It Takes Every Type of People

I am truly sympathetic to the "Gay Cause" or many other “Causes” for that matter. This is not in the vein of a 1960's Enlightened "Oh, I have a 'black friend' (not that I think that's a problem)" kind of sympathy. I really do not care what color your skin is, who you pray to, where you are from or what gender you get your jollies from. I am much more concerned about important things like whether you will join me for a shot, a beer or a glass of wine and what I should expect to be pouring. (My preference is sambuca; ma chere prefers tequila; wild turkey is for one special occasion though that is negotiable; otherwise, BYOB, I am congenial that way.) Food is important to. We tend towards an omnivorous diet, but I would not throw you out for bringing a good bean salad. Ma chere and the Ts might grump a bit though.

Title by: Robert Palmer

Love and Marriage

I believe that marriage is a sacred sacrament given by God. The Bible tells us that this sacrament is to be performed through God between a man and a woman. HOWEVER, I believe the church no longer has any authority in the realm of protecting the modern concept of marriage. Consider first the farce of a Las Vegas wedding or the secular-in-the-extreme courthouse wedding. The result of these unions is a marriage that is recognized in all 50 states and most of the civilized world. Where was the church when these types of unions were started?

Should I dare ask why a member of the clergy must be licensed or certified in the United States? The answer is rather simple if rather cynical. It is so they can tax both the marriage couple and the officiate. Are we to believe, as most churches do, that a ceremony performed by a judge, with no mention of a higher power (much less Christ), is a "holy union" simply because an xx and an xy joined hands and kissed at the end of the service? JUNK, BALDERDASH! Or, to put a fine point on it, No...

Title by: Frank Sinatra

In My Life

This is where the trouble really begins. Recent news, election results, radical conservative pundits, etc. have rubbed me a bit raw lately. So, here we go…

I believe in the right of life. I believe life starts at conception. I believe that the willful taking of a life at ANY point after conception is not just wrong, it is a sin. HOWEVER, I do not believe in the government's right to legislate or otherwise regulate a person's right to choose. No to anti-abortion legislation, No to capital punishment.

Abortion kills, capital punishment kills. Abortion flies in the face of not just Christian morals but also existential fundamentals. If your Christian beliefs are not insulted, then your agnostic or atheistic codes should be.
Capital punishment does not work as a deterrent. An eighteen year old with a semi-automatic believes he is immortal AND invincible. (Is that the 2nd stage or 3rd stage of tequilla? umm, never mind...) That he might face death for blowing away a rival does not even cross his mind.

However, the world is ours to convince otherwise. Not through the force of legislation, but through love and understanding. Christ gave to us, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." There is not a suggestion of hiding behind a law in that verse or any other verse I am aware of for that matter....

Title by: The Beatles

Tangled Up In Blue

I am going to get into some trouble here. I just know it. However, I cannot help myself.

I am a Christian. This should not be too much of a surprise for the few of you still hanging around and reading this blog. My faith is an important part of who I am. My quest for faith consumed a fair amount of my formative years. It is solid now and beyond question or doubt.

Because of my faith, I embrace a number of social issues. I believe that anyone can reasonably expect to be cared for when they are too young, too sick or too old to take care of themselves. I believe that anyone can reasonably expect a fair chance at being safe, getting a quality education, getting a job and returning the favor to the next generation. There is plenty of controversy in this paragraph to keep most of us at the dining room table with a few bottles of wine for an evening....

Title by: Bob Dylan

One (Hu)'man One Vote

"Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority." - Henry David Thoreau

Do not forget to vote today. It is the best way to "Support the Troops". Today is the day they are fighting for.

Title by: Johnny Clegg & Savuka

I Know A Place

One of the things I find interesting about living on Long Island is how people relate to the place. It is usually sited as a location. For instance, during the Presidential Debates, reporters on location would sign-out by saying "For Rockhead Press, this is Barney Rubble from Long Island." They were not in Hempstead, NY or even Hofstra University (Ok, granted, you would have to be from Long Island or follow La Crosse to have any idea where Hofstra University is anyway.)

The point is, however, most people in the rest of the country answer with the name of their town or the nearest city or even their State when answering the question, "Where are you from?". Ask a traveler from Shorewood or even Racine where they are from and a likely answer would be "near-Milwaukee" or "Wisconsin". Ask a traveler from Calverton, New York where they are from and the likely answer will be "Long Island"; not "New York" or even "near-New York City". "Long Island" takes on that name.

(Of course, New York City, poses yet another exception to that rule. Natives are rarely from New York City. They are from Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx (mind you, not Bronx, but "The Bronx" but that's yet a different story) or Staten Island.

There are very few places I can think of that become a "I'm from here" location. I guess someone could say they are from "Napa Valley"; but no one claims, in my experience anyway, to be from "The Rockies", "The Poconos" or "The Bad Lands". "The U.P." is very locally used. I have experimented with that little colloquialism while out here. No one out here has any idea what a Yuppie is except maybe the sound a 5 year old makes on their first pony ride.

For some reason, "Long Island" resonates with people. It is that place that is not New York City, or any of the eastern sea-board cities for that matter. It is the location for Great Gatsby. Thomas Fairchild drove Linus Larabee to Long Island in Sabrina. Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Billy Joel all hail from Long Island. Once ago, it was mostly farms, farm towns and fishing towns. Now, all but the eastern 40 miles is one long suburb. The Wikipedia article makes the point perfectly though. It categorizes Long Island like it was a state with breakdowns in demographics, economy, education, etc.

Tell a New Yorker you are from "Long Island" and they get a far-away look and usually tell you how lucky you are to live "out there".

Well, from Long Island, this is CmentMixer. And, yes, I am lucky to live "out there".

Title by: Bob Marley

These Days

As I mentioned before, I have been to see the doctor. I try to see the doctor once a year as a matter of safety. Besides, it comforts me that, if I were in the hospital, the 2 professionals I would want most at my bedside should know me by my first name, my pastor and my doctor. It is also time for my twice a decade date with that misguided camera known as a colonoscope.

On a Friday morning, I mosey in. Nice office staff, I write my autobiography on their forms. After a short wait, a friendly nurse takes blood pressure, temperature, weight, height, blood, urine. The door no sooner latches when in walks a very approachable and seemingly competent doctor. He pokes and prods and asks many questions, family history and personal medical history. It is a great first impression.

"We will call if there is anything irregular with the tests."

They called on Wednesday.

The message, "Please have Scott call us as soon as possible."

I called when I get home from work around 5:30.

"The doctor is not comfortable discussing this matter with you over the phone. Please come in as soon as possible."

I think we have all either personally gone through or heard first hand of these calls. If not, here is what happened before I could even stop to think straight. My stomach dropped. My normally optimistic outlook was short-circuited by my "worst case scenario" instinct. My mind raced…High-blood-pressure-blood-sugar-issues-white-blood-cell-count-cancer-my-goodness-what-type-of-cancer-what-did-they-find-out-the-life-insurance-is-paid-the-family-is-1200-miles-from-our-traditional-support-group-I-feel-fine-I-am-active-breathe-breathe-breathe.

"Ok, is there an opening tonight? … Yes? At 7? Great, we will be there at 7."

"Ma chere, clear the calendar, we are going for a car ride. T1, you are in charge."

At the appointed hour (15 minutes early), the nurse escorts us into the examining room. She takes my blood-pressure and lets us know that the doctor will be right in. And, he was.

He looked at ma chere strangely and then at me almost questioningly. He handed me a sheaf of papers and started to take my blood-pressure again. I exhaled loudly and visibly relaxed. Page 1 read, "High Cholesterol Diet – Foods to Avoid". Page 2 read, "High Cholesterol Diet – Foods to Seek".

"So, Doc, not to minimize this, but we are here just to talk about my high cholesterol?"

"Yes, you didn't already know this."

I ran through the conversation with the receptionist earlier in the evening.

He blanched, "I guess we really do not need to recheck your blood pressure. I can pretty much guess why it is off. She SHOULD have told you it was your cholesterol and asked you to make an appointment."

We talked living with high cholesterol for 15 minutes or so. It was a bit of a blur.

Ma chere and I laughed, nervously, all the way to Walgreens to fill in the prescription for Crestor.

Bad form, bad bad form. Bad form, indeed!

Title by: Tanya Donelly

Call the Doctor

We have also been working our way around to getting new doctors. We picked one that is close to the house in the Spring. Unfortunately, he is rarely there. His Physician Assistants take most of his appointments; and if you want to see him, he is in the office on Tuesday evenings from 6 PM to 8 PM. Crazy, I know.

Ma chere did find a new doctor a couple of weeks ago. T2's little accident (he is on the mend, thank you all for the well wishes) forced us into picking a doctor sooner rather than later. Some complications after his first week meant we had to have a primary care referral in order to have insurance coverage for the additional work. I understand the sense behind a "gated policy" where all specialist work must be referred. I strongly dislike it when I get stuck on the wrong side of the gate.

In any case, we now have a very nice physician that I have seen personally twice in as many weeks. Not bad, considering that after 6 months I could not even tell you who the other guy was and that after being in the office 5 or 6 times with the Ts.

Title by: JJ Cale

Leave the Driving

There are still a few things that ma chere and I have procrastinated doing with regards to the move to Long Island. For instance, we still have our old vehicle tags and licenses.

The vehicle stuff is a matter of waiting for our existing insurance to expire and picking up new coverage in New York. Because we still have our condo (Yes, it is true.), we need to maintain insurance on it. It is easier to wait for the end of our coverage year with our current provider and just cancel the vehicle portion of the coverage than try to shop for a new condo policy. I already have the new coverage on the van; now, we are waiting for the end of this week to make the changes to our Wisconsin policy.

We will work on getting our licenses and tags switched over this week as well. Other than the house, that will be the last of the Wisconsin to-do list. Anyone want a condo?

Title by: Neil Young

Burning Down The House

Here is some advice born of experience. If it looks like the pilot
light for the broiler is out, ventilate the space before relighting
or keep your face away from the opening when relighting.

Broiler 1 - Hair & Eyebrows 0

Not to worry, no burns, just singed hair. Man, it stinks!

Title by: The Talking Heads

Collarbone

You have to love lyricists. They really can come up with the darnedest themes.

Well, T2 is now home, safe and relatively sound. He has some nice road rash on his face and upper body. He has a golf ball size lump over his left eye. And, he broke his collar bone.

Not bad for a guy celebrating his 11th birthday tomorrow. What until he figures out his soccer season is over...boy, won't that be a grand time...

Title by: Fujiya & Miyagi

Hurt

Here is an interesting dilemma for road warriors. If you have traveled for business and have kids, you will understand that persistent worry that nags at you the whole time you are away.

"What do I do if Ma Chere or one of the Ts gets hurt while I am away? What is my escape plan? What will it take for me to get home NOW?"

That worry is being tested even as I type. T2 took a digger on his scooter around 4:45 PM. He was not wearing his helmet. Ma chere explained that he has road rash on his head and side. It also looks like his shoulder "is not quite where it belongs" is what I think she said. Dislocated? Collar bone? DANG!!!

I am, of course, in Manhattan today and tomorrow. I usually stay overnight in the staff room to avoid 2 days of crazy traffic. Ma chere assures me she has it under control.

So...I...wait...

Title by: Johnny Cash

Pride and Joy

It has been a busy few weeks. Sorry for the lapse. Ma chere and the Ts are all safely back on Long Island. I flew out to Milwaukee a few Fridays ago; spent the night out with family; golfed 18 at Greenfield (119 - not bad for no golf for a year and using my sister-in-law's clubs); had a late lunch; napped and left Milwaukee for New York at 6:00 PM on Saturday. We pulled into our driveway at 11:30 AM Sunday. We stayed close to home on Sunday and Monday to recuperate from the drive.

The Ts started school just after Labor Day. T2 & T3 are in new schools from last year. T2 "graduated" to the 5th & 6th grade middle school. We moved T3 into the school affiliated with our church in Aquebogue. He needed to get back to what he was used to at Atonement.

All in all, it was good to get everyone home again.

Title by: Stevie Ray Vaughan

Legalize It

There is a big bruhaha in the media and on the web over a recent Washington Post article that some college presidents are asking for a dialogue to change the legal drinking age from 18 to 21.
To begin with, the bruhaha begins with the premise that we are discussing "kids". Their legal status is "Adult" once they turn 18. This arbitrary number, like 19 or 20 or 21, is not a measure of maturity, ability or responsibility. Because we cannot quantify these subjective aspects of a person, we pick 18 for most things, except drinking. Younger, in some states, for marriage…but that is a different story, right? It sounds to me like the current discussion implies that "College Students" are the only 18 to 20 year olds (or for that matter any age) that get into drunken accidents, experiment with drugs or start the long march to degradation. What makes 18 any more secure than 21?
While it is great that this discussion is being brought up by college presidents, who will represent the other 75% of 18 to 20 year old adults in this matter. Are they to be considered less mature or less able to control themselves because they have not sat through Poli-Sci 101 or Bio 101?
And lastly, I can understand why it is true on-campus, but why is it the colleges' responsibility to keep students from drinking off campus? The students are adults, responsible for their own actions under the law. I certainly cannot blame my college Dean for a DWI or worse at 40, why can I (or my parents’ lawyers) do it at 20?

Title by: Mojo Nixon

White Lines

A silly thought occured to me in the shower this morning. (try to
supress the potty humor) I was watching some TV last night and the
inevitable 1 pound bag of cocaine shows up. Why it is inevitable I am
not sure. But that is a different post and rant.

Some one pierced the side of the bag with their pen knife key chain,
tapped a small pile on the tip of the blade and then tasted it. He
nodded to his partners acknowledging the stuff in the bag was what
they were after.

We have all seen the scene play out in countless variations in equally
countless programs and movies.

My issue is how do so many people know what cocaine TASTES like. Is
there some mirror version of wine tasting where cocaine users first
taste the stuff BEFORE checking the "nose" of the vintage? I am not
sure what to make of it...

The family returns from WI this weekend. It will be very nice to have
them back home.

Title by: Grand Master Flash

Sent from my iPhone

Stick With Me Baby

I am finally home. It was a VERY long day. One benefit is left-overs.

Thai chicken on a stick
Shrimp on a stick
2 ounce lobster tails..of course on a stick

The grill is fired up. My Rum & Coke is chilled. I am crashing hard in
about one minute.

Title by: Allison Krause

Moon Over Bourbon Street

The party has wound down. All the adults, except the designated
chaperones and the teens are gone or in bed.

It was a very busy 9 hours since my last post. A property full of
guests came and, mostly went. There was a beautiful sunset that made
me miss ms chere. There was a magnificent moon rise (full, I think)
that brought back memories of the U2 concert at Camp Randall many
years ago.

The guests seemed happy. More importantly, the Ps seemed pleased and
were able to enjoy their party.

It is time to catch a nap.

I forgot to post about the Police concert at Jones Beach. Elvis
Costello opened. Mind blowingly incredible.

Title by: Sting

Sent from my iPhone

Let the Good Times Roll

One hour before the party officially begins. Everything has been in
place for hours. The band and caterer are setting up. My staff is
getting cleaned up; my turn next.

It is strange that my day is starting in one hour, 10 hours after I
got here.

Title by: The Cars

Sent from my iPhone

Effect and Cause

It is funny how this event is like the antithesis of our Spring Blitz.
There are almost as many vendors whose ultimate impact on the property
is making a mess.

Title by: The White Stripes

Sent from my iPhone

The Candy Man

What do you do the day of an event when the caterer forgets the
chocolate for the chocolate fountain?

The Candy Man can...

Sent from my iPhone somewhere in the Hamptons

Bird Is The Word

Cleaning out the septic system on Wednesday and Thursday was not so
bad, if you do not mind 3 3 square foot holes in the lawn.

I just found a second bird of the season in the chandelier for the
gazebo. Preflight wrens still anest. Nothing we can do today but clean
around them.

Sent from my iPhone

Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

I am going to try blogging from my iPhone today as we make final
preparations for today's party.

My sad attempt at micro-blogging.

Title by: Gary U.S. Bonds

Sent from my iPhone

Song for the Dumped

The Ps big summer party is coming up soon. All the guest rooms will be filled for the weekend, plus a few other nooks and crannies. The party itself is on a Saturday evening with the teens making an overnight party of it. In all, there will be 150 guests or so.

Needless to say, there is plenty of planning and coordination with the band, tent company, caterer and others. The house and grounds are primped to the highest standard. The property has been a flurry of activity with housekeepers, maintenance, landscapers, pool & court vendors all doing their part to make the environment ready.

Everything goes into a master document. I amalgamated an assortment of documents together as a sort of punch-list for preparation and execution of events. As my sister says, it is the "Oh we ALMOST forgot..." list.

Did I forget to mention the septic backed-up yesterday? ...DANG, that bites!!!

Title by: Ben Folds Five

Boom De Ah Dah

I promised myself that I would not let my blog fall victim to the latest viral media craze. Unfortunately, I just cannot help myself with this one. These are all the shows I spend my summers watching. It is too much fun not to pass on.



And, now, LIVE!!!



Title by: The Discovery Channel

Blessed Relief

The couple of weeks with the new housekeeper went well. With the Ps off on travel, it helped that we could focus on just the house for the first few days.

Ms. D is a much shyer version of Ms. C. She has a great eye for what needs to be done and is self-motivated to do it. Ms. C and I are both relieved to be back to full staff. It was a crazy 6 weeks.

Title by: Frank Zappa (Can you believe it has been 15 years!?)

Deadline

It has been so crazy at work. I did not realize that I was pushing myself so hard. Fortunately, the Ps absense gave me a chance to breath and catch up on the back-log of tasks and small projects on my desk and floor. Yes, my floor. It turns into a rolling "to-do" list when things get hectic. Now, I can see my floor! It is the small things at work, sometimes.

Next up, my House Managers Book. I have a self imposed August 6 deadline (one year anniversary). Wish me luck.

Title by: Blue Öyster Cult

We Have All The Time In The World

My plans are pretty low-key this weekend. The Greenport Greek festival looks like it will be fun. There is also an Irish festival in Calverton. I will probably end up tat the Greek festival tonight and head over to the Irish festival tomorrow for some Guinness and shepherd’s pie. It will also give me a chance to ogle the local red-heads (yeah, yeah, oink, oink, oink). I am, after all, a semi-bachelor. There’s something James Bond-ish…”taken not stirred”. (I’ll have to work on that line a bit, I think.)

It is interesting that both cultures provide for great pleated skirts. Too bad the Greeks dress their men in them. ;-0

Enjoy your weekend.

Title by: Louis Armstrong (From"On Her Majesty's Secret Service")

On the Wing

The Ps took a 6 day trip to Paris recently. It was a rather quick thing. Mr P had been knocking the idea around for a few days. I found out they were definitely going at 5 PM on a Monday. Departure day was Thursday.

The air travel was set by 6 PM on Monday, but we had to wait for Paris to be awake to set the room.

Tuesday morning we changed travel agents to American Express and re-booked the flight. By that afternoon, the air travel and hotel were locked in. The hotel and American Express concierge services helped me get dinner and theater reservations all set on Wednesday. We had Euros in hand by Wednesday afternoon. Everything was packed before I left on Wednesday, too.

This would be expected or even a bit slow if we were in Manhattan. But, no, it was all done from the Hamptons. Thanks in very large part to American Express Travel and Concierge and the banking team.

Title by: Owl City

Make It Easier

Since I am down one half of my housekeeping staff, Ms. C and I have to make up the difference. I probably missed that introduction. Ms. C started with us just after Thanksgiving last year. She generally covers the Monday through Friday shifts.

Ms. C has been working 6 day weeks on and off since the beginning of June. She even pulled a 17 day-in-a-row jag. She can be contentious and difficult at times; however, she definitely knows how to pull up the slack when I ask her. She has the right kind of heart for the job. I will have to be sure to not burn her out during this transition.

Title by: Indigo Girls

Everybody Ought to Have a Maid

One of the housekeepers left suddenly at the beginning of June. For complicated reasons, she was unable to return to our service in a timely manner. I had to replace her. Thankfully, she was able to refer friends and relatives. The new housekeeper starts next Wednesday.

Title by: Stephen Sondheim

Spending the Day in the Shirt That You Wore

Ma chère and the Ts left last Sunday. They are back in Wisconsin for the summer. La plus jeune soeur de ma chère flew in last week to help with the drive back. They got in early Monday morning.

It feels like they just got out here and now they are gone again. I am not complaining...okay maybe just a bit. It will be another long 8 weeks without them around. I miss the noise when they get the dog all riled up, the giggling, the dog trying desperately to catch them...ah the sweet sounds of chaos. This will be the first summer since 1989 that I will not get Up North. I hope the Sound is a good surrogate. And, I always sleep so crappy without my partner. Her pillow still smells of her.

It is good for them. The Ts get a bit of their old routine and friends back, if only for a bit. Ma chère spent the last few days as a social butterfly catching up with friends and family in Milwaukee. They should be Up North by the 4th.

Title by: Poi Dog Pondering

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

It is easy to find a WELS congregation in Wisconsin. The choices are rather limited out east. As a matter of fact, there is only 1 WELS church, Grace of God, that services all of Long Island. Grace of God is located in Dix Hills at about the mid-point of the island. It is a small congregation with 60-70 members. People can come from as far away as Queens to the west (60 minutes) and Baiting Hollow to the east (45 minutes...guess who).

As a general rule, we attend church every Sunday; a day also held in priority as a family day. We have not always asked the Ts to attend Sunday school. The rationale was they get plenty of Christian education during the week compared to quality/quantity family time. Since they are no longer in private school, the balance was off. This is where the tension began. The Ts needed more "face time with their Maker".

We were spending 90 minutes round trip to Grace of God. Throw in the hour or so to get 5 people out the door on a Sunday morning plus Service time, the inevitable chat in the back of church and voilà the morning was gone. Now, don't get me wrong. I have no problem giving thanks to the Lord for his Grace and Forgiveness. But, the 90 minutes commute plus $20 in gas was not what He had in mind, I think.

On top of that, we were not satisfied. And again, I beg your indulgence for just a minute. We do understand that church is not like Starbucks. Our satisfaction is not guaranteed. We do not attend church to be told how wonderful we are. We do not attend church to be told what bounty will befall us because we showed up this week. On the other hand, there should be a sense of belonging that neither ma chère nor I felt.

It was with this on our hearts that we began looking for a new church. Our foreboding was the understanding that we would have to leave WELS to do it. Thankfully, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) has a relatively large foothold on Long Island.

I will spare you, at this point, the research into the differences between WELS and LCMS, the time spent in conversation with one another, both WELS and LCMS pastors, parents, relatives, etc. Ultimately, we made the decision to join Our Redeemer in Aquebogue, NY. I promise to post more on the transition later.

Title by: Samuel Medley

We All Believe in One True God

I, of course, did not had such a straight path to the church.

I grew up in a Catholic home. Though, my parents are more culturally Catholic than religious. I imagine this is very similar to the way some people are Jewish. The culture eventually takes precedent over the under-pinnings of the faith. This is, from a world view, not a bad thing. Their religion is just an inward thing.

I attended Catholic schools through my freshman year in high-school. I fell away from the church and from faith during college. I should be more clear; my rebellion was more an intellectual than a spiritual one. I needed to find a better way to embrace my faith than just blindly trusting my education. I found it in the writings of Soren Kierkegaard.

After attending church with ma cherè and then the Ts for so many years, I was confirmed into WELS a few years ago.

Title by: Martin Luther

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

This is another one of those posts that has taken a few weeks to write. I've broken it up to make it shorter to read.

When we first started talking about the career change and the possibility of moving, we naturally had to consider schools and church. Ma chère was raised Lutheran and educated from kindergarten through high school in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) school system. The Ts were all baptized in WELS churches and have always been in a WELS schools, most recently Atonement Lutheran School in Milwaukee.

Title by: Martin Luther

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here

Staffing has been an issue for me from the very beginning at the P's. I have a, relatively, stable staff; however, I am always looking to "upgrade". Some things I can train; however, there needs to be an inherent ability. The industry calls it a "Service Heart". An innate desire to please and see a job done, thoroughly.

One of neat things about my training was being in a room where the majority of the people had "Service Heart". It was comforting to be with people that also felt compelled to do a proper job, properly.

(It is funny, but apparently the only way I have to explain this ability is with the use of adverbs, precisely. HA!)

Title by: Grammar Rock

Feels Like Home

We spent last Saturday afternoon in Times Square and Central Park. We drove in to Manhattan late Saturday morning and hooked up with ma chère's cousin, his wife and a couple friend of theirs on 57th & Madison. We bruised our way through the crowds down to Hard Rock and after lunch we walked passed the M&M Store for dessert and then up to Central Park to let the Ts blow off some much pent up steam. They had a blast on the huge rocks in the park and one of the many play areas. Then we walked back up to the van on the Upper East Side. You cannot believe the crowds on Madison Avenue and Time Square. It was an incredible sea of people.

We spent the rest of Memorial Day weekend mostly around the house. It has been a long time where we just hung out together. We got down to the beach on Sunday. The Ts braved the water while ma cherè and I laid out on a rock close to shore. Ma chère chatted with a woman whose vacation home is just down the street from our house.

It is not quite "home", yet. But, we are working on it. We all miss the connectedness of being in Milwaukee.

Title by: Randy Newman (Performed by Bonnie Raitt)

The Statue Got Me High

This one is for the long-time "forward, not straight" crowd. It rates right up there with "It's better to be pissed off than pissed on...Just ask Chuck."

Why Fire Engines are Red...
Fire engines are red because fire engines have four wheels and eight men.
4+8=12
There are 12 inches in a foot.
A foot is a ruler.
A famous ruler was Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen Elizabeth was once the largest ship to sail the seven seas.
Seas have fish.
Fish have fins.
The Fins fought the Russians.
The Russians are red.
Fire engines are always rushing.
And THAT is why fire engines are red!

Title by: They Might Be Giants

I Will Possess Your Heart

The timing on my heart gets a little messed up once in a while. It starts with an uncomfortable feeling in my chest and then what can only be described as a flopping around the inside of my chest. It takes my breath away; and, I do not mean that in a "WOW, would you look at that view" kind of way. One episode usually lasts a few seconds. The after-effects (shortness of breath, a dull ache in my chest and a general feeling of fatigue) last 15 or 20 minutes. The problem comes when I get recurring episodes before I recover from the previous one.

To my horror and humiliation, this happened at work this morning. The flutters started during my commute. I was shaking off the first round during the dog walk when the next round started. By 8:00 AM, cold sweats and a blood pressure drop made it hard to stand on my feet. And sure as Bob's Your Uncle, I found myself being escorted to the South Hampton emergency room by my principals. This was, as they say, highly irregular. Seated in the back of a beautiful luxury sedan while my boss is seated in what is normally my seat when we are together in a car.

The condition is technically called Arrhythmia. This is not necessarily a new condition for me. I was looked at a few years ago for the same problem. In my case, it is likely stress induced. The good news is my blood work and EKG came back positive.

Title by: Death Cab For Cutie

Artists

I have to admit, I do not have every song I post in my collection. However, I, generally, have at least one song from each of the artists. Picking the title usually turns into a big project. Sometimes, I am looking for a spark from the title of the song. Other times, there is something in the lyrics or even the melody that fits the mood of the post.

Here is the list of all the artists' songs I have used. There are some that are dubiously credited, just deal with it, ok? I will try to keep this list updated going forward. I might even get ambitious and add links.

Merle Haggard
Christopher Cross
The Police
Goo Goo Dolls
Loretta Lynn
Paul Pena
The Roaches
Ben Folds
Robert Palmer
Daniel Powter
Cat Stevens
James Taylor
Hall & Oats
School House Rock
John Denver
Soul Train Gang
Jaime Cullum
Celestial Navigations
Rolling Stones
Annie Lennox
Ice Cube
Proclaimers
Willie Nelson
Jack's Mannequin
Frank Sinatra
Rufus Wainwright
Third Eye Blind
Three Dog Night
Led Zeppelin
Beauty and the Beast
K.T. Tunstal
Dave Matthews Band
The Beatles
Phil Collins
Billy Joel
Johnny Cash
The Violent Femmes
Nirvana
U2
Big Daddy Kane
Supertramp
John Stewart
Lerner & Loewe
R.E.M.
The Beatles
Norah Jones
Dido
Robert Palmer
Bruce Springsteen
Leonard Cohen
Charlie Pride
Don Henley
Greg Lake
Corinne Bailey Rae
Yes
Lilo & Stitch
Brad Paisley
Jethro Tull
Proclaimers
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Peaches & Herb
Burl Ives
Alanis Morissette
Radiohead
Simon & Garfunkel
The Sweet
Sugarland
Peter Gabriel
Sugarland
The Cure
Lily Allen
EMF
Everything But The Girl
Death Cab For Cutie
They Might Be Giants
Bonnie Raitt
Grammar Rock

Apron Strings

When washing aprons, make sure to tie-off the string ends. A nice figure-eight knot at the end should do.

Two words...SPIN CYCLE. yeesh, what a nightmare.

Title by: Everything But The Girl

Just Might (Make You Believe)

My friend, Cat, started a new blog not too long ago.

http://aswebecomeourselves.blogspot.com

She and her husband are working on adopting a foster child. Check out her stuff and give her some much deserved props.

Title by Sugarland

This is the Picture

Here is a little trick that, usually, keeps me out of trouble.

Before we touch any surface or space in the environment, I take digital pictures. I stand in the middle of the room and take shots of the 4 walls and 4 corners; front shots, top-down shots, under/over, etc.

I print them all and keep copies on my iPhone. (Yes, a business perk, I have an iPhone.)

Then, I let the housekeepers loose. Let them dust, clean, wipe, steam, whatever.

When they are all finished, we put it all back the way we found it. Tada!

The Spring Blitz taught me that there is no such thing as too many pictures. I thought I took a ton of them. When it came to putting things back together, I still found myself having to figure out where things went because of where they were NOT in a picture.

Title by: Peter Gabriel

Little Things

The Ts are taking to Long Island life well. T1 went out for the Lacrosse team. He also went on a 4 day trip to Quebec City, Quebec with the French Club. T2 is starting to make friends. He has been frustrated because it is taking a bit longer to make connections than he expected. T3 is grooving along well enough. He shares his other brothers' frustration in making friends.

Four things about me that you may or may not have known in no particular order.

1. 4 jobs I have had in my life:
Water Ski Instructor - Deer Park Lodge, Package Truck Pre-loader - United Parcel Service, Usher/Doorman - UA Theaters at Northridge, On Air Personality - WXPR Rhinelander
2. 4 movies I've watched more than once:
Ground Hog Day, Star Wars (A New Hope), Steel Magnolias, Hudson Hawk
3. 4 places I have lived in my life:
Fort Campbell, KY, Winthrop Harbor, IL, Deerfield, IL, Saint Germain, WI
4. 4 TV Shows I watch:
Heroes, Myth Busters, Monk, CBS Morning Show
5. 4 places I have been:
Pearl Harbor, HI, USA; Bruges, Belgium; St. Peter's Cathedral, London, UK; Helen Keller's Tomb, National Cathedral, Washington D.C., USA
6. 4 people who e-mail me regularly:
Amy, Bill, Tirzah, Joe
7. 4 of my favorite foods:
Gumbo, Pho, Pod Thai, Yorkshire Pudding
8. 4 places I would rather be right now:
On the golf course, On a warm beach, On a deck at sunset, On John's boat in the middle of Alma with Alt Nation cranked to 11
9. 4 people I think will respond:
You guys hardly ever respond. To be fair, though, it took me 3 months to get around to it.
10. 4 things I am looking forward to this year:
Selling my townhouse, Turkey Shoot back in Milwaukee, Summer sunsets on the front porch, The WOP's graduation party

Someone did reply to my customer support issues at Symantec. I posted their response in the comments, if you are interested.

Title by: Lily Allen

One Hundred Years

Happy Anniversary, Blog!!

12 months later, the only thing left unchanged is our townhouse. Why can't we sell the dang thing!!

My previous entry created a bit of a stir at Symantec. I was contacted by someone that is apparently going to look into my questions. I'll let you know how that works out.

Title by: The Cure

Unbelievable

I am usually patient person with technical support representatives. It is a grueling job on the best of days. Now, they cram 100 people in 50 square feet in some rigged up call center in New Delhi. The handlers have them take phone calls, email and chat sessions simultaneously with minimal documentation, training or other resources.

Symantec has been notoriously lacking in the support department for years. It is one of the reasons I refuse to use their products on my home systems. Unfortunately, they are the preferred standard at work. Here is a transcript from a 45 minute chat session I had with a Symantec representative recently.

Chat ID: 6ea2c6bf-ba3d-405f-aefc-3d961f81ea8a

Problem : Question regarding online storage

Sazed: Hello CmentMixer. My name is Sazed.

Sazed: Welcome to Symantec Technical Support.

Sazed: Hi,how are you doing today?

CmentMixer: Hello, I am looking for details regarding the Online Storage feature included with Norton 360

CmentMixer: Well, thank you

Sazed: Okay. I will help you in this.

CmentMixer: What is the security in transport? What is the security on the server? What is the encryption on the file?

CmentMixer: If there is a URL with this information, please provide it.

Sazed: You can check it through www.symantec.com

CmentMixer: Where on the site?

Sazed: Go for Norton 360 product and then store options.

CmentMixer: let me check before you disconnect, please

Sazed: Okay.

CmentMixer: Store Options?

CmentMixer: There is no such link

CmentMixer: Hello?

Sazed: May I know the doubt you have?

CmentMixer: I have spent 45 minutes browsing the Norton site. I cannot find specifics regarding the Online Storage feature. I want you to provide the URL for that information. The information you have given to me is not detailed enough or is outright wrong.

CmentMixer: "Go for Norton 360 product and then store options" means nothing to me.

Sazed: Okay.May I known what information you need regarding the Online Storage .

CmentMixer: As I stated before...What is the security in transport? What is the security on the server? What is the encryption on the file?

CmentMixer: What are my assurances or guarantees against my file not being hijacked in transit? What are the security measures in place to guarantee transport? How are the servers secured physically and virtually?

CmentMixer: What is your retention policy? If I remove the file from your servers, how long does it actually remain in your files before it is purged from your systems?

CmentMixer: If I have multiple licenses, how do I restore a specific backup to a re-imaged machine?

CmentMixer: Hello?

Sazed: You will be having only 2GB of space over all the computers.

CmentMixer: I know that, thank you.

CmentMixer: I even know I can purchase more, thank you.

CmentMixer: Symantec is quick to sell, but I want details about what it is you are offering beyond the marketing spin on the store web-site.

Sazed: You can go to www.symantec.com and then search option you can find all these things.

CmentMixer: No, begging your pardon, I CANNOT! I have already communicated that this information is not that readily available at that URL. I need a specific URL from you to the spec page for this feature.

CmentMixer: If it is that easy, YOU do it and show me where you find it.

CmentMixer: Hello?

Sazed: Once you remove the file it will be automatically removed from our server also. (CmentMixer: This is not true; the file is deleted only after your subscription lapses.)

CmentMixer: Ok, that's a start. What about security getting it to your servers? Is this FTPS or HTTPS? Is the backup file encrypted on my system before transport? If so, what type of encryption is used?

CmentMixer: Oh, and where do I access the files from? I do not see a link from My Account.

CmentMixer: Hello?

CmentMixer: Hello?

Sazed: Sorry for that.

CmentMixer: Do you have any additional information for me?

CmentMixer: This transaction has now taken 35 minutes. If you are unable to assist, please let me know who at Symantec I should contact. In the intervening time, I have Googled my question. There is no information to be found on the Web either.

CmentMixer: Hello?

Sazed: Analyst has closed chat and left the room

Another 90 minutes spent with a different representative. That conversation went somewhat better.

Chat ID: 10438f31-0393-4b47-b842-0a9ce18ff244

Problem : Question regarding online storage

Kamal: Hello CmentMixer. My name is Kamal.

CmentMixer: Hello, Kamal.

Kamal: Thank you for contacting Symantec Support. Please give me a moment while I review the issue you have described.

CmentMixer: Then you have the transcript from the previous Rep?

CmentMixer: I will be happy to submit my bill for 1 hours time to Symantec.

CmentMixer: Though, it would appear I could expect nothing more that to be ignored, then disconnected.

Kamal: May I confirm that the issue you are encountering is that you need to know about the online storage?

CmentMixer: That is correct.

CmentMixer: Does Norton 360 uses the same process as the Symantec Online Storage for Backup through the Symantec Protection Network service? I found a .PDF that has some of the information I am looking, but it is for the Symantec Protection Network service.

Kamal: Thank you for confirming your details. Please make a note of this case no.488198647 for your future reference. This case number will include the details of today's chat.

CmentMixer: Thank you.

CmentMixer: Hello?

Kamal: I need to verify some information. Do you mind waiting while I check this information for you?

CmentMixer: Yes, but please not too much longer. This has now been 1 hour.

Kamal: Thank you.

Kamal: Thank you for your patience. I now have the required information to help you

CmentMixer: Great!

Kamal: The Norton 360 has a 5 GB online storage. It stores in the same way as the Symantec Online Storage.

CmentMixer: The 5GB is an upgrade from the 2GB offered with the application. What about security?

CmentMixer: I am not looking for more space. I am looking for information on the security of the backup and storage.

Kamal: CmentMixer, Yes of course. You will have the same Symantec Protection Network Platform.

CmentMixer: Now, really, why would I assume this as a matter of course? Is this confirmed with your manager? Please pardon my skepticism that my answer is conveniently given back to me.

Kamal: The Symantec Online storage for backup is an enterprise product. The Norton 360 is for a Home office product.

CmentMixer: I understand that. So, what is the consumer platform security?

Kamal: The Technology is one and the same for both the products.

CmentMixer: So, you will confirm that "All backups use private-key 256 AES encryption and data is transmitted using SSL. The backups are checked after transmission on both ends to verify the transport was successful and not hampered during transmission." is a correct statement and is backed by Symantec?

Kamal: The data stored will be secure.

CmentMixer: That is a very broad statement. Am I to just trust you or is there a more formal guarantee? It also does not answer my original set of questions, which is how will the data be secured?

Kamal: Yes, The data is encrypted to store.

CmentMixer: Ok, is it private-key 256 AES or another encryption process?

CmentMixer: Also, can we step up the time between responses. We are now at the 90 minute mark for this conversation.

Kamal: We are storing the data by AES. The data transmission is done through SSL.

CmentMixer: You are encrypting the data with AES?

Kamal: Data to be stored is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption and the transmission is encrypted using 128-bit AES encryption.

CmentMixer: Ah, you must have found something. Is this paper available to the public or is it only an internal document?

Kamal: You can get the information from the Symantec Website.

CmentMixer: Where?

Kamal: CmentMixer, You can search about the online storage for the Norton 360.

CmentMixer: I must insist, again, that my searching revealed nothing from the Norton 360 site. That is why I ended up on the SPN site.

Kamal: I have all the information with me now.

CmentMixer: Ok, thank you.

Kamal: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?

CmentMixer: I would still like to get more details on the storage side. In addition, how do I access the backup? What happens in the situation where I have multiple backups in storage?

CmentMixer: Can I have multiple backups in storage?

CmentMixer: What about a scenario where I am not restoring to the original machine or O/S?

CmentMixer: These are some very large gaps in the documentation.

Kamal: If you have Reinstalled your operating system you can Restore the date using the following steps

Start Norton 360.

2 Click Tasks & Settings.

3 In the Tasks & Settings window, click Change Backup Settings.

4 Next to Backup Location, click Change.

5 Click Secure Online Storage.

6 If prompted, type the email address and the password used to create Norton Account.

7 In the Tasks & Settings window, click Restore.

8 Under Restore From, click Secure Online Storage.

If you are not able to find Secure Online Storage, click Change next to "Restore From."

9 In the Restore Now window, click Secure Online Storage.

10 Under "Select PC Nickname," select the name of computer that you have used to back up the files before uninstalling Norton 360, and then click OK.

11 If prompted, type the email address and the password used to create your Norton Account, and then click Next.

12 In the Restore Now window, click Restore Now.

13 Click OK, once the restore is completed.

CmentMixer: Good, thank you.

CmentMixer: However, this means I cannot remove a backup from your servers. Is that correct?

CmentMixer: Except, of course, if I let my subscription lapse.

Kamal: Yes, Once create a backup it will be there for you to access at any time.

CmentMixer: Ok, I'm done for now. I still have outstanding questions, but I have no more time.

CmentMixer: Thank you for your assistance.

Kamal: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?

CmentMixer: No

Kamal: Before I close this case can I please confirm with you that this issue has been resolved to your satisfaction?

CmentMixer: It has not been resolved to my satisfaction; however, I do not have any more time today to devote to it.

CmentMixer: It took 2 hours to get 2 sentences. I cannot spend more time on this.

Kamal: I apologize for the inconvenience.

CmentMixer: Thank you.

Kamal: CmentMixer, Now that we have successfully resolved this issue to your satisfaction, Can you please confirm, if your system is responding as required. To further optimize your system's performance we offer our valued customers a free system optimizer tool which you can download and run by clicking on this link http://www.norton.com/pc_checkup

The tool will detect and fix problems which affect your computer's performance and security.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Kamal: I would like to encourage you to provide feedback for this chat, as this helps in our ongoing efforts to improve the service we deliver. You can contact my manager at Symantecmanagers at symantec.suth.com.

Thank you for contacting Symantec, have a pleasant day.

CmentMixer: And to you as well.

Kamal: Analyst has closed chat and left the room

Unbelievable.

Title by: EMF

April Showers

I hired a new landscaper for this season. The previous vendor just did not seem to be on our agenda. The lawn looked terrible and he just did not see that it was his responsibility to do something about it. The crab grass was the pool guy's fault; the moss was from too much water (never mind the fact that he controlled the sprinkler system); the budget for the stones too small. I call it the 2-syndrome: too much water, too much sun, too little time... You get the idea.

The new landscaper would have ideally been in during the Blitz, unfortunately, the timing and weather did not cooperate. This and the Wednesday only restriction means the landscaper has been playing catch-up for the past 3 weeks. His crew has done a fantastic job of squeezing what would have been 2 weeks of cleanup and setup into 3 very long days. I hope he is successful.

Title by: Sugarland

Ballroom Blitz

March means "Spring Blitz" in the environment. The P's version of spring cleaning, spring maintenance and annual projects rolled into a 10-14 day period, usually while they are on spring break.

In 10 days, I had 12-14 vendors with 20 or so people on the property. Here's a sample of what we did:
Sand and refinish the floors in 2 rooms
Steam clean all curtains & carpets
Deep clean each room (move all furniture, sweep/vacuum, wipe down walls, scrub, scrub, scrub)
Clean all bedding
Clean all windows (inside & out) (There's over 100 windows, BIG JOB!)
Caulk & paint entire master bedroom suite
Caulk & paint foyer
Repair driveway gates
Replace sprinkler control panels
Replace storm windows for screens on most windows
Tune-up all vehicles
Tune-up boilers (3) & A/C units (5)
Repair dryer (again, and it's still not working!)
Send out art piece for minor framing restoration

So, that is a part of Spring Blitz. Of course, there is still a ton to do to get a property this size ready for the summer season. My Wednesdays are packed for the next few weeks with outdoor painting and repair projects.

The Ps gave me 4 stars out of 5. Next year, it should go easier.

Title by: The Sweet

Wednesday Morning 3 A.M.

Vendors are only allowed in the environment on Wednesdays. It is a privacy thing for the Ps. This means that Wednesdays turn out to be coordinated chaos.

There are usually 3 or 4 vendors on the property, plus the normal maintenance crews for the tennis court, pool and lawn. Wednesdays sometimes remind me of software deployment weekends at Manpower. Or, like running downhill. You cannot really slow down and there is the nagging fear that your head will get ahead of your feet.

On a completely different note, the ticks here are thick as ants! They are everywhere. I'll have to get the property sprayed here before long. We are on a nightly tick check for the Ts and Luci. I just plucked one off of the wall. It was sitting there, like a spider. Unbelievable.

Title by: Simon & Garfunkel

Yes I Am

I've been brooding over this post for a couple of months. Well, a month anyway. I have probably already attested that this entire experience has been a test for everyone from the Ts to grandparents, friends, associates, etc.

However, I believe the person that was pushed the hardest was ma cherè. She was a single Mom for three-quarters of a year. She did it with a cool efficiency; however, not without harboring a level of resentment.

My half was perhaps the riskier side of the equation, lots of unknowns. Will the school be easy or hard? Will I get a job in the field with no experience? Where will I end up? What will the principals be like? Will I be able to handle the responsibilities, the hours, the staff, the contractors...? Some unknowns were exciting, most were the mundane things of everyday.

Ma cherè, on the other hand, had all the "heavy lifting". We knew what her day/nights/weekends would be like. It is the routine of a middle-class family. We thought we understood what she was in for. Unfortunately, we seriously underestimated what it would take for her to pull it off alone. Frankly, we underestimated both our roles.

Thank goodness we know how to communicate. It might not always be pretty. It certainly is painful, but the results make the trial worth it. I had to promise not to remind her "I do that for a living, you know." She let go of the thought that I was drinking Dom Perignon poolside every night. (Just on weekends...I swear).

Title by: Radiohead

Mulberry Bush

In order to cover the general basics, the family is doing well. It is a tease to leave it like that, I know. Check back the next few days as I fill in the details.

When I mentioned that the house was cleaned and ready for the family's arrival, I did not mention that it took 2 days of my cleaning just to get the kitchen and 2 bathrooms decent enough to use. I was very frustrated that anyone could live in that kind of mess, much less leave it for the next tenant. I spent 8-10 hours just cleaning the cabinets, drawers and doors in the kitchen. It was like reliving the days leading up to moving into our townhouse (which is still for sale - by the way).

Ma cherè later discovered that it was an older couple that were living there. She thought it was a sad testament that there are people that might not be able to see that there is filth in the kitchen. What kind of medical issues might be avoided for the elderly if someone were to really clean their kitchens and bathrooms once a week?

Title by: Traditional English

Ironic

A few years ago, I worked for a spectacular organization, Strong Capital Management. Strong's iconic leader was Richard Strong. Mr. Strong's attitude was hire and retain the best and that is what we had at Strong. He was a good fund manager who dreamed big.

Mr. Strong was one of a few fund managers that came under the "ethical" eye of then New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer. Mr. Strong admitted, albeit reluctantly, and apologized for the unethical practice of . The case was later settled. He was the only company leader that stepped up and took the heat personally.

Thank you, Dick. Karma was on your side after all.

Title by: Alanis Morissette

Highland Laddie

One of my central roles is managing vendors. I am, generally, responsible for finding two or three vendors for a given project; getting estimates and references; and, making sure the work is done at the appropriate level of professionalism.

We recently had the floors done in the Hamptons. The company uses the new "dustless" system. While it was not dust free, there was a fine powder on most flat surfaces. However, it was a quick cleanup and was limited to just where the floors were done.

Why is it that as customers we have to force contractors to complete a job? The workmanship was sloppy. Stain and poly-coat left on base boards and stair risers. The sander apparently brushed up against the base boards leaving grooves. They could not keep to promised time frames, like showing up at 3 PM for an 8 AM to 9 AM window. They sent 1 guy back to move the furniture, 1 hour late (of course).

My complaints were at first met with shock. "But, look at how good the floors look." As if, after the pilot dumps the plane in the ocean, the airlines gets to say, "But look at how smooth the flight was." The best was, "You should just plan on the contractor showing up an hour later than they say." No accountability, no ownership.

I used a line from the Ps play book. "If you provide a less than perfect job, I'll provide a less than perfect check." I finally got their attention with that. They came back and cleaned up most of the mess. I still have some touch-up painting to do.

The floors look great.

Title by: Burl Ives

Reunited

It has been a while, once again, between posts. I have been writing down ideas and thoughts; I just have been too busy to clean them up enough for posting. I am still too much of a stickler to just throw out unedited copy. That said, there will be some retro-active posts in the next few days as I clean out my archive of saved ideas.

If you missed the latest news, Ma cherè and the Ts are now living on Long Island. We took a lease on a house near what locals call the North Fork. The house is basically in the middle of farms and vineyards, but still only 5-10 "winter minutes" from the grocery stores and the ubiquitous "Big Box Row".

The house was mostly cleaned before the arrival. We spent the first few days on blow up mattresses and sitting on pillows. The furniture arrived last Monday. The Ts started school early last week. I've gotten over my first bout of bugs from the Ts. (I got sick every time I went home or they came East. Talk about "feeling the love". ;-))

More later.

Title by: Peaches & Herb

Bad Moon on the Rise

If you were still wondering what I was thinking when I left the IT field, new evidence is popping up.

Silicon Valley Losing Middle-Wage Jobs
By JOHN MARKOFF of the NEW YORK TIMES
Silicon Valley is in danger of creating its own digital divide; the California high-tech region is losing its middle-class work force at a significant rate.

Title by: Creedence Clearwater Revival

I'm on My Way

I couldn't say it any better than ma cherè.

At long last Moving day is here!!

We have set our moving day for February 19th

There are so many people to say goodbye to and so little time left. I would like to invite you and your families to an Open House on Sunday February 17th starting at noon. Please look for us in all the boxes and let us show our appreciation for all your support over the last months. We are truly blessed by everyone in our lives and will miss being geographically near you.

We will have chili on, the race on and some candles on a belated birthday cake for T3.

When: February 17

Time: Noon 'til

Title by: The Proclaimers

The Dog-Ear Years

I have become a whiskey drinker in my middle years. Some Jameson or Laphroaig, a beer or water back, a good book and my iTunes set on random proves that the hermit’s life isn’t what it used to be. ;-)

Title by Jethro Tull

Too Country

I was not prepared for the transition to such an intensely inter-personal communicative position. The challenge for me was to learn to suspend my reaction to my principals’ body language and tone and focus on just the content of the message. It took a while to understand that by reacting to more than the content I was actually “feeding the fire”. I am coming to believe that one of the biggest challenges in personal service is just saying “Yes, ma’am” or “No, sir” and fighting the urge to elaborate or justify.

Title by Brad Paisley

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride

So, on Friday, I decided to grab the dilemma bull by the horns. We are pushing to have the family out here by the first weekend in February. The thought was we will sacrifice space or other comforts in order to get everyone back together. In addition, the school system here starts the Spring semester on February 4.

No, we have not sold the townhouse, yet. Yes, it will be expensive. However, if our family were a rubber band, we would be stretched just about to our limit.

Of course, nothing is every that easy. The average rent out here is $2,200 for a 3 or 4 bedroom house. Everyone asks for 1^st month, last month and security deposit. The renter also has to pay the broker fee, which is equal to one month's rent. That's $8,800 for those of you keeping track. I can tell you that after $15,000 for school and 4 months un or under employed, the well is rather dry; think Sahara. I have it on good confidence that, "Money is just money." But, it doesn't grow on trees either.

I spent the day today looking at rental properties. It is a mixed bag. There is a big place that would be very nice; they are asking $2,800. That puts us up to $10,800 due in 2 weeks. Oh, and probably no pets. "Ohana" means "family." "Family" means "no one gets left behind." There is another one that is not nearly as nice. It is currently under major renovations and might be ready the first week of February. Rent - $2,300. I'll keep looking, ignoring the fact that we do not have the $8,800 to move in.

We're back on the fence on this issue. I really want them out here as soon as possible. I just don't know how we can get past the costs of moving AND come up with a small fortune just to sign a lease.

Title from Lilo & Stitch

I've Seen All Good People

It was a difficult day, yesterday. A fair amount of time was spent on finding better ways to communicate. This is normally very hard to do. The situation never comes up for people that are communicating well. You only really ever find yourself talking about communication because communication has broken down to some extent. And, of course, it is personal. There's no way to avoid it. I would like to think the hardest part is over. The Ps and I have worked very hard the past few months to put this together. That's not to say it will be easy. I'll be happy with easier.

Title by Yes

Seasons Change

I know it has been a while and even longer since I have posted consistently. Work has been tough. There are many challenges to making inter-personal relationships work. "Communication is key", as the saying goes. The Ps and I are still on a bumpy road to figuring out the best ways to communicate with each other and get the job done. Did I mention the road was bumpy? Perhaps, the road has been bone-jarring might be better.

The time apart from my family is…agonizing. Agony is a good word to explain it. Getting rid of the house was not supposed to take this long. More than ever, I recognize that I am making life changing decisions for me and ma chère, but more importantly for my children. It is 7 months today since we had more than a few days together in our own space. My children have spent the better part of a year without their father at their side. It nibbles at my soul and breaks my heart to think of it.

I was approached in December to consider a position back home. It is a House Manager/Cook position. The responsibilities, hours, etc. are less than what I have here. So, too, is the salary. Also, it does not feel like there is any other potential with the position. I would stay in that rather limited role for as long as I would be with that family. That is not at all like what I face here. The obvious up side is I would be back with my family. Add to that my mid-western sense of employer loyalty, the past few bumpy weeks on the job, 6 day work weeks and you get a sense of my confusion.

What was I thinking in May?

Title by Corinne Bailey Rae

Prayer of the Children

May all our prayers be heard and accepted by God in the coming year. God's Blessings to you and your family in the New Year.

Title by: Kurt Bestor and performed by the Mormom Tabernacle Choir