Personal Update
Well, it's been several weeks since my last update (49 is several...), and I've got a lot to say. Fortunately, senility has kicked in, and I've forgotten half of it. Also, to target my audience better, I figured I'd break things down into 2 or 3 different posts, by category (I've been working with spreadsheets WAY too long).
So, on a personal note...
I'M GONNA BE A GRANDPA! Actually, Jon and Aarati are expecting a girl in September (does that make me a grandmother?) and Rachel is expecting in October. Christmas this year is going to be a hoot!
Back in February, Pat and I scheduled a cruise through the Panama Canal for November, before any of this news was known. So Rachel had better be on time. Now we have to decide if we (1) stop in Chicago to see Asha Kimberly Lipman on our way to San Diego; or (2) go from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago to Boston after the cruise. The second sounds kinda silly, but has certain logistical advantages.
I'm especially impressed with Aarati. Between throwing up sessions (bad morning sickness), she finished her PhD dissertation and defense (passed with high praise by the board) and got her doctorate this summer. Pat and I flew to Chicago in May for the ceremony. Besides, it gave us a chance to visit my mother, always a good thing.
We also went to Hawaii in March to visit Pat's mom, plus Pat's sister, brother-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews and a grand-niece and 4 grand-nephews. Mrs. Jackson is now 94 and still living by herself. The house has gone a bit downhill over the years. Cooking dinner was an interesting experience without an oven, and with only one burner with only 2 settings: On or Off. She's been living off pre-cooked chickens for G-d knows how long, so Pat and I made sure we came up with something different. Strangely enough, while most foodstuffs are between 50% and 100% more expensive there than here, shrimp was relatively inexpensive, and easy (and fast) to cook. You can't eat shrimp every day (actually, I think I could), but it took care of a few meals at least.
I could add all sorts of stuff about the kids - new jobs, new places, etc. - but I'll leave that for another post. Probably next May...