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it was a very good yearnovember 8charleston, south carolina
Words can't describe the event. With the Atlantic Ocean for scenery, we were transported by the sounds of the musicians, conducted by the surf, to a 1930s boardwalk pavilion. The show was stolen almost before it began by Ring Bearer James and Flower Girl Kayla. Then as the bride's attendants in nearly period costume came down the aisle, I couldn't help but imagine Patty as Carol Lombard, Rosemary as Claudette Colbert, and Ruthie as Bette Davis. When Mom finally appeared at the back, in the wedding dress made and worn by her mother over fifty years ago, with above-the-elbow white gloves and sweeping wide-brimmed hat, the image was complete. Even Louis B. Mayer would have been impressed. november 7charleston, south carolinaWell, it's just one party after another here at Wild Dunes. James (who prefers to be addressed as "Ring Bearer James") was intrigued by the oysters at the oyster roast Nancy and Larry had for 125 of their closest and dearest friends and relations. Later that evening at dinner, however, after seeing the roast pig — complete with apple in mouth — he decided to pass on the pork. A great singer, an enormous buffet, and scintillating conversation — and this is just the rehearsal dinner! november 5houston, texasHappy Birthday, Randy Adamoli! charleston, south carolinaEveryone is gathering here at Wild Dunes Resort for the wedding of Nancy Craig to Larry Chandler. september 6houston, texasHappy Birthday, Mark Adamoli! september 6coventry, rhode islandHappy Birthday, Chris Flynn! september 3coventry, rhode islandScott Palmer reaches his destination. It appears that as he unload furniture in Atlanta and Oak Ridge, he filled in the empty spaces with fireworks. Some things never change. august 29houston, texasAfter just surviving a business meeting in Austin — affectionately remembered as the "Austin Massacre" — Tony Adamoli escapes to Houston for a brief visit with the family. As luck would have it, in addition to the Houston Adamolis, Scott Palmer is making his Houston stop and Nancy and Larry are in town. august 26houston, texasHappy Birthday, Dad! (James R. Adamoli, Jr.) ojai, californiaMy cousin, Scott Palmer, who has returned to Ojai to help ready Grandma's house for sale and to deliver a moving-van-size truck of possessions to various family members across the country, drops a 6-foot tall wrought iron plant stand on his foot. First stop on the cross-country trip: the emergency room in Ojai. august 24houston, texasHappy Birthday, Kirstin Adamoli! august 14–18ojai, californiaThe family gathers to pay tribute to Grandma' Evie and comfort one another, but also to celebrate an extraordinary life, an extraordinary couple, and an extraordinary legacy. august 13ojai, californiaMy grandmother, Evelyn Craig, passes away peacefully at home. She was eighty-eight. august 2houston, texasThe Class of '77 got together for the big gala tonight at the Lakeside Country Club, and in this writer's opinion, we looked pretty darn good. It was so much fun seeing everyone again. With most of my old friends, we picked right up as though no time had past. After a great evening, we returned home to find Dad — who by this time had been watching the boys for two consecutive late nights — ready to collapse. He then collapsed. august 1houston, texasThe Stratford Class of '77 met informally this evening at the "Velvet Elvis" Bar & Grill. What a hoot! july 29houston, texasThe Rhode Island Adamolis arrived in Houston today for a brief visit with the family and to attend Tony's 20-year high school reunion. july 23houston, texasHappy Birthday, Ruth Adamoli! july 6coventry, rhode islandNicholas Adamoli celebrated his newly sinless state surrounded by his extended family back at home. The weather was wonderful. Everyone ate together at tables set up on the back lawn. warwick, rhode islandNicholas Paul Adamoli was Christened today at St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church in Warwick Rhode Island. His Uncle Randy Adamoli and Aunt Colleen Flynn are the godparents. july 5coventry, rhode islandWhile Jim, Paul, and Randy Adamoli watch Tim Shea wrap clubs around trees — they may also play some golf, I don't know — Dolores helps Tony and Sue Adamoli out by agreeing to watch the boys so they can run some errands. The weather is pleasant, so once Nicholas is asleep, Dolores and James go outdoors to play. After a short while, Dolores heads back into the house to check on Nick. Perhaps I should interrupt at this point to explain that James is learning about locks. So, of course, when Dolores attempts to re-enter the house, she discovers that James has conscientiously locked the door behind them. To recap, at this point Dolores and James are stuck outside, and Nicholas is fast asleep inside. For a time, Dolores struggles with the door accompanied by the continuous sound of James helpfully explaining that the door will open at once if she will only unlock it with the key. Needless to say, the door proves its superior patience, and Dolores — now beginning to worry about the baby trapped indoors — manages to climb through a flower bed to find a perch from which she can observe through a window the sleeping Nicholas inside. The time is now about 2:45pm, and relief washes over Dolores as from her observation point amidst the flora, Dolores finds the baby still asleep. Relief washes away five minutes later when she watches as Nicholas awakes. And begins to cry. And finally screams. At 2:58pm, when James announces that he has to go to the potty — now, Dolores considers looking for something with which to break a window. At precisely 3:00pm, the sprinklers come on. Somehow Dolores — who stayed at her soggy post — managed to hold things together for another half hour until Tony got home. The baby stopped crying, and James — together with Dolores — has a new perspective on locks and keys. palm beach, floridaHappy Birthday, Mom! (Nancy Craig) july 4coventry, rhode islandSome of the Texas Adamolis (Jim, Paul, and Randy) and Dolores Moreno arrive for a weekend visit. After dinner, we plan to watch the fireworks at Johnson's Pond. We begin dinner with our usual punctuality, and listened to the fireworks finale while rushing through the first course. june 12warwick, rhode islandDespite some uncertainty, Jessica Shea did indeed graduate from Warwick's Veterans Memorial High School. (Just kidding, Jess.) Congratulations! may 26providence, rhode islandHis name is Nicholas Paul Adamoli, and he and his mother are doing very nicely. His face is so fat it puddles on the mattress. may 25providence, rhode island
Sue had been scheduled for an induction on Friday, but with the holiday weekend (and a full moon), the hospital canceled — but not before keeping us waiting on tender hooks all day. We were again disappointed this morning, when after being rescheduled for the induction, we were sent home after the application of some hormonal ointment to help prepare for an induction attempt on Memorial Day.
At a little before 6:00pm, as James and I were watching dinosaurs on the television (for the four thousandth time), I hear my name being called from upstairs — and none too calmly, I might add. Suzie was in a bad way, and this was definitely not Braxton Hicks. Her contractions were now very strong and less than four minutes apart. Colleen was dispatched to collect James, and Suzie and I headed back to the hospital. She was officially re-admitted at 7:15pm, and the baby was born at 7:40pm. I haven't seen so many people in blue gowns move so fast since the last episode of ER. They even told Suzie to "hurry" into bed when transferring her from the gurney! Moreover, there was no time for any drugs! (Suzie has always sworn that any women who chooses "natural child birth" should make an appointment in the psychiatric, not maternity ward.) Once in the delivery room, they didn't even have time to attach the monitoring equipment. It was the bravest thing I 've ever seen another human being do, and I write this as the proudest husband — and father — I can possibly be. may 24coventry, rhode islandWell, I'm afraid this reporter has been negligent in keeping his readers up-to-date on current affairs. With all that is going on in his personal life at the moment, I hope you will find it in your hearts to forgive him.
One of the reasons we bought the house was that we perceived it to be in "move-in" condition. So we moved in. We toured the house only once for about fifteen minutes before buying it, and upon closer inspection, there were a couple of modifications we thought would make the house more comfortable. To set the scene, the house has a good-sized family room — about 20' by 30'. At one end there is a fireplace. The entire wall was white brick with stone slab mantle and hearth and a brick enclosure for firewood. It also had built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcases on either side of the fireplace, also white. At the other end of the room in a corner was a large, curved wet bar with a dark parquet wood top and white brick-front base. The floor, trim, and wainscot were stained a dark walnut color. All the fixtures, including a swagged overhead chandelier, wall sconces, and fireplace surround were chrome. In all, a very attractive room — for The Brady Bunch, circa 1972. It all started one evening as I was sitting at the bar playing Lord of the Manor and surveying my new dominion. I was on perhaps my third scotch — the bar was already stocked, although the movers were not scheduled to arrive for another week — when I decided I didn't like the the carpet covering a portion of the floor in the room and decided to look beneath it. To my delight, the oak floor extended beneath the carpet, and I immediately decided to remove the carpet and refinish the entire floor, lightening it in the process to its natural color. That was my first mistake. I next invited two good friends over to have a look around. As the movers had not yet arrived, and there was as yet no place else to sit, we made our way to the bar. Sometime after our fourth round of drinks, I asked my guests what else I could do to contemporize the look of the room. That was my second mistake. I had already decided to replace the fixtures, but I was rather hoping nobody would notice the twenty-foot expanse of white brick done in the Moorish style. By drink round five, my hopes were dashed, and I came to look upon that white bricked wall much as a certain Captain Ahab once looked upon a certain white skinned whale. To finish things off, by round six, I got tired of running from the bar to the kitchen to get ice, and the bar, too, had to go. Well, I thought, if I'm going to refinish the floor, build a new bar (with an ice maker and wine chiller), and remove a white brick fireplace, I might as well replace the cheap-looking plywood wainscot for real oak. And if I replace the wainscot, I might as well replace the doors and all the trim around the windows. And if I redo the floor, bar, wainscot, trim, doors, and fixtures, I certainly need new wallpaper, and I might as well fix the height of some stairs I don't like. And while the electrician is here, he can add a few outlets, run speaker wire, move the cable outlets, and add some phone jacks. And when everything in the room is the color of oak, I can't possible have the baseboard heating units remain the color of walnut. And what if I surround the new fireplace with green marble to match the new wallpaper, and add an oak mantle? . . . Suffice it to say that my family has developed a relationship with the contractor akin to that of Murphy Brown with her painter, Eldon. (James now calls him "Uncle John.") Add to that new acquaintances with the automatic sprinkler company, the landscaper, the alarm company, the exterminator, and the plumber — there was a reason those stairs were the wrong height — and I hope you can appreciate why I haven't posted any updates to this web site in a while. Did I mention we need several whole rooms of new furniture? I haven't been to the office in weeks, and I am told there is a "For Sale" sign on my office door. Nevertheless, we are all doing well. James likes having a big back yard, and I believe he thinks all the boxes which make walking the house like navigating a Victorian maze will remain for his exploratory pleasure. We remain filled with excitement regarding the impending arrival of our newest family member, and there is hope here in New England that winter will finally end and we'll break directly into summer. Now, if I could just figure out what to do about that . . . april 24memphis, tennesseeJack Czarnetzky and Tony Adamoli met today at the Peabody Hotel today in Memphis, Tennessee. Tony was in town for a meeting with AutoZone, and Jack drove up from his home in Oxford, Mississippi. You can all stop worrying. In the coarse of a single evening, all of the problems of the world were solved. (Now, if only we could remember the solutions.) april 13phoenix, arizonaBack in Arizona for a business conference at the Butte Resort, a couple of my more adventuresome colleagues and I decide to go hot-air ballooning. So, at the crack of dawn — no small feat after the prior evening's festivities — three of us (one chickened out) begin our journey. A van picks us up at the hotel and takes us about an hour out of town to the balloon launching site, where at least of dozen of the huge, colorful dirigibles are already preparing for launch. The ballooning company staff manages to jam twelve of us into a wicker basket just big enough for six, and with a fiery blast of the furnace, we're off. I am amazed at the speed and grace with which the balloon moves through the air and with the absolute lack of any feeling of height. We glide over the desert at varying altitudes, sometimes skimming the tops of the trees and once climbing to a height of almost 6,000 feet. It is a windy morning, and our pilot is trying to seek slower moving air in order to give us a longer ride. We are heading toward Phoenix, and no matter how brief a trip, we must land prior to reaching the outskirts of town or risk landing on somebody's roof. As we near the city, we begin our descent, but as we descend we enter a layer of swifter currents, propelling us toward civilization at what is becoming an alarming rate of speed. After overshooting our first three chosen landing sites, the city looms before us. We have one final chance before joining some unsuspecting family for brunch. At our pilot's direction, we assume crash positions and brace for landing. As my son, who is a big fan of Winnie the Pooh, would say, "It is a very blustery day!" When we finally "touch" down, we hit the ground so hard that we bounce about thirty feet back up into the air, causing the pilot to re-ignite the furnace in a futile attempt to prevent us from crashing down a second time. We bounce three more times before staying down, but our forward momentum is far from exhausted, and the vibrantly colorful balloon which has carried us gracefully above the terrain has become a great and powerful spinnaker to drag us through it. Before finally coming to rest a mere hundred yards or so before the first houses, we are dragged over five hundred feet, through a tree, which we topple, and across a concrete culvert, which we shatter. The basket, which fell onto its side early on, is filled with passengers covered with the desert itself, including every form of flora in the area except — thankfully — cactus. Our utterly unflappable pilot, who has been flying balloons for over eighteen years, simply says, "Well. I guess that's one for the record books." He also reminds us in a semi-humorous way that we all signed liability wavers before starting out. Before long the chase vans arrive with our well-earned champagne and unnecessary breakfast. Perhaps it's the champagne, but despite several sore muscles patterned with bruises and cuts, I would take to the sky in a hot-air balloon again in a minute. It was truly one of my most memorable experiences. april 2scottsdale, arizonaWell, it's official: Nancy Craig and Larry Chandler are finally getting married! After Larry's proposal, Nancy wanted to consider his offer for a while, but in true family tradition, Randy offered to step in and marry Larry if his mom declined. In a way it's too bad she accepted. Larry and Randy would have made an unbeatable golf duo. houston, texasJames III is earning more frequent flyer miles this week. On his way to a business meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, James's father dropped him off with James's uncle and grandfather in Houston. He'll spend a few days reorganizing Tascon, then his Grandma' Nancy will stop in town long enough to pick him up and take him with her to Atlanta for a while. The plan is for Suzie to stop in Atlanta, and pick him up on her way back from Oklahoma City. march 25pittsburgh, pennsylvania
march 24oxford, mississippiJack Czarnetzky was named Law Professor of the Year at Ole' Miss. Way to go, Jack! march 13houston, texas
march 13santa monica, californiaUpon his return to LA, Tony Adamoli met up with his Auntie Ruth and Uncle Bud for dinner. The Smoots had just returned from Puerto Vallarta and were as much fun as ever. march 8warwick, rhode islandJames III and his parents were visited by his Grandpa' Jimmy. James Jr. had been doing some lobbying in D.C. (watch out, Owens Corning) and decided to stop by since he was in the neighborhood. march 6beverly hills, californiaTony Adamoli met the long lost Fink Family for a great dinner at The Ivy. Unfortunately, Steven was unable to make it, but the rest of the family looks great. After dinner Joe took Tony to this week's "in crowd" hangout: Drais, where upon calling it a night, Tony was entertained by Jerry Seinfeld doing an impromptu stand-up act while everyone waited for the valet to bring the cars around. march 5orange county, californiaTony Adamoli and Kerry Palmer were treated by (the new) David Drake to a magnificent dinner at the marina. Other restaurant patrons couldn't decide whether to describe David as quiet — or to describe his dinner companions as "definitely not quiet." march 3paris, france
Friday night, after taking a short break for some business meetings, we went to a restaurant with only one thing on the menu: "steack fritte," which is simply steak and fries. It's one of the most popular restaurants in Paris and the only one with a long line to get in. We were an eclectic group: three Germans, an Italian, a Spaniard, and an American. The sauce they prepare for the steak is like no other, and the tables are so tightly packed that they have to lift them out of place for people to sit down. On Saturday, I explored the city. Early in the afternoon, I went to the Eiffel Tower, and was ripped off by a clever street photographer who charged by about $30 for three lousy Polaroids), but the view from the top was breathtaking. I even ran into my Italian friend from the office. Next it was on to the Place de la Concorde and the Tuilleries — Incredible! I did some shopping on the famed Rue St. Honore, then stopped for a glass of "porto blanc" at another of the ubiquitous cafes. Later that evening, I met Alfredo, my colleague from Spain, and we went to dinner in St. Germain de Pres. We started with pate de fois gras, and things got even better from there. After dinner, we walked most of the way back to the hotel, stopping at a few sidewalk cafes for a Calvados or a Brandy along the way. The next morning, Sunday, I explored the old part of the city, the island of Cite in the middle of the Seine. I also went to the Louvre. It would take at least a week to fully experience everything the Louvre has on display, but at least I saw some of the highlights: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, etc. That evening I went to mass at Notre Dame. Mass that evening was celebrated by the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris amidst much pomp and circumstance. Even that very impressive ceremony, however, lost the competition for my attention to the cathedral itself. (The fact that I couldn't understand a word they were saying probably also had something to do with it.) What a weekend! I don't want to leave. february 27paris, france
february 19gilford, new hampshireThis morning at the annual Gilford High School Winter Carnival Dan Shea returned to the position of school champion when he broke the all time school record in the Chubby Chipmunk Contest by stuffing 28 marshmallows into his mouth at once. february 8warwick, rhode islandWell, it's been quite a while since the last update of these pages. After reading about how busy things have been around here lately, I hope you'll accept my apologies. When we last left off, the Warwick Adamolis had just finished celebrating the third of about five Christmases. The Shea side of the clan having been milked for all their worth, we made plans to pillage my family's coffers. [The following datelines are in chronological order] december 31, 1996palm beach, floridaJames III became an official frequent flyer today when his parents finally broke down and bought him his own plane ticket — with his own frequent flyer number. After he ordered and consumed his pre-departure apple juice, the captain was permitted to take off. [I must say, there really is nothing like the pleasure of leaving New England in the dead of winter and arriving some place warm. Cortez wouldn't have had to burn any ships on my account. —Ed.] The plan was to stay with my mom at a house she and Larry had rented for the winter. Once the plane landed at balmy PBI, only one problem remained: we had no idea where Mom and Larry's house was, and the phone number Mom gave us didn't work. We were leaving messages on their answering machine in Atlanta and hoping they would get the message and call us on the cell phone in Florida. (Does anybody else spend his vacations this way?) After establishing beyond a doubt that no one was going to meet us at the airport, Suzie, James, and I began our usual airport routine. Remember the riddle about how to get a fox, a rabbit, and a cabbage across a bridge one at a time without ever leaving the fox alone with the rabbit or the rabbit alone with the cabbage? Our family airport routine works something like that, but in our case the players include a three-year-old screaming "I want to see Grandma' Nancy!", uncounted pieces of luggage, a rental car, a stroller, and a curmudgeon who by this time wishes he'd taken a different flight altogether. Being filled with the Christmas spirit, and having decided by this time that having an extended family was something only a fool would contemplate, I suggested we pack up the car and head for the Breakers. As luck would have it — although it didn't feel very lucky at the time — Mom finally reached us on the cell phone, and we changed our course for Jupiter, where Mom and Larry's had rented a place for the winter. Being New Year's Eve, the champagne was chilled upon our arrival, which went a long way toward improving my mood. James got to see Uncle Jack, Grandma' Nancy, and Hots; Suzie got to catch some rays; and I got to take a nap. This is living! january 1jupiter, floridaHappy New Year! Upon waking that afternoon, we made plans to retrieve my remaining brothers, Paul and Randy, from the airport. That's enough for one day. The house Mom and Larry had rented was great. It was at the end of a cul-de-sac on a private pond. Paul even caught a fish right from the back deck, and James studied the difference between floating and sinking by throwing everything he could find over the railing and observing its buoyancy properties. january 2jupiter, floridaMerry Christmas (again)! Even James was getting overwhelmed with opening presents by this time ... but that didn't stop us! Grandma' even gave him a mini-trampoline. (We still don't know how to get it home.) The rest of the week we spent golfing, sunning, sightseeing, and just relaxing. We did finally make it to the The Breakers, but only for a couple of drinks. Suzie, James, and I also spent an afternoon crazy-watching on South Beach. january 4walt disney world, floridamorningThe week went by too fast, and before we knew it, it was time to leave South Florida and head for Orlando. My father, James Jr., was to meet us there. So on Saturday, Suzie, James, and I drove up to Orlando, picked up my dad, and checked into the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World for a few days of peace and quiet. eveningJames III meets Mickey Mouse and rides first roller coaster! After waiting in line for about forty-five minutes, James set eyes on Mickey for the first time. Without hesitation, he exclaimed, "Hi, Mickey!" ran up to the character, and leaped into his arms. Fortunately, Mickey lived up to his press and returned the hug with equal vigor. James still talks about "his friend, Mickey." After Mickey, Dad, James and I went on the Barnstormer roller coaster. James managed to hold a single scream for the duration of the ride, but upon disembarking remarked, "It was a little bit scary!" That evening, James also tried Dumbo and the teacups. After an awesome parade and fireworks, we caught a ferryboat back to the hotel for a late dinner. january 5–7walt disney world, floridaWe spent most of the morning back at the Magic Kingdom. Then in the afternoon, Mom, Paul, and Randy drove up from Palm Beach to join us. We all then headed to Epcot for while before Paul, Randy, and I broke off from the group to visit the Tower of Terror at Disney/MGM Studios. Let's just say we got our money's worth out of the facilities. january 7–8walt disney world, floridaAgain much too quickly, Dad and my brothers headed back to Texas. The next morning, James headed back to Palm Beach with Mom, while Suzie and I headed for the airport and home. (We had decided rather impulsively a few days before that James could stay with Grandma' Nancy for another week.) january 8austin, texasThe day after returning home from Florida, Randy started work at Siemens Nixdorf (the same company I work for). He's going to be the star salesman in the office. (At least he had better be. His brother is already over budget this year.) Now that there are three Adamolis at the company, we thinking about changing the name. january 10new york, new yorkHaving returned home from Florida long enough to repack the luggage, Suzie and I headed to New York for the National Retail Federation tradeshow. Being in charge of marketing has its perks, so Suzie and I stayed in the penthouse of the Marriott Marquis hotel. Nice digs, but because of her condition, Suzie was unable to enjoy the hot tub. january 14new york, new yorkHaving entertained about 150 of our closest and dearest friends in our suite until about 3:00am the previous evening, we were already exhausted when the last day of the tradeshow rolled around. Nevertheless, Suzie headed for Penn Station while I headed back to the tradeshow exhibit floor. Suzie had to get home in time to repack her suitcases once again and catch a plane back to Palm Beach to retrieve our son. I, on the other hand, together with an associate, Doug Clay, was leaving that evening directly from the tradeshow exhibit floor to Newark Airport to catch an overnight flight to Frankfurt. The flight was running a little bit late, so prior to departure, we spent about an hour in the Continental President's Club. (This is important later in the story.) To be continued . . . january 15frankfurt, germanyAs we were about to land in Frankfurt, the enormous amount of snow covering the ground reminded me that in contrast to this year's relatively mild New England climate, Europe was experiencing the coldest winter in over ten years. Already, more than 250 people had died as a result of the severe conditions. Seeing the snow also caused me to note that in contrast to the other passengers around me, I was not wearing a coat. Being in a mild state of panic, it occurred to me that I must have left my coat in the clubroom back in Newark. After deplaning, I headed to the airline counter to report my misfortune. The cold blast in the jet way brought with it new awareness of exactly how much trouble I was in. The Continental gate agents promised to telex the club in Newark in an attempt to set my coat aside for me to retrieve upon my return, and I must say they were very helpful. I noticed hardly a trace of the expected "stupid American" attitude I both expected and deserved. Luck did smile upon me when I linked up again with my traveling companions. (Another associate, Rik DeBlois, had joined Doug and me in Newark.) As it turned out, Doug had brought along an extra coat and kindly offered it to me for the duration of the trip. Doug's coat in hand, we proceeded to pick up our rental car for the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Paderborn. Remember that at this point we had partied until 3:00am on Monday, worked the tradeshow exhibit all day on Tuesday, flown all night to Frankfurt, and now, on Wednesday, were preparing to drive at break-neck autobahn speed to Paderborn, where — without so much as a change of shirt — we were to walk onto the floor of yet another tradeshow and work the exhibit. I lost the toss and had to do most of the driving, but I must admit that Doug and Rik bore the brunt of the exhibit work. I quickly sneaked off to one of the presentations and promptly fell asleep in my chair. (Presentations are typically given in German with simultaneous translation into English through infrared headsets, and through much experience, I have discovered that if one puts on the headset but does not plug it in, the effect is almost as good as wearing earplugs.) After the day's work, being drop-dead exhausted, the three of us sensibly headed off to our hotel for a good night's sleep — not. Instead, being severely sleep deprived (and none too bright to begin with) we went to dinner with our German colleagues and made every effort to separate the establishment from its entire stock of beer. I don't recall whether or not we were successful. january 16paderborn, germanyWe did get a few hours sleep that night, but weren't finished sprinting yet. We spent the next day back on the tradeshow floor. (I reviewed the same presentations as the day before to similar effect.) That night, Thursday, Doug and Rik left for Berlin. I remained in Paderborn (the epicenter of European nightlife) for some meetings the following day. january 17paderborn, germanyI get the honor of explaining to the country managers for our division from around the world why in spite of the fact that they are all ahead of plan, we are showing a loss as a division worldwide. (We oopsed a bit in the U.S.) I should have gone to Berlin with Rik and Doug. january 18palm beach, floridaSuzie arrives to retrieve our son. The day before, Sue's mom drove down from Port St. Lucie to pick him up from my mom's place. By this time, James had spent three weeks away from home and his mother was going through withdrawal. James, however, was more interested in going back to the beach. amsterdam, hollandTony spends the entire day in the KLM lounge waiting for his plane to Berlin. Fog was so bad that for a time both Frankfurt and Heathrow were closed. Fortunately, he was able to find both an English-language book store and the scotch. berlin, germanyI finally arrived in Berlin with barely enough time to check into the hotel, change clothes, and catch a cab to the restaurant to meet up with my American and German colleagues for dinner. I think we had a marvelous meal. I'm sure we moved from beer to grappa at about 1:00am. The restaurant threw us out a little after 4:00am. It was a very productive meeting, and I specifically remember solving all the problems in the world. Unfortunately, I now have difficulty recalling the solutions. january 19berlin, germanyIt was now Sunday, and despite the previous evening's festivities, we piously arose very early — in the afternoon. Being Sunday, I met up with Doug and Rik at the Berlin Cathedral. (We were staying in different hotels.) We didn't actually go in the cathedral (we'd done that on our last trip), but we reverently admired it before spending what was left of the afternoon at the Pergamon Museum. The Pergamon Museum was fascinating. However, after a few hours of staring at ancient carved rock, I must admit we got a little punchy. The self-guided audio tour we were on didn't help. I think Doug finally snapped when the oh-so-British voice instructed us to closely inspect the dimpled right buttock of the Adonis-like statue before us. I'm afraid we contributed something to the Ugly American image after that. january 20warwick, rhode islandJames III finally returns home after more than three weeks in Florida. Upon entering his dwelling for the first time in 1997, James was overheard saying, "Where are my toys?!?" january 21warwick, rhode islandThe Rhode Island Adamolis are reunited. (Continental agents in Newark met Tony in Customs with his coat in hand.) Upon seeing his father for the first time in almost two weeks, James asks, "Can we go to Disney World?" january 22boston, massachusettsThe day after returning home from Europe, I find myself unpacking/packing again for an overnight meeting in Boston. january 31warwick, rhode island[This just in off the wire:] Be on the lookout for one Jessica Shea — AKA "Jessie." She has last been seen driving a blue Ford Tempo. She just got her driver's license 1/31/97. She passed her test with flying colors, but beware just the same. |
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November 8 is a big day in our
family. It is my cousin David Drake's Birthday, it is Megan Adamoli's birthday, it is the
day Miriam Drake died in 1995, and now it is the day my mother married Larry Chandler.
He doesn't have a
name yet, but Suzie Adamoli gave birth tonight to an 8 pound, 2 ounce, beautiful baby boy!
Both mother and son are doing well at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence.
Well, apparently Mother Nature
had her own ideas. Upon leaving the hospital at about 1:00pm this afternoon, Suzie and I
stopped for a light lunch (and a couple of martinis for the father). We then went home, as
instructed. Suzie had been having light, irregular contractions since last night, but at
around 5:00pm things were starting to get serious.
The big news for the Rhode
Island Adamolis is that we have finally moved into our new house in Coventry. So,
beginning with this report, my "home town" byline will read as such. (In case
you're wondering, the telephone numbers are all the same.) Being new home owners has kept
us very busy these last few weeks — and judging by the number of unopened boxes, will
keep us very busy for weeks to come! 
The baby crop is up this year. Christine and Mark Demore are
the proud parents of a new baby boy!
Well, I'm in love with Paris. I suppose it was inevitable.
I have walked all over this city, and everywhere I go, everywhere I look, there is beauty.
The architecture is overwhelming. You could live here for a year, and still not see it all
— but I've done my best, especially over the last couple of days.
One of these days I am going to quit my job and spend my
days pacing the airport halls wearing a placard that reads "Will work for Frequent
Flyer Mileage." After all, collecting mileage and hotel points seems, at times, to be
my forte. So far, Paris has lived up to its reputation. I have strolled through the Arc de
Triomphe and down the Champs Elysees (sans beret), crossed over the Seine to the Ile de la
Cite to ogle Notre Dame, criticized the I. M. Pei addition to the Louvre, and had my crude
attempts at speaking French mercilessly ridiculed by surly waiters in a trendy sidewalk
cafe. I even rode the Metro (subway). Next: the Eiffel Tower, and maybe Versailles.
(Somewhere in here I must remember to get some work done.)