Ch..ch..ch..changes!

So here we are at the end of February, just seven months since we arrived in the UK.  There is just one thing that needs to be said, we are moving back to Colorado Springs. 

There is not just one factor that has led us to make this decision before we reach our one year anniversary, but rather a combination of many.  I do not think it is right for me to spell out all of the reasons why we have made this decision. Partially because I do not want to upset anyone, partially because the reasons taken individually may not make complete sense, but mostly because I just don’t want too. With that said, here is a summary: cost of living, weather, employment prospects, healthcare, cost of fuel, quality of life. Maybe I will expand on this later. Some of our friends are aware of the situation and the reasons behind this decision, others no doubt will ask.

We have already begun making plans to move back. Several shipping companies are scheduled to come and give us quotes.  Both Mayzie and I have been applying for jobs, and both of us have some promising leads. But feel free to let us know if you hear of openings that fit our skill sets.

That is not to say leaving the UK will be entirely easy. Taking the boys away from their grandparents, one of the reasons for coming here in the first place, will be very difficult and emotional for us all. And of course following our yard sales we will be returning to the USA with very little. We need to start again…again. But we both truly feel that this is the right thing to do for our family and worth the costs. And if any of you in Colorado Springs have household items you are thinking of donating to Goodwill, please don’t just yet!

Some will say we haven’t been here long enough, or that perhaps the grass isn’t greener stateside. To that I say; we had lived in Colorado Springs for seven years before we left last year. Also, we moved back to Colorado Springs after living in Vermont for three years. There is something about Colorado that draws us back. For us, the grass is not as green anywhere else than it is in Colorado. Hopefully we now fully understand this and don’t move out of the state again! And let’s not forget I chose to leave the UK when we first married – almost fifteen years ago. It turns out that, in this, case absence does not make the heart grow fonder.

So while leaving England will have some problems attached, the overriding pull of Colorado is too much to ignore. We hope we will be able to re-kindle our friendships left stateside, and yet at the same time not burn bridges and friendships re-found here in Blighty.

We don’t yet have a date for when we are moving back, or rather, as of yet we haven’t purchased any plane tickets. However, I would be lying if I said it will probably be more than 2 months, and likely will be even sooner. We just want to go home.

Cliff.

Goodbye 2012

The end of 2012 is here, and there have been a few people asking why there haven’t been any more posts. So in an effort to bow to peer pressure, here goes…

We landed in the UK on opening ceremonies day of the Olympics. It was great to be here during both the Olympics and the Paralympics. We were fortunate to see one of the events, football (Soccer) with our friends Luke and Cara in Manchester. It would have been great to have seen more events, but we are happy we saw the one we did. Maybe more at Rio in ’16?

Mayzie was fortunate to have secured a job before we even left the USA. Unfortunately because of her broken ankle (more on that later) she was unable to work full-time. Worse still, she was unable to drive herself the 50 miles each way to work. I have therefore been driving her to work and back twice a week. However, I do not stay in London while she is working and so make the trip 4 times a week for a total of 400 miles. Those of you that know me will know this in itself is not a problem as I love driving. The cost of petrol (gas) or, in our case, diesel is a bit unfortunate though. 

Right now diesel is about 1.40 per liter. That works out to about $8.50 per gallon. 

As the New Year begins Mayzie will be starting to do more hours working from home. She has also begun to drive, although she is only allowed to drive here on her USA license for 12 months. My UK driving license is valid till I am 65, so I don’t need to re-test (thankfully). Unless her ankle is healed before her 12 months is up, I am not sure she is going to be ready to take her test. She also has the option to take the train to work, but at a considerably longer commute and cost. However it does now allow me to look in earnest for a job.

We managed to get the boys accepted into schools – the day before school started. That made getting the school uniforms a bit of a rush job. But we made it. The kids are going to the same schools I went to when I was a kid. In fact one of my old teachers is still working at my middle school!

Ryan is settling in well in school. He seems to be making friends well, and is doing superbly well academically too. He is riding either his bike or scooter to school as we are just a 10 minute walk away. It is nice for him, and certainly for us, that he has a bit of independence. Ryan was fortunate that his school was part of a charity singing event at the Royal Albert Hall. What an experience. And yes, we got the DVD of the performance!

Tim is in full time school. In the US he likely wouldn’t be. He is in what is called “Reception” and it is mandatory in the UK. He starts grade school next year. Good friends of mine, Mark and Anna, have a daughter the same age as Tim, and she is also in Reception at the same school. It was very weird waiting for parent-teacher conferences with friends I have had for 25+ years!

Getting re-acquainted with Mark and Anna has most definitely been a very positive experience for me. It helps that our kids and their kids are essentially the same ages. As mentioned earlier, Mark and I have been friends for a long time and even though we haven’t seen much of each other over the last 14 years, we appear to have continued our friendship as if we hadn’t been on opposite sides of the Atlantic for all that time. Once we move into our bigger place in a few weeks (see below) we hope to be able to see both Mark and Anna on a more social timetable, and more frequently, rather than just bumping into them while dropping the kids off at school. We hope they feel the same.

We have also been fortunate that my sister and her family live just a short 5 hours drive away in Plymouth. We have been lucky enough to have seen them several times since our arrival, and are looking forward to seeing them much, much more than we had had we stayed in the USA.

OK, so here are a few of the observations we have noticed over the past few months of living in the UK. I’ll let you decide whether they are good or bad.

Speed cameras, variable speed cameras and average speed cameras on the roads.
Shopping trolleys (carts) with 4 wheel steering. (Nightmare!)
High price of fuel.
TV Watershed. (After 9 PM anything goes).
Paracetamol with codeine (Vicodin) available without prescription.
Melatonin not available.
“Free” prescriptions to all children.
Minimal co-pay for all adult prescriptions.
No co-pay for Dr visits.
Long waits for all non-emergency Dr. visits, and for appointment scheduling.
Higher tax rates.
Cars all appear to have a diesel and an estate (wagon) version.
Much better lane discipline on the roads.
Higher speed limits.
Extremely limited gun ownership.
A 3 minute walk to the grandparents.
Europe on the doorstep.
Tiny “efficient” washing and drying machines.
Lack of appreciation for, and usage of, Craigslist.
The latitude of the UK vs Colorado Springs makes the short winter days tough to get used to (perhaps 7 hours of daylight). Although from my memory the summer months will yield 18 ish hours of daylight.
No power outlets in the bathroom. Something to do with the 230/240 voltage and a fear over electricity and water in close proximity. Some bathrooms ahave a 110 outlet for charging electric razors - but thats' it. Sorry ladies no hairdyers in the bathroom!

We haven’t yet had the opportunity to venture onto mainland Europe, but we will. Flights are so cheap. I think we will wait till Mayzie is walking better and with less pain before we explore the continent.

After breaking her ankle 5 months ago, having physio-therapy, acupuncture, pain killers, and chiropractic help; all to no avail, she is going in for an MRI in the middle of January. Of course we need to wait for the results, but we both fear she will need surgery. And both wonder if she would have had to wait 6 months for an MRI had we stayed Stateside?

The house we have been renting since we arrived is a tiny 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house. A far cry from our 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home in Colorado. We have just secured a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house, which we will be moving into in a few weeks – it will be nice for the kids to have their own rooms again. The irony is the fridge/freezer is bigger in this new house than anything we ever had in the US! And we’ll have a dedicated laundry room. So no more drying our clothes on a clothes airer in the living room, or going to the garage to use the dryer (It won’t fit in the kitchen along with the washing machine).

Most homes here are attached to other homes. Owning a “Detached” home (A standalone dwelling) is not typical. Most homes are attached to one other home, Semi-detached, or a row of homes, Terraced. There are of course Flats (apartments) too. The homes are also smaller and made of brick. And I would say generally more expensive. Certainly more expensive when considering on a per sq. ft. basis. And certainly when comparing to Colorado Springs prices.

All in all I think I would have to say we are beginning to settle in. The kids certainly are. Unfortunately Mayzie’s broken ankle has hindered our assimilation. We always said we would give it 12 months here before we considered moving home to the USA. I think we now have to allow 12 months once Mayzie has full ankle mobility again to give it a “fair shake.” So likely another 18 months.  Even though I am not yet entirely happy and settled in here, I don’t think we will be moving back Stateside in the foreseeable future. Our bigger home, and the waning of winter over the next few months will help too.

I am hopeful that 2013 will bring us good health, a career for me, meeting new friends, and continuation of re-connecting with old friends here. And hope 2013 brings you and your family all you want it to be.

Cliff

 

First UK post. Week one ish.

Well it’s been almost 2 weeks since we have been in the UK. An update is due. I will be writing this in English English, and will put the American English version in parenthesis after the word.

The flight was…bearable.  As previously mentioned, Gimpy was able to get three seats and stretch out. Certainly not perfect, but better than being forced to sit in the same position for 7 hours. The boys were, for the most part, well behaved; I’ve been on worse flights with them.

We landed safely and allowed everyone else to file off of the plane before we departed. We had been told a wheelchair would be waiting for us as Gimpy left the plane. It was. After being wheeled out of the gate area there was an 8 seat electric “car” for Mayzie to ride in. For whatever reason, me and the boys were not allowed to ride too, even though she was the only passenger. It must be a health and safety thing I suppose. But we were told where to walk and where we would meet up with her; the arrival gate.

Ryan Tim and I walked briskly (assuming the car would beat us) but when we arrived Mayzie wasn’t there. They must be driving her a different way as there were bollards which the car would not be able to navigate through. Fortunately there was no real queue for us to wait on, so we just milled around and waited. After waiting for about 10 minutes, being advised to go through immigration and wait there for her (which we couldn’t do as I had Mayzies’ passport). Although I knew British customer service might not be up to the same standards I have become accustomed too, but I was not expecting my wife to be lost within 10 minutes of being on British soil!

I herded the kids and walked back from where I came from. After a few minutes walking back I found her. The car couldn’t drive any further, she was waiting for another person to get another wheelchair and take her to the immigration area. I was mad. I took a wheelchair and we headed back down the ramp to the immigration area. We walked straight to the counter and got through with no problems.  Next the luggage.

Our bags were already waiting in a neat line for us. Remember we had 8 items total to collect. There was no possible way I was going to get all the bags/car seats on one luggage trolley (cart). Fortunately I had spotted a sky cap on the way in. I got cash from the cash machine, and the bags were loaded. Nothing to declare and straight out of the secure area we went. After a 15 minute or so wait for mum and dad, we loaded the cars. The sky cap had stayed with us the whole time while we waited, and my customer service pendulum swung back to the positive. Two hours later and we were all tucked up in bed at mum (mom) and dads.

The next few days were a bit of a blur. We were all jet lagged and slept late. I don’t remember doing too much of anything for these first few days.

After a few days we headed to the mecca of shopping; Royston High St. Here we needed to open a bank account, register with the Dr., request a viewing of a possible house dad had reserved for us, and buy a few supplies.

We made an appointment to open the bank accounts later that day (without the kids), scheduled Dr. visits and began the registration procedure; the first available appointment being in 2 weeks. We visited the estate agent (realtor) and scheduled a viewing of the house we will likely be renting for the next 6 months. After purchasing a few supplies the collection of loose change began. For the non-Brits, the UK currency is pounds “£ “, and pence “p”, (not dollars and cents) there are 100 pence in a pound, and has 8 coins; 1p, 2p 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. There are also 4 notes (bills) £5, £10, £20, £50. As you can imagine, you can quickly acquire a pocketful of coins, referred to jokingly as shrapnel, when using just notes to make purchases.

Later that day Mayzie and I returned to the bank, passports in hand, to open our UK bank account. Since Mayzie has a job (She has yet to post about that) and I don’t, she went first. After providing her passport and work visa, and answering a few questions she was done. Then it was my turn. This should be easy, we thought, I’m a dual citizen and have a British passport, this should be easy, we thought. Nope. For proving proof of citizenship there were many dropdown choices from the dropdowns, UK passport not being one! WTF! Since I didn’t have any of the other eligible documentation I needed a guarantor. Only in England! Because mum and dad are account holders at the same bank I needed a signed letter from them attesting to the fact that indeed I am who I say I am.  The form was completed, and I went to the car, drove home, had dad sign, drove back to the car park (parking lot) and walked back to the bank. By this time Mayzie and the banker had run out of things to talk about. The account was opened, and then came the set-up of online banking. This seems to be more difficult than it needs to be. Mayzie and I have separate online account numbers to access the same joint bank account, as well as separate passwords and something referred to as “memorable information” (basically a second password). What’s wrong with a username and password people? That was completed and home we went.

We have been in the processes of getting the boys unplugged and having separate bedtimes (they are still sharing a room). Ryan is rebelling about being unplugged, but Tim is doing much better about going to bed without Ryan.

Mum has kindly added me to her car insurance so we can run some errands, primarily in preparation for our drive to Manchester, and the Olympics.

The next day Mayzie and I met the estate agent at the house. It is a 3 bedroom with a nice sized back garden, a garage, and off-street parking for 2 cars. It is also really close to the likely schools. However, upon inspecting the house it turned out that the kitchen was right out of the 1950’s, or at least the ancient, crappy, oven was. It also had just 2 kitchen cabinets. There are very few options for rentals in Royston, especially 3 bedrooms, so it will have to do. It is after all just a temporary residence.

OK, so that’s the first week or so done. It’s a long post , so I will call that it for now. The next one will be including the Olympic event we attended.

Cliff

Days 29 - 34. Goodbye USA!

Days 29 – 34

This is the last post with respect to our time in the USA. That does not necessarily mean it is our last post all together. We have a lot to do in our new home (we have already arrived) and may continue to blog about our new chapter here in the UK.

Days 29 – 32 (VT)

After a stressful day yesterday it was nice to wake and know we didn’t have to go anywhere for a few days.

Here we relaxed, ate wonderful home-cooked meals, and enjoyed the company of our old friends. Unfortunately Mayzie (n/k/a Gimpy) could only sit on the couch. Me and the boys, however, were more fortunate. With the company of Jesse and Jansen the five boys enjoyed the Alpine slide, playing in the river, and playing in the bouncy houses.

Jesse and I also went to see the latest Batman movie. This was just a few days following the idiocy of the movies’ opening in Aurora, CO (Just a short hours drive from our former home) and the tragedy which accompanied it. It was strange to be searched (visually) when entering the theater. I do hope this is not a sign of the times, but I fear it may be.

We were carrying too much stuff to take with us to England on the plane, we therefore needed to ship some more of our belongings.

In an effort to not clutter up the house, I decided to pitch the tent and store our stuff inside. I could then sort through and ship that which we didn’t need. However, I didn’t fully peg out the tent; the weather was nice.

Then the wind and rain came. The tent got flipped over and the contents drenched. Jesse and I threw the tent and contents into the basement and with the aid of a makeshift drying line and two de-humidifiers began the drying process. Fortunately most was dried within 24 hours and our shipping was completed.

Ryan and Jansen played very well together, especially with some game on the iPad where they can grow dragons and trade gems. Hopefully they can continue their friendship internationally, although Ryan has been trying to send Jansen some gems, but for some reason they are not going through? We also purchased a fancy Velcro/neoprene boot for Gimpy, and she is much happier with it.

We sadly said goodbye to the Hills and headed to Boston. Within 20 minutes of leaving the house we narrowly missed a car accident when some moron decided to make a left turn just as I was driving by. It was the first time in earnest that I have used the brakes, luckily they were there when I needed them. The rest of the drive continued without interruption. Several more drivers waved and honked at the car, I guess they were pleased to see “Destination Boston!”

We checked into the hotel and conveniently were given a room farthest from the elevator. Gimpy was not happy.

Days 33-34

With Gimpy unable to do much we spent Thursday in the hotel room. I packed the bags ready for the flight. Our total baggage consisted of 6 checked bags, carrying 5; along with a car seat and a booster seat – making the checked item total 8. The flight is not going to be fun.

We headed to the Texas Road House for our last meal in the USA, our last supper if you will, and obtained some breakfast items from Panera in preparation for our early start. After dealing with the car we went to bed.

Alarms woke us at 4:30. We dressed and headed to the airport. It was very reassuring to be greeted by a skycap who promptly asked if we required a wheelchair too. After checking our bags, the porter wheeled Gimpy; and Ryan, Tim, and I carried the bags.

Fortunately we bypassed the long line for security because of Gimpy and went straight to the front of the line. By the time we arrived at our gate we were about 2 hours early for our flight.

Because of Gimpy, again, we moved to the front of the line when boarding. I think we might have to keep the foot brace and inadvertently break (or severely sprain) an ankle every-time we fly!

Fortunately the plane was only about 2/3 full and the lady and gentleman sat next to Gimpy were gratuitous enough to move seats so that she could have the three seats to herself and stretch out.

The plane backed out and we said goodbye to the USA.

I am sure our paths will cross again, just not sure when or for how long?

Our beginning mileage:

(54362)

Our ending mileage:

(60173)

Therefore we travelled 5811 miles in 5 weeks. We averaged about 20 miles per gallon.



Goodbye America. You have been good to us. Let the new chapter of our lives begin!

Days 23 - 28

So yes it has been too long since our last post, but hey we have been having a good time. Also since most of our writing has been while we have been driving, and we haven’t been driving much that also helps our cause!

I am writing this on Day 29. It has been a week since the last post so lots to catch up on. Unfortunately I am going to make this a short-ish post and summarize.

Day 23 – 25 (NYC)

While in NYC we visited some of Mayzie’s old friends, visited the Empire State building, took the ferry to Staten Island (allowing a cheap, but close, view of Lady Liberty), ate proper New York pizza, ate in Chinatown, had decent bagels, showed the kids where Mayzie grew up, visited Coney Island, flew a kite, escaped a sandstorm, visited Times Square, and faced certain death every time we drove! I even heard a story about Mayzie which I will not easily forget. Thanks Allison. ;)

The kids are driving us both nuts. I think 4 weeks should have been the max time we spent travelling. Although in retrospect for having been in the car for 5,000 ish miles they are not doing so bad I suppose. It’s probably more that Mayzie and I have had no break from them. With the exception of the nights we spent in Phoenix, we have all shared the same room/tent as well as the car and obviously meals. We need some time away from them!

Day 26

We left NY and headed to Connecticut to see Mayzie’s old friend Corie. Bloody traffic! Although I have figured out how to tame idiotic California drivers. Put them on the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway. They were more scared than I was, and realized that the road did in fact have a right lane which they were able to use. J Speed limits in NYC are more pointless than most other cities. 55 mph limit in a construction zone and I was the slowest (except the CA drivers) at 75-80! Also, we found out that in heavy traffic, Tim does not bother waiting for the restroom anymore. We have regressed to using pull-ups.

We arrived at Corie’s, did more laundry and relaxed. Who knew pizza with baked ziti on it was an actual menu item? Turns out it is – as we accidentally found out. We were also united with our pre-ordered bumper stickers, although Corie did not realize we had had them delivered to her and called up the company to complain. Luckily for us she didn’t send them back.

Day 27

Thank you Corie for your hospitality!  After leaving CT we headed through Massachusetts where we had some locals waving and commenting on the car. All were positive comments. On through to Vermont with a brief stop in New Hampshire (more positive comments), and on to the camp reunion.  We affixed the final few bumper stickers.

Do people really pick this stuff up?

Only a few people were there at the time we arrived, so we drove up to the “Lean-to’s” (sketchy drive up the hill and through the mowed meadow) and pitched the tent and set-up for the two nights of planned camping. Back down to the meeting venue and on to “Rick’s” for dinner. Here there were more “Hearts Benders” and Mayzie got re-acquainted with her fellow campers/counselors. There was even a non-camper that Mayzie recognized, but still does not know where from. What made this equally weird was this other lady recognized Mayzie too, but no idea where from either.

Since the kids were getting antsy, we left dinner early, and headed to bed.

Day 28

We left the tent, and headed to breakfast at a local bakery. After breakfast we drove into town, picked up some supplies, and headed back to camp via Mayzie’s house which her parents have in VT; in South Newfane. This was also where we lived for a short period of time.  We were also married in S. VT almost 14 years ago.

Unfortunately S. Newfane was ravaged by the floodwaters of tropical storm Irene last year. The roads and river banks were so different than what they were last time we were here. The bridge across the river to Mayzie’s house had only recently been replaced. The road to the house had been washed away so a new one had been driven. The house was, surprisingly still standing, and initially didn’t seem too damaged. However, the floor was all buckled and the whole place stunk of mold. There were dead mice in the house but nothing else in the house seemed affected.

Back to camp we headed, and hung out in the field by the marquee while we waited for more people to return so the festivities (drinking) could begin.

Mayzie went to the car to get something, and on the way back tripped. We ended up here:

And this is why:

(Fractured Ankle)

She will be on crutches for at least 4 weeks. Not looking forward to the airport and flight. Bugger. The little trip to the hospital was actually quite nice as we had left the kids at the camp, and finally had some time together. L We returned to the reunion site and since camping was now no longer a viable option I returned to the tent site and packed up the car, and Mayzie and the kids had some food. We said our goodbyes and headed out.

A message was sent to our friends in Jeffersonville to see if we could arrive a day early. Since we know the Hills, our old neighbors, we kinda figured it wouldn’t be a problem, but were still waiting for a response when we left cell coverage. Having not heard from the Hills by the time we were about halfway we started calling motels and hotels in the general vicinity of where we were going – just in case. NOWHERE had vacancies, and still no response from the Hills. Perhaps they were out for the night?

We continued toward Jeffersonville with the mindset of if the Hills were not home we would just camp in the front yard. Fortunately Jessica called us when we were about 20 minutes away, and approved our early arrival. We got the kids to bed, and we were not too far behind.

Days 19 - 22

Again we are falling behind with our posts. Who would have thought writing in the blog wasn’t going to be our priority, but enjoying our trip would be? (There really needs to be a sarcasm font)

Day 19

Well we woke to the noise of people. It kind of made the decision as to whether we should stay another day or not. The decision was finalized when we got out of the tent and our view had gone from this:

 
To this!
 

It looked, and sounded, like the Beverly Hillbillies were moving in. There was an additional tent being pitched too, and they even had two huge box fans with them. Not sure how that was going to work without electricity. Can only assume they were going to also bring in a generator. Definitely time to leave.

We broke out the stove, had oatmeal for breakfast, packed the tent and headed to Niagara. It seems like every time we have to repack the chair which is strapped to the roof of the car, we end up with a whistling/air buffeting noise. We pull over, adjust the chair, perhaps add more tap to the bag, get back on the road and it is fine. Again today we had to stop.  I broke out my penknife, which was a very nice knife and a father’s day gift from the kids. We got back on the highway, all was quiet, and Niagara arrived without further incident.

The falls were great, and the boys had a good time on the Maid of the Mist boat ride which takes you right into the falls. We got wet! It’s been almost 14 years since Mayzie and I were here, our honeymoon. When I think about it it’s a bit weird actually. We visited when we were staying in the USA, and now we are visiting as we leave.

It would have been nice to stay to see the falls lit up at night, but since this was an unscheduled detour anyway, we decided to leave and head to our next destination.

After 30 minutes  or so we stopped for dinner and then drove for another 30 minutes or so and tried to find a cheap motel. With $100 for a cheap hotel we decided to camp. Another 5 minutes and we were pitching the tent for the first time in the dark. Ryan just loved all the bugs which were attracted to the cars headlights! (Where is that sarcasm font?) J

Day 20

Today we go to camp! It’s been 14 years since we were last there. Oh my, what are we thinking? There is much I could say about how the camp has changed, but it wouldn’t mean much to most reading this. It has gotten bigger, there are more activities for the kids to do, but as Mayzie pointed out the kids still look exactly the same (even though they are not the same kids which were our campers).

There are a few of the same counselors still working there from when we were, and some of “our” campers who are now counselors. But for the most part we didn’t recognize anyone. However, we got the distinct feeling that should we decide to return as counselors we would both be welcomed. Not that we have any plans to  again be counselors there, but since we have given ourselves 12-18 months to get settled in the UK before we consider moving back stateside, you never know what might transpire!

The weirdest thing for me was the climbing wall, where I worked for my tenure at camp, has been condemned! The end of an era.  Again. Just like Niagara Falls.

After camp we headed to Monticello to see our friends the Krevats, and their dog Ramsey. What a cutie. Here we rested up and got caught up with our laundry. Also experienced a comfy bed and good working  A/C.

Day 21

After a delightfully long sleep in and some breakfast, we were invited to go with the Krevats to a friend’s house. The house was beautiful and located on a river. We had some BBQ, and then the kids, our two and three belonging to the homeowners, along with myself, Jeremy Krevat and the homeowner were invited on his (the owner) speed boat. It was so nice to be relaxing and feeling like we were on holiday.

After we returned to the Krevats, we were treated to a wonderful home cooked meal, thanks Jeremy, and some continued to play some Texas Hold ‘em. Ryan is actually starting to understand poker I think.

Day 22

Unfortunately we said goodbye to the Krevats, but said hello to New York City. Well we did after we spent 3 hours sat in traffic. Oi vey!

At least we had some rain. With the brief exception in Glenwood Springs, we have had no rain since our adventure began. Unfortunately the car leaked and we all got wet. OK so the car didn’t actually leak. What has happened is I have used some ratchet straps to hold the roof bag down tightly onto the car. We do not have a roof rack and the roof bag attaches to the car via straps which pass through the car. The ratchet straps do not have the same water repellent attributes as the straps which came with the bag do. The water absorbed into the straps and dripped at the low spots, inside the car. Fortunately the shower wasn’t all day, thought Mayzie did get an awfully wet shoulder. :)

We had found a hotel with free parking in Brooklyn, and checked in about 5:30 PM. New York pizza for dinner and we are spending the evening just hanging out in the hotel. The kids need a good night sleep as we have a lot planned for the next 3 days in the “City”.

Cliff

Days 17 - 18

Day 17

Leaving St Louis we tried, again, in vain to obtain a Missouri (MO) bumper sticker. No luck. Today saw us in the car a long time. We drove through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and about half way through Ohio. After spending numerous wasted trips to gas stations and general stores we have decided to order all of the bumper stickers for all of the remaining states we will be passing through. They are being sent to Corie and we will pick them up in Connecticut. It’s not that we don’t like getting off the highway every 15 miles to search for them, but rather that we feel our time could be better utilized. We will continue to acquire additional stickers as we encounter them.

Two things to notice about the roads and drivers as we head East. Firstly, after the 75mph and occasional 80mph speed limits of the roads West of the Mississippi River, 65 seems SO pedestrian. And, with the exception of California, drivers certainly do get more annoying and less polite the further East you drive, especially after crossing the Mississippi river. THERE ARE THREE LANES FOR A REASON PEOPLE. You don’t have to just sit in the middle lane with your blinders on and your emotionless face staring straight ahead. Use your mirrors, indicator and move out of everyone’s way. Rant over.

I forget the name of the town we sopped in, but it had a sign that showed how many miles to various cities in the country. It read 930 to Denver and 925 to New York City.

We also made the decision to visit the camp Mayzie and I met at 18 years ago. We have contacted the camp and requested visitation. Friday after 2PM is our approved time.

We stopped for a late dinner in Columbus with the intention of driving another 45 miles or so till we stopped for the day. During dinner we discussed and decided to spend the night in Columbus. This will leave us with about 4 hours of driving to Erie tomorrow.

On the way to the motel I drove over a median which I didn’t see. The car took it well, even with low ground clearance on the back wheels. As of the time of writing, there has been no damage noticed or experienced from this maneuver.

Day 18

We had a pretty uneventful drive to Erie today. The campsite we were shooting for we could not make reservations at, Sara’s Campground. The website had stated that they start to fill up on Thursdays. With today being a Wednesday we kept our fingers crossed there would still be some spaces on the beach. There were. This is the view from our tent!

After setting up the tent, and playing in the lake for a little bit, we drove back into town and had some dinner. I think we are past the point of actually wanting to cook out. During dinner I tried to figure out which way the tent was facing. Could it be West? Would we see the sun set over the lake?

A quick stop at a hardware store to buy a bolt to fix Mayzie’s chair (Glad my crescent wrench didn’t sell at the yard sale and I bought it with me). As we returned to the campsite it turned out we would be seeing the sunset from our campsite.

We also had Ryan take a few pictures of Mayzie and I.

Niagara Falls is just 2 short hours from where we are. We are undecided whether we should detour there. Mayzie and I visited Niagara during our honeymoon. But the kids have never been. But it is detouring out of our way, and it would be nice to spend a day on the beach doing nothing. The private beach next to us had a fireworks display as well as lighting off “lanterns” into the sky. We were fortunate enough to be able to view these too. It would have been nice to start a fire on the beach (as some of our fellow campers), and toast some marshmallows. If we end up staying tomorrow I think we will.

Cliff