Bren's BLOG

Titanic, The Musical

2009-01-31T07:37:00.003-06:00

Another fine performance by the Nashville Circle Players. The 2 hour 40 minute performance (the same amount of time it took for the Titanic to sink) held your attention from start to finish. And my friend, Deb, was amazing once again! She played lots of roles in this production (1st class passenger, 3rd class passenger, girlfriend to a young man heading to America to find a better job). And 4 Engineering students from Tennessee State University won the "sink a ship" contest http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=65344. It was impressive to see how they sunk a ship on a small theatre stage. Even though we all know the tragic story and are prepared for the ending, there were lots of tears shed by the cast and audience.

Looking forward to Once Upon a Mattress where Deb will be the Music Director.

A Somber Morning in Sooner Country

2009-01-09T05:06:00.003-06:00

I spent the past couple of days in Tulsa, OK. When I arrived on Wednesday, all the city was buzzing with a possible OU National Championship the following day and now the day following the BCS National Championship game, all is very quiet since the Sooners lost to Florida. Although this area is a 50/50 split of OU/OSU fans (colleges are about equal distances from Tulsa), I have met more OSU fans. And of course our talks revolved around the great Barry Sanders and the 9-4 year the Cowboys had this year (one of their best in years).

I ended up watching the game with some of my new Tulsa friends at one of their houses with their friends. Most of the group (OSU fans) was rooting for Florida so they were happy with the outcome. I must say the highlight of the evening was the food - venison dishes, fresh salmon and bass just caught on a fishing trip, BBQ pork and polish sausage with homemade sauerkraut and coleslaw, and deep fried everything else (pickles, okra, green beans, mac and cheese). At least I did get my veggies in!

What I Did On My Christmas Vacation....

2009-01-03T15:52:00.013-06:00

It was great having 2 weeks off. I did lots of things:

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert
Oakland University Men's Basketball Game
Detroit Institute of Arts
Cross Country Skiing with my new skis
Rochester Downtown Christmas Lights
GIANT Gingerbread House at Royal Part Hotel
Shopping at Birch Run
Pewabic Pottery
Crafts
Lunch with Friends

Now it's back to work on Monday and a busy January filled with lots of traveling.

Oliver!

2008-10-31T16:42:00.002-05:00

Last night while in Nashville, I attended the Circle Players' production of Oliver! The Musical. My friend, Deb, had a part in the play which always makes it more interesting to see a performance of any kind if you know someone who is performing. It was held at the Looby Center Theatre, which is a small theatre in Metro Center. Of course a few performers stood out: Fagin's, Nancy's and Artful Dodger's characters were amongst the best. Deb's singing also stood out as she has such a beautiful voice. This was Deb's Nashville debut on stage and plans to do a lot more plays in the future. If I am in town when she performs again I will definitely attend and as Janna says, get more culture in our lives! Great job Deb!

I VOTED

2008-10-20T10:39:00.001-05:00

I officially voted today! I mailed my absentee ballot to Tennessee. Didn't have a lot to vote for (President, House of Rep, 2 city amendments). It was very easy so I think I will vote absentee every year now. Now I await the outcome on Nov. 4.

ISSF

2008-10-15T06:55:00.002-05:00

is the abbreviation for International Stainless Steel Forum. I was chosen in April to become one of the lucky people from our organization to become certified in stainless steel. What does this mean? It means I get to spend lots of hours reading information on SS and then take about 100 tests with about 50-100 questions on each test. And after I complete and pass all of the tests, I get a nice certificate and of course another line on my resume. I have completed about 80% of the tests and the deadline is 10/31. Since most of my steel background is in carbon steel, I am finding the information on SS to be interesting and SS is derived from carbon steel so I already know more than I thought I would. I will be glad when I am done!

Never Forget

2008-09-11T16:15:00.003-05:00

those men, women and children who lost their lives, those brave people who gave their lives, and the Heroes that responded to the emergency.

Ah, Kwame!

2008-08-23T06:54:00.002-05:00

I spent this past week on business in Montreal and it seemed every French-Canadian I ran into or dealt with in meetings wanted to talk about Kwame Kilpatrick. News about Kwame has traveled all the way to Montreal and those folks cannot believe he has not either resigned as mayor or been removed from office. And frankly neither can I. We all know Kwame won't step down on his own, but he has been so detrimental to the city that someone should step in and help Kwame with his decision. And they found it humorous that Kwame violated the conditions of his bond in a perjury case by going to Canada for a business meeting without clearing the trip with the court beforehand and this is why he was sentenced to jail.

And the saga continues...

Another Trip to Nashville

2008-08-23T06:38:00.002-05:00

Travelling to Nashville has now become my monthly routine. I take 2 large empty suitcase and bring them back completely full (up to 50 lbs each). Then when I get back to my parents' house the question always is "where to put all this stuff". Pretty soon there won't be much left in Nashville except for large furniture.

My condo is officially off the market until after Labor Day. Not a great market in Nashville either. I will re-list in September for 3 months and if my condo doesn't sell during those 3 months, I will not re-list until March. I've contacted a new real estate agent, one closer to my area, and I hope that will make a difference.

It was great seeing a lot of my southern friends again; some that I don't get to see on my regular trips down either because I don't have time to see everyone or they have left the Nashville area and are not in town when I am in town. A lot of my friends from Nashville have taken other jobs around the country and those that have not sold their houses make trips back to Nashville to check on their homes, just like me. We try to plan our trips back around the same time, but sometimes it doesn't work out as we planned.

And I also have business to conduct while I am in Nashville. I have customers in Nashville and the area so I spend a lot of time in meetings. My trips to Nashville are very busy with business meetings, meeting with friends, cleaning the inside and outside of my condo, and packing up stuff to take back to Michigan. It will be nice when I sell my condo and just make trips to Nashville for business or pleasure.

Weekend Getaway

2008-08-06T06:43:00.003-05:00

I took a vacation day on Friday and Mom and I headed north to the lake and spent Saturday with the Cross family in Interlochen. This was my first trip to the lake since August 2007 when my brother and his family were there. My childhood best friend, Kathy, came up from Charlotte for the week. Her Dad, Bob, past away in January and the family reunited for the burial. It was so great seeing the Cross family again which I don't get to see very often since Kathy lives so far away. All the sisters, husbands, and kids were there when we arrived on Saturday morning. We enjoyed lots of laughs, story telling, and great food. We took 2 Achatz's pies from Armada (four berry, my favorite, and dutch apple) which were a big hit. Since Bob and Linnie moved from Romeo many years ago to Interlochen (via Pennsylvania and Dearborn) they always appreciate when I take them some food from the Romeo area.

I spent Friday afternoon with my cousin Angie and her kids while Mom got her hair done. Preston (4 months) has such a great personality already and is already rolling over. Logan, Kamber and I played many card games (which I didn't win any) and had a good time.

Saturday night , on our way back from Interlochen, Mom and I stopped by Uncle Ed and Aunt Debbie's house for a short visit. It was good to see them since it had been a while. When we got back to the lake, Uncle Kelvin and my cousin Lee were fishing on the lake. Spent some time talking to them after they caught lots of fish (they said they left you some, Dad).

It was great seeing so many people I haven't seen in such a long time. A great, short weekend.

We headed back to Romeo on Sunday late morning because we were not sure about the traffic situation due to all of the construction. Of course, we couldn't pass by Birch Run without stopping at the outlet mall to do some shopping.

Nashville Visit

2008-07-01T06:41:00.002-05:00

I spent most of last week in Nashville visiting a customer and checking on my home. Got a lot of work done at the house especially the landscaping. Lots of overgrown plants that needed to be pruned and dead flowers that needed to be taken out. And it was hot - mid to high 90's. I got to spend time with some friends - thanks Janna and Leah for the laughs!

Vacation at Lake Chelan

2008-07-01T06:39:00.002-05:00

Looking forward to a week at Lake Chelan.

Go Get 'Em Tigers

2008-07-01T06:33:00.002-05:00

Another series sweep by the Tigers and my parents and I were at Sunday's game to cheer them on. I got tickets from one of my suppliers and sat in excellent seats behind the backstop to the left of the Rockies dugout. And to top it off, about 20 members of our family also attended the same game because some are relatives of Clint Hurdle, the Rockies Manager. It was good to see the family and watch the Tigers win on a cool, somewhat rainy day. Now let's see if the Tigers can gain some ground on the White Sox and Twins. Glad they finally crossed over the 500 mark!

Whirlpool Visit

2008-05-21T07:05:00.004-05:00

I've spent many years traveling to different manufacturing plants (automotive and appliance) and each time I enter one of them I am amazed by something, whether it's the technology or the way parts are formed out of my steel. But my recent visit to Oxford, Mississippi, to the Whirlpool Cooking Plant shocked me even more. We are in an age of computers, advanced technology, automated machines, presses, robots, etc. At WP Oxford, 95% of their production is still done by hand which means a lot of manual labor and this takes a lot of time. However, what was impressive was their detail to quality and by doing production manually does give them the ability to tightly monitor quality. Their employees look and inspect every part that is made in the plant as well as every unit after it is assembled. I have yet to see this much detail at other appliance plants and maybe this is why the Whirlpool name is highly renowned.

The city of Oxford is home to University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and is a beautiful town with rolling hills and large homes. Older brick buildings line the streets in downtown with small, quaint restaurants where everyone knows your name. We ate a local restaurant and immediately the hostess knew it was our first time eating there and then we spoke and she got a kick out of our northern accents. We had us some good eats!!

Great Day for a Baseball Game

2008-05-11T10:02:00.002-05:00

My company got a suite at Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon. My Dad and I were part of the second largest crowd at Comerica (45k). We had a good time even though the Tigers got beat by the Yankees for this first time this year.

How Sweep It Is!!

2008-05-02T06:51:00.002-05:00

What a great night for Detroit sports teams. The Wings swept the Avs and move onto the next round in the playoffs; the Tigers swept their series with the Yankees in the Bronx (Tigers hadn't done that since 1966) and the Pistons clobbered the 76ers and move onto the next round of the playoffs. Let's keep this momentum going, Boys!

Trip to Nashville

2008-04-27T18:48:00.003-05:00

I was able to spend 4 days at my house in Nashville this past week/weekend. I had some meetings at one of my customers in the Nashville area and took some extra days to check on my house. I was amazed how much my flowers grew in 1 month. There has been lots of sunshine with some rain so everything was green and growing. My tulips and daffodils were as high as my thigh. My ivy and myrtle had grown onto my porch, sidewalk and driveway. I spent several hours cutting back the flowers and sprucing up the flowerbeds. My hostas plants were not out when I left at the end of March and they were big and beautiful.

I was able to see lots of my friends and neighbors. It was nice sleeping in my bed!

2008-04-22T06:56:00.003-05:00

GO HABS GO!

During a business trip to Montreal, Canada last week, I attended game 5 of the Canadiens/Bruins series. It was a great game up until the 3rd period, tied 1-1 with about 14 minutes to go in the game. Boston scored a short-handed goal to go up 2-1 and it went downhill from there. With about 9 minutes to go, Boston was up 4-1 and the place cleared out! The fans in Montreal take their hockey very seriously and they let the team know if they are disappointed in their performance. Boston ended up winning 5-1 and set the series at 3-2, Canadiens. To top off the night, some Canadien fans starting burning Bruins jerseys outside the arena and the police on horseback just sat and watched! All in all, it was a great time and a great experience to see a hockey game in Canada. If the Wings play the Canadiens in the playoffs, I will be back in Montreal to watch another game!

2008-04-10T06:56:00.001-05:00

Back in the North

As all of you are aware by now, I am back in Michigan. I accepted another sales position with a steel company in the Detroit area. I am very excited about being back home with my friends and family. I still travel a lot with this job, but instead of just going to Mexico, I also get to travel to Canada and other cities in the USA. I am looking forward to this new experience and see where it may take me in the next year or two.

2008-02-06T05:24:00.000-06:00

An Extraordinary Night

of deadly tornado weather here in Tennessee. The Nashville area was very lucky as 8 severe storm cells passed either north or south of us and these cells contained tornados at some point during their travel. One major storm cell did manage to hit Nashville with 100 mph winds and hail the size of golf balls. As this storm passed downtown Nashville and headed towards my house the winds died down to 55 mph and not a lot of hail. There was still a threat of a tornado but thankfully it passed the Nashville area without one. Kentucky, again, wasn't as lucky. As soon as this storm cell hit the KY/TN border a tornado touched down. The worst area hit in TN was Memphis and Jackson. Jackson is home to Union University and the college was hit by 2 tornados. And there was a 60 semi pile-up on I-40 that shut down the interstate. The National Weather Service is still trying to count how many tornados actually touched down in those areas (one report I heard was 8). As soon as one storm cell left the area another one was right behind it and this lasted for 9 hours yesterday evening. And these same storms are heading towards the Midwest and East Coast and will produce snow and ice storms.

I have never seen such major storms and so many of them at once. And the majority of southern homes do not have basements so finding a safe place isn't easy. I became quite familiar with my jacuzzi bathtub last night and realized it is much larger than I thought!

2008-01-03T08:29:00.000-06:00

Brrrr, It's Cold!

If it is going to be this cold in the south then it should just snow! It is cold - yesterday was 36 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like 17. Today will be even colder - 32 with a wind chill of 14! But by Sunday we will be back in the mid 60's!

2008-01-01T07:21:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!

My parents and I celebrated New Year's Eve watching the Red Wings play in their traditional New Year's Eve game but losing to the Blues 2-0. We also watched some Bowl games and then topped the night off by eating barbecue ribs and garlic green beans!

2007-12-30T09:48:00.000-06:00

Office/Craft Room

Well, it is finally finished! Mom and Dad helped me hang some things on my walls to complete the room.

Project Table - this is a great table where I can do my crafts. On the wall are clip boards I got for my birthday from James and Amy.

Office Desk - there are 2 desks and this gives me a lot of surface space to work. It's hard to see but on the wall off to the left are framed words that Mom, Dad and I made.

Cubes - there are 3 cubes that have cubby holes to store things. Right now I am storing cards and scrapbook stuff.

View from the doorway.

2007-12-29T22:41:00.000-06:00

The Battle of Stones River

My parents and I went to Murfreesboro, TN to visit the battlefield on the banks of the Stones River. We had no idea that this battle took place Dec. 31-Jan. 2, 1862 and this weekend was the 145th anniversary of the battle. There were lots of reenactments to watch in celebration of the anniversary weekend. You can either walk the battlefield grounds (about a 4 mile walk) or drive it (which we opted to do). The Battle of Stones River covered 4,000 acres and Stones River National Battlefield preserves about 600 acres. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War - about 24,000 men were killed, wounded, or captured during the battle and a National Cemetery was built in 1865 and bodies were moved to the cemetery for final burial. The State of Michigan erected a Historic Landmark at one of the tour stop sites, honoring the men from Michigan who fought in the war. The Hazen Brigade Monument, built in early 1863, is the oldest, intact Civil War monument in the nation which can also be seen on the tour. I forgot my camera so maybe Dad will post some pictures on his blog.

Thanksgiving Week in the North

2007-11-25T20:34:00.001-06:00

I spent Thanksgiving week back in Michigan and what a busy week it was. Since I only get back to the Detroit area once a year, I try to pack in as much as I can.

Shopped with Mom - even went to a new mall
Met friends for lunch and breakfast
Spent time doing crafts - made Christmas cards and word art for my office
Went to 2 Lions game - Lions lost both games
Made wreaths at Mutch's - Mom's cousin's tree farm
Saw snow - it snowed the night before Thanksgiving and stayed the remainer of my trip

And to top it off, we ate a delicious Thanksgiving dinner - twice!

2007-11-24T08:58:00.000-06:00

Boy, was I wrong

about the Lions taking it to the Packers. It was what I expected them to do especially on Thanksgiving Day and especially when playoff hopes were still evident. On Thanksgiving Day, the Lions should have been thankful that Favre didn't put a lot of points on the board and really embarrassed the Lions (which he could have easily done). It was still fun being at the game.

2007-11-22T06:58:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm thankful I get to go to the Lions game and watch them beat up on the Packers!

2007-11-09T11:35:00.000-06:00

A Night with Gnash

Working for a Japanese company definitely has its perks; one is the amount of holiday time we get off and the other is parties. We find any reason to have a party! If someone leaves the company, we have a party. If someone is getting married, we have a party. Our Operations Manager is getting married in a couple of weeks so we organized a party in East Nashville at a place called 3 Crows Bar. A bar that features pool, darts, and the ever popular trivia (which is a popular thing to do in Nashville). Joey is a huge Predators fan (and always lets me know when they beat the Wings - which isn't that often!). He is a Nashvillian and was so happy when Nashville got a NHL team 10 years ago. Anne, our party manager, arranged for Gnash, the Predators' mascot) to come to the bar and meet all of us. Of course my fellow co-workers made me get my picture taken with Gnash since I am a Wings fan. I did promise Gnash that I would go to a Preds game, as long as they were playing the Wings! It was another fun night in Nashville.

2007-11-03T18:12:00.000-05:00

The 100th Meeting

between Michigan and Michigan State - a game I always love to watch and have always rooted for the underdog - State. It has been 6 long years since State beat U of M and that win back in 2001 was controversial, but a win nonetheless. Today I thought the Spartans would come out victorious as they were playing a good game up until about 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. State was up 24-21 with about 3 minutes to go in the game. Henne throws a bomb, a jump ball, in the endzone to Manningham and the Wolverines go up 28-24. State had 2:20 left on the clock to go 70 yards to score a touchdown. But the Wolverine defense with its contant blitzing denied the Spartans of a victory. This was State's 5th loss this season of 7 points or less while U of M has won their last 8 after losing their first 2 games of the season. If Michigan can win their next 2 games they will be Rose Bowl bound.

I will be rooting for the Wolverines in 2 weeks when they host #1 Ohio State - another game I love to watch but root for the Wolverines. I just can't seem to be a Wolverines fan all the time!

2007-10-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

House Update

After attempting for 10 months to get some house repairs done on my home (crack walls and nail pops), the builder finally sent some workers last week and finished the repairs in 2 days. What a relief to get this done as it has been lingering for a long time and not to mention my house has been torn up since June (when they first began the work). Mom and Dad are in town so they were able to be at my house the first day while I was at work. I took a vacation day the second day and Mom and I spent most of the day shopping while Dad stayed home to keep an eye on the work.

I posted some pictures below that I took with my new digital camera. I am still trying to figure out all of the features it has to offer but so far I like it.

The picture of the Great Room shows the new metal art work hanging above the couch. I have a smaller version that is similar to this and Mom found the larger one this year at the Peach Festival. I was so glad to hear the same artist was still selling his work. The trick was trying to get it to Tennessee. Mom and Dad had trouble fitting it in the car so they had to be creative and and actually hung it from a rope from the back seat - I should have taken a picture of that because it was interesting to see how they came up with that idea! It got to Nashville in 1 piece.

The Great Room now has handmade window treatments and these were designed and made by Mom. The pictures don't do it justice but they are awesome!

I also bought new office furniture, a project table that opens up for more surface space and organization cubes. Mom and Dad delayed their return trip home by 2 days because I would not be able to assemble the 12 pieces by myself. And not to mention how heavy and large these pieces are. Even the instructions state 2 people are needed for assembly. I will post some pictures later as I don't have the room put completely together yet.

Dad also had fun fixing a running toilet and a printer cable that I accidently sucked up in the vacuum. Mom gave my myrtle a major haircut and transplanted some pieces under my deck and in the area where grass is not growing in my backyard.

We did make time to do some Geocaching and drive around in my new cross-over vehicle. I promise during my parents' next visit, we will not work as much and spend more time enjoying Nashville. Always glad when they can come visit.

2007-10-07T18:49:00.000-05:00

Smoke Free Nashville

Well, it is official. All restaurants and local establishments (bars, clubs, etc) in Nashville and Metro are now smoke free. This has been in the works for quite some time and became official about a week ago. It is getting mixed reviews of course. The restaurants and bars say business is up because more non-smokers are now coming out and the smokers are still coming out just not smoking. It seems to be working so far but only time will tell if the new Mayor makes a change. I, for one, am excited about the change.

2007-09-11T07:26:00.000-05:00

9/11

Never forget. Thanks to all of the soldiers for their continued service to our country.

2007-08-26T11:23:00.000-05:00

A Week at Emerald Lake

I spent the past week at Emerald Lake and it was great to be back in Michigan. And it was nice that the weather got a bit cooler because I have been dealing with 100+ degree weather for almost a month. Mom and Dad picked me up at the Grand Rapids Airport which was my first time ever flying into GRR. I must say it is one of the nicest, cleanest airports I have ever been in and very customer friendly with an awesome waiting area outside the food court with lots of tables, lots of windows to watch the planes comes in and TV monitors with weather info across the country.

We spent the afternoon at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. The museum is beautifully located on the banks of the Grand River - what an impressive site. I learned lots of things that I either did not remember or never knew. It is an awesome museum and very well done. It is also the only Presidential museum that is separate from the Presidential Library. Gerald R. Ford's Library is located in Ann Arbor.

The week in review:

The circus was in town so we took Spencer and Garrett. It had been a long time since I had been to the circus. The kids had a good time and it was nicely done.

My cousin Angie had a get together for the entire family. It was good to see lots of family. The kids played on Kamber's new play structure and large sandbox. I enjoyed all of the good food and laughing with the family. And to make the day complete, we had a bonfire with S'mores.

We spent some time geocaching in the area. I didn't find any, but Mom, Dad and James did (even in the rain). We also played card games which was fun because the Reagans are so competitive! Shane gave us a tour of the fire hall and Lee gave us some fresh vegetables from his garden - yum! We also had Buddy's Pizzas and Achatz Michigan Four Berry Pies. And got to drive the Ranger and go on a ride back east through the woods and farms. Can't wait for next summer to come so I can return to the lake.

Here are some pictures from activities from the week.

Spencer, James and Garrett in the backseat of Dad's truck ready to go geocaching. Spencer loves to sit in the third row seat of the SUV!

Spencer and Garrett bowling in Big Rapids at The Gate.

Grandma Reagan reading with Spencer. An activity they love to do together.

Grandma Reagan and Spencer on the dock at Emerald Lake.

Spencer on the steps to the lake that my Uncle Kelvin and cousin Lee built.

My cousin Shane and Spencer at the Evart Fire Hall.

Garrett playing with a fire hose at the Fire Hall.

Grandpa Reagan and Spencer at the circus.

James and Amy at the circus.

Garrett and Spencer playing in the Muskegon River in Big Rapids.

Garrett helping Grandpa Reagan put together a new storage box. Garrett almost put the whole thing together by himself!

Spencer and Garrett laying on the airbed while I blow it up.

2007-08-08T17:35:00.000-05:00

Weekend in Mobile, AL

I spent last weekend near Mobile, AL at my friend, Michelle's parents beach home. 8 girls in all went on this adventure way down south. What an amazing house and beautiful location on the water. It was a very, very hot weekend even for the south - record heat well into the 100's. Even the water was hot! But we had a great time playing beach volleyball, swimming, playing card games on the patio, shopping and eating food Michelle's Mom sent along with us (southern mac and cheese, lasagna, and fried chicken). Can't wait to go again!

2007-07-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

Las Cruces, New Mexico

is located 40 miles northwest of El Paso, TX. It is home to New Mexico State University and one of the best Mexican restaurants, La Posta. After another long day in Juarez, Mexico we ventured to Las Cruces for sight seeing and dinner. We met an elderly man downtown and he recommended eating at La Posta. He and his wife have eaten at this restaurant every Tuesday night for the past 35 years so we assumed it would be alright to eat there and he was right. It was some of the best Mexican food I have ever had and I have eaten a lot of Mexican food over the years. Plus the atmosphere at this restaurant was amazing. In the center of the restaurant it has an open roof so trees, plants and sunshine can thrive. There is also a hallway with little rooms that represent stores where they sell jewelry, clothes, pottery, food, etc. And at the end of your meal the family comes to your table to see how your meal was (grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, children, etc.). I showed off my Spanish skills at that point and talked to the grandma about the delicious tortilla soup. Of course the recipe is a family secret! A place we will return to during our business trips.

2007-07-18T22:09:00.000-05:00

And even more sad news...

Mr. Vern Morrow past away today from a massive heart attack. Mr. Morrow was a great family friend and I will miss all of his knowledge, stories and history conversations we had especially about Detroit. I will always remember going to the theatre, symphony, Tigers and Lions games, and eating at many restaurants with him. If he rode with us to an event, we never drove directly to or from our destination as he had to educate us on something that day. He will be deeply missed.

2007-07-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

My Grandpa Popp

past away late last night at the age of 90. He was a generous, caring and funny man. There are so many great memories I have of him and so many sayings and stories that I will never forget. Grandpa, thanks for the Lions tickets.

2007-07-15T18:44:00.000-05:00

Alamogordo, New Mexico

While in Juarez, Mexico last week, I actually took some time to venture out and see more of the southwest. I usually don't have time to do such travel since I am extremely busy with work, but managed to get done with meetings early on this particular day. I spent a few hours in Alamogordo, New Mexico visiting the White Sands National Park and the nearby mountain range. What an amazing area and views. The white sand dunes cover about 275 square miles with wildlife and vegetation and is the largest such area of dunes in the world. Of course, I didn't have a camera to take any pictures. The change in temperature was also weird to experience. At ground level it was around 102 degrees, but up in the mountains was 72. Check out the below links to see some on-line pictures of the white sands and the mountains in the background.
http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/united_states/white_sands.html
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/

2007-07-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday America!

I spent the 4th of July in El Paso, TX and Juarez, Mexico. Needless to say I was not happy to be working on a holiday and to spend most of the day in a foreign country.

I have been blessed to meet and become friends with so many people from different cultures. It makes me appreciate where I was born and what I have. We must remember that we share a border with a third world country and every time I am in Mexico I understand why they want to come to America. For what they lack in wealth, they make up for in compassion for family and friends.

I spent the evening of July 4th in El Paso, TX with some of my Mexican friends. They did not want me to be alone on such an important day for Americans so they came across the border to spend the evening with me. We started the evening with the most important 'Ds' - drinks, dinner, dessert! After we stuffed ourselves silly, we went and watched the West El Paso fireworks in the mountains. I have always been very patriotic, but never felt so proud to be an American as I did watching the fireworks with hundreds of thousands of Mexican-Americans, who call themselves Americans. I am sure many of these people are not American born citizens and this is why they are so proud to now be Americans and live in this country. I have never seen such enthusiasm, pride, tears, and joy all at once each and every time a firework was launched. There was so much shouting, laughing, dancing, and partying. I couldn't even tell you if it was a good fireworks display or not. I spent most of the evening people watching and listening to my Mexican friends tell me how lucky I am to be an American. I ended up enjoying being in El Paso for the 4th.

I learned on this 4th of July that it is truly awesome to be an American. It doesn't matter how you received your US citizenship; the important thing is that you have it.

2007-06-12T19:15:00.000-05:00

The Sopranos - Series Finale

I started watching The Sopranos from the beginning (I was always a week or so behind watching the episodes because I didn't have HBO. One of my US Steel co-workers at the time would tape it for me so I could watch it the next night. A few years later I finally got HBO). I was hooked right away; maybe because I have always been intrigued by 'The Mob' or 'Mafia'. I love watching those types of movies.

If you are a Sopranos fan, the series finale aired on Sunday night (and will air again and again if you missed it - do not read any further if you want to see the final episode - I don't want to ruin it for you!) and there are a lot of speculations to the ending. Here are my thoughts and what I believed happened:

He was killed....

In fact, the ending was great, if you've paid attention to the show or are just a fan of well developed, well thought out plots that all tie together, and if you have a great memory to remember it all. The ending was simple; he got killed, but let me tell you why I think this and explain in detail...

There were 3 people in the room who had a reason to kill Tony. The two black guys were paid before to kill Tony, but he was only shot in the ear (this was in one of the earlier seasons). The truck driver, who was sitting at the bar stool, was Nikki Leotardo, Phil Leotardo's nephew (he was in one of the early season episodes where Phil and Tony have a sit down).

When Tony walked in the diner, the camera focused on him, then it switched to his perspective, and you see him looking at the booth where he is going to sit down. The camera switched back to Tony's face, then it once again switched to his perspective. You then see Tony looking at the door and watching people come in to the diner.

Every time the door opens, chimes sound. Carmela walks in, chimes. AJ walks in, chimes. Then Meadow finally parks the car and starts running in to the diner. The door is about to open, Tony looks up and no chimes, no music, everything goes black (I thought my cable went out at first and I thought, "Great! Now I won't know how it ended!" Then the credits started rolling. What an awesome ending.)

In one of the early episodes of The Sopranos, Tony talks to Bobby about what it must feel like to die. Bobby said, "At the end, you probably don't hear anything. Everything just goes black." So in the end, the Journey song was playing, the chimes on the door sounded, but when Meadow came in to the diner, the guy in the trucker hat came out of the bathroom and killed Tony. The reason you didn't hear or see it happen is because it is from Tony's perspective...and everything went black.

The ending has received mixed reviews by the 11.9 million people who saw it. I will watch it again!

2007-06-10T16:56:00.000-05:00

Alex's Lemonade Stand

What an amazing story! http://www.alexslemonade.org/

Shortly before her first birthday, Alexandra "Alex" Scott was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a form a childhood cancer. At age 4, before one of her surgeries, she told her mother that she wanted to help her doctors raise money for other cancer children. And thus began the Lemonade Stand legacy. She and other children have raised over $1 million! What impresses me most is here is a 4 year old girl who hasn't been formerly educated, but was already smart enough to figure out a way to help others. We all can learn so much from her.

2007-06-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

San Juan Islands

During my visit with my brother's family, we spent a few days on the San Juan Islands. We took an hour ferry ride to Friday Harbor, WA on the San Juan Islands. Even though we arrived at the ferry dock 2 hours ahead of departure time, we were still put on standby for boarding the ferry. If we missed this ferry we would have to wait another 2 1/2 hours to catch the next one so we were very excited to board this ferry.

The San Juan Islands are located on the western coast of the United States in Puget Sound off the coast of WA. Victoria, BC is about 5 miles from the islands. The ferry ride was incredible as we viewed many islands and enormous homes while commenting on the beautiful blue color of the water. My pictures do not do it justice.

We visited the Whale Watch museum which was fascinating as I learned so much about the orca whales. The scientists are currently tracking 3 different pods and one of the females in the pod had a calf. We then were off to catch our boat to our whale watch tour. We saw lots of orca whales, including the calf and the oldest orca whale and she is 91 years old. Many came so close to our boat. It was amazing. A great trip!

Lighthouse at Lime Kiln Point State Park. This lighthouse is used for whale watching and whale research. We hoped to see some whales from here, but no such luck.

No whale sightings at Lime Kiln Point State Park, but I did see my first bald eagle! Amazing!

We spent about 4 hours on a whale watching tour. Saw lots of orca whales, which I wasn't expecting to see any. Trust me, there are 3 whales in this picture.

Spencer and Garrett waiting for the ferry boat to Friday Harbor.

Garrett on the ferry boat.

Spencer looking for whales on the ferry boat.

View of the islands from the ferry boat.

Friday Harbor, WA

2007-06-03T15:41:00.001-05:00

Some More Pictures
from my trip to Seattle

I was able to see 2 of Spencer's T-ball games. Here he is ready to knock it out of the park!

Spencer, the Catcher, ready for action!

Spencer and Garrett having fun playing on the slide.

Garrett, knocking the ball out of the park, literally!

Spencer playing with his new birthday gift (an automatic baseball tee). I am not sure who had more fun, Spencer, Garrett (below) or me (not pictured)!

2007-06-03T14:59:00.000-05:00

My Seattle Vacation

I spent a week with my brother and his family in the Pacific Northwest. I had been almost 2 years since I had visited them in Snoqualmie. I had a great time seeing everyone again and playing with Spencer and Garrett. Here are some pictures from my trip.

A clear day in Seattle allowed us to see the Olympic mountains.

A view of the downtown Seattle skyline from the Space Needle.

The famous fish throwing at Pike Place Fish Market. We enjoyed the biggest and best king crab legs I have ever had for dinner. And can't forget the world's best clam chowder and lobster bisque soups.

The Space Needle

A hard to see view of Mount Rainier (way in the background).

2007-06-02T14:32:00.000-05:00

A Year in Review

I can't believe it has already been 1 year since I left my beloved state of Michigan and moved to the south. I've made my home in the metro Nashville area which is a new experience for me to be so close to a major city. I love having the option of going to downtown Nashville to hang out with my new friends. And Nashville has a small town feeling with big city attractions. I really like the community I selected. It is a growing area with a new library, police station, community center, mall and train depot (the four corners near my subdivision recently replaced the 4-way stop signs with an actual traffic light). I also picked this area because it is a short commute to work and the airport. Housing values continue to rise in the Nashville area with all of the business growth with Nissan and Dell.

Work has taken up a lot of my time. I actually spent 119 days away from Nashville this past year traveling to my customers in Mexico. There are some definite changes that I am still getting used to with living in the south.

Life is a lot slower in the south. My driving habits have changed and I don't drive as fast anymore (I can't because I can't speed around the slow cars in front of me!).
Sports are a bit different down here. The majority of southerners are into college football and basketball (in that order) and not too many follow pro sports. And of course NASCAR ranks right up there.
No state income tax!
High sales tax 9.25% because there is no state income tax (keeps me from shopping!).
One of the best things about Middle Tennessee is the weather. It is sunny and warm most of the time.
Country music - still can't get into it!
Central Time Zone - only 1 hour difference from Eastern, but I still cannot get used to it. It seems I am always an hour late watching something on TV!
I have great neighbors who look out for each other.

For the most part, I am happy I chose to move to the south. I can't wait to see what's in store for me as I enter my second year in middle Tennessee.

2007-05-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

What a Storm!

I am once again on another business trip to Juarez, Mexico. The one nice thing about going to visit this particular customer is that I stay in El Paso, TX and cross the border to Juarez daily. I heard there would be storms in West Texas but I assumed storms are storms. Boy, was I wrong! It started with 65 mile per hour winds, then came the thunder and lightening. It was cool to see since it is desert and very warm so the storms are a bit different in the desert. The best part was the hail. Grape size hail fell from the sky and there was so much of it that it was hard to see through it. We watched the majority of the storm from the Concierge Lounge at the hotel then we went downstairs to gather up some hail pellets because we couldn't believe they were that big. The worst part was El Paso and Juarez then experienced flooding because the desert doesn't absorb water. In order to fully understand the magnitude of floods in Juarez is to drive there and try to dodge all of the pot holes (holes that would swallow a small child or car - no lie). When there is standing water you can't see the pot holes! What a thrill when you driving! Now I know why Hertz always gives me a dented up vehicle when I say I will be going to Mexico for the week.

2007-04-21T21:06:00.000-05:00

What A Great Day

to watch sports on TV. The Detroit Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons were all on TV today and they were on National TV so I got the rare opportunity to watch all 3 games. All 3 teams played well; both the Wings and Pistons won, but the Tigers lost in the 10th inning. I love this time of year because the NBA and NHL play-offs have started and both of my favorite teams are playing. And MLB has started which means summer is right around the corner (although I think it has already arrived in middle Tennessee because it has been in the mid 70s to low 80s already).

2007-04-18T08:27:00.000-05:00

Hindsight IS 20/20

So why doesn't the media stop badgering Va. Tech's President and the Chief of Police?? When you look back on any major tragedy you can always find something that could have been done better. We can learn from these situations, try to improve them or be better prepared for the next one, but for the media to exacerbate the situation does not help. I was impressed with 2 things yesterday while watching the media coverage; #1. A group of VT students were being interviewed by Stone Phillips and he asked, "Do you blame the University for their decision to wait 2 hours before notifying students of the first shooting?". One student responded, "None of us know what it is like to be a part of the VT Administration or to be the VT President. We have to support the decision they made with the information they had at the time. Why should we focus on what could have been done instead of what to do now?". #2. During the memorial service at VT when President Steger was announce to be the next speaker, a standing ovation broke out in the arena. What an impressive way for the VT community to show their support of their leader. And to finish the memorial service with chants of "Let's Go Hokies".

This was a tragedy and we all hope never happens again. My thoughts are with those families who lost a loved one.

2007-04-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

He Gone!

Kudos to the NFL for taking a stand on Pacman Jones' behavior and suspending him for the entire 2007 season. I am tired of hearing about him on the Nashville news everyday with his run-ins with the law.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6665234

2007-04-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

Easter Sunday

My parents and I had a nice Easter together. We had a delicious brunch at home with home made Eggs Benedict and Mom's special Hollandaise sauce. Mom had cooked a ham earlier in the week so we used this ham for our Eggs Benedict. We then watched the Pistons game which I don't get to see too many games because the Pistons aren't on TV very much in Nashville. I expect to see more games with the playoffs starting (Wings too). The weather turned cold in Nashville so it limited us on our outdoor activities. We did manage to go geocaching in the afternoon as it warmed up a bit and found some micro caches in the Hermitage/Mt. Juliet areas. I can see why so many people love this hobby.

2007-04-08T20:31:00.000-05:00

Chattanooga, TN

My parents and I took a day trip to Chattanooga, TN on Saturday. The City of Chattanooga spent $800+ million to renovate the city. It was voted one of the dirtiest cities in the US and now it is one of the cleanest. It is a very scenic city with lots to do. We even visited Georgia for a couple of minutes. I-24 takes you into Chattanooga, but there is a small stretch of highway that dips south and takes you into Georgia. We also were in Georgia during our drive to the top of Rock City. We enjoyed seeing Rock City, Ruby Falls, The Incline (2nd steepest in the US) and eating at Sticky Fingers.

The Incline on Rock City.

Ruby Falls entrance.

View of Chattanooga halfway up Rock City.

Mom and Dad at Ruby Falls.

2007-04-08T10:50:00.000-05:00

Some Home Projects

My parents have been here in Nashville for a couple of weeks and helped me do some projects around the house. Maybe a better way of putting it is 'My parents are here and DID some projects at my house'. They will be heading back to Michigan tomorrow because they finally got all their chores done! I bought some new furniture for my deck and they even had to put the deck furniture together! Mom and Dad are enjoying sitting on the deck after a hard day's work on the landscaping. Some of my trees in my landscaping had already died so we replaced with some other things and put in pavers. It is hard to see from the pictures all the work that was done. It really looks nice in person. They also fixed my new DVD player, hung pictures on the walls, and hung some window treatments. I sure will miss home cooked dinners on the table when I get home from work every night!

2007-04-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

Important Tax Reminder

Don't forget to pay your taxes...... 21 million illegal aliens are depending on you!

Muchas gracias!

2007-03-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

Busy 2007

It has been a busy 2007 for me so far and I have been in Mexico every week since January 8th. Several quality issues warranted my presence in Mexico. Ah, the life of a salesperson!

This week I am in town only to deal with fiscal year closing. What amazes me the most is we all know when closing is (it comes the same time every year) and it seems every year we are not ready for it! I even tried to push my various teams to get things done ahead of time so it would leave 3-4 days of dealing with "oh, I missed that" or "oh, I forgot about that". But instead everyone told me not to worry that all open issues would be resolved. So for 2 days straight I did not ask for a progress report, knowing this would irritate my team members. It did take us to the 11th hour on the eve of closing to put the finishing touches on our open issues, but as my team reminded me "we got it done!". And yes, it got done and did a pretty good job getting it done. I am not a last minute person because I know mistakes can happen so time is needed to correct those mistakes. Next year I plan to start working on fiscal year end at least 3 months earlier and I hope to convince my team to do so also. I want to sit back and enjoy "fiscal week" and watch everyone else panic!

2007-02-18T07:48:00.000-06:00

No. 1 Florida Still Speechless

The Vanderbilt Commodores stunned No. 1 Florida basketball team by upseting the Gators yesterday 80-73. Now, I know this wasn't for the National Championship, but here in Nashville the town is going crazy. Not only did unranked Vandy beat an SEC team, Florida was ranked No. 1 and was on a 17-game win streak. We all know the drill of top ranked teams; eventually someone is going to beat them and there is always a good chance it will be by a non-ranked opponent. Vandy is known for their academics so I am all for them getting some sports recognition from time to time. I prefer to hear about Vandy's upset win on the news stations over Pac-Man Jones' run-ins with the law anyday!

2007-01-29T06:42:00.000-06:00

Lapeer County, MI

made the local Juarez, Mexico news this morning. I am back in Mexico on business this week; last week I experienced snow and this morning Lapeer County, MI made the news. There was a terrible semi and multi car accident on 69 in Lapeer County due to snow and ice. And they reported more snow and ice to come in the Detroit area today. It was weird to hear Lapeer County and it was in Spanish to boot!

2007-01-23T07:50:00.000-06:00

Finally, I got to see SNOW!

And in Juarez, Mexico, of all places! I am on business in Juarez this week and last night Juarez and El Paso, Texas, got hit with a snow storm. Right now there is about 3-4 inches on the ground and it is still snowing. It is really pretty, but weird to look at the snow in a desert. Who thinks of snow when they are in a desert environment?!

2007-01-19T08:42:00.000-06:00

My Memphis Vacation

Why Memphis, you ask? Let me explain. For 2 months now I have been anticipating a vacation to San Antonio, Texas, with my good friend, Dana. Dana was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hotchkins Lymphoma back in August and went through several months of aggressive chemotherapy treatments. Her final round of chemo ended the third week of December so in November she decided she wanted to get away in January to 'celebrate' her final round of her first phase of chemo. Then after our vacation she could concentrate on what her next steps would be with her battle with cancer. Dana did find out in December that she is cancer free and she in now in remission! Her next steps in her treatments are still unknown, but this is great news. Back to my story...

We were looking forward to sunshine and shopping, and good eats and drinks. A terrible ice storm hit San Antonio the afternoon and night before we were to leave. Yes, an ice storm in Texas! And snow was to follow. We decided to go on the trip anyway. My travel plans were to take me from Nashville to Memphis to San Antonio; Dana's were from Flint to Atlanta to San Antonio. I left Nashville at 6:00am Wednesday morning and arrived in Memphis at 6:35am. By 7:00am I found out that they closed the San Antonio airport for the day or most of the day. OK, maybe not a big deal, I could get to San Antonio Thursday morning and just lose one day of being in San Antonio. And I knew Dana would be dealing with the same issue in Atlanta. The ticket agent then booked me on a flight for Thursday evening at 9:50pm on stand-by. STAND-BY?? So this means I wasn't even confirmed on the evening flight so I would have to stay in Memphis for 2 days, possibly 3, just to wait and see if I could get to San Antonio. I finally spoke with Dana and she had no idea what was happening with the flights in Atlanta. She was told that her flight would be delayed, but didn't know what time her flight would be that day. I finally decided I was going to head back to Nashville and cancel my trip to San Antonio since we were to leave San Antonio on Saturday anyway. So I was back on a plane by 9:30am and home by 10:30am! Dana finally made it to San Antonio late Wednesday night, but had to stay at a hotel for a couple of nights because her aunt was iced in at her home and couldn't get out to come to the airport to pick her up. I am sure this is not the vacation she was expecting either.

I guess I am not meant to take vacations! Back in November I had to go to NY to our Corporate Headquarters and a friend that I work with decided we should take a few extra days and live it up in NY City. Well, her husband had surgery and many complications so she had to cancel her trip which means my trip was cut short.

So if any of you ever get the opportunity to take a flight (no more than hour) and once you arrive at the airport take the next flight back to the city where you started, I would highly recommend it. What a thrill! I was very disappointed that I wouldn't be spending time with Dana, but I also didn't get to see Elvis while in Memphis!

2007-01-03T10:55:00.000-06:00

Week with the 'Rents'

My parents spent Christmas and New Years with me in the south and what a week it was. We spent several days shopping for new furniture for my new house and moving the furniture that I have to another area of the house, most went upstairs to create a new living area in my bonus room. I even moved the TV and stereo upstairs to the bonus room and this is now my favorite room in the house! Yesterday, my La-Z-Boy recliner was delivered and this completed the bonus room. The rest of the furniture should be arriving by the end of the month.

During our shopping sprees, we found time to do some geocaching. We found 12 in total (14 attempts) near my home and there are still numerous more to find. The weather was nice for several days so we wanted to spend time outside and this was a perfect way to soak up the sunshine, get some exercise, and see parts of my city that I didn't know existed.

I have always enjoyed driving around and looking at Christmas lights in neighborhoods and towns. So one night we ventured out to look at the Christmas lights in the Nashville area. I think we saw 3 homes with lights! Guess putting lights on houses or trees are not that popular in the south.

And for those of you who really know us Reagans know we love to play games (board, card, etc.). We played Blink and Mad Gab several nights and laughed our heads off. Boy, are my parents competitive! We even made it to the movie theater and saw We Are Marshall. Excellent film and true story about the tragedy of the Marshall University football team and what happened to the town of Huntington, West Virginia. A must see movie.

I have learned a southern New Year's tradition. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is a southern tradition which is observed by many southerners. It's a tradition to eat black-eyed peas and turnip greens on New Year's Day. The peas represent copper and the greens are dollars. Southerners say each pea you eat equals one dollar's worth of earning, and each portion of turnip greens equals $1,000. This is to bring good luck and prosperity. I think it will just help clean out the digestive system! I didn't partake in this tradition this year, but I may have to next year. Some things will just take time getting used to.

2006-12-25T21:03:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas

to all and to all a good night!

2006-12-15T10:52:00.000-06:00

Let the Sun Shine In

While my brother and his family are dealing with the storm of the century in the Pacific Northwest, the weather here in middle Tennesse is picture perfect. It is strange that in December I am enjoying warm weather and sunshine and not dealing with snow or cold weather. I think I will enjoy my first Christmas in the south even if there isn't any snow!

2006-12-10T06:14:00.000-06:00

Company Christmas Party

I had my company Christmas party on Friday night. The theme was Casino Night and it was a blast. My company gave everyone $15,000 to gamble (of course, not real money!). The object was to win as much money as you could because at the end of the night you cash in your chips to purchase raffle tickets from your winnings. For every $5,000 you get 1 raffle ticket so even if you are not a gambler you already get 3 raffle tickets. The big prizes were raffled off at the end of the night and there was no limit to how many prizes you can win. Plus every 20 minutes during the evening door prizes were given away and no gift was under $100! At the end of the night I won $111,000 playing Black Jack - total $126,000 worth of raffle tickets (25 tickets). Up until the raffle ticket drawing I hadn't won anything so I was hoping to win one of the big prizes at the end of the night. I ended up winning an iPod with some accessories! I was so excited to win something because I never do and I won something I can use. I like this company.

2006-11-30T18:33:00.000-06:00

Romeo Visit

I went back home to Romeo for Thanksgiving week. This was my first time being back home since I moved to Nashville 5 months ago. I didn't even get back home to pack up my condo!

I had a jam packed week, but it was fun. Although I already finished making all of my Christmas cards for this year, I needed some more. My Mom and some of her friends had already signed up to make some holiday cards so I joined them. We made some really nice cards and laughed a lot. I then spent several days visiting friends and shopping with Mom. A couple of my friends had babies since I had moved. Another friend was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is currently doing aggressive chemotherapy. It was so nice seeing her and spending a couple of days with her shopping, eating, playing PlayStation 2 and just laughing. We are planning a trip to San Antonio, Texas in January.

Thanksgiving Day was a bit different this year. My brother and his family went to Hawaii to watch their beloved Boilers take on the Warriors of the University of Hawaii. I, on the other hand, chose to go to a cold weather state and watch my Lions attempt to play football. The weather on Thanksgiving Day was beautiful (sunny and around 55 degrees) so Mom, Dad and I decided to go to America's Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Detroit and this year marked the 80th birthday of the parade. It is always so cold on Thanksgiving Day that we never go to the parade. We walked the parade route, stopping to view floats and bands. We also went to Campus Martius Park where the city erected the Christmas tree and what a beautiful tree it is. It came from the UP and is enormous. Then we headed to Ford Field. I chatted with our other season ticket friends and they filled me in on the season so far. The Lions started out hot on Thanksgiving Day, but then did nothing after the second quarter. By the fourth quarter the "Fire Millen" chants started and it wouldn't surprise me if the Lions fans held a second annual Fire Millen March. Although the Lions got beat and only showed up to play half a game, it is always a good time at Ford Field.

2006-11-23T21:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful that I only had to sit through 1 Lions' game this year! Even though the Lions decided not to show up and play a complete game on Thanksgiving Day, I still had a great time being back at Ford Field.

2006-11-18T19:10:00.000-06:00

The Big Apple

I spent a few days last week in New York City. Yes, I actually got to go somewhere else besides Mexico! My company's headquarters is located in Manhattan in the Met Life Building at Grand Central Station. I stayed at a nice, but of course overpriced hotel in Times Square. I did all of the tourist sightseeing of famous NYC sites. Ground Zero was one of my visits and it was humbling. And to see so many people from all over the world there paying their respects was amazing. And to top it off I was greeted by a mouse at La Guardia airport!

2006-11-03T07:01:00.000-06:00

WOW! It's Cold!

It was 28 degrees when I woke up this morning and it was chilly in my house. It took me a minute to reaelize where I was because it was so cold, I thought I was in Michigan! I should have turned on a little heat last night, but didn't realize it would be cold down here. I didn't expect it because it has been so nice here, plus I haven't watched the weather reports! The high today will be in the mid 50's, but we will be back in the mid 70's by Monday. At least the sun is still shining!

2006-10-14T19:10:00.000-05:00

WORLD SERIES BOUND! ROAR!!!
After sweeping the Oakland A's, the Tigers are heading to the World Series after a 22 year absence. And what a way for the Tigers to win the American League Championship with one of their famous walk-off homers. Way to go Maggs! I guess we should give the Yankees some credit; they did win one game against the Tigers!

And the question on everyone's mind in Detroit is "Who's Your Tiger?".

2006-10-07T17:46:00.000-05:00

WAY TO GO TIGERS!!!

The Yankees don't know what hit 'em! They're just lucky they didn't get swept! I miss being in Michigan and part of this excitement. Classy move by Leyland to let Bonderman try to finish pitching all nine innings. Detroit will be rocking tonight because "there ain't no party like a Detroit party because a Detroit party don't stop". Bring on Oakland!

2006-10-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

What is the definition of the Fall Season in the South?

So, here it is October 4th and it is 91 degrees in Nashville. I can't help but wonder when fall will begin down here and what it will be like. Starting next week the temperature will drop into the low to mid 80's. Fall is my favorite season, but I don't think it will compare in color or weather to Michigan's fall season. I am not complaining that it is still beautiful weather here, but I need to get used to the idea that fall and winter will be so different for me. I have been ready to pull out my sweaters and sweatshirts for a month now!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!

2006-09-29T07:05:00.000-05:00

Cheesecake Factory

I broke tradition last night and left work at a reasonable hour to have dinner with some new friends I have made in Nashville. A group of 15 of us went to the Cheesecake Factory in Green Hills to celebrate one of our friend's birthday. This is the only Cheesecake Factory in Tennessee so it's always busy. The usual wait is between 45 minutes to 2 hours. What most people do is put in their name in as soon as they arrive to the restaurant, then they go shop at the mall or see a movie and when they arrive back to the restaurant, their table is ready. Some have really mastered the timing! It is definitely worth the wait. The owners are originally from Detroit, Michigan, and they owned a cheesecake shop there as well as catered to many upscale Detroit restaurants http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/aboutus.htm. I have eaten there 4 times now and have always had a great meal. This is a must when parents come down for their next visit.

2006-09-25T07:22:00.000-05:00

Fun Weekend in Nashville

After being in Mexico for a week on business, it was nice to come home and spend some of the weekend with my sister-in-law. Amy was in Nashville for a MOPS convention and we were able to get together for dinner on Friday night and hang out all day Sunday. We had a nice dinner at the Old Hickory Steakhouse which is located in the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Sunday was fun showing her my new condo and some sights in Hermitage as well as Nashville. The next time she visits we will have more time to do more sightseeing.

2006-09-11T06:38:00.000-05:00

A Day of Remembrance

Never forget...

2006-09-10T16:12:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Detroit Shock!

2nd Championship in 4 years! It is fun to watch Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn get so excited about the their team. Way to go ladies!

2006-09-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

Detroit Lions Assistant Coach arrested for nude, drunken driving

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/SPORTS01/609070331/1048/SPORTS

2006-09-07T07:16:00.000-05:00

Labor Day Weekend

I had a nice Labor Day Weekend. My parents were in town for the week and we had excellent weather. We went to Miss Marple's Dinner Theatre Saturday night and "enjoyed a hilarious murder mystery and live music while feasting on a gourmet dinner". We spent a lot of time putting some finishing touches on my new house. We hung a lot of pictures and window treatments, put together shelving units, did some touch-up painting, planted flowers, etc. My new house is really looking like a hime now. I sure will miss my maid and handy man!

2006-08-18T18:27:00.000-05:00

Nashville Sounds Game

Went to my first sporting event in Nashville. My company bought tickets for all employees and their family to attend the Nashville Sounds game. The Sounds are a Minor League Baseball Class AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They won the Pacific Coast League last year and are currently in first place with a 5 game lead over Iowa. The Sounds beat the New Orleans Zephyrs 6-1. And to top it off, it was 'free loaf of bread' night!

2006-08-18T18:03:00.000-05:00

Getting to Know Nashville

Haven't been able to spend a lot of time in downtown Nashville yet. I continue to travel quite a bit with my new job so it doesn't leave me a lot of time to be in town. I did get a chance to get downtown for a couple of nights last week when some Mexicans from our warehouse came for a visit. We went and line danced at the Wildhorse Saloon and ate fried pickles (a southern favorite and now mine!). Then it was off to Tootsie's, which is the famous bar where the country singers hang out, but we didn't see anyone famous. Then it was off to Coyote Ugly because the Mexicans had never been and wanted to go to a famous place they knew. All in all, it was a good time.

My Corporate Buyer for another account I manage came into Nashville this past week. My entire department went to dinner one night then it was off to play Laser Tag in downtown Nashville. What a blast! It was about 110 degrees in this place plus we had to wear special clothing which did not help the heat situation. We played 2 games and I came in 2nd in the first game and 3rd in the second game. You actually get a printout scorecard that tells you your percentage of hits versus attempted shots then it compares it to everyone else. I should have practiced shooting guns more at my Uncle Kelvin's house when I had the chance!

2006-07-25T08:05:00.000-05:00

I am officially a Tennessean!

And of course with some bumps along the way. Original TN condo closing date was set for July 24 at 9:00am. The fun started the week of July 17 and I was in Mexico on business most of the week. When I got back to Nashville on Thursday night, I got a phone call from the movers that they would be a little late picking up my belongings in Michigan on Friday. No biggie, just a quick phone call to my parents to let them know. Then the movers told me they will be dropping off my belongings in Tennessee Sunday morning. Sunday morning?!?! I don't even close until Monday morning. So I called the builder and begged him to let me move my stuff in early and he finally agreed.

Once I got back into the office on that Friday, I had received several phone calls and emails from the closing attorney that they were missing some information from my lender. Not a big deal in my mind because the lender had all day Friday to submit their information and I could still close on Monday morning. I finally got in touch with the lender Friday mid-morning and they were working on sending their information. Great, so I thought at the time. Lunchtime rolls around and still no word from my lender. I then left several messages with the lender and no one returned my call so I am under the assumption they are taking care of it. At 5:05pm on Friday night I received a call from the closing attorney and they still do not have the lender information. And to top it off, the information they did receive was incorrect so that also needed to be corrected prior to closing. Of course, I cannot get ahold of anyone at the bank because it is after 5pm on a Friday. So I had to move back my closing back to 2pm Monday and hope the lender sends their information to the closing attorney first thing Monday morning.

Saturday is final walk-through day. There are still some things that need to be fixed, but for the most part all is fine with the condo. The builder gave me keys and a garage door opener. The only problem was the builder hired a cleaning company to come clean the place before I moved in, but that didn't happen so I spent Saturday night cleaning.

Sunday morning at 9am the movers were to arrive. I finally got a phone call around 10:30am stating they won't arrive until 4pm that afternoon. Around 5:30pm the movers finally showed up. YEAH! Not so fast! They cannot get the semi on my street because there is a low hanging electrical wire. What to do, what to do. Met a lot of my neighbors because I went door to door asking to borrow a pick-up truck from them or someone they knew. No such luck. So we decided we had to rent a small truck on Monday morning and transload my belongings from the semi to the smaller truck to deliver. We decided to meet up again on Monday morning at 9am. Good thing the closing was moved to 2pm!

Monday morning I waited for the movers to call and finally they did at 10:30am. Now they have to pack the smaller truck, get to my condo, and unpack all before 12:45pm so I can leave and go to closing. They arrived at my condo just before noon with only half of my stuff. I asked them (or should I say the one mover. There were 2 movers, but only the younger kid came with this load to move my stuff.) to unload this first load and we would meet up again around 4pm to finish the move. When I got back from the closing they were actually on time and had the remainder of my things. By the time they finished I was too tired and stressed to even unpack one box. Now I just have a big mess to clean up and unpack. I am happy to see all of my stuff again!

I closed on my Michigan condo July 24 also (actually my parents did). Now I am done with Michigan and it is onto Tennessee. Can't wait for the weekend!

2006-07-17T07:15:00.000-05:00

My Stuff is All Packed

Thanks to my parents my condo is all packed and ready for the movers later this week. Both of my closings are on July 24 so my parents will be at the Michigan closing and I will be at the Tennessee closing. The movers will arrive down here the week of July 24 (I am hoping for the 25th). Then the fun begins with unpacking about 95 boxes! I am actually looking forward to getting my stuff down here because it will give me something to do. Another busy month ahead of me with lots of travel to Mexico as well.

2006-07-05T07:43:00.000-05:00

I Bought a Condo

July will be a busy month for me. I bought a brand new condo which is nice because nothing has to be done to it and no one has lived in it. I will be closing on it July 24 and I will also be closing on my Michigan condo July 24. I have already hired a moving company and Mom and Dad will work on packing my place once they get back from Nashville. Some things have and are going to the Salvation Army which will make my life easier when unpacking. No sense moving stuff I don't want anymore. Plus I will be heading back to Mexico for a week so that doesn't leave me too much time this month to get things done. I am already looking forward to August!

2006-07-05T06:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday America

I had a busy July 4th weekend. My parents are in town so we did a lot of Nashville sight seeing. First on the list was to visit J. Percy Priest Lake which is about 1 mile from where I live. It is a large lake with a dam, picnic area, water park, beach and recreation area. It is a popular spot for fishing, boating and swimming because there aren't many lakes in Tennessee.

Next on the agenda was to do a walk-through at my new condo I just purchased. It is brand new construction so I had to do a punch list prior to closing. No better time than when my parents are in town! It is a really nice place with lots of upgrades and quality touches. We then hit a local BBQ restaurant called Famous Dave's and it was excellent. Mom and Dad finally got to have the famous southern sweet tea.

The next day, July 3, we went to visit President (General) Andrew Jackson's mansion and plantation, The Hermitage, hence the name of the town I live in. It was a perfect day to go because they had lots of patriotic things to see (artillery shooting demonstrations, soldier quarters set-up, cannon shooting). It took you back to the war of 1812 and everyone was dressed in old clothing from that era. It was a very hot day, around 98 degrees, but these people didn't miss a beat or seem to notice the weather, despite wearing wool! And of course the mansion was impressive as well as the plantation with the slaves quarters and Mr. & Mrs. Jackson's tombs. After being out in the heat for several hours, we went back to my place to rest before hitting Opry Mills. They tore down the Opryland Amusement Park a few years ago and built a large mall called Opry Mills. It is quite nice with lots of name brand stores. On our drive back home from the mall, we saw fireworks at J. Percy Priest Lake.

July 4th is a busy day in Nashville because they have a free country music concert then a huge fireworks show after. Ronnie Milsap was the guest this year. People start showing up at the Cumberland River downtown around 9am and stay all day waiting for the concert that doesn't start until 7pm. Fireworks are at 8:45pm. It was another hot day around 95 degrees and we didn't want to sit downtown all day in the heat so we made our way to the west side of Nashville to a neighborhood called Belle Meade, which is the richest area in Tennessee. We visited the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art www.cheekwood.org which was built and owned by the Maxwell House Coffee family. The mansion, which is now the Museum of Art, is 30,000 sq. ft. and the gardens make up 55 acres. We took a lunch break half way through our garden walk and ate at the Pineapple Room, which is a restaurant right on the grounds. Even though it was hot, it was nice to be outside and strolling through the impressive gardens. We once again headed back to my place to cool off and relax before heading out for dinner. We ended up eating at the Aquarium restaurant. It is an indoor aquarium filled with sharks, sting rays, and many other kinds of fish. It was awesome and the food was awesome, too! On our way back to my place for the night, we saw lots of fireworks. Once we got home, we watched the Nashville fireworks on TV. The Nashville Symphony Orchestra plays while the fireworks show is going on. It was well done.

I am now back to work while my parents are off to see more Nashville sights (Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, etc.). Maybe they will even be able to make it down to Memphis to visit Elvis. We are possibly going to the Vince Gill concert Thursday night. Having a great time with my parents!

2006-06-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

Southern Women

I received the below from a co-worker. Little does she know that I am all about 'football' religion. She doesn't know that my church is Ford Field on Sundays!

Southern women appreciate their natural assets:
Soft skin
An easy smile
That unforgettable Southern drawl

Southern women know their manners:
"Yes,ma'am."
"Yes, sir."
"Don't you DARE...Billy!"

Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions:
"Y'all come back, soon!"
"Well, bless your heart."
"Call when you can."
"Can I get you a glass of tea?"

Southern women know their summer weather report:
Humidity
Humidity
Humidity

Southern women know their vacation spots:
The beach
Shopping
Shopping at the beach

Southern women know the joys of June, July, and August:
Summer tans
Strapless sun dresses
Air conditioning

Southern women know everybody's first name:
Honey
Darlin'
Shugah

Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts:
Fried Green Tomatoes
Driving Miss Daisy
Steel Magnolias
Gone With The Wind

Southern women know their religions:
Baptist
Methodist
Football

Southern women know their country breakfasts:
Red-eye gravy & Country ham
Grits
Mouth-watering biscuits with momma's homemade jelly

Southern women know their cities dripping with Southern charm:
Charleston (Chawl'stn)
Savannah (S'vanah)
New Orleans (N'orlins)
Atlanta (Addlanna)

Southern women know their elegant gentlemen:
Men in uniform or tuxedos
Men who open doors for women
Rhett Butler, of course!

Southern girls know their prime real estate:
The Mall
The Country Club
The Beauty Salon

Southern girls know the four deadly sins:
Having bad hair and nails
Having bad manners
Cooking bad food
Wearing too much makeup

Southern girls know, men may come and go, but their girlfriends last
fahevah!

If you're a Northern transplant, Bless your heart, just fake
it. We know you got here as fast as you could.....!

2006-06-26T07:43:00.000-05:00

I Sold My Condo!

And it only took 30 days! I actually received a couple offers late in the week last week; one was an insult (rejected it right away) and the other offer I rejected after many conversations with my parents. This potential buyer did come back and made me a more reasonable offer so I finally accepted it. I am glad to have sold it sooner than later and I am happy with the offer. I close July 24. Now I am working on getting movers.

I went condo shopping on Saturday and I did find one I love. It is brand new and ready for immediate occupancy. My agent down here is working on the details of an offer this week so I hope to have everything finalized by the end of the week. Now I will have to coordinate the 2 closings. I owe a lot of thanks to my parents for all of their help in Romeo and now in Nashville. I couldn't do all of this without them. It doesn't look like I will be traveling all that much the next 2 weeks so that should help.

2006-06-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

Condo Update

I finally had some activity on my condo last week. I had one showing on Thursday night and 2 on Saturday. I heard feedback from 2 of the 3 potential buyers and they loved my place and was move in ready. At least it is showing well. Now all I need is an offer. I possibly could get one at the end of this week which would be great. I am going to have to pay my parents commission for all of their trips over to my condo to turn on the air, open the blinds, do some light cleaning, all before a showing, then they go back over after the showings to turn off the air, close the blinds, make sure all doors and windows are locked, etc. I think they feel they have 3 homes now! Looks like my agent will be hosting an open house this Sunday so maybe more activity will help me sell it faster. I am working with an agent in Nashville right now to find me something in the next couple of months. Homes are different down here. Most of them do not have basements and most condos do not have garages. But I know I will find something that will fit my needs.

2006-06-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

Mexico Business Trip

I went on my first Mexico business trip with my new company last week. I traveled with 2 other people which was nice since I am used to traveling alone. All in all, good meetings, but lots of work to be done and I guess that is why they hired me! I had dinner with some of my Mexican friends from my USS days and had lots of laughs (and lots of margaritas!). It was good to see familiar faces again.

I moved into my apartment last Monday or should I say 'an' apartment. The apartment that I am renting was not ready for me to move into so I had to move into another one for the week. I got home from Mexico Friday afternoon and had to move into my original apartment that night. There is something to be said for not moving twice and I didn't even had to move furniture! It was still an inconvenience, but now I figured out relocating is not easy. The best part was the Tiger game was on TV. They played the Cubs and I get WGN so at least that kept my mind off of the move. Actually got to watch the Tigers all weekend put it to the Cubs. At least the announcers were having fun. At one point the announcer said, "The umpires are really having some difficulty rounding up some extra baseballs. They should have placed an extra order Friday night." The Tigers were just crushing the homeruns. At this point the Tigers are STILL in first place. GO TIGERS!

2006-06-19T08:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

This was the first year I didn't get to spend Father's Day with my Dad. Although it was different and probably peaceful for my Dad, I am thankful that I still have my Dad to call on Father's Day.

2006-06-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

First Week of Work

I made it through my first week of work without any difficulties. I traveled to Louisville one day and Decatur, Alabama, another day. It was nice seeing different parts of the USA that I don't normally get to see. Plus I traveled with 3 other people from my company which was nice because most of the time I travel alone.

I went and opened a bank account today which took a lot of time. I went to about 5 different banks before deciding on one. I never had to do this before because I have always used the account my parents set-up for me when I was little and it has served me well all these years. I also got pre-approved for a mortgage (another one!) so I am ready to buy something down here right away. Our VP's mom is a real estate agent and she is currently working on finding me a house. She has been in the Nashville area for over 30 years so she is able to point me in the right direction as to where to buy. I need to find something within the next 90 days so I can move in once my apartment lease is up. I am not going to wait for my house in Michigan to sell because there is no telling when that will be. Kind of disappointed that I haven't had much activity on it yet.

At least I am providing these southerners with free entertainment because no matter what I say or how I say it, it is hilarious to them. They really get a kick out of the word "pop". And every time I say it they cannot stop laughing! They refer to "pop" down here as coke. And if you want a Sprite, you order a white coke. Tennessee is known for their sweet tea so that is the drink of choice. I guess I will have to order a sweet tea instead of a pop next time and they will flip out! Very different than the north!

It was hot here yesterday (91) and again today (95), but it is a heat that can be tolerated. I haven't experienced the humidity that we get in Michigan, but it is hot! Guess they don't get a lot of humidity, but at the end of July and beginning of August, it will be humid a few days. In due time, I will be able to compare.

I move into my apartment on Monday evening and it will be nice to get out of a hotel. Then I am off to Mexico the rest of the week to visit my customers. Looking forward to this trip because I will see a lot of the same people I have dealt with in the past.

2006-06-02T19:46:00.000-05:00

I'm in Nashville!

I arrived in Nashville this afternoon after a 9 hour drive. Pretty easy drive, but it did rain the whole way. Staying in a nice hotel. My room has a kitchen, office area, small living room with couch, chair and ottoman, king size bed and large bathroom. Plus I have a lot of amenities like a 24 hour fitness center, laundry room, pool, dining room and store. I think I can survive for 10 days!

I will need to get used to the 1 hour time difference. Doesn't seem like much just being one hour behind Detroit, but the news is on at 4pm and 9pm so that is different. Sports are on an hour earlier which is nice (GO PISTONS). It gets darker one hour earlier (8pm), but the sun rises an hour earlier.

I am looking forward to starting work on Monday. I will be busy my first week getting to know the company and our customers then I am off to Mexico the following week. Nothing like jumping right in!

2006-06-01T10:05:00.000-05:00

Last Day in Michigan

This is my last day in Michigan as I will be heading to Nashville bright and early tomorrow morning. Just doing some last minute cleaning and packing today and wrapping up some loose ends. Looking forward to starting my new job and getting to know Nashville. My parents bought me a great book on Nashville and it sure will come in handy once I get there.

Thanks to all of my friends who met me for lunch and dinner these past couple of weeks. I really enjoyed all of the laughs!

GO PISTONS! GO TIGERS!

2006-05-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

Tigers 8-Game Win Streak Comes to an End...

and we were there to witness it! Must be that Mom, Dad and I are not good luck for the Tigers or maybe they are not used to playing in front of 37,000+ fans yet. We decided not to go to Saturday's game because the Pistons were on at the same time so we ended up buying tickets Saturday night for Sunday's game. It was fun to be at the game; the ballpark was packed and the temp was 89 degrees. Tigers are still in first place ahead of James and Amy's White Sox! Best part was the free hat!

2006-05-26T11:24:00.000-05:00

GRROWL!! How 'bout those Tigers!

They have the best record in baseball and they are 1.5 games ahead of the White Sox. I don't know if their winning streak will continue, but it is exciting to see these young guys doing well. They have their work cut out for them the next 10 days hosting the Indians, Yankees and Red Sox. Mom, Dad and I might go to the game tomorrow depending on the weather. Just hope we can get tickets! Who could have imagined that in May the Wings would be out of the playoffs and the Tigers would be the best team in baseball. GO TIGERS!

2006-05-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

One Week and Counting

until I am officially a southerner!

2006-05-23T06:33:00.000-05:00

Weekend at the Lake

I spent this past weekend at the lake with my parents. I always look forward to relaxing and getting away from the 'city' for a while. And you think you have plans or a schedule when you are there, but that always changes so you have to just go with the flow. Glad Mom told me to grab a coat before we left because it was cold up north!

Friday night was Game 6 of the Pistons/Cavaliers series and the Pistons were down 3-2. Mom and Dad don't have cable at the house so we had to go to the local bar to see the game. Of course, we run into Mom's cousin, Sam, and they invite us over to their new house to watch the second half. We had a great time telling family stories, laughing and watching the Pistons pull out a close one to come back home for Game 7.

Saturday was Lee and Carrie's wedding. Carter was sick so we watched him all morning and some of the afternoon so Lee and Carrie could finish some of their wedding activities. Mom and I had to finish the candelabra at the church around noon so we left Dad in charge of Carter. Carter was feeling a lot better at this point and we were happy he would be able to make it to the wedding. The weather cooperated and the sun was shining most of the day. It was a nice wedding and always fun to sit and laugh with family.

Sunday was Game 7 in the Pistons/Cavs series so we wanted to head back home so we could see the game that afternoon, plus it was soooo cold! Couldn't get on the lake because it was too cold. The whole weekend we had the fire going and electric heat on and it was still chilly!

But no matter what the weather is at the lake, it is always great to be there. And this was my last time for a long time.

2006-05-17T19:29:00.000-05:00

Location, Location, Location

I put my condo on the market today. I am hoping it sells sooner than later, but the way the housing market is right now in Michigan it is hard to say what is going to happen. I told my neighbors I was leaving and selling the condo and they were completely surprised since I just moved in a few months ago. I hope to find neighbors and a home comparable to what I will be leaving behind.

2006-05-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

I Won't Be Homeless...

I finally found a temporary apartment to stay at in Nashville. It was harder than I thought it would be to locate housing. First of all, I was having difficulty finding something fully furnished and available in 3 weeks. The next issue was the price. Many of the places I contacted were really high in price per month. And lastly, I only want to live in the apartment a few months until I buy a house and a lot of places wanted a longer stay agreement. But I finally found something that will work and the complex is really nice. I will have to stay in a hotel for about 10 days until the apartment is ready for me to move in, but now I know what to pack. Just one more thing to check off my 'TO DO' list.

2006-05-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

Goodbye Michigan...

After calling Michigan home for my entire life, I will be relocating to Nashville, Tennessee at the beginning of June. I've accepted a position at Mitsui Steel as a Senior Marketing Manager and will be traveling extensively to Mexico. I am really looking forward to this new transition in my life; new job, new state, new house, but of course there are some things I will definitely miss:

Family
Friends
Romeo Peach Festival
Achatz Michigan 4 Berry Pie
Sundays at Ford Field
Emerald Lake
Card Club
Snow
Scrapbooking with Friends

If anyone gets the itch to getaway, mi casa es su casa! Come on down!