We start with a strange coincidence. David posted on his Facebook page of a meeting with William Zinsser, a writer in New York City who he struck up a correspondence with. So, in speaking with David, he mentioned that the meeting was Friday morning. It turned out that I too was in NYC Friday, and then we discovered we were staying in hotels a couple of blocks away from each other. How's that for communication!
I had gone up to do some planning for a meeting in June of the Fulbright Scholarship Board, and David was on one of his last trips for business, with Paula joining. And this may be David's last week at work, although he officially retires at the end of the month. Congratulations! I picked up some new vocabulary, as one of meetings was at MTV, where I heard two producers talk about putting together a "sizzle" for a reception we're hosting. Hmmm. I think I am ready to go out to pasture.
I had tried to get Mary to join me in NY but she wasn't feeling too well. Turns out she has bronchitis and missed a couple of days of work. She got some strong meds, but that didn't prevent her from getting short of breath and a Saturday evening spend in urgent care. I am afraid I am one week behind Mary in this. Trying to ward it off.
When we looked up bronchitis we came across a few sites on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which I wish I had seen last November: "As COPD gets worse, you may be short of breath even when you do simple things like get dressed or fix a meal. It gets harder to eat or exercise, and breathing takes much more energy. People often lose weight and get weaker." Back then I just wanted an explanation. A little late.
Last weekend, we went to the Eastern shore in Maryland, as we are conscious of our limited time left down here. We stayed in a town called Cambridge Maryland at a B&B, and it turned out the owners were Foreign Service, and he had worked on the Mexico desk when we were in Mexico. Small world. We had some nice meals, went to a Maritime museum where we learned about life and work in the Chesapeake region in the past century - racism, slavery, Underground Railroad, oyster dredging, yachting and a lot more.
We hiked in the Blackwater Reserve and joined friends in Annapolis for a Kathy Mattea concert, all of which I am sure made Mary sicker.
News from Illinois is Claire tearing up the volleyball court, Daniel taller than Andrew now, and Myles almost walking! Joe is in his final weeks of studying and grading papers. Crunch time. Annie did her taxes! Margaret and I went out to lunch on Take Your Child to Work Day - figured she didn't want to join the ten year olds playing with the sirens of Secretary Clinton's motorcade. We had a shortened happy hour with her and Andrew, before we headed to Virginia to see a high school girls lacrosse game, in which Mary's friend Gerry's daughter sprained her ankle and is out for the rest of the season. Bad luck.
Some other big moments: John Boyle hit a major birthday milestone, Sean's birthday is coming up and then there is Mothers Day!
Anyone following the campaign? the NHL playoffs (go Caps)? Baseball (sorry Mariano, go Nats! and Reds, of course.)
All is well, but will be better without bronchitis. Hope you are well. Love from down here.
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