With October coming, I was planning on festing twice, however...

Nichole and I have previously made Oktoberfest in Southwest Harbor one of our annual beer festival excursions, and this year is no different. It's held at a campground on Mount Desert Island in early October each year, bringing together about 15 different breweries from around the state, a dozen food vendors, some music and artists and craftsmen. We've made ourselves a couple of friends up there, and consistently have a great time every year.

Another new tradition is the Octoberfest in Greenbush, held at the Mitchell residence. This also is a blast, complete with an obstacle course and some after dark volleyball. Last year, something like 200 jello shots were consumed, and there was a dj spinning tunes all day and night. This year it sounds like the obstacle course has been tweaked, which hopefully means it will be completed in the daylight hours. This too promises to be a great time.

Now, with all this being said, we have been tossed a curveball this year. We made our tent site reservations, invited friends and made t-shirts up for Oktoberfest in SW Harbor starting several months ago. In the meantime, it turns out that the Fest D'October in Greenbush has been scheduled for that very same weekend. Now, for some background info for you all, I won the obstacle course last year, beating my father in law by 3 seconds. He has been claiming that if he were younger or didn't smoke he would have beat me. These sound like typical excuses from someone who got beat, but that's fine, a little smack talk only makes me perform better. I would also like to point out that I went last, completing the course, not only in the fastest time, but in complete darkness. This year, however, I'm certain this was planned on a weekend we couldn't go so that he would be able to claim my trophy without me being able to defend it. Though, I guess it makes sense, being that it is the only way anyone else has a chance to win. I'm just saying...

No witty title can justify this incredible story...

For any of you from Fort Fairfield, way up there in The County, you may have heard the story of Amanda Bolstridge. For those of you who haven't heard, I'll give you a little background knowledge. Amanda is the younger sister of my classmate Kathy, who, about 2 years ago started complaining of horrible migraines. These headaches were so intense they would cause her crazy mood swings, to the point where the Bolstridge family had a feeling something more was going on. She was taken to the hospital, and later, after bouncing all over, was transferred down to Mass General Hospital in Boston. It was determined that she had encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain. Doctors also found a small cyst on her left ovary that they believe may have contributed to the complications. After spending two months in a coma and a surgery to remove the cyst, Amanda almost immediately came out of the coma, and was ready to get back home.

I've known Amanda and her family most of my life. What they had to go through blows my mind. Being bounced around from hospital to hospital in search of answers must have been one of the most frustrating things in the world. Amanda's case turned out to be a medical mystery, solved by the gut feeling of an intern. I've learned so much from this story, and am in awe of not only Amanda, but her entire family. What started out as migraines, something fairly normal to some of us, turned into a very scary journey. We hear stories all the time and think it can never happen to us, or anyone we know, but the truth is, this can happen to any of us at any time. Each day is precious and we shouldn't take anything, or anyone for granted. My outlook on life has changed incredibly since my daughter was born 7 years ago, and it changed a little more after seeing this video of Amanda on television this morning. I'm honestly in awe of how strong Amanda was to fight through this, and also of her family for continuing to fight for answers and being so strong through the entire process. I would also love to give a shout out to the all the great doctors out there, not only Dr. Clark and Dr. Kolp from Mass General, but all the doctors out there that work so hard for all of us. I'm just saying...

Here's a hot topic, and I don't mean that creepy store in the mall...

Same sex marriage. Those three words, for some reason, have become an extremely touchy subject in Maine since the passing of a bill, on May 6th of this year, allowing same sex marriages in this state. The law was supposed to be in effect starting September 11th, but will now be subject to a people's veto in the upcoming November elections. Despite becoming the fifth state, the first of which was not the result of a judges decision, to allow same sex marriages, at least 55,000 people didn't like the idea, forcing it to go on the ballot and be voted on. Recently there have been commercials claiming that Mainers will face real consequences and that homosexual marriage will be taught in school whether parents like it or not.

Now with all that being said, I pose this question. Why is this a big deal? Why does anyone feel it is there place to fight this law? What makes a marriage between a man and a woman any better than that of a two women or two men? How does a marriage between Bill and Brian affect me? I recently read an article that spoke of the unintended consequences of same sex marriages, and I have to be honest with you, if allowing gay people the same rights as straight people is a consequence, then I think we are all going to be just fine. Now, keep in mind, I was brought up Catholic, which is strictly against homosexual acts, calling it a tendency toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. I apologize to anyone out there that believes this to be true, but I just can't go along with that. While being brought up Catholic, I was also brought up being taught that you need to love all people and have an open mind. Seems to me that not allowing two people that are in love to get married is just wrong.

Now what about, gasp, the idea that "homosexual marriage will be taught in school whether the parent likes it or not"? Oh, the horror! What next, are we going to teach our children that the world is round? Wait, it is? Same sex relationships are a part of the culture today, and hiding from it isn't going to make it go away. I want my daughter to understand the ways of the world before going out and conquering it. I want her to understand that not everybody looks and acts the same as her, and that people have different cultures and ways of life. Why should that bother me, or anyone else?

As you can see, it's clear which side of the debate I fall on. What isn't clear to me is why there are really two sides to this. I realize everyone has an opinion, and that I'm not always right, I get that. But what I don't understand is why this bothers people that will never be affected by it. I love my wife, and am fortunate enough to be married to her. Why should it be any different for Bill and Brian? I'm just saying...

Sportsmanship? Nah, I would rather spit on you!

Sportsmanship is defined as "conduct (as fairness, respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport". Apparently in the Monday night Saco co-ed soccer league, it is defined very differently. As I recall, you all just LOVED how my wife behaved last week during our game. Now, by definition, this wasn't necessarily bad sportsmanship. Last night, however, bad sportsmanship was in full effect, and wifey was not involved.

It was playoff time in our Monday night league. We were once the doormat of the league, losing every game, and usually by quite a bit. We have since put together a pretty darn good team, finishing at the top of the standings the past 3 sessions. With success comes a target. Everyone grows to dislike you for beating them, and brings their best game when they face you. We don't mind, we accept the challenge each and every game. We were awarded a first round bye this week because we had the best record. Our second round opponent was completely over matched, and we dominated them 5-0, including a goal by yours truly. This set up a rematch against our biggest rival in this league, If You Seek Amy, consisting mainly of the establishments employees and owner.

Each and every game we have played against IYSA has been close and full of intensity. Last night was no different. It should also be noted that we had the same official last night as we did last week, and the little gremlin was in no better of a mood. It also appeared to me that the other team may have tossed him a few extra bucks to call it their way. All this being said, we got out to a fairly quick 2-1 lead, just before everything came crashing down around us. By this point, our European ringers were in full on no pass mode, and getting called for pushing about every 10 seconds. I'm not so sure I am in agreement with the opposition or the official on some of the pushing calls. It seemed to me that a few of the plays were all out flops. I'm not a huge guy, but it takes a solid push to knock me down, and one of their guys was on the ground complaining every other play, and he is no small guy. The sad part is, the stupid ref was making the call every time. This is when things completely unraveled for our team, and IYSA pulled away for a 6-3 win.

I knew what was coming next, it wasn't my first time playing these jackasses. I left the field in a near sprint. The finger pointing, name calling and general poop mouth talking began between the two teams. Now, as the winner, you should walk away without saying a word, you just won. This team has a few that are incapable of doing this. This one chick, whose ass is about the size of the short bus she took to school back in the day is the worst of them all. She runs her mouth more than anyone, and doesn't have an ounce of talent to back it up. It would be like me walking into an open heart surgery telling the doctor he is stupid and doesn't know how to do something. I have no right being there, I haven't got a clue how to do what he is doing. This dumb chick comes after a couple of our players after the game, getting in their faces and spewing her usual idiotic crap, at one point actually telling one of my teammates to "f--- off!". Now, I've been watching from afar as this all plays out, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure what happened after this because I took off, wanting nothing to do with that nonsense. Like I previously mentioned, this talentless biotch is one of my least favorite people on the planet, ranking just behind Eli Manning (don't even get me started), and her team just won. Why did I walk away you ask? Well, I feared that I would have spent the night in jail after beating this mouthy turd within an inch of her life. I really can't stand her. Now, of course I would never hit a woman, but I'm not sure she qualifies as a woman, as I have never heard a woman use some of the words she does.

So, back to sportsmanship. Our team definitely took the loss in a rather negative way, and we should have just taken our beating and gone home. However, it was only compounded by the horrible sportsmanship displayed by the winning team, who had absolutely no reason to say a word, they just freaking won! I always thought teams that lost were more likely to conduct themselves in a less than gracious way, but I see more and more where winning teams don't know when to shut up and just enjoy the win. A new session starts next Monday, but I'm wondering if we have played our last game there. At what point is it not worth it anymore? I would love to go out on top, but I think I just want to go away. I'm just saying...

Is he a genius, or the douchebag we all think he is?

Kanye West. I didn't want to talk about you, I really didn't. However, you provide so much material. I mean, you are in the news all the time, and I can only name like 2 songs you have put out. I saw you in a couple of scenes of Entourage, but Marky Mark could have had that TI dude with the computerized voice thingy play that part. You just got nominated for 9 BET awards, but I can't find a person alive that owns one of your albums. By now everyone has heard about your douchey move at the MTV Video Music Awards where you stole the microphone from Country sensation Taylor Swift and told everyone that you thought Beyonce should have won and not her. That was classy my friend, bravo. While everything I see you do leads me to believe you are captain of the douchebag team, I wonder if you may be the smartest person in show business at the same time.

Nope, who am I fooling! While it could be said that your little stunt at the VMA's was all about the publicity, I don't think you are smart enough to think that through, I mean, you did drop out of college due to poor grades, despite the fact that your mother taught there. Dude, that's normal, happens to all of us. Oh, and let's not forget your little "George Bush doesn't care about black people" comment during the Hurrican Katrina relief concert. Really? Is that the time or the place? Or what about the time when MTV picked Britney Spears over you to open the VMA's and you threw a temper tantrum saying they did it because you were black. News flash Kanye, the world doesn't hate you because you are black, that has nothing to do with it. Eveyone hates you because you are a freaking whack job. Give people a reason to like you and they will, but continue to be a selfish nutso who always tosses out the race card and you will be forgotten about quicker than an amnesia victims to do list. I'm just saying.

A slice of nice, that's good to see...

The below clip is taking the viral world by storm, and with good reason, it's a feel good video. We live in an extremely divided country right now, where everyone seems to be bickering about something, the news shows nothing but fighting and death, and celebrities are passing away at an alarming rate. This is just what America needed, something warm and fuzzy to talk about. Thank you Monforto family, I know you didn't do it on purpose, but thank you.



Now this got me to thinking about what would happen if I caught a foul ball at a game with Kerrigan. At this point, Kerrigan is 7 years old. She would, I think, know better than to toss a ball back. She has been to about a half dozen games at this point, and I have taught her how lucky people are to get a ball during the course of a game. It is very rare. She is one of those that was lucky enough to get a ball back on Father's Day when Hideki Okajima handed her a ball on his way out of the bullpen and into the game. I saw her excitement, and she saw mine. I'm certain she wouldn't throw it back, no matter who handed it to her, or where it came from.

What I love about the video is that you can see the shock and awe in the father's face, but he quickly does the right thing and lets his daughter know that it is alright. In fact, her throwing the ball back has been a blessing in disguise. Not only did they get personalized Phillies jerseys, the father got a baseball signed by the same player that hit the foul ball. Plus, America got to see how good a father Monforto is. I feel like this story could teach politicians a thing or two. Regardless of political affiliation, when you disagree with what just happened, hug it out and make things right. It's not about you, it's about the greater good of those around you. I'm just saying...

You really do learn something new everyday...

With so much going on in the news right now, from Patrick Swayze's death to Tom Brady's return to the football field, to Kanye West the nut job, it was really hard to find one topic of conversation this morning. However, my lovely wife provided me with enough material to last a while last evening.

As many of you know, Nichole and I (or Marcole, as I like to call us) play soccer 3 days a week. It's a great way to get/stay in shape, we have met a ton of cool people through it, and it's just a good time in general. Well, we play Monday nights in Saco, on a small, converted hockey rink with turf on it. The nets are small, the field is much smaller than regulation, but the action never stops. It can be just as exhausting playing on this small field as it is playing full field 11 versus 11.

Last nights game was at 9:00, against our fiercest competition, If You Seek Amy. We came rolling up right at game time, with our opponent leaving the field. I'm still not sure why they left, as we got the win by forfeit. Fortunately, another opponent was kind enough to stick around to play against us. At this point, it is just a friendly match, as nothing is on the line. However, our team is short 1 female player according to the league rules. Despite the fact that this game doesn't count in the standings and we are just playing for fun, the game official, who resembles some sort of combination of a leprechaun and an ewok, decides to not only strictly enforce the rules, he decides to be rather dickish about it. Well, by halftime my sweet little wife is tired, and finds it unfair that we are forced to play a player down, despite the games friendly nature, and gives the game official a piece of her mind. Now, for those of you that know Nichole, she is very well mannered and not quick to spew venom at people. Tonight was different, much different. Not liking the way the official responded to her request to allow us to sub her out, as she was very tired from having to play the whole game to this point, she decides to get rather lippy. This is where things start to spiral out of control.

Despite repeated attempts to get her to keep her mouth closed and just play, she continues to toss sarcasm at the official, in fact, she actually told him to just go home. At this point, sick of hearing her bark at him, he stops the game and tells us that either she keeps her mouth shut or we all go home. One would assume that this would get her back to the straight and narrow. One would assume wrong. Now she actually sits down on the field. Literally, ass down on the turf. Really honey?! I'm standing right beside her, playing goalie, trying to figure out what the hell is happening?! I mean, this is the same woman that gives me crap for talking too much to referees during basketball games, reminding me that it does me no good. Now she is sitting on the ground in some sort of revolt against the official, knowing it will do her absolutely no good, but unwilling to let things go because of the way he responded to her at halftime. Finally, we finish the game and she storms off the field, mumbling curse words under her breath.

At this point, the entire team realizes how angry she is, and they now understand why. Our team approaches the game official just to speak with him, find out why he wouldn't let us play even with the other team, especially because it was a game that didn't count for anything. He wanted nothing to do with this conversation, storming off angrily. He barks out that next time we play he is just going to go home so he doesn't have to listen to us. I'm pretty sure if he officiates our playoff game(s) next week we will not get a single call to go our way, if he even sticks around for it.

In closing, I want to re-emphasize how calm and mild mannered my lovely wife is. She is the one that always settles me down when things start to get me excited. However, last night, she was hot, hungry and tired from all the running, and was not happy with little Mr. Gremlin's approach. She showed me a new side of her, which I will happily use against her in the future, especially when a future baby Marcole throws a temper tantrum. I will know exactly where that sort of behavior comes from, and won't soon let her forget it, I'm just saying...

I can't believe I'm really about to say this...

I'm a life long Boston Celtics fan. I have cheered them on when they were 67-15 back in 1985-86 with my all time favorite player Larry Bird, as well as in 1996-97 when they were freaking horrible at 15-67. I have jerseys, books, videos and any other piece of memorabilia you could imagine. For me, it was all Celtics all the time. Everyone else was garbage to me. That being said, I can finally admit that Michael Jordan was the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball. It has taken me a long time to be able to actually say those words, but I can admit it. He was downright amazing.

This past week marked Jordan's enshrinement into the NBA Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. I was unable to see the actual ceremony, but have heard so much about how bitter and petty Jordan sounded in his speech. Having despised him for so long, I was rather excited to check out the youtube video so I could continue my hating ways. Well, despite all that I had heard, I didn't find it to be any of the above. Jordan was a super competitive person. When you have accomplished everything you ever wanted to, you have to look for new things to motivate you. Think about it, you are rich, have hundreds of records, championships, and everything else you could ever want, what do you use for motivation? You look for it in new places, places that may seem odd to you and I, but we will never fully understand what it is like to be the greatest player to ever touch a basketball. I wanted to be writing this about how much I thought Jordan was an ungrateful punk and it turned out that I actually have a greater respect for him. He was open, honest, and wore his emotions on his sleeve, and even made people laugh. So, I congratulate you Mr. Jordan. Now if you could just get some good talent up here with the Red Claws, and make a few guest appearances, that would be sweet! I'm just saying...

I'm fixing to hitch me a carnie...

It's that time of year again, country fair season! You can find a fair near you, no matter where in Maine you live. They typically start popping up in August, and run into October across this fine state. Now, I've never been a big fairgoer, but that doesn't mean they can't be filled with treasures. We went to the Springfield Fair last weekend. Springfield is tucked away in the woods, up near Lincoln, which is about 45 minutes north of Bangor. If you've never been there before, you are missing out!

Like most fairs in Maine, there is a decent amount of livestock. Chickens, goats, cows and pigs to name a few farm animals. Most country fairs have demolition derbies and horse races. The Springfield Fair even had a pig scramble, where they let a pig run loose and you have to try to catch them. I'm really wishing we had gotten there sooner so I could have tried it out. You only live once, right! There was also a raffle, with the winner getting a sweet 1999 Ford Taurus! Other constants at fairs are carnival rides, talents shows, gobs of teenagers and the finest of foods, such as candied apples, fried dough and buckets of fries.

I find myself using the fair as an opportunity to boost my own ego. Now, I'm an extremely confident person, but for those of you who are ever feeling down, head on down to the nearest fair, you will feel much better about yourself in a matter of seconds. For example...





The greatest sight at the fair this year had to be this lady...



She was falling asleep, and had that piece of food dangling from her mouth for at least five minutes before it finally fell out. She nearly lost her skirt a couple of times. She almost fell down at least a dozen times. She had a group of maybe 10 of us laughing hysterically before her man friend noticed and made her walk away.

Another interesting duo were these two...




Hey ladies, Cyndi Lauper called, she wants her outfits back!

Anyways, long story short, country fairs are where it is at. I mean, where else can you go to see carnival workers hitting on overweight 14 year old chicks, moms scream at their 4 year old while ripping butts in their face, and 60 year old women with less teeth than a 6 week old?! Hey, there are still plenty left to go to, I'm just saying.

I really hate to do this, but...

I typically avoid talking about politics, usually because I am not fully educated on the subject, and other times to avoid getting into a heated debate as to which side is more hurtful to the American people or whatever else might come up. Today, I just can't avoid it.

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, presented a speech directed toward school children yesterday. It sparked a giant controversy leading up to the address, but calmed down after due to it's motivational content. Many Republicans were upset, fearing that it was Obama's attempt to “indoctrinate” students to his liberal beliefs, and some parents called it an improper mix of politics and education. At the end of the speech, most everyone agreed that it ended up being decidedly motivational rather than political.

However, while reading a follow-up article on the Portland Press Herald this morning, I did as I usually do, and read the reader comments, all 57 of them as of 9:21 AM. I quickly realized what is wrong with this country. It's not the health care system. It's not the out of control deficit. It's not even the continuing high unemployment and struggling economy. The problem with this country is how deep rooted the hatred the Republican and Democrat parties have for each other right now, and it is absolutely disgusting.

I wish that my daughter, who is in second grade, had been given the opportunity to see the address yesterday. In fact, I plan on reading the text of the speech to her tonight. In it Obama spoke of his mistakes and how he could have easily gone the other way. He reminded the children that they have a responsibility to themselves, their families, and more importantly this country. They are the future, and it is hard work getting to where you want to go, but it is well worth it. He reminded them how important education is, and that you can't quit school and fall into a great job. He talked about how becoming a Reality TV star or the next star athlete is more often than not a dream, and not something that can be easily attained. Education is crucial, as it will always be there to fall back on when other avenues may not work out for you.

Can somebody please tell me how this could have been bad for children to see or hear? Everyone gets too caught up in the political aspect of things, and, I think, misses the big picture. I read somewhere that Obama was using the speech to improve his approval rating because he would brainwash the children into thinking he is a great guy and that they should do as he says. I could be wrong here, but this doesn't make too much sense. Unless things have changed drastically since I was in school, there aren't too many kids in school that are of voting age, so I'm not really sure how this would help his approval rating. I was utterly disgusted reading the comments section following the story in the Press Herald, until I came upon the one below. She summed things up for me...

barbara58 of Bridgton, ME
Sep 9, 2009 8:20 AM
The biggest problem in this country seems to be emphasizing differences, rather than searching out common ground and trying to work together for the good of the country as a whole. Oh, excuse me...that would involve taking politics out of the equation and the "children" in various offices wouldn't have anything to whine about anymore. Guess I just don't have any patience(or use)for those who waste time and resources pointing out why their way is the only way. Get over yourselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Agree with him or not, Obama is the President and he's just trying to do his job which is help the country out of the messes he was left and try to avoid major future problems. He was elected, there was no coup or hostile takeover....let the man get on with his job! Instead of knocking him and his plans....propose an alternative. If it's reasonable, it may actually help. I know it's a shock to the system, but it seems that Obama does actually want to help the country find its way

We need to stop pushing the ideals of the parties and start looking for common ground. Having played sports all my life I have learned that it isn't about the individual, it's about the team, and we, as a country, need to put our differences aside and work for the greater good of the country as a whole. Bickering, name calling and finger pointing is not helping. We are the United States of America, the greatest country in the world. We need to get our collective shit together and stop worrying about gaining political clout in order to gain more votes or fearing to cross party lines. We need to do what is right for our country, and not for our party, I'm just saying.

Texas DNA exonerees find wealth after prison...

So, in Texas, people that are found to be innocent of crimes they have been previously convicted of committing will get $80,000 for each year they spent behind bars. The compensation also includes lifetime annuity payments that for most of the wrongly convicted are worth between $40,000 and $50,000 a year — making it by far the nation's most generous package.

OK, wait, what?! Now, I realize that being wrongfully accused of rape or burglary can destroy a person's life. Many of these exonerees have spent over 20 years in prison, and that is awful, I'm never going to argue that. However, I do have a problem with them being rightfully set free and inheriting upwards of $1.5 million. Again, I've never been charged with a crime, especially one that requires jail time. I've also never been wrongfully charged and spent 20 plus years in prison for something I wasn't a part of. That being said, why is Texas making them instant millionaires? Seems a little excessive to me. I have absolutely no problem with the state offering them job training, tuition credits and access to health care, which is also part of the deal. These people, in most cases, have lost the last 20 or so years of their lives, and wrongfully so. I'm all about getting them back on their feet and steering them back to a life of "normalcy". What I'm not all about is making a former prisoner a millionaire.

Let's take it a step further. Who is funding this? I would have to assume the state of Texas, through taxing the general public. I find this to be a horrible use of much needed funds. Why not give more funding to the school systems? Our teachers are grossly underpaid. We are hoping that our children will be future leaders, and I feel that they should have every opportunity imaginable, and most children don't have the opportunities because their school is underfunded and can't afford laptops or other important technologies in the classroom. They are unable to go on educational field trips to learn about important things going on around them. Some can't even afford new text books, in some cases teaching children out dated information.

I'm open to hear your side of this story. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying...

We have all done weird/strange/dumb things before, but come on!

I was really looking forward to telling everyone about the awesome anniversary weekend Nichole and I spent together, checking out Ray LaMontagne, hitting the beach with Kerrigan and just enjoying some chill time, but this little gem hit the newswire, and I just couldn't walk away...

Man accused of climbing into pit toilet – again

I'm being completely serious, that is the headline! Wow! Not only has he been caught climbing out of an outhouse toilet once, he's gotten himself caught again. First time around he claims to have lost his wedding ring into it, so he climbed inside to see if he could take a closer look for it. After authorities hosed him off, they sifted through the outhouse shit and came up with nothing. He later admitted that he never lost a ring in there. No shit (no pun intended) buddy, like anyone would marry a shit diver! Second time around he claims to have dropped his shirt into the mound of poop. Really? You doing some sort of stripper dance for the onlooking black flies and mosquitoes? He later admitted that this was a lie too. This dude has, what may be, the strangest fetish I have ever heard of. It also turns out that he has done it more than twice, with the actual amount of trips into poopland still unknown. Sounds like you may want to take a quick peek down into the toilet hole of the outhouse before you sit down from now on, there may be a dude in there peeking back up, I'm just saying...