Guten Sunday:
“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless”……………………………………………………….Alan Watts
“Just practice Zazen….Sit…..like a person deaf and dumb…”…………………………………………………………………………………Dogen
“I always find beauty in things that are imperfect- they are much more interesting” ………………………………………….Marc Jacobs
“ How soft the pedals
of the floral arrangement
I have just stolen”…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Haikus for Jews
It’s been a fast week in our mountain home…….was gone much of the week…..and it finally turned to some form of spring in the mountains, whist I was away cavorting in the Twin Cities. Seems like it turns Green overnight, though the waters are still hurtling down the mountain trails and the high peaks are still snow covered.
Sunday last saw the Cross family-with little Quinn in tow, head off to Boston for their flight to Europe, and the handoff of Quinn to Great Aunt Jennie (GAJ) for the week. After 24 hours with our two year old, we were exhausted. Did some clean up, took several naps and then went down for our triumphant return to the great East in Rutland, with our Jewish Fish Monger dinner companion . We had a young Asian waitress who was telling us her story of graduating and not knowing what to do next….we convinced her to take a gap year, which I’m sure her parents appreciated.
Monday dawned with winter back ,and by evening we were down into the 20s and then had two inches of snow overnight….in mid-May for Christ’s sake. So…..Tuesday morning, it was time to go for the tropics…which meant the 2 and half hour drive down to Hartford for a flight to Minneapolis…where it was an astounding 75 degrees…who would think of going to the Twins for the weather?
Our TSA at work…..I took with me a quart size bag of Epson Salts on my flight (don’t ask)..which despite looking like a pound of cocaine, was not detected at screening (pre- check is the bomb).
Spent the week in St. Paul doing my training thing and wandering the balmy streets. Though generally speaking the Twin Cities, is a foodie wasteland, I have discovered this magnificent Russian restaurant (Moscow on the Hill) that requires a 45 minute walk straight uphill…and features 45 flavors of homemade vodka, as well as Borscht to die for. After an immense meal, and several of the flavored vodkas, I was forced to call the hotel shuttle to come get me…and then went back to my room to do two hours of heavily sedated follow up work.
The plan was for me to pick up Quinn and GAJ at the Hartford Amtrak on my return flight Friday…..but Jenn had neglected to inform me I was supposed to take her car, in which Ryan had installed Quinn’s car seat…thus making a return trip prohibitive. So, we skipped the Friday pick up/arrival and had a recovery night at home. GAJ switched her train ticket to come to Albany instead on Saturday morning…and the day dawned bright, sunny and heading for 75. It was like the ending of the ice age…..So, Jenn went down to Albany to pick them up in the morning, while I headed out with Lucy to do the Saturday thing. At the dump, Dumpmaster Kevin the Walrus, bemoaned two straight weeks without a Jenn sighting…and wondered aloud to me if Jenn thinks about him each morning as he thinks about her……Wowish….
The clan arrived back in late afternoon…the Amtrak was predictably quite late (They, like the postal system….should never be counted on)….and we spent some time on the Pond pump installation ritual (dodging massive puddles of water all over the yard), and then Quinn and I applied the anti- schmutz miracle bags (form the home of the Trout King) to the Pond…..see the water spouting into the Green Mountain air…….
GAJ heads back to the Apple on the 5 pm out of Rutland this afternoon, so we will do some mountain hanging today and then deposit her….which will leave us fogies for nine days of two year old heaven….please send whatever energy remedies you have at your disposal….
And bath time is now ending, so Papi needs to joint the game….so….Dat’s all Folks….
Big Papi
