Texas

      I retired from Mayo Clinic after 8 yrs of ridiculous service.  I started for Texas on a cold day in May hoping to complete the drive without the car blowing up on me. She is a tough 1999 SAAB 95 sedan bulletproof in every way.  I bought her from a dealer in the north. 

    This SAAB was built in Canada and had all the winter gear one would need for those icy and treacherous roads. I would drive from dawn til dusk in the great push southward finding a safe parking spot at Walmart.  They allow overnight parking. I'd sleep all curled up on the backseat with my pee bottle handy for

 those night time relievers that are so essential.

       As I crossed into Kansas, I could see weather developing. Storm clouds gathered in the distance. As darkness fell, the winds lashed out with all their fury. The windshield wipers could not keep up with the amount of water being blown around.     

      It was time to pull over. I parked under an overpass and prepared to rest. The radio crackled with a report of a twister nearby. There was a sudden whoosh as the thing swept over the roadway on top of the overpass. The car shook violently and moved around as the wind lifted the two ton behemoth for a moment.  There was no one around since the roadway had been cleared by the sensible State Police. No damage at all. I started her up again and drove into the next town which proved to be safer.

    My destination was my brother's ranch in Chappell Hill. He was allowing me a few weeks to get organized and find work.  This was not my idea at all.  I did not want to work in healthcare since the only thing I really gained was enough capital to travel.    

      When you let the dog loose he runs for awhile. I was a dog on the loose with many ideas of where to go. I stayed at Mike's for nearly three months working at various things that needed doing.

      The old man was living on the ranch since he lost the fishing camp to Katrina. My mother was in the Brenham nursing home. I would go visit her a few times a week until I had to leave. Another hurricane was forming in the Gulf.  It was directly offshore. I only had a few hours to get out of town before IKE made his presence known.  It tore things up pretty good at the ranch. That was the last time I saw the old man. While we were spreading the tar roof on the milking parlor he gamely climbed the ladder to have a look at the work being done. 

      Mike eventually drove him to El Paso and the VA retirement center.  He said he was scared.   It does not have to be scary. Three meals a day. Plenty of fellowship and pretty nurses to ogle makes it a delightful occasion for most.   I hope he adjusted.    I won't see him again. He just won't remember me. I worked in many nursing homes to know exactly what goes on and how patients are treated. He will be fine.     

       The reason Mike did this was because his legs were turning black. This is caused by improper diet.with the ultimate culprit being scurvy the lack of vitamin C.   When a friend can't take care of himself the compassionate thing to do is get them help.   First you take them to the emergency room for evaluation and a solution to immediate problems then the social worker makes an appearance.  She tries to figure out where to place your friend. It could be in a home-like environment or a nursing home with skilled nursing to supervise his recovery or demise. 

   I drove to Austin to let the storm blow itself out. I continued my long drive to San Diego and finally the ocean. The interstate 8 leads you directly to the Pacific Ocean.  Once you see this beautiful sight your mind can relax and smell the salt air which in itself is invigorating. 

     There a few hostels that are always full so plan ahead and make some sort of reservation or you will be scrambling for shelter like the many homeless.  This is the grim reality of the coastal cities especially a navy town like SD. All those PTSD people come to SD to survive. Unless you have a excellent retirement plan of some value you are probably destined for the same fate.
         Many choose Hawaii simply because it is warmer.  Even that is filled with challenges and awkward false starts. At least you can swim everyday in the ocean and watch the sunsets.  The rest of the time is pure survival. Food is expensive. 

     The Chinese have the cheapest foods. Transportation is also cheap. You can ride the circle island bus for just one dollar and an adventure of a lifetime. I chose to go to sea and the South Pacific which in retrospect was the very best of ideas.

       My hand was still broken but I could function at a reduced level. The charm of the islands will never leave you. You will always want to return even though you know it won't be the same. There is nothing more powerful than a sunset in the South Pacific to set the imagination aflame.