Tag Archives: Mary Baumer

The Best Kind of Partner

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Heading out for the Pirate Tri, 2013.

Heading out for the Pirate Tri, 2013.

On Sunday, I completed my first sprint triathlon. I’ve waited five decades to literally “take the plunge” and make this happen.

My wife, Mary, competed in her very first tri in 2010. Her coming out event was also the Pirate Tri, at Point Sebego Resort. I was a spectator at that one.

For the past few years, I’ve wanted to join her, but I considered the swim portion more than I could handle. I didn’t believe that something that I have never been very good at, could be brought up to a level where I could complete a 1/3rd mile swim, followed by a vigorous 15-mile bike ride, and ending with a 5k run. Continue reading →

Balancing Work and Life

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Finding balance in this life isn’t easy. Work, family, hobbies; all of these clamor for our time. The first one, work, is happy to eat up all our waking hours. Work is who we are; at least that’s what we’ve been conditioned to believe. Is it possible to break free of that conditioning and find a life of greater substance?

There’s another side to that question. If work fails to deliver meaning, or at least a path towards something greater than ourselves, it’s easy to become disillusioned, cynical, or worse, tuned out. Continue reading →

Health Matters

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There’s this debate about whether or not health care is a fundamental right for Americans. The divide, like with most issues, seems to come down to ideology.

I was reminded again this weekend that this issue has been debated for the entirety of my lifetime, and another 30 years prior to my birth. It’s affected me personally and our family, especially relative to the birth of our son and now, seeing him transition into adulthood. Continue reading →

Over There

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There is this phenomenon where we believe or conjure up a place where the grass is greener. That greener, more amenable place is always “over there,” or somewhere other than here.

I don’t know for sure, but I think this behavioral trait may have something to do with the American tradition of vacationing, especially now with the ease of travel, particularly air-based travel. Jet-setting across the globe has become the norm for most Americans, at least those with even a modicum of disposable income. Continue reading →

Braking for Lobster Rolls

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Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery makes a damn fine lobster roll!

Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery makes a damn fine lobster roll!

Opinions concerning food are subjective; I get that. Some people like certain types and flavors of food. If you like lobster rolls, then you probably like a certain kind of presentation.

There are guides and rankings out there about what constitutes good, or even great, lobster rolls. One such guide that Miss Mary and I have been using since last summer is Mike Urban’s, Lobster Shacks: A Road-trip Guide to New England’s Best Lobster Joints. Continue reading →

Cape Escape

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Our 21st century lives place more demands on us all the time. Life seems especially hectic and sped-up for Americans.

In my own life, work, family, writing, commitments to be fit–all of these place increased pressure on my personal speeding train that sometimes seems precariously close to jumping the rails. Continue reading →

Night Swimming

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Swimming is a new experience for the JBE.

Swimming is a new experience for the JBE.

When I first dipped a tentative toe into the South Portland Municipal Pool on February 14, I wasn’t expecting much. Actually, I figured that things would go so poorly that I’d have an excuse to quit, although I’m not really given to quitting since I became the JBE, free agent superhero.

That first experience didn’t get off to a great start at all. Continue reading →

Whither Goest Baseball?

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Baseball fans seeking autographs get creative.

Baseball fans seeking autographs get creative.

Sports have occupied a significant swath of my own personal history. Baseball is the one that has garnered the majority of that attention.

Baseball was the first sport that I played; it was the sport that my father handed down to me and in turn, I passed on to my own son. I was a talented player throughout high school and into college and continued to play some form of competitive baseball until the age of 39. I then coached and ran a local college-level summer league for five years. I even wrote a book about baseball and its history in Maine, post-WWII. Continue reading →