For the Love of Meghan - Thinking of her

Every year - at this point in particular - we remember Meghan.  It has been 3 years since she left us and we still can't believe it.  She and Adam were married one brief month and she was supposed to get better.  In one way she did - but in heaven.

She was beautiful and courageous and witty and fun.

She had the courage to take us on her journey as she fought breast cancer by writing her blog:  The Bees Knees.  Its all there.  Her diagnosis, her treatment, her heartaches and hopes and recovery and then how she faced the odds.  And she and Adam and their story.

And then there is the "For the Love of Meghan" group on FaceBook started by her Canada friends.  And it goes on and on.  Check out the "Press" tab on the Bees Knees and you'll see what I mean.
One of my favorites is the interview Alan Colmes did with Adam about them.

My respect and admiration are high for Alan and one day I hope to meet him.

Meghan would have been proud of the way Adam and her family (Marg and Bill and Brad and Christine) and friends have dealt with her loss.
It's really hard to know what to say except we miss her.  So many things that sound 'trite' come to mind but the simple fact is we miss her.

So on that I'll close for today, thinking of Meghan.

Roadrunner Reflections: Fulltiming 2 Years

It has gone by very quickly but at the same time it feels like we have been doing this for 20 years.  We still look forward to seeing more and meeting more people and trying new things.  We get to go places that are fantastic and sleep in our own beds every night.  So far full-timing has been one of the best choices we have ever made.

Our second year began the end of May 2010 and ended the first part of June 2011.
In May 2010 we were at Haas Lake RV Park in Novi, Michigan.

Later, we spent time in Ontario, Canada

And in July were near the Niagara Falls

In late summer we were on the white beaches of Florida

And Virginia Beach,

And in the snow of Virginia Beach (in December!)

And then we saw canyons of Big Bend in March

And the streets of Old Tombstone in April

And here we are in Spokane, WA.

We are still loving the life style and are learning lots.

• Recently we have learned how much we like the beauty and countryside of Utah and Montana.  Both are completely diffent but we love it.   
• Another thing I have learned recently is how to drive through mountains with using the foot brakes.  By downshifting and using the the 'jake brake', I am able to save the brakes going through 6% down grades.

Over the last year, we recognize that the RV spot where we stay is not as important as we thought it was going to be.  For example, we stayed in Tucson at the Davis-Monthan AFB where the campsites are pretty close together.  But we spend most of our time inside.  The only thing that ruins it for me are noisy neighbors or yapping dogs.  So far, we have had very little of either.

We like the way the inside of our motorhome is set up and it is not a big deal if we are in a crowded campsite or in a 'basic' campground.  I would rate the Santa Fe Rodeo grounds and the Kirtland AFB FamCamp as 'basic' yet we had a great time in both places.

When we dreamed about our future days of full-timing, we thought we would overnight more at WalMart and truckstops ~ but we usually pull into a decent RV camp instead.  Something about 50 amp hookup for heat and air conditioning.  We also thought we would do more dry camping (boondocking) with no hookups, but we haven't.  We didn't do any of that in Year 2.  We don't mind being without for a few days, but it is not something we are driven to do.

We have found our niche in volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and NOMADS.
- Habitat for Humanity at each city (affiliate) varies.  Each is run by there own board of directors and volunteer help.  Our favorites so far

• South Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Virginia Area)
• Tucson, Arizona
• Santa Fe, NM
• Our next gig is a Habitat (Care-A-Vanner) stay in Brookings, SD (Aug 2011)

- NOMADS has regular projects and 'Disaster Relief' projects.  Over the last year we enjoyed the work in Mississippi at a Disaster Relief project.  We had a month of mostly putting up sheet rock and painting a house with some odd jobs thrown in like repairing laminate flooring, putting up plywood on a porch ceiling and some painting.

The financials are working out.  I keep all our receipts and log it all onto a spreadsheet.  My goal is to post a monthly status of where we are.  I am way behind on that, but I have high hopes I can finish it up in the next few weeks? for Year 2. 

It is basically costing us about $4,000/month to do this RV thing.  That is a little more than what we take in from retirement.  But I have recently gotten more hours to work online and that is making up the shortfall.  

Our approach is to keep our savings at a certain level and not let it dip below that.  We have been successful so far.  And we have kept our 401Ks at a distance and never touch it.  When I turn 59 1/2 I'll have to withdraw some, but we have time to figure that out.  If we continue to be frugal, we can do this for quite a while.

The Roadrunner (motorhome) costs more than we figured it would.   Medical bills are expensive too. 

- The major RV expenses so far have been upgrades and remodeling.  The biggest repair has been a new toilet last year and a solenoid replacement for the air bags recently.  (both over $1,000)
- Other regular maintenance costs include things like diesel fuel filter replacements ($164); repairing windshield chips (free or <$30); replacing a clear tank water pump ($110).  

- The next biggest repair will be installing a new residential refrigerator.  About the time we decided to do that, I got more hours of online work.  We now have been able to save up enough money for the estimated $6850 it will take to replace our refrigerator.

- After that, our next biggest expense probably will be new tires (at ~$600 each), but we have about a year to save for that.
- Diesel fuel is way up again, but before we started full-timing we planned on the worst -- like $5.00/gal. As one full-timer said, "I worked for 40 years, I can find a way to pay for the fuel…".

- We have not had any major medical bills this year but we need to do something about dental.  Last month I heard that Progresso, Mexico is still a good alternative (e.g. safe) but we will not be there any time soon.

- After being in the hospital last year and getting some tests and physicals done, I took out a medical supplement insurance plan for hundreds ($764/yr) to save thousands $ if we need it.  

So here we are in the NorthWest.  We still love seeing the country.  We spent New Years Eve listening to a blue grass family group in Georgia, spent a great and warm winter/spring in Arizona and are loving the scenic Rockies, stark canyonlands of Utah and the beautiful mountains and mountain ranges of Montana.  Now we are going to explore Eastern Washington State where my mom grew up and where my folks got married in 1942.  Then on to the ocean cliffs of Oregon before we head east back through South Dakota.

I have learned I love the history of our country in the 1800's.  I have learned the impact the Catholic Church and the Railroad have had on the development and growth of our country.  You throw in a gold rush or two and a lot of folks moved west and settled this wonderful country.  And I find it interesting how they 'made do' back in those days.

I have learned to appreciate Pam more.  She is more than a great companion and friend and wife.  She likes this stuff as much as I do. She understands more of the mechanical/technical aspects of the motorhome than I do so that is a big plus.  She is also a great cook and likes to do that.  And she drives the motorhome.  

And we have gotten to see Adam and Kelly.  We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with them so that was good.  We miss them, but they are doing good and each have come through a tough times grieving the loss of Meghan last year. 

And in the last year, we continue to meet wonderful people who are doing the same thing we are ~ living in an RV.  We get to see so much and meet many great folks.  And we get to catch up with old friends and see them again after many many years.  (Like yesterday we met up with Dick and Julie whom we first met in 1983 when we all lived in Hawaii.) We could not do that if we weren't full timing.

So in year two ~ I'd say it is a little different than year one, and we are still loving it.  We feel blessed to be able to do this.  It is different than year one because we feel a lot more comfortable and the learning curve is not so steep.  We can always learn more but we are not as leery of 'what might go wrong' and how we would deal with it.

So there is my recap of Year 2 on the Road.  We are looking forward to Year 3.  Hope you are having a wonderful summer and Happy Father's Day.

Thanks for your interest and comments on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  We enjoy and appreciate them.
Until next time...

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.

Running for Meghan

Once again we welcome our newest Follower:

Ellen

Thanks for joining the Roadrunner Chronicles!

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This weekend was full of emotions.  We were looking forward to the Tidewater Run for the Cure (which included the Virginia Beach area.)  It was our first ever participation in a charity event dedicated to eradicating breast cancer.

We arrived early at downtown Virginia Beach and waited our turn to pull into the parking garage along with thousands of other runners and supporters.  The race began at 8:30 AM but we were there about 7:00 AM.  In some ways, I knew what to expect.  I have participated in a lot of races 'back in the day' and it was fun to be around the excitement.  

Many people had were part of teams of eight or ten runners and some had colorful T-shirts, or hats or other identifying garb.  In some ways the atmosphere was festive, as we celebrated the lives of our loved ones and friends whom we were thinking about.

Our ForTheLoveOfMeghan Team had eight people on it and we gathered at Starbucks.  The morning was cool and chilly with a pretty good wind.  But the day was bright and sunny.  There were lots of tents and booths and vendors around the city center - Neptune Park - and along the boardwalk where the race started and ended.

The crowds numbered in the thousands and it was very crowded.  We could hear the national anthem being played to start things off.  After that, we meandered around for a while before we all tried to line up for the run.

It was jam packed and took almost six minutes to get to the Starting Line.  We started out running slowly for about 10 yards, then came to a complete stop as there were hundreds of walkers moving out ahead of us.  We made our way over to the sidewalk and weaved in and out of folks until about a quarter of a mile down the road before we were finally on our way.  

I got to run with Kelly.  She decided she was going to run with me and I loved it.  We saw many people who had notes on their shirts proclaiming who they were rememembering or who they were running for.

In addition to running for Meghan, I also ran for Barbara Brown and wrote here name on my back.  She is in week two of chemo for breast cancer and lives in Buffalo, New York.  We met Jon and Barbara Brown in the 1980's when we all were stationed in Hawaii and attended the same church.  

During the run, I experienced a lot of different emotions.  Running is an emotional thing for me anyway. I am greatful to be able to run because I enjoy it so much.  But over the years I have had ankle, calf, tendon, etc etc issues and so I consider it a gift to be able to run at my age of 57.  I thought of Meghan and I thought of the thousands of people there - and all over - who are impacted by cancer.  When you see faces and names of people who have died it is pretty startling.  It is such an insidious disease.

Kelly and I ran for 5 minutes and then walked 1; ran 5 and walked 1; ....5 and 1 etc and we had no trouble making it to the end of the 5K.  

We saw some very sad things as people named who they were running for.  One lady wrote:  "I am running for me - stage IV cancer".  Stuff like that is sad.  Running for Meghan is sad.  We all miss her so much.  But the more I think about it I know she would not like us to mope and feel sorry for ourselves.  We know she is in a better place and she'd want us to run, enjoy life and make a difference.

It was so great to have her parents, Marg and Bill here with us for the run.  They stayed with Kelly at her house and delayed their return to Canada a day so they could be there for the run.  It was really great to see them again and to spend time with them during the week.

I have lost count as to how many people have run for Meghan or have created ForTheLoveOfMeghan teams in her honor and memory.  But I know there have been at least 10 around the country and in Canada.  Our run was on Saturday, but on Sunday, niece Heidi ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles) for Meghan in Denver, Colorado.  Way to go Heidi!

One of the hard things is not having Adam here to be with us.  I know he would have loved to be part of it all.  But he is called to be where he is in India, volunteering in Meghan's memory.  It is one of Meghan's goals that he has dedicated himself to fulfilling.  This weekend was really hard for him too.  Talk about being alone...  

But I know he will make it and work through it.  He amazes us and we are very proud of him.  

Glady, he called from India about 10 minutes before the race was started and Pam was able to talk with him a few minutes before the phone connection got so bad it dropped off.  Still - it was good to talk and he knew we were thinking of him and Meghan and to hear his voice.

The event raised lots of money I am sure and our team raised over $500 (thank you Brad, Jane, and Diane and all the others.)  There will be other opportunities to give and I will spend a blog highlighting Meghan's favorite cancer charity - the Kelly Shires Foundation - at another time.

So the race went great. It was a beautiful day.  It was fun.  Our team did well.  We got to be part of the Breast Cancer Awareness movement.  We got to spend the day with Bill Marg.  And we remembered Meghan.  And Adam.  And Barbara.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Please stop by again!

Cabin Time!

Jeff and daughter Lauren picked us up at the government (free) boat dock about 10:00 and we all went over to the cabins.

Jeff and Tiffany's cabin is behind the covered boat dock, Jeff (same name) and Cheryl's cabin in on the right up the hill.  We got to talk a little bit with Jeff and Cheryl before they made the long drive home to the Toronto area.  It was real nice to see them again.  They were up here last year the same time we were here with Adam and Meghan.

Tiffany was already gone.  She went into North Bay for a grocery run and didn't get back until after lunch time.  Meanwhile, the kids were ready for some excitement so Jeff took Emily and Stanley (Dick and Michelle's son) our for a high speed (sort of) jet ski ride.

They squealed with delight as he gunned it and made some sharp turns.

Later is started to rain and we moved into the cabin.  Jeff and Tiffany have quite a large paperback collection which they are trying to thin out so we found a few books and did some reading.

Kelly helped Aaron and Lauren work on a puzzle.

The group of cabins on this corner of the lake were built in the 1950's by 'Rudy'.  He ended up with 11 buildings on the premises which are owned now by Jeff/Tiffany, Jeff/Cheryl and Dick/Michelle.  Dick and Tiffany are brother/sister and their grandad came up here with them in the 1960's so they have found memories.  And now their kids will be able to have some too.

The log cabins are nice and have all the conveniences of home except TV and indoor plumbing.

Jeff was able to log on (dial up) and get some work done while Pam and Tiffany chatted in the kitchen and on the back porch.  After a while, Jeff, Kelly and Lauren and I had a rousing card game of '31' (also known as Skit/Scat).  

Dinner was a big spread of chicken kabobs on the grill with baked potatoes and salad.  Jeff built a campfire out side and we toasted marshmellows.

We had a good time sitting around the campfire.  They have some pretty wonderful scenes outside their front door.

We wanted to get back to the Roadrunner before it got too dark so Jeff gave us a lift back and their were some beautiful things going on with the sunset and clouds reflecting off the lake...

And as we were leaving some of the kids wanted to get wet one more time before it got too dark

It was a short trip back to the dock on Jeff's pontoon boat.

And another great day on the lake came to a close....

Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles today!

Alan Colmes and the Toronto Star: For The Love Of Meghan

We got an email from Adam two nights ago saying he was going to be on Alan Colmes' internet webcast program. Who knew Alan Colmes had such a program?

His program is called~ "strategyroom - the Alan Colmes Project" and it is more than news and politics.  Apparently he had read about Meghan and Adam and was interested in finding out more.  So at 1 PM yesterday, we all logged on an waited.  Sure enough ~ there they were...

You can see a video clip of the interview by clicking on the link at the center of the page.  Be warned, it takes a few minutes to load.  But it is worth it.

For the Love of Meghan

Alan is quite the pro and did a great job of leading the conversation and bringing out the main events of Meghan's life with cancer the last two years.  He also asked how they met, why he stayed with Meghan during her illness, why he moved to Michigan, what Meghan's list of goals were, how long Adam was going to be working on the 'list', how he was going to pay for trips and how far he has gotten on the list.

Next weekend which would have been their wedding ceremony for friends and guest at Meghan's grandmother's cottage in Tobermory, Canada.  There will still be an event at that time but nothing formal.  We will all be there for a gathering and time of remembrance.  In August, Adam will take a train ride across Canada.  Meghan and Adam had planned the trip for their honeymoon.  In September he will go to India and teach for three months at the Merasi School which is partnered with a non-profit out of Manhattan.  While Adam was in NYC a few weeks ago, he met with the founder of Folk Arts Rajasthan to talk about volunteering at the Merasi School.

Alan was very well prepared and knew of Meghan's blog:  The Bee's Knees and her story and her goals.   I have new found respect for Alan and am grateful to him and his staff for devoting significant time on his show for Adam to talk about his plans and to share more about Meghan.

Later, I spoke with a friend who called and told me about how much she appreciated Meghan though she never met her.  She felt as if she 'knew' Meghan because of her blog.  Breast cancer killed my friend's mother years ago and she wonders if she will have cnacer one day.  Some of her own thoughts go to:  how she would deal with it?  --the chemo, or radiation or God forbid breast surgery/mastectomy?  She said after reading how Meghan handled it, she has new confidence and is far less anxious about her future.

Later, after the interview, Adam forwarded me a letter from a man from India who saw the article  about Meghan on the front page of the Toronto Star.  Her story impacted him and his friend.  Read what they had to say:

This is incredible to say the least.

Hopefully, their story will be an encouragement and inspiration to others.  Their story (together and individually) needs to be retold.  Maybe others can be helped by the way Meghan handled her initial diagnosis, her rediagnosis and how Adam has dealt with losing her, how he has been motivated to move on with out her.  A lot of other people saw the article on the Star and went to her blog with comments of their own.  

We will be sharing the Bee's Knees with our friends.  Just last week we found out a good friend from 25 years ago has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Maybe there is something there that can help her somehow.  I hope so.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Happy belated Canada Day to my Canadian friends and happy 4th of July to all ~ be safe!

Mouse Scones Cracker Barrel

The good news is that I confirmed it with my eyeballs:  We have a mouse house guest (or two).  I knew I should have plugged up that hole in the basement with spray foam underneath the sink months ago...  If that is the place where he entered the house.  Yikes!

I was sitting here at the computer early yesterday morning and noticed something out of the corner of my eye.  Then a few minutes later he darted from the PS seat over to underneath the slideout with the sofa bed.  Later, we saw he had eaten a pistachio in the front drawer by the front door.  And some cookies in the snack drawer had munch marks all over them.

The mouse wars begin!  We bought traps and will set them.  I don't want to get rat poison and have him go off and die somewhere that I can't get to and then have to endure that odor.  The thought of him scampering around is bad enough.  The smell would really be bad.  So we will see what happens in the next couple of days.

Pam got up and made scones.  This time she put blueberries in them.

Not surprisingly they were great!

Then about 10:30 Pam and I were off to meet Marg (Meghan's mom) in Port Huron at Cracker Barrel.

We had a great time and talked for couple hours.  As you can see Pam is doing a lot better too.  She is about at 80% now and getting back to normal.

Then we went next door to make reservations at an RV park we will use the middle of August.  We will be in the area to attend Brad and Christine's (Meghan's brother and fiance) wedding and then we will be off heading south for Texas.

Later, we returned to the Roadrunner and I went over to a neighbor's and talked for a while.  We have a real good campsite and some good neighbors so that makes it nice.

Adam arrived back from his weekend in Toronto and we had dinner.  Before it got too dark, we went down to Roger and Joyce's said hi for a few minutes.

Roger wanted the plans for the flag stand so I copied them and we gave them to him.

It was a good Monday.  Hope you are having a good week too!  Thanks for viewing the Roadrunner Chronicles today.

Certificate and Rodents

First, a big Welcome! to new Followers:

Karen Hardamon

Gail Durham

mheimer

Thanks for joining the group!

The last few days have been a bit of this and that.

Mostly we have monitored Pam's progress which continues at a slow but gradual pace.  She is better almost every day but still gets tired as if she has been through a something major.  Which she has.  Her reaction to a sulfa drug antibiotic was serious.  But she is getting better and now is contending with a full body skin peel.

An ever so light layer of skin is peeling all over.  It is about 60% done but more to go.  The scalp and even the inside of her hands and fingers are started to peel.  Her face, most of her back and front are done.  We'll get there.  She looks more like her old self again.  A couple more weeks and she'll be good as new.  We are targeting then to check out some more Habitat for Humanity work later in the month.

I have been running/walking more and am feeling like getting into shape is a possibility if I keep it up for a couple more weeks.  So I probably will.

Early last week after we returned from Tennessee, we woke up to the sounds of scratching and claws o the inside of the walls.  Or was it the ceiling?  Or the air ducts?  A few thumps and bangs to the area where the noise was and it seemed to go away.  But after waking up at 4:10 AM, 2:30 AM and 12:10 AM, we knew we needed to do more than bang walls and ceilings.  A rodent has come to stay (or at least visit.  Yikes!  We went and got moth balls and put a heavy dose of those all around the ground under the Roadrunner.  That didn't seem to help.  I crawled under the engine and tried to put more up into that area but found little success.

Next we bought Rodent Glue Traps and positioned two inside two heating/air conditioning ducts in the Roadrunner and (cross our fingers) no wake up calls in the middle of the night.  We will have to check them later today but I will be surprised if we caught one.  But at least he/they haven't been back for a couple of nights.

Has that ever happened to you?  What do you do about rodents?

Adam is staying with us in between trips to Toronto and Chicago.  Yesterday he was getting ready to meet Meghan's mom and dad in Sarnia to get a certificate Meghan earned while attending Lambton College.  She was working on pre-nursing requirements and getting her application reading for nursing school in Toronto and earned a certificate in the School of Health Sciences for Personal Support Worker.  I think it is like training in the U.S. for helping individuals needing individual home care and hygiene assistance.

Pam was feeling up to it. We hadn't really understood what it was earlier in the week, but decided we wanted to go and got cleaned up.  We left for Sarnia about 12:00 noon for the 2:00 PM ceremony.

It was quite a ceremony along with a full graduation from the Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology.  It had a procession of the 500 or so graduates.  As with most graduations it was long but finally they read 'Meghan Baker-Warner' and announced "This certificate is being conferred posthumously and being accepted by her father Bill Baker".

It was another mix of emotions.  Proud of her that she was determined enough to continue working on her goals to get a second university degree in Nursing (her first degree was in Psychology), and sad because she wasn't there to receive it in person.

I took some pictures, among them my all time worst ever.  I really messed up the close up shot of Bill accepting the diploma.  (I wonder what real photographers do when that happens?).  Marg and Adam were in the audience with the graduates and Pam and I were in the stands.

Next, we went over to Bill and Marg for a little while.  Adam then left for Toronto for an interview and to volunteer at a Cancer Bike Race on Sunday.  By then, Pam was pretty tired so we went back to the Roadrunner, had dinner and called it a night.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  We are SO glad you are out there!  If you haven't left a comment in a while, we love to hear from you!

The Word is Getting Out

Last week when Pam was in the hospital I thought a lot about what it was like for Adam and Meghan during their many trips to the hospital.  I thought about her and her life and what she meant to so many people.  And she continues to inspire others by her story.

Adam is leading the way and posted an update on Monday:  the Bees Knees

Her new website is up and running:  ForTheLoveOfMeghan

The local paper in Petrolia, Canada where Meghan grew up did an article about her and Adam.  You can read it online here:  Petrolia Topic

There is an article about them on MTV:

And this blog about them which is one of the best yet ~ a MUST read:  Squeezyourlemons

So how can you help?  You can
- Run in her name this summer and let us know when and where (the latest runner did it in Colorado Springs)
- Share how her story may have inspired you
- Donate to her favorite cancer charity:  The Kelly Shires Foundation
- Buy a 'ForTheLoveOfMeghan' bracelet here:  (To fund fulfulling Meghan's travel goals)
- Donate to the cause here:
- Join Adam in volunteering in Niagra, Canada this weekend in The Ride to Conquer Cancer

That's what was on my heart and mind today and I thank you for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

My Heart and My Sad Heart

Yesterday it rained some more and it is raining some right now, the fourth day in a row.  I have not been out much the last few days.  Maybe that has something to do with things...

Two days ago I got out to do a stress test.  I want to get a handle on what is going on.  Last week's physical showed an 'abnormal EKG'.  No surprise there.  I had a very similar EKG last year before we hit the road.  Even though the doctor was not real concerned then, I felt I should follow up.  

The follow up to last weeks abnormal EKG was a more thorough 'stress EKG'-- a stress test.  It took about 90 minutes and they found something but don't know what to make of it -- 'Left Bundle Branch Block- LBBB'.  

• Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is a cardiac conduction abnormality seen on the electrocardiogram (ECG).  In this condition, activation of the left ventricle is delayed, which results in the left ventricle contracting later than the right ventricle.  
• LBBB is a condition in which ventricular contraction is not completely synchronized due to a block in conduction of an electrical impulse to the ventricles

Wait - before anyone gets excited, it is NOT a block as in an artery blockage-- it is an issue in the electrical impulses.  Sometimes no treatment is necessary, sometimes there is.  Right now I am not sure what it means.  My doctor is on vacation this week so I will follow up and find out more next week.  I know sometimes people do fine on the stress test and have troubles soon after.  We will see.

I don't have any symptoms other than I notice my heart beating.  It is not racing--just beating.  I have no numbness, no weakness or other helpful clues.  If fact, when I did the stress test, I surprised the technician on how long I was able to keep up and continue to 'run' on the treadmill.  He said most only are able to go 6 to 9 minutes.  It started getting tough at 12 minutes and I lasted a little over 13 minutes.  Regardless of how in shape I feel, he said that put me in the top 5%.  That's good.

They said the heart looks good, no funny business on the lining of the arteries (no buildup) and if I were on the verge of a heart attack or something--it would have shown up here (so they say...).  I think a healthy dose of skepticism is useful.  I want to believe that but....we'll see.    We'll check next week and have more to say after we see the doctor again I'm sure.

Now to the emotional side of my 'heart'.  This morning I am feeling a bit sad about some friends.  But I don't like being sad, I am mostly a positive person and don't often dwell on unhappy things.  But that is the nature of life.  To ignore it is not realistic.  As was read at Meghan's funeral:  it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (from King James' Version):

1. To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

'...there is a time for everything...'  

I believe that and for whatever reason--it seems like there are a lot of my friends that are hurting out there at this time...

As you know, we lost Meghan April 27.  Grief is a strange agent--and affects us all differently.  It affects us, it affects Adam, our daughter Kelly, Meghan's parents Marg and Bill and Meghan's many many friends--it can be tough.

Yesterday I was reading Froggi Donna's blog and she mentioned that same thing.  There is a lot of death and dying going on.  Friends Mike and Pat are heading to Tucson from Northern Arizona to be with their daughter in law.  There son Mikel passed away Tuesday night in his sleep at 55.  A few years ago (2008), they lost their other son Scott.

And this morning, my friend Maggie Ragle said on Facebook,

"In need of prayers for a FB friend of a friends daughter, Audrin King and her family. Today her two year old daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. If you see this post, even if youdon't know her, please post this to your profile for 1 hour, say a prayer for her little girl and give everyone you know the opportunity to do so. Prayer is energy..."♥

In spite of the all this, we try to live our lives as if things were 'normal' and we do what we can for our friends.  For now, it is to pray for them.  And that is no small thing.   We know.  We have been the recipients of hundreds and hundreds of people, "praying for Meghan and her family.' It helps.  It continues to help.  Thank you.

You may be wondering why I would write about these things.  I guess I want to be a realistic about what it is like out here on the road in 'RV land', as I like to say.  As 'Full-timers'.
Even though we are still very excited about living our dream and we love this lifestyle, real issues in life come up.  And we deal with them...and by God's grace, we are able to move through them.

Thanks for checking in today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  If you have been reading and are not yet a follower, give it a shot--click on 'Followers'.  And thanks for the comments ~ keep them coming :)

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.

A Good Roadrunner Day

I usually get up early and do some reading and such.  I always put on a pot of coffee and for now, have been turning on our little but powerful Pelonis ceramic heater.  Then I check emails and see if anyone knows we're out here...or if I have any responses to answer :)  Yesterday I was looking for some free firewood and a few responded to that inquiry.

I also get started on my blog post for the day and maybe check Facebook or read some other favorite bloggers I follow.  Then I load pictures and see what I can use for the day's post.  My assumption is most want to see pictures rather than just read my commentary.  I have read others who mostly write with very few pictures and they write VERY well...  Two come to mind:

Nick Russell whom I have followed for a couple of years on Nick's Blog and also of the Gypsy Journal fame and 

Connie and Tracy of who write Gypsy G'Mas.  (We met these two women at the 2009 RV-Dreams Rally in Kerrville, Texas.)

Yesterday while sitting at my computer near both windows, we saw our little furry friend who lives nearby.

He looks like a 'Ralph' to me, so I will call him Ralph from now on.  We watched some early morning Fox and Friends.  Then Pam got started on the laundry and I decided to give myself a haircut.  A reader asked how I do that:

I get my stuff set up, then start with a #2 on my beard, then switch to a #8, then a #5 and #4 a few places, shake out the loose clipping and 20 minutes later I'm done!

I got the clothes lines set up first for Pam and as I was washing the Roadrunner, she hung the clothes out.

They dried for a couple of hours and I think this washing and drying clothes this way is going to work out fine.

Then I started washing the RV - I connected my three hoses and attached the spray valve before I dragged it up onto the top of the roof.

Then I filled the water bucket and put in some soap and scrubbed away.

It sure was dirty. I made my way around the back and sides and finished off the front area.  That took me about 90 minutes and I put a squeegee on the front windshield.  I'll have to do the rest of the windows.  It is supposed to rain the next few days so I'll do the rest of the windows after it quits and think about shining up the Roadrunner with The Solution - my cleaner of choice.

We stopped by the office here at Haas Lake RV campground to talk with Ruth about painting some picnic tables and volunteering.  She said the painting wasn't going to work out because of liability issues with non-employees.  But she did offer to let us help them put together their spring mailing of 7,000 postcards.  We signed up to help on Monday.

The rest of next week is shaping up:   On Tuesday, we secured positions volunteering with Habitat for Humanity - Oakland County and will be looking forward to working at the construction site all day. On Wednesday, Adam is off and he'll be at Meghan's again.  We may go see here for a couple of hours - we'll see.  On Thursday, we have doctors appointments to check out a few things.

We made a trip to the Wal-Mart nearby for some vegetable seeds and also got a couple of brackets for hanging a water hose in the tank bay.  We also found a Red Box movie dispenser and picked up 'The Informant'.

Then we cooked chicken on the grill and watched the movie.  It was not as good as we hoped although I really like Matt Damon.

That was our Roadrunner day -- thanks for viewing!  Hope you have a great weekend.