Stage Two Complete

Stage two of our journey to Lynchburg is complete. Arrived this afternoon in Elizabethton, Tennessee, home of several relatives on my father's side. it will be nice to see some cousins and reconnect with some family members I haven't seen in a decade.

Great scenery along Interstate-81 in Virginia. I did that drive many times going back and forth to college, brought back some ince memories.

More importantly, the meat is staying cold on ice in the cooler, the rental van is running like a champ, and we haven't had any real problems. Tomorrow morning, we will drive around five hours to Lynchburg. The plan is to get our setup completely done, so we can focus on the tasks at hand Friday and Saturday.

Even though we live more than a thousand miles from Lynchburg, we are expecting some guests both days of the trip. In addition to my parents, we are expecting relatives from here in Elizabethton to come down Saturday. We are also excited that Chuck and Lisa Edman are coming to visit us both days. They're a couple we met on vacation in Jamaica earlier this month who live in Shelbyville, which is close to Lynchburg. Chuck played for the Tennessee Vols football team in the late 1970's. I went to Alabama, the natural enemies of the Vols, but since he is such a good guy I am able to overlook that.

Chuck and Lisa

Also, a fellow report from my company, Metro Networks is planning to come down Friday. Her name is Mary Perren, and she is our state correspondent from Tennessee. I met her when they flew both of us out to Arizona to help with election night coverage in 2004. She's cool, hope she makes it down.

Mary Perren interviewing one of the teams at the 2005 Jack.

We are staying in a hotel in Tullahoma Thursday night, so I'll update again then.