day 1

Max and I drove Quinn up to Norfolk, CT for his art fellowship. For the first time in days the rain stopped and the sun was out. Blue sky, green trees, and an open highway cut through the rocky hills. We left at 11 and got there shortly after 2. Entering the town of Norfolk the clouds came out. This is not a metaphor. It started raining, and we were stopped by a local pet parade. I didn't see any pets, but I did watch a teenager in a bowler hat stroll through a park like Fred Astaire. He had a pink umbrella, a hot topic outfit, and the lonely gait of the young. There was a huddled group of goth kids underneath a set of stairs. I'm fascinated by how popular culture makes it to small town America.

We finally pulled up to the place. Lots of green grass, mossy stones, and forest. A white clapboard boarding house, a building with studio space, another brick building (I never found out what that was). We met Sam the director. Quinn drew a studio space: number 5. We unloaded his camera equipment and his bike. I pet a couple of loose dogs running around the estate. A big black labrador and an English bulldog. I went to the bathroom: no lock on the door. We loaded Quinn's bag into a van so he could be driven to his living space. I kissed him goodbye, and Max and I were off.

On the way back we stopped at Stop & Shop. I bought salt & pepper chips, two Nantucket nectar drinks, a plum, and sour patch kids. Sometimes we listened to the radio but mainly we just talked. It was nice. I've known Max for six years now. Pre-marriage, pre-moustache, pre-beard. He is still the same nice guy he was at 19: easy to laugh, easy to smile, and thoughtful. I'm glad we followed friends to Boston.

Coming home we got slightly delayed coming off the Mass Pike. We didn't get back until 6. Max was supposed to make crowns for Feast Mass, an art fundraiser, at 7. Local business donated food and alcohol for the event. During Feast Mass, seven artists presented grant proposals for projects in the area. At the end of the evening, attendees cast ballots and the winning project took home the money raised from cover charges. The featured artists wore crowns, made by Max, to stand out. I left before I heard the winner, but the proposals were interesting: local gardening, theater funding, performance art, and documentary film. One group wanted to make pornography to give to people who got parking tickets. They thought nude photos would help lessen stress in a truly meaningful way. (Recently Cambridge started printing yoga poses on parking tickets to help relieve stress.) I wouldn't have voted for that idea (the proposal had some holes . . . ) but I laughed.

I sat with Eunice and Peter for a little while and ate sherbet and cookies. Later I walked home down third street. I feel sad that Quinn is gone, but I don't think my head is quite around it. Nothing much is different yet, i just feel quieter than normal. Tomorrow I'm driving up to Gloucester/Rockport with Dan and Lisa. Tonight I'm reading more of A Wise Man's Fear and sitting on the couch with Whisky. Business as usual.