January 21, 2017

Oh boy. A new day. A new world, in which decency and decorum has been trumped by disrespect. Humility and humanity...replaced by hogwash, huff and puff.. Responsibility and respect...replaced by (w)recklessnes and rrrrrrr!

The sun is shining on Old Saybrook today, however. Emma is looking out the window for a glimpse of her friends, or the next meal. The good folk of OS and the shoreline will be gathering today on the town green, to unite voices and placards and bodies in a chorus that includes refrains of "we can do better" and "we will not go quietly" and " we shall overcome...someday".

In his final few days, President Barack Obama issued messages of hope and resilience. While some may question the statistics behind his legacy, I choose to hold fast to the articulate messages of promise, of unity, our collective diversity, and of faith in our country and its people. Michele and he  - while disagreeing with ideas - were admirable in their restraint and for the grace of the celebrity they where honored to have. We all can learn from the way they walked.


And so we go forward, today, and tomorrow. Stand we must, and stand together even more important. Many others in this wild world's history have endured under even more uncertain times and questionable (if not alarming) leadership. With encouragement from Eric Butterworth, I will 'talk on the side that I want to prevail.' I also will walk with integrity and courage, holding fast to that which is good, finding the beauty that I know lives in my colleagues and friends and family and our community.

Today and everyday, I wish you peace, when times are hard.  A light to guide you in the dark.
Oh baby, it's a wild world, it's hard to get by just upon a smile.
But, we can make it happen, we can make a change now.
Ah yes, the light is on, the darkness has run to hide.
Will you help him change the world?

Billions of stars...& 3 ligthts

Man oh Man
The #s, as Ki would say
5:35 am, a star filled sky over the causeway and at the point
Markedly colder than last week, even the full gloves and skull cap didn't keep the chill off
Until
I got going, and the silent pedals were outplayed by the tires on the road. Not much else.
3 lights
3.5 miles
billions of stars
and a glorious start to the morning, today.
Have one.
In fact
Have two!

2.20.16 - Early Spring in Saybrook

Hi there,
Been a while, not much, how 'bout you.
It's been such a long time and i really do miss your smile
I was thinkin, maybe, later on
we could get together...for a while

take a walk to the Fenwick golf course across the  Causeway, or along the sandbar at the town beach
Or relax with an Ashlawn Coffee near the train station
You see, life has changed. For the better. the Migration south, from Wethersfield to Old Saybrook is complete! June 26, 2015 was launch date.

  And now we're here. Loving it, living it. And on this 50 degree February day, a walk to the point, or golf course, is just what we needed. More posting to follow, now that I found the FTU...but really want i wanted to say was....

9.19.19

Yeah, that's the ticket, that's the target, that's the day on the calendar. We shall see...!!!
In the mindful meantime, just take a deep break, allow, let go, unhook, and be there for every moment. 

Peace...:-)

April Showers

After a rainy night in Madison - entertaining Don and Dotty and friends for a 60th birthday party, I 'm pleased to report that Monterey Collective is rolling again. See www.montereycollective.com for more details. Let's just say the Blues Junior worked well, and the ladies dancing (from age 2 to 72) seemed to enjoy the sounds.

How can you use the old blogspot to get the word out...that's the question.

Say hello to...
* EastConn
* VW Passat TDI
* Barcelona & Costa del Sol for summer '14

say goodbye to
* MES
* UConn tuition bills
* Mirtle Road ??? (on the market soon)

What about a Taylor T3 and a Mesa Boogie 5-25??

1-11-11 for real

You may think the palindrome is out. Or the binary code is in. But the reality is...tomorrow is 1/11/11 (January 11, 2011). And I'm writing a blog post that is the first since about a year ago.

Hmmmm, what to say, what to comment, what to recall

* Bye Bye COA, Turning Point, Monterey Collective

* Hello MES...

* Mrtle Road

* Ty's a graduate...again. Can you say studio?

* Travis is resourcing his economics (and soothing his muscles in the HT after a day on the Killington slopes. Man, wish I could be in college again...

Say goodbye to nyquil...coz you can.

Countdown to 2009-2010 - Another year

Those back to school circulars, the dog daze of August, and the grasping for final trips to the beach and the woods and the lakes. All make me think of, and feel one thing.... time for another school year to begin.

Back to Charter Oak Academy...back to a resurfaced facade, new paint, new floors, and another step forward towards International Baccalaureate recognition. It's exciting (has to be) and daunting at the same time. I find it's during these days that I recall and repeat the words of Frank Yulo from the alternate route back in 1988 (really? that long ago???). He explained his dislike for first days...and last days. The uncertainty of the first days, the time to relinquish some freedom and a more flexible schedule, and the natural challenges that wait beyond the closed doors (hopefully with a new coat of paint on them).

And those last days, saying goodbye, letting go of projects not quite finished, and the hope we made progress with every student in the school. Seems like a few days ago. In a conversation with a soon-to-be fifth grader NY the other day, I was confronted with what a short time 8 weeks can be. At the same time, I was excited about the challenge of re-connecting with this guy and his classmates in a few days.

This is the cyclical phenomenon of being an educator, knowing that there's a new group of students waiting outside the door, needing what we have to offer. And our challenge...is to do it better than we did before. Continual improvement, lifelong learning, the pursuit of happiness (?). Hard to effectively convey that feeling to those who have not lived it over the years.

So, it's time to get the haircut, sharpen pencils (literally), restock the notebooks, clean out old files, and start the process again. Reach them...so we can teach them.

Happy New Year!

There are so many reasons to celebrate...and you can see many of them right here! 2009 is sure to be full of changes that our new President has promised.

A new day.... November 4, 2008

To the people I love and value most in the world…

I was just listening to stories from the road; regular Americans talking about what this election, this historic event means to them. Many referred to parents, grandparents, struggle and surprise. Other talked about children and grand children to come, a day to remember and talk about and keep alive. One woman said she felt blessed, because she could share the…energy, the excitement, the passion (on both sides) with her children years from now. But right at this moment, I’m wondering what you all think. Tell me. Here are a few of my thoughts….

§ I’m happy… that my two boys were able to participate, directly. And that their first voting experience in a national election was one of real significance.

§ I’m proud… of my wife, doing her part, driving voters to the voting places yesterday. One of her ‘clients’ was a former neighbor of ours on Robbins Drive, an old lady who could not see well enough to read the ballot. This was one of those…”ask not what your country can do for you..” moments.

§ I’m apprehensive…about the tremendous array of challenges that will face Obama and Biden and all other elected officials, and whether they can bring about real change.

§ I’m excited…about the rebirth of passion for the political process, and the sense that ‘we’re all in this together, and we all need to continue to stay involved. We can’t stay on the sidelines as spectators, but must be part of the change.

§ I’m challenged….by a quote from Gandhi years ago, when he said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” This is something that Dad would embrace, something that he worked towards, by filling his station wagon and driving leftover food to needy organizations around Fairfield, and by counseling kids in a Hartford school, and by leading songs around a camp fire.

§ I’m impressed, that McCain became human again (not my words; stole them from a commentator on Public Radio this afternoon…) and was eloquent himself in his conciliatory speech. If he spoke like that throughout the campaign, might be a different story today.

§ I’m proud…to be an American. OK, it’s a hokey country song, but Lisa and I were moved to see the democratic process in action.

Love to you all,

Scott

“I know you didn’t do this just to win an election, or just for me. We know the challenges of tomorrow are the greatest of our lifetime… The road ahead will be long, the climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year, or even in one term. But, my fellow Americans, we will get there. I promise you…we will get there.”

Barack Obama *

President Elect

* Add these names to your dictionary… they will be around.

Oh, Amelia...

Was it just a false alarm? Or...was it a fantastical week in the wind and waves and wilderness of northern Florida. Stay tuned...

Birthdays Come & Go...

But memories last forever.
What a month... almost makes it worth achieving a milestone. I"m going to start listing some activities, and then add more info and reflection later. The first first a-ha however, is that I really am a lucky guy, a man who can enter his sixth decade and feel blessed by the generosity of family and friends. Man oh man...

tbd later
Slopes in New Hampshire
A WRLX t-shirt for Leinenkugel
The Meeting House at Powder Forest
A full family drum jam
Ultimate karting and something explosive
Food, folks and fun...around the fire
Jazz in Miami: aka "Sam IS the man!"
What does Boca Raton really mean?
Can we climb on those rocks to see the lighthouse?
Joe and his trips to Starbucks
Gonna be a dental floss tycoon...
Back to Amelia... it was just a false alarm.
Jackson at his best... a happy idiot in the morning light.
Awakening your life's purpose

Time MARCHes on....

You look at your life, and what...have you done?
Well, right now the accomplishment of the week is surviving the blizzard at Cannon Mountain on Saturday. Benson and I grabbed our bacon, egg and cheese (thanks to Daisy's) and passed the pickup trucks that spun-out on Route 93 and hit the slopes. A great day plowing through powder, winning a WZLX t-shirt, searching for grey shirts, finding $20 for suds and much, much more.

But what I really want to know is this: will those kids learn their lesson about cleaning up the table after they finish eating? These are the big questions of life. Stay tuned for more slopeside picts when we return in April.

They say March does come in like a Lion, in this case, a power-crusted-carrot-laden one.
WTF-over?

February Freedom

A long, long time ago, I can still remember how the...thought of returning to an educator's schedule used to make me cry. Well, not really make me cry, but it did conjure up some images of additional time to rest and get back to those core life activities that make it all worthwhile. Things like sleeping late, playing around with new web cams, configuring roboform (?), shopping for a new stratocaster, seeking shelter from the wind on the slopes at Loon and chasing Bensen down the trail. You know, the important stuff.

Today I am slowly entering that space, the first day of February vacation week. A balmy 56 degrees in the metro Hartford area, it seems more like early April than February. So let's see if I can embed some fine avatar led video footage into this blog posting.

I also need to seriously consider the SNAP blog for COA; when will that become live? You really owe it to yourself to get that going. Create the vision, box out the time, and make it so. And remember, this really is no country for old men...
More later

Veterans Day 2007

Maple leaves, cloudy skies, parades and elections. All part of the November landscape in central Connecticut.

Read an interesting and somewhat unsettling article about a marine who has returned home to CT, and is struggling with the challenges of getting his medical needs addressed after being shot by a sniper in Iraq. And wouldn't you know it, it was the end of his tour. It was a different twist, spin on what a veteran is today. Not our fathers and grandfathers as they were when we were growing up. Escaping wars.

We had a few guys visit the Ch Oak school to help with Veteran's Day tribute, one from WWII and other other Vietnam. Made me realize that I should expect to be older and more gray than veterans I meet going forward. So now, I will pause...on my Veteran's Day holiday and say a prayer for those men and women. Those who choose to serve in that capacity. Thanks also to Frank and Oscar and Tony and Roy...and the thousands who have gone before.

See you...in September

September 2007
The month that will live...in infamy. What is infamy anyway? Look that one up in your funk & wagnalls. Guess I'm showing my age. So was the speaker at our 'back to school' training session who referenced Carl Yaztremski.... Think most of the teachers at Charter Oak Academy of Global Studies were born after 1980, so Yaz a part of history.

So much to say, so much to do...so little energy to write right now. Will do that later. These 3 things I know
1. Bouncing in ocean wave and getting tossed on the ocean (like the SS Minow...before the tiny ship was lost) is a blast and a great way to spend labor day
2. Parents, wives, children...they all undergo life's transitions...and we need eachother along the way. More about transitions later (maybe when I finish the book)
3. Charter Oak will be a life altering experience; feel more connected to IOL and the Bridge and the pscyh major that was than I have in years. So I have to wonder, "is this my beautiful house?"

In the words of the Signs singers, "thank you God for thinking about me, I'm alive and doing fine..."

What are you gonna do?

I heard Tony Soprano say that about five times in 20 minutes last week. What are you gonna do? His mother passed away. What are you gonna do. Sorry Tony...what are you gonna do. Its a rainy Saturday night in Connecticut, the UConn sophmore is packing up to come home, for a few weeks anyway. Then off to Deutschland once again.

So I"m thinking (have to use the quottion marks, coz every time I hit the apostrophe key, it jumps somewher else...please forgive me, or my computer). Anyway, I was thinking, what would it be like to be making plans for the summer off from college? I know one UConn kid heading back to Germany for another summer of Allianz and internships and beer gardens and biking through Munish. And yet another U. of Miami kid heading off, now get this... to play jazz guitar on a cruise ship in western Europe. Can you believe this? No bagging groceries, no painting houses(but Tyler will get the opportunity to do some of that...) and no flipping burgers.

Do you get my point? Let"s plan a summer off from college, or work. Hey, isn"t that what teachers are supposed to do? Hmmmmmmmm

70 & then Snow?

So, what do we love most about New England? The fall colors? The daffodils in spring? The hot hazy humid summer days at the beach? This week were were treated to some of winters wildest weather. Two weeks ago, it was below zero. Literally...freezing. Then last week the mercury hit 65 degrees. I saw joggers in shorts and t-shirts, and Travis watching his car in the driveway. Surely spring was around the corner, even though it was only March 11.

But then... Mom Nature reminded us why we love New England. 8-10 inches of white stuff, with frozen granular 'snow-cone' like flakes falling Friday night. Bill really want ed to get the Chambord and pour it on the snow, especially after scaling the fence to the dog park.

Anyway, it was a great week to be alive and watch the transformation of our little town.

Make Better choices...

So says the man. The guy talking on the audio recording playing on my computer.
Think about the inner voice...is he moving you toward the goal? Not sure, I do know I want another oreo cookie.

Moving through the rest of this week, I commit to:
1. Hearing the inner voice, but not necessarily listening to it (he, she it)
2. Refining the process of capturing audio for a podcast
3. Getting back to the Audio Acrobat site at least once.
4. Think abundantly: many many many good things to be thankful for, and they need to be recognized, acknowledged...every day. Not an option.

So, got get a dog-man of your own.

Stay tuned for tomorrow:
Who is Harv, and why should we ask him anything???

Saturday afternoon

There's nothing quite like a February afternoon
sitting in the sunshine
drinking coffee
watching that cats
dreaming about the next big thing.

Post 2: Jan31, 2007

Connecting to Picassa so you can see this web album.

New Year 2007

First Time User

Exploring the world of blogging now that google is in the mix. Wondering what the differences are from the old blogger site.

FTU111 is for testing only.
Can you leave a response? Note: pict is 785 k. Is that alright?
Using Firefox to create this post. Going over to IE and doing the same thing...

No evidence of the pict posted at this point. Will publish.
Now that is a fine photo...