A glorious week and great company

a little better all the time........
last friday - beautiful weather - and Joe's birthday, so we made him skip school (he was very tentative about the idea, but bought into it quickly), I took a vacation day, and Sue turned down a "Sub" request. We loaded up the bikes and headed to Falmouth and the Shining Sea Bike Path. We had also planned to visit the Childrens Museum in Mashpee, but Joe decided it was such nice weather that we should stay out in it longer - so we pedaled and walked and explored a bird sactuary along the way and investigated shells near the Trunk River. A glorious day with great company!
Saturday - we did some basic yard work and house cleaning, and in the evening recruited friends Mark & Maureen for a canl-side walk followed by drinks & appetizers & a good band (with a great young female singer, and an excellent Berklee grad type guitarist. A glorious day with great company.
Sunday - family day (minus Corey & Mary & Yon) - and we decided to risk the depressing weather reports and trek up Mt Monadnock. Along about the NH border I was feeling & hearing an unusual noise/vibration from the van, which turned into a steady thumping noise that everybody heard. We pulled into the State park parking lot and checked the front tire, discovering it was on the verge of major blow-out (it might not have lasted one more mile). Jamie - my budding mechanic - was eager to get the jack & spare and get to work, so while he & I changed tires, the rest of the gang ate lunch. Then we headed up hill on foot. Tim & Joe were gung-ho and were given permission to hike on ahead. Julie & Jamie were struggling, so I sent Sue & Nikki off ahead and I held back with the out-of-shape high schoolers. Tim & Joe made the peak, Sue and Nikki stopped at the junction of the White Dot (up) trail and the White Cross (down) trail and waited for us slow pokes. They both could have made the top - almost visible from the intersection (but fogged in) but chose to sit & rest & wait from us to catch up. Shortly after we did, the boys came down and met us - so we all headed down. Aside from a few high pulse rates and one fall on the rocks (Joe, horsing around) all went well and unusually chearfully. A glorious day and great company.
Monday - Memorial Day - tons of work accomplished (for upcoming Grad Party) and people left me alone. (also translates into a glorious day).
Tuesday - Joe's evening baseball game, sitting in the van by the right field fence - a glorious lazy way to spend an hour & a half.
Wednesday - our softball game was supposed to be rained out, but the weather held off and the girls played quite well, pulled off a few very good defensive plays (followed strategic instructions and were rewarded by the results) and despite two runners thrown out at home plate (one give credit to the opposing catcher how perfectly blocked the plate, caught the throw and made the tag - and one were Antonia actually made a picture perfect slide under the tag but the ump was out of position and blew the call) we came from behind and won the game. A glorious day and great company.
Thursday - virtually uneventful (other than Joe getting "benched" at his tack meet - it's hard to sit, behave, and watch for 3 hours while waiting your turn to run) and sue was out doing yoga with my sister and then drinks/snacks with play-people. For her at least, great company.
Today (friday) - amazingly nothing on the calendar for Sue & I, only two children home, so Friday's for supper followed by doing NOTHING (interupted by picking up Nikki, then Julie). Talk about a glorious day and great company!!!