Fort Smith. Arkansas

Texas is in the rear view mirror for now and we're on the road.


This weekend we're in Fort Smith with Sarah, Joey and soon to be "Sweet Baby James".  If you've never been to Arkansas I'd highly recommend it.  Most of the Arkansas stereotypes are not true or at least slightly exaggerated.  It's a beautiful state, that lives up to it's name "The Natural State" and Fort Smith is a really cool town.


Our arrival was announced by a massive hail storm that we barely missed.  Sarah and Joey's new car has the battle marks to prove it was a humdinger.  Good burger, a little conversation and Beth and I were in bed by 8:30 (it had been a long day!).


Today we enjoyed a great hike with Sarah and then went to a really fun activity called Fort Smith Escape Room.  You get locked in a room and have an hour to find clues to get out.  Sorta like trying to find my keys and wallet most mornings.  Really fun and we made it out in 49 minutes which put us somewhere around the top ten!  Dang, we're good!  http://fsescaperoom.com


There's a big Harley rally in town that we also checked out, unfortunately we were a little late and missed the Miss Steel Horse Bikini Contest that was held earlier today...........so much adventure, so little time............oh wait, I'm retired, I have plenty of time!


Tomorrow, Elvis and BarBQ
 
  




My better side

We escaped the escape room!



No honey, the camera is this way

A special place in my heart forever!

Yesterday morning around 10:45 assuming "it was Sabbath somewhere" I walked out the door of Texas Health Huguley Hospital for the last time as a team member.  This entry is dedicated to the employees, physicians and volunteers at Texas Health Huguley.


THANK YOU!  I cannot begin to express my gratitude to you for the smiles, laughter, kindness, care and compassion that you showed me over the nearly 23 years that I had the privilege of serving with you.  Your clinical excellence is outstanding but the manner in which you care for your patients and each other is beyond description.


Over the years I've heard it said by so many that "its just different at Huguley".  That's about as accurate of a description as I can think of as well.  The spirit of "Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ" is who you are and what you do.


THANK YOU!  The retirement party Thursday afternoon was something that exceeded my wildest dreams.  I loved every hug, handshake and story!  I appreciated the video produced by the hospital as well as the one produced by my second favorite Seminole, Christine Stewart and the corporate communications team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE7I1zQPQZk


I love and will miss each of you.  I also know that everyday you will continue to reach new heights.  I'm looking forward to keeping up with your journey as well and can't wait to see the beautiful new hospital somewhere down the line.
God Bless You!

Things I'll miss about Texas and things that I won't miss

Texas has been an amazing place to live for the past 23 years.  Although I never learned to two step and still prefer flip flops and shorts to boots and jeans I feel that most of my Texas friends accepted me or at least were amused by my non-Texas ways.  Over the years I've come to love and appreciate so much about this amazing and really large state.


I'd like to share a list that is in somewhat of an order of things I love about Texas and then I'm going to go out on a limb and list a few things that I could do without.  The "things I could do without" come at great risk to my personal safety because all native Texans think the state is perfect and most of them are carrying a weapon (which makes my "things I'll miss list).  So here we go.................




Things I'll miss about Texas




The Stars at Night are Big and Bright!  Living somewhat out in the country the Texas sky at night can be absolutely amazing.  Going out to get the paper in the morning or standing in the back yard watering the grass (guys, you know what I mean) often led to a strained neck from looking up at the stars and a headache while pondering the vastness of the universe and beyond.


Texas High School Football!  It's a spectacle worth seeing and I can break it down into three of my favorite things:
Homecoming Mums  You know everything is bigger in Texas and Homecoming Mums have taken on a life of their own when it comes to being obnoxiously over the top.  They weigh twice as much as the kids wearing them, have bells, whistles, rattles, light up and cost about as much as a new Buick.
If you have never been to a high school homecoming game in Texas check them out:
 http://jezebel.com/5965232/inside-the-weird-texas-tradition-of-enormous-homecoming-corsages/
Pretty darn amazing aren't they!
The Playoffs!  Unbelievable atmosphere and crowds.  Southlake Carroll and Euless Trinity at the old Cowboy stadium.  Over 58,000 people for a high school game.  The crowd was so large that thousands of people never made it in and one of the bands didn't get to the game until the second half.
Six Man Football!  This is legendary stuff in Texas.  Towns so small they can't field an 11 man team.  It's fast and furious.  I was introduced to it by 3 of the greatest Texans I know; Craig Kerr, Lee Ray Davis and Jim Perkey.  I had the honor of going to a couple of games with two of the Elder Statesman of Six Man Football, Craigs dad Nick and Bob Spurlin.  As much fun as the games were, the rides to these small towns were always filled with great conversation and usually some good bar b q (more on bar b q coming up).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OteOvhsrCo
Springtime!  Texas has been described as having two seasons, cold and brown and hot and brown.  In between there is actually a magnificent time of the year when things are green and the wildflowers are out.  Everyone loves spring, too bad it comes and goes so fast.
Bar B Q and Tex Mex!  It's the real deal.  So much cholesterol and so little time.  Beth and I actually did a bar b q tour one weekend to some of the iconic places in the Austin area which was amazing.  There is so much good stuff everywhere but if you pressed me I'd probably go with Railhead or Pecan Lodge for bar b q and Fresco's or Joe T's for Tex Mex.  Everyone has their own opinion and Texans please feel free to leave a comment on your favorite.
Fort Worth!  The difference between Fort Worth and Dallas is that Dallas is located next to a great city.  Fort Worth has a bit of it all.  Cowboys, culture, food and fun.  So much to do we rarely made it to Dallas for anything other than a Mavericks or Stars game.
The Dallas Cowboys!  I'm not a fan but man do their fans make listening to sports radio fun.  Win a game and they're going to the Super Bowl.  Lose a game and the world as we know it is coming to an end.  Jerry Jones is a nut, but he sure is entertaining, just stick a microphone in front of him and enjoy.
Weapons!  I've never owned a gun and I know this whole gun debate is very emotional.  What I do know is that if you're in a crowd in Texas and some idiot decides to pull a gun and start acting crazy there will be a dozen or so brave citizens that will take him or her down in the blink of an eye. It's scary but comforting at the same time.  You know how states have Tax Free Weekends for school supplies right before school starts?  Texas has proposed a Tax Free Weekend for ammo before hunting season!  You can't make this stuff up!
Burleson!  Our hometown for the entire time we lived in Texas except for this last month when we have lived in Keene (aka "The Holy City).  Burleson was a wonderful place to live and for Ben and Sarah to grow up.  Pathway Church, Burleson schools that educated both kids from K-12 , great civic pride and leadership under our current Mayor Ken Shetter and a city council that has a great vision for the future.
The People!  To say Texans are proud people would be an understatement of gigantic proportion.  Texans are also over the top friendly, caring and giving people.  We've been so blessed to meet so many real Texans and their spirit is contagious.  It's been said that Texas could secede from the US and survive, yep, I believe it 100%.


Things I won't miss about Texas


Tornados and hailstorms!  Florida has it's hurricanes but you tend to get a 4-5 day warning.  In Texas a thunderstorm suddenly produces a tornado that tosses around railroad cars or hail the size of bowling balls.  It's the price you have to pay here in the spring to get those amazing wildflowers and the green grass to enjoy for a little while.
Big 12 Football!  It's not bad but it's not my beloved SEC.  I tried for years to explain the passion of the SEC to Big 12 friends but I gave up.  They just don't understand that it lasts all year and that in the fall not only are weddings and funerals planned around Saturday but that births and deaths are also delayed or rushed so fans won't miss a minute of action on the field.  It gets downright crazy but I love it.
Houston Traffic!  You've got to experience it to believe it.  Dallas and Austin have their moments but Houston takes it to a whole different level.  Houston could be a wonderful city but every time Beth and I went down to visit Sarah we ended up mostly sitting still in the middle of the freeway with a billion other frustrated drivers
Texas Beaches!  Texas has so much but man they drew the short straw when it comes to their beaches.  Comparing them to the west coast beaches of Florida would be like comparing Mother Teresa to Charles Manson..............you just shouldn't do it.
August!  Hell hath no greater fury than August in Texas.  Sometime mid to late July it really starts cranking up and it doesn't release it's death grip until some time in September.  Sure it gets hot in a lot of places during the summer but it's just different here.  The big problem is that unlike most places it doesn't cool down at night.  It can get downright depressing watching the news at 10:00 PM and seeing that little time/temperature in the corner showing it's still 98 degrees and then turning on the news the next morning to see that it's cooled down to a balmy 96!  You just have to make frequent trips to Sonic or Bahama Bucks for a cool treat and hunker down inside.  Fall and cooling rains will eventually hit and the next thing you know it's cold and brown!


God has blessed Texas in so many ways and we've been blessed to have spent a good portion of our lives here.  We leave with so many great memories.

North to Alaska!

It's hard to believe that while the journey has already started, there are just nine more work days before this whole thing kicks into high gear.


Those who know us well are starting to ask "so where are you going first"?  A great question that I can answer without having to go through the whole "so you're buying an RV?" routine.


While there are still a few things left to do here (one less than we thought), we're winding it down pretty quickly so here's what's on the horizon:


On Friday, April 29 at some time earlier than usual I will loudly and boldly proclaim "it's Sabbath somewhere" and head for the exit.  The difference this time is I'll be leaving the keys and badge on the desk and heading out the door to start the next chapter of the journey.  Good luck Kenneth Rose, you are going to be awesome!


My favorite Uber driver in the world and life partner will be waiting outside in the parking lot and we're off.  We'll be heading straight out of town and to Fort Smith, Arkansas to spend the weekend with my favorite daughter, son in law, sweet baby James who is still under construction and two of my three favorite grand dogs (Max and Scooter).  Joey is preaching Sunday and we're looking forward to hearing him as long as he doesn't go too long!


We're then heading towards a place that neither Beth or I have been before, Memphis.  We won't be there long but long enough to track down some bbq, listen to a little blues and at least ride by Elvis's place.  We're probably too cheap to pay the overpriced admission to do the Graceland tour. 


We then go to a place that holds a lot of great memories, Vogel State Park which is near the bustling metropolis of Blairsville, Georgia.  It's a beautiful state park where I spent several weeks every summer.  Mom and Dad loved it and didn't really think there was any reason to go anywhere else for vacation so every year we'd load up the camper, Buffy our short fat dog and off we'd go.
We'd get there and camp with about half the folks from our little hometown of Mulberry who also made Vogel their summer home.  Even though I often tried to be a cool teenager who acted ambivalent to going I always had a great time and I know memories of summers of long ago will come rushing back.


We then head to Florida to unload most of our worldly possessions and head right back to Texas.  We'll be coming back to celebrate our son in law Joey's graduation from college.  He's worked and gone to school and it's a moment we look forward to sharing with him, his parents and Sarah.


The next morning we're off to San Francisco.  It's always fun visiting a place so liberal they think Bernie Sanders is a conservative.  We won't be there for long but I'm sure we'll grab some great seafood, walk a ton and enjoy the great city in spite of all the flaming liberals.


We then hop on a ship and it's North to Alaska......................


More on our itinerary and post cruise plans next time.

So you're buying an RV??????

Since announcing my retirement in January people at the hospital and in the community have been so kind.  In some ways it's been sort of like being able to attend your own funeral, which is really kind of cool.  As you know, a funeral is where even those who didn't necessarily like them will manage to say nice things about the one who has departed.  I've appreciated the kind words while I remain somewhat in an upright position and am going to believe they came from the hearts of those who have said them.  Other than family who may not necessarily "get us" but have come to "understand us" the conversations about retiring and future plans have with most people been eerily similar.


They go something like this:


Nice Person:  "So I hear you're retiring?"


Me:  "Yep, it's been a great career but it's time to call it a day and turn it over to someone younger and smarter than me"


Nice Person:  "You're way to young to retire!" (No one has mentioned the "smart" thing)


Me:  "Stand back and watch". 
This is where I also try to convince them that I'm way older than I look and they could have enjoyed looking much younger than they really are if they had only lived a good clean lifestyle like I have.............take as long as you need to recompose yourself here before continuing.


Nice Person:  "So what are you going to do once you retire?"


Me:  "Beth and I are looking forward to a few things.  Helping take care of her mother, yes the one who named us the "Traveling Idiots:".  Spending time with Ben, Sarah, Joey and in July welcoming "Sweet Baby James".  We also love to travel and are looking forward to discovering new places and revisiting some of our favorites around the world."


Nice Person:  "So you're buying an RV?"  If you're thinking that right now please go back and slowly read the underlined section before continuing.


Me the first hundred times I was asked about buying an RV:  "No, we're going to enjoy travel around the US and overseas."


Me now that I've been asked this a couple of hundred times:  "Yep, found one with pontoons that will allow us to float to New Zealand in the fall."


These are great people many of whom were my friends until reading this and realizing they had had that conversation with me.  There is nothing wrong with an RV other than it limits where you can go, unless you fit it with pontoons. Our plans will include planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships and who knows what else to get us around.


Our plans are a little out of the norm.  Sarah has said we're going to be gypsies.  Our friends Ed and Judy Laue have a term they use for themselves that we like to borrow and that's "hobo's with a credit card!"   


I believe Beth was born with a passion for travel that is almost unmatched by anyone on the planet.  I had this passion buried a little deeper and thankfully she brought it out of me.  We've seen so many amazing things and places.  I hope to give you a little insight as we go along but more than that if you're saying to yourself "I'd like to do what they're doing" my prayer is that we run into you somewhere out there.