…it just kind of fell upon me. Or vice versa. The past few days have not gone as I’d planned. However, it’s not been that bad.
I really have been trying to get East. I planned to leave Monday and camp the whole way, taking my time and seeing the sights. But, I had to wait 2 days to get my car fixed. While waiting, I worked on the Brehm’s deck, didn’t pack, coached a day camp with Joe, delayed packing, rode to downtown Salem with Joe for our last dinner and decided I’d pack tomorrow. When my car was fixed it so happened that Grant was also driving back East and we decided to caravan. The plan was to stay with people we knew near Salt Lake City, Denver, and Omaha. Grant and I would part ways in St. Louis. I would stay with Laura and her family in St. Louis until a few days before I started work on Aug 3 and Grant would drive home to Cleveland.
Unexpectedly, my car broke down a half hour North of the Ledger’s house in Ogden, UT after our 12 hour drive. I got it to a shop (this is a miraculous story in itself) where it still sits, waiting to have it’s expensive, but necessary mechanical operation. My fair-weather friend Grant and I had a poignant, "please, you have to go on without me" moment and he drove on this morning ;)
I know Pete Ledger from Cedarville. His dad is a retiered train conductor and bull rider. His mom works for the forest service (did you know the forest service uses google earth to track fires? No joke). Mrs. Ledger showed me around Ogden. One of the sights was a huge indoor "family adventure park" called the Salomon Center. Inside was hovercraft bumper cars, bowling, arcade, food, billiards, a rock wall, indoor surfing and indoor skydiving. The indoor skydiving, or vertical wind tunnel, looked too fun. For $40 I took a 15 min class and then flew for two 1 minute sessions. Expensive, but amazing! After me, there were a bunch of elementary aged children that suited up for their "league". I sat and watched them do basic tricks. It was so strange to sit and talk with their moms about how proud they were that Jr was improving so much and how much he like the instructor. Like I was at a youth soccer practice or something. They were fascinating to watch. Check out the video (no sound on either).
That evening we went to my first authentic rodeo. Cattle roping, barrel racing, bucking broncos, bull riding, the real deal. Cowboys and cowgirls everywhere! Accents thckern' a... some cowboy expression for thickness. Riding bulls looks dangerous.
My car should be fixed for the second time tomorrow. As long as it’s not too late in the day, I’ll try driving East again. Emphasis on try.
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