Thinking about God while keeping my feet (& wheels) on the ground!
Couple Days in McKinney, TX
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Yesterday (6/18) after a very long and HOT ride (100°) to the Dallas Fort Worth area of Texas. Yes, I cheated a bit. It would have taken 7 hours to “go around” on back roads away from the interstate (and possibly avoid some heat). But, I had plans and needed to arrive in McKinney, TX by dinner time so I took I-35 North 🤷♂️. I finally arrived in McKinney at 5:30 p.m. to stay with a long time friend, Susan Bastian. Susan and I met in California when we were camping next to each other in the summer of 1983. She was with the Gibbons family (Beth Gibbons Tripp to appear later in this story!) Susan attended Johnson & Whales Culinary Institute in Charleston, SC when I was at the Citadel. I was the “guinea pig” and sampled her new culinary creations. We lost touch, but reconnected on social media several years ago. She’s been a great friend for a long time. We went out for a special dinner when I arrived (she’s a foodie and a chef, so good food is what she does!). Today, (6/19) we went to German Night at her father’s retirement home restaurant.
Susan invited me to stay 2 nights so that I could catch up with another friend, Mark Monroe, today. He and his wife have 3 daughters who all live within the surrounding Dallas area. Mark and I attended Frederick Military Academy together. He graduated the year before me and was Battalion Commander (cadet COL) his senior year. Mark was one of my great friends in High School. We even spent spring break together in Houston, TX after his family moved there from Chesapeake, VA. Over the years, Mark has tried to introduce me to all things “Texas.” This time it was a Brisket Lunch today (6/19)!
One of the main intents of this sabbatical was to reconnect and renew the meaningful relationships in my life. As an extrovert, my connections to others are what recharges my batteries. Often, with my regular responsibilities, I don’t have time to tend important relationships. This sabbatical afforded me the time to make these important connections.
Jesus emphasized the importance of connection with others and with God. He modeled this through his interactions and relationships with his closest followers (the disciples), his teachings, and his actions. Jesus built strong relationships and practiced love and compassion as he actively engaged the world around him. Therefore, experiencing the fullness of human relationships is one of the most Christ-like things we can do. I am blessed to have so many folks from throughout my life that still mean something to me.
Challenge to St. James and Self: Think about the 5 most important relationships in your life (beyond your spouse, children, grandchildren, etc.). Think about why they made your list and what you learned by having them in your life.
Cibolo, TX to McKinney, TX
Ride: 291 Miles
Reading: Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro
(I haven’t informed an opinion yet. I’m only a chapter into the read)
Friday, 6/27, I rode from Helena, MT to Clarkston, WA through the Clearwater canyon. Beautiful scenery and 100+ miles of nice smooth winding roads (aka “twisties”). Truly a motorcyclist’s dream. I enjoyed HWY 12 through Clearwater in 2017 going in the opposite direction. It was better this time, from the ascent to Lolo Pass into Idaho and then along the river. The pictures are good but don’t do it justice. I stayed the night in Clarkston, resting up for the long Saturday ahead where I will go diagonally across Washington State. (I road the Cascades last time I was out here). Yesterday was a beast and I was beat! So glad today was a rest day. Very thankful. I road from Clarkston to Port Angeles, WA. (Yes I crossed the Puget Sound on the ferry!) Beautiful ride all around… taxing when going through Seattle and Bellevue. The traffic was miserable. View of the Olympic Mts on the way to church. I was good to be with Gail and Doug Wheatley and their family again. The last time I sa...
And not a drop to drink… My grandfather’s favorite poem was the Rime of the Ancient Mariner and used that line quite a bit. Well, there is water everywhere, especially when you are headed down the coast of Florida. I stayed in a hotel last night. Mostly to recuperate from the rain the day before. When I woke up this morning, it had just finished raining. I uncovered and wiped down the bike and looked at the weather report. The report showed possibility of rain on the route, but the radar didn’t show anything but minor blips, so I risked it. I decided not to cover everything or put on a rain suit (man, those things are warm). It ended up being a beautiful day. Hot and humid (93°), but beautiful. It only got hazy toward the end of the day. One of the relaxing joys that I find while riding is what I see and experience vs. what I might see from a car. Relaxed, but hyper-aware and “safe” (for the worriers). I took in the sights today. The last time I was this way was 2015, and I took A...
Well, I got off to an interesting start. I spent the morning around the house with Kelly. We were watching the weather, hoping that the rain would let up. However, no luck! So, I ended up “rigging for rain.” Full rain gear, covers for the bags, etc… making sure everything stays nice and dry. I dislike riding in the rain, but sometimes you got to do what you got to do. All in all it was a nice ride. Only one unintended “detour” (down a weird mountain road somewhere in backwoods Western North Carolina) but I quickly got back on the right track. The more I rode, the more the rain became virtually non-existent. It cleared up the closer I got to Salisbury, NC as I headed to my Son Kyle and his wife Kara’s house. About 80 miles out I stopped and took off the rain suit. Today, I’m thinking about fears. So many have approached me when preparing for the trip, scared for me being out there “on my own” on the open road. Fear is natural, we need fear sometimes to keep our selves from d...
Today (7/24) I rode from Coos Bay, OR to Seaside, OR. Talk about a cold ride! This one was really cool with the cross winds and overcast. I don't think I saw the sun but twice. I tend to take more pictures when the sun is out, so the bulk of the pictures from today include sunshine. The ride up Hwy 101 and the coast of Oregon was great, even though it was cold and overcast. At one time, I felt wet from all the sea spray. So, not every day has been the bliss of sunshine! Hmmm... it reminds me of life. While the good days definitely outnumber the bad, I've had my share of clouds. I think that the clouds are what help us appreciate the sunshine. It's the gloomy pieces that make the bright pieces so much more enjoyable. Church life is not any different. Church is a messy place sometimes. It isn't all sunshine and daffodils. Sometimes there can be real challenge and real hardship for the community, but if the community is living for Christ, then it is possible to get thr...
Yesterday (Saturday 7/8), I rode 66 from Joplin, MO through the "corner of Kansas," 1/2 way through Oklahoma to Oklahoma City (actually Moore, OK) where my friends, The Fankhauser's, live. Bill Fankhauser was my roommate sophomore year at The Citadel, and we haven't seen each other since 1989. He recently retired from the USAF and now works in the private sector. Catching up with Bill and meeting his family over the past couple of days has been fantastic. Saturday evening we went into Oklahoma City and ate dinner then walked along the riverwalk. It was a very nice evening. This morning (Sunday 7/9), I attended Mass with the whole Fankhauser family at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman, OK. It was very encouraging for me to be staying with a family who goes to church together after we had breakfast as a family. (And no, this wasn't because of me being there) Worship is a regular thing in the Fankhauser house... regular attendance at Mass,...
On 7/22, I completed Route 66 and road to Mequon, WI to stay with Kenny & Tania Miller, my friends since NC (almost 20 years). I love the Millers. They are great friends. Kenny and I are priest colleagues, even though he is running a recycling business now and not active in parish ministry. It is wonderful to spend a few days with them and think and decompress. I decided over the last couple of days in Mequon, that this is the end of my journey. I will call this the 4th corner, even though it isn’t Maine. From here I will set my sights on home and reunite with Kelly to spend some quality time with her. She and I will attend my 40th High School reunion on August 1st, and Jace’s birthday party at the end of August. I will spend September in a state of rest and small home projects. Some would say that I haven’t rested the past 2 months in my travels, but I have. Everyone rests differently. We may do some simple family stuff here and there on the few days I have left on my sabbatical, ...
Today was WARM!!! It got up to 122° at the “heat of the day.” I stayed on 66 through the long stretch of the desert until I ran out of road! 😳 Rt. 66 was CLOSED at Kell Baker Rd. East to Essex for bridge repairs. I had to take Kell Baker Rd. North to I-40 and back to Rt. 66. Just added frustration to a very hot day. The day stayed tolerable with my “cooling vest” and lots of water. As plain as the desert is, it has its own beauty. There were no meetups today. Yesterday’s abundance made up for it. However, tomorrow I plan to see portions of my family who live in Las Vegas, NV. Therefore, I rode off of Rt. 66 up to Laughlin, NV and stayed overnight, preparing to ride to Vegas in the morning. I stayed at the Tropicana Laughlin (yes, a casino) that offered a very reasonable rate for a very nice room. The thing that had me “stunned” today was the road closure that I didn’t expect. Life sometimes throws us “road blocks” for one reason or another. Today’s reason was so that they could make r...
Comments
Post a Comment