November 10, 2010
Drove 5 hours to Richmond, Virginia last night and along the way found out my legislative visit in the morning had been canceled. I was exhausted and decided to just stay in Richmond anyway before heading to Washington, DC. I also needed to advance my trip to the cemetery and meet with the superintendent before tomorrows ceremony. Having of course nothing but the RV, I respectfully drove the beast into Arlington. There were many funerals being conducted and as always a remarkable and humbling experience. After my meeting with the Director I left the RV there and hopped a cab to an afternoon studio interview on National CBN News. Today would turn out to be a most memorable day. After the interview, I cabbed it back to get the RV and then check into the hotel. I had been attempting to over the past several days work out parking near the hotel. Not much opened up with the local police so today I was driving around the block looking for possibilities. I spotted what I thought would be a good place and decided to make a U-turn. Well I leaped before I looked and in the shortness of the turn, swung the rear end into a very firmly planed light pole. Yes as you would guess I actually tore half the bumper, rear fiberglass and all off the back. I felt sick, all this driving with no major accidents and now one day before Arlington, this.
I decided to park and lick my wounds, figure out what to do next and check in. As I was headed to the counter I began looking for my wallet. Wasn’t in my pocket and could not locate it anywhere, now just as I was looking around the inside of the RV I received a call from Patty. She tells me someone in DC has my wallet. Unbelievable. Right as Im looking for it, someone found it. It just so happens I dropped it when I had payed the cab earlier in the day. Thank God, but now I have to go across town to get it.
I decided with that crisis solved I would work on the RV situation. I checked in (with a promise of paying), and asked if they knew any body shops nearby. I really believed I could figure out how to get this fixed, afterall, nothing has stopped me long enough on the journey to make me miss even one scheduled event. I knew God would certainly have to bless this situation also. So I made a call and the guy referred me to Wayne King. Just four miles down the road and I bring the beast to Wayne. Long story short, by 1230pm next day, Wayne had the RV back in amazing condition. I was floored. It did cost me $1000, but without him it would have never happened.
The Arizona mothers contingent happened to be arriving about the time of all the mishaps and I was picked up and escorted to the wallet and to the hotel for what turned out to be a very decent, despite the adversity, day.
Tomorrow: The final ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, 2pm
Blessings, George