Conquering Mt. Aggie

Tuesday, another staff member (K) and I successfully summited Mt. Agamentus along with five kids from the adolescent home. K and I were subjected to a reasonable amount of whining and complaining but no more than I expected. We did have a couple of minor conflicts with some of the kids but we resolved them quickly and overall a good time was had by all. It was a beautiful day with fresh snow and temps in the low 30's when the sign was shining and the wind wasn’t blowing.

Unfortunately, my preplanning efforts were not completely successful as all of the girls ignored most of my outerwear suggestions and wore tight fitting jeans with no base layer (there would be no room for a base layer). When snow-shoeing, the snow tends to be kicked up on the back of one’s pants so the girls were all soaked and cold before we reached the summit. Hopefully they will learn from this experience and in the future will heed my advice to dress for the elements, not for the boys.

It was interesting to watch one particular girl with a rather low cut shirt and push up bra attempt to keep her assets exposed even though at times it was quite cold, 10 to 15 degrees with the wind chill. I desperately want to show her how she is devaluing herself and the attention she may get is not the kind that she really wants. However, I am unsure how to attain such a lofty objective but determined to find an answer.

Enjoying the snow

Today I am taking some kids from the adolescent home snowshoeing. We hope to climb a small mountain in York Maine. I am a little anxious as I am uncertain as to how I will handle the inevitable bitching about the cold and the length of the hike. I have found that when working with adolescents it can be difficult to balance safety with the desire to successfully complete the objective. I am also a bit concerned about how prepared the kids will be. Let's hope they are dressed for success.

Yesterday I enjoyed a fabulous day snowboarding with B. The conditions were outstanding and there were no lines at the lifts. I am so fortunate to be able to spend time with my son doing what I love.

Spring is coming

Sunday night we received another 15” of snow. I still love the snow but a lot of people are becoming bitchy over the weather. I know Spring will be her soon so it does not bother me. I actually enjoy the bitter cold and snow knowing it will be gone soon.

Sunday J and I went sledding. We had a fabulous time up until we found out that the gas station we were counting on to get home was closed. I still had plenty of fuel so I left J there and continued back to get the truck. Lesson of the day was to call ahead to check business hours for any gas stations we might need to use.

Friday night I took the kids from the adolescent home to an indoor rock climbing gym. I am really starting to feel comfortable with the kids and staff. Apparently they feel the same way about me. I really enjoy working with the kids. I wish I could do this as a job.

Iwo Jima Day

Yesterday I took the cadets to participate in an Iwo Jima day parade in Boston. When we arrived we came upon another unit from the same organization. This unit from western Mass was larger and more experienced so we folded our kids in with theirs. The CO of the other unit was a in-your-face drill instructor type and my kids received a rude awakening at his behest. However they seemed to quickly settle into the new order and performed well at the parade.

Afterwards I went to see my sister who is recovering from a three week stay at psychiatric hospital. We had a great visit and we both enjoyed the company. She seems to be making some progress. I hope she continues to work on her issues.

Poetry

Today I am blogging from my favorite coffee shop via my tablet PC. This is a new experiment and I am unsure if I will prefer the simplicity of my Blackberry.

Last night D and I went to a poetry recital B was participating in. He did a fabulous job and D and I are both very proud of him. I have been after B to keep a journal and I have decided to resort to blatant bribery to get my way. Yesterday I offered him a dollar for every day that he updates his journal.

Yesterday I stayed home as I had to take J to have his wisdom teeth out. I actually cleaned up my office and even waxed my desk. I need to do a better set of putting things away so my office and garage are not so cluttered.

Exhausted

This past weekend was another busy one. Friday night I went rollerblading with the kids from the adolescent home. Saturday I went snowmobiling with J. Sunday morning I did some woodworking with B then rollerblading with him and his girlfriend in the afternoon. Sunday night I went to a house party with D. I get tired just thinking about it. While I am exhausted and a little burnt out I am very happy to be avoiding Clickerville.

I am struggling with how to approach a particularly sensitive issue. Some of the girls at the adolescent home dress and act more provocatively then what I would deem appropriate. I recognize they are looking for attention but I want to teach them the difference between “look at my boobs” attention and sincere interest in who they are. Some are even flirting with me a bit and while I want to build a relationship with them, I am unsure how to effectively respond to their “signals” without hurting their feelings.

Relax....

Last night D and I went to our second meditation class at the Buddhist temple. I am happy to be doing this with D and I am meditating more as a result. Yesterday I went for a "walking meditation" along the beach. I purchased an MP3 guide, loaded it on my BlackBerry and off I went. I found the experience to be quite refreshing and look forward to my next walk.

The fall of man?

Generally I write about current events in my life. Lately my life has been fairly routine and predictable, so I have less to write about. This is when I start to consider existential topics such as what really separates humans from animals. I sometimes wonder if our ability to think and manage our own destiny and circumstance began in the Garden of Eden. While I do not follow any particular religion and have actually been more of a Darwinist in recent years, I do think it is plausible that back in the Garden of Eden (which I believe is a metaphor in which neither gender is more responsible than the other) a supreme being, possibly our creator, faced with our disobedience gave us the option to think and care for ourselves. In accepting this option we gave up the blissful ignorance that all other animals enjoy. Given the choice today, would you take your current life or would you opt for the life of an animal such as a hawk living along the coast of the Pacific Northwest? The hawk spends its time gathering food, raising its young and endlessly gliding in the daytime thermals. If only he was aware of his incredible fortune.

Good weekend

This past weekend was busy but fun. Saturday D and I went to a staff retreat dinner with the cadet group. Yesterday I went snowmobiling with J. Our trip started off a little rough as we had to return to the truck within five minutes for repairs. J pretty much melted down in a fit of anger while I calmly made my repair and attempted to guide him through his. Within an hour he had calmed down and we had both sleds repaired and ready to go. The rest of the day was fabulous. My sled is incredibly fast and I am really enjoying driving it. At this point I have only $700 into it including the purchase price and I am hopeful that the maintenance costs will remain low.

Friday I spent some time at the adolescent home and I am now part of the staff (albeit unpaid). Soon I will be able to be alone with the kids and take them off site. Friday night I had a situation where I was playing basketball with the boys and one of the boys walked off the court as I was warning him about pushing. I approached him and he said he was not pushing and said I had no right to tell him to stop. He had only been at the home for four days and I am sure he was pretty traumatized at that point. However, I feel that I need to stay true to myself in my belief that I need to teach kids the right way to do things including playing basketball. I will make sure to try and talk with him next time I see him.

Awakening

This morning when B and I took A for her morning walk, the digital thermometer displayed negative 2 degrees. This has been a harsh winter but especially difficult for A as she has to trudge through 5 feet of snow to relieve herself.

I am enjoying another great mood today. D and I went to our first meditation class at the Buddhist temple. The class was great and I am doubly happy because I completed something on my to-do list.

This morning I practiced the art of mindfulness while I was shaving. It was like I suddenly awoke from a coma. I could see, feel and hear the razor as I swiped away the foam revealing my newly shaven skin. I noticed for the first time the smell of the shaving cream. I could feel the warm steam rising from the hot water as I rinsed off the razor. I found myself smiling as I related my experience to D. I think I will enjoy learning about the Buddha and his teachings.

Family

My sister R checked herself into a psychiatric hospital approximately two weeks ago. Yesterday my sister, her daughter and I met with R and her doctor. The meeting went well and I specifically initiated a dialogue between R and her daughter relative to her daughter’s anger about the manner in which she was raised. R has struggled with depression her entire life and her kids did not get the degree of care and affection that one might expect from a healthy parent. R's ex-husband was the primary caregiver and he was a physically abusive alcoholic. Definitely not the best environment to grow up in…

I spend a lot of time helping people that I do not know. It is time that I spent more time helping my own family. I must commit to spending more time with my wife, sons, sisters, nieces and nephews.