OJR "GET TOGETHER" ALL Graduating Classes

(I'm posting this just for more visibility and SEO. It's not actually me writing this, though I think it's a great idea, and I'm probably going to go. -DR)

(UPDATE 13-April: I've sent my check and confirmed my attendance. Hope to see many of you there. -DR)

(photo used without permission of Duck Brown)

OJR "GET TOGETHER" - ALL Graduating Classes

When: MAY 16th, 2009

Where: THE INN AT ST. PETERS, POTTSTOWN, PA

Time: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Cost: $45.00 per person

*Includes - 4 hours Open Bar (beer Only), Hor d'oeuvres, pretzels, chips etc, tortellini dish,

potato salad, pasta salad, carved meats, salad, fruit, deserts, coffee, tea, etc.

Need to have RSVP's no later than April 24th to Shelly Davidson at
shellydavidson@comcast.net
or Lynn Bradford at fleckers@hotmail.com

Checks payable to Shelly Davidson or Lynn Bradford (memo - THE INN AT ST. PETERS),

MAIL CHECKS along with graduation year & guest(s) name

TO:

713 Wendy Dr., Pottstown, PA 19464 - no later than April 24th.

Anyone needing room Reservations please let me know Immediately so I can make arrangements for you and know how many rooms we will need to block.

Any questions please contact:

Shelly Hunt-Davidson Class of '87 - 484-433-9050

Lynn Bradford Class of '85 - 484-252-4548

Thank you.
See you on the 16th :)

PSA: The Fresh Air Fund

The Fresh Air Fund asked me to help get the word out that host families are needed to "open up their homes for a few weeks each summer, so that children growing up in New York City’s toughest neighborhoods can experience the joys of Fresh Air vacations."

Host families are needed in the states (and province) pictured below.


I don't know what summer in the city's like, but I do know that summer in the country is pretty awesome, and if you can help a kid experience that, it'll be worth your while.

So check out the Fresh Air fund, and maybe make a donation.

A Shooting in the Winery

Our local theater company, The Mebane Acting Company, knows that I like to take pictures, so with their current show, Murdered by the Mob, opening soon, they invited me to the dress rehearsals to get some shots for their scrapbook.

Unlike the work I did for Steel Magnolias, and another adventure with Stuart Little (that went so badly I didn't even write about it, let alone share the pictures) this time I had the proper gear and state of mind to get some decent shots.

This play was a dinner theater, and being performed at the Benjamin Vineyards and Winery near Graham, NC. The space was, I guess where they do the grape pressing and maybe fermenting and bottling. The light was a little weird, as were some of the paint colors of the wall. Thanks to a new control card I just got, I was able to correct for the light color pretty well, I think. It was a tight space with all the tables, but there wasn't much scenery, and no audience, so there was still some room to move.

Here's the synopsis:

Welcome to D'Angelo's, the hottest speakeasy around. If you think the '20's are roaring, you ain't heard nothin' 'til you've been to this joint. The jazz is hot and the gin is cold. Our master of ceremonies, Johnny Biscotti has his best show yet, featuring the ever popular Lydia LaJoy, and introducing a couple of cute chorines sure to turn the head of even the toughest mobster. The boss himself, Danny D'Angelo is sure to make an appearance, along with several of his, uh, "business associates." So sit back, order yourself an "ice tea," and enjoy the show. But be careful, and watch your back...this gangster murder mystery will have you "swimming with the fishes!" from James Daab

Some shots of the production
























And the official cast photos

Danny D’Angelo: Thomas Drago


Johnny Biscotti: Andrew Porterfield


Sally: Lysandra Penn-Bartoo


Lydia Lajoy: Stacey Thomann


Betty: Veronica Penn-Bartoo


Butch: James Bailey


Pretty Boy Percelli: Christian Moore


Officer Mulroony: Walter Boyd

Miss 9

It's not every day your young lady turns nine. So what does one do to celebrate?

One rents an inflatable bounce house


and invites seven other similarly-aged girls over to celebrate.


That's basically it. The rest pretty much takes care of itself.




Even Older Brother (哥哥) gets to enjoy a party with that many girls


Of course, there's more to a party than just bouncing.

There's food


and presents


and a birthday cake.

In this case, a King Cake, since Zoe's birthday was the day after Mardi Gras, she requested this King Cake for her party.

And to top it all off, Smores!


This was kind of funny because some of the girls, mainly the ones with Chinese parents had never toasted a marshmallow before. We totally corrupted them with American culture here.


After all the bouncing and sugar, it was time to sleep. . . or not. . . then wake up the next morning, re-inflate the bounce house, and do it some more.

Happy Birthday Zoe!

Cast Off

Ever since Tristan broke multiple bones in his arm, right before Christmas, he had been counting down the days until he could finally lose the sling, get his cast off, and have the steel pins removed from his elbow and wrist.

February 3rd was that day. Six weeks and four days incapacitated, unable to dress himself or bathe properly, and continually answering the question, "What did you do to your arm?"

We went to the Orthopaedics department in the Ambulatory Care Center of the University of North Carolina Hospitals. First, Tristan had his arm X-rayed again to make sure that the reduction (bone-setting) held, and that he was ready to be unencumbered. Everything looked good, so they put him in a room where a helpful assistant guy came in to cut off the cast.

(click on the pictures for all the gory details)

He cut right through the ace bandage and whatever else was under there.


We finally got to see what had been hidden all that time, and it was not pretty.


We knew he had pins placed in his arms, but I don't think any of us realized that there were five of them.

One in the upper arm, three through the end of the elbow, and one in the right wrist.



Tristan had been a great sport up the entire time. He had been doing fine until he saw his arm. It made him a little queasy. He later said that he decided he wasn't going to be a surgeon, due to his aversion to looking at this kind of stuff. In fact, we only filled his pain medication prescription from December the day before he got his cast off, so we could give him a pill before we came, more for the psychological effect than anything. The next part would be the reason why.

These pins are inserted through the skin by being chucked in a drill and drilled all the way through to the bone. From there the excess exterior portion is cut off, and those little green balls (called Jernigan balls, I believe) are attached. So how does one remove the pins? With a big old pair of Craftsman pliers.

Allegedly, this doesn't hurt. It sure looked barbaric enough though. The pins are rotated coaxially while being pulled straight back out. Since they're coming out through a hole that goes bone-deep, there's bleeding too.

What made the procedure slightly more palatable was that Dr. Dahners was being assisted by Dr. AJ, a very cute southern girl resident surgeon.

That spoonful of sugar certainly helped the medicine go down. . . I would assume.

After a few minutes, Tristan was all done, bandaged, and slightly less queasy.

It'll take him up to a year to get a full range of motion back in the arm, but he won't need physical therapy, plus he has the cool benefit of having a gorilla arm until that long hair that grew under the cast wears off.

Now comes the pain for Mom and Dad; paying for all this.

Ouch.

Florida, Day 3: Magic Kingdom

Woke up in the Grand Cypress once again and boarded the hotel shuttle, this time for The Magic Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom holds a special place in my heart, probably because it was the only park in existence the first time I experienced the magic back in June 1978. Since it's the oldest, it's also the one I've been to the most; three times not counting this trip.

We left the bus for the monorail that travels from bus parking to the main entrance plaza. We paralleled the train that transports the Disney characters to the plaza right at the park opening time for the last quarter mile or so, and it was as if they were all waving right at us, and us alone. Very cool. Entering the park about as early as possible, we "ran" the Disney Marathon, heading straight to Tomorrowland

to get a FastPass for Space Mountain later in the day.

Since there was no line, we rode Space Mountain first.

Tristan was a little apprehensive, as he's not sure how he feels about roller coasters, but he quickly changed his tune. Right after riding, we got FastPasses for later in the day when there would be crowds.

Now's a good place for me to say something about toting camera gear around Walt Disney World. I carried my Lowepro CompuDaypack with me the whole time, and there wasn't a thing I couldn't go on with my bag. That's not to say that I didn't wish I had something smaller. That backpack barely fit under the seat on Soarin', and also barely fit in the car with me on Space Mountain. If I were to do it again, I would've picked up the Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW. That would've held all I needed to take with me (camera body, two lenses, spare battery, memory cards, filters, hoods) and would've fit in the stowage spaces on most rides much easier.

After Space Mountain. . . who can remember. The Speedway, which was the only ride that Zoe at ~50" couldn't go on by herself,

followed by the Lilo & Stitch thing (which was "Mission to Mars" in 1978 and 1985, and "Extra Terrorestrial" in 1997")


followed by the Pixar thing, It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion, a parade, some lunch, a few more times on Space Mountain, Carousel of Progress (There's a great big beautiful tomorrow. . .)


hot Brazilian chicks,


Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, Thunder Mountain (which Tristan also eventually warmed up to), Pirates of the Caribbean, more food,


another parade, and finally the fireworks. Phew!

We left when the park closed, and took the monorail back to the bus parking lot. I remember waiting in this exact same lot in 1978 with my Mom and Dad, and brothers Tom and Andy when some strangers gave us their unused ride tickets (each ride required a ticket back then) since they weren't returning to the park and we were. Amazing what sticks in your brain.

We took the shuttle back to the Grand Cypress. From there we walked to the Waffle House, since Nevada doesn't have one, and Jonas really wanted a Texas Cheesesteak. I guess maybe Waffle House to him is like In-N-Out to me, so I understand. Wanting to see what all the hub-bub was about, I got a Texas cheesesteak too. Not bad. The kids were beyond tired at this point, but pretty good sports.

We walked home and called it a night.