Being small and ineligible for full-time schooling, August is off on Fridays, and so he helped me at the post office.

And at the garage, keeping me company while we waited for the car to get its oil changed.

Later that afternoon while he slept, I bound books. The next book up is a book about how awful cats are. It is bound with wire. We had to make many, many copies.

After he woke, we took a run. While I ran, the monkey hat slipped down over August’s face. Fortunately, it is a knit hat with plenty of holes for breathing through. Still, it was alarming when I got home and discovered I had been pushing a monkey all over creation.

In preparation for the First Friday of February, Doug the Baker had created many loaves of my very favorite type of bread, olive hazelnut. He has not offered it in a long time. I was pleased beyond measure.

When evening came, we headed out to join with the masses, stopping at the Massoni Gallery to see the opening of a new group show.

August promptly sat on a piece of art, a beautiful handmade wooden chair by Vicco Von Voss. Fortunately, August weighs almost nothing and Vicco makes sturdy things. At least he didn’t try to eat it.

The children contemplated some work by painter Ken Schiano, refusing to voice opinions. They were preoccupied with the goldfish crackers, which were being liberally distributed by a nice young woman.

Spirits were high. Temperatures were cold. The two factors kept one another in check.

But not so much that I resisted the opportunity to photograph the “Art Classes” sign at just the right angle.

A visit to RiverArts brought more snacking opportunities. As far as our children are concerned, snacks are what First Fridays are all about. And I’m not sure that they’re far off the mark.

Back to Evergrain, we found dueling options. Free wine or free compost?

In the end we chose neither, preferring a day-old apricot muffin which was still so delicious as to make us a little misty. It’s a new item. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

And while you are in Evergrain, be sure to pick up a mug branded with Robbi’s logo. I will say it since she can’t, but I think it’s gorgeous work. I love the wheat sheath. I love the typography. I love how the whole thing works together.

And it looks just as nice in negative, white ink on a blue cloth tote bag.

Doug is also selling sweatshirts, which are not only attractive but full of hidden pockets and hipster features. We will save the sweatshirts as the focus of a future post in which we will give them the full attention they deserve.

I sometimes forget that I live in a town with cobblestone sidewalks and how nice it is to admire them by lamplight.

On Saturday, I was reminded of my failings as a parent, make plain in this note from his school, which I hung on the fridge to keep me ever humble.

On Saturday afternoon we had a chat with my dear friend Victor, who has just (with some assistance from his wife Annie) produced a little boy named Abe.

On Sunday morning, I put covers on all those books, which is called, as you can probably see, Slow Death by Cat.

It’s my autobiography.