Our Trip to Tucson

This year's conference for the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society took place in "sunny" Tucson, AZ. We were there for 6 days and enjoyed a variety of activities (me more so than Aimee...). The Southwest Airlines once again delivered a great journey down there and the JW Marriott Starr Pass was a fabulous place to stay, albeit a little on the pricey side.

I took advantage of the hiking trails, spa and workout facilities, pool, and golf course. One of most memorable was a day long visit to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. There are quite a pictures in our Picasa Album from that experience. The surrounding landscape is quite nice and certainly a departure from what we're used to seeing around Chicago. This is a picture from one of my hikes:

One of Aimee's big reasons for coming was to present her research poster. The poster was 4' by 8' and very nicely done. Here's Aimee at the poster session:

Finally, we' like to really thank our friend Megan for being willing to spend 6 days away from her home and live in ours and watch Crowley. She allowed us to relax and know that everything was taken care of at home.

For a link to our Tucson photo album, click here

Our move to Atlanta...

Wow..it's been a while on this whole blog thing. Sometimes you just need a little motivation. As most of you know, Aimee and I will be moving to Atlanta for a year starting July 1st for her fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology. I'm hoping to use our blog as a way to share picture and stories from our little adventure. First things first though. We need a renter for our condo in Chicago.

Click here for more information...

Siamsa na nGael 2009

Last night was the Siamsa concert at Symphony Center.  Aimee sang as part of the Old St. Pat's choir with the Metropolis Symphony Orchestra.  Here are some pictures from the event (click on them for extra big versions!)

a wide angle shot from my seats inside the beautiful hall

closer view of the performers with director Bill Fraher and conductor Stephen Alltop

close up of Bill Fraher, Stephen Alltop with soloist Rod Dixon and concertmaster Tom Yang

using my zoom lens to the extent of its capability, here is Aimee, Anna, and Megan (along with the other sopranos).  Compare this to the first picture above!

After the concert with Anna, Aimee, Megan, and Wes.  

We enjoyed a welcome Lenten Reprieve of Guiness, Fish and Chips, and Corned Beef at Hackney's afterwards.  :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day weekend in Chicago is always something to remember!  Aimee sang at the Civic and Community Celebrations at Old St. Patrick's (and I dutifully attended).  We had also had the great pleasure of having Kristen's dog Beamer with us since Wednesday.  It was great fun!

Click on Beamer to see our Picasa album with pictures from the weekend.

Lake Tahoe

Okay, okay I know I forgot to make a post of this but most of you have seen the pictures already.

The picture above was taken from the Snowflake Lodge which is most of the way up Diamond Peak.  The views were just amazing, everywhere you look there was a serene lake or alpine beauty.  Enjoy the pictures!

Happy Valentine's Day

Well it's a little late.  And it's been a while.  I'm in Minneapolis this week (and not sick this time!) after a very nice weekend with Aimee.  I did the dozen red roses thing which I actually don't think I've ever done.  I have to plug sweet petal in Printer's Row -- it's a great flower shop and Melissa is great.  The roses were perfect!!

Saturday night I played and Aimee sang for the Old St. Pat's Valentine's Mass.  The music is very similar to a wedding and we got to perform with Laura, her husband Craig, and a trio of other musicians.  Aimee's rendition of Con te Partiro was great as always -- and I must say even I was impressed considering she was sick (or at least getting there).  Jim and Virginia hosted us for dinner afterwards.  I'm always amazed and everyone's generosity and hospitality.  Thanks guys!

We're off to Lake Tahoe this weekend.  I plan on bringing my camera so expect some pictures next time...

Happy New Year!

...and welcome to 2009.  It was a quiet New Years (somewhat typical so don't  be surprised).  We watched some movies and Aimee made banana bread: 

In other news:

• Aimee was selected for the NANOS (North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society) Scholarship award for the upcoming conference in Lake Tahoe.  I'm very proud of her!
• We celebrated last night by going to Brasserie Jo for some delicious French food.  We had Michigan Brie cheese (in a toasted crepe), a great salad, loads of mussels, and scallops. That combined with a really great waitress made it easily my best dining experience there (if you don't count the gentlemen next to us who clearly loved to hear himself talk).
  
  
  
• Our friends David and Maryjoy told us about a great site called www.MyPublisher.com which allows you to create professional looking photo album with you digital photos.  We made one with our Italy trip:  about 20 pages (1-6 photos per page) with a custom jacket and hardcover was about $40.  I can't wait to see how it comes out!

I think that's it for now...Happy Epiphany!

Merry Christmas to all!

Aimee and I had a great Christmas season and are enjoying our time off. I think it's been since our honeymoon that we've had this much time off together. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Lansing. Starting with some last minute shopping and a traditional trip to Roma Bakery, we all gathered for mass at St. Gerard and then spent the rest of the evening at my parent's home.

Speaking of my parent's home -- they are finally moved back into their beautifully remodeled kitchen and living areas. 

click above for pictures!

After Christmas we spent a couple days with Aimee's family in Munster. With virtually no schedule to adhere to, it was truly a relaxing week!

Oh...and the Canon EOS Rebel XSi has officially been ordered! :)

Happy Birthday Kari.

We went home to Lansing this weekend to join the family for my sister Kari's 40th birthday party.  Hosted by Jami and Scott and my parents, it was an amazing party!  Homemade meatballs, dips, Italian sausage wontons (an overwhelming hit by the way), and a dessert spread so amazing it required its own room! We rented a Jeep Commander from Avis

Click the collage to view the album from the party

Deck the Hall.

'Twas a busy weekend...

The annual Deck the Hall concert was this weekend at OSP. Aimee had a solo in Huron Carol and got to sing in Huron (she's got some Native American heritage so somehow that makes sense to me). In the picture below, she is in the bottom left. I only went on Saturday night because a) my friend Jenny was in town and b) tickets were 50 bucks a pop.

Jenny Sullivan is a friend of mine from grade school and high school and now works for Families USA in DC. She was in town to speak at a health care conference, eat Chicago style pizza, and hang out with Aimee and me. It was great to see her!

In all, it was a very cooking-oriented weekend. Below are some pictures of Aimee preparing homemade marinara sauce, lasagna, tiramisu, and our friends from choir Anna and Megan. They came over on Sunday night for some Italian cooking (and Office-watching).

Thankful for...Las Vegas?

We recently took our annual trip to Las Vegas with the Accenture crew from Syracuse.  Aimee and I stayed at the newly-renovated Planet Hollywood which was very nice.  They gave us an upgrade room with a view (see left.  seriously, that was our view).  I'll post some more pictures soon once I get them.  As usual, we gambled into the night and lost our fair share of funds on the tables.  Aimee has developed a new love of blackjack however.  I see a trip to the Horseshoe in our future (likely with Mark B)....

Thanksgiving this year started with a beautiful mass at Old St. Pat's.  Aimee was asked to sing "Thankful" (a Josh Groban tune) after communion.  I accompanied her along with string trio -- it was amazing!  We truly have much to be thankful for.   After mass we headed back to Munster for Thanksgiving dinner.  We had a nice day catching up with family and of course relaxing while watching Christmas Vacation.  "You really think it matters Eddie?"

On Saturday the 29th, we went to my sister-in-law's Sing-a-long Messiah concert at the Rialto Theatre in Joliet, IL.   Never been to Joliet before.  It was an interesting experience.  Aimee was in her element though because, while singing full voice along with the choir and symphony is not typical etiquette, the sing-a-long forum  was perfect!

Pictured somewhere in the above picture, Katelyn Szewka

Weekend Update

On Saturday night we took part in a surprise 30th birthday party for Aimee's friend from Rush, Laura.  Her husband, Paul, did a great job planning for the event, including inviting several out of town family and friends.  We are gathered at India House for a phenomenal meal!  Laura's entrance is pictured to the left.

On Friday we had a nice dinner with our newly-engaged friends Sara and Adam at Franconello's near UIC.  We were honored to be asked to be part of their wedding day.  Aimee and I will provide music for the ceremony and Aimee will be a bridesmaid for Sara.  That'll be October 3rd, 2009.  I hear that's a good weekend to get married...

Time for some plugs...

• Rick's Appliance Service - this is the business that Aimee's dad owns.  He's nearly cornered the market on trustworthy, loyal appliance repair in the Northwest Indiana area.
• Embracing Parenthood - this is a business conceived and run by one of our friends from Old St. Pat's offering a unique approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting preparation for the busy expectant parent.  Oh, let's clear one thing up:  Aimee and I, while "busy", are not "expectant".  Nice job on this Barbara!
  

Aimee's Birthday Brunch

Happy 28th Birthday to Aimee!!  Aimee wanted to have a brunch with friends & family to celebrate her birthday.  I scoured the city for brunch places that were unique and also accepted reservations for a large group.  Turns out, that's not a simple task.  We ended up going to a place called Cafe 28 in the Irving Park area.  Their brunch menu was amazing and they did a pretty good job of handling a group of 20.  My first experience with evite was quite a success:  nearly everyone was able to attend.  Aimee's school friends, work friends, church friends, and family all gathered for a nice celebration.

Here are some pictures...

Fall Trip to Michigan

Well, Aimee and I made a trip to Michigan recently.  This time we were celebrating my Dad's 60th birthday and doing music for an outdoor wedding ceremony for Lisa Johnson.  Or I think it's Graziano now.  The wedding was nice but definitely outside our normal comfort zone (namely indoors.  And at Old St. Pat's in Chicago).  However, this brings our wedding total to 12 this year with merely 3 more to go!

Jami and Scott are in town for a wedding this weekend for one of Jami's friends from Marquette. They are staying at the Hotel Scozzafave -- looking forward to it!

One Year Later...

It's hard to believe, but the one year anniversary has arrived.  It's been an amazing year and we are looking forward to another!  

We celebrated first with a trip to Notre Dame (back to the scene of the crime!) for the ND v Purdue game, a trip to Wicked, and a brunch cruise out on Lake Michigan.  

On Friday, September 26th, Aimee and I were lucky enough to attend the Emerald Ball: a black tie evening of dinner and dancing for Old St. Pat's. This is a picture of us with our friends from the event.