Spain/China 2023, continuing (20)

[aadler]

Sixth day in China – July 17 Monday

Up 8:50AM. Susan and I had breakfast from items already in the kitchen, then settled back to relax.

Yesterday, Logan had told us their apartment’s A/C was being removed today, but the replacement wouldn’t be brought in for another day, and since this is Shenzhen summer and the temps are in the nineties, it would probably be best for us to spend the day in our own quarters. Because of that, we had no intention of going over for lunch. Just before noon, Kevin called, and we arranged that he’d order something for pickup, then bring it to have lunch with us.

He did that, and stayed to visit and talk. He and I actually got into an argument; he is more than a bit libertarian in his outlook these days, and I found what I felt to be the limits of libertarianism very shortly after he was born. (Libertarians aren’t wrong, but I believe they carry things too far in some areas and not far enough in others; it could be used as a foundation, as long as you understand that it needs more than it carries in itself.) He noted that I once told him I had gone through where now is, to get to where I now am; in turn, he left where I am now — because he in turn found it incomplete — and now feels that I am limiting myself in my conclusions and outlooks by rejecting everything I don’t agree with. It was briefly heated, but only briefly, and we returned to our previous positions, each feeling that the other has part of the answer and is missing part.

He went back to work (working from home, currently, in his own new business). Susan and I went back to our pursuits, and — as usual these days — down for an afternoon nap.

I woke her about 4:40PM. Just before 5:30, Kevin called us to say they were coming to get us for this evening’s dinner. We met down in the parking garage, Laura driving … which turned out to be a fortunate choice, because the rain had started up again in the meantime. (Not something we would have wanted to try to navigate with an umbrella and a wheelchair.)

At the Yins’ apartment, we had another Logan-prepared dinner, and shared some visiting, and then we were brought back somewhere around 7:00PM. Kevin stayed to visit with us for a while, leaving again just before 8:00.

I spent some time working on my summer_of_giles story; Susan had already gone to bed by the time I knocked off at 11:00PM.