Behind the Curve

Shame on mom and dad for this one, but we are well behind the curve on our Halloween preparations. And it's two days away. Just last night, right before bedtime and at our daughter's insistence, we started putting some things together for their costumes, but we still haven't carved our pumpkins. I can't believe it. Then again, we have all day today (sort of) and tomorrow. Even still, it just seemed to come out of nowhere because it's been a busy and crazy two-three weeks, but when you try to get kids to see things your way and have some compassion and understanding, all that comes out of a parent's mouth is "Blah, Blah, Blah." Nothing, after all, replaces action.

So with this in mind, we have to get to work. The problem is today we have lots of stuff going on. We have a show at the Hop at Dartmouth, and then pottery later in the day, a makeup class. Of course, I have my real man training on the barn, but that's a subject for another blog. We also might need to make a stop at Joanne's Fabric, one of our favorite places. So many things, so little time.

We'll work on costumes today/tonight and tomorrow. I think we have plenty of time, because the best costumes are the ones you put together at the last minute (I'm not justifying here, am I?). And it's imperative that we make them rather than go out and buy something. That's just not acceptable.

As for pumpkins, we somehow just lost steam since our pumpkin garden crashed and burned. We literally got nothing, which is a bummer because not only did we get a bounty in past years, but nothing gets you pumped up and excited about the season more than picking your own pumpkins from your own patch, but such is life. We'll make do with some local ones that we both purchased and were given to us by our neighbors. For now, that's as good as it's going to get.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Paul Bodea / Freshot.com for the pic.

It's the Little Things in Life

The other day I picked up some mechanical pencils for the kids. The problem we've been having is that I can't seem to buy a decent pencil. Maybe I should go all out and buy the quality type, whatever that is. The issue we constantly run into is that every pencil we own, and we own plenty, is awful. The lead (our daughter is continually adept at reminding me that it isn't actually lead) always breaks, and not just the tip. This wouldn't be a problem, but it breaks off in large pieces well below the wood line. It's very frustrating.

So I decided to embrace technology and get mechanical pencils. Of course, I slaved away at which ones to get, because when you go to Staples, there are at least two dozen different kinds. The entire experience was not unlike choosing a breakfast cereal.

Either way, I went with the side-clicking variety, and the kids went bonkers over them. They love them, especially N, whom I know is just itching to take the thing apart to see how it works. Mark my word, it's going to happen, which is fine.

And best of all, something as small as a pencil made them eager and enthusiastic about doing their school work. Just goes to show you, it's the little things in life. Or was it, "the pen is mightier than the sword?" In this case, the pen is mightier than the pencil

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Zsuzsanna Kilián for the pic

The Visit

J&R and D&P, my in-laws, came over to visit for the weekend, on their own plane, no less. How cool is that? I think not having to deal with airports, which are enough of a deterrent to discourage even the most seasoned travelers, and not driving for two days will make it easier for visits to occur. It was really nice seeing them because there are huge gaps in time when we do, and everyone has a good time just hanging out.

And while a visit from the in-laws is cause for stress and anxiety, that doesn't reduce the fact that we love seeing them. In fact, I like seeing them more than my own family, and it seems like years since we've seen D&P (maybe because it has been years). After giving everyone a tour of the house and the multitude of projects that are in limbo and may never get finished, R and I settled into our routines of playing host and hostess, which in the end is really no different than what our daily life is like - I cook, she cleans. Tag team parenting, except this time with guests.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that entertaining adults is light years easier than watching over other people's children, which we've done. Often it entails more than one child, and the difficulty lies not so much in quotidian logistics like food and shelter, but from a neurotic parent's POV, entertaining them. Adults can find something to do, or in the absence of anything interesting, they can get in their cars and go find something to do. Kids don't have that luxury and therefore rely on whichever adult happens to be present, i.e., yours truly. It is at these times that you have your backup plans all lined up (crafts, cooking, Legos), which of course need to be enriching and educational or else incur the wrath of their parents (Asians live for approval), who I know don't care in the end, because they just grateful that they have a place to leave their kids while they deal with the rigors of daily life. You begin to realize why Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are so successful.

Anyway, we assumed our stations and went to work. I think the Martha Stewart in both us finds satisfaction in doing an adequate job, and our in-laws are always kind enough to give us the proverbial pat on the back to feed our need for external validation (did I mention Asians live for approval?).

It really was a wonderful weekend, our in-laws are very low maintenance and since it was only a couple of days, it was easy to sit around and relax and pretty much do nothing. However, there is so much to do and see around this area that a longer visit would be nice at some point, but we'll take what we can get for now. Unfortunately, the weather turned sour for most of Saturday, and that contributed to our holing up at home, which again, I don't mind, but for people on vacation, it can get monotonous. If we had cable, the guys could have sat around drinking beer and watching fishing programs on TV, but no such luck.

However, from the perspective of a real man in training, I benefited greatly from talking at length to P and B about various construction projects in progress. I got loads of amazingly good advice, and kudos to P in particular about his wealth of knowledge, which is fabulously extensive, if not unbelievable. The guy knows building. In fact, I felt like I was talking to PD (they have the same first name, go figure), our previous contractor, because they know and talk the same language. I kept thinking it would have been nice if P had stayed for about a week and helped me. He could build that barn with his eyes closed, though in true contractor fashion, his approach to equipment different from mine (though I'm learning). Like all real builders that I know, including PD and my Mentor, they believe in buying good equipment and getting quality for their money, while I use one guiding principle: buy cheap! It comes back to haunt me constantly and you'd think I'd have learned by now.

The weekend flew by like a whirlwind, and before we knew it, they had to leave, and early in Sunday morning, no less. While it was sad to see them go, it was nice knowing that they have a great way to travel and will hopefully go a long way to increasing the frequency of our time together. I think it will happen since the impetus lies with, as well.

AND, we got to go to the airport, which is always exciting, especially when your family are the ones flying the plane. Best of all, we got to get up close and personal with the aircraft, which is beautiful. P was great in letting the kids get close and even check out the cockpit, and everyone got a kick out of it. Takeoff was fun to watch, and we went crazy as it took off into the sky. I'm no expert, but I could detect a slight wave from P, the pilot.

Just as a sidenote, it was interesting being at the airport surrounded by all those corporate jets. In retrospect, we realized that it was homecoming weekend at Dartmouth, so all those CEOs were coming back to the alma mater in their favorite toys. We actually were there to see the passengers of the biggest of the jets (we were told they run about $30 million). It's hilarious because they roll out a little red carpet in front of the stairwell, and when the car showed up, they got to drive right onto the runway and up to the plane (we weren't allowed to do that!). What's crazy is that only two people got on, and the jet could have easily held 40 people. How's that for corporate excess? It makes you realize that nothing's changed in the world of corporate hubris and waste, but that's a discussion for another time.

In closing, just wanted to mention that R did a fabulous job of cleaning up the house, especially since she was riding solo, but she was working overtime, and she ended up catching a bit of cold by the end. We all chipped in to help, with me on meals, and the kids on "being-cute" duty, which they excel at. They also helped out around the house, making beds and cleaning up, so things were, at the very least, entertaining, if not a bit exhausting.

Now that they are gone, it's time to get back in the swing of things, which means I cook and she cleans and the kids just go about being kids. What else is new?

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

I Love Travel

The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.
Wm. Shakespeare, "Julius Caesar"









It has been brought to my attention that I've given the impression in my blog (thanks for reading, BTW!), that I hate traveling. At first, I thought, "No big deal," people can think what they want, it has no bearing on the reality of the situation.

And then, of course, my neurotic, anal-retentive, OCD self felt the need to achieve some clarification and set the record straight.

So, I'd like to clarify that I love to travel. The proof, in the end, is in the pudding. If I really hated traveling, we wouldn't travel like we do, though I have to confess, perhaps after reading my travel posts, a person could easily get this impression. Then again, after reading my parenting posts, they could get the impression that I hate parenting, and I won't even go there.

The reality is, traveling and parenting (at least certain approaches) are all about the challenges, but more importantly, having the wherewithal to accept the challenges, overcome them, and then learn and grow from the experience. That's why we choose to parent the "hard way." Sure, it isn't always fun and easy, and I have a tendency to moan and whine about it (an understatement if there ever was one), but in the end, that's what makes for better content, or at least more amusing stories.

Because in the end, nobody wants to hear about how great things are in your life. They tend to gravitate to the negatives and forget or ignore (or disdain) the positives. Just look at what sells newspapers and magazines. People don't want to hear about how great your vacation was or how much you love your life. They want to hear how miserable you are and how much you're suffering so they're glad they aren't in your shoes. Family is the exception to this rule, not including my mom or brother, of course.

And from a personal POV, you can't beat the thrill and exhiliration of operating out of your element, which is what travel, and parenting, for that matter, are all about. Let's face it, if you sequester yourself in the warmth and familiarity of your comfort zone, life is safe and easy, but it can just pass you by. Life is about taking a chance now and then, of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, coming out the other end unscathed (relatively speaking), and realizing that what you dreadfully feared in the first place really wasn't so bad after all. These are the lessons we want to impart on our kids, and the only way to lead is by example.

So in conclusion, I'd just like to clarify that I love traveling and I love being a parent. However, I also love writing about how difficult they both can be, because they are, but that's why we get so much out of them.

Okay, I've said enough. Hail Caesar, and thanks for reading, and thanks to myles davidson for the pic.

On the Same Wavelength and More Thursday

We dodged another bullet by being on the same wavelength with DJ. We had a crazy Thursday planned, and were going to have to squeeze in guitar lessons and a 2 hour riding lesson on top of all the stuff we had to do, but it turns out she wanted to reschedule and we could not have been more happy to oblige. She called in the AM, and it was like a ray of sunshine coming through the clouds.

The problem was, as I'd mentioned before, we had a ton of stuff to do. A had a guitar lesson in the AM, and we had to do loads of laundry at the laundromat because we needed the monster washing machines to clean stuff like comforters and sleeping bags. R had to work and then had a Transition Towns meeting that evening, talk about bad timing. We also had to head to the dump to unload recycling, go to the store to get some last minute vittles, and then off to Windsor to pick up the kids' bikes at Paradise Sports. Sometimes it's amazing we pull everything off.

Now we had originally planned on doing the wash that evening, but one thing I've learned since becoming a parent is that you put things off at your own peril. When you choose not to deal with something in the here and now, not only is it much harder to motivate but also circumstances will not allow you to do the things you intended to do, or make it that much harder. With this in mind, as soon as we picked up A at her lesson, I decided the time was now. I carted the kids over the laundromat and literally filled four of the big machines.

The kids actually love going to the laundromat because they get a kick out the front facing machines (I do, too!) and since it's usually empty at that time, they can tear around the place in the laundry carts and nobody cares. Also, they love to help put money in the machines and fold the laundry... well, sometimes. AND, I offered to take them to Stella's, one of our favorite places to eat.

So we loaded up the machines, had a killer lunch at Stella's, who happened to bring back hot dogs on their menu, albeit local and healthy-ish ones. Of course, we had the chocolate cream pie for desert. Once the laundry was done, we loaded up the Explorer with recycling, dealt with that, then back towards the store for food, and then to the bike shop, who'd called the day before to tell us the bikes were ready, then home.

Nice to have the bikes back and hopefully the kids will still be inspired to ride. When my Mentor takes his Explorer back, we may have no choice in the matter.

Anyway, we managed to survive yet another day in paradise. Until the next one, thanks for reading, and thanks to clix for the pic.

Freaky Thursday and Friday

This is old news, but what a couple of days we had on Thursday and Friday. The sort of days that make life worth living, but make you cry in the process.

J&R and D&P were visiting, so we had to prepare, but I had prior commitments for Friday so anything that I needed to get done for the visit, I had to get done on Thursday. That meant any sort of cleaning or yard work and cooking. Yikes? I figured that no drastic changes were going to happen on the barn, and the yard was mowed and the leaves raked so it looked fine, until that darn storm came and messed up the yard, but you have to expect these sort of things in Vermont. I did a quick and ugly job of sealing the deck from the weather, which meant stapling plastic sheets over it, and then there was the cooking.

Now I'd never really cooked for the whole family. J&R are easy because two more people isn't much of a stretch, but now we were going to be six adults and two kids. How much is enough? We planned on a meat as well as a vegetarian offering, just to make it interesting, and decided on chili (local beef) and pumpkin soup. Corn bread and sandwiches for the filler.

Now the sandwiches were easy, because everyone could help themselves, but since I was not going to be home on Friday when they arrived, it meant I'd have to made the soup and chili on Thursday. This works out fine because they both do better after a days rest. I woke up early on Friday morning to make the cornbread and brownies, and then had to leave to get the kids.

Now about a month back I told HH that I'd watch her kids, mainly because they are nice and they get along with A&N. Say no more, but with Friday being such a difficult day, I figured she'd understand and make other arrangements. No such luck. When I told her my in-laws were coming, she stared at me with a look that said, "Yeah, and... ?

So there was no getting out of it. For all it's worth, A&N were thrilled to pieces about it, so we went with it. Another problem was that I had to finish my review of one of these products, and I had only gotten a rough draft down. I figured I'd finish it at HH's. I hadn't heard from her in days and was beginning to worry, and it ended up being AG, her ex, who finally called me on Thursday night to arrange the pickup. Like I need this sort of complication?

The day was fine. I wasn't on our home turf so I packed a bag full of activities for the kids to do, and we ended up spending the most time on the thing I had to write a review on, so it was helpful. You gotta love serendipity. The kids played the whole day, and I wasn't sure what to feed them but found some spaghetti in the cupboard and went with that. The kids are really good at playing on their own, so I could hole up and write. I couldn't get on their wireless, however, because it required a security code. They live in the country, who's going to steal their internet?

Anyway, I finished the piece, HH came home a little late, and we bolted out of there in the hopes of catching mom and family at the airport, but crazily enough, we actually passed them along route 5 going to the highway, so we turned around and followed them home.

Great seeing them, BTW, and it was a fun weekend. More on that later. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Daria Mana for the pic.

Bike Care and Boloco Mania

I've been having bike issues, and have had to face the fact that I'm not man enough to fix them. Chalk it up to ignorance of lack of time, but there are clearly issues with the kids' bikes, and I felt bad because they really love riding them. It got to the point where A&N didn't want to ride them anymore because it was a little difficult. How heartbreaking is that?

The issues at hand were the breaks and the gears. For whatever reason, A's gears weren't shifting, and N's breaks weren't working. I tried turning screws and loosening nuts, but to no avail. Our good friend ED is a bike whiz, but he's busy, and they spend a lot of time away taking care of family, so I couldn't hold him up to fixing it, and getting to a bike shop meant a trip into the big city, along with the traffic and aggravation.

Enter Paradise Sports in Windsor. A top notch bike shop about a mile from here, and it's not hardcore like Omer and Bobs so I feel like a total loser when I go in. Omer and Bob's is a state of the art store, for the hardcore cyclist, but they are intimidating, and not always warm and fuzzy. The people who go in there know what they're doing. It's not unlike going to LaValley's. You'll get the best equipment, but no hugs allowed. I need hugs.

The beauty of Paradise Sports is that they are really cool and friendly, but don't compromise on quality and service. They really know their stuff, but don't make you feel stupid. I've been in Omer and Bob's in the bike repair section and stood there for ten minutes without so much as a nod from the repair guys. Talk about feeling like an idiot.

Anyway, the guys at Paradise were cool, and I didn't feel like they took advantage of my ignorance. In fact, they even gave me a detailed breakdown of what they did, and best of all, the bikes are now in good working condition. There are still issues, I don't deny that, but we've come along way. Nice to have a reliable bike shop nearby.

All that's left to do is remove those darn decals. That, however, will be a subject for another time.

Also wanted to mention that the other night we went to dinner at Boloco's and the guys were really cool. They informed us of our club benefits (free food!) and even gave us some recommendations. You gotta love that.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.