Friday Fill In #135

1. It’s time for a big ol’ mug of coffee and something cinnamon-y.

2. If you really try and look at the good side of things, then there’s really something special about living at the south pole; it’s not a bad place for icy cold drinks.

3. I must be crazy for playing as many gigs as I do during the summer. (Not counting church, I have three gigs this week, three next week, and three the following week!)

4. The love of God is the best thing I have ever known. (And the love of a good woman and a good family are high on that list, too!)

5. My expertise at the breakfast griddle is simply unmatched by anyone in the world! (OK, maybe my street. Well, at least my house!)

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was a couple of weeks ago. (I was very tired, and Matthew did something inappropriate at the dinner table. What was supposed to be me being stern turned into me crying from laughing so hard!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to playing with Three Button Deluxe in Winter Harbor, tomorrow my plans include playing the Lobster Festival with Steelin’ Thunder in Rockland and Blind Albert in Camden, and Sunday, I want to maybe catch a quick nap before packing up more stuff at the house!

Kickin Back

I just finished mowing the lawn. The kids are shopping with Susan. Im going to take 10 or 15 minutes, sit down, relax, and enjoy a tasty beverage. Once Susan gets home, were making sanwiches for the boys, then putting them to bed. Then, Im going to make me and the girls a nice risotto. Whats in it? Well have to wait for her to get home!

Friday Fill-In #134

1. The seven signs as described on the History Channel last week is are not the end of the world. (They had them quite wrong, and very out of order.)

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I think “C’mon! We’ve been inundated with rain for weeks! How about some sunshine! Heck, I don’t think we’ve hit 80 degrees yet. (And, incidentally, it is raining here now! It’s pouring!)

3. The Colonel’s original 11 herbed and spiced chicken tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is the way to go. (In fact, I dare say it’s not sometimes–it’s all the time!)

5. The view from Tommy’s Island is breathtaking, really. (That’s my view of the gig we played on the 4th of July. Thanks Pam for the photo!)

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6. Well, maybe there is a chance my house will sell.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to getting back from a gig in Bar Harbor, tomorrow my plans include many dump runs and a gig here in Rockland,  and Sunday, I want to not have to pack, move boxes, or go anywhere near the dump!

More Devil Dreams

It’s not the first time I’ve dreamed of the Devil. Heck, it’s only been a few weeks since my last one! I don’t remember all the details. Susan and I were moving (or helping someone move) out of a very old mansion. The house was possessed by, you guessed it, Satan.  My job was to keep him at bay until we could move out. I remember I had two very old pulpit Bibles I carried around with me everywhere. Satan wanted them for some particular reason. I remember a scene in the courtyard where the Devil was giving a “pep talk” to some of the locals. As he was talking, he was slowly turning from a human form into his more natural “devil” look. And, I remember having him trapped at one point in a room. He turned into a frog and escaped down a hole used for a heating pipe. I went one floor below, and found a Haitian looking woman packing. I asked who she was, and she replied she was a servant helping us pack. I said “Or perhaps you’re the devil in human form!” She said she wasn’t, but that she had noticed the smell of brimstone in the room a few moments before. I went into the next room, and found the Devil over there.  That’s all I remember.

Friday Fill In #132

1. The last thing I ate was chorizo, poblano, red onion pizza and a beer.

2. A cheap poncho is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it means it’s time for me to get the poncho out from under the scooter’s seat.

4. My eldest son Nathaniel was the first person I talked to today.

5. Hugs are really great, and totally share-able.

6. I have this funky egg-foam, neck cut-out pillow that provides me with extra comfort.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to turning in early, tomorrow my plans include going to the dump and playing at the club crawl, and Sunday, I want to take an afternoon nap!

The Macquarium

For those of you who haven’t checked out the other parts of my site, you might not know that I’ve built a bunch of Macquariums. Most I’ve either given away or sold, but I’ve kept one in the office for many years. My kids have been asking me to build another one, so they can have one here at home. The fish at work died a couple of weeks ago. Today, I decided I’d bring the Macquarium home the office, and set it up at home. (The kids are at camp; I was hoping to surprise them when they got home.) I was washing the tank in the sink, getting it nice and clean, when I spied a small crack in the side. It was not there when it was at the office. Then SNAP, the crack got huge, and water began pouring out. I broke the tank. I have the glass downstairs to build another tank, but not the aquarium sealant. And, it takes a total of three days to build a tank–not enough time before the kids get home. Shucks!

Good Friends

There’s something nice about living in a small town, where you know lots of people. Susan is at camp with the kids for a week. For the last two years, I’ve tried to do some special project around the house for her while she’s gone. I wasn’t going to do one this year, but I got inspired yesterday. To work this little project, I needed a pick-up truck. I called my brother-in-law; he wasn’t home. I called a neighbor; he wasn’t home either. Well, should I just call it a night, and try and get a ride on Tuesday?

I thought I’d try something a little unusual. I posted on Facebook! “Bill needs an able bodied friend, a pick-up, and 20 minutes of your time. Anyone available?”

Within minutes I had not one, but two volunteers to help. I contacted the first guy: Sumner Kinney. He came over to my house (he lives one town away, in Thomaston), and picked me up in his truck. We ran the little errand, and he helped me move “the project” into my living room. Within 40 minutes of my posting, my need was met, and Sumner was on his way home.

Here’s something else nice, too. In the time I was gone, someone else volunteered a truck via Facebook. My neighbor also came home, got my message, and called me back saying his truck was always available to me. And my brother-in-law called back too, and I’m sure he’d lend me his truck too.

It’s nice to have so many friends willing to help out.

Holy Hannah, What A Week

So last week I was on vacation. I know, I know, I haven’t posted about that yet. I intend too. Anyway, I get back from vacation, and it’s the 4th of July week. So it’s a short week–we’re supposed to be off Friday. And since I was just back from vacation, I had a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it. Then, it all happened at once. We ended up with four people out of the office: two on vacation, one had a baby, and one out sick. Now, when you’ve only got 15 employees to begin with, having a third of them out creates a challenge! But everyone pulled together, we kicked out the jams, worked hard, and got through it. Yeah!

Then the thunderstorm hit last night.

We’re supposed to be off today. Due to the long weekend, though, I didn’t want to leave customers stranded with problems. So I called in this morning to check the voicemail: 11 new messages. Uh oh. That’s way too high; something’s up. In checking the messages, it seems three wireless access points went down in the storm. Phone calls ensue. I call JP. I call Barry. I call JP back. Twice. I call Cam. We all agree to meet at the office. I check the voicemail again. In the two hours that transpire, I get 26 more messages! Yowza!

They’re mostly cleaned up, now. I think I’m headed home. Here’s hoping the rest of the weekend slows down a little!