The Superior Express -

What a weekend! We went to Fort Riley to visit Robert and my two adopted army brats and family. We arrived at the boys' place early in the afternoon on Friday. We were at the house long enough to use bathroom, kiss the baby and head out the door. Robert's truck had been broken down in the barracks parking lot for over a month, and George was on a mission to get it fixed.

The tumblers in the ignition were worn, and the old worn key that worked just fine all this time had gotten bent, so he was unable to start the truck. We had ordered him a new ignition, but when he tried to replace it, the button that released the ignition broke. So Robert ordered that part but was unsure of how to install it. After a bit of investigation, it was evident that George would need to pull the steering wheel. So off to the parts store we went to borrow the tool needed.

It was hot and humid and honestly quite miserable. Thankfully, there is a covered area outside the barracks with picnic tables where I sat while George and Robert roasted in the truck. Several hours later, after the airbag was off and the steering wheel was pulled, George was able to remove the old ignition switch. We then headed back to the house, where the boys sat at the table with the tedious task of assembling the tumblers into the new switch to fit the key while I sat and played with my adopted granddaughter, Kaylin. By the time that was finished, it was late, and we decided to go back to the hotel for a swim and order pizza.

We were in the parking lot the majority of Saturday morning as well. In the afternoon, the boys gave us a tour of the historical parts of Fort Riley. Fort Riley's main post was established in 1852, and entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Since the base is located in the Flint Hills, most of the historical homes and buildings are made of stone. We drove by Cavalry Parade Field and General Custer's house, which is rumored to be haunted. They have even had paranormal investigators stay the night. Unfortunately, the base museum was closed, and our tour was taken during a thunderstorm, so we were unable to get out and view all the monuments. The base is huge! Around 100,000 acres, which is why a vehicle is so essential.

We were able to visit the cemetery before the rain started. It's one of the most solemn and picturesque cemeteries I have ever visited. It's set on a hill surrounded by trees, giving it a feeling of complete isolation. The number of unknown US soldiers buried there pulled at the heartstrings. Some of the markers go back to the Civil War era. There are also many children buried here from the cholera epidemic of 1855 and another in the summer of 1867.

After our tour, we headed back to the hotel for a bit. Once the skies cleared, we could swim for a bit and make dinner.

With our bellies full, we headed back to the parking lot for one last-ditch effort to start the truck. The security system in the truck had shut down the fuel injection, so, in Robert's words, she was being a tease. The truck would turn over and fire but would not start. George researched how to reset the computer, and we got her to start just before dark.

For the month and a half she had set, one of the tires was low, so we followed him to the closest convenience store to air the tires up. When we got there, Robert mentioned the steering wheel was a little loose, and George told him to pull on it a little, and it came off in his hands.

George started laughing and said he forgot to put the nut back on, so he fixed the truck in yet another parking lot. Thankfully this time, it didn't take as long.

Finally, with truck complete, we sat outside, talking and enjoying the cool evening air before heading back to the hotel.

Sunday morning, we made sure the ol' gal would start before saying our good-byes and heading home and back to work to get some rest! LOL!

It was definitely a crazy weekend and not exactly what we had planned, but thanks to my hubby, I have a little peace of mind knowing Robert can be independent once again and not have to depend on someone else to get him where he needs to be. We plan to go back and visit later this summer or early fall; maybe next time the museum will be open.

If you love history or the paranormal, Fort Riley should be on your "places to see" list. X's & O's.