Hello John!

It has been a few days since I last wrote.  I really didn’t have much to say.  It was a very quiet weekend.  Gabe made his way to Bolton every day.  He was very pleased with some of his last runs.  He still is hitting the features and not kicking back yet.  Next weekend is the last. 

Saturday night Gabe & I went to Sakura’s for sushi.  We both had been wanting it lately.  Also, it was to celebrate my birthday.  April 1st he hopes to go to Bolton dressed for National Gapper Day so we will not have sushi that night.  I guess Gapper Day is when skiers/riders try to dress in the 70’s clueless skiers attire.  The real problem is he is using some of my clothing.  Does that give you a idea as to how out of fashion I may be.  I can’t help it if I have not grown out of or ripped some clothing.  No reason to get new stuff.  However when your kid wears your stuff to try and look foolish I guess I should upgrade my look.

I had a fun weekend being with friends Marcia, Jill and some new friends also.  I good time at Jill’s house. 

This morning I took the dogs on the river shore trail and tried to see if all the ice had melted.  On the trail there were just a few little spots left.  Along the river there were still blocks of ice.

Not to go into gory details…Max and friends let their apartment go.  There had been issues about work being completed before they pay rent.  It was just best to let that go.  They are out looking again.  That is a tough job to get 4 people to see an apartment, go to school and work.  I’m sure they will manage. 

I gave the dogs a bath today.  Chai really needed it.  Satori still feels a little wet when you get your fingers down into her fur.  She has such think hair.  They were good…or course feeding them cheese and sandwich meat while bathing always helps.

I had a hard time making real progress on anything this weekend.  It felt like a lazy haze fell over the house.  Part was getting Gabe out when he planned on leaving…and I also had more driving then usual.  I did weed the berry patch.  Can you believe I did that on March 27th?  Amazing.

Good night John.  I am off.  love to you…d   

Hi John…

Here comes the rain.  Today was the first day that I thought that there may be no more snow coming down and winter has ended.  I’m not sure if that is the case being here in Vermont.  It just was the warmth that I felt today.  This felt like April showers a week early.

The morning was spent in yogaville.  Today was the last class for my toddler group.  The teen class will be ending soon also due to lacrosse.  Spring in Vermont means yoga of the outside.  We are in transition.

IBM has announced a possible 5000 layoffs in the company.  I am not sure when they will begin.  I know you will be sad not to be here for that.  It will be important for you to talk with friends and help whomever head towards another job.  You are so good at networking.  That is a skill that facebook or myspace have gotten better at…yet you have the human touch. 

Transitions…they are happening everywhere.  State workers are being asked to take a pay cut to keep the layoffs low…students are protesting cuts…UVM has lost baseball and softball…on and on.  I know it is painful for some folks.  It is hard to go to bed at night and wake the next day to find your job or house  on the way out.  Our country and community continues to feel the burden and change.  I understand.  It is the loss of control that makes the situation harder.  It also is this that shows that we should not take it personally.  This change will hurt however I believe it is necessary and will produce a better place.  Maybe I am just optimistic or hopeful.  It is important to keep things in perspective.  Job, houses, locations can change.  Hmmm enough talk.

Gabe had a half day today and one tomorrow.  This afternoon was spent at Bolton.  He is squeezing the last bit out of the snow there.  He too feels the change in the season.  It is hard to transition to lacrosse when there is still snow in the mountains.  He participated in a Rail Jam for a little girl named Molly.  It was a fundraiser to help raise funds for her lymphoma treatment.  I was glad he did it.

I did my thousand errands this afternoon.  It was kinda fun.  I was very efficient.  I had fun delivering some of the Arbonne products to friends.  It was good catching up with them  This evening I took the dogs out before the rains came again.

Tonight I watched the “Twilight” movie.  Not as good as the book.  I had to read the book because all of the girls in Gabe’s class have been reading it.  I love a good vampire book.  This has all the elements of prince charming except this dude has fangs.  I also love it that this family has the last name of “Collins”.  I don’t think this age group gets the connection to Barnabus Collins.  The author must have enjoyed that element.

Time for bed.  There will be no dreams of vampires although it’s nice to know we are immortal in spirit.  I love that.  Good night.   love…d     

Hey John…

Max called today and all went well with the lease and they have a new apartment beginning in April.  I guess it is closer to campus and a little cheaper.  The rooms are nicer for all of them.  They also have some leeway in moving in which is good. 

The dogs went for their 100,000 mile check up today.  They got shots, gave blood and others fluids not needed to say right here.  Healthy and happy dogs. 

My day was a normal Wednesday.  I  went to CHMS for an hour then onto RES for my kids yoga class.  Cute kids and spring fever was high.  Lots of energy.  Gabe went to Bolton in 50 degree weather and sunshine.  They stayed until 8:00. 

Me…I am tired.  I have to go to bed.  I think I am tired because Satori needed to go out at 1:30 for some reason.  After that it is hard for me to get back into a deep sleep.  I am off to read then sleep.

Early goodnight to you John.  love…d     

Hi John…

Today was cleaning day.  The place looks great.  I have taken off our flannel sheets from the bed.  I guess that means winter is done.  Although it did not feel that way today.  The March winds can be cold.  I had to bundle up when I took the dogs for a walk with Jen.  The field was cold however the dogs has a blast.  Today was pass the flattened dried frog back and forth.  Satori found it first.  As I took it from her Julie swooped it up and took off with it.  As she tried to roll on it I was able to bury it in some leaves.  Those dogs. 

Last night I heard from Barry.  He returned a few days ago.  The rest of the Townsend’s are in Buenoes Aires, Argentina.  We may not be able to get Deb out of there.  This sounds like a place she will truly love.  There is night life, museums, Tango, Salsa music, good food and great people.  They are having a ball.  Right now they have a place rented until 4/7 and then they will move to another spot.  I think they may be using this as their launching spot.  Brit however is returning back on 3/31.  Barry will get her and they will spend the night here.  Barry needs to work and then they will head to New Hampshire to gather some of Brits things.  She hopes to head back here to Vermont to work for about 3 months.  Then it will be New Zealand.  Exciting times for them.  It will be good to talk with Brit and get the scoop.

It was also good to talk with Jleigh though email today.  Her life is quieter without your calendar hopping.  She too misses you.  She will be talking one of her rescue pugs to their new home this week.  That is so cool she does that.  I forgot to ask if that was the blind one.  I’ll see her next week.  Seems she has to make a birthday delivery for you.  Did you get me a pug? 

Gabe asked an interesting question about our auto insurance.  You know that we have a $500 deductable however since you hit an animal it was only a $100 deductable.  Gabe was wondering what would happen if you swirved to avoid an animal and hit a tree.  Well, I had to talk with Brenda through email and she said it would be $500.  Poor animal.  I told Gabe I would still swirve, if I could, and pay the extra.

We went t the chiropractor and stopped in to pick up Gabe’s board from Talent.  Gabe said Dave is an expert waxer.  His board looks so good.  Dave also filled some gaps to keep this board good through the summer.  This summer Dave will order a replacement board for Gabe’s Swindle board.  Gabe also got a new winter coat at 50% off.  Yeah.  Next pants.   

Gabe had an interesting science class these last few days.  They split up into groups and then they constructed an experiment to be done on themselves to test an increase in heart rate.  My first guess was taken…watching scary movies.  Some watched sad movies and some stood out side in the cold.  Guess what Gabe’s group did?  Yes they drank Red Bull and checked their heart rates.  They also understood that their heart rate may have increased just with the excitement of drinking Red Bull at school.  He told me that the heart rate did go up a little.  I like this type of test because so much of our pop media is based on tests just like this.  Hopefully they will understand the difficulty creating and executing a simple test on humans. 

He told me that someone at school told him he needed to drink 2 glasses of water for every Red Bull he drank.  I told him that may have been due to the caffiene.  I told him in the same respect people who drink coffee ought to do the same.  I enjoy hearing him come home with the same things we heard in school like coffee will stunt your growth and chocolate gives you zits. 

I found a large print copy of “Tuesdays with Morrie” on our bookshelf.  I’m not sure where it came from however the large print was perfect for using on the elliptical due to the wobbly nature of our machine. So I just keep it there to read when I exercise.  I really enjoy the book.  It talks about how Morrie is in that state of simplicity.  It is just about basic bodily functions and giving/receivning love.  So simple.  There is one bit where he is being interviewed by Ted Koppel for the second time.  Morrie is identifying with a person who wrote him a letter.  This was in reference to a death of a parent.  So Morrie tells the writer that he understands because his mother died when he was a child.  He says this with with tears and getting choked up.  Ted Koppel says that was 75 years ago…and the pain is still there?  And the answer was yes.  No surprise there.  Morrie doesn’t filter that out.  He misses his Mom as an old man just as he did at each point in his life…getting married…working..having kids.  Each step.  I think you understand my point John.  To live each point along that path in the moment of joy and sorrow intertwinned together.  Bittersweet.  That word “bittersweet” is just that…the bitter intertwinned with the sweet.  Okay, maybe tonight I like language better.  I think I’ll add bittersweet to the list of words I like.

Well I think I’ll go check out those clean crisp cold sheets.  Sleep well.  love…d