It’s been a very eventful few days, with a heavy focus on Rhode Island. Witness:

1) We were supposed to spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday exploring Block Island, a small island 12 miles off the south coast of Rhode Island. It requires a ferry ride in which you drive your car on the boat if you want to be able to drive around the island, which is 7 miles long and 3 miles wide. A very small place and very very charming. Part of that charm was the fact that the island was basically deserted given the time of the year. So it was quiet, easy driving around and very peaceful.

But here’s the thing – traveling with two five month olds is hard. Damn hard. You have to pack like a thousand things. I mean, you’re going to an island that has 800 people living on it. In November. So pretty much nothing is open. The only gas station on the island (I think) is only open from 9am-noon. You get the idea. The kids were fine, we’re lucky to (so far) have two pretty charming little babies. But baby maintenance is what slows things down. You have to plan hour-by-hour based on feedings, etc. All fine and good, though, until we woke up on Friday and found out that the remnants of a hurricane were coming on Saturday. The idea of being on a ferry in the middle of such weather was not something that Steph and I were so much into. So we took our chances and went standby on a ferry Friday afternoon. Luckily, we made it on. So our “vacation” turned out to be, oh, 26 hours of time spent on the island (7 of which were sleeping and 2 of which were spent packing and unpacking……and 6 hours traveling via boat and car. But go to Block Island! It’s beautiful!

2) Saturday it was back to Rhode Island! It seems the terrific Band of Horses inexplicably skipped Boston on their current tour. Since there was no way I was going to miss this band live, it was off to see them at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence with good friend and web rock star Dan. The band did not disappoint, either. On a rather nasty night (see: remnants of hurricane), the band drew a good amount of people and delivered a crisp, damn near perfect sound. The singer’s voice is the straw that stirs the drink and it’s actually better live than it is on record, which is a rarity. Band of Horses is timeless, sprawling, epic rock. If you’re a fan of The Band, Neil Young, Built To Spill or just good music, this band is for you. Have a listen here to “Is There A Ghost,”, from a post I wrote a few weeks ago. It’s only a portion of what they’re all about. What a band. Their new album, “Cease to Begin,” buries any thoughts of a sophomore slump. It’s heading for favorite record of the year territory.

3) While on Block Island, I had a dream I was eating ham-flavored pasta. Dan asked me to clarify this at the show. It wasn’t ham pasta. It was ham flavored pasta. Not sure what that means.

4) Supposed to sign two purchase & sales Monday for the sale of our house and the purchase of another. Can’t wait for that to be over.