Spain
Part 5
They Picked the Wrong Blond and Other Crazy Stories...

FYI: Again, slow connection, pictures later...

Hola mi amigos y amigas. We're now in Barcelona and this place TOTALLY ROCKS!! We're staying at the Hotel Husa Oriente on La Ramblas. But before I go on, I MUST relay todays adventures. Lew and Carin, you'll dig this one...

Off we were at 11AM to the train station. Should we take a taxi or the metro? Well, we did downsize and eliminated one small backpack due to creative packing. (We actually packed the extra one full of dirty clothes and things we weren't using and put it in a locker at the station in Madrid knowing that we were coming back through there at the end of our journey.) Since we had already paid for 10 metro rides, why not take it? We'd downsized, upgraded our Barcelona train ride to Preferred Seating and didn't want to puss out. Wow, these packs are a lil' heavier than before. Ow! "Yes, I'll have an espresso and 4 Motrin. Gracias." Jack has been SUCH an AWESOME traveler and today we was just pooped and tired of lugging his Spiderman backpack. Can't blame the kid. After all, he is only four. Mama took the load for him.

Under ground we went and got several "Oh PLEASE don't go in my car" looks from the other passengers. Sorry kids, gonna hafta squeeze. Rode the first train 2 stops then connected at Bilbao, riding for another 6 stops till our destination. Finally, we were at Atocho. Just a short walk across the street, down the ramp, and into the land of humidity. But wait, a lady on one of the trains was yelling something at us. "Pardon", was all I could come up with. Found out later that she was telling us to stay on the train as the next stop was ACTUALLY AT the station instead of just before. Thank you, kind stranger, for trying to help. I'm sorry I didn't bone up on my Spanish more before we left. Turns out we even went out the wrong side of the station, ended up crossing several intersections before getting there. Rolling with sweat, backs aching, and now I was carrying Jack's pack, too. Damn. Crossing the final intersection he kept crying out, "I'm tired of walking! I'm tired of walking!" Dude, I'll trade places with you, no problem!

Made it! Found where the lockers were then proceeded inside to sit down, unload and maybe grab some grub. Terry left to put the extra backpack into a locker and was not more than a minute away when I spotted the first guy...

I had my back to the main entrance and saw a short Mexican, not Spaniard, looking dude, shifty eyes, pretending to be occupied with a machine that was against the wall to my right. He kept looking my way, at me, over my head, at me, rinse, repeat. Somethin' was brewin'. Then I heard the plink of the car keys to my left. I whipped my head around to see another Mexican dude pointing to something on the ground. "Are these yours?" I quickly looked down, saw the keys, and knew I was being set up. The keys were the distraction, the shifty guy was the grabber. I looked to my right again at a VERY nervous partner-in-crime. You fucking thieves. I immediately stood up and yelled, "NO YOU DON'T!" and ran to stand behind Jack's chair and our stuff. The key guy then said something like "Oh, these must be my keys" and walked off, followed by the shifty lookout/grab-and-runner. I couldn't believe it! The Mama Bear in me lept into action, ready to beat the shit out of anyone wanting to fuck with my family and our stuff. They picked the wrong blond - they had NO idea who they were messin' with. Fists were tight and ready to give blows. I was, and still am, enraged. The girl next to me saw it and asked, "Were they trying to take your stuff?" The girl behind the counter also came around looking very concerned. We were all shocked.

After they left, I stood watch and was able to spot at least 2 other dudes casing travelers and their gear. Unfuckingbelievable. Yet, it wasn't. There were plenty of other people with their head firmly planted. Thank god I took care of that after the first day. I didn't bother to call Terry on his cell as it wouldn't have done any good. But you know as soon as I saw him my mouth was goin', arms were flallin' and the story poured out like water. He sat with an all-too-quiet calm taking it all in. We were both ready to throw blows. Calm down. Breath deep. Don't let it ruin the day - just turn it into a really wild story. So there you go...

The train ride to Barcelona was beautiful. Six hours of countryside, riding through mountains and along the coastline. Golden. The dude next to Terry turned out to be from Berkeley. Small world! He was traveling around Europe for a month. Nice. Wish we could do the same - maybe some day. Got to Barcelona a little after 6PM, made sure all bags were tightened down and zippers out of sight. We were nervous but didn't let on to each other until later. The last experience at the train station made us nervous and unsure. But Barcelona has, so far, proved us wrong. Our taxi driver was an elderly man who spoke no English but understood my poor Spanish. Off we went into unknown once again. The streets were packed!! Take S.F. traffic with N.Y. mentality and you've got a recipe for mass congestion. Again, scooters and motorcycles everywhere, not caring about the bus behind them or the taxi cutting in front. Crazy and fun to watch. We turned onto one of the most vibrant streets I've seen in a long time. La Ramblas, for those who've never been, is a blend of vendors, performers, locals, tourists, restaurants and just a whole lotta people watchin'. Perfect. Imagine Vegas in Spanish. Jack was so pooped he fell asleep on the ride over. Couldn't fall asleep on a 6 hour train ride, but managed to doze off in all the chaos. Pulled up to the hotel and the kindly ol' taxi driver helped with the bags. No, we've got it, but thank you for helping. We dragged our broken (not Brokeback!) bodies to the front desk, waiting for the unfriendly man behind the desk to shoo us to our room. Not only was the guy more than friendly, he upgraded our room (no charge) and spoke perfect English, no attitude, no chip. Rock on, Cesar! Up we went and off went the gear. Now for some grub.

We cleaned up, put on another layer of deoderant, some cologne/perfume to cover any lingering odors and ventured into the circus. We found a great little outdoor cafe with a grand view of the "show". Sat down and immediately ordered two VERY LARGE beers. I swear they were the size of a pony keg! Perfecto. We ordered up some paella, a cheese pizza for Jack and chatted about our day, keeping a close eye on the crowd. Man, I LOOOOOVVVE to people watch! And the crowd didn't disappoint. Trannies, punkers, normals, "I've been in the tanning bed too long" chicks, babies - you name it, it was on the menu. Priceless. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and left with full bellies and a nice little buzz. Up to the room and off to bed. Well, off to the blog.

I hope all are well and planning your adventure/s. Doesn't have to be Spain or Europe or anywhere far. Just try something new. Jump in with both feet knowing you'll swim just fine. Hell, you made it this far in life, right? Come on in, the water's perfect...

Spain
Part 4Just Getting Comfortable

FYI:

Because of a VERY, VERY slow connection, pictures will be forwarded at a later time.

Buenos dias mi amigos y amigas. Yes, it's 12:50 AM on Friday morning and I'm awake. Damn. Fortunately, Jack is knocked out. But he did wake up at 8 AM this morning with only 7 hours sleep under his belt. And me and Terry? Only 5 hours sleep. Why did we get to sleep so late? Well, heck, when you can't sleep at night, what do you do? You shave your husbands head!! That's right boys and girls, after a few shots o' Jack Daniels, we decided that 1:30 AM on a Wendesday night that it was the PERFECT time to take a razor to Terry's noggin. What else were we gonna do? Shave the maids head? She ran away too fast.

So now Terry has a shiny new dome (no cuts!) and couldn't be happier. Anyway, it helps him get his "angy face" on when we're on the metro. And speaking of metro, just as we've gotten accustomed to the railway system and the ways of Madrid, it's time to move. But a little more about our day's adventures...and the adventures were abundant...

After the early morning wake up (I was having a dream, yelled out about a fire and getting the people out thus waking up Jack - nice one), we showered, got frustrated over finding a hotel in Barcelona, FINALLY made reservations along La Rambla and headed out to the Museo del Prado. This museum is the one to visit when in Madrid. Why? Because it really is awesome. We took the metro (which Jack LOVES!), successly switched trains, and actually ended up in the proper locale. As we headed toward the entrance, we spotted the VERY LONG LINE of French teenagers. We were used to cackling teens and found our place in line behind them. Mr. Jack was getting very sleepy - it was already 1PM and he was in need of a nap. He had been such a trooper, the boy's allowed a fit here and there and a nap on daddy's shoulder. He insisted on bringing his drumsticks (which we had to check at the entrance) and proceeded to unload 6 fistfuls of change from his pockets before he went through the museum's metal detector. The female guard was more than accommodating, making Jack laugh as he unloaded his treasure. He somehow managed to scoop up fistfuls of euro off the desk in our room - guess he's lookin' to feel more like daddy with the jingling pockets. Finally, we were through. But wait! A trip to the banos was first. Sigh. Patience is a virtue and the one thing that is necessary when traveling with kids. Que pasa nada. Okay. Done guys? Off we go...

Saw some BEAUTIFUL sculptures done in marble dating back to the 1500-1600's. Unbelievable. The rubenesque (sp) women were very reassuring for those of us sportin' a ghetto booty. Sorry, Jen, but I forgot to bring the name of the painter and painting you longed to see. Maybe I got it by chance in my cache of photos?!? Guess you and I will have to travel here together some day (wink, wink). Jack proceeded to fall asleep on Terry's shoulder halfway through the tour. Poor kid! So exhausted. After viewing the second floor, it was time for sustinence and a jolt of caffeine. Downstairs we went to the cafeteria. Sidebar: 98% of the people in Madrid are thin, maybe not in shape, but thin. The only "large and in chargers" turned out to be Americans. No joke. You can spot the Americans from afar and there were several in the cafeteria. Very sad to know that the stats are true. (Sad heavy sigh). Anywho, after a recharge, we headed out of the museum and back onto the metro. We had to start making our plans for Barcelona. Keep in mind, we're totally on the fly after Madrid. Need to start making some plans for the next couple o' days.

Talked to Jen yesterday and we are DEFINITELY going to meet up somewhere in France. Thanks to Lew for the Barcelona info from her HP bud. Our email is down right now (FUCK!), but we hope to regain power soon. Hmph. Still haven't heard from Kate. Damn. Gotta press on...

Back to Barcelona plans...after pulling out many hairs before our trip to Museo del Prado (my hairs as Terry's were now outta sight), we made reservations at Hotel Oriente on La Rambla in Barcelona. That only took 2 hours to do! Sometimes things get lost in translation and/or you lose your info somewhere in the land of the internet. Damn. Now we have to make those bullet train reservations. Damn. Shit (a dedication to Lew's fav word - Carin, yours?!?) After the Prado, we tried making the reservations online. No dice. Fine. Picked up the phone (costing a fortune) and did the 'se hable englais' to the dude on the other end. Waited a few seconds then got a barely English speaking chick. Fine. Whatever. Turns out we CAN'T do it over the phone as it's less than 24 hours from the time of departure. Fine. Damn. Shit. What do we have to do? GO TO THE TRAIN STATION WHICH IS LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MUSEUM WE WERE AT 2 HOURS AGO! Wow. Packed it up and headed out once again. Jack was very excited to ride the train again. Mama just wanted to relax for a while.

Found the train station (Huge!) and got our number for the next available teller. One hour later, our number was called. Our guy spoke very little English, but we muddled through. We now have 3 preferred seats to Barcelona leaving at 1:30 PM on Friday. Perfecto! Time for grub. Fortunately, we had spotted several cafeterias from our earlier visit and sat outside for our meal. We hung back and watched Madrid roll on by. Nice change of pace.

Now, can I give props to myself? Managed to order dinner for all of us, ask about the restrooms, and survive conversing with our waiter all en espanol. Dude!!!! Need a brownie badge for that one! Rebecca, Jen, you would've been VERY proud!

After dinner, we got a little too comfortable with our knowledge of the metro and ended up going the wrong way after switching trains. Fortunately, we caught our mistake early and were able to get on the right train. Whew. Another bullet dodged. Time to get back to the room before we lose our confidence or our sanity.

For all you Nugget lovin' folds in Davis, I found Madrid's answer to the Nugget right below our hotel! Thank god!!!! And it didn't smell!! Had to grab some more fruit and water, so I decided to venture to the gourmet market. Dude, it rocked! I couldn't even touch the fruit! The dude behind the fruit stand grabbed and weighed the fruit for me, then bagged and labeled each one. Nice. And is the cured meat fresh, you may ask? Hell ya! Why, the various animals legs are HANGING (hooves still attached) for the meat guy to slice per your order. Check out the pics - no joke. Golden. Carin, you may want to turn away for the next story. In the front deli case, spotted a baby pigs head, sliced in half and BBQ'd to a golden brown for your dining pleasure. I stood there a good while as I was trying to make sure I was seeing what I thought I saw. Still need to get a pic of that. This grocery experience was priceless.

Our thoughts on Madrid - Would we come back? Don't know. We'll have to see how Barcelona feels. We definitely can make our way around Madrid which a blessing. Day one, we were shell-shocked. Nice to come out with a good feeling. Do we feel totally comfortable? Hell no! But we're more willing to try the unknown. Madrid has forced us to grow.

Tomorrow we are off to a new city and a new dialect - Spanish with a twist. Outta be interesting. Another notch on the adventure belt. Are we scared? Yes, but we're a little more confident that we can come out shining, but maybe a little battered, on the other end. Hoping to make it to the south of France after that. It all hinges on Jen and her plans with her traveling companions. Gotta meet up with someone we know as the experience is priceless.

Our we learning as we go? Yes. Tolerance, patience, and the desire to live without a bunch of "stuff". Stuff doesn't matter, your family and friends do. "Do what you love, love what you do." Anyone recognize the quote?

I wish all my family and friends a wonderful weekend and encourage all to tap into your adventurous spirit. It's frightening and full of unknowns, but it's worth it. The memories are worth their weight in euros.

Till tomorrow...

Sidebar to Sjarina: DO NOT take John to Spain for a vacation. It's all fish, all day, all night. The poor boy would have his head in a bucket all day, all night.

Spain

Part 3
The Adventure Continues

Thursday, March 30, 12:01 AM

!Buenas noches mi amigos y amigas! (Imagine the first ! upside down). How am I doing, Rebecca? Jen? Just got back from dinner not 15 minutes ago. No joke to those who've never visited Spain. Yes, dinner time is from 8:30 -11:00 PM. Good thing as we're running a couple of hours behind anyway. So, two big ventures I/we spearheaded today: 1. Yes, we took the Metro train to dinner. Imagine us westerners trying to figure out the maps, etc. 2. Yes, I TRIED THE BIDET FOR THE FIRST TIME!! Dude, had to!! Come on. You know you've wanted to try. I know, some of you have already crossed over more than once, but this was quite an undertaking for me. And yes, I did Google info regarding usage before venturing to the unknown. Thoughts? I won't be installing one anytime soon but can understand the advantages. Nuff said.

Mr. Happy, a.k.a. Jack, is jumping on the bed, fighting sleep as we fight putting him out in the hallway. He'll be up on eBay by morning if things don't improve...

So, our dinner tonight...Decided it was time to take the Metro. After MUCH research regarding what station, where are we going (and me asking Terry to PLEASE stop hounding me for info - girl can't think when spoken to), we found our way to the proper locale. So when we came to the surface to find our street, do you think we could find it? Hell no! Broke down for a cab (only 4 euro this time). We were just up the street but couldn't find the damn street sign to verify our locale. Dude, when traveling with a 4 year old, you hafta go the easy route sometimes. Found the restaurant in my Frommer's book - Nabucco. It's an Italian place that came recommended as it was reasonably priced and was preschool generation friendly. Our waitress was awesome! Why? She spoke English and was very nice. Thank you, Simona!! Hope she checks out the site. And thank you for the free digestive. Muchas gracias.

Tomorrow we plan to hit the pavement for more walking adventures. On the schedule? Prado museum as recommended by Jen. Friday we move onto Barcelona by bullet train. From there? Probably the south of France to check it out and meet up with Jen at some point. She flies out to London tomorrow and arrives in Paris on Monday. Gotta connect with SOMEBODY we know while here. How can you not? Haven't heard from Kate yet. Hope she got my message.

The day ended well - the shock is wearing off. Time to get monster boy down. Tonight may be the night we drug him. Good night to all.

This is how Jack got around most of the day. Oh, to trade places...


And OF COURSE we had to visit the drum store. Duh!


Just lookin' down one of the streets.

A face that JoJo will love.


Rebecca, what is this arch for?


Time to sit and chill. Rebecca, what is this building?


"Daddy, PLEASE carry me! Hey, stop running away!"


Not used to seeing a busload of policia unloading from a bus and carrying semi-autos. I snapped this pic just as Terry was saying, "PLEASE don't take a picture." Click.


Hey, Ming, is this your new car?


Okay, spotted this in a store window. Are these bears with boobs or bears with vag? Terry voted vag. Only in Europe...


Jack thoroughly enjoying his dinner.


Daddy keeping Mr. J under control.


Wine from Spain's answer to the Napa Valley. Notice Mr. AT2D on the left...


Muchas gracias, Simona, for a wonderful evening.

Spain

Part 2
Acclimating

Okay, so the journey here was a little long (10 hours to Amsterdam, 2 hour layover, 2 1/2 hour flight to Madrid) and Hey!, I left my purse with EVERYTHING in it on the plane to Madrid. Widespread panic ensued, the kind that only those who have been awake for 24 hours and traveling with family can understand. Thanks to advice from Jen, I had my photocopies just in case. I notified the military lookin' guy at the airport who took me to lost and found. After waiting too long and biting off all my fingernails, the purse was returned. Dodged that bullet. First on list - get head out of butt.

Couldn't figure out how to get to the hotel via the bus (remember, no speaka at Camp Borden) so we gulped and took a small loan out for a taxi. Sorry, had to. Cost 25 euro. Really, it was 18 euro but something about a charge for all the luggage, blah, blah, blah. Fine. Whatever. You caught us at a weak moment.

And speaking of lack of sleep, it's about 4:30 AM here. Been awake since 1AM - so has Terry. Jack's sleeping quite well, thank you. No, I didn't drug him. May have to take a couple of Dramamine to get sleepy. Nighty night.


Finishing up some last minute work at the airport.

Jack grubbin' before leaving.

Group photo!

Our plane and the pilots that waved to Jack.

Jack in his window seat.

Jack FINALLY sacked out on the plane.


It's a lil' chilly outside - that's ice on the plane window.

Free wine!!


The breakfast waffle brick. We used it as a doorstop.

Wednesday, March 29th, 3:09 PM

Just got back from venturing out of the room for the first time. Jack slept all night and didn't wake up till after noon. I opened my eyes around 11:30 AM and spotted Terry still alseep. Tried to go back to sleep, but the sounds of the city told me it was time to get up and start moving. The sounds remind me of San Francisco - not a bad thing.

After cleaning up and and unrolling a couple of outfits, we were off. On the agenda, lunch and the grocery store. Start walkin'. Hard to to judge good restaurants from bad. I made the assumption that if they have a picture board on the sidewalk, we may not want to venture in. Reminds me of the Chinese restaurants that serve very cheap food at very cheap prices. Not lookin' to dig into my Immodium just yet. I think Jack was getting a little freaked out (sensory overload), so he rode on Terry's shoulders. Spotted a pizza joint with a lot of noise coming from the inside. Perfect - food we know and people who will eat there. Went inside and spotted the table of 10 teenage girls talking as fast as their rolling tongues would allow. "Ssshhhh, ssshhhh", they told each other as we walked in. At least they were trying to be polite. The crazy Spanish waitress spoke about as fast as the girls but was not nearly as polite. After about five minutes she brought a handwritten "menu" of the day. Like we could read Spanish written in swirly letters any better than printing. Nada. Finally figured that the pizza joint in the front was separate than the restaurant in the back. After much giggling and talking from the girls and not a single spotting of the crazy waitress, we hit the pavement and headed to the grocery store. Grabbed a basket (smells funny in here) and started down the aisles. Animal crackers, yes. Funny looking white things in the plastic bag, no. Got the essentials - milk, fruit, peanut butter. Enough to survive in our hotel room if need be. Got to the register and didn't know we had to weigh and mark the bags of fruit. Damn. Thank GOD the dude spoke english and was understanding (Finally a nice person!). Hiked it back to the fruit aisle, found the scale, and tested my ability to comprehend the "weighing system". Okay, fruit on scale, press button with number that corresponds to fruit, close bag. Hmmmm. Stepped back, watched the chick in front of me, then went at it like a pro. Ran back to the register (Damn! People were waiting!), muttered 'lo siento' and got a 'que pasa nada' (Thanks, Terry Sr.!) from the old Spanish lady behind us. Whew. Dodged another friggin' bullet. Bags in hand, we headed back to the hotel to eat at the cafe there. We knew there were no crazy Spanish waitresses there. Jack ordered milk, but wouldn't drink it. Did you know they served milk warm? Tastes like warm cream. Mmmmm to me, nada to Jack. Fine. The kid will survive on bread & butter and water. But hey, we have apples and peanut butter, remember? Golden. Our waiter was VERY nice and played around a little with Jack - made him smile and laugh. Thank goodness. Poor thing is a little out of sorts. Everything is different and no one is speaking English. Okay, make that tres that are out of sorts.

I gotta admit, I have a tremendous sense of adventure and desire for all things different, but this place can be very frightening. We don't speak Spanish, we're in a big city of Spanish speakers, and nothing is making sense. Keeping it together knowing that it can only get easier with each day. Still tired from the time change. Just trying to understand and comprehend is exhausting. Called Simone to get Kate's cell number (Kate, mom of Diego from preschool who is also traveling here with her family; Simone, friend of Kate's from college who lives in Madrid. Small world fact - Simone went to high school in Sonoma with Terry). No one home. Left a message and hope to hear from her soon. Kate and family are now north in San Sebastian. Think we're going to head to Barcelona on Friday, taking the bullet train, then maybe rent a car and drive up the coastline toward France. Trying to see if we can stay in some smaller towns as the larger cities are proving to be a little too challenging at times. Gotta stay somewhat relaxed as this is, after all, a vacation, right? We're going to hit the hotel hot tub at some point. Gotta wait for the masses to thin out. Really hoping to meet up with Jen, too. Maybe Barcelona? She's been a very good email friend so far. Reassuring. Anyone else wanna help?

All in all, scary as hell but worth the adventure. Gaining more appreciation for those who come to the U.S. from other parts of the world. And isn't this what this trip is about? Learning, growing and appreciating. And right now, I'd like to appreciate a Murder Burger, spicy fries and a Sierra Nevada. Patience.

I'm off to venture some more. If only they sold courage in a bottle. Wait, isn't that called Jack Daniels?!? Adios mi amigos y amigas!!

View from our room.


Sunset on Madrid.

Spain, Part 1

Spain

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Part 1:

Packing

So how does a girl who is a “mood dresser” pack a backpack (ONE BAG per person, ladies!) for 2 weeks in Spain? How does one even go about trying to plan for every thing, every mood, every situation while limiting oneself to a single bag? Tell that self to deal with it and move on.

Getting ready to take the Borden clan abroad has proven to be a new yet welcoming challenge. I’ve needed this kind of packing challenge for quite some time. I’ve always been known as the “Just In Case” packer. Come on, how many of you have known a person like this? Need a bandaid? Ask the just-in-caser. Need to a large frying pan for those steaks? You know the answer. I’m that person…till now. Okay, okay, so I’ve managed to squeeze in a few extras (no frying pans). Hey, I’m carrying my own pack so I’m the one who will ultimately pay the price (thank you, Motrin). Honestly, the pack is sooooo much lighter than the packs we wore for climbing Shasta – trust me. I did bring a lil’ box of Cheer for in-room laundering while on the road. Lord knows we’re going to be stanky by the end of the first week. The purpose of backpacks only? Keeping those hands free for Mr. Jack. He’s the most valuable piece of luggage. And speaking of valuable things, thanks to Jen for the advice on photocopying our passports. Done. Am I forgetting anything? Damn, I hope not. Passports, check. Purse that the pickpockets can’t get into, check. One pair of underwear and one box of maxi pads, check. Thanks for that advice, Lyn! Just kidding…I brought 2 boxes ;-)

We are armed with airplane entertainment and Dramamine. Is it wrong to drug your child before a 10 hour flight? No, seriously, is it?!? There’s gonna be a lot of walkin’ around the cabin and several tiny bottles o’ liquor surrounding our tray tables (and everyone else’s tray tables if Jack decides to play Power Rangers!) But isn’t this one of those character building moments our parents’ always talked about? One of those trips you’ll never forget? I hope so. I want to remember everything and remember to be thankful for being able to take off to Spain for 2 weeks. Wow! Our first 2 week vacation ever, so let’s make it a good one…

And speaking of giving thanks, I might as well give my shout outs now…

To Jen for your enthusiasm – can’t believe we’re going to meet up in Europe! Who would’ve thought?!? To Rebecca for turning us on to Spain. Rock on. To Tom for always being a traveling inspiration. Always a grand story after each venture (and he’s in India right now, then off to Thailand). To my sister for her constant support. To the Sedillo fam – hope to see you somewhere in Spain. To our friends and family for not calling us crazy, at least within earshot. And especially to Terry for making it possible to take this trip. A whole lotta saving and a dash of creativity went into saving for this trip. Of course there will be some work done from afar, but it’s better than being stuck at the office. And thank you for letting your wife extend you beyond your comfort zone. And to Jack, Mr. Excitement, thank you for your adventurous spirit. I hope you remember this trip and the many more that will follow. It is our dream to show you the world beyond our small town, to show you how the world works beyond what the media would like you to see. There is so much to learn and the only way to learn is by doing. So here we go. Take our hands and let’s do it together…

Terry's monster pack. Rolling, the key to stuffing in more crap than necessary.

My tiny pack. Okay, so it just seems tiny. But we must remember - Rolling Clothes = More Outfits.

Jack's Backpack o' Entertainment, not to be unveiled to him until we board the plane. Keep your fingers crossed, otherwise we have to drug him (and us).

Our carry-on backpack containing a change of clothes for all and the toiletry bag. WILL NOT take a chance with lost luggage.

One cannot leave for vacation until they have freshly painted toes, right guys?!?

One more thing...I encourage all to check out these sites - http://thiggins.com, http://fatchickenracing.com. Both are sites of our awesomely cool best friend, Tom. He continuously posts pics of all his travels to far away places. His Fat Chicken Racing site tracks his life as a motorcycle racer. New pics and verbage to begin very soon. Enjoy!

And The Pics of My First Ride
On The Fresh New Ride

(Sorry, these are about 2 weeks old!)

Terry suggested that I take my first ride where others were not...smart move. Hell, why not just head to the freeway and get it over with!! You know, kinda like throwing your kid into the pool to teach him how to swim?!? I went at it with sheer determination mixed with a splash of nausea.

Off and goin', not a plane in sight! Feeling really good, may just push it a little further and go into third gear. OOOOOOOOOH! Crafty....

Made it through the tiny parking lot, around the corners and back to the fam. But did I stop? Nah.

So I decide it's time to stop going in circles and start gettin' outta third gear. I mean, come on, a girls' gotta go, man!

Okay, so I dropped it. Here's the story...the REAL story...

I ventured out and found that I needed to turn around in a tight area. Didn't feel comfortable making a really tight turn. I went wide on a left hand turn and into a patch of mud that was disguised as a slab of pavement with gravel on top. Good disguise. I sank the front tire in the turn and over it went. The engine was still going and I knew enough to hit the kill switch. Now what? If I can't pick this bad boy (bad girl?) up, I shouldn't be riding it, right? It weighs over 400 pounds. Hm. No time to think, just do. I grabbed two frame points, bent my knees and hoisted it up to my knees. Gave it another lift and up it was. Imagine if you will, a front tire that's buried, mud all over and now a voice yelling at you from behind, "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?" Damn! Somebody saw. I turned around, steady as she goes, and saw a gentleman walking up to me. "Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

"No, but thanks. I just got 'er last weekend and this is my first day out. Again, thanks."

"Well, we're with the county (Significance?) and just wanted to check. Good luck!"

I rocked the bike back and forth several times, being careful not to drop it again. I had an audience now - CAN NOT DROP! Finally, the bike rolled backwards out of the mud. Shook off the extra mud, got back on and tried to start it up. Not starting. Damn. And now Terry and Jack are driving up the road looking for me. Double damn. They pulled up and I assured them I was okay. Why couldn't I start it up? Forgot to disengage the kill switch. Hmph. One good pic of the muddy bike and I was off again. Hey, it had to happen sometime. At least it was in the mud.

So, have I done more than drop it in the mud since? Yes. Terry and I have ridden many, many, MANY loops around the neighborhood (Thanks, Lew, for watching Jack!). Ventured out downtown twice, no problems to report. I have to go at it with determination (and sometimes the nausea). Ride like everyone's trying to hit you, keep your head out of your butt, and you should do quite well. Truth? It's awesome! I can't wait to ride the trails up in Shasta as that's my true reason for wanting a dual-sport bike. So many roads, so many adventures. Time to start clearing the calendar...

Don't forget to start checking the blog every couple of days starting Tuesday, March 28th, as the Adventure Trio goes international! Yes, we're off to Spain to see what kind of trouble we can get into. We're hoping to meet up with a family from Jack's preschool and Jack's godmother, Jennifer, as all are going to be either in Spain or France at the same time. Small world? Yes, it really is. So bring the family 'round the computer and check out the pics, the stories and the adventures. Stay well and experience all that this life has to offer!

FINALLY!

The Pictures From

Santa Barbara

March 4-5, 2006

Gettin' The

Fresh New Ride

Left Davis around 4:45AM and rolled into Wayne's place in Santa Barbara at 11:15AM. Whoa. Actually, the ride wasn't too bad. Jack was the ultimate trooper. Wayne and his wife seemed somewhat sad to see their 650 leave, but they knew it was going to a good home, one with plenty of other motorcycles to play with. And Wayne scored a GREAT deal on a BMW 1200 GS. We both came out winners.

Wayne took plenty of pics before the ol' bike rolled out. Notice that Jack's bike is in the back of the Yukon. He INSISTED that we bring it to show the guys in Ventura and hopefully get in a ride. The ride didn't happen, but the guys were highly impressed that a 4 year old was riding it without training wheels. Rock on, Jack!

One last picture before we turn the key and find out the truck battery was dead. Damn. Fortunately, Wayne's neighbor rolled up with a battery charger pack (official name?) and we were off in a matter of minutes. After many thank you's and handshakes, we were off to see the guy's at Ventura BMW.

The inside of the Ventura BMW dealership. We walked in and spotted Austen first thing. He gave us the high sign as he was busy helping a customer. Next spotted Pete in his office, surrounded by his entourage. He saw us and immediately came out, arms wide open, huge smile across his face. Very cool. My boys!

Terry spotted Pete's bike right away, the one that saved our butts in the middle of the huge wash in Death Valley. His bike has so many extras and modifications. It is truly a beautiful BMW adventure ride.

Jules working hard, makin' the sale(s). Didn't want to interrupt, but knew that we'd eventually get a chance to chat.

Cool Austen fact...the gray bracelet on his wrist was slapped on him after he crossed the finish line at IronMan Phoenix. No, seriously! The dude did IronMan! Rock on, Austen. Promise not to leave me in the dust for the Century Ride?!?

Gotcha, Pete! The man who hauled my big ass outta the canyon. Hey, nice how you're just browsing through mags while poor Jules is out there selling his soul. Nice, Pete, nice. Seriously, Pete flew for the Air Force (South African or USA? Forgot to ask.) and for the Red Cross. Truly a huge heart.

Finally! I found a 10 second window and got a shot with Jules. Sorry, sir, you're going to have to pick out your own damn helmet. I have to get a pic with one of my guys.

Awwww, Pete, you CAN smile. See? You just have to sneak up on him when he's busy perusing the mags...

And the man who promises to not leave me too far in the dust. Austen, anytime (When!) you're up our way, you don't have to pitch your tent in the front yard...the back yard is MUCH nicer. Seriously, the guest bed is always available, dinner and breakfast included.

This is a series of very rushed pictures, totally raw. We took off around 5:30 AM as Mr. Jack was not well. He cried because we cancelled room service! I was a little teary, too. I ran to the front of the hotel and just started snapping away. And honestly, the lighting was really good. Thisis the boardwalk and the end of State Street. Some joggers out, the homeless people not up yet. Yes, there are a lot of homeless in Santa Barbara. Hey, if you were homeless, wouldn't Santa Barbara be a much nicer choice than say Minneapolis?

The oil rigs are in the background while the fishing boats are taking off in the foreground.

The entrance to the hotel, Harbor View Inn. I highly recommend this spot. A little pricey in the peak season, but centrally located with great rooms.

Can you spot the morning jogger? Me neither. Hey, wait, he's right....

The man, zoning out. Poor thing worked himself into a coughing frenzy and puked up a bunch of snot and muck around 5 AM. Sleep? Overrated. He FINALLY zonked out after about an hour. A truly adventurous spirit. How can you not encourage that?

We're home!!! And this is my new/used 2003 BMW 650 GS, complete with custom seat, Jesse bags, GIVI top case, and many, many more extras. How could we NOT snag such a beautiful piece of machinery? I know, dad, we didn't HAVE to, but that would go against everything I am and who you taught me to be. Are you really THAT surprised? I'm sure a lecture email is to follow, Mr. Jet Pilot.

And here's the permit!!! Yes, it took me 2 tries, but it's mine. Terry, I know, I know! I WAS NOT supposed to change any of my answers on the first test (I would've passed with only 3 wrong but decided to change 2 answers that were, ahem, actually the right answers). Hey, you got a huge belly laugh out of it and it just proved you were right. Only missed 3 on the second test... Now, if it would just stop raining!!!!