Ines and Irene.......

We hosted a foreign exchange student this summer and it was a wonderful experience. Her name is Ines and she has really carved out a place in our hearts. She is friendly, caring, kind, beautiful, and comedic. We purchased a train ticket for her to depart Lynchburg and head to New York City for her last stop in the States. We were to drive her up yesterday and say our good-byes. But Hurricane Irene had other plans and altered our path tremendously.

Irene and her timing have ensured we won't get to say good-bye to our new friend; perhaps we shall never see her again. I miss her. We all do. It would have been nice to see her smile and hear her voice once more before she departed for her French homeland. I hope she gets to read this post, realize the impact she had upon us, and know that she is always in our hearts. Future students will benefit from her visit as we will open our home again after such a wonderful experience with her!

Bye Eye-nez...hope to see you soon!

Two weeks from today...College Football begins!!

We are only two weeks away...it's almost here! I think about all of the issues going on with the debt ceiling, the upcoming Presidential campaign, the sagging economy; I could go on with all the negative events creeping into the American psyche! Nobody seems to have any answers, only negativity and attitude.

Neither political party seems to care about anything but getting elected - full of hollow promises and venom. No substance, just hype. Speaking of no substance and just hype, a peek at the top 25 poll released this week shows many familiar names to college football fans. One name jumps out at me - Virgina Tech - the biggest reason is that they embody all that's wrong with the political system; no substance, just hype. Their fans are full of themselves, their schedule shows only one tough road game (in Charlottesville), and they haven't done anything in a big game for the last three years. Wait, neither has the man I voted for who promised me hope and change...

Did I mention it's almost football season??

College football practice begins...

Today the University of Virginia football team took the field for their first open practice. It's upon us, the joy of college football and all it's pageantry, there is nothing else quite like it. And boy am I glad it's back!

Tomorrow I will introduce a young French woman to her first American football experience and she is highly anticipating our trip. This will also mark the first live event my beautiful baby boy Sydney will attend, the first of many wonderful experiences with UVA athletics. My very patient wife will also be attending, very patient indeed!

So to all my followers and lovers of college football, I bid you goodnight with the promise of a full report of the festivities in tomorrow's blog!! GO HOOS!!