Subject: Weekend Update: January 24-26, 2003
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 15:56:00 -0500

Metcalfe karma had us all scattered to the four winds
this past weekend.  Joy and I planned a trip to see
her sister Hope and family in northeastern Pennsylvania.
I didn't realize until later that it was Superbowl Sunday,
our National Party Holiday.  In previous years, Miranda
and Jessica invited a bunch of their college friends home
to watch on the big screen. We left on Friday afternoon
for PA without knowing what plans the girls had for Sunday
night, which demonstrates either trust or apathy, I am
not sure which.

Eric Magnuson saved me the double trek to Pepperell
and back by bringing Joy to his house. He has discussed
switching houses with me on several occasions, since
we each work within a couple of miles of each others'
house.  I am content with the relay system that we have
worked out.  Eric did double duty on Friday by dropping
my son Andrew and his son Michael off at the church to
go to junior high retreat.  Emily stayed behind to do
Andrew's paper route while he was gone.

Meanwhile, Jessica and David came home to Pepperell for
a long weekend (until Tuesday).  Their J-term (January term)
was over and the dreaded Epoch Making Events in Science
course was behind them.  They say that the best things
about that course is that it is over in one month.

We stopped halfway to Hope's, just the other side of
Hartford for some dinner.  It is a masculine thing
to want to keep track of the average miles per hour
and progress one makes for a most efficient trip.
Even though I was making good progress, I subjugated
the impulses to eat fast food on the go, and took the
time to sit in a restaurant instead.  Perhaps this
edges me closer to maturity, but I have discovered
that there are few things more enjoyable than being
on a little excursion with you're best friend and
Dear One.

Another masculine trait is to go on a trip without
directions.  I had been to Hope and Tom's once or twice
and so assumed that I would know which exit off Rte. 84
to use when I got there.  Luckily for me, my male directional
sense was working properly.  Despite the added drama
of nighttime landmark identifications and the changes
in Exit numbers by the State of Pennsylvania, I navigated
right to Hope and Tom's door without once back-tracking or
stopping to find their telephone number to ask for directions.

Hope, Tom, and their daughter Charity live in a "gated
community" in the hills of the Pennsylvania Appalachians,
not too far from the Poconos.  Deer are a commonplace sight
in their community and they are nearly unafraid of the
residents who are prohibited from inviting them to dinner.
The variety of houses is impressive for a development,
and Hope's house is decorated in a tasteful Colonial
Williamsburg-like d=E9cor.

We had a very nice visit with the Scheuermanns.  They
took us to a place called "The Castle" which had a rather
esoteric collection of things like enormous wrought iron
gates, stained glass, period furniture, tiffany lamps,
marble sculptures, you name it.  I know that if that
place was closer to Pepperell, I would have to sink a
significant portion of my paycheck into things that Joy
fell in love with.  We even talked about how we might
get some things up to our house.

We made a quick trip to my father-in-law's house, too.
He lives 20 minutes from Hope and Tom.  I brought my homemade
DVDs and demonstrated some of them on his TV.  Joy's dad
has turned his place into a bachelor pad bringing all of
his convenience items into the bedroom and keeping the
rest of the house cool.  We briefly discussed the idea
of downsizing to something with less maintenance but he
said that he isn't quite ready for that.

The rest of the weekend was spent talking about this and
that, showing pictures, and briefly getting the cat's tail
shut in the door.  (I didn't mean to. Sorry about that.)
We went to church with Hope and Tom Sunday morning at the
Gated Community Tabernacle (not its real name).  It was a
very nice service.  After dinner we got back on the road
to head home; time to part was too soon.  I made very
good time on the way back, only stopping for bio breaks and
fast food; Y-chromosome was in the driver's seat.

We made it home in time for the Superbowl kickoff. There
were several of Miranda's and Emily's friends gathered for
the event with a big food spread.  Jessica and David did
not show up until the game was over, being down in Brockton
with their church fellowship.  I was surprised that only a
few people (like Andrew and me) were interested in the game;
eating and socializing were higher on the agenda. We rooted
for Tampa Bay and thought, "if we were Raider's fans, we'd
have gotten past bummed and been downright angry at how
they were playing!"  The bittersweet end to the football
season means that Sunday afternoon naps masy return!

It was a good weekend and my family should all be together
tonight. Poor Jessica had a tooth extraction today, so there
is no telling how "together" she'll be this evening.

Mark