Archives of Adventures

I can't remember just where I left off in January all I remember is we were on our way back from Chicago, driving south on I-65 through Indiana. The road was a solid sheet of ice and the van did a 360. That was about it until I woke up in Costa Rica last week. Maybe it will come back to me, I hope.

I don’t really remember the details. Everything is still foggy in my head. I know I was wearing a seat belt, because I always do wear one. Some how when the van slide off the road and down the hill, it was all like slow motion. I saw this tree coming closer. After the impact, I must have been thrown from the van. Ejected. I can remember a little more now. I woke up face down in the snow. I was numb. I looked back at the crushed van and I saw Moe.

He was hurt pretty bad. He wasn’t moving. I couldn’t get up to help him. My legs were cut up and I was bleeding. I reached into my pocket for my cell phone and found that note I got for Christmas. I remember thinking as I looked back at Moe, I could make that wish now!  I did make that wish. I wished that this accident never happened and that Moe would be OK again.

 Suddenly just as fast as we spun off the road, a cloud of fog covered the ground and I couldn't see Moe or the van anymore. I must have passed out.   

August 2005

Jonny woke up in a daze; he was face down in the snow. The Van was gone and so was his good friend Moe. Suddenly Jonny heard a voice. “Are you ok son?” It was a farmer who was out checking the snow drifts that day. “Yeah, I think I am.” said Jonny. “My name’s OE”, said the farmer. “ You look cold, and we had better get you inside for awhile.” “Ok with me!” said Jonny. They jumped on the Polaris and headed for the farmhouse like a deer running through the woods.

 The house was a typical midwestern farmhouse, from the outside. A white two story with snow covered pine trees out front. It was nothing like the houses in Florida. Inside the fireplace was glowing. The house on the inside had a tropical flare to it. There were pictures of beaches and palm trees. As OE showed Jonny around the house they entered the kitchen. There, OE’s daughter was cooking up some chicken soup. “Man this is great!” said Jonny. “Just like home.”

 OE introduced his daughter, June and the questions started to fly around the room. “How did you get in the field, Jonny?” asked OE. This of course was a question Jonny couldn’t answer. “ I don’t know, to tell you the truth.” “The last I remember was a Christmas party in Chicago.” “After that it’s all a fog.” explained Jonny.

“We need to get you to the clinic. You should get checked out”, said June. “I have a friend who would see you right away.” She said. “The funny thing is that right now I feel great!” Jonny exclaimed. “Maybe just some of that chicken soup and I’ll be on my way.” Hunger had set in and he was ready for a good meal.

 “I don’t know where you think you would be going tonight.” said OE. “The sun’s going down and the weather report said 18” of snow is on the way.” “You’ll have to stay here tonight and see what the daylight brings.” 

“Maybe you could drop me off at the Indianapolis Airport in the morning?” asked Jonny. “I have my debit card and I could get a ticket home.” “Sure” said OE. “ If the airport is open.”

 “June will show you the guest room and you can sleep there for the night.” Said OE.

June was quite a farmer’s daughter and a perfect host. June had been taking care of her dad since her mother passed away two years ago. She was 20 years old and a real beauty. June and Jonny sat in the kitchen until 11:30 just talking. June told most of the stories and Jonny was a good ear for her.

 Jonny being the perfect gentleman thanked her for the great meal and headed for his room. The weather report was correct this time and in the morning there was 18” of fresh snow covering the ground like a huge cotton blanket.

 “The airport is closed.” said OE. “Even if we could get you there you wouldn’t be able to fly out today.”

 That day they all just sat around the fire and told their favorite stories. OE talked a lot about his wife and how she loved the beaches of Florida. June shared some stories of farm life, and Jonny mesmerized them with his tales of surfing, sharks and other adventures. The more Jonny talked the more he remembered, and when he got to the part of remembering his good friend Moe he shouted. “Moe!” what happen to Moe, what happen to Moe?”

 As the next few days went by the roads cleared and June took Jonny to the clinic. Everything checked out fine. So June and OE decided that he was ok to fly. As they dropped Jonny off at the airport they all exchanged phone numbers and email addresses and agreed that they would stay in touch.

Jonny walked up to the ticket agent.   Betty was the name on the badge, and he asked for a ticket to Florida. Betty explained that because the airport was closed for a time that the delays were now running two days.

“Betty,” said Jonny, “ I have to get into the water and surf soon, I need to clear my mind.”

 “What do you have available?” he said. Betty smiled and replied, “I can put you on standby to Miami, but sometimes that flight stops in Porto Rico first.” “I don’t care just get me on it,” smiled Jonny. “I need to get away from the snow and get back on a beach and surf again.”

 Jonny took a seat next to an older gentleman, who reminded him of Crazy Uncle Mike. Jonny thought, “When I get home I need to give Crazy Uncle Mike a call, I missed his birthday and I wonder how he likes Wisconsin.” “Maybe he knows where I can find Moe?”

 The old man looked over at Jonny and smiled; they do that a lot in the Midwest. Just then Jonny heard, “Standby passenger Jonny Sands please report to gate B-12 for immediate departure! Last Call for Mr. Jonny Sands!”  Jonny jumped up and realized he was at B-22 and took off running. He got to the gate showed the boarding pass just as they were closing the door. He took his seat and they backed away from the jetway. The plane was half full and Jonny thought. “ This is odd.” He dozed off just as the plane left the ground.

   

Sept 2005

Jonny slipped into a dream session as the drone of the jet's engines block all sense of reality. Dreams can almost seem real at times. He felt this one was real. Jonny was on the water again, a clear perfect blue ocean. The waves were unlike anything he had experienced before this beautiful day. They weren’t intimidating at all, more like a combination of the best surf he ever rode. It was truly unbelievable. A kind of, this happened before feeling. One by one it seemed to be a repeat of the best waves he ever rode. Only this time the water was crystal clear. The sands on the beach were pure white, unlike like some of the places he had surfed before. In the distance on the beachhe recognized three faces, two were his favorite honeys and the third was Moe. Jonny tried to call out, “Hey Moe.” But in a dream the words just don’t come out and Moe walked away with the honeys.

It was a good dream, the kind that leaves you with the feeling, “ I gotta remember this” feeling when you wake up.

  Just then the jet hit some turbulence, at the same time the flight attendants where bring the beverage cart down the aisle. The ice bucket flew into the air and did a perfect landing on Jonny. Needless to say this occurrence broke the spell of the deep sleep REM session he was in. “Hey! Wow! What the heck! What’s going on here?” said Jonny with a confused look on his face. The flight attendant apologized and handed him a towel. “Good thing it wasn’t hot coffee.” Said Jonny as he smiled. The captain came on the intercom and also apologized for the turbulence and asked everyone to remain in their seats. The captain explain that the turbulence was the result of outer bands from Katrina and that they where taking a different flight route to Costa Rica.

  Jonny thought, “That’s cool Costa Rica. Costa Rica? Costa Rica? What? I am not going to Costa Rica. I am on a jet to Florida, Right?”  The passenger behind him leaned forward and said, “No”. “This flight goes to Costa Rica.” What a cutie she was. Blonde and blue eyes. “I’m Jonny.” he said. “Pleased to meet you Jonny, I’m Geo.” “Geo?” he said. “Yes” it’s short for Geography, my mom and dad were teachers with a sense of humor.”

  “Wow, Costa Rica, I don’t think I have my passport and I think all my luggage went on the flight to Florida.” Said Jonny. Geo didn’t say anything and when back to reading her book. Jonny thought to himself, “holy crap, man what am I gonna do now”.

  “Hurricane, lost luggage, wrong plane, and flight diverted. This is almost turning out like the last time Matt an I took that trip to New Jersey for the surf contest and the transmission breaks. We had to do 30 MPH on Highway 17 just to get home from North Carolina.” Jonny said as if to be talking to himself out loud.

  “They won’t let me in the country, probably put me in jail”.  He thought, “man that dream was so real and great………..I remember seeing Moe’s face again.” “Moe, I wish I knew where he was.”  Just then Geo leaned forward again and tapped Jonny on the shoulder. “Do you think it would be OK if I came up and sat with you?” she said. “Sure” said Jonny. Jonny got up, his board shorts were still wet from the flying ice bucket event. Geo slid by and took the window seat. “I hate to fly alone.” She said. “Me too.” Explained Jonny. “My friend and I used to travel everywhere together.” said Jonny. “What happened to change that?” asked Geo. “I don’t know.” Said Jonny. “It’s a long story I’ll have to tell you sometime over a few rum and cokes”. He laughed. “It’s a deal.” Said Geo as she tried to shake his hand, but Jonny was way too deep in thoughts about his situation.

  Geo looked at him and said, “Don’t worry I think I can help you.” “Remember I said my parents were teachers?” “Well they know how to get things done and know a lot of people in a lot of places.” “When we get on the ground I’ll give them a call and they’ll work things out.” “They’re great people, I didn’t use to think that way about them, but I’ve learned a lot because of their help.” Geo said.

  Just then the captain came on the intercom again. “This is the captain, we’ll be landing in Dallas in about 30 minutes due to a slight mechanical problem.” “We’ll get this fixed and be on our way.”

  Jonny thought,” Now ain’t that something, what do I do now? Get off in Dallas and head to Florida or continue on to Costa Rica with this beauty?” mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.”    

      …………………………………to be continued…………………………………….