Long time silence . . .

Many times I thought about posting again. Time slips by so quickly and before you know it, the absence is embarrassing. My adventures added up. The teen work doubled. The full - plate of responsibilities continued. SO . . . here I am; finally trying to break the ice.

Exactly a week ago, I began a fascinating trip. Sunday afternoon my wife dropped me off at Will Rogers World Airport. My Delta tickets read Norfolk by way of Cincinnati. I was secretly excited about the chance to fly again - it had been 33 years. I was treated to two window seats and some wonderful views. I found the crews friendly, the cabins intimate, and the trim jets very efficient.

I was met curbside and given possession of a shiney red Jetta - my chariot for the next 48 hours. After a night's rest at the Red Roof Inn in Virginia Beach, I was almost ready to set out for home. A quick stop to grab a GPS system and I was on my way. The harbor scenes rushed by so quickly and I-64's lengthy bridge suddenly morphed into a surreal tunnel.

The next hours were an artist's treat: mile after mile of prime Fall follage. Salem, a burb of Roanoke, was the setting for lunch at Mac and Bob's. The afternoon trek Southwestward along the mountain ridges finally led to I-40 and Tennessee. Pressing on, I made it to Lebonan and my room at the Super 8 Inn.

Early Tuesday, I headed for Nashville, then Memphis. After crossing the mighty Mississippi, I stopped for buffet at Pizza Hut in Forrest City, Arkansas. Rain ushered me into Little Rock; dusk came before Ft. Smith. They say those last familiar miles and couple of hours take the longest. At 7:25 EST, I pulled into my drive, ending the 1400 mile experience. 33 hours of elapsed time and 22 hours of driving had brought the Jetta back to the City.

Arbuckles and South . . . again.

Yesterday it sped thru the pass but stopped at Ardmore. Today I pushed on South, another 50 miles from Dallas. At Corsicana, I traded Siennas and hit rush hour in Big D.

Jeannette hadn't been home long from volunteering at ACS, when the storm begin to dump hail. To the East it spawned multiple funnels.

Monday was a big day for Whiz Kids - our end of year banquet and program for the kids and their families. Ten adults filled the 200 plates with the delicious catered food; some of the youth group served. After several songs, the night ended with a slideshow.

Far, Farther, Farthest

Monday morning and I had the slides ready for Whiz Kids. . . but I didn't have to be there with a Bible story. Dave got a call for 2 drivers to deliver a new Maxima to McAlester. I drove the chase car; my first time in a Nissan Sentra. Just before leaving I-40 at Henryetta, Dave's path converged with a huge piece of tire tread from a semi. It hit up under the front bumper and ripped the fasteners out of the gravel / splash guard. After 3 attempts to secure it, we threw it in the trunk and finished the drive. The couple was very cool about it all and took delivery. We saw quite a show of lightening and got home about ten.

As we returned the Sentra Tuesday morning, he got a call for 2 drivers to go to Arkansas for Chrysler-Jeep. In Ft. Smith he left the big nice 300c for me and he drove a Jeep Patriot back (just so I could listen to Sirrus 128 [NASCAR talk radio] ). We hit spells of heavy rain in Eastern Oklahoma. I got a dealer trade call to Duncanville, Texas for today. I traded a navy Sentra for a loaded charcoal grey one. Mapquest took me off Loop 12 sooner than Dave always goes, but I found it - 224 miles one way!

I really felt like a hypocrite! With all the bother about the NBA leaving Seattle, I thought about boycotting Starbucks. But I don't drink coffee, so that was a shortlived idea. THEN, I stopped in Gaineville for a late lunch. I just couldn't make myself stop at the "arches" and there was a new Starbucks next door.

Well, it turned into a very entertaining and interesting experience. A very personable young lady and her dreadlocked co-worker went out of their way to make my first solo visit a pleasant one. {If you find your way here, thank you! Here is some of my art work you can check out.} http://www.okcps.org/ms/jackson/canan/visual_art.htm

The heaven's openned up and I drove back across town in a dark downpour. We quickly left for Church. We had a good group of 14 for teen class. We ate when we got back home.... I'm running a contract to Chandler in the morning.

Tahlequah & Taxes

Tuesday, I mean Tax Day, I delivered a big shiney Silverado 2500 club cab to an employee at NSU. I wanted to see Geoff, but his teaching schedule didn't allow it this time. I ate in Locust Grove before bringing the Suburban loaner back. I mailed Mother's tax return that morning, but I had to finish Rob's and join the party at the dowtown post office before I could go to bed.
Wednesday, I worked on the Teen Room until lunch time. I replaced 4 ceiling tile, vacuumed, and rearranged the furniture. Two calls after lunch changed my plans to include a run to the tag agency and a quick trip to Norman before Bible class.
Thursday morning began early with Preachers' Breakfast at Denny's. I switched a trip to Cyril to tonight so I could have time to donate plateletts and attend the funeral for Florence Sweeney at Southwest. While Jeannette was enjoying Caring Sisters tonight I met the guy from Blanchard to sign a form. A discovered a tremendous bargain at Gordman's: three beautiful name-brand dress shirts at a rediculous clearance price.

Westside after 50

Sunday I got to attend the 50th Anniversary of the Westside congregation in Norman. Two fine lessons by Leon and Phillip, great singing, and a lot of fellowship. It was a nice visit. Sunday evening was a time of revelation and an extensive amount of counseling in my youth group.
Monday was Jeannette's post-op visit with the surgeon at OU; the surprising news was the path report showed pre-cancer cells in the tissue removed. We are very blessed to have that threat behind us. Whiz Kids went smooth until Jonah was thrown overboard... We went to CiCi's before I went grocery shopping.

Not much happenin'

Wed night we all celebrated Brent's 1st place finish in a national wrestling tournament at K.C. He shared his plaque and medal with us and was applauded by many of the adults.
On Thursday, Jeannette made her return to A.C.S. There was lots for her to do while I ran more titles to the tag agency for Debbie to file liens.
We planned to eat at Zio's but an incosiderate group of smokers planted themselves right in front of the entryway. We did enjoy Panera Bread
next door.
Friday I took contract papers to Sapulpa; Saunny put me in a classy Lincoln Continental. This week I dropped off my resume at Crossroads Chrysler.
Its been a slow week for all the drivers. After the men's breakfast at Golden Corral this morning, I went to Lowes for some wide baseboard pieces for the dining room. Yes, after twenty years, the vertical carpet strips are history. It took some getting used to my new compound miter saw, but the project looks pretty good. We made a visit to a shut-in and ate at Boomerang after a couple of shopping stops.

Rock Chalk Rocky Top!

Carl Edwards won at Texas as Roush continues to dominate there. I picked the top five but my score wasn't real great.

Samson was the story for Whiz Kids Club Time. I got the projector and laptop set up by 8:30 so I was able to accept the job of taking titles to the tag agency for liens to be recorded. Michael was absent so Jeannette didn't have to finish getting ready. Yes, Teresa, we all pulled for your Jayhawks. Great work, Bill Self! At my doctor's appointment this morning, Janet Fanning, MD, walked in with a bright blue Kansas tee and red jeans. Guess where she went to med school???

After leaving the clinic in Moore, I drove to Bob Howard to pick up a contract to take to Stillwater. The Police Dept. HQ was easy to find and I made a quick turn around. I checked on the house in Edmond but I didn't find any hail damage from last night. Jeannette had cooked dinner including cherry turnovers. We are watching Tennessee dismantle the Stanford team. It has been turning ugly the 2nd half, but the Lady Vols were too much. Pat Summit is what educators and coaches long to be.

Catchin' Up

Sorry, I got behind. Wednesday morning I drove through downtown Fort Worth to get signatures. On the way back, I stopped by Texas Motor Speedway to see the Nationwide haulers that had already arrived.

Since I can't attend this year, I was thankful just to

get a little taste of the atmosphere. I drove down the lane where the concession trailers were setting up.

Wednesday night we warmed up the extra pizza after

class. I skipped Preachers' Breakfast since I had been up so early ths week. Honda sent me to Tulsa on a dealer trade with Don Carlton at 41st & Memorial (near our restaurant back in the day). Geoff is in NYC for a conference on Bilingual Education.

Friday, Jeannette got out for the first time since surgery; we joined our group of friends at the UCO theater production of Steel Peer. We had to leave at intermission but it was nice to see her out. After resting up, she made it to the annual Sweetheart Banquet at the church building on Saturday night and for Bible Class and Worship on Sunday. Teresa went back to the hospital for more tests. At least Kansas won.

Plainviews of the Texas Panhandle

Lil play on words there... I just want to share what I've found in that West Texas city.

The lovely "art" shows the local attachment to the place of cattle in their lives. : )

Leaving before 5 am Tuesday, I made the round trip of 700 miles in just over 11 hours. I'll take an occasional gust of crosswind over the hail and tornadic torbulence some of my fellow driver friends got into Monday in SE Oklahoma and central Arkansas! Today I traded a brilliant red Corolla for a sporty white one.

O.S.U. didn't treat Sutton as fairly as they did Gundy; I hope he lands a great position and shows Holder he can coach.

Lord's Day recap

Jeannette still isn't able to get out for Church just yet. (I'm not the only one to miss her!) Brent and I got Subway after morning worship. I watched the paperclip race [Martinsville] while finishing prep work so I could preach Sunday night. By the way, that's the 2nd win for TOYOTA this year!

Daniel was a man of purpose, principle, purity, and prayer; great outline I borrowed from Mark Copeland in Florida. Brent lead another good prayer (from his heart) while Jacob, Ryan, and Cory did their usual good job reading scriptures. After worship we had another delicious covered dish feast and fellowship time. We are blessed to be part of the South Walker Family.

On Tulsa Time X 3

Three of my last four road trips have been to Tulsa. Before a dealer trade on I 240, I ran contract papers to East Tulsa on Thursday (see Mar 16). Guess where I went Friday? Tulsa for Toyota, then Tulsa for Honda. Do you think I'm getting any "frequent flyer miles" with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority? Or just burning up my Pike Pass? Saturday was interesting as I got papers signed in Stillwater during the spring football scrimmage and the NCAA finale for those courageous Cowgirls. To get a copy of a drivers license, I snapped it with my lil digital Nikon and got it printed at Walgreen. Did you get to see Chrissy Wallace debut in the Truck Series at Martinsville? I worked on my sermon notes for Sunday night after we enjoyed Arbys.

Lookin' Up

Things are looking up as the lady of the house starts to feel better. Eating has become easier as the true taste of things returns. She has to remind herself to reign in that instinct to launch into a cleaning project. Thankful for all the prayers, she is enjoying cards and calls.

Home 2.5 days

Glad to be home, Monday began a slow improvement for Jeannette. Food either made her sick or didn't taste or smell right. She has steadily felt better with the gradual return of some strength to be up. The meals brought in by our daughter and my sister-in-law were fantastic. Cards and phone cards cheer her spirit.

Whiz Kids Club Time was the story of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnance. Tuesday I learned where the NW Tag Agency. Today I took 10 more titles there for liens to be filed. Before sunrise I drove Dave to Covington to "repo" a Tacoma. Around noon I went to Rush Springs for a signature.
We had 18 in class tonight! Angie and Reegan brought Macy. I'm excited the Lord is blessing the YG with steady growth. Dan was in town tonight.

Room 725

Wonderful staff of care givers... that's what we have found at OU Presbyterian. Daniel, Gayle, Pat, Jim, and the others went above and beyond. Instead of ordering the next day's food from a very limited list, they feature an extensive Room Service system.

The view to the North is almost surreal... here see for yourself:
The beautiful pink roses were from Mike and Gwyn. Phylis and Nick surprised us. We also got to see Jake, Ty, Am, Marie, and Barry.


Jeannette continues to make strides towards going home. She has been getting up and looking better.

We appreciate all the prayers on her behalf. I want to thank Gary for taking my class this morning.

We visit the hospital

Friday was a "hurry up 'n' wait" day. We were told the surgery time slot was 11:30 (3rd in order). Just before our alarm went off the phone rang and we were told of a cancellation and asked to come on in ASAP. Within an hour we were here (OU Medical Center - Presbyterian Tower) because she had everything prepared, packed or layed out. We sat in pre-op holding over 3 hours.
Surgery was thot to take just under 2 hours . . . but they got in there and discovered a lot of adhesions. After 4 hours they called to say Jeannette was awake in recovery. During that wait, I met Stan Meek's wife, and visited with the family of a Westside elder who was struck in a crosswalk, in the rainstorm last Tue at Tinker AFB. Dr. Walker came in w/ pictures and assured Gwyn, Mike, and me that there was no cancer!
THANK YOU, LORD!

Roller Coaster Week

The Monday morning was slow but then I "chased" Bullet to Chickasha and later made a dealer trade at Stillwater. Tuesday was full of downpours, floods, and storms. While Dave had to fight it all the way to Denton, I lucked out - my Ada job turned out to be a meeting in Norman and a quick run past Waterloo Road in Edmond. I turned down an hourly driving job at Dub Richardson on NW Expressway.
Finally the dreaded appointment (Wednesday) arrived. The news was great - the Dr. said "I don't think it's malignant." The afternoon was spent getting ready for surgery (Friday) at Presbyterian. We had the very best care and assistance all day. We celebrated the relief at Bricktown's Spaghetti Warehouse.
Since she would be on clear liquids Thursday, we had a late dinner at Johnnie's after midweek services.
Thursday was Preachers' Breakfast and tying up a bunch of loose ends. J. had to miss the Caring Sisters dinner tonight.

Giant Weekend

Friday was a full day of driving: a morning trip to Enid with Dave to bring back a black Avalon, and an afternoon contract run to Ponca City. Saturday was a very unique assignment - drive to East Tulsa to pick up a family (customer) to bring them to the Auto Mall to buy a car. Before I got out of Edmond I made a quick paper run to Danforth and Sante Fe.... my parents' old neighborhood.
Paul had another good lesson Sunday morning after the teen class finished a survey of the Gospels. The Bristol race was very special in the honoring of my favorite driver - Dale Jarrett. My gracious wife worked in the kitchen all afternoon to make desserts for the teen event http://southernoaks.blogspot.com/
I didn't even have time to think about the brackets.

Maybe this week of Spring Break will be slower.

Mid-Week

I got excited to see the Quartz Mountains again. When I crested the hill near Rocky, there were the blue peaks just beyond Hobart's skyline. I showed the pictures to the teens to provoke memories of camp last summer. We had sixteen in class when I announced a movie night for next Sunday to celebrate Spring Break.
At the Area Preachers' Breakfast this morning, a card was signed and prayer offered for Jeannette. After a Belgian waffle, I met Don for a trip to Tulsa to bring back a Pilot. The "titlemaster" in Accounting had me run a check to Reynolds on NW Hwy and bring back a Tacoma title.
The big deal of Thursday was the annual banquet for Whiz Kids at the Western Heritage Center. About 1000 enjoyed a gormet meal served by gracious Centennial students. Our favorite part was a new video featuring an interview of Nelson - one of our youth group leaders.

Trippin'

Toyota called just before lunch time for a big one! So I drove to North Little Rock, Arkansas all afternoon. Mighty good buffet at Shawnee's Mazzios; especially their desserts. After navigating through their hwy construction, I traded a beautiful black Camry for a sporty 5 speed silver one. I got back in just five hours and five minutes (midnight).


As I finished turning in the car this morning, Accounting called for me to run an $11,000 check down to Norman and pick up a title. Jeannette was excited to get a call confirming an appointment with the oncologist for next Wed morning (we've been waiting for this - it could have taken weeks). After lunch I was called back to deliver a gorgeous navy blue Avalon to Shawnee and bring back its twin - a loaner. The crosstown part of I-40 West was a total gridlock backing up early rush hour traffic for miles. Tomorrow I'll run a contract down to Hobart.

Weaken, No - Week End

Friday was an 11 hour road trip to Plainview. Thank goodness for cruise control and good radio stations. We realized there would be no appointment date set until next week.
Dustday was spent trying to control rampant sawdust. We worked on upgrading the kitchen woodwork by replacing the trim. Covering appliances and decorating items helped, but Sunday free time was used to wash, dry, and put away dishes during the Atlanta Cup race and the epic Merlin. The group of friends enjoyed some fellowship at the Taco Bueno in Moore. This song was good for lots of laughs. http://myeeosprofile.com/video-egCeIwjIuZM-
Toyota won its first ever Cup race with a Joe Gibbs 1 , 2 finish!

So far so good....

Tuesday's wait bore no fruit, but Wednesday brought two encouraging calls. First, the lab report said the blood work came back normal. Then after lunch the news that the good doctor had agree to take on a new patient and all the requested files had been sent over. Now we wait.

(for an appointment). She didn't make it to vote but she did go to Bible class.

Teen Class was unique, instead of devotional singing we had a lesson on the worth of the Word. The slide show was taken from an email on our exaggerated dependence on cell phones. Sterling
brought three friends and her sister Reegan.

A group of drivers took 20 new Hondas out to the car show at the State Fair Grounds. I drove five and helped position a couple of others. Thursday we started a project in the kitchen. After I removed the old scallop strips from the plate rail, I bought new molding and stain from Lowes (sorry, Tony Stewart). I brought home a Corolla for a dealer trade Friday in Plainview [5 hours, 337 miles . . . one way!] We are enjoying Celtic Thunder on OETA.

Weather or not

What variety! Breezy cold for morning worship, tornado warnings before bedtime, and snow the next morning. The stark reality of the sirens blowing in our own city makes you think how blessed we are so much of our lives. Just think - we live in a time and locale where the very best are giving us warning.
[We prefer KWTV-9 because they know the line between enough and over kill.]

The Area Wide Teen Gathering at Eastside was a huge success. Ranee and I had 14 kids with us. Kyle had a second chance to enjoy nachos; Rocky just grinned! We got the group home as the lightning show began.

Working on my Club Time Bible story for Whiz Kids, I turned down three trips to Texas. What a way to start a Monday. Mark Clanton, gang education specialist, made his final visit today.... so I have Jonathan, David, and the Secret Arrows reracked for next week.

Low Blow

Well, the sit-down with the good Doctor didn't turn out as we so desperately hoped. The 3 ultrasounds agreed there was something suspicious. The best news was that the second expert suggested was a name from the past that we had great confidence in. Now, if she will still be accepting new patients. This news set the tone for the entire weekend. Seeking many prayers seemed the right thing to do.

Sandwiched between two local contract runs was a stop to "fetch" some yellow roses from my favorite "Texan". . . Golden Corral is always a good take-out choice.

Saturday was a good day to wash the 'wheels', go to the bank, and catch up on some projects at the church bldg. First "day off" in 8 - 9 days; felt good. Covered almost 2000 miles in last 7 days! It's nice to be close.

Wed~Thur Reviews

Now I know why they call him "Bullet Bob" . . . the 83 year old driver is hard to keep up with (on the road or in a conversation)! We stopped for BBQ in Marrietta and I brought back a Scion from Denton (non-stop).
Mid-week Bible Study was encouraging: 15 in the teens class even though 3 of our male leaders countn't be there.

Thursday the congregation pulled together to honor the memory of Coy Ramsey, one of our songleaders. The singing was by a double quartet of Christians from Walker and Oakcrest. Coy, an original member of The Rainbow Quartet, loved to sing about Heaven. I'm sure that hasn't changed since Monday morning. The ladies fed fifty family members.
I got a call to deliver a red Dodge Ram to Enid. At 4:30, the customer did the paperwork and I limped home in the loaner - an 07 Grand Prix with a donut spare on the front right - groaner. I brought in Mazzios and packed the van; we left for our house as Mike & Gwyn arrived at the airport about 9. Dave is covering some jobs for me as I go with Jeannette to meet with the Doctor Friday morning.

Too Much Time On My Hands

Well, 9 hours of driving can afford a person time to think, or not. Between OKC and Guymon, 266 miles, I observed 35 dead skunks, 2 deer, 2 rabbits, a coyote, a turkey, and a possum. Moving on to more pleasant topics, I really enjoyed the friendly staff and speedy service at the Playa Azul Mexican Restaurant in Woodward. That's "Blue Beach" I learned.

So I get to Guymon and the customer who needed to sign the
contract was back in Woodward. I caught up with her (2 hours
and 120 miles later) at a soccer pitch at Boomer Stadium. I guess "alls well that ends well" . . . I made it home about 9 with ice cream.

Sweet Fellowship

The last Sunday of each month is Family Night when I speak, the young boys read scriptures, Larry leads extra songs, and then we eat. Sure, I've always said NT fellowship doesn't have to involve eating, however, it is always easier to talk over coconut creme pie or a tasty meat casserole. I spoke on Psalms 119. After the pot luck we loaded the van and hurried over to "sit" with Gwyn's 3 kids, 3 cockers, a cat, and a house guest.
On Monday, Dave and I joined 4 other drivers to take the rest of the 10 Ford Pickups to Kansas. The late lunch is always fun: full of teasing. This time we ate at The Grain Bin, a very popular spot in downtown Chanute. The terrible, gusty crosswinds made the trip back uneasy.
I got back to find a flat rear tire on the van. I was assisted immensely by a young man from the Downtown Ford Service Dept (with an air tank after he had clocked out) and the good guys at Big O's who repaired it after closing time! Thank you. After Whiz Kids, Jeannette made chicken fajitas at Gwyn's.

Stark Opposite Saturday

I went North, they went South. I saw snow and ice, they drove thru rain and we had sun back home. Gwyn and Jeannette took Alyssa to Dallas to audition for a J.C.Penny commercial shoot. Five driver friends and I drove to Chanute, Kansas to deliver the first 5 of 10 brand new white F150 trucks to Quest (an energy company like Devon or Chesapeake). The number of people who lost their homes and businesses in Coffeyville was sickening; block after block had been bulldozed down. We ate well at Big Ed's Steakhouse in Thayer. We rode back
in a slick Lincoln Navigator. How about that OSU upset over Kansas. I'm sure glad we were back across the border when the game ended. Oh, sorry Teresa!
ps Its raining at the NASCAR track in California.

One Perfect Moment

or was it Some Enchanted Evening? The evening spent with the OKC Philharmonic and Art Garfunkel was an incredible experience for us. Thanks to James and Beverly sharing their tickets to the Pops, we were there to welcome this ageless superstar to Oklahoma. His unbelieveably talented band featured Cliff Carter on the piano.

Since the Abilene deal fell thru, I spent the morning working on my sermon slides. While Jeannette worked at the American Cancer Society office, I tracked down some meds for Rob, studied in the van, and made a happy hour run to Sonic.

Frigid Funeral Day

Services for our neighbor of over 20 years were held today at Vondel Smith. Gloria's memory was honored by three daughters and our Lacie. It won't be the same on this street. . . but then it hasn't been the same for a while now. I'm remembering Joseph and Pat, Charlie and Eunice, the Berkenbiles, and Charlie's cigars. It was a bitter, long day below freezing: some icy drizzle and a few flakes.
The day long trip to Abilene fell through for Friday. But the trucks are finally ready to convoy up to Chanute, Kansas on Sat and Mon from Downtown Ford. Mother is still in the hospital in Tucson but her BP and heart rate have improved. I started working on the taxes and Jeannette enjoyed the start of Caring Sisters tonight. Geoff is nursing a sore jaw from an major extraction and guess what . . . Julian is going out for spring football!

OC Gathering

The monthly preachers' luncheon at Oklahoma Christian was a real blessing. John Curtis from Durant spoke on Psa. 119. I enjoyed seeing a big number of "spiritual giants" who have had an impact on the church (and my life over the years). I was especially thrilled to visit with Ralph Burcham (credited with introducing me to my future wife at Camp Rock Creek) and Duane Eggleston (mentor to hundreds of youth ministers).
Two late contract runs sent me through rush hour to the Camp Kickapoo area beyond Will Rogers Airport and to Bridge Creek tonight. Sonic got "sandwiched" in between. I'll make an early trip to Ponca City Wednesday. For these three, I have an '07 Saturn.

Weekend update

Friday morning Jeannette went to visit Dr. Fanning while I returned the Chevy Uplander. For the evening trip to the Lawton area, I picked up a big black Ram 1500. What started out as a quick run down to Elgin, turned into a trek into the "foot hills" of Mt. Scott. Almost to Meers, I found the home and the couple as it started to rain with freezing temperatures. I made it back up the H E Bailey turnpike before the region posted a winter travel advisory.
Saturday's hard rain finally melted the ice on the windshields. I bought groceries while Jeannette made a cherry cobbler for the families gathered next door. It was a very long weekend for Gloria's girls.
Sunday's teen class started John. Brent ate with us at Boomerang. I watched the Daytona 500 after flying my Earnhardt # 3 flag. OK, I did doze off a couple of times. I pulled for the Toyotas but those pesky Penske Dodges stole the show. DJ bows out with a respectable 16th finish.
The "group" went to Taco Bueno in Moore. We laughed all evening with Rocky and Brent's stories
Monday morning begin with news of Gloria's passing. I went to Westside for a Youth Ministers' meeting to plan the summer series. Buster, Logan, and McKnight were a riot! The Whiz Kids learned about Obed and the story of Ruth's love for Naomi.

Thursday Travels

Wednesday Night Bible Class was energizing; most of the girls were there. Sterling broughts Anna and Angela. It was a good day spent with David, Michelle, Rob, and Jeannette at Aunt Velma's funeral. After the graveside service we visited at the Pizza Hut (Velma's favorite!).

Thursday began with a trip to Chandler where I discovered the Rt. 66 Bakery & Deli. After the contracts were signed I found a Taco Mayo in the other half of town. I barely made it home in time to see the second race of the Duals at Daytona. Joe Gibb's 11 car has won the first ever Cup victory for the Toyota Camry. MWR teammates worked together to get Dale Jarrett into his final 500!
Then the call begging me to come back to work. . . I drove to Guthrie at dusk, and then all the way to Woodward for just 2 signatures! When I started back at 9:20, it was 28 degrees and traffic was light. I managed to get home for a valentine kiss just minutes before midnight. Thank You, Lord, for safe travel and a good job.

Aunt Velma Remembered

Velma Fay Lowrey Thompson, 1919 - 2008, graduated to glory after conqueroring brain cancer with grace and dignity. She and Vernon moved North to forge a new life together at Wagoner. And build they did. An "empire" of service and success in ranching, nursing, law enforcement, and church work. Velma is held in great esteem by many of the community for delivering 999 babies into this world in her role as a midwife and longtime assistant to Dr. Nelm. Vernon raised cattle, ranched hundreds of acres, and kept the lakes safe. Although she seemed quiet to many, Velma was a pillar of strength to the Church of Christ in Wagoner.

On a personal note, I will always cherish the summer visit: the chance to tag along to the marina at Ft. Gibson Lake, the plane ride taking off from the lake, the steak n gravy trip to Muskogee, the ranch house near the highways, putting up campaign signs for Sheriff around the county, and the old green chevy pickup.

Here are some pictures from the memorial service today.

http://www.swalkercoc.com/canan/Velma2.htm

Trips or Not

I left this morning to make 2 short runs before noon. The first one, Chandler, was switched to Ada. The second, to Guthrie, was aborted when the customer turned out to be at Incredible Pizza in OKC. The next two that were added were tonight within the county.
In between, we got the van detailed for the trip to Wagoner early Wednesday.
A tale of two halves as the Lady Sooners roared back, righting a number of wrongs. Jenna Plumlee sparked the crowd with her hussle and long range sharpshooting.
Car tag seen today: SERVNHM (Serving Him) = good goal!

Sad or Celebrate

Its human nature to be uset and saddened at the passing of a loved one. But, in Christ, that dear soul has "graduated to glory." There is plenty of reason for celebrating to long life of a godly woman. So it is with mixed emotions we begin to say "see you later" to Aunt Velma (Thompson).
Bible Class went well this morning; we (the teens and I) are studying Luke in our N.T. Survey.
After watching qualifying for the Daytona 500 this afternoon, I met the youth group to attend the AWTG in Norman. What a great experience, listening to hundreds of teens praising the Lord.

Golden Breakfast

The monthly men's breakfast had to relocate when our fav Sunnyside Up Omlette closed;
today we enjoyed the Corral's huge buffet. Bennie does a good job coordinating this. I got a call to pinch hit for Honda finance and run contracts to Francis, OK. What? You don't know where Francis is? It's just east of Byng. Still lost; almost to Ada (on 377 out of Seminole) you hang a left. On typical Sat. mornings I like to listen to Total Access at Texas Motor Speedway with Gilley and Sybil.

An interesting quote from Bobby Knight: "You need to hate to lose more than You love to win."

Well, it's Shootout time and I'm lovin' it (i.e. racing is back).

Driving Drought Done

Do you want to go to Wilburton? Of course. I haven't had a call all week (and as Dave says, "That'd be a nice little trip for you.") The couple couldn't believe I found Caddo street in the dark and without calling for directions. Thank You, MapQuest, again!

The Church van's electrical problem was diagnosed by Brookwood Automotive. It's ready for the AWTG at Westside Norman on Sunday afternoon.

Jeannette got to talk to Gray and I got a call ffrom Geoff. Anybody know how to get around a forgotten password on MS Vista?

A side benefit from getting to drive brand new cars is satellite radio. Yes, the wife & I have enjoyed XM on DIRECTV. But with Sirius, I can become immersed with NASCAR on 128. Where else can you "visit" with A. J. Foyt, John Force, and Dick Trickle on the same evening?

Gotta give an atta-boy to Adelita's Mexican Restaurant on Hwy 270 East, McAlester.

Quiet Days and Then

We witnessed the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday. It's been pretty quiet as far as calls to drive this week. Maybe that's a good thing - my cell phone got turn off by the giant corporation and it took several hours Monday night and Tuesday morning for the techies to fix it. Whiz Kids went smoothly; I used the story of Joseph. The Giants won Sunday as our group of friends enjoyed Mazzios. Who won Tuesday is still being debated... I know the tornado victims didn't!
Storms Across 5 States Leave at Least 50 Dead
I can only imagine the casualty count if the Union campus had not had the early warnings. Our hearts go out to all those families devasted by the storms' fury. We will be praying for Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and other victims (like the Ohio floods).

48th Annual Moore Youth Rally

Well, they did another great job hosting almost 400 teens. The brethern at Moore Central hosted Willie Franklin again. "Uncle Chocolate" (as he calls himself) doesn't hold back; his famous straight talk to young people is all the advice parents and youth ministers may be too reserved to give. Groups from as far away as Broken Bow gather every Feb. I'm glad Ashley, Jake, Cory, and Kritsa were there!

I dodged another blowout this morning by limping South on Kelley until I found a used tire shop at 23rd near the Capital.

Now that I'm driving around the state, I've started watching and enjoying "Discover Oklahoma." The Super Bowl is soon but the Daytona 500 is just 14.5 days away!!!

The day after

The last days of the month are so full of pressure in the car business. So I thot this morning would be quiet. I worked on a plan of attacking the massive cell phone bill. Today we remembered the Challenger anniversary.
People who use their good fortune to help others is impressive, i.e. Wes Welker and Roy Williams. While I waited in the line at the bank's drive-thru, I got the call to run papers to Lawton to salvage a sale. Our heroes leave their families to go to places like Iraq.
The wild fires lit up the hills North of Lawton tonight after topping the news all afternoon. Did Monk really say "un-Google-able"?

Frozen Tundra Thursday

The much anticipated snow storm for the Northern half of Oklahoma had to be checked out first hand... so "they" sent me with 3 contracts to Enid and Clinton. While waiting for the Doctor, I sneaked down for some great pizza - thin crust, of course.
From the alley behind a supermarket to a walk-in medical clinic to the happy little casa out West, I continue to meet interesting Oklahomans. Oh, when I got back... I had to go back, back to Enid, again. This time the darkness partnered with the icy roads of I-35. I found Chisholm H.S. and the doc's hidden villa. After 430 miles, I'm so happy to be home with my sweetheart. Did I mention our electricity was off about sunrise? Or that Dan called from somewhere between Memphis and Omaha?

Round 2 - out of the South

Thelma always said a Southern wind felt colder than one from the North. And they were wicked across the Turner Turnpike lanes. I made a run to Jenks, America; a nice fireman gave me great directions. Assignments for tomorrow may be more punishment than reward: Waukomus and Clinton are expecting 2 - 5" of blowing snow.

Well today I did get back in time for us to go to ACS; we shopped at Big Lots and dined at Panchos. Regina has to be one of the most loved waitresses in the region. I know our family has - for over 20 years! Jeannette threw her a curve and changed her order. I still love those cheese enchiladas.

Good news at church tonight: Dave is coming home tomorrow! 10 teens in class.

Sirius satellite radio 128 rocks - only 16 days until the Daytona 500... but that's another blog.

Wind, Fire, Kum By Ya

Winds to 60 mph made it dificult to open car doors; grass fires all over the region headlined the Tuesday news. One shut down the I-35 fork at Denton as Joe, Thom,
and I started back from the Adesa Auto Auction in Mesquite with three
Honda Accords. Thanks to local radiowhile fueling, we avoided the
stalemate by taking 75 to Sherman and 82 to Gainesville.

Loretta was relieved that Dave was doing much better after his 12? hour surgery Monday. Mother was thrilled to talk to Velma by phone. Jeannette is ministering to Gloria and her daughters next door; I am married to a great listener and a wonderful cook. I came home in a little gold Cobalt after a finance run over in Ray Buchanan's old 'hood. It's a long day when you start at 4:50. g

Not a Super Sunday?

There were no football games... no races at superspeedways. But this was the Lord's Day just the same. The teens started the Gospel of Luke; Paul had another powerful sermon. Larry survived the sniffles. My lesson tonight was on the Blessings of the Kingdom (a.k.a. a box of chocolates).
This had to be a first... a pot luck where I passed on everything; my tummy was still suffering from the enchilada buffet that Brent & I enjoyed. It was great to see the youth group sitting together at the fellowship. We are all praying for Dave, Coy, and Velma. Hope Jeannette is better tomorrow.
From Joan of Arcadia to The Russell Girl, that actress (and The Hallmark Hall of Fame) still makes you think about saving challenged relationships.

Upside-down Friday

It started early as I had a chance to help a close friend; he needed a ride to the Diagnostic Center at OU Presbyterian. On the way home he introduced me to Starbucks.
After some tasty vegetable soup at home, I worked on the teen room at the church building. Toyota called for me to get contracts signed in Boley. Prague is proud of its native son - Jim Thorpe. Looks like Prague and Meeker are supportive of their schools! It is still a sight to behold when I can top a hill and see for 15 - 20 miles of rolling Oklahoma landscape in three different directions.
The personable couple I went to meet live in a beautiful home overlooking a 41 acre private lake. It's a small world: I went to H.S. with his cousins.
Driving after dark didn't finish my day. I was able to enjoy Monk and Psych with Jeannette. I'll rewind the tape of Friday Night Lights later.

Early Bird gets the Belgian Waffle

Yes, I finally did set the alarm early enough to make it to the Area Preachers Breakfast at Denny's... I've missed it for about 6 weeks (lazy and / or driving). I worked at the church building, finally got air in the front tires, and carefully washed the van (it was 27 degrees and cement was icy).

I took my sweetheart to ACS to work as a volunteer coordinator this afternoon. I then surfed at IHOP, reviewing the extensive websites of Acappella Ministries. Sure brought back some memories of taking the kids to see Keith and hosting AVB at Camp Rock Creek.

I delivered a car title to a customer at the Oklahoma Air Guard gate at the airport. We ate at Wendy's, but the wrestling match at SE was over too early to see Brent go against last year's state champion.

Aunt Velma is back in the hospital. Mother also reported on Uncle Roy and Ellen's Bobby in Lawton.

Back to the old days

Back before dtrade and finance runner, I would go work at the office (a.k.a. South Walker). No calls for this Wed. so I worked on my sermon this morning. After lunch I called to wish Mother Happy Birthday. I fell asleep at the computer so I guess I really needed a long nap.

Teen Class was good, a nice turnout, singing, designing new notebook covers, and a lesson. We updated the phone list since so many kids have their own cell phones now. Myrtle, Loretta, and Dave were added to Neta's name on the prayer list.

I tried a travel blog but it isn't as easy yet. http://images.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtrade/1/1199468640/tpod.html

Artic Blast, Twofer Tuesday

17 degrees, you better be bundled up to go out after the newspaper. I traded a title for a $20,000 draft from the Saint Anthony Credit Union before rushing back to Bob Howard. The only other task was from Toyota Finance to meet a couple tonight at 6:30 over in Warr Acres. After lunch I worked at my office at the church building. Tonight was a Tuesday Twofer @ Sonic. J's been busy refinishing all the hardware (pulls & knobs).

Cute name for a business: Floral & Hardy. We still get a chuckle out of Tahlequah's own main street eatery: Sam & Ella's. Our nephew Ryan used to sign seating charts for subtitutes: Just N. Credible. Lot's of unique car tags but I forget them too quickly... maybe you can share some of yours.

New: I added Christmas Pixs (see older posts)

til we talk again, g

Movie Monday

After a quiet day at home, Sudoku with one star for me, I ran errands to get birtday cards in the mail to Arizona. I started working on the slides for my next sermon; Family Night is next Sunday. I plan to speak on the Blessings of the Kingdom.

Jeannette made some more delicious baked potato soup and cornbread. I ran to rent a movie and started a log in the fireplace. We settled in to enjoy Bridge to Terabithia. What a great message about tolerance, friendship, and imagination for middle school kids struggling to make sense of those difficult years.

Day Seven

This has to be a first. Since I started driving for Bob Howard in July, this is the first week I have worked 6 straight days. After meeting a super nice older couple in Tuttle (Proud home of Jason White), I had a nice visit with Stacie - on-air personality with the Citadel's BOB-FM 96.9 - during a live remote from the Auto Mall. Next I was assigned a finance run to Enid. This was my 3rd trip to Enid this week; now I have traveled all three N-S highways (74, 81, & I-35).

Any time you're in Kingfisher, you ought to visit the KFC/Taco Bell. It is proudly operated by the 3rd generation of the Snider Family. Their buffet is quite the bargain. This was my first time to drive a new Impala; nice ride. I caught the OU / Tech men's game on radio on the way back. Taylor Griffin really stepped up in the second half. Tonight we enjoyed "The Good Witch" on satellite. Saturday nights are a good time to prepare for the Lord's Day. gary

Off day?

It's Friday morning and no calls, nothing scheduled. The lady of house is going back to ACS to do more volunteer work in the Reach For Recovery program. I'm excited to get a call about 3 of us drivers flying to Phoenix Monday to bring back 3 Chevys. Before we booked our flight the word came down that the deal had fallen thru. One of these days I get to fly.

In my errands, I stopped by Office Depot to get supplies and a large wall calender for the church office. I bought takeout from Golden Corral which is usually enough for 2 meals, but we never got to eat together. She worked later than she thought she would and I got called in to work. Since it was right at rush hour, I avoided the construction on the Bdwy Extention by taking I35 around to Eastern. The 2 jobs turned into 3 . . . tonight I drove to Gutherie and back to the Southside to get power-of-attny papers signed. Tomorrow I'll go to Tuttle before turning in the Nitro and finance papers.

It is freezing tonight, the Blazers are playing at the Ford but they weren't on Cox. Can you believe the weather in Green Bay for Sunday night's game? "A high 0f -1" Better close, g

Typical Thursday...

Maybe not... I kept my sleep apnia mask on all night. I dressed in layers for the 20 degree greeting outside. I drove to Duncan in the nice gold G6 that I've used the last 4 trips.... it has to be retired now - getting too close to too many miles for a new '07. So now I've been to Haliburton. Dave was in Austin as I started back. Nothing new when I got back to Bob Howard so I stopped by Saturn to visit with a HS buddy; it was good to see John G again. We had worked together on the 40th Class Reunion.



This is Jeannette's day to volunteer at ACS... so it was spooky quiet when I got home. Mother is out in Tucson with John and Rachel. I told her she's missing all the winter weather. It was a chuckle to hear from Randy (in Arkansas) last night. Write again.

gary

Wednesday

After figuring some billing work for yesterday's trek, I went to the Auto Mall to trade the paperwork for a new assignment for Special Finance. By going to Enid, I had to turn down a Toyota request to go to Ardmore.

Proud Grandma, Jeannette told me Channel 4 was running Alysa's commercials again. She saw four of them in the noon newscast.

A day of drizzle and fog was in store as I made my 2nd trip to Enid this week. After buffet at Pizza Hut, I got the papers signed. Well, that's where they said to meet the customer, what was I to do? The return was long and wet.

I stayed off the expressways during rush hour because of the wrecks. Jeannette had Swedish meatballs ready. Bible Class tonight was refreshing; I love my youth group.

Crazy Marathon Tuesday

I got up at 5 and met Thom at Toyota at 6 to drive to Arlington. His "chase car" was a Camry with a beautiful gun metal sparkly finish. I brought back a big, black Sequoia stickered at $45,000. Jeannette was glad to have her car fixed and ran errands before lunch.

As soon as I got back from Texas, I prepared for a double finance run for Chevy. I headed NW in a G6 Pontiac and have a late, late lunch in Kingfisher. I got the first contract signed in Woodward at an oil field business West of the city. By 6:30, I was back on the road to Guymon in the Panhandle. Driving at night you can see many communities from a distance. I found the 2nd customer in an RV park and headed back with the completed papers by 9. The Artic front arrived up there with temps down to near freezing. It was a long quiet drive... for much of the Panhandle I was without cell phone service and couldn't check in with J. Coming back I dropped down South from Watonga to catch I40 beyond El Reno. I made it in about 1 am; thankful for a safe day after 900 miles behind the wheel. It sure was great to hug my bride and be safe at home. g

New week - busy Monday!

Jeannette's lil white chevy went to the shop this morning for wheel cylinder repair. Paul ("our preacher") brought me back home to get the silver van. I reported to work at Bob Howard Auto Mall. I had a finance run to Stillwater. I fueled a little black PTCruiser and headed North. After meeting the customer during her lunch time, I got back on the road for Enid. This was loose end from Special Finance that didn't get clearance last week. Sort of "killing 2 birds"

... well I barely made it home to take Jeannette to Whiz Kids [a great after school reading tutoring program our congregation hosts]. This is her 2nd year to tutor and my first as Club Time Bible Storyteller. We took 2 students home, ate at Captain D's / A & W, and picked up her car.

I better get this finished: I have a trip to Arlington, TX at 6 a.m.!!!
Yes, I do enjoy being a dealer trade driver. gary