Have a Safe Trip -- On the Road Again -- A bigger moon this time -- Still no St. Christopher

Yes, we are in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Last time we were this way we had troubles.

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First, we need another

Adi can . . .

[click here for a large picture]

Adi can (still) balance a treat on her nose. Then on command, flip it and catch it in mid air. She is all wet this day, it was sort of a reward for her bath.

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Now, back to the travels. St. Christopher** didn't come with us, but maybe he should. The last time we were coming home from Louisiana, about 10:30 on a Sunday night, we had a blowout.

That was the same night Britmum (blog) got stuck in the river bottom sand in Arizona. The moon was just a sliver then. This trip, it is approaching full. Maybe that will help since we left St. Christopher wherever he lies.

Mrs. Jim said things were going our way, with lots of prayers, a good friend to come get us almost by midnight, and a wrecker driver to work late at night on a holiday weekend (Memorial Day).

You would think with tires not even six months old there wouldn't be blowouts. We had one, 20 miles from Conroe, outside of Cleveland a little bit, right at Fostoria, Texas.

Don't come looking for Fostoria. There aren't any stores or residential sections, not even a post office. Yahoo Maps (link) has it sitting by the railroad. I have been to their stock car race track one time.

Mrs. Jim was driving. The car started making a bad noise, she slowed down, the noise slowed, she pulled over and we looked. The tread was rolling separately now from the wheel and a little of the sidewall.

Friend, Charlie (my golfing bud) came the 37 miles in about 45 minutes after we called him. All he had to do was put his shoes on. Later, we found out he forgot to pick up his wallet. No driving license with him, nobody cared.

The wrecker driver came just after we had loaded up Charlie's Suburban. Adi, Mema, Mrs. Jim and a whole trunk full of our stuff. We had spent the night before out in the woods after the family reunion, in a group camp, complete with men's and women's bunking rooms. Besides our clothing there was a lot of paper goods and leftover things from the picnic.

We met the wrecker driver at the NTB tire store where he unloaded our car in a parking spot. Charlie then took Mema home first, then Mrs. Jim, Adi, and I rode with Charlie back home. We got in about 1:20 a.m.

Good things, the boogers didn't get us sitting out there in the dark on that two lane road and the tire was replaced free, except for $34 for disposal fees, shop fees, and a road hazard warranty for the new tire.

Bad things, the wrecker bill was $124 and we didn't see one Highway Patrolman (DPS) or sheriff or constable and nobody stopped. If someone had stopped, we would have been really scared.

We could have bought this St. Christopher for $9.99 plus shipping?**

**source, an e-Bay offering description:

ST. CHRISTOPHER STATUE
8" Tall made of a NICE Resin on WOOD
CHRISTOPHER "STORY"

Also known as Kester; Kitts; Offero
Memorial: 25 July
Profile: 3rd century martyr under Decius. Little else is known for sure. His fame derives from the pious legend of him being a "Christ-bearer" (= Christopher).

He was a powerfully built man who wandered the world in search of novelty and adventure. He came upon a hermit who lived beside a dangerous stream and served others by guiding them to safe places to cross. He gave Offero instruction in the truth of God. Offero took the hermit's place, but instead of guiding travellers, he carried them safely across the stream.

One day he carried a small child across the stream; the child's weight nearly crushed him. When they arrived on the other side, the child revealed himself as Christ, and he was so heavy because he bore the weight of the world on himself. He then baptised Offero with water from the stream.

Christopher's service at the stream led to his patronage of things related to travel and travellers, people who carry things, etc. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

Born at Canaan as Offero
Died martyred c.251
Name Meaning: Christ-bearer (= Christopher)
Patronage:
archers, automobile drivers, automobilists, bachelors, boatmen, bus drivers, cab drivers, floods, fruit dealers, fullers, hailstorms, holy death, lorry drivers, mariners, market carriers, motorists, porters, Rab Croatia, sailors, storms, sudden death, taxi drivers, toothache, transportation, transportation workers, travellers, truck drivers, truckers, watermen