Abe’s stressed. He knows we’re leaving…and has the sneaking (but correct) suspicion we’re leaving him behind. He bolts to the car every time the front door opens in hopes I might change my mind.
Fine.
The chickens are stressed. I’m only finding 1 or 2 eggs per day instead of our normal 4 to 5. The 1 or 2 I find have been in trash cans and old Land Cruisers…obviously, the birds are a bit ruffled. They know we’re leaving.
Fine.
Rylie has no warm clothes that fit her 8 month-old string bean of a body. AND, she’s boycotting solid food right now.
Fine.
Curt has been packed for a month. I will pack tomorrow. We’re just different that way.
Really. It’s Fine.
So, here’s the plan: we leave tomorrow afternoon. We hope to make it to Cheyenne, Wyoming in 24-30 hours and then continue on to Yellowstone for a few days of camping. Then we’ll move on up to the middle of Glacier for a few days. Then, we’ll reverse to Whitefish, Montana for the last 4 days and stay in a condo with my sweet baby brother, his wife, and my parents. We’ll be back, Lord willing, July 29th. Friends are coming for the next two weeks to stay at the Shoebox and love on J-Bird and Abe…thank you thank you and thank you again.
I cleared the library out of audiobooks. A little Sherlock Holmes, a little Anne Lamott, and a little Dickens for the road. Here is the question: does listening to an audio book count as reading the book? Can I say I’ve ‘read’ David Copperfield when I’ve finished listening to all 30 of the audio cds? It’s a fierce battle of opinion. I say yes. Yes yes yes. Bring it on. I’m ready for you.
I’ve got Leann Rimes’ Nothin’ to Do rollin’ through my head. That girl has some serious pipes. And the video (where did I see the video???)…it’s awesome. So creative…so 40s…so great.
:::
We love you all. Most of you will receive a phone call while I’m driving through Nebraska and bored out of my mind. Please send happy travel thoughts Westward.
I’ll talk to you again August 2!
Peace out, Girl Scout.
Apple pie, anyone? 
July 12th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
I hope you guys have a wonderful trip. We went to Yellowstone in our pre-kid phase of life and absolutely loved it! I’ll miss you while you are away. Oh, and I think if it’s the unabridged version of the book, it counts as “read” if you listen to the audio.
July 12th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
i agree completely with mandi on the unabridged versions, which i’m realizing are sort of hard to find these days. also, i feel like if you’re the sort of soul who would or could read a book, then listening certainly counts towards your repertoire of “reading.” if you never pick up a book, but choose to listen instead (and good for you too), then i think you should just say “oh yeah, i listened to the grapes of wrath back in college.”
have a wonderful trip. we’ll miss you.
and i foud a nectarine (half eaten) in gracen’s new purse today along with her sippy cup. is it washable?!
July 12th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
I think if its a KatieKate original it IS washable…she is craty that way.
Have fun. We will miss you. We cant wait to hear how it goes!!!
July 12th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Yes yes yes. It most definatley does count. In the same way it counts when you read to your kids every day. The glory is in the soaking in of the story.
So listen away… just don’t get so wrapped up in the story that you forget you’ve promised to call us all :O)
See you when you get back. We’ll have a couple of days before I leave… but one of those days is my birthday!!!
drive safely… giddyup… i’ll be missing you
July 12th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Shanna…totally throw that thing in the wash. It shouldn’t fall apart on you even if is was just a “let’s see if I can do this” project.
And I hadn’t considered the unabridged version of books making a difference…interesting.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
oops…that was Kate…on Natalie’s computer 🙂
July 12th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Be safe driving and remember ……… The wheels on the bus go round and ……………
July 12th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
my dad totally would have said that too!
July 12th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Yes, you’ve read it.
I’ll miss your blog.
boo hoo.
cjm
July 13th, 2007 at 6:59 am
have so much fun. you are so brave. did i read that right 24-30 hours? in a car? with a baby? oh my. we are just going 5 hours to the beach and i have pretty much packed all of BellaRose’s room.
July 13th, 2007 at 7:22 am
*panting from the whirlwind that IS packing and trying to ignore the looks of “I’m already packed and you’re not” from the boy*
Sunday…I think I have all of Rylie’s closet AND BellaRose’s closet inthe car. Let me know if you’re missing anything.
gotta go.
I hear Curt coming…
July 13th, 2007 at 7:24 am
You should have seen wha I packed for our Beach venture…. Not needed I think Rylie only wore 3 of the 1200 outfits I packed!
She will be car adapted huh!!
July 13th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Curt and I made it from GR to Cheyenne in 12 hours once… we may have been traveling a bit over the speed limit… had to wait an hour for the Sierra Trading Post store to open… have fun! We love you guys – if you have a hankering to continue west let us know!
July 13th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Kind of the same, but you process things very differently when you read something as opposed to listen to it or watch it. The real question is whether or not one is a “better” way to learn , or absorb or reflect or whatever you like to get out of something. Does it “count?” Sure-if you want it to.
July 14th, 2007 at 2:18 am
I LOVE it when anonymous secret agent ninjas leave comments!
August 1st, 2007 at 9:03 pm
hurry back already. it’s so boring without you…
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:31 am
R U back yet?