What John's ailments need are some good old fashioned Italian home remedies . I believe for a head cold it is best to put roasted red peppers on your forehead before you lay down, to break a fever simply rub locatelli cheese and olive oil into your armpits. Finally, for a sore throat soak your underwear and socks in anchovie juice.

Anyway, somehow this past Saturday I ended up in Jupiter Farms paddling in a canoe with Ree, Marlena, Jenia and Stefanie. I'm still not sure exactly how they convinced me this was a good idea.... but I do know the night before we polished off all the lemongello and orangello bottles generously left by Airport Guy.

But I did indeed go. Let me describe this so called Jupiter Farms" river" we paddled along. First of all, I've seen deeper water at the bottom of a dixie cup....and it smelled like garbage juice. We weren't very good canoers...Ree lost a shoe, I lost the map...and we all lost our minds. Especially when we came to "The Dam". Now the dam is set up with a docking area with an up ramp and down ramp so that canoers pull the boat out of the water then back in. We had some older local couple watch us pull our canoes perfectly onto the ramp, disboard, take a few pictures and then prepare to push back in...but the husband insisted he be the good samaritan who helps these city hopeless city kids. Needless to say, the wet downramp was a perfect recipe for a man falling flat on his back, losing his breath...and in trying to break his fall pull the canoe straight into his balls. We all jumped to his rescue which he proudly...and painfully brushed off. And yes I did refrain from asking if that was the proper way to launch a canoe? But it managed to keep us laughing the entire remainder of the trip.