Planes, Automobiles, Food and Friends

We left Mooresville, IN at 11:30am on 12/31/10. Arrived at the IND airport at 11:47am. Andy left IND airport cellphone lot at 12:15PM. I stayed at the airport to take a flight from IND to Detroit to STL - for one reason - to maintain my Delta Flying Status. My flight was to depart at 1:25PM. At 12:45PM I got a notification on my phone that my flight was delayed 1HR. Andy stopped along HWY 70 at 1PM. At the gate, standing in line to see my options, I watched the CNN. Tornados were all across the mid-west and had already claimed 3 lives in Arkansas. I begged Delta to keep my 2 First Class Flights and the money I paid for the ticket in exchange for letting me keep my status in 2011. They denied me. Even if they could get me to Detroit there is no way my flight would have left for STL. The tornado continued on through IL taking 6 more lives in STL. At 1:15PM Andy started driving 70EAST back to the IND cellphone lot. At 2PM after exhausting every angle with Delta I got back in the car and together we headed WEST :)

We had not brought a lot of food for the road so once we got to STL we stopped at Whole Foods (Trader Joes was too far off 70) and got some hot food to eat. Driving through STL made me miss it a bit. I wanted to get out and run through Forest Park - one of my all time favorite 6 mile loops. I have some great memories of the city after living there 5+ years.

Back on 70W at 6PM Central Time we were back on the road. 

We set-up a bed in the back of the Pathfinder for road trips - lay down the seats and put our futon mattress in the back - perfect fit! Sheets, blankets and pillows - comfy! At 6M after driving 7 hours - Andy climbed into bed unfortunately it was way too early for him to sleep! I drove from STL to Topeka, KS - about 5+ Hours.

At 11:30PM I climbed into bed and Andy back to the driver seat. Andy drove from Topeka, KS to Oakley, KS and we did another switch. I keyed in Snooze Eatery to the Garmin and took off. At 7AM Mountain Time I slid (literally!) into the curb outside of our favorite breakfast place in the entire country.

We walked in and were greeted with Happy New Year! You are first customers of 2011 - breakfast is on the house! A perfect way to start the new year - free breakfast at Snooze. Seriously, if you are ever in CO you MUST go there for breakfast. They do serve a great lunch but the breakfast is too amazing to pass up. Brulee Oatmeal, Scrambles, Creative Sweet Pancakes (Strawberry White Chocolate Chip, Apple Cinnamon Snickers, Sweet Potato,... you can get a small one as a side or share one with your table), Burritos, Tacos - all with fresh organic ingredients of your choice. I had a naked breakfast burrito with black beans, goat cheese, spinach, garlic and eggs - yummers!

After breakfast it was still too early to see any of my Denver friends who had either worked the night shift nursing or went out on the town to ring in the New Year. So we headed to Park Meadows Mall to do some shopping. I worked for about an hour before the stores opened.

I got an iPAD for work - very excited! It is going to be great to use at the trade shows to show our presentations. It is also becoming a huge distraction from real work! Oops!

We also went to the one and only Silver Jean Store. There is only one actual Silver Jean Store and it is in Park Meadows Mall in Colorado - managed by my dear friend Calley. So, it is a must go on our CO trips. Andy got a pair of new jeans and I got 2 pairs - my are being hemmed and shipped to Portland.

After our shopping spree we went to go visit Calley and her boyfriend Aaron. I missed them terribly so it was great to drink some coffee, catch-up and meet Lola her new puppy from the rescue mission.

We said goodbye and headed up to the mountains. I almost cried when I drove into CO - it is so beautiful here. The clouds were red tinted and the mountains in the distance were bright white. As Andy drove up the hill I was able to look around and see what we have been missing! Mountains, snow, amazing people and a few favorite places to eat :)

We checked in to the Frisco Hotel. We needed to rest, shower and relax before heading out for the night. Well..I did. Andy showered and went to Rocky Mountain Roasters to see who was around. I showered, work and rested. At 6PM we headed to Vinny's for wine and food.

I am pretty much a vegetarian. I like meat but my body hates it and rejects it. Andy never eats pork - I say because he is Jewish but he says because Pigs are smart. Whatever our reasons for not eating pork - they do not come into play when we eat at Vinny's. He makes an incredible pork loin wrapped in bacon. It is so tender  - like butter. It is must order if are you ever in Frisco, CO. If you happen to be there around lunch  - go to Vinny's and order the BBQ - outstanding! Back to dinner....a bottle of Malbecpolenta and to end the evening you must always have his award winning Bread Pudding!

After that meal..I went to bed and Andy went to play some music. I needed to rest up to go for a run this morning. However, with temps at -8 I may wait a bit! I don't remember it being so cold here!

Okay...a little more about the drive. Our gas mileage is HORRIBLE!!!! We may as well have the RV. We just had the car checked over and had a few repairs so we are not sure what is going on. Our CO mechanic is not around this week and we are leaving today!

We are pulling the trailer so most of our stuff is in there. Andy event build a top the trailer so we can lock it up. It's ugly but pretty cool at the same time - he built so when he opens it up he has a table. He can just open half of it up and it has a "kick-stand" so the stuff is still partially covered. If it not too cold or snowy I will attach some pictures of the trailer in action!


Long post...read it in chunks! Not sure when I will post again. Frisco, CO to Portland, OR - 20 Hour Drive!

I just can't wait to get on the road again....

It has been way too long since my last post. I hate that. I love writing. It is my own fault. I can always make time to sit down and write for 20-30mins on where we are, what we are doing and who we are with. I am going to be better in 2011. My goal is to write at least 20mins each day - personal writing - not Newsletters, Press Releases, Marketing Pitches - just a journal. I can do it - 20 minutes minimum every day.

So...now that I have put in writing one goal for 2011 I will continue on with my original idea for a post :)

Andy and I basically ran out of NY on 12/18 trying to avoid the blizzard that was threatening to hit the eastcoast. Andy driving the HouseCar (RV) and I piloting the Pathfinder with the 2 ton trailer in tow.


Since we were rushing out of NY we didn't spend a lot of time mapping out directions, stocking up on food or taking the RV for a much needed dump run. We just left.

Nina made us dinner for the road (yummy!) and we walked out the door to start our 14 hour drive from NY to IN. It took us nearly 15 minutes to be able to pull out of the driveaway! Its gonna be a long trip!

New York traffic was typcially crowded and it was dark and I was pulling a 2 Ton trailer and following a 27' RV. Oh boy! We were going through a toll booth. Here is where better planning would have been nice.
1. We only have one EZ Pass which is for the Pathfinder (I never made time to get one for the RV!)
2. You cannot go through a Cash Lane with an EZ Pass in the City (found that out as I shelled out $8.50 for a toll that normal costs $5.00 on the EZPASS)
3. The toll booth exit area is not a place to stop and look at the map because you lost the RV you were following!

So....Andy was in a long toll line and I had no idea which of the 4 lanes to take. I chose one and eventually he chose another! Our cell phones were not working very well (I had not taken time to get Andy's phone updated) so we were having a hard time meeting up.

Finally about 45 minutes were able to communicate a place to meet up again. Oy!

We found a Flying J close to Pittsburgh which is half-way along the trip. Andy went to go dump the tank and it was FROZEN!! So....shitter is full and frozen. Moving on.

Andy parked both vehicles along side the semi-trucks and we slept. Andy had the curtains open to keep an eye on the trailer which is full of his tools and is open. He is building a top on it today/tomorrow so we don't have to worry about that again!

We mostly ate what we had in the housecar - coffee, tea, popcorn, cereal, etc. If we turn the generator on we can use the oven, microwave, heater, coffee maker, etc. Nice and comfortable to eat, use the bathroom and sleep in your house on a road trip! :) Love it!

We could not make it back to IN to watch the Colt's Game but we were able to find it on the radio. Which made the trip go much quicker for me. I also listened to a book on tape - John Grisham's new book - Confessions. I love to read but book on tapes do help a long drive. Andy listened to a book about the Beatles.

24 Hours after leaving NY we made it to IN! We have been here since then. On Christmas Day Tori and Sam flew in and they leave today. It has been a great relaxing time with the family.


Our plans now....

We did get the Pathfinder all ready to go for the next big journey. We only need one EZPass since we are leaving the HouseCar in IN for the next month. And we got Andy's phone updated and we are driving together. So all that is taken care of!

I need 522 more miles for me to keep my Delta status so I am flying from IN to STL via DTW on the 30th and Any will pick me up there.

We are heading to CO for a couple nights on our way to Portland.

Portland for about two weeks: hosting a party, helping with a trade show, getting rid of storage POD and seeing freinds.


From Portland to Salt Lake City for Outdoor Retailer for three nights.

SLC to Colorado for about a week: SIA trade show, skiing/riding, meeting clients, eating a Snooze, buying jeans and of course seeing all the people we miss dearly.

From CO to MS via IN - we hope!


Funny that we bought the RV excited to take it on this journey but it is does make sense to have it in the mountains in all the snow. We will do a similar trade show journey in the Summer with the RV and get to stay in CO much longer :)

Work, Live, Sleep, Breath On the Road

Living in an RV for the past six months has been quite the experience. We are learning about the RV and adapting to the lifestyle. A couple of things we get asked a lot.

1. How is RV living? 
2. Do you still love each other? or Do you want to kill each other? 
3. Are you going to live in the RV through the Winter? 

Here are the answers - at least the answers that I have today!

How is RV Living? 

We LOVE living in the RV. 

The bed we created with our futon mattress, memory foam topper and some of my favorite pillows and blankets is the most comfortable thing ever! 

Cleaning is quick and easy. I use the shop vac to vacuum before we leave anywhere and scrub down everything - it takes about 30mins and when I am done - it is spotless. I hate cleaning and was HORRIBLE and doing chores. RV living is for me!

The thing I love the most is that we don’t have “stuff”. There is no clutter and every thing has to and does have  place. I am still working on getting the files and dishes perfectly organized but since there is so much less stuff even that is manageable for now. We have nothing inside that we don’t use  - no figurines, souvenirs, extra anything. There is no room and it would just fall and break as soon as we put the HouseCar in Drive.  

Andy is going to build a few things when he has time and we have the money. Things that will make the RV look much nicer and be much organized. A new table and chairs that will be more comfortable to work from all day. He is going to build some shelves/boxes to organize, etc. 

Do we love/hate each other? 

Just like most newlyweds we had to figure out our own groove. It is just that our groove is confined to less than 100 SQFT! 

Andy is night owl and he has been working all day doing remodeling and all night doing web design, graphic design and video editing. At night when I go to bed he gets to veg out a bit - play a game on his iPhone, do a crossword, stare at the ceiling - quiet and alone with his thoughts. 

I am a morning person so I get up early and once I walk out of the RV to workout Andy gets the best 1-2 hours of sleep! I get my own alone time - working out, having a cup of coffee, tweeting, making a To Do list (I LOVE making To Do lists - it calms me!)

Are we going to live in the RV during the Winter 

Yes and No. It is Winter and we are living in it now and have been. So far, we have experienced hurricane type rain, sleet, snow and frost. Andy put a 100Watt bulb under the RV near the black, grey and fresh water tanks to keep them from freezing. He surrounds the bottom to trap in the heat with insulated foam board. Inside, he put another bulb close to the pipes. In 22 degree weather no problems. 

The propane furnace cranks out some amazing heat! We turn it on for about 20 mins to warm up and then turn it off to conserve gas. We have our small space heater to maintain the warmth. So far that is all we have needed. 

We have less than a month in NY and then we are driving to IN for Christmas. We will have to do a bit of winterizing in IN since we are keeping it there for a month - at least that is the plan this week!

More updates on our cross-country travel in January to come...once we know! 

What goes bump in the night

Andy and I are back in Afton in upstate NY. I am liking it more and more everytime we are here. There are a few reasons why:
1. It is beautiful up here in the Fall - last time we were up here the colors were so bright!
2. The sunsets on the lake are amazing - granted they are now at 5pm - but still very nice.
3. It is quiet here and though I have not been writing on my blog the past month - I have been writing and it is a nice setting for that.

With it getting darker and colder though it is a bit scary at night. I mean, Halloween was about a murder at a lakehouse right?

I came in the house and was looking for Andy. I hear someone come through the front door - "Andy? Andy? Andy?" Nothing. Then......someone walked in the room loudly. I SCREAM!! Oh - it's Andy but with his protective earphones on because had been sawing tile! Whew

Now it is about 6pm and it is DARK outside. The lights are on inside but it is pitch black outside. Anyone who wants to can see in - we can se nothing but a few lights across the lake. Andy is still working on the bathroom remodel but walks into the kitchen for dinner. We both stop - we have both heard something outside. I am now really scared becuase he looks scared. He walks outside with a hammer. A hammer! He is a black belt and fel the need to take a hammer. He walked the perimeter - nothing.

We eat dinner and have a drink - just a glass of wine - nothing major. Andy is going back to work so even less for him. As we are finishing up Andy decides to go into town to get something sweet - a cookie from the bakery is what I am hoping! ;) (Don't judge, we ran today) He leaves. I feel safe. If he left, he must feel that I am safe. He came back in and decided it was best to stay. Oy!

I am sure it is nothing. I remember camping many many nights in the backcoutry alone. Most nights it was nothing more than my imagination scaring me. (most nights I say because I do have some scary stories of camping alone) I would hear something and let me creative mind go a million miles away before concluding it was an acorn dropping, marmot scurring or an elk running.

We sleep in the RV at night, lock the door and don't leave until morning. My husband is a black belt. We pray every night. We'll be fine....

Good night

Angry with God...

I love God with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind. And sometimes I yell, scream and question Him.

I am not the first believer to shout out in frustration to God - David wrote psalms shouting at God, Jesus quotes one "My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?" Job questions why God even allowed him to be born. Isaiah questions why he asked to talk to people who do not listen or hear and instead ridicule him.

God took it all. He didn't banish these men from Heaven or His Kingdom or even from continuing to do His work. He asks Job "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?...Have you ever in your life commanded the morning..."

Isaiah reminds us that God's ways are not our ways and His ways are higher than our own.

David falls weeping and reminds us of God's faithfulness. "As for me I will call upon the Lord"

I don't understand God at times. When He gives good gifts to His children and then watches as the joys are ripped away. I get angry. I yell. I scream. I weep. I cry out in tears and rage questioning the Almighty God  - asking "Why?"

I am thankful that God knows my heart and He is with me in the pain. His Spirit comforts me and reminds me that He alone made the Light, He created my face, He will heal my heart and the hearts of those I love, He is in control - not me. I fall at His feet.

Where else could I go but to the Lord.

Thank you for loving me enough to let me pound my fist on Your chest, Father, and for holding me tight until I fall at your feet.

Frog Pond....Afton NY

I feel bad about my rant on Afton, NY yesterday.

I was making my now famous Tabouli Salad and needed some more fresh ingredients. It was pouring down rain but decided to see if Frog Pond was open anyway.

Frog Pond is a farmer's market shopper's dream. Rows and Rows and even more Rows of fresh fruits and vegetables. It ALMOST made me want to really get into cooking and baking. A real chef could have come home ready to make fresh apple pie, pumpkin pie, butternut squash soup, vegetable soup, pumpkin soup, breads of all sorts. If you are a real baker or chef - come visit - I will buy if you cook :)

I needed basil, red onion, cucumber....I bought all that plus honey crisp apples (my favorite), tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, hot peppers, sweet peppers, broccoli. All for $8.50. Good food - inexpensive and 3 miles up the road. I love it!  I already had so I didn't buy but would have: plums, pears, red cabbage, brussel sprouts (they are really good if you know how to cook them and I actually do). 

I hope they are still open when we come back up in a couple of weeks. As long as we have hummus and tzatziki  we will be set for lunch and dinner.

OHHHHH and most importantly the people were so NICE! The man who was doing running the cash stand was amazing - he did it all in his head out loud. Seriously impressive and pretty funny too. The people in line were very friendly and chatted about making squash and apple pies - I listened and drooled.

I went for a quick trip to Horton's - of course they were as helpful and nice as always. So..I decided to go to the Bakery - just to see what they had. Cold rainy day and they do make the most amazing soups (not as good as Nina's...). Of course they had my favorite in the crock pot - pumpkin thai soup - I had to! The girl was polite and my order was correct.

Afton could grow on me...I do love a small town.

"I was born in small town...I can live in a small town..."

I love that song! I was born in a small town, love living in a small town, can talk to sweet Jesus in a small town and will probably die in a small town. I am overwhelmed at times when we are in Long Island but as long as I stay in my comfort zone of Locust Valley, Glen Cove, Brookville, I am okay. I LOVE NYACK.

Nyack is one of my favorite small town in NY. It has the water, the Nook, Rockland Bakery (you all know my relationship with bread by now), several pastry shops (again with the breads) and Black Bear where I can watch the Colts. I can walk from Leah's into town for coffee or run to the Nook and continue on for miles jogging along the Hudson. The people are friendly and seem glad you there and enjoying there town. Oh and spending money in their establishments!

If we stay in NY I can see us settling in Nyack. It is close to LI - just shy of an hour away and close to my  other favorite small town Gardiner. We have amazing friends in Gardiner/New Paltz area. There are also some great restaurants, delis, bakeries and farmer's markets up there. If it were closer to LI it would be an even tougher decision. For now....being close to family and the airport wins out. But, Jan Jan don't be surprised if we end up moving in next door (i.e. your front yard) with the RV for chunk of the summer :)

This is our second trip up to Afton and I am so very disappointed in the people who live here. It is as if we were plotting to come through to buy up the land and build a mall! The first two weeks we came up most everything was closed - it was July 4th and apparently the time shops closed up before the busy season began. The Main Street Bakery was open and Marian had told us it was outstanding! She was right. The fresh baked cookies, scones and deserts....I need a moment.... Good coffee and amazing salads - fresh produce from local farmers - yummers! But, the people that worked there were so rude! Our order was always wrong and never once did I complain. I tipped very well knowing I would be in there daily for the next two weeks. Nothing but rudeness. How fast could I leave please is all they seem to care about.

The one place where the people were friendly in town - the hardware store - not the big True Value up the hill (they were also very very rude!) but the local one on Main St - Horton's. I went True Value one time because Horton's didn't carry something we needed (sheets of drywall) and I told Andy I would rather drive to Oneonta the Home Depot.

On a side note we spent some time in Bainbridge at pizza place and coffee shop in  Oneonta and nothing but kindness.

Now we are back in Afton for the week. Andy stopped in to the Bakery to surprise me with an oatmeal raisin cookie (yep, he loves me) and he said the same lady was working there and was still incredibly rude. I went for my run this morning and decided to stop by the local bar to see if they had the NFL ticket. The guy literally shook his No and turned his back to me.

So very sad. If you are from a small town...please be nice to the tourists, newcomers, etc. I know they increase the traffic (I lived in mountain town - I get it!!), they raise the gas prices on the weekends, increase the wait at your favorite brunch spot but they also bring in some revenue. Being a small town should feel like home even if it is not your own. That is part of the charm and what sets us apart from the City.

What is your favorite small town? Post some pictures, comments, stories, best places to go, etc. I want to stop in!!