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| 25 May 2006 08:13:34 pm |
 Happy New Year! |
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Happy New Year to everyone and all the best in 2006!! As most of you already know, Lisa and I have moved to Torino, Italy (from Stockholm, Sweden) and will be here for a couple years. I have been battling the Italian Visa and Relocation progress for several months now and I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Torino is a wonderful place and definitely has a very undeserved reputation for being a little Pittsburgh in Italy (not saying the 'burgh is all bad!). I have discovered wonderful food and wine, lively cafes and night life, history, architecture, warm and friendly people and let's not forget.... the beautiful Alps on 3 sides and skiing every weekend! We have found an apartment and it is a combination of old and new and is just perfect. It is located in the heart of the city and has all the madness of Italian life. It is also huge... so lots of room for visitors from afar.
More news to follow after the Olympics if we can survive and all the best! |
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By : donut
| Category : News |  Comments [95] |  Trackbacks [0]
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| 25 May 2006 08:13:19 pm |
| Travel Time... |
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September was another busy month and was highlighted by John's trip to the US and Lisa's friend Heidi visiting Stockholm. I had to travel back to the NYC for an IBM class but took advantage of the opportunity by visiting my youngest brother Greg in Lexington, VA and my middle brother Matt in NYC during the trip. Greg was the first weekend and I got to see his opening football game of the season. It turned out to be a perfect day as the family was there (including my cousin Tom and his soon to be wife Tina and my buddy Rich), the sun was shining, and Greg led the Generals to a big opening day victory over Alfred with 5 TD passes!! In NY, I spend some time with another great friend named Moises! The week finished with dinner with my brother and Daniel and an amazing performance by Daniel in "Altar Boys".... While I was in the states Lisa was busy with Heidi enjoying Stockholm and taking an amazing girl trip to Paris!! They enjoyed the Eiffel Tower, the Moulin Rouge, Notre Dame, and lots of shopping!!
Last, the really big news!!! We bought a place in BELIZE!!!! It is a isolated beach with about 75 ft of beach front with white sand, blue water, and palm trees. That's the good news, more interesting news is there is no water, no electricity, no road, no house and you can only get there by boat! You better Belize it! |
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By : donut
| Category : News | Comments [97] | Trackbacks [0]
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| 25 May 2006 08:12:55 pm |
| Harris Visit |
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| The conclusion to the summer visitors tour was punctuated with Lisa's parents Dave and Irene Harris. This was a trip of "FIRSTS" for the Harris Family with their first passport, trip to Europe, cruise ship and lots of interesting foods and Lisa just returned from her 1st trip to Greece (spent with friends)! Overall, I thought it was the perfect end to the summer and an amazing trip for all. The trip included all the usual experiences including Gamla Stan, the Vasa, Drottingsgatan, the Castle, Kungstrgarden, etc. But also included a couple firsts including a overnight cruise to Helsinki across the Baltic Sea on the Viking Line. The cruise was perfect with great weather, music, food and company and included a day tour of Helsinki and some interesting foods at the local market! Overall... another wonderful experience for us in Europe. |
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By : donut
| Category : News | Comments [95] | Trackbacks [0]
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| 25 May 2006 08:12:00 pm |
| Dusseldorf |
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| You would never think that Dusseldorf Germany would be a great get away weekend in Europe but let me and my liver tell you, you are wrong. In pure German style, our recent weekend trip to Dusseldorf with the McConnell brothers and of course, the Donut (aka Chris Greenwood), brought good times, tons of great beer, and a stomach busting quantity of sausages. Surprisingly, Dusseldorf is the "fashion" center of Germany (who knew?) and the streets are packed with shopping from regular to trendy to couture The old town is wall to wall bars, breweries of Alt or "Old" Beer, and restaurants. The weekend had 2 large events. The first being German"fashion week" and we saw the world's largest runway with a massive 700 meter walk in the heart of the city. This outdoor show was a serious event and we got a great seat near a small stand serving excellent Mojitos! Next to the banks of the Rhein River with a classic German summer carnival. German carnivals are not like US carnivals... these are large transportable cities with more bars then Pittsburgh. We ate backfish, Austrian cheese sausage, sauteed mushrooms, pomme frites with mayo, and of course German sausage all washed down with local beers. It was basically a mini Octoberfest! Thank you Germany another great weekend and you are quickly becoming one of my favorite countries in Europe! |
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By : donut
| Category : News | Comments [97] | Trackbacks [0]
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| 25 May 2006 08:11:40 pm |
| Summer Vacation |
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| July is the summer vacation month in the Nordics and the real start of the beautiful Swedish Summer. This year is the best ever and the weather has been just perfect! My parents (John and Patty) just visited for 2 weeks and we had a wonderful time. The trip started with pure craziness with my parents forgetting the tickets in Pittsburgh and then loosing their luggage in London and being rerouted and basically pure hell! It improved quickly with an excursion to Prague for 5 days with Lisa and my friend Big Chris. Prague is beautiful and so cheap it makes you cry.... starting with the 25 cent beers. The next week was spent enjoying Stockholm with lots of touring and eating. We spent one great night at Edsbaka Krog, which is a Michelin 2 star and one of the most famous restaurants in Sweden.... great experience! We finished up the trip with a cruise out to Sandhamm, a sandy beach island on the outer most archipelago, and a nice BBQ. Next trip is Dusseldorf for a summer Rhine Valley festival. |
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By : donut
| Category : News | Comments [101] | Trackbacks [0]
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| 25 May 2006 08:10:18 pm |
| The Story |
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The Story
After living in France and then Sweden and then Torino, Italy over that last 5 years... the adventure now moves back to the States. The catalyst for this move was Quinn Gabriella, our beautiful daughter. She was born on February 19, 2008 and has changed our lives for the better. We have rented an apartment in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh and this provides us a "euro" like lifestyle with shops and cafes close by and plenty of access to the grandparents. Lisa is a super mom and is a natural. We are thinking of getting a nanny a couple days a week to give Lisa some free time to relax or go back to work. We shall see... |
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By : donut
| Category : The Story | Comments [93] | Trackbacks [0]
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| 25 May 2006 08:08:54 pm |
| The Family... |
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The Family...
I am the oldest of three brothers. Matthew is 28 and Gregory is 24. Matthew lives in Manhattan, NY and is an aspiring Broadway star! He was a musical theatre major in college and has been in some excellent off-Broadway and regional theatre productions. We are all awaiting his big break!! Matt recently purchased his first apartment (14oth St) and we are all very excited. Greg is a recent graduate of Washington and Lee University (my alma mater) and has decided to follow my father in the family business. My father owns a small financial consulting firm in Pittsburgh, PA and it is good to get my brother on board. He recently married his long time girlfriend Donna Chahine and they also purchased their first home in Mt. Lebo (nice suburb of Pittsburgh). My parents are John Jr and Patricia and they are living in the family home in Pittsburgh, PA. My mother is a retired manager from Eaton Culter-Hammer.
Lisa's younger sister Sherrie was just married to her boyfriend Matt and has joined him in Germany as he is in the US Army. Matt is deployed in Afganistan and has been promoted to Sgt! We hope he gets back soon. The newest addition to the Tweardy Clan is Quinn Gabriella (DOB 02/19/200 . She is now 11 weeks old and just the BEST! Check out the pics if you do not believe me. |
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By : donut
| Category : The Story | Comments [86] | Trackbacks [0]
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| 25 May 2006 08:07:26 pm |
| The Job... |
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The Job...
Life has recently changed on the job front for me. After 10 wonderful years at IBM, I decided to move in a new direction and joined Deloitte Consulting LLP. I joined the Outsourcing Advisory Services (OAS) practice in the Strategy Service Line. This was a very difficult decision for me and many think this was a bold move... and it is... but I needed to change the game a bit. The next couple years will be very challenging as I will be pushing to make partner and with a lot of work and a little luck... I may get there. I will keep JT.COM updated on the progress and adventures. |
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By : donut
| Category : The Story | Comments [89] | Trackbacks [0]
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