Blog Update
A couple folks have noticed that things have been rather sparse the last ten days or so. Things have been a little crazy lately, what with getting ready for a trip to Paris with my wife (our honeymoon) and mentally preparing to deal with our taxes this weekend (jeez, we shoulda started sooner). But the big thing that has diverted my attention is family-related.

Last weekend, my wife (Mrs. Facade, formerly Mrs. Cracks) went for a tough visit to see my grandparents in Minnesota. My Grandmother suffered a minor stroke about a month ago, but because she was in a rather weak state anyway, she's been placed in a nursing care facility (I just can't say "home"), where she'll more than likely finish out her life. Like I say, it was tough, but it got tougher as both her physical and emotional health seemed to be declining rapidly over the weekend. She's stabilized for now, but I worry about my Grandfather, who is expending a lot of energy to keep her going.

I'm very close to my grandparents due to the fact that they helped raise me, offering me a bit of a lifeline when I needed it most, and put me through college (in conjunction with my other set of grandparents). Without them, I wouldn't be the man that I am today. So my focus has been diverted quite a bit these last ten days, but I'm starting to regain it, bit by bit.

That said, things will continue to be a bit sparse for the next month or so as we travel to France. However, I've been locating wi-fi hotspots in the Latin Quarter (where we'll be staying) and I'll be posting some of our adventures as time allows.

Thanks always for checking in.