Disneyland!

For Veteran's Day weekend, Tim and Terrill brought their whole family down to Disneyland for Shanleigh and Collin's first trip to the Magic Kingdom! I flew out from Boston to join them for the weekend, and what a great time we had.

Shanleigh got to go on all the rides, and filled her autograph book with signatures from all her favorite characters. On the last day I was there, she even got to spend some time with Mickey and Minnie, and walk around inside their house.

We had a great trip, and can't wait to go back! Anyone want to join us next time?

Sledding!

Up here in Anchorage we've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of enough snow to make it seem like winter. We finally got some this week and decided to take full advantage of it. So Andy and I seized our sleds (and Shanleigh) and went out to Kincaid for an afternoon of snow, sleds, hot cocoa and gingersnaps. Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Baxter

I've got a new pup around! 10 month old Chocolate/Black Lab mix - he's already 50 pounds! Super sweet and hilarious! I adopted him last week from Pixie Project - a great organization.

Alaska Visit

I made my first trip back home in 4 years last month and it was a family-packed, rewarding, 10 days. The highlight of the trip was a "Meekins Women" gathering at Genie's house, attended by all four sisters, plus Maddie, Catherine, and Moira. Elissa missed it by a weekend...

I also got plenty of play time with the two new babies in the family: Tim and Terrill's 5-month-old, Collin, and Conor and Carey's 8-month-old, Lily, and of course, Shanleigh.

Happily, I caught newly-weds, Nick and Anya a few hours before they left Alaska and I got to meet the rarely seen, but often talked-about, Andy, Catherine's boyfriend (I wasn't ready for the east Texas accent!)

I also witnessed "four-sacriments in 30 minutes" during which Shanleigh and Collin were baptised, communion was administered, George Sullivan (who is quite ill) was blessed, and - the big surprise of the day - Tim and Terrill were married! Guess that Las Vegas ceremony didn't quite do it for the Catholic Church.

I also brought flowers to Mom and Dad's graves and sat on the park bench, which finally has the corrected plaque in place. I was pleased to see our old house in Anchorage is being well cared for, and surprised at the changes the owner of the former Mazzi's -now Don Jose's - has made to the place.

It poured rain most of the days I was there, but that didn't diminish the great conversations. Genie and I did get a chance to take in a nice walk along the Coast Trail and the clouds parted long enough for Shanleigh's soccer game. It was all good!

You can see more pix of my trip at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevrekians/

Watching Wheel at Gramma's

This made me really laugh and got me thinking of what Gramma (the best Wheel of Fortune player I've ever known) would have had to say about this guy :)

Dumbest Guy Ever on Wheel of Fortune - Watch more free videos

Sullivans Storm Snow City!

On the first nice day (read: no torrential downpours in sight) Anchorage has had in a while, the Sullivans (plus one Kevrekian) stormed the Snow City Cafe and enjoyed not only a hearty breakfast, but Anda Saylor's art show as well (those are her paintings in the background)!
Right now all Sullivans are in town for the weekend and all Meekins women are in the state (Reel in a big one, Barb!).
It's been great to have everyone here to catch up with, even if it is only for a short while, and even if we did only have 1 1/2 days of sun to enjoy. Nevertheless, it's always great to have family around!

More Wildlife Viewing

For those of you traveling in Alaska, for others who maybe want to be here but aren't, here is some more wildlife viewing from the wilderness, only this wilderness is  my backyard ten minutes ago.

Alaska Travelers Almanac

The Homeosapiens species "Nickanya" was sighted in the Alaska wilderness.  Quite rare. This is considered to be a new evolution of an older species, Nick, thought to be extinct in Alaska.

Married on the Fourth of July

Congratulations, Nick and Anya! As I posted earlier, they got married on July 4. It was a nice, small gathering of family and friends that met on a lake on the campus of Wellesley College. Some of the family present from Nick's side included proud-as-could-be parents Russ and Nancy H., as well as Kyle, Cameron, Gregor, Moira, Carey, Lillie and myself. Anya's family was also represented well. Nick and Anya exchanged their own vows with each other, trying not to be drowned out by the sounds of Lillie babbling and a bullfrog croaking. Below are a few of the pictures from the ceremony, and you can go here for more pictures.

Nancy H. hosted a reception at her house in Wellesley after the wedding, but unfortunately Lillie needed to get home to bed so Carey, Moira and I left early. I hope some other cousin might be able to post pictures and accounts from the rest of the night!

Nick and Anya are currently in Alaska, and I'm sure we'll hear more about it all when they come back.

USA 2008 Olympic Trials In Eugene

I was fortunate enough to do my volunteer stint at the "Eugene 08" Olympic Trials from the media row (called the "Tribune") at the top of the West Grand Stand at historic Hayward Field. It was hard work that involved closely monitoring each event so that we knew when the results would be formalized and we could then distribute copies to all the media. Whew!

These shots show you the view. In the one of the east grandstand, below, you can almost make out the blurred images of the men competing in the 10,000 meter race - that's 25 times around the track! The local favorite, UO Duck and NCAA champion, Galen Rupp, took second place, but it was a race between him and the winner the entire time.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Hayward Field, it was the site of the 1972, 1976 and 1980 Olympic Track Trials (not to mention the birthplace of the jogging in the U.S. AND Nike!) Eugene's reputation as a great place for track and field back earned it the moniker, Track Town USA in the 60s and 70s, a motto the city has reclaimed with these Olympic Trials. We'll be hosting the 2012 Track and Field Trials, so come on down or over - it's been a blast!

Nick and Anya's wedding

Congratulations to Nick and Anya Meekins, who got married just before
dark and the big fireworks today! This is a blog post from the road,
more to come later!

Beantown to Chi-town

After a dozen or so years in Boston that included college, finding a wife and having a daughter, not to mention being here for three Superbowl wins (two losses), two World Series wins, two NCAA hockey championships and, most recently, an NBA championship, I've taken and started a new job in Chicago! We've sold our house and have found a new one just blocks from Wrigley Field, and will be moving over the course of the next month. We're hoping for lots of visitors!

I started the new job (think: you and us) in March and have been flying back and forth quite a bit in the meantime. This weekend we had a get together to have a chance to say goodbye to many of our friends and family in New England. Here are some pictures from the event.



As we're getting used to the idea of riding the El and not the T and being near a lake and not the ocean, I don't think Carey, Lillie and I are ready to bleach our red socks just yet! On Sunday, Lillie went to her first baseball game and Carey and I got a last chance to go to Fenway Park for a while. We got a two-fer: the Sox won in extra innings by beating the Cubs' rival Cardinals!



One last note: you may have noticed that Elissa has added a family birthday calendar as well as links to some of the blogs, wikis and photo albums that we all update on our own. Be sure to send us your links if we missed any and check out everyone's other sites.

Getting down with the Celtics in P-Town

Conor and I got to watch a great game together last week at Touche week while he was in Portland for business. Between you and me - I know it was his headband that brought the Celtics to victory after being down (quite down) at the half :)

It's official!

About Time! Andrea and I are now a 4 degree household. Andrea is already talking about a 5th since my (2) strait beat her pair( of BAs). The thesis should be available online through the grad school if you REALLY want to read about:

THE FACTORS INFLUENCING ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PITCHER-PLANT MOSQUITO, WYEOMYIA SMITHII:
AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

But if you stop by the house I can give you a power-point presentation instead.

I actually graduated in march, it just took forever to get the degree with my name spelled right.

P.S. Accepted a permanent position at a local "research institute" which means a lot more time shuffling papers instead of mosquito larvae--you can't win them all.

If you're down with Petey, then you're down with me

Meet Petey! He's a Staffordshire/Bull Terrier mix who I adopted a few days ago from a dog rescue in Hillsboro. He is somewhere around a year and a half old, and still very puppy-like.

He is adjusting to his new home and excited to please :) He likes playing fetch, giving kisses, sniffing everyone and everything, a Kong filled with peanut butter and surprisingly, baths - he loves attention!

Rocket Man!

We were all (Genie, Madelin, Catherine, Tim, and many other friends) Crocodile Rocking at the Sully last week for the Elton John Concert, thanks to Catherine and Andy's quick thinking we got the seats from the "hearing impaired" telephone number for Concert tix! They were great seats and we could hear quite well!

Kevrekians Update

We all took a spring holiday to Charleston, S.C., in May, the week before Gregor's graduation on the 18th. We had a wonderful time and highly recommend Charleston to anyone looking for a new vacation spot - nice beaches, great restaurants (always a requirement for our vacations), wonderful history, beautiful architecture and really easy to get around (especially with a GPS). You can see more of our vacation and Eliss's subsequent trip to Boston (for a conference) at the follow site. You'll note Elissa's interest in misc. designs found along the way, as well as some terrific parks in Savannah, where we went for a day. http://www.flickr.com/photos/radsnowgirl/sets/72157605297921435/

Back in Mass. for Gregor's graduation, this year Armen's side of the family turned out in force, including Armen's nephews, Armen and Vatche, Armen's wife, Mary, his neice, Lena, and Armen's old school chum, Raffi. Raffi's brother, Aram, hosted everyone for a Wonderful Middle Eastern BBQ. The picture of us is from that get-together.

Gregor has now officially moved to Connecticut. Here's his new address:
95 Hockanum Blvd., Apt. 5922, Vernon, CT, 06066. Here are some pix of his new apartment.
http://www.hockanumcrossing.com/emercial.htm


Meanwhile, back at the ranch, other news is that Armen and I (along with other partners) bought the Ambrosia/Quackenbush Building! It only took three years of trying! We're excited, happy, and relieved to have finally locked down the deal.

go-karting is life

I went to go-kart track in Tigard (just south of Portland) over the weekend. It was a pretty fancy place called "Sykart" and it left me longing for a simpler time. The cars in the parking lot out front were all newer models. Not a gun rack in sight. When I walked into the indoor track's lobby I was greeted by two clean cut slightly alternative young men, both sporting official Sykart uniforms - bright yellow tee shirts and slightly baggy jeans.

The lobby was clean, and quiet. I was curious to know where the track was even located, as I couldn't see it from the front desk. I got checked in along with the rest of my group. I had to sign some paper work and even show a valid drivers license. I paid my fee - $30 for two 10 minute races and was directed to an adjacent room decked out with a flat screen TV and an organized wall of 20-30 custom helmets clearly marked with sizes ranging from small, clear up to XXXL. It was obvious this place was pretty serious about safety. I settled on a medium helmet and joined the rest of my group in front of the TV for a safety video.

I felt uncomfortable and confused watching the video. Sykart has an advanced system of four different flags with sixteen possible combinations to communicate with racers during each heat. I felt my heart starting to pound as I struggled with the difference between a blue flag paired with a checkered flag - and a black on it's own. One meant you were winning, other other meant your car might be on fire... The video ended and I told myself not to worry. "You've done this before" I kept telling myself.

We headed out to the track, back through the lobby and up a short flight of stairs. I noticed the faint oder of two stroke oil/gasoline mixture. The track looked amazing. Twenty or so identical cars were perfectly lined up, bumper to bumper. I put on my helmet and smiled at the guy taking tickets at the track entrance gate. As I climbed into my assigned cart I felt like a kid at Disneyland. The carts were state of the art complete with seat belts and adjustable pedals.

Within a few minutes, everyone was settled in and the attendant started our engines one by one. Off we went as a second attendant violently shook a single checkered flag. The acceleration on the little car was incredible. I was approaching my first turn when I realized just how much power the car had. There was no slack in the steering wheel! I went for it and felt the back end of the car fishtail. I quickly compensated and floored it through the turn. The next eight or so minutes were a blur. Turn after turn of pure, exhilarating joy. I ruthlessly passed other cars, and kept strong, not allowing anyone gaining on me to eek by.

Heading into my final lap, I noticed the engine starting to putter. I pulled back on the gas, then back on, and the same. All around me, my friends were slowing down, or even pulling off to the sides of the track. I kept going - I had a sudden flush go over my face as I wondering if something was severely wrong with my car. The attendant came out with the yellow and checkered flag combo, signaling us to pull back into the pit. We all lined up and he cut our engines from his advanced go-kart computer station.

I felt great! What a race! I couldn't stop thinking about how to get the rest of the family down here sometime. It could be just like old times! What fun we would have! A single tear rolled down my cheek, wondering when the next time I would be karting side by side with my cousins!

The attendant approached the track. And uttered thee words that will ring forever in my mind "That was unacceptable!" And just like that, my world came crumbling down before me. My mind begin to race as he approached my car specifically. "You broke every Sykart rule in the book!" he barked as I sat stone faced, looking straight ahead. "Weren't you watching that video? Did you even read our rules!!?" I thought about explaining my past, but I realized there was no way he could understand. I offered him an apology and that was it. He told me that he had begun to cut the gas to my car from his computer in an effort to slow me down. I wondered why he hadn't simply waved the purple flag with red polka dots, but I wasn't about to get into it with him.

The mood was somber. A couple of friends gave me reassuring pats on the back. "He's just jealous", they offered. Back in the lobby, I knew what I had to do. I walked up to the counter and asked for a refund on my second race. I couldn't go on. Not like this. I couldn't race again knowing I'd have to hold back. It just wouldn't be fair to the sport. To me.

He gladly refunding my fifteen dollars. I think he saw what had happened out there on the track. I went into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face. I took a good look at myself in the mirror and smiled at the ridiculous of the whole situation. My friends wanted to know why I wasn't racing in the second heat - I just told them I'd rather take pictures and left it at that. "This place has nothing on that place in Anchorage", I whispered to myself. After all, it's not about the power of the car, the safety of the track, or the soberness of the people running the whole operation. It's the heart in the racer.

Kathy In Gettysburg

I just spent a week at FEMA's National Emergency Management Institute that is actually in Emmitsburg, MD, but just a short drive from Gettysburg. I was attending the "Advanced Public Information Officer" training to prepare me (and the 39 others who attended) to set up a joint information center (JIC) in the event of an emergency.

When a disaster occurs, local PIOs from the police, fire, Red Cross, Public Works, etc., set up a JIC that puts them all together in the same room so they can coordinate information given to the public. Being in the same room makes it easy to talk to one another about differing information and figure out what's really happening. It was very intense, but also effective in helping everyone feel more prepared to handle an emergency...but now about Gettysburg.

If you ever get the chance, you should go. In this relatively small area - about the size of a golf course - more than 50,000 people died in the three-day battle - three days! Incredible! The managers of the site have done a good job providing information that really makes the battles come alive. It was quite emotional learning about it all. In the decisive battle, at "Little Roundtop", which is a small hill, there were three or four attacks and counter attacks. it was finally won by the New York soldiers who had run out of amunition, but still charged relying only on hand-to-hand combat. Both Yankee commanders (one 30 years old, the other 23), were killed.

States whose soldiers faught in the battle have monuments around the edge of the battlefield. This is a picture of the Pennsylvania monument.

The Kevrekians will be heading east again next month for Gregor's graduation. We'll be vacationing in South Carolina the week before. We'll post info on that when we return!

Kathy

Three Sister's Weekend

After Genie's idea that we all get together for Barb's (60th shhhh) birthday, we finally got together this weekend. Kathy made it to Seattle for the real birthday in March, but Genie spent three days at the airport trying to fly out standby. So this was the sequel, in Eugene. We've had a blast catching up and visiting with Deder, Andrea and Baron (their new dog).

Prom dress is finished!

Prom dress is finished! This one took about 15 to 20 hours to make and she will probably wear it for about 3 hours! But on the flip side it cost less than $100.00 and the one at the boutique was $370.00

My labor was free of course. Prom is the 12th of April, we are still looking for shoes.

Genie

Cousin connection in Portland

Madelin was in Portland a couple of weekends ago checking out Lewis and Clark College. In between her music audition and campus tour we had a fabulous time taking in the best of P-Town together. We're quite versatile young ladies... Dining on upscale cajun Mac 'n Cheese one night, homemade nachos the next... A little bit of hiking on a sunny afternoon, sipping Stumptown coffee and Jamaican lemonade... Checking out rock shows, oh and just a touch of shopping :) I'm pulling for another family member moving to Oregon, but we'll have to see :)



While she was in town we checked out two music shows. The first was Kimya Dawson (who has a few songs on the Juno soundtrack) at Music Millennium in southeast Portland.



We also saw San Diego-based indie band, Pinback at the Wonder Ballroom.



Deder even torn away from writing his thesis to have dinner with us Saturday night, and hike up Powell Butte Sunday morning before returning to Eugene to put the finishing touches on his paper: Mosquitoes say Global Warming is Real*
(*Actual title of paper something way more complicated)