Nancy, very sorry to hear that you were totally flapped and caffeineless here in DC without me. By last count, over the last week and a half, we Mitchells have been in approximately half a dozen different cities -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Denver, Colorado; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pawleys Island, South Carolina; and Cary, North Carolina -- none of them named Washington, unfortunately. I guess it's only fitting that while you were here looking for us, we were getting a tour of West Virginia, southern Virginia, and the Carolinas.

In case you were wondering -- or just in case I need to link this entry to a politician somehow -- during the course of one drive we did tool around on the Robert C. Byrd Appalachian Highway System and under one of what I am sure are many different structures named the Robert C. Byrd Bridge.

I must confess -- during the last couple of weeks, which comprised both business trips and a family vacation -- I did not at all miss reading about the presidential race in which we find ourselves. As I've mentioned before, I did vote for Senator McCain in the primary, after Governor Romney suspended his campaign...but I honestly have not decided whether I will vote for him in the fall. All I decided was that I would rather see him as the nominee than any of the remaining competitors.

Am I the only one who just isn't very excited about this?