New (er) Pics...

6 months removed...

I'm getting better and better at this...I really was just waiting to see what changes Google would make in the time lapse since my last post. For a brief moment I forgot how to do this, and I'll have to think especially hard on how to post some pics. I have faith... not a matter of if, but when. After all, its been 6 months and theres a few pics documenting my life these last months.

These past few days have been big ones. Sept. 28th marked my year sabbatical from work. Sept. 29th I don't really remember. And Sept. 30th I left Alaska. Me, my car, my life. Oh yea, all my shit. This moment a year ago I was in the Yukon. What a year it's been. No, I didn't think I would go a year without "employment" but I don't regret anything about it. I've traveled, spent time with my family, enjoyed watching my niece and nephew grow up, dabbled in things I wouldn't have otherwise had the time or desire to do. My plans have changed multiple times and still I find myself in Raleigh, without formal employment. Eventually I will move to the coast, hopefully in the very near future, but I'm not going to pin myself down at this very moment. I'm 24. And this world is turning mad...

Let's see. Last post was the end of March. The end of the UNC basketball season. We've now turned to football season, to fall. My favorite time of the year. And if the weather keeps up, we may have a solid, "normal" fall this year! Carolina is looking much better than years past- and NC State is struggling- what could be better?! The summer had it's brutal moments, though it was not was not as bad as years past.

Middle April I found out that some folks I house-sat for in Anchorage wanted my services once again. Rough life. They needed me for 2 weeks, though I could stay for as long as desired. I was to fly out of Raleigh on April 30th and I stayed until the 20th of May. On top of the free trip, I was also paid. Once there, I was presented with another housesitting option, to extend my trip two more weeks. Paid. After a couple weeks I knew I didn't want 3 more. Reason being, the weather sucked! People had moved, gotten real jobs, and things we just different. It was about 50-55 and cloudy the whole time. I enjoyed surprising some old co-workers and friends and reminiscing on good times, was able to squeeze in a trip to Homer to visit with the Lloyd's, and spend some time with and old friend, Tasha. Wasn't too lucky with our fishing adventures, but Tasha managed to catch the lone Halibut! By the end of it, I was very grateful for the opportunity to return to Alaska, but I was ready to head back to the sun and warmth!

Once home, I agreed to build a fence for my aunt. Why? I'm not sure. She'd been screwed over by a couple folks and lost some money in the ordeal, so I thought 'hell!, can't be that hard, right?!' Well, right and wrong. Perhaps hard isn't the word, but frustrating. I definitely had to hone my 3 "P's". Patience, persistence, and perseverance. At times it wasn't easy, but it was rewarding to finish it. Well, its not completely finished I guess, but fully functional. Fully finished would be over 300 linear feet. At present moment, about 220 have been completed. It is a 6 foot privacy fence and for good reason, one of her neighbors watched me construct it with binoculars so I made sure to get his side up. We rented a hydraulic auger to dig the holes for us, but that was a failure. Due to the drought and the fact her backyeard is solid red clay, the auger refused to make any headway. So back to the post-hole digger it was! And if an auger wont bore the hole, surely it wont be easy doin it by hand. Over 30 holes that is, 20 or so inches deep. My hands would randomly go numb for the next week or so. Oh yea, the first 4 days of doing this was in triple digit heat! But it did not keep my grandfather from coming out and helping me plumb up the posts and get the set! That's best done with at least 3 hands... After about 6 weeks or so, I was finished with the first and most important part. The last part can wait, as there is a study fence already in place for keeping the dog in! And I was even on budget! It's not perfect, but not bad for a beginner! Still need to finish those last details... perhaps I will now that the weather has cooled substantially.

Also this summer, my dad purchased a house on a lake that straddles the NC/VA border. It's closer to his work and a place where his kids/grandkids can go and have a good time. I took advantage of it upon completing the fence. I hauled the kayaks up there and did a little paddling and swimming. And on a whim, I suggested my friend, Andrew (who I knew in Alaska but recently moved to D.C.), come and visit me! 36 hours later, I was picking him up from the Greyhound station and we hung out for 4 days! We had a blast at the lake house, and visiting his friend in Durham. Having failed a couple times in my attempt to kayak to Virginia (roughly 7.5 miles from dad's house), we set out in the old metal canoe in hopes of reaching the border. And no, there is no sign indicating such achievement (at least not visible at night!)!. We set out after dinner, bringing a few drinks along. It was unbelievably clear out and the moon lit up the sky and the water in front of us. We paddled, and paddled, and paddled some more. After a few hours, not knowing our whereabouts other than having 3 islands in front of us, we decided to head back. We were either going to fall just short of our goal, or upon returning home and pulling out the lake map, find out that we made it! And we did, about a mile too much paddling! 5.5 hours of paddling. Paddling a canoe at that! And despite almost getting lost on the way back (it's a big lake!), a good time was had by all.

Immediately after dropping Andrew at the Greyhound station, mom and I headed to a funeral. A rather unconventional funeral. I'd gotten a text message days earlier that read "Whitebread murdered." Whitebread, aka Jesse, is a kid who grew up in the neighborhood. With little supervision as a kid, roaming and on his own devices since roughly the age of 12 or so, he got pretty big into drugs. Crazy to think about, but he was murdered almost exactly 10 years from the day he was first shot at the park up the street from our house. The same park my brother was playing basketball at that very moment the shots started flying. At 16, he had a bullet so close to his heart they thought it too risky to remove. Unfortunately, it was inevitable. Besides the fact that he brought drugs and some violence to the hood, he was a good person. He always asked how the family was (wanting to know if mom still had a handle on the hood as she did in days of old...), and just a few days prior, he passed by the house and we exchanged pleasantries. The funeral was rather interesting. In attendance were some of the richest people in Raleigh, some of the poorest. Some of the oldest, and some of the youngest. Blacks and whites. Well-known and the unknown. We weren't late, but my back was against the back door. Standing room only. It's a sad situation, but I guess it was just a matter of time. I still hear mopeds humming up the street and I think it's him- every time.

Anywho, the last week in July, I headed down to Gulfport, Mississippi with a workteam trip from the church. My mom and sister, as well as my aunt went along as well. There's still some places that are pretty bad off down there. A lot of places. Our group split into two and tackled two houses, both in Biloxi. The first house (air-conditioned!) was owned by an 81 yr old man and was very close to being completed. We were to complete some finishing work (window trim, framing doorways, finish some drywall work, shoe moulding, etc.) and install kitchen cabinets. Mr. Balius was a retired iron worker and lived in a FEMA trailer next door. He was very grateful for the work we did and often spent the afternoons sitting and watching us go. I wished we could have spent one more week and just banged it out so he could get out of that trailer. The other group worked around the corner at Ms. Mary's and had to endure to Mississippi heat. They were responsible for the siding and various other outdoor projects (including replacing fascia boards, eave work, awning work, and re-doing shoddy work from a previous team!). They had some pretty tough working conditions, but working down to the last minutes and missing dinner the last night, we got all of our tasks completed! Our last workday, Friday, Ms. Mary threw us a fish and chicken fry. Resident crackhead Gloria was in attendance as well! It was quite tasty, I'm not gonna lie. Chicken, fresh fish, potato salad- heaven! Some of the locals came as well, tall-boys in hand! It was also nice catching up with my buddy Jonah and getting to hang out with him for a night while I was in Gulfport! It'd been a while! After leaving, we headed over to New Orleans for a pit-stop before our long trek back to Raleigh. We had a good time, walking about and such. Fortunately, the trip back didn't produce any tire tread-separating incidences.

After being back in Raleigh for a few weeks, I began planning a trip to Seattle and Portland. My friend Carrie was in Seattle for job training and my friend Matt lives in Portland. I also had a friend from UAA that lived in Seattle that I had not seen in quite some time, so we got to catch up! Portland is too close to not make an attempt to do both. So I booked a trip on the Amtrak- something I'd never done before. I spent a few days in Seattle and then headed down to Portland- and it was a pretty sweet train ride. It took about 2.5 hours and was just beautiful. I actually caught the train in Tacoma after riding the commuter rail from Auburn, WA. From Tacoma, we hugged the water for a good while, going by Gig Harbor and various other small towns. I was so excited to see Matt- I saw him on my way back a year ago, so it was good to catch up again. Once in Portland, we walked and walked and walked. And rode the city train, free. That's one thing I love about big cities. It's so easy to get around, to find mass transit options so readily available. I loved not touching a car for so long, yet covering so many miles and sights. It was refreshing. And relaxing. After Portland, I headed back to Seattle for a few more nights. It was an enjoyable trip for sure, and it helped I found a cheap plane ticket to get there!

Since I've been back from the Great Northwest, I've been babysitting, or child-sitting quite a bit. My niece turned one, whom I've watched go from not walking to walking laps around the house in less than a 24 hr time period. My sister and I photographed a wedding. I've picked, peeled and pureed pears to make pear honey (over 60 jars!) with my grandmother and grandfather, listening to stories of their youth. I've enjoyed the first glimpse of fall. I've ridden my bike, a lot. 370 miles for the month of September. I'm taking the night off. To write this.

This month has a lot in store. A friend of mine is coming to town this weekend, a friend I haven't seen in a couple years. My nephew will turn 3! The State Fair comes to town, and the annual rock climbing trip is just around the corner. Potentially shooting another wedding, and I will participate in the ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) walk. My aunt's brother (not exactly my aunt and he's not my uncle- it's a southern thing I guess) has been suffering from ALS for two years now and I have never seen anything so terrible in my life. It's certainly a cause worth celebrating as it truly has to be the worst disease known to man. A perfectly clear mind trapped in a body without function. There is no hope and there needs to be...

That's all for now, pics will follow soon.

Tar.... Heels....

I get so frustrated reading CNNSI. At least after watching UNC performances. I mean I'm no basketball genius, but really. Watching Tennessee and Louisville go at it, it's not far removed from watching the homies go at it up at the Tank Park (Mini Park Crew if you will) back in the day. Chaotic, out of control, bitch fest having games. Where on 90% of the possessions, no more than 3 team players touch the ball. 9 steals with quite some time left in the first half? Seriously? Half of those could have been considered offensive spin moves gone bad- unforced errors if you will. Not steals. Sloppiness. I hate watching Tennessee play. There is no rhythm to the games- do they have a point guard? A half-court offense? I don't know. Luckily Lousiville beat them out. Thought just for the record, the Memphis-Tennessee game was the worst game of the entire season that I have watched. Tennessee won, to gain the No. 1 national ranking, only to have it revoked by Vanderbilt the following game. Sweet. Back to my original point, they say Louisville and Tennessee are two of the most athletic and well balanced fronts any team will see. I highly doubt that. I watch UNC play a tough WSU team who boasts the No. 2 scoring defense in the nation. They held Hansbrough to 0 field goals in first half and but two free-throws. Both unusual statistics indeed. However, Danny Green threw in for 12 points after being all but useless in the first two rounds. That's just how they work. It doesn't matter if Hansbrough is 0-35, someone will step up. Whether it's Thompson and Stepheson going 13-13 or Ginyard dishing out 4 assists (most likely to the contributing Green) and no turnovers, someone will be there. Count on it. Thomas too- 4 assists and no turnovers while the 'incredible' Lawson had 0 assists and two turnovers. I'm just running my mouth. I'm glad Carolina seems to get no respect. I would't have it any other way. Hopefully they're saying Louisville has a real shot at beating us. Carolina: 289 Opponents: 198 Go heels.

Easter Festivities...

These pictures were taken this past Saturday and Sunday. Downtown Raleigh hosted an Easter egg hunt. We joined the kids down there to witness chaos. Unfortunately, there were too many people for the 4000 eggs and Will did not get a single one. However, one nice couple was kind enough to offer one of their eggs so Will did not have to go home empty handed. We came home and Grammy decided she would have her own egg hunt for Will, and that one turned out much better. The other pics are from post-church. We were not successful in getting everyone to take pics, so there's lots of Liza instead!

That lighter shade of blue...

It's March. Almost April. That means but one thing. Well, a couple things I guess but I'll focus on but one of those. Basketball. College basketball to be more specific. I personally hate the NBA so I wouldn't be one to even guess where in the season they are. Nor do I care. All I'm familiar with is Carolina and the NCAA tournament. Raleigh was lucky enough to host first and second round games and Charlotte will host Sweet 16 and Great 8 games. There is no shortage of interest within this state for this sport, and there's no place I'd rather be. I remember in elementary, middle and on up to high school- begging the teachers to please let us watch the ACC and NCAA tournament games. Most often they honored our request, as they were itching to as well. School work could wait (this was of course before the oh so lovely no child left behind legislation from our lovely lovely president). The couch and I formed quite a bond (or further strengthened the bond we've been developing) this weekend as games carried on for more than 12 hours the first couple days, and almost as many on Sat. and Sun. I find myself getting worked up over games I ultimately don't care about. Or at least not the outcome. I do however, much like anyone else, really enjoy a good game. Perhaps this is why I don't like the pros. That and these kids play for nothing more than the name on the front of their jersey. Not for money.

Carolina pulled out enough wins, no matter how ugly, for the ACC tournament champion title. That was good enough for the No. 1 seed overall. Translation: first round games in Raleigh. Next venue, Charlotte. No real traveling until the Final Four. Homecourt advantage, if you will. First round, Mt. St. Mary's. No real threat but you just never know. Our biggest enemy it turned out on Friday night would be the rim (insert photo of Marcus Ginyard getting hung on a dunk attempt!). Luckily, walk-on Surry Wood made up for the less than spectacular jam by a pretty nasty alley-oop. Carolina won by 39. Next up, Arkansas. That was Friday, this was Saturday. Almost as much as I care about Carolina winning, I care about Duke losing. Typically I root for the conference and local teams, but I just cannot bring myself to root them on. I don't know what it is, but I despise them and actually like to see them cry when they lose (and crying they are good at). This all came true on Saturday. After almost being taken out by Belmont (exactly- who?) on Thursday, they were not able to escape the wrath of those scraggly West Virginians. I knew their luck was running out. If their 3's don't fall, they ultimately will. And did. I just wish UCLA would have lost too...

Sunday was to be an eventful day as well. Two North Carolina teams playing. UNC and that other school, Davidson. Davidson vs. Georgetown. I was excited for this game but ultimately thought the Hoyas would pull it off. Davidson had other plans and were determined to add to their 23-game winning streak. It was a phenomenal comeback and victory for them, and it leaves me worried that Carolina will eventually have to face them for a second time this season. I'd almost rather the Hoyas... After seeing all the near upsets on Sunday, I knew Carolina was not going to be taking another cake walk today. Arkansas is no joke- especially that man child who just wandered down from the mountain and still hasn't quite figured out where he is yet. It wasn't meant to be for them, as Carolina hardly led by less than 20 at any given moment. The third stringers got to play in yet another tourney game and Carolina won by 31. Through first rounds- Carolina: 221 Opponents: 151 That's pretty impressive I'd say. It's even sweeter knowing Duke will not be continuing on. I do almost feel bad for my brother who had Duke and Georgetown playing in the championship title game... but did you really think that would happen? Really? Duke? Come on. I think you meant that lighter shade of blue... it's too late for a re-do I reckon.

I hope Carolina keeps on clicking. For Thompson and Stepheson to have more perfect shooting nights. For Lawson and Thomas to combine for double-digit assists while committing no turnovers. For Hansbrough to keep on keepin on. For Green to continue his journey to re-discover his shot. It's mighty pretty when it all happens at once, I'm not gonna lie. And Ginyard, just a couple inches higher, I know he's got it in him. That rim can be a real bitch sometimes...

I will post more pics soon- mainly from Easter. We had a nice family gathering- nothing like 4 generations in one house. We sure are lucky. Adios for now.

New(er) Pics...

Not meant to be.

[Written on the 2nd of Feb. of 08]

Me and this whole blogging thing just don't seem to be getting along. Our bond seems to be fading, fading fast. I think about ways to make it better, quite often actually. Unfortunately, my thoughts and actions have been on distinctly different pages these days. Clearly, not this page. Let's see, November 26. That was, what, 9 weeks ago? I've been home almost 3 months. Wow. Should I event attempt to sum up the last 9 weeks? What a [expletive] task. Hmmm. I'm certain I can't remember it all. Work Christmas parties. A visit from my friend Carrie and her daughter Natalie. Donating our annual change jar sum to charity. Being awoken to yells and sounds of water pouring onto our downstairs floor. Oven catching fire as I was warming dinner (no replacement part locally, thus no oven for the Holidays!). Grandpa being in hospital for almost an entire month- a couple very, very close calls. Went in the 13th of December, out the 11th of January for good, we hope. Yes, the man's almost 88, but when he's climbing his ladder to clean off his roof just a few days prior, you take for granted to the unbelievable health he has been blessed with thus far. It was a shock, a huge shock. And at a bad time. Not that there's ever a good time for illness, but we'd also taken for granted relative health amongst family during the holidays. It was an unusual feeling not having him around, something I hope, pray, we don't have to deal with again any time soon. People jokingly remarked "you came home just in time." This in reference to my chaufering skills, being an appointment taker-toer, drug fetcher, banana and milk getter, oxygen tank changer-outer, etc. Folks, this is why I came home. I couldn't have been happier than to be able to do the things I was. I am a disposable body currently, as was used as such, quite to my content. I spent hours with my grandmother, many more than I would have otherwise. Nobody can take those away from me- I just don't know what people do who don't have family to rally around them. It has been incredible despite far from incredible happenings. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Written March 17, 2008]

Now... It's the middle of March. Still, quite some time since my last thoughts even began to make it to paper, errrr, computer screen. Again, a lot has happened. Housesitting, babysitting, life-plan searching, enjoying family, etc. Perhaps most importantly is a lot of Carolina-winnin. That's another story for another time. It's ridiculous how important basketball is to some of us this time of year. Really ridiculous. But then not so much when you think about it. UAA just might be gettin a taste of how remarkable a role sports can play in bringing together people in a world where there aint a whole lot of that goin on. But anyways, I could devote another blog to that, and perhaps I just might. Surrrrrrre... you're thinkin.... I know.

These last several weeks I have enjoyed the celebration of my grandfather's 88th birthday. Enjoyed being able to see my incredibly talented, soccer playing fool of a younger sister of mine's soccer games. And even better, being able to take my niece and nephew to my incredibly talented, soccer playing fool of a younger sister of mine's soccer game. It was awesome. She's having such and incredible year playing and I was bummed to not have been able to make it to many games these past few years. She's a hard worker (on the field) and it shows. They haven't lost a game yet and I hope it continues. My niece and nephew are just awesome. No lack of personality here for sure. It's just so cool to see them grow and to begin to understand the little things that make up our vast, vast world. It's refreshing for sure. Their troubles are so simple, their possibilities so endless. They seem to have provided for relief in the hardest of times. They are the center of attention regardless of what might be going on.

Clearly I still have no job. Oh I'm such a failure to some. I find that humorous, life teaching. I'm at a loss for words at the advice or statements people have for me upon finding out I am still job-less. Most are 50-something. Have kids (most with kids unsuccessful in their own right). Been in the same jobs for their whole career. Haven't left the U.S., much less the state of North Carolina for more than an unfulfilling, germ-packed cruise to the Bahamas. That's fine, but please don't judge me. I shouldn't care, I know. But for some reason, I do. You don't know me, my situation, my willingness to work 70 hrs a week for almost 10 months so that I could enjoy time home with my family for as long as I desired. Thanks though for your concern, thanks. It's much appreciated. Get back to your boring, predictable, un-fulfilling life if that's the game you want to play. I'm living the life I want to live, how bout you? Yea, thanks. I don't know, I'm babbling on. I should stop now.

Currently, I am in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It's but a few miles away from Destin, quite the Spring Break destination spot. Unfortunately so. Fortunately, however, I am spending time with my friend, Carrie, and her family. I looked into driving here. 1600 miles and 350 imaginary dollars later, I chose to take the Greyhound Bus. It would only set me back 100 bucks round-trip. More importantly, it would be a new experience I had yet to have. The Greyhound has been around quite some time. My parents, and even grandparents shared their experiences in riding the bus back in the day. I was quite anxious, and even a bit nervous in my first bus trip through the S.E. U.S. I had no clue as to how busy or packed the buses would be. How transfers worked, whether I would make all my connections, etc. My sister dropped me off at the bus station in Raleigh at 10 p.m. Tuesday night. I was to depart around 11 p.m. It should be noted that the bus station in Raleigh shares a building with Raleigh Police Department. More on that later, to the contrary. I was for sure in the minority, ethnicity-wise. I was also in the minority- bus ignorance wise. I didn't have a clue what to do. Where to check my bag, which magic door to stand behind, etc. I stood in the wrong line for 15 minutes before training my eyes to other bus riding ignorant folk such as myself. I focused my attention to a Japanese family just a few feet away. I could not speak their language but I could read their body language. They too were confused. Perhaps they are less afraid to make the wrong move as they made no hesitation to head towards the food counter. Is that really where you 'check' your bag I thought? Surely not. Indeed it was. I was wrong. I quickly made my way to that line, just behind them. I listened as the employee gave them direction and when it came my time, was as confident as I could be in what I was to do next. To my surprise, my bags never went through security, never were scanned in any way, shape, or form. I got into the next line, hoping the bus would be here any minute. It was, indeed. I did not have to wait long and soon enough we were on the road. On the Greyhound, you are responsible for your own luggage, making sure to take it off one bus and placing it on the next. I feel much better doing this, actually. I was in for a 19 hour ride, from Raleigh to Fort Walton Beach. I was to make stops in Durham, Greensboro, Winston Salem, Charlotte, Atlanta, Opelika, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Mobile, and Pensacola. Oh yea, a couple other gas stations treated as bus stations along the way. Two honks, if no activity, we're onwards. It took 19 hours, yes, but only about 4 more than if I were able to drive the full 800 miles alone, without stopping. Unlikely. It wasn't too bad. I met a lot of interesting individuals for sure. People who have had anything bus easy, simple, lives. From Atlanta on, I had my own seat which made the trip quite bearable. I was able to accumulate a few hours of sleep along the way. I will speak more on the people I met later. It was interesting, for sure, with each stop bringing about new experiences and new faces. I never once was scared, felt threatened, or was un-easy about the lack of security. At no point (with the exception of Mobile, AL where I was wanded by a man making false beeping noises with his mouth as he moved his wand about, over twenty-something young girls making their way onto the bus) was I, or my bags, ever scanned.

Tomorrow I head home. I leave Florida at around 5 and will arrive in Raleigh at around noon on Wednesday. 18 hour, roughly, journey. This trip will take me to Panama City, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Savannah, Fayetteville, and who knows what other gas stations along the way. A different route, at least. I look forward to it and the experiences it will bring. I hope it goes as smoothly as my first trip, though one never knows I have learned.

I will write back shortly. March Madness is but the most important time of the year around this part of the country. I will be rooting on my Tarheels and other local teams as they battle it out. I am getting up in just a few hours to watch the sunrise here on the Gulf Coast. It will be my last time for quite a while, I imagine. Keep checking back... it will happen eventually! Another post that is... Adios.

Oh yea...

Here are some pics (you can click on any picture to view all pics in fullsize- same for any slideshow!) - and my final mileage was 9,420 if anyone was wondering. And yes, my car hates me!

HOME.

So many things to say. So many things to be grateful for. It's been so long since my last post- I sound like a broken record, I know. I must try and recount each of the last amazing fifteen days. My best effort you can be certain I will put forth. I owe it to anyone who is still checking this page, hoping for my final update. I got home two Saturdays ago, November 10th to be precise. It was the end of an amazing 6 week trip. A trip I cannot sit here and begin to claim that I can even begin to grasp the magnitude of. To leave such an amazing place was hard indeed, but it helps coming to a place filled with amazing people that I get to call my family. Family and friends, that is. I share the Alaskan experience with few people, and that in itself is incredible, something that will be a big, no- huge part of my life, for its duration. I feel like I could write a book at this very moment, detailing the differences in my two lives, both here at home and essentially abroad. However, I know most of us don't have time to put life aside and read a book, so a short passage I will leave, or as short a passage as will do partial justice. Hmm perhaps I should have a separate passage for my wandering ideas as I attempt to coherently string together the past two weeks of my life, as they are not independent thoughts or happenings of the preceding six weeks.

Focus. Saturday, November 10th. I left Greenville, SC around 10am, with one last stop on my map. Raleigh, North Carolina. Home, as I like to say. The faster route would get me there in about 4 hours, the scenic route about an hour longer or so. Given the time of year, the decision was simple. Down Highway 49 I meandered- patiently, slowly, and gladly. The colors were vibrant, quite satisfying. I passed maybe 50 cars, a welcomed alternative to highway 40. I arrived in Raleigh at approximately 3pm on Saturday, November 10th. There were but 4 minutes or so left in the North Carolina- North Carolina State game. I tuned in somewhere around Siler City, with Carolina attempting to claw their way back. While on Wade Ave, Carolina made an interception- I thought I was going to cause a wreck. I'm home, I thought. I could have never listened to this in-state rivalry in Alaska. I miss these games, the trash-talking with my brother and cousins who all happen to be NC State fans. When you leave a place for five years, seemingly little things hit you in a big way. I know these streets. I know these people. I know these places. This is my home. I pulled up to my house, the same house I have called home for all 23 years of my short life. My little sister made a sign. Balloons adorned the mailbox, almost as if I needed an attention getter so I wouldn't drive on by. My mom, dad, sisters, niece were all inside. My brother would have been had NC State not been struggling for a victory over rival UNC, which they ultimately got in the final seconds of the game. It was surprisingly awkard to drive up to my house, to be at my final destination, but incredible at the same time. This is why I left Alaska. This little ten pound baby girl I had yet to hold, my mom and dad who worked their butts off to give my siblings and I the lives we are blessed with now. My grandparents who have sacrificed and lived through more than I will ever have to and raised the most incredible kids, who I am lucky to call my mother and father. I am lucky, have no doubts that I am aware. Don't blame me for having to leave in order to realize these things, it was the best thing I could have done, trust me.

That was Saturday, this was Sunday. My sister Sarah, the oldest of us all went above and beyond in hosting a party for myself. Mind you, she has two kids, the oldest being two. She went so far as to send out invitations that read: "By now you have heard she's on her way back/ A sense of adventure she does not lack/ While down in Homer she caught a big fish/ We'll fry it and eat it- a true Southern dish/ We're having a party that will be all the rage/ A party to welcome home Laura Paige." It can be difficult to get all of my family all in one place, but food usually does the trick. There were about 25 of us, family and friends, hanging out enjoying the fried halibut and fixins! It was awesome to get to see everyone essentially right away- most all of us in one location. We all left with more than full bellies, thanks to our great hosts. That week I slowly attempted to unpack my car (at this time, my car is still half full of crap!), did a lot of stained glass stuff, and just enjoyed being home and hanging out. Friday I went out for my cousins 25th birthday, only to turn around and get up hours later for the annual Raleigh Christmas Parade- which I had been absent from for 5 years. We have sat in the same spot every year since I can remember, and did the same this year. Aunt Peggy brought hot chocolate, like usual, and Sarah made homemade sweet potato ham biscuits. Mmmmmm. My nephew had a blast, and we had a blast watching him take it all in- both the parade and hot chocolate! Later that afternoon I headed West, about 60 miles or so, to watch a friend play in the last college football game of the season- a victorious game thankfully! It was a relatively chilly night. Since I've been home, it has gone from 70 degree days to upper 40 days. We have quite the temperature swings here in the south in these transitional seasons!

Sunday I bought a bike. A pretty bike- Carolina blue and white. Just so happened to come in those colors- I swear! I got a good deal and just couldn't stand not having one much longer. Tuesday I rode it to my sisters- took William for a wagon ride amidst the gorgeous fall colors, and to my grandmother's. Much of my days are filled with doing stained glass on the porch, sipping on hot chocolate, and visiting with family or friends. It's blissful- meanwhile unfortunate that I can't make a living doing this! I can, however, enjoy it while it lasts these next several weeks. I don't intend on getting a job before the New Year. Those have been my intentions, and well planned intentions (I virtually worked two full time jobs for 10 months to get to this point) for quite some time now. Intentions I am quite proud of, my friends. I get to sit with my grandparents during the day. I get to take my nephew for a wagon ride. I get to experience tummy time with my niece. I get to eat lunch with my cousins. I'll take that- over a few smirks from people at the suggestion that I don't currently have a job. Anywho, Thursday was Thanksgiving. My first Thanksgiving since '02. Quite different than the last few Thanksgiving's I have spent in Alaska, for sure. The entire family was here, right around twenty of us. Quite different than a Thanksgiving of four, with that white stuff pouring out of the sky with no end in sight in a little town known as Homer, Alaska. I cannot begin to compare- but Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd I do sincerely thank you for making me feel so welcome into your family at those times when it's hardest to be away from one's family. Leesa, you too. I am forever indebted to yall's genorosity, honestly.

Yesterday I went to a football game, invited by my uncle. It was the season ending game for UNC- always again Duke. UNC- Duke is more known for their basketball rivalry, not so much the football variety, but it exists nonetheless. Duke has won but one game this season, UNC not much better, having only won three to this point. It's a sad day when this is predicted to be a "nail-biter" but a "nail-biter" it was. UNC won in overtime and only because Duke missed 3 fieldgoals during both regulation and overtime. Yes, UNC should have lost to Duke in the waning seconds of regulation, but luck was on our side. We pulled away victorious, thankfully so. That would have been a real tough pill to swallow. Thankfully, that's behind us and it is basketball season now... we have much more skill in that arena! Today was relaxing, but tomorrow I must be more productive in my stained glass ventures as I am attempting to sell some things... if for nothing more than to cover gas money! I just may keep my postings going, as I'm positive I have more to say. I have summed up, pretty quickly, these last couple of weeks in terms of what has actually happened. My feelings are a whole 'nother story. I do not know where my life will take me in the New Year- I imagine not too far from this place I call home, but stay posted. I feel as if I can't stay still for too entirely long, and the water is calling my name. And Jonah, you killed me by leaving a message that Alyeska has gotten over 200 inches of snow this November... I just can't make up my mind! But for now I can- you can find me in Raleigh, North Carolina. Perhaps no one enjoys my being home moreso than this four-legged creature known as Jake- our residential lab mutt. Typically, he sleeps on a doggy bed on my floor. However, when I am home he knows he gets a much more comfortable bed... it's oh so hard for me to say no to him as he gives me those sad eyes, pleading that I will let him up just one last time. Mind you, it's a twin bed- he's a 90lb dog and I'm no teeny-tiny little girl. I give in every single night and currently he is up there wondering when I while call it a night. Given it's two AM, it's as good a time as ever. Adios for now, but I don't think I can part with blogging forever. I am a dork like that. Check back every couple of weeks ;)

I'm Alive...

You know, sort of like that Celine Dion song I sang quite loudly and beautifully yesterday in my car as I inched oh so closer to my final destination. haha. I'm getting better and better about not posting in a timely manner, but that's okay. I've been busy doing other things. Things like driving, singing (when you have satellite radio, it's not impossible to sing for 6-8 hours straight, trust me!), and hanging out with long lost friends. Mississippi and the surrounding areas turned out to be a real good time, hence the reason I hung around there for two whole weeks. I got my car fixed, only to let my tire go too long without my filling it back up with air. You see, it's had this slow leak for months now but as long as I pump it back up every couple of days it is just fine. Apparently numerous days went by where I failed to divert my attention to that damn tire and as I walked to my car to head to town I noticed a slight lean in my car. The durn thing was flatter than flat! I haven't had to change a tire in quite some time so my skills were a bit rusty. It took like 20 minutes the first time, but I am happy to say that when I put the regular back on, it only took me about 10 minutes!! I'm a pretty skilled tire changer, I'm not gonna lie. Anyways, with that behind me, I set out for the Tennessee area on Wednesday- a 575 mile haul. It would carry me through 4 states: Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. I made only a few stops, one at the famed "Dreamland BBQ" joint in Tuscaloosa. This is the original one I do believe- the one Bear Bryant took his teams to for meals. The other stops were simply for gas. My gas mileage is taking a turn for the worse while gas prices are going up at a ridiculous pace. I don't know what's going on, but I'm just glad I'm only a few hundred miles from home! One more fill-up for the ol Pathfinder should do the trick. Driving to Tennessee was a pretty drive as I neared the mountains of Georgia (ok, rolling hills you Alaskans!). I'm past prime for viewing the vibrant fall colors, but I will take what I can get. Alaska's fall lasts for about two weeks and you only get the oranges (very dull) and the yellows. Certainly no bright reds like we have here! I stayed with my aunt and uncle and cousin Brian in Oak Ridge on Wednesday night- nice to see them as I cannot recall the last time. They will be in Raleigh in just a couple weeks for Thanksgiving! The nights are getting a little chillier, but all I have to do is look up the Anchorage Daily News weather report to appreciate the balmy temps that November has brought thus far! Yesterday I set out to visit a couple friends, one in Johnson City, Tenn and the other in Greenville, SC. Made it to Johnson City in time to have lunch with Dionne, an old friend from UAA who moved to go to ETSU. Very nice catching up with her and reminiscing about old times. It was beautiful driving into and out of Johnson City between the fall colors, the scattered green pastures with old rusty barns struggling to stand on their own, and the Carolina-blue skies. My drive from Tenn to South Carolina took me through the very western part of North Carolina - a very weird feeling that I wasn't expecting. Obviously, North Carolina has been my destination, the end product of this crazy trip since the beginning. To be driving along and see the "Welcome to North Carolina" sign was quite nice, and it really hit me that I am almost done. I was only in the state for maybe 50 miles before I hit South Carolina, where I stayed last night and will be here tonight as well. My old high school friend Brandon lives here now and I hadn't seen him in a couple years, so it's worth goin a little out of the way to catch up! I'm super excited to almost be home, for tomorrow to come, for me to see that "Welcome to North Carolina" sign one more time, but this time for good. That's all for now... one last post to follow real soon!

A day worth writing about....

Well, I'm back in Mississippi. I had a really good stay in Florida, visiting with Carrie, Josh, Natalie and Mama Barb. Monday we went for a walk on the beach/pier. Tuesday we hung out at the house, and later went to pick out a few pumpkins! Wednesday we ventured to Pensacola, my fault, in search of a couple stained glass shops. We found one, thank goodness, and hit the jackpot. They had everything I needed to get back into stain-glassing-it (poor Carrie, Barb, and Natalie had to suffer in a car all day with me not knowing where I was going!!)! If I had to pick a place to live the rest of my life, and my choices were the mountains or beach, the choice would be simple. Well, Jonah and I are discussing that now, but my choice would be the beach. This morning I watched the sun rise from the ocean. Nothing obstructed my view. Nothing at all. Nobody walked by me, and all I heard was a swooshing noise as the birds flew by, furiously flapping their wings. I'm not gonna lie, it was probably one of the better things I have witnessed on this journey (Vegas, you can have your gaudy gold monstrosities that obstruct my view!). And a journey it has been. I don't feel as if it's ending, as I still have a week to go, but I feel like I'm home. I feel like I am one of the luckiest people on this earth at this moment in my life. For the past 5 years of my life, actually. It was one hell of an experience, that journey to a foreign foreign land. Yes, Dad, you told me that I thought I knew everything there was to know in the world at the ripe old age of 18, as I stepped onto my first flight ever. You were right. And thank God I thought I knew it all, cause otherwise I would have never ended up in that place. That place where I experienced things that most never will. That place where I met people who will be a big part of my life for the rest of my life. That place that made me appreciate my incredible family more than I ever would have had I never left the great state of North Carolina. Those people that think they know it all only convince themselves of that so that they are more comfortable taking leaps they otherwise wouldn't. Don't persuade them otherwise, unless in extreme circumstances. Today Carrie and I drove to New Orleans to pick up her car that was shipped from Alaska. We drove around New Orleans a bit before heading out. We cruised through the French Quarter and surrounding areas, which all pretty much seemed to be in okay shape. Lots and lots of adorable little houses, vibrantly painted some of them. I liked what I saw, except for the scattered tents, somewhere around 30 of them, on a hillside that quite a number of people appeared to call home. I won't get into the politics of Hurricane Katrina, nor the after-response on this blog because that is not a function that this serves. New Orleans is a place that I would like to return to as well. I came back to Jonah's and will be here for 5 more nights, or roundabouts there. We got into a bit of arts-and-crafts tonight and had a real good time. I could do this the rest of my life, can someone support me?? Haha. No, really though. Watching people do something that they have never done before and really enjoy themselves doing it is quite refreshing. That was tonight. I do not know what tomorrow has in store for me, perhaps a little cleaning of Jonahs house so we can get some things accomplished this weekend. I have to pick up my CV joint tomorrow too so Jonah can try and fix that on Saturday. That poor guy has had to deal with more of my car problems than anyone should ever have to- but he loves it, I have convinced myself ;) That's all I have for now. Hopefully I can position myself in this recliner just right so that I can steal internet from the poor man across the street. Seriously, we are catching a faint ray or something- it's pretty ridiculous! Adios for now.

Laura

I have fallen off the wagon!

I guess when you get phone calls about the lapse in postings its time to get back on the wagon. I fell off somewhere in Texas, the last place I was able to get internet. Cleburne that was. I left Cleburne on Tuesday afternoon, around 4ish and headed to Austin. Got to Austin around 6 and walked around for a few solid hours. I liked Austin. A lot. It would have been nicer not having to walk around by myself, but I atleast know its a place I'd like to go back to. And to be honest, probably my favorite big city along this journey. They say its the live music capital of the world and from walking around and hearing live music in virtually every bar, I'm pretty sure of it. I had to refresh my memory as to what day of the week it was because of the number of people out and about at the bars and restaurants sure made it feel like a Friday or Saturday night. I did venture down to the famed bridge which is home to thousands of bats… Rachel, you would not have much cared for the number of winged creatures lurking about. It was pretty interesting though. I left Austin around 11pm and was trying to get as far east as I could, ultimately needing to be in Mississippi by Wednesday night. My longest day driving up to this point was 500 miles and starting so late I wasn’t sure just how far I’d be able to get without dozing off. So I drove, and drove, and drove some more, stopping once to get gas and dinner. 6 hours later, I decided to call it a night in Lafayette, Louisiana, making it a total of 600 miles from Cleburne to Lafayette. Fell asleep at 5am, only to get up at 9am so I could shower and check out the town. Lafayette is a small little town, host to the University of Louisiana and feels a bit like a little college town. I meandered through downtown a bit, eating lunch in a little coffee shop (reading the local newspaper, this is the kind of place where the police blotter, all 10 incidents, are for everyone’s viewing- including the 83yr old man charged with attempted manslaughter) and stopping in a glass studio to watch a couple people hard at work on their stained glass pieces- the sound of the glass cutter running over the glass really made me want to get back into doing stained glass. They let me watch for a little bit, which was quite enjoyable. I only had about 180 miles to go to reach Gulfport with no need to be there before 5pm, so I was able to take my time. I’m still a little weary about the things in my car so I have been carrying my most valuable things with me each time I get out. As I came back to my car in Lafayette there was some creep hanging out around my car and he began to walk off as I approached my car, continuously looking over his shoulder. I had a half hour left on my meter but I’m glad I made it back when I did cause I might have had a couple things he may have wanted. It’s nice to be in a place where I don’t have to worry about these kinds of thing- heck, Jonah has been leaving the keys in my ignition most places we go- I’m certainly not use to that!! I made it to Mississippi early evening Wednesday, excited to see my friend Jonah’s latest purchase- a house! The house is about a half hour from Gulfport, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, which is a nice thing. In the middle of nowhere, yet only about 30 minutes from the beach. Growing up, for one reason or another, I hated the beach. Not real sure what was wrong with me, but things have changed. I’m really happy to be here, and to be able to spend over a week relaxing here between Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Jonah was able to get a 3 day weekend so we decided to take off and hunt for sailboats and a good time. We found one of the two, the less expensive of the two! Lots of marinas are littered with boats, but we found few for sale. I didn’t do as much research as I should have, but maybe that’s a good thing cause I could have potentially come out of this weekend with zero dollars had I found one! The weekend was really enjoyable though, probably one of the best times I have had in quite some time. We spent Friday night in Alabama with Jonah’s cousins. Saturday we headed over to Florida, the Fort Walton area to meet up with my friends Josh and Carrie. We’d decided that we would engage in a friendly little round of putt-putt. Jonah stated that he would only play putt-putt if it contained these elements: a waterfall, a pirate ship, big zoo animals, and was multi-leveled. Hmmm, we wondered if we’d be able to find a place to meet his needs… and sure enough, we succeeded. This place was pretty elaborate, with some holes have 3 levels! Shewwweeeee. It brought out the worst in us, however, with some of us becoming more frustrated than others over our inability to get the damn ball in the hole! After all was said and done, Jonah got first and I came in second. The others were too far behind to mention ;) . Afterwards, we went out to grab dinner and a drink, catching bits and pieces of college football games and phenomenal Halloween costumes. Leaving here and going to the next venue was either the best or worst idea ever, depending on who you ask. It was but one block from Carrie’s house so we decided that would be the best place to hang out. Someone had told us it was called the Tiki-Lounge, so we were thinking it might be sort of this cool, beachy themed establishment, conducive to a nice, relaxing evening with friends. Hmm, turns out it was actually called the Tee-Luck Lounge and we’re not real sure why. Jonah called it the “seediest bar he’s ever been to”, Carrie kept referring to it as the VFW post, and I’m still not sure what to call it. We were the minorities there without a doubt, but it was a good time nonetheless. There was a little dancing, but not too much, a Halloween costume contest that Jonah tried to enter, animals coming out of the holes in the ceiling, and a painful tab to close it all out. We stayed the night at Carrie’s and headed back to Alabama on Sunday. We ate Sunday lunch with his extended family and then went to his cousins to help him paint for a little while. My mind though has been steadily focused on the loud grinding noise coming from the front end of my car. I felt so bad bringing my car troubles to town, but after a few people looked at it, they thought it was the transfer case which is no good. We went and bought some heavy duty grease for it, hoping that would cure the noise. Unfortunately, it didn't. Back to square one. To make a long story short, numerous people looked at it (which I feel horrible about the headache it caused many people!) and they decided it is probably the CV joint making all the noise. I much prefer that problem over the other, so Jonah is going to try and see if it's something he can fix, if not, it will be in the shop at the end of the week! That poor kid has had to deal with more of my car problems than anyone should ever have to!

Anyways, because this isn't yet long enough, I must continue. Today I drove back to Florida from Mississippi to stay with Carrie and the fam for a couple nights. We walked down to the beach today which was really nice. Wish I could have just fallen asleep out there! Ok Jonah, so maybe the sand is whiter on your beaches, but they're still not better than North Carolina's! Tonight we went and picked out a couple pumpkins to carve tomorrow and I sat over the huge bag of pecans that we gathered with Jonah's aunt last night and chowed down! Well I think this is long enough now, and I'm sure everyone's lost so I will call it good. I have internet here in Florida but not so much in Mississippi, hence my lack in postings. I should be home in less than two weeks and am excited about that, but also really enjoying myself here. Anywhere in the Southeast...

At long last...

Anytown, America.

It's been a couple days, but these country roads have brought me to a little place called Cleburne, Texas. It's about 30 mins south of Fort Worth. Most importantly, my friend from college has taken up residence here and I have been able to spend time catching up with her! I've been so lucky to have made so many good friends during my time in Alaska and even luckier to have been able to meet up with so many along my way. I find myself laughing nonstop, and realizing that these friends are the reason I was able to stay in Alaska so long. And yes, five years is a long time! Especially when you are 5000 miles from anything you've ever known. I wish I could stay here visiting much longer, but ultimately realize that in order to get home and see my family I have to keep gradually heading East. I've enjoyed my time here, and the road that has gotten me here. My last 1000 miles or so have been virtually unchanging. Rolling hills, vast farms, herds and herds of cattle, small communities who support their local highschool more than any other one thing in the community, and people who work hard to make it in this world. It's a simple life, though not an easy life I'm sure. It certainly is refreshing to see after being in some of the cities I have visited. One of my friends recently put it quite nicely, in saying "indulgence isn't a word anymore, it's melted into normality." With that said, I have really enjoyed driving through Anytown, America and seeing people who manage to maintain a high quality of life for themselves without yielding to the excessive tendencies of our societies. Tomorrow I am headed to Austin, Texas and from there I will push on towards Mississippi as far as I can. Gulf of Mississippi will be my next resting place- I will be there for several days! I'm quite the lucky and blessed person to have been able to see the places I have and to b able to visit the friends I have made over the years. I look at the map and am quite sad that I am this far east already, having missed so many unique things to do and see in the west. There simply is no way to see and do it all! Pics to follow, I promise this time.

Too busy doing nothing.

I've almost forgotten how to do all this! It's been quite sometime since I last posted, which means this may get long-winded. Sorry in advance. Wednesday morning I set out for Pueblo- my much anticipated destination for many reasons. I again hit snow as I pushed on towards the north. It didn't last for too long but was quite heavy at times. The winds were certainly howling the entire way however. It scares me to watch the big rigs not being able to maintain an even semi-straight path of travel! Far too many lane violations for my liking. I got to Pueblo right at lunch time and headed straight to the Nielsen's! I had really been looking towards to seeing those guys for a long time. I am so glad that everything worked out the way it did- it was just perfect. I got a bed, a spacious shower, a home-cooked meal (or two), and had a genuinely pleasant and relaxing time. It was exactly what I needed and wanted- just to hang out and laugh the time away. Little Ella is quite adorable I must say, and a busy body for sure. Wed and Thurs we just hung out, went downtown for a bit, and caught up while Kelly was at work. Fortunately, he was able to get Friday off from work so that we could all hang out for the day! So Friday we decided to go to a place called the Royal Gorge. It's claim to fame is that it has the world's highest suspension bridge. There's also a really neat inclined railway that takes you down to the bottom of the Gorge (this thing runs along a 45 degree angle!) and also a hanging bridge that supported a stretch of the railroad. The weather was absolutely beautiful while I was there- you know, Carolina blue skies, just as sunny as could be. Wind was blowing pretty hard all three days I was there and continues still here in Amarillo. It was nice to actually just relax for a few days- to not have to drive for a few days!! It ended up working out to where I was able to be there as Jason and Lori (another Enrollment employee!) stopped by to visit. They stayed the night last night and were gonna hang out a bit longer. I wish I could have stayed a couple more nights, but I have another friend to meet here in Dallas. We had a grand ol time last night reminiscing about our time at UAA and the memories we had from that place. Waking up the next morning with abs sore from laughing too hard the night before I'm guessing means you're pretty out of shape. Dang. A good time was had by all. It was really hard to leave today, but I had 350 miles to cover so I wanted to get started a little before the sun set on me. I ventured through Colorado, Oklahoma (for about 42 miles) and am now in Amarillo, Texas. I will explore this place briefly in the morning before heading to the Dallas area, about another 350 miles! I have another friend from UAA living there that I will be able to catch up with for a couple days! It certainly is warmer than I expected it would be this time of year. Really, I guess I didn't know what to expect, probably because every single one of these stops is a first for me! It's gonna be around 80 here tomorrow and I reckon that will keep up as I continue south and east. I guess we shall see. It's late and I'm tired. I was thinking of a lot to write earlier as I was driving, but every time I sit down to write, I lose it all- probably in the comfy-ness of the rear of my car! One of these days some more pics will appear on this site. Perhaps in the morning if my body wakes itself up early enough! Kelly and Amanda- thanks so very much again for everything. You have know idea how much I appreciated being able to see yall again. Yall were a big part of my life in AK and I know I'll see yall again in the somewhat near future. Give Ella some rocks for me! Adios.

Wrong turn, missed turn. I don't know!

Today was a pretty good day. I think this is the earliest I have ever gotten off the road and actually crawled in the back of my car to call it a night. Was also one of my farthest days. Logged 475 miles today! Before leaving the campground this morning, I was talked into go to the Pancake feed that the place puts on each morning. I've been skippin breakfast so I can get on the road quicker, but such wasn't the case this AM. I was typing in my car when an autistic kid walks up and begins talking to me. It was hard to understand everything he was saying, but he really wanted me to go eat breakfast. I think he was trying to round up anyone that he could! So I figured what heck, I'll just go ahead and eat. I joined him and his grandparents who probably had cared for him for most all of his life. It was enjoyable and was nice chatting with them. I went across the street to fill up and ended up meeting a man from Greensboro, NC so we ended up chatting for a bit too. It's never a simple, "I'm going from Alaska to NC," you always have a bit of explaining to do. We were interrupted by a lady trying to sell us some jewelry. So I finally hit the road, hoping to make to as far north into New Mexico as I could, with a stop being in Taos, NM. Well that never quite happened because I either took a wrong turn or missed my turn completely. I was bummed about that, but the route I did end up taking was quite beautiful. Leaves were turned and many of them had already fallen to the ground. All day I was surrounded by these incredible rock formations- very rich colors thanks to the sun and scattered clouds today. Anyways, the route I took put me about 60 miles west of where I wanted to be here in Colorado, but that is just fine. After my pit stop, the weather turned pretty nasty. As I was climbing the mountain, the rain quickly turned to snow- brought back memories of BC, Canada. It continued off and on until finally I hit dry pavement. I'm here in a town called Alamosa, Colorado. It's a decent sized town- they even have a Family Dollar! It leaves me with about 120 miles to cover til I reach Pueblo, CO, my stopping place for the next few nights. My friends are nice enough to give me an actual bed to sleep on for a bit, so that will be greatly appreciated!! I will try to post some pictures in the morning- the internet is working so well here! I missed out on the fair back home with the family tonight- I guess my sopapilla I had with dinner tonight is the closest I'll come to fattening fried foods with goodness on top! Hope yall ate well for me. I guess I will call it a night now since there isn't exactly much else to do... I'll wake with the sun again I'm sure! Oh yea, for the trip, I was only expecting to average about 16 miles per gallon, and I have been calculating each time I fill up. Well, today I hit an all-trip high. Over the course of 200 miles, I averaged 23 miles/gallon!! I was so excited. Too, I have driven 5200 miles as of this moment. That's all for now.

Nice to leave Las Vegas...

I guess it just wasn't for me. So many things about that place really turned me off. I don't know if it was the over-the-top buildings, thinking about the ridiculous amount of resources to run all those damn lights, the gold Donald Trump tower, the 8.5 month old pregnant immigrant passing out porn cards which ultimately wind up littering the streets- literally thousands of these things. Perhaps the kids of irresponsible adults who get dragged down into this mess and have no choice but to be surrounded by this trash. I guess Vegas is something everyone should do once- if only to make yourself appreciate being able to see the stars at night, which once I got out of the perma-glow of the city, it was incredible how dark and clear the night was. I much prefer to glow of the crescent moon as opposed to the half-naked women on the gigantic big screen trying to entice me to come into the casino to throw my money away- and to get drunk in the process in hopes of not remembering just how much money was spent the night before. It was interesting for sure. Being told to go back to BYU (a Mormon university which clearly doesn't support consuming alcohol), perhaps because I wasn't carrying a drink so large that it required a neck supporting strap, was amusing. Maybe under different circumstances I would have enjoyed it more. I was told by many people that I would have a blast. Fun was had, certainly, but I much prefer having a beer or two on the coast of somewhere beautiful as opposed to being surrounded by man-made monstrosities and littered streets. Anyways, enough ranting- maybe I'm just pissed off my bike got stolen! Sunday night I dropped Rachel off at the airport, so I am on my own now. Leaving Vegas, I made it to Seligman, AZ, birthplace of Route 66. It was a quaint little town, about 100 miles south of the Grand Canyon. This place was littered with crickets. Hundreds scattered as I rolled out of my car the next morning. Saw em jump about 3 feet high, and some of them were flying. I was glad to get out of there. Lots of trains in this part of the country too. The gentleman working there (which, by the way, 3 people said good morning to me that morning, which had not happened to me anywhere along the west coast, so that was pleasant) said about 80 trains pass through there a day, all hours of the day. It made it somewhat interesting to sleep as the tent area was as close to the track as anything else. One woke me up just in time to see the sun rising up out of the ground. The skies here are quite large- can see the stars at night at eye level, and it has been super clear each night. It was nice to spend some time wandering around that little town before my drive to the Grand Canyon. It took a couple hours to get there. I really took my time and was amazed by the number of people whizzing by me, only for me to catch up with them at the gate as we all waiting to pay up 25 bucks to get in. I guess they thought it was going to disappear if they didn't get there quick. The Grand Canyon was incredible, and I hung around until sunset, which was nice. My destination was as far past Flagstaff as I could go before I got tired. I made it here to Holbrook, AZ. I am not far from the New Mexico border and hope to make it to Taos, NM or even further if my eyes will let me. That means that tomorrow I will be in Pueblo, CO- finally getting to see Kelly, Amanda, and Ella at long last. It will be really nice to catch up with them and be able to give up driving for a few days. Sorry this is such a long post, but I had been falling behind. Adios.

That sinking feeling...

While we were staying in Vegas for two nights, we booked two separate hotels, which turned out to be a great idea. So Sat morning we had to check out, haul our stuff back out to the car and head towards our next night's home. It was about 4 miles away, so not too bad. Just before leaving the hotel, we could fight our temptation no more and indulged in one of several million Vegas buffets- ours cost 7.77- go figure huh. Too bad those numbers could never come up while we were gambling! It was your typical buffet, lots of overeating going on. We got our fill and headed out. As we walked towards the parking area, Rachel immediately noticed my bike was no longer on top of my car, where it has comfortably ridden along for two weeks now. Sure, it was a gamble to leave it up there. At first I was really kicking myself, thinking of things I could have done differently that would have given that bike a better chance to survive this trip. I feel as if there wasn't a whole lot of things I could have done outside of what I did- that putting it inside of my vehicle would have only tempted them to smash my window t take it out- cause I'm positive that would have taken less time than having to take tools to the lock that was securing it and do what they had to do to get it off. Bike gone is bad enough, but having to deal with a smashed window would have been even worse. My skis were not taken, as those are locked as well. Maybe they didn't have enough hands, I don't know. I shouldn't have to worry about these things and I shouldn't have to blame myself for some lowlife asshole stealing my shit. I worked pretty hard to get that bike, but I realize there is little I can do now about it. I did venture down to the police station to get a police report. All of the people that I spoke to regarding this matter were extremely helpful and I was grateful for that. Having saved all of the bike paperwork, I luckily still had to serial number for the bike. This is very helpful because many states keep databases of serial numbers of items that either turn up found, or pawned at the shops (many of which are 24 hours- I’m guessing so that people can pawn off their jewelry to keep on gambling for just a tad bit longer). This is my only hope, but given that this is roughly the 6th bike stolen from me and little success has been achieved in the past, I'm not expecting to ever see the bike again. I found it in me to laugh while at the police station when the kind lady asked me if I had ever been a victim of a similar crime in the past. I could have gone on and on with her, as we pretty much have to lock our bikes up inside our house now at home in Raleigh due to the high frequency of thefts, but decided to just tell her that yes, in the past I have had items stolen from me. Most all have not been from neglect, but rather the sheer determination of these dirt bags who make a life out of stealing from people who work hard and mind their own business. Luckily I remembered to tuck away everything else that night, such as my electronics and any straps that might even look like they belong to a purse or some other bag under the seat so as not to give anyone a reason to smash out my window. They certainly could have gotten money for my ipod or satellite radio…

Anyways, it took a few hours to put that partially in the back of my mind- realizing I was 600 bucks in the hole without even really gambling! Ouch!! After dealing with all of this, Rachel and I checked into our other hotel, Arizona Charlie’s on Boulder Strip- somewhat removed from the real chaos. This place was really nice, and considerably cheaper as well. Our room was set up like a suite- a couch and then two rooms with a tv in each. Blow dryer, check. Iron, check. Functioning shower water temps, check. More secure parking, check. All it required us to do was figure out the bus system so we could make it to the main strip. Most cities have an automated number you can call to get route information, and after a little research we got that number. Gave it a try and was amazed when a real person was actually on the other line ready to assist me. She was incredibly nice and helpful and 30 minutes later, we were on a bus to the strip. Our choice of footwear was flipflops, of course. Once on the strip, we watched the water show at the Belagio, then essentially walked from one end to the other, which is quite a good ways. There is lots to see for sure, but for the most part, from my experience, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen em all. Slot machines, card tables- same things over and over. Some hotels are just more difficult than others to find your way out of! Rachel saw Kathy Griffin in the bathroom at the Belagio- pretty random. We walked and walked, and walked some more to the point where our feet could stand it no longer. At about 2am we hop on the city bus back to the hotel and call it a night. Upon our arrival, we noticed our feet were disgustingly dirty- how were not exactly sure, but I have a couple guesses. The strip is a filthy place, in many more ways than one- our feet looked as if we walked barefooted the entire night when really our bare feet never touched the pavement. Pretty gross. It was certainly another interesting night in Vegas, and again, no luck gambling. Lot of Jazzy wheelchairs around Vegas I might add.

The freaks come out at night...

Part deux. Not hard to notice when you're in the heart of Vegas. One of the first things we see is a most heinous gold-windowed monstrosity. This city defines the word excessive, in a most disgusting sort of way. It is now our city to explore; the people, the buildings, and the oddities that are everywhere around us. The first night we stayed in a place called the Plaza Hotel. We walked into our room and were quite disappointed with the quality of our room- I mean afterall, we did pay 150 bucks for this place. We had no hair dryer, no iron, and two water temps: scolding hot and ice cold. Anyways, it is in downtown Vegas, or the "old strip." It was the end unit on the street called Fremont, home to two billion blinding lights, all housed under the "planet's largest viewing screen." It is a 700 yard long screen in which they display a lights show every hour, if not more often, for people to enjoy. We wandered in and out of many of the casinos along the Avenue, not finding a whole lot of difference in them each. It was pretty sad to see people with a bungee cord, spanning from their hip to the card slot of the machine- a seemingly endless supply of money that feeds their addiction that is gambling. These places certainly are an interesting mix of individuals. There is someone from every walk of life here, must have been hundreds of nationalities jumbled up in this place. Along Fremont, for most of the night, there were different live entertainment acts, which provided for great entertainment. One of these acts in particular, a cover band playing big hits from the 70's and 80's, was incredible for their ability to draw in some of the most spectacular dancers I have ever witnessed in my life. This is where Rachel and I took notice of their moves, only to return to our hotel and practice them over and over again, only quitting when perfection was reached. Rachel will perform them if asked, she has promised me this. We had the epileptic by "Big Country," the "shimmy" by half-pint, the "I'm going to the potty" by Dolemite (with a purse) and his woman, the "Officer don't arrest me lunge" by drunk white 15 yr old male with an ICP shirt on, and the "I'm cured, don't need my cane no more" by Mr. use-to-be-injured but now miraculously-healed-by-the-music. We came and went to this location several times over the course of the night, only to find most of the same people boogying down, still. It was hard to pull ourselves away. Our attention was split between that and the nickel slots, which is pretty much the only gambling we partook in. We later attempted the Wheel of Fortune game with as little success as we had with the nickel slots. Other mentionables we witnessed this night include (but again, not limited to): drinks so large that they needed a neck support strap, babies and toddlers of all ages passed out in strollers in casinos at 1am, a man telling us what he'd do with "a million dollars in hundred dollar bills" ohhh about 10 times (he told us he would buy a 2008 candy-apple red lamborghini, so that he could be who he really was), and airbrushed chippendales posing for photo-ops (we'll post those later). All in all, it was a nice welcoming evening to Vegas, seeing most of what we thought we just might would witness. Waking up the next morning wasn't as pleasant...

Oh, where do we even begin...

So we enjoyed our time in San Francisco, complete with a walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, walked down Haight Ave, and various other things. I developed two quite large blisters on the balls of my feet- ohhh about the size of a dime. Quite pleasant if you can imagine. We drove out of San Francisco on Friday evening, only to sit in traffic for two hours- really don't know how people could do that each and every day. We needed to cover a lot of miles, so we knew it would be a long night. We headed down towards Bakersfield and then onto Barstow. It was 2:30 am by this point but we saw a sign for a rest stop just 35 more miles ahead. We continued on, but only after jumping onto the most westerly point of Highway 40, which begins in lovely Wilmington, NC. We were curious if Barstow put up a sign indicating how many miles it is to Wilmington, as we have seen the Barstow sign in Wilmington a million times. We got onto 40 and sure enough, there was indeed a sign to Wilmington, NC- just 2554 miles away! That was pretty neat to be on the other end of this cross country highway. Oh doesn't man just do wonderful wonderful things (that's for you, Matt ;)). Anyways, we arrived at the rest stop, and well, it was somewhat lacking. Good thing we got there when we did because by morning, there was no running water. What was nice was the fact that is was in the middle of the Mojave desert, providing for a nice scenic backdrop. It left us only about 120 miles to Vegas, so we woke up and hit the road. Little did we know Vegas would have so many interesting experiences for us to be a part of. I cannot possibly include this all in one post, and my computer battery is dying, so we will save that for Vegas, part deux. To preview, my bike was stolen, Rachel and I have more dance moves to last a lifetime thanks to a handful of drunken, hearty dancers, and foot funk we can't seem to shake thanks to the filth of the Las Vegas Blvd.