Adventures

Hello,

At 7:00 p.m. the phone rang. It was Leroy to tell me, “I was taking a nap when water started dripping on my head. The tent leaks.”

“Should I come get you?” I wanted to know.

“I think I will be ok it has mostly stopped raining,” he said, “I am using Iowatelcom’s phones. They have a place here so I am charging my phone. We can also use the internet.”

An hour later the phone rang. It was Brian calling to say, “Dad can’t get through to you, but he is wet and cold and wants to come home.”

Brian, Leroy, and I had a three-way conversation making plans for me to pick Leroy up after I made the estimated two-hour trip. I was to meet with him on highway 25 and Elm Street in Greenfield. How hard could that be? Greenfield is relatively small.

I raced around closed the windows incase it rained here, went back in for a shirt incase it was cold and got on the road shortly. It started to mist as I pulled out of the driveway. Later on it changed to real rain. Luckily the road is fairly straight and I have traveled it twice before.

When I got closer I tried calling Leroy, but no luck so I called Brian to relay the message to Leroy. Brian said he had been able to call Leroy so phone service was improving a little.

In Greenfield I realized that it was a serious trick to read the tiny street signs hidden in the dark. So I stopped at the first gas station and asked about Elm Street. I was already on the highway, but I had no idea if I had passed the street or not. The first woman had no idea about street names. Her co-worker spoke up and supplied this information. “Elm is farther to the right. The streets are in alphabetical order. Elm is just before a Lutheran Church. You will turn left.” I should write to that gas station and commend her. I found it to be perfect. I still could not see most leaf hidden street signs, but I saw a cross against the sky ahead of me. I turned on that street. It was Dodge Street so I turned around and swung onto Elm. Leroy was not hanging around, but a close cross street gave me a stopping place.

As I sat there trying to call Leroy a guy came by on a bike and carefully checked me out before he turned and rode away. Was he too looking for someone?

When I tried to call first Leroy, then Brian, and then again Leroy the phone would only try to ring once before it quit. I was so disgusted that I thought nasty thoughts about the phone company. Then Brian called me, “Did you find Dad yet?”

“No, but I am on Elm,” I replied. Just then I saw someone down at the appointed intersection. I got out and unceremoniously started walking and calling, “Leroy, Leroy!”

As I got closer Leroy turned his head and knew the connection was made. It was midnight by the time we got Leroy’s wet things in the car, the bike rake attached, the bike on, and drove home.

Leroy took today off. He has not felt well all day. At first he thought it was something he ate, but too many others said they thought it sounded like a flu they had. We will wait until tomorrow to find out if he will ride tomorrow.

Paula

Someone also told me that there are too many people at sports events using their cell phones and you often cannot get through. So I guess that is why I could not call. I will have to think better thoughts about the phone company.