This portion of This Crazy Trip has been put into place because Matt wanted to move to California to help a friend raise and show her Siberian Huskies and to take care of, as she said, "about 92 Ball Pythons." Matt is our youngest child. He's 22, not a baby and yet, hasn't really been an adult yet, I suppose. Letting him go has been hard and yet, I'm proud of him for deciding what he wants and going for it.
Yesterday, we drove the final 631 miles of our trip, leaving Kassy and the boys in Arizona and driving through southern California and up through the Inland Empire to Winton, near Merced and Fresno. That is where I stepped out of the car and left my man-child in the hands of other people.
I'm filled with sorrow and happiness. I'm filled with pride and despair. I'm looking forward to hearing his adventures and trying to figure out how life will go without having him around all the time.
This was the purpose of our trip and now that its here, I'm very grateful that my sister Linda was here to pick me up. She hugged me and bought me ice cream and got us a hotel room so we didn't have to drive two more hours - plus she had clients to see in the area, so that was good. And now I have four days with family and friends in California before hopping on a train that will start me on my journey home.
Our last travel day was filled with beautiful scenery, massive rain storms (who says it doesn't rain in California? It does this year!!) and recollections of home. Matt got sillier and giddier the closer we got to Winton. We listened to the same songs over and over again on the Alt Rock station on Matt's XM radio. I'm not sure I'll ever get Silvertongue by Young the Giant out of my brain. LOL
But as we drove further north, especially driving through the Tehachapi area, it felt more and more like home to me. I recognized more places that I visited as a child. I felt more relaxed and happy, brushing away the realizations that I was leaving my baby there in a few hours.
So, as we got to Winton and I met Krystal and her family (including the four-legged and slithery ones), I enjoyed talking with them and learning more about them. I felt comfortable with them. I felt like they cared about their animals and were knowledgeable about caring for them and showing the dogs. And then, I found out that they were also Latter-day Saints! How could Matt have kept that from me? It was weird, but as soon as I knew that, I knew more about the kind of people that they are and my heart was eased. Matt got in trouble for not telling me that from all sides. LOL
So, today, even though I'm tearing up a bit now writing about it, I'm happy for him. I like Krystal and Laura, her mom; and her daughter Klarissa and her sister Maleeseea (sorry if I butchered the spelling there.) I hope and pray that this move will be a great one for them and that Matt will find what he needs for his life here.
Letting go of my baby is hard. Watching him step out and grow up is wonderful.
Showing posts with label California. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California. Show all posts
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Updates, plusses and minuses
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks because I was feeling like I might not be able to make the trip and I wasn't ready to give up on it yet.
I did get a huge plus when I wrote to Pepsi to ask if they'd sponsor a "Halftime" for my trip to go along with Halftime Hype from the Super Bowl. I received an email back stating that they liked my idea and would send me a t-shirt, some coupons and other fun stuff for my trip. I was so excited! I was able to say that Pepsi was helping to sponsor my trip! WooHoo!
Then yesterday, I got a package in the mail from them. I'm still so happy that they recognized what I am doing with This Crazy Trip, but I don't think it's going to cover much of a half time. LOL
My halfway point, mileage-wise will be somewhere between Glacier National Park and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, most likely. If I go by days, though, it turns out to be the weekend of my high school reunion for Buchser High School in Santa Clara, CA! I thought that would be so much fun to have a halftime there, so that's what I asked Pepsi to sponsor.
What I received was a t-shirt with a Pepsi logo, a Pepsi key ring, a blue Pepsi wristband, three different Pepsi bottle magnets, a card thanking me for my loyalty to their products and four coupons for 50 cents off of any flavor Pepsi-Cola soft drink. The coupons expire the week after I leave on the trip. So, even though it's not quite as big a halftime as I was hoping for, it WILL get me a discount on my daily Diet Pepsi for the first four days.
Another plus came when I went to Antwerpen Hyundai to get my Santa Fe detailed on Feb. 5th. I didn't have anyone who could drive me back and forth, so I just stayed there and worked on my Seminary lessons for 3 1/2 hours. It was exactly the same thing that I would have been doing at home, so I was pleased to be able to sit, undisturbed, for a long time and work. When I told the Service Manager that I was staying, he was a little concerned but I assured him that I was pleased to be doing so. Then he offered me a desk in the main showroom, which was completely awesome, and I happily accepted. As I sat there, I wondered if the Manager would know who I should talk to about getting a car for this trip. Just as I was getting ready to get my car, I got the courage to go talk to him.
Ron Fitzgerald is the Sales Manager for Antwerpen Hyundai in Clarksville, MD and as I shared my trip plans with him, I could see him catching the vision of what I was doing. He got this grin on his face that I'm starting to recognize when I tell people about the trip - it's that look that road-trip people get, a longing and wishful-thinking kind of look, wishing that they could be doing it too. Some people just think I'm crazy for wanting to do this, but there's a large group of people who just want to come along for the ride! Ron was one of those people and I could see the wheels turning. I never even asked for a car, I just asked who I should talk to, but he was WAY ahead of me. Finally, he asks, "How much can you afford for this car?" and I replied, "Nothing. It has to be free."
"OK," he answered, "I think I have an idea. I'm calling our General Manager to see if this will work." So, I'm quite excited about it and hope that his idea will work!
Now, for a couple of minuses. In October, just before I had my knee surgery, I found a lump in my abdomen. I had an ultrasound that showed a small mass about the size of a small apple. I had another ultrasound in the middle of January to follow up with it and see if it had grown. I was pretty sure that it was larger, but wanted to see what the ultrasound said. My doctor called me and told me to go have an MRI done as soon as I could. The MRI showed that it was about three times larger than it had been three months ago; about the size of a large grapefruit now. So, I've been to the surgeon and I'm seeing an oncologist tomorrow. The doctors don't think that it's cancerous, but it is growing rapidly and is causing other problems, so I need to have a hysterectomy fairly quickly. I've been advised by three of the doctors I've seen that I should still be able to go on the trip, as long as it's not cancerous.
The other minus is that I wouldn't be able to teach Seminary next year if I do the trip. I love the kids that I teach and I haven't been able to make a decision about whether or not to leave my calling in order to do the trip. Or to possibly just get a sub during the time that I'm gone? I don't know yet what to do, so it's still up in the air and is a bigger question to me than whether or not I have a car.
So, now you know all the details, good and bad. I wasn't going to post everything that was going on health-wise, but then I figured that I'm going to be sleeping on your couches! That alone connotes a certain level of intimacy, doesn't it? LOL
Have a great week!
I did get a huge plus when I wrote to Pepsi to ask if they'd sponsor a "Halftime" for my trip to go along with Halftime Hype from the Super Bowl. I received an email back stating that they liked my idea and would send me a t-shirt, some coupons and other fun stuff for my trip. I was so excited! I was able to say that Pepsi was helping to sponsor my trip! WooHoo!
Then yesterday, I got a package in the mail from them. I'm still so happy that they recognized what I am doing with This Crazy Trip, but I don't think it's going to cover much of a half time. LOL
My halfway point, mileage-wise will be somewhere between Glacier National Park and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, most likely. If I go by days, though, it turns out to be the weekend of my high school reunion for Buchser High School in Santa Clara, CA! I thought that would be so much fun to have a halftime there, so that's what I asked Pepsi to sponsor.
What I received was a t-shirt with a Pepsi logo, a Pepsi key ring, a blue Pepsi wristband, three different Pepsi bottle magnets, a card thanking me for my loyalty to their products and four coupons for 50 cents off of any flavor Pepsi-Cola soft drink. The coupons expire the week after I leave on the trip. So, even though it's not quite as big a halftime as I was hoping for, it WILL get me a discount on my daily Diet Pepsi for the first four days.
Another plus came when I went to Antwerpen Hyundai to get my Santa Fe detailed on Feb. 5th. I didn't have anyone who could drive me back and forth, so I just stayed there and worked on my Seminary lessons for 3 1/2 hours. It was exactly the same thing that I would have been doing at home, so I was pleased to be able to sit, undisturbed, for a long time and work. When I told the Service Manager that I was staying, he was a little concerned but I assured him that I was pleased to be doing so. Then he offered me a desk in the main showroom, which was completely awesome, and I happily accepted. As I sat there, I wondered if the Manager would know who I should talk to about getting a car for this trip. Just as I was getting ready to get my car, I got the courage to go talk to him.
Ron Fitzgerald is the Sales Manager for Antwerpen Hyundai in Clarksville, MD and as I shared my trip plans with him, I could see him catching the vision of what I was doing. He got this grin on his face that I'm starting to recognize when I tell people about the trip - it's that look that road-trip people get, a longing and wishful-thinking kind of look, wishing that they could be doing it too. Some people just think I'm crazy for wanting to do this, but there's a large group of people who just want to come along for the ride! Ron was one of those people and I could see the wheels turning. I never even asked for a car, I just asked who I should talk to, but he was WAY ahead of me. Finally, he asks, "How much can you afford for this car?" and I replied, "Nothing. It has to be free."
"OK," he answered, "I think I have an idea. I'm calling our General Manager to see if this will work." So, I'm quite excited about it and hope that his idea will work!
Now, for a couple of minuses. In October, just before I had my knee surgery, I found a lump in my abdomen. I had an ultrasound that showed a small mass about the size of a small apple. I had another ultrasound in the middle of January to follow up with it and see if it had grown. I was pretty sure that it was larger, but wanted to see what the ultrasound said. My doctor called me and told me to go have an MRI done as soon as I could. The MRI showed that it was about three times larger than it had been three months ago; about the size of a large grapefruit now. So, I've been to the surgeon and I'm seeing an oncologist tomorrow. The doctors don't think that it's cancerous, but it is growing rapidly and is causing other problems, so I need to have a hysterectomy fairly quickly. I've been advised by three of the doctors I've seen that I should still be able to go on the trip, as long as it's not cancerous.
The other minus is that I wouldn't be able to teach Seminary next year if I do the trip. I love the kids that I teach and I haven't been able to make a decision about whether or not to leave my calling in order to do the trip. Or to possibly just get a sub during the time that I'm gone? I don't know yet what to do, so it's still up in the air and is a bigger question to me than whether or not I have a car.
So, now you know all the details, good and bad. I wasn't going to post everything that was going on health-wise, but then I figured that I'm going to be sleeping on your couches! That alone connotes a certain level of intimacy, doesn't it? LOL
Have a great week!
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