04.02.06
Posted in Global at 8:46 pm by Bill
We just got back from spending a week in Charleston, South Carolina. We went for several reasons, but the main one was the “Charleston Challenge Cup,” a preseason soccer tournament hosted by the Charleston Battery, a minor league professional soccer team. The tournament consisted of the Battery plus three Major League Soccer teams: DC United, Red Bull New York (formerly MetroStars), and Houston Dynamo (formerly San Jose Earthquakes).
We’re fans of the San Jose Earthquakes, but they took our team away. So since we won’t be able to watch them play in San Jose, we decided to fly to Charleston to cheer for them in the tournament. It was bittersweet cheering for Houston. But besides the soccer, we also did a lot of sightseeing, had some great food, and visited Holly’s uncle who lives in Hilton Head.
We flew into Hilton Head airport, changing planes in Charlotte, NC. The flight to Charlotte was an overnight “red-eye” flight, so we really didn’t get much sleep that night. We arrived on Saturday morning (March 18) in Hilton Head bleary-eyed, and went to Holly’s uncle’s house for breakfast. After breakfast we drove to Charleston to check in to the hotel and go to the first night of soccer.
The tournament was held on three days - Saturday, Wednesday, and Saturday - with each evening being a double-header for a total of six games, so each team plays the others once each. The first day, Houston played the hosts and DC played New York. Holly was still suffering from the red-eye flight, so I went alone, dressed in my San Jose Earthquakes gear. Early in the Houston-Charleston game, the field lights weren’t working, so as the sun set the referee paused the game. During that time I had a chance to talk to several of the ex-San Jose people now with Houston, including coach Dominic Kinnear and players such as Wade Barrett, Kelly Gray, and Dwayne De Rosario. I told them we missed them in San Jose and wished they hadn’t had to move. To a man, they echoed the sentiment. Eventually they fixed the lights and the game resumed; in the end, Houston won 1-0. But by the end of the game I was freezing cold and starting to fall asleep, so I went back to the hotel.
The next day, we started exploring the city of Charleston. We went to the visitor’s center and got a bunch of brochures, then drove around to get a feel for the place.
One of the other reasons we wanted to visit Charleston was the TV show Flip This House which is about the people of Trademark Properties as they buy, renovate, and sell houses in the area. We found their office on James Island, but being Sunday it was closed. But one of our favorite episodes of the show was one where they renovated a local restaurant, the Charleston Crab House (James Island location) and we found that and had lunch there. The food was amazing.
We spent Monday and Tuesday exploring Charleston some more, including a tour of the Calhoun Mansion, a visit to the IMAX theater at the aquarium, and I toured the Charleston Museum (the oldest museum in America). We also went back to Trademark Properties and met Vance, a real estate agent who is featured on the TV show. He’s a really nice guy and a former soccer player himself!
Wednesday was another soccer day. We met with some Battery fans for lunch, then went to the stadium early for a viewing party for the USA v. Germany friendly game (a warm-up game for the coming World Cup this summer). We watched the game on TV in the Three Lions Pub at the stadium, but sadly the USA lost 4-1. That evening, Holly and I watched as Charleston got their first-ever win against an MLS team in the tournament, beating New York 1-0, then Houston and DC played to a 1-1 draw. After the games we went back up to the Three Lions where we had a chance to chat with players, coaches, other fans, and photographers.
Thursday we headed down to Hilton Head to spend some time with Holly’s aunt and uncle. Friday we went with him down to Savannah, GA where we drove around and took lots of pictures of the area, including old buildings, monuments, and the azaleas which were in full bloom. On the way we went through Bluffton, SC, where I took lots of pictures including the one shown here of the docks along the May River.
We returned to Charleston Saturday for the last night of soccer. Houston dispatched New York 3-0, and Charleston tied with DC, giving Houston the best record and thus winning the Carolina Challenge Cup! But we couldn’t stay for the second game, as we had to get back to Hilton Head for our pre-dawn flight home Sunday morning.
I posted a batch of pictures on Flickr from Charleston and Bluffton, and will be posting more batches soon. We took about 600 pictures on this trip so I have to pick out the best ones. Check my Flickr photostream for the latest (or try these if you just want pictures from this trip: Charleston Trip Pictures).[tags]travel,southcarolina,georgia,charleston,soccer,flickr[/tags]
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01.24.06
Posted in Global at 11:04 pm by Bill
We then drove on into Montana. I didn’t take many pictures there, and unfortunately our VW van couldn’t really take advantage of the lack of speed limits on the interstates. I did take one picture which I thought would be really beautiful but unfortunately it’s really dark. This is the moon rising over the foothills of the Rockies in western Montana.
We then went into Yellowstone National Park. I was really amazed at how tame the animals there were. At the park headquarters there were elk grazing on the lawns - I bet they never even need to mow them.
We saw the terraces and pools of incredible colors - at the time I didn’t yet have my polarizing filter so I don’t really like how most of these pictures turned out. There were a couple that I like and those are included here … We’ll just have to go back for more.
As we drove through the park we encountered a roadblock of bison… they too are so unafraid of people that they just walk across the road. Nobody even dared honking their horn for fear of pissing off these massive ruminants, lest they charge and knock over their car. Eventually they moved on, and so did we.
We never did get to see the infamously tame bears of Yellowstone, however. The park rangers have been making a strong effort to relocate them away from the more human-populated areas, for safety reasons.
We then drove to the Grand Tetons National Park, which is adjancent to Yellowstone to the south. Grand Teton is French for “Humungous Hooters” and was named by some really lonely horny French fur trappers in the 19th Century.
We then passed through a corner of Idaho and into Utah. In Salt Lake City I took this picture of the Utah state capitol building at night.
We camped on a side road just west of SLC for the night. In the morning we took this shot of the salt flats from a rest area. We then drove straight home and made it back in about 12 hours.
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Posted in Global at 10:58 pm by Bill
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Posted in Global at 10:13 pm by Bill
After we left Niagara Falls we went back to Buffalo for the concert. When that was over we crossed into Ontario and camped for the night at a park and ride lot in the outskirts of Toronto. The next morning as we approached Toronto we stopped at a park along the lakeshore where we played on the equipment a little …
We then drove through Ontario to Sault Ste Marie, where we crossed back into the US, at the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We stopped at Seney National Wildlife Refuge, where we got to see the trumpeter swans there. We also saw lots of other interesting birds but most of the pictures didn’t turn out. I guess we’ll just have to go back.
Also in Michigan we stopped at the Seul Choix Point Light House, which is over 100 years old. Unfortunately it was closed for the night so we couldn’t take a tour but I took some exterior shots.
We then drove into Wisconsin. As we drove through we stopped to take a few scenic shots. One of the zillions of farms we passed was an ostrich/emu farm, and we stopped to take a few snaps:
We saw this deer in a park somewhere, and took this shot of the sunset as we were approaching Chippewa Falls. We camped for the night in a National Forest.
We stopped at the Cray headquarters in Chippewa Falls, WI to visit Sandi Barsamian, who is the head of Payroll for the Cray division of Silicon Graphics. I had been working on an online timecard project at SGI, and had worked closely with Sandi on the design and rollout of the electronic timecards at Cray. We found that she discovered a use for the old paper timecards….
Chippewa Falls water tower.
Our van next to the sign at the Cray headquarters.
We then proceeded to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota. I stopped to photograph the Capitol Building in St Paul, and we proceeded immediately to the Mall of America, the Consumer Mecca of the USA. It is the second largest shopping mall in the world (the West Edmonton Mall in Canada is bigger), and the largest one in the US. It was built on the site of an old sports complex when the Minnesota Vikings built a new one.
The Mall of America is basically square in shape, with fairly conventional three-story shopping malls forming the four sides. In the center is Camp Snoopy, an indoor amusement park, with roller coaster, log ride, carousel, and all the usual rides.
When Holly was a child she was never allowed to ride any of the carousel horses that go up and down - always she would be tricked into riding the stationary ones. Finally she got a chance to ride one that moved up and down - and here it is, captured on film.
The picture of Bill is a self-portrait, taken through one of the mirrors in the “hub” of the carousel.
Also at the mall is the Lego Imagination Center, where they have Legos for sale, giant Lego sculptures, and free Lego tables where kids can build stuff. It was heaven. If I lived in Minneapolis I’d apply for a job there, if only for the employee discount… :-)
In North Dakota, we stopped at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The prairies there are just incredibly scenic, and the park is home to several prairie dog towns. Prairie dogs are the most incredibly cute rodents in the world.
When Holly was a kid she was taken to the Washington National Zoo in DC. When they got to the prairie dog exhibit, she just stood there and refused to move on. No amount of pleading would get her to see any other animals - she just wanted to look at the prairie dogs. We found the same phenomenon here at the Theodore Roosevelt Park…. Finally though we moved on.
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Posted in Global at 9:59 pm by Bill
After the wedding we drove north to New York State, to see Niagara Falls (after all it was our honeymoon), and we had tickets to see the Indigo Girls in Buffalo. We walked around the US side of the falls (American Falls) which was pretty impressive, but the Canadian side is even better as you’ll see below…
So after we’d had enough of the American Falls we decided to take a hike to a foreign land …
After paying the exhorbitant toll for crossing the bridge on foot (25 cents!!) we strolled along the cliff overlooking the river towards the Horseshoe Falls. But first we had to eat, so we stopped at a little outdoor cafe.
There is a boat service called Maid of the Mist that goes to the base of the falls so that tourists can get really really wet. We didn’t go on this ride, as we were more inclined to stay mainly dry. However I did take some pictures of the poor souls who did:
A shot of us in front of the Horseshoe Falls, and looking downriver at the American Falls:
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Posted in Global at 9:42 pm by Bill
Cut the cake
Eat the cake
Yummmm…
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Posted in Global at 9:19 pm by Bill
Bill’s mom brought bottles of bubbles for everyone
Bridal Bubbles
Everyone blew bubbles instead of throwing rice
Holly’s Ring
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Posted in Global at 9:10 pm by Bill
The ceremony begins
The Unity Candle is lit
I now pronounce you husband and wife …
… You may kiss
Our First Fight
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Posted in Global at 9:03 pm by Bill
Holly with her mother
Holly tries on her hat
A floral arrangement
The wedding cake
Ward Family group photo
L-R: Bob Ward (Bill’s dad), Marilyn Udani (Bill’s aunt), Ken Ward (Bill’s uncle), Holly Ward (Ken’s wife), Bill, Holly, Lalit Udani (Marilyn’s husband), Colleen Ward (Bill’s mom). Front row: Nellie and Henry Ward (Ken’s kids).
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Posted in Global at 8:35 pm by Bill
THE WEDDING CEREMONY
of
HOLLY LOUISE O’CONNELL MCGRATH
and
WILLIAM ROBERT WARD
Saturday, 6 September 1997
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
The Rev. John D. Ickes, Presiding
OPENING WORDS
MINISTER: Beloved family members of Bill and Holly, we are gathered here together today to join these two in marriage and to announce publicly the union which they have forged together, and will keep building throughout the remainder of their lives.
Marriage is a bond of intimacy built on a foundation of honesty, integrity, and forgiveness. Do not lie to or act to deceive one another: lies act as a wedge to drive you apart. However, you must bear in mind that mistakes do happen and humans have weaknesses, and that however painful it may be to forgive, it is far worse to allow the intimacy to be forever broken.
Marriage is not a freezing in time, but rather a commitment to an ongoing process. As you pass through life, you will certainly find yourselves changing in various ways. This in itself is not a bad thing. However as a married couple you must be on the lookout for these changes, so that the tow of you can change together, thus strengthening rather than weakening the bond you have forged.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
MINISTER: Holly, is your true desire and intent to be united each to the other, in this time and in this company, as partners in life and love? As Bill’s wife, will you cherish, encourage, and support him in whatever life may bring you? If so answer, “I will.”
HOLLY: I will.
MINISTER: Bill, is your true desire and intent to be united each to the other, in this time and in this company, as partners in life and love? As Holly’s husband, will you cherish, encourage, and support her in whatever life may bring you? If so answer, “I will.”
BILL: I will.
CANDLE CEREMONY
[BILL and HOLLY take up a small candle each, which the MINISTER lights. The MINISTER then holds up the Unity Candle]
MINISTER: To symbolize the joining of your two lives and loves into one marriage, we will now light this Unity Candle. The light of the flame symbolizes the power of your love to drive away the darkness that life’s hardships can bring. The heat of the flame symbolizes the passion of your love as it brings warmth and richness to your lives. Bringing together the two candles you each hold, we light this Unity Candle, to burn brighter and longer than the smaller candles could do separately. As you light this candle, please repeat after me:
[BILL and HOLLY light Unity Candle]
MINISTER, with BILL and HOLLY echoing: “We light this candle to strengthen the light of our love to drive away life’s darknesses, and the passion of our love to bond us closer together.”
MINISTER: While this candle may not burn forever, may your love last forever. May the flame you have lit today burn forever in your harts.
EXCHANGE OF VOWS
MINISTER: Join your right hands, and repeat after me:
MINISTER, with BILL echoing: “I, Bill, take you, Holly, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, until death do us part.”
MINISTER, with HOLLY echoing: “I, Holly, take you, Bill, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, until death do us part.”
EXCHANGE OF RING
MINISTER: May I have the ring?
[BILL gives ring to MINISTER]
MINISTER: Take this ring, Bill, and place it on the third finger of Holly’s left hand, saying these words: “With the giving of this ring, I thee wed.”
[BILL places ring on finger]: With the giving of this ring, I thee wed.
MINISTER: Holly, will you say: “With the receiving of this ring, I thee wed.”
HOLLY: With the receiving of this ring, I thee wed.
PRONOUNCEMENT
MINISTER: Whom love hath joined together, let no one break asunder. For as much as you two have consented to live together in marriage and have pledged yourselves to each other, and have declared the same by the lighting of this candle, the giving and receiving of a ring, and joining of hands, I therefore by the power invested in me by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.
[BILL and HOLLY kiss.]
BENEDICTION
MINISTER: Let us conclude this ceremony with an ancient Apache blessing:
May you feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other.
May you feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
May there be no loneliness for you.
Now you are two bodies, but there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling-place, to enter into the days of your togetherness.
And may your days be good, and long upon the earth.
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