Birthdays Rock!!

I chose this title for the post because it contains two items of recent interest: my rock concert last night, and my birthday today!

I turn the big 3-0 today, and, as if it isnt such an anxiety producing occurrence on its own, the little baby Goldsmith should be joining us any HOUR now. So, I go from a 29 year old smartass punk to a 30 year old AND a father--probably within a week of each other.

This morning Amanda took me out to breakfast at "The Villager," which she calls "The Old Fogies Restaurant" because of its old-fashionedness like a nostalgic coffeeshop type of restaurant. Plus, a lot of old people go there. Then, we went to Agway (as usual . . .its our favorite store in the world) and got some soil and grill stuff. THEN we went to Mathieu's Cycle so I could get some (already) adjustments done to my new bike--the guys there are top notch people and professionals, and they were more concerned with Amanda and her impending child than any of the customers in the store . . .it was cute.

Tonight, the Willards and Walters' are coming over and we are going to Butcher's Choice Steakhouse for my birthday dinner--I am going to get Prime Rib . . .on the BONE!! (Sorry mom and Kris that you wont get to see me eat it . . .and Dad, I'll try to make you proud . . .). Then we are coming back here for cake, which I havent been able to see yet, but I do know that Amanda picked it up at Hillman's and she is excited for me to look at it . . .

The picture may not have come out great (it was dark pre-concert), but that is last night's set up of "J.S. and the Nefarious Henchmen," which is my side project rock band. I havent mentioned anything about it on the blog I dont think, but basically it is me, my colleague Dave, two senior boys, and one freshman girl (the sister of one of the senior boys). We played it for a junior class fundraiser and we made about 400 bucks, which is great for the junior class. Amanda wanted to post pictures, but, like I said, they didnt come out well. She DID, however, tape the second set on our new camera, and it came out wonderfully! (I am sure you will want to see it too . . .) Reviews were excellent, although Dave and I are our own worst critics--the first couple of songs were a little bumpy because our timing was a little off (which naturally happens with bands of 5 people playing together). Plus, we were having some technical difficulties because none of our monitors worked (monitors are speakers that "face" the performers instead of the audience, so that the performers can actually hear what the hell they are doing) so, for an hour, I couldnt hear my voice or my instrument at all (thats what she said). But that aside, it was awesome, and we'll do it again for the school! I played piano and sang the songs . . .but I also got to play drums on a John Mayer song, which was cool because I love drumming and havent ever played live. I think even George "let's get tanked at the Al-Jo" Willard approved (he drummed in a band in the 60's in places that sound like they would be seen in Austin Powers movies). Our set list was something like:

Teenager-My Chemical Romance

Time-Pink Floyd

Snoopy Theme Song (instrumental)

1234-Feist

Beverly Hills -Weezer

No Air-Jordin Sparks (I did this one solo . . .an "acoustic" version of the song)

Waiting for the World to Change-John Mayer

Clocks-Coldplay

Hey Ya-Outkast

Anna Begins-Counting Crows

Paralyzer-FInger 11

A great concert . . .thanks Sally, for taping it! See you all later. I am off to go tinker in the garage before dinner . . .

One of these things is not like the other....

Hi. Amanda here. Tonight's blog is coming to you courtesy of some new acquisitions that we've recently made. No, the Bean is not here yet...but we are expecting him any day now. I think we're pretty much ready although I'm sure I'll realize, after he's actually here, that I've forgotten a million and one things. Oh well... I think our excitement, love and care will be sufficient until we figure out what exactly we're doing.

Here is Jared with his brand new grill, a very generous gift from DH. Jared made delicious 'Lemon Garlicious' chicken on it tonight and we also had corn on the cob which I love. Tomorrow night we'll have Michelle and Chris over for hot dogs and cheeseburgers. Grilling is one reason that I love summer - the food tastes great and there isn't anything quite like the smell of something on the BBQ. Isn't this grill huge? That's what she said.

Here is Jared with his brand new road bike. I am very proud of him for actually making this purchase. He has been saving money for about a year now, and even though the funds were just sitting on his dresser waiting to be spent on this bike, he still had doubts about buying it. Not because he didn't want the bike, but because he thought we had other things to do that were more important. This is something that I appreciate about Jared - he is very responsible with money and is always putting our family/home needs before his own. I admire this quality, and am also annoyed by it because he literally never buys anything for himself, whether he wants it OR needs it. This was definitely a break through for him. I think he's going to be really happy with this bike. Not to mention the fact that he looks great on it. That's what she said.

Finally, here is the Bean's new dresser, courtesy of Papa Goldsmith and Nannie. This dresser now contains little socks, little pants, little gowns, little blankets and little hats for our baby. It will also serve as a changing table. I am all about things that have multiple functions. That's what she said.

Meanderings 31: a few brief thoughts . . .

Oh hi. There have been lots of recent acquisitions in the Goldsmith household, and I will try to post pictures of them soon: I picked up my new bike today, Amanda and I picked up the baby's new bureau/changing table in Portland, and I am going to pick up the new BBQ grill at Agway tomorrow. Amanda is feeling well today . . it seems as if the little guy has "moved up" a bit (he was VERY VERY VERY low and putting a lot of pressure on mumma's pubic bone, which kept her from being able to walk up stairs, sit down, etc. Okay, here are some of my pointless thoughts of the day:

1. Did you ever notice how when you are in any type of business getting personal, face to face, real human customer service, and the phone of the said business rings, you immediately become "second most important" to the idiot on the phone who was too lazy to drive into the business like you did? Do you mind this? I do, and to me, it is "technological cutting." I wouldnt just walk into a store and then cut right in front of the person who is getting waited on, and I certainly wouldnt expect the clerk to reciprocate my rudeness and wait on me. So why is it okay for people to "cut" over the phone? When we moved into our piece of crap apartment when we first moved to Maine, and we had to get a UHaul, I counted the number of times the pasty fat guy behind the desk answered the phone and interrupted my needs: 8 times. He had a half eaten jelly stick on a napkin on the dirty counter, and I remember him getting really mad at the phone because he hadnt even had the time to "eat his breakfast." Poor thing.


2. I should do a future post about the worst jobs one could have, but one that I think really takes the cake (speaking of which) is to work at U-Haul. This job would suck. Think about it: all you do is deal with unhappy, tired, stressed out people who are moving. Is anyone who NEEDS a U-Haul ever in a good mood? I would wager no; renting one of those trucks necessitates a good deal of work and aggravation on the part of the renter, and who is happy about that? Who ENJOYS moving? Even if you are happy about where you are going, the process still sucks. And at the end of the day, do you feel "good" about yourself if you work at U-Haul? Have you made a difference? I feel bad for the people who work there.

3. Twizzlers definitely has the corner of the market on licorice. Think about it: Who else makes licorice that is sold in conventional stores? True, "Panda" makes black licorice in a box, but that is usually sold in health food stores and sections. Why isnt an anti-trust suit brought against the Twizzler corporation? They can do whatever they want, licoricely speaking . . .kind of scary

4. I dont think Einstein would be as revered as one of the smartest people ever to live if he had a name other than Einstein like "Phefferberg," "Jones," or "Klauss." I would wager that 80 to 83 % of his popularity stems from the fact that he has a catchy name that rhymes with itself and lends itself well to teasing other people with: "hey Einstein, arent you going to take the gun off safety first, idiot??" And such and such. True, he was smart, but I wonder if there was a smarter dude with a name like Alex Lixacrotch or something who never really got his due . . . because of his less than fun name . ..

5. Here's a thought: Why are they TV "channels" and Radio "stations?" What is the difference between at station and a channel? A station has more of a "place" feel to it. You can "go" to a station. But you can't "go" to a channel . . .


**For all those in the area/interested, come check out "J.S. and the Nefarious Henchmen" (my side-project band) this Friday at the WHS auditorium at 6:30. I'll be playing drums on some numbers! I'm gonna get those octogonal synthesizer drums and crap . . .

The End of the Weekend

Wow, this was a jam packed weekend . . .you should all definitely check out the Favry's blog (which is a link off of this one) for some better pictures (and some in depth description) of what exactly transpired this weekend. From canoe paddles to bike rides to delicious food to singing songs to watching movies to going to cookouts, this weekend had it all . . .and I am exhausted and NOT looking forward to going back to grade 50 term papers tomorrow (especially since each one takes about 40 minutes to correct, and I have to get them graded by Friday). Let's hope Ms. Amanda doesnt go into labor tomorrow or Wednesday, huh?

Yesterday, on our way to Agway, we took Kristin and Anthony over to Fort Halifax park in Winslow, as Anthony was in a very "photographic" mood--taking pictures of all the great gardens and flowers that abound our area. I thought Halifax would be enjoyable, since it overlooks the Kennebec River, and I was sure he'd get some great photos. He took this one of Amanda and I, and I have to say that this is probably my favorite picture that exists of the two of us . . .
In between Agway and our paddle, we stopped back at the house so the girls could begin their movie, and so the guys could get everything we needed for the river. Below, the kids sit like good little boys and girls while Uncle Jared gives them some turkey breast from Amanda's left over club sandwich from Governor's . . . As a side note, the animals are SO GOOD together now . . .not only do they coexist, but also they get along quite well, and they even takes naps together. Rewind two or three years ago, and Thomas was constantly swatting at Chelsea. Both of them have mellowed out, and they are good little cousins. . . .

Mel and Jon came by last night and we went for a walk along the same rail trail Twon and I biked. Then Jon and Mel got some pizza, and I built a fire out in the firepit out back. For the remainder of the night, we sat around the pit, taking in the flames, smoke, and sparks. Once again, this fire was "brought to you" by our old breezeway, as I am still burning the old floor--it has paint on it, and I dont dare put it in the woodstove.

This morning I cut the grass, did some edging, helped Amanda pull weeds (even in her 9th month, she is still doing yardwork), and had a two minute visit with the Pelottes, as they dropped by en route to Strong, Maine for a BBQ. They dropped by to give Amanda and I our birthday presents! I got "I Am Legend" on DVD, and Amanda got a hummingbird feeder. Awesome.

Then, I went for a bike ride, discovering some beautiful back country roads off the campus of Colby College. I did about 12 miles or so, and I am only mentioning the distance because I really REALLY am trying to get in shape so, when I pick up my road bike this week, I can start doing much longer rides--and eventually the "Trek Across Maine" and the "Beach to Beacon" bike tours next year . . .which are both for great causes involving lung diseases and cancer.

Grandpop failed to tell us that he was marching in the Oakland Memorial Day Parade this morning, otherwise we would have gone to see him. We did, however, go over for a little Memorial Day Picnic, enjoying Philadelphia style "pork roll" sandwiches, as well as some BBQ chicken, baked beans, salad, and corn.

Starting tomorrow, I am going to guess it could be LITERALLY any day until our son arrives--Amanda is starting to feel a lot of pressure and weird sensations. On a personal note (isnt this whole blog personal notes??) I am very emotionally "on edge" lately as I prepare for my new role as a father. I have no qualms admitting how, as I type this, my eyes are welling up with tears at the process of having my life take on a completely different meaning in a couple of days. Here at goldsmith5.com, its all about honesty . . .haha. Obviously, I see Amanda, in her pregnant glory, on a daily basis. But I think that somehow I become desensitized to the fact that, beneath the basketball shaped stomach that I rub each day, there really is a physical "person" who, although I cannot see him, is nonetheless INCHES away. That completely gets me . . .its like I forget this sometimes. I'm a man of words (sometimes . . .no MOST of the time too many) but, here at 9:23 on Monday night, I just can't think of anything else to say to describe the feeling--the energy, the anticipation, and the raw emotion--that lives in 35 Military Ave at this moment . . .

Happy Birthday Amanda!

Happy 29th Birthday to the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world! I love you very much Amanda.

We are "back" on the blog scene AND the internet, as last night Twon hooked up our DSL for us. So, finally, we can do regular blogs . . .

Well, last night (Friday) the Favry family graced us with their presence, and we had a nice little cookout with burgers and dogs from Joseph's meat market. This morning, Amanda made her lovely french toast and scrambled eggs (she wouldnt let me cook her breakfast on her birthday) and Anthony and Chelsea danced together to some jazzy music. . . .
While I cleaned up, Amanda and Anthony talked to Nannie Rouse on speaker phone, while Kristin lay passed out from too much Mimosa . . .
After that, Twon helped me carry in the Bean's new bureau/changing table that Nannie and Papa G. got him for a gift. We put it in his room, which now makes his room fully complete and ready for his arrival. Twon and I then went for a nice little bike ride around the finer points of Fairfield, including the rail trail along the Kennebec River. My new road bike is ready for my test ride, but I will go and pick it up Tuesday most likely. We had a great ride, and the rain held off!
How could we NOT post this picture of sport Jonathan in his wicked hot bike garb. As we drove up Wing's Mills Road on our way to Lynne and George's this afternoon, we actually passed Jon on a huge hill, as he was riding his bike from his place to his parent's. He's training for the Trek Across Maine which will take place in a couple of weeks or so . . .maybe I'll do it next year . . .
Amanda requested George's special "hoagies" for her birthday dinner, and George, once again, outdid himself with a splashing spread of snacks, and a pleasantly pleasing platter of Philadelphia style hoagies. Amanda's cake came from Hillman's Bakery (where else??) and it was a delicious white cake with strawberry filling, topped with a cream cheese frosting. It was great to have Kristin and Anthony over to Springpond to hang out. It was a great day, and we're sad that they're probably leaving tomorrow . . . .
Unless the beautiful birthday girl goes into labor . . . .

Simply Amazing

Jon Lester threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals last night, and, in my point of view, it was one of the most remarkable moments in baseball in recent memory. I feel fortunate to have seen the last four no-hitters thrown by Red Sox pitchers--Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Bucholz, and last night's by Lester. Four no-hitters in 7 years is pretty amazing--you can go through decades and not see ONE no-hitter thrown by your team . . .and the Red Sox have had FOUR since 2001. And for all of you who trash the Sox making claims that the Red Sox (just like the Yankees) go out and buy all their players, consider this: Hideo Nomo was a pretty low profile player, Lowe worked his butt off from middle relief to closer to starter, and Lester and Bucholz (both in their early 20's) both were Portland Sea Dogs minor leage players as early as last year, and both of them worked their way up through the farm system. So there. It just stands as a testament to the heart, soul, and work ethic possessed by the Red Sox team in general. . . .

But a no-hitter thrown by Lester is even more special and magical, considering the fact that Lester is a fellow cancer survivor (in fact we both had Lymphoma) and in the past couple of years he has been "down for the count," being inundated with chemotherapy treatments, etc. The hard work (physical, mental, and emotional) manifested by Lester is truly inspiring, as he went from cancer patient to 96 mile-per-hour throwing "no hitter" status. Here's my shameless plug for cancer survivors: look at people like Lance Armstrong (testicle cancer) and Mario Lemieux (Hodgkins Lymphoma) who were professional athletes who overcame grim odds to be successful.

And also, consider all the brave men and women (who arent professional athletes) who nonetheless battle each and every day to bounce back in the face of their cancerous adversity. Its something special to behold and it makes me proud.

Has it been that long??

Wow. We haven't posted since last Wednesday? That's like a record. I think the reason is twofold--one reason being because we've been so busy lately getting things ready for the baby, planting, landscaping, and visiting friends and family. The second reason, and probably more significant, is that we still have Time Crapper for our internet provider, and its slower and more unreliable than an obese 6th grader running the mile for their gym teacher. We have canceled our Time Crapper service, and we'll be back to our good old Verizon (actually, Fairpoint) service shortly

This weekend was fantastic, and I think the best way to explain what we did would be to make a list

1. Enjoyed absolutely delicious steaks, vegetables, pickle dip, pumpkin cookies, and a million other things at the Lilac Cottage with Michelle, Chris, Lucy,, and Lily

2. Ran a great track workout on Saturday morning

3. Hosted the Pelottes (Mandy, Tony, Griffin, and Liam) for a mid day visit including Bismarcks from Hillmans, lots of laughter, and play with Griffin

4. Went with Jonathan to look at bikes at Mathieu's Cycle (and say Milan Babik there as well)

5. Enjoyed a couple of pints --along with some great conversation with the owner and bartender about microbrews in Maine--at "You Know Whose Pub" in Waterville

6. Met at Springpond for a "sort of" Pond Night (minus the snacks and Prairie Home Companion . . .haha) with the Melathans and the grandparents

7. Went on a bike ride yesterday morning on the backroads of Fairfield, Benton, and Winslow--Amanda rode 16 miles . . .amazing for a woman 9 months pregnant

8. Planted blueberry bushes that the baby got his mumma for mothers day last week (along with some Creeping Phlox and a neat Bleeding Heart plant)

9. Watched "All Creatures Great and Small"

All in all, a really great weekend. Congrats to my sister Kristin who did a 40 mile walk for Breast Cancer over the weekend. I hope you have fun peeling your blisters today!! Another busy week in the works--I'll be heading down to Portland on Thursday for a conference, and I'm looking forward to that. And on Saturday, its somebody's BIRTHDAY . . . .

I will try to be more diligent in my posting . . .

Oh Very Young . . .

First, here are some pictures of a superb Amanda in all her 37th weekness . . . .

Any day now, it could happen . . . .
Today's blog title comes from the song by Cat Stevens (NOT Yusaf Islam) with the same title. I love that song, and its beautiful in the way it "speaks" to the young, encouraging them to go for the dreams, learn from their mistakes, and find out what their skills, talents, and passions are. As Hank Hill so profoundly says: "find what your niche is . . .that leads to rich-es." Thank you Hank. . . .

Anyway, go listen to the song. Its beautiful.

As a father to be, I often daydream about what the bean will be like . . .how will he spend his time? What will he want to do? What will be his dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Of course, I'll let him find his own way, while at the same time trying to introduce him to everything I can. My parents did the same for me, and I am grateful for that.

What did you DO when you were young that, looking back now, you can't believe you ever did?? Little kids like to try all sorts of crap, learn they dont like it (or, in my case, suck at it), and then move on to their true passions.

The lovely and talented Amanda, for example, was on the swim team, and from what I hear was a fierce competitor. Also, she played field hockey for a year (I wish she kept the skirt . . .), soccer (George coached), and softball. It doesnt surprise me . . .Amanda has a very "strong" body athletically speaking. Her shape is well suited for sports and athletics . . .even though she hates that stuff now, and has found her niche playing with an orchestra or conducting an ensemble.

My sister Kristin, the "queen of shopaholic novels," played "shrimp soccer" when she was little, and I believe she did score a goal . . .for the wrong team. I dont remember much, except that her shirt was yellow and that she sucked (dont worry . . .I pick on myself later). In high school, she played field hockey and did, in fact, score a goal for the Tigers. But, meeting her today, you'd never know she ever was into sports. Its just not the person she is.

As for myself, I have distinct memories of crawling, literally, on my hands and knees, across the ASIAF ice rink at Brockton High School when I HAD to have my parents sign me up for ice skating lessons (because my friend Michael Murphy played hockey). It was one of my darker moments, to be honest. I think I lasted two weeks (one lesson per week), and I dont think, in all seriousness, I actually ever MADE it out to the ice to join the rest of the kids . . . I think I pretty much just laid on the ice, unable to get up. my pride damaged beyond repair. Ah, to be young again.

Also: I took Karate for a year (quit, much to the chagrin of my dad), boy scouts for two or three years (ask my mom or sister about how much I loved summer camp), sailing (college team), tee-ball, basketball, piano lessons (one hour . . .and somehow, I can compose music and play in front of crowds), and last but not least, gymnastics (at "Spectrum Gymnastics" to be exact). Mel finds this hilarious for some reason--especially the part about how I used to do the parallel and uneven bars. I guess I find it funny too. Kris, Cha Cha, and Ortiz: Am I leaving anything out?

Signing up for stuff and then quitting it a week later seems to be a rite of passage when you are very young. What will the bean quit? And what will he love? How will he finally find himself?

Do we ever "really" find ourselves?

How about you?

Meanderings 30 (WOW . .. 30 volumes of crap!)

Yesterday at Graziano's La Casa Mia (Grandpop is doing his impression of George here . . .)

Is this really my 30th meandering?? Wow. Thanks to those of you who have been there since the beginning. Let me know if you're still reading this blog. Leave a quick comment.

1. When I was in school, teachers always used to say "if you dont study hard, you'll end up being a garbage man when you grow up." First of all, teachers wouldnt be allowed to say that today, because we'd offend a kid whose parent was a garbage man, and we'd probably have to go to some special meeting or something. But, second of all, teachers got it all wrong: what, in the world, isnt cool about being a garbage man? You get to be outside all day, you dont have to dress up for work (in fact, you SHOULD dress like a slob), you get free rides on the back of the garbage truck (which is 90 percent of the reason why little boys want to be firefighters in the first place), you can look at the crap people throw out and then talk about them later, and there is absolutely NO STRESS in being a garbage man. Furthermore, from a psychological point of view, there's got to be something liberating about making stuff go . . .away. Dont you feel good when you clean stuff up, make room, and throw clutter out? This is what these guys get to do every day. So good for the soul. Sign me up. I want to be a garbage man . . .I mean, to me, those free rides make it worth it.

2. Somebody in the world has the dubious honor of being the "world's best triangle player." Furthermore, someone else is probably the world's "worst" triangle player. In either case, do you want to be recognized with this superlative? I dont think so. Does the world's best triangle player have a CD? And, if so, why not? I wonder if triangle players, like many hoyty-totyty musicians, are all arrogant and stuck up about their "art," and scoff when someone says "hey, you play the triangle, right??" and then say, "we prefer "Geometric Triad Reverberator," but, being a commoner such as yourself, you probably didnt know that . . ." I'd like to find the world's best triangle player, and then proceed to kick their ass all over town for wasting their life away. Thats all.

3. Hey, are all your ducks in a row? If not, why? People are always saying to "get your ducks in a row." Why is that? I dont think I know anyone who actually HAS ducks--except George, and they are wooden, and he keeps his way up on top of book shelves all around the house, so they are definitely NOT in a row. Having your ducks in a row means, if I am correct, that everything in your life is organized and in-line. Soooo . . .if literally all your ducks are in a row, then figuratively, all your ducks are NOT in a row, since you've been wasting all your time putting fake birds in a straight line, and NOT getting done the real important crap in your life that needs to be done in the first place. So I guess thats all I have to say about that.

4. From the "you know you live in Maine" file I keep: Today was the annual "everything goes" trash pick up day in the town of Fairfield. This means that, for one day only, all the residents can virtually throw anything out to the curb, and the town, aided by their huge plow and sander dump trucks and front end loaders, will take it for you (except for three sheets of old shingles which they left on my lawn . . .I dont know why . . .I mean, people put out water heaters, old furnaces, electrical stuff like computers . . .but some lousy shingles? Oh well.). So, yesterday, my street looked like the fourth of July parade, as old pickup truck and low riding caravan after old pickup truck and low riding caravan crawled down the street at a breakneck speed of 4 m.p.h. looking for any trash that showed promise for them. I would say that 78-79% of all the stuff I put out to the sidewalk was picked up by some random Mainer within the first hour--pieces of aluminum, an old VCR that has tracking problems, a broken trunk thats missing the lid in the first place . . .all gone! Where does this stuff go? Folks drive down the street so unabashedly . . .even when I'm standing in my yard 20 feet away . . .and pick through my garbage. Do I live in China or something? No. Its Maine. God bless America.

5. We go to the regular doctor for virtually all our ailments--every injury, rash, burn, ache, pain, swelling, inflammation, and bulging--from head to toe. Except the mouth. For that, you need to go to the dentist. Its kind of funny if you think about it. The mouth (and to a lesser degree the eyes) has its very own "special" doctor in the dentist. The mouth is one of the smaller body parts in the human anatomy . . .and physicians handle everything you can throw at them. But they stop at the mouth. Its like, at some point, long ago, doctors got fed up and said "ya know what? Screw you guys. We ain't doing the mouth. The buck stops here. Someone else do this shit. Not me. I got the rest of the body."

6. When you brush your teeth, and you're in a rush, do you sometimes turn on the water on before you are ready to spit out? Just to "save time" while you have a second at that particular moment? That way, when you are ready expectorate, the water is already turned on, and its just one less thing for you to worry about. I find myself arriving a lot earlier to places if I do this. Do you?

7. Ladies, its time to put on your big girl underpants and start a revolution--what is this crap with gender segregated bathrooms?? Its so unfair, and if I was a girl, I'd be complaining about this each and every month when I complain about everything else. Guys have the freedom to go the bathroom whenever they want at big social functions at concerts, theater events, etc. But if you are a girl, you always have to wait in line. Why is this? Why hasnt any savvy architect learned by now that you dont want to piss mumma off, and thus designed a civic center with a bigger ladies room than a men's room. As a guy, I really appreciate not having to wait to pee, because sometimes you really gotta go . . .but I would be TOTALLY fine with having unisex bathrooms. I mean, what the heck is the big deal? We all walk around half naked these days anyway, so I say screw it. We live in such a gilded society that we like to pretend that its "just not right to have men and women peeing together." But we all know its fine--who really minds? And if you are a girl and you're going to say "well, I dont want to listen to the loud craps that the guys take . . .I dont want to have to smell all the poop," then to heck with you. What, do you not poop? Are you that pure? Fine. Go wait in line cuz we dont want you anyway. For the rational ones: Come on in ladies, there's plenty of room.

Ready To Move In (Pretty Much)

What a busy weekend--we did yardwork, Amanda had three concerts in two days, we ate a wonderful Mother's Day lunch, and we worked on the baby's room. On Friday, Lynne slept over, and then, on Saturday morning before the second concert, Amanda and Lynne worked on the room, going through gifts, dividing up clothes, and washing little clothes. Amanda had another concert on Saturday afternoon, and then one on Saturday night; the Augusta Symphony played with the Bossov Ballet company, performing Peter and the Wolf, The Swan, and Bolero. A beautiful job done by all--especially the wicked hot choreography done with Bolero. I will write more about ballet in a very near future blog, since it is something I'm becoming both very interested in, and intrigued by. Today, being Mother's Day, was spent going to the greatest Italian restaurant I know of: Graziano's La Casa Mia in Lisbon. Its probably better than anyplace I've even been in the North End in Boston; its kind of a Willard/Walters/Goldsmith/Schrute family tradition. I got the buffet, big surprise, and Amanda got Capalini Rinaldo, which is a sultry tomato sauce filled with scallops and shrimp--its making me hungry again just thinking of it. We missed Nannie, as she was down in Connecticut, enjoying a brunch with Sponge Bob, Joanne, and the Kranthonys. Then, tonight, Amanda and Lynne worked some more on laundry and other things baby, and the result was something magnificent. Oh, and George and I were sent out to Fourbucks for coffee and latte things . . .and we also discussed George's impending E-Bay business. Good stuff.

Here is another shot of the crib with the little "Choo Choo Express" rug in front of it--it looks like SOMEONE has found their home there. Its so cute--he loves to sleep there in the sunlight. The baby's Nannie bought him all kinds of "Choo Choo Express" room accessories, to go with his train theme.
Some cute little choo choo train curtains, with his little swing below the window . . .
The inside of his little crib, complete with choo choo blanket. Now, we are fully aware that its a big "no no" to have all these animals in the crib while he's in there (actually, it seems like EVERYTHING is a no-no with cribs nowadays . . .I'm surprised they dont just recommend that the baby sleep in a strait jacket on a plywood slab) but its too cute, no? The UNH bear is in there . . .the UMaine bear is probably out working at McDonalds, since that is the only thing UMaine bears can do . . .wah wah wah. Look at the little lamb on the bottom right corner . . .
Our dear friends Sarah and Tim (whom we think might even still be alive, but we're not sure) sent up some awesome stuff for the little guy . . .but these are probably my favorite things of all time. He's got little cowboy boots . . .and little hippie/yuppy clogs! As a male, I rarely get "truly" excited about baby clothes--but these things strike a chord in me. I can't wait for him to wear these. Oh, and look at the little train lamp in the background. And a train bank. Hopefully, he'll like trains, and not dolls, like his daddy . . . Check in this week for some more meanderings, some thoughts on ballet, and some random dribblings about an annual event in Fairfield: Trash Day!

Cribs (not the MTV version)

Hi everyone. Amanda here.

Grandmom and Grandpop came over tonight to bring the Bean's new crib. Grandpop did a WONDERFUL job on it--he made it from scratch! It is just an absolutely beautiful piece of furniture; something I know that we'll treasure for a really long time. I can't wait to see the Bean in there! But Thomas is a very good substitute...

(no cha cha . . .we PUT Thomas in there. He CANNOT jump into the crib himself)

The crib is really neat. The mattress can be set at 4 different heights, depending on how big our little guy is. Plus the side rails can lower so that it's easier to put the Bean to bed.

I think this is where we finally decided to keep the crib -- underneath the slanted wall. For now this will be good, but we'll probably have to move it once he can stand up and jump :)

Thank you SO much Grandpop and Grandmom. The Bean thanks you too!

Goodnight all!

We've graduated!

Well, this past Monday was our final "childbirth" class--after 8 long weeks of two hour Monday night sessions (thats what she said) we are finally done. We have covered breathing techniques, bathing, car seats, buttfors, braxton hicks contractions, how to know if you are in labor (like I am sure Amanda will need someone to tell her, right??) and, last but not least, breastfeeding. In fact, this past Monday's class was donated ALL to breastfeeding. I actually only said "thats what she said" once, and that is only because Amanda jabbed me in the arm really hard and it hurt and I cried a little inside. Again. The films were . . .interesting. We also talked a good deal about breast pumps, and the whole process of pumping milk. The good "power" pumps (which she'll use for when she goes back to work OR so I can do some of the 2AM feedings) cost nearly 300 bucks. But worth it, I guess, since its a small price to pay for the best possible nutrition. Some folks were asking about insurance covering the cost of the breast pump, and, for the most part, they do not cover it. What I find TOTALLY fair and equitable, however, is how, when a three pack a day smoker finally gets emphysema and needs to be on oxygen or something, insurance will cover that cost no problem. I understand. Priorities.

So, switching gears, I have just about three weeks left of classes with my seniors, and I am counting down. This time of year always gets very exciting, and its only further exacerbated by the fact that we have the impending birth of the bean to look forward to. I've been working on my song--this year, for the fourth year in a row, the senior class has asked me to write a special song for them, to be performed at commencement exercises at Colby College. Its awesome playing there, since its HUGE inside the field house. Just in case I can't be there (like if some random girl I know goes into labor or something) I have made plans for the LaChapelles to record it for me in their "basement studio." At which time, the senior class will play my song over the speakers at the college. That would be weird, but I wont be there, so it doesnt matter I guess. This year, the class has asked blogger's very own Michael Thurston to be their guest speaker. Thurston and I are going to rock the house. We'll tug at their heartstrings. We'll change their lives . . .

4 weeks to go...

Hello. Amanda here.

This is pretty much what Thomas has been doing for the past 2 weeks. Well, this and just following me around the house like he's chained to my ankles or something. He has been either very sleepy (usually on my side of the bed) or very restless, and I wonder if he knows that something HUGE is about to happen to our little family of three - we're about to become four! He must know something is up. His room (the guest room) is full of shower gifts that haven't been sorted yet. Slowly I am making my way through them, but it's tough when you have to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes and you have a little bean that keeps driving his head into your pelvis. But I wouldn't have it any other way....

Here are some pictures of the "nesting" progress I've made lately. One that does not have a picture is me doing laundry at 5:00 am. I got up to go to the bathroom and I suddenly got the urge to do laundry, even though I still had an hour of sleep left before I had to get up for work. Weird....

We are all set to watch some TV with the Bean! This chair is the coolest thing. It is an infant seat that can recline, sit upright, be stationary or rock. And then it expands as he grows so that even a toddler can use it. Jared and I are all about the things that have multiple uses. I would just hate to have something that gets used for like 3 months and then sits in the garage collecting dust.

And here is the Bean's room so far. Jared has moved his keyboard up there so that he can play music for our little Bean. I put together the swing, which I'm hoping that he'll like. I've heard of a lot of babies recently who do not like the swing, so we'll see. His mattress is just waiting for the crib that Grandpop (or Pee Pop as the Bean will most likely call him) has so lovingly made. It's arriving on Thursday, so I'll be sure to take pictures of it. I saw the one he made for Keith and Donna and I must say that it is an absolutely beautiful piece of furniture. It will be so special to have it as a family heirloom to pass down.

Saturday morning Mom is going to help me put the room together and I am hoping that by Sunday Jared and I will feel mostly ready for the Bean's arrival. Well, as ready as we can be. I am counting down the days until I can finally meet this little person that I've been carrying around for 9 months....

May 3rd Reflections

Have you ever seen a hot toll collector? Just throwing that out there. Do you think "topless" toll collectors would eliminate the problem of people driving right through without paying?

My sister did a great blog about the whole problem with grocery stores. Today, in fact, whilst in Hannaford, my cashier was "baggerless." Meanwhile, the lane next to me had TWO bubble-gum looking girls chatting it up about Justin Crapperlake while loading Oreos, orange juice, and frozen-at-sea haddock into bags at a pace that would make the late Pope John Paul look like a sprinter. Now I am going to hell. But seriously, why two baggers when I didnt have one? I'm not an "elitist," but what's fair is fair. I firmly believe (and will probably write a letter to the morning sentinel about it since its Sunday and I'm bored) that if we have to bag our own groceries, then we should get five dollars off our bill. Stores are always doing stupid little gimmicks like "if we fail to ask you if you saw the value of the day then we give you a dollar and a thank you for telling us" or "if we fail to ask you if this gift is off a registry, then you get a free soda" and crap like that. What about a little something for you for doing THEIR work?

In my passive aggressiveness, I've decided that whenever the supermarket doesnt bag my groceries, then I dont return my cart to the little cage thing they have in the parking lot. Tit for tat. I did it today, in fact. And I felt good about myself. Like I was passive-aggressively changing the world. . . .

I did absolutely nothing today, and I loved every minute of it. Well, actually I did vacuum, clean out the stove, and re-caulk the upstairs tub (but that is all). I watched the Celtics win, the Red Sox win, and then I watched V for Vendetta--a film my colleague Rachel let me borrow. An excellent movie that sort of blends 1984 and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO together. Those are books, Stevee Cee.

Amanda went up to Jackman today with Michelle to attend Jane Babik's baby shower. Jackman is 5 miles from Canada. Or 5 minutes. Or feet. There was nothing up on Route 201 that far, so, to pass the time, they counted "Moose Crossing" signs. But, in Jackman, that is like counting the stars in the summer sky. So they just played "I Never."

The irony of all this "Green/Organic" crap (that is totally a fad a la "low carb craze") is that these big so called "green" stores defeat the whole purpose of themselves. Walmart green and organic? Pa-leeze. Hannaford a "certified organic market?" Come on. Good for them, but what they are inadvertently doing is forcing all the local farm stands and mom and pop health food stores out of business--and these types of small stores are the "essence" of what "green," "local," and organic stores are supposed to be in the first place.

Its funny how organic stuff is more expensive, yet you have to do less to it . . .its like how whole milk is more expensive than skim milk. Skim milk takes TONS of work to make they have to do work to get all the cream and fat out . . .whole milk just comes right out of the cow and that is it. Why is it more expensive? With organics, they dont have to buy fertilizers and stuff like that. Yet they charge more for it. Why?

A Prairie Home Companion was amazing . . .we sat just two rows in front of Thurston and his family, so that was pretty neat surprise. We absolutely love the show, and it was amazing to see how what we were watching was actually being broadcast live to about 4 million people across the USA. Maxine Kumin, the poet, was heartwarming and richly sentimental. David Mallet was good too, even though all his songs sound the same and he is not a nice guy.

Hey, what about "Green" tortures? The US is under scrutiny for all its waterboarding and crap like that . . .lets make our terrorist dealings more "organic" and "green" too. If its "green," then none of the Kyoto Treaty loving world of the United Nations will care, right?? How about bathing a terrorist in a bath of tepid water and pure cane (unprocessed) sugar, and then, using hemp rope, tying him up outside in the beautiful Maine woods on a June evening and letting the mosquito's (a natural, indigenous creature) have their way with them? Or, we could bring a jihadist out to a beautifully mowed corn field, lay them on the ground, stomach down (on organic soil) and have the natural sunlight (not light produced by electricity) beat down on his back until it is burned. Then, we can lay the terrorist down on a temper-pedic mattress with organic cotton sheets that have been washed and starched (natural corn starch of course). Doesnt that sound nice? Green=good.

Tonight, a short trip to Minnesota

Well, not really. We'll be heading up to the Bangor Auditorium to see a live performance of Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion," which is one of our favorite things of all time. Right now, Amanda is up in Pittsfield, rehearsing with the Bossov Ballet Company for their joint concert (not like a Bob Marley joint concert) with Amanda's Augusta Symphony. I am going to pick her up, and then we'll head to dinner at Momma Baldacci's (which we hope doesnt suck as bad as the Maine governor who bears the same name) and then to PHC. If you all want to listen, its on National Public Radio from 6 to 8pm. You can here the show we'll be at!! For you Maine crowd in the Waterville area-south, its either 91.3 or 90.1. For you Mass people, its probably on 89.7. I dont think Jersey has any public radio stations, because its "public" and not "commercial" . . .and everything in Jersey is commercial. Wah wah . . . .

Last night, we went to Portland with Lynne and George, grabbed dinner at On the Border (a Mexican restaurant) and then went to Babies R Us to look at breast pumps . . .the things that make life worthwhile. We also picked out our bureau/changing table, and its really nice. Then, we got our crib mattress, some crib sheets, covers, and some other misc. stuff that we didnt get at our showers (its amazing to believe, with all the stuff we got, that we still needed things!!)

You should all check out the radio show tonight--its an old fashioned radio variety show, and tonight's guests include Dave Mallett, an arrogant Maine singer/songwriter, and some angry looking Pulitzer Prize winning poet. I shouldnt say those things . . .she could be very good! If nothing else, at least check it out at the end for the "news from Lake Wobegone," where Garrison tells a little anecdote about the "mythical" town he's created. We know Mike and M-S Thurston are heading up . . .and I think we know others who are going . . .we just cant remember who. Talk to you tomorrow!

What a week . . .

I have to say I am happy to see this week finally end--its been an interesting one for sure, full of crappy things happening (well, only two crappy things I guess). During this past winter, during a severe windstorm we had, the chimney cap of our wood stove chimney (we have two separate chimneys) blew well off the house, and landed on the other side of the yard. It was to warped to put back on the chimney, and I wouldnt have done it anyway, since I am afraid of heights (and I'm a moron). On Tuesday, we had some of the worst rain in recent memory, and I came home a completely flooded chimney--without the cap (and also due to some cracks in the masonry that need attention) water came rushing down the chimney, behind the tile, and out through the mortar. The chimney runs through the inside of the house, so the ceilings in both the dining room, and, more importantly, the freshly renovated Bean's room, became damaged by water.

But look at how pretty Amanda looks, with roughly 5 weeks to go until the little man is set to arrive!! Crappy thing # 2: We got two cord of wood delivered today, and as you can see, the wood is awesome--a great mix of ash, oak, and maple (and no birch!! which we have tons of already, so that is good). I got it at a pretty good rate of 185 a cord. That might seem expensive, and it is, since last year I was paying 160 per cord. But this wood is already split (which I didnt want . . .but they only had "split wood and actually it is difficult to FIND wood this year for some reason) and it is of high quality. And, as I've said before, I'd much rather give my hard earned money to a man from Norridgewock Maine rather than George Bush and his rapist friends at OPEC. Oh yeah . . .the crappy thing. Well, the delivery man basically tore up our front yard in the process of delivering the goods. He had to back onto the lawn a bit--a lawn that basically sits on clay that, just yesterday, was covered with some standing water. His back tires sunk in like they were in quick sand, and he actually got stuck. We had to position some wood (thats what she said) under the tires to make a mock "ramp" so he could get "unstuck." It didnt work for the first three tries. Did I mention Bill from across the street stood in his window and watched the whole thing? So he finally got out, rendering us with two 4 feet long by 2 feet deep craters in our lawn. Not to mention, he totally cracked the side of the driveway (the pathetic driveway done by the poor excuse for a paver known as Steve Violette) because of the weight of his truck . . .

Here is the wood (against the garage, you can see I already stacked about a half a cord . . .).

A year or two ago, these two "crappy things" really would have killed me . . .but I've got to hand it to myself as to how far I've come dealing with this kind of stuff. Shit happens. Can I say shit? I mean, I am still really upset about the chimney, our ruined driveway, and our gouged lawn, but I've come a long way from a few years ago, where I probably would have reacted a lot worse--and made everyone else around me miserable too. Thank you Redhook Ale, for all your help. Just kidding. I've got a little guy on the way, so I've got to think about him.

Here's a picture of Amanda and our dear Jane, my colleague who just got back from Oxford a few weeks ago (her husband was finishing his Ph.D there). Jane is due exactly ten days from Amanda. She came by tonight to drop off a gift for our guy, and we had a nice little visit. It was great for Sally and Jane to be a "support group" for each other as they are dealing with the same issues. They both look fantastic. In this picture, Callum and Kylian are meeting each other for the first time! With stuff like this, who gives a crap about a driveway?