Travel, traffic, Dodger, Brittany and Andrew, Jake

After packing on Thursday evening we only had to put in pillows, blankets  and other last minute items as we got up to leave on Friday morning. It was not very early. I think we were on the road by 5:30 which put us in Dallas as the morning rush hour was just getting in gear. It was not too bad but it turned out to be a harbinger of what was ahead for us.

We did not head south at Shreveport as we normally would have when traveling to see Cori, Nate and the kids, but instead kept heading east on I-20 on our way over to see Brittany and Andrew. They are in Columbus, Mississippi for his flight training. I do not remember the exact geographic location of the traffic we hit on the way over to them but we got snarled up in two very long traffic jams.

Each lasted for about an hour. So the trip to their home was lengthened to over twelve hours. Between the traffic jams and the longer stops required because Dodger, who was traveling with us, got almost panicked to get out of the car every time slowed down significantly we were on the road a lot longer than expected. He was in full “let me out” mode if we came to a full stop. So stops were longer and slightly more frequent on the journey.

Brittany and Andrew live on the air base north of town. It is a very nice facility –at least what little of it we were able to see. Brittany got Korean food from a local restaurant she and Andrew have found there. We had planned on going to the restaurant when we got there but we were so late in arriving that Brittany had to get the meals to go and we ate at their house on base.

The food was wonderful. I am sure they will miss that part of the amenities when they are relocated in a little over a year. Andrew is there for flight training and all the educational requirements that go with that assignment so it is not a long term assignment. While they are there, I am sure they will enjoy everything they can about the area and the base.

Brittany and Andrew gave their bed to Mama and me so we could try it out. Brittany is very happy with the bed and I think I disappointed her thoroughly by sleeping on the floor next to the bed. It was pretty soft and I do not do well on soft mattresses so I put a blanket on the floor and spent the night sleeping there. Mama and I both slept well and both of us really appreciated their generosity.

Brittany fixed us breakfast Saturday morning and we spent some time talking before we packed the car to head out. I was trying to be careful to gather all of Jake’s electronic belongings – since this was our first stop –and we did alright on that, but we ended up leaving his blanket and pillow on the couch where he had slept. You know how it is; I am packing, Mama is talking, Jake is talking, Brittany is talking, etc.

We were really in no hurry to leave since we expected to have only about six hours to get to Cori and Nate’s, so we took Jake to the PX the following morning and he bought presents for his family. He did not find anything for himself so he asked Andrew if he had any golf balls with the Air Force logo on them. Andrew did but we forgot to get one before we left that morning.

I am assuming it will be sent to New Jersey along with the blanket.

Out little scare, prep for departure

We had a bit of a scare last night. Jake was in the shower and the water stopped. He had run out the monthly service we pay for on the internet earlier in the day and the movie he was watching just quit playing. He told Mama it had timed out. Likewise with the water, when it stopped, he told Mama that it too had timed out. Fortunately, he was just getting rinsed off so there was no urgency there.

However, Mama was in a dead panic. I went to the well house to see if the pump was running even though there was no water flow. That would have meant that the well was dry – our worst case scenario. It was not running and the pressure in the tank was pretty low, indicating further that the pump was off. I checked the power to the well house and it seemed fine.

I had to go back to the shop to get a tester for the switch that turns the pump on and off. When I removed the cover on the switch I noticed an ant infestation – fire ants. After I cleared them out and reengaged the switch, I heard the quiet hum of the pump running and watched the tank pressure go back up. As I was walking back to the shop to put my tester back Jake blasted through the back to announce that the water was back on. They knew that because he had not turned off the shower when he got out. Fortunately, he had closed the shower curtain.

Mama was already on the phone with someone talking through her dread in the thought of our well being dry and our tip to Florida being cancelled because I had to work on getting water to the farm. Later, as she relayed the event to people at church they had similar stories of switches being shorted out by ants. For some reason they love electricity; maybe it’s the ozone or the magnet field, no one really knows. Anyway, the trip is back on for now which is a huge relief to Mama and Jake.

As we plan for leaving today there are a few safety precautions we have to take, like unplugging items throughout the house, emptying the fridge, making sure all the faucets are properly closed, checking the locks on the house and other locked areas and parking vehicles in front of the tarp covered entrances to the shop. If we do not remember it all, I am sure we will be alright, but it is better to take the time to leave things stowed and secured properly.

We will be off to an early start tomorrow.

Vacation prep, Mama’s concerns, Dodger, Jake

Mama is in full vacation prep mode now. While they were out at Victoria’s doctor’s appointment yesterday she asked if she could but snacks, drinks and cereal to take on the trip. This is the time I have to be very careful not to lose control of the spending because she can think up all kinds of stuff to take along.

She is also telling me what needs to be packed for the trip. As the list has grown over the past several days I asked her exactly what vehicle we were planning to take because I was having trouble envisioning how all the items were going to fit in the Flex – along with four people, two dogs and all the required paraphernalia. Somehow we will make it, but I will not know how much of a chore it will be until I get started Thursday evening.

Money has never been something Mama concerns herself with (totally my responsibility to worry over that) but she is worried about the big dogs. Mama is worried that leaving them alone at the farm for ten days will make them feel abandoned and neglected. I only hope they do not follow us down the road the way Sam did Friday evening as we were leaving for some errand or another. Victoria ended up having to walk back to the house in order to keep Sam on the farm while Mama, Jake and I continued on our way.

The next morning we were going to Trade Days and I had to chase Sam back to the house three times before he stayed. We know Wes is coming to the farm every evening to feed and water the animals, but Mama is still concerned that they will miss her too much. I offered to stay originally but she would not allow that – someone has to drive to Florida and back.

We are leaving early Friday morning and driving to Brittany and Andrew’s to spend the night. They are both anxious to show us around their new digs. If I understand it correctly, they have adopted an additional dog to Lucy. It should be an interesting evening with four dogs in the house. At Cori’s, if Brittany and Andrew come to visit, there will be five dogs in the mix. Oh. Joy!

 Dodger will be in turmoil over this entire trip since he is used to sleeping through the day and hunting all night. I am not sure how he is with this drastic a change in routine. On the positive side, he will not have as many burrs to remove from his coat daily for the duration of the trip. That will be pleasant for all involved in the routine de-burring process. Besides he will be great fun for the kids to play with.

Jake’s time with us got shortened. H will be returning to New Jersey on the 24^th of July rather than the 4^th of August. I suppose it is for the best. He got what he wanted – at least in part – and it gives his family a little more time to get him ready for the trip they have planned to Mexico on the 6^th of August. We will get back from Florida on Monday the 22^nd and he will be flying out two days later.

He will have had a busy summer by the time school starts again.

Jake, miserably hot and disappointing

I am trying to compose a coy email to the Licensing group to see if they need additional information from me – since I am not going to be interviewed a second time. I do not want to seem pushy or overly anxious but I am consumed with curiosity; nearly desperate for information. Or as Gru would say, “I have pins and needles where I am sitting.” Oh, well. The Lord is in control and I have plenty to do in the interim.

Jake had a bad evening last night because we were re-watching a movie he was not interested in seeing again. So he contacted his Mom via Skype and turned on the tears. I think between Mama and his Mom everything got straightened out, but it shows once again that he is very used to getting everything he thinks he wants regardless of how insignificant it may seem. We are just less troubled by his disappointments.

He is great child and when things put him at the center of attention he is even better, but that attitude can so quickly shift that it is a little alarming if you are not ready for it. He did not throw a temper tantrum; he just moped until we were done.

Yesterday Mama let him buy a balloon kit that had instructions for making balloon animals, etc. When I got home he gave me a puppy he had made with a purple one. When I asked him when he learned to do that, he said, “just now.” He read the instructions, followed the patterns on the back of the package and made puppies, hats and swords.  Pretty clever. No wonder it is hard to keep him entertained. Rosie was less impressed. She was cowering in our bedroom because of two balloons that popped as they were unsuccessfully twisted into shape.

It has been miserably hot here and the persistent, dry wind is sucking the moisture out of everything. The grass is either dead or dormant. The trees are starting to shed their leaves. The tanks are drying out very quickly. Between the dry conditions and the grasshoppers most of our garden will not survive to produce anything we can harvest. Even the blueberry plants I so carefully tended are not going to make it.

I have given up watering because we do not know the capacity of the well to continue producing water in the volume we need to keep plants alive while still meeting our water needs as well as keeping the troughs full for the livestock we have. I do not want to run it low during this continued drought.

My brother-in-law Fabian had the best synopsis of the situation. He said they bought a fifty dollar oak tree, dug a one hundred dollar hole to plant it in and put one thousand dollars’ worth of water on it before it died. That pretty much sums it up. It is a good thing I delayed plans to start an orchard.

It is so disappointing sometimes. We had some very nice rains in May and June but their effects were very short lived. For several weeks we were mowing the yard every three days. Now it has been a month since the last mowing. There is a lesson in there somewhere: do all you are able when you are able; rest after you have worked and the opportunity has passed; be ready to go again at the next opportunity.

The massive oaks in our front yard show us that the potential for long life is here but you have to sink deep roots and endure whatever hardships may come.

Will it be worth it all one day?

Yes it will; but maybe not here.

Jake and the 4th, some progress

One thing I had forgotten is that Jake is a full time job. Over the last four days I think Mama has been glad for the help. Today it will be just the two of them. I am sure she will manage.

I think it is safe to say that this is going to be one of the more memorable Fourth of July’s for Jake. This is the first time he was able to purchase fireworks. In New Jersey a license is required for their purchase and display. It is not legal to set them off in most areas of the state. He only spent about twenty dollars on all the different types he got but he was pretty thrilled that not even his brother could top those bragging rights.

We did see a pretty impressive display put on by a large Baptist church in Decatur late Wednesday night. We ended up getting home after 11 pm because they did not start the fireworks until after dark which was well after 9:30 pm. It was worth the wait. We had over an hour to visit with a family from the church while we waited.

On the evening of the  4^th I built a little fire so we could make s ’mores and we used that fire through the evening for setting off the small arsenal of firecrackers, sparklers and other gunpowder driven devices Jake had gotten. That too lasted well into the evening. One particular item was noteworthy. It was a ball that spun while sparkling fire shot out. While we were watching, it quite unexpectedly shot up about fifteen feet into the air – still spewing out its sparkles.

Jake kept trying to get firecrackers into the fire in as sneaky a manner as is possible for someone like him in an attempt to scare Mama. She did a good job of pretending once or twice but the hilarity of the game wore off long before he had given it up.

On Saturday at Trade Days he and Mama wanted to buy a potbellied pig in the worst way. I overruled that notion as gently as I could, but with Jake, “no” just means he has to beg a little longer; which he did. Their plan was to take the pig to Florida for the grandkids to play with and then sell it to someone down there. But the thought of four persons, two dogs and a pig all stuffed into the car for the trip to Florida did not excite me.

Over the very long weekend I used two more boxes of mud. I exhausted the last of the third box while finishing the ceiling in the living room. I have only a couple joints left to tape in the laundry room and the first coat will be complete. When my shoulder was too tired to apply any more mud and tape I would take a break and put in outlets and switches. That too, is almost complete. Very late one evening I took time to hang the bedroom door, just so I could see something getting done.

I listen to the iPod all day long as I work in the apartment and on Saturday I stumbled across a song I am sure I have never heard before. It is titled, “Longing to go” by the Kingsmen. I played it over and over through the day.

It has been a long time since a song has blessed me that much.

Jake

Mama and I found our way into and out of Dallas Love airport yesterday. I was not without the usual dramatics of having Mama copilot through heavy traffic but it turned out to be very simple into and out of the airport. We were there to meet Jake who is going to spend the month with us. We got there about an hour early. That was not intentional but the flight was delayed about a half hour.

The airline let both of us go through security to meet Jake at the gate. That turned out to be a good thing because Mama left the gate area to get a green tea from Starbucks because she assumed we had plenty of time. She was next in line to order when I met her with Jake. Of course, the two of them were very glad to see each other. They talked non-stop for the next several hours.

Mama was in the process of telling him about the farm, the animals and the activities, and mentioned fishing in the big pond. That one sunk in with Jake. No matter where we stopped after that, he asked if we were stopping at Wal-Mart next to pick up the worms I had mentioned we would need for bait. Four stops later, as he and Mama were talking to Victoria, I got the worms. Jake, Mama and I did go fishing later that evening. Each of them caught a pretty good sized catfish. I was the only one with worm goo and fish smell on my hands but all three of us had fun.

We were talking as we traveled about fishing and Jake’s experience fishing with his dad. He was not speaking too happily about the forays along the rivers and lakes of New Jersey so I asked why. He relayed that the only bad part of fishing with his dad is that they had to eat what they caught. Jake, it turns out is not a seafood or fish lover, he only likes crab legs and calamari.

He went into a big explanation of how he discovered those two seafood selections suited his palate. It was directly due to his cousin Julie. “Everything she told me I would like I really did.” He explained. “She has gone through all her childhood stages so she can really relate to where I am.” When Mama asked how old cousin Julie was, he replied matter of factly, “Twenty one.”

Jake’s mission while he is here is to help Victoria with math as she studies for the Pharmacy Tech test she will be taking next month. Since the majority of the math involved in the test will be simple arithmetic, he may actually do her some good. Time will tell.

For now, Mama’s activity level has at least doubled.

Hot work, Jake comes tomorrow

After extreme high temperatures last week the cooler weather that came yesterday was a welcome relief. Mama was worrying over me all day Saturday. The temperature was a little over one hundred degrees and there was almost no breeze flowing through the apartment but it was not too unpleasant. What little wind we did have blew the plastic I had carefully covered the bedroom floor with up into a bunch. (Not a good moment.)

Victoria and I worked most of the morning finishing the sheetrock on the ceiling in the kitchen area. She worked taping and floating the closet in the bedroom while I measured and made the necessary cuts. (I had to cut one piece twice.) I asked her to start in the closet in order to refresh her memory on the process before we got to the more visible areas of the bedroom. She actually did quite well although she was not able to finish the closet before the heat got to her.

I soaked my way through two sets of cloths while I finished up the rough in of the sheetrock. With it all in place we can move on to getting it floated out and ready for paint. My hope is to be ready for paint after the long weekend I have over the 4^th. I would get Mama started painting but we are going to pick up Jake at the airport tomorrow so I am not sure if I want that much help with painting in the apartment.

I took the time to hook up two outlets in the shop in addition to the one we have been working off of. One is for the freezer, which Mama cleaned out early Saturday morning. The other is a duplex I cut into one of the shop walls so I could set up a work table without having extension cords stretched all over the shop. It worked out pretty well. In the not too distant future it will serve the same area in the shop for the start of a permanent work bench.

Grandpa was reluctant to run anything into the breaker box before we were completely done in the apartment – painting and all. I have a slightly different approach and I do not necessarily like to have multiple cords run throughout the work area. I did get bitten (electrically speaking) while I was hooking up one leg of the new outlet so I had to cut the power to the shop momentarily, but it was a good reminder for me of the potential dangers involved in wiring in breakers.

I will be off tomorrow in so I can ride with Mama to Dallas Love Airport to get Jake. He will be with us for a month. Next week is a trip to the panhandle so I can do interviews for a position I am hiring in Dumas. TX. Soon after that is our vacation to Florida. Even with all of the travel, I am afraid his time with us will seem a little boring since he is slated to go on vacation to Mexico with his family as soon as he returns to New Jersey.

Oh, well. We will all have to make due.