June 7-8

Had John and Jeannie's house to myself for a time today.  I looked for small, portable valuables but must have looked in all the wrong places.  Then their daughter Katie woke up and we hung out.  Watched a movie together and just had a good low key day.

John and Jeannie got home about 5-ish and we had another great meal.  Corn on the cob, grilled burgers and Italian sausage.  And salad because we're all health conscious.  Katie and Michelle joined us.  Then we chatted a bit on the patio and went down to watch another movie in the home theater.  We all concluded that it made no sense and turned in.  John and I have had particular fun talking business and politics.  Our views are very similar, that is to say, right.

This morning, the 8th, Jeannie and daughter Elizabeth headed for Hilton Head, S.C.  John and Katie headed for Cincinnati.  I had just a great time in Louisville.  Gained 128 pounds, but had a great time.

I, too, headed out today.  Through Cincinnati to the little town of Wilmington, Ohio.  This is where Gabe  and Tanya, the couple at whose wedding I officiated, live, but for just a short time longer.  Tanya leaves for Houston in 2 1/2 weeks.  In the meantime, she is working on her doctoral dissertation and is no doubt stressing out about that, though she disguised it well.  At any rate, I promised I would drop in for lunch and leave which is what I did.  The poor students treated me to lunch.  I almost felt badly about it.  While we waited for our healthful sandwiches and salads, Gabe found two books.  One was the Guinness book of world records, a very strange thing that seems to celebrate genetic imperfection and mental illness, and the other was a book of optical illusions.  One was to relax the eyes, hold the pictures right up to one's nose and slowly move it away from one's face.  Then wonders would appear, at least according to Gabe.  Tanya never got it to work.  I got one to work, but Gabe is carrying on as though the Word of God is appearing in every picture.  "Oh, you guys should see this!  This is great!  It's a 3D T. rex head and you can see right up his nostrils!"  OK, maybe not the Word of God, but he was kind of that excited.  Then Tanya would try it, and I'd be saying, "Trust your feelings, Luke," which likely wasn't helping much.  Finally, we began accusing Gabe of making it up.  Until we got to the last page that showed the hidden images.  Damn if he wasn't really getting them.  The Force was strong with Gabe.

I blasted out of Wilmington and headed for Mt. Vernon.  This is the town near the village where my alma mater is located, Kenyon College.  After I left the interstate, I had to use state and even county roads to get there.  Drove straight to Kenyon and walked about.  It is much different, yet much the same.  There are significant new academic buildings as well as dorms.  By and large they are well integrated in style and materials into what was always one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.  The center of the campus is not a building, but a graveled path, one mile long and straight as an arrow, around which the buildings, trees and lawns are laid out.  I did not, however, have any powerful emotions.  I find my nostalgia, if any or at all, is for the people, not the place.  I didn't even think to take any pictures.

Tomorrow, I go to Hiram, Ohio to visit the daughter of one of my best friends in college.  She now teaches at Hiram College.  Young, highly intelligent people like me.  I don't know what is wrong with the rest of you.  (Oooo Oooo Oooo!  Why didn't I think of this before!  Young, highly intelligent people like me.  Therefore, if you wish to be considered young and highly intelligent, you have to like me, too.   This doesn't actually follow, but it's close enough that most of the lawyers won't figure it out.)

Until next time.