The Good News: I’m taking an awesome Amtrak train trip to Chicago, and then a cool bus trip to Michigan!

The Bad News: I’m heading home to help my dad and mom with my dad’s surgical recovery.

Dad had some surgery a few days ago, and he was moved to a nursing home while he was recovering. He’s been in a lot of pain and been getting very depressed.

I called him last night (Sunday) to wish him a happy Easter. His pain medication made conversation difficult, but I could tell he was very depressed.

The more we talked, the more worried I got, and the more I decided I wanted to get up north to see him and help Mom, if I could.

It’s less than 48 hours later, and I’m on my way to Michigan. More to come…