Back in the saddle again

Feeling lower than bugspit for neglecting this blog. I did 4 weeks of summer school classes in Idaho Falls, 3 weeks of a major fantastic roadtrip, and one week of company. With just two weeks left of my summer vacation I can do one of two things: scream and run naked into the field because the summer just went toooooo darn fast or pack each day left so full that it begs for mercy. Actually I fell off a stepstool yesterday. As I came crashing and twisting down to a pathetic heap on the floor, my life flashed before my eyes. Well, not my life really--just the possibility that I had "laid myself up" for the remainder of the holiday!!! And did THAT ever frost me! But fortunately today I seem to be walking with only minimal ankle discomfort, and even though my neck is stiff I think I'm going to pull through! (the crowd cheers...) Hey about this major road trip. I'll be posting some random pictures but until then allow me to recount some highlights: Raft trip down the Snake River outside of Jackson Hole, dragging my travelmates away from Old Faithful before it erupted (even though they'd traveled 1500 miles to see it) because we were going to be late for the Bar J Wranglers (where incidentally we were served a very mediocre chuckwagon dinner. If you're considering it, don't), zip-lining at the Olympic Village in Park City, UT, hot air balloon ride over Sonoma Wine Country (mahvelous!!!!), walking over the Golden Gate Bridge twice, Yosemite (yes and YES and YESSSSSS again!!!), 13 hours in Disneyland, seeing not one not two not three not four but FIVE cousins, bodysurfing in Malibu, Wicked at the Plantages, Grand Canyon at sunset AND sunrise, Cirque du Soleil Beatles Love show in Las Vegas (drop whatever you're doing and sell whatever you need to to go), and a good soul-cleansing 12 hour Greyhound trip. There you go--highlights. Pictures to follow. Thanks to Eileen and Cathie --who always add a decidedly Eastern influence to my life--and Lana--who is the well-matched Pancho to my Don Quixote. Pictures to follow. An early-in-the-trip camera mix-up made me dependant on my compadres for pictures. Not to worry. I hope I haven't lost readers. "Come back!!! I was going to make espresso!" (from Young Frankenstein. I see they're doing that on Broadway.)