SFO, PHX, ORD, IAD... OMG

I changed the blog to allow anonymous commenting. Not that anyone reading would. But to sign up to a site just to make fun of me is kind of pointless, agreed?

So, one trip complete, I thought I'd take a long, relaxing break and travel again!

For reasons too lengthy to describe, I flew out Friday from San Francisco at 0400 PST, to Phoenix and changed flights. Left there at 0930 MST, and arrived at Chicago to catch a plane at 1700 CST to Dulles, where I arrived at 2000 EST and was escorted home by the Geezer Livery Service (thanks, Dad!)

So now I'm here in Maryland. And for those of you that know me well enough, you know that means my arrival in MD means I'm out the door as soon as I put my suitcase down. Saturday morning my parents and I hopped in the Family Roadster and went to Altoona for my Aunt Terry's graduation party.

Altoona is about three hours away, and it's where about half of my father's family lives. So the trip is familiar, but I haven't made it much lately. It's always nice to see the familiar sites along with the improvements- of which Altoona has and still needs many. Nevertheless, it's home of a sense, and comfortable and friendly.

Several of my family was there, a few of my cousins that I rarely get to see- not like I ever saw much of any of my cousins, but these guys I've watched grow up. Now they're in college, and they're super-cool cats. It's fun to hang around with them. We played Halo 2 on XBox live and reinforced that while I may be good enough at the game to kick HBill's ass on a regular, routine, and consistent basis because he sucks at it, I still have a long way to go. Denny spent most of the night sleeping and I think that it (this is for Adam and Jason) was because of the letdown following a roid rage kind of event. (Was the Steelers game a little too close for you boys?)

We went out to dinner and harassed another one of my cousins by going to the restaurant where she worked and forcing her to wait our table, then giving her grief the whole evening. I think, in the end, we made it worth her while.

Spent the rest of the evening talking with my parents and grandparents, of whom I do not see enough either. This is all a function of the fact that they now live 3,000 miles away, but it's neat all the same, and on occasion the stories that come out are ones really worth hearing. My grandfather informed me that they made the same trip down Route 66... back in the 40's! Missouri was just as easy on their car as it was on my truck, and they rolled into Texas with 10 cents to their name! (If YOU ever thought you had it bad...)

Oh well, it's cold up there in the Appalachians, and I slept in a nice, warm house in a high bed (about 4 feet off the floor) too long. I woke up just in time to get a small bite to eat and hop in the Roadster. We're celebrating my brother-in-law's birthday tonight, so we have to be back in Virginia for an 8:00 reservation.....

I promise, Ken and Erin, I will be up to see you soon!!