Never Again

Whoopsie!  I totally forgot to post about our road trip to Illinois.  It was pretty horrific, so honestly I think I was just trying to block it out for sanity reasons...

The drive TO Illinois wasn't anything extraordinary.  We left the area by 7, after a full day of work.  Ariel, Travis and I were supposed to share the driving responsibilities, but an hour into Ariel's first turn threw that out the window.  She got pulled over because the license plate lights were out on the truck (we had no idea).  She was mugged a while ago and has never gone back to get her license renewed.  I don't really understand why, but that's how it goes.  She's been using her Passport as a photo ID in the meantime.  When the cop pulled up her driver's license on his computer, it turned out her license was expired.  He was really nice and let her off with a warning, but that took her off the drivers list.  Less sleep for Nikki.  We stopped at the first truck stop we passed and bought replacement bulbs so we wouldn't get pulled over again.  The entire trip took us 17.5 hours.  Before kids, the trip took us 16 hours, so I didn't think that was so bad.

The drive back was a horrific nightmare that easily competes with the Hurricane Ike evacuation.  Here's a quick overview of the Ike drive: 4 humans, 3 dogs, 3 cats (One of which was mewling incessantly and peed all over herself.  After the Benedryl she drooled all over her cage as well.)  Two hours into our hungover ride back, all the luggage fell off the roof rack into traffic on the Interstate.  Imagine all the headache/nausea-ridden people chasing down suitcases before a semi ran over it.  Good times.

But this trip may have been worse.  I think it was because it lasted three times as long.  The drive back from Illinois took us 22 hours and here's why:  We left at 5 pm and I was the first to drive.  It was POURING rain, so we had covered the bed (with all our Christmas presents, luggage and Ariel's new moped) of the truck with a giant tarp.  The radar on weather.com showed a giant red rain cloud over our entire route.  We decided to change our path so our entire drive would not be in rain.  

Two hours into our trip (still in Illinois), all traffic was being directed off the Interstate.  All of it.  No cars going, no cars coming.  We stopped at a gas station for dinner and to see what was going on.  When we got out of the truck, we noticed the tarp had split in half and all our belongings were soaked.  No tarps for sale at the gas station.  Traffic was being redirected because there had been a hazmat semi accident/chemical spill TWO DAYS PRIOR and they were still cleaning it up.  I remember saying, "Starting this trip off with a bang."  There was no advance warning about what we were supposed to do.  How hard is it to get a road sign out there?  We were redirected onto some tiny two lane road without street lights.  Because it was so late, it was mostly 18-wheelers out on this winding, dark, wet road.  SO SCARY.  Three miles later, we were back on the Interstate headed to the nearest Walmart for a tarp (20 miles away).

It was 45 degrees out and we weren't up for spending the remainder of the trip soaking wet, so Travis picked up some rain ponchos when he got the new tarp.  My hands were numb by the time we got the tattered remains of the old tarp off and the new one on.  That stop took us an hour and a half.  Three hours later we stopped for gas and noticed the second tarp had tore in half as well.  We gave up on it at that point. 

Travis and I took turns driving 50-60 mph in the torrential down pour.  It finally let up when we got to Mississippi.  We made a stop for gas at some point.  Aiden had to use the restroom so I took the time to check Mila's diaper.  At some point unbeknownst to us, she had a complete poopy diaper blowout.  I couldn't believe none of us smelled it.  Maybe it was packed under her well enough we didn't notice?  Maybe we were all too stressed to notice anything aside from the task at hand?  Thankfully I had an extra set of clothes for both kids in the cab of the truck.  I threw Mila's clothes directly into the trash since I knew the stain would set before we made it home.  I didn't want to carry her through the gas station, so she got a bath by baby wipes in the parking lot.  Between cleaning her and her car seat I think I used half a pack of wipes.

Back on the road again... I think it was 7 am when we stopped for breakfast at a Waffle House.  The kids were both awake (Aiden didn't sleep much) and I wanted to give them a chance to stretch their legs.  We had a greasy breakfast, refueled the truck and got back on the road.  About an hour after breakfast, Aiden decided it wasn't sitting well with him and regurgitated the entire meal.  Thankfully he complained first so I had a bag handy, but some of it made it down his front despite our efforts.  Stop #352.  Wipe bath #2.  Hoping there were no more stops for clothing changes or our kids would drive the rest of the way naked.

That was it.  I think.  Travis, Mila and I were all on the tail-end of horrific colds during the drive.  Ariel was on the front-end of her's.  Aiden made it through it all without ever getting it.  We hadn't slept all week because Mila was teething, so she thought waking up between 4 and 5 every morning was necessary.   Needless to say, it was the worst drive of my life.  I was absolutely exhausted and thankful I had taken Monday off from work to unpack and do laundry.  I was hoping to take a nap that day, but of course I didn't.  I took a couple breaks to read though.  

I think, at this point in the kids' lives, the longest road trip we will tackle is 4 hours.  When they get older, perhaps we'll try it again.  I remember taking lots of road trips when I was a kid and I remember them fondly.  Though most of them were in an RV, so we had room to sprawl out.  No different than being stuck inside on a rainy day at home, really.

See why I was blocking it out?

Two People, One Story

We still haven't bought the car. They said the loan process needs to be accepted by our preferred credit union before they can agree to the terms of our counter offer. Travis has been driving the Mazda for a few days now in the event that he needs to return it. That means I've been driving his truck. Which gives me hives. That things is SOOOO tall. I couldn't tell you what's behind me. I have to do a lot of parallel parking in my day, so it's been a rough few days.

I'm too busy to write much, so I will leave you with this enchanting video titled "Splitscreen: A Love Story".

Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo.

Having an Off Morning

Have you ever had a series of irritating things happen to you, so irritating in fact that you cannot believe that they all happened in a row? (Shannon - don't even answer that question.) I have. Multiple times. This morning being a fine example. There was this one day, several years ago, where the individual experiences were so bizarre that I had to take a step back and hope that a refrigerator didn't fall on my head.

This all happened back when I worked as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic, while I was in college. Freak Out #1. I was on my way to work one morning and I stopped to drop off a video at the rental store. When I pulled out of my parking space and headed towards the street, some guy comes running out from between the other parked cars, jumps in front of my car and starts waving his hands frantically for me to stop. Not that I had a choice, as he was in my path, but I was also worried that someone might be hurt. He had come running from the direction of the strip mall stores, so I thought maybe someone inside was in trouble. I stopped my car and cracked my window (you never know who's a crazo these days) to see what the problem was. The guy runs up to my window and, ready for it? ASKS IF I HAVE ANY SPARE CHANGE.

What?! Are you joking me?! I thought someone was dying! And you just want to take my money for free?! There are many, many bums, or vagrants, or whatever you want to call them, scattered around the island. I learned quickly that it is better to through them a sandwich than it is money. I have seen the same bum, repeatedly sitting outside my apartment building with a brown bag in his hand. I know what's in there. So don't try to convince me that you are hungry and you need money to buy food. You may be hungry, but I have a feeling you're going to the liquor store first. No thanks. I work hard for my money, and it's not so some stranger can use my cash to get drunk. I'll be the first to do that, thank you very much!

Anyhoo, I looked at the guy like he was crazy, because he is, and tell him flat out "no, I don't have any money for you." I defiantly roll up my window and start to drive off, when I hear the guy scream "Well get a job then!" Anger flashed and I instantly slammed on my breaks. I had half a mind to throw the car in reverse and explain to the guy that I was the one wearing scrubs on my way to work, while he was the one begging innocent, young women for money at 7 in the morning. But then I thought twice and slowly drove off. The look in the guy's face in my rear view mirror when I stopped was priceless though.

Freak Out #2. I had planned to also stop at the convenience store across from the vet clinic for a Coke. So after I parked my car, I crossed the street and headed towards the door. And who do I see standing in front of the building? A bum/vagrant/whatever holding an iguana by it's tail out in front of him. Or what was left of the tail, I should say.

Freak Out #3. I took a wide path to avoid the man plus iguana, and headed into the store. I opened the door to the cooler to grab my Coke and a Palmetto bug, AKA giant cockroach, falls from the top of the cooler to the ground. I closed the door and just walked out of the store without my Coke. I needed to get somewhere safe, and quick. Who knows what else could have happened?!

This morning has not been quite so bizarre, but it was annoying. I dropped the Murano off at the dealership last night (thanks for the ride JR!), so this morning I had to drop Travis at work before I could go to my work. I checked my purse to make sure I had the keys to his truck and then grabbed all my stuff to head out the door. Of course, I hadn't thought to get out the keys to the house (which I keep on a different key ring), so I was fumbling through my purse with my hands already full. I finally gave up, went in the house to set everything down to sift through my tiny purse that suddenly feels like Mary Poppins' bag. That's when I realize I HAD already taken out the keys to the house and they were in the pocket of my jacket. Duh.

We locked the doors and head out to Travis' truck. Travis drove to the island, because he knows how much I hate driving his massive truck. I realized when we were on the road that I no longer had my set of keys to Travis' truck. Not the end of the world, except that I have to make sure to be home when Travis gets there otherwise he can't get in our house because I would have his set. Oh and I made myself car sick while searching through all my stuff while Travis drove.

THEN I realize I forgot to get my parking tag from the Murano before I dropped it off. I'm hoping that the Meter Maid isn't lurking in the parking lots yet (they weren't monitoring the lots after Ike) and I won't have to deal with a ticket when I get out of work today.

I was thankful I didn't hit anything while driving Travis truck from his work to mine this morning. I have absolutely no experience maneuvering large vehicles. Although I should probably go knock on wood because I still have to drive the thing to the grocery store after work in hopes of finding a turkey under 18 pounds. Jenna gave me a coupon for a free turkey that is good for 10-16lbs. Not to mention we don't need 18 pounds of turkey, which is all the first grocery store had.

Yup. I'm going hunting for turkey after work.

Ocean View

Yesterday was utter chaos. I helped Ariel and Robert move into their new apartment in the afternoon. IT WAS SO HOT OUTSIDE. I think it was 93 degrees with a humidity of 91%. YUCK. We were all drenched. I think that they have enough stuff for two places between the both of them. They are hoping to upgrade to a two bedroom apartment soon. The one bedroom is very limiting for them.

After the move, I ran to check out a couch and love seat that I found for sale via a flyer on a bulletin board at work. They are selling for $200 which seemed like a steal, so I jumped right on that. I really like them so we are going to pick them up tonight. I just hope Travis likes them, too. I am a little nervous because the fabric is such a light color. That could be irritating in the future - due to all the cat and dog hair that I live with. Thank goodness for lint brushes! It will be a huge pain in the ass to move them out of the seller's apartment. The front door is absolutely tiny and the staircase down to the first floor is a winding one. I think it's worth it though. Granted, I won't be the one maneuvering the stuff around. Robert is returning the moving favor by helping us pick them up. I'm hoping I'll be able to carry the couches from the truck into our house. I'll be sure to get some photos up for you. Teehee.

After looking at the couches I ran back to Ariel and Robert's new apartment (with an ocean view, might I add) and we ate a spaghetti dinner on their balcony. Ariel had to be at work at 8pm, so I went home to take Travis over to pick up the truck. We need it to pick up the couches tonight. Travis convinced Chris to let us take it a few days in advance! Travis drove it to work today. I know he is super excited, but he tries to play it cool. I hope he doesn't plan on ever having me drive that thing. It is huge!

Shiny and Pretty

WOW. I have been busy at work lately! It's a good thing I suppose. Although it has been emotionally and mentally draining...

Last night Travis and I went to test drive the new truck he is buying from our friend Chris' dad. It's a great truck and Travis is very excited to make it his own. We are just waiting on paperwork at this point. Buying a vehicle through a private party is a lot of work!

I'm starting the countdown to my dad and brother's visit. My dad is coming on June 3rd and he's staying for about three weeks. It is undecided how long my brother will stay. I want him to stay the whole summer because I miss him, but my dad really wants him to get a job. I understand that and I know it is an important thing for him to learn. Hell, I started my first job the week I turned 16 (so my parents wouldn't have to drive me). I JUST WANT TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH LITTLE BRO. Either way, I'll get several weeks of quality time in. I am driving to New Orleans to pick them up from the train station. We won't be back until late.

My friend Sara has decided to start her own blog! I am addicted to blogs, so I look forward to another one by someone I know. Check out Sara's Satire whenever you get a chance. She wrote her first entry yesterday. I put a link up in the margin for easy access later. =)

Carnivorous Cravings

Last night we had JR and Sara over for JR's birthday dinner. His birthday was actually this past Tuesday and we were originally going to make the dinner for him on Monday (Travis plays softball on Tuesdays and JR plays on Wednesdays). When Sara's family found out it was JR's birthday, they decided to stay an extra day and take them out for dinner on Monday. Therefore, our dinner was postponed until last night (Thursday). Got it? Good. Travis grilled steaks and potatoes on the grill, while I sauteed asparagus on the stove. The worst part of delaying the meal is I had to drool over those steaks every time I opened our fridge. Its strange because I rarely eat or want red meat, but when I do, I want it something fierce. Maybe I'm deficient in iron when that happens?

After dinner, we had dessert and discussed their wedding and honeymoon plans. I baked a giant chocolate chip cookie and attempted to write "Happy B-day JR" on top in icing. Turned out I was only capable of fitting "JR" on top. Lol! We took a break for a minute and kept Dexter and Callaway company outside. Then Sara broke out the game of Cranium. So fun. I suck at it, but its still awesome. I'm hoping we'll try Taboo next time. Another fave.

Logan is growing up so fast. I always remember my parents' friends telling me that same thing and thinking, "No I'm not! I feel like I'll never grow up fast enough!" Silly kids. I think that Logan is actually a little ahead of schedule when it comes to a lot of things though. He started walking at 10 months old and he's already starting to talk. A sampling of his vocabulary includes "ball", "mama", "dada" and "De-der", which is his way of saying Dexter. It really is amazing to watch him grow.

So. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with a Charlie Horse. Ahhh! Those are the worst. Especially when you wake up to that. I think that is the third I have ever had in my entire life. Of course, I woke up this morning feeling like I had ran a marathon in my sleep. On just my left leg. Now I have this constant sensation like I'm on the brink of another one. I am terrified to even remotely point my toe. I'm sure you are on the edge of your seat with anticipation of what will happen next. I'll keep you posted. :/

Two great things hit our life in the past 24 hours. First, we received the refund check from our insurance company for Travis' truck. It was more than we were expecting so we are saving some of it away and using the rest as a down payment on the new truck. We won't buy it until after Travis is finished with the shutdown. He won't have time before then. Second, Travis officially received his first paycheck with his Journeyman's raise! That whole process seemed to take FOREVER. It's finally here though. Now I have the end of our credit card debt in sight!

I see a new truck in our future

Travis is playing softball with another team this season and they play on Tuesdays. Shannon and Chris came up to watch his early game last night. We found out yesterday that our insurance adjuster has decided to total Travis' truck out, which means he's on the prowl for a new vehicle. We got even better news when they told me how much they are quoting the truck at, so we will be getting some money back for a down payment on whatever we get next!! Chris brought a description of his dad's truck, that is for sale, with him up to the game. It's a 2005 Dodge Ram crew cab with a V8, towing package and a tool box. Everything Travis wants in a truck!! He probably won't be able to get it for a month because we have to wait for everything to be finalized with the insurance company and the lender we used for the S10. In the meantime, Travis is pimpin it in the Neon. LOL!

This video just made me laugh and laugh! I've watched it about 20 times now. Maybe you have to know my friend, but either way I think watching two grown men do this is hysterical. Supposedly, they were testing out a new video camera to make sure it worked. You MUST turn the sound on for this one...