-forthing with his singers.  For the "Water is Wide" clip, we're mostly doing a straight run-through.  Glad PJ caught these even if her phone struggled with audio quality.






Then a short break, after which PJ and Cricket haul too many of us to the downtown concert venue for the next phase of preparation - a fun/funny ride at the end of which we essentially tumble out of the vehicle into the street.  Lots of logistics dealing with the big group of 550 singers, plus four smaller segments - but it was so well planned.  Interesting video/photo presentations to cover the change-overs - those worked well.  We rehearse; PJ/Cricket listen in for this rehearsal, which always is nice as they get a clearer sense of what we're doing, and it makes for a much more "shared" experience.

This is followed by a buffet dinner for singers-only - which works well enough - though of course lots of standing in line with 550 folks.  But it's a success, then we go dress for the concert.

Showtime with 550 or so.

Now it's showtime.  They attempt to live-stream the performance; doesn't work all that well, but our crew back in Phoenix/VA/SF makes an effort to follow along a bit, which was nice.  I of course much enjoyed participating in the performance.  They had arranged an effective opening - using Biebl's Ave Maria - the current Club sings verse one while the reunion masses are pretty well hidden behind a screen - then the lights come up and the entire group finishes - nice.  Then the entire group did a few songs.

After that the "Pedtke era" folks performed - nicely!  While this was going on we "Isele era" folks were sitting in the wings waiting to take the stage - I can say it was an unusual experience looking around and seeing all these guys - we had waited together to "go on" in dozens (certainly >100) of venues all over the United States and Europe in the late '70s - evocative to be waiting together one more (and presumably final) time with this exact group - and then it was a fine and memorable experience to sing together under Isele's direction.

Below video - good quality! - was put together by the local public TV channel.  Isele-era performance commences at around 13:20.  

We work through the program, end with all 550 on stage for the traditional and ND songs, mill around for photos, talk about how fun it was, and that it's over and won't happen this way again.
There is a reception at the concert venue but the lines are long - which leads to some self-help beer service and lots of fun - eventually we find an accommodating Uber driver who takes way too many of us back to O'Rourke's.  Very different gathering than the night before - much larger - lots of singing in one of the back rooms - pulling out the old favorites and not-so-favorites - it was fun - one could move in and out of that room and the overall bar area, which was good.  Catching up with many folks throughout the day and well into the night/morning.

Saturday, October 3

We were a little tired after the last two days.  Weather getting cold and rainy.  Main scheduled event was a luncheon-banquet at the ACC - speeches, some singing.  It was fine.  We had a fun table group.  Monk Malloy gave the invocation, so we had a chance to speak with him.  Photos.  Typically this would be a dinner event, but the football schedule made that impossible.

Wandering around the ACC; Tom Conlin, Mike Hough, John Walsh (photos in
tow, fortunately), Mike Hogan, me.

Hanging around in the hotel lobby with various folks as the afternoon wore on (Dave Kollar and Dan Rumbach as erstwhile bartenders), then another over-stuffed Uber experience out to "The Farm At St. Joseph" (or somesuch place-name) - this venue was set up for supper and a bunch of TVs for the ND football game (lost to Clemson).  I was impressed with the high level of interest among most participants.  Well-organized event except - if one was interested in catching up with folks - there just wasn't any place to escape the blaring TVs (always my personal nightmare).  Still, we made the best of it, which was really quite good.

Class of 1978 - right after the Saturday lunch.  L-R me, Dave Kollar, Dan Rumbach, Ed Fayen,
Dave Mahler, Pat Dalsin, Mike Keefe, Marty Brauweiler, Tom Clarkson,
Dan Lombardi, Mike Hawes.  A fine group.  Should know:  we spent a lot of time together.

Sunday, October 4

By now many folks had left.  Arrangements had been made for those still in attendance to sing at the 10:00 Mass in Sacred Heart Church (now Basilica).  Said our goodbyes to Dave Kollar before heading over to church (late per usual, so in back row); sat with Mike Hough and Dan Rumbach.  Turned out to be a very fine experience, and a great wrap-up for the weekend.  We again sang the Ave Maria (Biebl) - that passage with the old formulation - "Sancta Maria . . . ora pro nobis . . . nunc et in hora mortis . . ." - Isele's arrangement of “Let us Break Bread Together” also worked wonderfully in this setting - everyone much enjoyed being part of this.

By the time we got to verse 3 of "break bread" - I gave up and just listened.  We had sung Isele's so-fine arrangement together in so many places . . .  



Milled around; got some photos outside of the church; then to brunch at South Dining Hall.

PJ 'n me departing Sacred Heart Church, right after 10a Mass.

Some folks I really enjoyed catching up with:  L-R Brian Shappell, Mike Hough, Steve Lillis,
Dan Rumbach, John Walsh, YT, Ed Fayen, Joe Donovan.  Right after 10a Mass.

Made sure to thank Dan Stowe - he does an incredible job driving this enterprise along - he gets it.  Also the reunion chairs (Pat Scott and Brian McLinden) - such a success.  David Isele remains central to the enterprise.

Then it was time for goodbyes - warm/happy/sad; mostly happy.  The goodbyes weren't of the "we won't see each other again" type (though that will be true in too many cases).  Folks were of course a bit regretful that the weekend was over, but the overwhelming sensation was appreciation for an unsurpassable shared experience.

This is lucky stuff, and extra lucky for me that PJ also entirely "gets it" - closely connected to NDGC for nigh 40 years.  Lucky, indeed.

Saturday evening "watch" party

Saturday lunch at ACC (toast #2 actually; we re-staged it at the request of the event photographer)

35th anniversary

[As always:  click any photo to enlarge all.]

For me:  35 years married to PJ.  It seems beyond impossible that so many years have flowed by, but here we are. In a life filled with ridiculously good luck - I don't think anything can beat that I ran into the right person at the right time.  Which I definitely did.

Having unexpectedly enjoyed a short campus visit a couple years back, we determined to spend anniversary #35 where it all started - at the Notre Dame campus.  It was a good choice.  The venerable Morris Inn was just emerging from a significant re-do, so we thought we'd stay there.  That also was a good choice (though the main restaurant was undergoing renovations, so we missed out on testing it).

We sat quite a while outside the Log Chapel.  Recalling.  (5/23/15)

Reception line  outside Log Chapel (5/24/80).  Steven Rodgers (GP professor) greeting PJ.

With Mom & Dad outside Log Chapel (reception line, 5/24/80)

Perhaps it's the passage of quite a few years.  Perhaps it has something to do with the still relatively fresh news that my mother is dying of cancer. Maybe the years simply permit us to get a bit wiser, or at least more appreciative.  Maybe some sort of grace is involved.  Certainly it made a difference that we were in exactly the same geography at exactly the same day of the year as we were married.  Whatever the combination of factors - as we sat near the Log Chapel and tried to be as still as possible - the sensation of 5/24/80, and those that were there with us - and particularly those no longer with us - the presence of the ghosts, let's say - was strong, and somehow nigh-tangible, and deeply appreciated.  Sweet/bittersweet.

One last visit by the Log Chapel on night before departure; moon glow on lake.  (5/26/15)

NDGC shows up (part of the contingent here outside Log Chapel:  Dave Kollar, John Jacobs,
Joe Donovan, Brian Shappell (with Andrea); Alice Vitacco and Monk in back. (5/24/80)

Among others in reception line outside Log Chapel (5/24/80):  Joe, Margaret, Ann, 
Kathy Gales; Cecilia and Mary Gales.

We asked a great deal of folks in May 1980 - as circumstances played out, we gave about 12 days notice of the wedding.  Yet the photos from the big day show dozens of folks who interrupted their lives to travel hundreds of miles (in most cases) to be with us.  I thought about all that, sitting there in front of the Log Chapel.  It was kind of overwhelming.  What a great day; what a wonderful journey was launched.

Ernest J. Gales and Monk with us; standing immediately left of Log Chapel. (5/24/80)

From Chicago-land (part of the contingent):  Voe, Nancy, Pat, Rita, Jan, Patrick O'Donnell  (5/24/80)

From Iowa/Minnesota (immediate family):  EMG, Charlie, HSG, Steve (me and PJ), Dolores,
Therese, Mary, Carol, Cecilia  (5/24/80)

I wasn't planning to include interior shots in this discussion of "outside the 
Log Chapel" - but I just love this photo.  

Memorial Day weekend was very quiet on campus, and in South Bend proper.  We hadn't really anticipated this.  It was a big plus.  For folks who have been away from campus for a while - there's nothing more evocative than the opportunity to walk around a deserted campus - yes, it permits imagination and remembrance to bloom.

I like this shot - looking west on South Quad.  We wandered here countless times in the late '70s.

This is the kind of view one gets wandering around the lakes.

ND #1 landmark.

Lit a candle for Grandma.

The church (now basilica) is very fancy indeed.

Taken in a stairwell in O'Shaughnessy Hall - where liberal arts classes were held  in the late '70s.  PJ and I
met in a Great Books Seminar in January 1977 (junior year).  Class was held mid-afternoon
on Mondays and Wednesdays.  We hit it off right away; as the semester progressed, we'd sit on the 
ledges here and chat for an hour or so after class before heading our separate ways (fencing practice for her, 
NDGC for me).  This is where a big part of the "getting to know each other" process happened.

PJ and I had our first date here - 5/5/77.  Much enjoyed, even if I dozed off a while.  Hey, I was comfortable with her.

Some things that happened in our 2015 visit:

1. Benefiting from slow season - the hotel upgraded us into a really nice suite.  Fun.
2. The hotel location - right on campus - is unbeatable.  Step out the door into immediate immersion.  Which is what we were looking for.
3. South Bend restaurant scene has really picked up.  Wonderful dinners at Cafe Navarre and at the LaSalle Grill.  O'Rourke's - in Eddy Commons - was our go-to stopping place.  Evil Czech Brewery in Mishawaka is doing fine things.
4. We walked, and walked, and walked - all 'round campus.  And around the lakes.  And over to St. Mary's.  This never gets tiring for us.
5. We also drove around town a bit - visited a number of the places where we (and, eventually, N and C) lived - fun recollections.
6. Very enjoyable visit with Bill Seetch and his wife and son - they have a lovely house near campus - it was great to catch up with Bill, and to meet them.
7. Caught up with John Conley - every bit as enjoyable.
8. Seasonal weather throughout - occasionally rainy/humid, but quite excellent for the most part.  We much enjoy the change of weather.

Most of all - we enjoyed spending the time together,and remembering, and appreciating.  It was a great trip.  I'm lucky.

629 S. Carroll Street.  We had the apartment on this corner, first floor.  Located in a bit of a scramble
after returning from Stanford (described here).  I was a second-year law student.  Nicole joined us on 5/5/81.

University Village apartments (married student housing).  PJ, Nicole, and I lived here during my
third year of law school.  We were on top floor, immediately to right of the entrance.
Chris joined us 4/9/82.

As always - enjoyed catching up with John Conley. 

Another favorite photo . . . 5/24/80 . . .