Brown Brown

Lucy & Dan Lovell's Wedding

2009-06-04T23:11:00.001-04:00

Mardi Gras Beads

2009-03-05T22:55:00.001-05:00

Beads I collected during the recent Mardi Gras carnival in Burlington.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Hot Vietnamese Soup

2009-03-01T16:31:00.001-05:00

Nice hot and yummy Vietnamese noodle soup on a cold freezing my hoohoo day! Stopped over at the Vietnamese restaurant in Winooski after photographing the Marci Gas parade in downtown Burlington. It was freaking coooooold!

My New BlackBerry Storm

2009-02-21T18:17:00.001-05:00

Got my first BlackBerry on Friday, February 13, 2009. I love it already. It's awesome!

NW11 DTW-NRT

2009-01-10T12:18:00.001-05:00

Onboard flight NW11 from DTW to NRT. Waiting to taxi and takeoff! Boarded at 11:35PM. scheduled departure at 12:30PM. It's snowing in Detroit and temperature at 21*F.
Sayonara!

Breakfast in Detroit

2009-01-10T09:56:00.001-05:00

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Breakfast at Max & Erma's in Terminal A at Detroit International Airport! It was a very filling brekfast. Great service too.

2009-01-10T05:42:00.000-05:00

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Checked in and ready for the 40-hour trip to Kuala Lumpur. Currently waiting to board in Burlington VT to Detroit.
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All Aboard! "Ladies & Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking!"
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Merry Christmas 2008!

2008-12-25T11:16:00.002-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My kids woke my wife and I up in a special way. Sabrina played the flute and Hannah sang "Jingle Bells!" It was very creative and special. We loved it very much. Sabrina and Hannah were excited to check out the presents from Santa, and Mommy and Daddy had something small and practical for each other. We are all blessed and feel quite Thankful for everything.

Ho Ho Ho!!

Ginger Bread House

2008-12-21T20:21:00.001-05:00

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My wife recently bought a ginger bread house kit for her "kids" and I had a lot of fun putting it together with Hannah and Sabrina.
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We didn't realize that we had to let it sit for a few hours before we could start decorating. The icing which is used as glue needed time to harden in order to hold the walls and roof together. So we waited........!
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I was the icing contractor and the kids were the architects and designers. Hannah want to eat it but we told her to wait.
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I love working on projects with my kids. I enjoy playing, teaching, learning, and spending time with them. My kids are awesome!
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Gas at $1.69 / Gallon

2008-12-21T00:32:00.001-05:00

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Filled gas yesterday at $1.69 / gallon. I was very happy to see it below $2 and I'm sure it'll drop even further soon.
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Colored Concrete

2008-12-16T10:01:00.003-05:00

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This time of the year, the SD Ireland cement company is known for decking out their cement trucks with X'mas lights and displaying them around town. It's really neat to see them driven around while the cement mixers are turning with the X'mas lights on. I have no idea they do that!
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I caught this truck a few days ago as I was heading home from work.
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Fire Alarm at Tech Park

2008-12-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

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I was working in the server room at Tech Park when the loud screeching alarm went off. At first, I thought someone had re-armed the security system not knowing I was in there but that was not the case. I walked out into the hallway and saw everyone grabbing their coats and walking out. I then realized it was the fire alarm in the building.
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I dashed back into the server room, locked the machine I was working on and armed the security system before heading out with the masses.
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It's very cold today and not a good day to be standing outside in below freezing temperatures.
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The Shrinking CPAP!

2008-12-01T14:33:00.000-05:00

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CPAP devices have decreased in size and increased in efficiency since I got mine about 5 years ago. My CPAP machine is getting old, tired, and doesn't function quite well.
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I saw the Sleep Study specialist this morning to get a prescription for a new one. Now, I hope my insurance will approve and cover most of the cost! I should find out later this morning.
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My new machine will be the model as seen in this image.
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77 777 Miles!

2008-12-01T14:04:00.001-05:00

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My Honda jet marked 77,777 miles at 4:35PM on November 26, 2008. I love capturing the odometer readings of my car but I often miss the interesting ones unless I remind myself to check! I caught this one though.
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Nursing Home Gig

2008-11-22T11:27:00.002-05:00

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I'm did a photo gig at a nursing home today. I was hired by the facility to do some portaits of the residents and staff.
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It went pretty well. A little slow at times waiting for the subjects in between sessions, but it's a nursing home, so it was expected! Also, the first session was a no-show! Oh well, I'm paid regardless, so it doesn't matter.
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It was a good interesting gig. My final session was a portrait shoot of a family with 5 generations. That was pretty cool.

p.s. This setup picture was taken with my cell phone.

Couple of Inches!

2008-11-20T08:21:00.002-05:00

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Received a couple of inches of snow a few days ago. Traffic was a mess heading into work. Several roads were closed and backed up due to accidents. Took me 1.5 hours to get to work instead of the usual 20 minutes. People just don't know how to drive anymore! What do you expect when they get their driver's licenses from a Corn Flakes box!
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Damn, winter is here!

Sabrina's Birthday with Friends

2008-11-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

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Sabrina celebrated her birthday with some of her friends last weekend. She had 3 of them for a sleep over on Friday, and Mom & Dad toughed it out. Other than one of them cranking the heat to 80`F, stuffing used facial tissue under the bed, and staying up till 1:30AM, they were good overall.
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Happy Happy Birthday, Sabrina!

77 000 Miles!

2008-11-15T12:06:00.001-05:00

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My beloved Honda has traveled with me for over 77,000 miles. She hit the magic 77 a few days ago. She's been good, reliable, warm, and safe to me.
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Need to get her to the shop soon for some new shoes (brakes) and flange gasket. Can't complain when she gets me close to 40 miles per gallon. I love my Honda!

I Voted!!

2008-11-04T10:44:00.009-05:00

I voted for the first time today as a US citizen! It's even better that I voted for CHANGE and in a historic election in the USA.

By the way, I also wrote in my name for Justice of The Peace and voted for myself! I'm awesome!

I'm Harjit Dhaliwal and I approve this message!

** These pictures were taken with my cellphone.

First Snowfall of 2008

2008-10-31T12:39:00.001-04:00

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Our first snowfall for 2008! We received at least a couple of inches (in my neck of the woods) on Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
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Drove to work in the morning and found that Burlington had none!

Chef Norrashid From Malaysia

2008-10-25T13:40:00.002-04:00

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I had the pleasure of meeting a visiting chef from Malaysia at UVM's Davis Center. Chef Norrashid bin Noli was only here for one day but I had the opportunity to try his chicken rendang dish with gado-gado and satay sauce. It was awesome and brought back memories of Malaysia. Thank you to Chef Paul Bihan who paid for my lunch.
I've got Norrashid's personal contact info and will contact him when I visit Kuala Lumpur in January 2009.

A Great Welcome!

2008-10-25T13:27:00.001-04:00

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My co-workers threw a surprise party for me on Friday, October 17, 2008 to celebrate my becoming a US citizen. We had tons of pizza, cake, and I received a signed book on American History Almanac. I was totally shocked and speechless on their kind gesture, and warm welcome!
Thank you so much everyone! Special Thank you goes to Lisa for putting this together.
God bless you! God bless the USA!

The New Citizen!

2008-10-16T21:28:00.002-04:00

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As of 10;00AM today (October 16, 2008), I am now a US citizen.
I have been living in the USA for about 15 years and decided that it was about time that I got my citizenship. The whole process took about 15 months from the time I applied in July 2007. I took my test on Tuesday (Oct. 14, 2008) and my oath this morning in a private ceremony.
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By the end of the day, I have registered to vote and have applied for my passport.
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It has been an overall great day today!

Toilet Tank

2008-10-02T14:45:00.002-04:00

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My toilet tank now sounds like a turbo jet or an F-16 taking off when it's flushed! This damn piece inside is busted but the toilet is still functional, so I have time to get it fixed. Meanwhile, I get to play "Air Traffic Controller"!

The Country Pantry

2008-09-16T15:01:00.001-04:00

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My family and I had dinner at the Country Pantry, located in Fairfax VT on Saturday. This is a popular local restaurant that serves homestyle meals. I had the Fried Chicken Dinner but I didn't enjoy it very much like I used to. I found that the quality of the food has taken a dive just like the recent financial market!

Art on The Beach

2008-09-08T19:25:00.001-04:00

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My daughter, Hannah getting creative with her art on the Misquamicut Beach. It was a beautiful day, excellent weather, and great fun!

Misquamicut Beach II

2008-09-08T12:29:00.001-04:00

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The Atlantic Ocean as seen from the Misquamicut Beach, Rhode Island.

Misquamicut Beach - Rhode Island

2008-09-06T18:58:00.000-04:00

Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, Rhode Island on August 31, 2008. This is the largest beach in Rhode Island, approximately 7 miles long. It has beautiful soft sand and nice waves.
My kids had a great time.

Happy Birthday, Darling!

2008-09-02T15:46:00.002-04:00

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Celebrated my wife's birthday at Chili's on 8/21/08. She hates her picture taken, but I managed to snag one anyways.
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Happy Birthday, Jen!

The Dentist

2008-07-20T19:02:00.001-04:00

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The dentist extracting one of Sabrina's tooth.

Tooth Extractions

2008-07-09T12:41:00.001-04:00

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Sabrina anticipating 2 tooth extractions at the dentist's office. She was quite nervous but the process went very well.
Good job, Sabrina!

Grandchildren

2008-06-10T09:38:00.001-04:00

Grandpa celebrated his 65th birthday on May 3, 2008 with family and friends.

Seen here are his younger grandchildren, Hannah (orange), Sabrina (pink), Myriam (white), and Hugues (black).

First Art Show

2008-06-09T09:32:00.005-04:00

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I had the opportunity to display my photography work during the First Friday Art Walk for the month of May 2008. The event was held on May 2, 2008 at Nectar's /Metronome in downtown Burlington. I had greeting cards and matted prints on display and was successful in selling some. It was a great learning experience and I had fun.
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Anyone looking for a great photography for any event, weddings, graduations, parties, etc, give me a shout. Check out my site at www.hoorge.com .

Universal Sign For Gasoline

2008-06-09T09:07:00.003-04:00

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The sign has been changed to accommodate the rising gas prices.
Gas is at USD$4.00 per gallon today (Monday June 9, 2008).

Welcome Alyssa

2008-03-18T21:16:00.005-04:00

This is my niece, Alyssa.

She was born today (March 18, 2008) at 2:16PM EST and she weighed 7 lbs 11 oz.

My younger sister, Vinie, delivered Alyssa at the Guelph General Hospital in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

We are all very happy and excited to have a new family member. I celebrated my niece's birth with some champagne today. I am a very proud and happy uncle. My wife, kids, and I can't wait to visit Toronto soon to see Alyssa and family.

Congratulations, Vinie and Dale! Enjoy the new bundle of joy.

Welcome to the family, little Peanut! Love you lots.

-Uncle Harjit

Vista "Bells & Whistles" Workshop

2008-03-13T13:37:00.001-04:00

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This were the participants in my "Windows Vista - Bells & Whistle" workshop at this year's UVM Mastering The Maze event. I had over 40 participants and my workshop went very well.

UVM Maze

2008-03-13T10:11:00.000-04:00

Mastering The Maze

Little Pratt

2008-03-13T08:32:00.001-04:00

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My co-worker, Lisa's first born child, Isabelle.
She is about 3 weeks old at this point.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-03-05T20:12:00.001-05:00

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My Mom turned 75 years old today (March 5, 2008)!
She is still going strong, happy, and in good health.
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Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

Jenga!

2008-02-23T18:05:00.001-05:00

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Sabrina and Grandma (Maaji) enjoying some quality time together by playing Jenga. It's been great to have Grandma at our house.

At The Orthodontics

2008-02-23T17:59:00.001-05:00

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Hannah had her first Orthodontic appointment on 2/18/2008. One of the first things they do is photograph the teeth. Apparently, she needs a mouth widener as there isn't enough space for her new teeth to grow into. Well, the cost of this treatment is approximately $1700.00! Ouch!

After School

2008-02-18T21:00:00.001-05:00

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I got home just in time to see my kids get off the school bus after school. We changed their bus route for a couple of weeks while my Mom was in town visiting us from Canada.

Have A Nice Day Daddy!

2008-02-18T20:35:00.002-05:00

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I found this note from Sabrina hidden in my laptop. She knew I would see it first thing in the morning when I got to work, which I did. It put smiles on my face and I had a pleasant day.
What more could a Dad ask for? I am blessed with great loving kids.

February 2008 Snowfall

2008-02-09T12:37:00.002-05:00

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Just wanted to show how much snow we have received after the snowstorm on 2/6/08 & 2/7/08. We got about 18 inches of fresh snow!

Hannah's Pesky Tooth

2008-01-28T13:43:00.001-05:00

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Hannah lost another tooth on January 23, 2008. This tooth was quite persistant and it lingered in Hannah's gums for a couple of weeks. We are all very happy that this chapter is closed until the next one starts again!!

Snowblower Man!

2008-01-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

Here I am busy snowblowing on January 2, 2008. We had a lot of snow.

Sabrina grabbed my camera and took these shots. Not bad for a kid with a DSLR camera. I enjoy teaching her and she enjoys learning from me. So, it's a win-win situation.

Painted Toe Nails

2008-01-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

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My kids had a blast painting my toes nails last weekend.
When you have daughters, a Daddy has to do what a Daddy has to do!
By the way, my toe nails are still nail polished after a week! Oh well, who cares!

New Year's Day Sunset

2008-01-18T22:25:00.000-05:00

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These sunset shots were taken on New Year's Day near my house.

It's a great way to end the first day of 2008.

Check Winbom

2008-01-18T19:54:00.001-05:00

Check what?? Winbom what?? Huh! Got this freaking error during an imaging process with WinPE and a Dell Optiplex 755. Looks like I need to inject the WinPE boot cd with the right Intel NIC drivers. The ones I got from Dell didn't work. Damn it!

The Masterpiece!

2008-01-18T19:18:00.001-05:00

My daughter, Sabrina created this masterpiece as part of her art project. I love it so much but don't have it! I had kept it aside to have it framed but Sabrina decided to give it to Grandma before I had a chance to intervene. Now, it hangs on the wall in Grandma's house instead of mine!

Happy Birthday @ Work!

2008-01-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

My co-workers celebrated my birthday at work on January 7, 2008. Diane had the cake ordered and picked up on the weekend. I appreciate it very much.
To my co-workers, Thank you!

Happy Birthday, Dude!

2008-01-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

My family took me out to Chili's (one of my favorite restaurants) to celebrate my birthday. I had a nice meal and a couple of margaritas! The interesting thing is that we were seated at the same table as when we celebrated my birthday there on the same day last year. I love my family! Thank you! I had a great birthday.

Happy Birthday, Dude!

Happy New Year, Again!

2008-01-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist posting this shot taken on January 2, 2008.

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

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A beautiful day and a great start to a new year!
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A beautiful end to day 1 of year 2008!
Happy New Year!

SmugMug

2007-12-21T23:35:00.000-05:00

I recently signed up with SmugMug to promote my pictures for sale. Please visit my site and enjoy my photo gallery. Prints are available for purchase.

Also, if you are interested in a SmugMug account, please use the following coupon code (S9sG71VUyLvDU) and save yourself $5.

My SmugMug site is http://harjit.smugmug.com .

Montreal Sikh Gurdwara

2007-12-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

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I had heard that the Sikhs in Montreal had built a much bigger Sikh Temple in La Salle, Quebec. Since, I was in the area, I decided to check it out. It's much bigger than the previous one in Lachine, and it's also beautiful. A Sikh temple is called a Gurdwara.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

Chez Cora

2007-12-17T22:50:00.000-05:00

We had a get together with my wife's family in Montreal on December 1, 2007. Some came from Chicago, Quebec City, and Trois-Rivieres. We met up for breakfast at Chez Cora in La Salle, Quebec which is a suburb of Montreal. After breakfast, we headed for the Marriott Chateau Champlain in downtown Montreal, where we stayed for the night. Some went swimming, some went shopping, and some just relaxed.

Hockey Night at the Peel Pub

2007-12-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

Beer and a hockey game at the Peel Pub in Montreal, Canada. After meeting Jit Hoong, my friend, Andy and I stopped over at the Peel Pub. We polished two large pitchers, watched the hockey game, and enjoyed the Montreal nightlife. Got back to the hotel at 2:40AM.

From FaceBook to Montreal

2007-12-17T22:43:00.000-05:00

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This dude next to me is Jit Hoong aka Jitty Lim. We attended the same high school (La Salle Brickfield's) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia many years ago, although, I'm his senior by 4 years. We met through Facebook and have been actively seeking and communicating with our former class/school mates.
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Jit lives in Montreal, Canada and on my recent trip there, I decided to meet up with him. We had some Chinese food in Chinatown and caught up on some old school stories. The meeting was very pleasant and we felt like we've always known each other. Who knew that I would meet up with an old school mate half-way around the world and only 1.5 hours from home!

Montreal Visit - December 2, 2007

2007-12-17T22:30:00.000-05:00

A view of Downtown Montreal from the 13th floor of the Marriott Chateau Champlain.

My family and I made a quick visit to Montreal on 12/2/07 and we stayed at the Marriott Chateau Champlain in downtown Montreal. My wife had a get together with her siblings and parents, and my kids got together with their cousins. I hung out with my friend Andy who lives in Montreal. We had dinner in Chinatown and then finished the night at the Peel Pub. We hung out till 1:00AM as we enjoyed our drinks, the pub scene, but more so because we didn't want to walk back to the hotel as it was freaking cold! It was too short for a taxi ride but long enough for a cold walk.

** Pictures taken with LG enV cellphone.

UVM - A View to The West

2007-12-17T22:23:00.000-05:00

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I took this shot during our Monday Staff Meeting from Room 300 at the HSRF building in UVM. The building to the right is the Rowell building which houses the Nursing School. The pointy structure way way off is the UVM clock tower which is one of the landmarks for UVM. By the way, we are facing West towards Lake Champlain.

** Pictures taken with LG enV cellphone.

Snow White - December 2007

2007-12-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

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We are going to have a white Christmas after all! We had big snowstorm on Sunday 12/16/07 which started around midnight and continued till early Monday morning. It stopped snowing for at least a couple of hours, which gave us an opportunity to snowblow and clear the first batch of snow. My kids had a great time sliding on their crazy carpets while my wife and I cleaned up. We got a lot of snow!
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** Pictures taken with LG enV cellphone.

X'mas Tree 2007

2007-12-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

This is our X'mas tree of 2007. My kids decorated it this year, and as you can see, it's covered with tinsel!
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** Picture taken with LG enV cellphone.

Four Days Unshaven

2007-11-22T00:09:00.000-05:00

Four Days Unshaven!
I tend not to shave on weekends, holidays, or vacations. You know, the face needs a break too!

Vinie & Dale's Wedding in Black & White

2007-11-09T20:05:00.000-05:00

Vinie and Dale's wedding as seen in black & white.

Vinie and Dale's Wedding

2007-11-04T17:13:00.000-05:00

My younger sister, Vinie got married to her long time significant other, Dale McCarthy in Everton, Ontario on October 6, 2007. Dale is a chef and runs his own cooking school / bed-and-breakfast. Check out his website.

Congratulations Vinie and Dale.

Vinie's Bridal Shower

2007-11-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

My younger sister's Bridal Shower held at my Mom's place in Brampton, Ontario on October 5, 2007. Vinie's close friends, Monika and Anita, did all the preparations and organized the wonderful party. There were games, food, mehndi, presents, and good laughs. We all had a great time.

Special Thanks to Monika and Anita for their hard work.

Vinie's Mehndi

2007-11-03T10:24:00.000-04:00

This is mehndi or what is commonly known as henna.

The body art of mehndi is generally done traditionally on the bride-to-be as a form of beautification and to signify marriage. These days it's used as a fashion statement.

My younger sister, Vinie, got married on October 6, 2007 and her mehndi was done the day before as you see in these pictures. The mehndi artist was very talented, fast, and creative. By the way, the mehndi art work is not cheap. The prices are usually a few hundred dollars but could go above the thousand dollar range depending on the artist and artwork desired. Oh ya, once the mehndi is applied, you have to keep it on for a few hours with frequent dabs of lemon juice to help it set and to enhance the strength of the color. Then, it fades away in a few weeks!

Kids in Foliage

2007-10-27T20:47:00.000-04:00

My kids amidst the Vermont foliage. The weather has been amazing for October, good enough for shorts and T-shirts. Last weekend, we decided to take a walk in the woods behind my house. We checked out the foliage together, played with some fallen leaves, and took some pictures. I love spending time with my kids.

Diane's Surprise Party

2007-10-27T20:43:00.000-04:00

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Diane's husband, Bob, organized a surprise birthday party for her 50th birthday on October 20, 2007. The party was held at Zachary's Pizza in Colchester, and there was a good turnout of family and friends. Diane was truly surprised!

Happy 50th Birthday, Diane!

Hannah's Ear Piercings

2007-10-13T21:28:00.000-04:00

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Today, Hannah decided that she wanted to get her ears pierced and she was ready for it. We double and triple checked with her to make sure that she absolutely wanted to have it done. We even told her that she could walk away if she was afraid as she sat on the stool waiting for the procedure. She still insisted that it was a GO! Hannah did amazingly well. She asked to see the piercing apparatus and asked the lady a few good questions before the procedure was conducted. She did not flinch or cry at all. I'm so proud of my little girl.

Way to go, Hannah!

Just a Scrape

2007-10-02T07:16:00.000-04:00

We left the YMCA with kids in both cars and headed for Friendly's in Colchester. Just as we got under the I-89 overpass (Route 7), my wife had a run in with this car. It's a long story but everyone in both cars were unhurt and fine and the damage was minimal.

After the usual call to the Police and statements from both parties, the birthday party resumed at Friendly's.

Hannah's Short Haircut

2007-10-01T20:49:00.000-04:00

Hannah had her haircut a few days ago and she decided that she wanted the same hairstyle as Sabrina. We love it! Now, they both look like twins.

Here's the before shot.

Party On, Hannah!

2007-09-22T20:40:00.000-04:00

Hannah had a little party with a few of her friends to celebrate her birthday. Jen and I picked the kids from their respective homes and drove them to the YMCA for a few hours of swimming. Then, we celebrated the birthday girl with some ice-cream at Friendly's. Hannah was happy and she enjoyed her party. That's all that matters.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Matt & Cronies

2007-09-22T20:27:00.000-04:00

I spent Friday (9/21/07) night with Matt at the beachfront house he rented with his wife and friends on East Lakeshore Dr in Colchester. Campfire on the beach, good chats, laughs, drinks, and fun. And, that's what she wrote. Matt and I found some time to catch up on stuff too. By the way, these folks are ex-med students from the College of Medicine. The party was still lively when I returned home at 1:00AM.

Spunky Annie

2007-09-20T21:03:00.000-04:00

This is Annie, Matt and Bernie's daughter. She's about 13 months old and a real cutie. I gently ventured into her territory and was able to pick her up for a little bit. Easy does it! She didn't cry. So, looks like I've still got that magic touch with babies.

Matt Arrived!

2007-09-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

Matt, my ex-coworker and buddy, arrived from Kansas City today (9/20/07) along with his wife, Bernie, and daughter, Annie for a quick visit to the area. I greeted them at the airport and brought Matt back to our office. The last time we saw him was slightly over two years ago. I stay in touch with him and infact we communicate almost on a daily basis. Everyone in the office was excited to see him and appreciated his visit. He couldn't believe how much has changed since he left, like new buildings, facilities, technologies, etc. He has not changed at all. Like I tell him, he's still a dope!! :-)

Great to see you in person, Bud!

Children of The Corn

2007-09-19T20:41:00.000-04:00

We went to visit the relatives on Labor Day weekend and on our way home, my kids asked if I could take their pictures in the corn field. The lighting would have been better if we had taken the pictures on our way to the relatives but these pics above still turned out okay.

Ribbit Ribbit

2007-09-19T20:18:00.000-04:00

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Frog legs, anyone? They do taste like chicken! I know, I've had them, including many other critters!
Found this guy by the house next to the rain gutter. It was so well camoflaged that I didn't even see it. Almost stepped on it but Hannah was quick to point out.

Praying Mantis

2007-09-19T20:15:00.000-04:00

Caught this little bugger on the pool ladder recently. Hannah wanted to swim but she wouldn't get in. I heard her crying, so I went to check, and found this dude! It was pretty big and it stayed there long enough for a few shots.

Info on Praying Mantis on Wikipedia.

Lights at CVFair 2007

2007-09-08T19:37:00.000-04:00

Tried some camera techniques at the Champlain Valley Fair Expo and I like the results. These were all done by hand-held as I didn't have my tripod with me. I mention this because it's quite difficult to capture shots like these without a tripod as any small movement would distort the picture. My wife and kids attended a concert at the Fair which included some stars from the hit teenage movie, "High School Musical." I decided to walk around and capture some shots.

Pictures were taken on 8/27/07.

The Group Shot

2007-09-04T21:10:00.000-04:00

My mother-in-law decided that it was a good time to get a group picture, since we usually don't get a chance to get together at one place. Although, I had my camera, I wasn't fully prepared as I didn't bring my tripod and camera remote control. So, I set the camera on a wicker basket on the dining table, supported the lens with a book, set the timer and ran back to my spot in the group, and voila, I got the shot!

This picture was taken on September 3, 2007.

Hanging Out at Memere's

2007-09-03T20:38:00.000-04:00

It has been such a long time since we were all in one place together. These picture's were taken at Memere's place (Jen's grandmother). It was time to catch up on stories and history.

The Fight

2007-09-03T19:36:00.000-04:00

My brother-in-law, Joe, decided to pick a water fight with the kids. Guess what, he lost badly! He was soaked to the bone! We had the relatives over during Labor Day weekend and Joe paid a visit from Chicago. I don't get to see Joe too often, so it was nice to spend some time with him. We actually went to the movies to see "Ball of Fury." It's a comedy based on ping-pong. It was okay but not all that funny.

Back To School '07

2007-08-31T19:12:00.000-04:00

My kids are now back in school after a nice summer break. They started school on August 29, 2007. Hannah started 1st Grade and Sabrina is in 4th. I took both of them to school on their first day as they had quite a bit of school supplies to bring and I also wanted to make sure that Hannah settled in fine. I really enjoy taking my kids to school on their first day. Most of these pictures were taken in school but some were taken just before we left the house in the morning.

Pho Dang Vietnamese Cafe

2007-08-31T19:11:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Burlington VT area. If you like Vietnamese food, this is the place to come. It's located in Winooski VT, off Route 7, not too far from the Champlain Mill area. They have great noodles, soup, and rice dishes. But, I've got to warn you, the inside of the restaurant is nothing great to look at and it's pretty small. Food is good and the prices are cheap.

Black Eyes!

2007-08-26T10:15:00.000-04:00

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Captured some Black Eyed Susans at UVM.

These are located right in the corner across from the Given and Rowell buildings. I was in a bit of a hurry but would have loved to take the time to capture more in depth macro shots of the flowers as well as the insects on them. Unfortunately, the flowers are not at their peak now and have lost their oomph!!

Locks of Love

2007-08-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

BEFORE

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AFTER

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Sabrina hasn't had a haircut for quite some time. She has been growing her hair so she could donate to Locks of Love. It's an organization which receives donated hair and they turn them into wigs for children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments. We are very proud of Sabrina for choosing to do this. On the flip side, it was a pain to manage her long thick hair. My wife and I couldn't wait until the minimum length requirement of 10 inches was met. She made it! Sabrina got her cute haircut today (8/25/07). It looks so much nicer on her.
Good job, Sabrina.

Happy Birthday Jenny

2007-08-21T22:51:00.000-04:00

This is one of the larger presents my kids and I gave to my wife for her birthday. She's been wanting some nice matching cookware for quite some time and even insisted that we give her that for her birthday. I spent over an hour at the store trying to figure out which one to get. There were so many brands, sizes, sets, colors, and types. I had to make sure that she would be happy with the color and sizes of the cookware. They also had to work well with our kitchen. Thankfully, my wife love it and that's all that matters.

The kids showered her with homemade cards. I dropped off a card, some flowers and a cake at her work first thing in the morning. We took her out to Chili's to celebrate her birthday. The kids were really excited. We all had a nice time together.

Happy Birthday, Darling!

Painted Hannah

2007-08-20T19:49:00.000-04:00

Hannah had her face painted at the local library while she was on a daycare outing trip. My wife took this picture as Hannah insisted that she wanted to make sure her Daddy saw it too. Her painted face had been washed off during her bath before I got home. Thanks to digital technology, the memories were captured for Daddy to enjoy.

Vermont Hay

2007-08-20T18:34:00.000-04:00

These pictures were taken next to horse farm near my place. It always fascinates me to see the shape of round hay bales. They seem to beautify the landscape with their color and the way they lay in interesting patterns in the pasture.

The Gallery Overhauled

2007-08-20T18:07:00.000-04:00

The HSRF (Health Science Research Facility) Gallery at UVM College of Medicine was recently repainted to give it a modern look. It also has some comfy sofa chairs and cafe style high tables and chairs.

Water Tower Overhaul

2007-08-20T17:51:00.000-04:00

The UVM Water Tower recently went through an overhaul. It was drained for a couple of weeks, covered with tarp, sandblasted, and received a new coat of paint. When I get the chance, I'll post a picture of the water tower without the covering and looking brand spanking new.

Special Agent Branch

2007-08-14T21:38:00.000-04:00

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Our good friend, David (center), moved to Baltimore, Maryland this month to start a new job in computer security with the top level government organization. Lets just say that one needs to have the most in-depth background check done and the highest level of security clearance to work at this place. It's really a job to die for and David deserves this awesome opportunity. He's a great person and he'll do very well.
Congratulations and best wishes to you, David!

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We met David for lunch on 8/9/07 at the UMall. He drove a few hours later to Baltimore to start his new life there. It was nice to catch up on some old funny stories and David filled us in on his move to Baltimore as well.

Sepaq Camping 2007

2007-08-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

The chalet and wood shed.
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Family meals, breakfast and dinners.
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Hanging out. Travis stuffed dinner napkins in his ears pretending that he didn't want to hear our conversations. Silly man!
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The lake! This lake is called Lac Des Iles (Lake Islands) because it has many little islands on it. Some are just huge rocks protruding from the water.
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The cousins having fun and enjoying their time together.
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The evening campfires. We had one every evening. We all would sit around the fire and talk and just relax. The nights were a little cool, so it was nice to warm up by the fire. It kept the mosquitos away too.
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Everyone read all the time. Some would even read with lanterns when it got dark.

Relaxation time.

We vacationed at the end of July at a provincial park in Quebec, Canada. This year, we chose Parc Frontenac (South Section) and stayed at a chalet off Lac Des Iles (Lake Islands). The entrance to the park is close to a little town called Disraeli (about 15 miles) and then another 6 miles to the chalet on dirt road.

The whole family together. Everyone wanted a group picture, so, I setup my tripod, and used a remote control to activate the camera. This was taken on the morning of the last day of our stay at the park.

Anthony's Moving Day

2007-07-29T21:48:00.000-04:00

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My co-worker, Anthony, packed up and moved with his family to his hometown in Massachusettes on Saturday 7/28/07. His parents offered to sell them their house for a nice low price and therefore, he could not pass off on the offer and the opportunity to be close to family. Anthony will continue to work at UVM but he will do so remotely. He will stop in at work from time to time for meetings and other matters. Anthony, Mark, and I often have lunches together and occasionally, Anthony and I do things together on weekends. We will miss him. Mark and I went to Anthony's place in Georgia on Saturday morning to give him a hand with loading the truck.

It's a Balloon!!

2007-07-28T22:35:00.000-04:00

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We were having dinner on the deck a few days ago when we heard some loud noises coming from behind the trees in our backyard. We realized a few moments later that the sounds were coming from the burner of a hot-air balloon. I sent the kids to investigate and they came back shouting, "Daddy, Daddy, it's a balloon. Come quick!" I quickly grabbed my camera and dashed with my kids to see the balloon. It landed on my neighbor's property. It was good excitement. It's not often you see a balloon land around your house.

COMIS Picnic 2007

2007-07-28T21:17:00.000-04:00

We had a work picnic on Friday 7/27/07 at my co-worker, Heidi's house. She was kind and generous to host the picnic at her house for the second time. Everyone brought a dish or two which gave us a variety of food to enjoy. We didn't have as many people as we had last year but the picnic was still nice and enjoyable.

St. Hubert Sauces

2007-07-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

We received our stock of St. Hubert's BBQ and Poutine sauces compliments of Becky and family. These sauces are only available in Canada, so it's quite a treat to get them. Poutine is a Quebec favorite meal consisting of fries, curd cheese, and poutine sauce. Yummy! St. Hubert's sauces are the best! They have St. Hubert restaurants in Canada specializing in rotisserie chicken.

Fake Nails

2007-07-22T11:17:00.000-04:00

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Here's Rachel tacking on some fake nails. I watched her do it as it was quite an interesting process.