I’m back on the porch, nearing lunchtime, getting hungry. I’ve been answering emails for a while, sitting in the shade, watching people wait in line for coffee.

Last night kind of sucked. M, her sisters in laws (is that how you would say “sister in law” as plural?), and her mother went to Lilydale for a group psychic reading. Don’t ask. Anyway, this left my brother in law and I in charge of the kids on our own. Now, I watch the kids on my own a lot at home, but I don’t watch the kids a lot in a scenario where they have to dodge cars in the street or sit in a stuffy house. The kids were great, however, and getting them to bed wasn’t too difficult. After M arrived home I walked to the plaza to check email. When I arrived home M had moved S to another bed for no discernible reason. This pissed me off because I feel like, when at Chautauqua, I have to remain constantly vigilant of my parenting role. If I’m not careful I’ll have no role at all. M’s family sort of pats males on the head and says, “Go make some money and do what you’re told.” Needless to say, that doesn’t fly very well with me. M and I talked for a long time, working through solutions to “The Chautauqua Problem.” I won’t bore you with the details here. After thirteen years of marriage we’re pretty good at working through issues of that nature.

Oh, more on yesterday…I rode my bike (a comparatively shitty rented bike) from the grounds to Mayville and back. Some of the hills were absolute motherfuckers. I had to walk my bike up one like an old lady. A rails to trails path was disappointing, all grass and gravel, but the exercise did me well. I rented the bike for sixty bucks, so I feel obligated to ride more, but I’m not in the mood today.

Ok, I should get back to the house. More later.