Graduation and Home

I graduated from "Judicial College" on Friday and after some delays at the airport I finally arrived home at 11:30 last evening. It was a long four weeks, but well worth the time. I learned a lot. I am including a few pictures here and I just downloaded my whole disc on my winkflash (use the link on the side).



We will get "official" pictures from the photographer, but I had a couple taken outside. This is Judge Cristaudo. He is our Chief Judge in our Agency. I really respect him.










We were sat in groups at round tables for the entire four weeks. These were my tablemates. We really enjoyed our time together. Marie Greener has been assigned to Syracuse, Kathye Scully-Hayes is now in Wilkes-Barre, and Rob Ringler is assigned to Albany. I think there were 43 in our class. But there are four classes this summer. We were the second class.






I had included this picture on an earlier post to show you the side of my house. I took this picture on May 10th. Notice the "banana palms" just in front of the bushes alongside the house. Then look at the next picture.








This picture was taken today, June 28th. There has only been seven weeks between the two pictures and look how much those "banana palms" have grown! Isn't that just amazing? I don't think even corn grows that fast and that big, does it? I am amazed.

Grace Life Church

I just returned from church at Grace Life Church. I have attended there all three weekends I have been here in Baltimore. I have really enjoyed their services and the challenges from the Word of God. They are a young congregation, mostly college kids and medical students. They are a multi-ethnic group and they meet in an old bank building. Check out their website: http://www.gracelifechurch.com/GraceLifeBaltimore/index.html I suspect this is something like the churches Walter and Laura have been involved in and hope to continue to be involved with. They have just begun a series on Revelation. Today's message was built on the letter to the church at Laodocia. The pastor remarked that America today is similar to Laodocia was at the time of Revelation, wealthy, and basically full of themselves. He challenged the congregation to allow Christ to change them, to be more than lukewarm. I appreciated the services at this church.

But I have to tell you, I am ready to go home! Even though I am going home to Mobile, where I basically do not know a soul. I need to get back to a routine and where I can have access to a car to go where I want to go, when I want to go there. I know I am whining. I am sorry. Baltimore is a great city, and I am glad I have had such quality time here. But I am ready to go to Mobile!

Baltimore/Washington

Beth and her friend came to visit me this week. I was so pleased to have them visit. I had to be gone during the two days, but we filled the evenings. We were able to get to an Orioles game. They played the Pirates and won. After the game there were fireworks at the stadium. They were really great fireworks. They left on Saturday, but not before we went to DC to look at a few of the sites.
We went to the Lincoln Memorial first. I have been there numerous times, but each time, it still impresses me - even when there is huge crowd of people. He was an amazing man in a very difficult situation.









I also went to the Supreme Court Building. Beth and Robin had already left, but I asked someone to take my picture. I told them to make sure the statement "Equal Justice under the Law" was in the picture. They asked if I was a lawyer! I wonder how they could tell!








I had not seen this Albert Einstien statute before. The book on his "lap" has the theory of relativity and some other mathematical equation. I was "sitting at his feet" but I don't think it helped.









The Vietnam Memorial Wall is always a striking view. Beth is looking at the wall where David's father's name is etched.

On the Inner Harbor walkway there is a stage where there is always something going on. Today there was an Elvis impersonator. He was drawing a huge and loud crowd. I know it wasn't "him" so much as the draw that Elvis still has, even though he has been dead over 30 years!

Baltimore, My New Home away from my New Home in Mobile!

Actually for the next four weeks I am in training in Baltimore. I am in a Residence Inn, so I have a little "studio" for the time I am here. It is small, but it will work for me. So far the real difficulty is staying awake during the last half hour of class. For some reason about 3:45 in the afternoon, I have gotten really sleepy! I am fighting to stay awake at that point. If anyone has any tricks to staying awake during the worst part of the day, I would welcome them.

I was able to get to the Red Sox game last night at Camden Yards. The Orioles won! I was disappointed, since the Red Sox had won all the other three games. But it was still fun to go an cheer for the Red Sox. There were enough Red Sox fans at the game that it was almost like being at a home game for them. Everyone around us were cheering for the Red Sox. There were two lone Orioles fans. They were pretty good natured about the whole thing, but it was kind of funny to hear everyone chanting "Let's go Red Sox!" when they were supposed to be saying "Let's go O's".

If anyone is going to be through Baltimore during the month of June, come look me up. I have an extra bed and a pull out couch!