More Twinkies!

Unless we start dressing alike in our old age, probably some of the very last of the twinkies photos of Tracy and me can be seen Christmas morning in 1978 and Christmas morning 1981.

Matching PJs while Pepper tried to sneak my chocolate coins.

Labels

Don't forget to check the labels down the right hand column. It is an easy way to follow your favorite person or theme. The first years of this blog had a lot to do with letterboxing but as I add archived slides and photos brand new labels are appearing. Fans of Tracy, me crossing my eyes and both of us dressed as twinkies will have a lot to look forward to as I keep scanning new images.

Crossing my eyes was my favorite way to look crazy and hide how awkward I felt at times.

Mom dressed us alike but I still have to wonder at why people asked if we were twins.

Tracy as a Sophomore

Come see what she was up to at my 1981 link.

This is young Tracy reminding today's Tracy to stretch out after her treadmill workouts.

Archives!!

As time allows, my goal is to scan in old photos (and slides?) that are not yet in digital format. Don't forget to look in the archived blog posts listed in the right hand column of this page. I did a 1974 post of some 6th grade track meet photos to show a little of what I hope to share. Stories will hopefully follow.

September Highlights

Ravenboy and Asrai were able to stay with us through the beginning of September. It was the day that Hurricane Hannah blew through that we had to drive them back to the city. The rainy gray day suited my mood that two bright spots in my life would be going to their own homes.

Maga11 and I finally made it to Belleville to the Amish farmers market and I took some photos of the scenes there.

RGBisMe and I quickly made use of any space second to start organizing and firming up plans for our upcoming letterboxing gathering out in Scotia Barrens. We took our mountain bikes out to explore and map all of the trails that we will be planting letterboxes on. It takes a long time to orient yourself out there even when the sun is shining. Add an overcast day and you might not realize that after hiking and biking for miles that you are just across a pond where you were hours before. I am so grateful for our gps in this mapping project. Not even USGS topo maps have enough detail to know where you are out in Scotia. We are only mapping an area maybe 2.5 miles across and .5 wide but it is easy to lose your way on the many twisting trails. It is all worth it for the beauty and history of the area. We ended up spending the Autumnal Equinox on the trails out there.

Tracdc and Satan were married this past Saturday and the whole posse was together for maybe the most beautiful day this month. Their ceremony was held behind an old inn on a bridge crossing a lovely brook. The temperature was warm and sunny but had just enough chill to the air that the gentlemen felt comfortable in their dress jackets. Toolman Luke looked great in his tux shirt and Maga11's dress made her look lovely. The were picture perfect parents of the bride.

The end of the month has taken an unwanted twist with our dear Miles going into the hospital for a couple of days with FUS. I have word he is coming home this afternoon but will be on a prescription diet for a while and a specialized diet after that. I sat with him for a couple of hours yesterday in the hospital. It was so sad to see our friendliest fellow hooked up to an IV. He wants to come home and we are ready for him. I ask you all put in a good though for his recovery. It's been a rough couple of days for us.

South Mountain... NOT

This past weekend we spent with Tracdc in Bethlehem. The intent was for 7 of us to hike South Mountain and find about 15 letterboxes. As the week approached different things caused each of the participants to drop out one by one. We were left with having a great time in Tracdc's house even thought her central air had died on one of the hottest days of the year.

We helped her put together center pieces for her wedding reception. Satan was out of town so we took advantage of doing things that Tracdc loved doing. We listened to hair band music, ordered in Papa John's and wore forbidden t-shirts (not on photos).

RGBisMe and I had fun mixing the clear water that was to sit and become solid over night. We called RGBisMe "tule-man" as he pitched in snipping flower stems for Tracd's autumn flower bouquet.

When the heat became unbearable, we left the house and had supper at the inn where Satan and Tracdc plan on being married. It was a quaint place with a gazebo and lovely trout street running through it. We are all excited for the wedding in September.

It ended up being a day of mojitos. Tracdc served us lovely lime and mint drinks served over ice to see us through our floral task. The inn we went to ALSO had mojitos as a special. Those beverages we night and day. While Tracy's were tasty and refreshing, the ones at the inn tasted like cold mint RUM. Way too much alcohol for any of us.

The evening was a living hell in her house because of the heat but the whole visit was so much fun. Yesterday the central air was reapaired and Satan came back from his brother's 50th birthday party in CA.

We found one letterbox this past weekend and planted one as well (clues have yet to be written). It was not the weekend we planned but it a a great way to spend probably the hottest weeekend of the year, just chillin'. All is well.

Booty Shorts, Baby Swans & Bee Swarms

A trip to NYC this weekend was a treat that was long over due. We met up with Tracdc, Satan and Satania in the Poconos and rode in their slick hybrid car into the city. The weather forecast was a nasty one but we were lucky that the rain didn't really start until we were a few blocks from the underground parking garage.

The parking garage we love in Lincoln Center allows you to park your own car and retain the keys. Using this lot has saved us trouble and worry many times. We have helped Ravenboy move in to School of American Ballet by borrowing Toolman Luke and Maga11's van by parking there and being able to access the van multiple times over the day. Using our favorite garage has allowed me to change clothes for an evening performance after exploring the city most of the morning in more casual clothes. Another great thing is you don't have to worry about a parking attendant scratching your car or leaving the lights on.

Saturday it was great to take advantage of the underground lot because we didn't have to go outside in the pouring rain. We used the many underground walk ways to explore the different buildings at Lincoln Center. We popped by the stage door but nothing was going on, we walked to Avery Fisher Hall because some construction had closed the bathrooms we were counting on near the Met Opera House and we snaked our way into the crowded Met Opera House lobby to buy some future performance tickets and get in to see the matinee performance of Swan Lake.

We had time to shop a couple of the little boutique tables that had the stars shoes on sale. We enjoyed champagne and treats on the grand tier level before getting out seats in the 3rd row of the orchestra. We played with the sleeping opera dialog viewers in the seats in front of us when we tired of looking at the grand surroundings. The Metropolitan Opera House has 3,800 seats plus 195 standing room places, making a total capacity of 3,995. For ballet performances, the size of the orchestra pit can be decreased and another row of 35 seats added at the front of the auditorium. The huge lake-like drape of a scrim hid the large stage. The proscenium is 54 feet wide and 54 feet high. The distance from the curtain line to the back wall of the main stage is 80 feet, and the height of the stage to the rigging loft is 110 feet.

Ravenboy had performed solo roles over the past 2 nights and was a couple of minor roles for the matinee performance we were attending. When he finally learned his casting for the performance we planned to attend he sarcastically said, "Oh great, you get to see me in booty shorts and a fake mustache." When I told him where we we sitting he was even less pleased we would be seeing costuming he felt was unflattering. He was still gentleman enough to note our exact seats and promised to project to us during the performance.

This might be the 6th time I have attended a performance of Swan Lake. It's fine except for all of the white tutus that make me want to fall asleep. But a ballet is a ballet and we shouldn't hope for anything different. Satan joked, "I didn't realize there would be so much dancing." The opening prologue was text book except for the crowd going absolutely crazy with the first appearance of Veronika Part, the Swan Princess du jour.

The scene in which Ravenboy did most of his dancing was next and it was the celebration of Prince Sigfried's birthday. Sporting booty shorts and what Tracdc called faerie boots, Ravenboy danced his heart out as a peasant. He helped to heft out a huge maypole and presented it a graceful gesture of a raised hand (and just a hint of his tattoo showing out of his cuff.) We enjoyed watching one of Ravenboy's good friends, Blaine Hoven, perform the role of Benno - the prince's buddy. The peasants get into the wine at some point and the dancing gets more interesting for them. A shocking moment was the conclusion of a series of tosses and catches of one peasant girl. Jackie Reyes was being tossed and caught exactly down a row of peasant men until the last toss. It was either the last fellow was not in place or the second to last fellow who was tossing her didn't /couldn't look. Ms. Reyes was thrown into the air and landed partially on a chair. It looked painful and was the most horrifying thing I have seen happen in an American Ballet Theatre production. We found out later that she is fine and her neck was just a little sore. The peasants danced on and closed the scene with random shenanigans, Ravenboy, wine goblet in hand, vaulted from a wall just as the scrim drew closed.

The rest of the production was, as Ravenboy might put it, text book. I will say Veronika Part was the best white Swan Princess I have ever seen, Maria Riccetto and Misty Copland were great Cygnets and Marcello Gomes the most deliciously evil von Rothbart. Conductor David LaMarche must have had someplace he wanted to get to because he kept a blistering tempo throughout the matinee. This bought us 20 extra minutes for a terrific meal at Ollie's Noodle House. The rain had ended and our walk to and from the restaurant was a nice stroll up Broadway. We got back a little before Ravenboy's post production rehearsal was over to wait by the stage door.

We saw a few stars and some of friends walk by. Most of them were hustling trying to avoid the hag who hangs out there harassing the dancers for their autographs. Ravenboy says she sells them on ebay. Ravenboy finally came out and took Tracdc, Satan and Satania backstage. Tracdc even got to drink out of one the the golden wine goblet props.

The trip home was one of the smoothest out of the Lincoln Tunnel and only a bit of a storm slowed out progress in New Jersey. We got home and were able to enjoy the rest of our weekend hanging out with Mososo Kruppe. Something I have to share is a photo of something we had never seen before. A swarm of honey bees are on a multiflora rose bush on the edge of our field. We watched them come and go and dance their bee dances for quite a while as the football sized swarm undulated in the stiff breeze. An astounding vision of a mass of honey bees.

Rings 'n' Things and Life Long Dreams (pt2)

Since I last posted, it has since been determined that Satan's daughter would like to be known a Satania. Tracdc says she is so much like her father.

Satania and I got to ride the spinning swings together. My father took a photo of me on a similar ride when I was young and I had RGBisMe snap a bunch of shots of me so that we might do a "then and now" type of montage in the future. There is a cool link called Young Me, Now Me with folks who have done just that.

It was time for the Grand Carousel. Toolman Luke and Satan said "pass" to the spinning horse but that was cool because they got to take some photos of us. We were all lucky to get outside horses so we could have a chance to grab the brass ring. Earlier in the week I had reminded everyone to trim their nails because I usually end up splitting mine badly as my aim is porr when I grab for the ring holder on the outside of the carousel. We were ready.

The carousel started spinning and I was finishing up shooting a couple photos when RGBisMe warned me, "T! The rings!"

They had put the arm that holds the rings down before they hit the warning bell (normal procedure) and I almost missed a first grab but got an iron ring just in time. I turned to watch RGBisMe, Tracdc, Satania and Maga11 each have a go.The ride is not a slow one but there are some employees on the Grand Carousel who have perfected snagging multiple rings on one pass. I talked to a woman who had been able to get two by quickly grabbing and she knew of another employee who was able to get three before the carousel turned too far to reach the arm.

RGBisMe shouted from behind me, "The guy is watching for the brass ring at the bottom, it's going to be soon!" Years ago, there had never really been a real brass ring but for about the past decade, they have added a shiny ring of brass amongst the dull iron ones that come out of the vending arm. Anyone who grabs the shiny brass one gets tickets for another free ride on the Grand Carousel. I assume that because there is only one brass ring, they have an employee stand at the bottom of the arm to watch who grabs it. They then quickly mount the carousel and exchange it for tickets before the rider has a chance to... pocket it? throw it back? think it's theirs to keep? I am not sure but there is never was way to get a photo of anyone who grabs it because they pretty much grab it right back.

I prepared myself for the next pass. The person in front of me made a successful catch of an iron ring and in it's place slid a golden shimmering ring! I steeled myself to focus my aim and nabbed it! I saw a blur as the fellow jumped up behind me to take back the ring but I wasn't going to give it up without showing it off. I whooped in victory, kissed the ring and raised it over my head so he couldn't reach it as I turned. My family all saw it and cheered, "She got it!!"

I knew the employee was probably sweating bullets that he wasn't going to get the ring back so I made it quick and said to him, "Thank you for allowing me my moment." He smiled and we made the swap, the ring for tickets. With my goal met in the Haunted Mansion earlier and this victory it was certainly a brass ring day for me!

We dawdled over to the Killer Bees game and made sure to play the Derby Race game since it was Kentucky Derby Day (also our 21st anniversary for moving to State College.)

After hurting my knee on the Scooters I was ready for an ice cream break. Satania got some Dippin' Dots and RGBisMe shared a cotton candy ice cream while Maga11 & Toolman Luke went into the antique photography display. Tracdc and Satan said that they didn't get to ride the Haunted Mansion together so they got in line to go again while we sat outside and enjoyed our treats. Soon Maga11 & Toolman Luke showed up saying that the photo area was really just a boring olde time dress up place to get your photo taken. They stood with us waiting in front of the mansion for the rest of our crew.

We all cheered when their cart made it out of the the ride. They had both made it through the spooks without jumping out. They smiled and gave each other a little smooch as they got out of the cart. Tracdc ran right up to me waving a HUGE diamond on he left ring finger. Satan had proposed to her in the Haunted Mansion! The spookiest thing of all what that she had said "yes", to Satan, in the Haunted Mansion. HAHA! It really is a lovely irradiated yellow diamond set with other tiny white diamonds to either side. They are going to be a happy family (when Grammy's cactus blooms is the date) and Satania now has us as a bonus family! yay!! We were so glad we could all be together for such a big moment and the best part of the day.

Rings 'n' Things and Life Long Dreams (pt1)

A family trip to Knoebels had been in the works for well over a month. Tracdc, Satan and his girl (gosh - what's her trail name, certainly not Spawn of Satan) planned on meeting Maga11, Toolman Luke and us there in the afternoon. The weather was chilly but we decided to go ahead with our plans because it's rare when our schedules allow us all to get together.

We all saw the nearly completed Flying Turns as we entered the park. We are very excited that the next time we visit we might get to try them out. We all met for lunch at the international food court where family hilarity quickly ensued.


As we munched on our burritos, Tracdc suggested that we all ride the haunted mansion next. It was then I realized that I had enough people with me that I might be able to talk a couple of them into achieving a long time goal.

I first visited Knoebels Grove in the late spring of 1974. The flood, Agnes, had ruined our great local park just two years prior so the annual field trip to reward grade school traffic patrols changed from Kish Park to Knoebels Grove. It was a big deal and I was instantly in awe of the huge amusement resort the moment I saw it. One of the rides that impressed me the most was the haunted mansion. Riders sat in carts that wheels through musty rooms of a very spooky mansion. One room was a vast cavernous area just filled with floating skulls. Farther along the ride corded strings hung down to just suggest something tickling you like a spider. A shocking finalé of a near set of oncoming head lights and and air horn blast made even my preteen non-driver's heart race with the suggested impending doom.

I suggested my family make the trip to check out the park and it became an almost yearly favorite. Each year, the trip was not complete without a ride through the haunted mansion. During my teen years, I mentally plotted how I might jump out and cut loose one of the floating skulls that seems to be energized with light just before my cart busted through the double doors into that chamber. I never could figure out how to do it quickly enough and my aversion to harming the dark ride just left me imagining perfect plots rather than acting on it.

Time twisted on and I shared my love of the park and all of its many wonders with RGBisMe and eventually Ravenboy. As a three year old, he was scared out of his wits by the Haunted Mansion and would not consent to ride it again for years. We found other traditions in the park to take its place, like taking black and white photos in the arcade. Eventually he learned to love it too and as a young High School homeschooler, we arranged a walking tour through the Haunted Mansion given by Dick Knoebel, the owner, himself.

We got to see so many cool secrets about the spooks. I got to look, close up, at the many things that had aways made me shriek in fright. I won't give away any of the secrets but a cool bit of trivia was that the grand ticket booth that stands in front of the mansion was from our dear old Kish Park in Burnham. I also got to see the floating skull room in the light, not nearly as vast and quite dull but filled with mirrors.

Over the past 6 years, RGBisMe and I have gone at least once a year. Sometimes with Ravenboy, sometimes just ourselves. The past few years the mansion rooms have been showing a lot of wear and are looking pretty shabby. Sometimes the light in the floating skull room has been out of sync and come on well before our cart has exited the chamber. Many of the spooks are looking broken and almost taped together; it's scary on a different level.

As we sat around our pre Cinco de Mayo luncheon, I had this idea solidify and whispered it to RGBisMe. He was game and I ran it by Tracdc. She wasn't so sure and was afraid we would get kicked out of the park. I was certain I could pull it off but my plot was foiled in that I needed her to ride after RGBisMe and myself, alone. Satan's daughter, latched onto Tracdc and said, "I am riding with you!" She had no idea what we had been planning but it seemed it was not to be. Tracdc came to the rescue as we approached the Haunted Mansion. She generously bought all of our tickets and said, "T, you ride with Satan." I looked at RGBisMe and he agreed to ride alone after us.

As our cart pulled up, I don't think Satan quite knew what I was plotting but he suspected something was up. I told him to get in first since there was only one way to enter/exit the cart. I needed to be on the outside. As Tracdc and Satan's daughter (trailname TBA) busted through the doors and into the mansion, Satan and I took our seats in our cart. I looked back at RGBisMe and reminded him, "Slide way over to your right." Maga11 and Toolman Luke took up the rear and just before we vanished into the mansion I saw RGBisMe sliding to the far right side of his cart.

Everything was so scary this time and as the skull room came closer, I was almost shaking. Finally, I saw the lights blazing between a crack in the chamber's double doors energizing the skulls. Tracdc's cart must have already exited the chamber. Off the lights went and "bang" our cart busted into the room of eerie glowing and dancing skulls. I couldn't see him but I shouted to Satan over the Spooky music, "Abyssinia!" and exited the cart to my left!

I heard him exclaim something as I sensed rather than saw my cart disappearing in the distance and the spooky skulls danced all around me. I could feel the wooden boards under my feet were a little uneven but I knew to stay clear not only of the track but the greased wheel marks we had to avoid during the entirety of our walking tour years before. I dare not back up too far so I stood in a ballet first position just as I heard my cart depart the chamber with Satan.

The lights blasted on! I felt like I was caught, naked and being very naughty. I cringed a bit to hide myself from any cameras but knew it was fruitless. I was in the skull chamber, out of a cart and in the middle of the ride's operation. I was so in the wrong yet I was being very careful and thinking out my every move. Just as the light snapped off, I knew I would have to stay still but have my hand out to be able to feel where RGBisMe's cart's handle was before it passed by me. I couldn't move my feet because I had determined when the lights were on that they were away from the greased wheel marks. "Bang!" RGbisMe's cart had entered the chamber! Like a frantic Who in Whoville, I quickly shouted over the blaring spooky music, "I am here! I am here!" Immediately I heard coming toward me the voice of RGBisMe repeating back to me, "I am hear! I am here!" My hand touched the cart's bar just at the level I remembered the bar's being and jumped in as RGBisMe pulled me in!!

"I did it! I did it!!" I shouted with glee. I kissed RGBisMe over and over again thanking him. I was thrilled in realizing I had been plotting this moment, in one way or another, for over 30 years. A silly, relatively moderate, calculated risk but it gave me such a thrill. It hurt no one and did no harm to the ride. It was a great moment. As our cart slid past the spooks, ran head long into the oncoming truck and was yelled at by an angry jungleman I hugged my RGBisMe so happily. We came through the final double doors to a small group of very expectant family. Tracdc, Satan and his daughter all gave a little cheer when they saw us emerge together. I shouted in victory with my hands over my head. Maga11 and Toolman Luke's cart soon came out and they were glad to hear how it went too. Maga11 knew that a plan was hatched and very pleased I pulled it off.

I was riding high as we floated from ride to game to ride. It was still chilly and I looked like the uni-bomber with my hood up but it was a good time. The arcade was fun as I embarrassed everyone with my DDR actions but I needed to release some energy. Sadly, the photo booth was out of order.
Beleive it or not the most exciting part of the day was yet to come. - to be continued soon!

Ironton Rail Trail

We spent this past weekend visiting Tracdc and managed to sneak in a few letterboxes between birthday celebrations. We met up with Biker Chick and explored the Ironton Rail Trail. The level walking was just right for Tracdc who is finishing up building strength after her October foot surgery. It was another fine day for being out and, after the warmth of the week, the trail was muddy in most spots. We all came away with a little dirt on our pants, some more than others, but we also acquired many lovely carving impressions in our logbooks. Seven new ones in all.

One of the boxes we found in the open and scattered around. Everything was there except the log book but Biker Chick had a replacement to offer. We packaged it and replaced it to where we thought it belonged. I hope the placer might check to make sure. We were all happy the stamp was still there, stamped the image into the new log book as well as our own and hid the box for the next finders.

A couple of the boxes were on an unimproved section of the trail. We had a more difficult time navigating through the mud there. There was also a lot of gun fire nearby that was more and more unnerving as we got closer to where the boxes were. RGBisMe was so disturbed by the close shots that he left the one box for lost and went to find the other. He and Biker Chick found the one box and Tracdc and I grabbed the other. We moved away from the hiding places and gun shots to stamp in when we saw that there were "No Trespassing" signs along the side of the road. We were actually seeking boxes on posted shooting grounds! We packaged the boxes up and braved the noise of the guns to replace them. Sorry we trespassed but we put things back like we found them before we walked back via the paved road that runs parallel to the unimproved section of trail.

Beautiful skies, pretty flowing creeks and plenty of good company made for an enjoyable time letterboxing on the Ironton Rail Trail this past weekend.

Florida with the Top Down

Joey Sweeney and Arron in Florida

Tracy took Arron to Walt Disney World in October, 1998. He and Joey spent a week enjoying their time in Florida and posed on the rental car.

Christmas 1981

More good times!

Pepper wagging his tail at my ever animated self.

Wearing the blue version of the hooded monk robe, Tracy shows off a goody from her stocking.

Twinkie sisters opening tubes of lip balm. This was the era of lip gloss, stick pins and big hair.

A full length mirror and a moment for a creative photo.

Just what every 19 year old needs!

Bean bag chairs!

Mom got a Kitchen Aid mixer!!

Red straps on a green shirt, Dad is dressed for the day.

Tiny Nrml White Sox Kitten Cat curled on Missy's coat.

Snacks but nowhere NEAR the spread Mom provides now!

Sitting in my bean bag and trying out my flavored lip shtuff.

Due to the flash not being in sync, half of Missy celebrating faux lamb's wool car seat covers.