May 3, 1996, long letter from Ron I hope you like long letters. The outline for this one was 100 lines! I thought it would be short & sweet since it covers only my two week trip to Florida .. and the maiden voyage of my 1982 Dodge van. The van didn't run when I bought it but that's another story. Over the winter I rebuilt an engine for it with the help and supervision of my friend Herb (two more stories there.) In March I drove it to the Florida Keys on a shake down cruise to break in the new engine. Actually I drove to Florida for a wedding! Heidi, daughter of my friends and former co-worker Bill & Merry invited me to her wedding. Auxiliary reasons for the trip were the need to renew my driver's license and to register the van and motorcycles, a second BMW and my old, dead Triumph (neither runs .. yet.) Another compelling reason is that March and April are the very best months to visit the Florida Keys. The mosquitoes are mostly absent and the temperature is usually warm. The trip was an unqualified success. I had only three breakdowns !! The final mileage was nearly 4,000 miles with between 12.5 and 13.5 MPG depending on speed, alignment, wind, hills and phase of Hyakutake. At Mom's apartment in Belleville (after the first 250 miles), I noticed that my "new," used front tire had lost some tread. When I changed the oil after another 100 miles, I realized that the tire was wearing out fast. I studied my map for the best place to get the front end aligned. I was not going to get to Atlanta. I might get to Nashville, Tenn. I'd probably get ripped off in Carbondale, Illinois, a college town. Clarksville, Tennessee looked best. It is a small, remote city, so I hoped that folks there would be honest. While driving, I remembered that the wife of my best friend in my home town grew up in Clarksville. That night I slept in the van in a motel parking lot. At 7:30 A.M., I called Don from the outskirts of Clarksville. Don gave me Ann's phone number at work. Ann gave me her cousin Ruth's number in Clarksville. Ruth gave me her husband Jimmy's number at the trucking company. Jimmy gave me directions to R & W Alignment. It was reassuring to know that I'd gotten the recommendation from a trucker. I arrived there before 8 A.M. and was very happy to see an empty parking lot, empty garage and a guy inside. I asked if he could do an alignment for me. "Nope." My cheery optimism vanished. He had three customers that morning who were going to wait while he worked on their cars. He did offer to do my alignment if his first customer didn't show up. Jimmy had given me a second recommendation but I liked the looks of this guy and his garage. While we waited for his customer, I asked if he could check my suspension to see if there was anything bent or busted which would need to be replaced. He immediately agreed, drove the van into a bay and examined the components, prying here and there and measuring a couple of distances. He pronounced everything satisfactory just as his customer arrived. I was relieved. He talked with his customer a few minutes. She left her car and departed with her father. The mechanic returned to my van, aligned it and charged me $32. I was on the road again by 8:30, pleased as punch. Many thanks to him and his customer. Best wishes to his partner, recovering from a sinal cavity infection and teeth extraction. It was educational to watch him do the alignment. He didn't use any fancy computerized gear. He did have a "float" which he attached to the wheel hubs. He adjusted camber and caster according to the "float" with the wheel turned first to one lock, then to the other. He eyeballed several adjustments. The front tires rested on swivel plates which allowed the wheels to be turned easily. I now understand how a shop does a quick and accurate job. It is well worth the money. I give my highest endorsement to R & W Alignment in Clarksville, Tenn. That second day was long since the wedding was the following day. I drove all night because I could only afford to sleep for four hours. In Leesburg, Florida, at five A.M., I checked my map for the route across Florida. When I started moving again, a loud squealing began. I stopped under a light and was dismayed to see smoke pouring from under the hood. The alternator was dead and the belts were melted and smoking. My defective memory told me that my motorcycle would only go about 30 miles without an alternator so I parked and called Triple A for HELP!! They dispatched a big flatbed tow truck. The driver tilted the bed and winched the van up onto the truck. That lessened my anxiety about the motorcycle breaking loose and falling over. ( Oh, I guess I didn't tell you that the BMW was inside the van.) The tow trip was 54 miles, entirely covered by my Triple A Plus membership. (Yes, this is the reason why joined AAA.) I arrived for the wedding at 7 A.M. on the back of the tow truck, wearing a dirty, holey coverall over grungy travelling clothes. There was no sign of activity around the house, so I rested for about an hour before looking for the tools needed to remove the alternator. When Merry came out for the paper, she invited me in for coffee. Her wonderfully expressive face was profoundly skeptical when she asked, "You did bring other clothes to wear to the wedding?" It was great to see Bill & Merry and Greg & Cindy. I met Merry's mother and Aunts. After coffee and donuts, I got filthy removing the alternator (and managed to break the neighbor's water sprinkler.) Greg and Bill enjoyed supervising my mechanicking. Since Bill assured me that I could drive all day without the alternator (as long as I didn't use the starter or anything else electrical,) I drove to the nearby automotive parts store for a rebuilt alternator and to the hardware store for the sprinkler widget. By then it was time to shower and dress for the wedding (in a suit, of course.) My shower was REALLY cold. I pity poor Merry who got the last shower. It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding. Heidi wore the traditional long white gown, Jason looked handsome in his tux. The priest launched into a rambling, pointless speech starting with ruminations about a recent funeral over which he had presided. After ten minutes, he slowly started gathering the multitude of loose ends until he came to a very appropriate conclusion befitting the ceremony. Everyone was greatly surprised! The reception was fun. There was plenty of good food, lots of talk and dancing. (Three reasons I like weddings.) The disc jockey did not follow the tradition of beginning with five old-folks'-dance tunes. Instead he began with contemporary stuff. Towards the end of the evening, one of Jason's Aunts decided that I was a good dancer and led me onto the dance floor. She was three sheets into the wind, feeling no pain and having fun. I enjoyed the dance and kept reassuring her that we were "doin' good." She's from Key West and upholds the stereotype. Most of the family gathered at Bill and Merry's for that wedding tradition beloved by females: opening the presents. There were lots of them (the typical male view.) I later learned that Bill's father and brothers skipped out to go drinking (i.e., male bonding.) Greg & Cindy slept in their van in the Sewell's back yard. I slept in mine. We had our own little transient city. Sunday morning was very relaxed and pleasant as Merry's relatives breakfasted and departed (although Merry, Cindy and Estie stayed very busy cooking and cleaning. The "Catch 22" of entertaining: Hostesses do lots of work so that their guests can relax and enjoy a good time. Thanks y'all, it was great.) Bill's family showed up shortly after noon with a whole herd of youngsters. It was fun to watch Bill's Dad & stepmother and Mom & stepfather enjoy being grandparents. I contend that being a grandparent is the reward for being a parent. Somehow the perspective of the former always eludes the latter. Here's a major revelation to share with all of you who are parents: Seven kids spent the afternoon playing compatibly on one trampoline. There were few tears or disagreements and no fights. Only one adult was needed to supervise!! Monday morning I left the Sewell's and broke down within fifteen miles. The van shuddered (or studdered) a few times. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a billowing cloud of smoke. I had been following Greg to a junkyard to look for an air cleaner. "Rather appropriate", I thought. Fortunately it was simply a burst hose connecting the automatic transmission radiator. I had a spare and fixed it in fifteen minutes. A person can waste a lot of time looking in junk yards. I stopped in four junkyards and didn't find what I was looking for although I did buy another air cleaner for its neck. I have yet to use it. The trip to Big Pine Key was uneventful except that I ran out of gas. I prefer to think of it as calibrating the gas gauge. I had looked for gas (and found none) at the previous two exits from the Interstate. I swear that I had seen the needle overlapping the Empty line a few days earlier. This time the gas was gone as soon as the needle nudged the E. The van doesn't coast worth a hoot. Fortunately I was carrying a spare gas can. Unfortunately I hadn't refilled it. I waved gas can at the passing traffic. I was delighted when a black man stopped his van in the median. I ran across and syphoned about a gallon of his gas. While talking to him, I mentioned that I had a motorcycle in the van and was loath to leave it unattended. He asked, "You have gas in the motorcycle, don't you?" Duh. I approached Miami at rush hour and decided to skirt the traffic via Highway 997 (Krome Road) on the western edge of the city. I also thought (incorrectly) that traffic would be light heading into the city. I remained slightly nervous driving my thrice-broken-down vehicle in that heavy traffic for about an hour. Once I got to Krome Road the traffic lessened substantially. I stopped at the last Baskin Robbins on the mainland (in Homestead) for dinner & phone calls. I've driven into the Keys at night on a motorcycle for a wonderfully scenic trip. It was a waste of time in the van. This trip defined the major advantages of vans & motorcycles. The van was very comfortable. I didn't get particularly cold or fatigued. Sleeping spots were trivial to find (Mom's driveway, a motel parking lot, curbside in front of friends' houses.) Gosh, what a convenience! On the other hand, the scenery is definitely Ho-Hum, so there is no enjoyment. What a contrast!! The motorcycle breathes life and excitement into a trip. The scenery ranges from fine to phenomenal. The destination is almost secondary. Getting there is half the fun ... unless the weather is bad. Then misery takes on a whole new world of meaning. It was good to spend time with Bill & his mom again. As with most friendships, we don't do anything sexy or exciting, we just enjoy conversation. We did go out for pizza and we did talk to Dean about the Internet and World Wide Web. We went to the channel to watch Greg wind surf once. Greg may be the only one in the Keys who likes cold fronts (they bring WIND.) It was too windy for Bill's favorite sport: fishing. After two days Bill left to watch a tennis tournament in Miami and I went to register the vehicles. We got through most of the paperwork before I was asked for proof of 4Florida5 insurance. No, it was not good enough that I had Kansas insurance (for another week.) Nor did it help that I was on my way to the AAA office in Miami to get Florida insurance. I took the paperwork so that I could finish the registration later. The State Police did renew my driver's license after I passed the dreaded vision test. I'd feared I'd fail and have to get eyeglasses. Why do I always forget that they take a mug shot? This time it actually looks decent: a miracle! You should have seen the former picture. Why are visits to the department of motor vehicles so time consuming? The afternoon was nearly gone and I needed to get to Triple A in Miami before 5. Murphy's Law sprung into action: the motorcycle fell over. I hastened to right it before gas and oil leaked everywhere. I entered Miami at 4:30, but traffic was heavy and there were lots of stoplights. I called the AAA agent and asked him to wait for me. I arrived on the stroke of five. After we finished, I headed west to Krome Road. That avoided rush hour on the Interstate, but I learned that Miami rush hour is terrible in ALL directions. Once I got to Krome Road I was able to relax. After Krome ended, I continued on highway 27 north to Lake Okeechobee. It was such a nice road that I continued on it all the way to Orlando. I skirted Orlando at midnight and parked at Bill's curb again. They were quite surprised to see me the next morning. Bill and I picked fresh grapefruit from their tree for Marsha. I left in mid-morning heading towards Jacksonville to visit cousin Mona. I finished registering the van and motorcycle in Jacksonville. It wasn't easy. The pretty assistant manager said she needed $250 to register the van and another $200 for the motorcycle! I had $40 cash. They take checks only if drawn on a local bank. They don't take credit cards. I used both Mastercard at a local bank and an ATM elsewhere to get the cash. I did get to flirt with that pretty girl two more times. Cousin Mona who is doing well. I enjoyed meeting her son and two grandchildren. Saturday morning, Mona and I watched Laura's soccer game because Wayne took Michael to a Boy Scout workshop. I had no idea that 9-year-old girls could run all over a soccer field so fast and so long. Now I understand why parents invented sports. When Michael finally let us use the computer, we sent e-mail to Marsha and Mona's brother. The rest of the trip was very pleasant. I enjoyed meandering across Georgia and Alabama into Mississippi on old U.S. highway 84. All the time pressures and committments and Interstate travel were finished and I could relax and go with the flow. I was impressed by the poverty and poor soil I saw alongside the road. I saw only two plowed "fields." I thought the first had been flooded with lime until I realized that the white stuff was sand. No wonder they don't grow much besides trees. I ran into my second rainstorm on the outskirts of Montgomery, Alabama and wrote a few postcards for an hour while waiting for the storm to abate. There were gaping holes in several roofs in a poor section of Montgomery where a strong wind had recently felled trees. The Ohio River was very wide, very high. It filled up the lowland flood plain quite impressively and reminded me of the Missouri River floods of 1993. I changed oil at 3,000 miles in the WalMart parking lot in Jackson, TN. I was surprised that the miles added up so quickly. It was dark by the time I finished, which makes it difficult to see a good spot to park and sleep, but I found a good cemetery on the outskirts of town. (As a genealogist, I go out of my way to find certain cemeteries and have no objections to spending time in them.) Tuesday morning I dropped in on Don & Ann in the early afternoon and thanked them for their help during my alignment "crisis". Later that afternoon I drove on to Mom's. Now that Freyda is looking for work and Don is retired, each one wants me to spend all my time with them. I have to fight to be allowed to see my mom. I did enjoy satisfying visits with all of the above. In Belleville, Ilinois, my sister Carol & husband Bob joined my mom and me at Mom's favorite restaurant, Steak & Shake. (She likes their milk shakes.) I was going to be on time for this occasion until I ran out of gas again. I swear the needle was above the line this time. I was able to get enough gas out of the motorcycle to make it to Mom's only ten minutes late. Carol & Bob were early. Bob's health appears to be improving. Carol is entering into that teaching "zone" that afflicts experienced teachers near the end of any term. Anyone who envies teachers' summer vacations or criticises their twelve month pay schedule should walk a year in their shoes. On the last day, I pulled several things out of my storage locker, said goodby to Mom, did my banking in Edwardsville, visited my former co-workers at SIUE and drove across Missouri back to Marsha in Kansas. That was a lot of activity for two weeks and two days. Florida was so nice and warm. It has been a cool or downright cold spring in Kansas. I DO love travelling. It is always interesting and never boring for me. I was disheartened to see the constant crush of traffic on Interstate Highways which I've used since they first opened. They used to be pleasant and semi-deserted. No more! Wow! The traffic never stops. The biggest remaining problem with the van is the steering gear. It is so badly worn that it cannot be adjusted, so I skate all over bad roads. I even scared myself on several stretches of Interstate highway. There! This travelog is finished. However, I'm behind again. Yep, Marsha and I went to her 30th high school reunion in Yuma, Arizona. It was so nice to be warm again. Hmm, the travelog leaves the backside of this whole page blank. I hate to waste the paper, so I'll add the highlights of the reunion. The first highlight was warmth. It was so nice to be warm again. By the second day we were actually too hot. By the fourth day, when we departed, we were looking forward to being cool again. Now that we've been back in Kansas for a month, it would be nice to see sunshine and to be warm again. Blah, what a cold, dreary spring. Marsha surprised me by renting a flashy red Mustang convertible. It was a real treat to drive around town. We also drove it 40 miles on a dirt road in the desert to go for a delightful morning hike in the desert near Mt. Picacho. It may never be clean again. We ate the best Mexican food at La Fonda, suggested by the California husband of Marsha's high school chum, Kelcie. That was much better than the Space Age Cafe in Gila Bend, where we ate on the drive from Phoenix. Marsha was greatly surprised that she REALLY enjoyed the reunion. Apparently all those people are much more interesting as 49-year-old adults than they were as teenagers. Some of the biggest class cut-ups are now successful family men whose conversation focuses on their yards. Some of the wimps have gone places and done interesting things. Marsha and I toured her high school. We had to check in at the office first. The band building and the gym were both locked, so our tour was incomplete. Some things in Arizona are different. All the walkways between buildings are covered (for shelter from the sun) and the lockers are not inside buildings (not much rain to get things wet.) Marsha was disappointed to see scattered litter (inconceivable when she was there.) We saw a cute little Elf Owl on the fence. The final excitement was the dash to the airport. The flight was an early one and we were just oblivious to the time that morning. We made it from Tempe to the Hertz lot in fifteen minutes. Marsha found the ride exhilarating. We might have made our flight if we hadn't had to wait fifteen minutes for the next shuttle bus. The next flight had room for us, so it wasn't a terrible inconvenience. My e-mail address is RSBeatty@aol.com and I'd be delighted to hear from anyone via e-mail. I even respond more promptly.