Goodbye Gwennie

Who is Gwennie?

My Ford Escape.

Or, my ex-Ford Escape.  I traded her in today for a Subaru Outback.

Gwennie (named after Gwen Stefani because of her song Sweet ESCAPE) has given me some trouble of late.  Nothing horrible - like last year's engine mishap above, but more along the lines of being in need of some upgrades.  And, her warranty is up in July. After said engine blow-up last year where the only thing that saved my butt was my warranty, I just won't own a car without one.

I was sad to see her go though.  I really did love her. 

She's carried a lot of things: Todd, Rigby, family, friends, in the above photo - a backend full of rocks for Molly's landscaping, and all of my possessions as I headed back West.

We've driven all around D.C., 'cross country with a U-Haul, around Vail, Colo., into Nebraska to visit Stacey and family and pick-up Rigby, into the mountains...she and I are kind of like that Johnny Cash song about being everywhere, man.

But to make our relationship work, I would have had to pump more into it in the form of tires, a windshield (cracked on a trip to Nebraska), and somehow figure out a way to cover her if she gets mad at me and blows a gasket - literally.

So, after months of research and weighing the pros and cons and expenses of keeping Gwennie as opposed to owning a different car, we decided to go the new route.

It wasn't what we set out to do yesterday, though.  We were on our way to test drive a totally different vehicle when we decided to pull into the Subaru dealership for just a peep.  After driving a few cars, comparing the Outback to the cars we thought we were interested in, and working a few numbers we ended up driving a Subaru home.

As Todd and I cleaned out ol' Gwen I was sad.  I just kept looking at her remembering all our good times, like...

...the feeling of being free after I dropped off the U-Haul...
...or, when Gwennie got her Colorado tags and then her Wyoming ones...
...or, how we rocked out to Poison's Unskinny Bop as we made our way up the mountain to the Eisenhower Tunnel when I moved from Vail to Laramie, Wyo.,...

She was a good lil' SUV.

Au revoir, Gwennie!  It's been fun!  I know you'll have a good new owner in no time!

(This photo is being super weird and won't upload in the horizontal direction.  You get the sentiment...)

Nowhere

A random funny picture I forgot to include in my On the Road Omaha post...I think this was in North Platte, Neb., where I stopped for gas.

Haha...

On the Road - Omaha 2009

Last year, in the early phases of my blog, there was an "On the Road" series where I shared all of my random thoughts as I drove with my U-Haul across the country.

Even though I'm not moving any time soon, I still feel compelled to keep track of my crazy thoughts any time I'm on the road for a good long while. I usually try to do this by mile marker if possible, but this trip wasn't conducive to that.

Here are my thoughts as I made the deceptively far trip to Omaha on Friday...

- Cheyenne skyline - no sky scrapers like I just got used to seeing in Chicago.
- I hate the group Sugarland. Except a couple of songs. But mostly, I can't stand her voice!
- Cheyenne's really not that bad. I think I'm just really happy to be home from 10 long Chicago days!
- Sierra Trading Post: I need to go there more.
- I was dreading this drive before, when I was gone for so long in Chicago, but now I'm looking forward to a nice drive. I love to drive.
- Can see the winter storm moving in. That's one of the things I missed when living in the city.
- Teal car = 1. Coming from Nebraska. (In one of my On the Roads I noticed how many teal cars there seem to be in Nebraska. I kept a count.) Wonder how many I'll see this time...
- There's another Buckhorn Bar in Hillsdale, Wyo.
- "From wagon ruts, to sinking puts - Nebraska" who thought of THAT as a slogan??
- Some poor guy just got pulled over for seemingly not doing a thing! Ridiculous!
- Weird house shaped like two giant connected teepees...
- Am still mad for that guy who got pulled over! I'll imagine him running drugs - that will help me get over it.
- Last time I was in Pine Bluffs, Wyo., it was blizzarding so badly I could hardly see in front of me - and forget the road.
- Oh no - starting to lose stations. I love iPods!
- On the Welcome to Nebraska sign - "Home of Arbor Day" But they have no trees!
- I still love the song Lost! by Coldplay
- Suzy Boggus is on. Erin and I were supposed to see her in concert. I need to talk to that girl! I would like to run the San Diego 1/2 marathon with her like we talked about.
- Need to get through the Ft. Collins 1/2 first though.
- Both of my pens are busted! Ink all over my hands.
- Hmmm. Didn't have to pee at all when there were bathrooms, now that there's none I'm about to wet my pants.
- Beyonce Single Ladies! Yay!
- Play it again
- Rhianna's song Rehab is on. I wonder if she wrote this about Chris Brown? Wait - what? Suddenly I'm writing for TMZ?
- A rest area! I'm saved.
- I think Kelly will like her presents. Wish I had something 30th birthday big to give her though...
- Think I want to do a Ft. Collins Friday for MY birthday.
- Sidney, Neb. I hate it. They rip people off on gas there. I will run out before stopping there again.
- Can't believe I was driving this trip in reverse exactly one year ago!
- Tumbleweeds! haha - they get me every time.
- Kim's Kar Karaoke is going strong!
- BONUS!! A teal car with a tumbleweed stuck to it's bumper!!
- Peaceful Easy Feeling is my fave Eagles song I think. I love the lines, "I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight. With a billion stars all around."
- I loved being in the "big city" again. I could easily move back to one...but would I want to?
- Maybe the happiness I felt in getting home was a revelation. I loved being back in the openness. Or...maybe it was just an extreme desire to not live out of a suitcase.
- Oh man. My coworker Mike got a WHOLE lot of Kim in Chicago! I drank (and consequently talked) way to much with him!
- Awww...I miss Tyler!
- I just sang "Please don't crack my windshield!" to some truckers to the tune of Rhianna's "Please Don't Stop the Music!" hahahahaha!
- I crack myself up!
- I can never decide if I like the perfume I'm wearing. It's an Aveda choose your scent oil kind of thing. It's kind of hippy-ish...which is why I like it. And why I don't.
- I want to see Carrie! The 4th of July will be fun!
- So many farms! I've always rather wanted to be a farmer or rancher. I think I could do it.
- Just passed one of the biggest 5th wheels I've ever seen - and I've seen a lot! I used to work at Crazy Woman Campground in Gillette, Wyo.
- Bon Jovi - Bad Name. I remember singing this on the back of the bus in elementary school!
- I am absolutely obsessed with the Zac Brown Band song "Chicken Fried." It's kind of cheesy, but man I LOVE it.
- They reference Georgia in the song. Can't hear the word Georgia without thinking of Jen F.
- Ok, this song and all the farms have put me in a country frame of mind. Time to switch to my All Country playlist.
- Just took my last sip out of the travel mug Cins and Linds C. made for my going away. Glad I have it on the reverse trip...
- I really do love Subway sandwiches when traveling. It's about the only thing I eat!
- Ok - sapphire-colored cars also seem to be VERY popular in Nebraska. I should start counting them too... Good grief!
- Teal semis are also very popular. Am laughing so hard right now!
- I DESPERATELY want to go country dancing. I don't have anyone to call who really knows how though. Rob and Jeff where are you?!
- It is mindblowing that next month will already be April.
- I like the name Applejack for a horse. Here's the train of thought there: Smelled my perfume again, what do I think of it? Would other people like it? What about animals? Could I wear it behind the shoots at Frontier Days without making the animals mad? Wonder if a horse would like it...If I had a horse I would name it Applejack. (Someone is going to call and get me committed now, I know!)
- This is kind of like one of my crazy after-lunch thoughts that I always seem to come back to the office with. Rachel always asks me, "What did you DO at lunch?!" I've come back singing the theme song to the old Bill Cosby Picture Pages, the song to Simon and his chalk drawings, and Nanerpuss.
- OMG! I just laughed out loud.
- I'm tired.
- Maybe it's because of the turkey on my sandwich... haha
- Lots of road kill. I wonder about those animals. I wonder if the others from their herd are thinking, "We dared him, but didn't think he'd really do it!"
- I want a coffee, but it's too late in the day. And I'm trying to drink less of it and get back to my preferred tea ways.
- There's a white truck with a teal stripe. Does that count?
- I love classic country. Merle on now. He was just in Cheyenne and I really wanted to see him but couldn't.
- Everyone I met on the Chicago trip was so nice.
- The grating on the road is making my tires sing. It's awful!
- Just passed a "Cheyenne State Recreation Area" sign.
- I want to bake chocolate chip cookies right now for some reason.
- Sign on the road for a drug sniffing dog in use. Never seen that before.
- This trip is taking FOREVER.
- I HAVE to go country dancing!
- There's a pretty little country church with a big steeple coming up out of the fields. Like that.
- Construction outside Lincoln. Not acceptable.
- iPod off. I need some silence.
- I also need a snack. But I'll wait until I get to Stacey's.
- A glass of wine sounds awesome! So much for trying to detox after Chicago!
- Almost there. Thank heavens.
- Teal car count = a truly astonishing 56! Plus seven semis. Sad thing is, I'm sure I missed some!

On the Road - One Last Time (Part 1)

Yesterday I started bringing stuff from my "life wall" in Laramie over to Cheyenne. This should be my last move for awhile - and thank heavens! Three moves - and a brief stay in Missouri - over a four month period is enough.

Since it will take a few trips to get me all moved, this is Part 1 of the last On the Road installment. I didn't do this one by mile marker like I have in the past.

-Here I am once again with a loaded down car and mattresses on top. It's almost as windy as it was driving through pre-tornado winds in Colorado - only this is normal here.

-My landlord will be so pleased to see me pull up in front of his Ford dealership looking like the Clampets. At least I drive a Ford...

-This is my shortest move yet! Awesome.

-Hmmm...something is flapping. I hope it's not a strap...Nope. Just the plastic on the mattresses.

-Ah, lightening. Great. That means a storm is coming. That will make moving mattresses by myself a lot of fun!

-Dave Matthews is on the radio. I hate Dave Matthews. I never could get into him. I like only a few songs and the rest is bunk.

-I'm listening to the radio and not my 'pod because I want/should reacquaint myself with the Wyo stations.

-After gauging the clouds I think I'm ahead of any weather. Fingers crossed!

-Jonna and I did a good job loading the mattresses, if I do say so...

-I hate mealy apples. They are SO disappointing.

-I love the peony Jonna gave me from one of her bushes - and the Dasani vase is a nice touch.

-I also love seeing the grass rippling in the wind.

-I can't wait to be in my apartment! I can't believe I will be living in Cheyenne. So weird!

-haha! I will look so classy driving through downtown Cheyenne with my mattresses! haha! The last time I drove through town with mattresses on my car was in D.C. right after I got my apartment in Dupont. Oh what a vision for those trendy Dupont folks! Me, an old Ford Tempo and some mattresses. All class!

-It's freakin' wind city out here and the giant windmills aren't doing jack. They're completely still!

-I must say, I've been pretty impressed with Laramie's 96.7 "The Planet." They've certainly started playing a good modern selection of music all the time v. having an evening radio show for the new cool stuff like they used to.

-I hate it when people drift into my lane when they're passing.

-I'm about to get my key and write my first super cheap rent check. Ha - that's for the folks in D.C. haha...

-Landlord with a smile: "Nice use of the Escape to carry mattresses."

On The Road - Here We Go Again

Well, I'm off again, packing all my crap into my car and driving off into the sunset.

I'm heading to Laramie to spend some time at Linds H.'s house. So, here are my thoughts as I drove from Vail to Laramie on Wednesday night...

- My car is packed to the roof - I can't see out - and I have mattresses strapped to my car. I look like Sanford & Son, or probably more like the Beverly Hillbillies.

- Around Frisco. The weather over the mountains is snowy looking. Oh, here it is. It's like...sleetballs. I'm sure there's a much more technical word for this. Or maybe I've just coined a new meteorological term. I'm on the phone with my sister Kelly and we're laughing about it.

- Kelly and I are also brainstorming the new name of the blog, since I won't be living in Colorado for the time being I need to change it. She suggests Westward Ho. Hmmm...would have been a good one for the move West. Home on the Range? Doesn't work either since I technically don't have a home...still thinking.

- My car Gwennie hates me. I keep forcing her up mountains lugging massive quantities of crap. I won't be one bit surprised if she decides to quit on me just out of spite.

- We're (Gwennie and I) rockin' out to Unskinny Bop by Poison. I hope the music motivates her up the mountain to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

- It's remarkably easy driving with the mattresses on top. I'm surprised.

- So...I have to live in Colorado. I just bought Colorado plates!!

- Something in my car smells like green onions.

- North of Denver: The wind is really picking up. This is the second time I will drive into Laramie with a vehicle situation where I could blow off the road.

- About 100 tumbleweeds have blown in front of me. I have the same reaction every time, like a rabbit or deer has popped out of the ditch at me.

- Wind is really bad now. And it's starting to rain some. I hope the mattresses don't get wet. The rope and straps are holding really well though!

- A gust of wind just about blew me off the road. Think I'll put two hands on the wheel.

- I can't WAIT to get to Cheyenne so I can get on 80 West! The wind will be mostly behind me then. Argh!

- Coming into town. Wind is better, but it's still raining. I'll just drop the mattresses at J and Jonna's tomorrow. I think they're fine.

It took five hours to drive to Laramie instead of the 3-3 1/2 it normally would. I pull in at 11:30 p.m., unload the food and some stuff to get me to bed and hit the hay.

Now to figure out what I'll do with myself...

Day 8 - Last Leg to Vail

The day really got started with lunch at the new Corona Village in Laramie with April and her family. I got to meet Jesse, her brand new baby (lots of babies on this trip!) who is adorable. Linds H. said she didn't like the new Village, but I kind of did. Having Taco Tuesday there might not be the same - nothing can beat the long lines and cheap tacos and beer in the dingy, crowded restaurant of our college days - but for a Sunday lunch it wasn't too bad.

After that I had to get down to the awful business of culling Planty. Oh, and it was SO awful. I felt like the bad guy in some slasher movie, hacking off Planty's limbs. I didn't do this with glee, however. I kept apologizing to him - and the two other plants I sacrificed (they weren't going to make it!) for their pots for Planty. I'm a cold-blooded killer...

I finished loading up the car and strapping Plant(ies) into the front seat by me. Linds thinks Planty is to me what Wilson was to Tom Hanks in Castaway. Hmmm...

Depart Laramie at 5:30 p.m., March 9, 2008. (Note: there are really no mile markers on this trip.)

230 W (WY) toward Walden, CO:
-I can't see out the back of my car any more than I could when I had the U-Haul. But at least I can use cruise control!
-I also can't see because the sun is RIGHT in my eyes. Wish I had the darned visor!
-The mountains are rising right in front of me. Love it!
-Feel pretty emotional right now for some reason. I'm excited, but disjointed, also a little lost, but like I'm on the path to finding me. I just feeling like crying right now for no good reason - but for good reason too I guess.
-I can't wait to get started on "The Book - Colorado Edition." Yes, I started one for Colorado long ago.
-A cloud just passed in front of the sun. Relief! At least for a moment.
-A National Forest sign. Don't see those everyday in D.C.
-There are so many fun log cabins with snow piled half way up them. I want one.
-I also want a dog. I am aching for a dog. Have been for a long time, but the size of dog I want wouldn't have been happy in my studio in D.C.
-I also want a Jeep Wrangler. A dog and a Wrangler have really been the only two things I've wanted for my Colorado life. For years now that's all I've thought. I would have bought a Wrangler after the Liberty was stolen and totaled, but another Jeep product in D.C. was not a good idea with my track record.

127 S (CO):
-Drinking my tea from the travel mug Linds C. and Cins made for me!
-I'm going to live in the mountains!
-My car takes forever to heat up.
-Been trying to give the one-fingered wave (no, not the same as flipping the finger, for those who are unfamiliar), but I'm getting no response.
-Maybe it's the D.C. plates. They think I'm a poser. Ha.

14 S (CO) toward Steamboat:
-Driving through snowy northern Colorado with all the ranch signs makes me think of books/movies like Centennial and Lonesome Dove.
-Carrie and I are already planning to go to Denver this weekend to hang out. Hope I have some going out clothes in the back of my car!
-Wide Open Spaces by the Chicks is on. The lyrics are SO appropriate! Particularly the second verse. (I would hyperlink this, but that's not an option on blogger right now! Annoying.) "Many precede and many will follow, A young girl's dream no longer hollow, It takes the shape of a place out west, But what it holds for her, she hasn't yet guessed."
-At Continental Divide 8772 ft.: Pacific Watershed (left)/Atlantic Watershed (right).

9 S (CO) towards Dillon:
-The mountains are actually glowing purple right now. Glowing.
-I love how mountain towns give the elevation and not really the population.
-The definition of a river out here is so different than that out east.
-Love being able to drive with my brights on.
-Last time I drove this stretch was with Kara on our way to Jenn T.'s wedding in Steamboat.

I-70 W (CO) Last stretch to Vail!
-I can't believe I'm almost "home." Whee!
-I wish I could adequately describe the way the moon looks over the mountains right now.
-I will never get tired of seeing the stars again. I say "hi" to Orion every night.
-How scary to be a runaway truck.
-There's the sign for Avon, Colo., where I will actually be living (right outside of Vail).
-Don't know what I think right now. I'm excited and a little nervous. Why am I nervous? I'm not really a nervous person.
-Avon next right!!!
-Here I go! I'm exited. Oh, man.
-Done. I'm almost to Carrie's. So weird!
-Whew - pulling into the apt. complex!

I'm here. It's official. My cross-country journey is over. Wow.

I live out west... (I can't believe it.)
I live out west... (It's sinking in.)

I LIVE OUT WEST!

On the Road - Day 6

I have to do a little backtracking. I skipped Day 6 previously because, well, I was really tired that night. Then Day 7 was all about unpacking the U-Haul and I thought that deserved coverage first.

So, Day 6.

It was a little slower. Just hanging out with Linds H. and her baby (who I had yet to meet) in Laramie.

We hit up Jeffrey's, a favorite lunch spot for us, and lounged around the house. After the bad weather getting there the night before, it was nice to kind of lounge (and ignore the 100 lb. gorilla in the driveway, a.k.a. the U-Haul).

That night we went to see Barack Obama at the Arena Auditorium on campus. This will not become a political blog, and I won't spend much time on this. I do want to note, however, that even though I belong to a different camp it was neat to see him in little ol' Wyoming. The history lover in me couldn't pass up the chance to see a presidential candidate in the very town I happened to be in. So I went.

Afterwards, Linds H., Apes and I went to Altitude for some apps and beer. I can NOT get over how cheap everything is here!! It's like living in a wonderland. I'm sure that will all be over when I get to Vail, however.

Another thing I can't believe is that I live here, well not here as in Laramie, but here as in the west, again. Linds H. and I would be driving around and mid-conversation I would yell out, "I can't believe I live here!" It's hard not to think that I'm just on vacation.

I feel nicer out here too. I don't think I'm a mean person by any stretch, but, for example, I didn't want to ram the back end of the guy who pulled into a spot I should have had at the Safeway. I did wonder at his behavior, but I didn't have the urge to walk up to him and address his behavior like I would have in D.C. (We'll see if this lasts. I will continue to monitor my reactions in situations like this and come to a better conclusion later in the blog.)

So, that's it. Day 6 was fairly uneventful. But nice. Like me. Apparently.

On the Road - Day 7

It's strange to see your whole life stacked against a wall.

I spent the entire day unpacking the U-Haul and arranging all my possessions - at least the things I won't need immediately - in Linds H.'s garage. And in her laundry room, and there are a few things in her living room and a guest room.

The rest of my stuff is in the back of my car.

It's just funny to think that all of this was, until very recently, spread throughout an entire apartment. Divided between a wall and an SUV, however, it doesn't look like much.

I mentioned to Linds that it seemed kind of sad that this was all I had. But we agreed a moment later that my lack of worldly goods was a positive thing. It kind of fits the whole unfettered, come what may attitude and approach I am taking with my life right now.

And, it's kind of fun to feel like a hobo. No real home or job, and very few things I will be taking with me to Vail from Laramie. However, of all the things I don't have, the one thing I wish I did is a knapsack - just to complete the image.

On the Road - Day 5

Day 5 starts with me and my brother-in-law wrestling Planty back into the car and rearranging, well, essentially everything. Poor Planty...portions of him or not doing so well.


I throw on the pink striped shirt and throw out the "Colorado or Bust" sign (sorry girls, but I couldn't see), and head up to the hospital for one last visit with my sister and new nephew.


I decide I need a Starbucks to keep me going, but the parking lot is pretty tight and there is absolutely nowhere for me to park my "rig." My solution? Go through the drive up, of course. The guy at the window is really nice and funny and asks what I'm up to with that thing. I contemplate answering with, "Joyride," but instead politely tell him what I'm doing. He thinks it's cool. Now, thanks to the gift card from Jess E., I've got my caffeine and can hit the road.

Depart Omaha at about 1 p.m., inhaling an iced coffee and more of Jenn T.'s hummus.


MM 445 (80 west, NE): I say (out loud) to my car, "Come on, Gwennie. You can do it. After a nice rest and some fresh fuel we can beat this wind and hills!"


443: Do I worry more about explaining to my readers why I call my car Gwennie, or that I'm talking out loud to it?


440: There is a lot happening on the side of the road in Omaha - there are cones, cops, construction, broken down cars and blinking signs. Whew!


438: My iPod is playing REALLY good music right now!


433: Kim's Kar Karaoke starts, which I haven't been able to do this whole trip. I've been too congested. This is especially hard on me when a "real" karaoke song comes on my iPod.


431: It's much easier to drive (un)safely - writing, driving, drinking, eating, and hauling - in the rural, open spaces.

425: What's the Genius Bar fact from the Apple store? Something about being able to travel from coast to coast four times without hearing the same song twice if you have an 80 gig.

423.8: I love SFCD (that's sugar-free cinnamon dulce) syrup.

423.4: I fully expect to be working at Starbucks in a week. I'm even abbreviating like they do on the cups.

422.4: Can't hear John Denver's Thank God I'm a Country Boy without thinking of Pauly Shore in Son-in-Law.

420.4: Love the line from the song "cakes on the griddle."

419.8: I love the word griddle. And fiddle. That reminds me of Fiddlesticks the Clown, a.k.a. my old colleague in Old Town who comes from a long line of registered clowns. Crazy.

418.6: baby Judd is so cute! I wonder what babies dream about when they sleep.

413.2: Seriously, my iPod is playing the perfect random mix right now!

412.2: I love watertowers. They're so small town America.

410.8: I love iced coffees. Sad, I just finished mine.

409.6: SO wonderful to be on an interstate and to be able to drive it like one. No traffic, no inching forward. I can breathe and drive, and I do love to drive. It's therapeutic.

401.0: Simon and Garfunkle's Cecelia comes on. This is SO being broken down with Linds H. and Steph outside Wheatland, Wyo., and thinking we're going to be murdered by the tow truck guy.

396.0: Beatrice, Neb. Another name I'm glad isn't mine.

395.4: I really enjoy my own company. I can totally entertain myself. HA!

393.6: On a radio station, "When a man talks dirty to a woman it's sexual harrassment. When a woman talks dirty to a man it's $3.95 a minute. What everyone is listening to? Z92 Nebraska!"

392.8: Why are there so many teal cars in Nebraska?

388.0: Always wonder how towns are named. Makes sense if it's after a person or event, etc., but who ultimately decides? Is there a naming committee? Do the townsfolk take a vote?

384.8: Keep thinking about how cute Judd is.

374.0: I can't wait to get the D.C. parking stickers off my car.

369: The mile markers keep going from decimals to none. Make up your mind!

365: Really dislike being passed by every semi on the road.

363: When I see a town in one state that I know is also in another, I wonder which was first.

357: Next rest area 40 miles. I MUST get over.

At rest area: I pretty much hang up on Linds H. to get inside.

"Get ur dun" on a semi's mudflaps. Reminds me of Chris T.

353: I've learned to like the song Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. I hated it at first, but now it's funny. Jonna is reading this and is appalled.

334:U-Haul buddy!

332: Aurora, Neb., there's one in Colorado too.

320: I'm starting a teal car count.

270: Ahhh...western skies! I can see for miles. This is one reason I really liked D.C. It's built out and not up, lots of light and sky.

257: Josh Groban on. He always reminds me of Elly who melts like butter on a hot "griddle" over him.

256: Alabama's Dixie Land Delight is on. My favorite part is the tamborine "ching" after, "Got a little jingle."

255: Utah. Now THERE'S a license plate. Pretty, and represents the state. Missouri could learn something!

250: Beyonce is on and the car just became a party mobile. (Yes, I will document every time she comes on.)

232: My visor is now dangling in front of my face. I tried to pull it to the side to shield the sun and instead it fell right off. I rig it with safety pins at the next rest area.

At rest area: I love pulling in with the trucks.

228: A Penske moving truck.

218: My iPod likes the Cranberries lately. I've decided I like them again too.

216: S.O.S. by Rihanna. Erin used to be S.O. obsessed with this song!

214: The wind has eased up a bit. That'll be good for gas.

212: Sign for Lasso Espresso. This is really funny for some reason.

208: The first signs for Cheyenne and Denver!

201: I hate the strings on bananas. They totally gross me out.

196: A truck carrying a bunch of pop-up campers just passed. First, I like the word pop-up. Second, pop-ups are amazing. It's wild that an entire living area comes out of a squashed down box.

190: The wind is back.

181: Patty Loveless Nothing But the Wheel is on. I have always, always loved this song. Especially the part about driving at 3 a.m. with nothing but the trucks. That's my favorite time to drive. Just you and the sleeping world.

170: Southern Comfort by Buddy Jewell. This is Kara and I driving from Denver to Steamboat for Jenn T.'s wedding.

163: I'm concerned about Planty.

157: heading into the sunset. Sure wish my visor wasn't pinned to my ceiling.

152: U-Haul buddy going east!

130: In Da Club - so Chris T. and the movie my colleagues and I made for a work project. HA!

At Ogallala: Grey Goose Lodge. I could go for a Grey Goose martini about now.

125: I like the word Ogallala. Linds H. and I just discussed not liking writing it, but I've decided I kind of do.

121: I just ate what will be my last bite of Jenn T.'s hummus. I tried to make it stretch to Wyoming, but it's time to throw the last bit out.

115: The clouds are really streaky like a storm is brewing. What would I do if a tornado came out of them? I dream a lot about tornadoes. One recurring one in particular where I look at the skyline and there are hundreds of them coming out of the clouds. I wonder what that means.

111: A tumbleweed!

110: Tumbleweed 2.

110.5: Tumbleweed 3. I'm in a little winter squall right now with horizontal snow and am cracking up over the tumbleweeds!

84: It is SO open. The inky sky meeting the barely discernible land. I actually say out loud, "Look at it!" I am so excited! Now I'm misty-eyed.

85: Still have goosebumps and mist. (That's the third goose reference this leg of the trip.)

84: David Lee Murphy is on. He's from Herrin, Ill., where my dad grew up and Grandma still lives. The only thing I will be missing on this trip is my Grandma's 80th birthday celebration on Saturday.

75: I love truckers. I like the way they flash their lights to let me know it's alright to get back over. It's like, since I'm hauling something, I'm one of them. Sort of.

I want to ruin the Conoco in Sidney, Neb. (Linds C. - I figured out what Sidney, NE is for you!) There's a U-Haul buddy at the pump next to me where the station is trying to rip me off. I will not give them my money. Moving on.

38: I can see a bazillion stars! I love it! There's Orion, my favorite constellation. He's been my main celestial squeeze since 2nd grade when I learned about him.

29: I'm about to wet my pants because I refused to be in the Sidney Conoco a minute longer.

**Readers - Kimball gas is the way to go!**

After Pine Bluffs, Wyo.: I couldn't see the road at all outside Kimball. Blowing snow, 45 mph. Pretty bad.

358 (WY): Can't believe I'm not just visiting.

337: I can not WAIT to dump this trailer.

The rest is without mile markers and really not much thought because I hit more bad weather on the pass into Laramie and was totally focused on the road.

So excited to get into Laramie and see Linds H.!!

I pull in, after missing her road twice, and we unload Planty and some other stuff.

We finally hit the hay after much (needed) wine.

I'll be here until Sunday.

Total teal car count: 8

On the Road - Days 3 and 4

I have to do a little catch up on the blog.

I got to Omaha on Day 2 and have been here since. I decided to stay over a few days to be with my sister when she had her third baby, which was this afternoon!

The timing of my trip couldn't have been more perfect. I haven't seen any of my nephews this soon after being born, so this was a real treat.

So, the past couple days I've just been hanging out with my family and waiting for baby Judd to arrive.

Clearly, the nephew is the most exciting news, but here's a quick run down on some other notable news from the last two days:
- I received a new credit card yesterday. I now have the ability to make the rest of my trip on my own dime.
- I have clean laundry! This is significant since I've had a limited pool of items to choose from and I've reached the limit on how long a person should wear some things...
- Sadly, Planty will likely need to be culled. He got a little cold sitting in the car yesterday and some of the older leaves are pretty droopy, probably not recoverable. (I'm pretty sure everyone knows who Planty is, but just in case: he's the enormous Little Shop of Horrors-esq plant I've had for nearly 31 years now. My dad brought him in to the delivery room when I was born and we were both just wee things. We've grown up together - he's come everywhere with me - and I know I will feel pain every time I clip and separate his leaves.)

I'll be back on the road tomorrow for Laramie! More posts to come!

On the Road - Day 2

The second day starts with unpacking the U-Haul. My phone charger was packed accidentally and my phone is dead. No matter how long my dad and I stand there trying to memorize how my stuff was loaded we can NOT figure out how Jenn T. had it in there. It just won't go back in. I am super annoyed. Two chairs have been left behind in Hermann.

There's also a winter storm warning for most of Missouri with 6-12 inches expected. I need to get on the road.

Depart Hermann, MO, and my dad at 1 p.m., March 3:

I-70 west

MM 69.4 (MO): Sorry Linds C., but I'm not wearing the pink striped shirt today.

MM 88.2 (MO): Missouri mile markers are weird. They have one every 2/10 of a mile. And are very detailed.

MM 164.2 (MO): I'm surprised I haven't seen more U-Hauls. I guess winter isn't a big moving season.

MM 158.6 (MO): A Budget rental truck just passed. Looks like someone else is moving afterall.

MM 154.6 (MO): I wish I had a CB. Like a trucker. I've always kind of wanted to do that.

MM 143.8 (MO): Missouri billboards are crazy. One will be all religious and the next is for XXX porn.

MM 137.4 (MO): I LOVE the Hellogoodbye song Here (In Your Arms). Still.

63 north (MO) toward Macon, MO

The mile markers aren't as detailed. In fact there aren't any numbers. Must be an I-70 thing. Here is just a random string of thoughts up 63:

- If you really think about it the U.S. highway system is amazing.
- I need to call/text everyone who has been trying to reach me. So annoyed my phone died.
- I can't wait to use my new snowshoes!
- I love red barns. And Willie Nelson. These are not related.
- I **love** Chris Isaak. So good in concert at Wolf Trap!
- I hate not being able to go the speed limit. I haven't had to eat my "Road Rage" pills from the girls yet.
- Jupiter by Jewel is on. Contrary to popular belief this is the first song I ever sang for karaoke. In Glenrock, WY.
- The company called Ditch Witch cracks me up!
- Mark Twain Cave...never went to Luray Caverns! And I always wanted to plan that group outing. Darn.
- On the Macon water tower: Home of Toastmaster. Who knew?
- ARGH! I didn't call the credit union today to get a new credit card!

36 west (MO)toward St. Joseph

- I'm going to admit this to everyone...I love the Miley Cyrus song See You Again. I know nobody is surprised.
- I wonder what Lewis and Clark thought as they crossed the country. And what the land looked like back then. I think about that all the time.
- And what the world looked like in the time of dinosaurs.
- Ethel, MO. I'm glad my name's not Ethel.
- Salome just came on. This is latin dancing with Erin - particularly at the Austrian embassy! haha.
- Mussel Fork Creek. I'm going to miss really fresh seafood.
- I like the word naughty. Rihanna says that a lot in her songs.

29 north (MO)

Back to numbered mile markers with decimals. Must be an interstate thing not a highway thing.

MM 66.2 (MO): The thought of my white, empty apt. is sad.

68.2: I kind of feel like I'm just on a long trip. Then I look in the rearview mirror and see nothing but U-Haul - and Planty.

71.2: I wonder if the girls are on my doorstep with a bottle of wine...

75.8: The sun setting over the snowy Missouri fields is really pretty.

81.6: I've never understood Missouri license plates. The font and colors and the squiggly line all look very surfer-esq. Like Baja Fresh-ish. Not very representative of Missouri.

86.2: Beyonce's Get Me Bodied just came on! The song that got us all on the dance floor at my going away.

88.2: Cindy and Mariah on the dance floor Friday night. Step Up 3??

91.4: Lenny Kravitz lyrics: "Life is just a lonely highway, I'm out here on the open road, I'm old enough to see behind me, But young enough to feel my soul..." I've always loved this song. I used to put it on repeat when I was recruiting at Casper College.

92.0: Craig, MO. There's a Craig, CO.

97.2: Suddenly by LeAnn Rimes just came on. The lyrics are really cheesy, but remarkably appropriate!

99.8: Suddenly again.

103.8: Suddenly one last time.

113.0: Paco would love to be in the car right now - Take a Chance by Abba is on. A cross country road trip with Paco? Wouldn't work.

29 north (IA)

I have a lot of lame songs on my iPod.

Just turned on to 1-80 west! The last interstate I will be on until I hit Wyoming.

8:30 p.m. Arrive at my youngest sister's house in Omaha.

On the Road - Day 1

As my dad and I headed down the road I thought about how to handle the cross country portion of the blog. I don't know that I've hit on an exact formula, but I decided I would cover yesterday's trip anyway by mile marker and town.

So, here's a run down on some of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I crossed the country.

Departure from D.C.: approx. 8:30 a.m., March 2.

495 exit on Georgia Ave.: "D@*n it! I can't believe this! What in the world was I thinking?!"

At Germantown: There is a Ford pick-up in front of us with a guy wearing a cowboy hat, while John Denver's Country Roads song plays from Erin's CD. I take it as a sign.

Mile Marker 19 (MD): EmmyLou Harris sings Moving On. I wonder who will take over all the events throughout the year? Oh yeah, Linds C. who I bequeathed "The Book" to. Wow, when I told her she would be the keeper of "The Book" she screamed and gave an I-just-won-an-Oscar speech. (This is just the response I was hoping for.)

MM 25 (MD): Song, "...the best is yet to come and won't it be fine..."

MM 28(MD): Garth Brooks' Standing Outside the Fire. People have told me what I'm doing is brave. We'll soon see! It might be just plain stupid.

Junction at 76: We're really leaving town behind and appropriately the lyrics, "...I'll be seeing you..." are on the CD.

Just climbed Braddock "Mountain" at 985 feet. That's a hill compared to where I'm going!

MM 45 (MD): Blackhawk's Goodbye Says it All is on.

MM 40 (MD): Thinking about Cindy's comments on how appropriate it is all my boxes are from Trader Joe's and the liquor store.

MM 39 (MD): There aren't any Trader Joe's in Colorado. Sad!! How many songs was Erin able to fit on one disk anyway?!

MM 31 (MD): I wonder what percentage of the weight of my car is in Kleenexes?

MM 22 (MD): How did highways and interstates get assigned their numbers? Who decided it would be called I-70?

MM 17 (MD): Ventura Highway by America. I think (Ad)Ventura Highway. I'm so clever. ha!

MM 9 (MD): Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces. Seriously, the CD is still going. Wow.

MM 6 (MD): End of disk 1. Wow again.

Sideling Mtn. at 1300 ft.

Polish Mtn. at 1275 ft.

Just passed "Vale" Summit Road. Another sign!

Big Summit Mtn. at 2800 ft. Big...ha.

Meadow Mtn. 2870 ft.

Negro Mtn. 2800 ft. What a name...

Junction for 79: In WV now. Just passed a Wal-Mart. Soon this will be my major shopping center...

MM 5 (PA): I can't believe I'm moving to Colorado. And I have a low-fat chocolate chip granola bar thanks to Linds C. and Cins. Dad is enjoying my going away pretzels.

MM 17 (PA): There's a dead turkey on the side of the road. I've never seen a dead turkey as roadkill.

At Wheeling WV: Randy Travis Roamin' Wyoming comes on my iPod.

MM 215 (OH): We crack out Jenn T.'s hummus. DELICIOUS.

MM 196 (OH): I feel relieved for two reasons. I loved not having to go in to work this last week. Like Jamie said, anytime I feel sad just think of SDI. I'm also relieved to have everything done and be on the road, just heading to someplace where I can finally relax and rest.

MM 185 (OH): What did I ever do before iPods??

At Cleveland, OH: I can't believe I'm moving back. Weird!

Going through Zanesville, OH: Dad is telling me about Great Grandpa Sears and how he worked in a pottery factory in Zanesville. Also telling me how he learned to water ski on Licking River where Great Aunt Katie and Great Uncle Ernie had a boat. I didn't know dad knew how to water ski!

Dayton, OH: My first U-Haul buddy on the road! I wonder what people think as they pass me with the U-Haul. I know I always wonder where they're moving from and going to.

Eaton, OH, just before the Indiana border: Just witnessed an accident! A car just turned over in the median! It's in bad, bad shape. Smoking, smashed. Person looked like they were moving though. Lots of people on the other side of the road have stopped to help/call.

At the IN border: There goes a cop toward the accident. Good.

MM 16 (IN): A Colorado license plate! Another sign...

Just passed through Montrose, IL. There's a Montrose, CO. Signs everywhere.

Effingham, IL: I'm LOVING my salad from Subway. First meal of the day. We've survived off baby pitas and hummus, apples, bananas, pretzels and cheddar Chex Mix. Thanks again girls!

MM 199 (MO): My favorite quote from Friday night...John says, "Kim, I thought about paying a homeless man $20 to come in and threaten your life." Ah, those Florida and U St. days!

1 a.m.: I'm pulling into Hermann, MO. Jimmy Dale Gilmore's Another Colorado followed by Willie Nelson's My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys have just randomly played on my iPod.

Signs.