Not so Deep Thoughts ...

Before I get too far into my post, here’s a song I’ve been wearing out lately in iTunes. I heard it first on WDUQ on Tony Mowad’s show, then picked up the CD on Half.Com. Hope you like it. The song is “All One” by Oscar Castro-Neves.



I have another one I hope to post soon too by a band called The Bad Plus. Same deal on where I heard it and picked it up. If anyone is interested in getting copies for themselves let me know.

January 31, 2008, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

Music is becoming important to me here. I have been very generous in spreading the wealth for the outlets I use. I am currently sponsoring WDUQ (for my jazz and NPR fix and because Max listens to Tony Mowad every night before going to bed) and SomaFM. If you don’t listen to any of the SomaFM stations, you are missing out on a lot of good music. They stream a lot of their stations to the iTunes radio area and you can check out their website too at somafm.com. I pledged $2.99 a month (barely a Starbucks anymore) and now have no guilt when I listen to their commercial free stations (Groove Salad under the heading of “Ambient” in iTunes radio is my favorite).

It’s been relatively nice the last couple of days here. Cold, but sunny. So my lunchtime walks have at least been enjoyable. The pedometer that I bought the other week to replace the crappy one I got for free with my Brita pitcher works so much better. It was only $4.99 at Target. I am trying to log 7,000 or more steps a day and with parking a little further away from my building and getting in a good half hour walk at lunch, that has not been a problem.

A breakdown on my step counts the past week:

Wednesday, 1/23: 9,176
Thursday, 1/24: 8,870
Friday, 1/25 – Sunday 1/27: Unmeasured, in Munhall On The Mon
Monday, 1/28: 7,717
Tuesday, 1/29: 7,039
Wednesday, 1/30: 10,070 steps thanks to a trip to the Newburgh Target, Wal-Mart and some supermarket.
Thursday, 1/31: 7,869

I was picking up a few items Thursday, groceries for lunch mostly, and sort of looking around for a Laundromat. I hate the thought of having to go to one this weekend to get my laundry cleaned, but it needs to happen if I am not going home. That’s still the plan. At the little complex at the Target in Newburgh, which is a huge store, well stocked and clean, and as a bonus has a Starbucks in the front where the photo place is at the one at The Waterfront, there is a place called “Steve’s Laundry” tucked away in the corner between a Rent-A-Center and pizza joint. Yeah, this should be fun.

The last time I remember being in a Laundromat was when we were on vacation in Universal Orlando. The Royal Pacific had a laundry room for guests. We took a boatload of quarters and a couple of bags of dirty clothes down and spent a couple of hours in there. Lisa and I took turns watching and switching loads while the boys were swimming. That was at least scenic. Doing laundry while on vacation was actually fun. Doing it this weekend at “Steve’s” while I’d rather be home will really suck.

A few more things to add but I’ll wait until tomorrow or over the weekend. I have not gotten around to trying a wine and spirits store here (the beer is right there in the grocery stores), and have been avoiding the temptation. But being stuck here might just be the final straw on that front. I’ll be sure to let you know how that goes. I think there’s a little store in the Target complex. If not, there’s one in the Cornwall Plaza. Not that I have been making mental notes of all of these locations or anything …

What have I learned the last day or two? Walking is great exercise, none of the stores in the Target plaza in Newburgh have Dasani lemon flavored water, and Steve’s Laundry supposedly has 25 cent dryers. We’ll see if it lives up to the hype … better brush up on my Spanish.

I just thought I would add a link to this article in the PG as it caught my eye this morning. For the longest time I have envisioned an afterlife for me that consisted of a quick trip to a crematorium then being sprinkled over New Zealand. While not ruling out that option, I think this is a much better way to look at signing off for good. After seeing way too many movies that depict embalming (“Revenge of the Living Dead” quickly comes to mind), I am pretty sure I don’t want to go through that, even if I am dead at the time.

Not exactly being interred in a shoebox in the backyard of 3710 McWhinney Street with Mya and half a dozen other animals or ending up as soylent green, but somewhere in the middle I suppose and closer to how I would prefer to romanticize my physical remains being disposed of when the time comes.

Eternally green: Woodland burials are a natural alternative to an embalmed afterlife

Well, I know you’re dying to know … so yes, I went home last Friday. It was real last minute too. I was at work and was a little distracted since Lisa and the boys did not call the night before (Thursday). I was talking to them on the phone and wanted them to call me later on Skype so we could videoconference. They never called.

So the next day, mumbling to myself all day, debating on whether to call and vent a bit, I decided at about 3:30 to make the trip home. So after work I zipped to the cottage and packed up what I needed and was on the road a little late. My phone was dead so I charged it with the converter I bought for the Universal Orlando trip, but even when it was done charging, I did not turn it on. I knew Lisa would be calling and being a little mad still but also not wanting to give away my location (car noises in the background), I left it turned off.

Anger? Loneliness? Love? Lust? What drove me to drive that day? I am still not sure. But I am glad I did. The trips aren’t getting any shorter, but they are getting a little less tedious. I have it down to a formula at this point.

Fill up in Vails Gate, drive 5 hours to the Bedford Service Plaza on the Turnpike, gas up and grab a grande half-caf at the Starbucks there, and it’s about an hour and 45 minutes to home. Reverse that on the way back to the cottage.

Connor was probably the happiest to see me, followed by a close second between Lisa and Max. I know Max misses me more often than Connor, but when he (Connor) misses me, I feel the worse. It was great being home and the bonus was having Zach come over too. I was able to set up Max’s new computer and that’s working out very well. Left Vista on it for now so we’ll see how it works out.

Lisa was not feeling good, another reason that compelled me to head home, but she was able to go the family wedding over the weekend. Aunt Helen Detorre’s granddaughter (Jerry’s daughter) was getting married. Lisa got to dance, dress up and see her brother. A great night for her. I got to hang out with the boys, a great night for me.

But, I’m back at the cottage now …

The week at work has been good so far. A few new things going on and able to help a lot of faculty in a bind this week as classes are a good two weeks into the term and the late starters are desperate. So when I can help at the last minute get them up and running, they really appreciate it and I fell like I am making a difference.

But I’d rather get into some stories about things I have been experiencing, mulling over, and otherwise observing at this end outside of work.

When I got back from home the weekend I was there for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I got a call from Mr. Fusillo while I was at work. I did not know this until I went for my lunchtime walk and my cell intoned that I had a voice message. Thinking it was Lisa, I called to check and it turns out it was Joe who said he needed to talk to me. He mentioned something about one of the neighbor’s cars. I was hoping they did not think I hit one of them. When I called him back, he said there had been a party somewhere on Maple Road over the weekend and some cars had been tampered with or broken in to. I did not notice anything amiss at the cottage when I got back, so I reported that to Joe.

However, I did see something strange that morning on the way to work. It was cold that morning, very cold. Cold enough for a heavy coat, gloves and a head wrap. But as I was leaving Bellwood Road and driving down Maple toward Mountain Road, I saw a young man sort of walking, standing on the road in front of Joe’s house. He was mid to late teens at the oldest, I guessed, and wearing jeans, tennis shoes and only a blue hooded sweatshirt. Very odd I thought. What was he doing out in this cold with only a “hoody” on. Did he live on Maple Road? Was he heading for a bus stop for school (he was not carrying a bag or anything to indicate he was making his way to school)? Was he at the party the night before and wondering around still sort of drunk? I could see he was looking at my car as I drove past him and I did not worry about the cottage as I had double locked it for some reason. Normally I only lock the door, but had also locked the deadbolt that morning.

I thought nothing of it after that until Joe called and reported this to him, which he said he’d pass along to the police. Turns out several other cars around the area had been broken in to as well but not much was taken in our area. Details of these are at the Cornwall On Hudson newspaper site.

Anyway, the young man’s face haunted me for the rest of that day most likely because of two things. Joe’s call about the break in to my neighbors car (not much was taken – maybe some loose change), and the fact that my boss sent around a note that a cadet was killed over the weekend. No details, just a name: Mitchel Tisdell.

Being the curious type and having the power of Internet available to me, I Googled the name and set up a Google News Alert to see what, if anything, would be reported about this young man. Turns out he was from Colorado and was apparently hit by a commuter train while in New York City. The details of the accident are available at this link.

So, why does the passing of Cadet Mitchel Tisdell, whom I had never met, to my knowledge, command so much of my attention? Why do I have this uneasy feeling that maybe, just maybe, I did meet him. And maybe it was that morning on Maple Road, after he had already passed, and was wondering around looking for passage to the other side. Perhaps the young man, who was poorly dressed for the weather and did not seem sure of where he was or was supposed to be heading, was looking to me for help when I passed him, which was why he followed my car not with menacing eyes, but with a somewhat sad but hopeful look. Was I supposed to stop? Was I supposed to ask him if I could help him or offer him a ride?

Later I thought he was likely on his way to school and, like most kids I remember seeing while walking Connor and Max to Park School on my way to the bus stop, just did not like overdressing for the weather. And if I had stopped and asked him if he wanted a ride I would be appearing on the police blotter as someone trying to abduct a child along Maple Road. I will probably never know for sure as I have not seen that young man again. I’ll just call him “Mitch” for now …

More action at the cottage as I was forced to physically evict a visitor yesterday. Seems as if my place is very popular with the ladies. Ladybugs that is. I don’t think they are actually ladybugs, but an Asian beetle of some kind. I remember there were times at DU when the wall of Rockwell Hall would be covered with literally thousands of these beetles, which look like ladybugs, but turns out they are seasonal or not native. Could be the same ones I have as roommates or these could be the real deal. Anyway, I find carcasses of them here and there and there is one who calls my kitchen home. I left a small piece of bread and some orange for it last night because I was worried I am not sloppy enough for it to survive otherwise. Yeah, I am that desperate for company.

But while I was working on the computer last night, low and behold some bug began flying around my lamp. Very distracting and I was a little afraid it was going to fall into the lamp and get killed. It was a beetle and I figured the one that lived in the kitchen. I grabbed a newspaper and was able to knock it onto the food ad and tossed it out the front door. I would miss him, um, her. Not sure of its gender.

But when I went back into the kitchen, low and behold, there was my little friend still crawling along the counter. I had sent a different beetle out into the cold. But now I had guilt. Was it a friend of the one in the kitchen? A bother? Spouse? Sibling? I could evict the one in the kitchen so it could join the other one in the frozen hell that is the shadow of Storm King Mountain, but I think I’ll let him/her stay as long as he just chills in the kitchen. Hope he eats the bread.

One last observation for the day … I stopped yesterday to check mail. Joe, bless his heart, put my name on the mailbox for the cottage. He did his best, but it read “Veche.” Oh well, I think anything destined for me will get here. One things that is arriving each week now is food ads. Now, you would think they would go right into the garbage, especially since I shop in Pittsburgh where I find it is generally cheaper for food, but I read each one from cover to cover. I don’t know, it made me think of home. Anything to make the connection is comforting.

OK, another last observation. Kitchen sponges. I find it really strange to pick up a dry kitchen sponge. Why? Have I lost it to the point where I need to write about dry kitchen sponges?

Here’s my observation. When, at night, when I finally get around to washing the spoon, knife, fork, Starbucks travel mug and Martha Stewart reusable food containers I take for lunch every day, the sponge I use in the kitchen is dry and stiff. A little water softens it up and usually there is still enough soap on it to get the job done.

So why is this significant? I don’t think I can ever remember a time at home when I picked up the sponge in the kitchen when it wasn’t still damp and soapy from cleaning dishes throughout the day. There is always something that needs cleaned at home. Dishes from breakfast, cups from the boy’s room, sippy cups from Connor. That sponge never gets a chance to dry out. Lisa and I must have used it 8 times a day, and even the 6 or 7 hours over night when it goes unused while we’re in bed was not enough time for it to become the light-as-a-feather brick I pick up every night here.

Yeah, it is just another indication of how lonely it can be here. There is no one to use the sponge throughout the day (unless I train the ladybug or Mitch needs to clean up a bit), but at the same time it is extremely reassuring that my powers of observation are still honed to pick up on small things like this and find meaning and significance in them.

So … what have I learned the last couple of days? Maple Road could possibly be a path to heaven (or hell, depending on how you might have spent your life), ladies love MAV (ladybugs at least) and the deer, while still skittish around me, will let me toss them bread from the kitchen window. Too cool.

Shame on me, a whole week without a posting.

It was a fantastic weekend at home last weekend. With the MLK holiday on Monday I was able to spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday night at home. Need more three day weekends …

It was a weekend of watching numbers though. Starting with the drive home where I was able to listen to some new CDs I burned at the cottage. I could not find any blank CDs around the office so I had to buy a pack of 10 from the bookstore on the 4th floor my building. It’s where I got the sweatshirts for the boys for the holiday.

I sort of reorganized and added to the standard CD I usually listed to on the road, full of ambient beats from Underworld, Leftism, Shantel and others, but added a few new ones from Plaid, The Pinker Tones, Mocean Worker, Ryukyu Underground and others. I also burned a CD of nothing but Ocean Blue tunes. I think I included every song of theirs I own. The ambient mix had more than seven and a half hours on it though, so I did not even get to listen to the Ocean Blue CD on the way home.

The smooth tunes flowing from the stereo and soft glow of the GPS counting down the miles was the intro to the weekend. The rest of the counting was watching Windows XP reinstall on Max’s old computer. His system was being really flaky and I decided it was time to burn it down and start from scratch. Connor will be getting it as soon as I get home again and get a chance to set up the new Dell I bought for Max. I found a system with 2GB RAM, an AMD 5000+ processor, 128MB video card, 250GB HD and regular CD/RW-DVD drive. Clocked in, refurbished, at $339 plus shipping and tax. So not bad. He’ll be running almost as fast as me. But Windows takes forever to install with the updates and the numbers counted down more slowly than the miles on the drive home.

It only figures that the system was delivered Monday (the holiday) probably only an hour after I left. I would have stuck around a bit more to set it up had I known. I have been leaving at or before noon for the drive back to the cottage, which gets me here at about 7 or just after. I stopped for gas and to pick a few things up at the Newburgh Wal-Mart which got me in a bit later.

I bought lots of groceries at the Giant Eagle at The Waterfront before leaving as the prices here are much higher for staples than in Pittsburgh. Yogurt for some reason costs nearly double. I am only basing this on one store I was in but typically things run about 25% higher I would guess. Target seems to be at the same price for things as does Wal-Mart, but food it the exception at both and all supermarkets so far.

There are some notes for entries I want to make from this week that I will hopefully get to tomorrow or over the weekend. The plan is to stay at the cottage for the first weekend since coming up January 4. I am not sure about it though so I’ll have to let you know if I make it home or not. Stay tuned …

What have I learned this week … Given my druthers I prefer to shop anywhere but Big Lots in Newburgh, NY. Yes, that includes the Save-A-Lot in Duquesne. More on that later.

January 17, 2008, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

It has been a rather boring week at this end. The days are dragging a bit as I realize I am going to be heading home tomorrow.

Nothing earth shattering happening at the office or at home, so I’ll share some of the boring details.

The Academy has things pretty under control with the Blackboard server, which makes my job pretty easy, but boring. There are occasional problems but nothing too difficult. I should know better than to complain that things are too easy or too boring, I am just asking for trouble.

But I was able to finally meet Rajesh in the SEB section. Jeff had tried to get me over to meet him while I was here in December but it just never happened. He is a little older than I expected and a real nice guy. He made a comment at one point about the size of my head I think, but I could not be sure what he meant by it.

I have been sort of feeling my way around about purchases and am beginning to think Dr. Evans is about as tight as Ruth with money. Not that he has flat out denied anything I have asked for, but he seems to want to be convinced something it actually necessary. He referred me to the Library when I asked about possible subscribing to Lynda.com for a couple of their titles, and when I asked for the upgrade to Camtasia 5, a $90 purchase plus $45 annual maintenance, he said we could likely get it if I thought we really needed it. Wow, how about that. A whopping $135 might just break the Army’s educational technology budget.

Having never had to be directly responsible for a budget, though, I can only guess he is under pressure to keep things as tight as possible. I will probably not need anything else in the short term so I will push for the upgrade and see how it goes.

I was at a Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon with him and we had a great talk. He asked about how the family and I were coping with the separation. He was genuinely concerned and I appreciated his interest. He and Kim are great to work for so far.

Before I forget, because I meant to mention this a few days ago, there is not a lot of airline traffic up this way. But I have on two occasions now seen large Xs in the sky, the result of two vapor trails crossing. I remember over the holidays Connor saw a couple of jets leaving vapor trails and about a small X two of them had made. He would have really liked these displays. Now every time I see vapor trails, shaped as Xs or not, I will think of him marveling over them.

Another way of dealing with the loneliness and isolation so far has been to try and keep in touch with people back home. I called Jeff Schwartz the other day to ask him a question about Blackboard logs and really just wanted to BS to him. Jeff’s a good guy but I fear he has gone over to the dark side as Joe mentioned. He sent me a note the day after I chatted with Jeff complaining I had not called him. I tried to call him today, only to get his voice mail. He never called back. Now I can whine to him.

After heading a few nights back to shop, I was excited to find a replacement double burner griddle for Lisa at the K-Mart in Vails Gate. I was looking for storage containers for taking lunches to work and luckily went through the kitchen section. There is was, a Kenmore model with decent handles and really sturdy. I thought it was only about $20, but when I checked out I realized it was almost $40. I looked it up on their website and they had it listed for the same $37.99 I paid. It must have been hanging on the wrong hook when I read the price.

I stopped by the Price Shopper (Chopper) or Shop Rite (can’t remember, but it was not the Hannafords) and could not believe how much they wanted for apples ($2.29 a pound for Galas) and yogurt (99 cents each for the Yoplait Light). Buying my food in Pittsburgh for sure and hauling it here. Fella could go broke at these prices, even living the modest life of a bachelor in the woods …

Finally, the other night I was poking around my hard drive out of boredom, and came across a folder of files I have passed along from machine to machine, hard drive to hard drive, and originated on a 5.25 inch floppy about 20 years ago. They were the articles, letters and journal entries I made using WordStar on a dual floppy Zenith computer in Okinawa.

I was able to get Word 2007 to open them in a readable format after figuring out ASCII was the best option for this. I read letters I wrote to Marcinko (probably while he was hitting on Lisa), articles I wrote for the Windjammer, journal entries I made on Okinawa and transcribed from handwritten notes I wrote in boot camp, and letters I wrote to Bryan Luptak.

Without having his letters to put things into context, I was able to figure out that he was one of the few people who wrote (or wrote back) to me while I was in Okinawa. He was a really good friend and we had a lot in common – photography, the music we liked, the women we liked (he made a move on Lisa once – never let her forget it but never held it against either of them).

And I started thinking about the last time I saw Bryan. It was at his funeral. Bryan died March 6, 2003 at age 39. He committed suicide. We had lost touch so long ago despite one of my letters predicting we would be friends throughout our lives. I know he had problems with the women in his life, but never really was able to find out from anyone who knew exactly what was the final straw.

When I think of him, I remember the good times. The days and nights we spent together in the produce room at Shop ‘N Save, tormenting George Spong, getting wasted at parties, in the parking lot during breaks, talking about the newest cameras coming out, etc. Everyone at the funeral (Rege and Pam, Barb and Bob, Kevin and Caroline) could not believe it. I could. He was creative and had sensitive and I could see where this would leave him vulnerable. And his taste in women, as I remember it after we only saw each other at ‘reunions” at Flaherty’s house, somehow took a strange twist. He was always dating women much older than him, mostly already with kids. It was sort of a running joke at one point.

I guess this is one of the reasons I am compelled to keep writing this journal, no matter how mundane it might be some days. It is a snapshot in time for me, to look back on 20 years from now and reflect on how the decisions in my life nudged me one way or another, and the relationships in my life. If I had kept in touch with Bryan, would it have changed anything? How much did our friendship mean to him and did leaving the area for the Navy set in motion anything that could have change the paths of our lives forever?

So, what have I learned this week … that it is important to never forget your past, and the best way to do that is to find a way to document it. Through a blog, a journal, photos, videos, whatever. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Someone someday will find what you have to say or show fascinating, even if it is you 20 years from now, sitting in a cottage in the middle of the woods somewhere.

January 14, 2008, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

I was able to get home this weekend and see everyone. Zach was finally able to come over and he and I had some time together Saturday as Max had Zach Bisch and Anthony over for Yu-Gi-Oh battles. Zach is talking about cyberschool so we’ll have to see how that might play out. Alyssa went through it and seems to have done well, although she does at times seem to lack social skills.

The drive to Pittsburgh Friday was not bad and I found a new route to take which will likely become my default route. It takes me north a bit to I-84 to Scranton, Pa., then south on I-81 to Harrisburg/Carlisle and onto the PA turnpike and over to Pittsburgh. It still is a $10 charge for the turnpike, and I do cross over I-80, which I could jump onto and catch I-79 south to Pittsburgh to avoid the toll, but it would add some time and mileage. Might take it once just to clock it.

Friday at the office, Dr. Evans let me know they were closing down the CTE at about 3 p.m. and if I was all caught up then to take off as well. Very cool of him. I had packed the night before and was ready to head out as soon as I got off. At about 3:10 I started getting changed and in my haste I locked myself out of the office when going for a bathroom break. I could not believe it. My laptop(s) and other necessary items were locked away. I panicked a bit. I wondered the first floor of Thayer Hall looking for an open door and asked a faculty member if he knew who to contact. No luck.

Fortunately, down the hall is the office of MAJ Chike Williams. He was a CAPT when I met him in December and must have just been promoted. He was on the phone when I gingerly knocked on his door. He made several calls and walked down to the ATCL (the outer room for my office) and made sure he got a hold of who he needed to in order to get the room opened.

Mr. Scott showed up several minutes later, and at about 3:45 I was on the road. Got home at about 10:30.

I was starving and Lisa made me a hoagie while I enjoyed my first glass of wine in over a week. Connor was the first to grab me and I was playing Madden 06 with him within a half an hour of hitting the door. It was so good to see and be able to hug Lisa and Max. Zach looks good and it was especially great to see him after so long. I am glad he came over this weekend and hope he gets back into the visiting groove.

Saturday was a day just to kick back and relax. I called Mom and talked to her a bit. Generally it was a chance to unwind and veg a little in front of the TV.

Sunday I took Max down to the Waterfront for a Starbucks and some shopping. I bought him his own copy of “Snatch” since I brought mine with me. I know he misses the “dad” time like that and hope he adjusts OK to everything. I will need to make sure everyone gets their own time alone with me while I am there.

After getting back home from the Waterfront, Lisa said there was no reason to wait until later in the day to head out. She was right. I hit the road at about 1 p.m. and took the same route back here. Almost the same time in getting back. Traffic was light but the trip from I-84 back to Cornwall On Hudson goes through Newburgh, and I really do not like that town. Depressing and dark.

Lisa had mentioned snow we were supposed to get here. I looked at the weather.com site and they were calling for lots of snow. When I woke up, I was greeted with about 8 inches of the fluffy white stuff covering the car, driveway and everything else. It was actually very beautiful. You can see some photos of it by clicking here.

There was a Code Red on post due to the weather, and civilians were excused from work until 10 a.m. I called Lisa to tell her and logged on to work. I was really thinking about staying here at the cottage for the day, but after things warmed up and I could see the roads were plowed, I felt a little guilty and cleaned off the car and drove to post. It was about 11:30 or so when I finally got to the office. I think it would have been OK to work from here, but I think it was better to show I am responsible and can handle a little adverse weather. Also, I was afraid that if I stayed here, I would start getting into a habit of missing or opting to work remote more than I think Dr. Evans might be comfortable with.

When I got back to the cottage, the deer were rummaging for food. I tossed out a loaf of bread and some old hot dog buns. There were only about 5 as the photos above showed, but the nearly charged the cottage trying to get to the stale bread. I’ll be able to pet one soon, I’m sure.

What did I learn the last couple of days … that the nearly 7 hour drive, each way, even it means only a little more than a day and a half of actual visitation time, is worth every minute and mile to be with my family.

January 10, 2008, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

Work is still busy and I am getting a good feel for the needs of the faculty here. They are very polite and patient, which I could say for most of the faculty at DU as well. Dr. Evans has been busy since the beginning of the week and I have been working more with Dr. Bonura for the past couple of days on anything outside of Blackboard.

I have been wearing a pedometer that came with the Brita water pitcher I bought the other day. It was working fine the first couple of days as I racked up close to 6,000 steps each day thanks to walks at lunch and parking a little further away from my building than most people would I think. But the pedometer kept falling off and I think at some point broke. It only recorded about 2,500 steps yesterday and I know that was wrong. When I got home yesterday I dug out Connor’s jeweler’s screwdriver set he got me at the Santa’s Workshop sale at school. I brought them along on the outside chance I would need them and within a week I was glad I did.

I took apart the pedometer and fiddled around with a wire that holds the magnet or weight that records the steps. I think I was able to fix it because I was back up over 6,000 steps today. Eating healthier too, so hopefully I will shed a few pounds while I am here. Will check the scale when I get home tomorrow …

After leaving work yesterday I got a little brave and figured I’d try a new route home. I found my way to “Washington Gate” I think they call it and jumped onto Route 218. I have heard a lot about this road. I basically hangs off of Storm King Mountain (I think, there are a lot of mountains here), and is very windy and narrow. It has some spectacular outcroppings along the way, which is why they close it quite often when the weather gets bad. It has a history of rock slides. It also has a great view of the Hudson River Valley. There are a couple of places to stop along the way so I hope to get some photos soon and add them to the collection online for people to see.

Connor’s screwdrivers were the second time yesterday I was connected to him via Santa’s Workshop. My predecessor left a kayaking calendar in the office. It had expired in December and I really am not into kayaking. Connor had bought me a “Scenic America” calendar and I replaced Jeff’s old calendar with Connors. I still need to hang Zachary’s at the cottage. Need to get some of those cool non destructive hangers as the walls here are brand new and I don’t want to leave any of the security deposit behind.

I had to call Fred (company president) yesterday morning too. He had e-mailed me the night before asking me to call. I hoped it was for an online meeting I was to attend yesterday but it sounded a little more important. I was hoping I had not angered a Lt. Col. or anything.

Fred started the conversation with something like, “We got a court order …” and I was expecting some bizarre incident from my past to jump up and bite me in the ass. Well, it was a past incident, but nothing unexpected. “An order to withhold child support.”

“Oh yeah,” I explained. “I let them know about the new position and they take the necessary action in contacting you.”

“That’s fine, we’ll arrange the withholding, just wanted to make sure you knew, when the next payday rolls around,” he said.

“Thanks for the heads up. I knew they would be contacting you.” I debated on letting the company know, but did not have an HR contact to call. Did not sound like it was a big deal, so no problem there.

Spent most of the day thinking about going home tomorrow. Stopped for gas on the way back from work, gathered laundry, figuring out a route home without going through friggin New Jersey …

What have I learned the last couple of days … work is a great distraction, Skype stinks as a video tool and AT&T’s coverage in Cornwall On Hudson really blows. May have to look into Verizon as a new cell provider.

January 9, 2008, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

Yesterday was pretty busy at work and busy afterwards as well. I am taking a lot of calls to get faculty set up in their courses for the spring term (2008-2 as they call it), most are easy. Tomorrow will be a little more difficult I think as problems are now arising and faculty are returning to post.

When I got home yesterday though, the deer were right outside my window. I changed and decided to see how friendly there were. I opened the bag of baby carrots I bought and gently tossed one to a yearling. It was not too interested or was too hesitant. I threw one to an older female, about 8 feet from the deck, and she nervously bent down to eat it. It was so cool to hear her crunching it. I tried to convince her to come closer and take another from my hand, but she was not going for it. I bet I can make that happen within a week or two though. I tossed it to her and she quickly gobbled it down.

I decided I would run out to shop although the light fades here quickly after 4 p.m. I ran over to Vail’s Gate and found the K-Mart there. I wanted a mesh laundry bag for trips home (or to the Laundromats here) and finally found them. The store was a mess as they were doing inventory.

Right next to the K-Mart is a ShopRite. I would equate it to Shop-N-Save or Foodland. I was eager to check out the other big name in supermarkets here though. There is a Hannaford’s in Vail’s Gate too. I stopped there and found the store to be big, clean and have a good produce section. I picked up a few things and went to check out. There was a young tattooed couple in front of me. Reminded me a little bit of the Hardesty’s. They had a loaf of bread, a jar of sauce, a pound of ground meat, some pasta and a few other things. Dinner was on the conveyer belt. They seemed high, happy and in love. To be young again …

When I got back, Mr. Fusillo called. He had the smoke detector and wanted to give me the keys and deal with the lease. I had a Subway (I think, I might have had that the night before – they have a “Black Forest Ham” trial going on and they are pretty good) and walked over to the house, checkbook in hand.

When I closed the deal with the real estate agent (Kathy from Smitchger Realty in Corwall), she said I owed her a broker fee of $800 (one month’s rent), the first month for Joe, a security deposit (one month), AND the last month’s rent. It was going to cost me $3,200 just to get into the cottage. I sent her $800 and another $1,600 for Joe and would pay him the other $800 when I got keys. I only got $3,000 for moving expenses, so that wiped that out. And it turns out the moving expenses were less taxes, so I only really got about $2,400. Oh well …

Joe and Magda were happy to see me and I sat at their kitchen table to chat and deal with the paperwork. Joe insisted I have a coffee. He has an cappuccino machine and loves using it. I insisted it be decaf. I sipped away as we chatted and Magda made sure I had a big plate of cookies. One of the three varieties on the plate had lots of chocolate and some raspberry preserves. Yummo.

Magda and I chatted about shopping, Pittsburgh, directions to different places around town, and Joe fussed with a set of attachments for his compressor. They are really nice people. He said I could pay the last month’s rent over a couple of months so he did not need anything from me that night. I appreciated that. It will be easier to spread it out.

When I mentioned I had fed the deer some carrots, they made sure to send me home with two full bags of bread for them. It was like visiting my parents. Eat, drink and take some food home with you.

I did not like driving home in the dark though. Traffic in this area gets busy after 5 p.m. and the roads leading to the cottage are not very well lit. Will make whatever trips I need directly from work from here on in.

What did I learn yesterday … always accept an invitation to your landlord’s house, especially if he has a cappuccino machine and his wife always keeps exotic cookies on hand.

January 8, 2007, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

Yeah, I’m still here, as in still here in New York, and still here blogging. The Steelers ended up losing in the final minute 31-29. I am glad I did not have to see it firsthand and only had to listen to it on ’DVE. Tough loss …

Sunday I knew I had to get a real Starbucks, and since there is one at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, a shopping Mecca about 12 miles south, I planned my morning around that. I thought that, being a Sunday, it would be complete and utter chaos. Turned out it was not that bad.

I made a few mistakes in navigating to Central Valley, even with the GPS (a wrong turn put me on 9W South instead of North) and I found a new and actually more scenic way to get there. I pulled into the lot at the outlets and parked near the Applebee’s there. You know when you go someplace and find a particular route there, into a complex and parking place, good or bad, you just know you will always go the same route and park in the same place from there in. That’s what I figure at least with the outlets. Always to the Applebee’s no matter how far it might be from the actual stores I’d want to shop at.

It was easy enough to find the Starbucks based on the map I found online. I had my refillable mug and had to wait for some woman to order several sandwiches and drinks (at Starbucks?) for about $20, and was out the door looking for anyone who spoke English. Now, I am not saying that the majority of the people I have encountered here do not speak English, but let me define English as I use it here.

English, in my experience, is some form of the standard words found in a regular dictionary. These words have nuances, accents, syllables that are accented in certain ways, all commonly accepted in most geographic regions around our great country. So, while I hear almost a dozen varieties of foreign languages from Spanish to Russian to Chinese (or variations of Latin, Eastern European or Far Eastern languages), I was desperate to hear English from people whose native tongue is English. What I found was New Yorker after New Yorker annunciating words in ways I have never even heard in a Martin Scorsese movie.

Now, I know not everyone at the outlets was a New Yorker. I looked at the license plates in the parking lot. There were representatives of nearly 7different states there, at least parked in the Red Parking Lot near the Applebee’s, but I heard nothing but the drawl of the Big Apple inhabitants everywhere. I would even have welcomed a “yinz” thrown in here and there or a New Englander dropping a “wooter” (water) reference here or there.

Another way I am showing my allegiance to Pittsburgh I suppose, in vowing not to adopt a new accent, especially this one. Please, if any New Yorkers read this, don’t be offended. It makes perfect sense and sounds great here, but it stands out more than the lazy Pittsburghese my ears are so longing to hear.

Anyway … after I caffeinated myself (or began to), I stopped in the Rebok store but found nothing. Then I was off again to the Wal-Mart. I can’t remember everything I bought that day, but it was all necessities. I think I bought a new shower head (the one here was a hand held one with little power), a new drain stopper for the kitchen, some Palmolive, a sink sponge, another candle (Warm Apple Pie scent – picked up a vanilla one Saturday) among other things. I shopped for some groceries and was doing OK there until I strolled into the toy section.

Now, I was purposely avoiding the toy section. Not that I thought I would be tempted to spend precious cash on needless toys, but I knew it would make me miss the boys too much. That was the only place I ever went for the past 3 years with them in every store we ever entered. As I neared the Hot Wheels, I had an anxiety attack.

What was I thinking? What was I doing here? Where are my sons! Breathing was shallow. Head was spinning. Tears were imminent …

I found my way out and went back to the grocery side of the store and finished buying what I needed to before heading out. I wanted to stop at Target but I think that would have put me over the edge.

When I got back to the apartment I dug into building the printer stand for my office. Did I really need it that night? No, but building it served its purpose, I was distracted, and by the end of the night, tired. I had to start my new job the next day and needed to be rested. I am saving the bookshelf for another evening when I will again need the distraction from thoughts of home.

What did I learn that day? Stay out of the toy section at Wal Mart and stop looking down my nose at New Yinzers. I mean Yinzers. Well, anyone without “the rain in Spain” diction I aspire to have but know I do not.

January 5, 2007, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

I was up and out the door by 9 a.m. or so and went right to the Staples in Central Valley after admiring the local wildlife. There was a herd of deer walking all over the estate and I could see tracks everywhere and all around the cottage. Later in the day I saw a large flock of turkeys walking through and numerous birds, including some woodpeckers. There was a cat outside the cottage too and when I called to him, he came up and was very friendly. I found out later from Joe that he belongs to the neighbor over the hill but is a frequent visitor.

The greatest thing about the trip to Staples was that all of the components I wanted for the office were $20 off, so I saved $60. I also picked up some paper, a nice new chair, a chair mat, and it all fit in the car with room to spare.

I still needed some essentials and there was a Wal-Mart right up the road. I filled up whatever little space I had left in the car with a small vacuum, torchier lamp, paper towels, towels, toilet paper, waste basket for the bathroom, shower liner, shower mat, fluorescent bulbs, a few tools and some other items. Quite a spree. I did not get any food though.

On the way back to the cottage before the cable guy was due to show up (between noon and 4 p.m.), I stopped for a coffee at the Dunkin Donuts in Cornwall Plaza. When I was finally waited on, the girl asked me if I wanted cream and sugar. Odd, I thought. They usually just get the coffee and get to doctor it yourself. I figured I'd get coffee with packets and small creamer containers. What I got was coffee with cream and sugar. I really hate regular sugar.

I got back to the cottage and began unpacking, building furniture, cleaning, putting up paper towels and toilet paper, and the cable guy finally showed after 2 p.m. He was quick to set things up and I was up and running online when Joe came over to start fixing the leak in the bathroom sink. Then he ran the water long enough to finally get the sulfur smell cleared out. I really need a shower.

Set up the computer and speakers, printers, etc. Am currently listening to the Steelers game. They are trailing 28-17. Hope I can later write that they won the game.

Getting tire and need some sleep. Hope no ghosts bother me tonight.

What did I learn today ... If someone asks if you want cream and sugar in your coffee, tell them cream only and add your favorite sugar substitute later.

January 4, 2007, Cornwall On Hudson, New York

So, not sure where to begin. The holiday season seemed to just be a blur at this point. We had everyone from Lisa's side over for Christmas Eve. Usually Paulette hosts the family but Nick has not been feeling well lately. It was a full house but we all had a great time. Maggie and Marnie and the kids, Helen Donahoe and Mark & Ann came over Dec. 30 for another family gathering. We had a blast with them too and it was great seeing everyone before heading out.

Even up to last night, even after buying new sheets, pillows, blankets, an inflate-a-bed and other necessities, it just did not sink in that today I was going to pack up my car with sparse belongings and head for New York to begin the next chapter in my life. Yet here I am.

I spent most of yesterday getting the den cleaned/packed up and did not want Max and Connor to have to see me jamming boxes into the car. We went to the Red Lobster last night and had a great “good bye” dinner. Then a trip to the Waterfront to get some last minute things, and home for homework, reading stories, a game of Madden '06 with Connor, some eBay madness with Max, and off to bed. I slept surprisingly well, still not thinking about the major changes I was about to face in my life as the new day dawned.

After packing clothes and jamming everything into the Saturn, it was off to Starbucks and Giant Eagle for a few more last minute items including a cool Cuisinart travel coffee maker.

The drive up was rather uneventful, except for a truck whose inside rear tire was disintegrating in front of me at one point. I could smell rubber burning and see bits of debris flying off of the rear of the truck, and noticed the tire wobbling badly before the driver either noticed or some warning mechanism made him aware of the problem. He was pulling off the interstate the last I saw him. Could have been worse if larger chunks began flying off ...

I made one stop in New Jersey at a Staples. I really had to go to the bathroom but figured I'd also see what kind of desks they have. I need to buy one tomorrow before the cable guy comes so I can get my Internet hookup. The GPS brought me a different way than I normally come but it took me right past the Woodbury Commons outlet mall. Hope to get there soon. I need shoes and hope they are actually a bargain there and not overpriced because of the tourist draw of the place.

Anyway ... when I arrived at the cottage, Mr. Fusillo, Joe, was busy with damage control When he came over to the cottage to turn up the heat he noticed that the kitchen and bathroom pipes had frozen. He was trying to thaw them with a heat lamps and a heat gun. The water in the toilet tank and bowl was frozen – the top layer at least. Never saw that before.

As Joe worked on getting me a working toilet, I noticed that the window blinds, that were sitting next to the windows when I looked over the cottage initially, were still sitting next to the windows. Hmmmm, I would really like a little more privacy than this, I thought.

Joe was convinced I would need to sleep in the main house of the estate for the night. I was not so convinced. He seems nice enough but I am really looking for some solitude and privacy. Still, he convinced me to come to the house for dinner as the folks up the driveway in the old carriage house apartments were coming and it would be a good time to meet them.

We eventually made our way to the house (after taking care of the frozen plumbing and hanging the blinds), and it was the most surreal night I have spent in years.

Joe's wonderful wife, Magda, whom I had spoken to on the phone several times, is extremely charming and very hospitable. I met here in the spacious kitchen of the house, which is the biggest house I believe I have ever been in. Lisa would love this kitchen. Almost at big as our living room. Someone made a comment at some point that there were 17 rooms in the house. Joe lead me to the living room where there was gathered a most eclectic group of people, all very happy to welcome Joe and me.

Ed Clark (Mr. Ed, Col. Clark as he was referred to by different people), a stately looking gentleman with a strong jaw and nose only slightly less pointy than mine, works somewhere in HR at West Point. He had been there previously, I believe, and is back now as a civilian. Emily, 18, petite and world wise, is his daughter. She was in for the holidays from Tulane University in New Orleans. I did not catch her major.

Jenna (Jennifer?) had two of her children there, the limber Rachel (11?) and obviously advanced Alden (12?). Both very nice children. Rachel is an accomplished gymnast and did some handstands and splits for everyone's enjoyment and had a competition in the morning. Alden, as I picked up from the conversations, had designed a rather impressive fort of some kind that now resides beneath some kind of porch at his house. Jenna used to work at West Point and, like Ed, is back. I get the feeling that she was married to Ed at some point, but cannot be sure. That was the one of the more confusing relationships to dissect on the evening.

Bob is Jenna's fiance. Bob is from England, London I take it. What I know of Bob is he may be up for a judgeship in England (I assume, but it could be here). He has the most infectious accent and seems like a real down to earth guy, someone I'd love to spend more time with and visit England with. I bet he'd be a great person to show you around the real sites, not the tourist attractions. He loves red wine and seems to genuinely enjoy Jenna's children.

Magda made a wonderful meal. Aside from a pasta dish (penne) with vodka sauce (tomato sauce, heavy cream and vodka), she had real parmesan chicken (breaded, fried, slathered in sauce and cheese), a light salad and fantastic desserts. The appetizer was a wedge of cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto. Joe began the meal with a thoughtful prayer and we all ate too much. After the meal and the homemade creampuffs, Bob made a traditional British dessert of Christmas pudding, complete with flaming brandy topping. It was different, and even tasty. You have to pour heavy cream over it though to get the full effect.

Jenna had left earlier with Rachel so they could get up early enough for the competition, and Ed, Alden, Emily and Bob left together. I hope Ed was driving. Bob was enjoying wine all night and Ed only had a small glass early on.

It could have been a play and all of us actors, but it would not have made for an interesting three act production. There was some discussion of ghosts and experiences the others have had, but nothing out of the ordinary. I should not probably make much of it, but I swear (whether it was the exotic food, a little liquor, or the new surroundings and the fact I slept very little) someone was sitting on my bed at some point and whispered in my ear. I was sleeping under the covers as it was cold, and did not dare look out, so we'll see how the next few nights go ...

Joe and I returned to the cottage and he tried to fix the leaking J pipe beneath the bathroom sink. When he could not get it to stop leaking, he again asked if I wanted to sleep in the main house. I politely declined and started inflating the bed. It is large and comfortable. I am a little cold and hope I can get the cottage up to a comfortable temperature in the next day or two.

The water smells like sulfur, something Joe said would go away. I do not have a towel so I will not be able to shower until tomorrow. I sure hope the water smells better by then ... lots of shopping to do.

What did I learn today ... All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.