Saturday

Carol and I drove up to Maine on Saturday to spend time with Cori, John and Kevin.

A round trip of 4 hours for a 3 hour visit.

This has never bothered us. The ride is easy and the company is supreme. Always.

What a deep and special and family type of day. It was our first visit since Sarge's memorial celebration.

We walked into that familiar home and the first thing we felt was Sarge not being there. Unsettling for sure, but it wasn't long before we were digging the power of family.

We settled down in the living room and started shooting the shit. Have to admit that seeing Kevin sitting in Sarge's recliner was a little disorienting, but knowing in our hearts how much Sarge meant to Kevin and how much Kevin did for Cori and Sarge when things got tough, made it more natural.

I got the feeling that Newman was restless. Newman was Sarge's cat; nobody else could get close to him. I noticed that he was upstairs and down stairs, checking us all out one by one, lying on the carpet, lying on the love seat next to Cori.

Cori said that Newman used to sleep at the foot of the bed at Sarge's feet. She said he still sleeps there even though she keeps explaining to him that there is nobody next to her anymore.

Cori has this plan of taking Sarge's T-shirts and having them made into a quilt. She asked Carol for advice on this, and Carol being the sweet and amazing Carol that she is did the research and brought her results up to Maine.

I noticed as she explained the options to Cori that Carol had trouble keeping it together.

Carol keeps it all inside; she doesn't talk to me about Sarge much at all and sheds very few public tears.

This bothers me because I want to comfort her as much as is possible. But her personal makeup doesn't allow it. It frustrates me.

We sat for a while and talked and kept an eye on the race. Very comfortable, very warm.

Then we went on a road trip.

Carol has got it in her head that she can convince me to retire at Old Orchard Beach, despite the fact that it is Maine and there is snow, and cold and wind.

Carol and I and Cori and John and Kevin piled into the Cori-mobile and drove through a few 55+ trailer parks real close by.

It was peacefully enjoyable. We drove up and down and all around, slowly checking out homes and roads and back yards and deer prints.

Talking, remarking, laughing, what-iffing.

I could do it. As long as I don't have to get up and shovel the snow with any urgency.

We would be right on the beach, and Carol and I love the beach and the relentless ocean waves.

Heaven.

We got out and walked the beach - all five of us - and it was tasty, even considering the fact that the wind was howling and it was goddamn cold.

Brought back a memory for Carol and me - not too long ago - when we and Cori and Sarge walked that very same beach on a viciously cold winter night.

Back to Cori and Sarge's home. We sat and talked some more. Inevitably, many hilarious stories involving Sarge came to the surface.

We laughed a lot, consumed by his memory.

Cori showed us sketches of the gravestone she is putting together for her and Sarge.

It was sad and it was reality.

Carol and I hit the road. 

Got home early enough to enjoy D'Angelo's subs and our precious cats and three episodes of the new season of House of Cards.

That was a day.

A day that reinforced the power of family, no matter what the circumstance.

Pay attention, friends.

There are aspects of your life, of being alive, that trump jobs and careers and money and prestige.