Reconnected

Good Wednesday evening to you! We are now back in the 21st century with our Comcast services restored. It turns out that our apartment had been disconnected at the box which apparently happens a lot at the end of the month as people move out. I realized how ridiculous this whole process has become when I opened the door to let the technician in and he said, "Oh, hi". Turns out he was one of the many who had already been dispatched to attempt to resolve the wireless connection problem (which still remains one of life's greatest mysteries...or at least downtown Baltimore's). I have conceded defeat and am perfectly happy to just plug in a wire to my laptop, but we have one last friend coming to visit soon who wants to take on this challenge. Not to minimize his capability, but let's just say I'm not disconnecting the wire just yet.

As promised, here are some pictures from our weekend in Florida with Michael. As anticipated, the weather was amazingly warm and beautiful.



On Thursday, we went to Bay Hill Country Club where the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament was being held and helped Tiger Woods begin his amazing comeback.







Having never been to a golf tournament before, I took my camera and was clicking away when one of the workers told me that if security saw me they would confiscate it. I thought that was very nice of him to warn me and this picture of Tiger stretching before his next shot was the last one I got. It was a great experience and since it was just the first day, the crowds weren't bad and we were able to see him up close several times.



Michael and Hamp went back on Friday to watch the second round and I stayed at the hotel and read by the pool and enjoyed the warmth. When they got back, the guys joined me for a while before we went out to celebrate Michael's birthday. I think he was talking to Tiffany who was one of many that called to wish him a happy day.



On Saturday, we went to the Braves Spring Training game and watched them get beat by the Yankees. Somehow in that setting, the final score doesn't matter as much. There's just something fresh about baseball in the early spring when all teams are still equal and most of the players are playing for the sheer love of the game.



Don Sutton is back as one of the Braves announcers after Skip Caray passed away last year and Pete Van Wieren retired. While they can never be replaced, having a familiar voice back in the booth will help ease their loss.



Chipper Jones started at third base and I would like to go on record as saying that it's about time the Braves got something right by renewing his contract so he will be able to retire in a few years as a lifelong Braves player.



Brian McCann started the game as catcher, but was hit by a foul tip and had to leave. He's regarded as one of the best in the game now and it will be fun to see what kind of season he has.



I have to add this one of Glenn Hubbard who played second base for the Braves when our kids were little. He's a great Christian guy who still works for the Braves as the infield coach and has always been a fan favorite.



For true baseball fans, I'll throw in this picture of Derek Jeter who is the shortstop for the Yankees. He's a great player and leader in baseball and while I will never like the Yankees, I do respect the role he has had in the sport.



To end our time in Orlando, we got to meet Will and Jenn and Baby K for dinner and catch up a little with them. They are much loved "kids" of ours and one of the draws for Tiffany and Nikki as they move there this summer.





And what about the house, you ask? The offer we received while in Florida held together and we have officially sold it! Obviously, we are very thankful with the market being what it is right now. But I have to tell you that even though I'm now living in Baltimore, this makes the move seem more final somehow and I've had a tough couple of days. We have a lot to do in the next three weeks including a wedding in Athens that Tiffany and I were already coming back for. At least I'm not bored! I came across a quote by Helen Keller the other day that pretty much sums up life for us right now: "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing".