Saturday, 22-Mar thru Friday, 28-Mar:
Caballo State Park, NM
Pic 1: I have a train obsession -- Pic 2: View from my campsite
Saturday morning I continued reading the hard-to-put-down book - The Glass
Castle. Then I went for a quick run, followed by finishing off the book.
:) Then I decided to pack it up and head to New Mexico! I got in
around 7 PM CST. I have decide I am going to remain on CST time even though it's
two hours earlier here. Although I am not totally sure it is two hours earlier.
My Sprint phone says two hours, but when I log onto
www.worldtimeserver.com it says
only 1 hour behind. Anyone know for sure? Feel free to let me know!
Regardless of the actual time, I am beat. The park looks beautiful and I
will let you know what I find tomorrow.
Pic 1: Flat tire :(
Sunday was awesome! I slept in and then reserved
all the campgrounds for my trips with Anthony and Sarah. That feels good to have
done. Then I went for a long bike ride on my mountain bike. I have
mentioned how desolate the desert is? Whoa. The housing here is interesting
because all the houses look extremely dilapidated. It must be the area I am in.
Oddly, it reminds a lot of the areas mentioned in the book - The Glass Castle.
Anyway, as I am tooling back to the campsite, I get a flat. Not prepared for
this sort of mishap, I stuck out my thumb and get a ride back the remaining nine
miles to the camp. I ate everything I could find when I got home, worked a
little and then crashed.
Pic 1: My home -- Pic 2: The plant life
I love it here. It's so peaceful. Lots to do at
work today. Finished up and watched some - Sex and the City. Then I went
out for a run. Came back, had a yummy dinner and then watched some more
SATC. I think my mind is getting itchy. I am so used to hanging out with all my
girls during the week and having these fun/interesting conversations. I am
getting a little bored of myself, I think. I guess that's partially the goal.
I am getting to the point where I might actually finish up my never-ending
scrapbook project. :)
Pic 1: Getting closer -- Pic 2: After walking 2 hours
Pic 1: Not sure if the view was more amazing going up or coming down -- Pic 2:
The most beautiful thing I saw on the hike
After staring at the Caballo Mountain range for a couple days, I had to go
explore them! I could only drive to the dam and had to walk from there. I
walked for 2 hours (one way) and got as close as I could to the impressive
mountains. Tuesday is by far my favorite day here in Caballo.
Wednesday I rested and chilled in the camper. Then decided to get some
grub. After 25 min of driving, I finally found a grocery store! I came back and
made a bunch of yummy meals. Thanks to Michele Kalb, my new favorite is a
Baked Spaghetti dish. So good!
Pic 1: Elephant Butte beach -- Pic 2: More beach
Pic 1: Too much time by myself -- Pic 2: Sunset
Thursday I went to the Post Office to send some goodies to my loved ones.
Then I ran along the beach in Elephant Butte area. I also hit the
laundromat. $2.50 to wash one load. Are they kidding? While I waited I tried to
do the core exercises that TJ Tollakson told us about but I looked pretty funny
doing lunges in the laundromat, so I stopped and read a super old copy of Better
Homes and Gardens that was laying around. Boring! Luckily Anthony and Ang had
decided to go see one of our favorite music artists, Johnny Hermanson. So,
Anthony called me while he was there and put the phone on speaker so I could
listen too! Anthony and Ang, actually ran into my good friend Emily Hanka
and her partner, Mary at the concert. They all sat together. Isn't that fun!?
After I got home, I drank wine and listened to Johnny through the phone. What a
delightful night.
Friday I finished up the rest up the rest of the Sex and the City episodes. I
also went for my final run in Caballo. I don't want to leave!
Wednesday, 19-Mar thru Friday, 21-Mar: Balmorhea State Park, TX
Pic 1: On the road -- Pic 2: 8 hours with just myself
Pic 1: Balmorhea State Park Campground
Today is Wednesday and I took a vacation day to get most of the driving through
Texas completed. Wow, is it barren out there. The major success was making to
the campground before it was dark. Oh and I backed in! I got it on my first try
but then decided on a different approach and successfully accomplished that with
minimal effort too!! Score!
Pic 1: The spring fed pool -- Pic 2: A historic church on my bike ride
Honestly, my internet connection out here is PAINFUL. I can't believe I
have to endure one more day at dial-up speeds. Ack! Beyond my computer,
Thursday was perfect. After work, I hit the pool! Yep, it's the world's
largest spring fed pool. I had no idea how amazing it was until I jumped in.
It's the perfect temperature (I just read on the web that the pool is a balmy
72-76 degrees year-round). Plus, it is crystal clear. You can see
the little fishies swimming all over. I even spotted a turtle. Across the
pool (one section of it) was at least 50M!! I did a half hour swim and only made
it across and back 8 times! Heavenly! Then I went for my first bike ride since
Ironman. I made it a solid 10 miles in total. Gotta start somewhere. ;) I have
since made dinner and am sitting down to watch the movie my Aunt Becky gave me -
We Are Marshall - she is from Huntington and felt the impact of this true
tragedy. Should be good.
The movie last night was really good. I highly recommend it. I can't
believe it is already Friday. It has been exactly 3 weeks since I started
this adventure! Crazy! After a quick swim, I started reading a book my
Aunt gave me - The Glass Castle - it was so good I got over half way though it
before I went to bed! I even found time to watch the movie - Without
Limits - which is all about the life of Steve Prefontaine, the Olympic runner.
That's super good too.
Sunday, 16-Mar thru
Tuesday, 18-Mar:
Austin, TX
Pic 1: Austin Lone Star RV Park -- Pic 2: My spot
Pic 1: My office :)
I left Spring around Noon and drove about 3.5 hours. This is
relatively short given my other weekend journeys. This will officially be my
first night in the camper. I was blessed with a pull-through site. I still
haven't cleared the anti-freeze from the water and toilet, but I will get there.
I still had plenty of unpacking to do. Now my office is all set-up. It's
sweet. After spending three hours organizing I decided to hit 6th Street. It was
the last night of SXSW. However, I think most of the party was over. There
appeared to be a collective sigh from the people who live there. I
wondered around until I gravitated into a bar called 121. Some guy named
Adam McInnis was playing. It was such beautiful music. I bought his CD. :)
A friendly guy named Bradley gave me the lowdown on Austin. I now have an
extensive list of thing to see/do in two nights. Yikes! I am super excited to
explore Austin a bit more.
Monday was camper day! I figured out how to run the water and the pooper. It was
very exciting. ;) Ran to Wal-Mart to pick-up a few things (Garmin told there was
a Target just down the street but when I got there....poof...out of business). I
spent the rest of the night doing dishes and cleaning the RV.
Pic 1: Iowa Rowing Team! -- Pic 2: Along the river
Pic 1: Mandi and I -- Pic 2: Hut's Hamburgers
Geers told me the Iowa Rowing team was in Austin. So, I decided to run along the
river Tuesday night and see if I bumped into them. Lo and behold, I saw them not
5 min into my run. I followed them down the river to see where they were going.
I accidentally landed where they launch and they just happened to be finishing
up practice. It was very serendipitous. I waited for Coach K and then
chatted with her. It was so inspiring to see them rowing. It is such a beautiful
sport. After my run, I headed to Hut's Hamburgers (recommended by Bradley).
I had the Wolfman Burger because it had all my favorite foods: hamburger, bacon,
sour cream and cheese. Dee-licious.
Sunday, 9-Mar thru
Saturday, 15-Mar:
Spring, TX (near Houston)
Pic 1 and 2: Passing through Dallas
I left Yukon around 9 AM and had 7.5 hours of driving ahead of me.
It was a beautiful drive. In fact, all of the sudden everything was green.
It was really cool! My Aunt Becky and Uncle Mike have the coolest house in this
area called the Woodlands. It's appropriately named. There are pine
trees everywhere. I love it! After I got in, we went straight for the spa
(hot tub) and splashed around. Then Mike made the most delicious Cajun
shrimp and filet mignon. Whoa! Heaven! Mike is building a
second kayak from scratch. I will have to take pictures. It is amazing!
The second one is made from all cedar. They are also building a cabin up
on Lake Vermilion, so I got to see their designs. It's an incredibly
creative/artistic household. Maybe some will rub off on me!
Monday I worked all day and then Becky drove me
around the Woodlands to see what it is all about. Apparently 100,000
people live there, but Houston won't let it become it's own city. They are in
battle right now. Decoy, the dog, was at puppy daycare today (I guess he loves
it!) and he just got home. We are about to have a spaghetti meal and I am
hoping to get out for a run.
Pic 1: Becky and I -- Pic 2: My Mountain Bike
Tuesday Becky and I rode our bikes around town.
We met up with her girlfriend, Amy, and her two kids. We ate a yummy
Mexican restaurant, hung out and watched her friend's kids go crazy. They
were very entertaining! We rode home in the dark and then stayed up talking.
Wednesday we went grocery shopping and I bought
a bunch of food to make Becky for dinner. It was a fun night of cooking,
drinking wine and chatting. Mike got home after I went to bed.
Hopefully he will get to be around a bit now. He was going to have to
leave again today for work, but I think his boss realized that was so
unnecessary! :)
Thursday Mike and I went for a run when her got home. Then we grilled out.
I LOVE burgers and bake potatoes. Plus, Becky makes a mean salad.
Pic 1: Becky, Mike, Decoy and I -- Pic 2: Decoy
Friday we played hooky. Okay, not really. We left work a bit early to go play
with Decoy at the park. Decoy is a trained hunting dog, so when Mike throws the
dummy, Decoy will fetch it. That night I made AU's famous Curried Black
Bean and Cashews with Quinoa. It was a hit. You'll notice most of my posts
center around food. I am a foody and most of my day centers around food.
Love it!
Pic 1: Belbis and Friends -- Pic 2: Belb and I
After dinner on Firday, I took off for Houston to meet up with my bud, Belbis.
She just happened to be in town with Eric for a wedding. What are the chances
that the first time we are in Houston in our lives is the same weekend?!
Pic 1: Our boat launch spot -- Pic 2: Becky and Decoy chillin' in the sun
Pic 1: Me in the kayak -- Pic 2: Becky kayaking
Pic 1: Mike kayaking -- Pic 2: The unbelieveable hand I dealt Mike in our game
or cribbage!
Saturday morning Mike and I went for another run. This is a big deal for me
because I have been struggling with my workout regimen. Then we packed up
and headed to Lake Conroe. It's beautiful there. Reminds a lot of
northern MN with all the amazing pine trees. When we got there, we took out the
kayak that Mike built. Yea, you heard me. Built with his own two hands. Check it
out! Afterward, we cleaned up and headed to Tommy Bahamas for dinner. This
meal was scrumptious. I was in heaven! Thanks Mike and Becky for
dinner!! We looked through pictures when we got home. Wedding, first
house, past Christmas....it was really neat. Then Mike and I played
cribbage. I lost twice! Seriously though, when you deal someone four fives
you are bounds to lose! If only a jack had turned over. He would
have had the best hand possible in the game! That hand is completely
picture worthy. :) I head to Austin tomorrow. Stay tuned!
Sunday, 2-Mar thru Saturday, 8-Mar: Yukon,
OK
I left Des Moines around 10 AM and had 10 hours of hairy driving in front of me.
I was lucky enough to avoid all bad weather, rain included, until I was almost
there. The winds were fierce on the way, but I felt comfortable since I
had solid road conditions. Around 8 PM the tornado weather struck Oklahoma.
I was just outside my destination when I had to pull over. I couldn't see a
thing the rain was coming down so hard. After 30 minutes of waiting, it let up
and I made it to my good friend Tanis' house.
Pic 1: Tanis and Tiffany -- Pic 2: Isaiah,
Kinley, Kale, Isaac and Kenah
It is fun spending so much
time with my childhood friends Tanis and Tiffany. They are twins. I met Tanis in
the fourth grade. We are both left handed, have blonde hair, blue eyes,
both played the saxophone and had 15 letters in our name. We were destined to be
friends. ;) Tanis is married to Jeremy Moss and they have 2 kids, Isaiah and
Isaac. Tiffany is married to Kurt Downing and they have three kids, Kale,
Kinley and Kenah. Both of them are stay at home moms. They are the
best caregivers I have ever seen. Those lucky kids!
On Monday, Jeremy took of
work. We had a yummy pancake and bacon breakfast. We then packed up and headed
to the lanes for a competitive game of bowling. Isaac, who's 4, got over 100 in
both games! Granted he has a ramp, but still! After naps, I took one too!,
Tiffany's family came over for dinner. Tanis made a yummy chili type dish that
you put over potatoes or rice. So good!
Tuesday I was back to work.
It's amazing the amount of productivity you have when no one is around to ask
questions or start up a social conversation. I am enjoying day one of
telecommuting immensely. Tuesday night we had a sleepover at Tiffany's house.
Tiffany has a trampoline in the backyard, so the kids and I jumped for an hour
before dinner. What a workout! Tiffany made a delicious chicken manicotti dish.
Kurt and I got into a interesting political discussion after dinner. He is a
staunch Republican and I am not.
Pic 1: Bricktown -- Pic 2:
Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial
Wednesday night Jeremy, Kurt
and I hit the town. Tanis and Tiffany had bible study with the kids. We
went to Toby Keith's Restaurant for dinner and walked around Oklahoma City, an
area called Bricktown. I was surprised by it's beauty. It is very
pedestrian, with a canal lined with sidewalks and restaurants. Very cool.
Then we went over to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial site. It was really
powerful. Very well designed. I am glad I got a chance to see it. Afterward, we
went to a funny movie, Semi-Pro.
Thursday Tanis brought me to
one of the lakes near her home. It's fun to drive around and dream about living
on a lake. One of the cool things about the houses here is they are all
brick. All of them! They are beautiful. After house dreaming we ran
some errands and then had a fantastic chicken and cashew dinner followed by
Tiffany's famous peanut butter pie. So good! I talk to Anthony everyday,
but I am especially missing him today.
Friday was girls night out.
Tanis, Tiffany and I went to eat a Mexican restaurant named Chelino's. It was
delicious. Then we went shopping. It was a nice night out just tooling
around without spouses and kids. We went back to Tiffany's house and stayed up
late playing the card game, Phase 10. Pretty fun game.
Pic 1: Tanis and Jeremy -- Pic 2: Me and Tanis
Pic 1: Calf roping -- Video: KC Jones (I loved
his name) Calf wrestling video! (Will take a moment to load!)
Saturday I was supposed to leave but I woke up feeling ill. We went to
Kale's basketball game. It was the last one of the season. Kids are so
cute, running around on the court, dribbling and shooting. It's a totally
different kind of basketball game. Rebounds are key for them. After basketball,
I took a two hour nap. Woke up feeling a bit better, but not enough to
drive for 8 hours. I went grocery shopping with Tiffany and we made a
blanket for her nephew. I said good-bye to the Downings and after a quick
dinner, Tanis, Jeremy and I headed to the Rodeo.
Saturday, 1-Mar: Des Moines, IA
Pic 1:
Mom, Dad, Me, Aunt Judy and Uncle Stan -- Pic 2: Dad and I
I woke up Saturday morning
to sunny skis and clear roads. I got to Des Moines around 3ish. The constant
stopping for gas, really slows down progress. Mom and Dad drove over to
Des Moines from Cedar Rapids to hang out with Judy, Stan and I. They got
to take a spin through the trailer and chat with me. After they left Judy
and Stan made a delicious dinner for me. We had a blast just shooting the
breeze.
Friday, 29-Feb: Faribault, MN
Anthony and Mike helped
me finish packing up to leave. I took off around 6:30ish and headed off into the
distance. Road conditions were good until about New Prague, which actually
isn't all that far. We slowed from 65 MPH to about 5-10 MPH. At one point,
I almost lost the trailer and truck into a ditch. I got off ASAP and parked it
at a hotel. I couldn't figure out how to get the heater to work in the trailer
without it plugged in. Found out there is a switch on the breaker box. I
will have to try that out soon to make sure it works.
The reception person at the
front desk was super nice. I told him a bit about my trip and he asked me
if I needed money. It was an incredibly nice gesture!
Tuesday, 26-Feb:
Minneapolis, MN
Pic 1: AU, Kaia, Meg, Abhilasha, Ivy and Kwok -- Pic 2: Kaia, Sean and Michele
Before the journey begins, people have been setting up lunches, dinners and
happy hours galore! I have the greatest friends in the world! Here is a
list of people I need to thank (sorry if forgot anyone).
Anthony - My biggest
supporter and the love of my life.
Mom & Dad - Driving over to Des Moines...so awesome! Love you.
Hirschmans & Altmans - What a great going away party. Tell the kids not to
change a bit for three months. I don't want to miss anything!
Kaia, Michele, Martyn, Ivy and Kwok - You are too much. Thanks for the
gifts, the Happy Hour and making this whole telecommute thing work!
AU & Kathy - My eating buddies! Thanks for the fun send off. Miss you lots
already.
Sarah Waataja - I am part way through Into the Wild , it was the perfect
gift for the long drive, inspiring too! Chips are gone! ;) Can't wait for you to
visit.
Lisa Rock - I tried to eat the whole thing before I left, but even with help, I
couldn't do it! Thanks for the yummy dinner and dessert.
Jen Lenarz - Thanks for the call, sista! Keep up your training, you are
going to kill 'em this year!
MIke Strong - What guy friend of Anthony's would call the wife to wish her luck!
You are so awesome! Nice work with the tri training. You are totally
going to win (sorry Billy!).
The Adventure!
We are going on a road trip! A year in the making and vastly different
then how it started, a three month road trip is in the horizon. Anthony
and I have purchased a Jayco Jay Feather RV (go to this website to see pictures
of the inside:
http://www.gagscamperway.com/rv/new/60033-0.htm). We also bought a
super sweet Toyota 4Runner to tow it.
Aren't they beautiful!?
After months of planning, I
was approved for telecommuting, all the stops on my journey nailed down and all
my visitors lined up. Anthony was planning on coming, but all these wonderful
things happened at work that prevented him from getting the time off. Bummer for
me but awesome for him! He's a superstar at work. Luckily, he will be
coming out at the end of April for two whole weeks! We are going to see
the Grand Canyon and head over to race Wildflower! I am going to have other
visitors along the way too! Sarah Waataja will be visiting me in New
Mexico/Arizona. Amy Au-Yeung is hooking up with me for Nevada, Utah and
Colorado. Ang Hirschman, Jake Savstrom and Anthony will hike the 14ers with me
in Colorado. It's all so exciting.