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.

Time marches on

Has it been ten days already?
That must be how it happens. Seemingly small increments of time slip by unnoticed and before you know it; gray hair, or no hair.
We are awaiting the birth of the grandson. Meanwhile, Ariana is about to turn FIVE! WHAT?
I just downloaded AARP info on Medicare.
Yeah, I thought I should review it while I'm still young.  Oops, too late.
Greg and Amy Welden were here for a few days. Greg showed me how to place smaller stones between the bigger ones for the patio. The good news is that we ran out of smaller stones. That means I get to go gather more, which I enjoy, and I have to stop working on my hands and knees for a while, which makes me sore. But if and when I get it done, it is going to look great.
I've been here writing for five minutes already and still no grandson. Is time standing still?
Ha!  If only.

Back home again.

So GaT has moved. Unfortunately, it is a temporary move, and will have to be repeated soon. For a temporary situation, they have a good one. Close to major roadways, and shuttle to trains. It has a good space for piano lessons.
I got to miss the record breaking cold in Tucson, but enjoyed a fresh snowfall there. Best of all, I got a lot of quality time with Ariana. I know that grandparent comments and opinions are cliche, but she is an amazing child/person.
And Peggie and I will get to return soon to welcome the family newcomer.
A word of advice to all: don't move when you are close to delivering a baby. One big event at a time is enough. Don't move at all. It is a lot of work.
I won't bore you with all the details, but you should know that when carrying things that block your view down stairs you should know how many steps there are. The back stairs are half-flights with seven steps each. The front stairs are half-flights with eight steps each. Important difference. But I survived the fall with no bruises or broken bones and no embarrassing witnesses.
It is also a good idea to get your responsibilities straight. One should not leave one's granddaughter at gymnastics class thinking someone else will pick her up. When you finally get it right, she will greet you with "Why are you late?" Uhhh, well.......
Also, when driving at night in heavy fog, pay close attention to your exits or you might take a ten mile detour down the wrong road, and she will say, "I've never been here, before."
While I am on the subject of  "don'ts," don't park for two and a half hours in a two hour parking space, ($25), and don't fly home through Houston on a day that started with dozens of fog-cancelled flights or you will encounter a terminal full of people who have spent the day trying to get rescheduled.
But, if you get the chance to help out while spending time with kids and grandkids, do it.

Too excited to sleep!!

Greg says Ariana is so excited for me to go visit that she is counting the sleeps until I get there.
Only one to go. But, I am excited, too.
Since Tomoko has overbooked (she is nine months pregnant, and moving, and working, and mothering) I am getting to go to White Plains to help out. Tomoko gets to add bossing me around to her duties. My purpose is to make her life easier and help limit the times she climbs stairs, carries more than the new baby, runs errands, etc. Some of my duties will be to spend quality time with Ariana. Well, somebody has to do it.
I will spend 12 days freezing my &#@* off, schlepping stuff to the new place, shuttling Ariana, shopping, and looking for any excuse to stay indoors.
And to add to the excitement, today I finally won the lottery. Sort of. A little bit. Well, I won $50. That's more than I have ever won before. Baby steps. The big one is coming.
Speaking of babies!! The new one is coming!!!
I'm too excited to sleep!!!!! :)