Labor Day

I enjoyed Hillary's speech but didn't watch a lot of the convention--they all seem too conventional, without surprise, same old truck night after night. Of course, growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland which shares the Delmarva peninsula with Delaware we're quite familiar with Sen. Biden, who I think is a great VP choice, actually. I think I recall that his hair is all transplants from elsewhere on his body but if vanity is his worst vice I think that's OK in a VP. Far better, I think, than Gov. Palin. It will be interesting to hear the different commercials I hope in Iowa/NE/SD; I'm sure we'll be tired of the Va-Md ones by then.

We had a great time on the weekend with Allison. She stayed at a B&B then went to our place and surprised us with food and a full fridge, which was great as we wanted to see the UVa-USC football game, though we knew we would be crushed. It was on national TV and Darby is in the band (though they showed the USC band a lot, they never showed him, sigh but you can see him practice at http://picasaweb.google.com/alwootten/CavalierBand#
). Saturday we went for a cruise on the Miss Ann (see http://flickr.com/photos/24104502@N06/2478782657
) with my thesis advisor Paul and his wife Rachael, who were celebrating their 47th anniverary on 31 Aug. Although the day began with clouds, rain and a brisk NE breeze, by the time we cast off for our brunch cruise up the Corrotoman River it was beautiful. We had watched the ship's Saturday sunset cruises from our front deck for years; we had run out on the jetskis to circumnavigate it, but we had not been on it until this year.
http://picasaweb.google.com/alwootten/IdaLeeBirthday#
for Ida Lee's birthday. After we had returned home we visited a friend from U. Va's home a few miles away, very close to the home our cousin Put Rosenberg had lived in many years before (Cousin Edie Foster's daughter, Jennifer Scheid, still lives nearby). When we arrived to surprise them, they were just returning from the afternoon tea cruise on the Miss Ann (it leaves the area after 52 years next week). Then we went on to Paul and Rachael's new house--they had torn down all additions to the 1844 farmhouse and were building an ultra-modern new wing designed by Paul's son Tom, a NYC architect. It was amazing--lots of work to do (electricity in only one bathroom so far, for instance) but sits on a point surrounded by a creek about 150' across known as Horn Harbor--great sunset views. We had Ti Ponche (sort of daiquiri with extra lime and sugar) and watched the sunset--wonderful views! Next day we mostly relaxed before heading home, where I met my son Nate to go see Batman. Certainly a well put together movie but all effect and too little craft went into its making, I think.

A Day on the Bay in August...

Typical nite on Solomon Rd.  Cop cars squealing along Solomon Rd.  first 2
w/ lites on, others w/out.  One peeked out the door to see if one could see
activity on Berkshire but didn't see anything. A contrasting night on Heritage
Point Road.  Definitely more exciting on Solomon than than on HPtRd!  Often
the case on Solomon Road; Oh! for the excitement of the city!  

Went to bed about 11pm; M slept outside the door.
Arose at 7:30am to find skies had cleared--couldn't even see the full moon when I
bedded down.  Lotsa haze and sun.

Tho it began nicely enuf hot (84, sluggish southerly breeze) muggy day in
the end here.  I turned on the AC about 5pm.  Began by giving Myra and me
breakfast:  me melon, scrapple and egg; Myra just the melon* and her
thyroid pills.  The L-pill tonite.  Then checked email and ordered
a No Wake sign and dealt with some managerial matters for work.

Myra noticed activity at the Brauns' so we went to investigate--someone
with a ditch witch laying cable--looks like cable TV/internet kind.  Again
she found stuff to eat in the vacant lot so we changed direction.  I got
the painting stuff out and then went for a little bike ride.  Painted
until I ran out of paint, about 2pm.  I found the other paint, though
ostensibly the same, differed slightly in color so I'll use that on the S
steps.  Made a list for WalMart and Lowes and piled Myra in the car.
Hurd's didn't have the stuff I needed, so went to Gloucester.  Gas at 7-11
Exxon is 3.479 now; saw it for 3.459 in Gloucester County (Zoom brand).
Not much new on the way; looked for a printer ink cartridge in WalMart but
they didn't have it (neither did Best Buy in CV) so I cannot print.  Got
some batteries for the book Alan gave me and more Limeade then walked M
and went to Home Depot next door.  They had the fluorescent lites for the
kitchen so I got them and a replacement globe bulb for the guest bathroom.
Not the right paint though.  Then went on to Lowe's for paint.
Applebee's sure did look good but I didn't want to leave Myra in the car;
Lowe's had the right paint.  On the way out of the parking lot glimpsed a
guy with a woman and younger girl who sure did look like Johnny.

Came home and ate my Hardees two piece chicken lunch with M, then spent 20
minutes or so closing all the windows(!) and turning on the AC which is
where this note began.

Yes, gorillaglued the shell.  Krunch not home.  No call from J.  Will
finish porch paint tomorrow.  A little thrilling up on the stepladder over
uneven ground! ALMA stuff to do now.

*JK