Living on Rugby Road

Getting the house painted

2011-11-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

We are getting the house painted. They are almost done with the front of the house. They started priming the lower porch yesterday. Luis has done a great job and will post his information soon. painting your house is obviously an investment. Luis and his men have made that an easy decision with their quality work.

Swimming Season Starts

2011-10-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

As snow threatens tomorrow, the Good Shepherd Swim Team started their season. Dylan is starting his second season and first in Bantam. I messed up on filming his race:

Alexander also made the team and this is his first race.

He is becmoing quite the little athlete-- Baseball, Soccer, and now Swimming.

Alexander's First Pitch at the Brooklyn Cyclones Game last summer

2011-10-28T20:08:00.001-07:00

How could I forget this...

I Love Swimming in the City!

2011-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

So, Number One Son and Number Two Son are both gearing up for their first swim meet on Friday. Number Three Son made the team also, but seems scared off by the big kids. I don't understand that since he spends two straight months in a pool every summer and the big kids issue didn't surface once.
The Bed & Breakfast is going well. We have a trio from England. So, that marks our second set of Europeans. I am considering linking up with Wimdu.com, but don't know if I can commit to updating the availability calendar. Plus this is a start up-- who is to say they won't be gone in a year or snatched up.
Also, finally recovering from last Saturday night. Though I am off to see Cymbals Eats Guitars. They sound Emo. Anywho... Check you later.

WOW! Has it really been that long

2011-10-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

My bad for not updating this since 2/13/11. A lot has happened in the last 8 months. Also, since I know that this will eventually serve as a reminder and document solely to the Wife, the kids, and myself-- I Better start updating this more frequently. So, what has happened:
- The wife and I celebrated 10 wonderful years of Marriage
- My Mom, my inlaws, and some great friends threw us a great 10th anniversary party
- Number 1 son and I attended Chess Nationals in Dallas
- We got to visit with Uncle Robert (3rd version) in Rice, Texas
- Number 1 son got to ride a 4x4
- The wife and I celebrated those 10 years with a well deserved vacation to Italy-- Rome, Siena, Montelpulciano, San Gigimano, Florence, and Venice. A great adventure and just the two of us for 10 glorious days. Thanks In Laws for taking such good care of the boys!
- Number Two son started taking Piano and on Monday adds violin!
- Number Three Son started kindergarten
- Dad, John and Mike got to see Beady Eye from the VIP section.
- Another summer at the Silver Gull (hopefully not our last). Get that new lease signed someone...
- Our tenants defected to Canada, so we decided to do this... http://www.theisabellaatditmaspark.com/
- Number One Son got his first concert t-shirt (Buzz Universe), but dad got to see The Descendents after 25 plus years-- so he got a much cooler Descendents T-Shirt
- All the kids made the swim team, though only Number One and Number Two will actually compete. Does a 4 year old really need to be forced onto the swim team? Nope.

So much more happened but that was the highlights and I know I am missing some truly great moments. All the more reason to keep up with this blog

Rinjo (Global Tech manager, B&B Manager, Father, Son, and Holy Husband)

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2011-02-13T11:55:00.001-08:00

Ryan down the hill

2011-01-27T13:44:00.001-08:00

Dylan Sledding..

2011-01-27T13:38:00.001-08:00

Dylan in the 100 meter St. Sebastian vs. Good Shepard

2011-01-24T14:31:00.001-08:00

Division A CYO Finals - Dylan leading off the race (Farthest Lane)

2011-01-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

Unplowed Rugby Road

2010-12-29T10:02:00.002-08:00

Traffic Jam on 1 Lane Cortelyou

2010-12-29T10:02:00.001-08:00

Car abandoned on Rugby off Cortelyou

2010-12-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

Dylan Turns 8 today!

2010-12-27T07:28:00.000-08:00

Dylan, number one son, turns eight today. So, while I stay home and shovel the snow, the boy gets to go to ski school. Pictures coming soon!

Dylan Conquers the Pool

2010-12-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

2010-12-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

Good Shepard vs. Anselem

2010-11-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

Dylan in the 2nd farthest lane

Dylan in the 3rd farthest lane doing the Freestyle

Alexander's Kindergarten Concert

2010-11-17T13:13:00.001-08:00

Reddish Sports Roundup Halloween edition

2010-10-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

Dylan started off the weekend on Friday by coming in second in his first race with a 19.97 second time in the 25 meter. He followed that up Saturday, by contributing a goal off a corner kick in his teams dominating performance.
Alexander's soccer team didn't fair as well, but Alexander played for 3 quarters to give his team a fighting chance.
Ryan continues to hone his soccer skills at Superstar Soccer. A little shy at first he warms up and impresses his coach Eddie Spaghetti.

Alexander and Dylan on the long walk to school

2010-09-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Dylan, Alexander, and Ryan all headed back to school today. Dylan and Ryan were happy to be back. Alexander cried a little but nevertheless walked up with the teacher.

Outdoor Patio....

2010-09-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

Converted Garage Patio

2010-08-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

When you have 1 car and a very narrow driveway do you really need a 2 car garage? Nope. The Wife made the decision to cut the garage in half. I thought it was a great idea. Now we just need to get patio furniture and a ceiling fan (on order). Part garage and part patio with a roof. Needless to say Luis and his team banged this out in just about 7 days. Looks great!

Dylan tacks on 1.5 points to his rating

2010-05-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

On his first trip to nationals in Atlanta, Georgia-- Dylan managed to win his first round and get a draw. Not bad for seven years old. I don't know what I accomplished at that age, but it sure wasn't this.. Goo going Dylan! Next year -- Dallas!

Looking good in the Neighborhood

2010-05-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

I only behave when you take my picture.

2010-05-09T17:20:00.001-07:00

Battle Scar

2010-05-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Close Up!

2010-05-09T17:19:00.001-07:00

Parkside and Ocean - rush hour

2010-05-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

Garden of Ed... Brooklyn

2010-04-06T16:47:00.001-07:00

Ireland Pt. 1

2010-04-06T01:24:00.001-07:00

It's Clobberin' Time Alleyway Crew Style

2010-02-23T16:30:00.001-08:00

Your little Pirate

2010-02-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

Breakthrough Day at the Chess Tournament!

2010-02-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

Dylan lost the initial round. He rallied to win round two and kicked butt in Round 3. Heading into the final round Dylan is in 6th place in his division "Unrated". He won again and got a medal

Prospect Park Ice Skating

2010-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

Dylan and "Little Sister" Lily at the Prospect Park Skating Rink

Dylan won his first match at a chess tournament!

2010-01-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

Dylan won his first ever competitive chess match.

It Started at Le Poisson Rouge in the West Village...

2010-01-31T18:33:00.000-08:00

The wife and I were partying like it was 1998 this weekend. Friday night we went to Mission of Burma and Freshkills at the Bowery Ballroom. Saturday we hit Le Possion Rouge for Pistolera and Red Barrat in the West Village. The evening ended with a mad dash to the Mercury Lounge to catch the The Giraffes and a quick bite to eat at Katz's. We arrived home at 3.30 AM. Thankfully Meema had number two and three son, while Dylan had his first "co-ed" sleepover with his buddy Lily. Most days these activities end up killing us the next day. However, as I said to Schultz at the end of the night-- Not a bad decision was made last night. So, Schultz asks me at 3am, "What are we doing next Saturday?" Well, probably something not remotely as exciting as last night. Good Times!

Ryan getting annual Blood test

2010-01-31T18:27:00.000-08:00

The boy did not cry

2010-01-19T07:35:00.001-08:00

Forget Bounce! Best $125 I spent ever

2010-01-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

My office re-imagined. This is how we tried them out on the cold days.

Winter Weather I Can Deal With

2010-01-17T08:02:00.002-08:00

Nice haircut Goofy smile

2010-01-17T08:02:00.001-08:00

2009 In Review on Rugby Road

2010-01-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

The Good

- Single best investment in terms of day to day comfort- Insulating our third floor. We haven't entered the coldest part of winter yet but early signs point to less layers in doors this year.

- Best Long term investment was re-financing our mortgage. As the lawyer said at closing, "Your fortunate to have made it to closing". However, a ~22% decrease in our monthly mortgage payment is well worth setting the payment clock back to 360. I will be 69 when we pay it off, but I know the next couple of years I will be happy.
- Ryan left his nookie and diapers at the Beach Club at the tender age of 2 years and 9 months
- Dylan has become the homework warrior and regularly gets 100% on this spelling tests.
- Alexander has turned into the Arts and Crafts King at school.
- The Wife tried a bold new look, it's like I have a new wife in the same great package

The Bad

- The points we paid to re-finance.

The Ugly

- Our mini-Japanese Maple contracted some sort of disease. Half the tree shriveled up. June and Judy's gardener helped the wife prune it and hopefully saved the tree. If not, we lost a great tree.

Dylan's Christmas Show

2010-01-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

We can show you all the video when we see you. "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Frosty the Snow Man" are the songs the kids are performing.

Best Gift Ever From the Wife!

2009-12-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

This year my wife really outdid herself. No, I did not get at 72" HDTV. Instead she got me two tickets to Mission of Burma. This is the equivalent of me buying her tickets to the ballet. Talk about getting exactly what you like-- a night of live/ great music.

I got my haircut now give me my lollipop!

2009-12-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

Shaggy gets a new 'do

2009-12-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

Friday Pizza Tsunami

2009-12-04T09:38:00.001-08:00

The Family checks out the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade

2009-11-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We took the train to 57th street. We exited on 55th street and it was fairly crowded. We cut over to 54th street and was able to get within 40 feet of the street. We couldn't see the marching bands, but to be hones the only things that caught the kids attention were the balloons and Santa Claus.

Out of their shell

2009-11-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

The Yellow Storm finishes their season

2009-11-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

Yellow Storm Season ends and Dylan received his "3rd" trophy and is looking forward to next spring.

Not Man United but the rather The Yellow Storm

2009-11-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Treats are good- The Boys would agree!

2009-11-04T11:42:00.001-08:00

America's Tribute to Search and Rescue Dogs- Proof I need to get out of the house more often

2009-11-04T11:21:00.001-08:00

The Next Generation getting ready to watch V

2009-11-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

A Long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Actually Last Night Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

Anakin, Luke, and R2-D2-- Luckily no one chopped off anyone's hands.

Someone asked why I wasn't Luke Skywalker. I told them that it would have been a little creepy-- After all Han got the girl and the girl turned out to be Luke's sister. I can't imagine what kind of Jedi counseling Luke had to go through after Leia planted a big one on him in the Empire Strikes Back!

Han, Luke, Leia, Anakin and R2-D2-- What to be next year?

Sunday

2009-10-25T11:56:00.001-07:00

Talk about starting early-- The Wife got up with Dylan and they went to his 8am game followed by CCD. At 10 am the whole family piled into the family transport and headed off to Shannon's Florist. They had a blow up castle and a grumpy ol man who just would not get out of the way. Ten minutes and a $19 pumpkin later we sped off to the Cortelyou farmers market. An hour of play made for some very hungry kids. Since we were within sight of San Remo's we pikced up a sausage roll, two slices and veggie pizza. We headed home where Dylan started his book report, Alexander got his fix, and Ryan and I played in the backyard. Eventually Dylan scored a playdate with the kid from around the block. This evening it is off to Dylan's "new girlfriends" house for dinner/ bbq. Thank god the weekend is almost over I am getting tired.

Ikea - Friday Night!

2009-10-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Patricia told the wife that she was going to IKEA since they have free dinner for the kids. Since we are in the market for a new couch for the family room we thought we would check it out. After all, they also have 45 minutes of free babysitting. So, we headed down to Red Hook for a quick visit that quickly turned into three hours.

We dropped the kids off at Ikea babysitting. Alexander opted out for 10 minutes then wanted to go and we obliged. We were able to check out the empty IKEA, scope out leather (or pleather) couches, and didn't have to entertain the kids for almost an hour.

The store is like every other IKEA in the world, but there is something about the experience when the store is virtually empty. We bought a couple of new beer mugs and new beer glasses. Checked out some sofas. Decided on some throwaway silverware. All I can say is 45 minutes goes by fast.

Dinner at Ikea is ... lets just say stick with the meatballs. I got pasta, sauce, and meatballs. The meatballs were good but the pasta sucked and the sauce was ketchup with oregano. The kids said the Mac and Cheese was gross and concurred on the pasta. The apple juice and chocolate milk passed muster. We ended up buying 2 hot dogs and a pretzel to fill up their empty stomachs. The wife liked her meatballs and mashed potatoes.

We then went through the store again with the kids doing all the things kids do:

- Jump on all furniture

- Touch everything that is fragile

- not listen

- Ask multiple times when we are going home and then running away before you can answer

At the end of the night I was impressed that we burned through 3 hours painlessly, the kids did not watch TV or play video games, and the wife and I were relatively calm. I think I found a place to go on cold winter nights.

Dylan of the Apes

2009-10-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

Model Student

2009-10-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dylan doing homework

Post Blood Test Trip to Dunkin' Donuts

2009-10-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Girls Gone Wild!

2009-09-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Tracking UFO's at Twilight

2009-09-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

Go Atlanta!

2009-09-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Rugby & Ditmas 9am

2009-09-21T06:12:00.001-07:00

Mr. Conductor Cartelli and Mr. Conductor Reddish

2009-09-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Posessed to Skate

2009-09-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

John Wayne - Ryan Opted for the Full Sized Horse _PPS Block Party

2009-09-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hop Along Cassidy - PPS Blcok Party

2009-09-13T11:25:00.001-07:00

Dylan Landscaped - Whatcha Talkin' About Daddy!

2009-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

Dylan waiting to get his haircut at Leon's

2009-09-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

View from Party Deck @ Keyspan, but very chilly

2009-09-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Air Alexander

2009-09-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

Nothing but Air in this shot!

Pre-Vacation

2009-08-22T08:28:00.001-07:00

Well, getting ready for the annual trip upstate so Mom, Dad, and the three boys can get a little closer. What do we have planned:

- A day trip to Bethel, CT to hang out with the Sage-Robison's for BBQ and Pool
- Up to Andes, NY for a couple of days to hang out at the in laws weekend house
- A quick trip to Lake George to Story Town aka The Great Escape ( a boyhood tradition of mine, which is being passed down to the next generation)
- On the way back to Andes a quick trip to Albany to visit Great Grandma Betty and some Orchard Pizza
- Clam bake at the Andes Hotel
- On the way back a stop at the Dutchess County Fair with the Chang's

An adventure awaits us...

Dad goes a little "too short" and gets compliments from everyone except the person that matters-- The Wife

2009-08-18T17:30:00.001-07:00

Single A by the Ocean @ConeyIsland

2009-08-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

The family cut short their day at the beach for an evening out in Coney Island-- Rides, Nathan's, and commencing with a Cyclones game against the Oneonta Tigers.

Number Three Son finally hit the golden "height" of riding by himself. As the Jaju would say-- "He is quite chuffed with himself."

In the wake of Tony Benarzard gettin the axe the Met's organization is taking an unusual approach to scouting and player development. They are now starting at the T-ball level. Unfortunately we didn't come away with any contracts or signing bonuses.

Summertime... Empty Park?

2009-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Two Years

2009-07-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's been two years in the house and I like to think I avoided the second year blues. Here are a few upsides and downsides

Upside

- The greatest wife and kids a guy could ask for... (still topping my list after almost 11 years)
- Alexandra's Crusade to neuter every feral cat on the block!
- A great house in good condition (we managed to insulate the 3rd floor)
- Great Tenants Come and Go... Eduoard, Emily, Oliver and William are moving to NJ and Katy and Kaleb are moving in...
- Creative Lease Options... Our rider for Tory continues to work for all involved.
- Lots of space and we have not filled it up anymore in the last year.
- A brand spankin' new kitchen that still looks great.
- Mice decided not to Winter Vacation at the house..
- Mosquitos aren't a factor this year
- No air conditioning in our bedroom, but who cares this summer with no heat waves.

Downside
- Cat Poop... That cat is going on vacation
- Ryan throwing toys down the toilet... "Gone"

So at the end of the day only one cat and Ryan's habit of flushing toys down the toilet have encroached on my happiness. Living on Rugby Road!

Happy Brithday Alexander Jack!

2009-07-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Son No.2 turns 4 today. The boy opened his presents nice and early. Mom, Dad, and his brothers got him:

- Clone Trooper Helmet
- Clone Trooper Costume
- Power Rangers RPM Ranger Series Green Morpher
- Power Rangers RPM "Silly Gun Thingy"

Alexander impressed me because he actually shared the toys with his brothers. After breakfast the official treat of Alexander was enjoyed by All--

Ledge of Death!

2009-07-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ryan decided to climb out on this 15 inch ledge. You can't tell by the picture but three is a 10 foot drop. Joe and I made a mad dash across the sand to get to Ryan. He thought is was pretty funny. Luckily the only damage was me stubbing my toe after jumping the railing.

The hole Dylan and I dug at the Beach

2009-06-20T09:10:00.001-07:00

almost a month later the hole is still there...

Iranian hostage Dylan

2009-06-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

Bandito Dylan

2009-06-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dylan having some fun at a Mexican reastaurant in the Slope. Think he ate something?

The little (only) swimmers

2009-06-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

The easy way - More Mini Golf

2009-06-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

On the links... Is it summer yet?

2009-06-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Another non-summer like day. The beach club is pretty empty and it is a hair below 70 and breezy. Alexander and Ryan are taking in a round of mini golf.

Last day of soccer-- Record W- 4 L- 3 Ties- 2

2009-06-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Extended Coverage of the Boston Series

2009-06-08T16:25:00.001-07:00

Cause it is imperative that we blow this out of proportion.

Seagulls waiting for dinner

2009-06-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

I jumped into the frigid pool after a day up north with the Yonkers Maguires (John, Hannah, and Anne). We headed back to Brooklyn to pick up Mom and off to the Silver Gull. The pool was cold, the ocean not so much, but the kiddy pool was actually warm :). This is a picture of us trying to feed the gulls in front of the cabana.

Blowing in the Insulation

2009-06-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

We decided to fifnish up the insulation on the third floor so it was cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. This is the crawl space that is at either end of our bedroom. 4 feet wide and 4 feet high. One day we will figure out what to do with this space. Walk in closet, space for dresser, etc.

They insulated the walls

Then they laid down a think coat of snow. They did this in the attic as well. The pictures weren't as great.

Since it was the third floor they had to blow the insulation in from the inside. Lots of patching and repainting. The clean up took about a day and about 95% of it was done by the wife. While the insulation costs a pretty penny, we ended up getting about 25% back from National Grid. We also might qualify for more if our heating bill goes down significantly.

Aviator Sports Renaisance Fair

2009-05-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

A free event usually lowers the quality, but this is pretty impressive.

Community Policing (Ditmas and Coney Island Avenue)

2009-05-29T05:48:00.001-07:00

The corner of CIA and Ditmas. The day laborers that hang out every morning are getting a pep talk from the "Policia". After the cops left they disbursed with smiles on their faces. Wonder what was so funny?

Pre-Tween Mosh pit

2009-05-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

The culprit-- Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. No one was hurt.. just a big blur....

Rugby Road Boys

2009-05-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

Stuy Town Playground

2009-05-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Back to the Silver Gull

2009-05-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Elliptical has arrived!

Coney Island High

2009-04-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

Warm Weather = Garbage

Whatchamacalit!

2009-04-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

The evil twin brother of the Whatchamacallit!

Post Game Icy

2009-04-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Dylan's team lost 0-4, but the team is really off to a good start. Sunday was a different story.. they won 2-1. Dylan's first team win!

Sun and Golf... For the kids

2009-04-17T09:08:00.001-07:00

JaJou took Dylan and Alexander to play golf at the Brooklyn Golf Center. Ryan would be attending also but he fell asleep. Never wake a sleeping child.