Don't get out much anymore

I joined some folks for dinner in Cambridge last night, a group of people I've known or know of via email groups and other electronic channels for a long time. You know how some people at gatherings will pass around pictures of their kids, grandkids, or vacations to exotic places? One dinner guest brought a stack of 1992 PC Magazines.
The ride into the city reminded me that I'm quite removed in time and space from life on the Pike. For one thing, and maybe it's just my age, but the jerks in heavy traffic don't bother me as much. That Acura that jumped ahead a few car lengths by staying extra long in the breakdown lane - good for you. I hope you got where you needed to be soon enough. Same goes for the big Chevy with the New York tags. I listened to music, watched the moon come up over Boston, dodged the cyclists of Cambridge, and arrived a half hour late. There were three tables for 10 in use. Two tables were full. I took the last seat at the third table.
The conversations meandered from search engine optimizations to swimming with dolphins to the maglev train in Shanghai that does 420 km/hr to so-and-so's lectures at nearby MIT to, well, you get the idea. No one, to my knowledge, was sneaking out to the bar to check on the Red Sox game. I didn't hear anyone specifically say that they were looking for a job, but, for these folks, they're always looking, even if they have work today.
Homeward, naturally, I got turned around a bit and wound up across the river into Boston. It was late and I wanted to get home and yet the liveliness of the city had an energy that was compelling.

It wasn't until I hit the darkened skies west of Framingham that I started to feel tired. I made it home safely and was asleep by midnight.

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):

[Editor's note: There were 32 suspicious items this week.]

Holden

Monday, September 13

7:29 a.m. 911 Caller heard cry for help and dog barking on Lowell Ave.
8:31 a.m. Report of two antique sleds stolen from Bullard Street property sometime in the past
11:40 a.m. Motor vehicle stopped on Quinapoxet St.; driver upset
12:49 p.m. Truck blocking driveway on Chapel St.
4:28 p.m. Road Rage incident
4:31 p.m. Bear on Buckingham and Mason roads reported

8:33 p.m. Suspicious vehicle on Pilgrim Dr.
9:38 p.m. Princeton requesting backup for incident on Calamint Hill N.
11:00 p.m. Loose dog almost hit by car
11:50 p.m. Person with restraining order inquiring about how to go pick up car

Tuesday, September 14

12:28 a.m. Suspicious vehicle parked by side of Woodridge Rd.; boyfriend and girlfriend talking
12:50 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle in church lot on Shrewsbury St.
8:57 a.m. Partially open manhole lid on Salisbury St.
9:41 a.m. Bear in yard on Quinapoxet St.
12:28 p.m. 911 Bear going through trash on Greenwood Parkway; then moved to Cimmaron Lane
1:25 p.m. Bear on Forest Dr.
2:38 p.m. Caller asking officer to accompany him to pick up last paycheck at business and turn in uniform
2:50 p.m. Bear in yard on Quinapoxet St.
3:12 p.m. Caller reports being bitten by dog on Newell Rd.
4:28 p.m. Fox on Sycamore Dr.
4:52 p.m. Four teens in lot skateboarding on Holden St.
6:36 p.m. Kid on four wheeler on Fruit St.; putting it away
7:38 p.m. Two individuals reported causing a disturbance while drinking on Broad St.; misunderstanding
8:26 p.m. Suspicious vehicle in area of South Rd.
9:43 p.m. Calling about laws regarding kids hanging out in town

Wednesday, September 15

6:59 a.m. Abandoned motor vehicle behind business on Main St.; removed from Anna Maria because it was leaking fluid
8:04 a.m. Suspicious vehicle
9:20 a.m. Suspicious male sleeping in playground; waiting for someone; advised to move along
12:35 p.m. Suspicious backpack left at Dawson Recreation area; belongs to Bailey Rd. resident
1:18 p.m. Eleven-year-old carrying bag of clothing seen on Reservoir St.; okay, going to friend'shouse
1:28 p.m. Report of youths blocking traffic on Walnut St.
2:03 p.m. Six youths behind business on Industrial Dr.
2:09 p.m. Group of a dozen teens walking on railroad tracks on Sunnyside Ave.

5:15 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on bank premises on Main St.
5:34 p.m. Black bear observed crossing Rte. 31 near Elmwood Ave.
6:06 p.m. Suspicious text messages to Lowell Ave. resident; advised to ignore and call provider to block number
6:15 p.m. Two males yelling on Sawyer Lane
6:33 p.m. Smell of gas coming from stove on Explorers Way
7:24 p.m. 911 Patient complaining about nurse
8:34 p.m. Violation of harassment order at place of employment

Thursday, September 16

12:34 a.m. Suspicious vehicle in front of home on Doyle Rd.
1:12 a.m. Beer cans in lot on Causeway St.
6:50 a.m. Dead raccoon in road on Malden St.
9:12 a.m. Tractor trailer stuck under bridge on Main St.
2:28 p.m. Caller about ticketing on Newell Rd.
3:15 p.m. Lockout of vehicle on Main St.
3:48 p.m. Caller concerned about something sprayed on side of Newell Rd.
4:21 p.m. Suspicious activity on Manning St.
5:26 p.m. Road Rage incident on Ararat St. reported
6:28 p.m. Caller heard gun shots from Chaffins Pond Area; goose season
6:44 p.m. Caller about two individuals shooting within 500 feet of Gail Dr. residence; shooters are 201 yards away
6:58 p.m. Domestic on Holden St., just verbal
8:32 p.m. Caller reports suspicious person went behind house on Manning St.; when confronted, said he was looking for work
9:05 p.m. Large amount of water in roadway on Main St.

Friday, September 17

1:42 a.m. Suspicious vehicles exiting from Dawson School
9:30 a.m. Complaint about vehicles speeding on Avery Rd. through detour
10:46 a.m. Mountview School requesting check on truant
2:25 p.m. No water at residence on Quinapoxet St.
2:30 p.m. Walk-in with medication to be disposed of
3:28 p.m. Caller wanting to take parking sign; informed signs are town's property
6:10 p.m. 911 from Lowell Ave.; no answer on callback
6:18 p.m. Group of kids in pickup truck yelling rude remarks in parking lot on Reservoir St.
6:43 p.m. Lowell Ave. party called about 911 call; teaching child to use phone

Saturday, September 18

12:05 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle in lot on Shrewsbury St.
12:10 a.m. Suspicious person staggering northbound on Highland St.
12:24 a.m. Suspicious person on Main St., blindfolded, no recollection of events; later said event was staged as a result of argument with father
2:56 a.m. Noise heard in Industrial Park
1:09 p.m. Skateboarders on Main St.
1:20 p.m. 911 from Princeton St.; no one there on callback
2:06 p.m. Fox in area of Jamieson Rd.
2:11 p.m. Fox walking down middle of Phillips Rd.; doesn't look sick
2:44 p.m. 911 Suspicious motor vehicle operating aggressively on Main St.
2:58 p.m. Lockout of motor vehicle on Main St.
3:21 p.m. Paxton PD reports party left sink by side of road in Paxton, was headed toward Holden
4:31 p.m. Young kids being excessively loud on FortSumter Dr.
5:09 p.m. Fox in front yard on Dogwood Circle
5:40 p.m. Motor vehicle smoking on Doyle Rd.
9:11 p.m. Two male teens looking in windows of vehicles on Brentwood Dr.
10:51 p.m. Possible fight in parking lot on Main St.

Sunday, September 19

1:05 p.m. Suspicious people on railroad tracks behind Main St. business
6:00 p.m. 911 Caller states parents won't give keys back so she can leave, Cumberland Circle
7:08 p.m. Suspicious person exited vehicle and headed towards water on Reservoir St.
10:18 p.m. Suspicious vehicle on Main St. at Jefferson School

Paxton

Tuesday, September 14

12:08 p.m. Black dog followed woman home and is sitting on her front steps, Grove St.
3:59 p.m. Car lock-out, Congregational Church
4:24 p.m. Small brown dog chasing boy on bike, Walbridge Rd.
4:59 p.m. Party in lobby to turn in solar landscaping light she found in mailbox

Wednesday, September 15

9:09 p.m. Bale of hay in the road, between Nanigian Rd and Spencer town line

Friday, September 17

9:06 p.m. Suspicious auto, Dunkin' Donuts

Saturday, September 18

3:10 p.m. Report that female in a blue van dumped a kitchen sink off the side of Bel Arbor Rd.
4:30 p.m. Walk-in to speak with officer about dogs that scratched his car door, Pond St.
9:45 p.m. Two suspicious vehicles parked on Marshall St, fled at high rate of speed when caller turned light on

Sunday, September 19

11:26 p.m. Suspicious person, Pleasant St.
11:52 p.m. Suspicious auto, Mower St. Dispersed parties.

Princeton

Monday, September 13

8:07 a.m. Walk in to report being passed in no passing zone and car speeding, Hubbardston Rd.
1:12 p.m. Disabled vehicle parked beside road, Rte. 140. Police determine it needs to be removed before dark
1:40 p.m. Two stray dogs, white with brown spots, in yard on Sterling Rd.
1:45 p.m. Request for traffic control due to speeders, Gates Rd.
9:26 p.m. 911 abandoned call, back up requested from Hubbardston and Holden, Calamint Hill Rd. N
9:30 p.m. Domestic disturbance, Calamint Hill Rd. N

Tuesday, September 14

9:04 a.m. Glass water bottle with metal inside found at end of driveway on Radford Rd.

Wednesday, September 25

1:30 a.m. Caller hears tapping on side of house and possibly voices outside, Goodnow Rd.
6:21 p.m. Someone in garage possibly taking items, green pickup truck, Merriam Rd.
7:00 p.m. Pickup truck parked beside road for a long time. Found operator talking on cell phone, Merriam Rd.

Thursday, September 16

12:00 a.m. Person came to report a larceny, Merriam Rd.
4:13 p.m. Vehicles parked in crosswalk at the school, Sterling Rd.
11L17 p.m. Suspicious person walking along Calamint Hill Rd. North

Friday, September 17

8:20 p.m. Siberian Husky found in Worcester that has Princeton tag. Dog had been given up for adoption

Saturday, September 18

7:10 p.m. Two dogs in yard on Merriam Rd.
7:32 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, Houghton Rd. Person lost
8:59 p.m. Police speak with three males in church parking lot, sent on their way, Worcester Rd.
8:59 p.m. Police transport person to home on Mirick Rd.

Sunday, September 19

12:39 p.m. Police assist with traffic at motorcycle rally, Mountain Rd.
7:58 p.m. Suspicious vehicle in lot on Rte. 140 North

Rutland

Monday, September 13

12:46 p.m. Five bags of trash dumped in dumpster on Glenwood Rd.
2:50 p.m. 'Shadow' and his buddies loose in neighborhood, Summerhill Dr.
5:09 p.m. Large tank in swamp area, Pleasantdale and Barre Paxton Rds.

Tuesday, September 14

8:40 a.m. Report of young girl hiding behind house, Prouty Lane & Clearview Rd.
4:06 p.m. Lockout, Glenwood Rd.
6:07 p.m. Suspicious call from person claiming to be census taker, Campbell St.

Wednesday, September 15

3:35 p.m. Report of fight between two juveniles near basketball court, Memorial Dr.
4:20 p.m. Walk in to speak with an officer regarding a neighbor problem, Glenwood Rd.
10:09 p.m. Person locked out of bedroom where young child is, Maple Ave.

Thursday, September 16

9:15 a.m. Disabled vehicle in parking lot near Long Pond boat ramps
9:29 a.m. Suspicious person walking between houses, Sycamore Dr. Found to be with landscaping company
9:48 a.m. Caller requesting assistance with lockout of vehicle, Main St.
5:02 p.m. Yellow Labrador mix dog loose in neighborhood, Briarwood Rd.
5:18 p.m. Keys lost, Skyline Dr.

Friday, September 17

3:31 p.m. Resident reports finding a dead skunk in her mailbox, Pleasantdale Rd.
7:20 p.m. Officer wanted regarding issues with neighbor, Clealand Circle
7:19 p.m. Person came to pick up license plate, Main St.
8:50 p.m. Police assist with car lockout, Hillside Rd.

Saturday, September 18

6:14 p.m. Report of two men, one with a ski mask and one with a camera, approached residence on Beechwood Rd.
7:59 p.m. Officer requested while person removes belongings, Maple Ave.
9:42 p.m. Request for officer while person removes belongings, Maple Ave.

Sunday, September 19

7:32 a.m. Report that two mailboxes are missing, John Robert Dr.
10:42 a.m. Report of stolen mailbox, Naquag St.
12:03 p.m. Complaint about dirt bikes racing up and down Sassawanna Rd.
3:55 p.m. Pink cell phone lost, Memorial Dr. Later found

Sterling

Monday, September 13

6:54 a.m. Officer wanted for possible drug activity, Jill Lane
7:32 a.m. Officer requested for ongoing problems between parent and bus driver, Sandy Ridge Rd.
4:31 p.m. Suspicious red vehicle in area of Albright Rd. using some kind of electronic equipment
6:23 p.m. Report of people yelling at each other, Muddy Pond Rd.
8:28 p.m. Suspicious vehicle parked in yard, argument took place, person left, Redemption Rock Trl.
9:36 p.m. 911 call, yelling in background, person said call was accidental, North Row Rd.
11:02 p.m. Two youths wearing dark clothing walking south on Rte. 12, very hard to see, police asked to speak with them, Leominster Rd./Chocksett Rd.

Tuesday, September 14

8:45 a.m. Report of sick cat in yard, can barely walk, Taft Rd.
3:35 p.m. Person reports being threatened by a gun, report may have been fabricated, Main St.

Wednesday, September 15

10:55 a.m. Very sick cat returned, Taft Rd. Animal control officer picked up cat
4:58 p.m. Report that someone was entering house through a window, Wiles Rd.

Thursday, September 16

3:57 p.m. Caller reports a delivery truck backed into him, Chocksett Rd.
5:08 p.m. Lost golden retrievers, one later returned, the other still missing, Chace Hill Rd.
7:53 p.m. Police respond to scene of disabled vehicle where operator is being belligerent, Beverly Dr.

Friday, September 17

12:38 p.m. Jack Russell Terrier ran off, Stuart Rd.
1:50 p.m. Suspicious activity, paintball activity, five people involved, Heywood Rd.
3:23 p.m. Report of missing five year old, child located at 3:53 p.m., Newell Hill Rd.
5:42 p.m. Young child found wandering in street, Park St. Reunited with father
7:19 p.m. Caller reports someone may be smoking marijuana, Jill Lane
7:21 p.m. Person came in to station for fingerprinting, Leominster Rd.
7:34 p.m. Bull loose on Rte. 190 northbound

Saturday, September 18

11:52 a.m. Several vehicles parked at town beach without stickers, violations issued to all, Hall Ave.

Sunday, September 19

12:14 a.m. Officer wanted to assist with angry family member, Meetinghouse Hill Rd.
3:02 p.m. Caller reporting possible drug activity, Rail Trail

Some headlines write themselves

via Stink Bugs Taking Area by Swarm | NBC Washington

Crime in suburbia, special edition

A local Facebook friend waives his 5th amendment rights and reports:

Dept. of Why I hate computers

Spent an hour trying to solve a problem. A person was trying to send email to a domain that I manage, a domain that's uses Google Apps. The help files say that you can set up a whitelist to allow email to come through, but there is no such widget in the apps services area. As I said, I worked on it for an hour while my supper was heating and then cooling in the microwave.

After supper, I came back and found that the email had gone through just fine.
I'm gonna go out and look at the moon and Jupiter, hoping that they don't fall from the sky or something. It's not been an easy day.

Heavens above

I know folks - school administrators, police officers, mental health workers - who are absolutely convinced that their clientele behave much worse during the time of the full moon. The general data shows no statistical correlation. These folks, as they go to work this week, might appreciate the science, but will still be on their guard.
Weather, including high wind, appears to have a more verifiable effect.
Nothing in the skies, however, seems to either increase or diminish the agitated quality of some.

This was an attempt at deicide by Obama....

Obama reached a new height of subversion with his bastardization of these keywords from the Declaration of Independence. That betrayal of the founding document of our country – America's birth certificate, if you will – shows him not only unworthy of the office of the presidency, but unworthy of U.S. citizenship as well.

via Obama's Subversion ~ Bible Prophecy Today

If you identify the error, do you get the job?

hint: The Apostrophe Police | Facebook

10 years gone

My mother died on this day in 2000.

We knew what she believed

She knew that her father loved her.

And, of course, we always knew what finally we needed to know.

My wife's family is a puzzle

Danger in suburbia

The town of Holden is getting pretty good about keeping folks updated on events around town. You can subscribe to news which gets you an email with items of note around town. Through this email, we've learned about road closings, recycling services, library book sales, and the latest incursions of nature into suburbia:

Black bear alert
The Holden Police Department has received several bear sighting reports in local neighborhoods, as well as outlying rural areas. For detailed information, visit the town's website. If you feel a bear is creating a public safety hazard, please call the Holden Police Department at (508) 829-4444.

For more information and suggestions about living with our bear population, visit the Mass Wildlife website.

Sandra and I recently completed the fourth segment of our walk to the center of town, this time walking the 4.7 miles from the Princeton line. We were blithely unaware that we were on a path of peril.

Sightings have been reported near the northern sections of Wachusett Street including Mason Road and Wood Street, and also in the area of Quinapoxet Street, Slipper Hill Lane, Tannery Drive, Cimarron Lane, Fort Sumter Drive, Forest Drive, and the Highland Street end of Nola Drive.
via Black Bear Alert

Yikes. We walked along Wachusett and Highland, squeezing onto the shoulder to avoid cars zipping along on a Sunday. We were so concerned about speeding Christians that we paid no attention to the dangers lurking in woods and yards.

Black bears are generally non-aggressive, but it can be disconcerting to have one near your home. Please follow some common sense guidelines to prevent them from wandering close to houses, such as keeping pets indoors and/or under your control, not feeding pets outside, temporarily bringing in bird feeders, and keeping trash cans indoors. They are also attracted to fresh garbage on compost piles, so you may need to suspend composting for the time being.

I wasn't carrying any fresh garbage on this walk and Marley sat this one out, so we were probably in little danger. Nonetheless, it's a reminder that we're never far from trouble.
Be safe and be alert.