Well, we've been back in Pagosaland for a while now and, as it's finally a rainy day where I don't feel compelled to do something outdoors, So, I'm getting around to wrapping up the blog for our adventure. When you last heard from us we were enjoying some lovely but chilly beach time in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was a nice place to hang out for a while and, although it never really warmed up as much as we would have liked, it was great to stroll along the mostly empty beach. We had been letting Kasha run loose and enjoy chasing sticks and seagulls until we found out that the fine for having an un-leashed dog on the beach is $500 and possible jail time! So much for stick chasing.
While we were there, Kelly noticed a job offering back in Pagosa for the local court system. It was good pay and benefits so she decided to apply for it since that is what she did back in CA. Unfortunately, they insisted on a face-to-face interview so she decided to fly back and see what would happen. I would stay in SC for a couple more weeks and then go up to help Hannah and Myung with baby Bennie for the first two weeks of March. After that it would be back to Pagosa. The court job didn't work out but while stopping by the HOA [where she worked pre-adventure] to pay our homeowner dues, she found that one of her former co-workers was retiring in April and they were advertising for someone to fill her position. She ended up getting her old job back and higher pay. Excellent outcome!
I spent another week or so in Myrtle Beach, catching up on work and avoiding the beach patrol while Kasha wreaked havoc on the beach. Now it was back to NJ to stay at my sister's place before heading off to Brooklyn for some baby time. We had decided to sell the trailer before heading back as we were done with it and would sell it in CO anyway. I REALLY didn't want to haul that thing halfway across the country by myself so we were motivated sellers. We hadn't been getting any offers until we decided to lower the price by a couple $K. All of a sudden everyone wanted it. However, since I was heading off to NYC for a couple weeks I couldn't close the deal until I returned to NJ.
It was great to spend a couple weeks with my daughter's family. I'm not sure I was much help as Benny really just wanted mom and was not really that into being held by grandpa. I changed a couple diapers but...you know. My main function was walking the 2 bulldogs, Clooney and Charlotte. Most of you are thinking 'Really? That's it!' but this is not as easy as it sounds. The apartment is on the 8th floor so an elevator trip is required and, Please God, don't let another dog get on who might not be friendly with The Kids. Once on the street they both pull like, well...bulldogs. Clooney is a big boy and can really give you a workout while Charley has the habit is having to lie down and wait whenever she sees another dog on the sidewalk. This happens about every 30 seconds in this part of town.
We had some great weather and were able to get Benny out for good walks around DUMBO. That is Down Under the Manhattan Brooklyn Overpass. This is a very nice part of NYC with lot's of chichi shops and eateries [I had to resist the temptation of wanting to try EVERYTHING] and great people-watching opportunities. While I could never live there, I could see the attraction of living in NY for a young couple. While there, I was able to get out and meet up for a beer with our friend Ben, who is the son of our friends in Pagosa. Hannah 'allowed' me to walk the 45-minutes to the meet but insisted on my taking an Uber for the twilight trip back to their apartment. NYC can be sketchy ya know.
This was the most continuous time I had spent with Hannah since...I don't know when and I truly enjoyed my time with her, Myung and Benny. They are the most gracious hosts, and I missed them the minute I left and can't wait to get back for another visit. It's so fun watching a baby 'learn the ropes' and start figuring things out. In the 2-weeks I spent there he changed quite a bit and I'm anxious to get back for my next visit.
Next stop was back to NJ for a couple days to try and close the deal on the trailer. I had a few buyers lined up to see it in one day but, luckily, the first one to look wanted it and brought the $$$. I happily towed it to his property just over the NY state line where it will happily [I guess??] spend its retirement sitting in a field and hosting visiting family members.
After one more family dinner to celebrate my sister, Leigh's 70th birthday, I rented a small U-haul trailer for the remainder of our gear from the trailer and it was off for the final leg of our journey. I decided to take the more southern route, through Kentucky and Tennessee, to avoid a predicted spring snowstorm in the upper Midwest. Alas, I was unlucky enough to be on the highest pass in Tennessee when a brief but enthusiastic snowstorm caught me. It was a real dumpster fire up there with cars off the road and an empty school bus half overturned along the road. And My! but their wet snow is slippery there! I was barely moving, it seemed, when I came upon a stopped semi in my lane and no-place to go. I had plenty of time to sit and realize I wasn't going to stop before he stopped me and, Wow!, it was like hitting a bridge abutment! I don't think he moved and inch. I got the double tap as I hit the semi and the trailer hit me. OUCH! It felt like someone had hit the trailer and I had a moment to regret not getting the extra insurance. After re-grouping for a minute in the stopped traffic I got out and took stock of the damage. Somehow, the air bags had not deployed and no one had hit the U-haul. Also, I discovered that although the truck looked like hell, it was still drivable and I wouldn't need to be towed. I was sore from the seat belt but, other than my pride, mostly undamaged so, after tying down the hood with some rope to make sure it didn't fly up while driving, I decided to press on and see how it went.
Things settled down for the remainder of the trip. I stopped for an hour and visited my co-worker, Stacy, and her family in Kansas and, anxious for the driving to be over, pressed on for home. I did make one side trip on my way out of Kansas. I had to drive through Dodge City. I'd seen way too many cowboy movies over the years and decided I needed to see it for myself. Well, you know that saying 'Get out of Dodge'? Now I know what they mean...what a S...thole! I was not inspired to spend the night.
Well, now we are both back in Pagosa and glad to be here. The weather is beautiful, the scenery is great, we love our house, and we are re-discovering all the reasons we live here [plus I have my hot tub back]. We both wish it were closer to family as we really enjoyed being around family during our year away and are going to make every effort to travel and visit them more often. We want to thank everyone for the wonderful hospitality we received everywhere we went during our journey and would love it if friends and family come out here some time so we can repay the favor. When asked how we liked our year away our answer is 'Been there, Done that, Glad we did it, Not gonna do it again.' It was a great adventure, and we got to see so many places we truly enjoyed. It didn't quite all go as planned but then, life seldom does. For now, we're settled back into our Pagosa life and enjoying it.
So, until the next adventure, it's Brad, Kelly and Kasha signing off.
'Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.' Albert Einstein
