Play ball!!

   Its just another cloudy day in early March. There is still snow on the ground, but all is not lost. There are less three weeks now until the Red Sox open their 2013 season, and this year it starts with games against the “evil empire", the New York Yankees, three games! On April 1st? You have got to be kidding!

   Many in New England have a long standing love affair with the Red Sox. Over the years they have brought cheers, tears and sneers to many avid fans. But this new season will be different. All smiles, we hope!

   This year's team boasts a new manager, some new faces both in the infield and outfield, as well as some of the more familiar favorites that  bring a renewed excitement from the Fenway faithful. The hot dogs will be hot and beer will be cold as the umpire walks to home plate and shouts ...”play ball!”

   Truth is I was not always a Red Sox fan. Growing up just outside of New York City, it was a requirement to follow only the local teams. But, before you stop reading, I was never a Yankee fan, except for maybe the likes of Yogi Berra and Casey Stengel, two of the world's great baseball philosophers. Baseball in the New York area was and still is so “matter-of-fact, so business as usual.” It lacked emotion. (Just ask my sister-in-law! I can hear her cheering from here. ) And... back in my day we still had the Dodgers of Brooklyn and the NY Giants before they moved to warmer climates.

   Moving to New England has changed my view and appreciation for the sport. I do admire the dedication and devotion of the New England fans to their teams, especially the Red Sox. One might consider it almost like a 'romance', even during the seasons when things are not going well. Take last year for example. Poor Bobby Valentine. He just never got it.

   And as with love and romance, there may be times that we will argue and disagree, but we still manage to move on, and in this case, cheer the next home run. Who can not have a smile on their face as 'Big Papi 'sends the ball rocketing over the center field seats. He is coming back this year...right?

   Even if you can't attend a game in person, Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy can make you feel as though you are right there, at the ball park, sitting behind home plate as the crack their corny jokes and funny stories. Grill up a few hot dogs, have a couple of cans of beer...it's almost as good as being there and you don't have to worry about finding a place to park.

   It's starting to rain a bit  and the wind is still 'picking up', but I have put aside the seed catalog, put on my Red Sox wind breaker and picked up the most recent copy of this year's roster. There are some new names, no doubt about it.  
   Now if we can just teach them the proper way to pronounce “chowda”! 

'Tis the season

        No. It's not Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's. It is  Springtime in Maine and pothole season has arrived in all it's ugly glory.

      It's dark  in the early morning before 6:00 AM now, at least for a few more weeks.
Daylight saving time has just kicked in.. But I hear the birds singing and smell the freshness of the spring air. Then I hear a loud “kurplunk” and swearing as a passing car bottoms out on a rather large pothole. Dare I venture out to the store?

   The ride to the local Wal Mart, although only a short one, has become a real challenge. Route 100 has turned into an obstacle course when attempting to avoid hitting the many, many potholes. It is interesting how they place themselves in the most inconvenient locations. But then if they didn't, they wouldn't  be potholes would they!

   By definition, “a pothole is a 'disruption' in the surface of the roadway where a portion of the surface has broken away. Disruption! I love that word. Potholes are the result of fatigue in the road surface. Fatigue? How about...just plain 'busted up'. Now doesn't that make you feel better knowing that? 

   Looking for future pothole sites? You only need to look for the alligator cracking on the surface. Hmm. Looks a bit like the skin on my arms!

  The formation of a pothole is generally exacerbated by low temperatures, where water freezes and refreezes beneath the road surface, creating additional stress on the already cracking surface. That explains it. Makes me feel a whole lot better not that I know the cause.

  Potholes can grow to be enormous in size, from several inches to more than a foot in diameter and up to 6, 8 or even 12 inches deep, deep enough to swallow up a small car.

  We can joke about potholes, but they are serious. They can cause serious damage to a vehicle's suspension system or destroy a tire. Case in point. I ended up buying a new tire recently. Was I going too fast? Under normal circumstances, probably not. But given the road conditions? Maybe. Could I have swerved out of the way? Only if I wanted to be hit by a rather large truck in the oncoming lane.

  The interstate highway this year is not much better. For the first time in years, Interstate 95 is riddles with potholes and a washboard effect. At least on the interstate there is a bit more room to maneuver around the the potholes because of nice wide shoulders. Thump! Oops. Didn't see that one coming.

  I recently spoke with a local law enforcement official. I asked him if he would like to comment on the road conditions this year. After about two minutes of almost uncontrollable laughter, he said that this year was one of the worst he has seen and he thought last year was bad.  He was quick to add that people are still driving to fast for the conditions. He had already started his collection of hubcaps for the year. Anyone need a hubcap from a Oldsmobile? What's an Oldsmobile?

  Fixing potholes is also a challenge. Shovels and a truckload of cold patch are the tools of the trade but the repair generally only lasts until the next rain or snow storm. Did I actually see someone shoveling cold patch out of a pothole and putting it into buckets in the back of a pickup? Must be a problem in the driveway at home.

  In all seriousness, the pothole problem is an issue. According to the officer, this year is like the “perfect storm.” Long cold winter, lots of snow recently, plowing and water and little money to repair and fix the roads properly. Tight budgets. While potholes may create some immediate business for the local auto repair dealers and tire shops ( part of the LePage economic growth plan), in the future, repair of roads will only cost more. But by then he will be out of office. TG

  But for now, keep your eyes peeled for that little red Volkswagen that  just drop right out of sight... Boy, that's a deep one!

The 'rites' and 'wrongs' of Spring

   Although the official arrival of Spring, according to the calendar, is March 21, for those of us who live well north the Mason-Dixon Line, Spring's arrival often occurs well into April. While some sing of April showers, many pray for no more Patriot Day surprises.

   March 21 is more than a date on the calendar. It is a state of mind. It is a rebirth, a new beginning, as we  emerge from the cold and darkness of winter. Thoughts of snow shoveling and skiing, icy roads and school closings turn to Red Sox baseball, planting the garden and cleaning up those little brown mounds in the yard thanks to the dog. (But we still love him.)

   Spring generally signals different activities around the house, activities that have almost become traditions; the 'rites of Spring.'

    The seeds for the garden are purchased, planted and placed in sunny window locations throughout the house. The lawn furniture gets its annual scrubbing and if one is feeling really energetic, the windows might even get washed.
   The wardrobe changes too. Sweaters and dark clothes are replaced by short sleeves and light, bright colors.

   There are some 'social rites' as well. Neighbors may see each other for the first time since raking  leaves last Fall. Our neighborhood is loaded with trees and lots of leaves. It's always a busy time. Most of my leave blow on to my neighbor's property.     
   The garages get cleaned out and  the yard sale signs go up as neighbors swap those unwanted items from one garage to another.

   It's been a seemingly long winter this year since the snow didn't really begin until the later part of January and since then, it feels as though it hasn't stopped.
   But, there is truly nothing quite as enjoyable as that first really warm day and ....we are still waiting for that day to arrive. Fresh, warm air can't be that hard to come by, and  I don't really consider 35 a mild early Spring day. I want one of those surprise 50 degree day!!

   There are some 'wrongs' of Spring as well. Not cleaning up the garden after the last bloom in the Fall makes it hard  to get ready for the springtime planting. Include raking the leaves into that thought too. It has only been the last several years that I have come to understand the importance of getting rid of the leave in the fall and how much easier it makes yard work in the spring. Fewer blisters on my hands too. Gloves? Real men don't wear gloves to do yard work.

   Forgetting to drain the gasoline from the lawn mower is another 'wrong'. It is difficult enough to start that aged lawn mower engine, let alone have old gas in the tank.  That E-10 stuff is terrible for lawn mowers and there is talk of increasing it to E-15. Ouch! That cord snapping around my fingers really hurts. Maybe it's time to think about a new mower with an electric starter.

   All winter long, I  heard the scurrying of little feet and thought it was the neighbor's cat, only to  find that a family of squirrels had spent the winter, not in Florida, but in a far away corner of the garage. So that's where all the bird seed went!

   But there is one thing we all know. We all  know, somehow,  when winter is finally over. We know the day! It smells different, looks different and feels different. To not get out and enjoy that day, even if it's only a short break at lunch, is a feeling you could miss this year and  have to wait until next year.

   I just looked out the window. I can't believe it is still snowing today and more predicted for the coming week. Please.........!!!!!!

Spill in aisle three...

   I'll admit it. There are times  I like to go shopping. Now before you become unglued from hysterical laughter, let me qualify the type of shopping I "sometimes" like to do. When it comes to clothing, if I can’t buy it from a mail order catalog it doesn't get purchased. But food is a different story, I am talking about the grocery store. You  can learn a great deal about society by going to the grocery store.
   As a kid, I enjoyed visiting my grandmother. Just around the corner from her home was a little neighborhood grocery store. Zogby's I think was the name. Almost daily, she would call them in the morning with a grocery order and by early afternoon, it would be delivered, right to the house. Pretty neat!! And if I was coming for a visit, there would be an extra package of  cookies in the bag, compliments of the grocer..
   Food shopping  has changed over the years. The neighborhood grocery store has joined the ranks of the dinosaur and the Edsel. Today's stores are huge and filled with items that many  in other parts of the world  only dream about. There seems an abundance and variety to tantalize any  taste buds.
   I approach grocery shopping as if it were a game, a challenge. How can I get want I want at the lowest price?  I know they put those small, almost unreadable labels with numbers and bar codes under each item and by reading them you can determine which might be the best buy. But with today's cell phones....you can comparison shop right  there in the aisle, checking prices in other stores.
   It has been said the 'you are what you eat.' Now, what I am about to say may sound a bit creepy, but …..sometimes it's fun to look in other people's shopping carts. What do other people buy? How similar or different are the items in their cart.  More important, did I miss a good buy? Or maybe...I am just plain nosy.
   Speaking of shopping carts, have you noticed that they now come in at least three different sizes; small, medium and the family with four kids size cart!
   One of the new trends in grocery stores I really like is the “buy local” initiative. Many of the major grocery chain store in Maine support the local farmers and that is good for the economy. Who really wants to buy a 'hot' pepper from Mexico, or worse, California. We have our own hot peppers right here.  
   Often, stores will “rearrange” items on the shelves and to be perfectly blunt, I don't like it. Like my grandmother, the older I get, the more important it is to maintain consistency. But store managers will often move things around and that quick stop to pick up just a few items now becomes a bit longer as I have to search  for the new locations. Oh, I get it!
   One of the things I do miss is the blaring of the intercom announcing a “spill in aisle three!” It was fun to race to the aisle to see the maple syrup spilled on the floor and a mother struggling to keep her three year old from crawling through the mess.
   So with my shopping nearly completed, I make one quick pass by the bakery section. On the counter is a plate of cookies. What I have found is that these cookies are not only for kids, but 'old men' too.
   See you next time by the fresh veggies section!

And all this time I thought it was just ham....

   Growing up, I remember one of my parent's favorite meals was eggs, toast and Spam. For those who don't know, Spam is a processed meat that is stuffed into a metal can and if not mistaken, the can is opened by a key cleverly attached to the bottom of the  package. I can still see the chunk of a 'pink something', meat I hoped, encased in a gelatin-like wrap, as it literally "plopped" out of the can and occasionally sliding to the floor..

   My mother would cut the already cooked meat into small strips and place them in a frying pan and within minutes the kitchen would be filled with smoke and the smell of Spam as it sizzled on the stove. Within another  minute or two, the toast would pop up in the toaster and... dinner was served..

   Now, my email account on the computer has a spam filter and it is designed to capture those messages I do not want to receive because of the nature of the subject matter or what- ever. This is done by selecting a security setting in my mailbox. But I began to wonder if the 'spam' in my emails got its name from Spam, the packaged meat. Both appear to have some similar qualities.

    When all else fails and I have a question, I usually do a Google search and there, at the top of the search results list was....Spam... the meat!.

   Spam is short for spiced ham and dates back to 1937. This year, Spam is 75 years old and I will bet there are still some packages on store shelves somewhere or in a home pantry dating back to 1937. The 'stuff' lasts forever!!

   Over the years Spam became the 'butt' of many jokes, stories and folklore. Even to this day, it can not shake the tag line of “mystery meat”.  Ask any school- aged kid.

   In 2007, the seven billionth can of Spam was sold. Of that number, I may have purchased five or six cans, that's all. I must say it has never been one of my favorite meals, probably because I was not exactly sure what I was eating.

   Today there is a new definition of spam that does not date back very far, more like the 1990's maybe. Today's 'spam' consists of those nasty and harassing messages that often sneak their way into the computer and emails. Generally the spam of today is used as an advertising tool. It called a 'electronic' spam!

   Spamming has become quite popular by advertisers because it is easy and costs very little to send out thousands of messages to unsuspecting recipients. Just in 2011 alone there were over seven trillion spam messages sent and sometimes it feels like many of them end up in my email spam folder.Case in point...

   In less than an 8 hour time period this past Wednesday, 10 messages appeared in my spam folder, ranging from offers to grant me a  loan in less that one hour for up to ten thousand dollars, to promotionals from two different satellite television companies, to getting a college in just a few weeks. Must be quite a degree!

   There were products that would increase certain body part sizes, longer, harder...you get the picture, ( Big Willy is my favorite.), to offers from drug companies with specials that would have made me more romantic on Valentines Day.

   I was selected to receive a free, alternative account to Facebook, the name of which I will not repeat, but you may be able to guess .

   And then there was one that  with just a click of the mouse, a $2000. pure-approved deposit would be placed in my bank account by the end of that very day. How do they know which bank I use??? Right!!

   So...there does appear to be a connection between the 'Spam in a can' and the spam in my email folder, and I think we have  Monty Python. to thank for that. An unfortunate result for the Hormel Foods? Maybe not. So much for the impact and influence of pop culture.

   At this point I thought about “hamming it up a bit,” but I will spare you all the agony of a bad joke or two. But to make sure I don't get an unexpected package from 'Big Willy' (that would be a really bad joke) , I had better delete everything in my spam folder and I'll do it right now! (click/delete)

   And I am just thinking out loud here.....It has been many years since I have tasted the morsels of  real Spam. I may just buy a can  and see if it is as bad as I remember !!

More than just the middle of the month...

          I like the month of February. It usually has only 28 days, not the more common 30 or 31. It can be stormy ( like this past weekend, wow), but by the end of the month the daylight  hangs longer in the sky and every once and a while the temperature breaks the 40 degree mark for more than a day or so. And... February is filled with holidays and birthdays.

            In addition to the birthdays of Presidents Lincoln and Washington, February is also the birth month of Ronald Reagan and William Henry Harrison. (Who? I thought he lost the election!)      

            There are a number of family birthdays during the month too; a daughter, a son-in-law,  and 2  grandchildren. Can't forget the state basketball tournaments, a winter  Maine stay!!. They all make the month seem to fly by.  But tucked in between all the birthdays and a school vacation may be the most important date of all.

            February 14^th is Valentine’s Day. After the excitement of Groundhog Day (one of my favorites!), February 14^th is the day to celebrate love.

          I do not profess to be much of a romantic, but the origin of Valentine’s Day has always piqued my curiosity. Seemingly to be a plot by greeting card companies and candy makers to get people to spend money, there had to be some history to its beginning. Why February and who was this ‘fellow’ named Valentine?

          Its history may date back as early as the third century in Rome with a priest named Valentine. At that time it was believed that unmarried males made better soldiers and a law was passed prohibiting the marriage of young men before fulfilling their requirement to serve in the Roman army. Valentine defied the orders of the Roman Emperor and continued to perform marriages of young men at his church. His defiant actions were discovered and he was sentenced to death.

          The story gets a bit fuzzy here. One belief was that while waiting to die, Valentine fell in love the jailer’s daughter. Just before his death he sent her a letter and signed it “From your Valentine”. The rest is history.

         Throughout the years the story of Valentine continued to grow in popularity and embellishment  and by the Middle Age’s, Valentine’s story had emerged as one of "true undying love".

          But why February? The month of February was probably selected, not because of the anniversary of Valentine’s death, but as a sign of the beginning of spring and a symbol of new life and purification.

          But here is another twist to this ‘story of romance'. Without going into great detail, in the early Spring, after the  animal sacrifices and other ancient purification rituals, strips of  hide were cut  from the dead goats, dipped in blood and young lads would  take them and race through the streets of the city, gently tapping women with the bloody hides.

         According to historians, women looked forward to the gentle tap as it was a sign of increased fertility ( I Will Do Anything for Love!!!). At the conclusion of the festivities, young women would place their names in an urn in the center of the city and the young bachelors would each choose a name. The end result was often marriage. But.. it wasn’t long before the practice of the ‘lottery’ was banned. Sounds like one of today’s ‘reality TV shows!’

          February 14th became the official St Valentine’s Day date in 498 A.D. but it was not until 1415 that the first  official written greeting card was recorded  and that card  is still on display in London to this day. Through the years, as printing improved and the postal systems expanded, a new industry emerged and cards and letters became the means of emotional expression since public display was not encouraged. (No PDA in those days, but not the case today. My God, get a room!)

         The first mass produced cards hit the American scene in the mid-1800s. Today Valentine’s Day is the second leading card sending holiday in America.

          Each year, shortly after Christmas, store shelves are filled with brightly red wrapped heart-shaped boxes of candy and stuffed animals with tags asking you to “Be Mine”. Cards  fill the aisles with written messages of “undying love”. I like the new cards that allow you to record you own message. Pretty cool!

          Now, I have a confession to make here. This is a holiday I usually remember. I  remember the card and the flowers. What I forget is that love is something that should be celebrated every day of the year, not just February 14th.

         Happy Valentine’s Day… each and every day!

Sorry, but I just had to......

   Since the Hometown Newspapers closed last Spring, I have taken to writing my blog. I have tried to keep most of the articles light and humorous. I have tried to stay away from topics with political overtones and criticism, especially of our elected officials. I know how difficult and challenging it is to not become a public target. But there are certain things 'one' can do in an attempt to reduce the amount of criticism, and you would think that after a year or so, 'one' might learn a lesson or two, but... if you keep the fodder coming, what should 'one' expect?

   For those of you reading this and not from the State of Maine, you may or may not be familiar with our Governor and his ability to upset just about every faction of the state's population at one time or another since his election. I am not talking about just Democrats or Republican here. He has the uncanny ability to open his mouth, even with the best intentions, and manage to anger someone or some group. Here is a case in point.

   The Governor recently spoke at a local school assembly of elementary school children. In his remarks he warned the children of what he sees.. “a newspaper industry in Maine full of liars. My greatest fear in Maine...newspapers. I am not a fan of newspapers.” That's a quote. And this assembly was not the first time he has taken shots at newspapers with school age kids.

   He did tell a reporter, after the event,  that he does like television and radio because they don't 'spin the news'. I guess I would ask when was the last time he watched Fox News or listened to Rush Limbaugh?

   This is not the first time the Governor has expressed his displeasure with the media. During his campaign there was a time he refused to meet with anyone from the  press.

   Now I need to put a disclaimer here and why his recent comments, to children in particular, might be just a bit 'personal' for me.

   After publicly making his somewhat outlandish and unrealistic statement, I was the first newspaper reporter he agreed to meet with after his public ranting. He would not come to my office as the four other candidates had done, so I agreed to meet him at his office in Waterville. There were at least two of his campaign staff present at all times, recording his every comment he made to me. And his request at the end of the interview... he wanted to 'proof 'my article before it was printed !! Like that was going to happen. ( The interview went well and I believed, at the time, I represented his positions fairly in my reporting. I did not know him well then. I am not sure I could do the same today.)

   I have reached the point where I am tired of him calling everyone 'liars', I mean everyone, not just news reporters!!!. From his perspective is everyone a liar if they have a different view than his?
   I am tired of his "political strategy" of bullying to promote his agenda, an agenda that after a year I am still trying to figure out.

   I know he has a dislike for school administrators and teachers and would like to see most of the schools in Maine shut their doors in favor of his 'charter schools'. Would all the teachers be nuns and teach French?

   Based upon comments he has made, he does not exhibit a high regard for the students in Maine implying, in  television interviews, that they are inferior to kids in other states. Does that mean he feels that parents are doing a poor job at raising their children too?

   Although he talks a great game about his own personal trials and struggles as a youth growing up, he appears to have little empathy for those who struggle today because of the financial burden they create.

   And as one who was critical of those who came before him in the Governor's office for using “games and smoke-and-mirrors” to solve many of the state's financial problems, he has quietly slipped into similar patterns. Let's lower the price of alcohol to generate more money to pay off the hospitals and other health agencies that deal with the abuse to women and children, the result of increased alcohol use. Have another drink, Governor.

   The campaign season will soon be in full swing and I sincerely hope he reevaluates his decision to run for reelection. If he doesn't, the people of Maine should!
    And... I apologize for breaking my commitment to stay away from politics. But his comments to the kids about newspapers steps over the line for me .