~Dodging Tornado's~

 Yep! Here we are on vacation and dodging tornado's! I warned the Hubby more than once.. But no, he said it will be okay. I'm sure we will be. We stopped in Burlington, Iowa and got a hotel room and we'll just ride it out. As we we're trying to find a room we hear the warnings! Tornado spotted 10 miles south of where we're at. Then the heavens parted and it starts to pour. I'm trying to pull up a search of local hotels and Hubby's trying to drive, lets just say, that was an adventure all in itself. We found a hotel and for some blessed reason the rain lets up long enough for us to get all of our gear inside and let Charlie have a moment to water the bushes, Lucky Dog! So here we sit, watching the news and seeing it live out the window. Little Man is a little nervous. It would be better if they would quit sounding the beeps every time they run the warning across the bottom of the screen. We did a little scavenging today and found a few things, but I'll have to update you tomorrow as I couldn't get them out to take pictures. However, I can tell you about our adventures and our troubles earlier today. As we headed out this morning, we get about a half an hour down the road and Hubby's not paying attention to the "Girlfriend" and misses his turn. We go on watching for the next exit, so we can turn around. Finally it come into view and we get over to exit and turn around, as we take the exit we realize there are two vehicles off the shoulder. The first is a Baskin Robbin's truck, apparently broke down. The second is a semi that we soon realize is off in the ditch and stuck really bad! We pass it and realize the driver is still inside and looks very confused. We stop and back up, I bail out and run back as he opens his door and climbs down, apologizing, he had fallen asleep and thought he had run us off the road. I assure him he didn't and ask if he's okay? He asks us where he is and could we help him find a tow truck? As Hubby is running a search of local towing companies, another trucker pulls over and comes running back. At first I thought he was stopping to help, then I soon realize he wasn't. He comes up fist balled, calling this man every dirty name in the book. He's telling him that he almost killed him and that he had fallen asleep and crossed both lanes, barely missing him and several others and just shot off the exit! I thought he was going to kill him! Now stupid me, without even thinking, step between them! Yep! I did. All 5"6" and 115lbs. of Loafer Mountains Finest Pit Bull! was going to save him! That's what happens when you grow up in the middle of four brother's, you think you can do anything! The aggressor backed down and other profusely apologized, he really felt bad! We got him a tow truck and headed on our way. Thank goodness I didn't have to whoop his hind end!

  Later in the afternoon, Hubby stops to fuel up. We all load up and head down the road. I turn on the story we have been listening to and settle in to watch for the next scavenger spot. About 2 miles down the road, Hubby turns the story off and then I hear it, the miss in the engine, before we can say two words to each other we feel it, the power in the motor becomes sluggish! I look at him and ask..."What did you do to Chester?" That's what I call my truck...

"Nothing, besides fill it up" he replies.. But there it is again, the miss, the chug! Oh no, What now! He looks at me and asks "What color was the handle?"  "Green" I reply. "That's what I thought" He says. But It's getting worse and he gears down to make the hill ahead, trying to decide what's wrong. "Do you think there was water in the fuel?" I ask. I look over and he's digging out the receipt from his wallet. No receipt, He didn't get one this time! I start to pray, as I look up there is a sign and a big building, Precision Mechanical. "Over there honey, look!" He takes the next exit and turns back. They are there and took us right in. Hubby tells them what has happened and then this dear man Say's "They haven't had Diesel there for years, the only place to get diesel here is back over at BP's" Yep! That's right. They quit selling diesel and never changed the pump's! Hubby filled up with Unleaded! I felt horrible for him. Lucky for us we had not gone but a couple of miles so no damage done. They drained our tank and filled us up with diesel. The only place in town that sells it closed at 4:30 and it is now was 4:50. After not charging us near enough as far as I was concerned and stopping their work to get us back on the road, we thanked them all profusely and then I gave him a set of my signs. As I handed them to him explaining how they came about. He looks at me and asks. "You made these?" I start to reply as his son says "Dad, Give them to Mom, she'll love them" and looks at me and says "Mom decorated the kitchen in that flag stuff when Dad came home from Iraq" As I look back at the man and ask "You served in Iraq?" He looks at me and says "Yes Ma'mm, I did, but you don't have to do this" I can see the look on his face and the tear in his eye as he looks at the signs and runs his hands across them, he says "You did a real good job" I thank him again for what he has done for us and once more for what he did for all of us and tell him " I can't think of anyone else who deserves them more!"

 I can't tell you all why I even thought to get them out and give them to him, but I did. I'm so glad that I did! I can't say why I chose the set that I did but I did. The white ones that say "God Bless America" Stand Proud" and "Olde Glory" How appropriate was that? Made me feel good, that's for sure! So as I sit here tonight watching the storm pass, I feel a little surreal and very blessed that there are such good people out there and that I was blessed to limp into his place today! It was a tractor repair shop!

 So tomorrow I'll catch you all up on the scavenger finds, but tonight I'm going to sit here and do a little stitching and thank my lucky stars above!

Tisha