Games..Must We?

Drill Here Drill Now

2008-06-15T04:07:07Z

I fully believe we as a society must consider our energy future and work to find an inexpensive, sustainable and clean energy for our future. Having said that I also believe we should not destroy our country in the mean time by preventing more oil exploration when prices and supply are climbing so fast. I fail to see how cutting us off at the knees does anything to help us afford and invest in the next generation of energy. China is allowed to drill for oil just sixty miles off our coast yet the democrats in congress (including Obama) continue to be against any further domestic exploration or drilling. How is that a solution to anything? The higher energy prices simply mean it is harder for everyone to do everything but it especially hurts the poorest people in our society. The very people the democrats claim they champion on a daily basis. Obviously that is just another campaign lie.

Opponents of drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (less than 30 aceres of it's 19 million would be used) tell us that there really isn't that much oil there anyway. An opinion yes and maybe one that is true. We won't know till we drill it. However these people are also opposed to drilling offshore of the coastal continental United States. Drilling offshore is the most environmentally friendly way to drill for oil. Not to mention most geologists tend to agree that there are giant oil reserves sitting offshore of the continental US. Enough to possibly solve our domestic problems for over 100 years. That would give us a great chance to develop that perfect future fuel. Congress is blocking this field of oil exploration. I honestly have no idea why. Perhaps it just makes too much sense. Perhaps it undermines the environmental lobby that has the democrats more in it's pocket then big oil does the republicans. Not sure on that one.

Even so I think one very good reason to do more domestic exploration has a lot to do with really making sure that future fuel is the best it can be. If it can be developed over a long period there is time for science to really work it's magic. If it is developed quickly it will be with haste and most likely not be the future fuel we really need. I have great hope for hydrogen but honestly science needs more time on it.

The reason why I am telling you all this is because a friend of mine (a democrat ironcally) sent me a petition to sign that will be sent to congress urging them to allow more domestic drilling as soon as possible. Our economy and our people need it. Please consider this petition.

Drill Here Drill Now

The Money Five

2008-06-14T03:08:59Z

As some of you may know I am a huge Dave Ramsey fan. www.daveramsey.com Dave stresses debt repayment and saving. These questions were inspired by him.

1. What are your thoughts on the use of credit cards?

I highly dislike using credit cards and as soon as a small balance on a card I have now is taken care of I am done with them for good. Not only is it the most expensive way to spend money when you can't afford something but I think the credit card companies are a bit too blood thirsty for me. I just don't want to do business with people like that anymore. The only card I have left had a 9.9% rate on it and the increased it to 19.9 sometime in the last year. I called them and they assured me it wasn't due to any problems but they just increased a lot of rates. I decided then I was done forever.

2. When it is time to get a new car will you buy new, used or lease and why?

I will buy used as I have always done. In my opinion buying new cars is wasting money because they depreciate so quickly. A lease is the most expensive way to purchase a car because you gain nothing for your payment that is concrete. It is like renting instead of buying. Even though cars depreciate at least when the payment book is gone (if you did that) then you still have a car. With a lease when the term is up you have nothing. Not to mention the milage restrictions. Car companies lease because it is a really good deal for them not you. I once considered a car lease and Mike Genova's dad quickly talked me out of it and he was the salesman! What a great guy!

3. Tell us something major in your life you saved up for and if you had to do it again would you save up for it or do it differently?

When I was younger and foolish I used to like to buy stereo gear on credit. If I could only go back and slap myself. One time I decided to save up for the next piece I wanted. I got a little boost with some birthday money to start it and instead of just putting it on the ole GECAF card I paid cash. It felt good to know I would have zero payments to think about in the future. I now do everything that way. I have paid off a few credit cards in my life. They pay off much harder than saving the same money. Our society is obsessed with instant gratification and easy money. Debt is never the answer. I will say it again that debt is NEVER the answer. I know there is someone who will read this that needs to hear that. A statistic that I find facinating is that during the great depression something like 2% of the houses owned were purchased by borrowing. Everyone saved up! These days only 2% if the houses that are owned are paid for with cash. They are all mortgaged.

4. If you had to watch your pennies a lot tell us one guilty pleasure you would not curb spending on?

Probably netflix. I get so much enjoyment out of the movies I have been watching. It also isn't a bad deal really. Of course I say this as I am flipping through the new Griots Garage book with tons of new stuff in it. Help me!

5. What do you think your retirement will look like financially and will you be ready?

I think if most people were honest they would say they could be doing better and I am no exception. I am working Dave's plan right now though and hope to turn that around but honestly you can never make up for lost time. There is a savings tool called compounding interest that is very powerful. Many people don't realize that if they were to save $100 a week from their pay between the ages of 18 and 28 they could stop saving and the interest alone would give them enough to retire on. Interest plus time equals rich and it doesn't take much to start. Why didn't anyone tell me?

A recent 5

2008-06-11T03:42:06Z

This week I decided to get my questions from the WWW. I typed
"getting to know you questions" into google & picked my five favorites.

1. Is it easier to forgive or forget?

Forget. Forgiving is hard which is why the Lord wants us to forgive.
Well also because it is the right thing to do. I have also found out it
is really hard to forgive sometimes even when you want to. That is to say
that people don't want to accept your forgiveness. It happens very sad to
say.

2. If, like the characters in the Wizard of Oz, you could choose a
Heart, Courage, or a Brain--which would you take?

Good question. A heart makes you love but without brains you may be
constantly heartbroken. Courage without a brain or a heart might get you
killed or make you hurt others. A brain without a heart might make you
mean but without courage might at least keep you safe. I guess I would
have to say brain. I might not have courage or a heart but at least I
would know why.

3. Have you ever wanted to change your first name? If so, to what?

To "Scotch" but not in the sense of the drink. Just as a nick name. One
of my alter egos is Scotch Martine (pronounced marteen). He is basically
like Charlton Heston in "Touch of Evil" only I see him as Brazilian. He
would be very much of the 50s or 60s Bossa Nova generation. Oh and in that photo he is on the right and he is playing a Mexican police officlal. For those who are interested the charachter on the right is a corrupt American sheriff in the film which takes place in a border area. The sheiff is played by Orson Welles.

4. Which insect would you choose to eliminate from the world?

Mosquitoes. Wow that was easy.

5. If you discovered you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do for
the rest of today?

Say good bye to loved ones, say any apologies I needed to and just make
things right with anyone I think I might have ever wronged. I try to do
that anyway but I would double check and things like that. Most
importantly I would spend time just praying and being very close to the
Lord. I would probably do the latter the most.

Weekend Update

2008-06-09T14:19:55Z

Friday was fairly uneventful. I slept that evening mostly. I had not slept well nearly all week and was really tired. Janine went to Camden Hills state park to take a walk. She likes to walk and hike a lot and even though I go with her a lot she also heads off by herself too. She had a wonderful time and discovered a mini waterfall from rain runoff on the beach.

Saturday I had to work in the morning and that went fine. In the afternoon Janine had some important paperwork to do so I left her alone at her desk for a few hours while I completed my latest Netflix film. It was The Hill with Sean Connery. It was a film directed by Sidney Lumet who is one of my favorite directors. He has several movies from the 60s and 70s not yet out on DVD so as they come out I am watching them. Prince of the City is next. That one is early 80s. So I finished that movie and was very tired so I took a short nap. I know another nap! Believe me I really didn't sleep well last week. After that I got up and she had finished her paperwork so we decided to salvage the day with a little adventure. We first went to Beth's Farm stand and got some strawberries. They were wonderful. I wish I had gotten about 4 times as many. We drove down the road with strawberry stained hands eating away. Ahhh summer. We ended up going to Reid State Park. I must admit I live in Maine and I had never been there. It was really nice but it was very foggy and we couldn't see out to sea at all. Even so the surf was great and we walked mile beach up and back. Hearing the surf on the beach was really amazing. It would sometimes make a certain noise where it would almost muffle all other sound. It was pretty incredible. It was nearly 8pm when we left but of course it was still light. So we headed back home and stopped at Red's Eats. I had a steak sandwich and Janine had a lobster roll. She claims it was the best lobster roll she had ever had. I dare say the steak sandwich was wonderful and it had an entire piece of steak in it! Not chopped up at all. Just a piece of very tender steak between two hamburger rolls with fresh onions. It was one of my most unique and wonderful steak sandwiches. I must admit the food was a bit pricey but wow it was good. It wasn't even very pricey. Just a bit. Mostly it was the lobster roll. At 9pm they had plenty of business which was kind of surprising. I wish we had a food stand in Rockland that stayed open late like that.

Sunday we missed church which wasn't good but I woke up feeling kinda grumpy and kinda achy and just not in the right frame of mind at all. I know the very reason I should have gone. Janine was also very tired. I normally dress up to go to church but I am starting to consider going more casually. Summer is hot for sure but I also wonder if dressing up might feel intimidating to people who might visit church. They might feel they have to dress up and as such won't come. I don't want to do that to anyone. I am mulling that over. Sunday afternoon we went canoeing at a friends house. It was a beautiful day to be on the lake but it did get pretty windy and the paddle back was a workout. We then just sat on the dock and enjoyed the sun and the warm breeze. It was a nice day. After that we met my sister to go see the new Indiana Jones film. I won't talk about the film unless asked because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. For dinner we stopped at Captain's Fresh Idea in Waldoboro which is a family favorite. The food was great as always. A pretty full weekend really and a great time. I was glad to get the excercise. If I am not careful I might lose some weight!

My five

2008-05-09T21:47:50Z

1. What is your personal policy regarding locking your car?

I always lock my car no matter where I am or what I am doing. I kind of go with the locks keep people honest policy. Not to mention I live in a town where people traditionally don't lock their cars and then are surprised when things get stolen. Maybe I am being a jerk about it but I guess I kinda feel like a jerk right now. Rough week.

2. If you had to do it all again would you choose the same career path?

I think I would have finished my architecture degree and gotten into doing that kind of thing. I am still very interested and facinated with it so I know it was the right choice back then. I got burned out on school and had a professer pull a dirty stunt on me right as I got to the end. I also got a full time job offer that looked great. I took the bait. That isn't to say I don't love my current career. I do actually. I just still feel design is my love. Maybe it is better that way.

3. What is something you hope to do this summer?

I really want to explore the entire coast of Maine. There are tons of peninsulas I have never gone down and I want to see them all. I have already started this with Janine.

4. Tell us something you are thankful for right now.

It may sound sappy but I am thankful for Janine. She is there for me all the time and I love her.

5. Tell us of a book, movie, tv show, webisode, author, CD, musician,
comedian or any form of entertainment you have been digging lately.

When I came up with this question it was Yacht Rock which is a you tube thing that Paddy turned me on to. Now it is some old 70s vinyl I have on the table right now.

Sue's Five

2008-05-09T21:38:20Z

Would You Rather:
1. Sleep each night with 2 harmless bats in your bedroom OR Always have 5 pigeons hanging out in your bathroom?

The bats are fine by me. I am not afraid of bats.

2. Sleep on the sidewalk for a week straight in normal weather OR Sleep for 1 night on the sidewalk in the pouring rain?

A night in the rain for sure. At least then I could say I did it.

3. Never be able to smile OR Never be able to dream when you sleep?

Never dream. Who can remember them anyway.

4. Not be able to read OR Not be able to talk?

I think not be able to read. I think.

5. Bang your funny bone 5 times in a row OR Listen for 20 minutes to someone scraping their nails down a chalkboard?

The chaulk board. It really doesn't bug me that much.

The Restaurant Five

2008-04-12T15:38:01Z

Lisa Says

This week’s five is a little different…I’d like you to pick five restaurants that you have never been to before. Go to their online menu, and tell me what you would order. I know. I always have food on the brain!

I have traveled quite a bit in the last year. I saw many places I wanted to try so I decided to choose a few from there and a few places I have heard of that I wanted to try.

Olga's Kitchen
In Detroit they have these restaurants called "Coney Islands". They are mostly privately owned places and they serve hot dogs but also greek food. Detroit has a huge greek and arab population. So you see all these places like "Sue's Coney Island, Adrian's Coney Island" etc... From that a small chain has sprung up that is doing a sort of new American/Greek combo cuisine. That is Olga's. I know all this because it is one of Janine's favorite places but I have never been there. Honestly the fajita really appeals to me right now. It is marinated chicken grilled with green peppers, onions and topped with cheddar, lettuce and tomatoes. What makes it unique is the olgasauce they give you with it. Something greek I am sure.

In-N-Out Burger
I have this huge craving lately for a tasty burger. It seems like that is all I want when I go out to eat. Give me a huge burger. I was in Augusta recently and wanted to go to Red Robin so badly just to feed this craving. We ended up at Ruby Tuesday where I had a delicious triple prime burger with cheddar. So the whole In-N-Out burger really appeals to me right now. Their food looks delicious. It is just simple high quality food. I like that. I ate at a place called Culvers in western Michigan almost a year ago now. It was a similar kind of place. They have butter burgers and frozen custard. It is like semi fast food. You order at a counter just like McDonalds but they bring it to your table. So far Culvers is the best chain burger joint I have ever been to. Everything there was so delicious. Bad for you yes but hey I am not doing it every day. I would get the cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake at In-N-Out. Their menu is very small. Just three burgers, fries and that is kinda it. A few more things about this chain. They do everything with fresh high quality beef and ingredients. That is what makes them different. When I was at the Culvers restaurant in Michigan the owner was sitting in the dining room and he came over and talked to us for quite a while. He wanted to know how things were etc.. Apparently that location had just opened. He said chains like this are avoiding New England because it has proven to be a bad market for this kind of food. I find that hard to believe when you look around Maine but oh well. He also said that Culvers has gone head to head with In-N-Out Burger in a few locations out west and that In-N-Out burger is killing the Culvers where they are close by. I am sure Amy can tell you how busy they are as she is lucky enough to live near one.

Plaza III The Kansas City Steakhouse
Yes I have been to Kansas City in the last year but this place is in Boston.
I have walked by this place many times and even tried to talk Genova into it one time when we were there. He just wouldn't do it which is one of the very few times he ever disagreed I might add. I would start off with the Oysters Rockefeller and then just get a Plaza III garden salad if I wanted one. I would get the prime porterhouse.

This is the part where I realize that in the last year I have tried almost every restaurant I have been wanting to try. hmmm There are places I have been that I want to go back to or have only been to once. Places like Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Chipotle, Bob Evans, Cracker barrel, Famous Daves, BGs Mongolian Grill, Sonic, Tony Romas, Steak n Shake, Leaning tower of Pizza etc..

Ok this one is just to finish this thing off.

Another big restaurant in Michigan is Big Boy Restaurants.
This time I will steer clear of the burgers and get the Club Sandwich. Slice turkey breast with bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayo stacked on toasted bread. Yum

Ok for the last selection I am back in the game. I have passed this place seemingly hundreds of times and never stopped in. Next time I go to Boston and I have a little extra dough I am going.
Abe and Louies
I start with the french onion soup and then I get the beef steak tomatos with blue cheese and vidalia onions.
Next is the entree which is the bone in filet mignon with a portabello demi-glace. As a side I would get the carmelized vidalia onions.
For dessert I would get the New York Cheesecake and then a gun to shoot myself.

Amy's 5x2=10

2008-04-12T13:50:42Z

What is your favorite word?

I don't really think I have a favorite word so much as I like to make up words. I love to combine words together so that the noun and the adjective tells all the story. It doesn't always work smoothly but I still have fun doing it in my mind. I sometimes do it out loud.

What is your least favorite word?
Probably "bill" as in you owe me something

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

A good nap or nights sleep. I can wake up feeling so refreshed it is like a natural high.

What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

People who don't listen.

What sound or noise do you love?

A great exhaust note. Preferably something european and performance.

What sound or noise do you hate?

Crying kids in restaurants with parents who do nothing about it.

What is your favorite curse word?

I don't really have any however I hate it when someone who is supposed to be very professional uses the f-word.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Commodities broker

What profession would you not like to do?

Roofer

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Well done and welcome. We have a place for you.

Paddy's All About Jobs 5

2008-04-01T22:33:50Z

Since this issue has been on my mind as of late, here is a 5 about
jobs and careers (Billy wanted it to be about funk tunes, but this is
cathartic, so bear with me):

1) Think back now. What was your first REAL job ... you know, one that
you had a W-2 from at the end of the year. Tell us about it:

That woudl be a dishwasher at the Black Pearl restaurant. I got the job because my sister worked there as a hostess. It was a decent enough job for a kid but I recall I didn't work there that long because I got a chance to go to McDonalds so I finished my summer job there. McDonalds paid more and they were air conditioned. The month or so I worked at the Black Pearl we had a heat wave. Work in a small kitchen during a heat wave with a steam making dish washer, heat lamps and an oven and I can tell you I sweat about a gallon an hour. They encouraged us to drink water or soda but then didn't like it when we stopped working. It was also the kind of place where you worked your shift which was the lunch shift for me and then they would call you back into work every night. I hated it. I was so glad to leave.

2) Everybody has had a favorite job, perhaps one that they are still
in. What was yours?

I used to do caretaking down in Owls Head for several summer homes. These were summer homes that were far nicer than most people's regular homes. One of them had tennis courts and a heated swimming pool next to the ocean. That one had a lawn that took 6 hours to mow on a huge three blade ride on mower. I think that was my favorite job. They owners were never there and I had the place to myself. I just did whatever I wanted to do. If I saw something that needed fixing I did it. If I wanted to plant a garden or flowers somewhere I did it and they paid for it. They just liked to see it taken care of. I had full use of the house all the time for whatever I wanted. I had a few partys there over the years and it was a great place to take a girlfriend to get away from everyone. I used to love mowing the lawn. I would ride the mower and look at the ocean while listening to the radio though my headphones. I had hearing protectors with sound in them. It was a great job. I even got to know the neigbors. It was my house in a way and I got paid to work there. I worked when I wanted and left when I wanted. How do you beat it.

3) Remember that job that you thought would be great ... that wasn't?
Tell us about your biggest career-related error in judgment:

I think that would be Comlabs. I left a part time job of 8 years getting paid very well for the day and I had full health insurance. I was in college and they would work around my schedule at school. I had some college left but I left that job to take a full time job and never ended up retuning to finish that degree. It derailed my entire career choice and path. A really stupid decision. The worst part is that the owner/boss was a huge jerk and after being there not even three months the whole place started imploding. He fired a bunch of people and laid off the people that were working with me. I was left to do almost nothing but had to look busy in front of the boss. Eventually he laid me off to and I was happy to get a few weeks severence and get out of there. I will say he did take the time to sit down with me and tell me that it wasn't my fault and that he would help me find new work if he could. So I wasn't fired but the company structure just changed very fast.

4) What is more important to you in your career choice: Money or
Satisfaction? Or both ... or something else? Explain:

A little of both. One of the reasons I never worked at MBNA is because of the satisfaction part. The money would be great but who wants to live with the stress. I think you need to strike a balance.

5) OK, it's dream job time. For the sake of this exercise, we'll
assume that you can at least make a comfortable living wage from the
work ... regardless of its nature. So, what is it that you would
choose to do, day in, day out, to earn your daily bread?

I think a job where the work was interesting and it wasn't overly stressful would be fine. Some days I would love to have one of those big city jobs where I could have tons of great lunch choices nearby and time to head to the gym during the work day. Maybe that is just on tv. Then other days I think I would love to do something like run large equipment. I guess my dream job just has to have certain elements to be my dream job. It doesn't have to be anything in particluar. Ideally I would love to be a real estate developer and own my own company. I think the idea of developing projects that really help others would be great. Then again I would like working in ministry too. hehe

The Holy Week 5 (a little late)

2008-04-01T21:59:44Z

Holy Week MI-5

This week is the week many Christians refer to as "Holy Week." Here are five questions inspired by the week. Well, inspired in a low-brow way!

1) Palm Sunday. On this day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt--one that had never been ridden before. What's the most unusual form of transport you've ever been on? Fighter jet? Submarine? Dog sled?

Ironically it happened in the last year. I was changing planes through Dulles airport and got a chance to ride in a Mobile Lounge. This is a system of boarding and deboarding people from airplanes that was used at some airports before the jetway. In my case it wasn't used to get on or off a plane but instead it was used to ferry people from one terminal to another. I recall it could be driven from either end and it was similar to a subway car. Dulles was using these for this purpose because about 80% of the airport is under construction and they have no way to get between some terminals. So you take this thing across a jet taxiway to the other terminal. It is almost like a ferry boat across a small river. It isn't far across at all. They are going to be all retired soon so I am glad I got a chance to ride in a piece of history.

2) Maundy Thursday. On Thursday of Holy Week, Christ and His disciples ate the Last Supper. What would you want to eat for your final meal?

Steak is probably my favorite food so probably a really high quality steak. We are talking dry aged and all that. I had a meal at Ruth's Chris steak house once that woud due quite nicely.

3) Good Friday. Christ is crucified. What's the most excruciating physical pain you've endured? (And just so we can get some cool/interesting answers, ladies please eliminate child birth. We know that hurts wicked!)

It is a tie between when they set my broken leg in the hospital and right after the surgery to put the rod in my leg. The leg set was bad enough that I actually yelled in pain. I couldn't help it. It hurt badly but I told the doctor to just do whatever he had to do. It took him like 4 tries too. The post operation pain was just horrible. It went on for hours unlike the leg setting pain that was intense and fast. I recall begging the nurse for meds. They couldn't give me anything till the anesesia from the operation wore off. If I had a gun I would have shot myself. It was that bad.

4) Holy Saturday. It's sometimes observed with silence. Can you think of something significant to share dealing with silence?

Now that I am older I think it is interesting how much I appreciate silence. I work much better in quiet areas. I relax better in quiet. I just really like silence. I sleep better with white noise though.

5) Easter Sunday. The Lord is raised from the dead. Even many non-religious people celebrate Easter in some fashion. Do you have a family tradition on Easter? A dinner? An egg roll (the rolling of eggs on a lawn, not a noodle rolled around napa and bok choy!)? If you're Jewish and playing along, how about a Passover family tradition?

Church is a tradition but a newer one. Then a spiral cut ham for easter dinner which was hold for our middle meal and not our evening meal.

The Comforts of Home Five

2008-03-14T21:46:11Z

A benefactor wishes to set up a “get away” apartment for you. This is just a small place for you to escape to when the “going gets rough” and you just need some time away for yourself. He wants to know what things he can put in it that would really make it feel like “home” for you. He obviously cannot just go out and buy “people” or “sentimental” things (so don’t pick those kind of items, no matter how much you might want them), but he really wants to make the place special for you. What can he buy for you with relative ease?

Name one big ticket item;
A hi def TV

Name two authors whose complete works you would like to see in the library;
Agatha Christie and P.G Wodehouse. Both of them wrote a pile of books so that should keep me occupied for a long time. Not to mention they are great authors.

Name three musical artists whose complete works you would like to see loaded into the mp3 player;
Well number one I would rather have them on vinyl. That being said I would choose Steely Dan, Miles Davis and Weather Report. At least that is my choice right at this moment. Give me a day and I might choose a little differently.

Name four things you would like to see in the food pantry and/or refrigerator;
Diet coke, good beef jerky, good in the shell peanuts and chocolate ice cream. Nothing fancy. Just good normal food.

Name five other things.
I am guessing this means anything. Ok well a butter soft leather chair, a home theater, some nice artwork, a memory foam bed for naps and a small kitchennette for making a small meal or having guests.

Interesting Article

2008-03-14T21:36:09Z

My few readers know I am a man made global warming skeptic. I found this article to be rather interesting.

Weather Channel Founder: Sue Al Gore fore Fraud

My moving adventure

2008-03-07T23:03:27Z

A few weeks ago I helped my fiance Janine moved from Detroit (area) to Maine. It was quite an experience.

That saturday morning I flew out to Michigan from Owls Head. My first time
doing that. Flying out of OH that is. I had to switch planes there and
then switch again in NYC at LaGuardia. It was also my first time on a prop airplane like that. The security at OH took forever! Not exactly sure why they felt the need to take so long but I almost missed the flight. The door closed and the airline manager had to run out and ask them to open it up for me. They were leaving!

So the trip from OH was fine and we landed in Boston. I made it to my
next gate with time to spare a stop to get some breakfast to take on the plane. It was a beautiful huge USAir plane. I
guess it is a shuttle to NYC that goes every hour. Before we could take
off they had to deice the plane. They didn't even start that till the
plane was full of people and they took an hour to do that. Mind you I had
to change in NYC again and only had an hour and a half on that end. So we
took off an hour late. We got into NYC and I found out I had to go to
another terminal to catch my next flight. This required me to leave the
security area and go through security again. How fun. I made my Detroit
plane by about 1 min and I had to run to do it. In the security line at
LaGuardia I saw Richard Anderson the owner of Village Soup. I spoke to
him for a moment. That was interesting to say the least. We literally had time to say hi and move on.

I got into Detroit and we went to eat with some of her friends at Bob
Evans farm restaurant. They are from Ohio and are very big in the midwest. They are pretty good. I had a great three cheese omelet with hash browns. We had to leave there to meet some people at her house who were
going to help move stuff. So we started loading the uhaul trailer. Lots
of help showed up and we got what we thought was 95% of it. The next day
we finished up but it took a lot of the day to do it. I was in so much
pain at that point. Due to my foot I have been very inactive lately so all of a sudden being very active and doing a lot of bad lifting wasn't kind to the ole body. So Sunday
night we left and drove to Erie, PA before stopping for the night. The
next day we got going a little late but we got in late. So we were on the
road at 10am. We drove all day till we got to Kennebunk, ME and we
decided we got ahead of the snow enough and stopped for the night. The
next day we went the rest of the way and unloaded and returned the uhaul.
Jason was very generous and allowed me some space at his garage. The
pastor also came and helped unload as well as a friend of the family. Two days of loading and packing c combined with about 16 hours of car time and then an unload on this end were pretty tiring but we made it just fine. We had a nice meal at Cody's that night.

I forgot to mention her dad actually pulled the uhaul trailer behind his
vehicle that he also had filled up with stuff. We went in her car which
was filled with stuff. We just went along and stopped about every two
hours for gas and food if need be. Her father's vehicle took a lot of gas
towing that trailer. He has a 2008 Ford Taurus X which is like a
crossover vehicle. He stayed a few days here and my family loved having him. A very
nice guy. My dad wanted him to stay longer actually. He drove back
by himself. He was fine doing that. He likes driving so he didn't mind.

Coming out we decided to avoid Canada even though that was the most direct route. We figured hauling a uhaul they could make it very hard for us if they wanted. So we went down through Ohio which only added an hour to the total journey. Her dad went through Canada going back and had to wait an hour just to get through customs so we really didn't lose anything. The Detroit/Windsor border corssing is very busy as well as the Niagra Falls crossing. I think one of those is the busiest and second busiest or something like that.

It was pretty interesting to drive through some cities I had never driven through before like Cleavland and Buffalo. Cleavland was intersting and Buffalo was really ugly. Albany was dissapointing and the traffic there was really bad. I know we will be making that drive a lot to see family and one of the nice things about it is that there are about 6 good roads and routes to take. I look forward to seeing them all.

Aunt Ginny's retirement 5

2008-03-07T22:30:06Z

In 25 days I will be retiring from the best job I ever had. Naturally, it is on my mind quite a bit! Even if you don't work for pay full time right now, What do you think it will be like?

1. At what age do you see yourself retiring?

Not really sure. I think instead of a traditional retirement I may just retire and work at a different job or go to part time when I get old enough. I guess I won't know till I get there.

2. Are you actively planning for that now? How?

Yes I am. I have had investment accounts since I was 20 and I have worked with a Certified Financial Planner since then. I did that as a personal decision and it wasn't anything anyone encouraged me to do. I guess I had just heard things. I am now coupling that strategy with Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace" program. It is really just a set of ideas about how to handle money that stresses debt elimination fast and up front. It is a great plan and Janine is also on board with it. I hope to to be debt free at an age much younger than most people. I am working on it!

3. Do you think that you will "come out of retirement" at least once? To do what?

No idea really. I may if I get bored. I know I want to only work a few days a week if I do that. I think staying active is important though. Too many people I know retire and die. It is the ones that stay active that get to enjoy their retirement.

4. Will you have a career after retirement? Paid? volunteer?

I know I want to be active in my church and that is volunteer but I would do a paid job at the church too if asked. I have always thought that if I ever became financially independant and didn't have to work I would dedicate a lot of time to doing things at the church.

5. Will you just take one last look around, close the door behind you, and keep walking? Or, will it be a slower, more gradual, more thoughtful process?

I guess it depends on where I retire from. If I had to retire today I would probably just cut down time and come back and visit if I left all together. I think it is important to always leave on a good note if you can and try to keep things positive you should.
--

The Moving out MI-5

2008-03-07T22:21:13Z

I recently helped move my fiance Janine from Michigan to Maine. That inspired this weeks 5.

1. How many times have you moved in your life?

Technically twice but actually never really. I always joke that when I was in the hospital that I moved for a few weeks. I have however helped many people move and when I was a kid my grandparents moved several times. I maintained a room and many things at their house so in a way it was like moving when they moved. I always helped and had stuff to pack.

2. What is the worst part of moving for you?

Lifting tons of boxes and heavy furniture. It is a back injury waiting to happen. I try very hard to lift properly but inevitably there is always that odd piece that is so hard to handle.

3. What are your thoughts on long car trips?

I enjoy them. I consider them an adventure. In this last trip I got to see lots of things I had never seen before. It would have been more fun if we could have stopped to see things but even as it was it was fun.

4. Tell us your preferred method of travel.

In the last few years I have done a lot of flying. I have to say that if you can get a cheap direct flight that is nice but if not then I think car is a way to do it. The convenience of flying has nearly dissappeared with all the regulations and all the waiting. I hate the waiting. I think the airlines need to seriously work on efficiency. Just because they want to be safe doesn't mean they can't be efficient. Somehow safety has been used as an excuse to make the process full of long delays and waiting.

I shall give an example. I recently flew from Owls Head, Maine to Detroit. To save money I flew through Boston, NYC (LaGuardia) and then on another airline to Detroit. That is how the ticket I bought went and honestly I saved a ton of money doing it. I almost didn't make it though. The OH to Boston trip was fine but the Boston to NYC trip was delayed for deicing. They let a plane sit there all day and gather 8 inches of snow on the plane during a storm. When did they choose to deice? At take off time. So instead of having the plane ready to go they took an hour to deice it and make us all late. Why? It is stuff like this that makes me not want to fly. When I got to LaGuardia I had to leave terminals and go through security again to get to my other plane. What a pain! I made my flight by only a few mins. Oh and I saw Richard Anderson from Villagesoup at LaGuardia but didn't have time to talk to him.

5. Has a friend ever come through for you in a way that surprised you?

Yes they did. Many friends came through for me and Janine both during this move . People helped load and unload the trailer and saved me a lot of work. It was still a lot of work but looking back I now realize I coudlnt' have done it alone the way I had intended. Who knew a 6x12 foot trailer would hold about 1000 boxes. My back was shot when we were done and we had help with most of it! Thanks to everyone who helped. You were all angels in my book.

How stupid TV has gotten

2008-01-22T02:10:36Z

I am so glad I don't watch American Idol after reading this. Personally I think it is a stupid show and the few times I have clicked on it by accident I nearly hurt my thumb hitting the button to get off it. Looks like a good choice to me.

‘American Idol’ Virgin Fires Back at Seacrest

week wrap up

2008-01-07T02:01:19Z

I know I know finally a post from me. Enjoy!

As many of you know my girlfriend Janine came to visit for a week and I wanted to recap that not only for all of you but for myself too so that I can remember what we did in the future. This is after all a journal.

Saturday the 29th I got up and drove to Portland to pick up Janine. Her flight came in late morning and it was on time. She had a record three suitcases. A weeks stay and Christmas presents add up. After the airport we went to Chili's for lunch. After that we went to see Portland Head Light. It was a nice warm day and a nice day to visit the light. The waves were really crashing on the shore. From there we went to Freeport and LLBeans. I was taking Janine because she had never been but so much has changed there recently it was quite a visit for me too. They had free horse drawn carriage rides so we did that and also did some shopping at Beans. I should also mention we stopped at the visitor info center in Yarmouth across from DeLorme to check on places to go on a sleigh ride. It is really hard to find that. I have never been on one and Janine really wanted to go on one so I wanted to take her. The only places that seemed to have them were by the western ski areas or down in southern Maine by Kennebunkport. Seems to me like our local ski area should do something like that if the can. Just seems like here in Maine that is something people should be able to do easily without having to drive over two hours to do it. That evening we stopped at Target on the way home to get a few little things and continued on toward home. When we got home Janine needed to wrap some Christmas gifts. She was afraid the wrapped gifts would get opened by security so she didn't wrap them. Later we had a wonderful Christmas with my family and then later on a private and even more wonderful Christmas together. She got me a digital picture frame and some very cool things made from stones. She also got me a beautiful crystal rock thing I can't really describe. It is really nice though and I love it. She also got me a mug from Colorado on her recent trip and a copy of Aja on vinyl. That is an album by Steely Dan. I love it. I got her earrings, a necklace, perfume, a memory card and some videos. She also got me some Jones soda! Oh yes I also got a her a rock that said Love on it.

Sunday the 30th was a church day. It was my last day as worship leader for a while so I did that and I wore my new suit. After that we grabbed some Tim Hortons and headed home. After church we took a nice nap and then in the evening we went to the store to get some food as well as went to Walmart to do a half hour walk. We walked around Walmart about six times. They must have thought we were crazy. I can't recall if we bought anything or not.

Monday the 31st I had to work but I met Janine for lunch at the Brass Compass with my parents. It was a nice lunch. When I got home from work we decided to go out to Cody's for dinner. It was a long wait to get seated so we called ahead and put our name on the list. We showed up about 15 mins early and had to wait nearly 45mins more just to get seated. The service was also very slow but we didn't complain. We just enjoyed each other's company. They seemed very busy and a lot of people had been waiting hours to be seated. During dinner I gave her a New Years ring. It was a Brazilian Fire Opal with white topaz set around it and the ring was white gold. She loved it. I had to tell her before I gave it to her it wasn't an engagement. I didn't want to upset her and it wasn't an engagement ring. I also would never have chosen Cody's to pop the question so to speak. That night we stayed up to watch the ball drop. It was nice to have someone to kiss for the new year for a change. During the day Janine rested and helped my family take down the tree and get all cleaned up. A task they were very grateful for and are still talking about.

Tuesday the 1st we slept late. Hey we didn't go to bed till 2am. We went for a ride but by the time we got going it was snowing again which really cut it short. Even so we took a nice ride. We did go take some photos around the area of snow and also where we had our New Year's dinner. That evening we watched the movie Office Space. I wanted to show that to Janine because she works in an office similar to the one in the movie and I thought she would find it funny. She did.

Wednesday the 2nd we decided to go for a ride. It has snowed a lot the night befor so digging out the car was quite a task. I had evisioned driving to Augusta and then across 95 toward Bangor and then home stopping a few places along the way. I know the highway is very scenic on that route most of the way so I thought it would be fun. As I drove up 17 toward Augusta most of the traffic was moving about 25mph and I decided that would not be a fun time. So I cut across 90 thinking that Route 1 might be moving better and my hunch was right. 17 had snow on it outside of Rockland but Route 1 was totally clear and even dry in many spots. So Augusta got scratched and it was a Bangor day. We stopped and hand lunch at Just Barb's restaurant in Stockton Springs. I had some returns to do in Bangor so I took care of those. First Target and then the mall. We decided to walk the mall for excercise and it wasn't long before we realized that others were doing the same thing. I noticed that the Bangor Mall was looking great. Lots of new or remodeled stores that had relocated with their remodels. A few stores I had never even heard of before. I had my boots on so I wasn't able to easily keep up with Janine and even let her do the last lap by herself. When we finished we went to Orange Julius. Why there? Well I had never had one and Janine said she remembered them from her childhood so we decided to do it. It was pretty good. I would like to try the other flavors sometime. We got home fairly late and called it a day.

Thursday the 3rd was a good day but filled with errands and things like this. We had another lunch at the Brass Compass so Janine could have her third plate of fish and chips since she had come to Maine. As we had a few days previously we stopped at the Snow Marine Park in Rockland by the ocean. Janine loves the ocean so I took her there each day because she loves that spot. It is also the spot where we had lunch this summer so it holds some nice memories. When the day was over we went to the Batty House for a wonderful chicken dinner. It was nice to see Sue, Julia and the boys. The boys have grown so much. Sue's cooking was as good as it gets and Janine and I both agreed it was delicious and a very nice invitation. Thanks very much to Bill and Sue for that invitation.

Friday was another day around town. We did some errands we had to do and I also got another prescription for my bad tooth till the doc can see me. It really started hurting at the Batty's the night before. Not anything they served. It started to hurt before we even ate. That evening we decided to finish a movie we had started when she was here this summer. The movie was the original verison of Sabrina with Humphrey Bogart, William Holden and Audrey Hepburn. Ironically we were unable to finish it again due to being so tired. Ok I was tired. So once again the movie was stopped half way through. Oh a few more details I should mention about this day. We ate lunch with Troy and he treated us. Thanks Troy! It was a nice time and we also tried to go to Birch Point Beach but I didn't realize it was closed in winter time. Oh well. So after that we went to Janine's favorite spot just at sunset. The sky was starting to give a pretty pink/orange hue and the water was calm. Nearby some ducks swam around in the cold winter ocean. It was there I decided enough time had passed and it was time to ask Janine to marry me. With a huge hug she said yes she would. We were engaged on Friday January 4th about 4:30 in the afternoon. I gave her her ring when we got home. That night we were having a ham dinner with my family. So during dinner we told my family and they were very happy. They love Janine a lot. Janine called her mom to tell her and my dad talked to her mom too. This was the first time my parents had talked to her parents at all. We had a very special evening.

Saturday the 5th we decided it should be a Wasses hot dog lunch. They did smell delicious the other day when we ate lunch with Troy a the Brown Bag. So we got those and got some fries too. I had no idea they were doing fries now! They were good too. So we brought that home and then went downtown to visit Johnathans and see if he would size her rings. He sized the New Years ring but didn't want to attempt the engagement ring due to the setting. So we may have to have the place where I got it do it. We also stopped by the Harbor Beauty Bar to use Janine's gift certifercate from my sister. It was her Christmas gift. She got some nice things there and we also stopped at The Store to look around. That night we finished Sabrina and decided to watch a light hearted movie on our last night. So we watched Ma and Pa Kettle go to the Fair. Janine hadn't seen any of those so it was quite entertaining to her. It was a good choice for our last night when Janine was sad about having to leave the next day.

Sunday the 6th (today) we got up early and went to church where I taught. Our Sunday School class said some special prayers for us and it was very very nice. Pastor Branan was so happy and so was Marilynn for us. We had to leave after the Sunday School to get ready for the airport but I was told it was announced in church this morning and everyone applauded. My church family is so nice and I guess they are all pumping my parents for info which they have none of. Even so many people congradulated us and Janine got hugs from total strangers (to her). After church we had some special quiet time together before we had to leave for the airport. I was so sad to let her go. I really really really didn't want her to go but she had to. I just pray she will find a job and can be back soon. The goal is as soon as possible. We have been long distance since we first met in May and we are ready for that aspect of our lives to be over.

I feel so blessed to have had this week with her. It went far to quickly and as I sit here typing this I wish I could be reliving every moment of it all over again. She is truly the most special woman I have ever met and I love her. I thank everyone for all the prayers and well wishes. God Bless

My Hammy!

2007-11-09T17:19:23Z

One of my favorite things to eat is spiral cut ham with a nice sugar glaze of some sort. I could live on it if I had to and oh would the living be good. If I had to die by choking I hope it is on spiral cut ham. I just love the stuff. I only ever get it a few times a year because it is a big ham and it only happens at Easter and maybe one other time of year like Christmas.

Recently on my trip to Detroit to visit my love Janine on her birthday a spiral cut ham was served from a local meat company called Dearborne Ham. Wow was it good! It was so good I had to have it to eat a few times after the primary meal. They served it in a way I had heard of but never done myself personall. They just served it cold right out of the pack. No warming up or anything. Open and eat. Of course it is cured and as such it is safe to eat like that. I am not saying do that unless it says "fully cooked and ready to eat or serve" on it. Don't take my word for it. I just know the ones I have gotten have been like that. It was great to have it cold. It is much like how I enjoy it after the initial meal anyway. I had a delicious plate of it with Janine while enjoying game 3 of the world series out there in fact. What a great evening that was!

Since I have come home I myself have tried this serve cold technique. The good news is that I find I love this. The bad news is that I find I love this. I don't need to be eating a ham every week even though it tastes so good. So far I have gotten two. The first was a smaller sugardale ham. It was really good and it came with the packet of stuff you warm up on the stove and then glaze it with. Very tasty. It was also boneless or butt portion. The second one I tried was a cooks ham. This came with a glaze packet that was more like honey that you just wiped on the ham. It was also a much bigger ham and it was a shank portion so it had a bone. So far the cooks ham is the better one but sadly they only come in larger sizes. Even so it was the same price as the smaller sugardale ham. I also noticed there are several more kinds of spiral cut ham. The holidays mean they have lots of these. There is a carando I may try and then a hillshire farm too. We will see. I honestly should just stop here and not have any for a while. Let's see if I can!

The end of an era!

2007-11-08T23:07:37Z

As I was driving home today from work I couldn't help but flash back to all the good times we had and how much I will miss that. Outside of Jason himself, Art is the only person left with the company that was there the day I started. His last day today marks the end of an era for sure. One I knew would end someday but I wasn't sure I wanted it to end quite yet. Even so I feel blessed to have had so many good times with him. A good guy for sure.

You will be missed Art. Very much!

Here I sit

2007-11-04T13:55:03Z

I woke up this morning nearly two hours before my alarm even thought of going off. I made myself sleep till my alarm went off. I got up and got ready for church. The sun was shining nicely and all was well in the world. On my drive to church I was grooving to some great jazz as I often do. Somehow it sounds sweeter on the way to church. I drive by Bill's house and see both cars there. I think for a moment about that. (hmmm Bill must be staying home... I wonder if they are sick). Then I immediately notice my father's campaign sign still intact and that all of his I know of survived the big storm. By this time I am at the corner and Bill being home has passed my mind.

I arrive at the church to do a big "huh?". The parking lot is empty. Was Sunday School canceled or something and I didn't know it? Did I miss something being away last week? As I drove through the totally empty lot it dawned on me what happened. I forgot to set my watch back. I had seen something about it last week but nobody talked about it the way they normally do. So for the first time in my life I forgot to do it and got caught. So here I sit with nothing to do waiting for it to be late enough to go to church!

Crazy

2007-11-02T00:27:40Z

It doesn't get any more 80s than this video. I happen to love the song but the video is just so great. I say that in terms of a sort of 80s cheese and also reminding me of my childhood for some reason. I think it is just the culture presented in this video and remembering what it was like.

Chick Corea Electric Band - Electric City

wow

2007-11-02T00:25:29Z

I think for the first time ever I missed a whole month with no posts. Well maybe not never. Where I have I been? Well there is this girl from Michigan who takes up a lot of my time but that is ok because I love her very much and she is worth it.

I will try to do better. This is one of those huge post nights that Bill always talks about. =)

Amy's Random 5

2007-11-01T23:46:24Z

1. Do you like roller coasters? If you do what is your favorite part? If you don't? Why not?

I have never really been on a "real" one. I would like to try a tame one and see if I like it. I don't like the idea of the huge long lines though. It wouldn't be worth it to me no matter how good it was to wait an hour to do it.

2. What is your favorite traditional treat you find in a halloween bag?

Reeses or Almond Joy

3. When was the last time you went to the dentist? Was it routine or was something bothering you?

A few years ago to have a tooth fixed. I just can't afford the dentist all the time.

4. What was the last book you read that you would recommend?

Latley my answer when that question is asked is The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. We ask a lot of book questions here on the five.

5. What is the theme song to your life right now?

Blizzard of Lies by Dave Frishberg

Gina's Five

2007-11-01T22:30:48Z

1. Hectic and crazy are often how we describe our daily lives. If you had to pick the moment of each day that you felt the most serene, when would that be?

Probably when I am relaxing in my bed either in the morning or night.

2. What “habit” has been the most difficult for you to give up? Why do you think it’s been so difficult for you?

For me this is snacking and I haven't given it up yet. I have ups and downs. I think overall though this year I have done a lot better.

3. If you could relieve your spouse (friend, family member, significant other) of one burden in life, what you take away?

Soon Janine will move here and she will be away from her family. I wish there was some way they could all come with her so that aspect would be easier on her. Maybe in time I can get some of them to come here. ;)

4. If a psychic offered to tell you anything you wanted to know about your life, what is the thing you would least like to know?

I would least want to know if I did anything to really and deeply hurt anyone else. I am better off just not knowing because it would haunt me. I hate the idea of it even though I know that there are situations I know if in my past where I didn't know what else to do. I avoid it now better than I used to and I thank the Lord it hasn't happened much.

5. What has been the hardest transition you have had to make in life? And how did you do it – what helped?

I think the hardest for me is coming up in the next year with all the changes that are happening in my life.

Bonus Question – How about those Red Sox! Are you a true blue fan, loyal through the ups and downs? Or do you follow them only if they are in the World Series?

I am a fan of them but not a full time one. I don't watch all the games. Who has time?

Travel 5

2007-11-01T22:23:21Z

These are from Lisa

1. My sweetie and I are going to Bar Harbor on an overnight. If you were to plan a realistic overnight getaway for your sweetie or a best friend, what would it be? Where would you go? Where would you stay? Where would you eat? Any special activities?

This is an easy one. I think right now I would plan a trip to Boston with my Sweetie Janine. I would stay at the Nine Zero or one of the hotels at Prudential Center. I would plan a day of sightseeing and shopping along with a great dinner somewhere like the Kansas City Steakhouse or something like that. I would also plan to see a jazz show. I would eat a big steak and just plan to show Janine "my" Boston. The one I have enjoyed so many times before. I would also plan a stop at the cigar bar.

2. My family and I are going to Virginia for a long-weekend. If you were to plan a realistic long-weekend getaway for your immediate family, what would it be? Where would you go? Where would you stay? Where would you eat? Any special activities?

I would probably go to Michigan and introduce my parents to Janine's family. We could go see the Henry Ford Musuem and go to a few cool restaurants like Big Boy and Famous Dave's. I would also love to show them Somerset Collection and Frankenmuth, MI. The only special things I would eat are some ribs at Famous Dave's and a chicken dinner at Zender's in Frankenmuth. I would also go to Bronners in Frankenmuth which is the largest Christmas store in the world.

3. Have you ever read a novel set in an exotic locale? If so, tell us a little about it. Would you like to visit there?

This may sound silly but the only thing that comes to mind is Lord of the Flies. I would love to be stranded on a desert island as long as I had plenty of stuff to take care of me and there were no real dangers afoot.

4. When I go away, I really look forward to eating at restaurants that are not here where I live (Golden Corral, Sonic & Cracker Barrel). Are there similar restaurants that you like to frequent when you are away?

Krispy Kreme, Famous Dave's, Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans, Culvers, Bahama Breeze.

5. I have only been to one Broadway show (“Cats”), and I would like to go to another. However, it would consist of quite a bit of travel to get there. Since I probably won’t be attending anytime soon, tell me something about a Broadway show. Have you ever been to one? Have you heard about one that peaks your interest? Is there a Broadway show that has music of which you are particularly fond? Do you hate even the thought of Broadway? Why?

I have never been to one but it would be cool to go see one and just have that experience. I would think you could travel to Boston and see one and it wouldn't be too hard. Just an idea.