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. Gary’s work at the Kiowa District hospital was sometimes interrupted with a little humorous activity. Carol Steinbock, being a single mother, raising a son, and the X-ray and Lab Supervisor was by nature serious about her work, and about most everything. Doctor Ransom requesting Carol to have the mobile X-ray unit ready for use in surgery. In the past, Carol having difficulty transporting the mobile powered unit from its hall storage position to surgery. Gary aware of Carol’s eradicate steering, light heartedly taking a piece of chalk, drawing a line on the center of the floor from the hall storage area, to the surgery entrance as a marker for Carol to follow. Carol excepting the pun.
. Don and Barbara Ransom were personal friends of Gary and Jan, Don being Gary’s immediate up line in his Amway network. It was no surprised when Doctor Ransom ask Gary to bring the X-ray unit into surgery and position it during the procedure. Dr. Ransom noting, Carol seemed uncomfortable, and wasn’t too steady positioning the unit. Gary visiting with Carol about Alva, mentioning Northwestern Oklahoma State University and its presentations, discovering she too was interested in their programed series, mentioning, the School Music Department was sponsoring a Schubert Fest as a pre-view before the coming concert attractions. Gary’s interest peeked, not sure of all it embodied, but it definitely sounded worthwhile. At home, mentioning what Carol had said, entreating Jan to attend with him, but, her propensity for entertainment didn’t include classical music, and as expected she declined.
. Gary attending the event in the fine arts building , finding Carol seated, the acquainting ushers all dressed in early 1800 Georgian period clothes, the two enjoying a presentation of Schubert’s string quartets, vocals and piano sonata, the event concluding with several tables of snack treats, the food prepared as it was in the 1820 period. Gary familiar with the era, always marveled at the life style of all the Vienna born composers. Franz Schubert was paramount, having written over 1500 works in a variety of formats and like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, passing on at the young age of 31 years. Other renown composers, Liszt, Schumann, Brahms and Mendelssohn all later contemporaries of Franz Schubert.
. An unexpected phone call from Gary’s mother, serving notice, her and companion Tom Fleming were on the road and would be traveling thru Oklahoma on Interstate 40, and would detour north to Alva for a brief visit, the couple journeying to Atlanta to attend the 1996 Paralympics. The voyaging couple arriving in the evening at the Noble Street address, visiting with an invitation to meet for breakfast, Gary accepting, Jan declining, relating her presence at work was a priority. Gary discovering Tom’s son Andy was the President and CEO of the Paralympics Committee, in charge of the international exposition, Andy also a paraplegic, having lost his legs in a train accident in 1977.
. Tom and Gary’s mother were an ideal couple, Tom like Gary’s father was a teamster, but unlike his father who was strictly a chauffeur of trucks and earth moving equipment, Tom progressed from driver to owner of a large California trucking transport company. The couple’s visit was brief, Gary joining his Mother and Tom for an early morning breakfast, their visit providing a brief but needed uplifting, life in Alva settling back into a doldrums. Gary reflecting with an open mind but there remained a lingering doubt, questioning the syllogism of the move to Alva, still playing the cards from the deck of life, and knowing one should make every attempt to avail the hand dealt.
Inquisitive Quest 
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