Maybe I'm Just Naive

So maybe I'm just naive, but I always think "this is okay, this isn't so bad"!   However...

Bill & I got up and took care of business taking care of the dogs and then getting the truck to Ford.  As we drove past the Ford dealership across the street from the hotel headed 9 miles away to another Ford dealership I learned something.  Call your hotel instead of using your GPS or IPhone for the local...whatever you're looking for.  They always know the area best and are always happy to help. There is your travel tip for the day!

The Fam had a fantastic breakfast at the Golden Skillet in Golden, CO.  I'm allergic to eggs and I was really intrieged by a tofu omelet. Most of you are probably ready to barf thinking about that.  But I haven't had an omelet in years.  It was fantastic!  It's not eggs but it was very tasty so I'll have to try to recreate it at home (of course with the tips I got from the chef)!  If you're a cinnamon roll lover this is the place for you. They have a 7ouncer hot and ready every morning!

We got the bad $3,000 new transmission news and made the decision that Bill must wait for the vehicle until tuesday and Erin & I would continue on the journey alone.  Well not really alone.  We have Sophie, Zeke, and the trailer with our 300 pounds of delicious Alaska fish inside.  So after emptying the Audi for the dogs (which those of you who REALLY know me realize this is sinister as they've never seen the inside of this vehicle until now) and reducing our clothing to one suitcase, we took off.  It was a 12 hour trip.  A 12 hour trip across the flat side of Colorado and Kansas, which didn't seem like it would ever end.

We discovered in all of the confusion we left the dog bowls in the hotel room.  Above you'll see Zeke drinking out of a Crown Royal box bottom.  (Thank you Barrie)  Erin improvised as the dogs were dying of thirst.  So then there was the hour long stop in Salina, KS for the Petco and food and fuel.  Erin, the dogs, and I thought Petco was the most accomodating and interesting thing we have seen in days.  Can you tell we had been in the car WAY TOO LONG???  So we left and then there were horrible rainstorms, rainbows, rainstorms, wind, rainstorms and then rainstorms.  We finally landed at the Comfort Inn. Thank goodness it wasn't raining.

After I checked in of course it started raining in sheets.  Our room smelled horrible and I'm sure my allergies will kick in and I'll be inhuman by 4 AM.  This place is a dump. But after two drinks (thanks again Barrie) I'm already feeling better about life. 

So tomorrow we're driving down to Springfield, MO to see my parents.  It's only a 3.5 hour drive which we can now do in a blink.  Hopefully I'll be able to see in order to do that!

We're Packed and On The Road

Well yesterday two guys showed up with a big truck at 9AM. They worked their fannies off until 8:30PM, we couldn't believe it.  The truck was stuffed full and we were all exhausted.  We had visits from friends wishing us well and bringing us Road Trip Booze (which I'm partaking in right now, Barrie).   Bill kept the piano from taking a dive off of the ramp which was a good thing.  So the truck is pulling out onto our road and of course it isn't a normal road!  They cut it too tight (probably so they wouldn't fall into the ditch) and hit the side of the truck on the telephone pole and actually get the truck stuck!  At that time Bill & I were standing, watching the angle of the truck thinking "it's not going to make it".  We were standing with car doors open ready to go to Joe & Robyn's who had patiently been waiting to have dinner with us.  I had visions of other HUGE tow trucks, cranes, all kinds of stuff to "unstick" the moving truck.  Somehow, the got it backed up - scraped it a couple more times and got on down the road.  I could have cried I was so happy. 

We had a great meal with great friends, drank all of their wine, and had Erin drive us home.  Unfortunately it was 1AM and we had to get up at 6, yikes. 

We managed to get up and with some serious pushing from Bill, all of our crap ended up in our two vehicles, dogs and all, and we were on the road.  I thought I would have a gut wrenching horrible departure from my home.  I guess I have processed all of those feelings because I left with a very happy heart, thanked the house for the good times, and locked the door.

I haven't traveled with dogs since our youth when our parents showed Bullmastiffs and we, of course, came along and thought all families did this.  Sophie our Rottie and Zeke our Border Collie mix are having a grand time.  Rest stops are the bomb and they couldn't be happier.  They are spending their first night in a hotel room and are being very polite.  I was worried that they would bark all night but they seem to be happy as long as no one knocks on doors.

We drove through Wyoming today, yawn, and it was the norm.  Windy, boring, flat.  Of course there are beautiful clouds in Wyoming all of the time.  Erin & I enjoyed that view.  We almost died when a semi didn't see us and pulled into us - luckily that youngin' has quick reflexes!

Of course this wouldn't be a road trip of any magnitude if we didn't have some kind of car trouble, right?  Erin is driving the Sports Trac and when she was accelerating the engine would start racing and we couldn't accelerate at all.  So we switched vehicles with Bill.  We managed to make it to Golden, CO and have an early appointment with Ford.  Holy crap, let's hope it's fast and cheap but what are the odds of that?

So we got to go to dinner with Alex & Erin at Bono's Italian Restaurant which is always fantastic.  Bill & are are convinced that the best Italian restaurants are in strip centers.  Very friendly people with great food and the owner is from Sicily and was a second cousin of Sonny.

Erin is spending the night at the dorm with Alex (Colorado School of Mines) and Bill is already snoozing.

On to Kansas City tomorrow.  If you think Wyoming is bad you've never driven across Kansas.  Our stop to Alex's school saved us from Nebraska! So wish us luck tomorrow with the truck and I'll let you know what happens next~

2 Days Until We Launch

In two days the Montgomery family is leaving Utah after 16 years.  It has been 16 years of snow, beautiful sunsets, skiing, great friends, Saturday's Voyeur, and raising my twin girls.  We moved into a home that needed LOTS of work and remodeled it twice.  We all became good skiers and Erin became a great skier.  I became a professional party giver. Alex went through countless obessions with making balloon animals, extravagant cakes, making videos...just to name a few and left a trail behind her all the way. Bill just hung on and survived it all.

While I can't (and wouldn't do that to you) we have a million memories here. I know I'm going to cry my eyes out Thursday morning as I say goodbye to the orchard where the girls had their little picnics, the barn the horses would never enter, the fireplace that was cozy every winter day and night, my family room that Robyn pirouetted with a tray of cheesecake (that didn't make it), my beautiful kitchen where I spent 90% of my time, and my fabulous front porch with the best view of Snowbasin in the valley. 

I also can't imagine how I'm going to survive without Robyn and Joe, our best friends.  While we've been blessed with many great friends and acquantances, they're family is part of ours.  We've done everything together and I know my life would never have been as fun, full of laughs, and interesting without them. 

While I know I make this sound very sad, I'm also very excited for our new adventure.  I decided to publish our trip from Utah to Florida for a couple of reasons.  First so that our friends can we what happens to us.  We're a lot of things, but we're not boring.  Things happen to us that no one would believe.  I call Robyn and tell her things...she's just happy she's not me most of the time because I live in Bazaro Land.    The second reason is because I am traveling across the United States.  Time to see some new places and meet new people!