Here we go.......

This was going to be our most finely planned trip ever.  We, meaining me, my wife Margo, daughter Jessi, neice Arielle, and parents, Earl & Kathy, were not only planning an eleven day road trip, with as many stops. But we also had to contend with my Dad being on oxygen. He had smoked for 50 years and that is what happens when you abuse your lungs for half a century. With six people, a couple of coolers, and luggage, there is not a lot of room for oxygen bottles. We would have to arrange to have full bottles delivered to most of the hotels we stayed at, and leave the empties to be picked up. So with a list of my destinations and the nights we would be staying there I procedced to Brighton Oxygen to work out the details. It only took about an hour for them to find places nearby the hotels that would deliver. They even offered to make the arrangements. How cool was that!? With that additional hurdle solved, planning was finalized and on July 20, 2003, bright and early, we headed west on I-70 with Abilene, KS as our destination.

Sunday, July 20, 2003 5:20 AM

We’re on the road. We have quite the trip planned. Right now we are on I-70, about 4 miles west of Bennett, CO. Today our ultimate destination is Abilene, KS. We are in a rented 2003 Ford Windstar. Inside, driving, is my wife, Margo. I’m riding shotgun, handling the navigation duties. Behind us are Mom and Dad. Behind them is my daughter, Jessi and my niece, Arielle. We have nothing planned until we get to Abilene. My biggest concern is Dad. I want him to be as comfortable as possible. Getting him in and out of the mini-van looks like it will be a chore. He is not as mobile as he used to be. Plus we have to switch oxygen bottles each time he gets in or out. When he is inside the van, he uses a large bottle that we can’t carry around. When he gets out he switches to a portable one. He makes the change pretty quickly, so it’s not a big deal, but we always have to factor the bottles and their remaining levels into our equation. Our first planned rest stop is for Goodland, KS. But Mom is diabetic and eats at a regular time so as to help control her blood sugar. That and the insulin injection. Mom says she eats at about 6:30 or 7:00 AM each morning. We won’t be anywhere near Goodland, at that time. That doesn’t matter; we’ll do what we need to do.