Well, I did not take that Southwest trip this summer. I spent my two weeks of time off of work moving. I did live with my parents and yes I am 39. So they nicely kicked me out of the house. I believe it was to make me live on my own before they passed..dunno I am hoping that my parents have realistically 10 or more years left. However as everyone knows, humans are only living at the most to around 80 years. Also I would hate to see my independent parents not be independent anymore and I know that things start failing in the body and sometimes the mind.

I have no idea what I will do without them..God will I feel so empty. I am trying to mentally prepare myself with a life without them. I don’t want the mental shock to be so bad that I cannot continue. I do daily mental exercises each day…part of these “exercises” is to simply shuffle many, many great and fond memories that my mom and dad have created for me, and with me. The warm summer days at the Fourth of July parades, the block parties in our old neighborhood in Riverdale and the smaller and more casual backyard parties on our old block.

I remember these things and try to remember another old great memory each day. Anyway, I am babbling and actually shedding a tear or two as I write this. My mother and father are the best, most patient, most loving parents any person could ever wish for.

Switching the subject of this post, I have been reflecting on my morality and just on life in general. Uhm, who am I where am I going? We as humans are just energy, we are here on this planet for a max of 80 years..then the power or energy that animates our flesh and bones somehow escapes this complex vessel of bio-chemicals, electricity, water, fat muscles and bone. The materials that compose our human bodies are made of the universe, of elements that are probably thousands of years old.  Our lives are cyclical, much like the seasons…or the revolutions of electrons around a nucleus or the revolutions of the planets we know around our sun.

I compare the autumn season to a human’s old age…..death is close (winter). However next season Spring the rebirth follows. A new season beings. The same thing will happen to the energy giving us movement in this world. I feel we all will begin again. Our energy will reform and animate another vessel.

Well it is getting close to August, I have a solid job and the union/company problems are resolved. I currently work for a blood center in Chicago. It’s an ok job, and I am getting solid health care. I have reserved PTO (Payed Time Off)….in late August to Early September. I hope I can get the time that I want and the amount of days. I will know for sure by July 10th.

Anyway, I am just working and very thankful I have a job to goto and that I can come back from my vacation and pay off the bill I will make on the vacation. I purchased a brand new HD video camera and hope to take videos to Monument Valley as well as time-lapse type videos. We shall see. I want to do something artistic on this trip. Last trip, I really did not get enough good photos as I wanted to on my Route 66 trip.

We shall see if the stars align on this trip. Paychecks are also a factor.