A great dog!

Dec 20, 2006 **** We lost a wonderful friend today. Mookie suddenly became quite ill yesterday and it turns out he was suffering internally from some pretty serious cancer. At the end of a long day the four of us were with him at our Vet's office and held onto him while he was put to sleep.
We don't have to tell you what a great dog he was. You all got a chance to know him. He'll be impossible to replace - although young Mango is trying his best!
Enough for now - enjoy the holidays - hug your pets - and each other!
The nhmurrays

Singapore Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all from beautiful Bali, Indonesia where we are spending a sunny and warm Thanksgiving at the beach!!We flew in yesterday morning-- spent the day at the pool and walking along the beach. We are at a huge Indonesian resort right on the beach.

Last evening we had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey, all the fixins and even pumpkin soup-- but no pumpkin pie for Sean-- too bad!!

We spent today visiting several Bailinese artist communities, and the local markets. Midday, we drove up to the volcano area and ate lunch a stone's throw away from the second largest volcano on the island. it last erupted in 1965-- the lava fields are still clearly visible all the way down the volcano. It is amazing that the rainforest hasn't overtaken the area after so many years.

We drove back to the hotel by way of the terraced rice fields. They are everywhere and so beautiful. We watched a young artist painting some rice field scenes and couldn't resist purchasing two of his paintings. Shopping at the markets is a blast-- so much to see. Even the kids have gotten into the shopping swing of things here.

Shannon is in cat heaven. There are hundreds of stores that only sell wooden cats-- every color, every size, every design of cat you can imagine. We had to take pictures of a few of the stores so we can show you all just how many cats!!Shannon loves spending her money here-- she bought one cat for 25,000 Rupiah-- that's a whopping $2.50 US. She loves walking around carrying 100,000 Rupiah in her pocket--feels like a whole lot more than $10 to her-- and it does go a whole lot further than ten dollars would in the States!!

Connor spent his time in the video stores where he enjoys bargaining for DVD's and CD's while Caitlin spent her time in the jewelry and purse stores. Sean bought some beautiful dragon kites-- but so beautiful they won't actually get used as kites. We plan to hang them on the walls of the family room in Singapore.

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We do miss spending the holidays with family but we are having a great adventure here. Tomorrow we are off to see the Balinese Temples and maybe a few more rice fields. In the evening we are going to a native Balinese dinner and cultural show at a beautiful outdoor theater.

We stay till early evening on Sunday and then it is back to Singapore.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Sending our love-- The Singapore Murrays

Thanksgiving Day - 2006
We had a wonderful day her in New Hampshire. It was a bit wet on Thursday but since then we've had blue skies and sunshine.
Fairly relaxing - although a mixture of soccer games (indoor) and horse stuff (riding and mucking) have kept the girls busy.
Today, Sunday, Annie is riding (!) in the woods with Erin, Sheila is working on a school assingment (!) and I'm readying for a post-turkey leftovers grocery store fun :-(
Here's a few shots we captured from Thursday.
Cheers! Martin

11/26/06 our Skype conversation today with brendan inspired me to create this masterpiece!

sheila a. murray

I can ride for miles and miles

Well...not as far as Biker Mike, but not too shabby for me.

My goal this year was to get 2,000 miles in on the road bike. it should have been fairly easy, considering all the free time i have. however, it wasn't until 2 weekends ago that i passed the mile marker.

I'm not sure it the bike will be put away for the winter or not. one never knows here in VA. it will be 60 and sunny one day and 40's and wet, the next.

I hope you're getting your miles in by whatever means necessary.

bjm

Stick with what works

The Blueman has worked for me in the past but i think it's now time to say good-bye. Although the ladies seem to love him, he didn't look the same this year. bjm

Survey Says...

If you could learn the truth about one crime in the past, which one would it be?

bjm

Cottage Closing

Well, Paul and John AND Eileen and Brendan, instead of George and Ringo, went to Canada at the end of September to close the cottage.

Despite a brief but heavy downpour, we did enjoy a nice fall weekend. we didn't get in a last sail but 3 of us did get in a last swim. When you got out of the 63 degree water and into the 70 degree air, you realize the water is not too bad.

And speaking of water, Paul was quite the trouper when it came time to turn off the water and “winterize” the pumping station. He, with rubber-gloved hands, jumped right in to offer assistance. A key to this year’s process was dumping 10 or so buckets of lake water directly into the tank to load the pump to holding tank pipe with cleaner water. There was no screaming when it came time to trip the dreaded butterfly valve.

Somewhere along the way, the pump à tank pipe broke – so a repair must be made prior to turning the water on next spring.

On Saturday night, I played my only game of hearts the whole year. Paul, a first time player, won the game by shooting the moon on the last hand. We all saw it coming but John and Eileen didn’t want to make the sacrifice and take a heart.

As you know, the blue boat is gone, which was a great relief when it came time to close up shop. Although we had improved on that system, it was always a pain – even the Egyptians advanced from rolling heavy objects on logs after some time.

It’s 80 in VA today but we’ll be in the 50-60 range this weekend.

Fall is here.

bjm

Singapore Update

Dear all

Life in Singapore is so much like life anywhere else We are sometimes too busy. Altho lately Deb, Shannon and I have had some quiet time on Sunday afternoon. I must say I miss the fall the most. It was always my favorite season. Leaves do change color here
But usually it is green to brown and it happens year round. Right now there is a stretch of road with yellowing leaves. That may be as close as we get. There is also a stretch of road with the brightest fusia along the road and hanging from the overpasses. That is not bad either.

Things are moving along here as normal. Cait is studying for her SATs. (I don't tell her that in our day that meant reading the sample questions in the application packet). She has a great friend named Chrissy. They seem to be two peas in a pod. How a kid growing up in Thailand and Singapore can be as quiet and innocent as one growing up in Cincinnati - I don't know. But the two of them are much alike and great for each other
They have started tutoring 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders after school and Cait coaches kids on a Special Olympics swim team

Connor is finishing up soccer. So far his team hasn't won (several ties) but he has grown as a player and a quiet leader. There are so many kids on the team that each tend to play about half the game. Connor and a couple of 10th graders manage to play more than three quarters of every game. He is probably disappointed with the season but instead talks about how good they will be next year. (Is that a budding Orangemen fan or what). He and Cait both ref soccer on Saturdays

Shannon is being Shannon. She has several best friends. One lives only a 5 minute walk away
So she is finally able to play with somebody after school without actually having to set up a play date. I am the keeper of Shannon's schedule. So I have to make myself available. Monday for soccer (coached by her older twin sisters). Tuesday I have off. Wednesday for the 4th grade Singing Geckos. Wednesday evening for HipHop. Thursday for Street Magic. Friday for Taekwondo. Saturday for Soccer and a serious play date with someone. Sunday is often reserved for Shannon, Deb and I to walk thru the park. Somewhere in there she finds time to collect things
We have found rock collections, leaf collections and dead bug collections. All of which are better then the live meal worm collection from last year

Deb is being Deb. (No wonder I see a lot of Deb in Shannon). Her past two weeks or so [have been difficult]

On a brighter family note - we are heading to Cambodia in two weeks. We will help build a school, some houses, and deliver some collected goods. It is a semi annual trip of a organization I'm a member of called Caring for Cambodia. We'll be near Siem Reap which is where Angor Wat is. See Goggle for images of Angor Wat

There is probably more happening but I can't think of them now

peace to all, sean

Dr. In the House (in 3-8 years)

So, it has been three weeks of medical school and it's been extremely busy, but also fun. I'm getting to know my new classmates. They are a set of brilliant people who can drink a lot! And my days are taking on a routine. Wake up, go to class, come home for lunch to feed/walk Maya, go back to school, study, come home, study, say hi to Dave, study, go to bed. But despite all the studying, I feel like I've learned so much already. We are well into our cadaver in Anatomy. It's a man who had at least two heart bypass surgeries. He doesn't have interesting tattoos like some of the other cadavers, but we're just getting into it. We've dissected his chest, lungs and hearts and will soon move onto his arms and back.

Stanford had an induction ceremony for us the first week of school. I was accompanied by my mom and Dave. We took some pictures (see below) and Stanford recorded the event (they tape everything, even lectures!) I've attached a link if you want to watch: (it's an hour long. The dean and various other people talk for the first 35 minutes or so, but you may be able to fast-forward to where they call my name. It takes place at minute 42:57)

Other things are going well. Dave is good, happy to be back in the sunshine. Maya is huge! We just took her to the vet to have her inner female bits removed and she was 30 pounds! Three times as much as when we got her! She also has new favorite things to do… She loves the bathtub! (See pictures below) As long as there's not water in it, she'll jump right in. We aren't quite sure what she'd do if there was water in it, that's an experiment for a rainy Saturday. The other thing she loves to do is crawl under the bed. It's not something I would normally condone, but I figure she's growing so fast that she won't be able to do it much longer anyway. And she has also started teething. We weren't experiencing any increased chewing on furniture and/or clothes, but then I found one of her baby teeth on the floor. So cute! Our little Maya is growing up!
Hope all is well with you! Continue to send the emails, I love knowing what's going on in the real (non-studying) world!
Love
Sha

End of Summer?

it's hard to believe this is the end of what we think of as summer. It's still in the 90's here in VA. however, they're saying temps in the 50's for Thursday morning.

Between now and the coming colder weather, i am trying to get out on my bike. i went to RI last weekend and biked 100 miles with my friend Dennis from C-State. Yesterday, i biked 100 miles in hot, hilly and humid metro DC.

This weekend, it's off to Charleston for my last(?) trip to the cottage this year. I'm trying to figure out how to spend more time up there. My thoughts are a. marry rich or b. win the lottery. The latest line from Vegas puts both odds at 70 million-to-1.

...which means i still have a shot.

The weekend after Canada, I bike 100 miles in and around Gettysburg. it's tough enough to ride the hills in that area on a bike and on paved roads - I dont' know how the North and South got so many men, animals and equipment to that spot.

That's it from here.

BJM

summertime

What a summer this has been: wonderful and yet difficult. We met two new people: Suzie and Paul. We reunited with our clan members from Singapore (hard to say goodbye again). We sold our old blue boat that carried us to picnics, cliff-jumping, the store at Outlet, and zoomed many a daring swimmer/passenger around the lake.
Five of us encountered health problem - three that remain unresolved: Martin, Maureen, Mike, Neal and Himself, JJM. Healing energy has embraced all 5, even from long distances.
Our first wine-tasting affair - our first champagne party in the pool - our first sighting of a buck, with his doe, at Circle Rd.
Broken lawnmower, stolen bike, amazing lightening storms . . . nothing keeps us down for long.
It's almost Labor Day and "real" life will begin again - school, college, meetings, elections - all the busi-ness of ordinary life.
I've loved every moment that I shared with most of you: missed the ones who couldn't visit.
Let's stay in touch - in thoughts, prayers, e-mail, blogs and "spikes" (sic). Mom/Nance/Oma

New Hampshire Race Aug 10th

Hi! We had a blast Thursday evening at the annual Cigna Corporate Road Race (5K) in Manchester. There were more than 6,000 runners - the winner finished in about 14 minutes!
Official results can be viewed here. I'll let you hunt for the times... but I can tell you that Brian finished nr 555; Erin nr 1427; Sheila nr 1811!; Martin nr 2064 and Annie nr 2783.
Its now 24 hours post race - and I haven't had to visit the ER yet!

A hike w/Mike (et al)

This is a bit late, but... here's a couple of snaps from our great hike of a few weeks ago. We summited both Mt Adams and Mt Madison (that's Mt. Washington, behind the pic of Cath and Mike). Both are four thousand footers and we had a total elevation gain (we hiked) of more than 5,000 feet (whew!). Ten and-a-half hours total (whew, again!).
Funny how I felt great after that day but a little 5k race the next week and I'm flat on my back! It was great to spend a terrific day like that with Brendan, Evan and Kristin too!
Martin

Osceola Hike - May 2006

We went from cold and rainy to hot and sunny seemingly overnight... Annie and the girls decided to head for the ocean - that was my cue to head for the hills (I'm really not a beach guy!).
My friend George Argeropoulos and I hiked a 4,000 footer (Mt Osceola). George waited on the summit while I went down/up (steeply!) the neighboring East Osceola (it's on "the list" so it had to be done!). All this to try to prepare for Brendan's upcoming visit/hike. Today my knees are reminding me what I did over the winter (very little!).

Better book than movie?

I finished the DaVinci Code. the last read ended at 4:15 a.m. I found it to be a page-turner, although i was disappointed with the ending - just like his other book. i have yet to see the movie.

I am off to Canada for Memorial weekend. i may get some reading done there between the chores. i think there's been a big chill up north this past week so i may not spend too much time in the water.

B

And Noah said . . .

Whoa! Those waters are awesome - and frightening. Not the time to go rafting. I wonder how many domestic and wild creatures got swept away. I won't ask Eileen; she'll be out on the highways and byways looking for them.
We escaped with just a few showers, but enough clear days for Clare to buy out the entire crop of pansies and plant them here on Mother's day. My kitchen windowsill is a still-life watercolor: pansies primping and preening.
I hope that flood is the end of bad weather for the summer yet to come, but it hasn't warmed up here. Think of Maureen ------ it was 104 degrees the other day!
Thanks for the glimpse into Spring in New England. That's a title for a poem for Sheila to write.

From Central New York - 3 Seasons-in-one-day Paradise, nsm

NH Water

Additional pics

Come on in, the water is fine!

Martin sent some pics from his office. A typical May and May 2006.

book(s)

I was pleased when I heard the name of the winner of the Pulitzer, thinking it was the book I gave you, (Brendan), for Xmas - The March. So I ordered the CD version from the library.
Then, on the Leherer News Hour, the winning book turned out to be March, which I had never heard of.
Petit branch library had a copy - so I went and picked it up. It's all about the father of the family in Little Women - his Civil War experiences. His name of course was Mr March (or was he a Reverend?).
But Doctorow's March won the Nat'l Book Award - so I'll listen to it while driving. I just finished listening to "Harry Truman,"by McCollough (sic) and it was one of the best I've ever heard. Overlooking his ordering the atomic bombing (which is difficult to do), the rest of his life is fascinating. And compared to the present occupant of the White House, Truman was a prize.
I recommend the CDs or the book to any&every one.
Now I'll see if this makes it to the blog site. - I'll click on Publish Post. nsm

gimmie the gas

In NoVa, we're paying $2.75/gal for regular unleaded - that's about S$ 1.19/liter.

I imagine we'll be over $3 during the summer. if a storm hits, we'll probably see 3.50.

i'd like to think the high prices would make me change my ways but they don't. i don't get out on the bike to run errands as often as i should.

my office is not too convenient for bike commuting but i may try it anyway. i'll have to get up earlier so i can get to the office, hot and sweaty, prior to the crowds coming in.

B

ho hum

just trying again to post on this blog; my last one never appeared.
Quite cold and very windy downtown early this morning. Kathleen was still in her sleeping bag on the cot and Elana had gone home just to shower and change clothes.
I brought the poster that hung across the window on the front porch for a zillion years - Peace on Earth - and left it at the vigil site.
Since it's Holy Thursday, I went to St Andrew and got a few hosts so they could have their own modified liturgy tonight.
Several of the soldiers who work in the Federal bldg stop by every day to say hello.
It's all very surreal.
I send each reader my warmest regards and many blessings, nsm

Whose side of the family...?

We're still trying to figure that out!

Spring in New Hampshire!

Hi all... It's still in the 20's at night - brrr... But the days are finally beginning to warm up! Here's a shot of some recent visitors (4/9) to our humble abode, including Evan's friend Kristen (she's terrific!).
NHMurrays

palm sunday

The day began with a great liturgy and then a special blessing for Frank Woolever who leaves for federal prison tomorrow. Meme and Heidi were included in the blessing and wrapped with Frank in a red stole.
Afterwards, while still munching on treats downstairs at church, Clare arrived and she and I took off for Cortland State, sharing memories of many trips while she was at the college. The most memorable being the day I engaged 'cruise control' on a hill near LaFayette - and the next thing we knew, we were going 85 mph!!!!! Something had gone awry in the 'control.'
We arrived on time to enjoy a great production and performance of "The Mikado," our favorite Gilbert & Sullivan. Wonderful music, great acting and singing. Clare wished that there had been shows like that when she was there, but I had enjoyed going to all her choral concerts. All the trips back home on those nights had been thru either fog or snow, as I recall. I still have the brownie points I earned!!!! That's it for a wondrous sunny sunday in central n.y. mom

earlier blog - april 7th

where did it go? I wrote a note and posted it but it didn't show up on the blog page. Part of it can be found by clicking search blogs (or something like that).
I should give up posting except on comments. Oh well . . . nsm

b'day

Last nite we took Brian and Jackie out for his b'day dinner (April 6th). Clare and Mike met us at The Little Thai restaurant.: not a good choice for B. or J. I'm sorry to say.
This was the first b'day that Maureen wasn't with him; it's hard to let the youngest fly away.

Next week Elizabeth turns nine on the same day as the Seder this year - April 12th.
We're celebrating at Bassano's ------- a whole bunch of us friends have done the Seder supper for almost 20 years. I bring my famous brisket, cooked in beer.

We're eating out with O'Neils and Volos on Easter - at Elderberry Pond - a country inn near Auburn: a nice ride if it's a nice day. Right now it's still cold up here; spring lasted about one week.

That's all from Circle addio, Mom

Easter Time

Val Cav sent me this pic. I didn't see a ransom note attached but i'm sure one is on the way.

news from sha

How great that Sha has a choice of med schools. I bet there are many pre-docs who envy her that luxury. We were hoping she'd look with fond memories of her brief visits to Circle Rd and pick Upstate Med. Center: too bad.
With the Singapore Murrays due to be stateside this summer, she and Dave are bound to run into some of us. Is there a "general assembly" being planned? That's a pipe dream, I guess, unless Lake Ontario lures them away from Hawaii for their wedding.
I certainly hope to see them - and any/all of the clan.
70 degrees here today. There's hope!!!! nsm

News from Sha

Dave and I are thinking of coming east this summer (late July, early august). We'd love to see you. Is the Murray clan getting together?

I haven't decided where I'll be this fall, but leaning towards UCSF or UC Davis. The final decision will probably made in May.

Hope everyone is well.

Sha

CT kids say the darndest things

Sarah and I butted heads the other day. She has been the easiest, most agreeable kid for so many months that it really took me by surprise. It wasn't pretty and we ended up not being too happy with each other.

We finished the 'discussion' in front of the other two kids, in part because I wanted them to know that you could be mad at someone you love and work it out and then be fine afterwards.

Then I went inside a place to pick up food. I got back in the car, and everything was fine again. Sarah was joking, Elizabeth was being silly, I was being 'annoying'. Max sits there for a minute, and then says to no one "And the tension deflates like a punctured balloon. Metaphor." He never said anything else the whole time.

I laughed, the other two didn't get/hear it and then because I am annoying, I leaned over and said "Max, I love you. And it was a simile."

He misses nothing, even though he has a different prism.

MM

canada photos

Found an interesting web page with some nice photos.
Check them out here...
mm

Evan Waters Leads the Pack

if you check out ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge (group name UNC_SUX), you can see that our very own Evan Waters is leading 99.8% of the nation. if BC wins it all, who knows how high he may climb.

I, on the other hand, am ahead of 11.9 percent of the nation. Gone are my days of being a bit above average.

I went over to Edgar Cavelheri's for St. Paddy's Day dinner. I ate the cabbage but i didn't try the corned beef. i'm not sure i ever ate the stuff even when i did eat four legged animals.

ed's hair seemed to be an orange-ish color. i may reconsider my appoint ment to get rid of my gray hairs.

Ed and Val found out not too long ago that their mom has advanced lung cancer. They're trying to deal with that from a hemisphere away.

They say they call to Brazil quite often, for free, via Skype. if you have broadband internet at home, you can make computer-computer calls via Skype www.skype.com

i don't have internet at home so i won't be joining skype any time soon.

later on,

B

Madness Continues

What a weekend, if you like college basketball. I certainly watched more bb this weekend then the past years, combined.

I'm not sure who i want to win it all. i find myself cheering for the Big East - even Georgetown. If i can't hate the Hoyas, i must be getting soft in my old age. I may have to go ABD - Anyone But Duke.

Sean, I may not have commented, but i did appreciate your mascot e-mail.

Spring has sprung all over the world

Syracuse 21, light snow; Hallowell 30, clear; Arlington 45, overcast; Chandler AZ 50, clear; Singapore 82, haze; Kingston -3C, cloudy.

i'm not sure where i'd rather be.

how 'bout you?

Sean Says

thinking about nicknames as i watch the jumpy stream of bruins v bruins
obviously i'm cheering for the belmount bruins
who were holding their own till i switched to the xu game
just checked back and the bruins are down 32
they aren't the only bears
california has the golden bears
not to be confused with montana grizzlies
i'd say the #5 wolfpack know who they are now
not to be confused with the #10 wolfpack of north carolina
the bruins are not the only species to go after themselves
second round we could have wildcats play each other
and if the wildcats win, they would have to play...
the wildcats in the fourth round
that is if the wildcats can get past the
panthers, tigers, jaguars, and more panthers
all in that region
third round could see huskies battle
that is if the huskies can get past the great danes
we have a few dogs in this tourney
and i'm not talking about air force (how did they get in)
we have bulldogs, great danes and my favorite the salukis
an ancient dog out of egypt
usually tan, white, or fawn
the Bedouin tribe believed the white patch on its forehead
was a kiss from allah
regionals could see golden eagles go at each other
or seahawks against hawkeyes,
boy would feathers fly in those games
they of course are not the only birds
hiker mike could have a field day
with an elite eight of
seahawks, eagles,hawkeyes, golden eagles, jayhawks, eagles, falcons, and
2 more golden eagles
other regional action could have the blue devils against the demons
only if the demons can get past the quakers
if the hoyas can get past the sooners and the illini
they could play the hoosiers as long as the gaels don't take the semi final
big east fans were probably shocked to see seton hall fall
hence wichita state's name
it could be the racers against the shockers
if they get past the patriots and the volunteers
but first murray state has to beat the tarheels
what the hell is a tarheel
is the mascot the tar or the heel
we could see a finals pitting the aggies
against the aggies
or the patriots against the colonials
me, i'm wishing the golden flashes
can beat the golden eagles and the golden bears
to face the racers
who beat the shockers, blazers, and badgers to get there
truly some of the greats didn't make the tourney this year
think of the battle of the bananna slugs against the anteaters
or the jumbos against the mastodons
(i think we had an uncle or two that were jumbos)
or even the dirt bags against the lord jeffs
(some of my sibs know the lord jeffs from the happy valley)
or how about the chokers against the artichokes
if only the orange had to play the poets,
we might have another national championship
go orange

oops - wrong number

I see the correct # of the marathoner in the photo: 1107, not 1104. That tells me that my memory is only good for about 3 minutes. (sigh)
More snow, still pretty cold. Off to Syr. Stage at 3 to see "Intimate Apparel" and then out to an African dinner.
Glad the Olympics are almost over; I watched more than I thought I would and most were disappointing. Bode might want to change his name to Bobo.
2 more weeks til we take off for Phoenix where it's 75 degrees and sunny. By the time we adjust, it'll be time to come home - on the 19th.
I have my card that tells airport security that I have a metal hip, but I've heard that some folks get hassled anyway.
That's all for now - happy Mardi Gras. We're supposed to eat pancakes that day so I may hang out at my favorite diner, Ruston's. for b'fast. addio, nance

marathon

If you were running behind #1104, I can see why you made such good time.
Is that you with the ice-pack on your quads? I bet they ached!
Suggest a hot tub after chilling out. I had half an hour in a 92 degree pool at the therapy center thursday - mmmmm - delicious.
Off to see Dr. Bob later; the plow just came to free me.

That's enough with the running! Get a hobby, maybe one with a low risk factor. Old parents can't take worrying about middle-aged boomers. ciao, Mama

A few more marathon pics

26.2 - Check

One more item checked off my "Things to do before you die" list.

I ran 26.2 miles on Sunday.

I finished in 4:08:04 (out in 2:00:03), if you must know. i was happy with the time. 115 overall. If i had been able to do my scheduled training the last month, i think i would have been under 4 hours.

Here are the mile times, FYI

1. 8:50 2. 8:47 3. 8:51 4. 9:07
5 9:02 6 8:52 7 9:36 8 9:00
9 8:52 10 9:14 11 9:45 12 9:25
13 9:40 14 9:24 15 9:27 16 10:08
17 9:11 18 9:58 19 10:04 20 10:08
21 9:33 22 9:50 23 9:55 24 9:55
25 9:46 26 9:50

threading needles

Is that a Zen test?
Like - What is the sound of one hand clapping?
If not, buy a threader.
They come in little sewing kits at your local drugstore.

from bassrock

A 4 hour run

I'm off to Florida on friday, 2/17, for what i hope will be a 4 hour run on sunday. i have not put many miles on my shoes since mid-January so it will be interesting to see how the marathon goes.

my first goal is to finish. the second goal is to go under 4 hours. i think 4:10 - 4:20 is more realistic.

see you

B

Threading the Needle

When you thread a needle, do you

A. Hold the needle and push the thread through it?

B. Hold the thread and push the needle to the thread?

26 miles to go

I hope to run a marathon in 2 weeks. i had some ankle tendon issues during january. i hadn't run since mid-january. i ran 7+ miles today. it wasn't quick but it was without pain. so that's a good thing.

While i'm eating dinner and watching the super bowl, Sean and family is eating breakfast and watching the game in Singapore. it's probably a little warmer there.

Seattle is down 7-3 at half. :-(

B

the un-winter

maybe there's nothing to say when global warming is upon us. Temps may go into the 50s today, grey skies, all is blah.didn't keep a journal of my january adventure: sorry.could be that mr bush has driven us all into speechlessness or, if we open our mouths, we may just scream; if we write down our thoughts, the NSA may come for a visit.

S.U.s big star hurt himself; they won without him.For any opera fans, Maria Callas fans, i watched a great Fellini movie, "Callas Forever."we'll make it thru the first half of XL super bowl, only because there's a party on Second Street in Liverpool.

Tonite, "Waiting for Guffman." Good Night and Good Luck, to your readers from the tropics. nsm

still reading?

Is anyone reading the blog?

Do have thoughts to post to the blog?

B

Final Aussie Post

Today is Connor's 14th birthday and we had a GREAT Day. We took a large catamaran for an hour ride out to the Great Barrier Reef and a small island off a coral cay. The scenery was just beautiful-- like out of the picture books-- blue sky, beautiful blue and green water and pristine white sand on the beaches.

We spent the day snorkling at the reef. We saw so many brightly colored fish-- parrot fish, butterfly fish, and angel fish-- and those were only the ones we recognized. We also saw giant sea turtles and Giant Clams that were three feet across. We felt like we were swimming in Mark's fish tank-- although Connor adds "with better fish!!". He thinks Uncle Mark needs to get working on that!!

At one point Caitlin, Connor and I were actually swimming with a Giant Sea Turtle for about 15 minutes or so. Sean and Connor saw two huge fish. If we were in the Carribean Sean would have said one of them was a barracuda- not sure what is that large over here.

Shannon did great-- you would never know that she had just fractured her arm a little less than a month ago. I think the turtles were her favorite. We were all sad to leave the reef but had a fun sail back to Port Douglas complete with a live guitarist singing Australian folk songs.

All in all a great birthday for Connor and one I know he will remember. We are heading off to his birthday dinner at Mango Jam-- his favoriite restaraunt we have eaten at this week. I am sure we will crash early after our day of snorkling.

We hope to bring some of our Aussie lingo back with us-- our favorites-- "mate", "no worries" and "no drama." We suspect these may work their way in the Singapore Murray vernacular. Tomorrow our great Australian Adventure comes to an end as we fly back to Singapore. We are thankful for our fabulous three weeks Down Under.

We are sending lots of positive healing thoughts to Nancy who had hip replacement surgery this week. I am going to attempt to continue these e-mail updates once we return to Singapore although on a less frequent(maybe every few weeks) basis.

Thanks to all who have responded to our e-mails over the three weeks. It really helped bring a bit of family to us here in Australia. It made spending the holidays away from you all a little bit easier although we all missed seeing everyone. Signing off from Down Under. Deb, Sean, Caitlin, Connor and Shannon

'Roo post

We are having a great time in Port Douglas at the Great Barrier Reef. We spent one whole day enjoying the resort and its many lagoons. Today, we went to The Rainforest Habitat, a wildlife sanctuary. The habitat let's you wander through three unique environments that houses more than 180 species from the surrounding rainforest, wetlands and grasslands. The Habitat is in partnership with the Wet Tropics Management Authority for the purpose of rainforest conservation and education. It houses rare and threatened species in their natural habitat.

We got there early in the morning to have "Breakfast with the Birds." It was an experience to eat with the beautifully colored birds all around but did get a bit tricky while you ate-- feeling as if you have to dodge a few as they flew directly overhead. We then went to the reptile area to see a python feeding. We were assured they are basically not harmful to humans.

Next was the Koala area complete with a "Koala experience" where the kids were able to get up close to the Koalas. Next, we went to the grasslands where there were kangaroos, wallabies, pelicans, and tons of interesting birds all roaming about in their natural habitat. We saw lots of different kinds of kangaroos--from the large red kangaroos to the Eastern Grey kangaroos to the petite Parma kangaroos to the Lumholtz tree kangaroos (which actually look like a monkey with a kangaroo tail). We spent several hours feeding and petting the kangaroos. It is unbelievable how soft and gentle these animals are. We spent almost an hour watching a mom and joey (baby) kangaroo. After some time the kids were actually able to feed both the mom and the baby in her pouch. Sean and I are amazed how taken Connor is with the kangaroos-- he says he wants a pet kangaroo!! I wonder if somehow Connor's gentle nature connects with the gentleness of the kangaroo.

We also saw a saltwater crocodile that was 12 feet long and then saw probably ten or more Fresh Water Crocodiles. We saw up close several Emus and the Southern Cassowary which is not a pretty looking bird but is one of the more unusual things I have ever seen. It is an endangered species that is considered a keystone species meaning that its loss would likely lead to long term changes in plant communities within the rainforest. The Cassowary had a footprint from the middle talon to the back that was 12 inches long-- for you non bird lovers that means they have very big feet.

We saw more species of birds than we could count-- all so brightly colored with such beautiful and distinctive calls. Cathie and Mike would have been in their glory here. Later in the afternoon, we took a river cruise on the Lady Douglas Paddleboat.

This took us through the Mangrove Channels of Port Douglas to look for wild corcodiles and bird life. We were able to see several types of ospreys, herons and got to see a few more sea eagles. We also spotted a young male crocodile who followed the boat for some time. We then got to see an amazing animal interaction between the crocodile and a sea eagle. They came to a absolute standoff over a dead fish in the mud on the side of the river. The crocodile kept inching toward the fish while the sea eagle kept hopping down closer flapping its wings to appear as large as possible to the crocodile. The two then just stood eye to eye about ten feet apart staring each other down. Finally the sea eagle swooped in and won the fish leaving the crocodile to slide back down the muddy river side into the inlet. The proprietors of the boat said they had never seen anything like this.

We think we captured some good shots on film and promised to send some of the photos to John and Jenny if they turn out. The whole thing felt like it was something in a National Geographic TV special instead of something we were witnessed in real life.

We finished the day with a terrific dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Then it was back to the hotel-- we were exhausted. Shannon was thrilled to get to the room and put on her comfy "towel slippers" what she now calls the terry cloth slippers the resort provides to its guests. Tomorrow is Connor's birthday and our last day in Australia. We are taking a boat ride out to see the Great Barrier Reef. More to come. Deb, Sean, Cailtlin, Connor and Shannon.

Happy Oz New Year

It is just past midnight here in Australia. We are having a great time at a New Year's Eve party in Port Douglas on the Great Barrier Reef just north of Cairns, Australia. We are celebrating at a party in the lobby of the Mirage Resort. Feels a bit odd not to see the. Ball drop in Times Square, which won't happen for another 15 hours or so. The key New Year's icon here is the fireworks over Sydney Harbor. Earlier this evening we had a great dinner at Paddy's Irish Pub in Port Douglas then back to the resort for the party-- complete with live band. We had fun singing and dancing. Shortly after we got to the party, our "Little Miss Social" started talking with some kids across the dance floor. Come to find out Shannon was talking to a third grade buddy of hers from the Singapore American School (SAS). Dominic and his family seem very nice-- they also have a seventh grader although Connor and he had not yet crossed paths. It is funny to be so far away and in a more remote Australian town (most people stay right in and around Cairns) and run across people from SAS. The same thing hapened in Phuket over Thanksgiving only many times over as we met probably 10 families from SAS there. While we are having a great time, we won't last long as we had to get up very early this morning to fly from Surfer's Paradise to Cairns-- then drove about an hour north to Port Douglas. On the flight in, we got a good view of the Great Barrier Reef. It is so vast and stretches for miles and miles. Tomorrow, on New Year's Day, we are planning to rest up at the resort. It is gorgeous with about ten lagoons and two enormous pools-- one fresh water and one salt water. We are planning a few excursions out to see the reef before we head back to Singapore. We feel like our Aussie adventure has covered a lot of ground until the country map reminds us we have only seen a small sliver of Australia. Like the US, it is a huge country. That said, we are thrilled with the peek this trip is providing. Happy New Year to all. We're praying the new year will bring peace to the world and health & happiness to all. Deb, Sean, Caitlin, Connor and Shannon.