Heading to Milarepa

Friday: Up later than I should have been last night... I'm a nocturnal animal. Woke around 8:30 as MB was heading out. Last we'll see of each other for about a week. Feeling tired. Shower. Made a list of stuff to take to Milarepa. Packing. Morning practices. Fed cats. More packing. Down basement briefly. Loaded up the car, and headed out.

Quite nice out today, but a little hotter and more humid than the last few days. As I arrived at work, a group was just organizing to have a farewell lunch for Dn. Couldn't say no to that. Walked out with the bunch, and found ourselves at "Smile! Thai Cafe" We had a pleasant but unremarkable lunch, some of the food coming late. Perhaps the most remarkable thing was, that no one said anything about Dn leaving the company. Stopped at CVS on my way back, and got my prescription, and some other items. Eventually actually got down to business. Didn't quite figure out what is going on, but getting closer. Calls from MB and Wnd. Walked out to get a coffee and some ice cream. T walked out with me. It was interesting to hear that despite her different role in the company, our perceptions of our career prospects are very similar. Headed out around 4:30. Saw Rbt in the basement. He looked unhappy.

Just as I got on the road, the clouds opened up. Thunder etc. Decided to take Mem Drive rather than Storrow. Arrived at KKC, as the rain was petering out, at 5:10. Wnd was waiting for me. We packed her stuff into my car and headed off (after retrieving the directions from her car.) Stopped in Concord for some food. The young waiter thought that when I said we were both having the same dish, that I meant we wanted to split one order. As it turned out there was more than enough food for the two of us, so this was a happy mistake. All day I've been very thirsty, perhaps having to do with my renewed coffee intake. And, having drank a lot of water, during the drive I suffered the equal and opposite reaction. We arrived at Milarepa center about 9:30. It's very dark at night in northern Vermont.

People had been trying to raise me, but cell phones don't work up here. I got myself settled, first finding a place in the big tent where the teachings will be given, setting up the audio visual equipment, then staking out a mattress for myself in the carriage house. The time between exiting the car, and my first insect bite was approximately 15 seconds. Still, it's lovely up here, and people are very friendly. I met a woman from Oklahoma who had her first encounter with Buddhism two months ago, and has already sold her business and is now travelling around attending teachings. Sometimes a spark that burns so bright runs out of fuel quickly. I hope that's not true in her case. The brushing of the teeth and so on.