Just recently I was complimented on the blog twice, by, like, two different people—on how natural and easy-going my writing is—so now of course I’m all frozen up, worried about how to structure the info I want to set down here. Especially because we’ve been getting tons done and seeing old friends, which leaves almost no time for reflection. Here goes anyway.
Two Inches of Rain
We’re in a county park in Madison, Wisconsin, central to what we have lined up for the week: Madison-specific errands and Madison-based friends.
The weather’s been gorgeous, until suddenly it wasn’t. A storm system is spiraling right above us as I type, dropping what is predicted to be two inches of rain today, with more tomorrow. We’ve packed up everything in the tent and are conniving friends to meet us outside, anyway. They’re Wisconsiners, so not a big deal, right?
Doug and Laura Put Up with Us and More
One of the two couples we’re visiting is my high school friend Doug and his very good-natured partner, Laura (just don’t ask her about Aaron Rodgers). During this constant, cold rain they hosted us on their porch (we’re still feeling safer outside) and, of course, brought out several kinds of cheese.
Catching up on their lives and those of their various kids was the real reason for hanging out, but: cheese. Seriously, we’d seen them two years ago when we camped in Madison and they’ve done a lot of road tripping since then and seen the world’s largest spur, so lots of info had to be exchanged.
This is how good friends Doug and I are. We vacationed in France together (hi Mary Margaret!). We partied in Chicago together like it was the last-ever Grateful Dead concert (it was). Here in Madison, we agreed to make a Tiny House together.
Now, Doug fully disclosed that he hates crafts, but then I do too, and we were thinking that our mutual admiration of Tiny Houses would help him overcome that hatred enough for us to make this quick kit. He came over to the campsite with it, we unpacked it and messed around for about ten minutes, and he just could not deal. The instructions were the most incomplete, nonsensical mimeographed mess, for one thing. Also, there was ukulele to be played (he is a uke chameleon, plus he does awesome Elvis and Dylan impersonations).
So, okay, I made his Tiny House on my own, which is my pleasure.
But then we show up at his house, and he’s just made a Lego model of London! Am I confounded by his ”I hate crafts” motto that’s really a guise to get out of untangling that mess of instructions so we could play ukulele together, instead?
Heck no. I’ll take time with Doug not in France, not at the last Grateful Dead concert, and not making Tiny Houses at all. I’ll take his company in the pouring rain and chilly winds of Madison. But, if there’s cheese, I’ll take that, too.
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