Hey Aaron, Deak was wrong!

Apparently we have been duped! The following article comes to us courtest of the NY Times.

Read on..................

For years, at thousands of New York City intersections, well-worn push buttons have offered harried walkers a rare promise of control over their pedestrian lives. The signs mounted above explained their purpose:

To Cross Street
Push Button
Wait for Walk Signal
Dept. of Transportation

Millions of dutiful city residents and tourists have pushed them over the years, thinking it would help speed them in their journeys. Many trusting souls might have believed they actually worked. Others, more cynical, might have suspected they were broken but pushed anyway, out of habit, or in the off chance they might bring a walk sign more quickly.

As it turns out, the cynics were right.

The city deactivated most of the pedestrian buttons long ago with the emergence of computer-controlled traffic signals, even as an unwitting public continued to push on, according to city Department of Transportation officials. More than 2,500 of the 3,250 walk buttons that still exist function essentially as mechanical placebos, city figures show. Any benefit from them is only imagined.

"I always push," said Réna, an employee at Long Island College Hospital in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, who was too embarrassed to give her last name after she pushed a button on Atlantic Avenue and was told the truth. "The sign says push, so I push. I think it works."

By the late 1980's, most of the buttons had been deactivated, their steel exteriors masking the lie within. But city officials say they do not remember ever publishing an obituary, and the white and black signs stayed up, many of them looking as new and official as ever.

"I don't always push, but I do it in the off-chance that I might save two seconds," said Joanne Downes, 63, a retired nursing professor.

And in the bigger scheme of things, he said, it doesn't really matter if people push a working button. "The public is going to get the walk signal regardless," said a city offical. "I guess that's the point. There's no harm in having it at the locations."

His explanation may be the best reason for the continued existence of the buttons.

"Because," he said, "it's fun."

Tortilla Jo's

Here is the happy elder with the happy sister enjoying Mexican food at Downtown Disney. We had driven all day to meet up with Ben, the whole fam enjoyed dinner at Tortilla Jo's.

What fun!

On to the next!

Its been sooo long since I've posted a log here and soooo much has happened. We welcomed home the once wisconsinated Aaro. Here he arrives home to a thrilled group who love this guy. Its soi great to Aaron home with us, we have missed him greatly.

After a short time at home we all arroanged for everone to meet at Disneyland. A place so familiar to each of us over the past 25 years.




Here you see the Elder as he was translated to civilian life while at the happiest place on earth.

Despite sickness and an extremely hot enviro we enjoyed having the family all together again. We have grown in numbers from 5 to 7, with the arrivals of Ben and Emma. Funny how that works?

However I think I can say that as parents it is so wonderful to be schooled by such a great group, we have truly been blessed.



I could not resist posting these two photos for obvious reasons, I will tell you that the sleeping on to the right knows the smiling one above as Kakaa!

I 'll look for more photos to post, but until the next, off we go!