Good morning Boys and Girls.

Wednesday evening, while in Iowa, I drove up to Ames to look at a used laptop I'd found on Craig's List. Ames is the home of Iowa State University, and the gal selling the computer, Kari, is a grad student there. She and her husband live in a little apartment right in the middle of the little campus town; a mini-Ann Arbor, to my eyes. I'd followed the good directions Josh, Kari's husband, had given me when I'd called as I pulled into town. We haggled a little, met in the middle, and I bought the computer with little fanfare.

As I left their apartment - which, by the way houses, along with them, two of the largest cats I'd ever seen; just huge, with paws almost like those of a bobcat - instead of turning around and going back the way I'd come, I drove through a little of the neighborhood surrounding the commercial district. The early evening was about as nice as you could ask for and students by the score sat out on the stoops and lawns in front of their apartments, talking and studying. They all looked so very young to me, too young to be out on their own, though, of course, that says more about me than them.

I noticed that just about all the books I saw cracked; thick tomes all, were open to the first few pages, signifying, if nothing else did, that the school year had just begun. I'll bet it's the same all over the country. Too early for many to have fallen behind, or to have started questioning their class selections, or even to have gone through the spending money their parents hope will last the semester, but that inevitably seems to disappear faster than anticipated. I'd never been there before, and may never be in that city again, for all I know, but it gave me a warm feeling inside; one of those, "all is well" feelings, and driving back toward the interstate, passing their "Jack Truce" football stadium, I was glad I'd had reason to visit, even if it was for no more than a half-hour.

Got back to Grand Rapids last night. I'd debated mowing before I left last Friday, but it had been so dry, it wasn't really justifiable. Glad I waited, as it doesn't look any different now. We need some rain here.

Gonna play golf tomorrow and this coming Thursday afternoon and I won't head back to Iowa till next Sunday or Monday. Sweet Lady is taking her kids to the same Christian Rock Festival they've attended each Labor Day for the last few years; the same one at which she was rear-ended last year while waiting to turn left into the event, screwing up her neck and back, and totaling her car. Her injuries weren't life-threatening, but they've left her dealing with pain now every single day, and she'll probably have to do so for the rest of her life. Sucks. Hope it's just a good time this year.

 
Biden? Good choice.


Be good to everyone.