There have been times in the past when I’ve spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach. This was not one of those years. Instead I stayed in Durham, which was nice after the mini blitz of work travel that I took earlier in May.

We are into farmers market season now so I’ve adjusted my grocery shopping rhythms. I still go grocery shopping on Saturday mornings. I’m one of the few people who does so and it makes for a more pleasant experience. This week was the first week when there were peaches at the market so that was a nice addition. I tend to go around the same time as the senior citizens because I’m there to shop instead of just enjoying the atmosphere. It’s also the one time a week when I allow myself to indulge in a pastry. This week I had a strawberry galette, though I found it wanting compared to those available at the other farmer’s market that I sometimes visit instead. Saturday also held its normal zoom calls, a way that I maintain friendships with people who don’t happen to live anywhere close. I even had a hamburger and tater tots for lunch in recognition of the holiday that marks the unofficial start of summer.

The weather threatened to be a problem most of the weekend, but it never impacted my plans. I was still able to sit outside to eat the ice cream after dinner on Sunday evening. Even for my Monday morning walk, we chose a path that was paved just in case it would rain so that my friend could bring along a covered stroller. Then it never rained. At least the little guy got to play in the playground after we finished the walk. Then I went home, cooked lunch, and then spent a few more hours tinkering with Claude Code while watching nature documentaries during the heat of the day. I also made some more progress in the book that AI found for me to read in advance of my planned summer vacation. It may be a placebo, but reading it is building my excitement as I start planning the trip in earnest. Regardless, the novel is hard to put down now.