Greg Visits From Seattle

Our good friend Greg is in town for a week. His presence is a fine gift for both Jip and me, made possible by his generous wife, children and employer, who realistically are giving him up for nearly two weeks, when you figure in jet lag.

He and I are bopping around town as if it had been our home for years -- shopping in little markets, going to the cinema, eating on the street, taking the canal taxis. By showing him around, I'm finding out how much I've learned about the city in three months. Next week I start a regular 9-to-5, so this time also feels like the last week of summer vacation.

Greg's sense is that Jip is much stronger, more alert, easier to understand, and generally in a better space than when he last saw her. I value his comparison, because he had very regular contact with her in Seattle. At least once a week, he would drop by to help Jip stretch her lower body. When she heard him walk in the door two days ago, her first words were, “Grab a leg!”