Greetings from RJ and Rusty’s. I’ve hidden myself in their computer room hoping to get my blogging in early. I may need to quit if I’m discovered.
We’re up here at a going away party for Mason,. Tyler, Rusty, and Alex who are heading to Europe on Wednesday for a few months of Euroslacking . It sounds like so much fun. They’re heading over with not much more than Eurail passes, a camera, an address book and a bag of SamStones. They don’t have any specific itinerary … They just know that they’re staring in Ireland and visiting England, Wales, France, Germany. Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Italy. If you’re reading this and live in one of those countries… and you wouldn’t mind putting these guys up for an evening please let me know ! I remember that amazing feeling when you walk out of an aitport or train station and say “now what ?”. It would be a blast to go over and live out of a backpack again.. .. Maybe that would be a fun thing to do with our kids.
The earlier part of the day was pretty peaceful. The day got off to a gray, cool and rainy start. We took advantage of the inside weather and each puttered around the house. I did a bit of planning for our india trip.. then did a few hours of work to make up for being so ineffective this past week. It was pretty interesting seeing (by IM buddy list and chat) how many of my work colleagues were busy at work on a Saturday morning … I remember doing this all the time
Ooops.. busted.. I was just discovered typing.. There’s cake on upstairs for our travelers.. More later
OK.. I’m back.. where was I ? …. Oh yeah.. working this morning.. I looked up and realized it was almost 2. and the weather had turned sunny. We decided to take Chai for a run on the high loop at Honey Hollow. It was so beautiful up there. All the creeks were swollen after last night’s rain and the air smelled so sweet and clean. We ran up the logging road to the campsite at the top…The road is pretty steep near the end All three of us were panting like old goats. At the top we ducked into the woods and ran the trail that connects to one of the other logging trails that makes up the loop.. The rest was downhill and easy. We stopped frequently for red flowering raspberries that were plump from all the rain.. It made me feel glad to be alive.. On the drive home we were talking about how nice it is to have all the time together now. Without Sam… and with Max at school. we find that we have more concentrated time with Gabe ..we have more time together as a couple and we each have more free time for ourselves.. .We were talking about how strange it is to enjoy that extra time.. the reason we have it is so sad.. and profound.. but that doesn’t change the fact that we enjoy it.. It’s the same as being more aware of the beauty around us… or being more open to others. Even practical things like having our college savings go further… or doing less laundry are both easier.. and constant reminders of our smaller world. I’d give my life to change the reason for these changes… yet I can’t,, As funny as it feels to enjoy these ‘gifts’, It feels like not admitting that there is good there would be wrong too.. I don’t really know how to explain it…
And.. it looks like I won’t have time to,, We’re heading over to our friends Sandy and Michael’s 20th wedding anniversary party… Sandy and I went to school together in Houston.. now she lives only 30 miles away in Middlesex. My friend Jay from Houston will also be there. Should be good to catch up.. I’ll let you know.. That’s all for now.
G’nite all.. g’nite Sam
-me