I'm a bad bad blogger

I know, I know ... I'm not quite as consistent as my previous posts may have implied. I have been caught up in just being home. I will speak for myself in saying that I have had a great time. Judging by the photos I suppose it looks like all we have done is eat but that isn't entirely true either. I don't know that we have done anything monumental but it has been fun never the less. Lets recap since my last post ...

Allyson and I stopped at an Indian casino somewhere in the middle of Oklahoma, each with $20 in hand ... I left with $24.01 and Allyson left with me.

I think Ally may have mentioned our stop in OK City and our not so great meal at In The Raw. The evening did end on a nice note as a little "mis-direction" by Maggie landed us on Route 66 for a stretch. Ally may never know how close she came to losing her life after she repeated, "We are on Route 66," for the 17th time. We pushed through the remainder of Oklahoma and Texas and into New Mexico where we stopped for the night. A shower and restful sleep had become a necessity at that point and I received no complaints from my traveling companion.

Wednesday morning came too quickly but we were both anxious to get on the road and into Albuquerque for some last minute Christmas to-do's and um .. food. Sophia's had been visited by Guy Feiri of Diner's, Drive-in's, and Dives so we had to find it along with a MAC counter for Allyson's make-up necessities. I was all too eager to swap my sanity for the prospect of great food. Sad to think I would endure Christmas Mall hell for a shrimp and avocado quesadilla. Maybe I do have a problem. I did find a great scarf and convertible mittens for my little brothers new girlfriend. SCORE! Albuquerque proved to be very beautiful and I think it may have moved into my top ten places I may potentially like to live someday.

After a day of doing little or no driving I loaded up the cooler with Red Bull and I was ready for the looooong haul. We found ourselves in Flagstaff, Arizona at about 10:30 P.M. Wednesday and we decided to make our way to another Hampton Inn and call it a night. The Weather Channel had little or nothing positive to say about the front coming our way but I paid them no mind and set out on foot for ice cream. Allyson and her need for ice cream require the fortitude of the United States Postal Service ... wind, rain, sleet, snow, etc.

Thursday morning, Christmas Eve, required no distractions. We had one objective and that was to pull into my Mother's driveway before dinner. On the road by 7 A.M. and braving the -6 degrees outside. It was absolutely breathe taking. I will be forever grateful to have had the chance to take this trip with Allyson and see so much. I think it is also a reminder that if you can be in close quarters with someone for that long you can work through anything with them.

Alas, after 11 hours, we reached our destination in time and we haven't stopped since.

For now I will sign off but I promise to post more pictures and write again this evening before we say goodbye to 2009 and hello to a new decade and all it's possibilities.

You cannot pick your family...

... But I would, CERTAINLY, HANDS DOWN, WITHOUT A DOUBT, pick mine. Everyone has a couple of fruitcakes and/or drama llamas in their family.. A COUPLE... BwAAHAHAHAAHA.

Anyway, I have been the "purple sheep" in my family- not because THEY said- but because that is how I refer to myself, since I was about 18. Having made, less than fabulous, decisions throughout my 36 (I know, right?? I hardly look a day over 25!!) years, I consider myself fairly well-preserved and somewhat witty. The people who made my childhood the magical place that it was, built a solid core within me which kept me from total self destruction.

So, here I am BLOGGING a THANK YOU VERY MUCH to my backbone, my foundation, the true loves of my life... MY FAMILY.

Jan, Becky, Sharon, Alicia, Levonne, Ben, Johnny, Brenda, Harry, Pete, Leamon, Pauline, J.B. ... just to name a few... I love you.

Happy New Year, everyone.

10˚... That is what the temperature is outside. Jen and I are in Flagstaff, Arizona; we just set up camp for the night. This Hampton comes equipped with 2 pair of ear plugs. Hmm. Might be a sign.

We awoke to a balmy 5˚ this Christmas Eve morning. Brrrrr. My friend, Kim Solomon, would freeze up, like in that movie, The Day After Tomorrow.

I have had quite a few 'WOW' moments on this trek across this gorgeous country of ours. A visit with my Dad, whom I had not seen in a handful of years.. my Grandfather, a great Grandma, great Grandpa (A.D) who hadn't laid eyes on me in 10+ years. It's the water in Hot Springs, Arkansas, I SWEAR! They haven't aged since the 80s.

Jen got on board this memory lane, train ride unbeknownst to her. She is handling it like the trooper that she is. Jen is magical. Don't know if y'all know that.

ANYWHO... We met up with my ex boyfriend... YES, I said EX BOYFRIEND. I forgot to take pictures and I am upset about that. His name is Scott Jones and he is the last boyfriend I had; that was 19 years ago, we decided. He and I met at the grocery store where we worked in Ft. Smith, AR while I was in college. He is the most amazing man I have ever known (besides my Pa). He was a hopeless romantic 19 years ago, and, I won't say how I know, but HE STILL IS TODAY. Thank goodness for unanswered prayers~ we are both where and with whom we need to be AND we had the pleasure of sharing what he and I did. Life= pure bliss.

Jen and I had planned on doing this marathon driving across the 40. Well, women change their minds. And WHO KNEW THERE WOULD BE SUCH GOOD SHOPPING?? The snow and ice have done their part in slowing us down. But for the most part, we really love each other's company and taking it all in is something worth sharing.

I am off to be the d.j.. Our trip has had quite the soundtrack. Peace, love and have a superb Christmas Eve.

Day 3 .. Are we there yet?

Allyson and I went to a great Christmas party on Saturday before our departure date. To be more specific, it was a “TACKY” Christmas party hosted by none other than Casey Andrew Perkins. I can’t begin to explain what a great group of people were in attendance but I will say that they are most like my wonderful group of friends from home and there is something very comforting about spending time with them. Everyone was very curious about our journey to California. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the geography of Georgia, Albany/Leesburg is about 3 1/2 hours from Hartsfield International Airport. Albany has a small Regional airport that feeds to Atlanta. However, your arm and leg are only a down payment for a coveted spot on their puddle jumpers so many take the drive to the airport in Atlanta. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked if we would be flying out of Atlanta, we could have flown out of Albany. If I also had a dollar for every time someone had to pick their jaw up off the floor after informing them of our plan to drive, I could have paid someone to drive us. Shock, horror, disbelief doesn’t begin to cover it. OK, maybe that is an exaggeration. When they really thought about it and the fact that it was Allyson and I they politely smiled and nodded knowing that we aren’t quite right to begin with and this would just be another example of that fact.

I would be remiss to leave out the fact that at one time or another one or both of us were not looking forward to the over 5000 miles in the car or the amount of time and effort that it would require. As late as 17th I was perusing Orbitz for affordable flights that ‘we just couldn’t pass up’. Alas, here I sit in the passenger seat on a back road between Hot Springs, Arkansas and Ft. Smith. Our next destination is what used to be a grocery store where Allyson worked with her then would-be fiance. As I write he is also making his way to Ft. Smith from Fayetteville to meet us for lunch. Have I mentioned that we spent last night with Allyson’s estranged father with whom she had not seen or spoken to in over five years? This has truly been a journey in every sense of the word.

The similarities between Allyson and I never cease to amaze me. To say that we have made “interesting” choices in our life is a gross understatement. From the relationships we have with our mothers to the relationships that we don’t have with our fathers ... bad choices, good choices ... very little needs explaining between us which is something I have never had. I am enjoying the chance to see a glimpse into Allyson’s history and the events that have helped shape her into the woman I know and love now.

WOW, where in the heck n’ heck did that come from. Sorry for that love dribble ...

This leg has not been without it’s gut busting events. I don’t think I will ever forget the conversation the woman had with her daughter in the booth directly behind Allyson at a Mexican restaurant where we stopped for lunch ... there was talk about, “Mouth to organ, organ to organ, organ to ear contact...” All way too bizarre to hear over a bad enchilada but I wish I could have seen the poor girls face.

I have attached a few photograph’s over sights that need no explanation or do and I just don’t have any for them. Our target stop for tonight is Albuquerque, NM. Check back for more long winded entries and their corresponding pictures. I promise to keep the romanticals to a minimum.

P.S. I saw the home of President Clinton’s late mother.

A special post for Casey Andrew Perkins

This post will be brief, I promise. I wanted to make sure that Casey knows we are thinking of him ... Allyson claims that she didn't feel hot at all but I noticed a bead of sweat trickling off her brow after leaving the Episcopalian Church across the street from the Memphis Fire Museum. "Love you, mean it," Mr. Perkins.

Heavy hearted in Arkansas

Jen:

Our little

adventure was temporarily postponed last night ... A very dear family in Leesburg has lost one of their own in an unfortunate accident. We left our home around 9:30 p.m. with heavy hearts and the entire Slappey family on our minds.

At approximately 2:30 this morning we crossed the Tennessee River and the thermostat was frozen at 26 degrees. I was very grateful for the warm air being piped directly onto my socked feet and Allyson was making friends with the down comforter in the back seat. Sometimes you forget how we take the simplest creature comforts for granted until you are freezing your arse off in Tennessee.

Maggie, our trusty Magellan GPS, took us through Nashville and into Memphis this morning ... Imagine my surprise when the exit I randomly selected led us right to the Memphis Fire Museum. After circling the block and deciding on a parking lot across the street from the Courthouse we bundled up and walked the 2 blocks to the very best fire museum I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Sorry Denver, you folks need to take some pointers for your brothers and sisters down here in the south. To read about the cities fire family evolution was interesting to say the least. In addition to memorabilia from both coasts and dozens of other departments peppered in between, there was extensive history regarding the first black fire brigade and the eventual desegregation of the Memphis Fire Department. The paintings and photographs are absolutely priceless. Two thumbs up and a MUST visit for all firefighters!

We are now cruising along I-30 in Arkansas and on our way to Hot Springs for some shopping and sight seeing. It isn't everyday you get to see where your girlfriend "got gay." I hope you enjoy our photographs and please keep checking back for updates.

If you haven't hugged the people you love today, do it. If you haven't told them that you love them, don't wait. If you have, do it again. We never know what the next minute holds except that it is a gift.

The Art of Packing

Jen:

Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War in the 6th Century BC ... considered to be one of the best books written regarding military strategy, EVER. Do you suppose if I, Jennifer M. Gordon, wrote The Art of Packing, I, too, could be as wildly successful? Probably not, but it is an art none the less.

For some, packing is just another mundane task that requires little or no thought. Those individuals do not live with Allyson Sellers. There is no room for error when mentally placing each and every item in the car, all while anticipating the exact space needed as well as it's accessibility. You see, it is not enough for me to fit all 10lbs of sh*t into the five pound bag. Ooooh no. I must know which piece of poop she may possibly want and place it on the top of the pile where it can be reached from the comfort of the front seat. One would think this would be easy. We are traveling across the country and the likelihood of her needing her bathing suit before we reach California is slim to none. However, this may or may not be true. One never really knows when it might be bikini weather in the little world I like to call, Allysonland.

I really can't leave out the Candice factor. For those of you that have not caught up, that is my Mother. She has made two visits out to Georgia in the last five months. On each of those visits she has either acquired things while here or left belongings that she could not fit into her suitcase upon her return to the left coast. These items have been left at my house under the pretense that I would 'just bring em' on out' when I came for Christmas. 1/2 the space in the Thule bag on the roof of the car is full with said items, in addition to 2 less of my 75.1 cubic ft left inside the vehicle that is now occupied by sea sponges ... right next to Allyson's bag of poop. Crap, gotta go put her bathing suit in there.

See ya in the Central Time Zone.

Let's leave early ... Let's take our time getting out of the house ... Let's leave @ night ...

Jen:

2,536 miles @ 65-70 mph = 37.57 hours in 75.1 cubic of interior space ... WOW, that kinda puts the next 3 - 3.5 days of my life in perspective, doesn't it?.?.?

There comes a time in everyones life when you realize that you have or have not made a good choice in your life partner. For some of us, we have come to that conclusion on more than one occasion, but that really isn't where I was heading. Allyson and I have loaded up and taken more than a few trips to Florida, the occasional Alabama jaunt, (with several cases of Yuengling) and even a trip to Nashville for a friend in need. This however is a horse of a different color, so to speak. This is intense "together" time.

For those of you that pray, send one up for us. For those of you who have some positive energy to spare, fling em' on over here ... the few days will tell a new tale in the story of Jen n' Ally.

Hard Thing #145 A Mom has to do ..

Jen:

I have never really thought of myself as a protective Mama. I love seeing my babies grow up and experience new things ... a solo plane ride to the other coast was not one of those things. Pickle was shaking like a leaf and to say that she resembled a spider monkey is the understatement of 2009. I'm still trying to swallow the lump in my throat and the watered down Caramel Frappucino from Gate A, didn't help much. Alas, I got a hug and a kiss from both of them as they walked through the door, onto the jetway, and out of sight. As I turned to leave there were sympathetic glances from many of the women waiting to board their respective planes which added to the sinking feeling of being unable to protect my lil' ducklings. What kind of Mom puts her children in a cylindrical vessel that will reach cruising speeds of 500 mph? ME, that's who.

This list of places that Allyson is hoping to visit on our drive out is beginning to grow. I am making the conscious choice to not post possible destinations and we will take a, "fly by the seat of your pants," approach to our itinerary. It will be a surprise to you AND me.

Unaccompanied minors

Jen put the chil'ren on a Delta jet this evening. They were all a bit nervous due to the fact they had never flown without their Mama... I am more nervous for Nani. Tee hee. Jen and I both have a couple of more work days ahead of us before we head out WEST. I thought I would GET THIS BLOGGING STARTED!!

Characters, thus far:

Jen= my pretty half

I= me, Ally

chil'ren= Joe (14) & Pickle (10)

Nani= Candice.. Jen's Mom.. Grandmother.. pronounced with a short A and the I sounds like an E