Archive for the ‘maine’ Tag
It must be March, it must be cold, I must be in Maine, and it must be really boring, because last night I was introduced to the Duck Dynasty. I was prepared to hate that stupid program but just out of curiosity decided to give it a look anyway and make my own decision.
It’s new season started last week and I’ve been hearing on advertisements ever since it was watched by more than 8 million viewers. I really had to check it out because if those numbers were factual there must be more to this show than I thought. I tuned into what appeared to be a mini marathon of every episode from last season and found myself thoroughly enjoying the interplay between the bearded characters and their not so bearded wives and children.
Before the night was over I’d watched six episodes as I was doing other things. The group as a whole seem genuinely likeable and seem to go about enjoying their lives just the way they want. It was real hoot and a pleasant surprise since in my opinion more than 90% or more of the reality shows on TV today are just awful. I’m not sure the Duck Dynasty is going to keep me as a permanent viewer but if things get too boring on TV I can always switch over and watch these crazy folks from Louisiana doing what they do best, making me laugh.
A good portion of my day was spent sitting before my computer screen continuing the sorting of photographs. I’m almost at the point of being overwhelmed due to the sheer number of pictures. It took me more than two weeks to just catalog, organize, and finally back up every photograph onto a removable hard drive. I can store that hard drive elsewhere and never again have that fear of losing any of my important photos. I’m finally ready to start the summer of 2013 with a new outlook and determination to continue my collection with photos I’ve been wanting to get for a long time.
This summer should be terrific since most of my projects around the house have been completed and my time will be my own to take as many photographs as I possibly can before next winter. I have a number of projects I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time and it looks like this may be the year for it.
Fortunately the state of Maine offers an endless supply of forests, rivers, lakes, and seashore that will keep me busy for many years to come. This summer will allow me to do three things I really love; gardening, picture taking, and loafing. My better-half and I have declared a moratorium on home remodeling projects for the summer and thank God for that.
Today I’ve just finished washing joint compound dust from my hair, hands, and clothing. I love working with drywall not only because when finished it looks so good but that you don’t have to wait for days to see the results of your efforts. Almost instant gratification that you normally can’t find too often.
I made a medium sized mess and was only working on finishing the interior of a small stupid closet. I’m using this closet to reintroduce myself to drywall finishing. It’s been a number of years since I last worked drywall and I’m trying to get my "touch" back. Overall I was pleased with the initial results and this will surely give me enough confidence to complete this remodel to my satisfaction. It’s just so damn messy and being a "neat freak" really doesn’t help.
The clocks have just "sprung forward" which almost always triggers my Spring Fever issues in a big way. On top of that the temperature today was in the low fifties which is like tropical weather for Maine in March. I know the chances of more snow and cold weather are likely but dammit this sure feels good. If the wind had lessened just a bit I’d have made my way out onto the deck with the cat and enjoyed a few minutes of sunshine.
I made another trip to Lowe’s today for more supplies and a chance to get out of the house for an hour or so. I think Spring Fever is affecting everyone. I actually saw a guy wearing sandals and a pair of shorts. He must be insane, it’s March for God’s sake.
The MDA volunteers were out in force and offering baked goods, smiles, and anything else that could get money from my wallet to their pocket. I ask myself the same question every year. How many hundreds of millions of dollars have been collected over the last twenty or so years for MDA? You would think by now that research that well funded would have shown some results. I’m just enough of a cynic not to believe all the hype that’s put forward on that damn telethon and would like someone to tell me and show me how much of those millions actually reached the researchers. Until then I’ll support only local initiatives where strict accountability is easily measured.
My previously all gray cat just just pranced by with a dusty white stripe down his back. He must have been in the closet nosing around and picked up some dust. He looks a little like Pepe Lepew from the old cartoon show. I suppose I’d better sweep the closet one more time and the cat as well. He insists on getting his nose into everything but that OK because he has me to follow him around and clean up after him.
This day is just about over and it’s been another day of continuing preparation for the drywall installation into our newly redone bedroom. It’s taken most of the winter to strip out this room and redo the electrical, framing, and flooring but at least now I can finally see the effing light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time it’s not a train rushing towards me going a hundred miles an hour.
I’ve been patiently waiting for the snow to melt so I can dig out the fire pit and have my normal spring bonfire. It’s the easiest way to clean out the garage and workshop of the winter’s accumulation of wood scraps and worthless construction materials. It beats the alternative of paying someone to pick it up and haul it away. I purposely have the bonfire each spring before the area dry’s out and the fire becomes a hazard. As in most local towns they have a lame requirement for burning permits and to that I’m forced to say "Catch me if you can". Everything right now within a hundred miles of this house is so wet you couldn’t start a fire if you wanted to. I normally refuse to obey ordinances that make no sense and this is one of those occasions. The last thing I need are town yokels showing up to give official approval to my fire. Stupid government intrusions!
I actually find myself being effected by a disease known here in Maine as Early Spring Syndrome. I forced myself to take my lawn tractor out for a short spin today to charge the battery and check it’s general condition. It was all good until I got stuck in the snow and had to shovel it out. ESS is a dangerously stupid condition that makes you feel good and ridiculous all at the same time.
I’m now sitting here in the kitchen having a coffee and watching my neighbor hanging her laundry on their clothesline. This women and her daughters truly puzzle me at times. I’ve watched over the years as they’ve hung their laundry out in ten degree weather where it freezes as stiff as a board. I must admit that a clothes line full of frozen bra’s and panties swinging in the wind can be interesting but it just seems pointless. Now if they were hanging laundry on the line wearing just their bras and panties I might reconsider just how interesting it is. I watch in amazement as they stand in a driving rain storm to hang out their bed sheets and other unmentionables. Am I missing something here? Do they really know something I don’t? I just haven’t figured it out yet. I may start taking photo’s of them in different seasonal weather conditions and publish a really strange coffee table book filled with my sarcastic and wise-ass commentary. I love the idea but I’m almost certain they wouldn’t.
Well, it’s time for the better-half to arrive from work and I think she’s expecting a meal to be waiting for her. Oh well, everyone wants something.
It’s March finally and we’re well on our way to April. Over the last few days it’s snowed twice more and made this one helluva Maine winter to remember. I’m happy because snow cover is good for our perennials and herbs and offers perfect protection against the wind and cold air. Last year we had very little snow that lasted for any length of time and the plants suffered. Almost forty percent of my herb garden was lost including many older plants that I’ve tended for years. That noise you’re not hearing is me crossing my fingers.
The Maine aquifers are full and any threat of drought has been eliminated for the foreseeable future. I’m hearing that the celebrations over at the Poland Spring bottling plant could last for weeks. This winter is not only great for their business but also for revenues of the towns where they buy water.
Today was a good day for me because I was able to sit on my ass and watch while my room remodel continued. I finally wised up and hired someone to put down the new hardwood floor. It was done quickly and expertly and looks incredible and I didn’t spill a drop of wine in the process. Life is good sometimes. I actually was hoping it would take more than one day to do so I could loaf for a while longer. Because of the installers efficiency I’ll now be forced into beginning the dry wall installation. Another good plan foiled.
I’m sitting here listening to the Maine winter body count on the radio. Another three snowmobiler’s dead. They attempted to cross a partially frozen lake and went down with the ship. It was announced that the search for their bodies has been postponed until spring when the ice melts. What a terrible way to die.
For those of you living in warmer climates you need to understand that there are probably more snowmobiles in this state than people. We have areas up north that are snowmobile superhighways requiring places where you can stop and eat and even occasional police patrols to enforce the speed limits. You can travel for miles and miles and never see a road or even the ground. I’ve sat at one of the hundreds of snowmobile crossings in this state while thirty or forty snowmobiles rode by. Husbands, wives, kids, and even a pet of two. It’s really amazing to watch.
With that many people out and about on them and the large number of lakes in the state it’s just inevitable that fatal accidents will happen. Sympathies to the families for sure but more Maine winter casualties can be expected and will almost certainly occur. It’s a grim fact of life here in snow country.
I can smell some really excellent pizza cooking and my glass of wine is almost empty. That’s a Maine winter emergency I can do something about. More snow expected is through the night tonight and another winter wonderland in the morning. Hooray!
After yesterday’s serious posting I decided to lighten things up a bit today. We snow bunnies here in Maine are celebrating again as we await yet another two feet of snow to play in. I’ve spent most of today with my new best friend, my snow blower, and we’ve been out doing our thing four times already. It’s a real bitch since this snow is extremely heavy and wet making everything doubly difficult. If I don’t continue to keep up with the snowfall then tomorrow when the temperature dips low again I’ll be up to my butt in ice.
My better-half has apparently lost what little was left of her mind. She’s been out in the snow all day running, jumping, and just being crazy. I fear she may have a serious snow fetish that I was not previously aware of. I gave up years ago trying to calm her down when she gets like this so I just stand back and take lots of pictures. They’re perfect for future blackmailing purposes and you can bet I’ll use them to my best advantage. I’m surprised she hasn’t again suggested making naked snow angels as she’s done in the past. In order for me to be tempted to do that I’d need a lot more alcohol which would in turn would make me especially dangerous with that snow blower. So I’ll pass this time and make sure I get really clear pictures if she decides to get that nuts.
Her one big wish today was to build a freaking snowman in the front yard. Since I wasn’t permitted to give it a nice set of breasts I refused to participate. Being the shy person she is she initiated a conversation with some guy in a pickup truck who was plowing the neighbors driveway who then stopped to look at the snowman. She complained she had no carrot for the snowman’s nose and it really wouldn’t be complete without one. The guy turned his truck around and drove away in the middle of the storm and returned fifteen minutes later, rolled down his window, and handed her a carrot, and then drove away. All in all a pretty cool move.
I suppose I’ll be out with the snow blower at least one more time before calling it a night. I suspect she’ll require me to sit in front of the television tonight with her to watch all of the red carpet hoopla before the Oscar ceremony. Thank God she works early in the morning and will probably go to bed early so I can turn it off. Watching Hollywood celebrities for me is much like having your wisdom teeth pulled with a pair of pliers and no Novocain.
It’s time for a quiet dinner and a glass of brandy or two and then to bed to read a few chapters. The storm should be over before morning and I hope we get a reprieve from the weather for a few days before the next one rolls in.
Tonight I’m sitting alone in my bedroom writing this posting because I’ve been officially banished from the living room by my better-half. I suppose this is my punishment for refusing to watch the red carpet nonsense prior to the Grammy’s.
This is what happens every year and believe me I accept this isolation gladly. My life has never been so boring that I need a night of Beyoncé, Jayzee, Jennifer Lopez, and all of the other alleged musical geniuses. I’d make two exceptions if I could. If someone could arrange to have Taylor Swift and/or Katy Perry stop at my place tonight I’d do everything in my power to keep them entertained. To quote a old song I that I love: “wishing and hoping, singing and praying, planning and dreaming. . .
Today was a bit of a let down after the weekend storm but everything is business as usual in the area. It doesn’t take long for people living in Maine to bounce back because we’re used to a lot of snow and are well prepared to handle it. I guess it’s always a good thing to have a few days of excitement. It keeps things interesting and gives us a few war stories for the next year or two.
I finished making and canning my batch of Tropical Salsa this morning. I thought it was pretty good but it isn’t officially edible until approved by my better-half. If I can get her to actually admit she likes it then I’m golden. I’ll be sending a few samples around tomorrow to some friends for what will be a brutal but honest evaluation. I really think it will make an excellent side dish for quite a few of our sea food dishes.
Now that I have a few hours of quiet time thanks to the Grammy’s I can do some reading. I decided I wanted to read something with a story that’s long, detailed, and in depth. So I’m going to retread the trilogy by the late Stieg Larsson which is a complex set of lengthy mysteries totaling approximately 2180 pages. The first book has received a lot of press in recent months with a movie already made. The books are; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. I first read the stories last summer but didn’t take the time to really enjoy them. This time I’ll read it slowly and really savor the incredible details of the stories and their characters. That should keep me reading until the winter is just about over.
I’m planning a tour of the general area tomorrow to take a few photos and walk the beaches for a while. I can get a better idea of just how bad the storm was and hopefully document some of the damage.
It’s a cold night and I’m snuggled in a warm bed with my IPad. Very nice.
Nemo is dead, long live the king. The final tally for our area of Maine was approximately 38 inches of snow and one hell of a wind storm. We have a few drifts of five or six feet but nothing more serious than that. It could have been a whole lot worse.
After all of the snow-blowing today I won’t be able to left my arms tomorrow. I think I’ve finally bonded with this new snow-thrower, it’s now my BFF. It took a good part of the day to clear the driveway and then more disappointment. There was so much snow on the roads that the plows weren’t able to arrive until late afternoon. Even then they were only able to clear one lane in the middle of the road.
I’m hoping they’re able to widen the lanes a little more so we an get out of here for a while tomorrow. Even the birds were having serious issues trying to hang onto the bird feeder in a thirty-five mph wind. Not only were they fighting amongst themselves for the food but also fighting for a place on the bird feeder that offered some protection from the wind.
Our neighbors were out in force in mid-afternoon as the snow gradually stopped. It was nice to see everyone helping each other for a change in a neighborhood where individual privacy is the norm.
My better-half spent a lot of time emailing and connecting with family members from areas unaffected by the storm. She was also distributing photo’s far and wide to almost everyone. I feel for anyone who might have been caught in this blizzard with vehicle problems or medical emergencies. This kind of weather is definitely life threatening if not taken seriously.
The only good news for most of the state was the low number of power outages. We managed to escape the massive outages suffered in past storms due to a great deal of work by tree trimming crews throughout the summer months who cut down what would have been snow laden branches. Kudos to Central Maine Power and the local towns whose preventative work paid off in a big way.
I’ll be spending a few hours tomorrow in the final cleanup and then life will return to normal. I’m been hearing rumblings of another storm approaching in a few days and I hope to God it’s a little less of a problem than this one.
Everyone will be back to work tomorrow and life goes on. I’m really proud of myself because if what the media says is true (sarcasm), I’ve just survived my thirteenth "Storm of the Century". I think I should get some kind of honorable mention somewhere in that Guinness Book of World Records.
I won’t hold my breath though. Enjoy your day while I return to the cleanup.
This posting was written about my activities yesterday but I‘m was late getting it posted due to todays activities. More information tomorrow about that but today we have 33 inches on the ground as of noon with another 6-8 expected before this mother of a storm winds down. Back to yesterday.
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Well we’re fully prepared for this storm or I hope we are. We’ve got six inches on the ground with a lot more to come. My better-half decided we needed to run out for a few things before it got too much worse. I can’t believe I agreed to it but I did.
Traffic is still pretty heavy with people shopping for a few last minute necessities. The shelves of the store looked like a gang of barbarians were shopping there. I was looking for guava and papaya and even that was almost sold out. I guess the first thing you go for before a huge snow storm are cans of tropical fruit. The place was packed with people buying all the bread, milk, and toilet paper the media has been telling them they need.
I mistakenly thought by buying only four items I could run in and right back out. Who’s the moron now? That would be me of course. I was twenty-first in line at the 20 items or less register. I had to wait an additional twenty minutes while the twenty people ahead of me with their filled carts checked out. Thank God I’m a calm person and not some pissed off crazed postal worker. It could have been really ugly.
Well, we’re back home now without incident and the snow is picking up somewhat. The better-half is dealing with the storm like she does with everything else, she’s baking cookies. I have no idea why and I’m certainly not going to ask. I can’t say too much to her since I’m in the process of preparing my ingredients to make a tropical salsa which should look pretty, taste wonderful, and have enough heat to get your attention.
It’s later now and I just returned from my third snow-blowing effort to keep the driveway as clear as possible. Each time I’ve removed four or five inches of snow and I’m hoping against hope that we don’t get buried with what’s coming later tonight and early tomorrow morning. The wind is picking up and it’s too cold to stay out for too long. I’ll make one more pass at eleven and I’ll be off off to bed.
Tomorrow morning will be interesting. The neighborhood hasn’t lost power so that’s a plus. Now I can catch a few hours of sleep and dream about snow.
Another "Storm of the Century" is upon us and since this is the third one in the last twelve months I guess we should all be hiding in the root cellar (if we had one). Weather forecasters in Maine don’t do much more than repeat whatever is relayed from the National Weather Service and then hope for the best. Maine is so lame at times they look for any excuse to exaggerate the facts and use all the panic inducing buzz words to scare the crap out of the uninformed.
Having lived in Maine for more than ten years I thought there could be no surprises left for me. I’m able to translate their weather speech almost immediately and then go on about my business. Unfortunately I underestimated them again.
My better-half arrived home from work and immediately began explaining to me the grand weather controversy being discussed by the local media. They seemed to be all pissed off that the National Weather Service has begun naming large snow storms as they do for hurricanes. Maine is such an important place in the grand scheme of things (sarcasm) that they feel they should be permitted to name their own storms. I hate to even think what those names might be. Something really sophisticated yet down to earth (more sarcasm) like Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. They may be right in their thinking however because who in their right mind would name a storm Nemo? Only the all seeing, godlike government of the United States could be that lame.
After giving it some thought my better-half and I decided that the so-called Maine weather experts really shouldn’t be permitted to name them either. So effective immediately this “Storm of the Century” will be named by the two of us. Let’s just call him JOHNSON. Read into that what you will you bunch of perverts. We ended this terrible controversy in less than two minutes with no help from either the government or the state of Maine’s weather idiots. Come on JOHNSON.
Now on to something really important. I had to go to the dentist today. A trip to the dentist for me is always an adventure since the age of 13 when playing sand lot football my best friend knocked most of my front teeth out. That required two bridges and a few false teeth which have plagued me ever since. My mouth is similar to having a old car and it requires much more maintenance. I could have bought at least three new cars over the years with what I spent on dental work. My dentist’s office is a family concern with my dentist the father, the hygienist is his ex-wife, and the dental assistant/receptionist is their daughter. Over the years I’ve become good friends with them all and it’s been a real hoot but the bottom line never changes. As nice as they all are I still hate going to the effing dentist.
After injecting me with enough Novocain to keep my face numb for a week he proceeds to do what I hate the most, drilling my teeth. The sound of that high-speed drill makes my skin crawl and if I never heard it again it would be too damn soon. Also if he honestly thinks that shooting cold water down my throat is helping me breathe he’s very much mistaken. Not only is my face numb but I think he’s subconsciously trying to drown me.
After a few kind words and a pat on the head I was escorted to the door, given a new tooth brush, and my next appointment date. Thanks for nothing Doc. I drove straight to the closest Dunkin Donut where I ordered a hot coffee and a sandwich. As I left their parking lot I took a quick bite of the sandwich and that was mistake number one. My mouth was still so numb I almost bit off the end of my tongue. I was forced to pullover to compose myself and check for damage. A few miles and a few dozen curse words later I opened the coffee container, took a giant swig, and burned the shit out of my mouth and tongue. I also scorched my crotch a bit when I spilled the coffee there too. I finally arrived home, sat down in a nice soft chair and refused to eat or drink anything until the feeling returned to my mouth and tongue.
How can people think storm JOHNSON is the big deal. It’s all about me and my trip to the dentist. People are so self-involved at times.
Just sitting around today waiting for the next uppercut from Mother Nature who is sending another huge snow storm our way. I sure hope those alleged weathermen and women are wrong but you know how that goes. When they say it will be sunny and fair they’re almost always wrong. When they say it will sleet or snow, they’re almost always right. If we get the 16-24 inches they’re predicting it will be a long few days of snow blowing, shoveling, and waiting for the roads to be cleared.
Yesterday’s posting seems to have struck a nerve in some quarters. Closest to home my better-half was less than thrilled about being mentioned in what she thought was a somewhat derogatory manner. I kept trying to explain to her that every time I refer to her in a post, it’s complimentary. She just doesn’t realize after all of our time together when I ‘m being serious and when I’m being funny. She’s thinks I should be more careful when discussing our personal life but I just can’t seem to help myself. Our life together is great but at times it’s also hysterically funny. She’s either purposely giving me a bad time or she’s all of a sudden lost her sense of humor. Truthfully I think she’s trying to be sarcastic and hasn’t quite gotten the hang of it yet. She’s a sarcastic work in progress.
I had a great half hour of meditation this afternoon (as described yesterday) which always makes me feel terrific. My cat has picked up the habit of climbing onto the meditation platform (couch) while I’m meditating (napping) and stretching out to his full length and purring like crazy. That tells me he’s found his "happy place" which is probably somewhere near the Portland fish market. He so loves his seafood.
We both then retired to my man-cave for an hour of tax preparation. After a great deal of bitching and profanity the cat left in a huff as I finally e-filed my returns. That damn cat’s getting way too sensitive in his old age and needs to lighten up a little. There was a time when he would only respond to "Hey Dumb Ass", so I just don’t get his recent snotty attitude. I suppose he’s just feeling the "tax time" pressures vicariously through me. Dumb ass cat.
I would also like to send out a quick thank you to a few of my newest followers. Welcome to the blog that’s just “full of it”. I hope you enjoy your visits here and come back as often as possible. Thanks go out to: hayleyhobson, happsters, evanstang, puravidaeh, craftedincarhardtt, russelldeasley, hollisplample, and silkroadcollector. If the rest of you get a chance please give their blogs and profiles a look see. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
I guess it’s time for me to gas up the snow thrower and begin preparations for the storm that’s scheduled to start sometime early tomorrow. Winter in Maine is a trip but I never said it was always a good trip.
