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Welcome:
LTD R/T SS member CARtunes (seen via THIS LINK HERE).
HEARTLAND member Barkey Trust Services, LLC (seen via THIS LINK HERE).

Check out all OC,SH NETWORK members in THIS LINK HERE.

FYI: I AM still working on re-starting the OC,SH full schedule. It is taking longer than I’d hoped partly because I “lost my voice”. That is also why I haven’t posted anything here in over a month. Frustrating to be in situations where you know everything will work out but the current unknowns are as scary as the scariest Halloween movie or TV episode. Difficult to write & create when you have a lot on your mind to discuss, but don’t have the words you feel you need to fully express what is racing through your head without feeling crazy or unsure of reactions….

“Our lives are like a series of ghost stories.”

I heard that quote Monday night in an episode of a TV show in its 2nd season, a series which has provided me some insights & a lot of ‘thinking material’ since I started watching from the 1st episode because of a favorite actress. This particular quote resonated with me because of the explanation which came before it: we are haunted by those we’ve lost (via death or otherwise), decisions we’ve made & considerations with which we still struggle. I would also include those proverbial forks in the road where we’ve made a choice, stuck with it & then wondered what might’ve been had we chosen the other door. Another might be the dichotomy between never giving up & accepting the reality that some dreams-goals are just not attainable … is it giving up too soon or waiting too long?

Yet, we’re told everything happens for a reason, life happens according to plan & it all works out in the end! So, the referenced hauntings aren’t necessarily bad since those developments shape who we are, how we think & what we do. While trying to find our path, our niche is carved by every single second we make our mark on this earth. Instead of losing ourselves along the way because of ghosts & demons, we change & grow because we find different parts of ourselves in each experience & relationship. For instance, when I left Oregon in mid-late July, I felt defeated & a failure. But, now, despite all, the heaviness is lifting & being back in Illinois isn’t quite so bad, though I am dreading cold temperatures, ice & salt … & still hear the road calling me to ‘come home’.

One might think, at my age, I’d have my life together & figured out: established career, permanent residence, a family of my own … you know, the typical American life expected by society. Yet, who says my life isn’t together? True, my life is currently upside down, with no place of my own & looking for a job with absolutely no income [still have not been paid for 116 hours from my last employer, for whom I was a 1099 Independent Contractor, so no possibility of unemployment benefits]. But, many unique experiences make me who I am: 4 open heart surgeries, road trips 2002-2011 & a few failed attempts to move out of Illinois (including the last 1 which lasted 7.5 months). Those events (& others), along with people I’ve met along the way, have shaped my life (crafted direction) in countless beneficial ways. Who knows? Perhaps inspiration from the stories of my life will shape my future in good ways I can’t imagine right now … & maybe even help me create a business!

When at a fork in the road, or in the midst of your world crashing, feeling alone & uncertain of the future, take a step back. Enjoy the good stuff before you miss it. After all, life is short & none of us make it out alive. We all are aware of that, though we don’t always show it. Time we spend waiting can lull us into believing life is long. We wait to be taken to a doctor’s room, wait for the doctor to walk in, & then wait to hear words that will change our life. We wait in lines to buy goods, enjoy our favorite rides, see our favorite artists, get our 1st driver’s license, console grieving family & friends, greet newlyweds. We also wait to say what’s on our mind because the current situation dictates uttering those words would be uncouth, disrespectful or add too much to the already stacked plate of the people we most want to tell (& sometimes even ours). As dreadfully long as all that waiting can feel, the amount of time we wait is just a drop in the bucket of our time alive. Irony rocks.

LONG-TIME FRIENDS

Sunday, 10/21/2018, I had the pleasure of spending time with a fellow car buddy & OC,SHer ERIC L, who I 1st met in Wichita KS during my October 2004 road trip. [Check out his Plymouth Barracuda featured in the 08/21/2017 “Daily Vehicle Choice” via THIS LINK HERE.] Since he was in the Chicago area for work, the plan was to meet somewhere, leave his rental car & go driving around most of the day so I could show him some sights. However, after telling Eric we’d use my “far superior automotive masterpiece” & using that same beloved automobile the prior evening to go to Crystal Lake IL for a cousin’s birthday party, when I got in to start it Sunday morning, nada. We thought the battery was the culprit, so I had it towed to an automotive parts store for them to test it & buy a new battery. But, just moments after the tow truck left, a store associate confirmed the battery was fine & not to blame. A 2nd tow truck call, & the car was towed to a mechanic; luckily, the driver was the same guy who’d towed it the 1st time. (The picture below was taken by Eric as the car was being loaded the 2nd time.) ~$375 later Monday afternoon, I had my 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis LS back with a new starter. Despite the aggravating car troubles, Eric & I had a pretty awesome day, complete with talking, eating at a mom’n’pop restaurant, checking out a couple area forest preserves & showing him the area where my cars used to be stored in Plato Center IL.

Speaking of that area, OC,SHers PHIL & SANDY K, who owned the house & barn-garage where my car family had been stored from 2001 until they moved in 2014, were in the area, too, Thursday-Wednesday, 10/18-24/2018. [Check out images of their Essex featured in the 06/03/2016 “From The Heart” via THIS LINK HERE & the 03/24/2017 “Friday Flashback” via THIS LINK HERE.] Didn’t realize how much I missed them until they were here. Their 1st day in town, I picked them up to go with them to dinner at The Village Squire in W Dundee. Then, for the rest of their stay, I visited with them either during the day or in the evening; felt just like old times.

Which reminds me … I still need to plan time to drive to near Effingham IL to see OC,SHers JAY & BETH J as well as my other car, the 1981 MC SC, which does need a new battery.

UPDATE

& now to explain the featured photo for this entry. Some of you may remember the story behind the “castle” house just north of IL RT 64, east of I-39. For a refresher, check out prior features (with info & pics) via THIS LINK HERE & THIS LINK HERE. A few weeks ago, my Aunt Chris texted me on a Friday afternoon to alert me of the appearance the house was once again under construction. Despite the gloomy weather that following Sunday, I set out to see for myself. Sure enough, as you can see, scaffolding is up, the Mercedes Benz that was parked to block the driveway is now in the back (you can just barely see it in the 2nd photo below) & a motorhome is parked on the property, presumably where the owners are living while the house undergoes yet another transformation. I am quite excited about this development & will keep tabs on the progress.