Seeing Friends in Quechee and Helping My Mentor

Had a chance to help out our good friend and my "real man" mentor Gary Lovell, who happens to run Balloons Over New England, the premier ballooning operation in area. Sorry, had to give him a little plug. He needed some books in his condo, and there are apparently some problems with the lock, so he asked me to try and I managed to get in using my own "creative" means. It gives me a glimmer of pride to be able to come through for Gary by being resourceful, even if it could land me in jail.

We also ran into a boatload of friends at the Quechee Ski Hill, and it's yet another thing we love about living in a small town, even if we don't live in it anymore. Seeing and connecting with friends wherever you go, it's nice with families because even if you don't want to see them, your kids are usually excited to see their friends.

So much going on but not much to really report on. Got my home improvement book and will begin the process of finishing that barn when Spring hits. We'll see how that goes.

Until then, my name is Fred Lee, and thanks for reading.

Ugh! So Much To Do and Practicing My Katas

Today is a good example of owning up to your responsibilities and not being a whiner about it, much in the spirit of living in New England. It snowed for days yesterday, and I'm talking feet... well, not quite, but nearly two feet, which when you get down to it, makes for "feet." Anyway, since it was coming down in buckets and we were out playing, of course I didn't get around to shoveling, because we were having too much fun playing in the snow.

Well, as the saying goes, you play, you gotta pay. Today we are slated to have a playdate with our buddies over on Webster Road, and it's an early morning gig, but I have to shovel and fill the wood box. AND, I've got to make something to bring over for lunch. The question is, when do I get to whine about it?

I'm going to have to get out before everyone wakes up and shovel astronomical amounts of snow, not to mention rake the roof, but that can wait until later. The main thing is to clear a path to the wood pile so I can get more wood, because it gets cold once the sun goes down.

Anyway, I'm a firm believer that parenthood has given me the emotional and psychological fortitude to just deal with it, which is no small thing when you're training to be a real man.

Speaking of which, I've been practicing my bo katas and the biggest problem I face is not remembering them properly, though I do think practicing them wrong is better than nothing. It's so much to remember, and my mind goes blank when Master Hammond (Joe to everyone else) is glaring at me. I feel the strong desire to win his approval, but that's the Asian in me.

We'll see. Until the next time, my name is Fred Lee, and thanks for reading.

Septic Permit and More Snow!

Amazing-we got an official okay from the state to build our septic system. I can't believe it, after all that. Interestingly, Todd Hill said he had no worries from the get go, but boy did it take a lot of time and sweat. Thus for with this barn, nothing has come easy, but maybe that's the point. Either way, we received official notification by mail yesterday, and now we are all set. Now all we have to do is come up with the funds to pay for it. I'd better start writing that screenplay ASAP.

I've also ordered a book on how to build a house, and while this oversimplifies the process, it's at the very least, a start, and not a bad way to get my mind around the whole process. The problem I've found with talking to people is that everyone does it differently, but maybe that's something I've got to embrace rather than fret over.

We're supposed to get some mega-snowstorm today, and though I love the snow, I'm not looking forward to all that shoveling. At least our wood box is full... sort of. Enough to get us through the next couple of days.

At least the skiing should be good. I've got a dentist's appointment on Friday but am thinking I'll reschedule so we can get a day of skiing in with the kids, since they didn't do as much as they'd wanted this past weekend.

My name is Fred Lee, and until the next time, thanks for reading.

Hartland Winter Events

Hartland Winter Fest (ice sculptures, chili cookoff) is coming. It's pretty cool when the small town you live in hosts so many cool events, and it all boils down to community involvement, because it wouldn't happen otherwise. Another good example of this is Hartland Winter Trails. They are an amazing group that maintains the XC ski trails for anybody who wants to use them, and they do a fantastic job. Things like this can't be taken for granted.

We were planning on doing all sorts of downhill skiing this weekend, Audrey and Nicholas were pumped, but things sort of fell by the wayside. We skiied on Friday, skated at Occom Pond on Saturday, and Sunday was XC ski day in Hartland. We figured we couldn't do both without overwhelming the kids, so given the choice, they decided to XC ski w/Clara. So I went snowboarding by myself in the AM and took them to XC ski day.

I took Audrey and Nicholas along to meet some friends at Hartland XC ski day. It was a beautiful day and Clara and Aidan joined us, along with the parental units of Amber and Kathy. I get a sense they are experienced skiers because they sure knew what they were doing. Anyway, I had reservations about Nicholas keeping up, and for that matter, me keeping up, but Nicholas really bit the bullet and went for it. I'm so proud of him. Andrea, who runs the trails with her husband (again, they do a fantastic job) was overseeing the table with snacks and hot cocoa, which the kids loved.

When we set off on the trail and got more ambitious than I would have preferred, but it was a good thing because we got to see more of the trail than I usually get to. I generally do the loop in Bischoff meadow and head home, but we went for it and climbed the hill to get to Merritt Road. The climb was brutal, and the whole time I was thinking, "Heck, we gotta get down this hill, as well." We turned back a little bit after passing Jan Fisher's house, though I know Audrey could have gone on longer, and by default, Nicholas would have followed. But it was time to go home.

The trip down the hill wasn't worth the drama, so Nicholas and I walked, but Audrey just cruised down. When she sets her mind to things, she's pretty amazing. In fact, I was impressed with how well she skied, keeping up with Aidan no problem. We headed back to the car in the after glow of our long journey, tired by satisfied, after having completely lost sight/touch with Aidan and Kathy. They just took off and went for an adventure. Kudos to them.

Back at the truck, we had all of our hockey gear, and of course Clara wanted to join us, so we went over to the rink around 3:30 and skated for a few hours. Clara had been up since 5:00 AM and was still going strong. She's an amazing hockey player, as well. Such a natural.

It's pretty cool how active people are, and for that matter, we are, in winter time. There are so many fun and rewarding activities to do up here, it's really great for families. We have recently picked up on hockey, not really serious, but just hitting the puck around, and it definitely makes skating a little more interesting. Plus, Audrey and Nicholas just love it. We don't want to fall into the parental trap, however, of too many organized sports. Parents just seem to run their kids ragged with scheduling, and hockey in particular has a brutal schedule with all the traveling.

Had karate last night and Grand Master Hammond was there, focusing once again on me and Robert to do the Bo Katas. It's a bit of leap for me, and I feel like I always let him down because I'm not always quick on the uptake, and it takes some time before they click with me. I'm grateful for the attention, and not so grateful, as well. The pressure is killing me. Belt testing is coming up, I'm thinking maybe in March. It still impresses me how dedicated Chip and Master Hammond (I think I'm too afraid of the guy, I'm going to lighten up and call him Joe) are, it's inspiring. Sparred with Peter, my regular sparring partner, and I'm really beginning to get a feel for learning on the fly. We'll see how this goes, I need to practice my darn katas.

Until the next time, my name is Fred Lee, and thanks for reading.

Free At Last... At Least For The Moment

If you can believe this, we finally got all of our water tests done and filed them with the state in order to complete our permit for the septic system for the defunct project of finishing the barn. It's amazing to think that this all started five or six months ago, and this is as far as we've gotten. Todd Hill said not to worry about the permit passing, he seemed to indicate that it was a no-brainer, but at this point, I wouldn't take anything for granted. It was a complete rigmarole just getting all the necessary tests to satisfy the state, but in all fairness, Terence Shearer has been very helpful and understanding, so I can't really complain. This is just how things get done.

In the meantime, it's getting cold, and we're getting some ice buildup on the roof, but I'm not sure if I'll need to go up on my trusty ladder and knock it off. I hope not. Kurt mentioned that if it isn't leaking, then it might be better to leave it, because you can do more damage by chopping away at the shingles, especially a guy like me.

Say no more.

Thinking of hitting the dump today, then doing the week's shopping. I'm guessing I'll see some friends at some point, I always do. Such is the life in a small (-ish) town. Until the next time, my name is Fred Lee, and thanks for reading.

Meeting More Of Our Neighbors

I realize this sort of thing happens all the time in New York, where you cross paths with certain people but never get around to meeting them. Well, believe it or not, it happens sometimes in small town America, as well. We live nestled in the woods, but it is hardly in the middle of nowhere. In fact, it's about a mile walk into town, so people walk around here all the time, and in addition to the XC trails, we end up getting a lot of traffic out here.

Of course, I never really get around to actually meeting them. Yesterday at the Hartland rink, Audrey and Nicholas grew weary of skating and decided to play in the snow, so I walked over and had a chat with the after school monitors, Bonnie and Mary Jo. Having just met Bonnie, I learned that she is in fact one of those mysterious walkers with whom I exchange frequent anonymous greetings on the side roads out here. FYI, Bonnie is also neighbors with our good friends, the Hales.

Either way, of course they know Marty and Scott, and the subject of building came up. They both had extensive experience with building additions or even entire houses, much like most of the people up here, and we discussed the possibilities of finishing the barn. These women were much like a lot of women I meet up here, independent and very capable.

It's no wonder men strive to be real men in this area, they have a lot of competition from the women, who give them a run for the money. Either way, they both had good advice about building, but the take home message, especially from Bonnie, was that you can do it yourself if you really want to and have the time.

Nice to hear, and another reason why we love it up here. Until the next time, thanks for reading. Oh, and my name is Fred Lee

Moving Towards My Blue Belt

I have to confess, when I get to karate class and see that Grand Master Hammond is there, my heart sinks a little. I am intimidated as heck by the guy, he's a seventh or eighth degree black belt, or something crazy like that, but he's no nonsense, and it's stressful working with him because I want to perform at an adequate level. He's been teaching me bo-katas and it's high pressure, because not only are his expectations high (I'm honored he's focusing on me), but all the parents are just two feet away, watching. It's a little nutty, and more than anything I want to do well by him. The ball is in my court, I've got to practice.

It all boils down to the fact that I've got to man up and just do it. Easier said than done, but such is the life of a real man in training. I'm coming up on my blue belt test.

He keeps talking about tournaments and competitions, and I have a feeling that my time in hell is coming. Not sure what to make of it all, I'm not one for competition, especially where blood and pain are involved, but I'll just keep practicing and let the cards fall as they may. It's a good lesson, actually, in not only overcoming my fears (which are seemingly insurmountable) while alos learning to go with the flow and not try to control that which is uncontrollable. I can't control the future, but I can only do the best that I can do and try my hardest. Be in the moment, don't forecast too far into the future, because the stress will kill you, and you can't do anything about it, anyway.

My name is Fred Lee, and thanks for reading.