After visiting with Lenie’s Aunt Gert, 90, and Uncle Seth, 85, shown in the photos, we made it to the MREA Fair in Custer, Wisconsin after a total of 2600 miles driving. We set up our exhibitor’s booth last night, then went to a free outdoor networking dinner that featured free beer–some delicious local brews. They must have known an important Irishman was coming. We’ve got a terrific booth with high visibility, and we expect a good show. Last year, the show had 19,000 people come though, which is a lot more than the 12-15,000 it was getting three to four years ago when we last attended.

Now we get the luxury of spending three nights in the same motel. We’re all tired. This is a nifty suite with a room for the boys and a room for Lenie and me. All the motels now have free high speed internet so I can write these posts. Indoor pool too. Unfortunately I’ll have no time to watch the U.S. Open, which began yesterday. Darn. I like golf, and I especially like watching the major championships.

We had a great time at the Duluth motel. It had a four-story waterslide that wore me out. You do down like a bullet through a tube. Total darkness inside much of the tube. You shoot out of the mouth into a pool. Ton of fun. Even sold beer at poolside.

 I’m trying to keep in mind that once this trip is over–about two weeks from now–we go back to Oregon and deadline for another issue of the print magazine. I’m working with Lisa, my editorial coordinator, via emails to contact writers who are preparing articles. She’s busy setting other articles. John Silveira, who is house-sitting for us, is also reviewing new submissions between drinking all of my booze. Annie is also busy setting articles, plus setting up Jackie Clay’s new weblog. It’s nice to be able to coordinate things through emails.