July 26, 2006
Day 13
Driving through Missouri
We left Gothenberg, Nebraska this morning at 8:45am. We camped there last night. It was the worst of the KOA’s that we have seen on the trip.
I met the Dunlops, the Powells, and the Blantons last night. Jason was taking a shower. So, I decided to walk around. I took a walk through the woods too. Jason and I cooked Ramen Noodles for dinner. It was a sad excuse for a meal. It filled an empty spot.
We met a guy named Gill. Gill is fifty years old. He has a dirty beard that reaches to the middle of his belly. He has long hair. All of it is gray with some black, here and there, mostly gray. He had engine oil on his hands, under his nails, on his clothes, and was holding a Busch Light. He had an orange truck, around a1967 model. In the back of the truck was Kawsaki 750. Also in the back was a bunch of stuff. The cab of the truck was quite loaded down with miscellaneous items, a few Cherry Coke cans. Behind the truck was a ratty camper that he had pulled to Nebraska all the way from Washington State. I was impressed that he had made it this far with these contraptions. His camper was full of more miscellaneous item that he showed Jason and me later that evening. In the camper was a fifty caliber rifle, a Derringer thirty-eight, a welding machine, chairs, photo albums, a collection of swords, and much more. Gill painstaking walked through with Jason and me how he had acquired most of these items. He showed us a hammerhead that he had carved out of driftwood. He even walked through the photo album. Everything that he now owned was packed with him in his truck or in the camper.
Gill bought the truck for five hundred dollars. He bought a new engine for five hundred and put it in the truck. He rebuilt the motorcycle that was in the back. Everything Gill owned had a long but interesting story behind it. The stories usually involved malfeasance.
Gill was born in New Jersey. He had moved to Alaska. He left home at eleven, joined the army as a teenager and went to Vietnam. He moved back to Alaska. He lived in Florida and was married. He had kids with his wife and then with another lady. He divorced his wife; she was having an affair. At this point, Gill moved back and forth from Florida to Alaska a few times. Gill spent sometime fishing while he was in Alaska. He fished for salmon, halibut, king crab, snow crab, and more. Gill said that he was rich at one point. He ended up in Washington. Evidently he is now poor.
Gill wandered over to our tent site. He asked if we would be interested in playing horseshoes. Honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about horseshoes. But, I certainly wanted to talk to Gill some more. He brought his horseshoes and cooler of beer over. He was now drinking Milwaukee Light. I don’t take Gill to be discerning about the brand of beer, just the quantity. He set up his horseshoes stakes. We grabbed a Heinie and joined him at the pit. Even though Jason and I weren’t the skilled horseshoesmen, we quickly surpassed the slightly inebriated Gill in points. Gill kept parroting, “I don’t know what it is man, I just can’t score.” I was quite certain it was the beer. We talked till night set in and then we talked some more.
We never got to any serious discussion. But, we did hear who Gill truly was. He used rough language. He talked about his mistakes and his rough living like they were trophies. I sure did like his honesty. It was refreshing.
Gill is heading to Florida to live out the remaining years of his life. His daughter and grandchildren live there. I think his son lives there too. Right now, Gill doesn’t have any money to get to Florida. He is waiting in Gothenberg, Nebraska where we left him. He said that he paycheck is coming on the third of August. I wish I had the money to give to him.
We exchanged addresses. He gave me the address of his daughter in Lake City, Florida. I gave him my address and my phone number. I fully expect to contact him. We have much more to talk about.
Jason and I made a stop in Kansas City, Missouri. We went to the International House of Prayer (IHOP). We both went into prophecy ministry appointments. I was very skeptical at first. I came out with a different attitude. It was good. I have a recording of it.
We are now heading to the house. We should get home around 4:00am. Whew! What a trip.
We stopped at Cracker Barrel today for lunch. I needed some sweet tea. You don’t find any out in the West, although Jenny at the Deli in Napa made some sweet tea. I was impressed. At the Cracker Barrel, Jason asked me what the best moment on the trip was for me. I said, “When Debbie Palmer told me that I made their families’ trip.” I felt so good about myself for some reason. I think that the Grand Canyon hike was the best the experience of the trip. The funniest moment was when I asked Larry if his shoes were comfortable. The story is at the beginning. Jason asked me what the worst moment was. I said, “When I Ranger Arnold told me that we had three more miles to the top of the Grand Canyon.” He agreed. That was a tough thing to swallow.
It has been awesome. All along, God predestined that Jason and I would take this trip together. We were two men just seeing and experiencing God’s beauty and humankind playing around. Some of these humans are his kids playing around on this great big playground that He made. Some of them are struggling. Even some of them are His; it just hasn’t bee revealed yet. God will reveal it to them. I hope I get to be there. What a journey!
July 27, 2006
Day 14
Home
We got home at 5:00am. We were pretty tired. I slept from about 5:30am – 10:30am. I napped throughout the day. Nothing exciting has happened since I have been home. It has been pretty normal. I guess it is time to get back to real life.
Day 13
Driving through Missouri
We left Gothenberg, Nebraska this morning at 8:45am. We camped there last night. It was the worst of the KOA’s that we have seen on the trip.
I met the Dunlops, the Powells, and the Blantons last night. Jason was taking a shower. So, I decided to walk around. I took a walk through the woods too. Jason and I cooked Ramen Noodles for dinner. It was a sad excuse for a meal. It filled an empty spot.
We met a guy named Gill. Gill is fifty years old. He has a dirty beard that reaches to the middle of his belly. He has long hair. All of it is gray with some black, here and there, mostly gray. He had engine oil on his hands, under his nails, on his clothes, and was holding a Busch Light. He had an orange truck, around a1967 model. In the back of the truck was Kawsaki 750. Also in the back was a bunch of stuff. The cab of the truck was quite loaded down with miscellaneous items, a few Cherry Coke cans. Behind the truck was a ratty camper that he had pulled to Nebraska all the way from Washington State. I was impressed that he had made it this far with these contraptions. His camper was full of more miscellaneous item that he showed Jason and me later that evening. In the camper was a fifty caliber rifle, a Derringer thirty-eight, a welding machine, chairs, photo albums, a collection of swords, and much more. Gill painstaking walked through with Jason and me how he had acquired most of these items. He showed us a hammerhead that he had carved out of driftwood. He even walked through the photo album. Everything that he now owned was packed with him in his truck or in the camper.
Gill bought the truck for five hundred dollars. He bought a new engine for five hundred and put it in the truck. He rebuilt the motorcycle that was in the back. Everything Gill owned had a long but interesting story behind it. The stories usually involved malfeasance.
Gill was born in New Jersey. He had moved to Alaska. He left home at eleven, joined the army as a teenager and went to Vietnam. He moved back to Alaska. He lived in Florida and was married. He had kids with his wife and then with another lady. He divorced his wife; she was having an affair. At this point, Gill moved back and forth from Florida to Alaska a few times. Gill spent sometime fishing while he was in Alaska. He fished for salmon, halibut, king crab, snow crab, and more. Gill said that he was rich at one point. He ended up in Washington. Evidently he is now poor.
Gill wandered over to our tent site. He asked if we would be interested in playing horseshoes. Honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about horseshoes. But, I certainly wanted to talk to Gill some more. He brought his horseshoes and cooler of beer over. He was now drinking Milwaukee Light. I don’t take Gill to be discerning about the brand of beer, just the quantity. He set up his horseshoes stakes. We grabbed a Heinie and joined him at the pit. Even though Jason and I weren’t the skilled horseshoesmen, we quickly surpassed the slightly inebriated Gill in points. Gill kept parroting, “I don’t know what it is man, I just can’t score.” I was quite certain it was the beer. We talked till night set in and then we talked some more.
We never got to any serious discussion. But, we did hear who Gill truly was. He used rough language. He talked about his mistakes and his rough living like they were trophies. I sure did like his honesty. It was refreshing.
Gill is heading to Florida to live out the remaining years of his life. His daughter and grandchildren live there. I think his son lives there too. Right now, Gill doesn’t have any money to get to Florida. He is waiting in Gothenberg, Nebraska where we left him. He said that he paycheck is coming on the third of August. I wish I had the money to give to him.
We exchanged addresses. He gave me the address of his daughter in Lake City, Florida. I gave him my address and my phone number. I fully expect to contact him. We have much more to talk about.
Jason and I made a stop in Kansas City, Missouri. We went to the International House of Prayer (IHOP). We both went into prophecy ministry appointments. I was very skeptical at first. I came out with a different attitude. It was good. I have a recording of it.
We are now heading to the house. We should get home around 4:00am. Whew! What a trip.
We stopped at Cracker Barrel today for lunch. I needed some sweet tea. You don’t find any out in the West, although Jenny at the Deli in Napa made some sweet tea. I was impressed. At the Cracker Barrel, Jason asked me what the best moment on the trip was for me. I said, “When Debbie Palmer told me that I made their families’ trip.” I felt so good about myself for some reason. I think that the Grand Canyon hike was the best the experience of the trip. The funniest moment was when I asked Larry if his shoes were comfortable. The story is at the beginning. Jason asked me what the worst moment was. I said, “When I Ranger Arnold told me that we had three more miles to the top of the Grand Canyon.” He agreed. That was a tough thing to swallow.
It has been awesome. All along, God predestined that Jason and I would take this trip together. We were two men just seeing and experiencing God’s beauty and humankind playing around. Some of these humans are his kids playing around on this great big playground that He made. Some of them are struggling. Even some of them are His; it just hasn’t bee revealed yet. God will reveal it to them. I hope I get to be there. What a journey!
July 27, 2006
Day 14
Home
We got home at 5:00am. We were pretty tired. I slept from about 5:30am – 10:30am. I napped throughout the day. Nothing exciting has happened since I have been home. It has been pretty normal. I guess it is time to get back to real life.
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