Notes from behind the Zion Curtain

Not a bad view from behind the Curtain

Thanks to a pilot who must have traded his soul to that she hag, Mother Nature, what was going to be a two-hour plus delay was only 30 minutes today, getting me back from the Zion Curtain with time to spare earlier this evening.

It was a great three day trip for me, although the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML gets eight days. I don't want to turn this into a horrible blog version of your Aunt Shirley's three week trip to the Holy Land with her friend from Bingo, Ruth, you know the one who's husband had the thyroid...you get the point. So here are the highlights:

Week Two from the Zion Curtain
Most importantly, it's Monday, which means our weekly update from TMFKATB. This week's letter was great to read. He's settling in well and is very busy. Health-wise, he feels really good and we are so grateful for that. Service opportunities abound and he's getting to work with Spanish speakers. He doesn't like arepas (he's working with several people from Venezuela and Colombia now) which was a blow to me. They are delicious. It was very odd for me to drive by the exit for the city in which he's serving on Saturday morning. When I saw it as I hurtled down the I15, I, of course, started to cry. I knew he was out there, getting ready to go to work. I resisted the urge to veer off the freeway and go find him. He's got better things to do.

The Greek Wedding
The purpose of our trip was to attend the wedding of the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML's cousin. SML grew up close to her cousins and we couldn't miss this event. Our daughters joined us so it was a mini-family reunion. Alison's wedding was in a Greek Orthodox church and it was amazing. Alison was a beautiful bride and it was so fun to see family. The whole shindig was somewhat reminiscient of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" in a lot of ways. If I'm being honest, though, I was saddened to not see a tidal wave of Windex. The homemade Greek pastries at the wedding dinner more than made up for it. Here's some scenes from the event:

Just missing The Boy and The Grandson

The women in my life - how did I get so lucky?

Glad my hair is as gray as my suit

The Grandson
One of the bonuses of having a family wedding in the Zion Curtain is that we get to stay with The Awesomes. This means hanging out with our grandson. It doesn't get much better than that, I have to tell you. He's just turned two and has become incredibly verbal. One of my favorite parts of the trip was to hear him hollering, 'Bampa! Bampa!' Each time I heard it, his wish was my command. Whether it was riding his bike, walking his neighborhood and finding every ant on the sidewalk, swimming, or sneaking fruit snacks, we had a good time. I had to say goodbye to him last night and again, I shed a tear or two, allegedly. As I drove to Salt Lake, I muttered repeatedly to myself, 'I can't keep doing this.' It's tough to be this far away from him. From the Awesomes. From CAL. I'm turning into an old softie in my middle age. I've got to do something about that.

Riding dirty

Chillin'

"Chillin'"

'Chillin' - that's how TMFKATB described himself in the picture. He has an obsession with these chairs, having made it clear already he's bringing one home. He seems perfectly relaxed, just chillin'.

Now, lest you think that I've been chillin,' I know I'm late in getting this posted and that I've actually been pretty silent here in the Den for the last several days. Combine a customized "Parents Weekend" trip with CAL in Dallas and a big work conference in Atlanta, wherein I had the honor of interviewing the president of Delta Air Lines in front of 700 of my industry peers, and throw in obscene hotel wi-fi charges, a rash of postings are nigh unto impossible. Hence, the late nature of the update.

All is well for TMFKATB. As he put it in his letter, it was a 'cool week.' He had some great experiences with seeing people make changes in their lives and circumstances brought him back to the first area he lived and served in. He was able to see some people there who are now good friends, so that made for a great week. He also learned that his companion who he has been training is being transferred. TMFKATB is staying put, but will once again, be training a brand-new missionary. He's a bit bowled over at the responsibility of training, but is committed to making it a great experience for this new missionary.

I can't help but admire his 'chill' pose. As I mentioned, CAL and I were in Dallas, wherein we got to do some chillin' of our own. We had a great time at a baseball game, watching the Texas Rangers play the Houston Astros. There's not a bad seat in that stadium, can I just tell you? We got our history freak on at Dealey Plaza. When we first entered the infamous sixth floor, I was taken aback at the emotion that briefly overcame me. What a tragic period in our history and I could not help but wonder about what could have been had an assassin's bullet not taken the life of President Kennedy.

While CAL was at seminar, I got to see a couple of great friends which led to all manner of laughter and excellent conversation, as well as indulging in a borderline religious experience involving brisket tacos. As I spent time hanging out with my daughter and these friends, I was reminded that I'm a lucky man. You've heard me say that before and you're going to hear more of it from me. I'd be a fool not to acknowledge it. I'm a lucky man.

Speaking of lucky, I'm thinking this lamb may not be so lucky:

An outdoor kitchen. A lamb. I hope this little guy didn't name the lamb....

TMFKAB included this picture in his letter. Call me crazy, but I don't think things are going to end well for the lamb. Seems to me the lucky one will be the one who gets the lamb in his taco.