I'm home

9/1/08 Monday
Well, I made it. That was eight hours of traveling with me leaving at 9:20 and getting to Wayne’s at 5:30. Boy I’m beat. The rental car place insisted on my credit card despite the fact that Dean had paid for it so that placed a $400.00 hold on our account leaving Cherie only fifty two bucks available. Tomorrow that should be fine when Cherie deposits the checks we have but it’s not convenient for the moment. I love Wayne and he was anxious to offer me a place to stay but it really won’t work. The bed is maybe six foot four inches long and I’m a full six foot tall. That’s a tight fit. Then there’s the pillow. It’s a pillow case stuffed with clothes. I’ve had worse but really need the rest. Wayne is wide awake and has the big spring tv that’s against this bedroom wall blasting. I’ll tough through till tomorrow and then I’m springing for a hotel room. It’s just that tomorrow is the big day and that’s when I want to be sharp.
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9/5/08 Friday
There is so much to write it will take days. Some of it I can’t exactly reveal on this blog but the stories are such a window into that different world that is found on the east side that I must record them. Much of that will have the names, dates, and other circumstances changed so as to not make the characters involved unidentifiable. I already know where I can publish this on the web so as to remain anonymous. There are so many stories to tell just from this trip that I hope I can remember them. As I would sit, listen, and watch the people at the funeral and following activities I would note “You ought to write about that, describe it in clear color” to myself. Much of it is already gone. Not having this laptop working really hurt. I just picked it up from Virtual PC’s this morning on the way to the airport. It had what they called a “Root kit” kind of virus installed. In addition to that the Microsoft Internet Explorer was screwed up since I upgraded to it last week so I couldn’t go online at all. At least I got some pictures but I don’t remember what pictures I took so will have to wait till I get home to download them.
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Part of the Carder family.

9/06/08 Saturday
I’m home now. Boy does it feel good. There is so much to write that I’ll have to make sure I don’t go out and work till I’m exhausted, like I’m prone to do,(it doesn’t take much) so I have some energy left to write with.

The flight back was uneventful other than almost missing the flight in Detroit. There was so much to do that morning, including picking up this laptop from Virtual PC. Then it was ninety miles per hour to Detroit. Finding Budget Rent a Car’s drop off lot was hard. I ended up going to the terminal and following one of their shuttle busses to the lot. Then it was “I’m going to miss my flight” to get things going. They did a good job of getting me out the door and to the airport. Then I had to find an American Airlines desk where I learned I need to go to another area upstairs. At that one I was told that I probably missed the flight but learning I only had carry on luggage she went ahead and printed my ticket, telling me that if I hurried I just might make it. So hurry I did. Getting to gate B-11 I saw that it was empty and there was no plane in the slot. “Damn” I said to myself with a sinking feeling. I went to another boarding area where I saw an attendant working and asked “I missed my flight, can I get another flight here?”. She asked what flight I’d missed and when I told her she asked if I had checked luggage. When I said no she pointed to a line of people getting on board a plane and said “That’s your flight loading right now. Hurry up”. Cool, they were loading out of another gate so I didn’t miss it. I was the last person on board but I was on board.

After that things went smoothly. Getting into Midland’s airport I naturally was anxious to see Cherie’s wonderful face. It was good to see, hold, and hear Cherie’s voice. She was just as happy to see me, or, who knows, maybe even happier. Regardless, it’s good to be home.
If you look carefully you can see a bicycle

Cherie told me that since there was a huge rain Tuesday the weeds have really grown. Really? That’s an understatement. We have a jungle out there now. Man did those weeds grow. Going out to the garden I was pleased to see the plants have been blessed by the rains as well. There is a LOT of work I need to do out there. The melons continue to be destroyed by dogs and apparently some smaller creatures by the teeth marks on them. I must finish putting up the fences despite how hard it will be to do by myself. That’s just the way it is and that’s all part of building a farm.

Right now I want to write something for the folks who pitched in and helped so much with getting me to the funeral and mostly with helping the family out financially. I’ll pick out some pictures to print with it as well.