Cookie's Cub Scout pack held its Raingutter Regatta yesterday after the 9 o'clock Mass. Alane picked up the boat kit at the Boy Scout Store (her description made it sound like the Masonic Shop at the Flatiron Building -- spooky) on Saturday on her way back from downtown Cleveland. With less than hour to go before Mass started I opened the little box and was unpleasantly surprised to learn that the kit instructions required sanding, gluing, painting, and decorating.

Cookie and I built a boat in a hurry. By the time Mass was over the paint was still tacky and the decals still needed to be affixed -- but otherwise we were in ship shape. It was pretty cold outside, and Cookie lost two out of three heats, but a fine time was had by all.

We got back, got the meatballs cooking, and got the fireplace stoked. For the rest of the afternoon and evening I lazed on the living room floor, catching the radiant heat, drinking the wine leftover from the previous day's get-together. I've become quite the lightweight, though, when it comes to bedtime -- try as I might I still couldn't stay awake much past 11. I did want to see the last few innings of the Mets-Cardinals game; more importantly I wanted to close the chimney flue after the last of the embers burned themselves out. Eh, so I closed it when I awoke at 5:15. Having a fireplace kicks ass.