I am thrilled to be hosting the first leg of vacation for my son Cody and his long-time best friend Jon.  They were welcomed with open arms and a barking weenie dog Friday night, and they're still going strong today - even the dog.  We have stayed awake until the wee hours of morning for 2 nights in a row now, and I would imagine tonight will be no exception since I have taken Monday off work as well.

Yesterday was Saturday, and after it was over with, we deemed it the History Lesson Day.  After an invigorating breakfast of my famous blueberry muffins, bacon, and some chocolate milk, we stopped at my ATM and the corner store for hydration.  It was a typical hot July day.  First we went to the Dallas Holocaust Museum downtown - which was really our only planned destination.  Thankfully, it was nice and cool inside.  At the end of the tour, I purchased a book called "Night" by Elie Wiesel.  It is a chilling account of one man's quest from his home in Seghet to the concentration camps in Auschwitz (so far) and I'm scarcely able to read more than a few chapters at a time without having to leave my room and get back to the real world for a few moments.  Lately, I've been quite absorbed in Normandy and D-Day documentaries as well as Auschwitz... and it all started with watching "Saving Private Ryan" again on TNT late one evening a few weeks ago.  Cody & Jon are equally as intrigued so the visit to the museum answered a lot of questions for us, but for me... it raised so many more.

Since I knew the 6th Floor Museum was just in the next block, I asked the guys (for really, they are not boys any more) if they wanted to go there but they looked at me funny until I said, "You know.  Where JFK was shot."  And they were like YEAH!  So we walked to the next block and spent the next couple of hours wandering through the tour.  I have seen it before, but didn't mind at all going through it again.  The guys seriously loved both of these museums, and I was so proud of them for listening to every single word and looking at every single display piece and presentation at both places.  Cody even insisted we walk up the stairs to the 7th floor of the museum - which was optional - to see the exhibit they had up there, and I was so glad.  For just a day, it seemed, all my aches and pains left me and I was able to make it without being exhausted.

Although I had the Nikon with me, I didn't use it until I was at the 7th floor of the museum.  There was just something about the view there of the city that begged me to break the rules and shoot the photo.  Cody and Jon covered my back and I squeezed off a shot.  Just like Oswald did!  OK, not really.  Oswald was at the same window only a floor below me when he sniped JFK on November 22, 1963.  The grassy knoll is just beneath the buildings across the street.

We were hungry, and as I drove, I rattled off a hundred different restaurants where we could eat, but we decided on the Blue Mesa and it was a good choice.  After we ate, we went shopping at Valley View Mall - which I must say has greatly improved since the last time I was in it about 6 years ago.  Back then it was gross, but they have done a LOT of cleaning and remodeling.  I will definitely be going back, and even taking out of town guests!

I didn't think I could walk another step, and I didn't see how the guys could either, but I drove them to the Guitar Center while I waited out in the car reading the Forward of my new book, and drinking up some more cold water.  They didn't stay long, then we came home and guess what?  We watched "Saving Private Ryan"!  I had gone to Movie Trading Company last week in anticipation of their visit and purchased a used copy.  That movie gets better every time I see it.  It is just incredible.  Cody had never seen it (he was 13 when it came out), but certainly recognized the stars that were in it.  I had forgotten that Vin Diesel was in it myself.

But were they ready for bed?  It was after midnight!  Hells no!  Angie had two guitars propped up against the fireplace, and an XBox on top of the speaker, so they jammed out playing Guitar Hero until about 2 o'clock. 

Today they have gone to Six Flags after I made them a nest egg breakfast, and I'm staying home in my jammies.