Junior was his active and loud self for our entire vacation ... until our last night in Lake George.
That's when we went down to the village and watched the fireworks over the lake. A beautiful, 15-minute display. And loud. Very loud. So loud, in fact, that it freaked Junior out. He needed Mama to hold his ears. He definitely didn't like the noise.
After it was over, he declared: "I need a nap."
Ha! Now he knows how WE feel most of the time.
Seriously, hopefully he will grow to enjoy fireworks displays. For now, he does not like loud ... even though he is loud.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Vacation redux: I was a texting fool!
I think I have come full circle (or many circles, actually) on the topic of texting. I'm not ashamed to admit this. I used to rail at texting. Now, I am an avid texter.
I suppose I'm just a bit slow to this change thing. I'm currently pooh-poohing Twitter and Facebook. Which means it is only a matter of time I will be enthusiastically embracing both social networking things. Not yet, though.
But wait: I should explain why I was a texting fool on vacation. Where we were staying, in the Town of Bolton hamlet of Diamond Point, is a graveyard for cell service. It is surrounded by big hills, bigger trees -- and this lake called George -- on all sides. Rather than decry this lack of cell service, I think it's great. No need to clutter this pristine landscape with some eyesore of a cell tower.
There was one little corner of our cabin that had cell service. If you stood on one leg and held the phone just so. Thus, making and receiving calls was a chancy prospect, at best.
HOWEVER: With just a little snippet of cell service, one (that would be ME) could send and receive text messages. Just needed a little opening, and voila! My texts were off in SMS land.
Methinks we should probably get unlimited texting at this point, huh?
I suppose I'm just a bit slow to this change thing. I'm currently pooh-poohing Twitter and Facebook. Which means it is only a matter of time I will be enthusiastically embracing both social networking things. Not yet, though.
But wait: I should explain why I was a texting fool on vacation. Where we were staying, in the Town of Bolton hamlet of Diamond Point, is a graveyard for cell service. It is surrounded by big hills, bigger trees -- and this lake called George -- on all sides. Rather than decry this lack of cell service, I think it's great. No need to clutter this pristine landscape with some eyesore of a cell tower.
There was one little corner of our cabin that had cell service. If you stood on one leg and held the phone just so. Thus, making and receiving calls was a chancy prospect, at best.
HOWEVER: With just a little snippet of cell service, one (that would be ME) could send and receive text messages. Just needed a little opening, and voila! My texts were off in SMS land.
Methinks we should probably get unlimited texting at this point, huh?
Newspapers are still cool
One of my vacation routines was this: Each morning, I would drive a few miles to the Stewart's in Bolton Landing for my small black coffee, and I would get three newspapers:
1. The New York Times
2. The New York Daily News
3. The Glens Falls Post-Star
At home, we (of course!) subscribe to Dutchess County's Finest Daily Newspaper. Otherwise, I read the Times and Daily News online. I know, I know. Go ahead, say it: Pete, you're killing your own industry!
Anyway, those three papers provided enough reading material for the week. And let me tell you: There is nothing like reading the Print Product. I must report to you that I read more articles and stories in print than I do online.
This is just my two-bit industry analysis, but it's true. I don't read nearly as many Times articles online as I did in the actual newspaper. I suspect that is the case. You are flipping through the pages and a headline or layout catches your eye, and you read it. That, my friends, is lost in the point-and-click world of nytimes.com and nydailynews.com. But, I'm starting to sound like an old fogie ...
And oh yes: For you newspaper snobs out there that may sneer at the trashy tabloid Daily News ... their sports section is fantastic, which is pretty much all I read it for (although, on vacation it was fun to read the "Jacko" coverage from LA ... gotta love tabloid headlines!)
Finally, the Post-Star provided local news coverage of the Lake George area. It is an excellent local newspaper -- although, I suspect folks up there probably view it the same way most view their local papers ... as not being wholly sufficient.
So while our industry dies a slow death and continues to crumble before our eyes, this old blogger still likes getting ink stains on his fingers.
1. The New York Times
2. The New York Daily News
3. The Glens Falls Post-Star
At home, we (of course!) subscribe to Dutchess County's Finest Daily Newspaper. Otherwise, I read the Times and Daily News online. I know, I know. Go ahead, say it: Pete, you're killing your own industry!
Anyway, those three papers provided enough reading material for the week. And let me tell you: There is nothing like reading the Print Product. I must report to you that I read more articles and stories in print than I do online.
This is just my two-bit industry analysis, but it's true. I don't read nearly as many Times articles online as I did in the actual newspaper. I suspect that is the case. You are flipping through the pages and a headline or layout catches your eye, and you read it. That, my friends, is lost in the point-and-click world of nytimes.com and nydailynews.com. But, I'm starting to sound like an old fogie ...
And oh yes: For you newspaper snobs out there that may sneer at the trashy tabloid Daily News ... their sports section is fantastic, which is pretty much all I read it for (although, on vacation it was fun to read the "Jacko" coverage from LA ... gotta love tabloid headlines!)
Finally, the Post-Star provided local news coverage of the Lake George area. It is an excellent local newspaper -- although, I suspect folks up there probably view it the same way most view their local papers ... as not being wholly sufficient.
So while our industry dies a slow death and continues to crumble before our eyes, this old blogger still likes getting ink stains on his fingers.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Logging on again
Back from vacation and other travels. Wet and cool weather, but a good time was had by all. I did not log on to a computer for exactly 9 days. I did not miss it at all.
I returned to 230 messages in my hotmail e-mail, and another few hundred at work, and I have been sorting through them.
I'll try to get some vacation-news posts and other observations in the coming days for those that are interested.
I returned to 230 messages in my hotmail e-mail, and another few hundred at work, and I have been sorting through them.
I'll try to get some vacation-news posts and other observations in the coming days for those that are interested.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Back from Mecca
Just returned from Eugene, Oregon, self-proclaimed Track Town USA, for the USATF National Championships. We had two athletes from Marist College in the Junior Championships. While they did not perform that well, it was an honor for them to qualify and earn the trip to Hayward Field.
Hayward Field, for those not of the track persuasion, is the Mecca for track and field -- certainly in this country, maybe the world. So actually getting to witness the place first-hand was pretty cool. And Eugene is, indeed, Track Town USA. It's all about running. So obviously, we felt right at home there. Hope to make a return trip there at some point, if we are to be so lucky. If not, at least I got there.
For loyal blog followers, the posts may be few and far between in the coming weeks as we have our family holiday to Lake George planned soon. I'll try to do some phone posts (let's call them Pweets) or maybe go to a public library for quick Internet access. But don't count on either.
So another half-year of blogging is done. I'll admit it's harder to keep doing it, and it probably shows in the content. But I'll keep plugging away, for the five or six of you that check this on a regular basis.
Take care, and blog on, brothers and sisters.
Hayward Field, for those not of the track persuasion, is the Mecca for track and field -- certainly in this country, maybe the world. So actually getting to witness the place first-hand was pretty cool. And Eugene is, indeed, Track Town USA. It's all about running. So obviously, we felt right at home there. Hope to make a return trip there at some point, if we are to be so lucky. If not, at least I got there.
For loyal blog followers, the posts may be few and far between in the coming weeks as we have our family holiday to Lake George planned soon. I'll try to do some phone posts (let's call them Pweets) or maybe go to a public library for quick Internet access. But don't count on either.
So another half-year of blogging is done. I'll admit it's harder to keep doing it, and it probably shows in the content. But I'll keep plugging away, for the five or six of you that check this on a regular basis.
Take care, and blog on, brothers and sisters.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Extra-long summer
Tomorrow, Thursday, is the last day of school in our district. Summer begins!
This summer will be longer than most, on a lot of levels. Most practically: School starts later in September, because of a quirk in the calendar.
Labor Day, the first Monday of September, falls on Sept. 7 this year. The latest possible date. This means that school starts on a later date than any other year, because the beginning of the school calendar is based on when Labor Day is. Most districts start on the Wednesday after Labor Day; some start on Tuesday.
So, for those keeping score at home (and, I KNOW you are!), starting Friday, there are 76 days until the first day of school.
That's a lot of warm days, warm nights, wet hair, flip flops, bathing suits, ice pops ... and every other accoutrement of the summertime.
School's out ... for ... summer!
This summer will be longer than most, on a lot of levels. Most practically: School starts later in September, because of a quirk in the calendar.
Labor Day, the first Monday of September, falls on Sept. 7 this year. The latest possible date. This means that school starts on a later date than any other year, because the beginning of the school calendar is based on when Labor Day is. Most districts start on the Wednesday after Labor Day; some start on Tuesday.
So, for those keeping score at home (and, I KNOW you are!), starting Friday, there are 76 days until the first day of school.
That's a lot of warm days, warm nights, wet hair, flip flops, bathing suits, ice pops ... and every other accoutrement of the summertime.
School's out ... for ... summer!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Dining For A Difference
Just got back from an excellent family dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant in Wappingers Falls. But this was more than just another night out with The Wife and The Kids. This was a fundraiser for a 12-year-old local boy who is a two-time cancer survivor.
For details on Liam's story, check out this link to an article I wrote last week in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
The dinner was great, and the cause was even better. It was great to meet Liam and his family.
Even Junior was on his best behavior, eating his pasta with butter sauce and not being too disruptive in the quaint atmosphere. We saw close family friends there, who had told us about the dinner, so that was good, too.
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