Sunday, December 25, 1988

1988 Christmas (12/25/1988)

Sunday, December 25, 1988
Merry Christmas!

The alarm went off and then the phone rang. It was Mary Jane summoning us for the opening of the gifts. Got to Mary Jane’s about 6:40 and by 7:00 all the gifts were opened by Kyle, Erich, and Ben. We had brought several gifts for both Kyle and Erich, a Pitch Back, the Crossfire game, a Nintendo carrying case, a mystery book-puzzle, a computer game (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego), and the Larry Bird/Red Auerbach Winning Basketball video. They each got the 1988 Topp’s updated baseball cards.
Had breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, stolen and croissants, and we brought a large fruit salad. The kids were more into their activity projects and had momentarily forgotten the new Nintendo games! (Crossfire ended up being the most popular!) Their big presents were a body surfing boogie board for Erich, and a bike for Kyle. We left at 9:30 to open our own gifts.
Our fireplace
Our Christmas tree
Kyle
Erich
Christmas card designed by Terry B

Sunday, November 13, 1988

1988 Chicago (11/10-13/1988)

Thursday, November 10, 1988
After work I did some final chores before driving to the airport for my 19:44 flight to Chicago. It was delayed 15 minutes because the plane was late coming in from Chicago. Once underway, the pilot used the PA system to introduce all of the crew, and explained in detail our itinerary, and gave weather updates and pointed out landmarks along the way. An hour before landing we were told we were in a holding pattern and might land an hour late. But we were given permission to land and were only 10 minutes late. After deplaning I ran to the bathroom, and when I came out I hear a Mr Tamiko Stumpe being paged, and was told to go to counter 27. Kent met me along the way and he thought the plane was on time and they were late. They being Kent and Stuart T, whom we were visiting after Kent’s business in Chicago. Stuart drove us to Barrington, IL and I met Cheryl before going to bed at 23:00, or midnight my time.

Friday, November 11, 1988
Happy Veteran’s Day!
After breakfast, the kids (Michael, who will turn 4 in December, Sonja just turned 6, and Cecelia, 10) went to pick up Cecelia’s friend, Brooke, and we all drove within a half hour to Long Grove, a quaint village of a few cross streets that you entered through a covered bridge.
Entering Long Grove
The shops were full of crafts and gifts. There was a bakery, and we window-shopped at a wonderful confectionary.
Apple Haus with Brooke, Sonja, and Cecelia
Clock
A pewter shop, bridal shop, and toy stores. There were horse-drawn carriages.
Horse-drawn carriage
Kent and Stuart
Robert Parker Coffin Road shops
A neat place. Hunger was proclaimed, so we returned to their Dodge Caravan to drive in search of food. Stopped at a Burger King. We then went to the Lake County Museum where we forewent the museum with a mastodon bone, in order to feed the Canada geese. The kids went off to collect cattails and came back covered with prickly seeds. Then they broke open the cattails to release thousands of fuzzy airborne seeds.
Cecelia, Sonja, Michael, and Brooke
surrounded by cattail seeds
We cleaned them up as best we could and drove home. A babysitter arrived about 16:00 so the adults could go to Bob Chinn’s Crabhouse. We were there early enough for the Early Bird special of unlimited salad and raw bar. Kent and Stuart took advantage of the deal, and went first to the raw bar for clams and oysters, a half dozen of each at a time. Kent went three times and Stuart five. Cheryl and I shared a blue crab claw appetizer, about 20-25 bite size claws in a garlic butter sauce. My hands smelled like garlic for days! I also had the salad bar (no raw bar for me!). Then I had the shrimp scampi, seven jumbo shrimp in a buttery garlic sauce. Kent had Chinese pasta primavera, large noodles in a dark sauce with small shrimp and fish, and Chinese vegetables. Cheryl helped eat Stuart’s entrée of grilled grouper. We also had parsleyed potatoes. I ate all of my dinner, but the others took doggie bags.
We next headed downtown to the School of Folk Music after being given brief directions. Harder was finding a parking space and we eventually took one in a residential permit area. Arrived just before the start of the 20:30 show at the school’s auditorium called Mr Coffeehouse. The first half of the program was presented by the staff and students of the school. A banjo player with a corny song, a former student and songwriter sang one of his songs, an uninspired “changes,” and lots of folksy dialog. Then an Irish music ensemble with some good jigs. They needed longer songs to get it together and the fife player was drooling through his instrument at the end.  There were two flutes and a fiddle. Next was a very good picking guitarist with a decent voice, but not enough confidence in his guitar playing. He also did a duet with a staff flautist. The second half was presented by the headliners, Peter and Lou Berryman, with fair voices, decent guitar playing, good accordion playing, and clever lyrics. Funny for a while, but soon got old, and all that folksy dialog!
There was lots of traffic coming into Chicago, but we breezed out, paying 40 cent tolls to return home just after midnight.

Saturday, November 12, 1988
After breakfast everyone dressed up, and we drove into Chicago with lots of traffic. Rapid transit trains kept passing us! Cheryl and I were dropped off with the kids, and we found if we paid a donation of $4, we could enter to get the kids to the Junior Museum. But we missed the 10:30 class for children. We waited for Kent and Stuart to arrive after parking the van. They had bought tickets to the Paul Gauguin exhibit, and Stuart gave me his ticket. We went to wait in line for the 11:30 group. Finally crowded in, and mostly peeked over shoulders at a chronological viewing, showing a variety of works with some classical painting styles, a Van Gogh-like style, and then his own style. Not all island girls! Lots of self-portraits, plus sculptures, woodprints, and some of his collection of native carvings. We then wandered around the museum, passing many Impressionists and through some medieval art. Saw the Marc Chagall stained-glass windows. We returned to the Junior Museum much earlier than the 13:00 timetable, but although they were keeping busy, the kids were glad to go and eat. We got in the van and headed to the Ed Beveken’s, a 1950s type diner, but there was a long line. Not as long as the line at the Hard Rock café! So we went to the Ed Beveken’s in Skokie, IL. I had a barbecue chicken sandwich with coleslaw and water. Kent had the chili with macaroni, beans, onions, cheese, and crackers. The kids’ meals came with tokens that could be traded in for small toys. The waiters/waitresses were purposely loud and obnoxious. Back at the T’s, I had a nap, and later we played Trivial Pursuit. A family friend, Jerry M, stopped by.
Another babysitter was brought in at 19:30, and the adults went to Lake Zurich to find an Italian/pizza restaurant. Decided on Baldino’s on the Lake, which didn’t have pizza. I had salad and a huge portion of lasagna, and a pitcher of water! Kent and Stuart had the antipasto and Cheryl had potato skins, and they shared a pitcher of beer.
Back at the T’s we watched a tape of the show where Geraldo Rivera gets his nose broken. Then watched the movie “Wall Street.”

Sunday, November 13, 1988
Played Pictionary. We had leftover seafood pasta primavera for lunch, and headed for the airport at 13:15. Our 15:48 flight was delayed, and the gate was changed. Left about 16:15, and were given a snack. Arrived in Providence at 19:30, picked up our baggage, and got the car to drive home.

Sunday, August 7, 1988

1988 NYC (8/5-7/1988)

Friday, August 5, 1988
Kent arrived home soon after 15:00, and we left a note for Gerald G who may use the house, and drove to T F Green Airport. Parked on the ground level of the parking garage and checked in for our 16:45 Delta Business Express flight to LaGuardia. This was going to be the weekend trip gifted to us by ISPO. We took off at 18:00 in a Fokker F-27 propeller plane for 44 passengers. Apparently it was bigger than what was scheduled, and it was open seating. It had big window portals. Kent started talking about the “Out of Towners” movie! We don’t need that kind of adventure!
I had to look at a map to see how we were approaching the airport, but I did recognize the Whitestone Bridge. Arrived and deplaned about 19:00 and walked out of the terminal to see the sign for the Carey bus that indicated it stopped at the New York Hilton. A bus pulled right up and we boarded for $6 each. Air-conditioned, unlike the taxis! The traffic was all tied up at the airport, but after stopping at all the other terminals, we moved quickly. The driver was a big bald black guy with an accent (fitty-t’ird for fifty-third). He seemed very nice and helped a man who didn’t seem to have the money (traveler’s check or too big a bill) by letting him get change at the next terminal stop. He also unloaded luggage for some girls, which was surely not in his union contract. We came down Park Avenue for a full frontal view of Grand Central Station. We were dropped off at the Hilton, and had to get in a line to check in. They have a weekend special with breakfast included, so I went to pick up the breakfast coupons. Up to Room 2711, using the plastic magnetized cards as keys. After we settled in, we left, passing many, many Japanese guests. Those guests that weren’t Japanese were also foreign.
We walked down 54th and crossed the Avenue of the Americas to the Tango Sushi Restaurant, where Kent had eaten before. Fine nouveau-Japanese cuisine. I had a Perrier and Kent had a Kirin beer. We shared an order of Tekka Maki/tuna sushi roll as an appetizer, raw tuna in rice wrapped in seaweed, with some wasabi. It came in three rolls, each cut into six one-inch pieces! But we ate them all along with the ginger. I had shiitake mushrooms “filled” with shrimp. They were three huge mushrooms and were cut in half. They were dipped in tempura batter and fried, then soaked in a ginger and soy broth. Kent had the Salmon Ageni, slices of salmon fried in tempura batter, then simmered in a broth with green onions and button mushrooms. Very tasty! We cleaned our plates, but didn’t slurp the broth! Left $67 including tip.
Got some mints at the door and walked up the Avenue of the Americas, then down 55th Street past numerous restaurants, mostly Japanese, with Chinese and Italian, and one Indian. At 5th Avenue we turned left and at 57th Street we found the Trump Tower, with terraced areas of trees filled with miniature white lights.
Trump Tower
We walked into the lobby of marble, with lots of brass and glass. It is supposedly the tallest concrete structure in New York. Saw some hanging gardens and an 80’ waterfall down one marble wall. Peeked in a jewelry shop, then left to head up 5th Avenue to 53rd Street, and back to the hotel.

Saturday, August 6, 1988
Up at 8:00 and went down to the Café New York where we could use our breakfast coupons. But there was a long line out the door. So we went to the McDonald’s a couple blocks away, but it didn’t open on weekends! We headed over to the Broadway Theater at 53rd Street to see when the ticket office opened for “Les Miserables;” at 10:00. A block over at 7th Avenue and 53rd Street we saw Lindy’s Corner, which was open for breakfast with no lines. I had the Lindy’s corned beef hash with two eggs over easy, some fried potatoes, and toast with tomato juice. Kent had the same with coffee. Left $26. No one who worked there spoke English as their first language. In fact, New York is full of foreigners, especially on weekends when it is mostly tourists. We returned to the hotel to brush our teeth, then head out again to wait at the Broadway Theater until 10:00. When they opened the doors, we learned they only had single seats left. We went down Broadway to Times Square to see that TKTS was open, and got in line for the twofer specials. Then we found out they were only selling tickets for the matinees at this time. We wanted an evening show, but didn’t want to come back at 15:00 in the middle of sightseeing. So we went to try “Cats” at the Winter Garden Theater; same thing. We picked up a Theater Guide to realize that “M Butterfly” starring John Lithgow was the 1988 Tony Award winner for Best Play. We hurried to the Eugene O’Neill Theater on 49th Street to manage to get two end of row seats in orchestra for $40 each. They warned us they were partial view seats, but at this point we didn’t mind. We at least had our evening plans settled.
We walked over to the Museum of Modern Art on 53rd on the other side of the Avenue of the Americas. It opened at 11:00 and there were long lines that moved quickly. Paid $6 each to enter and first went to the second floor.
Museum of Modern Art guide
The museum supposedly has been renovated to double its exhibit space. We went through the Garden Hall with a Picasso or two to the Monet Water Lilies Room with two major murals. Next was a Pablo Picasso room then the Cubists, including Georges Braque side by side with Picasso showing nearly equal style. We doubled back through rooms with Gustav Klimt and a woodcut by Edvard Munch called “Angst” (1896). There were a couple post-impressionism rooms with a Paul Gauguin, an Edgar Degas, and Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” (1889). A Paul Cézanne room.
We walked down a hall with Mexican revolutionary-type art to the area of surrealism with Yves Tanguy and Salvador Dalí. Saw a shadow box “The Little Theater” (1934) by Dalí with eleven painted glass panels lined up in front of each other. A room for Alberto Giacometti with both paintings and tall skinny sculptures. A room for Joan Miró and another of Dadaists, primarily Man Ray and Alexander Calder, with prints, collages, sculptures, etc. A huge room for Picasso with a central sculpture and the “Charnel House” (1944-45). Charnel House is a place for keeping the dead. Many of the Impressionists also did sculpture.
Paintings by Vasily Kandinsky, and the smaller prettier ones by Paul Klee. A room of Henri Matisse with paintings and sculptures. Some loud Constructivism in a stairwell, a room of Piet Mondrian squares, Futurism starring Umberto Boccioni, some Expressionism leading to Marc Chagall paintings and a Le Corbusier. Back through Cubism and we were done with the second floor, or so we thought! Saw the photography wing with a wide variety of artists including Lee Friedlander.
On the third floor we first went to Prints, featuring Matisse illustrations of books. Pre-war America with an Andrew Wyeth, a Georgia O’Keefe, lots of Arshile Gorkys and more Mirós. Post-war European featuring Jean DuBuffet and Willem de Kooning. Also Early Abstract with many from Jackson Pollock, the first of the paint drippings paintings we were to see. A late Matisse room showed where he made paper cutouts of swimmers and divers from colored paper to create four walls of the “Swimming Pool” (1952). We saw more contemporary art, with Andy Warhol being the only familiar name. The smaller Drawings room had Jasper Johns, another Warhol, and an exhibit of modern allegories by Robert Rauschenberg to illustrate Dante’s “Inferno.” Some of the drawings were titles “Fagend” which is a frayed end of cloth or rope, or the inferior remnant of something exhausted in quality and utility. Many of the paintings were done in gouache, which is a method of painting using opaque water colors mixed with a preparation of gum. We sat for a while in the Garden Hall, watching Japanese kids pose for pictures; little 2-3 year olds posing quietly and cooperatively! We also looked down on the outdoor sculpture garden/court with Picasso’s pregnant goat (“She-Goat, 1950).
We went up to the fourth floor with design posters and a helicopter! Saw Le Corbusier, Adolph Loos, and Egon Schiele through architectural plans and models. Passed a display of modern design of furniture, lamps, plates, bowls, appliances, etc., including those of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Antoni Gaudí, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the ubiquitous Man Ray!
Next we went down to the ground floor, first to see an exhibit titled “projects,” which was very hilarious. This project was “Fauna” by two Spanish artists (Joan Fontcuberta and Pere Formiguera) who put together notecards, videos, audiotapes, and photographs apparently based on the work of a German zoologist, showing rare species made of real animal parts! There was a Decontructivist exhibit showing Russian art and contemporary architectural designs which fracture geometry and seem to defy gravity. A large exhibit of Garry Winogrand photography, who was more into people than events, and used a fish eye lens to create a focus on the subject. At the end of his life he left 2,500 rolls of film undeveloped and 6,000 more photos unproofed! We continued to a lower level to see a large poster exhibit, and the theater level with French cinema posters. Back upstairs we made our way through the gift shop, and after a good three hours, we were done!
We walked over to 5th Avenue and debated what to do about lunch, deciding to first go to Tiffany’s. The elevators were slow. So we took the stairs up to the top floor (fourth) to look at the chinaware. Nothing special. A quick look at crystal, then down to look at silver and leather, then down and out.
We checked out the Trump Tower restaurant, but decided to go to the Market at Citicorp Center at Lexington and 53rd Street. There is a skylighted Atrium with an indoor garden café and international restaurants and shops. Kent had been there, so we went to Alfredo’s to eat, supposedly the real Alfredo’s of Roma, the originators of Fettuccine Alfredo. Their only other US concern is at EPCOT in Disney World! We arrived just after lunchtime when the tables had placemats. We were the first to have a cloth tablecloth for the dinner shift. We had iced teas, then Kent had a glass of white wine with his meal. We shared an insalata caprese, where I had one large slice of mozzarella and tomato, and Kent had two. Whole basil leaves and a jug of olive oil as dressing. The waiter ground the pepper. I had the Fettuccine Alfredo with funghi porcini, which sure tasted like morels! A nice smooth cream sauce, with tasty mushrooms in broth poured over it all. Kent ordered the taglierini, but they didn’t have it, so he got the pansotti, called tortellini, but were like triangular ravioli with an herb and garlic filling, and a walnut and garlic paste to spread on top. Very tasty! The bread was covered with sesame seeds and was also still warm, and delicious. Kent finished with a cappuccino, and we left about $60.
In the Atrium was a display of Hollywood costumes which we perused.
Market at Citicorp Center brochure
Outside in a corner of the Citicorp building was a church, St Peter’s that blended in with a modern exterior. We couldn’t find our way inside, so we don’t know if it is still a church. However, Mass times were listed.
We walked up Lexington Avenue to 59th Street to Bloomingdales. It was open until 18:30, so we had time to check out their chinaware. Didn’t see any Limoges that we really liked, but saw possibilities by Villeroy & Boch, and Heinrich. Also looked at duvet covers, but they are all in solid colors. We returned to the hotel to change out of shorts and t-shirts. I looked down from our window at the streets below and noticed a predominance of yellow taxis over any other form of transportation, probably 5 to 1.
Shortly before 19:30 we started walking down to the Eugene O’Neill Theater, arriving just before the doors opened. Out front an old guy was fiddling, never finishing a song and interjecting old jokes. We took our seats and read the programs.
M Butterfly program cover
M Butterfly program
The curtain was raised at 20:00 on the excellent, excellent play, where it was easy to believe a man played the part of Miss Chin, etc. (Alex Mapa did so tonight) even though it wasn’t part of the story. But the star, B D Wong! Afterwards we read carefully through the credits and noted that any use of gender pronouns was avoided, and it was because she was a he! (And that was meant to be so in the story where a French consul in China has an affair with a Chinese spy who plays a female, but is actually a male. The French consul paralleled his side of the story to “Madame Butterfly” with excerpts from Puccini’s opera. We recognized Chris Odo from Nissan commercials, and the warrior skills of Jamie H J Guan. George N Martin is a Trinity Rep player and is in local New England TV commercials. Some interesting characters in the audience, too, with a Jewish Tammy Faye Bakker and her deaf mother who shouted comments during the play, and the fat smelly daughter.
After theater, we walked over to 55th Street with all the restaurants, and stopped at the basement La Bonne Soupe. Got a great deal in ordering soup, but the bread was a disappointment: soft crust. We had a simple green salad and a large bowl of soup. Kent had French onion and I had mushroom barley with lots of celery. For dessert we shared a crème caramel and a chocolate mousse with whipped cream. I had club soda and Kent had white wine. We were done as the place closed at midnight. Left about $16.50; a cheap supper!

Sunday, August 7, 1988
Up very late at 9:00. We went down to join the line at the Café New York. Some pushy Spaniards got in ahead of most of the people. We got a window table next to them! We used our coupons towards the scrambled eggs with salmon (chopped lox!) and lots of onion, hash browns, and a toasted bagel, which came after toast was brought by mistake, and we never got the cream cheese. I had tomato juice and Kent had coffee. The coupons were worth $15 and altogether our breakfast and tip cost about $28.
We checked out and left our suitcase at the desk. We walked up the Avenue of the Americas where policemen were gathering and blue wooden sawhorses were being set up. Kent asked a policeman about the blockade, and he said there was a Dominican Republic parade to begin at noon.
We went to Central Park and hiked up and down the small hills of the wooded section of the park, passing the skating rink, playgrounds, joggers, skaters, bikers, etc. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, because Dyckerhoff provided the cement for building the museum, Kent took photos of the immense building, one of the greatest museums in the world, with Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, Near East art and antiquities, European art and fine arts, and American decorative arts.
We continued up 5th Avenue at a good clip to 89th Street and the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in the spiraling building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We paid $4.50 each to enter, and instead of waiting in the long line for the elevator, we started walking up the ramp. We passed the exhibit on Modern Treasures from the National Gallery in Prague, first with paintings from Czech artists, then their Impressionist paintings from Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, Paul Gauguin, also Gustav Klimt and Henri Matisse. Some very fine pieces. In the Justin K Thannhauser Wing was an impressive collection of mostly Impressionists. As we ascended, there were the collection galleries of 20th century art including new acquisitions. We noted that Mondrian started with multi-squares and later did his black line and primary color square geometrics. We followed chronologically (backwards) the works of Georges Braque, collected from many sources for this exhibit, and now we understood the parallel with Picasso, as together they developed the Cubist style and had a long working relationship.
A small gallery of recent acquisitions held mostly contemporary and abstract art. One of the guards had bleached hair, but was shaved on the sides in his natural color. We spiraled back down and checked out the Czech paintings on the ground level and the gift shop. Outside we shared a cold root beer from a street vendor for 90 cents.
We walked back down 5th Avenue and into Central Park. Passed a gay glen of suntanning couples. It was oppressively hot. We crossed the park to the American Museum of Natural History at 79th Street. Entered the immense building and paid the $3.50 suggested donation each and received a button as a contributor.
American Museum of Natural History
guide
Museum of
Natural History
button
It was soon evident that the place was not air-conditioned. We slowly wandered through dioramas of African animal, and displays on African cultures. Near the restrooms was a special exhibit with Tibetan monks shaking colored sand through a long tube to create a wheel of time mandala. A very intricate design; exacting work. It was being videotaped, and interestingly, it was cool in that room! It may take weeks to complete a mandala, and then the sand is ceremoniously collected in a jar and taken to a body of water as an offering back to nature.
The Akeley Gallery had an exhibit on Korea, with the present shown as technology and the Olympics, and the past being an expedition by a naturalist from the museum. We headed to the top floor to be impressed by the size and number of dinosaur remains, including a “mummy.” Down one floor to see more African mammal dioramas, but we were starting to fade. We skipped floors to the first floor to find the model of the great blue whale in a cool dark room. Purchased a couple cans of Coca-cola (for $1.35 each!), and sat beneath the whale to look at the fish all around us.
We left and walked up Central Park West and arrived at the beginning of the Dominican Republic, which was still forming and marching out at 15:30!
Dominican Republic Parade
We couldn’t believe how many people were in the parade. It surely everyone from that country! And all their relatives lined the street to watch! We followed the route to 59th Street, and crossed over to walk down 7th Avenue. We turned down 55th Street and crossed the parade at the Avenue of the Americas. All the restaurants were closed on 55th Street, so we went back to the Avenue of the Americas and went to Prego: Pasta d’Italia to get a window seat to watch the parade. There was a large bowl of marinated/pickled vegetables on the table, which we nibbled. There was great bread. I had mineral water and Kent had a beer. Kent ate the pasta frutti di mare, which had linguine with mussels. Squid, and clams in a plain marinara sauce. I had gnocchi pesto, which was more cream sauce with chopped tomato than anything basil. Tasty, but as Kent says, the Wendy’s of Italian food. Left about $30 for the Indian waiters.
About 16:00 we returned to the hotel to pick up our suitcase. Kent carried it as we hiked over to 49th Street and Park Avenue to see the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. They also had cement supplied by Dyckerhoff, so Kent took a few photos. We caught a cab as it discharged a passenger, and zipped over to 1st Avenue, seeing the UN buildings. Passed Dangerfield’s Comedy Club and went over to FDR Drive. Over the Triborough Bridge where we could see the dark smoke from a fire in the Bronx. Took Grand Central Parkway to LaGuardia Airport. Hit traffic, but arrived at the Delta terminal. The cab ride cost $15.25 and Kent gave him $19.
We checked in and got drinks to sip while we waited for our 18:15 flight to Providence. We saw some guys in suits, and Kent recognized some as Minnesota Twins: Bert Blyleven, Dan Gladden, and Steve Lombardozzi. We also saw several people walking by carrying musical instrument cases and sporting t-shirts or decals proclaiming the Jazz-Blues Festival. Kent thought one guy might be Dizzy Gillespie!
We boarded a nice new Saab SF-340 and took off on time, arriving earlier than 19:15 on Providence. We paid $13.75 for parking and drove straight home. When we passed the harbor, I saw the huge salvage ship (Dutch), which had brought home the mined USS Sam Roberts to Newport.

Saturday, July 23, 1988

1988 Wedding Reception (7/23/1988)

Saturday, July 23, 1988
Our prayers have been answered as the sun was peeking out this morning! Kent and I went out to put up the tent canopies, durable with huge yellow and white stripes. We laid them out, and discovered that instead of two 20’ x 30’ canopies, one of them was 20’ x 20’. But actually it fit better in our back yard, because of the shed. We began pounding in stakes, and the cheap hammer eventually broke into several pieces.
Jim, arrived with Terry, Kathy, and my mom, and Kent's parents arrived. The Ss took Kyle and Erich to return a video and pick up video games, and to buy mahogany plate stands at Pier 1 Imports. The others, especially Jim, helped put up the canopies, using sophisticated knots to draw the ropes taut. Frank arrived in the middle of this and helped, too. He had been at the Esquire Motel, having arrived at 2:00 or so. Eventually we got the canopies up, with three rather than four section lengths in the middle poles. Swept the dirt off the insides, and my mother took a damp cloth to wipe the edges. We set up the tables; three banquet tables along the back of the largest tent, with four round tables. A banquet table over the concrete cistern cap, towards the middle of the smaller canopy, with two round tables. We put eight chairs around each round table, and spread out the rest of the 75 in total chairs! We put tablecloths on the tables.
Our backyard (GJT)
Town Wine & Spirits delivered the beverages; four cases of Hope beer, two of Samuel Adams, one of Amstel Light, a case of Coca-cola, a case of Diet Coke, a case of ginger ale, a half case of 7-Up, nine bottles of white wine, and two bottle of rose, and two large washtubs. Kent went to get ice and go to the bank, and ended up having to get another washtub. Last Thursday I had gone to the Yacht Club factory outlet in North Providence to get a case each of birch beer, sarsaparilla, and cream sodas, so we had those to ice down as well!
Beverage table (photo by Ada)
Kent’s mom took me to State Line Florist to pick up the flowers, and Mary S waited on us. I also got some fresh cut flowers, including the last of the iris. Back at home, I had help putting a bouquet on each round table, and one on the beverage and one on the food table.
One of the bouquets
I put iris in the vases on either side of the fireplace and some in a vase upstairs. We had snowflake mums that my mother arranged in a vase for the TV room and in a vase for the dining room table, with help from Terry and Kathy.
The Poppyseed Caterers, Pat F and her helper, Steven, arrived about 12:30 to set up the food.
Food tables (GJT)
I was given the wrong cake bouquet, and we had to doctor it a bit with greens to fit the cake. The angel food cake was especially nice, two-tiered with white icing with an arrangement of tiny white cloth roses. The tradition of a wedding cake goes back to Roman times where wheat symbolized fertility. Supposedly one pound of cake will yield five portions. This must have been a 16-pound cake! We did not have the rice that also symbolizes fertility. Flowers are also a Roman tradition, being symbols of fertility and fidelity. (The purple iris symbolizes wisdom and admiration.) The Roman brides often carried herbs. Roses symbolize love. A Victorian custom is to have the first letters of the flowers spell out the groom’s name, but I couldn’t find flowers that began with the letters K, E, N, or T!
Wedding cake (MJT)
The Ss took off with Kyle and Erich to get a bite to eat and have a swim before returning for the reception at 14:00. Terry, Kathy, and Frank went off to eat, and my mother and Jim stayed to help. Jim helped Kent set up the stereo on the butcher block table on the screened porch along with the coffeemaker. The speakers were placed outside. We had a large selection of cassette tapes, but only played the jazz radio station WOTB/100/3! Jim showered, and then Kent and I showered, being done at 13:45!
Everyone dressed casually, except I wore my wedding dress.
Tamiko and Ada (TAB)
On the wedding day I followed the ancient rhyme of “something old (stockings), something new (dress, slip, shoes), something borrowed (Kathy’s earrings), something blue (I sewed a blue bow on my slip),” but I did not have a sixpence in my shoe! According to Israeli custom, a blue ribbon border was used on the robes to symbolize purity, fidelity, and love. Otherwise, blue is associated with the purity of the Virgin Mary. I received lots of admiration for the dress, and for the wedding ring, and estate ring. The circle shape of the ring symbolized unending love since the time of the Egyptians. Gold is thought to be pure and holy. The ring is traditionally placed on the third finger of the left hand because the ancient peoples believed a vein ran directly from this finger to the heart. Another Roman tradition is to be carried over the threshold. It is thought that brides demonstrated reluctance and had to be bodily taken in to the man’s home! Or else it is believed the groom lifts the bride over evil spirits which lurk at the threshold! We have yet to deal with any evil spirits!
At 14:00 we began making the punch. My dad arrived with Grandma and Dot. He had taken them down to Newport for the morning. Phil and David arrived with David’s girlfriend, Debbie. The reception had begun, and there was a fairly steady flow of guests, with plenty to eat and drink. I was able to greet most people and have them sign the guest book, and to point out the “confetti” for them to take home.
Guest book and confetti basket
Confetti
“Confetti” is the Italian tradition of giving out sugared almonds (confetto is a candy or sugared almond) to represent the bitterness and sweetness of life. We put in three white and two yellow sugared almonds in a square of fine netting, wrapped the wire stem of a tiny cloth rose to close the packet, then added a purple ribbon bow. The colors of our reception are turned out to be yellow and purple!
Nearly everyone wanted a tour through the house, some went on their own, and some had a S family member guide. And people brought gifts, even many who had already given us something! Our dining room table as overflowing with gifts.
Dining room table (photo by Ada)
Any kids who arrived were sent to the basement where Kyle and Erich had the Nintendo set up. Anyone who was interested could watch the wedding video in the TV room.
At 15:30, Kent and I alerted the family photographers, and went to cut the cake.
Erich watches his dad and Tamiko cut the cake (TAB)
We let each other take a neat bite. The caterer cut the rest of the cake. We timed it so that those who had to leave by 16:00 could get dessert! Kent and I even found time to eat. A basket of crackers and breadsticks, and a tray of cheese and grapes. The food was explained and served by Pat and Steven as you walked along the banquet tables. Chicken teriyaki on sticks, mini corn muffins with jam and ham or turkey, a delicious chicken pasta salad with a pesto-French vinaigrette, a garden salad fresh from Pat’s garden with a vinaigrette dressing, and crudité with carrots, celery, cauliflower and broccoli in a basket with a choice of a French onion dip or an herb sour cream dip. There was also a basket of mini spinach pies. Everyone seemed happy, pleased with the food, the drinks, and the house. Kent and I tried to mingle with everyone.
Grandma Marie and Dot (GJT)
Gordon and Jim (MJT)

Yuriko and Grandma Marie (GJT)
Kathy and Phil (GJT)
Jim and Terry (GJT)
David and Debbie (GJT)
Yuriko, Frank, Jim, and Terry (MJT)
Erich and Jim (TAB)
Bert and Tamiko (TAB)
Ada and Bert (GJT)
Kent and Erich (photo by Ada)
Bert and Kyle (photo by Ada)
Erich with a wet basketball (KWT)
Very slowly people began to leave. The sky remained dry throughout the day, with some clouds, but also some sun. It wasn’t too hot or humid. We were so lucky! By 19:30 only the Ss and our immediate families were left, but they soon dissipated. Only Kent’s parents were left when we started putting away the beverages, folding up the linens, and taking apart the stereo. We folded the tables and put them and the chairs on the screened porch. This is when it began to rain! We left only the canopies up at night. Later the Ts called, and we went to join them and the Ws at 21:00 at Friendly’s. Kent’s parents stayed with Kyle and Erich.

It was freezing at Friendly’s because of the air-conditioning so we moved to Pub Dennis, where they had to spread out the 17 of us! The first table was given to the old ladies: Grandma, Aunt Sophie, and Dot. Kent and I joined them, and so did my dad and Kathy. The others were put at booths of six and four. I had a crock of seafood chowder (you could stand a spoon in it) and Kent had a bacon-mushroom-onion burger. It was pouring rain outside. We left at 22:30 and said our goodbyes and thank-yous to everyone. Once home, Kent was anxious to open gifts, and so I logged them on my list. The kids were already in bed, and Kent’s parents watched. Later Frank arrived to spend the night at our house. Kent's parents left, and we opened cards and money gifts. Wow!

Sunday, July 3, 1988

1988 Vacation Baseball Hall of Fame (7/2-3/1988)

Saturday, July 2, 1988
Up at 7:00 to do a load of laundry, which allowed Kyle and Erich to watch Saturday morning cartoons. When the laundry was done and Kent had made sandwiches, we left about 10:30 to head across New York State. We followed Main Street to Clarence and hoped to do some antique shopping, but places were closed, moved, or sold reproductions. At Pembroke we got gas and got on the NY Thruway. Had a picnic lunch at the Clifton Springs rest area.
I took over driving and we exited at Exit 31 for Utica, paying a $1.60 toll. Nearby we found the Best Western Gateway Motel and checked in. It was cloudy and cool, but Kyle and Erich spent some time in the pool.
Erich and Kyle at the Best Western Motel pool
They played video games while Kent showered. In the car, we drove along Genesee Street through the city of Utica, population nearly 73,000. Small downtown, then big houses along the main street. Once we reached New Hartford, we turned around and wandered through some back streets.
We returned to the main drag to eat at Johnny Appleseed’s Tavern, a family restaurant with a bar, and backgammon game lined up for those who were waiting for tables. There was no waiting today. Kyle opted for the kids’ menu chicken fingers with barbecue sauce and waffle fries, and milk. The rest of us had chicken parmigiana, with two pieces of thick chicken, and pasta with sauce. And we had salads, too! Stuffed ourselves, and left $45. As we left, the kids got free candied apples. Kent drove as the rest of us walked back to the motel. Played some catch with the baseball, before showering and heading to bed.

Sunday, July 3, 1988
We checked out of the Best Western for $62 and went up the street to the Village Pancake House for breakfast. Had a bit of a wait because only one cook was on duty, and he was making giant pancakes. Kyle and Erich had three pigs in giant blankets on top of a fourth pancake. Kent had two eggs over easy, with two sausages, home fries, and a biscuit. I had the same, except instead of sausage I had four pieces of bacon I shared with the boys. Left about $25.
By 8:00 we were on our way on NY-5S East, with hardly any cars on the road. Saw a red fox limping across the road. A pick-up truck going the other direction stopped. Kent thought it might be the police or a ranger. Drove through some small towns with fine Victorian houses. Turned south on NY-28 into Cooperstown where cars were lined up for an antique show. We continued down Main Street with its diagonal parking and found a parking spot a building away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which had just opened at 9:00.
National Hall of Fame and Museum
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum guide
Hall of Fame and Museum
adult tickets
Hall of Fame and Museum
child tickets
Paid the entrance fee of $5/adult and $2/child. Went right up to the second floor with a chronological history of baseball, from prehistoric stick and ball games to the present. Saw uniforms, gloves, ball from historic moments, and photos of players. Saw how the game evolved, and that the tricks of yesteryear are illegal today (spit balls, dropping infield flies, etc.) The history included the early black or Negro leagues, and the contribution of early black players. There were displays on the evolution of the bat, the ball, and catcher’s equipment. World tours, including to Japan, were shown, and Casey Stengel (inducted in 1966) and Hank Aaron (inducted in 1982) were featured. One room showcased All-Star games. We went upstairs to see a pretty complete exhibit of baseball cards and stamps. A Babe Ruth Memorial contained his locker. A wall display on the minor leagues and youth leagues. More on the evolution of the uniform, including experimental ones. Models of ball parks, and memorabilia from World Series games. Interesting was a display showing Ted Williams strike zone with balls showing his batting averages, all above .200 it seemed for balls thrown in that part of the zone. We headed down to the first floor to see the art gallery and Great Moments. The Cooperstown Room explains why Abner Doubleday, a military hero, was called the Father of Baseball, mostly because a baseball was found in his effects. Thus Cooperstown was adopted as the home of baseball.
Cooperstown was founded in 1786 by Judge William Cooper. He was the father of James Fenimore Cooper, author of “The Last of the Mohicans.” Otsego Lake was called Glimmerglass in his stories. The National Baseball Commission made an official decree in 1908 that Doubleday founded baseball in 1839 in a cow pasture in Cooperstown, while a student at West Point. Now equal credit is given to New York City resident Alexander Joy Cartwright who devised the playing field and rules. We continued down to the basement to see the manufacture of baseball equipment, the displays on the present teams, and the records room, updated every Monday. The highlight film of the hour was the 1986 World Series, lost by the Red Sox. We skipped it and went to the gift shop, where Kyle and Erich bought souvenir batting helmets. There was now a long line waiting to enter the actual Hall of Fame, which of course, we perused to see the plaques of all the members. Having spent 2.5 hours at the museum, we walked up and down Main Street, and saw many young Japanese guys. 

We drove down NY-28 to Oneonta, the home of the Soccer Hall of Fame! But we went on to find I-88, which we took to Cobleskill where we stopped to have lunch at a Burger King. On our way back to I-88, we saw a sign for Howe Caverns, but thought we needed to get Kyle and Erich home to their mother. Got on I-90/NY Thruway after getting gas, continued on the Mass Turnpike, turned down MA/RI-146 and arrived home at 17:00. We called Mary Jane several times, but no answer. Finally at 19:00, we decided to have dinner at the Peking Restaurant. Kyle and Erich started with egg roll, and Erich had wonton soup. Kent and I had hot and sour soup. The boys had chicken lo mein, and Kent and I had the Mysterious Taste chicken, related to Little Chopsticks Strange Flavor chicken? Left about $25. Kyle and Erich ended up staying the night.

Friday, July 1, 1988

1988 Vacation Niagara Falls, ON (7/1/1988)

Friday, July 1, 1988
July already! Up at 7:00, breakfast, and we left about 8:15. Cool and sunny and we were all in shorts except Kent. Got gas, and headed east to the Shoreway to I-90. Passed the Burke Lakefront Airport, which has been transformed into a Grand Prix racetrack. Paul Newman is supposed to “come home” (Shaker Heights) to race on Sunday.
Lots of hawks sighted as we drove along I-90. Made a pit stop in Pennsylvania. In New York there were good views of Lake Erie and glimpses of Canada beyond. Saw vineyards. And a brush fire along the highway median being tended by firemen. Some big clouds creating a cloud cover by the time we reached my parents’ home in Buffalo. My mom and sister, Kathy, were home, and served us lunch of fruit salad and a pasta salad with pepperoni. And we were just thinking we’d like some garlic! Good old brownies for dessert. It was just after 12:30 when we headed out down Main Street, detouring down Jewett Parkway to see the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Darwin Martin House. Went along Delaware Park to the Scajaquada Expressway, passing the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo History Museum, the statue of David, and Buffalo State College. Took I-195 to Peace Bridge, paying a 50 cent toll on the Thruway, then 50 cents to cross the bridge. Customs was very brief. Continued along the scenic Niagara Parkway, a very pleasant drive with some lovely homes. Drove through Niagara Falls, then back to look for parking. Found a free spot, but had a bit of a hike to see the Falls. Saw old power plants, a marooned barge in the rapids, and eventually looked over the brink of Horseshoe Falls.
Tamiko with Erich and Kyle (KSS)
Kyle photographs Erich, Kent and Tamiko
at Horseshoe Falls
Erich photographs Kyle, Kent, and Tamiko
Horseshoe Falls
Maid of the Mist boat
Watched the Maid of the Mist with people wearing brilliant blue raincoats. Kyle and Erich each paid a quarter to use a viewer. Returned to the car. They have banned parking along the road, but have set up parking lots and provided a “people mover:” a bus pulling a trailer. Looks like giant green scarabs! Found a restroom at the Greenhouse, whew! Lots of Indians and Asians picnicking and napping on the grass.
Had a snack in the car, and headed back the way we came. We were just a few of the millions of people who come to view the Falls throughout history. It is the site of the first hydroelectric plant. The Canadian, or Horseshoe Falls, are 176 feet high over a curving crest of 2200 feet. The American Falls are 184 feet high and 1075 feet across. The Bridal Veil Falls is the smallest at 181 feet and 56 feet across, and lies between the other two. The flow of water is equivalent to 1.5 million gallons per second! About ½ to ¾ is diverted for the generation of electricity. The first European to see the Falls was Father Louis Hennepin, a French priest, who came in 1678. The Falls are eroding about an inch per year, and at that rate will reach Buffalo in 130,000 years. Over 12,000 years ago the Niagara River started flowing over the Niagara Escarpment which is now seven miles away.
We decided to take a different route near Fort Erie, and a scruffy looking guy came up to tell us the road was closed because of the Friendship Festival, being the second annual festival between the neighbors of Fort Erie, Canada, and Buffalo, USA. The guy gave us directions to get to Peace Bridge. We paid our 50 cents and went through customs. Other people were being sent for further inspection.
The sun was finally out as we drove down Niagara Street to Niagara Square in front of City Hall. The kids commented on the “Junior Washington Monument,” the obelisk of the McKinley Monument. We drove across Main Street and the light rail tracks.  We passed Pilot Field, the brand new as of this year triple A baseball stadium for the Buffalo Bisons. In poured concrete with green metal trim in about the same style as the light rail stations downtown. Very big and impressive for a minor league field! We headed up Franklin Street, passing huge houses, and over to the Wilcox Mansion on Delaware Avenue, where Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 26th President after the assassination of William McKinley at the city’s Pan American Exposition in 1901. Buffalo has produced two Presidents; Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland. Other notables are William Fargo of the Wells-Fargo Stagecoach line, Trico that developed windshield wipers, Willis Carrier invented air conditioning, Wilson Greatbatch invented the pacemaker, and Alfred Southwick invented the electric chair. Mark Twain was a Buffalo resident and editor of the Buffalo Express newspaper. Other residents were authoress Taylor Caldwell, Edwin P Christy launched the Christy Minstrels here, and Buffalo composers penned “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” (co-written by Chauncey Olcott, who also composed “My Wild Irish Rose”) and “Over the Rainbow” (Harold Arlen). Michael Bennett of “A Chorus Line” came from Buffalo. We continue up Linwood Avenue to Delevan, then up Main Street back to my parents’ house. My mom and I walked to Bell’s Supermarket in Central Park to get $1 off coupons for the Buffalo Bisons game. We asked for 5 coupons, and got five books of 10 coupons!
We ate early, having Buffalo wings/chicken wings delivered, as well as beef on weck type sandwiches, salad, and carrots and celery with bleu cheese dressing. We left at 18:15 to walk the couple blocks to the LaSalle Metro station, and changed a couple dollars to get tokens and change. Bought tickets at 80 cents for adults, and 40 cents for children. Went down two sets of escalators, and a train came within five minutes. Even with this being the second stop on the line, the train was already standing room only. A ticket inspector came through carefully checking every ticket. We got off at Seneca and had one block to walk to Pilot Field for the Buffalo Bisons vs the Pawtucket Red Sox minor baseball game. We stood in the ticket line until it became obvious that they were sold out except for expensive single tickets. The kids were very disappointed, so we went in search of scalpers. A bagpipe band was playing at one entrance. We found someone with 4 tickets, seated in pairs, with a face value of $5 each.
Scalped Buffalo Bisons ticket
Kyle and I sat in section 122, and a couple bearded guys in neighboring seats informed us they only paid $3 for their seats. We felt lucky just to be there. The guy next to me had most of the fingers cut off his left hand, and he and his buddies wore shirts that said Canoers United National Team. They looked and acted like a motorcycle gang and kept buying beers and passing them down the row. The beer seller made the mistake of pouring three beers of a four beer order, and going off to get more beer without being paid. By the time he came back, the beer drinkers were so far gone that they couldn’t remember, and ended up not paying anything.
Every inning the announcer called a program number for a prize, and every other inning they had a special event, such as Earl the Bud, a black PeeWee Herman type dancing to “Tequila,” or Buster the Bison leading cheers. The scoreboard graphics were great in multi-colors. But the stadium needs a clock!
In the fourth quarter, Kyle and I went to find Erich and Kent in Section 116. They had a couple empty seats near them, which we took. Kent went to get drinks, and came back saying the food looked good. Pilot Field is supposed to have the best ball park food in the country. The Bisons won 4-1, despite or because of a middle-of-the-game argument by the PawSox manager, which got him kicked out of the game. Saw a balk called. After the game we stayed for the fireworks display, with music blaring out of the stadium loudspeakers. Quite a good show.
Afterwards, we went to the Metro station, but there were no dollar changing machines. We walked down to the terminus at the Auditorium, but no machines. We boarded a train and got seats, and rode through the fare-free zone downtown. Got off at the Theater station, and tried to get change at the McDonald’s, but the manager had just closed up. We walked to the Allen-Hospital station that was guarded by several policemen. They had a change machine, and we got our tickets and caught the next train to LaSalle. Back at my parents’ house, we put the boys to bed in Paul’s room, and Kent and I camped out on the living room floor.