Final Exams

Remember how the start of final exams felt during HS or college? Where you feel like a quarter on a train track with the locomotive's rumble signaling that the stretching pain is rapidly approaching? Yeah...as I was pondering this day & tomorrow's all-important appt., that's sort of how I feel. This could be a day of revealing great stuff, or a day of getting drilled by what's in store. Much like final exams. (reminder/prayer point: conclusive results of "nothing to see here" on all of these tests would be great news!) On the plus side, 27 hours from now will provide a measure of certainty, and basic financial economics theory says that certainty is preferred to uncertainty. (No charge for that--if anyone runs into Drs. Jean & Helms @ U. of AL's business school, tell them I remembered something they taught me. And be amazed that I still remember something I was taught in grad school back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth...)

We had a great trip out yesterday. Well, except for the near constant rain. And the perpetual road construction that leaves about 6 inches clearance on either side of the car before the concrete barriers. (important note to our great friend: we did not make contact with any of said barriers in your truck! Just so you know...) And the vast, vast number of people for whom driving on an interstate was apparently a brand new experience (memo that was missed by many in W LA & E TX yesterday: the left lane on an interstate would be the passing lane. Thus, the intent is for vehicles in that lane to be going faster than vehicles in the right lane. Also, randomly stomping hard on your brakes at 70 mph in the midst of driving rain is generally contra-indicated. You're welcome; glad I could clear that up for you). It seems that yesterday was "give your car keys to a moron & send them out on the interstate" day in LA & TX. *sigh* (Hold it...a friend gave us his car keys & sent us out on the interstate yesterday...nah, couldn't be. It was all those other people, I tell ya!) Other than that, though, a good trip out. James & I covered a lot of ground in terms of solving the world's problems and listening to great music. We're multi-taskers; we did both at the same time. The musical order of the day was TX roadhouse blues--ZZ Top, followed by Stevie Ray Vaughan. After those 2, it was screaming metal time.

Shortly, James & I will head over to Starbucks for eats & coffee, prior to heading up the road to MDA for the tests this afternoon.

Thanks so much for your prayers, my friends! Give yourself a hug on my behalf today. Seriously, we are humbled, blessed, awed, and most grateful for the grace notes y'all have added to the score of our lives.

With love and hope,
Mike