80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #43

Friday! The end of the week - although being a teacher on vacation there are no weeks - just days until you begin the arduous journey once more.

Friday was a quiet day yet again. A lot of warcraft - levels 51 and 46 for my characters! Not that any of you care!

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #42

Thursday started with a trip to see the houseboat to make arrangements to have it removed from the marina. As per usual, the owner wasn't around and the houseboat remains in limbo.

Next - dinner in the big city of Toronto with a graduate of mine. I had a great time catching up on what she had been up to over the past year. I also learned a lot of useful information such as how female students cheated on tests by writing the answers on their legs. Who is going to challenge a girl by asking her to lift her skirt to verify that she hasn't written the answers on her leg?

Given the length of their skirts while in school, I figured they couldn't have cheated very much. I guess you are never too old to learn.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #41

Wednesday and another uneventful day. Started with a school meeting and continued with more school work once I got home. I feel as if I am losing control of my summer.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #40

Tuesday and half way through the Summer of Bob. For the most part an uneventful day. Lunch and a 'heart-to-heart' with a student and then a school meeting. After the meeting though, I did get to play shuffleboard and pool.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #39

Monday, July 23rd

A boring day. Unpacked from my trip. Did laundry. Went grocery shopping as I had no food at all. Spent most of the day working on transferring my photos to facebook and working on the blog. Finally, as the sun set in the west, a few hours of playing WoW.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Days #34 - #38

Wednesday, July 18th to Sunday, July 22nd

D left on the Tuesday to continue her treck through the maritime provinces and life at the cottage settled into the usual routine of eating, day tripping and drinking. Did I mention that I was able to touch a Blue Lobster - very rare indeed - not for eating though I guess you could.

We left Saturday morning, stayed in St. Albans, Vermont for the night and made it home late Sunday. Farewell to Maine.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Days #31 - #33

Sunday, July 15th to Tuesday, July 17th

On Sunday, D of the infamous Cartel D, dropped in for a few days. The most noteworthy event of the 3 days, beside her company and more lobster and clam dinners, was a sunset cruise on the Eastwind. The Eastwind is a wooden schooner that was built by a couple who have built 5 other boats. When I say built, I mean built. The couple started with selecting the White Oak trees from the forests of New Hampshire that would be used for the main part of the boat and built the six boats in their back yard.

What was most fascinating was that this couple (Herbert and Doris Smith) have sailed two of their boats around the world, the last trip being on the Appledore III, an exact copy of the Eastwind. After meeting them and sailing on the Eastwind, I have decided my next quest is to learn how to sail with the objective of sailing on the ocean - maybe.

Following are pictures taken aboard the Eastwind, the last being of the Eastwind that I took the next day while she was leaving the harbour.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Days #24 - #30

Sunday, July 8th to Saturday, July 14th

The first week at the cottage was a mixture of rain, fog and sun - typical Maine weather. Each day we would have breakfast on the porch while looking out over the channel as the fishing or lobster boats left for the day.

At noon or thereabouts we would drive to the Doghouse, a local icon, for lunch and then leave for a small road trip, driving to various harbours in the area.

What can I say but that the scenery was spectacular. I especially loved the contrast between high and low tides - a difference of ten feet in this area. These two pictures demonstrate the contrast - if you look closely they are of the same dock in front of our cottage.







A picture is worth .......

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Days #21 - #23

Thursday July 5th to Saturday July 7th

The start of the big vacation with my mom. Drove to her place on the Thursday and up early Friday morning for the big drive.

After 9 hours on the road, albiet including the time for many 'rest' stops, we arrived in Littleton, New Hampshire for the evening. This is a photo of the place where we didn't stay.

Next day, Saturday, we were up early again and continued the journey to Booth Bay, Maine through the White Mountains via the very busy and frustratingly slow route 302. We arrived at 2 pm - unpacked and chilled until dinner. Dinner was excellent - lobster of course!

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #20

Wednesday, July 4th. 25% of the way through the summer!

Today is the day to prepare for my trip to Maine with my mother. Too many things that had to get done, including several outstanding school items.

The biggest job of all - for a one handed man - was cleaning the car. Four hours later - a spotless beauty ready to roll come tomorrow.


Also downloaded 10 hours of Stuart Mclean (it's a Canadian thing).

Finished the school web page.

Did 2 weeks worth of dishes - again not easy with one hand.

Sent off math instructions for those students who failed to do their best last year - Ha Ha Ha - I love it!

Paid bills and packed.

I think I am ready - I'll see you all again on the 24th 'ish'.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #19

A lazy day yet again.
Met up with a student of mine, Hayley, and we went for lunch and then to see Die Hard. It was just as good the second time. Last chance to see Miss Hayley for a while so it was nice.



Afterwards I made my way to dinner at a parents house. The father is a writer/poet and the mother a writer as well. Most interesting people. They supplied me (or plied me, as the case may be) with 2 inch steaks, martinis and expensive cigars. A fitting end to a most laid back day.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #18

Holiday Monday - up at the crack of noon, 2 more turkey sandwiches for lunch and on the road home by 1pm. Traffic was brutal but made it to the marina just before they closed.

Bad news. The sale was delayed by a week. The new and old owners both agreed that they couldn't get my boat in before I left for vacation later on this week so I am screwed - for the time being.

Home for some much needed rest. Time to shift to prepping for my vacation.

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Days #16 & #17

Saturday & Sunday of the long weekend. I've included both days together since they were identical:

. get up at noon
. eat a combo breakfast / lunch
. start drinking
. eat turkey, in one form or another, for dinner
. continue drinking
. play euchre - lose because partnered with Megan's boyfriend
. get into heated debate with Megan's boyfriend over the environment
. go to bed at 4 in the morning

Now that's quality vacation time!

80 Days of Summer for Bob - Day #15 Update

First - no decision on the houseboat because neither owner (new nor old) was available. I have to check in again Monday.

The cartel meeting was a breath of fresh air. We calculated that the last time we met was about 7 weeks ago - far to long. Dr. DC supplied the salt & pepper shakers - garlics with bums - and then we were off to the movies.

Good old Bruce Willis - Live Free or Die Hard.

With out a doubt the best of the series so far - yippee kai yay! Even had the 'Mac' guy in it - gotta love that.



After the movie I drove to the cottage, arriving at about 1 am - tired but ready to drink!