The Common Touch
Dunkirk, NY – It’s been close to an ideal weekend. Friday’s day at work was not too stressful, just a few things here and there, mostly about filling paperwork. Friday night I was on the ball field umpiring for the local men’s hardball league, on a beautiful evening 
with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s. Saturday I had a meeting to recruit a visual arts summer camp, which was not much more than a tour of the campus, pleasant talk and a free lunch. Then I went out to my property where some people were camping out for the weekend, joining them in a card game call Phase 10, a very long game which takes its origins from 500 rummy. The cool evening was spent reading a few chapters in my latest book Becoming Shakespeare. This Sunday morning I was again on the ball field umpiring a terrific game (which unfortunately ended in a too-obvious balk in the bottom of the 7th with one out, runners on first and third, and the score tied 1-1), then mowed the lawn. While I am writing this, the Yankees are slaughtering the Devil Rays 14-3 (update: final score 21-4). My wireless reaches outside, so I’m sitting in the back yard on another beautiful 76-degree day, sipping on a lemonade and writing this post. Continue Reading »
