OT what a year

But as far as losing Alice goes, my heart goes out to you. There is no real consolation for that one. I know what it is to lose someone near and dear, someone that I referred to as "God's most precious gift to me in this lifetime", and that's a hurt that never goes away, and a hurt that I still feel countless times every day, seemingly all the time, for over a year now. And she's a person that I mention in my prayers every night, except those nights when I'm so tired that I fall asleep in the middle of my prayers, and then kick myself in the morning when I realize that I fell asleep in the middle of my prayers, but make up for it all day long. But none of that replaces the loss of God's most precious gift to me in this lifetime, nor will it ever. Never ever. But there is some consolation in that alone - the fact that the pain is so strong, and never seems to let up (thank God, and God willing), that it was obviously a true love that can and will never be replaced, not in this lifetime. And believe it or not, that pain actually brings a smile to my face from time to time, because that's all that I have left of God's most precious gift, that and memories of her, and hopes of her in another world when the time comes.

So Jimmy, how will you give thanks? You'll find a way, I trust you. And I'm done posting here today, I took the week off to get that 8x24 tool shed built, and get what I can done on that 40x60 tractor shed, and of course, plenty of fond memories of God's most precious gift. Happy Thangsgiving, just the same.

Mark

Now those traffic and truck issues, that one is clearly your age. As we reach 60 and beyond we want everything to be comfortable. I do realize it seems like you have had a few more than your share. Consider this, bought another new to me Buick LeSabre, 100 miles from home, service engine soon light comes on. Drove it home, minor fix. Marg. looked in manual, it said you don't need to be towed, just attend to it soon. Now soon is a relative term, and it still spoiled my day.

In the past year, I've had to be towed with 18 wheeler twice. Once off the Bluewater Bridge, between Sarnia ON and Port Huron MI. A word of advice on that one, don't ever go to US or CAN customs for help, go to bridge toll booth. That one involved a 6 hour wait in pouring rain. The second event was a rented truck while our own was being painted. Safety wise I had no problem with this truck, power train did concern me. Lo and behold this truck died on I-94, MI at about the 12 mile in Detroit, 7:30 am. I called my boss on cell, he said," at least you have a sleeper this time for your wait." I said," guess what this truck has been hauling hogs, I think in the sleeper. With rush hour and 3 lanes of Detroit traffic rushing by, the rig on air suspension never stops shaking."

It does change in time, just seems worse when your older. I well remember when I finally got to my destination that day. I advised them I was never coming to Detroit again. They did make me feel comfortable, I have been back many times. The guy at that plant aren't about to let me forget.

You certainly deserve a better year. I think alot of us can relate to a string of misfortunes that make us wonder what we are doing wrong. I wont relate what my misfortunes were. Just car wrecks and falls all in the course of about a year.

So hope you have a better year in 2005.

steveormary