As promised, more pictures from this spring. Just some slices of life in Indiana...

Sabrina enjoys apples on the porch. She always requests, "Eat outside! Eat outside!"

Sabrina disputes some point with me...

Sabrina sits atop her sandbox, which is covered...

A recent culinary coup of mine: laap gai (Thai minced chicked, on the left) and Thai shrimp salad on the right...

Mmm, mmm, good...

Sabrina seemed satisfied...

Sabrina, in a very grown-up pose, enjoys the Disney Channel...

Back on the porch, this time for my burritos...

Sabrina tucks in on the floor...and a shout-out to Wabash College!

Sabrina tries out her new bed--which she still hasn't used yet...

Sabrina and Daddy at Red Lobster. Hey, whose anniversary dinner was it anyway?! (Her nose was yellow from cheese, which we didn't discover unti later...)

Catching up, page 1 - Spring

Another blog entry, another apology from me for the long time it's been since my last post. Sorry...

This post is not exactly newsy or full of pics from some exotic tourist destination--well, I don't quite go to those kinds of places anymore. It's just a few images of fun from this past spring. Yes, it's catch-up time...

Enjoy! There are more to follow.

Sabrina tries her hand at feeding lambs, outside Adrian...

Like a true rancher...

She seems, here, to finally get the hang of it...

Sabrina enjoys some fun headwear...

A nightly tradition--building a house out of sofa cushions!

Lake Monroe, outside Bloomington. The house of rock 'n' roller John Cougar Mellencamp sits hidden in the trees just above where the car is visible...

Easter, and an Easter egg hunt out at our landlords' farm...

Sabrina suspiciously eyes a pinata...

Sabrina stands somewhat crestfallen over the pile of candy from the pinata...

Sabrina enjoys the sun on the back porch...

Swinging at Bryan Park...

Plenty of blossoms in a Bloomingtom springtime...

After a hard day of playing, there's nothing like a good sleep!

More to follow soon!

Oh, Canada (part deux)

Day Two in Toronto (Le Deuxieme Jour en Toronto, if my French is correct...) When traveling, I keep a pretty full schedule, as these pictures (the sheer number of these pictures!) will attest to. But Toronto is a wonderful walking city with quite a lot to see, and the weather--as you'll notice--was sunny, cool, and gorgeous.

First some views of downtown, mostly along Yonge Street...

The CN Tower, still (I believe) the world's tallest thing...

Nice way to dress up the window-less side of a building...

The unique "Flatiron" building...

Get dizzy... (By the way, we'd been up to the top before, so we passed this time...)

The dirty old men were a bit of a nuisance...

Japanese food! Hadn't had it since Taiwan...

Honest Ed's--a Toronto institution...and full of cheap stuff!

A good slogan for Taiwan?

Interesting old building near University of Toronto...

The ever-so-funky Kensington Market...

...live music courtesy of the clarinet player on the left...

Speaking of live music, why not a little echo of bagpipes between the skyscrapers...?

Dundas Street East. Our hotel in the middle...

No restrictions on visiting Cuba from Canada!

A ring of green around the CN tower's observation deck in comemmoration of St. Patrick's Day...

Outside the Hockey Hall of Fame...

The evening's entertainment was provided by Fleetwood Mac, live at Air Canada Centre...

Switched to a seat with a better, more straight-on view...

Some final bows from the band...

More to come!

Oh, Canada (part 1)

A lot of people think of sun and sand when spring break rolls around, so they head south to places like Florida and Mexico and get their fill of things tropical...and whatever else... But when we started to think of what we might do during my spring break at IU, a quick scan of my mental map of this part of the world led me back to an old favorite locale of mine--albeit one farther north. My first trip out of the US (1978, age 8) was to Toronto and Niagara Falls, and subsequent visits to the Great White North have only made me love the place more and more. A couple months working up in Toronto just after I graduated as an undergrad and I was completely smitten--Toronto was simply the coolest city in North America. This was only my second visit back there since my days of donning my tie and heading off on the subway to work at the Royal Ontario Museum...and Toronto has only gotten cooler, and I've only fallen deeper in love with a place I have to admit I wish I lived in again.

I share with you now images of the city I love--once and now again my favorite city in North America...

Going North is easy for us in Michigan...just across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit... (although technically we head south to cross the border)...


Toronto was recognized by the United Nations in 1988 as the world's most cosmopolitan city, so it ought to come as no surprise that upon our arrival we encountered a protest by supporters of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers...


Dodging the flag-waving mobs, we sought refuge in the enormous Eaton Centre shopping complex...

Right next to the Eaton Centre (it seems the mall was actually built around it) lies Trinity Church, significant to fans of roots music as the place where Toronto's Cowboy Junkies recorded the gorgeous album "The Trinity Sessions" in 1988, in just one day...using just one microphone!

If I recorded an album at Trinity Church (and I mean to) this might be the album cover, (though I ought to dress better)...

Toronto's unmistakeable City Hall...

...and out front, ice skating...

Next, along fun and funky Queen Street West...

...to Chinatown...

...where Kitty felt victorious locating a dim sum place she'd hoped to find...

These pics are for the foodies. Feel free to drool...

Ah, chicken claws!


The Royal Ontario Museum--my former workplace...with a flashy new exterior...


Finally, Yonge Street, lit up like Times Square...


More to come!

My First Proper Music Video

I've never had so much fun doing an extra credit project for class. This song pays tribute to Taiwan, where I spent 15 years--something like 35% of my life so far. Enjoy!

Scenes from Snowy Michigan

Greetings! Well, this is what southern Michigan looks like at the moment, but I can't say I mind. After all, it's only four days until Christmas, and I'd be pretty disappointed if it didn't look like this! If we get this kind of snow in March, I might be groaning a bit more. I guess snow is still a bit exotic to me after so many years in Taiwan...

It was fun to get Sabrina outside for her first chance to actually play in snow. Actually, her first arrival in the USA was a very snowy day last December, but she was only six months old and not really able to get out and play in it. Now, she can see what all this white stuff is about. After a tentative look at the snow, she really got into playing in it and kept saying, "Snow! Snow!" after we brought her inside.

Anyway, bundle up and enjoy these images...

It's been WAY too long since I got on here and blogged. Lots of final exams and papers have been to blame... But as of about 4:30 this afternoon, I'm DONE for the semester!

Anyway, I present here a special Christmas greeting from me and Kitty. I give you first the "blooper" video, in which Sabrina knocked her head back and cut open Kitty's lower lip. Ouch. When Kitty had successfully stopped the bleeding, we tried again...and the product was the second video. ENJOY!