"You're Kidding...Right???"

Remember the reports you used to have to write when you were in Elementary school?  You remember, What I Did For Christmas Break or What I Did During Summer Vacation?

Yeah, well here you go.

Where I've Been This Last Week 
1)  Back in Montgomery County!!
2) At the horse stables to watch Sarah ride.
3) My brother in law's parents house.
4) Panera for lunch.
5) My Germantown Office to hangout with Michelle.
6) The BX for Christmas lights.
7) A Family Cub Scout Meeting.
8) Watching Over The Hedge and preparing (yeah right) pizzas for a night with just me and the kids!
9) Bailey's Grille with Red (Heather)
10) Round trip in the Suburban on base in search of Georgia the dog. (No, I didn't catch her!)
11) In the passenger seat of Ranger Rick's truck being rescued because I was alone in the pitch dark in a park while my sister, and her family, and their friends, were recreating The Blair Witch Project unknowingly.
12) Ruby Tuesdays for dinner with MaryNell and her gang.
13) Sunday School
14) TGIFridays with Lolly and Rhoda and Pamela and the gang.
 

Ohhh did you want some details on # 11??  Ha ha.  I thought you might!!
Marynell is my sister's best friend. Her husband is Lance.  Their children are Caroline and Jacob.  The "plan" was a surprise since the kids had not seen each other in a while. We all met at a park in Virginia. It worked out perfectly. The day was beautiful!  The kids were so excited!!!! So they planned to do some geocaching through the park. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's a scavenger hunt with a GPS.  Off they went. But not before Marynell and I made jokes of them never returning...since I decided to stay back at the picnic bench and enjoy the sunshine.  Time rolled by quickly, I was sort of surprised.  But the sunset was gorgeous and Barb kept me well entertained on the phone.  I only wish my sister's call had been as entertaining.  We have Nextel phones. So we use the two way radios. (Follow below)
 
Pamela: Rene we're on our way back to you...well at least I think we are.
Me: what?
Pamela: We're not exactly sure where we are. Do you know how to get back to you??
(I hang up my other cell phone with Barb.)
Me: You're kidding....right??????????? Me who is totally geographically challenged??
Pamela: I'm sort of kidding. Can you yell so I can tell what direction we can hear you?
(I yell her name.)
Me: Did you hear me?
Pamela: Yes I think so. I'll call you back.  I don't want my battery to die.
Me: Ummmm ok.

So, I'm only a little worried at this point.  It isn't totally dark. However, both vehicles are locked.  There aren't any lights at this park.  I don't have a coat or socks on and the battery on one of my cell phones has just died.  I've now decided I've seen one too many horror movies. Pamela calls back.  It's "official".  Their lost and really don't know how to get back onto the path to where I am. Their GPS has died.  I'm in the pitch black park alone and some lunatic is going to get me or a bear is going to eat me!!!!!! I call my friend Bruce for comfort. He is so amused by the entire situation (asking me aren't both Dave and Lance pilots??) he asks me if I've ever seen the movie Deliverance....and starts laughing at me!!!!  Heeeeellllllllllllloooooooooo!  Not funny!

I decided to walk to the vehicles instead of sitting at the picnic bench.  I felt safer there.

Pamela: You ok?
Me: No I'm going to freak out.
Pamela: Well we just walked into a cemetary.
Me: No you didn't...
Pamela: Yes we did. Ohhh wait...someone is driving by we're going to flag them down....
silence
silence
silence
I tried to radio her, but it wouldn't go thru.
Pamela:Someone is going to tell us how to get out of here.  I'll call you back when I know what is going on.

When I hung up, I leaned against the Suburban not feeling so glass half full.  I didn't really think I was going to get mugged or eaten by an animal.  Or that my sister and company would never find their way back.  I was just in the dark and alone and scared.  I didn't like it, at all.

Forty more minutes went by, at least. Then, I saw head lights. A truck pulled up to me, rolled down the window and said "Ma'am the park is closed....you allright??"
With a cracked voice I  answered "I realize that but my sister and her family and friends are out there lost..."
He was a Park Ranger. He insisted that I get in the truck with him.  He knew exactly where the cemetary was and explained that this actually happenend quite frequently.
I was shocked at the distance we drove. Across a bridge, over water and into that cemetary.  He turned his blue lights on and got out of his truck....minutes later nine faces walked towards me. I couldn't have been happier to see them!!!!

When I first started writing this entry it was about comfort and familiar territory. I suppose in some sense it still is about that.  Either way,  I got the "lesson". Though it is ok to have our safe havens, we need to walk off the path sometimes too.  We need change.  We need to feel afraid sometimes so we are able to be gracious and grateful. We need to feel pain, so we can celebrate true happiness. Call it growing pains, accomplishment, or simply a small step forward in this big journey of life. No matter what you call it, take some close friends along for the ride.  I imagine the time spent off the path this time around was well worth it!!

Hey Marynell ~ are you satisfied???????????????????????????? Ha ha ha :)