Marathon Survivor

        It feels like May 1st was just a couple of weeks ago, well I am back with another blog. Let's start this blog with some people updates. Starting stateside, I attended my cousin Brookes wedding on May 3rd. It was great seeing all of the kin folk. My parents were in high spirits and seemingly good health.

Andy & Helen Bruck May 3rd, 2014
 

Dad is now 84 and my mother is a youthful 83. I used their being old as a way to sneak out of the reception while the night was still young. Of course I was in bed and asleep well before them. The wedding was overall great fun. 

      On the way back from the wedding in Ohio, I stopped in St. Louis and had dinner with my great friend Chad. I sadly discovered that Chad has stopped reading this blog, because he had no knowledge of Rodz. I have to fly to Boston out of St. Louis next Tuesday (if you think that sounds like a foreshadowing of big news to share with you next blog - you would be correct). Chad is letting me stay the night next Tuesday, with our friends Moe and Rez (we all worked together at SYSCO St. Louis, and now none of us do) coming over for a cookout on Monday evening.

        This past Saturday morning, my phone rang early, when I answered it was none other than Bahaman Bob Green. It was nice catching up with him as he tries to SYSCOmatize his Bahaman foodservice company. He says that he is working 65 hour weeks, but is enjoying the challenge. I am happy that he is doing well. Rodz and I will have to fly in for a weekend visit.

      Speaking of Rodz, she has started prepping for her homeland security interview on June 30th. She is challenged by some of the "test" questions (yes I really do have two brothers) as she preps with me on questions about my life and family. Thank goodness I don't have to answer questions about her life and family. She is worried that she will be rejected by our government and be blocked from joining me in America. I am beyond ready for this ordeal to be over.

        On the other side of the world. I have talked several times with Joseph. He is a managing partner with Mellon Foods on Dubai. He seems to be doing quite well. Vineet is enjoying his new company. He just texted me a few hours ago relishing in his successes. I am looking forward to visiting my friends in Dubai soon.

      I have been slowly catching up with my dvr'd television shows. I was saving the current season of Survivor (this season is in the Philippines) thinking it would be fun to watch with Rodz, well realism sunk in that in the best case scenario she would be here in late July. I have been watching 3 or 4 episodes a night and I finally got current tonight. I have been on the same marathon watching with the Showtime series Dexter. I have watched almost all of the 5 seasons that I was behind, but now I only have 7 episodes left.
Watching the Reds play baseball every night, followed by a TV series catch up has kept me busy.

     It's later than I care to stay up....big career news coming next time. See you back here on June 1st.

Found it....

      I am really looking forward to this weekend. My cousin Brooke is getting married in Ohio. My mom and dad and a lot of the extended family will be there. I have always hated local weddings, most of your day (normally a Saturday) taken up by an event that is an "appearance" affair. Seems like you don't have enough time to do much in the morning, and then after the ceremony a long wait for photo's followed by a party where one should behave. By the time it's over, its too late to do anything else fun. Now this weekend's event is just the opposite of that. The wedding is at 5:30 in the evening (I like that) and it is out of town. (In Ohio). I will get there around three, leaving just enough time to dress up for the wedding. Then the event will take place, followed by time for me to see all of my favorite relatives. The event will be over early enough for me to spend a little quality time with my folks, before retiring for the evening. Sunday morning, enjoy a nice breakfast at my Uncle Bob's and Aunt Donna's house, then back on the road to home in the morning while traffic is still light. Should be a fun 16 hours in Ohio.

      Well the last time we visited, I still had no good update on Rodz's attempt to immigrate to America. Well the worm has finally turned. Last Wednesday morning, I once again phoned the U.S. State Department to try and get an update on our missing case file. Well I was fortunate enough to speak to an articulate pleasant employee of the State Department. After reviewing my file, she was empathetic to the frustrations that I was sharing about the time the case was taking to move through the system, and the mystery of where the file had wandered off to. She was alarmed that the Abu Dhabi American Embassy had not responded to either email that the State Department had written asking for an update. She told me she would personally follow up and that if I hadn't heard from her within a couple of days to feel free to call back. Well she made me think that I finally was going to get some answers. In an amazing turn of events, the next day in Dubai, Rodz got a phone call from our Embassy scheduling her homeland security interview for Monday, June 30th at 8am. Rodz also got the official appointment letter via email. My new buddy from the State Department called and left me a message to congratulate us upon arriving at the last hurdle for Rodz's Immigration. So keep your fingers crossed that Rodz will be able to join me in July.

     Let me apologize for the brevity of this update, I am fighting staying awake, and am not feeling clever or interesting. I am in the midst of making some serious career decisions that hopefully I can share with you in just a couple of short weeks. Thank goodness that we have emerged from such a harsh winter, I feel like things are starting to pop up like Roses....