Watch out, Bob Villa

The boys (me included) couldn't wait to tackle the wall paper in the dining room as soon as Laura finished the kitchen. Hallway and stairwell is next, then ceramic tile floors in the living room and a new floor in the kitchen.

And, Laura says, "Don't forget the upstairs bathroom."



Matt had a field day trying to "outdo" his brother by tearing bigger strips. If you think this wallpaper was bad, you should see what we found underneath . . .

This Old House

Another holiday . . . another home improvement project.

Someone take away the TLC channel from my cable service . . .

So, check out the golden kitchen, and the old photos from when we bought the house 1-1/2 years ago.

Transistion: Part Deux

Week Two, and I am finally starting to settle into the new gig. I have moved into my new office; set up the voice-mail and e-mail but can't find where they keep the stamps for the other mail.

Quick update for loyal readers and concerned family members:
I did NOT have a heart attack last week.

I have yet to get the ambulance bill, but that might do the trick. In all reality, my cardiovascular system is in good shape. My muscular structure, however, needs some tweaking.

The new job is presenting some new challenges as well as new opportunities. With each passing day, I am growing increasingly confident that I made a good decision.

The challenges: A normal schedule. Getting up at 6 a.m. on Wednesdays is foreign to me just like being home at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Having my own office (finally) is nice, but I feel cut-off.

Strategic communication is hard to define and strikes me as utterly subjective. Is strategy quantifiable? In the newspaper business, you had a tangible product to demonstrate the amount of your effort each week.

While the pace of the new job matches my style: straightforward, hectic and deadline driven, commuting to and from Portland each day is a drag . . . which reminds me that I'm going to finally fill out that EZ PASS application. Digging for coins while sipping coffee does not blend well with my new wardrobe, which is much more business casual than formal most of the time.

There are, however, advantages to working outside of the Biddeford area, not the least of which is you can go someplace different for lunch every day for months on end.

I miss the familiarity of seeing people I know every day and being part of downtown Biddeford's fabric, but it is amazing how many "locals" I bump into each day in Portland. I spent many years living in Portland (from the West End to the "Hill," and from Peaks Island to Riverton) and it amazes me how much has changed yet stayed the same.

I am looking forward to being a member of Biddeford's City Charter Review Commission. I missed the first meeting because of the impromptu trip to Waterville's hospital, and Ron Peaker was elected chair. I was told that Marc Lessard was the only other one running.

Who do you think I would have voted for? Lessard or Peaker? Hmmmm . . ..
I will end by saying that I look forward to any constructive suggestions about the charter. Post them here.

As for local politics, stay tuned because I'll have plenty to say. I just need a few more days to wrap up the transition process, so please be patient.

Who knows, if I keep working late maybe I'll end up moving in with Shawn and Joe in Old Orchard Beach.

Who has the advantage?

With all the defections and Twomey's flip-flop, it's hard for me to believe the state's Democratic Party hasn't suffered.

So, while the GOP lost an opportunity for power sharing during the next few weeks of the second session, they could build some incredible momentum for November.

There's just one problem. Voters tend to reject whiners. We need people (candidates) who will focus on solutions, not problems.

The remarks made my Mr. Bowles seemed a bit over the top, especially his implied threat about what Republicans will do if they get the majority in the 123rd Legislature.

Republicans in Maine should take a cue from Peter Mills. Mills didn't attack Baldacci, he attacked Baldacci's borrowing plan last year. He made it happen, granted with a lot of help.

I guess my point is this, we need less name calling and theatrics; that sort of stuff gets plenty of media coverage but it does nothing for the people being served.

Regardless of party affiliation, I (and just about everyone I talk to) is looking for candidates who are prepared to offer bold, yet reasoned leadership. Leadership is not about determining trends. Leadership is NOT about making everyone happy and leadership is not about personalities.

Leadership is about integrity and about making sacrifices (both personal and political) in order to benefit the majority. The majority of businesses in Maine are small businesses and even the large companies are facing a hostile environment.

Not being able to buy a home or feed your family is a crisis. Not being able to educate your children is a crisis. The private sector can and will help out with these situations, as they have done with private contributions to the LIHEAP account.

Certainly, there needs to be a regulatory balance, but right now the scales have been tipped the wrong way. Fishermen can no longer afford to live near the coast; and the biggest economic growth we're seeing is in the service sector and real estate for the retired.

The median income in Maine is $37,500 per year. We cannot improve upon that without attracting companies to Maine. And we simply can't attract companies to Maine if we continue acting hostile toward them. Otherwise, we'll only have firms that cater to the lower middle income majority.

It's time for everyone (Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Independents and others) to demonstrate leadership.

New Year, Baby!

Laura was in rare shape on New Years Day and sort of participated in the annual "polar bear" Lobster Dip by running her boots in the Atlantic at high noon.

We missed the noon event by a few minutes but this was the first year that it wasn't my assignment for the newspaper. Speaking of which, it's hard to believe that I will be starting my new job tomorrow.

I will update again soon to let you know whether I make it through the first day.

In the meantime, take a gander at what I did during my week off from work. I repainted the kids playroom in the basement.

That's the before shot, as I started painting. Here's the after shot:

And the second after shot shows the rest of the completed room.