Simplicity and the single malt
Dateline: In the Shire, Indiana, 28 July 2005
A day of simplifying. Got home very late from San Diego on Tuesday. Flight from Las Vegas got held up a bunch outside Indy waiting for T-storm cell to leave the scene. A month of some tornados around here.
Still, so much nicer than having to fly all the way to Providence.
Instead of driving back to apartment, met my spouse and kids in Terre Haute. Spouse successfully passed the written driver's test and helped me cram for my own test today here in Indy. Not easy at all. A weird hurdle to cross that most people never encounter unless they switch states.
Yesteday and today here at apartment all about reducing the boxes, deciding what goes back to POD (we drive to the warehouse tomorrow and access one for this purpose) and getting the place in order (like repairing the CPU this morning from its jostling in the move) and getting back online.
Tomorrow is similarly lost, but then we're close to being settled in. Weekend lost to family b-day celebration. Special things planned.
Found out today that Colts do summer camp at Terre Haute at Rose Hulman. Will definitely have to check that out. Pretty sure we'll have to see Manning once this year.
Knowing this week mostly lost, that's why I put in the effort on the blog during the San Diego trip. I will reengage seriously next Monday, letting another author guest in newsletter again this week. Did answer some questions from readers on flight home, so working when I can.
When I come back, first newsletter I pen will be on the Department of Defense's report on China. Getting all sorts of interesting feedback from readers around DoD and Pentagon on that one. Looks like I will likewise have something on China in the November issue of Esquire--at last discussion. That will go well with release of Blueprint for Action. The China story is the biggest subtext to Vol II, along with big answers to big needs within the U.S. Government and international system for getting the next Iraqs so much more right. I see echoes of my ideas in a lot of prominent formers writing articles and op-eds right now, so I know I'm on the right track and the timing of BFA couldn't be better. I remain supremely glad I got it done in Jan and Feb. Writing from this tiny built-in desk is okay, but it ain't exactly over the garage.
As for that, we met with builder Kent today in his really beautiful house. Picked a slew of things (bricks, trim, windows and marble for various heads, plus front door). Kent is really cool in that he can talk virtually any subject related to construction or design or feng shui or flow or look and feel or electrical or plumbing or trees or bushes or drainage or whatever. That breadth of his knowledge and his enthusiasm for making dreams come true for people makes the process so much fun. He begins framing in a little over a week.
This is good. This place seems so tiny from our house. Four people--maybe. Six is quite the stretch. Still, the crucible proves all.