6/17-20/13: June 17-20, Monday-Thursday, So Pretty, So Much Fun! So here I am, seeing the cousins in West Hartford, CT, which is such a pretty town. The cousins are well, I've met Daniel's girlfriend, Nina, who is heading back to Germany today after having done a cross-U.S. tour from Houston to Las Vegas to SEKI and Yosemite and then a long visit here, staying with Lisa and Jim. She's a very bright, well-mannered young woman who speaks English so flawlessly you can hardly detect an accent. During the school year, she was part of a teacher-exchange between her university in Gottigen and Amherst; she taught German at Amherst last year, which is apparently how she and Daniel met.
   Personal Notes: Roots getting longer than arms. Must prune caterpillars (eyebrows) before obscure vision. Birthday suit: Age + weight loss = Doesn't fit well any more, isn't permanent-press, can't be ironed. DAMN!
   I sent out my westbound itinerary yesterday; my brother, Chris, asked why I'd fallen in love with Cape Cod. I wrote the poor guy a veritable essay, which I'd like to repeat here so I don't lose it:
   "Following up on your question, I believe Cape Cod, which is vastly larger than I could have imagined, reminded me of the ways in which I remember the Southern California coast from years ago, especially in having open spaces. Now, I grant you, the clean-up of Tin Can Beach is a great blessing. But pus-filled boils of development have ruined most open spaces: the Long Beach Marina replaces a large saltwater marsh; Huntington Harbor -- sorry about this one -- is no improvement over the former salt marshes; the excrescence that's now Dana Point: capital punishment is too good for its developers. The cliffs, getting down to them, and tide pooling there were great joys, experiences in the "wild side" of Southern California that can't be replaced. You should have seen our father springing from rock to rock like a mountain goat as we roamed that shoreline! I have never gone into the new town of Dana Point, because I can't bear to. I hope its developers roast painfully in the hell I don't believe in.

   "If it weren't for Camp Pendleton, the Southern California coast would be a totally bleak disaster area.

   "But Cape Cod, possibly because its development took place in a far less mechanized and industrialized world, still has great stretches of roadside greenery, rolling dunes crowned with low thickets of magenta and white rugosa roses, and charming little towns with pretty, old buildings and NO -- I repeat that, NO -- high rises. Yes, there are stretches of freeway, and they are unlovely but well-hidden in the foliage. If there's a high rise, it's probably a 3-story Victorian house. There is, especially compared to Southern California, a sense of space and peace and room to breathe. You can see the sky, the sea, the strand, all in a glance.

   "Of course, all this changes from, say, Santa Barbara north, as the California coast grows rugged and dangerous; the water ever colder and rougher; where just inland small mountain ranges thrust straight up from the sea, as if scorning our attempts to maintain roads and villages; and there is light, space, and room to breathe.

   "May all the gods there aren't bless the Coastal Commission! Rarely have California voters shown such a convulsion of good sense!

   "There'll be a pop quiz on this when I get back."

   THURSDAY, 6/20: Bless her heart, Lisa took me to pick up Maybelline today. Maybelline's engine sounds great and her handling is much improved, all for a very reasonable price -- about a third of what I had feared it might be. I think they didn't get around to fixing the door, but that's minor compared to having her aligned and one of her serpentine belts replaced.

   Today I finally saw "Man of Steel" -- much more fun than the new Star Trek bore-fest. Henry Cavill is gorgeous. I want him, dipped in caramel, for my birthday.

   I've had such a wonderful time here in West Hartford with the cousins that I'm sad to leave, but then, I can look forward to coming back. Spent the evening at their house; I worry that I've been a burden to two extremely busy people. Lisa and Jim have been so hospitable! One of the greatest pleasures of this trip has been getting to know Lisa and Nancy so much better. A person couldn't wish for better and "funnier" friends!

   Tomorrow: Westward ho!