My dad and I had the pleasure of making a trip to Omaha last Thursday to pick up my youngest son at the airport.

He was to arrive at 10 p.m., so a flight from Omaha to McCook would have had to wait until the next morning. He'd already spent 10 hours at the airport in Columbia and wasn't all that enthused about spending a minute longer than necessary in any town other than McCook.

Dad picked me up at about 2:30 and we drove to Kearney where we made a stop at his favorite sporting goods store. We spent about an half an hour wandering the aisles, and then continued our eastward trek.

After stopping at a truck stop for dinner, we got back in the car and made our way to the airport, arriving at about 9:15 p.m. Jer's plane finally arrived at 11 p.m. We had been waiting for him in the baggage claim area.

He called as he deboarded the plane to let us know where to meet him. I told him we were already there. I walked over by the escalator, waiting for him to make his way down.

I saw a group of people making their way down the escalator. Among them was one soldier. I stared at him for a few moments, was it Jeremy or another soldier making his way home to see his family? It wasn't until he waved at me that I was certain.

He had lost 20 pounds while he was in basic. Obviously he'd taken off another 20 pounds since moving on to AIT.

We left the airport and made our way back to McCook, arriving in town at about 4:30 a.m.

Jeremy promised he would drive back home -- to his credit, he did drive from Gretna to York -- he spent the remainder of the ride in the back seat snoring peacefully.

My dad drove the remainder of the trip.

Jeremy is planning on driving back to Fort Jackson, S.C. -- a 1,200-mile trip.

I just keep remembering my baby laying in the back seat of the car sleeping peacefully, without a care in the world.

I have laid down a few rules for him:

Since he'll be leaving on New Year's Eve day, I told him he would pull over by 7 p.m., check into a motel, and stay there until the next day, ordering dinner in.

He insisted he'd sleep in the pickup. I informed him he'd be staying in motels.

He said he could make the trip in 2 days if he drove 12 hours a day. I told him he'd make the trip in three days, driving no more than 9 hours a day.

He told me there was nothing I could do if he didn't follow my instructions.

I told him I could catch a flight and get to South Carolina before he got to Kentucky and be waiting for him at the gates of Fort Jackson.

I think he's decided to take my suggestions to heart.

For those of you that pray, I have a small request -- please keep my son in your prayers throughout his travel. I'm not so worried about Jeremy's driving skills -- it's all the other idiots on the road that scare me.

Just a note: For those of you who have purchased one of my books, the bookbinders have graciously agreed to rebind them. Once they are rebound, I will be happy to replace the one you purchased with one that doesn't fall apart. You can exchange your copy at your place of purchase or you can reach me at (308) 340-9593 and I will personally deliver, or mail, a new book to you. I'll let you know when they are ready for exchange.