Gen Voss~The Diversified Crafter

I had quite the adventure one new Year's Eve when I was 12 years old!! I was babysitting 2 little adorable boys for my next door neighbors, Loretta and Norman and also watching my sisters. I can not recall where my Dad had gone for New Year's as my parents were divorced by then and we lived with him. But I of course being the oldest got the babysitting, although an unpaid job, duties.

I remember we made popcorn and stayed up and watched Guy Lombardo, which was a tradition of many years for us and for many years after. But nothing really remarkable about the night until the neighbors came home!

I am afraid it was all too true that Loretta, who was a very pretty lady, had quite a roving way about her and I do not mean wool roving!! I never understood why she did as Norman was a very good looking guy and very talented and I mean after all they seemed to have a perfect life and 2 beautiful little red-headed boys.

They had gone to a party at the airport in Kansas City and Loretta said she left something there and had to go back to get it and asked my father if I could go with her. Maybe I was to be her alibi or something, not sure but I got to go with her. Now the Municipal Airport was some distance from where we lived in Lee's Summit and I was quite sleepy by then but Loretta was a talker and chattered all the way and I stayed awake...for awhile anyway.

We got to the airport and she drove around to one of the hangars and parked and we got out and walked up to this guy, she shook his hand and said I left my shawl here and have to get it..I recall him saying he knew right where it was..now I did think it was kind of strange that he had her shawl there at a hangar but then I was only 12 and not very worldly!

He asked me if I had ever been on a big plane and I said no not really but had seen many of them at the Air Force base that was close to my house. He said I was going to be allowed to go on one and look it over as much as I wanted to!! So he took me up the rickety metal stairs and told me not to touch any switches but look around as much as I wanted too!! How cool I thought!

So I looked all around and was fascinated with the plane and even got myself a 7-up from the galley!! I sat down in a seat to look out over all the lights on the runways and noticed Loretta was kissing this guy..humm I wondered why, maybe he was a relative and she was wishing him Happy new year! Well I sat there and fell asleep! I had found a wool and kind of itchy blanket and pillow and laid down on the seats while waiting for them to come get me. Not a good idea I found out!

I woke up in Oklahoma City!! Oh my how angry my father was going to be!! Seems I was sleeping on a plane that was going back to OKC only taking back some equipment on it and no one was expected to be on that plane. I was scared and wondered how the heck i was going to get back home! But they put me on a plane with other passengers headed back to KC and there on the ground was my father waiting for me..oh man this was going to be bad!! He said not a word all the way back to Lee's Summit..all the time I was thinking why was he mad at me..this was not my fault or my plan at all..but it turned out he was not mad at me but at Loretta and was just too mad to talk! I never got to babysit for them again!!

I hope where ever your New Year takes you that you have a good adventure and that you get back home safe and sound!!

Happy 2012 and may you prosper in this New Year!!

God Bless all!

Gen Voss~The Diversified Crafter~