TGIF




My Friend Experiencing a Zen Like Moment Last Night

Yesterday was definitely a decompression day after the event filled Thursday.  My son apparently survived his first night back in the US as we received a funny text from him.  I decided to call Sears bluff and sent an email in response to the comment they put on the blog.  To their credit I received a prompt email back saying I would be contacted telephonically that same day by someone.  I put my office phone number on the email and said I would be there until 4 and after that at my home phone number.  I waited all day, reluctant to leave my office so I wouldn’t miss the call but it never came.  It was very quiet at work as everyone is gearing up for the vote tonight on the contract.  Our friend from Keene came down to spend the night and head down to Rhode Island with us today. We of course headed to Zorba’s for their mystically imbued pepperoni pizza.  We have unsuccessfully tried to explain the Zen like quality of this pizza to our cantankerous mutual friend.  As we came home after the pizza I was complaining that Sears never called when my wife remembered that she did get a call from Sears looking for me at 4:15, while I was driving home.  The cynic in me thinks this guy waited until he was sure I was between locations and called.  I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until I actually talk with them, hopefully on Monday.  We’re headed down to Rhode Island today for my nephew’s graduation party but not before (drum roll please) we attend a movie at the newly opened movie theater which opened yesterday!! (Yes, I am doing a simplified version of an Irish jig right now in celebration)

He's Back!!!!!!!!!!

Back, Back in the USA!!!

Yesterday was a very good day on a number of fronts.  I’ve always kind of liked Thursdays.  In college days Thursdays were referred to as “Weekend Eve” and were properly lubricated in preparation of the First Friday of the Week.  I was on pins and needles as my son was making his way home from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  He called us Wednesday night as he started his odyssey.  He spent a couple hours making his way through customs and ticketing in Bishkek and was thoroughly frustrated at the 3^rd world pace.  I told him to focus on what was waiting for him at the finish line.  He was booked through Istanbul, Turkey where he had to retrieve his luggage, obtain a visa, re-enter and check his bags in again for a flight to New York City (=very long flight) where he had to pass through US customs before a short hop to Boston.  I was describing this to my boss and he marveled that my son would handle this with so much aplomb.  He said it was a huge advantage being a military brat because this type itinerary would have intimidated someone who wasn’t brought up traveling so much.  I was just glad to have him back on our side of the pond.  My wife wanted to surprise him at the airport but he made it very clear that his girlfriend was picking him up and would brook no interference with that reunion.  He’s young and in love and I don’t blame him.  The above picture says the requisite thousand words as to why her company was preferred over ours.  We’ll see him on Monday after he’s rested up from his “ordeals”.  We also successfully concluded contract talks with the union yesterday.  This is completely unprecedented for this union which has never settled a contract on time.  They have always pushed it to the absolute limit, usually months after the previous contract expired, to include something like 7 strikes since the 1970s.  I didn’t realize this was such a big deal but we’ve been showered with congratulations since the news came out yesterday that we’ve settled.  It still has to pass a membership vote on Saturday night but since it has the endorsement of the entire union leadership we should be good.  I was sitting at home out on the deck with my wife enjoying a beautiful evening (son’s reported location was NYC) when my wife received a call from one of her close friends.  She could tell I was less than pleased that she was going to spend the next twenty minutes on the phone while Buddy and I would be forced to amuse ourselves without her supervision.  She thrust her I-phone at me and instructed me to check out our email.  I found amid all the junk email one that said someone had made a comment on the blog’s entry – Seeking Tuesday – in which I chronicled my adventures trying to get Sears to fix my lawn tractor.  Apparently Sears trolls through blogs, I’m sure using some kind of data mining for certain words like Sears and unhappy.  Color me mildly impressed as I was asked to contact them and they would seek to rectify my concerns.  I’m not sure they’re ready for me because if they only read Tuesday’s blog and not the earlier ones, they have no idea of the true scope of the adventure.  I’ll let you know how it turns out. 

Contract Done!!!!

The Search

I was swimming last night and my mind wandered as it does when I’m trying to swim faster than my middle aged body is prepared to accomplish.  For some reason I was thinking about searching.  It seems to me we spend all of our lives in some form of search.  We’re looking for something.  It could be the perfect companion, the next promotion, or the next thrill.  I know I’m looking for home.  I started out this blog with that in mind.  I think it’s something basic to human nature to seek, sometimes just for the pleasure in the act of seeking.  It’s probably what enabled us to emerge from the primordial ooze and got us to where we are today, good and bad.  The problem with the constant search is that people forget to look around and see what they’ve already got.  Life will never be perfect but there is so much to enjoy in everyday living, most of all the people who inhabit your life, sometimes too tangentially.  Take a breath look around and appreciate the people who move through your day.  Take a breath and look at a sunset, a soaring hawk, or the wind moving through a stand of trees.  There is so much about life in general that is worthy of wonder that we sacrifice to the search.  Then I remembered to take a breath before I drowned and my mind returned to the task at hand; searching for a way to survive the workout.

Seeking Tuesday

Yesterday was turning into a fairly boring day until Sears tried to repair their tattered image.  My wife received a call asking if the new parts had arrived and when she told them they had Sears said they would be there in about 45 minutes to complete the repairs on the tractor.  I was in the middle of a counseling session with a troublesome employee and the union when both my office phone and cell phone started going nuts.  My wife has learned how to text and eventually I relented and looked down at the phone and learned of Sears’ early arrival (they were scheduled for Friday).  My boss let me leave early and I rushed home which totally confused Buddy who’s used to me coming home much later.  Well the Sears guy arrives (same guy as before) and promptly declares that Sears has once again sent the wrong part.  As a hostage situation loomed he called the local non-Sears repair shop and learned that his (Sears issued computer) had the wrong part number.  We discussed it and he opined that we had most of the parts and could attempt to bend the missing part back into shape (this guy was desperate).  I’ve always been a fan of brute force and ignorance so we launched into the repair.  I say “we” but I have to admit my participation was limited to opening the garage door and turning on the lights.  So my tractor is finally repaired, hopefully.  Last night was date night and as we were headed out I told my wife we were going to see Seeking a Friend For the End of the World.  She immediately went into her all too familiar “Oh, I don’t want to see that” routine.  I even reminded her that she told me after seeing the preview a couple weeks ago, “Oh I want to see that!”  She eventually relented and agreed to go to the film.  The story revolved around a world killing asteroid headed towards Earth and how a pair of unlikely friends plan to spend their last hours.  There were some very, very funny moments and a huge number of truly amazing cameos which I always like.  The funniest bits were how the rest of the world was dealing with imminent death and some of it actually rang true and very funny.  It slowed way down about ¾ of the way through the movie but I really liked the ending.  Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley were an unlikely pairing but they are very good together and this turned out to be a very sweet little movie.  Oh, my wife loved the movie, good night.

Sears Guy Trying to Avoid a Hostage Situation

Success

Politics on Monday

Secretary Lahood Speaking Yesterday

View From My Seat

Monday we had some truly memorable thunderstorms blow through which may explain Buddy’s terrors.  I think he may just be a little psychotic which for some reason endears him to me even more.  A dog with issues.  I was sailing along at work when the Chairman of the Board came into my office and asked me if I was attending the event planned for the visiting US Secretary of Transportation, Ray Lahood.  I told him no that I hadn’t been invited and that I was fine with the omission.  I’ve spent time at the White House and with over ten years at the Pentagon and the DC environs I was not as excited as everybody else seemed to be with the opportunity to rub elbows with a cabinet secretary – I mean I had a blog entry I had to get out.  My jaded contentment was subsequently shattered when my boss came into the office and threw a set of keys at me telling me I was going and that I was also driving the Chairman of the Board.  I think the Chairman thought he was doing me a favor to insist I attend.  Thanks.  We all went down to Union Station and I was wandering up some narrow back stairs when a US Congressman, the Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor, and the State Secretary of Transportation were coming down.  I’d met all of them before and they took time to stop and say hi (it’s an election year after all) before heading out to greet Secretary Lahood.  I actually enjoyed the speeches by both Lahood and the congressman.  They both made the point that Washington needs to learn how to get things done instead of constantly holding the party line.  It was extremely refreshing to hear that but again this is an election year.  They both hearkened back to earlier (Pre-Clinton) times when members of both parties could reach across the aisle to get the nation’s work done.  I’m hoping against hope that Washington has finally heard the resentment I think most Americans feel with the lack of cooperation that permeates our Federal civilian government.  The proof will be what they do when they return to work and fulfill the meaning of these welcome words.  On a separate front I heard that Jerry Sandusky’s fellow inmates serenaded him on his first night in prison when the lights went out.  They all sang “The Wall” by Pink Floyd – “Teacher leave those kids alone!”  Eloquently put.   I also finished the latest trilogy by Terry Brooks The Gypsy Morph yesterday.  It was the best book in the series of six that I’ve read over the last month.  There was constant action as the heroes fought desperate battles almost from the outset to the conclusion.  Findo Gask (Brooks comes up with the best names) was finally and assuredly dealt with – which was very satisfying.  I thought this would end my sojourn in the world of Shannara but apparently there is a duo of books that follow this so Pahlaniuk will have to wait a couple more weeks. 

Sunday Farewell

Youk Leaving the Field as a Red Sox For Last Time

How I'll  Remember Him

Yesterday was a decompression day from the great Saturday up in Keene.  We started our trip home having to reconfigure the car to fit in Buddy and my wife’s purchases from her Saturday adventures.  This included a lot of flowers which couldn’t just be shoved into any convenient spot (my normal technique) and certainly could not cohabitate with Buddy in the back.  My friend watched bemusedly as my wife and I “discussed” how the car should be packed.  She won and everything made it back safely.  I headed out to mow the lawn, my weekly Zen session. My wife came out and took a picture because she thought I looked cool – still trying to figure that one out.  I guess being married as long as we have you start seeing things that aren’t really there (see picture).  She came out a while later and motioned for me to hurry and come in.  She wanted me to see the send off the Red Sox fans gave Kevin Youklis.  It was common knowledge that he was going to be traded and in his last at bat he tripled and then was replaced on third base.  You can say how jaded the Fenway faithful have become with all the recent success but this was a real moment between the fans and a player they connected with.  He received a long standing ovation and a curtain call from the fans – richly deserved.  Youk always played hard and he played hurt which is something some of these nancy boys could take a lesson from.  I’ll miss Youk but it was obvious that he needed to move on, a younger, cheaper, better player beat him out for the job.  As with any member of the 2004 or 2007 teams he will always occupy a special niche in heart of Red Sox nation.  I wish him well and I know he’ll terrorize the Red Sox every time they play each other.  My wife spent a long time working on the flower pots that she’s creating for my sister and they look awesome.  I was out back talking with her and the neighbor until we both realized that we were getting destroyed by mosquitoes while she blissfully worked on the flower pots.  She opined that they must not like Panamanian blood.  Five minutes later they discovered that they did and she joined me inside.  A really weird thing yesterday was Buddy’s behavior.  Usually he’s all over the place, rigorously guarding everything in sight.  He spent the entire afternoon and evening terrified of something.  I’m glad I hadn’t just seen a scary movie because I would have been spooked by his behavior.  I kept expecting the sky to come crashing down or the earth to start shaking because this was not normal.  He was crawling under the desk and refused to stay outside which is totally outside his normal MO.  Dogs have such acute hearing that maybe he heard a distant thunderstorm or fireworks – which might explain his fear.  By the end of the evening he had me looking over my shoulder.  Must have been how Youk felt the last few weeks. 

My Wife Multi-Tasking - Working on Flowers While on Phone to Panama



On My Trusty Steed Yesterday

Lincolnized Saturday

So Bad It Defies Description

Yesterday the wife, Buddy and I pulled up stakes and headed for my hometown, Keene, NH.  We were visiting our close friend, my wife was bent on some tax free shopping, and Buddy just loves the travelling.  Just before we were supposed to head out Buddy went nuts and while he does this on a fairly routine basis he was alerting on the backyard which was strange.  I glanced over and there were two huge turkeys strutting across the yard.  I was truly tempted to let Buddy out and see some feathers fly but to his intense displeasure he remained inside. We have them come by every now and then usually followed by some coyotes that seem to be assisting with turkey population control.  We then had a very enjoyable ride up to New Hampshire listening to Casey Kassem’s American Top 40 from 1975 on the radio.  It was strangely comforting to listen to the music while driving through the same areas that I first heard the music back in the 1970s.  My friend and I were planning on seeing Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter while my wife shopped for some flowers she’s putting together for my sister’s new deck.  When I first heard about this movie I was of course a little shocked but then I heard Tim Burton was involved and it made a little more sense.  Finally I heard that the same director that did Wanted, one of my favorite movies, was the director and I thought it could be special.  Boy, was I wrong.  The movie was simply terrible.  The action was poorly choreographed and the lead actor had no screen presence whatsoever.  The plot was maneuvered to try and mirror actual history and in doing so completely lost any pace it had.  I think we as an audience could figure out this wasn’t actually true but for some reason the filmmakers were trying for authenticity – the unintentional comedy quotient was pretty high.  My friend and I have an old routine when we see a really bad movie, dating back to the 70s, giving small applause and saying “Bad Cinema!!”  We said it almost simultaneously as we left the theater.  Go figure, having Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter didn’t work – who could have possibly saw that coming.  The rest of the day was much more enjoyable.  We established contact with my wife who had interrupted her shopping spree due to strong thunderstorms moving through the area.  Her chosen refuge was a spa where she was just finishing up a pedicure and manicure.  Since she hadn’t had an opportunity to descend on TJ Maxx (her preferred hunting grounds) my friend and I headed to the Elm City Brewery for a great afternoon of catching up with our favorite bartender.  As the afternoon turned into evening our beer consumption started to threaten our ability to drive home.  We contacted the wife who proclaimed it was too early to stop shopping.  When we pointed out that it was nearly 8pm she squawked in surprise.  The late daylight of the New England summer was confusing her again.  We ended up together at Margaritas for one of our traditional dinners.  We were joined there by another friend and spent a fun evening poking fun at each other.  We even ran into a gal who was a high school classmate of my friends and I.  We all decided the Red Sox were on the verge of exploding and were likely to win the division going away.  Of course this means they’ll have to get out of last place at some point but such is the life and fantasies of Red Sox fans.  I was a little concerned by the lack of people at Margarita’s, one of our favorite watering holes in Keene.  It usually has a lively crowd and festive atmosphere.  Last night it was almost deserted and left me hoping it doesn’t go under.  Of course it could be time to branch out and find a backup place.  I’m looking forward to the research involved in that search.  We all went back to my friend’s house where we watched the end of the Sox game and continued laughing together.  This morning Buddy was going absolutely bonkers because my friend always takes him out for a walk first thing in the morning when we visit.  He launched himself when my friend came downstairs who good naturedly took him out for the sought after stalking of Keene’s sidewalks.  A fabulous summer weekend spent in my favorite place on earth with some of my favorite people on earth. 

Turkeys Tormenting Buddy

My Friend and Our Favorite Bartender at Elm City Brewery

Both Friends at Margarita's Along with the Sox

Empty Margarita's - Cause for Concern?

Buddy Taking my Friend out for a Walk

Friday Frustrations Rescued

The Brew City Crew Last Night

Yesterday I was victim of the old, “We’ll show up between 8 and 12” ploy from Sears.  This was the second time in two weeks that I've been victimized.  I’m trying to get a service done on my lawn tractor and also get some warranty repairs made.  The first time the guy said he had to send away for parts which would be delivered to the house.  Dutifully the packages arrived over the past week and I thought I was all set.  I took the morning off from work and waited for the promised arrival.  My wife, never one to allow me to waste time that could be better spent had us moving all the paraphernalia back onto the newly painted deck.   Luckily it was still blisteringly hot out at the time so I had that going for me.  We have a whole lot of flower pots.  The Sears guy shows up at 12:02 and blissfully informs me that Sears sent the wrong parts and he can’t do anything.  People who know me can imagine how well I took that news.  I started to take it out on the repair guy but immediately realized it wasn’t his fault but I was extremely upset and I think he thought his life was in danger.  He promised the right parts are being overnighted and would be here no later than Tuesday (fairly long overnight).  He’s scheduled to come back on Friday to complete the repairs.  I may hold him hostage if he doesn’t get it done this time.  Work was equally frustrating but we had a First Friday event scheduled at Brew City in Worcester which started the rescue of the day’s frustration.  We had a great group who sat through the thunderstorms that finally broke the heat wave telling each other slightly exaggerated stories and poking fun at each other.  It’s a blessing to be working with people who really get along and appreciate each other.  Speaking of appreciating each other, my wife looked radiant as we headed out for our Friday night date at Zorba’s.  We passed a great time there as the last of the day’s frustrations melted away under her comfortable companionship. Reading my sister’s facebook account of her Friday which involved defecating bathtub dogs and used condoms I got off easy with my frustrating Friday.   We were greeted by a spectacular sunset as we returned home – maybe I won’t take the Sears guy hostage.

The Radiant Wife at Zorbas

The Sunset that Photos Cannot Do Justice To

Heat Wave Walled Off




My Wall Separating Vent on Lower Right from the AC Units

We are in the midst of our first heat wave with weather very reminiscent of the South.  During my Army career I spent most of the time in the US stationed somewhere in the South, most of it around Washington, DC in Virginia.  One of the things I hated about the area was the summer weather.  It literally forces you inside for the bulk of the time.  We would turn on our air conditioning in May and it would stay on until late September.  Outside activities in the day during the summer were therefore limited.  This was painful for me because summers growing up in New England were so much fun.  The house I grew up in did not have air conditioning and except for two or three days each year we didn’t need it.   After being cooped up inside by the winter we would explode outside and spend literally the entire day outdoors.  This was one of the reasons I wanted to come back to New England so much.  We had some friends visiting a couple years ago from Virginia in August and the kids (teenagers) were outside playing.  One of them came over and marveled that they could do this without being soaked in sweat; I proudly said “Welcome to New England!”  All that being said, the last few days have been scorchers.  Each year when we turn on the air conditioning in the house we cross our fingers because it is used so infrequently.  We are also the victims of extremely poor design.  Our house does not have a chimney.  It has an electric motor that vents out the furnace gases.  The “geniuses” that designed the house placed that vent right next to the air conditioning units.  This exposes the air conditioning units to year round corrosive gases.  The house was only a year old when we bought it but the first summer the air conditioning wouldn’t work and when the technician came he found the unit was rusted shut.  He pointed to the vent and said they had been telling builders this was stupid and yet it still happened.  The next summer the same thing happened.  My wife vetoed installing a long stainless steel pipe so I decided to construct a wall.  My engineer son scoffed when I piled up some garden stones to make the barrier wall.  His scorn was borne out when the first heavy wind (lot of that on top of our hill) blew the wall over.  Not to be deterred I found some masonry adhesive and glued the wall back together.  The wall has stood for two years now and for those last two years the air conditioning has started up without issue.  I’m looking out my window at our next door neighbor who is the victim of the same poor design.  He’s got his air conditioning unit open and is trying to get it working because of the rust.  Maybe I’ll volunteer my wall making skills.  Somewhere in Kyrgyzstan an engineer is cringing.

Decked Out

My Wife (the hero) Sweeping the Just Cleared Deck

Deck Following the Cleaning

Deck Last Night

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year by far, with temperatures in the high nineties but at least the humidity was abnormally high.  This of course meant that we had a back breaking job to do in the searing heat.  I use the ”we” in very loose  fashion because my wife was an absolute hero yesterday while I played strictly a supporting role.  Our back deck has been showing some severe wear and she’s wanted to re-finish it for several months.  I was planning on doing it until my back went out a couple of weeks ago.  We both decided to get started earlier in the week in which I chronicled the clearing and cleaning of the deck.  Yesterday she came into the office to deliver something I forgot and declared she was headed to Home Depot to buy a replacement brush and was going to get started on the deck.  I was concerned because of the heat but she declared she was ready and when she gets up a head of steam, there’s usually very little that can derail her.  I left work a little early in order to help.  I was amazed when I pulled up to the house that the deck was about 60% complete.  I went inside and found her sprawled on the couch, obviously exhausted.  She said that she never sweats but that she was soaked through.  I told her that I was changing to help her finish and she immediately became concerned for me – who was sitting in an air conditioned office all day.  I eventually convinced her I was capable of helping and sent her inside to rest while I finished up.  After just fifteen minutes I was a hurting puppy and further amazed that she had been out there in that heat for over three hours (like I said – true hero stuff).  Luckily, in the motivation department, both of our neighbors were out splashing around in their pools.  I finished up and was completely saturated in sweat and a little light headed (more so than usual).  About half way through my effort my wife came back outside to insist I put on sun screen.  This became interesting because I approach painting cleanliness with a semi-laissez faire attitude and my hands were already coated with red stain.  I pointed this out but she was not to be denied and shortly thereafter I was the proud owner of a semi-red tinted skin covering.  As I finished up the deck she came out to declare that in recognition of her efforts she thought she had earned at least two new pair of shoes.  That estimate was up to six pairs by the time we were talking to a friend on the phone a couple of hours later.  She was in bed by 8pm, totally spent, but was up with me this morning and headed out shopping with a friend.  The cost of refinishing the deck is going up as I write this – but she certainly earned it.  Her early bed time allowed me to finish the first season of The Wire.  I really liked the plot and the acting but this is seriously depressing stuff.  Season two is up next.  Yesterday I also finished the next book in the Terry Brooks saga, Elves of Cintra.  This is another in the Void and Word series and will serve as the connection between contemporary times and the world of Shannara.  He does a credible job of moving his characters towards their respective conclusions.  I liked the manner is which he intertwined three different plot lines and his heroes are finally being allowed to kick some butt.  The concluding novel of this trilogy, The Gypsy Morph, is up next and the world gets destroyed – so I got that to look forward to.  This may be getting me ready for another Pahlaniuk adventure.

Chick Flicking Tuesday

Yesterday started off with a bang, Buddy, who uncharacteristically hadn’t eaten his two prior meals, was totally devouring his breakfast.  I was reading the last of my daily newspaper when Buddy charged up the stairs and deposited the meal at my feet, apparently an upset stomach being the culprit.  I hurried him outside to complete the return of his recently consumed meal.  He looked real guilty as I was cleaning the carpet upon which he made his deposit but seemed a lot more energized, if that is even possible with Buddy.  Like most dogs, he became obsessed with eating the results of his technicolor yawn which I ended up having to bury under some pebble stones to keep him away from.  In the middle of the day my wife called and asked why Buddy was eating rocks when she let him outside.  The joys of canine ownership, it’s like they don’t want to ever give up on a meal; kind of admirable when you look at it that way. Yesterday was date night and the big movie release was a rock musical.  I had no desire to see the much ballyhooed Cruise codpiece so I decided to take one for the team and see a chick flick with the wife.  We went to see What to Expect When You’re Expecting which included a lot of the cast from last year’s breakout hit Bridesmaids.  This was no where near as funny but my wife laughed really hard throughout.  I think I was the only male in attendance.  It was interesting because the only really defined roles were the female ones with the male roles as strictly supporting.  This is definitely a turn about on the usual Hollywood formula and it worked.  Jennifer Lopez showed she could act as did, surprisingly, Brooklyn Decker, who demonstrated she’s a lot more than a pretty face.  I enjoyed the movie more so from seeing my wife’s reactions than anything else.  She sees so many of my type movies that I was glad to see her so bubbly coming out of one she enjoyed.  I told her this was payback from her tolerance (as thinly disguised as it normally is) of all the guy movies she sees with me.  We definitely need to keep my daughter away from this movie if we have any hope whatsoever of having grandchildren.  Last week I forgot to mention that I finished my latest Terry Brooks excursion, taking up the final (for me) trilogy with Armageddon’s Children.  This is another in the Void and Word series and will serve as the connection between contemporary times and the world of Shannara.  It was kind of depressing as the epic battles of the first trilogy seemed to have been in vain and the world descends into chaos but I still enjoyed the read. 

Good Timing

Order Restored - My New Watch

After a full day yesterday spent hooking and jabbing with the union I was looking forward to some respite.  However the cosmos had other plans starting with a visit to the local mall.  One of the extremely too generous Fathers Day gifts I received was a brand new watch from the whole family.  Not to digress (yet here we go), but I’ve worn a watch since college and had not been without one since.  In the Army timeliness is the coin of the realm and a watch was required equipment.  When my latest watch died a couple of months ago I decided to see if I could live without it, turns out I could.  It was like leaving another vestige of my military personae behind.  For some reason this drove my wife a little crazy.  Timeliness has never been her strong suit; hell it does not occupy a single iota of her personality.  I guess she admired this in me and was a little distressed to see me without a timepiece.   So the vacation was over and I went to the mall to get it sized to my wrist.  As I entered the mall I noticed two of Worcester’s youthful denizens being handcuffed by no less than six policeman.  The spoils of their would be shop lifting spree spread about the sidewalk.  I’m sure they got there on one of our buses because we’ve had meetings with the manager of this mall who bemoaned the fact that one of our bus routes goes directly from one of Worcester’s most notorious public housing complexes to his mall.  I’m sure these fine young men were delivered by one of our buses.  Upon entering the mall I noted that it was almost deserted and this caused me to reflect that the great American mall concept is probably dying.  Malls were a creation of the 1970s and like a lot of things from that epoch were poorly done.  Malls used to be vibrant gathering places packed with people but have certainly lost their appeal, probably due to on line shopping.  Yesterday the biggest groups in the mall looked to be compatriots of the two guys I saw being handcuffed.  The sales personnel certainly outnumbered the customers.  For some reason I, who detest shopping in all forms, was little saddened by this evolution, go figure.  As soon as I got home the wife and I embarked on a project to re-finish our back deck.  The first step was moving everything off the deck which was a monumental task in and of itself.  My wife is incredible with flowers and the dozens of extremely heavy flower pots I had to move off the deck attested to this.  We worked together in first hosing down the deck and then scrubbing it with some chemical cleaner.  Finally as the sun was going down I was out there with the power washer just dealing with the deck.  I really, really like the power washer (Tim Taylor had that right) more power is gooood!  It was a little dark by the end to see the results of our efforts but this morning revealed total success.  We have to let it dry out for a couple of days before the finish goes on.  I sat down to watch an episode of the Wire, I’m getting near the end of the first season and it’s starting to grow on me (just a little).  My wife and I started to watch a movie (another F.D. gift) but we were both so tired that we’ll see the second half of the movie tonight.  I enjoyed working on this project together with my wife, seems we’re a good team, who knew.  My thoughts today are with my family in South Carolina burying our beloved cousin, wish I could have been there.  Oh, I love having a watch back on my wrist, guess I haven’t left the military personae completely behind.  She really does know me.

Malls Dying - Why So Sad?

Paternal Meanderings

My Father and Grandfather
Dad as a High School Student
Oct 1942

Yesterday was Father’s Day and my wife and daughter did a fabulous job of making me feel special.  I think their efforts far outstripped my paternal record but they made me feel really good.  They showered me with gifts but as I told them repeatedly the best gift was being with them.  My son managed a call from Kyrgyzstan and that made the day complete.  The day also had me thinking back to my own father.  I have a lot of issues there.  He died in a car accident when I was only 21 and I never got to know him as an adult.  He was a seriously flawed guy but my opinion of him has softened over the years.  He was the youngest of a huge family and spoiled rotten by his older siblings but was well liked by his friends which is a good indicator.  I’ve always resented that he kind of abandoned his kids after the contentious divorce from my mother but I’ve come to understand it if not agree with it.  I did get to know my mother as an adult and I know she could be an absolute terror when crossed.  I think it would have taken a tougher man than my father was to stand up to her and take the cruel barbs she inflicted every time he came to get us.  In talking to members of his family I know that he loved us kids desperately and that more than anything has ameliorated my antipathy towards him.  I’ve always been intensely frustrated that I didn’t get to know him as an adult; I’m now older than he ever got to be and that’s stunning to me for some reason.  I think he would have really enjoyed getting to know my kids and I wish they could have met the guy who still haunts my recollections as probably my biggest regret but also my fondest memories; love you dad.  Yesterday the wife and daughter wouldn’t let me do anything in the way of physical labor.  My daughter treated me to brunch following church at the Cracker Barrel and then let me win in a game of lawn bowling.  Buddy was frustrated that we were playing a game that he could not effectively interfere with.  The balls are too heavy for him to make off with.  He did have a funny moment with my wife.  She was wearing gloves to marinate steaks and was juggling the phone with her elbows.  She was coming over to give me the phone when Buddy became intensely interested in her meat flavored gloves.  She didn’t appreciate how funny it was as my daughter and I howled in laughter.  Sadly the day had to end and even more sadly I had to brave the Connecticut highway system to take her back to her train.  Maybe that’s why I hate the roads so much, they symbolize having to let her go again.  She declined Buddy’s presence for the ride, having sated that experience level the day before (total cat person she).  It was a wild ride with me driving almost as recklessly as my wife drives  that unfortunately ended with just missing the train so she had to wait another hour.  She was a good sport about it even though I know she was less than pleased with us, thank God it was Father’s Day.  It was one of those days that I never wanted to end.

The Best Gift - My Daughter's Visit

My Wife and I With Way Too Many Gifts

My Daughter and I Lawn Bowling

Buddy Trying to Figure Out How to Hide the Balls So We'll Play with Him

My Wife Trying to Hold the Phone With Meat Covered Gloves
Buddy Very Intrigued by Smell

My Wife Grilling the Steaks

Commencing in Rhode Island

Star of the Day

Yesterday was a long but very rewarding day.  We all went to Rhode Island to see my nephew, namesake, and godchild (all rolled into one fine young man) graduate from high school.  There was some debate as to whether Buddy would accompany us and spend the day with his cousin Bailey at my sister’s house.  I swear that dog can read minds because Buddy was trailing beside me all morning not letting me out of his sight, even going into areas where he is not allowed.  He played his trump card as he lowered the brown eyed pleading stare on my wife and punched his ticket for Rhode Island.  He loves riding in the car and jumps in as soon as possible and then waits patiently for the pesky humans to get ready.  My daughter, a bona fide cat person, had the pleasure of Buddy’s bated breath over her shoulder for the entire trip; I don’t think she was overjoyed with the aroma.  Since its Father’s Day weekend she took one for the team and didn’t complain, too much.  Buddy was extremely pleased with my sister’s new deck and demonstrated that by defecating in spectacular, almost athletic fashion into (more onto) a full garbage bag, of course in front of all of us.  Enough of the dog for now, the star of the day was my nephew, who hated school but rangered his way through it.  I am very proud of him for sticking with something he disliked, realizing it was important.  The clan gathered at my sister’s house for the trip into Providence where the graduation ceremony was held.  I’ve always liked that graduations are called commencement ceremonies because the really important aspect is that they symbolize the beginning of a new phase rather an ending.  The ceremony was held in the Providence Center for Performing Arts which was one those old spectacular theaters that I love.  There was gilt and ornament abounding, there was even a huge organ that emerged from the depths in front of the stage to play the entrance of the graduates.  The entire audience was kept out of the theater, no assigned seating, until thirty minutes prior to the start.  When they opened the doors there was a mad rush for seats.  I was just milling around looking for seats when my wife realized I was overmatched and took charge.  She quickly found seats for at least two people and then ushered us upstairs to the balcony while leaving my nephew’s girlfriend holding down seats she already found.  We ended up with seats centered on the stage only three rows back, great seats!  She went down and retrieved the girlfriend and then looked at me with disdain when I complimented her on her demonstrated talent indicating that was how she rolled.  I was truly impressed.  The ceremony was actually fairly short, not short enough for my nephew who texted his girlfriend that if the politicians didn’t shut up soon he was going to leave. The speeches were unimpressive but blessedly short.  The graduates rolled across the stage with the obligatory cheer from their respective family sections.  The ceremony ended with a song that included a string quartet from the high school.  I think any event is elevated with the use of violins and I was amazed at the talent demonstrated by this high school kids.  We all rallied outside the theater and faced the crush of people trying to get out; I figured we were doomed to a long wait.  For whatever reason when we came out of the parking garage and after waiting for a clear lane through the mass of people found ourselves in the clear.  The only problem was we were in the middle of a city I was not familiar with and the only person who was familiar was my sister.  My sister is globally recognized for her absolute inability to navigate.  Our mother used to say, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, that my sister had a wonderful sense of direction.  That sense of doom descended again.  My sister however rose the occasion and quickly had us headed in the right direction.  I had a momentary concern when she told me to go straight when the road ended (construction had blocked off the road) but she quickly adapted and shortly had us winging out of the city.  Once again, I was truly impressed, so out of character.  I think my mother was looking down and smiling that after all these years her daughter finally got it right.  We all headed to my sister’s mother in law’s house where the magnificent family of my sister’s in laws gathered to congratulate the graduate.  I’ve written before about how much I love being around them and yesterday in no way diminished that feeling.  My sister’s mother in law had the table completely covered with food with more arriving every minute, although her sister in law made the old “my dog ate the homework” excuse. Apparently their dog devoured a couple of fairly large calzones – I think they’re going to need gas masks in that house for a couple of days.  I also discovered a new culinary masterpiece.  The cake for the party was a donut cake, a cake made up entirely of a huge frosted donut.  I had never seen anything like it but it was delicious, I think there are more of these in my future.  My impatient nephew had to head back to the same theater to see his girlfriend graduate (she goes to a different high school).  I hope he survived. We departed for another dog breath befouled trip (she really is a cat person) back home.  We spent a relaxing evening at home although there was a short period of concern when my wife disappeared on a short trip to buy something at the grocery store.  When she didn’t answer her phone I headed out to see if I could find her.  As I got to the end of the street she came literally tearing down the street taking the corner on two wheels (well almost).  She had apparently been drawn into one of her favorite stores near the grocery store and lost track of time.  These things happen (well to her at least and more than on seldom occasions).  We had a fire out on the deck to toast smors and Buddy was unsuccessful in rescuing the wood from the fire (although not from lack of effort).  It was so much fun to sit around the fire with my daughter and wife and just catch up with each other.  A good day.

Buddy Ready - Where are those Damned Humans

Outside the Theater,l to r, Daughter, Bro in Law, Sister,
Sister's Mom in Law, Wife, Nephew's Girlfriend in Front

Grads Lining up Prior to Ceremony in Theater

The Ladies in the Sought After Seating

Nephew Stepping onto Stage (trust me he did)

The Star Back Out Front with Key Supporting Cast
Including my Sister AKA The Navigator

The Fabulous Donut Cake

Meeting its Well Deserved Fate at Hands of my Nephew

Smors with my Favorite Ladies