Five Hours To Effingham

It's 8:10 as I begin writing this on a sunny, 61° morning in Lee's Summit. I was up at 7:00 with Mary, and Tom and Evie followed shortly after, already making coffee. Since we have an easy five-hour drive ahead, there's no rush to get moving. My instinct is always to push through in two long eight-hour days, but Evie has talked me into taking it easy — three five-hour drives, arriving at the lake on Tuesday.

Saturday turned out to be a lovely day, even with the boys back home with Nick and Aundraya. We had a relaxed morning with plenty of coffee, and around 10:00, Tom put together an impressive breakfast feast — eggs, steak, and potatoes, all in one pan — more than enough to feed the five of us, with some left over. Delicious. We were also lucky to get one last visit with the boys, so Evie and I showered up and made the half-hour drive to Roeland Park, just across the state line in Kansas. When we arrived, Rhys was still sleeping, but Tommy was wide awake and more than happy to hold court. Rhys was up soon enough, and we enjoyed time with both boys until 3:15, when they headed off to Aundraya's parents' house for three days — Nick and Aundraya were leaving for a week in Cancun. Tom and Mary will have their turn with the boys later in the week.

It was too early for dinner when we got home, so we settled in and relaxed — Tom and I even managed a brief nap. Around 5:30, we decided to head out to eat. Tom suggested I take the wheel of the Tesla, so I rose to the occasion and, I have to say, I was exceptional at it... doing absolutely nothing. I sat in the driver's seat, feet flat on the floor, and watched as the car steered, changed lanes, waited at lights, and backed neatly into a parking spot beside our restaurant, 30 Hops. It's a lively place — a sprawling bar that seats at least forty. We found a booth, settled in quickly, and ordered beers, burgers, and salads for the gals. A great choice. The food was good, the ambiance warm, and the buzz of the room made it all the more enjoyable. The drive home was equally effortless, and I remain enormously impressed with my own ability to let the Tesla do its thing. Tom points out that the statistics back it up — self-driving cars are safer than human drivers in most situations, with human error responsible for roughly 90% of accidents. I'm a convert. And with every software update, Tom's Tesla only keeps getting better.

Marlena, Our Happy Granddaughter

We were home by 7:15, just in time for the White House Correspondents' Dinner — until the evening was interrupted by reports of gunfire nearby. It cast a shadow over the night, though thankfully no one was hurt. We stayed up watching the news coverage and Trump's brief press conference before finally calling it a night.