Wednesdays With Callum #3

Hi everyone. Amanda here. It's Thursday and I'm just getting around to doing my weekly Wednesdays with Callum blog. We had a great day together. I love being home with him because I get greeted by this when he wakes up from his naps:

If you enlarge this picture you can just make out his top left little tooth starting to show. Grammy, you called it! Jared says that he looks totally like me in that picture. And so this next picture, I think, is totally Jared. Wouldn't you agree?

Callum is a huge help on Wednesdays. Not only does he take time to help me with my work by banging on my laptop, answering the phone, dialing 11111115211111114444444, and working the mouse; he also keeps himself busy. This Wednesday he took time to read the paper:

He also helped me by doing some laundry. He has discovered how much fun an empty laundry basket can be. He stands up and pushes it around the kitchen floor, using it like a walker... This has given us some great ideas for a 1st birthday gift.

Callum loves to play games. His favorite game to play with Daddy is 'chase'; Jared says, "I'm gonna get you!" and crawls toward Callum while Callum squeals and crawls away as fast as his little body can go. They usually do a couple of laps around the house before they're done...

On Wednesday Callum discovered that he and I can play peek-a-boo using my laptop. He hides behind it, waits a few seconds, and then pops his little head around to surprise me. It is our new favorite game and I happened to catch him on camera one time:

I can't wait to see Callum when he wakes up in the morning. He makes every day a worthwhile and beautiful one...

I must be crazy....

My late spring and summer long schedule is filling up fast with all kinds of road races, bike races, and triathlons. What am I thinking?

Remember that "Dont forget to wear sunscreen" song that was big at the end of the 90's? That guy was basically giving a commencement speech, but they set it to music and it got really popular? It has all this advice on life, and one of his precepts was to "do one thing every day that scares you." So this is my way of doing that....

On May 31, I have the Bath, Maine Y-Triathlon which I am excited for since I've been training for it since the end of the winter. It involves a swim (in a pool), a bike ride, and a run...all in that order. Hopefully there is beer at the end...

Training for this is a blast, because I find myself exhausted, and it is the best type of exhaustion! Plus, it is going to be my "Golden Birthday," where I turn 31 on the 31st....what better way to celebrate getting old than by trying to kill myself....

On June 19-21, I am going to try my hand (or more like my legs) at the "Trek Across Maine." This three day event is known nationally for the successful way it raises HORDES of money for the American Lung Association. As a cancer survivor, this is a very important cause for me; anything we can do to procure clean air, stop environmental contaminants, and help stop chronic illnesses is a cause worth riding for. And I DID end a sentence with a preposition, so deal....haha. This several hundred mile trip across Maine "from the mountains to the sea" is in fact a fundraiser, so I'll be humbly asking for donations to my cause. I'll be riding on a "team" with the assistant superintendent for Winslow, some of his kids, and some fellow WHS students. Everyone who does it says its a life changing experience.

I hope to add some more rides and runs to my summer schedule, as its a great motivating force for me! There's the "Lobster Ride and Roll" bike race, the Sea Dog mother's day 5K, and many others to choose from....

So, if you see my out on the road, looking half dead on my bike, or hunched over in pain on a run, stop and say hi! (today, in fact, I messed up big time...I took the wrong street and turned a 3 mile run into a 6 mile run....so that sucked!)

MS Walk 2009

This morning the Goldsmiths participated in the MS walk....thanks so much to everyone who donated to our cause! It was a great turnout, and we saw a lot of folks we know. PLUS, the weather was beautiful! The walk started at the Waterville High School track, and went around in a nice big loop through the neighborhoods of Waterville. We ended at the track, where we decided to do a few laps to bring "closure" to our walk. The Winslow High School "Community Based Learning" class (you may have read about them in the NATIONAL WEEKLY "USA Weekend" magazine a couple of years ago?? Yeah...they were on the front cover....) did a lot of volunteer work for the event, and all the students always seem to love seeing Callum. They hooked him up with a balloon animal, a regular balloon to tie around his wrist, and even a medal for finishing the walks!! Below are mommy and CS after the walk.....

Here's Callum with legendary Winslow coach, teacher, mentor, and inspirational icon Jimmy Poulin. Coach Poulin is a Winslow mainstay, and his name is synonymous with the community. Suffering from MS and confined to a wheelchair, he retired a few years ago. But, as you can see, he is still very active. I wanted Callum to have his picture taken with "the legend." But, as you can see, Callum was more interested in checking out the Colby College hotties standing next to coach....

You can't hide that Black Raider pride!!

Here's me, Callum, and the Black Raider himself posing for a picture after the walk. Look at Callum's medal for crying out loud! Also, look at how fascinated he is with our mascot!

And here's Callum with his good friend Jessica. I have Jess in class this year, and I had her brother in class three years ago. Callum loves playing "Patty-Cake" with Jess, and he was excited to have his picture taken with her

Can you see the eagle? A homeowner out gardening pointed him out while we were walking. Click on the picture and it will blow up.....

Callum is napping now after a long walk. What will we do for the rest of the day??? It sure is nice out. Have a great weekend!

Meanderings 50!!! (Wow...50 lists of crap!!!)

(in the reflection, you can see Callum trying to grab the camera)

(a caption is needed here!)

1. Libraries are the only places in the world that require you to completely and selfishly use them for free in order to support them; think about that. The best way to help out, support, and patronize your local library is to take things, for free, from them. And, when your selfishness shines through and you forget to return your stuff on time, they merely ask for something like 31 cents or something like that. Where else does this happen in America?

2. Hockey is a funny sport in that it is the only sport I can think of that attempts to "publicly" shame its players for doing "bad things" in the game. The penalty box is so stupid, that it almost HAD to be invented by Canadians....I mean, does it really have have any effect on the players themselves? Do players "fear" that box, since they know they will be embarrassed if they are "put on display" for others to scoff at them? I mean, the idea in theory works because one team is thus left at a disadvantage because they are down one player....but for crying out loud, just have them sit out on the bench with the rest of the team, and stop this quasi-Puritanical public punishment. I mean, if you are going to do it, do it right! Like, waterboard them for two minutes....or have them be beat while they are in there.....or have the penalty box be smeared with animal and human fecal matter....or, in order to get "out" of the penalty box, have them have to eat the discarded toe-nail clippings from old veterans in area nursing homes. Or at least have the fans throw tomatoes at them or something....

3. Callum has a little dog he got from his Nannie, and when you press the dog's paw, the dog sings songs. Except (obviously) its now the dog singing, but the recorded voice of some woman who was contracted by Fisher-Price to sing 30 second kid's songs. So I guess that is my first meandering on this subject: Someone's job description reads as following--"25 second children's song singer for recording box inside kid's plastic and stuffed toys." Is that what they put on the resume?

4. One of the songs sung on this stuffed dog is the "ABC" song. Puzzlingly enough, the singer performs the piece with great gusto....and even bravado. I just dont think I could put a lot of passion, feeling, and heart into singing the ABC song. I mean, she just sounds stupid. Furthermore, I dont find myself putting the same effort into "Its a great big colorful world out there" as I do into an Elton John or John Mayer cover. Just saying. I wonder if they coached her while she performed...."come on....put some heart into this!! On the 'P' before the 'Q' you definitely sounded a little flat.....let me hear your soul, girl!!!!"

5. Why can't holidays and important events ever just exist in a linear straight-away fashion? Why do they all have to be on some kind of grid system or "switchback" sort of road? Christmas is always "just around the corner" from Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving is "just around the corner" from Halloween, etc. What the hell is with all these corners? Someone is going to get hurt! Why can't Memorial day be "just ahead" or Patiots day? I mean, at least have the winter holidays be on a straight road, since it is often times snowy and slippery, and if New Years is just around the corner from Christmas, we might be looking at a potential accident if people dont pump their brakes.....

6. Here are some weird foods that seem to be synonymous with each other, and I can't figure out why....We just sort of take for granted that these things go together, but if you think about it, its kind of weird....Maybe you can add some to the list.

Lambchops with MINT JELLY

Hot dogs with BAKED BEANS

chocolate with PEANUT BUTTER

Ham with PINEAPPLES

Apple Pie with CHEDDAR CHEESE

watermelon with SALT

steak with HORSERADISH

Peanut butter and MARSHMALLOW FLUFF

Collier House '09

What an awesome weekend....with amazing weather on the island! We're sad to be back, but happy to know it is only the BEGINNING of the season, and there are many more trips to Mt Desert ahead. We were very laid back indeed, just sort of going with the flow (depending on the naps of Callum). We enjoyed the downtown shops of Bar Harbor, the carriage roads in the park, the little taverns and restaurants the island had to offer, and (last but not least) the beautiful setting of the Collier house bed and breakfast itself. If you arent familiar with the carriage roads, you should look them up on line...they are very interesting, and quite the architectural and engineering marvel. They were built by the Rockefellers in the early 1900's, and they go throughout the entire park....traversing mountainsides, meadows, and coastlines. These 100+ year old roads are in better shape than our driveway....which was only re-done two years ago.

Here are Amanda and Callum near the summit of Day Mountain. We took Callum up on the carriage road--this is the only carriage road that actually goes to the summit of a mountain. He enjoyed it very much. We did, however, drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain on Sunday (Cadillac is the highest mountain on the eastern seaboard). Callum did NOT like this very much, since it was very very windy up there. But he LOVED his carseat after, when he napped the whole way down! We must have seen half a dozen cyclists riding up the mountain. What do you think Jonathan? Would we be crazy to ever try this? Have fun. I'll be at the bottom, enjoying a Bar Harbor Real Ale....

Again on the carriage road. Can you guess who is the happiest little guy on earth??
George, the owner of the Collier house, has this big wooden moose out front, which he decorates for the seasons. When we arrived on Saturday, "Merlin" was still wearing his Easter bunny years and holding a basket of eggs. Now, however, he is ready for all his spring planting and gardening. Obviously, we had to get a picture of Callum and the moose.

He already has the correct name.......

George Clemmens and his daughter (actually, especially his daughter, who has been living in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for the past few years) are accomplished bagpipers. We often talk about bagpipes with George. For breakfast on Monday, George dug out his tuner to Callum to try. So, here is a picture of Callum playing bagpipes (sort of....). According to George: "With a name like Callum, he almost HAS to play the pipes!"

And who could forget: We ran into the Hargroves in Bar Harbor on Saturday! How cool!! We were walking down Cottage street when, all of the sudden, I saw an Amanda look-alike AND an idiot in a yellow fleece....so I KNEW it must be Jesse and Ciara! We caught up with them, and Callum and Aiden enjoyed some play time on the village green while Daddy and Jesse got some "guy time" to check out Bayside Liquors...one of the BEST beer and wine stores ever.

The two look like they could be brothers....

More pictures to come!!

My favorite writer (and my favorite trip)

Donald Hall

One year ago this week......and our beloved Thomas P.......
Tomorrow!!

Because I'm an English teacher, people sometimes ask me about who my favorite writer is, and if there are any good books they should read. The answer for the two questions has one answer: Donald Hall. Get your hands on something he's written about relationships, the nature of "work," the importance of silence and simplicity, baseball, and aging. And, when you do this, I can guarantee you'll be a better, more improved human being.

I had the unique honor of going to both meet and listen to Donald Hall this evening. Former U.S. poet laureate that he was, he humbled himself enough to come up to Maine (he lives in his great grandparent's farmhouse in NH) to read at the UMAINE Disgusta campus for the Terry Plunkett Poetry Festival. I met Melissa, Michelle Garner's sister at the event. Mr Hall read from his new memoir about writing poetry, and he read some heart wrenching pieces about growing old, outliving his father, losing his 20-year-younger wife to Leukemia, euthanizing horses, and you name it! After the reading, I was the third person in line to meet him and have him sign a copy of my number 2 favorite book of all time (number one is THE LITTLE PRINCE, of course), which is his autobiography LIFE WORK. I dont have the time or energy to go into the book now, but suffice to say it has changed my whole outlook on the idea of "working." A popular adage of his is "Don't let your work interfere with your job." I like that. And maybe that is why, each year, I somehow find myself being the only idiot on the street hand-splitting three cord of wood....

Anyway, I shook his hand, and told him what a pleasure it was to meet him. Furthermore, I told him (in my poor attempt at schmoozing) how I studied with Professor David Watters (his buddy from Phillips Exeter) who was my advisor for honors thesis....which in large part was inspired by Hall's work. Blah blah blah....I'm sure he hears this kind of crap all the time. But he was very gracious, and signed my book. I am very excited.

****

Tomorrow, we leave for my favorite trip of the year: Our first pilgrimage to Mt Desert Island, where we stay at the Collier house bed and breakfast. Its the middle of April....no one is on the island....none of the stores are open....things are "just" starting to come alive and wake up from the long winter....its just me, my awesome wife, and my beautiful son....and George Clemmens bakes the best bread I've ever eaten.

Who could ask for anything more?

Wednesdays With Callum #2 (and Happy Birthday Baby Garner!)

Hi everyone. Amanda here for my second installment of 'Wednesdays with Callum'. I just have to say that Callum is such a good boy. He is content to play on his own and entertain himself while I do my work. I do take little breaks and play with him too - I can't help myself. He is just too cute to leave alone.

On Wednesdays we have breakfast and lunch together. I have been using a food mill to grind up food for Callum. I love this thing - Callum can eat whatever we're eating, and he loves it! For lunch today Callum had ham and brussel sprouts. He LOVES them as you can tell!

He also had a great time playing with my leftover pizza crust.


We got the news this morning that Baby Garner was born at 4:47 this morning! I hope I got the time right... Congratulations Michelle and Chris! So, after Jared got home from work and I finished my last hour of work, we piled into the car to head over to the hospital. Callum has actually enjoyed riding in the car lately. Especially when he has his turtle buddy.

And here is Baby Garner. Now, I'm still calling him 'Baby Garner' because he doesn't have a name yet. Hurry up, Michelle and Chris! Give this kid a name! Jared and I have been calling him Yernerd all day because that's what Michelle's nephew Emerson thinks the baby should be called. I think Michelle and Chris are leaning towards Reid, but we will see...

Baby G is a little peanut - weighing in at 6 lb. 7 oz. Here he is snuggling with his Mommy. Michelle looks great and you would never know that she gave birth less than 24 hours ago!

Being at Thayer (the hospital) brought back a lot of memories. I can't believe it was 10 months ago that we were there welcoming Callum into the world. What an amazing time, and it just keeps getting better everyday. Callum just couldn't resist reliving the first few days of his life...

After we came home I put Callum to bed, finished making a big pot of chicken noodle soup that I had been simmering all day, and now Jared and I are about to relax and watch some TV. One last picture of Callum -- how can I have a bad day when I have this?

A Spring(?) Afternoon

Hey, wa happen???

Ya know...just hangin' out....eatin' a tape measure and such....

Be more.....

Dare I say it? I mean, its the middle of April, and we still have a fire every single day--usually in the early evening and through the night. But I am done with the wood stove for the year. Period. We'll just have to use the furnace if it gets cold, because I dont want to eat into next winter's supply of wood, and I just feel really weird about lighting a fire on April 14th.

But this afternoon was very nice indeed! Lynne had an appointment in Portland, so she and George brought Callum to me at school. He got to visit with some teachers and students, and he was eager to show everyone his clapping and Patty-Cake skills. I then brought him home, changed his diaper, and set him up in his stroller for a walk over to Lawrence High School where the Winslow .Black Raiders were playing the Lawrence Bulldogs. This is very difficult, because I am a Black Raider, but Callum, technically, is a Bulldog, because he (as of now) will go to Fairfield schools. Its quite the quagmire....

Anyway, it was great to be outside, walk to the school, and watch some great baseball and softball games. There were some other students and teachers there, and its always fun to socialize and decompress in an "out of school" setting. Plus, you can't hide that Black Raider pride...

Today was also special because I took my first road ride of the season; I've actually been DREAMING about riding my bike outside....pretty sad, huh? So today, even though the wind picked up in the late afternoon, I did a short ride (about 11 miles) just to see how out of "bike shape" I am. I've been doing a lot of longer runs during the winter and early spring....but biking is a totally different set of muscle groups. Nevertheless, it felt AWESOME to be on the open road...there's so much beauty around here.

Jeez...as I write this, I realize just how much I pack into my day. Its no wonder why I crash every single night, huh?

Three more days til vacation!!! I can't wait to go to the Collier House with Sally and C.S.

HE IS RISEN

Happy Easter 2009. Wow...you're all in for such a special treat, as this is my second post of the day (see below post as well!). Too bad no one reads this....

Callum looked adorable today in his new Easter outfit; Amanda actually bought him two down in CT this past weekend (thanks Grammy!). He was so excited about his Easter "Tonka Wheel Pals" that he couldnt even look at the camera. Here he is with me before we left for church....Amanda is always able to get a smile out of him!

Church was absolutely beautiful; besides having a pastor whom we truly love, we also have an outstanding....and I mean OUTSTANDING organist who handles the music of the service. Tom, our organist, went to grad school for music at Notre Dame, and he always includes amazing selections. Today, being Easter, we were treated to the organ plus two trumpeters....Callum really loved this! The sermon was spot on, as usual, and it was good to see everyone all celebrating this special day.

Lynne, George, and Handy-Pop (my new nickname was Ensign) came over at around 1:30 for Easter dinner. After getting home from church, I literally ran out the door to get my run in, then came back, then finished off the beans and ham, then enjoyed a great dinner. The menu consisted of Mello-Gold Ham with a Wickman-inspired root beer glaze, Ortiz's special recipe of Boston Baked Beans, Ensign's famous cole slaw, potato salad, and asparagus. For dessert, Amanda baked cookies, and Lynne brought an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.

Callum enjoyed some ham, asparagus, and even a "little" ice cream cake (but I wouldnt let him have that much....sorry, I'm the bad guy).

Here's a nice picture of Callum and Grampy after dinner. I think we would all agree that Grampy has a great smile and we should see it more.

Its been a whirlwind of a weekend, from travelling down to CT on Thursday night, to spending time with the Favry's, to driving back to Maine last night, to preparing Easter dinner today....I am exhausted. I'm actually looking forward to school tomorrow, to get back on a routine. I used both of my personal days in the last three weeks...plus I had a professional conference I went to last week as well. I dont like missing school this much. PLUS, this is the last week before vacation!

Lastly, in honor of this special day, we remember those not with us at Easter this year. The line that is cut off on top says "The Easter Lillis that Grace..." You are able to read the rest....

Back from Ledyard....

A good visit down south to the Favry's house to meet their latest addition Jackson. We drove down Thursday night, arriving in CT at around 10:30 or so. Callum was actually pretty good, and went right to sleep when we did. I dont know about Jackson though....haha

On Saturday at around noon, Nannie drove down to visit her TWO!! grandsons. Here is the first of what I know will be many pictures of Nannie with her "boys."

What a proud Nannie.
And I was a proud uncle, getting my fill of Jackson as well. It is so weird to hold a newborn baby again, and it brings back such a slew of memories....mostly beautiful memories...hehe. Its also amazing to think about how far Amanda and I have come as parents since bringing our little guy home from the hospital just about 10 months ago...I can't believe it! Here I am with Callum and Jackson. I could not IMAGINE having twins.....

I even got to change two of Jackson's poopy diapers, which was a very special treat, as now Callum eats all solid foods and his bowel movements are....well....different. Okay. Enough about that.

Looking at this picture is like looking at a flashback of 10 months ago. Jackson is so tiny....even though he weighs more than Callum did at his "age." Hmm....maybe Amanda and I should have another one....Sure. As soon as we move. Amanda knows the deal.....

We managed to squeeze in some fun "activities" during our visit. On Friday afternoon, we took the boys to the mall to get their picture taken with the Easter Bunny. What a freakin' sham that was! First of all, it was like 23 bucks to get the picture, and the Easter Bunny looked like something out of Spring Street in Brockton. Only Timmy das Grick will understand this reference. For sho'! Anyway, a very creepy and evil looking bunny. After the mall, we picked up Valentino's, which may be the best pizza in all creation. Anthony and I also patronized the new "packy," Sonny's. I tried a new beer in Otter Creek's "Copper Ale." Not bad. They were actually giving out SAMPLES at the liquor store....this stuff called "Baron Jaeger," which is like Jaegermesiter (sp??) only with honey in it. Oh, and then there was this:

Yes....tweedle dee and tweedle dum spent the majority of the weekend playing Mariokart on Ninetendo Wii. Let this picture serve as "exhibit A" for the next time I hear how I am always "on the internet" or "on facebook" or whatever else....haha. And, I am actually going ON RECORD here: I actually enjoyed a few Wii games myself. I can't believe I am saying this!!!

This picture needs a caption:

"Come on Jackson, let's play!!!"

"Come on cuz....Nannie is here...let's hide!!!"

"Hey, my mommy and your daddy are off Wii for the first time today...let's go tear it up in Gears of War!"

"Are you going to eat that little puff on your chest?"

And such and such.....

On location in CT

Hi folks

So Amanda and I took today off (friday) so we could travel to Ledyard to visit the Favrys and their new addition, Jackson. We got in late last night, and today has been a lot of fun....Sally Piles and Twon have been playing MarioKart on Wii for roughly 4.8 hours, Chelsea is chasing jelly beans, Kristin is trying to implement essential fine motor skills like walking into her daily routine, and I am catching up on some reading, playing with the boys, and nursing a bad headache. Right now CS is napping, and when he gets up, we are off to take the boys to get their picture taken with the Easter Bunny. So, here is a meandering....if Santa comes from the North Pole, then where does the Easter Bunny come from? What magical land belongs to E. Bunny?? Just wondering. Anyway, enjoy the photo of the new cousins playing!!

Meanderings 49

1. If I could pick one sport to be the best at, it would definitely be skiing. And I've thought a lot about this, trust me. Its not really the skiing I'm interested in--I mean, yeah, going really fast down a sheer ice face is pretty cool I guess......but I'm interested in all the stuff that goes "along" with being a skier. I mean, with running, you run, and then you take a shower, and go back to work. And with baseball, you can get a massage from the trainer after. And the list goes on....

But skiers get to sit in wicked cozy lodges by nice glowing woodstoves or fieldstone hearths....and they get to wear jogging pants and thick, warm, woolen sweaters. And they drink a lot too; yes I am sure beer is involved, but also they drink hot chocolate and tea. They get to play in the snow all day, gravity is ALWAYS on their side (unlike runners and cyclists), and at the end of the day, they get to relax in a log cabin. That is my kind of sport.

2. I love it when you're watching one of those "mystery" shows like 48 hours or Dateline Mystery or something, and they inevitably show you some conflicting clause from some random legal affidavit or something, and, through the magic of digital imaging, they sort of "pull out" that random passage from the legal affadavit, in order to enlarge it for the viewers benefit....and when they do, they make sure the passage has those cute little digitally enhanced "rippages" around the edges. It makes me feel really important....almost like they ripped it out just for me. I wouldnt feel as good if the edges were straight. It just wouldnt seem right.

3. What's the deal with regular people who become rich celebrities and then all of the sudden make all of US feel so guilty about the way we live OUR lives....through the exploitation of poor people in some third world country or something. Yeah, what's up with that?

4. Does any place in the world have the area code of "123?" OR....does anyplace in the country have the local exchange of "456?" I guess what I am getting at is this: I want to know who in America has the telephone number closest to (123)456.7890. Even if they are a few digits off, it would still be cool.

5. I dont eat lobster because its ridiculously overpriced and terribly overrated as a flavorful food; my aversion to lobster has absolutely nothing to do with any of these so-called "inhuman" acts of boiling them alive, torturing them, etc. If I DID eat lobster, do you know why I wouldnt feel bad for cooking and eating them? Simple. Any animal that isnt smart enough to evolve, over the last 300 years, to NOT be stupid enough to fall for the easiest trap in the known universe, doesnt deserve ANY stupid hippy advocating for them. If they were intelligent enough to be hurt by boiling water, then they'd be intelligent enough to STOP going into that green net in that wire box that all their disappearing friends have been going in for the last few centuries. Actually, I AM going to start eating lobster. Just because they are stupid.

6. Everyone knows that if I were president, the one and only thing I would do is prohibit tractor trailers from driving on the roads EXCEPT between 10pm and 7am. I have written extensively about that. But I've added another item to my platform. I would absolutely and unabashedly ban the playing of that "On Broadway" song from any radio, concert hall, shower, or iPod. First of all, its the suckiest song ever. Second of all, the freakin' song NEVER ENDS. That no-talent-ass-clown who sings the "popular" version we hear so much just keeps "scatting" for like ten minutes. It makes me want to go swim with lobsters.

7. U-Haul had a sign out front the other day that said they had "moving boxes" for sale. I am definitely going to hold out for just regular "stay-still" boxes, since when I do decide to pack stuff up, I want the boxes to stay in one place. It'd be neater that way.

8. Sorry about there being no Callum pictures today. Our memory stick is full, and we have to upload all our pictures onto the computer, and I havent had time because I write nonsensical and meaningless fodder like this all day. But tomorrow.....

hmph....hmph.....she said "member"

After being big fans and consistent listeners for several years, the Goldsmith family are now members of MPBN (Maine Public Broadcasting Network). We signed up to be "Evergreen Friends," which means that we'll donate a small sum each month. It feels good to support public radio in Maine; it really is the only place I get my news, and it is definitely the only place I trust. Being "public" means they arent influenced by corporations telling them what to do, what to say, what not to say, etc. A counter-example of this, of course, is how Fox News, the biggest supporter of FORMER!!!! President Bush's policies is, in fact, owned by people in the Bush family. Go figure....

In addition to being (in my serious opinion) pretty fair and unbiased, I also love how there's no "sensationalism" in the news; you get real substance.....not some fluff-piece about how K-Fed was spotted leaving Starbucks without paying for his latte the night after Britney did three guys in a hot tub. And such and such.

But the news programming is just a SMALL part of what we enjoy about Maine public radio. Our real interest involves all the great arts and culture stuff you get--Friday night jazz, A Prairie Home Companion, This American Life, Selected Shorts, World Cafe, Wait, Wait Dont Tell Me, Classical music, and more. We just love listening to the radio, we love the good programming, we love the lack of commercial bias, and we love supporting something local in the great state of Maine. So we became members.

Plus, Renee Montagne is hot

If you are stuck in a rut with the same ol' crap on the radio, check out NPR! If you live near us in Maine, tune to 91.3. Or, if you live in Mass and want to check it out, arent you in for a treat...you've got three great stations. 90.0 is BU's station, and they do strictly news and information. 89.7 is the famous WGBH, and they do exclusively arts, music, and entertainment programming. And, finally, 91.9 is UMASS Boston's station, and they do all folk music.

Expand your horizons.