Hey guys.... it's done!.... Congrats to the winners for sure, and Terry for even having the fortitude to take on an extremely tedious project with about ten million other things to do..... thanks, T, and i'll be answering up as i can.....
To anyone, sponsored, or donated, Please, be patient, with me, when I obtain the list of participants, i will be in touch, phone, or mail, as the least i can do is thank you personally from outside the lines.... many are unseen here, and deserve more..... names, for lack of exclusion make it tough........John and Brenda Knight, for the guidance I needed........everyday.
I'm here, still maybe half sane, and able to whoop it up with a group of people not to be found in the world bar none.... you guys enabled the struggle to at least have a semblance of hope in a time of extreme despair.... amidst the overload in my brain with all situations to deal within the last 2 months, reparations, and gratitude are in order, and i cant rest, until I accomplish this major detail...
Yes, we raced last weekend... i had decided, after day after day,working full time plus, of having my time planned for me, even at flood + 2 months, a halt to the crap had to be...... Marty, standing up to the plate, pushed the race through, recovering my engines,cleaning.. actually donating his boats, giving me radio gear, to scheduling and logistics of the thing we went..... behind the scenes, and only understood to me, at the point of departure, Marty's wife had been ill, and his mother, suffered a very serious injury, days before the race..... Scrambling to STILL bring the race to completion shouldnt have happened at all.... we needed it, and we did it..... for me, relief from insanity, time with friends... knowledge... Many mentioned my being quiet, and finding a smile..... it was there.... I tried.......
Met, and thanked alot of you.... many men around I havent yet.... and will..... guys like Terry, i'll spend my life searching to fill a need for a freind..... there... at a toy boat race......
The future is uncertain almost to the hour for Shelly and I...... the flood house sits...... i've gained today off with a little bump in work, and will look to the list of mandatory things sitting on the table and wonder how to whittle it down.....We wait.... i've had my ass chewed by FEMA, the city of Cedar Rapids, will never gain an ounce of respect from me in my lifetime again..... no descisions, no help, and no foresight, has me, and 4000 other homeowners of junk sore from a no vaseline approach that bears insight to the control of government.... I still have my AR 15........ a grave and unjust statement, when I struggle, think, and look to God for answers slow in coming....... problems abound... i'll solve them..... one day, still, at a time.......
The SBA, sounds to help us.... we're looking for a house, only to go in debt deeper then we were before.... doable?... who knows.... i look to own a pile of junk,( 25K to rip it down?.. OK!) and a lot i'll still be responsible for, also, when this is actually said and done....... word out on the news today flash: flood property owners must mow their grass, or face a bill from the city in 2 weeks..... (insert appropriate expletive here)....
Through all this, Shelly gained her RN pin a week ago, an accomplishment of 4 + years of mental, and financial stress, topped with an epic disaster, she has monumentally made continuance of life an option for us.... she's far and above the fortitude of any person I know.... my making life about whatever she wants is job 1........ state boards and the big time await.... We can only go up...... We've shelter for now, transport, and a job..... the help from across the nation, and world wide, from you guys bridged a gap, that was desperately needed...... and for that we're forever indebted.......
My boats are back shelved... I washed a little more mud offa them at the race... I gotta march on..... bricklayers make hay while the sun shines..... the list awaits..... i'm tired, and standing up after work at 40 is getting tough...... 137 pounds, and 17 years, I get my count in......
Electronic dinosaur I am.... I can type..... my email is messed up, and we're searching for solutions among other irritating things. i'll get to you, hang on........ disaster made me a different person.... a more gracious, thinking person, a caring person.... it was inside all you guys, and for that, i'm forever indebted......
In closing, i'd hope my gratitude for your graciousness can be realized..... thanks, and God Bless you all....
Mike