Dorothy: Oh....Nevermind.

(August 15th)
Today was a good day. Very light on the traveling. And when I say “very light,” I mean we didn't get any closer to Los Angeles than we previously were. We're still in Haviland. Yet, it was still a good day. I got to see several people at church who haven't seen me since I was an infant. I've probably heard “Oh, you've gotten so big!!” 50 times since I got here. The highlight of the day came when my mom and I had lunch with my grandparents down at Dolly's Diner on Main Street, Haviland. I'm lucky if I see my grandparents even once a year. So, it was wonderful to sit down with them and chat it up. Of course, the food was amazing as well (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls..you know...the home-cooked essentials).

Yum.

Later in the day, I got to spend even more time with my grandparents, this time out on their porch just listening to Grandpa tell stories. My Grandpa is the kind of person who takes 10 minutes to tell a 5 minute story and you won't even mind or notice his lackadaisical narrative style. At 82 years old, he is the epitome of a lifelong farmer and chewing tobacco user and he's an absolute delight to be around. My grandma, also aged 82, is absolutely hilarious, not so much on purpose, but still hilarious. She's curious as a cat and won't take no for an answer.....and she's very forgetful. During our porch chat session, she would interject random observation about what was going on around the neighborhood. I learned the names of everyone living on her street and any suspicious activities they partake in. And you don't even want to know how many times she asked me if I wanted a Pepsi (Pepsi = Grandma's chewing tobacco).

Sporting the crooked hat since 1964.

The other highlight of the day was getting to see my sister, brother-in-law, and my nephews. The last time I saw them was at my high school graduation open house. Nephew #1 is Sam.


The last time I saw him, he couldn't even walk. Now, he's a walking-talking typhoon who has gusts of up to 25 questions per minutes (QPM). Nephew #2 is Ace. Who I've never met before. He's only 20 months old but already seems as though he'll be the polar opposite of Sam.

My brother-in-law is an amazing man of God. Who works his tail off for his family and I respect him tremendously. He's a true-blue cowboy and an ex-bull rider. (Plus he's got one of the coolest mustaches around) I've had the privilege(?) of riding with him as he's herded cattle and what not. It was both a scary and fun experience. My beautiful sister Chateece is a former special needs teacher who now stays at home to raise her boys. I can't comprehend the incredible mixture of joy, frustration, love, and patience she experiences everyday while raising her children; all while keeping a sense of humor. I respect and love her so much. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see my other sisters, Julie and Kandyce.

Welp, now that you've met the fam there really isn't much else to say. Just thanks for all he support and for keeping me and my mother in your prayers. Thank you.


Quote of the day goes to my Grandma Clark: (talking about the age difference between her and Grandpa) “He was older than me for a while but I've caught back up.” (she's older)

PIC DUMP!!!!!

Dolly's Diner

Main Street, Haviland, KS

Ridin' Dirty.

Dorothy: I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto. Toto:....Good.

It's all come down to this. After months of anticipation and weeks of preparation, I am finally on the road to Los Angeles. The last few days leading up to this point have been incredibly stressful. On top of my packing for Los Angeles, I've also had to pack for two additional moves. My parents will be moving to a new house while I'm gone and I'll be moving to a house next to school when I come back so I had to have my affairs in order for that as well. And then their was the required last minute hang out time with friends; backyard golf, tennis, ping-pong, video games, we tried to cram it all in at the last minute. But now the clock has struck midnight on my summer and its back to the real world.


I was questioning reality when four o'clock came on the morning of August 14th. It was time to go. My mother and I gave one final glance over our cargo and vessel and set sail through the surprisingly thick morning air. Next thing I know, we're on the other side of Saint Louis and it's my turn to man the helm. So I drove St. Louis to Kansas City, all the while my main goal wasn't to arrive safely at the destination but rather to convert my mother to my favorite bands. Mission Unaccomplished. My mother is a “radio person,” where as I'm a “CD person.” She can scan the radio for what feels like hours. And its always the same contemporary Christian radio. Playing the same songs. All day long. So I was more than happy to share my superior taste in music with her when the time came. According to her: House of Heroes = too loud, Tegan and Sara = not good, Gorillaz = confusion.

How could she not be a fan?

Eventually we made it to Kansas, my home state. I think it's been more than three years since I've been out here to see my dad's side of the family. Almost immediately we were met with one of Kansas' infamous thunderstorms. Lightening was striking everywhere it seemed and being the geek that I am, I had to try to capture it on camera.

Long story short: we made it through and the sun poked back out so we could admire the flat nothingness that is the Kansas countryside.

Color graded? Perhaps.

After about 15 hours of driving we reached our destination of Haviland, KS. Located between Pratt, KS (as seen in season 2 of Prison Break) and Greensburg, KS (as seen on The Weather Channel when it was completely destroyed by a tornado a few years back. I remember golfing at the Greensburg golf course and being able to hit my shots out of water hazards because it was over 100 degrees and hadn't rained for days.) and with a population a little over 400, you could blink and miss the whole town of Haviland. There is a coffee shop and a dinner on Main and that's about it.

Greensburg

On our way to our friend's house where we would be staying the night, we had to travel by dirt/sand road. We stopped in the middle of the road and a ten minute conversation with a passerby (who happened to be my uncle) and not a single soul came down the road during that time. Now that's country.

Overall, we've traveled about 800 miles and still have a way to go. Please keep us in your prayers.

P.S.
I just want to thank everyone who helped make this opportunity possible for me. And all my friends who have supported me...you know who you are.