Back from Brazil

This is the door (we think!) to our new home for the next two years. After five whirlwind days in Sao Paulo of looking at about 20 apartments, we gave the relocation company our top three choices on Friday. Our favorite was a 14th floor unit that is about 200 square meters (about 2150 square feet). It has four bedrooms but what really makes the place is all the stuff in the condo complex--indoor and outdoor pools, hiking trails, great gym, etc. for the kids to do. It is like a resort. I think we can even bring Java. We looked at some really crazy places. I'll post them another time.


Hannah and Jackson's school is really impressive. Jackson said it looks like the TV show Zoey 101. Graded School has kids from all over the world that attend and the list of colleges they get into is amazing. They really work them too. Both kids already have reading lists and Jackson took a math placement test while we were there. Most importantly for my duo is that they think of art as something that is as important as the other core academic areas. They have 4-5 art rooms, lots of equipment and a real passion for the subject. They even have a guitar club for Hannah.



We met with the head of the Japanese baseball league and they are excited for Jackson to play with them. Soccer (football) is the big deal for Paulistas so there isn't baseball in the schools. But there is a big Japanese community there that plays baseball. It sounded intense enough for my boy. So Jackson may refresh his Japanese as well as learn Portugese.

Sao Paulo itself is crazy. The roads are not made for the volume of traffic. There are no highways. It is all two lane surface streets. It takes you forever to travel from Point A to Point B. The biggest danger is all these motorcycles that dart from lane to lane through traffic. I know I will have to drive there but I'm not looking forward to it.

Architecturally, Sao Paulo has no master plan. Lots of tall skinny buildings that are pretty ugly. There are some cool public art displays and a few pretty parks but mostly it is just street urban.

We are still trying to figure out our departure dates. Graded School is already in session. The admissions director was pretty adamant that if Jackson can't get there by September 1, he shouldn't start until after the holiday break in January. The junior year is pretty intense academically. It isn't as big an issue for Hannah since she'll be a freshman so she can start anytime. (Since so many kids there are ex-pats, they are used to people coming and going all year.) Optimistically, we probably won't get our visas until at least mid-September. So, we may depart in pairs. Ro and Hannah may leave in September and Jackson and I in January. Still to be determined.

The Old Ballpark

They are tearing down Tiger Stadium very, very slowly. We made a quick stop Thursday night. Funny, everyone who was there was sharing a story of a great time they had in the old ballpark. I hope Ernie Harwell and his group are successful at least keeping part of the field intact.

Stuff I Should Be Doing v. Now

This is the hotel we'll be staying in Sunday night in Sao Paulo. Oh, the stuff we have to accomplish before we get there.

The laundry isn't done (although I just put a load in). All the documentation crap we're supposed to take with us is in a million different piles on the landing, the computer room and in my bedroom. We need to organize Java's toys and food so he can go hang with Logan and Buster next door. Hannah isn't nearly ready for a week with my Mom and Dad.

So, what did we do today? I worked till 6, took a couple tables over to a friend in Grosse Pointe who is having a garage sale and then took Hannah out for dinner. Ro, Jackson and Arianna went fishing and then played Guitar Hero. (Ro didn't play Guitar Hero...that makes me laugh to even think about!) I just went for a run and now I'm goofing on my blog. Hannah is going with her friends to a midnight book launch at Border's for Stephanie Meyer's new book, Breaking Dawn.

Oh well, somehow it will all get done. One of Ro's colleagues just got back from Brazil and shared with Ro and I the link from their blog. It made me feel good to read. They loved it and had lots of great family time. (They are a lot younger, their kids are small and one was even born over there!) The blog is here if you want to peek at it.

We have until 7 a.m. Sunday right?? No problem.

Rosetta Stone

Ola.

I started Portuguese lessons last night using the online Rosetta Stone package. We leave on Sunday for our "look see" visit to Sao Paulo. Let's see how much I can get done this week. This feels like school!

Hannah can't go with us. We applied for our tourist visas while she was in Europe (with her passport) so she is going to hang with my Mom next week. Sure wish she could be part of the decision-making team.

Tchau.

Weird Thursdays!

Not sure what was going through Jackson's mind last night but he decided to use Dan's beard trimmer to give himself a little haircut on all his already close coiffure. It didn't work too well and now he has a bad stripe down the middle. Sharp!

Hannah and I went to Joe Louis Arena last night for the American Idol Live show. One of the Crain advertising clients called the office at the last second and was looking for tickets. We weren't planning to use the suite but I said sure, I'll go over and open it up and order up some food for the client and his family. The dude showed up with his crew, ate our pizza, drank some beverages, used the bathroom and listened to two songs. Then they moved down to the main floor. How rude!

Ro, Jackson and Denzel are headed North to fish with Rick and the guys this weekend. What used to be a week-long "guy trip" is now a weekend with everybody's busy schedule. You should see how much stuff they have piled up to take! Unbelievable.

Lori is coming down for dinner tonight with Hannah and I. Should be fun....and a lot simpler than what the guys do!

P.S. Jackson Hair Upate: Ro took Jackson to BoRics this afternoon and they fixed him up. It's really short but at least it is all one length now.

Trapped in Plymouth

I just survived a three-day sales meeting for Automotive News. There's something to be said for the "bonding" and "networking" that can happen when everyone is locked in the same meeting room for two-and-a-half days but it sure was fabulous to get home today and not have to talk to people anymore. The crew at AN is the best and they are in many ways like family so we did have a few laughs but I like my private time.

Departing the D

I started this blog in January 2007 as our family prepared to move to China. I thought it would be a fun way to chronicle the experience and keep in touch with people after we left. We started Chinese lessons, told all of our friends and colleagues and got ready to move across the world.

Then the Chinese government changed their mind about the need for a design sculptor and we were out. It took us almost a year to recover. I shut my business, took a fantastic job and the kids settled back into life in the D.

Now, I think we really are going to be departing. We're headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil the first week of August to look at housing and schools and make the final decision. We could be gone by September.

GM had some rough announcements this week which I thought might be the end of it. But after hearing Rick Wagoner mention Brazil three times in his remarks as a growth area, I don't think that is the case at all.

We first learned about this early in June but I didn't want to jinx it by telling too many people. We told our parents and I told my boss, Keith. Other than that, we've tried to be normal as we filled out visa applications and got so, so much documentation together. Slowly, slowly, I've started telling people. We've pulled Hannah out of Liggett. I told my team at work about the possibility yesterday. A few people have looked at the house to rent it. We've sold some extra stuff on Craig's List. This may happen.

Should I start Portugese lessons??

Hannah Cloned in Europe

Hannah now has a twin. Her name is Hannah too. Both girls came off the plane in matching People to People outfits, blue Italia jackets and french braids. Big fun!

Hannah got home Wednesday night and had a great time. As the last 48 hours of gone on, more and more details of her European adventure have been revealed. She is building a slideshow of the 500 or so photos she shot. I'm grateful that she had an amazing experience that I think will stay with her for quite some time. It sure seemed like a nice mix of learning, playing, shopping and just being 14.

Hannah Comes Home on Wednesday!

She lands at 11:30 p.m. tomorrow night.

OK, I've been watching Hannah's spending online throughout the past 20 days she's been in Europe. It is really the only way I've been able to follow what she's doing and where she is as she has trekked through France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. She's down to $36. Time to come home little girl!

Rock On Rob

This irresponsible-looking example of a brother-in-law doesn't look 40, does he? Could this guy with his psychedelic wall-coverings, garage man cave, Star Wars collectibles and Grateful Dead bootleg cassettes really be responsible for a wife and two adorable children?

Happy Birthday Rob!

Twilight Gathering A Hit

I took Thursday off (gasp!) and helped set up the Twilight Gathering auction for the Women's Caring Program. I don't know how this group of women does it but they sure have a lot of fun, while doing a lot of good. It was a totally enjoyable day and they raised about $250,000 to fund childcare for families coming off welfare. That will help 100 families have a fresh start. Pretty cool, eh?

The home in Milford where they have this event is just beautiful. Rolling hills, beautiful flowers, two big dogs and a very casual attitude. There were more than 600 women there but everyone felt comfortable. Jackson and my Mom helped out too!

The guys went up to Frankfort salmon fishing this weekend so I'm all alone. Very strange. I can't remember a summer where I've spent so much time by myself. I think Hannah's trip has something to do with it. She is in Italy now. She gets back Wednesday night just before midnight. Thank goodness.

I'm headed to a 40th birthday party tonight for Dan's brother Rob. I get the sister-in-law of the year award for going by myself. Rob is a lot of fun so I'm looking forward to it.

I just got back from a run so I better get in the shower. We sold a mission desk we don't use on Craig's List. The people are supposed to be here at 10 and I think I would scare them with my sweaty self. Man, is it hot today!

The Upper Terrace

Here are a few snaps of Ro's handiwork when the guy is on a deadline. Last week, he finished the patio. (If you remember, our deck collapsed last Fall during Sean and Amber's wedding reception.) It is now a beautiful landscaped patio at ground level. Ro calls it the "Upper Terrace." He did an amazing job with the three tons of fieldstone he had delivered.

This week, the butler's pantry! All I have done is laundry.

Home!

Jackson got back yesterday from ROTC camp. He was hungry, smelly, tired and sunburned...but he seems like he had a great time. Tucked in his hand when he got off the bus was a trophy that recognized him as the best cadet in Delta company. He is very proud of that piece of hardware!

We had a great time in East Aurora. We drove through Canada and even made a quick stop at Niagara Falls. The Roycroft Inn is beautiful. We couldn't get to the rest of the campus (artisan shops and stuff) because of the Fourth of July holiday but we made the most of it. We even took in a smalltown parade from the patio where we were having dinner. (Ro kept looking for the Animal House cake float.) That night, we went down to the ballfields in the park and they had a fireworks show. Pretty amazing display for a small town!

On Friday, we went to Graycliff which is the Frank Lloyd Wright summer home of the Martin family. It is right on the Lake and had great windows and gardens everywhere. Before we dashed yesterday morning, we went to the Darwin Martin estate in Buffalo. Both houses are undergoing a lot of renovation but you can tell they are doing a stellar job at bringing the houses back to life.

Hannah called from Austria yesterday. She is at her home stay house for the next two days. Sure seems like she is having a great time. I'll be glad when we're all together again.

What a surprise! The guys are out fishing now.

We're off to East Aurora

Our kidless state gives us the freedom to take off tomorrow for East Aurora, NY and the Roycroft Inn. We're back on Saturday. We purchased a gift certificate to the Inn during an auction last February in Asheville. A little R&R and arts and crafts nirvana will be good for the soul.

Craig's List Rocks

I sold my Norwood loom today. This was the first loom I bought four years ago. It is beautiful cherry wood but it has only four harnesses and takes up a lot of real estate since it is 50 inches wide. I still have my Mighty Wolf 8-harness loom. I posted the loom on Craig's List yesterday and it was sold by the end of the day to a nice crafter lady from Port Clinton, Ohio. She's never woven before in her life but I think she'll figure it out. I gave her a quick lesson, a few reeds and a book on rag rugs (which is what she wants to weave on it).

No direct word from the kids yet but I've gotten a few emails from Hannah's leaders. Sounds like they're having a great time. I noticed (from her Visa Buxx card) that she spent some money today at the Hard Rock Paris. What fun!

I'm sure I'll hear from Jackson when his bus pulls into the lot at U of D on Saturday.

Bye Hannah, Bye Jackson

Hannah is in Paris now and Jackson is on his way to Alpena. Heavy sigh! It has been 16+ years since we haven't had at least one of the kids at home. I think this is a preview of what empty nesting is going to be like in a few years.


Hannah's People to People group left Friday morning amidst lots of excitement and a bit of fear (on the parent's part mostly!). I tracked their flights online and it looked like there were no problems, although we did get our call from the parent's tree that said the kids didn't sleep much on the flights. Hannah and another Hannah seemed destined to be inseparable throughout the trip.



We dropped Jackson off for ROTC Leadership camp this morning. He's headed to Alpena for a week. It looked like he was headed to Iraq the way he was dressed. The Army gives them ALL of their clothes for the week. The only thing he needed to bring was toiletries and a change of clothes for the bus ride home.

Over the last week, I've spent a ton of time getting Hannah her supply list, Motown gifts for her homestay family, a Visa Buxx card with money so she can shop and a ton of details surrounding this and that. We've talked about little else for the past few days.

Jackson, on the other hand, needed deodorant. That's it! I felt kinda guilty.




We went to a fab party last night. Our friend, Colin, was celebrating ANOTHER 49th birthday. Nobody cared what the correct number was. We enjoyed Traffic Jam food and no less than three bands. Colin has been battling cancer and has had a rough couple of years. No one could tell last night. Outside of getting a little teary-eyed when he sang "Lean on Me" and thanked everyone for helping him get through the rough spots, the night was mostly about family and music. Colin and his two friends did a set on acoustic guitar and then the teenage sons of the same three guys did another set (using electronic instruments). Another band, Stumbling Mice, played first and last. I put together a slide show of about 150 photos of Colin through the years. There had to be 200 people there. Colin is a developer in Midtown Detroit so it was a fun mix of city people, business associates, family and friends. Kwame and Ken Cockrel even rolled through (at separate times of course!).

Oh well, back to my quiet house. Well, not so quiet. Ro is in the backyard cutting stones for the patio with some electronic chisel thing.

The Apple, River Art, Running and Guitar

Talk about stupid. Wednesday night I was supposed to leave on a 4:00 flight to New York City. We left the gate and of course, I immediately fell asleep. I woke about two hours later, peeked out the window, and saw we were on the ground. I thought we had landed in the Big Apple. But, everyone on the flight seemed tense. Little did I know we were still in Detroit. There was bad weather in New York so we never got approval to take off. We sat on the tarmac for three hours. Eventually, we went back to the gate and they cancelled the flight. Ugh! No more flights that night so I had to go home and return to the airport for a 6:15 a.m. flight on Thursday. I got to my meeting in Manhattan (which I was running) with only 30 minutes to spare. Phew!

Ro did the River Days Art Festival this weekend. Great spot on the grass right on the River. He had to take Friday off and put up with major hail and wind storms again (seemed like a repeat of the Festival of the Arts). The crowd was big but they were there mostly for the concerts, the cars and the food. There were only about 20 artists. No need to say anything more than he read a whole book in his lawn chair over the three days.

Hannah leaves for Europe on Friday for 20 days! Her People to People group got together for a bon voyage picnic on Saturday in Canton. She has bonded with another girl named Hannah and seems like she is going to have a blast! Can you imagine taking 40 8th graders to France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria? Those five leaders have their work cut out for them.

Jackson goes to ROTC camp in Alpena for a week on Saturday. Can you believe Ro and I are going to be kidless? Sure will be weird.

This morning, Hannah, Jackson, Denzel, Patrice, Lisa, Lynn and I tackled the brand new River Days Run. Great morning. We started at the Ren Cen Plaza and did the entire 5K next to the river. (We ran right by Ro's booth.) Awesome way to start the day. I think this run will grow once word gets out about it next year. Man, was I slow! Jackson did the run in 21 minutes. He is in amazing shape.


This afternoon, Hannah, Nathan and Noah had a recital. I always thought recitals were supposed to be stuffy. This was perfect. Very relaxed and supportive of the kids. Hannah and Nathan played the song that Nathan wrote for graduation. One of the teachers played bass along with them. Sure sounded great. Noah played "This Old Man" on the piano and cracked the place up. Way cool.

It's Only Rock n Roll

Mom, Hannah and I took a quick 18-hour jaunt to Cleveland today. I had an all-day meeting for Crain at the Marriott Key Center on Monday so after the Father's day BBQ last night, the ladies took off for the city on the Lake. Mom and Hannah explored the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and did some shopping damage. They only gave mild reviews to the Hall. Hannah said it wasn't organized right...too jumbled.

But it was great to get some quality three-generational time in amidst the thunderstorms. Quite the crazy Turnpike drive last night. I never have seen such wild lightning.

Sorry we didn't stop this time, Dave, Wendy, Paige and Cooper! We'll get you next time.

Jackson Got a 3.0

Thank God! Jackson turned 16 last September but Dan and I told him he couldn't get his license until his grades got up to a B level. Today was report card day and drum roll, please.....three C's and three A's equals 3.0. He would have been devasted if he fell short.

He has to take his Level Two driving class (three days) and then he can get his license. Good job J!

Speaking of jobs, he got the one at the Greening. Denzel, Gavan and Jackson start later this month. They begin each day at the old YMCA on Jefferson so they can just ride their bikes there. Should be a good summer!

Hannah leaves for her People to People adventure on June 27. Hard to belive she is going to be gone for three weeks.

Lord Stanley

How cool is it when the Stanley Cup comes to your office? I'm here with Tom and MaryBeth who I work with in Corporate Communications.

Traumatic Weekend

Unbelievable weekend. Lots of highs....and one big low. Highs first.


High temperatures. It was 90+ all weekend. Ro was at the Festival of the Arts all three days. With the scorching heat and the crappy economy, nobody was much in the mood to buy stuff. He won one of the recognition awards ($500) which was kind of cool but it was a long stretch for him. Mom and Dad came down on Sunday but it was blistering. Huge storms rolled through the area Friday night and Sunday afternoon so there was lots of drama. Booths blowing over, lots of lightning, tornado warnings, etc. Surprisingly, Ro didn't lose any work.

High menthol smells. After working at the Indian Village home tour all day yesterday (2000+ people, who does their publicity???) , we headed to Joan's house for yet another 8th grade bash. The kids had a huge shaving cream fight. I guess this is some St. Clare tradition but ugh, what a mess. Joan is an angel for letting the kids do this.

Lows. Father David is leaving St. Charles after 21 years. (This shot is from a baptism at Mass today.) Now I wouldn't call myself overly religious but I love, love, love my church. St. Charles has weathered many storms and threatened closings over the years and Father David is a big reason why it has stayed open. He is moving to Milwaukee to take over a parish there because their pastor got promoted to a big role with the Capuchins. My brain understands that we were pretty darn lucky to have had Father David for this long but oh, my heart is so sad. I take this as a sure sign that St. Charles is going to close. One of our parishioners, Tyrone Mack, is going to be the part-time business manager, and we are going to have a part-time priest from the Capuchins. Heavy sigh....

Way to Go Wings!

How cool for Detroit! I know the rest of the country doesn't give a hoot about hockey but I am so pumped for the Wings and the Stanley Cup. (Corinne, I got your hat today and it will be on its way!) I'm in Chicago now so I'll miss the parade tomorrow. Jackson is done with school at 11:30 tomorrow so he's going to be in the thick of the fun. Ro is doing the Festival of the Arts Friday, Saturday and Sunday so Jackson's plan is to walk up Woodward through the Parade to meet Ro at his booth on Kirby. Hope it works! With all this Kwame BS, it is nice to have something fun to celebrate.

Over the Top Fun

Lynn and Dan had a party last night for all the eighth grade graduates. OMG! There was ping pong in the garage; dancing, Twister and swings in the backyard; parental drinking on the porch; and Red Wings, Chicago slide shows and other fun on a projector in the front room. I'm sure I'm missing some of the fun. What a blast. I love it when the parents can have as much fun as the teens. It is especially gratifying that the teens like us around. My favorite image of the night was Patrice headbanging dancing to the Pretenders song.

We ended up with seven lovely ladies crashed in our living room. They stayed up until 6 a.m.!! Unbelievable.

Hannah is Grad-u-fied!

I have no more babies. Hannah officially graduated 8th grade from St. Clare yesterday. They had a Mass in the morning and a big ceremony and party in the evening. What a day! She had different dresses for the AM and PM. Hannah was honored as the best art student and the best reading student. Guess that means she's half Ro and half me. I was extremely proud of her and all her pals. Such a nice group of kids.

Both sets of Grandparents came down for the evening festivities which was very cool. St. Clare has a tradition where the 8th graders learn ballroom dancing the second half of the year and show off their dancing moves at the evening party. They were surprisingly good. There is this 80+-year old woman who has taught dancing to the last 45(!) graduating classes at St. Clare. She runs the operation like a military sargeant. The boys have to ask the girls to dance, she teaches them the moves and then the boys have to return the girls to their chairs. Of course, as soon as their 4-5 ballroom dances were over, the tunes returned and the evening reverted to the Soulja Boy, Electric Slide and line dances again.

Tonight the Santoscoys are having the entire 8th grade class and their parents over their house. Crazy souls. It should be a good time. Hannah is having six of the girls spend the night over here after Nathan's party.

Movies Under the Stars

I think we have a new favorite thing to do outside. Saturday night, our wacky, keeping-us- young neighbors, Sean and Amber, had a movie night under the stars. They hung a sheet from the garage and put the first Indiana Jones in the DVD player and broadcast it through a projector. Since our driveway is their driveway, we had no choice but to partake in the fun. They had about 20 people over and provided ice cream, popcorn, lawn chairs and blankets and we all had a great time. We're going to do it again so I promise to take a picture.

Last night, we had a bonfire and s'mores. Don'tcha love holiday weekends when you don't go away??? We got lots of stuff done and still chilled.

I'm off to LA tomorrow. This is a crazy week. I'm back on the red eye flight Wednesday night/Thursday morning and Hannah graduates on Friday. I have spent the last few weeks scanning 300 images from her classmates for the graduation CD. They show it at the party on Friday night. It turned out well although I do think it is a bit biased toward Hannah and her pals. Hard work comes with privileges! I still have to find a way to get them duplicated before the ceremonies.

Quiet Mother's Day Morning

The guys are fishing, Hannah is sleeping, Java is outside. Ahh, heaven. Poor Ro must have said a million times, "Is it OK if we go fishing? It is Mother's Day. Shouldn't we be doing something with you?" Are you kidding? They'll be home by 11 and then chaos ensues. We'll be together all day. We're headed to Tim's at 2 and then Robar's after that. Peace and solitude are the best gifts a working Mom can ever receive.

I took Hannah, Taylor and Ella to see "Made of Honor" last night. It's been awhile since we've done the chick flick thing. Totally predictable, but hey, I stayed awake through the whole movie. McDreamy is cute and all, but Johnny Depp is way hotter.












Jackson and Arianna went to the Miltary Ball Friday night at the Light Guard Armory. Poor Jackson. Cass Tech played Pershing in baseball and the game ran long. He raced home (after a victory) and Arianna was already here. He flew into the shower and into his ROTC duds so fast. Sounds like they had a good time but Jackson is not one to share many details.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

Jackson the Hero

Last night, our elderly neighbor Alan called the house because he had fallen and hit his head. Ro and I weren't home because we went to a fundraiser with Santoscoys. Jackson handled it well. He went over, helped calm Alan down and called 911. EMS came about 20 minutes later and took Alan to the hospital. Jackson said there was a lot of blood. I'm very proud of my lad.

Alan is a guy who has had a really tough "golden years." In his younger days, he and his partner Joe, were big supporters over at the Belle Isle Conservatory. They used to run the neighborhood garden club and grew hundreds of hostas in their backyard. Everybody knew and loved them.

Well, Joe passed and Alan was pretty lonely. He let a child predator move in. The guy talked Alan into a second mortgage to fix up the house and then quickly took off with most of the money. A second dude, Douglas, moved in. He had a crack habit and started stripping metal from empty (and not so empty) houses. Now, Douglas is in jail for breaking and entering. Needless to say, all the neighbors have had enough of Alan and his friends.

Ironically, Jackson and I went over to help Alan with his trash can Wednesday night and we had a really nice chat with him. His house has finally sold and he's moving into a flat in Grosse Pointe in two weeks. It was like talking to the old Alan we loved. He was optimistic and focused. Sure hope this spill doesn't set him back.

Big Week

Ro and Hannah went on the 8th grade trip on Wednesday and Thursday. They needed male chaperones so Ro and Dan across the street stepped up. Looks like they had a blast! (The one photo is the whole class in the Bean in Millenium Park.) Hannah slept until noon yesterday. Next step: 8th grade graduation on May 30.

I guess I have to PhotoShop my face into this picture of Helen and Patrice. How dare they go to Chicago without me? (They brought me popcorn...aw shucks, they did miss me!)

While they were gone, I took Jackson to boating safety class on Wednesday (well, I didn't actually go to class...I went for a run on Lakeshore while he was learning) and then I took Gavan, Denzel and Jackson to Greening of Detroit tryouts on Thursday. Holy crap! 600 high schoolers trying out for 90 spots. They have a couple more steps in the process so hopefully some of the kids will drop out.

At work, I'm now supervising the marketing department at Automotive News again (on top of my corporate job). It feels good, but damn, it is going to be a lot of work for a little while. I'll probably have to start traveling again too.