We swung by Carlsbad, New Mexico to check out the Carlsbad Caverns - home of their local bat population. Fortunately, it was not bat season so there were no bats in the bat cave. We began our descent into the cave with me finger gripping the walls out of fear of falling into the cavern. Thank goodness some kind engineer designed the entire hike through the cave with a metal rail for sissies like me to cling to! We entered the cave, looked at some rocks....more rocks....more rocks someone claimed to be whale tails, king kong, etc. It's truly all in the eye of the beholder. They looked like rocks to me :-) We took some pictures - albeit all were very dark. But, we made an attempt. Did I mention we had to leave the dogs in the car because they are not allowed into the caves? The park ranger assured me it was cool enough to allow the dogs to sit in the car until we made the 2.5 hour hike through the cave. I felt like an unfit mother doing that, but it was only about 55 - 60 degrees and we cracked all the windows. The dogs sure were happy to see us when we got back! They were none worse for the wear - they were perfectly fine in the car and we saw that other people had done the same thing. So, we walked and watered the dogs, visited the souvenir shop for a take home t-shirt, and off we went. Onto White Sands people!
So, we pulled into White Sands National Park pretty early in the morning. At first, I was trying to figure out what all the fuss was about. It looked like any other stinkin' desert in Arizona! But then, we continued to drive into the park and that's when we spotted the white sands. The white sands are actually piles of gypsum that blows into the form of sand dunes from a nearby defunct waterbed. The sands truly are as white as snow. The most unusual thing was that people actually buy those round disc shaped sleds to sled ride down the sides of the sand dunes. Hey....whatever keeps the kiddies happy, ya know! Anyway....we decided to park and hike. So, we took a bottle of water and off we went. Now, when I say "a" bottle of water, I mean ONE bottle of water.....just so you know. Well, immediately into the hike, Rudi dropped trow and took a nice big poop in the middle of the beautiful white sand. I can only estimate that he must have something against national parks - first the four corners and now this???? Geesh!
So, we began hiking. Up one dune, down another. Up one dune, down another. Up another dune, down another. Around a dune, up one dune, down another. You get the picture. When we started it was a mere 41 degrees (according to the car). By the time I hiked 2.5 miles, I think it must have been 90 degrees because it sure felt like it. Also, that ONE bottle of water was slowly disappearing between me and the dogs. Konrad is like a freakin' camel - the man can survive on an ounce of liquid per day. So we finally reach the dry riverbed. So I ask Konrad if he knows how far we have to go yet to get back to the car and he says no. I told him to get out the map and look and well.....the map is in the car. I am freaking out at this point. I just want to get a big swig of water and get my butt back to the car. Even the dogs are getting tired. At 3 miles, their tails are down, tongues are out, and Rosie is picking on Rudi for no reason. God, I love this :-)
We finally get back to civilization. I can hear children screaming. I never thought shrill screaming would put a smile on my face, but it did. I can see the glimmer of our car hood on the horizon. We finally reach the car and an additional four bottles of water. Boy, were we unprepared for that hike! Looking back, I'm glad we did it but also....I wish we would have been better prepared. Read the maps folks before you step into a giant sand box....read the map!
Well, this slight detour from our original plans has cost us about 5 hours. So, we didn't reach home Friday night as we had hoped. Instead, we reached Arizona (Mesa) at about midnight on Saturday night. We spent another hour and a half unloading the car. The next day we had to repair a chip in the windshield and clean the car out before returning it.
I don't know if it was the new lack of the motion sickness that I was experiencing in the car everyday, or the Arizona pollution, but I was ill all Sunday and Monday. Even Konrad wasn't feeling well. So, Monday I had to call in sick to work because I had a 101 temperature and felt really yucky. By Monday afternoon around 3 my fever broke and all was well. Weird! Wow - maybe my theory really is true - maybe I really am allergic to Arizona! Pray God! I don't keep it secret about how much I hate Arizona weather and everything else associated with it, but under it all, I really don't believe my theory can actually be true. Sigh.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
New Mexico here we come!
We drove as far as Alamagordo New Mexico on a last minute whim to go visit the White Sands National Park. The folks in Alamagordo are quite nice and the ladies at the Super 8 allowed the dogs to stay for free! I believe they do this for pest control reasons.......allow me to explain.
We were preparing to settle in for the night. We walked the dogs, got the jammies on, found a good station on tv, and were prepared to turn out the lights. Rudi wasn't having any of that business. Instead, he wedged himself between the wall and the bed and decided to dig, dig, dig at the baseboards. Apparently, something was living in our room that was neither human or canine and Rudi wanted it! Real bad! We looked and looked and didn't see what it was. Rosie was too tired to investigate the ruckus....until later that night. While we were dead in the middle of sleep, I heard a rustling noise next to the bed. "What is that????" I thought to myself. All of a sudden, the rustling was followed by a quick scramble and something ran forehead first into the entertainment stand.....yep, it was Rosie all right. Whatever Rudi was chasing earlier that evening finally caught Rosie's attention and she tried her darnedest to get whatever it was. Whatever it was still remains a mystery. All I can say is that I was quite careful when I opened the suitcases at home later that night!
On our way to Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Park!
We were preparing to settle in for the night. We walked the dogs, got the jammies on, found a good station on tv, and were prepared to turn out the lights. Rudi wasn't having any of that business. Instead, he wedged himself between the wall and the bed and decided to dig, dig, dig at the baseboards. Apparently, something was living in our room that was neither human or canine and Rudi wanted it! Real bad! We looked and looked and didn't see what it was. Rosie was too tired to investigate the ruckus....until later that night. While we were dead in the middle of sleep, I heard a rustling noise next to the bed. "What is that????" I thought to myself. All of a sudden, the rustling was followed by a quick scramble and something ran forehead first into the entertainment stand.....yep, it was Rosie all right. Whatever Rudi was chasing earlier that evening finally caught Rosie's attention and she tried her darnedest to get whatever it was. Whatever it was still remains a mystery. All I can say is that I was quite careful when I opened the suitcases at home later that night!
On our way to Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Park!
Did they ever get out of Texas?????????
So you're probably all wondering....did they ever make it out of the deep heart of Texas??? Well, of course we did!!!! What happened was the on/off button on my laptop bit the dust and we no longer had internet access because of it! UGH! Needless to say, I am quite happy that the DELL rep made arrangements for me to get it fixed when we reached Mesa again :-)
A highlight from our trip through Texas......
- We were at a gas station in the middle of the night and I decided to wedge myself into the back seat of the SUV to take a little nap. We had just purchased some chocolate milk for Konrad, a soda for me, and of course...some road snacks. So, I shoved both dogs in the front seat and squeezed into the backseat. I was turned the other way tucking a blanket into the crack of the leather seat and turned back around to lie down. Well.....there were two dogs sitting next to me. Imagine my surprise - I had just given them the go ahead to rule the front seat but no.....they have to be where mom is. So, I mumbled an expletive and was trying to reason with Rudi that he truly should ride in the front seat. Konrad was sitting in the front seat and spun around to see what all the commotion was. Upon hearing my expletive and upon seeing the endearing look of Rudi's little face listening to me reasoning with him so intently, Konrad couldn't hold it back - he burst out in laughter which was slightly muffled until he spewed out the chocolate milk resonating ahead of it! Yes, that's right folks. He had just filled his gullet with a nice cold mouthful of chocolate milk and was preparing to swallow....until he decided to laugh instead. I don't know if anyone has truly witnessed anything projectile coming out of one's mouth - be it vomit or otherwise but I must say, it really is quite remarkable. Konrad probably spewed a three foot range. The leather seats of the RENTED SUV were dripping with sticky sweet chocolate milk. Shortly thereafter, we ran out of antibacterial wipes!
A highlight from our trip through Texas......
- We were at a gas station in the middle of the night and I decided to wedge myself into the back seat of the SUV to take a little nap. We had just purchased some chocolate milk for Konrad, a soda for me, and of course...some road snacks. So, I shoved both dogs in the front seat and squeezed into the backseat. I was turned the other way tucking a blanket into the crack of the leather seat and turned back around to lie down. Well.....there were two dogs sitting next to me. Imagine my surprise - I had just given them the go ahead to rule the front seat but no.....they have to be where mom is. So, I mumbled an expletive and was trying to reason with Rudi that he truly should ride in the front seat. Konrad was sitting in the front seat and spun around to see what all the commotion was. Upon hearing my expletive and upon seeing the endearing look of Rudi's little face listening to me reasoning with him so intently, Konrad couldn't hold it back - he burst out in laughter which was slightly muffled until he spewed out the chocolate milk resonating ahead of it! Yes, that's right folks. He had just filled his gullet with a nice cold mouthful of chocolate milk and was preparing to swallow....until he decided to laugh instead. I don't know if anyone has truly witnessed anything projectile coming out of one's mouth - be it vomit or otherwise but I must say, it really is quite remarkable. Konrad probably spewed a three foot range. The leather seats of the RENTED SUV were dripping with sticky sweet chocolate milk. Shortly thereafter, we ran out of antibacterial wipes!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Deep in the Heart of Texas!
Well folks, we finally made it to Texas today - we are staying at yet another Motel 6 just across the border - somewhere between Beaumont and Houston. We had an exciting day in New Orleans today. We went to the French Quarter where we spent several hours standing in sub zero temperatures hoping to gnaw on some deep fried alligator tail. Seriously! We gave up at one restaurant when some customers came out saying that the chef had walked out during their meal and that everything they ate was cold and it certainly wasn't worth the $35 they paid for lunch. Decision made! Down the street we trekked where we were able to eat at another fine establishment for about $50. But at least the food was hot!
So, we did some exploring around the city and then went in search of the 9th ward. We found the 38th ward which was also explosively damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The situation there is still quite sad folks. People are still living in campers out in the front yards of what used to be their warm and loving homes. We would literally see neighborhoods of a hundred houses with only about 10 of those houses occupied. We spoke to a store owner who said that the residents in each ward were only given less than $5,000 for all the damages and to rebuild their lives. He also told us that with all the locals chased out of town, the Big Easy is now becoming snobby lane because the rich are moving in and sucking up property and the like in the hopes of a big boom there again someday. He said that because of this, the place is getting more high class and rush, rush, rush......hmmmmmm...reminds us of the Phoenix area!
Anyway, we hit the road and headed toward Texas in the hopes of meeting up with my friend Tracy in Austin. Well, she wrote tonight saying that during the week of Christmas, she had picked up and moved everything to Tampa Florida!!!! DANG! Well...looks like there is another vacation in our future :-)
I got a call from my mom today while on the road - my dad gets his blood tested tomorrow and if all goes well and his white blood cell count is up, he will get his December 27th chemo treatment this FRIDAY! Whoo hoo!!!!! My inner hope and spirit hopes he beats this thing, but realistically I understand the gravity of his illness and realize I'm grasping at straws. One can always hope though.
So, we did some exploring around the city and then went in search of the 9th ward. We found the 38th ward which was also explosively damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The situation there is still quite sad folks. People are still living in campers out in the front yards of what used to be their warm and loving homes. We would literally see neighborhoods of a hundred houses with only about 10 of those houses occupied. We spoke to a store owner who said that the residents in each ward were only given less than $5,000 for all the damages and to rebuild their lives. He also told us that with all the locals chased out of town, the Big Easy is now becoming snobby lane because the rich are moving in and sucking up property and the like in the hopes of a big boom there again someday. He said that because of this, the place is getting more high class and rush, rush, rush......hmmmmmm...reminds us of the Phoenix area!
Anyway, we hit the road and headed toward Texas in the hopes of meeting up with my friend Tracy in Austin. Well, she wrote tonight saying that during the week of Christmas, she had picked up and moved everything to Tampa Florida!!!! DANG! Well...looks like there is another vacation in our future :-)
I got a call from my mom today while on the road - my dad gets his blood tested tomorrow and if all goes well and his white blood cell count is up, he will get his December 27th chemo treatment this FRIDAY! Whoo hoo!!!!! My inner hope and spirit hopes he beats this thing, but realistically I understand the gravity of his illness and realize I'm grasping at straws. One can always hope though.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Florida - the 18th State!
Konrad and I just realized tonight that we are currently on the 18th state in our trek! Isn't that crazy???? I feel like we've been gone forever! It sucks knowing we have to go back to Phoenix and back to our boring lives. Sigh. Why couldn't we have been born Hiltons, why?????? :-)
We will blog more tomorrow once we reach our 19th state. By the way, I should mention that the Super 8 we are staying in tonight - you know, the one we previously thought was decent? Well, I just heard a noise outside the window and opened the curtains to find a security officer poking his nose in at me. Scared me to death - I don't know whether I should feel safe or scared????? If you don't hear from us.....please tell our parents we love them ;-)
We will blog more tomorrow once we reach our 19th state. By the way, I should mention that the Super 8 we are staying in tonight - you know, the one we previously thought was decent? Well, I just heard a noise outside the window and opened the curtains to find a security officer poking his nose in at me. Scared me to death - I don't know whether I should feel safe or scared????? If you don't hear from us.....please tell our parents we love them ;-)
Happy New Year!!!!!
Whoo hoo!!! Happy New Year everyone! We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe new year! Wendy, Konrad, Rosie, Rudi Poops....we mean Rudi :-)
Hilton Head Island
This morning we got up when we felt like it and headed to Hilton Head Island. We parked and walked to the nearest beach access. This would be Rudi's first trip to the ocean ever! Rudi wasn't too sure about the ocean when we first arrived, but by the end of it all he decided that it couldn't hurt him and also decided he could stand within 3 feet of the water line and not worry. Konrad ran with both dogs up and down the beach - Rosie enjoying the running the most. It's something he and Rosie used to do in Charlotte every day when work and school wasn't taking over his life. Your right Dr. Weldon - maybe all that income is taking over his priorities :-) Ha ha :-) private joke folks - sorry about that. Anyhoo, after an exciting morning at the beach, we decided we were hungry and ate at the Crazy Crab on the mainland. We had snow crab legs - yummy!!!! Not as good as the ones I ate in Seattle once, but it was seafood - not a natural food in Arizona! After a hearty lunch, we headed to the outlets because I had heard rumors they had a Coach outlet there. Well, when we pulled in and I saw the Coach sign, my eyes glazed over and the drool bib came out. I bought a purse and two wallets - exceeding the budget that Konrad had established fro me from the car - yes, even before I set foot in the store! Thank God for Christmas bonuses!!!! Cha-ching!We piled in the car and decided we better book it down to Florida by evening if we have any hope at all of ending up in Phoenix again by the 4th. So, we blew through Georgia and entered Florida at about 8:30 p.m. this evening. We found a pretty decent Super 8 motel here in Jacksonville Florida where we are quietly spending our New Years Eve. We were lucky to find a Chinese take out place in the midst of all the crappy fast food restaurants. After dining on Scezchuan chicken, we settled in for the night - with Rosie camped out on the floor right in front of the a/c unit and Rudi hogging one side of the bed as usual. Both dogs are absolutely exhausted! As are we! We will try to do better at blogging on a regular basis.
South Carolina - Friendly places, smiling faces
So, we hit South Carolina - around Waterboro I believe - at about midnight or midnight-thirty. We had an uneventful stay in another fleabag hotel there. We wanted to stay somewhere close to Hilton Head Island since that was one thing on our must see list.
North Carolina here we are!!!!!!
We arrived in North Carolina as planned albeit a few hours late. Konrad and I were exhausted after the almost sleepless night we spent in that nasty fleabag hotel in Virigina. But, we kept on driving. I texted my friend Sarah the whole way from south Virginia to let her know where we were on the path. It was important because she was my first visit of the day! And the only one :-) We checked into a classier hotel this time - splurging $100 bucks for something decent and NON-SMOKING!!!! Konrad took me to Sarah's house and dropped me off and then went to meet his UNCC college buddy Scott at a local restaurant. While they visited, Sarah and I spent a glorious several hours together revisiting some of old haunts (Chick Fil-A) and some new haunts (the mall). We also hung out at her house and took some photos and I got to play with her dog Scout. It was probably the best visit I've ever had with anyone....ever! No offense to my other friends, but Sarah and I just connect and even doing some of the things we always did is super fun!!!! I had a blast! I can't wait to hopefully see her again in February ;-) Thanks again Sarah! Love ya!
That night, I slept like a rock! I mean a nice big boulder sort of rock. Konrad pinched my nostrils shut several times that night to reduce the snoring. I think I tried biting his fingers at one point, but my memory is fading :-)
The next morning we slept in late and took advantage of the late check out. Thank God for the small things!!!! We then packed up the car, made the dogs go potty in the pouring rain, and then booked on up to Kannapolis in hopes of meeting with Patsy, my dog rescue friend. Patsy called in the nick of time and we all got together at the Pizza Hut Bistro (very classy appeal for Pizza Hut I might add) and we had the opportunity to sit and chat together for several hours. It was absolutely great! I wish we had more time, but the time we did have was truly quality time. After Patsy left, we drove up to our friends Elizabeth and John. They bought a house in Concord which we had never been to since they bought it after we moved from here. We arrived and were greeted by Rosie's long distance boyfriend Casey. Casey is a labrador retriever that Rosie has known since he was a baby. They loved, I mean LOVED each other when they lived in the same apartment building. Konrad and I had our own hackles raised at first expecting the worst - that Rosie would attack Casey and rip his face off pretty much like she does any other dog she ever meets. But, they met each other nose to nose and Konrad and I truly believe they actually rememebered one another!!!! Rosie loved on him and poked him in the back enticing him to play and everything. Then all three dogs raced outside to romp the yard together. I don't know who had more fun - the dogs or us! I believe I forgot to mention that Casey weighs 155 pounds and Rudi a mere 14 so when Rudi tried giving Casey hell, it was quite funny. Casey just smacked him on the head with his paw and that pretty much shut Rudi up :) I think Rudi realized what he was up against and decided just to stay out of Casey's way - you know, crushing factor. All little dogs are aware of this grevious situation I believe :) Casey is probably the most gentle dog anyone would ever meet and was so very tolerant of the little black noise making rat (Rudi) that was running around him and trying to bite his ankles. So, after our visit, we had to drive to South Charlotte to meet up with Konrad's former advisor from UNCC.
We went to his house and then drove over to our favorite American German restaurant ever - the Waldhorn Restaurant. Talk about delicious!!!! And we were so hungry! We had excellent conversation as always with Dr. Weldon and he offered us to stay at his place for the night, but Konrad being the all night driving maniac that he is, decided we should hit the road instead. So, we reluctantly said our goodbyes and departed - headed for the great land of South Carolina.
That night, I slept like a rock! I mean a nice big boulder sort of rock. Konrad pinched my nostrils shut several times that night to reduce the snoring. I think I tried biting his fingers at one point, but my memory is fading :-)
The next morning we slept in late and took advantage of the late check out. Thank God for the small things!!!! We then packed up the car, made the dogs go potty in the pouring rain, and then booked on up to Kannapolis in hopes of meeting with Patsy, my dog rescue friend. Patsy called in the nick of time and we all got together at the Pizza Hut Bistro (very classy appeal for Pizza Hut I might add) and we had the opportunity to sit and chat together for several hours. It was absolutely great! I wish we had more time, but the time we did have was truly quality time. After Patsy left, we drove up to our friends Elizabeth and John. They bought a house in Concord which we had never been to since they bought it after we moved from here. We arrived and were greeted by Rosie's long distance boyfriend Casey. Casey is a labrador retriever that Rosie has known since he was a baby. They loved, I mean LOVED each other when they lived in the same apartment building. Konrad and I had our own hackles raised at first expecting the worst - that Rosie would attack Casey and rip his face off pretty much like she does any other dog she ever meets. But, they met each other nose to nose and Konrad and I truly believe they actually rememebered one another!!!! Rosie loved on him and poked him in the back enticing him to play and everything. Then all three dogs raced outside to romp the yard together. I don't know who had more fun - the dogs or us! I believe I forgot to mention that Casey weighs 155 pounds and Rudi a mere 14 so when Rudi tried giving Casey hell, it was quite funny. Casey just smacked him on the head with his paw and that pretty much shut Rudi up :) I think Rudi realized what he was up against and decided just to stay out of Casey's way - you know, crushing factor. All little dogs are aware of this grevious situation I believe :) Casey is probably the most gentle dog anyone would ever meet and was so very tolerant of the little black noise making rat (Rudi) that was running around him and trying to bite his ankles. So, after our visit, we had to drive to South Charlotte to meet up with Konrad's former advisor from UNCC.
We went to his house and then drove over to our favorite American German restaurant ever - the Waldhorn Restaurant. Talk about delicious!!!! And we were so hungry! We had excellent conversation as always with Dr. Weldon and he offered us to stay at his place for the night, but Konrad being the all night driving maniac that he is, decided we should hit the road instead. So, we reluctantly said our goodbyes and departed - headed for the great land of South Carolina.
No, Viriginia, there is no Santa Claus in Virginia!
Once we busted the border of Virginia, life was a gamble. The first gamble was finding a place to stay in Virginia that would allow dogs in the room. Pickin's were slim so we opted for a grungy Econo Lodge nestled down in a wooded area. We thought maybe by chance it would be somewhat nice, especailly considering they are a national chain. But........ So, we checked several hotels in the area and the only one to allow dogs was the grungy Econo Lodge. So, we overpaid our $79 and got a room. They would only rent us a smoking room since the lady at the front desk told me it would cover up the doggie smell. We need to tell you that neither one of us had ever wondered what it would be like to live life as a cigarette butt. Butt, I mean but, that night, we soon found out. The smell was atrocious! I felt like the odor was in my hair, in my eyes, in my skin, in the dog fur, you name it. Gross!!!! And, to make matters worse, the room was absolutely disgusting. There was a large red splash spot between the two beds that looked like the remnants of a murder scene. Needless to say, Konrad and I spent the entire night with our socks on - we never allowed our piggies to touch the floor! Even the dogs ate their dinner and their breakfast on the spare bed. It was just so gross. I need to thank my friend Fawn for the antiseptic wipes she packed for us because the dogs were ever so grateful. As were we! I also need to thank Paris Hilton for the wonderfully scented perfume she markets to us poor folk because that at least masked some of the smoke smell for a short while. ugh!
The next morning, we were up and at 'em - eager to escape the rim of the ashtray. Might we metnion also that there were people actually living in this hotel - whole families. It was the saddest thing. In the morning during checkout, whole families were clamboring in to get their free breakfast - with snotty nosed kids and everything. Very sad indeed. We had heard that Virigina has some of the poorest people in America but never dreamed we would see it firsthand.
Next up.....North Carolina!!!!!! Yee-haw!!!!!
The next morning, we were up and at 'em - eager to escape the rim of the ashtray. Might we metnion also that there were people actually living in this hotel - whole families. It was the saddest thing. In the morning during checkout, whole families were clamboring in to get their free breakfast - with snotty nosed kids and everything. Very sad indeed. We had heard that Virigina has some of the poorest people in America but never dreamed we would see it firsthand.
Next up.....North Carolina!!!!!! Yee-haw!!!!!
Our visit to Bald'mere or "Baltimore" for you mere mortals!
Our visit to Baltimore was extremely brief. We only had time to sweep by and visit my friend Julie. Both her daughters were there as well which was a treat because usually I only see one or the other because they actually have social lives, unlike Konrad and I! Now remember, we had both dogs with us for the visit and yes, we have another dog turd story. So, if you are squeemish about doggie doo or just don't care to hear about our Turd Tour as we're now thinking of renaming this mess, please skip to Paragraph 3!
P2 Okay, so picture two families sitting together nicely around the living room talking as much as we can squeeze into an hour since Konrad and I would soon have to hit the road. I think I failed to mention in the first paragraph that Julie has a large shepard mix dog named Bailey as well as 3 cats I believe. Anyone who has ever met our dog Rosie knows that she doesn't like other dogs - especially large females. So, poor Bailey was locked in the basement and she and Rosie has to discuss their hatred for one another through the crack under the basement door. Rudi decided to take refuge on my lap - probably because it was the biggest in the room - especially considering the LIES that broken SCALE in the doctor's office on the 27th told me!!!! Anyway, I digress. So, back to the poop story. No one saw Rosie slink over to the basement door but we sure knew she was there when both of the girl dogs started barking at one another vehemently. So vehemently that Rudi shot off my lap like a rocket and hit the floor with a thud. Around the couch he went circling with his tail down and his eyes wild - not knowing whether to come back to me or have a heart attack right on the spot. He chose my lap quickly when I called to him. Everything settled down and we sat talking a little more. But, this time I kept getting a brief whiff of doggie doo. Where was it coming from I asked? Nobody knew and nobody else was smelling it. So, of course I lifted Rudi's butt to my face and smelled and it didn't smell like poo at all. Just dog. The dog poo odor kept coming up but still nobody else smelled it. I finally offered to check behind the couch and as I stepped onto the WHITE carpet to have a look-see, I drew back a step only to gaze down in horror at the shoe shaped poop stain I had just imprinted into the plush carpet. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Apparantly, when Rudi bolted from my lap, the bowel movement he had been squeezing in for 300 miles shot right out of him like a poop rocket and onto the floor. I hadn't seen it but of course, I did step in it. A nice big load of it. Now of course we have both heard of people saying, "wow, I almost pooped my pants" but this was the real deal folks. Rudi literally pooped himself when the dogs were having a fit with one another. So, imagine how embarrassed we were when we had to ask our dear friend Julie to drag out the shampoo machine so we could clean her carpets before we left. Thankfully, Julie is an animal lover like us and has probably cleaned more puke and poop from carpets than we have :-) Thanks Jules! We love you! We understand if you'll never speak to us again ;-)
So, after an hour visit, off we were to the great land of Virginia.
P2 Okay, so picture two families sitting together nicely around the living room talking as much as we can squeeze into an hour since Konrad and I would soon have to hit the road. I think I failed to mention in the first paragraph that Julie has a large shepard mix dog named Bailey as well as 3 cats I believe. Anyone who has ever met our dog Rosie knows that she doesn't like other dogs - especially large females. So, poor Bailey was locked in the basement and she and Rosie has to discuss their hatred for one another through the crack under the basement door. Rudi decided to take refuge on my lap - probably because it was the biggest in the room - especially considering the LIES that broken SCALE in the doctor's office on the 27th told me!!!! Anyway, I digress. So, back to the poop story. No one saw Rosie slink over to the basement door but we sure knew she was there when both of the girl dogs started barking at one another vehemently. So vehemently that Rudi shot off my lap like a rocket and hit the floor with a thud. Around the couch he went circling with his tail down and his eyes wild - not knowing whether to come back to me or have a heart attack right on the spot. He chose my lap quickly when I called to him. Everything settled down and we sat talking a little more. But, this time I kept getting a brief whiff of doggie doo. Where was it coming from I asked? Nobody knew and nobody else was smelling it. So, of course I lifted Rudi's butt to my face and smelled and it didn't smell like poo at all. Just dog. The dog poo odor kept coming up but still nobody else smelled it. I finally offered to check behind the couch and as I stepped onto the WHITE carpet to have a look-see, I drew back a step only to gaze down in horror at the shoe shaped poop stain I had just imprinted into the plush carpet. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Apparantly, when Rudi bolted from my lap, the bowel movement he had been squeezing in for 300 miles shot right out of him like a poop rocket and onto the floor. I hadn't seen it but of course, I did step in it. A nice big load of it. Now of course we have both heard of people saying, "wow, I almost pooped my pants" but this was the real deal folks. Rudi literally pooped himself when the dogs were having a fit with one another. So, imagine how embarrassed we were when we had to ask our dear friend Julie to drag out the shampoo machine so we could clean her carpets before we left. Thankfully, Julie is an animal lover like us and has probably cleaned more puke and poop from carpets than we have :-) Thanks Jules! We love you! We understand if you'll never speak to us again ;-)
So, after an hour visit, off we were to the great land of Virginia.
Christmas with Pa in PA
Christmas was great!!! It was probably the best Christmas I have ever had. I had plenty of time to spend with my parents and Konrad and I even had an opportunity to spend time with all my brothers and sister. A rarity - because usually someone is missing from the festivities. Even my ghost sister-in-law showed up making a rare appearance. She hasn't been to my parents house for YEARS because she always has to work.
The first thing my dad did when we showed up was open the lemon crate and grab several lemons. He really loves his lemons! He was bagging and sorting them even before we had all the luggage removed from the car! So, the sourpuss tour was a complete success!!!!!
We squeezed in several days of visiting. I even had the opportunity to see my good friend Joan whom I have known since high school. If you ever want any dirt on me - call my friend Joan :-) Wait.....maybe you had better not :-)
Anyway, we took my father to the hospital for a chemo treatment on December 27th only to have the nurse tell him he couldn't have the treatment because his white blood cell count was wayyyyy down. So, he received a booster shot of a drug which will help his white blood count rise very fast. Due to the shot, he should be able to have his chemo treatment the 2nd week of January instead. While we were in the waiting room, Dad, Konrad, and I went to the scale to weigh in. Dad went first saying he weighed about the same, Konrad weighed himself saying he weighed about the same, and then I got on the scale and had to inform everyone that it must be broken because it showed I had gained ten pounds!!!! The nurses looked pretty skeptical about the "broken" machine - something tells me they didn't believe a word I said!
So, we departed Bellefonte, PA on December 28th - getting a very late start on the road. We promptly headed down south hitting Maryland first.
The first thing my dad did when we showed up was open the lemon crate and grab several lemons. He really loves his lemons! He was bagging and sorting them even before we had all the luggage removed from the car! So, the sourpuss tour was a complete success!!!!!
We squeezed in several days of visiting. I even had the opportunity to see my good friend Joan whom I have known since high school. If you ever want any dirt on me - call my friend Joan :-) Wait.....maybe you had better not :-)
Anyway, we took my father to the hospital for a chemo treatment on December 27th only to have the nurse tell him he couldn't have the treatment because his white blood cell count was wayyyyy down. So, he received a booster shot of a drug which will help his white blood count rise very fast. Due to the shot, he should be able to have his chemo treatment the 2nd week of January instead. While we were in the waiting room, Dad, Konrad, and I went to the scale to weigh in. Dad went first saying he weighed about the same, Konrad weighed himself saying he weighed about the same, and then I got on the scale and had to inform everyone that it must be broken because it showed I had gained ten pounds!!!! The nurses looked pretty skeptical about the "broken" machine - something tells me they didn't believe a word I said!
So, we departed Bellefonte, PA on December 28th - getting a very late start on the road. We promptly headed down south hitting Maryland first.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Flight by Night
Yesterday was crazy folks - the reason for no blog entry for yesterday. Yesterday, Konrad and I plus the hounds blew through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and most of Ohio! What a trip! We were planted in the car for over 15 hours! When we first departed Iowa, we were still in white out conditions, but at least the sun was trying to blare through the whiteouts to guide us on our way. I do have an interesting dog turd story but if it grosses you out or anything, you should probably skip to Paragraph 3!
P2 - The dog turd story. The winds in Iowa were 40 mph first thing in the morning and the temperature was a frightful 14 degrees. Rudi, the littlest cockapoo, took a poop right in the wind and as he was pooping - the wind ripped the turd right out of his little behind. Well, you can imagine his surprise when he realized he was in the middle of the "action" but it was gone when he looked back there. The wind had taken it and rolled it across the yard before he could even determine if what he was starting to leave was really there. It was hysterical! The woman in Wyoming had told me cars were blowing right off the road, and then this was confirmed by Konrad and I firsthand in Iowa. And, now we can honestly confirm that when a dog poops into 40 mph winds, turds will also fly. Fortunately, I was NOT standing in the same wind!
P3 - So we booked through Iowa on very treacherous roads. We counted 110 cars in ditches and wrecks along the way until we crossed the border to Illinois. There was really nothing to see in Illinois - the roads were icy and packed full of cars. We saw a few cars in ditches there as well indicating we must have just missed the worst of their storm. We continued to share driving until crossing into Indiana in which there is also a lot of nothing to see. Just miles and miles of nothing. Everything was going fine until there was a multi car pileup on the highway we were driving into Columbus Ohio. So, we were forced to take a detour a few miles out of our way and work our way back to the highway. This is where truckers come in handy folks. Wherever they go, follow them. They certainly know their way around. Then it was on to Ohio. I refused to stop driving until we reached Ohio. We just had to get this state under our belts. Once we reached Columbus, we both realized we were all just too tired to continue. So, we jumped off the highway somewhere around east of Columbus and spent 5 hours sleeping in a hotel room. Might we recommend a Red Roof Inn - they are quite doggie friendly :-)
This morning we were up bright and early and continued our journey through Ohio and across West Virginia and on into Pennsylvania. We crossed the PA border this morning at about 8:36 a.m. EST. I was so relieved. Seeing my dad for Christmas Eve was actually going to become a reality! At approximately 1:00 p.m. EST this afternoon, we arrived in front of my parents house! They were never so happy to see us!! My dad is thoroughly enjoying his lemons. I took some great pictures of him with the lemons which I will post later on. I am just too pooped to post right now. My dad definitely looks worse now than he did in September - probably due to the aggressive chemo treatments. His skin is yellow in appearance and he's lost a lot of weight. He also loses his breath easier. But, he told us he feels better this week than he has in a long time. I think he is just excited to have his family around him. If that is what it takes to lift his spirits, so be it. I love my dad and don't want him to go anywhere.
The dogs are settling into my parents house without issue. We've realized Rudi is quite a tough little bugger. He's resilient to snow, cold weather, and doesn't mind riding for long periods of time in a car at all. Our plan is to stay home until the 27th and we depart sometime on the 28th. We will head to Baltimore to meet up with my friends from there and then it's on to Charlotte, NC to revisit our old stomping grounds and visit some close friends we made while living there.
After that, it's Florida and then west back to Phoenix, stopping in New Orleans. Keep checking back - we will be posting some photos and blogging more as the week goes on. Merry Christmas to everyone!
P2 - The dog turd story. The winds in Iowa were 40 mph first thing in the morning and the temperature was a frightful 14 degrees. Rudi, the littlest cockapoo, took a poop right in the wind and as he was pooping - the wind ripped the turd right out of his little behind. Well, you can imagine his surprise when he realized he was in the middle of the "action" but it was gone when he looked back there. The wind had taken it and rolled it across the yard before he could even determine if what he was starting to leave was really there. It was hysterical! The woman in Wyoming had told me cars were blowing right off the road, and then this was confirmed by Konrad and I firsthand in Iowa. And, now we can honestly confirm that when a dog poops into 40 mph winds, turds will also fly. Fortunately, I was NOT standing in the same wind!
P3 - So we booked through Iowa on very treacherous roads. We counted 110 cars in ditches and wrecks along the way until we crossed the border to Illinois. There was really nothing to see in Illinois - the roads were icy and packed full of cars. We saw a few cars in ditches there as well indicating we must have just missed the worst of their storm. We continued to share driving until crossing into Indiana in which there is also a lot of nothing to see. Just miles and miles of nothing. Everything was going fine until there was a multi car pileup on the highway we were driving into Columbus Ohio. So, we were forced to take a detour a few miles out of our way and work our way back to the highway. This is where truckers come in handy folks. Wherever they go, follow them. They certainly know their way around. Then it was on to Ohio. I refused to stop driving until we reached Ohio. We just had to get this state under our belts. Once we reached Columbus, we both realized we were all just too tired to continue. So, we jumped off the highway somewhere around east of Columbus and spent 5 hours sleeping in a hotel room. Might we recommend a Red Roof Inn - they are quite doggie friendly :-)
This morning we were up bright and early and continued our journey through Ohio and across West Virginia and on into Pennsylvania. We crossed the PA border this morning at about 8:36 a.m. EST. I was so relieved. Seeing my dad for Christmas Eve was actually going to become a reality! At approximately 1:00 p.m. EST this afternoon, we arrived in front of my parents house! They were never so happy to see us!! My dad is thoroughly enjoying his lemons. I took some great pictures of him with the lemons which I will post later on. I am just too pooped to post right now. My dad definitely looks worse now than he did in September - probably due to the aggressive chemo treatments. His skin is yellow in appearance and he's lost a lot of weight. He also loses his breath easier. But, he told us he feels better this week than he has in a long time. I think he is just excited to have his family around him. If that is what it takes to lift his spirits, so be it. I love my dad and don't want him to go anywhere.
The dogs are settling into my parents house without issue. We've realized Rudi is quite a tough little bugger. He's resilient to snow, cold weather, and doesn't mind riding for long periods of time in a car at all. Our plan is to stay home until the 27th and we depart sometime on the 28th. We will head to Baltimore to meet up with my friends from there and then it's on to Charlotte, NC to revisit our old stomping grounds and visit some close friends we made while living there.
After that, it's Florida and then west back to Phoenix, stopping in New Orleans. Keep checking back - we will be posting some photos and blogging more as the week goes on. Merry Christmas to everyone!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Stuck in Corn Country - Playing it by Ear :-)
Here we are - stuck in Iowa! There is a hellish snowstorm outside and the wind gusts were really blowing cars off the road - now I know that chick in Wyoming at the gas station wasn't lying! These winds out here are just incredible! After seeing 20+ cars on their roofs alongside the same highway (80) we were traveling, we decided to call it a night and camp out at a brand new hotel. Boy are we feeling spoiled! The lady at the front desk felt sorry for us once they saw the tired looks on the dogs faces and allowed all four of us to stay in a master type suite for $50!!!! Yes, $50!!!! And a brand new hotel to boot! Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers my friends! These Iowan people are nice folk!
We sailed through Nebraska today and let me tell you, there really isn't much to see there. They call it the Great Plains for a reason....because that's about all there is....about six hours of great plains and nothing more - except when the horizon is dotted with a few...okay a lot of...dead deer alongside the road and living cattle grazing off of those same great plains. Nothing to see here folks...move along, move along now. Yeehaw.
So, we've opted to go even further south in the morning to try and avoid the rest of this nasty snowstorm. We will now be traveling highway 74 through Indianapolis. Especially since we heard there are no available hotel rooms in Chicago and they are expecting 10 inches of snow this evening.
The dogs are exhausted and of course, sharing my double bed with me while Konrad has another double entirely all to himself. Yes, I'm jealous! And I haven't mentioned that their feet are wet. Can't wait for them to wake me from a dead sleep tonight since there is a big dog sleeping in the room right next door to us. I've already put newspaper down on the floor for accidents - both for them and for me because I just about pee my pants when I hear those shrill barks in the middle of the night! LOL!
So, tomorrow we will be up and on the road by 6 a.m. and hope to reach Pennsylvania by Sunday evening very late or sometime Monday morning. We plan to drive through the night tomorrow night if we have to. I simply MUST be home for Christmas Eve to celebrate with my parents - I just have to! I am determined to outwit this weather! Look out Mother Nature!!!!! Blow your snow somewhere else!!!! Wish us luck!!!!!
We sailed through Nebraska today and let me tell you, there really isn't much to see there. They call it the Great Plains for a reason....because that's about all there is....about six hours of great plains and nothing more - except when the horizon is dotted with a few...okay a lot of...dead deer alongside the road and living cattle grazing off of those same great plains. Nothing to see here folks...move along, move along now. Yeehaw.
So, we've opted to go even further south in the morning to try and avoid the rest of this nasty snowstorm. We will now be traveling highway 74 through Indianapolis. Especially since we heard there are no available hotel rooms in Chicago and they are expecting 10 inches of snow this evening.
The dogs are exhausted and of course, sharing my double bed with me while Konrad has another double entirely all to himself. Yes, I'm jealous! And I haven't mentioned that their feet are wet. Can't wait for them to wake me from a dead sleep tonight since there is a big dog sleeping in the room right next door to us. I've already put newspaper down on the floor for accidents - both for them and for me because I just about pee my pants when I hear those shrill barks in the middle of the night! LOL!
So, tomorrow we will be up and on the road by 6 a.m. and hope to reach Pennsylvania by Sunday evening very late or sometime Monday morning. We plan to drive through the night tomorrow night if we have to. I simply MUST be home for Christmas Eve to celebrate with my parents - I just have to! I am determined to outwit this weather! Look out Mother Nature!!!!! Blow your snow somewhere else!!!! Wish us luck!!!!!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Diversion from our route
Well folks....sad news. We had to divert from Devil's Tower in Wyoming and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota :-( I am very sad about this because we were just oh so close! But, we made it as far as we could on highway 25 until they closed the road. There was a 100 car pile up! Yes, you read it right - a HUNDRED cars! Apparantly, the road has 4 inches of ice and the wind was so strong, it actually blew the cars right off the road (so we were told by a gas station attendant). So, with the highway closed for God knows how long, we were forced to head back south again to Cheyenne and then east on 80. Route 80 is bad as well - covered in mostly snow with some icy patches. So, it took us about 3 hours to drive about 50 miles or so. We are both exhausted; it is quite tense driving in these conditions - maybe I will finally begin to like desert life???? Nahhhh! We decided to call it a night and are staying a slightly classier hotel than last night :-) There are no deer or bear in the room although I should mention that a rather large truck with the large horned carcass of an animal did breeze by us on 80 on our way here. We decided to eat at the steakhouse across the street tonight since we can only assume that fresh meat would be served! Mooooooo!!!!
Peace in the pasture!
Peace in the pasture!
Sourpuss Tour 2007
For those of you that didn't get to see the note I sent to my team regarding this blog, Konrad and I have named this car tour the Sourpuss Tour 2007 due to the fact that my father has lung cancer and one of his dying wishes was to receive lemons from Arizona. So, we have about 300 lemons packed in the car (which is covering up the doggie odor by the way) and will be delivering them in PA this Sunday or Monday - depending on any road suprises on the way there. So with all the lemons, the tour was officially names Sourpuss! Enjoy!
Still in Colorado
Well, everyone says Colorado is God's country and God must love BIG GIANT countries! Geesh! I've never seen such a huge state! I swear we will never get out of here! Seriously though, we're finally less than an hour from the border of Wyoming. Our goal today (during daylight hours) is to make a very quick trip to Devil's tour in Wyoming and then a Chevy Chase vacation glimpse of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. From there, we travel the rest of the day through South Dakota until we reach the other side and then on to the other states. Traveling by car really gives one a feeling of smallness in this great country of ours. Sometimes our personal issues seem so very big but when you realize just how small you really are, they seem minimum.
Onto other things before I reach down into the cobwebs of my little brain and become wayyyy to philosophical for blogging purposes! Forgot to mention that last night at the hotel our oldest (Rosie McFartyPants as we've now renamed her) decided to do number 2 on the hotel floor. Of course, being awakened in the middle of night by that not so pleasant odor is horrific in itself, but good old mom having to wake up and CLEAN THE STUFF is even more horrific! But, being the dog mom that I am, I had floor cleaner and disposable towels with me along with the rest of my doggie emergency kit that we always travel with. So, the hotel will never know and I'm sure the deer and bear that besiege the room will not care - after all, it just adds to the forestry of that room :-)
On another note, I am concerned for we haven't had any squabbles in the car yet - it's actually been a pleasant trip thus far. Don't know what's up with that - usually we argue about something :-) But, this makes me happy and I'm hoping the entire trip goes this way, but one never knows does one?
The weather is great in Colorado - anywhere between 7 and 52 degrees. At the hotel last night it was 7 degrees both inside and outside the room. I guess I should have asked the desk clerk if there was a heater in the room - pardon me for my assumptions! There was only a meek little cranky radiator that Konrad turned up to high. By morning, the room was a toasty 60 degrees (note the sarcasm please!) and we were at least able to shower without ice forming on our skin.
I am now letting Konrad do some driving and Rosie is sleeping soundly in the front seat while mom and Rudi are sharing the half seat in the back - quite cozy I assure you. Don't even ask where I have the laptop positioned - just be glad that I'm even able to make this post! LOL!
You'll hear from me again once we actually reach Wyoming and tell you stories of that great state. One last note...I was just talking to Konrad about limousines come from - long story ;-) And I mentioned that you never see those car haulers dragging limosuines around. And wouldn't you know it....on interstate 25 headed north, we happened upon a car hauler dragging two giant limosuines! Guess I can take that one of my list of things to see before I die....oh wait...it was never on there :-)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
On a Lone Lonesome Highway....
and not east of Omaha......we can hear the one note hum moaning out of the rental car we "own." Well, what can we say? The car is packed to the gills and there is barely room for humans. But...the good news is that once we reach Pennsylvania, the car will be half empty...or is it half full?
I wanted to name this entry "Fart in a Car" but I don't think Konrad would allow it. About 4 hours into the trip and a rousing nutritional (okay, I'm lying about the nutrition part) breakfast from Wendy's which we shared with the dog, our cockapoo Rosie decided to let one slide. I don't know about you other dog owners out there, but sitting in subzero temperatures with the heater cranked up to about 85 in the car is not a wise time for a dog to let loose. Needless to say, we almost had four casualties in the car. A dog farting in a car will teach you more about finding the window controls than anything else ever would! Anyway...I digress....
So we speed up the highway to the Four Corners which I always thought was a "must see" on my "things to see and do before I die" list. Let me tell you...I was pumped! I was so excited. And then we saw the gate and paid our $3.00 per person and entered the sacred ground of the Four Corners. I had been buzzing about it for days. And then I climbed the rickety stairs that supported what looked like an old lifeguard tower only to gaze down upon a brass colored medallion implanted into concrete that marked the "famous" four corners. Ummmm....okay. I don't know what I had drumming in my brain about what I actually expected to see there, but disappoinment was clearly written all over my face. I paid $6.00 for this????? So, Rudi (our other cockapoo) decided to christen the hallowed ground and we left. I was so bummed. But, hey, I have great pictures of me doing a "yo dawg" pose on the Four Corners medallion :-) If my camera weren't frozen right now, I would post the pics. But, you'll have to check back later for those!
I wanted to name this entry "Fart in a Car" but I don't think Konrad would allow it. About 4 hours into the trip and a rousing nutritional (okay, I'm lying about the nutrition part) breakfast from Wendy's which we shared with the dog, our cockapoo Rosie decided to let one slide. I don't know about you other dog owners out there, but sitting in subzero temperatures with the heater cranked up to about 85 in the car is not a wise time for a dog to let loose. Needless to say, we almost had four casualties in the car. A dog farting in a car will teach you more about finding the window controls than anything else ever would! Anyway...I digress....
So we speed up the highway to the Four Corners which I always thought was a "must see" on my "things to see and do before I die" list. Let me tell you...I was pumped! I was so excited. And then we saw the gate and paid our $3.00 per person and entered the sacred ground of the Four Corners. I had been buzzing about it for days. And then I climbed the rickety stairs that supported what looked like an old lifeguard tower only to gaze down upon a brass colored medallion implanted into concrete that marked the "famous" four corners. Ummmm....okay. I don't know what I had drumming in my brain about what I actually expected to see there, but disappoinment was clearly written all over my face. I paid $6.00 for this????? So, Rudi (our other cockapoo) decided to christen the hallowed ground and we left. I was so bummed. But, hey, I have great pictures of me doing a "yo dawg" pose on the Four Corners medallion :-) If my camera weren't frozen right now, I would post the pics. But, you'll have to check back later for those!
So, onto the next leg of our 27 state tour. We cruise through Colorado heading northeast. Everything was fine until we hit the mountain roads which happened to be recovering from a severe snow storm. The roads were nothing but ice in some spots. So, although the speed limit was 65, we were only going a mere 15! This put quite a damper on our trek! So, we decided after 15 hours of driving yesterday, that we would finally stop and spend the night. We happened upon a little town - I don't even know what it's called - and checked into the White Tail Deer room. And Fawn, if you're reading this, the decorating skills of the hotel personnel here would give your cabin some stiff competition! Everything is decorated in deer and bear. I mean everything! I took pictures of the decorations as well which will be posted later. We nestled down into the v shaped bed for the night and as Konrad turned out the light, I swear the eyes on the deer blankets on the wall were staring right at me in the dark! It was difficult to sleep, especially with the dogs barking at every little noise they heard. But, alas, here we are...awake and raring to go - on our way to WYOMING! Our goal today is to drive to Chicago or as close as possible. I will probably be blogging a lot from the car for each state we drive through. Auf Weidersehen!
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