A Whole Day at the Ocean and All I have to Show For It Is These Berries

It is Sunday and the day was our oyster. The waves at Portland Headlight were crashing high from a hurricane. The air was so warm the thought of surfing could not be purged. It has been a long time since that has happened. It was on the other side of the planet that I surfed last.
Last night it rained really hard and everything was all wet and smelled rotty in a good way. We walked around the woods in Fort Williams park area for awhile. All those leaves almost got the best of me; I had several three stooge banana peel moments. Eliot somehow avoided falling for the most part. He got chased around by some puppies, guess they thought he was delicious the way they kept licking him. He found some new duck friends as well. They were quite interested in making his aquaintence too until they found out he only was holding the top of an acorn.
This evening has been the night of school again. Borders for studying, home for roasted chicken Ala Jess, back to the computer who was diametrically opposed to me and my paper writing work. I also think the blog and facebook have had their role in my study downfall this evening.

seems to me that i have not been in touch

Nursing school is underway. Catheters, IM injections, multipul choice exams with evasive answers are all about. I am so happily overwlemed at the moment. That will change in two weeks when I have my next exam. Every week I dress up as a nurse and do my thing. It is not unlike what I have been up to. The main difference is the assessments we do. Every class we are expected to write our assessments of the clients we are assigned. I have some work to do.

My little family has been thriving despite the changing of seasons, scheduals, and scholarships. The hardest thing about school still is not seeing Eliot every morning.

One Small Salamander For Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind

One rainy day after Jess got home we decided to try our hands at flight. Eliot started it and the family has been doing the same to practice for a Christmas picture.

This salamander just did not care to be picked up yesterday

Notice Eliot's perfect flying form.

A Wild Buckaroos Breaky

Wild Growlin' Gessler and his rough and rowdy crew of bandits descended on the wild west enclave, Catonsville. the formerly peaceful brothel was rocked by the appearance of these disreputable characters.

Evil Eder with his Wiley counterpart in crime Jessica James

Chicky "Kill" Nasty

"Baby-face" Pat Fun Box

"Grateful to be dead after messin with this maniac" Jack the Ripper

this just in

my wife just stole all of the awesome pictures i took of the day(with my permission of course) and wrote a narrative better than the one i was going to write. i bet she did not even have to rely on swear words to say how damn good my day was.
here is her link. i hope she spelled lots of words wrong.

http://alittlebunny.blogspot.com/

the days are just packed

when a day goes just right you know you will be talking about it for the rest of the month, day, year, or more. Wensday was such a day. Eliot and I made our way out the house into the world at around ten o'clock.

We came upon the fire house with its doors open and fire men doing their shift change. They invited Eliot to come into the engines. He even got to ride in one. A happier kid could not be found but this was only the beginning...

blue steel

the seriousness of the haircut.

we brought eliot in for his fist real haircut friday. he was great about staying still and obeying the barber and the mama but he was so serious. i hope it was not an unpleant experiance for him. the result was fantastic. the gardella boys are looking fine.

Great ideas come from my sleeping wife

A little past ten I went into a room in the house where some are creative and some just create. My wife had just finished making a stuffed person and I thought of the perfect collaboration. I will make the innards of a simple robot whose arms will move with its legs in tandem. It's innards will be supported by a wooden frame. The arm and leg axel will come out of the top and bottom of the creature. Short wood square blocks will attach to each axle and will have a bit extra axle over the end. Any added appendages are added with glue to the outside of the gear box.
The part where Jess would be able to come in and help is when I cover the robot with skin. It needs to be vaguely inhuman but should show the creator was at least trying when they tried to make the humanoid doll/robot. If the box is strong enough staple guns and hot glue could make for excellent fat cells to round things out. The innards need to be accessable by a very obvious and possibly upsetting looking door(maybe a doornob). When the figure is finished gears(metal) need to be applied to the last bit of dowel. If possible these gears should connect to something too.
I have pictures of a machine I made years ago and would like to craft mine after them and Jess' doll.

Eliot and Jess and I were totally entertained on the roof deck at my bros apt. The view was perfect. I stayed up there with Tim late just enjoying the view. It was perfect.
When Jess, Eliot, Tim, and I got to the cape we took a relaxed stroll around the heritage plantation. it was beautiful with the blooming rhododendron. The colors were splendid.
When Trish joined us we went to sandy neck beach for a campfire and beach ride. the weather was fine, sunset clear, fire was warm, and a lady Eliot had worked his charm on gave Trisha a hamburger she says was the best she's ever had. This was especcially good because Trisha said earlier that evening that she would kill for a bite of a hamburger. I guess those people unwittingly saved someones life. Pracilla you are an unsung American hero.
Sunday we heard my mom grace the church with her beautiful voice. My father was good enough to do a lobster feast for all of us. It was was particularly meaningful and appreciated by me. I had been traumatized and riddled with guilt earlier that evening. Eliot had gotten a very bad splinter on the deck(which my dad had repeatedly had warned me about). I removed most of it but his howling in pain made my hands shake like leaves. I was able to get the larger piece but by the time I finished doing that I was to stressed out. I am embarrassed to say I can deal easily with some other person's father having a head trauma but become completely undone by Eliot getting a splinter. The lobster in the good company of Ann and Pete worked its magic though and I slept well until nine this morning. Today I had some quality time to play with the magic jeep

Cape Cod

It should be nice getting down to the parents house for the weekend. Jess, Eliot, and I have not been there to visit in a while. It is finally good enough weather for us to spend some time out on the Cape's fantastic beaches. They remind Tim and I of Australia because they are so long. Tim enjoyed the drive on the beach aspect of Frasure Island. I just loved how freakin long the beaches were.

There is no I in teamwork but there are two in irritated

...but first an old joke

Two little old ladies were sitting on a park bench outside the local town hall where a

flower show was in progress.
The thin one leaned over and said, 'Life is so boring. We never have any fun any

more. For $10 I'd take my clothes off and streak through that stupid flower show!'

"You're on!' said the other old lady, holding up a $10 note. The first little old lady slowly

fumbled her way out of her clothes and, completely naked, streaked (as fast as an old

lady can) through the front door of the flower show.

Waiting outside, her friend soon heard a huge commotion inside the hall, followed by

loud applause and shrill whistling. The smiling and naked Old lady came through the

exit door surrounded by a cheering crowd.

'What happened?' asked her waiting friend

'I won 1st prize as Best Dried Arrangement.

Working with the elderly has its ups and downs, specifically pull ups and nursey melt downs. No matter what the reason is for having to change pull ups I nearly always prefer it than having to deal with the latter.

just having a look @ jess. blog

for all of you who are wondering why there so many duplicated pics, it is because jess is such a darn photographer. i just am in awe when i see them on my laptop. hence the fact she gets her photos in her's and mine. kudos for her she is remarkably talented.

And places

We have gone many places

There have been troubles

My favorite lady has passed. it came on so fast. she was only away from 75 for a few months. it was just january when we were sitting around with eliot. i have all of these videos of eliot sitting on her lap. now i will be going to her funeral. it is really hard to have these extremely valuable connections. In so many ways i am looking forward to the nursing proffesion where there is a limited time to connect. last night i sobbed while watshing a film about alzheimers.

Tonight there was art

I got time to sit down and do some art. I have been working on my daddy so much it is really hard to make time. after two years though i am finally making the time to do some painting. The idea of getting the little one doing the same is so exciting. he is getting to the age where art and concentrating on art is not going to be such a difficult problem.

There is a great thing in the air

It has been a remarkable few months here in portland. we are enjoying the new place like you would not belive. our garden is beatiful though there is some work to be done. we have a porch that will be perfect when we finally get all the shit organized. My work has been really challenging but the demotion has afforded me some really great time to re-connect with the residents. I before had only time to give out pills. now i am in happy business. i provide all of them with service they appreciate.

Elvis returns!

Actually he did not just got in another picture. one that a resident had taken. just thought it was worthy of posting.
Eliot, his friend rob, and I did appear in the Portland sun however. It was a very nice pic though i am sure it was modified for printing and will look rather silly on the computer. we celebrated st patties day with a march from st Dom's through the west end. Eliot liked it though did not take to the marching. It was a strange sort of st Patty's day because there was no singing, dancing or shenanigans. it was devoid of all of those things i think of when i think of st Patrick's day. oh well.
we had a fantastic party last weekend and are having the folks and our new landlord up. it should be a blast.

And they all fell down

The not-for-profit sector has been nailed by the recession and we are beginning to feel it at 75 state st. There is a restructuring meeting this coming week and I will be preparing by starting to look for work. it is just a matter of time before they ask us to give up our benefits and start firing. It is beyond sad. Many of us have given years to this non-profit and are no doubt going to be asked to give up the free health care. It is not just us who will be effected. Our residents are going to be the ones really paying the price. many of the finest workers will have to leave.

Elvis is in the House

We are getting beautiful spring weather, the birds are coming home; nothing says this more than an Elvis impersonator coming to sing to the elderly.
All day we have been enjoying the warmth. we did some tidying up and now are having a nice little spring tantrum. soon Jess will wear herself out. She will be asleep.

We Are Unthawing

Our yearly cryogenics experiment has left us feeling shaken. we are defrosting and trying to get outside whenever the temperature goes south of 33. yesterday Dylan Steve Kjel and Sabine dropped in and played around in the yard with Jess Eliot and I. it was fun. we have been working hard on the porch and will soon have it breded in time for days as high as 34. the cellar is looking great too. i have spotted some leak issues and some trash that needs tossing but all has been full speed ahead in getting those areas ready for use. this summer promises to be full of good fun and creativity at seven Russell. for now no pics i have to go play.

The other day I watched Olive for Sasha and we took some great pictures. Beth, Sabine, and Rowan came over. All the kids were on their beswt behavior and with the ample new space we all were able to get spread out. I snapped this picture after asking the two kids to smile. I figure it will be great motivation to succed in high school when presented as a article of black mail.

Settling In

We have experianced such a massive change from our place on Commercial to here. Eliot loves it as do we. I definately miss and will have fond memories of our old spot. Russell St seems to be made for us.



I am getting my stuff all into place. The living room is beautiful and we are working to get the porch to the same level. It will allow us to figure out what we will be doing this summer with veggies and flowers.

We are here, so now what

This is a picture of a very loud heater that is making strange noises while it helps us not freeze. It must be a hard job because it screams and moans all while it does its work.

The have moved and said goodbye to the Commercial St. location. It is time for us to unpack, continue painting, buff floors, clean windows, get curtains. The stuff that will take about two years for a normal human to do. Luckily I am not normal(some say more subhuman). I have projected the goal of finishing later this week. This is so we can finally relax and say there is not any house work aside from the usual. Being insanely busy has had some excellent side effects. I have been sleeping earlier, better, and longer. I have lost my gut for the most part. Focusing on something with a beginning and end has made me work harder. It has been a great move. Although I will miss the people on fridays and Saturdays screaming as they step in eight inch deep puddles in front of our building, the new place is fantastic. I will also miss our friends who I truly loved seeing in our old place but that is the stuff you have to accept I guess with any move.

hello moving

here are some pics of eliot and my trip to the train museum. it was loads of fun to see how well entertained he was by an empty old building save for a few trains. also a pic of the boy getting his first piercing.




well we are about as under the gun as humanly possibly. i have been kicking butt and taking names this week on the new place as the mama manages the packing. probably not the best idea to work every day this week but it is going to be just fine.

SSSOOOO

The move is getting a foothold. i am making arrangements, jess and i are deciding what does need to get done and when. There are some things that need to get done eventually. We are both quite sure that the place is wonderful but needs some armourers to help its lack of walk-in closets and such. that is of course why i am putting this out there. If you know of a good deal, have a good deal to offer, or just want to comment on our interest in an armourers by all means....

This is a picture Jess took I thought was just perfect for my vision of the planning of a move for Eliot

When a day starts with vomit

I have been warned it is uncooth to say such things but when you are reading this you must by now know what type of work I do. This should prepare you for explicit detail.
health has been an issue this week. Eliot was very sick this morning but has bounced back with plenty of energy for tantrums.

The winter doldrums have brought the kind of depressed state that invariably ends in good art. I have been on the creative warpath. Unfortunately good tidings keep coming my way waking it hard to stay focused on the negative. i hang out with relentlessly smilely, disgustinly happy, and horribly positive people and children. It is these folks I say are at fault for making my art come slowly.

We are to move back to the place I lived at before and after I was in australia. It is a place which is about twice as large as the place we are in now. It will suit us very well. if there is anyone out there who is interested in the place we are moving out of we can put you in touch with the landlord. we liked it. just needed some extra room to put all our crap in.

Well we are really doing well in general and are looking forward to date night this evening. I am also looking forward to helping and possibly getting involved with it officially. i brought leons projector down the other day in hopes of being able to doing some projections of art on the parachute. alas it did not work