Diary of Mad Man - Part 2

Wednesday - June 3rd

Whew! After the excitement and party on our arrival yesterday to see Doug, we were whipped. Doug didn't go to work and everybody walked around like Zombies. It was a happy time because none of us knew who went to bed first, whether we said goodnight, or even how we got to bed at all. It was wonderful to laugh while calling each other silly old people.

The biggest topic of discussion that could be remembered was that Doug and Kathy were chastising Mad Man for being funky from the plane ride and not wanting to take a shower. Of course Mad Man had the perfect remedy in that he took a shower and never returned to the conversation and this was at 2am. They were rather inebriated but Mad Man still had his faculties.

Today could be classified as a wasted day by many but when you are having so much fun sitting around and talking to family, it don't get no better than this. Kathy stayed in her PJ's all day and Doug and we were visited by Doug's girlfriend Deon and her preconscious 6 year old daughter McKinsey, who are already viewed as part of the Mad Man family.

Deon is a very bright young lady and although rather quiet in comparison to the rambunctiousness that is required in the Mad Man family, she is beginning to join the conversations with a few little "bullets" of her own. Of course, everyone's comments are directed at Mad Man because he just talks so much trash and is the king of the embellished conversation.

Later, Doug and Mad Man travel to a local restaurant to pick up Italian food and return for a continued evening of drinking and frivolity. It was a wonderful day and evening of rest, relaxation and fun that will be remembered and discussed for years to come.

Thursday - June 4th

If it were left up to Mad Man and Doug, the indoor partying would have continued except that Kathy always seems to bring cultural events into the picture. On waking up she just basically tells us that although it's raining, "we will do something educational today and I will decide what that will be!"

Doug and Mad Man just looks at each other like school kids, nods, and start getting ready to go wherever Kathy decides. The first order of business is that Doug has some work to do with the Federal Government that he must attend to so he departs while Kathy and I head to IHOP for breakfast.

Mad Man must confess that traveling with your wife who is also your best friend is like the best of all worlds. We laugh, we people watch, and we also discuss all of the serious topics that loved ones should discuss. Mad Man is way to proud of this arrangement and an extremely happy man.

On our return from breakfast at about 10:30am, Doug has returned from work where he had already spent 6 hours. This high level government employee usually starts his work day around 5am. Kathy also had made her decision and we are going to Mount Vernon, Virginia to visit the George Washington estate.

The walking tour of the estate was quite educational and revealing and Mad Man is highly recommending this place to visit. It's 8,000 acres of farmland right on the Potomac River with plenty of historical buildings and a museum, which included everything from a blacksmith's shop to slave quarters.  

It was still raining so we made the decision to buy some food at Doug's favorite grocery store called Wegman's, go back to the house, have some more drinks, eat, and hunker down to watch the first game of the NBA playoffs between Golden State and Cleveland.

We purchased a wide variety of food that included turkey chili, cheeses, salami, and our favorite snack food, Blue Point Oysters which Doug and I consumed like ravenous killer whales swimming through a school of mackerel.

During the game, Kathy retired to the bedroom to lay in bed and read one of her romance novels while glancing at the game because the commentary between Doug and Mad Man was way too "manly". How great can an evening be? Mad Man is hanging with one of his favorite relatives, watching LeBron and Stephen Curry, eating raw oysters, and drinking Bombay Gin.

But life is unfair at times and has an agenda of its own. Around 11:30pm, Doug receives a telephone call from his brother Terry to tell him that his mother is at the hospital in Nashville with failing vital signs and on life support. She had been diagnosed earlier with colon cancer and although the information is sketchy at best, she and her husband appears to have decided to do nothing about it. At present, this is Mad Man's speculation but when you hear someone say "life's a bitch", you should probably believe it.

Stay tuned.

Mad Man