So long summer ...

I hate to be a downer, but summer officially ends tomorrow with the return of 5-day workweeks in Frederick County Public Schools. Friday's just won't be the same, but it was great to have a bunch of 3-day weekends. Somehow, it was not so much of a chore to deal with the lawn (keep your "it's just a townhouse lawn" comments to yourself)

The management of the blog would like to apologize for the time lapse between postings - we've been busy with:

• swimming - Lilly's is almost a swimmer ...
• bike-riding - we took off the training wheels, but then aborted the experiment and put them back on
• an impromptu trip to Dutch Wonderland; Perfect weather, minimal crowds and an easy drive each way. The diving show with the "frogs" and princess was pretty amazing. And to wrap up the day, while driving home we made a pit stop at Sonic for snack. It was our first trip ever to Sonic - the food was OK, but it was cool to see a guy on roller blades deliver the food to our car. Besides Lancaster, PA and Bridgeville, DE, are there any other Sonic establishments around?

The girls are going to milk summer for a bit more fun - a beach trip to see family in NJ, and then Lilly has a soccer camp on tap (with Brits, no less).

By the way, we're selling some Raven tickets - holler if you are interested.

Back and better than ever

The blog took a few days off between the OC vacation and today.We spent part of Monday celebrating my sister's birthday and visiting Izzy. This week also included returning to work in Thurmont and rekindling old friendships with two favorite dining establishments - Bollinger's and Rocky's. (Is there any connection to my doctor telling me at Tuesday's appointment to adjust my eating habits?)

Today was yet another FCPS-created long weekend. Fridays off through most of the summer is great. I golfed 9 holes with my dad today before the rain arrived.

I must give props to Pam and tonight's dinner-crock pot pulled BBQ. I was teased by the aroma for hours this afternoon, and the meal did not disappoint!

Saturday and Sunday are wide open - there is a 50-50 chance that I will be very productive, or stir up some trouble.

Any predictions?

Food, Glorious Food

Wednesday - All-You-Can-Eat crabs at Higgins; dessert at Dumser's

Thursday - lunch at Smitty McGee's; dinner at Dough Roller on the Boardwalk; junk food at every turn as we made the rounds

Friday - dinner at Waterman's; dessert at Dairy Queen

Saturday - breakfast at Dough Roller ... perhaps a night time trip to Candy Kitchen or Fisher's.

Sunday - a day of food rest

Monday - back to the gym

Live from Ocean City, It's Tuesday Night!

I don't know if it was a burnt offering, or just good clean livin', bur we have made out GREAT so far with weather here in OC. We came down on Sunday AM (before our 3:00 pm check-in) and enjoyed clear blue skies. Monday was more of the same, maybe a bit warmer.

(At this point, many of you may be saying "Marty, we already know this - Pam stole your Facebook account and blabbed that to everyone.")

When we got up this morning, it was raining - A LOT. I was due on the golf course at 8:30 am ... along with my brand new / old iron set. We set out to the course - about 15 minutes from the condo. When we turned onto the driveway of the course, the rain stopped. And it did not come back for the duration of the round. Decent weather ... occasionally decent golf.

The sun then decided to come out for good around noon. We got in three hours of beach time, and then headed upstairs.

But the information that inquiring blog followers want to know is "What have you eaten at the beach?" Ask, and ye shall receive:

Sunday - dinner at Tequila Mockingbird

Monday - dinner at Grotto Pizza ... the Lewes, DE "Grand Slam" location

Monday - dessert carry-out from Dumser's Dairyland

Tuesday - brunch after golf at Layton's on 92nd

More to follow ... the week is still young.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

My summer vacation, so far ...

1. I got a new set of golf clubs - just the irons. Nothing fancy - I bought a used set from a second-hand shop. Those of you in the know are aware that I am not a very accomplished golfer. My father is a pretty accomplished golfer, and has been kind enough to send my way clubs, balls, bags and advice in an attempt to better my game. To date, not much to show for the effort.

Rewind to last Friday - the golf outing in DE with my father-in-law Jim. With his mathematical and engineering brain power, he spent the day analyzing my game and said to me at one point, "Marty, your swing is OK. Your set up is OK. I think it's the clubs."

My clubs are from my dad ... those clubs were custom fit for a man of his height, not mine. Those of you in the know are probably laughing at that mental picture. By the way, does anyone know a good chiropractor?

I was slightly embarrassed that I never came to that realization - I was convinced that all of the bad golf was just my fault.

Now I could blame David. (just kidding).

So I took the new clubs to to the range today and ... not to shabby. I'm actually looking forward to our two rounds this week in Ocean City.

2. I got a pedicure. Pam was leading the chorus of "Your ogre toes will scare people on the beach." So, we sat in side-by-side chairs at the nail shop. Oh the carnage ... oh the inhumanity ... I'm not talking about the pedicure, but rather watching Tiger Woods on the TV in the nail shop. My day was better than his, and I was being jabbed and stabbed by a stranger with metal tools. By the way, the toes look pretty good.

3. Paul Blart - not very funny. We watched it last night. One of us fell asleep. The other one was jealous.


Must finish packing ... me and my ogre toes are hitting the beach tomorrow.

Read this - it's unbelievable!

Keeping body in fridge is legal, officials say - baltimoresun.com

Just Another Manic Monday

Quick trivia - Can anyone name the band that sings the aforementioned song, and/or any members of the band? Click here for the answer.

Now here's the funny part ... the band was four people, then had a break up. Three of the original members returned. The new, fourth member is named Michael Steele - a white woman, not to be confused with the black, male, former-lieutenant-governor of Maryland.

Sticking with the unnamed band for a bit longer, another member of the band made an appearance in all three Austin Powers flicks ... as a member of Austin's band "Ming Tea." The last two original members are sisters.

Coming back from the 1980's to the present, I had set out to write and complain about today being a Monday - a manic Monday ... see the connection?

I complain because:

1. for the next three days, there are no sports on TV ... the baseball All-Star game does not count.
   
2. without a remote control that works, I have to do crunches from the front seat of my car in order to change the Sirius radio receiver.
   
3. because I cannot get a definitive answer if today is National French Fry Day, and/or National Beans-n-Franks Day. I'd prefer the fries, although beans and franks sounds funnier, especially in this clip.

I suppose it could be both ... makes you wonder if tomorrow is National Antacid Day?

Have a good day, and if you get some free time, walk like an Egyptian.

Friday Greetings from Lewes

Cutting to the chase:

1. Golf was fun. Hi-lights included a par on the Par 3 17th, and a really good hot dog. Many thanks to my father in law for using his free golf voucher on our round today.

2. We got home from golf and were greeted by a 5-year-old (my 5-year-old) who was ready to head to the pool. It's summer, and I had the day to golf, so I rallied with my sun burned neck and headed off for a swim. Lilly is getting pretty brave in the water ... trying to swim, dunking her head, doing "cannon balls." We played and splashed - it was fun.

3. When we spend weekends in Lewes, we hardly lift a finger. Dinners are cooked for us, and the beverages are plentiful and free-flowing. In the morning, the Flavia coffee is fired up and ready.

4. It's "Happy Anniversary" #5 for Heather and Ross. Yes, I'm shocked too. Heather is a saint.

5. With Saturday and Sunday still ahead of us, the question is: Will the Rochlin family spend more money at the outlets, or on Grotto Pizza?

Shabbat Shalom!

Golf spelled backwards is ...

FLOG - which is what I might do to myself if this foray into golf takes a turn for the worse (or worse-er, whichever is most appropriate for a bad golfer).

I hit a bucket of golf balls today - more of them went airborne and straight than went into the ground right in front of me. I have a round coming up on Friday, and then two more while on vacation in Ocean City. Talk about a reason to drink ...

I have decided that golf is maddening for most people - just look at the titles of many golf books on the shelves at Amazon.com:

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Golf Book: 101 Great Stories from the Course and the Clubhouse - if there is a "Chicken Soup" book on a topic, head the other direction. When a hobby leads to your soul needing soup, that's a problem.

Golf Digest's Ultimate Drill Book: Over 120 Drills That Are Guaranteed to Improve Every Aspect of Your Game and Lower Your Handicap - Holy Red Flag! When a book talks about drills (think about math flash cards) and handicaps, run away! And by the way, when the title boasts "over 120," what number are we talking about - 121? 954? Be specific, please.

Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game - Seriously? As if mastering the swing isn't enough?

Lost Balls: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies - Enough said. Sounds like a night of drinking during college.

The Fundamentals of Quitting Golf - This game must be pretty complex if there is a book telling you how to quit.

Tune in next blog for an update on Friday's golf round, and other happenings from the Rochlin weekend in Lewes, DE at Casa de McDonald.

FORE!

Finally Getting Some Recognition

When you think of "overshadowed" or "under-appreciated," what comes to mind?

I think of:

• Pizza from the Costco Cafe
• The 1989 "Why Not?" Baltimore Orioles
• Being bald and never worrying about a bad hair day

Let's add one more to the list - being July 5. Does anyone care about this day? It's a day for cleaning up after a BBQ, recovering from a late night / hangover, and getting on with the rest of summer.

Did you know that on July 5, in history:

• The bikini made its debut in Paris - 1946
• Huey Lewis was born - 1950
• Arthur Ashe won the Wimbledon tennis championship - 1975
• Dolly the cloned sheep was born - 1996
  

Join me in the quest to give July 5 its just desserts!

(By the way, July 5 is also National Apple Turnover Day. Bon appetite!)

PS - We had a fun and festive 4th ... many thanks to the Charkatz family for their pool, food, drink and a special invite-only fireworks show.

The Concierge

Greetings and salutations ... the holiday weekend is close at hand, and with it comes cook outs and vacations and pool parties. I still laugh out loud at the thought of Lilly trying to learn to say "Happy Fourth of July!" Can't you just hear it? A kid with a mostly toothless grin announcing to everyone she saw "Happy Fuh - lie."


The blog has a handful of staunch supporters. Some do more than simply read. Others perform essential functions that give the blog material. Tonight, we celebrate "Pop" - Lilly's grandfather and my dad, David.

We often joke that Pop isn't retired - his job is to wait for phone calls when we need something. Today, it was semi-serious (Serious would be a phone call asking Pop to bring a lunch to Lilly at school because her parents forgot to pack and send one, or asking Pop to spend the bulk of two different days waiting at our house for Sears repair technicians to come and NOT fix our appliances).


Today, Pam needed to unexpectedly drive our niece to meet her father ... Natalie came down with something during her visit here, so she headed home a day early to be able to see her doctor. Pam drove to meet Glen near the Delaware Memorial Bridge.


All of this is supposed to happen while Lilly has dance class at 5:00 pm. I was involved in packing up my office and could not get away from school easily. What would we do?


Pam said she would call me back - that meant a call to Pop. When Pam called back, Pop had been booked. He'd come get Lilly and take her to class - then I'd take over.


Whew!


But wait - what about the shoes? Pam remembered that Lilly needed new shoes for dance class. The plan called for me to meet Pop and Lilly at the shoe store and then take Lilly to class.


Whew again!


As I am driving out of Frederick to meet Lilly and Pop, Pam calls - there's a new plan. Shoestore 1 does not have the shoes; Shoestore 2 does, and it is holding the shoes for us. I couldn't make it there in time ... but Pop could!


Pop and Lilly (keep in mind that Lilly is in full dance gear) headed to the mall.


They pull in to the dance studio parking lot around 4:40 pm. Lilly comes out of the back seat - chocolate donut in hand. Pop walks to me and hands me a dance bag, a bag of new shoes, a blue Gatorade and a handful of napkins.

If that wasn't enough of a bail out, Grammy and Pop picked up KFC for us all for dinner at their house, and then they kept Lilly for a sleepover.

And before you get any ideas, Pop is not for hire. By the time he's finished fetching for Lilly (and Pam and me) he'll be running across town for Isabella.

Good thing he didn't retire.

Oh my aching back!

A glimpse inside of the trials and tribulations of my world ...


I'm was putting away laundry after Lilly FINALLY went to bed ... she cried and yelled and hollered and growled about being sent to bed (she had pushed her luck one too many times about baking cupcakes). Somehow through all of the antics we made it to the bathroom, got teeth brushed, pajamas on, and into bed - clutching three pancake bears very tightly.


Pam calls from the garage that I need to come to the car ... she had just returned from taking our niece to Rita's for a sweet treat. I seems the power seat was acting up - I tried to fiddle with it and got stuck in the forward-most position. Not comfortable unless you are very flexible.

Long story short, we rushed the car over to the dealer's night-drop and borrowed a car from Dennis - our hero! (While he's on injured reserve, there's an extra car in his driveway.)

USA soccer lost, the O's have lost 2 in a row ... isn't football season around the corner?

Adios.

Weekend Update

Bringing you all the news that's fit to blog from the weekend ...


I attended the O's game on Friday night with my dad. It should be noted that I was supposed to attend the game with my daughter, but she dropped me in a blink when she got a better offer (an Alice In Wonderland birthday for Jillian). Anyway, we saw Boog Powell as he was heading from the Warehouse to the bbq stand. He likes to cook - and eat. We sat in seats 2 and 3 in Section 45. All day long, I wondered how we wound up with those seats ... who bought just seat number 1? The answer soon revealed itself - there was no seat 1.


Now, I know that buildings will avoid a 13th floor, but the first seat in a row? Who is afraid of the number one?


As I write this, it is the morning after our niece's end-of -the year dance recital. She was great - best in the show if you ask me. There was no Hora, but there was one surprise - or rather, three surprises. After the show, the dance studio instructor came out on stage to over some remarks and awards. She then introduced her staff, which included three daughters - who just happen to be three of the tallest women you will ever see. Made me wonder - look what I found on-line.

So, that got me thinking ... what organization is out there to support me? Click and see:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Your feedback is welcome.

More to follow upon our return to Maryland.

See ya!

PS - Welcome home Dennis!

Everything Old Is New Again

With a musical introduction from Barenaked Ladies, I write today about returning to one's roots - sort of.


On Thursday, I learned that I had been transferred from Crestwood Middle School to Thurmont Middle School. The move is bittersweet - while I will miss the staff and community that made up Crestwood, I look forward to a new opportunity. I am flattered by some of the kind words and notes that were passed on to me today, and I hope to contribute to the Thurmont school community. The Thurmont folks have been gracious in welcoming me to the team.


This is not the first time that I have worked in Thurmont. I worked as a staff member from 1992-2003 at Camp Airy. Summers at Airy began for me in July of 1984. It was my love of Airy that led me to a career in education - how else could I have summers off? I went from camper to trainee to counselor, and later to a stint as one of the directors. I grew up there, and learned about friendship, service and loyalty. I made life-long friends there - old and young, American and Brit (and West Virginian).


Speaking of life-long friends, I made many at Crestwood. I affectionately refer to them sometimes as my "handlers;" they accepted me on Day 1 in July 2004 and haven't wavered. They inspired me every day - they made coming to work a privilege, and they taught me so much. They are always up for a good meal. That's a tradition we will hopefully sustain.

So, the new place is really an old place. I leave behind friends and head to a place where I first learned to make friends. I am eager to see what else there is to be learned, and what new traditions are there for the celebration.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Is it just me, or does it seem ironic and/or odd that I took Lilly to get a hair cut tonight?

While you ponder that one, I've got something else for you. I attended a workshop today on gang awareness and gang prevention in schools. The morning speakers came from various Frederick County agencies (police, social services, health department), and the keynote speaker was a man from New York. With a heavy accent and little concern for using profanity, he told a bunch of stories. One of the best can be found by clicking here.

It seems like we have a big decision to make for Lilly. I know who can we ask for help ...

I've read through a number of blogs to see what makes one stand out ... some have surveys, or top lists, or political commentary. I'll head in the direction of what I know best - FOOD.

June 24 is National Pralines Day (no kidding). Tell the truth - who has no idea what a praline is?
Have a look at this link if you don't know - and be sure to thank Aunt Sally!

Speaking of hair, consider this: What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

Aloha

May the workforce be with you

I'm sure there is some TV sitcom episode - from "The Simpsons" or "Seinfeld" or "The Office" that hits on this, but it boggles my mind how some people at work can be totally clueless.

For instance, the guy at my meeting today. We had a administrative meeting with the Superintendent today - all principals, APs and other manager-types. It's the equivalent of the
State of the Union address, minus the national TV coverage. Anyhow, everyone knows to mind their P's and Q's, and be on time, and sit near the front, and pay attention.

Except for the guy on his laptop for the WHOLE meeting. I could see it all - first it was email, then some test score data crunching, then ESPN ... I could look the other way if he was texting, or just doodling, or even sleeping. But the laptop was a bit over the top

I can hear you saying, "Marty - you're a goody-goody - get over it." I get that, but I think I'm just miffed that someone would be so blatant in their act of not paying attention.

Other blatant, dumb workplace things include:

• the one dummy that reheats seafood in the microwave ... and/or burns the bag of popcorn
  
• the ding dong that parks so close to your car that you almost can't squeeze in at the end of the day - the white lines are there for a reason
  
• the person that always clicks "Reply All" on email ... we don't care

And my biggest issue - the person that steals stuff out of the fridge ... this one really hits home - let me explain.

Almost five years ago, some friends at work surprised me and had Graeter's Ice Cream shipped to me at school . It's the best. I put the six pints in the staff lounge freezer around noon - when I went back to collect the cream at 3:30 pm, a pint had been pilfered.

I wanted to blow my top - get on the PA system and demand a return of my ice cream? But how would it look if one of the bosses rants and raves about missing ice cream? Talk about biting your tongue.

A few updates:

Dennis had his surgery yesterday - he's out of ICU today and on the mend.

Laura's keys have been returned, courtesy of a US Marshal (sort of).

Sean called me today - maybe I'll call back.

Just when you thought it was safe to get back on the Web ...

Thank you, thank you. It's good to be back.

Summer greetings to one and all, and a belated Happy Father's Day to the dads out there.

I appreciate how my girls celebrated me yesterday - breakfast at Bob Evans, Orioles tickets for Friday night, and a "Best Dad - hands down" t-shirt.

I give props to my mom, who gave my dad the best card - to paraphrase it, it read "Today is your special day. I'm OK with that, because the other 364 are for me."

Since last I blogged, I became an uncle. Isabella Paige is 10 days old today; Karen and Dimitry are proud parents. I look forward to spoiling / corrupting her as often as possible.

School's out for the summer - please click here for a musical interlude (enjoy, Karch). While I can't say that I have nine weeks off (well-deserved, I might add) like a classroom teacher, I do have Fridays off in exchange for a working a longer Monday-Thursday week. There are no kids around and it's not so bad. This week, I'll be at three meetings off-campus, and then back at school on Thursday to fold report cards and stuff envelopes. Contain your jealousy.

A few shout-outs before I have to get moving:

To Dennis, a loyal blog follower who lobbied for its return - have a restful day and an uneventful surgery. We'll see you soon.

To Laura, the president of the Eastern Shore blog fan club - we have your keys on the Crocs keychain.

To Sean, a person with a pure sunshine disposition- yes, I'll call you for golf; no, I'm not coming to camp.

Until later -

Marty