Finish Line in Sight

Years ago, my family used to attend this great weekend party during the Quechee Balloon Festival in June. One year, we passed around a hat and collected enough to pay for an ad hoc rock band to show up and play. The lead singer was a woman who looked like she would be giving birth any second.

At one point, she wrapped her hands under her belly and said "I can't wait for this kid to get out of here." The child, a boy, was born the next day and now he's in his late teens. (How does that happen overnight?)

Anyway, whenever I get to the end of a book project, I remember that singer because that is exactly how I feel.

I've been living and breathing and teaching the stuff in this book for years now. Parts of it were written under different circumstances for different reasons. Things have changed—a lot. Life has happened.

You know the routine.

But now I'm down to the acknowledgments, the dedication, the copyright page, and the index. And I'm done.

I can't wait for this kid to get out of here!