Dot and I finally have gotten around to copying our various VHS tapes to DVDs. It's wild watching our kids growing up again. Wow...

My wife, Dot, and I drove our daughter, Michelle, to Virginia Tech last Thursday. She's starting her VT years in West Ambler Johnston, on the 4th floor.
As always, VT is an incredible school. Even with the tragedy of last April, the school, and its faculty and staff are all top-notch. Wow...

Mark is now starting his final semester at VT. Like his siblings, we're incredibly impressed with all that he's done. Way to go, Mark!

The situation around San Diego is so strange. My sister-in-law's fairly new home outside Ramona, CA was completely destroyed earlier this week in the unbelievable number of wildfires out there. Now would be a great time to win the lotto somewhere!

Lian and Bruce Barton - Ramona, CA - house gone but family is safe and well
Sue and Mark Thygesen - Ramona, CA - house and family fine
Dick Chmiel and family - Ramona, CA - am trying to find out their status - Dick was my manager at General Dynamics - Electronics Div in San Diego during the late 1980's (a great guy with a very nice family)
Jack and Marjorie Cox - La Mesa, CA - house and family are fine
David Shumilak - San Diego, CA - am trying to find out his status - but his house is in the city so he should be okay - my fingers are crossed!

We're hoping for the best for the people in Southern California. I wish I could be out there to help them!
- Gerry

Dot and I drove Mark to his new dorm room at Virginia Tech on August 22nd. What a weekend! It's impressive how much "stuff" we can shove into our minivan. People make fun of them, but they ARE very useful!
Mark's major is computer science. Seeing how much time he spent in front of his computers at home, this was no surprise. We're sure he'll do well.
Michelle started high school this week. We're down to one child at home. It's a strange feeling - but a little less stressful, too.

Wow... It's been quite awhile since I last entered something here. Whew...

1. I have my new PDA, courtesy of Microsoft. Because the company I work for has an MSDN enterprise license, I was able to get a free ViewSonic V37 PDA. So far, it's great!

2. Dot, Michelle, and I drove Mark down to Virginia Tech on July 21st and 22nd for his freshmen orientation. Dot and I are very impressed with Va Tech. Very high tech and organized. We think Mark will do well there. (www.vt.edu)

3. After our stay in Blacksburg, VA (Va Tech), we drove across the state to see my sister, Judy, in Virginia Beach. I could easily live there. What a great waterfront town it is.

Our neighbor, Robert (Bob) Kulp, was memorialized at a nice service at Zion church on N. Potomac in Hagerstown, Maryland this morning. A few hundred people, including most of Bob's family, were there. Several people gave moving, and sometimes quite humorous talks about him. Dot and I came away with the feeling that we really wish we had known Bob better - and for a longer time. He made quite a impression on hundreds of people all over the US.
For what it's worth, there was no visitation since Bob was cremated, and he didn't like that kind of formality of life.

My family and I got quite a shock last Friday, June 27th. Our neighbor passed away suddenly from a massive heart attack right next door. Besides the sad thought that he died alone, he was only about one month older than me. He wasn't found until the evening when our local sheriff's department had a locksmith open the door to his townhouse. I waited outside while the deputy went in, gun drawn, to check out the place. After a few minutes, he came to let me know he found him, and that he was dead.
For what it's worth, my neighbor was quite a guy and a hell of a neighbor. My family and I will miss him greatly.