December 2024

We made no plans to travel over the holiday, but that changed at the last minute.
The first week of the Christmas holiday was at home.  Brandi had joined her girlfriends for an evening of making wreaths, and another for making Fall flower arrangements, and I did the holiday gathering for work which doubled as Susie's small retirement party.  So we were active enough, but skipped most other events. One shopping day together to pick over the sales racks at Macy's before it closed here in Toledo, I found a couple nice Nautica shirts for $20 or so which Brandi could wrap for me. And Rebekah stopped by on a visit to her sister Kim's to say hello.  Christmas morning was at home, once Brandi won the tree-lighting battle. And she served kielbasa for the holiday dinner. But generally the month was quiet, and Nick finished the semester with a 4.2-something so he's done all he needed for his grades at the halfway mark of senior year, and made some headway on scholarship applications.

At the last minute we booked a room at Margaritaville Resort in Jacksonville, FL, a suite on the beach. Acting on a couple days' notice, we could tell it would be 70+ degrees and sunny, so no risk of driving for fifteen hours to sit in the cold elsewhere. The hotel was OK, awesome view, clean beach, and the restaurant right in the hotel where we could eat from the balcony and dodge the birds, but likely not worth a return visit.  Brandi watched the seals from the balcony (they were surfers in wetsuits, really), walked the beach twice a day being careful not to touch the jellyfish that washed ashore, and we ate like kings, as usual. It was nice to not think for five days, not work, and do nothing, just have carefree thoughts, like how Brandi would like to be buried at sea (in a ball of flames via pyre, but teetering on a small boat ignited via arrow from shore.) Nick's dining preferences have completely changed (he says that happens every seven years), whereas he never ordered a pile of crab legs, and his one shot at the best burger on the beach he ordered a pile of pasta. We hit as many places within walking distance as we could: Larry's Giant Subs, Beachside Seafood, Brix Taphouse and the best was Salt Life Food Shack. And one hushpuppy not to be named for its own protection.  Overall, it was enough but not too much, and we made the right call.  By the time I update this blog again, Nick will be 18.

And the final post of all 2024 pics is here on flickr.

Toronto Weekend 2024

Nick and I took a guy's weekend to Toronto, first time he's left the country. I've been so exhausted from overworking that we almost didn't get going, but we did, and we crammed a ton into 48 hours.

He was off school early on Thursday, so we headed north, made it over the Ambassador Bridge without too much trouble; I'm accustomed to border security, but when the officer is smoking hot, I can be thrown off my game (Nick even noticed her.) Stopped for dinner at a Jack Astor's in London, meeting my colleague Suneel for a drink and swapping stories of times gone by. We got a room there, and headed on to Toronto Friday morning.

Nice suite at the Residence Inn on Wellington, so we had our own rooms. First stop was the Railroad Museum just a few blocks from us, where I had to contain Nick from giving the tour guide Robert too many lessons on the CN6213 on display.  Nice setup with the roundhouse downtown, but less than I expected. Lunch was at Boston Pizza, and then a nap ensued before we walked down to Scotiabank Arena to see the Red Wings play the Maple Leafs.  It was Hall of Fame weekend, so lots of Original Six recognition around town, and a short HOF ceremony before the game where we got to see Pavel Datsuk get his ring.  If it wasn't for the drunk guy and his dad next to me, it was a perfect game and evening (Wings lost, could keep the puck down.) I was most impressed with how the Leafs put on a show... the Canadian flag passed across the lower bowl during the national anthem, gave me chills. We had suite access, but wasn't really all that impressive.  Although I've never had access to better-tasting Molson, I indulged at every stop.  On the way back from the game, Nick had his first Fat Bastard burrito. Tried to show him the best of Toronto.

Saturday morning the town was getting busier, so we arrived early at the Hockey Hall of Fame, walked around about two hours, and he was patient while I read every plaque about Detroit I could find.  Nick took a nap in the theatre to wait me out, and even then when I went to get him and was finished, there was a Mike Vernon tribute video playing, and I had to watch. Museum is another bucket list item, and did not disappoint. Of course, it's all about touching Lord Stanley's Cup, and now I have.

Finished with a photo out front of the Union Station, and epic burgers at the famous Loose Moose then we we headed for home, with of course a short stop to load up on Canadian chocolate before we crossed the border.

Photos here.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Fall 2024

By the numbers: Three days of clothes smelling like gasoline fumes, six-drinks-a-day limit in the VIP lounge, 800 classic vehicles, eight Uber drivers, $4.25 million for Sammy Hagar's 2015 LaFerrari, 20 hours of live auction, and one vehicle purchase.  This was on my bucket list for many years, a trip to the vehicle auction, as-seen-on-TV, to experience the auction firsthand. I went with my co-worker Dan, all-in with unlimited access, running along the staging lanes and up onto the block, free-reign to walk right up onto the block and bump into Mike Joy (would have been nice to shut William Shatner up) and pretty freaking cool.

This was the first time Barrett-Jackson held a Fall event in Scottsdale, so about half the size of the January auction, but fewer attendees, so perfect for me.  Each morning was walking the vehicles inside the building and tents, talking to various exhibitors which of course were cars and trucks (many of then custom builders), then into our spot in the VIP tent at the high-top table facing the staging lanes by noon, for a full day of unlimited food, running out to the lanes for vehicles I wanted to hop in or crawl under, and then a little walking of the grounds to see what sold the previous day.  There was a block tour, which lasted all of 90 seconds, hosted by two uninterested twenty-somethings, but it didn't ruin the weekend one bit.  And a side stop to watch the Tigers' season end on the big screens at the nearby Draft Kings sportsbook.

We saw a fleet of Indy Pace Cars from Monte Carlos to Corvettes which, not road legal, pretty awesome considering we own one already. A 1976 Civic that would have been perfect for teaching someone to drive a manual. A 1967 Marina Blue Corvette 427 that was best of the show for me, followed closely by a silver 1969 Camaro RS Z28 302. The Batmobile. A Daytona Yellow 1968 Corvette 427 hardtop convertible. And too many more to mention.  I bought a 1978 Corvette... a 1:18 scale model to complete my collection really, as I have a 1:18 scale for every vehicle I've owned in the past 30 years, but needed a red 1977 to complete the set, and this was as close as I've ever found. I listened alot and learned from other bidders, so if I return, I know what to do.

College Visit #6 - SVSU

Still a couple more visits, we took Nick the farthest north he's been into Michigan to Saginaw Valley State University. He had a free day from school since underclassmen were testing, so we used it for a campus visit. Beautiful campus on a perfect fall afternoon, their Engineering facility was a little smaller than others but sufficient, and dormitories with privacy were really the differentiator. (Of course they sell the campus with their dining options, which admittedly were impressive.) It's a smaller school of roughly 7,500 students, and a little newer, est. 1963, so nicer facilities in some respects. You can walk the entire campus from indoor walkways, which is nice in the winter. Their transfer program is more transparent, which helps with us living so close to MCCC. Ended with what felt like a hard sales push, but Nick and I feel it's worth consideration, a top-three pick so far.

We seem to be far along the application process now, having submitted applications to two schools, and already receiving an acceptance letter from WMU. We'll go into the winter still maneuvering all of the financial websites, but the picture is getting clearer, and Nick is clearly excited by the possibilities. In all, we've got lots of good options.

Also a first for both Brandi and Nick, we had lunch in Frankenmuth, to experience the famous chicken dinner. It did not disappoint. Then a nice walk outdoors for chocolate and cheese, and a long ride home.

A few pics here.

Summer 2024

I do appreciate that Nick seems unphased by peer pressure. His mother called him a loser for not going to Krepp's Apple Orchard with us, and he just shrugged it off with an 'OK' and wandered back up to his laptop. It's AI that gets him all worked up, just the mention of an AI tool and he starts cursing, which isn't good because it's going to be a part of his future, there's no avoiding it. If he can just figure out his left from his right, that will help.

We filled the summer with something nearly every weekend:
I saw some great classics at the Radwood car show at Hart Plaza one weekend with Donny, and a stop at Grandma Bob's pizza.
Railroad Camp wasn't what we expected, outdoors in the rain and the cold, so Nick cozied up with his mother at the Holiday Inn up the road. So much for roughing it.
Nick and I stopped into the Flags/Veteran's Car Show in Sylvania for a second year, and walked the show with Kim. The vehicles are getting familiar now from around the area.  Nick parked his Cavalier inside the show, next to a Boss 302. The photo is next to Kim's Hummer H1 with her and Eleannora.
We applied the blacktop sealer onto Grandpa's driveway, and got the pool covered with less than five minutes remaining in the summer (we pulled the cover and the leaves fell minutes later.)

Nick has a good parking spot in the SFS lot after doing our homework last year, he drives in about 3-4 days a week.
And I enjoyed a couple of afternoons with my office colleagues, one at Alan's house where I played in the sandbox with the kids, and the Tigers Game to watch Tarik Skubal pitch, one of the few losses for the team which ran off a 31-11 record to end the season, their best ball in a decade.

Nick and I are trying to get back into a workout routine, and started back to the YMCA at least one evening a week.  We're picking up my old routine again, although he runs while I swim.  Brandi has been walking, but pinched her shoulder or arm, and complained she now that she, 'can't pitch out of the dog pen.'

Pics here.

Senior Pictures Class of 2025

Senior pictures here from the photo shoot we did back in June, around the downtown Toledo area.  Nick wasn't thrilled with the process, but the results are pretty good.  He selected most of the outfits, and of course the vehicle was provided. We might need to do another round of these, we shall see.  Not sure what kids do with these anymore, other than a professional profile photo, they don't pass them around like the old days.

 

 

 

 

 

Link here to all of the photos.

Grand Canyon 2024

A short business trip and cheap flights led to a 6-day vacation for the three of us to Arizona, a trip on Brandi's bucket list.

Thursday was an easy flight with a little maneuvering around security and the Delta software mess nearly resolved. We landed early morning in Phoenix and checked into the Embassy downtown, grabbed a quick bite at Pino's Pizza and settled in.  So hot, 115 degrees, like sticking your face in an oven, walking a block for lunch was an effort.   Brandi and I had dinner at the famous Durant's with Cheri and Kristopher, outstanding meal, and prepared for our adventures.

Friday was a drive and rest day, we took a scenic route up to our hotel in Flagstaff, through Sedona for some shaved ice and amazing views of the mountainous topography. Forty-five minutes of winding roads thru the forest was awesome.

Saturday was up at 3:30 AM local time to spend 9 hours on a bus that day for 2.5 hours on the Colorado River.  The tour company was a bit of a cluster (A/C broken in the bus), busing us all over to accommodate others, but the raft time was memorable. A raft for twenty of us traveled a couple miles thru the canyon, plus a boxed turkey sandwich, with our guide Scooter from Ohio, where we saw wild horses and sheep, stopped along the shore to see some Indian hieroglyphics, and swam in the cool river (57 degrees).  The views were breathtaking. By the end of the day we were fried, found some lousy food and back to bed.  We also came away with a cool photo at sunrise along the road up to the airport where we started.

Sunday was a free day, Nick and toured around downtown Flagstaff, checked out several miles of Route 66 and the remaining neon, and he experienced his first In-n-Out burger. Brandi got her stop at the local Goodwill.

Monday was Nick's highlight, the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, AZ up to Grand Canyon Village, where we wandered for three hours peering into the canyon from above. We had dinner at El Tovar, a 4-star restaurant in the village, my first time eating elk. Mostly pics and a cooler breeze further north, it was a 'now we can say we've seen it' day.  For the train itself, we travelled in the luxury domed car with a full bar and food, and despite some annoying 'entertainment', it was worth the trip. Photos of us standing on the back platform, in the parlor below our car, and enjoying some drinks tell the story.

Photos here in Flikr.

June 2024 + College Visits #4 & 5

On the run every week this month.
Brandi and I got our strawberry picking in earlier this year because of the heat, but the berries were not as impressive.
Nick and I traveled down to Cincinnati to see Noah for his HS graduation. High points of the trip were a stop at the Air Force Museum in Dayton (not our first time) and their D-Day movie which was cool, and a new pizza joint down a country road. He humored me with an evening ballgame of Dayton Dragons v Lansing Lugnuts. No downside to this trip... except maybe for Nick using all the towels in the hotel.

Pool opened this year on June 12, we had a good Wednesday morning with no wind. Nick's notes and photos matter now, as Grandpa is about done with this exercise after 53 years, next year I suspect we'll be opening it on our own. I did get a good video of me cleaning the cover like Brandi's rug guy on YouTube.

Our fourth college visit was Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. This school has moved into a solid second-place spot on Nick's list, with an impressive engineering facility nearby main campus. It was a bit of a drive through Ann Arbor traffic, and early in the morning, but the campus is nicer than the other MAC schools, more impressive than I expected. We had a good tour guide, and seeing the dyno was the highlight. We took the back roads home past Devil's Lake, which isn't as rural as it once was, with dinner in Blissfield at Lena's. This school will be a little tougher commute, but the program is solid for what he wants.

There was a fifth stop at University of Dayton, which I didn't attend, but Brandi and Nick came away unimpressed.  True to the Catholic tradition, this college is the only one that required visitors to pay for a tour.  The church never misses a chance to take in a buck.

Flikr photos here.

OBW Company E

I enrolled Nick in a week-long college 'camp' named Ohio Business Week, while despite having been around 35 years, I had to check and make sure it wasn't a scam.  SFS mentioned it, but no record of alumni attending (although one kid was there that Nick knew when we arrived as an associate, Connor.) I'd hoped a week in a dorm away from home, and with 120 other HS seniors, would be good for him.  The results are better than anticipated.

Dropping him off, the whole operation looked sub-optimal, and a bit poorly organized.  I was hoping he'd connect with the tall blonde girl in front of us, but told him to at least make friends with some smart Asian kids if he wanted to win (seems smarmy on the surface but I wasn't far off from the reality). After sending his bags up to his dorm room, he marched off to his first session of the first day, no need for an escort from his mother.  He was relatively quiet for the first couple of days, but sent a few texts, like, "Not to sound like a bad person, but I'm in the same dorm as an <odd guy> or something, I have zero idea how to react, feels like I'm in a David Attenborough documentary."  That kid's name was Sam, and by the end of the week, they were solid roommates, who had spent hours comparing stories and notes, and a key reason Nick concluded dorm living isn't so bad. (Helped that they had A/C, it was 95 degrees here all week.)

By day two, he responded, "The product my company chose is the hardest to market, I hate where we are going, it's an over-complicated electronic pillbox."  He had other ideas, and sketches, around lubricating oil products and power-assisted hedge clippers, but the team decided, and he committed to the plan. He'd also concluded by this point their cafeteria pizza was the only edible food, and breakfast was irrelevant since he slept thru it anyway (once).

It was day three when he felt the momentum, and called me (not text) with an update. They had elected an Indian girl as CEO and he loved her (he didn't want a title for himself, "I just do what she tells me, it works better").  He'd been assigned all the visuals, creating hand sketches of the product and all of their materials, and created the product mock-ups in PowerPoint for their presentations. Later I learned the presentation boards were mostly his content, which I could tell from his notes. He'd found his place in the company, and was thriving.

Later on we'd heard stories of how the other ten companies had battles within their teams, were up late arguing, struggled to come to decisions. (They had some good-looking CEOs, apparently from some privileges households... didn't matter.  Nice lesson here.)  Nick told us they had no such issues inside his Company E, which is probably a contributor to their success.  Their biggest distraction were two teenagers that had the hots for each other inside the team, which Nick pointed out during the closing presentation, 'Couldn't you tell Victoria wasn't wearing a bra to get his attention?"

On Friday evening Brandi and I attended the closing ceremony, where several categorical awards were presented, and the organizers acted like an over-hyped rally. Despite the awkwardness from the outside looking in (today's society values some things that are just cringe moments for us older folks), the kids clearly committed to the week and learned alot.  Sitting there hearing Nick's company win Best Digital Ad and Best Marketing Materials, along with best cheer (where Nick was in street clothes when everyone else was in suits, because, he did 'the worm' on stage), we trudged along anxious for the exit.  Then his company won Best Overall, based on peer voting, and while I wouldn't have predicted it, I see it now.  Ask Nick what he was presented as recognition, and he'll tell you 'a block of wood', which was a nice plaque. But true to Nick, the minute it was over, we hustled for the door, pictures unnecessary, and were the first car to his bags and off campus in a hurry.  This will be a great memory for him, and a great resume builder.  Did he get the contact info of any of the other kids so they can stay in touch?  Nope.

May 2024

There's been a high number of posts about Nick's driving over the past two years, but that's where the excitement is, and he's come along to the point where I trust him completely. (Unlike the white pickup here in town that's been terrorizing people and almost ran me off the road before rebounding out of the ditch on Consear, and leaving his taillight behind.) For the first time out with just his mother in the vehicle with him, I got a margarita in her before a doctor's checkup, so she couldn't drive, meaning Nick had to drive them.  All went well. He's also done his first solo Taco Bell run.  So the common theme to motivated driving is: Mexican food.

Nick had a piano recital this month, where he played two pieces: the theme from Poirot, and Toccatina by Kobalevski.  He modified some of the music to fit the timeframe of the recital, and is now playing second-to-last as one of Mrs. Rutter's more senior students.  

We also caught a Mud Hens game one evening, Nick agreed to join me in exchange for a pizza at Papalis. 

And we snuck in college visit #3, although Defiance College over-hyped their engineering offerings... the entire college of engineering has eight students... so it's likely removed from the list of consideration. We did get a nice meal at the local bar (like eating wood chips) and a walk around in a downpour of rain.  Nothing to see here.  We had an impressive view of northern lights this month from home, so that was one evening of entertainment.
Finally, Miranda and Robin came by in a mom-exchange, and Nick hung with Myles for a couple hours, which isn't more than two guys ignoring each other on their tablets.

Brandi got her garden prepared for the summer, so we'll have one stalk of asparagus to eat, heavily seasoned with many spices from which to choose.
Whether it's driving a vehicle or hands on a keyboard, just don't ask him anything that involves identifying his right from his left (such as, "move right or you'll crash into something", as he swerves to the left.)  He does know for sure that junior year of school is over, and we're onto the senior steps, one last year of high school at SFS.

April 2024 - College Visit #2 - PSU Altoona

Our second college visit was to Penn State at Altoona, a smaller campus with specialized programs.  Nick wanted to see the Rail Transportation Engineering program, so of course after sending three separate communications to prepare they weren't ready for us, and we'll need to go back again later. We viewed the 2024 Solar Eclipse with school-issued 'glasses' while on our tour, peeking around the young tour guide Brandon who was hopping around like he was on fire himself (nerves, I assume.) OK campus but old and tired, the Engineering Director is a good guy, and the lousy cafeteria food is expensive, those are the main takeaways.

We made the five-day trip into an adventure visiting local family, trekking thru heavy rains and flooded roads on Wednesday to arrive in the evening and get our first duck (a drink at Primanti Bros.) Our hotel was a little tight with two beds, but we made it work with minimal difficulties (not counting the traffic light out front that hated us.)
Thursday started with Brandi and Nick visiting the local train museum and seeing the famous Horseshoe Curve in Altoona where we stayed. Then lunch with Aunt Val and Uncle Vito at their restaurant, where we swapped car photos, caught up on the gossip before we saw everyone else, and had a good meal. Day one of pizza.
Friday was early dinner with Andy, Michelle and Grandpapa, who is more limited now, getting around with less ease. The new place on Washington St in Huntingdon was good food, and good company. Nick and I rode with Andy out to see a 1955 Ford F-100 that was a military bid spec vehicle at a guy named Travis' home. Rough shape, but an interesting story, I'll share the find when I see the F-150 guys later this month for the P800 clinic in Long Beach. It was an eye-opening experience for Nick to hang with the locals. Caught a movie in the evening as the theater was walking distance from our hotel, the latest Ghostbusters passed a couple of hours.
Saturday we spent four hours with Bobby and Jeanette at their home, just chatting at the dining roon table, before heading to Paesano's for dinner to see everyone else.  Nick made pizza with his Pap, ice cream with Grams, and we saw the rest of the gossip firsthand. Day two of pizza.

Sunday was one more visit with the grandparents, first the Perows, the Grandpapa Nicholson. Nick and I hung on the porch while Brandi chatted with her family, then he and I walked the campus at Juniata College, and saw a little soccer, then four innings of the baseball team against the Wilkes-Barre Colonels. Last day of pizza, please make it stop.

Brandi got to make a stop at the candy store in Tyrone as we wrapped up the weekend, loaded up on $35 worth of penny candy.  The drive home after the PSU school visit was against the eclipse traffic, I estimate a four-hour backup on the Ohio Turnpike going east as we headed home west. 

Photos here from Spring 2024.

March 2024 - College Visit #1 - Indiana Tech

College visits are underway, our first one was to Indiana Tech in Ft. Wayne.  Brandi scheduled it for a Saturday, so as not to disrupt his school days, then snow was forecasted and we snuck out on a Friday night. Awesome dinner at Salvatori's, an Italian joint on the north end, couldn't have been better.  And nearly a good night's sleep, except for me roaring briefly at the cheerleaders partying in the hallway at 10 PM.

It was a visitation event, roughly 100 families or so gathered for the tour. Nick's selected major is Mechanical Engineering, one of three colleges at IT. It was a sunny but cold tour, our guide Haley was outstanding (and chatty), taking us through several buildings, including the dorms (where we temporarily evicted four co-eds and their Dots Pretzels). Ever prof was passionate, and the equipment was impressive. Nick lit up at the mechanical areas of the new facility, dreaming of what he could do with a million-dollar 3D printer. Afterward, he impressed a prof at the tables by explaining thorium energy, and bragged about the cafeteria food, which from what I could surmise was pizza and chicken nuggets (Gen Z food.) Given the reasonable driving distance, the small campus, and the facilities in Nick's area of focus, IT is a real possibility; we have more homework to do, more visits, and Nick will be focused on his GPA for the coming weeks, as things get real.

Before returning home, we stopped a railroad historical society about ten minutes outside of Ft. Wayne, where the project manager Andrew, and one of the 80 volunteers, Tom, took us thru the facility, where Nick hopes to volunteer while he's at school a year from now. I must admit, the idea of him learning in the IT environment, and applying it in this train 'garage' where they refurbish real locomotives, it's an applicable skillset, and real impact. I can see the vision better now.

This was the month for the 'socks of terror', which was a simple shipping error from Amazon, a package that was not ours, but Brandi called the local Sheriff, who came out, and filed a report, all while I was in the shower.  Nick and I discovered a new pizza place in Dundee, River's Edge, and we've already been there twice. He was able to repair a taillight bulb in his car while I was gone on a work trip, in between his fling tests in G-Mod, I assume, and eating his Chernobyl-grade peeps leftover from Easter.

Photos here.

Energy Matters on WGAU

I took a short trip around the south for work, with a workshop in Nashville for the aftersales team at Nissan, a stop in Pinehurst to visit family, and then swung back south to Athens for a weekend.  While in GA, I was invited onto the Energy Matters radio show on WGAU by my colleague from work, my first time on radio.  The fun is keeping up, four segments of eleven minutes each, no prep, the time fills fast.  Here's a link to the show that day in podcast form where we discuss cars, and then specifically alternative powertrains in commercial vehicles.  Link here to Episode 276 from March 2024. 

 

February 2024

Nick drove us out to the Cleveland Auto Show, which was better than anticipated, they combine a new vehicle display with some classics in an adjacent conference center, and the vehicles were well organized. We made a stop at Citizen Pie, Nick's favorite pizza joint in town, as usual.  Was his first long drive on the expressway, he handled the Turnpike well.

Bran bought Nick some new Ikea furniture for his room, the first time she purchased was unsupervised, and she came home with little-people dressers that looked small even next to her. So we made a date night of it and returned to pick up some large cubes, which work much better.  It's tough for Nick to sift through stuff and weed-out what's old and can go in the donation bin, but we cleared out a little.  She setup files for his college paperwork, including one labeled 'Other Shit', which is accurate, just seemed interesting to me for a teenager's room.

January 2024

Nick's birthday was a low-key affair, a pookie and a few balloons.  I had a trip to LA for a clinic this month, so I was gone for a short week, dinner on the beach and a successful clinic in Pasadena, including a couple new bars with the gang, and finally dinner with my team in Huntington Beach.

Warming up fast, not much of a winter, Nick shoveled the one snowfall we experienced.  
The general teenage mysteries continue.  Why does he require a half-dozen alarms and clocks and still sleep through them all? And when we're having a casual conversation, why does he think to ask me about extradition laws, for what purpose?  He did cook a little more this month, I had him working on a roast and gravy, gotta start honing the cooking skills before college.