The Buckeye State

I walked to baggage claim bleary-eyed when I arrived in Ohio on Friday morning. The Detroit airport had not provided a nice place to sleep after an overnight flight from Seattle. I was out of it. But not too out of it to see a girl in a bright red Ohio State sweatshirt in the Columbus terminal. I was thrilled! Ohio State! I never see people in Washington wear Ohio State. Just as I was about to suck up my last bit of energy to run by her hollering "Go Bucks," I walked past an Ohio State gift store.

I was reminded that I was in Buckeye land again. And that I was in the midst of millions of Buckeyes fans. And that if I ran up to that girl and hollered "Go Bucks," it would not evoke my anticipated response. While in Seattle, she would have given me a hug, in Columbus, she would think, "It's not Michigan weekend. Why is that girl running around the airport under the influence?"

It's been a whirlwind series of days in Coshocton. I have spent lots of time with my crazy relatives from Ohio and Florida. I have eaten my favorite chicken salad in the entire world from the Serenity Tea House. I have witnessed my cousin Kris marry his high school sweetheart, Desiree. I have spent lots of time laughing with my brother and his girlfriend, Rachael. I have visited my Grandma Baker in the hospital several days, where we're praying she is soon moved out of her 4-person unit into something a little more private and spacious. I have spent a day riding the world's tallest rollercoaster and being generally amusementized at Cedar Point with Isaac and the family. I have spoken twice at Grace UMC about what God is doing through me with Youth Dynamics. I have watched Pirates of the Caribbean. I have lost my pink/red nalgene bottle.

I really enjoy Ohio in the summer. It's hilly and green and warm and sunny. Last night, we drove through a huge thunderstorm, and I grinned to see flashes of lightning I haven't witnessed in two years. And as we were monitoring flash floods cutting through the farm lands, I encouraged mom and dad not to worry. They had a trained Whitewater Rescue Technician in the car (me.) I began mapping out a strategic plan for getting mom and dad safely to shore, should our car become trapped in high water in Amish country. Fortunately, we didn't need to use my skills. (Although I did bore them with a brief lecture on how river and flood safety needs to be taught in schools as much as fire and tornado safety, since more people are killed and injured every year in floods and rivers than in fires and tornadoes.)

Two more days. And today, Grandpa Casey is in the hospital again too, and he's going in for surgery. It's good to be home and be with my family.