Over the Labor Day weekend we decided to escape the Beltway and head back up to the NYC area for a while. Miles had his first visit to New York (and Massachusetts). We stayed in a hotel across the river in Rutherford and we visited many of our old haunts, including Mika's former neighborhood in West New York. Miles had a great time, especially on the subway. He even got to see Yankee Stadium (which will be torn down soon) and South Street Seaport (where Mika & I went on our first date). It was a great trip for all. To see pictures from our trip, click here.
Mika's family flew in from Japan a couple weeks ago to visit. We had a
great time showing them around the area and introducing them to their
new grandson. We also took them over to Delaware to visit with my
parents and their neighbors (and the dog). A great time was had by
all. Click here to view the photos from their visit.
This year we decided to ring in the New Year at the Kennedy Center in DC. If you want to join the part in the Grand Foyer, you have to either book a New Year's Eve show or eat dinner at the Roof Terrace restaurant. We went for the dinner option. It's a four course dinner with a bottle of sparkling wine for $125 each. I found out when the bill arrived that hot food in DC is taxed at 10%. I was hit hard with some sort of flu-like bug that day, so I could hardly touch my dinner. It was still worth every penny, though.
The party in the Grand Foyer was a lot of fun. There were bands on both ends of the foyer...swing on our end and waltz on the other. Unfortunately, there was no countdown, though. An announcer came up to the stage with about a minute left before midnight, then he just talked for a while before saying, "Happy New Year!" By this time, everyone was going full steam on their noisemakers anyway, so it was still pretty neat. The balloon drop was impressive as well. The great thing for us was the drive home. We rang in the New Year, did the traditional kiss at midnight, fought the crowd back to our car, got out of the parking garage and made it home by 12:20. That's what I'm talking about.
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The party in the Grand Foyer was a lot of fun. There were bands on both ends of the foyer...swing on our end and waltz on the other. Unfortunately, there was no countdown, though. An announcer came up to the stage with about a minute left before midnight, then he just talked for a while before saying, "Happy New Year!" By this time, everyone was going full steam on their noisemakers anyway, so it was still pretty neat. The balloon drop was impressive as well. The great thing for us was the drive home. We rang in the New Year, did the traditional kiss at midnight, fought the crowd back to our car, got out of the parking garage and made it home by 12:20. That's what I'm talking about.
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This was the fifth Christmas together for Mika & me. Before this year, we had spent Christmas in Hawaii, Georgia, Korea and Taiwan. It was nice this time to have a relaxing holiday with my family in Delaware.
For as small as it is, Delaware has plenty to do. We drove down to Rehoboth and Dewey (of course) Beach, and Dad & I even played a round of golf on Christmas Eve. Don't get me wrong, the weather wasn't that nice...I just had to get out and try the new grips on my irons.
It was great to spend Christmas with family, and we hope to do the same next year as well.
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For as small as it is, Delaware has plenty to do. We drove down to Rehoboth and Dewey (of course) Beach, and Dad & I even played a round of golf on Christmas Eve. Don't get me wrong, the weather wasn't that nice...I just had to get out and try the new grips on my irons.
It was great to spend Christmas with family, and we hope to do the same next year as well.
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We took a short road trip out to Harpers Ferry, WV, and Shenandoah National Park, here in VA. While in the park, we drove part of the way down Skyline Drive. We saw some beautiful scenery and even a few patches of fall color. It was a nice little getaway, and only about an hour from the Beltway.
Due to this year's drought and unseasonably warm weather, the leaves are a bit behind. They usually peak around the 2nd to 3rd week in October (according to the park's Website), but we think it will come quite a bit later this year, if at all. Most leaves will probably just turn brown from the drought and fall right off the trees. Also, if you plan to visit Skyline Drive, bring some cash with you. It's $15.00 to get into the park!
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Due to this year's drought and unseasonably warm weather, the leaves are a bit behind. They usually peak around the 2nd to 3rd week in October (according to the park's Website), but we think it will come quite a bit later this year, if at all. Most leaves will probably just turn brown from the drought and fall right off the trees. Also, if you plan to visit Skyline Drive, bring some cash with you. It's $15.00 to get into the park!
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We recently traveled to the UK for a nice little summer vacation. We
spent a few days in London and ventured up to Scotland to check out
Edinburgh and the Highlands (and of course, a round of golf). It was a
great escape for us, and a nice vacation to take before the baby's
arrival.
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As part of our annual routine, Mika & I visited rang in the New
Year with her family in Japan. We went to Tokyo, Yokohama, Mt. Fuji,
and a couple onsens (hot springs).
As always, we had a great time and we ate more than our share of wonderful food.
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As always, we had a great time and we ate more than our share of wonderful food.
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In late December, Mika & I visited Taiwan to do some sightseeing.
It is often overlooked by tourists who choose to look for more popular
or exotic locales in Asia. Those tourists are missing out on a great
place. We found Taiwan to be a fascinating country, full of great food,
beautiful sights, and very nice people.
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In August, Mika & I participated in our first monthly Booz Allen Honolulu "Golf Gaggle". On the first Saturday of each month, a group of people from the firm get together and play a round of golf at a different course on the island. I'm not a big fan of mixing work with pleasure, but when golf is involved, I'm all for it.
Luana Hills is a very tough course, with narrow fairways that drop straight into deep ravines. It's a beautiful place, though, and you'll find that you have plenty time to snap some great pictures while looking for your ball.
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Luana Hills is a very tough course, with narrow fairways that drop straight into deep ravines. It's a beautiful place, though, and you'll find that you have plenty time to snap some great pictures while looking for your ball.
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