Category Archives: MO

Ox Wanders Off. Lose One Day

June 29, 2015 Vic Leave a comment

I like to set lofty goals for myself. That should be all I write for today, but I will explain.

I get easily frustrated when things don’t follow the plan of “attack” as I wish them to. That day last week with the chainsaws was frustrating and infuriating to my pride. I was only relieved when I discovered it was not my own error. So today I set a goal to accomplish a whole sector, approximately 2×2 miles, give or take.

We had two missions, create a sector search and respond promptly to any calls received at the call center. We started off with a short list of calls to follow up on, and then intended to start our sector search. We received a phone call shortly in to our first assessment to check out a cross roads and see if the tree was truly blocking the road or if we needed to get a homeowner to sign off on assistance. When we arrived at this cross road we found a tree tangled up in downed power lines laying into a lane of traffic. One thing we do in TR is ensure that we don’t create additional casualties. After cautiously walking around the scene we reached out to the local jurisdiction for support from the power company. In the mean time we blocked off traffic so no one was running over the power lines. The tree had been mostly demolished by large vehicles on the main road, but the power/telephone lines were still a concern.

While we were waiting for the power company to arrive, vehicles were having to move around us in to the second lane. My partner, CD, and I knew the risk of where we were positioned, so we were keeping our eyes peeled. Then something happened. The “Trail” became completely blocked. A car swerved past us and came to a sudden stop about 60 feet in front of us blocking the open lane. I will admit I lost my cool as I saw vehicles hurtling past us towards this vehicle. We had no idea why he stopped, but his electronics suddenly started going haywire. As a neighbor ran out in to the road to help the man, we realized they were moving off the road directly under the potentially live wires. Our medical training kicked in and we jumped out and ran shouting for them to stop. The vehicle stopped just short of the wires. As we reached the vehicle the neighbor explained he didn’t know what was going on, but he just had to help the guy get out of the road.

As we started talking to the gentleman we discovered that he has dementia and at that moment could not recall how to drive his car. CD, who has nursing skills, stepped in and started doing a basic assessment. We called for assistance with the gentleman just as the power company showed up. They appeared unconcerned about the downed lines, but took them up anyway. Our policy is better to be safe than sorry. Local first responders arrived to assist the gentleman in getting home.

Finally our trail was cleared and we were able to keep on moving. By this time it was lunch and we stopped for a bite. We weren’t moving as quickly as I hoped and the realization that we were not going to complete the sector left me feeling frustrated… again. We did the right thing, and doing the right thing often alters plans. I can tell myself this over and over again, but I really wanted MY plan to work. I guess I need to not focus on my own plan as much. It was tough because we were a small team of three today, and a few extras joined us for an evening jaunt.

This Op doesn’t feel like the other ones yet, because I am the only person not local. The LDS church has opened it’s conference center to the three organizations that in the area helping. I am grateful to be able to stay there, but I miss being with my TR people. I guess this just means I get much better rest!

Last story for the day and I will let you go. In the midst of all my frustration I needed to do laundry. The machine at the center wouldn’t work, which I found out after I put the soap on my clothes, so CD offered to take my clothes home and wash them yesterday. At around midnight he found his washing machine having a conniption fit and refusing to finish cleaning my clothes. They were sopping wet and he took them outside to wring out before having to dry them 3 or 4 times. CD is a rock star and I am so grateful for his patience in the midst of a frustrating situation. I now have clean underwear and a chapped ass because of all the jokes being made. It’s all good, in this case I know they tease me because they love me. It’s family.

Signing off from Independence, MO.

PS, Can you see I am going for the Oregon Trail theme now?

Independence, MO

Operation Drowned Oxen

June 28, 2015 Vic Leave a comment

It’s hard to move on from different adventures in life. Then again, it may be extremely easy. Often it is neither one nor the other, but is extremely difficult on both fronts. Here we have demobilized Operation Double Trouble, a job well done for TR, the amazing people I volunteer with and for the communities we were able to assist in Texas.

While on an operation we ride this emotional high. The high of seeing friends who live at a distance, making new friends, integrating in to a new community (or two), and being able to do some really positive work for people who are in need. As we shuffled off to the airport those of us from R7 were already planning the steps for the next operation we were rolling out back home. Mama C, JS, B, and I are all tired, but we keep on moving. Simultaneously other volunteers have moved home to their respective regions to stand up their own operations due to severe weather.

It is really hard to determine why we do what we do, because it is so multifaceted. It is the looks on the faces of homeowners we have helped, and the warm fuzzies that each of us volunteers feels inside at knowing we serve an important purpose in life. Saying goodbye to so many people this morning was sad. There were many promises to visit and wishes of safe travels. I know that with what I am doing now I could truly visit these amazing people, whereas before the better promise was of seeing them on the next operation. I love the friendships and acquaintances I make on our operations, but I truly wish I could get to know each of them on a deeper level. It is thoughts like this that build the wanderers journey.

Our exhaustion was at a high after two airplane rides and crossing fingers that the tech kit did not get left behind. There was the moment when the bright orange case did not show up on the conveyor belt and the awkward discussion that followed went something like this:

Me: “Excuse me, but my travelling companion went to get the car and she has the checked bag receipt for a giant orange….”

Airline Attendant: “I THINK I SAW THAT!”

At which point she took me to the elevator and opened the doors to reveal our giant orange tech kit which is apparently too heavy or fragile for the standard baggage claim. I just found it funny that I didn’t get out more than “giant orange” and she knew what I was talking about.

We picked up our luggage and our giant orange tech kit and loaded up. Mama C and I opted to go straight to the next operation, to determine the extent of the work. By the end of this very long day we have determined we will be continuing assessment operations tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage due to straight line winds in Independence, MO.

We had a few good laughs coming up with a name, one that was suggested was “Buck Stopper”, which I heard as Buck Stuffer (my ears are acting up again… YAY FLOOD CRUD!). I vehemently refused to let them call the operation that as it would be a terrible name. After about 30 minutes of joking around it dawned on them that I had misheard and they set me straight explaining that name. In the end National decided that it was Operation Drowned Oxen (my vote was Oregon Trail, but they went a little more comical).

I think I will be here past the upcoming holiday. Should be interesting to be working in Independence on Independence Day! I’m exhausted, but it is a good kind of exhaustion. I have to keep going though, because people are in need. With that in mind I will sign off for the night and get some much needed rest.

Signing off from Independence, MO and Operation Drowned Oxen

Macon, MO

Wandering Bugs

June 13, 2015 Vic Leave a comment

When you are wandering, you will be so excited that things will look shiny and new. You will find that your emotional reaction has changed because life has slowed down and taken a new turn. You are taking care of you and that also makes you more conscious of how you take care of others. You will find yourself excited over things that would not normally excite you… LIKE BUGS!

TR Region 7 Leadership got together to do some team building exercises and cut up some fallen wood. I have taken a couple of TR chainsaw classes, but only because then I know how the chainsaw teams should be properly doing their job in the field. Me, with a chainsaw for a whole day, likely to be a bad idea. I have always known this. So I started out as a spotter, which was fine, until my excitement got the better of me. So I volunteered to cut, which apparently left me cutting half the day. That is considered fair since it was me and John partnered on a saw. He would cut half, then I would. I found myself extremely excited by the various bugs I found in the trees. There were caterpillars that matched the tree bark and were super fuzzy and inch worms that matched the bark too, but had yellow eyes on it at the folds. There were butterflies, spiders, and creepy crawlers galore. I didn’t even shudder at the sight of all the ants, and I HATE ANTS!

I found some frustration during the day, and that did not help with my exhaustion. I still can’t hear right. And you know what? This wandering thing is really not as easy as it seems. I made a promise that I would be honest as I blogged, and sometimes that means I am going to say things that are hard for people to hear. I am constantly telling people what I am doing and having to describe it to them because it is different than normal, it is actually really hard. That is one of the reasons I am blogging this experience, because it was exhausting to explain before I actually started this journey. I don’t want to stop what I am doing, but today, right now, in this moment where I am tired, my ears hurt, I am frustrated with people, my arm/shoulder is at an 8, and I just can’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheek… this moment it is really hard.

It doesn’t help that today is day 54 of not drinking. It has been easy to not drink most days. Tonight I didn’t even want a drink, and though I told myself it was okay to drink a coke. My team is supporting me in my decision to not drink, so they would not force it on me or even offer it to me. I still felt different. So take all of that stuff above, and then add in feeling like the abnormal person in the group. All these things I am doing and it was just a ticking time bomb. I walked back to the hotel and went to my room and just laid down and started crying.

Wanderers… It is okay to cry if you need to. It’s normal. Especially if everything feels like its pushing you to the ground, or in my case… immobilizing my body due to pain. I don’t care to cry in front of others, sometimes I just have to release the pressure. I meditated at lunch, but it only lasted so long today. Brain came in to the room and helped me put my E-Stem unit on. Shocking myself always helps the pain level, it still sounds weird to say. As she was doing so there was a knock on the door. It was Papa B. He’s a nurse, and a smart man, and an awesome friend. He came in and played nurse, made me feel better, and he even brushed my hair back out of my face… like my mom would do if she were here. My arm still hurts, but I smell like Icy Hot. These people, they are truly my people. Like I said in yesterdays post, I don’t know where I would be without them. On a really hard no good day like today, they surrounded me with love (literally) and got covered in icy hot in return, but they just laughed it off.

I told Papa B that I am tired and it is lonely being a wanderer with no consistent interaction. I have spent the last two weeks primarily on my own, despite talking to people. We are not meant to be alone, so today really overwhelmed me with interaction, and it all came down to so many things. Through it all my team stands by me. It takes a village to raise a child? Well it takes a village to be a sane and happy adult too. I have my village. They travel to disasters with me and open their doors to me if I ever have a need. I just have to leave my pride behind and accept their invites.

Tomorrow starts another exciting day, and I will be moving states again. For the next 8 days or so I will be surrounded by my village… my tribe… but at the same time I miss each one of you who are also part of my village, and are not near at hand for me to hug.

Somewhere in this journey, I will find a new place to plant my roots, but in the mean time I leave a little root with each of you. So to those of you who are wandering or wish to wander… just know that when you wander you are not meant to be alone, you are meant to reconnect.

Signing off from Macon, MO.

Oregon Trail… Buffalo Hunt Gone Awry

June 12, 2015 Vic Leave a comment

Sometimes, when wandering, there are tedious things, which still must be attended to. Do not shirk these basic responsibilities, unless in the event of something awesome… like Oregon Trail.

As I am wandering I am unable to predict the weather accurately it appears. This is part of my flightiness, because I check the weather where I am, not where I am going. Fortunately though it got cooler last night, it did not rain much, and I was not awakened by the storm. It was so peaceful, waking up early with the sun. The campground offered a place for me to do laundry as well as shower, and that was a nice way to relax in the wilderness. I took some time to rearrange the car and ensure that everything was ready for the trip this weekend.

Mama C had told me to not be at her house before noon, and since I awoke early I was able to take some time and relax, reading in my tent. I can’t honestly tell you the last time I was able to just lie around somewhere reading. It was a nice morning and I had clean clothes and clean hair. My ears were still having a heck of a time, but overall, my life felt very manageable.

I decided to take off a little early and stop for coffee somewhere along the way to Mama C’s. Unfortunately, I never got my coffee…

As I was driving from Blue Springs Lake to Lake Jacoma I saw a sign that had a Buffalo on it, pointing to the left. I quickly rearranged my path and took that left. I sent Mama C a text saying “Going Buffalo hunting, see you after I catch one!” I am not sure how many miles I drove following signs with a Buffalo on it, finally coming upon a large fenced off area. Unfortunately there were no Buffalo to be caught, the caravan will probably die of starvation. Little Timmy has been bit by a rattle snake, and we don’t know if we can ford the river. (Please tell me you got this reference… if not… see the intro line!).

For you city folk who are reading this… THIS IS NOT A BUFFALO! It is however a beautiful Bull Elk which is also preserved in the Buffalo enclosure. Originally he was at the far end of this field, but slowly moved towards me, running gracefully. It was a really gorgeous sight.

After wandering around the park some more, driving to see if I could find more Buffalo, I moved on to Mama C’s.

You see… Mama C and I carpooled to Macon, MO together so we could do a TR Region 7 Leadership weekend with our crew. It was a nice drive up, where I learned so much more about Mama C than I had known before, and it was extremely enjoyable. Mama C has not only been a great second mom, but she has also been a cherished mentor and friend. I am so lucky to have her in my life. I honestly do not know where I would be today (6 ft under??), if my TR R7 Team had not entered my life. I can honestly say I owe these folks my life.

Upon arrival in Macon it was like a joyous family reunion outside of the hotel. I think we sat outside for 4 or 5 hours (with a break for dinner). Eventually we had 13 of 14 people there and it was a rowdy bunch. We had a couple of folks I had not met yet. When my Brain arrived I ran to her and almost tackled her with excitement. I don’t know how I ever lived without my Brain. Papa B was also all about giving out some big wolf hugs and working my poor injured shoulder till I about fell asleep!

Sometimes these things seem tedious, the driving, the packing, the laundry and showers. Even the greetings and catching up can seem tedious. There are moments where you run off after a road sign that has a Buffalo and arrow on it, and there are other times where you hug your friends who are like family and don’t let go, because you don’t get to be near them very often. Every weekend like this seems awfully tedious, but it’s really not. It’s something so special, despite looking so darn ordinary.