I had a wonderful time in Milwaukee last weekend. I wish I hadn’t had to come home.

Jill and I got in on Friday, early evening. We rushed to the hotel and then to Whitefish Bay to see Sandra Stark perform as Mona Monet in Drop Dead! We crashed that night, and then got up to have brunch with Sandra and Bruce at Ma Fischer’s diner on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon we went to Watt’s Tea Room for lunch with Anna & Jason, my parents, and Jason’s parents. It was the first time we all got to meet Paul & Irene, who were lovely. Then we all trooped out to the semi-constructed house my parents are having built, and explored the construction site, imagining the appliances, paint, carpet, etc. The house is so large I think our house would almost fit in the basement. Mom must be reacting against having been in a tiny little 2BR for the last year. (For anyone reading in the DC metro area, the neighborhood my parents are building in makes Jill and I both think of Mitchellville, MD, in P.G. County.)

We made a break for it after the tour and had a nap, then dinner and a low-key evening with Meredith. Peter was away on tour, so he didn’t get to join us. And apparently Patrick & Kirsten are struggling to get Sam on a sleep schedule before their baby girl is born in May, so they weren’t able to come out either.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast with Ginny, and then headed off to the engagement party and Jerry and Cindy’s. I had a great time catching up with old family friends and meeting Andrea’s new son Kaden, whom her daughter insists is named Jimmy, and Heidi’s week-older son Daniel, whose siblings appear to have accepted as a Daniel. Both little peanuts are less than 3 weeks old and their Mom’s are already looking thinner and in better shape than most people.

Everyone, including Anna and Jason, took the "Shalom Y’all" hats with good humor, but I’m glad I also got the nice challah board.