Monday, I ran.
From there things went downhill. Tuesday began a week of being sick. First, Robbi got the blight and then I followed. The kids seem unaffected. So far.
In spite of the sniffles, I packed them all in the car last Wednesday and drove north for the financial bloodletting known as Costco. I challenge you to go there and spend less than $300. Perhaps you are a better man than I.
On the plus side, one can basically eat a seven-course banquet by merely strolling the aisle and making small talk with the folks handing out samples.
Unless one is sitting next to a bigger, stronger, meaner older sister with quicker reflexes and faster hands.
August is still at the age at which he can be sated by mere affection.
Costco also has the advantage of offering cheap (and huge) hot dogs, pizza slices, and soft serve ice cream sundaes.
On Thursday, I woke early and drove north.
Robbi and Kato wished me a warm farewell.
Morning was still in process as I drove to the Delaware House rest station (cue angelic organ music) and met my colleagues.
My destination: the nation’s fifth-largest city, the one and only Philadelphia, the nation’s first capital, home of the Liberty Bell and the cheese steak, home of the University of Pennsylvania and it’s famous “Split Button” statue.
On Friday, we wrangled bottles of milk.
And made our voices heard.
And grew suddenly introspective.
Before heading out for a leisurely walk with a borrowed dog.
On Saturday we paid a visit to our favorite shop in town, Twigs and Teacups (sometimes whereabouts of the lovely and wonderful Jenifer Emley, pictured here)
Our good friends Neil and Brian were in town for the day, so we took them on a comprehensive tour of Chestertown.
Fifteen minutes later we were done. But they tell us that they had a lovely visit. I forget how beautiful and rare this place is until I see it through the eyes of the uninitiated.
Yesterday, Sunday, I finally felt my sinuses clear and my head begin to emerge from the fog. Tossing caution aside, I took to the roads.
And was rewarded by blue skies.
And sparkling sunshine on the river.
The one good thing about being sick was the time to read, a thing I just don’t do enough of these days. Next up, a recommendation from my dear friend Joshua Wolf Shenk, a text that I really should have read a long time ago, James’ classic, The Varieties of the Religious Experience. I’ll let you know how it goes.
And now, a bit of news we’ve hinted at before. On Saturday morning, we will pack up the kids and the dog and coolers full of produce and will head for the wilds of Alaska for three weeks of sockeye salmon fishing. We won’t be blogging while we’re gone because sufficient bandwidth has yet to come to that part of Alaska. And to tell the truth, that’s a lot of what we love about it, the rough edges, clear skies, the gridlessness of it all.
