Also, we have our fingers crossed that this will be the first day that the new pool will be ready to swim in making it a double celebration.
Hope you can make it to witness England begin their bid to achieve World Cup glory.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Save the Date: Jun 12th
Also, we have our fingers crossed that this will be the first day that the new pool will be ready to swim in making it a double celebration.
Hope you can make it to witness England begin their bid to achieve World Cup glory.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Justin Graduates High School
Big congratulations to Justin on the occasion of his High School graduation last night.
All of us here at UlloaSullivan.com are super proud of your successes through the High School years - both academically and aquatically (if that's even a word) and look forward to seeing you achieve even bigger and greater things in the years to come.
And on this occasion, we are also delighted to announce that Justin is the second honorary recipient of the UlloaSullivan Collegiate Textbook Scholarship.
Congratulations Dude!
All of us here at UlloaSullivan.com are super proud of your successes through the High School years - both academically and aquatically (if that's even a word) and look forward to seeing you achieve even bigger and greater things in the years to come.
And on this occasion, we are also delighted to announce that Justin is the second honorary recipient of the UlloaSullivan Collegiate Textbook Scholarship.
Congratulations Dude!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Meleena Graduates with Honors!
We are proud to share the news that Meleena has graduated from Washington Junior High School, Dinube with Honors; getting to wear the gold tassle and sit in the front row at the graduation ceremony for all to see.
She also performed in the Drumline during the ceremony wherein they performed their award winning Cadence - they remained unbeaten throughout this year's marching band events, taken first place everywhere they performed it.
Congratulations Meleena!
She also performed in the Drumline during the ceremony wherein they performed their award winning Cadence - they remained unbeaten throughout this year's marching band events, taken first place everywhere they performed it.
Congratulations Meleena!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Justin Backstrokes to Valley Champion
The hot sporting news from this past weekend is that Justin took the title of Valley Champion in the Men's 100 yard Backstroke event in Bakersfield.
You can read all about it here.
Way to go, JLO. I look forward to racing you in our new pool very soon...
You can read all about it here.
Way to go, JLO. I look forward to racing you in our new pool very soon...
Monday, May 24, 2010
Catching Up/Dates
Other than the Weird Japanese Thingy post - which turned out to be some really tasty, not in the least bit scary chewing gum, btw - and the occasional Tweet, I've been a bit remiss in providing updates in the past few weeks.
So, in an effort to try and make up for it a little I figured I would lump a bunch of stuff together in this one post.
First off, I am pleased to share that Neil is now the Head Physio of Derby County Football Club. And, while he looks a little uncomfortable in this official team photo, I hear that he is thoroughly enjoying the new role and the challenges that come with it - even though it meant that his usual longer summer holiday is shorter this year as he and the team gear up for a big 2010/11 season.Paul and Steph have just bought their first house together and are in the middle of the renovation process. I don't have any pictures to share as yet but I'm hoping that this post will motivate them to send us some of the work in progress. I was very happy to learn that he followed in his big brother's steps and got his priorities straight by buying a home theatre system early on in the process. As I always say - you've got to have some tunes playing to motivate everyone to do all the hard work. ;)
Nick has not only switched jobs but has taken on the creation of a kids football school program that he and Kate will be running in their spare time.
Work continues on our back yard - with decking, rocks and tiling now in place around the pool. We're just waiting to see if it's really going to rain this week or not before the interior surface and all the machinery is installed and plumbed.Once that is all done the rest of the landscaping can commence. We'll be doing that in phases as, with a fairly large backyard, it's expensive. The area around the pool will be getting first dibs on the budget allocation and then we'll expand east from there.
And last, but by no means least, I am pleased to share with you all the video of M singing a song in Japanese at Tsugumi and Nathan's wedding in Toronto a few weeks ago. In case you're wondering how such a thing could happen - the arrangement was that every time we wanted the couple to kiss we had to nominate people from our table to go up and sing a song that included the word love in either English or Japanese. With a couple of the other ladies on our table being Japanese they chose the latter and M - emboldened by a couple of glasses of wine and a generously poured gin & tonic - agreed to join in (dance moves and all).
And with that special treat I will sign off for now. There's quite alot going in UlloaSullivan land over the next few weeks and we'll be sure to keep you posted as it pans out so keep checking back often.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Update: Weird Japanese Thingy
So, here's what it looked like inside once I opened it.
A little plastic sachet with a square of something and scary picture and story written on a folder piece of paper that I had to tear on the perforations to see.
Thoughts?
A little plastic sachet with a square of something and scary picture and story written on a folder piece of paper that I had to tear on the perforations to see.
Thoughts?
Quiz: What's this weird Japanese thingy?
So, I'm in Tokyo. I headed over to the local 7-Eleven for my usual early morning, dealing with jetlag and starving hungry so must get some sandwiches and a banana trip and noticed a row of these sitting above some shelves with special World Cup Coke bottles (I'll get one to bring home - don't worry, Meleena) priced at 42 yen each.
I had no idea what they were but decided to get one anyway and having got back to my room and opened it I am still none the wiser. I'll share some more pics later so you can see what was inside and will take it to the office to ask the locals what it is.
In the meantime, if you're feeling adventurous, feel free to guess what might be contained in a little plastic wrapper with the picture of a porcelain-faced Japanese ghost-lady-demon-person prominently displayed above some Coke bottles directly in front of the store entrance.
I had no idea what they were but decided to get one anyway and having got back to my room and opened it I am still none the wiser. I'll share some more pics later so you can see what was inside and will take it to the office to ask the locals what it is.
In the meantime, if you're feeling adventurous, feel free to guess what might be contained in a little plastic wrapper with the picture of a porcelain-faced Japanese ghost-lady-demon-person prominently displayed above some Coke bottles directly in front of the store entrance.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day Mum
Just a quick note to let you and the whole wide world know that I think you're special. And I'm not embarrassed to say it.
Hope you have a great day - and that it gets even better when I call you in a minute. :)
Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to all you other mothers out there too.
Hope you have a great day - and that it gets even better when I call you in a minute. :)
Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to all you other mothers out there too.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Ouch!
Apparently this was the result of falling off a bicycle a week or so ago. It looks like the pavement won that bout.
Let me know if you need help picking off the scab, Markie!
Let me know if you need help picking off the scab, Markie!
The Unsung Art of Chronography
We managed to get over to the swim meet in Dinuba on Friday afternoon to see Justin compete as part of his High School team. It was the first time this season that we'd been able to attend and we were somewhat disappointed to learn that we'd just missed him swim in his heats. We shouldn't have worried as he was going to be competing in 3 finals a little bit later on - after a couple of really long women's races that I swear were won based upon who could move their arms the slowest.
Anyway, just before the finals started they were calling out for people to go and help time the races and M convinced me to offer my services. I had the choice of two Lanes - 4 or 6 - and, because lane 4 was closer that was the one I chose. It was fortuitous as it turned out that that was the lane that Justin was going to be swimming in for his finals.
What people don't always appreciate is the importance of the role that us 'chronographers' perform in determining the outcome of a race. Indeed, we perhaps play just as much of a role as the swimmers themselves - remember the photo-finish 1/100th of a second win recorded my Michael Phelps at the Olympics? If it wasn't for the professionalism of the chronography involved he might have walked (swam?) away with only 7 gold medals in Beijing.
Anyway, I'm glad to say that I performed my duties flawlessly and helped Justin and his teammates win all three of the events they swam in lane 4 while I was on duty. I feel proud to have played a small part in their success and a only hope that they will be aided by a similar class of chronographer at future events should I not be able to make it.
Nice job on that last freestyle relay, JLO! Seeing you close in and take the lead from lane 5 to win the race was a beautiful thing.
Anyway, just before the finals started they were calling out for people to go and help time the races and M convinced me to offer my services. I had the choice of two Lanes - 4 or 6 - and, because lane 4 was closer that was the one I chose. It was fortuitous as it turned out that that was the lane that Justin was going to be swimming in for his finals.
What people don't always appreciate is the importance of the role that us 'chronographers' perform in determining the outcome of a race. Indeed, we perhaps play just as much of a role as the swimmers themselves - remember the photo-finish 1/100th of a second win recorded my Michael Phelps at the Olympics? If it wasn't for the professionalism of the chronography involved he might have walked (swam?) away with only 7 gold medals in Beijing.
Anyway, I'm glad to say that I performed my duties flawlessly and helped Justin and his teammates win all three of the events they swam in lane 4 while I was on duty. I feel proud to have played a small part in their success and a only hope that they will be aided by a similar class of chronographer at future events should I not be able to make it.
Nice job on that last freestyle relay, JLO! Seeing you close in and take the lead from lane 5 to win the race was a beautiful thing.