This has been a very lazy, rainy day. It was sunny when we got up this morning, but the rain started about 10:30 and has been coming down on and off all day long. As I type this at 9:00, it's still sprinkling. The gentle sound of the rain blends with the river flowing by and makes this a sleeping paradise! But, as you can tell, I'm not asleep.
We all slept late this morning. Finally figured out that if we put a blanket over our bedroom windows, the early morning sun doesn't wake us quite so early. It was about 9:45 when we all emerged from our sleeping quarters and sat down to rest in the living room. Isn't that the way it usually is? You get out of bed, take care of business, and then find somewhere to sit down. Well, that's how it is in our house anyway. Especially when we're on vacation.
Dear wanted to drive over to the Wolf Creek Pass Ski Resort to see what it looks like in the summer. We've been there in the winter because we all spent one Christmas up here several years ago. B&K were still in Lazy mode, so Dear and I went by ourselves. It was a nice little drive in the rain until we got to South Fork. Then the sun was shining again. The road to the pass is Highway 160 -- a nice two-lane road through another National Forest. Everything is so pretty and green now. The aspens are the brightest green of all. We made it to WCPSR in about an hour and, of course, it's shut down for the season. But we pulled into the lower parking lot and took a couple of pictures.
It started raining again on the way back, but Dear wanted to get gas in the Pilot. It was barely sprinkling when we stopped at the gas station, but the bottom dropped out just as Dear was getting out to pump the gas. And the credit card pump didn't have a canopy. Luckily, my umbrella was still in the car from yesterday. I thought about taking a picture of Dear as he pumped gas under the umbrella, but I didn't.
By the time we got back to Cottonwood Cove, the rain had stopped again. I've been wanting to take a jaunt up Pool Table Road between CC and Creede, so Dear was game this time. We drove up the road for about 6 miles. The views were awesome. Took more pictures.
We started back on the road to Creede when B called to see if we would pick up some more DP from the grocery in Creede. Sure thing. Dear pulled into the do-it-yourself car wash place next to the laundromat (appropriate location, don't you think?) and washed most of the mud off of the Pilot. Yes, it was still raining, but this mud was pretty caked on and the rain wouldn't have washed it away. We picked up the DP's from the Kentucky Belle Market and headed back to the cabin.
We're trying to eat up all the food we bought so we don't have to cart a bunch of it back home with us, especially the perishables. The crackers and bread and such will be fine and we have a cooler for the sodas and fruit. But there were a few things in the freezer and the meat really needed to be used. B&K ate some of the taquitos out of the freezer, so Dear and I fixed the rest of them for our late lunch. Now if we can just drink a GALLON of milk in the next few hours, we'll be good.
Dear scheduled a telecon with our new webmaster for COLAG at 8 our time, so we just puttered around the cabin and B and I did a little fishing in the river while we waited for the 8:00 hour. Dear and I packed up the laptops about 7:45 and made the little walk up to the lodge. I've been updating my Facebook photos and browsing the web while he's been on the phone with Tony.
He just got finished, so we're ready to get back to the cabin and chill for a bit before turning in for the night. Maybe some more reading for me...I'm starting the last book in the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury. I highly recommend these books! Good fiction with a good message. Very poignant. Keep Kleenex handy.
Okay. I'm caught up again. Check out the new photos in the Facebook album. We've been feeding the ground squirrels and chipmunks that are everywhere here at the ranch. They LOVE us and will be very sad to see us go! LOL
ttfn
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, Laundry, Fishing and Dad
I woke up at 5:00 (ungodly hour if you ask me), but covered my head with the blanket and went back to sleep until 8. Everyone else was still sleeping, so I got my current read and started back in on it. This particular book really gets to me emotionally, so I stopped several times to pray for the offspring. It's just one of those stories.
We designated today to be Laundry Day. It has been our practice to pack 3 days' worth of clothes and then do laundry wherever we may be. So this was our day. We got everything together and, after the morning ablutions (there's that word again), headed into Creede to the oh-so-familiar laundromat that we always use when we're here.
Jeez-a-lou, the washers were $3.50 each!! Naturally, we didn't have enough quarters or even cash for that matter, so we asked the locals where to find the nearest ATM machine. It was about 4 blocks away. Here we go -- exercise for the morning. Huff, puff, huff, puff. I don't remember having altitude issues before. Maybe it's because we're older? Yeah, that's the ticket. We're older.
Made it to the bank and the ATM machine without too much embarassment. The ATM fee for a cash withdrawal was $5.00! Supply and demand, right? Whatever.
Back down the 4 blocks to the laundromat and got the washers going. B&K decided they were hot, so they drove back to the cabin to change clothes while Dear and I set up our Internet cafe in the laundromat and piggy-backed WiFi off of one of the local B&B's nearby. I uploaded some more photos to Facebook (I think there are more than 80 of them in the album now), checked email and bank accounts, and then worked on the blog.
While we were doing laundry, #3 called B and told him that their dog, Jaxon, had hurt himself somehow and should he go to the vet? B said yes, and K called the vet in Midlothian to make an appointment for 4:30. Turns out that Jax had cut his leg all the way around and the vet decided to keep him overnight for antibiotics and observation. #3 offered to stay with B&K's other puppy, Sydney, so she wouldn't be alone for the night. Isn't that what canine uncles are supposed to do? Thanks, #3!
After the laundry was finished, we walked next door to Kip's Grill for a late lunch (3:30 p.m. already!), picked up a few grocery items from the local market, and then drove back to the cabin. Thunderstorms were rolling in -- that happens pretty much every afternoon here -- and we sat on the cabin porch listening to the thunder, feeding almonds and granola to the chipmunks, and taking pictures. They're very tame and will eat out of your hand if you stay really still. One little guy even climbed up the outside of K's pants-leg looking for more goodies.
In spite of the rain, we drove out to Love Lake to do some fishing. It wasn't raining when we got there and the other fishermen were pulling fish out of the water like every 5 minutes or so. All we got was wet, cold, and p-o'ed because we certainly didn't get any bites! Not even any nibbles! We tried for about 2 hours, but finally gave up and came back to the cabin.
B&K let us out at the lodge for some more Internet time -- I needed to listen to yesterday's lecture. Did that while Dear watched "A Knight's Tale" and now I'm caught up with the blog.
Dad. Today is the 25th anniversary of my father's promotion to Heaven. I can't believe so much time has passed already. I am sorry that our children didn't have the chance to know their Grandfather. He would have been proud of them. I love you, Dad, and I miss you!
ttfn
We designated today to be Laundry Day. It has been our practice to pack 3 days' worth of clothes and then do laundry wherever we may be. So this was our day. We got everything together and, after the morning ablutions (there's that word again), headed into Creede to the oh-so-familiar laundromat that we always use when we're here.
Jeez-a-lou, the washers were $3.50 each!! Naturally, we didn't have enough quarters or even cash for that matter, so we asked the locals where to find the nearest ATM machine. It was about 4 blocks away. Here we go -- exercise for the morning. Huff, puff, huff, puff. I don't remember having altitude issues before. Maybe it's because we're older? Yeah, that's the ticket. We're older.
Made it to the bank and the ATM machine without too much embarassment. The ATM fee for a cash withdrawal was $5.00! Supply and demand, right? Whatever.
Back down the 4 blocks to the laundromat and got the washers going. B&K decided they were hot, so they drove back to the cabin to change clothes while Dear and I set up our Internet cafe in the laundromat and piggy-backed WiFi off of one of the local B&B's nearby. I uploaded some more photos to Facebook (I think there are more than 80 of them in the album now), checked email and bank accounts, and then worked on the blog.
While we were doing laundry, #3 called B and told him that their dog, Jaxon, had hurt himself somehow and should he go to the vet? B said yes, and K called the vet in Midlothian to make an appointment for 4:30. Turns out that Jax had cut his leg all the way around and the vet decided to keep him overnight for antibiotics and observation. #3 offered to stay with B&K's other puppy, Sydney, so she wouldn't be alone for the night. Isn't that what canine uncles are supposed to do? Thanks, #3!
After the laundry was finished, we walked next door to Kip's Grill for a late lunch (3:30 p.m. already!), picked up a few grocery items from the local market, and then drove back to the cabin. Thunderstorms were rolling in -- that happens pretty much every afternoon here -- and we sat on the cabin porch listening to the thunder, feeding almonds and granola to the chipmunks, and taking pictures. They're very tame and will eat out of your hand if you stay really still. One little guy even climbed up the outside of K's pants-leg looking for more goodies.
In spite of the rain, we drove out to Love Lake to do some fishing. It wasn't raining when we got there and the other fishermen were pulling fish out of the water like every 5 minutes or so. All we got was wet, cold, and p-o'ed because we certainly didn't get any bites! Not even any nibbles! We tried for about 2 hours, but finally gave up and came back to the cabin.
B&K let us out at the lodge for some more Internet time -- I needed to listen to yesterday's lecture. Did that while Dear watched "A Knight's Tale" and now I'm caught up with the blog.
Dad. Today is the 25th anniversary of my father's promotion to Heaven. I can't believe so much time has passed already. I am sorry that our children didn't have the chance to know their Grandfather. He would have been proud of them. I love you, Dad, and I miss you!
ttfn
Tuesday, June 23, Lazy Day, Cottonwood, and Bristol Mountain
The boyz wanted to do some more jeeping today, so they got up early and took off. We had decided that us girls would have a lazy day and then we would meet the guys at the Cottonwood Cove at 5-ish to return the jeep and have dinner (and Blue Bell!) at the little restaurant there. They took some snacks with them so they were set for the day's adventures.
K and I slept in and then just lazed around enjoying the cool weather and the silence. I got ready and went up to the lodge again for some computer time. Unfortunately, the bills and school obligations don't stop for vacation! I took snacks with me so I could settle in for a good long session. Eventually K came up to the lodge and uploaded some of her pictures, too.
The guys got back from their jeeping about 2:30 instead of 5:30, so K went back to the cabin. I stayed at the lodge because I wanted to catch a live lecture for my finance class since the lectures are usually when I'm at work (5 p.m. CST). I've never gotten to be in on a live session, and I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to catch the live session at 4:00.
It started pouring down rain at 3:30 and, of course, my umbrella was at the cabin. Oh well, I've lived this long without melting, it probably won't happen now. At 3:55, I logged onto the web portal and waited while the hamster churned. Everything went like clockwork until it got to the authentication screen for the live session itself. Nothing. No authentication available. You are not authorized to access this live class session. Uh, hello? I paid my tuition just like every other student!! Try again. Nothing. No authentication available. You are not authorized to access this live class session.
Rats. I know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over trying to get a different outcome. So I only tried it one more time, you know, just in case...Nothing. No authentication available. You are not authorized to access this live class session.
Fine.
I packed up my stuff, called Dear and told him I was ready. He brought the Pilot and B&K drove the jeep and we all headed to Cottonwood Cove in the pouring rain. The drive took about 20 minutes and it was sunny when we got there. B took care of the jeep return, then we all sat down for dinner. B and I had chicken, Dear and K had spaghetti. Another good meal with pleasant company and a quiet dining ambience. K got blackberry cobbler to go and Dear and I got Blue Bell. Just like home!
We drove back to the cabin after dinner and B&K wanted to chill for the evening. Dear and I got in the Pilot for an early evening drive out to the Rio Grande Reservoir. The road to the reservoir runs east/west opposite Bristol Mountain and affords incredible views of Bristol. I'd like to have one of the houses at the foot of that mountain. It's just magnificent. We took some pictures along the way, of course.
Back at the cabin, B had gone fishing in the river and K was watching a movie, "The Holiday." Great movie (yeah, it's a chick-flick, but still a great movie). We all sat down and finished watching it and then the other three decided to go to bed. It was all of 10:15, so I finished "Return" and started "Rejoice" before I turned off the light at midnight.
ttfn
K and I slept in and then just lazed around enjoying the cool weather and the silence. I got ready and went up to the lodge again for some computer time. Unfortunately, the bills and school obligations don't stop for vacation! I took snacks with me so I could settle in for a good long session. Eventually K came up to the lodge and uploaded some of her pictures, too.
The guys got back from their jeeping about 2:30 instead of 5:30, so K went back to the cabin. I stayed at the lodge because I wanted to catch a live lecture for my finance class since the lectures are usually when I'm at work (5 p.m. CST). I've never gotten to be in on a live session, and I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to catch the live session at 4:00.
It started pouring down rain at 3:30 and, of course, my umbrella was at the cabin. Oh well, I've lived this long without melting, it probably won't happen now. At 3:55, I logged onto the web portal and waited while the hamster churned. Everything went like clockwork until it got to the authentication screen for the live session itself. Nothing. No authentication available. You are not authorized to access this live class session. Uh, hello? I paid my tuition just like every other student!! Try again. Nothing. No authentication available. You are not authorized to access this live class session.
Rats. I know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over trying to get a different outcome. So I only tried it one more time, you know, just in case...Nothing. No authentication available. You are not authorized to access this live class session.
Fine.
I packed up my stuff, called Dear and told him I was ready. He brought the Pilot and B&K drove the jeep and we all headed to Cottonwood Cove in the pouring rain. The drive took about 20 minutes and it was sunny when we got there. B took care of the jeep return, then we all sat down for dinner. B and I had chicken, Dear and K had spaghetti. Another good meal with pleasant company and a quiet dining ambience. K got blackberry cobbler to go and Dear and I got Blue Bell. Just like home!
We drove back to the cabin after dinner and B&K wanted to chill for the evening. Dear and I got in the Pilot for an early evening drive out to the Rio Grande Reservoir. The road to the reservoir runs east/west opposite Bristol Mountain and affords incredible views of Bristol. I'd like to have one of the houses at the foot of that mountain. It's just magnificent. We took some pictures along the way, of course.
Back at the cabin, B had gone fishing in the river and K was watching a movie, "The Holiday." Great movie (yeah, it's a chick-flick, but still a great movie). We all sat down and finished watching it and then the other three decided to go to bed. It was all of 10:15, so I finished "Return" and started "Rejoice" before I turned off the light at midnight.
ttfn
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, Fishing, Lake City, Tests
Monday morning, K was feeling better (yay!) so she and B decided to fix breakfast tacos for everyone. They were yummy!
My class was never far out of my mind, and hanging over my head for the past few days were the quizzes for chapters 4, 5, and 7, and exam #2 over those same chapters. I'd read the chapters and tried some of the worksheet problems, but didn't have the confidence that I was comfortable enough with the material to do well on the quizzes. I knew that at some point I just had to bite the bullet and do it.
So I took quiz #5 right after breakfast because that material was mostly text and very little math or financial calculations. Wonder of wonders, I got 10 out of 10 right! Hallelujah! I still wasn't sure about the material in chapters 4 or 7, but figured I might as well get another one out of the way early and then leave the last quiz and exam #2 for the evening.
I dug out the financial calculator and all of my cheat-sheet notes from the lectures and my reading assignments and hit the "Take the Quiz" button for chapter 4. Again, I surprised myself at what I had retained. I read the questions, figured out what answer I needed to find, and did the financial calculations on my trusty TI-BA calculator. I actually came up with answers that matched the choices!! There was one question that I wasn't sure about at all, so I did ask K if I was on the right track. She confirmed me and I held my breath as I hit the "Submit Answers" button. Another 10 out of 10!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, God (and K)!!!
After making it past the chapter 4 hurdle, we were all ready to get out of the cabin and DO something. We packed up the fishing gear, the ice chest, snacks, sunglasses, hats, reading material, blanket, and a 4x4 trail map of the Creede area and set out. We'd decided that we would take both vehicles today so that, at some point, the boyz could go off on their own jeeping experience and K and I could retreat to the cabin for some R&R.
We drove to our favorite fishing spot, Spring Creek Lake, K set up her reading area on a blanket and the boyz got into their fishing mode. I walked around taking random pictures and being the line-untangler assistant for the not-so-high-quality fishing gear we had picked up at Wally World in Alamosa. Didn't catch anything but a few sunbeams and, after about an hour, we got back into the vehicles and drove to North Clear Creek Falls. More photo ops, all of which are posted on my Facebook page.
We decided to leave the Jeep at the parking area by the falls and all ride together to Lake City to have lunch and look around. It was about 21 miles from the falls to Lake City, but the road through the mountain passes made for some spectacular landscape views. We had lunch at the Southern Vittles restaurant in Lake City because Dear and B were in the mood for some home cooking and K wanted mashed potatoes. Dear had chicken fried steak (definitely not Rockett Cafe quality), B had chicken tenders, K had mashed potatoes and okra, and I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of chicken/sausage gumbo. We were full.
After lunch, we took some more pictures and went into a couple of the shops in Lake City. It's comparable to Creede, but not nearly as picturesque IMHO. We stopped at a sports shop on the way out of town to get the boyz new closed reels for their not-so-high-quality fishing poles and also to get me a cheap-o rod/reel and a 5-day fishing license. Yes, I like to fish on occasion. Especially when we're in Creede.
The drive back to the falls seemed quicker than the drive over -- isn't that always the case? -- and we split up: girls back to the cabin and boyz out on their male-bonding jeeping adventure. K and I rested for a while when we got to the cabin. Then I packed up the laptop, my books and study materials, and the trusty financial calculator to finish out my class assignments for the week.
Chapter 7 was about bonds -- another foreign subject for me -- but I finished reading it and listened to the ClassLive lecture. I do better when I take the quizzes when the material is fresh in my mind, so I just dived right in to the chapter quiz. Missed one, but there was one question where I vacillated between two answers, so obviously I chose the wrong one. But 9 out of 10 ain't bad!
K came over and told me that the boyz were back alive and were hungry. I wanted to get the exam #2 out of the way while I was on a roll, so I told her that they should go ahead and do whatever they wanted to for dinner. I said a little prayer and started right in on the exam.
Prof had allowed an hour for the 30-question exam, which kind of surprised me because he had given us two hours for the first 50-question exam. Whatever. Again, I surprised myself at what I've retained and I felt pretty confident when I hit the "Submit Answers" button. Wonder of wonders -- I got 30 out of 30!!!!! I let out a big "YESSSSSSSSSSS!!" and scared the other guy who was in the lodge Internetting on his own laptop. Oops, sorry about that, guy. But I ACED A FINANCE EXAM!!!!!
I packed up my gear and hoofed it back to the cabin to celebrate with the fam. They were eating tortellini and ravioli, but everyone was excited about my success!! I felt like a load had been lifted off of my shoulders!
After dinner, we all settled in to watch a Henry Cho DVD, "What's That Clickin' Noise?" If you've never heard him, he's a great comedian -- all family-friendly material and really funny.
We made it about halfway through the DVD when B&K fell asleep on the couch, so we turned it off so they and Dear could go to bed. Believe it or not, it was only 9:45! I read for a while (Karen Kingsbury "Return") before turning out the light on our cozy Commodore cabin in Creede.
ttfn
My class was never far out of my mind, and hanging over my head for the past few days were the quizzes for chapters 4, 5, and 7, and exam #2 over those same chapters. I'd read the chapters and tried some of the worksheet problems, but didn't have the confidence that I was comfortable enough with the material to do well on the quizzes. I knew that at some point I just had to bite the bullet and do it.
So I took quiz #5 right after breakfast because that material was mostly text and very little math or financial calculations. Wonder of wonders, I got 10 out of 10 right! Hallelujah! I still wasn't sure about the material in chapters 4 or 7, but figured I might as well get another one out of the way early and then leave the last quiz and exam #2 for the evening.
I dug out the financial calculator and all of my cheat-sheet notes from the lectures and my reading assignments and hit the "Take the Quiz" button for chapter 4. Again, I surprised myself at what I had retained. I read the questions, figured out what answer I needed to find, and did the financial calculations on my trusty TI-BA calculator. I actually came up with answers that matched the choices!! There was one question that I wasn't sure about at all, so I did ask K if I was on the right track. She confirmed me and I held my breath as I hit the "Submit Answers" button. Another 10 out of 10!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, God (and K)!!!
After making it past the chapter 4 hurdle, we were all ready to get out of the cabin and DO something. We packed up the fishing gear, the ice chest, snacks, sunglasses, hats, reading material, blanket, and a 4x4 trail map of the Creede area and set out. We'd decided that we would take both vehicles today so that, at some point, the boyz could go off on their own jeeping experience and K and I could retreat to the cabin for some R&R.
We drove to our favorite fishing spot, Spring Creek Lake, K set up her reading area on a blanket and the boyz got into their fishing mode. I walked around taking random pictures and being the line-untangler assistant for the not-so-high-quality fishing gear we had picked up at Wally World in Alamosa. Didn't catch anything but a few sunbeams and, after about an hour, we got back into the vehicles and drove to North Clear Creek Falls. More photo ops, all of which are posted on my Facebook page.
We decided to leave the Jeep at the parking area by the falls and all ride together to Lake City to have lunch and look around. It was about 21 miles from the falls to Lake City, but the road through the mountain passes made for some spectacular landscape views. We had lunch at the Southern Vittles restaurant in Lake City because Dear and B were in the mood for some home cooking and K wanted mashed potatoes. Dear had chicken fried steak (definitely not Rockett Cafe quality), B had chicken tenders, K had mashed potatoes and okra, and I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of chicken/sausage gumbo. We were full.
After lunch, we took some more pictures and went into a couple of the shops in Lake City. It's comparable to Creede, but not nearly as picturesque IMHO. We stopped at a sports shop on the way out of town to get the boyz new closed reels for their not-so-high-quality fishing poles and also to get me a cheap-o rod/reel and a 5-day fishing license. Yes, I like to fish on occasion. Especially when we're in Creede.
The drive back to the falls seemed quicker than the drive over -- isn't that always the case? -- and we split up: girls back to the cabin and boyz out on their male-bonding jeeping adventure. K and I rested for a while when we got to the cabin. Then I packed up the laptop, my books and study materials, and the trusty financial calculator to finish out my class assignments for the week.
Chapter 7 was about bonds -- another foreign subject for me -- but I finished reading it and listened to the ClassLive lecture. I do better when I take the quizzes when the material is fresh in my mind, so I just dived right in to the chapter quiz. Missed one, but there was one question where I vacillated between two answers, so obviously I chose the wrong one. But 9 out of 10 ain't bad!
K came over and told me that the boyz were back alive and were hungry. I wanted to get the exam #2 out of the way while I was on a roll, so I told her that they should go ahead and do whatever they wanted to for dinner. I said a little prayer and started right in on the exam.
Prof had allowed an hour for the 30-question exam, which kind of surprised me because he had given us two hours for the first 50-question exam. Whatever. Again, I surprised myself at what I've retained and I felt pretty confident when I hit the "Submit Answers" button. Wonder of wonders -- I got 30 out of 30!!!!! I let out a big "YESSSSSSSSSSS!!" and scared the other guy who was in the lodge Internetting on his own laptop. Oops, sorry about that, guy. But I ACED A FINANCE EXAM!!!!!
I packed up my gear and hoofed it back to the cabin to celebrate with the fam. They were eating tortellini and ravioli, but everyone was excited about my success!! I felt like a load had been lifted off of my shoulders!
After dinner, we all settled in to watch a Henry Cho DVD, "What's That Clickin' Noise?" If you've never heard him, he's a great comedian -- all family-friendly material and really funny.
We made it about halfway through the DVD when B&K fell asleep on the couch, so we turned it off so they and Dear could go to bed. Believe it or not, it was only 9:45! I read for a while (Karen Kingsbury "Return") before turning out the light on our cozy Commodore cabin in Creede.
ttfn
Sunday, June 21, The Jeeping Begins
We woke up early Sunday morning -- old habits and body clocks are hard to change. Brady was up first, then Dear, then Kristen and I emerged at pretty much the same time. We talked about going to one of the little churches in Creede, but only very briefly. It's just one of those things we usually don't do while on vacation. No, we're not backslidden or anything. Call it overload. Besides, nothing makes Dear antsier than being in a church service where the musicians don't play the right chords, or the bass notes don't match, or the timing of the hymns is wrong, etc., etc., etc., you get the picture. It's just less stressful for us NOT to go. So we didn't.
We ate a hodgepodge breakfast of everything from raisin bran to bananas to granola to toast and apple butter. Good thing we did all that Wally World shopping in Alamosa. There's something to satisfy everyone's morning tastebuds.
After the morning ablutions (I love that word), we revved up the Pilot and headed for Creede. It's a sleepy little mining town -- the only township in Mineral County -- but it's also a tourist magnet. It sits in a little valley in the middle of the San Juan mountains of south central Colorado. Creede attracts vacationers from all over, but most of the out-of-state license plates we saw were from Texas. Go figure. Um, 110 versus 65. Yeah. That's a no-brainer.
By the time we got to Creede, it was about 11:30 and BabyMama was hungry. So, we parked the Pilot on the main drag through the town and walked around a bit. Actually, we walked about 15 feet to the first restaurant that was open which happened to be the Firehouse Restaurant. It's a cute little shop with the restaurant on the main floor and a loft full of wonderful-smelling bath soaps and candles and other frou-frou stuff.
Dear and B decided on burgers, K ordered a Caesar salad, and I ordered a California wrap (turkey, avocado, bean sprouts, bacon, ranch). They also had sweet potato fries and fried zucchini on the menu, so we had some of both. And it was all good. K asked if she could get some bread with her salad and the waitress brought her a LOAF of French garlic bread that smelled to high heaven! K could only eat a little of the aromatic, buttery stuff, then she had to retreat to the loft to get rid of the garlic smell. Have I mentioned that she's pregnant and still sensitive to smells?
We finished our lunch and decided to browse through some of the shops that line the main street. Creede is known as an artistic center, so there are a lot of little crafty, artsy fartsy shops all over. The Creede Repertory Theatre is known in the theatre world as one of the best amateur theatre groups in the country. The show on Sunday afternoon was a concert rather than a play or musical, so we didn't pursue finding tickets to attend.
The guys wanted to get their fishing licenses so they could drop a few lines in the water legally, so while they were doing that I moseyed back to one of the shops that had caught my eye. B&K had been looking for something for Baby Jones that had the word "Creede" on it, but hadn't had any success so far. I went into a little shop that we had passed and found a couple of little 6-mo shirts that both had "Creede." Yay me! (I haven't decided what Baby Jones will call me yet. Grandma just doesn't ring a bell with me. Dear is going to be Papa and the other grandparents have decided on Nana and Poppy. Hmmm. I'm still pondering.) Anyway, yay ME!
The Jones boyz have always enjoyed renting a jeep whenever we vacation in Creede. Past adventures have included "Death Mountain," snow fights in June, and actually spotting a moose. B was determined to repeat the adventure this time so K could get the "full Creede" experience. The closest (and most reasonable) place to rent the vehicle was Cottonwood Cove, a little resort-like place on Highway 149 between South Fork and Creede. They rent jeeps, 4-wheelers, rafts, bicycles, etc., so we headed there to see what they had available.
[Side note: I have been on a couple of the jeeping adventures throughout the years, but have decided that they are NOT my cup of tea. So, I always have plenty of crochet projects and books to read to while away the hours while the Jones menfolk are out jeeping about. I'm much happier and so are they.]
CC had JUST the jeep that B wanted, so he completed the paperwork for a 2-day rental. Since it was already 5:30 on Sunday, the CC guy graciously extended B's rental period to 5:30 Tuesday (thanks a lot, CC guy). B was elated. During the paperwork process, K and I explored the adjacent CC gift shop and discovered that they stocked Blue Bell Ice Cream. A rarity in Colorado, for sure! Dear came in and nearly had a spiritual experience when he saw the ice cream display. Needless to say, we all had a scoop of BBIC. Dear had 2. Is that a surprise to anyone?
After the paperwork was complete, Dear and I dropped the Pilot off back at the cabin and then we all tried to pile into the jeep for our first jeeping adventure. I say "tried" because it just didn't happen for me. There was NO way I could get into the back seat because my ... well, just suffice it to say that I've never practiced yoga and couldn't get contortioned enough to get my person back there. Just COULDN'T have gotten a 4-door, could you, B?
Dear huffed and grunted a few times while I pushed from behind and finally made it to the back of the vehicle with K (who had no problems at all squeezing through the miniscule opening between the front and the back. Just wait a couple of months, sweetheart, and you'll see life from OUR side of the fence! LOL) We all seat-belted ourselves in and the adventure began.
Back into Creede and this time all the way through to the north side and up the mountain behind the town. It's a very steep, twisty drive on a dirt road, but I must say that the road is in better condition now than it has ever been on our previous trips. Understand, however, that that is not saying a lot. And for the uninitiated traveler, who also happens to be pregnant, it was anything BUT an adventure. By the time we got to the top of the mountain, K was definitely not in a good place, nor was she enjoying herself the way B and she both thought she would.
We finally made it down the other side of the mountain and back to the cabin, but K was down for the count. I felt so bad for her. She was pale and weak and generally miserable. We fixed dinner while she rested and she tried to eat a little, but just couldn't. After a couple of minutes, she laid back down on the couch and was out like a light for the rest of the night. B stayed with her in case she needed anything.
It was still relatively early, so Dear and I loaded up the laptops and walked over to the office/lodge/restaurant at Antlers to take advantage of their wireless Internet access and so that I could get in a little studying.
One thread of this whole vacation that I haven't chronicled yet has to do with the online class that I'm taking on the journey toward my master's degree in management. It's a finance class -- I call it Finance for Dummies because I do not have a financial-type brain -- and it's really an overview of financial management for non-business undergrad students of which I am one.
I've now survived 2 weeks of this 4-week class and am amazed at what I've learned and retained. To date, I've taken quizzes over chapters 1 and 2 and exam #1 over ch. 1-3. I did okay on the first quizzes, but exam 1 was not a stellar performance (36/50). I have to pull at least a "C" in the class to take advantage of the education reimbursement program at my workplace. So far, it wasn't looking too good...
Dear and I set up our Internet cafe on the patio of the lodge and stayed out until it got too dark for me to read. Then we transferred everything into the little gameroom area for another few minutes. We could tell that the lodge employees were closing up shop for the night about 10:00, so we packed up and walked back to the cabin. It was pitch black outside, but the stars were incredible. Dear turned on the video camera light on his BlackBerry to guide our path and to keep me from falling and breaking my neck. Thank you, Dear.
Back at the cabin, we locked everything up and snuggled in for the night.
ttfn
We ate a hodgepodge breakfast of everything from raisin bran to bananas to granola to toast and apple butter. Good thing we did all that Wally World shopping in Alamosa. There's something to satisfy everyone's morning tastebuds.
After the morning ablutions (I love that word), we revved up the Pilot and headed for Creede. It's a sleepy little mining town -- the only township in Mineral County -- but it's also a tourist magnet. It sits in a little valley in the middle of the San Juan mountains of south central Colorado. Creede attracts vacationers from all over, but most of the out-of-state license plates we saw were from Texas. Go figure. Um, 110 versus 65. Yeah. That's a no-brainer.
By the time we got to Creede, it was about 11:30 and BabyMama was hungry. So, we parked the Pilot on the main drag through the town and walked around a bit. Actually, we walked about 15 feet to the first restaurant that was open which happened to be the Firehouse Restaurant. It's a cute little shop with the restaurant on the main floor and a loft full of wonderful-smelling bath soaps and candles and other frou-frou stuff.
Dear and B decided on burgers, K ordered a Caesar salad, and I ordered a California wrap (turkey, avocado, bean sprouts, bacon, ranch). They also had sweet potato fries and fried zucchini on the menu, so we had some of both. And it was all good. K asked if she could get some bread with her salad and the waitress brought her a LOAF of French garlic bread that smelled to high heaven! K could only eat a little of the aromatic, buttery stuff, then she had to retreat to the loft to get rid of the garlic smell. Have I mentioned that she's pregnant and still sensitive to smells?
We finished our lunch and decided to browse through some of the shops that line the main street. Creede is known as an artistic center, so there are a lot of little crafty, artsy fartsy shops all over. The Creede Repertory Theatre is known in the theatre world as one of the best amateur theatre groups in the country. The show on Sunday afternoon was a concert rather than a play or musical, so we didn't pursue finding tickets to attend.
The guys wanted to get their fishing licenses so they could drop a few lines in the water legally, so while they were doing that I moseyed back to one of the shops that had caught my eye. B&K had been looking for something for Baby Jones that had the word "Creede" on it, but hadn't had any success so far. I went into a little shop that we had passed and found a couple of little 6-mo shirts that both had "Creede." Yay me! (I haven't decided what Baby Jones will call me yet. Grandma just doesn't ring a bell with me. Dear is going to be Papa and the other grandparents have decided on Nana and Poppy. Hmmm. I'm still pondering.) Anyway, yay ME!
The Jones boyz have always enjoyed renting a jeep whenever we vacation in Creede. Past adventures have included "Death Mountain," snow fights in June, and actually spotting a moose. B was determined to repeat the adventure this time so K could get the "full Creede" experience. The closest (and most reasonable) place to rent the vehicle was Cottonwood Cove, a little resort-like place on Highway 149 between South Fork and Creede. They rent jeeps, 4-wheelers, rafts, bicycles, etc., so we headed there to see what they had available.
[Side note: I have been on a couple of the jeeping adventures throughout the years, but have decided that they are NOT my cup of tea. So, I always have plenty of crochet projects and books to read to while away the hours while the Jones menfolk are out jeeping about. I'm much happier and so are they.]
CC had JUST the jeep that B wanted, so he completed the paperwork for a 2-day rental. Since it was already 5:30 on Sunday, the CC guy graciously extended B's rental period to 5:30 Tuesday (thanks a lot, CC guy). B was elated. During the paperwork process, K and I explored the adjacent CC gift shop and discovered that they stocked Blue Bell Ice Cream. A rarity in Colorado, for sure! Dear came in and nearly had a spiritual experience when he saw the ice cream display. Needless to say, we all had a scoop of BBIC. Dear had 2. Is that a surprise to anyone?
After the paperwork was complete, Dear and I dropped the Pilot off back at the cabin and then we all tried to pile into the jeep for our first jeeping adventure. I say "tried" because it just didn't happen for me. There was NO way I could get into the back seat because my ... well, just suffice it to say that I've never practiced yoga and couldn't get contortioned enough to get my person back there. Just COULDN'T have gotten a 4-door, could you, B?
Dear huffed and grunted a few times while I pushed from behind and finally made it to the back of the vehicle with K (who had no problems at all squeezing through the miniscule opening between the front and the back. Just wait a couple of months, sweetheart, and you'll see life from OUR side of the fence! LOL) We all seat-belted ourselves in and the adventure began.
Back into Creede and this time all the way through to the north side and up the mountain behind the town. It's a very steep, twisty drive on a dirt road, but I must say that the road is in better condition now than it has ever been on our previous trips. Understand, however, that that is not saying a lot. And for the uninitiated traveler, who also happens to be pregnant, it was anything BUT an adventure. By the time we got to the top of the mountain, K was definitely not in a good place, nor was she enjoying herself the way B and she both thought she would.
We finally made it down the other side of the mountain and back to the cabin, but K was down for the count. I felt so bad for her. She was pale and weak and generally miserable. We fixed dinner while she rested and she tried to eat a little, but just couldn't. After a couple of minutes, she laid back down on the couch and was out like a light for the rest of the night. B stayed with her in case she needed anything.
It was still relatively early, so Dear and I loaded up the laptops and walked over to the office/lodge/restaurant at Antlers to take advantage of their wireless Internet access and so that I could get in a little studying.
One thread of this whole vacation that I haven't chronicled yet has to do with the online class that I'm taking on the journey toward my master's degree in management. It's a finance class -- I call it Finance for Dummies because I do not have a financial-type brain -- and it's really an overview of financial management for non-business undergrad students of which I am one.
I've now survived 2 weeks of this 4-week class and am amazed at what I've learned and retained. To date, I've taken quizzes over chapters 1 and 2 and exam #1 over ch. 1-3. I did okay on the first quizzes, but exam 1 was not a stellar performance (36/50). I have to pull at least a "C" in the class to take advantage of the education reimbursement program at my workplace. So far, it wasn't looking too good...
Dear and I set up our Internet cafe on the patio of the lodge and stayed out until it got too dark for me to read. Then we transferred everything into the little gameroom area for another few minutes. We could tell that the lodge employees were closing up shop for the night about 10:00, so we packed up and walked back to the cabin. It was pitch black outside, but the stars were incredible. Dear turned on the video camera light on his BlackBerry to guide our path and to keep me from falling and breaking my neck. Thank you, Dear.
Back at the cabin, we locked everything up and snuggled in for the night.
ttfn
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 20, From Amarillo to Creede
We woke up Saturday morning to pouring rain in the yellow city. Brady didn't know what that meant, so I reminded him that amarillo means yellow in Spanish. Ahhh, the light came on.
We communicated via text message and coordinated our hallway meeting for 9-ish. The hotel served breakfast until 9:30 and we wanted to take advantage of that before we got on the road. The breakfast included everything from fresh fruit to cereal to bagels and pastries to waffles. Naturally, Dear had to try out the waffle iron. His creation was a huge waffle in the shape of the state of Texas. Interesting. He tried to make one for Kristen, but it didn't get all the way done. So she only ate the El Paso part. Good choice, K.
B pulled the Pilot up under the hotel canopy so we could pack everything inside without getting soaked. It didn't take long to get it stuffed and we were on the road about 10 a.m. North to Dumas, west to Dalhart, and we were out of Texas.
On some of our previous vacations we have stopped at Capulin Crater in New Mexico. The boys have walked the rim of the crater and, if I remember correctly, we've all trekked down to the center spout-hole thingy. Unfortunately it was still raining and the clouds were very low when we got there today, so we didn't go this time so K missed the full Capulin experience.
We did stop at the only little quick-stop place in Capulin for a potty break, but the sign said "Restroom for customers only" so B&K and Dear felt obligated to make a purchase in return for the use of the facilities. K bought a bottled water, and Dear bought a refrigerator magnet (uh, have you SEEN our refrigerator lately?) and a jar of apple butter.
Back in the car and we traveled on through the northeast corner of New Mexico to Raton. That's where we stopped to eat at a Pizza Hut. B had mentioned during the last driving jaunt that pizza sounded good to him and were we all game? Of course. Thus, Pizza Hut in Raton, NM. The other 3 of us discovered during the course of the lunch-table conversation that B had awakened early and was watching the History Channel special on the popularity of pizza in the United States. AHA! That's why he wanted pizza! Good thing he didn't watch one of those whaling shows...
By the time we finished lunch, the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking through the clouds on a regular basis. YAY! Dear took over the driving duties out of Raton and our next stop was the Walmart in Alamosa, CO -- the last of its kind on our route to Creede and the best place for us to buy our groceries (food) and necessities (fishing pole, tackle box, lures...) for the week. We made our purchases and managed to squeeeeeeeeeeeze everything into the already packed Pilot. Dear retained his driver's seat spot with B&K threatening him bodily harm if he did the "brake-check" stomp and brought down groceries on their unsuspecting heads.
Next stop: Creede! We pulled into Antler's Lodge at 6:30 p.m. to an outside temperature of 38 degrees. Heaven! Antler's looks just the same as we remembered and the Rio Grande is much higher and faster than it was the last time we were here (2005? I think). We paid the balance on the cabin, got the keys and drove around to the Commodore -- the first cabin right on the bank of the Rio Grande. We unloaded the Pilot, put the groceries away and sat down to our first cabin meal: turkey sandwiches, chips, grapes and chocolate chip cookies. Mmm, mmm good!
Since I'm taking this master's class in finance, the fact that Antler's offers free high-speed Internet access was a great relief. I have 2 quizzes and 1 exam to take before Monday, so Dear and I walked back to the office/gift shop/game room to check out the Internet accessibility and availability. It took a couple of tries to get hooked up, but we eventually got it working. The office closed at 9 p.m., so I didn't get any Internet work done but I did finish up some reading back in the cabin and planned to do Internet stuff on Sunday.
While Dear and I were at the office/gift shop/game room, B got his fishing pole out and K got her camera and they went down to the river. In less than 15 minutes, B had caught a fish about 8" long and threw it back, and K had taken a bunch of pictures. B also got his line caught on a rock, in a tree, and on a piece of wood. I took pictures of him trying to get his line free. Thanks, Mom.
If you know us, you know that we are electronic travelers. Meaning that wherever we go, we travel wherever with all of our electronic gadgets. We knew that we would be able to play DVD's on the laptop(s), so Dear brought a 19-inch flat-screen monitor for ease of viewing AND a CD/iPod player for ease of hearing. We're so spoiled.
Dear and B hooked up the laptop to the monitor and player and we popped in the Rat Race DVD as a comedic end to our very full day. We made it through about 20 minutes of the movie and K was already asleep, Dear was nodding, and B and I were also ready to call it a day.
The cabin is equipped with a gas heater/fireplace device, so B turned it on for a few minutes to get the chill out of the room before we turned in for the night. We all retreated to our designated bedrooms. Dear plugged in his new white-noise device and I plugged in my snore-resistant earplugs. Goodnight, Colorado!
Photos are posted to my Facebook photo album (Kasi Pierce Jones, Vacation June 2009). It's easier there than here.
ttfn
We communicated via text message and coordinated our hallway meeting for 9-ish. The hotel served breakfast until 9:30 and we wanted to take advantage of that before we got on the road. The breakfast included everything from fresh fruit to cereal to bagels and pastries to waffles. Naturally, Dear had to try out the waffle iron. His creation was a huge waffle in the shape of the state of Texas. Interesting. He tried to make one for Kristen, but it didn't get all the way done. So she only ate the El Paso part. Good choice, K.
B pulled the Pilot up under the hotel canopy so we could pack everything inside without getting soaked. It didn't take long to get it stuffed and we were on the road about 10 a.m. North to Dumas, west to Dalhart, and we were out of Texas.
On some of our previous vacations we have stopped at Capulin Crater in New Mexico. The boys have walked the rim of the crater and, if I remember correctly, we've all trekked down to the center spout-hole thingy. Unfortunately it was still raining and the clouds were very low when we got there today, so we didn't go this time so K missed the full Capulin experience.
We did stop at the only little quick-stop place in Capulin for a potty break, but the sign said "Restroom for customers only" so B&K and Dear felt obligated to make a purchase in return for the use of the facilities. K bought a bottled water, and Dear bought a refrigerator magnet (uh, have you SEEN our refrigerator lately?) and a jar of apple butter.
Back in the car and we traveled on through the northeast corner of New Mexico to Raton. That's where we stopped to eat at a Pizza Hut. B had mentioned during the last driving jaunt that pizza sounded good to him and were we all game? Of course. Thus, Pizza Hut in Raton, NM. The other 3 of us discovered during the course of the lunch-table conversation that B had awakened early and was watching the History Channel special on the popularity of pizza in the United States. AHA! That's why he wanted pizza! Good thing he didn't watch one of those whaling shows...
By the time we finished lunch, the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking through the clouds on a regular basis. YAY! Dear took over the driving duties out of Raton and our next stop was the Walmart in Alamosa, CO -- the last of its kind on our route to Creede and the best place for us to buy our groceries (food) and necessities (fishing pole, tackle box, lures...) for the week. We made our purchases and managed to squeeeeeeeeeeeze everything into the already packed Pilot. Dear retained his driver's seat spot with B&K threatening him bodily harm if he did the "brake-check" stomp and brought down groceries on their unsuspecting heads.
Next stop: Creede! We pulled into Antler's Lodge at 6:30 p.m. to an outside temperature of 38 degrees. Heaven! Antler's looks just the same as we remembered and the Rio Grande is much higher and faster than it was the last time we were here (2005? I think). We paid the balance on the cabin, got the keys and drove around to the Commodore -- the first cabin right on the bank of the Rio Grande. We unloaded the Pilot, put the groceries away and sat down to our first cabin meal: turkey sandwiches, chips, grapes and chocolate chip cookies. Mmm, mmm good!
Since I'm taking this master's class in finance, the fact that Antler's offers free high-speed Internet access was a great relief. I have 2 quizzes and 1 exam to take before Monday, so Dear and I walked back to the office/gift shop/game room to check out the Internet accessibility and availability. It took a couple of tries to get hooked up, but we eventually got it working. The office closed at 9 p.m., so I didn't get any Internet work done but I did finish up some reading back in the cabin and planned to do Internet stuff on Sunday.
While Dear and I were at the office/gift shop/game room, B got his fishing pole out and K got her camera and they went down to the river. In less than 15 minutes, B had caught a fish about 8" long and threw it back, and K had taken a bunch of pictures. B also got his line caught on a rock, in a tree, and on a piece of wood. I took pictures of him trying to get his line free. Thanks, Mom.
If you know us, you know that we are electronic travelers. Meaning that wherever we go, we travel wherever with all of our electronic gadgets. We knew that we would be able to play DVD's on the laptop(s), so Dear brought a 19-inch flat-screen monitor for ease of viewing AND a CD/iPod player for ease of hearing. We're so spoiled.
Dear and B hooked up the laptop to the monitor and player and we popped in the Rat Race DVD as a comedic end to our very full day. We made it through about 20 minutes of the movie and K was already asleep, Dear was nodding, and B and I were also ready to call it a day.
The cabin is equipped with a gas heater/fireplace device, so B turned it on for a few minutes to get the chill out of the room before we turned in for the night. We all retreated to our designated bedrooms. Dear plugged in his new white-noise device and I plugged in my snore-resistant earplugs. Goodnight, Colorado!
Photos are posted to my Facebook photo album (Kasi Pierce Jones, Vacation June 2009). It's easier there than here.
ttfn
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009 The Adventure Begins
Here we are again, friends. Another Jones family road trip for your reading enjoyment, amusement and I'm sure there will be a amazement thrown in for good measure. (You know how us Joneses are...)
This vacation is a first on many levels. This is the first road trip we've taken with our #2 married son, Brady, and his lovely wife, Kristen, who just happens to be preggers with our first grandson (due in November).
This vacation is a first on many levels. This is the first road trip we've taken with our #2 married son, Brady, and his lovely wife, Kristen, who just happens to be preggers with our first grandson (due in November).
This is the first family vacation we've taken without #3 son, Cameron. Yes, friends, he now has a job -- thank God and Subway for gainful employment, however tedious and maddening it may be -- and didn't feel like he should ask for time off after only working there such a short time. It was rather sad this morning as we hugged him goodbye, but we know that we're beginning another one of those "seasons of life." *sigh*
#1 son did not get to come along this time either because of his work schedule between concert tours with the band. Have I mentioned that they've played all over the world and will be going back to Europe on July 15?
This is also the first time that Kristen has been on a road trip of this magnitude, period. And the first time she will visit one of our favorite vacation spots: Creede, Colorado.
Anyway, on to the travelogue. First morning of vacation and my stupid BlackBerry alarm went off at 6:30. Yes, I forgot to turn off my regular workday alarm before going to bed last night. I turned off the annoying little vibrating ting-a-ling after the first intrusion and went back to sleep until Dear woke me up at 8:15. We'd decided to get everything ready this morning (our typical travel M.O.) and be ready to leave our house at 11. We had to gas up Granny's car and take it and her mail to her, go to the bank, and be at B&K's house around noon-ish.
If you've read me at all in the past, you know that we are not those vacationers who get up at the crack of dawn to get an early start on the day. That would NOT be vacation-like at all in our humble opinions. So, we got everything packed up and into Dear's car in plenty of time to get away by our 11:00 target.
We said our goodbyes to #1 and #3 and left the house at 11:03 a.m. So far, so good. Dear made the bank run and I took Granny's car for gas and then to her apartment for safe keeping. I've been driving her car ever since she had the hip replacement surgery back in May because we now have 4 commuting drivers in our household and only 3 vehicles that belong to us. Since Mother wouldn't be driving for a while, having her car to use has really been a help for us. Thanks, Mother!
Anyway, Dear met me at Mother's apartment and, after a short visit, we left for B&K's house. We pulled into their driveway at 12:06 p.m., transferred our belongings to their Pilot, said bye-bye and be good to the grand-dogs (Jaxon and Syndey), and left their house at 12:30. Brady needed to drop off his other vehicle for repairs at a dealership in Arlington, so he and Dear went in the truck and Kristen and I followed them in the Pilot.
Traffic was horrendous with all the I-30 construction going on in Arlington (all your fault, Jerry Jones [no relation]), but we finally got the vehicle situation taken care of and made more progress toward actually getting on "the road." Fort Worth traffic was doubly-horrendous and we were all hungry (especially little mama). Brady got us to a Cheddar's somewhere northwest of Fort Worth and we ate lunch. We had debated on whether to have Mexican food "one last time" in Texas before we leave the land of Tex-Mex for a week (yes, we're Tex-Mex junkies), but we figured Cheddar's was safer in light of the road trip ahead in confined quarters.
As we were sitting in the booth waiting for our food to arrive, a family was seated in the booth behind us. Dad, Mom, three boys and a girl. The dad had one of those BOOMING VOICES, even when he was supposed to be using an "inside" tone, and we learned that the little girl had just had her tonsils removed and wasn't feeling much like eating. Dad was determined that she should have SOMETHING IN HER TUMMY or at least SOMETHING TO DRINK. HOW ABOUT SOME RASPBERRY LEMONADE, KATIE?
Now, if any of you dear readers have been through the tonsillectomy process -- especially the first recovery days after surgery -- you know that the LAST thing you'd want to drink is RASPBERRY LEMONADE!!! Duh, Dad. Thankfully, Katie declined that offer. So Dad went through virtually ALL the menu choices until Katie finally decided on a VANILLA MILK SHAKE.
By this time, the three brothers were restless and the youngest one (looked to be about 2 years old) started bonking Dad on the shoulder with a sippy-cup. Dad must have been made of glass, because the OWWW he let out would have been more appropriate for a brick bashing than a sippy-cup bonk. Needless to say, we finished our meal as quickly as possible and got out of there and back to the quietness of our adult-occupant vehicle.
We officially got "on the road" at 2:30. I'd made hotel reservations in Amarillo, so we knew our destination and stopping point for the night. The drive was really uneventful. We made a couple of potty-break stops and had a DQ Blizzard somewhere around Bowie. We switched seats when B wanted to take a little snooze, so Dear drove and I got in front with him. By the time B actually got nested in the back seat, he was fully awake -- isn't that always how it goes? -- and so we put on some vacation tunes to start the trip off in traditional fashion. Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold and Riders in the Sky. K was reading a novel during the Patsy and Eddy selections, but when RITS started singing "Ghost Riders in the Sky" with the cattle calls and yodels she said "Are you serious??" and dug out some earplugs so she could concentrate.
Then B started fiddling around with "stuff" that was lying around amongst the packed items, found a sun visor and put it on upside down for the comic effect. K got out the camera and took a couple of pictures and it just went downhill from there. I uploaded a couple of mobile photos 
to Facebook to start off the Vacation 2009 album, and I fi
gured out how to put them in here, too. Well, I'll have to work on the layout thing, but at least you can see this pictures. I took the Dumas one (I have to stop and think everytime I say that city name...think about it) for my friend LaShera. Dumas is her home town and we pay homage to it in her honor as we pass through. (Don't tell LaShera I said so, but the place always smells like cattle.)
to Facebook to start off the Vacation 2009 album, and I fi
gured out how to put them in here, too. Well, I'll have to work on the layout thing, but at least you can see this pictures. I took the Dumas one (I have to stop and think everytime I say that city name...think about it) for my friend LaShera. Dumas is her home town and we pay homage to it in her honor as we pass through. (Don't tell LaShera I said so, but the place always smells like cattle.)We got to Amarillo about 8:15 and decided to assuage the Tex-Mex cravings at Abuelo's before checking into the hotel. The Pilot GPS directed us to the restaurant and we had a wonderful dinner. It was quiet because we were all winding down from the excitement of a full day and a 6-hour drive. After dinner, B drove us to the hotel, I checked us in, and we're situated for the night.
And so it has begun. We miss you #1 and #3!
ttfn
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