Always Excitement

Life is full of adventures. Some man made and others just happen. The last post recounted my beautiful trip to Hollywood, UCLA, and a side trip to UT. I came away with new respect for each. But the real excitement, one of those experiences that 'just happens', took place right after I arrived at the airport.

One of our airports is a 2-hour drive to Tampa which is a pretty trip. My husband always plans to pick me up approximately half an hour after my arrival time in order for me to obtain my luggage. So, tired and anxious to get home and relax after an exciting 10 days of adrenaline events, I sat on a bench waiting at the airport's arrival area.

An hour later, no husband. Worried and half sick, he finally showed up with three small gift bags filled with my books. "Where's the van," I asked. The story goes, the van quit running on the Interstate at 70 miles an hour. He coasted for a long distance to the side of the road. Lifting the hood, the van burst into flames. Seems the only thing he had to put it out with was a milk shake. I looked at him and said, "And?" He smiled and said, "Didn't help, but I saved your books." His thoughts of priority. What a guy!

I want to report he wasn't harmed in any way and only the engine area of the van burned.

A young man had stopped, called the fire department (hubby refuses to carry a cell phone) and tow truck, then gave my husband a ride to the airport. We rented a car around midnight and headed home. The challenge of this whole episode was. . . .I had a 3-day turn around trip to St. Louis and now the situation was serious. This rental had to be returned, a new car had to be rented for the trip, our van needed to be handled with the insurance company and cleaned out, plus there was wash to do and packing for my 2-week driving book tour. Three days!

The departure day arrived, as days do. On Sunday, I drove out of our driveway armed to the teeth with the following: a trunk full of books and display materials; a case of water, large suitcase, two boxes of brochures and whatnots, and other items in the backseat area; a clothes basket in the front seat with office materials, clip board, atlas, and snacks; a small cooler with sandwich fixings and drinks on the front floor; and armed with my cell phone in my pocket, bluetooth in my ear and the GPS stuck on the windshield. I was a rolling office on the road to my first stop---Huntsville, Alabama.