Escape

This is the idyllic scene from my weekend away in the Adirondacks. Damn, it was nice to get away from the city for a while. People have been telling me for months that I've been working too hard and need to run away for a while. It was a pleasure to do so. My lovely wife's familial home in the Adirondack National Park is always a good spot to run to.

There were a couple of catches, however. First, it's an eight hour drive from good 'ol D.C.. Young Kate had never been in the car longer then it took to get to the pediatritian's office. She held up well. I'm used to stopping long enough to drain my bladder, so the 1/2 hour stops to feed the child were a shock to my system. We made great time though. I think many people stayed home to save some gas money.

I can't believe I paid $3.29 for regular......there goes $200 right off the bat.

The second catch is that few members of Pru's extended family had met my progeny. Instead of a nice weekend with Pru, Kate, the dogs and the in-laws, it became a family reunion-style gathering. Luckily, Pru's family is a good bunch of folks. I enjoy talking, drinking, eating, and relaxing with all of them.

I escaped from the crowd a couple of times to go swimming or kayaking. It was nice to have some solitude. We bought a new tandem kayak with a baby seat in it. I'd never seen anything like that before. I'm looking forward to Pru and Kate sharing some quiet paddles next year.

Kate had her first dip in the waters of White Lake. It was pretty cold....she didn't really enjoy it. Screamed her little lungs out. I can't wait to see her dive off that dock and swim until she's shivering and blue-lipped.

The dogs, as always, enjoyed swimming to fetch all the sticks we could throw at them.

Overall, a good time. Going back to work today was not easy. However, having invested $200 in gas and another $500 in the new kayak, I guess I've got to make some more money.