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Recapping My last few months

Okay now after months of typing and editing I have finally finished my PCS Diary I can finally talk about something else. I am just going to recap the last few months with pictures instead of words. I think it is a lot more fun.

July

Our new Texas Home

We finally got to see fire works together

So much personality

Tucker Bandit Orr

August

Bandit's new friend Gunny

First Rainbow I had seen in months

Spoiled Rotten

I was so excited when my friend Kristen moved to San Angelo

Evil Geese that chase me home from work

I got a job at the Local YMCA

A tree fell on our fence in the back yard

Broke my heart to leave him home while I was in Georgia

On My Way to Georgia for a Visit

September

I love when the In-laws visit. And the Love Bandit

My youngest nephew is getting so big

Hershey the Otter

My little sister can make a mean cupcake

I am so happy for my Dad and his new wife

I love Trent and Ansley

Will has grown up so much

I got to experience a nice storm while I was home

Trip Back to Texas

What a Happy Dog we Have

My Beautiful Anniversary gift

October

Pretty flowers from my walk to work

Yep he is our dog, or we are his humans one.

We are having so much fun volunteering at a haunted house

My sweet friend Ally

Finally A Girls trip Out to a concert

Chris Young Concert!!!

We Love our Bandit

*** As I began figuring out how to catch up with my life, Christopher and I got our Orders. We are moving to North Carolina and we leave next week for Georgia for a month!!!****

PCS Diary: Part Seven/Eight

Day 4:

On our last and final day of travel, June 29, 2011, we got on road early enough that would we have time to house/apartment hunt. For the second day in a row it was a nice long drive of absolutely nothing. I did get excited over following and safely passing our first tractor.

After a while I did notice a sign that had my attention for a few minutes. It was for I-20, the road that would take us all the way home to Georgia while we were driving through Big Spring, TX. Once outside Big Spring we got to drive by another wind farm and several oil rig thingys, (not sure what they are really called)

Our last day was a very short day getting into San Angelo early and started our house hunting immediately. But we were not successful until we checked into our hotel and checked our email. Luckily we got a rare chance to look at a house first thing the following morning. And started looking for the newest member of our family. After that we when to sleep ending our trip on a high note and hopes for our new future in Texas.

Best Trips for Travel:

1. Do not let your tank get below a quarter of a tank because there are several long stretches of road that will not have any stops. If you think you can make it to the next town and miss judge you are SOL because several of these wide open spaces of nothing usually have no cell phone service or gas stops.
2. GPS is your BEST Friend
3. Drink lots of water
4. Don't be Tough make stops, don't try to drive straight through
5. Ask everyone if they have a military Discount. Trust me its worth it
6. Always have a separate bag with extra clothes
7. Invest in a good pair of sunglasses
8. Travel comfortably (If you want where clothes that you can easily fit a pair of jeans over)
9. Be willing to be spontaneous

PCS Diary: Part Six

Day 3:

Waking Up Wednesday, June 28 I felt refreshed for the first time since I found out we were moving. When we first woke up it was already close to 10am so we were already “off-schedule” and very hungry. So we decided to take it easy for the day. After we checked out of our room and put everything back in the Uhaul, we headed backing into the Hotel to eat a very nice Breakfast (compliments to our wonderful winnings from the night before). We ate at TIWA a nice little restaurant that had wonderful food. After we got our food a group of gentlemen came in and it appeared that they were some kind of band. I felt bad for not knowing who they where so I got on my handy dandy iPhone and looked them up. Turns out we were eating Breakfast right next to Cinderella the 80s Hair Band. I thought it was kind of cool.

After Breakfast Christopher decided to hit the slots one more time. At first he wasn't doing that well and then he found “his machine.” He go on this incredible hot streak and won an additional $150 which covered our Hotel expenses. I was also allowed to visit the Gift shop. I came out with two shirts, a magnate (of course), and a shot glass for Christopher.

Not "The Machine" but we liked it

Excited after his big win

When we finally got back on the road in the early afternoon and planned to stick to our plan of taking it easy for the day and rerouted to see Roswell, New Mexico. As we found our way back to Route 66, we quickly stopped for gas and got back on the road. We didn't get very far before we realized that we forgot to put the gas cap on and had to stop just outside Enceno, New Mexico.

This day of driving was full of absolutely nothing. And this is when I did most of my writing for my blog, I kind of liked having the time to write but I also wanted something more inspiring outside my window besides the world of wide, flat, open nothingness.

I was told that I specificity need to write down that at 15:44 we ran over our first tumble weed. At the time we were 65 miles away from Roswell, NM. I am not going to lie I was kind of excited to see were the craziness all began.

Right before we got to Roswell we saw an Antelope and decided to figure out the words to the song “Home on the Range”. Needless to say I know the whole song now.

Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,

Where the deer and the antelope play,

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Chorus

Home, home on the range,

Where the deer and the antelope play;

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Where the air is so pure, the zephyrs so free,

The breezes so balmy and light,

That I would not exchange my home on the range

For all of the cities so bright.

Chorus

The red man* was pressed from this part of the West

He's likely no more to return,

To the banks of Red River where seldom if ever

Their flickering camp-fires burn.

Chorus

How often at night when the heavens are bright

With the light from the glittering stars

Have I stood here amazed and asked as I gazed

If their glory exceeds that of ours.

Chorus

Oh, I love these wild prairies where I roam

The curlew I love to hear scream,

And I love the white rocks and the antelope flocks

That graze on the mountain-tops green.

Chorus

Oh, give me a land where the bright diamond sand

Flows leisurely down the stream;

Where the graceful white swan goes gliding along

Like a maid in a heavenly dream.

Chorus

When we got to Roswell we decided to have dinner. If you are ever in Roswell, NM, never ever eat at the Applebee's. It was the worst service we have ever experienced and it is hard to displease Christopher. After the worst dinner ever we headed in to town to explore. Sadly the Roswell museum was already closed, (that town shuts down really early) but we were still able to walk in to a tourist trap store and buy me another magnet, since that is all that really mattered to me. We were back on the road quickly and heading for Texas.

Roswell, NM

Our planned short day worked out amazingly. We stopped in Brownfield, Texas for the night before 21:00 about 3 hours outside of San Angelo, Texas. When we got settled I was able to take a nice relaxing bath and then slowly drifted in to the best sleep I had the entire trip.

The PCS Diary: Part Five

 Day 2:

I don't know how I did it but Day two is full of somewhat spontaneous detours and amazing adventures. The second day of our trip is by far my favorite day of the whole trip.

Waking up on Tuesday, June 28 was the last thing I wanted to do that morning. I was still so tired from getting in late and I had a hard sleep but got no rest. Breakfast was short and sweet at the motel before we were back on the road. It felt good to start our second day on the Historic Route 66, I bought my first magnet of the trip here. Through out the rest of the day we continue to drive on or along side Route 66. It felt more real and important to be traveling along side History.

Now that we are back on the road and have a better understanding our gas mileage we decided that we would take today a little slower by adding in a few extra stops along the way.

I convinced Christopher that I would die if I wasn't able to see the Grand Canyon, since we were so close and it wouldn't be that far out our are way. So we rerouted our navigation for the Grand Canyon. Along the way we ran into some of the crazy wind I have ever felt. Christopher was clearly stressing out over the way the wind was pushing us off the road and it was taking all of Christopher's strength to keep us safe. “His butt hole was clenched really tight” as he said. The crazy wind did bring one cool think with it though and that was the random Dust tornadoes I Kept seeing. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that. Oh and the only radio station we could pick up was the Travel station. Talk about boring information I don't care about!

Apart from the dust storms and the crazy wind, most of the trip up to the Grand Canyon was uneventful and boring with the vast nothingness that was the desert we were driving through. We did stop in a cute little town for lunch and to change in to nicer clothes. The town was full of cute little stores and you could tell that they used the tourism from the Grand Canyon to their advantage. Once we got to the Grand Canyon National park, I was ready to jump out of my seat.

We parked at the south rim of the Grand Canyon and got out. The heat was incredible the wind was even hot, I was surprisingly comfortably for being in a sleeved T-shirt and a pair of jeans. I was excited to finally see one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it was going to be a first for both Christopher and I (that made it even more special to me). Its a little bit of a walk to the rim of canyon, but it was all worth it. The view of this Natural Wonder took my breath away. I loved the pureness of it all and the was the colors and shadows painted a beautiful landscape. Christopher just said “Yep, its still a big ass whole in the ground.” I love him and his sarcasm sometimes. I wasn't allowed to stay very long, “We were on a schedule” as Christopher put it and in out rush to leave I completely forgot to go to the visitor center and get a Grand Canyon Magnet. (So if anyone ever goes to the Grand Canyon can you please pick me up one?)

So its back to the Uhaul. Once we back on the road we got to endure more crazy wind and dust storms but this time we get to add steep uphill grades that Christopher already hates to the core. We drove on HWY180 to head towards Flaggstaff, Arizona. As we went we started to notice that the orange and yellows of the landscape was slowing becoming many shades of green and brown. And that is when we passed through two national forests and the San Francisco Peaks. We trekked up this slowly rising mountain as we passed 6,000ft in elevation to 7,000ft. As we came to a slightly flat and open portion of road we drove right by Kendrick peak, it was a beautiful site to see nature's true beauty untouched and unharmed. As we continued on down the road, we noticed that we were still climbing higher in to the mountains (the Uhaul was not making the trip easy) and for the first time in my life I was above 8,000 ft above sea level, 8,046 ft to be exact. We also passed through Snow Bowl, Arizona which apparently has amazing skiing in the winter. And then we hit Flaggstaff, which claims to be first “Dark” city in America. It was a quite little town that appeared to have a different pace than the rest of the world bustling through to who knows where.

Kendrick Peak

Highest Elevation point I have ever been

Flaggstaff was the last town we hit before we drove through the Open Cattle Ranches, which just a nice way of saying a really boring stretch of road.

Christopher decided that we could not take anymore detours after the Grand Canyon but then we started to see the billboards for a Meteor Creator. Since we were not going to make anymore stops today, I brushed off stopping and started a conversation about the nothingness of the drive at our current location. But Christopher decided that it would be okay to stop once more since we were already behind schedule. If you are military and are passing through Arizona on I?? you need to stop to see the creator. This is a nice stop for Military members and their families because if you have your official orders on hand you can get in to see the Creator for free. Its a small stop with a nice gift shop (where I bought another magnet) and a chance to see a part of the random history that shapes our great Nation.

The Cool Lizard we saw at the Crater 

Once we were back on the road, Christopher would not stop bringing up that we were passing several casinos. And with every one we passed he would give me the same puppy dog eyes that I got when I refused to detour to Vegas. And during all this I got in trouble for passing a gas station with gas for $3.07 a gallon, let's just say I watched the signs more closely after that. When we finally did stop for gas it was another Truck stop that did not have the ability to print receipts, but it was at a Pilot Truck stop so it was easily forgiven.

Random TP on a Hill

Our final stop of the night was Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have Spelled this city's name wrong so many times that it started to even annoy me. But I will never for get how to spell A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E again. We were trying do decide on where we wanted to crash for the night, it was to be clean but close to the road so we could get on the road early to get to San Angelo, TX before nightfall. Well a plan is only good if you follow through, and this is one of those times we did not follow through...

All it took was one Billboard and I was looking up directions to Albuquerque's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Yes, you read that right.) After all my arguing we still ended up going to a Casino. The Hard Rock Hotel is a wonderful site to see. The lobby itself is magnificent with glass windows and high ceilings. Since we got there so late we thought that it would not be hard to get a room; we were wrong. Actually, they were all full because of the New Mexico Fires. We got lucky though, the receptionist who was working said that if we stuck around he would be able to get us into a room because he had a few no shows; ten minutes later we were heading up to our room and changing to go get a celebratory drink, (right before last call).

It's a Jim Jones (AKA Papa Orr)

After our one drink, Christopher convinced me to gamble for the first time in my life. I agree since I wouldn't be able to sleep till he got to the room anyways. We played it safe and when to the penny slot machines. At first I could not figure out how to play and I was getting so frustrated that I just wanted to quit. But the I won $20 talk about an exciting experience. But is must have messed with my ju-ju because I did not win another penny. That night we won $50 dollars and called it a night.

Overall the second day was a constant change in scenery with wonderful company. We traveled to 8,046ft above sea level, saw the Grand Canyon and the Meteor Creator, and traveled through deserts and national forests. As I laid my head down to fall asleep I decided that the second day of the trip was indeed going to be my Favorite.