From Curbing "Heartbreak" on Fathers Day, Saving Rain and a Summer Break

First I want to thank the Fire Company of Newton Massachusetts, the birthplace of the Fig Newton, who gave us a place to sleep and literally held the World up, as a team, while I took a picture. Where Perth Amboy New Jersey struggled with the task, the men and woman of Newton needed no coaching whatsoever. Though it was a coincidence,after completing my personal Boston Marathon and getting a ride back to the firehouse, I stepped out of the car and was greeted by the strains of the bagpipes from inside the building. A Newton congrats for a job completed, in World record time. Thanks again!

When we left the station on Fathers Day morning it was still cool but soon we were sweating from the steady rises over to "Heartbreak Hill" where I gave myself an extra challenge by pushing the World while balancing along the Six inch granite curbing all the way to the top. All across Maryland and much of New Jersey the roads had miles of roadside curbing that served as good training for the three teared heart breaker. I took the tortoise approach to Boston's World Class Course by stopping to rest, eat, and talk along the way. Still the hills were tough and I could see why it had the name, "Heartbreak". By the summit my legs were burning and I was occasionally miss-stepping off the edge of the narrow curbing. Nice (the dog) was ready for a shade break as the morning cool changed to full-on heat. Like a well conditioned athletic tortoise, I opted to stop for coffee and a breakfast sandwich while the dog rested in the shade of the World. It was then when my son was reminded it was Father's Day and gave me an obligatory Father's Day hug that I realized why I had awakened in the night to review Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet which I read to my Father on his deathbed. I think too much sometimes...

We passed along the route of a 5k race just before it's start and were ale to use the road for awhile where it had been blocked off with cones.The cones only served as obstacles for the traffic to swerve in and out of, but I still rolled in the street for the fun of it. We then came close to the route of the Flag Parade and were asked to walk along with the Flags of the world. I declined and turned toward the finish line in downtown Boston. The heat of the city streets super-heated the air, and my lack of enough sleep compounded my fatigue. Then, while my son shopped for a tape in a vintage record store, Nice and me found shade in the green space across the road on Commonwealth Ave. while he found his selections, Then we were off to the finish line on Boilston Street. When we reached the finish line I blocked traffic and gave my boy the phone for a picture... which was no easy task as he had his headphones blasting and could not hear what I was saying when I asked him to take the picture. Gotta' love modern technology: my fathers Day gift of having to yell at the top of my lungs at my teen. Though my voice echoed off the downtown buildings he could not hear a thing, funny to me and shocking to passers by. I had accomplished what no one had before, The Boston Marathon, in traffic, with a six-foot canvas World.

Copley Square is where we rested after the finish. I received a call from a nice man who brought us a snack, or rather, brought Nice (the dog) a snack. He let me know of the memorial to Kahlil Gibran at the edge of the Square, and I walked with he and his daughter to the stone marker with Nice. I wanted to see the memorial and could sense that Nice did not like the man who was talking with Ethan just behind us. As I began to walk with them Nice snapped at the man who had reached out to pet him with an open hand. The man had not read the signs the dog was giving him which I could read without looking, "Stay away from Ethan (my son)". The dog doesn't like some street people. He had Ethan fooled, but not Nice. After saying goodbye to the nice man we went on to the Boston Commons and called my sister who lives nearby who came give us a ride to the van.

Just before she arrived, a storm blew-in and drenched us and the world which we deflated and stuffed into the back of her car. My sister saved us from being miserable and took us back to the van. We then went to my sister's house where we spent the first day of summer resting and talking. We are having such a good time washing clothes and drying out the world. We will stay here Tuesday to enjoy another day of rest while I sew up my ragged back pack and straighten the supply van. All this is a fabulous excuse to hang out with family. Giving my Achilles tendon time to rest also has merit. We have been walking and I have forgotten to take a day here and there to heal and rest. Where better than with family? If not for the rain I may have missed the opportunity.