Yesterday, my Dad and I went to our family reunion, north of Pittsburgh. This is actually my Mom's side of the family. Attendance has been dwindling over the years and I think this year's count ranged from 22 to 25. Not sure where the extra three people came from or who did the counting or if alien abduction was involved, but that's what I was told. I ran out of fingers and toes to continue beyond 20.

There are a couple of things that usually happen. Since, it's always in July, it's guaranteed to be hot. It has been as high as 105, and normally flirts with the lower 90's. Same thing happened yesterday, but we were saved by some cloud cover and it wasn't as awful as expected. Oh, it was a scorcher, but not death-defying. The other thing is since it is so hot, the threat of rain is usually at a peak. No lie, some of the worst rain I've ever driven through has occurred on the way back from this event. Of course, last evening, I barely got to Streetsboro before the skies emptied.

But we are in quite the quandary of wondering if we should continue the reunion on an annual basis. Because attendance is really taking a hit. I am in the camp of once you start skipping years, it's too easy to blow off. Kind of "out of sight, out of mind". For instance, the last one I made was in 2005. We skipped '06 and I had a conflict in '07. So, I felt obligated to make this one. Honestly, something better comes along in 2009, I'm probably not there again. Therein lies the problem.

The food remains wonderful, but we have it in a place that does not allow the serving of alcohol. Sure, that's a detriment, and not a real reason not to attend. But it would be nice to have a beer or two. The older everyone gets, there is a sense of not wanting to do any activities. You don't have enough people, it's too damn hot, etc. These days, it consists of driving, or in my case, speeding there, eating, chatting, then speeding back. Yesterday was the earliest I've left, right before 5:00. So, there remains a sense of is it becoming worth it on an annual basis. My time in the car yesterday was starting to get close to how long I was actually "reunioning".

For once, I don't have any answers. I think the younger folks just aren't interested anymore. Sad, but probably realistic. Cleveland is always proposed, but that means a higher percentage of attendees needs to hit the road and there were rumblings of gas prices. Shoot, 240 miles isn't gonna kill anyone's budget, I'd say. But attendance would dwindle even more if it were here. And I just don't agree with skipping years. So, it's a stalemate.

So, back home today, what happens? I get the dreaded flat tire! I was coming back from Marc's (where I saw Marc himself today) and I avoided a large piece of debris in the road. However, I hit something else and started hearing things. Pretty much sensed it was a flat. I wondered if it was the slow leak or hissing variety. Got out of the car and crap! It sounded like a train whistle. At least I got it home to change the tire. It appeared that I had driven over a Ninja star. Didn't see any lurking about, but I must have been targeted somehow.

The other thing today was I am making my daily rounds and while I was walking, I see a neighbor I hadn't seen in a while. As I passed, I asked him how he was doing. Unbeknownst to me previously, he reached up to his throat and while he didn't have the cancer kazoo, it sounded like one. OK, if that wasn't bad enough, I noticed myself actually watching his hand slowly, agonizingly, go to his throat. Subtlety is my game, you know. Ugh! I hope my transitionals (and boy, do I like the photographer chick on that commercial) were dark at that point. What a stupid I am.

Meal of Links

Terrorist threat? What terrorist threat? You know if we think that, the terrorists win.

"Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues." The blues is dying a slow death in Chicago.

In Japan, people are dying from working too much. Maybe they should move to France.

Canadians aren't all that interested in having a melting pot. Don't worry, they still like pot.

Exercise Yard

The All-Star Game is being held at Yankee Stadium, in its final year. But how about some love for Shea Stadium, in its final year?

Visitor

None. Another sunny Sunday.