the mock-up.

Despite the fact that my left quadriceps muscle is more or less being held to the rest of my body by duct tape, I've had two spectacularly athletic weekends in a row. July 4 marked the Fifth Annual Lawn Olympics at Kate's parents' house in Sag Harbor. Calling the event "athletic" is something of a stretch, as 75% of the events can be played while holding a beverage, but the competition is no less heated for it. I managed to draw a white preppy boy for my teammate this year, so needless to say we rocked badminton all the way to the semi-finals.

Just last Saturday, my spring hat teammate organized a massive game of disc at Crane Beach, giving me a chance to perfect my ocean layouts (number of diving catches completed: zero). I followed that up by rising at an ungodly hour on Sunday to hike Mount Washington in all its blustery, rainy, foggy glory. Bushes fallen into while scrambling across the traverse: One.

As stressed out as I am about taking time away from my work, these weekends were exactly what I needed. Grilling on porches, soaking up perfect beach days, kicking back in summit lodges over brown bag lunches and water-filled Camelbaks. You can't beat summer in the Northeast: it's so brief that I feel the need to pack in all the activity that I can and savor every bit of it.

Today, of course, I can't walk.