Random Ramblings Through the Years: 1996 New Jersey-New York/Gadzialas, Oregon

Oregon-Seattle

For some reason, I don't seem to have many pictures of our Oregon-Seattle trip.
Back then I was still using my film camera. I guess I just didn't find many I figured were worth scanning. But here are a couple:

Mom and Dad at Carolyn's annual dinner. Usually she made lasagna for everyone. She does make a great lasagna.

The kids and we went to the coast at least for the day. The kids played in the 55 degree water again.

We took our mini vacation within our vacation to Seattle again. Here we were having lunch or dinner in the Space Needle. This was shortly after Tim had jaw surgery, but he was healing really quickly. I think his jaw was still wired at this point.

There is a road that takes you to a great overview of the city and Mt. Ranier. We got there just before sunset.

New York City

I had such a good time in New Jersey visiting with our Gadziala relatives last year that I asked them if Angie and I could come back for another visit. Of course they said yes and we had another fantastic time. I should have more pictures of the relatives, but I only seem to have these of our day in New York City with Danny and Trish scanned.

This was before the terrorist attack of 9-11-2001 when planes flew into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. They were magnificent buildings! I'll never forget the day when I turned on the tv and saw the towers burning and ultimately collapsing. I had just dropped my car off to have a tire fixed and walked home. This was the first time I can really remember such a horrendous terrorist atatck on US soil. I remember being scared in first grade when there were threats of Cuba attacking us, but I was too young to really know what was going on.

World Trade Center

I was actually surprised when we were at the top of the tower and you could feel it gentling swaying. Guess it shouldn't surprise me, the Arch sways, too.

view from atop the Trade Center

The views were certainly awesome.

Was a bit hazy, though.

Oh yeah, Pete Gadziala went with us, too.

Then we went down 5th street to St. Peters Cathedral. Now terrorism seems to be the norm! On April 18, 2019, just two days after a fire tore through the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, a 37-year-old New Jersey man carrying a pair of full two-gallon cans of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid, and two extended butane lighters was arrested after attempting to enter the Cathedral. The man was initially turned away by a church security officer. As the man exited, some gasoline spilled on the floor. The security officer then notified two police officers outside the cathedral, who caught up to the man and questioned him.

Would be a real shame if something happened to this building, too. Built in the 1850's, St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest decorated Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in North America. It takes up a whole city block-174 feet wide and 332 feet long.

Checking out the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center across from the Cathedral.

up the street to the Empire State building.

We also took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. More impressive views.

Playing around with my Cokin filters.

View of NYC from the ferry.

View of the city from Ellis Island. It really bothers me that so many people now want our borders open for anyone to come in. They say that's how the country was made. But they don't know or care that those who came through Ellis Island and other ports had to meet many requirements---like having a sponsor and jobs, and even a certain amount of money. Now many Americans think we should take in anyone and provide them with free food stamps, housing, health care, ... . Yet we have to fight for what our health insurance covers and provide for ourselves--and the illegal aliens. I even had to fight for my SS benefits when my original "Certificate of Child Born Abroad of US Parents" wasn't accepted as my proof of citizenship by the SS agent in Florissant!

Ken's Grandpa came through Ellis Island and had to save for years to bring his wife and kids over (Ken's mom and 1 uncle were born here, but the other 3 were born in Italy). I'm not sure how my family got to the states. I know my Dad's Grandparents got here somehow---too bad we never got ancestry on that. My mom's family seems to have been here for many generations. It appears they came from Great Britain (Wales or Ireland), but can't find info on when. Jane is quite the geneologist and has gone back a couple more generations then I know about and our relatives were in the Tennessee area then.

It was really eye opening touring the museum on Ellis Island. There was a movie about the hardships immigrants went through getting here and how many were quarantined and sent back because of disease or improper papers. We also saw the hospital within the complex and the ancient medical equipment.

At one of the displays, Pete was trying to get it to show how many Polish people have come to the US (my heritage on Dad's side). A Chinese man came up and pushed the button for him. We all laughed at how a Pollack couldn't figure it out.

Entrance to the building on Ellis Island.

Back in New York---one of the many street performers.

I think this was from the ferry.

almost back to NYC.

Around Florissant

Would have been around New Year's. Ken sporting the shirt Angie got him for Christmas. She was working at the jewelry store at Grandpa's then. I loved that store! Too bad they went out of business!

Ken's birthday cake

Pepsi dog looking good!

Tim's CYC basketball team with Ken "coaching". i don't remember them being all that great, but they had fun!

Tim taking a free throw.

In the spring, Tim went to France with school on a student exchange. He was in his 5th or 6th year of French, so was well equipped to immerse himself in the culture---unlike many of the others who went there. He ended up with a family who had a boy in college and a girl in grade school. He went to school a few days with the boy and also helped the girl with her English studies. The boy even took him up in a bi-plane! The family offered to take him to Paris or anywhere he wanted to go, but he was happy living like a Frenchman and not a tourist. He said he was even dreaming in French before he came home.
And there's that winning smile that fooled me into not knowing he had a problem with his jaw!

He was also a bit self conscious about his recessive chin. The Dr. told him they could also fix that during surgery. That part wouldn't be covered by insurance, but the hospital and anesthesia would be since they would be doing it as part of the covered open bite surgery. The open bite was considered a "gross abnormality" which is covered by insurance.

Tim dressed up to go paint balling. Figured I'd take advantage of the camouflage for a cool photo of him.

A trip to the zoo with Angie.

Angie getting a medal for something.

Prom. Tim use to go with a group. Some of them were from other school, so we ended up buying him a tux so he didn't have to rent one for each Prom.

looking handsome!

Gotta run by Grandma's and show off for her, too.

In the summer, Tim had jaw surgery to correct his open bite. Several months later I actually saw the type of surgery he had on a tv show. Not sure I would have been as comfortable with him having it if I had seen the show first! They actually peel much of the face back. Then take wedges of bone out from the back of the jaw. bolt the jaw back together. Then, in tim's case, they broke his chin bone and pushed it out to stick out farther. I assume bone filled in around the wires with time. Then his jaw was wired for a little while. After having knee surgery and jaw surgery in just over a year, he said he's done with surgeries. I hope he's right!

They warned that he may have permanent nerve damage in his mouth and cheek area. Or , at least, numbness for a few months. Tim said he was never numb. And this was about as swollen as he got. He seemed to do very well through the whole procedure.

On to Angie's summer fun---softball. The Stingers team again. More shirts that I airbrushed. They did pretty good and had fun. I always loved going to the kids' games---no matter what sport it was (except for Angie's softball when she was a Jr. in high school and had a really ignorant coach!)

Angie even won a radio competition to go see the USA Olympic men's volleyball team play in St. Louis. They wanted to know what it was called when 2 players went up for a block together---which, of course, is a "husband and wife" block. She took Jenny Fischer and Gary Larsen with her.

I think they had a good time.

On to MaryAnn's birthday. Celebrating with her at Stefanina's.

Angie was in Marching Band again. Practices started up a couple weeks before school started. Then they also met before school started. There's a lot of dedication to be in the band. Wish I could say they were good. But they weren't. Angie was, but most were only 1st or 2nd year musicians. By now, Angie had been playing instruments for about 10 years.