Wednesday, October 27, 2004
ALWAYS PLAN AHEAD....AND PRAY !!
Does anything ever go according to plan? I would like a poll on that. I’m one of these people who drives myself crazy thinking about all the things that COULD go wrong….and trying to avoid it. I am usually early for appointments and arrive with everything needed. No flap. At least….that is my plan!!
Yesterday was a day where Murphy won every battle….but one. Rocky and I left home early to see Zach graduate from the Heavy Equipment School. If you read yesterday’s post, you know the plan and the background. We started out with the attitude that every thing was on schedule and we could enjoy the ride to Fort Leonard Wood without being stressed.
That was the plan. Once we left Houston, a town 28-miles to our northwest, the sky began looking like it might rain. We left with a gray, cloudy sky and some fog but figured it would burn off by the time we arrived at the Fort. As small towns fell behind us the sky got darker and darker so we figured we might drive “through” a rain…..still OK.
We made extra time because since 9-11 the Fort has opened a security shack at the South Gate where we go in….it takes a little time to show the driver’s license and registration, along with insurance. They look in the vehicles, use the mirror to check underneath and you are on your way. No problem….we made time for this.
We knew we would need time to find our destination. The only information was that he would graduate in the “Fork Lift Building.” Rocky thought he remembered where it was because we had in fact, passed it on our prior visit to see Zach. To be sure we wouldn’t foul up, we made a lot of time to look for it…..but just after we left the security shack it boiled up and started raining hard. We hoped it would be a heavy shower….. and then quit.
By the time we got to the connecting street Rocky thought would take us right to it, the sky opened up and began raining hard. We had our little “map” of Leonard Wood and finding one building on it was like a scavenger hunt. We gave up on that. Seeing some troops, we turned in a driveway and Rocky rolled his window down to ask one of the men if he knew where the Fork Lift Bldg. was. He said, “No sir, I’m Army and I don’t know anything about Air Force here. I don’t even know where their Hdqrs. are…….I’m new here.”
When Rocky attempted to roll the window up, it wouldn’t go. It was stuck. He was getting wetter by the minute. The window would not go up!! He tried and tried and finally drove on, figuring he wouldn’t get any wetter with the car moving than sitting there. By now the clock was getting close to time we needed to be at the ceremony.
We decided to go back to the Air Force Bldg. where we had picked Zach up before and dropped him off. Rocky ran inside and asked for directions…..taking more precious time. By the time the troops figured out and wrote directions down for him it was getting later and later. To make a long story short….none of the directions worked. We were both beginning to feel impending doom when a hard wind came up with driving rain, plastering leaves against the windshield, all of which made it impossible to read street signs. All of my experience on the Fort was of no use because we were in a totally different situation now. After Rocky was good and wet, the window rolled up without any further difficulty.
It was time for the ceremony and we were still driving blindly around when we discovered a connecting street we were told the bldg. would be on. There sat a brown, metal building that looked like a maintenance shed. Rocky parked and went towards a troop standing in the door and then motioned me to hurry in. The program was just starting. It was 2:22pm when we rushed in and were escorted to some chairs where other family members were sitting.
A Major was just beginning his opening remarks and we hadn’t missed a thing!! We spied Zachary sitting on the front row with the other fellows in his class and I felt a huge relief. After a couple of speeches, family members were asked to go up to their graduate and were given pins to attach to their jackets. Grandpa Rocky went up and put Zach’s on……..and seeing that…it was worth all the frustration we went through to get there. Rocky and his daughter’s family lived apart most of their years and Grandpa missed most of his grandchildren’s events. This was a time for him to enjoy with Zach.
After the ceremony, we spoke with the Major who was also late because he couldn’t find the building either. We had a laugh together…….because if he hadn’t been late, we would have missed the whole thing. Someone was looking out for us and it all worked out. Zach graduated with a 94% average and received a special award for high grades. No need to tell you how proud we were.
We took Zach to eat and visited as long as we could. He had to get back and we had a long drive ahead so we hugged and said our goodbyes. It will be a long time before we see Zach again for he goes to Ramstein, Germany after two weeks at home in California. God speed, Zach, and may your landings always be soft.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
Yesterday was a day where Murphy won every battle….but one. Rocky and I left home early to see Zach graduate from the Heavy Equipment School. If you read yesterday’s post, you know the plan and the background. We started out with the attitude that every thing was on schedule and we could enjoy the ride to Fort Leonard Wood without being stressed.
That was the plan. Once we left Houston, a town 28-miles to our northwest, the sky began looking like it might rain. We left with a gray, cloudy sky and some fog but figured it would burn off by the time we arrived at the Fort. As small towns fell behind us the sky got darker and darker so we figured we might drive “through” a rain…..still OK.
We made extra time because since 9-11 the Fort has opened a security shack at the South Gate where we go in….it takes a little time to show the driver’s license and registration, along with insurance. They look in the vehicles, use the mirror to check underneath and you are on your way. No problem….we made time for this.
We knew we would need time to find our destination. The only information was that he would graduate in the “Fork Lift Building.” Rocky thought he remembered where it was because we had in fact, passed it on our prior visit to see Zach. To be sure we wouldn’t foul up, we made a lot of time to look for it…..but just after we left the security shack it boiled up and started raining hard. We hoped it would be a heavy shower….. and then quit.
By the time we got to the connecting street Rocky thought would take us right to it, the sky opened up and began raining hard. We had our little “map” of Leonard Wood and finding one building on it was like a scavenger hunt. We gave up on that. Seeing some troops, we turned in a driveway and Rocky rolled his window down to ask one of the men if he knew where the Fork Lift Bldg. was. He said, “No sir, I’m Army and I don’t know anything about Air Force here. I don’t even know where their Hdqrs. are…….I’m new here.”
When Rocky attempted to roll the window up, it wouldn’t go. It was stuck. He was getting wetter by the minute. The window would not go up!! He tried and tried and finally drove on, figuring he wouldn’t get any wetter with the car moving than sitting there. By now the clock was getting close to time we needed to be at the ceremony.
We decided to go back to the Air Force Bldg. where we had picked Zach up before and dropped him off. Rocky ran inside and asked for directions…..taking more precious time. By the time the troops figured out and wrote directions down for him it was getting later and later. To make a long story short….none of the directions worked. We were both beginning to feel impending doom when a hard wind came up with driving rain, plastering leaves against the windshield, all of which made it impossible to read street signs. All of my experience on the Fort was of no use because we were in a totally different situation now. After Rocky was good and wet, the window rolled up without any further difficulty.
It was time for the ceremony and we were still driving blindly around when we discovered a connecting street we were told the bldg. would be on. There sat a brown, metal building that looked like a maintenance shed. Rocky parked and went towards a troop standing in the door and then motioned me to hurry in. The program was just starting. It was 2:22pm when we rushed in and were escorted to some chairs where other family members were sitting.
A Major was just beginning his opening remarks and we hadn’t missed a thing!! We spied Zachary sitting on the front row with the other fellows in his class and I felt a huge relief. After a couple of speeches, family members were asked to go up to their graduate and were given pins to attach to their jackets. Grandpa Rocky went up and put Zach’s on……..and seeing that…it was worth all the frustration we went through to get there. Rocky and his daughter’s family lived apart most of their years and Grandpa missed most of his grandchildren’s events. This was a time for him to enjoy with Zach.
After the ceremony, we spoke with the Major who was also late because he couldn’t find the building either. We had a laugh together…….because if he hadn’t been late, we would have missed the whole thing. Someone was looking out for us and it all worked out. Zach graduated with a 94% average and received a special award for high grades. No need to tell you how proud we were.
We took Zach to eat and visited as long as we could. He had to get back and we had a long drive ahead so we hugged and said our goodbyes. It will be a long time before we see Zach again for he goes to Ramstein, Germany after two weeks at home in California. God speed, Zach, and may your landings always be soft.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
