Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I think that regardless of present-day politics, those are things we can all agree to celebrate.

I chased my happiness into PA Friday night. I ate on the way down, but went to the diner with amy_pearlman and blackfog anyway.

Saturday morning, I had a haircut scheduled at 8:00 in Doylestown. A&C dropped me off and headed to the Farmers' Market, where they apparently bought the entire market. After they picked me up, we went to the butcher shop. The butcher also had all kinds of imported German chocolates and candies and cookies. I was good and left the marzipan behind.

After helping to unload and put away the haul, I drove over to pick up demongrey, who presented me with a puzzle to solve. He and I have both been interested in codes and ciphers for years, so periodically he presents me with something he's made up to see how hard it is. Often it's in context of a game, but this time was just random. I'm pretty good at pattern recognition in general, and I don't always solve them the same way he expects. So, it's fun for both of us.

He and Amy and I discussed business fashion, of all things, and then the four of us went to lunch at Red Lobster.

Mid-afternoon, oidhche and palingyuan showed up, and demongrey had to go home. (I solved the message right when I got back from dropping him off.) We discussed getting a game together, but it never happened.

Dinner was grilled London Broil and zucchini, potatoes, and a salad. We got into some really interesting conversation for a while, which managed to keep going for a while after Amy and Oid wandered off to start a project. We all watched the beginning of the Coca-Cola 400 at Daytona, then palingyuan had a WoW appointment to keep, but the rest of us headed to the diner for dessert. It was late when we got back, but the race ran even later. It was a pretty spectacular last fifteen laps.

We all got a late start in the morning. I was up the first time around 7, but I think it was after 10 before anyone else was downstairs (I'd drawn the living room sofa for the night). palingyuan and I chatted a bit about geocaching. I wouldn't be able to keep up with the friends she goes with, but she said she would pick out some caches that are less physically demanding and take me. I'm really excited about that, I've wanted to try it for years.

After lunch (London Broil sandwiches), Amy and I went to pick up her CSA haul for the week, and then Amy and Oid continued their project. The rest of us were distinctly anti-social; I ended up curled up in the sunny spot on the landing of the stairs with a cat and a book.

Oid and Paling went home late afternoon. Our dinner plan had been to do more grilling, but between the heat and a wasp adventure earlier in the afternoon, that plan was scrapped. Instead, C roasted the chicken pieces and made salad and mushroomy rice. Now we're watching concerts and fireworks on TV. As usual, we're flipping around the eastern seaboard, catching pieces of the DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston celebrations (and criticizing all of them, of course).

I'm glad to have the extra day and not have to drive home tonight.

I hope it's been a good weekend for everyone, and that tomorrow is good as well.