1. Once I finally got out of bed, I gathered my things, made sure the cottage I stayed in was picked up and straightened up, and headed to Stone Town Cafe for breakfast with people who hadn't left Huntingdon after the wedding. Lo and behold, upon arriving at the cafe, Susie informed me that the breakfast location had been changed to the Rockwell homestead.
No problem.
I steered the Sube out of town and threaded it up the narrow road to Julie and Curtis' property and, before long, Julie, Curtis, and I sat down at a table in the barn and, with little ceremony, I signed their marriage certificate to be sent back to the county.
The scones, quiche, French toast casserole, fruit, coffee, and other fine foods, along with listening to Julie talk about the course she's teaching this semester that examines food systems in the U.S.A., nourished me for my slightly more than three hour drive back to Maryland.
2. The drive back to Maryland, back through through the thick forest and fertile farm lands on two lane roads in Pennsylvania, until I reached I-70, I-270, and the Capitol Beltway, was easy and without incident.
I had already made a date with the Deke to do what we have done on Sunday afternoons for quite awhile: go to DC Brau. I nearly wept with pleasure upon sipping my drops of On the Wings of Armageddon after not having any for nearly three months.
The Deke and I sat at a table and were joined by layman James and Benedictine Monk, Brother Ignacio of the monastery of St. Anselm in NE D.C., fewer than ten minutes away from DC Brau. James and Brother Ignacio are the city coordinators for the D. C. Catholic Beer Club.
The Deke overheard James and Brother Ignacio talking about the Netflix series The Crown and just as I was returning to the counter to purchase another On the Wings of Armageddon, she started talking with them about the show, and, by the time I returned to our table, the conversation had turned magnificently theological and perfectly ecumenical. James had to leave a little early. For the ensuing half an hour, though, Brother Ignacio told us all about his vocation as a Benedictine -- he prays without ceasing -- and the studies he is currently embarked upon to become a priest: two years of philosophy and four years of theology. In fact, he was carrying with him a printout of Aristotle's categories that he needed to memorize as part of his course.
This was one of our best ever visits to DC Brau. Our conversation, though relatively brief, soared into the most important questions of what life means, what it is to be human, and how we experience God in the world. James and Brother Ignacio left us filled with gratitude for such an uplifting and stimulating party.
If you'd like to read more about Brother Iganacio and James -- and the Catholic Beer Club -- just click here.
3. The Deke and I drove the short distance from DC Brau to Ivy City for one last beer at Atlas Brewing. I think if we were to continue to live in Maryland, our Sunday routine would expand to include both of these breweries.
We drank our last beer and talked about how we imagine living our lives in Kellogg. We have dreams about all kinds of things including music, reading, writing, traveling, and what we might do with Mom's house.
Back at our apartment home, I popped us each a bowl of popcorn.
After the Deke turned in, I gave myself over to how much I hated having learned earlier in the day that Walter Becker had died at the age of 67.
I spent the next hour or so on YouTube, watching videos of Steely Dan performing live at different stages of their life as a band and listened to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker being interviewed on a VH1 show.
I went to bed, wishing I could break out the hats and hooters and rev up the motor scooters.
We lost a raw flame, a live wire.
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