Rob Ryan

Retiring this site

2009-08-24T11:56:00.007-04:00

I've retired this blog and do most of my updates on Facebook now, so if you're interested in updates, please visit me at http://www.facebook.com/robert.m.ryan. I'll keep this archive of blog at http://www.robertmryan.com/blog, but future updates will be found on Facebook.

Tour de France

2009-07-06T10:37:00.000-04:00

Rosebud, Thelma and Louise

2009-05-24T20:26:00.010-04:00

From Rosebud, Thelma, and Louise

I'd like you all to welcome Rosebud, Thelma and Louise to our happy little home. While we weren't planning on getting cats anytime soon, when we got a flyer from the local cat rescue league, we couldn't help ourselves. There were three kittens left in this one litter, and Rachel quickly swept in and provided them a home. She only wanted to get two cats, but I quickly encouraged her to take the third sister, eliminating the feline "Sophie's choice". It didn't seem right to break up the family. (At least that's the party line.)

Anyway, these tiny little gals, born on St Patrick's Day which warms the cockles of my Irish heart, comfortably fit in the palm of your hand. They're full of personality (Rosebud is the sensitive one, Thelma is the brave one, and Louise is the lover) and quickly acclimating themselves to life in Bronxville. They seem happy as clams (and eat like horses). We're thrilled.

Click here for a few more pictures of the kittens.

First Lady at ABT gala event

2009-05-19T11:17:00.005-04:00

From Family snapshots

NBC News (video below) has covered Michelle Obama's presence at American Ballet Theatre's gala event last night. The entire evening was a tremendous success including everything from the wonderful performances by the company, members of ABT's school, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, and even a wonderful piece where jazz legend Herbie Hancock not only accompanied the dancers, but managed to integrate himself into the performance. The whole evening had a unprecedented level of energy and the evening was capped with a star-studded black tie gala event. A wonderful night all the way around. Well done. It should be an exciting season.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

In memory of Magpie

2009-05-04T14:24:00.010-04:00

From 2007 More cat photos

I'm sorry to report Magpie, a member of the family for the last 19 years, has passed away. Her sister, Audrey, passed away last October, so, sadly, we are now cat-less.

Magpie was affectionately known alternatively as the "dat" and the "cog", because she was the most dog-like cat I've ever met. She'd come when you called and was always there to greet you when you came home. She was an incredibly friendly cat, apparently unaware of the distain upon which cats are supposed to hold the world.

Her dog-like tendencies didn't end there: Despite her cat-like interest in climbing furniture, once in a precarious position, she demonstrated a dog-like (lack of) grace, frequently getting stuck in the most awkward positions (I remember her hanging awkwardly on some draped speaker wire when she missed her footing; or dangling in a curious position on a clothes drying rail as her impoverished trapeze skills succumbed to the laws of gravity).

From 2007 More cat photos

She had a spirited youth, too. I submit my scarred feet as evidence to the court ... I made the unfortunate mistake of moving my feet in my sleep and she would pounce upon the wiggling bed sheets with glee. But this spirit was matched with an incredibly friendly disposition, always welcoming both us and house guests with great affection.

She was a wonderful cat, clearly a product of Rachel's years of doting care. Magpie and Audrey Ann were Rachel's constant companions, especially important through those years of my commuting to Milwaukee. Magpie was smart, loving, and engaging (much like Rachel, now that I think of it). We will miss her sorely.

Rotary in Brazil

2009-04-04T22:51:00.002-04:00

My mother, as a member of Rotary, is very active with sustainable, water treatment programs throughout the world and publishes the Clean Water Gazette (see April 2009 edition in PDF here). She is also a member of the Group Study Exchange with Brazil which will be in Brazil much of April. Stay tuned for developments at the http://gsetobrazil.blogspot.com site.

Motorcycling!

2009-03-22T15:34:00.003-04:00

For the last three days, I've been taking motorcycle safety training classes. This afternoon, I passed the final road test (far tougher than your average automobile road test), so I now only have to wait for the DMV to mail me my license, and it will be official.

So, some of you may think I'm crazy (Rachel certainly does), but I'm now a motorcycle rider. If you asked me about this a few years ago, I would have said it was insane, an opinion formed while watching those reckless motorcycle couriers in zipping through Manhattan traffic on their "crotch rockets." But having gotten on a motorcycle myself, I understand the allure and look forward to getting out on the road (hopefully, something a little quieter than Manhattan rush hour).

In a few weeks, I'm off to Michigan for a couple of days to ride around the Michigan countryside with my dad. We've been talking about this trip for months, so it will be nice to finally get out there on those country roads!

Twitter?

2009-03-16T13:25:00.003-04:00

Twitter fundamentally feels like a "solution looking for a problem." So it's with some trepidation that I join the Twitter generation. The idea of tweeting trivial moments (by the way, I just made a cup of coffee if any of you are interested) is just silly.

Having said that, I'm going to try it out. My username is "robertmryan" and I'll be tweeting here...

http://twitter.com/robertmryan

Clearly, though, just going to that site is just a diminished version of this site. Twitter only starts to make sense when you use a Twitter client or "app". And even then, it seems that Twitter is only valuable if there's a certain critical mass, which I doubt we've achieved thus far.

Anyway, I'm curious what you guys think. If any of you are twitters, yourselves, let me know.

Private equity training seminars

2009-03-12T13:48:00.001-04:00

Rob's private equity advisory business, Peracs, is conducting training seminars, introducing participants to advanced fund evaluation techniques. These help investors (the "limited partners") evaluate portfolios or new investment opportunities, as well as help the fund (the "general partners") better articulate their value proposition. If you know of anyone in private equity who might be interested, feel free to direct them to www.peracs.com/seminars for more information.

Rachel interview in Pink

2009-03-12T13:45:00.002-04:00

Check out Rachel's interview, "Lessons from the Stage," in Pink magazine.

Santa Paws

2008-12-25T10:51:00.003-05:00

This morning, the elves were out:

From Family snapshots

(That's Charlie on the left, Lily on the right.)

Even Magpie was getting into the fun:

From Family snapshots

Jamaica!

2008-12-13T09:45:00.002-05:00

In keeping with the Moore tradition of a Christmas holiday trip in lieu of expensive presents, Bruce, Cathy, Julie, Rachel and I had a wonderful trip to Jamaica. We shared a group villas outside of Montego Bay, on a point overlooking the bay on one side, and the bay at Round Hill on the other. While a generally relaxing holiday, we had some fun, too, including a canopy tour:

... as well as swimming with the dolphins:

Good food, good wine, good company, and good fun, all the way around.

In memory of Audrey Ann

2008-10-20T09:55:00.003-04:00

From Family snapshots

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of our cat, Audrey Ann, a member of our family for 18 years.

Audrey was shy amongst strangers, but quite loving with us. She cuddled with Rachel every night (the cats would take turns nestled in Rachel's armpit). She would also "tuck" me in every night (despite being settled in for the night, whenever I came to bed she'd get up, sit on my chest, purr loudly as she was pet, and then a few minutes later she would go back to where ever she was sleeping prior to my arrival).

We hold many fond memories: Toothless (yet successful) mouse hunting in Boston. Rushing to Magpie's assistance when Magpie once cried out when someone accidentally stepped on her tail. Letting out with a friendly little chirp whenever you first started to pet her. Batting playfully at a wiggling finger, but always with claws retracted.

This gentle and loving family member will be sorely missed.

Week in Nantucket

2008-09-14T17:03:00.003-04:00

We spent a week in Nantucket, and as you can see, we all had a great time playing in the waves. There's little doubt that Lily and Charlie are true water dogs!

Playing fetch

2008-07-03T17:11:00.003-04:00

I have finally joined the YouTube generation. The dogs were welcome subjects...

While I usually gravitate towards the most complicated electronic toys, I've discovered a refreshingly minimalist video camera, a Flip. It's small enough that you can slip it in a pocket, the theory being that you are more likely to use it if you have it with you. It's a little primitive, but it's easy to use and does the job.

New swimming pool

2008-06-21T23:13:00.005-04:00

From Family snapshots

Ok, maybe "swimming pool" is overstating it: Maybe it's only an unused wading pool abandoned at Nina and James' house. Technically, it's a kid's sandbox filled with water. Regardless of what it's called, this portable water amusement park is a source of great amusement for Charlie (appearing here in these two pictures). Although, barely large enough for one dog (Lily, our river swimming nut, curiously views this as quite circumspect), this is nirvana for Charlie on these hot, humid, summer afternoons. Our thanks to Nina and James. The puppies love it!

From Family snapshots

"Self-Taught Ballerina's Go Online"

2008-06-03T12:00:00.007-04:00

Rachel was quoted in a Wall Street Journal front-page article, "Self-Taught Ballerina's Go Online". YouTube has given many aspiring ballerinas a venue to exhibit their skills, but it has served to bring to light the dangers of poor training. Going en pointe holds a certain romantic appeal for these girls, but they risk serious injury by doing so before their bones are fully developed and without the proper training.

For anyone with an appreciation of ballet, it can be painful to watch some of these videos, from both aesthetic and sports medicine perspectives:

Charlie and Lily

2008-04-25T15:09:00.002-04:00

From Family snapshots

Here are Lily and Charlie on this fine Spring morning. Charlie is getting big quickly and while he's still a little smaller than Lily, the paws are much larger, foreshadowing the day in which he'll soon grow to 95-100 lbs (as opposed to Lily's comparably modest 75 lbs).

Dogs in the 'hood

2008-02-18T21:54:00.005-05:00

From Family snapshots

Here are Lily, Charlie, and Lily's brother, Rocky, who lives a few doors down. It was good fun, with them running around, destroying the lawn, and having a grand ol' time. Lily and Rocky were playing rambunctiously, as usual, and Charlie was the prototypical little brother, trying desperately to get into the fun, but generally being ignored by his elders. They finally tuckered each other out and took respite on this last remnant of our winter snow, quickly melting away on this unusually warm February afternoon.

Charlie's first week

2008-01-19T17:16:00.000-05:00

From Family snapshots

Well, a week into his stay and Charlie has wiggled his way into all of our hearts. As you can see, Lily and Charlie also have become fast friends.

Charlie has arrived

2008-01-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

From Family snapshots

We are pleased to announce the arrival of Charlie, a male yellow Labrador puppy. While the 1.5 hr drive home was a tad scary for the little guy, Lily and Charlie get along famously and he has settled in quite well. Lily is playing gently with him and definitely enjoys his company. They successfully tire out each other and it provides hours of entertainment for everyone.

Here are a few more snapshots of the two of them playing only an hour or so after Charlie's arrival:

From Family snapshots

Bruce and Cathy visit during holidays

2007-12-31T18:08:00.000-05:00

From Family snapshots

We were thrilled celebrate the holidays with Bruce and Cathy. With all that Rachel and Bruce have gone through, it was a treat finally to share a tranquil, almost languid, vacation. A few of us were a little under the weather (notably, poor Cathy), but we got out a few times, ate and drank more than we should have, and generally did very little as we simply enjoyed each other's company. It was wonderful seeing them and we look forward to seeing them again soon. We are already plotting our next Moore holiday trip, so that will sustain us for the coming months...

Four weeks old

2007-12-18T19:24:00.000-05:00

Here are a few snapshots of the puppies, now four weeks old:

More puppy photos

2007-12-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

Here are the two male puppies at the ripe old age of two weeks and five days...

And with a few of their sisters...

New family member

2007-11-14T22:29:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce the birth of our new puppy (pictured here with siblings) this morning. The puppy will not be joining us until mid January, but we all (at least Rob, Rachel, and Lily) are looking forward to the new addition to our family with great anticipation.