It's not all Newsday and traffic

We are in exile on long Island. It's definitely a guilded cage. A very, very guilded cage.
Just spent a few days on fire island where we were able to relax and observe the fabulous lifeguards doing their fabulous things. Frau Random Doubt said "They're perfect, it's just like our very own private 'Baywatch!"






this picture was taken by paper bag who wanted to perve and letch over al the young male flesh. We thought that she was taking a picture of us and Henry.

Rhode Island Road trip. (geddit?)

It's a play on words.
Rhode, sounds the same as road.
yeah?

Anyway, Frau Random Doubt, Henry and myself took to the Eastern Seaboard's favourite stretch of the interstate we love to call 95 and headed north to the tiny state with the motto 'Hope' and the motley yet charming bunch that is Frau Random Doubt's roots and origins.
We spent the weekend in the charming and hospitable environs of Frau Random Doubt's oldest Third grade school chum of French extraction, actually she lives in Boston so we all made camp with her fragrant Mom and the mildy frightening Malcolm.



The awful, awful beaches of Narragansett. Yeah, the whole place sucked.
Obviously, that was sarcasm.
J'mapelle and Frau Random Doubt ignore Henry while trying to remember who kissed who on what part of the beach in 1987. It was just another wonderful weekend of reminiscence and ice cream. And then it happened.
We spotted the ginger surfer.
Look closely in the rearview mirror. Ginger surfer is trying to drive away from his ginger surfing paradise. J'mapelle was quite catagorical. This was not stalking. Just looking at a stranger without his permission and taking photos.
Oh my god? Henry has gone to bed, we are both awake and are able to enjoy someone else's booze and supremely comfy leather armchairs.
See? there it is again! Proof that we did indeed spend Saturday night drinking it up and being almost like grown ups again!

Of course, Sunday morning was a different story. I feed the boy whilst 50% of our hosts does what has to be done on a Sunday morning.
It gently dawns on 50% of our hosts that there's a baby* on the road in his living room.

Back to the paper.


*Attention breast feeding purists: The boy is drinking breastmilk from a bottle. No formula. Thank you.

Michigan snaps

Following some regurgitated book reviews it's time for some vacation snaps!!!

Frau Random Doubt takes the place of Secretary of Agriculture in the mock up of the Ford cabinet table.

Frau Random Doubt poses under the sign of the best Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, MI.

Frau Random Doubt was getting mighty snippy about the lack of 'Betty Ford/alcoholic' related exhibits. Instead she became obsessive about the 'Gerald Ford/assasination attempts' exhibits.

Your man Mondale wondering how it could have all been so different had all those states not voted for Reagan in '84

Still, the beach was bloomin gorgeous!

Ridiculously quick update.

It's been a nice, hot summer.
Camp ended and Mondale was a free man. Spent a few days outta the city at Montauk (gotta love them rich friends!)
Then off to Union Pier, MI for a week of beaching, reading and hanging out with Frau Random Doubt. Did I mention the Gerald Ford Museum?
Union Pier was a tiny beach 'town' with a diner and a deli. That was all we needed.
We spent every afternoon at the beach and spent the rest of everyday sleeping, eating and reading. No cell phones, no modern world, just beautiful weather and sandy feet. We did drive to Grand Rapids to visit the Gerald Ford Museum, that was cool.
I'll try and upload some pics but the 'puter is fritzing (forgive the pun Mondale lovers).
A full write up on the Gerald Ford Museum is in the works.

And then there was lobstah!

As the party wound down the four happy wanderers from the emerald City of the Empire State found the nearest mountain and drove up it.

Cadillac Mountain, a wonderful spot to end an afternoon of wedding style partying.



Youthlarge and Listmaker hold onto each other in the face of a summit breeze.



Frau Random Doubt and myself take in the fresh air (They have a gift shop and bathrooms at the summit, very user friendly).



After driving back down the mountain discussing all of our family's idiosyncracies we had time to do the one thing remaining on our three day Maine tourist checklist... LOBSTER!!!



Frau Random Doubt about to make short work of this one.

Jeepers Creepers! yet more action from the State of Maine!!

After the ceremonies the festivities kicked in!

Mr and Mrs Weasel with Weasel's mum and Mark. Under a whicker arch! Yeah!


We told Listmaker that this was traditional Maine headgear.


Salty Pete, Weasel and Mondale.


Let the good times roll!!


Like, I was pretty wasted by this point and I started to take like, cosmic pictures of groovy garden ornaments.

Mazeltof! Some actual pictures of the actual wedding!

And now, some real wedding pics....

The path to married bliss is lined by family, friends and New Yorkers discussing real estate.


Weasel is wearing a kilt. That's right. Hoots! He's wearing a kilt!


"Stop pacing, you'll sink this thing".


"She'll be here, it'll be fine".


The happy couple!! (that's the top of Country Mouse's mom in the foreground.

Oi Vey! Some pictures from Maine.

At last! After a week of not even bothering and then a few days of technical issues I present to you some pictures of our fantastic weekend in Bar Harbor. We were there to celebrate the Weasel/Country Mouse union, wedding photos to follow.

Three New Yorkers wander the country lanes of Maine gently discussing real estate prices.

It's all so beautiful, so fresh, so fragrant. We also keep reminding ourselves that it's all so completely frozen for 6 months of the year.

Weasel and General Weasel with an assortment of mini Weaselettes

Frau Random Doubt, Listmaker and Youthlarge wander the gorgeous coastal paths of Bar Harbor discussing real estate prices.

Weasel's cuzzen Jim and bruvver Baz discuss breakfast products, Jim the veggie vs Baz the pork afficianado.

Weasel and Country Mouse's big day/wedding/roadtrip extravaganza type thing.

Look at it this way.

It's the busiest travel weekend of the year so Frau Random Doubt, Listmaker, Youthlarge and myself are all piling into the volvo and pointing the thing northeast. Hopefully in about 12 hours from the time we leave we will be in sunny Bar Harbor. I've been practising talking funny "I paaaarked the caaaar" and have compiled a collection of CDs to amuse and beguile. Listo and I will share the bulk of the driving, not only do we get to be buddies and co workers , now we get to be pilot and co-pilot!!
I get to eat junk food. We all get to sit in lots and lots of traffic.

Why are we doing this?

WEASEL AND COUNTRY MOUSE ARE GETTIN HITCHED!!!

Pictures to follow after the weekend!