Drove into Houston yesterday to watch my granddaughter perform at an indoor track meet. She long jumped, she ran, everyone seemed happy. She’s what they call a multi- which means her event is the heptathlon, seven events over two days. They don’t run it until spring when everyone goes outdoors to play. So indoors she’s doing some of the individual events. Last year, in the spring, she was hurt. So, she didn’t get a chance to put it all together. This year she looks strong, and things look promising.

In between events yesterday, which took place in the Yeoman Field House, at the University of Houston, I took some time to wander the campus of the university. I got my degree there as did my late wife. I recognized a fair number of the buildings, but there’s been a lot of construction in the years since we strode the campus. It still looks nice and collegiate, and I would happily go back to the life of papers, and lectures, and books. It was a time of great purpose for me. A foundational time. A time that has served me well through the intervening years.

At the end of the running and jumping and touring, I hugged the kids goodbye and drove home. Stopped for a bite to eat in Bastrop. There was no hurry. The roads are straight. Too many stoplights in parts of the home stretch, but overall, it’s easy travel. Today I’ll make sure I’m snugged up for the coming cold which doesn’t promise to last long, relatively speaking. But this is Texas and over-reaction is in our blood. Everything we experience has to be great and big, and oh my God, look at us. So, two days of cold weather has everyone stocking up like the end times have come. I hope I make it. I think I will.