I'm in Atlanta today. My brother Jeff and his girlfriend Kim are taking a short vacation, and they stopped by my parents' house on their way to South Carolina. I hadn't seen Jeff since last Christmas, I'd not yet met Kim, and Misty had never met either of them, so we drove over to Atlanta last night.

The trip took longer than I anticipated. Construction along I-20 and missing the exit for that road didn't help any. We got here around 10 p.m. Luckily, everyone was still up watching the Cubs/Marlins game. We saw Sammy Sosa hit a 9th inning 2-run homer to tie the game only for the Cubs to lose in the 11th.

This morning I got up early and sat on the porch swing reading the paper. It was the first time in ages that I've actually been able to read the paper and not have it be related to work. I gorged myself on homemade raisin bread which my mom baked.

Jeff, Kim, and Dad went off to climb Stone Mountain this afternoon, but we opted out, considering Misty's "delicate condition." Instead Misty, Mom, and I went to Tribble Mill Park and walked through the trails in the woods. We hiked back to where we found the remnants of the old mill alongside the creek. It was pretty nifty.

Now dinnertime is approaching. Jeff is grilling pork loin while Misty is making mashed potatoes. My cooking skills don't venture far beyond dessert, and there are already plenty of cookies, so I have no assignments. Instead, I have time to sit around and blog.

I know I'm going to miss owning my store, but this certainly was a much more relaxing way to spend my weekend than to drive up to Huntsville and run things there.