Microtel Inn & Suites Ann Arbor ( Plymouth Road)

Phew... Going through US Customs was a bit trying... No searching but a lot of questions meant - I supposed - to catch us with something bad... Who knows. We did not loose any meal. We're in the middle of a fairground, with a weak WiFi but OK. The only analog TV channels are from Detroit but the Detroit area offers 22 digital channels, many

Longer day than expected but we grinded the flying condo to a halt. No problem other than a sticking lock on the propane door.

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... diversion into Great Smoky Mountain National Park to see the fall colors. A week from tomorrow, we'll be back at our friend Pat's Place, in Webster, Florida, where warm weather awaits!

The colors have started to change up here - will upload a couple of pics taken today as we're traveing.

Mrs. Here....

Mr. and I are heading South this Sunday in our 5th wheel. First Stop is Taylorsville Lake State Park in Kentucky.

We plan on taking 5 weeks and end up in Texas for 6 months.

We are first timers in a 5th wheel and are hoping we will still be speaking ...

... the conservative nature of Grosse Ile for the aloof culture integral in Spain. But, it all built up for the ultimate escape, España. Boarding the plane with the my new closest friends (coincidentally the only English-speaking friends I would encounter) and putting thousands of miles behind us was one of the most liberating experiences I can recall.  

Sorry to dwell on the negative attitudes about my summer.  To compensate, I am including some finer pictures of my home town.  Enjoy. 

... Michigan. We walked around the downtown college streets. For lunch we went to an amazing restaurant called Gratzies. This week in Ann Arbor is called Restaurant Week. Each restaurant has some sort of special going on. For $12 we got soup or salad, an entree, and dessert. Oh, was it good! Every vacation I go on with these girls, there is one really good meal ...

Flight arrived in DTW on time. I had lunch and cigarettes at the FOX Sports Bar. Spent the next two hours at the lounge before going to the gate. Unfortunately, our flight was running late. We left 45 minutes behind schedule.

... from his place. We went there. He hadn't been in a little bit either. It was good for him to see some familiar faces and reconnect. I met Martin Mathias and James Herrmann there and Martin told me that he heard a good deal about me from Mark Woods in DC. That's Mark. Martin opened up the main hall to show me. It's quite the facility. It's cool to think that our members in Chicago get to practice in such a neat looking place. I'll have to come back for sure ...

... my shirt refused to stay tucked in (dare I say that my trousers were trying to flee my slightly improved waistline?). Conclusions. #1. We were glad we were in France during their elections. We feel like we had a calming influence of the French. #2. Most French people speak some English and don't care if we speak French. #3 Look forward to going back, but AFTER the exchange rates move in favor of the USD. #4 See more by seeing ...

... venue and piecing together the story as best they can, while there are still Survivors of the Grande around to testify. This is a good thing, and I'm proud to be part of it. My daughter Sunny shows up with her sister Celia and my granddaughter Beyonce, fresh from Sunny's graduation ceremony at WSU and resplendent in her cap and gown, hard-earned after about 20 years of slogging away at her coursework. Now that part is over, and she has to think about what ...

... thought I) knew Spanish, and the other program in Caceres was way too advanced for me. I knew Madrid would be really great, since my cousin studied there, as well as many of my older friends. I'd never lived in a truly large city before, so I knew this would definitely be a new experience for me.