Had the kids over for dinner

With a little fava beans and a nice Chianti. I always did want to say that even if there isn't a wine drinker in the bunch. I'm not sure if I would know a fava bean either. We are pretty much ice water and iced tea. With that said, Dave and Barb came over for dinner and we had a nice visit. All day I had been kinda playing nice with my back and I'll be damned if just bending and getting the Best Buy Ad out of the recycle bin didn't cause it to lock up. Oh well, it is a lot better this AM and with a little rest and a Naproxin Sodium it will be a lot better tomorrow.

Barb and I are really excited to see our friend Julie from Morocco. She is coming tomorrow night and we'll get her for a day before we have to share her with her family. I would keep the girls and let her go on her way if it was totally up to me but I'm sure that all the girls will have their say. I know that they are headed to where a swimming pool is in Lawrence and grandparents that just want to see them as bad as I do. I haven't been given any of the arrival info on Gerald but I do hope to get to share some good BBQ with him. Gerald is teaching summer school this year so he doesn't have as much time as the girls.

Barb and I haven't made our travel itinerary out for this year. I think we will be east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason Dixon line. Everyone tell us that New England is spectacular in the fall. I think it would be fun to eat a lobster roll in Maine and baked beans in Boston. Probably won't hurt us to make a side trip to Canada and perhaps Niagara Falls.

Barb and I went for a walk at a local Prairie preserve this weekend and sure saw some beautiful scenery. As I walked up this hill and out into the open, a field of wildflowers just appeared. All I could think of was why anyone would continue west in a wagon after seeing Missouri and Eastern Kansas. By the time you get to Salina, it turns into a desert and it is another 1200 miles to anything green. Well, that's not totally true, the mountains are green but I refuse to live above 3000 feet in the air.

The weather here in Topeka has just been crazy for a few days. There is a warm front that has been pushed back and forth across this area and it will be 80 one day and over 100 the next. It was 110 in Dodge City. The good news is that there has been a little rain in all that and Barb hasn't had to water nearly as much.

Better run, or at least go slowly to the couch.

MUD