Well if you used to read my travel blogs, you might have wondered what happened. Call it writers block, mental illness, too busy, or who knows. I do know that I took a drug for peripheral neuropathy that caused me some side effects. Among those were depression, and a scrambled connection between my brain and my fingers, for typing. I quit taking the drug, but have been working on getting my writing muse back in order.
In the meantime, both Vickie's and my mother, have been in and out of the hospital. Vickie's mother has circulatory issues with her heart, but she is near 90 and still doing pretty well on her own. She came to stay with Vickie and I for the spring and early summer while we nursed her back to health. My mother was diagnosed with colon cancer, but before we could get her to surgery she had a "brain bleed" and required extensive monitoring and tests in the hospital. With Vickie's mother being in Danville VA and mine in North Wilkesboro NC, it has required a lot of traveling. Currently my mother is scheduled for her cancer surgery tomorrow, and everything is falling into place. She is in good spirits, and ready for whatever happens.
Later....Mother has come through the cancer surgery fine. The surgeon and pathologists believe they removed it all. She is currently at The Villages of Wilkes, which is a rehabilitation center. Where she will go from there is up to her. She has to get back on her feet and prove she can do for herself, then she will be able to go home. That story will continue.
We have not traveled recreationally a lot due to the requirements of family support. However, while I was in writers block, we traveled to Belize and stayed at a marvelous house only accessible by boat with it's own pool and a reef within kayak distance of the dock. We also traveled to Tunica Mississippi, stayed at one of the casinos there, and visited Graceland and Memphis. We traveled to Manassas VA to visit my son and his wife as they had our second grandchild (Wesley Edward George V). We just saw Ned (as we are calling him) again this weekend and he is doing fine at 7 weeks. We also spent some time in Vero Beach Florida with our good friends, rode the Amtrak again, (in coach this time--not recommended) and had a great time.
Just this past weekend, we traveled to Washington to be part of the Glen Beck rally on the mall in DC. It was a crazy wonderful time:
We drove up to DC with our long time traveling companions Jerry and Brenda Williams. If you are a past reader you will certainly remember them. Jerry and I had the idea to go to this rally 6 or 8 months ago when it was first announced. He made us the reservations then so we would be assured of a room. (little did we know that was a good move) We arrived early at the Falls Church Marriott Residence Inn, and checked in with no issues. We had booked a 2 bedroom suite that turned out to be well located and comfortable. We decided to take advantage of the pool facilities, and started meeting folks. Vickie especially took a shine to the young lifeguard from the Ukraine. He had many questions concerning our government system, and why we were there in DC that weekend. She learned a lot explaining it to him. We had no idea if the rally tomorrow would be 2000 people 200 people, or we hoped many thousands.
As I was wandering between the pool and room (for some adult beverages) I noticed that a lot of folks were checking in---I mean A LOT. These new arrivals started to show up here and there in the public areas of the motel, and as usual the standard travelers conversations flowed. Interestingly enough we discovered, most folks were here for the same reason we were. The rally tomorrow on The Mall. I reported my findings to my traveling companions and we started to think perhaps we were in the right place. If history was going to be made, then we wanted to be there. Funny thing was most folks we met had the same story as us----never really been politically active other than voting----never done anything like this before----and above all concerned with the direction of The Country.
We learned (from our best agent Miss Vickie) that we ought to buy our METRO tickets the night before to avoid the lines in the morning. (little did we know) We loaded up, and headed for the local Metro station (at 10:30 pm). With the assistance of a Metro worker and a couple of "ladies of the evening", Jerry and Vickie managed to secure our round trip tickets on The METRO for the next day. (no easy feat--the METRO ticket machines are recalcitrant and counter intuitive at their best)
The next morning we were up early. The free breakfast started at 07:00 and we were there @ 06:40 finding it in full swing. All the folks I saw checking in last night were going the same place as us---to the rally on The Mall. We grabbed our grub, and headed out. The obvious uniform of the day was Red, White and Blue.
First stop was The METRO station. We had decided prior to the trip, that I was going to ride in a wheelchair. With all my joint replacements, I can walk quite well, just not real far. Discretion being the better part of valor, I thought the chair might be a good idea. We arrived at The METRO station, and since we already had our tickets (great move) we cruised into the station. We rode down the handicapped elevator to the train platform. The really cool METRO guy, told us to wait on the outgoing side of the station, and he would preboard us. Falls Church is one of the intermediate stops on the Orange line of The METRO, so we rode out to the last stop, as the train switched and prepared for the run into town. At the first stop inbound, the people were lined up clear across the pedestrian bridge and out into the parking lot. When our train pulled into the station, the platform was packed.
I had been carrying Miss Vickie's folding chair in my lap while she supplied the motive power to wheel me along. In anticipation of the crowd, she parked me in this good spot near the door behind two steel posts. I used the chair as a railing between the posts when the crowd streamed on to the train car. As I was near the door, I became the unofficial conductor encouraging the people to "move back, and fill up the car, there's room for everybody" It was all relatively orderly, and soon we found ourselves packed like sardines, heading for DC and singing patriotic songs at the top of our voices. It was an inspiring time.
We arrived at The Smithsonian station of the METRO which was as close as you could get to our destination at the Lincoln Memorial. We set off hiking (with an army of other folks) with Miss Vickie pushing me in the chair. When we got to the Lincoln Memorial, we were surprised to find many thousands of people already there. Seems as though many had spent the night, or arrived in the dark hours of the morning, to secure their places for the event. We were able to secure fine places in the large field beside the reflecting pool. We had a Jumbotron that was visible, and a good sound system. At this point, we began marveling at the sheer number of folks already here for this rally. And they were still streaming in, by the time the rally started the whole field behind us had filled to capacity, and there were folks stretched from the Lincoln memorial all the way to the Washington Monument. All was quite peaceful, and reverent, what a sight to behold.
The program started, and as it progressed, it was evident---Glen Beck could have used this lofty podium as a political stump, but instead what came from his mouth was a call for us to bring back America by going back to our roots. Our forefathers vision for the country as expressed in The Constitution, and The Bill Of Rights. A return to our religious background. The message was clear, it is the job of our generation to rebuild America for our children, and reduce the massive debt they will be saddled with. We have to ask the hard questions of our leaders, and not be satisfied with the usual political double talk. The rally went on to honor our Veterans, our God, and our Love of Country. Peacefully, reverently, and with unspoken silent order.
When the rally ended, some half million (or more depending who is counting) folks had to get back to where they were going. No one got in too big a rush, just orderly movement back the way we came. Oh and along the way, we left the National Mall just as we had found it. I saw folks picking up gum wrappers and carrying them to the trash can. I was proud to be part of these Americans.
To make a long story short, Miss Vickie pushed me back across DC, to get to our spot on the METRO outbound train. The line to get back on the METRO stretched 3 or 4 blocks. Luckily, the line to get to the elevator was a little shorter, and moved pretty quickly. The METRO delivered us quickly and efficiently back to our stop in Falls Church, and we returned home filled with spirit and hope.
No one really considers our group that powerful. But when you start looking at the Vietnam Vets, Iraqi Vets, and us other folks that are 35 year vets of the US industrial complex, there are a whole bunch of people who care deeply about their country---a force to be reckoned with if you intend to take the US down some "garden path". I think the message was clear this weekend, Let's try The Truth, and see where that gets us. Oh ye politicians of little faith---bloweth smoke behind me no more.
We were there---we believe---we WILL take our country back from the socialists. The mainstream media seemed to poo-poo that some folks would get together on The Mall to stand up for what they believed. To them I say---for every one of the 500,000 folks who peacefully attended this rally, there were 10 at home who either didn't know how to come, or couldn't afford to come. You need proof, next time we'll put 5,000,000 peaceful folks on your door step. This battle is far from over. I'm just a concerned American. Not a radical, not a Republican not a Tea Partier, just a good old hard working American that is tired of Washington lies and corruption. Off the soap box.
The following day we attended my families Church in Manassas to hear my son sing, and had a nice visit with he and his family. We cracked some crabs, ate some corn and drank some good Miller beer. We tried our best to explain to them why we even participated in this rally to begin with. I think they might understand a little. This Obama Change thingie isn't exactly working out for them the way they expected.
More later,
wes
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