We got back to Memphis last night about 9:30, and we were exhausted. It was a great weekend!!

My umpiring camp went great. I feel I learned a couple of new things, and I also did some good networking. Attending this camp definitely helped me in many ways.

Saturday night, we hooked up with my sister Jessica, and went to a party hosted by some of her friends. It was some of the most fun Michelle and I have had in a long time. The house was huge, so the large crowd did not seem too big. Some of us were playing cranium, and someone had to draw a picture blindfolded, while her teammate had to guess what she was drawing. Ernie said, "You must use the Force." Probably the funniest thing said all night. Except for when we were explaining wardriving to Michelle, and she inquired why it is called that--and Ernie said, "Because 'wee-fee driving' just doesn't sound as good." Funny guy.

The one thing that struck me most about Jessica's friends was how they accepted Michelle and I, and Jonathan and Kimmie, without any reservations at all. It was one of the most easy-going groups I have ever encountered. Truly great. Definitely one of the most eclectic groups of geeks I have ever seen--I counted at least 3 desktop PC's in the house, at least 1 laptop in use, about 20 Xboxes, a PS2, and at least 1 handheld gaming unit. And don't even ask me about the chess match going on in the den. An unconfirmed report said the loser was to forfeit one appendage.

Sunday, after I got done with baseball stuff, we went to the hospital to see my cousin Claire. It was really sad to see her hooked up to so many machines, and being extremely uncomfortable. She was wriggling around trying to find a comfortable position, which was impossible with all the tubes coming out of her. We talked with Patricia, Paula, and George for quite a while, and they seemed upbeat. Claire is having another surgery this morning, then another one next week, and if things go well she should be able to go home the week after that. Only time will tell how much she can recover. I told Patricia and Paula that it certainly is not fair for any of them to have to go through this, and that everything happens for a reason. We do not always know why things happen the way they do, but the answers are usually revealed to us later. At least, that is my belief.

We stopped for lunch at the Panera on the strip in Knoxville before leaving town, and it was great. That is Michelle's favorite place to eat in the whole world, so whenever we are in a city with one, we are obligated to stop there. I enjoyed being able to be online after a couple of days of not using a computer. I was starting to get the DT's.

I-440 in Nashville has consistently been on of the deadliest highways in America, and for good reason. When traveling west-bound around 4:30-5:00, drivers stare straight into a blinding sun. I felt fortunate to get through it alive. It was only mildly appropriate that as we were negotiating the sun, Jackson Browne's "Runnin on Empty" came on the radio, where Brown memtions 'running into the sun'. Cool stuff.

We ate dinner at the O'Charley's near Bellvue mall on the way through Nashville. I told the waiter that it was our anniversary, and that might have technically been true since today is our 6-month anniversary...LOL. Michelle has to work tonight and I have film class in the afternoon, so last night was our celebration. We enjoyed a great meal, followed by free dessert, and then made our way back home. Although we really appreciated Jonathan and Kimmie's hospitality, it was good to sleep in our own bed again. I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

This morning, I have a meeting with the Assistant Director of Housing to discuss the ongoing parking issues here on our cove. I am sure that it will be a complete wasted of time. At 1, I have a work meeting to go to, then Philosophy in Film class from 2:30-5:30. We are watching "Total Recall" today, then tying it into Descartes' discourse on what is real vs. what it not real. It should be a lot of fun. I saw the movie once several years ago, but do not remember much about it.

I am continuing preparations for my Israel trip. This morning I made arrangements to rent a cell phone while I am there, so I will have contact with friends and family back home. When I get the number, I will post it here for those that are interested. Also, as part of the trip, I will be required to keep a journal, then submit it for review. I have decided to set up a separate blog for this purpose. When I get it up and running, I will post a link on this site. What I have in mind is making nightly entries into a Word document, then sporadically posting them while I on the trip. If I have more regular internet access, I may be able to post the entries more often.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...