Labor Day 2011

When I was a young school kid I used to think that Labor Day was when everyone had to go back to work after having the whole summer off. Back to work for me in those days was back to school.


Now I think it is one day off after having the whole year of working ... Well perhaps not quite ... Since, I am just completing (as of today) an 11 Day Vacation that included: 

• A flight to Oakland CA and a super visit with my daughter Ginny and my son-in-law Joe. That included a bike ride with Ginny, helping with the purchase of a keg of Anchor Steam Beer with Joe (yum), some super pizza, and in general a great time. Evelyn was already out there having driven out earlier in August with Anna and then staying on and 'Cat-Sitting' for Ginny and Joe's neighbors. 

• A car trip back across the United States with Evelyn on which I got to ... Visit for the first time in my life Boulder Dam --- I did take and will post some pictures. 

• We spent a night at Lake Mead after leaving Berkeley early on Tuesday. 

• We spent Wednesday night in Albuquerque NM a day in which we drove through a thunderstorm as we crossed the continental divide (I wonder about those drops of rain that fell on a rock so they split one half to the Pacific and one half to the Atlantic. 

• We spent Thursday night with John Steve and Mary Nelson in Edmond OK and got to see my nephew Steve and eat some super barbecue chicken and have a grand visit. 

• We spent Friday night in Nashville TN, and got to eat in a very nice Italian restaurant.

• We spent Saturday night with my beautiful Daughter Anna and her fiancé and my future son-in-law, James. We had supper at a super restaurant and got lots of great talking and visiting done. And had a super pineapple up-side-down birthday cake for Sunday breakfast.

• Yesterday, Sunday was a final drive across NC via Chimney Rock NC, US74, I85, NC49 and US64 to Raleigh. 

• And today I'm about to head out for a bicycle ride.