Well this looks fun

Last weekend, I was leading a volunteer group on a work day at A--'s school.  Overall there were about 80 people from a national paper and cleaning product company whom have their offices in town who were at the school doing various work projects.  I had the most ambitious task:  Take about 20, 13 foot logs and turn them into a retaining wall and step structure with 15-25 over-anxious volunteers.  Let's say snags were hit and wrenches were thrown. At one point I was having a really hard time rolling with the wrenches and I found myself with all of these volunteers looking at me waiting for something to do while I figured out what type of miracle I needed to finish this project by the end of the day so that the next day the pre-schoolers and kindergarteners could have their play ground back, and I thought to myself, "what would happen if I just left right now?"  I didn't and it all got done but at least a dozen times I wished I had a co-leader.  When led trail work crews, and led others who led trail work crews, co-leaders were the norm.  I prefer this set-up because two people with complimentary work-styles can fill the gaps so to speak.  For instance, on this day, a more extroverted person could externally process with the group, while an introvert such as myself could have a few moments to quietly process and problem solve before bringing options to the group, and therefor be spared wanting to run away and hide.  All kidding and hyperbole aside the day was a huge success and in the moment I was making mountains out of mole hills.  Here's the finished product I'll let you decide.

  Not too bad. From log to finished in less than 6 hours.

Perfect Morning

for a ride.  With temps in the low 60s and scenery like this

 it was tough to stop when I got to work.

Pack it up, Pack it in, Let me begin...

to tell you how I spent my weekend.  The title of today's post came to me, not because I was sitting around listening to House of Pain, but because this week end was packed full of good times.  Saturday included T-Ball with R- and some backyard catches and hitting practice... just so he wouldn't get rusty you know. 

He has been superpsyched about playing baseball since last Saturday's Little League opening day.  Good times.

Then Saturday evening it was off to our see our friends at Bread and Butter Farm to have some dinner and talk about life, friendship, farming as a business, and the beauty of our spot on this big blue marble.  While we were there A-- and I went to visit the calves, one of which you may remember from here.

We had a good time frolicking with the animals and ate a wonderful dinner.  We almost stayed to drink more beers and burn things but since the next day was mother's day, and mother wanted to get to bed,  we took a rain check and went home.

Mother's day was wonderful.  We took Mama out to breakfast, I did some gardening and she got a night out with her ladies to the Spielpalast Cabaret.  T--- is truly a wonderful woman who deserves more than one day dedicated to her.   And that's something to Jump Around about.

Ukeleles make everything precious

Here's hoping that you have a great weekend.  Here is your Friday tunes, Now with juxtaposition!

As seen on the Black Market.

No Pictures..

Therefore it didn't happen?  Beautiful rides Sunday and Monday and a long(ish) run last night in the rain.  Feeling good but the blogisphere doesn't care.

Friday Tunes Memorial....Again

RIP Adam Yaught.

What a weekend

Wow sometimes you just have a couple of days strung together where you do so much that you feel you can take a few weeks to slack off.  Friday night kicked off my weekend with a snowy bike ride over to my buddy J---'s house to play some music.  Making music for a few hours really blew the cobwebs out of my mind and made me realize how much energy I derive from being creative like that and how it spurs more creativity and energy.  So I need to do that more often. 

Then Saturday dawned with a project on the horizon so I got handy and started building my beautiful wife an arbor for the garden.  I got about halfway through that project before I needed to gear up for operation Birthday Party. That's right my firstborn A-- turned 7 this weekend and celebrations were to be had.  So we packed up 7 of her favorite little people and headed to Niquette Bay State Park for some outdoor fun. 

We hiked, we were awestruck by the amazing display of spring ephemeral wildflowers, we ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Then we were off to Ben and Jerry's to tackle the Vermonster. 

Now that the kids were all sugared up we headed home to get into jammies and watch a movie.  Oh did I not mention that this was a sleepover party.  Yeah that's just how we roll.  Movies were watched and kids were asleep at a reasonable time.  The next morning started with Blueberry pancakes for 12.  So I manned the griddle and started flipping.  By 10 am all the little rugrats were at home with their parents where they belonged, and I could concentrate on finishing my arbor.  So I did.  Here is the result.  It went smoothly and the only part that didn't go as planned, because I didn't have a plan, was getting it upright into place.  But after 45 mins. it looked like this.