![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
From the Outbox
Sep. 15th, 2010 09:15 pmHellooo D---!
So, on our way home from Rockland yesterday we were listening to Gregg's favorite radio show, and I remember thinking about our conversation a long time ago in your little cabin. I wonder, after 7 or 8 years, do you still feel the same way about This American Life? I ask because I wasn't often in the mood for their stories, they often seemed, like you said, a bit sad. I didn't listen for a long time, but when Gregg started turning it on on Sundays, I listened again, and got some surprises in the stories. They weren't comedic brilliance or anything, but there is a definite a wry humor, and with the story we listened to - a young fellow who answered the door, half-stoned, to a SWAT team after quoting an action-movie on his FaceBook - there were some definite laughs. I was wondering if my enjoyment of these stories was because TAL has added a more humorous perspective, or because listening with someone who enjoys it let me tune in on the humor that was already there. Back then I didn't really expect the show to become as popular as it has become ("'the most popular podcast in America"? Really?), so maybe they did change a little in their way of expressing themselves. But I must admit Ira Glass is a funny guy.
So that was a tangent, without even a main subject to stray from. Am I good or what?:)
We went to MeetingBrook Friday, a visit I was very anxious should go well(did I hide it well? Let's say I'll never qualify for the CIA..). But Gregg is used to me worrying over him meeting my friends, and Bill and Saskia were so welcoming and easygoing [of course] that my anxiety disappeared immediately and we had a great visit. They did indeed invite us to stay in their bookshop (wow! so beautiful, it's like they brought the bookstore home, but with the added freshly-milled wood smell!). Anyway, the visit went beautifully, they played us (off Youtube) some of their new favorite artists, Gregg played a few songs by Jonathan Coulton, we blew our carb count completely on the worthy altar of Saskia's baking, and had some great political conversation, a rare thing these days.
That afternoon we headed to Owl's Head, where I was pretty sure the Riggin was anchored. There she was, right there with the Taber, and the Isaac Evans, halfway across the channel, and way the hell out of our shouting range. The ship-to-shore office on the pier was closed, and there was no sign of life on deck this close to dinner. A lone fisherman returning from his boat volunteered a radio, but it was so low on battery he couldn't raise anyone. Gregg turned to me brightly. "What now?"
We were about to walk out to a pier closer to the boats and try giving a shout when I saw the silhouette of a yawlboat threading between the lobster boats from the direction of the Taber, and Gregg heard a shrill old voice saying jovially, "There's only *one* captain on this boat!". And after a few minutes Noah pulled up and Capts. Ken & Ellen hopped out! What a pleasure! Ellen saw us, gave a big grin. "Well, that works!" I felt the same; serendipity was definitely running high. Ken said "So how's married life?" and I got a chance to say with complete honesty, "If I'd known it was this good I'd have done it sooner." Unfortunately they were just leaving, with a couple of their daughters and a one-year-old who was swiftly losing patience with the weather, so we hugged tight and wished well. Noah gave us a lift out to the Riggin, and the whole family was there of course. We hugged a lot and asked how things were (Chloe's grown so much even Gregg was amazed, and we were pleased to hear she's taking up the fiddle!), visited a bit with Annie and crew, and had a good music session on deck. Ella's voice is really coming along, and they say she sings all the time. It was all good, except-- d'oh! -- we forgot to bring new albums again!!!! So we need another visit next week again for sure.
We said good night, got a lift back to shore, and spent the night in the book loft. It was so good to wake up there, meditate in the new (to me) center, then go wake up Gregg and share coffee and pastry with our hosts and Dean. (Didn't know he was back in Maine, I thought he had left!)
We shopped a little back in Rockland at the Goodwill in their new (and even bigger) building, and bought some pants small enough to fit us now (the rest are actually falling off - a strangely annoying experience for me. I go through a lot of effort to buy the right clothes, now they don't fit!)
We considered driving back through Lincolnville and saying hi to you, but it would have just been waving to your house as we went by, since you weren't home. Besides, we had to drive back through Waterville and pick up Strider, who had had such a great visit he didn't even make a fuss when he saw us again.
We're working today for sure, so when we know what our schedule is we'll talk about a visit this week. Be well today, talk to you soon!
Best
Susan
PS - if it seems like I'm writing like I talk, well, I did just finish off last nights esperesso....I actually look forward to a slightly less frenetic visit this time. No caffeine, I promise.:)
"Compassion is probably the only antitoxin of the soul." - Eric Hoffer
So, on our way home from Rockland yesterday we were listening to Gregg's favorite radio show, and I remember thinking about our conversation a long time ago in your little cabin. I wonder, after 7 or 8 years, do you still feel the same way about This American Life? I ask because I wasn't often in the mood for their stories, they often seemed, like you said, a bit sad. I didn't listen for a long time, but when Gregg started turning it on on Sundays, I listened again, and got some surprises in the stories. They weren't comedic brilliance or anything, but there is a definite a wry humor, and with the story we listened to - a young fellow who answered the door, half-stoned, to a SWAT team after quoting an action-movie on his FaceBook - there were some definite laughs. I was wondering if my enjoyment of these stories was because TAL has added a more humorous perspective, or because listening with someone who enjoys it let me tune in on the humor that was already there. Back then I didn't really expect the show to become as popular as it has become ("'the most popular podcast in America"? Really?), so maybe they did change a little in their way of expressing themselves. But I must admit Ira Glass is a funny guy.
So that was a tangent, without even a main subject to stray from. Am I good or what?:)
We went to MeetingBrook Friday, a visit I was very anxious should go well(did I hide it well? Let's say I'll never qualify for the CIA..). But Gregg is used to me worrying over him meeting my friends, and Bill and Saskia were so welcoming and easygoing [of course] that my anxiety disappeared immediately and we had a great visit. They did indeed invite us to stay in their bookshop (wow! so beautiful, it's like they brought the bookstore home, but with the added freshly-milled wood smell!). Anyway, the visit went beautifully, they played us (off Youtube) some of their new favorite artists, Gregg played a few songs by Jonathan Coulton, we blew our carb count completely on the worthy altar of Saskia's baking, and had some great political conversation, a rare thing these days.
That afternoon we headed to Owl's Head, where I was pretty sure the Riggin was anchored. There she was, right there with the Taber, and the Isaac Evans, halfway across the channel, and way the hell out of our shouting range. The ship-to-shore office on the pier was closed, and there was no sign of life on deck this close to dinner. A lone fisherman returning from his boat volunteered a radio, but it was so low on battery he couldn't raise anyone. Gregg turned to me brightly. "What now?"
We were about to walk out to a pier closer to the boats and try giving a shout when I saw the silhouette of a yawlboat threading between the lobster boats from the direction of the Taber, and Gregg heard a shrill old voice saying jovially, "There's only *one* captain on this boat!". And after a few minutes Noah pulled up and Capts. Ken & Ellen hopped out! What a pleasure! Ellen saw us, gave a big grin. "Well, that works!" I felt the same; serendipity was definitely running high. Ken said "So how's married life?" and I got a chance to say with complete honesty, "If I'd known it was this good I'd have done it sooner." Unfortunately they were just leaving, with a couple of their daughters and a one-year-old who was swiftly losing patience with the weather, so we hugged tight and wished well. Noah gave us a lift out to the Riggin, and the whole family was there of course. We hugged a lot and asked how things were (Chloe's grown so much even Gregg was amazed, and we were pleased to hear she's taking up the fiddle!), visited a bit with Annie and crew, and had a good music session on deck. Ella's voice is really coming along, and they say she sings all the time. It was all good, except-- d'oh! -- we forgot to bring new albums again!!!! So we need another visit next week again for sure.
We said good night, got a lift back to shore, and spent the night in the book loft. It was so good to wake up there, meditate in the new (to me) center, then go wake up Gregg and share coffee and pastry with our hosts and Dean. (Didn't know he was back in Maine, I thought he had left!)
We shopped a little back in Rockland at the Goodwill in their new (and even bigger) building, and bought some pants small enough to fit us now (the rest are actually falling off - a strangely annoying experience for me. I go through a lot of effort to buy the right clothes, now they don't fit!)
We considered driving back through Lincolnville and saying hi to you, but it would have just been waving to your house as we went by, since you weren't home. Besides, we had to drive back through Waterville and pick up Strider, who had had such a great visit he didn't even make a fuss when he saw us again.
We're working today for sure, so when we know what our schedule is we'll talk about a visit this week. Be well today, talk to you soon!
Best
Susan
PS - if it seems like I'm writing like I talk, well, I did just finish off last nights esperesso....I actually look forward to a slightly less frenetic visit this time. No caffeine, I promise.:)
"Compassion is probably the only antitoxin of the soul." - Eric Hoffer
