I traveled from Germany to the USA for a family visit. I arrived in Chicago in the afternoon of Tuesday October 23. I went to Hyde Park to stay with Fred Donner, my PhD thesis supervisor from the 1980s. The next day I spent at the University of Chicago campus. On Thursday morning October 25 I took the bus from Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa.. My father met me and took me to the Luther Manor retirement home where they are living. During my visit over the coming days I stayed in a guest room there.
A number of days I went to Wartburg Seminary to work in the library; while there I mostly proofread the Gustaf Dalman volumes. On October 28 I attended a lecture there by Dr. Ann Fritschel about the book of Amos; that was her inaugural lecture as holder of the Frank and Joyce Benz Chair in Scripture. Frank Benz is a retired Wartburg professor, who was in attendance, so I had the chance to chat with him, the first time our paths had crossed in many years. I had first meet Ann when we were both research fellows at the Albright Institute in Jerusalem in 1996.
On Sunday November 4 I gave a presentation at church about Islam and events in the Middle East. My brother John came, as did my sister Linda and her friend Dennis from Coralville. Afterwards we went to a restaurant with Pastor Teig and his wife and David Horstmann, who is now taking care of my parents’ affairs, and his wife.
I was around for the elections and voted in Dubuque for I think the first time ever. The Saturday before, November 3, both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama came to Dubuque on campaign stops. I went to both. First was the Romney rally at noon with a couple thousand people at the airport. Richard Petty also spoke; his talent as a race car driver did not carry over into public speaking. Curiously, I met three Indians at the rally from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who are working at the local IBM office in Dubuque. The Obama rally was down town with around five thousand people later that afternoon. Among the Obama items for sale were campaign buttons in Hebrew.
One task I needed to do during my stay was to sort through my stuff in the garage. My parents have decided to stop driving, so they will soon give up the garage. So I needed to move my stuff to a storage facility elsewhere in town. I also had dental appointments and an eye examination. I also watched a lot of movies I live-streamed over the internet. During my last days I developed a cough that lasted for quite a while.
On Wednesday afternoon, November 14 I took the bus back to Chicago and stayed with Fred Donner again. I came to attend the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research from Thursday to Saturday. I did not give a presentation this year. On Thursday I attended conference session; that evening there was a reception at the Oriental Institute Museum. I also attended conference sessions on Friday.
On Saturday November 17, after attending conference sessions, I went to O’Hare airport for my late afternoon flight to Frankfurt; the plain arrived late in Madrid, so I had to rush to make the connection to Frankfurt.
A number of days I went to Wartburg Seminary to work in the library; while there I mostly proofread the Gustaf Dalman volumes. On October 28 I attended a lecture there by Dr. Ann Fritschel about the book of Amos; that was her inaugural lecture as holder of the Frank and Joyce Benz Chair in Scripture. Frank Benz is a retired Wartburg professor, who was in attendance, so I had the chance to chat with him, the first time our paths had crossed in many years. I had first meet Ann when we were both research fellows at the Albright Institute in Jerusalem in 1996.
Ann Fritschel giving her lecture
On Sunday November 4 I gave a presentation at church about Islam and events in the Middle East. My brother John came, as did my sister Linda and her friend Dennis from Coralville. Afterwards we went to a restaurant with Pastor Teig and his wife and David Horstmann, who is now taking care of my parents’ affairs, and his wife.
The group
I was around for the elections and voted in Dubuque for I think the first time ever. The Saturday before, November 3, both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama came to Dubuque on campaign stops. I went to both. First was the Romney rally at noon with a couple thousand people at the airport. Richard Petty also spoke; his talent as a race car driver did not carry over into public speaking. Curiously, I met three Indians at the rally from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, who are working at the local IBM office in Dubuque. The Obama rally was down town with around five thousand people later that afternoon. Among the Obama items for sale were campaign buttons in Hebrew.
The Mitt Romney rally
The Barack Obama rally
The Obama campaign buttons for sale
One task I needed to do during my stay was to sort through my stuff in the garage. My parents have decided to stop driving, so they will soon give up the garage. So I needed to move my stuff to a storage facility elsewhere in town. I also had dental appointments and an eye examination. I also watched a lot of movies I live-streamed over the internet. During my last days I developed a cough that lasted for quite a while.
On Wednesday afternoon, November 14 I took the bus back to Chicago and stayed with Fred Donner again. I came to attend the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research from Thursday to Saturday. I did not give a presentation this year. On Thursday I attended conference session; that evening there was a reception at the Oriental Institute Museum. I also attended conference sessions on Friday.
On Saturday November 17, after attending conference sessions, I went to O’Hare airport for my late afternoon flight to Frankfurt; the plain arrived late in Madrid, so I had to rush to make the connection to Frankfurt.
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