Tanin and Volcanic

It’s the day after Christmas and I’ve arranged with the tenants in our house to access the place for the next week.  My mom’s place is only fifteen minutes away, over the river, but we can’t fit everyone in the car.  It’s easy to drive and I don’t mind the trip so I’ll just go back and then back again. My phone is in my pocket and it keeps humming.  I assume someone my wife most likely, is sending Wechat photos.  I look over to my right.  She isn’t.  Well, it could be an email or a text or a phone call.  I’m wearing an enormous orange winter jacket and its difficult and dangerous to source my phone. I glance quickly, inappropriately after fishing it out.  My mom’s been trying to reach me.  My stepfather will bring the rest of the crew over.  No need to double back. 

Stop and Shop is enormous.  Indeed it isn’t even Stop and Shop any more. The sign on the building says “Tops”.  OK.  It doesn’t look like a single thing has been changed.  We’re only going to be there for a few days.  We shop like we’re moving back in for good.  By the time we get home, the others are already there waiting for us. 

My backpack with my computer and a few other things are still back across the river in Poughkeepsie.  I’ll need to return tonight and grab them regardless.  Because there is the ritual of crossing the broad fjord it feels more significant than the fifteen-minute ride would suggest.  Before I swing out though I visit the folks at “In Good Taste.”  New Paltz has other places to buy wine but these guys do a good job of stocking a range of interesting wine, much of it reasonably priced, all of it reasonably priced compared to China.  They also stock young people who can answer questions about tannin and volcanic rock intelligently. 

Across the river, I grab up the few things I had come to secure.  It feels very comfortable and I’m tempted to stay for a while.  I join my parents for a drink.  There is a cheese board out.  My pocket begins to buzz and this time it is my wife on Wechat.  It’s dark by now though still before 5:00PM.  I put my big coat back on and head back across the river for the final time today.