Labor Day

Barack who? Ha ha. I think I might have to vote with my party now, since McCain's running mate is the hottest politician ever. Suddenly the McCain campaign has some "spunk and charisma" too. An interesting move by the Republican party. McCain still has no chance.
The Acadia Park Loop road . . .

Pretty good deal: two days of school, and then we get a long weekend. I met with all my classes yesterday, and they seem great. But in two weeks, when the "honeymoon" is over, we'll see how it goes! Yesterday Amanda and I went to Governor's for dinner, since we hadnt been there for a long time. Today we've just been hanging around, since Callum is napping so much today. As I write this, his mommy is feeding him while, at the same time, reading "Decaffeinated Corpse," which is one of her "junky coffee house mysteries" that she refers to often.

I went over to Mathieu's cycle this morning to have Dave look at my bike, since I think on Monday Jonathan and I are going to ride the 28 mile park loop road in Acadia National Park. That should be great! It was making some weird noises in the front tire, but I think all is okay now. In a little bit Amanda, Callum, and I will probably take a ride to B&F Vegetables to get some corn for tomorrow, since, tomorrow morning, we are going up to Mt Desert Island for a little "getaway." Its me, Sally, Callum, Lynne, George, Jon, and grandpop, and we're renting a cabin for just a night. It should be a nice little retreat, and it will be Callum's first trip to Acadia National Park. Two definite stops will be Rosalie's Pizza, and the Jordan Pond House, so Amanda and her mom, who are reincarnated 88 year old British women from Victorian England, can get their "tea and popovers" by the pond. Which reminds me Thurston: are we still on for the Harvard-Yale game this fall? I've been working on my "ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh dear" in my best London Drawl.

I am off to go play with the little man now, who is finally done eating. We'll most likely get on his mat, and practice rolling over; maybe we'll work on our vowel sounds too! Its just a lazy day of hanging out with my family, and I couldnt ask for anything more!

Some Mommy and Callum time

Hi. Amanda here. I'm just going to write a short blog about what's been going on with me lately. Jared went back to school on Tuesday and it's been really nice to have just 'Mommy and Callum' time. We've been very busy so far... We visited Daddy in his classroom, went shopping in Augusta with Grammie (or is it Ya Ya?), and today we went to a retirement party for a woman I work with. Callum was the hit of the party, of course.

Here is a picture of Callum with Gramps. Callum and I took refuge at Grammie/Ya Ya and Gramps house while Jared was partying with his boys last weekend. Here, Gramps is showing Callum around the 'back 40'. Callum really loves trees. When I take him for walks, he likes it when we walk under trees that hang really low. He especially likes maples and trees that have berries. He is an outdoor enthusiast already.

Okay, so is this not the cutest outfit ever? Callum wanted to get dressed up today for the party. I just love these overall shorts! And again, keeping true to his love of nature, he loves frogs.

We think he is going to roll over soon. He digs his heels into the floor, pushes his lower body off the floor and tries to turn it to the side. How exciting! He has also discovered his hands and he likes to put them together and then stick them in his mouth. He has also started sucking his thumb. He is such a good boy -- he can now put himself to sleep by sucking on his thumb. Just this morning, he woke up at about 3 am, fussed for a minute, found his thumb and went back to sleep for 3 more hours.

I love this kids smile. Here he is playing with Daddy on the living room floor.

I have to go back to work the week after next. I am not looking forward to it. I will miss this little guy way too much!

A New Routine

Well today was the second day of school--and still no students. My room is ready, my plans are (pretty) set, and I am just waiting for the kids to arrive. Yesterday was a 3 hour speech by a man named Dr. WIlliam Dagget, who is an internationally known education consultant. Today was full of department meetings, faculty meetings, and a wonderful lunch put on by the school, with undoubtedly the best chicken salad I've ever had. Tomorrow is freshman orientation, and I will have one class--my one freshman section. Then, on Friday, we go live with everyone . . .just in time for a long weekend--and trust me, I need one (totally kidding . . .I just had three months off practically!) But who doesnt like time off from work??

The beginning of the school year is a love/hate relationship for me. I love the excitement of meeting my students, teaching again, getting into the routine, seeing my colleagues. and being creative. But I hate the logistical stuff involved with the beginning of the year--the duty schedule (that changed bi-hourly), the add/drops, the speeches about how we can always improve what we're doing, the "plate" which always seems to become more full, etc. Oh well. In a couple of weeks, I'll be into the groove. Here are some wonderful pictures of Callum (well, we think they are awesome . . .like $900 dollar camera awesome!) Since we havent had our camera for a week, Michelle gave us a CD with some photos on them. The first one has become my favorite one of all time . . .(remember, you can click on the photo to enlarge it)

Either he is starting to teethe a bit, or he is infatuated with the discovery of his hand . . .but we can't keep it out of his mouth! Dr. Murray James assures us this is normal--and hilarious! But he still manages to crack a smile at his old man . . . (by the way, I swear he doesnt spend all day in this seat . . .it seems every picture is taken in this seat! Its just that when he is IN the seat, we dont have to hold him, and we are free to take pictures, play, etc.)" Hey Nannie, Papa, Grammy, and Gramps . . .look at my new trick!" (the problem we are having is that, in fact, he doesnt want to let go!)

"You wont give me my bath yet? Well, here's what I think of you!"
And, for the first time on film, the one and only . . ."The Pout."

Callum HATES getting out of the bath . . .he would stay in there all day!

Weekend Pictures

Well, today marked the last day of my summer vacation. It was truly a blessing to be home this summer with both my wife and my son . . .this probably wont happen again for a while. It is kind of sad and I know it will be tough to leave tomorrow morning, but I know I'll enjoy getting back into a routine and all. I really am looking forward to getting started with my students on Friday (the next few days are meetings, planning, etc.). One of my goals this year is to ride my bike to school 4 days per week, and drive the other 1, transporting my shirts and ties, etc. for the week ahead. Let's see how it goes.
Also, in case anyone is interested, I had my yearly physical this morning, and, for a 30 year old male, I have the body of a 29 year old male (except for my bladder, which is 89). It looks like I'm okay, and I've actually lost 14 pounds since April when I saw him last. So this purging thing really works then. Anyway, here are some pictures of us idiots (except Callum, who isnt an idiot). . . .

Callum says goodbye to his daddy, as, he is leaving for a sleepover with grammy and gramps. He is wearing daddy's favorite onesie . . .this one has fire trucks, ladders, and the word "beep" repeated throughout
Here we are before the trip, when we were still friends.
After a great dinner at the Asian Cafe. They loved the fact (and I guess I never really noticed or appreciated) that one of the finest restaurants I've ever been to has, residing above it, a gun shop. By the look of this, the ginger chicken didnt agree with Johnny C. And Jay is in the "Bloods," I guess.
And here we are after the rafting, when we all hated each other. I kept my shirt on so as not to scare the children and elderly ladies.

I dont have the pictures yet,

But I'll get them soon and post them--it was one hell of a weekend with Johnny Crockett, Timmy the Greek, and Ponticelli, as they made the trek up to Fairfield for a weekend of fun, laughs, rafting, and reminiscing. I only took a few pictures, and mostly took video of the occasion. But, hopefully, the three morons will send me the photos via email soon . . .and I can post some pictures on here.

Jason and I have been buds since kindergarten, Johnny and I since 3rd grade (except for 5th and 6th grade, when he used to pick on me for being fat, having buck teeth, being a boy scout, having a funny looking bike, and not having Nintendo), and Timmy and I since he got off the boat at Ellis Island. All through high school, we were the tightest group of friends, and, although almost 4000 miles of geography separates us, we still pick up right where we left off, with our incessant quoting of the Jerky Boys, The State, Wet Hot American Summer, and an array of other pop culture has-beens that, for some reason, we still hold on to.

Not only did they get to meet Callum, see Amanda, and tour our (new to them) home, but also, they got to experience some of the finest central Maine has to offer--starting with a great dinner on Friday night at Asian Cafe where the Pengthong family treated us to a Thai feast . . .with complimentary "Thai Scramble and Chile Sauce," sticky rice and custard, fried bananas, and mango with coconut sauce. Awesome. We drank some wonderful local beer from Oak Pond brewery while we watched some Olympics. On Saturday, we said good bye to Callum and Sally Piles, as they left to go to Grammy and Gramp's house for the night (John Jay and Tim scare Amanda deeply). Then we made our way up to The Forks for a day of floating down the Kennebec--AFTER most of the rapids have ended, that is (after my kayaking accident a few years go, I would NEVER go white water rafting). Basically, Northern Outdoors drives you 5 or 6 miles up the river, drops you off where the Dead and Kennebec Rivers meet, and waves goodbye as they shove you off into some nice class I water (it was moving at about 7 mph). Two of us sat in each inflatable "ducky," and just had a blast as we soaked up the sun, floated down the crystal water, took a little swim (Jay more so since I threw him in the river for bugging me), and listened to each other tell stories about when we were cool. I think that went on for a week or so (us being cool . . .not the stories . . . .with school starting Tuesday, I've got to get into a grammar state of mind!).

After rafting, we hung out on the deck outside the lodge, ate some food, drank some brews, and wondered who the 24 burly women who walked past our table and into the screened in dining hall were. I asked if they were the US women's soccer team, and then I congratulated them on winning gold . . .but their arcane reply was "we wish . . ." After kicking Ponto's butt in air hockey (you KNOW I did . . .dont be a Eugene!) we went back to watch Wet Hot American Summer, Team America, and some Different Strokes (which, unknown to me, is on, regularly, on Black Entertainment Television!).

I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm really proud of my buds for both their life choices, and the success they've found for themselves. Jay, after getting out of prison for that statutory mishap . . . .I mean . . .um . . . .Jay's got a great little boy and a little baby girl on the way in a month--he teaches social studies in Mass. Timmycocks is a stellar superintendent for a major construction firm in Boston, and gets to to build some cool stuff. And Johnny C is living it up out in Tahoe, skiiing, backpacking, librarianing, and enjoying one of the most beautiful spots on earth.

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY of vacation. I'm really, really looking forward to school starting actually--I'm ready to get back into the classroom and pretend kids give a crap about what I say. Ha ha. I think I wont go in tomorrow. I'll just spend some time with Amanda and Callum, and maybe we'll hit the Windsor Fair. Talk to you soon . . .

Autumn in the air?

Probably not. But yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day in Maine, with daytime temps hovering in the 60's, and evening before dropping down into the lower 40's. We closed all the windows, and I actually put on pants!

Its a pretty well known fact that I hate summer. I like early summer/late spring when everything gets all green, but after that, I'd just assume stay inside and read. I dont like the heat at all, so yesterday, being cool, was ideal to get out. Callum initially wasnt feeling well because, the day before, he had 6 vaccinations. But he started acting more like himself and we took a ride to Lake George Park in Canaan. Neither one of us had ever been there before, and we were really impressed at how beautiful it is--we cant believe we went five years without ever checking it out! It has beautiful pine and oak groves, picnic tables, land bridges to islands, beaches, barbeques, and sunny, open fields for frisbee, wiffleball, or catch. Here's Callum and I by the water (his head control is exemplary, and he is always looking up, as two of his favorite things in all the world are ceiling fans and trees. He is looking at the pine trees blowing in the wind).
It was actually cold out! We had to wrap the little man in a swaddling blanket, as there was a biting wind coming off the lake. No swimming for us yesterday . . .but maybe next time. The water looked beautiful. Here's Amanda and Callum
Walking back from one of the islands across the land bridge. Over to the left is a nice boat launch. We'll probably bring the canoe back and put Callum in his little life jacket that Papa Goldsmith got him.
It was so cool out that Amanda got the "baking bug." She made cup custards to have during our evening viewings of the Olympics and Netflix DVDs when Callum goes to bed. And she also made Monkey Bread, since it reminds her of her grandmom, who used to make it all the time.

On the way back from the lake, we stopped at Oak Pond Brewery to fill up a couple of growlers with some fresh ale--tomorrow I have Tim, Johnny C, and Jay Pontosmelly coming up for a visit for the weekend. I went in to school today to get my room organized. It is. Now, I can start planning the first week of school, etc. It is going to be SO HARD to leave Callum . . . .

The pictures I tried to load last night, but could not . .

Here is Jenny Dovey, Aunt June and Uncle Bob's new Newfie . . .so beautiful!
Callum smiling yesterday morning while playing in his chair . . .
Callum smiling and talking to his daddy
Mister Chubby-Cheeks himself!

We'll write more later. He is having a particularly tough day today, as this morning he got 6 vaccines at the doctor's office. He is now 24 inches long, and he weighs 12 pounds 6 ounces

Meanderings 38

***I tried to post pictures, but for some reason, I got an error message from blogger every time I did . . .I'll try again later. Here are your meanderings . . .***

1. I love watching China in the Olympics; as of today, they've won 35 gold medals--far more than even the U.S, who is in second place, with 19. I think the reason there are so many Chinese gold medalists is because if the athletes dont win gold, they probably are executed after the games end next week. China was hoping to have "lethal injections" be a sport this year, but they couldnt get it passed by the International Olympic Committee. I hate the way that everyone is kissing China's butt these past two weeks, when in reality they are a truly nefarious nation.

2. I love how China has taken two "sports"--one played by drunken frat guys in their dorm basements, and one played by corpulent and pastily untanned middle-aged white men at barbeques and family reunions--and turned them into Olympic events in which they are international powerhouses. I'm talking, of course, about table tennis (ping pong) and Badminton (lawn tennis). What the heck IS Badminton, anyway? I mean who designed that shuttlecock birdie thing? And, how did they know when they were done designing it? I love how baseball and softball will be gone for the next Olympics, but lawn tennis is going to stay . . .

3. The gold medal event for badminton was played between a man from China and a man from Malaysia. As I watched, I couldnt help thinking that the rackets, net, and shuttlecock used for the event were undoubtedly "made" in one of the two representative countries.

4. I love it when you tell someone something like "you have a bogger hanging out of your nose" or "you can see your black underwear through your sheer white shorts" or "your fly is down" and they reflexively say "OH MY GOD, why didnt you TELL me??" as they run off, embarrassed. But you just DID tell them. Ya know? Just another English idiom that doesnt make sense.

5. Last week, while out to lunch with some family, I noticed a sign on the door to the kitchen that read "Microwave oven in operation." Being both a concerned humanitarian and a grammar enthusiast, I asked the waitress just what was wrong with the microwave, and what the prognosis was. Her reaction let me know that I truly AM alone in the world.

6. All of these so called "teen movies are nothing more than a bunch of scantily clad girls running around like idiots, and even bigger, chubbier male idiots repeatedly damaging otherwise classy looking furniture, automobiles, and culinary displays

7. I've been wondering exactly what the deal is with "My Little Pony." Isnt the name a bit oxymoronic? I mean, arent all ponies inherently "little?" Then I began thinking that they probably couldnt market something called "My Pony" to little kids . . .sounds a little too sexual. The "little," I think, creates a nice buffer, ya know?

8. For years and years and years, teachers, administrators, and parents have complained that schools are underfunded. As per usual, I have come up with the solution to this problem: as schools, we need to start capitalizing on all this "Back To School" insanity. Think about it: "back to school" has essentially become an American commercial holiday event akin to President's Day, or even Christmas. Millions are spent on things like clothes, sneakers, bedding, backpacks, sporting goods, etc. And why? Because schools mandate that kids return in late August. Can't we (and I say "we" because I'm a teacher) somehow "trademark" this "back to school" deal or something? I mean, we're the ones that make it possible for stores to make all this money, right?It just makes sense that stores pay us royalties or something for basically "giving" them another holiday.

Birthdays and Bells

Wedding bells, that is. This afternoon we went over to Michelle's parent's house in Benton to celebrate Chris's birthday--and we did it in style. Note the "princess" theme Michelle had picked out for little Chrissy. The plates, napkins, table cloth, and gifts all fell under the rubric of "princess." Cute. While at the birthday festivities, we all discussed Chris and Michelle's wedding, which is going to be on November 15 (of this year!!). It looks like they've picked out a beautiful place in the Rangeley Lakes area, and Amanda and I are both honored to say that we've been asked to be in the wedding party. What's more, is that Michelle and Chris have asked me to both write and perform an original song for the ceremony--I have to say I am truly flattered and blessed to be able to do this for them. I'm thinking something circa 90's hip hop . . .maybe sampling some "Debarge" or "The Jets" as my back-beat, rollin' soft on the edges with a little snap of funk nasty on the base-line. . . .infuse it with the synthetic high-hat and you KNOW this track is gonna have it goin' on wit silly, fresh droppage.

Or, I'll just use my keyboard.

Pictured below, going clockwise (starting where the "7" would be) are Michelle's brother Pete, Michelle, her sister Melissa, Ms. Amanda, Milan and Jane Babik (with Kylian in the sling Jane is wearing), Chris the birthday boy, and Pete's girlfriend Katie. Michelle's grandmother is sitting in the upper right hand corner.
Barbara, Michelle's mom, started off the gift giving by presenting Chris with a stunning rhinestone tiara and some cutey-patootey earrings.
One of the many "gifts" Chris got was a "My Little Pony" birthday play set. As you can see, Melissa and Amanda channelled their past, pre-pubescent lives by playing with said pony, dressing her up, and getting her ready for a date with the big brown Belgian Quarter Horse, who will most likely deflower her. Milan looks on, attentively. A very good time indeed. And Callum got to see his good friend Kylian, with whom he shares a special bond--if you remember, Callum and Kylian were born two days apart, and shared rooms right across the hall from one another at Thayer Hospital. I can't believe Callum is 8 weeks old!!! His latest thing is that he is further exploring the processes of vowel sounds, this week stopping briefly on the "o's." Lately, we call him our "Little Owl," since he goes "Hoo . . .Hoo . . .Hoo . . ." all day long.

One more week of summer vacation and then I start year 5 at WHS . . .I'm sure I'll be writing about that soon . . .

Catching Up . . .

Ridiculously cute . . .Callum fell asleep in our bed the other morning . . .he looks like a little old man . . .
The girls gabbing the other night . . .
Amanda (with Callum in his little Bjorn) and Michelle (Belle) at Moxie falls
Amanda and Emma--who was in the process of making a silly face
Uncle Bob and his (and Aunt June's) new dog, Ms. Jenny, the 140 pound Newfoundland. An absolute gem of a dog! (Also notice how meticulously stacked all of Grandpop's wood is . . .do you think the Navy taught him anything about being "neat?" Jeesh . . .)

Since I see I havent written since MONDAY. This is so not like me, but, needless to say, things have been quite hectic. Today was grandmom's actual funeral, and we attended the service (at the same church Sally and I were married) at 10:30. Callum made sure to let grandmom know he was there, actually in the church . . .and then, after about 7 minutes of letting her know he was there, he went to sleep for the remainder of the mass. Grandmom's ashes were buried at the Maine Veterans cemetery, which is pretty new as far as cemetery's go . . .and also has an "Arlington" feel to it. Except, as I'm sure, at Arlington the grounds crew probably has the common decency to turn off their freaking week wackers and lawn mowers and show some respect for the family mourning their loved one--this cemetery did not. I was incensed by this, but, after George made me a vodka and tonic, I was okay.

We all went to Craparitas tonight for dinner, and it really surprised me--just when I thought the food couldnt get any worse there, it did; I got a burrito which had absolutely no taste or texture whatsoever. But the food (if that is what they want to call it) was secondary; the real blessing was just being able to be with family at the "kids table" with me, Stevee Cee, Michelle, Amanda, Callum, Jon, and Mel. We had some good laughs and some great, animated conversation about Michelle's "likes" and "dislikes." (this is TOTALLY an inside joke).

Yesterday, Jon, Mel, Steve, Emma, and Michelle met at our house in the morning, and we took a big fun field trip to The Forks--most notably Moxie Falls. This was good because it got us all out together, and it also gave Grandpop some well needed peace and quiet . . .well, actually, June was still there, so never mind (wah wah wah). The trail going to the falls was absolutely abysmal; it was mud 6 inches deep. And it rained. Hard. But then we made it and were awestruck by the power of the waterfall, especially after all the rain we've gotten lately (for those of you who dont live in Maine, suffice it to say it has probably rained 4 days a week for the past month and a half). I took Emma in the water for a little dip, and everyone else followed suit. It ended up being a lot of fun--especially when we were on our way back and saw all the people just starting out on the trail with their nice clean sneakers and sandals . . .

And FINALLY, the day before that (is that Tuesday? I dont even know . . .) I got out with Dave and his friend Rick onto North Pond in Smithfield for a little bit of fishing and trolling. Not too much going on, but Dave caught a beauty of a smallmouth bass which was about 3 pounds (as I seem to remember). But its just good to be out on the water . . .

Three Olympic Meanderings

1. As I was watching the opening ceremonies last Friday night, what with all the pomp and circumstance of all the 200+ countries competing, I began to think of how much fun it would be to stay in the Olympic Village with all the athletes--its like a humongous, toned summer camp. I wonder if the U.S. men's swimming team executes any panty raids on the U.S. girls volleyball team. And I think about the Ukranian rowing team putting their coxswain's bras in the freezer as a joke (I would have said gymnastics team, but those girls dont have any need for bras). I would probably single out some esoteric group like the Dubai water polo team, seek out their rooms, un-screw the shower heads in the bathroom, and then pour envelopes of cherry Koolaid into them, rendering a steady stream of artificially red water all over their tanned bodies the next time they showered. How funny would it be to see Bob Costas trying to explain the "red water polo team?"

But, more than anything, I think about how much intermingling there must be between the different countries, and my mind turns to the fact that there must be a TON of hooking up (i.e. sex between the different countries). I bet its like a huge, competitive spring break, where, during the day, its all business--but at night, the Russians get in bed with the Germans, the Hatians get all freaky with the Qatarians, and the Swedish girls dig freak nasty with the boys from the United Arab Emirates. You know its true. And why not? All that pent up stress from the competitive nature of why they are there in the first place. I wonder how many "Olympic Love Childs" exist?

2. I've noticed the commentators saying things like "for those of you watching this swimming race at home, its hard for you to see just how fast blah blah blah . . ." or "for those of you tuning in at home, we've got a great lineup of shooting, basketball, and fencing." Well, who the heck else would these commentators be talking to? Who is listening to them who is NOT watching them on TV at home? Is their voice heard in space or something?

3. Here's a big buzzword we keep hearing: "Olympic Hopeful." I love that. Home Depot advertises how they employ more Olympic Hopefuls than anyone else. What a silly phrase--"Olympic Hopeful." All this means is that, as a person, you have a desire to be at the Olympics, competing in something. It says nothing about your skill, motivation, or energy, and most Olympic "hopefuls" probably suck anyway--all you really have to do is "want" to be there, and POOF . . .you're now an Olympic Hopeful! Even me, a chubby white guy, could "hope" to be swimming against Michael Phelps in the 300 freestyle (even though I lack any skill) . . .I think it would be awesome to be at the Olympics. So thats all it takes for me to be classified as a "hopeful?" Sign me up. While I'm at it, I'd also like to be known as a "billionaire hopeful," "rockstar hopeful," and "father of the year hopeful." Jeez . . .with all this hoping going on, I'm gonna have to quit my day job.

Morons.

"Grandmom" Edna Walters 1928-2008

Amanda's grandmother passed away earlier this morning due to heart complications. Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while know of the struggle this woman endured over the past two years, from being in a virtual coma, to bouncing back against all physiological odds to live as normal of a life as she could for the past several months. She went into the hospital last Sunday night, after having what was thought to be mild congestive heart failure, and seemed okay. But, at around 3 or so this morning, her heart rate dropped, never to recover. I am sure more will be written about this wonderful lady in the next few days; I am sure Amanda will want to write a special blog about this special, strong, and feisty little lady!

We are off to her grandfather's right now. That is the difficult part; to be married for almost 62 years, and then have the one you love pass on. That, for me, is the most heartbreaking part of this whole tragedy. Needless to say, we will not be travelling down to NJ; rather, as I write this, the New Jerseyans are in transit to Maine, to see grandmom one last time, lay her rest, and be with family.

We'll talk soon. Please keep Amanda's family in your prayers

"Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike, they've all come to look for America"

**2 extra points if you tell me which song that is . . .

Tomorrow the Goldsmiths are heading down to New Jersey for the annual trip to see the Dovey's and the Chiemiego's (Amanda's family) who live there. For those of you who dont know, Amanda is O.F.N.J (originally from NJ). This accounts for her attitude and her willingness to buy shoes at any given moment. I would by lying if I said I wasnt absolutely petrified for the trip down--not for me, but for baby Callum, who will have to sit in his confining carseat for at least 9 hours (he'll hopefully be sleeping for most of it . . . but you never know). I hate putting him in his carseat, because, if he's anything like me (and believe me . . .at 7 weeks old he shows MANY unfortunate traits of his father) he hates sitting, being confined, and being in a car. We will leave tomorrow afternoon or night, and then spend until next Saturday down in Jersey. Last year was a lot of fun, and this year should be too. None of the Jerseyans have met Callum yet; in fact, many of his family and friends have yet to meet him. I guess this is what happens when you live away. Oh well.

***

I had my first "school dream" last week--a school dream is a dream teachers usually start getting around the first week of August, and usually its a terrifying dream about how you're naked in front of a class, have NOTHING to do for material, or find yourself down the hallway from a guy like Mike Thurston . . .they really are terrible. I actually am looking forward to going back to school very much--for the TEACHING and STUDENT parts of the job. Unfortunately, with teaching, this sometimes remains a small part of being a teacher; things like NEASC, consolidation, assessment, the inability to "not" keep something in place for more than a year, new schedules, and laborious opening day power point presentations can sometimes be trying.

This will be my 8th year of teaching, and looking back, I never thought I would stick it out. I absolutely HATED my first two years of teaching, but, without sounding melodramatic, Winslow High School saved my teaching life; it gave me a whole new perspective on the craft and the profession. And it is a profession. My schedule for next year held some surprises (as our guidance dept. is very skilled at doing) but I am excited for the new class I recently found out I will be teaching: Creative Writing. It is definitely my "happening," and it is my true passion (songwriting, essays, blogging, etc.). What's funny is that, in my seven full years of teaching, I have NEVER taught the same thing two years in a row--I always have a different combination of classes. This year is no different . . .I am teaching 3 senior sections, 1 freshman section, and a combination of public speaking and creative writing (depending on the semesters). Although challenging, this really keeps me on my toes, and keeps the creative energy flowing. Four preps will be tough, but English teachers are the toughest teachers there are . . .he he

I love "hunkering down" and starting to plan all the new stuff I will do this year (or hopefully do . . .I always seem to plan more than I actually get done). I love reading new books, trying out different writing assignments, and thinking of new and innovative things to do with English (blogs and podcasts will be things I'll try to do more with this year). I'm reading a HILARIOUS book that my good friend, and token male prostitute/librarian Johnny C sent to me for my birthday. Its called I LOVE YOU BETH COOPER. I'm already looking at using it in class.

***

Callum is making leaps and bounds, and always surprising us with his latest antics. Thomas P. Cat seems to be warming up to him a little more, which we hoped would happened. In other news, Callum pooped in the tub the other night, and then gave me a winning smile (he makes a regular practice of peeing in the tub nightly). Besides feeding from his mommy, tub time is undoubtedly his favorite time of the day; he splashes and kicks like crazy (maybe he'll be a swimmer like his mom). Well, theoretically, we already KNOW he is an exemplary swimmer . . .because . . ..well, you can figure it out . . .

As of today, he weighs 12 pounds exactly, which means he's gained 4 full pounds since he was born. He'll be 8 weeks old this Saturday, although it seems like he's been around forever. He has 2 or 3 chins, and two pork roll/bologna sticks for legs. He loves to talk to his "friends" who dangle off his fun-chair, and he still loves to sleep, to music, on his daddy's shoulder. He seems to cry louder and louder each day, and he has the strange ability to "move" on his own, even though he is MONTHS away from crawling or anything like that. He went to sleep at one end of his crib the other night, and, the next morning, I found him turned, completely around, at the other end of the crib, with his face leaned up between the wooden slats. Scary. So, he sleeps in the bassinet now. He loves horseback riding, and he is looking for a meaningful relationship (friendship first!)

Meanderings 37

Mussells, corn, and sausage! Yeah!
Callum playing with his "friends" on his fun-chair
"I think I prefer my hand to this rubber thingy . . ." (thats what she . . .)
A family picture (minus the goofy idiot)

1. Right now, Arby's has a commercial on TV (which they TOTALLY plagiarized from Burger King from two years ago), where they advertise 8 items on a special menu . . .and you can pick any FIVE of them for only $5.95. ANY combination you want. Period. And in the commercial, you've got this smartass idiot who is either flirting or trying to outsmart the girl behind the counter . . ."well, what if I get 3 sandwiches and 2 onion rings? Is that still 5.95?" YES. "Or, what if I did 1 sandwich, 2 onion rings, 1 fruit cup, and then 1 more fruit cup?? Is THAT still 5.95?" YES IT IS MORON. What is this guys motivation? To somehow "outsmart" or "one-up" the prepubescent girl waiting on him? Wow. I hope he succeeds. That's a challenge NONE of us could ever even DARE to aspire to. I bet he feels proud at the end of the day, when he returns to his parent's house, where he lives in the basement, and proceeds to read fantasy novels while drinking Fanta grape.

2. I love these MLB homeplate umpires who obviously become said umpires because, maybe 2 or 3 times a day, they get to throw a new ball out to the pitcher after a previous one is fouled off. The catchers put up their glove for the ball so they can throw it to their pitcher . . .but THESE umps will have none of that. They stand up, take a couple of steps to their left, and flamboyantly fire a ball to the pitcher on the mound; its like, for that brief moment of time, they believe they still matter in the world. Check it out sometime.

3. People often ask the question: who was the first person to THINK of EATING a LOBSTER!!?? They are so gross! Well, I have a couple of others for you: Who invented popcorn? Who was the first to say "hey, I see all you guys are eating your corn . . .but I'm just gonna NOT eat mine, starve a little over the winter, and then, in the spring, after its dried, I'm gonna put my corn in a fire and see what happens." Or how about beer? I can see wine being easy enough, because all you have to do is let the grapes rot for a while. But beer is complicated. Who had the idea that barley, hops, wheat, and yeast would make for a delicious and refreshing beverage? Who said "oh, I'm just gonna take all this leftover grain, mash the hell out of it, mix it with water, let it sit for a few weeks, and then drink it?" I mean, there is nothing refreshing about BREAD, right? So who would have thought beer could be so good? Just saying.

4. I love this time of year: NFL football training camps start, and we get to see all the pompous idiots, saddened at the lack of press they've gotten on ESPN over the past 6 months, decide to take matters into their own hands, pick an issue out of a hat, and then refuse to show up to their respective training camp until ESPN devotes AT LEAST 4 episodes of sportscenter to it. This way, they can show that they, just like all of the other NFL players, are true mavericks. You can pretty much guarantee this happening every year

5. In an orchestra, there are "numbered" designations for the hierarchy of musicians and their instruments. The best clarinet player is called "first clarinet," the best oboist is called Amanda Goldsmith (or "first oboe") etc. The second "best" are called "second oboe," and so on. Does this mean, in fact, that "third violin" plays "second fiddle" to the second fiddle?

6 The Hannaford supermarket in Waterville offers a "star of the month" award to exemplary employees who go "above and beyond" their job descriptions, and offer excellent service to customers. Last month, a girl who works in the deli won it, and I thought it was well deserved, since she was always so friendly even when the deli was backed up like the Hampton tolls on July 4th--working in the deli is tough. But I have now decided that the award is BS. Why? Because, this month, "Andy," who is from "tasting," won the award. Wait a second. Hannaford has a "tasting" department? As far as I can tell, Hannaford gives out free samples maybe once a week, and for a half hour (trust me, I look!). And now its its own DEPARTMENT? But forget about that for a second . . .how, in the world, could this guy NOT be good at his job? All he has to do is offer hungry people free food in an environment already FILLED with food. How do you go "above and beyond" your job description when all you do is hand out samples of hot dogs? Do you chew the hot dogs for the customers? You've got to be kidding me--this guy has the simplest job in the store and he still wins an award for it. If I worked at Hannaford, I'd be ROARING. Here I am, working off my tail off in the shadows, making sure the shelves are always stocked with wheat thins and spreadable cheese, and then you've got this chubby guy Andy, who stands for a half hour at a time and gives away food to people . . .and HE wins? Crazy.

On a separate note, however, I believe I would kick butt at this job. Giving away samples is a great job, and people are always happy with you. Unless you're giving out free yogurt . . .who the hell wants that?

Tore and Mi-Hyuen

Another busy weekend in what has turned out to be a VERY busy summer--I dont know if Amanda, Callum, and I have actually stayed home two days in a row this summer . . .we are always on the go! We just got back from Mass on Sunday night, and then, on Thursday, Amanda and Callum are headed down to New Jersey for a week . . . so much travelling!

This past weekend was a good one--Callum got to see his Nannie, Papa, PB, and GG (great . . .more blog names no one knows!). We had a nice visit, got to eat at Texas Roadhouse (best prime rib in the world), and Callum got to be babysat by his Aunt Kristin and Uncle Twon (who, remember, had been at our house since last Tuesday, and then travelled down to Mass with us on Saturday morning).

The hilight of the weekend was the wedding of Tore and Mi-Hyuen, whom I will call, from this point on, M-H. They had a very small, but beautiful wedding at the Fuller Art museum in Brockton; MH's family flew in from Korea for the event (5K per ticket!!). This museum overlooks one of the ponds that is part of Fields Park. For me, it was a trip down memory lane, since when I was a boy, me, my sister, my dad, and my Papa Goldsmith would come to this park (to the very pond pictured below) and feed the ducks; we'd stop at the 7-11 and pick up a loaf of wonder bread, and then go feed the little Mallards and such. Also, Fields park was THE destination for sledding in the winter, offering great hills! I pointed out all the places I remembered from when I was a boy--where Ed's Poultry used to be, the Carvel, the "original" Dunkin Donuts, etc. Tore and MH both looked smashing as they took their vows . . .
After the short ceremony, there was about an hour of appetizers and cocktails (me, mention food??) which were awesome--they had the traditional scallops wrapped in bacon, coconut shrimp, etc . . .but what was really fantastic was a "live" sushi table where a chef was working his magic rolling up fresh California Rolls, Tuna Rolls, and Salmon Rolls--combine all this with fresh condiments like Cavier, ginger, and wasabi, and you've got a place that Jay Pontismelli and I pretty much stayed around all night . . .

After a few cocktails and rolls, we took advantage of dusk making its way over the water for some photos. Below, there are the Goldsmiths and the Ponticelli's (Jay and I were the only two friends that Tore invited). I'm pretty sure Jay is holding the one and only drink he had all night . . . A rare picture of my mom and I together--I say "rare" because I got to thinking--there arent many pictures of JUST my mom and I . . .

WHoops, how did that get on there? Jay and I were fighting for the attention of Mi Hyeun, I think. Either that, or we were having an animated discussion on the ramifications of "dirty weekend" (inside joke).
And finally, the three friends together. There is a picture, someplace, of me, Torey (he used to spell his name with a "Y," but then he majored in art and dropped the "Y") and Jay all standing in a circle, in our kindergarten class, at Center School in Easton. Although Jay and I might not be in as regular contact with Tore as we used to, its occasions like this that remind me that, really, nothing ever changes . . . .

We had lot of fun together growing up, whether it was playing pool in his basement, pretending to kill people in the parking lot of the South Shore Plaza and garnering the attention of the rent-a-cops there, or playing street hockey in the cul-de-sac of Rolling Pines Estates. In fact, we call this photo the "ASIAF Alumni Photo." "ASIAF" is the name of the ice rink at Brockton High School, where, almost every Friday, for a while, some combination of the three of us would go skating for a few hours . . .
Congratulations Tore and MH

Sorry for the lack of posts . . .for some reason "blogger.com" is down for me, and not processing any of my photos. I will try again tomorrow . . .

Callum, Kayaks, and Kicking back

We've been very busy lately, with the Favry's coming up this past Tuesday night; tomorrow, we are all leaving Fairfield together, and driving down to Mass, where Amanda and I have a wedding to attend. We've done so many things in the past four days, but I thought I'd give you a quick overview.

Food. Of course. Not only because this is my blog, but also because Twon gets these images of grandeur about food. I made an egg bake (inspired by M-S Thurston) for breakfast on Wednesday, we got Chinese food, we got chicken baskets, and Twon COOKED. He made cinnamon French toast for breakfast one morning, and last night he went to town with some type of goat cheese and sun-dried tomato dip. We also improvised with a delicious turkey breast Ortiz sent up, and we had some wonderful country gravy. Finally, Amanda used some red potatoes from the Andresen's garden and made some "smashed" potatoes. Here is a picture of last night's dinner (Callum was already asleep).

Paddling. On Wednesday, Anthony and I went down to Freeport because he wanted to look at boats for himself and for Kristin. He ended up buying two kayaks--both Old Town's (as if there is another??!!). He got an Adventure XL for himself, and a Loon for Kristin. After LL Bean's, we had a quick "beer and a bump" at Jamison's tavern, where "Maine was born." According to the lore, Jamison's tavern was the place where the resolution was written for Maine to "secede" from being part of Mass. Good for them.

Obviously, Anthony and Kristin were SO anxious to paddle, but about 2 good inches of rain yesterday prevented us from all going. So, yesterday, we went down to the Liberal Cup for some pints and appetizers, and then went to Kohl's. Today, however, was much nicer, and this afternoon, Grammy came over to watch the little man, and we all took a nice paddle on Messalonskee Stream. Look at Kristin!! And there isnt even a "Shopoholic" book in the cockpit with her!
It was special for Amanda and I, since it was the first time we've been able to get out on the canoe together in well over a year . . .thanks Grammy for Callumsitting.

(Streeter wants his attire back, I know . . .) Finally, this afternoon, Anthony and I took a ride to Oak Pond Brewery in Skowhegan--its a brewery in a converted Chicken barn, and it was absolutely fantastic! Very rural, very local, and very "real." We took a tour, tried the six samples he had on tap, and then Anthony bought (3) growlers to take back to CT. I have been enjoying their beer for some time now; it has a "German" flair to it. Moreover, per a blog Thurston wrote last week, I really love supporting the local breweries. I am wondering if I'll ever actually buy a six pack again--I might become a growler guy; some people make the switch to eating all organic, but I think I am going to make the switch to "growler's only." Say it with me . . . GROWLER. Its so cool--you pay 7 bucks for a half a gallon of fresh beer, and then, when you are done, you bring it back to be refilled for 5 bucks. Or, if you are like me and collect beer bottles that you put on shelves in the "Men's Den," then you do just that. Check them out at www.oakpondbrewery.com.

Oh, and Anthony will only be bringing 1 full growler back to CT. Oh well. I'll have to refill them for him . . .

Ta . . . .