Catching up - Sep 2009 to June 2010

Well, I know that I’ve been remiss in not making blog entries these past months… things have been very busy, culminating in Kim and I getting married May 22nd in South Carolina. So, I’ll give a quick summary update up to the wedding, then another about the wedding itself.

I’m happy to say that business has been improving slowly but steadily over the past 6-9 months. In January my employer returned us to full hours/pay, and things appear sustainable thus far.

With more confidence in job security, and with the price and tax incentives going on last year, I made some purchases that were timely or that I’d been putting off for a while.

Late last year Harley-Davidson announced that they were stopping production of the Buell motorcycle brand. Buell makes sport bikes, and though they had finally produced a world class American sport bike to compete with the Japanese and Italian companies they weren’t turning a profit, or at least enough of a profit to keep making them in light of the economy.

Rather than using Harley engines, which are too heavy for a sport bike, 4 years ago Buell went to Rotax to build a new, lighter, V twin engine. The Austrian company has built motorcycle engines for Aprilia and BMW. The resulting Buell 1125R placed well in racing competition and the reviews of the street version were good.

When the announcement was made, they held a fire sale. Harley will assume parts and warranty responsibilities, and the bikes went on sale for less than half the original price… you guessed it… had to have one. So, I bought a new Buell 1125R. I figure I can enjoy it for a couple of years and even if I resell it down the road I won’t be out too much.

In November we (Rockwell Automation) had our annual Automation Fair in Anaheim, CA. Overall attendance was slightly down, but better than expected for the economy. We even increased out Safety Automation Forum conference attendance by 16%. Automation Fair is a huge time investment, months in preparation, and we were glad to see it come off so well.

December included Marnnie and Travis coming up for Christmas, though it took them much longer to make the journey than expected. They got caught in the big snowstorm en route from South Carolina and wound up stopping in North Carolina for one night due to Interstate closings, and very nearly stayed the night in the car, stuck on the Interstate in West Virginia. Kim’s son Brenden came up from Southern Ohio and we all had a fun Christmas. We had a Christmas project installing a new HiDef TV I bought on discount.

Traditionally, the Ludwig family has a get-together over Christmas at my sister’s place in Toledo. Her location makes it convenient. Unfortunately, my Brother-in-law had some medical issues that delayed the larger gathering until mid-January. I’m happy to report that Paul is doing very well.

Another purchase, the largest one, was made the last day of December to take advantage of the Federal tax write-off which expired January 1. The 2005 Ford Escape I’d been driving had 105,000 miles, and though it was a great vehicle that I’d recommend to anyone looking, I traded it in on a new F150.

Living in Cleveland I wanted to stay with a 4WD, and I’ve found myself with some regularity wanting to pull or haul something that was beyond the Escape’s capabilities. So far, I’ve enjoyed the convenience, space, and functionality of the F150. In retrospect I might have gone with the shorter bed to improve maneuverability, and I miss the back-up beeper I had on the Escape, particularly with the length of the truck in parking maneuvers. But as I said, pretty happy with it so far.

Winter started early and, fortunately, ended early this year. From early December through April we had plenty of snow, and then in April we pretty quickly moved to 80 degree temps. Living where we do, we usually have lots of deer traffic through the yard, and this year was no exception.

In April I took the traditional spring trip to Talladega for the NASCAR races. This year was the 25th annual trek, and two of us – Bob Ulmer and myself – were planning to marry in the coming months, so beyond the usually debauchery, this trip included a trip into Birmingham for a little bachelor party. We had some nasty weather on Saturday with tornadoes and T-storms moving through the Southeast. We rode out the storms and then enjoyed the sunshine when it came out. The ditch that runs next to our campsite usually only has an inch or so of water in it, but after the rains it was flowing pretty high. Our fellow campers, fueled by alcohol consumed as they rode out the storm, chose to enjoy riding the “rapids” on air mattresses… I wished for one myself!

Around this time I also took a trip to Chicago for work, and had the opportunity to have dinner with Brian and Tomi, which I enjoyed as always.

This brings us basically up to speed… and to where I can make an entry on the wedding once we get all the pictures back.

Old Friends Visit and other musings...

Well, much has been happening around here over the past few weeks, so I've been a bit remiss in keeping up with this blog.

In early August, my oldest Navy bud, Brian Ransom and his lovely wife Tomi let us know that as part of their 25th anniversary celebration they would be visiting Mystic, CT, where they first met, and on the return trip they’d be coming through the area. They arrived the 13th, departing the morning of the 15th. This worked out perfect for my schedule, since I was leaving the afternoon of the 15th for Minneapolis.

Brian and Tomi arrived in the early evening, and despite not having seen them face to face in several years we picked right up as if no time had passed. It actually surprised us how we’d both migrated toward many of the same interests, like wine for example. So, of course, we broke open some special bottles… a personal favorite Italian Barolo, and a 1985 Diamond Creek Cab… and lit up a couple of Cuban cigars to celebrate their anniversary.

It was the first time they’d met Kim, and between the wine, Tomi’s trademark smart-ass wit and catching up we had a wonderful evening.

Friday night I’d taken the liberty of scheduling the entertainment. Back in 1982, Brian and I attended a Blue Oyster Cult concert in Hampton Roads, VA. Of course, those were the days when BOC filled arenas, with music featured in the movie “Heavy Metal,” and hits like Don’t Fear the Reaper, Burnin’ for You and Godzilla were on the radio. So, when I saw that BOC was playing at the Cleveland House of Blues, I had to get tickets.

The concert was fun. BOC put on a good show and the audience was an intriguing mix of attendees from those of us that remembered their heyday, to people that likely weren’t even born when BOC played in Hampton Roads.

All in all, we loved Brian and Tomi's visit and it reminded us why old friends, are old friends.

After they left, I packed and headed to Minneapolis. We’d scheduled some media calls and planning with our PR firm there that Monday and Tuesday, so I scheduled to fly in Saturday to visit my little sister Brenda and her family, who live there.

As I got acquainted with their new puppy, who didn’t know quite what to make of this stranger in her house, Brenda and I got caught up a bit. The girls weren’t yet home from camp, so we enjoyed a little quiet time.

Sunday, the girls got home and Mike (brother-in-law) grilled out. We had a terrific meal and caught up with the girl’s activities a bit. I had a little work to do in preparation for the media calls, but we had a nice visit.

The media calls went well. Monday evening was mostly dinner with our PR firm reps and preparation to return. Tuesday we finished up the planning sessions and I flew home. It’s always nice to get to see Brenda, Mike and the girls.

Next, Kim had seen a wedding dress that really caught her eye, but the only place it could be found within driving distance was in Columbus. At the same time, I’ve been looking at motorcycle helmets in preparation for the bike trip, and needed to go to a shop in Columbus called Iron Pony to try some on. Basically we both had some fittings we needed to do in Columbus.

Of course, while in that part of the state we couldn’t not stop by to see Kim’s Mom, and find out how she was doing with her rehab from a recent fall, and to see her new front porch.

The fittings went well. After trying on several dresses, Kim wound up buying the dress she originally liked and, I’m told by those permitted to see, it looks perfect for her. For my part, I tried on several helmets from different manufacturers, settling on an Arai helmet that, I’m told, is perfect for me.

The visit with Kim’s Mom was fun. It was nice to see her doing well. We went to lunch and enjoyed the afternoon on her porch. As Kim reviewed her dress selections, showing pictures to her Mom, I modeled my new rain suit, to make sure it doesn’t make my butt look fat since apparently that was a big thing with the wedding dresses, but something I hadn’t previously thought of when selecting my rain suit.

Over Labor Day weekend, we made our traditional trek to the Van Wert County Fair to meet up with my Mom, sister Karen and brother-in-law Paul, niece Sarah, and her kids Zach and Harmony. While we walked around enjoying french fries with vinegar, ice cream and funnel cakes, the kids picked rides. Apparently there were mixed reviews for the deep fried Oreos, with Paul enjoying them but Karen not-so-much.

I had intended to leave on the Motorcycle Trip this Thursday, but a couple of the guys had some scheduling issues so it looks like we’ll postpone the trip until October. I’m hoping it doesn’t get delayed again, since it’s something I’m really looking forward to and if it gets pushed again it will be getting into cold weather.

The plan is to meet in Indianapolis (coming in from Cleveland, Milwaukee and St. Louis) and ride through Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky to Mammoth Cave, then back. It’s pretty scenery in that region.

Before then, however, is the annual boat trip to Dale Hollow the first weekend of October. Always a nice trip.

Lots of trip planning going on...

Well, these past few weeks have been pretty busy… getting back into the swing of things. I’m pretty busy planning a travel schedule for these next few months, with Kim busy planning our wedding in May.

My nephew Ryan is coming in tomorrow with his lovely wife Sarah, and along with Kim’s son Brenden and me heading down to enjoy the annual Hall of Fame football game in Canton. The game not only kicks off the NFL season (yessss!!!!!!!!!!!!) but is played in what is normally a high school stadium, making it a more intimate setting than normal NFL games. The close contact with the players makes you realize how impossibly huge they are, and how physically gifted you have to be to play on that field.

This coming week, my oldest of Navy buds, Brian Ransom, is coming through town with Tomi, his wife, and will spend Friday with us catching up and whatever else we care to do. They’ll leave Saturday morning, and that afternoon I’ll be taking off to Minneapolis on business.

I’m going into Minneapolis on Saturday to spend some time with my sister Brenda and her family, then meeting with our PR firm Monday and Tuesday, coming back that evening.

There are a few other trips coming as well, including a trip over to Van Wert (home town) for the county fair and visits with family over Labor Day, the motorcycle trip in mid-Sep, and the annual boat trip with the guys to Dale Hollow, TN in October.

The motorcycle trip is shaping up differently than was originally proposed. It now looks like we’ll all meet up in Indianapolis (coming in from Cleveland, Milwaukee and St. Louis) and spend a few days riding Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. I'm really looking forward to this one!

The October Dale Hollow trip started out years ago as a business planning trip when our Indianapolis and Cincinnati offices were in a single Rockwell Automation district. Over time the offices have been organized into different Districts, and many of us work in different places (like me in Cleveland) or in different companies, but we (usually 7-10 of us) still get together for 4 days of boating, tubing, poker, smoking cigars, drinking, and blowing stuff up.

Kim’s been actively researching wedding venues and services. It seems that we’ve settled on the afternoon of May 22, outdoors at a South Carolina plantation (Middleton Place). As has been the plan all along, Brenden will walk her down the “aisle,” with Marnnie serving as Maid of Honor and Travis as Best Man. Following the wedding, we’ll take some pictures there, then go to Charleston for more photos, probably including the Harley, and dinner at Tristan’s, one of our favorites. We’ll then head back to the beach house and kick back, enjoying a few days relaxation. Simple… I think.

Top 10 Vacation Memories

Well, we made it home safe and sound, and we’re getting back into the groove after a wonderful vacation. Kim and I spent a couple of days unpacking and part of the weekend catching up on mail and bills (fun fun fun).

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve had a rare opportunity to see things that many never have the opportunity to see, and for that we feel blessed. We got to visit wonderful sights, both natural and man made, and we got to visit, face-to-face. with my daughter and son-in-law.

We’ve compared notes, and while we each could list many more memorable things, we made a “Top 10” vacation memories list…

10.

Kim’s waiter/“boyfriend” at Café du Pont Neuf playing the campy role of the stereotypical flirty Frenchman.

9.

The hike to Glenveagh Castle, and the castle gardens. Listening to Marnnie and Travis tell us about their previous times there. Enjoying sharing a little part of their lives.

8.

The Paris catacombs. A mile of bones that creeped Kim out the whole time even as she enjoyed it.

7.

Going to sleep each night in front of a tall open window in Paris, feeling the warm evening breeze.

6.

The cool, green, natural beauty of Ireland. Seeing the Cliffs of Moher, hoisting numerous pints of Guinness, and feeling the ghosts of my ancestors.

5.

Sharing a kiss and a drink of champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

4.

Watching mass at Notre Dame Cathedral. The history, the reverence.

3.

Hearing Kim, on arrival in Paris, looking around and saying “I just got goose bumps.”

2.

Sitting in a Paris café with Kim, enjoying wine and cheeses, watching the movements of the city.

1.

Enjoying the company of my daughter and son-in-law. The thoroughly enjoyable cheese, fruit (and chicken) dinner and talks at their home. Especially the brief moments Marnnie and I got to chat, just the two of us.

As I mentioned above, there were far more than just 10 memories... the art at the Louvre, meeting fellow Ohioans atop the Arc de Triomphe, and many more images from simply walking around the city (and riding the Metro).

We hope that everyone has the opportunity to create such memories of their own.

Glenveigh National Park

Not far from Marnnie and Travis' place is a wonderful national park with a "castle" built in the 1870's as a hunting lodge (as opposed to those built centuries ago for holding strategic positions).

The castle is built on a lake and, following its time as a hunting lodge, has been owned over the years primarily by those in the arts community in America, but was turned over to the state for use as a national park, opening in 1984.

We arrived and hiked the 4 km to the castle, had a snack in the shop located there and took the castle tour. It featured beautiful gardens and artwork collected over the years, and we saw the rooms where guests including Greta Garbo, John Knowles and many others stayed.

In the evening we sat around with Marnnie and Travis looking at pictures from their trips to Germany and around Ireland, and generally enjoyed their company and hospitality.

We're preparing to leave this afternoon via bus to Dublin, for the early plane back to the U.S. in the morning. As I write this entry I'm thinking that it seems like we've been away from home for some time, and I'm looking forward to seeing the animals and being home again, yet at the same time how much we've enjoyed our visit to Paris and Ireland, and especially seeing my awesome daughter and her husband, gaining understanding about their life here.

Goodbye Paris, Hello Ireland

Having arrived at Travis and Marnnie’s home in Letterkenny, I have time to catch up on the past few days.

Thursday, 2 July –

We got the apartment cleaned up for departure, made arrangements to leave our luggage there until later in the afternoon, and headed for Sacred Heart (Sacre Coure’), a cathedral built by Napoleon. To uplift the spirits of Parisians he had it built on the highest hill in the city where it could be seen by all. The mosaics inside are remarkable with incredible detail.

We made our way back to the apartment via the Metro, stopping for some shopping and lunch along the way.

From there, we hit the Metro system for the airport… always an adventure with luggage. The Metro isn’t air conditioned and with all of the humanity crammed into such small spaces the heat and the fun smells were intense. We made it to the airport and though our plane ran behind schedule, we arrived in Ireland that evening, welcoming the much cooler temperatures.

Meeting up with Travis, we drove a short distance to the Bunratty Manor Inn, showered and changed, then enjoyed dinner. After several days of the Paris heat and street noise, the cool and quiet night’s sleep was welcome. We slept like the dead.

Friday, 3 July -

Having forgotten about the 1 hour time difference, I interrupted our slumber an hour earlier than I should have, but we used the time to get things packed up before joining Travis and Marnnie for breakfast… an interesting item called “the full Irish” consisting of an egg, roasted tomato, black pudding, white pudding, rashers and sausage (bangers). If you aren’t familiar with the term, pudding in this context is liver sausage (white pudding) or blood sausage (black pudding).

Kim developed a quick friendship with the feral cat that hangs around the Inn. But it was short lived since we needed to get on the road to our next destination.

Our first stop of the day was at Bunratty Castle, which is one of the very few such places that can be toured. Most castles had wooden floors that have long since deteriorated, but Bunratty, which controlled the mouth of the Shannon River, had stone and marble flooring which is well maintained allowing visitors to walk throughout the castle seeing the Earl’s quarters and commons areas.

Surrounding the castle is a small village of shops, restored to the time period, which we also visited picking up a few trinkets here and there, and petting a couple of very friendly Irish Wolfhounds.

After visiting the shops, we stopped at Durty Nelly’s Pub for my first pint of Guinness in Ireland.

From there, we drove to the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular sight rising 710 ft above the ocean, running along the coast for 5 miles. We enjoyed an afternoon hike along the cliffs, and Marnnie and I took a picture of our feet dangling over the edge.

Just a short distance away was our destination for the night, a small B & B named Atlantic View House. From our window we could see the cliffs as we got cleaned up to walk up the road for dinner and an evening’s entertainment at Gus O’Connor’s Pub.

The pub was exactly what you’d expect an Irish Public House to be, with bar food and eventually a traditional Irish band that came in, sat in one of the central booths specifically equipped and reserved for this purpose, and proceeded to entertain us.

We returned to the B & B, and with the window open fell asleep listening to the sound of the ocean.

Saturday, 4 July –

Sleeping in just a little later this morning, we enjoyed another Irish breakfast and visited local shops. I purchased a hat and a couple of sweaters, since Ireland is known for its wool products. Kim didn’t find a sweater for her, but she did seem to start referring to the ones I bought for me as “our sweaters” later in the day, making me wonder how much I’ll actually get to wear them.

Driving North from the Cliffs of Moher to Letterkenny, a distance of about 180 miles, over roads that are barely wide enough for two compact cars to get past each other is actually semi-entertaining. Even more so since traffic moves in the “wrong” lanes according to those of us from the U.S. and most other places on the planet.

Having right turn lanes rather than left turn lanes, and having to watch the opposite direction as you cross the street is something that takes some getting used to.

Once in Letterkenny, Marnnie made a list and we hit the grocery store and then returned to the house to make dinner and enjoy an evening just relaxing and talking.

The Eiffel Tower, last night in Paris

Our last full day in Paris... with one more "A" list item on my to-do's... the Eiffel Tower.

Apparently locals try to dismiss its existence, but it is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, and one can hardly come to Paris and not see it. Actually, you can see it from virtually anywhere in the city, but to be this close and not go see it up close and personal would be shameful.

But before that, we walked through a local market at Rue Cler for breakfast and a little light shopping. Rue Cler is a well known market just a few streets over, so we stopped there for omelets en route to the tower (see Marnnie and Kim in photo).

We walked through the tower gardens, the three of us standing in line for the lift. With a brief pause at the second level, we made our way to the top and enjoyed the magnificent view of the city while drinking overpriced champagne sold there.

We took pictures, enjoyed the view, the champagne and a kiss atop the Eiffel Tower, then made our way down and back to the apartment for some rest. After several days pushing very hard, we're all pretty tired and thought some downtime would be good before going out for the evening.

Tonight Kim, Marnnie and I got cleaned up and went down to Cafe' du Pont Nuef for drinks (Kim's flirtatious waiter wasn't working), then over toward L' Absinthe restaurant, where a couple of years ago I had one of my best travel experiences. At that time, they were incredibly kind to me, and I wound up being invited to stay after hours with the wait and bar staff to try new drinks and talk about America and my experience in France. Unfortunately this time we showed up during rush hour and they couldn't find seating for three.

We wandered down the row in this decidedly French area, and found an Italian place with available seating where we ate delicious pizza, salad and shared a nice bottle of Sangiovese. We sat for about two hours talking about relationships, motorcycles and a host of other topics, enjoying each other's company. I'm an incredibly fortunate man.

The Arc de Triomphe, the catacombs

Today began with something of a late start, since we were all rather tired from Marnnie’s late arrival and initial catch-up talk. We went to the same café down the street as yesterday for breakfast and decided on our plans for the day.

We began with the Arc de Triomphe, which honors those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic wars. Underneath is the tomb if the unknown soldier from World War I . The monument stands 162 ft in height, 150 ft wide and 72 ft deep. Its arch is 95.8 ft high and 48 ft wide. It is the second largest triumphal arch in existence, since North Korea built a slightly larger one in 1982 for the 70th birthday of Kim Il-Sung.

We climbed the 284 steps to the top, which offered an amazing view of the city. Atop the monument, we met two young women from the University of Cincinnati who are spending 10 weeks in Europe. We took some great pictures, and enjoyed most of the morning here.

We then took the Metro over to visit the catacombs of Paris. Most of Paris' larger churches once had their own cemeteries, but city growth and generations of dead began to overwhelm them. From the late seventeenth century, Paris' largest cemetery was saturated to a point where its neighbours were suffering from disease, due to contamination caused by improper burials, open mass graves, and earth charged with decomposing organic matter.

After almost a century of ineffective decrees condemning the cemetery, it was finally decided to move the remains of all condemned cemeteries to a renovated section of Paris' abandoned limestone quarries.

During World War II, Parisian members of the French Resistance used the tunnel system. Also during this period, German soldiers established an underground bunker in the catacombs.

They were fascinating to walk through, and Marnnie thinks they could make a mint by renting them out for Halloween.

This evening we cleaned up and went down the street for salads and wine. It’s been very hot here and the evening air felt wonderful, the conversation with Kim and my daughter, even better.

The Louvre, Notre Dame and Paris cafe's

Today was our first full day in Paris, which we started with a breakfast outside at a little cafe' down the street. We walked up to the Champs-Elysees to find a place to get cash to pay for the apartment, along the way crossing Pont de l'Alma, where Princess Diana's crash took place.

From there, we walked down the Champs-Elysees to the worlds most famous art museum, the Louvre. Knowing it's impossible to see everything in the Louvre in just a few hours, we selected key displays including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Aphrodite (Venus de Milo), Napoleon's apartment, and a few others, catching the other thousands and thousands of items along the way.

Our visit to the Louvre was followed by lunch at a cafe' at Pont Neuf (where Kim enjoyed the flirtations of our waiter) and then on to Notre Dame.

Visiting Notre Dame, where Napoleon was coronated, where Joan of Arc was tried the second time and Sainted, where Jesus' crown of thorns is displayed each Good Friday, doesn't require one to be Catholic to be moved by seeing mass in such a place.

We enjoyed the atmosphere and history, then headed back to the apartment to get cleaned up.

After making ourselves presentable, we walked the short distance to the Metro station to await Marnnie's arrival. Since we were a little early (and we came to find out she was running a little late) we sat across the street at a cafe' and nibbled a cheese platter and drank wine, finishing with chocolate mousse and coffee (espresso) for dessert.

Kim mentioned that she's feeling very comfortable here and enjoying the trip, despite her initial apprehension and concerns about understanding the language and getting around the city. Of course, there's nothing quite like having cheese and wine at a cafe' in Paris to ease the nerves.

Marnnie arrived safe and sound, and at the moment she is getting cleaned up after her trip, and we've been discussing tomorrow's plans.

(Incidentally, if you click on the pictures in this blog they will expand to full size.)

Arrival in Paris

We’ve arrived safely in Paris. Though we have a minor issue with payment for the apartment (cash only, so I need to find a bank tomorrow) we had a good day.

We arrived here about 11:30 AM local time, and by the time we got through customs and took the train into Paris we got to the apartment at about 2:30 PM, where we discovered our little issue with payment, which we plan to resolve tomorrow.

En route to the apartment, as we emerged from the Metro, Kim got her first view of Paris. Being able to see the Eiffel Tower, Lez Invalides, and the ornate bridge at Pont Alexandre, her first comment was “I just got goosebumps.”

Once we got some initial unpacking done, we went on walkabout. Walking initially down the left bank, but crossing back and forth as the mood hit us.

We went down to the Latin Quarter for dinner. We were seated by the window, and people walking by naturally looked in at the table. Kim had to look twice when Mary-Kate Olson walked by. We watched as some young women going the opposite direction recognized her, and one grabbed paper and pen and headed after her for an autograph. We think she came back with something since they were looking at the paper when she returned.

We then walked back up past Notre Dame, the Concierge, Pont Neuf, and the Louvre, where we rested as the sun went down and the lights of the city came up, and we watched the Eiffel Tower light up her searchlights and put on her evening light show.

We then walked up the right bank as night fell, looking for a market (which we did not find) and making our way back to the apartment.

Kim says her initial day in Paris has been almost overwhelming… I hope tomorrow brings more amazement as we visit the Louvre and hopefully get into Notre Dame.