Ordinary Maine

12/31/2009 Changes

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:53:00 +0000

Well the last part of 2009 saw a limited amount of writing here at OrdinaryMaine.com. Work and family have kept me pretty busy. In the new year I am going to focus on posting one item each week and see of I can keep pace. This should be fairly easy as I will be discovering all kinds of new things in 2010.

This week the Council decided to shuffle the District Executives up and we were all moved to new service areas. Starting tomorrow I will be the District Executive in the Abnaki District which is is northern Oxford and Androscoggin Counties. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, see some old familiar places and well have some great Scouting fun. I am saddened to transition away from the Casco Bay District, but I am excited for the challenges that lie ahead.

The next few days are all about family. From me and mine to your and yours we wish you all a Happy New Year!

Tony

9/26/2009 Fishing Buddies

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:47:00 +0000

This morning was a very special day for Camden. We woke up at 5:30 AM and prepared to head out to a friend's home on Little Sebago Lake for his first fishing trip on a boat. The Senior Warden of my Masonic Lodge is Ken Pritchard. We have worked many an hour in the Lodge kitchen cooking breakfast and of course, we have enjoyed a few hours in a boat over the last six years. Each year I usually obtain our smelts and he puts them by is his game freezer. Because of schedules we have been unable to get out on the water until today.

I have dreamed of this day for five years. As a parent, there are experiences you want your children to have. Some of those experiences are purely for selfish reasons others are not. In the case of this morning's fishing adventure it was all about me. Well, kind of... You see I have dreamed about the first day Camden would fish on a boat for several years now. I even imagined that this experience would take place on Ken's boat. My hope was that he would catch lots of fish with our assistance.

I spent my morning sewing the smelt onto hooks and Ken helped Camden work the lines. It was also my job to get some pictures. Below is a picture of Camden's first fish. What a great start to a wonderful day. The pictures that follow are of other fish he caught this morning. All told Camden boated 9 white perch. In the spirit of the outdoor code we released all 9 fish because we did not indend to eat them.

As the morning was winding down Ken and I had some time to reflect upon the morning's work. We both lamented the fact that Camden did not hook a trout or other larger fish. At one point I had a big grin on my face and Ken looked a little perplexed. I just laughed and noted that today was a great day to be on the water. I also told him the best part about fishing with someone who had never caught a fish before was quite a treat, because to Camden, all the fish were big. It is just amazing to think how magical that is. I am blessed to have been present for the occasion.

I want to extend a special Ordinary Maine Thank You to Ken Pritchard for having us out on the boat this morning. I value greatly the times we are able to share together either at the lodge or out a field. It was very nice to share these moments with you and we are both grateful for your generosity.

Great Joy!

Tony

9/2/2009 Oh the places he will go...

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:58:00 +0000

I am a lucky man. I am married to a wonderful wife, and I have two great children. On top of that, I have always been in a position to enjoy all of the really big events in the lives of my kids. Camden, my son, is the oldest and today he had another first that I was able to witness. While discussing this first with my wife the other night, I began to wonder just how I would write about this experience. Renee suggested that I spend some time thinking about some of Camden's other firsts.

In his five years, I have personally been present to watch Camden do many things. I still remember the first time I held him in my arms. I remember the first time I changed his diaper, and I will never forget the first time he woke Renee and I up in the middle of the night. Since that evening in January of 2004, I have been fortunate to be present for some great firsts.

I remember the first time Camden got really sick, and we discovered that he had a problem with his ears; that was a Christmas Eve to remember. I remember his first trip to the playground and his wonder on the swing. I remember his first long car ride to Van Buren, Maine and how well he slept. I will never forget the day I captured him on camera discovering his shadow. His first haircut was so fun to watch. He was so serious. I remember his first broken bone, his first ER trip and his first visit to the Doctor. As I sit here typing, I am amazed that it was only yesterday Renee and I put him in the car and brought him home from the hospital.

I can still picture the first night I tried to tent with him in the backyard. He almost made it the entire night, but got spooked at 3 am and had to go inside. I remember our first walk together; that turned into a habit that has continued to this day. I remember the day he became a big brother and was the first person, other than Dad, to hold his baby sister. And now it is only within the last few months that Camden lost his first two teeth in the space of three days.

So with all those great experiences and many more behind us, I prepared myself for this day with great pride and reservation. You see, today Camden's journey took a different path, and instead of going to day care, he boarded a bus for the ride to his first day of school. I have always heard others talk about these days, but to be present for the actual event and add it to my list of memories, is truly something to be thankful for.

I could not send him off without a hug and a kiss, but today unlike all the others, there was no room for our High Five, Low Five, Knuckle Bump and Mish-Mash combo. I guess that is the price of parenting a growing boy. As he rounded the corner and headed down the isle of the bus, I watched with pride as he took his seat and looked out the window with great excitement. He smiled and returned my wave as the bus drove off into the morning. Just another first in the jouney of life. I cried.

Tony

8/31/2009 Road ID

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:09:00 +0000

As you all know by now I am a type 2 diabetic. I am open about my disease because I believe that people in general, and men in particular, don't talk about and share things like that enough with their peers. We often let the "no talk rule" get in the way of getting or giving the help we need from people who we can help or vice versa.

Over the last eight months I have worked hard to get control of the disease. While top of the line medicines have been a big part of that process, I cannot overlook the significant part that exercise and food control have played in this process. Since the beginning of the year I am down 40 pounds and I have lost 3 inches off of my waist. I feel great, but I am still a good 15 to 20 pounds away from my goal.

My biggest worry on my almost daily walks is emergency care. It is east to get hit on the streets of any city, but as a diabetic I have other issues to worry about. The last thing I want to have happen is a tragic death because I could not communicate vital information about my medical status. Enter RoadID.com and their incredible product.

I paid 20.00 for this ID and I purchased the option that allowed me to set-up an online interactive profile that allowed EMS personnel to either call their company or access my information via the internet at MyRoadID.com. On the reverse side of this laser engraved tag is a serial number and pin that will allow access to via information about me, my medical conditions, medicines that I take and how I take them. My profile even gives the user information about who my emergency contacts are.

Now you may be wondering why I just didn't go with a regular med alert type bracelet? For me that is a no brainer. Most, if not all, of the ambulances in my area have computers on board and I want any EMS provider to have the best possible chance to save my life. Leaving that option up to a tag with minimal information just isn't an option.

As for the Purple, Madockawanda!

Tony

8/21/2009 Living by the numbers....

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Since January I have developed a passion for living by the numbers. Back in January I decided it was in my best interest to start taking care of myself and my diabetes. I was motivated by some discouraging numbers (blood glucose readings in the 300s) which left untreated would lead to all kinds of aliments to include kidney failure, and stroke. With two kids and a wife I did not want to leave on such a bad note.

Each day I test my blood glucose 4 times. That is before breakfast and dinner and two hours after the first bite of each meal. This allows me to just how well the medicine I take in conjunction with the food I eat effects my blood glucose levels on a daily basis. My doctor, and yours too, looks at the results from a test called a hemoglobin A1C. This result give your a pretty accurate three month average for your blood glucose levels. In January I was well over 12. That would translate into an blood glucose average that most would understand of 298.

In order to reverse this trend I needed to change the medicines I take and increase the amount of exercise I get on a regular basis. The first part was easy. After talking with a few diabetics and using a little bit of my biochemistry background from college I asked my doctor about Byetta. This medicine is a GLP-1 inhibitor that boosts insulin production in the pancreas, slows the rate at which food leaves your stomach and also slows down the liver's production of glucose. If you are a diabetic remember this class of medicines, as they are the future of treatment. After taking this medicine for two months I was feeling a lot better and able to work on the second change.

Starting on April 21st, 2009 I began walking and counting my steps with a pedometer. I joined the website walkertracker.com (username tjbessey) and aimed for 10,000 steps a day. After about a week, I learned that the guidelines for moderate exercise have changed a bit and now suggest a goal of walking 3000 steps in 30 minutes or 100 steps a minute to meet the new government guidelines for moderate exercise. Just that one change in my walking routine helped me get from 258 pound down to 248 pounds from April to early June of this year. At my June check in my doctor reported that after three months on Byetta (in conjunction with metformin) my A1C had been lowered to 6.4 which translates into an average blood glucose of 137. If you saw my weekly blood glucose graphs around the time that I started walking, you would be impressed with how much of an effect exercise has on the equation. Talk about some motivation.

After my trip to Texas at the beginning of June I decided to step things up a notch. Since early June I have focused on speed walking or nordic walking a 5k five times a week. For me a 5 k is 6,773 steps at 29 inches per step. It takes me approximately 49 minutes to reach that goal. That coupled with some slight diet modifications and strict compliance with my prescriptions has lead to a loss of another 20 pounds and last Friday my doctor informed me that my A1C average has dropped again to 5.8 for an average blood glucose of 120.

Not only do I feel great, but I am starting to look a lot better too. I also learned today that my fatty liver, a condition I have had since college, is starting to reverse itself. My doctor's words were more to the effect of better than normal function. That is very encouraging. So tomorrow I will take part in the 2nd Annual St. Ann's Episcopal Church 5k in Windham, Maine. I won't be running, but I will be participating. As someone who has never been in a road style race, I am very excited.

The only other thing of note is my doctor's advice when it comes to medicine. While I take two diabetes meds, I also take Omega 3 Fish Oil, a multi vitamin, a B12 supplement and a baby aspirin. Each time I see my doctor he stresses that the most important pill I take on a daily basis is the 83 mg baby aspirin. It is funny to know that the cheapest pill I take is also the most important to my future.

I hope you all have a great day tomorrow. I know I will.

Tony

8/19/2009 Counting your money and tax blunders...

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:05:00 +0000

Over the next few weeks Mainers are going to learn a lot about the State's new tax laws. There are many changes, and in the immediate future, the number of new tax collectors is going to be significant. Below is a list of items that will be newly taxed, taxed at a higher rate or subject to tax because of changes in definitions.

• The expansion of sales tax to the following services:
o Amusement, entertainment and recreational services
o Personal property services
o Installation, repair and maintenance services and
o Transportation and courier services

• The increase in tax rates on prepared food, lodging, short term auto rentals and liquor for on-premises consumption.
• New definitions of candy and soft drink.
• Applying sales tax to rental payments and lease payments
• An airport transportation fee on taxicabs and limousine operators
• Applying sales tax to residential long distance telephone service

• Additional sales tax exemptions
• Change in sales tax treatment of park model recreational vehicles
• The expansion of the motor oil premium fees to pre-packaged motor oil and
• Change in tax rates on smokeless tobacco products

Now I understand that our legislature thinks that this latest expansion of our tax base is a good thing, but the entire experience as of late reminds me a lot of my late friend and mentor, Carl Trynor. He often cautioned his friends and business associates to beware of other people counting your money. You see when other people start counting your money, they start to get ideas about how they could better use that money to accomplish their own goals. This can and often does lead to passive aggressive and subversive behavior that can ultimately lead to the untimely demise of one's business.

In many ways that is why you pay your income tax on the wherewithal to pay concept via payroll deduction. Paid out over a whole year and many pay checks, a little bit does not hurt, but left to our own devices, politicians know that lump sum payments would cause all out rebellion of the masses. Think of payroll deductions as the frog being in the pot and having the heat turned up slowly.

Over the next few months, there are going to be many people are going to be turned into tax collectors on behalf of the State of Maine because of these tax law changes. All of those people are going to incur additional expenses, and in many cases, face price increases and unhappy customers because our legislature, in its infinite wisdom, decided to lower our income tax rate and increase and expand our sales tax base. All of this sounds good, but I suspect that come tax time, when people see just how drastically the income tax procedures have changed, many people are going to be upset. Think of this entire change as the people of Maine being tossed into a boiling pot of water all at once.

It will be interesting to see how the people of Maine handle all of this change. Will the Democrats be held accountable for this legislation at the ballot box in 2010? Will Republicans find a way to capitalize on these tax woes come April? As a Civil Libertarian, I am all too eager to sit back and watch the show. I suspect that the usual characters will be all over both sides of the issue, and in the end, the people of Maine will be left worse off for poor leadership on both sides of the isle. The question that remains: will the Tax Shuffle of 2009 finally lead to real change here in Maine? Speaking only for myself, I look forward to grabbing some popcorn and watching the whole mess unfold.

Tony

8/16/2009 Tuning out!

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:52:00 +0000

I cannot for the life of me imagine the reaction of our Founding Fathers to today's world. While I am just as guilty as the next person, I am always amazed at how easy it is for people to tune out. Take a walk down any street in the United States and you will walk by multiple people all wearing headphones, listening to music, texting, emailing or just plain surfing the world wide web. Of course this is all on a cell phone.

In today's high tech world, people have greater access to all kinds of information used daily to make decisions. We can have as much or as little information as we want; it is there for the taking. Of course, buyer beware, just because the information is available does not make it accurate, which requires all users of the information super highway to carefully weigh the veracity of this great resource.

The most amazing thing about our high tech world is the ability to completely shut out the sounds of dissent. That is an awesome power. In a society that was founded upon the free and open exchange of ideas, we are now able to choose and create customized news filters that give news the way we want to hear it. We are able to choose media from television to radio to websites that tell us what we want to hear. With the ability to so totally and completely customize the information we digest on a daily basis, is it any wonder our public square is completely broken?

What we all need to do is step back and take a good look around the world. For my part, I am not advocating the elimination or regulation of competing technologies and information sources. What I am suggesting is that every once in a while it might be beneficial to listen to views that are different from our own. Even if you disagree with what is being said, what harm could possibly fall upon someone for hearing (read listening) to both sides of an argument. Now many who know me well will instantly say that my entire rant is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but there is a difference between listening to an opposing point of view and changing one's position based on the merits of that exercise.

One thing is certain as we press into an ever more dangerous era here in the United States, where the mere hint of disagreement with some ideas is enough to get one branded as a racist. In the recent past, dissent was a patriotic duty, now it is a hate crime. That is just an amazing juxtaposition that I am unsure our Founding Fathers could ever fathom. How about you? Until then I will see you out on the streets. I will be the guy doing all the above with my blackberry.

Tony Bessey

7/27/2009 To my health.....

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:19:00 +0000

Since January, I have been taking my Diabetes really seriously. I was diagnosed in May of 2003 with Type 2 Diabetes when I went to the hospital with a sore on one of my toes that would not heal. Since then, I would say that I have not been very compliant when it came to my medical care. In the end, it is impossible for someone to change until they are willing to change, and that is what happened in January. The disease itself just plain scared me.

Two things happened in January that did help me get things under control. The first item of note was a change in doctors, and the second was a conversation with a co-worker that lead me to educate myself about Byetta(TM). Byetta (TM) is the cutting edge of diabetes care in a class of drugs known as GLP-1 inhibitors. This drug helps my pancreas produce insulin, while reducing the amount of glucose my liver produces and changing the way that my stomach empties its contents into the intestines. It also has some great weight loss benefits. I started out the year at 258 pounds, and I currently weigh 233.5 pounds. That might not sound like much, but the last time I weighed under 240 pounds, I was in college over 17 years ago. It is also quite a distance from the 303 pounds I weighted in 1997.

In order to give myself a fighting chance, I have decided not to leave everything up to pharmaceuticals. I have also started an aggressive walking program in which I try to walk at least five, thirty minute walks each week. The goal is walk 3000 steps in 30 minutes or 100 steps a minute to meet the new government guidelines for moderate exercise. As my health has improved, I am now walking five to six 5k walks a week. I log all of my walking statistics on walkertracker.com, the internet's premier website for walkers. To ensure that I am capturing data properly, I have also purchased a pedometer. I personally use an Omron HJ 113 that I purchased online for about $25.00. As pedometers go, anything with the name Omron is going to be pretty accurate.

The good news is that with medicine, diet, and exercise my blood glucose averages are running around 105 (weekly, bi-weekly and monthly averages). I am predicting that my next A1C in August will come in right around 5.6, which is well below the 7 recommended by the American Diabetes Association. As of May when my last tests were taken, my A1C was 6.4 and my cholesterol and associated numbers were looking good. I do however suffer from one problem that concerns me. My LDL levels, while not bad, are much higher than my HDL levels. My doctor told me that the only way to improve those numbers would be more exercise and drinking red wine. So now I have a glass of "heart medicine" every night before I go to bed. In three weeks we will be headed back to the doctor's for more tests. I hope all of this hard work pays off.

Please note some added information in my links and blog section. I have included links to Byetta (TM) and walkertracker.com. I have also included a few blogs that are written by David Mendosa, a patient expert in the field of diabetes. His blogs are listed in the blog section as "Diabetes Developments" and "David Mendosa." If you or someone you know wants to know more about diabetes, his sites are a great place to start. I know they have helped me greatly in my efforts to educate myself and others.

On a related note, Camden has benefited from all my exercise too. While I am out power walking a 5k, I am often joined by my little buddy, who has to jog in order to keep up the pace. That's right folks, Camden can now jog or run 3.2 miles with ease. I hope and pray that this great habit is something he maintains in order to avoid the effects of the disease I now seek to master.

To my health......

Tony

7/26/2009 Changes

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:10:00 +0000

It is obvious that I have not been keeping up with my postings here at OrdinaryMaine.com and right now I am trying to determine what I would like to do with this blog. The endevor was started a year ago in May as a way to give myself a creative outlet for my photography. In the past year this site has become much more to me personally. Over the next few months I will be looking at the direction I would like to take OrdinaryMaine.com as my Ordinary Maine continues to change in this fast paced world.

If you are waiting for updates, please be patient, as I intend to start making weekly posts beginning in the month of August. One thing I have discovered in the last few months is that life is about balance. As I continue to find that balance with my family, my health, my work and my faith I look forward to sharing how all of that impacts my Ordinary Maine.

Over the next week I will try to get regular readers up to speed on the things I have been doing since January.

Stay tuned.........

Tony

6/6/2009 The Portland Sea Dogs Scout Overnight

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Well, I am just getting back from the Pine Tree Council's annual Scout Night Sleepover at Hadlock Field. Home of the Red Sox AA Affiliate Portland Sea Dogs. We had a great night last night. Good weather and a great game capped off by a three run homer in the bottom of the 8th that lead to a Sea Dogs victory. Below is a picture of our tent city.

After we got everyone off this morning it was time to head to church before returning home to prepare for my trip to Dallas, Texas this week. I am leaving early tomorrow morning and will not return until Friday night. I am looking forward to sharing my pictures from the trip when I return.

Tony

6/6/2009 Westbrook Together Days

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Last night the Bessey Family made its way to River Bank Park for the Friday night Westbrook Together Days festivities at River Bank Park. The night was closed out by a Spanktabularfunkalucaous performance by the Motor Booty Affair. This band is fun to watch and great for dancing music. Camden and I dance up a storm.

Above is a picture of Camden with three of the band members between sets. This was at the end of the first set when the band allowed all the kids to go up on stage and rock the house. These guys are great sports and were great fun.

Super Westbrook!

Tony

5/24/2009 In Memory of Zero

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Mon, 25 May 2009 01:42:00 +0000

In Memory of Carl R. Trynor, "Zero" the clown who passed this evening after a very courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

You are my mentor, my friend and so much more. I haven't got the words for the void I feel in my heart.

I love you brother!

Tony

5/7/2009 Zig Ziglar

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:44:00 +0000

Today I had the pleasure of seeing one of the greatest salesmen and motivational speakers of our times. About a month and a half ago we began seeing advertisements in the Portland newspapers for a Get Motivated Seminar to be held May 7th, 2009 at the Cumberland County Civic Center. The ads promised big name speakers and lost of free stuff all for the bargain price of 10.00 workbook included.

Now I am not one to go out and take part in many things, but for me the opportunity to see Mr. Ziglar was worth every bit of the $10.43 it cost me to attend the event. I also had an opportunity to see former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speak at this event, which is always exciting. For those of you who might remember my ill fated State House Bid in 2004, I was able to see him speak at a fund raiser for Senator Collins. At the conclusion of that event I even managed to get my picture taken with him. Yep, that is me forty pounds heavier.

Anyway, It was great to hear these two speakers talk about teams, personal motivation and individual investment and development. It was a long day, but I enjoyed it greatly.

Tony

4/26/2009 Lake Ontario August 2003

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:47:00 +0000

Six years ago a good friend of mine sent me on a client trip to Lake Ontario to fish on the "Big Water." That is a term affectionately used by Bill Saiff Sr. of Rod and Reel fame. Below is a picture of the Laker I caught on this trip. It is the biggest fish I have ever caught. It weighed in at 9 pounds and was 29 inches long.

Notice all the blood coming out of the right hand corner of this fish's mouth. This fish was so deep that it ruptured its air bladder when I reeled it in. Because it was a slot fish we had no choice but to return this dying fish to the water. Lake Ontario's Lake Trout population is in serious trouble because of the slot policy and I have heard rumors that it has been changed.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a picture of the largest fish I ever caught on the biggest water I have ever fished on.

Tight Lines!

Tony

4/17/2009 The Deception of Appearance & Susan Boyle

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:03:00 +0000

I just heard the most amazing thing this morning. A few days ago my wife told me about a spinster from Scotland who stole the show at the premier of last weekend's Britains Got Talent 2009. This has been a busy week for me and like many others I don't take much time to stop and smell the roses. While waiting to run an errand this morning I was reading the following headline on the Drudge Report.

LEAVE HAIR ALONE! Britain's Susan Boyle won't get 'makeover for show'...

Being the nerd that I am I immediately Googled Susan Boyle to find out more about this woman and why she won't be getting a makeover for what show. It was only then that I remembered my wife comments from earlier in the week and decided to search this performance on YouTube. This performance has been watched many times over the last few days, so it was quite easy to find. Below is my favorite link.

Susan Boyle on Britains Got Talent 2009

I can only say that I was completely blown away be this performance. In a matter of minutes I went from glancing skeptic to teary eyed fan. I have never wanted to see Les Misérables, but now I want to read the book and see the show. I don't know what the future holds for Susan Boyle, but she has provided me with some great inspiration.

Check out her performance and truly pay attention to all the things going on around her. This poor woman turned out to be quite a surprise to everyone in that audience last night. I would like to think we all have a little Susan Boyle in us. Here is to finding your spirit.

Tony

4/12/2009 Happy Easter

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:22:00 +0000

I just love an early morning Easter Egg hunt. Madilyn was in great form picking up as many jelly bean filled Easter eggs as she could find. Camden, her brother, displayed his mastery of counting by finding and selecting 12 Easter eggs for his morning basket.

I know I am biased, but isn't she cute?

Happy Easter!

Tony

4/9/2009 Westbrook Standoff

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:34:00 +0000

Police are on the scene of a standoff on Church Street in Westbrook. A man has barricaded himself inside of his home on Church Street and Police have responded. Reports from eye witnesses at the scene say that the unnamed man is suicidal. OrdinaryMaine.com was unable to determine if the agressor was armed at the time of this report. Prior to the standoff he raced though the Saco Street area of Westbrook reaching speeds of 90 miles per hour. A passenger jumped out of the car and reported to be okay.

We will report more as it becomes available.

Tony

4/6/2009 Blackberry / Technical Limbo

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:14:00 +0000

This past weekend my Blackberry went on the fritz during the Annual Casco Bay District pinewood derby. Imagine if you will, the horror of turning on your phone / PDA and having it freeze up within minutes of gaining power. Now this might now be a major issue for some people, but I live with my Blackberry.

It is bad enough that we all carry cell phones now a days, but now those of us who have hectic schedules can get smart phones to help up get through the day. Of course that is, until something goes wrong. I remember when Day Runners were the in thing. Your contacts and your complete calendar all on one place. My wife used to make fun of me for carry mine all the time. Then of course there was the Palm III. That baby had some raw computing power and managed to keep everything that the Day Runner did in 1/16th the space. Of course if you did not sync the thing with a computer and the batteries died, oopps!

Over the years I have bounced back and forth between a Day Runner (like the paper) and Palm devices (like the computer compatibility). Late last year I decided that while I am not 100% great with electronic calendars a Palm or Smart phone device was the way to go. Especially because they can sync with Microsoft Outlook which is used by most big companies. Including the Boy Scouts of America.

In February I ended up with a Blackberry Curve 8330. The device is much more powerful than the Palm Pilots I owned in years past and because of the technology I have my work email and calendar with me wherever I go. This has been great until the past weekend when I ended up spending lots of time with the tech support people trying to figure out what was wrong and ultimately, in the end, having them send me a replacement phone.

Now a days it is not so much the setup, as my smart phone syncs with my work account and everything is backed up and retrieved automatically, but what really gets you is the customization. Blackberries have such a learning curve that you can never really learn all the things they are able to do. If you end up replacing one, like I will when the replacement arrives, it can take days to properly reset your phone features to the settings you like. Either way I am sure I will spend quite a bit of time tomorrow night getting the thing running again.

I love technology.

Tony

3/28/2009 American Logger

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:50:00 +0000

In March of 2006 I traveled to Millinocket for a gathering of friends who are all part of the AsMaineGoes.com community. I knew this would be a great opportunity for me to get out on the Golden Road in the early morning to get some pictures of Mt. Katahdin. On my way up the Golden Road south of Abol Bridge is where I crossed path's with one of the Pelletier trucks overturned on the side of the road.

I really never thought much about sharing the pictures, but given the popularity of the show wanted to share a little of what I knew of the accidents they talk about on the show. From what the gentleman below said the driver of this truck fell asleep and lost control on the soft shoulder. Notice that this part of the Golden Road is paved.

Looking at the pictures of the cab in the above photo it is clear that this driver is lucky to have survived. Notice the log through the window at the drivers seat. From what I understand of the process they run these guys pretty hard this time of year because the spring thaw really softens up the roads. So this time of year they run the trucks as much as possible at night when the temps are cold to prevent tearing up the road.

After taking pictures of the wreck I traveled up to Telos Bridge for some pictures of the Cribworks. The gentleman who I talked to at the wreck had come up to see how bad it was. He told me I had about 45 minutes to get back to the site or I would be stuck on the Golden Road for a few hours while the truck was right sided. As I reached the section of the Golden Road just north of area where Millinocket Lake and Ambajesus Lake are separated by road I passed the crane that was headed out to the accident site.

After seeing the show I have a new found respect for what I was saw three years ago. I hope you enjoy what little I have to share of they day I crossed paths with American Loggers.

Tony

3/22/2009 Maine Maple Sunday

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:15:00 +0000

Maple Sunday has become an institution here in Maine and having grown up in the Greater Portland Area I have never taken part in the event. I seem to remember that some sugar houses were open to the public when I was a young lad, but there was never anything as organized until after I graduated from college. This year Renee and I decided it would be fun to put the kids in the station wagon and head out to take part in the adventure.

As you can see from the picture above there were plenty of cars and people waiting to get into Smith's Farm on the Chute Road in Windham. One attendee fell victim to the soft shoulder he parked his car on and had to call a tow truck to pull him out of the sinkhole created by the weight of his car. I love mud season.

As always, Camden is good for a funny face picture.

Madilyn walked with Mom, Dad and Camden for about a half a mile from where we parked in order to wait 45 minutes to have pancakes and bacon with Smith Farm syrup. Needless to say Renee and I had to take turns holding her. I just love my little cuddle buddy.

After Renee, Cam and Madi ate brunch (Diabetic Dad cannot have tasty pancakes and Bacon with Syrup) we took a walk around the farm. It should be noted that after a 45 minute wait for pancakes, we did not wait for 45 minutes in the sugar shack tour line. Pictured above is a traditional maple tap and bucket. Now as much as I enjoyed my walk about the farm, have I mentioned how much I love mud? Especially when my kids are covered from head to toe in it?

This shot is one that I had to get. I wanted to show everyone a drop of the liquid that is the cause of all this madness. Timing the shot to get this one picture was an interesting feat in the adventures of point and shoot auto focus insanity, but persistence always pays off. When gallons of that magic liquid is boiled down to reduce it's water content the farmer and consumer are left with Maple Syrup. Liquid Gold!

Smith's Farm also had a variety of animal attractions for visitors to see. This picture taken on the back 40 of the property shows but a small sample of the large number of people who, like the Besseys, decided that the road was not to muddy for a little walk.

In this area there were caged pheasants, peacocks and this very social ostrich. I have never been around an ostrich before and I have to admit this bird was very engaging. You have to love an animal that can make a show out of finding and eating a worm.

Our last stop on the farm was to see this momma cow and her two calves. After a few minutes momma decided to get up and walk over toward her admirers and start eating straw. This was a big hit with the kids.

After years of avoidance, it was nice to finally find the time to get out to visit a farm. Next year I think we will head out to North Baldwin to the farm that does a Maple Syrup BBQ. Did I mention how much I love the mud?

Great Maple Sunday in my Ordinary Maine!

Tony

3/15/2009 Twitter

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Do you twitter? Twitter.com is an interesting website that can be used to share your thoughts with others. I am interested in the use of this and other web based communication sites to distribute information to the areas I serve as a professional Scouter. Within the last four months I have added to the use of my personal blog by using Facebook and Twitter.

We are currently working with some of our Scouts to develop new ways to communicate to our Scouts, Unit Leaders and District Volunteers during the course of the Scouting year. So far what I have learned about the use of both Facebook and Twitter has been pretty interesting.

If you would like to use these sites their addresses are www.facebook.com and www.twitter.com. If you want to find me on either of these sites you can search my name Tony Bessey. I twitter under tjbessey.

Great Communicating in Ordinary Maine!

Tony

3/8/2009 As time goes by...

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:22:00 +0000

It seems like only yesterday my little buddy was born. I took this picture of him running a head of me seeking his Independence and always looking to beat me to the next curb or driveway. It is only fitting that Camden will be going to school next year. Already five years have come and gone and even though I have many more to share with him I am realizing that he is eventually going to grow up. I think that was the whole point of "Puff the Magic Dragon." At this point it was just neat to realize that he is starting to find his own space in our world and it will be fun helping him do that.

Regular readers will note that this is my first post in some time. As a type 2 Diabetic I began having problems with my blood glucose levels as the new year began. That coupled with a busy work schedule and family life has kept me pretty busy. A few weeks ago I started a new medicine that is showing some real promising results. I am starting to get my energy back and expect that I will continue posting two to three times a week from here on out.

I also wanted to let everyone know that I have become a user of Facebook and Twitter. My work as a professional scouter calls for understanding and using new methods of communication to get information to the masses. In an effort to better understand these methods I have signed up for and started using accounts for each. I can be found on Facebook as Tony Bessey and Twitter as tjbessey. I hope you try these sites out too.

Tony

1/30/2009 Help out your local Fire Department

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:12:00 +0000

This time of year is very busy for Fire Fighters. Not only to they have their normal duties which include protecting you and your home, but winter places the additional burden of making sure that fire hydrants are cleared of snow so they can be used in an emergency.-Think about how many hydrants thier are in your neighborhood and realize there are many, many hydrants in this city.

Last year Camden asked me about the colorful sticks that he often found on fire hydrants. I explained that they were used by Fire Figthers to locate hydrants that were buried in the winter snow so they could be shoveled free. He then asked who did all that work? When I told him that firefighters often go out and shovel the hydrants he looked around and noted that was a lot of work.

As the first storm of the season beared down on us, Camden asked if we could help the firefighters? His current career aspiration is to be a police officer, but his maternal grandfather was a Fire Captain and he loves to stop by the Mechanic Street Station and see the Fire Trucks when we are out on our walks. I told him that we could make a big difference by adopting the hydrant up the street to shovel during the winter.

Now keep in mind, Camden just turned five last week and I knew I too, was making a commitment when he decided he wanted to adopt a hydrant. I know that fire fighters appreciate it when they go out on a shovel detail and they find hydrants maintained by the citizens. It lets them know they are appreciated and that the people they protect care about the job they do in the community. So after the next snowfall, take some time to shovel a hydrant near you and let a Fire Fighter know you appreciate their service.

Great Community Service!

Tony

1/29/2009 Norman Jonassen 1918 to 2009

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:50:00 +0000

Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and all around Great Guy.

Thanks Papa!

We love you!

1/18/2009 Sometimes I get one right.

tony@ordinarymaine.com (Tony Bessey) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:49:00 +0000

I have been waiting for the day when Camden would be old enough for Legos. I was hoping that this Christmas would be the time, but given that Madilyn only 2 we decided to ask Santa to hold off on Legos for a year. Well then Cousin Keith entered the picture and bought Camden as starter set anyway. His was not aware that we were trying to put off the use of these toys for another year. Anyway, Camden loves Legos.

Well he just happens to turn 5 this coming Friday and due to the long (and weather filled) weekend we decided to let him have his Birthday Legos early. I can tell you that is great fun to build these set and for the most part the sets of today are just as neat today as the were when I was a child (editor's note: Yes, I know many still think I am a child.).

Last night we worked on the motorcycle above. This one took quite a bit of time, but together we made it happen. Often times I would show Camden how to place the pieces, but he is pretty good at guessing where things go. He also knows how to ready the pictorial directions when I try to quiz him. That's pretty cool.

Today we took the time to build this car. Unlike last night, this project is 90% Camden and 10% dad. He actually put much of this together by looking at and following the directions. I only needed to help him in a few areas. In both cases, he really liked the end result.

If you are looking for good value in Lego type products, aim for the Lego Creator series as all sets have three very solid designs that you can work with you children on. That makes it very difficult for anyone to be board with such options. Oh, and I forgot. I love these thing too!

Great Joy for Quality Time with Family!

Tony