Reed East meet Reeds West

Team Reed of the East came West last week and it was so much fun I can't even begin to describe it.

Highlights:

From James: "There is no "i" in team, but there is a "u" in suck." (I don't remember the context, but I'm sure he's aimed it many, many times at deserving weasels.)

From Jen: "Fat people are hard to kidnap." (Sure, she read it on a tee-shirt at the Indiana State Fair, but she remembered to repeat it.)

From David: "There are fewer fat asses in Indiana than in Maine." (I think he can't have been paying attention because he said it at the Fair and there just had to be more here than there, including my own. Thanks for introducing me to the fried cheese, Lyn.)

The fun got started Thursday afternoon. Jeff had a softball game so James and David (new the city but hardy travelers) were assigned to airport duty for the rest of the gang. I had to take Ali to dress rehearsal so it was a bit tricky getting everyone together for dinner.

To say the dress rehearsal was a disastrous would be too mild. Amy and I kept looking at each other in horror as the practice dragged on and on, getting worse instead of better. I gave everyone from out of town a free pass if they didn't want to sit through the real dance recital on Friday.

Gary was a real trooper and went along with us, though, and lo and behold, the dancers were actually quite good. Amer and I aren't sure what happened overnight, but when the lights went up and there were people in the theater, everyone literally stepped up their game.

Afterward, we all met up at Mama Corolla's for a late dinner. So late, in fact, that my ballerina didn't make it to dessert. It was not one of my finest parenting moments, but the food was great and the company even better. Jeff and James took turns lugging her home. I'm pretty sure she played possum for a while just to get the mile-high rides.

We all threw caution to the wind and broke the law to walk the Monon Trail back home. No one was robbed, murdered or otherwise molested. That I know of. Peter and Jen were walking together and out of my sight...

We did very little but laugh, eat, drink, and walk around the city looking at fine art, huge pigs and the fun little village of Broad Ripple. Peter braved crazy long flights (not to mention four straight days of Reed after Reed) to even get here and then helped save my dead disposal without even one complaint. David saved Alison's goldfish from certain death, shaming Jeff into not using live bait to teach Ali and me a lesson about how to properly care for aquatic life.

The fish nearly died but then lived while Jen, Ali and I got our toe nails polished. Alison had initially balked at getting a pedicure and is apparently too young for the full treatment, has pledged to return and this time get "that hot tub" treatment Jen and I had.

We spent most of Saturday at the fair, with Ali cajoling James and her father to ride those crazy rides with her. Grandpa took a turn on the Tilt-a-Whirl before deciding that the harness racing was more attractive.

We patronized quite of few of the local eateries before Jeff broke down and grilled for a final gathering Sunday night. Again, the food was great. Farm fresh tomatoes, peach crisp, tenderloin and a bunch of other treats washed down with gallons of Swampwater, beer and wine. Thinking back, we may have gotten a little carried away.

Late Sunday after everyone had gone, Jeff, Gary and I were sitting in the dark, savoring the silky evening and the good company. Marian's birthday was to come two days later, and we'd all been thinking of her throughout the weekend. Gary mentioned that he'd gotten teary and we all agreed how much she would have enjoyed the time we'd all had.

Talking later about it with Alison, we agreed that she was really there all along, and that we knew she was looking down, laughing along with us, shrugging her shoulders if anyone noted that we were being too silly or indulging a bit too much.

The weather was amazing for August in Indiana and while I'm glad of that, I did sort of think the Mainers deserved to feel at least a few moments of a real Hoosier summer. But there was no scorching heat, and just enough of a breeze to discourage the mosquitoes. Jeff built a roaring fire in the chimenae to keep them fully at bay, and while he nearly roasted his father, the flying varmints didn't feast on any of us.

So it was a good trip. Some of our friends got to say hello again or meet the East Wing of the Reed family, and that made it all the more special.

David, I need your photos! I didn't get everyone, and I want to show you off.

We miss everyone already and can't wait for Christmas.