6 Kids, 3 cats, 1 dog, Mom, and Dad

Time for a hug or Can't beat free!

Heather pointed the way to this great clip. At first, you wonder if anyone will hug the guy but once it gains momentum it really tugs at the heart strings.

Lunchtime pictures or Be very, very quiet...

My wildflowers are still doing great and I have a lot of Monarch Butterflies that have taken a liking to them. The problem is that those butterflies are kind of flighty so it is difficult to get a good picture. Instead of chasing after them I decided to stay near the flowers that they like and wait for one to come to me.

Like this

Pretty Flower

Flying Away

Chilly last night or Me and my red light district.

I was out last night looking at the stars, again. It was pretty cold and it wasn't too long before my hands were freezing. My red light district was the area around me lit by my flashlight, that has the lens covered with red cellophane to preserve my night vision, while I looked at the star map.

My observations from last night:

I did my viewing, sans telescope, from a field in the neighborhood across the street from my house. I had a much wider field of view and once my eyes adjusted to the light I took the opportunity to examine the northern and southern views. East and West was difficult this time because people had their front lights on and it affected my night vision to look in those directions.

Now that I know the position of Altair I was able to find the constellation Aquila. That marker allowed me to view and identify Capricornus and Aquarius for the first time. It was a little difficult, at first, to see all the parts of the Water Bearer because of local light pollution but as my eyes adjusted it became easier.

I also looked at Ursa Major and Minor, Draco, Polaris, Cassiopeia, and for the first time, Capella. I look forward to carrying out my telescope the next time I view and examining those parts of the sky now that I have reference points.

Finally, I looked nearly overhead so that I could identify the Summer Triangle of Altair, Vega, and Deneb.

PJs and Coffee or Early morning conference call.

I'm so glad that I get to work from home. I have a team conference call at 8am every Wednesday. I set my alarm for 7:45 so that I have time to brush my teeth, make some coffee, and join the call right on time.

The sky is blue or Hi, it's me!

I stopped by to visit Mary's grave today. I see it every day and blow a kiss to her when I go past. About once a week I drive in and check things out. Sometimes a flower pot will have tipped over, or the grass needs to be pulled because they can't get closer with the lawn mower because of the flowers, or someone left something and I try to figure out who might have done that and what it meant to them, and her.

Anyway, I did a little straightening and had a running one-sided conversation with Mary. Fall was our time. The kids would be back in school and I would drive Mary to work a few days a week. She liked it because we'd stop for breakfast in town and then I'd drop her off at her office so that she didn't have to walk from some far-away parking lot.

She spent so many years at home taking care of our children and I spent so much time away earning a living so that we'd make ends meet in our home. She was now in the work force and gaining valuable experience about what that was like, and I was working from home and getting kids on the bus and greeting them after school.

We'd sit in the restaurant having breakfast and share our new perspectives with each other. We would talk about the kids, the house, and then our plans for the future. We'd talk about where we wanted to travel and the things we wanted to do. It was our time to reconnect as a couple.

And now...I'm in that future alone. Our plans never made it as far as buying burial plots and having our names carved on a headstone but that's what we have now.

I'd love to wake up clutching the bed curtains and find out that it isn't too late to change...but the reality is that life ended for Mary on March 5, 2006 and mine continued forward without her.

But I try to not complain or feel sorry for myself, even in my mind, because I know that if Mary could hear she'd feel bad. Cancer and dying isn't something that she did to me, it just happened.

So I smile, kiss my hand and press it to her headstone, and tell her that I love her and miss her very much. And then I go on my way to an unplanned future.

Fun week or Now it is time to catch up.

I've been to a Red Sox game, out to eat, hung out in Portsmouth, played some poker, and saw the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" all in the space of a week.

I had an awesome time but now I need to buckle down and do some school work before I get behind in the reading.

In other news, I bought a telescope to enhance my Astronomy class experience. I've been observing the night sky and having an awesome time doing it though it is starting to get chilly at night.

The good with the bad or She was sorta right.

Youngest Daughter asked me if Cisco was my enemy. I told her that they were our main competitors and was secretly pleased that she knew that much about what I did for a living.

She went on a little bit longer about Cisco, my company, and how I felt about them so I finally asked her why she was so interested. She told me that she saw one of their trucks at school but couldn't figure out how they were my main competitor if they sold things like french fries and stuff for the cafeteria.

She saw a 'Sysco' truck.

Then she said, "Oh My God! I bet you're going to blog about this!"

At least she got that part right. :-)

Take me out to the ball game or Fun time at Fenway Park.

My Good Looking Technical Recruiter Friend had a spare ticket for last night's Red Sox game. Initially, she sent me a text and asked me if I wanted to go but I had to decline because I have Anthropology on Thursday nights AND I had agreed to give the professor a ride to and from class because his car was in the shop.

Later in the day he called to tell me that he didn't need a ride because he had just gotten back his car from the shop. I sent a text telling GLTRF what happened and she told me that she still had a ticket available if I wanted to go.

I called my prof, mumbled some excuse, and then jumped in my car for the trip into Boston.

We had a great time and the Sox won so it was an awesome night.

How to solve an age old problem or That's going to cost you.

Youngest Daughter has a problem with turning off lights. I've asked politely, I've asked not so politely, and yet each morning I wake up and find that she's gone to school and left the light and fan on in her room.

Two days ago I told her that I had no problem with her leaving those things on any more because I was now going to deduct $25 from her monthly allowance to pay her part of the electricity bill.

Everything has been turned off since that conversation...coincidence? :)

Star Gazing or A shooting star for me.

I walked up into our neighborhood to the big field at the center in order to look at the night sky. I've tried looking from my yard but I really only have a view of the Northern sky and too many cars go by for me to retain my night vision.

The field was better in that I could see in all directions, not as many cars, but two houses had their front lights on and that made my view to the North not as good as it could have been. I need to start there and work my way around the sky since I know some constellations there and can use them as reference points.

I saw Draco for the first time and I think I saw Hercules too. I was pretty excited and figured I'd look at the Southern exposure while walking home. That's when I started to talk to Mary.

This was something that she would have been THRILLED to do with me. We always liked walking and looking at the night sky, but to be able to learn about the stars, planets, and constellations would have made those walks even more fun for us.

I talked with her about that and said that I wish she could have been with me when a shooting star streaked across the sky exactly where I was looking. I couldn't help it...I started to cry because of how much I love her, how much I miss her, and how she found a way to touch me from the other side of death.

And then I smiled, and went home with a lighter heart and a spring in my step. I've been carrying some of those feelings of loss too long inside and it was good to have that release.

Making an observation or Right on target.

I was at the mall yesterday with Older Daughter (getting a new battery for car) and Younger Daughter with her two girlfriends. I had time to kill so Older Daughter, Her Friend, and myself went into Gloria Jeans for some caffeine refreshment.

The entire time we're in there you can hear a kid screaming and crying out in the mall. At one point I remarked that she sounded like the elk that was on ALL of the televisions in Sears as we walked through that department.

Then, the kid really opened up and started to let it rip. I said, "It sounds like it has reached demon spawn status now, its head is probably spinning!" The girls agreed and asked what I would have done when they were little. I told them that me or mommy would have left the building because even though it might not have bothered us, it surely would bother those around us and it was the polite thing to do.

Just then, the mother with screaming kid comes into the entrance of the shop and stops. The man that had been standing behind us the entire time gets out of line to go speak with her.

He was bright red in the face and it was obvious that he heard the whole conversation. Just then they put his drinks on the counter and as he left the shop the girls burst out laughing.

All I could think was something about the shoe fitting...

A turtle rescue or That's gratitude.

I was driving down our road yesterday and spotted a large snapping turtle in the middle of the road. I stopped, put on my hazard lights, and motioned some cars to slow down and pass around the turtle.

I tried to pick it up toward the back of the shell but it scratched me with its claws so I let go. Just then two guys on motorcycles pulled up and got off their bikes to check out the turtle. They both had on leather gloves so I suggested that one of them move the turtle off the road.

The first one bent over to grab the turtle and the turtled jumped, extended its neck, and SNAPPED! It was loud and both of the guys jumped back. Oldest Daughter was on the phone and was cracking up as I described what was going on with the turtle.

The other guy grabbed the turtle by the side and back and moved it to the side of the road and then suddenly dropped it. The turtle, in a show of gratitude, peed all over has gloved hand! Me and the other guy cracked up while the other one tried to wipe his hand off in the grass on the other side of the road.

It was quite an adventure.

Taking some courses or Back to the books.

I took American Popular Culture over the summer and enjoyed it a lot. The instructor is a great teacher, the course work wasn't difficult, and the class was interactive and fun.

This fall I'm signed up for Intro to Astronomy and Intro to Anthropology meeting Monday and Thursday nights from 5:30pm to 9:00pm.

The Astronomy class has seven students, including me, and the Anthropology class has nine. I'm glad that the classes are small but especially glad in Astronomy since that means more time at the telescope. :)

Both professors have assigned copious amounts of reading so I'll be spending some of my weekend spare time doing that. I'm also going to miss some classes because of a business trip and the upcoming surgery I'm going to have on my shoulder so I'll be doing makeup work at some point.

The fun thing with my Anthropology course is that the woman sitting next to me has a daughter that is friends with Middle Daughter, two women from my Pop Culture class are across the room, and the mother of one of Mary's ex co-workers is across the room too. Pretty funny to think that in a class of nine I already knew four of the people.

Another cat story or Tale of spoiled kitty.

I made coffee and breakfast at home today. There are some mornings that I like doing that even though I really enjoy going into BNG each day.

I made some of the Jamaican Blue Mountain that I have sealed in an air-tight container for such days. I also recently bought some Greek yogurts that have a side compartment of honey. I put the yogurt in a bowl, sprinkle some granola over that, add some fresh raspberries and blackberries, and then drizzle the honey over it all.

I first had this at Isis, in Portsmouth, and when it was hard for Beautiful Wife to get out I'd make it at home for her because she liked it so much. Me and the girls continue the tradition and I can't help but remember Mary's face when I made the first one at home for her...

Anyway, after that side trip down memory lane I should get back to the purpose of this post. Fizban likes Greek Yogurt too. I've read that cats can't taste sweet but she licks the honey as enthusiastically as the yogurt and likes to eat the fruit too.

Getting fed that would be enough to consider her spoiled but get this...she won't lick from the bowl if it is on the floor and prefers to either eat from my fingers or a spoon, if I'm holding it. Put the bowl on the floor and she has no interest at all.

Plans for Spring vacation or They won't be in the States!

I booked a trip to Paris in April of next year. It will be me, Middle Daughter, and Youngest Daughter making the trip across the Pond. Middle Daughter was there last year and Youngest Daughter just started taking French in school AND is interested in a career in fashion so they are both thrilled.

We'll be staying at Le Grand Hotel Des Gobelins, located in the Latin Quarter, with an arrival on April 22 and departure on April 28.

The two oldest, though disappointed, realize that family vacations are likely a thing of the past. They are both working and in school at that time and I didn't invite them anyway. Travel with three is WAY cheaper than travel with six or seven, our normal trip size.

If you're a French blogger I'd love to meet you so give me a yell and we'll share some wine on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower or something like that. :)

Crazy man or I liked it better when he waved.

When I'm out in the yard I wave to every car that comes out of the neighborhood across the street. The down side is that I can't see their faces because of the glare off of their windshield but I usually see a smile and a wave in return.

I'm taking Introduction to Astronomy and one of the course requirements is that we keep a journal of our observations of the sky. I was out last night and it was beautiful. The air was crisp and cold but the sky was clear so it made for fun viewing. We can always find the Big Dipper because it rises across the street in front of our house. From there I can find the North Star and then try to guess what other constellations might be in sight but that I can't identify.

We live in the middle of nowhere so light pollution isn't a problem. Cars driving out of the neighborhood are the problem because the lights shine directly into the front yard.

Middle Daughter came out to view with me and stood there in stunned silence as I held my observation notebook over my face as a car came to a stop across the street.

"Night vision" I explained.

"Oh, at least with me here they won't think you're totally nuts!" she said with a smirk in her tone of voice.

Had a good dinner or Tried something new.

We ate recently at the Hibachi Grill in Portsmouth and we all loved how they did the shrimp. I was at Durham Market Place today to buy some tuna steaks to grill for dinner. I saw some nice sized shrimp that was peeled and deveined and decided to try and recreate what we had that night.

I turned around from the seafood case and there was a display of Stonewall Kitchen sauces. I purchased the Citrus Teriyaki Sauce and it was a great choice.

I put the shrimp in a strainer when I got home and gave them a good rinse with cold water before patting dry on paper towels. I laid them out on a sheet of tin foil and the covered them with the Citrus Teriyaki Sauce before wrapping and placing them on the grill.

They were incredible. I also got fresh corn from a local farm so the dinner was a big hit with everyone.

Household advice or Now that I'm a single dad.

I need all the help I can get.

Freshly ironed towels...who knew that it was a household requirement?

Nature Update or The good, the bad, and the ugly.

In the last week I've seen a big white skunk, two fawns, and nine turkeys in our back yard. My wildflowers are thriving and my hydrangeas are turning pink. That's the good. I love that we have so much wildlife in this area and that our yard is a place that they frequent.

The bad is the the brown spot blight that has once again struck the trees in my front yard. The leaves get brown spots, turn completely brown, and then fall off of the tree. What really stinks is that two of the trees are maples and they are normally beautiful when the leaves change color in the fall.

The ugly...this is when it rains and the water drips through the brown spot blighted leaves and leave ugly brown stains on my car.

Concert happenings or I had fun.

The concert was awesome. Shakira is very talented and put on an awesome show.

I drove down to Boston and when I first left the house I was almost of the mind to just forget the whole thing. But, then I thought that I might still manage to have fun and that it would be a shame to waste the tickets.

I got into Boston and had some time to kill so I went to the Burger King near the venue and had a quick bite to eat. I gave some money to the homeless guy that was opening and holding the door for people and to the woman that was sitting on the sidewalk outside of Dunkin Donuts too.

I looked around for someone that wanted to buy a ticket. Most people were looking for more than one and I didn't want to sell the one I had to a scalper at a discount and find out that he sold it for twice the face value.

Right before I went inside a guy came up and asked if I had a ticket to sell. He was from Columbia and had some friends inside. I told him he could just have my extra ticket but he insisted on paying me something so I told him I wanted $20. Once we were inside he went to find his friends so I had the end seat in the row and an empty one next to me.

A couple showed up with seats in the same row and asked if anyone was in the extra seat. I told them that someone had a ticket but was with his friends so they called their friend that had a seat in the balcony section to sit there.

The woman, that took that seat, was fairly young but looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but at a Shakira concert. Even when she stood up she had her arms folded and looked uncomfortable.

Anyway, I had a great time watching the concert. I stood almost the entire time because everyone in front of me was standing and that was the only way to see the stage. If I wanted to watch the concert on a big screen I'd stay at home and get a Shakira Live DVD or something like that.

At one point a woman in the row behind me tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me to sit down. I shook my head no (too loud to talk) and continued watching the concert. She was seated and could have seen the stage if I sat down, but then I wouldn't have been able to see. How self absorbed...it worked for her so I should have been happy to sit and miss the concert. Sheesh!

So, that's the story of my night. At times I felt melancholy but mostly I had a really good time.

Shakira tonight or A funny feeling.

I bought some tickets to see Shakira back in April. I did it on a whim and never really thought about who would go to see her show with me. I don't really want to go with one of my kids or a family member. I asked Good Friend but he's out of town and can't go.

So...the concert is in 6.5 hours and I have an extra ticket. Who knows...maybe someone will be outside the TD Banknorth Garden looking for a ticket and I can sell them my extra. Maybe they'll be pretty and single and I'll give it to them for free just to have someone in the seat next to me.

Life sure is complicated when you're single...

Holdem in Foxwoods or I had a great time!

Me, Brother-in-law, and Father-in-law drove down to Foxwoods yesterday to play Texas Holdem. I only bought $100 worth of chips and turned that into $543 by the end of the day.

I had some good hands and got lucky a couple of times. My b-i-l came out $75 ahead but my f-i-l lost some money. He said he lost $30...that's his story and he's sticking to it. I think he lost a bit more than that but mum's the word among poker buddies.

Steve Irwin or We'll miss him.

Me and the kids talked about the Crocodile Hunter's death but couldn't do it without talking about Mary too. Mary absolutely loved him and half of the entertainment we had watching his shows was watching her reaction to his antics on the screen.

The first episode we ever watched he jumped out of a boat, at night, in order to wrestle a small crocodile into the boat. Mary yelled out, "Cripes!" when he did it and boy, did we laugh.

I feel bad for his wife and children and hope they find peace with his death.

Clutter away or Getting rid of piles.

I bought some bookshelves and have eliminated some of the clutter that was accumulating in our home. I'll keep organizing and throwing things away until our living space is manageable, pleasant, and easy to keep clean and organized.