Meghan and Adam

Today we welcome our newest Follower:

Sue Malone

She has a blog you might want to check out:  click here.  Thanks for joining the Roadrunner Chronicles!
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It's been a while since I really posted much about the other half of the ForTheLoveOfMeghan story:  Adam.
Adam and Meghan were together for almost three years before breast cancer took her April 27, 2010.

A lot has happened in the six months since Meghan has been gone.  But their story started about 18 months before that,  when they met in Korea.  Then I guess it was about a year after they met that Meghan was first diagnosed with breast cancer (October 2008).  Adam was with her at the doctor's office in Seoul.  The initial biopsy came back positive and she decided to leave Korea for treatment back home.  It was later confirmed after she had another biopsy in Canada.

Meanwhile, Adam came back to live with us in Fairfax, VA.  He worked downtown in Washington DC at various jobs including Sticky Fingers (a vegetarian bakery/coffee shop) and as a bicycle mechanic.  He would work several days straight in order to save up a few days, then fly to Detroit (about two hours from Petrolia, Canada) so he could spend four or five days with Meghan.  He would stay with Meghan and her family and go with Meghan to doctors appointments.

She had surgery in November, 2008 and started chemotheraphy shortly after that.  Adam was there for surgery and during some of the chemo.   After traveling back and forth from Wash DC to Canada a few times, he packed up all he had (July 2009) and moved to a small town near the Canadian border to be with Meghan.

He found a job in the local high school in Port Huron, MI running an after school program.  That allowed him to eek out a living while being within 90 minutes of Meghan.  She finished up treatment in the summer of 2009 and they spent a lot of time together at her parent's home and at the Bradley cottage in Tobermory Canada, which was her favorite place on earth.

Then in January 2010 the devastating news came that Meghan's cancer had returned and spread, metastasizing to her brain.  But he knew he wanted to marry her and we all pretty much were praying for a miracle...they happen all the time.  Why not for her?  But it was not to be.  They married on March 28, 2010 and she died less than a month later.

So what has Adam been doing?  How has he handled it all?  Where is he now?  

Adam has been busy at times.  Wholly alone at other times.

Since that day in April, he has 

• taken the train across Canada, 
• attended a Toronto Blue Jays professional baseball game, 
• read some books
• volunteering over 100 hours and is 
• now in India volunteering with children.  

He is teaching English and computer to them at the Merasi school school of music.  He has been their about two months and will return to Washington DC and be moving to New York City to work and save some money.


Meghan left behind a list of goals (go to the bottom of the page.)  At her funeral Adam spoke of her and his resolve to finish those goals.
Despite the grief and sorrow he is on his way.  He is finishing those goals.  They are daunting, overwhelming, but he is at it.

Adam has handled it all very well.  Some good days.  Some bad days.  But it is hard to know what he is feeling and how he feels about things apart from reading what he writes.  He is a better writer than talker, meaning he communicates best by writing.  He updates a lot of Facebook (ForTheLoveOfMeghan) and posts on Meghan's blog ~ the Bee Knees.  I know this is tough.  It is hard.  But as he says he

"cant stop. won't stop."

He is at Jaisalmer, India at the Merasi School.  If you haven't read about it before now, you may want to start here.

Over the months he has been interviewed by a number of media outlets ~ hoping to tell of Meghan and her story and getting her story of inspiration and encouragement out.  Just this past week he was interviewed by CNN and mentioned on the Saturday night TV show: 'What The Week' by Pete Dominick.  The transcript from the small segment read:

This guy, unbelievably, touching story. His name is Adam Warner, Adam's wife passed away six months ago from cancer. He decided to finish her life's goals. He's currently in India working at a school for musicians. His mission is to complete what Meghan (ph) couldn't. And to do so in her spirit of giving. I'm never going to be as strong as this guy. You can go fortheloveofmeghan.org to follow their story. 


Adam Warner, you are way better than me.

It was a very nice thing to do and the first time I have seen the show.  Pete's a good guy.

Not sure where I was going with all of this.  I guess I just wanted to let you know some of what Adam is doing and how he is keeping Meghan's legacy and telling her/their story.  So ends another Monday with Meghan.

And this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hope you had a great Halloween and have a really good week.

A Fun Day with Hawaii Friends

Yesterday we went over to Rod an Lisa's house together with Jon and Barb.  Jon and Barb live in Buffalo NY and we all decided to get together for the 4th.  We all lived in Hawaii back in the mid 1980's and have been friends since that time.

One of the first things we did was gather round and Pam gave Barb a signed pair of pink boxing gloves.

Yes ~ she has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer and will probably have surgery within the next few weeks.   She goes back to the doctor next week for consultation.

While the girls sat around and chatted, Rod and Jon took me out for my first ever round of Disk Golf.  It was pretty humbling but fun.  They have played for years so I was learning from some guys who knew what they were doing.

I had mostly OK shots with some pretty week ones and made one from about 15 feet which was nice.  No birdies, a few pars, mostly 'others'.  They did much better and finished the 18 holes 9 and 10 over par.

Next we went back to Rod's and hung out on the back deck and in the back yard.  We played some ladder ball.

We also had a traditional hamburger dinner and did a lot of eating and chatting.

And we enjoyed the beautiful evening.

Hope you are enjoying the 4th of July weekend.

Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Motown Museum and Memories

Thoughts of yesterday are still spinning in my head.  We visited the Motown Museum in Detroit and it brought back a lot of memories from songs of the 60's and 70's.

The museum was modest by most standards but so full of incredible thoughts of the 'Motown Sound' of years ago that this has been one of my all time favorite museums. We found the museum easily.  I was expecting it to be in a ramshackle old part of downtown Detroit.  Wrong.

It was very well maintained and in a busy area on Grand Blvd.

The parking lot is small but it fools you.  10 million visitors have come through the doors since the museum opened in 1985.  The museum is really two homes that were used as Berry Gordy, Jr's. home, recording studio and the early Motown offices.

Unfortunately, no pictures or video cameras are allowed so a lot of these are from the official website and elsewhere.  The $8 price was well worth it.  The first thing I noticed was how nice the you people were who conducted the tours and ran the ticket counter and gift shop.  They were polite, poised and immediately gave you a good impression.

We went first to the little movie room and saw a film of the history of Berry Gordy and how it all started.  He came from a hardworking family with 8 children.  His dad owned a construction company and his mom sold life insurance.  Every child was expected to work in high school.  Berry Gordy worked and also boxed.  He was a professional boxer before he got drafted in the Korean War.

After the war, he returned with his wife and three children and worked for a time at Ford Motor Company.  He was writing songs and found enough success to where he thought he do it for a living.  In the late 50's he wrote 'Lonely Teardrops' that became one of Jackie Wilson's greatest hits.

He borrowed $800 from the family co-op (bank) and had to pay it back at 6% interest.  I was very impressed with how influential his family was.  It seemed like they were a very strong family, hard working with strong character that they instilled in their children.  That was in 1959 when he bought the house that became the focal point and where it all began.

After the short film, we went up to the top floor of the house and wandered through rooms that were turned into galleries.  The pictures and momentos were amazing.    All the pictures and gold records on the walls ~ it was really really something.  It was fun to just read about all the artists and how they were groomed for success.

Motown had a Personal Development group where the artists were taught how to carry themselves and learned the basics of common courtesy and respect and how to talk to royalty and presidents.  They had a dance studio and a choreographer who came up with the signature moves of the Temptations and the 4 Tops and the Supremes.

At the last part of the tour we went to the recording studio that was very basic.  It was converted from the garage and was small.  It had enough room for a piano some drums and a small band they called the Funk Brothers.  These guys were 'hourlies' that got paid $8.50 an hour to play background and accompany the singers.

All the Motown greats recorded in what became known as Studio A:  Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, the 4 Tops, Rare Earth and Gladys Knight and the Pips to name a few.

It was really a great place to see.  Afterwards, a people were taking pictures outside since none were allowed inside.   If you ever have the chance to see it, you'll be glad you did!

Hope you are having a good week and thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles for a trip down memory lane...

Errands and Hanging Around the Campground

Yesterday was a beautiful day at Haas Lake Campground.  The sun was out all day and the gentle breezes blew...the temperature was in the low 80's.

I ran a couple of errands early and went to Home Depot to get a vinyl gutter for the sewer hose.   I found the section that had the gutters, then borrowed some tin snips so I could cut it into a four and six foot section.

I noticed our neighbor uses one and decided to give it a try.  So far the results are inconclusive because I have a slight incline from the coach to the dump hole at the campsite.  I will keep it and see if it comes in handy another time.  Sometimes the accordion stand for the sewer hose I currently use is not as stable as I'd like so now I have another option.

From there I looked at WalMart and a few auto supply stores for Klasse All In One

My friend Mark Hall cleans his Tiffin more than anyone I know so I asked him what he uses between his treatments of

the Solution.   I have used the Solution for over a year now and really like it but Pam asked if we ever need to wax this coach?  I didn't really know, so I asked what Mark does.  He uses the Klasse All In One so I may order some online.  Nothing like a spiffed up RV...

Next, I came back to the Roadrunner and went for a run.  I am inching up the time between intervals and had the best run in ages.  I took it easy but still had a great workout.  I really like this campground with the miles of dirt roads.  It is nice to be able to run with out dodging traffic or being on pavement the whole way.  This track is scenic also!

We had lunch and spent time with Adam.  He is heading out to Washington DC for a few weeks and after lunch we took him to the Flint, MI airport.  He was saying it was small and it really is.

But it was very convenient and looked like a nice facility.  He had a connection in Detroit and made it to DC later in the night where he was picked up by a buddy he is staying with.

Pam and I watched some tennis after dinner and then spent a nice evening with a campfire out back watching the lake and contemplating life.  It was a beautiful evening.

Pam is feeling pretty good and her stamina is increasing so we are going to do more in the coming days.

For now, thanks VERY much for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Wonderful Wednesday

Wednesday started off with a beautiful view out the back window.  I awaken just before six and I saw the lake and sun rising quickly.  I scrambled out of the Roadrunner and went to the 'backyard' to see if I could capture some early morning photos.

It was spectacular early.  After that I made some coffee and went back out by the lake and read for a while.  It was peaceful and a great way to start the day.

At 9:30 AM we were invited for coffee to see fellow blogger RVers John and Judy.  John found the Roadrunner Chronicles some weeks back and emailed me that they were going to be here for a few days.  You can read his blog: Tire-Swing

We met and had a great chat about their family, business, boating and RV travels.  Before we left,  they gave us a tour of their beautiful RV.  They have made a lot of modifications and moved the TV from the front of the coach to the side and added a computer desk.  Their beautiful floor is not the heavy ceramic but a very durable composition that was put down with grout.  It wears well and looks great.

After our short visit we emailed them to see if we could get together in the evening.  Sure enough, that worked out too.

But meanwhile, we had an appointment with our friend Rod who is a pilot and was going to give us a tour of the hangar and airplane he flies.

We got the first class treatment and learned more than we could retain about the make, model and specifications of the aircraft.

It was quite impressive with an equally amazing set of dials and gauges to make sure everyone gets from point A to point B safely.

After that, we had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant and then we headed back to the Roadrunner.

Next we drove back to Detroit to pick up Adam from the bus terminal.  He left Chicago this morning on the Megabus and paid $23 for the six hour trip.  Not bad.

After we returned to the Roadrunner, Adam left for some errands and we stayed put.  We packed for our trip to Tennessee tomorrow in the Honda, and then had the chance to visit with John and Judy again.

They are very nice folks and very interesting.  We found we have a lot in common and like many of the same things.  They are planning on getting a newer motor home at some point and were interested in what we like about the Tiffin Allegro Bus.

We talked for a good long while, when outside and built a campfire before it got late and they returned to their campsite not too far way.

Hope you have a great Memorial Day Weekend and a safe one!  Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Museum, Mall and Meal

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI in impressive.  Along with Greenfield Village, the museum and grounds have some similarities to the way the grounds are laid out in historical Williamsburg in Virginia.  We just visited the museum on this trip.

We spent a few hours there yesterday and throughly enjoyed it.

It has a lot more than cars on display.  In fact, I was surprised to see locomotives, airplanes and pop culture items.  And there is a lot more there than just artifacts from the Ford contributions to Americana.

It was really well done!  The first thing we were drawn to was the presidential limousines.  It had one from President Reagan all the way back to the fancy horse drawn carriage preferred by Teddy Roosevelt.

This is the presidential limousines of President Reagan and President Eisenhower.   These are the last ones on display since now all presidential limousines are destroyed for security reasons after they are retired.

I liked the display, "100 Years of the Automobile in American Life".  I also liked the Honda, Toyota and VW.  It had all kinds of cars on display, not just Fords. 

 I liked the Model A (from Chile).   You'll recognize the Ford Mustang, Cougar and Chevy.

Henry Ford was a fan of the outdoors and ventured into the early RV industry with a camp vehicle he used with friends (Thomas Edison, John Burroughs and John Muir - dubbed the Vagabonds) in the 1920's.

Later, in the 1940's Charles Lindbergh wrote a letter to Henry Ford and asked to borrow a travel trailer Ford had built.  Lindbergh used it to spend time writing and get away from the distractions of city life.

One of my favorites on display was the 1959 Volkswagon micro bus with the Westfalia camper unit.

We had two different VW camper vans which were our first 'RV's".  While in Germany in the early 1980's were bought a used 1978 model.  Later, while in Albuquerque, we upgraded to a 1989 model.

On our way out, we looked at the 1952 Oscar Mayer 'Weinermobile'.

What kid didn't want a ride around the block in that?

We stayed at the museum long after lunch time so we stopped at Panera in nearby downtown Dearborn.

Next, we went over to the mall and did some shopping.  We are looking for a wedding outfit for Pam to wear to Meghan's brother Brad (and fiance Christine's) wedding in August.

We didn't find anything  and returned to Haas Lake RV campground during rush hour.  The day was spectacularly gorgeous and we spent some time outside.

I built another fire with my firestarter (no matches) and we we decided to cook hot dogs and sit and talk by the lake for a while.

Pam went inside and watched the Yankees/Rays game.  I finished up outside, put chairs and tables away and joined her.

That was our day.  We loved the museum, spent some time at the mall and finished up with a traditional cook out meal (hotdogs) at the campsite.

Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles!

We Lost Her...

Meghan passed away yesterday, three months after learning the cancer had returned and spread.  As she promised in an earlier post in her blog The Bees Knees, she fought hard.  In the end, she went quietly and quickly, surrounded by Adam and her parents, Bill and Marg.  

Meghan in California with Adam after Christmas

There will be visitation between 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM on Thursday, April 29 at Needham-Jay Funeral Home in Petrolia:  4059 Petrolia Lane, Petrolia, Canada


All are also welcome at the funeral at St. Philip's Parish (415 King Street) in Petrolia at 11 AM, Friday April 30.


In lieu of flowers, she wanted donations made to Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation 1-877-436-6467.

We can not thank you enough for your many many prayers, kind thoughts, notes and other acts of encouragement.

Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles.  We will be taking some time off from posting on the blog for a few days.

Gym and Judy

Yesterday was another beautiful day at Wright-Patterson AFB.  Pam cleaned and I went over to the base gym and had a good workout.

I spent some time on the elliptical machine and ran a couple of miles, then went over to the bicycle machines.  These things are amazing.  I logged on and picked my route and was off on a five mile bike ride.

The video is like a game and I moved the hand grips to increase or decrease my gears and picked up the right and left levers (handlebars) to adjust my direction and  stay on course.  It makes working out a lot of fun.  I also like the stats that are generated:  heart rate, speed, distance etc.

Next we came back to the Roadrunner.  I did some online work while Pam cleaned the coach and did the laundry.  In mid-afternoon, we left for Cincinnati (actually nearby Milford) and dinner at our friend Judy's house.  It was an easy 90 minute drive.

She has a lovely home on a huge lot and we enjoyed some good conversation on her beautiful enclosed back porch.  We met Judy on our first NOMADS project in Pontiac, Illinois last July.   Then we were fortunate enough to meet up with her again in Tucson.

She is home in Milford before she heads out to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado for a volunteer position for the summer.  Judy is a retired school teacher and does a lot of volunteering and has taken on a few other interests.

One of her new hobbies is weaving and she showed us her loom and some of her recent projects:  scarves, curtains, and placemats.  They are very nice and she is getting very good at it.

After some late afternoon munchies ("poo poos" as they say in Hawaii) on her fantastic back porch, we had a great dinner of a pot roast and baked potatoes.  We crossed over the line with the key lime pie and strawberries for desert but it was good!

It is more than fun being able to see friends and we are grateful for the freedom this RV full-time lifestyle offers!

Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles!

We have one big day left before we head out for a campground north of Detroit...