It's been a challenge because the previous Scholarship Coordinator left without warning, so there was (and still is) some cleaning up of files and accounts. There were moments when I thought, "What the heck have I done?" but that just means that I was outside my comfort zone. And that's the only way I'll grow and learn. It is extrememly rewarding to know that my work directly impacts the students of Arizona State.

We went to Michigan to spend Thanksgiving with the Youngdales. Jason flew out a few days before me, and he ran into nothing but problems. His flight arrived in Chicago okay, but flights were not taking off from Chicago due to weather. He was told that he could wait until the following day, and they might be able to get him on a flight. (Last year whe drove from Chicago to Portage, which is about 2-1/2 hours). So after waiting a couple of hours, he and five other people on their way to Kalamazoo/Portage rented a minivan and drove. He totally had a "Home Alone" experience.

Luckily, I had no problems on my flight. Everything was on time. It was a bit drizzly and cold, which sucked when I had to actually walk outdoors to the plane and climb those slippery stairs. I did notice that a lot of the trees still had their orange and red leaves on them, and it made for a pretty sight. I'm sure it would have been even prettier if it was October.

The weather was actually pretty decent. Not quite as nice as when we were there last December, but there was no snow on the ground. The first day I was there, we went to spend the evening with Jason's best friend, George, and his wife Tammi, and their three kids, Megan, Georgie and Ernie. Jason has known George since the beginning of time (or at least it seems like it). We have so much time when we visit them. It always involves good food, good drinks (Tammi's adult Kool-Aid is fantastic!) and good games. The kids warmed up to us on this trip.