Yesterday was exactly what it needed to be--a few chores inside and out, packing accomplished, and then I hung out with T. We went for a walk, we listened to baseball, we played cards, we made crab cakes and ceviche and ate them outside in the gloaming, we watched a Peter Gunn episode, and then we wandered outside and sat down on the curb and watched the city fireworks from our own street.

And today I head north . . . though first I have to pick up Teresa and her husband at the airport, bring them back to the house, and feed us all some lunch. A big salad and a batch of cornbread is my plan.

I did not dream of chairs at all last night, thank goodness. Instead, I am feeling rested and relatively pulled together, and ready for the big job. I am excited about seeing my friends. Poems are swirling in my head. I wish T and I weren't about to be separated, but reuniting is its own pleasure, and we are looking forward to it.

I'm sure I'll have at least a few chances to write to you over the course of the week. Maybe you'll hear from me every day, or maybe not. In any case: imagine poems, and a summer lake, and laughter and tears.