Shoveling in a snowstorm, from a few weeks ago.

Went to the 2010 Chicago Auto Show with my brother last weekend and brought my camera along. We checked out all the shiny toy cars, since my brother wants to someday be the proud owner of a BMW. I wasn’t sure which car I liked the best. Having driven my dad’s tiny Honda Civic, I think that if I were to buy a car I’d get either a sedan or SUV just because of the extra leg room.

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season, a time of penitence and promise.
We renew our commitment to our faith and the love we have for one another.

It is really unusual for me to look at photos of my paternal family from a completely different era in time. I found these locked in a chest that had been sitting in my closet at home for years, using a hammer to smash the lock open because we had forgotten the combination. I was curious because I had no idea what was inside. After I opened it, I found a wealth of family home movies and an old photo album. Unfortunately I don’t have a VHS, Super8, or miniDV VCR to check those videos out yet. Rest assured, “Ian and Queen of All Saints Basketball Game 1993,” “Sheila and Girlscouts go to the Zoo,” and “Dindo’s 1st Birthday Party” may go on YouTube in the near future. Anyway, the photo album was a delight to look through for the first time. There are many more that I might upload later, but these were my favorite.

It has been a while since I last saw a photo of my grandfather, Vicente Santarinala. A little more than 7 years ago this month he passed away. Requiescat In Pace.