Well, it was a tad cold since the heater in the water bed had gotten disconnected a few days ago when a friend was doing some wiring in our absence. But it felt great after being away from home for six weeks. Yes, you can tell it here and on my other sites and lists, but I'll try to make up for it.

Vicki and Leila are off to the monthly ladies' meeting this afternoon, the boys just had to go play basketball (they went yesterday, too), and I came to the office on a holiday weekend (Nov. 15, Proclamation of the Republic) to catch up on email and see if everything was still in its place.

This trip to the U.S. was upbeat, just terrific. More on that later, if I don't get caught up in my work before . . .

We made it in to the USofA today, after 21 hrs of travel, clockwork flights, and uneventful trip. Came through Dallas after changing our airline and flight the day before. Delta really disappointed me, so we came by American. Flew around Lili, I guess.

Dad and I went to a funeral visitation tonight of a 40-year-old man who'd been fighting cancer for a couple of years. Was really a fighter, but didn't win this one. But he won the Big One.

Feeling pretty good, but after tonight's Mexican chicken, banana pudding, and some other cake-marshmellow-chocolate-nut mixture, I can tell this trip is not going to be good for me weight scales. Aach!

I'll keep this good-looking little girl, but I'm not so sure about the dog. Even if he does wear a necktie.

Yesterday the American consulate called to say Joel's passport had arrived. We went last week to renew it, and instead of coming away with it in an hour's time, they now send it the applications off to the U.S. So that meant another trip. The lady had said about 10 days, but as it turned out, it took a week.

Joel and I caught the 8 a.m. bus at the bus station. (Sometimes I catch it on the highway.) Arriving the Tietê station, we caught the north-south metro line, then hopped the subway under Avenida Paulista. Got off at Consolação and headed down Rua Pe. Joao Manuel, the street the American consulate is on. Within five minutes we had his passport in hand.

Retraced our steps and were back in SJC at 12:45 p.m. At Jacareí (the city before SJC), I called the house from Vicki's cell phone, but she had gone to Walmart with Micah. We just missed them. So Micah turned around and picked us up. I came straight to the office, since Joel and I had eaten a sub sandwich at the Tietê bus station before our departure.

Check one more off the to-do list.

Well, actually from the city of Taguatinga in the Federal District. My plane touched down in Sao Paulo 15 minutes early, and I was able to get a ride back home to Sao Jose dos Campos with Otavio and Valeria as they headed this way for our regular Sunday meeting. Was good to chat with them on the way.

I knew this time the attendance for the course would be small, reflecting the size of the group there. But they're an excited bunch, and the time passed all too quickly.

All my traveling done until the big one October 1, to the U.S.