tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142586912024-02-19T14:07:40.021-05:00Gordon's Family BlogGordon's news and views from the world of The Brooks Bunch.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.comBlogger602125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-49648990025005052832021-01-11T15:34:00.004-05:002021-03-31T16:37:04.370-04:00We're Back!<p>I last updated this blog on Christmas. Of 2018. It was just after the last time I saw my mother alive, and just a couple of months before she could no longer manage to get on her computer to see the pictures on our website. I did manage to send pictures, the old-fashioned way, but it didn't seem worth the effort to update the blog and site, since Mom was the only one looking at them.</p><p>Mom is gone now, since the first month of that horrible year we all just finished. But there have been highlights, not the least of which is that my beautiful granddaughter Lyria is now living with us, which means that I get to see her every day.</p><p>But not everyone does, and so I felt it was time to revive the website, and the blog, so that family members who live somewhere else can enjoy the highlights without having to be on Facebook Messenger, hoping that someone finds the time to post.</p><p>I'm not going to try to catch up on the events of 2020, because then I would have to relive more of it than I really want to. Suffice to mention that all my children are now living under my roof again, and that while we would pretty much all prefer something different than what's happening, we've all managed to stay healthy and safe. One key event from 2020 that I will mention is that I've retired from The Windrifter and will now be working on projects at home.</p><p>And so I will take it from here, a brand new year, off to a shaky start but filled with promise. Hope you'll hang in, follow along, and stay safe.</p><p><br /></p>Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-38053357014480650942018-12-25T20:28:00.000-05:002018-12-25T20:28:31.101-05:00Low-Key ChristmasOur big Christmas celebration was actually on Christmas Eve, and early on Christmas Eve because I had to work from three until ten last night. Just part of the job.<br />
<br />
We're open 365 days a year, 15 hours a day, and someone needs to be there for our guests, so the desk crew works out who needs which days off so we can cover for each other. It was a bit trickier this year because one of my co-workers is recovering from hip surgery and the manager, who often covers morning hours, is on a well-deserved vacation. But we made it happen.<br />
<br />
So for Christmas Eve, Thomas and Erin came over with their roommate Tammy and her Boyfriend Paul. There was a brunch buffet and a Yankee gift swap, and lots of time to talk and visit, even if I did have to leave early.<br />
<br />
But for the actual day of Christmas, we took it easy. Thomas and Erin were visiting Erin's parents. Most of the gifts at our house weren't even wrapped, breakfast was done in stages and kept simple. There was a lot of TV watching, some video game playing, and some fun playing around with gifts, like a great little lens that Karen got for my phone camera which takes wide-angle pictures, and Karen's new tablet, which we're going to use to watch movies on the bus.<br />
<br />
Daniel got money toward a game console he really wants, and William got art supplies. As I said, pretty laid back.<br />
<br />
And we're kind of stretching out the family celebration, with a trip to Tom and Erin's apartment planned for tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Of course, there was one very, very exciting even on this Christmas day: Tom and Erin officially announced their engagement. We're brimming over with delight to hear that.<br />
<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-58679069317568166492018-09-03T20:37:00.001-04:002018-09-03T20:37:43.277-04:00A Bus!We're on pins and needles a little this weekend. Karen went southwest, nearly to the Vermont border, and bought a bus. I still can't believe I'm writing that. Not the sort of thing I usually write. But there it is, Karen bought a bus.<br />
<br />
The bus is still near the Vermont border, because the dealer couldn't put temporary plates on it, for reasons too complicated to go into here, and we couldn't get to the DMV, it being the weekend, when the DMV offices are closed. So the dealer agreed to deliver it to a local mechanic using his dealer plates.<br />
<br />
That was supposed to happen yesterday or today. The dealer called and left a message saying there was a snag. Probably something else related to the holiday weekend, but it's still left us a bit nervous. We'll feel better when the bus is at the shop, only about ten minutes from our house, getting its inspection and, with luck, an inspection sticker.<br />
<br />
The bus is not like the ones we've been looking at. For one thing, it is not now nor has it ever been a public school bus. This has a big advantage because it means there are a lot of things that we'd have to worry about taking off the bus that, well, were never there on this one. Things like the flashing lights and the stop sign on a swing arm. Not to mention the yellow paint, because the bus is white.<br />
<br />
And, being white, the perfect canvas for whatever creative painting Karen wants to do on it. The bus, apparently, belonged to a private academy in Vermont and was mostly used to take the students skiing. It has the right kind of tires for the task, and racks inside for the ski equipment. We're taking those out, but the need to have room to stow equipment also means this bus has fewer seats to remove.<br />
<br />
And the seats that are staying are, according to Karen (for I have not sat in, or in fact been anywhere near, the bus yet) quite comfortable. All that's missing is shoulder belts, but I think we can manage to add those without too much trouble.<br />
<br />
This is an exciting step for us. The bus is not only intended as our new camper, a substitute for the unwieldy and cramped trailer we've been using for a few years; it's also meant to serve as a long-term traveling home during our upcoming retirement.<br />
<br />
Karen was very anxious to get a bus, and there were a lot of false starts. But looking at what we got (the pictures at any rate) I'm very happy that she waited. I think she got a good one.<br />
<br />
When it finally arrives.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-79361132672974736982018-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:002018-08-10T07:00:00.141-04:00Freedom!Well, we have another licensed driver in the family. That's right, William passed his road test and is now the proud holder of a New Hampshire driver's license. Yesterday he drove himself to and from work for the first time. Well, at least the first time by himself.<br />
<br />
William and I spent more than 30 hours on the road together before he got his license, practicing on a lot of different roads and under a lot of different conditions, including the 10 hours of required night driving. He did well. There were mistakes, of course, but I felt safe with him, and because of that, I feel better about him being on the road on his own. Not perfect, of course, because I'm his father and I worry about him, but better.<br />
<br />
William on wheels will clear up a lot of conflicts in our crazy work schedules, and keep William from having to worry about walking to a from work in the pouring rain or the blazing heat, two things we'd had more than our usual share of this summer. It's not a long walk to work, but it's up and down a steep hill, so the car will definitely make him happier.<br />
<br />
When Winter comes, William and I will go back out together to get him some snow driving experience, and I'll feel better once again because William has a Subaru Forester, and I already know that they are good in the snow, once I make sure that he is.<br />
<br />
My boys are growing up, and while that's a little scary and makes me feel a bit old (not that I didn't already because, well, I'm old), it's good to see them getting ready for adulthood. William will get there officially in just a couple of months.<br />
<br />
And then it's one to go.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-7686541195679972242018-07-10T13:50:00.000-04:002018-07-10T13:50:14.246-04:00Thirty YearsYesterday marked thirty years since a certain incredible and beautiful lady said "I do" to me, and has, much to my perpetual amazement, stayed with me all that time. The actual day was a quiet one. Karen had to work, and we ate at home, so the only indication that anything was different was a pot of violets on the table and a card. A couple of days before, though, was a different story.<br />
<br />
On Saturday we had a party at the resort where I work, in the area known as "The Barn" because, well, it used to be a barn, a couple of hundred years ago when the property was still a farm. We had food and drink for lots of guests. Didn't have that many guests, it turned out, but the quantity mattered far less than the quality, and we had a very good time.<br />
<br />
Among our rarest of guests were our friend Sue and Brad, who drove up from Virginia to spend time with us, and our niece Katherine and her fiance Mike, who are now living in northern Massachusetts. Erin's parents and her sister also came for a while. We had a lot of opportunity to talk to everyone and it made for an unforgettable evening.<br />
<br />
I sang two special sets of songs for Karen, using them to tell the story of how we met and how my singing made her notice me. Three of the songs I sang were specifically written for her. Karen loved the songs and the stories, and that meant the world to me.<br />
<br />
But, as I said, a lot of people couldn't make it, most because of other obligations including work, some unfortunately because of issues of either personal or family health, and others because of distance. So we had a ton of leftovers, and that's why Karen and I ate at home on Monday, because we're trying not to waste food.<br />
<br />
We will go out to celebrate, likely next week.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, having let a lot of things slide while preparing for the party, we're getting back to what passes for normal in our household. I'm scrambling to get William his driving hours so that he can take his license exam. As of this writing, he needs less than 14 hours but (and here's the catch) eight of them need to be after dark. He works evenings. Often I work evenings. Often Karen works evenings. It complicates things.<br />
<br />
But that's life at the Brooks Bunch house. Complicated, with a lot of running around. But also with a lot of love and laughs.<br />
<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-10455825217481223062018-06-16T13:40:00.000-04:002018-06-26T16:02:42.248-04:00A Sad Good-ByeTwo years ago, our cat Sukkie nearly died from kidney disease. With some amazing help from our veterinarian and a lot of love and patience, we managed to keep her alive and reasonably happy, though annoyed at us for the frequent hydration treatments that took three of us to administer. But ultimately, her age and the disease were too much, and today we had to say good-bye.<br />
<br />
Sukkie was doing fairly well until the winter, when she was finding it very difficult to stay warm, and being very picky about food. She lost a lot of weight, and the vet said that we might as well feed her whatever she wanted to eat, because keeping her happy was probably more important than controlling her diet.<br />
<br />
That worked for her for a couple of months, and she got quite excited by her new diet of rotisserie chicken, roast beef, cottage cheese, turkey, and cream cheese, with some cat food thrown in.<br />
<br />
But this month she took to hiding out on the rim of the bathroom sink, then on the counter next to the kitchen sink, and then in the kitchen sink. She wasn't nearly as interested in cuddling, and seemed to want to avoid a lot of stimulation. Yesterday, she vomited, and then just stopped eating. I think she was trying to tell us that she was ready to go.<br />
<br />
The vet came to our house, and the four of us were present when she died. It was as peaceful as I would have expected from Sukkie, who fought through all of the two years of her disease. We all miss her very much.<br />
<br />
This will be, for awhile, the first time our family has been without pets since 2003, when our dog Jenny got struck and killed by a car. It will take some getting used to, but it will probably be a bit longer this time before we take on another pet. We're glad to have given Sukkie a second chance, but it's been a long two years.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-33025891248445348542018-05-30T22:18:00.004-04:002018-05-30T22:18:58.619-04:00New Look!Okay, yes, I've been playing around again. Partly because I was getting bored with the old look, and partly because there have been a couple of things bothering me about it for awhile. I won't bore you with the details, but I hope this new version will be easier on the eyes, especially with the bigger pictures (which should still load just as fast).<br />
<br />
I'm not done making changes (but then, I'm never done making changes), but they will come a little at a time, since both Karen and I are getting into our busy season as school comes to a close. I promise I will do my very best not to break the site as I continue working on it.<br />
<br />
The first change coming up is to update the portraits, all of which are at least six months old, and thus remind me of winter, which is the last thing I want to think about right now. Even the snow thrower is completely covered up so that I don't need to be reminded.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-8792250728054518462018-05-16T22:00:00.001-04:002018-05-16T22:00:06.142-04:00William on Wheels. Kind Of.William has a car. It's a 2003 Subaru Forester, and it's actually a nicer car than either of his parents' cars. It even has a sunroof. William just needs one more thing to complete his summer transportation needs: a driver's license.<br />
<br />
So why does a 17-year-old young man buy a car (for William did in fact buy this with his own money, earned in a job last summer) when he doesn't have a license? Well, it all comes down to size. Or, more precisely, length.<br />
<br />
William is long. We haven't measured him lately, but he's at least 6'3" tall, and that makes it difficult for him to fit into the driver's seat of some cars. Including, unfortunately, my Honda Civic. Now, William is taking driver's education, in the classroom and behind the wheel. But in addition to the time he spends with his licensed instructor, William is required to spend 40 hours on the road with a licensed driver over the age of 25. That would be me.<br />
<br />
While he doesn't fit in my car, he does fit comfortably in Karen's Forester. But Karen's Forester is at her work at a large number of very inconvenient hours, and so to get that required experience, William needed something else to drive.<br />
<br />
We were going to go to an auction and try to find a midsize. But Karen talked to our mechanic, who also has sold us four cars previously, all of which were good deals, and he said that he had not had good luck at that particular auction. But he did have a good car on the lot that he would make us a deal on. And it was, indeed, a very good deal, and a really nice car with low mileage.<br />
<br />
And so now William has a car but no license, to make it easier to get his license so that he can take advantage, finally, of having his own car. And so now, starting this coming week, I will be taking him out on the road as much as possible so that he can get his license soon after the school year ends and finally ease the terrible logistical problems that come from having three workers and only two cars in the family.<br />
<br />
Until Danny gets a job. But I don't want to think about that now.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-20119361909373075172018-04-03T20:52:00.002-04:002018-04-03T20:52:42.582-04:00Old Mac is Back!I finally got my new hard drive, installed it with the help of some very generous people on the Internet who've been down that path before, and got my software installed, all of which means that I can now edit video, record audio, and do my websites with my favorite familiar tools. That also means I can update the site more regularly.<br />
<br />
I was able to get some pictures up using the Windows machine, but the pathway for getting pictures onto the computer, particularly from the family phones, is much less convenient, for me at least, than the system I had with the Mac. I've already got some pictures queued up, and I'm going to try to get the family, all of whom have phones with cameras now (hint, hint) to submit pictures to me on at least a weekly basis.<br />
<br />
Spring is here, at least the New Hampshire version of it. There's still snow on the ground in patches, and we are expecting one or two small, slushy storms before the temperature really starts to rise, but we can feel it coming. And in this house, in the Spring, a young man's fancy turns lightly to thoughts of driver's ed. Much to the chagrin of the young man's parents.<br />
<br />
William will definitely have a job this summer, and might have two, so it has become imperative that he learn to drive. He hasn't been champing at the bit. The one job last summer was cycling distance, and he has enough friends who drive that his social life has not been too restricted by the lack of a license.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, William will be an adult come this October. Yikes. So it's about time.<br />
<br />
Right now, though, it's about time for me to move on to other things, with the promise that there is more to report soon. But if I spend to long with this, those pictures I have in queue will not be transformed into pictures that are actually posted on the site.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-29585898869057125432018-01-30T21:06:00.002-05:002018-01-30T21:06:35.275-05:00Coming Back SoonMy poor Mac Mini is not going to be back to working order anytime soon. It needs a new hard drive, and I have to install it myself. It's very time-consuming, once I've even found the right hard drive, and I don't have a lot of spare time right now, so it's going to take awhile.<br />
<br />
For now, I have moved the files for the website over to the old Windows machine I inherited from William (when he bought Tom's), and I'm gathering the tools I need to process and upload pictures from that operating system. I should be posting new pictures for the new month.<br />
<br />
I'll try to do some catch-up, too. We haven't taken a lot of pictures during January. It's been cold and snowy, and not having the tools to process the pictures has made it kind of hard to remember to take them, but there are some, and I will post those for you to see.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, we are all just going along, already looking forward to Spring, working, going to school, staying reasonably healthy. See you on the site.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-51481489268363568572018-01-01T20:40:00.000-05:002018-01-01T20:44:26.047-05:00Frozen New YearThis isn't the first time since I moved to New Hampshire that we've had a period of bitter cold to deal with. Not even the first time since we moved into our current house. But I don't remember having one this early for this long.<br />
<br />
The one water line in the basement that freezes, not hard enough to split the PEX water pipes, but enough to block the feed to the basement sink and the water line to our refrigerator, usually does so sometime in February. But we're keeping a little electric heater turned on in the basement sink base right now to thaw it out. For the second time this season.<br />
<br />
So, yeah, it's cold. If we're lucky, about a week from now, the weather will break and we will look forward to temperatures in the 20s. Meaning daytime highs in the 20s. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it does make a difference.<br />
<br />
I know that I have been neglecting the blog and the site for more than a month. There have been computer problems, schedule problems, and some family issues to deal with, including losing our beloved Ambush to kidney disease and having Karen take a tumble on the stairs from which she is still recovering.<br />
<br />
It will be at least a week or so before I can start posting pictures on the site again regularly, but I will begin doing so as soon as I have alternate computer resources (or have repaired the ones I normally use for the task). I'll try to be better about blogging, too. I don't expect the schedule to be much better this year (Karen and I are still on conflicting and unpredictable schedules, and William will be back at work this summer, possibly doing two jobs), but I'm going to try to develop better writing habits all around.<br />
<br />
As usual, I have my plans and goals for the year to come. I'm sure that most of them will not turn out as I plan, but working toward them will get me closer than if I'd had no goals at all. 2017 had its good moments and some really terrible ones, which only serve to make 2018 seem like a good fresh start. A blank page, to be sure, that thing dreaded by writers the world over. But a blank page still promises to be something worthwhile if you just keep your fingers on the keyboard.<br />
<br />
That's what I'm hoping for this year, even when the keyboard is only a metaphor for my musical instruments, my cameras, and my recording gear. When 2019 rolls around, you will, I hope, have an inkling of how I did.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I wish you all the best in this fresh new year, no matter the weather.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-22962384349292480672017-11-06T20:54:00.001-05:002017-11-06T20:54:12.263-05:00Opening WeekendAn evening off from the theater, after four rehearsals and three performances in eight days. I'm tired, but very satisfied. The shows have been great, the audiences even better, and our little barbershop quartet has actually been getting cheers for the harmonies we've worked so hard to perfect.<br />
<br />
Rehearsal was complicated a little by a widespread power outage that started on Monday. The theater didn't have power, but the high school did, so the high school's theater director, who happens also to be playing Harold Hill in our production, arranged for us to rehearse on the high school's stage. No props or sets, no costumes or makeup, but we did well.<br />
<br />
I missed Tuesday because I had to work (and we still had no power), and so dove directly into full dress rehearsals on Wednesday and Friday. Tiring, but very satisfying, and before we even knew it, there was an audience out there. Three shows, a few minor glitches but nothing serious, and some seriously happy customers.<br />
<br />
And I'm seriously tired. This show is fun, but it's also a very difficult show for anyone singing in it. My fellow members of the River City school board and I spent a lot of time perfecting the harmonies of "Sincere," "It's You," and "Lida Rose," even singing it together during costume changes to make sure we were hitting the right chords.<br />
<br />
I don't think I've ever been able to link the words "obsessive" and "casual" in the same moment, but that's what it was like. Although we obsessed over the notes, we never stressed over it. If someone was uncomfortable and wanted to give it another try, we just started singing, enjoying the result when we all hit the right chord, and heading to the piano or the pitch pipe when we didn't with a vow to do it until it was right.<br />
<br />
After a little touch-up Wednesday, we'll do three more shows. I'll be able to rest and get on with some neglected projects when it's done, but I'll also have a serious case of post-show let-down.<br />
<br />
And at some point, maybe next year or the year after, when the right play comes along, I'll do it all again.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-26381794772398305272017-08-04T17:17:00.001-04:002017-08-04T17:17:26.547-04:00Did You See It?Have you noticed yet what's at the bottom of the front page of the website? It's a little trick I figured out that allows you to see older pictures. It's not perfect yet—the only way to go back is to use the back button on your browser, or the HOME link to go all the way to the beginning—but it works pretty well.<br />
<br />
I've been paying more attention to that, and almost none to this blog. That's partly because it has been a monumentally busy summer. Thomas and Erin moved out, and three of the four of us that remain in the house are working. And we're all working very unpredictable schedules.<br />
<br />
Karen's job is, well, retail, and we've known how that goes for more than a decade. I'm working at a timeshare, and as soon as school let's out that just gets completely crazy. William is working in the restaurant in an exclusive golf club close to home, and most of his hours are in the evening.<br />
<br />
Makes for some interesting logistics, both for transportation and for meals. It will calm down this fall; William's job goes into hiatus, and mine slows down to a manageable crawl. Karen's just stays the same, but we'll have more time to take care of her.<br />
<br />
And I'll have two boys in high school, which means that the evenings are going to involve a lot of studying. Both boys are foregoing sports for the fall, William because soccer would interfere with the remainder of his work, and Danny because he wants to start high school with more time to study and rest.<br />
<br />
We haven't spent <i>all</i> of our time working. We managed to get out to some of our special places this summer, and Karen has been doing more painting. And I'm starting rehearsal on a play for the fall. We're doing <i>The Music Man. </i> I get to sing barbershop. I'm excited and slightly terrified, although the three gentlemen I'm singing with are all very good singers, and good friends.<br />
<br />
Now it's time for a rare dinner date with Karen. We were going to go do some photography and art gallery exploration, but it's muggy and we're both a bit too tired for so much running around. Tomorrow perhaps.<br />
<br />
And not so very long, I hope, until the next blog entry because this is ridiculous.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-7395603141735322552017-06-17T21:00:00.000-04:002017-06-17T21:00:03.015-04:00Home StretchWe're coming to the end of the school year. It's easy to tell because Danny just came back from the his Spring Trip, and Karen and I have wrangled schedules to be available for his middle school graduation. That's right: Danny is preparing to start high school.<br />
<br />
We had to do a little bit of adjustment to his schedule, not because it was horrible, but because he'd been given a study hall due to a miscommunication about his class choices. A quick visit to the guidance department resolved the error quickly, and Danny now has a good lineup of classes for the new year.<br />
<br />
Now we just need to get through the summer. Danny is going to be practicing some skills to help him with high school, William will be stepping up to full-time work as soon as school is over, just a little over a week from now, the resort where I work is gearing up for the rush, which often includes turning over all of our 42 rooms in one day on Sundays, and Karen is dealing with all the things Karen has been dealing with for the last ten years plus.<br />
<br />
Lots of projects in the works for the summer, including Karen's new trailer, as I mentioned, finally finishing the back deck, a revised version of my last book for me, and a new book if I can squeeze it in, and some fun art and craft projects for all of us.<br />
<br />
Plus a little New England travel, to some of our favorite places. I think the one thing that won't be in abundance this summer is boredom.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-53307937615239365302017-05-28T13:56:00.000-04:002017-05-28T13:56:05.034-04:00Battle of the SchedulesLast night, everyone worked late. Not just a late shift, but later than the normal end of the shift. And by everyone, I'm including William, who is now working as a dishwasher and prep cook at one of the local golf club restaurants. Fortunately, William's job is close to home, and he can ride his bike or even walk to work. Karen and I are not that lucky.<br />
<br />
William's schedule will likely be somewhat more predictable than ours, but summer is still going to be an interesting exercise in logistics, with me working in hospitality, Karen working in retail, and William working in food service. No nine-to-five, Monday-through-Friday office jobs in this household. That would be far too easy.<br />
<br />
William is taking to his job very well. It's very much what his school year has been preparing him for, and rather than being nothing more than a way to earn money, it's something he really cares about. He'll enjoy the money, of course, but he's also very excited about the experience he's going to get.<br />
<br />
Summer vacation is nearly upon us, which will likely bring more hours (and far less boredom) for me, and hopefully a little travel and camping. Karen has already started buying materials for the new, bigger camper (just as we're already making plans for a new, smaller house; interesting), and we'll start construction as soon as schedules and weather cooperate.<br />
<br />
The biggest challenge for all of us, I think, is getting enough sleep and having enough energy left over at the end of the day to work on the things that matter to us, and not just our jobs. William is, I think, in the best position for that, because between his youth and his passion for the work, his job actually seems to energize him.<br />
<br />
Can't, to be perfectly honest, say the same for Karen or for me. But as least, when the grind is done, we have other things to work toward. And that keeps us going.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-54435536505210866452017-05-03T11:41:00.000-04:002017-05-03T11:41:45.450-04:00Disconnected, AgainJust a quick entry for anyone who might have been trying to get hold of us these last two days. Our Internet connection, which is also our phone connection, has been out since yesterday, and will be out until at least tomorrow.<br />
<br />
If I could find another Internet service provider, I would do it in a heartbeat.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I am limited to trips to the library for Internet, and my almost daily work trip into town for phone. It's rather, well, limiting. Sigh.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-20423565693277925352017-04-16T10:55:00.002-04:002017-04-16T10:55:56.497-04:00Moving Out, Moving InThomas and Erin have found an apartment, where they spent their first night last night after a rather grueling move. It wasn't supposed to be quite so grueling, but miscommunication piled upon miscommunication and, well, it's long story not worth telling save to say that a lot of extra driving was involved.<br />
<br />
They aren't completely settled in. For one thing, they don't have Internet service yet, and Erin relies on it to do her homework, so they will be spending some time hanging around with us for a few days so that she can get her assignments done. I think we're okay with that.<br />
<br />
The apartment is a cute little space in a four-plex in Rochester, a much easier commute for both Tom and Erin, and close to a lot of fun places to eat and things to do. I think they will be very happy with it.<br />
<br />
And now I have to go. We're having Easter dinner for everyone, and I'm responsible for roasting the lamb. And for some reason, I'm not moving very fast today.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-63802849887013566582017-04-03T13:51:00.000-04:002017-04-03T13:51:44.346-04:00April Fool's!It's not me fooling you, it's nature fooling us with another winter storm in the Spring. More than a foot of new snow just as we had gotten down to bare ground in the driveway. Now the tall piles are even higher, and we are seriously considering periscopes on the cars to help us get onto the road.<br />
<br />
And we're expecting another annoying storm tomorrow.<br />
<br />
But this is New Hampshire. Complain as we will (and we will), we're really pretty much used to it. I am disappointed, though, because my under-construction back deck was almost clear, and I was thinking that I might be getting a chance to finish it this month. Now I'm not so sure.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile we are chugging away with work, school, sports, and—when we get the chance—having fun.<br />
<br />
With the changing season (even if it is not changing fast enough) comes other changes, too, which I will be talking about as they happen. Don't worry, though; they are good changes.<br />
<br />
Changing, too, will be the website. Nothing radical. New portraits, probably some new colors, and a way to display more pictures without bogging down your computer. I've almost got it worked out.<br />
<br />
The galley concept is probably going to change, too. I am finding Google Photos more annoying than useful, and I have a lot of storage available on my own server. So I am probably going to come up with something that's more like our own front page, but easier to update. I'm not exactly sure what the shape of it all will be, but I'll be experimenting into the summer until I find something that I like.<br />
<br />
You'll see the changes, little by little, as long as you keep coming back. We'll see you here.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-18465586585695642032017-03-16T11:47:00.000-04:002017-03-16T11:47:20.606-04:00Without a 'NetI am still without an Internet connection at home, and MetroCast customers from most of New Hampshire and communities in other New England states are still without service.<br />
<br />
I have no idea when the service will be back, but until it is we have no phone. I'm able to blog (without breaking the site this time) from the library, because they use a different ISP, but the files I need to update the site otherwise are at home, disconnected from the rest of the world. It's a shame, because I have some really cool pictures from my new camera, and some that Karen took with her phone while I was stuck at the resort.<br />
<br />
The outage has been inconvenient for us, but a major issue for many of the businesses in New Hampshire that depend on the Internet to communicate with customers, accept orders, and process payments. MetroCast has much to answer for during this incident; their communication has been horrible. Town selectmen have been complaining that they have not way to contact anyone to get updates for their constituents.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, we keep plugging along with all the things that we do without the Internet. When we're done at the library, Karen will go swimming at the resort (and I'm sure I'll get an earful from the desk about how horrible it's been without the Internet), and we'll go home to work on dinner and the house.<br />
<br />
And, with any kind of luck, we'll be connected again soon.<br />
<br />Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-67651428785581702112017-03-14T21:32:00.000-04:002017-03-16T11:37:03.026-04:00IsolatedI'm writing this from a room at the timeshare. I'm not staying for recreation; I'm doing a late shift and the roads are not really safe, so I'm staying at the resort tonight, working a morning shift, then going home. Tiring, to be sure, but better than trying to get home in the aftermath of a blizzard.<br />
<br />
It's bad enough that, even with the expected end of the storm coming soon after midnight, the schools have already announced a two-hour delay to give the towns time to make the roads safe for busses.
<br />
<br />
Naturally, the boys got the day off from school. Karen and Tom decided to stay home, and Erin worked from home until the Internet connection went out across the area. The annoying part of that is that I can't call home until it comes back. I'm writing this on my phone, care of my data plan.
<br />
<br />
Luckily, Erin's phone sometimes gets just enough signal to get text messages from home, so I was able to learn that the power stayed on at home, and get the message about two-hour delays to Karen before she needed to get boys up and moving.<br />
<br />
The Internet outage hit the resort, too, so I've had to put off a fair amount of my work until (with luck) early tomorrow morning. It has made for an interesting and somewhat stressful day.<br />
<br />
But everyone is safe and comfortable, and so I can sleep tonight instead of worrying, buoyed by the thought that Spring is nearly here.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-8940906173031133412017-03-02T22:52:00.001-05:002017-03-02T22:52:22.015-05:00RingedSome time ago, the stone on Karen's ring broke off. She was very lucky, in that it broke off in her pocket, and she was able to hand onto the stone. She has been trying to find a good goldsmith who can remake her ring, combining it with her mother's ring. Meanwhile, she started wearing the band I got her while she was pregnant, when her wedding ring wouldn't fit her fingers. Until that one broke, too.<br />
<br />
Hardware is a tough business to be in if you want to take care of the rings on your fingers. So Karen was without a ring for a long time. She tired of that recently, though, and we started to shop for a ring. Since we will, ultimately, be spending a fair amount of money on having a new ring crafted for her, we decided to look at used rings on eBay.<br />
<br />
We found a lovely Black Hills Gold ring in the right size at an affordable price. When it arrived, it was even prettier than it looked in the pictures. I presented it to my lovely wife on a dinner date. She's enjoying showing it off to her friends.<br />
<br />
Our schedule has been more than a little crazy during the last month. With me going back to work, and having a schedule that is even more unpredictable than Karen's, we have to work harder to spend time together, and still find time for minor details like sleep.<br />
<br />
Meals are interesting, because there are days when we're not sure without consulting a calendar who is likely to be home for them. And even then there are interesting surprises. Tonight, for example, I was out shopping, expecting to pick up dinner fixing for five, only to get a call from Tom telling me that he and the boys were planning to go to a Pokemon card event, and that they'd all eat out (including Erin, who met them on her way home).<br />
<br />
Karen was working a late shift, so I ended up eating dinner alone. That hasn't happened in a long time.<br />
<br />
We'll settle in, though. Tom is moving soon to an evening schedule, which means he won't be joining us for dinners during the week, and the boys are going back to school. I think my schedule may also settle down once my boss has figured out when she needs me most.<br />
<br />
At least I hope so. But if not, at least my boys can now take care of themselves, so I can be flexible.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-16059783200499908512017-02-17T19:39:00.000-05:002017-02-17T19:39:12.427-05:00BuriedThe snow is, as we've become used to this time of year, piled higher than even William's head, leaving us to continually move snow around in an effort to make paths for four cars. That's right, four. I needed a car of my own because I now have a job, and of course it has a schedule that is as unpredictable as Karen's<br />
<br />
I'm working the front desk at a timeshare, which is more complicated than it sounds, because unlike a regular hotel, timeshares don't have separate reservation departments, and the front desk people are also responsible for keeping up on the records of the people who own time at the facility. It's making my head spin a bit, but I'm getting the hang of it.<br />
<br />
So, in addition to being literally buried, we are metaphorically buried, adapting to these new scheduling demands. Adding to the mix (though in a less-complicated way) is Tom's new job, in a textile factory. He's been hired for the second shift, but the training takes place on the first shift, which starts at 6:00 in the morning. Tom is not a morning person.<br />
<br />
William is getting more active, too, working extra time with his culinary class. Last night he worked prep and service for a special Valentine's dinner. Karen and I didn't get to go, because the tickets are sold by the second-level students to their friends and family. Next year, though, because I have no doubt that William will stick with this; he's thriving.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, we deal with the snow. Although there is a lot of it, it won't be around for too much longer. Spring is coming, we keep telling ourselves. The schedule will get even worse, with spring sports and a busier season at the timeshare, but by then we will have worked out the logistics.<br />
<br />
Smooth sailing? Well, I don't know about that, but we'll certainly make it work.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-14851461026773477252017-01-30T17:49:00.002-05:002017-01-30T17:49:24.012-05:00The Culinary BonusAh, the joys of having a son in culinary arts. It's not just that he cooks for us—he was doing that before he went to high school—but that we're learning things from him. Most recent example: I have been using the bread maker to make dough for bread and buns for years. But William passed on a little wisdom from culinary arts that changed the way I do it.<br />
<br />
He told me that, in his class, the bread, particularly the baguettes, only get one rise. I'd always let the dough rise in the bread maker until it told me it was done, and then again in the oven (ours has a "proof" setting, a controlled room temperature for this very purpose). The texture was fine, but now we pull the dough out of the bread maker 30 to 40 minutes before the timer goes off and just do the proofing in the oven.<br />
<br />
The texture is softer, denser, and much more uniform when we do it this way. Bonus!<br />
<br />
Not only that, but when I'm teaching William how to make something, like my quick clam chowder (canned clams), I don't have to lead him through it. It's just "Dice the potatoes, boil them from cold, then make a roux, add a couple of cups of water, season it once you've got it smooth, add the clams with the juice, add half-and-half, and put the potatoes back in." He does it, and it's wonderful, maybe better than my own. Happy sigh!<br />
<br />
Of course, the real advantage to William taking culinary arts is that he absolutely loves it. Even with all the cleaning and prep that he has to do, he looks forward every day to his class. Even today, when he didn't really need to be at school (it was finals make-up day and he didn't have anything to make up), he wanted to make sure he was in his first block to help prep for the restaurant that the program runs.<br />
<br />
Any class that makes a sophomore in high school want to be in school more than out is perfect in my book!Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-48254541726027961482017-01-22T20:26:00.002-05:002017-01-22T20:26:24.073-05:00Sad DaysI haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up on the pictures this week. A dear friend of ours, someone Karen has worked with and been very close to for nearly ten years, died suddenly of a heart attack, and we have been busy with hospital visits and, ultimately, communicating with his relatives, particularly his sister, about arrangements.<br />
<br />
It was very shocking. We were going to be at Michael's house for a dinner party the day his heart attack came. He had been very excited about showing off the things he'd done with his house, including a new kitchen which Karen had designed for him. He had even set the table with his guest china the night before. Michael was only 57 years old.<br />
<br />
Usually I try to report the pleasant things that are happening in our lives on this blog, and there are plenty of those. There's a new job for me, the weather's been pretty kind to us (although I hear we're going to get slammed with ice tomorrow night), and we certainly have been eating well with everyone in the house cooking.<br />
<br />
Still, I thought is was important to tell the story so that you'd know that our neglect of the site (among other things) was not due to ill health or any household calamity. We've just had a lot on our plates, and our minds. The funeral will be on Wednesday, and life will continue, though poor Karen will have to face Michael's absence each day at work.<br />
<br />
It also, as deaths at a young age often do, has given us pause and made us think a bit more about what we're spending our time on, and thinking about what we might do to make better use of time.<br />
<br />
Speaking of time, our schedules are about to get a little crazy, as once I'm out of my training period, my shifts will be nearly as unpredictable as Karen's. That should make things, well, interesting. It also means there will have to be another car in our driveway very soon. Oh joy.<br />
<br />
But the new job will add some flexibility to our finances, and that can only be a good thing.Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14258691.post-34511034392568350202017-01-12T21:52:00.001-05:002017-01-12T21:52:06.913-05:00It's Like a Heat WaveRight now, the temperature outside is 45 degrees. We have come far enough in the winter to refer to this as mid-January, and it's 45 degrees. It's been raining. That's right, raining. I went off to the store in shirtsleeves. No coat. Really.<br />
<br />
The storm I wrote about was as big as we were led to believe it would be, but not as bad, because (and this seems so strange to me now), the temperature stayed well below freezing and the foot-and-a-half of snow that fell was light, dry, and easy to shovel. It didn't weigh down the trees or the power lines, and all the preparations we made for a power outage turned out to be unnecessary. But I'm ready for the next one, which is bound to come.<br />
<br />
I think. It's definitely been a weird winter so far, even just a few weeks in.<br />
<br />
Not that I'm really complaining, at least for my own sake, though i do worry that some of my neighbors with shallow wells may not fare so well in the coming summer if we don't get a better snow pack.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, life goes on pretty much as usual. School, work, the perpetual construction on the house—I'm even learning to install a sink for the basement kitchen—and whatever extracurricular activities we can squeeze in.<br />
<br />
And, occasionally, sleep, which is what I'm going to try to get some of right now.<br />
Gordon Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671409977149017933noreply@blogger.com0