2004 Archives

03/13/07

Here are all the posts from 2004. We've moved them here so they are still accessible but will enable the home page to load more quickly. To search this page by keyword, press Ctrl+F on your keyboard. Enjoy!

Update 12/26/2004 01:16 PM MST: Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to you all! What a wonderful Christmas it was! Peg and I gave each other a hug and kiss for Christmas (with a promise for a night in Wendover after the new year!) and focused on the true message and meaning of the holiday. We both agree that it was our best Christmas ever, with a true sense of peace and love, a special gift from our Savior on the day we celebrate His birth. Mary and Don had us over Christmas morning for Mary's world-famous Christmas breakfast and man, we ate like kings! Although Tasso wasn't there physically, we all sensed his presence spiritually and it felt good to be with his family. After a nice Christmas afternoon nap, Peg and I had my whole family over for dinner, along with Dawn and her family. We had ham, turkey and barbecued beef along with all the trimmings brought over by everyone. Again, what a feast! We ate and drank and laughed and had a fantastic time! Once everyone went home and things quieted down, Peg and I hung out on the deck and I got to smoke a great Christmas cigar, a Fuente Hemingway Classic. The perfect end to a perfect day. We'll post photos to the site in a few days. Check the Photo Gallery for those. Have a safe and happy New Year everyone! We love you all! Peace.

Update 12/05/2004 02:40 PM MST: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you had a great turkey day. We had Thom and Tanya in town, so Peg made a big dinner and we ate plenty. Unfortunately, Christopher had to stay behind in Chicago (he had to work) but Thom and Tanya hand delivered Thanksgiving dinner to him just a few hours after we ate here. Worked out pretty well. After dinner, we went to Rob and Orleen's house to see the family and have a few beers. Then, off to Dawn's house to celebrate some more. When we finally got home, we relaxed on the deck (propane heater cranked up to high) and I got to smoke a very special cigar, a Partagas Black Label Clasico, which was fantastic! All in all a very relaxing and enjoyable day. Christopher couldn't spend Thanksgiving with us but we're happy to say that he'll be home for Christmas. He'll be flying home on December 19 and will stay until January 10 and we can't wait to see him! Finally, the University of Utah Runnin' Utes just finished their season undefeated (11-0) and will play against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 34th annual Fiesta Bowl on January 1. Needless to say, Utah football fans are delirious about it and the city is excited about the Utes playing in their first big bowl game. The sad news is that, after just two seasons with the Utes, head coach Urban Meyer was lured away to coach the Florida Gators. Going from half-a-million a year to two-million a year probably made the decision pretty easy for him, but fans here in Salt Lake have grown quite fond of him and we're sad to see him go. He will, however, be coaching the Utes in their bowl game before he heads to Gainesville. Good luck coach! Go Utes!

Update 11/20/2004 03:56 PM MST: Well, we finally got the cruise photo gallery up and running. We took about 450 photos but posted only the best (about 179). There are so many photos that we spread them out over three pages. You can see them by clicking the Caribbean 1, 2 and 3 buttons on the left. Special thanks to Royal Caribbean and all the friends we made aboard the ship, especially Tony Nicolosi, whose music accompanies the musical slide show that you can see here. The cruise was an unforgettable experience and we can't wait to go again. Next year we're planning on cruising the Western Caribbean, aboard the same ship (the Navigator of the Seas)! Hopefully, we'll see some of our friends there again. Welcome to Winter everyone! Go Jazz!

Update 11/13/2004 09:59 PM MST: Happy Birthday to the most beautiful woman in the world, my dear, sweet Peggy Ann. I am the luckiest man alive. Stay tuned, the cruise photo gallery is in the works and will be available soon. Our musical slide show is ready and can be seen here. Thanks to Tony Nicolosi for the music. Bye for now.

Update 11/02/2004 10:31 AM MST: Greetings! Well, we made it back from the Caribbean safe and sound and boy do we have lots to talk about and lots of photos to share! It's going to take some time to get it all together so check back often as we make updates. The cruise bug has bitten us hard and we're already saving for another cruise next year! It was truly an incredible experience and it's very difficult to describe, you just have to experience it to fully appreciate it. We were spoiled rotten for a week so coming home and going back to work is a bit of a letdown but at least our batteries are recharged. Check back soon and we'll post tons of photos and share our memories of the cruise with you. 'Til then, take care and God bless you all.

Update 09/20/2004 12:10 PM MDT: The leaves are changing, the temperatures are dropping and Autumn is knocking at the door. Ah, Fall in Utah. Lot's of cool stuff going on around here. First off, Peg and I are going on a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean in October! We never really got a honeymoon and we've never done anything like this before so, needless to say, we're pretty excited. Some quality time with my beautiful wife on the white sandy beaches of the Caribbean. Perhaps even a Cuban cigar or two. I can't wait! On September 6, we celebrated Mary's (Tasso's Mom) 80th birthday. It was a surprise party hosted by Vic and Ted, Keli, Sofie, Jack and Kathryn came from California to surprise her. Lots of people there and we had a great time. September 10-12 was the 29th annual Greek Festival sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Community of Greater Salt Lake City. Lots of great food, dancing and fun! Greeks know how to party! We fed about 50,000 people over the three days which makes us the largest Greek Festival west of the Mississippi. Special thanks to Kapono and Ed (I hope I spelled that right), two of the security guards who helped at the Festival. What great guys! We hung out a lot and I'm glad to have met them. Some interesting Festival facts: Food preparation began on May 15, we cooked 4500 pounds of pork loin for souvlakia (shish kabob), 5000 pounds of chicken quarters and over 20,000 dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves). We also went through 1600 pounds of feta cheese, 70 gallons of sauce for the gyros, 1600 pounds of sugar, 2500 pounds of butter and 16,860 eggs! The Festival has become a must-attend event for residents of Salt Lake City, and the turnout gets better every year. Finally, our little grandson Nicholas turned 3 on September 14 and we had a small get-together with family here at our home. Nick made out like a bandit, and we all had a good time. You can see photos from all of these events in the photo gallery. We love you all and hope you had a good Summer. 'Til next time...

Update 08/10/2004 06:18 PM MDT: Hi boys and girls! Sorry no post for awhile. It's been kind of hectic around here. My dear sweet wife Peg and I have been busy getting Christopher to Chicago. Our little dude is off to see the world! Chris moved to Chicago (finally! :) on August 7 to live with his brother Thom and his gorgeous sister-in-law Tanya. He plans to work and attend school and we are very excited for him. I can't thank Thom and Tanya enough for opening their home to Chris and giving him such a wonderful opportunity. I love you guys! We had a big going-away bash on July 23, and basically everyone invited showed up. It was wonderful to see how many people love Chris and wanted to be there to wish him well. Now, the bad news. Peg and I were having so much fun, talking to so many people, we forgot to take pictures. That's right. No photos. I'm such a putz. The pictures in our heads will have to do, but what great pictures they are! Thanks to all who attended. We assumed that Chris would leave for Chicago the morning after the party, but because of airline logistical problems and other stuff, he didn't get out of here 'til the seventh. Interestingly, the day Chris arrived in Chicago, Greg Maddux pitched his 300th career victory. Coincidence? I think not. Way to go Chris. Your Uncle T's watch looks real good on you. Thanks Mary, Don, Vic and Ted. We love you all and I promise I'll try to post more often. Honest. Peace.

Update 07/05/2004 05:29 PM MDT: To my dear, sweet sister Shad; please forgive me for not mentioning you anywhere on the site. I can assure you, the snub was not intentional. Let me tell you about Shad. She is a beautiful, funny and intelligent woman whom I don't see enough of. My best friend and confidant growing up, (quoting her) "she wiped your butt, she listened to you whine about girls, she stood in your shadow watching you cheer-lead". I don't know what the hell the cheerleading thing means (tongue planted firmly in cheek) but yeah, she wiped my butt and as I got older, she wiped my eyes. And she listened to me whine about girls and lots of other stuff but she always listened. I am a much better person for having Shad as my sister and love her dearly. I'll love her even more when she gets me copies of Mom's photos so I can post them on the Chris And Viola page (a not-so-subtle hint :) Love you Sissy. Christopher graduated with the Granite High School Class of 2004 at the Huntsman Center on the University Of Utah campus June 3 and we couldn't be prouder. Shad, Steve and I are Granite High alumni and it's really kind of cool having another Novasio graduate from GHS. You can see a few photos here. New photos taken on the Fourth of July can be found in the Photo Gallery. Until next time, take care y'all.

Update 07/04/2004 06:03 PM MDT: Happy Independence Day! This is a day to be grateful for our freedom and to honor those who protect our freedom. To the men and women who serve our country in Afghanistan, Iraq and all over the world, thank-you. Despite the problems our country is having and the rudderless leadership that currently occupies the White House, our people are still a strong, proud and loving people. This will never change. Having said that (climbing onto my soapbox), living in Utah is a little different than living in the USA. Life behind the "Zion Curtain" can be a little troubling at times. You see, Independence Day falls on a Sunday this year, and because of that, we celebrate the "fourth" on the third or the fifth. What's wrong with this picture? If this is truly "one nation, under God", then in what way would celebrating our independence on Sunday be offensive to God? What better way to celebrate the day than to thank God for our freedom, our country and our people? Oh well, those Third of July fireworks were pretty damn good. I'm off the box now. Thanks for letting me rant.

Update 05/31/2004 03:31 PM MDT: Memorial Day greetings! A lot's been going on the last few weeks, as is evidenced by the fact that I haven't posted for awhile. We celebrated our nephew Jesse's birthday on May 13 and our Godson Jonathon's birthday on May 30. For Jesse's birthday, we went to Famous Dave's Barbecue and had a great time with Rob, Orleen, Shad, Steve, Jaden and of course, Jesse. Jonathon's birthday party was at The Old Spaghetti factory with the whole Chaus clan. We had a blast . Photos from both celebrations can be found in the Photo Gallery, along with some new photos of Peg and her grandbabies. Christopher will graduate with the Granite High School Class of 2004 on Thursday, June 3. The thought of our "baby" graduating from high school is a little overwhelming (to say the least) but we couldn't be prouder. He has grown into an amazing young man and I'm sure his Godfather Tasso is very proud as well. I visited Tasso's grave after church yesterday to see his headstone. It's very nice and matches his father's stone, along with other members of his family. It was a beautiful Spring day and I felt at peace at his grave. These last few weeks have been difficult for me as it starts to sink in that he's really gone. I wish he could attend his Godson's graduation but I know he'll be with us in spirit. Well, I'm off to help Peg chase Nicholas around the house. Take care and enjoy the Spring!

Update 05/05/2004 08:44 PM MDT: Christos Anesti! Sorry I haven't updated the site for awhile but hey, you'll get over it. Pascha was great and I ate way too much but this is the Feast of Feasts so I feasted. I haven't had much time to update because our company is opening a second store and I've been busy 7 days a week. The store opened Monday so hopefully things will settle down and Peg and I can head to Arizona. Jerry, Betty, are you paying attention? We love you all and hope Spring is as nice for you as it has been for us. God bless.

Icon of the Resurrection (Pulling Up the First Parents) Update 04/10/2004 12:47 PM MDT: Kali Anastasi. Today is Holy Saturday, a day of prayer and reflection as we anticipate the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just before midnight tonight we'll be in church, all lights turned off. At the stroke of midnight, the Priest will open the Royal Door on the Iconostas, lit candle in hand and say "Come ye and receive from the unwaning Light; and glorify Christ, Who arose from the dead". Altar boys will then light their candles from the Priest's and proceed down the aisles, lighting the candles of all of the faithful. Within seconds the church is fully lit by hundreds of candles and soon thereafter we will sing the most beautiful of all Orthodox hymns; "Christos Anesti" (Christ Is Risen). I get chills just thinking about it. This year's Great Feast and celebration will be bittersweet however, because it is Tasso's nameday and he won't be there with us (at least physically). But celebrate we will because Tasso wouldn't have it any other way. This a day to feast, not to mourn and the Lord's Resurrection reminds me that Tasso is in a wonderful place, with the Risen Lord, free from pain or sorrow or suffering. So I'll eat a big plate of lamb, feta cheese and Galatoburiko and drink a glass of wine for you Tasso. Tonight we will hear the Paschal Sermon Of St. John Chrysostom which is, in my humble opinion, the most inspirational sermon of the church year, and Tasso's favorite. You may read it below. Happy Easter everyone and may God bless you all.

The Paschal Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom

Whosoever is a devout lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful bright Festival. And whosoever is a grateful servant, let him rejoice and enter into the joy of his Lord. And if any be weary with fasting, let him now receive his penny. If any have toiled from the first hour, let him receive his due reward. If any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude join in the Feast. And he that arrived after the sixth hour, let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss. And if any have delayed to the ninth hour, let him not hesitate, but let him come too. And he that hath arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay; for the Lord is gracious and receiveth the last even as the first. He giveth rest to him that cometh at the eleventh hour as well as to him that hath toiled from the first. Yea, to this one, he giveth and upon that one, he bestoweth. He accepteth works, as he greeteth the endeavor. The deed he honoreth and the intention he commendeth. Let all then enter into the joy of our Lord. Ye first and last receiving alike your reward; ye rich and poor, rejoice together. Ye sober and ye slothful, celebrate the day. Ye that have kept the fast, and ye that have not, rejoice today; for the Table is richly laden. Fare ye royally on it. The calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry. Partake ye all of the cup of faith. Enjoy ye all the riches of His goodness. Let no one grieve at his poverty; for the universal Kingdom hath been revealed. Let no one mourn that he hath fallen again and again; for forgiveness hath risen from the grave. Let no one fear death; for the Death of our Savior hath set us free. He hath destroyed it by enduring it. He spoiled Hades when he descended thereto. He vexed it even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he cried, Thou, O Hades, hast been vexed by encountering Him below. It is vexed; for it is even done away with. It is vexed; for it is made a mockery. It is vexed; for it is destroyed. It is vexed; for it is annihilated. It is vexed; for it is now made captive. It took a body. and, lo! it discovered God. It took earth, and, behold! it encountered Heaven. It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see. O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is risen, and thou art annihilated. Christ is risen, and the evil ones are cast down. Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life is liberated. Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of the dead; for Christ, having risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those that have fallen asleep. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Update 04/01/2004 07:38 PM MST: So, what is the correct greeting? Happy April Fools Day? Merry April Fools Day? No pranks here, although I know a guy who plays a great prank on his wife every few years (can't do it every year or she's ready for it :). He wraps a rubber band around the lever on the the dish sprayer thingy. You know, the one on the end of the hose that you rinse dishes with. Aims it straight ahead and when she turns the water on, she gets soaked! Great stuff! How terribly pathetic that I think that's funny. Oh well, sue me. Peg and I just came in from the deck to warm up. The temperatures have dropped like Aunt Zelda's boobs and we may actually see a little snow this weekend. Not too surprising considering it's the first of April. We've been lucky these last few weeks with temps way above normal so a little snow is a small price to pay. It'll melt off in a day anyway and then we'll get back to seasonal temperatures. Why do I do a weather report in damn near every post? Like you care. It's probably because I don't have anything more interesting to say. Peg and I have been talking about getting our asses down to Arizona ASAP but first I have to help get a second store open in SLC and that'll keep us here for another month or so. Then, look out Jerry, Betty, and all y'all. Jerry, I'll bring the good cigars and we'll hit the knolls. Stacie, I know you check out our site once in awhile. Please tell your Mom and Dad we're coming because I know they never read the crap I post on this site. Then again, I guess we could actually CALL them. Yeah, actually hear their voices. Sometimes I think the internet should just f**k off. Never mind Stace. We'll handle it. Take care everybody. We love you all.

Update 03/24/2004 07:52 PM MST: Hello! I haven't posted anything for awhile but with temperatures in the upper 70's for the last ten days or so, it hasn't really been a priority for me. We're enjoying a beautiful, if temporary, early Spring. So the phone rings, and I'm running through the house in my stocking feet. As I turn a sharp corner, I ram my f***ing foot into a f***ing phone jack mounted on the f***ing baseboard. I hit the deck, laughing and crying at the same time (you know what I'm talking about), spewing curse words that I'm sure don't even exist. The x-rays revealed a spiral fracture from the base of my fourth toenail down to the foot. So now I walk around in this goofy orthopedic boot. Sounds like a duck coming down the hallway. A big duck. Peg has been so sweet and supportive but I'm sure she thinks I'm a dumb ass. God bless her, she's right. We just came in the house after enjoying some quality "deck time". A good cigar, some fine Cognac and the greatest company in the world. I love you honey, thanks for putting up with me. KALO PASCA (Happy Easter) everyone. Peace.

Update 03/11/2004 06:56 PM MST: Spring fever baby! Oh yeah, temps in the mid to upper 50's. Sweet! It's time to play some golf. My brother Steve is a golfer extraordinaire. I went to his house the other night and fixed his clothes dryer and we talked and drank a few beers. His golf league starts in a few weeks and he's about to wet his pants. I haven't hit a ball for a few years (I can't believe it myself!) and I am really feeling the need to crank that little 1.68 inch diameter dimpled sphere down the fairway. Picture it; a long par five, as green and pretty as a Jell-O salad at a Mormon funeral. A warm breeze blows through the trees and gently rustles the leaves. The smell of freshly cut grass wafting gently across your face. OK, I'm getting a little cosmic, but you get the idea. I'm going to walk nine with my brother Steve, smoke a cigar, drink a few beers and remember the days when Steve, Tasso and I would walk nine, drink a few beers and laugh 'til we puked. Finally, a quote sent to us by our niece Stacie: "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming-----WOW!!!!-----That was a fantastic ride!". Nice. Not sure who said it, but I like it. Can't wait to see your pretty face Stace. Take care everybody. Smile at people. Call your Mom. Vote for anybody but George Bush. Don't take steroids. Live. We love you all.

Update 03/02/2004 04:26 PM MST: Greetings! Well, Tasso's brother Vic and I went to Seattle over the weekend and brought Tasso's stuff home. Quite a feat. We flew in on Friday morning, got to Tasso's house about 11:00 AM and started packing and loading. After a full day of work we finished loading the truck at about 2:00 AM. Then we left for Salt Lake, 850 miles away. Yup, after working all day we drove home. This was not my idea. I figured we'd sleep a few hours and get a fresh start in the early morning. Vic, however, had other ideas. "I'm a machine" he kept saying. We both felt pretty good so after getting Vic to agree to stop if we got tired, we headed out. One of us would drive while the other napped and we drove all night long and watched the sun come up. It was clear sailing until we hit the Utah/Idaho border. Cloudy, snowy and nasty. We kept at it and made it home at about 5:30 PM, just as the heavy stuff started to fall. Vic was right, if we'd left any later we'd have been caught in a nasty storm with a 25 foot truck. No doubt the Good Lord rode with us on this trip. It was sure nice to come home to Peg's pretty face. She gives me lots of strength. Vic, you truly are a machine and I enjoyed our time together on this trip. You always could make me laugh. Thanks everybody for your kind words and prayers. God bless.

Update 02/23/2004 06:05 PM MST: Howdy. Nice to see you. Today was a pretty cool day. The sun was out (although it was a little hazy) and the temps were nice (in the forties). My brother Steve came by my work and hung out for a few minutes. We talked about Tasso and the good times we all had on the golf course together. Steve and Tasso were very close and Steve's gonna miss his golf buddy. Click here to see a great photo of Steve, Peg, tiny Christopher and Tasso taken about 1991. Because the original was kind of dark, I had to tweak it to brighten it up so it looks a little washed out. We've added some nifty pix to the photo gallery that our friend Kelly sent, taken at a party at his home last October featuring me in my favorite situation; drinking good German beer (lowering my IQ significantly) and smoking good cigars. Kelly and his wife Carmen are hosting Carmen's sister Andrea, her brother Gunter and Andrea's friend Thomas from Germany right now and we hope to see them later this week. Good people and great friends. Well, time to hit the deck (so to speak) and burn a Partagas Black Label Clasico. Yummy. Bye for now.

Update 02/17/2004 07:50 PM MST: Welcome and thanks for putting up with us. Being the proud parents and grandparents that we are, we are pleased to present photos of Christopher (his senior portrait), and our grandsons Dax and Nicholas (Nick with his Mom and Dad). You can see them here. Today was in the upper 40's here in Shit Lake Salty, and tomorrow is supposed to be in the 50's. It's a freakin' heat wave I'm tellin' ya. Couldn't sleep last night because the snow was melting off the roof and dripping right outside our bedroom wall and on the deck in about a thousand places. Oh well, I can think of worse reasons to lose sleep. Great Lent begins next week, and soon we will be singing Christos Anesti and watching God's world come back to life. The trees will turn green and the flowers will begin to poke out of the ground (sometimes through the snow!). Well, Peg has been awfully patient with me while I plunk out these words, so now it's time for me to spend some time with the love of my life. Special greetings to Ted, Keli, Jack, Sofie and Kathryn. We love you guys. Over and out.

Update 02/09/2004 07:07 PM MST: Greetings and welcome to our crude little attempt at web site creation. Cat Stevens is the tuneage of choice this evening, with Catch Bull At Four playing while I write this. Tasso and I literally wore out several copies of this album on his Mom's old console stereo (with diamond stylus! Ooh, a real diamond stylus! The tone arm on that old record changer must have weighed in at about three pounds :). If you like the Cat Stevens, you have to own the Catch Bull At Four (as we say here in Ewe-tah). I remember going with Tasso to Tape Head Company, which was a cool record and tape store on State Street here in Salt Lake back in the 70's and 80's (under the sign of Super Mouse!). We bought Catch Bull At Four and raced to Tasso's house on our bikes (about twenty blocks), excited as hell to hear the new Cat Stevens album. I remember us listening to it on his Mom's living room rug, our hands propping up our heads, reading the album cover from front to back while the changer played Side One of the album repeatedly. Then we flipped it over and did the same thing with Side Two. Memorized every word of every song. We had a lot in common music-wise (Neil Young anyone?) and we always had spirited debates over which was the greatest rock band of all-time. Ultimately we agreed that it had to be The Who (sorry Beatles and Rolling Stones fans), a decision that I stand by to this day. I would be happy to debate this topic with anyone willing to supply the beer and cigars. There's about three feet of snow in the front yard now (at least that's what's left, a bunch melted!), but we can deal with it. We need the water (so we can post photos of our beautiful green yard next Spring). Looking outside makes it hard for me to believe that we live in a desert climate. Which means that in a few months (Stacie, ahem), when the folks in Arizona are paying all their hard-earned coin to the electric company for the air conditioning, we'll be playing golf with beautiful blue skies and temps in the 70's and low 80's. Ahhh. Springtime in Utah. So bring Matt up here and we'll show you some cool places to ride your quads. We love you all and send our best to Mary, Don, Victor and Ted. Peace.

Update 01/29/2004 05:59 PM MST: Greetings! Ding, dong, the inversion's gone! I think Tasso might have had a talk with the Big Weather Guy and scored us some relief from the guck. The air is clean, the skies are blue (between the clouds) and we've even seen the sun a few times. No sunshine for a month is not good, and the shit we were breathing was even worse. We went 24 straight days below 32°, a record. Interestingly, we set a record last Summer for consecutive days over 100° (too senile to remember how many but it was too many). The snow we got weeks ago is still sitting around and there's more falling but the temperatures are a getting above 40° during the day. To us, that's a tropical heat wave. I can even enjoy a good cigar on the deck! Sweet! Peg is doing fine (other than having to shovel all the snow, I'm such a putz). The boys are doing well and Christopher won the "Thespian Of The Year" award for his fine work in drama. He makes his Mama and Papa so proud! We are really looking forward to Spring this year and hope that it comes early (hope I didn't just jinx it). Peg and I are talking about going to Arizona in the Spring for a change. We've always gone during the cold months (and we always seem to bring the cold with us), but this year we'll try it when the weather's warmer. She tells me of the beautiful Spring days and nights down there, and I'd like to be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt for a change. That's not too much for a brutha to ask, is it? Of course not. To all the family and friends who came to Tasso's viewing and funeral, thank-you. The turnout was indicative of the respect and love that we all feel for Tasso, his mother Mary and their family. I think about Tasso every day and remember many funny and memorable stories about our times together. I intend to write them down (or type them in as the case may be) and save them. Perhaps I'll post them on the site. I'll sure miss that guy. May his memory be eternal.

Update 01/17/2004 04:22 PM MST: It is with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes that I write this. My dearest lifelong friend, my Best Man, Koumbaro and Christopher's Godfather Ernest C. Forsman (known to all of us as Tasso) has passed away due to heart failure. A young man (just 45 years old, three months younger than I), his time came way too soon and completely unexpectedly. Tasso has lived in the Seattle, Washington area for a number of years with his faithful companion, Zoë the dog. We always missed Tasso due to the fact that we saw him only once or twice a year but now it's a lot more difficult knowing that we won't see him again on this Earth. He introduced Peg and I to our Orthodox Christian faith, and taught me many valuable lessons about faith, hope and love. Tasso, I love you with all my heart and my life will certainly never be the same without you. May you rest in His Peace. Below is Tasso's obituary as it appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Ernest Carl "Tasso" Forsman 1958 ~ 2004 Beloved son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend, Ernie "Tasso" Forsman passed away on January 14, 2004 in Kirkland, WA due to natural causes. Born October 25, 1958 in Salt Lake City to Harold A. Forsman and Mary Glezos Forsman-Barnes. He attended Judge Memorial Catholic High School and graduated from Stanford University in 1980. For the last several years Ernie lived and worked in the Seattle area. Ernie was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, where he taught Sunday School in both Salt Lake and Seattle for many years. He paved the way for his younger brothers, who owe him a debt of gratitude for the help he gave to them and example he set for them. He cherished his mother for the love, devotion and support she always gave. He loved his nieces and nephews who will miss him very much, but will continue to feel his influence on their lives. He was a remarkable person who has left us too soon. He is gone from our sight but never from our hearts and thoughts. Survived by his mother, Mary and step-father Don Barnes; brothers Vic Forsman and Ted (Keli) Forsman, Los Altos, CA; nieces, Sofia and Katherine Forsman and Baylee Barnes; nephews Jack Forsman and Jake Barnes; Godparents, Ted and Ann Giannopoulos; Godchildren Mathew Charles, John Glezos and Christopher Novasio; long-time friends Jim and Peggy Novasio. Preceded in death by his father as well as his nephew Braydon Barnes. Funeral services will be held Friday, January 23 at 12:00 noon at Holy Trinity Cathedral, 279 So. 300 West. Trisagion Prayer Service will be held at Deseret Mortuary, 36 E. 700 South on Thursday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. where friends may call between 6-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Trinity Building Fund. May his memory be eternal.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune from 1/20/2004 - 1/22/2004.

Update 01/15/2004 07:50 PM MST: Well, it's not snowing. No, it's far worse than that. The dreaded Utah inversion is upon us. Stacie, thanks for your nice <cough> email. We know Arizona is warm and beautiful this time of the year. Ah, see, you made your Aunt Peg cry you rotten kid. Hi everybody. Peg and I are doing fine considering we can't breathe. We can actually cut out a piece of air and mail it to you. Honest. See the smoke in the photo? Underneath that smoke is where we live. That's right. The entire Salt Lake valley is in that shit. Has been for almost a week. Probably will be for another week. Or longer. Above the smoke you see nothing but beautiful blue skies and sunshine. This shit is making me bitchy. Oh well, we'll just enjoy Spring that much more. Christopher is now rehearsing for his school play. He is playing Dr. Chumley in the classic farce "Harvey". We are so proud of him! All the boys are doing well and we're looking forward to Spring although we know it's still a few months away. That's how you do it in the cold parts kids. We love y'all and drop us a line, damnit.

Update 01/08/2004 06:51 PM MST: The snow is falling and it's cold as hell. Ah, Winter in Utah. Arizona's sounding pretty good right about now. We hope you all had a great holiday season and we wish you the best for the coming year. Peace.

Update 01/01/2004 12:48 AM MST: We made it to Safford and back in one piece and had a great time. Thanks to Jerry, Betty and Stacie for all the laughs and for giving us a place to lay our heads and feed our faces. We love you guys and we appreciate your hospitality. Thanks to Dawn for her humor, great company, killer music and the use of her 4Runner (sweet ride). We love you Ding Dawn :) It was great to see Peg's family and we love you all. Click here to see the photos from our trip, or click the "Arizona Trip '03" button on the left. We've also added some photos from Christmas morning at our home to the Photo Gallery. Happy New Year and may His Peace be with you.

This site was last updated 03/12/07