"My Labor Day Travelogue"

For the three-day Labor Day weekend, I decided to take Monday off from the daily grind. We headed down to Charlotte, where Aunt Rita and Uncle Tom were hosting a housewarming get-together for the family.


















Fact: Ping pong, or table tennis as I prefer to call it, is the second most popular sport in the world (after soccer).

I'm a pro...but you already knew that. You've probably seen the ads I did for Adidas. Here, I give my big brother a few pointers.


















Tip Number 1: Table tennis is played with the body, not the arm and hand. First, move your feet and body until you're close enough to the ball, then rotate your torso to make the paddle contact the ball.

Tip Number 2: The ball weighs next to nothing and it's almost always spinning. To deal with this, it is extremely important to be very, very relaxed in your body, arm and hand. You should grip the paddle as if it's a delicate flower that you’re afraid to crush. Even when you want to hit a high ball for a winner, you must remain relaxed like this.

Tip Number 3: Good table tennis is not about winning or beating your opponent, or winning points. (Uncle Tom!) It's about executing your game to the best of your ability. Think effort rather than results and give yourself a mental pat on the back after every good try even if the ball goes sailing into the bleachers and you lose the point spectacularly.

















I worked up a sweat schooling my big brother in table tennis. Now, for a quick dip to cool off. "Aunt Rita, which way to the pool?"


















I swam some laps, working on my breaststroke and freestyle (also known as front crawl or Australian crawl). While I logged some miles, Merrit goofed around with Uncle Rocky.


















I must admit, Merrit and Rocky do look like they're having fun. What is it they say about "all work and no play"? This is supposed to be a mini-vacation, after all. Hmmm...

















There we go. A little recovery time from my workout. Thanks for the breather, Uncle Rocky!

















While I was toweling off, Merrit and Mom had some fun together in the water.















And then we all sat on the patio to catch our breath and warm up a bit. Love that nice fluffy towel!


















I put my clothes back on and fell asleep in Nanny's arms.












I napped for a bit while Nanny, Aunt Rita, and Aunt Kim talked. When I awoke from my nap, it was time to head home from the pool.













...and straight to the OTHER kind of pool.










Are we playing Eight Ball or Nine Ball, guys?













"Five ball, corner pocket."












We gathered around the table -- one of our family's favorite traditions -- for a great dinner.












One of the things I love best about my family is how much we enjoy being together. We are always laughing!













See what I mean?


















I bounced after dinner.












Dad hung out with me...

















...While my crazy relatives were getting punchier by the moment.


















Big Bro was being silly, too, peeking at people from under the tablecloth.












When suddenly, a birthday party broke out. The family surprised my mom with a birthday cake. (Her birthday was a couple of weeks ago.)

















"Happy birthday to you" led to another song, and another...

















...And before you know it, we were having a regular ol' fashioned family sing-along around the piano.

















I ended up giving Aunt Rita a few piano keyboarding tips.


















Namely, I told her to try to touch the piano keys lightly and gently. I explained that if your fingers are rigid and stiff with the anxiety of trying to get the right notes at the right time, it will be much more difficult to get it right. It's simple, really: A relaxed hand is much easier to get the the right place at the right time.













After the piano tutorial, I was pretty wiped. It'd been a long day: Table tennis, swimming, billiards, a big meal, a sing-along. Time for a comfy pair of of PJs and a goodnight kiss from Papa.














The next morning, a sunny kitchen awaited me. Everyone was up, reading the paper and having coffee.













"Just black for me, please."

















"Merrit, when you're done with The Wall Street Journal, could you pass it over this way?"


















"And, Dad, when you're done with that article about the Charlotte Better Business Bureau, I want to check it out."














With a great weekend behind us and a three-hour trip ahead of us, we got in the car and buckled up for the trip home.













Big Bro loves his LeapPad.

















Me? I prefer to be delve into the mysteries of contemplative philosophy on these journeys.

Contemplative philosophy engages me as a whole person, not just my faculty of reasoning. Its aim is wisdom, which implies openness of understanding to realms beyond my limited and self-centered perspective, towards new layers of being. In my experience, philosophizing is not a tool for analyzing and simplifying and solving problems, but on the contrary, a way of opening myself to the infinite depths and complexities of reality.

















But even Plato had to eat.

We stopped for lunch at Quizno's. In another hour, we'd find ourselves back home, rested and refreshed from an amazing weekend in Charlotte.

Thanks for everying, Aunt Rita and Uncle Tom! We love you -- and we love the new house! Congratulations!