My vacation has begun.
I'm approx 2,420 miles from home in a small town called Grayling, MI.
I'm sitting in my Nephew's school parking lot sipping from a small stream of Verizon coverage to satisfy my need for "connection."
The only internet access where we are staying - at his home - is all dammed up behind a dial-up modem.
His graduation from High school starts in about 45 minutes. I'm not much for these "ceremony" type events, but what's to lose, I'm on vacation. There's nowhere else to be anyway.

I went running this morning with his younger brother, Nick.
He, is a great athlete - even in 8th grade. Hockey, baseball, soccer, track.
Not bad, and he's built for cycling if he ever wanted to get serious about it.

Chris, who's graduating as Salutatorian, is headed for U of M - Aeronautical Engineering - Don't ask, I don't know either.
He also is a very talented young man with interests in sports, music, and girls.

_______________________________

I'm back - several days after the graduation. No offence to my nephew who graduated, but...
I'm REALLY not much for these "ceremony" type events. I can't help it, I like action and movement. Sitting for an hour and a half, hemmed in by obnoxiously proud friends and family, while the full name of 140 high schoolers is read in monotone, is far from action and movement.

Among the most frustrating events of my trip thus far occurred immediately after the graduation, as we searched for the soccer field where Nick - nephew not graduating that day (but would graduate from 8th grade later in the week) was playing a soccer game.
We missed his soccer field and ended up on the far side of the park. What should my eyes behold? Dozens of mountain bikes - with numbers attached to the handle bars. Stink!!! I just missed a race, and showed up in time to hear the awards being handed out.

"Has anyone seen Ben Smith? ... Ben Smith? ... Ben Smith please come to the judges table to receive your prize ... let's see here, what did Ben win? ... Oh alright! A pair of socks from one of our sponsors...

Yes indeed I showed up in time to hear them awarding a pair of socks - socks that could of been mine if I had only known. Bummer.

That was Sunday.

Monday I walked with my wife and ate lots of bad things.
Tuesday I ran 6.5 miles in the morning, we canoed for 4 hours and approx. 8 miles down the Au Sable River and ate lots of bad things. Ella rode in a canoe with her aunt and uncle - tickled pink.
Wednesday we traveled most of the day, didn't exercise, and ate lots of bad things.
Today, Thursday, we walked 3 miles this morning, and ate lots of bad things.

Life's rough on Vacation.

Later.