Tattoos, endless travel, going home at last

Tattoos seem to have really taken off in the United States. The thing that unsettles me is that many women have arm "sleeves" or tattoos that cover most of their legs -- thigh and calf.  Personally, tattoos don't do much for me. I've always liked looking at an attractive lady's legs, but I don't look at legs to read scripture, see cute animals or admire incomprehensible Chinese or Japanese writing. Nothing ruins a great pair of lady's legs like tattoos, in my uninformed opinion. But as the Vietnamese have always told me: You don't understand. Well, I'm sure that most tattoos have some sort of personal significance or meaning, but again, I don't understand.

I was busy in Ohio the past week: I saw my house in Yellow Springs, Ohio, inside and out; met with the property manager of my house, a lovely lady named Teresa; got my glasses fixed, got my driver's license; got told by my eye doctor's secretary that there is no way my eye doctor would see me now; saw most of my wonderful children and saw my wonderful granddaughter; and ate great food and drank quality beer.
I'm writing this in the clean Columbus airport waiting for a flight to Chicago and Los Angeles. I plan to bother my friend Richard in Bakersfield when I get to California for a couple of days and then I'll head to San Luis Obispo to finish all the paperwork regarding my brother's death. That should take a couple of days. I fly out of Los Angeles next Friday (Sept. 1) to finally, finally go home to Vietnam and see my amazing wife and amazing daughter Joanna. Phuong and I have been chatting on Skype daily, and it's obvious Joanna is much more vocal. Also, she's walking like a pro. Joanna has been quite sick the past week or so -- a respiratory infection of some sort -- and is just getting back into form. Being away from my wife and daughter has been one of the most difficult things I've ever experienced.
I've done some serious shoe shopping in the U.S., buying six pairs -- from boots to slippers to sneakers for tennis. I've also bought a boatload of books for Joanna, so I'm paying luggage fines at the airports when I check in my bags. Worth every penny because Joanna has taken a real liking to the books I purchased before and I have no doubts she'll love the newest additions to her library.
Sadly, I didn't get to Glen Helen -or the beach in California. I went to Morro Bay, but was too tired to go in the cold Pacific Ocean, and I went to Glen Helen, but didn't have $5 for parking. Next time.
They're calling my flight number for seating now, so I'll take off with home and family on my mind.