Perspectives from NH (that's in the Upper Area of the Right Coast)

Doreen and I are engaged......news at 11:00!

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:10:36 GMT

I am so very happy to announce that Doreen and I are engaged to be married!

I proposed to her this weekend while we were in NYC, and she accepted!!!

We have not set an exact date, but we believe it will be in July 2010.

I will be posting more about our plans as they unfold.....

Last Weekend was a Wonderful weekend with Kim in NYC

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:26:53 GMT

This past weekend, Kristen, Doreen and I took the Honda Civic down to NYC to visit Kimberly. We drove down Saturday, arriving at around noon.

We stayed through Sunday afternoon and left to come back to New England at about 5:30pm Sunday evening.

In those two days, we tooled around the city and saw quite a number of things......and all the while ate at some simply wonderful places.

I totally forget the names of all the places.....and also the kind of food, but it was really great.

Our first lunch was at a place with an outdoor room tucked in the back of the place. I think I had a Salmon quiche of some sort that was absolutely wonderful to eat. The combination of great food, and eating in the warm New York sun made it an absolutely wonderful experience.

We saw Brooklyn block parties on both days.....both ethnic in nature and with lots of music and culture. (and there I was on Saturday....without a camera having left it in the car in the hotel garage!)

On Sunday we went to Kim's office in at Clinique and I have to say it is just a wonderful facility and office! I am so proud of my big girl and the wok she is doing....it makes me proud!

The office is in the GM Building, up on I think the 37th floor. The views of NYC are just outstanding, and the office itself is wonderful to look at....just as you would expect a design firm to be. The physical facility is a sight to see, but the artwork placed all around the place is just shorty of outstanding!

It lines the walls, and greets you just inside all the doorways. But the coolest thing are all the paintings that are hung in the stairways between floors....there are hundreds of paintings that have been done from some pretty famous artists. Kimberly tells me that one of the company owners collects it, and leaves it there where people can ask for pieces be hung in employee offices. (we walked up two flights of stairs and saw perhaps 30 pieces of artwork)

Down in the basement of the GM building is the NYC Apple Store. It is a big glass building the juts out of the ground and into the air...inviting people in. Inside, it is probably just like the Apple store in Burlington....but that outside glass building makes for a wonderful eye catching beacon that calls people in!

Saturday evening, Kristen went back to Kim's dorm to stay with Kim, and Doreen and I went over to the Brooklyn Heights Promanade, a wonderful sort of cement park that overlooks Manhattan....a wonderful view at sunset. (more on that in my next post)

Again....still no camera!

That night, Doreen and I stayed at the Nu Hotel in Brooklyn. It is a pretty modern hotel with very contemporary furnishings and color schemes. The place seemed to have the feel of a place that was perhaps designed by a Pratt Institute Student. It had very dark hallways that gave way to very bright (white) walls in the rooms.

The bathroom even came with a vertical chalk board that could be decorated by custom artwork. (which Kim and Kristen did do)

Sunday morning came and we sort of slept late....getting together just about in time for lunch....and a nice lunch indeed, at a Thai place in Brooklyn. Kim didn't think it was authentic Thai, but it was darn good either way.

After lunch, we went to a South Street Seaport, which was a lot like Quincy Market in Boston, except it was right on the river with wonderful views of the other part of the city.

After all that fun for those two days, my legs were exhausted! We packed into the car and drove home....and let me tell you, I was tired. I am just not as young as I used to be....but even so, it was a great weekend

The weather was sunny and wonderful.....the traffic down and back was very tolerable, and we ended up at Doreen's at maybe 10:30pm, and the Kristen and I in Litchfield at about 11:00pm.

I slept well.....it was a great weekend, and as I said before....I am so proud and happy for Kim.

Times Square

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:13:09 GMT

Times Square
Originally uploaded by Kimberly_Lewis.

Kim took a photo of Kristen, Doreen and me in Times Square last weekend.

Check out my NEXT post that has a bit more detail on the weekend itself!

An interesting video of Steve Jobs about life....

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:09:06 GMT

No matter what you think of Jobs and his ego, this video is very interesting and say's a lot. (here is the text of the video)

The first message that hits me is to have faith that things will work out. I would ONLY add that, if you try your best to unselfishly do good.....then trust....

His final message from this video, originating in "The Whole Earth Catalog" (and the Wiki description):
"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish"

From the web page found here:

Perhaps Steve's most famous speech was his Stanford Commencement speech in 2005.
He talked about his life as a college droput, his entrepreneurship, and his battle with cancer.
He ended with a quote from the last edition of The Whole Earth Catalog: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

It is good to have my car back!

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:46:14 GMT

My car is now up to about 140,000 miles, and back in my driveway.

About 2 weeks ago I was on my way to NYC to visit Kim when my car overheated. It was a nightmare driving through the city with an overheating car.....and what of the ride home.

So I took the car to Voden to get it fixed, and it seemed it was not a leak, plugged radiator or bad water pump....in my mind, that left one big area that I have just had too much experience with.....blown head gasket!

I saw the tell tail sign of bubbling air in the overflow bottle.....very high pressure overflow system and a very hot coolent supply and antifreeze blowing out of my radiator cap!

Sure enough, about $1400 later, I have a nice new head gasket and working car. (thinking about it positively, at $2.57 per gallon and about 10MPG better mileage than the van, it will only take about 5500 miles of savings to pay this money back.....well worth it because I also keep mileage off the van and it lasts more years)

Happy 4th of July to all!

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:00:42 GMT

Wow....another summer seems to be flying by as I had no "sense" that it was the 4th of July when I awoke this morning.

In fact, I loaded up the van with trash for the dump, only to see that it was closed....and then it hit me! (It was all the good work and fun of the mission trip that made me lose track of the days)

So I want to wish everyone a Happy 4th......and Happy Birthday to the good old USA!

Day #3 at H.O.M.E. - Productive and once again sunny!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:49:15 GMT

Today started off as usual.....it looked foggy and as if it might rain....but, as with yesterday we had sun and lots of activity getting work done.

I wanted to take special note of the yard work being done in the past two days.....the yards in Dedham were overgrown and crowding the driveway and year....like driving down a tunnel.

Well, our workers.....students and adults shoulder to shoulder with a mower, weed whacker, and pruning shears. The area was about 100 yards long and perhaps 50 yards wide....and it now looks fabulous! There is room in the yard for family fun, or whatever the families there might want to do.

The roofers went full tilt today, moving and climbing on scaffolding like professionals. I think they finished well over 3/4 of the job, and should be able to get the rest tomorrow.

The people working on doors started too.....going to town on framing and I guess they will be making doors too.

One deck is 100% complete, and one of the other two is close. The third turned into a much larger job than they expected and might have actually been further taken apart as the day went on.

We are now back at the campground with team #3 making dinner. The men are in charge of the evening reflection....I apparently count as a man, so I'm on the hook too!

One more day of work tomorrow.....it has all been very hard work, but it feels good to help as we are.

FPCU Mission Trip Day #2 - Productivity Squared!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:35:27 GMT

I write this on Wednesday morning, but I describe our team's work for yesterday, and oh it was good!

HOW WE START OUR DAY:
We start every morning off with breakfast that sort of begins at around 7:00am, and then we meet for a sort of morning reflection on our day to come. Yesterday we talked about the great work to be done and were all asked to come up with a word that described something we wanted to see happen during our day. Teamwork, cooperation, friendship, and many others were mentioned, and it was right then that it became obvious that we were all here for the same reason....and a very good reason it was....to help, to serve, and to give.

GOOD WORK STARTS AT H.O.M.E.:
We started out the day at HOME itself, doing work around the campus. (I describe it that way because it is a collection of buildings that house stores, artisan workshops, sawmills, barns and of course dormitories and other housing)

There was plenty to do right on the campus, and after a meeting in their chapel where we received short description and tour of the organization, it's history and calling....we set out to explore the place a bit before setting out to put out hands to work.

I visited most of the buildings, and was particularly interested in the knitting and stained glass workshops. In them were a couple of very warm and sweet woman that told us all about their craft, and even gave me a demonstration. They were very warm and nice to us.

After looking around ourselves, we all sort of started to find work on campus.

I started out by joining a group of people moving material cleaned out of the knitting workshop to the dumpster and burn pile. After that, I found myself sorting clothes in their bargain barn where the prices are very, very affordable for all the used and loved items. Later in the morning, Doreen found a blue dress that she really liked that cost her $0.25....it fit and looks wonderful, and she has not only a practical piece of clothing, but one that will being back memories of our good work and the good people here at HOME.

My next bit of work came moving lumber from the sawmill to a pile outside, positioned to be loaded onto a flatbed so it could be delivered to our jobsite. I think the four of us hauled about 200 board-ft of lumber that was cut from full trees right there in that HOME sawmill.

After that, I saw a large number of kids doing a lot of work in the sawmill.....cleaning up by moving all the scrap lumber and sawdust out to a pile....so I rolled up my sleeves, grabbed a shovel and fried to pitch in myself.

They worked in a fireman's bucket brigade manner and made short work of this huge quantity of scrap lumber and sawdust..

The sawmill worker Clint was such a nice guy who worked with us and shared his experiences in Maine, in the sawmill, and of some of the great volunteers who had come through to help. He was such a nice, and pleasant guy who really appreciated our work there and could not thank us enough. (He had an accent and manner that reminded me a lot of my Uncle Joe, so I loved chatting with him)

Clint also had a small Daschound pet named Ruby that hung around with him at the mill who was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Such sad yet loving looking eyes, and a lovely personality....coming right up to me and licking my hand.

Others in out group helped in many other ways on campus, and everyone had stories and memories of wonderful people they met, and work they performed. It seemed that our work output yesterday was good...today we were hitting on all cylinders!

NEXT LUNCH, THEN OFF TO THE WORK SITE IN NORWOOD:
We stopped for lunch and enjoyed the company of each other and many of the HOME people working and sheltered there.I met an fellow who was a classroom teacher there who had previously been a logger when he was younger. He talked about some of the work in the woods, and how he has found himself teaching some of the very people who taught him his woodsman skills back the woods years back.

Next stop...the two houses we began work at yesterday....yesterday the team had made short work of the roadwork, but we still had to finish the two decks we started and we now had two roofs, a lot of brush to cut, a third porch to fix, a bathroom floor with some rot that needs replacing and one of the people living in one of the houses is disabled and needed some help with cleaning and organizing. We have our work cut out for us today....and perhaps for the week!

NOTE: I totally forgot to mention...the sun came out today, and we had a wonderful weather day....I hate to day it, but maybe even a little too hot. (don't ever let me say that again....it was just so wonderful to see that sun....I simply need to remember NOT to wear a black t-shirt so as to NOT act like a solar collector!)

Today we had more lumber on site.....and with the sun out, we were pumped to get to work!

I worked on the right porch with a crew of about 5 kids. They have gotten really good at positioning and nailing.....to the point where I can't find and cut the lumber fast enough to keep them 100% busy!

By day's end,, we had the whole deck and stairs re-planked, except for one small support on the last plank we will have to finish up tomorrow. We also have a 4x4 railing post that will be tackled as part of Wednesday's effort.

The roofers built staging, got up on the roof of both barns and started finishing up the planking getting ready for the rolled roofing. We had students and adults getting their first experience with some of this work, and in some cases, getting very excited about it. (At the campfire later that night, Cindy the Pastor was all excited about her work building staging, and driving nails.)

The brush cutters cleared a lot of land, and really opened up the driveway and property borders. Inside the house, the organization and cleanup crew had a wonderful time with the woman living there, being able to get to know her while helping at the same time.

The other two decks made great progress too.....and I'm sure we will finish those today...if we have the lumber we need. (We might have to do another sawmill run again today?)

BACK TO THE CAMPGROUND FOR A MEAL, MEMORIES, AND MORE REFLECTION:
After work, we came back to the campground for a wonderful Fahita dinner put on by meals team #3. The teens organized our evening reflection where we came together in a circle and discussed our day, our highlights, and how much we a accomplished.

They had us end our reflection time by teaching is to play the game of Swoosh.......and we did that as a big team of 38. the rules are simple, but I'd rather just point you at a website that will describe the rules as it is much easier! :-)

Smores by the campfire, and stories of the day and of our lives...and we were all in bed by about 10:00pm.....tired and yet excited about our work tomorrow!

First Parish Church United of Westford Mission Trip - Day #1

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:06:59 GMT

NOTE: Before I start, I thought I would start by pointing you here, at some photos from the trip so far....check them out every day. I will try to update the photos and journal entries on a daily basis. (with luck)

As I sit here, starting day #2 of our trip, I intend to describe our first day here....but I first must talk about two days ago which was also filled with fun and very memorable stuff.

A NEW PASTOR AT FIRST CHURCH IN LEICESTER:
The day started off with a bang when Andrew, Sarah (Doreen's kids) and I traveled down to Leicester, Ma to a worship service officiated by Doreen at First Church. It was the service she performed before their annual meeting where the first order of business on their agenda was to vote on accepting their new Pastor......and that Pastor they were voting on was Doreen.

The service was wonderful....it included a Baptism and lots of children attended. Her sermon was wonderful (as usual) and I believe everyone there felt that too because so many came up to her after to say so.

After the service, the congregation had organized a meet and greet so they could meet Doreen and her family. There was lots of food and talk as we were introduced to many of the people in the congregation.

Andrew, Sarah and I went home to start packing the van for the trip, and Doreen stayed for the vote. I received a call less than an hour later......Doreen told me that the congregation had voted, and she was accepted unanimously!

Needless to say, we were all thrilled because the congregation in Leicester love their church, and Doreen and I have fallen in love with it too!

The day and entire week had started off on a very happy note!

TRAVELS TO ORLAND:
The next order of business was to get packed and drive to Orland, Maine where we would meet up with the others on the mission trip with a group of 41 people from the First Parish Church United of Westford. There were 6 of us in the van, Doreen, her kids and two of their cousins.

The first challenge was to get what looked to be 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound van. (Ok...I like old sayings :-)

Doreen's brother in-law Ted wasn't buying the idea that all the stuff that came out of his SUV was going to pack and blend together with the tons of stuff we already had in the van....and I was sort of skeptical too!

But we all forged ahead and put our best jig-saw puzzle mindsets on...and you know what, it FIT! (not a square inch to spare!!!)

On to the ride......a bit over 4 hours long and pretty uneventful, but then we were not in the car for a joy ride....we were on our way to perform a week's worth of work for a worthy organization. We were going to work shoulder to shoulder with some good people in Maine, trying to make the world a better place....one nail and saw-cut at a time.

FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER:
The weather was a bit damp when we got there and dinner was being eaten. (We were later arriving because of the Leicester service)

Our "team" (something like 8 of us) had been in charge of this meal, and we made Spaghetti and Meatballs with salad and yummy Strawberry Shortcake for desert.....and the missionaries were hungry from their travels! (and it was good :-)

The rain pretty much held off while we set-up the tents, and that was not as easy as it seemed....but we knew we were a cohesive team, and we made it happen.

After we went to bed....well....let's just say that mother mature opened up the flood gates of rain and wind.....everyone survived and probably even got SOME sleep, but we felt bad for the tenters.

WORK DAY #1:
The day started with us gathering at H.O.M.E. and getting our assignments. I think we started off with three tasks.....the first two at two houses in Dedham, Me where we started by repairing two decks, and grading a very washed out driveway.

There was also grass cutting and roof and door work in the sheds and barn to be done there, but that will be a day #2 job.

The third assignment was to help do some work at a duplex.

We went off on our ways and started our first day.

I was on the deck detail, and I must say that once we got going, it was hard but fun. It was fun because people were working together, and we knew we were doing something useful.

The initial demolition wasn't as easy as it looked.....we only wanted to remove the decking, and later replace it....old decking can be hard to get up, but we were up to the task!

That was completed before lunch, and after we went to work measuring, cutting and nailing the new replacement planks in place. We ran out of time and wood at about the same time.....and had most of the work done when the day ended for us at 4:00pm. (we had to rebuild the steps on both decks too....which took a little thought and planning)

DAY #1 DINNER:
After our hard day's work, we settled down to a nice evening meal put on by team #2......we were served all the yummy food of the best grillers in the group. Burgers, dogs, sausage, garden burgers......salad, pickles, and for desert, SMORES! (including Peanut Butter-cup SMORES!)

We ate, chatted, laughed and had a great time until about 10:00pm which we had all agreed was lights-out. I don't know about anyone else, but I was happy to hit the hay. I was tired.

Today we go back out there and do it again.....

Here are some photos from the trip so far....check them out every day. I will try to update the photos and journal entries on a daily basis. (with luck)

Happy Father's Day to all out there......

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:46:10 GMT

First, a lovely long that I found about Father's that I think is quite appropriate for the day.

It is titled "A Father's Prayer", and done by Front Range

Being the father of two wonderful daughters that I am always proud of, I approach Father's day as a day to think of them and of my own dad who passed away about 11 years ago.

Life is a funny thing....we all have our freedom and ability to "play our own kind of music", but as my mom and dad used to remind me, all that freedom in life comes with matching responsibilities. That is a lesson that I hope I have taken to heart as it is one that my own dad clearly lived in his life.

I am sure I am going to be politically incorrect and even an old-fart when I suggest there are certain responsibilities that fathers have. Yes, I know there are plenty of situations where rolls are reversed and families are asymetrical or atypical....there are NO absolutes in the world, and perhaps these are things that all parents should be.

My dad was always there. He was reliable, and while he wasn't the huggy, kissing kind of guy, you knew that you could reply on him. When I was about 12 I remember being followed and approached by a guy as I walked to school a couple of times. I mentioned it to my dad, and he was out there every morning for the next week in his car, hiding out trying to find this guy.

Calling the Police was an option....but my father didn't want to simply entrust me and my safety to that....he was going to be there for me, and wanted me to know I was important to him. (I actually think I remember that he DID see and talk to the guy....no fighting or anything like that (that wasn't his style), but being 6'3" I'm sure he didn't think twice about putting a little fear into his heart.....my dad came for a few more days, but I was never bothered again)

I didn't think of it much at the time, but he just took many hours off from work in order to be there for me....and that was hardly the only thing he over did.

No...besides trying to teach me everything practical he knew about cars, building and everything else, he was always there when I had a problem or needed help. Even after I was married with kids, when I needed help around the house, or working on a car....he was there. I cry when I think back and realize that I don't think there was EVER a single time that I asked that he didn't come....even when I lived in NH, and my parents down near Brocton in Mass. I'm not positive that I was as reliable for him, but I hope he was OK with that.

My father was the planner....the provider. Yes, both my mother and father worked, and both supported the family....but I remember my dad always thinking, budgeting and planning somethinng about our house, house in Maine or some level of family finance. He was very frugal, like my mom....and good with his hands, so he more often than not did things himself.....from the house construction to car work. He was also a great teacher....he would make sure I was there learning.

He seemed fearless to me.....but not in a conceited, "power-hungry" way. It isn't that he asserted power over anyone, so much as didn't shrink from any challenge. He hated heights, but shingled a very steeply pitched roof on our house in Maine.....but he did it from "the Inside"! (did I mention that he was not just handy, but crafty and innovative)

He had a bad back and had some horrible back surgery back in the '70's and never said much about the pain he would have. But more than that, he never let his bad back stop him from doing things he really should never have been doing. I'm tlaing about lifting, moving, and othewise working on big and heavy stuff. Had he ever told his doctor, he would have gotten a very stern dress-down because it was stuff that could be very bad.

But my father was not a dumb guy...even in this regard because he always said that he knew his body well, and better than the doctors. He made it clear that he really never put much stress on his back, because he would apply various forms of leverage or support....again, things he would show me and pass on as I helped.

Both my mom and I would constantly warn and worry about the stuff he would do, but he would hear nothing of it...and would carry on.

I guess in this way, he was a bit bull-headed. When he made up his mind to accomplish something, there was nothing stopping him! (whis is actually a very noble and positive characteristic...and one I see shades of in my daughter Kimberly)

I would not have traded my dad for any I knew....and none I've met since. He was great...a role model and all around good guy. He was quiet, honest and hard working.....and he loved to play catch and do things with me from time to time.

He was about as perfect a dad as I could imagine.

Don't get me wrong......he wasn't perfect at all, but I dare you to find anyone that is. I guess this was one of the things that made my childhood less stressful....the fact that I knew my parents were not perfect, and I accepted their shortcomings. Heck, I knew I wasn't perftect....how could I have expected them to be.

But Father's Day is certainly NOT the time to bring up any of those....really no time is right when your parents have passed away and really left me ater a life long dedication to care and love for me.

So Happy Father's Day to all dads out there......

A Saturday packed with activity (but not as much driving as Friday :-)

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:09:07 GMT

My day started slowly when I finished my ride home from Doreen's house at about 9:00am. I was scheduled to help out at the Strawberry Festival at noon, and I needed to get home, showered and on my way back. Plenty of time really, so it wasn't hectic at all.

I was instructed to wear something red, and I remembered that...I was going to be working on the grill doing burgers and dogs.

I made my way back to Westford at about 11:30am and off to the Strawberry Festival Doreen and I went. She to the front server station and cash-box, and me to the Grill.

There were about 5 of us on as many grills (the 5th griller was taking the camera phone photo shown here), and it was pretty much non-stop grilling until about 3:30pm when we ran out of stuff to cook! (we joked that all we could have made at that point was grilled cheese.....if we had any buns left!)

But our running out of food was pretty well timed because the lines for food were pretty much gone. (always a few people coming up asking....even people with dogs looking for scraps to feed them)

The festival was packed and busy. I must have dragged the sunny weather up with me from NYC (see yesterday's post) because it was sunny and absolutely wonderful! I am not sure we could have ordered up finer weather!

Then came some clean-up, and that was even fun because everyone pitched in and went to work.

I did finish up a little later than I had expected, so it was off to Doreen's house to take a quick shower and then off to Samatha's High School Graduation party down at Ronnie and Sue's house.

Oh....once again, I went into the day without a camera. Actually, I did take some photos of the strawberry festival, but I took those on Doreen's camera!!!

My camera proficiency has been slowly slipping....what's up with that??!! (the photo of Samantha below is from 1998!)

The graduation party was a nice get together of family and friends, and as usual at a Merola party, plenty of food two or three times over!

It was nice to see all of Cheryl's brothers (all that live relatively local), Dave, Kevin and Ronnie, as well as their wives and kids. A volleyball game broke out with the kids playing, and we at the tables were under attack from time to time from an errant ball from a wild shot.

Dave gave me a few debug tips for my overheating car, and that together with my NYC driving experience with it I think I am thinking it is either a bad thermostat, a plugged radiator, or a bad water pump. Either way, it seems the water is NOT flowing to the cooling point in the radiator. (I didn't know that turning on the AC actually turns on the radiator fans full blast)

So there it was....another great day.

What do I have in store for tomorrow? (Sunday)

Rest for one....typing this in is another....and I then I have been invited to dinner to celebrate Doreen's daughter Sarah's 15th birthday!

As I type this the weather looks passable.....clearly not sunny, but not rainy either. I am not sure about the temperatures yet, but I suspect being the first day of summer, it will be just fine!

Friday's Quick Trip to see Kim!

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:15:13 GMT

Thursday night on the way home from work I was thinking about the fact that I had Friday off from work, and how I had taken that day because we had planned to visit Kimberly in New York. I then started to think about what I was going to plan for the day, and I realized that I had pretty much planned nothing.

So the answer was simple.....road trip!

I took off for New York at about 11:00am and got there at about 3:30pm. The traffic was pretty good, except when I actually got into the city where it seemed as though everyone had gotten out of work early. (the traffic at 5:00pm was minimal compared to 3:30PM.)

The only problem I had was my car overheating, which was not totally unexpected because it was losing water.....I just didn't think it would lose it on so quickly since it seemed to take about a week normally. The slow drive in the city was the problem I later found out...driving fast helps a lot....more on the debug later.

Kim and I met up and we first went to her apartment where I met the first of her two room mates, and saw her cat Pacha. I was very surprised that Pacha came up to me. She doesn't like strangers, especially men, and the last time I was there she just ran away under Kim's bed. This time she was initially very careful, but eventually came right up to me and asked to be scratched.

I sat quietly on the couch and extended the back of my right hand and she almost instinctively came up and started rubbing her head on it. She then let me stroke her head, back and tail for quite a few minutes. (later that day when we came back, and wasn't so calm with my being there and slipped under the bed for calm and security.)

The place Kim and I were going to eat in wasn't open until 6:00pm, so we went off to get some gallon jugs of water for my ride home. (to feed the leaking car)

After the water run, we walked over toward the restaurant and looked at some of the apartments Kim has been searching out for her next place. The sun was out and pretty bright, and the air was humid and warm. It was a wonderful day, so much nicer than the weather I had left behind in New England. (To be fair, it was sunny as soon as I crossed into Ct)

My only big regret of the whole trip was that I had totally zoned out and left my camera in the car for our long walks...so I ended up taking a grand total of ZERO photos of the whole trip! (bummer)

So we walked over to the place we wanted to eat (sorry, I totally forget the name) and found a small group of people entering...a few minutes early. We got into line and when we got to the door found out it was a private party and the place was closed for the day. (bummer)

But Brooklyn isn't lacking for places to eat, so we went over to a placed called Chez Lola / Bistro Without Borders on Myrtle Ave.

It is a small place that wasn't too busy, and only accepted cash and American Express. (Lucky for me I had three American Express Cards on me :-)

I ordered the soup of the day (Butternut Squash) and an Arugila Salad....both were very good. I forget what Kim ordered, but I remember it looked good too. The bill was a pretty reasonable $35, which included a glass of wine. I'd recommend the place if you are in the area.

All the while we were walking and eating, Kim and I were catching up on things as I had not been down to NYC for over a year since her graduation of May 2008. Sure, Kim had come up to NH several times in that time, but I felt bad not going down there for such a long time....especially since the drive wasn't all that far nor difficult. (having a car that is overheating does add a bit more drama that I could have done without I suppose :-)

We talked and walked for well over a hour....taking a stroll into and all about in Fort Green Park. The park was reallyt quite a nice green spot / oasis in the city with nice trees, green grass, hills, benches and walking trails all around. There were monuments scattered about the area giving you plenty to explore if you were not just out for a quiet stroll.

Kim and I talked and caught up as we made our way around. The park was a busy bee hive of activity for the many people who had just finished their week of work. It seemed to be Dog heaven with all kinds of breeds, big and small walking with their owners. In fact, it seemed that dogs were the main catalyst for people meeting as you could see people stopping and talking as their dogs sniffed each other out.

As I said before, the weather was just perfect and by this time the humidity of the day was easing off and it was of so pleasant under and around the park trees.

After the park stroll, Kim took me past a few more of the apartments she had been scoping out, giving me a verbal tour of the inside features and minuses of each. Her place is in a nice neighborhood, but one that now has a lot of construction going on. (which is far better than others where things are falling apart) But the construction makes it hectic and not very neat looking....plus she is now only a few blocks from some bad areas.

The places we walked past were only a few blocks away (2 streets up Washington, and down off I think it was Dekalb) but the feeling was just so much niced....calmer, quieter.....more like a residential neighborhood. (her current area has a lot of hustle and bustle)

I sure wished I had my camera for this and the park walk because there were some nice photos to be had.

After our walk, we went back to Kim's place where she readied a few gifts for Florence, Kristen and me. She gave me a lovely and very useful Father's Day gift of a tea pot with built-in loose tea straining screen. Perfect for my office, especially because I love loose tea and using a tea ball is such a pain.

In fact, I am going to try it this morning when I go down for my cup of tea after typing this in!

Kim and I talked in her apartment as she readied the gifts and I laid on my tummy trying to coax Pacha out from under the bed....but Pacha was not coming, and it was getting to be about 9:00pm and I had to leave. (if I was going to get back home at any reasonable time)

So we hugs and kissed and I was off....with my car filled with about 5 gallons of water and my head full of lots of great memories from what was really only a short visit.

Doreen and I are planning to go down to see Kim again at some point...perhaps in July if all works out with Kim and our schedule for we all are now fully engaged in this world that my dad used to describe as a "rat race". ( My dad would say "The world has become quite a rat race, and the rats are winning!")

So I ventured off for home....and with the light traffic of the evening, I was able to slip out of the city without too much stop and go, so I only had to stop and top off the radiator twice on the way back. (once in NY and once on CT as I knew the rest stops were few and far between in Mass)

It was about 1:30am when I was going past Westford, and I was still about 40 minutes from home and had been texting Doreen in the way back. I stopped there and crashed there for the night because while I did have a great time all day, the activities of the whole day were tough on my and I was exhausted. (and driving home with the heat on full blast to keep the car cool, and also having the windows and sunroof open to cool me down made the return trip a bit grueling to say the least.) But it was all worth it, and I would do it again.

So rather take the chance of nodding off in that last 40 minutes, I stayed at Doreens and went home later that morning.

That was a great day and way to start the weekend.....but it was not over yet. More on my fun filled Saturday in my NEXT post!

PS: I don't know if I mentioned it in the post, but I forgot my CD case and had but one CD...my Elvis greatest hits.....and so when the radio stations were not to my liking, I listened to that. But mostly, given the fact that it is a fantastic driving song....AND because of my situation with the over heating car, and overheating me having the heat on....I probably listened to Burning Love perhaps 150 times....it seemed like a perfect song on so many levels for the situation.

Burning L.O.V. (Elvis meet's my Work)

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:31:20 GMT

This is surely a strange post....but then, no worst than some of my shower thoughts I suppose.

On the way to work I was listening to an Elvis CD when the song Burning Love. So the connection to work came when the word "LOVE" brought to mind the Three Letter Acronym for a document we create for each of our products, a L.O.V.. (Letter of Volatility....here is an example of one)

BTW: Here is a document that describes the LOV and it's uses.

We pronounce L.O.V. like the word love, and we call it's creation "writing a L.O.V. Letter".

So when I heard Elvis, I thought of our L.O.V. Letters at work.

So later in the day, my co-worker Joe came up to me and asked if I had written a Huron L.O.V., and I remembered my morning memory of Elvis, and this Journal post came to mind!

PS: This is a wonderful driving song because of the peppy rhythm and galloping beat. I was short of CD for my trip to NYC (see next post) and ended up listening to this song perhaps 100 times when the driving was clear. (It's great for so many reasons.....love the "layering" of the voice, drums, guitar, base and piano....though I have to admit the lyrics are only sort of interesting)

As I listen to the song now typing, I realize it isn't nearly as good as when I am cruising down the road at 80MPH.

Driving Music on the way home.......

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:36:34 GMT

Here is an example of a song I used to own on cassette tape that I would pop into the car stereo on the way home when I wanted to lose myself in the highway drive. (driving briskly)

"Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth.

Plenty of cowbell in this one for sure.....

I didn't realize that it was sun again by Guns and Roses, and quite frankly I'm glad I didn't know it because it just isn't that good.

"Hair of the Dog" by Guns and Roses.

Oh well......I just thought I would share that thought. This wasn't the only great music I heard on the way home. But more on that later.

Always someone with a new patent: "Pimp-out your toilet for Fathers Day"

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:57:26 GMT

As is mentioned in the video, "Save the world one half gallon at a time"

Putting a wash basin on the top of your water closet looks odd.....but I suppose it DOES save water!
(though drinking from it just seems WRONG to me)

SPOILER WARNING: Video from the last episode of "Six Feet Under"....

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:37:52 GMT

I found the following video on YOUTUBE and it comes from the last episode of the TV show Six Feet Under.

Doreen and I have been watching this show and I have to admit I really like it. It seems like an odd setting for a show.....the life of a Funeral Home family...but it really works. (lots of rich and interesting characters)

Here is a comment from the video comment section that is interesting:

But Alan Ball said it best in the special features on the dvd. "Until you acknowledge the truth of your own mortality, you can't really start to live." That's what the show was all about. And that's not sad. That's beautiful.

Jim Rogers, has some lessons for life!

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:46:28 GMT

I have mentioned that I follow three or four people that I call Dr. Doom because they seem to have been calling the current economic turmoil that we suffer from pretty well.....for about two years or more!

Anyways, this is Jim Rogers.....and he wrote a book that I also bought and read called "A Gift To My Children".

The book is actually written with younger readers in mind.....I don't mean 1st graders, but perhaps middle school....I don't know. But it is a pretty good description of the things that Jim has discovered in life that he feels would guide youngsters (and parents) to a better life.

Check out this video interview with Rogers as well as the book on Amazon.

Now I understand why I have more and more trouble remembering names....Blame it on IOS!

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:23:05 GMT

Check out this XEROX web page on IOS, and the video below!

British Humor: Ford Fiesta Car Review

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:48:05 GMT

The Top Gear boys are deeply offended by a fan letter claiming that they don't review cars properly anymore. To compensate, Jeremy Clarkson takes the new Ford Fiesta for an extraordinary road test including a car chase inside a shopping centre, and a Royal Marine assisted beach assault. Brilliant high quality video from BBC motoring show, Top Gear. Visit http://www.TopGear.com for all the latest news and car reviews.

Rain threatens but is kept away.....another lovely weekend day!

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:16:03 GMT

Today was the capper to a pretty nice weekend......

It looked like it was going to rain at several points, but the sun seemed to keep that all away from us.

It started out for my by going to church with Doreen. This was the end of the Religious Education class year and the classes gave the church their gifts of thanks.

This was also her last day as Interim RE Director as she is going off to her own church soon.

After that, Doreen took me to an Installation for a Pastor in Townsend, and that was something I had never seen. It was quite a service, with lots of theatrics and fun. The people of the Congregation and the new Pastor were obviously happy at the fact that they had come together and the celebration was an open sign of that happiness.

When I got home I sat with Kristen and chatted about life and the dogs. We sat on the couch and watched a few programs together.....and she told me some stories about others that kind of creeped me out. (the one we were watching about a guy and a spider bite was scary....but the other parasite documentary she was telling me about was even more gross) The dogs were sitting there, seemingly soaking up the discussion.....but really just happy to be with us.

Mikey and Elijah seem to love to endlessly sit with us and they get pretty excited when one of us stands to even get a drink. I guess we are all part of the same "pack", and they love to keep the pack together.

My Brother in-law Billy came over and we looked at a website problem he was having. We had a long conversation about lots of things ranging from work, the economy to family. Life is going by quickly for sure, and I suppose there is always a lot of ground to cover when you sit down to think about it.

Small Netbook for only $169.00

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:14:56 GMT

It only runs Linux, and has a small 4GB SSD for a drive....but heck, only $169 on Woot.com! (today only)

Check it out....it is small, but that is the draw after all.

Carry it around in your purse or almost small enough for a coat pocket.

But again....probably for web surfing only as it runs Linux.

Only 5307 days until I retire on December 19, 2023!

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:11:30 GMT

Monday June 8, 2009

Check our your retirement day with this online calculator!

Productive and Nice (though a little lonely) Sunday

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:58:55 GMT

My Saturday was such a high benchmark day that Sunday was bound to be less spectacular. In terms of productivity, it was actually right up there, but spending the day alone with the dogs in the house was a bit more lonely.

BATHTUB CLEANING
I started out by applying Lestoil to the my bathtub, as it was beginning to get a sort of built-up grime on it. No, no, it was not as bad as the past, but enough so that it was beginning to bother me.

Man oh man, Lestoil is my hero.....that stuff is killer on dirt and grime.

It took me all day to go back and take the water to the Lestoil I put on (straight) but when I did, the dirt literally "fell off" the surface. The tub looks new again!

LAUNDRY
I was behind the curve with laundry this weekend because I had such a busy day on Saturday. So Sunday I started out doing what turned into two loads of clothes. Nothing difficult...no bed clothes, only clothes and towels.

Well, that turned out OK....OK until I went to fold them later in the day.....and VIOLA, I fell asleep on the clothes! (more on that below)

FARM VISIT
On my way out to the store and fr my haircut I decided to stop by the local farm to watch the animals...and all the other people watching the animals.

The goats, chickens, roosters and other wildlife were out and about....begging for food, and looking cute as they normally do. I remembered all the times I brought the girls down to see these animals, and those down at Wilson's farm. Those were the days!

HAIRCUT (overdue)
My father used to tell me at certain points that he thought I either needed to get a hair cut, or buy myself a dog collar....well, I wasn't quite in that state, but I decided that the warm weather and longer hair were not going well together. Shorter is cooler, and that is what I wanted to have.

So I went to Super Cuts and off it came. I felt better, and cooler when I left.

I actually had a very interesting conversation with the person cutting my hair too. She seemed to be about my age and had two sons who were perhaps a little older than Kim and Kristen. She was talking about how her youngest was having a difficult time securing a job in this tough economy...and the conversation went along to personal responsibility and government stimulus. I was amazed that she was so Libertarian in her thinking.....but then, she was from NH. (not a Mass transplant) so that might make some sense.

FOOD SHOPPING
A quick run to the store on the way home for some food staples and soap. Yup, bar soap was running low at home, so I went to the dollar store and picked up about 15 bars of several soaps. (Irish Spring, Dove and something else....about 3 for $1.00) At the grocery store I picked up some canned veggies and a few Vegan things for Kristen....as well as some dog food and treats for the boys.

Quick in and out was the idea because it looked as though the rain clouds were rolling in and I still had grass to mow!

GRASS MOWING
Upon arriving back at home I jumped on the mower and went to town. The lawn was begging to be mowed, and Kristen had picked up a few ticks in the tall grass, so i wanted that gone but fast. I ran the mower at one speed higher than normal, trading a perfect cut for one that finished before the rain came.

The rain never came, and the yard was done.....getting tired, I decided to try my hand at the trampoline for a short nap!

After about 30 minutes, and my not having anything but a short sleeve t-shirt on, I was a bit cold and decided to go inside.

SLEEP LIKE A BABY
As I noted above, I had done the laundry earlier, and still had some in the dryer. I took that last load out and took it all upstairs. Laying it out on my bed, I intended to fold it and put it away. Feeling the nice warm clothes on the bed, I thought it might be nice to lay in them for a few minutes and get some rest.

Well, it was maybe 7:30pm or 8:00pm and I went to sleep...and at 11:00pm, Kristen brought Mikey in to sleep with me, but that didn't really wake me up. I eventually woke up at 6:00am as I normally do to my alarm. I had stayed in my pants and shirt and slept on my laundry the whole night!

I must have been exhausted!

In the morning, I showered, folded and put away the clothes and went to work....still exhausted. (I had apparently been dehydrated and did not know it. I perked up at work when I started the day off drinking two glasses of juice!)

The Trial is over.......GUILTY!!!

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:43:44 GMT

I went to the Nashua court today to check in on the Sullivan trial. I got there at about 1:45pm to find that the Defense had finished their closing arguments and the case had been handed to the jury already!

So I talked to Chris and the District Attorney about what had happened during the trial, and they were generally happy about the way things went.

I was told that the witnesses presented by the defense were very similar to those in the last trial, with the Psychiatrist being just as "disconnected" from Sullivan as the prior one.

They then told me a bit about Sullivan's own testimony on the stand....and that perhaps he had screwed things up for himself.

I believe the comment spoken was "I've seen people testify in their own defense, but they normally don't just confess to doing everything.....or at least they "spin" the story so that it sounds better."

Today, Sullivan was "sick" and not at the trial....so he didn't get to hear the arguments....as if he hadn't heard them before.

Now in the trial I was on the jury for, we deliberated for about 3 days....so I didn't even think they would finish up this week.....but sure enough, at about 5:10pm I opened up my email to find a Nashua Telegraph email alert that said something like "Sullivan is found GUILTY!"

I didn't know what to think.....this jury took a job that we took 3 days to perform and did it in less than 3 hours! I might have normally said that had rushed it, but I saw the evidence and I am very positive that Sullivan is guilty!

This jury was sane, and I hope this means the verdict will "stick". It will be "too soon" if I ever hear is name uttered again.

I heard through the grape vine that the judge will be sentencing Sullivan in about 30 days....then, off to jail for a long time.

I have to admit that I should NOT be happy about seeing someone go to jail for the rest of their lives....but he did the crime and a nasty cruel one it was.....he deserves the time.

The Trial of William Sullivan Continues.....Sullivan Testifies.....

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:59:38 GMT

This is the admitted murderer of Jeanne Dominico back on August 6th, 2003. His name is William Sullivan and he comes from Willimantic Ct.

He has taken up residence in a NH jail since the killing because he not only admitted to the crime, but he was found guilty of it by a jury that I sat on.

Sullivan's defense was one of insanity...and I for one am as clear as day about his guilt and how he was NOT at all insane.

Sullivan might have mental illness, but that illness wasn't driving him to do that crime....in fact, he and Nicole tried to kill Jeanne a few times in the two days prior....her killing wasn't an out of the blue, "out of control" rage that Sullivan's defense suggests.

He was supposed to be out of control as he stabber her 52 times.....but when you look at the pattern of stab wounds, it is quite interesting to see how they seem to have a "clear" pattern around her heart.....even those wounds to her back.....which would be on the opposite side of a right handed person doing the stabbing....yet they were also over her heart!

So why is Sullivan on trial again.....well, the only crazy person in the court room in that first trial was apparently ON the jury, and he was a past NH State Legislator who seemed to have it out for the DA's office and seemed to be trying to torpedo the trial. He was kicked off the jury by the judge, and Sullivan was given an appeal because of that.

So now Sullivan testifies....and says he is sorry. In fact, he wrote letters to the family saying just that.
In this trial, he says he was always sorry.....that he always had remorse for his handiwork.

Funny how that is.....where were all these feelings when he contacted Monique Teal, a 14 year old NH girl when he was awaiting his first trial.....hmmm, did he contact her to send an "I'm Sorry" message to the family?

No, no....Sullivan contacted Teal trying to get her to visit his ex-girlfriend and co-conspiritor Nicole Kasinskas (daughter of Jeanne Dominico) in order to get Nichole to NOT testify, Sullivan had some sort of magic over young woman like Nichole and now Monique, because within weeks Teal was talking about Marriage to Sullivan and she ALMOST went along with his plan to go to the jail and talk to Nicole. (thank God Monique's mother talked some sense into her)

Anyways.....Sullivan isn't insane.....and he IS guilty.

I pray for a sane jury,,,,and a quick dispatch of justice. Sullivan is a cold blooded killer, and deserves to be in jail for the rest of his life.