A First

As Bruce was walking out the door for his business trip, he casually suggested I might want to enlist Angela's help in getting the Christmas tree. Why not?

Well, because we always do it together is why not! But, as the good little housewife I am, when Angela called I mentioned it and she was only too happy to help on Wednesday. Now, don't go getting up in arms about my housewife comment, it's just a label. While Bruce is braving sub-freezing weather, I take care of our home; at least what I'm capable of, which is most things. Well, I can't re-wire something, but you get my drift.

This post is titled "A First" for a reason. Never, in all our 37 Christmases together, had I tried putting up our tree alone, however after Angela suggested we go to a little spot on Michigan where they sell trees for $35, not to mention the proceeds benefit the Russel Home, we now have our tree nearly decorated for Bruce's return later today. Nine jobs in various states of construction, are leaving him completely overwhelmed. Not that he complains mind you, but he's pretty darn busy.

 I couldn't keep from trying out my new lens on a few ornaments! Nice, huh?

It's a sweet little tree. As you can see, after moving some chairs around, I found a spot which I hope will be good. One thing I noticed yesterday afternoon is that it will be subject to more sunshine, thus, I hope it won't dry out too much. Only one ornament broke, shattering on the tile from a low branch. Speaking of the tile, it made it so much easier than on the carpet. With Angela holding the tree, I tightened the screws around the trunk, scooting it around for easier decorating. Scooting is a good thing.

Running home for some of her Tuesday night party leftovers, we lunched on Shepherd's Pie and homemade Lemon Meringue Pie around our kitchen table. Before Karen's visit, in an effort to have some Christmas cheer, I'd covered the table with a tablecloth sporting an overall pattern of poinsettias. It was a bit much. Make that, more than a bit much. Seriously, why did I buy it in the first place? Unlike some folks, I'm not into huge amounts of Christmas decorations. Maybe it's because I'm so happy with the way things are, I really don't know. Anyway, we now have a downscaled table using a few things we had around the house.

I'm okay with new things, however, my preference is to incorporate new and old, especially if they have some meaning for me. I found the doily while cleaning out my mother-in-law's house, bringing it home with hopes of using it this Christmas. I know that knitting made a big come back a few years ago,is there any reason doilies couldn't be next on the scene? The bowl is familiar to you I'm sure.

Lisa is taking me up on my offer to have Christmas at our home this year, another first. There's no competing with Lisa in the Christmas decorating department, however, I'm trying. I went all out, attempting to decorate the mantle last night, which is seriously Bruce's domain. He can arrange the little balls so artfully, whereas I just plop them up there. No doubt there will be some tweaking of my efforts tonight when he returns. While talking with him last night he said the cold was bitter, making his teeth chatter while standing outside in the field where a new Red Lobster will rise. And this was in Maryland! Imagine his job in Watertown, New York, one of the snow capitals of the country!  Now you see why I help whenever, and wherever I can.

Friends

Because we got married young, and because we were parents young, both Bruce and I have not had as much time for friends as young people today. They spend much of their early adulthood hanging out with friends, whereas we spent that time with our children. I think too, because I have so many sisters, there was little time left for other women in my life. That said, I do have friends, but mostly they are newish. Well sort of...

I've been away from my computer because I've been out and about with friends, sometimes planned, sometimes not. Thursday afternoon Sue, a woman who grew up on Nancy Street with Bruce, invited me to an open house at a space on Orange Avenue where she has a little booth.

They've just painted it this bright green which, naturally, I was all for. Formerly this space was "Guitar Den" owned by the father of one of Bill's first bandmates. His wife Renee, took it over after the soaring rent forced her to close her downtown store.  The band was called Blunder, an early winner at Boone High School's Battle of the Bands. The year was maybe 1993? My, those were the days! Bill used to practice alone incessantly, joining the other two boys in our garage as their band practice space. Our neighbors at the time were thrilled when we moved to this new house! Who could blame them? Did I mention the other two boys were also named William? I was all for the band being called Triple Bill, however, they would have none of that!

Sorry for the nostalgia trip! In the above pictured space there are lots of little indoor booths if you will, with all sorts of interesting things. I found Sue right off, and with pride, she showed off her space. Here's a link to her blog if you like old things: http://suebees-karensue.blogspot.com/. Ignore the music! I've noticed people who do "vintage" blogs seem to always have music. Anyway, as I was talking to Sue, her daughter, and Renee, who should I see but Jeanette! Oh how I adore Jeanette, one of the coolest ladies I've ever had the privilege to know. Naturally I couldn't remember how long we'd known each other but she could.

The year was 1984, the place was Brookwood Hospital, now defunct as we knew it, but am I ever glad it was there back then. Not only did I meet Jeanette there, I also met my dear, dear friend Karen Hirsch there. Both of these ladies have added so much to my life.

So, where were we? Oh yes, Jeanette has a space there as well. We immediately retreated to her little corner, talking as fast as we could to catch up with one another. She's the kind of friend who I see infrequently, but when i do, we can't stop talking. She's a wise woman; I always take something away from our conversations. We somehow got on the topic of making the bed, a hot topic if ever there were one! We discussed how many young people think it's unnecessary, which we find crazy. Here's how she puts it--order follows order. If you find your life in chaos, check out your home environment for clues as to why. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Here's the two things I purchased from my friends:

Mr. and Mrs. Claus from Sue, and the spice grinder from Jeanette. It was a pleasant evening made even more so by the unexpected Jeanette sighting!

Another invitation from Sue for the following night was for a wine party for a good cause. A donation was taken at the door with the raffle ticket winner claiming the pot for their favorite charity. My number was one off! Although I'd been to this annual event once before a few years ago, I didn't expect to know many of the ladies. Silly me! Here's Sue's sister, Sherrie on the right, and and old high school friend, Phyllis:

Sherrie still remembers a time when Cris, Bruce's brother, tackled her like a boy when the neighborhood was playing football in the street! Speaking of which, do children play anymore? I'm not so sure. While having my nails cleaned up, Rudi, my most excellent manicurist, was chatting a bit about her children.

I asked her what the girls wanted for Christmas. The 5 year old wants an "Easy Bake Oven", however add just three years, and daughter number two wants a LAPTOP! Miss Naiveté was speechless. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, because really, when have you ever known me to be speechless? I don't know why it so took me by surprise, everyone else has their face in a screen, why not an eight year old girl?

On Sunday the market was slow. Super slow. The highlight was a visit from Bill and Melanie. Here's a first--Bill smiling in a picture. Apparently, he can't quit smiling these days:

This makes his mother happy. Very, very happy.

I'm unsure about the time frame exactly, but sometime this year I received an email from another old friend, Karen Howard. We knew each other well from church back in the 80's. Turns out one of her sons sent her the link to my blog. How he found it, I'll never know. She began reading the blog. She liked the blog. She sent me an email letting me know she was a regular. How nice is that? Both she and her husband Jim retired from the school system and built a new home and life in Murphy, NC. From reading the blog she knew I had some interest in genealogy so when she and Jim were heading down here for a visit, she asked about getting together. Absolutely!

They arrived yesterday morning before 10 and we visited around some baby blueberry muffins and hot tea. I'm always up for hot tea and as it turns out, they were as well. Jim left for some fun errands and after Karen perused the Loveland documents, as well as Oscar's diary (she's jealous!), we headed to my computer. Luckily, Karen is a Mac user and knows a lot more about it than I do. Hours and hours later, during which time we had some homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch, we had made some discoveries. Using her account with Ancestry.com, we worked on my father's family which proved fascinating. Looking at the actual census sheets from 1920 and seeing my dad listed as a 5 year old was so cool. Apparently an uncle lived with them. Going back a bit further we found out that my grandfather's mother was a widow at 40. Searching and searching turned up who we think might possibly be his father, Reese Price, a coal miner from Wales. Neither of us can remember how we made this assumption but for now that's who we think my great grandfather was. Or should I have said is? Anyway, it's time consuming stuff, explaining why Jim did not come to pick her up until 5:30, by which time I needed to cover the plants for the expected freeze.

The genealogy stuff was cool, but what was really cool, is that we picked up as if it hadn't been nearly 20 years since last we met. I love that. It seems as if when you click with another person, you click. The explanation for that is a mystery to me, however, I'm glad that's how it can work out.

Taking no chances, I covered every single one of the new plants, using about anything I could find! Not surprising, or at least to a skeptic like me, the temperature only dipped to about 35 degrees. Oh well, I'll take a non-freeze over a freeze any day. Those new windows in the sun room are showing their stuff this morning!

More Thoughts on the Journey

As if my post about the trip wasn't long enough, I've got more to say!

• I discovered that, to my eyes, there is a strange beauty to the bare trees of winter. I'd love to see them contrasted against a deep white snow. Another time perhaps.

• Because Angela picks up her son at school around the time we were due to arrive home, she brought Baxter over to wait for our arrival. Normally when one of us pulls into the driveway he is at the doorway waiting to jump all over us, or as much jumping as a cat-sized dog can do. While unlocking the door I was surprised to see he was just sauntering over towards the door with a little mess on his mouth, no less. Alarmed, I opened the door to find him very sluggish. No jumping whatsoever. Bruce immediately came in to greet our little doggie. Wiping his mouth, Bruce snuggled with him a bit and momentarily he threw up! You gotta love having tile floors! Anyway, after another little round of face washing, Bruce took him on an errand while I unpacked. No clue why he was not feeling perky, but soon enough, with us around, he came to. Maybe he was getting anxious? Who knows. In any case here he is once again at his favorite perch reminding me of that old song, "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?:

• Of all things, both Bruce and I had pecan pie with our wonderful Thanksgiving meal. Still, I longed for pumpkin, thus I made this Spicy Pumpkin Bundt cake the day after we came home:

• Thanks to Nancy's comment on the cross photo, I was able to look it up, discovering that it is the world's tallest cross, rising 198 feet from the ground. They call it the Cross at the Crossroads of America. I'm so super glad we saw it at sunset. (http://www.thecross-photo.com/The_Cross_in_Effingham_Illinois.htm)
• You can't travel 1200 miles on the Interstate without feeling gratitude for those roads. Here's a little history if you're interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System. I learned that it took over 35 years to complete, which doesn't surprise me a bit. In Texas, there are frontage roads all along the Interstate that make getting on and off extremely easy. Truth be told, if I'd been driving that truck, I'd have most definitely been on those frontage roads because they were mostly empty! 
• Just last week I learned that 51% of the world's population now live in cities.  I can remember when people were up in arms about the growing population in the United States, wondering where they would all fit. Lots of empty space out there folks!
• There was a time, well probably a very long time, when I barely noticed the rising and setting of the sun. That time is now most definitely in the past. I was enthralled with the gorgeous colors in the sky from this free daily light show. 
• Although I'd packed lots of things to do, I did none of them. Bruce and my atlas were all I needed to make me happy. Saturday morning, hitting the road at 5:45 AM I had to wait until the sunrise to use my atlas which made me a little disorientated. Although Bruce packed the GPS, which on occasion we definitely needed, the maps were a joy to use. I'm one of those folks that likes to know what's lies ahead. Part of the trip I had Bruce guessing the rankings of the states in both land mass and population. Interesting stuff, or at least to me. Texas is both #2 in size and population. It's big folks, very, very big. On this trip we only went through the pretty parts. Further west ,it gets pretty ugly, or at least to me! The Red River valley, or Texas hill country is what they call the part we traveled.

• Although I've no photographic evidence to support this story, in Arkansas we saw what Bruce estimated, and he's very good at that by the way, 30,000 birds gathered in a field, or make that two fields. As we approached the one nearest the highway, we thought the white was leftover cotton in the fields. Then, further away, Bruce sighted the field with even more birds;  many were soaring upwards in a real live sighting of winged migration. Simply glorious! If you've not seen the film, Winged Migration, I suggest you do.
• The older I get, the more I'm interested in living in the moment. Years ago, while still grieving the loss of our mother, Bruce suggested a trip to St. Lucia, a place I'd never even heard of. As I lay on a beach lounge chair I picked up my book to read because that's what I do. I'm a reader. It was then that I realized how silly that was. We'd traveled so far to be in a new place, and there I was putting my nose in a book, not even enjoying the place I'd come so far to see. That's sort of how it was on this trip. Why go somewhere else in a book when I had all I needed--time with my beloved husband and the wonderful world surrounding me? I've learned my lesson.
• It felt good to be away from the constant lure of the computer.
• When showing Angela the $19.95 motel, in her typical British wit, she cried out, "They're charging too much!
• Driving home from the airport, we saw a beautiful rainbow which I'm claiming as a sign that things will work out just fine for Jonathan and Alissa. Life usually has a way of doing just that.

Now, it's time to figure out where in the world we'll put our Christmas tree......

Anniversaries

Let us not forget Bruce's 18th Darden anniversary yesterday, a blessing that keeps on giving. Bruce's time at Darden has often been filled with stress, but don't let him kid you--he loves being a problem solver! Sometimes more than others.

Today is the 7th anniversary or our Mother's death. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago, while other times, it feels like only yesterday. That saying, gone but not forgotten, is really apropos when discussing the loss of a parent. Speaking for myself, there is hardly a day that goes by, when something comes up that reminds me of my mother. Cooking is a great example. Although I resented having to cook for the family while growing up, I am ever so grateful to have learned the skills while young. They've served me well these many years. I could go on and on, but I won't. Suffice it to say, I still miss you Mom.

If you're a regular reader of "Camera Crazy", you already know I volunteer on Tuesdays at the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden. Even typing that seems weird as I think of the numerous times Maureen encouraged me to visit there and I never did. Anyway, yesterday during my weekly stint, Cindy, yes the infamous Cindy, asked if I'd return later to help during the new show opening for Morgan Samuel Price (http://www.artacademylive.com/artists.php?manufacturers_id=37), which, because I'm such a pushover, I said okay (remind me to tell you the fascinating story of that ubiquitous word--ok later will you?). Nicely attended, yours truly stayed behind the cash register, ringing up the odd purchase. It was a great event to try out my new lens which takes photos in very low light without flash. I didn't take this, which, because I'm sharing a rare photo of myself, you already knew:

That's Trudy on the left, Cindy, Morgan Samuel Price, Gail, and Jenna, Cindy's daughter. You probably figured that out instantly, they look so much alike. Oh those squinty eyes of mine!

Speaking of eyes, I went to the opthalmologist today. Now, for some reason I'm getting a spell check on opthalmologist--go figure. Anyway, for more than six weeks I've had some discomfort in my left eye, sometimes major, sometimes minor. For the first time in, I've no idea how long, I had my eyes dilated. The first woman asked me when was the last time and honestly, I had no clue.

Oh, those wrinkles! That's what happens when you are 56 my young readers. That little yellow business in the corner is from some drops they put in. Because I've experienced so few problems with my eyes, I had no idea who to see. I called the office of Dr. Stanley Hand, thinking in advance he was a highly regarded pediatric specialist, but tried it nonetheless. The receptionist confirmed my suspicions, and when I asked for recommendations, she was kind enough to tell me who Dr. Hand used--SCORE!

Arriving at 1:00 this afternoon, I was a tad nervous. Aside from the receptionist, who had on this disgusting ring, everyone was amazing. How can a ring be disgusting you ask? Well, when it covers the whole finger and looks like a silver claw--that's how! After several doses of drops, and a quick check to confirm my 20/20 distance vision, Dr. Ramirez came in. Peering with extremely bright light into my dilated eyes, he discovered the problem. Turns out, I have a recurring minor corneal abrasion which requires me to use some cream at night, and drops during the day. We'll see how that goes. He did mention that the problem would only worsen if I'd ignored it, so it was a good thing I went. I kept thinking I was crazy because I'd wake up with a sensation of something, like sand maybe, in my eye. I'd wash my face, and even the pressure of a wash cloth was uncomfortable. Early morning sunlight was the worst! That said, an hour or so later, I felt no pain. Looks like I'll be on the mend soon--like maybe a month according to Dr. R.

Believe it or not, I've still got things to say about the trip but that will be in our next post. For tonight, I'll head to bed after somehow putting goop on my lower lid.

I do miss my Bruce.

He Drove

and drove, and drove, with your blogger spending nary a moment behind the wheel, for which she was ever so grateful.

So, are you ready for some photographic evidence of all that driving? Believe it or not, I didn't take that many photographs because we were always on the move. Here's the best editing I could manage.

Let's get started then:

Turns out I discovered there was a hole in the sole of the black shoes, so they stayed home. Instead, I wore sandals on the way up. You should have seen the looks in the Detroit and Chicago airports!

The evening before we left, a new lens I'd purchased from Amazon arrived. Here's one of the first pictures taken with this amazing lens of Bruce working feverishly preparing for our departure:

We'll talk lenses another day.

While Bruce was working, I had a little chat with Jonathan making sure things were ready for our arrival. Well....he mentioned in passing his kidney was hurting. Not good.

Early the next morning, 5AM to be exact, the phone rings. It's Jonathan. He sounds bad. Real bad. He's spent the night in excruciating pain from a kidney stone. Like father, like son. Years ago, during his last attack, he managed to pass it after spending some time in a warm bath. Didn't work this time. Hour after hour he refilled the tub, hoping and praying that the pain would subside. Naturally, we were heart sick thinking of him in such pain, but what could we do? Nothing.

Boarding the plane we were both very anxious. There are some perks involved with being married to a three million miler with Delta, such as flying first class. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, boarding the plane first is really, really great. Having food and drinks served on china is nice as well.

Astute observers will note Bruce is not working! He's fiddling with iTunes. Yeah! So, we had a layover in Detroit, which turns out to have one of the nicest airports I've visited. Wonderful to look at and the design seems really, really functional.

The light tunnel is pretty fantastic too! Another perk of being a frequent flyer is club memberships. What, pray tell, is that Gail? Well, lovely rooms with snacks galore, comfy chairs, and quiet surroundings. Because we were hoping Jonathan got some sleep, we waited until we were settled in the lounge in Detroit. Yes, he had finally fallen asleep soon after we spoke. Can you imagine his anxiety thinking of the move the next day? We were heartened that his voice was not one filled with pain during this conversation. Soon, we'd be in Chicago.

And we were. Changing into my Uggs, donning a coat and gloves, we headed to the train station. The day was gloomy and cold. Typical Chicago weather. The kind of weather Jonathan and Alissa are sick of. In fact, as we were walking to their apartment, there were some snow flurries. Did I mention it was windy? It was.

Their apartment building is famous now for two things: the architect, and the flood of 2010. You'll remember that they were displaced for three weeks this summer due to said flood. Here's the atrium, I guess you'd call it, taken from their 10th floor landing:

Most of downtown Chicago was closed for the holidays as evidenced by this photo taken at 3 in the afternoon just as we exited the train at LaSalle and VanBuren:

There were a few hearty souls out and about, but not many. I managed only a few quick shots before Bruce was imploring me to get moving! That lens is amazing is what I have to say. Anyway, after our arrival, we assessed the situation. What was left to do? Where, pray tell could we eat? Even our hotel restaurant was closed! Turns out, when Bruce and Jonathan went to his office, the restaurant on the ground floor was open serving Thanksgiving dinner. And what a dinner it was! Wonderful food and service.

Those green beans were SO good. As was everything. In the above photo, you see that both Jonathan and Alissa are doing their best to have a good time, although right about then, neither one was all too happy. Jonathan in pain, and Alissa worried about the truck. Dropping us off at our hotel, Bruce and I snuggled in to watch a little football before the big day. This didn't work out as planned. Soon after snuggling, the phone rang. Once again it was Jonathan with bad news. Upon their return to the apartment for their last night in Chicago, they discovered Tia, their cat, was dead. Yes, you read that right. Although Tia was 12 years old, she'd not been sick, so it was completely unexpected. What else could go wrong?

As you've already guessed, there is no easy way to bury a cat in downtown Chicago on a holiday night. In fact, I suspect, it's never easy. In any case, after receiving the call from Jonathan, Bruce called information, something he frequently does with great success. After consoling Alissa the best he could, he and Jonathan put Tia in a box and found a place to have her cremated.  How they got any sleep that night, I'll never know.

So, what else could or did go wrong? Nothing, absolutely nothing went wrong! The truck was ready to be picked up on time, albeit in the worst part of town, the movers showed up, and baby it was SHOW TIME! While waiting in all my winter gear outside by the truck while the movers were upstairs I took this of the building:

Cool, but I hope they won't miss it at all. Once the truck was loaded, we were off! At least Bruce and I were. Finishing up the last few details Jonathan and Alissa motored on out of Chicago to start their new life.

Here's how I got most of my shots! You might note my hands in camera in the bottom mirror.

Once we left the city it was smooth sailing. Well, sort of. Bruce battled winds once we were in the Illinois countryside, but he gripped the wheel and kept the pedal to the metal.  For the most part, we left the gloomy skies in Chicago, and the serious cold stayed there as well, although just before sunset we began to see some light snow along the roadway. While stopped for a little break, I found this behind the rest stop:

I was in awe of the sky as the sun was setting. I was also pretty much in awe of this cross beside the highway! That little dark thing just below the cross is where you'd typically have a rear view mirror. Anyway, I took this through the windshield as we whizzed past.

We made it to Marion, Illinois, had dinner, and within minutes after checking into our hotel, our driver extraordinaire was fast asleep.

Saturday morning we were up at the crack of dawn. Make that way before the crack of dawn. Climbing into the truck with our hotel hot beverages, off we went, arriving in Missouri just as the sun was beginning to make it's presence known. A not too scary bridge over the Mississippi River:

Before this trip I had no idea Phillips 66 was still in business. Silly me. Here's one from Portageville, MO, population 3,200.

By this point we were about a third of the way there. The miles kept adding up, with Bruce calling out each 100 mile milestone. Every now and again we'd talk to J &A, however the cab was too loud for me to hear them very well. Sometimes I felt like I was having to shout just to make Bruce hear me! We didn't even have the radio on! You may have noticed in my first picture the atlas in my suitcase. That was so very handy, letting us know well in advance where each rest stop was located. Not to mention tons of other interesting facts.

Arkansas was very pretty, with plenty of color still left on the trees, although the roads were the worst. Our good weather and traffic continued!

Somewhere in Arkanasas, during one of our many, many gas fill ups, I saw this amazing sight:

Yes folks, that's a motel for $19.99 a night, with cars in the parking lot no less! I suggest you make it big.

Another one taken while on the move. Those green, green fields were really something. We don't know what they were, but it was almost startlingly green.

And then we were finally in Texas, stopping once again for gas:

Mr. Bruce is walking just behind the truck, probably looking for me! On this trip I took photos for reasons. This one is because there is still an S&H green stamp sign just below the trucks top sign. Long story short, Judy, my sister-in-law, is always reminding me of the year we were all so poor we used green stamps to buy Christmas gifts. Too bad that option isn't still available for cash strapped folks these days.

The sun was making it's descent just as we were heading into Dallas, making it almost impossible to see:

The cab grew silent with Bruce doing his best to remain calm and concentrate. Shortly after taking this photo, we approached the beltway around Dallas. Bruce suggested I not look. I didn't. I would have gone into a panic if I'd watched us approach a flyover, about four highways up in the air! There was one more to come. Once I again I ducked.

Finding a hotel that night was harder than we'd have liked. Suffice it to say, we drove nearly an hour longer, finally finding a hotel in Hillsboro, TX. The kids stayed on the other side of Dallas. I had my first Texas nachos that night--man they take their spices seriously! After driving 700 miles, Bruce once again fell asleep within minutes, as did his navigator companion. I did, however, wake in the night, worrying myself sick over J&A driving through Dallas. Misplaced fears my friends. They sailed right through it!

It seemed like the last 150 miles were the longest, but finally we arrived, finding their apartment with the help of our handy GPS. Nice. Very nice. Before long, they pulled up and the unloading began.

More than once, we marveled at Bruce's strength. We all pitched in and before long things looked like this:

It looked even better some hours later, however, the parental units were bushed, falling asleep in a heartbeat on an air mattress set up in the living room. Morning arrived, and after much hugging and good wishes, Jonathan drove us to the airport. While Bruce was photographing Jonathan and I, a nice man stopped, asking if Bruce wanted to join us. Of course he did!

Good grief do I look like a hag or what? Yikes! You would have thought she drove! While waiting, we enjoyed some of the famous fare from Salt Lick in the airport. Delish!

Flying on Southwest was about a 360 degree difference than our flight to Chicago, but it got us home:

And there you have it folks, a tale of three journeys. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Road Trips

Once upon a time a young couple embarked on a long road trip in a 1977 Toyota Corolla without air conditioning. Not to be confused with young couples searching for meaning, or adventure, said couple went in search of work. Florida, their state of residence, was struggling through a serious economic downturn; construction jobs were few and far between. Towing a little Ford Ranger truck behind them, they headed west to the promised land--California.

Now, this young couple had a little help with the trip. The young man's parents flew to Florida from their home in California, taking the couple's one year old with them, while the couple made the difficult journey across the country during the worst heat of the summer. Day after day they drove, sometimes he, sometimes she. Even then she had a serious fear of bridges. Once, during the trip, while he was taking a much needed nap, the news came over the CB radio that there was a serious bridge up ahead. Not surprising, as this was in Louisiana, a state with many bridges. Panicking, she woke her husband, telling him that they must find a place to pull over so they could switch drivers. Without complaint, he did so, all the while trying to alleviate her fears. By the time, the little Corolla, towing the Ford, made the climb to the top, the car was straining in first gear. Imagine how frightened she was heading toward the bottom. Truth be told, he was probably scared as well, just didn't let on. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Charles_I-10_Bridge)

The trip was hard--five days of intense heat, no more so than in Death Valley near the end of the trip. Temperatures were hovering around 130 degrees. Phoneix was hot, Texas was wide, and New Mexico was pretty. Up until the journey, she had spent very few nights of her life in a motel room. Gas was cheap in those days. At one time she still had her diary with all the gas ups logged. If her memory serves her right, maybe $85? Didn't seem so cheap back then. Her frugal nature was shaken by all the expense involved.

Up until the road trip, said couple's little boy was rarely out of their sight. Before leaving Florida, he'd taken a few tentative steps, making his new mother think that walking would begin any day. Every evening, when the couple called his parents, the woman would ask the same question--is he walking yet? Every evening, her mother-in-law gave the same answer--no.

Finally, after more than five days, they reached the promised land, reuniting with their beloved baby. After just a few hours getting settled with his parents, he was off searching for a job. And guess what? He returned several hours with one! Oh happy day!

One year later, in their 25th year, they made the same journey eastward. The woman, succumbing to homesickness, implored her husband to take her home. Being the agreeable type, he did. This time, their now 2 year old boy accompanied them, playing in the back of the Corolla. And he was talking for the first time in his little life. Complete sentences even. Just before leaving the promised land, the couple discovered that their little family would be expanding. As they drove into the state of Florida, the woman began feeling queasy, something that would continue for the next six months. At the time, they had no idea that instead of a family of four, they would soon be expanding to a family of five. That is a story for another time.

Once again, he found a job and he's been working hard ever since.

Now, 32 years later, the couple, in their 57th year, find themselves preparing for another road trip, albeit one in polar opposite weather conditions. This time, they will be the parents that help their young son transition to a new life. Let us hope that their son finds work as quickly as his father did, once upon a time.

RIP

One member of our little household has escaped much notice in my blog of late, although the health of said member has been on our minds. I'm speaking, of course, about Ric Flair, our beta fighting fish, named after one of Dave's favorite wrestlers. Just writing that I can hear Dave's voice doing the imitation. Anyway, for some time now, Ric has exhibited signs of decline. Not only had his tail disintegrated, but his color was diminishing by the day. As well, I cleaned his water each week, but in the last month or so, the water would get icky after only a few days. I scoured the internet hoping to discover the source of his problems, to no avail. And so, this morning, this is how I found him:

I'd assumed that he would float to the top if he died, but it seems that is not the case. Last week I even went to the pet store inquiring about his condition, however, once again they were stymied. I do hope he didn't suffer.

Yesterday, after posting, I remembered I wanted to show you some photos I took of the back yard in all it's ambient light glory:

Fantastic, right? We were enjoying our dinner poolside, I think, maybe last Thursday. It's still warm here most days. In fact, on Saturday at the show, after about two hours, my hair went into ponytail mode because even though I was wearing a sleeveless dress, I was roasting!

That certainly won't be the case in just a few days from now. I have no idea what clothes to pack for this trip. What, pray tell, will I be comfortable in sitting for hours on end in a UHaul truck? According to the weather forecasts it will be about 50 degrees colder than what I'm used to. I'm definitely ruling out sleeveless!

Bruce has jobs galore under construction with three breaking ground next Monday. He, of course, is pretty stressed out. And who can blame him? Nevertheless, here's the plan:

• Fly to Chicago on Thanksgiving day, hopefully J & A have found a place to celebrate.
• Oddly enough, UHaul doesn't open until 9 in the morning Friday, with the scheduled movers arriving at 10 to load the truck. In the high rise where they live, one must reserve the elevator for this kind of thing. So much for an early start.
• Drive, drive, and drive. There are three routes one can take from Chicago to Austin. Not sure just yet which one to choose. Either down through Memphis, across Arkansas, into Oklahoma, and straight down to Austin. Another route sends you West right off the bat, heading into St. Louis, through Missouri, Oklahoma, and South to Austin. I can't recall the other one, however, I've got an atlas to study. Maybe, just maybe, Miss Out & About Photography, might just get a picture or two out of the deal.
• ETA--Austin, probably sometime Sunday. 
• Fly home on Monday afternoon, after hopefully helping them get settled. 

Seriously, I can't believe it's only two days away.

I found a few interesting things to share if you're interested:http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/nov/21/pencil-sharpen-service Crazy, right?

And then there's this:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/11/16/travel/20101121HOURS.html Bruce and I visited here many years ago and what an interesting place it is! As I recall we walked about a mile, pulling our suitcases behind us on the bumpy sidewalks, before finding our hotel. Some of the most beautiful photographs we have are from this very place.

Yesterday I laid a bit low after the busy weekend. I did, however, go to the bank! On my way home I saw this on our street corner:

I just had to stop and check it out. Turns out the car is a 16th birthday present. The celebrant's friends came by to decorate:

Clever girls.

It's that time again. Breakfast. Polasek. Bruce returns. Planning. Have a nice day; I plan to.