Sorry I haven't done a better job of keeping this blog updated in the past several days. There's been a lot going on in life lately. That's no excuse, of course, but it is a factor in the lateness of this post. Plus I've simply been lazy, too.
I'm very happy with how things have gone over the past few days. My arrival back in Brookings came Wednesday afternoon. Rather than rest as soon as I returned, I unpacked my bags and headed into the office for a bit. There were plenty of items waiting for me on my desk, but I postponed working on them until the following day. I did turn in my time sheets, however. And I was able to catch up on a few things with Al.
Progress with the Festival of Cultures came along pretty well on Thursday and Friday. Frankly I'm surprised by how much I've been able to get done. I've signed up some additional booths, taken care of some entertainment issues, and finally made contact with one of the students who's going to design our festival floor plan. Things are really starting to fall into place, and I'm really pleased with how everything is coming along. There's still lots of work to be done in the next month or so; I just need to remember to keep my eye on the big picture and not get too bogged down in details.
Praise Team practice went well on Wednesday night, and today's performances were good, too. Today was my first gig playing the new electronic drums. I'd say I'm getting pretty well used to playing them, and I know the other members of the band are enjoying the electronic drums not making much noise up on stage. And it seems our sound man is happy with how the drums fit into the overall blend of sound that reaches the congregation.
This weekend has been pretty nice. I've somehow managed to be really active, especially outdoors, and yet get plenty of rest. It seems that on Saturdays and Sundays I'm always torn between being active and not getting enough rest and getting enough rest and feeling bored. But I was somehow able to strike a good balance the past few days. Maybe it can all be chalked up to good overall feelings and the improving weather. The weather has been the nicest its been in a few weeks, and it's hard to not be active under such conditions. Hopefully the conditions will continue throughout the coming week.
It's the end of another Sunday, and I'm feeling good and tired now. Of the two, I feel more good than tired. But I'll welcome the opportunity to lie down in bed again and relax here in a little bit. I'm really thankful for how life is coming along right now, and I hope these good times will continue. So long as I keep a good attitude, I'm sure they will.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
An extra day in Wiky
If the weather had been better, I'd be about ready to stop for the night somewhere in Wisconsin. But road conditions between Wiky and the Soo have been poor for most of the day, so I elected to spend an extra day in Wiky and leave tomorrow instead. It's too bad the weather hasn't been the best in the past 48 hours or so. But you'll never hear me complain about spending an extra day in Wiky.
The past few days have been nice. On Friday, Dolly and I spent the morning at the WHO while Dolly worked on various illustrations for curriculum books. And we learned around 10 that morning that Friday was a half-day for her because of her attendance at the Wiky band council meeting on Wednesday evening. So Dolly and I left the office around noon, hung out at her place for a few hours, picked up her paycheck and then headed for Sudbury. The weather was good during the whole drive, but it's been quite cold.
Before we arrived at Sudbury, Dolly and I stopped by our hotel in Lively and checked in before we dropped off Jarvis at Allison's house for the weekend. We were really pleased with our room, and I have to say it's probably the largest in which I've stayed. The bed was situated in one corner of the main room, and on the next corner over was a leather couch with a glass coffee table, a small wooden table and chairs. The bathroom was set off not far from the main room entrance and the hot tub was in its own room. The room was quite nice; the only aspect of it that neither us was thrilled about was the temperature of the room. All we had for climate control was a combination window heater/air conditioner, and it seems like the unit struggled to keep the warm room. Apart from that, though, the room was nice and was inexpensive. Maybe Dolly and I will stay there again sometime.
We headed for the casino after we dropped off Jarvis and spent about an hour there. We played a variety of games but neither of us had much luck with our gaming. Still, we had fun and played within our limits. And that's what's most important. After that we had supper at Boston Pizza in Sudbury and then retired to our room for the night. We were both pretty well wiped out, so we took some time to relax in the hot tub before crashing for the night.
It was nice to be able to sleep in the following morning. Sleeping in prevented us from indulging in the complimentary hot breakfast. But that wasn't a problem; we checked out by 11 and then headed for the New Sudbury Centre food court and had some Italian food before we hit Wal-Mart. We spent of our mall time in Wal-Mart, but we checked out a few other stores, too. And once we were done with the mall and Future Shop we headed for Michael's so Dolly could pick up some craft goods. We then went through the drive-through at a Tim Hortons in town and headed back to Wiky. Our only stop between Sudbury and Wiky was Winkel's in Espanola.
Not long after we returned to Wiky we headed up the hill to Rabbit Island. Not many people were there when we arrived, but soon more people descended on the house as Dolly and I made nachos and we prepared to play pokeno. The nachos were delicious and the pokeno was fun. I must have picked a decent card; I got several bingos throughout the evening, and I ended up winning the final pokeno pot. I made maybe $10 altogether. The important thing was I had fun.
Yesterday was a fairly lazy day. Rain fell from the sky for most of the day, and neither Dolly nor I was inclined to spend much time outdoors. It was nice to see rain rather than snow, but the rain made the roads and walkways of Wiky treacherous when it froze. It was difficult to walk even on level ground because the surface was so slick. It's good then that we spent a lot of time in Rabbit Island again hanging out and visiting again.
I didn't know whether I would leave for Brookings this morning when I awoke. My first thought was to go ahead and take off as planned, but checking road conditions on the Weather Network changed my mine. The roads on the island were all right, but Highway 17 between Espanola and the Soo was pretty slick. So I decided to spend another day in Wiky. It sounds as though the weather and roads should be better tomorrow anyway. That means then that I should be back in Brookings sometime Wednesday afternoon or evening and then return to work on Thursday. And as I said before, I'll never complain about spending and extra day in Wiky.
Today is Family Day across Canada, so Dolly and the family didn't have to work. So Dolly and I spent most of the day hanging around her house and watching TV. Not long after lunch, we headed down to Andy's and picked up a few things and then spent most of the afternoon at Rabbit Island. We watched a number of installments of Gene Simmons's Family Jewels and did a lot of visiting with Sarah, Ashley, Aaron, and Julius. It was a good visit, and the soup and skaan we had for supper were great. But now Dolly and I are back at her house enjoying her new home theater system and are getting ready to watch Powwow Highway.
As I often lament the night before I leave Wiky, it's hard for me to believe that another journey to Wiky is nearly at an end. I will have traveled more than 2,000 miles by the time I reach Brookings again. That's a lot of driving to be sure, but the journey is always worth all the driving. And any miles driven to see my dear friend Dolly and her family again is worth it. And I can't wait for my next visit in April. Of course in the meantime, I'll treasure and cherish the memories I've made on this trip.
The past few days have been nice. On Friday, Dolly and I spent the morning at the WHO while Dolly worked on various illustrations for curriculum books. And we learned around 10 that morning that Friday was a half-day for her because of her attendance at the Wiky band council meeting on Wednesday evening. So Dolly and I left the office around noon, hung out at her place for a few hours, picked up her paycheck and then headed for Sudbury. The weather was good during the whole drive, but it's been quite cold.
Before we arrived at Sudbury, Dolly and I stopped by our hotel in Lively and checked in before we dropped off Jarvis at Allison's house for the weekend. We were really pleased with our room, and I have to say it's probably the largest in which I've stayed. The bed was situated in one corner of the main room, and on the next corner over was a leather couch with a glass coffee table, a small wooden table and chairs. The bathroom was set off not far from the main room entrance and the hot tub was in its own room. The room was quite nice; the only aspect of it that neither us was thrilled about was the temperature of the room. All we had for climate control was a combination window heater/air conditioner, and it seems like the unit struggled to keep the warm room. Apart from that, though, the room was nice and was inexpensive. Maybe Dolly and I will stay there again sometime.
We headed for the casino after we dropped off Jarvis and spent about an hour there. We played a variety of games but neither of us had much luck with our gaming. Still, we had fun and played within our limits. And that's what's most important. After that we had supper at Boston Pizza in Sudbury and then retired to our room for the night. We were both pretty well wiped out, so we took some time to relax in the hot tub before crashing for the night.
It was nice to be able to sleep in the following morning. Sleeping in prevented us from indulging in the complimentary hot breakfast. But that wasn't a problem; we checked out by 11 and then headed for the New Sudbury Centre food court and had some Italian food before we hit Wal-Mart. We spent of our mall time in Wal-Mart, but we checked out a few other stores, too. And once we were done with the mall and Future Shop we headed for Michael's so Dolly could pick up some craft goods. We then went through the drive-through at a Tim Hortons in town and headed back to Wiky. Our only stop between Sudbury and Wiky was Winkel's in Espanola.
Not long after we returned to Wiky we headed up the hill to Rabbit Island. Not many people were there when we arrived, but soon more people descended on the house as Dolly and I made nachos and we prepared to play pokeno. The nachos were delicious and the pokeno was fun. I must have picked a decent card; I got several bingos throughout the evening, and I ended up winning the final pokeno pot. I made maybe $10 altogether. The important thing was I had fun.
Yesterday was a fairly lazy day. Rain fell from the sky for most of the day, and neither Dolly nor I was inclined to spend much time outdoors. It was nice to see rain rather than snow, but the rain made the roads and walkways of Wiky treacherous when it froze. It was difficult to walk even on level ground because the surface was so slick. It's good then that we spent a lot of time in Rabbit Island again hanging out and visiting again.
I didn't know whether I would leave for Brookings this morning when I awoke. My first thought was to go ahead and take off as planned, but checking road conditions on the Weather Network changed my mine. The roads on the island were all right, but Highway 17 between Espanola and the Soo was pretty slick. So I decided to spend another day in Wiky. It sounds as though the weather and roads should be better tomorrow anyway. That means then that I should be back in Brookings sometime Wednesday afternoon or evening and then return to work on Thursday. And as I said before, I'll never complain about spending and extra day in Wiky.
Today is Family Day across Canada, so Dolly and the family didn't have to work. So Dolly and I spent most of the day hanging around her house and watching TV. Not long after lunch, we headed down to Andy's and picked up a few things and then spent most of the afternoon at Rabbit Island. We watched a number of installments of Gene Simmons's Family Jewels and did a lot of visiting with Sarah, Ashley, Aaron, and Julius. It was a good visit, and the soup and skaan we had for supper were great. But now Dolly and I are back at her house enjoying her new home theater system and are getting ready to watch Powwow Highway.
As I often lament the night before I leave Wiky, it's hard for me to believe that another journey to Wiky is nearly at an end. I will have traveled more than 2,000 miles by the time I reach Brookings again. That's a lot of driving to be sure, but the journey is always worth all the driving. And any miles driven to see my dear friend Dolly and her family again is worth it. And I can't wait for my next visit in April. Of course in the meantime, I'll treasure and cherish the memories I've made on this trip.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day 2008 has come and almost gone. it's been a good day overall. Not everything worked out the way we had hoped it would, but it's been a good day nonetheless.
Today was another work day, so Dolly and I spent the bulk of our day at the WHO. The weather wasn't as nice today as it was yesterday, but it wasn't that bad. Light snow fell from the grey sky for most of the day. And the clouds and fog were often so thick that I couldn't see across the bay as I usually can.
Dolly spent most of her time at the WHO working on various illustrations for some books on which she's working. Meaning I answered some e-mails and cleaned up the inbox for my SDSU e-mail account. Toward the end of the workday I finally began looking through my travel notes from 2006 and began deciding what to include in my next book. I decided this afternoon that, rather than highlight the information I'd like to include, it'll be easier to strike out the information I don't want to include.
After work Dolly and I stopped by Andy's to pick up some good for our Italian supper this evening. We then rested for a bit at her place before we started preparing our meal. Dolly made the Caesar salad and prepared the garlic bread while I fixed spaghetti and the meat sauce. Our meal was savory as we dined on it around 6:30 this evening, but we were both surprised that each of us was able to eat little more than a plateful. The food was so good and filling. And we both had filled up on chips and pieces of cake before we returned to Dolly's house. It was OK that we didn't eat much; Ross and his friends finished what we couldn't.
We had hoped to have some quiet alone time at the house this evening, but that ended up not happening. And that turned out to be OK. Since we were both so stuffed, Dolly and I spent most of the evening hanging out, letting our food digest, and watching TV. It's been a sleepy ending to a sleepy day, and it's been nice to be able to just lie around for a bit. There hasn't been all that much good on TV this evening. But Dolly and I have more than made up for a lack of good TV programming with good conversation.
I'm really sleepy now even though it's been a few hours now since we ate. The combination of a full stomach and lots of lying around has made me lazy tonight, and that's OK. It's nice to be able to kick back and relax a bit. And I'm looking forward to more of that over the weekend.
Today was another work day, so Dolly and I spent the bulk of our day at the WHO. The weather wasn't as nice today as it was yesterday, but it wasn't that bad. Light snow fell from the grey sky for most of the day. And the clouds and fog were often so thick that I couldn't see across the bay as I usually can.
Dolly spent most of her time at the WHO working on various illustrations for some books on which she's working. Meaning I answered some e-mails and cleaned up the inbox for my SDSU e-mail account. Toward the end of the workday I finally began looking through my travel notes from 2006 and began deciding what to include in my next book. I decided this afternoon that, rather than highlight the information I'd like to include, it'll be easier to strike out the information I don't want to include.
After work Dolly and I stopped by Andy's to pick up some good for our Italian supper this evening. We then rested for a bit at her place before we started preparing our meal. Dolly made the Caesar salad and prepared the garlic bread while I fixed spaghetti and the meat sauce. Our meal was savory as we dined on it around 6:30 this evening, but we were both surprised that each of us was able to eat little more than a plateful. The food was so good and filling. And we both had filled up on chips and pieces of cake before we returned to Dolly's house. It was OK that we didn't eat much; Ross and his friends finished what we couldn't.
We had hoped to have some quiet alone time at the house this evening, but that ended up not happening. And that turned out to be OK. Since we were both so stuffed, Dolly and I spent most of the evening hanging out, letting our food digest, and watching TV. It's been a sleepy ending to a sleepy day, and it's been nice to be able to just lie around for a bit. There hasn't been all that much good on TV this evening. But Dolly and I have more than made up for a lack of good TV programming with good conversation.
I'm really sleepy now even though it's been a few hours now since we ate. The combination of a full stomach and lots of lying around has made me lazy tonight, and that's OK. It's nice to be able to kick back and relax a bit. And I'm looking forward to more of that over the weekend.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Hanging out at the WHO
Considering I was still tired from all of yesterday's driving and drama at the border, it was hard to rise from sleep at 7 this morning. But I quickly got into gear as soon as I jumped in the shower, had some breakfast, and was able to get moving. The reason I had to get up so early was so Dolly and I could make it to the WHO for her job by 8. And we'll follow the same waking routine through Friday. It will be nice to be able to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
It was a good day hanging out at the WHO. It was sort of cool outside but still felt warmer than it's been in South Dakota. And it's been good to feel the stillness and peace in the air and to see clear blue skies and the bright sun overhead. I haven't seen such a nice day in several weeks. I wish I had taken some pictures of the marina and the bay during the few times I was outside today. But I'm sure I'll have opportunities to take similar pictures again.
I spent most of the morning working on e-mails for the Festival of Cultures and uploading some documents to the Office for Diversity Enhancement's Web site. Apart from that, I made some changes to the Sports Car Club of Siouxland's Web site and forum. My original plan was to spend a good deal of the day working on the manuscript for my next book, but I didn't progress that far. That's something on my agenda for tomorrow.
Dolly and I, along with her office mates, broke for lunch around noon. We heard that DayStar was selling chili and skaan, so we decided to indulge in that. The skaan was good, and the chili reminded me of the chili I like to fix. We then took the food back to Dolly's place and finished it off before heading back to the WHO.
I spent the following few hours checking e-mails and the markets while Dolly worked on more illustrations. I'm not sure how many she hopes to finish by the end of this week, but it sounds like Dolly has quite a few images on her list. But I'm sure she's going to do a great job regardless of the number she has to finish.
We napped for a bit after we left the office around 4 this afternoon. Ross ordered pizza for us in the meantime and we dug into that a little after 5. The pizza was pretty good, but I would have liked it better if we could have had some vegetables on it.
Dolly had to attend a band council meeting for work at 6:30, so I gave her a lift and one of her coworkers brought her home around 8:30. I don't know the full reason behind the WHO's participation in the meeting, but it sounds as though Dolly, Dwayne, and others had to present in order to secure additional and continuing support from the band government. I don't know what the ultimate outcome of the WHO's presentation tonight will be, but it sounds like things went well. And while Dolly was at the meeting, I was content to hang out at her place, surf the 'Net, watch TV, and have a couple bowls of cereal.
We did little more than visit and watch TV after Dolly returned...and there's certainly nothing wrong with visiting. In fact, visiting with Dolly at the end of the day is one of my favorite activities. Our conversations give us many opportunities to catch up on what's been happening in life and to get to know each other better. It's also a good way to unwind at the end of the day.
The day is just about at an end, and I'm about ready to crash. I feel good and healthy right now in spite of my tiredness. And I really feel happy to be here at Wikwemikong again. My visit this time will be fairly brief at five days. But as always, I plan to make the most of my time here.
It was a good day hanging out at the WHO. It was sort of cool outside but still felt warmer than it's been in South Dakota. And it's been good to feel the stillness and peace in the air and to see clear blue skies and the bright sun overhead. I haven't seen such a nice day in several weeks. I wish I had taken some pictures of the marina and the bay during the few times I was outside today. But I'm sure I'll have opportunities to take similar pictures again.
I spent most of the morning working on e-mails for the Festival of Cultures and uploading some documents to the Office for Diversity Enhancement's Web site. Apart from that, I made some changes to the Sports Car Club of Siouxland's Web site and forum. My original plan was to spend a good deal of the day working on the manuscript for my next book, but I didn't progress that far. That's something on my agenda for tomorrow.
Dolly and I, along with her office mates, broke for lunch around noon. We heard that DayStar was selling chili and skaan, so we decided to indulge in that. The skaan was good, and the chili reminded me of the chili I like to fix. We then took the food back to Dolly's place and finished it off before heading back to the WHO.
I spent the following few hours checking e-mails and the markets while Dolly worked on more illustrations. I'm not sure how many she hopes to finish by the end of this week, but it sounds like Dolly has quite a few images on her list. But I'm sure she's going to do a great job regardless of the number she has to finish.
We napped for a bit after we left the office around 4 this afternoon. Ross ordered pizza for us in the meantime and we dug into that a little after 5. The pizza was pretty good, but I would have liked it better if we could have had some vegetables on it.
Dolly had to attend a band council meeting for work at 6:30, so I gave her a lift and one of her coworkers brought her home around 8:30. I don't know the full reason behind the WHO's participation in the meeting, but it sounds as though Dolly, Dwayne, and others had to present in order to secure additional and continuing support from the band government. I don't know what the ultimate outcome of the WHO's presentation tonight will be, but it sounds like things went well. And while Dolly was at the meeting, I was content to hang out at her place, surf the 'Net, watch TV, and have a couple bowls of cereal.
We did little more than visit and watch TV after Dolly returned...and there's certainly nothing wrong with visiting. In fact, visiting with Dolly at the end of the day is one of my favorite activities. Our conversations give us many opportunities to catch up on what's been happening in life and to get to know each other better. It's also a good way to unwind at the end of the day.
The day is just about at an end, and I'm about ready to crash. I feel good and healthy right now in spite of my tiredness. And I really feel happy to be here at Wikwemikong again. My visit this time will be fairly brief at five days. But as always, I plan to make the most of my time here.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Long day's travel
The distance I covered today wasn't as great as the distance I traveled yesterday. But the amount of time spent on the road felt strangely longer today. Maybe anticipation is to blame for that feeling...I don't know. Now that I'm in Wiky again, none of that matters. I've completed my journey here safe and sound.
I awoke in my hotel room in Escanaba around 8:30 and was on the road by 9:30. It didn't take me long to get cleaned up and get everything packed into the car. But I took my time enjoying my breakfast at the Hardee's next door. I've developed a really liking for Hardee's biscuits lately. And since the nearest Hardee's to my home is at least 50 miles away, I'll take any opportunity I have to eat at Hardee's that I can get. The food this morning was good, but my bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit wasn't as good as ones I've had in the past. But it was good enough.
The drive from Escanaba to the border at Sault Ste. Marie took nearly three hours. The only stops I made were to use the washroom once in Engadine and then to get gas a few miles west of I-75. I did have to slow down on some of the snow-packed roads in the eastern UP of Michigan, but the weather was nice and sunny and the drive wasn't a difficult one. My border crossing, however, wasn't free of difficulty.
It didn't take long to get through the single line of vehicles and get to the gate. And visiting with the border guard there didn't take more than a few minutes. What followed, however, took maybe a half hour. The border agent asked me to speak to an immigration agent inside the border station, and that agent took about 10 minutes to inspect my papers and ask me a bunch of question. He and another agent then searched my car and took my laptop for about 10 minutes to make sure I was "in compliance," whatever that means. Regardless, one of the other border agents returned my laptop and sent me on my way. I have no idea why the border agents felt the need to do and check all they did, and I probably will never know. The important thing is I was able to get through and was able to reach my destination.
Still feeling a little shaken after the border business, I blew a quick $20 at the Casino Sault Ste. Marie and then had some lunch there. The lunch helped me calm down some, but I noticed that I became anxious again around the time I finished my meal. My headspace at that time was still in unease, and I just wanted to get out of the area even though I enjoy the casino. I left the city around 1 p.m. and arrived in Wiky at about 5:20. The drive between the Soo and Espanola felt especially long, but ended up being a good once that passed without incident.
Dolly was the first to greet me when I arrived at her house, and Angel and Jarvis followed suit. We sat around and visited for a bit before we ran to Andy's to get a few things to finish making our taco salad supper. And the taco salad supper couldn't have come too soon; all of us were hungry and each of us had at least two servings of it. If there were any left over, I imagine I'd love to have some for lunch tomorrow.
With supper finished, we went back to our relaxing and watching TV. And Dolly presented me with her Valentine's gift to me, an awesome black leather jacket. I've never had such a nice black leather jacket before, and I look forward to it serving me for many years to come. And I really like the way I look in it.
A long day is now at a close and it feels good to be able to stop for the night. I'm really happy to be back in Wiky again and to be able to spend time with Dolly. And though my time here this trip will be fairly short, I plan to make the most use of the time we have together.
I awoke in my hotel room in Escanaba around 8:30 and was on the road by 9:30. It didn't take me long to get cleaned up and get everything packed into the car. But I took my time enjoying my breakfast at the Hardee's next door. I've developed a really liking for Hardee's biscuits lately. And since the nearest Hardee's to my home is at least 50 miles away, I'll take any opportunity I have to eat at Hardee's that I can get. The food this morning was good, but my bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit wasn't as good as ones I've had in the past. But it was good enough.
The drive from Escanaba to the border at Sault Ste. Marie took nearly three hours. The only stops I made were to use the washroom once in Engadine and then to get gas a few miles west of I-75. I did have to slow down on some of the snow-packed roads in the eastern UP of Michigan, but the weather was nice and sunny and the drive wasn't a difficult one. My border crossing, however, wasn't free of difficulty.
It didn't take long to get through the single line of vehicles and get to the gate. And visiting with the border guard there didn't take more than a few minutes. What followed, however, took maybe a half hour. The border agent asked me to speak to an immigration agent inside the border station, and that agent took about 10 minutes to inspect my papers and ask me a bunch of question. He and another agent then searched my car and took my laptop for about 10 minutes to make sure I was "in compliance," whatever that means. Regardless, one of the other border agents returned my laptop and sent me on my way. I have no idea why the border agents felt the need to do and check all they did, and I probably will never know. The important thing is I was able to get through and was able to reach my destination.
Still feeling a little shaken after the border business, I blew a quick $20 at the Casino Sault Ste. Marie and then had some lunch there. The lunch helped me calm down some, but I noticed that I became anxious again around the time I finished my meal. My headspace at that time was still in unease, and I just wanted to get out of the area even though I enjoy the casino. I left the city around 1 p.m. and arrived in Wiky at about 5:20. The drive between the Soo and Espanola felt especially long, but ended up being a good once that passed without incident.
Dolly was the first to greet me when I arrived at her house, and Angel and Jarvis followed suit. We sat around and visited for a bit before we ran to Andy's to get a few things to finish making our taco salad supper. And the taco salad supper couldn't have come too soon; all of us were hungry and each of us had at least two servings of it. If there were any left over, I imagine I'd love to have some for lunch tomorrow.
With supper finished, we went back to our relaxing and watching TV. And Dolly presented me with her Valentine's gift to me, an awesome black leather jacket. I've never had such a nice black leather jacket before, and I look forward to it serving me for many years to come. And I really like the way I look in it.
A long day is now at a close and it feels good to be able to stop for the night. I'm really happy to be back in Wiky again and to be able to spend time with Dolly. And though my time here this trip will be fairly short, I plan to make the most use of the time we have together.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Made it most of the way
I'm sitting in a room in the Lincoln Host Motor Inn in Escanaba, Michigan tonight. It occurred to me when I checked out tonight that I've lost track of how many time I've stayed at this hotel. I can say, however, that like the others rooms here in which I've stayed the room is quite nice and the price was very reasonable. A room for $42 after a long day on the road never looked so good. It's not the same as being at Dolly's place in Wiky, but it's not bad.
As we often do before I go on a road trip, Dad and I met for breakfast and had a quick meal at Cook's. We were there for perhaps a half-hour before I headed to the Hy-Vee gas station and filled the 3's tank and my 44 ounce glass of pop. It was good to be able to spend some time with Dad before I hit the road for today's 700+ mile journey. And of course I'll keep in touch with Dad while I'm on the road. In fact I spoke to him on the phone a couple of hours ago.
Brookings received a dusting of snow last night. There wasn't much accumulation, but there was some blowing snow because of the high winds. Fortunately, the roads have been bare pretty much all day, and the high winds tapered off by the time I reached Wisconsin. It's only about 5 above here in Escanaba tonight. But that low temp feels a good deal warmer than Brookings was when I left this morning.
I didn't really have any profound thoughts or ideas on the road today, thanks largely, I think, to the fact I've been kind of tired all day. I didn't sleep as much last night as I would have liked, but I'm hoping to make up for the deficit tonight. And I'll be able to fully relax once I reach Wiky tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, I'm going to kick back, enjoy this room, and look forward to the coming day. It's going to be exciting crossing the border into Grandmother's Land once again, and I can't wait to see Dolly again. And deep or profound thoughts or ideas will come when they're meant to come; there's no sense in trying to force them.
As we often do before I go on a road trip, Dad and I met for breakfast and had a quick meal at Cook's. We were there for perhaps a half-hour before I headed to the Hy-Vee gas station and filled the 3's tank and my 44 ounce glass of pop. It was good to be able to spend some time with Dad before I hit the road for today's 700+ mile journey. And of course I'll keep in touch with Dad while I'm on the road. In fact I spoke to him on the phone a couple of hours ago.
Brookings received a dusting of snow last night. There wasn't much accumulation, but there was some blowing snow because of the high winds. Fortunately, the roads have been bare pretty much all day, and the high winds tapered off by the time I reached Wisconsin. It's only about 5 above here in Escanaba tonight. But that low temp feels a good deal warmer than Brookings was when I left this morning.
I didn't really have any profound thoughts or ideas on the road today, thanks largely, I think, to the fact I've been kind of tired all day. I didn't sleep as much last night as I would have liked, but I'm hoping to make up for the deficit tonight. And I'll be able to fully relax once I reach Wiky tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, I'm going to kick back, enjoy this room, and look forward to the coming day. It's going to be exciting crossing the border into Grandmother's Land once again, and I can't wait to see Dolly again. And deep or profound thoughts or ideas will come when they're meant to come; there's no sense in trying to force them.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A fast week
This past week has passed pretty quickly, thanks largely to the fact that so much has happened. And I'm pleased that much of what's happening this past week has been good.
Progress on the Festival of Cultures has been coming along pretty well. I was able to get some more food and display/bazaar booths signed up. in addition to that, I've also made headway with getting donation letters sent out and have also edited an information letter that's going to go out to all booth registrants sometime in the next week. It's good to know I'm way ahead of schedule as far as the festival goes, but much remains to be done when I return from Wiky next week.
The other big thing that happened this week was I finally got the clutch slave cylinder recall on my 350Z taken care of. And in the process I also asked the Billion Nissan service techs to adjust my clutch pedal so the clutch doesn't engage so high off the floor. I'm pleased to report everything went well with the recall, and the clutch in the Z has never felt better. The engagement point is just about perfect now, and my enjoyment of the car has increased exponentially now that I don't have to work quite so hard to drive the car smoothly. Truth be told, I had already pretty well gotten used to the clutch's original engagement point, so the engagement point certainly wouldn't be a deal-breaker. But I'm much happier with how the clutch is now than how it was before.
I received a surprise at Praise Team practice this week: the electronic drums our leader ordered came in and I was able to start using them this past Wednesday night. It didn't take us that long to get everything assembled and hooked up. There will still be some adjustments I'll need to make and I'll have to get used to playing these particular drums. But I think these drums will mesh well with the physicality of my playing style while not causing volume problems for the rest of the group.
It's getting kind of late, so I'd better call it a night here before too long. I'm really excited for and looking forward to tomorrow. I'm heading back to Wikwemikong again and hope to make it at least as far as Escanaba, Michigan before stopping for the night. I'll then go the rest of the way to Wiky on Tuesday and arrive at Dolly's sometime Tuesday afternoon or evening. Regardless of how far I go tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to seeing Dolly again and to all the fun we'll have in our nearly six days together. And I'm looking forward to the good, long drive, too. So long as the weather holds both going and coming, tomorrow should be the beginning of another great adventure.
Progress on the Festival of Cultures has been coming along pretty well. I was able to get some more food and display/bazaar booths signed up. in addition to that, I've also made headway with getting donation letters sent out and have also edited an information letter that's going to go out to all booth registrants sometime in the next week. It's good to know I'm way ahead of schedule as far as the festival goes, but much remains to be done when I return from Wiky next week.
The other big thing that happened this week was I finally got the clutch slave cylinder recall on my 350Z taken care of. And in the process I also asked the Billion Nissan service techs to adjust my clutch pedal so the clutch doesn't engage so high off the floor. I'm pleased to report everything went well with the recall, and the clutch in the Z has never felt better. The engagement point is just about perfect now, and my enjoyment of the car has increased exponentially now that I don't have to work quite so hard to drive the car smoothly. Truth be told, I had already pretty well gotten used to the clutch's original engagement point, so the engagement point certainly wouldn't be a deal-breaker. But I'm much happier with how the clutch is now than how it was before.
I received a surprise at Praise Team practice this week: the electronic drums our leader ordered came in and I was able to start using them this past Wednesday night. It didn't take us that long to get everything assembled and hooked up. There will still be some adjustments I'll need to make and I'll have to get used to playing these particular drums. But I think these drums will mesh well with the physicality of my playing style while not causing volume problems for the rest of the group.
It's getting kind of late, so I'd better call it a night here before too long. I'm really excited for and looking forward to tomorrow. I'm heading back to Wikwemikong again and hope to make it at least as far as Escanaba, Michigan before stopping for the night. I'll then go the rest of the way to Wiky on Tuesday and arrive at Dolly's sometime Tuesday afternoon or evening. Regardless of how far I go tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to seeing Dolly again and to all the fun we'll have in our nearly six days together. And I'm looking forward to the good, long drive, too. So long as the weather holds both going and coming, tomorrow should be the beginning of another great adventure.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Quite a week
Another week has passed and a new one has begun. The past week was a good one for the most part, but wasn't without some drama.
I returned from my trip to Columbus, Ohio on Monday. And I've spent the remainder of the week working at home and plugging away on the SDSU Festival of Cultures. I haven't signed up that many additional booths, but with Sandy's help I've been able to tie up quite a few loose ends.
News I've received at the office has been mostly good, but I was surprised when I learned about the status of my position as festival coordinator. Because of budgeting issues, the number of hours I can work in February is going to be curtailed; I'll be limited to seven hours per week until the beginning of March. Initially I was concerned about the cutting back of hours, but I've made peace with that fact. And it may even provide me with an opportunity to take another vacation. I'm hoping to head to Wikwemikong again for Valentine's Day; all I need to do now is talk to Al and Sandy and make sure that being gone around that time will work out from a timing standpoint.
The only other example of drama in life surfaced on Thursday. Since I returned from Ohio, I noticed that my furnace didn't perform at the level to which I'm accustomed. Even when I had the thermostat set at, say, 72 degrees, the highest the temperature in the house would get was 66 or 67. And when I woke up Thursday morning, the temperature in the house fell to 60 degrees. It bottomed out at 54 degrees before my furnace was serviced late Thursday morning. It turned out the furnace motor had burned out and needed to be replaced. Climate control in the house is back to normal since the motor was replaced and I installed a new furnace filter. The repair is going to be around $300, but it's money well spent. It's not good to be without a functional furnace.
Other than taking care of problems at home and working on the Festival of Cultures, I've been playing drums quite a bit and have been enjoying that activity immensely. I got together with Dan and worked on music on Tuesday night and then had Praise Team band practice on Wednesday night. But I've also done quite a bit of drumming on my own. I think my zeal for drumming has fully come back after something of a hiatus. Over the past several months, I've struggled with adjusting to my new Pacific drums and finding a comfortable playing position. I finally found something comfortable this week, however, and playing drums is truly fun again. And the return of fun is something for which I'm truly grateful.
This week should be a fairly quiet one. I won't be spending that much time in the office, and I'll probably spend the remainder of my time playing drums, exercising, hanging out with Dad, and getting ready to (hopefully) head to Wiky again next week. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy the time I have live life to the fullest in all ways possible.
I returned from my trip to Columbus, Ohio on Monday. And I've spent the remainder of the week working at home and plugging away on the SDSU Festival of Cultures. I haven't signed up that many additional booths, but with Sandy's help I've been able to tie up quite a few loose ends.
News I've received at the office has been mostly good, but I was surprised when I learned about the status of my position as festival coordinator. Because of budgeting issues, the number of hours I can work in February is going to be curtailed; I'll be limited to seven hours per week until the beginning of March. Initially I was concerned about the cutting back of hours, but I've made peace with that fact. And it may even provide me with an opportunity to take another vacation. I'm hoping to head to Wikwemikong again for Valentine's Day; all I need to do now is talk to Al and Sandy and make sure that being gone around that time will work out from a timing standpoint.
The only other example of drama in life surfaced on Thursday. Since I returned from Ohio, I noticed that my furnace didn't perform at the level to which I'm accustomed. Even when I had the thermostat set at, say, 72 degrees, the highest the temperature in the house would get was 66 or 67. And when I woke up Thursday morning, the temperature in the house fell to 60 degrees. It bottomed out at 54 degrees before my furnace was serviced late Thursday morning. It turned out the furnace motor had burned out and needed to be replaced. Climate control in the house is back to normal since the motor was replaced and I installed a new furnace filter. The repair is going to be around $300, but it's money well spent. It's not good to be without a functional furnace.
Other than taking care of problems at home and working on the Festival of Cultures, I've been playing drums quite a bit and have been enjoying that activity immensely. I got together with Dan and worked on music on Tuesday night and then had Praise Team band practice on Wednesday night. But I've also done quite a bit of drumming on my own. I think my zeal for drumming has fully come back after something of a hiatus. Over the past several months, I've struggled with adjusting to my new Pacific drums and finding a comfortable playing position. I finally found something comfortable this week, however, and playing drums is truly fun again. And the return of fun is something for which I'm truly grateful.
This week should be a fairly quiet one. I won't be spending that much time in the office, and I'll probably spend the remainder of my time playing drums, exercising, hanging out with Dad, and getting ready to (hopefully) head to Wiky again next week. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy the time I have live life to the fullest in all ways possible.
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