Spring fever...In winter..Springfield Ill.

My Roadtrash travels..while in, Springfield,Ill it was late Feb. the freezing cold had just about got to me!..The alley we lived in seemed to never thaw,we all slipped and slid on ice, it seemed as if we were never going to see grass or solid ground. Being from Alabama, living in the same house since I was 17 yrs. working in the yard and having flowers or maybe a small garden, was second nature for me. I knew the days were getting warm in Alabama, Spring in my heart, has a up front seat ! But with the cold days in Springfield, it was very unusual to have days with the temp up to the 60 to 70'Os's,...I was pleasantly surprised, but more thankful, to see the sun and a break in the weather. I planned a day out. My favorite things to do are to walk outside in all the parks or the cemetery and to thrift store shop! Being so excited and blessed with such beautiful weather, I did them all! Pushing me to get back to the apartment to have supper for my son ready when he got home each day, but that was not meant to be on this day, for when I turned on the street, that turned into our alley,right there, parked in"Nonaans Hardware Store parking lot", was an ole truck! No one in it ,but loaded with "treasures", the most prized one I spotted was an old snow sled. It was worn and rusted, but it was beautiful to me. I circled the block, still some ice in the alley, I was careful not to slide. When I got back to Nonaan's the truck was gone! I wanted to cry, but I knew that the junk yard was only a mile or so down the next road. My thoughts were that was where this beautiful sled was going to end up I could hardly stand the thought of that, I had fell in love with this ole sled, I couldn't stand the thought of it. But as I sadly gave up on ever finding it again, I turned to go back down the alley, ...I looked left and right to pull out, There I saw it, the ole truck about two blocks away, I started to chase after it! I caught up with him in about four blocks, ever so careful to make an effort to STOP at every stop sigh as not to get a ticket. What do I do now? This man is going to think, I am crazy, but he'll just have to think it! Deciding that he was headed to the junk yard , I took advantage at the time to think what was I going to say to him? But he didn't go to the junk yard, he went straight into the street that lead in to the Ill. State Fair Grounds. Well I thought ,he must know another route to the junk yard I don't know! But no, he lead me right up into the fair ground to an ole barn. He parked , I pulled up ,parked right next to him.By this time the man has been looking back in his rear view mirror. I can tell he knows! He has to have noticed that some crazy woman is following him ,short of blowing my horn, waving him over, I was making no bones about following him. He gets out of his truck, I get out of my car now and am heading toward him! I say to him ,sir, I have been following from, Nonaan's Hardware parking lot! He says ,yea! I notices that! We both kinda laughed, both nervous laughs. Him, probably glad I wasn't going to rob him,...me because I still don't know how to ask him about the junk in his truck, mainly the sled! I just blurted out ! Can you tell me what you are going to do with that sled? I would love to buy it from you! He, laughed out loud, that ole thing he said, I have been cleaning out my mother in laws house, she is having to give up her house,she isn't able to keep it up and is going to have to go into a nursing home,...my heart then turned to her, how awful I felt that her life had to be cleaned out, thrown away,but how blessed she was to have a family to help her. But I wanted that sled..I turn back to him, he is pulling the sled out by this time. I said I will pay you for it!..No he said, mind you I am In my little Blue Volkswagen Beetle car. He is looking to see how I will ever fit this sled it that car? I hand him $5.00, telling him I will give him more ,the price of gas was up, as you know last year. He says no thanks, attempts to help me put the sled in my car,I tell him it was in my genes to pack a Volkswagen, as my mother had an older one when I was younger and that I was a able to pack as much in my car as he was in his truck! If he didn't believe me ,my son would tell him different, as I piled all my treasures that I gathered from month to month as we made a trip home to Alabama every month. Well it turned out, that the man was the," Master Gardner", for the fair whole Ill. State Fairgrounds! Wow, I learned all about how they organized a group yearly that cleaned and changed the seasonal plants,how neat! Being that the weather was going to be nice for a few days, they were starting their spring cleaning early. HOW LUCKY COULD I BE? Getting a antique sled as well as getting my hands dirty! So I ask if they could use another hand? Sure they were glad to have the help. So that week-end I was so excited, I could hardly wait, I worked hard! It felt good,working the soil, just felt like home, just what the doctor ordered to cure my homesickness for my yard! I was then able to endure the next bought of cold weather until my son got finished with the power plant job, we headed back to Home Sweet Home Alabama!

Spring fever...in Winter..

Oklahoma storm..

....Last year our ,"Road trash travels", took us to Oklahoma..it was a great trip, we were there for 4 months, a great place to visit if you have never been there. As always we stopped at the 1st Motel 6, pet friendly !We were there 2 weeks..the 1st storm came,that is as we know them in the south we being so used to and love to sleep when it storms..we slept right through this one, that next morning, I got up 1st, to walk the dogs... as always, didn't bother to comb my hair..so I was in no way prepared to be interviewed by ,"Fox News'. Apparently we had just slept through the night a tornado hit our Motel 6, ripped the roof right off, or a strip of it anyway..bright camera lights hit me square in the face, as I opened the door to go walk the Rottweiler ,Slash-Splash ,all 125lbs. of him, needing to pee pee. Apparently it was the only building that had any damage to it in the whole of ,Oklahoma City,OKL. Was I for once glad, I had parked our little travlbug farther out into the parking lot..as always you can never get close to the building..the manager, who owned this Motel 6, as well as his family, parked up next to the building ,right up next to the front door! Well , the roof was spread out right on tops of all the cars parked in front of the door, what a big mess!!!!!!!!!!These were expensive cars..about 6 of them...being the 1st. person to emerge from the building, other than the night shift person. "Fox News", needed to speak with anyone..."well Not, Meeee, No No No"! I fell back in the room dragging Slash -Splash with me. Leaving the news anchor wide and stunned! I just eased the door shut...never said a word to my son, except," Hey you need to walk your dog", it is raining! Lol....Lol..he stumbled out the door...looking as bad as I did...I hear ...Ahhhh!..Awwwhh! By this time, Slash-Splash has to go and is not coming back in the door. They made the morning live," Fox News", all my son could say was, I , I ,We, We, didn't hear anything..I didn't see them on the news later that day, as the news anchor, ran away...or should I say walked backwards real fast..real, real, fast. I just saw on the news later the pic of the Motel 6, my son was disappointed as to his 1st TV experience, I was disapointed that I didn't have a video to send, to "World funniest videos". I know we would have gotten something...lol.. as ever !Travlbug!

Life moves on..teaching us..lessons and new adventures

...Hello again..Life has somewhat resumed for us after the death of on of our Road trash brother.. our thoughts are with his family and friends..Today is my sons B"Day, I sent cake for all his buddies to enjoy..that is a big thing..all,"Road trash brothers and sisters", love food...they miss those home cooked meals.We all love to get to gether...someone is always cooking out..or the hall in the district, will have different kinds of holiday celebration's.Once you get to where you are starting work..find a place to stay..you might move several time..as once the word gets around you are in town..you might run into some-one you might have worked with several yrs. back, or by phone to your contacts, then finding out where everyone is staying..its then family.As you get settled,the cook outs are on..or if you know someone who is there alone..then the invites for supper or left overs are pasted around..or there is usually a favorite gathering place to go to after work.Then the fun begins..you feel so close to everyone..everyone looks after one another.Any one who hasn't checked in, will be checked on, or it they aren't at work..someone will find out what the problem might be..so anyone that might have other things going on..usually lets someone know before hand.Or the posse is on the trail,getting all involved...it is a good thing!It usually turns out that the person might have gotten put in another department with another crew..and no one has had time to investigate.But rest assured, it won't be long!News travels fast...lol.Being in this group makes you feel so safe..and welcome..Well my laundry is almost ready..that is another story for another blog...Happy Birthday to my son..I love you..i sent him a car..with a,"Dancing Hamster", to the music of the ,"Chicken Dance", I know they are all dancing and singing to the card and teasing him merciless...be safe all...as ever, Travlbug.

In all my roadtrashtravels I am sorry to start my new blog,"Roadtrashtravels ",on such a sad note! I have written several of my adventures to post, Yet, I felt it important to post this one as my 1ST, to let others get to know what I have learned about the brothers and sisters of ,"Roadtrashpiffiters.com", and their families, just in the short time I became aware of their site, also how even more important it is this day and time to bond together, on issues that may arise from ,a good safe place to stay as you are out on the road ,to safety issues that might mean life or death all are so necessary to all involved. On Monday of this week a guy that that worked with my son, fell from 2 stories @ the job site.Then Tuesday morning we were driving out to the plant, I noticed and mentioned to my son before we got to the plant, there is always steam coming from the stacks, I always look as we are driving to the plant, depending on which way the wind is blowing,"south to north", there is a big light flashing, to mark the top of the huge pipe, so planes know to avoid the stack, it makes the steam look light lighting,"I didn't see that steam this morning", it always fascinates me, to the illusion, not realizing what might be happening, sadly I learned what no steam might mean! We were discussing it ,my son said that there must be something wrong, the only way they would stop the stream is if they were cleaning those stacks, then it would be announced days before. I dropped him off at 6AM as usual,( this accident happened at 5:45 AM), but as I left the parking lot ,I met a firetruck, screaming with lights, turning up the drive to the plant. I thought to myself, this is not good, naturally my thoughts turned to my own son then to all his buddies I have met here in Kansas City,Mo., but knowing I had just left him in the parking lot less than 5 minutes before, no way, they could called a firetruck that fast," "said a little prayer of thanks", then drove on. Before I could get back to the hotel, my son called me, telling me I needed to come back and get him, that a guy had gotten killed!
They closed the plant, news helicopters were hovering every where by the time I got back to pick him up. The guy that got killed,"23 yrs old", was a x-ray tech. They x-ray the pipes to check for cracks. The steam is so strong that it can burst those pipes, so they have to constantly x-ray them. This is Iatan Power plant in Weston, Mo. coal powered steam plant .The ones with the big round stacks you see for mile before you get to any steam plant, with stacks about 100 ft. off the ground. The x-ray techs are suspended in the air,in what they call a ,"spider Basket",or "scalfold", connected by a cable.To inspect any false welds in the pipes, this cable allows you to maneuver yourself up and down,as well as from side to side. Something malfunctioned causing an accident, Not many details have surfaced as of yet.no one knows for sure. But this is the 2ND person to be killed in the past year,one in May of 2008 by a crane mishap.Very dangerous! So this is why as a mother of a pipe fitter, I am proud that my son has his ,"Union" brothers and sisters to help him day to day. I take this time to thank any of you that helped him along the way, I know he feels the same pride ..as well as to cherish each day... As ever..Travlbug