The Hardest Way Possible

Credit: Google images

 

While I have the chance, I’d like to wish everyone a happy, enjoyable, and SAFE Independence Day.

It hasn’t been a goal or part of any plan, but I always seem to excel at doing everything the hardest way possible. Sometimes it’s planned. If one is inflicted with a bit of a perfectionist trait, and a certain effect is desired, it means voluntarily putting in the extra effort to get the end result you want. However, most of the time, the ill-fated stars and planets align, and it just happens.

For example, you know we were planning to get a tornado shelter installed. The company assured us we’d have a week’s notice. We also had a trip with the grandkids planned for the last month, and that meant there were two things in the wind with the potential for a conflict. With a week’s notice promised, we felt safe getting off with the kids for a few days. On Monday, we had the RV and grandkids all loaded, the truck adorned with two canoes, and hooked-up. We were making the final checks of the hitch, lights, etc., when the phone rang. The installer said, “I know this is short notice, but we were planning on making the trip up tomorrow morning.” There’s a custom here in Oklahoma that if you cause a contractor any delay, rescheduling, or problem, you go to the bottom of the list. Wanting to get the job done, and having no idea when we’d get scheduled again, I said, “Sure, I can make that happen.”

We drove 169 miles to a lake campground, got the trailer situated, had an early dinner, and then I drove back---an extra 338 mile round-trip just to “make it happen.” The good news, while yesterday was a long day, we got the job done, and now I’m ready for the second half of that round trip back to the lake. When the next tornado comes threatening, we can now make like gophers and crawl underground. I have some interesting photographs to share that show the entire process, and I’ll share those as soon as we get back. Along with the pictures will be, as Paul Harvey always said, “The rest of the story.“ Until then, keep it safe. As for me, I’m still goin’ paddling.