Colorado!

We made it!! And how beautiful it is! So many different landscapes - and the red rocks are so unique (well, in that they totally remind me of the red dirt in Hawaii)...

Our B&B is wonderful and we've already started making plans to come back here. The room is cozy and romantic (even with a baby pretending to sleep in his crib in the corner - not really, he's standing in there saying hi mommy, hi daddy) The grounds are phenomenal, and how cool when you walk out your door onto your porch and there's a mommy deer with her baby eating apples from the apple tree.

We found a doggy day care in Glenwood Springs to take Lamb to tomorrow so that we can scope out the pretty little town and maybe take a dip in the hot springs. Hey, maybe we might even stay an extra night - it's THAT good!

As soon as the photos get done downloading, I will post the days photos. There are A LOT.

Photos from the beautiful Glenwood Springs tomorrow.

Heather

Hello Utah...

What a ... drive? Not a whole lot between Boise and Salt Lake City today. It seemed pretty boring, but when I just downloaded the photos from the day and there were only 57, I thought - well, I'm surprised I took THAT many.

Our hotel tonight is pretty nice - it's a suite with a separate bedroom and a kitchenette that is really a full kitchen without an oven. It's got a dishwasher and a garbage disposal AND free laundry downstairs. Can't beat that after 4 days of three people making dirty clothes. There's no pool and they charged us $50 extra for lamb, but the laundry and the fact that we could cook our own dinner made it worth it.

Tomorrow we arrive in Colorado - Sebastian is so excited to get to Colorado - "Colorado? See Tracy? See Tony?" He can't WAIT! A couple of relaxing days in Glenwood Springs before we take the last little leg into Denver and have to figure out what the heck we're doing then! I'm really enjoying this un"real life" living we're doing right now - wouldn't mind doing this for another several months.

I guess Robby and I will have to figure out how to retire and live in an RV.

Posted our very boring (except for the photos of Sebastian) photos from today... Hoping tomorrow brings some scenery - and maybe even a live animal that is not a cow or a horse. We haven't even seen much road kill.

Well more tomorrow after we get to our cabin by the crick.

Heather

Heading into Boise, Idaho

Maybe we'll just stay here! I mean, hey - it's 11:18 at night and the temperature is still 76 degrees! We had an awesome day - a nice short drive, and ended up in a hotel that we LOVED. I mean, it might just be a roadside stop, but it has a pool and a playground and shuffleboard - not to mention the upgraded king room! Score!

We went to a great little sushi restaurant downtown, Happy Sushi - it was really good, made us happy, and Sebastian loved it (well, until he got some wasabi on accident and then he was ready to be done).

It was a great day!

Tomorrow we head toward Salt Lake City - the land of 3:2 beer. Yes, there will be a stop prior to crossing the border!

It will be our longest day of driving yet - 317 miles.

Until tomorrow -
G'nite
Heather

Leg No. 2 - Into Pendleton, Oregon

277 miles today. Got the tow-dolly all hookered up. I was SO happy that it was easier than Robby anticipated. No transmission fluid gushing out all over the place.

But it kept giving Robby a start when he looked in the rearview mirror and saw this!

We had a gorgeous drive - an absolutely stunning day. The hottest we saw was 92 degrees... Somehow I got a sunburn even though the only time I was in the sun was when I had to go from the truck into WalMart. A SUPER Walmart mind you! I almost got lost in there!

Even though the hotel we are staying at, a Super 8, is pretty poor and the customer service level at the front desk is a big fat zero, we have a bed, wireless internet, and this gorgeous sunset...

Instead of blathering on about how gorgeous the drive was, I'll just post a link to our photo album so you can see for yourself.

Besides, I'm tired and we have a 218 mile drive to Boise, Idaho tomorrow.

More later!

Heather

Our first leg - into Seattle...

Wow, 3:30 a.m. comes early... We did it though - with the help of my folks and a cab driver that was exactly on time, we trundled off with our huge pile of luggage to the airport. It was so early that it was DARK outside. What?

And so began our big adventure.

Sebastian was such a big boy on the airplane. He colored, he ate, he snacked, he looked at pictures of Sagey-Colt on his (my) iPhone. Just a complete angel. Lamb was very good too - unfortunately, she had to stay in her kennel the whole time because the flight attendant had her eye on Robby to make sure he complied with the airlines "health regulations."

It was a quick flight though, no bumps - great landing, got off quickly. Our luggage was the first luggage out and all together. It took us two of those cart things ($4.00 EACH?! When did that happen?) We got on the shuttle and headed to the warehouse to get our cars. Although the shuttle dropped us off at the corporate office instead of the warehouse, the AFF folks were kind enough to give me a ride to the warehouse so I could get one car - drive back get Robby and all of our stuff - and drive back to the warehouse to get the other truck. A little more time-consuming, but it all worked out and we headed for our hotel.

It wasn't a bad place - La Quinta at the airport. Lamb just pranced right in like she owned the place. And Sebastian got to enjoy the facilities.

This morning we woke up at 6:30 a.m. after Robby's alarm clock started going off in his suitcase, then his iPhone reminded him that his alarm was supposed to go off in 30 minutes. By the time his alarm actually started going off, we were pretty much packed in the car. Had a yummy continental breakfast and then headed off on our second leg......

Homeless and unemployed

Movers came and went - Now just have to wait until Monday to find out how much our life weighs. This is nearly it - add couch, loveseat and piano and that's the whole deal.

Still, when they pull up in a truck that's bigger than our house it makes you go, WHOA! Check this out! The guy just backed it right into our driveway like it was no big thing - Ryan, they didn't even ask us to move your car... !

Although I am totally stressing about how much our stuff weighs (by weighs, I mean costs!), it sure didn't look like much when they got it into the back of this truck! I don't even think we were the first load!

Today we're just hangin' with the family - one last hurrah, then off to our show tonight. The last one in Alaska and the last one until who knows when.

We're both done working and we're living out of suitcases. Let the games begin. As Sebastian says, "Big Adventure, Big Adventure!!" It has begun! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

FREAK OUT... !

You know how it is when you are backed into a corner and don't see any way out and you're starting to totally geek out and then all of a sudden the corner you thought you were in opens up and you turn around and go whew! made it out of that one... Sometimes I get SO freaked out because things aren't working the way I thought they would and out of nowhere a new and better way/opportunity comes along.

I'm just so thankful that life is like that. Time and time again I'm reminded why freaking out is not necessary. Knowing, of course, does not stop me from freaking out, but at least when I'm not totally consumed by freakoutedness I can see that it will all be okay - things will work out.

Anywho... Got the cats all figured out! Thank you Kay. I would never have thought to even ask you. Saved us SO much money that we don't have right now and STRESS. That's almost like money falling out of the sky. I'm still going to try to figure out how you do that money fairy thing though...

I keep getting this weird sinking feeling this afternoon like, "OH MY GOD, I AM UNEMPLOYED!" And then I catch my breath and think wow, I don't have to go to work tomorrow! And then OH! and then oh... I SO need to get on the road... Scary, but EXCITING-scary... Like a roller coaster or some other thrill ride like bungee jumping.

Tomorrow the movers come. Then it's on like Donkey Kong. 4 more days! Wow. :-)

Kitties and money...

Well, we're down to 6 days (5 if you don't count today which is nearly over)... Things are falling into place. The only things not working the way I'd hoped are that we're struggling with kitty arrangements and money is not falling out of the sky. There's still time for both of those things to happen. Right?

We're nearly done packing, just our last minute things left. Got the call from the movers this morning to schedule the weigh-in and then the truck comes and takes it all away. Might not see our stuff for a couple of months. I sure hope we have a place to put it when it gets there. You can only plan so much and then you've just got to have faith.

One more day of work and then I will be officially unemployed for only the second time since I was a teenager. I'm wondering if that will make me feel lost? Maybe I will love it? Hopefully not TOO much.

Not getting too scared yet (except when I think about money so I am trying not to think about it). Still very excited. Still sleeping, so that's a good sign. I'm just ready to get on the road already!

Well, I guess I better go to sleep now so there will officially only be FIVE DAYS! G'Nite.

Almost there....

Moving... It's never easy, is it? But for us, it should be - we've moved every year since we've been together. But much to Robby's chagrin, the last move was not the last. And this one is the BIG ONE. After 20 years of wanting it, I am leaving Alaska. 35 years here have been enough for me (and I know it's the right time to go because I'm already feeling that creeping sadness I feel every year when the summer is almost over).

So, for our own enjoyment, the memories, and as a means for our friends to keep up with what we're doing and where we're at, I thought I'd blog our move, our road trip from Seattle to Denver, and our set up on the other end.

Our current home is quickly emptying. We've sold, given away, thrown away almost everything and pretty much all that's left is what you see here... Can't believe this is our whole life.

We're down to 9 days now until we fly out... Pretty exciting!