more getting outtahere

As part of my ongoing effort to maintain our sanity this summer, I'm writing this post from a beautiful spot of America known as Rockport, Maine.  Jack and I are here because, for his birthday or Father's Day, he wanted certain specific woodworking hand tools from a company called Lie-Nielsen Woodworking.  He rarely specifies gifts he'd like to receive, which is good because my memory for the names of anything certain or specific is somewhat rusty right now.  When I went to the website of the company that sells the tools, I was feeling pretty good about remembering how to spell the name of the company that sells the tools, but was completely distracted when the landing page for the company was an announcement for the annual open house, during which, all Lie-Nielsen tools are 10% off--the only time the tools are on sale, mind you. 

Well, everybody knows how much I love a sale. 

Plus, free shipping.

How could I be expected to remember specific tools with all of this sale/free shipping distraction, right?

I checked our frequent flyer/skymiles account with Delta and determined the location of the Lie-Nielsen Woodworking company and quickly realized we could fly to Bangor, Maine, just an hour or so from said woodworking company's location, for $11 each, round trip.  OMG.

It didn't take long for me to find a quaint, seaside hotel and a rental car.

And to complete the package, Lie-Nielsen was offering tickets for a lobster bake for tonight, just $25 per person, with--are you ready for this--Roy Underhill, long-time host of The Woodwright's Shop on PBS--a show Jack and I have been watching since 1979--with Roy scheduled to participate in the lobster bake event.

All of which explains how and why Jack and I came to be in Rockport, Maine.  It has been a delightful getaway, driving around Maine, staying in a quiet seaside hotel, chatting with other woodworkers, and yes, even with Roy Underhill.  Who, I'm happy to report, does not seem to be in love with himself or his celebrity status in the woodworking world.  That would have been devastating and would have almost certainly have taken the shine off of this vacation.

Yesterday, Jack chatted with people who write articles for his favorite magazines, toured the place that makes the best in the world hand tools for woodworkers, and practiced using various tools with people who know tools.  And then, over fresh lobster rolls at a tiny little roadside stand, he picked out the exact tools he wanted and we headed back to place his order.

Kid in a candy store.

And now we're headed to the ocean for my sanity and then back to Lie-Nielsen for a final look around and the lobster bake tonight.

This was such a great idea.