Hello all,
Time for a quick Family update.

Betty has returned home after an all too short a visit to France. She was here for 20 days and each one made me realize how much I miss her. We all know that people take each other for granted, but having Betty around I realize just how much I enjoy being around her. I won't go into all of her good qualities, no one has that much time. I will tell you that her laughter lights up my life. She is truly the only one who fully gets me. There is no need to be anyone other than who I am around her.

While she was here we traveled some, ate a lot, explored new drinks, cheeses, and met some people who we will always remember and talk about with great fondness. I know that she enjoyed herself, because just a few days after her return she told me she took a blanket a bottle of wine and walked across the street to have a quiet rest near the pond and watch the ducks. Quite French for sure. As time is passing she has also started talking more about the things she misses, like goat cheese salads, and crusty bread with soft cores.

Chris is doing well, still in Ft.Polk La. but has informed us that he will be going to West Point on assignment. He doesn't know for how long, or for exactly what, but he volunteered for it. If nothing else, he will be getting a rest from the southern heat of summer and the monotony of life on a base in the middle of nowhere. He has mentioned that his ear has been bothering him, not really hurting as he put it, just bothering him. I am not really sure what that means, but I figure if it was bothering him enough, he would do something about it, so for now I will shrug it off. I am hoping he will get a leave after the mystery assignment and be able to come home for a visit. If not, Betty and I will figure out where he is and go and camp outside the base until his guard duty (oops, I spelled "duty") takes him on patrol past our spot.

Nick has been a great help around the house while I have been away, even taking care of the animals during Betty's visit. He didn't even loose one of them the entire time, or if he did, he found them in time and isn't telling anyone. He has been working on the yard, and getting contractors in to do repairs when necessary. Betty let the last yard man go, and hired a new one, who suggested that the yard needed more color, so Betty and he are working on livening up the color scheme. He is still working as a life guard and had to save another person, well, he isn't sure that the guy really needed to be saved, but Nick felt he had waited long enough for the guy to surface and then jumped in. Better safe than sorry for sure.

Me, well let's see. Still in France at least until May 31, then back home for a week. The immigration laws say that I can only be in France for 90 days without a visa (by the way, most places here don't take American Express ;)). So I booked my flight and ironically got notified that my visa is ready to be processed two days afterwards. The ironic part is that I have to go to Miami to get it, so either way, it's back to the states. My stay here will end July 14 when they kick me out of my apartment, again ironically, it is Bastille day, and my flight home isn't until the 15Th. I have already said that I wasn't going to miss the fireworks going off of the Eiffel Tower, but now it sounds like I may have to sleep under it.

That's it for now, I hope all is well in your neck of the woods, and with the ones who are dearest to you.
Stay well.
Robert