Trip to the Ukraine, days 1 and 2, Odessa

We went to the Ukraine with our friends Kim and Romaine Romney. Our hosts, Wilf and Meka Voge, were already there. We left the local airport on September 16, and landed in Odessa, Ukraine on September 17. We were met by our hosts at the airport and driven to the port; we stayed the entire time on a riverboat. Odessa is a newer city started by Katherine the Great. It reminds me of Washington, D.C. with its straight, broad streets. On the evening of September 18, we went to the Opera House there to see Swan Lake. The opera house is an exact duplicate of La Scala. For about $12 each, we got seats in a box. The top photo is the Opera House. The middle one is of the six of us in our life jackets during the mandatory safety drill; from left to right: Wilf Voge, me, Meka Voge, Carol, Romain and Kim Romney. The bottom photo is our sister ship.

And . . . She's Back

My daughter and her fiancee decided they wanted to drive from the wedding reception to the hotel on Friday in the 'Vette. So Ardell and I picked it up today from Lang's new shop. He was not able to finish everything on the long list of items to sort it out, but he did set up a second radiator fan with a shroud to, hopefully, keep the engine cooled.

The top photo shows Preston and Melanie about to leave in the reception in the car. The second one down shows them posing in the car and the third one shows me driving "my girlfriend" back home. The top three photos were taken by Sonya Pearson who, as you can see, is a very good photographer.

Here are two older photos of Evan and Seth taken on the Fourth of July during the parade.

Gone again!

We went on a vacation two weeks ago and I drove the car back to Lang's on the way. It needs a little work. Hope to get it back by mid-August.

She Is Here!

After two years in various shops, and more money than I care to reveal, my Corvette is finished and is home.

Melanie and Preston

Our daughter, Melanie, became engaged this evening to Preston Day.  They both live in Las Vegas.  

The wedding is scheduled for August 21 in Newport Beach.

Here is part of an email from Melanie:

So as you may or may not know, Preston Day proposed to me Tuesday nite in front of a crowd in the middle of a dance recital at Henderson Pavilion.  He definitely surprised me!  I couldn't be happier to marry such an amazing guy.

 

Here is the video on youtube... You'll have to suffer through Preston's and his brothers'/cousins' dance, but right after is when the proposal occured.  P.s. Preston is the one in the middle in the baby blue shirt that says "Kirk" (well the bigger guy of the two in the same shirt)... just click on Preston's Dance/Proposal

http://www.youtube.com/user/oilandwater10

 

The photo is them at a National's game in Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks ago.

May 15, 2009 at Lang's

Some very slow progress has been made on the 1959 Corvette from Hell.  The engine is almost finished and can be started once the distributor arrives and the fuel line is attached.  The exhaust manifolds are in place and the exhaust system is being built.  The rear bumperettes need to be attached along with some other minor trim pieces.  We are waiting for the speedometer cable, and the windshield wiper switch.  Best guess?  Three weeks.

Update on May 25, 2009.  Frank, Doug, and I went to Lang's today and saw my girl friend.  She has come along a little.  The speedometer cable and wiper switch are on the way, the accelerator linkage is installed.  I think all the parts that Walden had are at Lang's or on the way.  About two weeks I think.

Update on June 2, 2009.  Lang called, said he had started the engine!  He has yet to finish the exhaust system, but most of the car is done.  He thinks by Sunday or so.

Cinnamon Milk

The boys came over today and, because we were low on certain items, we went to the grocery store.  Evan was certain that he had seen cinnamon milk in a store and he wanted some. Albertson's had none and two employees there had not heard of it.  Seth was happy with his strawberry milk, but Evan had to have cinnamon milk.  

We got on-line and found no reference to cinnamon milk as a product in a grocery store.  But we did find a recipe.  So Evan and I made some cinnamon milk today.  It was, well, not that good; but Evan loved it and drink quite a bit.