June 16th p.m.

     Well it's been 5 days since a posting so we have a lot to catch up on.  This is in a nutshell what has happen, a well attended Anderson reunion on the 14th, man what a turnout we were all pleased.  There were about 60 in attendance and that might be a conservative count on my part, it was good to see cousins, nieces and nephews and even some of their kids.  No uncles left, but we still had two aunts in attendance....my Mom at 90 years old next month and my aunt Delores at 93 years old I believe.  We are now the aunts and uncles and we're even getting up there in age, and here's hoping the nieces and nephews keep this thing going.  After being in Phoenix for 20 years and not making many trips back to Iowa except for the occasional funeral, we started making it a yearly thing about 7 years ago.  Back then I got with my sister Nancy and had her arrange a picnic reunion of sorts and thus the annual Anderson reunion was once again a yearly event since that time.  Also since then Patty my cousin and her daughter Lynn have helped Nancy get things and keep things going, so yes I hope the nieces and nephews continue this tradition because there is nothing better than family and keeping in touch even over the miles and years.
     Friday night was local stock car races at the fairgrounds, a real Friday night staple in Davenport and the Quad Cities for years and years.  My cousins Darilyn and Robin have been attending since way back when and with Darilyn being in town from Tennessee for the reunion a few of us got together for a night of modified stock car racing on the old dirt track............what a night and oh how loud those cars are.  Bev and I and Lisa actually thought the night would never end, "I think this is the last one"...."no this is the last one for sure"......then another group would appear and then it was "OK this is for sure the last one" and then finally there was a last race.  Not that we were bored or anything, just it was late and all the cars looked the same after a while.  It was fun just being with the cuz's!
      Then it was a BBQ here and a ball game there and before you know it we were to Monday night looking forward to Tuesday and more adventures.  With Lisa and Jack being with us for this first leg of our journey it's been eat at this restaurant and that restaurant and any restaurant we don't have in Phoenix and this is killing my diet.  I will get back to the routine when they head back to Phoenix on Sunday or most likely be for that if I can make it happen...........and I must!
     Tomorrow night I have arranged for a couple of old friends and spouses to get together for dinner, Mike Thornton, Dave Naab and myself all started working for Peter Pan (Trausch Baking) the same day way back 39 or 40 years ago.  I left after 12 years for Phoenix, Dave left years later with back problems and Mike hung in there until retirement 5 or 6 years ago.  We visit Dave and his wife Marilyn each year we come back and enjoy them so much, but only visit Mike and his wife Patty once while they lived in Bagley, WI. in retirement, and since have moved to Florida.  I wanted so much to make our way to Florida this year but Bev thought it would be too hot and since we leave Arizona for 3 - 4 months to get out of the heat didn't think Florida was a summer destination for part of this journey.  As luck would have it Mike and Patty are in the Quad Cities this week visiting his Mom and I just happen to meet his brother (for the first time) while visiting Bev's cousin in Buffalo the other night............small world and found this out.  It's fate, nothing else just fate that I ran into his brother while visiting a cousin and then calling Mike the arrange for the 3 amigo's to once more break break and talk about the old days (glory days if you will) I am so freaking stoked  you wouldn't believe it and just hope we have as much fun as we used to and oh the laughs should really be flowing!  I hope tomorrow or the next day I have some real shit to put down in this blog........it's just got to be the way us "pallies" were and can pick right back up once more, we'll see tomorrow night!
     Tomorrow I'll drop the girls and Jack off at the Machine Shed for breakfast.......I have to stop that stuff...........and I'll go wash the Jeep and maybe even get a haircut, all I know is I can't have a Machine Shed breakfast, not after today's junk!