Last night we treated ourselves to a hotel. I got to take a leisurely shower AND wash my hair! Ironically neither myself nor the software engineer who is my travel companion could get the internet working in our hotel room. So you are getting 2 days in a row. (Apparently our son-in-law was a little concerned about us when I didn't post yesterday ~ sweet boy). Well, the internet connection where we are camping is much more reliable than the Marriott in Sidney, Nebraska. Fun fact though about Nebraska...it is a "masks optional" state. We continued to wear ours but certainly from the lack of masks we saw we were pegged as foreigners.
Despite the endlessness of Nebraska via Interstate 80, we had some excitement yesterday. My good friend Laura and her husband are driving across country to see their grandson, son and daughter-in-law who live in Cincinnati. We met at mile marker 342 in Nowhere, Nebraska and had a socially distant reunion. Laura is a long-time friend. She was Hilary's Girl Scout leader from third grade through senior year of high school. She and I became close friends as a result of this. Until Covid hit, Laura and I walked 3 ½ miles two to three times per week religiously. We have been walking partners and friends for almost 20 years and I haven't seen her since we moved from Palo Alto at the end of February. (I got sick right after the move with “the flu” before they were testing everyone for Covid and then “shelter-in-place hit). It is somewhat amazing that we both decided to buy travel vehicles at approximately the same time to visit our grandchildren. Also amazing how those very small creatures can embolden us to drive such a long distance just to see them.
Speaking of which...we FaceTimed with Tala during the drive. She is now putting her left foot into her mouth and then smiling broadly at her accomplishment. I know I am a grandmother because I said to Thomas as he was busy driving “she is putting her foot in her mouth!” So proud we both were.
Now that I am recounting that day I realize that there were two more exciting events that happened. For those of you who have driven 80 you know how far spaced the gas stations are. Thomas and I have been good about filling up when we get to about a quarter of a tank. Yesterday as we were 8 miles away from the end of the travel day I heard an "oh-oh" from the driver's seat. The gas light had gone on and our electronic gauge said we had exactly 8 miles left. But those gauges are really only guides, not accurate instrumentation. If we ran out of gas even a mile from the gas station the production it would be to get everything going with that 2 ton trailer would have quite lengthened and already too long day. Well we made it! And we celebrated by taking showers in a real bathroom.
The other excitement was hearing that Biden had chosen his running mate. Now I know I am treading into political territory but I like Kamala Harris, and I think she is a good choice for many political reasons. On one of those eighth grade trips to Washington D.C. Ms. Harris took an hour out of her day to talk with the students. Her humanity impressed me then. I am particularly affected that the Biden/Harris ticket has Pence scared about socialism in America. To that I say, "bring it on" along with the democracy in our country that is being eroded away. So glad Hilary and Nate will be voting in Virginia this election.
The drive today was seriously uneventful except that it was quite beautiful. Wyoming is all sky and chaparral with rolling hills and even mountains. The pictures of clouds you see in this post are all Wyoming. Now it is 5:30 pm MDT and we are sitting on rocking chairs below our awning enjoying cool weather with light rain. Three more days to go until we get home. Two if we decide to drive straight from Elko, NV and have a long day. We are so looking forward to sleeping in our own bed.
All the photos above are of Wyoming...
Grandparents driving across country in search of their grandchildren
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