Went a few doors down the road to have coffee and cake with Mr and Mrs Porter, who gave me a big hug and a kiss when I came in. They are old friends of the family and are very warm and loving towards MJ and the children. I really enjoyed meeting them, and they made me feel very welcome. They have many of their children and grandchildren on the block, in some ways it must be nice being at the centre of things and being surrounded by your loved ones.
Mr Porter is a retired policeman who worked in New York, and I enjoyed it when the conversation drifted to dogs and he told us how one of his partners was off work for a month after a lapdog bit him in the rear. He also described telling the owner of the big and rather evil dog on the block that he would shoot it if it attacked him or any of the children locally.
Unfortunately we were only able to stay for a short time before we had to leave. Mrs Porter observed that the perfect blue of the day was a 9/11 sky. It is on the mind of many people including MJ of course. And this other disaster unfolding in the South is bringing those feelings to the surface again.
Bade farewell to Jack and MJ at Northport station. Didn't want a long drawn out goodbye. Saw them drive away and waited in the sun for the train and to start the now familiar journey to Penn station, where I managed to get lost but still make it just in time for my connection to the airport.
My ticket had the wrong terminal on it, but apart from this checked in fine. But in the space of about twenty minutes I went from feeling like I had a mild sore throat to burning up and feeling shaky.
Mr Porter is a retired policeman who worked in New York, and I enjoyed it when the conversation drifted to dogs and he told us how one of his partners was off work for a month after a lapdog bit him in the rear. He also described telling the owner of the big and rather evil dog on the block that he would shoot it if it attacked him or any of the children locally.
Unfortunately we were only able to stay for a short time before we had to leave. Mrs Porter observed that the perfect blue of the day was a 9/11 sky. It is on the mind of many people including MJ of course. And this other disaster unfolding in the South is bringing those feelings to the surface again.
Bade farewell to Jack and MJ at Northport station. Didn't want a long drawn out goodbye. Saw them drive away and waited in the sun for the train and to start the now familiar journey to Penn station, where I managed to get lost but still make it just in time for my connection to the airport.
My ticket had the wrong terminal on it, but apart from this checked in fine. But in the space of about twenty minutes I went from feeling like I had a mild sore throat to burning up and feeling shaky.
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