Twenties Part Two

Twenty years ago today, a lot of things happened.

Twenty years ago today, we got up and put just about everything we owned into a U-Haul truck and pointed it north.

Twenty years ago today, that same truck wouldn't start again after we'd filled the tank near Dallas.  Fortunately, we were at a truck stop at the time and were able to at least get a meal and stretch our legs a bit while we waited on the U-Haul mechanic.  By this time, baby Otter had figured out that her daddy was back and she did not like it when he was out of her sight while she & I were in the restaurant and he waited with the truck - we took him food, so he didn't starve.  The U-Haul mechanic eventually got it running and then he offered us two choices:  another truck, which would mean that we'd have to unload it all and then reload it - by ourselves, or to head on but not turn it off for any reason until we got where we were going.  We chose the 2nd option, which meant that the next time we stopped for gas meant that one of us (me) stayed with the truck (and baby Otter) while it was being filled up and Billyboy found the restroom, then he stayed with the truck (and baby Otter) while I found the restroom.  Our original plan had been to spend the night somewhere, but two things happend:  Not being able to turn the truck off with the very real possibility that it might not start again and the fact that Bill took the one of the two highway choices availiable that didn't have any hotels we could stay in!  Baby Otter spent most of the trip playing in her carseat while it was light, with a lot of reaching over and patting her daddy's arm and she was happy about it.  We got to Grandpa & Sweetie's house (which is now our house) somewhere around 3ish - AM.  OK, so that was actually not Twenty Years today, but it was a Leap Year and still the last day of February even though it was not the 28th any longer!  And the truck did start that morning, which is good because we were able to drive straight to our apartment and move in.  But if it hadn't started, at least we were in a safe spot and would have been able to get help if we needed it.

It's been a busy 20 years, we left TEXAS with an 11 month old baby and she'll be 21 in a month.  She's gone through all 12 years of school, 1 1/2 years of college and is now working.  We've had 7 dogs, if I'm doing the math right and that does include the two poochies we have now.  We still had my parents with us then and we've also lost Bill's Grandmother on his mom's side and Grandfather on his dad's side in the last 20 years as well.  All the grandkids on "my" side are grown, most of them on Bill's side are grown.  Some of them are now parents themselves!

We've had two business ventures, eBay and Pachinko Restorations.  Also, we had a rent house for a few years.  Bill's had two jobs, I've had one.  Otter's been through three school districts, she went to elementary at a private Christian school and then middle & high school were public schools.  I'm on my 4th car, Bill's on his 5th but one of them is also my previous car so I'm not sure if that actually counts of not!  We briefly had a boat, for one summer.

We've learned to deal with actual winter, including more than one blizzard.  Also, ice storms.  And there are always those "other" storms that this area is known for.  It's not called Tornado Alley for nothing!

We've belonged to four churches, although there are two others that we attended for a while but didn't join.  We changed demoninations once.

We've dealt with asthma and scoliosis (Otter), asthma (me), pneumonia (me, Otter and possibly Bill as well), a serious illness that put me in the hospital for a week and ended with surgery to remove my gallbladder followed by a week at home to recover from a life-threatening illness (me, pancreatitis).  I also had my original teeth 20 years ago, now most of them are gone and replaced with plastic ones I can take out.  Bill, being Bill, has had stitches more than once but he's an Engineer and it goes with the territory!  There have been a couple of broken bones (Otter, left arm.  Me, foot & toes.  Me, probable broken rib(s) but that did happen in TEXAS when we went home to visit and I was stupid enough to get on a see-saw with Toadles - not that it's his fault, he was just on the other end of it.  OK, it is partially his fault because he decided to leave me hanging in the air, but it was still my decision to get on the thing in the first place so I don't really blame him.)

We've moved three times.  Four, if you count the original move and then three since.

While there are times that I would like to go back and redo, there are also times that I wouldn't trade away for anything.  The last 20 years have been good overall.  TEXAS is and always will be Home, but Oklahoma is also home.  Just not with a capital "H" but it's still home and we're happy here.  We could have landed in a lot of other places, and they might not have been good or as good.  We feel like this is where God wants us, or we wouldn't be here.  But we are and will always be TEXAN.

(There was also something else that happened twenty years ago today, it affected all of us and not necessarily in a personal way but it still affected us all:  Waco.  Waco was not entirely the fault of the government, although the governments actions in the stand-off did affect what happened.  But what ultimately happened caused repercussions that were felt in Oklahoma City two years later on April 19, 1995 - the Waco stand-off started on February 28, 1993 but it didn't end until April 19, 1993.  It was, unfortunately, not the last terrorist attack that we has a society and nation have had to deal with, but it was the worst to that date and I think it was probably the first real "homegown" terroristic act.)