And Our Vacation Continues

Yesterday was a very educational vacation day. I learned:

1)  My Aunt Debbie irons pillowcases. She says they look nicer that way. I'm sure that they do, but does it matter once you're asleep?

2)  I can't hear. Well, I can. But I can't hear the teenager ring tone -- or the mosquito ring tone -- whatever it's called. Kelsey and her friend Ali demonstrated this fact for us last night. Kaelen played the ring tone, and the girls would raise their hands when they heard it -- always at the same time. When Nathan arrived, they added him into the demo. Boy, did the rest of us feel old.

From the previous paragraph you know that Kim, Joe, Kelsey, Ali, and Cocoa arrived safely yesterday. My Aunt Debbie had gotten in the day before, so summer is officially here.

We all went to Josh's baseball game tonight. His team will get to play again Saturday morning as a result of tonight's 7-5 victory! Josh hit another home run!! Woo hoo!!!

Dad: Unedited LI

(Hmmm.... Maybe I'll show up in time to see the end of page one next time!  Ha ha!  Enjoy Dad's post.  --  Tracy)

Derf Here!  From the "Great" Northeast corner of these United States.  The Estate at 198 Pine Point Road.  What a life!

As I sat down with pad and pen, Kaelen asked what I was doing.  I told her I was answering all of her questions, and that I was going to put it in "Derf."  Her response was that if I put that in, I don't have much to write about.  I agreed, but here goes.  Next question from Kaelen.  What are you going to write about, for the second time?  I think she must be writing a book.  She told me she was not when asked, but I'm not sure if I believe her.  I want a first edition copy.  Got that, Kaelen?

I started the day by stocking up the garage refrigerator with ice cream and drinks.  It is fully loaded.  Ready to go.  The "goodies" are accessible.

We went to the cottage and sister Deb and spouse puttered around to get it ready for the Henry family arrival.  Should arrive about 4 - 5 p.m.  Can't wait to see Cocoa!  Summer is here!!

Josh's all-star team lost 7-6 last Saturday in the double-elimination tourney.  Josh hit a home run.  His third in the last four games.  They play again tomorrow.  I believe Josh will pitch and a loss ends the season.  We'll have a good crowd to root him on.  Good luck, All-Stars!  Next week we'll keep you posted.

Josh, Zack and friend Jackson were visiting the other day with Glen, Deb, and Sadie.  The Go-Kart was used as a weapon to dig up our fine manicured lawn.  The more I yelled -- "Don't dig up the lawn!" -- their smiles got larger, the accelerator was pushed harder and the skids sent dust a' flyin'.  So much for listening to the old guy.  I have to admit that it is good to see the boys enjoying the Kart.  Even though they seemed intent on the total destruction of our grass.  It will grow back.  Boys will not be boys for long as everyone grows up.  Wouldn't it be great if we could stop time and live forever within the circumstances that we choose?  Doesn't work that way, does it?  Life goes on.  We grow old and youth grows up!  It has been this way for years.  I see no change coming soon.

Lew seems to be enjoying his vacation but will be the chief cook at tonight's meal for the Cocoa arrival.  He will be the grill master.  Since last summer's problems caused by Kim and spouse with the much ballyhooed smoke story, the grill is off-limits to them.  Lew is left holding the bag.  He does such a fine job.

Sister Deb arrived yesterday after seeing our beloved Sox (Red) win in Pittsburgh on Sunday.  The way things are going this could be their only win of the road trip.  Right now they are in a "FUNK."  We hope for a turnaround soon!  GO SOX!!

Wow!  I've had a good week.  It will only be getting better.  Looking forward to the next few weeks.  It will be over before we know it.  It always is.  That's Life!

I must stop now.  Tracy showed up and saw page three and gave me a disgusted look.  Just kidding!  She enjoys posting Derf!  Don't you, Tracy?  Please don't answer.

Until next time;

Toodle Pip;

Derf!

A Breakfast Epiphany

Lew told me last night that he would undoubtedly get up before I would this morning -- so he would be eating breakfast without me.

This morning around 6:30 I jumped out of bed to check something in my purse.  YES!!  It was good for today!  A BOGO coupon for an entree at IHOP!  But only on Tuesdays.

It didn't take much effort to convince Lew that we should go out for breakfast.

We both ate far too much, but it was SO good.

And we did take a walk on the beach this afternoon.  That negates all of the calories, right?

A Food Quiz

Lew's vacation continued today with another beautiful beach walk.  We collected many more sand dollars.

Here's a little quiz for you:  Of the following, which one did I NOT eat today?

-- a raspberry bismarck
-- a chocolate eclair
-- many pieces of Dove miniature chocolates (with peanut butter on them)
-- a 4-cheese pizza lean pocket
-- a salad

I know, I know.  That was not too tough!

The Best Beach Walk Ever

Kaelen, Lew, and I headed down to the beach around 12:30 p.m. today for a walk.

We ended up having a spontaneous contest to see who could find the most sand dollars.  The final tally:

20 -- Kaelen
15 -- Lew
11 -- Tracy

Congratulations to Kaelen on her victory!  (My showing ended up being quite respectable, given my extremely slow start.)

Toward the latter part of our walk, Lew noticed a couple seagulls gnawing on something in the water.  As they were close to shore, Lew waded out to see what it was.  I've posted a picture below.  (He did throw it back out into the water afterward.)




Lew and Kaelen.  Lew is holding a striped bass.  He guessed its weight at about 10 pounds.

 

We're On Vacation!

Today was the first of eleven days in a row that Lew does not have to go to work.  Yes!! We're on vacation!  Granted, it's a "stay"-cation ... but still ... we're on vacation!

I will try to post a brief entry each day during our vacation.  Today's highlights:

Although Josh's All-Star team lost today, he hit a two-run home run!  And Lew and I got to see him hit it this time.  Way to go, Josh!  (I heard that his team's next game is on Thursday.)

Today is our niece Kaelen's 20th birthday.  Happy Birthday, Kaelen!

You Paid HOW Much?!

Last Saturday I got home from shopping and modeled my beautiful new white dress for Lew.

"See how nicely it flows?  .... But I do need an updraft to get the full effect -- you remember that scene in The Seven Year Itch, don't you?  .... This is the very dress that Marilyn Monroe wore!"

I could not read the expression on Lew's face.

Finally he asked me, "And just how much did that dress cost you?"

"4.6 million dollars -- plus an additional one million in fees."

I managed to cradle Lew's head before he hit the floor.

"Wake up, Sweetie, wake up!  Don't worry....  I didn't take the tags off of it yet...."

(Postscript:  The above scene happened only in my imagination.  When I read -- in real life -- that the dress had been auctioned off, I mentioned the final bid to Lew.  He said, "You know, I wanted to get that dress for you."  Thanks, Sweetie.  It is indeed the thought that counts.)

Quality Family Time

Shortly after a scrumptious BLT dinner last night (courtesy of my husband), I went over to my parents' side of the house to say "Hi" to them.

They were both sitting on the couch and my father was reaching between two of the cushions.

Curious, I asked what was going on.

"Your father threw money at me, and some of it fell into the couch."

Coins?

"No, a five dollar bill."

I grabbed a flashlight and began to help my father look.  My hands are smaller than his, so I reached in to grab what looked like paper.

It was paper.  An entire section of a newspaper.  From last August.

I also found a button.

Dad and I ended up tipping the couch forward, after which Mom said, "There it is!"

She was talking about the five dollar bill, but she also found a pen that she had lost.

I began to wonder -- out loud -- what else could be under there.  The Gaither tickets?  My paper clip or my vitamin?

Nope.  Just the bill and the pen.

Dad and I lowered the couch back to the floor and life resumed.

As I headed back to my side of the house, I remarked, "What a fun family project."

Or something like that....

Dad: Unedited L

(Dad wrote this post by hand earlier today.  He sure had an exciting morning.  Enjoy!  -- Tracy)

Derf Here!  From the Northeast Estate on Pine Point Road.  Actually, I'm in the "cah" in Saco while Kaelen is getting her locks trimmed  Another trash truck is now beside me revving his engine to compact his load.  I've watched them pick up and empty all containers on the street.  Never have to exit the truck.  The first full day of summer is upon us.  We've had a few great days.  I hope for more.

By now anyone reading this knows the following but I will tell it anyway.  The Stanley Cup is back in Boston with the Bruins.  The Scarborough Little League championship is again won by Josh's team.  He is the only repeat winner from last year as they defeated his last year's team and the team with the best season record for the trophy.  Josh was a major clog in the championship win.  He pitched the complete game and hit a home run good for three runs.  The Royals won 4-2.  A better script could not have been written!!  Congratulations to the Royals!  Now it's off to All-Stars.  A double elimination tourney begins Saturday.  We'll be there, weather permitting.  We wish the All-Stars "Good Luck."

The trash truck finally moved on past so it is quiet and serene.  I just made a couple of notes so my spell-checker (Mainely Tracy) will correct my misspells.

By the time I post next week we'll have the Illinois family with us for a few weeks.  Pepper will be doing a lot of "under the bed" hiding as Cocoa, the Prince of Eureka, Illinois, arrives.  I understand Kelsey will have a friend with her for a couple weeks before she flies back to Eureka.  It will be Ali's first visit to the "Great State of Maine."

Thanks for the "shout out," Emily.  I still check your blog each and every day!  Not with a lot of success.

A fantastic Father's Day was had by all dads in the family!

The season continues to fly by and we are definitely in "summer mode."  Looking forward to the next few weeks and waiting for Kaelen to complete her haircut.  Hopefully she'll return shortly and we'll return to Pine Point Road.

She's here -- we're on our way.

Until next time;

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Old Friends

Today I got together with my good friend Kathleen, whom I met at work a quarter of a century ago.  We hadn't seen each other in about 12 years.  (Yes, that is far too long!)  But time is funny.... It didn't seem like that much time had gone by.  Aren't "old" friends the best?!?!

After eating a laughter-filled lunch, we took a nice walk on the beach.  At one point, we came across four people sunning themselves -- all were lying on their backs.  My thought about one of them was, "Gee, that sure is a buxom man."  But then I realized it was NOT a man!  Kathleen hadn't noticed because she was looking in my direction as we talked.  So, of course, I had to frantically (yet quietly) get her to look at the spectacle.  I don't even know how to finish this paragraph.... I still can't believe it....  I'm pretty sure that a law was broken.... And I'm glad that my nephews weren't with us.

After all of the excitement at the beach, we sat on my deck to talk and laugh some more.  Kathleen hung around long enough to meet Lew before she headed home.

We are definitely not waiting another 12 years to get together!  :)

Who Am I?

Because Matt and Emily will become parents in October, my sister Kim has been referring to me as "Grandma."

I have already told Emily that under no circumstances am I to be called anything resembling "Grandma" or "Nana" or "Granny " or... well, you get the idea.

I was thinking about "Tia."  The first letter "T" fits in nicely with my first name.  "Tia" is Spanish for "aunt."  And although I won't be an aunt to the baby, "Tia" still would give a sense of "this is a family elder."

Kim insists that I am a "Bonus Grandma," and she is right!  This is a very wonderful thing.  :)

So, maybe I could be know as "B.G."  Perhaps this could morph into a spelling of BeeGee -- like the singing group.  (Ha ha.)  I also think that "Bima" (Bee-Ma) or "Bina" (Bee-Na) should be considered.

In the end, my mother is probably right.  The baby will call me whatever the baby decides to call me.  But can't we have some influence here?  Please?!

(Postscript:  Any other suggestions?)

Happy Father's Day

Mom didn't attend church with Dad this morning.  Their service starts at 9:30, and she just didn't make it.

Lew and I went to our 9:00 service and then stayed for the beginning of the 10:45 service -- long enough to sing with the choir.

When we got home, Debbie and her family were here waiting for Dad.  It was getting close to 11:30 and Dad still wasn't home from church.  Hmmmm..... WHERE WAS HE???!!!

The last time that Dad was AWOL, he had stayed for a meeting after church.  We all figured that since it was Father's Day, that could not be the case this time....  But, it was!  And I have to ask:  What's with having a budget meeting on Father's Day???!!!

Mom and Dad do have a cell phone, but it was right here at home on their end table.  Mom said that Dad never takes the phone because he doesn't know how to use it.  I think we will teach him how to call home at least!

Wide World of Sports

The 2011 Scarborough Little League Champions:

THE ROYALS!  Final score was 4-2.

Josh pitched the entire game.  He hit a 3-run home run -- right before Lew and I got there, of course.  But since Josh's team scored all of their runs before we got to the game, and the opposing team scored all of their runs after we got there, we figured that our arrival time was a significant factor in the outcome -- so we were glad to be of help.

Josh got his home run ball, and he was also awarded the game ball.

Congratulations, Josh!  Two years in a row on the championship team.  :)

It was also a great day for Scarborough High School athletics.  The boys lacrosse team, girls lacrosse team, and softball team all won their respective State Championship games!  Woo hoo!

Congratulations to our buddy Nathan!  Two years in a row on the State Championship lacrosse team.  :)

What a great day in the world of local sports!

Keep the Worm

For some reason, I jumped out of bed this morning much earlier than I normally do.  And before I met Ellen for our 9:00 a.m. walk, I had already accomplished several things:

- Made the bed.
- Figured out the mail I needed to take care of today.
- Had my devotional time.
- Ate breakfast.
- Read the newspaper and did all of the puzzles.
- Sorted the laundry into three loads.

Just took a brief break from typing to go put my final load of laundry in the washing machine.  I had forgotten all about it until I wrote the above list.

We'll see if my early morning escapades make me conk out sooner than usual tonight.  Either way, it was nice to get so much accomplished early in the day!

BRUINS!!!

My father wrote yesterday about all of the sporting events that were going to happen last night.  Here's the update:

The Bruins won the Stanley Cup!

Nathan's lacrosse team won!  They will play for the state championship on Saturday.

Josh's little league team won!  They will play for the town championship on Saturday -- against good buddy Nick's team, of course!

Other games of note yesterday:  The Red Sox won.  Scarborough High School girls' teams had big playoff wins in both lacrosse and softball.

Question:  If your team makes the playoffs, and you are asked, "Which is the most important game to win?" -- what would your answer be?  (See this post's first "Comment" for my answer!)

Dad: Unedited XLIX

(Good luck, Josh!  Good luck, Nathan!  GO BRUINS!  Enjoy Dad's post.  -- Tracy)

Derf Here!  From a "sunny" morning in the Northeast.  The first one in modern memory.  It has been a "sunless" week.  Nothing new for June!

It's been a busy week at the household as the school days are running out  The baseball/lacrosse season is ending and we await the baseball "All-Star" season.

Zack's team ended his lacrosse schedule Saturday with a split.  He scored his third goal of the year in the win.  As he was walking around the bench area I called to him.  When he looked at me, I gave him a "thumbs-up."  His response was to look up at us with his arms stretched out.  He said, "Another goal by me."  Another chuckle from Zack's actions.

Josh's team is in the playoffs.  He pitched the first game into extra innings.  They went two extra innings for a 2-1 win.  It was a very well-played game.  Some great plays as the leather looked like Dustin Pedroia.  We're prepared to go to a playoff game this afternoon.  A win puts them in the final -- a loss ends the season.  What will it be?  Stay tuned!

Sox (Red) lost last night after a nine-game win streak.  Tonight we'll watch the Sox as a secondary game as most of the area will be on the Bruins as they play one last game for the Stanley Cup.  GO BRUINS!!!

Nathan Hopkins, a good friend of the family, will be playing lacrosse for Scarborough High School today as they attempt to defend their Western Maine title.  A win allows them to play for the state title Saturday.  They are defending state champions.  Kaelen has the day off and will take Zack to the game as he attempts to pick up pointers from the varsity-level players.  We wish Nate's team success.  Hope Nate does well.

Talked to sister Deb yesterday and she will leave Florida Thursday for her two-week trip to Maine.  Niece Kathy, just home from the birth of her grandson, will fly to Florida from Indy to accompany Deb to Indy for a visit with sister Jean.  Grandson's name:  Isaac Gordon Henson.  I guess I better get the water running in Deb's cottage.  Hopefully tomorrow!  Drive carefully and have a good trip.

I think that catches everything up to date.  I must add that we all hope for a successful choral week in Eureka, Illinois for Joe, Kim, and the campers.  I'll even wish Kelsey well in her drum major camp.  Not so sure about her cheerleader camp.

Until next time;

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

P.S.  Emily, thanks for finally posting!  Twice in five days -- WOW!

The Weather Cat

I was just over on my parents' side of the house.  Pepper was sitting on the back of the couch, staring at me with her eyes mostly closed.  My mother commented, "I think she's more sleepy on cold and rainy days like today."  (I think that this also applies to people -- it does to me, anyway!)

I did remark that Pepper is more lively on warm, sunny days.  She especially likes to play with the shadows made on the floor by the sun streaming in the window.

On really hot and muggy days she prefers to stay under the bed.  It must be cooler there.

I guess that one could tell the weather by observing Pepper's behavior.  Maybe we could get her a job as a weather analyst!

Domination

The Boston Bruins are currently leading Vancouver, 5-1, in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Championship series.  They are playing in Boston, where they have pretty much dominated each game.  They have lost all three games in Vancouver so far -- all by only one goal!

A team could dominate an entire hockey game, yet still lose.  The outcome of the game depends on goals scored, not shots on goal nor time of possession.

The same could be said of soccer.

The same could be said of football.

The same could be said of baseball.

I'm not so sure about basketball.  Usually the dominating team will win.

So, when the sports announcers talk about "what it will take to win this game," I always respond:  "Score the most goals/points/runs!"

I don't think they ever hear me, because they ask the exact same question before the next game....

Another Weekend Ends

The weather was beautiful for most of last week, but it rained yesterday and today.  Isn't that how life goes sometimes?

Somewhere in today's paper I read that eating a doughnut for breakfast is better than eating no breakfast at all.  Hooray!  I usually do eat a "healthy" breakfast, but maybe I should try to have more days when a doughnut will "have to do."

The Red Sox have been on a tear.  They just completed a three-game sweep of Toronto.  I think the Red Sox scored about five billion runs over those three games.  I'm exaggerating with that number, of course -- but not by much!

My laptop is on its docking station as I type this.  That means that I'm using an external keyboard.  And some of the keys are sticking -- perhaps from the humidity.  I am having to correct just about every word, so I'm going to sign off for tonight.

I do hope that ou all have a great week.  I'm typing this paragraph without making any corrections due to the sticky keys.  An wouldn't you know it, not too many letters are being left out!  It must be becaus of my speedy finges -- I'm tricking the keyboard!  Thankyou for reading "Mainely Tracy."  See you tomorrow.  Good night!

Family Happenings

Yesterday was my cousin Kathy's wedding anniversary.  She and Gordon have been married 33 years.  Congratulations to them!  And as a wonderful anniversary bonus, their second grandchild was born last night.  Their daughter Heather gave birth to a baby boy, Isaac.  Welcome to the world, little one!

Closer to home, my parents celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary today.  They went to Josh's little league game and Zack's lacrosse game.  Lew made spaghetti for supper.  A delicious triple chocolate, triple layer dessert cake also added to the celebratory climate.

I am thanking God for family!  :)

"Love, Loss, and Little Lads"

Ian, one of the young men in Matt's wedding, passed away this past Sunday.  He had been fighting brain cancer for ten years.  Lew and I just got home from the visiting hours.

Emily made a wonderful entry on her blog today.  I'm keeping my post short so that you can read hers:  Love, Loss, and Little Lads.

Life is precious.

A Beach Day

What a beautiful morning we had in Southern Maine.  :)

Kaelen was off today, so she and I were on the beach by 9:30.  We decided to be bathing beauties for a couple hours, and then we took a nice walk before heading home around 12:30.

I wore one of my new bathing suit sets (the "skimpier" one, if you can call it that) and plenty of sunscreen.  I got a little bit of color, but I did not burn.  Success!

My parents took us out for a late lunch at the Old Country Buffet.  Yummy!

We had a bit of a thunderstorm within the past couple hours, which cooled things off a bit.

I'd say that it was a lovely day!

Dad: Unedited XLVIII

(If you didn't understand my entry yesterday, my father clears it up for you today.  Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)

Derf Here!  From the great Northeast!  Really starting to enjoy the weather as summer is in the air.  It is about time!

We've had a busy week attending baseball (Josh) and lacrosse (Zack) games.  Three lacrosse games (won 1; lost 2).  Zack scored a goal in one game and played goalie in the win (he shut out the opposition, winning 8-0).  Great goal tending!

Josh's seventh grade team finished its season with a couple wins (6 wins; 3 losses; one tie due to time constraints).  A fairly successful season.  His little league team has now won seven in a row.  Two more regular season games prior to playoffs and all-stars.  Josh pitched last night for 5 innings (was lifted because of number of pitches so he can pitch again this week).  His team won 9-1 (one run scored after his pitching).  Josh also hit a home run (cleared the fence by several feet).  His first over-the-fence hit.  He has the ball as a memento!  Great game!  Only two left to determine playoff schedule.  We'll be there!

Kaelen went shopping at the Mall for a couple clothing items on Monday.  After several (many) hours she came back making no purchases.  I just misspoke.  She did purchase something -- a sandwich at Amato's.  Another exciting shopping trip!  Great results!  The sandwich was very tasty!  Yummm!

We have a bonus great-grandson arriving in October as Matt and Emily now know, "It's a boy!"  The family is very excited for them and Lew couldn't be happier.  Lew finally gets a grandson!  Hoooraay!

From the Estate at 198 Pine Point Road you are now fairly updated with the goings on.  More to come in a week.

Just heard there may be "severe weather" later in the day.  Hope not!

Until next time,

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Emily's Baby: He or She

Writer's Block

I'm staring at the computer screen wondering what to blog about today.

Should I talk about the gorgeous day we had?  Lew rode his motorcycle to work, and we took a nice walk when he got home.  (I am now 4-0 for the season in The Motorcycle Game.)

Or should I mention that I finished reading The Sherlockian?  I wrote about it on my weekly book challenge blog.

Maybe people would like to hear about how productive I was today.  I caught up on some e-mails this morning, and I also did some church treasurer work.

Would you prefer to know about my Skype session with my friend Kimmee?  It was so wonderful to chat with her and her beautiful little daughter, Jun.  We determined that we need to Skype more often.

Oh, I just can't decide what to blog about!

The Green-Eyed Monster

Glen and Josh were at Fenway Park for the Red Sox game today.

The Sox beat the Oakland Athletics, 6-3, so they saw a good one.  (When the Sox win, it is always a good one!)

And it was a beautiful day for baseball.

I am so jealous!!!

(Postscript:  I think the title is the best part of this post.  Do you know why?)

Shopping With Emily

My parents' Christmas gift to me was a gift card to the Maine Mall.  I thought about what I wanted to buy with it, and I decided it was time to get a new bathing suit.  The two suits that I have are several years old and -- according to Lew -- look like "old lady" swimwear.

Emily agreed to go shopping with me when the time came.  That time was today.

There was a great sale going on, so I was able to buy a couple different swim tops and bottoms.  They all match, so that's four options to wear!  I also got a couple really cute cover-ups.  I don't normally enjoy shopping for bathing suits, but it sure was fun to go with a pregnant lady....

Yes!  Emily is expecting!  We've known about this for several weeks, but I hadn't blogged about it yet.  The baby is due October 25th.  Matt and Emily will find out this week if we are to refer to the baby as "he" or "she."  I can't wait!

While we were at the Mall, we had to go to the bridal shop.  Emily is in a wedding in September and she had to order her dress.  When the saleslady showed Emily the dress and told her the color, Emily said, "I wore that exact same dress -- same color -- in a wedding last year.  I can't believe that I'm going to have two of the same dress hanging in my closet."

But Emily, they won't be exactly the same.  The new one will be ... ahem ... much bigger than the old one!

We did a little more shopping.  Emily bought some maternity clothes.

And -- as always -- our favorite part of shopping was saved for last!  Friendly's Ice Cream!

Royal Recap

Last night was the big little league game between Josh's team and Nick's team.  Nick and his family are close friends of our family.  Glen is a coach for Josh's team, and Lonny (Nick's dad) is a coach for Nick's team.

Josh's team (the Royals) had lost only one game.  Nick's team was undefeated.

It was a rivalry for the ages.

The Royals were ahead 6-3 going into the top of the sixth (and final) inning.  So, three outs stood between me and a Pier Fries run with Lew, Matt, Emily, and Kaelen.  But, wouldn't you know it, Nick's team scored three runs to tie it up!  On to the bottom of the sixth....

The first two batters made outs.  Then, Josh was up.  After taking the first two pitches for strikes, he swung and crushed the ball deep into mid-right field for a double.  He then stole third base.  And then the next batter got a single to drive in Josh -- the winning run!!!

The Royals celebrated on the field.

Lonny and Glen kicked dirt at each other.

The Pier Fries were excellent!

The Bedruma Triangle

A few months ago I posted about a lost paper clip.  It disappeared somewhere on my side of the bed.  I still haven't found it.

There is something strange happening....

I have a vitamin that I take at night, so I keep the bottle by my bed.  A couple days ago I was trying to get one vitamin out of the bottle, but two came out.  One of them dropped to the floor.  I looked and looked and looked and looked and looked and looked.

I'm still looking for it.

Fortunately, this is a vitamin that Pepper will not be interested in, so I'm not worried about her eating it.  But, the fact that it completely disappeared is quite puzzling.

I have a new name for my side of the bed.  I was going to call it the "Bed-roo-ma Triangle."  But then I realized that a slight change in spelling to "Bed-ru-ma" uses the same letters as "Bermuda."  That explains everything!

Dad: Unedited XLVII

(My friend Ellen and I got caught in the rain during our walk this morning.  It's been a crazy day.  Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)

Derf Here!  Sitting in the pickup in the Old Port while spouse visits the doctor.  Found a parking place after only one trip around the block.  We seem to be in a summer weather pattern as the rumble of thunder graced our area one hour ago.  We've had some great weather over the past few days and after today (possible showers), the future looks good.

Kaelen has settled into her summer home and work goes on.  She spent the Memorial Day holiday at the lake with the Reed family.  Went to Old Orchard Beach for "Pie and Fries."  Then to the movies with friend Nathan.  She had a good day.

We went to Josh's game last night.  He pitched the complete game.  He struck out 12 of the 18 outs.  He fielded two balls and got the runners at first.  He caught a pop-up.  So he was involved in 15 of 18 outs.  They won in the last inning with a two-out, walk-off home run (3-1).  Josh tied the game earlier by stealing home.  He challenged the catcher to throw to third as he took an unreasonable, long lead.  When the catcher returned the ball to the pitcher, he dashed home, sliding under the return throw.  Answering "why he did it" he replied, "We needed a run!"  Makes sense!

We get to see Josh's last two seventh-grade games before my next post.  Also another game Thursday evening after the next seventh-grade game.  Against Nick Martin's team (a close friend with the family).  Nick's dad helps coach Nick's team and Glen helps coach Josh's team.  A very competitive rivalry!  We're looking forward to this game!  Bring it on!  Josh can't pitch as he reached his weekly pitch count last night.

I spent yesterday outside as I mowed the back "forty" for the fourth or fifth time.  Who's counting?  Watered all the plants in the flower pots and our four Topsy-Turvy planters.  I'm not sure that they will survive.  Hoping for the best!  I had a few seedlings extra and transplanted them to the front of the house.  Hope a few survive and we could possibly get cukes, tomatoes, and squash in a couple months.  I don't have high hopes but I'll keep you informed.

I can't believe that I see seven parking places available as I sit here on Exchange Street.  Only three left now.

I plan on spending today doing nothing except watering the plants.  The Red Sox have a day game and it would be nice to start winning again.  Good luck, Wakefield!  My evening will be spent watching the Bruins in Vancouver.  Hope they get one win in Canada.  They'll need one plus all home games to win the Stanley Cup.  It has been a great year for Boston sports teams!  It will continue!  Guaranteed!

There is a lot of foot traffic out today.  I just observed a fire truck pass by with lights and sirens blazing.  Have no idea what's going on.

I seem to be rambling on while waiting for spouse to return.  Maybe we'll go eat at the Old Country Buffet.  Maybe not!  So for now,

Until next time,

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

P.S. We did eat at the Old Country Buffet!!