Camping

We went camping this weekend with friends Kevin, Heather and Greg as well as Sunapee and Bridger. This brought us back up North towards Mendocino, only not on the coast so with much nicer weather. We stayed in Hendy Woods (with about 100 other groups) which was pretty nice, especially for a last minute plan.

First order of business (well, second after lunch and a beer), was to bring the dogs to the river for a swim. Then we enjoyed the day setting up camp, cooking some steak, chicken, corn on the cob, playing cards and enjoying each other's company around the fire.

Sunapee is very confident with the river and had more success than he normally does in the ocean.







The hike to the river and the swimming definitely tired out Sunapee.


Kevin cooked and ate with what Heather calls his Crocodile Dundee knife.

Swimming and Diving

We took Sunapee on his first camping trip this weekend. The campsite search hinged on having a place where he could practice his swimming skills without the threat of waves. He is not the most graceful or efficient swimmer, but he swims enthusiastically. Most of the time, he swims almost frantically, making sure his head is out of the water - paws flailing above the surface. His other peculiar stamp on the swim is when he reaches the stick, he dives for it, looking like a very small polar bear.

In some of these videos you can hear us all laughing at his crazy stroke. In others, you can hear his snarfing for air.

Mendocino Weekend

Matt and I spent a long weekend in Mendocino to celebrate our first anniversary. We had a nice drive up, with a pit stop in Mill Valley so Matt could tutor and I played with Sunapee at the dog park. Also along the way, we stopped at the Marin Mazda/Subaru dealership to buy/install a dog gate in the wagon, allowing us to bring Sunapee's travel crate into the hotel and not have to traipse it in & out. Using our guidebook to having a dog in California, we had a burger lunch at an oceanside (and parking lot-side) grill with the Pee at our feet in Bodega Bay.

We stayed at one of the MacCallum House buildings and enjoyed a great room with a private patio and hot tub. Friday in Mendocino was clear and beautiful so we enjoyed a drink on the deck before dinner at the MacCallum House restaurant.

Saturday, Matt unfortunately woke up feeling ill, so he spent the day in bed napping, watching the Yankees and consuming saltines and ginger ale. I spent the day on our private deck reading and hanging out with the Pee.

View from MacCallum House deck Friday

Walking around town Saturday with Sunapee

Jews for Jesus?

Add this to the odd things you see in San Francisco, I just passed 4 people sporting "Jews for Jesus" t-shirts on the Embarcadero Muni station. Too bad they were too busy paying their fare to hand me a flier, as now I'm curious.

One year ago

Here's to the first great year.

Puppy Update

Sunapee is about 4 1/2 months old and growing faster than a weed. The change from when we first brought him home at 9 weeks is amazing. Life at home with puppy has improved and become significantly easier.

• Sunapee successfully completed 2 concurrent Puppy Kindergarten classes (we didn't want to risk under-training him) and is halfway through Puppy II (just one class now). I'm proud to say he is one of the star pupils and learns very quickly. Commands he knows now include:
• Sit (tho he doesn't quite get the command if he's already lying down)
  
• Down
• Stay (ok, this one is still a work in progress, but it's not bad)
• Wait (also new, but he's good at it)
• Let's Go! (walk with me)
• Heel! (walk RIGHT next to me)
• Gentle (take this treat but leave my fingers intact, please)
  
• Come! (They say this is one of the most important and he gets it every time. The key? We use meat based baby food, aka puppy crack, as the reward.)
• Sunapee has graduated from puppy day care to beach trips when we're at work. The fine people who run this program say Sunapee is the only dog in the group they trust off leash because of the aforementioned Come! training.
• Sunapee has had all his shots and can now actually enjoy the parks, so now he gets to play fetch on the grass at Golden Gate Park until the cows come home.
• He has grown from ~18 lbs when we brought him home to over 45 lbs. His ears and paws have grown faster than the rest of him, but really, it makes him extra cute.
• He happily hops in the car to go anywhere and no longer tries to hop out of the crate top if it's open (see pic below). This is new and it cracks me up to look back and see his little head sticking out.
• Cats are still not fond of him but will occasionally get close enough that they sniff each other's noses.
• Sunapee is definitely social. He met his first baby on Sunday (pics to come) and didn't mind her pokes, didn't bring his teeth anywhere near her and just licked her face a few times, prodding her to push him away.
  

Tomorrow we're heading up to Mendocino, puppy in tow, for an anniversary get away. Fingers are crossed he behaves there as well as he does at home! Thankfully someone invented the travel crate.

Sunday Afternoon Shenanigans

Friends Lisa and Preston with baby Olivia came over Sunday 7/13 to catch up and have lunch. They hadn't seen the place yet, and unfortunately the living room walls were still in a state of mismatched test colors. The boys were mostly entertained by Wii Fit as Preston and Matt had quite the Hula-Hoop, Ski Jump and Balance Tables competition going. Lisa, Olivia and I mostly giggled at them, but Lisa and I took a few turns ourselves, of course.

I took the opportunity to make a lamb dish perfected by Betty Ann of "Bloomfield Gang" fame (or infamy, depending on which stories you've heard). It was a hit and I was lucky to have leftovers for a few lunches at work.

Lisa and Preston happily handed Olivia over to the childless to play with and Olivia liked petting the dog - as long as that pesky tongue didn't get her.

July 4th Hiking

To get away from the fog on July 4th, we headed up to Mill Valley with Toby, Steve, Brian and Sunapee for a 6.5 mile hike up in the foothills of Mt. Tam. It was the first hike for "The Pee" and he was a trooper. He did occasionally express his desire to stop and lie down in the shade but he marched on.

Had to see it to believe it

I just about keeled over last Sunday when Toby requested a Bud Light at Taylor's. I have never witnessed her drink anything but red wine or a cosmo. She states that she'll have 5 or 6 every summer when she's more in the mood for a refreshing beverage. I can appreciate that.

Gramps, from Town of Springfield

The town of Springfield's obituary page has this, less college-centric piece on Gramps.


LAWSON, CHARLES JUDSON, 87, passed away on June 8, 2008 at his home in New London, NH. Chuck was a 1943 graduate of MIT, completing his degree early in order to join the US Army. He served in Europe during WWII, and was discharged as an Artillery Captain in 1945. He married Joan Hubbard of Nashua, NH in 1942. After the war, Chuck had a distinguished career in manufacturing management in companies such as IBM, Hancock-Telecontrol, and National Micronetics. He retired in 1983 as a Group Vice President of EG&G Industries, and President of their Rotron Division. He also served on numerous corporate and non-profit organization boards, including Labsphere in NH and the Kingston Hospital and Marist College in NY.

Chuck and Joan had an abiding love for the state of NH. They honeymooned in Sunapee Harbor, and vacationed at Cable's Cabins on Little Lake Sunapee. They then purchased a home in Springfield, NH in 1963, which became their summer residence after retirement. They also resided in Naples, FL.

Chuck became active in the New London community when he joined the Colby Sawyer College's Board of Trustees in 1988. He was elected Chairman in 1992, and served in this capacity until 1998 when he became an emeritus trustee. During his tenure, Colby Sawyer made a number of key changes, including the planning and implementation of the college's change to a coeducational institution, selection of a new college president, construction of the Hogan Center and other athletic facilities, successful execution of a major capital campaign, and a significant campus expansion.

Chuck was also elected to the New London Hospital Board of Trustees in 2001, and was instrumental in developing plans to overcome operating challenges at the hospital. He became an emeritus trustee in 2005.

Chuck was predeceased by his loving wife, Joan, in 2005. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Nancy Lawson of Naples, FL, and his sister, Rev. Rosemary Peters of Halifax, MA, as well as by his children and their spouses, Charles and Cindy Lawson of Springfield, NH, Bruce and Jody Lawson of Plattsburgh, NY and Gail and Reid Anderson of Tampa, Fl. He will also be missed by his four granddaughters, Betsy Fujinaga, Susan Woodard, Julia Lawson and Mercy Anderson, and his great-granddaughter, Lilliana Cross.

Baker beach

Wednesday was a beautiful day so we took Sunapee to Baker Beach where Brian met us to enjoy the sunset, people watch, enjoy a beer and tire out the puppy.

One of Sunapee's favorite items for fetch is this giant flexible frisbee. It's about 3x the size of his head. He usually grabs it from the center and we wonder how he can find his way back to us without the aid of sight.

Watching the puppy with the sun at our backs. The shot always makes me think of a Steely Dan album.

Dirty puppy.

Duck "Hunting"

Sunapee enjoys pretending to be on a duck hunt with his little stuffed duck (from Target of all places). I think this is just one of many reasons the cats remain distant. Matt shot this video to demonstrate.

Gramps' own IBM history

Further Googling has yielded a history of IBM’s Rochester, MN, location (pdf) and also includes some notes and photo of Gramps and his position as General Manager. If I can piece this together, this may have had something to do with my dad’s historic 5^th grade year which included 4 moves. He may need to correct this but the year (1956) looks about right.

CJL, Sr. also an IBM man

Now this I did not know. Gramps' father, Charles J. Lawson, Sr. (or "Daddy Cuck" or "The Colonel") was also an IBM man. Are Betsy and I breaking the code here by not working in the technology field as the previous three generations did?

Click here for a quick snapshot of Daddy Cuck and his IBM legacy.




This find is another reason to love the internet and specifically (for me) Google.
Photo from IBM.com

Gramps, as told by Colby-Sawyer

I'm not ready to write something of my own yet, so I will instead post the memo Colby-Sawyer College sent to the current members of the Board of Trustees. It's hard to sum up such an amazing life, but here is his life, from the College's POV.

In Memoriam

Charles "Chuck" J. Lawson

Charles "Chuck" J. Lawson, former chairman of the Colby-Sawyer College Board of Trustees, passed away unexpectedly on June 8, 2008. Chuck was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1998, serving as its chairman from 1992 until 1998. From 1998 until his passing, he served as an honorary life trustee. During his time on the board, Chuck was instrumental in conceiving the ideas and implementing the decisions which changed Colby-Sawyer from a college in financial and enrollment crisis to one of the strongest and most respected colleges in its peer group.

Chuck was a leader who was unafraid to take bold steps when they were complemented by careful stewardship. He was directly involved in the college's goal-topping, first-ever, comprehensive capital campaign, the continued improvement of its high quality academic programs, its consistent growth in both endowment and enrollment, numerous physical plant improvements, and its highly successful reaccreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. During his tenure as chair, Lawson Hall was conceived and constructed, and 116 acres of land for new recreation and athletic fields was purchased.

Both Chuck and his wife, Joan, who predeceased him in 2005, were passionate supporters of education, and their generosity touched every facet of the Colby-Sawyer community. They often said, "We like knowing that at Colby-Sawyer we can really make a difference." Chuck and Joan were members of the Legends Society, a group whose membership includes those who donate $1 million or more during their lifetimes to the college.

As a way of acknowledging all of Chuck's extraordinary contributions to Colby-Sawyer, in 1998 he was awarded the Susan Colgate Cleveland Medal for Distinguished Service, the college's highest honor. President Tom Galligan said of Mr. Lawson, "Chuck's commitment, intelligence, hard work, and dedication to our college were instrumental in significantly reinforcing the foundation upon which the strength of Colby-Sawyer is built today. He was a wonderful leader, a true gentleman, and a great friend of the college who could always be counted on to offer his time, financial support, and guidance as it was needed. We will all miss him very much."

Chuck was a 1943 graduate of MIT, completing his degree early in order to join the US Army. He served in Europe during WWII, and was discharged as an artillery captain in 1945. After the war, Chuck had a distinguished career in manufacturing management in companies such as IBM, Hancock-Telecontrol, and National Micronetics. He retired in 1983 as a group vice president of EG&G Industries, and president of their Rotron Division. He also served on numerous corporate and non-profit organization boards, including Labsphere and New London Hospital in NH and the Kingston Hospital and Marist College in NY.

Chuck was a resident of New London, NH and Naples, FL. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Nancy Lawson of Naples, FL, and his sister, Rev. Rosemary Peters of Halifax, MA, as well as by his children and their spouses, Charles [Jud] and Cindy Lawson of Springfield, NH, Bruce and Jody Lawson of Plattsburgh, NY and Gail and Reid Anderson of Tampa, FL. He will also be missed by his four granddaughters, Betsy Fujinaga, Susan Woodard, Julia Lawson and Mercy Anderson, and his great-granddaughter, Lilliana Cross.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, August 6, at the First Baptist Church of New London, NH, with a private interment at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Springfield, NH. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent in his memory to The New London Hospital, 273 County Road, New London, NH 03257.

Ladies' Coffee Break

I had a nice mid afternoon coffee break and met up with SHHS friend Lisa and her 8 month old Olivia. She has gotten so big since I saw her first in November and even since I saw her at a SHHS basketball game in February. Hooray for summer that Lisa and Olivia could take a stroll the 8 or so blocks to meet me at one of the many nearby Starbucks. Olivia is quite the character and this time we REALLY need to see them more.

Post-Outing Puppy

Here lies Sunapee, in pretty much the same coma-like state for the entire night after playing at Crissy Field with Matt, Greg and Bridger.


He even went to his crate, grabbed his stuffed animal puppy and brought it to the living room so he could snuggle with it.
He napped through the indoor cookout (cold, foggy June night necessitated indoor burgers) and an hour + of Wii fun.

Sunapee at Crissy Field

I took a long weekend (2 days off) to enjoy a relaxing time while Matt had a vacation between regular school and summer school. We took advantage of the great weather to play with Sunapee on the beach and tire him out. He is improving on his fetch skills (he is a retriever after all) and he loved the sand and fresh air.

Unfortunately, the next day we tried this at Baker Beach, with its rougher surf as it is full-on ocean, not sheltered bay, and this orange rubber stick was washed away for the sea lions to fetch.

Let's Go Mets Go

We hit the Giants - Mets game last night with a friend who grew up in Queens. Matt temporarily quieted his inner Yankees fandom and joined Shuja in rooting on Pedro and the Mets. We both thought of brother-in-law John and his long-standing Mets alliance. I had flashbacks watching Pedro pitch and a new experience seeing him at bat (where he had 2 hits, drove in a run and scored once).


Pedro in action
It really is a neat stadium. So very much nicer than the Oakland Coliseum. It is, however, amazing just how much advertising can fit in one place. Just about every square inch is covered - right down to the cup holders in front of each seat.

Cat in the Ceiling

After the walls in the kitchen and dining room were in place, we had the HVAC guy return to punch a hole in the dining room to install the heating vent and punch a hole behind the microwave for ventilation. Unfortunately, I had marked a reminder on the ceiling but that was not the right location. The HVAC guy took my sketch as an indicator of location and cut a hole, to discover the duct was not there. Matt's just thrilled at the prospect of repairing a 5x5" hole, but we hadn't started it yet.

We return from a walk yesterday afternoon to discover Marin IN the ceiling. I had seen her peering at it from atop the old fridge, but figured she wouldn't be that curious, right? Wrong! She managed to jump from the fridge into the hole in the ceiling, but couldn't figure out her escape. I had to convince her to reach out of the hole paws first, which was challenging as she doesn't speak much English. She did eventually reach out, after a few failed attempts by me to pry her out via collar. Hopefully she didn't eat any insulation (not as much of a concern with her as it would be for puppy, tho she has been known to gnaw on wires) and we dusted her off, sent her on her way and immediately started the patching process.

I guess she'll do just about anything to get away from Sunapee.


Update 6/3/08: She did it again. I came home from boot camp at 7:10 am and while I was talking to Matt as he sat at the counter, I noticed a furry brown face looking at me from the ceiling. The wall patch was on the floor. This time, however, she decided to explore the crawl space more fully and went missing for several minutes, while I tried every trick I have to get her attention (which isn't much; she's the least responsive of the 3 animals). She eventually came out and jumped back onto the fridge. We then moved the fridge to the other side of the dining room while it awaits removal.