Nephew Andrew (pirate) and niece Aubrey (ladybug)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween
We had these two special trick-or-treaters stop by tonight. Hope you all had a fun Halloween!
Nephew Andrew (pirate) and niece Aubrey (ladybug)
Nephew Andrew (pirate) and niece Aubrey (ladybug)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Building Momentum...and Patience.
So a few weeks ago I announced that we were about to embark on the biggest DIY project of our lives, building our very own home. Exciting, right? As you can imagine, we have been eager to get started. It didn't take long however before we realized how much is actually involved in the process, especially at the beginning. At times it has been more of a hurry up and wait process (wait on the architect, wait on the builder, wait on the permits, wait on the weather) than a let's get started scenario. Here's a basic run-down of our "have done" list so far:
One of the biggest reasons why we won't likely get started this year is because of a possible addition to our site plans - either these or perhaps (if I get my way) this. Because both of these systems are relatively new technology, we want to make sure we do our homework. We also need to get a really firm idea of whether or not our budget will allow for these additions. That, in addition to getting site reviews, price quotes, plans and eventually permits will take (you guessed it) more time! So for now, we are putting our patient faces on (this is hard for me) and taking it slow. Let's just hope we have a mild winter this year because next spring can't come soon enough!
- found a house plan and layout that we used as our starting point
- hired an architect
- worked with the architect to review, revise (many times) and finalize the house plan
- applied for and received an official address
- removed a few trees (tear) where the driveway will go
- hired an engineer to survey the property and complete a percolation test for septic
- prepared plans for submission to town for approval and permits
- realized we might have more to add (see below) to those permits
One of the biggest reasons why we won't likely get started this year is because of a possible addition to our site plans - either these or perhaps (if I get my way) this. Because both of these systems are relatively new technology, we want to make sure we do our homework. We also need to get a really firm idea of whether or not our budget will allow for these additions. That, in addition to getting site reviews, price quotes, plans and eventually permits will take (you guessed it) more time! So for now, we are putting our patient faces on (this is hard for me) and taking it slow. Let's just hope we have a mild winter this year because next spring can't come soon enough!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Portland, Maine: Part II
Oh my, the week got away from me and I never got this post up! When you have a "two part" post, you shouldn't wait more than a week before posting part two...sorry! My excuse is that I was in West Virginia this week for work. So, if you haven't read it yet, be sure to check out Maine...Portland, Maine before reading on. That post will give you some background on what brought us to the beautiful state of Maine in the first place.
The NEMO U007 conference wrapped up on Friday, October 1st and as others made their way home via road, rail or air, I was settling in for another few days in Portland. The rest of the Chadwick clan weren't far behind. James and Summit, my parents, my brother Curt, his wife Mandy, their two kids Andrew and Aubrey and their dog Jax all found their way up to Maine for a weekend of family fun.
We settled into a cute rental in South Portland, right near Willard Beach. The house was perfect for us - with six adults, two children and two dogs, I'm not sure we would have fit anywhere else!
On Saturday, we got up early and made breakfast then headed out to explore Portland. We walked the streets of the Old Port, experienced the islands of Casco Bay by boat, chowed on some "lobsta" at the Portland Lobster Company and made our way up to Freeport to the L.L.Bean metropolis (and ran into Dr. McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy in the process).
It was a spectacular day, the weather couldn't have been nicer. We spent the evening at Willard Beach where the dogs spent a blissful hour romping in the sand, meeting new doggie friends and taking in some salty sea water. Saturday night we cooked up a big spaghetti dinner so that dad and I could carbo-load for the next morning...because we would be running the Maine Marathon (me) and Half Marathon (dad)!
We headed to bed early to get some sleep before the race only to be woke at 12:30 AM by the sounds of a canine in distress! A whimpering, whining, pacing mess of a dog. Something was seriously wrong with Summit, but it was hard to tell exactly what it was. Needless to say, neither Summit or I got another wink of sleep that night. We both "woke" up the next morning feeling less than rested and totally stressed out. Not a great way to start 26.2 miles. By the time we had to leave for the race, Summit was feeling worse than ever and I was already starting to feel the effects of only getting two and a half hours of sleep and the stress of dealing with a "child" in pain.
My mom dropped Dad and I off at the start and from the very beginning I wasn't really into the task at hand. Usually for big races like a marathon, I spend months preparing and weeks in advance thinking about race strategy. Considering I decided to run this race three weeks prior to the event, there wasn't much time for prepping and given my busy schedule at work, there wasn't much thought that went into the race either. It just snuck up on me and before I could think about a strategy, my legs were running and my mind was still on Summit.
Race Report
Dad did great in his first half marathon and I think he really enjoyed himself! I was so proud. I think a marathon may be in his future. My race finished up fine, despite my general disinterest in the task (yes, this is totally unlike me). I ended up running 11 minutes faster than my last marathon, but still much slower overall than I was hoping for. It may have had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't train properly for it. I suffered a little in the last few miles, but overall the race was pain-free. The amazing thing is that I was ready to run again three days after the race! In the past, that would have never happened. Besides the normal aches, pains and post-race hobble, I was perfectly fine! No knee pain, no back pain, no foot pain. I attribute all of that to these. My running life has been turned completely around by these funny looking shoes. As you can see in the photo below, I didn't wear them in the marathon (I wore racing flats which are just a step up from VFFs) because I thought maybe I needed a little more protection over 26.2 miles, but in the end, I think I should have just worn them. The flats didn't do much for me (except make me lose a toenail) and I think my feet/calves/legs were ready for the challenge. Now all I have to do is figure out how to keep my feet warm during my winter runs!!
Summit Report
The four hour car ride home was uncomfortable for both me and Summit but I think it was worse for her. As I mentioned above, when we left the house for the race she was is complete distress. She couldn't sit down or lay down and whimpered every time you went near her. After some online research we discovered that she had an overuse injury often referred to as "broken tail" or "dead tail." We went to the vet to confirm the injury and indeed Summit's pain was directly related to the fact that she wagged it too much. Seriously!! The vet gave us some medication for her and within a week she (and her usually perky tail) were back to normal. Phew, what a relief!
I assure you, that is NOT her normal tail!
The NEMO U007 conference wrapped up on Friday, October 1st and as others made their way home via road, rail or air, I was settling in for another few days in Portland. The rest of the Chadwick clan weren't far behind. James and Summit, my parents, my brother Curt, his wife Mandy, their two kids Andrew and Aubrey and their dog Jax all found their way up to Maine for a weekend of family fun.
We settled into a cute rental in South Portland, right near Willard Beach. The house was perfect for us - with six adults, two children and two dogs, I'm not sure we would have fit anywhere else!
On Saturday, we got up early and made breakfast then headed out to explore Portland. We walked the streets of the Old Port, experienced the islands of Casco Bay by boat, chowed on some "lobsta" at the Portland Lobster Company and made our way up to Freeport to the L.L.Bean metropolis (and ran into Dr. McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy in the process).
It was a spectacular day, the weather couldn't have been nicer. We spent the evening at Willard Beach where the dogs spent a blissful hour romping in the sand, meeting new doggie friends and taking in some salty sea water. Saturday night we cooked up a big spaghetti dinner so that dad and I could carbo-load for the next morning...because we would be running the Maine Marathon (me) and Half Marathon (dad)!
My mom dropped Dad and I off at the start and from the very beginning I wasn't really into the task at hand. Usually for big races like a marathon, I spend months preparing and weeks in advance thinking about race strategy. Considering I decided to run this race three weeks prior to the event, there wasn't much time for prepping and given my busy schedule at work, there wasn't much thought that went into the race either. It just snuck up on me and before I could think about a strategy, my legs were running and my mind was still on Summit.
Race Report
Dad did great in his first half marathon and I think he really enjoyed himself! I was so proud. I think a marathon may be in his future. My race finished up fine, despite my general disinterest in the task (yes, this is totally unlike me). I ended up running 11 minutes faster than my last marathon, but still much slower overall than I was hoping for. It may have had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't train properly for it. I suffered a little in the last few miles, but overall the race was pain-free. The amazing thing is that I was ready to run again three days after the race! In the past, that would have never happened. Besides the normal aches, pains and post-race hobble, I was perfectly fine! No knee pain, no back pain, no foot pain. I attribute all of that to these. My running life has been turned completely around by these funny looking shoes. As you can see in the photo below, I didn't wear them in the marathon (I wore racing flats which are just a step up from VFFs) because I thought maybe I needed a little more protection over 26.2 miles, but in the end, I think I should have just worn them. The flats didn't do much for me (except make me lose a toenail) and I think my feet/calves/legs were ready for the challenge. Now all I have to do is figure out how to keep my feet warm during my winter runs!!
Summit Report
The four hour car ride home was uncomfortable for both me and Summit but I think it was worse for her. As I mentioned above, when we left the house for the race she was is complete distress. She couldn't sit down or lay down and whimpered every time you went near her. After some online research we discovered that she had an overuse injury often referred to as "broken tail" or "dead tail." We went to the vet to confirm the injury and indeed Summit's pain was directly related to the fact that she wagged it too much. Seriously!! The vet gave us some medication for her and within a week she (and her usually perky tail) were back to normal. Phew, what a relief!
I assure you, that is NOT her normal tail!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Maine. Portland, Maine. Part I
Last week was NEMO Univeristy 7, or NEMO U007. NEMO is a program within the organization I work for (NEMO stands for Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) that educates local land use officials about the relationship between land use practices and natural resource protection so that our cities and towns can balance healthy growth with protecting our water and land resources. If that sounded like a mouthful, just trust me, this is very important work. The Connecticut NEMO program was created in 1991 at the University of Connecticut and since then, over 30 states have created similar programs nationwide. Together, they make up the National NEMO Network. Personally, I think it's pretty snazzy that it was all started in our little state of Connecticut. Because CT is the "Hub" of the Network, we are responsible for organizing the Network-wide conference. NEMO Universities are held every two years and provide opportunities for NEMO program leaders, partners, funders and friends to network with one another, share successful approaches and learn about new technologies (this is where I come in) and techniques.
NEMO U6 in Monterey, CA, 2008
NEMO U's are guaranteed fun and always have a theme attached to them. For example, NEMO U4 was called "NEMO U4ia" and had a hippie vibe (we didn't have to work hard at that), NEMO U5 was called "Cinco de NEMO" and had a Mexican theme. You get the idea. NEMO U007 was...you may have guessed it...Bond, James Bond. In the spirit of it all, we had secret agent attire and spy gear to enjoy throughout the conference. I'm pretty sure NEMO U's are like no other conference out there, they are simply a ton of fun and always held in the best locations. This year, it was in Maine....Portland, Maine to be exact.
The conference was held at the Portland Regency Hotel. The Regency is one of the oldest and nicest hotels in the city and is located right in the heart of the "Old Port" district where all of the streets are cobblestone and the streetscape is filled with wonderful restaurants, shops and galleries.
Here's a few shots of me helping with conference registration. I don't think the older hotel guests who were not affiliated with NEMO U really understood the Bond theme but I tried to get them excited anyway. Like my spy glasses? Betcha didn't even know it was me.
I did have some real responsibilities at this conference. My colleague Emily and I ran a workshop titled, "Never Say Never: You Too Can Create Cool Web Maps" where we taught participants how to utilize Google Maps and Google Earth to create and embed maps for their websites.
NEMO U's always have lots of time built into the schedule for fun outings. Here's a shot of the conference goers enjoying a boat ride in Casco Bay. Can you pick me out of the first picture? Those spy glasses came in handy for blending in! The boat ride was wonderful and the sunset on the Bay was just spectacular.
On another night we took yet another boat ride to Peaks Island in Casco Bay for a good old fashioned lobster bake. You can't come to Maine and not eat lobster - well, that is unless your a veg head like me, then you eat veggie burgers...mmm. Still, it was fun watching everyone enjoy their lobster bibs.
As part of the conference we took part in a walking tour of Portland where we navigated the city looking for sustainable practices such as Low Impact Development (LID). Here are just a few of the stops along the way.
Rain garden (L) and community garden (R)
Green roof (L) and pervious pavement (R)
It turned out to be a great way to see the city and low and behold, we even came across the Maine Marathon FINISH line on our walk...just perfect for my practice run across the line. Can you guess where this story goes from here? You'll just have to stick around for Portland, Maine, Part II to hear about the rest of the week in Maine. I'll give you a sneak peek...it includes seven other Chadwick family members and one 26.2 mile run. Check back soon!
Cue "Chariots of Fire"
NEMO U6 in Monterey, CA, 2008
NEMO U's are guaranteed fun and always have a theme attached to them. For example, NEMO U4 was called "NEMO U4ia" and had a hippie vibe (we didn't have to work hard at that), NEMO U5 was called "Cinco de NEMO" and had a Mexican theme. You get the idea. NEMO U007 was...you may have guessed it...Bond, James Bond. In the spirit of it all, we had secret agent attire and spy gear to enjoy throughout the conference. I'm pretty sure NEMO U's are like no other conference out there, they are simply a ton of fun and always held in the best locations. This year, it was in Maine....Portland, Maine to be exact.
The conference was held at the Portland Regency Hotel. The Regency is one of the oldest and nicest hotels in the city and is located right in the heart of the "Old Port" district where all of the streets are cobblestone and the streetscape is filled with wonderful restaurants, shops and galleries.
Here's a few shots of me helping with conference registration. I don't think the older hotel guests who were not affiliated with NEMO U really understood the Bond theme but I tried to get them excited anyway. Like my spy glasses? Betcha didn't even know it was me.
I did have some real responsibilities at this conference. My colleague Emily and I ran a workshop titled, "Never Say Never: You Too Can Create Cool Web Maps" where we taught participants how to utilize Google Maps and Google Earth to create and embed maps for their websites.
NEMO U's always have lots of time built into the schedule for fun outings. Here's a shot of the conference goers enjoying a boat ride in Casco Bay. Can you pick me out of the first picture? Those spy glasses came in handy for blending in! The boat ride was wonderful and the sunset on the Bay was just spectacular.
On another night we took yet another boat ride to Peaks Island in Casco Bay for a good old fashioned lobster bake. You can't come to Maine and not eat lobster - well, that is unless your a veg head like me, then you eat veggie burgers...mmm. Still, it was fun watching everyone enjoy their lobster bibs.
As part of the conference we took part in a walking tour of Portland where we navigated the city looking for sustainable practices such as Low Impact Development (LID). Here are just a few of the stops along the way.
Rain garden (L) and community garden (R)
Green roof (L) and pervious pavement (R)
It turned out to be a great way to see the city and low and behold, we even came across the Maine Marathon FINISH line on our walk...just perfect for my practice run across the line. Can you guess where this story goes from here? You'll just have to stick around for Portland, Maine, Part II to hear about the rest of the week in Maine. I'll give you a sneak peek...it includes seven other Chadwick family members and one 26.2 mile run. Check back soon!
Cue "Chariots of Fire"
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