The Runs

Target Run
Grocery Run
Dollar Store Run
Costco Run
TJ Maxx Run
Drugstore Run

Air B&B?

All set!

But, boy, are my legs tired!

It's Fun to Go to the YMCA

We thought it would be a good idea to join the Y here in Rochester so that we would have a go to place to exercise while we here. It was super easy to sign up online, so today we went down to pick up our ID cards, see the facility, and get in a quick workout.

It was gigantic, and we knew there were locker rooms, 2 gyms, several studios, 4 racquetball courts, a weight and machine room, massage, personal training, 2 pools, and a hot tub. It also turned out to be a place run by children, and at this time of year-- summer camp season-- its focus was also children.

Being teachers came in handy, though: being surrounded by kids felt normal, and we prompted the young employees to give us an overview, if not a tour, of the building. All in all? The place had everything we need, and the price was right. 

To the Dogs

What! Yet another acres-wide, field-of-dreams dog park surrounded by woods and cornfields and community gardens and then? A shopping spree at the pet supply store! Later on, it was a walk on Silver Lake and then along the Cascade Creek.

I'd say Lucy is having a pretty fine vacation here in Rochester, MN.

Outpost Established

Our station wagon was stuffed full when we headed south from the Twin Cities on the last leg of our journey to Rochester, MN. Here, we have rented a comfortable two bedroom loft-style condo which will be our home base for the next three and a half weeks. Like every other vacation rental I have ever stayed in, the place easily absorbed what seemed like way too much when it was jammed into a car, and we already have a list of essentials to buy tomorrow.

After a rainy day of organizing, packing, traveling, unloading,  and unpacking, almost any dinner might have been good enough, but even so, I was able to use some of the provisions we packed and the barebones equipment that was provided to cook a pretty satisfying meal for me, Heidi, and my mom.

We're off to a good start!

Perfect Pit Stop

The hotel we stayed in last night may not have been the best, but we agreed that it was sufficient (although barely) for the 8 hours of our lives we spent there, especially since we slept through most of them.

The dog park we found about 10 minutes away was a whole nother story: situated on the site of a historic homestead and farm, the huge, grassy fenced enclosure was surrounded on three sides by reestablished prairie. At the far end there were a couple of sandy paths that led into a stand of dark hardwoods. Upon further exploration, we found that the park was actually triple the size it seemed-- these woods were also fenced and the several little trails through them designed for dogs and their people to ramble.

The morning was warm and breezy and there were a few friendly dogs for Lucy to run with. After a pleasant thirty minute, the three of us piled back into the Subaru, ready for the next leg of our most epic road trip yet.

Barrington Road

How surprised were we when we pulled into our hotel just outside Chicago at a little after 11:30 to find the reception area packed and a line out the door to check in? Upon further investigation, we found that all the other guests were of Indian descent, many of them dressed in traditional clothing. A quick internet search revealed that we were in a suburb known for its Indian community.

The clerk, too, was a gray-haired Indian guy. “Sorry about the wait,” he apologized when it was finally my turn to check in.

“I had no idea you would be so busy this late!” I said.

“There’s a big wedding and—” he shrugged and swept his arm around the lobby and to the door where 8 more guests were pulling suitcases in. I saw a tall stack of numbered envelopes behind the desk just like the one he handed me with our key cards. “It’s going to be a long night.”

Mismanagement

Heidi had several medical appointments today, and round one was blood work in the lab. It’s a take-a-number system: a little bell rings when the number changes and you show yourself back through the heavy wooden door. As such, the reception window is vacant, but it still offers a portal into the collection sites.

Shortly after we sat down, a high pitched scream pierced the waiting room. What followed was ten excruciating minutes where everyone in the chairs squirmed as a little child hysterically resisted a blood draw. The numbers stopped changing completely as all the lab techs and her grandmother tried to manage the meltdown, and it was heartbreaking to hear her panic rise as well as frustrating to listen to the adults’ misguided approaches to the situation.

At long last we heard the sing-songy voice of a man croon, "You're all finished!" followed by a loud sniff and then silence punctuated quickly by the return of the bell signaling another patient to go back. But all eyes were on the door when it slowly opened from the inside and a little girl in pink trudged out trailed by a stooped woman with gray hair.

"Now I'm afraid to go back there!" one woman told the child in an attempt to leaven the room, but the little girl just wiped a tear and ran down the hallway toward the exit.

No Worry No Cry

We were the only ones at the pool this evening when a quick little cloud burst rolled through. It was obvious that the storm wouldn't last: patches of blue sky and sunshine were visible just over the treetops to the west. Still, the downpour was heavy for a minute or two, and when I looked up to check the sky, the raindrops were individually catching the sun and creating a swirling cloud of sparkling confetti. Mesmerized, I called to Heidi, and then magically, as we swam through the glitter, a double rainbow appeared in the eastern sky.

That's my kind of rain!

All Part of the Game

We bought new soft-sided pet carriers to transport Milo and Tibby to the vet, or where ever else they might like to go that is not accessible by stroller. Their appointment was this morning, so yesterday I put the carriers out to make them a bit more familiar.

Oh my! Tibby was in and out of those cases several time in the first 10 minutes or so. She claimed them as her personal space immediately. Milo? Was not so sure. He sniffed them and observed Tibby's antics from across the room. But when I threw a few morsels of food in there, that guy was in! In fact the carriers were like a little playground last night as the cats dashed in and out and Lucy got her big nose into them, too.

The cats weren't so sure about leaving the house today, but I put them in the backseat so that they could see each other, and when all was said and done, the trip to the vet was a big adventure, and the carriers are just fun little contraptions to hide in.

It Only Seems Fair

It didn’t really seem fair that Heidi was literally having a stress test as I enjoyed my relaxing spa facial that my mom gave me for my birthday, so on my way out, I scheduled a treatment for Heidi to enjoy before we head out on our next road trip.

She’s a darn good wife, after all. 

There's No Doubt about It

When, as a type 1 diabetic, Heidi has a low blood sugar, her remedy of choice is lemonade, preferably? Minute Maid. During the day, at home, cans work nicely; at night juice boxes make the most sense since they are single-serve and can be stored under the bed. And when traveling, bottles are best since they can be opened and closed as many times as necessary without worrying about spills.

Today we were running errands, and it just so happened that we needed all of those. Oh, and did I mention that Heidi's beverage of choice these days is a very potent version of lemon water? So lemons were on the grocery list as well.

As we wheeled our cart toward the checkout, I looked at its contents with an objective eye. "We. have. all. the. lemons!" I laughed diabolically.

Heidi was more philosophical. "Think of all the weird stuff people must buy here," she mused. "You know they have to train the cashiers not to react!"

Sure enough, our lemonade bonanza was scanned and paid for without comment

He's Still Standing

We saw Rocketman today. The fanciful musical biopic of Elton John made me look at his music so differently. It seems impossible that all those songs could have been so autobiographical, especially since the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin, but... there it was.

After the closing credits we stood in the lobby and chatted with our friends about the movie. "Wow! You really seem to know a lot about Elton John!" someone told me as I was able to plug a few of the gaps she saw in the narrative.

I shrugged. I guess it's true, and it's probably because not only was I alive at the time and recall many of the events, but also because like Bohemian Rhapsody, this film told the story of a person not that much older than I am who nearly ruined himself because his sexuality was considered unacceptable by a society I remember well.

Watching John's struggle was painful, but the underlying anachronism of those times was meant to show how far we have come in the last 50 years. I suppose there is consolation in that.

Home Run

There was no convenient show time any movie we wanted to see at our local theater, but since the temperature was pushing 100,  I searched a little farther afield and found a showing of Spiderman not too far away. "But will they have cheese popcorn?" Heidi wanted to know, because ever since our neighborhood theater added that to the menu, we haven't gone anywhere else, which is not a coincidence.

I searched the chain's website, but a full menu was not available.

"How about Garrett's?" I suggested, since we would be close to the mall, but a stop there was too much time and trouble. "That grocery store with the super cheesy corn is right over there," I said next.

Heidi shrugged unconvinced, "I guess so, if we have time," she sighed.

"Why don't we just see what they have there?" I asked, and in the end, that is what we decided to do.

Despite the heat and the opening of the live action version of The Lion King, the theater was dead, and we bought our tickets and went directly to the concession stand without delay. There on the menu was an item called "Cheetos Popcorn", which was basically a very cheesy popcorn tossed with actual Cheetos.

Good enough!

Reunited!

I was out of the house before 8:30 this morning, off to pick up our CSA share, get my hair cut, and have the car washed all before meeting our friend Mary for a quick stop at school and then lunch in the new food hall now known as Ballston Quarter Market.

The biggest surprise of the day was waiting for me when I hopped back in the car after it was clean. There, on the back seat, was my mitten!

A New Thing

We had some shrimp and scallops in the freezer, so I promised Heidi risotto, one of her favorites. At the garden I picked corn and okra and peppers and tomatoes, so I was feeling a bit of a southern vibe.

The solution? Fusion!

I made a risotto that started with onions, peppers, and celery and was finished with shaved okra, corn, and tomatoes. The dish came out like a silky dirty rice with gumbo overtones and the seafood with lemon, garlic, and basil was very complimentary.

Verdict?

Success! Would totally make again.

Summer Chores

By 9 AM the 4 happy birthday texts of the day were sent, the coffee was made, the dog was walked, the garden was weeded, the tomatoes, okra, corn, and peppers were picked, the flowers on the deck and out front were watered, the robin's nest was removed from the eaves, and I was ready to shower.

It's good to be home! 

My Navigator

In general? I couldn't be more satisfied with the navigation app on my phone. Offering three routes, indicating congestion whether slow traffic or stop-and-go, suggesting time-saving changes enroute, and always giving me my trip mileage and estimated arrival time, I couldn't ask for more. So, when today the app recommended getting off a clear interstate in favor of some local roads, not only did I not hesitate, I gleefully steered toward the opportunity to explore a new and quicker way home.

Uhhh... that was until it directed me into a gas station parking lot, around a fast food drive thru, back the way we had just come, into a U turn at an outlet mall and right back onto the interstate. And our ETA never changed.

Laughing about it later with my brother and sister and mom, we all agreed that my destiny had changed when I took that exit. What actually happened was not what would have happened had we continued forward-- the time, the vehicles, the drivers were all reshuffled, and we drove on with a new deck, arriving safely at home.

Nailed It

The nail salon was full when the four of us walked in a little after noon today, and the young man who did my mani-pedi seemed a little put out to be doing any hands-on work. I had seen him there before, and his role was usually cashier, clean up, and general schmoozer. Unlike most of the nail technicians I have had in the past, who wanted to turn the chair as quickly as possible, this guy took several breaks, ostensibly to allow my feet to soak or my legs to moisturize. When he was at my feet however, he was relatively charming.

Twenty-something, well-muscled, heavily tattooed, and quite deferential to his granny, the elderly Vietnamese woman who ran the salon, he was especially curious about the relationship between Louise, Gary, Heidi, and I. "Well," I explained, "we're married," I gestured to Heidi and me, "and these are her parents."

"Cool!" he said. "How long have you been married?"

"We've been together 21 years," I told him, "and married 5."

"Did you wait until it was, like, legal, to get married?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," I answered.

"But did you, like, get married right away, as soon as you could?"

"Pretty much," I nodded.

"Well, that is awesome!" he said, and then went off to do something else.

Somehow? It didn't bother me at all.

One Woman's Treasure

I love a good junk, er antique, shop. There's something very satisfying about poking around dusty displays hunting for treasure. Oh, the bounty I find is rarely a valuable item priced well below its worth; my reward is usually in spotting something I remember from my childhood that I haven't seen or thought of for decades.

Over the years I have been reunited, briefly, record albums, collectable glasses, Christmas plates, toys, and lunch boxes. Usually those items are priced a little too high for me to reacquire them, or at least high enough to make me consider why we parted in the first place. I do actually own a few things that are replicas of stuff we had when I was a kid.

The set of pyrex mixing bowls in turquoise and white with the farmer design is a prominent example. The largest bowl of that set is what my dad always used for popcorn when he made it on nights he was babysitting us. I can still remember dragging my finger through the salt and butter pooled at the bottom of the bowl when all that was left were the unpopped kernels.

Several years ago, my mom found sets of those bowls and gave them to the three of us for Christmas. You can bet I always put my popcorn in the popcorn bowl. And today, wasn't I surprised to find not something that I used to have, but rather something that I actually have now for sale in a junk, er, antique store.

Now that's a sign of age!

Par for the Course

One of the minor motifs of this summer so far has turned out to be miniature golf. A couple weeks ago we were flipping channels one evening after dinner and we happened on Holey Moley, a tongue in cheek reality show where contestants compete for 25,000 bucks and an ugly green plaid jacket on an extreme mini golf course.

If they had me at mini-golf, they kept me when the first player got knocked off the green not once but three times as she tried to run through giant windmill to take her second shot. I couldn't stop laughing, and we have giggled through several episodes of the silly show since then.

There was a time back when I was in my twenties and lived at the beach that I played miniature golf all the time. I wasn't great, but I was pretty good; my best score ever was a 33 on a par 36 Putt Putt course. I still enjoy the game, and I would play more often if there was a convenient course and some willing competitors in my life.

Today, those conditions were met. Heidi, her mom ,and brother, and I set out for a local mini-golf course. Oh, the competition was tough, but I hooked my pinkies together the way my golf instructor showed me in college, lined up the heels of my flip flops, and used the siting feature on my club to sink most of my putts. In the end? I know I was the winner in both rounds we played, even though the other players claimed we "weren't really keeping score."

Too bad there weren't any giant windmills.

Only So Much

We spent the afternoon on the Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, NY.  Founded in 1895, it was a community of artists and craftsmen and part of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Today it remains an artist cooperative and is a National Historic Landmark. We ate lunch on the shady porch of the Roycroft Inn, a beautiful setting with unfortunately mediocre food.

There were many lovely things to admire in both the Inn and the shops, though, and among them were several versions of a William Morris quote that I heard long ago, but had forgotten. Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. 

Considering his words, I did a quick inventory of just a few of the many, many possessions we have in our home, and while most of them fit well in one category or the other, we left East Aurora with no more than what we owned when we arrived.

Go Go Go!

For the past few days I have been gleefully posting screen shots on social media of the perfect weather we have been having up here in Western New York. Well... today brings the first 90+ degree heat of the year for this area and all its attendant issues. It's too hot to play outside and there's nothing to do inside.

What's that you say? Vacations are meant for relaxing?

Don't be silly!

Cornhole anyone?

Souvenirs

Sometimes it's not enough for me to simply walk through a beautiful place. On beaches I search for shells, shark teeth, and sea glass. On hikes in Maine, it's a hunt for blueberries or the smoothest rock. In corn mazes I have been known to gather husks and fashion dolls as I navigate my way through.


And today it was wildflowers. There were so many different blooms and blossoms in the fields and meadows on the farm where we took Lucy to run and swim, that I picked a sweet little bouquet as we walked in the sunshine serenaded by larks and red wing blackbirds.

International Sensation

On our visit to the falls last Christmas, we spotted a small sign that we had never noticed before. Pedestrian Walkway to Canada, it read, and the die was cast. Heidi's brother Mark and I agreed to bring our passports this summer so that we could WALK! to Canada.

"Can Lucy come?" was Heidi's only question, and a quick internet search revealed that yes, indeed, dogs can walk to enter Canada along with their human travelers.

Today, our plan became reality. Under perfect, 80 degree blue skies, the four of us trotted gleefully across the Rainbow Bridge, passed the international border marker halfway,  and breezed through immigration to Canada. There we strolled through well-manicured parks and along stone walls lining the river gorge up to Horseshoe Falls where the wind blowing from the US sprayed us with a steady mist.

Along the way, fellow tourists speaking Cantonese, French, Italian, Spanish, and English asked if they could pet Lucy, who was smiling and prancing her way through her first International visit. Two hours later we returned to our native land, a little tired, a little sun burnt, but joyful, too.

Sunday Drive

We wanted to spend some time outside with the dog, so I Googled a few hikes and found one that seemed promising about 20 minuted from Heidi's folks. The way was fair-- along country roads with open fields, farms, woods, and water. The weather was perfect, too, low 70s and all sunshine and blue skies, so we rolled the windows down and blasted the radio.

The park was an abandoned farm with wooded trails, a rushing creek, and a waterfall, and we followed winding paths up and down little hills, past old stone walls and granite ledges. Back at the car, I checked the map to see exactly where we were, and it turned out to be just 8 miles from Lake Ontario.

Well, a great lake waits for no one, and so we turned our car north toward Olcott Beach, a postcard perfect town with a lakefront park, a jazz band playing in the bandstand, and a tiny amusement park crowned with a vintage carousel. Another lovely hour later, we turned toward home, just as happy as we could be.

Beating the Heat

It took 394 miles north and two carwash-worthy rain storms for the temperature to drop from 93 to 77. Here in Buffalo, it's still pretty muggy, and as we walked the dog through the 9 PM twilight of Heidi's childhood neighborhood for her last outing of the evening, I couldn't help but notice all the wide-open windows.

The houses here were built back in the 1960s when air conditioning was a luxury not many of the working families here needed. That's still pretty much the case, despite climate change. For the few hot days and nights, people here resort to window units that are hauled out in June and put away in September, some propped up by homemade braces made of 2 x 4s, or good old-fashioned box fans leaning against the screens and turned all the way up to number three.

A quick dip in the above-ground pool in the back yard right and an orange popsicle before bedtime might help you sleep, too.

Bonanza!

We were buying a new car, so I reviewed our insurance.

Josh is moving to California tomorrow (!), so I removed him from the policy.

We traded the 18 year old Jeep (awww....) for a brand new Honda HR-V (yay!), so I made that change.

I noticed that Heidi was listed as "friend" (throwback to when Virginia didn't recognize same sex marriage, and so we weren't married), so I sent an email (on principle, since now we are married) to have that corrected.

The insurance company replied with a heartfelt Congratulations! and a request that I update Heidi's education and employment info.

Bottom line?

Our insurance went DOWN more than $800 a year!

The End of an Era

"I'm not ready," Josh told us at his farewell dinner last night. He wasn't talking about his move to California on Saturday, though, he was reacting to the news that after 15 years we were going to trade the Jeep Wrangler in for something newer and more reliable.

As over the Jeep as I am, I knew what he meant. I could still picture the 9 year-old him sound asleep in the backseat even though the top was down, swaying against the seat belt, head bouncing with the bumps in the road, and the wind whipping his fine curls into a tempest. I could still hear the radio blaring as Heidi banged out of our complex on her way to swimming lessons and lifeguarding. And in another blink, there was Annabelle and Heidi repainting the faded magnetic flowers with nail polish.

At the dealership today we were a little nervous presenting it for its trade-in. "We sure have loved it!" Heidi told the salesman.

"I'll get our trade finance guy to take a look at it," he shrugged. "I think he drives a Jeep."

And when the guy came in to talk numbers he had a big smile on his face."I want that Jeep!" he said. "I still have my '98 TJ," he continued, "and my 2011 and my 2016. Let me see what I can put together for you."

In the end? They offered us a fair deal, and we drove off the lot with a shiny new Honda HR-V, but it was definitely bittersweet.

Swimmin' in the Rain

When the overcast skies opened to deliver an afternoon downpour, we were in the pool. Once we took our stuff to cover, we jumped back in, because there was no thunder or lightning, and wet is wet.
How magical it was to be surrounded by tiny plops and drops, expanding into colliding concentric circles all around me! And the rain water was so much cooler than the pool water and the humid air around us that the sensation of all three at once was textural and refreshing. We swam and paddled and trod until storm clouds subsided to blue skies and sunshine.

I hope it rains again tomorrow!

Decorum Est

“When you get home, do you have any plans for the 4th?” A friend of my mom’s asked us this afternoon on the way to the airport. 

I thought about it a minute. Despite living a few miles from our nation’s capital, it’s rare that we are home for that most patriotic of holidays. It might seem that we had a number of exciting options.  “Well,” I told her, “considering the president is bringing in tanks, I think we’ll probably stick pretty close to home.”

Bday Recap

Every birthday is an opportunity to remember the joy in my life. Some years I am in places I love; some years I do things I love; every year I spend the day with people I love.

This year was no exception: Yesterday I woke first and spent the earliest hours of the day watching an amazing shelf cloud swirl down from the north and out to the east. I opened thoughtfully chosen gifts and enjoyed a delicious breakfast with Heidi and my mom. We went to the movies and were immersed in Yesterday, a sweet confection of a film. We enjoyed a delicious meal at a restaurant conceived of by one of the most innovative chefs in the Twin Cities, and when we were satisfied and full, we emerged into a clear evening, neither too hot nor too cool, and walked down to the historic Stone Arch Bridge spanning the Mississippi and St. Anthony's Falls.

Twenty-first Century technology allowed me to see and talk to Bill and Emily, Courtney, Jordan, Richard and Annabelle, and the day ended with a board game and a final chorus of Happy Birthday at my actual birth hour.

I know. Wow! Right?