On the off chance that I might join her and Cici in China, Ping took our fish to one of her girlfriends who will take care of him until Ping returns.  I would say the odds at this point are slim and none that I can go, but Ping made the contingency plan anyway.  I suspect that at an immigration court hearing next week that another hearing will be set right during the time I had planned to be away.  We also have so much work to do that I can't imagine being away, and with both of my girls anxious to be back in Houston, it may be best just to stay here anyway.

Last night Ping confessed that she doesn't really want to go to China.  If it weren't for her driver's license renewal, and Cici being there, she would opt to stay right here with me.  Cici has made it clear now that she much prefers living at our home in Houston.  Her list of complaints about living in China keeps growing.  This has been a summer of realization and change for her.

On the one hand, it feels like Cici has been gone forever.  At the same time, though, it feels like summer just started but in just 5 weeks Cici will be coming home and school will start the following week.  The days of summer are slipping past.  Cici is missing the summer band practices, but she is a junior now; an experienced member of the marching band.  I think she might enjoy the final few days of summer band practice when she returns.

The newspaper this morning has an article about the more than 50 kinds of mosquitoes that we have it Houston, including the Asian Tiger Mosquito.  This is the large mosquito that has been doing dive bombs on Ping and Cici, especially Ping.  I guess it is looking for some home cooking.  But Cici has also been complaining about the mosquitoes in China, so Ping isn't likely to get any relief there.

But early tomorrow is lift off for Ping.  It is gonna be lonely around this place for a while.