Sophie's World
My name is Sophie and I am a Tibetan Terrier just like Josie was, even though I never knew her. I was born on May 31, 2013 and went to live with my new parents…
389 images6 videos
Scotland 2024
Our 3rd tour with Tauck, this time a clockwise small-ship cruise around the Scottish Isles bookended by a couple of days in Glasgow at the start and a couple of…
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Nikkei Popup Dinner at The Essex
Chef Colt Taylor held his first post-CoVID special event dinner at The Essex with a Nikkei (Peruvian - Japanese fusion) popup collab with guest chef Jorge Jorge…
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Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024
The 2024 solar eclipse reached a maximum of 91.4% here in Essex, CT. Luckily we had perfectly clear skies for most of it until high clouds started moving in…
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Hawaii 2024
After our usual one week in Honolulu, we tried something different by spending our first week on Kauai renting an oceanfront condo on the south shore. We…
291 images2 videos
Winter Warmer Cassoulet
Cassoulet, it's what's for dinner... and dinner.... and lunch.... and dinner.... 馃構
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Latkepalooza 2023
Our congregation's Friday night Latkepalooza was even larger than last year. Maxine turned 15lbs of russet 馃 into mass quantities of GF latkes, so good! 馃構
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Trees in the Rigging, November 2023
Essex, CT's Trees in the Rigging land and boat parade was back after being canceled last year due to severe weather. It was cold and windy by the water, but the…
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Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey at The Katharine Hepburn Performing Arts Center
A wonderfully joyful and inspiring concert by Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey at The Kate in Old Saybrook 馃幎馃幎
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CT River Museum Summer 2023 Concert Series
The "Thursdays on the Dock" free concert series is back for another season on the lawn of the CT River Museum
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Alaska, June 2023
Our second trip with Tauck started in Anchorage and into Denali for a week, followed by a week cruising from Valdez down the Inside Passage to Vancouver. We…
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CT River Osprey & Eagle Cruise on the RiverQuest, Spring 2023
Our mid-March eagle cruise on the CT River was canceled due to weather and the first availability for reschedule was late April which turned out to be a…
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Hawaii 2023
We did another 7 weeks in Hawaii this year, one in Honolulu followed by 6 on Kauai. While the first two weeks started out beautiful, the remaining five were…
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Old Farms Alumni Dinner
Get together with old friends and neighbors at Fiore's Restaurant in Middletown, CT
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The Second Total Lunar Eclipse of the Year, November 2022
The previous lunar eclipse in May was a bit of a bust because it was so foggy, but early morning Nov 8 offered crystal clear skies which made for quite the…
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Fall 2022
Sophie wins 2nd place in Dogs on the Dock, Fall foliage along the CT River, CBSRZ Blessing of the Animals, and an Essex Glen Halloween gathering
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Dogs On The Dock 2022
It was a gorgeous October day for Dogs On The Dock and it was the biggest turnout yet. Sophie won 2nd prize for her beer keg costume.
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Fall 2022 Swallow Cruise on the Onrust with Deb
September 2022 cruise on the Onrust from the CT River Museum dock in Essex to view the seasonal murmuration and nesting behavior of the swallows on Goose Island…
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Irene, Jeff, and Deb Visit Myra, Fall 2022
Myra's sister Irene and her husband Jeff visited from DC at the same time that Deb was back East during September, 2022.
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The Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park
In July, 2022 we used Tauck for the first time to take us on an intimate and fast-paced 10-day tour of the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park in…
352 images
Cupcakes and Music for Myra's 86th Birthday
It was a beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful woman, my mother Myra on her 86th birthday.
2 images1 video
CT River Museum Summer 2022 Concert Series
Although we were doing more travel this summer, I volunteered again to do event photography for the CT River Museum's summer outdoor concerts based on my…
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Total Lunar Eclipse May 2022
I was only able to take a couple of photos of the total lunar eclipse and the "blood moon" 馃└馃寫 before the fog closed in
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The Burning of the Ships Parade 2022
Early in the morning of April 8, 1814 during the War of 1812, the British torched 27 privateer ships in Essex, CT harbor. This was the largest naval loss in…
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CT River Eagle Watch Cruise
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Hawaii 2022
Our return to Hawaii after a 2 year pandemic pause, we stayed 1 week in Honolulu followed by 6 weeks at our timeshare on the North Shore of Kauai. In addition,…
262 images4 videos
Latkepalooza 2021
CBSRZ's 6th night of Hannukah celebration was a return of the Latkepalooza 馃晭馃暞. With an expected attendance of close to 90, Maxine was on duty to be part of…
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Deb and Mary Fall 2021 Visit
After 2 years of pandemic isolation, Deb & Mary came East from Hawaii for a three week visit. During the first several days, Myra's sister Irene and husband…
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Theatre, MOMA, and Fine Dining in NYC, October 2021
We planned a two night stay in NYC to catch a matinee of Sara Bareilles reprising her role in Waitress. It was an opportunity to use a "CoVID raincheck" at the…
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Dogs On The Dock 2021
After a 2-year hiatus, Dogs On The Dock returned to the CT River Museum in which Sophie sported her new pirate costume
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Connecticut River Headwaters to the Sound
The CT River Museum hosted a day of stories and song with the Nehantic and Abenaki native nations
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Fireboats & Firefighters, 9/11/2021
A 20-year family-friendly commemoration of 9/11 by the Essex Volunteer Fire Department at the Connecticut River Museum
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BMW 330e Hybrid Delivery
The first PHEV in our family arrived when Maxine picked up her brand new BMW 330e. No boring colors for her since her new car has to match her hair color!
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Lake George 2021
It was great to get together with Max's family again in Lake George after 2 years of not seeing them during the pandemic
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Summer / Fall 2021
Lobster rolls, outdoor concerts, epoxy coating the garage floor, Essex Halloween decorations, and Dogs On The Dock returns
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CT River Museum Summer 2021 Concert Series
I volunteered again to do event photography for the CT River Museum's summer outdoor concerts. The "Shanties and Sails" series were 4 consecutive Tuesdays…
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Myra's Move to Ocean Meadow
August 2021 was the beginning of a great new chapter for my mother Myra that was a couple of months in the making. We moved her from the memory-care facility…
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Myra's 85th Birthday
By June, 2020 all of us were fully vaccinated against covid and were able to celebrate Myra's 85th birthday in person
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Hanukkah 2020
Hannukah in pandemic times was a little bit different since we couldn't gather with friends or family in-person. Instead we did a family zoom and held our own…
1 image2 videos
CT River Museum Summer 2020 Concert Series
In Summer 2020 I volunteered to start doing event photography for the CT River Museum in Essex. The "Shanties and Sails" series are weekly on Tuesdays. These…
239 images
Myra's 84th Birthday
I hadn't seen Myra in 5 months, right before we went on vacation for the entire month of Feb. When we returned in March her memory care facility went…
7 images1 video
Pandemic Passover 2020
Our family virtual seder via Zoom during the height of the CoVID-19 crisis
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Hawaii 2020
This trip to Hawaii started with an overnight at the TWA Hotel at JFK, then 4 days at The Prince in Waikiki, followed by the entire month of February at Hanalei…
107 images2 videos
Old Saybrook Torchlight Parade 2019
Every year in mid-December, Old Saybrook, CT holds a huge parade down Main Street that brings together fife and drum corps from throughout the Northeast, along…
12 images1 video
Fall Celebration Dinners at The Essex
Chef Colt Taylor at The Essex always has something special up his sleeve. This Fall he hosted a Peruvian tasting dinner followed by three other dinners over the…
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North and South Carolina 2019
A late October trip to visit our friends Karen Zabrensky and Jim Hoffman in Oldfield, SC and then up to Charlotte, NC to visit with friends Maureen Beurskins…
41 images2 videos
Dogs On The Dock 2019
Dogs On The Dock is an annual event each Fall along the Essex, CT riverfront. There's a blessing of the dogs, costume contests, and lots of treats.
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CT River Swallow Cruise
Every September, the swallows nest on Goose Island in the CT River and put on an amazing show of murmuration flock behavior. We took a BYOB cruise from Eagle…
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Lunch at The Ocean House in Watch Hill
It was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon to have a post-season lunch with friends overlooking the water at the Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI
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Cutest Dog at Bridges Dog Show, 2019
Sophie with Max's help won cutest dog at a show held at Bridges, the memory care facility where Myra is a resident
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Deb Visit Fall 2019
Deb flew in from Hawaii for 2 weeks, visited with Myra, and stayed with us for 3 nights
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NYC for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, 8/15/2019
A whirlwind 24 hours of going into NYC for a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
3 images1 video
Onrust Brunch Cruise 2019
A beautiful Sunday morning for a CT River brunch cruise leaving from the CT River Museum in Essex
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Newport, RI 2019
We were attending a friend's daughter's wedding in Newport on a Saturday evening, so we made a weekend of it. We drove in on Friday, had a nice waterfront…
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Myra's 83rd Birthday
A really nice birthday lunch to celebrate Myra's 83rd birthday at Bridges in Norwalk
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Hawaii 2019
Two major firsts for us this trip - our first time vacationing on the North Shore of Kauai during February and our first time spending a full month away
80 images
Thanksgiving 2018
Flo, Lynn, and Leslie hosted a terrific Thanksgiving again at the Ardsley Community Center. We hired a wonderful companion, Jamie Sandoval, to accompany Myra…
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Images Sous-Marines
The first public exhibit of my underwater photography opened at the Main Street Gallery at CBSRZ in Chester, CT on Aug 26, 2018. It hung there for 2-1/2 months…
57 images1 video
Home for Sale
Right after July 4, 2018 we put our home of 24 years on the market as we started construction on our new place in Essex, CT. This is what the house looked like…
62 images
Maxine's Bat Mitzvah
There was a lot of chanting going on in our timeshare while we were in Hawaii, and it wasn't just native Hawaiian songs. Max was practicing for her adult Bat…
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Myra's 82nd Birthday
Deb and Mary were visiting from Hawaii for Myra's 82nd birthday celebration at Atria Stamford
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Hawaii 2018
We just can't seem to get rid of Billy and Becky Laughlin when it comes to Hawaii. So back again for yet more fun above and below the water.
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Grand Cayman 2018
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Boston 2017 and the URJ Biennial
Deb and Mary were visiting from Hawaii and joined us for the Union of Reform Judaism Biennial in Boston. Our congregation had a platinum delegation and Max and…
15 images1 video
Long Meadow - Muscoot Farm 2017
A beautiful Fall Sunday morning was perfect for the annual Run The Farm road races at Muscoot Farm in Katonah, NY where Long Meadow provided the entertainment
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Lutz Museum Farm Day 2017
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon over Labor Day weekend playing with old friends Long Meadow and a Mountain Laurel 30 year reunion for the Lutz Children's…
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Solar Eclipse 2017
We only got 67-68% obscuration for the solar eclipse here in CT, but we still had a great time gathered with hundreds of others at the observatory on the…
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Lake George 2017
Great weekend weather for Maxine's sibs to all get together for the first time in over a year at Lake George. Also some white water rafting on the Sacandaga…
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Hawaii 2017
Back to Hawaii with friends Bill and Becky Laughlin. Several days in Honolulu visiting with Deb and Mary, two weeks in Kauai, and lots of good diving.
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Chef Max Cooks Up Spice-Rubbed Pork for the Blue Apron Video Contest
Count along as Max drinks and cooks her way through Brooke Williamson's Top Chef-winning recipe of Spice-Rubbed Pork for our submission to Blue Apron's video…
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Grand Cayman 2017
We headed back to Grand Cayman for our 5th year of doing the Cayman Cookout, followed by a week of diving, eating, and relaxation
136 images
CT Wine Tour - Labor Day 2016
Deb and Mary were in from Hawaii and the weather was looking really nice. Instead of battling traffic for a long distance road trip we decided to get together…
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Celebratory Brunch for Deb and Mary
Deb and Mary came back East in September to visit for the first time since their wedding in Oahu in May, 2016. To celebrate for those that were unable to travel…
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Hawaii 2016
Our 2016 trip to Hawaii started in Oahu to attend Deb and Mary's wedding . Then we headed over to our Hanalei Bay timeshare once again for 2 weeks. Max's…
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Deb and Mary's Big Wedding
Sixteen years in the making, my sister finally! got married to the love of her life Mary on a bright, wonderful Spring afternoon in Kailua, Hawaii. Maxine and I…
87 images
Maxine's Month of Endless 60th Birthday Celebrations
March was quite the birthday month for Max. First we threw a surprise birthday/retirement combo party for her, the following weekend was a sibs get-together in…
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Grand Cayman 2016
Our fourth time attending the Cayman Cookout hosted by Eric Ripert, Jose Andr茅s, and Tony Bourdain. Unfortunately, Dave was precluded from diving this trip due…
121 images
Middletown House 1998-2015
Various photos around and about our Middletown house from 1998 through 2015
52 images2 videos
Sarah and Steve Shapiro's Wedding
A picture perfect weekend in Lake George for the wedding of our niece Sarah Strasser and her fianc茅 Steve Shapiro
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Freeport, Maine - Labor Day 2015
Our first real road trip with Sophie was to Freeport, Maine over Labor Day weekend 2015. Perfect weather and dog friendly accomodations, parks, and restaurants…
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Hawaii 2015
Same as last year, we spent several days in Honolulu before our two weeks in Kauai at Hanalei Bay Resort . However, Deb and Mary were traveling in Vietnam at…
130 images
Grand Cayman 2015
Another January trip to Grand Cayman over MLK weekend and the following week, for our third Cayman Cookout followed by a week of diving and golf
181 images
Cassoulet
Bill and Becky Laughlin gifted us some duck leg confit, so with some duck wing and goose confit that we already had in the freezer, it was time to make a…
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Sushi Yasuda NYC, December 2014
A winter weekend in NYC and the most amazing omakase experience at one of the world's best sushi restaurants
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Durham Fair 2014
A beautiful Fall afternoon at the Durham Fair turned up some nice photo-ops
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CT River Cruise 2014
We had such a blast the previous year on Dan Nocera and Jeff Cohen's pontoon party boat , that Max was not to be deterred during the Middlesex Community…
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Newport, Labor Day 2014
Mansions, ocean views, great weather, and great food for our Labor Day getaway to Newport, RI
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Seafood Paella, July 4th 2014
What would Independence Day be without the ritual sacrifice of tasty crustaceans mixed into an authentic paella cooked up by Max! Billy and Becky Laughlin…
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Hawaii 2014
We extended our trip to Hawaii this year, spending a couple of days in Honolulu with Deb and Mary before heading over to Kauai for two weeks at our Hanalei Bay…
163 images
Reivan 80th Birthday Dinner
Great dinner out at Michael Gennaro's to celebrate Reivan's 80th birthday
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Grand Cayman 2014
Our second year attending the Cayman Cookout, the sixth year of the event itself. We paced ourselves a bit better this year, having learned some (but not much)…
136 images
Evie Ladin & Keith Terry House Concert, Nov 2013
Thom and Lisa Sayers hosted a house concert by Evie Ladin and Keith Terry on a cold November Saturday night
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CT River Pontoon Boat Cruise
Dan Nocera, an instructor at Middlesex Community College , offered up a 3 hour cruise on the CT River with him and his boat-buddy Jeff Cohen as an item for the…
23 images
Hawaii 2013
We returned to the North Shore of Kauai for two weeks at our timeshare with a brief stopover in Honolulu to visit with Dave's sister. Max's sister Rhona and…
139 images
New York City, March 2013
We joined Max's best friend Maureen Beurskens and Marke Baker in the city for a winter weekend of Book of Mormon and some mighty fine dining and sightseeing
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Grand Cayman 2013
Back to Grand Cayman, this year a week earlier in January so that we could attend Eric Ripert's Cayman Cookout, the permiere culinary event in the Caribbean
103 images
Deb Fall 2012 Visit
A beautiful Fall day for a brother/sister top-down drive around the Litchfield area and a lunch stop at the Hopkins Inn and Vineyard on Lake Waramaug
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Lake George 2012
Surprise get together for Florence at Robbie and Janie's lakeside house on Lake George
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Flo Kling's 75th Birthday Bash
On June 17, 2012, Flo's kids- Glenn, Michael, and Leslie - organized a birthday celebration at the Westchester Table Tennis Center
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Hawaii 2012
Back again to Kauai, this time with astoundingly better weather than the previous year, and with our good friends Billy and Becky Laughlin along for the fun
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Passover 2012
The Zeleznik and Klein families gathered at our house for the second night of Passover
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Florence Klein's 79th Birthday in NYC
Family gathered at the Water Club in Manhattan to celebrate Flo's 79th birthday
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Pleasant Lake, NH 2011
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Kennebunkport 2011
July 4th weekend, 2011, we went with Deb and Mary to Kennebunkport for their first visit to Maine. Josie becomes the center of attention wherever we go.
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Myra's 75th Birthday Celebration
Family and friends gathered at Splash Restaurant on the CT shore for a luncheon to celebrate Myra's 75th birthday
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Hawaii 2011
Our Spring 2011 trip to soggy Kauai. Two weeks at our timeshare in Princeville, lots of torrential rain, but beautiful skies when it cleared.
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Washington DC, 2011
March 2011 visit to Washington DC for a medical conference and some sightseeing
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Rhythm and Roots 2010
The Rhythm and Roots Festival in Charlestown, RI over Labor Day weekend 2010
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Myra & Reivan Hawaii Feb, 2010
For a number of years, Myra and Reivan spent 1-2 months during the winter in Honolulu staying with my sister Debra
66 images
Caribbean Cruise 2010
Our Jan 2010 cruise from Barbados to Ft. Lauderdale aboard SilverSea's Silver Shadow
121 images
Rhythm and Roots 2009
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Lake George 2009
In August, we spent several days in the Lake George area, staying with Max's step-mom Flo at her place in Warrensburg, NY
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Galley Bay, Antigua, 2009
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Paris 2008
In September, 2008 I was in Paris on business and met up with Ed Stern, friend and fellow MMB'er
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Hawaii 2008
Our Spring 2008 vacation to Hawaii, we spent one week in Oahu and one week in Kauai at our Princeville timeshare
84 images
Keukenhof Gardens, April 2008
For approximately 3 years starting in June 2007, Northwest Air offered direct flights from Hartford to Amsterdam. This was extremely convenient for my business…
38 images
Durham Fair 2007
Deb and Mary were visiting from Hawaii, so what better Fall activity than a day at the Durham Fair
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Italy 2007
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Las Vegas 2007
A gloriously inebriated trip to Sin City with friends Billy and Becky Laughlin. The only documentation of what happened in Vegas are these pictures from the…
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Mystic Dance Competition, March 2007
17 images1 video
Virgin Gorda 2007
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The C么te d'Azur, December 2006
A beginning of December trip to the south of France for ILOG Visualization Team meetings and a side trip to Aix-en-Provence
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Thanksgiving 2006
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Halloween 2006
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Arthur Murray Dance Competition, 2006
We thought we might be ready for our first dance competition after taking lessons for a year. Well, we were right.... sort of...
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Puerto Vallarta 2006
The entire family gathered in Puerto Vallarta to celebrate Myra and Reivan's 50th anniversary
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New Year 2006
New Year's Eve celebration with friends at Vivo in Hartford and Sophie has a New Year's Day playdate in the snow
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Halloween 2005
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Kerry Rugens Farewell Party
Catie and Mike Olinski hosted the neighborhood to give a warm goodbye to Kerry
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Green Mansions 2005
At the end of July, we visited Flo and Joe at her place in Green Mansions, near Lake George, NY. One evening, Robbie and Janie joined us for a very nice dinner…
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Passover 2005
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France 2005
Combining business and pleasure during our January 2005 trip to France. We are initially delayed for 3 days getting to Paris because the NYC airports are…
124 images
Thanksgiving 2004
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Halloween 2004
Josie goes trick-or-treating with Mommy and Daddy (or how she dressed like a duck and got lots of treats)
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Hawaii 2004
61 images2 videos
The C么te d'Azur, February 2004
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Vermont 2004
Two trips to Vermont during the Winter of 2004, first by ourselves to explore Woodstock and go snowshoeing, then a couple of months later with friends Kerry and…
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The Grand Ole Opry October, 2003
Max had started consulting for an electronic medical records company in Nashville who took us out to the Grand Ole Opry the night before we flew home
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Hawaii 2003
A couple of days in Honolulu with Deb and Mary, and then to Kauai for a week at our Hanalei Bay timeshare
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Normandy and St. Tropez, February 2003
Several days in Deauville, Normandy for ILOG company-wide meetings, followed by some time in Sophia-Antipolis for discussions with my team and a side trip to…
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The C么te d'Azur, October 2002
Trip to the south of France for ILOG team meetings and some recreational sightseeing
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Las Vegas & The Grand Canyon, Spring 2002
A brief stay at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and a road trip to the Grand Canyon
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Versailles 2002
During a business trip to Paris in April, 2002 I took the train to Versailles on a sunny Sunday and spent the afternoon strolling the gardens
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New Year 2002
Just a few months post 9/11, the neighborhood gang opted to celebrate New Year's eve at the Saybrook Point Inn
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New Year 2001
New Year 2001 was another neighborhood progressive dinner for which Max was tasked with cleaning pounds of lead from the quail that Lance Richards had shot, or…
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Thanksgiving 2000
Thanksgiving at Rhona and Howie's house in Chadd's Ford, PA with the entire Berzon, Strasser, and Beson clan
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Paris - October 2000
I had a business trip in October, 2000 for meetings at ILOG's corporate headquarters in Gentilly, just on the outskirts of Paris. Although it was pretty grey…
41 images
Berkshire Weekend - Fall 2000
At a Hartford Hospital silent auction fundraiser, we won a weekend at a large cabin in the New York Berkshires on a beautiful piece of property. We spent a…
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New Year 2000
We continued our neighborhood tradition of New Year's Eve progressive dinners again in 2000. This year the theme was "Decades", where each couple was assigned a…
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Italy 1996
Our first European trip after getting married was a driving tour of the northern half of Italy, starting and ending in Milan and getting as far South as…
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Dave & Max Get Engaged! Bermuda, 1992
We'd been dating for a little more than a year when Max and I scheduled our trip to Bermuda so she could attend business meetings. I planned to propose while on…
2 images
Northwoods
Northwoods was a quartet in and around Fairfield County, CT during the late 1980's with Mara Beckerman, guitar and lead vocals; Tony Griffin, lead guitar,…
8 images
Mountain Laurel
We were young, we had a band, and we played bluegrass at all the classiest dive bars in CT
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Dave - The Wonder Years
Dave's childhood, growing up first in Mt. Vernon, NY, then moving to Stamford, CT for kindergarten and elementary school, then to La Mirada, CA for junior high,…
130 images
