i was waiting for leon and his family to leave before heading out myself. he told me last night they were going around 11am, and when the time arrived i heard sounds of footsteps. i went outside to intercept them but they weren't leaving until 1pm. instead they dropped off a bag of groceries on my doorstep, things they didn't finish eating, like a carton of eggs, an unopened box of cereal, and a bottle of wine (moonx red cabernet sauvignon). he asked if i had any milk, i said just half & half, which was perfect because they only needed it for coffee. i went upstairs to say good bye to li ting, she was busy packing up their things. they still needed to go to the library to return some children books, then return the rental car somewhere around copley square. they got a good deal, $400 for a 10-day rental. afterwards they'd grab an uber to the airport. they get back home tomorrow, on the same day that li ting's parents are arriving from china to stay with them for 3 months. li ting asked if i wanted a crab trap, i said okay. i asked leon what their plans for next summer, he said they might go back to beijing, the last time was 3 years ago. he said he may even enroll his kids in chinese school, which if i was a kid i would hate.

it was a little chilly and overcast outside. i didn't even survey the backyard, which is something i've always done, not even to check the perimeters or water the plants. i did take a quick glance at the lotuses, no new aerial leaves. instead i spent most of the day indoors, first putting together a 5 tier wire shelf by the basement entrance (for garden tools and supplies, as well as a place for my father's solar-charged marine battery), then cleaning the sunroom and moving everything down into the basement, including another wire shelf.