July 31, 2006

• Summer Trip to US - 2006

  

  
  

  Here are my brudders.

  
  

  

  
  

  Steve and Ann

  
  

  

  
  

  John and Alycia

  
  

  

  
  

  John said that this is a rare woodpecker, so I tried a few shots.  It wasn't a simple task to photograph it, because it was constantly on the move.

  
  

  

  
  

  Now how many years has it been since this bunch has been together?

  
  

  

  
  

  Come on, now, no fighting, kids!

  
  

  

  
  

  Mug Shot

  
  

  

  
  

  The Fambly Bunch

  
  

  

  
  

  Somebody say Gesundheit!

  
  

  

  
  

  Cousins Ei and Caleb

  
  

  

  
  

  Cousins again

  
  

  

  
  

  After dinner at the Four Brothers Greek Restaurant.  We then looked at antiques for a bit and went to the Red Lion for dessert.

  
  

  Here are some of the antiques.  They were rather pricey, so I just brought them back in pictures.  It is cheaper and takes up less room.

  
  

  

  
  

  Now this would look nice with the two other iron vehicles in Frau Compukermann's kitchen, but not for $850!

  
  

  

  
  

  This Steiff lion puppet was not badly priced, but I just did not hear it calling out, "Take me with you!"  I saw no reason to force it to come with me against its will.

  
  

  

  
  

  I am a sucker for rocking horses, but this would not have fit in my suitcase.

  
  

  

  
  

  These sheep might make a nice Christmas card.

  
  

  

  
  

  How about this Santa Pez shooter?

  
  

  

  
  

  Now these were really tempting - chocolate Easter bunny molds!  But they were also pricey, and I really do have enough toys to play with.

  
  

  

  
  

  Now this is not an antique!  Ei is checking out some old books.  This is a nice picture of her, I think.

  
  

  

  
  

  One more

  
  

  

  
  

  Five ladeez outside of the antique shop.  Wait a minute, lemme get my glasses off for the picture...

  
  

  

  
  

  The following were taken at the Red Lion Inn.

  
  

  

  
  

  We got a couple of nice outdoor tables.

  
  

  

  
  

  Table One

  
  

  

  
  

  and Table Two.  The fellow in the blue shirt is Jon, a friend of Caleb and a really nice guy!

  
  

  

  
  

  We messed around with Caleb's head and gave him a Photoshop haircut...

  
  

  

  
  

  How does he look?

  
  

  

  
  

  Alycia's mother Lola. 

  
  

  

  
  

  Herr Compukermann and coffee.  Thanks for all the delicious eats!

  
  

  

  
  

  Nice picture, I think.

  
  

  

  
  

  Frau C looking cool.

  
  

  

  
  

  Here's the Doc checking out the quality of the Red Lion's cutlery.  I have a really good portrait of Steve, too, but if I put it up Mrs. C might shoot me.  (I did put it up later in the entry.  Check it out if you dare.

  
  

  While as our dessert was being happily consumed, a nasty storm suddenly brewed up above our heads.  We finished and departed for the cars in haste, but we were not sufficiently fleet of foot to avoid a dampening.  I was not able to make proper farewells to John and Alycia, so I will call them sometime and do it.

  
  

  On a previous day brother John took us for a drive down to a downtown Schenectady music store in Proctor's Theater, which is most memorable as a place that I did not go to because back in those days it was sinful to attend movies.  The logic was that theaters also showed non-family entertainment fare and that it was not right to support them even if the movie being viewed at the time was wholesome.  The philosophy changed for some reason, and I remember seeing my first movie at Proctor's:  Disney's "That Darn Cat."  I picked up some nice music at the store in Proctor's arcade, including the entire score for Mozart's "Magic Flute!"  Papageno just makes my little heart flutter...

  
  

  On the way back home, we drove past our former home at 2313 Niskayuna Drive.  The trees in the neighborhood formed awnings over the roads, and the scenery will be even nicer in the fall.  The house was one story and an attic when we lived there, and as you can see, an full second story has been added.  Herr Compukermann had worked really hard to sheet rock and finish the entire attic as a bedroom for the boys when we lived there.  Oh, the horror stories he could tell you about that!  Mom would prop the pieces of sheet rock to the ceiling with a wooden prop, and one time she really jammed it in there with Herr C's fingers underneath the sheet rock.  He screeched for her to remove the prop, and she gave it a quick sweeping kick to set the fingers free and knock Herr C in the head.  Now did this all happen as Herr C was straddling balanced over the stairwell and continuing to hold up the sheet rock with squashed fingers?

  
  

  

  
  

  There used to be a big tree on the right side of the front lawn.  I wonder what happened to it.  I remember the first and last driving lesson that Herr C gave me.  I had driven onto the front lawn by mistake and wanted to get back on the street by the same route in reverse.  I inquired about which way I should turn the wheel to avoid contact with the former tree, and was met with such total derision that there was a silent agreement that Mrs. C should inherit the position of driving teacher.  She disapproved of the way that I veered a tad close to the rows of parked cars on the street.  I did not get my license until I was 24.  The driving teacher advised me to aim at the moving cars rather than the parked ones, because the parked cars cannot move out of the way.  Sounds logical to me!  At any rate, I am not responsible for the present lack of tree on the front lawn of the former homestead, unless it died of the fright experienced when I parked the car on the front lawn. 

  
  

  

  
  

  A Closer View

  
  

  Ah, brothers...  I am glad I am the sane one!

  
  

  

  
  

  How do ya work this newfangled thang?

  
  

  

  
  

  I dunno how to work this, either!

  
  

  

  
  

  Ok, ok!!  Here's a nicer one.

  
  

  

  
  

  Wanda Methe at the Gideon Putnam.  Good to see you again, and thanks for the chocolates.  I brought the box back intact, and everyone enjoyed it during snack time at church yesterday.  It was too good not to share it.  And don't worry, your Starbucks secret is safe with me!

  
  

  

  
  

  Here we are at the Gideon Putnam, ready to run to the buffet.  Wanda and I split everything so we could taste it all!

  
  

  

  
  

  Wanda again.  Hey, the vintage Cadillac collection was here again this year.  Is that why they call it a trunk?

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  This red Caddy is a beauty!

  
  

  

  
  

  Hey, look inside!  Is the Cadillac expecting?

  
  

  

  
  

  Nice Interior

  
  

  

  
  

  More Fuzzy Dice...

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  Here's a black one.

  
  

  

  
  

  If I had to pick one to drive away in, this would probably be it.

  
  

  

  
  

  This place is not far from the parental homestead, and is fun to look through.  The proprietor posed for us.

  
  

  

  
  

  The porch from a different angle.

  
  

  

  
  

  Who is gonna win the race?

  
  

  

  
  

  Another vehicle to the past

  
  

  

  
  

  Ei at the Cracker Barrel.  She came home and got a root canal.

  
  

  

  
  

  I may have already put this up, but it is so handsome that it won't hurt to show it again.

  
  

  

  
  

  I am at Albany Airport on Aug. 3rd to catch a 6:30 plane.  I am glad I got my flying in before security tightened up!

  
  

  

  
  

  The sun is coming up, and so is my plane, I hope!

  
  

  Ei stayed a week longer than I did and took several pictures that I will try to have  up soon!  She has named the series "Ei's Eating Tour"

  • 07:02
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