Not All Who Wander Are Lost

In which iTalk about how I celebrated this year.

Too much on my plate to take my birthday off this year, despite previous resolutions to the contrary. But when my favorite 9th grade Health teacher called me to request an instant two-day Media Literacy module teaching her students to deconstruct mass media messages of fitness and nutrition, I couldn't resist the challenge. Heck, I didn't mind coming in. I would rather be teaching than almost anything.

Spent the remaining workday polishing the resume, gathering references, and otherwise prepping for an ultimately fruitless end-of-day meeting with a visiting rep from prep school placement-slash-recruitment agency Carney Sandoe. Hadn't been expecting much, to be honest, but "our clients really only send us positions from the usual teaching disciplines; we can't really do much for a utility guy like you" was a pretty inauspicious way to begin the job search. Especially from a guy who looked maybe 22, and quite probably had to have help tying his tie. Nice to have the paperwork in place, I guess.

Sped off from there to a pre-arranged meetup with Darcie, the ever-sweet Willow, and a few of our closer friends and co-parents at the newly reopened Lady Killigrew Cafe, yet another middle-of-nowhere pub of no small local charm and intimacy. Set practically inside the Montague Bookmill (motto: books you don't need in a place you can't find), this new find was a wonder to which we'll surely return. The roaring post-rain waterfall just under the windowsills compliments the hardwood tables, each an old footpedal sewing machine; the menu is quirky and organic; the cellars select and crisp. If you go -- and you should go -- look along the windowsill nearest the door for a polaroid of Willow and I proudly showing off the thick dregs of my cowboy coffee.

And it was just perfect for a birthday evening with friends. Fellow rightsizer and all-around close buddy Michelle brought Zinnia, the wee one Darcie and Willow had been watching two mornings a week for the first half of the school year. Fellow ex-suburban Jew Lynn came, too, though without her own frail child, preferring instead to relax and chat jobsearching while I jiggled Zinnia and dreamt of our impending second. We drank fine pinot grigio and cask-aged microwbrews, and shared vanilla ice cream over Port, toasted nutella-and-peanut-butter sandwiches fresh from the panini grill, and roughbread summer sausage munchies until the kids began to droop. You know you're old when everyone gets up to go home at 9:00 and no one says anything about how the night is young.

The festivities continued today with a nice sleep-in -- a true rarity once kids are in the picture, at least until the youngest is finally ready for summer camp season -- followed by a trip down to Northampton for a mocha almond buttercream cake and coffee with the in-law clan at Northampton Coffee, where Darcie's sis and professional barista Virginia expects to make manager within the year. Yet another too-short haircut with miracleman Patrick at Panacea afterwards (though I think we're getting closer to the ideal), a delicious breakfast-for-supper at tiny downhome CK's Cafe on the way home, and a lie-about making up stories for Willow in the dark, and I was off to brave the suddenly dry and bittercold winter air for another evening blogging and mp3-loading in the library.

And, finally, thanks to Michelle for the Remy Martin, to Matt and Alicia for new anti-kids CD Mary Had A Little Amp, to Willow for the card (and Grandma Patty for helping)...to all who left comments or cards yesterday...to my brother for calling...and especially to Darcie's parents for the Griffin iTalk, which adds voice recording and tin-speaker audio output functionality to the already-superb toolset that is iPod. Someday when I'm in the car driving home from my new job, shuffling my way through 20 gigs of randomness, Willow's sweet rendition of Happy Birthday will burst through the the car radio, and I'll remember this weekend with pleasure.

Oh, and a very special thanks go out to my parents for my very existence. It may be bumpy at times, and a bit unpredictable, but so far, I'm enjoying it thoroughly.

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