We made it to Burlington, Colorado just in time to take my wife to the ER with severe kidney stone pain. She was at Kit Carson Memorial Hospital for nearly four hours, treated by Dr. Quinn, Frontier Medicine Woman. While she waited, I checked us in at the Best Western Plus Carousel after prying poor faithful Tally from the door my wife last entered. A dog is woman’s best friend and she proved it true, worried that she might never see her again. However, food soon became a priority and she hopped in the car. This was not the only trauma of the day, because I soon discovered that a computer wire transfer of our home closing funds was not possible and the nearest  Chase Bank was 6 hours away in Kansas City with another time change between. We would need to get an early start.

The drugs knocked my wife out for the night, but I slept restlessly. After getting up at 3:30 a.m. and running the minimum mile, I packed the car and walked Tally. Fortunately, my wife felt well enough to drive the first shift, while I relaxed by writing this post. The sun was just coming up as we traveled the flat, uneventful highways of Kansas. I checked in with the bank, moving people, and title company as they all reported to work for Monday morning duty. Tomorrow is Closing Day on our new Florida home so everything has to be in order – money and paperwork! It’s exciting but exhausting as I fight off a headache.

We missed dinner last night, so a sugary pastry, Nature’s Valley peanut bar, banana, and bottle of Sunny D orange juice served as nourishment on the go. The rising sun is in our eyes and Tally sleeps in the back seat, finding the once exciting “ride in the car” to be undesirably boring. Hopefully, closing details will go smoothly and my wife  will have a pain free day, avoiding another trip to the ER.