Day 2 -August 11, 2010 NM

Today I was thoroughly impressed when little E. coli learned to change an RV tire – double blow out baby. Okay but I am sure you don’t want to hear about that…not like it was life threatening on the side of the 40 headed East barely on the shoulder, mid-day = hot heat, no cell reception, AAA (no comment), and UFO s …. Okay I added the last one.

I would like to take a quick break to apologize.

My phone etiquette has been horrendous. If you have called me and I have: a) said I would call you back but failed to do so. B) had a conversation with you then started talking about shrapnel or hitting flying bats at night or asking my amazing grandma a question essential to the 300-mile-a-day mission. C) not text you back OR D) not returned a secondary to you yet….if you are a med school – I am EXTREEMLY sorry. I am a stickler, generally, for phone etiquette but I am sitting in the seat-of-the-navigator … wait secondaries have nothing to do with phones…never mind. Anyways, I am sorry and I still care about you VERRY much and hope you don’t forget about me when I am ≥ 3 states away! Please keep in touch!

So this morning I had a great quiet time outside on the bench in AZ. My daily devotional –really enjoying Joyce Myer Amy thank you- talks about praying without ceasing with one of my favorite Bible verses in Proverbs – “trust in the Lord your God, Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.” So..with all the hectic vacationing lately ( Las Vegas, the Mexican Riviera Cruise, NY- Blessed but exhausted) I have had a hard time just remembering that God is always here – watching and waiting – so my prayer request for myself was help with this….hah God is funny. He answered almost immediately but I will be exponentially more clear next time haha.

All packed up and showered, about 20 miles on the road and about 20 miles from our chosen breakfast spot…Blow out – poop. No…not like “poop” … I said “poop” …wasn’t expecting that. On the phone with approximately all of the AAA phone folks that exist in Arizona. It was not an efficient process to say the least. So finally…..about 3 hours later and one stopper by (I know we were overwhelmed with disbelief that a man was so kind to stop and see if we needed any help or water) a truck comes…that is not equipped to change tires….haha that is great. But with my grandpa’s mechanical abilities and the fact that this motor home is packed with enough tools to build a new motor home, they got the job done. E. coli was enjoying the warm weather and learning but unhappy in the dry environment that differs from her ideal moist environment. Okay , by “got it done” I mean we put on a spare (one spare where there was once two tires) for the mean time to drive to the phantom “Big E Tire” that didn’t exist at the next exit…thanks again AAA. 20..miles..no..40…no…finally 60 miles driving a 34 foot motor home on what appears to be a bicycle tire…let me tell you….I was praying without ceasing. Got that one Lord! Working on more adjectives for my next prayer request =)

At one of the stop-offs where we sought help – middle of nowhere I had a moment. Wow…we are blessed. He asked if we needed a phone book…and I said … “ a what? Oh no that…I have a Garmin” … then I thought…maybe the simple life is the true blessing…since I was still not done ceasing with the praying…no more blow outs…I thought of the verse…”it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.” I am by no means rich, but have enough “stuff” going on to be distracted more often than I would like to admit from the important things in life… family, friends, loving those around me and even God. What do you think?

Winslow AZ near grand canyon city – 5 pm $1,145.00 breakfast. This is where the tires were purchased and put on. We got all 4 back tires to avoid the same situation. We finally got breakfast … but it was dinner time. It is all part of the adventure =) and the tires cost a pretty penny - $210 each plus labor. This place was so cool. Proud to be an American – had the LARGEST American flag I have ever seen.

 Flying high and proud. The people were so kind. Walking back from dinner er breakfast to the repair shop my grandma informed me that this town even had a “Road-eh-o” and gramps warned me to watch out for the “cow-monkeys” … what? I am not in LA! Sign ahead read “Rodeo” misunderstanding and my foot was hovering above a horse dropping or also known as a “cow-pucky”… not a genetically engineered animal splicing together cows and monkeys. I was a little bit disappointed, sure.

Ah – what a day. Sleep soon then tomorrow – drive on. Don’t worry God I am still praying…I will try to do a better job and pray more specifically next time about how I am in need of help. Grandpa just said the front tires may be scraping sheet metal….um, is that normal?

P.S. wal-mart stop one- I need to put together a basic tool kit for when E. coli and I get to NY…anyone have recommendations as to what I will need for basic repairs and furniture assembly? Sleep tight all – we are fortunate – whatever way you splice it or pronounce it!