Will We Ever Get Out Of Here?

Unfortunately, the news was no better down the street and around the corner. But there was a mall. Close by. So, we at least had someplace better to sit and kill time than the waiting room at the tire store. Just a couple of hours, and we would be on our way.

False. We finally left at nearly three o' clock in the afternoon, with a nine-plus hour ride home in front of us. To make matters more fun, there was a hellacious storm at the WV-Ohio state line that stuck us on the side of the road and peppered our car with hail. There were many challenges in the course of that weekend. Despite them all, we all seemed to have a great time. I got to see my parents and family, Diego got to spend some time with my nephew and certainly enjoyed rafting, we both got to see Adam, and everyone enjoyed the West Virginia hospitality. I have been going to that part of the country since 1980, and it has changed considerably. The town of Fayetteville is truly a pleasant surprise, with many shops and a couple of really cool restaurants that we got to sample. The river trip was immense fun, and I got to spend some quality time with a neat kid.

We have all retreated back to our neutral corners for the moment, but the summer goes on unabated. We have spent a bunch more time with my wife's family, including my new nephew, who just got here on July 12. We are ready to hit the Traverse City Film Festival yet again, and we got into a film that they were shooting in TC on July 17. The results should be available on the internet in a few days. The weather has gotten very hot, and we spent some quality time at our friend Ann's swimming pool.

One of the best events of this past week was my exit interview from the AKT2 program. It was nice to hear some of the familiar voices again, and it was really nice to realize that I was done. There will always be more challenges, but it is nice to have this chapter of my life drawing to a close.

We have solemnly resolved to make this week a little quieter. I wonder whether that will work out...