Gee, Think.

Triumphantly, I’ve returned!!

I’ve recently been challenged with the opportunity to see just how far I can take my dedication to my profession. The past couple months were a trial in persistance, faith, and relentless self-affirmation. I met long hours as sunless mornings and late nights. I saw what it is like to become completely absorbed in a project work schedule. There were weeks when I saw my fiance only when she was either sleeping or driving me to the train station. I missed engagements with friends and family. This was a challenge for my own endurance, and also for our resiliency together. I personally felt the costs of such a schedule, and can now say without question how far I am willing to go and under which circumstances. Part of the cost to me from the process was time with these people. After paying those costs, I’ve realized how much I enjoy that time. I appreciate time with friends and family on an even deeper level now.

I learned the meaning of expectations and deadlines. I felt great about meeting deadlines, and felt the excrutiating anxiety of missing them. I put all of my energy into my work, even through the weekends, and there was still more to do. These were challenges that I had not previously met. I feel excellent about the effort I put forth, and that’s a feeling that I could not have from any lesser collection of demands.

The work that I do is very different from the work of any of the men from previous generations in my family, and yet we can still talk to each other about our seperate experiences as similiar tests of “what you’re made of”. I put forth the best effort I can because I hope to be able to hold myself up to their example of work ethic.
This experience was challenging, but something I see as a positive chapter in my life. It was a time when I was able to say that no matter how tired I feel, no matter what kind of pressure I’m feeling, I’m just going to keep going on because I believe that by going on, we’ll make it. We did make it. We got to the other side, and my team was able to contribute to the good of the whole through our individual self sacrifices. Knowing this is the best reward I could have for the effort I put forward.

Mom and I were stranded in an ethereal mist near the top of Cadillac
mountain on Mount Dessert Island last week. We started the hike with
Kitty’s parents and Lloyd as well. We had to stop on the way down
because of an aching knee.
The sky was overcast when we were at the bottom of the north trail.
Soon after we started up the mountain the temperature began to rise. I
was sweating like crazy. We drank our water quickly anticipating the
water fountains at the top.
Before we knew it a thick fog had rolled in all around us. The
temperature began to drop down to about 60 from 80 and the light breeze
becamre a strong wind. The winds must have been blowing at around 40
mph. Humidity was near 100% as we watched thick billowing gusts of fog
streak between us and the trees.
When we finally reached the summit I could not see more than 100 feet
ahead. It felt like twilight. I went from shirtless to sweatshirt in
about 2 minutes. The strength of the gusts doubled as we stepped out
from below the granite boulders.
It was the walk down the mountain that started the knee ache. Mom had
to stop and I volunteered to stay with her. This was mostly because I
didn’t wan’t to hike back day in the atrocious weather.
Lloyd and Kitty raved ahead to the rescue vehicle. I think Mom and I
were sitting on the side of the road waiting for about an hour, but the
time passed quickly. We had a lot to talk about and the unusual weather
conditions created an excellent environment for the meeting of the
minds.
Speaking of meeting, a strange man pulled over on his way down the
mountain in his dodge stratus. He was clearly derranged and I thought I
might have had to kung fu him. Thankfully he drove off after some
disorganized and slurred comments.
What a day for a hike!

Here are the women of Kitty’s family. This is just before Lucy will
head out to her senior prom. Isn’t she stunning? I think she picked an
amazing dress. Her date was in the room, as well as his immediate
family. We were having a photo shoot of sorts when I snapped this
picture.

Some people would say that picking up hitch hikers is too dangerous
these days. Well, it’s not like I do it everyday, but I couldn’t pass
by this charming young lady. It was really her cool hat that roped me
in. We happened to be headed the same way, down to Pittsburgh. It’s
nice to have company like her on a long trip. We sang songs through the
driving rain.

Nothing like a hug!

Notice the big hole in the tree. There’s a lot of those around here.
Dunellen see,s to have chosen to cut holes through the trees rather than
chop them down. I’m glad they go to the extra trouble of carefully
carving out a hole for the wire, and maintaining that as the tree
grows. The neighborhood is much more friendly with all the trees
around.

Here are the ladies I hung out with this weekend. It had been a long
time, and it was great to be reunited, if only for 2 and a half days.
This shot was taken in a park just down the street from our cozy home.
Sunday was a beautiful day! We took a walk and enjoyed the sunshine and
blue skies. We made a new neighborhood aquaintance. This man did not
reveal his name eventhough we introduced ourselves, but he told us a
great story.
His house is made of stone, with walls 36 inches thick!! That’s right,
3 FEET! The plot it stands on was purchased from the town of Dunellen
by his father in law when he was a boy of 12. His father in law bought
the land with money he had made in the pig trade of1909 to 1911.
The house was built in 1919 with stone hauled by horse and cart from
local Washington Rock, where our first president watched the movement of
the British troops in spring of 1776. Apparently it stays cool in the
summer, warm in the winter, and has made all of its tenants quite
happy.

Whoa now! Look out fellas, girls from Maine aren’t all sunsets and dewy
mornings!

Who ever had this much fun studying for an AP calculus Exam? I sure
didn’t. That’s one of the great things about Lucy and her friends, they
can have a blast studying the etheral mysteries of the derivative and
trigonometric identities. Say what now?

Easter dinner is a special time for me. Its a time for family with good
food and conversation. Most of my experience with easter dinner’s and
activities was in Maine around our small town. We would usually head
over to Auntie’s house for a ham roast and brunch on the lawn. What
great memories.
It’s the big meal that creates a really warm environment. I’ve felt
this with my family but also with friends. I usually think about a meal
prepared in the oven during the eraly spring, fall, or winter, but
bbqing can have the same effect. You bring a bunch of people together
in expectation of a good meal. Knowing that food is on the way puts
just about anyone in a good mood.
The trick is that you get them all together when there’s nothing to do
except talk to each other while they wait for the meal. That applies
more to families than to friends. With friends you might not have to
bribe them to stick around. I would hope not anyway. With family
though, especially including independent teenagers, sometimes it takes a
little cunning to cultivate the right scenario. It’s all for the good
though.
So here’s to family gatherings. I hope you got to spend the day with
your loved ones as well.