It's off to the races

It usually begins around 7:30 on a Saturday morning...

   We live in what one might classify as a residential area. There are lots of homes in the neighborhood. Most people take pride in their homes and one way of showing that pride is by keeping the lawns mowed and Saturday morning seems to be the morning of choice to mow. By 8 AM the air is filled with the sounds of lawn mowers. I am not talking talking about just two or three, but more like 10 or 11 and a quick spin through the neighborhood confirms just how busy everyone is.

   It may sound strange, but I enjoy cutting the grass. No, I don't cut a design of the Boston Red Sox in my front yard to annoy my 'Yankee fan' neighbor and I probably don't have the best looking grass to begin with. Sure, I'll throw a bit of seed around each Spring, but I am not big on fertilizers and other chemicals, especially with a dog.    But after the dandelions are gone and the mowing is complete, it is one of those activities where you can look back and say... OMG, I missed a spot with the lawnmower! Where did I put the weed-whacker?

   In the early Spring there are some folks in the neighborhood who seem to have weekly visits from the lawn care folks, posting their little warning signs about staying off the grass because of all the chemicals they just added. A representative from the company will often knock on my door and politely ask if I wish to engage in their services for a mere $100 each week, They assure me that I can have the best looking lawn in the neighborhood. Does it really look that bad?

   Truth is I am a mulcher. I have a lawn mower that cuts and mulches at the same time, returning the fresh cuttings back to the earth where they will eventually replenish the soil with their “rich nutrients” and, of course, all those last remaining dandelion parts and pieces. It's never to early to get ready for next year's crop.

   For those of you who know my lawn, it is not always the easiest to “manicure”. I do have a riding lawnmower that pretty much takes care of the front yard and leaves a pattern of nice even stripes across the front of the house, 'kinda' like the look of the outfield at Fenway.

   But the back yard is a much different story and when I get ready to work in the yard, I need to allow for at least a couple of hours, which includes weed-whacking around the many hostas and all the trees. We live somewhat in the woods.

   As the lawn and garden season approached this year, despite the mild winter, I decided to finally have the mower serviced. It had been a while and it was time to replace the blades that have hit their share of rocks and tree roots over the past couple years. It is not the easiest lawn to mow.

   But with the new blades, a new spark plug and fresh oil, the lawn looks pretty good so far and I am sure almost everyone in the neighborhood is commenting, saying that I have finally cut my lawn.

   Seriously. I do like to mow the lawn, to get outside and enjoy the sun and warm weather and work in the garden. To date we have had some nice early Spring days, but lately the warmer weather seems to be staying away. (This past winter really spoiled us! It was so mild.)

   One more thing. Our yard is more that just 'somewhat green' grass. I already mentioned the hostas, more than 100. But we have some beautiful gardens too. It would take a bit of time to describe the amount of time and work that goes into the gardens. So, I will let a picture or two speak those thousand words. Kudos to my wife.

   So if you happen to be riding through Pittsfield sometime soon, just turn left on to Birchwood Terrace and enjoy the view.

 
                             

                                               

One can always dream and hope.....

   I have traditionally tried to stay away from posts and blogs of a political nature. But every once and a while I just can't help myself. In this particular case, after a crazy week of politics, I posted this on my Facebook page, something I almost never do and it was probably a mistake. But geeze.....this election reads like a bad novel, unfortunately a bad novel that is hard to put down. So here it is. And by the way, I have not decided who I may vote for, although I already know who will not get my vote...

  

    The political world seems to be in a bit of a turmoil these days and maybe it's time for some words of wisdom, not from me, but from those directly involved.. Here are three statements that might help move things in a more positive direction..

   From Donald Trump..."I have decided there are others far more knowledgeable in world affairs than I am and I will release those delegates who are pledged to me to seek other, more knowledgeable and qualified candidates to represent the GOP in the 2016 Presidential election. 

   From Paul Le Page..."I have decided that since I lack the proper skills to lead and do not have a vision for the future for Maine and... since I will be moving to Florida as soon as possible anyway, I will be stepping down at the end of the month from being the Governor of Maine. I do this so that I no longer block or hinder the ability of others, who really do care about the future of Maine, to plan, bring meaningful jobs and businesses to Maine and move the Maine economy if a positive direction.

And from Governor Bentley of Alabama..."I am never using a telephone again. Never !!"

One can always dream and hope, right?

They're really difficult to avoid these days...

   Whether it's the peanut butter aisle in the local grocery store, the pain reliever display at Rite Aid or the morning coffee line at Dunkin Donuts, it's almost impossible not to hear a discussion about this year's Presidential campaign. If it's not about the latest outrageous comments from one, or for that matter, all of the candidates, who landed the most punches between protester at the most recent political rally, or who has told the most lies according to “fact check,” this year's campaign has certainly attracted national attention. And while standing in the checkout line at Walmart, sitting at the counter at the local coffee shop or walking the dog on a bright sunny morning, it is even more of a challenge not to share at least a personal comment or two. It has become really hard to “just keep your mouth shut!”

   I must say  the media has done a fantastic job of making the names of Trump or Clinton, Rubio or Cruz household words. Has there been any nightly news in the past 6 months where the lead story has not been about the campaign? And  the names of all those other candidates who dropped out early in the race? The debate stages seemed so full just a few months ago. But so soon we forget.

   At a recent Sunday morning antique auction, when most of us probably should have been at church, a heated discussion broke out among people who I had thought were friends. Voices were raised, obscene words were tossed back and forth and if it had not been for the fact that Danny began to auction off a very early three foot carved wooden eagle, who knows what might have happened? Did I really want to stick around when the auction moved inside, when the rifles and firearms were brought up to sell?

   On the one hand, it's nice to see so much interest in the election and the democratic process. But, on the other, I am not sure this is what the founding fathers' had envisioned. I am sure that back in the day there were many heated and contentious elections and political sparring. In fact, if I am not mistaken, do the names Hamilton and Burr and a duel in Northern New Jersey ring a bell? Go ahead. Take a shot!

   I have yet to decide who I may vote for and it drives the pollsters who keep calling the house crazy. But what I question as I consider my choice is whether I am voting for a candidate or is my vote actually a vote against the other candidate, a lesser of two evils so to speak. There are still 239 days until election day 2016. I still have time to decide. Until then I think I'll try to avoid any of those heated debates, especially at the auction.
   But, regardless of what I personally decide and how I am going to vote, this election and the final outcome may take its' place in the history books as one of the more "interesting" displays of American democracy, and I am already looking forward to the 2020 election!

                          

How looking back maybe just got easier...

   My first car was a four door 1964 Plymouth Valiant. It was light blue with big old white wall tires. I don't remember too much else about the car, only that power windows had not been invented yet and that if I went through a puddle of water, the car would stop. It seems as though there was a design flaw, that being the placement of the alternator in the engine was near the bottom of the engine block, too close to the road and when it got wet, the car would shut down. OK. Before someone else says it...it was a fair weather car.

   And who can forget that a gallon of gas was just 31 cents.

   Despite the little quirks, the car got me back and forth to college in West Virginia for several years, out on dates to Fair Lawn, N.J and most of the time, on time to summer jobs, except when it was raining of course. It served its purpose.

   Fast forward to 2016. I recently bought a new car, at least new to me. It is just a bit over a year old with low mileage and is nothing like that 1964 blue Valiant. Yes, it has power windows and I don't think it will stop running in the rain. Tucked somewhere inside the radio, I guess, is something called 'Bluetooth' that allows me to talk on my cell phone without it leaving my pocket. I don't even have to dial a number. I push a little green button on the steering wheel and this voice asks me what number I want to call. Cool!

   Heated seats are nice, especially in colder climates and rear hatches on SUV's that pop open with the touch of the key are great when your arms are full of grocery bags. But what I really like is the backup camera.

   Now I am not getting any younger and one of the things I am finding is that my mobility is not quite what it use to be. I can still swing a golf club or throw a tennis ball for the dog. I can still look in the rear view mirror or turn my head to the left or right when I am ready to back the car out of the garage or from one of those tiny parking spaces at the mall. But what I have found is that the backup camera really does help, with an additional view, although it does take a bit of getting use to.

   Put the car in 'R' and a picture immediately appears on a screen in the dashboard. Now, the first time I did this, the car salesperson was standing immediately behind the car, his face just inches away from the camera. He laughed and I screamed. He is pretty scary to look at, even in the camera.

   But after some practice, the camera has become a helpful driving tool. In the garage, I start the car, shift it into reverse, after I have opened the garage door of course, and I get a full picture of my driveway and the neighbor’s house across the street. I sure won't back into his house now, not that I ever did.

   With some degree of ease and feeling a bit more aware of those things going on around me, I now slip in and out of parking places at the grocery store, the local Dunkin Donuts and Walmart. I still adjust the rear view mirror, and look behind me to the left and the right before stepping on the gas, but the camera does add another level of safety.

   There have been a lot of changes in cars and trucks since my first 1964 Plymouth Valiant. Power window, heated seats, backup cameras are only a few of the innovations designed to make the journey through life a bit easier, more comfortable and safer.

   We know that sometimes when we drive, we need to back up in order to move forward and get to where we want to go. Life in general is like that also. That backup camera inside the car gives us, not only a picture of where we have been, but also where we need to go before moving forward.

   The same holds true for life outside the car. While we don't have our own electronic backup camera, we probably have something just as good. I think we call it 'life's experiences', lessons and memories. It may not be quite like what we see on the screen of the backup camera on the dashboard of the car, the things we remember can often remind us of what's behind us, where we have been and where we are may be headed.

   And as for that new backup camera? Already I wonder how I have managed to get along without it for so long. 

                                         

Almost as bad and scary as a junk drawer, or maybe even worse...

   Several years ago I wrote a blog about 'junk drawers', places we have in our homes where we put stuff, things we don't use any more but also don't want to throw away for whatever reason. Often my reason for not throwing something away is very simple. Who knows when I may need an extra 'this' or a 'red or blue that'. And over the years, as in my case, the drawer fills up and every once and a while, say 8-10 years, it's time to clean it out and start again.

   I recently had a 'junk drawer' experience, but with a bit of a twist. Actually it was a somewhat scary twist because I didn't know what I might find or in this case, what someone else might find.

   A few weeks ago I bought a new car. More correct, for me it is a newer car. It was in good condition, low mileage, a nice color and appeared to be well maintained. I usually don't buy brand new cars any more. The depreciation one suffers after driving out of the showroom can be a bear. I'll let someone else take the hit.

   To make a long story short, I didn't have the opportunity to clean out all the storage areas of the car I was trading in, so... one of the service people at the auto dealer said he would do it for me.

   Jokingly I said to him...”If you find that $100 bill I dropped under the seat, I'll split it with you.” He laughed. I laughed. And then... fear gripped my body. What would he find tuck away in all those little storage compartment, the glove box, the consoles between the seats, under the seats, in the trunk and oh yes, those catch-all areas on each of the doors. Did you know there are four of those? Lots of space for junk.

   Now don't get me wrong. I usually try to keep my vehicles clean, both inside and out. You won't find coffee cups or soda cans rolling around the floor. I have one of those little trash containers on the floor to collect the Dunkin Donuts coffee cups and napkins. But, like the 'junk drawer' at home, things sometimes will find their way into the console along with the extra CD’s or the glove box or stuffed in the corner of the trunk.

   But what was really scary in this case was that someone else was going to clean out the car, a car that contained “my stuff.” What would he think. Those items in the car, were they a reflection of the type of person I am, how neat or messy I am? Was there anything really important tucked away in the glove box or under the seat?

   (For those reading this who do not know what a glove box is, it's a storage compartment traditionally in the dashboard on the passenger side. I can actually remember my grandmother putting her gloves in the glove box before leaving the garage. She always carried a pair of white gloves with her. Yes. A different time and different generation.)

   Yesterday Chris  called from the car dealership. He had finished cleaning out the car and I could come over to pick up the two boxes of items I had left in the car. Two boxes.? That much?

   Needless to say, I did not delay and rushed right over, if for no other reason than curiosity. What had he actually found?

    There was the car registration, the insurance card, the E Z Pass, a pretty significant number of CD's, 6 very stale granola bars, all kinds of chewing gum, several key chains, and several of those small packages of tissues, most opened and half used.

   There were probably a dozen or so pens and pencils, a couple dozen business cards, pads of paper, three travel blankets, the pet seat cover for the back seat for Lucky, two ice scrapers, and several umbrellas. I think you get the picture.

    There was about $4  worth of change. But much to Chris' disappointment, no $100 dollar bill!

    There were no year old sandwiches or half eaten hamburgers, moldy cupcakes, beer cans, bloody shirts or weapons. Bloody shirts? Weapons? Yes. According to Chris, I might be surprised by what people leave in their trade-ins. Knives appear to be the current weapon of choice.

    As I began sorting through the boxes, for reassurance Chris told me the things in my car were pretty normal. Thank goodness. In this case, normal is OK with me.

   With two full boxes and a couple of blankets, should I have car trouble in the middle of winter, it was a good time to start fresh, so with the exception of the CD's, some of the chewing gum, a flash light, a few pens and the one umbrella that worked, the rest of the items got tossed in the trash can. How many half opened packages of Kleenex does one really need.

   But before I left the car dealership, Chris reminded me that in my new car there was additional storage space under the rear cargo area, just in case I needed some extra room. He laughed. I said “thanks” and off I went to enjoy my new ride.

   Now I am sure it was my imagination, but the car seemed lighter than the other one. But then again why wouldn't it. I had just cleaned out all the “junk drawers.”

The circus is coming, the circus is coming....

   I try to stay away from writing about politics. It is something I don't really know too much about. But every once and a while I just feel the urge to vent, to share a comment or two to show my political ignorance or express one of my narrow minded opinions, knowing that many who read this may disagree with me. But isn't that what makes this country great? (And Donald thought that statement was his original idea.)

   As of the date of writing this week's blog, there are 283 days until election day and, to be honest, I am not sure I am going to make it without throwing the television remote or a coffee cup at the TV or ripping the radio out of the car.

   For just one day I would like to turn on the evening news and not hear about the candidates or the primaries. For just one day I would like a break from the name calling, the character bashing, and the sometimes stupid and idiotic comments. Oh wait. I wasn't talking about the candidates. I was referring to the media coverage and some of the news reporters.

   And then there are the candidates themselves, of course, people who believe they are able and qualified to lead a nation. 
   The truth is you can’t take classes in college to become President of the United States or go to workshops on “How to be the  President”. It takes more training than spending a week or two in an internship program to gain the skills necessary to be the leader of one of the greatest nations in the world  and yet there are many who feel themselves qualified to aspire to the highest elected position in the land.

   I was born in 1946. In 1948, Harry Truman was elected President. True. Many said he couldn't do the job. Some were right.  But since then there have been 16 Presidential elections and each who served faced a variety of challenges in a rapidly changing world. None had gone to college for the sole purpose of becoming President and my guess... that not too long after taking office, many discovered just how challenging the responsibilities were and how ill prepared they actually were for the job. Does LBJ sound familiar?

   I am really not sure if some of those currently running for office have a true understanding of what is required. Just because you have been a Governor or a member of the Congress does not necessarily make you qualified to be President. 
   Yes, the President does have a great deal of power, influence and control, but there is one thing we now know sure though. It will cost a great deal of money to get elected in 2016 and the billions and billions of dollars that will be spent over the next 283 day will be staggering. It almost seems that becoming President of the United States has become a rich man's (or woman's) game. And... we all know what lots of money has the potential to do! I think it's called the Golden Rule, you know, he who has the gold......

   This coming Monday seems to be a pretty important day. Personally, I really don't understand why the opinions of the people in Iowa are more important than here in Maine. Iowa is probably a very nice place to visit, although I would not want to live there. Is there an ocean close by? Is the seafood in the restaurants fresh? 
   Why are they first in this entire process? And because different States use different methods to select candidates to attend the nominating conventions, does the system accurately reflect the wishes of those who will eventually vote, or in many cases who decide not to vote for whatever reason.
   The first election that had meaning for me while I was still in school was 1960. The social studies teacher had made an assignment, to write an essay. The title was..."What if a Catholic President?" Remember, Kennedy was a Catholic and a Catholic had never been elected President before. Would his decisions and leadership be influenced by the Pope in Rome. OMG!
   Imagine. A Catholic President!
   And then there was the election of 2008. A President of the United States, a person of color. This still is not well accepted by many in different regions of the country and one of the reasons why some are so angry with government. 
   Who knows what may be next? Could it be a woman, or someone of Jewish faith?
   And what is the 'natural born citizen' controversy. I know what it says in the Constitution. I have read it. But...I can be the son born to American citizens, but because my parents are vacationing in Aruba or Canada or, God forbid, Pennsylvania, at the time of my birth.....Nope not going to go there. 
    Can someone please tell me just how the Republican Party of today is anything like that of the Lincoln Presidency in 1860's. It all goes back to those damn immigrants of the 1860's coming to America or the freeing of the slaves in the South. 
   And yes it's nice to be reminded that socialism in America is alive and well again.What a crime it would be to have an affordable healthcare system for everyone, not just the rich.
    With all due respect,  U.S. Presidential elections are important. It is part of what makes the democratic process work and it is not my intent to mock or criticize the system. If that were my intent, I would take off my shirt, hop on the back of a horse and join Vladimir Putin on a photo shoot.  But when the election is treated like a circus coming to town, when the only way to get elected is by bashing your opponents and spending billions of dollars while thousands of children in the U.S. go hungry each day or women are viewed as second class citizens when it comes to salary and income, it's no wonder the average voter feels left out of the process. 
   The good news, there are only 283 days until election day 2016. The bad news, the campaign for the election of 2020 begins November 9, 2016.