Smokies Hiking Trip - Day 12

I got up at 0630 and took my time getting ready.  While waiting for Eileen to tell me her daughter had left for her weekend trip, I did some reading, Duolingo and travel blogging. Later, I ate breakfast (oatmeal, muffins, hot chocolate) in the lobby of the hotel.  I then continued reading in the room until about 0830.  Eventually, I decided that I didn't want to hang out at the hotel any longer so I loaded up the car and drove east (US-11) into Potsdam.  Just as I was crossing the Raquette River, Eileen called to tell me her daughter had left for her trip and that she could meet me in town for breakfast.  I told her I was close by and we agreed that I should head over to her house so we could make plans.  When I arrived, I round her in the middle of a complex project related to some wiring and a broken microwave.  She admitted that she wanted to resolve the problem before we went anywhere for fun so I told her I'd try to assist.  Even though she didn't really need a lot my help, I was able to keep her company during the rest of the time she was working - I also played with her dogs a little bit.  By 1045, Eileen decided that she'd need to go into town to find some replacement wiring parts and/or a new microwave.  We rode together to a thrift store that was on NY-56 but didn't have any luck there.  Next, we continued north to Lowes (arrived at 1115).  Just after we parked, Eileen ran into a distraught friend so I went inside the store to start shopping.  Within a short time, I found a replacement plug (solving one of the issues).  Eileen joined me about 15 minutes later and we looked at the stock of microwaves.  A nice salesman helped us and, with Eileen's coupons and discounts, we left the store with a nice new machine.  She joked with me that this was her first microwave in nearly 30 years and "could be the last one I need."  On the way home, we stopped (1200) for lunch at the Asian Buffet and Grill.  The amount of food choices was amazing!  We had a good talk while eating there and were both full by the time we left.  Back at Eileen's (1315), I helped her repair the wire/plug, fix a cabinet door (magnet move) and set up the microwave.  We then cleaned up a little bit until about 1430, when we drove over to Robin's to meet up with his new puppy ("Bran").  Robin's house, which I'd last visited in 2018, is located in the northern part of Parishville and is surrounded by trees and flowers.  While Eileen did some visiting and doggy cuddling, I played fetch with both Mika and Juneau.  The weather was pleasant and we stayed for over an hour.  Eventually (1600), we got back to Eileen's house.  Just before we opened a bottle of wine, Eileen remembered that we'd earlier discussed going on a walk.  So, getting back in Eileen's car (minus Juneau), we drove to Hannawa Falls and took a walk down the full length of the Red Sandstone Trail.  For over an hour, we walked and talked and played with Mika.  We've been on this trail several times since I've been visiting Potsdam but today was a perfect experience in the woods.  Reluctantly, we drove back to Eileen's (1730)...  One bonus about this, though, was that we were able to start enjoying the Chilean wine I'd brought.  Eileen was concerned about ticks so I started prepping food for our dinner while she got a shower.  I peeled potatoes and sliced them very thinly = I also cut big stalks of broccoli and put them in a steamer.  When she returned, Eileen suggested we prep the chicken breasts with a marinade and, after brainstorming together, we decided to try a combination of soy sauce and garlic paste.  From the internet, I got some more ideas and then set up the chicken to marinate while Eileen taught me a card game called "hand and foot".  It was quite complicated (at least to me, because I rarely play cards) but I had a good time.  As the food got closer to being ready, we easily transitioned into a dinner mindset (table settings, etc.).  When we ultimately started to eat, it was great to discover that we'd done an excellent job - it all tasted delicious!  After finishing our game (close to 2030), we adjourned to Eileen's living room.  I thought we were going to read for a little while (I'd brought a lot of new reading material for her) but, about 30 minutes later, Eileen suggested we watch some episodes of "Ted Lasso".  Those turned out to be funny and we binge watched several.  During one of the breaks, I went into the kitchen to get something and somehow managed to knock over a little glass cup that shattered into a million pieces on the floor of the kitchen and living room.  This interrupted our evening and put us back into work mode - together, we cleaned as much of the shards as we could before returning to the television show.  Before long, we realized it 2230 - reluctantly, we headed to bed.  As always, my visit to Potsdam was not boring - I had a great day!