pete4winds

Thanks for all the votes so far...and yes, that's her feet with our wedding bands. She really was that small, 1 lb 14.8 oz and 11 inches in length.

Before I explain what I need my fellow TPR members' help with, let me reassure those of you concerned about spam that I ran this by Robb and got his ok to post it. NASCAR fans here at TPR will likely be familiar with this, but for those of you that aren't, here's what I need your help with. Toyota Racing is running a promotion in which NASCAR fans can "sponsor" a car by going to the Toyota "Sponsafy Your Ride" website, designing their car, and putting it in the running for prizes. The cars are subject to public voting, and ultimately the grand prize winner gets to see his or her car design turned into a NASCAR show car to be displayed at the Sprint Cup race in Phoenix this November, among other things such as an all-expense-paid trip with tickets to that race weekend. I designed and entered a car as a memorial to my daughter, and I was hoping my friends and family at TPR would be willing to vote for my car. My car is currently 3rd in my category (love), but this is only the first round. Ceilidh's memorial car has a long way to go. To be honest, the trip is nice, and I'll certainly take it if I win, but the only thing I truly feel I NEED is to make this car a reality. I'd love to see my daughter remembered in such a hugely public and unique way, especially since it's so in line with my personality. As I said, I just need votes (people can vote once a day every day for the six days or so). No donations required, nobody needs to send any money, and people don't even need to submit personal info, email addresses, nothing like that. I'm attaching a sample of my car design so you can get a sense of my design before you decide whether or not to click the link to the voting page for my car. TPR is like a second family to me, and you all helped me through my daughter's death. Now I'm hoping TPR can help me honor her memory. http://www.sponsafier.com/share/287971 This link should bring you directly to my car's voting page, but if, for any reason, it brings you to the MAIN page of the voting gallery, click on "all categories > love > most votes" and choose "Ceilidh's Car." Once you're at the car's voting page, you can get a click-and-drag view of the ENTIRE car with the 3D Preview feature. Thanks in advance for your votes! Pete FourWinds

Part 3, Connor on the helicopters and front seat POV of Wildcat.

Part 2: This turtle was actually pretty friendly. Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Let the coaster-geek jokes fly... Madagascar hissing roaches. The miniature golf course. Adventure Park Speedway. Connor really enjoyed the carousel. Hi daddy!!! Connor's first solo ride, ever. He LOVED the helicopters...or "hoppappas" as he calls them. Wildcat. The whole reason I made the trip. It's no Millennium Force, but it's only 8 miles away, so I can't really complain. Adventure Park Speedway from the lift hill. A little first drop action. Taken with my cell camera, so the exposire is a little high-key.

Over Memorial Day weekend my family and I relocated from our home in Fall River, MA to our new home in Frederick, MD (a move of 445 miles), so I could start my job in the Security Department at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (Google USAMRIID or watch the first five minutes of "Outbreak"). We picked up the moving truck on Saturday, May 27, and didn't get it emptied and returned until Tuesday, June 3rd. We had to empty the house Jen's father and brother shared (they both passed away in April) and take all that stuff with us, so we had 2 households jammed into a 26 foot Penske truck. Oh, and while we had help on the departure end of the trip, it was just us on the arrival end. Well, really just me, since Jen was unpacking, organizing the apartment, AND keeping Connor under control (he's 2 years 3 months now). We loaded her father's things into the truck well into the evening on Saturday, and drove the 3-plus hours back to Fall River, stumbling in after midnight. Connor stayed with my mother for two days during this first stage, and he had a BLAST! Most of Sunday was spent with neighbors and friends packing the truck. Monday morning rolled around, and my neighbor Rick, who helped on Sunday, was taking his Harley Heritage Softail out for a spin. I talked him into letting me run it around the neighborhood once before the move, and off I went. Lesson learned: if I'm ever again going to wear shorts on a motorcycle, MAKE SURE IT'S MY OWN!!! I'm not a big guy (5'5"), and the Heritage is a W...I...D...E bike. I ended up with a nasty little exhaust pipe burn on the back of my calf. We left Fall River at 10:30 Monday night with me driving the truck and Jen driving our minivan with Connor, our two cats, one dog, and one parakeet. drove for a few hours, and stopped at the last service plaza on 95 in Connecticut just about 2:00 AM. We napped and snacked for about 3 hours, and off we went at 5:00. Other than lunch and gas stops, we pretty much continued on until arriving in Frederick at noon on Tuesday. We parked right in front of our apartment building and started unloading, finally returning the truck Thursday afternoon, the 3rd, just before a nasty little thunderstorm. We capped of our first two weeks of Maryland residency at Adventure Park USA, about 8 miles down the highway in new Market. As FECs go, it's pretty nice, and they do have a Schwarzkopf Wildcat (aptly named...well, Wildcat). It's not much, but it IS an Schwarzkopf, and it's the first time since San Diego 1997 that I've lived less than an hour's drive from a coaster. As an added bonus, animals from the Catoctin Zoo were visiting, so Connor got to check them out. On to the (many) photos and 2 videos, in multiple parts: Our truck. For you non-truckers, thisis the largest truck someone can drive without a commercial driver's license. All that crap is barely halfway. We still have a long way to go. The top half of the stairs we had to carry everything down. That turn-around landing was HELL! Another pain-in-the-@$$ turn past that post (or with some furniture, up and OVER). Most of that paintdamage was made when we moved IN. Living room's almost empty. Dining room's got a ways to go. Elsie doesn't know WTF is going on. Connor found newly emptied space in the linen closet, and decided it couldn't be empty anymore. Jen works in the library. Connor's room is almost done. The kitchen was about the lasthing we did...as you can see. The burn. Almost 3 weeks later, and it's still scabbed over. Finally this stupid truck is full! Connor runs around wondering where all our stuff is! So does Elsie. One last look at the kitchen, and we're off! About a week later, when the truck was finally gone, Jen and Connor checked out the pool. Cabot (the cat) and Jar Jar (the parakeet) enjoy our new view. I like having a balcony on which to enjoy my morning coffee...at 5:00 AM. Ouch. The canal and river walk at a HUGE park in Frederick, Baker Park. Connor exits the Baker Park Bandstand stage right (left side of the photo). Every Thursday night local bands perform during the Summer Concert Series here. Makes me want to start another band. Connor enjoys a Popsicle under a fir tree at our apartment complex's toddler park (well, the way the tree grows, it's more like in the tree). Adventure Park USA. This is one of the visiting parrots from Catoctin Zoo. and here are the other two. Connor and Jen in the pavilion where the zoo animals were set up. Connor communes with the donkey and goats in the "mandatory donkey photo." The goats. Llamas.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, my family and I relocated to Frederick MD from Fall River MA for my new job (hence why I'm suddenly able to get on TPR again - look for the PTR of the move), a move of 445 miles according to Google Maps. We were shopping for a new bed today, and I happened to be wearing my TPR t-shirt, when out of the blue a woman taps me on the back and says "I get DVDs from them for my son all the time." I guess membership really does have its privileges!

Episode 4 (The Final Chapter). Jen and Connor arrived from home about 10 or so. Thanks for checking out my TR! Connor actually did pretty well in this hay maze near our camp, but by the end of the weekend he was so wiped out that he just stood there and groaned until someone carried him out. Last year at this fair Connor modeled a handmade baby sling for the crafters, E.I.E.I.O. (for their website), and here he shows us his photo on their display board (in the red sling). In the other photo on their site, he tried to eat the sling. There's my little man, another proponent of the stripe-and-plaid look. I managed to catch one of The Wallendas' shows before our final show of the weekend. They opened up the Humvee for tours. The last thing a pit board ever sees. For my fellow Jr. fans. I know he's having a crappy season, but I'm still a fan. The rest of the Urals are out. The lake and pavilion tent. That's where we performed last year. Thius year's outdoor show was extremely hot and sunny, but way better. Lumberjack show. The family-show stage of my friend, Master Illusionist Lance Gifford. His Hallowe'en shows are much better, but this show wasn't bad by any standards. At 7:30 or so in the morning, this is just very very wrong.

Episode 3, still early morning Sunday. The National Guard was out in force, marketing themselves like crazy with all kinds of free swag. The Humvee was open later in the day for "tours." That's my mom. That time of the morning, this was the only one on display, and was my favorite. The other two were out later that day. For you lovers of Russian Motorcycles.

Episode 2, through my early-Sunday walk through the fair: Random piece of RCT theming. The lake in the middle of the fairgrounds. What's a TPR trip report without a donkey? Empty theme park = good. Empty fair = I'm awake too damn early... I drove 76 miles to see sheep from a farm only 5 miles from home. Nice obscure Firefly/Serenity reference for my fellow Browncoats. Someone was more interested in eating their ribbon than winning it. Rasta-lamb. Insert buffet joke here. Breakfast. Early Sunday morning, my mom and I took a walk (no, this isn't us...sheesh), and came across these sheep out for their "morning walk." They'd started out with leashes and all! After hours, the fair takes on a uniquely eerie quality. The Round-Up in action. What is a fair TR without a Zipper? Straight out of your darkest UFO-abduction nightmares? Or just a well-timed strobe light photo of Remix? Tivoli Remix-II. I got some kick-ass slow-shutter photos of this ride. Round-up. Didn't anyone ever tell that guy that stripes and plaid just don't mix? ...and at rest. Thunder Bolt at speed... Chris Running Fox models his new neon hat. I tried to convince him to wear it during a Sunday show, but he was having none of it. World's fastest carousel? This guy in the referee shirt managed to end up in a number of my photos. Restored '49 Indian Scout in the bed of the pickup. Look at the Indian taking a picture of the Indian! Gorgeous '47 Chevy pickup, Saturday night.

This past weekend, August 15th and 16th, the American Indian dance troupe I founded last year, The HawkFeather Dancers, was booked to perform at The Bolton Fair 2009. We did four shows over the two days, sharing the main stage with some great Northeastern regional acts such as Red Molly, Aunt Mimi, California Dreamers, and Hooper & Beckwith, among others. Also on the bill was the legendary high-wire family The Flying Wallendas (their rig was right beside the main stage) and Master Illusionist Lance Gifford (longtime friend of mine, though we only run into each other at fairs these days). We arrived just before 9:00 AM Saturday morning, and our first performance wasn't until 1:00 PM, so after pitching camp (the one thing I regret not getting photos of), we all went our separate ways to check out the fair. I have tons pf photos from this fair, so I'll split this TR into several parts. Enjoy "Episode 1," which takes us through our first performance of the day. Credit for the photos of our performance goes to my mom. The final dance of the show, The Round Dance (also known as the Friendship Dance in some Native communities), is an audience participation dance. ...but became a multi-hoop exhibition dance in the mid-1920s. The original hoop dance was a sacred healing dance only performed in ceremony with one hoop... Other than hosting and narrating, this is what I bring to the show...the hoop dance. Connor helps me explain another dance. Chris joins in on the Sneak Up, while the women dance on the edge of the floor, symbolically "waiting for the men to return from the hunt." Paul and Brian perform the Sneak Up, an old men's traditional storytelling dance...it tells the story of the hunt and the war party. Naomi Otter, also dancing the Women's Fancy Shawl. Angie Clear Waters shares a Women's Fancy Shawl dance. (L-R) Cheryl Painted Morning, Sue Strong Woman, and Tosba (pronounced Topah, MicMac for "turtle") share a women's cloth traditional dance (a popular style after European settlers introduced cloth to our ancestors). Paul Whispering Wolf (left - woodlands "summer" traditional) and Brian Red Moon Hawk (right - plains traditional) share a Men's Traditional Dance. Iron Hawk Drum was our drum for the weekend, made up of drumkeeper Coyote Red Hawk (in buckskin), and my wife Jen Fire Dancing Turtle (in blue shirt). Chris Running Fox joined in when he wasn't dancing. Grass dancer Chris Running Fox tears it up as Naomi Otter, fancy shawl dancer, looks on. The first dance of our performance, an intertribal dance. In any other TR, this would be coaster porn, but given that this is a kiddie coaster, it just seems way too wrong. Connor was tall enough by two inches, but it was just too damn hot all weekend to ride during the day. By the time it was cooled off enough, he and my wife were home for the night. Wisdom Orient Express. Probably the best-themed fair walkthrough I've ever seen. Shame most of the effort went into theming the outside. Most of the midway. It wasn't bad, just a little small. The kiddieland midway was through the trees to the right of this photo. Chance Thunderbolt. Still being assembled. I squeezed in a ride on Saturday night. The play structure on the kiddieland side of the midway. See? There we are...two on Saturday and two on Sunday. The passes we were issued.

^ True, that was the general mindset of the day, but retired FBI profiler John Douglas looked at it from his professional perspective for his book "The Cases That Haunt Us" (excellent forensic-profiling-POV case studies of this and several other unsolved American crimes), and from his standpoint she probably did do it. Another MAJOR factor in her acquittal was that while she was in jail awaiting trial, a very similar crime was committed on the other side of town by a migrant worker against his employers (similar MO and weapon). Her attorney convinced the jury that she was "innocent" by proving she couldn't have committed this second, nearly identical crime. The problem was that he conveniently hid the fact that the perpetrator in the second crime wasn't even in the United States at the time of the Borden murders.

Lizzie Borden took an axe, and gave her father 40 whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her mother 41. Everyone knows the rhyme, but I live less than half a mile from the scene of one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in American history. Like most nursery rhymes, there are a few inaccuracies. Abby was Lizzie's STEPmother, not her mother, and was actually killed first, with 19 hatchet strikes to the head and one to the shoulders. One head strike was delivered from the front, meaning she saw her killer. Andrew was killed with 10 strikes several hours later. Lizzie was ultimately acquitted, but general consensus is that she did it. Yesterday was the 117th anniversary of the crime. I've lived within walking distance for six years, but I'd never been, so I decided to treat myself to the full tour of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast and Museum, (the house where the crime occurred), the Fall River Historical Society (home of the largest collection of Borden crime scene artifacts), and the Oak Grove Cemetery, where the Bordens are all buried together. The Historical Society (my second of three stops) doesn't allow photography, so I'll touch on it quickly before we get to the photos. Among the memorabilia are the blanket from the bed in the room where Abby was killed (with her blood still staining it), the lock of hair that was ripped from her head during the attack, microscope slides with stomach contents from both victims, crime scene photos, and the broken-handled hatchet assumed to be the murder weapon. On with the photos! First stop, the scene of the crime. Because it was the anniversary, it wasn't just any tour. They staged a complete reenactment, and those of us with "those new-fangled photographic devices" were deputized on the spot to assist in taking "crime scene photos." An interesting TPR side note: The investigation was badly botched because most of the Fall River Police Department was in and/or on the way Warwick RI for their annual clam bake. The location? Rocky Point, which would later become one of New England's most beloved traditional amusement parks. The "souvenirs" from the tour. Andrew J. and Abby D., the murder victims. Alice was the middle sister, and she died at 2 years old. S.A.B. is Sarah, the girls' birth mother. Lizzie's grave. She went by Lizbeth after the trial. And here we are. This last arrow points to the grave itself. The Borden grave gets so much tourist traffic that the cemetery painted these arrows pointing the way. Oak Grove cemetery, my final stop. The hatchet cookies served after the tour. One of the few modern conveniences in the house. Oldest sister Emma (some say Lizzie's enabler) receives the news that Andrew and Abby were dead. Bridget the maid, discussing tendering her resignation. Abby's body. Lizzie (seated) comforted by next door neighbor Mrs. Cunningham (left) and another family friend. The "body" of Andrew...strange, he seems to still be breathing! The portrait of Lizzie in the sitting room where Andrew was killed. Dr. Dolan introduces Officer Mullaly to John Morse. Dolan and "Uncle John" greet each other. Medical examiner Dr. William Dolan explains the situation to us. Bridget Sullivan, the Borden's maid, leaves the front parlor after telling us that Mr. Borden has been murdered. Lizzie's uncle (birth mother's brother) John Morse invites us in the "conduct business" with Mr. Borden.

A little over a month ago (April 26th, specifically), Connor enjoyed his first trip to an ocean beach. His first beach overall was Pierce Beach, a river beach, a little over a year ago (at the same park as in his first solo slide TR from mid-April of this year). That first beach trip didn't go too well, as he was only two months old or so, and didn't yet know how to sit up on his own. The faceplant into the sand was ugly. This time around, we went to Gooseberry Island, part of the Horseneck Beach State Park in Westport MA. He had WAY more fun, as the photos show. Onward! By the way, for those of you with an interest in geography, that land on the horizon is the Naushon Island chain in Vineyard Sound, between Martha's Vineyard and Westport/New Bedford MA. That's the Naushon Island chain in the distance. Flying boy! Mommy and Connor explore the sea. Daddy gets big baby hugs. Daddy, look! Houses! That land is NOT the aforementioned island chain...it's just further down the beach. Exploring his world. Still nursing his beverage. Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Cheers! Playing with the panorama setting on my camera. Washing lunch down with a little juice...Connor's a little juice addict. My wife Jen Hey, look! Water!!! Let's start our day with a snack.

This was just about a month ago, during that stretch of really nice mid-April weather New England had. For the Southern New Englanders here that would recognize the name, this is at Pierce Beach playground in Somerset. When Connor was two months old, I took him on a huge hillside slide at this playground (somewhere there's a PTR of it), and on this recent visit (he's just shy of 13 months in these photos), he had his first solo "slide credit," on one of the MUCH smaller kiddie slides. This TR also includes Connor's first POSITIVE experience with beach sand...more on that in the captions. We had to wash his eyes out with my water bottle, but this time around, he was already an old pro...guess he remembered what not to do. As mentioned, Connor's first POSITIVE experience with sand. His FIRST experience was at this same playground's beach at two months old, and he fell forward and faceplanted in it. And next she takes her son for another spin. Look at that face and tell me his first coaster credit isn't just around the corner! But occasionally he enjoys company...my wife Jen, in this case. AJ is much older than Connor, so he's already a solo bigger-slide champ. Daddy and Connor graduate to the next bigger slide. Another trip down the slide. It was only about three feet long, but when you're not even 14 months, yeah, it counts. This is our friend Tawny and her son, the aforementioned AJ. Nah, we don't look alike... Clearly a coaster enthusiast in the making. Kid-slide, take 1. In these first three pictures, Connor has misappropriated his friend AJ's snacks and is redistributing them to himself (Navy-speak for stolen).

^ "The Voice," performed here by Lisa Kelly (minus about the first 30 seconds or so of the song). Originally recorded in 1996 Eimear Quinn for the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest.

Oh, spend the $300.00!!! "It's viewers like you who make it possible for us to bring such quality programming..." Bah, I assume it's sold out otherwise? That's a shame. I imagine they'll be back next year. I certainly wouldn't pay $300.00, but whatever (regular) price you pay if you ever go will be well worh it.

If you had described Celtic Woman to me before I'd ever seen them on PBS, I probably would have no interest in going to see them live. As an almost lifelong musician, I do have a deep respect for all things music, and my musical tastes cover a pretty wide range, but as for my taste in live concerts specifically, I'm usually going to some kind of rock or metal show. In the case of Celtic Woman, however, I'm glad I'd seen them on TV before having them described to me. For those of you unfamiliar with them, Celtic Woman is a theatrical music show built around four female vocalists (originally five) and a female fiddler. Think of it as Broadway meets classical vocals meets top 40, all with a strongly Celtic/Irish flavor to it. These tickets, for this past Tuesday, were my Christmas gift to Jen, and it was supposed to be a full dinner-and-show date night, our first in a few years. However, over the weekend the whole family battled a fast-moving flu-ish thing, and by Tuesday afternoon, we were all feeling much better, but still with reduced appetites. Jen and I skipped the all-you-can-eat meal at Fire and Ice in favor of much more manageable small pizzas from Papa Gino's before we left. My mom was at our house to watch Connor for the night, so she joined us for pizza. The show was absolutely amazing. It ran about 2-and-a-half hours, with a 20 minute intermission a little less than halfway through. Our seats were a little high, but the Dunkin' Donuts Center isn't that big to begin with, and we were directly above our section's entrance. The only thing in front of us was the handrail! GREAT seats... This is my first "full" TR with my new camera (THE first, my son's trip to Hooters, was only 13 photos or so), so this one gets a little long...the show was a real chance to see what the camera could do. The 12X zoom was a godsend, and I even managed to get about 2 minutes of video! I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking. Enjoy! One last look from our seats. And the same for Nicky Bailey's kit. Ray Fean's percussion kit with house lights up, for all my fellow drummers and percussionists. ...and the entire band thanks the Providence crowd. The ladies take their bow... The only flash photo I took all night. If Lita Ford was a fiddler... Pre-encore bow. Yet another costume change, while Máiréad rocks center stage. She has the grace of an eagle, the the energy of Steven Tyler, and the speed of a sprinter...in heels, no less! I wondered out loud how many times she slid of the stage during rehearsals. More dueling Irish hand drums. Lynn (in brown), Alex (in blue), and Lisa (in purple) dance the ceilidh. First costume change, for the song "At the Ceilidh" (observant TPRers will recognize that word as my daughter's name - it's a particular type of Irish/Gaelic celebration, like a square dance). ...for a little djembe solo. ...before Nicky Bailey joins her out in front... Alex Sharpe's solo moment... Those are some gorgeous...um, gowns. OK, well, the gowns were beautiful, too. The sound board, for those of you so interested. Máiréad shows a little leg...rowr! An unzoomed view from our seats. The cola bottle on the left is for perspective. On the video screen is a shot of Ellis Island, during "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears," the show's tribute to Irish immigration during the heyday of Ellis Island. At the far left of the stage is Celtic Woman creator, composer, and pianist David Downes. The Aontas Choir backs Alex literally and musically. See? She's starting to get into it a little, joined by bassist Eoghan O'Neill and Uileann piper Gavin Whelan. Lynn, Lisa, and Alex shine in front of Ray Fean's "office" Nicky Bailey rocks out. Is it Celtic Woman or Revenge of the Sith??? Ray (left) and fellow percussionist Nicky Bailey join Lynn and the Aontas Choir for a little dueling Irish hand drum action. Percussionist Ray Fean Chloë and the Aontas Choir. Lisa Máiréad looks docile now, but this is the rockin'-est fiddler I've ever seen. L-R: Founding member Chloë Agnew, Alex Sharpe, Lynn Hilary, founding member Máiréad Nesbitt (in white), and founding member Lisa Kelly. The start of the show. The new camera. Celtic Woman.wmv

^ Jay, he's already there! And to think, when we were all at Hershey, we'd just found out we were expecting him!

This past Friday (the day before my 36th birthday), Jen and I brought Connor to Hooters, two days after he turned 11 months. Let's just say he (much like his father) had a great time. No, no hot wings for him, but he did enjoy some curly fries. The kid's only 11 months, and already he's a popular little heartbreaker. Connor gets all excited over adding a new entry to his little black book. The aforementioned Lindsay (left), our server Tana (right), and Connor in his "thank you God" moment! There's something wrongety wrong about a photo of 9-1-1 wings (mine) steamed clams (Jen's), and a baby bottle. Lindsay, the lovely young lady in the background, became Connor's new best friend during this visit. Sweet. You mean I can get it to go, too? Hey! Stop trying to make blonde jokes. I'm not effin blonde!!! Good thing I'm not blonde. Holy crap! Look at those!!! (Relax, ya pervs...he was looking at a giant tray of food). I think I'm gonna have the spicy breast...of chicken. ...eventually we'll decide what we're going to have. Admiring the menu...

If that's the case, the glow-in-the-dark-condom brawl from John Ritter's "Skin Deep" has to be in the top 3. As for the actual thread, I'd have to go with Anakin VS. Obi Wan in ROTS. OK, so technically lightsabers aren't literally swords, but still...a close second would be when Kane confronts Connor MacLeod in the Buddhist shrine in Highlander: The Final Dimension, in violation of the Immortal Golden Rule.

This has to be the wrongety-wrongest and best (all at the same time) Photo TR ever posted here!!! Funny stuff, and looks like a good time was had by all. "Fall River Celebrates" can't touch this as cool festivals go!

Hershey is far and away my favorite park, and the creativity in these photos really brings out the quality of the park. I was a little disappointed at the distinct lack of Comet Hollow and Minetown photos, but awesome TR just the same!

^ American Eagle it is! Thanks...

My wife and I were recently talking about unique queues (unique due to theming, placement, etc), and somehow unusual exit ramps came into the conversation. I'm absolutely stumped trying to remember one in particular that I remember seeing in a PTR here, and I'm hoping my brother and sister coaster geeks can help. If I remember correctly, this particular ramp goes WWWAAAYYY out of the way and out over things you wouldn't expect an exit ramp to be suspended or built over (maybe a low building?). I'm pretty sure it's at a U.S. park. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

^ That sounds about right. I never never NEVER (emphasis on never) had a good experience with NMCI, and nor did I ever hear a good word about it from the active duty people in my office. Again, not all that heartbroken to have returned to the private sector.