A day without a Mexican...

restaurant, that is. We had a welcome-home from Peru dinner for Patty, Curtis' girlfriend, and the only reasonable, sit-down dining place with Mexican flair available was the chain-errific Chili's. It was also the first time we really got to meet Patty's family, as well. Patty's generosity and thoughtfulness was wonderful, as she brought back a Peruvian gift for each of us. For Jon, she brought a set of pipes of pan (as if he wasn't making enough noise already :-) ), and for Cortney,  a decorative mirror. The margaritas and fajitas were plentiful, and, while cross-table conversation can be quite a challenge with such a large group, we really had a great time.

We continue to pray for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.  www.redcross.org

Football season has begun!

The first game of the University of Michigan football season kicked off at 3:30 today and we were there (thank you Cortney's parents)!  Of course, that meant that our tailgating kickoff was at 12:30 with a smorgasbord of cheeses, crackers, dips and chips, pop, wine, beer, champagne & orange juice, cookies, and chicken grilling.  We love our tailgating crowd!  We had a great time, and we can't even be too disappointed in our Wolverines because not only was it just the first game of the year, but we did win!  Our only disappointment was that we left shortly after halftime to take care of the dogs, thinking that if we left early enough we would get home in time to see the end of the game of TV, but instead that specific channel was out on our cable.  Thanks a lot, crappy Comcast.

Help, hope and prayers

Our hearts and prayers go out to all the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.  We feel deeply sorry for all the people who have lost their homes and loved ones, for the region that has lost many of its prized and charming cities, and for the nation that has lost much of its dignity in the way that people, both inside and outside the tragedy, have responded.  If we learn nothing else from this horrific chain of events, we should at least come away knowing that mother nature cannot and will not be tamed by men, and that human nature finds it much easier to point a finger than to lift one.  
We are not innocent of this;  We have pretended that we understand the angst the victims are experiencing, yet we have felt angered by the looting, shooting and rioting;  We ourselves feel frustrated by the weakness of government and institution response, yet there is little that we ourselves have done.  Last night we called 1-800-HELP-NOW and donated what we could to the Red Cross.  Now perhaps we can feel that we have helped, but inside it does not feel like enough.
This one natural disaster has brought an entire nation to its knees.  Now, while we are there, we must pray for us all.

www.redcross.org

Didgeridooin'

Jon has been practicing the didgeridoo and working toward circular breathing. Perhaps squeezing the cheeks with a free hand would help? Not so much. But it was worth a try. As always, Cookie was completely unphased by the vibrations, while Ollie freaked out without constant reassurance that something terrible was not coming his way. We're still not sure if Diamond could hear it at all, as she seemed quite happy to sleep through it.

 Michigan football countdown: 4 days to go!

Good wine doesn't come under $15

Or at least it's hard to find. Out of 73 bottles at the "World's Greatest Wine Values" tasting with the Ann Arbor Tasters Guild, we each found only two that we might enjoy—and they weren’t even the same two between us. Many contained sulfur stronger than a coal mine, and one, according to the sponsor, was the best (or is that worst?) example of bad corked wine he’d ever had. Others were far sweeter than our roughened palates approved of. Even so, it was an event well worth experiencing. Jon had never been to a tasting before, while this was Cortney’s fourth. It was fairly crowded, but the people spread themselves out evenly enough, the only downside being that the hors d'oeuvres went quickly. We were all quite stunned by the enormous vat that the waitstaff poured the spit buckets into. We hear there’s quite a disgusting moment in the recent movie Sideways that is directly related to the spit bucket. We’ll have to check it out soon, especially with our newly enlightened vocabulary. Thanks, Dad H.

 Michigan football countdown: 5 days to go!