July 23 - Great Eastern Tour Day 7

Miles travelled: 71.2
Episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm: 4

10:55 a.m. - Receive the biggest grin and greeting ever from Kent church's choir director. Surprising people by just showing up is SO worth it. Spend mass feeling totally at home. Force myself not to look at anyone during the closing song, since it is "my" song. The church song I love more than any other. The one we always sang at the end of the last student mass for the year. The one I immediately associate with this place and its people. The one I typically can't sing without starting to cry. Eye contact while singing it is just not an option. As the notes start to play all I can do is close my eyes, sing with all my heart, and thank God for this most appropriate welcome home.

1:40 p.m. - "Good timing, I just got back from the office. So what's this story you have? It must be good since you texted me at 2:40 in the morning." That is the greeting I get from the architect. No hello, no how was your drive, just what the heck did you do now. This is the joy of our friendship - we don't bother with the bullshit. By the time we finish lunch he has gotten the full story, thoroughly mocked me for it, and deemed it not as bad as I think.

3:30 p.m. - Two hours is not nearly enough time for me to thoroughly peruse the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, but that is all the time left until closing. Try to bypass exhibits that haven't changed and stick to the new things. Even doing that there is not enough time. Revel in the joy of being a music dork, especially enjoying the Bob Dylan exhibit, up until closing, at which point the architect is starting to twitch of impatience. Walk back to his place lamenting once again the lack of city in my life.

7:02 p.m. - Watch carefully selected episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm that I "have to see," while the architect cooks dinner. Boy who can cook - impressive. Refusing my help to clean up - even more impressive.

9:11 p.m. - Time to introduce the architect to Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. If he can't appreciate it, there's really no hope for him.

11:40 p.m. - Drifting off to sleep, there is a feeling of being closer to the florr than when first laying down on the air mattress in the living room.