"old-iron-habit" wrote:

It was an ordeal to get the kids moved. They only had the Christmas weekend off from work in which to get moved. It went like this. We left at 3PM on Christmas eve for the 500 mile drive. Truck lost power at Bismarck. Added a quart of oil and fuel in Bismarck and took it easy to Stanton arriving at midnight. They had to eat Christmas dinner at midnight as Brittni's mother had it on the table. I crashed at grandpas and they and crew loaded the trailer with all there furniture, etc completing at 4:30 AM. I got back at six and checked the oil. NO oil showed on the blown out dipstick stick and oil was all over the engine.
We borrowed a pickup and drove the 500 miles home. I started the F-350 and with Debby riding along I drove back to ND with the tandem gooseneck hauling the borrowed pickup back to ND. Got in at 1AM Saturday the day after Christmas. Unloaded the pickup at six AM, dollied down the flatbed gooseneck, pulled the F-550 out from under the trailer, hooked up the enclosed trailer to the F-350 and headed home arrriving at the kids house at 7 PM. They started unloading that night and by 2 PM Sunday they were pretty much in and the big stuff in place.
On Tuesday with cousing Ron along I bobtailed back to ND, spent the night and after loading the F-550 drug it home on Wednesday. Tuesday was the good day as we went a different route and ended up being able to close the deal purchasing the 42" elevating grader that will be going to southern California to play at Santa Margarita. All in all a 3,000 mile Christmas adventure/nightmare and even though I keep watch I never did see Santa Claus fly by.