August 15 - “If it sounds too good to be true …”

If it sounds too good to be true …

We made our way to the bank first thing to get the fiasco straightened out. We were in the parking lot at 8 a.m.  and found them at they didn’t open until 9. Of course. 

We went back home for a few minutes, and before long, Freddy came home. She seemed excited to see her favorite toy, if not us. 

We finally made it back to the bank first thing and started the process. Between us, we figured out that after extensive research, it was just too good to be true. The hackers did not leave us money after all. In fact, not only did we not gain any money, instead, we “just” lost $3000. Ouch. 

More research, and it was definitely the bank’s fault. They are tracking it to get the money back. They’re also punishing the call center person who didn’t do what I asked. I called at 8:40 a.m. on the 4th. Requested that a complete freeze be put on our  accounts. No activity of any kind until we come in in person. She assured me that had been done. 

Well … it wasn’t. A full day and a half after I made the freeze request, $3000 was transferred to a bank in North Carolina. Fishy.  Very fishy. The bank manager promised to talk to the supervisor of the person who didn’t follow through on our request.  She will also initiate the process to recover the money. Will we ever see it again? Probably not. Sigh. 

Meanwhile, they had to close out our accounts and reopen them as brand new ones, so new account numbers. Now I have to reenter all the new info onto their website so I can then redo the online banking app on my phone. Then it’ll be notifying any direct deposit organizations. 

The bank manager then sent us over to the police station to file a report with them. But they couldn’t file a report until we had already talked to the three credit bureaus and social security to make sure it was “just” bank fraud and not stolen identity. 

I connected with the credit bureaus. Done. I tried social security, but the guy told me that for what I need to do, I would have to go to a social security office in person. Great. Can’t wait. 

Oh. Did I fail to mention that somewhere in there I had to get Chris to physical therapy? We did grab some lunch at Shrimp n Stuff  (my birthday meal) after that, before returning to the tedious work of rebuilding our financial stability. 

Oh, and did I fail to mention one other thing? When we pulled into the driveway very late after our all-day van ride, what should greet us, but a very large branch of our sycamore tree on the ground blocking the sidewalk. No. We haven’t made it to that one yet. It’s on the list for today. Sigh, again. Some birthday, huh? 

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ says, Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.

Father, thank you for all the help we got at the bank. Bless them. Amen. 

August 14 - “Good morning, Galveston! And a Happy Birthday to me!”

Good morning, Galveston! And a Happy Birthday to me! 

We hit the highways of Birmingham, Alabama, around 9.  We were warned about traffic, but when you gotta go, you gotta go. They were not wrong, by the way. Traffic was pretty rough, but Kel handled it like a pro. 

Through the next few hours we waded through lots of construction. We bypassed the exit to Cuba (Whew!). We snuck into Mississippi (new state unlocked). And stopped for lunch at a Subway near Meridian. Then it was a gas and bathroom stop at the cleanest Valero I have ever seen (in Hattiesburg). 

We crossed into Louisiana at 2:50. Almost missed the welcome sign there, too. But the unmistakable mass of blue sign finally made its appearance. 

And after a stretch on I12 to bypass New Orleans, we found ourselves on I10 for miles and miles and miles. 

Our next stop for gas was combined with dinner. In none other than Iowa, Louisiana. Go figure. And, after almost two weeks of threatening, we actually went to Arby’s, Micah. Well, some of us did, anyway. There was a Burger King next door, and its allure proved too much for some of our bunch. 

So after food, more road.  But by now the traffic had picked up something awesome. Yep. More construction. But at the end … Texas State Line! 8 p.m. Of course Texas is quite large, so we still had a minute or two before we could really consider ourselves home. That didn’t happen until closer to 11. But we made it! 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭44‬ says, But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Father, bless that sweet lady at the Valero. Draw her to you. Amen.

August 13 - “The Rot”

We started the day with breakfast. Well, actually there was something else that came first. See, the plan was to have breakfast with Micah at the school cafeteria (nicknamed “The Rot” because Marriott used to cater). But to get there we had to engage in quite the hike from the parking lot to the building. Had to hike back, too. Uphill. Both ways. Boy, does Micah ever have a story to tell his grandkids. 

After breakfast (cold eggs, cold sausage, cold biscuit) we said our goodbyes and headed back to the house to get loaded up. And then … back on the road to Texas. 

Our route was totally different from the one we took on the way to Lynchburg. This new route took us through Bedford, notably the World’s Best Little City, as attested to on their town sign. We passed the “Jesus Loves People Church aka Love Chapel.” Then there were the Peaks of Otter Winery (not sure how that name came about) and the giant apple with these words on it: “The Little Apple.” Hmm. I’m confused. 

During one stretch I was convinced we were on the set of a Transformers movie. Lots of signs that warned of “Trucks Turning Ahead.” Hmm. Turning into what?

For lunch we followed the GPS locator to Subway, but when we turned into the parking lot it rapidly became evident that Subway was buried deep within the bowels of … Walmart. Nope. Too many distractions, I guess. So instead we rolled through that parking lot, pulled into McDonald’s - but not to eat there. Oh, no. Just to complete the turn. Instead we zipped across the busy street and parked at the local Dublin, Virginia, powerhouse restaurant … The Dawg House. 

They had a mix of cuisines to choose from. In fact, Kel was the only one to order a hot dog. Other requests came: BLT (yes, that was me), kids meal chicken strips (Chris), a salad (Noa), and burgers. Not bad. Not the same as Local Dogs, of course …

We crossed into Tennessee. New state unlocked. Somehow Nana and DadDad pulled some Joyride candy out of nowhere to celebrate. How amazing is that?

Our next stop came some hours later. Cracker Barrel in Athens, Tennessee. It’s been a while since we’ve been in one of those. Seems like the food quality has really declined. Sad. The store is still fun to browse, though. 

After seeking through all the trees and one false alarm, we finally located the Georgia State line. And very shortly thereafter we unlocked Alabama’s state line. That meant the time travel portion of our Back East journey experience had come to an end. We regained the hour we had lost just days ago. Welcome Central time zone. 

We finally got to Birmingham and our hotel for the night. Heading home today on the last leg of this journey. Woohoo!

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ says, If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Father, please give Micah another great year at school. Amen. 

August 12 - “Bird Wars”

Here’s a quick story I forgot to write about. Micah reminded me of it. 

While we were casually munching on our sandwiches under the trees at the picnic area in Colonial Williamsburg, suddenly there came a rustling from above. Then a bustling. Then the leaves themselves seemed to come alive. Then the racket that had been sort of a background rumbling exploded into sounds of an all-out battleground. What in the world …?

It was … Bird Wars. Playing out right above our heads was an aerial battle to rival the best space fight scenes from Star Wars, complete with a screeching sound track from which there was no escape. A beautiful Peregrine falcon was being attacked from virtually every direction by at least a hundred tiny black birds. No matter what direction it took or what maneuver it attempted the falcon just couldn’t escape the relentless dive bombing of those little black birds. Even when the falcon seemed to give it up and fly away, the tiny tie-fighters followed for one last shot to teach a lesson. Do not mess with a black bird family, or the entire community will find a way to retaliate. 

Back to the trek. The plan was to drive for an hour or so to a state park with a good hiking trail. Once there we … got wet. Yep. It started raining as we started on the hiking trail. But did that deter our little band of pioneers? No! Of course not! 

On we plodded. Past the natural bridge formation (well, technically, under the bridge). Past several interesting caves. Until finally we arrived at the waterfall. We have seen bigger (we HAVE been to Niagara Falls, after all). But they were pretty cool to see after hikin’ in the rain 🎶. And speaking of cool to see … we also spotted a snake in the water. Not sure what kind, but it soon slithered away under the bridge. And as we made our way back to the visitor center in the van, we saw a mama deer and little Bambi. Gotta love the critters. 

Before we left, we pulled out some sandwiches for a picnic in the van. A picnic on wheels, that is. We ate while driving. Had to get Micah back to school for a meeting he had last night. That meant racing back to the house for showers, then back in the van and off. Well, actually, it was back in the van for Micah and his Mom and Dad. The rest of us hung out at the house. Game time for the kids. Wash clothes time for the older folks. I heard a rumor that Mom and Dad were gonna make another stop at Walmart. I’m jealous. 

Supper was really good. That Walmart stop proved well worth it. Spaghetti and chicken Alfredo. Salad. And best of all … fried cheese sticks. Haven’t had one of those in a long time. I used to get them and have just that for dinner. Sigh. Those were the days. 

After dinner we took a walk. Me, Chris, Christina, Josiah, Noa, and Ezra. Went down to the local park so Ezra could play catch with his brother on a real baseball field. 

Noa and Christina found a real live inch worm. And with Noa’s assistance, he was racing across the fence. The rest of us spotted another marmot. Ezra and I went up close to where we saw him. He had disappeared by the time we arrived, but we found his burrow. More critters. Cool. 

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ says, So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.

Father, thanks for a little more of your awesome creation. Amen. 

August 11 - “The Sneaky Storm”

We were just sitting around the kitchen table and den couch, enjoying our morning cup of coffee (freshly arrived from the Walmart run Christina made). Chris happened to glance out the back window. When what to her wondering eyes should appear, but a rodent of sorts on the ground so near. We grabbed all our phones, to “search” gave a whistle, and found that new friend from a picture, snap twistle. Ezra was already outside on the search, found a burrow indeed, but not critter’ perch. The search engines hummed, their results all came out. The critter, indeed, was a Woodchuck, no doubt. 

Our first stop was … Walmart. This one was for Micah. He had a laundry list of things he needed/wanted for his dorm room. I bought a few more bags of yellow slug food (aka candy corn). Gotta keep up Sasha’s strength. 

Then we swung in at Chik-Fil-A and grabbed some to-go grub. Then it was on to the dorm room to unload … again. This time I had a specific task. I was assigned putting together a little rolling cart that was destined to become his pantry. It took all nine of us most of the afternoon, but we got him pretty much set up. 

Since we were on campus anyway, we decided to check out the rec center. That included the rock climbing walls, the racquetball courts, the basketball courts, and even the running track (that would be an Ezra challenge). It’s a pretty amazing facility. 

Meanwhile, while we were snug as a bug in a rug inside, a very sneaky, severe thunderstorm ripped through the area. We never heard a thing. It was sprinkling a bit as we made our way to the van, but nothing bad. 

However, after we arrived home, Christina happened to glance out the kitchen window. And to her surprise, a massive branch of one of the trees in the backyard had crashed to the ground. Looked like a tornado had paid us a visit. And while Chris stared at the downed branch, what to her wondering eyes should appear, but a deer munching on grass. And soon three or four of his best friends joined him. Quite the spectacle, indeed. 

Last night turned into a game night. The guys have been chomping at the bit to play their Magic game using the array of new cards they have been buying all trip. There were a few others in the mix as well. Chris and I opted for sitting on the porch swing - The game of champions … ex- champions? … long ago champions?

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬ says, Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Father, thank you for protecting this house - and us - from the storm. Amen. 

August 10 - “Pastor Movie”

We went to church with the Link Family. It was an extension branch of a much larger church. At this site, in the service we attended (they have multiple services), there was an abbreviated praise team (guitar, vocalist, keyboard, plus a sound track). I missed seeing a drummer. After the music and intros by the site pastor, a massive screen descended from the ceiling. It was … a pastor movie. The senior pastor had been taped earlier in front of a live audience. He was kinda funny, and he gave a very clear presentation of the plan of salvation. But it was hard to respond when he asked the group to interact with him … he wasn’t there!

After church we went over to the Link’s house for lunch. Sarah provided us with homemade bread for our ham and cheese sandwiches. And we had brownies and ice cream for dessert. Good stuff. 

I didn’t mention the great chat I had with Noah, the oldest (at home) of the Link children. He’s in a volunteer fire academy right now, and he obviously loves it. We talked about the fire service family for a long time. He is quite excited about going into it further. Hey. Anybody who is still excited after talking a major exam covering haz-mat will do just fine. 

From there we hit the road for our final destination. Lynchburg (Liberty University) was finally in our sights. 

Once we arrived, we headed straight to an eating establishment highly recommended by Micah’s Liberty U. peers. It was called La Carreta. For those of you Texans, it kind of reminded us of Gringos. However in no way was my quesadilla a TexMex quesadilla. The steak was really good, but they didn’t know how to grill onions. And there was no cheese in there. I did order their cheese dip. It was good. 

From there we went on to the VRBO house that will be home for the next three nights. We got all our stuff unloaded, then set back out to drop off Micah’s stuff at his brand new college room. The dorm is a recently converted hotel that has all-new everything. Well, except the laundry room. None of the machines have been delivered yet. He’s really excited to be back, though. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ says, A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.

Father, thanks again for the chance to worship with your family in a different state. Amen. 

August 9 - “From sea to … yep, that one - Atlantic”

After a late-night, rousing round of putt-putt golf (no idea if there was a winner. Ezra thinks it was Jachin. My best guess was Kel), I think all of us crashed for a much-needed night of sleep. 

For breakfast, Christina went over to Walmart. Eggs and biscuits. Oh! And sausage and cheese. Better’n McDonald’s. 

Our next destination was Virginia Beach. You know, as the song says, “From sea to … “  Yep, that one - Atlantic. 

But we had to make one quick stop first. Walmart. Chuckle. Hey. We were headed to the beach, but Nana and DadDad’s house was a few thousand miles away, so we HAD to get a beach umbrella and some beach toys and some sunscreen. And the big boys (read here, “Kel, too”) HAD to get another package of Magic cards for their most recent game craze. 

So Walmart in Suffolk it was. All went well, except for the umbrella. We walked all over the store, and we were just about to give up and leave, when Christina’s keen eyes spotted three of them - all open and all strapped securely to the display cases for the beach stuff on clearance. Imagine that. Beach paraphernalia on the clearance rack in early August. Kel finally convinced them to sell us one of those display models. Half price. Going to the beach in Virginia is weird.

Speaking of weird, when we finally found a place to park (that took a decade or so), the sand was deep-frying some feet. Then you came to a two-foot abrupt drop-off. Then the sand cooled a bit until you reached the wet line, when it became surprisingly tolerable. And at the water line, the water was actually cool … cold even. Very nice. 

Of course the kids went berserk. They loved the massive waves that broke barely away from the shore. Especially Ezra. He was pummeled time and time again, coming up laughing every time. 

Nana and I set up shop on our chairs under our umbrellas. It was weird. The prevailing wind was from behind us rather than coming off the water. Something gets mixed up in the rules between the Atlantic and the Gulf. That wind helped a lot though. It was mega-hot again. Kel brought us a bucket of water so we could dip our toes in the Atlantic. Nice. The cool water and the sweet gesture. Thanks, Kel. And now we can all say we have been to the actual Virginia Beach. 

We raced the hour and a half back to the condo so we could all take a shower. Last night we were graciously invited to dinner with the Link family. Nice folks. Today we are going to church with them. They also invited us for lunch. Did I mention they are nice folks?

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭24‬ says, Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for — believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

Father, thanks for the hospitality of the Link Family. Bless them. Amen.