My son Jeff at SJSU

My Dad's Old Speed Graphic

Pictures with my dad's Speed Graphic

Two years ago our house was burglarized and I lost all the cameras my dad had left me except for one, my dad's old Speed Graphic. It is a lovely camera with a sharp old Kodak (made in USA) Color Ektar lens. I have not used this old press camera in decades, but I remember it being as sharp as a tack. Lately I have started doing business with a local camera repair store, Kamera Korner, and the owner is an old camera repairman named Bob. Repair of old film cameras is becoming a dying art, literally. So I decided to get this camera made usable again. It took awhile, I heard stories from the other people in the shop about the work Bob was putting into the camera. After a month or so, it was ready.

The photo above is from the first roll with this camera.

I have found an added bonus with using this camera. It is so unique, so retro looking, people love talking about it. That leads to conversations which leads to photo opportunities. When I look through the viewfinder, when I click the shutter, I am looking through the same viewfinder, clicking the same shutter my dad did fifty years ago. I think that is pretty cool! Plus it takes amazing photos. The picture here does not do it justice, it is so sharp, so true to color. It's amazing, we are talking around 60 mega pixels in digital equivalent, I have been told. It is knock your socks off sharp. Sometimes; older is better.

Celebrating Frances's Birthay

Today is Sue's Mom, Frances's birthday. She is 83. I had lunch with her. I picked her up at the San Jose airport. She was returning from a trip to visit friends in Florida. I took her to lunch. It was a lovely day. I am really glad I was able to spend time with her today.

Family Visit

Sue's brother John is visiting California and staying with their mom in Campbell. We are getting ready to meet him for lunch.

Sloan Christmas 2008

[Click here to see more photos]

"What is your favorite part of Christmas?" "Presents!" Madison did not hesitate to answer. Four-year-olds are absolutely candid. She was having a blast. There will be plenty of time later to learn the deeper meanings of Christmas.

For now...

When asked is it was okay that she got more presents than anybody else Madison enthusiastically replied, "Oh My, Yes!"

Family Wedding

Portland Wedding Photos

Here are some selected photos from nephew Alex and Lindsay's wedding and reception in Portland on November 8, 2008. Starring Alex and Lindsay and co-starring granddaughter Madison (age 4) as The Flower Girl:

[More Wedding photos here]

Before the wedding we went for a walk in downtown Portland. Of course I took photos there too:

[Morning walk photos]

Back from Portland

Back from Portland

Early last night we returned from Portland. Alex and Lindsay's wedding was lovely and we had a nice stay in Portland. We spent some great time together and with family.

Grandson's Birthday

[Click here to see more photos]

Yesterday we celebrated Jacob's birthday

Jacob turns one this week and we celebrated on Saturday. He is such a cute and happy baby. It was a lot of fun. It was very nice of Nicole's mom Kathy to host the party at her house. It was a big party and she had a real house full.

Middle Son Jeff is 30

Thirty Years Ago Today, Jeff Was Born

Today is my son Jeff's birthday. Thirty years ago today he was born in Sacramento, CA. He was a helathy boy, the healthiest of our babies. Today Jeff is in Florida and so we are not able to celebrate with him. Jeff is the second of my sons to turn 30. Steve will be 32 in October.

My three sons

My three sons, together again

Having my sons together is a rare event. The last time it happened was in December 2005. On Sunday evening we had a great time hanging out and talking and visiting. They are all fine men. On Monday Jeff flew out of town on business.

Family Matters

Family Matters

Oldest son Steve, his wife Luci and grandkids Cazden and Solomon are visiting this week. Yesterday sons Jeff and Kenneth and their families came to dinner at our house, along with their families, as well as my sister, her husband and Sue's mom. It was a great get together and it was the first since December 2005 that all three of my sons have been together again.

Bad News from Idaho Relatives

This morning I got a call from cousin Debbie in Boise. Debbie is the oldest daughter of my cousin Dolores. Terry (Dolores's youngest daughter Susan's husband) died yesterday of complications following a fall he had from a ladder last week.

According to Debbie, Terry was hurt badly in the fall. He broke many bones but they did not think his injuries were life threatening. But, he developed pneumonia in the hospital. Yesterday his blood pressure started dropping. His heart rate elevated, he suffered a heart attack and died. I also talked to Susan, of course she is devastated.

I visited them lasy year, in June of 2007, and stayed with Dolores. Dolores's husband Ben died on Feb. 11, 2007. We all went out to dinner. I sat next to Terry and we had a long conversation. He was a great guy.

Busy Days and Nights

Susie is very busy these days

My wife Sue is a lead technical writer and she has been quite busy. Since companies have moved from printed to on-line documentation delivery, documentation is no longer based on print based production cycles. Documentation is constantly being reviewed and revised and so writing organizations are hard pressed to keep up. Deadlines are constant.

New Grandson

More photos of Solomon's First Day

Today was quite a day and I am tired. Today was the birth of grandchild number six, Soloman Sloan. I have covered the day in several ways:

• The day in pictures on Flickr
• The trip in pictures on Flickr
• My Twitter Feed
• My Family Blog

I am too tired to do or say more. Wow, what a day!

[Click here to see more photos]

Giant photos from film camera

Pictures from last month's JMC Giants game
Nicole and I went to the Giant's game with faculty and staff from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications last month. As well as my cameraphone Treo, I carried one of my film cameras, as I often do, and the pictures came out pretty well. I like shooting with film. You can carry a once high end film camera that takes great shots, has no battery weight and would cost only $200 to replace if someone poured beer on it. The downside is it took awhile to get the pictures developed, but that is life with film. I hope you like these photos!

[Click here to see photos on Flickr]

Son Jeff elected to campus post

Jeff elected VP of Careers of SJSU chapter of Beta Alpha Psi
This is Jeff's campaign speech. According to Wikipedia, "Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary organization for accounting, finance and information systems students and professionals. Its primary objective is to encourage and recognize academic and professional excellence in the financial information field. Beta Alpha Psi promotes the study and practice of accounting, finance and information systems. They also provide opportunities for personal growth, service and association between members and practicing professionals. The organization strives to encourage a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibility."

Anniversary

An Anniversary
Today is the anniversary of the most tragic day in the lives of my family and I. Seventeen years ago a car accident took the life of my sons' mother, my first wife. I made a movie about that, that is not what this post is about.

Before I could be there for my three sons after the accident I had to have my own feet on the ground. Many people share credit for helping us repair and to go on with our lives, but in my opinion the most credit goes to my current wonderful wife Sue. Susie and I have been together more than 15 years now. She took on our wounded family and became a wife/step-mom/mom to all of us whom were dealing with so much pain, anger and long-term grief. It was not an easy task.

The boys and I all share many memories of the life we lived on and before that tragic day. Sue has always understood and respected that. The pain of death, especially untimely and tragic death, never goes away. It is there as a constant. Sue has been there for us and has become a much loved part of our family. She became a parent to the boys. Sometimes she was not given the appreciation she has been due for what she did. But, she never quit. We are very lucky, some would have quit. Not Sue.

Technorati Tags: ssloansjca, Death, Grief, Rebuilding, Families, Sloan Family, Susan Graziano Sloan, Remarriage, Step Parenting

Big Boys

Big Boys
"Big Boy" is what Sue said when she saw this picture of a Union Pacific train at Tehachapi. The term was apt, I told her, because "Big Boy" was the term given by the Union Pacific to the largest steam engines ever built. It also is apt because this last weekend my middle son Jeff and I were like boys chasing trains over the Union Pacific's former Southern Pacific Tehachapi mountain pass. We had perfect weather and tons of trains. The grades on these hills are brutal and these modern Big Boys were working like demons pulling a heavy train around Tehachapi Loop. Jeff and I had a great time and we saw many, many trains!

[Click here to see more photos on Flickr]

Special train through town

An elegant conveyance
This evening I photographed a Union Pacific passenger special as it passed the historic former South Pacific Coast narrow gauge railroad depot in Agnew, now part of Santa Clara, California. This depot is also the home of the California Central Model Railroad club that is so much fun and that Kenneth and I belong to.

Kenneth is 21

I can now go out a bar and have a beer with all my sons!
Yesterday Kenneth turned 21. He is a fine young man who has a heart of gold. All my kids are quite grown up and the little ones in my life are grandchildren now. We have not yet been able to celebrate with him. He has a cold and we hope to be able to celebrate with him soon. We are lucky to have such fine sons!