Mom and Dad recently asked me for my assistance in managing a couple of their businesses. I offered to do my best and this past Thursday began a nine hour drive to visit with them. I drove there in a recently purchased Audi with no spare tire or tools. Here's the message sent to my friends back in Dallas:

Made it home just fine. All goes very well here and am very happy to be in good company of my family. Got right to work on Friday and am working today for a
couple of hours. Very nice tasks at hand. I've met several of the employees and they appear to be glad to meet me. Apparently I've been spoken about in the
past. All good. They seem to be comfortable with me and I with them.

Today Mom went out and bought me some shorts and T-shirts. I’d forgotten how hot and humid the Valley can be! She insists that I will only wear shorts during this hot summer and my jeans/pants are to remain in the closet. Sure is nice to know I won't have to wear a shirt and tie around here. I took all my suits, shirts, and ties, and literally put them in luggage and stored them in the other bedroom closet. I like just being me for a change. Reminds me of this quote from Huck Finn:

"She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn't do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up."

This Friday I got a lot done around the house as I was just an explosive ball of energy. I painted the hallway bathroom (mom said she bought new paint and desired a different color), mowed the lawn, and washed the cars! Struggled with a bees nest. I understand they have to make a home as well but with all this rural open space they have to pick one of the bedroom window screens? It’s also by the hose faucet! I need that hose to water stuff with. Well they had to go and they were not happy after all the work they put into making their nest. I’m sure they were having a grand ole’ time putting that castle in the sky together. Later, I even tried to haul off half a tree that broke off during a rain storm. The backyard tree lost half it's limb and I took a saw to it but realized I'll need a chainsaw to finish the job. As Huck would say "I just don't take no stock in that" . That night I had a couple of cocktails and T.V.

I plan on a weekend trip to the Island next month. Once settled in, a weekend trip will be in order every other weekend. Hell yeah - gotta get back to my salt
water fishing. Ole' stompin' grounds for sure. You know I named every grain of sand on that beach - and that's a lot of sand!

I was glad to get the nine hour drive/ordeal over with when I drove up to Mom's driveway. Oh get this! With about 150 miles left on my journey, I had a intuitive
desire to stop into a car wash. I found this odd as the car wasn't all that dirty to begin with. I think I just wanted it to look all nice and “purty” when I got home.

Upon finishing the wash and spray wax, I grabbed my keys from pocket and holding on to the driver door, I noticed a flat left tire! Oh my God! I panicked. This was not good! Especially with no spare tire! One hundred and fifty miles to go flashed before my eyes. My dog "Wheeler" (Boston Terrier) sat there bug-eyed with a look that said “Whatcha gonna do?....” Was I going to have to call home and have them come and get me? Could I find someone to drive me to a tire store with my dog? How long would I have to leave the car there in such condition while I got another frickin' tire!?

Ahhhhh!

The attendant walked up to me and stated the obvious "Hey uh....you gotta flat". Panick stricken I said yeah I know! I asked him to help me and he said "Relax....turn around". I wasn't able to relax but did turn around and was face to face with a tire shop!

Talk about hollering "Thank You Jesus! Thank You Lord!"....

<evil laugh>
Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Talked to Manuel over at the tire shop. He grinned and rolled out his truck, put air in my tire so I could drive it to his garage. He had a toothpick in his
mouth and a pack of gum in his pocket. He caught me starring at the pack of gum and suddenly offered me a stick. I personally can't stand chewing gum but faked
enthusiasm, took it, and chewed it. I was starring at the pack as it was the green wrigleys variety that my grandfather always carried. He'd always offer me one
knowing I couldn't stand to chew the dern thing. He was always talking about the importance of being prepared for as much as possible. Be prepared he'd often say while putting that stick of Green Wrigleys gum in his mouth.

One hundred and fifty miles later I was home.
Woooohooo!

Can you imagine if this had happened during those long stretches of highway? You know there's a lot of open space during that nine hour journey where you find no
convenience stores or phones. I would have been stranded with little water and no food and a dog that hyperventilates in minutes.

In this case, the tire finally went flat at the car wash right smack in front of a tire shop.

WHO SAID THE LORD DOESN’T WORK IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS.

This Friday I got new tires, a spare tire, and a hydraulic jack. *** right. I never got around to it when I bought the dern car. When I had a truck I used to be so prepared for this sort of thing. I enjoyed my excursion and efforts at becoming “Mr. I’m prepared for a flat tire” but found it a bit odd when the guy putting the spare in my car turned to me with a grin and said “Your all set - want one?” while holding out a stick of green Wrigleys gum.

Hi Randy,

Ahh been wondering where you been and what you've been doing and now I know. :O) I enjoyed reading about your adventures. The stick of gum and the tire store incident..something was at work in your favor!

Chrystal

I would say that it was more then coincidence that you had a flat at that particular place.

Loved your signature Partizan,

The signature reads: "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.".

By the way, coincidentally, my email addy is "lunchwithhuckfinn@yahoo.com". Don't worry about the spam etc. it's taken care of as only those who have to get through do!.

Have a great day and thanks for responding.

Randy, have you ever thought of putting together a collection of your essays? Have you thought of starting up a blog on the web so that it could be like a journal? I can see you writing for the National Geopgraphic, the Discovery or Travel & Lesiure.

Thanks evolve629,

Everytime I respond to a post here at TMC, I swear it'll be a short paragraph. I rarely am able to keep it down to a couple of sentences. Just a bad case of blah blah blah....and yada yada yada.....

I do have a blog and keep many thoughts etc. in it.