Joe: Hello?

Eric: Hey, Joe, this is Eric.

Joe: Oh hey Eric, how's it goin'?

Eric: It's goin' well. How 'bout yourself?

Joe: Yeah, I'm doin' really well.

Eric: Great.

Joe: How was your trip up to Washington this weekend?

Eric: Oh, it was just over the top.

Joe: Nice, nice. I...

Eric: Yeah, it was...

Joe: ...really wish I could have joined you guys.

Eric: Yeah, well, you should really try next year.

Joe: Yeah, no, it's, it's definitely on my list of things to do, for sure.

Eric: Good.

Joe: Yeah, how was, did you, did you make it up there, uh, as you expected? I mean

how was your, how was your trip up there?

Eric: Oh man, I am just fed up with the airlines.

Joe: [laugh]

Eric: [laugh]

Joe: What's new?

Eric: If it's not one thing, it's another. I mean we, we got up there and, uh, and the

flight was delayed. And it was really crowded. And then gettin' out we just, you wait.

And we waited and we waited and we waited for the luggage. And just, the wait just

got out of hand.

Joe: Ugh...je-, y'know, we, I, y'know, I have not had a good experience with the

airlines here domestically in probably about a year I would say.

Eric: Oh, I mean, it's just...

Joe: At least.

Eric: It's getting worse and worse and worse.

Joe: Yeah. Well I hope that, that, that didn't rain on your parade and...

Eric: No.

Joe: ...that you actually were able to have a good time after you got up there.

Eric: Oh, I mean it, they, it's just so wonderful to be up there with those guys. It's,

they're like family.

Joe: You gotta tell me a little bit about it 'cause you know I've never been there.

Eric: Yeah, it, it's such a beautiful place. They've got a bunch of cabins on the water,

um.... It's, y'know, bein' with friends and family all the time. And, uh, my kid had just

a blast just bein' out on the water and, um, just enjoyin' himself. It was really his first

time being able to, uh, be in a boat and realize that he's on the water and not on the

land. And, and it's, at, at that age it's, it's just such a new exp-, everything's such a

new experience. He just...

Joe: Yeah.

Eric: ...it was wonderful.

Joe: So, how did he, uh, how did he handle the water? Was he like, uh, was he

jumpy or was he, was he pretty calm while he was out there? 'Cause I know...

Eric: He's, he's pretty calm. I mean, he's a, he's a water, a water baby of sorts...

Joe: [laugh]

Eric: ...he just loves the water. He just loves to be in it. Up there the water's really

cold so, it's not, we didn't really get him in the water. And he had a little bit of

problems with the life jacket. The life jacket was a little, little tight on him. And that just

made him a little uncomfortable. But, he's, after getting the first butterflies out of

his stomach he just loved it. You could tell, he just was having the time of his life.

Joe: Oh, that's great. He must have been psyched to see, uh, Derek's kids also,

and Mark's new baby.

Eric: Oh absolutely, at this age, he, they do a lot of, of parallel play. And, because

he's not old enough yet to, to play with, he kind of plays alongside. But he's just

starting to get the hang of playing with and interacting with. And he just, he loves to

be in packs of kids. It's just he really has a great time.

Joe: Yeah, it's like innate [laugh], y'know.

Eric: Yeah, it really is. It's fun to watch him learn. He's at this age of language

explosion and certainly being around other kids really helps.

Joe: Oh, definitely. So you guys, uh, you went out on Mark's boat so that must have

been fun.

Eric: It was.

Joe: So, uh, what else did you guys do while you were there?

Eric: Well, y'know, on the whole boat thing.... We, uh, did some crabbing where we

caught some crabs. And, uh, used the boat as sort of a shuttle to get from island to

island. So we did a little bit of island hopping, with picnicking on some islands, uh....

We cooked some great meals, sort of, um, with the whole group of us together...

Joe: Oh, that's great.

Eric: ...yeah, and some people got some massages, just tried to chill out and relax,

uh.... And it was just really low key. A really restful trip, which is what I think about

when I think about Mark and their place up there.

Joe: Yeah, it sounds like you were really able to let go, huh?

Eric: It was, it was a longer trip for me than I've taken in the last couple of years,

goin' up there, we went for five, five or six days, and...

Joe: Oh, I didn't realize you were goin' that long.

Eric: Yeah, normally I'm just up there for a long weekend...

Joe: Sure.

Eric: ...but this time I thought, y'know, I haven't taken a vacation in a while. And I

just wanna get up there and chill out.

Joe: Oh, that's great.

Eric: Yeah.

Joe: Y'know, I understand that John's living up there now as well and, uh, if for no

other reason I should go up and visit everybody, y'know, while he's there.

Eric: Absolutely. He, uh, he's, he's not living on their property anymore, uh.... He's

moved just to, y'know, really close by on the mainland off of Bellingham. So he's in

the area still. And he would just be tickled pink to see you and to hang out with you.

I know he would, so...

Joe: Yeah, I mean, uh, it's amazing how, y'know, uh, you can let so much time pass.

And, uh, you don't even realize it's happened when it comes to visiting with friends

who live far out of town.

Eric: That's right...

Joe: Especially ones that are really close to you.

Eric: Yeah, and the oldest of friends, it's, uh, it.... Time just really flies and before

you know it, it's just been a long time since you've seen somebody. So when you get

that time it's just wonderful to take advantage of it. And certainly John being

all of a sudden on the West Coast, it's great to be able to, to just jet up to

Washington and, and see him, fairly easily.

Joe: Yeah. Yeah, I told him next year I'd, I'm going to make my best effort to get up

there.

Eric: I hope, I really really hope you do.

Joe: Hey, uh, y'know Eric, time's kind of escaped me tonight. I'm supposed to

meet Kristin for dinner in a little bit. So, uh, y'know, I'd love for us to continue this

conversation, uh, y'know, maybe tomorrow or somethin', if you're, if you're available.

Eric: Hey, that'd be great.

Joe: Okay. Alright, listen, I'll call you then.

Eric: Alright, take care my friend.

Joe: Alright, bye.

Eric: Bye.