Job change brings Jamie and Christine to Las Vegas

Jamie and Christine have relocated to Las Vegas, where Jamie started a new job this week as a software engineer with video game company Konami. The couple and their cats moved into a rented, furnished condo in a modern complex about 8 miles south of the Vegas Strip.

The cats making themselves at home

The view from the apartment balcony

The latest change comes just 15 months after C&J moved from Los Angeles to a house they bought in Schenectady, N.Y. Jamie was then working remotely for LA-based Skybound Entertainment. Unfortunately, after Skybound released its premiere video game, the company laid off Jamie and numerous others who had worked to create it.

With employment currently tight in the video game industry, Jamie was unable to line up another remote-work position, but accepted a strong offer from Konami. The company's current focus is largely on video gaming machines for casinos - hence the Las Vegas location for its U.S. headquarters.

Jamie and Christine view the latest move as a new adventure. While neither is a fan of gambling, they're looking forward to exploring the dining and entertainment of Vegas - and the natural wonders of the many parks in and near Nevada.

Family and friends gather to remember Hugh

Family members and friends gathered Sept. 19 to remember and celebrate the life of Hugh, who died June 18 at age 96.

The day began with a memorial service at Trinity Episcopal Church in Towson, Md., where Hugh was a long-time parishioner, along with his wife, Dolores, and their children. The beautiful service concluded with the placement of the urn in the church's columbarium.

This was followed by a catered repast in the adjacent parish hall, where Dolores was surrounded by well-wishers - the family members pictured above, along with fellow parishioners and other friends paying their respects.

The family then re-gathered at Doug and Lisa's nearby home, where Lisa provided supper and the conversations lasted well into the evening. Dolores said more than once that having all her children and grandchildren around her made a sad day much more pleasant. 

In memory of Hugh

Our family is saddened by the passing of Hugh, husband of Dolores, father of Julie, Doug and Cathy, father-in-law to Dan and Lisa, and grandfather to Liz, Rebecca, Christine, Andy, Stephanie and Christopher.

Hugh died peacefully June 18 in the apartment home he shared with Dolores at Oak Crest Senior Living in Parkville, Md. He was 96. 

See the obituary published in the Baltimore Sun

Born in Baltimore, Hugh lived most of his life in Baltimore County, including the past 22 years at Oak Crest. But he was living and working in upstate New York when he met Dolores, on a blind date arranged by friends, in 1952. They were married for 72 years.

The photo below was taken at a party for the couple's 70th anniversary.

Please visit our page dedicated to Hugh's memory.

A visit to Xander and his college campus

Dan and Julie took a late-spring visit to Virginia to visit Marie, Brien and Xander. Xander took them on a tour of the University of Mary Washington campus in Fredericksburg, where he had just finished his freshman year as a philosophy major. He said he was enjoying his classes and the atmosphere of the school, while commuting from home about 15 minutes away.

Charlie makes his first communion

Charlie made his First Holy Communion on May 2. Here he poses with proud parents C.J. and Vivien, along with younger brothers Austin and Oliver. That afternoon, C.J. and Vivien hosted a reception at their lovely home in White Plains, where they moved the previous summer upon returning from three years in London.

Blizzard of 2026 hits Northeast coast with snow, wind

The Blizzard of 2026 hit the New Jersey-New York area Feb. 22-23, dumping between one-foot-plus and two-feet-plus of snow on top of what was left from a heavy snowfall four weeks earlier.

At Birch Street HQ in New Jersey, Dan measured 15 inches in the front yard. Official reports from nearby towns ranged up to 18 inches.

The wet snow weighed heavily on bushes and trees, but fortunately did not cause any power problems in the neighborhood.

It was much the same story for Kathy in Westchester.

Kathy measured one foot on her front stoop, but local reports put the snowfall at around 16 inches.

A short way south in Yonkers, Kevin reports he measured 22 inches in his yard. Nearby, Brien lent a hand shoveling approximately that much snow from the walk outside his apartment.

The snow and high winds increased to the east along Long Island. The National Weather Service reported snow totals of 15-28 inches at various L.I. locations before the storm finished - and an 84 mph overnight wind gust at Montauk Point.

On Shelter Island, Nanette tells us between two and two-and-a-half feet surrounded her house Monday morning.

"My deck furniture is waiting for BBQ season," Nanette said.

There was less snow but more high wind on Cape Cod. Jamie's mom, Bonnie, sent this video clip taken as she and Jay cleared the paths at their house.

Family Christmas party in Yonkers, 2025 edition

Kevin & Kathy hosted the annual Yonkers Christmas party on the Saturday afternoon after the holiday. As Kevin mentioned in a toast, the event kept up a tradition that started in 2010, which in turn continued the annual family gatherings that that Daniel & Lorraine had hosted in prior years.

It turned out to be a "grown-ups party" this year. Genevieve and Vivien let husbands John and CJ and their children spend the afternoon together at Viv & CJ's new Westchester home, presumably playing in the fresh snow that had fallen overnight. And unfortunately, Lucy and Daisy had been sick, so they and parents Shanna & Rick stayed home. (Kevin & Kathy celebrated with them a few days later.)

K&K's son, Kevin, joined the party, as did Dan & Julie, Brien, Robert, and Patrick, whose wife, Kelsey, was busy working with her therapy clients. (P&K also have a new home in Westchester!) Also unable to make it was Mary, who was snowed-in at her home in Upstate New York.

Although they also live Upstate, Christine & Jamie and Andy & Wren had been at D&J's home in New Jersey for Christmas (photo below), so they drove from there to attend. The overnight snow had been cleared from the roads by then, and they had no trouble getting home after the party.

It was wonderful to see everyone and enjoy the delicious food and happy conversation. May all of us and more get together again next Christmas!

First significant snow of the season for these Upstaters

For the first time since they moved to Los Angeles in 2021, Christine and Jamie had the pleasure of shoveling show! About 6 inches fell at their home in Schenectady on Dec. 2.

During their LA years, "I think we might have seen a little snow when we visited for the holidays," said Christine. "But not enough to shovel," added Jamie.

About 30 miles southwest - and about 1200 feet higher elevation - Andy and Wren estimated 7-8 inches of accumulation.

"Had to break out the snowblower for the first time this season," said Andy. The driveway from his and Wren's house is more that 300 feet uphill to the road.

Mary takes a quick trip to Quebec

Mary spent a November weekend visiting Quebec, where she found the Old City already looking very Christmassy.

Photos Mary posted on Facebook include this view inside the Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec.

Mary also explored the wintry landscape of the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier, about 40 miles north of the city.

For that excursion, she made sure to dress warmly - and bring along a taste of home! (Lakeside Lounging is a craft IPA brewed in Saratoga Springs.)

Cathy goes on a "mystery tour" in Ontario

Toronto from the observation deck of CN Tower

Cathy spent a late-October week in the Toronto area on a "Behind the Scenes" tour for the Canadian TV show “Murdoch Mysteries.” She writes: "It’s a great show and the trip was wonderful."

The tour focused on locations in Toronto, Kingston and Niagara on the Lake that have featured in episodes of the show, which is set in the 1890s and early 1900s. The group also had opportunities to meet cast members and visit sets used in the production at Shaftesbury Films studios in Toronto.

Cathy with Arlen Humphreys ("Margaret Brackenreid")

Group photo on set, with Yannick Bisson ("Detective William Murdoch), in vest with Cathy behind his left shoulder.

Street set on back lot

At Det. Murdoch's desk

Suspicious character in the street

Tour stops included Casa Loma, a huge and ornate Gothic Revival castle-style mansion and garden in midtown Toronto.

It was built in 1911-14 for financier Sir Henry Pellatt. Lady Mary Pellatt hosted the city's female philanthropists and political activists at teas in the castle's solarium.

In Niagara-on-the-Lake, the group stayed at the elegant, Victorian-style Prince of Wales Hotel, built in 1864.

Tea is served afternoons in the Drawing Room

Naturally, a visit to Niagara Falls was included. There was also a dinner in the barrel room at Peller Estates Winery.

The group tour wrapped up with dinner in the restaurant atop Toronto's CN Tower (see photo at the top of this post). It happened to be the night of Game 7 of the World Series, at the adjacent Rogers Centre.

 

Cathy took this photo of eager fans entering before the game. They would have looked less happy coming out, after the LA Dodgers won 5-4 in 11 innings.

Cathy has posted many more photos from the trip on her Facebook page.

Dan & Julie visit Toronto for a concert and some sight-seeing

It started with browsing concert listings. Julie noticed that Sheryl Crow was on tour and said that was an artist she'd like to see sometime. One of the dates was in Toronto, and Dan said that was a city he'd like to see sometime. Before long they'd booked concert tickets, flights, a hotel - plus baseball tickets - for a quick 60-hour visit to Canada's largest city.

Arriving on a Friday night, they checked into their hotel near the airport, navigated public transit downtown and strolled around the Harborfront area. On their way to the Rogers Centre baseball stadium, they checked out the outdoor Toronto Railway Museum and had dinner at one of the restaurants in the former Canadian Pacific roundhouse.

Despite being fans of the AL East rival Yankees and Orioles, Dan and Julie enjoyed watching the Toronto Blue Jays play the Texas Rangers - and win in exciting, come-from-behind fashion, 6-5.

 

On Saturday, the couple took a ferry across Toronto's Inner Harbor to Ward's Island, one of a group of islands that have a mix of parkland, small residential neighborhoods, an amusement park and a small airport. They strolled through the park, had lunch at a cafe alongside the main harbor, and walked through a neighborhood of quaint old houses before ferrying back downtown.

Making the most of their limited time, D&J then checked out the shops along the cobblestone, pedestrian-only streets of the Distillery District, with music in the background from a bandstand in a central plaza.

Then it was time to call a Lyft to get to the opposite side of the city for dinner and the Sheryl Crow concert at the Great Canadian casino complex. (Side note: The only highway through downtown Toronto, the Gardiner Expressway, seemed perpetually jammed.)

Photo from Great Canadian Entertainment

On Sunday, they continued their tourist-ing by returning downtown and visiting the Royal Ontario Museum. They spent the morning in the First People's gallery with its collection of native artifacts, including canoes and kayaks, and part of the afternoon in the Earth's Treasures, Dawn of Life and Dinosaur exhibits.

After a walk around nearby Queens Park, they said farewell to Toronto, and they and their tired legs headed to the airport.

See many more photos, including trains, canoes and dinosaurs