Tyler asking me for a Papelbon t-shirt then coming downstairs in said shirt, black compression shorts over plaid red sox pjs, Green red sox hat on backwards, red goggles on top of that, and a cigar...ala Jonathan and his jig outfit...Drop Kick Murphys playing in the background
Don "heading" in the ball for a goal against the kids in the parent/kids soccer game yesterday!!!
Tyler and I made up as ghouls for the haunted house at the barn castle complete with fake blood, black eyes and white faces, having our picture taken in a couple of nooses! A mother and son moment!
Moi...in warm ups, the new Target Red cross T-shirt, ("YOU Can SAVE A LIFE") and my running shoes taking on my sons team in soccer...my thighs are killing me!
Ty's pumpkin...for the doorstoop....an incredible carving of the Boston "B"!!
Paul Sullivan..(grammy award winning pianist) coming to haunted house, seeing Ty getting "cut up" by evil doctor and yelling for Nurse Gretchen...not knowing I was lying on the floor nearby as the mummy!!
Emailing the office that I didnt wear anything for Halloween!
Happy Halloween..Trick or Treat...ARC Girl
e mërkurë, 31 tetor 2007
e hënë, 29 tetor 2007
We raised 'em right!
They really are Red Sox fans....my kids that is. I always wondered if it was just a fad for them or something to do, until last night 12:something am just as the Sox won the world series and were running onto the field the phone rang...we told Tyler to go answer it. I really thought it would be one of Don's siblings including one who was actually there..but no it was Caroline from Washington DC and I heard Tyler say "I almost threw up, I was so nervous..." "I didn't think he would catch that ball at the wall".
Yes they have the hats..not the traditional one their dad wears, faded blue with red, but Yellow for her, Green with a red shamrock on the back for him. She was in Love with Johnny the bad boy Damon with his long hair. When we were on college tours in Boston in 2004, we were at the gates one night as they all got out of their cars for their evening match up with the Yankees and they all waved and acknowledged their fans..Caroline was about 5 feet from Johnny Damon! He of course broke her heart by moving on to the evil empire. Her brother as a little one, wore a redsox baseball jacket everysingle day!! To the point when it was Halloween I said now what are you going to wear and he said "this" I am going to be a base ball player...
But neither had gone through the decades of heartbreaking losses and frustrating endings to seasons that make you a "true Boston fan" and you always go back for more in the spring no matter how stupid or bad they were the season before! I really didn't believe they knew what it meant until this weekend. Tyler would watch the game with the computer on IM'ing his friends or listening to music and Caroline seemed to be interested in just upsetting her Yankee fan friends...but Saturday night I called home and Tyler already had the game on...without us....hmmmmm.
Sunday he text messaged his sister "Big game Care go sox! " And when the final two innings came he moved from his perch upstairs to sit with us downstairs hat on backwards and hands in prayer position. (He told me actually did say one!) Then came her phone call...watching the game in her dorm room!
To them the Red Sox mean a totally different thing, a classy organization, with top notch owners, players and a winning attitude and way! Two world series championships in their short lifetimes, they don't understand the agony and the curse and all that...For them This is what they will tell their kids about the 'great Boston teams of the decade' . Its a new era and
for those of us who lived in the old one....those are the" olden days!"
So to sweet Caroline and Her Brother Ty "Tessie is the royal rooters rally cry...." Love Mom
Yes they have the hats..not the traditional one their dad wears, faded blue with red, but Yellow for her, Green with a red shamrock on the back for him. She was in Love with Johnny the bad boy Damon with his long hair. When we were on college tours in Boston in 2004, we were at the gates one night as they all got out of their cars for their evening match up with the Yankees and they all waved and acknowledged their fans..Caroline was about 5 feet from Johnny Damon! He of course broke her heart by moving on to the evil empire. Her brother as a little one, wore a redsox baseball jacket everysingle day!! To the point when it was Halloween I said now what are you going to wear and he said "this" I am going to be a base ball player...
But neither had gone through the decades of heartbreaking losses and frustrating endings to seasons that make you a "true Boston fan" and you always go back for more in the spring no matter how stupid or bad they were the season before! I really didn't believe they knew what it meant until this weekend. Tyler would watch the game with the computer on IM'ing his friends or listening to music and Caroline seemed to be interested in just upsetting her Yankee fan friends...but Saturday night I called home and Tyler already had the game on...without us....hmmmmm.
Sunday he text messaged his sister "Big game Care go sox! " And when the final two innings came he moved from his perch upstairs to sit with us downstairs hat on backwards and hands in prayer position. (He told me actually did say one!) Then came her phone call...watching the game in her dorm room!
To them the Red Sox mean a totally different thing, a classy organization, with top notch owners, players and a winning attitude and way! Two world series championships in their short lifetimes, they don't understand the agony and the curse and all that...For them This is what they will tell their kids about the 'great Boston teams of the decade' . Its a new era and
for those of us who lived in the old one....those are the" olden days!"
So to sweet Caroline and Her Brother Ty "Tessie is the royal rooters rally cry...." Love Mom
e premte, 26 tetor 2007
I go to Machias they go to Italy....
So super sib #2 and mommie dearest are off to Italy today...hope sib 2 survives 10-12 days with the mother!!! I say WINE WINE WINE...I went to Ireland with her and my answer was BEER BEER BEER Guinness to be exact!! No don't get me wrong I love my mother...in short segments please! I basically gave her the scoop on 2007 air travel last weekend...you know ziplock bag with 2oz containers of liquids, take your shoes off in line..pack everything else...Deedee has alot of patience..she will take good care of her. She did call last night and ask if she could put her curling iron in her carryon and I said " I don't know why not" ( should have just said yes) and she said well have you...and I said no...but why not? and she says I don't know...why? So I said its not a weapon Mom its a curling Iron and she said well it could be!
Well for that matter a pencil could be!!!!!! Ughhh!
My brother was taking her to the airport in Bangor this am I had a parent teacher conference.
Speaking of Bangor....you know those fly out of Bangor ads??? If I could I would write them a letter....we cant get our volunteers out because the flights are so expensive and the service area won't approve the fares. NOt that this is surprising. But if I could invoke the Red Cross's name in a letter I would write a scathing one! When you read letters to the BDN that its 700.00 less out of Portland something is very wrong. While I was in yes you guessed it Machias yesterday, one of our volunteers was waiting out the second day of not getting out of Maine to the San Diego fires due to the travel issues.
So the sox are up by two and off to the Rockies..Ty is getting straight A's, (parent teacher conf.)
Daughter is teching a play this weekend. I have to work a haunted house on Sunday.
Ciao!
Well for that matter a pencil could be!!!!!! Ughhh!
My brother was taking her to the airport in Bangor this am I had a parent teacher conference.
Speaking of Bangor....you know those fly out of Bangor ads??? If I could I would write them a letter....we cant get our volunteers out because the flights are so expensive and the service area won't approve the fares. NOt that this is surprising. But if I could invoke the Red Cross's name in a letter I would write a scathing one! When you read letters to the BDN that its 700.00 less out of Portland something is very wrong. While I was in yes you guessed it Machias yesterday, one of our volunteers was waiting out the second day of not getting out of Maine to the San Diego fires due to the travel issues.
So the sox are up by two and off to the Rockies..Ty is getting straight A's, (parent teacher conf.)
Daughter is teching a play this weekend. I have to work a haunted house on Sunday.
Ciao!
e mërkurë, 24 tetor 2007
Out of the frying pan...
So my job is one item only the past two days.....fires in CA. Trying to get volunteers out there.
The numbers are staggering, evacuations, # of fires, # of people in shelters etc. Our travel agency just gives people a busy signal right now so I have to wait to give them their staff cards and get them out. Phone has been unreal today.
Imagine that! Managed to get everyones health status ;up to date yesterday as this assignment has some health issues...Heavy smoke! I can't go on this one at least not on the first round due to air quality.
Ty has been gone for two days on an eighth grade trip, its been a little quiet at home...comes home tonight. That should lighten things up! Tommorow is a trip downeast. Machias. After hopefully getting one volunteer out of here, with his staff card! Hopefully he gets through to the travel agency.
Not much else to say...except that old Red Cross line .. BE Prepared for Emergencies.
The numbers are staggering, evacuations, # of fires, # of people in shelters etc. Our travel agency just gives people a busy signal right now so I have to wait to give them their staff cards and get them out. Phone has been unreal today.
Imagine that! Managed to get everyones health status ;up to date yesterday as this assignment has some health issues...Heavy smoke! I can't go on this one at least not on the first round due to air quality.
Ty has been gone for two days on an eighth grade trip, its been a little quiet at home...comes home tonight. That should lighten things up! Tommorow is a trip downeast. Machias. After hopefully getting one volunteer out of here, with his staff card! Hopefully he gets through to the travel agency.
Not much else to say...except that old Red Cross line .. BE Prepared for Emergencies.
e hënë, 22 tetor 2007
Tessie
Tessie is the Royal Rooters Rally Cry
Tessie is the tune they always sung
Tessie echoed April through October nights...
Up the road from third base to Huntington
The boys will always sing and sway
Two! Three! Four!
..Boston you know we love you madly
Hear the crowd roar to your sound
Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
You know we couldn't live without you
Red Sox you are the only only only...
Lyrics Drop Kick Murphy
GO SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tessie is the tune they always sung
Tessie echoed April through October nights...
Up the road from third base to Huntington
The boys will always sing and sway
Two! Three! Four!
..Boston you know we love you madly
Hear the crowd roar to your sound
Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
You know we couldn't live without you
Red Sox you are the only only only...
Lyrics Drop Kick Murphy
GO SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
e enjte, 18 tetor 2007
What day is it?
I have been so busy for days and out of the office for most of them that I am not sure what day it is....for the sake of this post its Thursday and I have done a weekend institute, a trip to Augusta, a day in Bangor including dealing with the car dealership and repairs and an evening annual meeting, I am so tired at night its unreal. My husband and I talk on the phone!
Tommorow the United States Marine Band will be in Ellsworth and of course yours truly is involved with that one....music boosters at the high school... this of course involves a total shut down of the building by 3pm, bomb sniffing dogs and lockdowns of certain exits and then security security security! Now two years ago we had the navy band but they are not the Presidents official band so I guess thats what the hullaballo is about.. Almost couldnt get my favorite store...Walmart to donate a few cases of water..can you believe it? Walmart the red white and blue store turning down water for the Presidents USMC band. I am sure that corporate HQ would have loved that one...fortunately someone came to their senses and I was given a gift card this morning for 25.00. The marine band only comes to Maine every 3 years and rarely plays in a small venue such as Ellsworth, ussually Maine Center for the Arts but they are closed this season for renovations. I was hoping that maybe I could call corporate and get the music boosters a big "we're so sorry donation" from Walmart if the water didn't come through. (of course someone would probably have been fired for that and I wouldnt have wanted that...its their own corporate policies that make these employee make these senseless decisions in the first place. The poor guy was following the rules..he had no more donated supply money for the month!)
The weekend was full of thrills and chills...lots of fun with my ARC colleagues from around the state at a mini institute held by our chapter so we did the teaching...but it is still nice to see everyone. Sunday was interesting though..I had a large group of African Americans in a client case work class who were there for political reasons rather than the class and ended up walking out en mass during the class .... upset with ARC policies? FEMA? I am not sure they sure had alot to argue about and finally just left. It was a little disturbing...ok alot disturbing to have 10 blacks get up and walk out (on cue..I think) all at once. Unfortunately I work for a very public agency and not without controversy so it was my first experience with what can happen. I have been taught well though and I did what I have been taught and stayed on course as best I could ( thankyou Pat , Ginny Lynn and Suzan for those skills).
Tuesday was a conference in Augusta that I quite frankly was not looking forward to as it was supposed to be a disaster mental health workshop and they have all been "the same" but this was excellent!!!! The speaker was actually ( for the first time) from the Red Cross, and worked at 9/11 and Katrina among other disasters and really gave a good workshop on supervision for
alot of areas not just mental health.
Wednesday my car finnally went in, Don has been on my case and quite frankly it has been acting up....so 200plus dollars later and a transmission fluids replacement and some other work and I have to admit it is running alot better. This meant the day in Bangor, did not bother going back to Ellsworth, by the time the car was ready, the annual meeting was at 5pm. So worked up there, helped with programs, etc. Pat was moaning about having to be a warm body at the meeting when Suzan presented him with a dozen roses and his 15 yr pin..that was pretty good.
So that gets me to today...which is Thursday...hmmm....functioning level not quite there today...
piles of stuff from the weekend and week around me and I cant think of what to do with it all.
This will be the first night home at a reasonable hour in days...so maybe tommorow I can accomplish something. Like find my desk!
If Sib #2 is reading this she better change the picture of that cat on her blog...or I am deleting her from my favorites list. Sib #3 needs entertainment the least you can do is provide!!
As for the sox....what a bunch ... no can pitch beyond the 4th inning and no one except 3 can hit...
PAAAAAthetic. Message for Sib #3 EHS beat MDI at MDI the last game of the season....
cant you just hear...go grEEEENeee. Double overtime win over JB have to play Caribou Friday.
And thats the sports report...
Until next time...
Tommorow the United States Marine Band will be in Ellsworth and of course yours truly is involved with that one....music boosters at the high school... this of course involves a total shut down of the building by 3pm, bomb sniffing dogs and lockdowns of certain exits and then security security security! Now two years ago we had the navy band but they are not the Presidents official band so I guess thats what the hullaballo is about.. Almost couldnt get my favorite store...Walmart to donate a few cases of water..can you believe it? Walmart the red white and blue store turning down water for the Presidents USMC band. I am sure that corporate HQ would have loved that one...fortunately someone came to their senses and I was given a gift card this morning for 25.00. The marine band only comes to Maine every 3 years and rarely plays in a small venue such as Ellsworth, ussually Maine Center for the Arts but they are closed this season for renovations. I was hoping that maybe I could call corporate and get the music boosters a big "we're so sorry donation" from Walmart if the water didn't come through. (of course someone would probably have been fired for that and I wouldnt have wanted that...its their own corporate policies that make these employee make these senseless decisions in the first place. The poor guy was following the rules..he had no more donated supply money for the month!)
The weekend was full of thrills and chills...lots of fun with my ARC colleagues from around the state at a mini institute held by our chapter so we did the teaching...but it is still nice to see everyone. Sunday was interesting though..I had a large group of African Americans in a client case work class who were there for political reasons rather than the class and ended up walking out en mass during the class .... upset with ARC policies? FEMA? I am not sure they sure had alot to argue about and finally just left. It was a little disturbing...ok alot disturbing to have 10 blacks get up and walk out (on cue..I think) all at once. Unfortunately I work for a very public agency and not without controversy so it was my first experience with what can happen. I have been taught well though and I did what I have been taught and stayed on course as best I could ( thankyou Pat , Ginny Lynn and Suzan for those skills).
Tuesday was a conference in Augusta that I quite frankly was not looking forward to as it was supposed to be a disaster mental health workshop and they have all been "the same" but this was excellent!!!! The speaker was actually ( for the first time) from the Red Cross, and worked at 9/11 and Katrina among other disasters and really gave a good workshop on supervision for
alot of areas not just mental health.
Wednesday my car finnally went in, Don has been on my case and quite frankly it has been acting up....so 200plus dollars later and a transmission fluids replacement and some other work and I have to admit it is running alot better. This meant the day in Bangor, did not bother going back to Ellsworth, by the time the car was ready, the annual meeting was at 5pm. So worked up there, helped with programs, etc. Pat was moaning about having to be a warm body at the meeting when Suzan presented him with a dozen roses and his 15 yr pin..that was pretty good.
So that gets me to today...which is Thursday...hmmm....functioning level not quite there today...
piles of stuff from the weekend and week around me and I cant think of what to do with it all.
This will be the first night home at a reasonable hour in days...so maybe tommorow I can accomplish something. Like find my desk!
If Sib #2 is reading this she better change the picture of that cat on her blog...or I am deleting her from my favorites list. Sib #3 needs entertainment the least you can do is provide!!
As for the sox....what a bunch ... no can pitch beyond the 4th inning and no one except 3 can hit...
PAAAAAthetic. Message for Sib #3 EHS beat MDI at MDI the last game of the season....
cant you just hear...go grEEEENeee. Double overtime win over JB have to play Caribou Friday.
And thats the sports report...
Until next time...
e premte, 12 tetor 2007
East of podunk and then some....
Oh my word...I have been to the far reaches of Hancock county, for those of you who don't know where that is its about 30 some odd miles north east of Ellsworth to a little town called Aurora, near Amherst, after going thru Osborne! Yep. I never thought I would get there yesterday. They want to have a shelter, a red cross certified shelter, and no wonder they are out in the middle of nowhere. When I finnally got there I told them.."anything you want"..they laughed.
Seriously, the road there just kept going and going, I started to think I had missed something and called them, and they told me" just keep going." I finnally came to the end of 179, crossed the infamous "airline" to Calais and Canada, and onto Great Pond road. The airline community school serves several small, very small communities and is a K-8 school with just 40 kids. They were wonderful though. I went into the kitchen where they were preparing food that looked like it was for a Christmas fair or something...chocolate fudge, turtles, krispy bars with chocolate, all on fancy trays, cookies etc. They said they were having an X-Country meet and that they were known for their concessions. I should say! They were also cooking up chili, burgers etc. Busses started to arrive from all over Hancock county at that point and I saw several people I knew. It really was a beautiful drive, on the way back I crested a hill where you could see Camden Hills, Blue hill etc.
Quite different than my most recent excursion....DC! The daughter was great. Play was excellent. Actually it was a series of one acts, she was in one of them, all student written but you would swear they were professional. There was a theater reception friday night and several of her professors talked to us. Went to an Edward Hopper exihibit at the National Gallery on Sat. and then Georgetown and out to dinner with the new boyfriend Alex who is quite nice. Flew back Sunday. It was High 80's to 90 all weekend. She said there has been no fall weather there yet. Her next play is the musical the Fantastiks and she has the female lead. I hope to go down to see that in November.
Heading to the Queen City for the weekend, to teach for the ARC! Another Mini institute only this time a little closer to home. I am teaching the entire weekend with no breaks though so it will be tiring.
Life is busy, Gretchen
Seriously, the road there just kept going and going, I started to think I had missed something and called them, and they told me" just keep going." I finnally came to the end of 179, crossed the infamous "airline" to Calais and Canada, and onto Great Pond road. The airline community school serves several small, very small communities and is a K-8 school with just 40 kids. They were wonderful though. I went into the kitchen where they were preparing food that looked like it was for a Christmas fair or something...chocolate fudge, turtles, krispy bars with chocolate, all on fancy trays, cookies etc. They said they were having an X-Country meet and that they were known for their concessions. I should say! They were also cooking up chili, burgers etc. Busses started to arrive from all over Hancock county at that point and I saw several people I knew. It really was a beautiful drive, on the way back I crested a hill where you could see Camden Hills, Blue hill etc.
Quite different than my most recent excursion....DC! The daughter was great. Play was excellent. Actually it was a series of one acts, she was in one of them, all student written but you would swear they were professional. There was a theater reception friday night and several of her professors talked to us. Went to an Edward Hopper exihibit at the National Gallery on Sat. and then Georgetown and out to dinner with the new boyfriend Alex who is quite nice. Flew back Sunday. It was High 80's to 90 all weekend. She said there has been no fall weather there yet. Her next play is the musical the Fantastiks and she has the female lead. I hope to go down to see that in November.
Heading to the Queen City for the weekend, to teach for the ARC! Another Mini institute only this time a little closer to home. I am teaching the entire weekend with no breaks though so it will be tiring.
Life is busy, Gretchen
e mërkurë, 3 tetor 2007
I know you are all wondering...
I was hoping to be real smart and put a nice picture of Oktoberfest on my website but ... well work got in the way. I did bring the pictures on Monday to disaster staff meeting..but couldn't seem to get beyond that. In any case...the weather was perfect, the food was great, people were everywhere including under the tent in the evening eating....the weather was that good!!
Keg was emptied, bonfire ended the evening and I was exhausted. By Sunday afternoon the backyard looked like nothing had ever happened. It really was a great day...lots of people in costume, warm weather and what more could you ask for?
Short week for me, I leave Friday for DC, Caroline is in her mainstage production Friday night.
There is a faculty, department and cast reception afterwards that we are invited to. So should be exciting and fun. Just bought her the broadway cd of the Fantastiks per her request. She has alot of music to learn for that show. But the part is right up her alley. In anycase I can't wait to see her..
Lots of Ty's soccer still going on, really leading that team. Doesn't seem to bored with school. Mrs Arendt has him doing a project...putting together a soundtrack for scenes from Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. ( he picks 8 or 10 scenes and then picks the music to accompany them and explain why he chose that piece) If that isn't an interesting use of his time I don't know what is. He has had to use only musical pieces too, nothing with lyrics in it...so he's had to go through the entire music collection at home. Basically pulling off straight a's otherwise. Taking Algebra I this year so he'll be ahead in High school.
Going to my neigbors book reading tonight. A year ago, my colleagues will remember, I was going to the hospital to take care of her and her husband after they were in a terrible car accident. She was married to the famous photographer Walker Evans at one time and has written a memoir on that time period which is just coming out.
So now that you are all caught up with my ever exciting (yeah right) life..you can all get on with yours...by the way...why hasn't Dominick Deirdre Dunne filled us in on Britneys mother of the year awards? Go Sox!! Yeah Barboza baseball rocks!!!
Keg was emptied, bonfire ended the evening and I was exhausted. By Sunday afternoon the backyard looked like nothing had ever happened. It really was a great day...lots of people in costume, warm weather and what more could you ask for?
Short week for me, I leave Friday for DC, Caroline is in her mainstage production Friday night.
There is a faculty, department and cast reception afterwards that we are invited to. So should be exciting and fun. Just bought her the broadway cd of the Fantastiks per her request. She has alot of music to learn for that show. But the part is right up her alley. In anycase I can't wait to see her..
Lots of Ty's soccer still going on, really leading that team. Doesn't seem to bored with school. Mrs Arendt has him doing a project...putting together a soundtrack for scenes from Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. ( he picks 8 or 10 scenes and then picks the music to accompany them and explain why he chose that piece) If that isn't an interesting use of his time I don't know what is. He has had to use only musical pieces too, nothing with lyrics in it...so he's had to go through the entire music collection at home. Basically pulling off straight a's otherwise. Taking Algebra I this year so he'll be ahead in High school.
Going to my neigbors book reading tonight. A year ago, my colleagues will remember, I was going to the hospital to take care of her and her husband after they were in a terrible car accident. She was married to the famous photographer Walker Evans at one time and has written a memoir on that time period which is just coming out.
So now that you are all caught up with my ever exciting (yeah right) life..you can all get on with yours...by the way...why hasn't Dominick Deirdre Dunne filled us in on Britneys mother of the year awards? Go Sox!! Yeah Barboza baseball rocks!!!
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