Back in Milwaukee

I've been back in Milwaukee for a week now. Perhaps at some point I'll post something about my weeks at Barakel.

This week of school flew by. Lots of reading. Not very much homework besides that. I'm preparing for a presentation on Tuesday and will be signing up on Monday for three teaching lessons in the other class.

My car started thunking between Ann Arbor and Jackson so I took it to visit its favorite Jackson-based auto repair shop. An old man popped up from behind a truck and started trying to make jokes. I was not in a proper frame of mind for jokes so did not give him the proper laughing response that he was looking for.

He then hopped in my car and drove it for about two minutes. He got out. He looked at me. I have a wheel bearing going out. I asked him what I should do. He shrugged his shoulders at me and said, "Drive it."

So, I drove it. It was a very tense journey. I kept waiting for my wheel to fall off or stop turning and leave me stranded by the side of the road. I hated Chicago more than usual.

But I made it. This story is basically a very long segue way into a confession that I'm not in church this morning. My car is going to the shop tomorrow and I'm not driving it any more than absolutely necessary. Instead, I've curled up with coffee, cat, and a sermon by Dan Cummings.

I haven't listened to Pastor Dan since he died. So far it's involved a few tears. He read Shel Silverstein. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that I love Shel Silverstein.