TeamReedBlog.2020

 After closing out Alison's Lafayette apartment, we were in the car. Ali was driving. And cursing. Because when Ali drives, motorists who cut her off, drive too slow or, essentially, breathe in her direction tend to piss her off. It's like driving with Lynda Ruble: barely controlled road rage for sometimes inconsequential infractions by drivers, who contrary to what Lyn or Ali may think, are not out to get them. It's taken me awhile, but when I'm in a car with Ali, I tend to ignore most of her mutterings and shouts. Unless they're directed at me, which can sometimes happen. In this week's incident, I was letting her rage roll right off me but I did start musing about why it is that a certain Christian holy man's name is a common curse word but other holy men - say, Buddha or the Pope, L. Ron Hubbard - aren't taken in vain on the regular. It's my fault that Ali sometimes calls on J. Christ in moments of high emotion. I'm not proud of it. When she

The Captain sometimes complains that I cast him in a less-than-flattering light in these missives, so today, I share with you what happens when your sister-in-law abandons your plan to share craft Maine beer and leaves you to finish your "Lunch" all by yourself.  It's also possible that our coast-to-coast flying and walking the Maine countryside contributed, but mostly I blame Jen, who also took this picture and has been (justifiably) chortling about it ever since.  Suffice to say, we had our usual great time in Maine. We got to see everyone - including a slimmed down and dapper David Cowan. James brought Zeke down and I nearly let him escape to the wilds of Maine but Jen or James lured him back with doggie treats. That little beagle is a bullet, man. We got to visit with Mary and Rory, too, and we visited a new cidery and winery where Jen and I had wine slushies, the boys had cider and Ali, Jeff and Peter were in the b-roll of a Bangor TV news channel bit on the place. I

Even in my head it sounds like I'm an old lady, but it's kind of awesome to me that we have experienced both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the past few days.  Before we set out on the cross-country trek, Jeff and I had spent the weekend outside Louisville with friends along the Bourbon Trail.  We came home, worked Monday, then collected Alison to go west before flying back east to Auntie Jen's lake house in Maine.  So, I was appropriately exhausted when we made it to the East Coast Friday, after ending a visit in Washington with Aunt Gudrun, Christina, Jesi, Andi, Eva and Elle. I was in Washington years ago, but Jeff and Ali had not been as a family. It's still amazing to an Indiana girl to see mountains everywhere you look, even in a foggy, overcast environment. While in Washington, we visited Bainbridge Island - birthplace of pickleball - but didn't play; shopped a bit and had great meals. We beach walked and caught up in between visits with Aunt Gudrun at th