Lightening

At work we are transition our integrated circuit test to a company in Wichita KS. I was sent out there to help get things going about 2 weeks ago. Over the weekend I stayed in Kansas and drove to Overland Park to spend the weekend with my family. If any of my KC friends are reading this - sorry I didn't say anything, but it's been a while since I've been home so I was spending the time with my family. If I'm back in KC I'll give you a call.

It was fun being home for the weekend - went golfing twice, went for a bike ride, played some racquetball with my dad, went to lunch with my parents and grandpa, saw some family friends and met some of my parents new friends. I was also able to stay on Monday so that I could spend passover with my family. I learned that if you go golfing in a group of 5 people who are all at a similar skill level it doesn't seem so bad when you average something like double par. I was also very impressed by my parent's activity level. That was the most exercise I've gotten over a weekend in a while (well, probably since skiing).

It was fun to see the family at passover. You're not supposed to use metaphors where people have a better feeling for the thing being explained than the metaphor for it, but oh well here it goes. Being at Passover was a bit like being at a lecture where I had caught on to the topic being explained. For those that have had to deal with being next to me when this occurs you probably understand that a stream of mildly amusing (well at least to me), somewhat sarcastic comments start coming out of my mouth. In lecture when I make such comments it is usually just the people adjacent to me, who don't already know to tune me out, that hear me, but at passover everyone has to know what everyone else said and understand why the person thinks the comment was amusing. Hm, as I read over this paragraph I realize it might be like my comments where the person who finds them funniest is myself. In case the metaphor seems negative - it's not, I miss joking around with friends during lecture. Anyway, I was glad to see that everyone seemed to be doing well and I'm interested to see how my cousin's college selection process goes. It was also good to get some of those passover pastries (hmm, pastry doesn't seem like the right word) that I would not have had if on my own.

There were a few things I noticed while I was in Kansas:
-The main one was lightening. I might just have a bad memory (or the more recent theory that I just don't pay attention), but when I was home and saw lightening and heard thunder it occurred to me that it has been a while since I've seen and heard those. I don't think that I've seen/heard a thunderstorm since being in California (if you think I'm just making that up, let me know). I do think that if it is going to rain heavily it is kind of cool to have the sounds and light show go along with it.
-Another was all the signs with guns and a red circle and line through them. This was totally new to me. Apparently Kansas has recently passed a law that concealed weapons are allowed, but not if the building has a no gun sign out front. I think they could at least come up with a more pleasing imagine since it is now the places that don't want guns that have a picture of a gun on their front door.
-Smoking or non-smoking? It has been a while since I have heard that question and since I have smelled smoke in a restaurant. As much as I may be for individual freedoms, the first amendment does not allow you to infringe on the freedom's of others, which I think includes not having a cancer causing smoke blown in your face.
-Would you like separate checks? I'm not as certain about this one, but I noticed that a lot of restaurants in Kansas asked if you want separate checks (well, when it made sense, such as when I was with a coworker or when my family was out with another family). Obviously, sometimes I get asked that, but I feel like normally one check is assumed unless the people eating request separate checks.