The wedding in review

The Wedding – On Sept 13, 2009 Baska (Aka Amy Baska, aka Amy Sussman) and I were married in Sandbridge Virginia. We were fortunate enough to have cooperative weather (and in-laws!) for a marvelous event. For lunch we were very lucky that our favorite Virginia Beach bistro, Zoes, let us rent out the whole restaurant! If you're ever in the area, check them out! https://zoesvb.com/ After lunch the festivities continued at the D'manfish Beachouse located just south of Virginia beach in the sleepy little town of Sandbridge, Virginia. There the family gathered by the surf and we were led in a modern service incorporating many traditional Jewish elements. Amy wrote the majority of it herself based on the kinyan, a symbolic pooling of elements of both of our lives. What made the ceremony extraordinary to me was that people were laughing throughout the readings, it was truly a day of joy. Our rings are very special to us. They were originally my paternal grandparent's and they were reforged to fit us by Amy and her friends at Future Relics Design.

After the ceremony we held our reception at the Beachhouse. Entertainment was done with a surfer-jimmy-buffet cover band. I was told that it was the first time many of my family danced the hora to steel drums. We had a light bar-b-que going for the night and then finished with pies for dessert. The photos show people enjoying the pool or ocean amid the reception. We both feel so blessed to have started our married life surrounded by the laughter of family and friends.


Geneology - I've been using GENI.com to help develop my family tree. If you are receiving this and are related to me but haven’t been sent a Geni invite, please let me know, I’ll need to weave you into the family tree. Using the website has been great fun, and had me establish connections to many relatives that I did not know about before. At the website users enter names and email addresses of their parents, siblings, and other relatives, as well as profiles with various fields of biographical information about themselves and their relatives. From there users may graphically manipulate sections of their connections network to create a complete personal family tree. I’ve always had a passing interest in mapping the family tree, to connect the dots of many of my far-flung relatives, and this site looks like a great way to do it. For those of you interested in Geneology what do you use to share documents, stories, and the like?



Real Estate News – On November 6, 2009, President Obama signed a bill to extend the tax credit for first-time homebuyers (FTHBs) through June 30, 2010. The bill also opens up opportunities for others who are not buying a home for the first time. First-Time Homebuyers (FTHBs): First-time homebuyers (that is, people who have not owned a home within the last three years) may be eligible for the tax credit. The credit for FTHBs is 10% of the purchase price of the home, with a maximum available credit of $8,000. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount. Current Owners: The tax credit program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reasons to move to a new home. This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount. In order to qualify for the credit, all contracts need to be in effect no later than April 30, 2010 and close no later than June 30, 2010.
Walk left, stand right – I’ve started to work on a new project in Downtown DC. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I will be near McPherson’s Square. If you are around, let’s have lunch or coffee after work. I can cut through P street to get to Dupont Circle if that is better for you.

Happy Thanksgiving – Great family and friends is among my many blessings; wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving!