Blow Hard

There was no rain today...that is a first in a long time! We started off sunny, but the clouds took over, and it was another cool one by early May standards. Here in Spokane, today was "Bloomsday", the day when about 50,000 runners and walkers take to the streets to go 7 and a half miles just to prove to themselves and their friends that it can be done. For the first time in 9 years I was not a participant...I was rather busy. In spite of the many regular church members that were involved in the race we still had over 100 people present for this morning's service, so it was another good day.

We are just one week away from heading out in the family truckster...or more appropriately the family import, to pick up our "sweet babboo" from her first year in college. Next Sunday Kay and I will be leaving after our church service to head east to Minnesota and Wisconsin. The trip will cover 1,600 miles each way, but I am looking forward to hitting the open road and experiencing the thrill of Americana once again. Along our route will be the opportunity to visit the silver mines, or whatever else it is that they are digging up in Butte, MT, the Custer National Battlefield Museum, Devil's Tower National Monument, Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills, along with the Badlands. Outside of all of those wonderful attactions the best of the best will be "Spam World" in Austin, MN. If you have never been there you really need to experience the awe and wonder of what Spam has meant to this great nation of ours! Spam...Spam...Spam...Spam...Spam...Spam...Spam...Wonderful Spam...Fabulous Spam!

Once we pick up Beth from school it will be time to reverse course and head back in exactly the opposite direction. Realistically the trip should take three days each way, but we are not realistic people, so we try to do it in two. The reason is most likely related to the fact that we are too cheap to pay for two nights in a motel! Whatever the reason for our insanity we hope to be back in Spokane by the following Saturday night so that I can be back at my post in church the following Sunday morning.

One final note tonight...which most of you will find on Monday morning...I would like to wish a very happy birthday to my buddy John. He is turning a very young 80 years old on this Monday, May the 3rd. John is one of the "posse" that routinely kicks my butt at tennis each Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. I am a much better man for having come to know John in the past year plus...and to that I say "Thank you my good friend!"