On the Road Again

Okay, we are well on our ambitious journey. It is Monday, August 19, 2019, and I'm still reeling from all the kind words spoken and sent to me on my birthday. I would swell up a little if I didn't know that while you can fool some folks, you can never fool God, and He knows me best. Thanks to everyone who took the time to recognize my entrance here on this terrestrial ball. After the great family gathering last Tuesday, on my actual birthday, to top it all off, my sister-in-law, twin born 18 months before my wife, well, she treated me to a fantastic dinner at the steakhouse. Her husband was in the area on business and couldn't get away, therefore, the wife, the sister-in-law, and I went to dinner and had a remarkable time and a wonderful meal. I typically don't call what we are doing a vacation because I think getaway is a more appropriate description. Getaway. From the routine. I started to say grind, but, that would be way over-the-top. From the incessant heat. And, so on and so forth. That sounds slightly better than saying etcetera, etcetera. At any rate, we have a long day of driving ahead of us today. I planned it that way so we could spend a little time with my dear sister, JoAnn, in Plano, Tx. She is one of the most caring people who breathe air on the planet. But, she is plagued with a number of health-related challenges that keeps her pretty much tied in knots. May God surround her with His presence is my prayer. Amen.

Wife shot this one before I left the house.

I did the Santa promotional stuff in the photography studio last Friday morning. This is my 10th year to be Santa and my 8th to work with this particular studio. I've been there and done that many times in the past, however, the kids we had for this particular shoot were nothing short of remarkable. We essentially were able to do four hours of work in an hour and one half. A beautiful little down syndrome girl warmed up to me immediately. Last year we got some incredible shots of her and her sisters, but, she never would sit in my lap. This year she wanted to stay in my lap. Our chief photographer lady was surprised. The girls' mom was surprised. And, I was too. Every sitting went that way. It was one of those eerie kinds of things where you wonder if what is happening is really happening. I'll take it. Thank you very much. When I arrived at the studio location, I was approached in the parking lot by two ladies. It was closing in on 10 a.m. but it was warm already. The ladies looked like they had just finished a yoga session. One of them hollered out to me, "Hey, what in the world do you think you are doing?" I played along, "What do you mean?" She kept it up, "Don't you know it's August?" I said, "Okay, so?" I then explained why I was there. They knew about this studio and said the photos made there were amazing. I knew that already. She asked me to take a photo with her friend. I agreed. The friend was surprised, but, we made the photo. I think she really wanted a photo of herself and me, but, the friend didn't offer, and I was needing to get out of the heat so I didn't offer another one. Another day in the life of the 'Jolly Old Elf'.

If everything goes according to plan we will be in Colorado by this evening. I'm hoping for some '50s in the morning, but, the weather is not within my area of expertise or control. Yes. Thanks for asking. I did remember to bring my little one cup percolator and a bag of Community Coffee. I also brought my own cup. You know. A real cup. It's was the right thing to do. That reminds me of a little story. I've told it before but some of you may have missed it. When our kids were little we were on our way to visit the wife's parents and I was getting a little sleepy so we stopped in Bunkie, Louisiana for some coffee. Cajun country. I went into this little cafe and I told the lady I wanted a cup of strong coffee to go. She said the coffee they serve couldn't be put into a plastic cup. The cup wouldn't hold up. She then fetched one of those old fashioned thick ceramic cups and poured it for me. I said poured, but, it was more like she oozed it into the cup. It was thick. It was strong. I'm pretty sure I had never had any quite that strong. Did I mention it was strong? I did get it down and paid a small amount and we got back on the road. As best I recall, I didn't sleep for three consecutive days. Not really. That's called hyperbole. You know. Something embellished to add a little color. In this case, hot, thick, and very black. Have a great rest of the day and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.