Pay It Forward

Our trip from Monett to Oklahoma City was generally uneventful. We left Monett about 90 minutes after our aggressive planning model thought we would. Of course, that meant we would arrive in Oklahoma City much later than we had hoped. But, along the way we enjoyed pleasant weather, some welcome sunshine and, for once, a rare tailwind.

If you're traveling from east to west in Oklahoma, chances are pretty good that you're going to be on at least one turnpike. Such was the case with us today. We found ourselves on two toll roads. As we entered the first toll gate, we waited on a sedan from Kansas, which seemed to be taking its own sweet time. We watched the gate attendant engage in a lengthy conversation. Somewhere in there, he poked his head out the window and looked back at our rig. We didn't understand what was going on. After a rather lengthy delay, we were starting to get a bit antsy.

At last, the light turned green and the Kansans moved along. We pulled up to the toll gate. The attendant greeted us with a smile.

"Where are you going today?" he asked.

"Tulsa," was Paul's reply.

"The people in front of you were sure you were headed to Joplin," the attendant explained. "So much so that they paid your toll for you."

Paul and I shot the attendant a quizzical look.

"They said to wish you a Merry Christmas," he said. "I tell you what I'm going to do. Since you're heading the opposite direction, I'll give you their three dollars and you can use it when you pay your toll at the Tulsa end."

With that he gave us a ticket and three dollars.

We were so touched by this random act of kindness. We thanked the attendant and wished him a Merry Christmas, too. As we rolled down the road I recalled a similar incident many years ago when I was crossing the Bay Bridge from Oakland to San Francisco. Like today, I pulled up to the gate and was waved through because the motorist ahead me had gifted me my toll.

"You know what we need to do now, don't you?" I asked Paul.

"It's time to pay it forward," he said.

Absolutely right! We look forward to our next chance to do just that.

In this holiday season, we are reminded that it's not always the big, expensive gifts with fancy packaging and bright bows that make Christmas special. Sometimes, the biggest joys can be found in an anonymous gift of just a few bucks.

It sure brought a smile to our travel day.

Weathered

Today has been all about the weather.

First and foremost, a line of big winds and nasty rain and thunderstorms stood between us and Oklahoma City today. So, we decided to kick back for another night in Monett. Tomorrow looks like a much better day to travel to OKC, but it looks like we might have to weather some weather there before we move on to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Such is life on the road, especially in December.

With our day free, we made a lunch date today with Paul's cousin who lives in nearby Joplin. As you may recall, Joplin was struck by a devastating EF-5 tornado on May 22nd this year. We were eager to see how Joplin was recovering from the storm. So, after lunch, cousin Nancy gave us a driving tour of the devastation. It's been six months since the deadly tornado destroyed a quarter of the town. Most of the debris has been cleared away, and some rebuilding has begun. Walmart re-opened a week or so ago. Several homes have already been built, including seven constructed in a week by the crew of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and ten built by Habitat for Humanity. These 17 homes looked like lush islands in a barren sea where everything has been flattened. Trees are gone. Those that remain are mere remnants of what stood before, and are not likely to survive.

It was all amazing. We had planned to take pictures. But, today's dark skies and pouring rains made that impossible. Maybe, just maybe, it's better that way.

St. John's Medical Center, an eight-story acute-care hospital, took a direct hit from the killer tornado. Today, its crumbling remains stand in a sea of nothingness bearing witness to that tragic Sunday afternoon. The fact that only five souls perished in that facility that day is a testament to the heroes and heroines that stepped up that fateful afternoon. This site was particularly touching to me. I spent nearly a decade of my life working in two Kansas City hospitals that were about the size of St. John's. Twice each year we would conduct "disaster drills" that helped the hospital staff prepare for the thing we all hoped would never happen. About every other drill was built around the scenario of a major tornado striking the area. In that scenario, the staff's first mission was to protect the patients. The second objective was to prepare the hospital for an incoming flood of tornado victims. In each scenario, the hospital was designated to be a safe place for a destroyed community. But, in Joplin the hospital became a victim. Having gone through 20 or so of these drills, I cannot imagine the chaos that must have swept through that facility that night. To see it today was heartbreaking.

Joplin's schools were also hard hit. The high school and two elementary schools were destroyed. Thankfully, the tornado struck on a late Sunday afternoon in May. So, the schools were empty. Any other time, the death toll would have been significantly higher.

Nancy was lucky. Her house was literally three houses away from the northern edge of the tornado's path. Three houses. Can you imagine?

Growing up in tornado alley, I've always had a healthy respect for Mother Nature in general, and tornadoes in particular. These days, as someone who lives in a fiberglass box on wheels, one of my biggest fears is facing a big bad tornado. These days, I'm extra careful. We've evacuated a couple of times. When it comes to that, I really don't hesitate. And, I have to tell you. After seeing the devastation we saw today, one thing I kept asking myself was what would have happened to any motorhome or trailer in this bad boy's path. It would have scattered in a zillion pieces into the wind.

No doubt about it.

I'm not exactly sure what the point of this post is. But, after surveying the devastation in Joplin today, what I know for sure is that it's not a good idea to mess with Mother Nature....especially if you're living in a fiberglass box on wheels!

The other thing I know is Joplin is going to need help...for a long time. If you are so inclined, here's a link with information on how you can donate to help the people of Joplin recover from this devastating storm.

On The Road Again

Greetings from beautiful Monett, Missouri! We're here at the "Crossroads to Everywhere" enjoying our first morning out of Kansas City. As much as we love, love, loved being in our old hometown, we are oh so happy to be on the road again.

Chances are nobody else refers to Monett as any kind of crossroad, but our family members who live here joke that this tiny little town in the hills of southwest Missouri must be something like that for us. And, we suppose it is. This is the fourth time we've brought our rolling home to town. And, as always, it's really good to be here.

Yesterday was an especially notable travel day. It was the first time we've left Kansas City without stopping for service on our way out of town! We're taking that as a sign of good things to come! We did make a quick stop for a propane fill, and then it was smooth sailing for Bullwinkle. This is one moose that is happy to be heading south!

We were planning to spend a night or two here. But, after sitting in one spot for two months, nobody at our house, especially our girl kitty, really feels like traveling today. Tomorrow's forecast calls for wind and rain between here and Oklahoma City, which is our next destination. So, it looks like we might just sit here in this comfy spot until Sunday morning. We'll keep an eye on the weather and see what happens. It's such a blessing to have that kind of flexibility. That's one of the many things we love about living life on the road.

Meanwhile, we're thinking about heading out to our favorite breakfast spot in town this morning. Then, a bit more family visiting is in order.

Yes, it feels good to be on the road again! We've really missed it!

Outta Here

It's "travel eve" around our house. It's hard to believe that our two months in Kansas City are soon to be behind us. Alas, the temperatures are falling, and we are definitely ready to head south. We are so outta here!

This has been a great visit. No doubt about it. We haven't done everything and seen everyone we'd hoped, but we've had wonderful times with family and friends. It seems there's never enough time when we're here, but we've managed to pack a lot of good times in the time we've had. And, between the fun, we've squeezed in doctor, dentist and vet visits, and Rocky and Bullwinkle have been tuned to tip top shape. Our fingers are definitely crossed!

Back in the day, before we hit the road, we remember reading blogs of fulltimers who talked about how hard it was to leave family. Back then, we imagined how tough it might be. Today, we know. It's definitely a mixed bag. We're sad to leave our loved ones, but we're eager to get back on the road.

So, come tomorrow morning, we'll do just that. We're planning to fire up this big ol' moose and head south about 200 miles. A few days after that we'll head further south. And, a few days later we'll go even further. You see, we have lots of exploring to do. And, in five months or so we'll be back to these familiar digs, laughing it up with family and friends once again.

Until then, we'll miss everybody here in our ol' hometown. But, starting tomorrow, we're definitely ready to get back to the life we love.

More soon from the road.

The End

This was the first morning in the last 27 that I didn't have writing on my agenda. That's right. A mere 50,557 words from the beginning, I have reached the end of my first "novel" (and I used that term very loosely). In the land of NaNoWriMo, that makes me a winner!

(Insert applause here.)

Like a good winner, I have prepared an acceptance speech. And, it's short!

First, I would like to thank my beloved husband for putting up with me for the last 27 days. While I sat for hours glued to the keyboard, still pajama-clad and unshowered, he kept our home running like a top. Thank you, Paul, for the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and, most of all, the encouragement. Your wife has come up with some pretty crazy ideas over the years. And, this one ranks right up there.

Another big thank you goes to our friends, family and beloved readers for your words of encouragement. I felt supported during this wacky marathon. I was also very accountable! For those of you who have expressed a desire to read this most recent creation, I thank you for your interest. All I can say is, "maybe, someday". This thing needs a lot (and I mean a lot) of heavy (and I mean heavy) editing. If I ever declare it readable, you'll be the first to know.

Finally, a shout out to the creators of NaNoWriMo. I never (and I mean never) would have done this had they not extended their wild challenge. And, an extra shout out to my dear friend Cindy, who got this crazy idea before I did and she somehow roped me into it with her. It was fun.

To all you wannabe novelists out there, I encourage you to block out your calendars for next November. It's challenging. It's nutty. It's fun. And, you can actually write a novel in 30 days. Really!

Now that we're on the other side of "The End", I'm stepping away from the keyboard (in just a minute) and we're gearing up to head south. Like my crappy novel, we're at the end of our two-month stay in Kansas City. We're out of here on Thursday.

Lots to do. Gotta go.

Word Count

Just in case you were wondering, I am still working on my "Great Frantic Novel" as part of National Novel Writing Month.

A few good folks have inquired about my status with this nutty project, which to date is best described as a barely readable attempt at chick-lit. But, I'm pleased to report the words are adding up. And, this month, that's all that counts, really. Like I said, the 50,000 words I pull together this month don't have to be good. They just have to be done.

During a break in today's writing blitz, I did craft a couple of posts for Bullwinkle's Travels recapping our recent travels across Kansas to Abilene and Emporia. Then, I found a nifty little widget that will report my current word count right here on this lil' ol' blog.

So, now I'm really holding myself accountable. And, I'm still procrastinating!

Gotta go find a bunch of words.

50,000 Words

Despite a long and perfectly rational list of reasons not to, I have decided to participate in NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month is held each November. Last year I thought about it. This year, I've decided to do it.

You see, I've been working on my Great American Novel for over a year now, on and off. (Actually, it's been more off than on.) With NaNoWriMo, I have the great pleasure of joining thousands of professional and wannabe writers in penning my "Great Frantic Novel".

My mission, which I've fully accepted, is to write 50,000 words. That's about 175 pages. In 30 days. In keeping with the spirit of the month, this project is about quantity, not quality. (I'm going to have to remind myself of that.) This novel doesn't have to be good. It simply has to be done.

So, I'm doing it. My hope is this marathon will get my creative juices flowing and reinvigorate my desire to write the real thing. The discipline of writing every day will be good for me. Besides, I love it. The feeling of finishing a novel (even a crappy one) in a month will be joyous.

If I had to pick a month to try to write a novel, November would be my last choice. It's the second half of our annual visit to our old hometown. The doctor stuff is pretty much out of the way, but that's been replaced with a growing list of commitments and to-dos that will keep us running until our departure date. And, oh yeah. There's a holiday in there, too.

Even though it's not the best month, November is the month of this challenge. So, I've taken it on. The reason I'm sharing this news here is two-fold: First, I don't think I'll have the time or energy to do any blogging on top of my novel-writing. So, both blogs will be on hiatus during the month. (They already have been. I'm just making it official.) Second, this makes my goal pretty public. Now that y'all know about this, if I don't do it, I can just imagine how embarrassed I'll be.

Dear reader, did you have any idea how motivating you are?

I have many words to churn out today, and these don't count. So, I'll close.

See you after I reach "The End".