Has It Been 10 Months Already?

OK, talk about lax. It has been indeed 10 months since I last wrote in this blog. And boy, do I have a lot to share.

First, Matty is now 3 years and 10 months and growing like a weed. Talking non-stop, too. He is so amazingly cute and entertaining. He loves to sing and "hold concerts." For Christmas, his Uncle Butch and Aunt Mary Lou bought him a toy guitar and microphone (complete with rock-star glasses) and he entertained all of us. We just came in from one hour of sledding down the hill in the back of our house in Fairport, New York. He loved it. Now we are warming up by the fire.

The big news is that Kerri is seven months pregnant. It is a girl, and we could not be happier. It has been a tough pregnancy for Kerri. She has been dizzy and has high-blood pressure. She is due on Feb. 24 but could go sooner. Matty wants to name the baby "Sophia" (although he pronounces it "So-CEE-uh). A couple from San Diego bought the cottage next door to Kerri's parents' cottage in Sackets Harbor over the summer and they had baby triplet girls named Ava, Ireland and Sophia. We're pretty sure that's where he got it from. Looks like Sophia is the leader in the clubhouse....

Speaking of the cottage, it's almost surreal to say this, but Kerri's parents sold it after 41 treasure-filled years. It was very difficult for everyone, and I feel really bad because Kerri never got to say goodbye. We left around Aug. 20 and thought we'd be back for Labor Day, but closing day came before that holiday, and the new people moved in. Someday we will go back, but right now it's too painful....I feel especially sad for Matty, who loves it there but won't remember it, and Baby Sophia, who will never know how special those times were.

I am still a sportswriter at the D&C, but we had TWO furloughs in 2009, plus more layoffs. And we have another furlough scheduled for the first quarter of 2010. Ugh. I am lucky to be teaching a journalism class at Monroe Community College, plus Kerri does part-time work for a sports Web site that publishes minor-league news.

I turned 47 yesterday, and boy is that strange. I still feel 18, and the actual number is daunting. Was it really SEVEN years ago that I had a surprise 40th party at the home of my brother-in-law Dan and sister-in-law Mary Lou? That's amazing to me.

We had a nice party at our house yesterday. Most of my family and Kerri's family showed up. My brother Butch and his wife Mary Lou were there, but then they left for their home in Delray Beach, Fla. They won't be back until June, and that always makes me sad, because Matty loves seeing them. By then, Sophia will be four months old! My goal is to get back to Florida with the family in the winter of 2011. Sounds like a long ways off, but it's really just over a year.

I promise, promise, promise, to write more in 2010, and Kerri will too. Thanks for reading. Below are some recent photos. Enjoy!

Life in May 2022

 It's Saturday, May 14, 2022. Here was our day: We tried to sleep in, but none of us did. Sophie and I were up by 8, and Mom was up around 9. I lied: Matty slept in, as he always does on the weekends. Sophie is in sixth grade, and Matty is in 10th. She is playing Fairport Youth Lacrosse, and he is playing travel baseball for The Factory in East Rochester. It is keeping us busy! 

Today, Sophie had two games in Pittsford. Fairport won both, and Sophie scored two in the second game. That gives her 16 goals in 10 games for a strong 8-2 team (8 straight wins, actually). Just love watching her play.

PHOTO HERE

Matty has been practicing, but his games don't start until June.

After today's games, we stopped at Aldi to buy a watermelon (yum, just love it), then Taco Bell and Wendy's for lunch before coming home. Sophie and I made our first trek into our pool! It was only 74 because our heater is not working, and we're waiting for it to be fixed. But we braved it!

Afterward, we had a nice dinner on our patio: burgers, kielbasa, potatoe wedges, and watermelon. Yum diddles, as Papa Bishop used to say.

We love hanging with our dog, Charlie, who is 9 now. Such a dear, and she loves us so much. She really loves going for walks in the morning after I return from taking Matty to the high school or dropping Sophie at the bus stop (depending on the day).

The Covid-19 pandemic is still around, but it's more of an endemic now. No one seems to talk about it much. Not sure if that's good or bad.

We love our weekends now that it's warmer, and next weekend we have THREE birthday parties. On Friday, it's Hunter the dog's first birthday. That's Aunt Bars (my sister's) dog. Saturday, we are having a little get together for our neighbor, Karen McAlpin. And Sunday, we are going to Aunt Julie and Val's house to celebrate Aunt Lisa's birthday.

Dad continues to work remotely for the University of Rochester. I covered Commencement at Fauver Stadium on Friday, and now it will be a quiet 2-3 months, which I love. Mom is office manager for Catherine Miller's dermatology office down the road.

We are still mourning the loss of Grammy Bishop, who died November 29 at age 84. We miss her so. What a great lady she was, and she loved you both so much.

That's it for now! Love you all. Dad

Coronavius Crisis: 2020

We are living in surreal times. Covid-19, the coronavirus, started in China in December and has made its way across the globe. The United States is being hit hard, with cases rising every hour. Already, nearly 200 Americans have died. Schools are closed, and many businesses have shut down. Most people are working from home. Dad's entire Communications staff at the University of Rochester is working remotely. Mom worked four days this week for Dr. Miller, a dermatologist, but is off today (Friday 3/20) and Monday. Stores are out of meat and toilet paper. People are in a frenzy.

One of the few bright spots has been the weather. It has been great, very springlike, and Sophie and I have taken Charlie for many long walks on the trolley path. Matty and the boys in the neighborhood (Joey, Romeo, Nick Stuart, Zac Evans) have played basketball and football.

It has been a very interesting experience. Dad has been very busy writing for UR about the virus and how it affects students, while also managing Sophie's schoolwork (which basically consists of reading a story and doing some math problems). She's also reading a book on her own, and she and I started an extracurricular project in which she researches each US president (usually by watching a kids video on YouTube) and then writes Did You Know facts about the president. Her fourth-grade teacher, Christine Bushnell, likes the idea so much she wants Sophie to turn it into a power point once school resumes. When that is, no one knows. New York State schools are closed at least until April 1, but everyone expects it will be longer.

Last night, the four of us watched The Wizard of Oz. Still a hit after 81 years. Sophie landed the part of Auntie Em in the Northside spring production, but they only had a few practices before everything closed. Matty was supposed to have tryouts for the modified school baseball team this coming Monday, March 23, but of course that is also on hold.

We will get through this.

The Eve of Christmas: December 14, 2018

Yup, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Hard to believe. I feel like it was just Thanksgiving--and that was November 22 this year. The season just flies by.

So let's see. What's everyone up to?

Mom is still working for Dr. Miller, the dermatologist. And dad is still writing in the communications department of the University of Rochester. Matty is in seventh grade at Martha Brown, and Sophie is a third grader at North Side.

We have been busy! Sophie has Girl Scouts every other Monday, and both kids have religion class on Wednesdays. Although Matty also has CYO basketball practice on Wednesdays, and Fridays!

We went out this year and chopped down a real tree for the first time (that's better than chopping down a fake tree haha). We really love it.

We are blessed with two cute pets: Charlie the dog is 5, and Lexi the cat is 1. We love having them around.

Since I last wrote, something important happened: The Red Sox won another World Series title! That's four since 2004, but who's counting?

Tonight, we are going to Aunt Bars for dinner. Tomorrow night, Mom and Sophie are going to see a men's choir with Grammy, the aunts and cousin Megan. Sunday, we frost Christmas cookies at Aunt Julie and Val's. And on and on!

So much fun. Love everyone so much. More pics later!

It's February 10, 2018!

I know, I know. You're wondering, "What's so special about February 10, 2018?"

Nothing. And everything. It's just another Saturday in the cold of winter, but one in which the four of us--Mom, Dad, Matty and Sophie--are together!

So what has everyone been up to?

MOM: She is working for Dr. Catherine Miller, a dermatologist about a mile away from our home. It's been almost two years now.

DAD: This summer will mark three years since he has been working in Communications at the University of Rochester, after 33 years at the Times-Union and Democrat and Chronicle newspapers. Wow!

MATTY: He's a sixth-grader now, in middle school at Martha Brown. He's playing CYO basketball and is probably the best player on the team! Soon, it will be time for Little League baseball. And this summer, he will play D4 travel baseball and Dad will be his manager! Oh, and did I mention he has been high honor roll for both quarters this year? Way to go!

SOPHIE: Sweet Sophie is a second grader at Dudley Elementary School. Her teacher is Lorri Willard. Sophie is involved in Girl Scouts (she's a Brownie), and she's playing TWO roles in the upcoming production of 101 Dalmations--she'll be the Nanny and Mrs. Tibbs, the cat who helps save the dalmations. Can't wait to see it! And this spring, Sophie will receive her penance and first communion! Oh, my!

Last night, we braved a little snowstorm and went to Aunt Julie's and Val's to see the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics from Pyeoungchang, South Korea. Tonight, we are going to dinner at a Chinese restaurant with our friends, Tom and Janna Bates, and their kids, Zander and Lyla. And then all of us are going to Martha Brown to see the musical Cinderella. So much fun!

Today, we painted our kitchen! It was light green and now it's brown. We love it!

Checking back soon!

Christmas Day, 2016!!

      It's Christmas!! This is Matty! Everyone had a great Christmas, and we all got the gifts we wanted, Kerri, My Mom, got a Plate with our Papa's face on it, and a book full of pictures of our cats. My Dad Jim, got an ornament with our Mimi's picture on it. Sophie got an American Girl Doll, and she got some barbies, and I got a Play Station 4, and I got NBA 2K17, Madden '17, etc. for it. I woke up at around 6:00, and waited until around 6:45 to wake everyone up to open presents (My Mom set her alarm for 7:00.). We had told our Elf On The Shelves, Bob and Zoey, to stay until we leave for our Grammy's house in the morning, and they did. They watched us open every present that we got from our Parents, and Santa. As for Charlie, she got some Chicken Flavored Treats from Santa, and some Toys that she chewed up in 5 minutes, from us. When we headed to Grammy's House, We got Gift Cards, Toys, and For me, I got a Tyrod Taylor Jersey, for the Buffalo Bills. Let's hope he doesn't get traded!! Also, a few days before Christmas, we had a party for our Aunt Barb's birthday. There, I got a $25 Amazon Gift Card, and the gift that I wanted the most the entire year (Behind My Play Station 4), A Russell Westbrook Jersey, The All-Star Point Guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He wears #0 because he says "When you've been through things, #0 is like a new beginning number.". We played Headbands, which was super fun because Grammy was asking things like "Am I an animal?"  And we would say yes. But then the next question she would ask would be "Am I an apple?". We had a fun day all around, and I might call it the Best Christmas Ever!!!!!

Christmas time, 2016

Greetings, all. It's Monday, December 19....just six days from the big day.

It has been a tough couple of months for us. On October 6, we lost our 17-year-old cat Cosette, whom we called "Coco." She lived a long life, and I think she loved her house on Lost Feather. And then last week, December 15, we lost 16-year-old Marius. Mar Mar had such a great personality. I truly believe he thought he was a dog.

I'll never forget Mar's comeback. She was attacked in the woods behind our house on October 3, 2013....she limped to the front of the house looking for us, bloodied and cut. It took $1,700 worth of stitches and medical care....two weeks where he was confined to the office upstairs....wearing a cone over her head...but he made it all the way back. So proud of that cat. As Matty reminded me this week, I said then, "Any other cat would've gone into the woods to die. But not Mar. He loved life too much."

God bless our kittens.

As for Christmas, it's our first without Mimi, but we are trying to enjoy it. Last year's Christmas season was so stressful. Mimi was in rapidly failing health. Mom and I have done our best to make the house warm and full of lights and color. And we have our two elves, Bob and Zoey, who move around every night after they return from the North Pole!!! It's so much fun having them around. We went to see Santa at Eastview Mall last week, and it was the REAL Santa! He said hi to both of you by name. So cool. Sophie told Santa she wants an American Girl doll, and Matty said he wants a Playstation 4. We'll see what the big guy thinks!!!

We will go to Uncle Doug's and Aunt Terry's on Christmas Eve, and then Grammy's on Christmas Day. I hope everyone gets what they asked for!

Matty was sidelined from CYO basketball with a sore right arm for a few weeks before and after Thanksgiving. He even had an MRI and x-rays. But he's back playing now, and it's so much fun.