This story is about ones Appreciation for Vickey Ritchie and my understanding that Kris Richardson is way smart about something besides Basketball 🏀.

We packed up our stuff and boarded a flight ✈️ on Tuesday morning, leaving St George, Utah just after 10 am Mountain ⛰ Time.

We had a solid well thought out plan that would be highlighted by being the voice for Vickey Ritchie at her latest version of the Special Olympics Basketball Classic. It’s quite possibly my favorite thing that I lend my voice to each here because of who its for and what it means.

The flight ✈️ back was set for Monday evening out of the Tri-Cities Airport in Tennessee at 4: 30 pm.

We were coming home 🏡 for The Classic and then started to build around the Sunday afternoon event with other items.

We had two Medical 🚑 appointments we made ➕ Lin also scheduled a visit to her stylist in Galax. We needed to find Dakota Walls to make our sponsorship for 2026 official and we had to get up to Exit 205 to meet Nancy and pick up our latest Book project.

Bonus items were stopping by the Auxiliary Gym on Wednesday night to show support for West Long and appreciation for Kristy Jones.

Thursday evening would include doing the same for both Ryan Phillips and Anthony Barnes.

Friday would include riding past James River High School to meet Nancy to grab our books 📚 and then see 👀 the JRHS triple header.

Saturday would be a recovery day, Sunday would be The Classic and then straight to Johnson City for recovery sleep 💤 and then fly back to the Desert 🏜.

It all made sense and I was careful about building space in between each item on the list for health reasons. We also had 18  smaller items tI address that build up from being away for two months.

SNAGS ……

  The second flight ✈️ on Tuesday night was late enough that by the time we grabbed our stuff and the rental car 🚗 and left Greensboro it no longer made sense to go all the way home and then turnaround and drive back to Mt Airy for Lin’s 8am appointment. We were able to take a Mt Airy nap and regroup.

From there, we had the received the inevitable update that we were going to have to push The Classic back to the Snow ❄ Date due to the pending weather forecast

Now there was a decision to make about the odds of being able to fly back to Utah on Monday and this was relevant because Lin has a medical 🚑 appointment there on Tuesday.

Knowing that my Neighbor and Friend, Kris Richardson would be doubly invested in the Storm due to his having to work around the clock for VDOT after it happens, I trusted him to advise us on what to do.

Fun Note 📝 – we didn’t pack clothes because we would be in our own home while there…….

Lin needed to be in Galax at 230 for Hair and then I drove the 45 minutes to my medical 🚑 appointment in Mt Airy at 330.

It was while I was waiting for the doctor that Kris offered up his thought process – Don’t risk being stuck in Laurel Fork or Tennessee. Get out if at all possible.

While driving 🚗 back from Mt Airy to Galax to pick Lin up, I reached out to American Airlines about our options for getting out pre – storm. They had two options and both had two stops.

6:00 am on Thursday morning 🌄 or 7:30 on Thursday night. The night option came with more cushion but it would have meant sleeping at the Miami Airport for five hours or so.

Lin back in the car now, we discuss rapid fire during the 15 minute drive 🚗 over to see Dakota Walls. The visit was slightly more than a New York minute but now we know that the first race 🏁 is Sunday March 8th.

Neither of us wanted to sleep 💤 on the floor in Miami so we went all in on getting to Greensboro by 5am Thursday to board the GSO – DCA – PHX – SGU flight ✈️ back.

Four and 1/2 Loop to Nancy and back which included a Nascar Pit-Stop that involved fuel, getting books and a few minor things.

We pulled back into our place in Laurel Fork at 10 : 19 pm. We raced up to drop of the books 📚 and grab a few things. 10:43 pm on the rental Van dashboard.

[ We are getting ready now to take off to Philadelphia and that wasn’t part of the equation at all. I have to stick a pin 📌 in this until we land in Pennsylvania….]

To be continued…

After leaving Laurel Fork, the next stop ✋ was the place of the Mt Airy nap as in a moment of confusion I had left my cane. Then it was on to GSO after filing the tank on the rental car 🚗 with the highlight being a long heartfelt conversion with one of our Sons during the drive.

Rental Van returned early and when the dust settled there was enough time to stick my jacket into my backpack 🎒 to create a pillow. One hour of Airport floor sleep and then as we got on the first of what should have been three flights. We shared a laugh about thinking the worst was behind us and it was all downhill from here.

American Airlines hit the ground running as we received a free upgrade to First Class for the short flight ✈️ to DC.

The next nap took place immediately after the clicking of my seat belt. Very peaceful feeling ( borrowing the line from the Eagles).

  When a person misses back to back sleep cycles things get pretty interesting. We land and when I take my phone out of Airplane mode I receive a message from American saying I have a Hotel 🏨 room waiting for us in Phoenix.

It was only 8am and we were in a major Airport so my thought was what all had to happen to already dictate that we wouldn’t be able to get off this carnival ride ???????????

Our plane from DC  to Phoenix was damaged and we now had a five hour layover. Another hard floor and loss of ability to function led to another nap.

This one lasted 90 minutes and would have been longer but Lin had been informed that are flight ✈️ to Philadelphia would be leaving shortly from the other side of the Airport.

Turns out that our flight had been delayed another four hours so they moved us to a flight farther in the wrong direction…..

Now we were looking at 5 Airports and four ✈️✈️✈️✈️, a new 1Day record. Just want to take a 🚿and change clothes.

The quick flight to Philly didn’t allow for sleep but there’s hope for the 5 hours, 27 minutes worth of flight. #3….

     

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Made it from Terminal F to our next gate at A13 a day getting ready to board our 5 hour, 27 minute flight ✈️ across the country.

More to follow….

Go Cavs…..

Go Lady 👩 Paladins

It’s 7:50 pm Thursday night meaning that Galax – Carroll County Varsity should be getting ready for the second half and Furman University versus Mercer heading into the half.

Two more hours of whatever this is ad then we land in Phoenix !!!!!!

Highly motivated young Man 👨 with an Electric Cart burned rubber, literally, and got us to our final gate as the boarding door 🚪 was closing !!!@@

Next Stop ✋ St George!!!!!!!!