Home Again

If you've ever done a long car trip with four kids - 10+ hours up and back, with multiple stops along the way, you know just how I feel.

The trip was wonderful - I got to talk about food and agriculture right in front of Thomas Jefferson's own vegetable garden, got to let my kids see enormously cool things they would otherwise have had no chance to view, and had a wonderful time visiting friends and family. We made some wonderful, wonderful new friends - including our hosts in Charlottesville who were insane enough to take in our whole family, sight unseen!

99% of the time, I take Amtrak on long trips when speaking - but with multiple stops and four kids and two adults going places not serviced by rail lines, or that don't connect theah from heah, it just wasn't doable. While none of the trip was awful, however, I admit it all made me just want to take President Obama aside and have a little chat about those miles of highway and airport runway he's planning to inspire us by building. Gah.

More stuff coming, but bear with me - I'm slow and sleep deprived. And right with Jerry Reed on Henry Ford:

I hope you all had a good time in my absence!

Sharon

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I love Charlottesville! My in-laws live there. We get to visit occasionally; the last time was over the holidays and they had two feet of snow on the ground!

I wish I could have been there to hear you.

I'd so love to see an improved rail network in this country.

Long term - the jobs created by rail expansion have the potential to be long lasting. Localized employment for segments could be tremendous.

Let us know how your chat with President Obama goes.

Love the song. Off topic - Henry Ford's legacy also included virulent antisemitism.