Dear Blog

Seems like I've been writing a lot of e-mail type letters lately. What's one more. Might as well write one here.

School's back in session around here though that doesn't mean nearly as much to Wendy and I as it did ten years ago when both boys were in high school. Scott's internship at Washington DC does count towards his Master's Degree at Cornell though.

He's been scoring points there already, having found a mistake in an important document that had been missed in previous proofreadings. A preliminary draft had already gone out to major players in government. Then Scott tried to find a post office via the underground passageways there but ended up instead popping up in the Capitol building in the midst of a public tour. So he still has a ways to go to learn his way around.

Another sign school is in session--I got my first e-mail from buddy Bob since spring. He's an English professor at a University down south. This summer he logged 5,300 miles in eleven days on a road trip to Seattle, stopping along the way at Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Little Big Horn battlefield, etc.

Bob and I trade barbs during football season since he's a Michigan State alum while I'm devoted to my Michigan Wolverines. I wrote after the Michigan win this weekend, "Looks like RichRod got the quarterback he wanted to run his offense in Dunard Robinson, eh. What a sensational effort! Too bad he couldn't have saved that for a better team. My son Greg watched the whole game from his new post of stadium usher. He thought it all awesome, especially the Air Force flyover and fireworks that dedicated the new Big House. Truly a record-setting, historic day for all who attended."

We'll see if that's enough to get a rant started on his end. Doesn't take much usually.

It's been bike-riding weather around here finally, so I had my Schwinn out and about. I found a five-dollar bill too over by the high school. "Found on the ground, found on the ground, I'm just a fool for found on the ground" (Sung to the tune of "Pants on the Ground" from American Idol).

But then I blew out a tire the next day and bought a new inner tube for $6. So I'm a dollar in the red after this weekend. I think that's three inner tubes I've gone through just this year. When are they going to come out with steel-belted radial tires for bikes? It's time.

Besides riding my bike, I also lacquered a rock I found up north (very productive weekend, obviously). Thinking it was a pudding stone, I dragged it through a swamp--thank goodness for bear trails--only to be told it was an ordinary conglomerate. Great. But my sister Sue suggested I coat it with lacquer to bring out the highlights. So I did. Voila!

So what's up this week . . . ? On Wednesday my number one son's wife has an ultrasound which should let them know whether we're going to have a grandson or granddaughter. Or both! Heh, heh. On a more serious note, my father is scheduled to have a somewhat suspicious nodule in his throat biopsied this Thursday. Probably nothing to fret about but when you're 80, any trip to the doctor is worth fretting about.