How To Post #1

I've been wanting to do this for a while in hopes that my fellow posters on this blog would post more stuff.

This is the first "How To" post for you guys and other readers of the Cardonafam blog. Since there are so many videos on YouTube, I thought it would be a good place to start. I wanted to put the video here but the screen size would have been too small.

Please feel free to comment on how to make this better or request your own "How To".

Click here for How To Post YouTube Video on a Blog

Auditions For An Action Movie

I think that was Dave with the nunchucks...

Could Be Aliens

Well, it could ...

Valdivia woke Wednesday morning to find that her family's inflatable pool, hip high and 10 feet in diameter and filled with water, was stolen from her backyard in the middle of the night. There is no evidence that the water was poured out, pumped out, evaporated or drunk.

Have A Good Weekend

Turn It Off

... Or at least get it under control.
That's what I've always said....

Don't Mess With Us Old Folks

We can be mean.
Chick, remember what we talked about.
Yeah, we'll be ready when the barbarians come.

Saving Grace

Very interesting series began Monday on TNT.

Holly Hunter stars as Grace Hanadarko, a tormented, fast-living Oklahoma City police detective who, despite being at the top of her field, takes self-destruction to new heights. After seeing tremendous tragedy in her life, both professionally and personally, Grace lives life hard and fast. She drinks too much, sleeps with the wrong men and defies authority. Grace has a tender side with her 22 nieces and nephews, but that is a side that most of the world doesn’t get to see.

It all catches up with her one night when, as she’s driving too fast after too many drinks, she hits a man who is walking along the road. In an uncharacteristic moment, Grace asks for help, and she gets it – in the form an unconventional angel named Earl . Earl tells Grace that she is in trouble and running out of chances, but he wants to help lead her back to the right path. The journey, for both of them, will not be an easy one.

In addition to Rippy, the cast also includes Kenneth Johnson (The Shield) as Grace’s partner; Gregory Norman Cruz (Criminal Minds) as detective Bobby Stillwater; Bailey Chase (Las Vegas) as detective Butch Ada; Bokeem Woodbine (The Big Hit) as a death row inmate who figures into Grace’s struggle and Laura San Giacomo (Just Shoot Me) as the criminalist who, despite having strong religious beliefs, is the only one in Grace’s life who does not judge her.

I caught the first episode. It's a little raw for free TV but the redemption angle caught my attention. I'll give it a few weeks.

CRUISE PICS

We are planning a second family reunion in two years. Probably in the Poconos Family Resort in celebration of Mami and Papi's 50th Anniversary. Possibly the end of June, Summer of 2009. Start saving your pennies now.

The Panther

Those of you who follow the show probably have seen this already.
I think I hurt myself laughing.

Softball

Many years ago I was struggling with the hectic schedule of two kids in little league, a wife that wanted to play on the ladies’ church softball team and my own desire to play on the church’s men’s softball team. A wise mentor friend of mine took me aside and told me, “Tom, Let them play. These are the only years they will have the time or desire. You can play when you’re late into your fifties.”
Well he couldn’t have been more right. They played while I attended, cheered, drove around and supported all of them. This year was my turn. After a long absence, I (finally) enjoyed a season of Christian fellowship and good spirited competition with my church brothers.
Most of the games I never paid any mind to the score. I was having fun, running the bases making lucky catches and laughing at my own errors. And in the stands was my family cheering me on.
I played my final game a few days ago and I made some new friends. Hopefully next season my schedule will permit me to play again. Until then, I’ll put my softball gear back into the garage . . . and put my golf clubs into my trunk.

Yikes!

I'd like to talk to the one who feeds him.

Thriller

This is just plain weird.
These are Filipino inmates who just had to find something to pass the time.
Chick, MJ's got nothing on these guys.

Hairspray

Hairspray The Movie.

I got talked into going tonight by Blues Eyes and the daughter. Glad I went.
It was a musical so it's not for everyone but it was worth the price of admission if only to watch John Travolta dance in drag.

It was really fun to watch. Great music and good laughs.

Blues Eyes

The picture of our house below reminded me of this picture.
August 1976. She was 17 and stole my heart.
She still has it.



What was she thinkin? No wonder her father had reservations.

Our House

To give you a visual for this post, this is the home we grew up in.
Our house is the one with the blue arrow.
Click on the picture to see a bigger image.
It was 4 shots that I put together in Photoshop to give it the panoramic view.



By the way, the reason our house looks looks a little brighter than the rest is one hot summer day in 1970, Ulyses Jr. got off his lazy arse and painted the house on his own. It still stands.
That's not Photoshop, baby.

Vacation Shots

Duck Tour

Friday Stupid

Mid-Week Funk Buster Worship JAM

Not that I'm in a funk.... Actually, I've been in pretty good spirits since coming home from vacation.

This song makes me want to run back to the Pentecostal Church and shout.
It's an oldie but goodie. Thanks to Ron for the CD.

Best lines:
For the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you.
That they drop powerless behind you.
When you praise him.

His name is Russ Taft and the man has got a voice and a set of lungs.

Turn it up, raise your hands and shout "Yeah!" somebody....

New Bathroom Floor

IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A PARTY on the tenth floor....
YOU'VE BEEN DRINKING A BIT...(not that you would...)
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE BATHROOM.

You open the door....

NOW, REMEMBER,THE FLOOR IS JUST A PAINTED FLOOR

KINDA TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.....DOESN'T IT?

Addison Update

Hello everyone! Well Addison is a month old today and I thought I'd share some pictures with you. Angela and Jonas asked Mike and Jenn to be her Godparents and of course they are thrilled! Her eyes are still very blue and we're hoping they stay that way.

Take care,

Maureen

El Cantante

Chick, me and you boy. First night out, I'm there.
Ron, if you were here it would be the 3 of us.
Hector. My hero. This man can sing. Echale salsa!!

Transformers The Movie

Un. Freekin. Believable. THE summer blockbuster.
Ulyses

For Nick and Brenda

Had to stop...
Ulyses

Bike Ride

We wanted to bike all the way to the Art museum but that would've been 25 miles up and 25 back. Too much for this old man (at this point anyway). We drove to the nearest train station with our bikes on a rack. SEPTA allows you to take your bike on the train. So we rode the train to Suburban Station near the Art museum and caught the bike trail there. 25 miles and I'm feelin pretty good.

Beautiful day and beautiful scenery.
Oh yeah. We had to stop for a few Philly soft pretzels.

Another snack that rocks my world. Add a little Deli mustard...Yum...

Made it

Actually, we cheated. Details later.
Ulyses

25 miles to Philly

Ron and I are doing the bike ride to the Philly Art museum. I'll let u
know if I can do the Rocky run when we get there.. Cue the music...
Ulyses

Free Internet Access PC at Burger King

This alone would woo me back to PA.

Maybe not but when I saw this, as Pop would say,

"Me dio algo en mi huevito".

Pass me the fries...

Vacation Food

Do we all eat more when we're on vacation? Holy Hamburger!

Philly Cheese Steaks,Philly soft pretzels, Puerto Rican tostones with fried pork, Rita's water ice, New York Pizza, NY cheese cake, NY hotdogs, NY bagels, Lansdale stromboli, Alaskan King Crab, Polish sausage, Italian pasta... somebody stop me. I'm joining these guys when I come home.

Friends

I had forgotten how green Pennsylvania is. Driving through its narrow roads and highways the heavy foliage on either side gives the appearance that the roads are smaller than in FL. They may be. But having thick bushes and huge trees make them appear much smaller. It's a beautiful state, especially as you leave the city.

Speaking of size, every time I come back to PA I make it a point to always visit the neighborhood I grew up in. Everything seems so much smaller. Did it shrink or did I grow out of it? The streets and alleys seem narrower, the sidewalks are smaller.

Another thought: what evidence is there of the events that took place on these streets and alleys so many years ago? You can look up local government records that show we owned a home in this neighborhood for 13 years. But you won't find an official record of an 11 year old boy sledding in front of a neighbor's house on a cold, snowy evening as a cute little girl watched him from the warmth of the inside of her house (i knew she was watching). A little later she's allowed to come out for a while. As we sit on the porch discreetly holding hands the short, innocent kiss that followed warmed up the entire neighborhood.

Official records also won't show the hot summer nights we endured as we awkwardly made our way through adolescence. The neighborhood is lined with row homes on both sides of the street. Living so close to our friends forced us to get to know each other very well. No official document exists detailing the long bike rides, heated arguments and fights, the Y fair, Crossing the Delaware, Hide and Seek using a 15 block radius, Going On A Treasure Hunt (x marks the spot), lazy summer days reading Vince's comic collection, step ball and The Game (don't ask).

There's a great line in the movie Stand By Me that says "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Does anyone?" Ed, Bob,Vince, Cathy, Debbie, Suzy, Julie, JP are names and faces that I will never forget as long as I live.

Orson Wells had it right in Citizen Kane. After all his fame and fortune, at the end of his life it all came down to one word: Rosebud.

This post is dedicated the memories of Bob and Ed.
May they rest in peace. We will never forget you.

Catching Up

I’m way behind. We’re already in New York. We all went to see the Broadway show Wicked last night. More on that later. After working on the fourth of July and getting through the whole network mess at work, I flew out to Philadelphia by myself Thursday morning. Blue Eyes, Lisa and the Little Guy drove up. Don’t ask why but I wasn’t about to spend over 14 hours in a car. Not this little gray duck.

Anyway, I landed Thursday morning and promptly jumped on a train that took me all the way to Lansdale (my hometown). Ron picked me up and we tried to see as many family members as possible while I waited for Blue Eyes to arrive. We visited Titi Patria, Tio Tito, who happened to be at her house playing dominoes and Tom came by too. We saw Titi Ema and Tio Manuel who were visiting Carlos. We visited Tia Pupe and Carmita and I got a chance to spend some time with Tio Gilberto. I was on visitation overload but it was great to see everyone. I had dinner with Ron and Roxane then he dropped me off at Jim’s house (my brother in law) to wait for the wife. We arrived at the same time. Have I mentioned she has a lead foot? Later on that night I picked up my boy and his fiancé from the airport and the fam unit was complete.

Friday we drove to Valley Forge and spent the day there. Many fond memories there. in our teens, Blue Eyes and I would go there and drive around looking for a good place to park where we would discuss the issues of the day ;-).

Saturday we spent the day at Bill’s house swimming and eating and eating some more. Ruben and his family were there along with Blue Eyes’ sister and her daughter from Chicago. It was a Teichman fest.

Sunday we drove into Philly and did the historic Liberty Bell, Independence thing along with a Duck Tour. Quite the adventure. Later on we hit Pat’s Steak in South Philly. Rocky says Yo.

Monday Jim took us out on his boat. He took us to a lake near Pottstown. Had a great time. Sunny and hot. I’m getting so dark Ron and I are lookin like brothers. Tuesday Adam and Sarah had to fly back home so it was off the airport again.

Our original plan was to take public transportation into NYC. It was the cheapest and most hassle free option. Since we planned on only staying overnight that option had to be discarded due to the length of time it took to get there and the time we had to leave to come home. We would’ve arrived in the city too late to really make it worth the time. So we rented a minivan and drove the two hours. Me and six women in a van. I had my iPod. Life was good. It was Laurie and Lisa, Barb and her daughter and Mary and her daughter.
We arrived around 12,had lunch and walked through Central Park. The weather was close to perfect. We returned to the hotel to get ready, had dinner (Alaskan Crab) and we were off to the Gershwin theater. The play was great. Hat tip to the three stooges (Kim, Cindy and Leslie) for the recommendation. Everyone loved it. We then walked Times Square till midnight then crashed at the hotel.

Thursday most the girls spent the day at Canal Street shopping while Blue Eyes, Lisa and I walked Central Park (perfect weather) and visited the The American Museum of Natural History . Great time. We then had dinner and headed home. We arrived at 8:30.Two hours. Perfect.

I know this has read more like a schedule but it's late and I'm tired. More thoughts on the trip tomorrow.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Walkin through Central Park

Financial Tip Of The Day

It is the little things that count and make a difference.

This is also true in personal finances.

Be very aware of what charges you bank charges. It make a BIG differnce...

Father's Day Survivor Challenge

As many of you know, we had to postpone our Father's Day activities because Jonas was soooooo insistent on being included that he willed Addison to be born on Father's Day! Three weeks early!!!! So, we held our Father's Day challenge on July 4th. Below is a video that depicts the activities that took place. We look forward to next year's challenge!

Picnic at Valley Forge

Vacation

Just landed in Philadelphia. Visiting family and friends. We will be
blogging the trip.
Ulyses

Did I mention that we danced??

And then we danced some more!

...and then we danced!

The wedding ceremony was beautiful and very emotional for all of us. But once we got over that, we had a party! And boy did we dance!

The Father of the Bride

This pretty much sums up how I handled the whole thing!