Hey all!! I'm back from my trip and it was a wonderful time seeing family and spending time with everyone! Loved being with Kalyn and Sasha very much also!! Here is a day by day depict of our activities...this is a LONG one! Enjoy and until next time....
Road trip to Eau Claire, WI- May
2012
Me and mom left Sat. am and pulled
out of the driveway at 5:59 am!! We had great talks and only stopped
about 3-4 times that day. We drove over 900 miles and spent the night in
Omaha, NE. The next day we were on the road by 7 am and got to EC at
2:30pm. We met Kalyn at the gas station by Gram's place and then drove
over to Gram and Gramps. Jenni and Trent showed up and we all ate a
delicious Mother's Day meal of boxed lasagna! We took some photos and
then it was time to get over to Dad's place to see Sasha and Dad and
Lori. We had a good evening and got to sleep around 10pm.
Mon the 14th...
Woke up about 8am and decided to
finally get up about 8:30. I got ready for a run and took Sasha with
me. It was a long one and wore Sasha out. I then got stuff out to
scrub the front of the cars and get all the bugs off. I also fixed a part
under K's car and attached it so it wouldn't drag/fall off! Then, Kalyn
and I got ready for the day and left the house about 11:20. We drove over
to Pizza Del Re and had lunch buffet! It was delish!!! Then, we
drove both cars over to Gram's as Gram as a surprise guest for us! We got
there and Dianne from Gram's old job was there. She's a short, cute lady and
very nice! Mom and Gram had gotten Culver's for lunch so they were all
eating and chatting. Dianne left and so K and I got ready to go wash
cars. As we were leaving, Auntie Jean showed up, so we got to see
her. We took K's car and got a carwash and vacuum done and then drove
back to Gram's to wash windows and dry it off. Kalyn and I took my car
next and just vacuumed it. Then, Kalyn and I drove to Farm and Fleet to
get Sasha's flea and tick stuff. Next, we drove to Petsmart and Walmart
and got a few things there and printed a few pics of Mother's Day. Drove
back to Dad's house to spend a bit of time with Sasha and got ready to go meet
Tj and Diana as they were in EC for night! We picked up Mom and us three
met them at Azul Tequila for dinner! We had a wonderful time
chatting/drinking and snapping photos. After 2 and a half hours, we
headed out and said goodbye. We drove over to North High School and
watched a band concert! We sat next to Jamie and Bev and Babe and
Gram. It was wonderful music! We took pics after with Bruce and
Jamie. Drove Gram back home, got to say hi to Gramps and also dropped Mom
off. Came back to house and got ready for bed. This time didn't get
to full sleep until about 11pm.
Tue the 15th...
Woke up early, but fell back to
sleep. Got Sasha going again for a shorter run as the weather didn't look
the best out there. I've got an oil change set up for the car as I wanted
to have all that done before the long drive back next week. Toyota took
care of the car and got fully serviced! Oil changed, tires rotated,
etc. Went back to Dad's and helped K finish her laundry and ate.
Around 12:30 we finally headed out for the day. We drove out to the
Oakwood mall and stopped at a few shops and then got a snack of ice cream at DQ
and some Rocky Rococo pizza to share. We tried to use the photo booth,
but it was broken! We stopped at a few Auto shops looking for a steering
wheel cover for K and then stopped at the $1 store and got a few items.
We noticed my front license plate broke, so went to Gram and Gramps cuz I knew
Gramps would fix it for me! Got over there and sure enough he fixed it
for me! Hopefully it holds for awhile. We chatted with them and
then it was time to head back to Dad's to play with Sasha before Trent's ball
game. Kalyn dropped her phone in the couch and we helped her retrieve it,
but for some reason it fell WAY down into the couch and so we all had to tip
the couch over and eventually, Dad had to actually take the couch apart on the
bottom to retrieve the phone. I don't think Dad was very happy about
this, but we apologized over and over and hopefully he's ok with it. We
ended up being very late for the game, but did make it down there and watch
Trent's team win! We got hugs from Wade and chatted with him as
well. Afterwards, we were Mom's ride back to Gram's so we stopped at
Milwaukee Burger Co on the way to eat since we hadn't had dinner yet. It
was very delish and I had my very first deep-fried cheese curds!
Yummy! We took Mom back to Gram's and went inside for a few to
chat. K and I were also looking for a lanyard for her, so we stopped at
Mega before heading back to Dad's. No luck, so got back to Dad's and got
ready for bed.
Wed the 16th...
Got up about an hour early as we are
meeting everyone at Gram's at 10 to go shopping, etc. Jenni, Trent, me, K
and Mom are all spending the day together. Jill and Tim will be in town
later so there will be a party from 4-8 at Gram's. Took Sasha for another
run, this time it was a long one! Got ready and we were at Grams
before 10!! Jenni and Trent arrived about 10:45, so we were already
running a bit behind. Jill, Tim and Michelle all showed up about 10:15,
so we got to sit and chat with them for a bit before heading out. Finally
headed out and went to Walmart first to get some pictures printed up.
Went to Fazoli's for lunch and Mom paid! Went back to Walmart and picked
up pics. I bought the movie "New Year's Eve" too. Headed
over to Oakwood and got a few items and took pics in the photo booth with
Kalyn. My mom did too as she has never done that before! We thought
we lost Trent as we were leaving the mall, and Jenni was a bit concerned, as we
all were for a few minutes!! A nice sales lady brought him to us and all
was well after a few tears were shed. We headed back to Dad's and let
Sasha out and then drove to Chippewa to the Leinenkugel's brewery! I had
one beer and bought souvenirs. Then, we drove over to a liquor store so I
could purchase the beer I had wanted to bring back to New Mexico with me.
We then headed back to Gram's and there were several peeps there for the
party. We got there right at 4, so that was good. Jacque's friend
Jane was there as was Jill's friend Sandy. Hadn't seen either of them for
quite awhile. About 20 people were there. Very good snacks were
served. Right before 6, Kalyn and I needed to head out and get ready to
drive to Minneapolis for the night. Kalyn already missed two days of
school, so I came back with her for one night. I also had a facial
scheduled with her too. We got to Dave and Heidi's house right around
8:30. Brought in all her stuff and our bags and then chatted for a few
with D and H and then got settled in for the night. Mom had texted that
someone broke into Bev and Babe's house and come to find out it was their
grandson, Tommy!! Quite an exciting night! K and I finally went to
sleep about 10:30 after watching Army Wives. I sewed a button on her
pants and put her new fan together, so all my motherly duties were caught up!!
Thurs the 17th....
Slept pretty well at Kalyn's but had
to wake up early and drive K to school, so that I knew how to get there for my
facial!! It was pretty simple finding it and after dropping her off, I
came back to the house and showered and got ready to go back over there.
Arrived at Aveda and checked in, then they called my name after a few minutes
and showed me upstairs. Kalyn came and got me and gave me a very
wonderful, relaxing facial!! Her instructor came in twice to check on
things and all turned out very well!! I bought a couple of products and
then we had a nice little lunch together, right there at the school cafe!
I left and stopped at a bank to pick up K's parking quarters and then got back
to D and H's house. I put on my makeup for the day and then decided I was
bored and thought I would clean the house while I waited to go pick up Kalyn at
4:30. I did dishes, scrubbed the bathroom shower floor, cleaned the
stove, cleaned bathroom sinks, swept K's room, hall and stairs, then swept
kitchen, bathroom and living room. It is a cloudy and windy day today in
Minneapolis! I will be driving back to EC tonight. I picked up K
from school and we drove out to Roseville, where she used to work, and had
Arby's for dinner. We drove back over where she lives and stopped at
Target for a few items and then the grocery store to get her some food for a
couple of days. Got back to the house and put her new steering wheel
cover on and also a sticker for her car, saw Sasha, didn't see Dave or Heidi,
but sent them a text saying "thanks", and then it was time for me to
get on the road! I got thru the cities just fine and made it back to Gram
and Gramps about 8:15, after stopping at the gas station to scrub my windshield
clean. Mom showed back up at Gram's about 9-ish so we all chatted until
almost 10. I drove back to Dad's and did my nails and then fell asleep
with the tv on. Didn't sleep too well, but it was ok.
Fri the 18th...
Woke up on and off, but finally got up
at almost 8. Organized my suitcase and threw a load of laundry in the
wash while I went for a long run! Got back about 9 and then ate, showered
and finished laundry. About to head over to Gram's and then on the road
to Madison!! Should be nice to see the Aunties! Drove over to Bud's
hair salon and saw Gram and Gramp while she got her hair done. Then,
stopped at St. Pat's cemetary and visited Gram and Gramp Wilson graves. I
also snapped a pic. Drove over to Gram's and we chatted and ate a quick
lunch (gramp made me a grilled cheese) and then we finally hit the road to
Madison about 12:30. Had a nice drive and got there at 4 pm.
Chatted with the Aunties and Julie made margaritas and chips and salsa!
Finally had pizza and then watched "New Years Eve". I fell
asleep but woke up towards the end. Me and mom slept in Jacque's
bed. Went to bed at midnight.
Sat the 19th...
Woke up about 8 and chatted with the ladies, then got in the shower while Julie cooked French toast, eggs, sausage and fruit. We all ate and chatted. Finally got ready and snapped pics and said goodbye and then I was on the road back to EC at noon. Got back at 3 and filled up with gas, etc, grabbed a Burger King burger and headed over to see Gram before meeting Kalyn back at Dad's house. Gramp arrived before I left for Dad's so got to see him quick. Drove over to Dad's and K arrived with Sasha. We unloaded her and then waited for a call from Ann to hook up with them for the evening. In the meantime, the bathroom door got locked with no one in there, so had to deal with that chaos. K finally got a hold of Ann, so we met up with her and Haley and Lori at Azul Tequila for snacks and drinks. Matt, Haley's boyfriend, joined us and then later, Jenni and Trent showed up. We had a great time with our waiter, Chi, as well. We were all pretty sloshed from the margaritas, so went to play some drunken bowling at Wagner's. The guy had us play a game where he would have one fluorescent pin and if it was in the 1 position, and we bowled a strike, we would win a $2 bill. Both K and I each won one and Haley and Matt did too, but as a spare. It was a great time of fun and drinking. We got back to Dad's at midnight.
Sun the 20th...
Got up late and took Sasha for a long run/walk. K got in shower and we just hung around the house for a bit. K and Lori went to Starbucks and then me and K headed to Chippewa to see Cousin Becky. Had a nice visit with her for an hour, then hit up Burger King and then stopped at Jenni's for a bit. We then drove to Gram and Gramps and hung out for awhile before the bbq at Dad's. Got to Dad's right at 4...Dad got things ready to grill and Jenni and Trent showed up! Had some delish burgers and talking. Sasha disappeared and we figured out she opened the kitchen door and ran outside! We thought we had lost her, but she was right across the street playing with the dog over there. Got her under control and got rid of two ticks on her and then Kalyn and I said our goodbye's to Jenni and Trent and then K and I headed out to see the movie "The Lucky One". We stopped at Walgreen's after and then headed back to Dad's. Lori was still up so we chatted with her and I made a list for the things to get done for Monday. Kalyn drives back to Minneapolis on Mon, eve...so gotta get her laundry and shopping taken care of.
Sat the 19th...
Woke up about 8 and chatted with the ladies, then got in the shower while Julie cooked French toast, eggs, sausage and fruit. We all ate and chatted. Finally got ready and snapped pics and said goodbye and then I was on the road back to EC at noon. Got back at 3 and filled up with gas, etc, grabbed a Burger King burger and headed over to see Gram before meeting Kalyn back at Dad's house. Gramp arrived before I left for Dad's so got to see him quick. Drove over to Dad's and K arrived with Sasha. We unloaded her and then waited for a call from Ann to hook up with them for the evening. In the meantime, the bathroom door got locked with no one in there, so had to deal with that chaos. K finally got a hold of Ann, so we met up with her and Haley and Lori at Azul Tequila for snacks and drinks. Matt, Haley's boyfriend, joined us and then later, Jenni and Trent showed up. We had a great time with our waiter, Chi, as well. We were all pretty sloshed from the margaritas, so went to play some drunken bowling at Wagner's. The guy had us play a game where he would have one fluorescent pin and if it was in the 1 position, and we bowled a strike, we would win a $2 bill. Both K and I each won one and Haley and Matt did too, but as a spare. It was a great time of fun and drinking. We got back to Dad's at midnight.
Sun the 20th...
Got up late and took Sasha for a long run/walk. K got in shower and we just hung around the house for a bit. K and Lori went to Starbucks and then me and K headed to Chippewa to see Cousin Becky. Had a nice visit with her for an hour, then hit up Burger King and then stopped at Jenni's for a bit. We then drove to Gram and Gramps and hung out for awhile before the bbq at Dad's. Got to Dad's right at 4...Dad got things ready to grill and Jenni and Trent showed up! Had some delish burgers and talking. Sasha disappeared and we figured out she opened the kitchen door and ran outside! We thought we had lost her, but she was right across the street playing with the dog over there. Got her under control and got rid of two ticks on her and then Kalyn and I said our goodbye's to Jenni and Trent and then K and I headed out to see the movie "The Lucky One". We stopped at Walgreen's after and then headed back to Dad's. Lori was still up so we chatted with her and I made a list for the things to get done for Monday. Kalyn drives back to Minneapolis on Mon, eve...so gotta get her laundry and shopping taken care of.
Mon the 21st...
Got up around 8 and started K's
laundry and take Sasha for her final run with Gramma. Got back to the house and
did dishes and a load of laundry for Dad, then after a bit, we got ready to run
errands. Kalyn filled up her car first and got most of the car packed so
that she was ready to go. We found another bag of dirty laundry so
decided to take that to Gram's since we were going there for dinner
(roast!). First we drove out to Olive Garden and used my gift card I had
won at the gym. Then, we went to Petsmart and I bought Sasha a
"kong" toy for her for while she is in her crate. Then, we went
to the $1 store and the grocery store so I could get a few items for my trip
back and to make copies of a letter that Gram had typed up about Aunt Flo's
life. We did all that and then took everything back to Dad's and sat
around there since Lori came home. Then, we headed over to Gram's and ate
a delicious dinner and did laundry. Kalyn said her goodbye's and then her
and I headed to the store again to get her some groceries! Drove back to
Dad's and she got loaded up and left!! I hung around with Dad for a bit
and then headed back to Gram's so Gramp could put that plate cover on my car,
but it ended up not working out. Gramps gave me meat to take home and
Gram's friend was over at their house too. We had a good goodbye session
and then I went back to Dad's right before 10. I went to bed and had
everything ready for the am to just get up, dress and leave!
Tues the 22nd...
Got up at 5:30 and left Dad's house right before 6am. I filled up with gas and was on my way. I drove 17 hours this day and got all the way to Canon City, CO, to stay with Jill, and I'm glad I went! No issues along the way at all. I did miss the turn for the shortcut to Jill's, but oh well! Got to her house about 10:15pm and I was beat!
Wed the 23rd...
Didn't sleep too well, but got up and got ready and then chatted with Jill and Tim and then Jill escorted me out of town (we had to pull over to hug goodbye!), and then I was on my way again! I stopped for gas in Pueblo and cleaned out the car a bit and then headed off! No issues at all....stopped in SF for gas, food then in Pojoaque for a car wash and then had to stop at Bruce's office to sign something, then pick up a pizza and then finally home! I mowed and clipped the lawn and watered, cleaned up house, watered plants, got laundry going, ate, chatted with the neighbor, dishes and floor mopped.
Awesome 12 day trip!!!
Tues the 22nd...
Got up at 5:30 and left Dad's house right before 6am. I filled up with gas and was on my way. I drove 17 hours this day and got all the way to Canon City, CO, to stay with Jill, and I'm glad I went! No issues along the way at all. I did miss the turn for the shortcut to Jill's, but oh well! Got to her house about 10:15pm and I was beat!
Wed the 23rd...
Didn't sleep too well, but got up and got ready and then chatted with Jill and Tim and then Jill escorted me out of town (we had to pull over to hug goodbye!), and then I was on my way again! I stopped for gas in Pueblo and cleaned out the car a bit and then headed off! No issues at all....stopped in SF for gas, food then in Pojoaque for a car wash and then had to stop at Bruce's office to sign something, then pick up a pizza and then finally home! I mowed and clipped the lawn and watered, cleaned up house, watered plants, got laundry going, ate, chatted with the neighbor, dishes and floor mopped.
Awesome 12 day trip!!!
