Meanderings 63 for a minute

1. I've noticed that Taco Bells and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants seem to have teamed up with each other, often occupying the same cholesterol rich buildings in the outcroppings of Wal Mart parking lots. This is nice. Its great to give fat and lazy people even more of an opportunity to be fatter and lazier. But I think this is really a step in the right direction; its like a peaceful beacon to the rest of the world. I think back to the horror of the Mexican-American war of the late 1800's and America's flagrant desire to take over the world fueled by the idea of "Manifest Destiny." I think back to all the southern states who came to the defense of Texas, sticking up for the state over its rightful will to annex Mexico. And now, over a hundred years later, to see the poster child of "Southern State Food" team up with the poster child of Mexican food? Well, it just brings a tear to my eye. I guess we really CAN all be friends. Some day, I just know, we'll see "Melvin's Matzo Ball Bazaar" and "Rahib's House of Dirkacakes" share the same space in harmony. There is hope.

2. Did you ever think about the fact that we use "litter" to make things "cleaner" and more healthy in our homes? Cat litter, that is. Funny, huh?

3. OFten times on the news you hear people talk about all the "senseless" violence going on in the world today--all the wars, all the murder, all the domestic assault, etc. However, as a grammarian and pragmatist, it would seem to me that all these acts of violence are senSUAL--incorporating all kinds of senses into the act. Killing and beating and murder takes lots of "sense" and emotion and raw soul to commit. There is is an odor to death. There is a sound of bullets and b-slaps. There is a the vision of legs being blown off by mortar shells. Domestic violence assailants physically touch their victims with the backside of their hands. The taste of blood is salty. Sounds grim I know, but let's not fool ourselves. Violence is ANYTHING but senseless.

4. I will be writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper soon (and I will be writing to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine) lobbying for the law to change to allow cyclists to ride on the interstate highway. I will be met with scoffs for sure; people will tell me I am a nutjob. But consider: I-95 is the most well maintained road in the state, and the only one with a consistent, safe, and clean shoulder. If anything, some of the backcountry roads should be illegal for cyclists, since they are laden with rocks and sand and pot holes and asphalt that looks like petrified hamburger. Furthermore, the speed limit on the highway is 65, and the speed limit on some of these "routes" (like rt 201 for example) is 55. What is the difference between 10 mph? And everyone knows people go faster on these roads anyway. The highway is a safe place to ride also because of the long, straight stretches which provide safer routes than the windy, twisting oblivions of some of the backroads of Maine. FINALLY, the cyclists I know are the most OCD people I know of--constantly vigilant of keeping their bikes and equipment safe, ship-shape, and clean. If safety is a primary concern for NOT letting bicycles on the highway, then how can the suits in Augusta POSSIBLY condone letting a motorcycle--which travels at ridiculous speeds of 75MPH while the operator wears no helmet--drive on the highway, and NOT let a bicycle, which might top out at a speed of 25 MPH at the most? I am very serious about being able to ride on the highway. The roads in Maine suck.

Well,

The Brian Peppers Quintet. A show we saw at Mohegan since there were no more Doo Wop shows....myeah....The funny thing is my mom wont say anything about these two digs at her, because she doesnt read this blog anymore

Forget about a Goldsmith household filibuster, because we are having a little girl! Amanda will finally have an ally in the house. We went on Wednesday this past week to have our ultrasound done in POrtland. I will post some pictures of this afterwards. I dont feel like getting up to take a picture of a picture right now. Too humid. But the baby was very cooperative, and we got to see everything--ten fingers, ten toes, spinal cord, ribs, even a tongue sticking out at us! Amazing to say the least.

The one thing the doctors noticed on review of the ultrasound was a brightly colored papillary (I think that is how it is spelled) valve in the baby's heart. This was not a "concern," necessarily, but something they needed to mention in the ultrasound report. When one of these papillaries shows up brightly colored in an ultrsound, it can be--when combined with SEVERAL other factors that the baby DID NOT HAVE--a strong evidence of the baby being born with Down's Syndrome. Other factors would be extra skin around the neck, enlarged head, shortened femur bones, and MANY others. Baby G2 was completely normal and healthy in all these respects. Thus, the chances of her being born with Down's is about 1 in 3000 the doctor said. They see this often and it is usually nothing to worry about. But--as those of you who know me can probably guess--I will be thinking about this until December.

But we're having a girl!! What a blessing! This is going to be very strange for me. I am so excited in every respect EXCEPT the clothes. Let me go on record right now (and I am sorry little girl): I hate baby/little girl clothes. Tacky and stupid. And overdemonstrative. Too much. Its like eating chocolate cake with double chocolate frosting with Tyra Banks--its too sticky sweet and phony. Little boys clothes are much more subtle--a little truck perhaps, or some planes or balls. That I can handle.

Names? We're thinking of several. I think the top three would be (in no particular order) Maggie, Maevis, and Charlotte. We also like Margaret. Most people will probably dislike the name choices, as they did for "Callum." But they'll come around--like they did for Callum. Or we were thinking about Rosine. Or not.

Callum is excited to have a little sister, and now when he puts his hands or his head on Amanda's belly, he talks about how this is "my sister." Very sweet. And I think Callum will be the best big brother ever. A kind, loving, gentle big brother. Who will hopefully kick the ass of any dink who tries to hurt her....

A couple weeks ago,

We took an impromptu trip up to Mt Desert island after church, stayed the night at Seawall, and then spent the whole day on Monday on the island, meeting up with our friends the Hargroves. There's just been so much going on that I havent posted about it. We're really blessed that Callum loves the outdoors as much as we do, and he loves the ocean--I think-even MORE than we do! He loves the ocean, the boats, the fish, the whales, the birds, and the rocks. Good for him. When we are not camping, we prefer to stay at Seawall Motel, which is run by a great couple who are into bicycling. On the same property as the motel is the old "Seawall Restaurant,," which is no longer a restaurant, but rather a community "soup kitchen." But not in the sense that we think of soup kitchen--like a homeless shelter kind of thing. The soup kitchen they mean is derived from the post depression era, where a community gathering place is created based on the philosophy of "fearless optimism." It is unlike anything we have ever seen. All organic, delicious, homemade breads, scones, muffins, etc. Strong, good coffee. Soup and chili. Live music and open mic nights, All non-profit, and all based on donations and the kindness of the people who use it. So Callum went to his first open mic night and had a blast watching good acoustic music. Here's Callum and I checking out the waves and rocks at Seawall....
He likes it when I wear my cookie monster shirt and he wears his Elmo shirt. He asks me to wear the shirt specifically. Here's mommy and Callum.
We met up with Jesse, Ciara, Aden, and Rylan Hargrove. Also joining us was their French exchange student Marie. We hiked Beech Cliffs, which is the steep set of cliffs adjoining Beech Mountain, which shoots almost directly out of Echo Lake in Southwest Harbor. This was Callum's first hike, and he did awesome. As you can see below. I would say he hiked about 85% of the trail himself....and the only reason it was not 100% was because there were some sections where I MADE him let me carry him. Steep. Hi.
Along the way, we stopped to pick some delicious wild, low bush blueberries growing along the cliffs and granite ledges. Fun. Steep. It was fun to watch Callum try to copy and be like Aden. Aden is about 8 months older than Callum, but that 8 months makes a big difference and Aden is definitely a "bigger boy" whom Callum loves to emulate.
And here's Callum's token "funny face" which he loves to make for the camera. Such a ham. Always "on." He also loves doing different voices now too. I'll have to video.

What's New with Noonan?

Go Levi!!!

I guess which is my way of saying "what is new" with everyone.....meaning, how is everyone using their "downtime" lately. What are you watching? Reading? Doing that is new? I usually never have any real goals in the summer (except finish the wood in a timely fashion. Which I did. Today). I am not one to have a stack of books I know I have to read or ten recipes I definitely want to try. I usually dont even make any real hard and fast fitness/bike/running goals for myself. I'm not lazy...I just hate letting myself down. Here are some things I am doing that I would recommend:

READING: THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy. It is as much a novel about being a father as it is about human destruction, evil and corruption, Armageddon, and nuclear fallout. It is a gut-wrenching book to read, but I feel like it is important. I know it is good because I dream about it at night and how it might affect my own life. Very. Disturbing. Dreams.

READING: "Bicycling" magazine like it is going out of style. Mostly for the Tour de France coverage. But I also like reading about everyday people who just love bikes and try to integrate them into each daily facet. It isnt a GOAL, but I am definitely trying to take less car trips this summer. In addition to my regular road bike rides, I am trying to do more errands on my "Green Bean" (Acadia Cruiser hybrid), and I take and pick up CS from daycare when he goes once per week. Plus, the tour stuff is awesome.

WATCHING: "Midsomer Murders" is a fantastic show. I dont know if you can believe it, but it is a BBC program,, which stopped airing some years ago (in the late 90s). Two CID detectives who live in Midsomer village, England. There are always these shady layabouts going on in the town, and they have impressive plot twists and surprise endings. Slowly becoming one of our favorite Netflix offerings.

WATCHING: Le Tour de France. Except not. We dont have cable. Too bad. I'd love to watch the tour, and next year we are going to buy the special package they offer to JUST see the tour on line (we'll plug the mac into the tv). I considered going into a bar and asking if they would put the Tour on the TV....but I dont like getting my ass kicked by people who watch real sports.

DOING: More canoeing. Lots of it. I have perfected (or, rather, developed the confidence) to load, unload, and portage our canoe all by myself. Plus, this way Amanda doesnt have to carry it (since she is VERY pregnant!). Our canoe weighs about 65 pounds. It isnt that it is heavy...it is just really awkward. But I carry it on my back using the yolk. This way I can go canoeing by myself (which I have) and do some fishing. Also, I can take Callum out whenever I want. He loves the canoe, and asks to go paddling often. He sits in his little seat in the center of the boat. He really seems to "respect" the canoe--maybe he fears it too--and he sits and is a good boy.

DRINKING: Michelob Ultra has officially become my summer beer. I dont know if you ever read this, but thanks Brad.

RACING: (well, "entering" races): I did a 5K last week, and I am toying with the notion of doing the Lobster Ride and Roll in Rockland in a couple of weeks. You pay money which is a fund raiser for the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, and you do a 50 miler along the coast. Then, at the end, you get a nice pair of cycling socks AND a lobster roll lunch.

Would love to hear from people as to what is new....

Happy little family....

That is us. We're continuing to have a fantastic summer. Amanda was on vacation last week, and we made sure to make the most of every single day. On one day last week, we both had doctors appointments in Hallowell, so we made our way over to grandpop's (Ba-Ba) house afterward for lunch and a nice visit. Last week was atrociously hot, and it was hard on everyone. Because of the intense heat and humidity, Callum couldnt explore Ba-Ba's woods and gardens like he would have liked to (he LOVES the woods). But, still, he found his place right at home with one of grandmom's old Cabbage Patch kids. An interesting sidenote here is how caring, compassionate, and almost "fatherly" he is becoming towards his "friends" lately. He treated the doll like it was a real baby, and he sometimes likes to rock his cookie monster and baby elmo at night. We are trying to prep him for his role as a big brother, and I think it is working; he is a gentle, sensitive, and compassionate little guy.

We were supposed to have lobster over Ba-Ba's, but Lynne didnt want it so no one got to have it (wah wah wah). So, that night, I surprised Sally with a little lobster boil of our own. We each ate two lobsters (Papa Goldsmith and THE ORIGINAL Papa Goldsmith would have both been proud to call Amanda family), some corn, and a green salad from our garden. I kept the lobster bodies after we were done, and tonight I made a really good seafood stock for a chowder (which we also had tonight).
Callum took his first trip to the beach last Friday! Amanda headed to Popham beach with Sasha and Krista--two moms from church. Their kids--Siena, Caden, Mia, Emmy, and Bode--all hung out for the day, played in the sand, and kicked around in the water. As you can see, it was incredibly hazy and foggy--but still HOT! Callum got right to work making his sandpies and sandcastles....he's just like his dad, as I hardly ever went in the water, but was happy to engineer complex metropolis scenes in the sand
He did, however, enjoy some water time in his French Canadian style bathing suit....

We still have lots to write about, including our trip to Camden, our trip to Mt Desert, and Callum's first ever mountain hike. Time just keeps getting away from us!

When I think of heat waves,

Dimond LibraryMendum's Pond

I automatically think back to perhaps one of my most formative summers as a young man--the summer of 2001. I remember the summer of 2001 because it was so hot in fact--it was a scorcher. But I also remember the summer of 2001 because I had just graduated with my BA, I was working for UNH Upward Bound as a tutor counselor, and I was spending my first summer with the woman who would later become my wife. That summer was a tough one for us--we each had intense jobs that kept us from often seeing each other during the week; my UB job was virtually 24 hours a day, and Amanda was working two jobs--one of them being outdoors at a farm (was it Woodman farm? I cannot remember...). True, it was one of those really crazy summers that now, ten years later, can be looked back upon with fondness and nostalgia....but, I would say, it was also really magical while it was happening. It was chock full of small, "slice of life" style moments that in turn create a mismatched, mottled set of memories. I was living on Edgewood Road still (technically....but I really lived in Sawyer Hall with a bunch of smelly adolescents), and went there for weekends to unwind. I bought my first "road-bike" that summer (it is still up in the attic above the garage, and I think I will turn it into a single speed soon) from Durham Bike--an old, blue Myata bike, and I thought it was the awesomest thing ever. I paid 150 bucks for it, and I hardly drove my truck at all that summer. About three times per week, I would ride that bike down to the Durham town pool, which, to my mind, is the best place to swim in the world. It was an outdoor pool, but it was also like a pond. It wasnt what we think of as a conventional "pool." I'll try to find a picture. Anyway, Amanda and I would meet there and swim laps, and it refreshing not only on a physical level, but also a spiritual one. Weekends that summer were spent almost exclusively at Mendums pond--a place I easily consider one of my top five favorite places on the planet. UNH owned this beautiful spot, and in the falls, as a member of the sailing team, we tacked all over the beautiful lake. On summer weekend days, Amanda and I would go, pick blueberries, look at loon nests, and swim to our heart's content. And on weekend nights, the UB staff and I would sneak in after dark, sit on the docks, drink 40s, and try to even comprehend how many stars there were in the sky.

But I think my favorite memory from that summer would have to be the quietest one--the Dimond Library at UNH. It was one of the few air conditioned spots on campus as far as university buildings went, and they had just completed a HUGE renovation to the building the year before. Dimond was full of nooks, crannies, alcoves, and secret spots for studying. The basement of the library was by far the coldest, and Amanda and I had this sort of "unofficial" game where one of us would get there first, stake out a spot in the cool library, and wait for the other one to try to "find" the other one. Countless summer nights I would find Amanda, hunkered down in an over sized chair, reading or journaling. And I would sit beside her, reading John Updike or Antoine de Saint Exupery. And we'd hardly talk at all in the cold library. But it was okay.

4th of July

Happy Fourth of July. Am I being a total jerk when I say how I dont understand why people "thank all those who made July 4th possible" in places like their facebook statuses, etc? July 4th has nothing to do with the military and it has nothing to do with veterans. Dont get me wrong....I am grateful for all those who have served, and we honor them on Memorial day and Veterans day. But the fourth of July is just a day when a bunch of rich, slave-owning white guys decided they didnt want to be part of England anymore. BECAUSE of them, a war started (that they didnt fight in). But the fourth of July has nothing to do with today's military. So all the people who made the fourth of July possible are long gone, dead a couple hundred years now. So, like I said--am I being a total jerk when I say this?

Anyway, we had a nice day, starting with church in the morning, and then breakfast at the Flatlanda' diner afterwards. We were toying with the parade in Winslow, but it was just way too hot to stand in the sun for a couple hours. So we came home after breakfast and hung out with mee mee and 'ampy and watched Little Einsteins, played Memory, and ate snacks. Dinner, as you can see from the pictures, was excellent. George made Wisconsin style bratwurst, and I made some marinated steak tits. Amanda and Lynne made delicious deviled eggs and some salads to go along with dinner.

Callum, like me, does not do well with the heat. I think, in fact, that he hates it. I know I do. I cannot WAIT for December. Why anyone would enjoy this type of weather is beyond me. Unless you own a beach house or something.

Vacation Bible School!

Wicked fun. This week has been a crazy, exhausting, hard working week in the Goldsmith household--it is VBS week at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. Amanda is teaching the 3rd and 4th grade kids, and I am sort of the "emcee" of the whole shebang, creating opening and closing sessions, discussions, and songs for each day. It is right up our alley, as both of us love teaching. It has also been a really great experience for Amanda and I growing together, as each night, from out 9-10, we sit at the dining room table planning our lessons and presentations for the following day--we share ideas and just have a great time. And, each day, Callum comes along with us, as the "unofficial mascot" of VBS, running around like a madman, since he is so excited about seeing all the kids and all his friends (he is still too young to "officially" do VBS).

Here's teen helper Elizabeth, Lisa, Amanda, and her teen helper Siena. Oh, and Callum. They're hanging out before VBS starts for the day....

Yesterday was a special day, as a woman from the church brought her llamas for the kids to see. They were "therapy llamas" (whatever that means). I wonder the severity of one's disease or disorder if their condition goes past that comforted by a mere therapy "dog," and must necessitate something larger. Like a llama. At any rate, Callum was NOT impressed. I kind of dont blame him. Kind of weird looking things. Plus, you can neither look them in the eye, nor touch their face. What the heck? How am I supposed to have therapy if I can't even look my therapist in the eye? I mean, there has to be a trust factor. Plus, when I am getting therapy, I really like to touch faces. It makes me feel better.
Did you know llamas are related to camels? And did you know that llama poop does not smell? Did you know that? Did you?
There will be more VBS pictures forthcoming as people forward them to us.

But this afternoon, we did something really neat: We went out to friends Dave and Muriel's house in Smithfield to visit and see chickens! Dave, as we have written about before, is our bike guy at Mathieu's cycle...AND he is our egg-man. That is how Callum associates him at any rate--"Dave....bikes and eggs..." We've been very lucky to become friends with such a great guy, and we've been talking about getting out to his house so Callum could see his chickens. Today was the day, and he had a blast. And so did we. Dave and Muriel are such interesting people; Muriel is an English professor at nearby Thomas college, and she is really into gardening. They built a trail through their woods, and we took a little walk (Callum LOVES getting into the woods). Then, we just hung out and had some delicious strawberries. Here are Dave and Callum assessing the chicken situation....
Chickens--unknown to me--actually have pretty rich personalities. And they make some really interesting noises....kind of beautiful noises actually. I was surprised. Dave has Buff Orfingtons, New Hampshire Reds, and a different breed I can't remember! haha....

Callum LOVES chickens. He kept asking to go into the little house Dave had built for them.
VBS ends tomorrow...but Amanda's vacation is just beginning!