I was sitting in my hotel room in San Francisco Thursday night and the world shook. Apparently a 3.8 on the Richter scale equals a few seconds of gentle rocking. Then the Bay turned and went on its way.

I met up with Eugene for a quick lunch just before my flight back. It had been years since I saw him last, but it was good to reconnect a bit. He seems to be happy and fairly settled out there. He said he's been playing plenty of golf, traveling a lot for work. And he said - and I didn't bring it up - he said he hadn't been to church in a long time. He went into detail to explain how he had trouble reconciling the God of the Old Testament and the New. It all felt a little bit like a confession, but I had no absolution to offer. We said goodbye and he said he would let me know the next time he visited Chicago.

I flew back very late Sunday night and landed in Singleville. The girl that I had met has turned her interests elsewhere. Things are still again and there is nothing new under the sun.