Happy Belated New Year

Happy belated new year to all. Still trying to keep my head above water with my blogs, but it's hard to find the time with all that needs to be done in the new year, but that's a story for another blog. Guess which one.

We spent a quiet New Year's Eve at home, and though we had options, we opted to just be mellow and eat a nice meal and watch movies. I was in bed by 10:30, and R followed me within half an hour. We usually have a big picnic feast in the living room and eat junk food and watch movies, but this year we decided to cook up a meal. Still wallowing in the aftermath of the holidays, however, we opted to tone things down a bit. Sort of.

Of course we couldn't decide what to eat. In the past we'd ordered pizza and that was nice, but we've been acutely aware of the effect that generic pizza can have on us, and we've been doing fairly okay with the homemade crust. Plus, we got a pizza stone for Christmas (thanks, DR) and wanted to break it in. So we roasted a chicken and baked a pizza, because that's what A and N wanted, respectively.

We'd got a couple of movies for the kids and they were pretty much in bed by 9:00, and then it was over. I have to admit, we're not big on the whole New Year's Eve celebration. It seems misguided to me to wait around for one big event each year and let the other 364 days fall by the wayside, but don't get me started. It's not unlike couples who have this lavish, fairy-tale wedding and then spend the next ten years in a crappy marriage. Life's all about the little, everyday things, and when you can appreciate those, then you're doing all right.

We did manage to get a day of skiing in on the last day of 09, and that was a bonus. With the recent snowfall, conditions have improved markedly, though it was crowded as heck. Tons of city folks up for the holidays, acting like they own the place. Oh well, life in a tourist town.

Gearing up for all the activities for 2010, and hopefully things will work out as we planned. Then again, the never do. We are closer to getting a good bread recipe, thanks to Cook Illustrated. I love those guys, a scientific approach to cooking. It speaks to me.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Escape From Vermont

We had a bit of drama going on the final day of our family's visit, and it made it all interesting, to say the least. PR had flown the family over into Lebanon airport, so they had some flexibility as to when they could fly out, and it wasn't a stressful, rush situation to get to the airport on time. I was acutely aware, however, of the fact that everyone had to leave things at home in order to make the trip. While R&J might have had a bit more flexibility in their time, P&D had left things in limbo in order to make the trip, and I was grateful that they were willing to go to the trouble. If anything, I felt a little guilty.

Anyway, the plan was they'd stay for three days, then fly back home. As I mentioned, they had flown in and had the flexibility to leave when they wanted, so it was no rush to get to the airport. Kind of nice. The weather, however, was not cooperating, and that's putting it lightly. In retrospect, however, the unusual weather may have been the one thing that made the visit possible in the first place. It had warmed up to unheard of temperatures during their trip, and instead of snow blizzards, we had mild temps and rain. I'm no expert on flying, but I'm guessing this makes the job a little easier.

On Sunday, their allotted day of travel, the clouds rolled in and it began to rain steadily. I think this is not a problem to fly, as long as you can get above the clouds. Visibility is the key up to a certain height, whereby it is no longer to safe. PR is adamant about safety, so with the conditions less than optimal, he wasn't about to take off, though he really wanted to. We got to the airport around 10:00 and proceeded to wait it out. PR figured it might clear up in a hour or two, and he had instant weather updates at his fingertips.

After a couple of hours, it was no go. I could sense PR was bummed, and getting anxious. Meanwhile, we were getting hungry. Since we were in W. Leb, there were no shortages of places to eat, though you're delving into the whole TGI Fridays realm, but in a pinch, that's about as good as it gets. We opted for Panera, which is a good middle ground. While we were eating, I could sense the fog was lifting, and I think everyone agreed. Wishful thinking, perhaps?

You better believe it was. When we drove back up the hill to the airport, it was foggier than ever, and I could feel the frustration in the room. Talk of driving all the way to Ohio came up, which I thought wasn't a bad alternative, but it was easy for me to say because I wasn't the one who was going to drive. The idea of going to Manchester and catching a commercial flight came up, but that would have been exorbitantly expensive.

I thought they could simply stay another day, and would have preferred it to taking any chances traveling, but there was a big storm front moving in that would have entailed several more days of delay, and by that point, PR was prepared to swim to Cambodia if necessary. So I kept my mouth shut.

In the back of everyone's mind we realized that their window of opportunity was slowly closing, because they had to fly to a midpoint, refuel, land in Athens, then fly to Cincinnati. In order to takeoff and land, the weather had to be good in Vermont, the midpoint, Athens, and Cincinnati. How many more variables can you incorporate into a trip? Too many moving targets. PR was a good enough flier to do it in the dark, but I'm guessing daylight is your friend when you're in a plane.

So we sat and waited. By afternoon, it was looking less and less possible, and at some point we were going to have to throw in the towel. Then again, that's what separates the men from the boys, or rather, the sissies from the real men. Whereas I would have given up and gone home, PR was determined, and sure enough, by about 3:00 PM, the clouds miraculously parted, and the skies cleared up. I would even go as far as to say it became a beautiful day, complete with sunshine and blue skies.

Everyone scrambled onto the plane (the pic is from the fall). They fueled up, taxied to the runway, and before we knew it, they were off into the wild blue yonder. It was sad to see them go, but we were happy they managed to takeoff safely. And in the end, we were also grateful just for the chance to see them over the holidays.

They landed home safely, though I think the weather was poor in Cincinnati, so they had to drive the final segment, but that was only a couple of hours. We miss them already, but I have a sense we'll see them again soon. Hopefully.

How the heck else am I going to get the rest of the windows in?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Jelle Weidema for the pic.

Best Christmas Ever

We had a fantastic Christmas, dare I say, the best one ever, at least for me. It had all the elements that make for an amazing day. The only thing really missing was five feet of snow falling from the sky, but hey, you can't have it all.

R's family came to visit and what was really nice was we just hung out and spent time together, at home. I was worried that P&D might get a little bored, but it wasn't bad at all, and P was more than eager to help out with the barn, so there was always something for him to sink his teeth into. Plus, they had a car and could go places, if they chose.

As for B&J, I think it's nice for them to hang out in a quiet, mellow but thoughtful environment and eat, read, converse, take a nap, eat some more, play with the kids, do a puzzle, make cookies, and finally, eat some more. Then sit back and wallow in gluttony. What more can you ask for? A&N really had a nice time. They love seeing their grandparents and their aunt and uncle. Plus, P&D are way more fun and hip than their stuffy, uptight parents, and they have such cool interests, so it's a welcome respite for them from the daily hyper-parenting onslaught. We really should all see each other more often. Then again, when you consider the fact that this is the third time this year we've gotten together, then you begin to realize it is really happening. I'm grateful for that.

I want to share more thoughts on this, but I'm scrambling to make up for lost time and update this blog after my long absence, so for now, I'll just say it was an exhausting but incredibly rewarding Christmas, the best ever. I'm big believer in the importance of family, and it's nice when you have the opportunity to practice what you preach.

In the meantime, have a happy new year, and thanks for reading.

Christmas Lights Debacle Continued

Okay, this lights story has an end, but not without some drama, like all things in our lives. A was insistent on getting that tree decorated, and I was a bit coy about the fact that I had found the lights and they were en route. I had managed to keep it a secret until about three days before the arrival, and even when they arrived and I started putting them up, they didn't really know. I received two more strips and though they were a different brand, figured they were compatible because they were the same lights. I had to undo the previous decorations so I could attach the new strands, then begin to put them back up in more efficient manner, delicately balancing efficiency and aesthetics.

I took about an hour, but it was worth it. Now our tree was finally finished, and we could show it off to my in-laws for a fun and festive holiday.

Of course, it wasn't going to be as simple as that. The kids were thrilled that I'd not only managed to get the lights up, but that I'd pulled it off in such a clandestine manner. A&N gave me a pat on the back for pulling it off, and I was glad I could come through. Then, out of nowhere, I looked out the window, and the lights were off. I checked the switch, then to see if the plug had come out, but they were fine. It had to be something with the lights themselves.

I was so bummed, after all that drama. R came home from work and asked if we could turn the tree on, and I told her the bad news. Bummer. We couldn't really investigate the matter until the next day, so there was still hope.

The next morning, I checked the lights, and discovered, happily, that there was a fuse blown. I replaced it, and voila, we were back in business. At least for about 15 minutes, after which the light went out again. Clearly there was a problem, and I pegged it to the new lights. I figured they were not compatible, and something had to be done.

So the next morning, the day before everyone was to arrive, I went out to the tree, pulled all the lights down, and came up with a new plan. BTW, pulling them down was much easier than putting them up. Funny how that works.

I separated the old and the new, put the old ones on a big shrub near the big tree, and the new strand on the crab apple tree in front of the house, which came out like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. How fitting. Because they were both much smaller, it made it easier to install, especially for the vertically challenged like myself. I say it over and over, but when you're doing home improvement, it helps to be tall.

I got it done in time, and best of all, it met with the approval of the kids. I'm not sure if anyone else even noticed, but it didn't matter. We were happy with it, and we were finally all set for a fun and festive holiday with family. What else matters?

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Drum Teachers and Gingerbread Trains

It has been a bit of a struggle to make it to drum lessons because it is at peak rush hour in retail hell, a place best avoided, especially as the holidays approach. I inquired about changing the day but was told it wasn't possible, so we're kind of stuck at this less than ideal time.

However, we did find out the music teacher at the school also gives private lessons, and drums are her specialty. How cool is that? I got in touch with her and we'll talk in the new year. Could open up more optimal avenues for the future in terms of convenience.

Also wanted to thank our friends and neighbors, BF and his folks, for thinking of us when they had an extra gingerbread house and train. The kids were thrilled about it, and after mom helped with the general structure, the kids went to work and decorated it all by their lonesome. They did a fantastic job, don't you think? Just goes to show you, left to their own devices, kids can do amazing things.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Things Our Kids Teach Me and Christmas Lights Debacle

Hi everyone, sorry for the absence, the holidays have been more hectic than I'd anticipated and time seems to slip by quickly.

Okay, this is ten days after the fact, but still a great story, and yet another example of the things kids can teach you. We thought that since R's parents were coming, maybe we'd be a little more festive this year and put up Christmas lights, which I am a big fan of, but have never taken the initiative. Just not important enough to make it onto my radar.

Well, A kept insisting that it would be a good idea, so we decided to go for it. The ideal situation would have been to have decorated the big fir (spruce?) in the middle island, but to do it right would have required a cherry-picker, it's huge. Easily about 30 feet tall. A wanted us to decorate the tree, of course, and I told her, "No way." It was too tall, and would have required way too many lights.

She countered with our favorite parental adage, "It's worth a try before you give in." How could I argue with that?

Problem number one, however, was to find the lights. There was a sale at Aubuchon on traditional multi-colored lights, ceramic C7 bulbs I learned. I bought five boxes/sets at 25 bulbs per set, figuring that would give good pretty good coverage for the tree, though I'd heard from our neighbor that they covered their tree with over 350 lights, and it was much smaller than ours. For the record, their tree looks fabulous. I bought out Aubuchon, so they had none left.

Anyway, now the problem came up with how to put them on. As you can imagine, I don't have access to a cherry picker. So I rigged up our roof rake with a bent coat hanger and then went to work. It actually wasn't that bad, though I ended up short on the lights. I only managed to cover about half the tree, and figured that with better positioning and two more strings of lights, it would look nice. So I decided to seek out two more strands, but little did I know what a debacle I was about to experience. What a bummer.

You see, it turns out that I had chosen one of the most popular lights, and everywhere I went, they were sold out. On Monday, I dropped the kids off at pottery and then drove to consumer hell and checked Kmart, Walmart, and Home Depot. They were all sold out of C7 lights. Can you believe that? I picked up the kids and went home, dejected.

I told the kids that we might be out of luck, but then the light bulb went off in my head (no pun intended). Duh, get them online. Sure enough, I found them. They were a little more expensive than I'd hoped for, but reasonable, so I ordered them and crossed my fingers that they'd get here before R's folks arrived.

More on this later. Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to peejay for the pic.


finally found on web

Africa Benefit

We attended the second annual World Partners for Education benefit, and though the turnout was less than what they expected, it was a nice evening and everyone put in a good effort. The kids were excited about it all and helped to gather up our loose change and make a donation, all for a wonderful cause to help build schools for kids in Africa.

At some point I knew A&N would begin to lose interest, so I brought along some connect the dot books and it did the trick. The food was great, lots of interesting dishes, and our ground nut stew was a hit. Not only did everyone polish it off, but several people complimented us and one even wanted the recipe. Chalk it up to peanut butter.

Just wanted to mention that the kids were incredibly well-behaved, as always. Until the next time, thanks for reading.