North Atlantic Blues Festival

     Just back today from my third trip to the North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland ME.  I always come back relaxed and renewed.  How could anyone not be relaxed after two days of sitting around and listening to great blues music?  Well I suppose a day in the rain listening to blues music...but more about that later.

     Lavorne and I arrived late Thursday, after waiting forty five minutes for Dan at the Maine State Prison store. Yep we waited at the Prision store!  We set up our tent, after a lecture onthe rules from the owner of the Lobster Bouy campsite   yep we must have looked like trouble makers!  The set up of the tent was much easier this time.  Although it was good to have those hamburgers which Wayne insisted that I pack.  Dinner was quick and easly after we got the fire started...what possed us to use the charcoal grille the first night?

      Friday saw us rise and shine to take a walk on the breakwater..at that point I had no camera..so no pictures..maybe I'll be able to convince Wayne to walk the breakwater with me someday...Then we did a trip to Walmart (bought the camera a Kodak C128), bought some really nice steaks, hung around the camp site, learned to use the camera and then went in town to hear Pat Pepin at the Farnsworth.

    The big event of the festival this year for Lavorne (my blues partner) and I was the fact that Pat Pepin got to play on the main stage!  Really I should say the lawn at the Farnsworth (very posh), the festival,Mc Hales on Saturday night and  The time out Pub for brunch on Sunday. She was incredibale and Bryan Lee was very generous to welcome her on to the stage.  Pat has been and now most likely will continue to be a  very busy girl.  Just three years ago, I met Pat (she is an old school buddy of Lavorne's), Pat told us her dream was to be playing on the main stage of the festival...sure enough there she was!  I need a dream that I go after like that.....

The festival was great and brings together some really great artist, so other than Bryan Lee my favorites were Biscuit Miller, Shakura S'Aida and Moreland & Arbuckel.  Both Shkura and Moreland & Arbuckel played Sunday in the fog and pouring rain.  We ended up leaving early on Sunday because we were so soaking   We ate sandwhiches in the car Sunday night because it was still raining so hard...luckly the tent kept all of the rain out...it was our wet clothes that brought in the rain.

Oh yes and we must mention the skunk, whom I first met on Friday night or early Saturday morning, that time he was walking in frount of the bath house.  Then again I  met our favorite skunk on my way to the bathroom about 3 AM on Saturday night.  The skunk kept walking right down the road, while I took a hike over the lawn...better safe than sorry...Not to be left out of the Sunday madness, our friend the skunk came visiting our site Sunday night...Lavorne heard him under the picnic table turned on the light and you guessed it we had the lovely perfume of ode de skunk!  Luckly not bad...just enough to let you know he was unhappy fellow.

The camping area where we stay is the Lobster Bouy in So Thomastan, a very small family run facility with only a rustic bath house.  There are sites on the ocean and with electriciy for campers...but we use the old tent and no electricity in the woods site.  There is nothing like laying on a air mattress, staring at the sky, listening to the ocean sounds in the back ground and giggling with a good friend.  

Sunday afternoon

It's hot just muggy icky late June hot.  Earlier it was sunny which made the muggness even worse, now there is a storm blowing down the river,so it's kinda dark and there is a breeze.  But still its muggy...I don't mind hot but I hate muggy.  

The weekend has been good.  Friday night we went to Joe and Diane's and set out on the porch, had a couple of hits of Mexican Viagra and just generally shot the shit.  Joe is getting ready to head off for Germany for work.  I envey him his adventure.  I wish I could go....

Saturday we went to New Hampshire, to this resort which Wayne and I frequent.  It's a day in the sun, on the lawn, there is a really nice private pond for swimming.  We took the paddle boat out and floated around for a while.  It's laid back and really quite.  There are outdoor showers which I really love.  Everybody should have an outdoor shower.  I think we should make arrangements to stay there for the forth of July.  Wayne is worried about money.  The ride back included a stop at the grocery store (much cheaper there), Big K (we really did need a new phone) and then dinner at Bonanza in Sanford (we love the large salad bar).   

Today we were up early, but couldn't really get going...so it was a ride down to Old Orchard (it was very much cooler at the ocean).  Wayne indulged me by stoping at Scarborough Marsh and we walked down the path and across the bridge.  It really was too hot to go any further than we did.  

Lobsters are running about five dollars a pound and steamers abour two forty-nine.  Too high for the ambassador to buy, so we cruised through down town Old Orchard, which was kinda busy, but not really crazy busy.   

Home again, so that Wayne could go off to bed and while I was snoozing on the couch, the wooden bucket at the end of the drive got mowed over by my neighbors grandson.  No body or vehicle was hurt so no problem ..other than having to re-pot the chives...boy was that sweaty work! Tomorrow is off to work again!

FATAL ERRORS

Well,  it was a Monday!  When I got to work today my computer had a lovely blue screen with a "your computer has encountered a fatal error" message, so I re-booted (yes the computer instructed me, that a re-boot was required).  Logged into my e-mail to receive those super acheiver e-mails from Sunday.  (Question to self why do so many of my fellow workers feel compelled to do soooo much work on Sundays?) When bloop another fatal error occurs (enough already, I too would like to skip Monday).  Of course the computer room is not awake so I leave a Help message.  

My help message is responded to by a technician who is over a hundred miles away. He promptly suggests that I (49 again me) crawl under my desk to check my connections.  I haven't had my coffee yet, and I'm the only one in the office so I'm a little concerned about getting out from underneath the desk.  I expressed my concerns and the technician said I was very funny..but still sent me under the desk.  I get out from under the desk only to be instructed to performed some thing called a hard re-boot (It would have been easier to just kick the computer).

Again I open my e-mail...this time my computer made a valant effort to allow me to work by allowing the in-house accounting system to come up...but again when asked to really think decided to produce another fatal errror.   I should have just packed it in then and there and taken the day off...but no I just carried on by using a co-workers desk...good effort on my part if I do say so myself.

Trouble continues to train his humans (me).  He stayed out all night.  I got up every hour and called the cat.  Bet my neighbors love me.  About 5 AM in comes dear Trouble.  I was very happy to see him.  He ate two bowls of cat food, crawled into my arms, snuggled up against my neck and ears and purrrrred his best loving purrrrr.  Before I knew it he was dead weight in my arms and his puurrrrr had changed to heavy breathing.  Luckly Troubles overnight adventured turned out to be a non-fatal error.  Tonight Trouble is in and already curled up in his bed!!!

Trouble goes to work

Friday morning, on my way to work...about 15 minutes into the ride..I look back in the mirror because something is moving in the back of the car...What is staring back at me?  Trouble sitting on the back of the back seat, in between the two head rests just staring at me with his yellow eyes.  

Joy!! What is one to do with a cat in the car?  Why hasn't this cat howled by now?  How did he get there?  What to do now...so at the Gorham traffic circle I go all the way around (yes there were a few stares!) and head for home.  Not once does the cat move, not once does he howl..only balances there and stares at the world going by.  

When we arrive at home, I open my door get out of the car and go "here Troulble, come to mommmy".  

Trouble of course just sits on the back of the seat and says "This is not where we are suppose to be.  I thought we were going to your work for an adventure.  I'm not getting out of this car until there is the promise of an adventure."

Leaving the drivers door open  I go around to the side door open the door and reach my head in and make a mad grab for the cat, who of course being a cat dives for the hatch back end of the PT cruiser.  I leave the back door open and make a mad dash for the hatch back flip it up and snag the cat who is surprised to find the back door opens like that.

Cradling Trouble in my arms I head for the house and the front door.  Trouble knowing that he needs and escape..for what self respecting cat wants to spend the day in the house?  Snuggles under my chin and begins to purrrrr his loudest most loving purrrr.  I loosen my grip...Trouble, in two quick rabbit like bounds heads post haste back for the drivers side front door and back into the car.

I make a mad grab for the cat, who leaps over the gear shift and into the passenger side front floor.  I'm now on my belly laying across the drivers seat, passengers seat and still unable to reach the cat who is looking to see if he can get up under the dashboard. Very familiar with walking over my head in the bed, Trouble decided that was the best path to take out of this tight squeeze.

So over my head, across my back (in only two mighty leaps) over the back seat, through the trunk area and out the back hatch goes the streak of black cat...only to be found sitting underneath the bird feeder taking a quick cat bath after I disengage myself from my comfortable front seat contortions.  I close all the car doors and again head for work.  Yes I was late..

Needless to say, Trouble has not paid much attention to my car this weekend.  Tomorrow is Monday...I wonder should I pack a litter box in the car?

Stories of a cat named Trouble

So tonight after tanning I'm fixing supper...What would be good in the salad...oh yes the chives out in the herb bucket...so out I go in two different colored shoes to cut the chives.  Who do I run into (actually who came running across the yard)  but the lady who lives next door.  She wants to talk about my cat.  The conversation goes something like this....

"How old is that cat of yours?" She asks in a very authorative demanding tone.


"Well he was born the 1st weekend in September, so that makes him about eight months old" I replied. 

"I have a female cat inside the house (I've never seen this cat) who is about 10 months old and does not act anything like your cat." Quick chipped words.

So what does one say other than "Is there a problem with my cat?"  I know he is a little short on the brain matter, and fearless like all teenagers, but what could one little cat do to so anger my neighbor?


"Well the other morning I opened the door to let my cat (Wayne and I call him big cat cause he is just that a big black cat) and in runs your cat.(OK so Trouble is already in trouble).  He had a bird in his mouth, which he promptly let go.  Then the bird started to fly around my house."

One is suppose to say what.???  Actually I wanted to laugh out loud..or burn the cat...by now my neighbor had caught her breath and launched into the second chapter of the story....

"The bird was flying around my house.  Your cat ran across my kitchen table and jumped on my poor little Missy who had never had a bird in the house before. I took my broom to both your cat and the bird and managed to sweep them out the door"

I'm dying!  My cat is a deliquent, my tounge has got to be bleeding and what comes out of my mouth "You really don't have to worry about Trouble infecting your cats because he is netured and has all his shots"

"Do you know how hard it is to get rid of wild bird feathers with three cats chasing them as you sweep?"

There are three cats in that house?  The picture in my head is too much, bird feathers, cats, broom..go Trouble!

"You need to get a bell on that cat.  You really shouldn't let him out of the house again without a bell"

Now I'm a grown women, I've sat in frount of teachers while they complain about kids, I've sat in frount of nuring home administrators when my parents mis behaved, but never before have I had to deal with a neighbor over a mis-behaving cat!!  

I cut my chives and my losses and nearly ran inside the house.  Where I refused to let Trouble out, every good parent knows...there have to be consequences for your actions.

The man thinks the incident show's the depth of charater and hunting abilities of our cat

  Tommorrow is another day!

I'm feeling better than skunk cabbidge!

For a Monday this really wasn't a bad day!  I thought that it would be hard to go back to work after the weekend, but really it wasn't.  I was busy but not overwhelmed.  It's good to have some help..but I'll bet that it will disappear right after I return from vacation.  Oh well I'm going to enjoy it while I have it!


Three years into doing laundry with Wayne and I still enjoy that time together!  We talk most times about hardly anything at all..but it still is a good time.  If we had a washer and dryer than laundry would become just another chore..instead of quality time together..is that a little crazy or what?


I figured out how to get the camera to charge.  I even took a couple of pictures (two include my finger).  Tomorrow night I really want to spend some time working on getting the software for the camera loaded on to the computer.  I also want to get the webcam going.  I know I know always busy.


I walked at lunch again today!  I'm finding it hard to get up from the desk and walk at lunch, but I know that in my head and legs it's the right thing to do.  If I start walking every other night to tan, maybe I'll loose a few pounds...never know stranger things have happened.


We watched the news tonight, all the flooding in Tenn made me think of Eric.  I wonder where he is and what he is doing...Guess he is going to be one of my great mysteries.

Fourteen Days Until we Cruise!

So fourteen days from now we will be on the high seas!  I'm sure that God was looking out for us when we booked this trip...he knew we were going to need this break.  Wayne's mother's funneral well this weekend.  No one had any fights, that we witnessed, but it was obvious that it was hard for some of these folks.  Wayne included.  Wayne would not go to dinner with the group last night.  We went to the reception this afternoon after the funneral, which was alright, because each sibling could hold host over thier own table. All except the spreading of the ashes is done.  Wayne did say to me that he thinks this will be the last time all of these folks are together...that would be really sad. I can't fix his family, I can love him...I need to keep my eyes on what can be done..

Last night Wayne really wanted to go to this special warehouse type sale that they were having at the EXPO.  So off we went, and he spolied me by buying a camcorder.  I'm so excited!  Now I've got to figure out how to operate it.  One of the major problems is how to charge the battery.  I'm working on it ...but only 14 days to go.... It was money that my ambassador told me we shouldn't have spent..but money which we did spend...if I can come home from the Carribean with great video's ... priceless!


Tomorrow it's off to work...only 10 days of work before I cruise.  I can do that space of time I know I can...tomorrow nights project..laundry...Tuesdays project tanning...Wedensday's hair cut...looks like a busy week!!!

The week is over!!

It's been a difficult week.  Wayne is in a funk as well he should be with his mother's passing.I feel helpless because I'm unable to help him.  I know that there are times where you are just suppose to stand back and be there...those are not easy times for me to accept or handle.

TROUBLE THE CAT

The morning started out a little weird.  The cat is freaked because Wayne is home all night.  Poor Trouble refused to sleep in the bed because he could not have two thirds of the bed.  Then this morning after I got up, had my shower, and fed the cat, before Trouble would sit down and be loved he insisted that Wayne get out of the bed...so of course being a well trained human, Wayne obliged. 

I was late to work because Wayne and I were looking for and reading his mother's obituary. Traffic on the way to work was strange just because I was ten minutes late.  Lots of kids on the side of the road waiting for the bus. Gas is going up again.  I bet it will be three dollars a gallon before the "official start of the Summer" (Memorial Day).

Wayne needed a suit jacket, for both his mother's funeral and the cruise he wanted to go to Goodwill, I made him go to Kohls.  I think that we got a good deal, a suit coat, two dress shirts a tie and shirt for me all for one hundred and twenty five dollars.  I thought that we should buy Wayne some dress shoes..he is wearing his sneakers (one for Wayne).  Somethings you argue about with the man, somethings you just give in about...the shoes were that thing today.

I did get to spend some time with Hazel, she always makes me smile.  We are not going to be able to get together on Mother's day because she is working and I'm going to be spreading ashes (or that's the time schedule at the moment) so we are going to celebrate on Monday.  I'm excited...then there is the cruise in 17 days!!!  Yeeeeee Haaaaaaa!

Heavy Heart

Tonight I have a heavy heart.  Wayne's mother passed away this afternoon.  He is upset, who wouldn't be when their mother died.  I'm just at odds because I can't figure out how to make it better.  Logically I know that I can't make Wayne feel less pain, in my heart I want to be able to take the sadness and pain away.  I'm lost and I hate situations where there are no clear answers.  Something which I need to work on is allowing situations to develop instead of trying to control the situations.

Today was a bear at work.  I'm having a hard time accepting that the mediocre work product is acceptable.  I truly believe that when you undertake a task, then you do the task to the highest level of production possible. Sitting in the Purchasing area this means buying quality product, at a good price, providing the paperwork which allows the store locations to receive and ship the material to meet our customer's needs.  Right now at work, no one including my boss sees the value, of going the extra mile to insure our customers (both in house and external) have a satisfactory result.  Not my business not my problem, should be our motto.  I also have way too many supervisors and not enough chickens, and I'm the hen who laid the broken egg.  I'm going to hold out for vacation to see if my view of the working enviroment changes.

Went driving with Hazel this afternoon.  We laughed and she helped lift my work gloom and fustration.  She is an amazing young women, who has a good idea of what she wants and is working hard at achieving her goals.  I may have not had much day to day interaction in her younger years, but I'm just amazed at how she has turned out. 

From her entries on Facebook I can tell Lavorne is having a good time in Florida.  It makes me smile to thing of those girls and thier mother having a great time! 

SOMETIMES TUESDAYS ARE JUST TWISTED

Very strange day for me.  Wayne's mother is winding down her walk on the path of life.  This is made harder for him to accept because she has for so long not know him as her son.  Now in the last moments of her exsistance she seems to be rising above the fog in her mind to become aware of those who will remain behind.  It's very hard for him this leave taking of his mother...it breaks my heart to stand by and watch his heart breaking.  I offer comfort knowing that there is no comfort for his pain. So we together move down our life path, knowing that we leave his mother behind.

Not having sisters I find the relationships between women of the same family interesting.  This group may accept and welcome me as one women to another, but because I lack the shared experience they are not going to allow me to participate in thier pain or grief only within the limits of thier younger brothers scope.  Death of a parent is not something new or unexperienced in my life, my mother three years ago (from dementia) and my father last year, I want to offer comfort, calm and strenght while they wish to circle the wagons against the world.  It's unsettling to not be within the circled wagons.  I want to participate in the journey, I guess I just haven't paid my dues.  

So the day was lost at work, and not being able to just do nothing, I worked on getting a kennel for Trouble.  What did I discover..that the cat has to apply in order to be boarded.  Do you know that these kennels actually have applications?  One of the questions on the application was please explain the mental outlook of your cat.  My response, Trouble is young male adolescent cat who beleives that he runs the universe.  It will be interesting to see if the Kennel accepts Trouble.  Like I said a very twisted day.

I've got a cabin for the cruise!!!

Let this be new clue into me...We (Wayne and I) have booked a Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Glory sailing out of Miami on May 16.  Now we did this way back in January.  Looking back on it it may have been a little too far away for us...because it sure has seemed like a long time that we have been watching the web site waiting for our cabin to be assigned.  Today there it is!  Cabin 7236 is going to be all ours.  I'm really excited.  

We have booked shore excursions for every port except Mexico.  I think that we will be alright just to get off the ship and just hang out.  Maybe when we are on the ship we will change our minds but I don't think so.  In Belize we are going to go cave tubing, in Roatan we are going to this very nice resort, Grand Caymen we are going to swim with the sting rays...a couple days at sea and I should come back with a whole new attitude and latitude.  Maybe we will just have to wait and see on that one.

One of the things we did this weekend was to get the Summer stuff out of storage, so that we can take inventory.  We are planning two nights in North Conway next weekend, to celebrate my birthday and to shop for cruise.  I'm really beginning to get excited! About both the cruise and the trip to North Conway.  I'd leave tomorrow if I'd won the lottery this weekend...but guess what I didn't!!!

We also went and say Emily as Baby Bear in "Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty", which was a production of the Windham Middle School"  She was really good.  The crowd was not as large as in previous years, neither was the sound system as good...but still a great afternoon.  

Friday night took John, Hazel and Wayne to the home show at the expo.  Not really Wayne's cup of tea.  I do have to say that it was a different Friday evening for us.  I think both John and Hazel had a wake up call about buying a house....but then again you can never really tell...

We had Chinese food on Friday night.  My fortune said "Whatever you want to do, do it.  There are only so many tomorrows".  I think that these may be good words for the week. 

Sometimes as I drive back and forth to work odd thoughts pass threw my brain. It occurs to me that these truly are gems of great importance, but as the day passes or in the excitement of coming home the thoughts are lost now hopefully they will have a home. We will all have to wait and see how the home develops.

Tonight I'm tired. I was driven to begin something new (this blog) by the courageous acts of a fellow lumber yard worker. She is driving to establish a new venue by which to sell windows and services to consumers. It's a very new retail model for our Company. While others see her as a little off, I see her as a visionary following a dream...ah to have a dream and the energy an courage to follow the dream. I want to be part of the energy around the adventure. Maybe it's the wonder of the ability to still dream. So check out her blog and know that if the venture fails then it at least for a moment spawned this blog http://homeagainbyhancocklumber.blogspot.com/