It was pretty hard not to know that I did a little weekend escape to my favorite spot in the world this weekend Old Orchard Beach, Maine. I’ve had the urge to go for weeks but being a resort town I knew I had to wait until not only the motel was open but also a restaurant within walking distance. I really hate to drive once I’m there; I suppose part of my escape is from driving.
I’ve been going to this spot since I was around 17 years old when my best friend at the time introduced me to it. Thinking back it’s pretty unusual finding a place that will rent out a hotel room to a bunch of teens, doubt they’d still be so liberal but there’s no doubt that the pace and mindset is just a bit more relaxed than the rest of the world.
I don’t really have any crazy stories to share with you about this trip. It was simply a mind-clearing venture. I hadn’t gone last year and urge to go was exceptionally strong. I always feel good when I’m there. Some of the local new age practitioners say it has something to do with unique crystals indigenous to the area. I personally think it’s the people and attitudes that make it appealing, though on many trips I have chosen to remain secluded and still enjoyed my visit.
Expect more commentary and photos scattered throughout my sties. And those that followed my social networks, thanks for putting up with my enthusiasm!
“Dude.. Your gonna kill me… my foot slipped on the pedal and I totally whaled into your car!” — That’s the phone call I got from someone out in the parking lot at work.
Fortunately he was a bit excited and exaggerated a little.
Some of you who have been following me on twitter, have already noticed that I now have several different websites now.
There are several reasons I have done this, not the least of which is vanity but as part of a greater vision as well. For now, I just want to let you know what direction eat site is going into.
PaulMonaco.org- This site will be focusing on on the philosophical and philanthropic sides of life and the humanization of our society. You know.. Buddhist stuff :-) - But so much more.
PaulMonaco.net - The technical side of life will be addressed here. New toys, technology and other stuff of interest to the pocket protector crowd
PaulMonaco.com - Anything else that doesn’t fit into the .net or .org site will fall here. I suspect my day to day adventures and activities will stay here.
It will take a few months for everything to fall into place and I’m confident when it does each site will have their significant stregth and be that much more valuable to the demographic they attract.
If any of your are interested in an easy and cost effective way of managing multiple sites and domains, I strongly endorse my provider of choice.. 1 and 1 Internet. Please check them out, my experience with them has been flawless.. including tech support.
On Thursday, August 23rd I lost my last little buddy. At the age of 14 my precious Tabitha developed blood clots which paralyzed her from the waist down. She was rushed to The Animal Wellness Center but it was clear only one thing could relieve her pain.
Her passing was especially difficult for me as she seemed to represent the last thread that weaved the previous chapter of my life together. In the past 2-years I lost my wife Julie, cat Sylvester, dog Amber and my cats Samantha and Tabitha whom all shared my life simulteneously at one point.
There is a story in the Lotus Sutra, of the Buddha coming upon a crying woman and asked what makes her so sad. The woman tells the Buddha that she just lost her child and hopes to hear words of encouragement. The Buddha simply sits and weeps besides her.
There are times when we simply must endure our pain. The sun will rise tomorrow and life will go on.
Many thanks goes out to the Animal Wellness Center of Vernon and Doctor Donald Aronson and staff for all they’ve done for my little friends through the years. I give them my highest recommendations and strongly encourage anyone in the greater Vernon, CT area to give them your consideration. Their care goes beyond the clinical, treating each patient as their own.
Just a little teaser… The following day, my heart just broke coming home from work without my little furry friend waiting for me. Since Tabitha was a rescued kitty herself, I knew that I just had to turn this poison into medicine and take the opportunity to made some more lives a little better and I visited our local Humane Society. I will tell you of that story another time.
Just a little sign I posted at my cubicle. I’ve been doing my best to follow this priciple and really have seen dramatic changes in the way people respond to me. Here is a PDF version if you’d like to print it out.
Some of you who have been 
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