Connecticut 2006:
Hello Everybody,
The Connecticut meeting is coming to a close. I am in the lobby waiting
to give a hand to participants leaving for the airport and home. Since
I drove down here with my minivan and being the handy kind
of guy, I am helping out with transportation. It also gives me the
opportunity to say final goodbyes to the many new friends I've made
here.
We all met Thursday evening, 9 ladies and 12 men, in Jama's suite to
get acquainted. Jama (and her helpers, Linda, Jerry and more of the
guys)
had prepared sandwiches, potato salad, chips and
dips, fresh fruit, homemade cookies and brownies, and more, and people
got the
chance to become familiar with each other. This was above all a social
and friendly gathering, so we had to break the ice somehow. Then
we adjourned to the meeting room where Margaret and Judy had planned a
surprise wedding reception for Jama and Scott who got married last
Fall.
We went to Mystic, CT on Friday. The Mystic Seaport Museum is a
historical reproduction of a turn-of-the-century whaling community, and
has many displays and interpretation centers. There were many old
fishing and whaling ships upon which it was possible to board and
visit. One of these boats is reputedly haunted! I haven't met or
seen the resident ghost, but I found it very interresting to see how
these old tall ships operated and how mariners lived a century
ago. For dinner, we went to Abbott's Lobster in the Rough and
most of us had whole lobsters as you can see by our bibs!
Yesterday, I went out for an afternoon cruise on Scott and Jama's
sailboat. She's a 28' sloop, and although we didn't go very far, I
think I'm hooked onto a new little passion.
I've been invited to have some private sailing lessons here, and you
can be sure I'll take Scott up on his generous offer soon.
It was a fantastic experience for me, and I'm looking forward to being
at future meetings. Meanwhile, there's the Monteal meeting this fall to
start planning for...
See y'all
Marc
San
Diego!
October 28-31,
2004
We had a great time! Friday
we went to the San Diego
Zoo and wore ourselves out walking/rolling all over the place
(some of
you bums took the bus tour after we got separated!) then Friday night
we ordered pizza and ate by the pool/hottub.
Saturday we rode the
trolley from Old Town to the Harbor and went on a 2 hour cruise of the
harbor, then back to Old Town for some shopping and great Mexican food,
some of us in our Halloween costumes. Tatiana Freedman wore the
best costume I have ever seen (see the picture below).
Sunday
some
left
early
and
the
rest of us goofed off while those
with energy went to Seaworld. Then we went to dinner at Ricky's
(not
recommended - a long 2 blocks away, no ramp and the food wasn't
special).
Monday, a few
of us went to the Maritime Museum and checked
out the
Victorian era ferry Berkeley built in 1898, and the
Star of India (where Captain and Commander with Russell Crowe was
filmed). I went down the stairs into the lower decks (with a
little help of course) and got to see
the Captain's cabin...Very interesting!
*****
Las
Vegas
Halloween 2003
We
had 10 ladies and 10 guys, plus a couple of guys who
were there for an evening,
plus some friends
of 2 of the ladies who joined us for dinners
and some activities. So there were about 25
in all, but I think all 25 were together at only one
time for dinner on Halloween night.
We
went to the Casinos (of course) but casino time was
more or less on one's own or after an
evening's
activities. We ate at the hotel mostly -
there
was a cafe and a buffet for 3 meals a day, but we did get out for
dinners
elsewhere a few times. On Friday night we all dressed up in our
costumes
and went to the Fremont Street Experience (light shows and lots of
things
to see, plus shops, restaurants and bars) for Hallowe'en and it was a
hoot!
Everyone there was dressed up too and the costumes were great!
I think
we
should do Halloween there every other year!
Then on Saturday, we went to the Strip to see some of the new hotels
and casinos and displays there. Some saw the Bellagio Fountains - a
water and light show that was
breathtaking. The group I was with went to the Monte Carlo and
the Venetia - a
hotel with gondola rides indoors and outdoors, painted ceiling
reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel and then we went to New York New York
and to the Nine Irish Gentlemen's Irish Bar, which was wonderful -
Irish songs, and dancing, and the bar patrons often danced up in the
front with the performers. When they saw our wheelchairs, the crowd was
parted and we were escorted right up to the front which
was very nice since it was very crowded.
We had dinners of sandwiches and chips, etc in my room a couple of
nights to save on eating out every meal. A few arrived on Wednesday,
and most everyone stayed until Monday, so it was an extended weekend.
But everyone had a great time.
I know I did! 
New
Orleans
March 2003
We had a blast as
you can see here! There were 6 ladies and 6 guys in attendance and
one more lady, Kelly, who came for
one day on Friday, who we hope to
see again soon!
Orlando, Florida
Spring 2002
Orlando was great!
The
weather was beautiful!
Some of us went to Epcot Center,
Seaworld,
and of course
we
went
shopping and ate out!
People started arriving Wednesday
evening, I
drove and
didn't get there until late Thursday evening,
but Lorry was there
keeping
everything under control until I got there...
Thanks Lorry!
RENO, NEVADA
June 2002
We had a great time in Reno, stayed at
Circus-Circus Hotel and Casino,
but for the LasVegas conference, I think I will choose a smaller hotel.
If not for cell phones we would never have managed
to keep the group somewhat together.
Here is a picture of some of the group at the Jazz Festival...
Galveston,
Texas
Fall 2002We thought we
were
going to be rained out, but we all managed to float our way down there
and had a great time! The rain even managed to let up enough for
us to enjoy our outings the Johnson Space Center, the Oil Drilling Rig
Museum, The
Strand (historic downtown Galveston), and Moody Gardens. Some of
us even made it to the Kemah Boardwalk for dinner Friday night at Joe's
Crab Shack, as planned, and the rest of us ate at Joe's Crab Shack in
Galveston! So I guess you could say we all had dinner at the
'same' place, if not together! Seems like we ate seafood
every night, but "when in Rome...".Then at night,we hung out on the
"veranda" every night until the wee hours to talk and get to know each
other. Everyone had a great time and promised to come back next
time, so those of you who weren't there, try to make it to New Orleans
in the spring or fall of 2004!
San
Jose 2001
Conference
