July 5th... the day after The Fourth of July!
I woke up this morning in a bit of physical pain. I ran 8.89 miles yesterday morning and then went on a 9 mile float trip down the Des Moines river yesterday afternoon.
It was my first time ever to organize a float trip. We were blessed to have our kids, my son's girlfriend, and my nephew visiting us over the holiday and my wife said she DID NOT want to sit around the apartment. I found some innertubes at the Theissen's farm supply store in Newton on Tuesday )after going to three different Wal-Mart's only to discover that they were all sound out). And got up early yesterday to do some online research and to map out our route on the river.
I knew floating went much slower than paddling, but I was really surprised how much longer floating in tubes took compared to canoes. We were going to float in the Skunk River in Jasper County, but with the heat and dry weather I was afraid the water would be shallow. I have also heard great things about floating past Ledges State park. So I looked on the map and found the closest place to put in upstream from Ledges and then we parked my son's truck at the first get out point after Ledges.
We put into the river at the Hwy 30 access in Boone County around 4:30p.m. It was a beautiful day to be on the river. I was surprised how shallow the Des Moines River was at places. I am glad I had thrown my flippers into the car because I spent most of the "float" pulling everyone else down the river. It was a great work out for my legs. At 9:30p.m. we were finally getting out of the river. I felt like a near-drowned river rat. We watched the fireworks in Boone as we were heading east to get back onto I-35.
By the time we got home we still had not had dinner so it was a late night. When we got back to the Urban Center I grilled the brats and burgers while everyone else started showering and Lynn got the rest of the food prepared. While I was standing out on the back deck manning the meat on the grill, I looked out over the neighborhood and it was an eery feeling to me. There were so many fireworks going off it was more annoying than fun. It never gives me a good feeling because when so many people are breaking the law so blatantly, and it is against the law to light off fireworks in Iowa. I think it fuels a spirit of rebellious anarchy. And when anarchy prevails, it always seems that the next morning is never pretty. I think that is true of a city where their professional sports team wins a championship and the "fans" light cars on fire and loot their own city; or when a group of people disagree with the outcome of a court case and smash store fronts. And even after a day of celebrating our "freedom", I am usually disappointed with the outcome the next day when I drive around and notice all the vandalism that accompanied the revelry.
If that seems somewhat ominous and foreboding, let me continue by saying that I have already met with the Des Moines Police Department this morning. My case number is 12-20565.As the fireworks were going off around me and above me last night, I watched a police cruiser going up and down the street yet never stopping to investigate the people standing around the source of an obvious explosion. When I finally got to shower the river smell off me and went to bed around 1:30 this morning, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I woke up at 6A.M. with the alarm and took the dogs outside to do their business and to survey the damage. I didn't notice anything out of place until I walked to the front of the building and another guy walking down the street pointed in the direction of my father-in-law's conversion van and said, "Yea, they got me last week too."
"Got me?" My head was still in a bit of an early morning fog.
That is when I noticed the shards of broken glass on the street on the other side of the van. Three windows gone. I often wonder what sense of power it gives people to wantonly destroy other people's property?I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration and you will enjoy the freedoms we still have as Americans. There aren't as many as their used to be as more and more of our resources go to pay taxes. Isn't it funny that a "tea tax" motivated one of our nation's first uprisings against the tyranny of our motherland, and then on the verge of our Independence Day celebration our Supreme Court upheld Obamacare and said we will pay for it as another "tax?" Wow. We've come a long ways Baby! Our forefathers used to fight for our Independence, now we celebrate the fact that the government takes more of our money than we keep, and the government is going to meet all of our needs. I guess that is why I started running as much as I do. I just don't believe the health care system is really going to be there when I need it. And the reason I feel that way is because of all the foreigners who come to this country to get medical treatment their country will not provide because there just isn't enough for everybody once the rationing is complete.
I enjoyed my family a lot yesterday. Not so much in a celebrating mood today though.I guess that is why I love serving God so much, regardless o four circumstances, our feelings, or our predicaments... He loves spending time with us and showing us awesome things about Himself that totally amazes us! Sometimes, the day after really great days aren't that great, but God is good! All the time! And all the Time, God is good!
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