| It's funny how life's little decisions can and often | | | | badge of honor. |
| do make a HUGE impact later on down the line. | | | | I write all that to tell you this: DON'T FEAR |
| Just this morning, we got an e-mail this morning | | | | CHANGE!!! Since we've been here, we've had |
| from a return customer asking if she could hold | | | | UNBELIEVABLE opportunities to hob-nob, socialize, |
| off on her order of embroidered patches for a | | | | meet-and-greet, and chat with some pretty neat |
| few days because her family is moving to Europe | | | | people. |
| and she's planning 7 Girl Scout Camporees to | | | | We've done both food and merchandise for John |
| happen before she moves. | | | | Travolta(The Queen did motorcycle chocolates |
| It made me think about when The Queen and I | | | | for the Wild Hogsworld premier... they also gave |
| moved from northern Minnesota to the sunny | | | | out motorcycle patches as a party favor), Toby |
| climes of North Central Florida and what all it took. | | | | Keith has eaten both my bar-b-que and The |
| Fifteen years in the same house, raised 4 kids | | | | Queen's panini's when he was in town for a horse |
| there and had a little bit of "stuff". Never mind the | | | | auction, and later that weekend, she found David |
| background planning, logistics of truck rental, the | | | | Cassidy's (Keith Partridge...cool guy) rental car |
| FINANCES of the thing (thanks to all who chipped | | | | keys and his wallet. |
| in to get us out of Minnesota... Dr. Kenny | | | | My personal favorite is somehow she got us |
| especially!), housing sale and purchase... all that. | | | | hooked up with Hank Williams III, who is a dead |
| We loaded the 28 foot truck ourselves in late | | | | ringer for his grandpa, both physically and vocally. |
| March just as the spring thaw was happening. As | | | | As a result of Her Majesty's handiwork we not |
| the back of the truck got heavier, the deeper it | | | | only met and pix-ed with him, but hung out and |
| sunk into the mud. It took two 4 x 4's, and a | | | | did some very cool things with both him and his |
| six-wheeler to pull us out! The fact is without son | | | | bands for the next couple days when they were |
| Dale, it would not have happened as seamlessly | | | | here. Good musicians, YES, top shelf... lousy |
| as it did. He got to the house, looked at the | | | | golfers... YES, ball players, HORRID! |
| patch-work of stuff in the back and pretty much | | | | Through my job working with embroidered |
| re-did the entire truck to make it easier to make | | | | patches, I've been able to work with the Los |
| the 1972.6 mile move, but who's counting? | | | | Angeles Kings, Minnesota Twins and |
| I had been offered and accepted the manager's | | | | Timberwolves, the WWE and the NWA, Tampa |
| job at a local branch of a national computer chain. | | | | Bay Buccaneers, FOX Sports, The University of |
| While we were still in Iowa headed south, we got | | | | Florida Gators (Yes... Superman DOES wear Tim |
| the call that my store, the one I was transferring | | | | Tebow shorts), Daytona Beach Thunderbirds, the |
| to, was to close in 10 days or less. The Queen | | | | entire WAC Football Conference, several times |
| and I looked at each other and asked each other | | | | with A Special Wish Foundation, and a couple |
| out loud if we should continue heading south to | | | | dozen ladies roller derby teams... I'm the luckiest |
| the unknown, OR turn around and go back to -30 | | | | guy around and I know it. |
| degree temps for literally 4 months a year... | | | | I hope Adrienne and her family have a safe and |
| something we know and were, I guess, | | | | sound move to Europe. We both need to learn |
| comfortable with. AT THAT MOMENT, we had no | | | | new languages--- believe me, Florida talk and what |
| jobs, very little money and about all we knew | | | | my English teacher parents taught me are two |
| was that we didn't want to be freezing cold for 8 | | | | VERY different things. They'll need to learn new |
| months a year and that if we were, we wanted | | | | customs and traditions, monetary systems, and |
| to be cold together. | | | | certainly a new way of life. But to me, the most |
| Need less to say, we drove on and haven't | | | | important thing is that just because it's different, |
| looked back. It's one of those decisions I | | | | doesn't make it bad. |
| mentioned earlier in this blog. For whatever | | | | NEXT WEEK... my week on the road with Pink |
| reason, she and I are still together after 20+ | | | | Floyd and my beers with Merle Haggard. |
| years. We've worn that decision like a custom | | | | |