Day 60

Vacation Day 18: Traveled from Bluffton to St. Louis. Holiday Inn Express was OK. The personnel behind the desk seemed less than knowledgable of what it takes to work in customer service. We ate at the local Cracker Barrel. Never gone there as a family, but we enjoyed the Peg Game and Checkers.

Vacation Day 19: Got up at 6, got ready, packed, ate breakfast and were on the road by 7 AM. Cass was ready to get home. And so were the rest of us. Made pretty good time and pulled in the drive at 3 PM.

A Sad Ending: Well, we talked as a family as to whether I should blog about the topic to come and decided I have been telling you about the vacation of a lifetime we are experiencing and all the great things that took place on the trip so you need to know about the bad stuff too. At about Columbia, MO we stopped for gas at a Quick Trip. There was some miscommunication, differing expectations and lack of security which led to the vehicle being left unlocked and unattended for about 10-15 minutes. In that time two bags were stolen out of the back seat- my computer bag and Carson's LEGO bag. Some good news- I may have had a computer bag along, but I didn't have a laptop with me. So they took a bunch of my youth leader magizines, a journal, a GPS, & several hundred dollars cash. Not too bad. Carson's bag had his Wii, his new Toy Story 3 game and our video recorder in it. Ouch. He was pretty upset about the Wii and the recorder had our trip memories on it.

But...about 25 miles down the road it led to an important discussion about the situation: everything taken was replacable; we had each other; no one got sick, lost or injured on the trip; we still have so much that God has given us; there was so much more in the vehicle that could have been taken- phones, iPods, purse, wallet.

So, it was a sad ending to an amazing trip. And though we ache a little for the "things" lost, they are still just "things" and we had a super time. They can't take that from us.

Day 59

Vacation Day 16: On Saturday we made the longest drive yet of our trip. 8 hours from Lancaster, PA to Bluffton, OH. If you like PA, my apologies, because we were happy to be out of it. Might have something to do with the long trip and the long day.

Got to Bluffton by supper time. We stayed Saturday and Sunday nights at John and Kristi Kohli's. We were missionaries with the Kohli's in Alaska. Very good friends. It was wonderful to see them again. Hadn't been together since we took the job in Kansas 8 years ago. Besides our kids growing up, they now have two of their own (Jaden and Owen). We had a blast throughout the weekend with their kids. Did a lot of reminiscing about camp and catching up on life.

Vacation Day 17: Went to Ebenezer Church on Sunday. Since the last time we were there they had added a new gym which they use as a sanctuary. There was a baptism so the candidates shared their testimonies. As they talked of how God used this church in their life, made me think of my time living in Bluffton growing up. Bluffton and Ebenezer Church are very special to me. Many of the people I had a chance to talk to there have invested time and energy into my life and I am so thankful for that. It was great to come back "home".

After the service our family drove down to the land where we had a mobile home. Had a Collie (Tray) that was killed by a car there. Then went over to the farm where we lived for three years when I was in grade school. I remember mowing that yard by hand. And it is still huge today! What was my dad thinking?!?

Rest of the afternoon involved swimming in someone's pond, meeting with Pastor Potter and talking with Bonnie Spallinger. Seeing Bonnie was a great surprise as she is a missionary in Germany. Home for a while I guess. Bonnie worked for me in the Program department at Echo Ranch. She is awesome!

For supper went to Kevin and Mary Gratz'. They are very good friends of my parents and somehow they decided to like us too. Had some delicious home-made stromboli. Got to hear about Kyle's home renovation project and Kara's meal with the "blind". They treat us too good. But I ain't complaining! Great friends. Great memories.

Day 56

Wow.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Have been crazy busy. I'll try to cover the days I missed.

Vacation Day 11: Went to downtown Philly. In the morning Carson and I toured the battleship New Jersey. The gals weren't interested so they sat in the park and talked.

The afternoon involved deciphering the intricacies of parking in Philly. Once that was conquered, we saw the Liberty Bell, walked past Independence Hall, visited Betsy Ross and snuck down Elipher's Alley.

Vacation Day 12: Went downtown Philly again. This time it was to catch our train to New York City. Left our vehicle in the parking garage by the station. The station was huge and had that mystique. Got on the AMTRAK at 11 and were in NYC by 12:30.

First time riding the train. Kinda like riding in an airplane without the seat belts and long delays from the gate to the air. I liked it.

The only way I can describe walking out of Penn Station onto 7th Avenue in NYC is that it reminded me of getting off the plane in Santo Domingo when going to the Dominican Republic. New sounds, smells, faces, speed of life. Amazing.

Our Holiday Inn Express was two blocks away so we just hoofed it. 15 floors. Kids were disappointed there was no pool, but we wouldn't have time for it anyway. After dumping our luggage in the room, headed toward Central Park. Sal and kids grabbed Chinese food from a hole in the wall and right next door to them I found a guy selling lamb gyros. Delicious. Sat on the second floor and watched the world stream by.

Some of our favorite spots on the way to Central Park were: Hershey's shop, M&M store, Quicksilver, Late Show with David Letterman. The Park is like 30 blocks from our hotel. Sal said 12 blocks equals a mile, which if true, meant we walked like two and half miles to get there. Didn't tell the kids that. Then had to go back. :)

Rested up and then met Sal's cousin Brent for supper. Brent works for Daktronics. Daktronics builds the huge marquees in the Times Square. Daktronics has an office and apartment on Times Square and Brent travels during the week to NYC to service boards and take care of clients. Had supper at Virgil's BBQ. Very good.

Then we hung out with a few of our new "friends" in Times Square.

Vacation Day 13: Late start in the morning. Took the subway downtown to Ground Zero. Not much there yet. Kinda disappointing from a tourist attraction. Walked to Battery Park. My brother warned me to get tickets ahead of time for Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. Taking his advice put us in front of an hour long line. Still had security and loading lines to go through. Amazing to be so close and see the Statue.

It was late afternoon by the time we took the subway back uptown to our hotel. Took a short nap and then headed two blocks over to Madison Square Garden. The NBA draft was being held there. My brother has a friend from LA who is an agent for Kobe, Boozer and Hardin (to name a few). This guy also was representing some of the guys in the draft. He had a ticket for me to attend, but with Sal's help I was able to make a very wise decision to spend time with my family rather than leaving them huddling on a street corner, on a dark night, in downtown New York. Yes, she's a good woman. And very patient with me.

Instead we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for supper. Had a great time eating, talking and hanging out as a family. Very good food. Ordered a cup of coffee at the end. A $4.50 cup of coffee I found out later. Food wasn't that expensive, but they nickel and dime ya with the little stuff.

Vacation Day 14: Woke up at 4 AM. Still don't know why. So I surfed the web on my phone for a while. We all got up early anyway as we were going to Rockefeller Plaza to watch the taping of the TODAY show. I must have been giddy with excitement to see their concert in the plaza...wait for it...Maxwell. Yeah, I hadn't heard of him either. Last week was James Taylor and next week is Maroon 5. I get Maxwell. Thanks. Kevin James was there promoting his new movie. Sal and Carson got to shake Meridith's hand. I talked to a cop about what he was doing on 9-11. Pretty amazing.

Walked back down 5th Avenue to our hotel. Got our bags and headed to the train station. As we were walking in, walked past Kevin Durant. Crazy. No. No autograph. Didn't even ask.

Picked up car in Philly. Drove to Lancaster, PA. Took some back roads to the little town where our hotel is. Beautiful country side, farms, valleys. Ate at the Lititz Family Cupboard for supper. Great food! "Home Cooked" meal.

Day 54

Vacation Day 10: Sunday was moving day. Headed up the road to Baltimore. A friend from high school (Sheryl Goering) lives in a suburb just a couple miles off the interstate. She gave me good directions but instead of turning left at the bottom of the exit ramp, I went right. So I just did what any tourist would do- went to the next intersection and turned around. No sooner had I started a U-turn than a black Suburban with its lights on pulls up and ask me what I think I'm doing. Seems I picked the NSA driveway. For those of you who don't know what the NSA is, NSA stands for National Security Agency. They coordinate the FBI, CIA and a bunch of acronyms I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Needless to say, no one turns around in their driveway without special permission. I explained I was from Kansas and that seemed to clear everything up. He politely pointed me in the right direction and we got to Sheryl's place without having to give up a child or do any jail time.

The rest of the way to Philly was uneventful. Today we went 80 in a 55 to keep from getting run over. Don't know if we have hit the limit yet. Took the west by-pass around Philly and the PA turnpike going east on the north side. Our Holiday Inn Express is in a suburb called Warminster. This hotel ranks right up there with Zanesville's. Very nice and very helpful staff.

We watched some TV before going to bed. Some shows we have grown to love on this trip are "Pawn Stars" (they run a pawn shop in Las Vegas), "American Pickers" (they travel the country-side looking for antiques), and "Top Shot" (reality show to find the best shooter using a variety of weapons).

Monday- We planned to have a lazy morning and then head to downtown Philly. We enjoyed being lazy so much, we changed it to Lazy Monday. I've been trying to keep up with running my 4 miles on the treadmill so I got that out of the way first thing. Then Carson and I had the pool all to ourselves. This afternoon the kids played some Wii while I napped and Sal took a walk. This evening we went to "Roman Delight" for pizza and then saw Toy Story 3. Great movie. I would highly recommend it. As good or better than the first, if that is possible. Carson laughed and laughed. On the way home we were already quoting lines.

Day 51

Vacation Day 9: Saturday in Baltimore is very relaxing. The drive up the Washington/Baltimore Parkway is fluid. Again, posted speed limit is 55 but driven speed is 70+. Cass just finished driver's ed, so justifying the blatant excessiveness is difficult. She is also happy to be done with the Smithsonians. Her quote of the week was, "I'd like museums if we didn't have to walk around and look at so much stuff." Really.

But back to Baltimore. After 10 minutes of searching for a parking spot I retraced my steps to a place I saw on the way into downtown. Had to walk a block and it was a 4 hour parking meter, but it was cheap.

First order of business was lunch since by now it was 1 pm. In the Gallery at Inner Harbor we settled on Phillips Seafood Diner. Delicious.

Then we hit the Best of Baltimore. The girls needed their Charm City Cakes shirts (based on "Ace of Cakes", more to come on that).

Next it was over to the Game Stop. Carson used some of his mowing money to buy the new Toy Story 3 Wii game. A must have for every summer vacation.

Cass picked cheesecake for dessert, so we conveniently went to the Cheesecake Factory for one slice of Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake. Wow. Highly recommend.

Walked around the pier looking at boats, people and birds. Then headed just north of downtown to the Charm City Cakes shop. No tours, but we took a picture to show we were really there.

Back to DC for supper at a two-story McDonald's and evening driving tour of the memorials. Got to see Thomas Jefferson and Iwo Jima.

Today is Sunday. Slept in. In a little while we will head to Baltimore and then on to Philly. That means it is pack up day. It's amazing how much stuff ends up all over the room when you have four people spending 6 nights in one spot. So we throw it all in the suitcase only to know we will be pulling it all out tonight.

Day 50

Vacation Day 8: One week ago today we left on vacation. Seems like a lifetime ago. I think our kids, especially Cassidy, would like to be home and hang out with friends and go to the pool. But I keep reminding her that we won't ever be doing this again in her lifetime, so "enjoy".

It's Saturday morning, so we slept in. Yesterday was a big day. Up at 5 AM to get ready and grab breakfast before grabbing a cab to the White House. $17.50 one way. That's why we ride the Metro I guess. Had to be in line for the WH at 7:15. They checked our IDs like 3 times before we went inside. Honestly, a lot of hype for nothing. I guess I can say, "I was in the White House" but beyond that I should have been sleeping. I got the customary photo in front of the building...

...but I could have slept in and done that at 10. Oh well, I hung out with Obama.

We were out of the WH by 8:30, so we went to Starbucks and got a hot chocolate (Sal & Carson), a mocha (Brad & Cass) and a blueberry muffin. Then just sat there for an hour or so and talked and watched people. Very relaxing. One of the best things we did on Friday.

By then it was almost 10 and so we headed to the Museum of American History. First part had a Spark Lab. It was an interactive room for kids to play. Carson didn't want to leave.

Also had a chance to see Dorothy's slippers. Cassidy tried to steal them (see why in first paragraph).

Carson did enjoy the rooms that recounted WWI and WWII.

He's a handsome little sailor.

The plan today is to go to Baltimore to visit a friend from high school. The gals want to get a picture in front of the business "Ace of Cakes" or some cake show from the Food Network that originates in Baltimore. We'll see what kind of magic dad can do. Sunday we head to Philadelphia for 3 days.

Day 48

VACATION DAY 6: Didn't think we could match yesterday, but today was pretty good.

Had to get up early for breakfast and then took off in our vehicle for Mt. Vernon. We had talked about taking the Metro and then transferring to a public bus, but the logistics didn't sound worth it. So we decided to take our chances on our own. The gamble paid off. Since we were heading from downtown out of town at 7 AM the traffic was heavy the other direction. It was a beautiful 25 minute drive down the shores of the Potomac. Got parked, bought our tickets and where touring George's mansion by 8:15. Just got done in time to make it to our private tour. Our congressman set it up for us. Incredible info and experience.

We got to be a part of a ceremony at George Washington's tomb where we said the Pledge of Allegiance, the kids put a wreath on the Washingtons' tombs and a prayer George Washington wrote for our country was read. Pretty amazing.

Headed back to Washington for our Congressional tour of the Capitol Building. This time we took the shuttle and Metro. Got the Moran's office no problem. One of his aides gave us a tour of the building. Sat in on the arguing of a bill in the Senate chamber. One highlight was getting to see where they put the cameras for C-Span.

It was another day of lots of walking, but beautiful weather. Swam with Carson tonight after supper. Guess I'll go watch the Lakers win the NBA championship. Not because I want them to win, but because they are playing at home and that's how they call the games.

Day 47

Vacation Day 5- Got an earlier start to the day. Enjoyed a hotel breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs and shared my daily bagel with Cass. Shuttle to Union Station and then the Metro to Arlington Cemetary. Metro goes outside on this trip which is pretty cool.


Arlington was amazing. We started at the Tomb of the Unknowns. On a daily basis they put wreathes on the tomb and play "Taps". Pretty powerful. Gotta admit it brought a tear to my eye. The changing of the guard was great too. Carson and I stayed for a second changing and stood right down in front of the guards. The incoming guard has his weapon inspected and then he is looked over. Carson was in awe. OK, I was too. Then as we hiked over to JFK's burial we stopped for a horse drawn wagon that was taking the body of a soldier to his grave.


As a family we talked about walking to the Lincoln Memorial rather than taking the Metro. The "vote" was 50-50. The parents won and we walked. Not a popular decision at first. Used the Arlington Bridge to travel over the Potomic River. Went to a local eatery and used their nice table and umbrella to eat our sack lunch. PBJ and chips. Sal also brought lemonade packets we poured in our water bottles. That is pretty awesome. It sprinkled a little and we were glad to have the umbrella table.


Lincoln Memorial was overwhelmingly big. On the wall it had the Gettysburg Address. When I was in 5th grade living in Bluffton, Ohio, Mr. Shaner had us memorize the Address. I memorized the whole thing then, but only could remember the first line now. By the way, Mr. Shaner is the teacher I remember the most from growing up. He taught and demanded respect in the classroom. He had a paddle he used when we got out of line. Wonder if he could do that today? Nope. Too bad.

Followed the Reflection Pool down to the Washington Monument. Ran into some people from Newton at the "Kansas" pillar along the way. They knew the McMullen's so we knew they weren't lying. Also took pictures by the "Alaska", "Nebraska" and "South Dakota" pillars. We are diverse.

Another highlight from today was watching all the joggers. They are everywhere. Tried to pick out which ones were the secret agents and FBI. If you live in DC it must be a requirement that you jog.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped to do some shopping at Union Station. Got back early so showered, ate and took a nap. Hopefully I can sleep tonight. It was a super day.

Day 46

If you want the full affect of this post, follow the link below, listen to the song while you read.

LIFEHOUSE- Halfway Gone

DAY 46- That's right, the sabBRADical is half over. Its going so quickly. But that's ok. I've been looking forward to August 1 and being back at church; seeing all the youth and all our other friends. I'll be ready. But for now, it's vacation!

Vacation Day 3 (Monday)- Drove from Ohio to DC. Sal had a devo on Contentment for us from the life of Daniel. A little too practical. Came into town at 4:30 pm which meant we hit the traffic. Kinda fun, actually. Very easy to find the hotel and the Garmin just re-enforced my good decision making. :) Of the three HIE hotels we have stayed at so far, this one is in the middle. But leans toward the very nice. They not only provide breakfast, but also supper, if you get back in time. That should help the pocket book. We laid around, went swimming and played Skip-Bo.

Vacation Day 4 (Tuesday)- The hotel also provides a shuttle to Union Station on the hour. You have to sign up ahead of time. The earliest available time for today was 11 AM. This allowed us to sleep in and then grab the shuttle. Today during devotions we were challenged with Dependability from the life of Noah. Carson made up a little jingle he sang us throughout the day. What a kid.

At Union Station we had the experience of trying to figure out the subway (Metro). Took us a little bit, but we figured it out. I have an APP for that on my phone which helped.


Grabbed a nutritious meal of Pretzels & Cheese and headed into the Holocaust Museum. Started out with an hour lecture called First Person. They had someone who survived the Holocaust share their experience. Wow. Then took a couple of hours to walk through the display. I still can't get over all the dead bodies. Makes me wonder how we (the USA) will be held accountable for the bodies of the aborted children we do nothing about.

Walked up to the Washington Monument and took in the White House/Capital Building/Smithsonian/etc.


Headed to the Museum of Natural History. Sal found out the Butterfly display was free so we spent some time there. Went in this butterfly chamber with a hundred or so live butterflies. They were beautiful.


Made our way back to the hotel. We were tired, hungry and a "little" grumpy. And when we got there, the cupboard was bare! All the free food was gone! So we had another nutritious meal at McDonald's.

Day 44

SATURDAY: Day 44 of my sabBRADical, but Day 1 of our vacation. Planned to leave the house at 8 AM, but I've learned from youth events to have the time you tell everyone we are leaving and to have a time you really think everyone will be there and ready to go. I used to just push for the time we set, but people weren't there and I was stressed before we even left town. So I was hoping we would be gone by 9. Got out of Hesston by 8:45 so there was no stress at all...until I didn't obey the Garmin (GPS) and went out of town via Lincoln rather than the I-135. It took a few miles, but it caught up with me on where we were going. I like GPS systems, but in my opinion you still gotta know where you are going. Computers are way too literal and can take you places you don't wanna go. Lunch in KC at Subway. It rained so hard from Ottawa to half way between KC and St Louis. Wow! Made driving interesting. We are driving the King's Suburban. It did great in the weather and the kids love the DVD player. We weren't even gone before Carson wanted Pirates of the Caribbean.


We are staying at all Holiday Inn Express (HIE) hotels along the way. So I'll give my two cents on our accommodations. In St Louis, everything was small. Small room that was upgraded to a small suite. Small pool. Small workout room. Small business room. Small breakfast area. Union Station was just down the street and it was raining, so we headed over there for supper. Had Panda Express. I love the Kung "Pow" Chicken. By the time we were done with supper the sun was coming out so we headed downtown. Being the cheap guy I am (or should I say "money conscious") we drove around for 10 minutes looking for a parking spot. Didn't want to pay $6 to park to see the Arch. Found a great spot and walked to the Arch.


Rode in the those cool little pods to the top of the Arch. There's a couple great stories I could insert here, but MOST of what happens on the vacation stays on the vacation. Let's just say there were some memories that were made.


SUNDAY: Day 2- Got on the road by 9. Again, timing was a great success. Hilly roads and tons of trees highlighted the drive. Sal started us off with a devo about being attentive to the needs of others. Taco Bell in Indianapolis for lunch. Drove past the Colts football stadium. Amazing. Would love to see a game there. Carson hooked the Wii up to the DVD player. So Sal drove and I took a little snooze to the sound of light sabers. Got in a 45 minute nap and awoke as were coming through Columbus. Our HIE is in Zanesville, OH. About 45 minutes past Columbus. Brand new. Big room that was upgraded to an even bigger suite. Big pool. Big exercise room. Big breakfast area. Big business room that I'm sitting in right now. Very, very nice.

Day 42

GARAGE: By Thursday we had all we needed to get done on the garage before I left on vacation. The picture below does not include the soffit, roof and Tyvek being completed. Now all that is left is the windows/doors, siding and a concrete lip on the front and a pad on the back. Three things I have loved about the garage:
1) Physically working my tail off. The sweating. The aches. The pain. I've loved it. Don't get that sitting at a desk in an office.
2) Sense of accomplishment. I'm building myself, my family, a garage. I'm doing it. Kyle is telling me what to do. But I'm building it with him. Amazing.
3) Getting to know Kyle. What a great guy Kyle is. I mean, it's not that I didn't like him before this, but I just have realized how much I didn't know about him. Hard working. Efficient. Funny. I've made a good friend.

NEBRASKA: Ok this technically has nothing to do with my sabBRADical, but all I've been doing for the past week or so is waiting to see if the Huskers would move to the Big 10. Big picture-great move and great reasons to move. Historically-hate to lose the games with the teams in the central part of the US. I think it could have all been avoided if Big 8 would have held together from the start of the Big XII, but that's water under the bridge now. To all my Midwest friends in OH and PA who follow the Buckeyes and the Lions, I can't wait for 2011!

FREE STUFF: One of my favorite things about Hesston is Free Friday. Last weekend were the city-wide garage sales. Today everyone puts out the stuff they couldn't sell so that on Saturday morning the city can pick it up and take it to the dump. That means people from other towns come into Hesston today and go through other people's stuff that is sitting on the corner of their property. It's so funny to watch people slow down and evaluate whether they want to stop or not. Tonight while jogging we watched people with their high beams on driving up and down the streets. One man's junk is another man's treasure.

Day 39b

I already screwed up what day of my sabBRADical I am on. Last post should have been Day 37. Mr. Joy (my Jr Hi math teacher) what be so disappointed.

Really not much has happened the last couple days. Carson, Cass and I had supper with my Mom and Dad on Monday night. Today Kyle and I put on the facia, sheeting and tar paper. Weather permitting we will shingle tomorrow. This afternoon between 1 and 3 pm we took 3 breaks to get something to drink it was sooooo hot and humid. At about 5 pm when it finally started raining I just sat in the garage and relaxed. It was cool to be sitting a building I was helping to make and that we will get to use in the years to come.


Tonight I did a Soduku and helped Cass study for tomorrow's Driver's Ed test. If I was working my normal job, I would be counseling at Senior High Camp right now. Man my bed will feel nice tonight.

With a lack of any real info to tell you, I will take the opportunity to let you know we are going on vacation Saturday. We will be gone from June 12-29. There will be people staying at our house and taking care of our pets. So don't even think of stealing my snowboard. We are heading to Washington DC for 6 days, Philadelphia for 4 days, New York City for 2 days and Bluffton, OH for 2 days. Depending on internet access, I will either be updating daily or there may be bigger gaps in my posts. We'll see how it goes.

Day 39

GARAGE: Trusses are up and the garage is ready for sheeting on the roof. Also a little more sheeting to go up on the gable ends. Forcast looks good for work, but bad for heat. I'll have to pace myself this week.

WEDDING: My cousin Stuart was married on Friday. The wedding was at Westlink Church in Wichita. Never been in there. The reception afterwards was in their "youthroom". Wow! Guess they have like 500 students in their ministry. Pretty amazing.

Then on Saturday we went to my Uncle John and Aunt Trudy's house. All the aunts/uncles/cousins that were here for the wedding got together again to go swimming and eat supper together. Played our traditional killer game of croquet. Those Busenitz boys are very competitive. Luke usually comes from behind to win. This year JD just beat him. Nice to have the title stay with the "Burkholder" name.

WHEELCHAIR: Mom started using a wheelchair this weekend. It was a tough week overall for her. The wheelchair has helped with her mobility but obviously the need for it indicates it is harder for her to get around on her own. Not sure what this will mean for accessibility to the house or how long Dad can care for her. He does such a great job. I would rather "act" than "react", but not sure how that will transpire this time. God has been so faithful. I am glad I can trust Him for this transition as well.

SUNDAY: Attended Hesston Mennonite Church today. Many people don't know I'm on sabbatical so it's fun to see their looks of confusion when we walked in the church. Have some great friends that attend there and we enjoyed our time of worship this morning. Pastor Murray had a great message about using your gifts and following the Call God lays on your heart in ministry. Used the examples of Elisha out of I Samuel 19 and Isaiah out of Isaiah 6. We also liked how they have a half an hour fellowship time between SS and church.

This afternoon we hit the pool over in Mom & Dad's subdivision. Since they pay for it, but never use it, we try to get their money's worth out of it. Met a great couple (Ryan & Lisa and Alexander, their 2 year old) while we were there.

Day 33

Alright...this is going to be confusing. To calculate what day of my sabbatical I am on I will need to add the day of the month to the 31 days of May. Man! May was sooo easy!

THE DRYER: Friday the dryer quit. To resolve the problem I put up a clothes line. Sal wanted more. I went online and Google said I needed a meter to test different parts of my dryer for continuity. Yeah, didn't make sense to me either. Tru Valu sold me a meter. I couldn't get it to work. Took it back. Seems you have to put a battery in it. Ohhhhhh. Started taking the dryer apart. This is a difficult task in itself. Kept taking out screws and hoping I could put them back in the right place. Finally gave up and called the 800 # on the inside of the dryer door. $129 + parts to repair anything. Or $193 for a year warranty. I hung up on them. Called Sears in Newton. They gave me the number of Darren Weems, otherwise known as Super Repairman. Darren talked to me over the phone and told me what was wrong with my dryer. I met at an exit in N. Newton to pick up the thermal fuse for $15. If I bought weed, I think that is also how it would go down. He also made me close my eyes and walked me through removing the dryer drum. I thought he was crazy. But he said if the fuse went out I needed to not only replace the fuse but also clean the inside of the dryer so it wouldn't overheat again and ruin my motor. Today I replaced the fuse, removed the drum, cleaned the vents & motor, put it all back together and (drum roll, please) it works. I still am in shock. Call Darren if you have appliance trouble (316-772-7617). He works out of his van making calls across central Kansas. Amazing. $15 for fuse + $15 for air nozzle to clean dryer = $30.

THE GARAGE: We started framing the garage on Tuesday. I got out my tool belt from 20 years ago when I was a part-time construction guy so I could be a part-time intern youth pastor. Had to move the belt 3 notches bigger to get it to fit. 20 years and a few more than 20 pounds ago. Tuesday I almost died in my own sweat. Hot and humid. Out of shape. Today went much better. We have the walls up and two sides sheeted. Jordan came over and help lift the garage door header. Thanks buddy! Tomorrow hopefully we'll get the trusses.