Where have I been

Winethirty with Jolene,John, Pat, Judy, Diana, Mike, eric and Rhonda

Jon and Jeanie

Back porch of Rita Parents "Notice the Railing

Andy and Lori Best man at our wedding

Ron and Jane new home

Mag and Randy

Joe and Jean

Wayne and Amy

Rita and I with Al at Schwan's banquet

Rita and Alicia at home in Randolph

At Park In Randolph

Hey Everyone

Sorry haven't written much, Its seems I'm a little off these days and can't find my motivation. Rita was my Motivation and My Cheerleader, they say that behind every Good man is a Better Woman and that was Rita. You don't know how much you rely on your wife until she's gone, Rita was always building me up and pushing me to do better and I Know She Wants Me To get My Motivation Back. I start Grief Share next week at a local church for 13 weeks, I look forward to it and finding my way again.

Well we survived Abbie's Graduation and 18th Birthday with the help of friends and family, espically my sister Michele who was their for me and my family through it all. It was a very special day as Abbie received a card from her MOM, yep it was beautiful and made us cry and miss her evan more. Mag Borst took some pictures which I'll post that had a cloud in some and others not, HMMM who could that be, don't know but we'll just say Rita was able to be there. In her cards to us she always put I can't be there but we'll always be there in Spirit!!

After the Graduation Randy Borst and his son Jake and I went on a 1000 mile motorcyle trip up to Devils Tower in Wyoming then through the Black Hills and Badlands. It was Fun except for the Rain, Hail and Wind that followed us everywhere. Then I went on a 3800 mile trip to see everyone(Jon&Jeanie, Joe&Jean, Wayne&Amy, Ron&Jane, Mag&Randy, Andy&Lori, and everyone in SiouxFalls) and ended up in South Dakota where I spent a week visiting and revisiting our old hang outs. On the last night there we had winethirty at a bar that served frozen wine, It was awesome because I had around me Jolene (with Rita when we 1st met) Diana ( girlfriend who was with me when I met Rita, OK must clarify, Diana due to the circumstances hated Rita but that wasn't working for me and Jeff because we where best friends and Jeff started going out with Diana that same night. So Jeff and I decided these girls should get over it so we could party together. Jeff and I met at an 18 bar to have a few pitchers of beer and I ask Rita to join and Jeff asked Diana to join. Rita got there 1st and had her sit with the back to the door and when we started smiling she turned around there was Diana, well we all started to laugh and long story short Diana was in our wedding and Jeff and Diana evan drove down to North Carolina one sumer to visit.) Judy who was Rita best friend in High School and lived a few doors down from her parents. Rhonda and Eric, who that day drove around with me to find our old parking spots as the ole card board hill had turned into a sub division and Alvin lake turned into a State Park. My 2 cousins John and Pat. It felt really good to be in Sioux Falls and around our family and friends.

OK so Al Bussman hires Rita and I to work for Schwan's Ice Cream on July 18th 1983. I learned what Hard Work was all about that summer, Al started me at $350 a week, that firgured out to about $4 an hour. It was a paycheck and they had awesome benefits. I was leaving every week on Sunday and not getting home until late Friday night or Saturday Morning. So we decided that wasn't working for us and I started taking Rita and Alicia with me and we could at least see each other every night and spend our weekends together. I would put our bike on the top of my car so Rita would have transportation when we got to the motel. We looked like the Beverly Hill Billies traveling around. It took about 4 months and I was making enough money to get our own apartment in Sioux Falls and 2 months later I was offered Routes in Randolph, Nebraska. We moved there on 1/01/1984 and bought a home that was the best in town in 1905, lets say it needed a little updating. It had allot of beautiful features though, hard wood floors, walnut and oak, great fireplace that I loved to fall asleep in front of with Rita and the Kids, stained glass window, cut and beveled glass doors all solid oak, corner double lot, all for the price of $26,500, payment was about $232 per month. Which Rita took advantage of and bought a new car that cost $250 per month, I remember because I expalined what I wanted in the deal and to have the paperwork ready at the dealership and I would stop on my route and sign it all, well when I got there it was all wrong and I knew how much Rita wanted it so she got the car.

It didn't take Rita long to get to know all the Schwan's wifes in town and all our neighbors. Randolph is a small town of about 800 folks, so lets say everyone always knew what everyone was doing which made Rita happy because she loved to talk. I remember meeting Mag Borst at her dads Grocery store, because she saw we where new in town and wanted to know where we lived and guess what right next door to her parents Paul and Lorraine, I bet she already knew that because Mag knows everything that goes on in Randolph just like her mom did. It was awesome living in a small town with so many people who cared about you and would do anything for you. Paul and Lorraine would watch our kids when our pipes would freeze and the washer backed up througn the house or a bat decided to hang out in our living room when I was on an overnight and Paul came to the resue. I remember Sunday's there we would always go for a walk or ride bikes with the kids and end up at the park. We would play with the kids and talk about our future together, and wondering when that next one would arrive. Rita made where every she was at with me, a Home with lotsa of Love plus Friends and Family.