I joined with the 40 million Americans that would travel more than 50 miles this past holiday weekend. About a month or so ago, was shopping for the most economic way to get to Virginia from Alabama. Whatever happened to the $79 flights on airplanes? Planes, trains, bus- cheapest seemed to be to rent a car for a week and drive up, so that's what I did. Made a reservation at the local Enterprise for Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving. I called a few times leading up to the day to make sure the reservation was in their system and even the day before, dropped in the store to make sure everything was good. Each time they told me, dont worry. Wednesday morning, I'm the first one there at 7:15 before they open. I go to the counter and guess what? No cars. My emotions began bubbling up from way down and my voice became raised up as I expressed by disbelief to poor Nicole. I semi-yelled to their whole staff that I would never-ever set foot in another Enterprise rental place in all my life.   It seems to have gotten their attention and I got my car (well, pickup truck- from another location). Anyway, enough of the ranting- let it go, Peter.
     Twelve hours on the road, and with the late start, didn't make it all the way home to Virginia, and stayed at the Rest-Inn along the way and arrived around 11:00 am on Thanksgiving morning at my home in Arlington, Virginia . Already there were sons Robert (Bob) who drove from Columbus, Ohio where he works for Honda, Alex, who is studying Sociology at Central Michigan Univ and who sat on a Greyhound for 20 hours and two local sons Paul and Albert. Paul is working as a carpenter foreman on the Metro extension to Dulles Airport and Albert is studying computer programming and engineering at the Northern Virginia Community College. My wife Lois is also working on getting a business degree from George Mason Univiersity.
     Our family tradition for the past few years has been to meet at my younger sister Mary's home in Burtonsville, Md. My three sisters- Anne, Jean and Mary and my younger brother John have become the old fogeys since our Dad passed away twelve years ago and Mom a few years back after suffering many years with dimentia. My older sister Anne travelled down from Boston, where she works with computers at Berklee School of Music. Jean, a chemist, works for the FDA and lives in nearby Maryland. John works at Penske and Mary at Verizon . Mary's three kids, Liz Will and Allison joined us for the feast at Mary's house as well. And Pauls girlfriend Iris also attended the festivities. My eldest son Lawrence was unable to make it up from Miami, but joined us via Skype. After the eating and drinking, we went around the circle to say what we were grateful for. It is great to see all the kids growing up and getting on their way to their future.
      Next day, Friday, hung around the house- did a Daddy Deluxe Breakfast for all, and then went to see the movie Lincoln. That evening, Alex suggested a short Bible study at the dining room table- he chose a section of Matt that included the sermon on the mount. I am glad to see spiritual growth in Alex.
     Drove back (ugh!) on Saturday so that I could have a day of buffer to catch up, go the church, take it easy and be ready for Monday.   My boss, Brandon, is off in Haiti this week working as block leader for the Jimmy Carter Work Project. He left me a big list of things to make happen while he's gone. Looks like it's going to be Brandon Appreciation Week . There is a Variance hearing with the city tommorrow night at 5pm that will determine whether or not we can make our latest Blitz Build happen or not. If they agree, I am to get the concrete footers and block laying going with the subs so that we can finish the house for Jackie Wright before Christmas. I printed some 8 x 10 glossys to bring with me to go with my impassioned speech of how they should let us build the house (with 23 instead of the usual 30 foot back yard setback) Stay tuned. Also on my list is make sure that we finish Jessie Hill's house on 18th st. Gotta stay focused on the big picture this week. Let's see. That's all for now. Hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving too. Ciao! (And I had lunch with Ennio)