FINAL?

For those few of you reading my blog, I plan to make this my last entry before my 88th birthday. I don't feel I have much to say and will conclude with a summary before we retired.

As I said we sold the motel in 1983. It was messy as we took a house in trade (not paid off) and a note which I later discounted.

We decided to take our children to Florida to see my Mom and husband Jim. We had a friend who lived in Cheyenne, Wy who owned a motor home, a 28 ft Winnebago. We picked an iffy time to go (December) and none of us had ever driven a motor home. At the time I had a small Ford Escort in which we loaded our 3 children plus their cousin Chester and drove through through the snow to Cheyenne, leaving our friends and relatives Cap and Julia to watch our home. From Cheyenne we drove to Kansas City to see my brother Paul and his wife Karen. We were met at the door by their dog Murphy, who proceeded to hump all legs he could find. The next day we drove to Nashville thinking Grand Ole Opera. No opera was happening and I was lost. I made a U-turn in downtown Nashville and I think I took out a couple of curbs doing so! 28 feet is a long ways on city streets. We then had to go through Atlanta and it seemed prudent to avoid downtown so we decided to take the bypass, Our 17 year old son Tony was driving when I hit the wall from the bedroom. It seems merging in heavy traffic was new to him and he had to make a sudden stop. I think he asked his mother why she didn't say anything and her reply was she was afraid she would make it worse! Anyway the trip was good and the children were able to go to Disney World thanks to Jim working there.

Then the bad part happened. We drove through Kansas on I70 in a blizzard. We had a CB radio and I heard a trucker yelling, get over, I have no brakes! When we arrived in Denver the ruts from the snow were so deep the Motor home rocked as if to fall over. We were unable to get the coach winterized so left it running all night at my daughter and son-in-laws place until we could drive to Cheyenne. My friend took me to have it winterized in Cheyenne and then we headed to Steamboat Springs in our Escort with 4 children and all the oranges we could fit. The weather was so bad we stopped in Walden Colorado to try to wait it out. It seemed to let up a little so we headed out for Steamboat. I heard cae doors slam shut so took off. Ellen looked back and there was Tony standing on the sidewalk with his arms crossed. I thought I heard all the doors shut; I guess I should have looked. Once out of Walden the storm took over. The wind was so powerful I couldn't see the road! I was leaning out one door and Tony the other just to make sure we were on the road. Once we arrived at Rabbit Ears pass the wind let up and the remaining part of trip was OK. What was funny was Chester saying to Ellen, "Aunt Ellen you better start praying!" Our youngest, Julie, turned to Chester and said "Chesser you better pray yourself!"

When we arrived home it was still snowing. That year set a record for consecutive days of snow, over 100 days!. Our house was buried and we could barely get in. The genius who built the house had all the snow fall on the front and back of the house. We had drifts of more than 10ft and had to tunnel in. Poor Cap and Julia just couldn't keep up. I had a contractor come with a back hoe and dozer clean it out.

We moved shortly after that to a nice sized home by the college in Steamboat Springs. We still had 3 children at home so I needed a job. At the time I was 47 and the average age was about 24 in Steamboat so I was not a prime candidate. My friend Mike Schurig wanted me to go in the real estate business with him but I told him I needed a steady income as my sale money would run out soon. Another friend who was a VP at the bank told me about a fellow who had just purchased an insurance agency who was looking for help. So, I applied, looking like Paul Bunyan. The owner Cliff, said "I will hire you if you get licensed before you start", so I went to school again and received a license. I worked 2 months without pay (no license yet) and then started with a modest salary in late Fall of 1984. I had just been placed on insurance when in December I had a heart attack. Its a long story but I spent several weeks in and out of hospitals and more weeks recuperating. Cliff paid me the whole time I was off even though I had not done much up until then.

It turns out he bought another agency in Hayden, CO and the previous owner left almost immediately. He asked Ellen if she thought I was up to running the office and she told him she thought I could. So after the first of the year in 1985 I started driving every day to Hayden and did so for the next 10 years; best decision I ever made!

I had a successful period of 17 years as an insurance agent and loved all my time in Hayden. When I retired we moved to Georgia, but that is another story and I am tired so that's all folks!

We will see what next year brings!

Julie and Renee

My first grandchild Kasey

CHEERS
So long for now

 




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