Thirty years ago I was roaming nervously throughout Dr. Miltenberger’s home. Waiting for Rev. Harlan to show up and make an honest man of me. Combo Halloween Party/Reception followed (photo). Barb is still my best friend and I’m counting on another 30 years with her.
Off the grid for a few days starting Friday. Heading down to Tulsa for family time with Brother Blane. My nephew Ryan will be home from Union University (Jackson, TN) where he’s a freshman. Ryan and his brother and sister grew up in Indonesia and were home schooled. I’m eager to hear his thoughts on college life. If his Facebook page is any indication, he’s having a great time.
I’m not taking the MacBook on this trip so the blog will be dark for a few days (unless Ryan takes pity on me).
Barb hired a professional sand castle artist Mark Flynn to give the family a lesson. Not too bad for a first try. And lots of fun. Here’s the flickr set and slide show.
That’s a lot of windshield time for smays.com. But the company was good (Barb) and the distance still within my 1,000 mile drive-rather-than-fly range. Did I mention how much I hate the hassle of flying. You know what? I can’t wait for the current batch of American carriers to go belly-up. Sooner that happens, the sooner we’ll see alternatives. I’m serious as a depressurized cabin. But hey, I’m on vacation. Happy thoughts only.
The Miltenberger Clan has gathered here in beautiful Destin for a week of sun and fun. The nearby Starbucks (sorry, Taisir) has free wifi and I have some good books I’ve been stockpiling. Gotta run, it’s time for my post-drive bottom massage.
Destin-bound for the semi-annual (bi-annual?) Miltenberger Family Reunion. The clan will be descending on Amberjack Landing this weekend. I’m not a beach kinda guy (see Dudley Moore in “10”) but I love getting together with Barb’s family. Blogging will be sparse unless I can find a place with a cooler AND wifi.
If you want to glimpse the future, spend time with those that will live there. Back from a weekend with my brother and his family. The kids are 18, 16 and 12. They’re back in the states for 6 months to help Ryan get settled in college.
Uncle Steve was a big hit with his belated graduation present, but after giving Ryan his new iPod Touch, he was a little distracted the rest of the weekend. I also miss a lot of birthdays so we did a little catch-up with the other two. They opted for PSP’s (Play Station Portables).
The family is international with friends all over the world. But the kids do not use email to keep in touch (“Uncle Steve, please!”). The primary comm tools are SMS (texting) and Facebook. I had read that but it was interesting to hear it straight from the teenage horse’s mouth.
I’ve had a Facebook page for a while but never use it. If I want to keep in touch with my nephews and niece, that has to change.
Oh, and those PSP’s? Wifi ready so when they’re not gaming (or while they are), they can keep in touch with friends.
PS: On Saturday we stopped by the local Apple store. Packed. An iPhone class was underway and there were more gray heads than mohawks.
30 years ago, my brother, his wife and I toured Oklahoma and southern Missouri with a small circus. Our trampoline act was the headliner. This weekend we discovered we still had the moves and the magic.
From the monthly newsletter written by my brother and his wife:
“During Medieval times when there was a theft in a village, the people set up a “Hue and Cry”. This meant yelling, “Thief!” at the top of one’s lungs so that the other villagers would be alerted and the thief would be caught. The system worked so well that often the hue and cry would be heard several miles away from the scene of the actual theft.
Here in Indonesia, a third-world country, there is also a system of “Hue and Cry”. Only, the word thief is changed to the Indonesian word for thief, “Maling”. As we and I sat down to lunch today, we heard the local “hue and cry” of “Maling! Maling!” and we ran outside to see who the thief was. He was a cowardly one; that was evident by the way he yanked the necklace off my next door neighbor’s neck and continued on his way ON HIS MOTORCYCLE!
This is a frequent occurrence in this country and if/when the thief is caught, he is usually beaten by the crowd while waiting for the police to show up. He then may or may not receive a fair trial, depending on how much money the family can put up for his bail.”
Barb’s pop –Dr. Paul C. Miltenberger– is one of eleven residents (and former residents) that will be inducted into the Hall of Honor at the county library.
To have been considered for induction, individuals "must have distinguished themselves within their occupation, trade, or field of endeavor, through intellectual, creative, humanitarian and professional accomplishments."
Great opportunity to visit with some old friends and spend quality time with family. Took a drive around the old home town but didn’t take any pix. Just too much plywood.