For all those who care...
Jeanna and I openned grandma's "swimmin' hole" a couple weeks ago!
Elija was the first one in the water this year. All in all it seems the winter was not overly harsh on the pool, and more importantly the water level did not drop significantly and the leak we repaired last fall on the east skimmer was successful...the filter sand I'm told was replaced and the water has been clearing ever since. Perhaps with some help from Aunt Annie we can get the chemistry right and the official openning of the pool will go forward with the tossing of the first father into the pool this Sunday....stay tuned!

Oh, I almost forgot...Happy Fathers day to all whom it applies!!

I want to say a special thanks to the the "Jean's" for the zen garden they created in my back yard. They transformed the weed patch along the back of the house into what will eventually be a beautiful spot full of hosta's and a barbary bush, among other things. So far Vianne & Stanley have enjoyed it from afar...Thanks Girls. As soon as I get a digital camara I'll post some pictures.
In other news...Elija looks forward to being finished with the forth grade, and Mrs Zoller in particular. Despite having some difficulties with her at the end of the year, he managed to be the most improved student in Math and his reading scores improved by more point than anyone else in his class...good job Elija. We finished reading "Peter & The Starcatchers" a must read on anyone's summer reading list. Next week we'll be attending an open house at Camp Tracy in Oakland. It's a day camp that features a climbing wall, a lake for water sports, a 3/4 scale replica of Fenway park, along with a 50 ft. climbing wall. We're looking forward to a visit from the big Z (Zeb) for hockey camp in a couple weeks.
That's it for now from Sidney...I'm off to Hockey. Peace out!

Uncle Tony's New House

Finally Tony has a place to call home. He's excited about his new home and hopes to be more settled in the next few weeks. He says he has limited landscaping (hint, hint), but knowing Tony--he'll have this addressed by the end of the summer. We're all excited about his move and hope to have many family functions in a place with great KARMA!

Fighting Joe Doesn't Get US

Phil, Jean, and I golfed an amazing golf course today called Fighting Joe. It's a beautiful Robert Trent Jones Course in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. We were warned by the bagboy that Fighting Joe was a tough course with a lot of punch. When we first started out we thought perhaps he was right, but after a few shaky first three holes, we were able to tackle ol' Joe to the mat and make him pay---well, really Phil paid for our lunch and we cut our losses! What a beautiful day at 77 degrees and no wind! Enjoyed every moment.