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

I'm Proud of my wife!

Following in my daughters footsteps – or – Why Erastus?

Why Erastus indeed. The simple answer is “I’m not exactly sure why he intrigues me – he just does”.

“Uncle Erastus” lived from 1837 to 1897 and once owned a piece of property that my family now owns. Our only direct knowledge of this long forgotten person was a reproduction of an old blue plate photo of him in front of a hunting shack with two dogs – allegedly on our mutually owned island in Green Harbor - and that he had served in the Civil War. Mary had done some research on Uncle Erastus and discovered some of his war history and that he served with the Freedman’s Bureau in South Carolina during the Reconstruction period following the war. Mary “chases dead people” – first as a hobby for her pure love of genealogy and old graveyards, now as a full-time job with her Masters degree. With the NEGHS she has access to all sorts of resources that the average hobby genealogist can’t get at. But I’ve been amazed at what I have been able to stumble across through google searches and such. Aside from the differences in returns based on if you search through Google or Yahoo or MSN, you get different results by using quotations and by putting his last name first or adding his middle initial. So discovering the mechanics of researching somebody has it’s own level of mystery and challenge and satisfaction. But back to the initial question – why Erastus? My ancestor was Barnabus (or Barnabas – depending on who wrote the record in question). Barnabus’ father and Erastus’ grandfather were brothers. Erastus married after the war but had no children to one day research his legacy. What Mary and I have stumbled across so far leads me to believe he was a very interesting person and deserves to be known. Now I suppose that any ancestor I picked would have been likewise a fascinating project, but since childhood there existed an interest in the original owner of our island. After Mary shared the info she had uncovered, my interest was elevated and I discovered the excitement of not only finding more info but also trying to decipher what it means. It’s as if I am writing a mystery book and attempting to figure out how the story goes, assuring that the facts make sense and fit correctly. Maybe more accurately, it’s like somebody already wrote the book but hid each chapter in different places – leaving clues as to where you can find them. No wonder Mary loves her job – she gets paid to solve the mysteries of people’s ancestors. So in a way, I am following in my daughter’s footsteps – chasing dead people. In my case though, I imagine it is only one dead person (although of course many other peoples lives play into his and must be known to some degree if I am to reconstruct Erastus properly. They hold many of the clues.). Other direct ancestors have been somewhat reconstructed already by others, and Erastus is the only one who has caught my interest enough to chase him. Besides, he apparently left behind a rather extensive paper trail – unlike most of our predecessors so my chances of success are greatly increased. I already acquired a letter he sent to an undetermined female cousin “Joe”. Mary got one from a library in California. The Boston Public Library has a collection with 188 items of his. The South Carolina Historical Society has an apparently large collection of his letters, military records, and even some family photographs. I am captivated by the concept of reconstructing this Reconstructionist. How much effort should I exert, at what cost (for considerable money I could acquire copies of almost everything), and for what ultimate purpose? What will happen if am able to reconstruct him - if I can “catch” him? Maybe I’ll have to ask Wiley Coyote for some advice.

Don't Even Ask

suffice to say it was one of those things. You try to teach your kids that you're supposed to think things through before you do it, but I didn't heed my own advice.

MAN it hurts!

It's Bearly Pawsible

The bear problem in New Hampshire is getting worse. Not only are they raiding dumpsters at restaurants and wandering through peoples backyards, they are loitering outside of Zeb's - hitting people up for money, bullying young boys, and getting frisky with the ladies.

Why does Joe look so sad?

Because Joe forgot to bring "essential item #9" camping with him. It is what he always wanted, and he got one for his birthday in May - but when it came time to go camping (the ideal place and the exact reason you want to own one) he could not find it. Let me tell you how many times in 5 days he wished he had it with him!

Saco River Rope Swing

One of the favorite activities when we camp in NH is the rope swing across from the campground beach on the Saco. At about 100 feet wide, the river is knee-to-waist deep for about 80 feet and then drops off to over my head right up to the far shore. Note that Jamie (in the water) is clinging to the river bank roots but not actually touching bottom. Corey (superwhite - if he was friendlier we could call him Casper!) swings out a good distance, but....

at one point I was out there helping Nikki as a group of 20-something kayakers were also giving it a go.
After all the boyfriends had finished showing off to their girlfriends I heard one of the young ladies say "but the old guy was the best at it". I will gladly dismiss the "old guy" crack because I get to say "I've STILL GOT IT! Take THAT you young hotshots!"

and just for the record - Sue also took a swing off of it and did so much more gracefully than the 20ish girl who went ahead of her.

As Paul Simon sang "Still crazy after all these years"

((more pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/don.sueblauss/Camping08 )

come camping with us in New Hampshire

Camping

North Conway here we come.
(funny - the camp ground is in Conway, not North Conway, but we always refer to it that way because that's where we go to shop at Zeb's and the 5 & dime and expolore town)
So Eastern Slope Camping Area on the Saco River near Dianna's Bath and Swift River Lower Basin and swimming, rafting/kayaking, shopping, eating, playing softball & whiffleball at the camp field - same old routine that we love so well year after year and the kids can't wait to go!

http://www.easternslopecamping.com/index.html