Six and Counting

With six days to go, I have my last major project at work to complete all day today. I have one minor project next week, and then the major packing begins. The extent of my excitement about going to Italy is only tempered by the fact that I will be away from my wonderful wife for two weeks. I will miss her dearly, and I told her last night that the best part of my vacation will be seeing her beautiful face again on my return. As much as I am looking forward to this trip, being with her is the real joy in my life.

OK, a few hurdles we may run into. Weather is the first! A major storm is coming through the northeast as I type this, and flight delays are already building. My hope is that the airlines will be caught up by late next week and that there are no further storms coming. The long range forecast looks wet, but pretty good otherwise. The connection in Philadelphia is my big concern, as if Philly was not already a concern. More delays and cancellations have originated from this city than anywhere in my lifetime. Second is the government! With the pending financial crisis in full gear and the "sequestration" (whatever that is) looming on March 1, there MAY be a possibility that the TSA will experience significant cuts causing delays through airport security. I hope this is a non-issue, while at the same time hope that our lawmakers do not cave to the left. Enough about politics. Third, and this really does not bother me, is the frequency of minor earthquakes that have been occurring over the past week in Italy. These are actually close to where I will be spending a significant amount of time. Last, I would love to have so great weather in Italy so we can visit the sites unhampered with gloomy conditions.

Hope to provide another update soon!