Curtis Island

Out for a paddle off the coast of Camden, Maine.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Out for a ride

If you are out on your motorcycle and are feeling a might bit peckish, do yourself a favor and ride to the end of the earth at Port Clyde, Maine, and stop by the General Store for Big Bob's Belly Bustin' Basket.
Holy Mackerel, it's a hugenormous beer batter fried haddock sammich and awesome fries.
Well worth it.
After that you can swing by Marshall Point Lighthouse and see where Forrest Gump turned around when he was running across the country.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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.