Lazy Summer Day

It thundered and lighteninged all night long so I was able to reminisce about hiking in the rain. Paul and I are both going through a withdrawal. Every day hiking the Appalachian Trail, we knew what we would be doing (hiking) and that it would be adventurous and active. Now, before we get home, we are in cities as visitors and our days are much less active, much less outdoorsy and determined by "getting there" via car or transit.

What I miss: hiking with Paul, being outside, determining my own temp comfort level, discovering where the trail leads, meeting other hikers, updating my trail journal, being part of culture of thru-hikers, seeing new places and people

What I don't miss: being out of Alaska, hiking/camping in bad weather, carrying a pack, the food, being away from my friends, being out of contact with my kids

I went with my mother to visit my sister Nancy, who has Rett Syndrome and lives in a group home. For lunch, she had pureed pineapple, veggies and a bologna sandwich with thickened grape juice. It is amazing what can be pureed. At first she wouldn't look at me, then she couldn't take her eyes off me. She's gained some weight, but otherwise looks fine, considering her condition.

Otherwise, my day has been pretty slow. The most excitement has been watching the Food Network grilling shows. I draw the line at watching golf or tennis though. I DO have some boundaries. I helped my parents set up their new phones, one in every room for emergencies. We also went to the bookstore to pick up the reject donations. I'll be walking again later though so I don't lose my ability to move. I'll also be packing for Four Winds Casino where we'll be driving tomorrow for overnight. It is right by the Michigan/Indiana border and I'll train back to Chicago on Monday. I don't gamble very readily (considering it a tax on people who don't understand probability) but my parents had this trip planned so I'm tagging along.

I am hoping to be a "senior fellow" at the Math Consortium this summer in Fairbanks. I would be an assistant to Bob Fish and Gretchen Murphy. The Math Consortium (and the Writing Consortium) was pivotal in guiding my professional philosophy and strategies for teaching. The focus is strategies for teaching math understanding. It should be fun.