Anyway, we were talking about how damn dark it is outside. I almost screamed. He gets an extra half hour of light at the end of the day, but that wasn’t what I was getting mad at. I was hating the dark - period. What is up with this? Why don’t the “people in charge” just give us daylight savings time all year round? I mean, seriously, who would care?

I was telling him that my ideal situation would be mowing the lawn at 9PM. Now, that’s what I’m talking about. I want it to get dark at around 10PM. I want to be drinking a beer, watching the sun go down when all the little kiddies in the town have been asleep for an hour already.

These days feel so short. I know they’re not, but what in the world am I supposed to do with all this darkness? My logical mind tells me to find something to do in the dark. Yeah, right. What does everyone else do? That’s what I’d like to know. What in the world does everyone in this world do during winter? Is it me, or is the vast majority of our population sitting on the couch from 6PM to 11PM watching TV to only fall asleep a few minutes later? Does it feel like ground hog day all winter for everyone?

Boy, I’m on a tear tonight. I think it’s because when I got off the phone, the clock read 9:56PM. I thought it was around 7PM. Almost 3 hours of my life just disappeared. I’m not going to get those hours back folks, and I blame this darkness for it.

Sunshine, I know I cursed you in the summer, but I’m sorry. I want you back. Please give me another chance.

Related posts

• My Beer is Clear - Australian Lager (3)
• I Brewed Real Beer!!! - Coopers Lager (6)
• Coopers Stout Was Bottled (1)
• Pictures Of Luray, Virginia (0)
• Hunter Mountain International Celtic Festival (0)

Never in my life have I seen snow melt so fast. Let me correct that; I didn’t actually see the snow melting, it was just gone. I went to sleep a few nights ago and we had about 12 inches and when I woke up, we had about an inch. I am not sure what happened overnight. I was told that it was warm. Warm? What, like 80 degrees? Even if it was 40 outside, I would have trouble believing that all that snow could melt so fast. I think something else was at play. Something like magic.

Every so often, in between real blog posts, I like to write some random thoughts. Stuff like what I have been up to and what’s been on my mind. Let’s see how that works today.

Okay, so the end of the year is coming. I think that’s great. I am sick of 2008. I think a lot of great stuff happened, but personally, I don’t like endings, I like beginnings. I would like New Years to be over so people can get motivated and back to work. I always love talking to people at the beginning of each year because they have good ideas of what they want to see happen for the upcoming year. People start projects, start new companies…do all sorts of things. They make new investments, hit the gym, stop spending, start spending, oh the list goes on and on. I like hearing all about it. I like to see the hope in people’s eyes.

For my part, I am tightening up what I have. For the past month, I have been examining all areas of everything. Finances, business, organization, assets, friends…everything. Out with the old and in with the new. I’m like a reptile; I’m shedding off some dead weight. It stinks because I am so full of new ideas and start so many things, but I think being boring and simple for a while won’t hurt. It’ll give me time to get to know myself again.

We went for a walk today. It was about 60 degrees outside, so it felt like spring. All I wore was my salmon shirt and a fleece. Oh yeah, I had pants on too. We did our usual two miles, which takes what seems like 15 minutes now. At times, we don’t even talk, we just walk. We are getting faster and faster. It feels good. I always like to walk during the cooler months because my face feels so fresh and I don’t sweat.

Now that the snow is gone, I took a little “coffee walk” outside to check out the yard this morning. I have all sorts of plans for what I want to do, come spring. I am going to order about 100 more pines from ArborDay.org in a month or so. They will deliver the trees in March. 100 trees might seem like a lot, but really it isn’t, once I start planting. I run out fast. I am going to make pine tree areas out of Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce and White Pine. The mix should look good.

I am also going to have about 30 more yards of mulch delivered in April. I do love mulch and with property of this size, I am going to need every last drop. It’s going to make the pine trees grow so much faster and it’s going to work wonders for the gardens. Man, I can’t wait to get back to it.

There are times when I sit at the computer and want to check out what everyone is up to. I wish you all had blogs and told me about them. I would like to have a list of about 20, but right now, I only have 4. It gets lonely in the blogosphere without you. Hey, maybe you can put that on your list of things to do. I think that’s a great idea. C’mon, think about the benefits…you will know that I will be reading all about your excellent adventures. By the way, this isn’t to say that my list of 4 isn’t the most awesome list ever.

I’m not sure what else I have.

We put all house improvement projects on hold. Nothing is really in dire need of improvement, besides the living room carpet. That needs to be torn up and discarded. We got a price for hardwood, but that’s going to have to wait. I am not falling into the trap of sinking tons of money into a house the first year. Slow and steady wins the race. I wouldn’t mind a pool though…hmmm. It would have to be indoor, so I can swim all year round. Perhaps I could just get one of those little plastic ones and put it in a tent.

Okay, now I am officially out of stuff to say. All the juicy gossip is kept quiet because I have to keep some sort of privacy. I mean, one would have to wonder, if what I write is all the stuff I have going on in life, I would certainly be a little weird.

Over and out. Peace.

Related posts

• About This Whole 2008 Election… (2)
• Fife’n Drum and Bull’s Bridge, Kent, CT (1)
• Tennis Balls In Dryer For Static Control (1)
• Photo Collection Using Coppermine Photo Gallery (0)
• Some Night Time Snow Pictures (3)

Of course I am not going to mention what they are here, because they will only depress me and will probably do the same to you. Included in the list, but really shouldn’t be, is one thing that I don’t think is depressing at all. It’s the topic of having a will.

You might think it’s strange that I bring this up and wonder why I’m talking about it at all, but the reason will become obvious after the next sentence. Just the other day, Laura and I met with the attorney to create two wills.

I know, I know…I debated for days about whether or not I was even going to bring this up, but I decided to talk about it tonight because I began recalling all the “will” conversations I have had in the past ten years. I think that just about everyone I spoke to about it said something like, “Oh yeah, I have to do that” or “Ummm, I really need to update mine.” There wasn’t anyone who said, “Yup, all done. Nice and tidy.”

I guess the reason why many people don’t have a will at all is probably the same reason I never went about getting one. As I put it to the lawyer, “This has been sitting on my to-do list for about a year now and I am just getting around to it.” It’s really not one of those “must do” things in life. It’s more of one of the “should do” things. I think a bit of organization here and there is much more appealing than total chaos at the wrong time.

We learned a few things while sitting at that big table earlier this week. We learned about the state laws and what would happen if we didn’t have a will at all. We learned what would happen now that we did. We also learned all about another type of will, called the “living will.”

If you remember the Terri Schiavo case, I am sure you will begin to understand the importance of having a living will. This, in some ways, is more important than a traditional will. Basically, this piece of paper gives the authority to one person to make a very important decision for you. You can click the “living will” link to learn more about it.

There is a really big area that so many people forget to address while making a will (or updating your existing one). It’s funny, because we actually reminded the attorney to update his own. This area has to do with pets.

Laura used to work in the animal industry. She told me that most animals that are put in shelters are put there because someone died and there were no instructions on what to do with the pet once the time for that decision to be made. Many family members aren’t too keen on taking on someone’s cat or dog, so these pets usually end up in the local animal shelter. Really, all it takes is one line in someone’s will to specify a friend or “pet friendly” family member that the pets should go to. It’s not like an order, but more like informing the people who usually read a will later on. “Oh, would you look at that. I had no idea that Daisy down the road wanted those cats.”

So, there you have it. I think I got through that with some definite skill. It’s sort of like navigating a landmine, but I realized that talking about these things can be helpful and a reminder for all of those people who might now say, “Let’s go get it done.”

Related posts

• What’s Wrong With This Picture? (6)
• The Cat Days of Spring (0)
• The Cat Picture (2)
• The Deer Ate My Crabapple Trees (0)
• Their 40th Anniversary (1)

The notice is that I am currently working on a post that will completely wrap you up and make you wonder about a pretty strange incident that happened to me a few days ago. While I can’t get into it right now, let me just tell you that my phone will be ringing the minute you finish reading. Actually, I would be surprised if you were able to keep your jaw from hanging while you are making your way through what I am in the middle of writing.

There is your notice.

Related posts

• Website Magazine - The Magazine For Website Success (0)
• The Funniest Thing That Happened in my Life - #2 (8)
• Gaulard Web Services is Hiring - Writer Wanted (1)
• Common Punctuation Errors With Blogging (0)
• My Morning Walk To The Mailbox (4)

Over the Summer, I set three of these lights up for safe keeping. Who knows what happens in this backyard during the overnight and I felt that perhaps these lights would scare away the wolves if they attempt to peek in the windows.

I rolled out of bed, walked over to the window and pulled on the shade string. I looked down to the porch and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Then, to my left, another motion detector clicked on. I gave a quick glance, but didn’t see anything there either. I became slightly curious. I scanned slowly from right to left and then I saw it. Our very short friend had appeared again.

Apparently, the neighborhood has a cat that likes to make little pit stops here from time to time. He or she is a semi-long haired black and white one. The cat was walking towards the driveway, minding its own business when I saw it, so I decided to close the shade to get some sleep.

I remember a time over the Summer when this cat decided to stop by to sun itself on the front walkway. He or she was probably here for over an hour, just laying on the warm walkway the way cats do. Very cute.

Back to last night. Just as I went for the shade string to close the shade, I glanced over to the right again. I saw little flickers in the beam of the spotlight. I felt a gentle tingle in my stomach because what I thought I was witnessing was our first snow. This, of course, was through very tired eyes.

Here are a few photos of what we woke up to this morning.

Snow on driveway

Snow in the back woods

Do you know what’s nice about snow? Well, I’ll tell you. It makes everything brighter. You can’t miss it because everything in the house comes alive during the morning of a fresh snow fall.

Laura woke up about an hour before I did. After I got out of bed and stumbled down the stairs, we stood in the kitchen talking. I said, “Hey, did you see that it snowed last night?” She just gave me a look.

A few days ago, I was doing all sorts of work inside. I was running around like crazy. The sun was shining outside, but going down fast. This time of year makes you feel like the sun is setting before you even hop out of bed in the morning. I guess it could be with the way it hangs so low in the sky all day. I’ll admit, it gets on my nerves at times.

At about 2PM, I decided it was time for a break. I needed to get outside to soak up what light was left for the day. I know myself and if I sit inside too long, I become agitated.

I opened the garage door and took a few steps outside. As beautiful as it was, it was a bit brisk. I remember this because when my cold pants hit my leg, I got goose bumps.

I went over my usual routine…walking up and down the driveway, looking at all the plants. I imagined what they were going to look like come Spring. I put a whole bunch of them in the dirt this year, so I get excited when I think about what they will become.

As I made my way down to the bottom of the driveway, the filtered sunlight hit my back. It felt so good, because it instantly warmed me up. I walked a bit further and found a spot where the direct sunlight was shining on the driveway. I moved into it and stood there in the warmth for a few minutes, just staring in the woods.

Then I closed my eyes.

The very first thing Laura and I noticed when we opened the car doors to visit this house was the quiet of the neighborhood. I am talking silence. I have rarely heard this type of quiet and was starting to think it didn’t exist. There is usually some sort of background noise that one becomes accustomed to, but not here, and that’s what really makes this place.

When Laura’s parents visited us over the Summer, the first thing they said upon getting out of their car was, “Wow, it’s quiet here.”

I must have been standing there for about 15 minutes. I have to tell you, I really, really enjoyed just simply being where I was. That kind of peace doesn’t stop by too often; I have to kind of go hunt it down.

I heard Laura give a quiet giggle in back of me and I turned around. It was like I just woke up. The sun was still shining on me, so it was difficult to see what she was doing. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw that she was taking Holly up to the mailbox for her daily walk. Laura likes to take the dog out for a while, so Holly can enjoy the scenery too.

It’s strange, because I am still thinking about just standing there in the driveway.

I don’t know why, but I’m sure it has something to do with…

Related posts

• Fife’n Drum and Bull’s Bridge, Kent, CT (1)
• Tennis Balls In Dryer For Static Control (1)
• New Sidewalk Lighting By Malibu (0)
• Sean Conway™ Tiverton 2006 Dining Set Arrived (0)
• Where Have All The Bloggers Gone? (1)

I did a little complaining recently. I called a few people who are close to me and vented my frustration about the goings on of our world. They politely listened for a while, but both came to the same conclusion. They said, “Well Jay, things could be worse. You could be doing this or that, etc…” I guess that’s why I call people, so they can tell me to shut up and put things in perspective. I need that every once in a while.

I still think about life way too much.

Sometimes I just sit here with my head in my hands. I would just like the answer to one question: when did it all change?

In 2000, right after a graduated from Binghamton University for the second time, I had a plan. My plan was to release myself from all attachments with the real world and walk the Appalachian Trail. I was going to set my school loans on auto-pilot with my bank and fly as free as a bird. All I have ever really wanted was freedom; freedom from thought, freedom from today’s world, freedom from being dragged down by anything and everything.

I figured that walking the trail would really change my life. I was not interested in repeating the 9-5 job I sat through the year before while living in Atlanta. That was painful. All I was looking for was a way out…something different that wouldn’t trap me in the good ol’ American way of living day in and day out like the rest of the population.

Did I ever walk the Appalachian Trail? What do you think? Considering the fact that it takes about 10 months to complete and I never mentioned it before, I think not. I have actually walked a few miles on it here and there, but towards the end of each hike, I looked forward to driving back to the house, taking a nice shower and drinking a glass of wine. I don’t think I am exactly wired for growing a beard down to my waist and sleeping with the bears. The thought of a bear picking my tent up and eating it kind of freaks me out.

Let me tell you what bothers me about life as I know it - Worry.

Every day, I concern myself with each and every thing that probably concerns all of you. I think about money and security and politics and friends and life and everything else. I walk around in a fog, trying to make sense of every decision I make. It’s rare that I break out of that fog to have a clear thought. Maybe that’s why I like tennis so much, because I don’t think about anything else besides having fun. Although, I do like mowing the lawn for the same reason.

So, when did I change from the care free Jay to the constantly worrying Jay? I can tell you the exact day.

I have mentioned the fact that I moved to Atlanta a few times in the past. I lived there for a year, but the way I talk about it, it’s like I have a “Braves” tattoo on my right arm. Really, it was only a year, but it was a fun year.

I moved down when I was 24 years old. I packed up my 1989 Honda Accord with all of my belongings and hit the road. Basically, I just repacked the same items that I unpacked about a month ago after graduation.

I remember that drive down. I had one of those luggage containers strapped to the top of the car packed to the gills. Everything else I owned was spread out inside…on the back seat, on the front seat and in the trunk. There was no room for anything else.

On the highway, I remember the pleasure of wondering what my new life was going to be like. I didn’t know one person, the area or anything else about the entire state of Georgia. I usually do my best in these types of situations. As Rob always says, “You need to be like an Chameleon. Just change colors and fit right in.” Well, I did that and started off having a very good time.

Upon arrival at Morgan Falls Station, our awesome apartment complex, I was crazy excited. While I was waiting for the folks to finish up the apartment, I walked around a bit. I visited the 3 swimming pools, the work out centers, the tennis courts and the nature trails. It was nicer than anything I had expected. I recall wondering how $800 per month was paying for all this. Then, I remembered that things were a little different in the South. Up here, you get a tiny apartment above some old lady’s garage for $800 a month, and that’s a good deal. Down there, it’s like living at Club Med.

Needless to say, I was pleased. After I got settled in and had the phone hooked up, I called Rob. I was a non-stop talker. I told him about all the cool stuff that was there and about all the things we were going to do. I could tell that he was getting fidgety because he kept asking questions. We even got to the point of discussing what time it got dark in Atlanta. There is about a half hour difference between down there and up North. We used the scientific method of, “Is it dark now? What about now?”

After a few weeks of driving around a midnight (because there was so much traffic during the day) and getting to know people, I had really gotten used to it. I had a few friends and was playing tennis like it was nobody’s business. I didn’t have a job, so what else was there to do? I felt like I was living in a resort.

At the same time, my parents were planning their big move to Wilmington, NC. My sister Laurie had her first child and I guess my parents thought that watching water drip off their cars in the morning was a better idea than scraping ice off of them, like they did up North for all those years. The stars were aligned and they made the jump. They broke out of the New York shackles and started moving to North Carolina.

For the years that I attended Binghamton University and up to the time I moved to Atlanta, my parents took care of my big, beautiful Golden Retriever. I acquired this hairy beast a few years earlier, while I was attending Westchester Community College. It’s funny, because before getting a dog, I really gave no thought to what was going to happen to him for the rest of his life. I figured I would give him to my parents after I moved out and that would be that.

One day, while sitting on the floor (I had no furniture) of my Atlanta apartment, I received a phone call from my mother. “Jay, your father is driving a big truck down to the new house in Wilmington and he is bringing your dog with him.” she said. I replied, “Oh good, he will really like it in your new house.” “No Jay.” she said, “You are going to drive over and get him. He is your dog.”

Well, this came as sort of a surprise to me. Why in the world would someone want to hand over a perfectly good dog to someone as irresponsible as I was? As my mother put it, she couldn’t bear to see the dog laying on the kitchen floor looking up at her. His eyes broke her heart. She knew that he needed to run in the woods and swim in the river. He was a Golden, after all.

The day my father arrived at the new house in Wilmington, I was there to pick up the beast. I made the 7 hour drive and was quite excited to see my dog again.

I remember pulling in and seeing him tied to a small tree at the end of the driveway, waiting for me to give him a big hug. I leapt out of the car and ran over to him. I untied him and we instantly became entangled in a long embrace. That was my dog.

After a few hours of hanging out and going to the ocean, we left to head back to Atlanta. Again, I hadn’t given much thought as to what would happen next.

After my new roommate and I arrived back at the apartment, we did a little hanging out. Things were great. We went for a walk and I showed him all the stuff he was going to do for the next chapter of his life. It really was a grand ol’ time.

That night, a friend of mine called and asked if I wanted to go out to do something. I immediately said yes. Then, I looked down and saw my dog looking up at me. I paused and said something that I am not sure I have ever said to anyone in my life before that moment…”Wait, actually, I can’t.” I didn’t offer any reason for not being able to go out that night, but I definitely knew that something big in my life had shifted.

At that very moment, while standing there talking on the phone that night, I think I actually became responsible.

I know that sounds like the strangest thing you probably have ever read, but it’s true. I feel strange writing it. The reason I didn’t go out that night is because it was my dog’s first night in his new home and I didn’t feel right about leaving him there all alone.

All of a sudden, I started giving all types of thought to how my dog would feel if I did certain things. I knew I had to take him for a walk in the morning and that I had to be back after work to feed him and take him for another walk, but what really struck me was how I was unable to go visit friends in other cities and stay over their houses or apartments. I wasn’t ready to say no to trips to fun places, like the one that Rob made down to the Okefenokee Swamp in Southern Georgia. That one hurt because I really wanted to go there. I had to keep thinking about my dog and how I didn’t want to put him in a boarding kennel in a town I hardly even knew myself.

As it turned out, my consideration for everything and everyone snowballed from there. I began making sure more and more things were okay. I started saving my money and getting ready for the move back to New York to go to grad school. I stopped going out and doing stupid things that wouldn’t help me get to that goal. I never called in sick to work and I paid off that huge balance I had on my credit card. I don’t even want to talk about how much my soul has tightened up after I graduated from graduate school after the move back to New York. They basically train you how to become a herb.

I was most certainly becoming a worrier.

One might say, “Well Jay, aren’t those all good things?” I would agree, but I have to admit that once you grow up and become overly responsible, a little part of you disappears. How many times have you asked yourself, “Remember all those times we used to do that? Do you think we’ll ever do that again?” The answers are yes and probably not.

I was talking to Laura the other day about what I like to talk to my friends about. I told her my three top priorities are real estate, business and personal finance. Can you get any more boring than that? What ever happened to travel, drinking and where we are going to move to next?

At this point in my life, I feel that I am almost the opposite of what I wanted to be after graduate school. Sure, my little dream of walking the Trail may have been just a dream, but it was an indication of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to live my life.

At that time, I wanted two legal associations. I wanted one bank account and my student loan. That was it. Currently, I have more associations than I know what to do with. I understand that this is what happens when you buy a house and operate a business, but I must admit, at times it’s smothering.

Lately, I have been thinking about how I could get back to my ideal self, about how I could loosen up and at least become a shadow of that fun guy I think I used to be. I think I have a plan.

While I won’t precisely lay out my plan here, I will at least tell you that it has a lot to do with seasonal weather, long walks on the beach and campfires.

As you may have guessed, I gave Mickles a very good life and in return, he was a very good dog. I appreciate the fact that he spent the majority of his life with me. I would guess that he enjoyed his time in Atlanta the most. He had the field, the woods and the river. He couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I decided to post a few photos of my good friend here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them throughout the years.

Related posts

• The Pickle Festival in Rosendale, NY (1)
• Wind Farms, Global Warming, Geothermal Energy and Seawater (0)
• Bash Bish Falls - Mt. Washington, MA (0)
• Flight School - Lesson #6 - 5:00PM - Touch and Goes (0)
• SEO and Your Google PR (0)

Out of the 1500 comments, 99.9% of them have been very favorable. There are a few posts on my blog that have really helped people, especially the “Plugged In, Not Charging - Windows Vista + Laptop” and the “Installing Our New Harman P38 Pellet Stove” posts. Between those two posts, I have 266 comments (at last count). I really like it when a conversation starts that I don’t have to be involved in. The more that people add to it without my input, the better it gets.

Every so often, I write something or link to something that someone doesn’t like. I either get a “not so nice” comment or I receive a personal email. I read these comments and emails and either delete them (if you are just venting) or I end up thinking about them for a few days.

By the way, I placed my personal email address on the new “Contact Page,” just in case you want to express your feelings to me in private.

If your message moves into the “thinking about it for a few days” pile, I usually respond.

My first reaction is to fight. I say something to myself like, “What the heck is going on here? What did I do? This person obviously has a problem that has nothing to do with me.” I get all pumped up and start typing a response. Then, usually after the first or second sentence, I delete whatever I am writing. I relax and give it a few days.

This is when my mother’s side kicks in and the guilt takes over. Thanks mom. The light begins to peek through and somehow, some way, I start seeing the most minute way that I might possibly have had some part in the exchange. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe, but there have been times in my life when I have actually been the cause of a few teensy weensy little issues.

Usually, I don’t mean to offend people with the things I write. I simply express what’s on my mind. When I start typing, I am usually thinking of a few readers. These are the folks I know who read this blog. What always amazes me is the number of people who I don’t know who come here to read. I never met them, never had any type of exchange with them and probably will never get to know them.

It’s a tricky place to be.

I mean, here I am, typing, typing, typing about all the things I like, don’t like, things I enjoy and things I don’t care for all that much. I am bound to write something that annoys someone every so often. For all I know, you work for an oil company and I like pellet stoves. Who knew?

I really do try to appeal to people’s good sides and am always trying to create more interest than not, so I did a little research. This might also help out all those new bloggers I know out there who are just getting off the ground. If you are interested in learning more about how to write, what to write and blogging etiquette in general, check out the following sites:

- The Rules of Blogging by Snooze Button Dreams

- The rules of blogging by Justinsomnia

- Blogging Rules Of Engagement

- Blogging etiquette - For Bloggers and Readers

- Blogging Etiquette - The Unwritten Rules

Related posts

• Who’s Your Favorite Journalist? I Like Rachel Maddow (2)
• My Frontal Lobe is Burning With Wobegon Boy (3)
• Google PageRank Update - January 2008 (1)
• Hydrogen Cars, Broadband, Recycling and AMD (1)
• Harman Pellet Stove P38 Auger Not Turning (3)

Okay, let’s come back to reality. I’m just a guy who likes to write from time to time.

I had a grand thought the other day. I was walking and thinking about how I hate Winter. I don’t really have a problem with Spring, Summer and Autumn, but Winter is hard for me.

One problem I have with Winter is with the lack of daylight. That bugs me. Last week, I had to rush back from playing tennis so we could go for a walk up the road before it got dark outside. It was only 3:15 in the afternoon. That’s annoying. I always hated the dark. Not because I am scared of it (which I’m not), but because people go inside and hide when it gets dark. It’s like the show is over and everyone goes home. That’s depressing. Also, the dark stops me from fiddling around outside. It forces me to go in and wind down for the next 7 hours before I go to sleep. I have always hated going to sleep. Who ever thought that I would be as old as I am and still fight about going to sleep.

Another problem I have with Winter is the cold. Things don’t grow in the cold. I can’t go to the store and dream about what I am going to plant next when it’s cold. I have no visions in my mind. It gets a little boring. Also, as you may have noticed, there are fewer pictures to take because I am doing less and things don’t change that much. I am sure I can take pictures of a dying lawn, but I am sure you would get sick of that.

I remember when I used to live back in Brewster in the house I grew up in. We lived on a great road that had a nice amount of walkers that would use it for…well, walking. I like to chat it up with people, so I would spend a lot of time sitting at the end of my sidewalk, waiting for people to walk by. Since this would happen from May through October, I accomplished a fair amount socializing. I’m not sure if the walkers appreciated it, but I sure did.

I always remember the times when I would go out to the road, look up and down, and realize the season was over. There was no one walking and there would be no more walkers until the next season. That thought would always be felt in my stomach.

One more depressing short story and then I will get to the point, I promise.

As some of my readers will agree, Lake Tonetta in Brewster, NY was the bomb-diggity when we were growing up. I have no idea if people still use the lake for swimming today, but when I was a kid, it sure was the place to be. From June 27 through September 3, I would pretty much somehow end up at that lake to swim…every day. My friends and I walked, rode skateboards, rode bicycles…whatever, to get down there and hang out.

I usually had the best times right in the middle of July. Everyone in the area had somewhat committed to the fact that the beach was where it’s at. I remember my friend Brian’s mom showing up in her station wagon full of people, Russell’s mom showing up in her maroon Pontiac and some people even walking. You know, those lucky people who lived close by.

We would all do our thing and swim all day. I remember swimming back from the raft one day and standing up in the shallow water. My lungs were starting to hurt because I was so water logged. I recall looking up past the sand at the big tree that stood near the clubhouse and watching the wind blow the leaves. Everything was kind of hazy because my eyes were so used to being open under the water. This is the era of zinc oxide sunscreen and turtle hunting (we would let them go). This was also the era of Ocean Pacific t-shirts and wondering what the people over at the town beach were doing. Man, I would probably be happy if I could just live those days over and over again for the rest of my life. It really didn’t get any better than that. But, things just refuse to stay the same.

One day, late in the season, I decided to go down to the beach. I knew there wouldn’t be many people there because the sky was a bit cloudy, but I gave it a shot anyway. When I arrived, the place was empty. I was completely alone. I decided to walk past the fence and take a stroll to the end of the dock. I thought I would just hang out until someone showed up. All I really needed was for a few people to come by and we would get something going. Well, no one ever came.

I decided to take my shoes off and hang my feet in the water. I untied my sneakers and finally got my socks off. I walked over to sit at the edge of the dock, but when I looked at the water, I was horrified at what I saw. Little specks of “lake” were floating around beneath me. It was turning. That was the sure sign that the season was over. Once the lake turned, it was time to go home to return only when it was warm again the next year. For anyone who remembers those days, you’ll also remember that school was about to start soon as well. That always gave me a sick feeling.

At that time in my life, I was too young to realize that Winter was just a short hop, skip and a jump away. Now, I understand that the time between the end of the Summer and the beginning of Winter is short…very short. Time seems to really fly by these days.

These are just a few of the memories that have moulded me into the person I am today. I have a strong sense of my past and I truly miss things. I guess when it comes to weather, I prefer to play. I really, really like to play. Laura always looks at me like I am crazy for the words that come out of my mouth, but when I think back and daydream about all my best friends and me riding our bikes as fast as we could down North Brewster Road to get some pizza at the corner, I get a little sad.

Maybe that’s why I never liked the idea of high school reunions. Seeing everyone so different would probably break my heart. It’s a reminder of how much we’ve changed. Worst of all, it’s a reminder that much of my past is never going to happen again.

Okay, time to get back on track. I just love it when I look up after a half-hour and realize I wrote absolutely nothing I had planned on.

Back to what I was thinking during my walk the other day. I decided it was time to come up with a plan that would take me away from the Winter blues I experience every year. I had to think of what types of activities I like to do during the Winter. Well, writing on this blog certainly is one of them, but unfortunately, that doesn’t get me out of the house. Playing indoor tennis is most definitely going to help, but what else have I enjoyed in my past that I really got a kick out of? Ahhh, snowboarding.

Back when I was living in Binghamton, my friend and I decided to buy snowboards and all the equipment that came with them. We bought the boards, bindings and boots. I also got all the apparel that made my days on the mountainside comfortable. I always said that if I stayed warm while riding on a snowmobile at midnight in mid January, that was good enough to stay warm while snowboarding. Luckily, I still have everything I started with.

When I first started snowboarding back in 1997, I was hooked. You couldn’t stop me. Since I was in college, I was flat broke, but somehow I always had money for a lift ticket. That first year, I went to Catamount, Hunter (about 10 times), Scotch Valley, Jiminy Peak, Greek Peak and some others I am sure I am forgetting. I remember that I would be able to snowboard for 9 hours straight. The next season, we went to all those mountains again as well as a few others, like Stratton, up in Vermont. It was awesome.

Rob and me at Stratton Mountain in Vermont

After I graduated college and moved to Atlanta, there was no more snowboarding for a few years. I guess my body lost its snowboard-ism, because the next time I went snowboarding up at Bristol Mountain, near the finger lakes of New york, I went with an 18 year old kid. He was on fire and I only made it down the mountain twice. I felt like a smoker of 40 years. It’s amazing how fast the body can fall apart.

I called a few friends over the past couple of days. One of them is a skier who is willing to learn how to snowboard. The other is Rob. Rob told me that he will hit the mountain with me. I am sure that it won’t be too often, so it shouldn’t conflict with his busy schedule.

I think this will make for a more exciting Winter. At the very least, it will make some some really neat pictures of various mountain tops and ski trails. I bet you can’t wait for that.

Related posts

• House Offer Was Accepted (1)
• Spreading the Mulch (1)
• It Feels Like Autumn (0)
• Does Spinach Make You Stronger? (3)
• The Toll Booth Drag Race (2)

Ok, when we first moved here, we quickly discovered that our brand spankin’ new phone number was previously used by a person named Ronald. Boy, would I like to meet Ronald. Apparently, Ronald never paid any of his bills. Ronald had a little problem with buying lots of stuff, but not paying for it.

Let me offer a short history.

In the beginning, I used to just mess with the telemarketers who called. We were getting pounded and it was fun to get them to go through the whole sales process. Right when it was time to sign, I would finally spring it on them that I was either a 13 year old kid or I was just released from some psychiatric ward or something like that. They would get so mad at me. It really made me feel good inside. Almost as good as stuffing newspaper in the return mail envelopes I get from junk mail and sending them back. Now, that feels good.

After I put this number on the “Do Not Call List,” the telemarketing calls simmered down a bit. To this day, they still come, but not nearly as much as they used to. These days are left to the almighty debt collection calls. They are all looking for that big spender, Ronald.

A few days ago, I received a nice phone call from a woman looking for Ronald. She asked for him and I politely informed her that this is no longer Ronald’s phone number. She said, “Ok” and hung up. Yesterday, I received another call, this time from a gentleman, asking for Ronald. I told him that this is no longer Ronald’s phone number. We both hung up. About a minute later, the phone rang again. The caller ID told me it was the same person. I kind of hastily picked the phone up and said, “Hello.” The same guy asked if I knew where Ronald was. I told the guy that I have no idea who Ronald even is and that we just got this number. He gave a little chuckle and apologized.

Well folks, I am quite sure that I have been identified as Ronald.

Let me go through the process of what happened after that nice debt collection guy hung up with me after our last chat. He said to himself, “Yeah, sure buddy. You don’t know Ronald. Uh huh. All I know is that I heard a male voice over the phone, in a house, mid-day, during the work week and you are going to tell me that you aren’t Ronald and that you never even met him? BINGO BABY!!! Gotcha Ronald.”

Just a few minutes ago, the phone rang. Since the telephone ringing is like crack to a crackhead, I just had to pick it up. They didn’t even say hello. I’m not sure it was even a real person. The thing on the other end said something like this, “You must call us by noon tomorrow or we will be forced to make decisions without your input. Call 1-800-blah-blah.” At first, I thought it was some old lady who smoked. I can always tell a smoker. I tried to cut her off. The first time I said something, I heard a slight pause. I kept trying to say something, but she wouldn’t stop talking. I was like, “HELLO, WHO IS THIS??? STOP TALKING!!!” When she got to the phone number part, I started yelling, “ONE, TWO, THREE…” and so on. I was trying to confuse her by yelling out numbers. Mind you, while all this was going on, Laura was sitting downstairs listening, with her hand shaped as a gun pointing to her head. Oh, the patience one must have with me.

The lady never stopped talking and didn’t even give me any indication that she was human. If she wasn’t, I am a little embarrassed. It’s not cool to yell at robots.

I know how these companies work. I think we are at step 8 of the 9 step program. In some computer somewhere, there is a little check mark next to the name, Ronald. The file says, “Yes, he is alive and well. We are on his tail and he will be caught soon. I can predict that we will get our money. Ronald, if you were here to read this, you would know that YOU ARE GOING DOWN!!!

I keep thinking that I want to find the phone number to let these people know that I have no affiliation with Ronald. After I think that, I stop and think that I want it to keep going on. Almost as if something is pushing me along. It’s like trying to give yourself a haircut. You know you just took a chunk off and it looks pretty good. You should probably stop there. Oh no. You ask yourelf, “Wouldn’t it look better if another chunk were taken off?” After a few minutes, you are standing there, staring in the mirror looking like one of those Barbie Dolls that you tried to give a haircut to when you were a kid. Well, not me…I didn’t have Barbie Dolls.

And to think, when I woke up this morning, I had absolutely nothing to write about.