Seacoast Threat

I’ve written before that I may have the best boss in the known universe. Yet another piece of evidence manifests itself today in the form of an excursion he planned for this weekend. There’s a group of managers who’ve been friends for the past ten years or so and we all share the attribute of having been lucky enough to work for my boss at one point. We have so much fun that he decided we needed to plan a weekend getaway together or in words more appropriate to my approach to life – ROAD TRIP!

The only question remaining is if the quaint New Hampshire seaport of Portsmouth, New Hampshire will survive the ravages of a middle aged pub crawl on Saturday. Thanks to my son’s tutelage I’m not completely without experience in this town of a thousand bars not to mention some thirty+ year old knowledge gleaned during my four years (mis)spent in a nearby university. We’ll journey up there this afternoon and tomorrow release my wife and the boss’ wife on the unsuspecting nearby outlet mall while we spend the afternoon trying to recapture some youthful excess.  I will attempt to blog but that may be an iffy proposition.

Portsmouth - Before the Incursion

Karma did sink its ferocious teeth into my posterior as we are showing up in Portsmouth exactly one day after my son and the ABFA moved out. They had to move out of their apartment at the end of April and will be living with the ABFA’s parents near Nashua until they close on their new house in a couple weeks. In testimony to his complete mastery of awesomeness he will journey back to Portsmouth tomorrow for lunch and a couple bars although pledging to leave before we become too embarrassing. He has promised me an insider’s map of prospective bars which he has yet to deliver though. I’m not sure he wants to do that to his former home which he still harbors good feelings towards.

This excursion has provided my wife with yet another opportunity to engage in what has become one of her passions in life – suitcase packing. Granted she’s had more than a few opportunities lately and over the next month even she may tire (although I’m betting against it). Last night she was packing not only for this trip but also for next week’s first ever ocean cruise (at least for us). I was safely ensconced in front the television watching the Netflix series – Daredevil (talk about wheelhouses!) when I was summoned upstairs to play my marital role as her life sized Ken doll. She’d acquired some new clothes for me for the cruise and need an approval viewing. Runway model I’m not and when I did meet her request with an appropriate level of enthusiasm I was roundly chastised.

The Library I was So Impressed With

Good times away from work must be paid for and yesterday I faced one of the things I most dread about my job – a public hearing. These always offer those whom I refer to the Voices of Inappropriate Worth which the People’s Republic of Taxachusetts generates by the gross to give full voice to their feelings of undeserved entitlement. My only hope was the location which was in a neighboring small town’s library, away from the maelstrom of the Worcester underclass. Those hopes were more than redeemed by a very supportive and complementary crowd. The best part of the night was watching the rhythms of small town life manifesting in the vibrant library. It’s run by a very energetic Irish transplant who’s achieved great success integrating the library as an important part of town life. At a time when a lot of libraries are closing as we move into a digital world this was refreshing to witness. It also reminded me of the refuge the library in my own town provided during my own youth.