Moab was blissful, warm and a true lazy weekend. We did our daily eating at the Moab Diner. I always go for the Biker Buckwheat Breakfast. Marianne and Dave went for a little more variety ordering something different each time, and Kyle wanted his usual Chicken and French Fries. Eli was good eating off of all of our plates. He especially loved all of our pancakes. He inhaled them. He is a true pancake fiend.
Ok, we were in Moab, the Mountain Bike capital of the world and all we did was hang out. Marianne gave us haircuts and colored my hair, we watched movies, looked at real estate (something we do everywhere we go), and rested. By Sunday, the coldest day, we were feeling like we had cheapened the experience so we made our way over to Arches National Park. It was spectacular. Every time I go there I can’t believe how incredibly amazing all the red rock formations are. Kyle was in no mood to hike so I carried him on our half mile walk to see the Turret Arch in the Windows Section of the park.
Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, February 2003
Eli was falling a sleep in Marianne’s arms and Kyle had gone beyond melt down point. Their little noses were still running like faucets, and we all felt generally crappy, so we decided it was time to head back up to our temporary home. I drove, something I rarely do, and Marianne kept me company. I knew when we hit Price that I wanted Dave to drive. The road gets more crazy and I wasn’t so sure of myself in the van. At about the same spot we hit fog on the way down we hit a white out. Snow had blanketed the area. Cars were off the road. We had to stop every few miles to shake the ice off our windshield wipers. Like the fog, we couldn’t see the car in front of us. We put our hazards on to help cars see us, a trick we learned from the Fed-Ex truck driving in front of us on the way there, and made it through the windy long stretch of Soldier’s Summit.
A week ago my friend Marianne flew to Utah. Thankfully, we see Marianne often so she is used to our crazy life. We had been battling a cold virus for weeks and were on the edge from months of homelessness. Marianne was coming to see the Park City House. At least she was when she bought her plane ticket. Because there was no house to see we decided to take her to Moab.
We were exhausted from packing and preparing for our trip. With snotty kids in tow we made it to the airport. We were all hungry and I had a weird hankering to buy a thermos for our trip so we stopped at the new SLC Gateway shopping plaza. We couldn’t find parking so Dave dropped Marianne and I off.
In the Sports store I decided I wanted to buy an outfit for our trip. (I think the thermos was just a ploy.) I was on overdrive. While looking at all the hip track suits I hear my phone ring. I didn’t recognize the number. It was Dave calling from the store phone. He had found a parking spot and was in the store with the kids. After buying my fancy “New Jersey Girl” as Dave called it, jogging suit we were ready to get something to eat.
We went to drop our packages off before heading to the restaurant. As I was shutting the door to the van I looked both ways so to speak and slammed the sliding door shut. Out of nowhere I hear the blood curdling screams of Kyle. Out of somewhere from beyond I hear Dave’s even more curdling screams,
“You slammed his hand in the door. Beth, you slammed his hand in the door.”
Dave’s face was green and Kyle was in pain. His little fingers were swelling and he had blood all over his hand.
“Beth, how could you do that? Didn’t you see his hand?”
(Dave had been holding Kyle and Kyle had wrapped his hand inside the door of the van. No, I hadn’t seen his hand.)
Dave’s reaction and green face were so intense that I felt as though I had killed both of my sons. I took Kyle alone in the van to console him.
“Mommy, Mommy my fingers hurt. Mommy,” Kyle said through heaving sobs.
“Oh, Kyle, It was an accident. Can you forgive me?”
“It WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT!” He sobbed.
Then he paused for minute, caught his breath, and seemed to open up.
“I will forgive you.”
Of course I felt terrible. I still do. I tried to assure him,
“Kyle, Mommy did not mean to hurt you. She would never try to hurt you. It was an accident. I am so sorry Kyle.”
In true and most generous form, Kyle followed with,
“I will forgive you, Mommy. It was an accident.”
During our interchange Dave went to the Sports store to buy Band-Aids and get ice. I called my brother Brian the doctor. He assured me that even if Kyle’s fingers were broken that we didn’t need to rush him to the hospital. Kyle was settling down and so was Dave. We decided it was ok to get some food. I held Kyle all the way and in the restaurant. Even though he was wiped out he was returning to his old self.
On the way to the van we stopped at the Gap and had a little hat buying spree. I see here that I am sweeping over some details and taking the tweezers to others. We bought hats for us and the kids at about a dollar a piece.
Gap Hats at Arches National Park, Moab, Utah
It was about 8:30 P.M. and we were still in SLC. We still needed to buy diapers and now more Band-Aids and pain reliever. As Marianne and I got the goods, Dave entertained the kids in the parking lot of Smith’s, the local grocery store. We got the kids ready for bed and finally hit the road.
Me and Moe Moab, Utah
Oh, it’s not over yet for this first day of our trip. Just before we reached Price, Utah, which is halfway between Moab and Salt Lake City, we nearly missed hitting a boulder that had fallen and was sitting in the middle of the road. Luckily the boulder had managed to roll into the other lane. A few cars were pulled off to the side, and we wondered if one of them had hit the rock. We also feared that someone would get killed trying to push the immense object off of the road. The rock must have weighed over a ton. We flashed oncoming cars to warn them. As we drove away from the boulder we hit really crazy thick fog. The fog so thick that we could not see the cars in front of us. And because of this thick fog, we felt like we were trapped together in a moving padded cell. At one point, Dave, Marianne, and I even discussed how we could get ahold of some Paxil (for all of the anxiety). Several miles and minutes later the fog cleared. We rolled into Moab at about 2:45 A.M. The condo we had rented for the occasion was wonderful and I couldn’t wait to put my head on my pillow.
I am extremely tired so I have posted some pictures of this past week. Just click on the word, “more.” I will begin to fill in the details tomorrow. In brief, we are still sick. The boys are very sick. My friend, Marianne came to town. We took her to Moab. On the way to Moab, I slammed Kyle’s hand in the van just after spending a few minutes with our friend, Mike Darne at The Little America Hotel. Kyle has a new friend. His name is buggy. See the pictures. So much more to say, but I said I was tired and I am. I will fill in the blanks soon.The Pictoral Story
Dave, the boys and Mike Darne
Our Friend Mike Darne with Dave and the boys outside the Little America Hotel
(It was pouring rain and this was the best picture we could get.)
Here I sit at the Henderson, Nevada Kinkos. Dave is in the van with our sleeping boys and I am trying to do some last minute Christmas shopping online. Because We are traveling fools, online seems to be the only method that works. I can’t leave my lap top for fear it will be stolen and Dave can’t leave the kids for fear they will be stolen as well. Did I mention how badly I need to go to the bathroom?
I needed to post something because it seems as though I can’t send email.
So I will say that we are a live. Las Vegas has been crazy. Kyle loved and feared the outdoor volcano attraction at the Mirage. We stayed at the Venetian, with indoor canoes (gondolas) and all. Kyle wants to go back to his hotel and his parents want to get out of here. Too much stimulation.
Yesterday, we registered our van in Pahrump, Nevada. Let’s just say that Pahrump is the home of The Brothel Art Museum and worlds smallest DMV, (that’s a whole other story/log). I have had too much caffeine this morning and am trying to get all my computer need done before I get Davy’s call pleading for me to return to the van.
As we drove by the lone holiday decorated Joshua Tree amongst the thousands of other Joshua Trees that lined the Nevada highway, I thought to myself, “It doesn’t quite feel like Christmas.” (I write this as “I’ll be home for Christmas” plays in the background. Tears really do fill my eyes at the sounds of those words.
Please post often, we check the site daily. We will email you as soon as we can. Oh, and we took great pictures. Maybe I will call Dave and see if we can upload them now…
As you know or don’t know we went to Portland, Oregon. We went up to see friends past and present and to check Portland out as a viable place to reside. Have I mentioned all of this before? We are SO frustrated. It seems the more we travel, the more we do not have a place to live, the more schizophrenic we become.
Ah ha, but this entry is supposed to be about to our trip to Oregon.
Ode to Oregon
Ode to Old Friends
Even though they may skip school and spend tons of time with us,
We must remember that if we move to Portland things won’t always be like that.
Ode to good friends that not only play with our kids, they love our kids.
Ode to friends who put us up and put up with us,
(As long as we do not play Texas Hold ’em and we do sing Barry Manilow into the wee hours).
Ode to Justin and Stephanie.
We miss you.
Ode to boogers. Because no matter where you go, there they are.
Should I be starting so many lines with “Ode?”
Ode to Eli. You travel so well.
The Pacific Northwest Rain gets us down
But not you. You are our peace.
Okay, more than schizophrenic I think I am sounding run-of-the-mill crazy. Portland was beautiful, cool, and groovy. We looked at real estate, talked about the good schools, found the Target, and then it rained…
Me, Suzie, Jill & the boys, Mcminnville, Oregon
Thankfully through it all, the love is still there. Dave and I feel stronger even though our life is so crazy.
Please help us find a place to put some roots down.
Post your suggestions. Thank you
Life is still crazy of course. This past week Eli turned one. We had a party for him at my Mom’s house. Eli seemed to love his presents. Kyle loved helping open them. You see Eli loves to dance and loves music. Most of his presents make musical sounds so he can dance. Dave and I are not sure we made the right decission about our present choices after having these loud toys home for a few days. Hearing Cookie Monster shout, ” ‘C’ is for cookie, that’s good enough for me, Yum, yum, yum, yum,” is not what we want to wake up to.
