MaineStream

the kickball team that can

2007-09-28T15:02:00.001-05:00

Our little kickball team, an amalgamation of a few teams from last season is undefeated through 4 games! Tall Guy and I had to disband our beloved "Rick is 21" because not enough people came back from last season, so we got tossed in with "Look Ma, No Hands" and what a great thing that has turned out to be. We actually played the team on which 2 of our former teammates ended up, another amalgamation of teams from last season and a force to be reckoned with. We played a game of perfect defense and put together some nice offense, scoring 3 runs to their 1. I have to toot my own horn and say that I had a diving catch (my first and it felt good, and a lead-off double because they overthrew trying to get me out at 1st so I turned on the juice and made it to 2nd - we didn't score, but it's gratifying getting 2 bases on a bunt).

This weekend is Homecoming at my little school so I will be attending a bonfire this evening and a day of athletic activities tomorrow. I will NOT be chaperoning the dance tomorrow night. This is a good thing since the students had to be warned to keep their genitals apart when dancing or risk not having a dance next year.
Teenagers+music+dark=chaperoning nightmare.

Things I've noticed about h.s. in the past 2 weeks

2007-09-19T13:33:00.000-05:00

There are some interesting phenomena about high school, things that haven't changed since I was a student, and some things that have changed so drastically I can't imagine existing in this environment.

Hasn't changed:
*Kids think they're smarter than adults and that they can get away with stuff. I was in charge of "Picture Day" for the yearbook class photos. Almost every single class had 2 boys who tried to give the "thumbs-up" sign. Every one of them was yelled at by a chorus of teachers watching the process.

*Chemistry still sucks.

*At lunch, boys sit with boys and girls sit with girls. Except for the drama kids.

*Pressure is still the best way to get homework done. The library has a computer lab and every morning, 15 kids are in there frantically typing. While we didn't have to type most assignments when I was in high school, first period still found a huge group of students trying to get that last paragraph written.

Changes:
*Being able to look up the theme of your paper on the Internet - damn that's helpful.

*Emailing students their assignments and having them dump their papers into an online folder so that you have them when you get home. You can edit them using track changes and re-email, or print them out and make comments by hand. I think that I would have appreciated this more my first year of teaching, rather than when I was a student. Pretty cool.

*A phone in every pocket, and once school gets out, attached to every ear. God knows I'm addicted to my own cell phone, but being around teenagers and cell phones doesn't make me like the little buggers any more.

*The school librarian is way cooler :)

Random observations:
-Two chairs will never due if one is available. Seriously, they sit on top of each other, even when plenty of seating surrounds them.

-It's soo nice to have a cafeteria with a hot lunch. If I forget my lunch, or just don't want to eat last night's leftovers, there is a warm, tasty option at the other end of the hall. When I last taught, there were vending machines in place of a lunch line so students & teachers had the option of a mildly stale sandwich, a lukewarm yogurt or a "Cup-o-Soup", chicken flavor. Mmmm.

-Despite my being almost 15 years older than the seniors here, I still feel like "one of them". When did I get so old?

Hate in my heart

2007-09-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

For Eric Gagne. How many times does he have to blow a save before Francona realizes that the Eastern Division Little League team is missing their star pitcher? Someone better give Tito a stern talking-to this morning. The kind of talking-to that says, "if you let Gagne so much as put on a Red Sox uniform and think about pitching with anything less than a 9-run lead, you're fired."

OverwHelmed

2007-09-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

First by the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and then by the First Day of School (remember that?).

Our trip west was wonderful. Way too brief, but great, nonetheless. I was able to take a drive through a small section of the mountains outside of Boulder (in a HUMMER...oh, the shame). We stopped at Boulder Falls, which was a beautiful sight with some cold water, and in the town of Nederland, which probably has a population of 73 but which has a library in the town "center". The wedding was flawless complete with touching vows, excellent food and plenty of dancing (mostly by me as Tall Guy never got quite drunk enough to stay on the dance floor for more than 3 minutes).

The first day of school was hectic and this first week has been packed with new faces and lots of questions. I have 6 advisees, all freshmen, so we are new together, which is kind of nice. I am slowing starting to learn the collection and the flow of the day. I hate telling people to be quiet, but I like helping them find a book. And, still not loving the whole "last-name" thing. I actually had a student walk up the desk and introduce herself. She said, "Hi, I'm Bryn," to which I replied, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jill. I mean, Mrs. O'Connor. Damn."

A new kickball season starts tonight. Tall Guy and I are on a new team, Look Ma No Hands, and we're looking forward to a winning season.

With a side of relish

2007-08-28T12:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, tomorrow turned into a bit longer. I won't give you any lame excuses. I will just say that I now live in a different house than I did last week, work at a different job and am about 1/4 of a million dollars poorer.

We have had quite the whirlwind August. We spent most of the early part entertaining family in Portland and lounging at Tall Guy's family's lake house on Cobbosseecontee, just outside of Augusta. There all six of his dad's siblings gathered, along with his dad, to reminisce and eat and play games. It was a wonderful few days.

Leaving Augusta, we made our way down to Gloucester, Massachusetts, where my mom had rented a house on Good Harbor Beach. It was the first time my family has ever gone away together and it was delightful. We had 4.5 days just laying on the beach and lounging around the enormous house she rented. We didn't think that it would be as noisy in Gloucester with my two family members under age 5 as it had been in Maine with seven family members under age 8, but those kids are little miracles and they managed to make as much noise as a gaggle of rugrats.

After vacation came the period of August called THE HOUSE. We are mostly still in that phase, except that I have started THE NEW JOB, which is taking up more time right now than THE HOUSE. We had an easy and uneventful closing, 4 nights of furious packing, 2 days of moving (thank you to everyone who helped) and then we lived in a house. We have unpacked a lot of stuff and shoved a lot of stuff into the basement (much to Tall Guy's disapproval). We bought a new living room set from Bob(ble)-Head's Discount Furniture in the color Camel, which apparently requires the workers who assemble these pieces of furniture to travel to the middle east to hunt, kill and skin an indeterminate number of camels in order to make my 3-piece living room set in seven weeks. What this means is that we have zero seating in the living room for another 42 days, give or take a day if a camel really gives chase.

My new job will be fantastic once I get the library organized and learn what is in the collection. I have one more day here before the students arrive on Tuesday, so most of that won't happen by then, but no one here seems too concerned, which is reassuring. I hate introducing myself by my last name, but I like teachers and I like helping people find things that they need. Oh, and getting paid. I like that.

Because resting is for the weak, we will be traveling to Boulder, Colorado this weekend to witness the nuptials of some friends.

Finaly, random thoughts:
*Can't someone trade JD Drew for one of those Little Leaguers from Walpole? The man is being GIVEN $14 million to stink up Fenway.

*I have a new obsession with orange cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market in Portland.

*Moms are wonderful, especially when they help you clean your new house.

*I loved working for the United Way of Greater Portland and have a new and deeply-felt respect and admiration for the work going on at that agency. I will miss the people who work there and hope that my new colleagues are 1/2 as fun.

*W is still dumb.

*Tommy Lee Jones (of Pamela Anderson and Motley Crue fame) has a tatoo of Mighty Mouse. Heh heh...Mighty Mouse is so lame.

Vacationin'

2007-08-19T17:21:00.000-05:00

We just got home from vacation and now have to start packing. We close on our house tomorrow at 11AM - yikes! Thanks, Chris for this little diversion. I like Big Bird. Oh, when the description below mentions "you," it means me. It's all about me. Take your own damn test.

More updating tomorrow...

Your Score: Big Bird

You scored 68% Organization, 41% abstract, and 69% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables.

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.

Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.

Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.

Here is why are you Big Bird.

You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Big Bird is never sloppy and always under control... pretty good for a 6 year old bird living without a family.

You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Big Bird can be quite dreamy at times and has no problem using his imagination. At the same time he is also practical and can be methodical in his search for answers to questions. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course.

You are both extroverts. Big Bird gets along with everyone. He makes friends easily and always has a positive attitude. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team.

Hey, don't be a grouch! If you liked the test, let others know by rating it below. Feel free to vote for your favorite character too.

Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo

More ketchup

2007-08-07T12:07:00.000-05:00

We did go to trivia last week, Margarita’s again. We are 2 for 2 there, blowing the competition away by earning 28 points out of 40. This time, there were 5 of us so we each got a free dinner certificate and a Coors Light cooler bag filled with bar giveaways like keychains, Frisbees, a hat, a towel and a water bottle. We divied it up the loot and vowed to return.
The ones we missed:
*What is the strongest bone in the human body?
*What do chefs consider the "magic spice"?
*Which finger has the fastest growing nail?
*True or False, Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a 50,000 word book titled Gadsby without using the letter "y"?
*Who is the oldest Beatle?
*What are the holes in Swiss cheese called?

A few we got:
*What has 354 steps?
*Which city has the largest Chinatown?
*What does the symbol AU represent on the periodic table?
*Which country’s tradition includes a 3-month honeymoon paid for by the bride? A) India B) Algeria C) Morocco or D) Thailand
*Who did Blondie Boopadoop marry?
*On what 2 parts of a dog can sweat glands be found?
*Where do the biggest consumers of SPAM live?
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House-closing proceedings are going well. Here are a few pics of the new pad

Front of house

Kitchen

Living room

Kickin' daylight basement we will, one day, finish

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T-minus 3 days until we are on vacation. Tall Guy's family is visiting and it has been lovely so far though we are jealous because they can go do fun things and we have to work. We will go up to Lake Cobbosseecontee (outside of Augusta) this weekend to hang with extended family then we will go down to Gloucester (Mass) to spend some time with my family. I see lots of wine and board games in our future.
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Answers
-jawbone or mandible
-pepper
-the middle finger
-False, he didn’t use the letter "e" – yes, we should’ve known that one by its title. I really want to read this now - it's online here in its entirety.
-Ringo Starr
-eyes
-the Statue of Liberty
-San Francisco
-gold
-Thailand
-Dagwood Bumstead
-nose and paws
-Hawaii

sign of the apocalypse?

2007-08-06T15:18:00.000-05:00

No W hasn't told the truth, nor has Britney won "mother-of-the-year," but I'm pretty sure it's sleeting outside right now! I know that I live in Maine, but c'mon Mother Nature, what the fuck?! It's darker than dick cheney's heart outside and it's 4 o'clock. I'm sitting by the window, and I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna see the Wicked Witch of the West fly by on her broomstick any second now.

To meme or not to...

2007-08-02T14:42:00.000-05:00

I will, but I'm only going to answer the ones that I really like. This is from Chris's blog and it was originally 50 random questions. I only answered 29.

1. What curse word do you use the most? Fuck, I can't think of one.

2. Do you own an iPod? Yes, though I now share it with Tall Guy since his died. I have also been turned on to a great Web site, MP3 which streams new albums for free. Great for blocking out the phone conversations of my colleagues.

3. Flip flops or sneakers? Not really a fan of either. If someone were chasing me, I'd like to have sneakers on. If my feet are going to meet an ocean wave, I'd choose flip flops. Otherwise, a cute pair of dress shoes, please.

4. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Easy, take it. I want someone else to develop them for me though.

5. What was the last movie you watched? Idlewild - the Outkast movie - I was really impressed with the first 3/4 of the movie. The ending was disappointing, but on the whole a worthwhile flick, especially, as Netflix says, "if you like your roadhouse boogie straight up". Who knew that I did?

6. Do any of your friends have children? Almost all of my friends from CT have kids - it's a requirement to stay in the state. Very few of my friends in Portland have them. Kids and beer don't mix.

7. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? That's what books are for.

8. What CD is currently in your CD player? I haven't had a CD player in a long time. But I mentioned the MP3 site above - this week I have listened to Ani DiFranco, Live at Carnegie Hall, A Tribute to Joni Mitchell by various artists (has an amazing version of "Dreamland" by Caetano Veloso), and the new one by Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

9. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Chocolate.

10. Who was the last person to call you? My mom asking if I could get tomorrow off to go to the beach. Sadly, I had to say no b/c I have so much work to do - probably shouldn't be blogging right now...

11. Did you watch cartoons as a child? I watched Saturday-morning cartoons, back when they were on prime time. I remember liking The Smurfs, Justice League and Gummi Bears, and Sunday morning cartoons like Johnny Quest and Captain Caveman.

13. What movie do you know every line to? Embarrassing revelation ahead: The Little Mermaid. Every damn line.

14. What is your favorite salad dressing? Home-made balsamic vinaigrette

15. Do you read for fun? Does a Republican lie?

16. Who was the last person to text message you? One of my kickball teammates. I love text messaging - I hate the horrible abbreviating that goes along with it.

17. Is sex before marriage wrong? No.

18. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? Define function. I don't need much but no matter how much (or little) I get, I'm pretty cranky in the morning.

19.Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? If I am trying to decide between 2 similar products, I do. I buy a lot of fresh meat and produce so there are no packages to check.

20.Are you picky about spelling and grammar? To answer this meme, I was trying to decide if the titles of albums should be put in quotes or italics so I opened one of my favorite links to a punctuation guide. I'd say yes.

21. Have you ever been to Six Flags? No. I went to amusement parks before they were all Six Flags. Today, I get queasy swinging on a backyard swing.

22. Do you like cottage cheese? I think it's a cruel joke that this food has cheese in the description.

23. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? I start on my stomach every night and usually roll onto my back. If I end up on my side, I wake up and flip to my stomach.

24. What song did you last sing out loud? I'm pretty sure it was Wilson Philips' "Hold On" at 2AM Saturday night. There were 4 of us and it was hott.

25. What is your favorite TV show? Ever: V (a sci-fi show from the early 80s), Cheers or Six Feet Under. Now - Lost or Heroes.

26. Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? Paul Newman

27. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? Waiting for the realtor to call and tell us whether or not we got our house.

28. What one thing do you wish you had? 3 more inches of height.

29. Favorite lyrics? A lot of Ani DiFranco songs have amazing lyrics. Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" (not only the lyrics, but the way he sings them - wow). Tool's "Aenima":
"I sure could use a vacation from this
Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any fucking time. Any fucking day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay."
Amen.

Reading

2007-08-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

That's right, a post about reading. Reading books. I've been doing a lot of that lately. Well, when not dealing with house stuff and traveling across most of New England. I have read 8 books in the past 2 weeks or so; most of them were good. I have joined a web site called Good Reads, which allows people to rate and review books they have read. Like Netflix, you can have Friends and you can see which books your friends have read and reviewed. I may never have time to work again.

My reviews from my latest reads:
The best, besides Harry Potter 7, which was good because it was the culmination of so much time and effort spent, were the graphic novels. I am a huge fan of this genre and I wasn't disappointed by either Goodbye, Chunky Rice or Maus: A Survivor's Tale. Both were well-drawn and poignant. It feels like an enhanced story, not only do you get the words that tell the story, but you get the author's vision of what that story looks like. And this isn't a subsitution for the reader's own imagination because I think that graphic novels cause a deeper level of reading. As a reader, I am looking into each panel to make sure that I have caught everything possible so I am sucked into the narrative in a way that can't happen with an all-text story. So cool.

I also read 2 books by Jodi Picoult, Salem Falls and Vanishing Acts. I found her book My Sister's Keeper an unexpectedly good read. Then I read Plain Truth, which I also enjoyed (I learned quite a bit about the Plain folks living in Pennsylvania). By the time I read these 2, I realized that Picoult has a formula: introduction, major event, trial, resolution. A reviewer of Salem Falls noted that it was like reading an episode of "Law & Order". I quite agree. I think that I have read enough of her books for now but I would be interested in picking up one of her books once enough time had passed that I forgot about her formula and it all seemed new and fresh again.

The last 3 books were Blue Screen by Robert Parker, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and Tithe by Holly Black. Parker's book featured one of his newer characters, Sunny Randall,not Spencer for Hire (RIP Robert Urich). Not much action in the book but I liked that Sunny meets another of Parker's new characters, Jesse Stone, and that her therapist is Susan Silverman, Spencer's long-time partner. All of Parker's characters will eventually make their way onto the page and I am intrigued to know if he meant it that way when he first created Sunny and Jesse, or if it just happened. I love the way he writes his main characters: tough, but literary, witty and self-aware.

I read Miller's book at the request of my sister-in-law, whom I love and respect. I still love and respect her, but I wish Miller would be swallowed up by a sinkhole so he can no longer ramble on about how cool christianity is. Be christian, that's fine. Be cool, that's fine. But selling christianity as cool, that made me want to scrub the inside of my head with a Jon Stewart/Michael Moore wirebrush.

And, lastly Black's book - a YA fantasy about a girl who communes with fairies. I like the idea of fairies, but reading about an angst-filled teenager who has a flop of a mom and no real substance in her life or thoughts, who talks to fairies, not that good. I also have found the writing overwrought and flowery.

I like reading so much, I should work in a library...

Trivia and a House for Imaginary Friends

2007-07-24T12:45:00.000-05:00

Last night I almost caught up on the sleep I lost devouring Book 7 of Harry Potter this weekend. Tall Guy and I watched The Princess Bride and I was reminded how much I like that movie. And the book; it's a great book, written by William Goldman. I should read some of his other books.
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We switched up our trivia night last week, going to Margarita's on Wednesday night instead of RiRa's on Tuesday (and you thought Maine was boring). We were a team of 9 and we absolutely blew the competition away. The place had about 1/4 of the people that RiRa's gets, but we ate some tasty Mexican food while we answered all but 5 questions right (scoring 32 out of 40). We won two free dinners and a huge Mexican vase-thing stuffed with margarita glasses and a pitcher. Not bad. Here're the questions I can remember 6 days later:

*What is the largest seed?
*Statistically, what is the safest age for a human?
*The Abominable Snowman is associated with which part of the world?
*Which army was the first to introduce canned food?
*Where on the human body can 20 moons be found?
*Where was Rocky Racoon’s home?
*How many horses on a polo team?
*What are the 3 kinds of rocks?
*What color is the Teletubby Dipsy?
*How long does antibacterial soap have to be left on the skin to work?
*What is the plural form of the word scampi?
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And, as I've mentioned before, trivia reminds me of our search for a place to call home. So, the BIG news: Tall Guy and I are HOMEOWNERS. Well, almost. It's all contingent on a home inspection and financing, but we're pretty darned close. The house is a very cute 3BR colonial in South Portland. The inspection is Thursday so I'll take some pics and post them after that.
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Answers:
Coconut
10 years old
Himalayas
Napoleon’s
Finger and toenails
black mountain hills of Dakota
4
Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic
Green
Two minutes
Scampo

Potteritis

2007-07-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

That's right, I have it. And it's contagious. The reason I didn't blog all weekend? I was absorbed by Book 7, which arrived at 3:45PM on Saturday. I finished it last night at 2:30AM. All I can say: Wow. It was absorbing and well-written and had a mostly satisfying ending. Now I have a little hole in my heart. I hope that Rowling continues to write, even if she never writes another word about HP&Co.

Headin' for Canada

2007-07-20T17:19:00.000-05:00

Sweet, Jesus, it's time to get out of the country. This article has me more terrified than watching Paris Hilton giggle her way through a SADD meeting. A taste:
Bush butt probed, Cheney in charge
"President Bush would be having his butt checked out which meant that while Bush was going through the colonoscopy, Vice President Dick Cheney would be in charge of the nation.
"It's a chilling thought," one passerby told AXcess News when asked if they were concerned over Cheney's short-term rule of the White House."
Chilling. Can that even begin to describe the thought?

Lots of big goings-on in Portland, but it's 6:25 and I'm still at work. I am going to go and drink a beer. I may blog again tonight. I may wait a little longer. I'm pretty sure I have some good trivia questions from this week's foray into a different restaurant's Trivia Night. Oh, and I'm pretty sure we bought a house this week.

Ketchup Post

2007-07-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

Prolly gonna be a long one...

Things I've learned in the past week:
*Face-to-face negotiations are hard. We decided to put an offer on a house that was for sale by owner. So with no realtors to do the whole back-and-forth thing, we had to stand in a kitchen and give our offer (which I typed up, of course). We had to justify it and watch the immediate reaction of the sellers. Then, we had to go downstairs so they could talk about it, come back up to hear the counter-offer, go into another room to talk about that, offer our counter-offer. Tired yet? It was nerve-wracking and weird, but a little heady, too. The sellers ended up asking for the night to think about our "final" offer. They called us in the morning with an even worse counter-offer so we had to walk away. Basically, they were willing to pay a buyer's agent 3% so they were only willing to come down from their selling price by 3%. We have no buyer's agent and no mortgage contingency and no financial speedbumps to hinder a quick close, but they couldn't see any of that. They wanted their asking price minus 3% and that's it. We didn't feel the need to come "up" to their price - there are 4 other houses for sale on this same street. So, we will keep looking. Also thinking of getting a buyer's agent, which I just haven't wanted to do. Drat real estate.

*Losing sucks. We lost in the first round of the kickball finals on Thursday night. I think that the week off hurt us, made us rusty. At least that's what I tell myself. We had a terrible 1st inning in which our opponent scored 3 runs; we just couldn't recover, so we went down 5-2. The upside, Tall Guy and I got to luxuriously ref the next game with a beer in our hands. And, the team that beat us went on to beat the #1 seed in the semi-final rounds, which was sweet since the #1 seed is made up of uber-competitive, college-aged kids who did not expect to lose.

*TOOL rocks. Hard. Fulfilled a music-fantasy by seeing Tool in concert at the Cumberland Civic Center on Friday night. I have loved this band since college though it probably would have been better had I seen them closer to my post-college days: by the end of the 2.5 hour show, my ears felt like they were bleeding and my feet were killing me from standing the entire time. Seriously, I only think I can hang with the young kids. Still, a great show filled with a mix of songs from their 3 major albums, "10,000 Days," "Aenima" and "Undertow."

*Ocean waves are so much fun with little kids. Had a belated father's day celebration this weekend in Portland. Both of my brothers came up, along with my dad, and we went to the beach, one with big waves. My niece and nephew had a heckofa time jumping over waves, well, being lifted over waves by Aunt Me and Uncles My Younger Bro and Tall Guy. My back was sore on Sunday morning, but I haven't had that much fun at the beach since I was probably their age.

*Silent movies shouldn't be over 90 minutes. Sorry film snobs, but a silent movie, i.e. D.W. Griffith's Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916), shouldn't come close to being 3 hours (the version we watched, the short version, was 2 hours and 58 minutes). I understand that this movie was ground breaking and ambitious and artful, but I clearly lack the capacity to sit through that much sepia-toned film and orchestral music. I give props to my husband, who not only sat through it, but really enjoyed it. It did make a rainy Sunday afternoon seem lazier, but so would watching puddles fill.

*Trivia is overrated. We went back. And it was as painful as Tall Guy remembered. The emceeing was still terrible and some of the answers suspect (we found out that the game orginates from Germany), but this week we got to stand through the entire 2.5 hours! We have decided to try a different trivia night, at a different restaurant. But, if you actually got all the way down to this part of the post, you deserve a treat:

*On the show "Married with Children," what kind of dog is Buck?
*During the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were famous for what, aside from their athletic success?
*What famous children's book character was created by Astrid Lindgren?
*On what plant do silkworms exclusively feed?
*What actor played Blake Covington on the tv show "Dynasty"?
*Who gave up his seat to J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson on the fatal flight in 1959 that also killed Buddy Holly and Richie Valens?
*During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln had a residence in which state?
*According to Roman legend, who pulled a thorn out of a lion's paw?
*What type of craft is the Breitling-Orbiter 3?
*How old was the Lindberg baby when he was kidnapped?
*What does a viticulturist grow?

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Happy nuptials to Corissa & Brian in San Francisco. This means that every friend I made while living in Connecticut back in 2000 is now married. If you want to get married, go live in Connecticut.

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Answers:
-Briard - here's a picture:

-"Black Power Salute" while receiving their medals
-Pippi Longstocking - great books
-Mulberry tree
-John Forsythe
-Waylon Jennings
-Illinois
-Androcles - He was a slave. The lion later recognized him in a gladiator arena and spared his life. The emperor Tiberius was said to have freed them both.
-Balloon
-20 months
-Grapes

What I haven't mentioned

2007-07-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

Despite feeling disillusioned by the current administration, I have managed to have some fun times with new & old friends in the past week. A sample:

Last Thursday, "Rick is 21" lost the last regular-season kickball game. However, we drowned our sorrows with pitchers of beer and had a grand time at $3 Deweys. Despite the loss, we clinched fourth thereby securing a "bye" in this week's playoffs. So, tonight we go to scout the competition, cheer on the underdogs and minister cold ones to the losers.

Last weekend, after watching the Babe Ruth championship game on Friday night (our boss's son plays and we really like watching baseball), Tall Guy and I went to CT for a bbq with some of my old friends (not that we're old, I've just known them a long time). The bbq was at the Dancing Queen's house and her bro, Dreds, was there. He brought with him Guitar Hero 2. Tall Guy and I quickly fell in love with this game. By the end of the weekend we were able to strum our way through "Free Bird," hitting over 80% of the notes. If only you didn't need a Playstation or XBox to play - I would've owned this game by Monday.

Tall Guy's sister, Legs, moved into town on Saturday to enjoy the gorgeous Maine summer. She's lived here before so we didn't have to introduce her to delicious Maine beer, but we can show her our favorite Happy Hour spots (okay, I really only have one, but I've heard there are some great ones :)

We attended a very fun 3rd of July party at a friend's that I wish I knew better. Just as I moved in to Portland last fall, she moved to Atlanta. Luckily, her parents have a house in Falmouth so we got to eat grilled meat (a requisite for parties occurring near Independence Day, see last post), play with sparklers and dance in her mom's living room to some classic songs from the 70s. One of the highlights of the night: one of her mom's friends, a fit man in his 50s (60s even) went up on their second floor landing and put on a show, spanking his own ass with two hands. Fabulous.

And, of course, the 4th of July. Hung with some kickball peeps and had one of the most enjoyable holidays ever. There was beer, lawn games, Italian sandwiches and strawberries soaked in Grand Marnier. Then, despite the rain, there were fireworks. Portland put on a pretty good show and Tall Guy and I watched them under a large tree overlooking the ocean as the rain fell around us. I say again, fabulous.

Birth of our Nation, blah, blah, blah

2007-07-03T08:09:00.000-05:00

Every year, around this time, we're supposed to wax patriotic. I am not sure what waxing patriotic actually is, but I think it has something to do with taking down the picture of our commander-in-chief from the dartboard, digging out a flag bandana to wrap around your harley and eating a lot of grilled meat.

I really do love the concept of this, my homeland, so I probably shouldn't belittle this holiday. I mean, I am thrilled that we won our independence from England and I heart fireworks, and grilled meat, but it is tough to rally around this holiday when I feel so angered and betrayed by the administration. Here is a great website, Crooks and Liars that I visit and I think that they just say it better than I could, especially the post about impeachment.

I look forward to the day when this country is not being controlled by liars and cheats who think it is okay to do what they want, the people be damned. I believe in democracy. I was not thrilled when my candidate of choice was not elected, but I guess I naively believed that the candidate chosen would do his best to serve the needs of as many people as possible throughout the entire country. Instead, he rewards his friends and covers his own ass while doing whatever he pleases to push an agenda of the few.

Happy ~~Birth~~day, America.

Trivial

2007-06-27T14:39:00.001-05:00

It's early Thursday morning. I just went to my osteopath (for my lower back and hip pain - yes, some days I might be 80), which apparently makes my breakfast digest faster, so I'm hungry and lunch is over 2 hours away. All of this is a long explanation for this week's trivia topic: food. We, once again, boycotted trivia, this time in favor of a Sea Dogs baseball game. So, I found my own trivia. Here it is:

*What is the most recognizable smell in the world?
*If the Japanese delicacy fugu pufferfish isn’t prepared by an expert chef, what will happen to the eater?
*How many pounds of cheese does the average American eat per year?
*Spilling salt is considered good luck in which country?
*According to superstition over which shoulder should you sprinkle salt?
*What was E.T.’s favorite candy?
*In which decade was the Slurpee introduced – 1960s, 70s or 80s?
*Who was the first Ronald McDonald?
*How many eggs does Paul Newman’s character eat in the movie Cool Hand Luke?

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Because trivia and house-hunting seem to go hand-in-hand in my mind, I'll provide a brief update. We found a condo - it's great, we want it. In crunching numbers, we have realized that it might mean stretching ourselves to purchase it, which is mind-boggling since my house in Mass cost 2 times as much and we made less money. Perhaps, we're being too conservative, but I just fear the house-poor situation I just left behind. We press on...
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Answers:
Coffee
S/he’ll die (it’s poisonous if not prepared correctly)
28 lbs.
Japan
Left
Reese’s Pieces
1960s – 1965 to be exact, at 7Eleven
In 1962 Willard Scott of the Today Show and Bozo the Clown fame became the first Ronald McDonald
50

I Keep Forgettin'

2007-06-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Besides being a great Michael McDonald song from the 80s, this is how I feel about my relationship with my blog sometimes. I actually forget that I have it and that I have to keep the content fresh and new in order to keep it happy (yes, I just admitted that I think my blog has feelings). You'd think it would haunt my sleep or something.

If I had blogged about my weekend, I would have written about the vile black liquer known as Jager. I was about to have a button made for myself: "32.5 years without puking". From drinking, that is. But, thanks to a shot of Jager (with a little help from its lesser offender the Lemon Drop and 6 beers), I have to call the printers and cancel the order. Happy Hour started at 5:00, I was all puked out and in bed by 8:30.

After pickling myself on Friday, did I listen to the sober voice of reason telling me that alcohol was not my friend? Did Britney rush out and buy some new underwear at wal-trash? (that means no) I actually felt pretty darn good on Saturday but by my the 2nd beer on Saturday night, my throat started to close and I realized that I should keep a water in my hand to ensure no more malted beverages made it to my stomach.

And then...
Friends came in to town on Sunday and after a meal that took 2+ hours and 3 bottles of wine, we made our way to a local pub for some after-dinner drinks. I capped my weekend off by getting pulled over by Portland's finest because he thought that our car wasn't inspected (it was but MA puts its sticker on the right side of the windshield where ME puts it on the left or center). He also mentioned that I had "rolled" through a few of the blinking red lights but for some reason he spared me with a verbal warning and my weekend of self-pickling and drunken debauchery came to an end.

Happy Mouth, Happy Team

2007-06-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, my mouth is still happy about having eaten lunch at the local Greek Festival. Tall Guy and I waited in line for about 30 minutes, but the gyro and greek salad were worth it. And the pastries for dessert...mmmmmm.
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Another kickball victory last night for "Rick is 21." We played killer defense and had some amazing base-running to put us ahead 4-1. I know it's only supposed to be for fun, but, Damn! I like winning.

Makin' our way to the bar after the game

Makin' my own fun

2007-06-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

First of all, happy summer! It's freakin' gorgeous out, here in Portland.

Due to last week’s egregious emceeing at the local trivia night, we decided to skip it this week in protest (I’m sure that guy really missed us). In lieu of “pub trivia,” here is some good ol’ fashioned U.S. presidential history followed by trivia about my new home state.

*Who were the tallest and shortest presidents?
*Who was the only bachelor president?
*Which president served the shortest term?
*What was the first movie shown in the White House?

*What percent of the country’s lobster is caught off the coast of Maine?
*Portland is the birthplace of what famous poet, author of "Paul Revere’s Ride"?
*How many and which other U.S. states does Maine border?
*What is the nickname for Maine?
*How fast can a moose run?
*The state motto is Dirigo, also the name of a high school and health system in the state. What does it mean (in Latin)?
*What is the name of the largest indigenous Indian tribe in the state?
*What do the call letters of WCSH-TV, the NBC affiliate in Portland, stand for?

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‘Cause I can’t resist reporting about the stupidity of some people out there, here is a story about some candidates for a Darwin Award. Notice that I didn't mention that they are southern. I hope they at least got to smoke a cigarette.
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Apartment search update: We gave up the great place we had found because it meant taking a risk and putting down a bunch of money without knowing that our current place would definitely be rented. So, the bad news is we lost a pretty awesome apartment. The good news is we don’t have to move next week and we can now leave our lease when it’s actually up thereby ensuring we get our security deposit back. Because we can't accept having leisure time for some reason, we have now turned our eyes toward purchasing a home and have filled every available minute looking at possibilities. Between apartment and house hunting, I'm pretty sure we've been in over 2 dozen homes in the area. An important lesson learned: Tall Guy's head is higher than many ___________ (insert here: ceilings/stairwells/basements/showers).
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Answers:
*Lincoln at 6’4” and Madison at 5’4”
*James Buchanan
*William Henry Harrison (1 month)
*Birth of a Nation

*90%
*Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 2/2/1807
*One – New Hampshire
*Pine Tree State is the official nickname, but Vacationland is the other, more accurate, nickname (hint hint, come visit)
*About 30 mph
*"I lead" or "I direct"
*Abenaki
*Congress Square Hotel, owned by the founder of WCSH radio and television

Family

2007-06-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend brought together a lot of Italians in one place. The highlights:

*Homemade wine. Almost 2 years ago, my cousin Jayne revealed that she had all of the original wine-making equipment from my great grandmother’s basement. This brought a flurry of planning to make wine “like grandma.” So they tried it. And it’s pretty good, but my cousin Jayne and her husband have continued to refine the process and they are now really good at it. They have even bought part of a vineyard so they can grow their own grapes and make more wine. A future wine-tasting was promised.

*Music. We’re Italian, there was accordion music. It was ethnic and good.

*Food. See the Italian thing above.

*Whiffleball. A 4-on-4 game, my 2 bros on one team, Tall Guy and I on the other – a smattering of cousins rounding things out. Despite taunts from my brothers, I hit 2 singles, helped a rally that put our team up 5-1 and then closed out the 5th inning, striking out my cousin Erik to end the game victorious. Dingers!

*My younger brother/Slipping and sliding. My younger brother is a walking human party. It was hot, he thought that a slip ‘n slide would be fun. He went and bought one. It was fun.

*My family. Despite some lone crazies who try to bring down the enjoyment level, my family is not bad and I enjoyed seeing everyone and catching up. The old timers can still tell a story. My mother can definitely take a joke. And at the end of the day, it can be nice to reconnect. And then to go home until next year.

the four (of 7) remaining "greats"

having "cosmos" with my adorable niece

i hope he never grows up

call it a tie

Too sad to talk about it

2007-06-15T12:43:00.000-05:00

I didn't mention our kickball game last night. It was a tough game - we were down some key members of our team - and the end result was not in our favor. Despite having a lead at two different points of the game, we lost 5-3. The team that beat us is a good team and we were out defended.

On a happy kickball note, I won this week's photo contest with the high-five pic I posted earlier. Ten bucks at $3 Deweys. That's a whole pitcher with $2 to spare. Drowning my sorrow tastes all the sweeter when it's free.

This weekend is my annual family reunion. Tall Guy is thrilled beyond words to be accompanying me (or maybe he's not talking to me?). I'm banking on at least one good post from the event.

Pride

2007-06-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Speaking of rainbows...

I am proud of the legislators in my home state for protecting the decision that allows people to live their lives as they'd like.

When the head of the Mass F@mily Insti tute says "it's certainly a setback," I kick my heels together in glee. The idea that people can define a family as one thing is absurd and insulting. A lot of my life was spent with a non-traditional family life and I have not gone on to bite the heads off animals. Why it matters to Bible-thumping conservatives how people conduct their business INSIDE their own homes is beyond me. Especially when some of those same thumpers are not so clean and "holy" behind their own doors (I'm looking at you, Ted Haggard).

From the Boston Globe: "Isaacson, cochairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus and its chief legislative lobbyist, said the amendment's defeat is a "monumental and historic moment" that not only marks a crushing setback to gay-marriage opponents in Massachusetts but also to conservative forces across the nation.

"This was the battleground; our opponents considered this to be ground zero," said Isaacson, referring to Massachusetts' status as the first and only state in the nation to sanction gay marriage.

Guerriero, a former Republican legislator from Melrose who is now executive director of Gill Action, a national political organization that promotes gay rights, said the Legislature's vote has broad national implications.

"Every single state in America was looking at Massachusetts today for a message, and the message is clear, that this state's experience in marriage equality has endured and thrived," Guerriero said." (Phillips/Estes June 15, 2007)

If the amendment had been put to the voters, there is a great chance it would have been overturned anyay, but I'm glad that this won't be the focus on the ballot in Mass in November 2008. Take that Karl Rove. Now if we could get some of this enlightened thinking to permeate northern Maine...

Someday, we'll find it...

2007-06-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

We did find it! It's right here in Portland, Maine - the rainbow connection. I wanted to hunt down the leprechans at the end of this one, but Tall Guy wisely advised against this. We went to the pet store instead and bought 2 new fish. One died overnight, continuing our streak of fishicide in Maine. We are down to one fish we brought with us from Mass and one that we bought the other night and who hangs on to its fragile life in our doomed fish tank. I showed them the rainbow on the way home. Would've thought that would want to make them live.

I heart rainbows. All those colors.

I'm not normally a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me, Superman!!*

2007-06-13T15:19:00.000-05:00

Trivia last night was one of the most contentious contests to date. In the first round, a question was asked about a 4-sided shape with 2 parallel sides. A trapezoid, right? Wrong. A trapezium. A word that none of us had heard.
From Wikipedia: "A trapezoid (in North America) or trapezium (in Britain and elsewhere) is a quadrilateral, which is defined as a shape with four sides, which has a pair of parallel sides...The exactly opposite concept, a quadrilateral that has no parallel sides, is referred to as a trapezium in North America, and as a trapezoid in Britain and elsewhere."

Either way, the answer should have been trapezoid and we should have had a 10 in our first round. Then, at the end of the game, two teams were tied for first (we were not one of them) and the emcee asked "What is the largest American city?" One guy said, "New York". Incorrect according to the announcer. "Los Angeles" said the other. Correct. When conducting a search, by population, of our largest American cities, by population within city limits: NY=8.2 million. LA=3.8 million. Maybe he meant metro area? NY metro area=18.8 million . LA? 12.9. We are definitely starting to question where this game gets its facts.

Moving on...

The title of my post was a question - which animated character said it? D'oh.

The ones we missed, whether due to horrendous question reading by the emcee, or otherwise:
*Who composed the musical/story "Peter and the Wolf"?
*Yasser Arafat had a state funeral in which country?
*According to Islamic law, after having sex with a lamb, it is considered a mortal sin to do what? The answer is NOT smoke a cigarette
*From which plant does linseed oil come?
*What is the only capital mentioned in Genesis still in existence today?

Two questions we overthought when the simple, obvious answer was right:
*At the Siege of Yorktown, to which general did General Lord Cornwallis surrender?
*What is the term for the asexual reproduction of an organism resulting in a new multicellular organism genetically identical to another? Or something like that.

And, 'cause we're not total morons:
*What is the name for a triangle in which all sides or angles are different?
*What was the title of the tv show about a Canadian mountie who settles in Chicago?
*Who's first novel was The Time Machine?
*What is removed when an orchidectomy is performed?
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Still no word on our apartment front. Found the perfect place. Check. The owners want to rent it to us. Check.
Hurdles one and two down. However, we just can't bear the thought of eating our original security deposit if our current place doesn't re-rent. So, we now play the waiting game as our landlady tries to get new tenants and we cross everything we can (and I mean everything).
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Answers:
It was Homer Simpson and I totally agree with him
Sergei Prokofiev
Egypt (we put France, which is where he died)
Eat it
Flax
Damascus
George Washington (we put Horatio Gates cause Purple Peter wrote a paper on this Battle in, like, 9th grade and remembered that name)
cloning (not meiosis)
scalene
"Due South"
H.G. Wells
testicle (ouch)

So clever

2007-06-11T15:25:00.000-05:00

A friend send me a long list of bumper stickers for our current "administration" and I liked a few so much, I thought I'd post them here:

*Bush Never Exhaled
*Bad President! No Banana
*Bush. Like a Rock. Only Dumber.
*If You Can Read This, You're Not Our President.
*We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language.

*When Bush Took Office Gas Was $1.46
*Impeachment: It's Not Just For Blowjobs Anymore.
*We Are Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them
*Where Are We Going? And Why Are We In This Handbasket?
*George Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have To Fight.

*Whose God Do You Kill For?
*If You Want A Country Ruled By Religion, Move to Iran.
*Bush: God's way of proving Intelligent Design Is Full Of Crap
And my favorite
*Dubya, Your Dad Should Have Pulled Out Too.

Friends?

2007-06-10T11:58:00.000-05:00

I need some Netflix friends so that I can get new ideas for movies. So, if you have a Netflix account and want to be my friend, click Here.

Rick rides again

2007-06-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

The kickball competition was fierce last night as we played a team much better than their 1-3-1 record conveys. They had solid fielding and base-running, and some very spirited costumes, but they ultimately couldn't overcome the excellent offense of the "Rick is 21" crew (including a 3-run homer). I managed to go 2 for 3, ultimately driving in the game-winning RBI. I also managed to get into the direct path of a stellar 5th-inning line-drive made by one of my own teammates. The ball left his foot and zoomed straight toward me (I had stepped off of first base to head to second and then turned to watch the ball). Like a deer caught in the headlights, I took the ball directly in the arms, which I had put up to protect my chest.
Brilliant.
Some pics of the team:

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No plans this weekend other than baseball and packing/organizing for the move. We still don't know about the status of our current apartment, but we're crossing our fingers that it is rented by Monday.

Social Butterflies

2007-06-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

Attended a work event Tuesday night – a lovely cocktail reception to celebrate the people who have given to the UW endowment – at which our brightest, bubbliest selves were required. This event also required that we dress up, so once the reception ended, Tall Guy and I high-tailed it to trivia wearing a suit and heels, respectively. People were impressed with our dedication. The fancy duds did little to help our scores; the questions were tough this week and we didn't fare too badly, but we didn't win. Final score 38 - the winners pulled in a 42.

The questions that got away:
*Who wrote "A Long Day's Journey Into Night"?
*According to Greek mythology, who founded Carthage?
*What is the gestational period of a horse?
*What is the country where couscous orginated?
*Which NFL team won the Super Bowl in 1981 as the Wild Card?
*In which country was Florence Nightingale born?
*In the game of Snooker, how much is the yellow ball worth?
*What is another name for the mountain lion?
*Which African animal kills the most humans per year? (no, the answer is not other humans)

A couple that we got, just to show that we're not blithering idiots:
*What is the second largest ethnic population in Iraq after Arabs?
*Which African country did the U.S. bomb in January 2007?
*An egg does not contain which of the following vitamins: A, C, or B?
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We are deep in the middle of a hunt for a new apartment. Our current place is nice, but we have never really gotten cell phone reception within the walls of the house (pretty chilly when you want to give someone a call in January) and our cable reception was shoddy, too, so much so that we cancelled it back in February and turned entirely to Netflix for our entertainment. We want a place where we can happily host all the people who come visit (hint hint), and where we can live for a few years until we decide where/when to buy a house. And, we have found a place that we love, but we are cutting out early on our lease and have to make sure that our current place is rented before we put down $$ on the new place. Ah, the joys of renting.
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Answers:
Eugene O'Neill
Queen Dido (I went with the patriarchal angle of Aeneus)
11 months
Libya
The Raiders (I erased this in favor of the Philadelphia Eagles who, in fact, have NEVER won a Super Bowl
Italy
2
Puma (pronounced by the Irish emcee as pume-ah, which for some reason was hilarious)
crocodiles

Kurds
Somalia
Vitamin C

Vote for Ron

2007-06-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

I got an email from my younger brother this morning with a plea for my vote. Since my brother is not the mass-email type, I was touched by his message: one of his greatest influences and personal heroes, Ron Burton, is up for induction into the New England Patriots' Hall of Fame. This year, fans get a say in whether or not this player gets in. So, I thought that I would also ask the 7 people who read my blog to throw your support Ron’s way.

Here is my bro’s message:

The New England Patriots have announced their three finalists for this years Patriots Hall of Fame, Ron Burton, Ben Coates and Stanley Morgan. While all three are worthy of your vote, only one can be selected, and while some of you may have no knowledge of any of these players, and possibly no affinity for football, only Ron Burton stands out for his work off the football field.

I was extremely fortunate to attend his summer camp for 5 years between the ages of 13 and 17, in Hubbardston, Mass; the Ron Burton Training Village. It is primarily a football camp, but we participated in all sports while also running 7 miles a day, partaking in an obstacle course, reading time twice daily, rotating kitchen responsibilities, attending weekly mass, and computer classes and SAT prep classes were also offered. Basically it taught us skills on and off the field.

Ron's message was simple; Humility, Patient, Peace and Love. It was spoken and practiced every day of the 5 week summer camp, and no one set a better example than Ron himself. He ran the camp with love and patience, along with his childhood friend, his wife, and their 5 children, and the campers were not allowed to fight, swear or tease each other.

Ron was the first player ever drafted by the New England Patriots in the 1959 American Football League Draft. He passed away on Sept. 13 from bone cancer. He was 67. The camp is still going, run primarily by his sons.

Below I have included a blurb from wikipedia as well, please visit The Patriots Web site and cast your vote for Ron, an amazing player and role model, and one of the most amazing and influential people I have ever met in my life.

Thank you all so much

From Wikipedia: Ronald E. "Ron" Burton (July 25, 1936 - September 13, 2003) became a college All-American running back at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a member of the Northwestern Hall of Fame, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Burton was the Boston Patriots' first-ever American Football League draft choice in 1960. He was the first Patriot to rush for over 100 yards: 127 against the Denver Broncos on 23 October 1960. His 91-yard touchdown return on a missed field goal in 1962 remains a Patriot record. He compiled 1,009 combined yards in rushing and receiving in 1962, and provided strong depth at running back for the Patriots from 1960 through 1965.

After leaving professional football, this former child of poverty became an eminently successful motivational speaker who then made a major financial and emotional gift to needy children. In Massachusetts, he donated land for and established the Ron Burton Training Village, which holds free summer camps for disadvantaged inner-city youths.

In 2003, Burton died from bone cancer

2007-06-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

Know what's kind of cool and a little disconcerting at the same time? Sitting at a table, under a tent, drinking a cold beer, completely surrounded by familiar faces and yet knowing almost no one. Tall Guy and I enjoyed the picnic at Holy Cross and, in spite of our glaring lack of 1+ babies, we mingled with a group of the people who made my college experience some of what it was. A reunion makes me realize how little I socialized during the last 2 years of college, but I do enjoy catching up with the people I actually did know. And, it really is a surreal experience to look around you and see so many people you remember from a class or a play or a party, and yet have no common history or reason to approach them and start a conversation.

Ouch!

2007-06-01T12:56:00.000-05:00

Trivia was not kind to us this week. The Beards finished at an all-time low of 10 points behind the leaders. We added 4 people to our usual team and for the first few rounds, this seemed to help us, but then we fell apart and argued too many questions thereby causing us to erase many “gut reaction” answers, which often turned out to be right, and go with the loudest voice.
Not a great strategy.
I can’t say that I took any questions myself, except for one:
*Which movie had a husband, a perfect wife and a psychotic mistress?

Questions we should/could have gotten but either by erasure or erroneous consensus, we didn’t:
*What is the longest running comedy show on American television?
*What company invented paper towels?
*What is the most popular drink in Greece?
*What is the name of Susan Lucci’s character on whichever soap she’s on?
*What is the most popular board game in the world?
AND, though this is a tough question, I felt with my extensive knowledge of 80s music, I should have gotten it:
*In the 80s, Chubby Checker remixed “The Twist” with what other artist/group?

I’m gonna tell you the answer to this last question right here: The Fat Boys. I had a forehead-smacking moment when I heard this answer while everyone else at the table, all born circa 1980, looked puzzled and said, “Who?”
The Fat Boys, aka Buffy the Human Beat Box, Kool Rock-Ski, and Prince Markie Dee, were 3 large men who became famous in the mid-80s for hip-hop that relied on beatboxing. Basically, anytime you see a white guy trying to imitate scratching a record with his hand over his mouth, thank The Fat Boys (along with Doug E. Fresh). They also did a very nice SWATCH commercial and starred in the smash hit Disorderlies, which I watched over and over on channel 56 (WLVI). Should've gotten that.

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I joined the Maine Kickball League board this week. I get to help plan the end-of-the-season party for 200+ beer-drinking, fun-loving kickers. Woo-hoo.

Our game last night brought a big W for “Rick is 21”. We beat our opponent 9-7 in a twilight game filled with some great fielding, excellent base running and a cooler of beer. I ♥ kickball. I ♥ winning. I ♥ beer.

I ♥ drinking beer while winning a kickball game.

The down side of last night’s game? The “Tall Guy” slid into home and hit the back of his head on the ground. He was dizzy and a little disoriented afterwards. Today, the disorientation continued so he had to go for a head x-ray. A head injury from kickball. Only my husband…
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This weekend brings us to Worcester for my 10-year college reunion. I can’t believe it’s been 10 damn years! It will be good to go and see how many babies I don’t have yet, and how many law degrees and medical practices I haven’t got. And, how few houses on the Cape or Long Island I've bought.
Seriously, the 5-year was fun and it really was good to catch up with some people; it will be good to catch up again five years later. And there will be a free-beer truck. See above to know how I feel about that.
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Answers:
“Fatal Attraction”
“The Simpsons” (we decided that Sat Night Live has been on longer, but it’s considered an “entertainment program” and not a “sitcom”)
Scott
Ouzo (we went with Coca-Cola ‘cause how many 6-year-olds are drinking Ouzo – apparently a lot)
Erica Kane (came up with this 2 minutes after we turned in our answer sheet)
Monopoly

Whoa Baby!

2007-05-29T15:49:00.000-05:00

Addison Lila is a tiny, perfect little thing. Though we had a whirlwind trip to NY, we were able to spend many hours holding this 6lb 8oz. baby who is barely as long as Bryan's forearm. We loved every minute.

Proud big sister, Lauren

Some day she'll be able to hold Uncle Bryan's hand

And, I had a chance to brush up on my fairy tales as I told one after another to Lauren. I realized 1/2 way through "Jack & the Beanstalk" that I had no idea what Jack takes each time from the giant. I had a vague notion of a goose that laid golden eggs and a magic harp, but I had to throw in a giant apple and a stylish hat to complete the story. And, as I sent Jack down the beanstalk with the giant hot on his heels, and he started chopping it down, I realized that I had to dispose of the giant somehow. As I explained that the giant fell off the stalk and bumped his head, thereby knocking him out, Lauren helped me with, "the giant was dead." Yeah, the giant was dead. Fairy tales are pretty dark and you have to have a solid 4-year-old heart to stomach them.

Undeafeated dream dashed

2007-05-25T10:22:00.000-05:00

Undeafeated kickball dream that is. Last night's game delivered "Rick is 21" its first loss of the season. It was an ugly loss, filled with some shoddy fielding and a blown call (or 3). In our normal vein of "taking this a bit too seriously", Bryan spent most of the post-game drinking hours at $3 Dewey's discussing the perfect line-up and strategies to help people with base running, and I eagerly await hearing what that line-up will be.

Trivia and a Baby

2007-05-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

This week's trivia started out with a bang. Our team tied for the top spot in the first round (there are 6 total) and we felt confident that this was the night that we could take the whole thing. However, we missed a few we should have gotten and totally tanked in the last round and finished 6 points behind the leaders, getting a 42 (out of 60).

Some of the questions I took:
*Stauffer’s is owned by what corporation?
*Who was the first author to write a novel about invaders from another planet?

Some we should/could have gotten:
*How many lives does a cat have?
*What is the most common dog name in America?
*What is the name for a positive electrode?
*What American president started the Peace Corps (I was the one who argued for the wrong answer for this one)?
*Spending 22 hours of the day asleep, what is the laziest animal?

Clearly we need a zoologist or Nature Channel-watcher on our team.

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In exciting family news, we have a new niece, Addison Lila. She was born Wednesday morning at 8:30 AM and weighed in at 7 pounds. Her big sister, Lauren, chose her middle name and contrary to popular culture, Addison’s parents do not have cable and watch zero tv so I don't think it's an homage to “Grey’s Anatomy” – they just really liked the name. We head to New York on Friday to meet her.

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Answers:
Nestlé
H.G. Wells
1, yes we put 9 against Bryan's better judgement – drat trick questions
Max
anode
John F. Kennedy (I could have sworn it was LBJ)
koala bear

Huh?!

2007-05-21T12:58:00.000-05:00

I swore I could hear sea gulls when I woke up this morning. And not just sea gulls flying over head, but sea gulls diving and circling and talking to one another. Now, we live in Maine and the ocean is close, but it's not across the street or anything. The sound was so realistic and, well, loud, that I got out of bed and looked out my window. And, yes, there were sea gulls everywhere, having a gull party with our trash. At first I was mad, but then I thought, wow, there are sea gulls in my front yard. Kind of cool. Course, we're gonna put the trash in a bucket with a lid from now on, but I like living close enough to the Atlantic that my trash invites a sea bird breakfast meeting.

Project Shave

2007-05-20T23:26:00.000-05:00

This weekend brought the hubby home from his UW conference in Pittsburgh. Though the weather was anything but summer-like, he had decided to shed the winter fur from his face. I took a series of photos that can be seen in my Snapfish album of Project Shave. I did date this man without a beard, but I hadn’t realized how very used to the scruff I had become. I now look 10 years older than him, but he is enjoying the feel of the wind on his face.

A sampling:

Before

Rocking 1972

The used car salesman/child molester look

After:my 18-year-old man

Day of Caring

2007-05-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

Deciding to move to Maine was not a quick and easy process. We struggled with what we wanted out of community and what kind of life we ultimately wanted to live. We had a short list of places that we could move; this list took into account proximity to family/friends, political & cultural climate, cost of living, and employment opportunities. Ultimately, we moved Portland to the top of the list and Bryan found a great job at the United Way. This job has brought with it great community contacts and even a job for me as I wait for my own job to start in August. Through the UW, we have made some great friends and I have really learned about the kind of impact an organization can have on its community.

Yesterday, I took part in the Day of Caring, a day when dozens of businesses “loan” volunteers to non-profit agencies to help get stuff done, stuff that could not otherwise get done due to the high cost of hiring outside help. I went to a local nursery school where I helped mulch, weed, and shovel topsoil. The school had donations of plants and mulch, and needed many hands to plant and spread. I worked with volunteers from 2 local businesses, Hannaford and UNUM, along with a few parent volunteers and a nice group of seniors from Cheverus High School who have a community-service requirement to fulfill before they can graduate. It was an interesting cross-section of people who came together to make sure that the children attending the school had a safe & beautiful playground and garden.

Over 900 volunteers helped at over 55 organizations. That's a lot of caring.

Trivia

2007-05-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

Every Tuesday night we play trivia at Ri Ra's in the Old Port. This week, with da husband (yes, one of our co-workers has a Maine accent and actually says "da wife") out of town at a UW conference in Pittsburgh, our team was down a geography/sports expert, but still managed to hold our own, finishing with a 38 (the winners had 43).
Questions I took on solo:
*What popular animated series has the characters Dizzy, Scoop & Muck?
*What automobile was the Porsche the sporty version of?

Questions I should have known the answer to, but for some reason couldn't come up with an answer:
*What is the name of the bank in the Harry Potter books?
*What actor was in both "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Dirty Dozen"?
*What is the nationality of Kofi Annan's wife?

Answers below.

I heart trivia. And one of these weeks our team will win.

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This week has also brought the purchase of some Mary Kay products. Yes, I might officially be my mother. A friend is selling the stuff so I had to go hear the pitch over some pizza and wine (essential fortifications when talking about beauty products). At some point, the products jumbled together in a swirling pink cloud around my head until the smell of moisturizer, both with SPF and without, caused me to pass out. Two hours later, my face glowing with tinted facial hydrating gel and my checkbook one short, I left with some hand cleanser and a revitalizing face mask. Could have been so much worse.

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Answers:
Bob the Builder
The VW Beetle
Gringotts
Charles Bronson
Swedish

A Little Politics

2007-05-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

Jerry Falwell is dead. Now who's gonna monitor children's television for transsexuals and blame gays and abortionists for terrorist attacks??

What a better world we might be living in if people like Falwell hadn't started preaching their brand of "Christian love." Funny how the loudest voices shouting about "living life like the Bible says" have become the biggest hate-mongers out there. I'm pretty sure that Jesus preached tolerance, acceptance and loving other people, no matter what. The Christian right only wants to love people who believe as they do and can only tolerate those who shun anyone who might actually want to decide for themselves how to live their lives. Rest in pieces, JF.

Things I like about Maine

2007-05-15T09:39:00.000-05:00

And when I say Maine, I guess I mean Portland, where I live. I haven’t actually been north of Freeport yet and I understand that there is quite of bit of state north of Freeport. So, for now, I will report on what I know.

Beer. All of it. Microbreweries abound here and almost all of the beer that I have sampled has been tasty. I have always liked Shipyard, which I could find in the Boston area, but I like Geary’s and Gritty’s and Casco Bay and Sebago and Allagash. And those are just the ones I’ve tried. Again, I’ve heard that the central & northern parts of the state have more brewpubs. Wow.

Niceness. Yup, just niceness. Never knew I was missing it until I moved to a land where people are considerate and friendly. Granted, there are cranky people here (after all, there are lots of former Massachusettsians here), but even I find myself a little less crusty and suspicious in my adopted state. This newly acquired niceness of mine does get suspended when I get in my car, but that’s a post for another day.

And I’ll leave you with one more:
Moose. A large and fabled creature. I’ve heard tell that these animals are magnificent. I haven’t actually seen one, but I know they live here and that I might and that ain’t half bad.

MAINE!

2007-05-10T08:39:00.000-05:00

So, I've moved to Maine. I'm a Mainer. I'm pretty happy about this although there are days when I shake my head in wonder at the circumstances which have brought me north, a direction in which I never would have predicted I would go upon marrying my cold-hating husband.

This blog will chronicle life here in Maine, the ups and downs of living in a state known more for its hunting gear and conservative politics than for its lively culture. Stay tuned...