Rv unloaded

What a relief! Do you know the feeling when your go on vacation and you drop off your kid or dog at the sitter's house? It's like a burden is lifted and you are free to run around. That's how I felt yesterday when we dropped the rv off at the dealer and walked away with only our car. I'm free!
(written 7/29/11)

Rv repaired and for sale

So I made it back from Kanab to Denver and could not get out of the rv fast enough. After all the mechanical and medical troubles we are finally crying uncle.

We parked it at the Flying Saucer rv park which I have driven by 1000 times growing up here and never thought much of it. More accurately, I thought it was a dump. Needless to say, now after a year of traveling and visiting parks around the country, it doesn't seem that bad to me now. I'm not sure what that says about me but I think my perceptions have changed, or warped, not sure which.

So we quickly set out to clean up the rv to make it presentable to sell. We had the ambitious task of attempting to sell the vehicle in the one week we allotted before departing for MD. If it didn't sell then we planned to drive it back east and sell it there. It took three days to lighten the load so it would show and then create a flyer that highlighted its best features. We listed it on Craig's List at 10pm Sunday and received our first call at 7am Monday morning. Great! The only problem was the guy didn't show up! Rude.

Next, we went to investigate our selling options through a dealer. Since our appointment didn't show and it was all clean we took a drive up to Longmont, which I call Denver's RV capital. We discovered that a dealer there would keep it there for us for the next several months while advertising it across the country through the rest of their dealers. So we determined that it was more worthwhile for us to let them handle the sale and we could concentrate on getting just ourselves and our cars back east. I'm now very leary about driving my house too many miles these days so i am thrilled to be leaving it in CO. I'm looking forward to one that is stationary.

The next task was to empty it entirely. When I tell you I do not know how we fit all the stuff we had with us so well in the rv you would have to see how much came out of it to believe it yourself. We spent three full days packing our van and moving the boxes back to my parents' garage. Finally, tonight we pulled the last bit out and we are ready to deliver it tomorrow to the dealer. It will be at K&C RV in Longmont if anyone is interested in the adventure of your life. Don't go by our experience alone. It will definitely be an exciting ride.

I thought I would feel relieved to have this task finished but without knowing exactly where we are going to land and how we are going to get there we remain overwhelmed. Adam is doing as much as he can but he is very limited on physical activity. I appreciate everything he does do but unfortunately it also highlights what he can't help with. Now we are deciding whether we can manage a small trailer or whether we actually need a full moving truck. If we do need the truck then do we really want to do this ourselves? I just can't fathom paying for two out of state moves in one year. We are not moving the majority of our items that remain in storage with our original movers. That will come later.

For now we are recuperating from the unloading task and hoping for the best for a quick sale. We will keep you updated!

Vegas

This weekend we had a nice break and unexpected vacation in Vegas. I wouldn't call it relaxing but it was a wonderful diversion from the recent rv life turmoil. My mom and I stayed at the Rio Suites where they were holding the World Series of Poker. It was too bad Adam wasn't with me to watch it in person! He had to catch it on ESPN. However, he enjoyed his poker time with his dad in Blackhawk where he got super lucky to be sitting at the table that hit the Bad Beat. That was like winning a small lottery and made it all worth it for him to have waited back at home.

First thing we did when we got to the hotel was head to the pool. It was hopping with loud rap music, a topless pool option and tons of kids and old men. We figured the old men were here for the poker tournament and the kids must have been their families in tow. Course, the pool is the best place for kids to hang out, especially if they want to lose their hearing. We were amused for a while. Later we ate dinner with some poker players and then hit the casino.

The next day I awoke feeling hoarse and sick from all the smoke the night before. College days relived. We headed for the Miracle Mile shops by way of the free shuttle to Bally's. We were a little concerned about staying here because it is off the strip but the shuttle was a very nice benefit. Next thing we knew we had shopped for six hours and walked about five miles. Why are these hotels so huge? Just because there is a lot of space in the desert does that mean they have to use it? I should have brought my pedometer to clock accurately the number of miles we actually walked.

We finally got to sit down when we got to the show theater to see Jubilee, a classic showgirl show. I'd never seen one before and we had a two for one coupon so we figured why not go? I had a strange sense that I was on a cruise ship the entire time. It was truly classic and by the end we didn't even notice all the boobs covered in glitter. It was so classic however that my mom was singing away with the songs that reminded me of my grandma's era. Now I feel like I've really seen old Vegas.

The evening was concluded by eating a 10 pm dinner at Sugar and retiring to bed with a migraine. Guess I don't have the stamina I once did for loud music and bright lights. My mom, however, hit the casino without me and played until 2am. What's wrong with this picture?

Today we are off to face the 100+degree weather. Just don't know which direction we are headed quite yet. I awoke at 5am to get on the insurance company to settle this rv claim so we can start heading home. It's not resolved yet but hopefully soon.

Sent from my iPhone

Vegas Pool time!

Kanab, UT

Since we had previously left the RV back in Utah I had to drive back there to pick it up. It was not quite ready but my mom and I were taking two days to get there so we decided to leave early. That has since proved to be a mistake on our part. I anticipated possible delays caused by the repair shop but did not factor in delays caused by our insurance company. So during our waiting period in Kanab we experienced everything the locals had to offer.

We started by visiting the Moqui cave which is privately owned. It used to be a bar and dance hall during the days when western film stars frequented the place. The people who owned it gave tours and a history of the area and Mormon settlers. They were very nice and informative but I got the feeling their ultimate mission was to educate the public about the Mormon faith. This man's grandfather had 6 wives and 55 kids in his family. They no longer practice that lifestyle and make it known that they disapprove. We spoke briefly about the show Sister Wives on TLC which features modern day polygamists (or pluralists as they like to be called). That family must have lived in the vicinity but their lifestyle angers many Mormons and the cave owner wouldn't speak about them in particular. Interesting.

Next we visited the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary where they claim to be the world's largest no-kill animal shelter. They focus on taking in animals with medical problems who might be otherwise unadoptable, rehabilitate them and aim to ultimately place them in their "forever home." the operation was truly amazing. It's situated in Angel Canyon which was as pretty as Zion Natl Park. The next day we went back to volunteer with the dogs at the shelter. We walked a couple of big ones who nearly took my arm off chasing lizards. My first dog also dug a hole to China chasing something. They were so happy to get out of their runs but were very hot and ready to return home afterwards. Each dog there has an indoor/outdoor pen with lots of toys, air conditioning, and outdoor running space. It still is a doggy jail and ironically enough was designed by a guy who designed prisons. Reminds me of my college dorm which was also designed by someone who designed prisons. By the end of the day we were hot and tired. We left with good memories of the animals' environment and will remember one dog in particular. Alfie survived parvovirus and distemper but was left with residual nerve damage. He has tremors and ticks like a Parkinson patient and his front legs do not hold his weight. It was one of the most pathetic cases I have ever seen. They are attempting to rehabilitate him and say he might be as to walk someday. I hated to see him hit his head against the cage involuntarily. We will also remember the 25 companion pigs they rescued, the horses and the movie set barn they lived in, and "ambush pass" which is a stretch of road that appeared in countless western movies showing stagecoach ambushes and is on their property.

Another highlight was wandering around town and running into people we had met earlier. This town only has two stop lights and two main streets. It's hard to miss eachother. This was a popular area to film the western movies like the Lone Ranger and One Little Indian and they saved the movie sets in the Little Hollywood museum. We even could have stayed for a free show put on for Japanese tourists but elected not to.

We continued to check on the rv progress and learned it was supposed to be finished Friday afternoon. That left us with enough time to venture through Zion National Park. Similarly to the Grand Canyon park they limited transportation to their shuttle busses. We had time to visit Zion lodge, take a short mile long hike to the Emerald Pools and grab some ice cream before heading back to our car and drive to pick up the rv (wishful thinking).

Upon arriving back at the shop we learned the insurance adjuster never returned their calls and we would have to wait until Monday before they make a decision about settling the claim. After much fighting with the insurance managers we gave up and decided to head to Vegas for some more R&R and fun. We will deal with the RV again on Monday and hope the claim gets resolved quickly so I don't have to return to this desolate yet gorgeous part of the country for the third time! Vegas here we come!

Little Hollywood-Kanab, UT

Journey comes to the end

On the day the RV broke down and was towed to the RV doctor we got halfway into the hour long drive behind the tow truck and had to make a quick u-turn to head to the hospital back in Page, AZ (for the record this is the middle of the desert). Adam needed to see a doctor too. He experienced sudden belly pain and we were afraid he was having surgical complications. After visiting what was the largest hospital within a three hour radius, giving the doctors there a good scare, and determining together that he was well enough not to be admitted thereby avoiding a trip being airlifted back to Denver because they felt ill equipped to properly care for him, he was feeling slightly better and they let him leave. This visit clinched our decision to officially end our around-the-country trip.

So, on the day of our 8-year anniversary we spent it packing up our car to make the 11-hour drive straight back to Denver and giving up on our other plans to visit more places. The trials and tribulations of dealing with a sick rv and a sick husband finally got to me and Adam agreed that his health may now require more consistent care. Adam's gift to me was his understanding about how much of a toll the stress of mechanical and health issues (especially when they happen at the same time) takes on me and agreeing to end the trip. My gift to him was packing up the car with our essentials and valuables, getting up at 4 am and driving straight home while the rv takes a week to be fixed and then turning around to drive back to Utah once it is done and driving it back home again. Our anniversary may not have been spent at a nice dinner with roses, but we both sacrificed something for one another and to me that is an invaluable and cherished gift. It may not have been the most fun day of our lives, but we certainly appreciated one another and have grown more deeply connected today than we were on our wedding day.

We always said we would enjoy this adventure as long as Adam's health held out and we have now reached the point when we should stop. We are both glad to have had the opportunity to make our journey and will never regret it. Traveling is in our blood and we will strive to continue our adventures closer to our new home in Maryland. We will be in Denver for a few weeks until we get our belongings and vehicles back together and Adam is well enough to make the journey back East. We would love to see all our Colorado friends again while we are here.

P.S. If any of you know anyone looking to purchase a used motorhome (which will be back in working order before we sell) please let us know!

Tow photo

Tow truck

Well we hit Page, AZ and stopped for lunch but were unable to start again. The big green bus is being hauled 1 1/2 hours to the nearest service dealer. Yet another service experience I did not need to have. Hope they can fix it!

Sent from my iPhone

Grand Canyon

We arrived at our Grand Canyon home base of Williams, AZ and were instantly cooler. It was 89 with blowing winds. I picked this place because they said they were the closest town to the southern entrance of the Grand Canyon. That was not close. We were 60 miles away so the next day we loaded up our "gear" including our furry friend and headed in. I knew we were not going to be hiking down into the canyon and dogs are allowed on the rim trail. He was just very hot!

There is an IMAX movie on the way into he park but by the time we arrived it was already 2 pm so we didnt want to miss stuff in the park before dark. Therefore we skipped it. At this time of the year the rim trail road is closed to private vehicles and they require people to take a shuttle, but since I did my homework I discovered they offered an accessibility pass which allowed us to dive the road since we have a disabled pass. That was a life saver. We stopped at each overlook, sometimes I walked further in, but mostly this made it so Adam could see most of the work without overly stressing himself. If I was doing this again I would elect to stay at one of the lodges or cabins inside the park. It's like a little village. I thought it was nicer than Yellowstone's lodges because there is more to do around them. I would also rent or bring a bike to ride the rim trail. It's only 13 miles and mostly paved but absolutely gorgeous.

I also learned prior to arriving at the park that they had a week of star parties and star gazing activities and we were there for the last night. I expected that the park would provide a few telescopes for people to look at the stars since it was a dark nights sky. However, I never expected what we actually found. Since we had some time between just before sunset and dark skies we elected to have dinner first, rest up and then saunter over to the telescopes after refueling. I was amazed how tired I was from just driving and not hiking! When we got back to the visitors center we followed a path of red rope lights which were kind of like bread crumbs. The red light is not supposed to affect your vision when viewing the sky like white lights but it does not light up your path very well either. I felt like I was walking blind.  We came to a loud sounding group of people who had chairs and telescopes set up all over the place. There must have been 20 different telescopes some requiring you to climb a ladder just to use the eye piece. Not being able to see I thought this was being run by rangers or official park employees but it was actually a bunch of astronomer groups (amateurs) from Prescott and Flagstaff who came up to share their knowledge. It was absolutely fascinating. These people were unbelievably passionate about this hobby and would keep moving the telescopes to show different things. How they knew where to point the scope let alone maneuver the eye pieces and other necessary parts in the dark I have yet to figure out. These were some of the largest scopes I have seen for home use. The nights highlights were being able to see a galaxy far far away with a supernova in it, multiple other galaxies on different axis, and a red carbon star. None of these things are visible with the naked eye. The other fun highlight was when a satellite caught the suns rays and lit up like a lightbulb in the sky. Two seconds later a second one did the same thing because one was space junk and the other was its replacement so they flowed the same trajectory. I guess it could have been mistaken for a shooting star but it moved too slowly. We also saw saturn, its rings and three moons. It looked just like we all know it should except it was white and not red in the sky. The focal points moved out of the viewfinder within 45 seconds or so which showed us how fast the earth is actually turning. I'm afraid Adam wants a telescope even more now than he did before.

So those were our Grand Canyon highlights. We had hoped to move on to Page, AZ today but got stopped in Flagstaff since one of the oxygen concentrators died. Apria did a good job giving us some sort of replacement on a Sunday but we will have to rectify the situation better when we get back to Denver.

For now, we are exhausted but I managed to get myself to historic downtown Flagstaff to see the shops and train station right on good old Route 66. Next stop we plan to take in the views from the Grand Canyons North rim. We are going that way anyway, so we might as well.

Steph at Grand Canyon

Alamogordo, NM

After a quick lunch in Roswell in the RV (parked in a parallel parking spot I might add) we made our way to Alamagorda, NM which was near White Sands National Monument. This was just over a mountain range in which we gained 4000 feet before descending to our final destination. We loved the sand dunes in Alamosa, CO and were anxious to see how different this park would be. We found an RV park along the route that was very accommodating to our flexible schedule and had a great dog run for Sequoia. I'm learning that what makes a good park to me is not always the same as the guide books. A dog run is high on my list while a pool and playground are not. This place had horse stalls where campers could let out their horses and an area for live music, concessions and a mini store. It was very nicely done. I heard music as we drove up and thought they were having a local concert. Upon further investigation I discovered the music was a gospel concert intermingled with bible study. I contemplated staying to listen but didn't feel like defending my beliefs should it come up. It was a small group after all and who knew if it would turn into an interactive discussion. This was my first introduction to RV Bible study. There are specific parks that promote themselves to traveling Rvers who want to meet others to study the bible. Too bad there is no Chavurah of sorts for us. The population of Jewish RV travelers is probably not so large that we could even find enough people to start that type of a group.

The next day I had a nice chat with the owner of the resort. Part of my journey is turning out to be an introspective on my next career move so I like to talk to people about how they have come to the current careers. She and her husband had a very interesting story. They met as employees at Intel in Albuquerque and then decided to quit and buy a ranch in the NM mountains. They even raised cattle. After seven years of that lifestyle in such a remote area they decided to settle closer to a city and build a new park. That's probably where the horse corral idea came from since they were used to owning them. They are no strangers to hard manual labor and keep this park up themselves with the help of some workcampers (people who sign up to work a few days a week in exchange for free camping). I also talked to her about that program and she said it works best for couples who want to be in one place for three months at a time. That's probably not in our plans at this point. I gather owning an RV park is much different than just visiting one for a few nights. I think changing the sewer line is bad for one RV, I can not imagine what it would be like to have to deal with a septic system for a whole park. Yuk.

Pictures from White Sands National Monument. It borders the White Sands missle range and is closed when they have missle tests. Wouldn't you know that the morning we got up at the crack of dawn to take pictures it was closed. So, here are photos from our second attempt.






Alamogordo has the climate of a middle east desert. Pistachios are mainly grown in Iran and have typically been very expensive because they are an import. This farmer discovered that Pistachios are the perfect crop to grow in New Mexico and now grows 1/3 of all the Pistachios in the US. The rest are grown in California. They offered free tours of their operations and even run a kosher kitchen. We learned all about the process of cultivating Pistachios. Did you know they split open naturally and not by a roasting process? I didn't until we took this tour.

Roswell, NM

I'm playing catch-up and discovered this is a post that never happened. Here's a bit about our adventures in New Mexico...

After leaving Carlsbad, NM back in April we made a day trip to Roswell, NM to see about locating some aliens. I expected the city to be more the size of a town, something in the middle of nowhere but I was surprised. It was larger than expected though a bit run down, but was still more kept up than the deserted, burned out “villages” I had seen in between the metropolises around the state. You would not believe the number of ghost town and deserted farms along the sides of the road. It really looked like a very impoverished part of the country; desert, dusty and desolate.


We headed straight for the UFO museum because that's what people do in Roswell, right? I envisioned this to have large alien replicas and the actual pieces of the “ship” that people say they found in the '60s, but it was more like letters and newspapers pinned to the wall. There was a lot of reading. I hadn't remembered that the pieces of the unidentified craft were collected and taken to area 51 (well really an army hanger) where they later disappeared. Thus the conspiracy theory was born. What I do know is Roswell is not far from White Sands missile flats where they test missiles, it is not a heavily populated area, and there is an army base nearby. So, what was it that people saw in the sky? It could have been a downed missile or military testing item, or it could have been a convenient place for aliens to crash land without being detected. Either way, we'll never really know since the pieces went missing. The part that was really confusing was the eye witness account by a nurse who saw three small humanoid bodies with heads that did not look human and for which child-sized caskets were purchased. Whatever happened, no one was talking until right before their deaths and that eye witness was never located to make any comments. The part that fueled the fire was the fact that the government kept changing their stories about what seemingly happened. I halfway expected this legend to simply be a tourist trap without any basis at all, but the story is very real and continues to evolve even to this day. There was a news report just the next day relating to the Roswell siting. I didn't see any alien bodies except for a few used in more recent movie/TV shows. If you don't believe in what happened you should make the trip to visit this museum to read the various sides of the story. They do a great job presenting it for the public to draw their own conclusions though it is not overly interesting for the littlest travelers.

This is the only picture I have from our Roswell visit since there was not much to see. I sent this postcard to my friends kids and one of them asked why the aliens weren't wearing any pants. Good question! Kids say the funniest things.

Family Visits in San Diego

Before Adam got sick the Heller clan came to San Diego and we spent four days together. We visited Sea World but mostly just hung out together. They stayed at the hotel where we stayed 30 years ago! Vacation Village lived again and it had plenty for the kids to do without going anywhere.

Connor and Lily Heller

Mom and Dad, Mike, Christie and Lily



Mike & Lily, Connor at the door


This pretty much sums up the trip. Lily only wanted Mommy. Connor loved the ducks.




Mom came to visit Steph while Adam was in the hospital and we took a drive to LA to visit more family. It's fun meeting cousins I never met before.

Visit with cousins Cookie Barsky, her daughter Karen, Mom, Karen's son and Steph

Au Revoir San Diego

Though our time in San Diego could not have been better between great medical care, cool weather, and a very accessible community, today (Thursday) it was time to leave. One last stop at the doctors office the day before and we were cleared for take off! Anticipating a long drive through the desert heading in the direction of the Grand Canyon I woke up at 530 am thinking I would get a jump on the day and travel before it got too hot. What I didn't fully plan on was the fact that we would actually reach the desert and the hottest part of our drive in the afternoon. We only overheated twice (doesn't this happen to everyone?) but as long as I reminded myself to downshift in order to keep the rpms up high to cool the engine we were not force to pull over. However, as soon as the lube pump alarm went off I drove to the side of the road in a hurry. When I got out to check that it was just a flaky alarm and the pump still worked (and it did) I felt the sweltering heat coming off the back end of the RV and onto the front of the car. I couldn't even touch the grill cover to close it because I burned my fingers as soon as I did. Now I see how people can fry eggs on the hoods of their cars.

We pressed onward and drove with our generator on and room AC cranked. At least that cool air would not overheat the engine like the air in the dash. I had planned on stopping in Lake Havasu City near a reservoir I heard about from some Canadians I met in the laundry room, but instead we decided to turn left and head to a casino town called Laughlin, NV for a little night life. It is a mini-Vegas posing city literally sitting on a river that flows to or from Lake Mead. Adam found a casino campground that had 700 spots! I guess they have a lot of space in the desert. We arrived after office hours and after studying the campground map I finally figured out where to go. The campground was kind of terraced on the side of a hill and they managed to plant and grow a few trees. But, as soon as I stepped outside I couldn't believe the heat! I think it was 110 degrees outside at 6pm at night. Our car said it was 122, but I found that hard to believe. If this is what it is like to live in Arizona or the desert in the summer I think I'll pass. What are we doing going to the Grand Canyon at this time of year? I almost want to go back to San Diego where it was a consistent 68 degrees. It was paradise (minus the fact that we were living in a park on the side of a major highway and could not hear ourselves talk when standing outside). I take the good with the bad.

After a fairly edible dinner in a TexMex restaurant at Harrah's we just headed back to our cool abode to unwind for the night. The early rise and long drive and unbearable heat left us feeling beat and somewhat nauseous.We have set a course for ourselves to finish up our country tour with the National Parks of the Grand Circle. We are heading to the Grand Canyon and then back towards Denver by way of Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks. We've been to Moab and Arches several times so I expect we'll skip it this time. We are anxious to get back to Denver for a homecoming stopover before heading directly back to MD. We've done that drive so many times that neither of us are really excited about stopping anywhere along I-70, but we are always open to suggestions. If anyone knows of some fabulous not-to-miss attractions along the way (other than the world's largest ball of twine), please let me know! We expect to be back in MD by the end of July and ready to begin the next new chapter of our lives. It will be different not living within our 200 square foot aluminum walls, but I'm starting to feel claustrophobic, so I take that as a sign that I'm ready for more space!

USS Midway Tour

Living in an RV park for an extended period of time and traveling to and from the hospital daily made San Diego start to feel like home. I had visited almost every mall I could find in the area, went running around Mission Bay and a walk along the water at Embarcadero, took Sequoia to the Festive Beach dog park, had a relationship with a groomer for him and a hair stylist for me, I knew which grocery store I preferred, and scoped out the closest Red Box. While Adam was resting in the hospital I took myself to a play in Balboa Park at the Old Globe theater, saw the seals in La Jolla, visited Sea World previously, went to the La Jolla arts festival at UCSD, and another fair in the eclectic neighborhood of Hillcrest, but for some reason I felt like I had not seen enough of San Diego. I felt so at home with housework and responsibilities I forgot I was on vacation. So, before we left San Diego I wanted to have one more touristy experience.


This past Tuesday we toured the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier named for a WWII battle. It has sailed all over the world and is staffed by over 1000 volunteers some of whom had sailed on her or flew the planes on display. The museum featured various types of retired aircraft as well as explained the workings of the vessel, how the aircraft take off and land on the carrier, and life aboard. I was surprised to see so many planes with dates painted on them from around my birthday. They must have flown during the Vietnam war; the war that brought my parents to the island of Guam and where I was born. I felt some affinity towards them and a weird sense of pride that I have never experienced before when visiting other military locations. It seems that many people in San Diego have actually been to Guam since this is a Navy town. I even saw a Guam license plate on a car one day. It was the first time I felt my own connection to the military and felt proud. Learning about what it takes to run the aircraft carrier showed me just a glimpse of how hard our troops really work for our freedom and the extensive technologies our government has at their fingertips.

Go Navy!

The carrier was not quite as large as I expected or should I say, it did not seem as large as some of the cruise ships I have been on which was surprising. However, maybe that was due to the fact that I was comparing its size to the planes parked on her. Of course it was huge and large enough to house more than the 40 planes on display with lots of space in between. We had the chance to climb up and down some ladders to see the Brig and engine rooms as well as the Bridge and captain's quarters. What surprised me further was the fact that if the Navy wanted they could put this ship back in working order even though thousands of visitors have pushed many of the buttons on her. It was hard to remember that this ship was a high-tech vessel while watching the five year old in front of me flipping every switch he could reach.




Adam directing planes to land



Another highlight for me was meeting a pilot giving the lecture about how planes land on deck and hearing his war stories about how he flew in many of the planes on display. However, now that I think about it I wonder if he was pulling my leg and making up those stories to enhance the experience. If so it worked! Those volunteers really brought the ship to life explaining how life was while they lived aboard. From someone who has never actually lived in military life, I found it fascinating.

Adjusting the steam engines. Full speed ahead!

Out and About

It's always a good sign when Adam feels well enough to go out to play poker. He found us a very nice casino in Alpine, CA about 40 minutes from our camp spot, so here we are. I busted out early so I took myself to the gourmet buffet with the high price of $7. It is always too much mediocre food.

Yesterday, Adam had enough energy to go see a movie (XMen which was awesome) and then we had a chance to shop for a few items of clothing for him. The benefit for him of being in the hospital was a 25 pound weight loss which is almost unbelievable. The downside is now all his pants are falling down. Things could be much worse! Sequoia got some funny looks in the clothing store but handled his first time in a dressing room like a champ.

We topped off the inaugural outing with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and a milkshake that pushed our tummies over the edge. We had to celebrate the only day we have not visited the hospital in over a month somehow. Back to my running program tomorrow! I'm following something called "couch to 5k" that gets you running a 5k in a matter of weeks. As one of my friends said, at least I'm off the couch!

We love hearing your well wishes and are feeling more positive now towards the new future on the horizon. It looks like we'll be making our way back to MD sooner than planned but will get to stop and see a few things on the way given that the transition for Adam back into the RV is working out. For now we are enjoying lovely San Diego and getting to know the area. It is a much smaller town than I expected. I saw my first Guam license plate the other day. Go Navy! My other favorite pastime is watching the fighter jets fly overhead as they take off and land at Miramar. I'm a Top Gun girl at heart. Love this Navy hub! Hopefully we will get to explore LA soon too but I'll take any outings at the moment. Trying just to enjoy where we are for now.

Happy to be clean

Day 31

Finally! Adam was released from the sterile prison today at around 430pm. We were only slightly delayed waiting for the wound vac to be delivered and with which he had to take home with us. Oh what's one more piece of equipment for our huge home! Not to mention the box it came in including the 25 million dressings and canisters for the machine. I wish someone had told me I needed a moving truck to leave the hospital. It's amazing what you accumulate in one room during a month.

Sequoia was very happy to see his other person. He was so happy he had to rest his head on Adam's knee. That's love!

We are here probably for a good month given all the followup visits he has scheduled. Luckily we have found a spot in our RV park that will allow for enough power. Now I have to move one more time, but that's better than blowing the circuit. We can be found at the following address should you want to reach us:
Santa Fe park
5707 Santa Fe St
San Diego, CA. 92109

We can't thank the doctors and nurses at Scripps La Jolla enough. They gave stellar care and we feel so fortunate to have had this unforeseen event happen here. Looking forward to healthier days to come!

Adam's home!

Leaving the hospital

Day 27 - T-5

A revised estimate of Adam's return home is Monday night or Tuesday morning. He's still improving every day and getting very anxious to come home.

My mom came in town last night and we had a lovely walk at Seaport Village. Even Sequoia loved chasing the pigeons. We ate a seafood dinner on the water and picked up fudge for desert and as a treat for Adam.

This morning we brought Sequoia to say hi to Adam and then made our way to LA to visit my mom's cousin. It was a longer drive than planned at 3 hours but worth it. Always known as the California cousins, I didn't know them that well so it's nice to catch up. I was sorry Adam had to miss the reunion but he really didn't mind.

Well, I am gearing up for the drive back down to San Diego and hopefully missing some of the traffic, though I doubt it. Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Day 23 T - 7

We have an expected discharge date finally and Adam lost no time at posting the day countdown on his whiteboard. Expected discharge is Sunday or Monday... T - 7 days.

After putting out some feelers I was connected with a few people in town who have been kind enough to entertain me. Earlier this week I went on a dog walk with a glass artist who worked with me at ajp. She happens to live around the corner from the hospital. Yesterday, Adam's college friends Ben and Colin came to visit from LA. It is always nice to have visitors. They made us both laugh. Tonight, I had dinner with the Levine kids and their cousins, aunt and uncle. I only knew two of them from our Denver childhood. Between everyone there we all live in four different states yet it was strangely familiar. It was good homemade food, lots of laughs, and four children under the age of four. Kids are endless bundles of energy. I'm looking forward to another visit from my mom at the end of the week for a little more TLC.

With these new friends I'm starting to feel connected to this town and can see us staying around a few more weeks of recovery. Adam may not be up to socializing but so far it has really been nice for me to have other people to talk to. Sequoia is good company but not a great conversationalist. Thanks everyone! I just hope I will feel as comfortable back in MD when we settle there as I do here. I'll soon find out!

Day 20

It turns out the longer someone is in the hospital the more new services appear. Adam had a special treatment yesterday. A nurse came by who offered healing touch therapy. She basically played soothing music and had a calm demeanor and talked to him about healing from the inside out. She then touched his arms and head lightly and followed down to his feet. It put me to sleep! He seemed a little less anxious after that. It is very stressful being in the hospital. For a place of recovery it is difficult to get good rest. Too bad she can't come by more than once a week.

Because he is starting to learn the hospital ropes during this lengthy stay Adam has also managed to get some good food from the kitchen. The nurses have been shocked by what is sent to him on his trays. They say in all the years they have worked here they have never seen half this food on this floor before. Does that surprise any if you that Adam has found good food?

Every two days he gets special treatment because the nurses have to change the wound dressing. I was proud of myself today because I looked right at it and didn't pass out. We are still struggling with accepting that he is sick and confined here for the short term as well as trying to come to terms with the fact that we may have to give up on our cross country trip. It's all a process. I keep telling myself to take it one day and one thing at a time. We will deal with that decision next.

For now we are looking forward to a walk outside together, maybe tomorrow, and bringing Sequoia to see Adam again soon.

Day 18

It is clear that we are now in a holding pattern and simply waiting for the antibiotics to do their job and for the incision to heal. Both are on track for successfully doing their job.

Adam seems to be settling in for long haul since today he asked for his pillow from home. I'm now looking for a structure for my days that will not entirely center around sitting in the hospital. Adam tends to have active mornings and needs his rest in the afternoons. So I've decided to seek out some service dog groups with whom Sequoia and I can interact. We went on a walk the other day with three Papillions at Seaport Village near the maritime museum which we enjoyed it very much. It just showed me that dogs are great medicine for all people.

I had a nice dinner with Adam's friend Meral and her husband and 1 1/2 year old tonight. Babies are the other good medicine during crisis times. They make you realize that life still goes on and help find laughter and happiness in the littlest things...like Cheerios or a ball. Watching her interact with Sequoia and see the tenderness that exchanged both ways warmed my heart.

Day 17

We had a nice quiet day today. Adam was not bothered every five minutes and we had a chance to sit together and watch TV. The doctors have taken to rounding on Adam later in the evening so at 10pm tonight he got news that he should expect to remain in the hospital for another 2 1/2 weeks of iv antibiotic therapy. This is a shock but something we will deal with in stride.

Day 15

Having a little break from staring at the hospital walls was nice this weekend. Adam was in good hands and needed rest so he was not missing the company. My parents helped me move the RV to a place down the road that is more of a community and more importantly somewhere we can receive mail. The major thing it is lacking is a path to really walk the dog but I can drive to the nearby bay. We are now set until July 1 should we need to be here that long.

Adam seems better rested and more alert today than in days past. He is still having some incisional pain but he's not a complainer. We are shooting for a discharge at the end of the week. Sequoia will be happy about that. We continue to take it day by day. I can't believe he's been here over two weeks
already. He does seem to be improving which is the most important thing.

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Day 13

Thirteen does not usually have much of a superstitious hold over me, but today I should have expected this to be a bad day. It's Friday the 13th and the 13th day in the hospital. My day started with the dog throwing up the neck and more of the chicken carcass he ate more than two weeks ago. That was when we were worried about him and not Adam. Now I wonder what other bones are stuck in his gut. I can't handle two patients right now.

From there it was just nonstop chaos at the hospital. I think both of our patience are wearing thin. It was at the point when Adam had the nurse talking to him, nutritionists on the phone and the guy trying to ultrasound his legs all at the same time that we had to yell stop! They are used to running at a marathon pace but when you or someone you love is ill, hurting and exhausted it is helpful to have a second to process what is going on one thing at a time. On top of the overstimulation the doctors had to bust open his incision because part of it was not healing properly. Sorry to be so blunt, but you are lucky you only had to hear about it. I had to see it open and breathing waiting for him to tape gauze over it. A little warning next time would be nice! I'm not the doctor in he family and for a reason. Adam says his modeling days are over given the scar he expects to have left.

We are hoping for a little peace and quiet for Adam he next few days while he sits and starts feeling better. The next 2-4 days will be the test. Glad my parents are coming in for the weekend. We have some plans to make regarding where to park the RV for the next month or more and they will help with some of the hard stuff. Thanks again for all your notes. Keep them coming. They mean a lot to us.

Yellow wardrobe

Hospital stay day 12

After a short procedure yesterday the doctors have now identified what they believe is the source of the infection in Adam. The good news is it is treatable with iv antibiotics. The bad news is he is now in isolation which requires anyone who walks through his door to don a hideous yellow paper gown and purple gloves. I, for one, look awful in yellow and have you ever tried knitting in gloves? Not easy. As far as we know Adam will be staying in the hospital for this course of treatment which is another 10 days minimum. Right now we are waiting for them to start the treatment so we can sit back and wait for it to work. Fingers crossed!

Happy Reunion

I'm not sure who is more excited to see one another.

Hospital stay day 10

The patient ate the head off a turtle cookie and was very happy about it. Don't know about the turtle.

Happy trees

Hospital Stay Day 9

We have had a change in scenery today. Adam was finally downgraded from the ICU to Post Critical Care unit where they actually found him a bed and a private room. He's still fighting some unknown infection but seems to be on the upward health trend. Overall, we are in a wait and see period so if you don't hear any updates from me think of it as no news is good news.

Today he had a nice visit with one of his college roommates who came down from LA. It seemed to lift his spirits though he was pretty tired all day. I'm hoping to bring Sequoia for a visit tomorrow now that he is in a private room. I think it will be good for both of them.

Right now I'm on a walk with the dog in cloudy 60 degree weather. The exercise keeps us both sane. I saw these palm trees with faces on their trunks. I just had to laugh.

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Hospital stay day 8

Adam continues to improve though he is starting to feel more belly pain now that they have removed the epidural. Naturally we worry about new onset of infection especially in the abdominal area but that is mainly just our fear.

I spent most of today sitting outside the RV while it was getting a deep clean. It took two people almost six hours! Too bad I picked the cloudy day that decided to rain to evacuate myself from the home. I ended up sitting in the car some of the time just to keep dry. Sequoia kept wanting to go back inside too which was a bit surprising. I would think after spending so much time confined within those walls that he would not want to go back inside. I think he missed his bed. He's very attached to that plushy thing.

I was grateful to have Adam's parents here to keep him company while I got things cleaned up at home anticipating his eventual release. Realistically he won't leave the hospital for another week but just in case, I'm ready for him.

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Hospital stay day 6

Adam continues to improve each day. He is tired from fevers but got out of bed today on his own. We are still waiting for a bed in the step down unit but they are currently full. At this point we still expect him to remain in the hospital for another week though he could possibly go "home" as soon as a few days.

I have had the time to move the RV back down to San Diego and am only 5 miles from the hospital. I've arranged to have an interior detail done which will make me feel like it is a clean place for him to come back to when he is ready. Besides it will make me feel better to get rid of all the Southwest dust we accumulated.

Sequoia misses Adam terribly. It's so sad that when I walk in the door he says hello to me and then keeps looking back at the door waiting for Adam to walk in. The first night we were able to collect the dog from our friends' house he ran into the RV and made a beeline for the bedroom. He knew he hadn't seen Adam for a few days and that was the place he usually finds him. He even ran to his side of the bed. It is amazing how much our furry friends really understand and how easy it is for them to show love. Once Adam moves out of the ICU I am planning to bring Sequoia to visit. It will make them both happy.

Thank you for all your thoughts. It makes us feel closer to home and surrounded by your love even though we are far away. I continue to pass them along to Adam. Having my new phone has been great because I can easily keep up with my email and surf the web. We were even able to Skype our nieces and nephews that made us all laugh. Technology is so useful!

Stephanie
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Adam update

Quick update to let you know the doctors hope to move Adam out of the ICU today and over to the step down unit. They still have a 2:1 nursing ratio but they tell me the main difference is the number of IV bags the patient uses. Guess he is down to a manageable number for them. I see 6 hanging on the pole. He has eaten real food in small amounts and actually got out of bed. Its going as well as can be expected.

Thank you for all your thoughts. I do pass them along to him.
Steph

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Adam

I know I haven't posted our whereabouts in a while and I am working on that, but something more pressing has come up that warrants an immediate post. To catch you up quickly, since Texas we stopped in NM and high-tailed it to San Diego to meet up with my family for a short vacation. We then moved the RV up to LA area to visit with friends but there was one more college friend of Adam's named Meral left to see in San Diego so we just made plans to drive back down here on Saturday to have dinner.

That afternoon while at her house Adam had severe abdominal pain that led to an urgent hospital visit. He hadn't visited one since Carlsbad, NM so I think he missed it. To make things exciting he wanted to take an ambulance this time. All kidding aside he had emergent abdominal surgery on Sunday afternoon to attempt to resolve the increasing belly pain. It looks like the surgery was a success and he is improving every day though he still remains in the ICU for now.

We are very grateful for many factors in this situation. First and foremost Adam looks 1000 times better and is back to his normal self challenging the doctors and nurses. He had an awesome trauma surgeon. Thank goodness this happened in a populated area instead of in the middle of he desert. Thank goodness Adam had made such an amazing friend in college who even after a 15 year communication hiatus she is still as caring about him and had the compassion and graciousness to house me and keep me company during the most trying hours. Fortunately she is an Internist and could act as my doctor liaison when Adam or one of my family would normally have plays this role. Thank goodness I had Sequoia with us instead of leaving him 2 hours away back in the RV in LA. Thank goodness Meral's family loved him enough to care for him while I stayed at the hospital and until I could retrieve the RV. Thank goodness my family was available by phone for moral support and medical advice.

Adam's parents were able to get out here Monday night and helped me retrieve the RV and move it closer to the hospital. Hopefully having my house and dog back will give me a sense of normalcy and keep me from getting sick myself. We expect him to stay in the hospital a week or more. We expect to be in the San Diego area 1-2 months. Adam can be reached here on this blog or at the hospital: Scripps La Jolla. 9888 Genesee Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037. Please dont send flowers

Big Bend

Many people have not traveled as far south to the Mexico/US border in Big Bend National Park as we have. I now know why. It is literally the middle of nowhere. After much discussion with Adam, we define “nowhere” to be on the edge of somewhere, “somewhere” being where there are lights reflecting in the night's sky. “Nowhere” is therefore where it has the darkest night's sky; the least amount of light pollution and Big Bend is that place. It is the darkest place in the lower 48 states. The sky was absolutely amazing and not a cloud out there. The days, however, were hot and windy. Driving for hours through the desert to reach Big Bend, we finally arrived at Rio Grand Village where we set up camp. With advisories telling us to come with a full tank of gas and all supplies we didn't expect much and it was more civilized than they let on. The campground offered a store, gas, and our full-hookups.

After setting up we explored the south eastern side of the park and Boquilles Canyon overlook. This canyon offers high walls and a beautiful view of the Rio Grande and what looks like another trailer park across the river, but is actually the small town of Boquilles, Mexico. The people from the town risk deportation and huge fines by crossing the river to leave trinkets and notes to Americans pleading for financial support by purchasing their wares. They simply leave a cup with a slit for payment. I saw many horse trails and droppings, and deduced that they had probably ridden their mules over to this side of the border to leave their goods since there were no horses on our side. From the high vantage point I saw a farm with cattle and donkeys grazing below. What a beautiful sight and reminiscent of an old world country. It was just a poor town with few resources. If Americans cross the river there is threat of a $5000 fine. This area used to be a soft border until 2002 when the rules changed and border crossing was limited to only a few border towns. I found it amazing the border was open that long.



The next day we explored the other side of the park. Desperate for a cell signal we drove slowly trying to find one and came across it at a major intersection. They had a post office and a cell signal! My new definition of civilization. Once that task was complete we took the drive up the Chios mountains to the mountain lodge and ate outside for lunch. Clean air, good food, and great scenery. What more do you need? We read that was a nice spot to watch the desert sun set, but it was only 5pm so we still had a few more hours of sunlight. We had been told not to miss the Saint Elena canyon on the western side of the park so that's where we headed next.



Similar to the other canyon we visited it was carved by the Rio Grande river and featured walls over 1500 feet tall. I thought that the canyon walls bordered the entire length of the park and we were safely insulated from the dangerous drug traffickers traveling from Mexico to the US. Ignorance is bliss. While we were enjoying the beautiful scenery I read in the National Park paper that drug traffic routinely crosses through the park and we were warned not to stop for people looking for water but instead call 911. That warning was quite contradictory to the way people generally act toward one another in a national park. No thirsty travelers in sight, we ventured to the river banks to take in the grandeur. I ran into an elderly, Ontario couple who hiked the canyon trail and said it was “well organized.” I thought that was a strange description of a trail when I was looking to know whether it was easy or difficult. I encountered this same couple when entering the park the day before and they explained to the park ranger that they wanted the campground sans generators because they had converted their Honda Oddessy into their tent. I give them a lot of credit for doing so. That's a long trip to be confined into that tiny space together. And I thought our living space was small. However, I couldn't help feeling snubbed by their insistence they are self sufficient and require no electricity. I'm as conscientious as the next person, but this mode of transportation is our way of life and they turned their noses up at it. I know it's not for everyone, but I find it a sensitive subject.

We finished our drive by viewing a couple of Javilina (aka. rodents of unusual size). They do exist! (The Princess Bride reference for those of you who didn't get it.) They resemble pigs, but are actually giant rodents. Imagine a mouse blown up 100 times. They didn't look dangerous. I spotted one coyote and a couple small jack rabbits. Their size was disappointing. In the morning we set out to drive out of the park only to overheat and have our low water buzzer alarmed inside the coach. I spent two trips walking to the gas station among the civilized major intersection for coolant and met a nice ranger who helped me check the levels. It was dry. Oops. His comment, “It could be worse. You could be stuck in the city.” True, but not really helpful in mechanical situations unless you are a mechanic. Guess he likes his job definitely not in a city. Damage report: 2 dead truck batteries (FL), 1 car battery leaking battery acid, 1 bad lube pump monitor connected to tow vehicle (LA), low truck coolant (TX), dead car battery. And the fun continues...

Dust Bowl

After a three day stay in Shreveport, LA where we had to wait for a car part and busied ourselves with hair cuts and playing in a surprisingly nice casino, we have succeeded in reaching another state. Welcome to the Lone Star State of Texas. I've never seen more broken down, ghostly gas stations in the entire country as I have here. Ironic because isn't this where a lot of the oil comes from? We drove today through high winds and bright sun. It was exhausting and kicked up all kinds of allergies, not to mention caused Sequoia to go grey instead of black. I didn't think this was one of the states in the dust bowl, but I think I was wrong! We had intended to come west by way of I-10 so we could stop and see the Alamo, but since we were already north at I-20 and lost a few days we decided to skip it. We'll just have to hit that on the next loop around going back east.

We stopped and had lunch in Midland, TX, the home of George and Laura Bush. I'm thinking we didn't see their part of town, though it was much bigger than I expected. We spent last night near Abeline and I thought that was the only big town west of Dallas. Big is a relative term. I'm now revising my thoughts that is there is a major grocery store in the town then it's big. If the grocery store, post office and gas station are one store, then its small, but if it has none of those things, then it's not really a town but someone's farm. Tonight we are in Ft. Stockton, TX and I think there is a grocery separate from the post office. I know there is a historic fort here that we hope to see tomorrow.

Leaving the east coast has been more stressful than planned. We are a great case study for the more you drive, the more things break. We are ready to enjoy the west without anything else breaking. I do have a dead car towing behind us, but that's not really a new problem and has a remedy I can fix myself. But these little pit stops for service are really stressing me out more than usual. Don't know why exactly. All I can think is we had a bit of a reprieve for a few months while we were moving only two hours at a time in Florida and things didn't seem to be breaking. Now it feels like they are happening all at once. Today I had to stop at a truck stop and ask them to check my truck oil because it looked like it was splashing onto our car. We think this started happening because of elevation gain because he said our oil is over full and we never even filled it. For all of you who are envious of our mid-life expedition, hate to say it, but this part of the trip is not fun. Of course it can't be all roses all the time.

Hoping for a little R&R in the wilderness. It's nearly 100 degrees down here and I'm ready to see some Jackalopes (what I call the really large jack rabbits...it's a long story). Just got to avoid the poisonous snakes. Big Bend National Park here we come! It better be worth it.
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People we have met

We have met some characters in the recent travels through rural Louisiana...




The National Park ranger who relocated to this area because her home was destroyed in the hurricane Katrina – her reaction...”it's just stuff. My kids and I are safe that's what matters.”



The pipeline workers in town just to work on drilling through shale and building the natural gas pipeline, transplants mainly from Texas on contract jobs, living in the RV parks along the way, working six days a week 5am – 5pm, traveling with their families, full-size barbeques and child swings just to feel like they are at home. Family members left in camp waiting for their breadwinners to return home from the day spend the time scrapbooking and doing laundry for the family.



The people who drive a 1953 motorhome bus that they have lived in for 20 years. Their jobs are gatekeepers charged with protecting the road down to the oil well. Moving from job to job, they live in remote areas enjoying their solitude and mobile way of life. Their bus is about to fall apart and they are considering purchasing a new one. Instead of being excited for modernity, they mourn the potential passing of their beloved home.



The upbeat nurse who told us her grandmother grew up in Cane River where plantations were abundant, share cropping a way of life and many freed slaves owned farms. Which way of life did she take part?



The drummer in a touring Christian rock band who doesn't feel totally comfortable professing his faith, maybe because he is a non-believer? Living on a tour bus a third of the year with 11 other people, resting in a casino hotel. Poker could be his heaven.



And then there were the stray animals along the roads; some dead, some alive. Dogs running in packs look dirty yet well fed. Mama dogs who obviously just birthed puppies scrounge the campground for scraps. Stray cats climb trees hoping to catch a bird. Campground owners take in four stray dogs. Guess they got tired of seeing the dogs along the roadside too.



Life is interesting in all corners of the country.

Steph & Sequoia at Oakland plantation in Natichotes, LA near Shreveport

Freightliner...HALT! 3/24/11

From Orlando we headed out of Florida, but didn't quite make it. We stopped for a lovely evening near Tallassee and planned to head towards Mobile, AL and eventually New Orleans the next day. Just as we barely crossed into Pensacola, FL a battery light came on in the RV. It seemed to be cycling with the fan in the dash and had an accompanying ABS light. We had just been discussing before leaving Tallahassee whether to stop at a Freightliner service center to get our oil changed, but elected not to until we had more mileage. We didn't worry now because everything was still running, and I noticed another Freightliner service center sign just as it happened. We decided to pull off and ask them about it.




Of course we got there right at 5pm when all their service people had left for the day, but we were in time to catch someone who showed us where their 50 amp hookup was on the side of the building. They had no problem with us staying in their parking lot that night and promised to look at it in the morning. Again we weren't too worried being that we were in the place to do the service if there was a real problem, but I still had trouble sleeping that night. It could have been the low-flying air craft that seemed to be landing on our heads all night (at a nearby naval base) or the trucks coming and going in the adjacent lot. I probably should have been scared staying in a somewhat deserted lot, but there were no people hanging around, it was well lit, and I just didn't worry. Sequoia had trouble finding a patch of grass, but other than that the stay was fine and free. That's why we never leave a campsite without filling our water first. We were as good as home curled up in front of the TV with a book and air conditioning running. It was quite comfortable.



The next day they looked at the RV, cleared codes, did whatever inspection they needed to do while Adam and I ran around the town looking for the batteries just in case they needed to be replaced and visiting Walmart for some odds and ends. It turned out they told us the batteries were fine, holding a good charge and they didn't know the cause of the error codes. So, we attempted to head on our merry way at 3pm only to make it just five miles down the highway and stall in the midst of driving. I thought my accelerator pedal cable had broken because it was not doing anything, so I coasted calmly to the side of the road. We were close enough to the town that I called the people who just serviced us and said.."I'm dead on the side of the road. Help me." It was nice to know who to call and they sent their mechanic and truck right out to us. It was kind of like having my dad rescue me that time my accelerator pedal did break down on my VW Bug and I had to coast up a hill to the side of the road and call for help. The only difference was then he stuck a screw driver in the engine to get me home and this guy could simply reattach the battery cable that came off after he had just told me the batteries were fine. We headed back to the shop and two new batteries later we were good to go. One of our posts had corroded to the point that the cable would not stay reattached. Probably the sea air. By then it was 5pm and left us little time to get anywhere, so I told them they got us in their parking lot for another night.



All in all, we survived gracefully yet another broken component and are off again to explore the country. We're going to skip New Orleans this time and head deeper into Louisiana to visit some National Heritage spots. Hopefully we'll make it further than five miles down the highway this time.

Universal Studios - The Land of Harry Potter 3/19/11

Have you ever had a chance in your adult life to revisit the feelings of being a kid once again? If you have you will know that feeling that runs through your veins when you remember that special moment. Today, I caught a glimpse of what it was like to feel that excitement once again. Adam and I took a slight bee-line out of our direct route West to stop in Orlando and visit the wonderful world of Harry Potter, the newest exhibit at Universal Studios Island of Adventure. It was the anticipation that brought on the nostalgia for being a kid once again. Remembering the first time I went to Disney World and thought I was really meeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse in real life, putting together that they were much larger in person than I ever imagined a mouse could be. Thinking that was really their home and they were actually standing in front of me! I pretended for a moment that I didn't know better and made myself believe I was actually visiting the real village of Hogsmead and the magical castle school of Hogwarts and once again the kid in me got that exuberant feeling. They set the tone on the approach to the village gates with the music blaring in the background. The crowds were massive and slow-paced but still did not slow enough to take it all in. There was a train conductor to welcome us as we entered the exhibit just as if we got off the train at the school. Character/actors wondered all over the village sporadicly putting on shows introducing us to more characters from the book. We headed to the castle at the top of the hill as our first stop. This place was to give us a tour of the school with an adventure ride on a broomstick with Harry as if we were playing quidich.

Preparing for a very long day of walking and waiting we brought Adam made good use of his wheelchair. It was like a magical ticket for us too. Similar to Disney and Adam's experience when taking sick kids there in LA, people in wheelchairs who are unable to stand in the regular line are allowed a special pass to gain assistance. In effect, we bypassed all the lines. Most often we went in the exits and missed the crowds entirely. In the case of Harry Potter, we had a special tour guide who gave us a time to meet him at the ride and he personally escorted us through the exhibit (in character). They even had a special entrance to the ride in this case. People would normally enter on a moving platform and since Adam would have been unsteady and potentially slower than the ride would allow they built a special standing platform with its own car on which we could enter. We felt very special and as it turned out there was a VIP package you can also purchase prior to entering the park and we were put with those people. So, we really were getting the VIP treatment.

The ride lived up to the hype including moving pictures in the castle, life-sized holographic characters of Dumbledore, Potter and friends welcoming us, and even the sorting hat. As we wandered through the village we found Moaning Mertle in the bathroom, screaming mandrakes in a store window, and more details than I probably even caught. The nice thing was it wasn't too childlike that even adults could enjoy it. Butter Beer was very tasty too as well as the traditional English food served in the pub.

That was the highlight of the day for me, but Adam was determined to ride every roller-coaster he could. With his special "get out of lines free" pass he zoomed right in and out as he wanted. I lasted about three roller-coasters before I had to stop. Getting older does not help motion sickness and every ride seemed to have massive warnings that you might get sick. I figured I would quit just as I started to feel queasy. This park also had a large water park component. We saw people who brought their swimsuits and a change of clothes with them before they entered those rides. That was a sure sign we would get soaked. So, we elected to avoid those rides this go round. It was a lot of fun to revisit fond childhood memories of make-believe lands such as this one and nice to know we each still have a small child inside of us.

Enjoying our Surroundings - 3/9/11

Have you ever been told you should stop and smell the roses? Just because you do, does that mean you are really appreciate the rose or your present environment? I often try to take time to stop and look around at where I am and try to soak it all in, but do I truly appreciate my surroundings? At times I enjoy sitting inside the RV watching the scenery around us from the comfort of our home, but then I am only admiring my view through a single sense of sight. I still appreciate the beauty of the scenery. If I sit outside then I feel the warm air on my face and skin, I can smell the environment, and hear nature’s sounds in addition to admiring its beauty. I guess it is better to sit outside to enjoy nature because then I use four out of my five senses rather than just one. Sometimes it is just nice to be cool and bug-free, but that is also part of where I am at the moment.




Comparing a new to an old situation can also bring the awesomeness of a new place to life. By identifying why somewhere new makes you happy compared to somewhere else is another way to value a new and different experience. Taking a walk on a quiet path is nice and relaxing compared to the hustle and bustle of big city, stressful and crowded traffic. However, someone else might enjoy the energy of the big city, its entertainment opportunities and modern conveniences compared to the simple, quiet and simple life on a rural farm. I guess each of us has to determine what is important to us, what we prefer, and then strive to find it out there in the world. We will know and appreciate our current position if we learn what we do and do not like. We will find true appreciation by taking the time to recognize if we are happy and by comparing it to what makes us unhappy elsewhere.



Focusing on feeling my five senses and comparing pleasurable experiences to those less so will hopefully help me to fully appreciate this fortunate time in my life exploring the country, meeting new people, seeing new places, and spending precious moments with my family. I worry about time getting away from me since there is no way to stop or slow it down and I have not known how to fully appreciate just being in each place we visit. It seems I really do need to stop and smell the roses, and then look, listen, feel everything around me. Then, I need to compare it to what I do not like elsewhere to fully appreciate of this amazing opportunity.

Top of the Food Chain - 3/8/11

Alligators are the top of their food chain and have no real predators here in Florida except for Man. Today we saw a clear sign of their enemy. Driving down route 41 in the Everglades we came across a feeding frenzy of vultures on what looked to me to be a shared meal with an alligator. I soon found out that the meal was the alligator. The alligator had been hit by a car just the night before and dragged himself (or by someone else) off the side of the road where it died. He was meal enough for a hundred vultures and they were having a feast. This was an example of a successful food chain. If the alligator hadn’t died, then the vultures would not have their meal. However, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the alligator. He should not have died! Living in the Big Cypress Wildlife Preserve his habitat is supposed to be preserved and animals protected. However, they cannot be protected from lethal force of Man’s machines. Too many animals are killed each year from passing cars. Whether the cars are following the speed laws or not cannot protect animals from walking or flying in front of them. This renders animals helpless and it is so sad see them die because of our carelessness and convenience. This is their world too and the animals are entitled to live in it the way they know how without Man taking it over entirely. Please take care of your environment and let our furry, feathered and reptile friends live in peace. Slow down and pay attention people!