Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Congratulations Jon and Kelsey

But first, let's fix a door.

I can't figure out what the heck is going on with our front screen door. The "thresh hold" kick-step kind of thing is all loose and there is space between it and the wood when people step on it. So Callum and I decided to investigate.......In this picture, he is off to get his tools....

Luckily, he found his hammer in time to help me diagnose the problem. He also got his saw, his screwdriver, and his whole drill press for that matter. You never know what kind of tools you will need. He was a great help....
....but we were unable to figure out what is going on. Anyone know how to fix these things? I think it is part of the whole door frame. So I can't take off the aluminum kick-plate you see above. I dont know. Send Callum and email or call him and let him know what he needs to do. This is his project now......

Okay. Back to congratulations. Jon and Kelsey just recently got engaged--they did so up in Acadia National Park (a popular location for popping the question....just ask Amanda). Last Sunday (I am so behind on blogs) we all met for dinner at Mainely Brews in Waterville. Great food. Great beer. The worst service in the world. Consistently. But it is a great place and the food, beer, and atmosphere make up for it!

Here we are waiting for our food. Kelsey is the one sitting next to Jon.....haha
I know they are just in the infancy of the fun known as wedding planning.....but I think they are thinking about a weekend in September. For some reason the 17th comes to mind. If it is the 17th, it will be a week before our anniversary. I hope that isnt the week of Rosh Hashannah though....haha.....because we got married on the weekend of Rosh Hashannah, and not one member of my family on my dad's side came to the wedding. Apparently they are THAT serious about being Jews....but I dont hold any resentment.....

Jon and Kelsey.....
This picture was taken right after I told Kelsey that if she ever laid a hand on Jonathan, I would kill her.......

A good night to celebrate. It is always fun to watch a wedding be planned....especially when you arent the one who has to do the work (haha). Hopefully we'll see more of Jon and Kelsey, and help them in any way we can in the planning of their special day.

Oh, is it raining where you are? Because we need some rain. Send it our way. It has been sunny and 70 for like 4 days in a row......

Except not.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

The Brethren

ABOVE: Kennebec Cider in Winthrop


Last night was the first official meeting of the Brethren of Rational Evangelical Witnesses. This is an acronym.

Through several conversations with guys at church, it became so clear how so many of us have indeed such an affinity for crafting, tasting, talking about, and brewing beer. Yes, beer.

Thus, I came up with an idea to host a regular "group" at our house--down in the "beerment"--where we could get together, sample craft brews, and just talk and hang out for a while on a Friday night. The group was named as such so it could appear in the church bulletin and not raise any eyebrows.....hehe

The Lutheran tradition (mostly taking place in Germany) is rich in beer, and in fact our very own Pastor is a brilliant home brewer (what other church can you attend where you hear the Gospel AND end up going home with a six pack at the end?)

The rules are very simple: First of all, this is NOT a dunk-fest by any stretch. Except for Seth, but he cant help it because he's somewhat girly. Rather, this is a group of "professionals" who greatly venerate the craftfulness (is this a word?) of beer.

Also, we had dip.

Present last night were me, Pastor, Glenn, Seth, Tom, Ben, and Mark. I showcased Anthony's first attempt at an IPA, and the result was overwhelming positive. They loved it Twon! Great job. They enjoyed the citrus notes AND the lack of any residual bitterness after drinking. We also got to sample some local stuff from Lincolnville (over on the coast by Belfast), a "Trappist Monk Belgium Ale" brewed by Pastor--this was awesome, some Sam Adams Double Bock, some Scottish Ale, and some delicious "Sledhead Red" Ale brewed by what I think is the best brewery within 150 miles of here--Kennebec River Brewery up in The Forks.

For a special treat, Ben brought some homemade hard cider he and his wife had concocted. Ben, a former Economics advisor for the State Department, now resides on a small farm in Winthrop where he and his wife (who, consequently, graduated with my cousins Lauren and Brian in Plymouth) have an apple orchard and are now making their living by launching a "homemade" hard cider business. It will be called "Kennebec Cider," and I am sure you will be hearing more about it! It was delicious.

Did I mention the dip from Tastefully Simple?

It was great time with some great folks with some great beer. Conversation ranged from beer to fishing to BBQ to making fun of Seth to making fun of me to pirating lobster traps to close encounters swimming with things like Barracudas, whales, and harbor porpoises

It was just what I need right now.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Time for some music....

In my opinion, the best singer/songwriter going right now....I come in as number 2 on that list! Haha....

Big concert tomorrow night at WHS auditorium....starring me.

I am playing a concert tomorrow night at 6pm as a fundraiser for the freshmen class (class of 2013) Good friend and colleague Lori Loftus and I are the class deans, and we thought this might be a good way to raise some money for when we put on the Sadie Hawkins dance next year.

With all the negativity, rumors, lack of money, shady deals, politics, and everything else that has been going on at school this year, music is certainly my saving grace, and, as I always say, I consider it a true gift to be able to share music and songwriting with my students. It is very humbling.

A couple of my girls put a quick youtube video on last Friday; they thought it would be a good advertisement for the show. The process was kind of neat: There were only 3 kids in class because most of the seniors were in DC...they asked if I could play "Break Even" by The Script...I said "no...but I can try and learn it"...I dug out my keyboard and started messing around...I learned the song....I performed it while they recorded it on their Macbooks....and the rest is history. If you want to see it, go to youtube.com and type in "Mr Goldsmith's English Class" and look for the bald idiot in the purple shirt.

I've put my set list together for tomorrow. I have a couple of freshmen "opening up" for me...but after I get on I think I will play:

Before I Go To Sleep
Message (by Coldplay)
Lover's Hand
Acadia
Sunporch
25 Again
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (by John Mayer)
Break Even (The Script)
Far Away
Endlessly (the song I wrote for Michelle and Chris's wedding a couple of years ago!!)
No Air (Jordin Sparks)
Oyster River
????


Hopefully it will be a good time. I love performing!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Favry visit

A nice visit with the Favry family on Friday and Saturday....although it had to end prematurely because little Jackson was pretty sick. He just wasnt his usual happy self--and when his temperature indicated he had a fever of almost 104, the Favrys decided to end the trip early and bring him back to CT. It turns out he had a double ear infection, lots of fluid in his chest, and a bunch of other stuff. Hope you feel better J-Robb!

But while they were here, we had a grand old time. Here, the McMuffin cousins (I just called them that, because Callum is a little biscuit, and Jackson is a little sausage) enjoy playing "Peekaboo Barn" and "soundmatch" games on their parent's iPhones.

On Friday night, I fired up the charcoal and we had Joseph's Oriental sausage, marinated chicken thighs, and burgers. Then Anthony and I sampled some of the great homebrewed IPA he brought up from CT. On Saturday, the weather was WAY nicer than it should have been for the middle end of March in Maine! Temps soared to about 70 degrees, and we knew we had to get the boys outside. After breakfast and naps (for Callum, Jackson, and yours truly) we took a ride to the North Street playground in Waterville (right across from the hospital where Callum was born). Jackson enjoyed his first session on a swing, and Callum was pretty impressive climbing up the playground structures, going down slides, etc. Here's Auntie and Jackson:

We even (attempted to) flew the kite I brought the biscuit back from Machias. Yeah....so that went well. All the kite did was act as a conduit for Amanda and I to get mad at each other. But eventually, I did get it up for a little bit (I'm not saying a word......). It is actually pretty difficult to fly a kite! Or maybe I'm just stupid. Probably the latter.

That night, we all skyped with Nannie (Ortiz, you need to get your webcam!). We even talked to MeeMee a little bit, since she wanted to see Jackson!
You could have a caption contest for this one!
While Auntie and Ukkal were packing the car, Auntie Amanda took care of a noticeably failing Jackson; he just was NOT feeling well. He was wicked hot, and his cheeks were red and roasting. Callum was also trying to nurse his cousin back to health.
Even though it was a short visit, and we didnt get to eat all the snacks we made together, it was still a great time and it is always wonderful to get the cousins together. We'll see them again in three weeks for Jackson's first birthday!!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Ridin' Around

So I'm starting to accept spring. I hate spring. And summer. All it means to me is work. I dont mind work at all; I love working around the house, outside, etc. But summer makes me feel like I "have" to do it. It is pressure. And I dont like it when people (or seasons) mess with me, pressure me, or make me do things I dont want to do. That is why I am a winter person.

Another reason I hate spring is because of all the heaving. Whereas we live about 300 yards from the Kennebec River, our entire neighborhood is built on clay....and clay heaves. Look at the blue step in the background of the first picture. Our driveway looks like it had an earthquake.

But if spring is going to be here this early, then so be it. Nothing I can do about it. I just look at it as an early bicycle season. If you dont know that Callum loves bikes, then you dont know Callum. He has been having a blast during this early spring, tooling around on his tricycle (his feet dont reach the pedals yet, so we push him) or enjoying a spin in our bike trailer.



And dont tell him this, but we already bought him a bike for his birthday. It is a Trek (which is like buying a Yankees hat if you are a Specialized rider--like we are) but Dave (at Mathieu's) found it used for us, and it is a GREAT bike. We figure he'll only use it for a season or two...and then he'll be too big for it. So what is the point of spending a lot of money?
And after a tiring afternoon of fresh Maine spring air, what better thing to do than relax and read. This is Callum's new favorite reading spot. He brings his books in the Kozy Koop, shuts the door, and says "bye bye" to everyone so he can be left alone to read.....very cute
Callum (and Auntie and Uncle) are really looking forward to seeing the Favry family tomorrow. Safe travels.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Rivers and Platters

This is not the seafood platter I had tonight....The one I had was probably three times as big. I am totally serious. Dad and Jay: I almost called you I was so happy. I wanted to share this moment with you guys.

Let it be known: Helen's restaurant of Machias, Maine has THE premier seafood platter. In the world. My dinner was not fried; instead, I elected to get it broiled with their special "onion ritz stuffing." Unreal. I had piles of haddock, Maine shrimp, Maine scallops, and Maine clams (those were fried). What's neat is that all the shellfish came from Harrington, a town up the road; they use all local stuff (mostly because no wholesaler will deliver up here...haha).

Things are going well with my curriculum committee. My partner Ryan and I are very much in tune with each other, and we communicate super well. Because of this, we have virtually finished our preliminary report, which is a big deal for it only being Monday night. Today was very tiring, as we were in meetings SOLIDLY from 6:30 this morning all the way until 4:45 this afternoon. Then we had dinner and met again until about 1030.

I forgot my camera, but here are some pictures of me (taking my picture with the "photobooth" program of my Mac) standing on my hotel room porch....kind of a beautiful view, no?
Obviously, it is low tide on the Machias River (actually it is more like an estuary). The highlands in the background are Roque Bluffs.
The Machias River is an excellent river to fish, or so I have been told. Phenomenal salmon runs I guess.

Have a great night.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Where the heck have you been?


Oh...ya know....this and that....

Yeah, been busy enjoying the early spring weather with Amanda and Callum. I WOULD have time to blog, but Callum REFUSES to ever come inside....he loves being out, walking, running, biking, and sitting on daddy's "doldoorshh" (Callumish for shoulders)

As I write this, I am relaxing at my hotel room table, overlooking the Machias river in beautiful (and REAL) Downeast Maine, awaiting my first meeting of the day. I was asked my Doug, our principal, to serve on a visiting committee for a NEASC school accreditation for Machias Memorial High School. I would go into detail, but I value your awakedness. Suffice to say I am actually looking forward to this week, although it will be incredibly full with work, writing, observing, meeting, drinking (knowledge), and writing again. I am serving as the consultant for the curriculum committee, which basically means I analyze and report on the high school curriculum for Machias. Yeah....I am a pretty big deal.....

Although I dont like being away from Amanda and Callum (and I REALLY hate having subs tend to my classes back home) I am nevertheless proud to represent Winslow High School (THE best high school in Maine) for this terrific opportunity. I will definitely show these Machiasans a taste of Black Raider pride!

I'll try to post some pictures of real downeast Maine this week....that is, if I have time. I will definitely be busy, working in (scheduled) meetings from 7am to 1030pm. If you get a chance, do a google image search for Machiasport, Jonesport, Lubec, etc. Beautiful spot.

Best of luck to Senator Thurston and his band of merry seniors who embark on their field trip Washington DC this week. Wish I was with you guys....you are in for a fantastic time!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Maplewood

(this isnt the restaurant....this is the Ames Free Library in my hometown of Easton)
Do you remember your favorite job? Well, I dont mean the one you have now....I mean the one you had "before" your career. A summer job? A part time gig? I've had lots of jobs, and, now that I think of it, I am thinking that writing about some of them would make a nice "series" on this blog (Edmund's restaurant, the Lobster Trap, Camp Maplewood, Plymouth Rock Assurance, McDonalds, etc). But I had been meaning to write about Maplewood Restaurant (no relationship to the camp....except that rich Jewish idiots ran both). Maplewood, in many ways, defined me.

Not really though.

Maplewood was an Easton staple; long lines serpentined around cars during the summer months, as the establishment doubled as both a successful restaurant, and a popular ice cream stand. One early fall, it seemed like I got this "tip" from some of the guys at school that Maplewood was hiring busboys. Naturally, I applied. Also, I was hired. Me, Jay Ponticelli, Mike Bushey, and a slew of other OAHS juniors made up the most elite busboy team in the country. Our "cooks" were the Roney brothers--Dave and Kevin. Dave was drunk most of the time--even when he was there, and he would often come in at 9 AM (they were open for breakfast), punch in, leave, and then come back at 4 when his shift "really" started. One time when I was working, I had been there for two hours already when all of the sudden, he emerged from the walk in cooler, where he had been sitting, by himself, relaxing from the summer heat, and knocking back Miller Lites. He scared the crap out of me. His brother Kevin was even better--he was miserable and bitter and always had relationship drama, and now I think he is a cop or something. I worked on Thursdays, and on Thursdays he would make me do all his cleanup so he could sit in a folding chair and watch "Melrose Place" on a black and white TV (Melrose Place started at 9...we closed at 8:30...and he was there, alone, long after I left).

Causing a permanent rift in our brotherhood, I was promoted to cook, while Jay (who had seniority over me) was kept in the busboy ranks. Sadly, now that we are both in our 30s, this is actually the only trump card I have in any "life contest" we may have. But you dont understand what a powerful trump card it is. Jay and I would both work on Saturdays; usually, I would come in and cook the breakfast and lunch shifts, and I would be alone. But then, around 4, my minion Jay would come in to serve as my dishwasher. We would absolutely rock out the place...and, if there was time, we would bus tables and cook dinners.

Mark Minske, the idiot who owned the place, knew less about running a restaurant than he did about parenting (his kids were punks). And we totally exploited this flaw. We would eat the poor guy out of house and home; I'd fry up clams, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and lobster (that's right...LOBSTER!) and we'd indulge all night. The guy was never there to catch us (or care) so we just kept going. Actually, all the help did--the cooks, busboys, hot ice cream window girls, and hostesses. When we'd get tired of eating, and things were slow, we'd have lobster races--with live lobsters, of course. Dave Roney would teach us how to hypnotize lobsters, and then put them in weird contorted positions. He would usually laugh for 14 minutes about this, what with him being drunk and all.

The "fringe benefits" as they were greatly outweighed the initiation process of my brethren and I, as the Roney brothers made sure to put us through a gauntlet if we were to be true "Knights of Maplewood." As busboys, this would usually start when Kevin would pour a bottle of dish detergent into the commercial dishwasher, so that when we closed the dishwasher to wash dishes, suds would permeate out the doors and onto the floor. Everywhere. Then he'd throw a mop at us, call us "weinie boy," and yell at us to clean it up. Next came the chicken skin, where the older guys would cut chicken fat off of birds that would later be broasted; one would hold us in a Full Nelson, and the other would smoosh chicken fat and skin down our clothing, forcing us to keep it that way for the rest of the night. Although their drunkenness made them forget they told us this. Sometimes they would throw raw potatoes at us, and that was fun. But the piece de resistance had to be the branding (yes, branding). They would take a spatula, keep it on the hot griddle for a bit, and then hold the sharpened edge against your arm, wrist, or whatever, essentially branding you. I am pretty sure Ponticelli still has this mark on his wrist (am I right Jay?)

It was really sad when the board of health shut the place down, because we really enjoyed working at Maplewood (well, that was the rumor....that the board of health made some recommendations and Mark didnt have the money to put into the place...so he shut it down). It was the only job we ever had where we were SAD when the restaurant closed. I mean, we were happy to go out with our friends after work, but it was sad when we had to call it a night. Because I was the cook, and had less "clean up" responsibilities than my subordinate Jay, I was always done first, and I would yell at Jay to hurry up so we could leave (we'd drive together). In a fit of annoyance, Jay would take silverware, plates, bowls, and coffeemugs, bring them over to the back door (which was set up against some woods), and start chucking them into the forest--a hailstorm of plates and bowls must have terrorized many a chipmunk or squirrel. Then, weeks after doing this, Mark would hold an "employees" meeting, and ask if anyone knew where all the plates and spoons were, since there were a lot missing. We all knew, and we tried hard not to laugh.

Just another day at work....

Did you ever have a job like this?

Thursday, March 4, 2010

A Trip to the Museum

The Children's Museum, that is!

Hi, Amanda here. Today Callum and I went with our friends (moms and kids) to the Children's Museum in Portland. What a cool place! There was so much to see and do, just like most museums, that we'll have to go back sometime soon as we didn't get to do everything we wanted.

Here is our little group walking from the parking garage to the museum. The kids were SO excited --- and so were the moms! Callum kept giggling and hopping along... He was the youngest of the group (except for the two babies, Lucy and Bode) so his little legs didn't move as fast as the others. That's why we're at the back of the group...

When we got there, the first exhibit we went to was a HUGE whale that you could actually walk through. Callum did NOT like this. At all. So instead he went to play post office. Please note his little mailman messenger bag. He had a blast mailing all of his letters.

While he was busy delivering the mail, his two girlfriends Mia and Emmy decided to take a little drive. This car was so cool -- you could pretend to fix it and put gas in it as well as drive it. Callum liked waving and saying 'hi!' to the kids who were driving the car, but that was about it.

Callum's favorite exhibit by far was the food store. Hannaford, to be more specific. He stayed here for about an hour - playing cashier, collecting food and stocking shelves, and getting money from the ATM (which really worked, although it only gave you play money, unfortunately). When he figured out which button to push to make the drawer fly open, he was in seventh heaven... He was surprised every time and couldn't stop laughing!

Here he is doing a little food shopping. He loves oatmeal.

They had a camping/outdoor exhibit on the 3rd floor which was really cool. A lot of the stuff was for older kids (you could set up your own camp with ropes and tarps, pack your own camp bag with food and other supplies, and play a virtual logger game where you practice sustainable harvesting) but Callum found this little stream that you could play in. He liked playing with the boats and the balls, throwing them into the water and watching the splash.

Here is Mia, getting in on the fun at the stream exhibit too.

We were there for a good 4 hours and Callum did really well, especially since he did not nap. But guess who was snoring and slumped over in their car seat before we even left the parking garage... After a quick stop to visit Uncle Jonathan at the Volvo dealership where he works (I said to Callum, 'See? Uncle Jonathan's work is just like the children's museum, except you can't touch anything!') we finally arrived home to see Daddy.

I was telling Jared that this age is bittersweet for me. I have the best time with Callum -- he can interact with me, he gets excited about things, he talks in (almost) sentences... But at the same time he is definitely not a baby anymore. I wouldn't trade it for anything, though. I love you, Callum Stuart! Thanks for a REALLY special day!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Okay, I'm bragging.....



I'll admit it. I am going to brag about Callum for a little bit if that is okay. Or, even if it isnt. Each and every day, Amanda and I just continue to be in awe of the things he says, does, and remembers. Callum goes to daycare a couple of days per week with a woman named Grenda. Grenda is a (very old school) retired junior high English teacher. The kids she watches are all Winslow "faculty brats," so to speak, since each one has a parent who teaches in the Winslow system. Since retiring, Grenda has been doing this daycare for 16 years, and the other day she paid Callum a high compliment, telling me that never in all her years has she seen a kid of Callum's age with the language, verbal, and articulation skills he has! We were so proud of him! He is quite the wordsmith, sometimes stringing together even four word sentence-type things. From an English scholar's point of view, I am amazed at the little nuances he picks up, such as quantifying things with plurals, knowing tenses, and doing things like knowing that ONE is a "mouse," but MORE THAN ONE is "mice."

Furthermore, his memory skills continue to--dare I say---scare us! He has only met Aunt June and Uncle Bob like twice...but he picks them out in pictures. And here's something: A few weeks before Christmas, Amanda took Callum to the post office to mail something. There, they had special padded decorative envelopes with pictures of Mickey Mouse and Pluto on them. So this was during the second week of December. YESTERDAY (yesterday was March 1), Callum returned to the post office with Amanda for the first time since that day in December, and before they even got out of the car, he pointed to the building and exclaimed "MOUSE!!"

Okay. Just wanted to brag a bit about our son. We both work really hard with him, and we are very proud of him. Here are some Callum superlatives as of late:

FAVORITE FOOD(S): Oatmeal, M&Ms, Mexican rice (tonight he had FOUR bowls), peas, Special K cereal
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: Governor's (for the train, of course), Cancun Mexican Restaurant, McDonalds
FAVORITE SONG: Away in a Manger, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Elmo's World, and "Down" by Jay Sean (featuring Lil' Wayne)
FAVORITE BOOKS: (this one was tough...if I had to narrow it down to four....) Goodnight Maine, Peedee (a goose), Goodnight Moon, Thomas the Train stories
FAVORITE TOY: 2010 Hess car Papa gave him
FAVORITE POSTMODERN PLAYWRIGHT: Samuel Becket
FAVORITE SPORT: Skis (he loved the Olympics) hockey, football
FAVORITE JERKY BOYS SKIT: New Awning
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: climbing up and down stairs
FAVORITE ALL AROUND THINGS IN THE WORLD: Tie: Trains and Bikes