Greetings From Omaha

I just worked out in the hotel gym. Good for me! 45 minutes. That's two workouts this week. Hopefully I'm back on track.

We drove 5 hours to Omaha, NE yesterday (and I finally got the speeding ticket I've been karmically begging for) and had a nice dinner with the speakers from Dereck's conference last night at an Italian restaurant walking distance from the hotel.

There actually, to my surprise, is more to do and see here than I will have time for today, and tomorrow I have meetings.

I have decided, after some consideration, to go to Barnes and Noble and take my notebook and pen. I could go down and explore Old Market, and who knows? It's not even 11:30 a.m. yet-- maybe I actually will get sick of Barnes and Noble (coffee, books, writing, what are the chances?) I want to go to a Christmas shop because Dereck's mom likes all things Christmas (Shhh, Tom). It is so delicious to have a free day-- what to do what to do! I also, while exercising, finished For the Time Being. Wow, that is not a book for the faint hearted.

Also, I have learned that my wee nephew Devon, who is not yet two months old, will have heart surgery Friday to correct a kink in his aorta. The prognosis is very good, but still, it is a very scary thing to surrender your child to a surgeon's care, especially for 6 or 7 hours, and especially when your child is not yet two months old. So, any good thoughts, prayers, chants, hula dances, etc. that you want to throw toward Devon who will be in Denver would be greatly appreciated.