They say a pilgrimage begins the minute you leave home. Maybe so, but we are short-stopping so we can connect with two of our kids and their spouses who live along the jet-stream en route to the Camino de Santiago.
We landed in Baltimore late last night, visiting son Jeff and his wife Becky, only to find they are in the middle of construction, 30+ days and counting — a longer-than expected remodel coordinated by a combo firefighter/general contractor.
Due to the fix-up, Jeff and Becky have been cornered into 500 square feet of their house. Now they have to share it four ways with us, entertaining with such elegant hospitality, we could pose to them as the “angels unaware.”
Today’s pilgrimage also stood still as I worked for six hours at Atwater Cafe in northeast Baltimore where former Governor Martin O’Malley is said to frequent. He was absent. I only saw freshmen scholars participating in an orientation for Loyola University. Getting home, I only walked two miles compared to Nancy’s five about town.
What was going on back at the construction site? My soon-to-be Pilgrim-partner was sliding across the floor. Slippery floor + socks + spunk = an opportunity to break a leg.
If you break something, Nancy, we’d have to put you on the Camino’s injured reserve. That means you will be reading your Kindle while I walk alone. So your contract terms now limit you to no outside athletic activity. Further, you may not hold any frozen turkeys in your hand because remember how you dropped that bird on your foot days before we left for Hawaii?
I could carry you to the beach in Hawaii once or twice. I cannot carry you 500 miles on my back.
