Roswell, part 2

OK, a) it was a thunderstorm, b) it was the car in front of us, and c) the cat is NOT walking funny. She always sways like that.

Seriously, Roswell was fun. Streetlights painted to look like aliens, and even the Wal-Mart had UFOs in front. Well, where else do you stop to pick things up on an intergalactic trip, right?

We have pushed through New Mexico (where we actually saw antelope playing, but no buffalo roaming) into Arizona. Beautiful all the way. Can't wait till the pictures are downloaded.

Finally...Proof of Alien Life!!!

We were driving towards Roswell, NM, watching an alien spaceship battle in the skies above, when this thing swooped down from above. Unfortunately I had the camera on extended exposure mode. Oh well. April thinks that it was just the car in front of us. She also thinks that the spaceship battle was a thunderstorm. Yeah, right. Whatever.

I know the truth.


I also know that my cat was walking funny today. Looks like somebody got probed...

Our Super-Sweet New Ride

The nice folks at Uhaul set us up with this pimped out 24-footer. It can do 65 with only a little wobble, and gets a whoppin' 9mpg. with a tailwind. Downhill. If it's steep. The little black dots are called love-bugs, and are all over Florida and the gulf coast of Alabama and Mississippi this time of year. They are so-named because the male and female are locked in coitus when they splatter on your windshield. I estimate our kill-count at about 26 million. At least I hope.

We left the scene of the crash and made it to San Antonio, TX where we took a couple of days to get our bearings and be sure that the insurance companies had everything that they needed. Of course the person that I needed to speak to at BOTH insurance companies was off on Friday. I wish I had that job...

Anyhow, we are recharged after a couple of days to let the initial shock wear off.

By the way, my brother makes the best breakfast burritos. He says that they are tacos.

They're burritos, bro.

On the road again again

Okay,

Now that we have had a good night's sleep, here's the latest:

Yesterday afternoon, while traveling down I-10 in Florida, an 18-wheeler ran us off the road. The trailer struck a tree, and the sudden change in momentum and direction caused the truck to flip. Luckily nobody was hurt.

Our stuff, on the other hand, didn't fare so well.

My estimate is that it will cost around $6k-$8k to replace all the stuff that was damaged. The list includes all of our bookshelves, a buffet table, the kitchen island, TV, a $900 printer, the vacuum... well pretty much anything containing wood or glass.

Funny side-note: there were two cases of wine (bottom center of pic above) that should have been obliterated from the impact. We lost one bottle...

As far as the rest, thank God for insurance!

Crashed!

April was driving...

Yes, yes, the cat is just fine.

On the Road (again...)

We left Athens, GA Monday night on the first and shortest leg of our journey to LA. We spent Monday night in Cedartown, and on Tuesday went through Rome to see my Granny, and then to Dallas GA to see April's sister and our new neice. Tuesday night is in TyTy, GA at my Mom's for the night.

Next stop, San Antonio!

Welcome Ansley Grace!

Ansley Grace Allen was born on to April's sister, Amanda, and Andrew, our brother-in-law, Friday Sept 14th. As it would figure, April and I were in an airplane flying to Boston at the time! As you can see she is beautiful and healthy, and mom and baby are home after a minor infection that kept them in the hospital for a few extra days. Andrew and Amanda have done well again!

Welcome to the family, kid!

R.I.P Robert Jordan

Sunday the literary world lost one of its giants, with the passing of James Rigney. Better known to Fantasy readers as Robert Jordan, he died after a several years struggle with Primary Amyloidosis, an extremely rare blood disease that is fatal within 1 year if untreated, and within 5 years with current treatments.

Jordan was diagnosed three years ago, and has been sharing his experiences with treatment with his fans through a Blog on Dragonmount.com.

His landmark, and unfinished, epic Fantasy series called the Wheel of Time, is the most popular and influential series of Fantasy novels since the Lord of the Rings, and many of the top writers in the genre credit Jordan for their success, including literary heavyweights like George R R Martin.

While I spent more nights than I can remember falling asleep to one of the dozen books in the series, and his legacy will be the Wheel of Time, I will always remember the courage and dignity that he displayed as he publicly fought this terrible disease. Writers can be very solitary, and Jordan's fans are very fortunate to have been able to share a part of this man's life, even if at a distance.

He was one month shy of his 59th birthday.

"Life is a mountain, death is a feather."

Happy Birthday April!

April turned 31 today, and we went to the Last Resort Grill in Athens, GA for dinner. I highly recommend this place as a must if you ever find yourself in Athens for a night or two. Another must-try in Athens is called is The Grit.

Anyway, I gave her a bunch of travel books about California and the southwest that we will both enjoy.

Happy Birthday Dear!

The Gateway Arch

As many of you know, I spend a lot of time looking at the world through a camera lens. I will be using this blog to share some of what I see with all of you.

We were in St Louis a few weeks ago, and here is a great shot I got of the Gateway Arch.

I anticipate a lot of very cool pics as we travel across the southern half of the U.S. and visit places like the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon, and Joshua Tree National Park to name a few.

Stay tuned!

Last night was dinner with Luc & Melissa at the Farm 255 here in Athens, followed by drinks at The Three Kings (which also included a Japanese zombie movie... don't ask).

Many of you are aware that Jason and I lived in Athens, GA previously. I attended the University of Georgia as an undergraduate. Between the two of us, as Jason jokes, we had the perfect college experience. My education was paid for with scholarships, so I was constantly working 2 jobs and studying. Jason filled out the social end of things for me. One of the things that Athens is famous for is its music scene and the fact that you can go to a different bar every week for almost 3 years. Jason, I believe, hit them all. (Sometimes they would hit back.)

It has been a sometimes surreal experience to be back here almost ten years after I left. Lots of memories. We will miss the proximity to family, the constant entertainment, the many wonderful restaurants, and the inexpensive housing.

But we are both ready for our next step, and LA is waiting....

The Beginning of Our Adventure

We have now packed our things into storage and moved out of our little apartment in Athens, GA. Right now we are living with Steve & Ann Hajduk, in their lovely, lovely home near the North Oconee River. Meow has settled in nicely. She is not being allowed to meet Unu & Sam, as her track record with other cats is dismal. Our very comfortable rooms are on the top floor. A sitting room, two bedrooms, and a full bath.

We will be moving to an apartment at UCLA at the end of September. Our apartment isn't available until October 5, so we are looking for lodgings for about 5 days in LA. Any offers appreciated! I'll be sending out emails with our new address & contact information shortly.

Our last trip to Cape Cod (at least for a while) will be Sept. 14. We are going to finish winterizing the house and get it ready for a sale. We are both hopeful that a sale won't take too long - paying LA rent and a mortgage is going to be a challenge for us.

We're currently planning our route through the Southwest to LA. Looks like we will be stopping in San Antonio to visit Jay's brother, then driving through Roswell, NM to the Petrified National Forest, the painted desert, and up to the Grand Canyon. We'll stay there for two nights, then drive through Joshua Tree National Park into LA.