We need to get a Team of Asians on this

We were out of town last weekend hence the Haircut Trilogy, which I need to wrap up.

Background: Earlier this spring, Nightingale's sister Janet, her husband Peter, and their two young sons moved back to Michigan for a variety of reasons. This pulls at Nightingale's heartstrings because she misses the boys terribly having helped practically raise the first one. Janet is the reason Nightingale moved to Chicago (so thank you for that Janet) and since the early days of our relationship, we’ve spent many a weekend at Janet’s house.

So trips to Michigan were always on the table, it was just a question of when could we get there (If Nightingale had her way, we'd go once a month.)



Credit to my locker partner for finding this one

This weekend provided the first feasible and optimal opportunity because her parents were also going to be in Michigan for FIL’s high school reunion. Ironically Saturday was also my 25th high school reunion, which I had to miss because it was the perfect opportunity for Nightingale to see her Sister, her parents and our nephews.

I'm not upset or even terrible disappointed. In Heaven and at HS reunions, most of the interesting people are missing.* While high school was certainly better for me than junior high and grade school, it was a transition point, not an end station. Many people I know peaked in high school or college and then failed to launch.

Five years ago we got together informally for our 20th and a small contingent showed up. This was about 10 minutes before everyone was on FB so it was kinda cool. I even re acquainted with my HS biology lab partner though just like in high school, she disappeared after freshmen year.

The week of our 20th reunion I was changing jobs from the No-Name Software Company to the Low Rent Consulting Firm. So it would have been nice to see everyone and let them know that things have improved a lot. Except with FaceBook, I already have --  plus I get to avoid the one or two douchebags I would have had to deal with at the reunion.

My only real regret is that I didn’t get to see some of the teachers that showed up – though I could certainly crash the class of ’88 reunion if I get a chance.

The visit turned out fine although a bit expensive. We booked a hotel near the airport because it was roughly halfway between Gross Point and where Nightingale Parents were staying. They got to stay on what's left of the old farm that FIL's brother owns. [There's a whole backstory about how the land was divided up, not necessarily evenly, and sold to developers, which I won't share today.] We were not invited to stay there even though there's plenty of room and while I can appreciate both points of view, even in my dysfunctional family you don't make relatives stay at a hotel if there is room available.

In the end, staying at the hotel two nights worked out but with better planning we might only have had to stay one. Almost everyone in Nightingale's side went to University of Michigan so I tease her about how good of a school could it really have been if we couldn't figure out the best way to achieve our goal. The goal was to maximize the time six adults and two children spend together in a 48 hour period. Do we need to get a team of Asians on this?


* Quote modified with respect to Friedrich Nietzsche