After missing out in May (because we got caught in a downpour, drenched, and had to go home) we finally made it to the Red Lion Inn yesterday! My research* is in Columbia County, so we were nearly there already. Not that Castleton is far from Stockbridge, it isn't at all. It was a great late lunch, and like a summer day. (Including the mosquitos. What's up with that? What a nightmare they are. Another gift from Irene! I want to weed whack, but it is impossible. A frost before this warmth would have zapped them, too bad it also would have ended the growing season.)

Here I am in the gift shop with my jazzy new shirt jacket that my sister made for my birthday

The timing was good, because Bob is having to deal with some BS (personally) and on the professional front, I just heard the PEF vote was no! I won't detail much on either one since it's neither my situation nor job - but the impacts of the latter would be a lot easier if he could target folks who deserve it rather than the newly hired taking the hit. On the former...well, suffice to say he's a lot better at handling it than I would be. So I'm glad we got to go before things on either front worsen for him.

* There was a kid there who distracted me so much -- he was wearing a green #7 Vick jersey! UGH. Are you kidding me? What kind of a lowlife would buy such a thing and send a boy to school wearing it?

And: It's Banned Books Week!  I'm not going to participate in the virtual read-out, but I am going to read lots of Mark Twain on my Kindle. I have one small issue with BBW; it should be "frequently challenged books week." I love alliteration more than the average person, but I find BBW gives students (and others) the wrong idea. They take it literally.