Goodbye friend...

I know this lady, one of my former mother in-law's cousins, and she has always been pretty cool.
I have always been one who will go to visit friends and family in my adulthood because they might have busy or hectic lives and not find the time to visit me and I don't want to let those important to me forget how I feel about them. I must say that with this comes a certain amount of guilt from not visiting enough, but I try.
I learned this habit from the example set by my former mother in-law and one of her cousins, Edna, when I was a teenager hanging out at my girlfriend's house. One or the other of them was always popping in on the other and catching up over a cup of tea or coffee or a snack of some sort and it was the most natural thing in the world. My parents didn't do this as much (my step dad did, but only with his parents and siblings), I didn't even meet some of my grandfather's sisters until his funeral, and they lived within 10 miles of each other.
I moved away from my home town for 18 years while I traveled the world and would bump into Edna once in a great while on return visits and always enjoyed our catching up. When I heard she was fighting a bad case of ecoli I called her in the hospital to check up and wish her well and I could tell that she was going to be fine by the way she saw that sickness as merely an annoyance.
This past summer she had a bad spell and I visited her in the short term care center, and it wasn't looking good, I barely recognized her because she was so weak and didn't look anything like the last time I had seen her. She wasn't given very good odds at that time, but let me tell you what a fighter Edna was, she just decided that it wasn't her time and she rallied and, moving back home, regained her strength a bit. It has been a hard road, and she has put up with a lot of discomfort. I thought over the past week she was maintaining pretty good but she took a downturn this past weekend with her daughters at her side. Her granddaughter, with whom she had a special relationship, left Virginia this morning fearing the worst and started driving to Maine abandoning her flight later this week.

I saw Edna this morning, but she was asleep.
It's all over now.
I send my heartfelt condolences to the family.
I have other friends and family who have passed that I keep fresh in my memory, Grammy, Peg, Emma. I still like to visit and keep them up to date, and I learned part of that from Edna.

Be at peace Edna, I'll talk to you later...

What a storm

We had a heck of a storm blow through last night. Lots of places without power. I had a piece of flashing blow off my roof from somewhere I haven't figured out yet (it was still dark when I left for work and noticed it on the ground). Trees down all over the place, one in my yard.
Here's a shot of the boat in a no parking zone out the back door of the building I work in.

I ate the yellow snow

We went to a joint called Bahama Buc's and had the finest shaved ice.
I got the Mango Bahama Rama Mama. It went against everything I was ever told about eating yellow snow, but it was awesome. Don't listen to anyone who tells you not to eat the yellow snow, it tastes great.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

I like Mexican food, right?

Normally I would say, "Hells to the YEAH! Have you got any?"
but this morning I woke up with the same "oh my god I'm stuffed, I can't believe I ate that many burritos, what was I thinking" stomach ache that I went to bed with. What's up with that?
Oh whelp. Nothing a little hike through the Usery Mountain recreation area (North East of Mesa, AZ) can't cure. (Pictures to come, I traveled unusually light, just BlackBerry, camera gear, and clothes)
OMG! OMG! OMG! I think where we are going for lunch, Pita Jungle, has schwarma. I frickin LOVE schwarma. Only problem is all my memories of eating schwarma in the Middle East end with an over eating stomach ache. I think I might have a mild form of over eating retardation. But I accept that about myself.
We are staying with the artist Meg Harper (www.megharper.com) and her husband Torre and it is magic. Check her out, she's awesome.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It's about time.

I've been working the overnight shift these past two nights, and when I'm working the hoist I find my mind wandering, not so much that I need to worry about crushing someone if I'm distracted, but I do get to think about things that wouldn't normally cross my mind.

Tonight it's pretty obvious. Congratulations to the country I know can be great. I, along with the majority of my state and my nation, elected the first black man to lead what might be the most powerful nation in the free world. Now we are not only the nation which SAYS anyone can be president, we have shown it.
When Barack Obama was born his parents marriage was considered illegal in 16 states.
I welcome the rest of my nation to the world that I live in. Even at this historic hour I am amazed at the reactions of some people. I'm sure they thought, "Oh, sure, he can RUN for president, but he'll never get elected.", believing that the majority of the country must surely feel the same as they do. Well, they are about to realize that we are all human, and we all want this country to be as great as we imagine it can be.

Personally, I see this as a time to rebuild our reputation as a moderate ally to the world. We are not the world police, we are not nation builders. We want the world to enjoy the freedom of democracy, but we don't need to cram it down anyones pie-hole. If people need our help, all they need do is ask, but we should not rush in uninformed. Enough of blind policies and hidden agendas. I feel like my country had been hijacked by the outgoing administration. Those bastards are no better than sheisty used car salesmen, telling us what we wanted to hear and peddling junk to those of us too scared to question them. A new day is dawning and the immensity of hope I have for what is to come fills me to satisfaction that closely rivals my joy at being a dad or the way my heart beats for my true love.
This is a little different from last night when I found myself remembering my time in the Navy, and the way the people of Japan treated me. Japan is a divided country when it comes to how it feels about America. There is a dividing line at a certain age, if you are young, you love western culture and realize what an ally the U.S. is and if you are older you probably still hold a grudge for those two bombs we dropped on you like a slap in the face. I can't say I wouldn't hold a grudge if I was in their place so it is a little understandable. But I'd just like to say that I didn't drop those bombs that may have killed some of your ancestors, but I DID serve on an operation which probably prevented some of your descendants from getting bombs dropped on them, so if you see me in your beautiful country of Japan you don't have to say "thank you" but it would be nice if you bought me a beer.
As it turns out I rather like Asahi Super Dry.

Do yourself a flavor

There is a place called the Center Café on Route 27 going towards Boothbay Harbor and their food is effing awesome!
Lisa got a half gobbler and the last cup of mushroom soup, I got the tomato/bacon/parmesan quiche and a side salad with parm peppercorn dressing, and Fox got The Don and tater salad.
Don't let my vulgar colloquialisms fool you, this shit could be major magazine article worthy.
In case you're wondering, the gobbler is like Thanksgiving dinner on whole wheat, and The Don is like a philly cheesesteak pannini.

Do it. Travel to Maine if you have to.
Talk to Charlene, get a P.O. number, and GET IT DONE!

This meal was so orgasmic I have to go change my underware now...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Lives coming together

The trip across the country was as smooth as could be.
Best traffic imaginable, hardly ever slowed down.
Picked up D on the way back while running through NY and he loved the ride in the big truck with the cat and kitten in the cab.
Left Spanish Fork at 2:30 Sunday afternoon, and rolled into Mid-Coast Maine 74 hrs later.
We let the truck sit that night, but unloaded the next day completely so we could take the truck back to the rental center on Friday on our way to Old Orchard Beach for the weekend with three other families.
I can't ever remember the Atlantic ever being so warm in Maine before, we spent hours playing in the surf. Kids loved it and behaved like a dream. What a good time.
Next day we spent almost 12 hours at FunTown SplashTown and had another unbelievable day. The weather was perfect, the water (on the slides) was perfect, the mosquitos weren't bad. We rode it 'til the wheels fell off.

Now it's time to unpack

Oh Shit!

Good morning.
Remember that rocking toilet?
I thought that since I voided myself there that a double shot mocha wouldn't run right through me. Oops!
It is surprising the little things you notice while driving long distances, like "Next exit 7 miles".
Wow, a lot of pressure can build up in 7 miles.
My buddy Joe is a trucker, suddenly those stories about almost shitting himself are much less funny and seem more like sage advice on how to take care of yourself.
So, here I sit wishing I hadn't had that Tijuana Mama (300% hotter) last night and wondering why I didn't notice it earlier this morning on the rocker.

Truck stop bathrooms

Granted, this is just a Shell station quick stop, not a full on Truck stop, but they should bolt down the toilet so it doesn't rock back and forth while I'm sitting on it.

The time has come...

Here it is, zero hour, only a few more check marks and the list will be complete.

We leave tomorrow and fly to Utah to pack up Lisa's things and move her back to Maine, and I am subjecting her to what I consider my worst trait: last minute slow-motion packing.
I have Adult ADD, so I am a very distractable person every day, add travel stress on top of that and it can be very frustrating to get anything done in a reasonable amount of time. I am used to it and it still drives me nuts, I can't imagine how it must be for Lisa. Moving, no small thing. Moving back home with someone you met 7 months ago, making that move across the better part of a 3000 mile wide country...

Baby I'm sorry for what you must be going through, and I wish I wasn't doing anything that doesn't make it any easier.
All I can say is that I Love You, and I want to keep loving you here beside me for the rest of my life, in a boat, in the rain, in a car, on a train, reading books in bed together on a rainy morning, on the front porch with the birds chirping, riding our bikes on the islands, even if you get old and your hair falls out in clumps and you scoop it up into old used bread bags to take down to the store hoping to get $10 for it even when they're only offering $5.

Even when you feel like a leftover turd sandwich, you never know when Mother Nature is gonna knock your socks off.
It might be like that.
There's gonna be highs,
and there's gonna be lows,
but I'll keep your glass half full because my heart will be brimming over with the joy that you constantly bring into my life.
I Love You Lisa

I've been thinking...

As I look back at the past few posts it comes to my attention that not only am I appreciative that I have a spell checker on this BlackBerry, but I wonder if I can invest in a grammar checker to install here also.

Maybe I should proof my work a little better or maybe just go back and edit my previous posts instead of calling attention to my incomplete thoughts so hastily thumbed into a phone.

Has everyone done themselves the favor of visiting Lisa & D-Man's blogs? What am I saying, if you are reading this you probably wrote one of them.

This just in!

Seussical SUCKSICLE!

Seussical the Musical

Today was busy. We got up and Lisa and I got a good bike ride in, then we showered and took the gang to Pemmaquid Point after fish tacos at Paco's Tacos.
When we got home I finished up burning the 183 best shots from Trina and Les' wedding the day before to a cd then busted out a 30 minute nap.

Now we have the whole group (9 of us) in the balcony at the Camden Opera House which has wooden auditorium seats as opposed to the cushioned ones downstairs for $4 more. These are seats with a good view though, but next time I'll pony up the dough for the good seats, and prolly get a babysitter.

$150 Lunch

Every parent knows that kids will suck the life right out of you, and then they'll go for your wallet.
My immediate family recently went from 3 (myself and my two boys, and they are only here from August to February) to 6 (Lisa and her 8 year old twins are OFFICIALLY moving in), now everything costs 4 times as much, don't bother trying to do the math, you'd need a degree in it, let me just say it's exponential.

I have friends visiting from Galway, NY, and we thought it would be fun to go out to one of the local islands and explore. We chose Vinalhaven since it has a nature preserve and the most restaurants within walking distance (and the ferry tickets were cheaper than Monhegan, we thought). I saw a web page that said tix were $9 and that seemed ok, but when we got there they were $16! The prices went up in earlier this summer, so for Lisa and I, twin 8 year olds who got childrens tix, and a 13 year old and a 15 year old who were counted as adults, it cost $78. OUCH! Then lunch cost another $76 for food that was pretty average, good looking burger but crab roll and lobster rolls were below par, especially for two things billed as an island favorites on the menu boards.

The island was a treat though, and Lisa and I plan to go back without the kids and take our bikes to explore the island further,
but we'll probably pack a lunch.

Catch you guys later, I need to go clean up cat puke.

Lobster Festival

I know I need to blog more, and I still think of it all the time, but life gets in the way some times.

I've been busy with the Lobster Festival this week. Here is a pic of Bryson Cowan, the new Sea Goddess, with King Neptune.

Testing new phone

Hope this works so I can start blogging again
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Pearl Jam 2008

Here I am, thanks to Lisa, at the Comcast Center (formerly the Tweeter Ctr) rockin out to Eddie Vedder killin it. Right now he is smackin Pete Townsend's "Reign on Me" on the ass and knockin me out.
These seats are great. The lawn here seems wicked awesome too. We don't have any big screen show but we can see the stage just fine. I would come back for lawn seats (or inside if offered) for almost any show. SPAC has a better lawn, but this is 3 hours closer, and the tailgating before the show is just as good.
Eddie started by saying they are taking tomorrow off, so they are gonna test our endurance. Bring it on :-) More later I hope...

Well, it seems 2 hours is what Eddie thinks will test my endurance. I'll take it, but it wasn't much of a test.

I'll tell you what tested my PATIENCE though, the 2 FUCKING HOURS waiting to get out of the fucking parking lot. It was absolutely ridiculous. We pulled out of our space and got into line and didn't move again for an hour and a half (I turned the car off). Thankfully both Lisa and I had our BlackBerry's (and the joy of each others company and conversation) to keep us occupied, otherwise I'd be fucking boiling (maybe not, I'm usually pretty level headed, if it's not a fire on a submarine under the ice, how bad can it be?). Let's just say forget what I said about the cool lawn seats and good sound, I won't be going back to the Comcast Center (or Tweeter Center, or whatever they want to call themselves).
Great show though, rock and roll wise, Pearl Jam put a lot of energy into it and I felt it. Lots of old "Ten" stuff with new stuff and it all flowed smooth. $75 per seat (we were in section 5, row S, seats 7&8) should buy you a little more production value I think. U2 has high ticket prices, but they put it back into the show. Don't take that as a slam, I loved the show and would see it again, they ruled better than jet boots, I guess I'm just old and spent too much time on the grass at SPAC.

Go see Pearl Jam if you get the chance, you won't be dissappointed by them. I hope you can get a deal on your tix.

Rockland Boat Races 2008

Here I am rocking on the "Instigator" next to the dock, waiting for the Races to get underway. Fog threatens to cancel the races, but a good time will be had (if you're on one of the boats) regardless. Well, since these are the ROCKLAND races, I should say IRRegardless.

The Lobster Festival Sea Goddess looks like she could be having more fun, but maybe she'll perk up once we get underway.

I haven't forgotten

I know I need to blog about the FunTown trip, so here it goes...

Rode out on the sixth grade bus and got to share a seat with a sweet young thing named Lisa who wasn't opposed to snuggling. When I say young, I mean she was 32 as compared to my 39 years, not that she was 11 like the rest of the sixth graders you sickos.

Got plenty of exercise walking around the park, from the Dragon's Descent to the Excalibur and back, a bunch of times. Bumper boats were a blast, but don't waste your time getting in line for the go carts, it's more fun pushing a grocery cart.

Then the ride back with a neck kinking nap.

That was that.

Since then I haven't been too busy. I did make a new poster, I'll try to post that later.

Out for drinks tonight at the Black Bull Tavern in Rockland.

See ya' there...

Maine Motivation

That trip to Old Orchard & Portland the other day was great. We decided to end early by pulling in to a B&B in Freeport that we found on Windows Live Search (every BlackBerry needs it loaded). I recommend B&B's over hotels any time you get the chance.

The Kendall Tavern B&B (www.kendalltavern.com info@kendalltavern.com) innkeeper Tim Rudolph is an awesome guy and definitely a friend to motorcyclists. If it is raining, he has room in the barn for the bikes, a washer and (more importantly if you show up wet) dryer, and even though the need didn't arise, I'm sure he would have a towel handy in the morning to wipe the dew off your ride. He also has plenty of cool pictures and stories about missions he has been on in underdeveloped countries building schools and such for his church, but he isn't preachy or anything, just an all around great guy.

Freeport would be a great place to do a clover leaf tour from. One day out around Sebego Lake, one day just for Portland and Freeport (walking and shopping), and one for Damariscotta-Pemaquid-Rockland-Camden. The Kendall Tavern B&B has a special just for motorcyclists, stay two nights and get the third for 1/2 off. That puts it at ~$125/night which is right in respectable hotel range, but you get a kick-ass breakfast and a cool biker friendly joint.
We did part of that on the way home, we went through Damariscotta and out to Pemaquid, all along Route 1 except for the Pemaquid part. Had lunch right there at the lighthouse (next door) and just had a great time. Zipping along on the bike, beautiful weather... Good times. Good times.

As great as it was, the ride did leave me a little saddle sore. I haven't really gotten a chance to put many miles on the bike yet this season, and 100 miles a day for 3 days took It's toll (but it did get easier each day, just not the sore ass part). Practice, practice. One thing I had never noticed before, since I had Lisa on the back, I took it a little easier than I normally would have, and I would have (or ever have), and I got 39 mpg. That's WITH a passenger. I usually only get 36 mpg by myself, but I am usually a little heavier on the throttle.

Next time I'll tell you about the trip to Funtown.

Keep your stick on the ice...

A walk in the park

Got my new BlackBerry Curve (8338) today. I know, I know, I just got the 8830 a month ago, why do I need a new one. Well that one didn't have all 4 bands of GSM, only 2 of the overseas ones and none of the US ones, so slipping a chip in for emergencies or whatever is a no go, AND that one doesn't have a camera. Since I was inside the 30 day window I decided to back out of that one. And here I am.

Had a phone interview for a combustion optimization engineering firm (Anthony Ross) who need a North-East US Service Rep. I think it went well. I'll let you know...

For this evening Lisa and I got on the bike and zipped down to Old Orchard Beach (Scarborough) for dinner with a friend of hers then rode lazily up to Deering Oaks to walk around and catch up with another friend of hers (in Maine we make the most of any trip greater than 20 miles from home. Visit just one friend? That would be wasteful).
Deering Oaks is fun, and I am amazed at how much smaller it is than I remember from when my Dad would bring me here as a kid. We used to buy a bag of peanuts and hold them out for the squirrels but hold on to them really tight so the squirrels would tug and tug on them. I couldn't stop laughing. Might not have set the best example, but he has certainly left me with more than just my name.
Cheers Mickey.


Here are some examples from todays new gadget...

Vroom! Vroom!

Unlike most of my previous blogs which I enjoy posting while I am actually doing what I'm blogging about, this blog is about what I did today (I know, I know, I posted after-the-fact a bunch of times during the X-Country road trip, but I still usually did them while moving in the car. Whatever).
Lisa and I took the Bandit 1200S out for a 117 mile jaunt. I needed to drop off Rapunzel's camera and I figured we could swing by the Harley dealership to check for gloves and facesheilds (a new one every year isn't a bad idea). At Punz's pond we saw some of the biggest tadpoles I have ever seen! These things were as big as frogs, but just no legs, and a big ol' tail. Very cool. Not much at the Harley shop except some gorgeous way overpriced bikes. I can't justify spending so much for one bike the amount that I could get two rock solid Jap bikes for. They all lean into corners and torque their way out, but how come the Harleys look so friggin' good? Oh well.

Lunch at The Ground Round. Eh. Not so good.

THEN... Off to Bluin's Suzuki to check out the DL650 V-Strom and those sumbitches asked me if I wanted to take it out for a spin! Cagey bastards. I spose I'll end up with one in the next year or so.

I need a bigger toy box.


No Frisky quote tonight, just happy thoughts of a beautiful ride with my Baby holding on...

RDHS Graduation 2008

Holy Crap!
It's friggin' hot in this gym.
These folding chairs make me wish I was even fatter than I already am, or at least that I had more cushion in my butt. I didn't think I had a boney butt, but I can sure feel bones in there grinding into this steel pan I'm perched on.

Amazingly, this is only as boring as I expected it to be. I expected it to be pretty boring though. Only two crying babies, but the loud one is sitting behind me.

Thank god I expected it to be hot and dressed for the occasion, otherwise it would be totally Not Scottish.

Krissy and Josh (I came by Krissy's invitation, but I shot portraits for both of them) turned out to be the shortest girl and boy in their class so they got to walk in together. That's about the only cool thing so far. I'm not expecting it to get any better.

I forgot to put the CF card in my supa dupa camera, so no pro shots by yours truly. Rapunzel let me borrow her camera though so at least the family will get some shots.

Roni let Jess use the camcorder to film this since she had a higher vantage point, I don't know what instructions she gave her to film or whatever, but the current development is that the camcorder has run out of batteries (pronounced BAT-trees) and we are only 45 minutes in to what should have been called, "The Caroline Curtis Scholarship Award Acceptance Show" cuz holy shite, that bird is gonna need a satchel to carry out all the scholarships she will be dragging out of here tonight. Seriously, she is getting a free ride to whatever school she is going to this year. She received at least 10 and probably 12 (I know she got a couple TBA ones and there are 8 of them).



Well you're not just waisting your time. Ya know?
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular

Home sweet home

Made it home from Maryland to Maine today. More about that later.


Who started rumors about my retiring!?
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Insomnia

I think I might be sensitive to caffeine.

Last night when Lisa and I got back from "First Friday" (in Leonardtown, MD, check it out if you get the chance) I had a Cherry Coke from Moe's (a fast food burrito joint) the I had left over. That was about 9-10pm. That kept me up til 1am messing around and playing solitaire. Now I've been up since 4:30am just lying here (and playing Majong, just a trial, but for only $2.99 I think I'll buy it. At least it's cheaper than the Chuzzle I bought for $9.99, but I think I've gotten my money's worth with that one already).

The birds just started chirping. Usually a beautiful sound, this morning I'm just too tired.



Today we are going to drive up to Washington D.C. and go to the National Portrait Gallery. I think the Stephen Colbert portrait is on display :-) Hold on, I'm gonna look...

Nope. I think we missed it. It was supposed to be at the National Portrait Gallery until April first. Oh well, I hear it is a cool place just the same. Well, maybe not COOL cool, but museum cool.



The sun is up now and it is foggy outside. Not because of low hanging clouds, but because it is so ungodly humid out. I think it will be 97F today. Hell, it's already 75F and 90% humidity and it's only 6:30am. Wherever we go, I hope it's air conditioned.





We can never go back to Arizona!

Right back at it

We took a day off and slept in. Ahhh. That felt good, got rolling at the crack of noon and headed in to Pittsburgh to check out the Photo Antiquities museum. Got to stop at Chik-fil-A for my fav fast food (although the super-sonic breakfast burrito is gaining ground).



The guy at the museum was very interesting in his info tour and we got to pick up some Daguerreotypes and tintypes and it was really cool if you are into that kind of stuff like me. The stereographic 3-D images were really impressive in the way they conveyed depth. Lots of cool old pix and hand tinted slides and such.



The Pirates were having a game against the Braves so we couldn't find a place to park for the Andy Warhol museum and we ended up heading back to Daves to get there before they got home from school and work. Oops! We found the Golden Fingers massage parlor on the way back and check to see if they had time/room for a couples massage. JANGO! Not a bad job for Chinese women, usually they don't get deep enough, but this ol' girl did a good job. I know she must've seen my nuts when she did my legs. Oh well, occupational hazard.



Back at the ranch, had some yummy meat loaf from Boston Mkt and took some cool shots of the girls and Ben. When it got to be bed time for Ben, he didn't want to stop the upside down rides Lisa was giving him and cried when he was made to stop. I think I have a new favorite picture.

As with all children, too much is never enough and my sweet pea Anna cried when I said we would be leaving the next day, and again after I finished reading "Don't ride your elephant to school". Breaks my heart and warms it at the same time to know how much she cares. I'll be back Anna. That reminds me, I need to practice big miles on my Bandit 1200s if I'm ever gonna do that tour from Fort Kent to Key West on Route 1.



Just entered West VA for the first time on my way to Lisa's sisters house in Leonardtown MD. Only 6 hours in the car today, another short one. Yay!





First off, it was a half and half, technically...

Short day on the road

BlackBerry users be warned! Leaving your google maps running in the background all night will suck the juice right out of your batteries leaving you with a DeadBerry in the morning with no alarm to get you up in time for breakfast.

Central time zone is totally my Bitch! We left Mountain time yesterday morning and didn't stop until we arrived at Sturgis, Michigan, which is in the Eastern time zone. Suck on that Central! I have to say though, 16.5 hours in that seat took its toll. That left only a six hour drive to Dave's house in Pittsburgh which was easy breezy.

Slim! Slim! Slim! Slim! (My other moniker) To hear 6 and 8 year old girls vying for my attention is almost music, I haven't seen them in almost a year and have only talked to them twice in that time. How come I am the only one I know who visits? Oh well. What do you call a dog who takes a bath? A SHAM-POOdle. What do you call a dog who plays football? A golden receiver. I was a bit surprised when I heard the "what do you call nuts on a wall" line. Rest assured, after some smooth investigation, it turned out to be as second grade as I had hoped and there was no mention of nuts on a chin.

Tomorrow I get to explore Pitt with Lisa and when they get home I'll get some pix to send off to their Mommy who has been called up in the reserves.

There is a word for an intentionally incomplete sentence, but I can't for the life of me remember it. Apiosemetism? Something like that. Oh well...

Day Two

We made it to Ogallala, Nebraska last night at about 3am and were back on the road at about 8:30am. As we were driving across Wyoming last night we were nice and dry, but off to the center left on the horizon there was a spectacular display of lightning that went on for hours. I think that is probably the best you could expect from driving across Wyoming, not that much to see as a rule, so I think we were pretty lucky. Lisa was driving so I really had the best seat in the house.

When we figured we'd had enough driving for one day we called ahead to the hotels at the next exit off I-80 to check prices (windows live search may come from the evil empire, but it's pretty friggin' handy). Holiday inn express had $109/night, no deal there, second call was to the Econo Lodge where they had a reasonable $69 but when we pulled into the lot it was a shithole, no deal. Comfort inn across the street looked nice and were $89 and we were spent so that sounded good. We hit the desk and the guy says he just started an audit on the system and that it would be a couple of minutes before he could get us a room. How many is a couple I asked and was told 20. See ya. Super 8 across the street had $79 rooms and immediate seating ("I only have rooms with two beds, but I'll only charge you for one bed." Does it cost more for two beds? "I'm only charging you for one." that is the point I realized any more engaging this clerk would only make it take longer to get to bed so I dropped it) BOOM! Asleep inside the 20 minute window.

Did you know that Arby's serves breakfast? Not too bad. Sausage egg and cheese biscuit tastes just like McD's, and it may have come from under the heat lamp, but the chocolate turnover was friggin' awesome. Light and flaky with a warm gooey chocolatey filling. I'd eat another one of those, hell, given the chance, I'd skip the biscuit and go straight for the turnover.

845 miles and we saw our first cop car on the median. That's when I started this blog. I had to stop blogging a bit ago so that the second cop we saw could politely tell us that we might want to be a bit more careful with our speed. He was great. To be fair though, Lisa's mind wasn't on the road at that point and I apologize for that. Nuff said on that matter for blog purposes.

We are hoping to make it past Toledo (all the way to Lorain if we can), Ohio, tonight. If we make it that far then we can get some sleep before getting to Dave's instead of having excited giggling girls wake us up after a couple of hours of sleep and being dead all day for the visit with Dave. I can't ever recall going to Pittsburgh, so that will be cool. I need to see what all the fuss is about "Eat-N-Park"

Remember, if you don't have anything nice to say, shut your fuckin yap!

Today is the day.

Bon voyage.

We are slowly setting sail on this journey across America, with a new twist. Pregnant Kitty has decided to join us, so now the three of us are really excited. We definitely need to swing by REI to pick up a roof rack system so we can move stuff up to the roof for more space for the kitty supplies and room to roam (already have a roof "bag" carrier to stuff things in, but need a rack to mount it to).

There is stress involved with such a move (on Lisa's part) because this is a big decision. Is this the first step in moving to Maine? If it is then this will only make it easier. Still though, the future is uncertain. Best to think of this for what it is at face value, Lisa will have her own car in Maine for her summer vacation.

If all goes well and the rhythm of life in Maine becomes too desirable to live without, then we can make that happen quite easily.

This is a journey.
A journey into the unknown.
We are pilgrims fleeing complacency for the new world of hope.

I dare to dream...



I've got six bars

Pregnant Kitty

Oh pregnant kitty what have you done?
Why is there a little boy afraid to pick you up?
Did his brother use you as a weapon, once upon a time?

Some mysteries will never be solved...



Except the chicken and the egg mystery.
It's obvious that the egg came first and it was from some bird that had "Relations" with a bird of another species and their mutant offspring was what we now know (without question) to be the origin of the species we call chicken.


Ha! More like a vitoxin Collins

Ahhhhh!

I'm back in Utah.
But that's not important.
I have completed the first step in my 3000 mile odyssey.
But that's not important.

I'm back with Lisa, in her life, in her bed, in her arms.

Now THAT'S important.







Ha! Where's your pithy rejoinder NOW?

The Little Things

A long hot shower. So simple yet so satisfying.

I ground the beans, I baked the bread, now I get to sit on my porch and drink my hazel nut double shot latté and eat my delicious piece of toast (turns out something to eat in the morning is good for you. Who knew?) while listening to the birds chirp and watch my cats stalk unsuspecting insects. And as for mice and other rodents, this marsh will run red from the fruits of their vicious slaughter, all within the legal limits of course.

The lawn is mowed, the cats are fed and watered, the appliances are off, only thing left to pack is the various electrical accouterments for my gadgets and my shaving kit...

HOLY SHIT! Woophie almost snagged a humming bird out of the air. She cuffed it but it zagged and kept on flying. It's like Wild Kingdom out here, but with tulips. I need to weed my flower beds. I should be ashamed.

Well folks, I'm off on an adventure. I will be driving 3000 miles from Salt Lake City (Spanish Fork really) to Mid-Coast Maine. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Lisa, here I come Baby. The feeling in my chest that comes from the thought of you while typing this deserves words more than words to be described. As for "The Little Things" and keeping it simple, I can do no better than
I Love You


PEACE, bitches...

Rockland Skate Park

Today is turning out to be the best weather this year. Lisa called me so this is the best day this weekend :-)

Fox wanted to go to the Rockland Skate Park @ RDHS so I sent out a myspace message to a couple local skate rats saying I would be there at 1pm in case they wanted some pix. Those guys didn't show up but the park is full of local talent and some promising young talent too. When I leave here I'll upload some of the choicest shots.

Devon is taking some shots too and I'll put some of his up too.



What do you think son? Want your old man to be president?

Flattery

My girlfriend went on a cruise Thursday from San Diego (which is German for "A whale's vagina" by the way) to Mexico, and she was up all night Wednesday driving from Spanish Fork to get there.

Wednesday evening I went to the local Walmart to stock up on some important supplies (like kitty litter, swedish fish, kit-kats, a bread machine, etc.) and I was listening to Keith and The Girl (the best podcast there is) on my Blackberry when I went to the checkout. The lady at the register asked what I was listening to so I told her and mentioned that a podcast is like a radio show, but with swearing (my hometown is not the most tech savvy place in the US and I find myself explaining a lot) and she told me she knows what podcasts are, but that she likes Pizzababe. In fact she has contributed to the show. When I was done paying she wrote her "name" on the back of my receipt.
Naughty Kittens.

That has got to take balls to put yourself out there like that and I applaud her for it. Now, I am committed with my whole body and soul to Lisa and I would never think of getting with anyone else, but it is kind of flattering to be hit on like that.

I have listened to Pizzababe on her recommendation and although the show doesn't really do anything for me, her posts to the show are definitely cool and I encourage you to check her out.

Lisa is the one I go to with everything. Whenever I have something cool to talk about, Lisa is the one I want to talk with about it. I wanted to blog about it right away, but I didn't want to put this out there without letting Lisa know first. What a tough spot. My girl has road tripped all night and is dog tired and stressed from getting on the ship and getting settled and is leaving the country soon and will probably be out of touch for a couple days so this seems like a crappy time to tell her that her boyfriend got hit on. "Hey Babe, I know you're tired and this will probably be the first time since we started talking in January that we might not get to call or talk with each other, and I want you to have a nice relaxing cruise, but I got hit on last night. Well, have fun, see ya"

Boys and girls I'm here to tell ya, Lisa is the absolute coolest chick on the planet. She took it as the compliment I hoped she would. I could never pass up a girl like her. I love you Baby. I hope she is having a great time out there, but I am a little bummed that we won't get to talk today :-( and probably won't get to talk until Monday. Our love can certainly survive a couple of days incommunicato.

Now I'm looking forward to Monday when I can hear her voice again then Tuesday when I can wrap my arms around her again.

It's high school all over again.

GVHS 5th Annual Film Festival

Let me just say that it would have been an honor just to be nominated, except for the fact that my son didn't even get nominated :-(
Oh well. Better luck next year.
So far we have had some really cool and funny videos and "Waiting on Ian" just played their new song "Eat your Pizza" and they tore the roof off the gym.

It's quite a turn out. The production companies arrived via Limo and walked in on the red carpet and we all were treated to a most excellent dessert bar...

STOP THE PRESSES!
Devon's animated scene "Pool Hounds" WAS nominated. And it WAS an honor. He worked on it with Michael Cormier. The winner in that category did thank Joey Cormier (Michael's big bro) for the use of his voice. Who would have thought Joey would be lauded as a cunning linguist?

It's intermission now, but I probably won't blog any more about it unless there is some scandal.

Sorry, I was jonesing for a Chick Parm.

Rain in May

It rained today.
I like how it makes it quiet outside after it's done raining. It seems like all the noise is dampened except for the trill of the birds which carry more clearly than at first light. Or so it seems to me.

My tulips are much more picturesque with the water droplets that are left clinging to the petals.

I could sit on my porch all day and listen to it rain. All the pesky insects have battened down the hatches, so they are no worry. BooBoo Kitty sits beside me wondering why she left the warm folds of the comforter on my bed to follow me out into THIS. Obviously we have different feelings about this weather.

I kinda don't sleep much

Or rather, I don't sleep for long periods straight through. If I sleep for more than 6 hours in a row it's odd. By the time I've been in bed for 7 hours my back starts hurting, and I like sleeping too much to go and ruin it by over doing it.



Now that "kinda" part, I do get about 8 hours of sleep a day, just not in a row like I mentioned. I am one of the leading proponents of naps in the world today. I don't know if I have any Spanish or Latin blood in me, but boy do I love a siesta.



Now let's change things up since I have been distracted by something shiny...



I would love to have a dog, but I don't think I live the kind of lifestyle that is a good environment for a dog. I leave the house for too long, sometimes when I drop my kids off at school, I may not go back to the house before 10pm. My kids, by the way, live with me from August to February and she gets them every other weekend, then we swap and she has them from Feb - Aug and I get them every other weekend. They always stay in the same school, so it's a pretty good set-up for all concerned.

Oh. The shiny thing that distracted me...

I have two cats, Woophie and BooBoo. Woophie is black (and shiny) and is more reserved, but she likes to sit in my lap when I'm on the computer, and BooBoo is tortoise and she is very affectionate. She is one reason I can't sleep too long, because when the sun comes up she thinks it is cool to lay on my chest and paw at my beard until I get up. I think I don't really mind it since she does it in a loving way, but it's really a kind of case by case thing. The kitties like to go "hunting" with me at night in the back yard. We go out and if I venture out to the wooded part, they follow along and scout for me. They like it when I go out on the pond when it's frozen and sit so they can run across the pond and mock attack each other then run half way up the trees on the edge.



Enough ramblings for the mean time.





What are we even talking about?...

On Beginnings

Here's to beginnings.
Cheers to beginnings.
If you don't want to hear it
then plug your ears,
"BEGINNINGS!"

Speaking of beginnings, I'm flying out to Utah next week to join my girlfriend (we are at the beginning of our relationship. More about that later probably, but I have Adult ADD so don't hold me to it) and we will be driving her Vulvo XC-70 (I know it's Volvo, but I like to play with words and double éntendré's and myself) all the way to Maine where we will spend the summer.

We plan on travelling most of the way on interstate 70 since neither of us has travelled that way and we both have done I-80. We hope to visit my Navy buddy Dave in Pittsburg, her sister in Leonardstown, MD, and my other Navy buddy Sarah in Saratoga Springs, NY. Looks like about a week of driving and visits. I wish I could do it on my motorcycle, but there is still a lot of life left to live and I'll get to it.

I don't expect much in the way of photography other than snapshots since I have no idea what lies in store for us and good shots come from good planning. I guess this will be a kind of location scouting journey.

I guess I'll sign off now and see if I can be disciplined enough to keep up on this blog. You can expect more stories of who I am and where I've been and what I'm doing in future episodes.

You stay frosty out there...