Windshield Time

I started this trip off by priming for all the driving. Upon getting home, I picked Amanda and the dogs up, and off to Del Rio, 30 miles away, we went. Friday, we went to Del Rio and back home for chiropractor appointments for the both of us. Then to Uvalde, 40 miles, to pick up heartiversary cake and cookies, but our ordinary local baker was unavailable. Then to Eagle Pass for a celebration with close friends. Usually I’d cook, but we were in a time crunch with said trips. I was already 350 miles in, and we hadn’t even started the journey! 

We had a great dinner with friends and family; these friends are family. We ate lots of Mexican food and so much churro cake with cinnamon buttercream; the substitute baker did great. 

Once back home, we promptly started packing; I was halfway there, but Amanda was starting from zero! It was after midnight before we started packing the car. All loaded up like a jigsaw puzzle in the back. I stepped back and noticed the little Subaru was squatting a bit! Unload and rearrange with our big suitcases buckled up in the back seat and a nice hole for me to see out of through the rear window. Let’s just say we didn’t slide into bed until after 1:30. With a 6 am wakeup, we left 30 minutes after our scheduled 7 am planned departure time. We have good friends that are always late. So when we run late, I always remind myself of them and instantly feel better about my tardiness!

Dad called all groggy, just as he got up I assumed, to check if we’d left, just a few minutes before we rolled out. On the way out, we saw our pastor, friend, and caddy-corner neighbor, whom Amanda and I jokingly call my father-in-law. He is like a surrogate for Amanda, and I say he sometimes annoys me as if he were my father-in-law! So with dad check-ins all complete, we hit the road. 

One thing about road tripping you get to carry lots of stuff, enough to sag a Subaru! No dopp kit for me. I grabbed a shopping bag, a Star Wars one, and stuffed everything from the shower and vanity in it. Only one overnight stop, so I just threw an extra shirt and chonies on top. New Iowa friends or anyone not on the border just go look it up or use your deductive reasoning to figure out what chonies are! Speaking of Iowa friends, y’all would be proud of me with the 50-degree morning weather; I didn’t put a jacket on. 

First stop at Starbucks, of course! It had some crazy reverse action for Amanda, though. She finished it and then proceeded to crash out for about 2 hours! I rambled to myself for quite a while before realizing she was asleep. She didn’t even wake up as I was pushing the Subaru through some windy and winding roads. Since she was out, it was a little hipster music. The playlist was easy morning folk, being sleep-deprived behind a windshield, the usual for me as a freight train conductor; an easy morning it was indeed. 

We got out of the twisty hills and to flat land farming a couple of hours north of home. Reminded me of Iowa, except no corn in sight. It was getting close to lunch, and a little late for Amanda to take her medicine because she ran late last night. The transplant medication has to be taken like clockwork every day. Amanda is used to taking diuretics, but not me. My coffee was acting as a substitute, so the 2nd stop location was quickly decided!

We skipped lunch, besides Amanda’s pills, to head for a place with lots of veg options in Amarillo, a couple of hours away. The self-proclaimed “street food” place was open till they ran out. I guess they had run out. Plan B was Olive Garden, and we never eat anywhere we could eat back home when traveling. The one exception would be when we’re in a hurry to get across the road. We saw a Texas Road House across the street, so we just went there. Surprisingly steakhouses are great plant based options. This one has a vegetable plate on the menu, four sides for $10. One of us got a baked potato, and the other a baked sweet potato, swapping halves, corn, and steamed veggies. Add a side of sautéed mushrooms and grilled onions to put on the baked potato, and we were set. 

I joked with the server that I thought we’d ordered every vegetable they had. She came back later to check on us, asking if we were vegan. I explained we were whole food plant based and what the difference was. I told her it worked for us, and we’d lost over 200 pounds together, and her response was, “badass”! She was very attentive and rightfully earned a great tip. Having both come from the industry, we reward excellent service happily. We promoted this blog with her and hopefully gained a new follower!

A quick stop by a grocery store close by to grab some fruit for dessert, along with some Starbucks. A Ski shop, yes, a snow skiing shop in Amarillo, caught our eye when we were headed to the grocery store and just so happened to be next to the Starbucks. We shopped around, coming out with matching Patagonia pullovers. Or as another texas borrowout in Iowa that I’ve become good friends with says Pantaramagolia! He loves to give me a hard time for my affinity towards the brand. 

After driving through the dreaded flatlands northwest of Amarillo, I’d had my fill of that part of Texas. We did get a good picture of Amanda and “her.” Then a change of plans, a great part of road trips easily redirect. Originally I wanted to make it north of Denver to Fort Collins, but Amanda hadn’t seen much of that side of Colorado. Being dark, she still wants to see it. So we’re overnighting in Colorado Springs, 2 hours shorter. Now with a plan to hit Pikes Peak as soon as it opens with Starbucks in hand. We’re here, we might as well see that, and it’s been about 20 years since I’d seen it; Amanda hadn’t at all. 

We won’t make it to Wyoming as early as I’d have liked, but why miss a significant experience like Pikes Peak when we’re right here? It’s all about the experiences now! I’d say a pretty good start to our trip, a great way to celebrate Amanda’s 2nd heartiversary.