Reunited!

They finished the van early!  I picked up my van and returned the Jeep to the rental place.  It was a great chance to see that no one in the family, myself most of all, likes a Jeep.

A few things I did not like: it felt flimsy, the passenger seat was nearly in my armpit, the back seat was teeeeeeensy, there was no proper space to put things.  It had 2 cupholders, lots of shallow slots, an open area in front of the passenger seat that things slid back and forth and flew out of and the windshield was so far away that putting my phone on it with the suction cup thing to use as a GPS was impossible.

Shutting the rear hatch made the door feel like it was made from a couple of those disposable turkey pans stapled together.

What I did like-it had good clearance, long a complaint of mine with the van.  It got slightly better gas mileage, though it had a wee little 11 gallon tank.  It does me no good to get more MPG if I have to stop even sooner to refill than I do in the van.  Though I did get my $22 fill up fantasy fulfilled.

Anyway, I have my van back and the Jeep is banished to Planet Enterprise.  I have a LOT of travel decals on the van from places we have gone.  I wasn't going to sticker it up like I did Nettlevan and held off for the better part of a year.  Then I decided it's my freaking van.  STICKERS!  I was doing state flags on the back and that of course was hit.  The body shop was able to take the rear window off the other lift gate and reuse it, so I got to keep half my stickers.  I reordered what I needed to and I realized why the back looked so weird-it wasn't that it was blank, it was that it was BLANK.  No Kia insignia!  I immediately ordered Batman symbols to replace it.  hahaahaha!  When I went by the car shop to pick up the SIX PAGES of what they did to the van (ACK, it was $2500, it was nearly totaled out for a freaking lift gate!)  they had the new SEDONA strip to put on.  I said, "No way!"  They gave it to me and it's on the changing table in the living room now.

The changing table was Matt's dad's when he was a baby.  His dad's mom was freaky tall, so us mere mortals just use it as a cabinet, since the changing surface is about nipple-height.  It's still called the changing table, though it has not seen a baby butt in over 60 years.  I never used a changing table, just the foot of the bed.  Which is another reason to make the bed the minute you get up.  It is the platform for the rest of the day!  Ben and I are bed makers.  Jake and Chan are not.  And who has the most luxurious hair and nails in the whole house?  Nia, but Ben and I are close seconds. Coincidence?  No. Because after you make the bed, you take your hair and nails gummy vitamin. It's called routine and it's lacking in 2/3 of the under-25 set around here.

Speaking of under 25, Jake will be 22 this year and Ben will be 18.  It SEEMS like it's a long way off, but it's already mid-year already.   I just need to be horrified a bit.  Okay.  Jake had a margarita last weekend.  He didn't like it.  But the fact that he can just go buy one is alarming.

Enjoy this pic of Murphy Jones

And this snake that was under the gate.  

Part Three: Disney Springs

We crashed at our AirBnB for Friday night after doing laundry and having hot showers!  Oh, and dinner at IHOP.  

Saturday we got up early to go to Apopka to swim.

did not need to know that, gas station!

Florida Mars!

We got there at 10, but they were already closed for the day.  We got a voucher to get back in after 2 and with 4 hours to kill, we made Chan's dream come true-Disney Springs.

This child, I am sure, only came because of the off chance that we might go by Orlando somehow.

Happy Level 5

We wandered, spent money on super necessary items like pins and a mini light sabre.  

But mostly we walked around, looked at everything, ate various stuff and posted cell phone pics left and right for a few hours.

By the time 2 p.m. rolled around, so did the storm clouds.

The bottom fell out, so we did the only logical thing.  We got on a bus to the Contemporary. 

From there, we took the monorail to TCC, then transferred and rode it to EPCOT.

We got off at EPCOT and took a bus back to Disney Springs.  The whole exciting event lasted exactly as long as the rain.  We celebrated with dinner at the Earl of Sandwich, the only place I know of in the Springs where you can get a full meal for under $10 a person.
We split a Ghirardelli  brownie cup.
Then Chan got a churro.

$125 of Matt's future income is going into riding around the lake in one of these, he's enthralled.

Sugared up, we headed for the exit.  We made one more stop at Pop Art where Chan bought some more pins and I HAD to ask about the Earle prints they had for sale.  2 of them were not prints but originals selling for $22k each.  They had one print of one of my favorites for $1200, signed by the artist.  Chan was chanting, "roof, roof" but I nearly caved.  Damn roof.  And, well, we don't really HAVE $1200 for me to buy a copy of a painting with.  But for just that moment, my hand was moving toward my wallet, I was already thinking of where it would hang, Dang, budgets are so the crappiest things.  I was teary eyed as we left, I thought the sales guy was going to hug me, I was so bummed.

The sun was breaking through to beam the Swan and Dolphin as we got back to the van.

Matt drove us until about 11, I took over until we were nearly to Birmingham, then he finished us up getting home.  I love driving overnight like that as long as I am not too tired.  I set the cruise control to 71 and never had to do anything but steer for a solid 200 miles, then the speed limit dropped to 65, so I had to adjust and keep on going.  Right through Atlanta and back out, waved at Six Flags, hit the AL state line before I had to use the brakes.  By then it was rest stop time!

We got home in 9.5 hours, I was pretty happy to realize it's not actually a 12 hour drive after all.

We got home and I laid down at 5 for a nap and when I woke up at 9, I had not moved at all.  My body was DONE moving for a while.

But tomorrow is teeth cleaning for the kids and me, it's Matt's first day at the new job, I have to get an estimate on the van, Melissa is waiting to hear if I will be joining her on the AT next week and of course there's house cleaning and yard mowing and grocery shopping already on the to-do list.

I am grateful to have had this week long lull in the day to day and to spend it with Matt and Chandler.  We missed Ben, but were happy he missed out on the hair-whipping the island provided so freely.  

Training Hike, take 1

Loaded the pack with 20 pounds of stuff and headed into Bankhead with Matt for the afternoon.  We walked to Caney Falls (about 3/4 mile) and then to the lower falls, another 3/4 mile or so, then beyond.  We crossed the creek a dozen or so times, crawled under fallen trees, climbed over fallen trees, slid down embankments, jumped rocks, walked logs, climbed down a cliff and did some cross country trail-free hiking.  I was a little wobbly at the start with the pack on, but quickly got my bearings.  I also walked the whole way out without stopping!  There are a couple climbs.

The worst of it was the rain-everything was slick and slippery-and the constant creek crossings.  I got hung up on low branches more than once.  One time, my hair clip clamped on a branch I was going under and I was stuck.  Another time, a bare branch got hung on one of my pockets and Matt had to come get me free.

Not much backpacking is like Bankhead, few trails have sliding, climbing, balancing and jumping as part of getting from Point A to Point B, but I have always loved that kind of hike as long as I can get dry and clean after!

Matt came up with an idea for a YouTube show about all the stuff no one tells you about with regards to hiking and backpacking.  We entertained ourselves the whole hike with ideas for the women's segment.

We did just over 4 miles in about 4 hours, but I don't care too much about the numbers, we had a great time and I got in some good practice.

One of my favorite quotes of the day was when Matt was sailing, on his butt, down a cliff face with the random notion of stopping himself via smacking a log.  I had dubbed the action 'glissading' after the tradition of sliding down snowbanks on your butt while backpacking.  He yelled, "Is it still glissading if there are saw briers?"  I went a different way.  ha!

And, finally, a sad note.  Jessie is in serious decline.  She's had what the vet suspects is a stroke.  She was so far gone afterward that I thought we'd be burying her on Christmas Eve, but she rallied.  Then another that night, and another rally, but she's not back to herself and spends most of the day on her side, staring.  She's not in pain that we can tell and will lift her head and interact, even get up and walk around, then collapse again.  Just going out to pee leaves her exhausted.

I don't know how much longer she has, but it's likely days.  

I've sobbed myself out, even Jess is like, "Oh, this again" when I get going.  But damn.  She's been a good dog and she' been our dog, for 12 years now.  It's going to leave  hole for sure.   

May!

Well, nearly a month since I blogged.  hahaha

We started the month in New Mexico via Oklahoma for a couple of days.  Then up to Santa Fe and down through ABQ, Truth or Consequences, White Sands, Carlsbad and back home via Abilene and a quick stop at the zoo there.  Chandler really likes zoos.  I would move to Albuquerque in a heartbeat.

Back home, we did the laundry-mow-clean up fest and then rested a bit.  Matt and I took off over the previous weekend to backpack while Ben and Chandler stayed with friends.

And now we are on the eve of the Panther Run, Jake is going to sign for a car loan today, Matt is awaiting the news of the salary bump following his new promotion.  It's been a busy several days, today being some kind of apex day in which many things happen at once.  Fingers crossed for $20k more a year!  It won't be nearly that much, but why not have high hopes.  hahaha!

Finished the Hannibal series yesterday. WOW.  That last line was so perfect, wow.

Watched The 5th Wave a couple of days ago.  AVOID AVOID.  It has seriously the worst chemistry between characters who should not even be thinking about love.  Spoiler alert:  A Boy Saves The Day.  After the female lead goes through all kinds of stuff but mainly just has really really good timing for walking in and out of places.  Also, Liev is in it which is why I did not turn it off halfway through.

Tonight, I am going to eat dinner and see a movie with my bestie from elementary school.  She has started dating after 7 years and I could do a blog just for her hairbrained adventures.  OMG, I am SO SO SO glad to just be a housewife and not have to wade those waters.  I have been on a couple dates with her as a third wheel and it's all I can do not to bolt for the exit.  Between worrying about what to say and what to wear and having to maintain hair and nails and makeup and then there's wondering if the guy is psycho.  Not many people are single at 45 without some baggage of some sort.

I just want to add that hot shells and cheese is the best thing ever, I don't even care that it has zero nutrients.

And, here are a couple pics from the backpacking trip!  (NM trip at eopapaver)

We are SO CUTE

I hate hills.  THIS hill made my knee start hurting!  

Ranger Falls, the last 'named' feature in South Cumberland that I had not seen!!

We all have matching packs, Karen and I have the girl pack and Matt and M have the boy pack
Karen packed 5 POUNDS of clothes, so her pack is stuffed.  hahaha

Matt and I are hanging side by side and it was COLD overnight.  eep

The ears.  *squee*

Suter Falls

I wanted to go to Horsepound so Matt could see that falls, too, but my knee was KILLING me.
That's a new ailment and one I intend to nip in the bud, I can't have that!

Next week is another busy busy one.  Major field trip Monday, camping until Thursday, 4 day weekend in which we will hike in the rain on purpose!  If it rains.

I have been fighting off something horrible that wants to live in my sinuses and behind my ears.  I can't get that ear pressure to let up with the OTC meds I have, I have been thinking about...going to the doctor.  UGH  Even typing it makes me want to just take to my bed. My latest efforts have included so much hydration that I can only make it 15 minutes between bathroom runs.  I will be loads of fun at the movie tonight.

AH well, all caught up-the highlights anyhow.

Home

This is how close that guy on his 4 wheeler was to the house!  Who comes that close to a house, sees a mowed path to the gate and thinks, "this is so totally public property, wheee!"?

The north loop is COVERED in poison oak along one stretch.  UGH!

I don't know what this is!

squaw root

I walked out to lounge Sunday afternoon.  It was lovely!

Matt wandered out to join me!

A tick, they are SO BAD out there, we are thinking about just keeping the trail to the cliff open and letting the rest go for the summer because the poison oak and ticks are both thick.
Murphy Jones has 'hair' and not fur, plus it's white, both are tick magnets.  We picked 100 ticks off his 20 pound body 2 weeks ago and he has regular doses of Advantix. the other dogs had 4-5 ticks each, which is WAY more than usual.  The ticks were nearly all dead, but still attached.  It was bad in a few spots on MurJo, like his little arm pits.  He cried and cried and I felt horrible I just did not think about checking them!  Now we check him every single time and are usually able to get them off him before they attach.  As you can see, the ticks are TINY, it wasn't like he was covered in lumpy black things.  :(

It's summer on the bluff!

I finally got Matt to hang right next to me.  WOW, what a ordeal and I am over that little fantasy of cuddling in our pods.  He's a bit of a drama queen about hanging the hammock, though I did buy him much easier to use straps.
still not easy enough!

We hung out until sunset

The last of the light hitting the treetops, so pretty!

We have had a gorgeous run of weather.  It's been cool, sunny, light breeze.  The flowers are amazing, it's rained enough to keep the creeks going but not enough to keep the trails muddy, April has been perfect!

Today I am home on my own.  I have been singing, reading, piddling with a few organizing things.

 We have a trip coming up in a few weeks, camping in Virginia.  Katy is organizing the stay, we just have to show up!  Before that is Matt's week off and I am planning a pretty epic-if-short trip.  We had planned a backpacking week at Shenandoah and the AT is closed through there due to forest fires.  ACK!  So time for plan B. But on the super cheap because our original trip was driving there, parking for the week and eating food we already have while sleeping for free every night!  At least I can still bring lots of easy to prepare meals!