I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.''
--Augustine
The clouds off of the Gulf brought us snow this morning. Leaving the house and pushing aside the drift that had built up in front of the screen door I caught a whiff of the land-lady's laundry dryer exhaust. The warm, clean smell mixing with that sight of the white blanket covering the neighborhood seemed to cleanse the sulfur and disappointment lingering from a previous day’s futile attempt of drilling into bedrock. One-hundred and twenty-eight steps down to the waterfront and I’ve already finished my thermos of coffee.
“I’m going to bed earlier tonight than last night,” I remind myself just as I had yesterday morning.
Tomorrow is Saturday and I tell myself it’s Wednesday because the weekends always seem to interfere with the project schedule. Without a weekend the idea of marking time based on the ebb and flow of the work week seems rather arbitrary. For me the only thing marking the weekends are the productions put on by the local arts community. Last week was the 'Monthly Grind' a variety show of local talent. Admission was $5 which is refundable if you bring a dessert but I was more willing to part with the likeness Abraham Lincoln than one of Michele's apple pies. The Grind is put on every month in front of a sold crowd in an old native tribal house. Folk music, poetry, comedy routines all in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. What more could one ask for...except for sunshine.
The most interesting production was Ketchikan's annual Wearable Arts Show: a cross between a fashion show and Halloween. Here's how it rolled:
Rian (whispering): What is this?
Michele (whispering): This is fun!
Rian: Are they going to wear that outside?
Michele: No, it's art.
Rian: Do they sell it?
Michele: No, it's just for fun!
Rian: I don't get it.
.....
Michele: Rian, wake up!
Unfortunately, Michele should have also used the time to catch a few ZZZ's because she just started working her new job at Ketchikan General Hospital this week. It's like UW Medical Center...but not.
And speaking of hospitals, it was just last week (and there I go using weeks again) that we were at the hospital finding out that Michele and I are not only expecting a boy but expecting him a week and a half early than planned. Due date now is 7-7-07. Michele says he is a wiggler and the 
ultrasound also confirmed her claim that he's got a wicked right jab. Like any good boxer he keeps it tucked in near his face (see photo). Although with a head that measures six centimeters across, for now, he likely fall into the super, junior straw-weight classification.
