WXPN

"Harry" and I spent the weekend at the WXPN "Exponential" Music Festival: volunteering, listening to music and trying to find some shade. . . (It was hot!) The venue, on the Camden waterfront, is too beautiful - the Main stage has the river and Philadelphia skyline as a backdrop.

In some ways, volunteering was the best part - I liked checking people in and answering questions; didn't like wrist-banding all that much. Whatever I am doing - answering phones, creating lurid leis - I always like working with the XPN folk - I've had lots of opportunities lately, unemployed as I am - they are smart, funny, no-nonsense and can-do.

I did make a few major decisions about next year: I WON'T volunteer for the first shift of the day - it's WAY too long until the end of the day when the bands I've actually heard of come on. And I'm going to unabashedly specify "out of the sun." Much as I resist playing the elder card, today when I watched teenagers dancing at the top of the hot ! metal! bleachers in blinding sun, 90 degrees - as I fanned myself thinking cool thoughts I realized the elder card exists FOR A REASON.

Anyway, I had fun. I think Harry had fun too although I am not positive he was ready to leave when I hit the wall - all I could think about was THE CAR IS AIR CONDITIONED. I so loved being there with him, but it was time to go!

Part of this is because I am (and so is he) still close enough to Parenting (in capitals) Young Children to appreciate the freedom that not having them entails. . . one of our first dates, a year or so ago, was at the beach, and I remember dozing off a little; as people around us (parents) scurried about, fielding toddler demands: "I wanna go in the water!" " I have to go to the bathroom!" MOMMY, I'm hungry" "Daddy, I have to pee." "Are we going home soon?" "When can we go to the boardwalk?" (Okay, this last from a nascent teenager - these are slightly, but only slightly, less annoying at the beach than their younger sibs.) Harry and I remembered it all (fondly, it's true) and luxuriated in being us, and alone. . .

We finished the Times crossword, read for a bit, had a boisterous romp in the waves and then a nap under the umbrella . When we woke it was cloudy, threatening rain and we had another romp in the waves.

I wouldn't have missed all those beach days as a parent, with my kids and their father, for anything.

But this was heavenly, and no less brilliant a memory as - my first-born running full-tilt into the waves - my second-born refusing to have anything to do with water not delivered in a pail, to her sand castle.

I think Harry felt the same way.