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Our Adventures
Found out something interesting.
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Wasps love to nest in variegated privet
shrubs.
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Never, ever confuse an electric hedge clipper with a
fly swatter
While trimming the shrubs with the electric hedge clipper,
I ran into a LARGE wasp nest. Dozens of these things came after
me. Without thinking, I swatted at them with the clipper, while it
was running. Needless to say, I took out a huge chunk of
shrub. TG these things grow fast!!!!! Cindy walks out a little
while later, shakes her head, and walks back in.
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July 26, 2003: Nicolas sitting
up by himself
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July 25, 2003: Nicolas tries "Real Food"
for the 1st time
They say it's food, but it's a "rice
gruel" paste type substance.
I would have the same face if you tried to feed me
this stuff.
After picking up Ben from Sea Camp, we headed off to
the Texas Hill Country, to stay at Cindy's Aunt and Uncle's house in
Boerne. A great launching place for a whole weeks worth of
activities. Learn more.
 Texas
A&M has a summer camp, for teens looking into Marine Biology.
Ben wants to go into that field, so we signed him up for Sea
Camp II. The camp offers a lot of hands on education,
and a lot of just plain fun for kids. He had a blast wading
through the marsh, dissecting a shark and turtle, and visiting Moody
Gardens.
My first Rally in the Boxster, and guess
what....... Placed 1st in distance!!!!! 
Arrived at the final
destination within 8/10ths of a mile of the official mileage. Not
bad, considering 2 wrong turns. The only other rally I ever did
was back in high school. Didn't do so well in that one - was
disqualified for arriving at the final checkpoint, from the wrong
direction. Click here for details.
Only a few weeks ago, when I would go surfing the
web, I would always open first, Porsche
Pete's Boxster Board. Well, today, I opened up the browser,
and on the MSN homepage was an article Baby
Binkies (pacifiers). Opened it, and read all about binkies.....
Then I think how I wished this wonderful tool - the internet - would
have been around with my first son - Ben. It is so wonderful to be
able to research virtually anything, and share pictures
with the world.
Cindy said "why don't you make a bottle,
please".
Go to the dishwasher, to pull out the clean bottles. Amazingly,
they are all arranged by color. Hmmmmmm...... a suggestions buried in
here somewhere Come to find out
(Guys, take note of this), it is really, really important to make
sure the red bases are put on the bottles with the red tops. Do
not Ever, Ever, mix the red bases with the lavender tops (BTW: lavender
really is a color... look purple to me, but I'm just a man so of
course I have it wrong). These correct color combinations are critical to child development
(scratch your head guys, and go on....)
Not Good 
Good 
Granny (Sandra - Mike's mother) comes in to see her 5th
grandchild. Granddad said she couldn't wait. I don't think
the plane could get here fast enough, either. All she wanted to do
was hold Nicolas. Spoiled him already, in just a week.
Granny was a great held, except...... Don't let her near the
appliances. Came home one night, only to find towels all over the
kitchen floor. Thought the dishwasher had sprung a leak.
Well, Mom apparently put regular disk soap in, instead of dishwasher
soap. These  two
aren't interchangeable. What you get are lots of bubbles (I mean
LOTS of Bubbles). This picture is after a dishwasher full of
bubbles has been scooped out. (BTW: found out if you spray the
bubbles with non-stick cooking spray (like PAM), it kills them very
fast, then you can run the cycle, to totally clean out all the remaining
soap).
Ron and Marion (Cindy's parents), come down to meet
their first grandchild. Undoubtedly some of the happiest people
in town. They helped out in the hospital (so I could run home
and feed the to dog), and Marion stayed the week to help Cindy
out. Cindy really appreciated the help. She was exhausted.
Nicolas Alexander Shassere is born. Read about this really big
adventure
 Tom
and Kathy hosted this year's event. They did a wonderful
job... The decorations were great, as was all the food and,
well, adult beverages. Click here for more pictures.
 Yep,
you heard right...... There's a baby on the way. Due March
28th. Christmas holiday was spent painting, putting up borders and
trim, and staining new furniture. Click here for the scoop.
 My
first Boxster Event. It was wonderful (despite the rain). I
want to thank all the event organizers (Bob Bianconi, Mike Renter, Rob
Granger, and Scott Duncan), who did an excellent job putting together a
first rate event. Click here for more pictures.
 What
a great day! Nice fall day in Houston - somewhat overcast, but
cool, and over 20 Porsche cars on display in one place. I
thought I was going just to view the cars, but the organizers talked
me into entering the Speedster. I did, and got second place in
class. Click here, for more pictures.
The "Event" actually started the day
before, at the office. I had been out of town for the 2 days
prior, which I feared gave by co-workers an opportunity to do something
interesting to my office. To my surprise (and relief), they
hadn't. I got to the office, opened my door, and nothing.
Boy was I relieved. Unfortunately, I had the monthly management
meeting that morning. This is when they got me. 
(Click Image)
The big surprise was on the way home. Cindy
called, and said let's go to dinner. At dinner, she hands me a
airline itinerary. She had arranged to fly Ben (my son) in from
Tennessee for my birthday. I was really surprised. A great
present!!!!
Cindy invited a bunch of friends over for the party
Saturday night. Problem is, Ben and I had to decorate. Ben
had a blast.... but I hate to decorate - especially for my own party. Guess that
was Cindy's way of rubbing in "The Big One.".
(Click Image)
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August 3, 2002: Found a SNAKE in the
garage !!!! I hate snakes. Went to
reprogram the sprinklers, and as I stepped next to the box, a snake
struck at me. I went into the house to get Cindy's help - OK
running and screaming like a girl :(
By the time we got back, we couldn't find it.
Cindy (not me mind you) started pulling stuff out that was pilled up to
get a better look as I bravely stood guard with a shovel. Finally
found it curled up behind a kerosene heater we use to heat the garage in
the winter (got to keep the toys comfortable).
Being brave again, I made a skewer our of drywall
screws protruding from the end of a short pole (if you call 6ft short).
I then stabbed at his side. Missed the first time, and really
pissed him off. He coiled up and started hissing, and I stabbed
again. This I got him. Cindy then brought the shovel, and I
hacked off his head.
Pulled him out to see what kind he was.
"Texas Headless" was all I cared about at the time, but did
jump onto the internet to find the real species. It appears to be
an "Eastern Hognose" Heterodon platyrhinos
. (see http://www.houstonherp.com/EHognose.html)
The Hognose is rather fond of frogs, which explains why all the frogs
seem to have disappeared in the past few weeks. I guess he has
been in the garage for 3-4 weeks. Started seeing some strange dung
on the floor - to big for rat pellets. Must have been recycled
frog!
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July 27, 2002: Sold the boat. Some
say the happiest 2 days of boat ownership are the day you buy it, and
the day you sell it. Well, the later isn't necessarily true.
I will miss it, but it was time to go. Have had it 12 years now.
In the last 2 years, haven't been out on it at all. I've only
been to the lake maybe 4 times in 2 years. Just no time for it
anymore. Maybe someday there is a new boat in the picture.
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July 4th Holiday, 2002: My son,
Ben, came to Houston for a visit. The adventure started when I
went to pick him up a the airport. He's 13, and traveled as an
unaccompanied minor. Well, due to current airport security
rules, I had to get a gate pass to pick him up. Got to the
airport, and he was not in the system as traveling as an unaccompanied
minor. Hmmm. After trying everything to get the ticket agent to
let me through, with less than 10 minutes left before he arrived, I
told her just give me a ticket on the next flight out, any flight,
anywhere. This look of total confusion came over her face.
She asked "why would you be spending so much time here at the
ticket gate trying to get a security pass to pick up you son, then all
the sudden decide to get on a plane"? I told her I needed
to get through security, and to do so I needed a ticket, so I'm buying
a ticket. I still don't think she ever got it..... If the
rules say I need a ticket, well now I have a ticket. I got Ben
at the gate, then promptly called to get a refund. The agent on
the phone asked why I needed a refund, so I quickly relayed the story.
She said that was really thinking on your feet!
The rest of the week was very enjoyable. We
went to the lake several times (Ben caught a bunch of catfish), to
several movies, and to Moody
Gardens. The night of the 4th, we had the neighbors at our
front yard to do fireworks. Fun was had by all!!!!
Ben returned to Oak Ridge TN, without any additional
"adventures"
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June 21-23, 2002: San Francisco.
I had a company meeting, so I talked Cindy into coming, so we could
tour Napa Valley. Stayed at Westin
St. Francis. It's just OK - not all it's reported to be.
I like the Nikko
or the W
much better.
Our first stop was lunch, at the Rutherford
Grill. Hey, it's a vacation, sort of, so we didn't get up
early. It was an excellent lunch!!!
The first winery stop was at Rutherford
Hills Winery. Rutherford Hills utilizes a series of caves and
tunnels, carved into the hills, to store and ferment their wines.
Very interesting tour, and the wines are superb. Tasted their
reserve selection, which was an excellent assortment of various wines.
The 1999 Sangiovese (limited reserve only available at the winery) was
possibly the best wine I've ever tasted (we've only recently started to
experience good wines). We brought back a small sample to enjoy
later.
Our next stop was Sterling
Vineyards. Sterling has a unique tram, which takes you from
the parking lot, to the winery on top of the hill. The views are
magnificent. The tour is self guided. Not as informative as
other guided tours we have been on, but the production and storage
buildings are still quite impressive. The tasting room has an
outdoor patio. We took our tasting there, while enjoying more of
the scenery.
We next stopped at Edgewood
Estates Winery. A small winery on the way back to San
Francisco. Good, but none of the wines really stood out to me.
We did pick up a fairly nice bottle of Merlot, to have in the evenings
during our trip.
The next day we went to the Exploratorium,
and Children's Museum. A must see if you are ever in San
Francisco.
After my first day of meetings, met up with a few
associates for after dinner drinks in the hotel. We decided to
move to a "real bar", so we went to the Gold
Dust Lounge. This is not one of those trendy bars people only
go to "to be seen". Great jazz, and great drinks.
At least that's what I remember before Tim started buying rounds of
B-52's. Geeeze, I'm getting to old for this S%$#.
The rest of the trip was pure meetings and room
service.
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May 6, 2002: Jury Duty. Being the good
citizen, I trudge down the Harris county courthouse - in downtown
Houston (yuck), thinking I'll be in and out by lunch. Wrong!!
I'm picked for a Solicitation of Capital Murder case. 6 1/2 days
later, we finally have a verdict - guilty. The worst part is I
now know, firsthand, who to call to "off" someone, for a
measly $2500. You see this on TV all the time, but this was real
life. There is some real scum out there.
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April 20, 2002: Rolex Grand-Am race in Phoenix. My
company (USI Insurance
Services) sponsors a race car in the Rolex Grand-Am series - the G&W
motorsports Picchio. I was in Phoenix for a meeting, so I
stayed over to watch the race. Way much fun. As sponsors,
we have suites, pit passes, etc. The race is fun from the suite,
but you really need to be in the pits. All the action, noise,
frantic pace - that's what a race is all about.
Click for more Race Car pictures
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March 20-24, 2002: AMS Users group annual meeting, Dallas -
Wyndham
Anatole. Software conventions aren't usually
"adventures". This one was no exception, until a few
days after everyone returned home. Of the 3000+ attendees, about
half got sick. Come to find out, after Dallas County health
officials and CDC investigations, the hotels salsa was contaminated
with Salmonella from an infected worker. You can't be in Texas
without eating Mexican food, and you have to have salsa with your
chips and margaritas. We all did, and we all got sick. Not
a pleasant experience.
The hotel never sent a letter of concern or apology.
(Missing a few months in here, aren't we?!?!?!? I'll try to
remember something for these few months)
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September 29, 2000: Moving day. The house was
finished, so we thought. The night before, the house was broken
into. They stole the dishwasher, range, microwave, and pretty
much anything else - including the front door. When they took
the dishwasher, they just pulled it out without turning the water off
(I guess you can't ask thiefs to be courteous) Ryland homes was
great. They called all the sub-contractors, and got everything
completely restored by the afternoon. I have never seen so many
workers in one place, working so fast - any they did it right, mostly.
The carpet had to be replaced in the living room again. Someone
left the seam sealing iron on, and burnt a nice hole in the carpet.
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