Dwane returned home from work on Saturday morning to find that our pipes had clogged once again. After a gallon of chemicals and gallons of hot water, the clog finally went through. Hopefully, this is the end of that.

We spent the afternoon traveling to Portland and trying to find the perfect truck for Dwane. Yankee Ford had advertised that they were having a huge load (587+) of repossessed vehicles available for sale. "No phone calls please. No camping overnight." We were sure we could find what we needed with 587+ vehicles to choose from. When we got there, their average-sized lot was only about 3/4 full. Dwane went in to ask if they had another lot somewhere. The salesman responded, "Oh, well we had a couple of those vehicles." Dwane was hopping made. Dwane worked a ton of hours this week (until 12:45 AM one night and until 11:30 PM another night), and had tons of things to do at home. We made this trip ONLY because of their ad. What a disappointment. Dwane wants to reported them to the Better Business Bureau of false advertising.

The night ended much better, though. Dwane's step-mother, Sandra, wanted to take us out for dinner. We went to Applebee's in Brunswick, where I had the steak topped with grilled shrimp and parmesan/garlic sauce. It was unbelieveable! I can't wait to order that up again. And the garlic mashed potatoes were great, too. The boys were very well behaved, which made dinner a real pleasure. Sandra also brought some birthday gifts for Eben--a Batman shirt, a Spiderman shirt, and a Wal-Mart gift card. Of course, he was elated.

After supper, Sandra took us across the street to Cold Stone. What a fun place that was! This is an ice cream place that has about a dozen ice cream "bases" (chocolate, vanilla, sweet cream, black licorice, etc.). They also feature about 25 or so "mix-ins", everything from nuts to jimmies, to crushed candy bars. They mix the base with your mix-ins right in front of you on a cold stone. I had a sweet cream base with graham cracker crust pieces and chocolate shavings. Dwane had banana base with graham cracker crust pieces. Eben chose chocolate with rainbow sprinkles and chocolate chips (I think), and Sandra had chocolate with almonds. The workers also have these little songs they sing while they're working. They have one for everytime someone buys a waffle cone, for example. They'll also sing a song for a tip. I don't know if the ice cream can top Dorman's, but the exerience is well worth it. It is located at Cook's Corner in the building that formerly housed Dennys.

Here are my brother's (Billy Rhythm) MI-5 questions for this Friday, along with my answer:

1. TIME: Tell us about your watch. My watch is a $10.00 job from Wal-Mart. It has 5 interchangeable straps, so that I can match them to my outfit. I really love it. I'd like to get some more straps to go with it.

2. SPACE: How about that space shuttle? Thoughts? I have to say that I'm very concerned about the crew up there. I'll be very happy to see them back home safely. As far as the future of the space shuttle program, I guess I'm not into putting lots of money into it. I strongly feel that Jesus is going to come back for us way before we're going to need to live on Mars. I'd rather see all of that Federal money used to help the unfortunate here in America.

3. LENGTH: What job have you held the longest? Why did you stay so long? I worked for Attorney Jim Brannan for 17 years. It only ended because he needed me in the office, instead of working from home. Had it not been for that--I would still be there. While there were tense moments (like in any job), I loved Jim like a Dad. Just as I would never leave my Dad, I guess I never would've left Jim either.

4. HEIGHT: What are your thoughts on flying? Without a toddler, I love it. Great way to get there quickly. With kids, though, it makes more sense, economically and otherwise, to drive in most instances. You can stop when you need to, and you don't have to worry about ruining the trip for a hundred other people when the baby won't stop crying (which is what happened last time I flew from Miami to Maine). I'm not scared to fly.

5. DEPTH. Share an ocean story with us. The only thing I can think of is how much I loved going on Uncle Ashley's lobster boat as a child. I loved to lay on the back of the boat and snooze. I loved looking inside each lobster trap to see what was inside. It was always a "treasure" to me, even if there were no lobsters inside. I loved the urchins, the sea cucumbers, and whatever else was inside. And when you go with Uncle Ashley, you just have to have Tuna Fish Sandwiches and Devil Dogs.

My arm is still driving me nuts--so this probably will not be a long post.

Dwane had to work really late Wednesday night. The Samoset was having a huge corporate meeting and the air conditioning broke. Wednesday was that terribly hot day. The dairy farmers will getting pretty upset, so Dwane ended up getting "volunteered" to go to Kittery to get these huge tent coolers. He didn't get home until 12:45 AM. Because the time was really for the Samoset, and not Mass A/V, he won't be getting paid for it. The Samoset did promise a free round of golf (not that he'll ever have time to play golf), and another free dinner at Marcel's.

I spent yesterday morning preparing for Sue's CTMH party tonight. I had to cut out 36 tags. Fortunately, I had a Coluzzle, so it didn't take long, but I think the repetitive motion, combined with getting groceries and carrying in all the bags yesterday, really did my arm in again.

Dwane will be working late tonight (until at least 10:00 PM), as it is the banquet judging for the Maine Seafood Goddess. I will be busy with Sue's CTMH party, so at least I won't be sitting home alone with just the boys. (It's a good thing that Sue was willing to have it here, or I would've had to cancel. I'll be glad when Dwane gets more of a "routine" schedule.)

Tomorrow Dwane wants to go to South Portland to try to find a truck. He sold his Lincoln last week, fixed the Hyundai on Tuesday, and now needs a truck. I can't blame him, though. I can't believe how much you really use a truck until it's gone. He does plan to sell the Hyundai once he has a truck.

Boy! What a busy week we have had!

On Wednesday evening, Dwane's sister, Dawn; Dawn's husband, Dennis; and Dennis's daughter, Erica, all came to visit from Virginia. We spent Thursday and Friday in Bar Harbor. We spent Thursday night at Eden Village Resort, which was really nice. The rooms were a little rustic in decoration (dark paneling on the walls), but the rooms were very spacious and clean. There was a pond stocked with Bass, and free paddle boats. We ate at a lobsterbake place on Thursday night. Dennis, Dawn and Erica had lobster, but Dwane and I opted for just the lobster rolls. We were glad that we made that decision, as the lobster was boiled, instead of steamed. You could really "taste the water" , and the lobster itself was pretty tasteless. The Burks family didn't seem to mind though, and that's what matters.

On Friday morning we ate at the Log Cabin Restaurant, which offered an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. After breakfast, we headed to Acadia National Park. We made stops at Sand Beach (where Eben fell completely in the salt water--he was covered in "seashell sand--his eyes, mouth, ears. What a mess!), Thunder Hole (which was just gurgling as the tide was too high--I've never seen it actually "thunder"), Jordan Pond House, and Bubbles Pond. We had a picnic at the Fabbri Picnic Area inside the park. I picked up a little cookbook at Jordan Pond House Gift Shop, and there is the recipe for the popovers inside. One day before I die, I'm going to have popovers and lemondade at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant. I just can' t seem to want to spend $7.95 for 2 popovers and lemonade. Someday, though, I'm going to give in.

On Saturday, Eben, Dwane, and the Burks family went to Montpelier. Unfortunately, there had been a big party there the night before, and it was closed. Dawn had really wanted to go. Maybe next time. Instead, they all walked out on the Rockland Breakwater.

During the afternoon, we had Eben's 8th birthday party. A Batman theme, of course. Eben had wanted to watch a Batman movie on the big screen, so Dwane had brought home a projector and a movie screen from the Samoset. That lasted all of 15 minutes when the kids got bored. They ended up just running wild through the house for the next hour or so.

Sunday was church, and watching of the Nascar race at Ponoco during the afternoon. Dwane still had the big screen home, so it was kindda cool to watch it on that. Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte both had top 10 finishes, so I guess you could call the race a success in our book.

On Monday, we had a plumbing disaster. We had something clog the main drain and my laundry water had drained into both bathtubs and the shower stall. It took two trips to Home Depot and 2 hours of Dwane's hard work with a plumber's snake to remedy the problem.

Guess that brings us to today. Eben volunteered at the Knox Center bingo game session again today. Some students from the Rockport Photographic Workshop were there snapping pictures. They took quite a few of Eben and Caleb. The girl said that they would bring some prints back to Knox Center for us to have. I hope so. I'm sure they would be good.

Oh my goodness! It's been a week since I've posted something. My arm is still a little sore, but it is getting better, so I'll see how much I can type before it starts screaming at me again.

Dwane spent the weekend working at the Nascar race in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go with him, but that was actually good, as Eben ended up with a touch of the flu over the weekend. Dwane had a really good time, although he says he really missed us. He was able to see the Busch race on Saturday, and the last 2/3 of the Cup race on Sunday. What was really cool is that our favorite drivers placed #1 (Tony Stewart) and #3 (Bobby Labonte). Dwane said he got some great pictures. Can't wait until they come back.

Today Eben is volunteering at the Knox Center for Long Term Care with his grandmother and Great-Aunt Ruth. The conduct Bingo for the residents. Eben either calls the numbers, or helps Justine place her markers on the card. I'll pick him and Ma up at 11:00, and then we're going for lunch.

Tomorrow Eben turns 8. I can't believe it! I'm going to pick up one last gift for him at Toys R Us in Portland tomorrow. We are going to take my Dad to his radiation treatment in Bath, and then my brother needs to get his medicine in Portland. It's the perfect opportunity to get that one toy he "just can't live without." I'm trying to figure a way to "hide it" until I get home so that Dwane will be able to see his face when he opens it. It's quite large in size, so I'm not sure that I'll be successful.

Dwane's sister, Dawn, and her husband, Dennis, and his daughter, Erica, are visiting from Virginia. They will be arriving at our house tomorrow night. After Eben's dentist appointment on Thursday morning, we're headed to Bar Harbor. We plan to spend Thursday afternoon/evening exploring the "downtown", and we'll be staying at Eden Village Resort. It got great reviews, but at $89 a night, I'm just a little nervous. ($89 is a bargain in Bar Harbor this time of year!) Anyway--they have a private pond that is stocked with Bass for fishing, and free paddle boats. They also have a nature trail and a playground. Should be fun. We hope to spend most of the day Friday at Acadia National Park.

On Saturday we'll be having Eben's birthday party. I'll be baking and decorating cakes in the morning, and I think Dwane and Eben will be playing "lighthouse tourguides" while I'm being domestic. Since Dennis and Erica (about 12 yo) have always lived in central Virginia, I'm sure that they would really get a quick walking out on the Breakwater. If there's time, they'll also try to take in Owls Head and Marshall Point.

Caleb has finally come up with a name for Eben. Bobo. I really didn't want him to use "Bubba", but since he wasn't saying anything for Eben, I thought I'd give in and try it. When I pointed to Eben and said "Bubba", Caleb responded "Bobo". And, it's stuck.

Speaking of Caleb, he has just toddled out of bed, so I'll stop for now. I may not get a chance to post again until this weekend, but we'll see...

Well, it's been a couple of days since I posted an update. I have an excuse, though. The evening after I completed my new aerobics workout, I developed a pain in my shoulder. It traveled down to my upper arm, then to my lower arm, then to my wrist. It's actually been quite bad. I've been taking 4 Advil 2x a day, and alternating a heating pad with a bag of frozen corn (in my armpit!). So, anyway, for the last couple of days, I've been really trying to "baby" my arm and not do anymore computer work than I have to. Today it feels a little better, so I thought I'd make just a quick post.

Eben started another VBS yesterday at Tenants Harbor Baptist Church. It runs from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. It has a "Gold Rush" theme.

Dwane has a light week at work this week. He got home about 12:30 PM yesterday afternoon, and he'll probably get home mid-afternoon today. Tomorrow he's going to take my Dad to Bath for his first radiation treatment. (The first of 10, which will occur daily M-F.)

Just a quick update on my Dad:

He went to Bath yesterday (Thursday) to meet with the oncology/radiology specialist (Dr. Johnson? I think). He goes to Scarborough today to be "mapped out". Radiation will begin on Monday, and will be 5 days a week for 2 weeks. Although there are more than 2 spots, they are going to focus on just 2 for right now. These 2 should relieve the pain in his legs, and also prevent future paralysis. The other "spots" are not "doing anything" right now. In the event they "flare up" in the future, radiation can be done again.

Each Friday, my brother posts the "MI-5" on his blog. MI-5 is a series of 5 questions that usually relate in someway. (I think the MI stands for "Midcoast Internet".) Anyway, here are his questions for this Friday. They are all blues related, as this is Blues Festival Weekend in Rockland. I've put my own answers under the questions. To see what my brother answered, you'll need to go to www.billyrhythm.com/traa.

1) You've got the blues, and you want to keep 'em going. What album do
you play on your jukebox?

My first thought was "The Best of Van Morrison". There are also tons of country tunes that are good for blues too, but I can't think of a complete album. Some songs I can think of include Miranda Lambert's "Greyhound Bound for Nowhere" and "Bring Me Down" (her current single). The Judds have some great blues tunes, too. ("John Deere Tractor" is a good one for the blues.)

2) You've got the blues, and you want to get rid of them! What album
now?

Without a doubt, Praise and Worship Music or the Wow Compilations (mix of contemporary Christian hits). Faith and hope in Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to truly get rid of the blues. Apart from Christian music, I'd probably say Shania Twain. (Now that's a contrast, isn't it?)

3) You shuffle into a BBQ joint. They've got every type of
grilled/smoked/BBQ'd whatever you could want. What do you order?

I don't really care for BBQ, but I think I'd go with pulled pork. (I also like thick-cut London Broil with just a touch of barbeque sauce. I'd definitely order that instead if it was on the menu.) Corn on the Cob. French fries. Diet soda.

4) You've got to make it to Austin to see your baby/honey. Take your
pick: train, Greyhound Bus, hitch-hike. How you gonna get there?
Explain.

Well, a plane would get me there the quickest. If I wanted to keep with the blues theme, I'd go Greyhound. (See above reference to Miranda Lambert.) The Greyhound also brings to mind Julia Roberts in "Sleeping with the Enemy".

5) Share your favorite blues name with us! Here's the recipe: Start
with an infirmity, add a fruit, and top off with the last name of a
dead president. Example? Blind Berry Filmore! What did you come up with?

Crippled Kiwi Washington.

We had a really fun 4th of July. We went to the parade in Thomaston, had a cookout at my grandmother's courtesy of Ma, Aunt Ginny, and Sarah, and then took in the fireworks that night. We watched the fireworks from the Shepard Car Lot next to Dormans, as Eben doesn't like loud noises. We had a great view.

Yesterday Dwane was able to get out of work at 12:30, so we decided to head for Portland to look for cookware. (My T-fal set was starting to flake the non-stick surface.) We looked at Bed Bath & Beyond, Linens & Things, Target, Sam's Club and Kohl's, and after all that, I ended up with a set from QVC. It is a hard-anondized set (probably didn't spell that correctly), probably most similar to Calphalon, but with a much nicer price. Can't wait to try it out. Although it was a long day (didn't get home until 10:30 PM), we had a good time.

On our way to Portland, Caleb fell asleep, and during his nap he coughed several times. You know--one of those coughs that says "oh, no--that didn't sound good." He's been sneezing quite a bit this morning, but he's acting like he feels fine. No fever. Could be allergies. Could be cutting teeth. Could be a cold. I'll just keep an eye on him.

Oh--while I was in Portland, you will never guess what I bought! I mean, you will NEVER guess. Ok--here goes. I bought a DVD. A DVD called "Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease!" Oh my goodness--I can't believe I just told you that. Anyway, I tried it this morning, with just Caleb watching. He would look at Carmen Electra, look at me, and then laugh right out loud, as if he was saying "Mom, you REALLY need A LOT of practice!" Anyway--it was a really good workout. And it didn't seem like exercise. For me, if it feels like exercise, I don't like it, and I won't do it. I'm glad I tried this one out. Maybe Dwane will like it, too! (Blush!) Oh--just so you know--the DVD isn't X-rated or anything. The 3 girls are fully clothed, and the music isn't "nasty". I guess you could say that it's "as clean as a striptease can get!"

Guess I better end this post right here!

Where to start?

On Wednesday morning, I woke up with a small ache in my lower back. Nothing major. Just enough to know it was there. The next morning, it was pretty bad. Thursday and Friday had me walking crookedly, but with a little Advil, I made in through. This morning (Monday), it feels almost "normal".

On Friday, Eben had his little "closing program" for VBS, with a luncheon after. Dwane was able to take a little time off from work so that he could join us. Eben was really pleased with that little "surprise". Although it was overcast, and rained at times, the kids were all able to take a couple of slides down the "water slide" that was set up across from the church. Eben didn't want to leave! I was afraid he was going to get hurt, the way they all ran and jumped onto it, so I insisted we needed to leave.

Friday afternoon we learned that my Dad's renal cancer was now producing "activity" in both his upper and lower back. He will be going to Bath on Thursday to talk to a doctor about radiation. I'm keeping it together very well. God is definitely giving me a lot of strength here. I just keep telling myself that the sicker my Dad gets, the more God will be glorified when He heals him. Of course, I don't want my Dad to suffer pain to any degree, and I pray continually that he will feel better, but I just have to focus of the glorified healing that WILL come. I also have to remember that there is nothing that God and I can't get through together. I have to keep focused on Him. In the meantime, I hope you will keep praying for my Dad.

Saturday morning was busy. I had to teach the Faithbooking Bible Study at Church from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. The theme was "Rest", and I think we all had a really good time. We started with a glass of water with a couple of cucumber slices in it, which I read was good for the complexion. I had my Scentstories player going with "Relaxing in a Hammock." I also played one of Amy Grant's CDs of hymns. We all had facials before we started scrapbooking. We scrapped pictures of things that reminded us of rest. Some of the pictures included rocking chairs, cups of tea, books, beds, children (believe it or not!), and a well-worn teddy bear (mine of course!).

While I was at church (accompanied by Caleb), Eben and Dwane were down at the Tenants Harbor Baptist Church for a Cub Scout event. They shot off rockets and tried, unsuccessfully, to fly a kite. (The wind conditions were not very good.) They had a great time!

We all met back at home around noon, and then headed out to Bangor to find the elusive Barbie PlayDoh Set for Julia's birthday. We had scoured Rockland and Augusta trying to find a "girly" PlayDoh set. I just knew that Toys R Us would have one. Unfortunately, they didn't. I picked up a Ken doll while I was there, just in case. We finally found what we were looking for at K-Mart. In fact, not only did they have the Barbie PlayDoh, they also had Strawberry Shortcake and some sort of flower-making one. K-Mart always seems to have that "one thing" I just can't find anywhere else. While at K-Mart we grabbed some pizza at Little Caesars, and then tried to find a new cookware set. Didn't have any luck. We were really racing around from store to store as we wanted to get home to watch the Pepsi 400 at 7:00 PM. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the race was rain-delayed, and didn't start until about 10:30 PM.

Dwane was to have Sunday and Monday off as well, and we talked about perhaps going to New Hamsphire Sunday after church, spending the night, and then going to StoryLand on Monday. That was not to happen, though. Dwane's assistant, who was to work on Sunday, ended up getting bit by red ants, and called in sick. So, Dwane had to work from 2:00 til 6:45 PM. Then, we got a call from my parents at 4:30 this morning saying that my brother was quite sick, and they needed Dwane's help. At 8:30 AM, Dwane is still there playing the good son-in-law and EMT. Keep my brother in your prayers, too.

I guess that's enough for now. That's quite a bit!