Family
Heartfelt updates about family milestones and everyday moments. From taking Mazie to college and annual visits to the Renaissance Festival to Swedish‑pancake breakfasts and VR outings with the kids, this category celebrates togetherness.
Tyler’s teaching me to play Pokémon and we figured poker chips work to track damage.
Tyler crossing the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
Birthday Cake by Milk Bar
Mazie and I returned home from our Daddy/Daughter trip to NYC. We brought a Birthday Cake from Milk Bar home for everyone.
Walking the High Line in Manhattan
Mazie and I hiked the length of the High Line in Manhattan today. We started on 30th street and walked south to the end. It was a delightful way to spend the morning, and a nearly perfect photo walk opportunity. It was a great place to exercise the iPhone XS camera.
Other times on the High Line: 2012, 2018, 2023 (Tyler and I), 2023 (Tammy and I), and 2023 (Family).
Mazie and I went to School of Rock on Broadway tonight and loved it! Great music, amazing acting from such young actors! The kids play all the music and are amazing! Highly recommended! 🎶
Mazie and I got to meet Lady Liberty today! 🇺🇸
Mazie and I explored Times Square tonight! 👨👧 16,687 steps today. 👣
Mazie and I got to hang out with my great friend from college, Greg, and his fabulous family today in NYC. It was fun to go back to stories some 25 years ago now! 😳
Mazie and I were very impressed with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum today. An event that was so important and a life event, but happened before she was born. It was interesting to see her taking it all in. It does an amazing job of reliving that day.
Mazie and I getting some coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee by World Trade Center. ☕️
Mazie and I are heading to New York for a Daddy/Daughter trip! 😎👨👧
Goodbye Chase
On Friday evening we had to say goodbye to our dog Chase. We adopted Chase into our family in 2007. The adoption agency had given him the horrible temporary name of Lurch. When we met him, the couple that had been fostering him had named him Chase. I had the fancy idea that a somewhat geeky name like Comet would be better. After a day of trying that out, we realized that he was Chase. It just fit. Chase was a Black Lab / Border Collie mix. Smart, loyal, and full of energy.
We don’t know exactly when he was born, but he was in full puppy mode when he came to us. If Mazie left any wooden toy on the floor, he would chew it to nothing. We learned the hard way that he shouldn’t be allowed on the couch, after the couch upholstery was so trashed it had to be redone.
He was always looking to please. He never ran off, not once. He liked the snow. The Border Collie in him wanted the family always together. He listened well and only barked when he needed something. Almost always a single bark. Our neighbor called him the “One Bark Dog” because he would just give a single bark, after waiting a couple of minutes at the door to come in. He even stood in for photos once.
I had grown up around dogs but had never had one. Chase was my first dog and he and I had our rituals. I always fed him in the morning. On the weekends I get up early, and he’d hang out with me while I did whatever. At the cabin we would go down to the dock in the morning with a cup of coffee and look at the water and the occasional bird or fish jumping.
Of course Chase wasn’t just my dog. Mazie loved Chase and would play with him a lot. Tyler declared Chase his best friend in Kindergarten and was hoping to take him to school for show and tell. Tammy liked Chase being around, going on walks and his friendly personality, although his shedding she could have skipped.
I didn’t realize that Labs live to about 12, more or less. I hoped we had more time. I knew Chase was getting older. He was slowing down and enjoyed long afternoon naps at the lake. He would find a spot in the grass and have a good day of it.
Sadly he wasn’t just getting old. We took him in because his teeth looked bad and his breath was beyond bad. We figured he just needed a dental cleaning. They found a growth in his mouth. Melanoma. They cut it out and asked us if we wanted to do cancer treatment. We declined, that seems to me like a hard thing for a dog, especially at his age. He also developed a number of other growths on his chest and stomach. To add to the challenges, he tore both his CCLs and for over a week he couldn’t walk up the stairs in the house. His whole life he also got rashes and sores on his skin. An allergic reaction of some kind. Medication usually helped, but with the cancer the meds didn’t do anything for that. For the last month we’ve had to help him out quite a bit.
On Friday we had a vet come to visit the house. We all went out on the deck. It was a cool evening, just gorgeous. We all sat with Chase petting and soothing him as the vet put him to sleep.
It was tough. I expected it to be difficult, but it was even harder. He was part of our family. Chase was everyone’s dog and we all felt the loss. 😢
I didn’t realize how much he was always there with us, and particularly with me. The mornings have been lonely without him there to do whatever was the plan. When we come home from doing something, there is no welcoming tail wagging at the door with eager eyes.
I miss my buddy.
Upgraded Nintendo Switch to 6.0 and Tyler and I are trying out Switch Online. It’s fun to play Donkey Kong on yet another modern game platform. 🤓🕹
After intense deliberation Mazie and Tyler each picked one of these to take home from the Corning Museum of Glass. Paradox of Choice was strongly displayed. 😬
Tyler and I still have fun with Pokémon GO! My Trainer Code is 9399 2668 4290 if you want to friend us. 🙌🏻
MN United v LAFC
Great start to MN United v LAFC! Some serious soccer! ⚽️
Totally amazing, gorgeous goal from Minnesota United! Then neutralized in 60 seconds with an answer from LAFC. 1-1 ⚽️
Great first half MNUFC! Top notch play! 3-1!
Ibarra! Ramirez! MNUFC goes 5-1! ⚽️🙌🏻
Family having a great time at MNUFC match, except Tyler who is cheering for LAFC for some reason. ⚽️ 5-1
Mazie and I had a great 18.4 mile bike ride today on the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. This has to be one of the nicest rides in the state, with much of it under the shade of trees. 🚴♀️🚴♂️
5-player Ticket to Ride tonight! Tyler and I were Blue Team. We played aggressively, but finished tied for 3rd. 🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂
Me on the lily pad with Mazie and Tyler! 🕶 Plus the remote control boat zooming by in the bacgkround! 🚤
Got to use the custom can koozies Mazie made me for Father’s Day today.
