Faraway Land

Yes, it's been another hectic week. Again.

We're getting ready for site visits by two accrediting teams. Both will be at the college next week.

After a year and a half of working on reaffirmation tasks, I'm ready for the visit.

In addition to those preparations, I've been doing my usual tasks, which have kept me busy. With the addition of study hall, I've not had much of a life outside work.

I went to a football game last night. The opposing college might be best termed as my home college. It's the nearest college to where I lived before I moved here.

Family members have degrees from there as do many of my friends and acquaintances. While I didn't earn a degree from there, I did take a couple of classes one summer.

I spent a lot of my time over on the opposing side of the field. I saw some people I knew. I talked with a friend from school I'd not seen in a few years. She graduated from Heidelberg a year ahead of me, and she has a son who plays for the college.

I recognized one of the cheerleaders as being the daughter of a couple of other friends from Heidelberg. I told her to tell her parents hi for me.

She seemed surprised that I knew who she was. I usually speak to her parents whenever I'm at an athletic event at Heidelberg, and they've always mentioned her and her younger brother.

I ran into one of my second cousins at the game. She's the women's basketball coach at the college. I knew her father, my first cousin once removed, had been ill, but I hadn't heard how he was doing lately. I asked her and found out that he died a month ago.

The last time I saw him was at my father's funeral a little over three years ago. I wish I had heard. I've always liked him, and I would have found a way to attend his funeral service.

Over forty years ago, he was head football coach at Heidelberg High School. My father, his first cousin, filmed the football games.

I don't know how many people are left from my father's generation. He had a lot of first cousins.

I also saw an acquaintance of mine-- a guy who I've met a couple times previously in the course of my football writing sideline. He was surprised to see me at the game. I had to tell him that he was at the site of my day job.

We chatted for a while. I thought it was a good visit.

This weekend I plan to relax. I may go out tonight. I might go to WellsFest for the first time since I've been here in the area tomorrow.