Wednesday, June 8, 2010 ~ 59 degrees ~ 8:58am PT ~ Eureka, CA

Good Morning To All!!

Wake up world~~!! If I have to, you should too (& yes, I realize most of you are ahead of me already)!! The sun is trying SO hard to peak through the clouds this morning (we had another storm roll through here last night ~ rain event). It felt like a magnet, trying it's hardest just to lure me out of bed. I was really feeling refreshed (like in a Folger's commercial or something). Then, I got a really bad cramp in my calf from stretching and that pretty much catapulted me out of bed. Oh, well...........but I still feel perky!!

Ya'll, things DO make a difference in how we feel each day while being on the road for this amount of time; trust me. Like sunshine, warmer temps, blue sky, flowers in bloom, nice people, good food, good "whine" & good spa's (still waiting on that experience). We did a day excursion yesterday into Willow Creek, CA (east of here 50 miles) just to get a little warmth. On the Pacific side of the mountains, it was rainy, foggy, 58 degrees & lack luster. On the "other side" the sun just magically popped out; flowers were blooming & the temp warmed up to 75 degrees!! The area, overall, is just opening up for the summer so there are no real "headlines" to share on great outdoor adventure for now. After the excursion, got back & did laundry. Chip worked on the hydrogen fuel cell machine we have hooked up on the RV (it has been working like a charm, better gas mileage, etc ~ doing its thing!!). Then we headed out to The Sea Grill in town for a fine dining experience. I really needed that "pick me up". Met a gal, Liz the bartender, there from KY & we gabbed with her for a while. Too funny, when she heard our "accents" (I guess that makes us foreigners), her's suddenly reverted back to a cute, little southern drawl (she was given permission to be herself). She's moving back home Tuesday, been in the area for 5 years after college graduation; going to "regroup". Shout out to her ASU friends in Boone, NC. She really loves it there (as we do too & are missing it this summer).

I/we have finally settled into the 3 hr PT time zone difference. FYI ~ we have been in all 4 different US time zones during this trip (ET, CT, MT & PT). Fortunately, they all observe Standard Time (not all observe Daylight Savings Time ~ I think I have that correct). So, sometimes it takes me a few minutes to figure out where we are, what time it is & what day it is. All the electronics have to be "coordinated". Just part of the journey & journeling process.

We are preparing to "tear down camp" for the next leg of this journey (relatively simple process in this big rig; got it down to a science). Poor Nicky, he's like "here we go again, let me get in my hiding place till we settle down again, you're killing me here". I'm sometimes right there with him. There is a hunger & spirit for travel & adventure BUT there is also a need for "stability" in order to absorb, regroup, reflect & enjoy the different locales and people. I wonder "what makes them tick" as much as they wonder the same about us. And I love to talk to strangers (I know that comes as a surprise ~ maybe that's where Meredith gets her "be Mere buddy" thing). But......................we got a schedule to keep............uuggghhh!!

We will be cruising up the Pacific coastline into Oregon today & checking it out for the next several days. Siiiigggghhhh, my "to do" list (as always) is totally different from Chip's "to do" list ~ he wants to stay in all State Parks, fish for dinner (& I AIN'T cleaning 'em), drink beer & make campfires. That's totally fine as long as we have 50 amp power, hot water, sewer connections & a back up plan b/c of the lake of fish he catches for dinner. Then, it's onto Washington state (where I hope we can enjoy Seattle to the max ~ we love it there, it's gorgeous & exciting!!). I hope to find the elusive "Sun Angel" there so I can tan, get my Vit D fix & feel totally pampered in 20 minutes flat (if I can do that one thing, I can probably skip the spa visit ~ hhhuuummmhh, not!!). We have several tanning colleagues in that area as well & hope to hook up with them, too. And then there's Pike's Place ~ fabulous!! Food, art, flowers, very eclectic!! Of course there are a trillion other things the area has to offer, hope to do at least 1/2 a dozen or so.

Well, I'm off. Gotta' do my packing-up chores (somebody is SO impatient & it ain't Nicky!!). Best wishes to you all. Hope you are enjoying the blog. Please always feel free to comment, share the site with others. You can also contact us via e-mail or call either one of our cells (it amazing how those 2 little tools make the distance between us all non-existant). We miss you all and are thinking of you often (really!!). Remember, there's still time to make plane reservations & meet us "somewhere along the road". Be prepared, you'll need to pack a bag of sunshine & warmth with you.

xoxoxox

Cathy = )

P.S. Check out the Jeep pic. No wonder most drivers are "keeping a distance" from us.