[mitchntx]

Some of you know, most of you don't ...

In August, my step father was given 6 months to finish his battle with cancer. In November, my wife and I moved them to a duplex 3 houses down the block from us so that we could keep an eye on them and make sure they were getting decent care.

My step father never made it to the duplex.

He has been in a hospital bed in my dining room since November 14th. My loving wife has nutured him and given him 5 weeks of care he would have never received anywhere else. The end is very close, now.

Thanksgiving and Christmas has been consumed with this. Along with our 27th wedding anniversary and my birthday.

Consequently, we both need a vacation ... I was thinking around Valentine's day or a little later in the spring.

I have a few relatives that live in SoCal and I thought we might drive out there.

How many of you guys live along the I10 region between DFW, Texas and San Bernadino?

[mitchntx]

No firm plans have been made, but the wife really wants to visit Disneyland again ... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

And the relatives I have out there (San Bernadino) are well into their 70s. So, I should take an oppurtunity to visit them one more time while the oppurtunity is still there.

I'm just looking to see how we could plan for 3 or 4 days out there.

Also, not sure if we would rent a car here and drive out there, seeing some of America or just fly out, rent a car and then fly back. I like a leisure drive, personally ... but this is for the wife.

I thought about trying to coordinate the trip around a CMC event, but it's not high on HER priority list. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I very much appreciate the sentiments. I lost a brother in July. So this has been a very difficult year ...

But, it is very fulfilling knowing that we are doing the right thing and caring for him and my mom (blind and crippled with arthritis). They are both in their 80s, been extremely generous and deserve the best we can offer. My racing and racing budget is taking a back seat ... 2006 might see CMC #9 on a limited schedule ... but that's OK ...

To give you an idea of just how fulfilling it is ...

Last night at 4am my wife and I got up and had to change him. Like I said, he is bed-ridden. He had made quite a mess ... We got him up and my wife grabbed some wipes to help clean him and apparently they were freaking cold! I was holding him up in bed and he looked at me and asked if Debbie was trying to hurt him or just give him pneumonia. He had the biggest grin on his face.

Here is a WW2 vet, retired SWBell lineman and ex-Deputy Sheriff sitting there with me, having most of his pride and dignity stripped away because of the cancer and still has a great attitude. He is a true inspiration ...