lessons from the road

We’ve been on the road quite a bit recently…something like 1400 miles (and 3 states) in the last 7 days alone.  It’s been quite the adventure!  We’ve learned lots, including:

• Josh Groban has a incredible voice and his Illuminations CD is excellent.
• Michael Buble’s CD Call Me Irresponsible is very good.
• Josh Groban followed immediately by Michael Buble can make you laugh at the stark differences in their styles…we called it ‘musical schizophrenia’ in the car.
• You can never have too many peanut butter MnM’s on a road trip.
• Sour Patch Kids don’t go well with peanut butter MnM’s.
• My love affair with the drive to Pullman is over.  I don’t care if I never drive that route again.  (But I will.  Many, many more times, I’m sure!)
• My love affair with the Palouse is definitely NOT over.  It is SO GORGEOUS over there!  I would still move my city girl heart to that part of the state in about 33 seconds.  (It would take much longer to move the accumulation of 18 years and 6 children in this house.)
• The Oregon coast in the sunshine is almost unbeatable.  And there’s nothing like an expanse of sand to make small boys happy. 
• Ice cream for dinner is excellent.  Especially when it’s Tillamook Ice Cream, eaten at the cheese factory.
• Shopping isn’t my favorite past-time, but I can enjoy tax free shopping in Oregon.  Too much, however, will make me grumpy, as we all witnessed.  First hand.
• 6 year olds have a funny sense of humor.  We had to stop for some road construction Tuesday on our way to Pullman.  The first words out of Ryan’s mouth?  “I don’t have time for this!”  Excuse me?  What exactly did you have planned, little man?
• When we got on the road again, he asked what time we’d be to Pullman.  I told him I’d have to think about it, that because of the construction, my estimate was off.  “Well” he said, “turn it back on!”
• Jockeying for space on the bed to watch TV this morning, the boys kept kicking one another.  I told them there was plenty of space, and that they should take half the bed.  After thinking a minute, Ryan flopped down, spread-eagle, in the center of the bed and proclaimed, “This is my half, Logan.  Keep OUT!!”
• Leaving a child at college the day before their birthday is not fun.  Especially when they’re not excited about their living situation.
• Waiting at the pass while the road is closed for rock blasting can be an adventure.  Even when you are beyond ready to be home.  It’s not every day you can play in the median of the freeway!

• And last, but most definitely not least, there’s no place like home!

We’re all glad to be back.  Or at least those of us who are here at the moment.  Jim’s in Boise, so his road trip isn’t over yet.  (I think his road trip will end up about 15 miles longer than mine, although some of those 1400+ miles we were together.)  And Victoria is now at the beach in Oregon; she’ll be home…hmmm…Saturday, I think.  Guess I’d better check into that one!
Excited to sleep in my own bed again.  ‘Night all!