Live from Dickson City

Soooooo, we are making our second attempt to get back to Ottawa for Winterlude. Undaunted by last year's micro blizzard, we have been so far fortunate with the less than seasonal temps helping. You see the irony of course. Those temps are helping us get there but the reason we're going is to frolic in those temps. Alas, we heard yesterday the Rideau Canal was closed to skating.

In any event, here we are in Dickson City PA. How could we not stay here?

A lot has happened in the last two weeks. It all revolves around work! Yes, Mr Rubitinyourface Retirement has been on the job for two weeks so far so good. Commute is by car, with a friend. Work is interesting, helping oversee Fulbright program. We went to Atlanta last week for meetings and conference. Highlight was side- trip to Ebenezer Baptist Church and MLK Center.

I figured out it is Mary who has in her work a memoir. She has stories, sad and funny. Yesterday's was about a student named Unthony only because someone, not the parents, misspelled the name on the birth certificate.

Work and unseasonal temps mean that we are starting work on our garage! Johnny has been good to send photos of the framing work to date.

We spoke with Dan last night who had just gotten back from Baja California for a two-week trip to see Timmy. Sounds like fun and sun along the coast, even if the water in the Pacific was cold.

Who will we see in Canada? Margaret. And her friend Andrew who came to the same idea as us quite separately. Fun. They came by last weekend to celebrate a birthday. That meant we also heard from Joe and Annie. All of us still recovering from the last minute of the Super Bowl.

Annie has been infected by the capitalist drive around her and is making plans to start her own business. She says everyone she knows is starting a business. Next question? How many of your friends are starting one?

Joe is back at school, back at work. He's planning on coming to DC soon to finalize a job when he finishes school.

Other than that: Daunton Abbey, waiting for baseball, yoga, Bible study and Iron Lady (which was not the sequel to Iron Man, which is how Mary got me to go)

Hope you're well. Love from Dickson City!