My feathered welcome wagon

We have free range chickens. That term sounds more impressive than its reality. Every day we open the coop and the chickens wander our large yard. In our flock's case that is never too far from home (due to predators in the forest behind our house) so it's a good arrangement for the humans and the chickens.

Our free ranging friends are my daily welcome wagon when I return home from work. They run over to greet me in the driveway without fail. I believe there are several reasons for this.

1. They want to jump in my car to get the crumbs in the backseat. They do this at every opportunity a car door is open more than 30 seconds.

2. Our hens have been handled a lot by the kids and they're used to humans. 

3. The chickens receive their feed from humans every day along with table scraps thrown on top (they are all about their 'desserts').

So although chickens aren't known for their brains, they do get the concept of a free meal.

Their welcoming greetings, however, is only an occasional job. They do a lot of hanging about and rustling up grub from the ground. At this time of year the only ground without snow is our general walkway area in front of the house where we shovel/plow.

That means their favorite hangout location is our front door.

I am endlessly entertained by my feathered friends and I appreciate that they show some enthusiasm for my return home.

What I don't care for is their indiscriminate pooping. When a chicken feels the urge, they just let it go wherever they are.

That's not so good when their favorite hangout is your front door stoop. It's a minefield right now (and has been for a couple of weeks) to navigate the poop bombs to get into the house.

Wishing for the snow to melt is still awhile off given the upcoming nor'easter forecast for tomorrow, I know. But really Mother Nature, my indiscriminate poopers need a new hangout. Preferably in the open field garden next to their coop.

My (indoor) front hall carpet would appreciate the help since I have some indiscriminate walkers-in-the-house-after-stepping-in-every-poop bomb kids as well.

Science learning needs a little (voting) help

L.'s 4H robotics club has had some interesting learning opportunities this year. The latest is a National 4H robotics video contest on Facebook. The contest required the kids to make a 3-minute video about what they have learned about science, engineering and applied math with their robotics projects.

The trick of this contest experience for the kids - in addition to adding video editing software and an introduction to the Facebook contest tool to their learning resume this year - is that they need people to vote for their video.

The kids are the only Maine team and are up against teams from all over the country - Maryland, Georgia, Mississippi, Wyoming, Colorado, Oregon, New Jersey and a few other states.

So I'm making this post as a shameless plug to ask all of my Raising Maine peeps to vote for these Maine kids.

The prize is $1,000 (or $500 for second and third place) and the kids plan to buy more robotics equipment to expand their building capabilities for next year if they place in this contest.

Here is the link to the Facebook contest page:
http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/102285/voteable_entries/18258241?ogn=facebook

You need to be logged in to a Facebook account to vote. The contest require you to "allow" the contest app to vote, which is the app's way of ensuring only one vote per person/profile during the contest.

And in case you needed another reason to vote for the kids, I'll give you a brief pictorial of their field trips this year (in addition to bi-monthly building/programming meetings). There was a lot of learning they couldn't fit in to their under-3-minute contest video submission.

The kids visited the paper mover robots at the Press Herald's printing plant. These robots move the giant rolls of paper to the printing presses.

A visit to Eastern Maine Medical Center to learn about the DaVinci surgery robots was a hands-on experience.

A trip to Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) to learn about that school's Robotics and Precision Machining program. The leaders wanted the kids to know about their options to learn about the next level of robotics building and programming (PATHS uses VEX) and receive high school credit for their work. Thanks Mr. Bolduc!

The kids agreed to host a table at the Engineering Expo at USM last month to expose other kids to the possibilities of learning robotics through 4H. The kids built and programmed robots to do specific tasks as demos for the expo. The prep work for this event was similar to the state "track meets" robotics clubs typically do. It was a ton of work for the kids and their leaders (I am not a leader in this club, Fino takes L. to meetings) that took weeks to organize. But the kids got all their robots built and working properly and had a ton of fun at the event (at their own table as well as exploring all the other hands-on engineering activities).

I'm super proud of the kids in this club... and the leaders that organize it (thank you Alice and Nicole)!

So if you can find your way to Facebook, throw in your vote for their video. The kids would really appreciate it.

Thank you!

Vote here: http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/102285/voteable_entries/18258241?ogn=facebook
You need to be logged in to a Facebook account to vote. The contest require you to "allow" the contest app to vote, which is the app's way of ensuring only one vote per person/profile during the contest.

If you don't have a Facebook account and want to see their video, here it is.



And please, forgive me for this shameless post. I'm just trying to help the kids get the word out about the contest.

Class assignments that inspire

G. is a freshman in high school and has a couple of teachers she adores. And because she likes these teachers so much, they inspire her to work hard in class. G. came home two weeks ago with an assignment in one of her classes to develop her PhotoShop skills. She's been at the computer every night to get all the tools figured out in the software for her assignment.

The assignment - choose a photo of an historical hero as well as a villain to replace your face with theirs.

This assignment made me laugh because I have a co-worker that Photoshops faces on to bodies that are not their own as a gag. I have done this as well (usually for my co-worker) but she is way better at PhotoShop than I am. When I told her about the assignment she was intrigued and wondered what G. would come up with.

G. has a bit of PhotoShop experience under her belt from her Magazine cover project (that turned in to our family Christmas card) in the fall.

But this new assignment was much more challenging for G.

She started off with a couple of photos of herself behind a solid color background.

Then she found three pictures she liked as possibilities to PhotoShop her face on to that she found on the web.

Then came the hard work of figuring out the software. How to cut, blend, texture and make her face look like it belonged in the photo. Historical pictures have funky coloring and texture that's not all that easy to work with so I knew this would be a hard thing to do.

I have always had a knack for learning new software but I am in no way fluent with the powerful PhotoShop program and the effects G. was going to need to use. I helped G. get rolling but she had to figure out which effects would get her the end result she was looking for.

And I have to say she has taught me a thing or two (or three) about the tools in this program.

Our conversations recently have included an eclectic mix of thoughts about how to figure out some of the PhotoShop effect issues. Anyone listening in to our conversations would likely have been amused.

For instance, we discussed many times that Marie Antoinette has the highest forehead ever. Because G. did not have a high forehead, nor the same shaped face to place on that image, this was a difficult issue to overcome.

Her first attempt created an odd flat effect she didn't care for and went with a different approach. Neither was quite right but she learned about creating a texture effect on an image that was originally painted. It's a very different ball of wax from a modern day digital photo you want to doctor.

Then she moved on to Mata Hari. There were some uncomfortable questions asked about that one's "profession" (explaining exotic dancing and prostitution isn't the easiest dinner conversation to navigate for a mom but I did manage to get some WW1 history in to the mix). But G. was more interested in the details of her actual project and G.'s thankfulness that Mata Hari's forehead was smaller (and all discussion about the tassels forgotten). G. also discovered black and white images allowed for some additional wiggle room to make a doctored image look more believable.

The middle image didn't quite measure up with the forehead shading with the hat. G. later found a tool that shaded by perspective (above or below light) to make it look more natural for her final presentation.

Medusa was by far G.'s favorite. The green face was a bit tricky to match as well as working out the issue of the red eyes. But G. figured it out and commented several times how happy she was to have made the snakes work around her face. When she finished this image she proudly showed her teacher. He liked G.'s work but wanted to challenge her to see if she could make Medusa's eyes "glow." G. spent another couple of days trying to find the right effect in PhotoShop.

She believes she fell short on the glowing eyes (and was partial to the straight creepy red anyhow) and is doing a bit more research to find out how to get a glowing effect in the software.

Sometimes homework can be a real drag (for the teen AND the parent) when faced with a challenging, work-intensive project. But this assignment, although hard and time-consuming for G. because of the learning curve of PhotoShop, was very entertaining for our family.

I wish all homework inspired this much learning and interesting discussions at home.

Yearlong tale of woe started with a pimple

It's been one year and one month since I was in the ER with cellulitis. Through a series of unfortunate decisions, I am just about over the secondary infection I got from my initial treatment of the cellulitis.

It's been a long - but very educational - road I hope never to travel down again.

It all started with a "pimple" in my ear in February 2010. I used a new pair of ear buds in my mp3 player during my exercise workout and it caused an irritation in one of my ears. That irritation led to a little pimple.

The pimple grew enough that it hurt to touch the side of my face or lay down on that side of my head. I asked my husband to look in my ear. He saw a pimple with a whitehead on top just inside my ear canal. He offered to pop the pimple in hopes of draining it to relieve the pressure. It sounded like a reasonable notion at the time so I agreed.

Not surprisingly, that was a mistake.

He used a sterilized needle (the medical, in the sterilized package, sterilized needle kind) to pop the pimple. It was not a pain-free experience but I was hopeful it would help clear up the problem.

But no, within 24 hours the pimple grew so large it completely blocked my ear canal. I could barely talk because it hurt so much to move my jaw even a little bit.

I stopped by a friend's house to pick up one of my kids and my friend noticed swelling on the side of my face. She thought she saw some faint red marks as well and insisted I go to the hospital. I said I'd think about.

“For goodness sakes,” I said through clenched teeth, “it's just a freakin' pimple!”

By the time I got home a feverish chill had started.

That's when I called the doctor's office and had a mumbled conversation with the nurse. She asked if I saw any red streaking. I looked in the mirror and saw red lines down my jaw and neck. I was instructed to get my stubborn butt directly to the ER asap.

If you want to be whisked directly in to a patient room, show up with a swollen jaw with bright red streaks running down your face and neck. Within a minute of arriving in the ER I was in a room with a nurse poking my hand to start an IV. It happened so fast I almost didn't even realize what was happening.

This is when another mistake happened, which took months to figure out and will become clear in a minute.

A doctor was examining me while I was being pumped up with some serious antibiotics. The diagnosis? An abscess gone haywire (i.e., turned in to cellulitis).

The advice from the doctor to prevent this condition in the future? Don't let your husband try to pop any more pimples in your ear.

Yeah, I should be up for a Darwin award. I get that.

I didn't want to stay in the hospital overnight so after some negotiation (and an explanation of the crap health insurance I have with my employer) the IV was capped and taped down for my return visit to the ER the next afternoon.

The next day I received my lab results and a prescription for antibiotics while getting another giant dose of IV antibiotics. During that visit I noticed a rash on my hand and the nurse thought it was likely just an irritation from the tape holding the IV in place. That made sense to me at the time because I have always had sensitive skin.

A few days later my hand was an itchy red mess... and my ear still hurt and my jaw was still red. So I made another phone call to my primary care doctor to explain the freakin' ear pimple was still causing me problems.

After that visit I received yet another kind of antibiotics and was told the rash on my hand was likely just an irritation. I was told to take some benedryl and keep an eye on it.

A week later I was back at the doctor's, not because of my ear, but because the rash on my hand was so incredibly itchy I couldn't sleep - or do anything! – without scratching every second, minute, hour, day.

I can't tell you the embarrassment I felt for calling the doctor about a rash on my hand. First the ear pimple, then a rash. I felt like a hypochondriac with the silliest of ailments.

At that visit my doctor gave me a prescription for a steroid cream for the rash.

A couple of weeks later - I put off another call for what I considered a whole lot of stupidness - I was back at the doctor's office because the rash was worse and it spread to my palm. But my husband had an idea he wanted me to talk to the doctor about. He thought the rash might be a fungal infection because of all the powerful antibiotics pumped in to that hand through the IV. His theory was that the antibiotics killed all the normal/healthy bacteria normally found on hands. He also noted that the rash had not spread beyond that one hand.

The physician's assistant thought it might be a good guess (despite my husband’s track record with the pimple-popping suggestion) and offered another prescription cream that had an anti-fungal/steroid combination.

The rash seemed a little better but by mid-April (that would be two months of scratching/discomfort) the rash was still hanging on and would still wake me up at night to scratch it. I finally pressed my primary care doctor to give me a referral to a dermatologist.

This was the rash the day before I saw the doctor in April. It was looking better than it had in February and March but clearly, there was still an issue in mid-April.

It took less than a minute for the dermatologist to determine the rash was in fact a fungal infection. She prescribed an over the counter anti-fungal medication (with no steroid - that actually "helps" a fungal infection grow) and sent me on my way.

The red part of the rash disappeared after a few days of the anti-fungal cream but my palm still had the scaly, flaky look of athlete’s foot.

I used the anti-fungal on my hand for nearly two and a half months before I decided that was way too long to be on that kind of medication. The infection had not cleared up but I decided to simply live with the scaly palm.

That was yet another mistake.

About a month after I stopped the anti-fungal, one of my fingernails started to get milky white. Then another followed suit. Then those nails started to turn yellow and started growing ridges and lifting away from my cuticles. That's when the pain started. Think pins-being-poked-under-your-fingernails torture chamber activity - all day, all night.

It's the little things that can really make you crazy.

I did some online research and decided to try applying tea tree oil to my infected nails to see if that would cure/clear them. I soaked my nails in the oil a couple of times of day and hoped the natural remedy would return my nails to normal.

My kids complained endlessly about the tea tree oil smell but I told them it was better than the powerful pharmaceuticals I was trying to avoid.

I did this soaking faithfully for a solid month before I finally had to accept the simple truth that it wasn’t working. I called the dermatologist back when the infection continued to spread to a third, and then fourth, fingernail.

A sample of my infected nail was taken during that doctor's visit and sent to a lab for testing to determine precisely what kind of infection I had. I didn't want to mess around anymore with guessing what I had. When the results came back a week or so later, I then had to have some blood tests to determine if I could take the medication my doctor was suggesting. I was in good health and cleared to take the medication my doctor had found successful with my kind of specific infection.

The medication was some powerful stuff and not a walk in the park with it's side effects, which lasted about six weeks. But I believed it was my best option to stop the pins-poking-under-the-nails torture from spreading to all of my fingernails and toes (a real possibility at that point) and the sacrifice of a few lost meals.

Having nasty looking fingernails was not only super uncomfortable, but also embarrassing. Although I like to think I'm not too vain, I was tired of all the questions from my little kid friends (I do a lot of volunteer work  with 4H) about my yucky looking fingernails. And I agreed with the kids, my fingernails really did look nasty and gross, especially when a couple of them pulled away from the cuticle and were a misshapen yellow mess.

I was told that I would not see any results of this treatment for up to six months. More likely it would be a year before my nails grew back and returned to their normal health.

I am not the most patient of people so in an attempt to appreciate the baby steps this treatment was going to take, I took a photo periodically of my hand so I could monitor my body's healing progress.

Those photos really did help me see that the treatment really was working.

December 14

You can just start to see the normal healthy color coming in at the base of the nail. 

This was about 7 weeks after starting the medication.

January 17

February 9

I am happy to say the medication was successful (even though I lost more than a couple of meals while taking it) and my nails are *almost* back to normal. They aren't quite there yet but if you didn't know me, you'd assume I was simply a nail biter.

Now one year and one month later I am almost back to normal. I debated about this story being TMI but if it can help get the word out to...

* throw away ear buds that irritate your ears and...

* don't allow an IV in your hand until you've explored all the other location possibilities!

Kid Tracks Column: Early walkers catch cool bird sightings

If you've ever been out bird watching and second-guessed your identification of one, just attend a bird walk at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center and there's a good chance your questions will be answered.

Audubon naturalist Eric Hynes leads birders of all ages and abilities around the Falmouth trails every Thursday morning. Cold, colder, coldest, rain, snow, whatever - Hynes said the bird walk is always on, year-round, regardless of the weather.

My teenage daughters and I joined in a recent outing. In the spirit of the early bird catching the worm, the walks begin at 7 a.m.

At the outset of our walk, Hynes said he was happy to answer any birding question we might have because he believes no question is stupid. I asked a bunch of basic questions, because even though I enjoy watching birds, my identification skills are still at the novice level.

He answered every question with anecdotes that offered not only an explanation to answer my question, but interesting tidbits and lesser-known facts as well.

The morning we attended, there was a person who had never been on the Gilsland bird walk as well as several others who attend regularly. A few people were equipped not only with binoculars (which all participants are encouraged to bring), but cameras. My 14-year-old brought along her digital-SLR camera and was thrilled to have a great subject to photograph within the first minute of our walk.

We spotted a red-tailed hawk hanging out on a branch near the Audubon building. The hawk was on an exposed tree limb and all the camera-toting participants were cooing over the clear shot they could take of the regal bird. My daughter took this opportunity to remind me she needs a zoom lens for her camera. This is an ongoing request and she appreciated the in-the-field example to prove her point.

I took the moment to remind her that birds might be found on trees, but money doesn't grow there.

A hike through the woods led us to the shoreline to see ducks. We saw mallards, and further in the distance, some red-breasted mergansers. Hynes carried a field scope and set it up while explaining that the red-breasted mergansers have a funky, punk-like crest atop their heads. Through the scope we could see a magnified view of what he meant by that accurate description.

Along another part of the trail we found some bluebirds, and those with cameras crept quietly along the trail to try to get close-up photos of them. My 14-year-old led the pack of photography enthusiasts and they all managed to get pretty close before the birds flitted away. And I was reminded, yet again, that there is a very real need for a zoom lens.

Yup, got that the first time.

As we continued along the trail system, Hynes spotted some cedar waxwings in a distant tree and set up his telescope again. Then a Bohemian waxwing was spotted in the mix and several of our fellow walkers were all atwitter. I guessed it was a less typical sighting. The girls and I lined up to view the bird through the fieldscope.

As the walk was winding down and people were starting to head back to their cars, a juvenile bald eagle was spotted. Of course the group reconvened to admire the flight of the young eagle through their binoculars. By the time we decided to head home, we had spent a little over two hours with the group.

Our walk not only included bird sightings but also the current outdoor wildlife sculpture exhibition. Created by sculptor Wendy Klemperer and arranged by curator June LaCombe, it's an exhibit everyone in the family will love.

The sculptures are metal works of caribou, mountain lion, deer, lynx, porcupine and wolves -- all creatures common to Maine, either now or in the past. The work is striking in the winter environment due to the lack of foliage and well worth a hike through the woods here to see them all.

The exhibition continues through May and my kids really enjoyed the detail and metal-work artistry of each piece as well as the placement on the trails.

Birding is a wonderful activity to get the family hiking outside in all seasons. The bird walk at Gilsland Farm is a great introduction for those new to birding as well as those with some knowledge but interested in learning more.

But don't expect a fast-paced adventure. Birding is by nature a quiet activity for human observers.

But the friendly nature of fellow birders makes flocking together for the Thursday morning walks a great learning adventure. And with spring fast approaching, there are plenty of feathered friends in the Maine skies -- with more on their way.

BIRD WALKS
WHEN: 7 a.m. every Thursday
WHERE: Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, off Route 1 in Falmouth. Meet in the parking lot.
FEE: $5/member, $8/non-member
GEAR: Bring binoculars and field guide.
OTHER: All skill levels welcome.

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram March 13, 2011

Kid Tracks column: Zipping through the woods – above Sunday River

Zipping through a winter forest scene while hanging about 40 feet above the ground from a harness attached to a large metal cable is a unique kind of thrill – and something I really wanted to do. Yet it’s not the kind of activity you “convince” a kid to do. I needed to hear enthusiasm right off from my kids when I mentioned the possibility of a zipline ride or I would take a solo trip. The last thing I wanted was to get to Sunday River’s course and have one of my kids decide they were fearful and didn’t want to do it.

To explain the activity I showed the girls the Sunday River zipline tour page online.
The website explained the tour as “a series of six lines ranging from 100 to 300 feet in length to take you flying through the woods and over a ravine and stream bed at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, followed by 750-foot Twin Zips.”

A video of the zipline in warmer weather was also featured on the page.

“Oh my God Mom, this is so awesome! When can we go?!” exclaimed my 14-year-old.

“Yeah mom, that is sooooo cool. I want to try it!” my 13-year-old chimed in.

Their immediate enthusiasm cinched the deal. During our learning to downhill ski adventure at Sunday River we also signed up for the zipline course.

Actually, my kids were more enthusiastic about the zipline than the downhill skiing. Lucky for us it worked out that the zipline course was the very first thing we did when we arrived at the mountain.

We were introduced to the zipline equipment by our guides, who explained slowly and methodically how to step into the harness, pull it on and attach each cord and carabiner to it. By the time the safety check was done on each one of us, we felt confident we were in good hands with our guides.

A trip up a ski lift and a walk across a trail to the first of the ziplines on the side of the mountain had us eagerly anticipating our first ride on the line.

At the first zipline location we found galvanized cable strewn between two large trees across a small ravine. My 13-year-old saw the line and declared she wanted to go first. There was not one moment of hesitation.

She climbed up the wooden platform and our guide connected her carabineer and trolley (a multi-wheel piece) to the cable. Then came the eight-point safety check. (This was done on every platform, every single time for every single rider. I really appreciated the diligent safety checks for my kids.)

Even with the serious business of safety, our guides also knew how to offer some silly fun as well. All-clear calls were made by the rider’s guide to the corresponding platform guide and breaker on the other side. The calls ranged from commercial jingles to animal sounds and the kids loved them.

The first zipline was not the longest, nor the fastest, but it was a great thrill. The belly laughing, “wow!” declarations and enthusiasm for getting to the next line confirmed everyone in my family thoroughly enjoyed that first line. It was also a great warm-up to the longer and faster rides on the course.

I brought along my GPS unit because we liked to record our speed, elevation and distance on various outdoor adventures, from hiking to cross country skiing (we‘ve even recorded our path through fall corn mazes). It’s one thing to feel like you are going fast or traveling a certain distance, it’s another to have an actual number to assign to the speed. The GPS readings turned out to be a great way for the kids to confirm they were in fact flying through the air.

The first zipline was recorded at 12.6 mph. The second line was a bit faster at 14.1 mph. To mix things up on the fifth zipline – the shortest on the course – we dropped off the platform backwards.

The speediest line was the last one, the Twin Zips. They are parallel lines rigged between two metal towers which allow riders to “race” against each other. We recorded 25.1 mph zipping across those tandem lines and the girls declared those the most fun of all the lines.

Our descent down the Twin Zips at the end of the line had my husband and I hesitating for the one and only time on the course. There are no steps down the Twin Zips tower so riders have to repel to the ground. We have done a fair amount of indoor rock climbing but I’m not a small woman. I’m aware that my large size isn’t always easy for my “anchor” on the ground.
= But our very capable guides made the descent from the tower easy and stress free – once I finally scooted off the platform to start my descent.

I think my family’s experience with indoor rock climbing helped us all acclimate quickly and easily with the modest heights on this course as well as the initial awkwardness of wearing a harness while suspended in the air. I also think at 13 and 14 years old my kids were at a great age to try this sort of adventure. I know some of my girls’ younger friends who have an adventurous spirit would do just fine on this course but I would caution parents not to push this activity. If you suggest the idea and the kids are excited, go for it. If not, give your kids a year or two and check in with them again.

“Mom when are we gonna do that again? Next week? You know, it’s cheaper than a lift ticket. Did you see that? I would much rather do the zipline than ski.”

And yes my 13-year-old, who is a quick study in working out her own agenda, is correct on that price point.

KID’S REVIEW
13-year-old: “I like that you’re riding in mid-air and you’re going fast. I went first every time except once when Mama asked to go first to get some video. I liked falling backwards on that one zipline, too.” 

14-year-old: “I liked hanging from a rope and going fast. It’s lots of fun! And it’s fun racing too on the Twin Zips. I won that against my sister. Belaying down the Twin Zips was fun, too. Daddy didn’t like that part and mom hesitated like, forever, before she went down.”


QUICK GUIDE TO ZIPLINE COURSE AT SUNDAY RIVER
* There are six ziplines on a wooded course, plus the Twin Zips near the mountain‘s base.
* It’s $59 to complete the course; $49 if you have a lift ticket or season’s pass to Sunday River.
* A lift ride or snowmobile ride is required to get to the first zipline in the woods on the side of the mountain.
* The course will take approximately three hours to complete.
* The wooded ziplines have some cover from harsh weather conditions but zip liners should dress appropriately for the weather.
* Helmets are required and provided with the harness gear.
* Reservations for the course are strongly recommended.
* A ticket to ride just the Twin Zips is available for $15 for one run, $20 for two. No reservations for the Twin Zips are required.
* For more information about Sunday River’s ziplines, go to www.SundayRiver.com.

ZIPLINE GUIDELINES
* Rider must be at least 3 feet tall.
* Rider must be at least 70 pounds.
* Maximum weight is 270 pounds.

Sunday River\'s Zipline Course

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Maine



Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, March 2011

Preview: The proverbial pot o' gold at Bath Blarney Days

Winter slogs on, but we're all dreaming of the green season to come. Enter Bath Blarney Days.

"It is a celebration of the start of spring and an opportunity to get out after a long winter and enjoy our city," said Jennifer Geiger, director of Main Street Bath.

The week of Blarney events begins with Moonlight Madness on Thursday at 5 p.m. Bath's downtown businesses are once again sponsoring a Passport Challenge. Shoppers can get a stamp from participating businesses (no purchase required) for a chance at the "Pot o' Gold" prize package.

"We have over 40 businesses participating in the passport program this year with lots of great prizes. People have until March 17 to visit all the businesses to get their passport stamps. Last year a couple of 12-year-old boys won, and they had their gift shopping done for the year," Geiger said.

Thursday night will also feature a screening of "Once" at Dreamland Theater at the Winter Street Center, thanks to the Sagadahoc Preservation Inc. The modern-day Irish musical about a street performer and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin begins at 7 p.m.

Friday night is all about Irish food.

"Friday night the restaurants are having Irish-themed dishes and specials. Each one has something different they're offering," Geiger said.

Saturday begins with a fun run at 9 a.m. followed by the 5K Shamrock Sprint at 9:30 a.m. The $15 registration fee for the race benefits Fields for Our Future. Participants can register ahead of time on www.visitbath.com or in person the morning of the race. The 5K happenings will begin at the corner of Washington and Center streets.

The Blarney Days parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Church on Lincoln Street. Bagpipers, a marching band and Byrnes Irish Pub's kazoo-playing Pub Scouts are just a few of the featured parade participants. It's a time for everyone to wear green and celebrate.

"Last year we had a man dressed as a wild Irish rose. He had a big red wig and was carrying roses. You never know what people will wear in the parade," Geiger said.

After the parade, the antique fire truck and trolley will park in front of Bath City Hall to offer free rides. That's also where the tug-of-war challenge take place following the parade. Other Saturday events include a children's story time at Bath Book Shop on Front Street at 1:30 p.m. and judging for the Irish soda bread baking contest at Now You're Cooking at 2 p.m. (entries must be dropped off at 1 p.m.).

Byrnes Irish Pub will host an Irish sing-along on March 13 and an Irish trivia night on March 15.

New to Blarney Days this year is Irish music and a poetry reading at Patten Free Library on March 16. Among tea and scones, local musician Sharon Pyne will kick off the evening at 6:30 p.m. followed by poetry readings that will include Helene McGlauflin reading from her new book, "Tiny Sabbath."

"I'm excited about the poetry reading and fiddle music and the tea and scones. It is a fun addition this year because it will be so atmospheric," Geiger said.

Blarney Days wraps up March 17 with a daylong celebration at Byrnes Irish Pub.

BATH BLARNEY DAYS
WHEN: Various times, March 11-17.
WHERE: Downtown Bath.
HOW MUCH: Most events are free.
FOOD OPTIONS: Multiple eateries in downtown Bath.
PARKING: Municipal lot behind Front Street and Waterfront Park.
DON'T MISS: The parade at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
KID-FRIENDLY FACTOR: Great, especially on Saturday with the parade and antique fire truck and trolley rides.
BENEFITS: The Shamrock 5K Sprint benefits Fields for Our Future. The movie at Winter Street Center benefits Sagadahoc Preservation Inc.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: All events are rain or shine.
MORE INFO: www.visitbath.com


Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram March 6, 2011

Ring tones strike my funny bone

I have an iPhone and found software to make my own ring tones from audio clips. I am way more entertained than I should be about the ability to customize ring tones for the special people in my life.

So far the people who have my customized ring tones have never actually heard them because (obviously) they aren't sitting right next to me when my phone rings with their number. But they are aware I have a special one just for them.

My co-workers have caught on to my ring tones for the people I live with since they periodically call me at the office. My co-workers have had a chuckle (or two) about my choices.

For instance, I love my little L. but she is 13. Anyone who has or has lived with a 13 year old knows the challenges of that particular age. And when she calls me there is usually some dire need that I must take care of for her immediately. She has had a sense of immediacy since she was as a baby and life with her hasn't changed much in that regard since those early days.

Her ring tone?
"SOS" by Abba

I should also explain that the software I use to create my own ring tone allows me to choose any section of the song for my 30-second clip.

The lyrics to the ring tone for L. on my phone start...

"When you're near me darling can't you hear me
SOS.
The love you gave me nothing else can save me
SOS."

This makes me smile.

Every. Single. Time.

So when she calls me with her 13-year-old needs I start the conversation on a positive note (and I believe she will appreciate this tactic even more when she's older).

When G. was a toddler she didn't have a lot of language skills. She was diagnosed with a speech issue at three years old and spent time in and out of speech therapy until 8th grade. She was the preschooler that would try to communicate with teachers and/or peers and wonder why no one knew what she was saying. She felt she was being perfectly understandable. I was accused of being too good an interpreter at one point because she wasn't forced to clarify her words with me.  As her mother I could almost always figure out what she was saying. She got language figured out but it took longer than most.

When she was older I would joke with her that she had her own special language.

To further explain my ring tone choice for G., which I'm getting to in a minute, she has also always loved anything Hawaiian. When she was in elementary school we were host to many Hawaiian inspired meals at our house. I'm not talking simple, commonly known/Americanized pineapple and coconut recipes. Nope. We have an authentic Hawaiian cookbook and experimented with many traditional Hawaiian recipes just for fun. G. (and L.) also went to Hula camp (a week-long camp put on by a local dance studio) a couple of summers in a row to learn to dance the hula when they were little.

So her ring tone?
"Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" from Lilo & Stitch.

It starts at the beginning of the song sung in Hawaiian (which I believe is a warm affectionate greeting in that language).
"Aloha e aloha e
'Ano 'ai ke aloha e
Aloha ae aloha e
A nu ay ki aloha e"

This makes me smile because I don't speak Hawaiian but it reminds me of those years no one knew what G. was saying but me. The same is true now when my Maine friends hear the ring tone. "What is that" is the most common question I get when G. calls my phone.

My friend Meg has a special ring tone too. She is a woman to be admired for her faith and when I found the iPhone's "Bell Tower" ring tone, which sounds just like church bells, I had to make that her ring tone.

The girls jump to hand me the phone when they hear the bells because it usually means Meg and I are planning an activity for our kids to hang out together ("play date" is not a term to be used with teens, just in case you were wondering).

Church bells are a welcomed sound at our house.

Fino, my lovely husband, spends time  worrying about money. We have never had two full time incomes at our house since the kids were born. I think we've made the right choices with how we've spent time with our family. But there are a lot of things we've done without living on one and a half incomes for 14 years. Someday I know we'll feel a little more comfortable. But it doesn't stop Fino from worrying about paying for the big ticket items (like a newer used car, college for the kids, etc., etc.). It's not a huge stresser, just something he brings up because we have to make regular adjustments to our monthly budget.

So his ring tone?
"Money, Money, Money" by Abba

"Money, money, money
must be funny
in a rich man's world.
Money, money, money
always sunny
in a rich man's world."

And my dad, who has always had a good sense of humor, has his own ring tone too. The problem is that his regular phone number is a "blocked" number so I don't hear his ring tone unless he calls me on his cell phone. But when he does make those cell calls to my phone, I giggle.

His ring tone?
"Dancing Queen" by Abba
(And yeah, I know I have a Mamma Mia soundtrack theme going on. It's what I have to work with at the moment.)

"You are the dancing queen
young and sweet
only 17
Dancing queen
feel the beat from the tambourine
oh yeah
You can dance
you can jive
having the time of your life."

I figured he should not mind being referred to as "young and sweet." And since he's retired, I think maybe he is enjoying his life so the ring tone suits (in my opinion of course).

But dad, if you are reading this and want me to change your ring tone, offer up a better musical selection. Although you need not suggest, "Dance With Me." I heard that song way too many times at your house when I was a kid and I just can't muster the enthusiasm for it.

And mum, I haven't found quite the right one for you yet. You're the cliche, "Mama Mia" right now until I work on a better one. 

Now if my loved ones were to decide to be clever and choose a ring tone for me I have no idea what they would choose. I'll have to put L. on the job. She's the one who has the wit to pick one that's apropos. I'll share it when I get the suggestion in the spirit of fair play and all.

I can't imagine I'm the only one having some fun with ring tone options. I would guess that although my children know their ring tones, as well as Fino, I wonder if when they read this entry I might be "encouraged" to make some changes to my repertoire. But I don't think I'll mind too much. I might be inspired to find one that's even better...

Do you have any customized ring tones on your cell phone? If you have, post a comment and tell me what ring tones you have, and why.

Big social deal

With a little research, social buyers can really save.

By WENDY ALMEIDA, Staff Writer

Too-good-to-pass-up shopping deals have been around for years. They’re known as 50/50 bargains and offer the chance to buy a gift certificate for half its face value.

The deals may have originated on radio and television websites looking to reel in advertisers but many social networking sites have gotten on board and consumers are benefiting from these new ways of shopping for bargains. But file away that “50/50” term. The new vocabulary for these online deals is “Social Buying.”

Groupon.com is a national website that launched a Portland-based “Deal of the Day” earlier this year. LivingSocial.com is another national site featuring a Portland-based deal each day. Both websites offer incentives to users who tell their friends about the deals they find through Facebook and Twitter. If those friends join in on a deal, you may receive a further discount.

Some Maine-based companies have joined the social buying power network as well. In late 2010, the Bangor Daily News launched Maine’s Daily Deal (mainedailydeal.bangordailynews.com) to feature deals with business ties to the Bangor area. MaineToday Media, Inc., the parent company of Raising Maine, offers The Maine Deal (www.themainedeal.com). This deal-delivering site features businesses and products available in southern and central Maine.

There are other social buying options around the country, and there will likely be more Maine-specific sites launching soon because this type of online shopping continues to gain in popularity.

But there are a few things to keep in mind while doing your social collective buying.

* Read the “How it Works” or related-type tab because each social buying website works a little differently.

For instance, Borders launched www.bordersrewardsperks.com a while back and when I visited, I saw double Os referenced on the page. I had no idea what that meant and it took me a few minutes to make the connection that OO meant Overwhelming Offers (that site's lingo for a deal). At the time Borders did not have a clearly visible link to explain how its website worked but it has since added a more noticeable one (although it’s still not that obvious).

* Expect a delay in receiving your deal. These websites require a certain number of purchasers before their deal of the day is “unlocked” or “tipped” or whatever that site’s lingo is for having enough interested people to make the deal work. Typically deals are unlocked quickly when it’s a popular item. But if a deal is still “locked” and you really want the deal, sign up to unlock it. Once enough people sign up to unlock the deal, you’ll receive an email notification your deal is purchased. But if not enough people sign up for the deal, the websites will email to let you know the deal could not be purchased.

* Read the fine print of each and every deal you buy. The majority of these social buying websites explain that each buyer is responsible for reading the fine print of each deal purchased because conditions may vary. One standard across the sites is that you have to wait one day after your purchase before redeeming your deal.

Another standard is that there is typically no cash-back on the deal if you don’t use the whole of the gift certificate’s value during your visit to the business. Some deals do allow a second visit for unused balance but that’s more the exception than the rule. Know which option you have before you visit the business.

* Check the expiration date. Some deals have stipulations on what the purchased deal can be used for, or when it can be used. For instance, you might purchase a ski lift pass to a mountain but the deal is only valid for the current winter season. It’s a good policy to check the expiration date on each purchased deal to make sure you know how long you have to use it before it expires (typically there is a year expiration, but not always).

* The limit is usually one deal per buyer. There are options to “gift” a deal for a friend but you’re limited to only redeeming one for yourself. Again, read the fine print to find out how each site handles the “gift” option.

* Research your deal-making websites. Check out deals on each site for a few days to make sure it offers the type of deals you’re interested in before signing up for daily email updates. For instance, Groupon generally has more restaurant and food-based deals so it’s great for people who like to eat out. Mamapedia’s Sweet Deals offers a lot of baby-based equipment and clothing deals. MaineToday Media’s website features restaurants as well but has offered a few activity-based activities recently (bowling and an indoor play center for kids). The Bangor Daily News’ site has featured some spa deals in addition to eateries.

* Signing up for daily deal emails might generate some additional (unwanted) emails to your inbox. Most of these websites all reserve the right to share your email with other companies. After I signed up for LivingSocial’s daily email, my spam folder became host to a dozen more emails each day. But I liked the deals on LivingSocial so I put up with those other emails. Having a good email spam filter like those offered with Google, Yahoo, AOL or other web-based email providers, will ensure this isn’t a big issue.

Like all bargain shopping, a little time spent researching what’s out there will help you find the best money savers for your family.

Happy deal shopping.

Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, March 2011