Notes From Our Honeymoon Journal, Seven Years Ago At This Time

"The vendor came over, pointed to it, and said, 'Future!  The future!'  I really wish I knew what he was really trying to get across to me.  If I buy the flask, am I destined to take up golf later in life, swinging my way through life?  Or was he asserting his firm and, perhaps, correct belief, that at some point in humankind's not-so-distant future, all people will be carrying around silver flasks, swigging unknown beverages?  Whether this earnest man is a prophet or merely not good at transitioning Thai thoughts into English words, we will most likely never know."  [Matt wrote this after a visit to the Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai, where there was a flask for sale, festooned with a golfer swinging his club.]

"We were standing, trying to decide how to cross the thanon, when we heard someone exclaim, 'Hey, Patty!'  How bizarre it was to hear someone in the middle of provincial Chiang Mai, in Thailand, shout out my wife's name!!"  [Matt wrote this after we met new friends, from the train north, for dinner.]

"Then Gnop brought out the whiskey and the cloth balls on string.  He wet the balls and lit them in the campfire.  He swung around first one, then two of those balls of fire.  He then tried a new trick, for him, blowing whiskey onto a torch so the flame was huge."  [I wrote this about our overnight stay in a Karen village in northern Thailand]

Dinner Date

We got to spend some quality time with our good friends, the Keslers, including our goddaughter, Coco.  Here are G and his dear friend Morgan with the balloon animals a man made them at dinner. 

Afterwards, we all went to the playground in the Square, where we found G's good friend Maddie and her aunt Judith, Patty's aquaintance.  It is a beautiful evening in Marietta Square, where people are packing in to see a band called Glow perform.  We really do enjoy these warm Georgia evenings.
 

Great Minds Dress Alike

Lego Star Wars clothing seems to be an essential part of any six-year-old's wardrobe.

Michigan Trip, Day One

Here is the first day of our trip, in photos and video.

G's Lego people kept him occupied for much of the ride from Georgia to Ohio.

We stopped in Lexington to visit with my high school friend Erica, whom I haven't seen in over 18 years, and her beautiful kids.

Tony, Debbie, Grandpa Kranz, Chip, me, and Matt before the big game.

The Chipster at Michigan Stadium.

The marching band takes the field.  We were very excited.

One of our proudest moments:  G cheering for our team.

Touchdown!

Student section.

Halftime show:  a tribute to Lady Gaga.

An appropriate formation.

Our first Michigan game as a family - in fact, the first one Matt and I have attended together, surprisingly.

Denard gets the ball.

And hands it off...  or is it a fake?

Cute Michigan fan.

Final score.

Exodus Of The Masses

Michigan victory:  42 - 37!  Now 110,187 people try to get home.  Fortunately, we can walk back to Carlene's and Roy's house.