Springfield, Missouri
September 12-15, 2008
We drove from Kansas to Missouri just as Hurricane Ike was hitting the Gulf, and the Midwest states were close enough to get torrents of rain. Gripping-the-wheel, maybe-we-should-pull-over kind of rain. We made it through, but when we reached my Dad's place in Springfield, we discovered just how water-tight the teardrop wasn't. The bedding and mattress were soaked. Fortunately, my dad had a bed inside for us and a washer and dryer for the bedding. His neighbor loaned us a hair dryer to dry out the mattress the next day.
The next few days were filled with family gatherings and get-togethers. My father grew up in Springfield and most of the Meyer family still lives there. My siblings came in from Idaho, Colorado, Illinois and Texas. And my cousin hosted a huge family party for my dad's 80th birthday.