The Curtis Clan - Spring 2017
Spring Equinox to Summer Solstice
Spring Break - Part 2
Spring 2017 began with four nights at the Hilton Sandestin Hotel at Miramar Beach, Florida courtesy of family friends who own a portion of the development and booked us at the reduced owner rate. We had stayed at the same hotel 10 years earlier under a similar arrangement and had a wonderful time again this year.
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After a long drive, Bethany enjoys a refeshing beverage
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Once again we were treated to a lovely room with a king sized bed, couch, fridge, microwave and the separate bunk bed alcove with a 2nd TV that delighted the girls so much on our first visit. This time both girls remarked on how much bigger they remembered it being before (at least Hannah Montana was no longer a fixture on the Disney Channel).
| Curti posing at sunset |
Curti at Hilton Sandestin |
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Sisters head out for a morning of bobbing
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The Hilton Sandestin is a very family friendly resort with beautiful beaches immediately adjacent to the swimming pool courtyard. The lack of college age spring breakers was also a definite plus (perhaps a function of the juvenile centric bunk bed rooms). Our family’s favorite beach location hands down.
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Jane, Cate and Randy on the beach
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We spent the days with a leisurely rolling out of bed and continental breakfast, followed by a few hours at the beach, having brought our own beach umbrellas, bamboo mats and chair to enjoy. Reading and bouncing in the waves with our tubes were the main activities but we did try getting a kite airborne too. Lunch was in the room with a variety of snacks and sandwiches.
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And another Curti at Sandestion sunset pic
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We tried to make it a point to enjoying the sunset on the beach and go to dinner afterwards. We enjoyed excellent food at Don Pedro’s at Santa Rosa beach (stay away from the “Margarita” syrup with wine - Byuk! They did warn us.). At the Waffle House in Destin the two person crew was very friendly and welcoming as we were the 5th customers in 4 hours. They also gave us free waffle coupons upon overhearing Randy Pi Kapp Waffle House weaseling story (When the marketing guy came to the door with free waffle coupons, he exaggerated the number of people by 50 people and was the go to guy at 2 am when the munchies hit for a couple years). Our favorite outing though was the Destin Mellow Mushroom with Randy deciding the White Rabbit Pizza (olive oil and garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, spinach, mozzarella and feta cheese) was perhaps the best pizza he’s ever had (and it’s only available at the Destin location).
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Randy and Jane with a kite more fun to look at than fly
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Mellow Mushroom again? Yes, please!
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After a few days of beaching, Randy and Cate got restless and decided to make the afternoon trip from Destin to USAF Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base (Cate was REALLy bored before agreeing to go). She was mostly indifferent during our 1 ½ hour visit of looking at various guns, rockets, guided bombs and the like. She completely perked up when she noticed the belly turret in the B-17 Flying Fortress out front was similar to the one on the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: A New Hope. They didn’t have a B-29 with the nose turret that is more directly the inspiration but maybe that’s how we’ll get her convinced to go to the Wright-Patterson museum next time we’re in Ohio.
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Cate posing with at B17 belly turrett
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As we left, it was worth noting that everyone took their own gear in one trip to the car, something that has been occurring for a few years now but such a clear contrast from 10 years earlier when we had SO much additional gear (stroller, etc), all carried by the parents, and we felt like the Beverly Hillbillies moving in and out of the hotels using an overflowing bellboy carts.
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Goodbye Sandestin
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Like most vacations, the journey back was a mostly uneventful trip of miles on the car with an urge to be back home.
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Getting our second batch of boiled peanuts at the special Yankee price of $5, on the 2 lane before leaving Florida (and a pickled egg too)
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Cate Becomes a Teenager
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Cate at 13
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The week after our return Cate turned 13. We celebrated her B-Day by having Pizza World deliver for the family gathering including the 2 foot diameter Big World.
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Cate eyes the Big World on her big day
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Pepper sharing Gussie's bed... whether Gussie wants to or not
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Outdoor Adventure Course
Over the March-April weekend, Randy joined Jane and Girl Scout Troop 1000’s trip to Outdoor Adventure Course at Camp Tuckahoe. They arrived at 7 pm Friday night and off loading their gear to the permanent canvas tents, jumped straight into playing trust games team building exercises to the wee hours of the evening (11 pm). Saturday was similarly packed with an early start and late night of personal and team building challenges.
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Troop 1000
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On the high ropes course, Jane beat the Masthead rope climb challenge after struggling at the top for 15 minutes but not quitting until she got past it and the wire crossing.
| Jane atop rope mast |
Walking the cable bridge |
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This was also the day that Randy realized that there is a day coming that he doesn’t have to set the “brave” example for the kids by doing everything and that he can skip out on doing the zip line if he wants to.
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Randy of the Missouri Jungle
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On Sunday, the group appreciated the usefulness of a full propane tank by running out of fuel. It’s kind of a “gift” to realize you are not grateful enough for not having to boil hot water by fire to make coffee, oatmeal or do dishes (You don’t know what you got till it’s gone). The weekend also provided an infrequent time of mental relaxation after being cut off from the daily buzz of the 24/7 news cycle continuous reports of the Presidential missteps and antics.
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Troop 1000 at Tuckahoe Outdoor Adventure Campp
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That Sunday night, Randy and the girls went to the Rep to see the rocking’ “Million Dollar Quartet” celebration of Sun Studios and the day Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis all ended up jamming for a couple hours. More fun than meaningful theatre except it did provide a rollicking good introduction to the music for the girls.
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Million $ Duo
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The next Saturday Bethany and Randy attend an 80’s themed trivia night for the WGCS dressing up as Wayne and Garth.
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Party On!
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That Sunday we had a Townie Sage Sunday Brunch at Amy and Alvan’s.
| Townie Brunch cousins |
April 2017 Sage Townie Brunch |
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The next weekend we hosted a similar event at the Curtis house for Easter and Amy’s Birthday. With the kids in their Easter best, we made use of our neighbor’s blooming pink dogwood as a backdrop for taking pictures of the offspring to good effect.
| Gramy's Bday with Townie grandkids |
Cousins at Easter |
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Jane and Cate at Easter
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For Earth Day 2017, Bethany got us all some Lorax inspired “Unless” t-shirts for the March for Science. However, our marching was limited to the house as Cate’s allergies severely limit her time outside during oak pollination season. We also made it a point to watch the American Experience episode on Rachel Carson and Silent Spring with the family. Convincing the girls to put down their screens for the first 15 minutes took the all too usual nagging but we didn’t have to coerce them further once it got going.
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Unless
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Curti all gussied up for Nephew Henry’s First Communion
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On Star Wars Day (May 4), Cate represented Hixson Middle School at the 11th annual Book Battle. Book Battle is an Area-Wide Middle School, trivia-night styled event in which teams of students answer questions based on a pre-designated list of 20 books they have read. BB was one Cate’s two after school activities for the year and she took to it very enthusiastically and seriously, being the first at Hixson to complete all the books in March and then started right in reading some again. She didn’t have time to reread all 20 books again (along with all the other books she consumed ravenously). Some were favorites, but in at least one case, she choose her least favorite book, as it was the one she blew more questions on that any other in the qualifying round. With such an attitude and determination to do well and beat the other schools we weren’t too surprised when she made one of the four slots to represent Hixson in the school qualifiers two months earlier. So how did they do? Hixson placed 5th out of 36 teams, beating the 15th and 31st placed Kirkwood teams, which were also beat by the 11th placed Steger 6th Grade Center too (Go Statesmen!). Suspiciously, host Pattonville got 1st.
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Book Battle 2016-2017 List
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A Good Day to Dye
By early May Cate’s repeated requests to dye her hair again wore down at least one parent’s hopeful desire that by delaying long enough her infatuation would wither away. By alas it did not die, so we dyed. This time we decided to try it at home (Splat Purple Desire) on the driveway to limit the mess. The results were decidedly imperfect even with a follow-up second reapplication the next day (despite really trying to do a good job). Jane and a friend also (tie) dyed some t-shirts for her Hogwarts crew for the upcoming school field day.
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Bleached (yikes!) |
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| After Round 1, mostly purple (and less than pleased with the results) |
Day later after Dying Round 2 at Six Flags American Thunder |
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Hawaii
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Kamanamana Goat
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In Mid-May, Randy traveled to Hawaii for work and once again Bethany was unable to join him (next time for sure). His first nights stays were at the Marriott Waikiki which offered pleasant views and an evening walk through the charming neighborhoods south of Diamond Head but mostly it was long days of meetings and some research.
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Who put this damn hill in front of my sunrise?
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Staying over the weekend on Maui, Randy visited various WWII era training locations for the 4th Marine Division and Army though it was a Busman’s Holiday as the difference between work and personal related exploring was difficult to distinguish. To the casual observer, assessing the makai side of Marine Training Area 9 looked pretty much like a joy ride along the scenic destination highway: Road to Hana.
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Pulled off on the Road to Hana with one of the many 1 lane road hairpin turns
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Looking at the location of the Army Anti-Aircraft gun emplacements could be seen as a tourist visit to Hookipa Beach Park.
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Waves pounding the lava arch at Hookipa Beach
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What might appear to be a stroll along the beach at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge or Kanaha Beach Park, was actually an examination of the small arms ranges associated with the Maalea Emergency Landing Field and Naval Air Station (NAS) Kahaloui.
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Chica Chica Boomb Boom Don't walk under the coconut trees
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Even sunset gazing toward Kahoolawe from the Wailea Residence Inn balcony, Randy was filled with questions about the explosive munitions potential of the former Fortified Area that the hotel was built on and the ~45 square mile island which served as a bombing and gunnery target between 1941 and 1990. (To be honest these lines are more sincere than tongue-in-cheek).
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Maui Sunset over Kahoolawe
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Less pleasant was the 7 mile hike from La Perouse Bay (aka Keoneoio Bay) to Kamanamana Point to determine if the Seabees/Fifth Amphibious Corps (VAC) actually constructed a bombing target on the 45 acres acquired from the Ulupalakua Ranch a few months before the end of the war. While this might be a “leisure” activity for some, it was too strenuous to be called a pleasure. Most of the hike crossed the rugged aa clinker fields of the Papaka Kai ahupuaa along the ancient roadway that formally circumnavigated all of Maui and was called the King's Highway or Hoapili trail. Although easier than crossing the unimproved aa lava, clinker fields, the “highway” is not smooth and even with boots, it is uncomfortable and arduous to hike across (trying to do it in bare feet would result in an Emergency Room visit after only a couple steps). The result of this endeavor, there’s no evidence the target was constructed or used.
| The deceptively named King's "highway" |
At the Hoapili Trailhead |
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A was a good trip but it was very nice to return home and see the other half of the alphabet again: B C D F G J Q R S T V X Y Z
Meanwhile back at the Curtis Dude Ranch, the girls had both their spring Orchestra concert and the Hixsontonics Accapella concert. From the play Hamilton, they rapped My Shot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1neYdZMaQ0 and Journey’s 'Don't Stop Believing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76NEZl7SYyg. The posting of the performance on YouTube makes it easier to miss such things (and in this case, the specific song choices.)
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Jane and Cate ready for the Orchestra Concert
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Hixsontonics sing "My Shot"
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Post concert DQ-ing
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Additional end of the year activities included the 7th grade Cardboard Boat Regatta. Cate’s team boat sank within seconds but so did nearly everyone else’s and they had a great time. Cate finished the year second in Mrs. Slaughter’s math classroom’s “Board of Fame”, netting a $75 savings bond for college (…Nothing but the Second Best for us Curtsies).
| KCC Starfighter ready to launch |
KCC Starfighter afloat (albiet briefly) |
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June
Jane graciously joined Randy and Nana for a Jazz concert at Manor Grove with Pat Joyce. She sang Blue Skies and White Christmas and made her grandmother very happy (as both girls do by visiting regularly).
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"...nothing but Blue Skies do I see"
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The first weekend of June, Jane her Girls Scout Troop set up a lemonade stand across the street from the Webster Art and Air show on Saturday and Sunday to raise $ for a gaga pit at Hixson. Cate helped out too. They did pretty well raising several hundred dollars, which was enough money when coupled with a huge charity discount from Kirkwood Lumber.
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Trop 1000's lemonade stand at the Art & Art Show
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The girls got a week off and before starting 5 weeks of Summer School. Jane got an early start on her freshman year by taking gym from 10-1230 am at WGHS with a couple of friends for ½ a credit (she only another ½ credit gym class and health to graduate; a big deal to the non-athletically inclined). The class consisted primarily of walking a couple miles from the high school to a park or Bristol and then doing an activity in between like yoda or badmiton. This was in addition to walking the mile to and from WGHS and having Webster Waves practice from 7-8 am. Also in June, Jane had a couple weeks of gifted writers “camp” in the evenings (6-9 pm) which included meetings with authors and a Shakespeare in the Park field trip (Winter’s Tale). With a one day a week volunteer job at Sign of the Arrow from 1:30 to 5, she had some seriously long days in the mix but held up really well to the challenge (mostly).
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Jane at Gifted Writers Workshop in the Mischiefed Managed t-shirt
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Cate signed up for Summer School from 8 -12 with the anticipation of just doing Cup Cake Wars. It ended up being a broader program in addition to the cooking class and she also got a math game theory session along with a reading/writing course in the mix. Despite the unattended bonus classes, she enjoyed it and her team won Cup Cake Wars with a Disney Castle stage and an individual Disney design for each of their cupcakes.
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Cup Cake War Winner
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Father's Day with 2 copies of the Holy Grail
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#EachofusaCinefileOr molding their world view by the stories we choose to expose them too.
The girls loved seeing La La Land having been prepared for a downer of ending from their mother’s review. The soundtrack and use of the vibrant primary colors so everyone one stood out was particularly appreciated. This spring, the Tivoli theatre had a noir series on Wednesday nights. We had already seen many of them but couldn’t pass up a chance to see the brilliant The Third Man on the big screen and experience it’s haunting, infectious and playful zither score by Anton Karas that gives the dark tail of post-war Vienna tale of a dead old friend, love and black market corruption a satirical lightness to the Human Comedy. Oh and the girls liked it too however, they weren't taken in by the plot twists; no doubt a function of having them watch lots of other Noir films in the last year. That and they both immediately noticed the cat in Anna's apartment during the first scene there. It made me smile.
| Jane and Cate at the Tivoli |
The 3rd Man Smile |
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On Star Wars day, there was another screening of The Force Awakens with the girls who have embraced the fandom and the culture of geeky, nerdism associated with it. Latter we took in Penny Marshall’s two directorial triumphs with Tom Hanks: “Big” and “A League of the Their Own”. Later that was a Peter Bogdonovich duo of What’s Up Doc? (The best screwball comedy without Cary Grant) and Paper Moon. At the theatre, the family took in the live action Emma Watson version of Beauty and the Beast and a few episodes of the Twilight Zone TV series on the big screen at Webster University.
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At Ronnies Drive-In Cafe in the '57 Chevy booth ...let's all got the the lobby and get ourselves a treat.
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