Suzie and I woke up late or at least well rested and packed our things to return home.  The weather was faultless in contrast to the two previous days and the ride to my house was unexceptional.  Our only calendar item for the day was to meet up with Ben, Kacey, and Mike and have dinner downtown.  We changed into fancy pants clothes and our chariot was SEPTA.

Ben lives in Philadelphia and his hallmarks are a mix of sagacity and paper folding.  Here he passes in a blur.

Dinner was at Buddakan, a Stephen Starr restaurant that was my first big kid dining experience some 12 years ago when Paul Dickler took myself and other students here after an Foreign Policy Research Institute presentation.  I had finished that meal with the chocolate pagoda and have spent the time since counting the seconds until I could again eat a tiny chocolate house. I said less than I normally do as the geometry of the table prevented me from dominating the conversation and a small grin kept creeping over my face.  It is nice to be nice to nice people.  Merry Christmas.

The rest are in photos.

On the way back, I ran into my high school men’s choir coach who asked me to join his choir.  I desperately wanted to say “yes”, but not right now, Garry.  I have a few things to take care of.