We are just about ready to head to the mountains. Thursday, we packed all the food and kitchen gear we needed. So it was nice not to have to pack at the last minute like we usually do. Of course, that didn’t mean we weren’t up till almost midnight packing things in random bags and stuffing the back of the van in the dark while in our PJs!
Yesterday, a friend told us her daughter was upset because she didn’t want Ms. Amanda and Uncle Broccoli to move. She didn’t know you come home from vacation; it was too cute! Amanda had assured her there would be pictures sent of the trip. She probably won’t recognize me in the pictures though, she was scared at church and wouldn’t come near me. I’m not sure she knew who I was without all the hair.
Today, I headed off early to Del Rio for a chiropractic visit. I knew I’d need an adjustment before the long trip, and I’ll likely need one afterward, too. I also ran by the car wash to get the van ready.
Amanda recently started driving my parents’ van. My mother can’t drive, but we still need the van because it’s the easiest thing for her to get in and out of. So there was no sense in a 2019 Toyota with 30k miles just sitting around, never being driven. Amanda loathed the idea of driving a minivan, and I don’t think her liking of it has gotten any better! I drive the suburban now, it has room for all my tools. It has nearly ten times the miles as the van also. So when the rack and pinion went out it was a no brainer to put Amanda in the van. That is why we have an extra car we’re dropping off in Alpine. Finally, I get to take the car I originally bought for my away-from-home rig three years ago to Alpine.
When I returned from Del Rio, we traveled to Eagle Pass. Amanda needed some supplies for the kids’ Wednesday night program from Academy. We also grabbed some groceries for the trip. We were excited to get fresh, warm tortillas and fresh salsa from the tortilla factory, but they closed about 15 minutes before we arrived. Thanks, Union Pacific, for the train blocking a crossing, making us late for warm tortillas. Amanda was getting hangry, so I had to feed her quickly after that! So a sushi stack it was.
We got back just after a package arrived for the church sound system. We had a hiccup with the sound system, which shut everything down on Sunday. It took me the better part of the service to figure out the problem and scrounge parts to get it back up. Anyway, we rushed to the church to install the new part so we could get back home to pack. Amanda finished a few last-minute work things while I worked on the system. A quick sound check and we were on the way home.
I made dinner while Amanda started packing. Mushroom stroganoff was on the menu tonight. It turned out quite good. We then packed all the clothes and finished loading the van around 11. Just a couple of overnight bags for tomorrow night left to load. We’ll stop short of Pagosa and layover in Albuquerque on Saturday night.
The dogs know something is up and are all pouty. They’re kind of like our friend’s daughter and don’t always realize we come back from vacation!
We leave about 8 in the morning. Splitting up in Del Rio, Amanda will grab Starbucks, of course, and I’ll grab Whataburger. I always like to get a celebratory vacation cheat meal to kick things off: a #22 sausage biscuit meal! Amanda will just have her coffee and judge me for cheating; at least she is in a different car, so I don’t have to feel the judgment! After that, we’ll top off on fuel and head West. We’ll make Alpine around lunchtime, we might eat there or Marfa, where there are a few better plant based options.