A couple of weeks ago, I attended the AMWA Spring Board of Directors Meeting, which was held in Rockville, MD. I reconnected with some of my AMWA friends and made new ones. One of the joys of being part of this group is the instant connection between people who can obsess over comma placement.
I caught up with the delegate from the Southern California chapter in Denver, and we shared a cab from Reagan International to our hotel. We will likely never forget the adventure of being sideswiped on the freeway in rush-hour traffic. Our cab driver was frantically talking about the accident on his cell phone, while ignoring the attempts of the other driver to get him to move his cab close enough for them to exchange information. The man who hit us finally gave up and drove away, leaving our driver to his electronic devices. I really enjoyed getting to know Noelle over the next few days. Our strongest connection was our shared faith in God.
From there I trucked (literally) to Altoona, PA, to visit my nephew, Ryan, and his bride, Anna. This Saturday marks their first wedding anniversary. A year ago, we were all in the Bahamas celebrating them and enjoying time with family. Since then, Ryan has successfully defended his doctoral thesis and finished his first year as an assistant professor of English. Both he and Anna (MFA) teach English courses at Penn State-Altoona. It was good to see them getting established.
We did some sightseeing on campus and in nearby State College. I was treated to my first ever exploration of an underground cave-- the nation's only water cavern, no less. And I taught them a new card game, Nanaimo Rummy, which they plan to show to Anna's folks.
I also can boast of sitting at the table of Newlywed, Newly Veg. While I can claim family privilege, there are a growing number of admirers who would be quite envious of me. Anna is making a concerted effort to prepare healthy food, and her presentation has a definite artistic flair.
This week, I will get to catch up with two people I've not seen in years. My college roommate, Carol, is planning a visit to my home and the Oregon coast. We have a friendship that picks up right where it left off, as if we'd never been apart. Saturday, I will catch up with long-time friend, Ken, at a church function. I greatly admire his dedication to wife Susan, who suffered a stroke during preparation for surgery several years ago and can no longer live at home. His love for her remains strong.
It is a good time to be thankful for family and friends. And, I am.
