One last dash of summer

Something's coming!

The kids have been back in school for almost two weeks but this morning the weather reminded us for certain that summer was over. Before summer ended, however, Robert and I reached a goal we have been talking about for almost as long as we've lived in this house.

Our little boy loves trains, has loved trains for as long as he can remember. And while our fourth grader's days of watching Thomas the Tank Engine have been long left behind, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy trains around here.

There are train tracks about six blocks from our house, the perfect distance, in my estimation. They are close enough that you can hear trains blow their horns, but not very loudly. I wouldn't want to live much closer.

I don't remember whether Robert came up with the idea or I did, but at some point one of us heard a train whistle and thought it would be neat to go down to the tracks and watch it go by. And as we were riding bikes one day, it occurred to me that Robert was definitely capable of riding with me to go see one. And it's been our goal ever since, although for more than a year, we hadn't even attempted it.

Cate has started working an early morning shift, so I've been either with the kids all morning while working at home, or lately, making sure they get fed, dressed and out the door to school. In the last week before school started, Robert came downstairs to me in my office and said, "Dad, can we do something today?"

It was right around noon. Normally I would have to say that I couldn't, but the previous day Verizon had let me know that my contract was being cut by a little over two weeks. I'm a very loyal employee but was still reeling from that punch to the gut, so I was a little more open to, say, taking a long lunch. The train goal popped into my head, so we went out to the garage, made sure all of our bikes had enough air in the tires, and set them up, ready to go at a moment's notice near the garage door.

Satisfied we were ready to go, we went inside to wait. We were not waiting long, however. I hadn't even gotten my shoes off when I heard the first whistle of the train. That crossing point is almost two miles away, and the freight trains don't come through the neighborhoods very fast at all. I alerted Robert, who hadn't even heard it yet, and we sprang into action. Open the garage door, water bottle from the fridge, helmets, let Elizabeth know she was in charge of Colleen, and bolt.

Robert is one happy camper as the train goes by.

While we're riding, we get the ultimate reminders of our destination. The train horn sounds at three other crossings before it gets to ours, on Xerxes. Robert is saying, "it's getting closer!" and I'm certainly wishing he had a multi-speed bike so he could go faster, but he is pumping his little legs off. Three quarters of a mile, with a slow, gradual uphill grade and a busy intersection in between takes a 9-year-old a long time with one gear, but we end up making it in plenty of time. The train is still several blocks away when we get there.

We settled in a spot very close to the tracks, much closer than the cars' stop line. The train blew its horn as it approached our crossing and I acknowledged the drivers so they knew we weren't completely oblivious.

As the train went by, Robert marveled at how large it was. He hasn't been this close to a moving freight train in quite a while, and of course, it's bigger than the light rail train we've ridden to the ballgame. The train wasn't very long, and the show was over in a couple of minutes, but he loved it, so it was worth the trip. And the timing couldn't have been better.

Mission complete.

It's quiet

One of the worst things about working from home is summer, when the kids are off school and generally around the house a lot. The kids have done a good job respecting my office space and not coming in when I have the door closed. I don't usually have too many conference calls right now but who knows what they might interrupt by walking in, in addition to my concentration.

But this year we start the summer vacation off with Cate and the kids off for two weeks to visit her mom in Philadelphia. So it's definitely been quiet.

After a pretty depressing Monday I decided I wasn't going to work in my office downstairs for the rest of the time they're gone. It's functional but there are no windows, it's always a little cooler down there and I just couldn't stand the thought of being in a box for two weeks. So I'm sitting at the kitchen table, with easy access to the radio, a ceiling fan, windows and doors to open as the weather permits, that sort of thing. It's one thing to work in the box when Cate and the kids are around because I can always pop my head out, go upstairs and be social. But on Monday, of course, there was nobody to socialize with.

While they're gone, I've had thoughts about cleaning up the house (don't know how far I'll get, but I did start), doing the laundry, trying to get some yard work done, stuff like that. The winter coats can be cleaned and stowed for a couple months. I have easy access to the kitchen as well, which is a mixed blessing, but I'm cooking up jambalaya to eat tonight and freeze for future consideration. I've gotten to hang out with some friends and I still have Minnesota Chorale rehearsals. I'm also doing a singing workshop on Saturday, which I'm looking forward to, trying to extend the comfort zone.

It'll be strange not having the kids here for Fathers Day, but we knew that going in. It's more important for them to have time with their grandmother than with me right now and if we're flying four people halfway across the country, we need to get them their money's worth in terms of time.

So, yeah, look me up. I've got some free time!

Counting down the hours

No idea how many hours left before we get out, and I'm still supposed to be "at work" today, but we have at least a half a ton of stuff to do.

Plugging away. Living room is full of boxes. Ceilings in bedrooms still could stand to be painted. Car needs to be inspected. I need a trip to the bank for the business. And all sorts of offloading items from the house to the storage POD.

Sigh.

Someone's hungry

Cate had to leave for work before finishing her dinner. Colleen had no problem finishing it for her!

It's about time!

At the Verizon location where I'm working these days, bikes are not allowed in the building, so it's fairly clear how many people bike to work by how many bikes are in the rack.

When I've biked in so far, about three-quarters of the time I've had the only bike in the rack of our garage, which serves about 600 people. The rest of the time there's been one other.

But on Tuesday, when I biked in, I was the third bike in the rack. Maybe we're getting somewhere.

The list

I worked some long hours last weekend on the U.S. Open and took today as comp time, hoping we could jump-start our effort to get out the door the first week of August.

It got started yesterday; while I was at work, when Cate worked up a handful of boxes in attacking the kids' rooms. And we got even further today.

Started in the kitchen, which is a room we have barely touched, aside from replacing the refrigerator. Two bags and several boxes of trash, four or so boxes packed. Knick-knacks boxed, wine glasses washed and packed, cookbooks boxed, some appliances taken out.

I took the curious fingers out with me on errands so Cate could get some painting done. We (and by we I mean she) finally painted over the tropical scene in the basement family room -- with just primer on it at the moment the room is already much brighter. Also primed over some of the kids' ... ahem ... artwork upstairs.

Cate also categorized the kids' books in their bedrooms, whittling them down to what will get them through the next month.

I was also sent out for an emergency birthday present for Elizabeth's classmate down the street, who had a party at 4. (Elizabeth was invited at 1.)

We took out cabinets from the basement, chairs from around the kitchen table. Not much cleaning of the kitchen and none of the floor, since we'll be replacing it.

After dinner, back to the kitchen. Cleaned off the hutch and took out another bag of trash. More knick-knacks, dishes, dusting ...

And no dust-ups. We survived the day.

Apparently, I'm a columnist

I know I'm not much of a reporter, anyway, but I can occasionally write a column. Sometimes they're even good.

Not going to claim this one is, but I have a new Verizon column up. Not even about sports. I think I'm in better shape staying away from sports writing, believe it or not.

I figure my dedicated fan base ... err, fan ... has long since stopped checking for weekly columns from me, so I'm just letting you know.