Fine Art and a Musical Performance!

Another special event was connected to Grandparent’s Day at David III and Emmett Lee’s school.  It was all related to the arts… There was art work on exhibit as well as a series of musical performances scheduled for the evening.

So, let’s start with Emmett Lee’s artistic endeavors…

Here’s Emmett Lee with both of his entries in the art exhibit. (Above plus the following photo) Both of his efforts won us over but the watercolor painting shown below was definitely the most interesting, at least to us.  One of Emmett’s skills is his ability to think outside the box…to imagine whatever…and he has almost no constraints.  Not bad for an 8-year old!

Then we took a look at David III’s artistic efforts…

David III is apparently more focused on reality in his work whereas his brother’s works were both abstract.  Nana really liked the mountain lion as shown above…but I leaned toward the decorative abstract composition shown below.  I just liked its bold statement… He’s not a shy kid!  

The top art award from the art exhibit…accompanied by a $500 Talent Grant…was given to an outstanding Chinese student.  That beat the heck out of a blue ribbon…

And so…now we’re off to the musical performances!

This is David III, all dressed up at home and ready to head back to his school for his musical appearance!  He looked pretty confident, don’t you think?!

Here's part of the Fifth Grade Band...just before going on stage!

This is the Fifth Grade Band in action… David III is standing just to the right of the bandmaster/conductor.  He was on percussion and he performed well… The band performed the “Hunter’s Chorus from “Der Freischultz”, "Cool Blues" and "Jamaican Holiday".  They received a huge round of applause from parents and grandparents following each musical piece.

The Fourth Grade and the Middle School Bands also performed… They were followed by the Honors Choir, the Boy’s Choir, the Girl’s Choir as well as the Middle School Choir.

Here’s Emmett Lee again...at his brother’s musical performance.  Emmett and his buddy Jason are just having a terrific time.  They were really well behaved considering the amount of time that they had to sit still.  I think that it must have been the hand held game devices that made the difference!

That’s about it for now… With my next blog, I’ll be back to the travel and restaurant reviews.

Just click on any photo to enlarge it…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Grandparent’s Day!!

Readers may recall the blog I published about our son’s graduation from Law School.  There were 2 other very important reasons for our one way 11 hour drive from paradise, down here in East Tennessee, on up to Cleveland Ohio.  

It was Grandparent’s Day plus, later in the day there was a fine arts presentation at our grandson’s school!

Laurie and I got lucky this year.  We were assigned to David III’s 5^th grade classroom.  We love Emmett equally, but this was David III’s last Grandparent’s Day…as he moves on to middle school next year.  He’ll be ‘too old’ for such goings on in 2013!  The boys other grandparents were assigned to Emmett’s classroom… (The boys are lucky to have a five grandparents) Next year, Emmett Lee’s classroom will be overrun with grandparents!!

Here's a photo of the interior of David III's classroom... The whole school was overrun by adults!

One of our primary duties before we really focused on David’s classroom and his activities there was right down my alley…snacks and refreshments!  There was fruit, cookies, coffee, malted milk balls, brownies & other goodies!  David III was really ‘pounding down’ the fruit, brownies and cookies.  He’s almost as tall as Laurie and he’s only 11! 

The Head of School and Director of the Arts program director welcomed us and gave a couple of speeches. One thing that we learned was that students who’ve attended this school have come from all over the world. (Note the many flags hanging from the ceiling!)

Here’s David III posing alongside the photo of him that the school had used as part of a promotional brochure for the recruitment of new students.  We are proud to report that he’s also his class President!

This is the class tortoise…  He actually lives at David’s teacher’s house.  This is his ‘office’ for his day job!  He is certainly dressed for the occasion… The teacher told us that he’s housebroken…and that he has a nice large enclosure to live in at her home. 

This is Ian, David III’s best friend!  Hopefully, they’ll stay in touch over the coming years.  I can’t even remember the 5^th grade…much less any friends I might have had!

Laurie and I, (as well as David III’s parents), are fortunate in the fact that David III isn’t yet at that stage where he doesn’t want to be seen with parents…or worse yet…grandparents!  He’s holding the poem he wrote for his grandparents…and it’s very affectionate…although I did note that he commented on the fact that “we like to spoil him” and that,”we’re very generous”.  He does know how to influence adults and we’re thinking that possibly he may become a career politician!

This is David III with his 5^th grade teacher, Mrs. Hunt.  She is a very good motivator & David III enjoys that very much.  He likes her a lot …but now, it’s on to Middle School! 

Next Blog…the School’s Fine Arts Presentation!

Just click on any photo to enlarge it…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Late Breakfast/The Good Life in South Beach

On the morning that we had planned to attend the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Laurie, Dawn and I got off to a slow start.  Consequently, it was much closer to the lunch hour than it was to breakfast by the time we’d wandered across Biscayne Bay to Miami Beach.  We really wanted breakfast…not lunch…and the good news was that Dawn Marie knew a place right on Ocean Drive that would fulfill our needs!  

This is the ‘dining room’ of The Front Porch Café, which is located at the “Z Ocean Hotel” right across from South Beach.  We only had to wait a few minutes for a table, much less time than it took to find a parking place…

This is an interior photo of the dining area for the restaurant.  It sits up on a terrace overlooking Ocean Drive and the park adjacent to South Beach itself.  The view was nice and the weather was cooperative…not too hot and/or muggy.

I don’t take too many photos… Laurie does most of the serious work when it comes to photographs for this blog site.  However, I did take this picture of Dawn Marie and Laurie just before our breakfast was served.  I am a lucky guy!

Dawn fought an urge to splurge and then she ordered this chocolate lovers muffin for a starter… ($3.75)

For those with a more healthy outlook, one could have ordered a “Front Porch Flip”, a healthy shake made from non-fat yogurt, banana, fresh squeezed orange juice, strawberries and a touch of honey…supplemented with soy based vanilla protein powder! ($4.95)  Better yet, how about a “Green Flip”, made with spinach, broccoli, strawberry, banana, soy milk and bee pollen…again supplemented with soy based vanilla protein powder… ($6.95)

I would skip breakfast if my only option was the “Green Flip”!  Where is this restaurant really…California?! 

Dawn backed up that muffin with a Chicken Satay Omelette. ($11.75) This Asian inspired omelette contains fresh basil, grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese and satay sauce made with ground peanuts, red curry paste, coconut milk, cilantro and lime.  It was very nice indeed!

For me at least, the most unlikely omelette on the menu had to be the pear, prosciutto and bleu cheese creation. ($11.95) I just don’t get it…eggs and pears?

OK…I admit it!  I did jump out there and order something really different, at least by my standards.  I ordered the Green Eggs Scramble with sausage. ($11.79) There were 3 eggs scrambled with pepper jack cheese and the house pesto, which they make using pine nuts, fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes.  I had a choice of fruit, potatoes, dressed garden greens or tomatoes as my accompaniment.  As you can see, I chose the fried breakfast potatoes.

Well, I didn’t make the best choice…at least for me.  For my taste, limited though it can be, the pesto just overwhelmed the scrambled eggs…as well as the pepper jack cheese for that matter.  For potatoes, I prefer hash browns, crispy and without onions…oops!  I ate the eggs and made a sandwich with the sausage patties…a limited Midwestern palate for sure!

I’d have been much better off with the Front Porch Breakfast Pizza…which I did consider. ($10.95) The restaurant tops it's fresh baked pizza crust with their sweet tomato basil sauce, speck (smoked prosciutto), a fried egg, fresh basil, mozzarella, cheddar and shaved parmesan.

Laurie paid it safe…and it was indeed safe to say that she enjoyed her breakfast more than I did.  She ordered the Front Porch Eggs Benedict…with the usual 2 eggs poached on an English muffin with Canadian bacon and Hollandaise Sauce. ($11.95) She chose the fruit as her accompaniment…and it was very fresh and perfectly ripened. (Doesn’t it aggravate you when the fruit is as hard as rocks?!)

The Front Porch Café also serves lunch and dinner… There is plenty of variety built into the menu for either meal.  There are appetizers, pizzas, (including the “Pizza from Hell for $8.75), and a long list of sandwiches and wraps ranging in price from $7.95 to $12.95.  At night you can drop $34.00 for a nice steak or a veal chop.  Of note for South Beach regulars, there is a nice hotel bar right next to the restaurant.    

The South Beach atmosphere at The Front Porch Cafe was perfect!  While I may not have chosen well for my taste, this is a fun place to eat with a very interesting menu which indeed matches the setting.  The restaurant is open 7 days a week from 7:30 AM until 11 PM.  It is located in the Z Ocean Hotel at 1458 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.  Phone: 305-531-8300.  Website: www.frontporchoceandrive.com.

Just click on any photo to enlarge it…

Thanks for stopping by and sharing breakfast with us!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Bayside Dining in Coconut Grove

After a hard day of sightseeing in the Miami area, Dawn Marie suggested a few places to eat and we ended up selecting Scottie’s Landing, an open air restaurant in Coconut Grove Florida.

It was almost dark when we arrived… The weather was on our side so it wasn’t raining nor was it too hot.  Generally, Laurie and I opt for indoor dining…to avoid bugs, wind, heat, humidity, or whatever… But, when one has the chance to dine right on or right next to the water, we’ll almost always take the outdoor option!

This was the view from our table when we sat down… A short time later, all we could see was the boats up close and the lights across the bay.  We probably should have arrived just a little earlier so we could appreciate the complete ambience of Scottie’s Landing.  Customers can dock their boats right in front of Scottie’s…

The outdoor dining area at Scottie’s is protected with an open-sided tent complete with fans.  Shortly after this photo was taken, the restaurant was filled to capacity.  We were seated right next to the boardwalk and the water…but, unfortunately we had a big standup business related cocktail party going on right next to us.  It was loud and there’s something unappealing about 100 or so folks just standing around drinking and eating right next to your table.   

On a more positive note, Dawn spotted a couple of celebrity chefs dining at Scottie’s that were obviously in town for South Beach’s the annual Food and Wine Festival…

I had a bowl of clam chowder for a starter… ($4.75)  It was good if not great.  Scottie’s also had spicy seafood chowder and she-crab soup on the menu.

We ordered some Hot Wings for the table.  ($7.25) They were very good but I must admit that I was a bit stunned at how few wings you got for your money…

Other appetizers include conch fritters or conch salad, peel and eat shrimp, oysters and stone crabs as well as all of the usual appetizers found in most casual restaurants or sports bars.

Laurie had never eaten conch, so she ordered the fried conch platter with French Fries. ($12.25) She really enjoyed her conch! It was very good!

Dawn ordered Chicken Tacos, ($9.25), as her entree.  She doesn’t care for seafood.  We missed taking a photo of her dinner…

For my entrée, I went with the Shrimp Trio…BBQ, Fried and Coconut. ($12.25) The shrimp were good…but with only 9 of them, I was glad I ordered the French Fries instead of cole slaw.

Among other basic items, the menu included burgers, ribs, steaks, fish ‘n chips, crab cakes, and grilled dolphin.  Our service wasn’t very good and our waiter was about as friendly as a snapping turtle.

Scottie’s Landing is very casual.  During the daylight hours both dogs and bikini’s are frequent visitors.  The restaurant offers live music on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

This restaurant is almost hidden behind office buildings and a boatyard.  Scottie’s Landing is located at 3381 Pan American Drive in Coconut Grove Florida.  Phone: 305-854-2626.  I couldn’t find a website for Scottie’s per se, but I did find this site that could be of some help. (http://www.sailmiami.com/scottys.htm)

Just click on any photo to enlarge it…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Travel – Stuff Just Happens!

Laurie and I have traveled quite a bit over our many years together.  We’ve been in all but one state in the USA, we’ve visited 7 Canadian provinces and we’ve been to England, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand.  Some places that we really like, we’ve visited multiple times…Hawaii, the great Northwest including British Columbia, Maine, Texas (San Antonio and the Hill Country), northern Ontario (fishing), Arizona, California (not LA!) and Las Vegas.

Sometimes during these vacations, (now that we’re retired we have to call them 'trips'), stuff just happens!

For example:

·         Significant panic on narrow roads in a surprise October snow storm as we crossed over a mountain in Scotland.  The snowplow operator in the sunshine at the bottom of the mountain asked us how the roads were up on the mountain... I managed to avoid becoming an ugly American with my response!

·        A nail driven into the bottom of my foot when walking along the rocky beach on Arichat, a small French speaking island off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.  An old fashioned doctor with a big desk fixed me up at hardly any cost all all!.

·         A rental car that sounded like it was going to explode when I took it ‘off road’ on a power line ‘wagon path’ in British Columbia.  It was almost dark and we were literally in the middle of nowhere…Once we got on a paved road...it was a miracle!  The noise went away...

·         Driving from Massachusetts to our new home in Chicago in March, with our cat Fluffy in tow, we encountered a huge ice and snow storm…stalled traffic on I-70…almost out of gas… got the last hotel room in town and…we were actually delighted to find a Pizza Hut open so we could get something to eat.

·         A U-Joint falling from a big rig and taking out my left front tire at 70 mph on the Ohio Turnpike.  The wheel was also destroyed on our brand new car and it had to be special ordered.  We ended up driving a “Rent-A-Wreck”…the only car available for the rest of the trip. (That rental was a real dog!)

·         A passenger on a ferry from Port Hardy, Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert British Columbia decided to attempt suicide and cut his wrists while sitting in the bar…followed by a major detour to save his life via a helicopter pick up!  This all made for a very long ferry boat ride...

·         Passing out on our flight to England…due to a couple of Scotches and a poor oxygen mix in the cabin.  I wasn’t the only one who passed out but for a couple of minutes, Laurie thought that I’d had the ‘big’ one!

·         On our trip to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand, when we checked our luggage on United in Los Angeles, it managed to find its way onto a plane to Melbourne Australia…only 1,498 miles off course!

·         On a trip to visit family in Michigan and Ontario, thanks to a kidney infection, as we came through Buffalo NY, I had to seek emergency medical care at one of those new-fangled walk in clinics.  

·         After arriving at O’Hare Airport in Chicago for our flight to Australia, we realized that we’d forgotten our prescription medicines...So then it was a panicked cab ride back home then back to the airport…but we did make the flight. 

Then there was our last trip!  Our latest ‘adventure’ occurred when we went up to the Cleveland area for our son’s graduation from Law School.  My back started acting up and the pain was pretty intense…a possible kidney stone?  I was hurting so badly that I didn’t think that I’d be able to attend David II’s graduation...

So Laurie and I headed off to the Emergency Room at a local hospital!  What fun we had!  It was a great way to spend an evening.  I do hate hospitals but one has to do what one must do…

One piece of good news was that although it was a Friday night at about 8:30 pm, there was no waiting!  When I mentioned that they didn't have much going on for a Friday night, I was 'shusshed' and told that I shouldn't bring that up again as it was bad luck...

We registered and then we were led to an examination room.  One puzzle, at least to me was the number of times the various personnel asked me some of the same questions…despite the fact that it was written down from the start.  That experience probably provides a testimonial for our litigious society.

I really look happy, don’t I!?  Laurie took this photo after the tests and exams were completed.  Lots of tests and a CT scan led the doctor to conclude that I was having back spasms… She gave me some ‘swell’ drugs to stop the spasms and reduce the pain.  We counted and we think that a total of 7 or 8 hospital associates were in actual contact with us during this 3 hour visit.  They were all very professional and very, very nice as well. 

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I made it to David II’s graduation ceremonies… and it was a great experience! 

I wonder what adventures await us on our future travels… 

Note: Beginning in June, I'll be blogging on a 'summer schedule'...about once every 3 days instead of every other day.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Just a Dill of a Deli!

Here in East Tennessee, Jason’s Deli, a Knoxville restaurant that's part of a chain of restaurants based in Beaumont TX, comes closest to actually qualifying as a deli… They do serve an ok hot pastrami sandwich.  FYI…Jason’s Deli is a 238 location franchise operation, (http://www.jasonsdeli.com/about).  

But…this isn’t about Jason’s… This is about the best deli we’ve experienced outside of New York or Boston.

Our long term friends, Bob and Nona, live in Florida but they’re originally from the northeastern USA…New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut.  They know good deli food!  When we visited them back in February, they took us to a local deli for lunch.  As you can see in the photo above, it’s called ‘The Lucky Dill Deli’ and it can be found in Palm Harbor Florida! 

The inside of The Lucky Dill Deli is bright and well decorated.  It was past the lunch hour but the place was quite busy…

These are our friends, Nona and Bob.  They actually put up with us staying with them for 3 nights!  We’ve known Bob and Nona for many, many years…back into the 70’s when Bob and I both worked for Venture Stores. (The May Department Stores version of Target)

Our waiter started us out with this great looking basket of rolls... As it turned out, while they were very good and appreciated, they were unnecessary...really 'overkill' as you will see as our luncheon was served. 

I don’t recall who had this cup of this Bean and Pastrami Soup… ($3.49)…but it looked good and it was gone in a flash!

The menu at The Lucky Dill is extensive to say the least… There are no less than 12 “Signature Starters” ranging in price from $3.79 to $8.99.  There are also 12 dinner salads, ($8.99 to $11.99); including one very tempting creation entitled “Santorini Salad with Garlic Pan Roasted Shrimp”. ($11.99)

How about this for a Hot Corned Beef sandwich! ($9.49) The quantity of corned beef on the sandwich is enough to boggle the mind…or at least the eyes… As for the quality…delicious!!

Other menu groupings include Dynamic Duos (Sandwich and Soup); All the way to NYC; The Designer Collection; Croissants; Deli Faves and Raves; Baskets and Buckets; Flatbreads; Soups…8 different varieties; Uptown Faves…such as Blintzes and Potato Pancakes; Bigger Better Burgers; Doubles; Altern-A-Burgers; Chickwiches; Philly Phaves; Hot Off the Press …Panini’s; Boars Head Subs; NYC Hot Subs; Franks; Club Manhattan; Gourmet Grilled Cheese, and; Wrap and Roll.  Whew!!

One option on the menu included 3 sliders, referred to as The Lucky Deal. ($11.99) I believe that the grouping included corned beef, chopped liver and roast beef on onion rolls with a scoop of potato salad plus a pickle and a slice of onion.

In addition to all of the menu groupings or items, there are a few other sandwiches on the menu… After, The Lucky Dill bills itself at the “Home of the Sandwich That Ate Brooklyn”!   There is a list of 16 sandwiches under the heading, “The Original”.  These include Hot Brisket ($9.79); Tongue ($13.99) and; Chopped Liver ($8.99).

Then there are the ‘Skyscrapers”…sandwiches that are beyond humongous ($9.79 - $13.99)…and another category labeled “Our Famous Reubens” ($6.99 - $10.79)

Laurie and I opted for the Hot Pastrami on Rye, just about our favorite sandwich when it’s done right… ($9.49) It was very, very good with a ton of meat!  It was just a little leaner than we hoped for... 

In the past, I’ve had hot pastrami sandwiches at Carnegie, Stage and Katz’s Deli’s in New York City.  This sandwich was better than Katz’s version but not quite up to Stage or Carnegie Deli’s much more expensive versions…as both of those are a bit ‘wetter’, (i.e., contain a little more fat).  However, it was every bit as good as Manny’s in Chicago...minus Manny’s potato pancakes.  Laurie had a nice scoop of potato salad with her sandwich and I had potato chips.

 OK…Not in the mood for sandwiches?  There are no less than 19 Blue Plate Specials on the menu ranging from Best Ever Roasted Chicken ($8.99) to Oven Braised Short Ribs ($10.99) on through Stuffed Cabbage ($8.79).  If that doesn’t do it there are 5 items listed under the category of the “Fulton Fish Market” and another 16 items under “Little Italy”.  How about Giovanni’s Sausage and Peppers ($10.49) or Carmine’s Creami Crimini ($9.99)?  The menu is almost too large to comprehend…

Laurie topped her meal off with a small slice of cheesecake… She couldn’t finish it after that huge sandwich!  Our desserts came with the meal… I can’t remember if it was because service was a little slow and they felt guilty, or if it was a special or maybe we had some type of coupon…

I finished my lunch with a slice of apple strudel.  I did manage to finish my dessert…  Especially since the desserts were free, I really enjoyed mine!

If you enjoy baked goods…you didn’t have to look far at The Lucky Dill Deli!

The bakery products all came from the attached Brooklin Bakery.  This photo gives you a glimpse at about a third of their offerings!  There were at least 2 big cake display cases, not to mention other displays with a lot more cookies and pastries… It was mind boggling and it was lucky for us that we were traveling for a couple more days or we might have gone a bit overboard with the baked goods…

The Lucky Dill Deli with The Brooklyn Bakery is located at 33180 U.S. Highway 19 North in Palm Harbor Florida.  Phone: 727-789-5574.  To access their Website go to: http://luckydilldeli.com/.  If you like Deli Food and you’re within 50 miles of Palm Harbor; don’t miss this stopping at the Lucky Dill Deli!

Just click on any photo to enlarge it!

Thanks for stopping by to experience a great lunch with us…

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

In Memoriam – A Class Act and Good Friend!

Dave Gorman was a class act, a gentleman, he was honest as the day is long, he was dedicated to being the best…and he has left us all too soon…  Dave was only 65 years old.  As a member of the Marine Corps, Dave had served his country during the Vietnam War. (1966 – 1969) He was wounded in action. 

After the war, Dave met his bride to be during the Christmas Season while working at Sears between college semesters.  Patty and he were married on May 25^th, 1974.   Their daughter Kelly was born in 1979.  Cancer took Dave’s life on May 15, 2012…. 

Dave joined Venture Stores as an Internal Auditor in 1973.  Don’t you just love that classy corduroy suit!  He loved this suit…

It wasn’t long before I had the good fortune of Dave joining my team… He had my back on many occasions and, believe me, I needed the support!  While at Venture, he grew fast into a management role and then he proved his leadership skills by ensuring the integrity of his operation, by selling management on our capabilities and then delivering the results.  Much of this success was the result of the fact that he assembled a terrific, hard working and loyal group of associates. 

This photo of Dave and his ‘twin’, Bruce Kozozenski, was taken at a party at our home in Bridgeton Missouri… Dave and Bruce were very close, both Vietnam Veterans, and they remained friends over the years.  Dave handled the shortage control audit and inventory functions at Venture Stores and Bruce assisted with the administration of the security/loss prevention function and he was responsible for associate and customer safety.  Bruce was with Dave near the end…

One day while at work in his office at Venture in St. Louis Missouri, Dave received a phone call from another start-up retailer.  This individual was trying to recruit him for his new and growing company.  Showing better than average smarts, Dave flew down and met with the caller.  Sam Walton liked Dave a lot…hiring him as Wal-Mart’s Director of Internal Audit…and the rest is history.

Here is Dave with his wife Patty and their daughter Kelly.  This was taken not too long after their big move from Alton Illinois to Bentonville Arkansas…and near the beginning of Dave’s outstanding career with Wal-Mart.

I recall a phone call from Dave.  At the time I was living in Chicago working for Household Merchandising.  Dave was a little nervous… He’d been offered a new opportunity at Wal-Mart.  They wanted him to become their new Vice President of Loss Prevention! 

Since Loss Prevention/Retail Security wasn’t something he’d been directly involved in, he was a little hesitant to make the move.  I knew that loss prevention mostly involved the willingness to make a quick decision and to use common sense…and Dave was loaded with those abilities.  He moved on to become one of the prime movers/key players in retail loss prevention…now frequently called asset protection.

This photo of Dave and Patty’s daughter Kelly is the one that I carried in my wallet from the day it was given to me until she got married… I felt that it brought me good luck!  I do know that she was Daddy’s little girl…

Dave is the gentleman of leisure who is ensconced in that nice chair… I’m the older fellow standing beside him at a trade conference.  I believe that this was taken at a Retail Industry Leaders Association Loss Prevention conference.  Note Dave’s cowboy boots!  He really got into that country feeling down in Arkansas…

This photo of Dave and I was taken last summer at Bald River Falls, near Tellico Plains Tennessee in the Cherokee National Forest.  We had a great time just reminiscing about the early days, both professional and personal.  Dave’s dry wit was as sharp as ever… This was about 7 months before he learned that he had pancreatic cancer.

We were really happy that Dave and Patty came to stay with us for a few days last year.  It had been quite a while since we’d both seen them.  We broke bread together, told tall stories about the past, talked about the future and partied with some of our friends.

It’s hard to accept the fact that Dave is no longer with us… Our sympathy and prayers go out to Patty, Kelly and Kelly's husband Josh in this time of sorrow.  We will see them soon...and together we’ll be able to celebrate Dave’s life…

To view the professional and personal respect, as well as the love that so many felt for Dave, (13 pages and counting), just click on the following link:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/davegorman/guestbook.

Thanks for stopping by and paying your respects…

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave and Laurie