This year I disconnected from the grid for a week just to enjoy life. Of course what happened was that holiday consumerism crept in to fill the void where so many hours are usually spent on work matters. I’m not complaining, all of it was a terrific distraction for my numbed mind. I just think it is funny how quickly the days pass when plugging in to non-work life.

Top uses of spare time over the Holiday Break…

1. Logging into Webkinz

We are late adopters when it comes to Webkinz. So, Santa brought 3 of them to our family. Unfortunately, Santa brought them into millions of other households on Christmas. From Christmas Day through today the Webkinz experience has consisted of a lot of the above. Shame on Webkinz for not building out enough servers to meet holiday demand. Couldn’t they have ordered a Blackbox or something?

2. Playing Webkinz Games for the Kids
Guess what? That KinzCash doesn’t come easy. The games in Webkinz world are pretty tough; especially for 4 and 5 year olds. Whatever happened to good old stupid Beanie Babies?

3. Obtaining WiiShoulder
I’m not sure that Nintendo knew it would have a Baby Boomer hit when they released the Wii. Well, believe it. My Mom gave my Dad a Wii, and my father in-law gave my mother in-law one. Not one to shy from competition, I spent much of my time trying to approach the greatness of parents who taunt me with scores like this…

Ellen Agosti’s top score at Wii Bowling

4. Demonstrating ineptitude at Guitar Hero III
I don’t need no stinking Wii. I got Guitar Hero III for my PS2. While I put in some pretty good licks on my Guitar Hero, I spent a bit of time drooling at YouTube videos of people knocking it out on expert. My favorite so far from Guitar Hero II…

5. Finding things to Pour BaconSalt On
Eggs…Check. Pizza…Check. Canker sore?…hmmm. Yes, Santa brought me all 3 delicious flavors of BaconSalt. I very much wanted to support my former colleague’s bacontrepreneurship. Indeed, everything tastes better with Bacon. Yeah, it’s fine on food, but I’m not sure whether its medicinal qualities have been fully exploited. I usually zap a pesky canker sore with salt. Next time it’s going to be a Hickory Flavored Bacon Assault.

6. Lego Attack
I’m going to adjourn meetings of LBA (Lego Builders Anonymous). Supposedly Mason is into Legos, which he is. The more Tricia and I got into it though, the more we became Lego Maniacs. By the end of the holiday week we had assembled the following sets that Mason got for Christmas.

• Fireboat
• Rescue Helicopter
• Garbage Truck
• Mini Monkey
• The Final Joust
• Fire Pick-up Truck
• The mother of all builds: Vladek’s Dark Fortress

New Year’s Eve this year was tons of fun. We had our new friends Christine and Andy White (via Mason’s kindergarten buddy, Nolan), and our old(er) friends David and Kelly Janicek over for New Years Eve. There was plenty of Guitar Hero III to play, and the wives had good fun just chit chatting. All of it was augmented by some top shelf libation and great food. The time really went by quick. We only made it to the last 4 seconds of the Dick Clark countdown, and then it was back to the fun until 4am. It’s back to work today for some rest after our great holidays **yawn**.

As is always the case when a family member says that they have something to tell you, you mentally prepare yourself for all sorts of unsettling news. My Mom and Dad normally just blurt it out with no preamble necessary. This news was shocking. They held an uncomfortable pause then informed me that my Aunt Wendy has breast cancer. WHAT?!? Is she sure? How? When? **deep breath**. Much as I didn’t want to hear the rest, it’s true. On December 8th she found a suspicious lump. December 12th she had 2 mammograms and an ultrasound. On December 14th, a biopsy, and finally on December 18th test results revealed cancer…ductile carcinoma. The oncologist determined that it is stage III cancer from which 1 in 30 patients survive. Since the cancer has spread to her lymphnodes, there is a risk that the cancer is in other parts of her body, all of which will be tested over the next few days.

Apparently Aunt Wendy has had this for quite a while undetected. Regular mammograms cannot detect some kinds of cancer. A simple ultrasound would have revealed the issue, but this is not a standard procedure in preventative care. I’ve got a couple of doctors in the family, so I’ll try not to pretend to be one. However, I can’t stay away from Google and its ability to find guidance that shows women should be getting ultrasounds in addition to their mammograms, and that the National Cancer Institute is testing a variety of methods of detection. Plus, it is very likely there is a link between prolonged use of the pill and breast cancer. This is enough sour grapes (I guess) on how she got here.

Let me give my personal testimony about Aunt Wendy before I ask for prayers for her. Wendy Vosper (nee Rzepkowski) has been my kindred spirit from birth. She became my aunt on her 10th birthday in 1975, giving us a closeness in age that almost makes her a big sister. Ever since then, she has given me a special kind of unconditional love that no parent, wife or even my own children can offer. When I was a kid, she was the “cool aunt” who would play with me when my parents had enough. Christmas time was ALWAYS my favorite because she went nuts for it. From her famously over-taped wrappings, to the ever-present stuffed animals (she’s a stuffed animal freak), Christmas was a spectacle.

Aunt Wendy and Kris celebrate our birthday in 2004

As we grew older, Aunt Wendy became a stunning beauty who always had a boyfriend. That didn’t stop her from taking my sister and I with her on dates to the Putt-Putt or the ice cream parlor. Through my most awkward teenage years, she was the one who built me up and called me handsome, even though I always felt like such a dork. That kind of encouragement from someone so beautiful on the outside showed me what I always knew – how beautiful she is on the inside. In adulthood, Aunt Wendy has remained a positive influence on my life. She, along with my grandmother have the most faith-filled life of anyone I know. Through the ups and downs of money, marriage, and jobs I can always talk to Aunt Wendy about anything. After we talk, we always come out the other side knowing that we’re there for each other.

Now is my time to be there for her. If there is anything I’ve learned from Aunt Wendy, it is how to be there for someone you love. We live far apart, so I can’t physically be in South Carolina with her. The best I can do is pray to God every day, and ask that he take me to be with she who has been my Guardian Angel in her times of need. I ask everyone who reads this blog entry to add my Aunt Wendy to your prayers. Ask that God’s will be done, and that his grace be given to someone who so deserves it. Aunt Wendy has the fight of her life ahead of her, our collective prayers will give her strength. If you’d like to provide direct words of encouragement to Aunt Wendy, view her CarePage where she will be keeping us up to date on her treatment.

This summer, I had the chance to be a part of her wedding to Ian Vosper. At the time I’m sure ‘in sickness and in health’ was furthest from both of their minds. Now Ian has to provide her with support. Please pray for Ian to be strong to support Aunt Wendy. Pray for God’s grace on Ian as he takes on a bigger challenge than he has ever had to tackle.

I’m hoping through this to continue to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure who seems to provide some of the best information and support for those who battle breast cancer.

Here’s another little ditty of the Zips plus uncle Matt mixing it up Jib Jab style.

Over the weekend, we took a short family jaunt to New York City for Tricia’s 33rd Birthday. We stayed with my college roomate Dana Deskiewicz in his awesome pad in Hoboken. It was a terrific weekend to take in all of the holiday festivities. From the Empire State Building to the tree in Rockefeller Center, we packed it in. Mason and Anna did awesome. I can’t believe their little legs still work after all of the walking we did. Explore the Google Map below to follow us on our two and a half day odyssey. Be sure to click all of the icons for pictures and stories of what we did.

Here’s a larger map to navigate our trip more easily!

Check out more pictures in Tricia’s account of the trip.

The holiday buying season sometime in the late 70’s must have been momentous for a clothing company named Leonardo Strassi. One Christmas, my Dad’s family gave too many zippered ski vests, bell-bottom jeans, or wide-collared flower shirts from the same store. These items of good taste were all packaged lovingly within the same kind of black garment box from Leonardo Strassi. When all of these suspicious boxes were retrieved from under the tree, then opened at once, the legend of “The Box” was born into Rzepkowski Family lore.

“The Box” is a bit strange by today’s garment box standards. It is all black, illustrated only by a Unabomber-looking gentleman with a gigolo moustache and some fine sunglasses. It is a thin box that only can contain the slightest of gifts. Underwear? Yes. Sweatshirt? No way! Every Christmas since that time, the Boxes have arrived under the tree. At first, there were some chuckles as Leonardo showed his classic good looks. Then, in the early 80’s the family realized that these boxes were becoming treasured family heirlooms to be passed down from generation to generation. The rule became that the holder of “The Box” must regift it to another family member sometime in the upcoming year. It was used not only for Christmas, but also for Birthdays, anniversaries, and any other momentous life occasion.

So rich became this tradition that my grandmother began inscribing the lid with the giver and receiver of “The Box”, the event, and the date. After 30 years of keeping up this ritual, “The Box” has become a gift in of itself. Opening one provides many minutes of joy as you first feign surprise that you didn’t know what it was, then recite the previous holders of the treasure, and finally let the awesome responsibility of passing it on set in. The younger generation can all recall when we received our first Box.

Interior of Leonardo Strassi Box, 2007

As legend has it, there are only 4 Boxes left in circulation (no one really knows), each with a colorful history of birthdays, Christmases and anniversaries gone by. The histories reveal new family members, special events, and of course 30 years of Christmas memories. So, this year instead of a Nintendo Wii, or an iPod, a tattered black Box is on the top of my list.

Mason with his first Box in 2002

A note to the Rzepkowski clan. If you have more clarity on the details of this story, please leave it in the comments. I submitted this story to a request at the office for holiday traditions. Quite honestly I couldn’t remember all of the details, so this account sounded close enough, but I want to get the record straight

Christmas 2007, a Box returns to the Rzepkowski’s of Webster
As if she were channeling Leo himself, Tricia executed the perfect reveal of the “Box”. This time around, Leo was overstuffed with a fleece sweatshirt which disguised the normally slim form factor. When she tore into the present, the first thing we saw was the Gigolo man staring right back at us. Have a look at the amazing video…

Here is the long lost footage of our audition on Dancing With the Stars. My professional dance partner, Tricia Rzepkowski chose an upbeat ensemble from the 1970’s that shows reverence for the decade of our birth.

It was a crazy deer-lover’s weekend indeed. From the exact same tree stand where Terry put one down earlier in bow season and where I bagged a doe on November 3rd, came news this morning that Terry got a doe to fill his extra Deer Management Permit.

In the waning minutes of his weekend jaunt to Western New York, he said that a gaggle of does decided to poke around the mowed corn and bean fields behind him. The biggest of the group walked to 50 paces and presented a broadside shot almost like a decoy. Terry said that it was one of the best shots of his hunting career. Unfortunately I couldn’t be there for the great event, but I’ve got the picture to prove it. Congratulations Terry on a great deer donated to the Venison Coalition!.

Terry Rzepkowski and his doe from November 18, 2007

Saturday, my dad got a nice deer to start the regular season. Of course we had already put plenty of time in the field during bow season, including Terry’s button buck on October 20th, and my doe on November 3rd. Plus, Gary bagged a buck on October 28th. Now, it was Dad’s turn to have a 2007 deer story.

Terry was in town for one last hurrah as the cheap pre-Thanksgiving flights allowed him to sneak in one more weekend. Saturday was a beautiful and chilly November morning. The sun came up earlier than usual because of the clear skies in the east. We were all up by 5am and on stand by 6:30am. Before first light we were already hearing plenty of shots in the distance (which is totally illegal, but doesn’t seem to bug some of the fine sportsmen of Livingston County). Round about 7:40am I heard a shot from my Dad’s general area, then a second only 10 seconds later. I flipped on my radio to hear the good news. Through his excited, heavy breathing Dad said that he had gotten a buck. It was a nice 6 pointer that came right into the open field to the side of him. He took one excellent shot from 40 paces. The deer did a somersault, and then kept on moving toward the woods. Dad took a second shot which was the final blow, and the deer expired immediately.

I thought I’d get down out of my tree stand around 8:30 to come help him out. By the time I reached him, the deer was already field dressed. He’s got this solo gutting thing down to a science now. We took the deer over to Steele Sausage and Catering in Avon, NY where our favorite deer processor and sausage man, Tim Steele took the buck as a donation to the Venison Coalition. Congratulations on a nice deer Dad!

Kris with Dad Rz and his 6 point buck on November 17, 2007

Yesterday was Mason’s Star Wars birthday party held in the Jedi Training Center at our house. 9 of Mason’s friends and his sister Anna went through rigorous Jedi training exercises conceived by Jedi Master Tricia after she used the force to channel Yoda’s training methods. The Younglings demonstrated their weapons and lightsaber skills, physical abilities via an obstacle course, and mental abilities by pinning the Lightsaber on Yoda.

Afterward, Darth Vader (played by none other than my mom) made an appearance to test the newly trained students’ ability to resist the temptations of the Dark Side. Mason’s real birthday is December 22nd, but we are so glad we were able to dedicate the time and effort to his birthday prior to the busy holiday season. It seemed like everyone had fun.