Itzhak Perlman is a mentsh

The meeting was on. And then it was off. And then it was on. And then it was .... on.

Josh is directing a PBS television program about Itzhak Perlman and Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, who have embarked on a gorgeous musical collaboration called Eternal Echoes. He needed to go out to the Hamptons to meet with Perlman at some point this summer. We had hoped it would be at a time I could go because he welcomed my brain at the meeting, and we both welcomed a day together out in Beachland.

We had a wonderful day. The drive out to Easthampton was lovely. We wore linen. We listened to radio. We put the windows down. We brainstormed about the program.

We pulled up to the Perlman's beautiful home, and were greeted warmly. I'm not going to go into detail, except to say that Toby Perlman (Itzhak's wife) was also there, and I adored her. She's super smart, creative, thoughtful, and serious—as is Itzhak–and as a foursome we had a wonderfully productive and fun meeting.

Then we got in the car and drove out to Montauk. We stopped for one of the worst fish sandwiches I've ever had in my life, sparking me to create an imaginary Food Network show called Where Not to Eat, and then we went on to the beach. I'd missed a night of sleep between Thursday and Friday, and so I was pretty beat. We parked easily,  walked over the dunes to a gorgeous sandy beach, put down the blanket, slathered in sunscreen, and I drifted off into a deep afternoon beach nap. Followed by a run on the beach and a tumble in the waves and another short nap. Followed by a walk through town and two stops for ice cream (rum raisin for Josh at John's Drive-In and honey lavender for me at Coffee Tawk. We felt like we were in pre-production/scouting for an actual vacation. Finding all the good spots we would actually go to if we were actually there. As if we weren't actually there. Which we sort of weren't, because the sun was getting low in the sky, and we had many a mile before we slept. But still, we wandered and we passed by those Hamptons parties I've heard about but not experienced, with gaggles of young people dancing to mediocre music on a beachside rooftop, and we came across the restaurant I would go to if I were there going to a restaurant. And I wasn't near my computer all day.

My therapist-before-last suggested to me that in addition to a short daily experience of joy, I also need a weekly day off, and maybe a monthly weekend, and maybe some longer vacations from time to time. I think she's probably right.