Hi all,

I have been trying to pop in a bit more often these days. Nothing too exciting on this end. Still in Maine, likely going to stay in Maine. The folks here are...interesting but harmless, we just love the state. There is nothing like farm fresh food every day, clean air most of the time (Montreal or Boston permitting, depending on the wind), trees and the sea. In Vegas, as you all know, I was wound up pretty tightly. This move saved my sanity and heart health. I was a different person 4 years ago, i'm much happier and tuned in these days.
Devi and I are about to celebrate 10 years of her putting up with my shit, and an extra year, this last one, for us finally understanding one another. We come from two completely different cultures. But I truly appreciate my life now and what I have. We are also about to celebrate our 3rd year of working at Athenahealth. Devi and I started on the payment extraction floor in a secured facility on the Athena campus. About 1 1/2 years ago I moved to the Print department where I work with claims and EOB's, as well as operating a pair of Xerox Nuvera industrial printers and a very tempermental asshole of a machine called the Bell & Howell BH4000 inserter. I just call it The Kraken. I spend most of my time inside the machines with weird tools trying to keep them running so i can make my shipment deadlines. I also run several computers and related ops programs, but I kind of like the pressure because I am a masochist. Figuratively speaking, of course. Devi is still out on the main floor at her desk where she is most happy. Its good for now.

As for music, i still have all my gear, but I am in no hurry to deal with musicians personalities at 53. I do have a small home studio and plan to fiddle around with that. The last actual work i did was with a jazz pianist named Tom Luther up here in Union who needed a guitarist for a project a few years ago. Aside from that, nah. We may be moving toward Portland in the next couple of years once all of our debts are paid off, maybe i'll play again down there. We plan on buying a new home on a couple of acres and digging in for the long haul. Belfast is absolutely beautiful, but the options are very limited outside of Athena here. We may stay, we may move, but either way, we will be getting some land and a home of our own. That means antennas and a proper shack for papa! We'll see how it goes.

What else? Got some new fillings. Our cats are all doing very well. We moved from the downstairs to the upstairs and love it, we really overlook the harbor now. Im closing in on 300 DXCC on "100 watts and a wire", just collecting the cards now. We are pushing toward zero waste as much as possible and trying to reduce our footprint on the earth wherever we can, its just a good thing to do and a better way to live...cheaper too! Im finally designing my own QSL cards, i'll post them if you are curious.

Anyway, i'm sure i forgot some stuff, but I think this is a good start. How have you all been?