TeeBee's Blog

Memories of...

Millville, MA is the town where my mom grew up. It is south of Worcester, almost on the RI border, in the Blackstone River Valley. If it sounds like a small town, it is and then some - population 2724 as of 2000. Here's a street map - I think they lived on the corner of Chestnut Hill road and Hill Street.

We used to go there every Easter to visit my grandparents. We'd also get dropped of for extended stays when
my folks would go on vacation and would farm us all out to whoever'd take us. Time seemed to move
veeerrrryy sloooowwwlly there - no TV to speak of (gasp!), not many toys, no river like in Oakdale. Still I
have very vivid memories of the place:

- the windmill on the front lawn and getting yelled at by Grampy to get off it 'cuz it doubled as the cover
for the well and he likely had visions of us tumbling down into it

- walking down the stairs into the basement, turning the corner where the big rock was and getting that damp, cool, motor-oil-and-slight-gas basement smell. Sometimes my garage smells like that in the summer.

- Grampy himself. He was a not a big man, probably no more than 5'5", but to us he was a giant with enormous, Popeye-like forearms. Not someone to be trifled with - you toed the line around Grampy. My mom has a picture of him at our old North Andover house with him in a chair and me and my 2 brothers standing around him. He had this fierce grin on his face, as if to say "Yep - these are my boys".

- Grammy. I always think of her in the kitchen - it seemed as that was her territory, where she was in command. Washing dishes in the sink in water so hot I couldn't touch it, making pies or Thanksgiving dinner, sitting at that ornate table (with the funky scrollwork legs that would impale you if you tried to crawl through them) playing endless hands of Rummy 500 (she never let us win), telling us not to pick up the phone unless it was 2 rings (it was a party line and 2 rings - or was it 1 - or maybe 3 - meant it was for her).

- The 1966 Chevrolet Impala that they had forever. 4 doors, 3 taillights on each side, wind-wings that opened by turning a crank, a series of lights instead of a temp gauge that went from "Cold" to "Hot", swing-out tissue-box holder with the Chevy bowtie on top, a hood that closed with a proper "ka-Bang!" after Grampy checked the oil. I remember Dad and Grampy fixing a rust spot with the old red-hued Bondo and thinking "what the heck are they doing?".

- Grampy's .22 - an object of *endless* fascination for us. We were allowed to play with it as long as we were inside. An old bolt-action, walnut-stocked genuine rifle. We'd slide the bolt, pull the trigger - *click*. I understand that one of Uncle Johnny's kids or grandkids has it now. I'd dearly love to try and get it back and fire it once for real.

- The well pump in the basement. You never knew when it would kick into life and startle the hell out of you. Electric moter connected via belt to a big old wheel, it'd chug for a few minutes and shut down.

- Grammy's old wringer-washer, and stories of how her arm got caught and pulled in up to her elbows. Eww.

- The cream-and-robins-egg-blue old coal (or oil) fired stove in the basement. Opening all the little doors and drawers using the ornate chrome handles.

- Opening the swinging doors on the standalone garage, then struggling to pull the chain that released the latches that held the doors open.

- Getting out Grampy's old scythe.

- Riding around on the back of his riding mower

- Getting yelled at for playing ball off of the aluminum siding on the back of the house.

- Going next door to Uncle Nell's and Aunt Melia's for popsickles from the big chest freezer in the basement (and getting a little freaked out by MeMe - Aunt Melia's (or Uncle Nell's) mom).

- The swingset across the street at the Polish American Club. It wasn't anchored down, so we could "shoot the moon" if we swung high enough - the whole thing would tip up a bit and then a-WHUMP back down.

- Lying awake in the back room at night. A car would be coming down the road - you'd hear it waayy off in the distance, then the headlights would start to play throught the curtains, then it'd rush past and dwindle off into the distance.

- The mad-scientist-type dagger switch Grampy put on the television plug wire (probably so it wouldn't waste electricity keeping the tubes warm).

- The porch we never used.

- The recliners in the sitting room

- The mysterious attic. Don't step off the planks...

- The GAF Viewmeister

- The little dustpan and brush hanging up in the hallway.

- Building a wooden biplane with Grampy in the basement and hitting my finger with a hammer. Grampy comforts me in his gruff way, saying "The hammer doesn't care whose finger it hits". I find myself saying the same thing to my kids.

- Grampy and Grammy's room - dark and mysterious, with enormous bed and furniture. Didn't go in there much. I remember seeing this wierd finger-sling-thing and being told that's what Grampy covered his finger with when he lost a bit of it at the mill. Needless to say, that freaked me out big-time.

- The screen door with an ornate "V" in it (for "Vear"), and its "squeak-Slam" sound.

- Varnished wood everywhere, aged to a dark amber.

- Bowls on top of the cabinets over the sink.

- Mom's cousins Joyce and Lavergne and how I seemed to know even then that they'd be spinster sisters.

- Walking waay down past Uncle Nell's house to some farm - was it another relative or an old family friend - can't recall except it was a long walk.

- Getting knocked over by Uncle Nell's big St. Bernard Gretchen. She'd knock you over and sit on you.

- Uncle Nell's old lawnmower - it was one of those do-everything ones where you had the engine and wheels and could hook up a lawnmower or plough or tiller or whatever attachment. The lawnmower one looked like a flying saucer.

I still have some of Grampy's tools, with "JLV" spelled out on the handle. Still have a quilt Grammy made for me when I was 8 or so. Still have all these memories.

teebee

Addition Update

Plumber came on Saturday to undo all the mistakes the first plumbers made. Excavator came on Friday to do a "final" grading - ended up making a huge mess 'cuz the ground was still wet. Gee - you woulda thunk that a guy that makes his living with dirt could have predicted that but no - he goes at it for 4 hours then announces "you'll have to bring in some loam in the spring and re-do all this". Thanks, pal.

Electrician came yesterday to do final wiring stuff. I spent last night hanging 9 of 12 4' shoplights in the new shop - is now a brightly lit disaster area.

I also put our fence back up, and installed a new fence at the other corner of the house. 6 holes, 3' deep - my hands are still sore. At least Maisy can't escape (easily) anymore.

teebee

Addition Update

Floors are done, and are lookin' shiny! We still have to wait a few days before we can put stuff on them, but at least we don't have to sleep in the basement anymore.

Pics here.

teebee

Da Beard is Back

I grew my beard back. Gina'd rather smooch a beard than stubble. Plus it keeps my chin warmer in the winter. A little greyer than I remember. Took about 3 weeks.

teebee

Hamster Rescue

Wood floor guys weren't supposed to come back until after lunch, so we moved Emma's hamster Sally up from the basement and back into Emma's room. Gina comes back from her dog walk and finds the floor guys are just finishing up the 2nd coat. Now Sally is stuck in Emma's room with all those urethane fumes. Probably not the healthiest for her tiny tiny metabolism. Gina calls me, I come home, use a ladder to get into our room, jump across the wet hall urethane into Emma's room, get Sally, back across the hall, out the window, and put her safely in the basement again.

Film at 11:00.

teebee

Addition Update (or, We Lose the Upstairs)

They're doing the wood floors in the addition and down the hall. Stinky and dusty. We all slept in the basement last night, which was very cozy and warm with 4 people, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a hamster. 2nd coat goes down today, then 3rd on Wednesday. I worked over the weekend to get the downstairs bathroom usable - paint, door, mirror, shelf, etc. Emma and Alex desperately wanted a SpongeBob theme, so we obliged.

Some pics of the upstairs mess and the downstairs bathroom here.

teebee

Happy Birthday Greetings

Happy birthday to my big brother Ed!

My Tenure as a Sunday School Teacher

I spent the last 5 Sundays teaching first thru fifth graders about Joshua. Very entertaining and rewarding. I may sign up again after the holidays.

teebee

Poker Night

Poker night last night, at my house, in the basement. Me, Jonathan, James, Norm, the Daves, and Damon (stand-in for Glen). Some highlights/lowlights:

- Damon introduces a new game. Can't remember the name. Involves multiple hands, with side bets. I win the pot, plus a few side bets.
- 1/2 way through the night and I was up ~$5. Piddled a lot away on last 2 hands, ended by being up $2.
- Jonathan is big winner - up $12.
- Damon busts out.
- James busts out.
- I have nothing, and bluff - it works. Try it again later - doesn't work.
- 93.7 (The River!) plays good music for awhile, but then starts on this Italian bistro-type kick (lots of accordian). Switch to Tom Reny on 88.5 for a bit, then back to 93.7
- I win a hand of Day Baseball with 4 of a kind. Jonathan kindly points out that I also had a straight flush. "Yeah, yeah - I saw that. Sure..."
- I misdeal a hand of Day Baseball (flubbed the extra card when a 4 is turned up), and re-deal. Others grumble.
- The new downstairs bathroom proves its worth.
- Doritos is the primary snack, joined later by salted cashews
- Beers: Pislner Urquel, Whitbread, Fullers ESB, Wolavers IPA, a mixed selection of Saranac varieties

teebee

Finding yourself (unexpectedly) on the Web

Old pic of me and Alex at Brookfield Farm, here. I'm the one on the right-hand side, watching the wagon pull away, with Alex in my arms (he's wearing a bright red shirt). He looks to be all of 8 months old or so, and probably didn't want to go on the ride. Gina and Emma must be on the wagon somewhere - that might be Emma's face peeking out to the right of the guy in the black shirt. That's Farmer Dan driving.

teebee

Fondness for Old Machines

This weekend was leaf cleanup. On Saturday I got the bulk of the front yards raked up (but not too neatly), loaded in the truck and brought to the leaf mulch pile at Brookfield Farm (brought the dogs - they rolled in the cow poop and generally lived it up, disgusting-dog-style). Sunday had me on the roof with the leaf-blower, cleaning out the gutters. Did I mention that our addition brought our house (and roof and gutters) that much closer to the big silver maple in the back yard?

Then it was time for the ultimate yard cleanup. For that, I have Dad's old riding mower.

For years, Dad owned a series of POS push mowers. He'd go thru one every 5 or 6 years, hitting rocks, not changing the oil, using it to mow down brush, etc. Then he finally decided he needed something bigger, stronger and faster. So he bought a Snapper riding mower with a bagger attachment. He would simply fly around the yard in 5th gear, taking turns on (it seemed like) 2 wheels, pausing every now and then to zoom over to the grass dumping area then whizzing back into action. I bet he had the whole course plotted out by the 4th or 5th time - how to avoid tight turns, backing up, mowing over the same area more than once, avoiding baseballs, frisbees, the cat, etc.

I can remember using it after my bachelor party. We had it at the house (my parents were away), with the finale being a fireworks display put on by one of my brother's friends. The next morning the yard was littered with bits of cardboard and paper labels. We started to pick it up by hand, and I said "The hell with this - I'm getting' the Snapper out!" I drove it around the yard (slowly - I was not exactly functioning at 100% of efficiency) and it worked great - picked up everything.

Well, my folks finally sold the big house, moved in to one much smaller (and much less lawn) and Dad asked if I wanted the rider. He rented a UHaul trailer, drove it up and its been mine ever since. I don't use it all the time - it is easier doing my yard with our push mower, but when I (or Gina) want the perfect lawn, I get it out, fire it up and off we go.

The self-starter stopped working years ago. The paint has definitely faded. I have to clean out mouse nests every spring or if I let is sit too long. But it alway starts and always works great.

Thanks Dad - I think of you everytime I use it.

teebee

Addition Update

Saturday morning, 8:00 - a small army invades. I stumble out of bed and blearily let them all in - our electrician with his son, our contractor with his 2 cohorts. Electrician - gets most of upstairs lights working + some of shop. Contractor - installs new window in Emma's room (discovered hers was rotting out when we re-did the siding on that side), minor fiddling here and there. Gina's sick and in bed so I'm flying solo, getting Alex some food, welcoming Emma back from her overnight stay at Kidsports (a birthday party - she says she went to sleep at 2:00 am), fielding contractor questions, answering the phone, getting the dogs out of everybody's way, getting Alex to gymnastics for 10:15, getting him home, making lunch, getting everyone ready for my nephew's birthday party at 12:00 (we were late).

Me - prime most of the porch on Sat evening (taking breaks every 20 minutes or so to snap a pic of the eclipse). Got all cabinet knobs and pulls in place. Sunday - went to Lowes and bought 12 shoplights for my workshop, new door for downstairs bathroom, new light fixture for upstairs bathroom, angled foam roller to help when painting in corners (probably won't work, but it was $2 so it was a low risk)

teebee

Lunar Eclipse

Watched the lunar eclipse on Sat evening. What must primative man have thought when he saw events like this? I imagine his reaction was more than my "Cool - I'm watching an eclipse!". Probably more along the lines of "Oh crap - this can't be good!".

Didn't quite reach total eclipse, but 99% was gone at the (whatever the astronomy term is for the middle of the eclipse). Tried to take some pics with the digital camera, but the circumstances (low light, object at infinity, need for extreme zoom) were to extreme for it to handle. Got out Gina's old but excellent 35mm, snapped on the 70-210 zoom, put it on the tripod and snapped of a series of shots during the whole event. Bonus - it was a gorgeously clear night anyway, so just the stargazing was pleasureable. Adding the uniqueness of a lunar eclipse made it even more so.

School Play

Went into Alex and Emma's school yesterday for the Talent Show. Some members of Alex's class put on a small play - "Why the Leaves Change their Colors", based on a Cherokee folk tale. Alex was the "Great Spirit" and, needless to say, was very cute. Emma sat in the audience with her friends and chatted a mile a minute and was likewise cute.

Oh, and I found another plumber dunderhead move. When they hooked up the new dishwasher to the inlet on the side of the disposal, they neglected to remove the punchout inside the disposal inlet. Result - dishwasher would fill and run, but wouldn't drain. I called KitchenAid and asked what the problem might be and they suggested checking the punchout. It was still in place, so I removed it and voila - functional dishwasher. I just hope there's nothing more serious waiting to appear - "Oops - we fed the new toilet drain into the washing machine!". Am reminded of the old Warner Bros. cartoons featuring a large dumb mouse (or dog or rabbit or whatever) and a short smart mouse - "Uh-oh George - I done a bad thing!".

teebee

Some Halloween Pics

My friend Dwight took these on Halloween (I was too busy setting up and/or walking around to take any). They are quite large, so don't be surprised if it takes a bit to download them if you click the "Full Size" button.

Pics here. Thanks, Dwight!

teebee

Addition Update

Finally, some pics of the new kitchen, here. I've been busy painting ceilings and priming walls. Electrician needs to come back and finish wiring. Big boss-man plumber guy showed up to apologize for mistakes his guys made (slashing front panel of d/w when opening box, etc).

teebee

Halloween Pics

Here are some pics a friend of mine at work took of the "haunted house" they set up at work. It was pretty intense. I went through with the kids, whispering to my co-workers not to jump out and scare my kids.

Pics here.

A week without blogging is like...

Its been a busy week here in TeeBee's world. Here's a quick rundown:

Addition Update
Amazing. Our guy said we'd be without a kitchen for about a week, and that's pretty much what happened. By end-of-day friday all the cabinets were in, the plumbing was complete, and we had power. Things would be completely up and running if the plumbers hadn't opened the dishwasher box with a box cutter and slashed the control panel on the dishwasher. "Um George - I think I done a bad thing, George...". We ate a lot of meals in the living room, around the coffee table. Lots of paper plates and plastic forks.

On Saturday, our heating guy and I got most of the heat roughed out. I did grunt work (like pulling and replacing insulation, cutting pipes, etc), while he laid things out and did all the pipefitting. He hopes to come back sometime this week and do the boiler room work.

Sunday was paint day again. Funny - I mistyped "paint" the first time and typed "pain". Appropriate. Alex and I went to church while Gina and Emma went to Home Depot and Lowes to get lights, fans, etc. When Alex and I got back I was all set to start painting except I found that the toilet was leaking into the basement. And I discovered that one of the contractors had unplugged the chest freezer in the garage and didn't plug it back in. Argh. Off to hw store to get the wax doughnut to fix the toilet. 1 hour of messy work and the toilet is fixed. Drain out the freezer, plug it back in. By then the afternoon is shot and we're off to some friends for dinner. I did start back up around 7:30 and got the 1st coat of primer on the addition ceiling by 11:00 or so.

This week - more electrical work and more painting.

Life Update
Spent most of my free time this week getting ready for Halloween. My office is a big cube farm and every year for the past 3 years they've had employee trick-or-treat for employee's kids. Its safe, the kids get lotso candy and we get to see how big everyone's kids are getting (and see who even has kids). This year they decided to have a cube decorating contest. !/2 of the building would be a scary theme, while the other 1/2 would be kid-friendly. I had been planning something in my cube for weeks but was roped into planning the theme for our whole cube area. Came up with something cute for the kids and got enought curmudgeon developer-types to help out so that the area looked nice. Kids came in and had a lot of fun. My cube - a ghost disco, complete with spinning ball, flashing lights, dancing ghosts (courtesy of a small fan that blew on them) and music. On Friday I took it all home and set it up at our front door for Halloween night - it was a big hit with everyone.

This was all on Thursday. Friday was Halloween for real. Gina sprained here ankle earlier in the week hiking with the dogs, so I went out trick-or-treating with the kids. Emma was a devil, while Alex was Harry Potter^TM (thanks Mom for making the great costumes). Lots of people out, warm night, occasional glimpeses of the Halloween night fireworks over the trees from Hampshire College. Kids galloped from house to house, then suddenly collapsed ("I'm tired!"). Took them home, Alex falls asleep on the couch, Emma inventories her candy (probably so I don't sneak any).

Did I mention that Gina sprained here ankle (on Wednesday, I think)? She was hiking with a friend and 7 dogs and slipped in the mud. Dogs all stood in a circle around her while she sat on the ground and cursed - they were probably wondering what the heck she was doing sitting in the mud and can they have a biscuit please. I skipped out from work and took her to the doc - X-rays showed no break, just a sprain. She can hobble around ok now, but its slowing her down and with all the stuff happening at the house it is a bit frustrating for her.

Got to ride motorcycle more on Sat and Sun. Temps in the 60's and sunny. Bike has decided I am worthy - I can usually start it on the first kick now. Still too windy with the open-face helmet. 1970's British bikes' headlights aren't worth a damn - the phrase "feeble glow" comes to mind. No more night riding for me.

That's it - maybe some pics later in the week.

teebee