Merry Christmas, Erastus

The day after Christmas was a day off for me, so as a present to myself I decided to return to visit the Boston Public Library and the letters of great-great-great uncle Erastus. I even brought reinforcements - Sue, Mary & Aunt Maria joined in to read the 188 letters from 1861-1865. They are fascinating to read and attempt to put into perspective, and although the four of us skimmed through the 5 folders in about 2 hours, it was too hard to narrow down which ones we should get copies of. Thanks to Maria's pragmatism, we all decided "what the heck - we'll ask for copies of ALL of them"! The archivist at the library explained that they are short of staff during the holidays but should be able to have the copies done within a few weeks. Then Mary informed me she has been trying to arrange with the South Carolina Historical Society to get copies of some of their collection. So my Erastus Christmas will last for a while as I wait in anticipation to have these 145 year old letters in my possession to pour over and dwell upon. What a fun new hobby!

Christmas Goodies

A Kelty backpack, a Stephan Stills CD, a Pat Metheney CD, jeans, Guitar strings, Ukelele strings, a genealogy book with a maternal pedigree back to 1573, various candy AND.......

a Beatles Monopoly game that Corey & Julie insisted we play in the evening. Now everybody knows that Monopoly is NOT a genteel game - it's vicious and cut-throat. Sue dropped out early and tried to make brownie points with her son by giving him all her property & cash, leaving he & Julie to gang up on me to attempt to crush me into oblivion.

But it was not to be! With a combination of shrewd manuvering and good luck of the dice I CRUSHED THEM, refusing to allow them to make an illegal out-of-turn trade by singing "I told you before, no, you can't do that" and making THEM sing "I'm A Loser".

YES, it was a Fab day!

(oh ya, I suppose I should mention everyone else made out ok too)

Company Christmas Spirit

Our new Marketing VP was bemoaning the fact that there appears to be no sense of Christmas Spirit around the company. Well, because the boss was not going to frivolously spend money on decorations, I felt that we should take what was available to us and make do. A few ornaments from home, and a potted plant from the cafeteria seemed to do the trick. VP Neil was very impressed and intends to keep it in his office until after New Years.

So despite the economic downturn and bleak times for the construction and cabinetry industry....

MERRY CHRISTMAS

family Christmas party 2008

Another year, another annual family reunion/Christmas party/jam session.

Due to lots of snowfall, attendence was down but a fun time was had by all who did attend. Most notably were a few newcomers. Tommy Tobin brought along his new girlfriend - a young lady he met at bluegrass festivals and very sweet & pretty. Nephew Chris introduced the family to his girlfriend - a fellow teacher at the school he teaches at, who (sadly) I didn't actually get to chat with as we had to leave early and they arrived just before we left. Seldom seen relatives Neil and daughter Layla, and Eric with sons Matt and Sean made it to the party this year. David, Tommy & I managed to get all of Julies songs in before it was time to scoot.

Christmas wasn't always merry

I took Joe out shopping for his Secret Santa gift. Because there are so many siblings, we decided some years ago to have them all draw names and buy one Secret Santa gift for that sibling only. That way none of them had to spend $100+ on gifts. So instead Joe only had to borrow $20 from me to get his one gift. As we were driving he reminisced about the first two years that we did the Secret Santa routine, he was upset because each time he drew Mary's name - and he didn't like Mary back then, so he didn't want to buy her a present. It wasn't fair that he got her two years in a row and wasn't alowed to trade. When I asked him why he didn't like Mary in the beginning, he somberly replied "because she looked a lot like one of my Foster Mothers". Joe had spent a few years very much NOT beloved.

Thankfully, life has apparently gotten better for little Joe, he & Mary get along fine, and Christmas will be very merry for him this year - and not because he drew someone else for Secret Santa this year.

So make sure to acknowledge how fortunate we all are, do something kind for those less fortunate, and then make certain you remember to have a Merry Christmas.

80 years is a long time

Now the fields are all four lanes
And the moon's not just a name
Are you more amazed at how things change
Or how they stay the same
And do you sit here on this porch and wonder
How the time flies by
Or does it seem to barely creep along
With 75 Septembers come and gone
(Cheryl Wheelers "75 Septembers")

My mother turns 80 on Dec 16th, which is quite an accomplishment considering all she has had to endure - born before the Great Depression, The War to end all wars, Rock & Roll, etc.... raising (to varying degrees!) 11 children (8 born, 3 "steps") into successful adults (to varying degrees!)
I know how many times I joke that either Nikki or I will need to be dead before she gets through highschool. I wonder how often Mom said that about any and all of us.

So on the 13th, the children of this woman known by some as Edna, Nenna, twinny, Mrs. Blauss, Mrs. Howland, or even Golde (the part she once played in a local production of Fiddler On The Roof) threw her a surprize birthday party at Hanson's Congregational church where she is a Deacon. Over 100 people - a diverse group of old friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers - showed up to toast her.

Needless to say, in the beginning there was much brainstorming - sowing of ideas, threshing those ideas, throwing the chafe into the fires of hell, arm wrestling and name calling and pulling rank to narrow down the final decisions and details. We re-itterated what we have known all our lives - Wes (the first-borne) is the grand concept guy, Laurie (the eldest daughter) is the enforcer, Donnie, Marlene, Eric & David (the middle 4) are the snipers (keeping a safe distance and firing a few well-aimed shots now and then), Debbie (the littlest Blauss) tries to keep up but keeps getting knocked down (but God love her she keeps getting back up and rejoining the fray), and Heather (the baby - and despite the improbability of Mom being 45 and on her 2nd marriage - possibly the only "planned" baby of the lot of us) is the one who in the end gets her way because as the baby, she is the cutest and knows instinctively how to get what she wants. It's been that way since the day we were each born, and we are comfortable in our roles 35 to 58 years later.

Needless to say, in the end it was a wonderful celebration, all went smoothly, everybody had a good time and we all lived to tell about it. Mom, ever the "happy-tear" queen, stayed well hydrated - being congratulated by people she's known since school days to little "India" who isn't in school yet. Without exception, every one of the 75 (or so) non-relatives who had been invited to attend felt tremendously honored that THEY were included in the celebration. We could have easily invited triple that number and still found more who wished they could have attended. Wes, in his Director/Producer role, greated guests and stood in the wings as the actors did their scenes. Laurie and her son Chris ran and narrated the power-point "This is your life" presentation. I supplied, set up and broke down the PA equipment, chatted up the semi-famous local legend saxaphone player Dana Colley (check out the former band Morphine, or more recently, The Twinemen) and his daughter, and received visit & kayak invitations from old neighbors the Mahoney's. Marlene & David mingled, Eric stayed home in NH (his wife a longtime sufferer of emotional/mental disorders although the rest of the "married to a Blauss support group" in-laws - Joanne, Sue & Dawn -who spent most of the evening in the downstairs kitchen, waitressing snacks, and sneaking Absolut into their own punch glasses, admire her as the most clever genius of all). Debbie & Heather did their best to make certain everything went the way it should (which is quite a trick for two people who don't necessarily agree on how things SHOULD go).

Thankfully, an emergency conference of the organizing committee had decided that morning to eliminate the "Surprize" part of the party. The liability of having "unexpected overwhelming emotion syndrome" be the cause of death and therefore not actually officially making it to 80 just seemed to big a risk. SMART MOVE! Knowing it was coming, 8 hours in advance, gave her the opportunity to absorbe it a bit instead of flattening her like a steamroller. Aside from the 'long-lost-friend' type atmosphere, the highlight came from nephew Chris' description of an "Edna Compliment!" and her propensity to unitentionally insult relatives. Her two most famous ones were: once telling Heather " you could be a Miss America - if only you had a talent", and when Chris commented that his young adult club at the church had only one male member - her response was "who would that be?" There was also a surprize performance from the church based vocal group "The Hearts" - an a'cappella womens group that Mom was a member of for many years. They had, unbeknownst to the rest of us, composed a tribute song for her and sang to her at the end of the evening.

Well, the end of the official evening, anyway. Some of us siblings, steps, and in-laws needed a drink (no alcohol at the church - Congregationalists, remember?) and gathered at JJ's afterwards. Every good event team holds a review session after the event, right?
(sadly, THAT story can't be told, at least not where certain non-attending relatives might discover them!!!!)

Like moths to a flame

Some people just attract attention. Without particularly trying, they can enter a room and other people seem to instinctively know that this is somebody worth paying attention too. This person treats everybody equally – the high-powered executive or the cleaning person – and they both feel that they are being treated with respect, kindness and friendliness. Of course I’ve known this about Sue forever (forever being since she was 15 years old) and it’s one of the many things I love about her and never get tired of witnessing. It happens in restaurants (one day a confused young waiter sheepishly confessed to her “I know you must be somebody famous by the way everybody else greats you, but I just don’t know who you are”). It happens at parties (just the other night a young man – coincidentally our sons EXACT age – was being mesmerized by her story telling and pleaded for the honor of hearing the next one which she initially was reluctant to tell on the basis of his young age - 23). But today was a bit more comical – at my work. As it happens, I messed up and took the wrong vehicle to work – so after bringing Joe & Jamie for a doctor’s appointment, she had to stop by and swap car with van. Our new marketing VP noticed the van pull in and then this woman with two children approaching the front door. He immediately pegged her as a potential purchaser of our fine kitchen cabinetry and leaped into action – greeting her cheerfully at the door, offering hot chocolate to the kids, and attempting to get a quick idea of what she might be interested in. OK – admittedly, this wasn’t the typical case of her “aura” drawing people in, but more a reflection of how desperate the cabinet industry is now-a-days. But despite Mr VP’s initial disappointment at losing the prospect of a sale (he knows how much I make) he continued on chatting happily and pushing the hot chocolate for the kids. Even when she is saying “no” to a man, they can’t resist the desire to be in her presence!

She's a Rainbow

Have you seen her all in gold
Like a queen in days of old
She shoots colors all around
Like a sunset going down
Have you seen the lady fairer
She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow

(Rolling Stones - 1967)

It's not a perfect world!

I learned this Sunday from two sources - a 7 year old Mite-C player at about 6:15am (see - already not a perfect world especially after only 3-1/2hrs sleep) and a girls team coach at around noon.
The title for this post is a direct quote from the coach who tried to explain why I shouldn't have called a penalty on his team for illegally substituting for a player coming off of a penalty. His excuse was based on the odd way the penalty bench is set up in this particular rink (his home rink where his team plays half it games) is not clearly separated from their players bench and therefore is "not a perfect world" (he did not dispute the rule, or dispute the fact that they broke it). It did make me wish I had realized this eternal truth earlier so that I might have used it as words of comfort to the earlier distraught 7 year old. He had been involved in one of those Mite-C collisions (one can't turn, one can't stop = CRASH!). As I knelt next to the crying child, his coach came to help him up and asked the boy "what happened". The from-the-mouths-of babes reply was "that big kid checked me into the God Damned boards!"

To sum it all up....

St. Lucia & Sandals Resorts are great - I recommend them to anyone. But as wonderful a location it was, the best part was remembering how much fun it is to adventure and explore with Sue and how easy it was to be in love with her. Certainly the kids and our daily life in general are adventures of their own sort, and we still love each other - but to be so far away just the two of us removed the mountains of obstacles and have-to's that typically make it hard to see our wonderful forest for all of our mundane trees. Once upon a time, we were able to go hiking, or to the beach, or simply out to eat without fretting about who was babysitting or who had to be picked up when, or if we had it in our budget. So for a whole week it was magically like old times. Although I wasn't perfect way back then, and certainly I have not fixed any flaws since then (the word regress might fit here), it was so easy to be at my best on our vacation. Now the challenge is to retain the feelings of renewal as we navigate the same-old same-old routines. I'll keep trying to live up to the challenge because I know how worth it she is. The proof is still fresh in my mind.

Pirate Night at St Lucia Sandals

Fire breathing men, fire eating women, limbo dancers all followed the St Lucian drum semi-circle. Watch and be amazed!

http://picasaweb.google.com/don.sueblauss/StLucia2008Video#5269611981642218306

OK - I know that THIS is what you really want to hear

by now you are already sick of hearing about how wonderful and perfect our trip was. You realize it couldn't possibly be ALL great. So this should make you feel better.



day 1 - we had to get out of bed at 2:00am and drive to Logan Airport

day 1 - we weren't on the pick up list at the St Lucia airport

day 1 - Sue didn't get her cold towel when we arrived at the resort

day 2 - there was another guitar player at the "Staff/ Guest" talent show

day 2 - they didn't declare a talent show "winner" (and I totally would have won it)

day 3 - the hungover "other" guitar player and his grumpy buddy's joined us on the horseback ride

day 3 - I caught a cold/sore throat

day 4 - I got an earful/mouthfull/nosefull/swimsuitfull of sand&surf while body surfing

day 4 - I lost my "Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame" bandanna in the surf (and it was doing such a fine job of preventing the top of my head from getting sunburned up to then)

day 4 - I got kicked out of the ocean by the lifeguards because the waves were too rough (not for me, but the other body surfers must have looked like they were out of their league)

day 5 - an hour & 15 minutes and Mass was not yet finished

day 5 - I got kicked out of the small pool (who knew they treated it at 9:00pm?)

day 5 - a random cloud on the horizon interfered with an otherwise perfect sunset

day 6 - Englishmen in their 60's keep informing us of everything they are certain we don't know

day 6 - another random cloud on the horizon interfered with another otherwise perfect sunset

day 6 - the "Pirate" ship sailing across the sunset didn't actually attack the yacht

day 7 - the 4 mile drive to the snorkling boat took a half hour

day 7 - I wasn't allowed to pretend to be a shark while snorkling

day 8 - we had to leave

day 8 - climbing to 38000ft and decending again is very painful when you have water in your ears (each time)

day 8 - Miami Airport Customs

day 8 - Boston weather 45 degrees & rainy

WOW! Suddenly I realize what a horrible time I must have had (thank goodnes I didn't realize it at the time!)

There now - don't you feel better - knowing the true suffering we had to endure? - after we tried so hard to make you all jealous? - aren't you glad it was us and not you?

All that being said, knowing what I know now..... lets go back tomorrow!!!!!

it was strange to spend a week:

(except for a few rare occasions - which simply served to impress the point)
not really needing a watch
not really needing a wallet
eating whatever you wanted
eating more than you ever wanted
drinking whatever / whenever / wherever you wanted
wondering if I'd get determined enough to get my moneys worth and really drunk (sorry to disappoint you all, but I did whip Sue a pingpong while I have a mild buzz)
being served by genuinely happy friendly wait staff EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME
being greeted by genuinely happy friendly people everywhere we went - both on and off the resort
looking at flowers growing (outdoors) in November
looking at bikini's EVERYWHERE in November (heck, at anytime of year)
realizing that it was impossible to NOT look at bikini's - they were truly unescapable
realizing that the women were not bashful/concerned/offended
and that the men were not learing/creepy/offensive
where each days top priority for many people was to claim the select lounge chairs early enough
choosing to do things on a whim, or nothing at all - and it was all acceptable.
wondering how such a small, poor country produced so many top-rate cover bands
wondering when I became so bad at pool (I used to be ok)
not really worrying about the kids back home
wondering why we didn't do this sooner
realizing that if we did this years ago, we would have had many years of disappointing vacations!
trying to figure out how/how soon we can get back again

a view with a room

Sue wanted a balconey with an ocean view. This was the view.

Thankfully there was a room attached to it! The room was very basic, but with the balcony, view, and entire resort just steps away - who needed more? It had a private outside entrance (where occasionally there was a tiny tree frog sitting on the railing, waiting for us) so it did not feel like a typical plain hotel room.

The sound of the ocean was the constant "white noise" for us to sleep by. Interestingly enough, you could clearly hear the sound of the ocean waves from inside the bathroom too. There was a vent above the tub that vented out to the balcony and chaneled the ocean noises in.

"Trust in God" vs "Prepare for the day of Reckoning"

Through careful planning I managed to save up the the necessary final payment for our trip just before the economy nosedived. I then hemmed and hawed about whether to use up my vacation days while we were only working 4 day weeks. If I used them up to get 5 days pay, I would have none left by the time we went - meaning taking an unpaid vacation. If I DIDN'T use them up and the company went under before we left, I would never get to collect them and would have blown that money. Unfortunately for many - but thankfully for me - when they layed off 75% of the workforce, the rest of us got to work 40 hr weeks again (2 weeks before my vacation departure date). I fought off the "smart/safe" logic that said if we cancelled our trip and got our money back, we would be able to catch up on all overdue bills and have a small reserve. I half-kidded about wondering if I would have a job to come back to when we came back.


Well, I had faith and trusted that I would get to collect my vacation pay after my vacation, and that we "deserved" this trip and owed it to ourselves - no matter what happened. God would provide for us. "No pressure, no worries" as they love to say often on St. Lucia. So I put work out of my mind for a whole wonderful week.


Yesterday I trustingly drove to my job and was thankful to see that indeed I did still have one.

Phhhewwww!!! Thank You God!



















Today my boss informed all of us who still remained that our wages were being reduced by 10% until business improved.

we're BACK!

despite the fact that the very first sign you see when you walk off the tarmack and into the St Lucia airport states "If you wish to cancel your return flight, call 800-xxx-xxxx".

I am assuming that you all realize that we went to St. Lucia, W.I. (windward islands) for a week. Sandals Resort - Luxury Included Vacations (all-inclusive/all adult - you really must try it). Yes, we voted - and then skipped the country!

I will post more eloquent thoughts as we get re-acclimated to the real world again, but for starters here is a favorite photo that captures the experience quite well (being all-inclusive means that I was a major gluton for the first few days but I eventually mastered moderation!)

I title this shot "first breakfast in paradise".

BTW - Although Suzie's weight watcher "goal" was to "maintain", mine was to gain 5 pounds. I don't know yet how she did, but let me assure you - I succeeded!

(for the full photo album go here http://picasaweb.google.com/don.sueblauss/StLucia2008#

Please vote FOR somebody

My friend CRM sent a multi-forwarded "letter" explaining to us why we should not vote for Obama. I found this rather funny coming from (not originating from) a guy who hasn't voted in 30 years. If he DID vote, I assume it would be against Obama

Here's what I believe. there is NOBODY who goes into that job truly prepared for it. There is no way for one person to get all the experience needed ahead of time. It is an "On The Job Training" position. Therefore, like most creative jobs - you need to pick somebody who has a vision of what the future should look like, enthusiasm to pursue it, and an ability to sway people to cooperate with him/her to get there.
(as a comparison, I look at my Youth Ministry friends. All want good programs, but some actually envision what it looks like before they take the position. They are more likely to succeed.)
ALL politicians will make mistakes, or compromise on something they would prefer NOT to compromise on. Some will vote against a bill - not because of the particular issue, but because of all the attached strings. I don't think that being in the military automatically makes one better qualified to be commander-in-chief. It might give one an edge regarding on-going strategy of remaining in a conflict, but might limit ones views on how to get OUT of one or AVOID the next.

Obama has excited people - McCain has not.
Even the big money republicans who have the most to gain by a McCain victory, are reluctant to donate as much money to his campaign. Basically - Republican Bigwigs decided early on that McCain was a risky investment. If he can't win support from his own people, how can he negotiate successfully with Congress or foriegn governments for support of his ideas. Obama has proven the ability to convince people to believe he can & will succeed. This is an ability you can't teach a person. He can learn the details and methods as he goes. McCain cannot learn to be persuasive, no matter how experienced he might be at the details.

In short - I believe that Obama will listen more open-mindedly to a wider range of opinions, and make choices that will benefit a wider cross-section of Americans. I believe he has a vision of how America & Americans can be better, stronger, respected that is more closely in tune with my own. Although I admire McCains personal strength and loyalty to his country, he has not convinced me that he has a vision that drives him.

People who have a "Vision" can see what the end result should be. They might not know yet how to get there, but given a chance, they are more likely to figure it out. They are more likely to persuade others to cooperate with them in figuring it out.

I believe that I (and most people I know - average Americans) will be better off with Obama as President. Four years from now I might change my mind, but today - I'm voting for Obama.

If you believe in McCain, by all means -and with my blessing - vote FOR him.
But this "voting against somebody" idea is counter-productive.

Halloween party for Breast Cancer Awareness

We went, we impressed, we didn't win

(but Suzie Q's udders did actually dispense milk!)

(Barney & Betty Rubble - what acute couple)

testing 1, 2, 3

just testing out our new scanner/printer

pastel chalk by D. B. circa 1973

bonus points to the first person who can identify the subject in the drawing

(employees & relatives are not eligible to win)

I know the answers, if only I could figure out the questions

Like all people, taking a test brings to me an amount of anxiety - not debilitating, not even an obstacle, more like simply unwelcome thoughts that I know I should just ignore. Every year, all USAHockey referees have to attend a seminar and take a 50 question True/False closed book test. Before that, we have all already taken a 100 question open book test online, and started ref'ing games - so our heads should be pretty well into the sport by now. So last night I attended the last Mass. District USAHockey Seminar of the current season - a special session for level 3 officials only (guys & gals who have been ref'ing for at least 4 years - many like me in the 20+ range). We were mildly scolded over the appalling fact that apparently 66% of level 3 officials failed the level 3 test last year (it occurred to me that although no names were named, I think I've worked with a few of them!). One guy spent only 7 minutes to answer the 50 questions (he got 16 answers correct, and bounced back to beginner level 1 for his lack of effort).This year the instructrs were trying a new teaching techinque - we would all break down into groups of 6, each be given a copy of last years test, and one answer sheet per group. Using whatever resources we had at our disposal (rule books, manuals, cellphones, laptops, whatever) we were to answer the 50 questions. Whichever group was first to answer all 50 correctly would win a prize. So far in all previous seminars, the fastest time was 47 minutes. I was at a table with a gentleman about my age and a teen-20 kid, while across the aisle was a table of two teens and a 20something guy. As the kid next to me moved across to that table I thought to myself I should sit with the teenagers because everybody knows that teenage boys know everything there is to know and are never wrong - so I (and the guy next to me) joined them. Like most groups, we answered most questions quickly and confidently while a few elicited some amount of discussion and debate. Maybe six questions prompted somebody to open the rulebook to try to find the answer. We were one of the quicker groups to present our answers, but were told we had two wrong (but not told which two) - so had to go figure it out and correct ourselves. I know that there are always questions that are confusing due to the way they are worded - maybe/ maybe not trick questions, but certainly ones that can cause you to question the question ("what are they asking?"). I had already circled a few that I was suspicious of the first time through, so I immediately went back to revisit them. Almost immediately I had one of those "Oh, Duh!" moments and pointed out why #2 was false, not true. The other 5 looked, said "Oh, Duh", changed our answer and searched for the other incorrect answer. We had a few suspects, so we changed one more and brought it back again. "Still not 100% correct". I went back again to the one that bothered me the most, so we broke it down piece by piece as picky and technically as we could. With less than unanimous agreement, I convinced my teammates that we should change the answer and try again. BINGO! And we have a winner - and in record time of 43 minutes - DESTROYING the previous record time.

And we all got a nice Mass - USAHockey T-shirt for our efforts.

Then we got to take the real test. From experience I know that the most commonly missed questions from the previous year are always reworded and included into the current years test, and we had just disected last years test thoroughly. So despite the previous admonishment to take our time and think critically about our answers, I opted for the advise once given to me by the late great Referee-in-chief Milt Kaufman - "take the test like you are ref'ing a game. You don't have time to sit and dwell when you are on the ice. The situation happens and you make the call. If you know the rules, you will instictively make the right call." And of course if you DON'T know the rules, no amount of time spent thinking about them is going to help you. This has served me well for about 25 years, and I was the second person to hand in my completed test. As I stepped out of the meeting room into the hallway, I met my two District supervisors. I jokingly noted that I took longer than 7 minutes, and admitted that I will be really embarassed if I fail it this year. Bill laughed and said "No way, not you" and turned to Skip and said "He aced it last year you know". Apparently, that was noteworthy although it was a bit unnerving to think that out of a few hundred officials they oversee and the amount of incidences they had to address over the course of a year that he would remember what my last years test score was.

Referees should never 2nd guess themselves

"PeeWee C" games can be interesting because most of the kids are being allowed to check for the first time, and they aren't very good at it yet. They don't know how to give a hit, or take one. It leaves lots of leeway for a referee to decide what call to make (or not) and what level of severity to apply to it. So many times just this weekend I could have been choosing between "Charging" (aka taking a run at a player), "Boarding" (hitting an opponent violently into the boards), "Checking From Behind" (considered the most dangerous offense of all), or "Late/Avoidable Check" (self-explanatory) - if only the checker had actually hit the checkee instead of plastering himself into the boards when the intended victim sidestepped him, or he simply missed his intended victim (I say "him/he" because although girls do indeed play at this level, they are rarely so blatently out to kill). So when I witnessed what should be considered a check from behind, I blew the whistle, signaled the offender to the penalty box, and proceeded to skate in that direction. One trick a referee has at his disposal is to wait until he reaches the penalty box area before announcing the actual penalty being called - giving him the opportunity to mull over the options and pick the best one without committimg too early to a regretable call. So on my way I decided it was really mostly a shove, not a meanspirited check, and although no physical harm done it was worthy of a penalty so to send a message. I decided a 1-1/2 minute minor "Boarding" call would be sufficient, instead of issueing the 1-1/2 minute minor plus 10 minute misconduct required for a "Check From Behind" call. The Coach started arguing with me (in itself worthy of a penalty) as soon as I got within talking distance, but I was in a good enough mood so I explained that they were getting off easy because my first inclination was to call the "Check from behind" so therefore they were catching a break. Now clearly I didn't realize I was dealing with a very smart coach, who explained to me that the check wasn't hard enough to qualify as "violently into the boards". Now I've been wrong before as a referee (thinking I had made a mistake when i actually hadn't) and this clearly was another instance when I was proved to be wrong. Therefore I told the coach that I was willing to grant his wish and NOT call the penalty a 1-1/2 minute Boarding. I would revert to the proper call for the infraction - a 1-1/2 minute minor plus 10 minute misconduct for the Check From Behind (which also requires a second player to go into the box - someone has to come out when the other kid's first minor penalty expires but his misconduct starts). There - I'm happy - I finally got the call right for the type of hit delivered.
(I'm not sure the coach has yet figured out what hit HIM yet, tho')
(shame I wasn't in a bad mood - I would have given the coach a Bench Minor penalty to top it all off, but he had already made my day and probably a few more to come, and that would have just been plain vindictive on my part and I am supposed to remain calm & professional throughout all)

my brush with radio fame

Joe & I pulled into the 4-H club parking lot for his chicken club meeting and the first thing I noticed was the abnormal number of vehicles. It was a small sporatic club last year, but apparently this year shall be different - lots of new members. One of the new members neighbor is a former longtime 4-H'er who is going to be an assistant leader. Her Boyfriend attended with her, bearing many gifts for the club. T-shirts, mouse pads, pens, event tickets - all bearing the call letters of the Boston radio stations he works for. When introduced I knew immediately who he was, and was bummed that I had actually chosen to NOT were my Beatles sweatshirt - because he is the Sunday morning host of a radio show that showcases them and offers lots of trivia. I listen to him often while I drive to or from the rink. He promised to have something for me at next months meeting. Julie already wants it - not even knowing what it is (other than "SWAG"). Maybe she will come and audit the class!! 4-H IS cool!

... because it feels so good when I stop!

You know the old routine that goes
Question: "Why do you do (insert torturous activity here)?"
Answer: "Because it feels so good when I stop!"

Well it doesn't always work out like that. I refereed 4 games in the morning (3 by myself - no partner - and it is a simple equation that having only half of the typical two referees means double the skating at twice as hard for the one referee). Then we went hiking in the Blue Hills for 2 hours. The skating I handled rather well, then the legs were a bit sore during the hiking. But sitting for an hour in the restaurant - 'tho at first seeming like "it feels so good when I stop!"- was a killer when it was time to stand up and move again.

After 25 years, you would think no more surprises

But of course you would be wrong. No - not the marriage (not for this post anyway) - I've been refereeing hockey for close to the amount of time we've been married (actually maybe longer - I'm not sure anymore). So far after a month of games, it has been fairly calm and uneventful. The only noteworthy (barely) instances have been tossing a Bantam coach from a game - for protesting too loud and too long over a "NON-Icing" call, and a new unexpected twist - the first time I ever had a parent from the stands demand a time-out and cause his team a penalty (and I thought I had already seen it all - silly me).
So it's during a Peewee game (everyone is about 13 years old), it's halfway through the game and as I'm about to drop a faceoff, the league director calls me to the rink gate. The blue team's goalies father is insisting we stop the game so his daughter - the goalie - can change masks. He claims the one she's wearing doesn't fit right and is hurting her. I suggest that in 5 minutes the period will end and there will be a short timeout. At this the father's anger level starts rising and warns me that this is not an acceptable solution. I advise the director and the father that the only other option is to call a "Delay of Game" penalty on the blue team and change the mask, but of course I should really skate over and let the blue teams coach know what is going on. So I skate across to the players bench, where the blue teams coach askes "what's the problem?". I explain the mask situation, and he asks "can't we wait until the end of the period?". I reply that was my idea, but Dad is insistant, and if the mask is getting switched now - they will have to take the penalty. The coaches look at each other, then the director who has arrived with the new mask, then the goalie, then at each other, shrugged and said "we'll send somebody over to the penalty box". I'm guessing that they had never had a parent force them to take a team penalty. I can't wait to see what else I haven't seen yet!

Canoes & picnic tables don't mix

While Suzie, Joe & I were leisurely paddling around the pond, Jamie was fishing and Tim was lounging along the shore. Auntie Maria walked down and while chatting with the boys, watched three young guys (20ish types) toss a picnic table from the town beach off the town docks into the pond. They then proceeded to sit on the beach just watching it float. Maria (former teacher, current member of the committee that oversees the town beach, and next door neighbor to the beach) walked over to confront the boys. Using I'm sure her well-honed "scornfull teacher" voice got the boys to agree that they would indeed pull the table out of the water. 10 minutes later they were still watching it from the beach. Having finished our canoe trip, and having been brought up to speed with the picnic table saga, it became my turn to do something. I walked across the beach to the parking lot area, surveyed the half-dozen vehicles, and tried to guess which would be the most likely get-away car, and started writing down license plate numbers. The Taurus with the mega-boom box speakers in the rear windshield seemed almost too obvious so as I walked back I asked them which car was theirs. They refused to look at me, answer me, or react in any way whatsoever. I specifically asked if theirs was the Taurus, but was greeted (or "un"greeted) by the same non-response. Jamie, who never misses any drama watched the whole scene while pretending to fish off the docks. Almost immediately after I was off the beach and out of sight on "our side" Jamie called over to say they were running for their cars. Before I could get to a close enough vantage point, they were peeling out of the lot in two vehicles (btw - NOT the Taurus). Apparently, as soon as they decided I had the wrong plate number, they figured they better escape at first chance. I found it pretty humorous to think these three 20-something kids were brave enough to pick on a defenseless picnic table, but too scared to face the consequences of such a petty offense. Of course I now had to go get the picnic table out of the water, so I grabbed some rope and hopped back into the canoe and paddled over to were the picnic raft was floating. In case you ever have to perform an aquatic rescue of a table from a canoe, it doesn't go as smoothly as you may think. I did manage to tow it close enough to then wade in and pull it the rest of the way to land. Jamie helped me haul it back up onto the beach, then we all hoisted the canoe up onto the roof of the van (also, not as easy at it may sound - the van roof is about 7ft up) and headed for home to dry-dock the vessel for the winter.

Homecoming Queen Julie - 2008

Slipping

OK - I admit it - I'm slipping.

I no longer check Paula and Kate's blogs daily.

(Seriously, that's a good thing 'cause they NEVER BLOG anymore and haven't for some time now - and it's too OCD of me to keep looking)

(sorry ladies, it's just that we miss you and wish there was something new there to read!)

8 games in 18 hours

... and still can feel my feet (no small feat - nor small feet).

Saturday night - Susie was gone overnight for the Fryeburg Fair so I took three evening games starting at 6:40pm (not leaving me alone with those kids! they may kill each other, but they're not taking me with them!). Being a Peewee and two Bantam games, they were fairly fast and as all "C" level checking games are, rather entertaining. I was really "on my game" for this set (sometimes you just see the game with more clarity and decisiveness) and I even got to toss a coach - which I haven't actually done for a few years - who was loudly irate over a "NON-Icing" call and wouldn't shut up or calm down. (Icing you say? Nobody gets irate over an icing call - or non-call. But you'd be wrong!) By the time I finished the necessary paperwork (all game misconducts require a report) and got home and to bed it was 11:30. Then up at 5:30am to be on the ice in Falmouth at 7:00am for five more games (1 squirt and 2 peewees, then 2 girls games). When the kids lined up for the first faceoff, I was impressed with how geared up they were - squirts seldom look this competent. They started out quite aggressively and I quickly called a penalty for checking. The confused coach asked what the penalty was for, and the game resumed. At the very next whistle, he politely repeated his request for an explanation, which I gave. He then said "but this is a peewee game. They are allowed to check!". "Really? Peewee's? Not Squirts?" said I? The timekeeper confirmed it. (wow - this set ALWAYS starts with Squirts, but that explained why they looked so strong) I offered my apologies to the coach and player and let him out of the penalty box and cancelled the penalty (thankfully, they were not scored on while he was incorrectly being punished). Needless to say I didn't feel "on my game" for the rest of this one, but things went better after that. The one coach's complaint of the day was from Falmouth in the 3rd game, who felt I was being too strict and calling too many penalties of his team. "Come on Ref - we're trying to teach them how to check!" he complained. "But coach, I called a trip - not an illegal check!". I refrained from saying what I wanted to say which would have been "I understand you are trying to teach them how to check, but you need to understand that I'm simply letting you know they haven't learned yet! Keep trying".

Beach weather

stormy weather is a favorite time to go to the beach - to look for whatever the waves might wash ashore. Granted, tomorrow would be a better time to go explore but today is when I had some spare time with the kids.

Cheryl Wheeler at the Narrows

As part of our long-on-going 25th anniversary, Sue arranged to get tickets to see my favorite folk singer - Cheryl Wheeler - at a place in Fall River called "The Narrows Center For Arts". It was a secret (and I'm so wonderful that I never attempted to guess - although when pressed to guess, I got it on my first attempt) that she had managed to keep since earlier in the summer - no small feat considering the amount of people who knew about it. Her primary co-conspirators were Auntie Maria and Maria's best friend Joanne Clemons, who's daughter (older daughter - I used to coach younger daughter Barbie in softball) Debbie's husband Steve is best friends with Kathleen who happens to be Cheryl's partner, whom they are building a house next door to, on the property they bought off of them (got all that?). Joanne (maybe with some help from Maria who is also claiming some credit!!!) got 5 tickets and reserved seating at a table 10 feet from the stage (thankfully NOT on the 200 year old wooden church pews that some people got to sit on) - so Maria, Joanne and Joanne's husband Allan joined us for the show.

The warmup act was respectably good, and Cheryl was in fine form with her unconventional wit, crystal clear voice and beautiful fingerpicking guitar playing. Julie has been babysitting a lot - including this night - and having recently discovered and become a fan of Cheryl's, she requested us to get her some "swag" (J & M didn't know what "swag" was until Sue explained - concert gear/CD's/T-shirts/etc.. - but Allan knew it as a pirate term, and coincidentally Friday was "talk like a pirate day"). We got a CD with JuBee's favorite song "When fall Comes To New England" on it, and after the show, Cheryl stopped by our table to say "Hi" and she signed the CD for Julie.
So all in all, a lovely evening with great company, music, and lots of humor - a bit of a microcosm of our past 25 years! That you, Aunt Maria & Joanne (and Allan too).

ABSOLUTELY check out Cheryl in concert if you get the chance. Her pre-song stories of how the song came to be will have you roaring in laughter, while the songs themselves might continue the laugh-fest or might bring a tear to your eyes with the eloquent beauty of the music and lyrics.

this was Sue's favorite number
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfni_ZMhx5o&feature=related


here is Cheryl's song about how she must have done something terrific in a prior life to deserve a partner like hers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6j5HOuIpeo&feature=related

here is the counter-song that her partner might have written
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6j5HOuIpeo&feature=related

Here is the link for "The Narrows" website
(easy to get to and free parking!)
http://www.ncfta.org/

Advanced Children

People like to brag about how advanced their children are, and we are no different in that regard.

SO - tonight I am sitting at the middle school open house with my 6th grader Joe. The principle is explaining her description of middle-schoolers saying "and 6th grade boys are just silly. They are likely to sit at lunch mixing some concoction of ketchup and jello - and paying someone else to eat it!" As her audience is politely chuckling, Joe quietly says to me "I did that LAST year!"

Youth Hockey season 2008/9 starts early

Every September there is a referee meeting local ref's who intend to officiate either Yankee and/or So.Shore Conference games. Although it is typically the "same old/ same old" information, It's good to attend in case there is that one bit of knowledge one might otherwise miss (like two years ago when I couldn't make it and didn't know that our state was doing an experiment with a new "icing" rule - I figured it out when in the middle of my first game I informed by the coaches and my ref partner that I was calling it wrong). This past tuesday I learned that the two year old experiment had ended and we are reverting back to the original ruling (thank goodness). I also discovered that assignments would be given out via phone on Wednesday night for games this weekend! (Normally first Yankee games would be 2/3 weeks away still). So I've already gotten my first 5 games under my belt - 3 Mite "C"s and 2 Squirt "C"s. The only complaints from anybody was from coaches who hadn't yet had a practice session and had not even met some of their players until 20 minutes before game time. Mite C players tend to have difficulty figuring out where to stand for a faceoff, but generally we can ask the coach what postion "Billy" is supposed to be playing and we can move him there - but these poor coaches didn't even know who "Billy" was! (at certain times, even "Billy" didn't seem to know who "Billy" was, or what town he played for, or which goalie he should be shooting at!)

Makes me look forward to the 1st year Peewee's and trying to teach them the right way to check (tweet "nope, that wasn't legal" - tweet "neither was that" - tweet "no , this isn't football" - tweet "no, this isn't wrestling")

for the sake of simplicity....

lets just say...

I "get it" that it is an expected part of childhood to test boundries and see what you can get away with.

but they "don't get it" that it is an equally required part of parenthood to set boundries and ruin kids lives when they break the rules.

Being "sneaky" is bad enough, but being stupid about being sneaky just drives me nuts! I know it's a short drive, but Jamie & Nikki have the pedal to the metal lately.

Let's all go to Arizona to visit Jason Silverman

Jason is one of my best friends.

(actually, he SUCKS because he never writes, calls, IM's or emails - I hope you "google" yourself and read this Jason! jk lol)

He is smart & zany & eccentric & a very good musician. (I assume he is a good architect although I have never personally seen his work, and he has now quit that occupation to do full-time music - I think just to make me jealous)

We played in a band together off and on for a few years. Then he moved to Worchester, then Arizona near his mother and sister (so I suppose I must forgive him).

FINALLY!!!!! He shows up on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/jasonsbass and facebook and writes a blog about the band "EastonAshe" he's in now. So - everybody - go visit Jason's myspace page, or go read his blog at http://jasonbass.blogspot.com/ even if you don't know him - just to bombard him with site hits. "Friend" him through FaceBook if you like (I know Scotty needs more friends to stay with or ahead of Jen!). Pour out the love!

A Whirl Wind Week

As summer's ending the schedule heats up (including squeezing in the relaxation events). Saturday we visited friends for kayaking on Glen Charlie Pond, supper, and relaxed partying. Sunday Corey & I went and set up the final 4-H tent for the upcoming fair, then we all headed to Hanson for swimming and canoeing. Monday was final shopping for back-to-school, which was Tuesday - getting them out the door in the morning and filling out the emergency/permission forms in the evening. Wednesday was our adventure-filled Anniversary "off" day - kids on the bus, 5 mile bike ride, train to Boston, subway to the Library for research, lunch with Mary, more research, trains back home, kids to 4-H, out to dinner, pick up kids. Thursday more 4-H after work and grocery shopping and send Sue TO work. Friday - straight from work to bring Yon to work to 4-H (fair opens at 5:00pm) to catch up with everyone else. Although the fair runs late on friday, all day & night saturday, and sunday morning - that is actually a sort of relaxing time where other than keeping a loose eye out on the kids, I get to poke around all day and sit/watch and bid on a few pieces of junk/treasure at the auction on both nights, and eat fried dough. Sunday afternoon brings the Edwards Family cookout. With any luck, Monday will be a day without too much labor - as I sit around putting off for another day all of the obvious cleaning/fixing projects that I have been putting off for another day!

The Dividing Line

25 years ago today was the last day we would be single people. I was 28-1/2 years old and Sue was 20-1/2. Needless to say, stepping from that lifestyle into the “Married” life is a big change at any age. I recall that leading up to the proposal was rather nerve-wracking, but the night before the wedding I was nonchalant. She was an amazing and intriguing, wonderful person, who I (along with everyone else in the world) loved. Of course I assumed we would have a long lifetime of grand adventures – that went without saying, so it probably did.

“well I know it’s kind’a strange but every time I’m near you I just run out of things to say. I hope you understand. Every time I tried to tell you, the words just came out wrong, so I’ll have to say I love you in a song” (Jim Croce)

Early on couples are still figuring each other out, learning all of the quirks and foibles – fatal flaws and quaint eccentricities – that the other had managed to successfully suppress during the courtship period. Some of us worry too much about things that aren’t that big an issue, while some of us don’t place enough concern over things we really should attend to more seriously. Are we always this way or is there a point in time where we say to ourselves “I need to fix this”? And which one of us gets to determine who is over-reacting and who is not responding enough?

I am still nonchalant about a lot of marriage stuff, but is it actually that the whole experience has left me peacefully content, or that I am still selfishly oblivious and taking things for granted? I am not yet at the dividing line where I have spent more of my life married than not – I won’t get there for another three years. Once my “married” longevity exceeds the length of my “bachelorhood” will I start to see the error of my ways, finally give in to reality and “get it right”? Does it take that long for the wife to finally break the hubby’s old "bachelor habits"? Does it take that long for me to finally firmly grip that it really IS all my fault? Unfortunately for her, she crossed the dividing line five years ago. Is she doomed to suffer another three years waiting for me to join her in the same stage of life? I just hope and pray that she will put up with me long enough for me to find out the answer. It goes without saying that it has been 25 amazing years of grand adventures and wedded bliss (maybe not so much so for her! – sorry, I’m stealing HER line here) but my biggest baddest fatal flaw is still allowing it to go unsaid.

“every time the time is right all the words just come out wrong, so I’ll have to say I love you in a song”

Happy 25th Anniversary Eve, baby – I Love You.

We've been together since way back when

Sometimes I never want to see you again

But I want you to know After all these years

You're still the one I want whisperin' in my ear

You're still the one I want to talk to in bed

Still the one That turns my head

We're still having fun And you're still the one

Changing, our love is going gold

Even though we grow old, it grows new

You're still the one That I love to touch

Still the one And I can't get enough

We're still having fun And you're still the one

(Orleans)

Fruits of our labor - 2008

Still trying - at least THIS time I passed

So I answered the Craigslist ad - Classic Rock singer/guitarist needed for South Shore band. I went to jam/audition with three guys trying to put a band together. They were "guitar (lead/rhythm), bass and drums with strong backup vocals who just need to find someone who can sing & play lots of 60's-70's rock". I do get to say I passed their audition with flying colors. Sadly, they didn't pass my audition. Nice guys, for sure - with a nice well equiped practice set-up.
Strong backing vocals? Not even close.
Instrumentally polished? My kitchen floor is more polished than their musical presentation (and you've seen my kichen floor!).
The guitar player was the closest to competent, vocally and instrumentally - someone who under the right circumastances I could possibly work with.
The drummer was uninspired and not exactly a human metronome, and didn't sing at all (maybe he was simply the smartest of the three) - you could envision getting by with him with plenty of practice and a strong surrounding band.
The bass player was rough (to put it nicely) on his instrument, and although he was obliviously bad as a lead singer he was clueless at harmonies - he was an enthusiastic singer though.
They loved the songs that I played, while their proposed playlist was boring and lame - but certainly plenty of standards that everyone would recognize and would take me no time to learn. The final nail in the coffin was when they asked if I could sing "House of the rising sun" (but give me credit - I sang as much as I could remember). If I was going to find a group to be virtually my backup band, I would actually want them to be a bit better than me. I am not great by any measure, so if I were to be head-and-shoulders the best in the band, that band is doomed.

Did I mention they were real nice guys? If we randomly met at a house party and just decided to jam for the heck of it with no expectations, it would have been a lot of fun (and this post would sound much more positive and enthusiastic).

It is extremely difficult to put a band together (or fit into an existing one) at this age and time.
When we were teenagers we hung out with friends who together learned to play music. Because we were friends (a group) first (without music) with common backgrounds, tastes, experiences, we were eager to push each other to become better, because there was comraderie and mutual benefit to this joint effort. We had all the time in the world to hang out - playing together and letting things simply evolve (or not - if it didn't pan out, we were still going to be friends). Now as adults, there is no pre-established bond, there are tight time constrictions, and everybody assembled expects the others to be of comparable skill. We don't count on being close friends outside of the band, time is of the essence, and it's a business. It's got to happen fast and be good, and if not we cut our losses and move on. We are much more judgemental towards each other.

I think I still want to play in a band. Playing music with other musicians is still enticing. The logistics of putting a band together and getting it onto a stage in a paying gig are daunting. When I'm not pursuing it, I wish I was. When I am, I question my sanity (and I'm probably not the only one).

stinging criticism

Apparently a hive of yellow jackets didn't like the way I was weeding and trimming around the apple trees. They let me know in no uncertain terms. The first one made his "point" loud and clear inside my right ear lobe. While I was trying to rebuke him, I realized that my arms, shoulder and neck were receiving the same message. I started to utter a few profanities as I swatted and backpeddled, and then decided opening my mouth might not be the best idea. Running and yanking off my shirt seemed like a smarter choice (as the dead bee inside my "Bee"tles t-shirt proved). Julie heard the commotion from inside the house and asked the obvious question -"Bee's?" So thinking of Jamies need for the epi-pen, I grabbed some Benadryl and water and waited to see if my breathing or swallowing was going to get difficult. I assumed I would be able to at least whisper to julie "911" if necessary - which it wasn't. About an hour later I decided it was safe to call Sue (at the Marshfield fair Rabbit Show") and let her know of my mis-adventure.

Uncle Corey says Happy Birthday to Mary

me: my baby Mary turns 24 today

MEIGGSCRM: happy birthday to her....damn it wasn't that long ago i was holding her..when she was a baby..well that was my snap shot of her the last time i was up there

Mary's Anniversary Gift to us

Mary planned and organized a days worth of activity in honor of Sue's and mine approaching 25th Anniversay. The kids all managed to keep the plan a secret. We only knew that there WAS a plan and that it started with us all leaving the house at 9:30am and we were to be dressed nicely and in shades of blue. Sue quickly concluded that this meant a professional family photo (she was right). We assumed that part of the plan would include a lunch somewhere. We were also instructed to bring play clothes to change into (assuming some sort of outdoor adventure). Mary is totally proving to be her mothers own child. So we left the house right on time - to arrive at (stop #1) C & J's photo studio about 10 minutes early. Sue is ALWAYS early - never "fashionably" late (or any other excuse for late). Carol at the studio (the same studio that my parents brought us to 50 years ago for our family photos) was very impressed - first at the size of the family, and then at the efficiency that everybody fell into line and positioned and repositioned to get the optimal shots. We finished so quickly that we had close to an hour before our (stop #2) 11:30 lunch reservation at The Hitching Post. So where do we go when we have time to kill??? Of course - a cemetary. Fern Hill is the final resting place of many McClellan, Annis, and Everson ancestors - and it was a beautiful morning for head(stone) hunting. After burying ourselves in this pursuit, we headed for lunch - except we discovered that the Hitching Post serves only breakfast until 1:30 on Sundays, so we ate a hearty late breakfast. Mary then presented everybody with team T-Shirts that said BLAUSS 25 on the back, and off we went to (stop #3) my old Softball Team stomping grounds for a game of whiffleball. We broke into two teams and played 4 inning. Naturally the Blauss Team won, so according to an old tradition we went to (stop #4) DQ for a victory ice cream.

Nicely done, Mary!

http://picasaweb.google.com/don.sueblauss/25th

(I think I can say "nicely done, Sue & Donnie!" Our kids made us proud today!)

((PS: technically, the "25th" is on the 27th))

Green Harbor scientific research

Laurie is leading an effort to restore tidal flow into the Green Harbor River (site of our family island where we spend much of our childhoos summer vacations).
http://30phillipsst.blogspot.com/2007/02/island-games-by-eric-wes.html

http://web.whrsd.org/faculty/bianchi_laurie/River%20Project/ixRiver.htm

Much of the study has to do with catching fish on each side of the dyke and see how it changes when a limited amount of tide is allowed back into the river. Julie is using it as an opportunity to accumulate the required hours of community service she needs for school. Lots of other family members have also been pitching in. Today I got to help out for the first time.

Green Harbor Fish Pier

After leaving the Beach we circled around by the pier at Green Harbor - a true working pier. Jamie and Joe explored up and down the docks and checked out the boats and then a fisherman mentioned a boat was coming in with an 800 pound tuna. Despite Tim's impatience, we decided to stick around to see how big an 800lb tuna
really was. As we waited, word must have been spreading because more and more people started arriving to see the fish that had not yet arrived. After 45 minutes the boat tied up to the dock, with one very large fish laying on it's deck. With about 50 spectators leaning over railing for a better look, the 5ft long fish was winched up (officially weighed in at only 650lb) and into the waiting refrigerated fish market truck.

Brant Rock at low tide

For Corey Meiggs - if you can't get back to visit Brant Rock, I'll just have to send Brant Rock to you!

PS: Suzie says "Hi".

Julie's back from her big adventure

Julie spent the week with her favorite ex-teacher at Martha's Vineyard teaching art to 4-9 year olds. The perfect dream job (except for the no pay part) for her.

Manny being Manny (as of 7/31/08 4:00pm many miles from Boston)

(sung to the tune of Dock Of The Bay)

Hittin’ is what Manny’s done
He’ll be hittin’ though he won't even run
the rest of his stunts I won’t miss
In the Dodgers wall there’s no place to piss, yeah yeah
I'm waiting now to see Jason Bay
Hoping the tide will turn our way
Ooo, I just hope that gettin’ Jason Bay
is not Wastin' time
I lost my love of Manny
Let him and go and play in LA
'Cause I've a new guy to root for
look like Jason's gonna come save the day
So I'm just gonna root for my team at Fenway
a bit sad that Brandon and Craig went away
Ooo, I just hope that gettin’ Jason Bay
will ease all our minds

nothing was ever gonna change
Manny would still be sitting out games
He wouldn't do what $20 million tells him to do
So I guess he'll remain the same, yes

Jason’s here to hit our guys home
And I bet he’ll leave McCormack alone
From Pittsburgh and last place he’s roamed
Just to make the Green Monster his own
Now, I'm gonna sit and root for Jason Bay
Watching for homers flying away
Oooo-wee, thankful we got Jason Bay
just in time, yeah yeah