Nintendo Anyone?

6:00 PM on a snowy Sunday night in February - time for a serious game of SuperMario. OK, I admit, I am dating myself. Most of my younger friends and relatives probably don't even know what Nintendo is. Playstations and XBox are more in their age range. But for those of us that grew up when Atari (remember pong!) was the rage, Nintendo was a huge step! And I still have my trusted Nintendo as a winter time companion.

I decided tonight was night to take Mario, so I sat down and zipped right through the first 3 Worlds. I was on a roll. Then I got to the 4th world....oh no! I always get hung up on that damn phase 4.3 - and tonight was no different. Anyone familiar with this? Here is the phase:

There is one place near the beginning that you have to make Mario run super fast and jump at the same time....I am just not coordinated enough. I lost three men doing this. I quit. Mario went back in the tv cabinet and might just stay there until a snowy night next February!

Oh - and does anyone remember PacMan? I used to spend all my quarters (and my parents too) in a silly PacMan game. I was addicted.

OK, off to watch it snow some more.

Honored by Carolyn's Support.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, I have decided to run for a seat on the Randolph Selectboard. Elections are held on Town Meeting Day which is Tuesday, March 3rd.

I am honored to have the support of Carolyn Tonelli who was Chair of the Board for many years. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve the town as a Selectman under her leadership. I wanted to share with you a recent Letter to the Editor in this weeks "The Herald Of Randolph":

Dear Editor,

How delighted I was to learn that Dennis Brown is running for the Select Board.

Randolph is such a special community with so many dedicated citizens working to make it even better. I consider Dennis to be one of the most dedicated of those citizens. How lucky we are that he is willing to serve again on the Select Board. I think we all know what a difficult, time consuming (need I say thankless) job it is. And Dennis knows from experience, yet he is willing to serve again during these difficult times when our town needs wisdom and experience.

A life long resident of Randolph, Dennis is hardworking, compassionate and tireless, always giving back to our community by serving on countless committees and boards over the years. But he not only cares about our community, he did hands on work for the victims of Katrina and other disasters.

In addition to his long public service, he has the most essential quality needed to serve on the Select Board: he is an open minded, respectful listener. He doesn't have "agenda's"; his desire to serve comes from the purest place: making Randolph a better place to live for everyone.

I know this from a very personal place. When Dennis and I served together on the Select Board, I always knew he would listen to all points of view, think clearly and propose creative solutions. He was always completely respectful - of other board members, town employees, citizens - even when he disagreed with them. He always worked for consensus, and would be the first to volunteer for committees and extra work. And he got the work done.

Again I say how lucky we are that Dennis lives here and that he is willing to give back to our wonderful town. Please vote for him!

Respectfully,

Carolyn Tonelli

RUHS CLASS OF 1984!

RUHS CLASS OF '84 YEARBOOK

It seems hard to believe, and I almost don't want to think about it, but come June, 2009 I will have been been out of high school for twenty five years! Goodness, where did the years go!

I graduated on June 8, 1984 with a graduating class of 96 students. Many of my classmates have moved away from Vermont, and many remain - most of the ones that stayed in Vermont are in the greater Randolph area.

Late in 2003 with the help of our class Vice President, Barb Wiggett Baumann, I started to locate classmates and build a database in order to start planning our 20th class reunion. Unfortunately 3 graduates are deceased, but we managed to locate 79 of the remaining 93. We held two events for our 20th reunion - a semi-formal dinner and music, and then a family picnic day. It was great fun and was a blast to see everyone after 20 years.

Now we are in the planning stages for our 25th reunion this year. At least this time we just need to dust off the database and start making phone calls and sending e-mails. Many have kept in touch over the years, and others are chatting each other up on Facebook - what did we do before social networking?

I am looking forward to helping plan our events for later this year, and it's always fun to see folks after many years have passed. I just can't believe I am that old!

It's Race Day!

Today is the Daytona 500!

When I was in my teenage years I was a huge race fan. I loved to go to Thunder Road for the Thursday night weekly races in the summer. Some weekends would lead me to races around New England - Oxford, Maine was always fun. But one of my favorites for the American Canadian Tour (ACT) was Catamount Speedway in Milton, Vermont. Catamount has since closed and the property developed, but Thunder Road, the nations site of excitement, in Barre, Vermont still has weekly races. Although I haven't been for years, I am thinking that it might be time again. I do enjoy watching the Daytona 500 on television, and I am sitting here wondering if I should try to get tickets to next years race. I have been to Daytona, but never for a race. It is one of the things on my "to do" list, or is that my "bucket list". I do have family and friends in Daytona and around Florida, so maybe I should go. Humm, now I better start planning.

HAPPY VALENTNIES DAY!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

to all of our family, friends, and favorite people!

Dennis & Rick

Reality Television

Is it just me, or do Reality television shows help us get through the winter months? It seems as the years go by I become more and more content to cuddle up in the recliner with a blanket and watch these all-so-popular reality television shows. It helps pass the snowy cold nights!

Years ago I loved to watch the good old shows: All In The Family, Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, The Jeffersons, Hogans Hero's, Alice, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Dukes of Hazard, Dallas - You know the ones. I also loved the Golden Girls, then Will & Grace, and the list goes on. And for afternoon entertainment today you can't beat Ellen.

But there is something about "reality" television that keeps me watching. The folks on these shows are just like me, well some are. Perhaps I should try to get on one of these shows. After all, some of them pay $1,000,000 to the winner! Here are my thoughts on my favorites.

You certainly wouldn't see me on American Idol. My cat's don't even like to listen to my singing, say nothing about Paula, Randy, Simon and what's-her-name. It wouldn't be pretty. But maybe I could get on TV during the auditions and make a name for myself? I guess not.

Sometimes I think that Survivor would be the show for me. But there are a few problems: I could never eat bugs, I hate bathing in a lake, I haven't yet seen a Marriott on the show, I don't like bugs, I hate snakes, I don't like being cold at night, I like steak with my rice, I don't like to fish, I can't go more than two weeks without a haircut - well, you get the picture.

OK, I think that The Amazing Race might be more appropriate. After all, I love to travel, have done a fair amount of it, and I really love to see new places. They give you money, you get to sleep in beds, shower daily and you are always with a partner. The only problem is, who would I take with me? I would probably take Rick, but he doesn't like my driving. Maybe I should just stay home!

I never watched the biggest loser until this season - and now I am hooked. I need to lose 20 pounds and it seems like a lot, but these folks can lose that in a week! I would hate the diet they put you on, I hate structured exercise programs and I really love to eat. I guess I will pass on this one.

Well, it's 8:00 PM and now I have to get to my recliner. There is one piece of Cheesecake left in the fridge and I will have to watch the Biggest Loser while recording American Idol.

It's Time To Get In Shape!

I went for a walk today - only 2 miles, but it's a start.

I'm in that mood again. Like most people I know, my diet and exercise routine depends on my mood at the time. There are months of great exercise and a healthy diet followed by weeks on end of laziness and junk food binges.

My trip to Hawaii in November and December was a great start to the winter. I ate right, walked every day and felt great. Then it was back to Vermont and cold weather. Much easier to stay inside and cuddle up with a book or a good movie. And, of course, winter makes me crave comfort foods! I ate lots of "make me feel good" dishes & too many deserts. The fabulous food combined with the lack of exercise helped me pack on 18 pounds. They go on so easy.

So now I am praying for warmer weather so I can get back into my walking routine. I have a GREAT walk that has lots of challenging hills, and round trip from my house is just over 6 miles. It is a fantastic workout and if I stick to eating healthy I could drop the desired weight in three months or less. I guess it all depends on willpower. And I know I have the willpower.

OK, gotta run. I still have some Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake in the fridge!

OK, It's My Addiction!

How many of you have played Phase 10? OK, I admit it, I'm addicted! But what else is there to do on a cold or snowy Friday or Saturday night during the long Vermont winters?

This is one of the most fun card games on the market today. For those not in the know, this is what the game is all about: each player is dealt 10 cards numbered 1 through 12. You must then work your way through 10 phases of the game completing each phase before moving to the next. Each phase consists of a different grouping of cards that you must complete, such as "2 sets of three", "run of 8", etc. Each set is s certain number of cards of the same number, and a run is a series of cards in numerical order. There are also Wild cards that can be played as any number and Skip cards that allow you to skip another player for one turn - these are the mean cards! Once a player has used all of their cards in a round, the other players are scored on the value of cards that are left in their hands. Wild cards are the highest in value at 25 points each and it seems like I get stuck with plenty of them!

The object of the game is to be the first player to complete all 10 phases. If two or more players happen to complete the last phase (Phase 10) in the same round then the person with the lowest score wins. I used to play a similar card game using two regular decks of cards and we called it "Aggravation" - probably a better name for Phase 10.

Although the game takes a lot of strategy and attention to the other players, it also involves an awful lot of luck! A typical game with 4 players takes about and and hour, sometimes 90 minutes. Rick and I often play this game with my sister and her husband. It's really a fun game, a great way to pass some time and I would suggest that you all give it a try!

VT REALTORS LEGISLATIVE DAY

The Vermont Statehouse

Every year the Vermont Association of REALTORS (VAR) holds a one day Leadership Symposium followed by a Legislative Day for all Vermont REALTORS. I consider myself fortunate to be a member of the Board of Directors for the VAR and to be able to participate in such incredible events.

On Tuesday (02/03) the leadership of the VAR and all the local boards in Vermont gathered to learn about the dynamics of leadership, how to run meetings, and much more about the industry as a whole. After a day of speakers, education and networking we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Main Street Grill in Montpelier. Following dinner we were entertained by the VERY funny comedian Jason Lorber (http://www.vermontcomedy.com/). Jason also serves as a Representative in the Vermont House of Representatives. This made the evening in the states Capital city even more eventful.

Today was the actual Legislative Day and members of the VAR gathered at the Vermont State House where we able to communicate directly with our Representatives. We were fortunate to have a representative of the VAR along with the Vermont Home Builders and the Vermont Bankers Association testify before the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs. Testimony was taken from the three organizations as to the current state of the housing market including home prices, inventory levels, new housing starts and the availability of financing. Following the session the REALTORS hosted a luncheon for our Legislators at the Capitol Plaza. A huge thank you goes out to my two Representatives in the House, Patsy French and Larry Townsend for joining us at this event and expressing great interest in the state of the housing market.

It is always exciting to visit the Statehouse and see our government at work. The Statehouse really is the peoples building and it is a fabulous place to visit.

I am lucky to live in a place where we know our Representatives on a first name basis, where I can work full time in a career that I love, and to be able to serve the REALTOR organization to help others have as fulfilling life as I do.

The Monday "Owl" Photos!

Today, Monday afternoon around 1:30, my next door neighbor called my office to report a new form of wildlife in the neighborhood. You must understand that although I live right in the village, we frequently have 20 or more turkeys, and a half dozen or so deer roaming around on the back lawn. Well, this time the neighbors spotted an Owl. I rushed to my house, got out the camera and went to the neighbors house. Sure enough, across the road and in another neighbors yard was an owl sitting on some kind of metal object in the back yard.

Equipped with a birding book the neighbors were pretty certain that it was a Great Horned Owl. I suggested that a Barred Owl would be more likely, but couldn't tell myself by looking at it with binoculars. So I went across the road to another neighbors driveway and got as close as I dared without spooking this amazing find.
It didn't appear frightened of my presence so I snap a couple of photos and retreated back to the house. Inside I mentioned that I thought I got a good shot as it was looking right at me.


After a little more discussion about what kind of owl it was, how long it had been there, and how still it was sitting, I decided to see if I could get even closer.
This time I went from a different angle. I was headed down the driveway of the house across the street when I spotted the homeowner. I asked him if he had seen the owl on the lawn of the property next door. He had not, so the two of us walked around the back of the house, past the garage to a spot where I would be sure to get a close up view of the bird. And I did. To my surprise, it was made of plastic! Yup,
that's right, plastic. It has been there for months. I laughed so hysterically that I didn't even bother taking a close up, but I did crop the decoy in my pics so we could get a closer look - here it is:


So the neighbors and I will likely just keep watching the deer and turkeys and not try to hard to spot new wildlife.