When in doubt blog...

Got to work late today..Ty had a concert for jazz band camp and did a solo..great!! Then I went to the hospital to see my friend Daune the oncology nurse about Jenn, she did not hear the final outcome, after I called her on the way to Portland on Monday. Then I begged her for help in getting an appointment with her husband (my family doc) so I can get this "whatever I have" taken care of. I feel like" Mono" right now..I am exhausted. I have had mono before but some times it reactivates itself and I had that happen once back in the 80's. I am not sure it would explain this long term laryngitis though. So I have an appointment next Thursday.

Had to do alot of health and safety stuff today including an inventory for year end and a challenge exam..my first one. So by the time I got to even read my email it was almost three o clock. Ginny had written this big update on what Emergency services dept is doing..I was impressed..then I realized that was Us!! Hey we have done alot!! And we are still up to our eyeballs. I have to now figure out Washington County as if Aroostook wasn't enough of a hot spot!! They need shelter surveys..and who knows what else. I am sure the politics are just as tricky, but I don't feel quite so out of place knowing I am at least driving along the coast. Although that "Blueberry World building with the giant blueberries outside..now that was debateable!!

So Don is playing in a golf tourney so I told Ty we would go to the new Mexican restaurant in Sargentville a suburb of Sedgwick for those who don't know..its some section of town where a bunch of Sargents lived so they called it Sargentville because it had its own library and post office, now closed, but its always been taxed under Sedgwick..I suppose they think they might be the "high rent district"..but we have the town landing and carters point and that is significant waterfrontage.
But the people definitely insist on being from "Sargentville" instead of Sedgwick...whatever! The funniest thing is now we have this restaurant of authentic Baja and Mex food. Its too strange...right in the middle of what some people would consider "nowhere"!! We are not talking Rockland here, or Camden or Bar Harbor, we are talking route 15 in Sargentville, suburb of Sedgwick! This is not taco belle either! These people make their own tortillas fillings salsas everything. So you all get the picture.. one of those Maine Quirks..and I think one of those Maine trust fund kids who just had to move back and do something "different"! Oh well I get good food!

Have a great weekend, I plan on doing very little I hope..except enjoying it. G.

When Life gives you lemons...

Make Lemonade! It was a pretty good weekend, a nice outdoor concert at flye point, gardening on Sunday and then my bags were packed Monday morning to go to PI..the county, for ARC. The phone rang as I was going out the door. Jenns surgery had been changed and they were looking at possibly opening up her sternum to get some tissue for the biopsy. Kathi was a little frantic and were they doing the right thing. Yeah..like I should know as I am going out the door and almost didn't answer the phone. Long story short I ended up driving to Portland instead of Presque Isle where Jennifer had just gotten out of recovery. She had a chest tube, two IV's a TPA for dilaudid and assorted other attachments and devices. Her dx was no longer looking like Hodgkins a very treatable Lymphoma but rather NHL non hodgkins lymphoma, one of 30+ types that are alot more difficult to treat. Paul and I stayed with her thru the afternoon and then I went to get Emmy. The next day Kathi flew in and I had the kids, Jenn suffered thru her first post op day. and we all got to bed around midnight..long story about a guy in a car who escaped from a nursing home, who the family that had the Emmy and Nolan for the evening, almost hit on the way home from the Seadogs game!!!! Left Portland in the heat on Wednesday afternoon, and really haven't slept much in 48 hours.

I drove to Machias today with Ginny for a meeting, I think I was running on fumes. Thank heavens it didn't really require us to do much except politley listen. By the time I got home tonight I thought I would collapse I was so worn. Second wind came in around 8pm. So here I am up typing on this thing.

Caroline got talking to the Pharmacy guy on line tonight and said hey mom do you know where he lives..the house at the end of the Blueberry fields with the star on the mountain at Christmas.
I said really Care...ask him if he has a sister named Angela..she did..he does...she worked at the store for me one summer a few years back..small world. Ty went sailling today on a 420 at the yacht club, took Kyle with him as there aren't any formal lessons yet. No wind apparently but he had never taken out a 420 before..I think those are the boats the older kids will use this year. I know that is the inter club racing boat..if he does any of that.

Tommorow is the last day of Jazz camp..he says he is playing a solo during on of the pieces. All these years and he finnally volunteers for one. I guess he feels confident about his playing, which has been good for awhile. Can't wait to hear it.

So it has been a rather long..short week for me. Jennifer was discharged today and I am sure is glad to be home. Certainly not what we all expected, but lemonade can be sweet no matter how sour the lemons are...

Take care everybody. G.

Back to earth..

Whoa...my blog from yesterday appeared. I typed that thing and it went to computer neverland for several hours and today ...poof..there it is right where it's supposed to be. There must have been atmospheric internet problems yesterday because I also did an Armed Forces Emergency case over the internet and I called DC when I got home to check a case number for it and it never got in the system! Now Ginny and Susan watched me do it! In any case its there now.

Took Ty to Bar Harbor last night to meet Olivia, they walked around and got Ice Cream, Don and I had a light dinner and a Guiness and then also walked around until 9pm..Town was pretty busy.

Got on the computer to check email etc and found out Jenn has to have another biopsy on Monday. There are conflicting path reports. Kathi is out of town so I have offered to go down if she needs me to, for childcare whatever. This means changing my work schedule and a planned trip, but she at this point has declined. If she changes her mind, she of course comes first. She is extremely upset to have to go through this again but they are going to have pathologists in the OR to determine on the spot, the clear DX. The Hodgkins dx will stand, but strains etc have to be clear for the right course of chemo. They have already sent her stuff to three labs across the country. Unfortunately this is just the beginning of the battle... this is what brings me back to earth this week...

Well I was hoping for a warm nice day, instead its a cool cloudy one for an outdoor concert on the water...hope all have a nice weekend

Its the weekend....

Thank Heavens! I have not been a in a very productive mode this week..more like fits and starts. Although there have been some things I have accomplished. Last night Caroline said "come on Mom scrap book with me.".now I have not put anything on a page since I completed her graduation present which was a book of all her high school plays, performances etc. It took 4 years to complete, sometimes in great year end work sessions. The last pages were done in the week of graduation and I was sobbing as I put the final ones together. Consequently I have not put about a year and a half of photos anywhere, but in a box, including her senior prom, awards banquets, graduation etc. She on the other hand came home from college and decided to fight boredom with creativity and has been putting all her photos to pages. Gorgeous pages, I might add.

So..I got up off the couch and took out some prom pictures and sat down with her and didn't get up from the table until 11pm! I fussed and fussed over them but the pages were what I wanted and even got a scrap from her dress on one page.. her dress, now thats another story! I guess I needed to do something a little creative, it definitely was a big release from everything else, like the apartment, the house and gardens, work, etc etc. I might just do some more soon! Ty joined us by sitting there and kibitzing, all good natured of course.

Mattresses came late morning today for the apartment. Now I have to get linens together, finish the bedrooms, finish the kitchen, and I still don't have living room seating. LL Bean blew that one the other day by pricing a couch by the section...which I thought was priced by the whole. The ad is in the paper, and I will contact Wooden Boat as well as my email list. It really is a cute little apartment, waterfront...should rent well. Also listed the downstairs as gallery retail space..we shall see.

Lots going on this weekend. Flye point music festival in Brooklin..Little River Band and Melanie are the headliners, Shriners "the men with the Fez are in Ellsworth," Ty has a girl.. "who is just a friend".. in Bar Harbor he wants to meet for ice cream tonight,! For my sibs..she is Phyllis Woolfs daughter from Portland..Olivia...they seem to have an IM relationship. Then there is the "cute pharmacy guy" who left a note for Care on face book..I can not keep up with technological relationships!! He goes to URI and seems to have a girlfriend but last year the pharmacist asked me if Caroline was dating, embarrassing this poor student pharmacy tech to pieces! Well now of course she is single..Face book, the info sight for the all college students..and he has left her a message. Hmmmm

Shriner parade in Ellsworth tommorow..gotta love the men with the fez. Now my dad was never a shriner, but I remember when the grand poobah was from Northeast Harbor and when you are the grand what ever, you get to have the parade in your town..so some of the doctors who were shriners and their buds ended up at my parents house after one of the dinners, definitely into the liquor cabinet. The parades are always something, you wonder how they can drive those little cars and boats after all that partying the night before though!

So happy Friday and good weekend to you all..I am on call this weekend so it better be a quiet one disaster wise! ARC Girl signing off.

Where did this week go?

Its Thursday..probably a good thing considering I am still not here..well ...here is a relative term. Everyone keeps calling and when I answer the phone with the Lauren Bacall voice they say "whats wrong" or you sound mad or you sound agitated or frustrated...I guess its my voice, and perhaps the daily waking up and finding its still ...GONE. Not only that they put me on some allergy meds a week ago and I am not really waking up..consequently I am not all here or there or where ever you people want me to be!!

So I talked with the MD last night and I get to start antibiotics today. Oh yeah! I am sure there are just as many "charming side effects" to come. Yeast infections are always pleasant..

So Lynn's blog about Bar Harbor made me smile...she had a good night and saw a beautiful sunset. The unexpected benefits..Now Hillary just needs to let us know what happened to her last evening on the big date!! We are waiting with baited breath...

Super Sib #2 is back to Paris.."Wicked"ly and I don't have to read the news. Check out "good deeds" blog. for the latest.

The kiddos are on summer schedule..ugh. I am not even sure where they are half the time.
I am not sure that is a good thing either> this is the first time my job has not been next door, during the summer..this could get interesting. The almost 19 year old has a schedule and drives so that is one thing but the 13 year old is another thing entirely. He has friends all over creation and you never know what plans are what sometimes. No wonder I am "lost in space" right now.

Well I am meandering and so I shall go...

Earth to Gretchen....

Last night after a long day, I got home just as the phone was ringing and my girlfriend princess Anne said in an excited voice "hurry go out on your deck space shuttle space station.."I said what? Go she said now! I yelled to Don and we looked up at the sky to see the space station making its orbit over head. WOW. What it actually looked like was two dots..stars.. equi-distance apart in perfect orbit shooting across the sky. We are at the edge of the water so we had a pretty clear view, without alot of trees blocking the way. I got back on the phone and asked her how she knew and apparently her husbands Steve's father is a NASA nut who follows every move and knew that it was going to be in the eastern sky at 9:02 or something. So that ended a pretty good evening, considering the volunteer meeting went very well for once.

I don't relish volunteer meetings..surprise surprise, I love teaching classes, and talking to groups but the volunteer meetings give me fits. I never know if anything I have to say is really that important to them..many have way more experience than me. Or if we have enough or too much to say! Don't want to bore them, or overwhelm them etc etc. But I chose the topic of last nights meeting and had Ginny talk on deployment and it really went over well and I thought people learned something and responded well. I am pleased our base in Hancock county is growing and more people want to do stuff in this area..so all in all a positive meeting.

Can't seem to concentrate on work today..trying to do health forms. They are usually something I like to do but they are distracting to me today. Can't print anything so there are several things I can't do right now until the computer people come to fix this thing.

Stopped by the school to pick up the dishes from the luncheon and saw Ty's teacher , whom I thanked for a great year and we ended up in a discussion over the fact that he really could have skipped 8th grade and she hoped that the school would be able to provide him with enough next year....sheeeesh!

Lynn keeps bugging me to teach in Bar Harbor tonight for her...not happening I am afraid. I probably would have done it had I known it was only first aid ahead of time..but late night last night ... I need to go home...

See you all back on earth when I get there...G.

Want something done?

Get a busy woman to do it! Last night I shopped and then went home and cooked a luncheon for the Sedgwick Elementary school staff of 21. They will be dining on some old Sedgwick Store favorites including: Rosemary Chicken Salad, I must have made 15 lbs of that! Tortolini basil pesto salad, Chopped greek salad, wild rice and cranberry salad, assorted breads (bought those) and fruit and Amy my infamous baker made a rhubarb and strawberry crisp. I cut some flowers from my garden this morning and finished off the last of the salads and delivered everything around 11:15 and set up the buffet. I am sure they will be pleased. The school board used to have me do the teacher luncheon when I owned the store, then the PTF took over the task. Last year the woman that did it did not put much thought into what she got. She then said she would organize it for this year and cancelled out on the original date two days before. As the "reluctant" chair of PTF this year it fell back on me. It was just easier to do the whole thing minus the dessert, I knew I could get Amy, and have PTF pay for the ingredients rather than farm out each item and hope the parents do it. Making that chicken salad by the "ton" last night reminded me of why I now work for someone else..Thank you!! I don't wish to be cooking like that again, everyday!

For clarification to my sibs on the turtle..yes, I "nicked" him so he landed on his backside, I did not kill him! And there were cars that had pulled off the road before I came upon him to help him..which is why I hit him instead of pulling off. He really almost caused quite an accident. The kids were upset I just kept going but considering everyone else there and the fact that I would not have hit him in the first place if they weren't causing such a traffic mess..I decided to leave him with his little legs in the air... the whole scene was ridiculous. I am sure PETA will be after me next!

Internet was down at work but it was the router system in the office, so the tech phone support people got me back on line but I can't print and the other computer will not go on line..too many wires for me..hopefully someone can straighten it out. Have a call into the Exec. for a computer repair request.

Volunteer meeting tonight in the office, should be a barrel of fun. I still do not have much of a voice. Have a call into the dr. again it is now almost 4 weeks, I am a little worried about my vocal chords, can they withstand laryngitis for this long? Especially where I do not have any pain I have no idea if I am doing any damage. Its not like I am a singer or anything but I really would like my own voice back.

By the way sibs, Mom is going to Italy in October, I think she was hinting around for me to go she kept saying there was still space left on the trip..I did not bite. If you are interested it is to
Luca and Florence and it sounds interesting. They are staying at some small villa or something with a woman who does cooking classes for the guests and does the evening meal. I did the mom trip to Ireland.. I don't want to spend vacation money on just me, especially when there is alot less of it ....thanks to George Washington University...like none...we are supposed to, maybe ,go to Norway next summer after Ty graduates. That and I wouldn't mind getting out of here in March or April next year, I hated not going anywhere warm this year. I am saving my pennies.

So cheers everyone..keep that smile on Hill, back to being busy for me!

Why do turtles cross the road?

Yesterday, I had to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner..I go later on Sunday to avoid the inevitable "summer people" who whine about the Sedgwick store being closed. Get over it people its been three years practically. Anyways I forgot my purse..I never do that, so I turned around to head back to Sedgwick thinking there must be some "divine" reason why I wasn't supposed to go directly to the store. As I was heading for the stretch of road where the blueberry fields are I could see a car stopped in my lane and people in the other with a tarp covering something in the road..I am thinking someones been hit..great no one around but me..no cell phone..its in my purse..no cpr mask..its in my purse..as I get closer I realize its probably an animal...someone's dog. They are flagging people to slow down and get in the other lane. I slow down so they can drive in my lane and the couple lift the tarp and there is a huge turtle s-l-o-w-l-y crossing the road. I mean the size of one in Florida or something. What is it doing in the blueberry barrens?? Why did these people put a tarp on it?? I drive by..
weird weird weird is all I think..the thing was huge, so I flash my lights at any one heading in that direction. By the time I come back by the turtle must have crossed, everyone is gone. End of story? NO. Today I get beyond Blue Hill village headed toward Ellsworth and all these cars are either pulling over or swerving for what looks like a rock in the road..a large rock. I can't swerve as a car is coming at me so I nick the rock..a turtle, a large turtle, trying to cross the road in Blue HIll!! What is this..I look back and I have knocked him on his back side, he is laying on his shell kicking his little legs in the air..but he is off the road. Someone in front of me had already pulled over to save him, before I nicked him, what is up with this? These are huge turtles where are they coming from? Lynn, the crows have nothing on these road turtles!!!!

In other news of the fascinating sort..Aisha came home for a night this weekend and Care, Don, Aisha and I went to ...get this...the new authentic Mexican restaurant in Sedgwick!! It has some spanish name that in translation means LL BEANs..Don told me that..How he knows I don't know. This couple used to summer here now they have moved here and opened this place, it was great. We had lunch out side on Saturday there, homemade salsas, burritos, tacos and empanadas it was really amazing.

Friday night Ty's best friend Henry Sullivan graduated..He is going to Milton Academy next year. Paul played piano at the graduation which was long but sweet. We went up to the house after, I really don't know what they will do without Henry around next year. It will be hard for Tyler too, he really has no peer group in Sedgwick. 8th grade will be a tough one for him.

Busy week this week, Have to do the teachers luncheon tommorow, because the parent who was supposed to refused. Don't ask. Wed. I have to go to Hampden with Hill for a Pandemic presentation. Tuesday night is our volunteer meeting. Hoping to get the apartment done this week also.

Watch out for turtles in the road people...and yes super sib #2 Miss Barboza is indeed related to
ie:grandaughter of Joseph..she rides a harley and counts crows! She is very very cool!

Friday Finesse...

Not Hardly..but it sounded good...its more like get me out of here, this office is too quiet and there is not enough to do today!! Not only that its actually nice and even warm today. Yes Kimmie, some of us are stuck inside. At least until 3pm. So I figured out how to connect all your blogs on my site..so now if you need to read the latest on Paris Hilton just check out my super sib #2's blog "Good Deed's" where she just can't leave it alone!! Like I said I think it has something to do with the fact that she's an editor and can't believe anyone else would really write this stuff. None the less she is definitely entertaining the rest of us with her rantings.

And for my super sibs, if you really want insight into the Bates motel and the infamous smoking shack do check out Miss Barboza's first blog...by the way Deedee when you worked for UPI who was that Mob bosses trial you covered in Boston, you and Lynn might need to talk..she has family history.

So fathers day is this weekend and I think that weekend "abroad" in the county has thrown my month off...I didn't realize it. There is always the four letter words..bike, golf, lawn, but which one? Part of Friday Finesse I guess! Don's dad is spending the weekend in Portland with Kathi and Jennifer. They plan to tell him about Jennifers condition. She has her first meeting with the oncologist on the 28th. Probably not the best fathers day but the prognosis is very good with Hodgkins at this stage.

Sooo all you lovely people have a good weekend...enjoy the weather..it better be nice! And if anyone needs a coastal jaunt you know where to find me...if not call and I will give you directions!

Thursday thoughts

If I knew how to put connections on my blog I would refer you all to my sister DeeDee's blog
"good deed's." She just can't get over Paris Hilton. I don't know if its too much time in the publishing world or what..Its pretty funny reading though. Only thing is Deed, you are fallling into the web by paying attention to all this..I mean do you really care that Daddy is going to throw her a coming out of Jail party? That she is now religious, (like we believe that) or that anything that comes out of her publicists mouth is true and not just that, PUBLICITY. To make Paris POPULAR!?

Sister Kim is done for the summer..teacher...yeah yeah yeah...what ever. Must be some stuff for Mom I can have her do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then there is my diva daughter..Sedgwick is just not Washington DC..imagine that! That first year home after being on your own is a tough one. And the contrasts of life..well, I do feel for her. Its a tough transition. Tyler on the other hand just wants to be OUT..done...period..
he did inform me that he will probably graduate Salutatorian next year, I said I could settle with that.

Staying in a different hotel (not a motel) when we go to Presque Isle again. The "Bates" motel
(aka NOrthern Lights) wants us to pay for the third night, that we did not spend there. They seem to think they could have sold those rooms..a Sunday night! Ha! In the first place they forgot to book myself and at least one other person for three nights to begin with, so they had the rooms to sell until we arrived. Who are they kidding?? In anycase we should be more comfortable..I know I will be I don't like knowing the door goes to the outside. People drive up shine their lights in your window its too weird.

So that is it for Thursday..sun is finnally coming out at the end of the day. Now warm up will you?? I want summer!! ARC girl

Nothing much going on in the ARC world to report. Grass got mowed in front of the office..it was about 3 feet high and there is a board meeting here today so Lynn and I scrambled yesterday to make sure it was cut..Apparently lynn took my sarcastic remark about the grass being mowed as gospel and told Suzan it had been done. When I told her ...have you looked out the window recently??? She went into action mode. She was going to mow it herself if we couldn't get the manager to do it. Fortunately after making a few phone calls we had reassurance that the building person would do it. Today I came in and it was done. Problem solved. Even bought a hanging plant for the front door per Suzans approval. Too bad its 54 degrees out.

Ginny wants me to go back to the "county" in a week or so. Ugh. Only for a night though and Hillary is teaching in Medway every week so I can't justify not doing it. I wish the "county" would move a little closer!! The drive is so long. Unless of course Lead foot Lynn is driving.
We made it home in very very good time the other night.

Ran into Brandon's mom in LL Bean yesterday. That was a little emotional. I asked how Brandon was doing and she said he is much more like himself. I think Caroline is feeling a little like a ship out of water..her social contacts had been his friends and now that is not a comfortable place to be. She is reconnecting with her girlfriends though and I hope she finds
stuff to do..she likes to be busy and the slow pace of Sedgwick is putting her ill at ease. She is working quite a bit..so that does help. Yacht club opens soon so maybe she will meet some kids down there. Ty has sailing lessons so she can chauffer.

Book group tonight didn't finish the book have to go home and do that. Not much else going on,
working on the store apartment. Talked to Jenn yesterday she is doing ok..for now anyways.
Hope everyone is having a good week.

Sad note..

Although I thought I had this wonderful day ahead with no work and some chores around the house that I really wanted to do like some window boxes at the store..it didn't turn out so well.
Jennifer, Don's youngest sister was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma today. A bit of a shock to us all. She is a beautiful young and healthy mother of two, who happened to find a stray lymph node on her neck a few weeks ago. I had hoped this would be the furthest of all possibilities..

The Norweigan side of the family has literally all had some form of cancer and Elin, her mom, the kids grandmother's death still weighs very heavy on my family and myself. Jenn has a 90% cure rate which is of course excellent but she will have a heavy cocktail of chemo to go through. Red does not know yet, not until all the facts and treatment plan are complete.

One never knows what the next day brings, so I want to end this one and look forward to the next for everyone involved. IT will be a better day. Love you all.

LIfe in the fast lane...

WE'RE BACK!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!! It was a trip in all sense of the word! Drive up was fun. We made Paul drive the new ERV..emergency response vehicle for those of you who don't know.. by himself..so we could discuss girl things we told him. Hillary made us play car games as she looked for moose on the side of the road. All bubbles were burst though as we drove into the Northern Lights Motel..or BAtes motel as Lynn and Hillary started calling it. They have this new policy about not smoking there..anymore..you have to sign a piece of paper that says you will not smoke in the room or you will pay $250.oo. Lynn being our only smoker asked where she could smoke ..its a motel..could she smoke outside her room? NO. She had to use ..get this the "smoking shack"! In the center across the drive was a little "shack" like those ones people build for kids waiting for the bus..and she had to stand in it to smoke. There was nothing in it..so we put in one of those metal chairs they have outside the rooms so she would sit down and smoke..then we thought about putting some of the plants in it or a bird house or something. ONe morning the chair was wet so she had to bring out a towel to sit on. It was hysterical.

Hillary was still not amused that there were no outlets in the bathroom and no hair dryers, or irons in the rooms, she even called the place t he night before and they said they did not supply personal care items..she told them an iron was not a personal care item! She actually spotted a coffee maker among the dog food and pet items in the office but we warned her it probably had not been used..she is such an addict she went for some the first morning..baad! Her Mother called and asked how her little "potato blossom was doing and Hillary said "get me out of here..come get me..a la Paris Hilton..! She tried to spot eligible county men..we won't go there either!

The classes were not too bad except we had two volunteers who actually drove up from another chapter to take classes and they were impossible!! Even the Aroostook county people wanted to
"shoot" them before it was all over..fortunately they left on Saturday night and Sunday was a little more peaceful.

Paul our token male was quite amused with all the girls..I think he got a kick out of spending time with us. Hillary "miss sunshine" had him laughing, she got carded one night and we all had to put up with that scene. Lynn of course, was our "don't mess with us" girl! You gotta have one of those when you travel!! My voice didn't get any better thru the weekend, Paul gave me a bag of throat drops on Sunday to make it thru my health class before he left. He definitely was impressed with what we had done to pull this off and really helped out where ever he could.

We were pretty fried by Saturday night after a hosting a "shelter simulation" a table top disaster situation that was pretty dicey at times..and Hill , Lynn and I decided we needed to go home on Sunday after the last class! Enough was enough. So we told Ginny how we could do it and she went along with the plan which put everyone back in their own house last night, to get some much needed rest..you don't get in the Bates motel! Hillary got back to civilization..she tried to find "her people" at the Aroostook Mall..the weren't there! I just got home to my couch and a place that didn't smell like air freshner..I could not move for 2 hours.

So happy to be home with my chickies and my hubbie and the coast!

Hang on to your hats dear readers...

We are goin' to "the county", yep the ARC mobile is leaving Bangor tommorow morning with 4 of us followed by the new ERV to Presque Isle for the weekend. Now mind you this is not a pleasure trip! We are going to teach disaster classes to the "masses" and hopefully survive three nights in that palace of luxury and doggie delights (see my last visit to the county) The Northern Lights Motel!

So ""Mother" Ginny is going, our "little miss sunshine" and token single girl, Hillary, who is going to make sure at least on day one we all have sunshiny attitudes, Lynn, who has definite "one liners and attitude, and me and my sassy mouth. Should be interesting. Then we have the token male..Paul, driving the emergency response vehicle which he is teaching classes in..he just spent two nights at the Lucerne Inn wait til he gets into the NOrthern Lights Motel!!! He is a big mucky muck from Portland, our ARC liason to the State and MEMA. Nice guy..talks alot. Lots of stories.
OH my word this will be some weekend.

Then there are the people already up there...Joyce our PI office director who is very peppy so to speak..and Judy not so peppy so to speak, and we get to meet Romeo..our persistent and eager
county volunteer who speaks with a thick thick french accent..Romeo Bouchard..and calls Ginny,
Gina!! He is sooooo excited the ARC girls are coming to the county. Need I say any more!!

Are you all not sooo excited to hear how this will all turn out...stay tuned.

Still not talking..

So the doctor told me I had laryngitis, imagine that!! Come back in another week to 10 days if you still have it...please! This is just a little tiring. I am sure after this weekend teaching I will have no voice. There is nothing to take and nothing I can do according to him..not my regular doctor mind you. Grrrr.

Caroline and Brandon officially are taking time off..he came over last evening to say goodbye to us. That was a little emotional. He is a very sensitive young man and I know he will take this so hard. But they are on long long roads that are going in very different paths right now and it is hard to keep a long distance relationship at such an intense level. I ache for both of them.

I am on a hunt for mattresses and furniture for the apartment. Stopped at Merrills to get quotes, and saw a great futon that would make a neat couch for the living room but have to see what the budget is. I will keep up the hunt and go with the best prices so the "accountant" husband is pleased, I told him I could furnish this place for under 2000. and I plan on it.
I have really cute stuff for dishes and towels placemats and we of course have so many left overs in the attic to get out so it will come out great. Wish I could work on it this weekend but maybe Don will finish the painting which is really almost done and get the furniture that is around up there and I can then do the fun stuff..decorate.

Well back to work...

Talking with my hands..

Thats right..still no voice, whats up with that? I have had laryngitis for over a week, so I got an appt. today with the doctor on call, not mine but he'll do I guess. I have no other symptoms so its a little weird and I know how annoying it is to listen to someones voice that is so strained. But I can type..so here is what's been going on:

Friday Don was supposed to go camping with Don B. to the great wilds of Third Machias lake..I am not sure there is even a road there, he circled it on the map but who knows how you get there. They were so excited, unfortunately Friday Nancy's dad had another weird incident. He is in Parker Ridge Retirement Comm." supposedly" assisted living part with a Dx. of Louie Bodies Dementia, which causes hallucinations and paranoia at times. The "assisted" in assisted living means that they call them at work and ask them to come and take care of the dad. Its ridiculous. In any case they have to move him again, its a real mess. So Ty and I were going to go to Portland on Saturday afternoon and meet Care at the airport on Sunday. Well that all changed with Don staying home, so we all went down.

Saturday evening we went to Jen and Pauls and had a BBQ with the kids and Kathi and Steve. Its was alot warmer down there. Emily and Nolan were even in the pool. Fighting of course. Nolan turns 5 this week, he is still the size of a three year old but boy is he a tough one. He made uncle Don pitch him a hundred balls as he batted them off into the yard. It was a great evening..At 7:45 I dialed Carolines cell and she called right back. She was in DC, had her bags and was trying to find transportation back to town. She sounded great and we would see her on Sunday..YEAH!

Sunday I went to the Christmas Tree shop, we are furnishing the apartment for summer rentals and they have great prices on dishes etc. So I got some really cute stuff, then we took Ty down to the Old Port Festival while we waited for Carolines plane to come in. She got in around 2:30 looking a little tired but had had a great time. When we got home, after she had slept in the car she hooked her camera up to the computer and showed us fantastic pictures of Croatia, Slovenia and Venice. The colors were just incredible, the buildings the flowers everything. They sang in alot of churches which she took alot of pictures of ..they were exquisite. And of course there were the night life pictures..they did alot of partaking of the "nightlife"!! She even got handed a card from some guy in Italy from a modeling agency..if she wanted to model. In Italy. Right.

She brought back Tyler an Italian soccer shirt..he was thrilled, Don some Croatian beer, and me a Venetian glass necklace. She bought herself an Italian leather purse which is just gorgeous!!. She said there were leather stores everywhere..and she could really shop around.
It is so well made and classic, it had a scarf tied around it and they threw that in for her when she said she would buy it. In any case it was a great purchase and something she will have for a long time. She also had some scarfs, and clothing items and souvenirs. Now its back to work for her so she can refill her bank account for next year.

So its Monday and cold and rainy..I want summer!! Enough is enough. Its even cold today..48.
Really. Thought this was the remnants of a "Tropical"storm..aren't Tropical storms warm??
Oh well back to work. Think sun everyone and warm weather..