Mosh Glass

What a morning. Up to early and everyone, read Emily and Michael are in foul moods. Michael is just an ass. Emily was fine till we realized, by getting in, that the shower puts out cold water. Only. In spite of the burn warnings posted. That’s a cruel joke. My lovely wife requires a hot shower. Every day. This really put her off. But an hour later she is fine and dandy. Michael is still a jerk.

We managed to stay absolutely on schedule despite all the transit problems. Such as the GD ticket machines in Victoria Station not accepting any form of payment from us. Fortunately, I know what to do. Find a human. We did. I am now on the Gatwick express. Which is a sweet ride. Smooth, clean and well appointed. And working WiFi. Unlike the usual London tube which has none of those attributes.

We caught our 830 express on our way to our 1135am flight to Paris. So far, so good. The hotel is a big upgrade as well. This will make all happy. Which is what makes me happy which may help me sleep. One can only wish.

I am gonna nap. Back later.

13th day of this travail. What a day. I hate our bureaucracy but unfortunately must deal with it. On occasion.

So today ended early and started early. I went to sleep early, around three am. Up three hours later at six. I set my alarm for 615. But not sleeping well. Too bad. I have to get to the passport office early according to sources in the federal govt. Sources unnamed and at the bottom.
So I got moving, showered, shaved(like it matters) and got out to federal bldg (The Tip O’Neil Fed Bldg) by 7. I was first in line. My mistake. I coulda slept in.

I Uber’d to the passport office. I was telling the driver my tale of woe and he felt so sorry for me he took me to Dunkin for coffee. Nice guy. I did have really bad hotel room coffee already but Dunkin was good. Anyhow, managed to get to destination by 7 am when they open. I was first! Turns out, so what. I waited around, others arrived, we formed a quick bond amongst us losers who screwed up. We were having a grand old time. We decided to line up, in absence of any guidance.

So we spent the next hour talking about why we were there and how we screwed up to the point we needed last minute passports. It was fun. By 8 more started to show up. And more. By 830 there were a hundred people waiting. Lined up as best we could. So about 820, a security guard showed up, took us all out of line and gathered us at back of room. Explained how it worked and released us as a crowd to re line up. So I lost my place in line. What a dick. And a half. Though he was cheerful. Prick.

I did manage to get to the window eventually. They sent me away to get pictures and fill out forms. I came back with all 25 mins later. They took it. Said come back at four. With no promises.

This place is just f’d up. They refuse to commit to anything with anyone. You have to just understand u may not get the passport. This is not helping.

We did notice the folks here reward screw ups. So the worse your tale of problems, the faster you get helped. Now, how is that a boon to mankind? Of course, I had a plane reservation to the UK, so they liked me. I am glad I chose to make the reservation. I can’t make sense of how they respond but it’s good for me. Anyway, I got my stuff filed.

So I decided to walk back to my hotel where I had stashed my bags. Walking turned into a mistake. Turns out there is a massive amount of rod work downtown. So my 1.2 mi walk took an hour and a half. Woulda called Uber but my phone died. Prob due to the two hours on hold with Icelandair. They cancelled my entire itinerary through August since I was unable to fly my flight yesterday. I hate Icelandair. And, btw, 2 hour holds are the norm for these buttholes. At the end of my hold I had a dead phone and a cancelled flight and they do not care. At all.

So I did get to my hotel and I collapsed on the lobby couch. I have no room. A miserable day. Rested. About 145 I called Uber and went back to the passport office to sit and wait. It does help, sort of, to be early to pick up.

To pass the time of day I charged my phone, checked emails and texts and just sat. I read a little. It’s quite boring in a Fed bldg lobby. Very boring. One of my buddies from the morning showed up. He had gone back to work for three hours. We teamed up dissecting what’s wrong with our government. We solved their problems. And sat.

About 330 I went upstairs to the place I suspected I should be. And waited. The liar security guard showed at 345 to explain all. He again pulled us out of line to explain what was going on. Then released the crowd to re line up in whatever order. Asshole.

So I ended up near the back of the line even though I got there early. Wtf? I hate this. One of the gals I spoke to has been thru this in NY and said it was far better there. Great.

I did finally manage to get to the front of the line, get my new passport, and head out. About time. Happy at last and smiling ear to ear.

The Uber driver took 15 minutes to show. Boston at 430 on a Friday. Not an easy drive. Sadly, I have him grief for it. But eventually I did apologize for being a dick. The feds rubbed off on me. I did get to the airport.

Flight was uneventful except for constant worry about the connection. Always nice to fret. I alreasy missed a flight that cost me a ton of money. The next flight was a 10pm depart. We landed and they opened our plane doors at 947. At gate 80. I had to get to 108 in 13 minutes. So, I ran like hell. Along with a few others. I am much faster than these fattys. I made my flight with 3 minutes to spare.

It’s 1115. We are headed to London to see the queen. I called and left her a message. Tea, Saturday at 4. Have not heard back.

Now I am waiting for food and bev. Not much else. Hope my connection improves.

The flight to London was nice. Almost seven hours which is enough time to be served two meals and two snacks. Time for the bathroom line to dwindle as everyone falls asleep. It is the middle of the night. Time to watch two movies. If only I had a first class seat it would be perfect. I had a ton of legroom but the guy in front of me had his seat all the way back for the whole flight. It puts a crimp in sleeping positions. I sleep very poorly on planes. No excrption here, I slept about 1.5 hours. Add that to the three last night and I am not so good. And I did not sleep longer cuz the stewardess woke me to see if I wanted breakfast. Whatever.

We landed at Heathrow about 1030am London time. We will call it a day right here. Tomorrow for the rest.

I left off yesterday at plane landing. I can recommend United. Great flight, great service. Never fly Icelandair because they suck.

Coming into foreign lands requires a trip through customs. Yikes. When I got to the lineup for customs, the line was backed out of the cavernous room into the huge hallway. Thousands of people? An absolute shit ton. A lot. Many. Beaucoup humans. Can you say two hours? I can. At least it’s stimulating. The guy directly behind me in line coughed for two hours. Called his best girl and told her about cold. He needs juice and vitamins. His words and a shower. His words again and I concur. I hate people.

The customs officer made me give him my entire itinerary from memory. I did it on 1.5 hours sleep once I realized it was not a joke. What a dick.

I headed to the Tube station at the airport. I am meeting everyone at Westminster station when I get there. It was two hours. But at least a subway is stimulating. Like customs lineups. Sheer torture. I did have a little food. Haha.

Well, we met up. Hugs and kisses. And got right back onto the Tube to go to a place for lunch. Mayfair Chippy, the fourth best fish and chips in London. And I think, most expensive. Good and pricey.

After lunch we wandered the streets. Walked too far. Many miles. To Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Hyde Park, and Buckingham Palace. And I carried my luggage the whole time. Because it takes too much time to backtrack and put it away. Feel sorry for me. Well, we kept busy. We had dinner at a nice Punjabi place. Very good. The people there were fun and funny. Sorry, forgot the name. Far less expensive than lunch too.

So, I am really tired at this point. So we got on Tube to head to hostel. One hour. The coffee I drank at dinner kept me going.

We had to walk a couple blocks from station through a seedy neighborhood. Fine. Got there. Got set best I could. We gotta be up early, 6am, for flight to Paris. And what am I doing? Blogging. You are welcome. Short one. I am a little exhausted.

I shoulda kept blogging. My mind got hyped up and I was awake till 2am. Overtired? Don’t care. Slept straight thru till 6am. I had to resort to meditation to get to sleep. Old school Ambien. But, finally, good night.

Up early today. By 8am. That’s 5 am to you west coast mortals. Everything quick. Shower. Breakfast. Shut down next door. Clean up here.

We are now sitting and waiting for the dryer here and next door to be done. Last thing. Of course, one more stop at the dump and off to in laws. We get rid of the 86 Buick wagon, the Twinnie mobile, and get a ride to Portland where we catch a bus to Boston. Where our airport is. Boy, this is fun. Beyond fun. What is beyond fun?

Anyhow, I am getting ahead of myself. We are still sitting on the bed waiting on the last dryer load. Then out, as I said. Emily is trying to navigate the Air BnB site for our camp. She needs to share the bookings with our cleaning lady. By the tone of her pointed comments, it ain’t working. Their site is horrible for landlords. Awful. I do hate them. Why should I have to call them? But that appears to be the solution.

We are finally on the road to Portland. Took an act of God but we are in motion. I can’t blog much cuz I get car sick. So relax for awhile and I will be back. Hank is driving and it’s pouring outside and his driving is very scary. Fortunately he has a back seat driver, Beth. Also scary.

Trip to Portland was over long due to the rain. We arrived at the Boston bus at 128 and it turns out there is a 130 bus. So we jumped right on. And I mean right on. Nice bus. Shows movies, has WiFi and free bottles water. I like it far more than air travel.

We had a smooth uninterrupted rainy drive to the Boston airport. We grabbed our boarding passes and headed to security. We are not hurrying, we don’t leave till 9 pm. Well, security was a nightmare. It’s as if they have never done it before. Took over an hour. In a short line. Amazing.

When we finally got through we decided to get a meal. Normally, all airport food is bad. Or bland. Which is the same. Well, we ate at Stephanie’s in Logan airport. Everything was excellent. Drinks, apps, sinner. Great. Like it’s not an airport. If you go to Boston airport eat there. I am blown away.

After early dinner we found our gate and set up camp. I went to the cash exchange and purchased a cash card. No fees. They even have me 40$ on the card. Nice. In the process he had to check my id. Turns out my passport is expired. Oops. Wel, after much haranguing I am not making my flight tonight. Emily goes on alone. I have to go the the passport office, about two miles away and get an extension on expiration date. Emily was very upset and I am right there with her. I hung around the airport till she got on the plane. Then I found a cheap and close hotel to spend the night. No other choice.

Once I was at the hotel I started the calls. First to the airline. The gate agent had said they could put me in the next flight tomorrow. Wrong. The airline said I needed to pony up $8109 for a seat. NFW. They suggested I call the booking agent. They could do nothing. I had insurance on the flight and I called them. They were not open so I will call tomorrow when I figure they will nicely tell me to go to hell.

At this point, it’s fish or cut bait. I booked another flight and will be arriving one day late. And lot more up on how the travel industry makes money by screwing us. I was glad to get the seat. And I do have a travel voucher good for one year on an airline I will never fly on again.

The hotel I am staying in is a 3 out of 5 online rated. It deserves it. Mostly clean but very tired in appearance. But I picked on price. It’s 145 am and I am getting up in 4 1/2 hours. Gotta get to passport office early to avoid whatever rush Friday brings. This is crap.

Just an update for avid (rabid) fans. Asleep around 3. Up at 6 before my alarm. Getting up early means I can feel and look like shit at the same time. Yay me. Hi Ed!

Tomorrow we leave for Boston to catch the first leg of our excellent adventure.

Today, not so exciting. Up and doing housework for about four hours. Or, a quick clean, as Emily says. She has heard me say this will be quick so many times she has lost perspective. Lol.

We did clean for what seemed like all day. God I hate it. We went to the dump. Since there is no garbage service here we go to the Skowhegan Town Dump about once a week. It’s actually a transfer station since the landfill is closed but all call it the Dump. I will spare the details, it’s a dump. Then off to the bank. It was closed. Permanently. No others open. This is a depressed area of the country. So what to do? Go to Wal Mart. Wally Mart handles bank like transactions at their service center. No shit. I changed 2k in hundreds for twenties. No problem. Smaller prob better.

Not much else done. Back to home unload and keep doing laundry and dishes. Packing the camp up for our Air BnBr’s. Gotta lock down the booze cuz last summer renters got into it. Assholes. Anyway, we gotta get set.

We went to Beth and Hanks for dinner. A nice roast and roasted root veggies. No dessert so Giffords later on the way home. We also had cocktails and appetizers too. We all ate too much.

We left by 9 and headed for the camp. Quick stop at Giffords for my Black Raspberry frappe. Emily had some over sweet concoction that would put mostninto diabetic coma. A sundae they call it. Not for me. Our neighbors drive by and stopped. They had eaten at Old Mill Pub but still managed to squeeze some ice cream in top of their dinner. All these calories don’t count on vacation, I understand.

Well, day is done. Wait, no. Let’s pack. And charge all the devices. That will be a blast! Ok, not a blast, but we have to finish off the suitcases. Mine all fit perfectly with a couple small add ins from Em. Hers was tough. She has too much stuff she thought necessary. I left all necessary stuff at home. I packed for five days. Yes, I know, I will be gone 45. But, they have washers and dryers and clothing stores and drug stores where we are going. I can buy what I need if anything. So one small duffel and an even smaller satchel for electronics. And snacks. We got lots of snacks.

Managed all done by 1230. And bedtime. I read for awhile, book almost done. I will need to download a book in the airport. You never know when your next connectivity will be. We are, fortunately, not headed to a place where Starbucks is on every corner.

Managed to get up early today. Why? Who knows. We have nothing planned. Emily will find something we need to have and go to the store. Be assured.

Btw, rest assured, we are not always eating fancy. I had cold enchiladas and coffee for breakfast. Emily had toast. Boring. Sometimes we eat in.

All we did today was shop for crap to get ready for leaving and setting up the cottages as air bnb. So we drove all over. Bought crap. Got set up back at the camp and that’s it.

We went to the in laws for dinner. Clams and frites. Very good.

Home to read and sleep. God life in the fast lane is insane.

One fifth of the way thru our epic summer vacation. Sort of. It’s difficult to include 10 days in the greater Skowhegan/Madison metro area in any phrase that includes the word epic. But, still one fifth by time.

I am sitting here Tuesday morning drinking coffee out of my Lucky Charms mug and ruminating over what we did yesterday. And my picture upload is not working, so no picture of this mug or mine. Lucky you.

Yesterday was our annual trip to Freeport. Freeport is home to LL Bean, distribution center and the largest retail Bean location too. The rest of the town is all outlet stores and small places to eat. The deals are many and varied, they really are outlet stores. Usually it’s a shop fest but this year we are not going home at the end of the trip. We are headed to Europe. So if we buy here we carry it all over Europe or ship it home. I chose to buy a couple things I needed for the trip.

I am in search of a unicorn. Really. I am looking for a waterproof, light and packable, warm jacket, no hood. I searched LL Bean first. No. Then North Face. No. Then Patagonia where I found a nice clerk who told me why my goal was unicornesque but then found me a damn near perfect jacket 40% off tagged clearance price. Ya. $47.12. Nice. I bought. I own a unicorn.

So I have a Patagonia story. A year or so ago Marika told me I could take my old Patagonia jacket to their store and they would exchange it. The jacket hats ripped, paint splattered, stained, etc. I got all out of it. I guess they recycle old clothes. I paid $80 in 1982 for it. She and I went to their store in SF and I plopped it on the counter. Took the guy 15 minutes, he said I can’t find it in the book best I can do is give you $300 for it. Well, OK. I now shop Patagonia.

Emily wanted to get some better stuff sacks for her luggage and I needed one for my new jacket so back to Bean. Where we also found travel towels. We are staying in hostels, no linens provided. Those will be handy.

No trip would be done till we went to Dooney and Burke to look at handbags. Right. I hate this kind of shopping. 30 minutes of agony. I try to not interrupt Emilys flow but it’s tough. We left and a cloudburst hit so we stepped back in and bought a D & B umbrella. And I threw on my new jacket, what great timing. I was dry and warm. Emily not so much.

This is my day. We headed back to Skowhegan. Emily did not feel well. Probably because she had not eaten. And this being Maine, every exit does not have several fast food outlets and gas stations. So we drive 70 miles to Waterville and got her a McChicken. Yum. We stopped at Best Buy for a short lightning cable too. I know, life in the fast lane.

Off to the in laws. We spent the rest of the evening there. Usual drinks and dinner. Leg of lamb. Strawberry shortcake. Normal dinner. Off to our cabin. And to sleep.

Sunday calls for something special. We are not going to church. So instead we decided to eat brunch at the Lakewood Inn. We are no more than two minutes walk from the Inn as well. We have no excuse.

So we managed to get up and go. We invited our nephew Robin. I texted grandma and she said he was still in bed asleep. So I figured we would not see him or the in laws. We walked by our neighbors and invited them too. They were awake so maybe. And we then continued our walk to the Inn. Below is my Yelp review.

Well, one more summer item checked off the list. Sunday brunch at Lakewood Inn. This place is like an extension of my cottage here at Weserrunsett Lake. We need only walk 1.5 minutes and we are here. Kinda convenient.

A little background, we spend a month every summer here in Madison, Maine, for the past 25 years. As I said, a short walk from the Inn. So I am familiar with Lakewood like no other restaurant I know. I come for drinks. Dinner. And Sunday brunch.

So, when I speak of The Lakewood Inn, I speak from experience.

Today, the wife and I headed down around 10am. No reservation. We invited our neighbors, via text, on the way. They joined us as well after we got there. I also texted my nephew and in laws, in Skowhegan (20 minutes away) to join us. They showed up without notice.

I should mention throughout this double table change, the staff was cheerful and helpful and no problems. We had already ordered when the three extras showed up and our waiter delayed meals and took care to keep us coffeed up and never stressed. It is always friendly and comfortable here.

I know, you say, “what about the food?!.” Well it’s great. The menu is crazy extensive. 40 breakfast meals? Sure. The drink menu, cocktails, is eight pages long. I did not drink. Though when I do, they are great. Brunch does have bottomless Mimosas.

We all ordered different things. I had the Traditional English Breakfast. A fave. Two meats, eggs, beans, bubble & squeak. Good stuff. I do recommend it.

Bagels and lox, burger, Reuben (love it), to name a few at our table. Over the years I have eaten it all. Not lox.

Service is always attentive and I seldom want for anything. Today was no acception.

The restaurant has filled up behind us and we have been sitting here for an extra 30 mins post meal. They never seem to mind and never try hard to turn the table. Thank you.

To say I will be back is an understatement. Of course I will. Every summer. Only question is is how many times next year?

So that’s what I wrote on Yelp. I feel like we sat there forever. Long brunch, which may be what brunch is for.

We left after noon, like I said we sat there awhile. Robin went with us and the in laws, Hank and Beth, went home. Robin stayed because we were going to Bigelow Brewery, a few miles north of Skowhegan, for some kind of beer, bread and cheese festival. There are not too many things to do here so we grab the new stuff that comes along.

We were at he cottage till about one then headed out to party. I have been to Bigelow a few times. I don’t drink beer but they have craft sodas and good pizza. And everyone else I am with does drink beer. It’s usually a good time for all.

Well this time there was a $15 entrance fee which allowed you “free” samples from all the vendors. Supposedly it also got you wine pairing as well. We wander d around and tried all sorts of cheeses, bread, and some meat products as well. All quite nice. I purchased a few for later, had some ice cream, generally a nice time. We went to have our wine pairing and were told they ran out of wine. So instead they were giving out a very small taste of crappy beer and a piece of bread with cheese on it. Bite size. Ya, that’s what I paid for. These folks need to learn a few things about how they treat customers.

We lasted about an hour there. Not really worthwhile for me as a customer. I think maybe some hard work needs to be done if they expect this to be an annual event.

We drove home and got there about 3. We made dinner very slowly. Usual suspects for dinner tonight, Robin, Hank and Beth. We made our version of the Caesar Pleaser which is a dish we get at a local eatery back home. Consists of spicy beef tips, broiled in cast iron pans served with a Caesar salad. Very tasty.

Before dinner the usual, cocktails and rich food. We had some of the cheeses and bread and some olive charcuterie. Really this was a meal by itself. Appetizers really make no sense. Why eat before I eat? I understand the booze, but the food is just xtra calories though it was really good.

Dinner was a hit. Robin frequ nys the Buckhorn, which is where we stole this recipe. He thinks we have it down well. I like it better, of course, because it’s cheaper too. Win win.

We had Giffords ice cream for dessert. We did not go get it, we had a carton from the market. Just as good.

We cleaned up the dishes and relaxed. It was only 6pm. Everyone went home. Emily and I went for a long walk in the early evening prior to the expected rainstorm. The mosquitoes were out for a walk too. That part was not so good. But, the walk was nice. We came back and decided to play Yahtzee, a family favorite at camp. There has never been any TV here so games were the entertainment. And the whole family is very competitive. It’s fun. Our neighbors joined us for a game as well. We wnjoyed ourselves immensely. Games are fun. More so when you win. The game was slow since neither of them was familiar. Beginners are like that and it’s ok because they are easy to beat. Haha.

They went home about ten and we went to bed. We have an early day tomorrow. Going to Freeport.

Ahh, Saturday. We are doing not much of anything. Just like at home. Up late, later than at home. We kinda just screwed off around here most of the day. I am sorry I can’t give you the excitement of the day. Wasn’t any.

We did go the the store for many sundry items – Tequila, sweet n sour, amongst them.

Went home and made chocolate chip cookies. Not my fave. Emily loves them. We had visitors, nephew and in laws, they love them. We now have a ton. Emily, every summer, makes cookies and takes them to the local Ice Cream and mini golf place we frequent. And gives them to Wyatt in the golf shack. Which is why I haven’t paid for a round of golf in years. He doesn’t work there anymore. Sadly.

Our excitement for the day: we have been invited to dinner at Nancy Nesbits across the lake. It’s always a treat. Nancy puts on a good spread and is a very entertaining hostess. She is 80 years old. Her husband passed a few years ago. Her kids are grown and have kids so she spends her summer here mostly alone with her dog. Her grandkids visit for a week during the summer. She has possibly the nicest cottage on the Lake. Also has a guest quarters, seperate for her Air B n B. The cottage itself easily sleeps 8. And it’s in impeccable shape.

Anyhow, back to dinner. When I am invited there is always an expectation I will make cocktails. So I bring my portable bar for the occasion. Yes, as many are aware I have a tailgate bar. It has everything you need for cocktails, except ice. I lug it to all dinners on the lake. It guarantees that I will get a decent cocktail every time. Most people’s home bars are pathetic. Always missing needed ingredients. Not mine. I stock well, just like at home.

We were summoned at 545. Which is funny. Why not just say 6? So funny. We arrived exactly at 545. Nancy was her usual self. Fun and funny and never lacking for a story either current or forty years ago. As I said, she is a fine hostess. We do like to help her out in the kitchen a little which she seems to appreciate. I set up the bar. I did not make drinks yet. I like to wait for all the guests to arrive.

And eventually they did. Just to keep the menu straight, I served a round of lemon drops for the ladies and whiskey sours for the gents. The appetizers were fine. Cream cheese and pepper jelly and a second cheese spread. Served with crackers. We sat around and talked, ate our appetizers and caught up on things since last year. It’s been a year since we have all been together. We occasionally hopped up to check on the pork tenderloins. Emily fancied some salads together. We are eating inside. Even though the lake is beautiful, the weather is not. Cool and rainy which is not “let’s eat outside” weather.

One more round of drinks prior to dinner and more apps too. We eat and drink way too much at the Lake. Which is fine. And fattening.

Dinner and company were fabulous. We had brownies and ice cream for dessert. No Giffords tonight. Excellent.

We left late, full and half crocked, and I can’t even remember the drive home. It was raining.

Starting to relax. Most work is done. I still have a few hangers on. I think I can knock those out soon. I have to, we are leaving for London in a few short days.

This morning was like every morning. I get up and make coffee and breakfast for both of us. It’s a ritual. If I were at home I would be making breakfast for the dogs and cats too. I don’t miss that. This morning we both had a bowl of gruel. And the coffee. Tasty.

There are big things on deck for today. Bigger even than a 6$ lobster roll. Or not. We rn errands today. Hardware store first. The bathroom sink has a leak in the faucet. So, new faucet and hoses. Not so bad, only $35. Of course, an hour of cursing and knuckle busting will follow. Then the glow of a job well done. And I call this vacation.

One of our favorite stores here, in Waterville actually, is Modern Underground. Mid century modern American furniture and housewares. Cool stuff. The same stuff I grew up with that e folks dumped in the 70’s and replaced with new modern. Oh well. Now we buy it back. So we drove to Waterville and it was our first stop. The shop really did not have the pizzazz it usually does. The owners wife died last year and he is depressed I think. I found a set of single old fashioned glasses which match a set of beautiful Collins glasses and shaker. Truly fab find. Cheap too. I own them now.

Our ritual continued, we left there and walked across he street to he Romanian bakery. We have been here many times and gone away empty handed. All bread is sold out almost every day. Well, luck was in our sails, they had bread. We bought a loaf of French bread. Today some other sucker is gonna miss out.

Went to the next door vintage clothing shop. They usually have great finds but I found nothing. Emily found a must have 80’s Italian leather bag. 15$. Did I mention everything is cheap? It is. So much stuff.

Next we actually did something I never expected my wife would do. We went to the Lebanese place next to Modern Underground and had lunch. We both had falafel sandwiches. Very good and again, very cheap. See why I love Maine?

Since we are going overseas I decided to ship the glasses back to CA. So, where do I go? Back to the UPS store I spent half a day at yesterday. Nice to see her again. Shipping cost an arm and a leg. No br ask for that even here.

Tonight we are having dinner with the in laws. It’s not every night but is most. We decided to go to the meat market. We figured we could browse the meat case and get something good. I have never been to Joseph’s Market before. It turned out to be a nice meat market but also had a few other things as well. We looked thru everything and settled on NY steaks. BBQ at 6. I was speaking to the butcher and turns out he is from Britain and now is a meat cutter here. Crazy.

After the market we decided to head back to Skowhegan. It’s not far but takes about 30 mins to get back. A funny thing happened on our way back. Outside Skowhegan we hit traffic. And it stopped. Here, this is insane. Started moving after awhile and it was an accident. And we knew the kid. It was Ryan who did yard work for us at the camp. Rear ended by an uninsured driver. Felt sorry for him. His truck is nice but it’s a 95 and I would bet the insurance co will total it.

We went to our camp and unloaded all our junk. We have in laws coming for dinner and cocktails tonight. In addition to the steak I am BBQn Em is making creamed corn and rhubarb upside down cake. With strawberry ice cream from Giffords. And the end result is a fabulous meal, of course. We always eat well here.

They left at a reasonable hour and we went off to readbourselves unconscious. Which did work well.