Labor Day 2011 - ALREADY!!

Yikes! The summer is GONE! What the heck happened?? Well, we are heading into the most beautiful time of year! I love the autumn. I love the leaves turning, I love the late campfire smells, I love the crispness of the air, and I love preparing for the impending holiday season!
Catch up: Some of you know my mom has been fighting cancer. She still is, and I am hoping she wins that fight! If you are one who prays, please do so! Appreciated!!
We've got a long weekend ahead of us! Labor Day means 3 days off from work! NICE!! Went to a jam at the Cockpit Cafe last night (awesome time), attending (officiating) a wedding this afternoon, then off to Alfredo's in Wells at 6:30 for a little live music and merriment! Then on Sunday we'll have time with our worship group, a time I always look so forward to! We usually spend 4+ hours together, but the time always passes so quickly! That brings us to Monday, Labor Day. We haven't got anything planned, so I think maybe we'll sit at the mall, on out favorite bench, and just people watch! That's always an entertaining time!!
Enjoy YOUR long weekend too!
Be well friends!

Another 30 days has gone!

Wow, has it been a month since my last post!Yikes!So much has happened! We are just about to break into August, and Summer's best! I am hoping it won't be quite as hot as July was! A very dear friend will be getting married this August, and I get to be in the wedding party!! I am thrilled! I have known this young lady since she was 5 years old!! What a journey it has been watching her grow into a wonderful Christian woman. Sometimes I can't really believe so much time has passed!
My own good wife and I recently took a jaunt to Vermont. We stopped at Derby Line to see the library that has the Canadian border marked through it! Then we went to the Von Trapp family lodge, and on to Ben and Jerry's! It was a great time!
After serving in Pratt and Whitney for 27 years, I have applied for a job elsewhere. I won't say what it is just yet, in case I don't get the job. I will keep you in suspense until then!
Group worship in Windham today! Can't wait!! I made pulled pork for our mealtime!
Be well friends!

Time Flies!!

Hey folks!
Been a while, hasn't it? The last post found me returning from Ohio to get Tina on a plane so she could get home due to her brother's death. She has been there since, and will be returning on July 6th. THANK THE GOOD LORD!! I sure do miss her!
Mom's final chemo treatment is also on July 6th. Recently a brain scan was done, and no cancer was detected there! In September she will have neurological testing to find out why she has a balance problem!
Holiday weekend on tap!! Can you believe it is already July?? Anybody out there have BBQ plans? Leave a comment! As for me, I will be having dinner with my son and my father, son's treat!!
Be Well!

Life goes on, within you and with out you

"Life goes on, within you and with out you" - John Lennon
Tina and I left for Ohio to visit my brother and his wife and son for a few days. It was a great time indeed! His wife had set up a BBQ for me to meet his other siblings, and his mom, and it went great! Alas, very early Monday morning we got a call that Tina's older brother had passed away. His name is Siong, and he is 58 years old. He had just retired from his gov't job, and was beginning his own business. We don't know when, or where, or how. That is life. I am surely going to miss by dear brother-in-law.
Enjoy your loved ones.

Fun Times Comin'!!

Hey! In 6 days Tina and I will be headed to Ohio to visit my li'l brother and his great wife! There will be a BBQ on Saturday!! Friends, family, yummy food, beer, and maybe even tums!! I am looking forward to the 16 hours drive! We'll stop half-way in Angola, NY, for dinner and a snooze, then get to St. Mary's by dinnertime Friday!!
Aunt and Uncle coming today for a few day visit from CT. Always good times!! Looking forward to dinner at Weathervane tonight!!
I finally did a Stand-up routine at the theatre last Friday night! What a rush! I hope to get a chance to do it again!!
Em graduates in just over 3 weeks! Yikes, I can't believe my last one is graduating!
I have news I can't share in open forum just yet, but I am over the moon about it! More to come on that!!
I will blog during our trip!!
See Ya!

Mother's Day and the Mall

Happy Mother's Day!! It's gonna be a bright and beautiful day! We will be serving some sandwiches and chips and drinks to all those that happen by today! We have four mothers in our family, so there should be a few visitors! What are you all doing for your mother today?
Well, Tina got home safely last Thursday night, and I took that night off from work! We spent most of Friday hanging out at the mall, on our bench, people watchin! I wonder if there are readers out there who pass us by. Hmmm. I got my Gloria Jean's Mint Chocolate Bomb, and after a while we went to the food court to eat. Tina went to Panda Garden, and I went to Johnny Rocket's, of course! Have you ever really observed food courts? No matter where you go, every food court is the same! There is a burger place, Chinese food place, a pizza place, a soup and salad place, an ice cream place, and ALWAYS a plywood place! Just for kicks I went to the food court at 9am a couple of weeks ago. Nothin but seniors!! They were everywhere; walkin around the inside perimeter of the building, and then sittin in the food court sippin coffee and talkin! They were all gone by 10:30! It was a mass exodus! It was as if some silent alarm, only they could hear (probably hearing aid feedback) went off. Just 30 minutes later they youthful crowd started coming in, and I headed for my bench for some eye filling sights! I was NOT disappointed! Is there a kid out there today who knows where their back pockets are supposed to be? When you have to sit down to reach your back pocket, your pants are too low! I saw one young man holding his pants so they wouldn't fall. I could see ALL of his underwear, and part of his thighs, as he went by! I don't get it. What is the point to this fashion? But hey, it gives me something to watch as I sit there, for hours, amused.
Be Well Friends!

Here comes Easter!

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy the holidays that demand family gatherings? On Easter this year, there will be 11 of us all eagerly awaiting the carving of a leg of lamb, and a large roasted ham! Of course, we will have the mint sauce, and the sweet potatoes, and the veggies, but more importantly, there will be games! This is a family tradition, one that allows us to witness the sudden awakening of intelligence, though I won't say whose! There is always alot of chatter, which gets on some nerves, and constant nibbling, which I particularly enjoy! Let us also not forget the candy!! Chocolate will be abound, and jellybeans, and those awful little marshmallow peeps! Ugh, I can feel the grainy grit in my teeth already! So why do I eat them? Hey, it's Easter!
Be Well Friends!

Getting there

Well it's finally starting to get nice out there. Perhaps Spring isn't so far from us now. It seems as though the Winter's grip is easing as I see the tennis players invading the courts across the street. It is a good sight, a welcome sight!
Anybody else venture out for Maine Maple Sunday this year? We went to Merrifield Farms. We stood in the breezy cold for 45 minutes to eat breakfast, and it was well worth it! I ate 3 pancakes, 2 sausages, a bowl of beans, and a bottle of water, not to mention the maple ice cream with syrup on top! then I stood by the fire, above which were 3 bubbling cauldrens of sap, next to which was a LIVE BAND!! Awesome time!! The kids got to on the tractors, and there was a full park for the kids to play in! They also enjoyed a wagon ride around the farm, pulled by a yolked team of oxen!! If you missed it this year, plan for next year!
Be Well Friends!

It's a strange planet

I was in the mall, I needed the bathroom. Since I was in Penny's, I went to where the bathrooms are, conveniently located on the second floor at the furthest reach of the store, behind the lingerie department! I couldn't help thinking about the trek someone in dire need would have to make! I can just picture the trail one may leave behind trying to locate the elusive door to that realm of comfort! And whose idea was it to put it behind the dainties? I got the evil eye from the old biddy who was standing sentry behind the counter. Did she think I was there to try something on? I also wonder who would buy anything with her on duty! Is some supermodel, because you'd have to be to wear some of these things, going to put her lace panties and supports on the counter to be scrutinized by Brazilla? I'm willing to bet sales are down when she's looming. I got to the bathroom, but still did not escape Brazilla's gaze as I departed, as if to demand to know if I was hygenic. I waited until I was at the edge of the department to turn around and yell, "Yes, I washed my hands!!" She smiled.

Heavy Times

Tomorrow will be a heavy day. Pray, if you do, for the Hogan family as they bury two of their daughters which were lost in a fire last Friday. I can't even begin to guess how they must be grieving. Some of us will serve as pall bearers, we are already solumn over the thought of small caskets.

On the upside of thigs, Spring is on the way. Don't forget to turn your clocks AHEAD 1 hour before bed on Saturday! You don't want to be late to church on Sunday!! It's warming up out there, I can see some good fog outside as I type away! I hope there is no more snow coming, but in this area that is uncertain! April snowstorms can happen!

Seven more weeks until Tina gets home!! Hoorah!! Time drags when she is not with me. Then, once she arrives, we have only 3 weeks until our trip to Ohio to see my brother, Mike, who can outdo me in any eating contest, and his wife, Julie, one of this planets most amazing cuisine artists, and our nephew Brandon, one great young man! I am really looking forward to this trip! I love the drive, 15 hours, with Tina. Tina likes the ride!

Until next time....

Back in the groove

I've been back a week now and life is back in the groove! I am looking forward to an acoustic jam this Friday night at the Cockpit cafe in the Sanford airport at 7:00pm! If you like good music, or you'd like to bring your instrument, see you there!! And bring the kiddies why dontcha! It's nice to have these little oasis of fun to interrupt the daily doldrums of life. Got a pizza in the oven, ready in 15 minutes! I have a boring and predictable life!
Had to go to Walmart the other day. I actually love going there because you never know what you're going to see! I was going around the corner in the dairy section and just about tripped over some woman squatting to look at the bottom rack of the day old bread and other bakery treats. I've seen some plumber's cracks in my day, but her entire butt was hanging out! I thought at first she was about to squeeze off a duty right there in the aisle! Yikes! Now, some guys wouldn't complain about such a sight, but if you'd seen her I'm sure you'd have agreed that burning out your retinas would have been preferable to taking another gaze! What are some people thinking???
Maybe I'll go back up to WalMart on Saturday!

Time rolls on

Well, my trip to Malaysian Borneo has come to an end. I got home Wednesday night and after a wonderful steak dinner with two of my kids, I crashed hard. Yes, it was great to be home, but I really miss Kuching. I'll tell ya what I don't miss; airplanes and airports! Why is it that everything in an airport costs double? Is it because they know your a hostage until you reach your final destination? I sat down at a restaurant in NYC's LaGuardia and ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and beer. The grand total was (are you ready for this) $24.00! Yikes! It goes on and on because flying to Malaysia takes a couple of days, with a few layovers, and after the second leg you are sick of airline food! Oh I know the airline industry does it's best to serve good tasting and wholesome meals, but there's just something lacking there. I could go on and on about the extra money needed to fly, but I won't. You're welcome!
Back to work Sunday night! Why is it vacation time never seems to last as long as work time? There's gotta be some kinda spacial rift that folds over on itself during weekends and vacations, causing us to accelerate through time.
See ya round!

The final day has come

Wow! Where did the time go? This is my final day in Malaysia, already! It has been a great trip, and I am already looking forward to the next one! I hope you have enjoyed the pictures on Facebook! See you back in the states!

Plans change!

Well the trip to the temple is postponed until tomorrow. We simply ran out of time! Liza, Lucas, and Shannelle went back home yesterday, but we will be visiting them on Thursday! Thursday is Chap Goh Mei (fifteenth night), which marks the final day of Chinese New Year celebrations, until next year! Tina and I will travel to Sibu on Thursday to celebrate Chap Goh Mei with Lucas' family, then we will return to Kuching with Liza and Shannelle on Friday evening! We'll enjoy the weekend together, then I jet off on Tuesday! Wow, time is flying!!
Talk to ya later!

Beautiful Kuching

It is hard to believe I have been here a week as of today! What a week it has been! I have eaten everything I have been wanting to eat since I was last here 4 years ago, with the exception of the wild game, which I will be eating in a few days time! My brother-in-law, Ah Soon, has a friend who owns a restaurant specializing in just this sort of cuisine, and I can tell you from experience that Soon's friend is an awesome chef!
Tina's daughter (Liza) and family (husband Lucas and my granddaughter Shannelle) came for a visit from Sibu, which is a 10 hour drive from here. They actually took a flight (45 mins) though. We all went to spend a couple of days at the Damai Puri Beach Resort, a place that I have been wanting to see since I first came here 8 years ago! I can only say that it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been blessed to see! Please see the photos on my Facebook site.
We have been staying at Tina's sister's (Ling) house. She has a large house, very comfortable, and we are happy to be here with her! Houses here are not like houses in the U.S., as they are built from concrete, nearly entirely! This keeps the house cool since the average outside temp is 90F, and quite humid as this is a tropical paradise! Don't get me wrong, it is still warm and we use fans to keep the air moving, but it is comfortable. Usually it rains at some point everyday, but there has been just two periods of rain in the last week! Very nice for vacationers!!
Today we are going to a very large temple that sits high on a hill overlooking a fishing village. I have been there before, with a guide, but this time we are going with Liza and family, and Armand (Tina's son) and Ling (my sister-in-law) and Ping (my niece).
More to come!

What a ride!!

We are finally in Malaysia, on Borneo! What a ride! We were snowed out of our flight on Tuesday, so we were re-booked for Friday. Thus, I called my boss and told him I could work the rest of the week. He gladly approved! I worked on Tuesday night (Wednesday shift) and went home to bed. Tina woke me in a panic on Wed afternoon at 1:30 saying we had been re-booked for 5:00pm THAT DAY! WHAT?!?!? So we hurried to get ready and make it to the airport. Dad dropped us off and we went to the ticket counter. Guess what, they had NO RECORD of our re-booking. It should be said here that I called Delta to make sure Tina had the right info and was told we were indeed booked at 5:00pm. So here we are at the counter, perplexed. To make matters worse, the Delta agent told us WE had to call and straighten it out on our own because Part of the fight was being handled by Singapore airlines and they would not let us re-book! WHAT?!?!? I called the Delta people and, after much conversation, they got us going. Oh wait, there's more! When we got to Atlanta we had to go through it all over again, minus the 'me calling Delta' part. Well, the Delta girl in Atlanta did for us what the Delta people in Maine couldn't; booked us through to Malaysia with no trouble. They even checked our bags straight through! Awesome! Off we went to Singapore via Japan. After a long wait, we finally got here to Kuching, but Tina's bags didn't! The baggage agent at the Kuching airport was actually waiting for us! Turns out he had been contacted by Atlanta to say Tina's bags were delayed! Luckily she put a change of clothes in my bag! SO, here we are, a few days later than planned but just as happy to be here! So good to see the family, and enjoy what's left of the Chinese New Year celebrations! Needless to say, we crashed hard last night! Our time is 13 hours ahead of EST, in case you were wondering.
MORE TO COME....

Five days from now...

In just 5 days we will be jetting off to Malaysia! Honestly, I cannot wait to feel the tropical weather surrounding me! But alas, a wrench in the works. I have applied for a promotion, and if I get it I will NOT be able to go on this trip! I am torn! Obviously the promotion is more important than the trip as it will help secure my future retirement! It is in God's hands!
We are filing out financial status paperwork with the court on Monday. The foreclosure mediation will take place in March. And so it goes...
I don't suppose anyone has an extra $178,000 hanging around? No? OK, thanks anyway.
Tonight will be a good night! We are going to enjoy KFC at Mallory's, and we will have a bit of time with our grand-daughter, Lily Mae! Looking forward to that!
Be well friends. My next post will be from Borneo! (I think)

More Snow?!? Aaaarrrrrggggghhhhh

I can't believe it's snowing AGAIN! Ugh! I have GOT to find a better climate to live in! Speaking of which, just 10 day till we jet off to Borneo, to this trip! It's been nearly four years since I have been there, and now, with the recent surgery, I will be able to sight-see! I am very excited about it all!
Mom is doing well with the chemo, but she's in for another round on the 31st. :^(
She's very upbeat about it, but still...
On the lighter side, there is a jam tonight! A little music, a little friendship, a little coffee, and ALOT of fun! I love music nights, I love music. We begin at 7pm, in the Cockpit cafe at the Sanford airport; every other Friday! See you there?

It's Friday!

Wow, another week has gone already! I spent all week wishing Friday was here, and now it is! I wish I had some plans! Maybe I'll watch TV, or go to the mall, or go to bed early! I lead such an exciting life, don't I? Today we go to the first of three meetings at the court concerning our foreclosure. I wish my broker would get that house sold!
Dad made a huge pot of soup the other day. He literally took all the leftovers from the fridge and made a soup out of them! you know, it was good! I really enjoyed it, but I couldn't help thinking that all that stuff in there reminded me of what you see in the drain filter after you've washed the dishes! :^) Yummmmm
See-ya

Here we go again!

We are now eight days into the new year and the only thing that has really changed is the date on the calendar! I am looking forward to a much needed escape to Malaysia beginning February 1st, but I have also put in for a promotion at work. If I get that promotion I will NOT be able to travel! I have applied for many promotions, but never got one. Wouldn't it be ironic to get this one? Still, I would like to have it. We'll have to wait and see! Tina will be gone for 3 months this time around! It already seems like an eternity!! Mom begins chemotherapy next month; that's gonna be a heavy weight around here! Somehow, we will make it to day 9, then 10, then 11....