It's "Go Time"

May 31

Spencer County, IN

I spent the last week at the home place, which is now my brother John and his wife Ivy's who were gracious hosts and kept me well-fed in preparation for my sojourn. I sold the last 3 remaining steers from my once glorious cattle herd, picked several gallons of cherries from the orchard, as well as doing some mowing around the farm. Sunday there was a cook-out at a friend's house. James, Jerry, Jerry Sr., Deb, and families were there and I was grilled relentlessly by Melody and Deb as to where I was going and how long I'd be away, and quite frankly, I'm still not sure. I have several options, but there are too many variables and I like to remain flexible. I do know tomorrow I'm going to visit my buddy Andy near St. Louis, and from there it's either MN or ID... or somewhere else. By the way, I still have the buffalo, they say "hey".

Disaster Relief

May 22

Mt. Vernon, KY

I've been doing disaster relief for the flooding in KY since Monday. Our jobs have been mainly tearing out carpet and linoleum, sections of drywall, insulation, and cabinets that had been ruined by flood waters and disinfecting with bleach to kill and prevent mold from growing. Lauren, a former CAP volunteer and housemate, and several present volunteers, as well as a few groups throughout the week were there also. It was good to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones as well. The homes we worked in were mainly in Rockcastle and Madison Counties. We stayed in a large church gymnasium in Mt. Vernon. One of the homeowners we met in Richmond was a direct descendant of Daniel Boone. On Sat. night I returned to the hallowed grounds of the Russell Folk Center in Berea for a lively contra dance. A good time was had by all!

Reuniting

May 15
Fort Thomas, KY

Today finds me in Ft. Thomas, KY, just across the river from Cincinnati, OH, to attend the wedding of former Christian Appalachian Project volunteer and housemate Liz and her new husband Jeremy. She is the second of our original group of 8, who lived and volunteered together the summer of 2006-2007, to be married. Kevin and Dana, who sadly couldn't make it were married last year. It was good to reunite with the gang. We toured Cincinnati before the wedding and reception and tomorrow most of us will go to church together and then watch a Reds game at Great American Ballpark. It was great to see old friends again and next week I look forward to volunteering again with CAP providing clean-up assistance for the recent floods in southeastern KY.

Saying Goodbye

May 11, 2010

A new journey cannot begin without first saying a few goodbyes. Today I said goodbye to the state of Florida, which has been my place of residence for the last year and a quarter. For those of you who haven't kept up with me, I moved here in Jan. of '09 to attend the Sarasota School of Massage Therapy. After graduating in July, I took the state board exam and Aug. 6th I became a licensed massage therapist in the state of FL. I also played bass in a country band called Bullseye Ride, which has pretty much been booked every weekend for the last 3 or 4 months.

I started out this morning by finishing packing my noble steed, the Nissan Sentra, utilizing practically every inch of space. It's amazing how much stuff you can cram into a compact car; 4 guitars, an amp, effects pedals, 2 recording units, a computer, books, clothes, towels, blankets, misc. gear, a cooler, food, tent, sleeping bag, 11 clowns and a manatee, not to mention my massage table strapped to the roof with ratcheting tie downs. After saying goodbye to my roommate George, I drove down to my dear friend and colleague Patty's office for our weekly (hopefully not our last) trading of massages. It was then off to the bank to cash a couple of checks, and across the street from the bank was the massage school. I found it most fitting to say my last goodbye at the place that brought me here to begin with.

Things I'll miss most about FL; pick up games of volleyball with the regulars at Holmes Beach, Patty's wonderful massages, contra dances at Pinellas Park and Tampa, George's stories and computer help.
Things I won't miss about FL; 90 degree days with 92% humidity, band "drama", the $1 toll crossing the Skyway Bridge, going places and not seeing anyone under the age of 55.

My immediate plans are to spend a few days at home in IN with family and friends before going to northern KY over the weekend to attend the wedding of a former Christian Appalachian Project volunteer and housemate, and then down to Rockcastle County KY for a week of disaster relief assistance for the recent flooding there. I'll keep you posted.