There is as yet no word on the truck, beyond that the garage is backed up and turning away work (one of their mechanics had a baby this past weekend (actually, his wife had the baby, but he’s out for the week) and they are very much backlogged). Our houseguest got his car back today, timing chain intact, although I am waiting for the check from his mother to cover what I paid on it. I had thought this would mean that we could return the rental and that as long as one of the other two cars come through we Ubercon would happen–but the lady who controls the vehicles has said not to return the rental until at least one of the other two cars comes through, and the way she sounds she won’t want me going unless there is a car for me and a car for her, so things are still looking rather grim. On the bright side, she is off on Thursday, so if we have the truck and the new car is ready she can get me to it. On the dark side, someone has already tried to get her to commit to being somewhere else that night, and our son who comes home during the week needs to return to Delaware that night, so it’s not going to be simple.

I would love to say that I am otherwise ready to go, but with all the confusion and complication all I can say is that I paid up the cell phone and ordered copies of my own books (What Does God Expect? and About the Fruit, which have not yet arrived). I’m not sure what happens next. I have not given up on getting to the convention, but I am not encouraged by the situation to this point.

–M. J. Young