the last day in OKC

So over the past few days we have helped Jonny move into his apartment at OK City University, where he will complete his training for TFA. He has a cool roommate named Roy, from NJ, and has already begun making friends amongst his corps mates. No surprise. That guy is such a social character. He is going to do fine here, but I kind of hope he doesn't decide to stay here. OKC is so hot and humid, and the severe weather they get not infrequently is kind of scary. Well, very scary.

We said our good byes on Wednesday after a great meal at Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse. An appropriate place for the baseball guys for sure. I tried not to cry, but it didn't work. I know we will see him at least a few times a year, but that is such a change from the weekly dinners during baseball season, and the long visits over Christmas and the summers. I can't believe we are entering the phase of life that our parents have been in for so long. I now understand how important those parental visits are to the people that raised and nurtured you. And I get why Grama Lari always wanted to make birdies in the nest for Jonny when he was little. And I feel bad for how I responded when she would pull out the dishes that Rich used when he was a kid. Memories are all we have now and the opportunity to relive special things should not be treated as wrong or silly. I hope what goes around does not come around in this case, but who knows what our relationship with our adult son and his future family will look like.

I took Rich to the airport yesterday with the intention of hitting the road after returning to the hotel, but I was so physically and mentally exhausted that I decided to stay on in OKC for another day to get ready for the big adventure and get a little rest. Found a great dog park for Otis where he romped and played in this great pond. I did not tell Jonny I was staying on, as we had already done the good byes and he is really busy with his training. But I couldn't help saying one last good bye and telling him I loved him when I passed by the OKC University exit.

We have been contacted by the powers that be at Camping World and may actually get some help fixing some of the things that went wrong on the trip here. I am not holding by breath though.

So now it is time to put the leash on Otis and head to NM. I am so fortunate to have family and friends that will support me and Rich and Jonny as we head into this new phase of life.