Finally Updating the Blog

We're really sorry, folks. It's taken us 2.5 months to get a new blog post up, and that is a record. It probably won't help to tell you that Brian was on trauma for most of the summer, and at times Sherry's hours were worse than his.

We know we missed blogging about Maya's wedding, our Berkshires trip with the Weavers, our Maine trip with Darren and Laura, and a host of other stuff. Rather than starting with the old stuff and trying to dig ourselves out of an ever-growing hole, we're going to start with now, and fill in items that we should have posted in the late summer when we get time. (Don't worry, Sac buddies-- Maya's wedding will get up eventually!)

This past week, we had SEVEN visitors staying with us at our home in Boston. (Cue Maria from The Sound of Music exclaiming, "SEVEN?" right here. And if this comment doesn't tell you which of us is the primary poster on this blog, then you don't know us very well.)

Last Tuesday, Julie and Raul Reynon and their baby Maile arrived from Sacramento. Raul was scheduled to compete in Head of the Charles. The regatta, first held in 1965, takes place on the banks of the Charles River, is the world's largest two-day rowing event. More than 7,500 athletes from around the world compete in 55 different race events. As a result, Boston and Cambridge (the host city) attract up to 300,000 spectators during the October weekend.

When our friend Liz Smagala heard that Julie and Raul would be in town, she wanted to be in on the fun, too, and arranged to fly out from L.A. on Friday for the weekend. (That's Liz, right, with Julie and Raul's daughter, Maile.) Eventually, a third high school friend, Kathy Roeder, jumped aboard as well, and took the bus up from the Big Apple on Friday as well.

Separately, our friends Rich and Sandi Cano (Brian's med school classmate and his fantastic wife) made the trek to visit us from Palo Alto the same week, arriving Thursday and leaving on Saturday.

On Tuesday evening, we had a night out in the North End with the Reynons, including dinner at Bricco. They left on Wednesday for a leaf-peeping overnight in New Hampshire, and returned on Thursday. That day, Sandi and Rich also arrived. The Canos and the Reynons and we went down to Fenway and cheered on the Sox at Boston Beer Works.

On Friday morning, Liz arrived. Sherry took the day off work, and she, Liz, Julie, Maile, Rich and Sandi enjoyed a Boston Duck Tour (see Sandi and Rick on our Duck Tour, right) and lunch at the Top of the Hub (the restaurant at the top of the Prudential building, with nice views of Boston) (see Liz, Julie and Maile at lunch left, and the view, right). (Brian was working and Raul was practicing for his race.) We shopped for a bit on Newbury Street as well. Kathy then made it in, Brian got off work, and we all went to 75 Chestnut, a cozy restaurant that we frequent in Beacon Hill. Afterwards, we went back to our place, and relaxed with a fire and cider.

On Saturday morning, Rich and Sandi left. :( Brian was working (again), but the rest of us descended on Harvard Square to watch Raul in his race. We stood on the bridge and watched him go by! Go, Raul! (See the team for which Raul coxed, right.) Then we enjoyed the festivities around Harvard Square. (See Maile, Kathy, Sherry, Liz and Julie, left.) On Saturday night, we had dinner at Gaslight in the South End, followed by rounds of Taboo! at home in front of the fire. Taboo! was particularly fun when played in junior high school teams: The Arcade Spartans (Brian, Sherry and Liz) versus cross-town junior high rivals The Churchill Bulldogs (Kathy, Julie, and Raul). Yeah, we go way back. We're proud to report that the Spartans kicked booty. (You can also see our "Party Like a Vegan" shirts leftover from Maya's wedding over the summer, below left.)

Sunday, Kathy and Raul left in the morning, and Brian, Liz, Julie, Maile and Sherry enjoyed part of the Freedom Trail and lunch at Kingfish Hall. (Oh, and of course, a stop at H&M to buy cute baby fashions for Maile.) Liz flew out later that day.

Julie and Maile were our last visitors to leave, heading out on Monday afternoon. It was very special to have some time alone with our dear friend and her super sweet, super cute baby. Maile was a champ the whole weekend, and must have the best baby disposition in the world! (Isn't this a beautiful picture of them playing in the leaves in Harvard Yard on Saturday?)

Whew! It was a whirlwind, but so fun to see our dear old friends from so far away. You know what they say:

Make new friends, but keep the old

One is silver, and the other is gold.

(One caveat: Old friends' babies automatically jump to gold status, no matter how new they are!)

Welcome, Maile Elizabeth!

We've made (well, okay, technically our friends have "made") a lot of brand new friends lately. REALLY brand new. :) And here's one of them. Meet Maile Elizabeth Reynon, daughter of our friends Julie and Raul. Isn't she cute? She's just over eight weeks old. Our friends Liz and Maya came into Sacramento from L.A. and San Francisco, respectively, for the birth of sweet Maile Elizabeth (pronounced, "Miley") (Liz has taken to calling her M. Elizabeth, but that doesn't seem to have caught on with Julie and Raul!) We recently met little Maile at Tom and Maya's wedding in California, but were saving all those pictures for a separate post. (We're behind. Sorry!)

We'll highlight some of our other new pals in posts to come.

Our Trip to Wisconsin and Chicago

As you may know, we take vacation the last week of every June in celebration of our anniversary. This year, because of various complications with Brian's work, we had to take our trip one week early, the third week of June. We went to upper Wisconsin for half of the week, spending time with our friends Seth and Jen and their families, and the second half of the week alone together in Chicago.

Seth is a colleague of Brian's, and his wife, Jen, is an accountant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Seth and Jen have, like us, been together since high school. They both grew up on Lake Superior in Superior, Wisconsin. Both of their parents now live right on the lake, in beautiful lake houses that they welcomed us into on our visit. We had a wonderful time. We boated on the lake, lazed around campfires, drinking wine and listening to the loons (okay, and 80's music), and took a day trip out to Madeline Island. (The pic above right is us with some interesting locals-- "Shame" and Costello-- don't ask!) We stayed a few nights with Jen's parents in their house on Lake Nebagamon, and a night with Seth's dad, where we stayed in the lighthouse next door to the house! It was definitley our first night in a lighthouse-- but we hope not the last!

After our time at Lake Superior, we drove through Wisconsin down to Milwaukee, Sherry's dad's hometown. We called Jim from Milwaukee, and he gave us a tour of his hometown neighborhood in downtown Milwaukee over the phone-- his old house, the corners where his parents owned pubs, his local church (see right) and park. He couldn't remember some addresses, and even cassled us back when he found them. He was so excited to share that history with us, and sounded so happy. It was the last time we would speak to him.

After our tour of Milwaukee, we headed to Chicago, where we spent the next several days celebrating our anniversary. We took the architecture boat tour, went to the top of the Sears Tower, had cocktails in the Signature Room at the top of the Hancock Tower, toured to the Field Museum, rented bikes and rode up and down the shoreline, explored the city at night, went to a concert in Millennium Park, and had a fantastic time. We ate at two notable restaurants, Blackbird, and for our anniversary dinner, Tru. (Click italics for links.) Both were wonderful. The highlight of the trip was catching the Chicago Cubs v. White Sox game, where we were able to cheer for Sherry's high school classmate, Derrek Lee, who hit the ball out the park and had a terrific game. Go, Cubs! Go D-Lee!

We had such a fun, all-American vacation! For the rest of the pics from our trip, click here.

Dad's Funeral and Our Trip to California

We've just returned from our trip to California for Dad's funeral. I (Sherry) arrived two days before Brian and spent some time with my sisters Stacy and Jodi. Brian arrived on Wednesday, and we met for dinner at the Mission Inn (which became a sort-of Ground Zero for our family during this time) with all of my living siblings on my father's side (my half-siblings, Jodi, Kristi, and Alan, and my sister, Stacy). It was both an evening that was both comforting and sorrowful, filled with hugs and long conversations, laughter and tears. Jodi had brought the many, many emails of condolence she had received from guys who had served in the Air Force with my Dad, from his early days at March AFB, to his service in Japan (where Matthew, Stacy and I were born), and beyond.

Thursday, the third of July, was Dad's funeral. The recitation of the rosary and funeral mass were held at Saint Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church in Riverside. It was the most beautiful service I've ever attended, with each of Dad's children taking a significant part. Kristi, Jodi and Stacy made most of the arrangements. Jodi gave the eulogy, Alan and Stacy read scripture verses, and I read the poem, High Flight, below.

After the mass, the funeral procession made its way to the National Cemetery in Riverside. There, Dad was given full military honors, including the flag folding, gun salute, a bugler playing Taps, and -- a surprise for all of us -- an Air Force flyover. Jodi had mentioned that some of the guys at March AFB were trying to orchestrate a flyover for Dad's funeral, but we did not assume that it would happen. When we saw the flyover, we were floored.

My father loved planes and loved flying, and he served proudly for many years in the Air Force. He was a Vietnam veteran, and one of the servicemen who evacuated Saigon when it fell, almost six months to the day before I was born at Tachikawa Air Force Base in Japan. (He spoke of the heartbreak and helplessness of having to leave so many people behind.) He taught Jodi the ropes, pinned on her Air Force wings, and the two of them held the distinction of being the first father-daughter boom team in the country. He loved the tradition of the military, and he loved his country. He would have loved and been humbled by the way that his service had honored him on the 3rd of July, and would have been proud when the flag was presented to his family "on behalf of the President of the United States, the Department of the Air Force, and a grateful nation."

After the funeral, we all convened, exhausted, in the Presidential Lounge back at the Mission Inn and tried to relax with our family and friends. The next day, appropriately, was the 4th of July, and we spent it together as a family, first by the pool at the hotel, and for dinner and fireworks at Stan and Kristi's house. Stacy, Brian and I met with Liz and Phil for brunch the next morning, then flew home.

This has been an extremely difficult time. Dad struggled with cancer, but still nothing prepared us for his death.

Our family is thankful to everyone who has made condolence calls, wrote and sent condolence cards and letters, brought or sent beautiful flowers, came to our house to cheer us up, shared their own experiences with the lost of a family member, covered projects or shifts for us at work, or attended the services. Having such wonderful friends and colleagues has been a great comfort to us during this time. To see all the photos from the week, click here. You will be prompted for a password that many family members will already know. Friends or family members who do not know the password can get it by emailing Sherry or Brian.

Dad's Obituary

Dad's obituary can be seen by clicking here.

Also, please note that the funeral is at 11:30 a.m., not 11 a.m., as originally listed below.

Goodbye, Dad

James Douglas Hartel

May 7, 1941 - June 25, 2008

My (Sherry's) Dad passed away on June 25th

after a long battle with cancer.

This is a difficult time for our family, so whatever we say here simply will not express what we are feeling right now.

Dad served over thirty years in the United States Air Force,

and was a veteran of the Vietnam War.

He was also a talented and passionate football player

who played in several military leagues, then coached in England.

Later, he coached a semi-pro/minor league football team and

then college football during his retirement years.

He loved flying and fishing, travel and antiques, art and culture.

He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and through his life and travels with the Air Force lived all over the United States, the Phillipines, Japan, and England.

He was so excited to hear about our experiences exploring Wisconsin last week. He gave us a tour of his childhood neighborhood over the phone as we drove around and described the area to him and took photos. Sadly, we were never able to show him the photos we took for him. But he was so happy that day to share his past and our family history. I am enormously thankful that our last words to each other were, "I love you."

--------------------

The funeral mass will be held

Thursday, the 3rd of July

at 11:30 a.m.

St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church

7005 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506

The internment will take place afterwards (~1:45 p.m.) at

the National Cemetery in Riverside

with full military honors and twenty-one gun salute.

(Several people have inquired about donations in lieu of flowers.

Donations may be made to Loma Linda University Medical Center, Cancer Institute.)

-------------------------------

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

-- John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Missed Birthdays!

We've been horrible about posting lately. Sherry was trying to get ramped up at the firm her first month back, then had to travel for work, and then we went on vacation. And somewhere in there, Brian went to both Arizona and California.

We missed a bunch of birthdays, but here are two that we must mention: Our nephew Lucas turned 4, and Brian's mom Ann turned the big 6-0, in May! Happy Birthday, Lucas! Happy Birthday, Ann!

For Ann's big year, Brian and Kathi flew out to California to Eric and Kristen's place to surprise, where Ann was visiting, as a surprise. She was shocked, and hadn't suspected a thing! For more pictures, click here.

Harvard Orthopaedics Golf Day

Brian and the crew teed it up at the Harvard Orthopaedics Golf Day last week. The weather has been beautiful in Boston, and the golf outing was no exception. It is obvious how ready for spring the entire city was; the nice days have brought a ton of sailboats to the Charles, throngs of picnics to the Esplanade and the Common, and tourists on every corner.

For more photos from the event, click here.

HausBlog Updates Coming, We Swear!

Sorry we haven't updated the HausBlog lately. Updates are coming and will include photos from Marta's wedding in, and Brian's family visit to, Phoenix; Harvard Orthopaedics Golf Day, and Ann's 60th Birthday/Brian's trip to California. Stay tuned!

ADA Haus No More

From Sherry:

This was my last week of my six months spent as a special assistant district attorney. The opportunity to serve the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an ADA has been a tremendous privilege. In some ways, it was the coolest job I’ve ever had. In other ways, it was the hardest. There is no other job like it in the world, and I have so much respect for those who do it. Their dedication, hard work, and lawyering skills are truly remarkable.

Standing up in court, day in and day out, arguing motions, taking cases to trial before judges and juries, negotiating with defense attorneys, working with the incredible police force – all of it challenged me, tested me, and made me work ever harder to be a better lawyer. And I am.

The experience changed the way I think about myself, others, and any number of social and political issues.

I will miss standing up in court every day. There is never a boring day in criminal court. I will miss crowded first session, sitting there with 11 files in my lap as five defense attorneys want to talk about pleas, one of my motions to suppress is being called in second session, and I have any number of jury trials scheduled for the following day. I will miss all the jury trials. I will miss joking with the judges, the healthy back-and-forth with the defense bar, and laughing at lunch about whatever crazy events might have transpired that day. I will miss working with the police force, especially the undercover drug detectives. (They have the most interesting stories.) I will miss meeting and talking to people all the time as I work up my cases—the local shop owners and school principals, the city engineers and the ambulance drivers. I will miss seeing the smiling faces of the court personnel every day and shouting, “How ya doing?” across the crowed hall of the courthouse as people I know walk by. I will miss working on behalf of victims. I will miss being called “Commonwealth."

I’m looking forward to returning to my job at the firm. I love what I do, and I love the people I work with there. But these have been six months that have changed me, and I will never forget them, or the people who made them so unforgettable.

Mia's First Birthday

Happy Birthday, Mia!

Today was the first birthday party for adorable Mia, daughter of our friends Sherry and Jens. (Her actual birthday is April 28.) They had a barbecue for the Birthday Diva at Larz Anderson Park, and it was a lot of fun. Boston enjoyed a week of weather in the 70's (and even 80!), but the weather was a bit chilly today. Everyone still had a great time, though, and all the spring flowers were either already in bloom or on their way! As the saying goes: April showers bring May flowers! Jens' twin sister Jutta, her husband Kristoph, and their sons Nicholas and Julius were visiting from Cologne, Germany (see them with Jens, right), so the party was extra special. It was the first time Mia had met her cousins!

To see all the pictures from Mia's party, click here. (Sherry was so busy taking photos she forgot to actually be in any.)

Spring is here!

Spring is finally here! The sun is out, the cherry blossoms are in bloom, the Charles is filled with sailboats, the runners are on the Esplanade, and Boston has awoken from it's long winter's nap.

This past weekend was a long weekend for us, as residents of the Bay State celebrated Patriot's Day today. Bostonians have a knack for lining up patriotic holidays that most of the rest of America does not celebrate with days that happen to be really convenient to have off from work. Example 1: March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) happens to be Evacuation Day. Day off work! Example 2: The day of the Boston Marathon (always a Monday) happens to be run on Patriot's Day. Voila -- three day weekend! If you didn't know, Patriot's Day commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the Revolutionary War. (Apparently, it is also celebrated in Maine and as a school holiday in Wisconsin.)

The long weekend marked by glorious weather, and we were lucky to be able to spend a lot of it together . On Friday evening (traditionally our "date night"), we went to the North End, where we had dinner at the Florentine Cafe (click for link) followed by gelato and cappuccino at a nearby cafe.

On Saturday, we rested, enjoyed running in the great weather (okay, that was just Sherry), and then spent the evening with our friends Seth and Jen. We all met up at the Cask 'n Flagon (click for link) then headed to the Red Sox (click for link) game. We had a fantastic time at the game (even if the temperatures did drop significantly in the evening), and the Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers. Afterwards, we met up with several other friends (Darren, Laura, Albert, and Jen), and later ended up staying hanging out with Seth and Jen at their place. We were up talking and watching TV so late that we ended up staying the night at their place. (Seth and Jen are very similar to us, in that they met in high school and have basically been together ever since. Seth is an orthopedic surgery resident with Brian, and Jen is an accountant at a big four accounting firm.) To see the rest of our photos from the game, click here.

On Sunday, while others were gearing up for the race of their lives on Monda, we spent the day just being lazy together, which never, ever happens. We had lunch together in Coolidge Corner in Brookline, walked around the shops, went home, took a nap, felt temporarily guilty about the nap, went out to dinner later at The Red House (click for link) in Cambridge (so cozy!), got Herrell's (click for link) ice cream to go and then came home to watch movies together. It was sooo relaxing! We watched Gone Baby Gone, which is yet another fantastic Boston flick. (Sherry was particularly excited to see the cameo of Sgt. Molis, with whom she has worked in her capacity as an ADA. He appears in the funeral scene, and even has a line!) We followed it up with a Hitchcock flick (we're both huge fans)-- Suspicion. Both are must see films!

Today was the Boston Marathon(click for full coverage by the Boston Globe). Over the weekend, as is the case every year, the city was brimming with tourists here to see the race. Once again, no one was disappointed. Touching stories of triumph were the headlines of the day, and the women's race featured the closest race for first and second place in Boston Marathon history. We congratulate all the 20,000+ runners-- and especially the winners! Brian spent a good part of the day working, and Sherry ran a lot of errands, but neither of us were as exhausted as these folks!

Trip Report Part 4: Munich

Finally! Part 4 of our trip report from our trip to Austria and Germany. Picking up where we left off . . .

After spending the afternoon driving our way through the Alps and into Munich, we arrived at our hotel (click for link) in the evening. It was in a great location, directly across the street from the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), and close to everything. The staff was very helpful and friendly.
Brian's first priority in Munich was clear: Must. Visit. Hofbrauhaus. The world famous Hofbrauhaus first opened in 1589 and has been serving up its brew to patrons (and tourists!) ever since. It's loud, drunken, and full of Bavarian food, song and spirit. We had some delicious wurst (sausage), sauerkraut, kase (cheese), kartoffeln (potatoes) and, of course, bier (exactly what it looks like!). We had a great time talking to some traveling Americans seated next to us and, after we left, walking through the streets of Munich.

The next morning, we woke up late and worked out before eventually meandering out into the city. We made our way through the Altstadt (old city), stopping at the Augustiner (click for link)beer hall for lunch. (The beer halls were a great standby for fast, reasonably priced, good food and drinks in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. We partly wished we had come in the summer, though, so we could experience it all outdoors in the beer gardens.)

We then explored the Marienplatz-- a central square and walking district in the center of Munich, boasting many of its best shops, restaurants and historic buildings. The Marienplatz dates back to the Middle Ages, and is home to both the Altes Rathaus (old city hall, pictured right), and Neues Rathaus (new city hall, pictured left). If you think the new city hall looks a heck of a lot older than the old city hall, you're not alone. The Altes Rathaus was built in 1556, and is one of the major Renaissance buildings in Germany, while the Neues Rathaus was built between 1899 and 1905 in historical style (to look older). Both are beautiful. The Neues Rathaus features Munich's world famous Glockenspiel, a clock fit with dancing characters that play twice per day in the winter and three times per day come summer. (To see our photo of it playing, click here.) We then made the 302-step climb to the top of the Renaissance tower of the Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church). It was worth it! The oldest parish church in the city (dating to the 13th century) offers breathtaking views of the Marienplatz and the rest of the city. Two of our photos from the top can be seen right (another view of the Neues Rathaus) and left.

We then wandered to the beautiful Odeonsplatz area (another large square). (See our gallery for photos; link at the end of this post.) Along the way, shop windows were generously adorned with everything from Easter wares, to springtime traditional Bavarian clothes, to delicious wurst, to modern boutiques.

From there we visited the Residenz (click for link), a former residence of Bavarian kings and the Wittlesbach dynasty until 1918. It was gradually transformed from a moated castle in 1385 to a huge complex with seven courtyards. It is now an extensive museum that one could spend several days exploring.

Later, we walked to the Englischer Garten. Now this, people, is a public park! It's even larger than (the also fantastic) Central Park in NYC. It's chock full of bike paths, walking paths, boating areas, brooks, swans, and even an area to surf. With several restaurants and outdoor beer gardens added in, it's about as nice a park as you could imagine. And it's probably an absolute paradise in the summer. Unfortunately, it was a bit chilly for our visit-- but we'll just have to come back sometime in the summer!

Afterwards, we visited the Olympiapark (click for link), site of the 1972 Olympic Games. The also-large park is a manmade wonder of rolling hills, a lake, the Olympic Tower with revolving restaurant, and world class sports facilities, including an aquatic center, skating rink, tennis courts, race track, rowboats, and so on. Though the Munich Olympics hold some painful memories, this remarkable spot reminds visitors of the unifying power of sport. The evening view from the Olympia Tower was magical.

That night, we had a leisurely evening out in the city, walking around, checking out the nightlife (including, of course, more historic beer halls). We happened upon a birthday celebration for a truly Bavarian crew. Now they knew how to have a good time! One of our photos can be seen right. (More in our gallery; see link at the end of this post.) Oh, yes, that man is actually drumming on the other man's butt as he hangs upside down. The crowd was singing Bavarian tunes. It was very rowdy!

The following day, we visited two of Germany's best museums. First on the agenda was the absolutely fascinating Deutsches Museum (click for link). It is the world's largest museum of science and engineering. Only a tiny portion of its 17,000 exhibits can be viewed in one day. Brian completely nerded out, the scientist in him overjoyed at the detailed exhibits; no dumbing it down for the "lay folks" (a.k.a. Sherry) here! Exhibits were well-explained and very hands-on. Among the highlights were the model of a human cell magnified 350,000 times such that visitors could walk around inside, and in the aviation section, the only surviving Wright Standard Type A. It was accepted by the Museum in 1912, damaged during bombing of the museum during World War 2, and subsequently restored for exhibition when in 1958. It was touching to see in person. We also enjoyed the Planetarium show.

From there, we walked a good part of the way through the city, over to the Museum district of Munich, which houses three major art museums, the Alte Pinakothek (Old Art Gallery), the Neue Pinakothek (New Art Gallery) and Pinakothek der Moderne (Modern Art Gallery) (click for link). Given that it was our last day in Munich, we faced the difficult decision of which of the three to choose. We chose the Moderne, and were not disappointed. We had a relaxing afternoon exploring, and even stopped in at the cafe.

We spent our last evening in Munich enjoying a special dinner at one of Munich's iconoclastic restaurants, Lenbach. The food was great and the hip, modern decor, housed inside a restored, historic building was completely over the top. It was a fun way to end a great trip.

We feel so lucky to have visited these two wonderful countries, seen their marvelous sights, enjoyed their rich cultures, and savored their fantastic cuisine. More than anything else, though, we will never forget the the kind, welcoming, warm and generous peoples of these two beautiful nations. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.

To see all the photos from our trip to Austria and Germany click here.

P.S. Yes, we flew Lufthansa on the way home, and yes, we also had a bad experience on the return trip. We won't bore you with the story. We've since heard from our German friends that they have had great experiences with this airline; we hope our experience was an anomaly.