In Chicago now. Leaving for Boston and the World Science Fiction Convention tomorrow morning. Be back on Monday.

Quick Notes:

• Wyoming is windy.


• South Dakota is stinky.


• From the mouth of a four-year-old at Mt. Rushmore, "Dad, there's a face in the rock!"


• We saw the same group of bikers in three different places in two days.

We lost time at Mt Rushmore this morning when my dad locked the keys in the truck. One hour and one locksmith later we were on our way… up the wrong mountain. The lane narrowed to a width a couple feet wider than our vehicle and we saw signs warning of single lane tunnels ahead. I navigated the truck uphill through hairpin turns in first gear for 3.5 miles until we reached the first place where the truck could be turned around. Then I pretty much rode the brakes down the mountain.

Eight hours and a time zone later find us in Sioux Falls where Boo! is enjoying his new favorite pastime of jumping from one hotel bed to another. We're sick of driving through South Dakota, and I'm already sick of Iowa.

I'm typing this entry in a hotel in Billings, Montana. Not only has Best Western impressed me with free HBO and free net access, they've impressed me that they actually have a vacant room.

We set off seven hours later than planned. Mostly this was due to delusional advertising by U-Haul. I rented a seventeen foot truck which U-Haul advised would fit the contents of a 2-3 bedroom house. My house had three bedrooms, but only one was furnished, so no problem, right? Wrong. After several attempts at creative packing, items were stuffed in my car and a few select items taken to the dump. Now I can blame U-Haul when I don't use my NordicTrak.

We tried to stop last night in Idaho, but every hotel along I-90 was full. Yes, in Idaho. After three hours of looking for a hotel we ended up taking naps at a rest area. Now I'm going to watch the White Sox on TV and sleep in a bed for the first time in three nights.