The Curtis Clan - Winter 2022
Winter Solstice to Spring Equinox
2021-2022 Holiday Break
The Curtis Family picture waited until Jane got back from her first semester at college as the periods of time when we all are together have become infrequent.
Winter began with the 22nd Anniversary of Randy and Bethany first date (though the Winter Solstice came a day earlier this year). We marked the occasion with a movie and dinner at Canyon Cafe. The next night we put ornaments on the tree we had up for couple weeks, having waited until Jane got home (she did ask us to procrastinate).
| Curti Christmas Card Pic |
and a less serious version |
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Topping out the tree
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Festivus - Before or After the Airing of Grievances?
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A crazy warm and sunny Christmas Eve provided the setting for a terrific 3 1/4 hour float on the Meramec River between Onondaga State Park and the Blue Springs boat launch with Jane and her "Uncle" Charlie. Sure, we do it roughly once a year but the boat launch's convenience to I-44 is hard to beat. The wonderful bluffs along the river are always a treat and the car shuttling route has the quintessential name for a gravel road in Missouri: Possum Hollow.
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"Uncle" Charlie and Jane
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Sagemas FFF (Forced Family Fun) - Day 1
The best Sage Christmas Eve gathering ever? Lots of laughter and fun as the A Sages hosted in their condo for the first time.
| Erin, Bethany and Jane anchored the fun end of the table |
Cate at the white hair end of the table |
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Singing Carols on sheets older than half of those present (NOTE: Cate's new seat)
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The quickest getting ready for Santa evening ever which was nice,
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With the dogs ready to hang stockings
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| Christmas Moring at the top of the staircase |
With the dogs after opening stockings |
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Meanwhile, Randy's Dad Ron celebrated at Cyprss Ridge
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Sagemas FFF Day 2
The Curti hosed the Sagemas gift exchange and mass gathering on Sunday the 26th. For the seventh year in a row, the Sage Siblings and their offspring produced a 12 Days of Sage Christmas with each of the Baker's Dozen of grandkids each taking a "day". The videos came be found here:
13 Days of Sagemas - 2021 Edition
13 Days of Sagemas - 2020 Edition
13 Days of Sagemas - 2019 Edition
13 Days of Sagemas - 2018 Edition
13 Days of Sagemas - 2017 Edition
13 Days of Sagemas - 2016 Edition
13 Days of Sagemas - 2015 Edition
In a similar vein,
Mele Kalikimaka by sung by Jane and Cate Curtis - 2012 Edition
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Gathering in the kitchen
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Partial group shot in the Foyer
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Cousins in the dinning room along with Amy and Rosemary
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On Monday, Day 3 of Sagemas, we had a fun rob you neighbor game as always with the St. Peter Sages, staying late and talking with the SP Sage kids, Katie (staying overnight with us), and the girls about religion and politics afterwards. The kids are alright.
Tuesday was the last day of Sagemas (4 days this year)was marked most of the gang attending nephew Joe's hockey game and a post skating pizza & hot chocolate gathering at Rosemary's before the Indy Sages left returned home.
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Let's Go Blues!
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| Sage Cousins gather for Joe's hockey game |
The Sage family cheer section |
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In hindsight, Sagemas 2021 will be remembered at the Sage Super Spreader Selebration or A Very COVID Christmas. It even affected those who didn't attend to avoid such a happening (i.e., the Chicago Sages who attended the Slack Super Spreader Selebration). COVID hit 5 of the 8 families and a quarter of the attendees (7 of 30 people). The variant flavor was assumably was Omicron which shook the whole country over the holidays. As from the lighthearted, tone of stating this, the affected family members all had mild cases, thanks to being vaccinated.
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US COIVD Cases on 22 December It would shoot past the other peaks after the holidays
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At lunch, Thursday, December 30, came the news of the first 3 family members testing positive for COVID. The Curti leapt into action, standing in line for over 3 hours for the walk up COVID testing at the Grand Center outside Jazz St. Louis & KDHX. Fortunately, it was a warmish winter day as computer and staffing issues delayed everything and resulted in us get the more accurate, but slower PCR tests. At home, Cate and Randy took the at home rapid tests that we got in the St. Peter's Sage Rob Your Neighbor Present exchange (Event #3 of SSSS) and both of us tested negative giving us some comfort that the Curti were going to be fine.
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COVID Queue in Grand Center
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We got our PCR results on New Year's Day via email: Randy - negative; Jane - negative; Cate - negative. Did we even need to bother looking at Bethany's? As it turns out, yes. She had only nominal symptoms, but the rest of us figured we were doomed as well but began another week of self-isolating to give it our best. The main concern was getting Jane back to Worcester the following weekend. So, the irony of Winter Holiday Break was a week of us all together at 602 Tuxedo while in Isolation from one another.
| US Covid rates 17 Jan |
MO Covid rates |
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During the week of isolation, national news included news of the tidal wave of COVID Omicron cases that was dramatically affecting holiday air traffic as thousands of flights were being canceled because crews and staffers were out sick across all the airlines. The concern for getting Jane back to school morphed from whether she'd be healthy to if the flight would occur. We love road trips but we were very grateful that the Southwest crew was all healthy today and we (Randy) wasn't driving to Boston with Jane to get her back to school. We'll miss her but the last minute, essentially 2500-mile parental Uber ride in January, was not missed.
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After the COVID isolaton huddling for warmth
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January 2022
On Friday, 14 January, we signed a contract to sell 1219 Kenyon Court As Is for $175,000 to a local rehabber Ted Coyle who has bought and flipped several houses on the street including the Knolls, Poretti's, and two more. Minor lingering thoughts of rehabbing it myself were supplanted by the lack of desire and time; price and availability of contractors to do the parts I shouldn't/don't want to and the uncertainties of the interest rates and fears of a housing bubble. Time to let it go. There were tears of melancholy relief and sadness at the signing the contract at the WG BreadCo.
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The 3 weeks until to closing provided a time frame to sell the 1995 Sidekick that had been sitting in the driveway for 2 ½ years giving an appearance that someone was living there after Bethany's folks moved into their condo. The Sidekick started right up after being jumped started, however the brake line that broke when driving it over rendered the brakes essentially useless. I got up the following Sunday before dawn and drove it to Tuxedo before there were many people on the road given, I was down shifting to slow down and stop (emergency brakes worked somewhat). Didn't feel confident taking it through the car wash, so I hand washed the car before taking pictures to sell it. I posted the following on Craig's list
1995 Suzuki Sidekick JLX 4-seater, 4WD manual. 122,000 miles, $1500
Drove daily and ran fine before being parked in 2019 (brake line repair a few months prior failed? but I didn't take it back to the shop to confirm what specific issue is). The body is fair shape as is the firefly green paint job applied in 2012 Thule Roof Rack. Single owner. 314-435-7187 any time from 8 am to 9 pm Central Time.
Cash Only
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26 1/2 Year old Suzuki Sidekick
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I had immediate interest with multiple offers for the full asking amount despite a dead battery that resulted from the glitch associated with the security system that I never used that couldn't readily be turned off and shrieked alarms until the battery ran down (the uncontrolled shrieking alarm happened once before on a first date circa 1998 but just starting the car stopped it then but not this time). Googling it identified that mine wasn't a unique issue but a common one without a simple resolution. Another reason to get rid of it. I sold the Sidekick the next morning to the first person who showed up
Mx. Webster Pageant
Since at least 2011, the WGHS Marketing II / DECA club has had a fundraiser where 12 Seniors compete for the title of Mr. Webster. It is a very much a tongue in-cheek exercise that requires more a sense of humor than good looks to win. While inspired by Fire Department beefcake pin up calendars that had become popular in the early 21st century, over the years the calendar aspect faded away as public high schools aren't prone to allow photos risqué enough to sell calendars. Replacing it in importance (i.e., $ raised) was the evening of entertainment pageant that relies on YouTube shorts of a campy nature that the students produced with their friends, along with display of talent, a Q& A portion and a cheesy group dance numbers a la 1970s variety shows. The main faculty liaison was no longer the marketing teacher but rather the Drama teacher, who is one of Cate's favorites as she eats lunch outside the Drama department daily (COVID social distancing has encouraged pods of kids to disperse through the school).
COVID protocols canceled the Mr. Webster pageant last year like many other traditions at the school. The Miss Webster pageant that the City sponsored as part of the 4th of July Community Days for decades was also canceled last year, although it struggled for relevancy in recent years and with only 2 candidates in 2019, the City pulled the plug before COVID had the chance too. So, when WGHS decided to bring Mr. Webster back in 2021/2022, it became gender neutral: Mx. Webster Pageant (though to be honest it was more about overall inclusion than trying to provide an outlet for disappointed Miss Webster hopefuls). After some consideration, Cate decided to participate based on a desire to do more theatre (the fall play got canceled), show off her creative sense of humor and being a little bored (her ice cream scooping gig being on hiatus with a move to a new facility).
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Cate as Shaggy with Scooby Doo
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COVID played heck with the actual scope of the content with the drama department over seeing shooting and producing of the shorts. The theme for the event was early 2000s movies and Cate choose the live action Scooby Doo pics for her parody though most of her original storyline and content got axed. This might have had something to do with the semi-transparent mocking of the Principal as the villain Her talent / skill was fencing. After much consideration it was a live YouTube channel on Friday, January 28, at 7:30 pm) with open voting for the best:
Mx. Webster Pageant 2022.
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Cate is the best (at least in the script)
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The sound quality was horrible pretty much throughout so you won't be the only one that can't always understand what anyone is saying. If you want to skip to just the Cate parts, at the 5-minutes her fencing segment starts; at 35 minutes is the Scooby Doo segment; at about 39.5 minutes she answers the question of What would you make socially acceptable if you could? Leg hair on women. At 43 minutes, the whole gang dances together with our hero front and center. She definitely captured the female that resents shaving their legs demographic vote but it wasn't enough for her to pull off the overall win. She had a good time and we thing her parody was the best.
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Mx Webster group pic costume
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Jane and roommate Ella enjoy the snow
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At the end of January, we had Saturday lunch at the Blue Duck with Kent and Greg. Massive Bloody Mary in a stadium cup for $10, Veggie Eggs Benedict and good friends were all a treat.
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Blue Duck Brunch
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February
On Groundhog Day, WGSD canceled school for a snow day but it wasn't much of a snow, at least at first. The second day actually met expectations and it was the biggest snow in 5-10 years with nearly a foot in place. It was a telework days for the paid work force but it was nice that Cate was around to help dig out our cars and the retirees across the street.
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| First big Snow of 2022 at 602 Tuxedo |
Gussie frolicing in the snow |
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We hunkered down for the duration venturing out on Saturday for Ice Cream for Breakfast. The Parkmore restaurant volunteered their space for displaced Serendipity to continue the tradition with Cate being one of scoopers asked back. RnB waited in line outside in 5-degree weather but it was no big deal with the long underwear and good socks to supplement our pajamas.
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Cate scooping for Ice Cream for Breakfast
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| Bethany enjoys her sundae on a waffle |
Flashback to one of our first ICFB |
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On Tuesday, 8 February we sold my mom's house / childhood home. Feelings of melancholy, relief, & fortune mixed with so many nostalgic memories of nearly six decades. We went out for dinner at one of my mom's favorite restaurants: Bartolino's (the sole modega was fabulous).
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Last hour of ownership of 1219 Kenyon
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Bartolinos Celebration Dinner
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A few days later Ron had his 87 birthday at the Cypress Ridge SKNF in Monterey and celebrated Valentine's Day by passing candy out to the staff and residences (the elf hat was a bit off but when you can't do your own shopping you can be too choosy).
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Ron as the Valentine elf
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Nothing funny about this as it came true 2 weeks later
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Tuesday, 2/22/22 TWOS DAY – a quirk of the calendar that had us wanting to make a bigger deal of it besides having two Margaritas after work but wearing or making special apparel to mark the occasion while teleworking didn't seem worth the effort.
| Twosday explanation |
Not creative but we thought about it |
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WPI Term C
Jane became very involved with Engineer's Without Borders (EWB) volunteering to be the semi-thankless events coordinator. She loved being involved and depended on for organizing things. She began going to parties, staying up too late on the weekend, on occasion drinking in general enjoying the extras of college. She would end up with straight As. While pleased with her Intro to Civil Engineering class `
| EWB delivering churros |
Gompei loves EWB churros |
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HEHEGJ Team Trivia Stayed strong
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Between C and D terms, Jane and her pals made a day trip to NYC as they had tickets to a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers (no pictures in studio). Jane was tickled during the audience interaction that she got to ask a question that made Seth laugh and note as being clever and different: “What's your favorite shape?” His response of “Thunderbolt” shows why he's on tv and you're not.
| 2/3s of HEHEGJ in Times Square |
Outside NBC Studios at 30 Rock |
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The family favorite past time at night during COVID continued to be Netflix/PBS/Amazon Prime with the winter season see us loving the BBC series Scott and Bailey, with subtitles of course.
March
We started our COVID isolation on the 2nd Saturday in March in 2020 after celebrating our neighbor Britt's Birthday at Maggiano's. By the same milestone in 2022, it appeared to by mostly over in most aspects for the vaccinated. The mask mandates had faded at Randy's federal building although, optional telework was still OK for another few weeks. We were reticent to claim victory with so many false wins in the last year and lingering concern that this was merely a lull before the next wave. Even so we enjoyed dinner out with the Kennedy's at King Doh for Britt's 61st Birthday.
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Doesn't really go with the text but a good picture of Pepper
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For St. Patrick's Day we made Irish Coffee afterwork drinks on the balcony as the sun set. We heard that Fuzzy Tacos reopened and a green lime drinks with tequila seemed like a fine idea but they didn't get their liquor license back yet so the Irish coffees were it.
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Irish coffee at the END of the day (Note: Sunset doubters)
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Cate hugs the shaggy dogs before their haircuts
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Next up comes Spring 2022, the Season of Cate
