Happy Birthday to me...

So it's my birthday on Friday. The big 3-2. They don't mean so much nowadays, but as I say, turning another year is better than the alternative. No big plans, we'll spend Saturday on the lake with Julie's family, her Aunt Madeline shares a birthday with me. Wanna get me something? See the wishlist...

Some memorable birthdays I've had...
1984: Chelsea Bicentennial celebration. Lots going on in town, I held the banner for the marching band. So busy I forgot it was my tenth birthday until later in the afternoon.
1993: Caught my last ever Phish show in Stowe with my brother. He convinced the guys at the beer tent that it was my 21st birthday so we partied a bit. Then I find out we have backstage passes (along with a gazillion others). Partied more with the band and others, including Fishman's wacko wingnut brother. Slept in bro's minivan until they kicked us out of the parking lot.
1995: Twenty-first birthday. Did the whole party at Nectar's thing at midnight, not a pretty scene. Went to Reggae Fest with Tom Greene and Sara Davis during the day, bought my first legal six-pack but didn't drink anything all day. Man am I glad that hangovers are no longer a part of my life.
1996: Went down on a bus trip to see the Pants in Boston. Good show, good company.
2004: Not on my birthday but a couple of weeks before, Julie sent me and Ben off on a fishing trip with Aaron. We were pretty clueless, as the evidence was right in front of us for two weks prior, but we came home to a surprise joint 30th b-ay party with about 50 people at our place. That Julie is good.

Grandpa George

I grew up on a small dairy farm, living for a few years with my grandparents in the farmhouse. My grandpa George was a pretty quiet, stoic, rather humble yankee, quite a guy. One of those folks who say so little but when they use their words, each one has maximum effect. Anyway I found this picture of him on the farm, taken by I don't know who in 1974. That photographer may not have known it, but they shot an amazing picture. I'd even call it art.

VT Brewers Fest Promo?

We were practicing with Alice standing propped up against the coffee table one day when she grabbed this coaster and started chewing on it. Julie commented on what kind of parents we were, letting our six-month old chew on a beer coaster. The camera was nearby, and after several shots I got this good one.

July 5

7/5:
Alice slept very well through the night. I mowed the orchard early
this morning while mom and Alice napped. Alice was full of giggles and
giggles, lots of talk. We took a hike up Long Meadow Hill behind our
house with Alice in the backpack. It was a simply gorgeous day....we've
been due this weather all spring. I guess the saying that in Vermont
there's winter, mud season, the 4th of July, and fall is correct.
On the way down the hill we found a painted turtle on the trail. It was
a little duffer, but a beautiful little thing with streaked oranges and
reds on its shell and body. Camera was back at the house charging, so
no pictures. As far as Alice was concerned it might as well have been a
rock.
I'm impressed with how Alice, as well as my change at work to a more
physical routine, have gotten me back into shape. The hill , even on
the steeper spots, didn't really wind me. I've been lifting Alice a
lot, and now that she's almost 18 pounds those reps add up. This morning
I weighed 188. Haven't been that low since college. I think I eat (and
drink) better nowadays, too.
After we got back Mom went shopping, while I napped w/ Alice on the
couch 'til our wacko neighbor woke us up. That was scary.

TB

July 4

We got our shit together to head up north for the day.
Before going to
Gwen and John's party we paid Madeline a visit. Alice
was such a good
girl; nice nap on the way up, then a bundle of giggles
and smiles for
Madeline, Paul, and Cecile. She had a good time
rolling around on the
floor being a little baby, and we even dipped her toes
in the lake for a
minute. Madeline gave Julie and I haircuts. I needed
one pretty bad, I
think it had been nearly a year and I couldn't get a
brush through all
the split ends without using this detangler stuff. I
think my hair was
the longest it's been since college, well into the
middle of my back.
Madeline is always after me to cut it off for locks of
love, I told her
this time that I'd cut it when Alice tells me I look
stupid. My last
"cut date" was when I turned 30, I said that when I was
maybe 27. I'm
not really attached to my hair, well I guess I am
literally, it's just
easy this way. Haircut a couple of times a year, brush
it and tie it
back in the morning, done. So she whacked off maybe
three inches.

So we left and figured Alice needed a nap. Gwen and
John are about two
minutes down the road, so we took a drive around the
lake, maybe 15
minutes, so Alice could fall asleep. When we pulled in
G&J's four-year
old Tommy directed our parking job. Cute little duffer
he is. Alice
didn't really stay asleep much after we pulled in so we
unloaded her and
passed her around. She was the youngest kiddo there of
many kiddos, and
by far the cutest. Most all of the other kids were big
enough to be
playing in the lake. It was nice in a way to not have
to be concerned
with Alice in the water, but she'll grow up and be
splashing around like
a champ real soon. She continued her great day there
with a minimum of
fussiness even though she was likely a little
overwhelmed and a bit
tired near the end. We are so fortunate to have such a
great little kiddo.

So we visited with some old friends and met a few new
folks. I brought
along a sample of ciders and some score sheets and held
a quick little
cider tasting. I'll post results later to the
fruitblog, but overall it
went well. It was just a nice day, with decent weather
until we drove
through a couple of downpours near home.

It's nice to be able to go to a party nowadays and not
have to worry
about who's driving home or who's getting loaded.
Guess we're all
growed up, but we were before Alice even came along.
Don't get me
wrong, I enjoy a glass of cider or a beer, and I don't
care if others
tip it up / toke it up a little (just be responsible
around your kids
and others), I just don't feel the desire myself to get
all liquored
up. I like to get up early, and remember my days and
nights. To those
still carrying the torch, have one on me.

TB

July 3

We took Alice down to the Montpelier Independence Day
parade, but
skipped the fireworks. She was a real trooper around
all of the people,
happy, smiling, giggling, chatting. We met up with
Nicole, here
10-day-old baby Sadie, her mom, and Davida. Sadie is
so tiny, we don't
think that Alice was ever that small. One thing about
Alice is that she
never had that newborn look; wrinkly, funny colored
skin, weird shaped
head, eyes that don't really open. Not that Sadie
looked funny, mind
you, I'm just commenting that Alice never had that real
newborn look.

When we got home we had our own fireworks display. It
was just getting
dark and we could hear the reports from the Mplr
fireworks, as well as
see the occasional high flash from over at Thunder Road
in Barre. I
noticed a humming outside and a worse flickering of our
lights than
usual (they've been flickering for a week or two), and
upon looking at
the transformer pole outside I noticed a glowing coming
from the fuse.
I called the power company and while we were waiting
for a lineman to
show up it decided to really go into action, throwing
sparks of blue,
red and green. Kind of scary but also a bit surreal
with the bangs of
the real fireworks in the background and the flash of
fireflies on the lawn.

TB

I'm getting old

Okay, not only can I easily find numerous gray airs on my head, but
today I think I found a gray nose hair. Shit am I old.

TB

Alice update

Okay, I guess it's time. Alice is now 27 weeks old, nearly 18 pounds,
and long as a yard (not quite, but she's looong!). She giggles alot,
sometimes when you just make a face at her. She really is turning
into a little person with a little personality. She hasn't been sick
too much, just enough top piss you off and wish day cares never were
needed. This week she has had her first ear infection which kept her
up fussing quite a bit a couple of nights ago. She really is an
amazing little creature.

Ma and Pa are doing all right and taking a week off from work this
week. I'm thinking about painting the house??

TB