Tuesday morning

Tuesday morning sitting at work, not focused on work. Still waiting to hear from the Peace Corp, and knowing that I will probably hear something this week. Everything was sent in on Friday last week, and they have been fast with their turn-around, so either way, I hope to hear soon. The waiting has been the hardest part.

This past weekend I went to Reading and saw how much work Linnea has done on the house. I am amazed by all that she has accomplished and I am so proud of her. I know that this hasn't been easy, and she is really doing what she needs to do to make it feel like a home. She is planning to come to Maine this coming weekend to see her friends here, and it will be so nice to see her two weeks in a row. Not much else going on. The weather has been extraordinary, and it really is great to live in such a beautiful place in the world this time of year.

I'll write more when I hear something from PC.

The Way Life Should be...

Today is a really pretty, sunny and warm, Monday morning in Maine, following a really nice, sunny weekend. I did a ton of yard work, and Conor Hartford and the Brunswick Dragons won the state Lacrosse championship. Linnea is doing well, and adjusting to full-time work. She spend the day yesterday, Father's Day, with her Aunt Brenda and Uncle Larry. They have been so incredibily supportive of her, and I am so thankful for their role in her life. Brenda also took Linnea over to Allentown to spend some time with her grandparents. Even though she will never stop missing her Dad, and this time of year is really hard for us, I know she feels closer to her Dad when she spends time with people who loved him and remember what a good guy he was. She also called her Uncle Bob and Richard Hartford to wish them a Happy Father's Day. They are all helpful and care about her and I know she appreciates them all the time.

On a sad note, Friday afternoon Dice died. He was a good old dog, and he will be missed. It was so sad, but he really was suffering at the end.

Just another day

It's my birthday! Yippee! Nothing happening today, just talking to Linnea on the phone before she heads into work. That's right, she has a job! Even if she thinks its a little boring today, I know she is happy to be working, and will be even happier when she starts getting paid.

I have no special plans for the day, and nothing going on, but I did want to say a special thank you to Bobbi and Kevin, Kirsten, Andrew and Kate, and Martha, who all sent birthday greetings. Thank you! I tried to send back Hallmark e-cards to thank them, and in the process sent it 2 times to Kirsten and 3 times to Bobbi!!! I am not techno-savvy at all!!! Kirsten's card just cracked me up....productivity is SOOO over-rated. I have been so lazy the past few days at work, its not even funny.

A dreary Wednesday

So today it is June 13th. Those of you who know me, know that tomorrow is my birthday. No big plans, and other than this posting, I don't imagine that I will say much about the day to anyone.

It is a dreary, rainy morning here in Portland. I'm sitting at my desk at work looking out on the Bay at high tide. I feel fortunate to have such a nice space to come to work everyday. I have been lucky during my time at Sweetser, not only working with really great people, but also having really spectacular space in which to do my work.

This past weekend was the Belmont. For those of you who do not follow horse racing, this race is the third leg of the Triple Crown. The first race is the Kentucky Derby, the second is the Preakness, and then the Belmont. While there was no contender for the Triple Crown, it is one of the highlights of the racing world, and always a good time. I am not a gambler, but it is fun to go and spend the day, watch the horses and people, and do something different. This year we were joined by Mike's brother and sister-in-law and several of his friends, as well as Mike's friend Shawn and one of Shawn's friends. Having nine people to spend the day with made it an even better time than usual. After the race, we all went into Manhattan for dinner and to the Comedy Cellar. What a good time! Back to Shawn's by 5 a.m Sunday morning, and back in Maine by 9 p,m. Sunday night. Whew!

Monday back at work, the same old, same old. Monday night it was a sad good-bye to Ron, a great co-worker, the most recent slash and burn victim of Sweetser's reduction in force process. Had a little too much to drink, and a lot of laughs, so it put a happy spin on a sad event. I will miss his insight and support here.

Thursday thoughts

Here it is a week later and I've been from coast to coast. Portland OR was so much fun. Susan and I flew out on the same flight and spent some of the day together on Thursday. Jeannette joined us on Thursday night. The conference was inspiring. It is always good to hear about the real impact that our work has on kids and families. The one and only downside of the conference for me was that our presentation was so poorly attended. Being scheduled for 3:30 on a Friday afternoon surely didn't help, but it was a bummer after how hard we worked to make it interesting and a quality presentation. Oh well. After the presentation the 3 of us headed out into Portland and had a great evening! We went to a Moroccan place for dinner. Belly dancers and all! It was really a fun place and nice to hang out with some women that I really admire and enjoy spending time with.

The two of them left first thing Saturday morning, and my flight back was not until midnight on Sunday night, so I had lots of time to explore. I took the light rail all over the city on Saturday, just taking in the sights. Mt. Hood overlooks the eastern part of town, and I took the Blue line from east to west and then back into town. I am used to traveling by myself now, so it was sort of fun to just look at things at my own pace. I did walk all over downtown, went to the Saturday market up at PSU, and Powell's bookstore, and saw the Rembrandt exhibit that just opened at the Art Museum. Sunday I hit the International test rose garden, where all the new roses are bred and shown. There is also a Japanese garder there, for a $8 (worth the price) admission. Both of these are in Washington Park. I spent most of the afternoon there before heading out to the airport in the early evening. I had expected some rainy weather, but the entire time was filled with sunny days and warm weather. Lots of fun overall.

Monday my flight came back into Maine a little before noon, and I went right into work. Lots of email and work and people to catch up with. Early to bed, and out to lunch with Kirsten and Kate Dennish and Kelly on Tuesday. I will miss them. Kirsten has been a sunny presence in my life here in Maine, and I know she will settle into her new life with much happiness. But for me, I will miss them.

Linnea is making progress daily on the house. Still no job, and a fair amount of frustration about that, but as I have said before, I am so proud of her. She really is finding her own way. Her aunts, uncles, cousins and friends have gathered around her and helped to show her how much she is loved., I am grateful for their constant support of her. It is truly appreciated by both of us. We have a lot to be grateful for.

Blood work this morning, one more test and doctor appointment, and then everything should sit with the Peace Corp and I should have some answer before the end of the month. At this point, I just want an answer. I'll keep you all posted.