First, the present. Sitting on a couch. The couches are green and blue plaid. It's raining. Vinnie's got Mina in his arms, and we're watching tv. Jennifer is making a friendship bracelet and I've just put my knitting aside. We've had a fairly productive day. In fact, I amazed myself somewhat by waking up and going running this morning - even after a late night at the local bar, McSeagull's. That's where the boys have been hanging out and even scored a weekly gig. We saw them listed in the local paper today on the schedule - "Sunday - Buffalino - back by popular demand." Last night was karaoke night. Vinnie, Jennifer and I did a stunning rendition of "King of the Road," but it was Pete and Nick who stole the show. They performed, among other songs, "What a Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers, which, although J thinks otherwise and always tells me so, is their best song.

Despite the late night, however...the "dark and stormy's," with a lot - a lot - of rum, meeting a few locals and finally the sweet, necessary hours of sleep, I awoke to a grey sky, the ocean and rocky beach outside the window, and all three dogs in my bed. I went for a run down the dirt road, past the other houses and around the Newagen Inn, a very nice community with tennis courts, a pool and a mysterious dance hall that Jennifer and I, upon pulling in last night, immediately recognized as our "Dirty Dancing" connection. Do the staff members head up there late at night and host wild parties? Our guess is yes. And we have, somehow, got to get an in.

After I got back I poured myself a cup of coffee and Jennifer and I retreated to the upstairs bedroom to work on our screenplay for a few hours. We all piled into the band's new tour van - white with a blue racing stripe - to drive down to Brenda's for lunch. The owner, Brenda herself, served us sun tea and lobster rolls, and we checked out some leaflets about local attractions, like the alpaca farm in Wiscasset, "Maine's softest farm."

Jennifer and I spent the rest of the afternoon in town. Bought yarn and other items for knitting and various crafts, had lattes in a local, cozy coffee shop and wine bar and bought a lot of groceries, then came home and did some cleaning while the band played upstairs.

That brings us to the present, and Jennifer and I agree it's been a very productive first day and coming here was, no doubt, the right decision.