My life at this point took a turn. I was eligible for retirement at 56 and with an inheritance from a patriarchal Aunt, I sold my house and moved from Phoenix to Kansas. I had never lived in the mid west but had seen quite a bit of it while driving several 3000 mile road trips to attend multiple Martina McBride concerts over the previous couple years. In passing through Martina’s home town on one trip, I fell in love with South Central Kansas. Having found a restaurant for sale from her dad’s first cousin in her home town of Sharon, Kansas, I bought the place and moved. Sharon is about 75 miles West of Wichita and 20 miles North of the Oklahoma state line. There is a huge reservoir, Cheney Reservoir, North West of Wichita with a lively sailing community and I had planned to sail there as soon as I got settled. Meanwhile I moored my boat in a small local lake.
Well, I never did get around to sailing; I was so busy with the restaurant. In the end, with business so slow, I had to sell the boat to assist the restaurant. I had to sell my Maserati as well, but that is another story.
I placed an ad on Craigslist and sold it to the very nicest couple in Arkansas. I delivered it and after staying the night at their place, took them out in the morning to a local lake, showed them how to rig it and then sail it. This is the last photo of me with my Laguna.
In the end I had to return to Phoenix to work due to lack of business. My time in Kansas will always be one of my most cherished memories. Sitting at my own bar, eating a Rib eye and a baked potato, drinking a Long Neck Beer while listening to Daryl Schiff, Martina’s dad, sing Classic Country, I thought I had died and gone to Country Western Heaven! In fact I am buying a small undeveloped lot in Sharon so when I can’t sail anymore; I will have a place to grow tomatoes!
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