Grutz says, "Is the end near?" or "College towns are wonderful. College apartments are, um, fine."

Tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, tornados, radiation, uprisings, the NFL Draft/lockout, and a Royal wedding?!?!
It's not in Revelations, but what an odd/scary time.  Sure, I mock the importance placed on the Draft and the wedding.  But everything else, the natural disasters and the "so-last-week" uprisings in northern Africa/Middle East should be reflected upon.  Here I am lamenting garbage day in our 'hood (the trucks are loud and it takes ages to get all the garbage at 6:45 in the morning) when others are waking up to this...

Aftermath of the tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa.  Image from TuscaloosaNews.com - Michelle Lepianka Carter

Poplar Bluff, MO, flooding from the Black River.  Photo Paul Davis

Even though we all have our own struggles and challenges, we are all very fortunate and lucky that they are of the "everyday" variety.  If you can help out with these stunning disasters please do, The American Red Cross.  And, as if you need the additional incentive, you can write-off donations......

Athens, OH does not like to be confused with Athens, GA.
En route to Washington, DC, Carleen and I made a stop in Athens, OH, home of Ohio University and Julia Healy.  She lives in a very nice, orange house with a couple of roommates.  The inside of the house looks like what you'd imagine.  I'm glad I'm not an undergrad anymore.  Julia is rocking something like 46 (I kid) hours of 400 level classes or something as near impossible to achieve her goal of graduating early.  Also, I find that her criticism of classes being "stupid" or professors being "dumb" is at an all time low, like only 28% of her classes.  It was a joy to have dinner with her and then have her join us in a sleepover at the local HolidayInn.  I was reminded of college life as we left in the morning as Julia "stocked up" on food from the continental breakfast.  Starving undergrads, oh, it's nice to know the circle remains unbroken.  So we left Julia and Athens, amid flood warnings, to make our way to DC.

Hello DC!
We trekked to Washington DC to see the sights and of course spend time with Nanna Nana. Ingrid was a fantastic host and had a litany of things for us to do.  First on the list, the Renwick Gallery!

Ghost Clock by Wendell Castle.  It looks like a shrouded clock, but its solid wood, carved to look like fabric.

Carleen appreciating the American artist gallery.

Game Fish by Larry Fuente.

Game Fish up close.  Yep, it's made of, well, stuff.

Nana left us to our own demise after the Renwick Gallery and we headed to the monuments.

Caleen posing at the Jefferson Memorial.

Nick soaking up the history.  If you haven't been to the Capitol you're missing out.

Carleen at our favorite of the memorials, FDR.

That was just a glimpse of our first day out.  More to follow.

My goodness, I was so concerned.
Along the lines of our DC visit, President Obama, yesterday, released his birth certificate.  Is this really what's it gotten to?  Really?!?  Just politically speaking, hasn't Obama done enough for the right to be critical?  They go after a possible clerical formality?  Anyway, here's a link to some more "certificate" issues for a possible republican "candidate".  Enjoy!

Birthday for today.
Nelle Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926) is an American author best known for her 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Despite being Lee's only published book, it led to Lee being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom of the United States for her contribution to literature in 2007. Lee has also been the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, but has always declined to make a speech.