Monday, October 30

500,000 Honor The Champs

A sea of red, an estimated 500,000 members of Cardinal Nation lined the streets of downtown St. Louis yesterday to celebrate the Cardinals' World Championship. Following the parade 50,000 people crowded into Busch Stadium for the rally which included the introduction of all the Cardinal players.

Busy Day

It is a busy day today getting ready to leave tomorrow for my trip to the Dominican Republic for the winter. I have a long list of things to do today including buying last minute things to take, cleaning and winterizing the apartment and packing.

As it always is, am anxious and somewhat excited for a new adventure and need a change of routine. I do have a bit of guilt (as I always do), leaving my mother to fend for herself through the winter, though my brother will be around to watch over her. She doesn't do much to ease the guilt feelings, however, yesterday she did say she understood totally and said that if she were younter she would be going south as well. But, she is 85 and I will worry while I am gone.

Sad

Most of all the toughest part is saying good-bye for awhile to Matthew. He and I are going to have lunch together tomorrow and then will have to give him a big hug as we go our separate ways.

This reminds me so much of when I deployed in the military overseas in 1969. It was such an unknown type thing for me and my family. The same thing is happening all over again a generation later. He will go to Germany and I will go to the Dominican Republic. I can come back anytime I want, but he doesn't know when he will return.

Of course the cloud over him being deployed from Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany into Iraq will be hanging over us and will be a daily worry. I have stressed to him the importance of daily communication through phone and e-mail. I will be anxious to hear him describe his life in Europe and will pass his comments, descriptions, plans and pictures along in this blog. I will be saving my money this winter and hope to make a trip to see him next spring if he is still there at Ramstein.

The Trip

After Matt and I have lunch together tomorrow, I will be meeting the bus in Columbia tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm for the trip to St. Louis. The bus will drop me at the airport and my daughter Rachel will meet me there.

We will go to the nearby Holiday Inn-Airport so I can check in for the overnight stay and then enjoy some time together over dinner.

I will need to be up around 4:15 am Wednesday morning, catch the shuttle back to the airport, get checked in and through security. My flight leaves for Miami at 6:55 am. After a 3-hour layover in Miami, will then fly on to Puerto Plata. Will get in there at 4:30 pm DR time (2:30 pm Missouri time). My good friend Bruce will pick me up at the airport. It is only a 15-minute drive into Sosua so should be at my apartment getting settled in by 5:30.

I understand that after a very rainy week last week, most of the humidity as moved away and the weather is sunny, warm and beautiful.

Stay tuned, my next entry will come from la Republica Dominicana.