'Sprezzatura' at the Barrow House

from my Journal April 21:

I'm losing track of the days. I forgot what I did yesterday or if the day before yesterday is today. It is a blessing, though, to have the days blend a little, for Time to let loose and not be so strict and pressing. In the Lake District, time goes slow if you want to linger a little longer at a pub or it moves right by you in an instant if you want it to be bed-time. I made mine early last night, about 10:30, so waking up at 6:30 to catch the fog over a glassy Derwent Water was welcomed. On my way out, I could only finish a half cup of my bitter, instant coffee until I couldn't feel my mouth anymore, kind of like the after-cigar cotton mouth. I smoked last night, bumming a puff or two from Mark's Havana and Robin's old-man pipe stuffed with "The Best Blend" tobacco. We sat around and french inhaled and then, when the smoke stopped, proceeded to session the picnic table with our intense freestyle walking antics. A few heads poked out of the hostel's self-serve kitchen to clap and gawk ar our stunts. Among them, Dr. Reinsma smiled with his usual child-like adoration and curiosity. He soon found his way outside to have a closer look. I asked him if he wanted to join us. He said "well, it's quite late," looking down the drive to the water as if internally calculating how far we could get along the lake trail before it got too dark. Anticipating his thoughts, I said kinda laughing, "no, right here, we don't go anywhere." Mark launched up to the table top with a styly but akward 180 to heel stall makeyourbodystiffasaboardthing. Dr. Reinsma got excited. I think his mustache wiggled. I told him to give it a shot and I slowly demonstrated a "beginner's grab" on the lower bench seat. Cautiously and focused he approached the bench, stepped up with his right leg, bent his left knee, and raising his foot up to his reaching right hand, stuck the grab like a natural. After the word spread, Yoshi couldn't believe it: our white shaggy-haired mustachio professor in a crane-like poise on a picnic table. He wished I would have taken a picture, but this deserved even more praise and attention, "I'll write it down in my journal."