I had a really great time at my brother's commissioning ceremony. I felt so important pinning the [insert official word here]. I want to say "bars" but I could be wrong. Either way, I'm proud.

It was a great time with my family, too. However, I ran over a nail on the way there and got a flat tire. A simple project of finding a place to fix my tire, turned into hours of miscommunication and driving up and down the same street. And this is after my aunt and I identified a tire shop via my Blackberry and her iPhone. Several phone calls, one dead phone battery, and many miles later two cars miraculously managed to arrive at the same tire shop. I think it's fair to say that my space-headedness is no aberrant gene.

I almost couldn't pay for my tire repair because guess whose card got eaten by the ATM machine? Fortunately, some businesses still take checks. I often wonder how I managed to survive for 39 years without daily supervision.

Functionality issues aside (for the entire clan) it was a great day.

Just for today, I can celebrate with my family.