The 3-day weekend to get the club chair

About a month ago I bought an Art Deco club chair on eBay. 

It was pick-up only, in Pennsylvania. What a great excuse to rent a truck, stay overnight, and get the chair on the way home.

I suggested an indoor waterpark resort (duh). But it was $600/night on the weekends, and Ethan didn't really want to go, so Jo and I decided to go on a Sunday night--just us--and take a vacation day on Monday.

Here is our 3-day extravaganza:

Saturday (pre-trip rest day):

We explored Roosevelt Island in the sunshine...

...followed by dinner with Ethan at "Good Enough to Eat"...

...followed by a late night at Chelsea Piers. Jo had never golfed before, but Ethan and I tied for worst shot of the night: we each hit a ball that ricocheted off the front of the deck and ended up behind us. 

Sunday:

En route to Pennsylvania, we decided to take a detour to Chester, NJ, where I lived for a year when I was ten.

We stopped at Taylor's Ice Cream (still there 45 years later)...

...went to the athletic field, where I demonstrated my fifth-grade football form...

...then to my elementary school...

...and the woods behind my old house, where my brother Brad and I had a motorcycle accident in the summer of '73. Jo and I helpfully recreated the event.

We visited my old house... 

...even knocked on the door, took a tour of the inside, and posed on the porch.

Here's me and Brad in '73, for context:

Eventually we made our way to Camelback Lodge, where we were the oldest kids at the waterpark.

Monday:

A few more water slides, then we packed up and headed out to pick up the chair, stopping for lunch at a place called Mission BBQ, which had a big military truck out front.

We picked up the chair, which BARELY fit into the back of our SUV, and headed back to Manhattan.

Exhausted. 

But look! Mission Accomplished!

Fulfill your calling

I'm not a religious man. This is as spiritual as I get. 

But I believe we each have a calling, whether it's pursuing our dream to be a ballet dancer, climbing Mt. Everest, or volunteering in a pediatric cancer ward.

The sooner we find it, the sooner our lives will have meaning and the world will be better.

My trip to the Chinese market

Jo took me shopping for fresh seafood at a neighborhood in Queens called Elmhurst.

Everything was fresh off the boat, including live crabs, clams, mussels, and shrimp.

I almost backed into the vat of live snakes without looking. Jo assured me they're not snakes, simply fish that look like snakes. I said, "That qualifies as snakes."

We settled on salmon and live shrimp, which were still wriggling around when we got home.

Guess what? It was great.

Ethan joined us for dinner but opted for mac and cheese.

Hello Spring!

Now that winter is over and spring is here....

Seriously, it was like 60 yesterday. Jo and I had Easter brunch at an outdoor cafe, bought a new picture book for Samuel, and traipsed all over Jersey City until our feet were sore.

But while we're here, let's say goodbye to March with a few highlights:

1. We made more than one visit to The Donut Pub last month. It's cheaper than opioids, but with the same effects. Here I am with Jo and Ethan. (Yes, Ethan got a haircut.) (Yes, Jo and I are both thinking, "I have to stop going to Donut Pub.")

2. I lend all of my picture books to my neighbor, Ollie, and I let him feed dog treats to Bailey. Whenever he sees me he points and says "Dog?" One evening we hung out in the lobby playing ball with Bailey and neighbor dog Pogo. A reminder that one can never have too many kids or dogs.

3. And--how did I forget to post this pic? This is one of my favorite people in the world, celebrating 17 years on Planet Earth. A reminder that they grow up fast. 

And now, I'm going to Cayman for the rest of the week, where the forecast is 83 and sunny. I'm going to work hard, run on the beach, make some money, and write some manuscripts.