About Schmidt Page #4

I'm on my way out to see you.

Right now I'm just outside

Grand IsIand.

Dad, what are you taIking about?

Jeannie...

I've been thinking about things

and how much you mean to me...

and how IittIe time

you and I spend together...

and I reaIized what the heck

am I doing in Omaha...

when I couId be with you?

We shouId be together.

Wait. You're coming now?

If I drive straight through,

I'II be there for supper.

Gosh, I don't think so, Dad.

This is not a good idea.

Sure, it is.

Don't teII me you couIdn't use

a IittIe extra heIp...

with aII those

wedding arrangements.

I'II take the burden off.

The thing is, Dad,

Roberta and I and JiII...

we've pretty much got

everything under controI.

Use the bubbIe wrap.

It's too big.

It's such a nice offer,

but Iet's stick to the pIan.

Get here a day or two before

the wedding, Iike we said.

I assume you won't object to me

sending any more checks.

Jesus, Dad,

I do not have time for this.

CaII me when you get home. OK?

Fine. Bye, Jeannie.

Bye, Dad.

Dear Ndugu, how are you?

I'm fine.

A week or so ago...

I decided to take

a IittIe road trip...

on my way to Jeannie's wedding

out in Denver.

Jeannie begged me

to come out earIy...

and heIp her

with the arrangements...

but I toId her

I needed some time to myseIf.

I've decided

to visit some pIaces...

I haven't been to

in a Iong time.

So much has happened

in my Iife...

that I can't seem to remember.

WhoIe sections of my Iife

that are just gone.

So, you might say

I've been trying...

to cIear a few cobwebs

from my memory.

My first stop was none other

than HoIdrege, Nebraska.

I thought it'd be enIightening

to visit the house...

where I was born

We moved away from HoIdrege...

when I was not much oIder

than you...

and I've often wondered...

what our oId house

wouId be Iike today.

Funny, I never forgot

the address...

Yes, sir.

Can I heIp you, sir?

No, thanks.

I'm just Iooking around.

I used to Iive here.

Here in the store?

Yep. My chiIdhood home

was right on this spot.

In fact...

the bedroom wouId have been

right about here.

The Iiving room over here,

and the dining...

WeII, that was a Iong time ago.

Before you were born.

Warren! Warren!

Hey, Mom!

Mommy Ioves you, Warren.

Yes, she does.

Happy birthday, Warren!

You're not gonna beIieve this...

but we used to have a tire swing

right out front here.

An awfuI Iot had changed

since my day...

but it was stiII good

to be home again.

Very good, indeed.

Next stop--Lawrence, Kansas...

where I paid a visit

to my oId aIma mater, K.U.

I hadn't been there

in years and years...

and now seemed Iike

the perfect time to stop by.

I even managed to hook up

with some kids...

at my oId fraternity,

Beta Sigma EpsiIon.

Hence, the company motto--

''As a woodman cIears the way.''

WeII, Ndugu,

I highIy recommend...

that you pIedge a fraternity

when you go to coIIege.

After that IittIe waIk

down memory Iane...

it was tourist time

for yours truIy.

I made my way back to Nebraska

and stopped in...

at the Custer County

HistoricaI Museum in Broken Bow

to see their fine coIIection

of arrowheads.

Later that same day...

I happened

to meet a reaI Indian...

or Native American...

as they Iike

to be caIIed nowadays.

We had a nice chat about

the history of the area...

and he reaIIy opened my eyes.

Those peopIe got a raw deaI...

just a raw deaI.

Next stop...

BuffaIo BiII Cody's house

in North PIatte.

What a remarkabIe man.

You can read about him

in the encIosed pamphIet.

I puII the Adventurer over

whenever I feeI Iike...

stretching my Iegs,

taking in a IocaI sight...

or browsing for antiques.

The other day, for exampIe,

at an antique store in Cozad...

I came across a fine coIIection

of rare HummeIs.

I guess I never reaIIy

appreciated...

how exquisiteIy crafted

they are.

Each one comes with its own

certificate of authenticity.

HeIen Ioved HummeIs.

Ahoy there.

Yes?

I said ''ahoy.''

WeII, ''ahoy'' yourseIf.

John Rusk,

Eau CIaire, Wisconsin.

Warren Schmidt, Omaha.

I hope I'm not disturbing you...

but I couIdn't heIp noticing

you got a new Adventurer.

-That's right.

-35-footer?

That's right.

What a beauty.

Man, oh, man.

I'm pretty happy with it.

Permission to step aboard,

Captain?

How's that?

Can I take a Iook inside?

Sure, heIp yourseIf.

Thank you.

Yeah, jeez.

Look at aII this room.

These pop-outs

reaIIy make a difference.

Yep.

You keep a mighty

cIean gaIIey, mister.

I've onIy been

on the road a week.

You're kidding.

This is your maiden voyage?

Yeah.

-And you're traveIing soIo?

-That's right.

HoIy Christ,

come over for dinner.

We gotta ceIebrate.

My Vicki's one heck of a cook.

If you're free, of course.

I'II have to check my scheduIe.

Ahoy there.

Ahoy!

Get yourseIf up here.

I'm Vicki Rusk.

Warren Schmidt.

John was so excited to meet you.

Gosh, you shouIdn't have.

SmeIIs deIish.

-I hope you Iike beef stew.

-Yeah.

There he is!

How are you?

Good, good.

Can I take your jacket?

Sure. Yep.

There we go.

-Is something burning?

-Huh?

No, no, no.

I just Iit a coupIe of matches.

Oh.

ShaII we adjourn

to the Iiving room?

-You're aImost done?

-Just about.

Warren brought us beer.

Thank you, Warren.

Here, have a seat.

AII right.

Right there.

Take that one there.

Ok.

So...

What do you do

back in Eau CIaire?

My brother and I

have a IittIe shoe store.

It's a Famous Footwear.

And, weII,

peopIe wiII aIways need shoes.

Vicki, here,

she's an occupationaI therapist.

So that's our day job,

you might say.

How about yourseIf?.

I was in the insurance game,

but I'm retired now.

OK, boys, dinner is served.

This is a coupIe

we met in Kansas.

Remember I was teIIing you about

the guy with the wooden Ieg?

But we Ioved them.

We spent a whoIe weekend

with them out in Kansas.

This is Roger and Denise

and their daughters.

Denise is your oIdest?

She's the middIe one.

They Iive out in DeIaware.

And these IittIe cuties

are Katie and SIoan.

A girI named ''SIoan.''

I never heard that one before.

Neither had we.

Do you have any pictures

of your daughter with you?

No. Not on me.

I don't, no.

Nothing in your waIIet?

WeII...

I might have one

of George Washington.

Or Abraham LincoIn.

Who?

Hey, easy.

We're a IittIe Iow

on truth serum.

If I go get another six-pack,

wiII you guys be OK?

-Yes!

-Oh, yeah.

Abraham LincoIn.

Back in a fIash.

-Not bad, huh?

-I Iike that.

''Who?''

Here's the IittIe cart

we got them for Christmas.

-Is that cute?

-That's darIing.

Those adorabIe IittIe dresses.

And these are

their christening dresses.

That's quite a famiIy

you got there.

You and John are very Iucky.

I know. We reaIIy are.

Yep.

Warren...

wouId you mind

if I made an observation?

Sure.

WeII...

you put a pretty good face

on things...

considering everything

you've been through IateIy.

I know I've just met you...

but I have good instincts

about peopIe...

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