Tag Archives: Newburyport

April 7, 2010 · 2:05 pm

Annual Skating Show to be Held at Graf Rink in Newburyport

show soloists - (left to right) Lauren Clear, Angelica Kennedy, Sherry Jamieson, Kate Dubois, and program director Nikki Roberts

The Graf Rink in Newburyport will be hosting the Merrimack Valley Skating Club’s annual skating show on April 11th (Sunday) starting at 4PM.

“It is an affordable activity ($5 for adults – $3 for children and seniors) that the whole family can come to and enjoy,” explained show director Nikki Roberts. 

The performers in the show range in ages from three to eighteen and their abilities vary significantly.  “Some are just starting out while our show soloists are skating year round,” said Nikki.  “The soloists are getting private lessons during the year and many of them travel to take part in monthly competitions representing the Merrimack Valley Skating Club.”

The theme of this years show is “Fairy Tales, Fables, and Fantasies.”

Nikki has been program director at Graf Rink since 2003 and has a history with the Graf Rink before that.  “I started skating here in the 1980’s as a kid and then went on to coach part-time,” she recalled.  “A full-time job here was offered and I am glad I accepted the offer.  I love what I do.”

Any show with performers of various ages and ability levels makes for a nerve-wracking afternoon for the director watching from the wings.  However, there is a sense of certainty as to what will be the hit of the show.  “The tiny tots (age 3-6) will get the biggest crowd reaction,” said Nikki.  “They are all in one group number and are just so cute.  Every year the crowd loves them.”

Beyond their three minutes of being in the spotlight in costume, all ten groups and nine soloists will return to the ice for the grand finale at the show’s end to salute the crowd.

The Merrimac Valley Skating Club is headquartered at the Graf Rink. It was formerly known as the Newburyport Figure Skating Club but with numerous members coming from away from Newburyport, the name of the club was changed.  Some of the skaters are from New Hampshire. 

The economy has hurt the club’s numbers.  “With sixty kids, it has been one of our quieter years,” the Newburyport resident said.  “We have had over 100 kids in the show in the past but tighter budgets for families have impacted us this year.”

“My goal is to have the skaters in the show feel good about themselves,” she said.  “They’re cold and nervous and it is difficult going out there in front of a crowd.  They even may fall but that’s okay, as far as I’m concerned, as long as they leave here happy, smiling, and proud of what they’ve done.”

For families considering enrolling their children in the MVSC, the show is a great opportunity to see the skills that their children/grandchildren will be learning. 

For those who enjoyed the Vancouver Winter Olympics, it is a chance to see how trained skaters at the local level are coming along. “We have a large community of talented skaters in this area that go virtually unrecognized,” said Nikki.

Those interested in more information about the show or in becoming part of the Merrimack Valley Skating Club can contact Nikki at the Graf Rink at (978-462-8112).

(This story appeared in The Town Common on April 6, 2010.)

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February 17, 2010 · 3:18 pm

Snow Scenes from Newburyport on February 17th

Backyard view in Newburyport - February 17, 2010

I guess you own a camera for mornings like February 17th in Newburyport.

The snowfall from the previous day/night was there to see on that Wednesday morning.  Toss in some bright sunlight in the early AM and the visuals were terrific.  This is a backyard view.

Trees were especially beautiful with snow still attached to even the thinnest of branches.

I try to walk to and along the Merrimac River boardwalk, every day and I always carry my camera (Canon PowerShot SX10IS) with me just in case something interesting presents itself. 

On this day, I wasn’t the only one carrying/using a camera.  I saw one gentleman walking down the middle of a street shooting up into the trees.  There were hardly any cars around, so he wasn’t endangering himself. 

Snow-laden trees overhang Merrimac River boardwalk

The Merrimac River boardwalk was plowed!  Usually a snowstorm signals the beginning of some tricky footing there.  On this morning, the snow-laden trees add to this naturally attractive spot.

Frog Pond on the Bartlet Mall

I knew that the Bartlet Mall would be visually special with the addition of snow.

George Washington knows from whence the wind came during the snowstorm

My favorite statue is the George Washington one on the edge of the Bartlet Mall.  No question about the wind direction during the snowstorm is there. 

I picked a historic white house on High Street and let the snow highlight it.

Junco waits for a feeder to be cleared of snow.

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November 1, 2009 · 2:53 pm

Mike Capuano Brings US Senate Seat Campaign to Newburyport

Mike Capuano 11-1-09

Mike Capuano talks to Democrat supporters in Newburyport

Mike Capuano was in Newburyport this Sunday AM (at the Caffe Di Siena) to seek and solidify support for his bid for the Massachusetts US Senate.  He’s trying to win the Senate seat that belonged to Ted Kennedy.

First, he needs to win the Democrat primary on December 8th and opponent Attorney General Martha Coakley may have a lot to say about that.  She is well ahead in the polls so far.  The actual election will be on January 19th and the Democrat primary winner will almost certainly be our next US Senator.

I attended, not to solidify Mike’s support, but rather to see what he looked like and what he had to say.  There was also talk of an open mike and questions being fielded.  It was amusing for me to try to anticipate what questions I might have for someone as unashamedly liberal as Mr. Capuano. 

Mike has been in the US House since 1998 representing the “Harvard” district.  Talk about a haven for liberal elites!

Amesbury’s mayor (Ted Kezer) and the area state rep (Mike Costello) introduced him. 

The candidate explained that he had experience at numerous levels of government and that this separated him from the other US Senate aspirants.  He talked of the benefits of being a Washington insider. 

He said that he fully supported the public option in the Healthcare bill.  He said that not only was he reading the bill but also making sure, he understood it as he went along.  That second part would separate him from other reps, he claimed.

He bragged about being opposed to the Iraq War and added that we should pull our troops out of Afghanistan.  He claimed that there were only about 100 Al Qaeda terrorists around and that they were moving into various countries.  I wondered if he cared what the Taliban would do in Afghanistan after we left.

I concluded that he was keen on interventionist policies at home but not abroad.  He seemed very convinced that government had the answers to this country’s domestic issues.  A person, like Mike, who has never had a non-government job, could easily think this. 

I wanted to tell him that according to actual polls, a higher percentage of people believe in UFOs than approve of the job Congress is doing.  Folks want less government not more. 

He talked about his early years in politics as mayor of Somerville and how he had wanted to be available to make sure that he could help his constituents in any way.  He mentioned getting an unplowed street plowed after he had received a late phone call.  I wanted to ask him, “Since you have swallowed Al Gore’s global warming fantasies, wouldn’t hot air likely be a bigger threat than snow?”

I came away thinking that the nanny staters in his seventh Congressional district could easily elect someone with Mike Capuano’s views forever.  Taking those views statewide might not work so well.  His views do not differ one degree from Teddy’s but he clearly lacks the notoriety that carried Senator Kennedy into power and kept him there. 

I believe that the wave that rolled Obama and numerous liberals into office has now hit the shore.  The country has seen what those pleasantly presented sound bites look like in real life and many don’t like what they’ve seen.  A stimulus plan that takes money from one group and gives it to another is on thin ice.  A group that punishes folks who choose not to carry health insurance is out of control. 

I guess I should be thrilled that Mike Capuano shook my hand.  I guess I should also be thrilled to have been in a room with so many of the Democrat big shots of this area.  Alas, I did not get the “Chris Matthews thrill” up or down the leg over either of those. 

The Democrats are in trouble nationally.  President Obama has figured this out and now is shifting from having all the sound-bite answers, to searching for real-life answers. By shifting away from his original message, the President alienates the likes of Mike Capuano and his supporters. 

Can Mike run successfully by running against Obama’s most recent waverings?  I’m guessing he tries and loses the primary to Martha Coakley on December 8th as a result.

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May 31, 2009 · 7:58 pm

Does a Smart Car Make You Smarter?

The official car of the Democrat Party?

The official car of the Democrat Party?

Is it true that the Smart car is the official car of the Democrat Party in this area and the Invisible car is the official car of the Republican Party?

A Smart car with an Obama/Biden bumper sticker would surely indicate the most gifted among us.  These extra smart folks are still in the love-is-blind stage with Barack Obama.  If you offer them anything negative, they call out the previous president.  How can they go wrong with such a smart strategy?

I’d like to see Obama gift wrap a couple of those Smart cars and send them to the leaders of Iran and North Korea.  Those two need to smarten up.  Only dummies would threaten their neighborhoods with missiles and rockets the way they do. 

Some supporters of Obama probably believe that a drive or two in a Smart car, while listening to one of Obama’s “follow-me-wherever-it-is-I’m-going” speeches, would cause those temporarily bad leaders to realize how “unsmartly” they have been acting and lead them to change for the better. 

Dare I suggest that the President’s words may not change the threatening behavior of Iran and North Korea?  Does he have a Plan B in him?  I’m not sure.  So far we’ve heard words and watched our money past/present/future used as solutions.  Even a person who doesn’t have a Smart car realizes that both of those approaches have serious limitations.

Every President inherits problems from the previous administration.  Part of the reason they are elected is because they convince us that they can make things better. 

I beg the Obama apologists in our midst to detail how he has made this country, or this world, a better place because of what he’s done so far.  Maybe one of the 100-days, sign-holding, Obama lovers could enlighten me.

Obviously owning a Smart car doesn’t make you smart and maybe, just maybe, sporting an Obama/Biden bumper sticker will carry the same stigma in the months ahead.

( Sent out as a letter-to-the-editor on May 29, 2009.  Appeared in the Newburyport Daily News on June 4, 2009.  )

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May 27, 2009 · 1:41 pm

Newburyport High School Senior Athletes

Lindsay Cullen and Thayer Adsit - Newburyport High seniors

Lindsay Cullen and Thayer Adsit - Newburyport High seniors

Seniors Lindsay Cullen and Taylor Adsit have had active sports careers at Newburyport High School.

Lindsay has run track year round since she was a sophomore.  “I started doing track as a fun thing,” she explained to me.  “I started out sprinting because that was what my friends were doing.  When I switched to running distance I found I liked it a lot.”

For Thayer the constant was soccer.  “I started playing soccer when I was five and have played ever since all through high school,” he said. “I had older brothers already playing soccer.  I got into track in middle school and through Hershey’s Track and Field program.”

Thayer was very positive about participating in high school athletics.  “I like sports because they really clear my mind,” he said.  “Academics and sports work well together for me.”

Lindsay explained that in order to run competitively for Newburyport High she had to make some tough choices.  “I started dancing when I was three and ski racing (at Bretton Woods) when I was six.  There just wasn’t time to continue with them and run track in high school and keep up with the academics, so I gave up dancing and ski racing.”

Lindsay informed me that the school schedule helps her to stay organized academically.  “Classes are every other day so planning is easier.”

Both have excelled in the classroom with a minimum of parental involvement.  “I tend to push myself quite hard to get things done,” said Lindsay.  “My mom knows I can do the work and if I need help she’s there.”

“My parents are very hands off,” said Thayer.  “They don’t put pressure on me. 

Neither student admitted to using any sort of planner.  “My plans are all in my head,” Thayer laughed, “but it is important not to procrastinate.  That keeps everything fresh and things don’t pile up because you’ve forgotten something.”

The weekends were important for Lindsay.  “That’s when I think about the week ahead.  If there is a track meet coming up I know that I will have to get more schoolwork done the night before the meet.  It’s just planning ahead and making choices.”

Both have made college choices.  “I will be attending Bates (note the sweatshirt in the picture) because of my interest in liberal arts,” said Lindsay.  “It is a Division 3 school and I expect to continue running cross country and track and field.  I have already met the coach.”

Thayer is going to go to Cornell.  “I’m really into engineering,” he said, “and Cornell is one of the top engineering schools in the country. 

Thayer is realistic about his chances of competing athletically at a Division 1 school. “Soccer is out and it will be very hard to get on their track team.  I plan to run year round and try intramural soccer and maybe some new sport.”

Both turned down the idea of becoming sports officials but coaching was a different story.  “I have thought about coaching track although I haven’t been in it that long, “said Lindsay.  “I will be helping in the Hershey program this summer and that involves some assistant coaching.  That should give me a better idea about whether I would like it or not.”

“I think that coaching soccer would be really cool,” said Thayer.  “I have been too busy to actually do it yet but it is a great way to extend playing soccer.  All of the soccer coaches I’ve had, played with us and had a great time.”

Both students have an idea of what they will be doing when their college schooling is over.  “I think that I will be doing mechanical engineering,” said Thayer.  “

“I think that I’ll be doing something connected to education,” said Lindsay.  “I want to be a teacher.”

Lindsay and Thayer figured out how to succeed in the classroom and in athletics at Newburyport High School.  That “figuring out” ability should enable them to do very well in college as a result.

( This article appeared in The Town Common on May 27, 2009. )

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May 5, 2009 · 5:55 pm

Lord, Make Me An Instrument

An answered prayer brings a garden new life.

An answered prayer brings a garden new life.

(May 5, 2009) God proved to me recently that He has a sense of humor.

This past week I reread a chapter in a book entitled, “Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To,” by Anthony DeStefano.  The title of the chapter I reread was, “Why Should I Get Involved?”

To quote the author, “What is this prayer that generates such an immediate and surefire response from God?  Basically, it’s simply a request: “Please, Lord, make me an instrument to carry out some important mission of mercy for you.”  In other words, “Please use me to help someone in need.”

Further along in the chapter the author adds, “Mark my words, after you say this prayer, someone in need is going to practically show up on your doorstep – and he or she is going to be in dire straits.” 

Also further: “Are you beginning to see why this prayer always works?  It ties into the very essence of God’s being, which is love.  If we pray for God to use us as an instrument to help someone else, we are really praying to be God-like.”

Then the reassuring part: “If God sends you someone to assist, he is also going to give you the time, the resources, and the wherewithal to do it…………..No matter what your personal situation, when the moment comes to help someone in need, you will be given all the wisdom and means necessary to be successful.  Of that you should have no doubt.”

I couldn’t think of any reason for not praying – “Lord, make me an instrument,” – to see what would happen.  Therefore, on Saturday (May 2nd), I started using that prayer.

The next morning, my wife and I were walking home from coffee on the Merrimac River, and  passed through the Bartlet Mall.  One of the landmarks there is a large statue of George Washington surrounded by an enclosed garden measuring about 4’ wide. 

It caught our attention that the perennials (sedum) in the surrounding garden needed serious care and the area was still full of leaves from last fall. 

I finished the walk home and suddenly realized that God has just presented me with a place to be an instrument.  That “someone” in need was…………..George Washington!

I told me wife about my realization and together we agreed to do what we could to clean that garden up.  We committed the details to God.

I knew that we couldn’t just go over there and start cleaning around the statue because it’s part of the mall.  I thought that maybe the garden’s care belonged to some individual or individuals and they hadn’t done the job yet.

We ventured down to Newburyport Town Hall on Monday morning to find answers.  It didn’t take long to figure out that no one was responsible for that garden and that the condition it was in was likely to continue.   Believe me, there were some surprised and pleased  folks at City Hall when we offered to clean up that garden.  In one office, we were offered cookies!

We left city hall with permission from the mayor (John Moak) to do the cleaning.

We walked by the statue again on the way home to gauge the tools we’d need.

Last night (Monday), we were at the statue for 2+ hours clipping, pulling, and raking.  The major perennial we found was sedum.  The dead stalks hadn’t been cut back and they, and the deep leaves, overwhelmed the plants.  Our clearing work opened up the plants to daylight and they should bloom eventually.

This morning (Tuesday) we trucked close to ten large plastic bags of leaves/debris over to the Newburyport compost site.

I can’t help but smile when I think of how God answered my prayer.  The “someone” in need was George Washington and God knew that my wife and I had the time, energy, and  tools to be of help.  We acquired a few aches from our labors but it was still exciting to be involved the way we were.

All glory to Him.  Do I hear laughing? 

Anyone else want to give that, “Lord, make me an instrument,” prayer a try??  We know from experience that He will answer it.

(June 12, 2009) The call was urgent and the need was immediate. 

And I didn’t reflect back to the, “Lord, make me an instrument,” prayer until after the fact.  I actually hadn’t prayed that specific prayer for a number of weeks. 

The needs were food and funds.  God doesn’t send you into situations that are beyond what you have.

We wrestled with the specifics and then headed to where the need was. 

We met the need anonymously but we knew that we would be found out.

Important for us was to be willing.  We had at our disposal what the person needed. 

God made us an instrument and we thank Him.

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March 12, 2009 · 10:56 pm

Erik Kent of the Danbury Mad Hatters………….and Newburyport

Erik gets set for the opening faceoff.

Erik gets set for the opening faceoff.

A while ago I saw a story in the Newburyport Daily News about a young man from Newburyport who was playing professional hockey for the Danbury (CT) Mad Hatters.  I have family within ten miles of Danbury.  When a trip was arranged to visit I decided to see if I could do a story on the young man – Erik Kent.

I assumed that I could do a better story for The Town Common than the Daily News had done because I was actually going to go where the player was and not rely on a phone interview.  Everything fell into place nicely and I met Erik after his morning skate at the Danbury Ice Arena on Friday March 12th.

He was a good interview despite having a bad cold.  He was excited about the recent Newburyport Division 2 championship because he was the team’s assistant coach last season. 

I also had a chance to visit with the team’s business manager and he gave me a ticket to that night’s game with Hudson Valley.  That night I was part of a crowd of close friends and relatives.  Danbury won 6-2 but had at least 60 shots on net.  In one play the Danbury team went in 4-on-none on the beleaguered HV goalie and took three rapid-fire shots without scoring.  Erik had the last shot and headed to the bench shaking his head.

Erik scores goal.

Erik scores goal.

Erik did get one of the six goals and I got a shot of him on the follow through.

( The article that goes with this visit will appear in The Town Common and on this blog on Wednesday March 25th. )

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March 4, 2009 · 8:43 pm

Plum Island Coffee Roasters Adds Store in Amesbury

Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) greet customers on opening day in Amesbury.

Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) greet customers on opening day in Amesbury.

They had the training to open a spa and the eye for a good location.  Toss in a talented family member and somehow it all turns into owning and operating two area coffee shops, one of which recently opened in the old Amesbury train station.

Back in 2004, Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) had finished the training required to open a spa.  But where to locate?

“Sam was taking a shortcut (in Newburyport) along the waterfront between Michael’s and the Black Cow and spotted a Space Available sign next to Hilton’s,” recalled Joyce.  “She took a look at the space, called me, and told me that she had found a space but it wasn’t for a spa.”

What Joyce found needed all the help the two of them could give it but, “It did have a little window on the water side and the light was just hitting it.”  For Joyce that clinched the idea that this was a space worth having.

The big question was, if not a spa, what should they do there?  One call that Joyce made was to her son Rob.  “He suggested that we do coffee since he was already in that business and could help.”

So began nearly nine months of renovations and the Plum Island Coffee Roasters opened on the Newburyport waterfront on March 1, 2005.  “Sam lived on Plum Island for a long time and loved it there so that’s where that part of the name came from,” Joyce told me.

Now nearly four years later they have opened up a second Plum Island Coffee Roasters.

Why a second one?  “Our spot on the Newburyport waterfront is tenuous, at best,” explained Joyce.  Billionaire Stephen Karp now owns the waterfront property and his plans are a mystery.  “We do know that our building will be the first one to come down.”

Concern for their future led Joyce/Sam to Amesbury and the former J Bucks Expresso and Wine Bar (address is Elm Street but the front door faces Water Street).  “We started renting in December 2008 and were pleased by how little needed to be done before we opened,” said Joyce.

Again, son Rob was involved.  He is the president and founder of a company called, Coffee Solutions. A check of their website will quickly reveal the expertise he brings.  Let me put his expertise another way, try to imagine having Bill Belichick available to help you draft and manage your 2009 fantasy football team!  “We’re the only people he actually roasts for,” said his mom.  “It gives us a real niche as far as what we get in quality.”

The shop opened in late February and its hours are currently 6:30AM – 6PM.  Joyce/Sam hope to have a liquor license in two or three months and then the hours will expand.

“During the daytime we’ll be a coffee house like the one in Newburyport,” said Sam. 

For the coffee connoisseur 23 different coffees are available.  “Even if we’re not brewing what they want they can get their coffee here in a French press,” said Joyce. “We’ll make it for them.”

“We’re sure that the average coffee drinker will like our light roast,” added Joyce.

“At night we’ll become more of a wine bar,” Sam explained.  “This will be an on-your-way-home place and provide the alternative to a big meal.”

“We have put together an impressive staff,” said Sam.  “We had fifty people come to an open interview.  The core of five that we hired all has restaurant experience.”

A cozy setting, skilled staff, and a variety of coffee flavors await visitors to Amesbury’s Plum Island Coffee Roasters.

( Prepared to appear in The Town Common on March 11th. )

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February 27, 2009 · 6:35 pm

Whose Fault is that 292-Foot Wind Turbine??

A 292-foot wind turbine, that only a visually-impaired environmentalist could love, looms large over Route One in Newburyport.

A 292-foot wind turbine, that only a visually-impaired environmentalist could love, looms large over Route One in Newburyport.

That 292-foot high wind turbine is quite a sight, isn’t it? Try NOT looking at it when you ride along Route One in Newburyport.

The Current hit the target when they referred to it as, “A 292-foot mistake,” on their February 27th editorial page.

But whose mistake was it?  The editorial leaves the impression that Mark Richey and his “experts” tricked the city council.  We’re to believe that these experts, employed by the wind turbine proponents, minimized the negatives and our city council didn’t catch on.  Are our councilors that naiveté? I don’t think so.

In my opinion, Newburyport is a community in which the care of the environment is very important.  When someone comes along with an idea that seems to head in that direction the resistance loses ground.

Mark Richey’s wind turbine was just such an idea.  The advocates touted its environmental positives and discovered that in this town they were preaching to the choir.  The disorganized opponents were dismissed as over-reacting and not able to see the big picture.

Well, now the wind turbine is in place.  One look tells you that it is a monstrosity and the happy environmentalist chatter will not change that.  Instead of admitting their complicity in the decision to allow the tower, the city council cowardly attempts to slide the blame elsewhere.

I suspect that many of the most ardent, “environment first – people second” advocates, do not have the wind turbine in their sight lines.  They assume that those that do will get used to it for the greater good of the community. 

When Senator Ted Kennedy was alerted to the fact that speck-sized wind turbines would be built off Hyannis, the champion of alternative and renewable energy lost the fire in his belly and made sure they weren’t built.  What is a hypocrite?

I believe that the “environment first – people second” crowd in Newburyport have given us a wonderful example of what their views look like in real life.  When they start trying to “walk their talk”, in the future, it is time to remember their 292-foot mistake.

(Prepared as a letter to the editor for the Newburyport Current on February 27th.)

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December 3, 2008 · 4:27 pm

Turks and Caicos? Book it!

tci-porch-view-11-24-08

 

My wife and I went with family to Turks and Caicos (TCI) from November 23rd – November 30th.  Calling this place “beautiful” is an understatement. 

This is a place you could really love if you’re from our part of the country – Newburyport MA.  The weather?  Think June around here.

We were situated at a resort that had the Caribbean in the front yard and a pool in the backyard.  It took me a while to come to grips with the fact that I could get into outdoor water in late November and not risk a heart attack.  Once I got beyond my fears, I was in both water options several times each day.

One thing I didn’t do was parasail.  They were offering it and doing it right across in front of our resort.  I’m not crazy about heights and they sent you up about 80 feet or so it seemed.  My two granddaughters (aged seven and ten) did parasail with their father.  Maybe I’ll try next time……….don’t count on it.

TCI is located south of the Bahamas and is part of the British West Indies.  Most of the people we ran into spoke English although at the resort, some of the employees were speaking another language and it wasn’t Spanish or French. 

My wife and I got up early on a number of mornings and walked the beach. I was pleasantly surprised that no matter the time of day, or the brightness of the sun, the sand on the beach was never hot.  Any of you who have ever been on the beaches at the Salisbury Reserve or Crane Beach in the summer know how hot the sand can get.  Not at TCI, though.

One constant at TCI was the wind.  It was never a matter of, would it be blowing, but of, how strongly would it be blowing.  Those winds brought out the wind surfers, kite sailors, as well as catamaran users.  I watched those folks in action with great envy.  I tried to convince myself that under different conditions I would be right out there with them.

The prices in TCI will get your attention.  Not surprising, however, since almost everything they have has to be imported.  I believe that I saw gas being sold at $3.99 a gallon!  Eating out or buying food to cook at the resort was a real financial revelation.  I heard that the locals bring back coolers of food when they return from US visits because of the prices.

Another thing that caught me by surprise was the lack of birds.  I’m so used to being places where birds are plentiful.  I did see a few sea gulls but not many.  I also saw a couple of pelicans. 

The flowers, on the other hand, were numerous and gorgeous.  The hibiscus and bougainvillea were especially noticeable.

We got to and from TCI by air.  I had not flown anywhere for a number of years and had forgotten that almost every flight leaves stories behind.  They still are allowing crying youngsters to sit near you.  You can also plan on some sort of glitch to occur before departure or before you can actually get off the plane.

We prepared for the warm weather ahead by wearing only warm-weather clothes to the airport at Hartford (CT).  We got onto the plane with temperatures outside probably in the low 40s.  They did not close the door to the great outdoors for a while because of some malfunction.  Being dressed in warm-weather clothes became a bad idea as the minutes wore on.  Once the malfunction was fixed and the door closed, we taxied out to the runway.  The pilot then informed us that some light wouldn’t turn either off or on and we would have to return to the terminal.  We then learned that this problem could be fixed by airport maintenance if they had the part. If not, we’d be taking other flights.  TCI started seeming like a long way’s off to me.  Fortunately, the part was found and installed and off we went to Charlotte.

The pilot for the Charlotte to Hartford trip on our way back was actually quite gruff insisting that people get down the aisles in a hurry and get out of the way of others trying to pass by.  I liked that because it sped up the departure time.  However, just as most of the passengers were seated he announced, “Hurry up, get out of the way so that the mechanic can get to the back.”  I tried to imagine what that was all about and none of my imaginings was comforting.  Nothing came of it, as far as I know.  Maybe the mechanic needed to use the bathroom? 

We departed Charlotte and as we leveled off the pilot told us, and I paraphrase, “There’s good news and bad news.  The bad news is that because of the weather the trip will be quite bumpy.  The good news is that we have a tailwind and we’ll be going very fast.”  The bumpiness was such that they didn’t serve beverages during the flight.  The speed?  When we landed and were moving very fast down the runway the pilot said over the intercom, “Whoa, big fella, whoa!”  I had my own brakes on trying to help him.

However, we walked away from every flight in one piece and really enjoyed our time away in wonderful Turks and Caicos.

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