Grandma's Deli

Three Sisters in Eugene

2010-07-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Barb drove to Eugene (8 hours of traffic hell through Seattle and Portland) and visited Kathy and I in Eugene. Of course Elsa was the main attraction during the 2 day visit, as I had the awesome job of babysitting while Deder and Andrea took the opportunity to get in a two day float down the Willamette in their canoe. Temperatures were in the 90’s so we spent some time poolside at my humble condo. In just the two short days we managed to do the required events in Eugene: Dinner at Ambrosia, Saturday Market, Sitting at the pool , BBQ at the Condo, and Sunday Breakfast at a pancake house.

Elsa was tremendously entertaining and filled in the time between events with her dance techniques and iphone skills.

Our time in Eugene is on the short side now, but we have more visitors coming, Bill’s parents are on their way and Madelin will join us on Friday. Eugene seems to be a magnet for friends and relatives, or maybe it’s Elsa Adele that is the magnet?

We were welcomed to our Condo by a Eugene Resident.

It's My Birthday! Yaaayyy!

2010-04-03T01:52:00.000-07:00

It will come as no surprise to many of you that I like cake. And it will come as even less of a shock that I like birthday cake. And so when my birthday comes around, I get super excited. Cake. Just for me. And with a mom like mine, you know it's always gonna be good. Mom outdid herself this year, with homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes with fresh Cream Cheese Frosting [editor's note: nom nom nom], and Shanleigh helped me make the girliest of birthday drinks, Shirley Temples!

Shanleigh also joined me tonight downtown for the First Friday Artwalk where we hobnobbed with artists and gallery owners, and mused over bicycle spoke bracelets and sketches on cardboard boxes. After the Artwalk, Tim, Terrill and Collin joined us at home, and our old neighbors on Cambridge, Bernie and Ayden came by to wish me a happy birthday (as well as to play Monstruro and run screaming through the house while chasing each other).

All in all, it was the best birthday I've had in years.

Here are a few pictures to make you jealous of my awesome 27th birthday.

Extremely Relay-ted

2009-08-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, on a rare weekend when all of us happened to be in Anchorage, the Sullivan siblings (sans Timmy, mais plus Terrill, the athletic rep from that part of town) got together to run the Humpy's Marathon Relay. The four of us on Team Extremely Relay-ted (thank Catherine for the ingenious name!) ran the combined 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 43 minutes and 16 seconds. Though the race came with some unpleasant surprises (a little rain here and there, an allegedly 7.5-mile leg that turned out to be 9 miles, a fact which I unhappily discovered at the 7.5-mile mark), we had a great time and were stoked with our results. Can't wait to come back next summer and run it again!

Siedlers in Eugene OR with Elsa Adele

2009-08-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

Better Late than Never

2009-06-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

Its the much belated announcement of the belated arrival of our beloved daughter.
Born on June 19th, 2009 at 8 lbs even, 20 inches long, and healthy as a horse.

Offically named Elsa Adele Siedler, but stay tuned for possible flip-flops and future changes as long as the parents' prerogative lasts.

We are holed up in the house for now, napping and congratulating ourselves on a job well done. more pictures are sure to come since Grandma and Grandpa are visiting in July.

Much love to all of you, thanks for all the support and calls.

Trip to Napa

2009-06-14T19:43:00.001-07:00

Those of you on Facebook know that Armen and I went to Napa Valley the first weekend in June with our friends Carol and John. Armen's childhood friend, Jake, and his wife, Anita, joined us for one day and on Sunday, another friend, J.K., joined us. We had a wonderful time. John took more than 450 photos! Much better than losing our photos (not to mention the camera!) after our trip to Mazatlan. I've posted a couple of dozen pix to Flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39296196@N05/. Enjoy!

Alaska in Spring

2009-05-25T19:44:00.001-07:00

Having a good time visiting with Susan over the long, Memorial Day weekend. We've been doing some gardening, lots of chatting, and paid a visit to Mom's and Dad's graves, to place some flowers and flags.

The weather has been beautiful - long, lovely sunny days bring back lots of fond memories, but I can't say as I miss the mosquitos, though! Kathy

Madz, Mo and Me find each other in NYC

2009-05-24T12:22:00.001-07:00

So this is what Grandma meant when she said "This house is like Grand Central Station." We had some coffee, chatted a bit and were off our separate ways again in a New York minute.

Look who made the paper!

2009-05-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Ambrosia was featured in Eugene's paper, the Register Guard! It's a great article about the First Wednesday Wine Tastings he's been doing for the last ten years.

Sweet Home, Chicago

2009-05-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

As my previous post covered, our odyssey had one more adventure. Saturday morning we hopped on a flight to Chicago, and Conor and Lillie picked us up at the airport. You'll be able to read more about the weekend here.
While Andy and I had had quite the week full of delicious food (see the fajitadelphia and brisket comments), we knew it was a crime to go to Chicago and not have Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza. Conor, Carey and Lillie (Conarie, if you will) took us around their neighborhood and then to one of their favorite pizza joints. But first, Conarie, sneaky people that they are, took a detour and kicked me out of the car, took me into a Bliss Spa and said, "Happy birthday, Catie!" And it was just what I needed: a restful, relaxing, calming facial from Bliss which, after a week of constant travelling, was greatly needed and appreciated.
Next up: Chicago Pizza! We zoomed through Chicago (and I totally geeked out knowing those awesome Dark Knight scenes were filmed in those underpasses), ate some completely amazing pizza, and then waddled back out to the car. From there we headed out to Navy Pier, looked around for a little while and played in the kids shop. We made our way outside, took one look at the biggest ferris wheel I've ever seen, and turned back around. I wouldn't say I'm afraid of heights, but I'm not a fan of inviting any bad karma I've accrued over 26 years to come and get me at a very inopportune moment.
After a busy day, Conarie, Andy and I were ready to go home and go to bed, since we could start to hear that hippity hoppity of the Easter Bunny coming our way.
We woke up the next morning and Carey had made the most wonderful French Toast Casserole for breakfast, and as we dove in, Lillie began searching for the eggs the Easter Bunny left for her.
Afterward, we headed to Shedd Aquarium for Lillie to run around, and to explore one of the best aquariums in the country.

Once again, our trip ended way too soon, but we were grateful for the time we did get to spend with our families and with each other.
From Houston to Crosby to SPI to Chicago and back to Anchorage, Andy and I racked up quite the mileage, but it was totally worth it. We aren't sure when or where our next voyage will lead us, but we'll definitely keep you posted!

What Happens on South Padre...Ends Up In Gramma's Deli

2009-05-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

After the hustle and bustle of a wedding for the ages, Andy and I decided that after three years of dating it was time we took an actual vacation, beach and all. We headed down to South Padre Island, and 2 tanks of gas, 3 bathroom stops, 2 What-A-burgers, a detour to Corpus Christie and 8 hours later, there we were! SPI, a week after the Spring Breakers had made their mass exodus back to school. It was a short vacation, but Moira's travels riding horseback in Hungary inspired me, so I scheduled a horseback ride on the beach for Andy and I the first morning we were there. Andy had never been on a horse before, but he looks like a natural, no? His horse, Apache, was a get-up-and-go kinda guy, always wanting to be at the front of the pack. Mine on the other hand...she was content to hang out in the back, chatting with one of her mares. But at least we got this photo op:

One of the best things about South Padre is the consistent wind on the island, so we bought a little kite and took it out to the beach. The wind was great for kite flying, and we stayed out there for almost an hour just playing along the beach.

I'd like to take this opportunity to rave about SPI. If you manage to get there after the Spring Breakers, you will find the most quaint little island, full of, interestingly enough, Mexican families. I think SPI is a big draw for families in Mexico, as well as the MTV Spring Break '09 crowd, as evidenced by the number of Mexican license plates in the parking lot. Also, an alarming number of Canadian license plates. And Wisconsin! Apparently SPI is where Cheese Staters go to relax. Who knew? But given the chance, I'd go back to SPI in a flash, the weather was fab, the food amazing (SPI Brewing Co. has something called the Fajitadelphia, and ohmygoditissoamazingweatetheretwicein16hours). So SPI? Thumbs Up!
Lest you think Andy and I were done with our odyssey by going to SPI you have another thing coming. Friday morning we drove back to Houston for one more day with Andy's family. We woke up early Saturday morning to head to....Chicago!

Goin' to the Chapel, and We're Gonna Get Married...

2009-05-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well, not quite. Andy's sister, Sarah, married her long-time boyfriend Jason Zeller in a great ceremony at the Zeller Ranch in Crosby, TX. While Andy went down to Texas in late March, I joined him 2 days before the wedding, and met up with Andy's mom Carol, Stepdad Tommy, Brother AJ, Uncle John, his wife and kids Angelisa, Caitlin and Christian, and his Aunt Micki, her husband Charlie and daughter Rebecca (meeting a "small" family like this gives me a whole new appreciation for the poor folks who have to meet our family, and remember all our names).
It was great to meet more of Andy's family, and some of them are just as colorful as members of our own. We had a great time at the wedding, Andy had the privilege to walk Sarah down the aisle, and after a short ceremony, the tent was transformed into a reception hall.
And the party began! Fueled by brisket, potato salad and not a little bit of Budweiser, that ranch rocked well into the night. And as any member of the Meekins family knows, the party doesn't start until "Billie Jean" comes on. And party we did. (Sidenote: Andy, having been around me for far too long, requested Billie Jean. They have video of my face when MJ came on, and...let's just say it's pretty priceless)
While Andy and I can cut a rug, we were both fumbling our way through the Texas Two-Step when Jessica, a bridesmaid, came to our rescue, tutoring me, then sweeping Andy off his feet. I then cornered AJ, and we trampled our way through a half dozen George Strait songs. (Little known fact: 99% of country music is, in fact, a Two-Step).
Finally the night wound down, we hopped back into the rental car and drove back to Houston. But there's no rest for the weary. Next stop? South Padre Island!

K & A In Mazatlan

2009-04-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

Armen and I had a wonderful eight days at Pueblo Bonito, Emerald Ban, in Mazatlan, Mexico. We both agree that it was the absolute best resort/hotel we have ever stayed in. The room was great, with a terrific view of the ocean so close you could hear the crash of the waves! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves tanning by the pool, seeing local sites, enjoying sidewalk cafes and generally relaxing. The weather was fabulous - 80 or so every day, but cool enough at night to sleep with the sliding glass door open to those crashing waves. I just can't say enough about the place. We're already planning another trip! The only sour note was that when we got back, we discovered that our camera and all those terrific photos are missing. Bummer. These are the only two photos we have; both captured on my cell phone. They will have to do!

A few updates....

2009-04-06T19:20:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Carey and I have a couple quick updates from Chicago:

First, we've changed the family blog we're keeping from sillielillie to radioflyeradventures. And the reason is that by this fall, Lillie won't be the only baby in the house! We're scrambling to get ready a little brother or sister, but hope to have regular updates.

Oh, and Happy 30th birthday Elissa!

Up Close & Personal at Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Sharing an event with a million or so people is thrilling, exciting and, of course, up close and personal. Talk about rubbing elbows! Susan and I had a wonderful time at Obama's inauguration. We headed out by train at Oh-dark hundred and were delighted to arrive in Washington D.C. by 6:30. We had been invited to a breakfast hosted by an Alaskan group and thought we'd have plenty of time to walk the six blocks and enjoy it before stolling over to the inauruation. That was before we saw the thousands of people who had made it there before us!

Inching our way through the crowds, we finally made it to our viewing spot by 9:45. But by then we were pretty jazzed - not to mention stylishly adorned by many layers of winter clothing (not to mention fashionable headgear and hair styles) to ward off the 23 degree morning.

We were really impressed with masses of humanity. The numbers of people who had come out through the throngs and cold and made the journey to share this momentous occasion was truly awe-inspiring. And so was the mood. Everyone was happy, friendly and full of good will - no kidding!

At long last the moment arrived and the 44th President took the oath of office. Hearing hundreds of thousands of people all cheering at once is something I'll never forget! But then, just as quickly, the crowd grew quiet to listen to President Obama make his inaugural address. He spoke of the challenges that face this nation and how we can overcome them, just as we have overcome so many adversities, including segregation. He noted that he took his oath to this highest national office in a city in which, just 60 years ago, his father could not have eaten at a restaurant. He said our hand will be open to all countries, but first they must open their fist. It was inspiring and encouraging. It was a spectacular day! More photos to be posted soon.

Susan & Kathy at the Inauguration

2009-01-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

Spent several hours on the mall Sunday enjoying the enthusiastic atmosphere and identifying our route for our big day tomorrow. There is an electricity in the air about this historic inauguration and we are really enjoying being a part of that. We were on the mall at the time of the concerts yesterday and were there "with" Springsteen, Beyonce and OBAMA!! That was thrilling.

We "wisely" decided to leave the mall at the same time that the concerts ended and experienced the overwhelmed Metro system. We both really appreciate that Kevin Sullivan got us tickets on the train for Tuesday so we won't have to deal with the crush of people that will likely be 10 fold then. We'll keep you "posted"!

Center of Attention

2009-01-04T08:14:00.001-08:00

After patiently waiting an hour for Lillie Sulllivan to wake up from her nap she finally entertained us with "stupid baby tricks" such as eating cheese, raiding Madelin's purse, and wearing sunglasses. We are so easily entertained! By the way, the sunglasses are still at your house Susan.

Disneyland!

2008-12-05T11:11:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-11-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

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

2008-09-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-25T03:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-16T12:06:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-06-10T10:55:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-02-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

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)

Lillie through one month

2007-12-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a look at some moments from Lillie's first month of life:

We'll continue to add pictures to this album as she gets older, so you can check back here or click on the slideshow for the link to the album.

And for those of you who are really baby-crazy (like we are here in Charlestown), you can watch this somewhat long youtube video too!

I just got back to work today from taking some leave, and Carey doesn't go back to her office until February. We've had Carey's parents here right after Lillie arrived, and my mom just finished two weekends here. More visits by both of Lillie's paternal grandparents and aunts are coming in January. We can't wait for all of you to meet her!

Hope everyone is doing well. Merry Christmas!

Life Update!

2007-10-16T18:23:00.001-07:00

I've had a pretty eventful couple of months so I thought it was about time to post an update on the family blog.

I graduated from Dartmouth in June (see left) with a Bachelors degree in History and Government. I was so happy to have the whole family there -- we're standing in front of my dorm building in the picture. It rained and rained all the day of graduation, and the ceremony was held outdoors, so we were all pretty bedraggled by the end of it. It was sad leaving campus and my home of four years, but I'm hoping to go back for a visit sometime soon.

I've been back home in Anchorage ever since, and spent most of the summer sleeping in late and catching up with old friends. I also spent some time poking around at job opportunities, and made a couple of trips back East for interviews. In August, I was offered a great job working as a business consultant for Oliver Wyman Management Consulting in Boston. The job starts in January, and I'm all geared up to move out there and move into Conor's old apartment on Beacon Street! In the meantime, I'm getting some use out of my degree and substitute teaching High School Social Studies in Anchorage. It's fun and flexible, and I'm enjoying my last few months at home before the big move.

That's all of my news as of late -- hope everyone is doing well!

Love,

Moira

Its a Keeper!!

2007-09-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

After many trials and tribulations in the homebuying circut, we've finally landed the big one!
It's '27 craftsman with the original . . . paint! I guess it's time to buy all 20 seasons of This Old House!

Andrea and I are, of course, stoked! We'll be living in the upstairs apartment while we "refurbish" the downstairs and try to get me graduated. Since this might require the sort of effort that you'd like at least recorded, we've set up a blog of our own so that our friends, family, and investors can view the damage. . er. . . progress.
www.dederandandrea.blogspot.com

We hope to hear from you all soon
D'n'A

sunset from my front lawn

2007-08-17T11:21:00.001-07:00

a nice litle jem i caught the other night. enjoy!

I bought a house!

2007-07-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

yep, my very first home! i've dubbed it a post-war shotgun ranch. it's a cute three bedroom in portland's newest up-and-coming "fo-po" (foster-powell) neighborhood. couldn't be more excited!!!!

i've got to thank my parents for their support and encouragement - i even got to use dad's lawyer (go larry!) when the seller got a little greedy!

First Harvest

2007-07-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

It's not the size that matters...right?

Gregor's Graduation - Up close!

2007-05-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Here's be better view of Gregor receiving his diploma. ;-)

~Kathy

Gregor's Graduation

2007-05-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

It's official! Gregor has his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering (with a concentration in aeronautical engineering)! our luck, for the first time in 20 years, it rained on graduation day, forcing commencement at Worcester Polytechnic Institute to be held indoors. That limited the seating, so while Armen, Elissa and I, along with Conor and Carey, were able to attend the ceremony, Gregor's girlfriend, Liz, and her mother watched the streaming video from another spot on campus. (Imagine that - a technical school having the capability of providing commencement online!) Armen and I couldn't be prouder!

It was a great event, with plenty of pomp and circumstance and regalia - but none of the extemporary hand springs and levity that are par for the course at a UO graduation, however.

Afterwards, Russ, Drew, Tess, Kyle, and Liz and her mother and father joined us for a meal to celebrate. There were toasts all around to the graduate and plenty of cards, gifts and good times. We'll be doing it all again next spring when Gregor expects to "walk" for his Master's degree!

There were 700 graduates at his commencement - causing a little "where's Gregor?" We found him, though...can you?

~Kathy

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Coming Thanksgiving 2007...

Meekins Memorial Bench

2007-05-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's in! The Meekins bench in the Anchorage Park Strip has been installed. (There will be additional rockwork around it.) It's located on the south side of the park along a walkway at G Street. Here's a photo of the bench that Genie took, featuring a couple of Maddie's friends.

I don't know about you, but whenever I see a bench and read the inscription, it usually leaves me wondering who were these people and why would a bench at this location have been significant to them?

For those of you who may not know, the park strip is near to Gramma's house, so, as we were growing up, we spent a lot of time there - playing tennis, softball, having BBQs, hanging out, skating in the winter. Also, that's where Russ' little league baseball team played (sponsored by Hustlin' Russ Auto Sales) and where Grandpa launched Anchorage's little league football. (Ask us sometime about the field striping fiasco that involved pancake mix.) Of course, the big bonfire to celebrate statehood was at the park strip and so many other communtiy events were held.

So, for our bench's inscription, I tried to describe Gramma and Grandpa and convey the importance of the park strip both to our family, personally, and to their contributions to the community. It will say:

Russ and Adele Meekins

Anchorage Pioneers Who Often Used the
Public Greenspace of the Park Strip
To Build and Celebrate Community

In Loving Memory,
Meekins Family

Hope you like it ~Kathy

Press Time

2007-05-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,

The intrepid Boston Globe just published a story on the work my lab does and what I've been doing for my Master's. But alas, I ended up on the cutting room floor and the undergrads that work for me get all the camera time.
This is probably the best short description of my research so far, so take a look!

PS. More big news to come hopefully

beautiful nicaragua

2007-03-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

i had an amazing time backpacking in nicaragua for two weeks with my good friend sage and i'm already figuring out when i can go back!

photos speak louder than any words i can write...

What Happens in Las Vegas...

2007-03-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I will tell you that Armen and I were in Las Vegas March 17-22. We visited several casinos and we did win money. There is no evid...I mean photos, but trust me, we made a lasting impression. We also saw Penn and Teller shoot each other and live to tell about it (pretty amazing!).

Naturally, we dined as several of the strip's finest restaurants - no buffets for us! While there, I attended an American Marketing Association workshop (the least I could do, since the City of Eugene paid my way) which left Armen on his own for a day a half with a rental car armed with a "Neverlost" navigational system. I suppose we'll never know the whole story on that... Anyway, we had a good time and do plan to return.

Next stop for us - Worcester for Gregor's graduation in late May, then, maybe, hopefully, Portugal! More on that later.

Kathy

Paris!

2007-03-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day, Carey surprised me by telling me she'd planned a trip to Paris for my 30th birthday....but we would be leaving that night! She'd packed my bag, and we left for the airport straight from work. I couldn't believe how well Carey was able to surprise me with this -- and it caused quite a commotion at the office!

We barely made it out on time with bad weather all along the East Coast, but once we got there, we had three and a half great days in France.
It was the first time either one of us had been there, and I had a chance to use my French that I'd studied for so long (it came back very quickly).

A lot of things seemed to surprise us: The people were nice, the prices weren't awful, and the weather in February was very mild (40s to high 50s -- that's balmy by Alaskan standards!). We got to do a lot in just 3 1/2 days, and if you want to see a photo-log of our trip, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/conor.sullivan/Paris and select the slideshow.

And of course I have to mention the food. We definitely enjoyed some fine dining and great wine, but Carey and I seemed to favor the crepes you can get on the street (Nutella with Grand Marinier was a favorite) and the Belgian beer. For breakfast, we're still missing the pain chocolate and a chocolate chaud or a cafe creme. It sounds like it wouldn't be good for you, but I'm sure it's really healthy because everyone there is so skinny.

What a surprise, and what a great way to spend my 30th. We've only been back a couple of weeks, and we already are thinking about when we'll go again. Who wants to come with?

Conor's 3-0

2007-03-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

Conor turned 30 on Friday, but his celebration really started 2 weeks ago with a surprise trip to Paris! We had such a great time...it was hard to leave. Here's a pic from our party on Friday, his special cupcake and candle (it was too hard fitting 30 candles on such a little cake!)...pics on Paris still to come. Happy birthday Conor!

i'm leaving for nicaragua on wednesday!!

2007-03-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

travelling around for 12 days with the fabulous sage asher (daughter of joanne asher of saks cafe in anchorage).

send me your addy if you want a post card :)

muah!

Skating Nationals in Spokane 2007!

2007-01-28T20:52:00.000-08:00

Drew and Julia with the now "famous" bear. We all signed the bear's shirt and Peyton, Shanleigh and Nyah threw him onto the ice after the long program.

Shanleigh and Nyah with the Bear.

Me and Tess in front of Spokane's premier shopping center. It was really fun to see signs in the windows of so many businesses showing their support!

Drew and Julia during their long program performance. Death Spiral and a lift. (Photos taken from our Luxury Skybox thanks to Kevin and his super rad lawyer!)

Drew and Julia currently in first place!

He's Wiki!

2007-01-10T13:41:00.002-08:00

Some light reading to get caught up your favorite skater...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Drew_Meekins

Thanksgiving Feast!

2006-11-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

Elissa joined Armen and me for a fabulous feast
on Thanksgiving. I cooked it all myself - and, as
you all may know, I'm not the "cook" of the house!

The menu included dry cure rosemary turkey; pan gravy; Southwest cornbrean and chorizo dressing; pear, macadamia and spinach salad with goat cheese and pompegranet seeds; fresh cranberry ginger relish; sweet potato-stuffed apples; accompanied by French white wine and pumpkin pie for dessert!

We have plenty left over if you want to come by for dinner!

Kathy

Turkey Day

2006-11-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

What's everyone doing for Thanksgiving this year? Where are you, who are you with, and what are you making? Post pictures of your day here!

Carey and I are in Pataskala, Ohio today. I'm just about to put the Berry Mallow Yam Bake in to broil with the marshmallows on top. Carey's made a great new appetizer with sausage, mushrooms and wonton wrappers....delicious!

We'll be eating at Carey's Aunt Carol's house, and staying around to watch the big BC-Miami game at 7:30 ET (GO EAGLES!!)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and may your gravy be great.

Conor and Carey

Rain and more rain...

2006-11-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows it rains a lot in Oregon. About a week ago massive landslides took out a parts of a little highway east of Mt Hood. I think these pictures say it all... except for one important detail: this little highway is the gateway to Mt Hood Meadows Ski Resort... where I just purchased a seasons pass! DOH!

Everyone around here is wondering just how quickly ODOT can clean this mess up! Will there be a ski season at Mt Hood Meadows?!

Update from Drew!

2006-10-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Grandma's Deli

Hey everyone! So you can thank Conor for this entry! I had dinner with him and the gang last night at Bertucci's and he motivated me to give this a try!

Well, as most of you know, I've been up to a lot with skating recently. Last year Julia and I won the World Junior Championship and became the World Junior Pair Champions of 2006. I was shocked when we won! I knew that we had skated very well, but I still couldn't believe it! I wrote a very long and detailed journal entry on my Website. If you go to the "Journal" section you will find the entry, it's dated April 4th. Also, I uploaded a video of our Short Program from Worlds. This is the first of two programs, and we actually finished fourth in this segment of the competition, but we skated well. I think its from a Chinese TV station...

I will try and get the Long Program on there too! It's too large in the format I have it in so I'll have to do something to it... The Long is much more fun to see because we skated last and so after we got our score we knew that we had won! It's really funny to see how we react!

Since then I have just been back to my normal routine. I went to Hawaii in April for Vacation, to Gdansk, Poland for a seminar on skating, and Obersdorf, Germany for a competition. In Germany, we came in second. We were happy about this for two reasons. First, we were only added to this competition two days before we left! The US team that was originally scheduled to compete there was injured and so we replaced them last minute. And second because this was our first Senior international event. Last year we were Junior World Champions, and now we compete in Seniors, which is the highest level.

I also performed in a show called "An Evening with Champions" at Harvard. The show was a benefit for the Jimmy Fund, which is for Children's Cancer prevention. Conor, Carey, Mo and Susan came to watch! I had a great time skating in the event and was glad they could come! Here is a picture from the event!

Now I am preparing for my fall events. I'm going to Nanjing, China on November 5th, for the Cup of China. It is a VERY hard event for us, and we don't really expect good results. Maybe around 6th. After China, we fly home, train at home for a week, and then go back to Asia to Nagano, Japan for the NHK Trophy. This is also a very hard event for us, so we are expecting about the same result. By the way, both of these events should be ESPN sometime in November or early December, so assuming I make the TV broadcast, I will be on!

All right, that's all for now! I hope I did this thing right! Take care everyone!

Love,
Drew

The Sights and Sounds of Russia

2006-10-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the article I wrote for the Frontiersman about my recent trip to Russia for a Youth Environmental conference. Take a look!

On a muggy mid-August day, six Alaskan youth arrived after a 24-hour flight to the Moscow International Airport. Eagerly making our way through customs were six Alaskan teenagers: two from Anchorage, two from Ketchikan, one from Fairbanks and me, a Wasillian. Sleepy-eyed and sore as we were, had an air of excitement about us, and for very good reason. We would be spending the next 10 days meeting with other youth from the world’s other northern regions and discussing ecological problems of the present and the future.

The event was the 4th Annual Youth Ecological Forum, created by The Northern Forum. Past years have been hosted in Alberta, Canada; Hokkaido, Japan; and Akureyri, Iceland. The Northern Forum decided upon Khanty-Mansiysk - an autonomous “okrug,” or district – in western Siberia for the 2006 Eco-Forum. This year’s chosen theme focused on Oil and the Environment.

As we began our Russian experience with three days in Moscow, we took in essential tourist sights, including St. Basil’s Church in Red Square as well as the grave of Lenin, the Armory and the Diamond Fund. Even the sweltering heat didn’t keep us from exploring The GUM, a famous mall in Red Square. Later, we met fellow Forum participants from various northern world regions: youth from Canada, Iceland, Japan and St. Petersburg all began their travels in the historic city.

After several urban excursions, the group of now 18 northern youth made our way - by a considerably shaky plane ride - to Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia. The region is a principal center for Russia’s booming oil industry and made a perfect place for the forum to focus on the oil industry and its environmental effects. The Russian participants, numbering over 200 in all, greeted us upon arrival. Many more excursions were to follow, to locations such as the province’s Geology, Oil and Gas Museum and Research Institute of Information Technologies. The Forum quickly became a multilingual experience for the 230 participants, as most of them spoke Russian. Translators accompanied groups to nearly every event as to ensure opportunities to learn and participate for all.

The Northern Forum established the Youth Eco-Forum as not only a way for the youth of northern regions to discuss environmental issues, but to raise cultural awareness and understanding. Each delegation presented to the group about the culture and environment of their respective regions. Participants were able to find common ground with each other, and soon found that language barriers did not have to keep them from having fun and making friends. In the evenings, delegates of all cultures and languages could be found lounging in the hotel lobbies together, exploring the sights of downtown Khanty-Mansiysk, or just making a quick run to the nearest 24-hour store.

We also had the chance to ride down the Ob river where we admired the beautiful sights, sang karaoke – the Western delegates were happy to teach the Russian teens the art of the YMCA dance – and threw pennies over our shoulders where the rivers converged for good luck. On the last night, the Forum held the closing ceremonies at a dance club and, after breaking a sweat on the dancefloor, we enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display set to music.

In the culmination of the fun and learning-filled week, the participants split into separate groups simulating real-life organizations, such as the government, mass media, and education system. In these groups we presented our plans to work with the other branches of society in together promoting ecological culture in the population. These ideas, refined through discussion, became the resolution of the IV International Ecological Youth Forum.

Included in the resolution was an agreement to promote ecological awareness through TV shows, radio and the internet, encourage better environmental education in all levels, and government support of local-level ecological organizations.
The 2006 Youth Eco-Forum was a gathering of the world’s northern teens to address environmental issues. But more than that, it was a way for cultural barriers to be broken and international connections created - and that is the first step to effecting real change in the future of the environment and the people of the world.

It's Cookie Time!

2006-10-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well it's October, which means it's the official beginning of Cookie Making Season! While Tim and Terrill went to see Man of La Mancha at the PAC, Shanleigh and I had a great time making Fall/Halloween cookies and even more fun frosting them! Here are a couple pictures of the big, fun mess we made last night. Sending lots of love everyone's way, Happy Autumn!

My Portland Marathon Adventure

2006-10-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

It was actually fun, really! I went to sleep full of pasta and hydrated to the max, making sure to set not one, but two alarms for 5:15am. Woke up with no problem and made it to the start by 6:40am.

My parents were there at the start to show their support. It was amazing I found them in that sea of people, noise, and emotion. My dad's bright yellow shirt was quite helpful :)

I posed for a quick pre-race photo, and took my place in the pack of runners next to two friends. It was really exciting and unreal to finally be starting the race after months of training and planning. The hundreds of spectators and performers lined up at the start was incredible, in particular the booming sound of 10 drums pushing us along. The sun was just coming up at this point as we headed south, slightly uphill.

I couldn't have asked for more out of the race in all aspects. The weather was nice and cool, I had lots of family and friends meeting up with me along the way, and my friend, Janette from Bend, even ran the last 4.5 miles with me. Her incredibly positive energy was great - she helped charge me up and even pass close to 50 runners in the last two mile stretch. I finished strong at a time of 5:26!

Would I do it again? I think so... Care to join me?

Rendezvous in Portland

2006-09-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, a series of events brought Sterling and I to Portland where we met up with Elissa to have a fantastic and fun dinner at "Montage" restaurant in downtown. We had a great time enjoying the Cajun cuisine and almost burning the place down with our reckless abuse of the table candles (okay, my reckless abuse of the table candles...) It was fun catching up and we hope to be back in Portland soon!

Coffey Park

2006-09-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about Coffey Park the other day. The picnic table, the rope swing... I guess there wasn't really too much to it :) Anyway, I randomly did a google search, but couldn't find much beyond a mention of it on the snowplowing schedule... if anyone has some pictures of us playing down there, I'd love if you posted them on here!

Hibachi

2006-09-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

It took almost two years, a boom truck, an airplane hanger, a flat bed, a fork lift, a bobcat, two changes in homeowner association leadership and a lot of help, but it is finally moved. And just in time since the fence builders will be here on Wednesday. Plan on BBQ's for next summer as soon as the patio that its going to sit on is built.

CATCH ME!!

2006-09-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Portland Marathon is right around the corner!

Remember to send me telepathic Wheatie power (no soggy power) on October 1st, between 7am and noon ;)

Download a course map and my splits so you can track me on race day. My parents will be meeting up with me at various mile markers to cheer me on.

Kathy and Armen's 30th Anniversary

2006-08-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful ceremony and reception! Along the banks of the McKenzie river in Armitage Park, just north of Eugene.

Take a look at the photo album

Picture Distribution Complete

2006-08-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

I hope you all are enjoying your pictures that have recently been sent to you via the excellent courrier services I hired. Susan took all the pictures to the east coast, Bill and I delivered Kevin's on the Kenai and Barb and I brought the rest to west coast Oregon group. As you can see, sorting out these pics was a monumental task that I had procrastinated on doing for a year or more. The big blue tub on the right is the container that these pictures were in at Grandma's House, just all jumbled up in it. It was a process that took about 3 days of sorting and about 2 weeks of thinking, " I should go out in the garage and sort pictures". Thank goodness for summer vacations from school or this would have never gotten done!

Moira turns 20!

2006-07-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

On July 21, the Meekins and Sullivan crew threw a surprise party for Moira's 20th birthday at our new place! Susan, Tim, and Sterling all flew in to Boston for the big night. Moira came down for a recruiting open house and had no idea that everyone was in town! We grilled up some of the salmon that Carey caught. What a great surprise...the picture says it all! It was a fun evening with everyone in town.

Sauvie Island Flat Half

2006-07-18T10:41:00.002-07:00

Go, go, go!! As part of my training for running the Portland Marathon, October 1st, I'm running two half-marathons this summer. The first was on the 4th of July on beautiful Sauvie Island, just NW of Portland. http://www.sauvieisland.org/ My finishing time was 2 hours 32 minutes, which I was very happy with! Getting ready for the next one, in Champoeg Park http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_113.php

Welcome

2006-07-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is a blog for all the "Meekins kids" and grandkids to keep in touch with pictures, videos, and stories about what's new. Write me an email and I'll set it up so you can publish to this blog. To kick it off, I'm attaching a picture of the 55-lb king salmon that Carey caught on the 4th of July!