[lit-ideas] Re: Happy 4th

[David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 7/4/05 12:21 PM, Eric Yost at Mr.Eric.Yost@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> ENJOY!
> 
> Don't stand under fireworks unless you're wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
> 

One day soon the dialog may go as follows, "Good sir, pray fetch me a
ripping chisel, some mechanical fingers, a bottle of dry spray lubricant,
twenty feet of base cap molding, a female appliance plug, four foot of
bowtie chain, a gallon a denatured alcohol and some tubular goods."  This is
because, among the books Laura bought me to celebrate our anniversary was,
"The Hardware Cyclopedia; The Complete Illustrated Guide to Everything Sold
in Hardware Stores."  It's fun.

And what did I get her?  "The Slightly Incomplete Guide to Gynecology"?  Not
a bit of it--earrings and a cat pin...and a bracelet watch that didn't quite
fit.

And how did we pass this romantic moment?  The plan was to go hiking on
Mount Hood and have dinner with friends up there.  But, as you know, the
slight problem with this plan emerged on Saturday.  Inches from my ear here,
on the other side of the basement door, the water tank decided to give up
the ghost, to burst.  Flood, flood, flood.  Telephone, telephone.  Yes, Stan
the Hot Water Man (that's the name of the company) has someone on call who
can come out, but not before three on Sunday.  We finally agreed that Laura
and Julia and Mac would go on the hike with Ed and Jo, and that Emily and I
would stay behind to welcome Stan the man, who charges only thirty dollars
extra for a Sunday call.

Stan the Man arrived, tut-tutted a bit because he'd brought the wrong water
heater, drove off, returned with the right size, offered to close up the
house if we wanted to leave.  He pointed out that he was bonded and that he
had been in business for twenty five years.  I looked him up and down and
decided he was a good risk.  Off we went.  We came home to a job well done
and the house rightly secured.  What a joy there is in being able to trust
people once in a while.  It makes you think that there is hope yet for
humanity.

Today was our first mixed doubles tennis match.  We have entered a summer
round robin competition.  Having led in the first set, we managed to fall
4-6.  Then we got a grip and won the second set 6-2.  The tie-breaker (no
third set allowed) came out 10-7, our favor.  I'm expecting an invitation
from the Wimbledon people to be in the mail on our return from Mount Vernon,
WA.

Which is where we're going tomorrow.  Better than the Mall of America, but
hardly thrilling.  Emily is very unlikely to be among the contenders in the
National Championship.  The competition Julia will enter is restricted to
those who have not won an aggregate this year--a nice touch, I think--but
she hasn't been practising, and in Canada she made elementary and
disqualifying mistakes in all but one dance.  So we're in for five days of
being troopers and being honored to be there.  I do think the girls will
have fun.  There has been much talk about who will wear what to the formal
dinner and who will do hair and makeup and...I'll be in the full kilt and
Charlie.

May you all enjoy being rid of those Brits.

Back in a week.

David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon

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• Follow-Ups:
  • [lit-ideas] Re: Happy 4th
    • From: Paul Stone

• References:
  • [lit-ideas] Happy 4th
    • From: Eric Yost

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