Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Its all about getting together with family and friends. How can you beat that? This year the featured guest was a beast of a bird that weighed 29.75 pounds. A record breaker. After overnight brining and 6.5 hours of roasting is was quite tasty.



Bart helped get the gravy ready for dinner. I have really gotten the recipe down for gibblet gravy. The key is to use a hand mixer to vaporize the gibblets. It was nice.



Everyone loaded up their plates and seemed to enjoy the feast.



Diane thought it was a grand gathering.

They gather every fall in Shawnee National Forest

A visit to the woods is always wonderful. Saw a couple of nice sunsets (and sunrises).



Alex also enjoyed the fresh air.



Alas, I saw nothing before I returned home. But first thing Monday morning, Bart spotted these two in the front yard. Diane said there were 3 in the back. Maybe next year.

Go Bears!

I have to say I wasn't expecting much from the Bears this season. But they are starting to look pretty good. 6-3 after beating Detroit. My friend Ron from North Carolina got to enjoy an entertaining game. Hester ran a punt back to extend his record. Bears got 4 interceptions, 2 for touchdowns. Great game!



The final score was 37-13. After each score the crowd sings "Bear Down Chicago Bears". Ron thought it was a silly song. It is, but its fun. We got to sing it 8 times (one at the end celebrating the win). Below is #7.

3 Talks, 3 Continents, I'm tired.

It began simple enough. A short, late night hop to Baltimore, MD. As you can see, I was up at sunrise the next morning to be ready for the start of the IHV meeting. Late the next morning I gave my presentation and then headed to Dulles for the long flight to Durban, South Africa. This is a shot out my hotel room window. Nice view!



After about of 18 - 20 hours of travel, I was in Durban. Beautiful city on the Indian Ocean. This was the view off the balcony of my Hotel room. Very nice!



The meeting was at the Tala Game Reserve. Beautiful area with amazing wild African animals. To enjoy more pictures from Tala, see the blog below.



At Tala I had a wonderful bungalow (hut). Such a shame to have all that space and be alone. Wish Diane had been there. It was completely walled by windows (with curtains). A beautiful hotel room window view in many directions. It was wonderful.



The meeting was 3 days long and then I headed back to Durban to get ready for the 3 leg trip to Paris. Took about 14 hours to complete the travel. The highlight was the flight between Johannesburg and Frankfurt on a A380 airbus. The new double decker Jet. it was very cool. Luckily I got some sleep, because I had to be at the start of the meeting early afternoon in Paris.



I was in Paris for a bit more than 48 hours. The meeting was wonderful. The 2 dinners were outstanding. Unfortunately the skies were gray and it rained alot. Not much of a view out of my room window for such a beautiful city. Although the hotel was great. Flight home as the shortest and easiest, non-stop Paris to Chicago. Less than 9 hours. After 10 days and 18,000 miles for travel I know there's no place like home.

Africa 2011

Had to go to a mucosal immunology meeting in Durban South Africa. It was held at a game preserve about an hour out of the city. What can I say. Africa is an amazing place. The Tala game preserve was wonderful. I just wish that I had brough my good camera equipment.

Halloween 2011

The Boys are getting older so halloween is less of an event. Alex went to a party at a friends house. He had a great time and was able to get some nice candy too.