Arkansas Adventures

Last Saturday Brother Don arrived at about 7:30 in the a.m. We fed him breakfast of bacon and eggs with hot coffee. Then I loaded my travel bag, including winter coat, gloves, sunglasses and hat, and off we went to Arkansas. The purpose of the trip was to retrieve household goods from storage at Brian's (Don's son) house, since Don and Karin had just moved into their house in Clarkdale. I went to share driving chores, primarily. And for the fun of the trip, of course. We planned a route that would include some stretches of road new to me, but without adding significant time to the trip.
Here it is: I-10 to Deming, NM, NM 26 to Hatch, I-25 to San Antonio, NM (not Texas), US 60 (new to me) to Santa Rosa, I-40 to Oklahoma City, I-44 to Tulsa, US 412 to Springdale, AR.(the last two new to me) We returned on the same roads except we stayed on I-40 to Flagstaff, then I-17 to Verde Valley.

The Story of the $500 Hat:
Don likes to drive on the top half of the gas tank. This is good for gentlemen of our advanced ages because it means frequent stops to limber stiff limbs and to relieve the bladder in a timely manner. It also provides ample opportunities to change drivers to avoid fatigue. Don has driven the roads between Springdale and Verde Valley countless times, so he knows all the good gas stops, eateries, motels and RV spots. He directed me to his favorite truck stop on the far side of Amarillo, then we decided to stay at the Super 8 next door. At the desk Don asked for a non-smoking room with two beds and I jumped in and suggested we stay in the presidential suite. The clerk didn't get it, so I explained that the presidential suite is the room reserved in case the president shows up unexpected. She said she didn't like Obama, so I said, "Perfect, you won't mind giving us his room." Next morning, way over in Oklahoma City, I realized I had left my Uof A hat at the motel. Well, on the way back, we were stopping at the same truck stop, so I pulled in to the Super 8 and went inside. The same woman was there along with a manager type. (The manager type was sitting counting money, that was the give away.) So I said, "Remember me, I stayed in the presidential suite on Saturday and I left my hat and was hoping somebody had saved it." The manager type said, "What was your room number?" Incredulously, I responded, "You don't know which room is the presidential suite?" Then I gave her our room number. Finally, she sent the clerk to look for it. She came back with my hat and I was all excited, but as it was handed to me, the manager type said, "That will be five hundred dollars." So I said they could put it on that credit card we used (Don's, not mine) and left. So now I have a $500 UofA hat.

Who put the Super in Super 8?
On the return trip we again chose a Super 8 to stay in, this time in Moriarity, NM. The day we got back to Clarkdale, we unloaded the truck and trailer into the garage, returned the trailer to U-Haul and were taking a much needed break when Karen's phone rang. The caller i d said it was her sister, Karla. Karla never calls to talk, she texts, so Karin thought it must be important. After she said "Hello" she immediately started laughing. When she hung up she explained that since Karla was listed as emergency contact, the Super 8 had called her to tell her that Don had left his partial dental bridge in the room. So he called them and arranged for them to mail it to him. They would charge the postage on his credit card. So now he has a $5 bridge thanks to the good folks at Super 8 who don't throw away things you leave in your room.

Two great Oklahoma road signs.
Approaching a construction zone we got the usual warnings about double fines in work zones. But I was surprised by a later sign containing just four words:
          BEGIN
      SPEEDING
       DOUBLE
         FINES
Later, right in the middle of Oklahoma, a state known for being windy, a sign warned:
        Crosswinds may be present

Learning slowly

I must be a slow learner.
I just helped Greg and family move. It was a lot of work!
I told him next time I will have a prior engagement.
So now brother Don has bought a house and is going to settle down after 18 years of wandering aimlessly.
Amazingly he kept a bunch of household stuff in storage all this time and now needs to move it. I volunteered to help! What was I thinking? Well, we don't have to pack boxes. Just load already full boxes into the U-Haul. We don't have multiple flights of stairs at both ends of the move where I have to keep accurate count to avoid a fall. It is mostly driving to and from Arkansas. I've never been to Arkansas, so I'm in.
He will pick me up in the morning, we will eat breakfast, then off on a road trip. Our only worry will be those  potentially nasty winter storms.
Wish us luck. I hope Arkansas is worth it.

Happy Birthday, Ariana

Our wonderful granddaughter is 5 years old today! She is the smartest, prettiest, kindest, giggly-est granddaughter anyone could every wish for. She goes to preschool, dances ballet, does gymnastics, plays piano, speaks a little Spanish and French and a lot of English and Japanese! She likes to ski and ice skate and create art. And, she told me a couple days ago that she can tie a bow! We think she is just AMAZING!

Aunt Casey and Ariana

Have a fun birthday celebration at school with your friends and have a great ice skating birthday party!

Chocolate is a good thing to have on one's birthday.

Grandma and Grandpa love you!

Finally....

We can stop holding our collective breath.
Julian Hibiki Thomas has joined the family.
He was born at 6:55 EST in Greenwich, CT. Weighed a hefty 8-11 and is pink and healthy.
We had been skyping all day with Ariana and Sumie awaiting the news. Greg kept us updated by email. We got to hear him crying on the phone just minutes after his birth.
It has been an exciting day. Peggie has the quilt top finished just in time. Now we are looking forward to our visit at the end of the month.
We just love that we are in this time of our lives and that technology has provided us with opportunities unavailable to the previous generation.