It’s been at least a couple weeks since I’ve made any regular posts to the blog. It’s not because I haven’t wanted to. It’s simply been “life happening” again. My last significant post was my tribute to my friend Caroline, who passed away at the beginning of August.
I noted in my Picture of the Week #16 that I had been targeted by a kamikaze deer the Thursday night I arrived in the Sparta, NC area to celebrate Caroline’s life. Ultimately, my insurance company decided to appraise my recently acquired (11 months earlier) 2002 Ford Focus 5 door hatchback as a total loss. So, here it is, September 2nd and I’m still in a rental car.
R.I.P. Ford Focus ZX5
Due to a comedy of events, the wrecked car was misplaced, the insurance company didn’t know where it was and I was completely enveloped in the final planning, preparations and execution of the annual Veteran Speakers Retreat I’ve coordinated for the past ten years. The insurance company and I finally settled the car issue on Monday of this week, locating the wrecked car and transferring the settlement amount into my checking account.
During this same few weeks, Virginia, where I’ve mainly been located (when not in North Carolina for a week waiting to see what was going to happen with my car or West Virginia assisting a friend who had to have some surgery) experienced both an earthquake of some magnitude for the east coast of the U.S. AND a major hurricane that turned into more of a rain/flooding event then a wind event and caused catastrophic damage to 13 states including some of the worst flooding in over 100 years.
The Veteran Speakers Retreat, held at the Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania went off with nary a glitch during the weekend that hurricane Irene blasted the east coast. We only had two people who cancelled due to weather. One was to come from Florida and had commitments on Monday. The other was coming from the west coast and, as he mentioned to me on the phone, “being the former CEO of Southwest Airlines, I have some experience with the airline system and natural disasters.” Since he had a west coast speaking engagement on Monday morning after the retreat, he knew he wouldn’t be able get back in time. He was right.
August was an amazing month. But, now that we’re into September, all has passed. The earthquake is recent history. Hurricane Irene is a very, very bad memory and my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones and their homes and businesses. The worst of the hurricane’s impact appears to have been in Paterson, NJ, the third largest city in NJ, which borders my home town of Clifton, NJ, the 11th largest city in the state. Both cities are bordered by the Passaic River that caused all the damage. It’s very likely the cemetery where my parents are buried is partially under water, especially where my family is located. The Passaic River came within a couple houses of where my one sister lives in Hawthorne and may have been very close or even flooded my aunt’s house on the east side of the river in Elmwood Park. I believe my last living uncle is far enough and high enough that his home may have been spared. He lives in Passaic, NJ on the west side of the river. The damages are estimated at $20 billion and climbing and could double. The death toll could also continue to increase as searchers are slowly reaching stranded locations in many of the 13 states.
Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania experienced some moderate rain and little wind. The same is true from my friends in Keyser, WV on the banks of the Potomac River that could have wiped out their entire street and community. My friends and Winchester, Front Royal and my sister in Strasburg, VA were all spared from any disastrous amounts of rain and wind. And my friends in northern Virginia near Washington, DC, though experiencing more wind and rain, are all high and dry.
So, with all of these events occurring during this one 31-day period, it has kept this “nomad” hopping. I’m now rested up and relaxing with my friend in Keyser, WV, who just had her surgery and is recuperating. I’m completing necessary paperwork, paying bills and such for the Veteran Speakers Retreat. Once again, my technology has carried this professional nomad through the various challenges presented this past month. My new Motorola Atrix phone has been a vital part of my ability to communicate effectively both by phone and the Internet.
I’m back to writing again. I really missed this part of my life. I have half of Step #10 of the 12 Steps for Living Free written and I’ll post it shortly. I have to make some serious considerations and decisions about my nomadic future. Since my car is no more, I have to decide on my next “ride.” Today or tomorrow I’ll be looking at a motor home that I looked at last year in mid May. It includes a tow car with the package. The person who bought it is local and after a year had decided it’s one more thing in his family’s life that is not necessary, so he’s reselling it. If that deal isn’t meant to be then I’ll be looking at a couple other alternatives. Whichever direction I choose, I need to move fairly quickly since I’m now paying rental fees to get around. This weekend is Labor Day weekend and while I have no plans for it, the following weekend I’m supposed to travel to New Jersey for a gathering of voice-over professionals from the New York City metro area. I’m not sure I’ll make it. I’ve been invited for several years and I’ve always had something come up. Time will tell.
So, Living Free isn’t always easy, but it definitely is an adventure – and often, an exciting adventure. Stay tuned for more on Travelers’ Tech Tips, Pictures of the Week and the final three steps of the 12 Steps for Living Free series.
Enthusiastically,
Ed
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