I realize that I have not been in contact lately. Just didn't want to bore anyone with my humdrum day-to-day stuff.

We will be taking a road trip in a few days. That might inspire something... maybe. I can at least comment about how Drummer and I have several (only several?) terse conflicts on the first day in the car. These usually revolve about the placement of the cooler on the seat behind me. He seems to think that I am a contortionist (should I be flattered?), able to reach behind me and open the lid, retrieve food or drink, and still keep the seat belt on. I snarl, he grovels... life is good! What saved us on our last road trip was playing books on cd's. Pop one of those babies in, and the next thing you know, you're pulling over to refuel the car and de-fuel your own bladder. And we always have a stash of music cd's - don't ask, he's a "former" musician. (Are they ever really, truly former? Maybe just between gigs.)

This is a trip back to MN to see family and friends. Mom turns 80 in mid-September, and seems to be in it for the long haul. Her dad was 93 when he died (estranged from his family for many years, a topic that may or may not be suitable for this blog site), and the only family member he was in contact with, was yours truly. Her mother, on the other hand, drank herself to death in her early 50's (yes, really she did), resulting in a very unexpected trip to Michigan's U.P. from MN in the middle of the school week. Mom insists that she will see her 100th birthday - and who knows? She's stubborn enough to do that!

Maybe I don't need to lead an interesting life, after all. All this human interest stuff that happened in my own family...

Also, I have been considering a new web site, dedicated to old family letters. I was inspired to do that by Grandma's Diary, which has the verbatim text (usually brief) of entries a young woman made in her diary during World War II. Drummer and I have the letters that his father wrote to his mother (when they were young sweethearts during the same era). I must say that his dad had a wit and certain humor that was pretty original for a young guy of his time. He was blessed with being posted in Great Britain during the war, working for the military's weather service (if I remember that correctly), so he had time to write lengthy letters. Some of his correspondence is a bit racy for the time (he suggested that she might want to burn one of his letters after reading it - obviously, she did not), yet only hints at contacts between them. My, my - who knew that ol' Bob was just as crass as other young men??!

Anyway, just checkin' in. See ya later, on the road.