I have so many great memories I sometimes have a hard time sorting them all out in my head. I started writing them down once but I lost my notebook. I've sat down several times in the last few days thinking I would write another story. Like a barber barking out "Next" to the guys waiting for a clipping I yelled out "Next" into my memory bank for a story to tell. Each time I yelled one story kept coming up so I guess it must be next. It's a really short story so I originally thought I wouldn't bother with it. Maybe it's time to tell it since the bank is getting low on memories anyway.
When our boys were little, like when Cody was still basically a toddler, Debbie and I took them on a vacation to Colorado. They both fell in love and wanted to stay but I had a great job (snicker snicker) back in Texas so we came on back home.
We left on our trip during a particularly hot part of the Texas summer. 'Sweltering' was the word we would use to describe it, but only before noon. After noon 'sweltering' would have been welcomed. We left early one morning before the sun came up. It was already hot and after loading the car I was soaked with sweat. If you've never driven sixteen hours after working up a lather I don't recommend you start now. That's why we learn as we age. By the time we reach seventy we're so stinking smart from making mistakes we have a wise and valid opinion about everything.
By the time we reached Childress the sun was just beginning to peek out from the horizon. It was a beautiful experience. Naturally its more arid out around Childress and when I stopped to fill up the morning breeze felt great. I decided to drive with a window open for a bit and enjoy the fresh air. Everyone was asleep in the car except me so I figured I didn't need to ask for a majority vote. I should have asked for that vote because within five minutes of getting back on the road everyone in the car was awake complaining about "all that wind" and asking for breakfast. I stopped before we got out of Childress, and that isn't something you have very many minutes to think about, so we could get a bite to eat. Back on the road the family was happy, the AC was churning away, and I was vowing there would be no more stops till we got to Raton Pass at the north end of downtown New Mexico.
It wasn't a real long drive to Raton Pass. Oh sure, we did have to drive for days before getting out of Texas from Childress but from the state line (which is a little town called Texline) to Raton Pass was only about two hours drive...much less if Debbie is driving. By this time, everyone except me needed a restroom break. I prided myself on not stopping for potty breaks. I pulled into a station right before heading up the pass and walked around for a few minutes while everyone else "borrowed the facilities". I hate to stop for restroom breaks without buying something so I chose a cup of coffee. The guy gave it to me because it had been sitting there all day. Back in the car and presto change-o I had to stop for a restroom break. During all these stops we realized there was no need for the air conditioning because the temps had really cooled off. It felt great so we drove the rest of the trip with only open vents. Those who don't know what I'm talking about should take a trip sometime in a 1969 Ford Ltd. That old beauty had great vents.
Our stay in Colorado was awesome. We stayed with my sister and brother-in-law who lived in Colorado Springs. I'm sure our two weeks coincided with two of their more memorable two weeks. On our drive home the old Ford decided it had had enough and died as we were descending Raton Pass. It was a moment of excitement for the boys and sheer terror for Debbie and I. The power steering went out, I had no brakes, and I admit I had been going pretty fast. I finally wrestled the old beast to the side of the road and sat there wondering what I was going to do. I patted it on the dashboard and promised if it would just get us back home, I would never take it out of town again. It fired back up and we got on our way. I stopped at the little station at the bottom of the pass and the guy told me it was normal for these "older cars" to vapor lock while descending the high altitude of Colorado. He assured me we would make it home okay and he was right.
If you've ever made the trip to Colorado from central Texas in the middle of the summer you know what I'm saying when I say it is the worst possible thing a person can do. It is way past miserable for about a week after getting back home. The next morning after we arrived home I went out to check on my old Ford. It was sitting in the driveway looking like....well, I don't know what it looked like but it was sad. I didn't keep it long after that but I did need to make a run to the store in it that day. The boys loaded up with me, Jamie in front, Cody in back and hanging over the seat so as to not miss any possible conversation. On our way to the store we had the following conversation:
Jamie: Dad, why do we live in Texas rather than Colorado?
Me: Because Texas is our home.
Jamie: But couldn't Colorado be our home? It's a lot nicer there.
Me: Oh silly. What makes Colorado nicer than Texas?
Jamie: Colorado has mountains.
Me: Texas has mountains. (Note: Cody is listening very carefully and quietly to the conversation.)
Jamie: Colorado has rivers.
Me: Texas has rivers.
Jamie: Colorado has trees.
Me: Texas has trees.
Cody: China has plates.
That pretty much ended our discussion on the pros and cons of the two states. I think it hurt Cody's feelings that I didn't have a response to his statement. We did make many more trips to Colorado before the boys were grown. We enjoyed them all. I told the boys when they were getting ready to graduate from college it was their one chance to pick anywhere in the world to call home. They did. Jamie lives in Arlington with his family. Cody and his family live in Colleyville.
