New York Days 1, 2, and 3 - July 28-30

 Galadriel, Merry, Pippin, Bilbo, and I were heading out to visit my family in upstate NY.  This is the train station near us... no joke.  It's really more like a train hut.

 The train was pretty nice to go by. The people working on the train were great.

 Playing Chess

 Light reading

 Thugs in the "Great Hall" of Union Station in Chicago.

 3 Stooges meet 3 Stooges on an exhibit.

 We had an excessively long lay-over in Chicago. 5-1/2 hours. We ate, wandered around, sat around, played chess, scrabble, checkers, etc... and ate again.

 Finally got to Syracuse after 14 hours on the 2nd train.

 Thugs (who really are having a good time...) at the Syracuse station waiting for the car rental ride.

 Here was the driver, complete with dredlocks.

 This is our car which has hypersensitive brakes.

 First things first, Mom and Dad took us to Doug's Fish Fry. Best Fish Fry ever.

 Thankfully this is not a disease, just tiny shale rocks.

 Swimming with Cousin L.

 View off my sister Sheila's rental cottage.

 How many family members can be in a tiny kitchen with a large buffet at the same time?

 Sunday Morning we went to Mass (Divine Liturgy) at the Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church. Absolutely beautiful and brought back really great memories. I had gone to the school for 7th and 8th grades... and even had to learn Ukrainian.

 Afterwards mom and dad took us to Johnny Angel's for breakfast.

 I had this great portabella mushroom omlette.  

 Signs in a store in downtown Skaneateles

 The weekend also happened to be the antique boat show. In the background is the dinner boat the Judge Ben Wiles.

 Really, they are thrilled.  Kinda hard to believe.

 HAHA  (a bar of sorts)

 And here is our cabin (not on a lake)

 We have a view of Owasco Lake.

 Thrilled, we have laundry facilities.

 These 3 were enamored with the dishwasher... at home they are the dishwashers.  (I'm enamored, too...) Of course we won't really be eating there enough to even get a load in there.

 The Mandana Inn is where I had my first job as a dishwasher.

 WAAHHH! THis is where my old house WAS. They have since torn it down and are building a new place.

 We went out to my sister Nora's rental cabin.

 HAHA! Actually the name of a shop in town.  I should get a picture of my 3 boys (on the trip) next to this.

 We had a lovely casual dinner at the Country Club in town to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday.

 Aunt Katie and Aunt Mary

 Uncle Bernie, my dad, Uncle Vinc

 A few of my beautiful nieces.

 A couple more

 My brothers-in-law.

 Galadriel and Aunt Margaret

 Happy Birthday, Mom (31st)

 Happy Anniversary to my sister Bridget and her husband Eric.  6 years already! (July 30th)

 And happy 20th birthday Galadriel (August 1)

 Sheila, Michael and their girls... and Uncle Bernie

 Nora, Rory and their clan

 Gifts for Mom from us girls

 The not-so-well-kept-secret bottle of wine.

 Back at Sheila's place for an evening swim, sunset, s'mores and Jacked Doritos. Jacked?

 Merry and Pippin seeing who can get who in the water first.  Merry won, Pipping got wet.

Niece A who picked out the Jacked Doritos made a s'mores out of them! :D