April 10, 2013 — Bob Dylan. Opening from Los Angeles, Dawes. Lewiston, Maine, Colise'e. Wednesday. A brisk 44 degrees.
Dawes raps up a set, mostly from their third albun, which is brand new. It is eight eleven p.m. Heard that Jackson Browne discovered Dawes. Truth be told, i'm not into hearing anyone else when i come out to see Bob Dylan. Enough said.
Great audience as usual. Real nice vibe. Those that get Bob Dylan, totally get him, and come from far and wide to be part of musical history. Eight thirty four, they are out and roaring, chugging fast like a frieght train. Hearts are beating thousand times a minute.
Slowin the train down with methotical, righteous playing on Love Sick. Bob is front and center. I'm sick of love, I wish I never met you. High Water coming straight at us. Superb playing. I believe I'll dust my broom. Soon After Midnight, with Bob going to keyboards. A rockin' lullaby. Early Roman King, guiding the Light. Oh, is there anything more marvelous than a Bob Dylan show? Tangled Up In Blue is indeed a tangled mesh of heavy duty music, stunning lyrics, singing that dances, while the Master also plays keyboards.
Pay In Blood, heavy, heavy, heavy. I pay in blood, but not my own. A mellow Visions Of Johanna. Spirit On The Water turning on the tap. The fountain of spiritual water. Sounds like a Christmas song, with lead guitarist looking a lot like Santa, while playing very fine.
Clear harmonica all night. Beyond Here Lies Nothing, but the moon and stars. Bob on his feet, center stage, conducting this crazy circus. Strong, strong, gleeful harmonica playing. Nobody could play the blues like Willie McTell. Back on the keyboards for What Good Am I. Thunderous, tremendous backbeat throughout glorious set. Jitterbug madness with Thunder On The Mountain. Ya got something to say, speak up, or forever hold yer peace. Peeling us off the ceiling with a superb Scarlet Town. A very incredibly inspired, strong All Along The Watchtower.
In the middle of the song my hand flailing, I accidently sent a women's phone into orbit, while she was shooting video, directly behind me. No where to be found. So upset me I could not get into Ballad of A Thin Man. She being full of grace, kept telling me not to worry, and that Bob Dylan was much more important. Thank God right after the show the phone was found by a young man rows ahead after it bounced off him. What a great concert!!!! The band was so damn good and Bob Dylan once again showed the true belivers, why we believe so fervently.
(Zoo Cain lives in Portland.)

As a young child, I remember a rainy day at my cousin's house. There were six of us under the age of 10, and we were driving my aunt absolutely nuts. Back then, TV, according to my aunt, would "turn our brains to mush." As we hung out, aimlessly moping about, a few of us said we were bored. My aunt stood up, raised her arms, and shouted: "just do SOMETHING!"
And then, I think, a little guilt set in; the next thing I remember, my aunt orchestrated us to put on a show for her. On another occasion, she decided to have a writing workshop for us. I recall her praising my piece. I didn't think much of it back then. Looking back on it, I appreciate her approach and initiative; I think it speaks to us today.
The job of parenting can be daunting. You look at your child and think: They have their whole life ahead of them, what will they do with it? And then, at that pivotal age when decisions of college, and life direction set in, parents are the least cool thing on the planet. That's when you need energetic people such as my aunt; a new approach to inspire and influence in a subtle and gentle way.
Today, the Scarborough Community Chamber has set up a career fair for Scarborough High School. This is an annual event. More than 50 businesses set up in the gym, as high school sophomores file in to visit the various tables. It's fun to watch the kids. You can't help but think back to when you were a sophomore – a blank canvas, full of possibilities; limited to only what you know; what will you do with your life?
The answer to this question may come decades later. It's an evolving realization; something someone did or said may not have meant much at the time; but upon reflection, was life changing. Each year, the Scarborough Community Chamber board has many discussions around the presentation style for this fair.
In the end, I've concluded that on this day, it is like my aunt Polly. A bunch of business people put their best energy behind their professions. As dazed, confused, sophomore shuffle through; teachers and guidance counselors gently nudge them to the tables, with the unspoken thought: Do something with this time.
For the kids, the day is a break from the same old, same old. It got me thinking: How many people are actually doing the career they thought was for them when they were sophomores in high school? In the panel I spoke with, the answer is none!
Their career brought them in directions beyond their realm of thought, influenced by key people who inspired or introduced new experiences. They embraced a "just do it" attitude, followed their heart, embraced a world of possibilities many years the wiser than Sophomore year of high school.
Art Dillon, master candy maker at Haven's candy, and president of Scarborough Community Chamber, had no idea what he wanted to do in high school and in college. He declared a business major at USM. He credits his best education coming from the school of hard knocks. His collection of lifetime experiences and service, above all, taught him to dream big, and never hesitate to ask.
While serving his first term on the Scarborough Community Chamber board, the question was posed: Who should be the keynote speaker for the Annual Meeting? Local politicians were discussed as possibilities; even the governor."I thought: heck, if we're going to ask a politician, I want the top dog," said Dillon, who invited President George W. Bush, Laura Bush, and Vice President Cheney. Dillon recalled that a few weeks passed; he received polite no-thank you's from Mrs. Bush and Mr Cheney. He never expected to hear from the president. Dillon found another speaker.
"The day before the annual meeting, I was paged at work: The White House was calling me," remembered Dillon. "I thought: yeah right! Lo and behold, the president's event coordinator thanked me for the invitation; President Bush wouldn't be able to make it." Dillon later learned that his request was on the "maybe list." He also found out that the USA was on high level terrorist alert. "The President was probably going to need to deal more with that than a Chamber of Commerce meeting," said Dillon. "The long and short is — it doesn't hurt to ask; you may be surprised by the answer, and anything is possible." Today, Dillon is proud to help run Maine's largest candy company.
Past-President and current Scarborough Community Chamber member, Michelle Raber, runs a successful State Farm Insurance agency in Scarborough. In high school, she knew one thing: "I wanted to be in a career that helped people; I didn't have a specific career in mind," she recalls. She received a degree in psychology from St Anselm College; contemplated a master's in psychology because she didn't know what she wanted to specialize in. A friend told her about her new job working in State Farm's claims department. For Raber, the light bulb went on: "Now that is helping people ... this could work for now." Twenty years later she still works for State Farm. "I get to counsel people about their financial health," says Raber, "It all worked out great."
Fellow Scarborough Community Chamber board member, past–president, and local photographer, Tim Byrne, pictured himself as a writer or a teacher. To St. Lawrence University he went to pursue a degree in English with a minor in education. He recalls: "In the middle of my 9-year college plan, I served four years in the Navy." This brought him to more than 50 countries — sites he visited included the Caribbean, Cuba, Africa, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, where his duties included providing intelligence photography in the various ports he visited.
After college, he worked for Procter & Gamble in sales management. Climbing the corporate ranks, he moved seven times in 20 years, eventually coming to Maine in 1990. He left Proctor & Gamble in 1994 to start his photography studio in Scarborough. Since that time, he's been active in a variety of community organizations to numerous to list. As for his vision of being a teacher; he's a faculty and board member at Osher Lifelong Learning Center (Maine's Senior College) at USM. "I have worked very hard to follow my dream of telling stories about people and the places and events in their lives. I've had the privilege to be both witness and recorder of a lot of dreams." — Tim Byrne.
What do you want to do when you grow up? The answer is: Who really knows! I cherish the advice of my aunt: Just do something! Follow your heart; don't limit your ask for help; and be open to all possibilities. Are you bored with the same old, same old? Is TV turning your brain to mush? It's never too late to start a new career.

(Karen Vachon is a Scarborough resident. She is a licensed health and life insurance agent and active community volunteer. To follow her on Facebook, go to: http://www.facebook.com/karenvachonhealth.)

Here's this week's episode of Season 3 of The Port City Chronicle, the continuing story of Gretchen, a 46-year-old criminal defense lawyer, and her family and friends, seeking love and happiness in the midst of The Great Recession:

When You're on Deadline to Die in 2047 and if You Don't Make it You're Screwed

"Should we get more bread?" Angela asked, looking into the fridge while making a shopping list. "You've eaten half the loaf."
"Half a loaf is better than none," Ethan said, without looking up from his computer at the kitchen table.
It didn't exactly answer her question but at least he had acknowledged her existence. All morning he'd sat at the table at his computer drinking coffee without even looking at anyone like he thought he was at Starbucks.
"Do you realize I do all the shopping and cooking around here?" Angela asked. "You should make this stir fry today for dinner." She pointed to a recipe in the paper.
Ethan peered at his computer screen. "You realize I'm not getting home until eleven tonight."
"Then make it before you go."
"You realize I'm leaving the house in five minutes."
Angela clanged a lid down on the stove and Ethan finally looked up.
"You might as well go back into public relations if you're going to work this much. At least you'd make more money."
"I'd have to work even more."
"You already work insane hours. How much more insane can it be?"
"There's 24 hours in a day."
Then Henry got up from his video game to make a point by putting Ethan's untouched lunch down on the floor for their cat Chicken.
But Chicken didn't care how much Ethan worked. She sniffed the plate of potato salad and walked away with her tail swishing angrily. "Too starchy for my taste. Where's the meat around here? Come on, kill something."
It was the last straw for Henry.
"I love dogs," he said. "I wish you were a dog, Daddy."
Along with more attention, he'd been trying to get a dog for years over Ethan's objection. Usually Angela sided with Ethan but she wasn't feeling that friendly toward him at the moment. "Maybe we could get a little dog," she said. "If you promised to walk it, Henry."
She looked at Ethan but he registered no opinion on dog size. Only Chicken reacted, mostly by thrusting one of her legs behind her in a long, bored stretch.
"Except the problem with getting even a little dog is that Chicken and Barbados would be so jealous when we took the dog outside," she said, looking anxiously at Chicken.
"You convinced me," Ethan said, without looking up from his computer.
Henry gave him a dirty look. "Why are you so mean?"
But he should have chosen a narrower topic.
"I can't talk. I'm on deadline."
"What do you mean you're on deadline?" Angela asked. "What does that even mean?"
It was a good question but those on deadline have no time to explain. She had to answer her own question.
"Look, we're all on deadline. I'm on deadline to die in 2047 and if I don't make it I'm screwed."
That seemed to get through to him a little and he looked up.
"Why don't you guys watch the basketball game? It's starting in about half an hour."
Unfortunately it had a little more to do with him than with Angela.
"Do you even know who I am?" she asked angrily. Among other things, she's not a person who likes to watch basketball on tv. But Ethan took it more literally.
"Yeah, I know who you are. Just looking at you I can tell who you are."
It was an obvious conversation starter but he turned back to his work anyway. This time even Chicken objected to being ignored. She rubbed against his leg and cried.
"I can't play with you now Chicken," he said, pushing her away. "I'm busy."
When she nipped his ankle, he just moved his leg.
"Chicken, you're not a team player."
But he can never resist her for long. He put his hand down to roughhouse with her and she bit him again.
Then he finally had to stop typing because his hand was bleeding and he didn't want to mess up his keyboard.
"It's like putting your fingers into a fan," he said, looking around for a tissue.
Nobody helped him find one and I'm afraid some people were glad Chicken had nailed him.
"What is it?" he asked, finally noticing all the long faces. "Am I in trouble?"
"Yes," Henry said.
"Why?"
"You looked in the wrong direction when I talked to you," Henry said.
Angela agreed. "I'm not even speaking to you anymore. I guess you can still talk at me if I happen to be present."
Ethan went back to work but you could see the wheels spinning.
Suddenly he closed his computer. "Let's go to Two Lights today. Or maybe the Amazon. I feel like seeing some greenery for once."
It seemed his deadline had been moved, perhaps in light of that other deadline, farther off, that Angela had mentioned. At any rate, he grabbed his jacket and was heading for the door.
"Shouldn't you eat something first?" Angela asked. "Your grapefruits are in the fridge."
"Is that a metaphor?" he asked.
He took out a yogurt pop instead and handed one to Henry and Marcus. But Angela wasn't entirely won over.
"Isn't that the second yogurt pop you've eaten today?" she asked Henry.
He shrugged. "They don't have any fat or sugar."
"But you're not supposed to have too much fun either," Ethan said, winking at him. It doesn't take much for Ethan to get back on top.
"Find something interesting to do," he said to the cats as we went out the door. "Don't just watch tv."
As soon as we were in the park, strolling through the woods toward the water, Ethan seemed to have completely forgotten about work. He was busy putting the hammock up between two trees near the water so the boys could swing.
"What is that?" Henry asked, looking up at the majestic tree at one end of the hammock.
"I think it's a tulip," Ethan said, hoisting Marcus up.
Angela looked at the label, excited about Henry's scientific curiosity. "Yes, it's a tulip tree."
"I assumed that was clear," Ethan said, lying down next to Marcus.
I thought he and Angela might go at it again, but nature must have soothed them.
Ethan tested the hammock. "If this thing doesn't work as a hammock we can always use it as a fishing net."
But it did work and pretty soon the boys were screaming with laughter.
"I still want a dog, Dad," Henry shouted amongst the shrieks. He wasn't forgiving Ethan for everything.
"I need to stop this thing for a minute, get a drink of water and take a piss," Ethan said. "My needs have to be met."
"Oh sure, your needs have to be met," Henry said, pushing the hammock harder. "What about the needs of me and my dog?"
But he had forgiven Ethan. The hammock sailed around in a full circle and they all fell on the ground laughing.
Even Angela seemed to get what she wanted. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store.
Of course, Ethan still didn't fully understand the concept of shopping for groceries. As we left the store he handed bananas around to everybody.
"Let's eat them now so we don't have to carry them. I'm not even hungry but it sure beats lugging them around."
So it seemed he might never bring home an actual meal. But as he'd said, half a loaf is better than none, and in the case of Ethan, it was hard not to agree.

As spring turns the corner, life cycle events ramp up and people start planning for Mother's Day, graduations, Father's Day, wedding rehearsals, wedding dinners, brunches and more. These should be joyous events attended by loved ones, who are close to those celebrating or honoring the special moment. They should be fun events to plan and should be something to be anticipated with pleasure and joy. Alas, "should be" is the operative phrase here and truth be known, many people dread the looming events as if they were the plague.
All restaurants, no matter the size, from the smallest breakfast joint with a waiting list of a family of six, to a big box banquet hall orchestrating a 1,500-person wedding reception, are in the event planning business. And along with the planning comes the people part of the event, all aiming for the same thing but usually with different agendas. Not surprisingly, even those of us in the business fall into the trap of freaking out when we have to book something and find ourselves searching for the right place to accommodate whatever cast of characters we are dealing with.
Take, for example, Carlykardashian's high school graduation in June. Admittedly, I have mixed emotions about my soon-to-be empty nest and would like this important day to be one we all remember for the rest of our lives. The problem is, "We All" consists of the following: Me, Number One (who is prone to panic attacks in crowds and tight places), the Sperm Donor (who is coming with his newest, new girlfriend from North or South Carolina — I can't remember — and is essentially estranged from all of us), his parents from Waterville (who are well intended but haven't seen the girls since Number One's graduation two years ago), my no-spring chicken parents (whenever The Betty comes for whatever reason, I panic), two last-minute joiners hoping for a lobster bake and lots of cold beer, consisting of my baby brother and my niece from Florida, and thankfully, my BFF who will be there to help me navigate this massive influx of people.
The one person whose name wasn't included in the roll call is Carlykardashian herself, and while this whole thing is really about and for her, she'd just as soon take off with her friends the nanosecond after caps are tossed in the air for an 11-day road trip that's been planned since Thanksgiving. This leaves me with the daunting task of finding a place for all of us to go for a celebratory lunch immediately following the mid-day graduation at the Portland Expo. Inside tidbit: The fact that graduation isn't being held at the Civic Center has much of the Deering High School Class of 2013 in a tizzy, but too bad because I'm dealing with my own dilemma of where to go after the pomp and circumstance.
From a professional restaurant perspective, the group isn't big enough to warrant a private room and a problem solving function menu, and is too small to waltz in someplace without a reservation. That would be suicide anyway because the really "good" places in town are no doubt already booked with reservations made far in advance by planner-moms more on the ball than myself. And even if they aren't, I have no idea how to please any of the people all of the time with this crowd.
Like all functions, it seems like it should be fun and easy, but I have to take the following into account: menu choices, dietary restrictions, seating drama, distance from the Expo, free and accessible parking, do they serve coffee in a cup and saucer versus a mug (a The Betty requirement), is the wine list decent (a BFF requirement), will the service be prompt and efficient enabling a quick dine and dash opportunity (a Carlykardashian requirement), is the atmosphere calm and relaxing (a Number One Requirement), can we be seated at a table rather than a large booth or on a banquet (another The Betty requirement).
Not least importantly, what about the price expectations, and the inevitable one check with an automatic 18 to 20 percent gratuity policy for groups of certain size? As it is, the Florida early-bird brigade will be asking for extra of this and that, or requesting complicated substitutions. I can just envision six credit cards being placed on the table, or the fake fighting over the check, or worse yet, no one making a move at all. The automatic gratuity will be earned in spades and I am officially apologizing in advance, in newsprint for all to see, to whomever will be our server.
This example is just the tip of the iceberg for bigger life cycle events and functions yet to come for us. In reality, I am delighted and appreciative everyone is making the effort to be there for Carly and I'm sure I'll think of someplace willing to take us on for a fabulous lunch (anyplace open to the abuse should contact me at the email address below). However, I almost wish I were an outsider and could be our own server or a fly on the wall wherever we land. There will surely be enough strained conversation, complaints about the food, service and prices along with overall loving family weirdness to supply material for this column for a lifetime.
The Down Low: Beal's Ice Cream in Gorham is open and spring has arrived for sure because I stopped at the first lemonade stand I came across on Tuesday and gladly paid $1 for my Dixie Cup of warm, watery liquid. Be a sport and don't pass up the opportunity to chat with these mini-moguls, as many of them are the future of the hospitality industry and have unjaded thoughts and opinions about kid's meals and "gross green stuff on their plates." It's absolute proof that atmosphere and service are paramount and it doesn't get any better than two 7-year-olds on a side street in 59-degree weather.

(Natalie Ladd is a columnist for the Portland Daily Sun. She has over 30 continuous years of corporate and fine-dining experience in all front-of-the-house management, hourly and under-the-table positions. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)