State Champs!

Well it was a long season, but what a heck of a way to end a season. My son's soccer team went to Phoenix and won their division! Great season guys, and see what hard work gets ya!

No Snow in AZ?!?

My son Mark and his friends thought it was time to find some snow in AZ. So they decided it was time to hike up the mountains not far from our house to find some. After a short drive (under 45 minutes) It was apparently a 5 or 6 mile hike in each direction up the mountain but they did it! Here to prove it is a picture of my goofy son lying in the snow.

Nice kid! Nice! Glad you had a good time.

Da Kids

Well I thought it was about time to post a new picture of the monsters. So here they are... Looking all innocent... but it's all just an act see, they just want YOU to think so. But when they get home they get that old Bill Cosby Brain Damage thing going. I think their ultimate goal is to make me crazy. Is it working? :P

The first High School Home Coming.

Well it took me a while to get around to it but here it is...

Jenny and her friend Hanna decked out for their first Home Coming.

So we took the kids to Vegas

I know... You're gonna say Vegas isn't for Kids. Well I got rooms for the week at Circus Circus for a decent price, and we bought tickets to see the guy who won America's got Talent a few years back Terry Fator. Man it was the funniest thing I've seen in years. He was great, and really cool. He did this whole meet and great after the show that was really nice. Anyway, it was really hot (like July in Vegas wouldn't be hot) and we walked around a bit seeing the outrageous and over the top hotels. Man the picture I took on the left was taken inside of one of them, there is a waterfall just out of sight behind them too. That's Vegas!

Credit Card Companies Suck

So I get this letter in the mail from my credit card company. As I read it they are telling me about new terms for the card. At first I think, ok no big deal. Then I see it. The interest rate they are charging me is going to DOUBLE if I agree to this. So I call them. I explain I've had this card for years and that DOUBLE the rate is unsatisfactory. So you know what this guy says? OK we'll cancel your card.... Have a nice day! JUST LIKE THAT!!! So I call again and I ask for a manager, and he says Well I can give you a promotional rate ALMOST DOUBLE CURRENT RATE for 6 months....

THIS IS BOGUS, and they should not be allowed to do this!

My Daughter makes the paper

Mark and Jenny volunteer their time at the Cove (our local aquatic center) as jr life guards. So it so happens that they were teaching a class last week when the herald decided to do a story on water safety. So Jenny got her picture in the paper teaching a little guy to swim. :)

Middle School Graduation

Well I haven't posted in a while, but my twins are graduating from Middle School today, and I just had to post a picture. Man I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday when they were so little...

Anyway, good luck in High School guys. We Love you.

Mom and Dad

Cardinals choke with over 100 yards in penalties

OK, It's been a while since I've posted here and I just HAD to post today. Now as you all know I'm not really a Cards fan coming from NY and all but after living here for 8 years I thought I'd give the Cards a try. They had a great year, and I really hoped they'd pull it off. But today I'm wondering if the Zebras screwed them or if they just screwed themselves last night. Either way, it made for one hell of an exiting game, down to the last minutes.

Nice try guys...

Off to Okinawa

Well, this is my Nephew RJ with his Air force haircut. He's leaving with his family to spend the next 3 years at least overseas. Good Luck Kid! Be safe.

Samantha's First Communion

Here is Sammy and two of her friends, Sammy is the one in the middle. Don't they just look so cute all dressed up?!?

7th Grade Concert

My daughter Jennifer and her friend Jansen performed in their 7th grade concert.

Here is a clip of thier performance of a song from hairspray.

My Nephew's Wedding

My nephew RJ and his new bride Alysia
were married today, and here they are...

Mr. and Mrs. Morace.

We want to wish them the best of luck and happiness as they begin their lives together!

We love you, and God Bless.

It's that time again

Well the holidays have come and gone again. This year it didn't really feel like the holidays and I didn't even really put up lights or anything. But, as usual we took photos of the kids tho send out christmas cards with. As you can see by this picture, the true nature of my monsters was shining when we took pictures. They clowned around for a while until we got the one we used for the card (this isn't it by the way) but I kinda like this one, so here it is.

Vegas Trip

Well, after 20 years the wife and I decided to go to Vegas for the first time together. I had been twice before on business. Yes I know we ALL say that, but it's true. I used to work for a company that had an office in Vegas and about 12 years ago I had been sent there for meetings.... and naturally a little casino hopping afterwards.

Anywho... Vegas was nothing like I remembered. Everything had changed so much! We saw two great shows, The Blue Man Group and Penn and Teller. It was like Broadway 2000 miles away! and the hotels are HUGE!!! The Venetian has a Gondola ride INSIDE and a MALL too!!! We walked the strip until our feet were swollen and we got some great pictures. They even have a recreation of the statue of Liberty here!

Well we had a great time, and are planning to go back. I used to think that Vegas was just for people who like to gamble, but that's sooooo not the case anymore. There's soooo much to see and do you just can't do everything!

Performance Parts

Well, as it turns out, the Vibe has a rather impressive list of after market performance parts available for it. So it's not my Mustang, But it's still a very cool little car.

So far, for about $100.00 I have modified the air intake, and added a strut tower bar. I removed the stock baffle from the air filter box, and installed a K&N air filter. The air K&N air filter gives the car a few more horsepower, and I installed a strut tower bar that makes it handle a little better through turns, (and it looks kinda cool too).

New Car

OK, so Tuesday I bought a new car, a Pontiac Vibe. See as a friend just pointed out I've been giving US automakers grief here, and I bought a Vibe... But see This is a GM / Toyota venture. It's basically a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac logo and flair. Why did I have to buy a new car? Well the Suzuki Verona I had turned out to be the biggest piece of junk I've owned in years. It had major engine work at 25k, an Oil leak at 30k, and now it was stalling and it almost got me killed. So I called the dealer to make ANOTHER appointment, and I was told my warranty had expired (only 36 months) and I'd have to pay for this service. Well I lost it, went to the local dealers and started checking out cars. I was actually looking for a Honda or something, but the "low end" pricing you keep hearing about on TV doesn't exist unless you DON'T want air conditioning or anything. Then the sales weasel tells me about this Pontiac leftover and told me GM had a 0% finance deal going on. SO... I bought it.

OK, now if anyone from a US automaker reads this listen up, these joint ventures are good for you guys. You learn how to make a quality car, at a decent price. You should do this more often!

...end of soap box speech.

Long time no hear...

Hello again. I know I haven't written anything here in a while, as I've not thought of much that was blog worthy. However the other day something cool happened. I heard from an old friend I'd lost touch with for years. OK... Here's the deal.
1. I hate him... He's my age but looks GREAT, he's got a lovely family, AND he's got my Mustang.
2. I'd post pics to show you what I mean, but he asked me not too.
3. I have to admit I was jealous for about 2 seconds, but then I remembered it was MY choices that lead me in the direction I went, just as his decisions lead him down his chosen path. I can't complain, I have 4 great kids, a good job my life doesn't suck.

SO... Here's to old friends, may we all find those whom we've lost touch with, apologize to those who need it, and draw strength from the choices we've made that have made us who we are.

Vacation to New York

Well, we're back from New York. The trip was a little frustrating. The travel time and hold over in Atlanta was bad enough. The Hotel was disappointing at best and it was colder than I was hoping for, so we didn't see some of the things we wanted. Also the kids didn't get to see their Grandpa and they're a bit bummed about it.

I remembered some of the reasons that I really love New York, and I after talking with friends I also remember why I left... I don't miss the $600.00 utility bills.

Chrysler to eliminate nearly 13,000 jobs

OK guys, I know this is not the usual stuff I talk about here, but I can't help it. Everyone is crying about US automakers losing money, and how US buyers are killing the car makers by NOT buying American cars. Well I say THIS is the time for US automakers to wake up and smell the coffee. People buy the Hyundai and Kia and other foreign cars for lots of reasons. But there are a few BIG ones. First the US automakers have priced their cars too high. Secondly the warranty offered by US automakers sucks. Lets face it, as a buyer if I can get a good car at a LOWER price WITH a better warranty Why wouldn't I? I mean lets check it out... The Kia Sedona is well equipped and costs less than a Dodge Caravan, and has a longer warranty. 6/60 and 10/100 as opposed to 3/36. HMMMMM. No brainer. Do American automakers expect buyers to just buy American just because it's American?!? Get a grip guys!!! Make a better product, at a good price with a good warranty and PEOPLE WILL BUY IT!