Tuesdays with Michael

(Okay, that was a pop culture reference to the book and movie, Tuesdays with Morrie)

Things at the law office were busy this morning. Not as hectic as I had anticipated, because Joe was working on a lot of his other business stuff -- his rentals, etc. That always makes him frustrated, which Mama and Daddy would understand having been landlords. He told me once if he could devote the appropriate amount of time to handling his rental properties (offices and apartments), he would make more than he does as a lawyer, but the law work takes priority because it tends to become urgent first.

Anyway, I survived the morning, came home and finished up Vinko's dissertation editing. Almost seventy pages, single-spaced, chunks of it in Greek and with footnotes in French, German and Italian. I think that is the first of what will be five chapters. I was able to get it off to him so that he can submit it to his teacher, so at least we are on schedule.

In today's mail I got an invitation to Fred Hickey's ordination to the priesthood in July. Fred will be the last of the guys that I worked with in their formation to be ordained. Very nice guy and I am glad it has worked out for him. The picture is of Fred and Michael Berry, taken on the occasion of their solemn profession in 2005. Fred is the short guy. They were classmates, but Michael was ordained last year. The week before Fred's ordination I plan to be at Holy Hill to celebrate their silver jubilee of ordination with Fred Alexander and Steve Payne. Steve will be back from Kenya for a few weeks and it will be good to touch base with him.

No new birds, no new critters, not even any new bugs to report. I guess we are sliding into the stability of summer now.

The big news at The Lodge is that Tom caved and is having central air installed. When the house was planned, the builder tried to talk him into installing it, but Tom would not be convinced. He did go so far as to let everything be set up for it to be added should he change his mind. After coping with window units last summer, the noise and the bills, Tom decided to eat crow rather than go through that again. (This was after he spent most of Sunday working on wooden frames to put the window units into, though.) Yesterday he called his builder and asked him to get someone to do the work. Now we wait.