Braintree, MA-Kamp Keberle (Monticello, NY) 9/18 361 car miles; 4 walking miles

It appears inevitable. Gas Butt will turn into Fat Butt. This morning we picked up the rental car, a nice full sized Ford (Free Upgrade-I love it, even though it's just an expedient for Enterprise and not really a customer service, but Hey, who am I to question the workings of corporate America?). We cruised up to North Quincy to buy fresh fish at Burke's Seafood. The owner (Dick Burke), a pure tough Irishman and owner, was our first best human of the day. We were shooting the Irish breeze, a skill I've mastered after a lifetime around the O'Brien clan (My late wife's family). Things were going well until Ed used a stage whisper to tell Dick that I was a Yankee fan. On cue, Dick turned his back on me (He was only half kidding) and started back into his store. He grinned when I told him I was a Red Sox fan this week (They're playing the Blue Jays who are three games ahead of the Yankees). We chatted for a while because it seems Dick's dream is to take a buddy road trip sans wives. I told him, "No time like now." We then hit the road after a stop at AAA and a stop for Ed's coffee-one cup a day. Soon enough we were following Johnny's hand written notes (Who needs a smart phone when you have a smart Johhny?). Before we knew it, we'd traveled miles on the Mass Pike and other freeways. At Hartford we left the freeway and started down the back roads. We're not quite a polished team yet, so we had a few "turnarounds". It was hilarious with Ed alternating between his crumpled paper maps and saying things like, "Route 2, Siri not TuTu you dimwit!". We had one close call when Ed said, "This way, no that way". I'm training him on the fly to be decisive and specific. Besides Dick Burke, the highlight of our day was our lunch stop in Collinsville, CT  where we enjoyed a very good lunch in a storybook New England village. We also met our second "best" human of the day, Suzy McDonald, who is the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools.  We chatted for quite awhile. It seems her husband has a condition similar to Ed's, and he's lived with it quite well for the last nine years. We arrived at Kamp Keberle just before dark, let ourselves in, and now I'm pecking away, matching the frenetic chatter of the evening insects. We're safe, a little tired, and ready for some solid inactivity for the next few days. Hence, the inevitable change fron Gas Butt to Fat Butt. Nevertheless, it remains undeniable that life is good, especially today.

Hit the road, Jacks.

Dick Burke and me.

Google Boy on his coffee break.

Selfie of the day: Road Tension.

Great Deli and Market in Cillinsville, CT.

I had the Ming Salad.

Ed couldn't resist this candy covered brownie.

Suzy McDonald, hard at work.

Ryan and Erica's little piece of paradise in the Catskills.

Come on down.

The water's fine.