Weekly Post: 7/31 - 8/6

Sunday, 7/31:

We took all three dogs to Kensington Park and walked around one of Michigan's many lakes. Really beautiful and fun!

Monday, 8/1:

We went on the slow roll with our friends, Harry, Sarah, baby Everett, and my friend, Kathryn.

Here's what Ben posted on social media: 

"Today we participated with some friends in the Detroit slow roll. This is a gathering of thousands of people, strangers and friends, who join together and bike through Detroit. It was... Amazing. Not just because we biked through some great parts of the city, or because we saw some amazingly tricked-out, lit up, and sweetly painted bikes, but because we saw people gather from every walk of life. We saw riders as diverse as the types of music being blasted from their different bikes. Everyone was friendly, kind, and there to enjoy themselves. We were all there to slow roll. I couldn't help but feel hopeful; this in a time where I feel often hopeless, where politics and issues divide us. But here we were, black, white, Hispanic, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, listening to hip hop, funk, Motown, and even some salsa. Here we were as varied in color, background, age, and style as you could be, and yet we rolled together. This is the America I know. This is the America I love. Also, this is the city I love. There's nothing quite like rolling through a historic Detroit neighborhood, being ushered by waving, cheering locals standing outside their doors... Listening to Motown blasting from some bike-mounted speakers. This is a city making its comeback, and I'm just happy to be here for the ride."

Tuesday, 8/2:

Kingsley had another vet appointment. He actually loves them because he loves attention. Each one has confirmed how well behaved he is and how good he is with other dogs. In this picture, Kingsley is playing with another puppy.

Wednesday, 8/3:

 John's wife, Chelsie, came to visit! Her first night here we went out to eat in Ann Arbor and walked around University of Michigan's law school. Then we stayed up too late playing cards, talking, and eating.

Thursday, 8/4:

On Monday of this week, my administration changed the dates so that we'd have school on Thursday instead of a few meetings. We rolled with the punches, and Chelsie came to school with me. Then, on Tuesday, they decided there would be a graduation ceremony for the summer graduates during the day. Again, we rolled with the punches and got coverage for my class. Five minutes before the ceremony they told us that the senior advisors would be speaking...and I am a senior advisor. The ceremony was rushed and my speech was little better than rambling, but the whole experience was so quintessential it made me laugh.

We went out to a middle eastern feast that night. 

Friday, 8/5:

We chatted and packed up. Chelsie mostly distracted me! Then we drove to the Toronto airport for our trip (cheaper airfare...possibly not worth the stress. There was a lot of traffic and we couldn't use our data since we were in Canada. For about an hour of the drive, I wasn't sure if we were going to make our flight).

Saturday, 8/6:

Saturday we arrived in Germany! We met up with my parents and drove up the Rhine, doing some sightseeing as we went. Sneak Peak!