A Very Special Announcement

GARY and I are ENGAGED! Details to follow, but keep your calendars open folks!

Beer Poses

Even though the picture is of GG posing without beer. Who's the mysterious beer pose? Nice sweater.

Double beer pose with family.

This one's always the best. Sharing a cold refreshing beverage with another that truly enjoys the beer. Notice the pretzels.

Empty beer pose. No one should be put through this cruel torture.

Dog head in cooler pose. Can you blame her? Here we are enjoying our beer on a beautiful evening and she's without. How unfair.

Delicare as a flower beer pose. Remember kids, when trying to impress the girl next you and show her how much class and elegance you have. Pinkies out.

End of the night beer pose. Nothing screams end of the night like tie-dye t-shirts and big goofy grins. This too impresses the ladies.

can somebody please tell me what this is?

please don't say squirrel.  I thought it might be a hedgehog, but this sucker was big, about 12 inches long.

A very precocious two year old

Yankees v. Blue Jays 5/12/2009

A Pictorial & Reflective Blog
by JT Pilaf
Toronto 5 New York 1
At least we won the series.
Keep that elbow up Hidecki.

How's the weather up there CC? Gorgeous night outside and the roof was closed. Does that make sense?

ARod watching BP and Tony Pena with the fungo giving fielding practice to Brian Bruney... like he needs it.

I yelled out to Brian Bruney he used to be on my fantasy team and he got me 4 holds until he got hurt. He didn't seem to care. Thus the wave off.

Jeter hurt, Ramiro Pena in. Not exactly a fair trade-off.

Robinson Cano with the strong arm to first taking fielding practice.

I never had sideburns like this. Not sure if I'd look good in them.

Damon trying to get a double out of what should have been an easy double. Looked safe from my seat.

I'm not a big fan of Joey G and I asked him if his NorthWestern degree was a helping him any? This was after he had just got done talking to AJ Burnett after AJ was blowing up in the 6th inning.

Where is everybody in the upper deck?

AJ pitched a good game outside of one bad inning.

Good picture, but ARod didn't get a hit.

Tex holding Rios close, not that he was a threat to steal.
Shawn and I had fun and the opening game Tuesday night (5/12), me with my Yankee shirt on and he with his Red Sox shirt on. We made quite the pair.

Spring Break 2009

As my best friend and I decided to take a trip to get away from Western New York we thought what better way than to travel with my nephew and her two children (seen here). As we pondered where to go; we finally decided on Myrtle Beach. The last time we were in MB, we were playing softball for the Tonawanda Warriors, and we were interested to see what it looked like ten years later. The drive down was exhausting, but the reward was finally seeing the beach. It was windy and cold the first day we were there. Austin went into the ocean for the very first time, and gosh was it cold! Our hotel had all the ammenities, an indoor and outdoor pool, full size kitchen, view of



the beach, and of course a bar. Austin was all smiles at the indoor pool as we were nearly exhausted from the 14 hour car ride. The kids swam most of the day, and my friend Kristin and I rested most of the night. Pictured below is the indoor pool right outside out hotel. We had a great time. It rained one night, and was beautiful the rest. We did a something fun every night; putt putt golf, Medival times dinner, Broadway at the Beach, Barefoot Landing, and catching the sun rise and sun sets off the beach. We had a great time and was sad to leave. But, maybe next year for Spring Break 2010. Only next year, We fly!

72 Hours in the Nations Capitol

It has been and still is for that matter, a very gray, gloomy cold winter/almost spring. I think we all have been dreaming of warmer sunnier days! Much to my surprise, my daughters gave me a trip to Washington DC to be part of the spring ritual known as Cherry Blossom time in DC. So last Friday we sped down to the Capitol to enjoy "spring".

This picture needs no intro, and how beautiful is this! The blue sky, the cherry blossoms, and of course the famous residence, known as 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

This was the view out of our Hotel room, we stayed at the Hilton. It was a 9$ cab ride to the Lincoln Memorial, and a 15$ to Union Station. You could see the Washington Monument pretty clear, but not in this picture. Our cab rides were always very interesting, our assorted drivers came from all corners of the world, got us where we needed to be in one piece I may add, and manuvered the busy crowded streets like a Nascar driver! Impressive!

We took the open top bus tour, pretty good deal, 2 days 35$, 30 stops and you could hop off and on as many times as you wish. The down side, it was very very windy on Saturday, and with the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in full gear, we did not see a bus for 2 hours, which prompted our 10 mile walk from the White House to Dupont Circle. Cookie and I were trying to avoid low branches. Funny story on the bus, it was very windy and a family of 6 was visiting from Cincinnati, the wife opened the folder that the husband had so tenderly taken care of and immediately a gust of wind took their 140$ worth of tickets somewhere up 17th street. For the next 10 blocks the wife argued relentlessy for replacement tickets!

This photo is from Ford's Theater.

One of the most riveting programs was the tour guide that went over the days events that culminated with the Assasination of Abraham Lincoln. This of course is the presidential box, re-created to resemble that night, the picture along the bunting is however the original picture that has always hung there since the theater opened it is of George Washington, in a gold guilded frame.

At night, the lights are soft and low at the Lincoln Memorial and when you are climbing the granite steps, you can almost imagine Mr Lincoln, standing and speaking to the throngs of people that are always there. The picture does not depict the enormity of Lincoln, nor how life like this sculpture is..

Quiz? Who carved the Statue of Lincoln?

While touring we saw all of these people??? MMM what were they in line for, a museum, an exhibit, The Smithsonian? Nope, none of the above, it was for the subway! For the record there was the same amount of people on the other side of this picture.

This is the fountain at the WWII memorial. We threw a wheaty penny in it for Grampa! This is an interesting memorial, the tour guide told us the designer's theme was a dinner party. The design shape is oval, like a dinner table, the "main guest" is a wall of 4000 gold stars that represent the 400,000 soldiers that gave their life. To the right of that is the first state that ratified the constitutions, Delaware, on the other side, the second state, Pennsylvania and so on and so forth. Another must see when you go to DC!

Of course the economy is tough for everyone. Even this Federal City is feeling the pinch!

A sad sad sign of the times for us good Republicans! But bargains none the less.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a more spectacular building than the Capitol! No matter where you were, nor how you were looking at it, it is awe inspiring!

Quiz? Who designed the Capitol?

Of course this was all about the Cherry Blossoms! Take note of all the people! More than a Bills game, I think..

This was a whirlwind 72 hours, filled with the sights, the sounds and the smells of history! Thank you Thank you Thank you to my beautiful daughters, for this most wonderful gift. I can now cross this off my bucket list. Next on my list?????