Alluring Altus

Maybe not alluring to those who live here, or have been here, or have even heard of this place, but to the 6 of us vagabonds covering almost 2300 miles in the last 6 days…  Alluring is what it is.

The allure of stopping the madness for a week.  The allure of spending time with people we dearly love and missed for so long.  The allure of letting our kids run around and play in the sunshine.  The allure of eating regular food served at a dinner table.  The allure of eating in restaurant which has actual wait staff instead of a line with a billboard menu and a cash register.

Do not get me wrong… I LOVE the road trip life.  I love conquering the miles, pulling a heavy load, and seeing the gorgeous land of America pass me by.

But there is something that magically adds to the allure of a place like Altus when sitting in the tiny little control space of a “slow,” heavy, missile travelling for so many days.

My wife and kids have been doing so well.  They have been handling the stress of the trip so much better than I have.  My wife has staged all kinds of stuff all over the cab of the truck in order to keep the kids safe, clean, and entertained.  The older 2 actually do some of their school work while riding.  This picture shows her door.  When looking at the cab from her side, the entire truck is stashed with tools at the ready.

The truck is still doing really well.  We are at the halfway point of the trip and I’m praying that we do not end up stranded before we get to Groton.

My little introvert really enjoys sitting next to me for the long hours, just sitting.  We talk about very little, but she enjoys it quite a bit.  She sits there and looks around and draws in her notebook.  Good Times.

I have not had much exercise for the duration of the trip, so I went for a bike ride this morning.  I have never ridden my bicycle in a flat area.  I felt so good this morning on this flat ground!  It was like I was riding lightning!!

We are staying on an Air Force base right now and there is a jogging/biking path around the flight line.  While I was riding on the far end of the base, several C 17s took off right by me.  It made me feel so fast!!  There I was, pedalling with all my  might, a steady Oklahoma wind in my face making me feel like I was doing 60, and the sound of those massive jet engines…  In my head it was all me… a little red Cannondale jet rocket screaming across a bike path on the plains!

It is good to be off the road for a little while.

Thanks for reading.

(Another picture from the Pacific Northwest… man am I going to miss that place)