Doldrums

That is what I call this time of year, as we are in the final days of February, and about to cross into March. Dont get me wrong--I love the winter more than any other season. But now is the time of year where things are pretty much pointless and frigidly stagnant. Unless we get pounded with a few more storms (which I really hope we do) we are teased beyond belief by mother nature, as light exists longer and longer each day--giving the appearance of a warmer month sort of cycle--but in reality we have this dry, static clingy, bleachedly salted landscape of sterility. Cold with no reason: no snowstorms to really look forward to, and no holidays to warm up the cold feelings. Even church gets it, as we are about to enter Lent, a season of joylessness. AND, even on the days when it does warm up enough to imbue us to go outside, catch some rays of sun, and become hopeful of the impending 'nice' weather, we are treated to a harsh dose of reality when we realize that we have a LOT of muddy, heave-heavy, seepy, sandy, gross dirty snow stuff to deal with. Maine. 

But I was looking back at some pictures--February and March of 09 to be exact--and found some oldies but goodies. Like this one:

He's always had such an amazing smile. And look at the 'stork bite' on his forehead--he has always had that too, and he still has it today, five years later. In fact, it manifests itself the most when he is tired or pissed off about something. Very funny.

And it was five years ago about when I decided--with my friend Eric--to sign up for my first ever 5k. It was run in Rockland on the weekend before St Patrick's day. As you can see, I was just a little bit bigger than I am now.....

My goodness that was a miserable run. Absolutely miserable. I was working out regularly back then....but just doing the wrong stuff, and with hardly any intensity. And my diet was terrible. I'm not going to blame  carbs or gluten or  transfats or all the other things people blame: I just ate a ton. Simple as that. And it was shortly after this when I decided to start to do something about it.

I think the 5K took me about 37 minutes to run. And I had to stop and walk. And my lower back hurt like heck.

Look at this little guy here....I remember this day like it was yesterday. I am hoping to run my next 5k in early March...in Brewer....and hopefully I can work it in before my next surgery. Otherwise I will run it in a sling. #whynot

Getting obsessed with these....

They are a lot of work and thought...but they are wicked fun to make. They give me a chance to, simultaneously, think about the people I love.....while at the same time making fun of them.

Try it: http://uthinkido.com/

That's all I got for today....gonna go finish a good book and watch Breaking Bad....

click on each one to blow them up and expand them....

Woops...forgot the title...this one is George....obviously.....

February Vacation comes to a close....

This February vacation has been so amazing in so many ways, and I am sorry to see it end. Granted, I am excited to get back to school for what is really the 'final stretch' to get any serioussssss work done (seniors are nonexistent after April...haha), but, sitting here on a peaceful Saturday night, I reflect (seriously....I am not being a wise guy) on how blessed I am to have great friends, a loving wife, and two little rugrats with whom I got to spend some great times this week. 

We had been trying to find a time to have our friends the Hallens and the Carltons over for an 'Olympics Party,' and last night seemed to be the only open slot...haha! We really missed the Hallens, who were dealing with some illnesses, but we were super psyched to have the Carltons over for 'the olympics of pizza,' where individuals competed to see who could make the sickest, illest, most goodest 'za in all the land. Fun times are always had with the Carltons, and make your own pizza was a great activity that I would like to do again...even if I am home alone. The kids never have a bad time with Hannah and Emily--fantastic kids with two fantastic parents! 

The Olympics were 'on,' I suppose,, but there was nothing really interesting going on. Instead, Andy and I had the olympics of growlerdom, the kids played 'store' and legos, and Beth got to share some precious moments with Lupine, who is the reigning olympic gold medalist for sloth....

I was hurting a bit myself, as I had my MRI yesterday with contrast injected into the joint. This renders my arm pretty sore (not sore enough that I still couldnt beat most of you up!) for a couple of days. But the Oxycoakcodonepond helped a ton.....

Today's weather was by JaredStandards absolutely abysmal--sunny and near 50. I hate it. I seriously do. Depresses me immensely. But while Sally and Maira took MeeMee to Target, Callum and I  met Brad, Caden, Mia, and Ethan....along with other friend (and his two kids) for some ice fishing on Weber Pond in Vassalboro. The ice was, by THIS winter's standards, not thick---but it was still about 16 inches!! Many ponds around here are two feet thick with ice!!(how is that global warming workin out for ya??). I didnt trailer my snowmobile over, but Matt had his sled (along with a dogsled he made for it) and he gave the kids rides all afternoon, and they had a blast! Callum is afraid to go pee by himself in the bathroom, but he thinks nothing of standing and riding a dogsled across a lake....

Also, see the ice shack in the background? Matt builds custom shacks. Dad--this is what I was talking to you about. I think the Goldsmiths are gonna buy one of these....this will be another blog post. So stay tuned!!

 Callum LOVES getting out on the ice and we dont do it nearly enough (but we will with the ice shaque!!). He loves the fishing....but he perfectly content to run around and dramatically 'fall' and do snow angels. Also, no ice fishing trip is complete without ninja-weapons, so CS made sure to bring his TMNT sais (spelling??) and numchuks (spelling? too lazy to look....sorry...). LUCKILY, Caden and Ethan had some Nerf tridents and swords, so they had wicked cool ice-ninja wars. And grapes.

Living in Maine is awesome for so many reasons.....

but I DO severely wish my family could be involved in some of the fun we have up here. I miss them a lot lately.

And, finally, here is a pic my friend Dave just sent to me from our snowmobile trip earlier this week....his son Devin took it of us as we stopped right outside Skowhegan High School before crossing a street to go back in the woods. I hope to find someone to watch the kids for a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon so I can take Sally on a little snowmobile ride and have some fun!!!

February Vacation Stuph.....

One more pic of the kids (and Lupine) eating breakfast and coloring last Monday morning.....

It has been a fantastic February vacation, packed with the right elements of outdoorsy stuff, indoorsy stuff, and stuffy stuff. In addition to the Ponts visiting, I have been able to get out for a nice long snowshoe in the woods/trails across the street, in the process seeing probably more deer and moose tracks than I have ever seen in one place! The woods/fields/trails across the street must be a VERY active place for animals!

Yesterday I trailered over to my friend Dave's and we did a solid 30 mile or so trip through some amazing terrain through woods, hils, fields, and ponds; gliding through the woods...surrounded by snow covered trees....turning through serpentine trails...all while it was snowing out...was truly almost a spiritual experience. Plus, the smell of two stroke oil from six snowmobiles added a multi-sensory effect...I love the smell!

Accompanying Dave and I were Dave's wife Jenn, their son Devin, and his friend Maria. We had a fantastic time. Here are all the sleds before the trip; we left right from Dave's house and went across some fields to get on the trails....

And then, today, we are kind of being lazy. It is a lego kind of day, and currently the kids are building Cinderella castles, trains, and Spiderman forts. I love when the kids play legos. Later, we'll head to the library and then to a going away party at Grenda's for one of the kids' friends Xavier, who is moving to New York.

And this week has been AWESOME for snow. Whoever said we were getting no more snow this winter is crazy...cuz in the past six days we have had 5 separate storms; today is kind of warm out, and I hate it--it is about 40. But tonight we are supposed to get a couple more inches of snow, and then tomorrow some ice and rain and freezing rain. Yuck. But we certainly have piles and piles and piles of snow. In fact, I just reminded myself that I need to go raque the roof....cuz after my MRI tomorrow I wont be able to use my arm for a couple of days...

More Ponticellis....

A super visit.....everything was awesome....the kids got along in a superb way....Callum and Maira are depressed as heck that their buddies JJ and Ava are gone...such a treasure to get to see the kids all being friends. Was thinking about how JJ and Callum were buddies, running around all over the place and having a blast.......and how Jason and I were Callum's age when we started doing the same thing 30 years ago. Circle of life.  Very special. Restaurants hit: Governor's on Saturday night. Cancun in Sunday. Snowmobiling accomplished. Bounce Zone fun was had. Movie night on Sunday: Emperor's New Groove. This morning before they left we had breakfast at The Flatlanda, and if Jaquie were in a better mood, Jay and I would have taken our picture by the NEVADA LOSER license plate for Jawn. Speaking of which, we had a good Skype Session with the Rev. John Francis, as seen below.....

The kids did a LOT of art and coloring. Legos "in the basement" were a big hit. As was driving around two remote control cars, trying in earnest to knock over Lupine's food and water bowl. Lots of playing in the snow, in particular with the big fort/tunnel that Callum and I made a couple of weeks ago. Also, we had another snow storm on Saturday night....the forecast went from 16+ inches to 3 inches in like fifteen minutes. Yet ANOTHER fantastic forecast by Maine's best and brightest. But we got four or five inches or so, and on Sunday morning Jay and I snowblew both our driveway and Bill and Terry's across the street, as Bill is in the hospital.

The adults enjoyed an intense Scrabble game on Saturday night....allllllegedly I was taking too long between turns. IDK guy, IDK. All I know is that I (as usual) managed to both entertain and then earn the scorn of every individual in the room. I have many talents.

The next 3 or 4 pictures need to be put in one of those 4 pictured frames you buy at KMart or something--they truly speak for themselves. The progression, essentially, tells the story of Jason Ponticelli and Jared Goldsmith's storied thirty-plus year friendship. EVERYTHING about our relationship is told, in sequential and chronological order, with such clarity in the next four pictures. And if this doesnt make sense to you, at least enjoy photos of two of the biggest losers the world could create:

Yup.

Snowmobiling with the 'cellis

Just pics....not text here....stay toooooooned

Olympics Dinner!

Last Saturday night we had the Huesers and Avis over for a 'cultural' dinner in honor of the Olympics--I made AMERICAN bbq pulled pork from a huge butt roast I bought at Bouchers...it was good (I hope!!). We ate good food, played, watched some Olympics, and just had a really great visit!! Callum was elated, as always to have his buddy Jake come over, and the two did..............you guessed it.............Legos!! HaHa. They put together some type of Lone Ranger thing...a hideout or something or other....

Both kids (Jake and Meg) each brought the kids over a 'bag' of some of their stuff they had outgrown and wanted to give to Callum and Maira. Maira got a bunch of Meg's old dance outfits, and Maira has been wearing them ever since. And Jake generously gave Callum, among other things, a remote control robot and some old Karate pants!!

"The Girls" watching some skiing and skating....everyone had a great time!

Avis was sweet enough to lean in for a hug-picture.....but, as you can see, Tom was so transfixed by the athletes in their aerodynamically tight pants that he was not to be moved....haha.....also, please note the Olympic rings made by the kids for the festivities....

I wonder how many of these 'dinner table' pictures I have taken over the years  (and then posted on this blog)...probably about a hundred or so.....our dinner table is truly a special part of our home, as it has been the gathering place for many special memories. It is cool to think like that, isnt it? We had the pulled pork, salad, and smashed potatoes. For dessert (Maira calls it 'dennert') we had possibly the best apple pie I have ever consumed (Avis) and some delectable TEAM USA cupcakes made and decorated by Katie and Meg. Oh yeah...Maira and Meg are beside the adults--out of the picture--at the kid's table.....

After dinner Jake and Meg led Callum and Maira through a FIERCE gauntlet of SIMON SAYS which, as you can see, inevitably turned into a GoTeamUSA/Ninja/Dancetillyoucantdancenomore party.....

Whereas 'dinner table pics' are aplenty on this blog and in our lives, pictures of JUST Amanda and I are about as rare as they come....so we took advantage of the occasion to get a photo snapped of justthetwoofus. Someday, when Maira leaves for the Air Force Academy and Callum leaves for Annapolis, we'll be able to do more of this.....haha

The Rich People Olympics

Dont get me wrong--I LOVE the winter Olympics....but let's call a spade a spade.....these are the 'rich' Olympics...just about every sport in these games requires expensive 'accessories' or stuff. Right? I mean, how much is a pair of running shoes (summer games) or a bathing suit (summer games). DAD??? I NEED A BOBSLED...AND I NEED YOU TO MOVE THE WHOLE FAMILY TO SQUAW VALLEY....OKAY??

Amanda and I (when she is speaking to me) are HUGE fans of the winter games, and we talk about it incessantly! I feel like this passion is wearing off on the kids, who seem to have totally gotten into the games as well. I came home last Friday after school to see a bunch of Olympic stuff the kids and Amanda made for our two "Olympics Parties" last weekend.....

The Torch, which was used while Callum put on John Williams' 'Olympic Theme' and ran with a passionate #TimFace around the house....

Go Team USA!!!!!!

The kids loved the opening ceremonies, and we let them stay up late to watch a bunch of it....but Callum made a few astute observations about the opening ceremonies: "All the Olympics is so far is people in suits talking, and commercials." I think he was referring to the useless interview Bob Costas did with Obama. Does Obama ski or something? No? Then shut up.

Rings were made (a few sets) to be hung on the walls. Lots of Olympic arts and crafts.....

Now that the games have started, the kids get REALLY passionate about some of the races (particularly XC skiing) and the pairs figure skating, which the two imitate when Callum lifts Maira, and Maira raises her arms above her head (like a real figure skater!)

And then it was time to just relax, read a book or two, and wait for MeeMee and Grampy (in a rare 2 hour stretch where Lin wasnt sick) to come by for some opening ceremonies!!

Second Snow Day....

This past Wednesday, we had our second snow day of the winter! This worked out well, since I was feeling terrible, and I was thinking of staying home sick anyway. Amanda left for work, got to Augusta, and then got the call alert on her phone that the legislature was closed for the day.........so she turned around and came back home. So, even though she still had to drive an hour round trip, we all got to spend the day at home as a family, which was great!

We watched Despicable Me, I fell asleep off and on, Amanda took the kids outside to play and shovel, we did art stuff, set up a mammoth Thomas the Train track, and had the Carltons over for a snow day pizza party. They snowshoed over us! How fun! 

 

All the kids were inside all day going stir-crazy, so it was great to get them all together and have some fun--they always have a great time  (Amanda and I have a super time as well!). The 'kid's table' was in full effect (callum sat on the bench with me at the ADULT table...haha). Pizza is such a great snow day food....

And Beth gave into Maira's charm (haha) and sat down to do (still) Maira's favorite thing in the world: jigsaw puzzles. I've got to get a video of her doing one of these sometime--she is the epitome of silent focus. You DO NOT disturb Maira when she is doing one of her puzzles, that's for sure!

Yesterday, Callum and I  worked for quite a while outside making a stellar snow fort/cave/hideout/whatever. We bore a tunnel through this icy hill, and the cavern within is quite roomy--it will hold either one five/three year old ORRRRR approximately 11 growlers of Oak Pond Lager or Doppelbock. We took some bike water bottles with food coloring and 'painted' our fort red and white for the Olympics. Some of that wore off though. Flags were put on top, and rocks from Seawall adorned the sides.  Today was so warm (24 degrees) that even Lupine went outside for about a half hour to bask in the sunshine and throw up. She checked out Callum and Daddy's handiwork, and I got to snap this pic....

Had a nice snowmobile ride today--today was the first time I actually trailered somewhere with the snowmobile--I went over to Benton and got on the 'real' groomed ITS (Interstate Trail System) trails. GORGEOUS and amazing and cant wait to do it again soon!

Turtles and soda and sickness....

Callum and Maira had some Christmas money just BURNING a hole in their pockets...so last week we took a trip to KMart so they could get some stuff....cuz they definitely need more stuff. Callum is undergoing a HUGE Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle phase right now; and so, by default, Maira is too. Callum's favorite is Raphael, because he likes the sais or however you spell them. Maira loves Donatello, for no other reason than Donatello wears purple. Seems reasonable enough.....

LOOK OUT!!!!

The funny thing is that neither one of the kids really know anything at all about TMNT. We've bought a few books at Bob's (The Record Connection/used book store), and Callum has one figure. But, beyond that, they've never seen the show or anything. But Callum is really into karate, and has been for a while. About sixty one times per day, he goes on youtube and puts on the theme music (58 seconds long) from the 90s cartoon. Then, he puts on a vulgar display of ninjadom, as he parades around the kitchen and dining room with his weapons, spin moves, and general pageantry. Fantastic stuff.

Look at Maira's freakin face mask! So the 'ninja turtle' set they bought came with the weapons and the facemask. We do so many 'role playing' games that it gets exhausting! Callum will create scenarios where I am usually Shredder, and I am usually stealing something from their secret lair...then, at just the right moment, he will cue the music on the ipod, and a 'fight' will ensue.....They always win....

We wanted to take more pictures of Sunday's Superbowl party at Tom, Kate, Jake,and Meghan's house...but I only ended up taking one. Got too busy playing Banagrams with Jake I guess...haha. We had a great time, as always, visiting with out friends. The Seahawks absolutely embarrassed the Broncos, proving undoubtedly that Tom Brady is the best QB of all time. But that is a different story. The picture I did take is of Callum and his buddy Tom making homemade root beer with his soda-stream thing. Callum LOOOOOVES helping to make his VERY OWN soda. Like a dream come true for the kid. Very cool.

And, for the first time this winter, the Goldsmith house is all sick. Well, except for Maira. Cuz she's a mutant or something. But Amanda, Callum, and I were all essentially dying during the last couple of days. A and C were throwing up....and I had chills #theyremultiplying and fatigue and aches and general misery. I dont get sick very often, but when I do, I got down HARD.