With other topics to address the past few days, I failed to write and post photos about Tom’s trip to Minneapolis on Tuesday, although I briefly mentioned it. He took several photos, which we’re sharing today, which may be of little interest to most of our readers.
But, for those who attended the party, we prepare this post out of respect for their dedicated service to the railroad, which often kept them away from their families and friends during many holiday celebrations. Tom was excited to attend the party for the first time since 2011 when, ten months later, we began our years-long journey to see the world.
Many of his oldest friends and co-workers, too many to mention, have since passed away. He realized when he booked the flight to Minneapolis, returning to Las Vegas 26 hours later, that there may not be as many of those old friends that he so well recalled from years past.
There were about 100 attendees at the party, 20% of whom he knew. The remainder consisted of many new hires he’d never known. Representatives of the various law firms that hosted the party were in attendance. Many of his old friends and co-workers were surprised to see him at the party when most knew we’d been traveling since 2012.
Some of his old friends read our posts, and we are grateful and honored. For those who haven’t read our posts, we hope that at some point, they may check us out and travel along with us. But, need I say that we greatly appreciate everyone who reads our posts, most of whom we never knew or met at any time in our lives?
Often, readers write to us as if they knew us. But, over years of reading our almost daily posts, they come to know us. What an oddity it is when we meet people who have read our posts for years and know about everything about us.
A perfect example of this is when our readers, who have since become great friends Marylin and Gary, came to stay in Marloth Park in one of Louise’s holiday rentals, and we met them a few days after they arrived. When we were chatting with them and our dear friends (we met the same way), Rita and Gerhard, Marylin corrected me in conversation when I didn’t recall an event in our world travels I had written in a prior post.
We laughed out loud when Marylin recalled our travel history after years of reading our posts better than we had. What a hoot! Marylin, you are amazing! These beautiful couples came to see us in Las Vegas the last time we were here, in September 2023, when we came to Nevada to renew our driver’s licenses and stayed at the Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino.
In any case, friends are important to us in our world travels, and we look forward to returning to Marloth Park in less than six months on June 15, 2024. We’d planned to return on June 1, but our grandson Vincent is graduating from high school in June, and we want to be in Minnesota for that.
A few days ago, I notified Louise we wouldn’t be arriving until June 15, which worked out for her with us staying in the same house we rented in past visits, the Ratel house. At this point, I am counting the months until we return, but before too long, I’ll be counting the days.
We hope your holiday plans are going well and all is wonderful for you and your family.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, December 22, 2013:
