What is Important to Peter

Religulous

2009-01-25T20:44:00.005-06:00

Some of my most religious experiences have been wine. (Photo from: PremierCru.net)

Sledding!!!

2009-01-12T14:13:00.004-06:00

A big snow storm hit Chicago, so off to one of our finer sledding parks with the Sanders. No tow lifts or anything like that but it has a nice warming hut, complete with a fireplace. There were hundreds of kids braving the driving snow and cold. No better way to spend a Saturday. Slideshow.

Update: This great action shot is the photo-of-the-day on WBEZ.org

Pine 2008

2009-01-05T09:32:00.004-06:00

We headed up to Pine Mountain again this year (fourth year running) for some skiing and snowboarding between the holidays. Rebecca sported her new suit and got to hang with lots of friends. In fact, I didn't see her much during the day. She played with her friends and me with mine. Conditions were cold (single digits and teens), we got some snow and there was little wind all of which made for some decent midwest skiing. A few photos.

Christmas in Kansas City

2008-12-26T15:13:00.000-06:00

We spent a wonderful, relaxing Christmas in Kansas City with Sharon's family. The day after I took the girls ice skating, outside. It was over 60F out and the rink was melting. But no one particularly cared, especially Rebecca and Lily who were on the ice for about 2 hours.

Bug Snowboards Alpine Valley

2008-12-20T16:23:00.004-06:00

Bug conquers Alpine Valley on heels AND toes! Check out the cool new Burton board from Aunt Ash. See Rebecca in action. A few photos.

Faulx in Chicago

2008-12-16T13:14:00.001-06:00

The Faulxs took Chicago by storm with endless eating, skating, touring and playing.

Boston Visit

2008-08-18T06:57:00.003-05:00

Rebecca and I spent the weekend in Boston. We flew up on Thursday and spent 2 days at my Stoughton office and then moved downtown. With big plans for Friday night, we took the T to Fenway for a game vs. Blue Jays. Sadly, it got rained out but we had a fun time anyway. Saturday was beautiful and we toured the entire city on bike. Our tour guide took us all over for three hours. In the evening, we headed to the North End, Boston's Little Italy, for the Fisherman's Feast--an annual event dating back to 1911. The Feast is based on the devotion of the fishermen from Sciacca to the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help). The streets were filled with food to eat, stuff to buy, games to play and music. Rebecca got a tattoo, kettle corn and chocolate covered strawberries. We hooked up with Hang and her friends, had lots of fun and watched Phelps earn his 8th Gold Medal. Sunday we toured thebeautiful Public Garden, walked up quaint Charles Street on Beacon Hill and then sadly headed home. It was a wonderful visit and I particularly loved hanging out with Rebecca and holding her hand as we walked everywhere. Pictures.

Volterra

2008-07-20T09:52:00.003-05:00

On our last full day in Italy we packed in as much as we could, repeating those things we enjoyed and trying to visit those places still on our list. Warren and I traveled to Volterra where we discovered the world base for alabaster. Visiting several studios and shops, we saw beautiful craftsmanship using different grades of stone. Each piece seemed to be more beautiful than the next. The town itself was also a nice discovery. It's beautifully preserved with several piazzas and narrow walkways. Photos.

Borgo Antico

2008-07-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

We all slept late and relaxed around the villa. The kids went for a hike and then a compulsory swim. We headed to Castelina in Chianti, passed through Radda (MUST go back) and then to Dimezzano for dinner at Dave and Laura's cousin's restaurant Borgo Antico. Photos.

Reach The Beach

2008-07-13T06:10:00.001-05:00

We lounged around the Villa and then drove to Baratti Beach, about 2 hours from here. The roads were twisty, turny so not much fun for some of the family but the views were great. We then worked our way up to the Populonia Castle. It's situated on a peninsula a few hundred feet above the Mediterranean with an unbelievable view that included Elba. Dinner was at the only restaurant in the tiny town--quite good. We had a 4 course dinner with lots of just-caught seafood. We took an easier (but longer) trip home and heads hit the pillows around 1am. Pictures.

The Day in Firenze

2008-07-12T00:18:00.002-05:00

Florence is about an hour away so we packed up the kids and hit the road. It's hard to do such a big city in a day but we hit the highlights, covering it all on foot. Sharon played tour guide, having studied here in college. Photos.

Hike from Montauto

2008-07-11T06:33:00.003-05:00

The girls went horseback riding this morning at Agrifolio in Staggia and I toured nearby villas and vineyards. With Villa owner Jens Schmidt we drove up to Montauto where his friend owns the only home. It's isolated and has spectacular views at the top of the mountain. We hiked down to Case Monti and then onto Scorgiano. Photos.

Visiting Local Towns

2008-07-09T17:45:00.004-05:00

We had a leisurely morning on Monday the 7th and then headed out to Casole D'Elsa and Colle di Val D'Elsa. Both are exquisite old small towns that have been well maintained and are fun to explore. There were few tourists so we had both mostly to ourselves. The evening was a late swim (with drinks of course) and another delicious team dinner. Photos.

Monteriggioni

2008-07-09T16:51:00.005-05:00

After our drive up from Rome, we were happy to just hang out for most of the day at the unbelievable Villa Montecastelli. So we slept in, took a few walks and played by the pool which, on the north side of the estate, has breathtaking views of neighboring hillside villas and nearby towns. The kids got in plenty of pool time (which, of course is never enough). We pickup up some groceries and made our way to Monteriggioni where we experienced a Medieval Festival. In the US this would have been a little corny but in the setting of this Medieval castle town, it came alive. We picked up a case of wine from a much-appreciative local vintner and had a yummy dinner at the Villa by chef Sharon. Photos.

Flying

2008-07-09T16:21:00.002-05:00

How cool is this?!!! Our friend Peter Vogt took a picture of Rebecca and his girlfriend Pam did a little Photoshop magic. Click on the image to see it bigger.

To Siena

2008-07-08T06:49:00.004-05:00

We checked out of the hotel after another nice breakfast on the terrace and we walked to get our rental car (van). It was a nice walk north through beautiful streets. We got a bit lost but picked up the 9-passenger Europcar without incident. We picked up the girls and headed out of town. Again, the GPS was invaluable. It's about a 3 hour drive to Siena and we stopped halfway in a random town called Otricoli. Warren and I were debating as to whether to stop at a roadside stand (think: oasis on the Ohio turnpike, Italian style), or pay the exit toll and head into a town. We were greatly awarded for taking the path less traveled. Otricoli is a charming town overlooking the valley. We had a delightful, long lunch at their finest restaurant. After a little stroll, we headed onward to our villa. Follow the link to learn about it. It's absolutely spectacular, old and gorgeously restored. The views from Montecastelli are amazing and amenities, first class. It's a working olive farm with a few chickens for eggs and pigs for prosciutto--yum. We finished the day under a clear Tuscan night with stars, Milky Way and zipping satellites. Today's pictures.

Coliseum and Ancient Rome

2008-07-08T05:46:00.003-05:00

What a HUGE day. We met Laila at the Coliseum and learned much about its history and how it was build. We then toured the oldest part of Rome, had lunch in a private dinner club in the Jewish part of town and then visited the cat orphanage. After a little nap we walked more and had dinner just off of the Piazza Navona. And no day is now complete without gelato. Photos.

Vatican City and Pantheon

2008-07-07T02:07:00.003-05:00

We spent a very full day touring Vatican City and the Pantheon. Our guide was Laila Volpe. For now, I will let the 140+ pictures tell the story. When I have time I'll update the images with captions and details. We are having a spectacular time: learning lots, exploring, eating, drinking and laughing.

Roma

2008-07-06T08:26:00.003-05:00

We arrived in Rome on 3 separate flights, meeting within 10 minutes and somewhat all well rested. We taxied downtown, checked in and hit the streets for food and sites. It's hot but tolerable. We're near the Spanish Steps in the heart of the city with most everything within walking distance. Sharon's effort to relearn Italian has immediately paid off, simplifying most interactions around the city, particularly with such important things and finding what's best to eat on the menu. Photos.

Rainbow

2008-06-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

The Tourtellottes came over for dinner and to do some final Italy planning. It had been raining on and off all day--rain, sun, rain, sun... We were rewarded late in the day with a beautiful rainbow--lots if detail in the color spectrum. Seen here from our bathroom.

Cona Visit

2008-06-22T14:49:00.003-05:00

The three of us flew to Cona for the weekend--nothing formal planned, just to hang out with Grandpa Jason. We swam in the pool, kayaked down the Yellow Breeches, had dinner with the McCorkles and Peter & Pam visited. The most memorable part of the weekend were the meals on the screened porch. I had SO many family dinners there as a kid and in the summers, with no A/C, we practically lived out there. I was glad that Rebecca, at 10, got to have several nice meals there with Grandpa Jason. Even though we've all aged, the sights, smells and woodsy environment there hasn't changed for the 35 years we've enjoyed Cona. A few pictures of the weekend.

$6,500 Raised

2008-05-07T21:26:00.004-05:00

Some neighbors and I hosted a wine tasting fund raiser to benefit the Irving Park Community Food Pantry. It was a huge success, raising over $6,500 for the homeless and underprivileged in our community. It was their single most successful fund raiser ever and it created new awareness of the efforts of the organization in the neighborhood. Wine, food, venue and invitations were all donated. Photos.

Gert to Dataw

2008-04-30T12:11:00.004-05:00

I brought Great Grandma Gert to see Grandpa Jason in Dataw. She had never been to the new house. We travelled together and had a great time. Spring was in bloom and the weather was beautiful. Jason has been setting crab traps at a neighbors dock. We caught a bunch is an awefullys smelly trap--steamed and ate them in a meat garnish. Yum.

Spring Concert

2008-04-17T11:46:00.002-05:00

Rebecca performed in her first-ever band concert, blowing on her trumpet in a three-song set that opened the NPES Spring concert. She matriculates to 5th grade band and then Advanced band. As her smiles show, she had a great time.

Rebecca Turns 10!

2008-04-09T22:23:00.005-05:00

Rebecca ushered in turning ten or "double digits" as she likes to call it. Of course it was celebrated with friends--no better way for her. So, cakes, parties, sleepovers were all part of the festivities. There was a little gift giving but nothing too excessive either requested or given, except for a cell phone. She would have given ANYTHING for a cell but a little too early and unnecessary. She just keeps asking and asking.... Photos of the celebration.