First couple days at Derek's

Here's Derek tending the jambalaya pot our first evening here.  It's part of their LSU football tailgate setup ... mmmmmmmm.

Carter, Calvin, and Peter play Wii.  Ashley was playing too, but she's moving so fast she's blurry and eclipsed by Calvin.

Ashley, Calvin, and Peter on the couch.

Now playing in Houston

The boys and I flew to Houston yesterday (Tuesday), meeting Michael & Michelle & Mom here to visit Derek's family. I think we've settled in - the boys are playing Wii with their cousin Peter (4.5), Derek & Michelle & Michael & I just got back from a Starbucks / liquor store run. Lisa is nursing Jacob (two months & two days old) and Mom is playing with Ashley (2.5). Family fun in Katy, Texas!  This morning we played minigolf at the Katy city park, after driving right past the stadium where I played soccer in high school 22-25 years ago.  Lots of this area is new since then, for sure.  We'll be here through Saturday when we fly back to Baltimore.

Betsy headed back to Paris on Monday, arriving in Paris safely Tuesday morning.  She got all the network stuff powered back up so you can reach her at 703.908.0796 when she's not at work.

I'll try to download some of the pictures from our new camera tonight so you can see what we're up to.

Pics from Istanbul (yes, from April/May)

Reliving vacations on vacation?  Kinda.

Hi from DC

Just a quick update ...

Betsy, Cathy and I arrived back in DC from Ohio last Saturday night, after the boys had headed with Grandma off to Michigan.  We've been staying at Cathy & Roberto's, catching up with former colleagues and other friends, and doing a bunch of pent-up shopping.  Marilyn and the boys got back to Balto on Tuesday evening and came down to DC yesterday, so last night our boys and Victor were back with us here.  Today Betsy and Cathy leave for a girls/birthday weekend on the Eastern Shore, and the boys head back to Balto so I can play for a couple more days.

We'll try to keep you posted.  In the meantime, here's a couple pictures our friend Dave took in Lakeside last week.

Safe and sound

We arrived at Lakeside, Ohio, safe and sound yesterday (Saturday) around lunchtime.  Our flights from Paris to Frankfurt and on to Washington went fine, once we got past the incompetent lines & processing by Lufthansa at Charles de Gaulle.  We even talked our way into "economy plus" for the long flight, and the four of us ended up with six seats so we could stretch out and sleep a good bit.  Marilyn picked us up and we met up with Michelle & Josh & William, and Cathy & Victor & Andrea, for dinner at a barbecue place in Frederick.  Then we drove until about 10:30pm and stayed just east of Pittsburgh Friday night.  Our early start got the ten of us in our three cars here no problem.  Yesterday afternoon and evening we got settled and wandered around, then lucked out and got the fireworks show (postponed from the Fourth by high winds) to cap our night.  I think it added up to 41 waking hours of 48, of which 31 were traveling.  Whew!

So there's 14 of us here now - our four, Michael & Jess (& dog/child Mardi), Michelle & William, Cath & Victor & Andrea (her neice), Marilyn, and Glennell & Don. Tonight Jess's parents Maurice & Betty, plus Don's daughter Cynthia & her husband Kevin, all arrive, bringing us to 18 total, short of last year's since we're lacking Josh, Roberto, and Derek's five, but we'll catch up with all of them later on our trip.  We get to stay here thru Saturday or maybe Sunday.  Oh, and the weather is perfect, probably 72f right now with a perfectly blue sky.  Pas mal!

Updated contact info

Address:
1, square Théodore Judlin
75015 Paris
FRANCE

Telephones WHEN WE'RE IN USA:
+1.202-285-8718 (Betsy)
+1.202-285-8769 (Chris)

Telephones FROM USA:
+1.703.908.0796 (home in Paris, but the cost to you is like calling us in Virginia, i.e. free or domestic long distance)
+011.33.1.5658.1477 (home in Paris, int'l call)
+011.33.6.7305.8893 (Chris' cell, int'l call)
+011.33.6.7305.8873 (Betsy's cell, int'l call)

Email:
forinash (at) gmail.com (Chris)
bforinash (at) gmail.com (Betsy)
CJFparis (at) gmail.com (Carter)
CTFparis (at) gmail.com (Calvin)

Skype: cbccforinash (email first)
AIM: forinash@mac.com

odds and ends redux (by Marilyn from Tuesday)

dear folks -

you may only want to skim the last part of this.

i learned a new word today at stainte-chapelle: boustrophedon. it is a way or writing and reading that mimics the way oxen plow fields, that is first in one direction and in the next row in the reverse direction. one of the stained glass windows at sainte-chapelle is read boustrophedonically.

my son-in-law found a website which will write what you have written boustrophodonically for you. and he had my previous message translated for your pleasure.

because i am dyslexic and can read backwards quite easily and because i have a serious lazy streak, i find this an intriguing way of writing. though i inderstand i can write only to a limited number of people.

love,

m

here's Marilyn's latest missive, boustrephedonically rendered:

d e a r f o l k s -
- l a e w d i k a s a w i n e h w
w a y s g a t h e r e d n u t s i n t h e
t s e i l r a e y m f o e n o . l l a f
m e m o r i e s i s o f c o l l e c t i n g
e w n e h w . s t u n y r o k c i h g i b
m o v e d t o m i c h i g a n t h e r e
s e e r t y r o k c i h o n e r e w
n e a r b y b u t w e h a d p l e n t y
s t u n l a w k c a l b f o
t h e n u t s w e r e g a t h e r e d ,
. d e i r d n e h t d n a d e l l u h
t h i s s o u n d s s i m p l e r t h a n
e h t n i s d i k 7 h t i w . s i t i
f a m i l y g a t h e r i n g w a s n ' t
l e h s u b . e r o h c a h c u s
b a s k e t s o f n u t s w e r e k e p t
e h t n i e c a n r u f e h t y b
b a s e m e n t a n d t h e y d r i e d
g n i l l u h e h t s a w t i . l l e w
w h i c h w a s t h e d i f f i c u l t
f o s l e h s u b g n i l l u h . p e t s
b l a c k w a l n u t s o f t e n e n -
e m i t y t i l a u q e r o m s l i a t
w i t h m a g g o t s a n d m o r e
d e n i a t s w o l l e y h s i n e e r g
h a n d s f o r w e e k s t h a n m a n y
d e v o l i . y o j n e e l p o e p
n u t s s o m u c h t h a t i t
i s a r a f s a d a b o s t ' n s a w
w a s c o n c e r n e d
r a l u c i t r a p e h t f o e n o
p l e a s u r e s o f c o l l e c t i n g
t a e o t e c n a h c e h t s i s t u n
w e t n u t s . b e f o r e t h e n u t
t s i o m s i t a e m e h t , s e i r d
a n d c r u n c h y . a n d o n e c a n
s t u n d e i r d y u b y l n o
f o r b e t s y ' s b i r t h d a y
r e n n i d d a h e w n o i t a r b e l e c
a t a f a n t a s t i c r e s t a -
h c u m d n a y z o c s ' t i . t n a r u
l i k e b e i n g a t h o m e - i f
f e h c b r e p u s a e v a h u o y
w h o c o o k s f o r y o u . t h e
, 6 1 s t a e s t n a r u a t s e r
e v e r y o n e e a t s t h e s a m e
, 0 3 : 8 t a g n i t r a t s g n i h t
a n d y o u g e t t o w a t c h t h e
x i f f e h c u o s d n a f e h c
y o u r m e a l . e v e r y t h i n g w a s
y l l u f r e d n o w . s u o i c i l e d
f r e s h f o o d t h a t w a s s e -
s e c u a s y l e v o l h t i w d e v r
a n d s i d e s . o n e d i s h w a s ,
- c a , s g n i h t r e h t o g n o m a
c o m p a n i e d b y g r e e n a l -
l l u h d n a l l e h s e h t . s d n o m
o f a g r e e n a l m o n d h a v e
- r a h d n a d e i r d t e y t o n
d e n e d , t h e o u t s i d e i s a
t u n e h t d n a . n e e r g y z z u f
m e a t i s t h a t m o i s t a n d
m o r f y c n e t s i s n o c y h c n u r c
m y c h i l d h o o d
y a d n u s n o t e k r a m e h t t a
t h e b o y s a n d i b o u g h t a
. s d n o m l a n e e r g f o o l i k
t h e y s h a l l b e g o n e b e f o r e
s i r a p e v a e l i
w h e n o n e i s a b e g i n n i n g
s i t i , e c n a r f n i r e v i r d
f a r m o r e c h a l l e n g i n g t h a t
t i . s . u e h t n i s i t i
r e q u i r e s s o m e t h i n g l i k e
h t i w d a o r e h t n o s r u o h 0 3
a n i n s t r u c t o r , p a s s i n g a
, t s e t n e t t i r w s u o r o g i r
a n d p a s s i n g t h e r o a d t e s t
l l a r e t f a . y l t c e f r e p
t h a t , o n e i s r e q u i r e d t o
o t l a c e d e g r a l a y l p p a
t h e c a r w h e n o n e d r i v e s .
- r u s e w . A d e r e g r a l a
m i s e d t h a t i t i n d i c a t e s
t a s i r e v i r d r u e t a m A n a
t h e w h e e l a n d t h a t t h e
- a f y r e v t o n e r a h c n e r f
m i l i a r w i t h n a t h a n i e l
e n r o h t w a h
o n e t h i n g i n o t e a n d
i e m i t y r e v e e t a i c e r p p a
c o m e t o p a r i s i s t h a t
y l r a e l c s i y a w e v i r d y r e v e
m a r k e d . s i d e w a l k s , a s
, o d o t t n o w e r a y e h t
o f t e n c r o s s d r i v e w a y s . i n
e r a s r a c y n a m y t i c e h t
p a r k e d i n u n d e r g r o u n d
. s d r a y t r u o c n i r o s e g a r a g
w h e n e v e r a d r i v e w a y
e h t , k l a w e d i s a s e s s o r c
d r i v e w a y a r e a i s c r o s -
- n o c e h t o t n i d e h c t a h s
c r e t e o r p a v e m e n t . e v e r y
s w o n k r e l l o r t s a n i e b a b
t h e b u m p i n e s s m e a n s t o b e
d i k y r e v e d n a l u f e r a c
l i k e c a l v i n a n d c a r t e r
e h t n o e b o t e r e h w w o n k
w a t c h f o r t r a f f i c c r o s -
k l a w e d i s e h t g n i s
i h a v e h a d a n o t h e r f u n
. s i r a p n i y a d y s u b d n a
n o t h i n g m o r e e x c i t i n g
, s i r h c h t i w g n i e b n a h t
b e t s y , c a r t e r a n d c a l v i n .
t u o b a s i t a h t g n i o d t u b
a s g o o d a s i t g e t s . i
f l a h a d n a y a d a e v a h
b e f o r e i r e t u r n t o b a l -
d n a k r o y w e n a i v e r o m i t
w a s h i n g t o n . i a m m u c h a t
s s i m l l i w d n a e r e h e m o h
t h e m a r k e t s , p a r k s ,
i s t i b a h d n a s d n e i r f
e n j o y h e r e
t h g i n d o o g
m