Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 06 Dec 09

Hi all,

Not much new here. Mike and Jenn are studying hard for finals. I have one more week of work - two weeks from today we're flying to Madrid!

Joe and I watched the movie Frost/Nixon over the weekend. We enjoyed it, although it was kind of depressing when you realize what Nixon did and how he was treated vs what Bush got away with for 8 years.

It's been fairly chilly - upper 30s to low 40s - but not windy and a little sunny, so all in all, not bad. They're calling for snow this week - we'll see!

Hope everyone is well,
Kind regards,
Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 29 Nov 09

Hi all,

We had a nice week here - Thursday and Friday off from work. The

weather has been really nice for this time of year. On Wednesday, Joe

set up our new iMac. We're still getting used to it, but it's nice! We

put our Christmas lights up outside on Friday.

I have two more weeks left of work, and then I'm off for the rest of the

year! Three weeks from today, we'll be heading to Madrid!

Mike and Jenn are both well. Mike is done with classes and is studying

for finals. Jenn still has three more weeks of classes and exams.

I'll be going to Minneapolis to meet with our vendor on Tuesday (very

early!) and coming back late Wednesday night. My boss is also coming

from San Jose for meetings on Wednesday.

Everything is the same with Joe at work.

That's about all the news. Hope everyone is well!

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 22 Nov 09

Hi all,

We got a new computer this week - Joe has Wednesday as a vacation day

and he will be setting it up then! It replaces our old eMac.

Not much new here. 4 weeks from today we'll be flying to Madrid!

Mike is down to his last week of classes - then a study period and

exams. Jenn is having fun discovering Madrid, now that she's done

traveling around.

It's a short week at work because of Thanksgiving. We'll be going to

Perry on Thursday - we are invited to Jim (Frank and Pam's son) and

Karissa's house. They have two children now, Brody and Shea. Next

year we're thinking of trying to do something with Tom and Mary in

Detroit.

I only have three more weeks of work. The week of Dec. 13 is my

furlough week (week without pay), and then I have vacation the rest

of the year. I'm looking forward to the break.

That's about it - hope everyone is well, and for those with a long

weekend, hope it's a good one!

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 15 Nov 09

Hi all,

Happy Birthday to Paul this past week!!!

Nothing new with us. Five weeks from today we'll be flying to Madrid!

The weather this weekend was warm. We finished up most of the work outside - now we start the cleaning up inside!

Jenn is back from her weekend trip to Cordoba and Sevilla. It was a program trip, and she went with her group. That is the last trip that Jenn has planned. She's registered for classes at Binghamton starting in January - she'll be living off campus in a house with some friends.

Mike has a week and a half left of classes, then study for finals. A short interview with him regarding his study abroad in Japan is posted on Santa Clara's website at http://law.scu.edu/international/tokyo.cfm.

Joe and I watched the movie "Big Night" over the weekend. It's not new - 1996 - it has Tony Shalhoub (the man who plays "Monk") in it. It made me think of mother. We enjoyed the movie.

That about it. Hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 08 Nov 09

Hi All,

Not much new here. The weather has been beautiful the past couple of
days - sunny and warm, in the high 60s. We went and cleaned out
Grace's house a little more yesterday and today we worked in the yard
some more.

Mike and Jenn are doing well. Mike made moot court this time around,
so he'll be competing in LA in the spring.

The Spanish class that Joe and I are taking is going fine. We
learned the "ar" verb last week. It's a very low-key class, but it's
fun and we're learning a little!

Work is pretty much the same for Joe and I. GM sent four fuel cell
cars to Vancouver for the winter Olympics. Kodak is still
struggling. I'll be going to visit our vendor in Minneapolis on Dec
1-2 to try to plan some work for next year - I think that I'll miss
Jim and Nancy though, as they will be in Mexico.

That's it - I hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,
Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 01 Nov 09

Hi Folks,

Happy Halloween and Le Dia de Los Muertos!

Not too much is new here. Jenn is back from Rome. She had a great

time. She needs to register this week for classes next semester, so

she is working on her schedule. Mike is studying hard - he had a

moot court try-out and will find out early in the week if he qualified.

The weather here has been pretty nice - cool and a little rainy, but

we've had some nice sunny days. The leaves have all turned, and most

of them have fallen. We worked out in the yard today, raking and

clearing out the flower beds.

Work is going the same for Joe and me. Nothing much new.

Hope everyone is well!

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 25 Oct 09

Hi all,

Not too much new with us. Joe and I talked to Jenn and Mike tonight
- they're both doing well. Jenn has midterms this week and then is
off to Rome for the weekend - her last trip big trip from Madrid.
Mike is studying hard.

We met Frank and Pam at Grace's house yesterday to start talking
through what to do with the house and the stuff. We took her clothes
to the goodwill, and we're going to get the house appraised.

Joe and I started our Spanish Basic class - it is very low-key, but
we like the teacher and the other classmates, so we think it will be
fun.

We watched a 2008 Swedish movie this weekend - Let the Right One In -
a vampire and adolescent love story. It was very nicely done and
actually put the whole vampire thing in a different perspective for
me. I'm also reading Edgar Allen Poe poems and stories - I picked up
the classic book at Barnes & Noble. So, I'm getting into the
Halloween mood!

Paul called to tell us that he was laid off on Friday - a surprise to
us, a "surprise, but not a surprise" for Paul. He's starting to
think of where to take his career next, and he'll be moving back to
the house in Amherst and leaving Virginia Beach.

That's about it here. Hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,
Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 18 Oct 09

Hi all,

Happy Birthday Jim!!!

Not much new here. Jenn was in Paris this weekend, and should be on
her way back to Madrid. Joe and I start our Spanish Basics class
tomorrow evening - we're looking forward to it.

The weather has been very fall-like. Yesterday we cleaned out our
garage, and today we got a face cord of wood and we stacked it up in
the garage - we're ready for evening fires in the fireplace!

I was wondering if anyone would like to go in on a gift for Ed this
year - last year, we sent two months of beer from a "Beers of the
Month" club. He seemed to really enjoy it. It's $42.95/month,
including shipping and handling. The minimum is two months, which is
what we did last year. Does anyone want to join us and add a month?
You can check out the International and Domestic Variety Beer Club
here: http://www.beermonthclub.com/join-gift.htm. You don't need to
let me know right away - I'll probably be signing up in November
sometime.

It sounds like here are the following plans for New Year's:

Jim and Nancy - Dec. 30 - Jan. 2
Paul and Jenine - Dec. 30 - Jan. 2
Tom - Dec. 30 - Jan. 4

Hopefully John can make it for a few days also!

That's about it. Hope everyone is well.
Kind regards,
Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 27 Sep 09

Hi all,

Mike was home for the long weekend. He got home Wednesday, went to

the dentist on Thursday, hung out with friends a little in the

evenings, and went to his friend's older brother's wedding

yesterday. This morning we went out for brunch, and then we took him

to the airport - he's on his way back to California now. It was nice

to see him and spend some time with him. He heard back from the firm

that he interviewed with, only to hear that it's going to take them

longer than they thought to let people know the outcome. He is not

optimistic about it and is looking for other potential summer

opportunities.

Jenn has been having a good time in Spain, although last week she was

sick to her stomach and now she thinks she has an ear infection. She

went with her student group to Barcelona over the weekend - they had

a great time, but this morning she woke up with a really bad ear

ache. She has classes all day tomorrow, so depending on how she

feels, she'll either have to miss a class to get to the clinic or

wait until Tuesday.

Grace fell again on Friday, and this time she broke her hip. She had

surgery yesterday and is doing well - she'll be a few days in the

hospital and then she'll go to a nursing home for rehab.

Joe and I are doing well - work is pretty much the same. The weather

is definitely getting cooler, and we had some rain today.

Not much else is new with us. Hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 20 Sep 09

Hi all,

Today was a beautiful, early fall day. The sun was hot, but the air

was fairly cool, blue skies, and no rain. I worked a little in the

yard, with Diego keeping me company.

Jenn is starting her second week of classes. She has settled in

well, and she and her two roommates have been exploring Madrid and

Toledo. She's taking 5 classes - culture, phonetics, translation,

Spanish museums, and Latino jazz. She thinks that they will

definitely help her Spanish, as well as living in Spain. Her host

mother does not know English - she is a very good cook and is very

nice. Overall, Jenn seems to be doing well and having fun.

Mike is doing well with his classes. He had his interview last week

with McDermott, Will, and Emery - they told him he would hear early

this week. He's not confident that the interviews went exceptionally

well, but he really liked the firm and the work that they do. He

will be coming home Wednesday for a couple of days to go to a

friend's wedding on Saturday.

My work has been crazy, but we finished phase 1 of the project today

- now it's on to the next phase. I'm looking forward to a little

"down time" - I've been working long hours and weekends.

Joe's work is pretty much the same.

That's about it for this week. I hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 13 Sep 09

Hi all,

Jenn left for Madrid on Wednesday - above are pictures from the

airport. We talked to her a little while ago on Skype - everything

is going well, she starts classes tomorrow. Her "host mother" is

very nice and is a very good cook! She shares a room with a girl

that she knows from Binghamton, and there's another girl in the flat

from U at Buffalo. She says that she can understand most of what's

said, but she sometimes has trouble responding appropriately. She's

hoping to get more practice speaking while she's there. She'll have

5 three credit courses and 1 one credit course.

Mike is doing well. He got a call back! (Jenine, it must have been

those positive vibes that you sent his way!) He still has three more

firms to hear from (so keep those positive vibes coming!), the rest

are rejections. His call back interview is with McDermott, Will, &

Emery in Menlo Park on Tuesday, 2-5 pm PDT. He's very excited for

it. Also, he'll be home for a few days next week to attend a

friend's wedding, and he's looking forward to that.

Work is going well for Joe and I. Part of my project launched last

Friday, and another major launch is coming up this Friday. After

that I should have some breathing space, I'm looking forward to some

"down time".

Joe and I saw the movie "District 9" last night. We both really

enjoyed it - very original and well acted.

That's it for now. Hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 07 Sep 09

Hi all,

Last week was a busy one at work and at home. My project is coming

due, so I have been working very long hours. Jenn got back from her

road trip on Saturday, having seen Andrew in Long Island and friends

in the Binghamton area. On Sunday, she and Allison went to Darien

Lake, an amusement park, and then that evening the four of us went

out to dinner at a new restaurant located at the Port of Rochester,

where the fast ferry used to dock. It was very nice.

Mike has two more interviews left out of the eleven that he had

scheduled. So far, 4 rejections and no call-backs. He is

discouraged, but he has worked out alternate plans with his advisor

in case nothing this round pans out. He followed up on one of the

rejections, looking for feedback on how he could do better in the

interview or in his studies to be considered for that type of

position, and was told he made the short list and that any other year

he would have received a call-back, but this year there are just

very, very few positions for interns.

Jenn will be leaving for Madrid the day after tomorrow. She's busy

packing and getting all of her things together. Her flight leaves

Rochester at 4:30 pm and then Newark at 10 pm for Madrid. Today we

went to visit with Grace (picture above) - we cooked some sea bass on

the grill, and brought some beets and greens that I had prepared

yesterday.

Jim and Nancy have made their arrangements for visiting over New

Year's - they'll be getting in the afternoon of 30 December and

leaving the afternoon of 2 January - I hope that others are able to

visit as well! Please let us know your plans!

That's about it - hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 30 Aug 09

Hi all,

Not much new here this week. Today is very cool - about 60 F, and a
little rainy. Definitely feels like fall. I hope we have a few more
summer days yet!

Jenn worked her last day at Target on Friday and left after that to
drive to Long Island to stay with Andrew and his family for several
days. Then she'll stop at Binghamton on her way back home to see her
friends there. She leaves for Madrid on 9/9/09.

Mike has finished about half of his On Campus Interviews - he had 5
this past week and has 6 more to go. Unfortunately, he has not
received any callbacks yet, and one rejection. He's a little
discouraged.

Joe and I are still working - nothing really much new there. We have
decided to take a Basic Spanish class offered by our local adult
continuing education center. We wish we had taken a conversational
Japanese class before going to Tokyo, so when we saw this offering,
we decided it would be a fun thing to do. It runs from the middle of
October to early December - just in time for our trip to Madrid!

Tom, I really enjoyed your pictures - glad that you're having a good
time. And Jim, I think that you did a great job with all the ring
quotes - John, did you use any of Jim's suggestions for your talk?

Hope everyone is well.
Kind regards,
Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 23 Aug 09

Hi all,

The last day that we spent in Tokyo, Friday, 03 July, Mike had his

finals in the morning. He met us afterwards and we went to the Hotel

New Otani (a luxury hotel in Akasaka) for a traditional tea ceremony

(first picture). We strolled in the Japanese garden at the hotel

(second picture). Mike went out for dinner and drinks with his

classmates, and Jenn, Joe, and I went to the Toyokawa Inari Shrine

(or Myogon-ji) in Akasaka. It was an amazing place, a combination of

a Shinto shine and a Buddhist temple (third picture). Inari is the

Shinto Rice Diety and foxes are his traditional messengers. This

place has dozens of statues of foxes - you can see two in this

picture with the Buddhist temple. Shinto is the native Japanese

religion, but the Chinese brought Buddhism to Japan and it combined

with Shintoism uniquely and interestingly. We stopped at a wood-

fired pizza place for dinner on the walk back to our hotel. That

evening, Mike met us and we went out to a really neat bar in Akasaka

for our last evening together in Tokyo and shared a bottle of wine.

The next day, Saturday, 04 July, we had our last breakfast at our

hotel, packed up, took a taxi to a bigger hotel, and from there a bus

shuttle to the airport. We landed in New Jersey a couple of minutes

before we left Tokyo, had a several hour layover, and then flew to

Rochester - we were able to see many fireworks while in the air from

above them! Mike stayed in Tokyo for another four weeks of interning

at TMI Associates in the Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. The end of

our summer vacation!

I really enjoyed Tokyo! Although I have no plans to go back at this

time, I definitely would consider another trip there if the timing

and purpose aligned and made it possible!

No too much is new here. Mike has started classes - he also has 11

interviews coming up for 2010 summer internships. He's been taking

some mock interviews for practice; the real ones start tomorrow.

Jenn has five more days to work at Target, then she plans to take a

road trip to visit Andrew in Long Island and friends at Binghamton

U. Then it's packing for her trip to Madrid on 09 September.

Joe and I are still working. The weather was fairly hot and humid

this past week, although it has cooled off a little bit over the

weekend.

I just finished reading "A Passage to India" - I miss reading

classics, and picked this up from the library. I really enjoyed it.

Now I'm ready a "cultural and literary companion" book on Madrid - it

gives some history and background of the city and the culture of the

people there. It's an interesting book.

That's about it. Hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 16 Aug 09

Hi all,

On Thursday, 02 July, it was another fairly rainy day - kind of on and
off most of the day. We went to see the Tokyo International Forum
(first picture), a very distinctive building that was completed in
1996. It is mainly used for business conferences and is very
interesting architecturally, with a curved glass atrium and glass
walkways. The ceiling in the atrium resembles a ship's hull. We
stopped at a bagel shop there for a quick lunch and then headed to the
Imperial Palace and the East Garden of the Imperial Palace. The
Imperial Palace is only open to the public twice a year: New Year and
on the emperor's birthday. The most famous landmark is the Nijubashi,
a double-arched stone bridge (second picture - you can see the Palace
in the distance (and Jenn in the foreground!)). The Garden was very
beautiful - very green, not many colored flowers - and there were some
interesting buildings such as the Hyakunin Basho where samurai lived
while standing guard in shifts, and a tea ceremony building (last
picture). After our sightseeing we met Mike and went to one of his
favorite Thai restaurants for dinner. This was Mike's last day of
classes - he had the final left to take on Friday.

It's been hot here this weekend - into the low 90's and very humid.
Yesterday I washed and waxed my car, and today I cleaned out the
inside of it. Jenn has been working the weekend, but she's off
tomorrow. Mike is starting classes tomorrow - he worked orientation
this past week. He's getting ready for the OCI's (on campus
interviews) - he applied for about 20 - so far he has been accepted
for 9 and rejected for 2. These interviews are for internships next
summer. There are less firms interviewing this year, but Mike is
hopeful that he can get something in the Bay Area. Jenn heads out for
Madrid on 09/09/09 - she's going to work 2 more weeks, and then visit
some friends before taking off.

Joe and I are pretty much the same - busy at work, which is good.

Hope everyone is well, and Happy Birthday to John and Congratulations
on the Humboldt Research Award!

Kind regards,
Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 09 August 09

Hi all,

On Wednesday, 01 July, Mike had classes and Joe, Jenn, and I decided to walk around the GInza, one of Tokyo's shopping districts. Before heading out there we decided to try a fast food noodle shop that was near our hotel, but we couldn't figure out how to order, so we went a few shops down to an Italian sandwich shop that was owned by a man with degrees on the wall from universities in Italy, spoke to us in English, and to his workers in Japanese. There were a couple of Italian businessmen drinking espressos and talking with him in Italian, but generally it was a very busy Japanese lunchtime spot. We were impressed with the food, and that we knew what we were ordering!

We then headed out to the Ginza where we walked around a lot and saw the Kabuki-za Theater (first picture). There were photographing a starlet on the steps outside, so we were highly discouraged from taking our own photos. That evening we met Mike and went to Roppongi Hills to have dinner and go to the contemporary art museum in Mori Tower, the building where Mike would be doing his internship. We did not have much luck finding a place to eat - we ended up at nice, but rather expensive place. Mike wasn't feeling well, so he headed back to his room, and we went to see the art museum. We bought tickets for three parts - the art museum itself, that had an interesting eclectic exhibit, and, fortunately, hand-held English-speaking recorded guides; the "Love Cub 50" exhibit, a showing of Honda 50cc mopeds -very popular in Tokyo for getting around the city - that were all painted differently with themes (this was one of my favorite things that we did - there was no English at this exhibit, so we weren't able to fully understand the background of it, and they wouldn't let anyone take pictures, but you can get a taste of it at www.lovecub50.com); and the observation deck at the top of the Mori Tower (second picture - that's the Tokyo Tower lit up in red). We also located Mike's internship law firm - TMI Associates - on the directory guide of the building (third picture).

Everything is going well here with us. Mike is enjoying being back "stateside" - he's been going to some baseball games and relaxing. He is going to work orientation this week at the university, and then next week he starts classes. Jenn is slaving away at Target - their generator blew on Tuesday and there was a small fire, so the store closed and the employees got to go home - highlight of her week! We made our arrangements for our trip to Madrid in December. Jenn's getting excited for her adventure there soon.

Joe and I both still have jobs - Kodak stock is up to $3 something, and GM is no longer in bankruptcy, so maybe things are turning around! Today is very humid and rainy, although yesterday was a pretty nice day. Overall, the summer has been cool and wet. Grace is back home from her short stay in the hospital after falling. She seems to be doing well.

Hope everyone is well.

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 2 Aug 09

Hi all,

On Tuesday, 29 June, Joe, Jenn, and I spent the day at Ueno Park. It
reminded me a lot of Central Park in NYC - there are several museums,
ponds, and temples, and Japan's oldest and best zoo is there. We went
to the Tokyo National Museum, stopped at a tea garden for tea and
green tea ice cream, and saw several performers, including two
guitarists from Peru singing "La Bamba" and a bagpiper (4th picture).
We saw the Great Buddhist Pagoda, where formerly stood a Buddha statue
- now only it's head remains (1st picture). We also spent time in the
Gojo shrine, which has several Inari fox statues and a series of red
torii (gates) (2nd & 3rd pictures). That evening we went with Mike to
Roppongi Hills to see the Mori Tower where the law firm that he would
be interning is. We were going to go to a modern art museum in the
Mori Tower, but they were closed on Tuesdays, so we decided to do that
Wednesday evening. We went back to Akasaka (our "home" base) and ate
a restaurant nearby - Pier 246 - that had really good pictures on the
menu and excellent food!

Everything here is going well. Mike got back to Santa Clara last
night - he's happy to be back! Jenn is working 38-40 hours/week at
Target. She's getting tired of it, but she's getting excited for
Spain, and she is happy to be making some money for the trip. She's
going to work to the end of August, and then have 9 days off before
she takes off to Madrid.

Work is pretty much the same for Joe and me. The weather has been
cool and very rainy - not much summer weather here in Rochester this
year. This year was the second coldest July on record for Rochester.

Grace is still in the nursing home at the hospital, but she is doing
well - walking around and getting stronger.

We are starting to plan our vacation in Madrid - it is looking like we
will be there December 20-28. So, my question to all: how about New
Year's here at the Sardina's again this year?! I've been thinking of
ways to have the food situation more under control, and we have been
collecting shot glasses for Shotzee! We would love to have everyone
here again starting December 30 - what does everyone think?

Hope everyone is well.
Kind regards,
Terry

Terry's Weekly Email Newsletter; 26 Jul 09

Hi all,

Next day in Tokyo, Monday, 29 June, Mike was back in classes and

Jenn, Joe, and I toured around West Shinjuku where most of Tokyo's

skyscraper office blocks are clustered. We went to the observatory

in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices complex, where on a

clear day you can get a view of Mount Fuji (this way not a clear day,

nor were any of the days we were there clear - it wasn't raining

though!) (first picture).

We stopped at a 7-11 and got some "ice cream balls" - ice cream balls were highly recommended by Jenn's

roommate at school, Saori - we're not sure these were the ones she

recommended, but they were good (second picture)! We also went to

the NS Building and saw the 95-ft high water-powered clock (third

picture). While we were there, we stopped at The Rose and Crown, a

British-style pub, for a beer and fries.

That night the four of us went out to dinner at the New York Grill in the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

The New York Bar in the Park Hyatt Tokyo - in the same location as

the restaurant - was made famous in the movie "Lost in Translation".

The New York Grill is beautiful and expensive, and we had a good time

(it also had English on the menu as well as Japanese, so we knew what

we were getting!). The Park Hyatt Tokyo is one of the two places in

Tokyo that are listed in the "1,000 Places To See Before You Die"

book - the other being the Tsukiji Fish Market.

During our entire stay we didn't leave Tokyo. We had planned to take some day trips

out of the city, but we pretty much fell in love with Tokyo, and

wanted to see as much of it as we could.

Nothing much new here this week. Jenn's been working at Target, and

is starting to actually save some money for her trip to Spain. Mike

has one more week left in Tokyo, then it's back to Santa Clara for

him. Things are pretty much the same for Joe and me. It rained most

of the week, but this weekend has been warmer and not quite as

rainy. Joe's mom fell and hurt her knee, so she had to go into the

hospital to get it checked out. She is OK, but a little weak - they

are going to keep her in to try to build her strength up before she

goes back home.

That's it here. Hope everyone is well!

Kind regards,

Terry

Terry's Weekly Newsletter; 19 July 09

Hi all,

On Sunday, 28 June, Joe and I met Mike for breakfast at the hotel.

The hotel that we stayed at - The Asia Center of Japan, located in

Akasaka - is the same hotel that Mike is living at for his study

abroad program. The breakfast buffet was complimentary for hotel

guests, so Joe and I met Mike there every morning. Jenn, not being a

morning person or a breakfast person, usually took the opportunity to

sleep.

After breakfast on Sunday morning, Mike showed us how he

walks to a grocery store that he goes to often to buy lunch - the

store has a good selection of prepared salads, meats, etc. and a

bakery. We walked through the Akasaka Cemetery - first picture (the

high-rise in the distance is the Mori Tower, the building where Mike

is doing his internship) - and picked up a little lunch to have with

Jenn. Then we all headed out to Harajuku just as the rain was

starting up.

Our vacation in Tokyo was during Japan's rainy season, and a couple

of days it rained most of the time. Sunday was one of them. First

we went to see the Meiji Shrine, the most important shinto shrine in

Tokyo. During the New Year holidays it is the most heavily visited

place in Japan, with over three million people worshipping and buying

good-luck charms for the year ahead. We didn't get many pictures

because of the heavy rain, but the second picture shows ema boards

that you buy and write prayers or wishes on to hang at the shrine.

Then we went to the Harajuku District, which is a center for

fashion. In the Takeshita-dori, a narrow alley, you can find what's

hot in teen fashion and culture. Usually on Sundays there are a

crowd of young people dressed up in costumes; however, because of all

the rain, we didn't see that many. The alley-way was a mass of

people and a sea of umbrellas. We stopped at Kiddy Land, a 6-story

toy store, with one floor devoted to Hello Kitty collectibles (third

picture).

After that we went to a small place to eat that Mike found

- Chao Bamboo - that was just a bunch of tables tucked away in an

alley with plastic sheeting hung around to demarcate the restaurant

and keep out the rain - it was the best meal I had in Tokyo. After

that, we headed back - wet and tired, but having fun.

Everything here is going well. Andrew went back to Long Island on

Friday. Jenn spent the weekend with some friends at Cornell - she's

back to work at Target tomorrow. She's been working some eight hour

days, and has several weeks with almost 40 hours coming up. Mike is

doing fine - he's down to his last two weeks, and then it's back to

Santa Clara. Work for Joe and me is about the same, although GM is

no longer in bankruptcy, and Kodak's stock is just over $3! The

weather has been coolish and rather rainy, so we are spending a lot

of time doing yard work - mostly weeding and trimming - and trying to

avoid the mosquito bites.

Hope everyone is well,

Kind regards,

Terry