Adventure - 4 nights in

-

 My fellow Americans...

Whoops!  Wrong one.😆

I started out on Saturday January 3rd morning for San Diego, the homebase of my sabbatical.  I'm not there yet, but I have had some interesting driving time.  Since it is January, I decided not to take the shortest distance between two points route, which would have been taking Route 66.  Indeed that would have been nostalgic but that would have taken me through normally very frigid states this time of year.  I took the southern route.  Half of the trip would have been the same as I took when I went to San Antonio in 1997 for Spanish study (it didn't stick, by the way).  However, once I got to Dallas, I kept on going west.  So, that was Missouri, Arkansas, western Texas, and now, Tucson, Arizona.

The worst part of the travel so far is that my beloved car (named Della) took a stone from a gravel truck on the far right side of the windshield.  It's spreading in length, but it has not crossed into my line of vision AND it didn't "spider crack."  It should be fine for the rest of the driving to San Diego tomorrow, but it will need to be replaced.  It's really ok as I have had another ding on the windshield that really was not so severe, but still a little annoying.  It'll get done.

Today is actually January 6, 2026.  It was 17 years ago today that my father went home to the Eternal Father.  I did something today I would not normally do (strange) -- I just drove.  It was about an hour or so without music or phone calls.  It was just time to be.  I talked to mom eventually, but that was already nearing 8 hours of driving with about 90 minutes to go before getting to Tucson.  My eyes were tired, but there were enough silly drivers to keep me alert.  I really was not in any danger.  Trust me.  But I did think a lot about just how much my father has missed in the family and has been missed by so many people over the course of the 17 years.  I'm still quite grateful that he was able enough to see me be installed as a pastor and that he made it to the new year and not before Christmas in 2008.

I do feel just a little out of touch with the world, but that is what I am supposed to be doing -- unplugging.

When I arrived and got settled in my room tonight, I had not eaten dinner.  There was IHOP right up the street -- walking distance!!

Tomorrow is another day.  San Diego is still a bit of a drive, but I will break it up along the way.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I just looked back

-
THIS TUESDAY WILL BE THE ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN I STARTED THIS THING!  MAYBE THIS YEAR I WILL MAKE A BETTER EFFORT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH HOW OFTEN I POST SOMETHING. I was thinking about my trip down here.  I think the most interesting thing I recall seeing along the way was an advertisement for bomb shelters.  No joke.  I found that to be a little disturbing.  I have also seen numerous names of streets that I wish I could remember more clearly, but many are street names with Spanish influence with words like "calle" "camino" or "avenida" built in (street, way, or avenue for those who are not familiar with Spanish).  It makes sense that would be part of the surroundings because it is so close to Mexico and it was here WELL BEFORE the current government regime. On that topic, BTW, I continue to hear from many politicians from BOTH parties that President Trump is running farther and farther away from being in charge of the longest standing democracy in history....
Read more

Happy Saturday

-
 Blessings to all on the January 10, 2026! Shout out to a friend back home whose sister passed away last night.  Love you bro and may she rest in peace. I am still getting acclimated to the surroundings.  I am trying to figure out walking distances (i.e. if something is within walking distance of the retreat center.  For example, Target is a couple of blocks north of here and definitely within range.  Maybe as I get farther into my time, I will be able to expand that walking distance radius. Saw a beach for the first time yesterday.  It's probably the closest one to have access.  Lots of people just looking out over the ocean, not many ON the beach, though there were a couple of surfers in the water. I know that weather back home is much worse than where I am now, but it's still a little cool.  Not quite ready to be sleeveless. I will be trying to make it to Mass tonight.  That actually depend on how long it takes to get my windshield replace...
Read more

Holy Orders - preview

-
 Things continue to be complicated.  Maybe that is a strong word for how I am feeling recently, but it has been difficult to focus.  I want to focus on my future, especially the next three months before I leave for my six-month sabbatical to San Diego.  The parishioners are very supportive, which helps quite a bit.  Many continue to tell me how much I will be missed, which is also appreciated and humbling.  It many just be their good hearts saying so, but sometimes I begin to feel almost guilty about leaving.  Still, I know this is the right thing for me to do.  I have at least 12 years of ministry to go before I am even of age to retire without doing so for medical reasons.  I hope it stays that way.  It's the only way i want to retire.  Just to reach 70 years old and retire without extraordinary circumstances.  The talks on the Sacraments I have been working on for the last few months are going pretty well.  July was bap...
Read more