Hardest part of the week is over

It's a good feeling knowing that what I expect was the hardest part of my week is now over. That's not to say that I can coast through the rest of this week, of course. But I imagine life will be a little easier over the next few days.

Though the past few days have been filled with activity, life itself hasn't really been hard, and it's been good. I worked for a while yesterday to wrap up some business regarding the Festival of Cultures. Unfortunately, my computer died again as I rebooted it, so I had to take some work home with me. It was frustrating to have my computer have a major failure twice within the past month, but the failure hasn't stopped me from getting work done. There are still a few minor items that need to be addressed yet, but the bulk of the work is over.

Work was involved in my activity last night, but it was fun and didn't feel like work. My friends Dan Merchant and Brian Logue and I performed during the fifth-annual Brookings Area Talent Showcase as Aanii. It was fun to be able to hang out with the 15 other performers in the green room prior to our performance, and I'm happy with our band sounded. In the several hours since then, I've run into various audience members in town who've made positive comments about how we did. It's always good to get feedback like that, and I can't wait until my bandmates and I go out and perform again.

Today wasn't quite as busy as yesterday was, but the tasks at hand seemed harder. I didn't really spend any time in the office today, but I was on campus for a little more than hour. The chief reason I was on campus was so I could talk to my friend and former instructor Frank Klock's advanced photography class.

Frank asked me about a month ago to speak to his class on a couple of different occasions. Unfortunately, I was able only to speak at one because of being busy with other commitments. Still, I think Frank is happy with how things turned out with regard to me speaking to his class.

I felt nervous when I first began speaking to the class about the importance of diversity to photography and to journalism in general. Most of my nervousness was born from feelings of not having enough material and not working from a clear script. There were times during my discussion with the class when I felt there were some awkward silences, but Frank said he was pleased with how I was able to get the group to talk, to engage with me and with each other. I'm happy Frank is happy, and it sounds like Frank wants me to come back and do the same next year.

After finishing with Frank, I headed back over to Dad's place to help him set up his new TV. His five-year-old Phillips plasma TV died on him while I was in Canada, and we learned it will cost $500-$700 to have it repaired. I don't know that we'll have the TV repaired. And if we don't have it fixed, I'm not sure what we'll do with it.

In the meantime, Dad and I purchased a 47-inch Phillips LCD TV from Wal-Mart yesterday. The price was good and the TV appears to be a good value. Setting up the TV didn't take long at all, and both Dad and I are happy with its performance - especially on channels with HD programming.

The only other work I did today was to give the Mazda3 a bath. It hasn't had a good washing since before the Festival of Cultures and travel to Wiky, so I was happy to get it cleaned up. Vanity wasn't the reason for cleaning, the car of course; I wanted to wash it in preparation for cleaning, polishing, and waxing the finish over the next few days. Now that washing is done, I'll probably wax it either tomorrow or Thursday when I have time. Tomorrow's supposed to be a pretty nice day, so I'll probably do it tomorrow in Dad's garage. And once the exterior is cleaned up I'll probably turn my attention to the interior.

It's been nice to see that spring weather is finally arriving, and it's good to be able to spend time outside. The days have tended to be windier than I would like, but that's OK; I'll take warmer temps anyday. And in the meantime, I'm going to concentrate on coming up with lots of fun things to do the rest of the week and ways to relax. Life truly is good, and I'm truly grateful for that.

It's a clean machine

Today turned out to be quite an active day, especially for a Saturday. It probably would have been more prudent to spend more time lying around today and recovering from all of the driving I did over the past few days. But I was able to get out and fully enjoy the day, and I'm feeling all right as a result. It will take maybe a day or so to see if the tickle I feel in the back of my throat is a symptom of a cold or allergies. In the meantime, though, I feel pretty good.

I slept in until about 10 this morning. Not long after waking I called Dad to see if he still wanted me to fix breakfast. He replied in the affirmative, so I showered and headed over to his place. There were some eggs left over from our last meal together, so I scrambled those and fixed some toast for the two of us. We had a good visit about the state of our affairs and we talked about getting his plasma TV fixed.

After leaving Dad I took care of a few things at home before heading off to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Brian. I'm happy to say the movie was funny and good, and there's a good chance I may see it again. Otherwise I may wait until it comes out on DVD in a few months' time.

Beyond the movie Brian and I spent a fair bit of time together today. We washed our cars (he washed his Focus and I worked on the 350Z) after the movie and then met up at my place to wax them. Brian ended up not waxing his car, but I did put a coat of the second generation of Meguiar's NXT wax on the Z. I'm pretty happy with the results, and I may put on a second coat sometime in the next few days if I'm feeling up to it and if there's time.

Brian and I then headed down to Cubby's and had supper there for a bit. It was good to catch up with Brian regarding what he plans to do once he finishes his master's degree and to hear his thoughts on the current state of politics in the U.S. The supper we shared was pretty good, too. Brian had a hamburger and I had some cheeseballs. Once we finished our meal we took leave of each other and vowed to catch up to one another again soon.

My final act of the day, apart from writing in this blog and cleaning up my detailing towels was to give the Miata a quick bath. The Miata really didn't need to be cleaned in such a way, but I was in the mood to work. Washing the car was easy, and I had a chance to try out a few new drying techniques with my Absorber. The car, like the Z, looks great, and I'm glad it's the time of year for driving such a car again.

It truly has been a whirlwind over the past few weeks. The big thing that happened was Dolly's return to South Dakota, followed by the Festival of Cultures. And then Dolly and I had the chance to do some touring around the state and see more of the country on the way back to Wiky. Another adventure with Dolly has come to an end. But I know in my heart that more adventures lie ahead for us on the horizon.

Lots and lots of miles

It's taken us nearly two full days, but Dolly and I finally arrived in Wiky this evening. We would have arrived around the dinner hour if not for stopping to do some gambling at Kewadin and at the Casino Sault Ste. Marie. Neither of us had much luck during our gambling junkets. That said, I don't think I'll be playing slots again for a while. My lucky streak seems to have come to an end.

Dolly and I ended up leaving Escanaba around 10:30 this morning. We probably would have left much earlier if we hadn't inadvertently slept in. Dolly and I awoke around 7:30 but ended up going back to sleep until about 9:30. The two of us lazed for a bit before taking showers, checking out of the hotel, and heading next door to Hardee's for some breakfast. Dolly was surprised that we slept as late as we did, and I have to admit I was surprised, too. But it was nice to sleep in and doing so didn't prevent us from arriving safely in Wiky.

With a few stops in our quest for Faygo pop factored in, the drive to the Soo took about three hours. Rather than head across the border right away, we stopped and played at the Kewadin casino in the Michigan side for about an hour. We felt hungry at that point, but we didn't stop for food until we reached the casino on the Canadian side.

I was pleased that we were able to cross the border with as much ease as we did. Dolly and I had our IDs at the ready, but we didn't need to produce any of our identification. The border agent simply asked us a few questions and waved us on through. I'm really grateful that we weren't pulled aside and didn't have to unpack all of our stuff that had been piled up in the back of the car. I let out an audible sigh of relief as we left the border crossing area and pulled into the casino parking lot.

Once we reached the casino, Dolly and I tried our luck for a bit before we had Canadian breakfasts in the casino restaurant. The food was good, but it seems the sausage Dolly hasn't agreed with her well as the evening has proceeded.

The drive between the Soo and Wiky took just under four hours. The only times we stopped were in Espanola so we could pick up some doughnuts at Tim Hortons and a double Big Mac meal at McDonald's for Ross. Traffic was light between Espanola and Wiky and our progress wasn't slowed by animals on the road.

We arrived at Dolly's place a little after 9 this evening just as Ross and some of his friends were walking around the neighborhood. Since Ross was out with his friends, no one else was around to help us unload the car; usually Ross and his friends are pretty good about lending us a hand. Once we got the car unloaded, we spent the time before we've retired for the night putting away our goods and hanging out and watching TV.

I'm really surprised by how tired I feel tonight. I can understand how tired I felt yesterday considering how little I slept the night before. It's possible I'm so tired today because all of the driving is catching up with me and because I slept too much last night. In the meantime, though, I'm not going to devote too much time or energy to such thoughts or to concerns back home. Now it's time to sleep and be grateful we've made it safely back to Wiky.

Northbound once again

Dolly and I hit the road once again today. Rather than travel west this time, however, we've traveled north and east. We didn't go quite as far as I'd hoped today, but I'm not going to complain about our progress.

We're spending the night in Escanaba, Michigan, in the Lincoln Host Motor Inn in which we've stayed before. The rooms are nice and comfortable the nightly rate is inexpensive. Plus there are plenty of eating places not far away, so we're in pretty good shape.

Since we're in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we've covered more than 500 miles today. And there's still another 300-400 to go. Tomorrow won't be quite as long a day of driving, though. It'll take us about two-and-a-half hours to get to the border at Sault Ste. Marie. Once we cross the border, we'll probably hang out at the city's casino for a while to gamble and have a bit to eat before heading east on Highway 17. We should arrive at Wiky about four hours after leaving the Soo.

As Dolly says, it seems as though she and I have been together longer than almost two weeks this time around. At the same time, however, it seems as though the time has flown by. I've thoroughly enjoyed the time Dolly and I have spent together this time around as I always do, and I look forward to many more adventures with her in the future. It looks like our next time together will be in late June, but it's possible we can rendezvous again sometime in the meantime.

Another profitable day

Today has turned out to be another fun and profitable day. Dolly and I have covered our fair share of territory, and we're not finished yet.

After enjoying the breakfast provided by the hotel, Dolly and I hit the road. Our first stop was a tobacco shop on La Crosse street. A few of Dolly's relatives requested that we pick up some tobacco for them, and we were happy to oblige. We didn't find specifically what we were looking for, but that was all right; we found what we needed in the Sioux Trading Post at Prairie Edge.

Speaking of Prairie Edge, that store was the second stop of the day. We spent most of our time there browsing on the store's floor and upstairs art gallery. Dolly seemed to be most smitten with the bead library found on the second floor. And we both enjoyed paintings that are also located on the second floor. We then headed to another part of the building and checked out books and DVDs. While looking at magazines, I was surprised to find Well Nations, a magazine for which I've written in the past, wasn't for sale. It's possible the magazine has gone out of business.

Neither of us bought anything in the main Prairie Edge store, but each of us bought some stuff in the Sioux Trading Post. It was there we found the tobacco that was requested of us, and I was even able to find a Native Pride pullover hoodie for about $25. I thought the price was a good one. Dolly was tempted to buy some beads but decided to defer her purchase until she returns this summer.

Dolly and I headed for Bear Butte after finishing at Prairie Edge. We found we were the only ones present when we arrived. Actually, that's not totally true...there were plenty of buffalo and wild turkeys scurrying about. We didn't spend much time at the landmark, but we were there long enough to admire its size and beauty and to enjoy the peace and stillness of the day.

Our original plan was to then head for Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. In the meantime, though, we decided to have some fun in Deadwood again. I don't know that we had as much fun as we had yesterday, but it did turn out to be another profitable day for me. And my good luck once again came from a few penny machines. I'm not sure how much I made in total, but I can say I walked out of the casino with roughly an extra $200 after spending some money on food and playing some more. I can't believe the luck I've had the past few days. But that doesn't matter; I'm going to enjoy the good feelings that come from winning like that as long as I can.

We cruised through Hill City and a few other small communities in the Black Hills on the way to Mt. Rushmore. I had hoped to check out the Dakota Emporium in Hill City with Dolly, but it doesn't open for a few weeks. So so much for that idea.

The next item on our itinerary was Mt. Rushmore. We traveled as far as the mountain but decided to turn tail and head for Crazy Horse considering we couldn't see the mountain. The monument was obscured by low clouds. That's OK, though; we were able to see a lot of nice country on the way.

Crazy Horse, which both Dolly and I have experience before, was nice. The sun finally came out just as we arrived and we had a pretty good view of the mountain. It's hard to believe the memorial to Crazy Horse has been in progress for several decades already and there's no way of knowing when it will be finished. As we watched the film of the conception of the Crazy Horse memorial, I began to wonder whether the sculpture will be finished even within my lifetime. Only time will tell I guess. Dolly seemed to enjoy checking out the gift shop and museum again, and I'm glad we were able to enjoy it together.

Both of us felt a little tired and hungry after Crazy Horse so we headed back to Rapid City via Highway 16. Before returning to the hotel for the night, we dined at Olive Garden and savored our meal to the fullest. Dolly had a grilled chicken Caesar salad and I had some fettucine alfredo with whole wheat pasta. And we shared some bruschetta before our meal.

Back at the hotel we spent some time on the AmericInn's main level. There we sat in the jacuzzi for a few minutes, then stepped into the steam room, and ended our watery venture in the pool. The pool's temperature was very comfortable and it was nice to be able to stretch out and take a quick dip.

It's really not that late now, but I feel pretty tired and ready for bed. The past few days, as all of the days with Dolly have been, have been great. It feels really good to be out in the Black Hills again, and I'm sure I'll return again soon once Dolly and I return to Brookings. In the meantime, though, I know we're going to continue enjoying ourselves in all ways possible. That's what vacations are for, after all.

On hiatus

Sorry, folks, for taking so long to write anything new here. I've been tied up with the SDSU Festival of Cultures for the past several weeks and haven't been able to devote time to much of anything else. Plus my dear friend Dolly is visiting from Wikwemikong, so there's been plenty else to occupy my time. But I do plan to update all you readers on what's been happening in life sometime in the next few days.

I'm happy to report the festival seems to have been a great success. We ended up having about 23 or 24 food booths and 44 or 45 display and bazaar booths. Thus far I have no idea what attendance was like, but I'm sure we've done at least as well as we've done in past years. And having the student athletic trainers group to help us was a boon for setup and teardown. Things wouldn't have gone as smoothly without them. It's a relief to know the festival is over, but I have to admit I'm also going to miss it. I've really enjoyed my job as festival coordinator, and I'll think seriously about doing the same job next year. We'll have to see how that all pans out.

Since Friday, Dolly, Dad, and I have done a fair bit of hanging out and relaxing. The three of us went to Redwood Falls, Minnesota, to gamble yesterday. None of us really had any luck with the machines, but we had a good time. The weather was nice, too, and it felt good to spend some time outside.

Dolly and I spent a good chunk of the day hanging out around my house and in Sioux Falls today. We fixed a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast. And the breakfast is among the best I've had in some time.

After spending the morning at my place, we headed down to Sioux Falls to catch a 1:30 showing of Jumper at the West Mall 7 theater. The theater in which the movie was going to be shown was somehow damaged last night, so we had to see the movie in a different theater at 3:30. In the meantime we went shopping for a hoodie for Dolly and then cruised around downtown Sioux Falls. We cruised around town for a while after the movie before we headed to this month's Sports Car Club of Siouxland meeting.

The meeting was over within a half-hour, and we then headed back toward Brookings after I filled the 350Z's tank with gas. Rather than head directly to Brookings, we stopped at Royal River Casino in Flandreau. We didn't plan to spend all that much time there, but we ended up staying more than three hours. The main reason for us staying so long was my streak of good luck. My luck was definitely good tonight; at one point, I was up more than $500. By the time we left, however, and after playing some more, I had around $400 in my pocket. I'd say that's not bad for starting off with $20 in my pocket. And that will be more then enough money to pay for Dolly's and my trip to the Black Hills over the next four days and three nights.

It's hard to believe it's already about 50 minutes to midnight. I'm happy to say it's been another good day, and it's been more fortuitous than I could have ever expected. Good days are behind Dolly and me, and I'm sure more good days lie ahead. And I'm sure we'll savor every moment we have while Dolly is still in the States.