Monday, August 31, 2009
Anniversary!
Tomorrow is a big day for Jean and I. We will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary! We met in Crescent City, CA - in the city swimming pool. We were both swimmers, and were checking out each others stroke. From Crescent City, we moved up to Salem, OR and have been there since 1983. In that time, we've had two wonderful kids - Bethany and Patrick, owned 2 houses, a variety of vehicles, a fair number of cats and other assorted animals, had interesting careers, and loved each other through all of the ups and downs of life.
I can't imagine how my life would have turned out if I had not met Jean in that pool so many years ago. Thirty years sounds like such a long time. But for me, it is reality. It is everything that life should have and could have been. Not every day has been perfect - as is the case in real life. But if I were to give my life with Jean a perfection rating on all the things that matter, it would be at least 99.9%. I have no regrets or wishes for something different. I know deep in my heart that I love Jean every day. We have two beautiful, wonderful children who reflect our lives and values, who will make this world a better place to live, who bring joy to us and to those around them, and who I love with all my heart.
Thirty years is a great start. I look forward to the adventures and experiences we will have in the next 30 years.
I can't imagine how my life would have turned out if I had not met Jean in that pool so many years ago. Thirty years sounds like such a long time. But for me, it is reality. It is everything that life should have and could have been. Not every day has been perfect - as is the case in real life. But if I were to give my life with Jean a perfection rating on all the things that matter, it would be at least 99.9%. I have no regrets or wishes for something different. I know deep in my heart that I love Jean every day. We have two beautiful, wonderful children who reflect our lives and values, who will make this world a better place to live, who bring joy to us and to those around them, and who I love with all my heart.
Thirty years is a great start. I look forward to the adventures and experiences we will have in the next 30 years.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Departure
We got to Terre Haute on Friday and got Patrick moved in to his dorm. A small army of upper class students were waiting to unload the parade of cars. All we had to do was tell them his room number, and magically all of his stuff was transported from the back of our camper to his room. It's a nice room, 3rd floor, air conditioned, close to the bathroom and shower, and has a nice view out the window. I met his roommate briefly. He seemed nice but quite shy. Not athletic though. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.
Orientation was interesting. The address by the college president was very inspiring! Each moment though this process has made us feel like this is the best place for him to be. The money and distance from home seem to be less of an issue the more we realize the how valuable this experience will be for him.
The hardest part of this was saying goodbye to my son. I really thought I was emotionally prepared for this event. All the reasons for coming here, all the benefits, and opportunities - this was the purpose of everything he had done during high school. Yet, he's my baby boy, even though he towers over me these days. We take things for granted sometimes. And we don't always appreciate the everyday things that pass by. Now, I know that I will miss him immensely every day. I don't have to nag him to get up, or to eat, or get off the computer to clean his room. But I won't hear his dry sense of humor, and funny comments on the events of the day. We won't be able to go out to chase bugs with our cameras in the back yard. We won't be spotting Mini's and Lotus' as we drive around town together. I won't be able to watch him swim and feel the excitement of his races. We won't be sharing an occasional trip to Subway when Mom is away. But as much as I want to keep him near, I know that this is where he needs to be and this is the best path for his future.
So, this is a new chapter in our lives. Sad and exciting at the same time. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.
Orientation was interesting. The address by the college president was very inspiring! Each moment though this process has made us feel like this is the best place for him to be. The money and distance from home seem to be less of an issue the more we realize the how valuable this experience will be for him.
The hardest part of this was saying goodbye to my son. I really thought I was emotionally prepared for this event. All the reasons for coming here, all the benefits, and opportunities - this was the purpose of everything he had done during high school. Yet, he's my baby boy, even though he towers over me these days. We take things for granted sometimes. And we don't always appreciate the everyday things that pass by. Now, I know that I will miss him immensely every day. I don't have to nag him to get up, or to eat, or get off the computer to clean his room. But I won't hear his dry sense of humor, and funny comments on the events of the day. We won't be able to go out to chase bugs with our cameras in the back yard. We won't be spotting Mini's and Lotus' as we drive around town together. I won't be able to watch him swim and feel the excitement of his races. We won't be sharing an occasional trip to Subway when Mom is away. But as much as I want to keep him near, I know that this is where he needs to be and this is the best path for his future.
So, this is a new chapter in our lives. Sad and exciting at the same time. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Kid Delivered!
We made it to Rose-Hulman in Terre Haute today, finally. It took a week, with stops and visiting. We could probably do it in less time, but I'm not sure it would be worth it.
Anyway, we got Patrick settled into his dorm, met his roommate, and wandered around campus a bit. About dinner time he was ready to be on his own we guessed, so putted on down the road to our campsite. We'll see him again tomorrow for lunch and orientation activities, then dinner and...
You know, I haven't been very emotional about leaving him here until today. As I watched him become part of the college scene, I could sense his excitement and anticipation. And I could begin to feel that sense of sadness that comes when someone is ready to move on. I guess the reason for 2 days of parent orientation is designed to let us down a little easier. I know all the reasons and benefits, and I can see how this is a perfect place for him to grow and learn, and I can rationalize my feelings - but when it comes right down to it, I'm probably going to cry my eyes out tomorrow.
Jean and I will begin our next phase of this trip as we go on to Indianapolis on Sunday. The truck will be a little lighter. We can eat mushrooms and Mexican food if we want. We won't have that sense of urgency to get somewhere. We can move stuff from the camper to the back seat. But, it won't be the same without his funny comments and opinions on the state of the world. It's a good thing Skype was invented I guess.
That's it for tonight. I'm still processing photos, and hope to post some soon. Take care!
Anyway, we got Patrick settled into his dorm, met his roommate, and wandered around campus a bit. About dinner time he was ready to be on his own we guessed, so putted on down the road to our campsite. We'll see him again tomorrow for lunch and orientation activities, then dinner and...
You know, I haven't been very emotional about leaving him here until today. As I watched him become part of the college scene, I could sense his excitement and anticipation. And I could begin to feel that sense of sadness that comes when someone is ready to move on. I guess the reason for 2 days of parent orientation is designed to let us down a little easier. I know all the reasons and benefits, and I can see how this is a perfect place for him to grow and learn, and I can rationalize my feelings - but when it comes right down to it, I'm probably going to cry my eyes out tomorrow.
Jean and I will begin our next phase of this trip as we go on to Indianapolis on Sunday. The truck will be a little lighter. We can eat mushrooms and Mexican food if we want. We won't have that sense of urgency to get somewhere. We can move stuff from the camper to the back seat. But, it won't be the same without his funny comments and opinions on the state of the world. It's a good thing Skype was invented I guess.
That's it for tonight. I'm still processing photos, and hope to post some soon. Take care!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Day ???
Today we stopped early in Columbia, Missouri. I was just getting too tired to continue. As soon as we checked into our motel, I promptly fell asleep for almost 2 hours. The countryside has gone from flat plains to rolling hills. It's actually quite nice - very green and lots of trees. The humidity is very high here. That will take some getting used to - if I can.
We're going to Quincy, IL tomorrow to visit our niece Christine, and then on to Terre Haute on Friday.
I haven't been able to go through my photos from the last few days. Maybe soon?
Not much else to say tonight. Still tired.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wild Weather!
We just had a wild thunderstorm here in Salina. We've been moved into our 3rd motel room now because water kept running in from the roof. Here is a sample of what we experienced:
Salina, Kansas
We got a late start this morning (mostly due to a certain teenagers desire to sleep), so we only made it as far as Salina, Kansas today. It has been years since I've driven across Kansas, but I think I remember a bit from way back when - flat, hot, oil wells, thunderstorms, hot, flat, etc. It was pretty much the same today, except it was hot, flat - oh, I said that already.
The weather was beautiful in Denver this morning and made for a nice drive out of town. The roads in Colorado, in general are pretty good. Wyoming was okay as well. Utah and Idaho were fair. Kansas has been great so far. Very smooth and well maintained, as are the rest stops. Well, I don't know how smooth the rest stops are actually, but they were well maintained and clean.
We drove under a huge thunderstorm cell that looks quite ominous. I think, but I'm not positive, that we saw a tornado attempting to form at one point. It would begin to drop down and then fall apart, then repeat. Quite interesting! We did pass a couple of interesting tourist attractions - the largest live prairie dog in Kansas along with a 5 legged cow, the Dwight D. Eisenhower museum (that actually would be pretty interesting if we had time), and a sign commemorating the birthplace of Bob Dole and Arlan Specter. I wonder what adventures await us tomorrow?
We had a wonderful stay with my cousin Steve and his wife Brenda in Littleton, CO. Even as busy as they are, they made time for us and made us feel very welcome. Thanks to both of you!!
I'll be processing and posting some photos on my Flickr site later tonight if I stay awake. There is a much better internet connection here, so I might try to get some posted here too.
That's all for tonight I think. Sleep well.
The weather was beautiful in Denver this morning and made for a nice drive out of town. The roads in Colorado, in general are pretty good. Wyoming was okay as well. Utah and Idaho were fair. Kansas has been great so far. Very smooth and well maintained, as are the rest stops. Well, I don't know how smooth the rest stops are actually, but they were well maintained and clean.
We drove under a huge thunderstorm cell that looks quite ominous. I think, but I'm not positive, that we saw a tornado attempting to form at one point. It would begin to drop down and then fall apart, then repeat. Quite interesting! We did pass a couple of interesting tourist attractions - the largest live prairie dog in Kansas along with a 5 legged cow, the Dwight D. Eisenhower museum (that actually would be pretty interesting if we had time), and a sign commemorating the birthplace of Bob Dole and Arlan Specter. I wonder what adventures await us tomorrow?
We had a wonderful stay with my cousin Steve and his wife Brenda in Littleton, CO. Even as busy as they are, they made time for us and made us feel very welcome. Thanks to both of you!!
I'll be processing and posting some photos on my Flickr site later tonight if I stay awake. There is a much better internet connection here, so I might try to get some posted here too.
That's all for tonight I think. Sleep well.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Random photos from the road
The best way to see my photos is to check out my Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndej/ Click on the Big Trip collection.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Day 2 and 3
We made it to Denver today. The motel we had in Green River, Wyoming last night promised internet service, but it was so weak and slow that I couldn't connect. The trip from Boise, ID to Green River was hot and long, but largely uneventful. The scenery was pretty amazing.
We stopped in Twin Falls, ID and watched parachutists prepare for a jump off the bridge over the Snake River many feet below. According to one the guys I talked to, they get 2 seconds of free fall, 10 to 12 seconds under the canopy, then a 20 minute hike back to the top. After that, it takes an hour or so to repack their chutes for another exciting 14 seconds. I'm not sure I'd be willing to do that, but they were quite pumped. This is also the place where Evil Knievel attempted to jump across the canyon in a rocket powered vehicle. He didn't make it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llzIVDbvSAc)
This morning in Green River, I went outside as the sun was coming up to see a spectacular sunrise. I'm going to post photos tomorrow of that and other sites along the way. We stopped in Laramie, WY to try to find a Starbucks that my GPS insisted was there. As we circled the block trying to locate it, the sweet voice of the GPS just kept repeating, "Recalculating..." We finally gave up and drove on to Fort Collins, CO.
CSU in Fort Collins in one of the places my daughter is considering for grad school. We were quite impressed with both the city and the university site. Bicycles everywhere!
We made it to Littleton, CO nearly on time after enjoying the heavy Denver traffic. We had a pizza dinner with my cousins Steve and Mike, and Connie, Mike's wife. Patrick is now settled in front a big screen TV, and seems quite content for the night. Jean is snoring, and I'm beginning to lose track of the keys on the keyboard, so maybe that's a sign for me. More tomorrow...
We stopped in Twin Falls, ID and watched parachutists prepare for a jump off the bridge over the Snake River many feet below. According to one the guys I talked to, they get 2 seconds of free fall, 10 to 12 seconds under the canopy, then a 20 minute hike back to the top. After that, it takes an hour or so to repack their chutes for another exciting 14 seconds. I'm not sure I'd be willing to do that, but they were quite pumped. This is also the place where Evil Knievel attempted to jump across the canyon in a rocket powered vehicle. He didn't make it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llzIVDbvSAc)
This morning in Green River, I went outside as the sun was coming up to see a spectacular sunrise. I'm going to post photos tomorrow of that and other sites along the way. We stopped in Laramie, WY to try to find a Starbucks that my GPS insisted was there. As we circled the block trying to locate it, the sweet voice of the GPS just kept repeating, "Recalculating..." We finally gave up and drove on to Fort Collins, CO.
CSU in Fort Collins in one of the places my daughter is considering for grad school. We were quite impressed with both the city and the university site. Bicycles everywhere!
We made it to Littleton, CO nearly on time after enjoying the heavy Denver traffic. We had a pizza dinner with my cousins Steve and Mike, and Connie, Mike's wife. Patrick is now settled in front a big screen TV, and seems quite content for the night. Jean is snoring, and I'm beginning to lose track of the keys on the keyboard, so maybe that's a sign for me. More tomorrow...
Friday, August 21, 2009
August 21st
We aimed for 7:30 AM, but didn’t actually leave until 8:45. After driving for a whole 2 minutes, I realized I’d left something at home. So we turned around, discovered I didn’t actually leave it, and left again. The weather was cloudy cold until we got to Detroit Lake. It was beautiful – and hot – after that. Our route was over Santiam Pass, a stop in Sisters at my favorite restaurant (The Depot Deli), and then on through Burns, Ontario, and finally to Boise. That’s where we are staying tonight.
Not a real exciting day, but the scenery across eastern Oregon is quite beautiful, if you like the high desert. And I do. That’s it for today.
Not a real exciting day, but the scenery across eastern Oregon is quite beautiful, if you like the high desert. And I do. That’s it for today.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tomorrow's the big day...
We are going to try to get an early start tomorrow. I'd like to try to get past Boise, maybe to Twin Falls. I have to finish packing and get Patrick to finish packing so I can put as much stuff into the camper tonight. That will be a challenge. Jean is always a quick packer, so I'm not worried about that. Got to pick up road food too, and a couple of books on tape, and gas, and... and a little more cuddle time with KC too.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
If you are one my Flickr contacts...
This message is intended for my Flickr contacts in the USA. In a few days, I will be leaving on a trip from Oregon to Indiana to take my son to college. My wife and I are then going to visit friends in Indianapolis, Chicago, and Minneapolis. After that, she has to fly back and go to work (and she's not happy about that either.) That will leave me, my camera, and my camper to wander around the country.
I am interested in meeting as many of my Flickr contacts as I can depending on your location and my line of travel. I really have no agenda or particular destination at this point. So if you are interested in meeting for coffee or ??, please let me know by Flickr mail.
A couple of things - my only interest here is meeting you. If you've read my profile, I am pretty open about who I am. I certainly don't want anyone to feel obligated or uncomfortable. Secondly, since a number of you are under 18, I will only meet with you if a parent is there. I don't want anyone to misinterpret my intentions.
So, if you are interested in meeting sometime between September 5th or so and probably the end of September, please let me know by Flickr mail. Please do not post any personal information in responses to this photo.
Finally, if you are interesting in following my travels, I have created a travel blog (http://johndej.blogspot.com/) to post comments, photos, short videos, etc. of my travels.
I hope to see you!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Da Bears...
My wife and I traveled to California recently for her high school reunion (I won't tell you which one.) On the way back, we stopped at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR. You get to be in the cage of your car while the animals roam around - except for the dangerous ones. It was a hot day, so these bears (Grizzly I believe) were enjoying a muddy pond. Then they decided to wrestle. I created a video slide show of the action. Music is by Leo Kottke.
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