It's a cool, clear morning, this first day of summer, about 44F/7C. I needed to start a little fire in the stove, a smudge, as my father calls it. I have kept a couple of windows open a bit to bring in some of this good, fresh air. Summer officially begins at 8:48PM.

We had a delightful trip to the Cape yesterday. Krista and Tess joined us. They were such good company. We played the picnic games. Sandra and the girls sang songs. (With my three-quarter octave rang, I don't sing much.) We played the Anne of Green Gables CD and they sang along. At Barbara's house, the girls were good fun as well. We stayed about four hours, the same amount of time that it takes to drive down and back. On the way home, we were nearly clipped by an driver making a stupid right turn in the Sagamore rotary.

So it's Father's Day. It doesn't carry the same emotional and sentimental payload as Mother's Day, but it's an important day. My relationship with my father has improved greatly over the last few years, particularly the last five. For one thing, we accept each other more, accept our strengths and shortcomings, realizing that we'll change a little, but not much. Sharing the camp has been an important part of that healing. We'll see my father at the camp for coffee mid-day. Later in the afternoon, we'll go to Mike's house for a Whiffle Ball All-Star Game and cookout. I have a sore shoulder (rotator cuff) that doesn't let me throw as well I'd like, but I'll have fun all the same. I hope to talk with Adam by phone this evening.

This week marks three months since my job went away. With the interviews and other activity that accompanied the start of my layoff, I hadn't expected that I'd be out of work for three months. Although I've not completed major projects, I have, for the most part, spent the time wisely. How so? Bringing stability back to my life, being able to take on some of the sometimes unspectacular tasks that make a household run smoothly - get to the post office, pay the bills, be at home when the electrician comes. Then we'll have the challenge of maintaining that balance when I return to work. Some of the jobs that I am seeking have a long commute and long hours or a great deal of travel. This is part of the calculus that goes into the evaluation of any job offer. Not only do I have to think about the compensation (salary, benefits, etc.), but also the costs of work (commute, travel, number of hours, working conditions). Of course, I never forget what a luxury it is to be able to consider such things. There are many people in this country and countless others elsewhere in the world who have little choice in what they do to make a living. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities that come from my being who I am and where I am.