leaving for the basketball game...and for california

Evelyn and I sneaked away to the big mall in the big city, yesterday...I started the day in a hurry, getting Camille to her dr. appointment, so she could have a final x-ray and say goodbye to the crutches...

We had picked Evelyn up from school early, poor girl, she wasn't sick, just feeling like she wanted to spend some time with Mom, and was feeling rather...never mind, her story not mine. She's fine thought:), anyway. We picked up Davian, too. Kathryn and I, Jon and Char and Cam and Davian and Evelyn...to the dr, then to the grocery store...

Then to the gas station...One dollar and sixty one cents for over 13 gallons of gas.

Home...the kids piled to the table for lunch, then Evelyn and I left them with Kathryn and headed to the triple A office for maps. The lady there assured me it was "aggressive" to drive that far in that many days in wintertime. But you'll have such fun!, she said.

We then went to that big mall to look in the Sears outlet appliance store...I don't mind a few dents...but things there were expensive...then to Best Buy...still expensive....Evelyn chose out leggings for herself and her sisters at Forever 21, and we left the mall without succumbing to any of the yummies that were making us hungry. No wonder Americans are fat though...the frozen yogurt kiosk right in the middle of the walkway! The smell of fries! The restaurants in that mall...oh yum.

We stopped at our favorite thrift store on the way home, and I got a large purse/travel bag, brand new never been used, all the little taggies still on the glasses case and wallet, for $6.99.

The dollar store was our last stop.

Home again, ahh...only to find out that at 7 p.m., no, they hadn't had dinner...and who was making dinner? Mommy! Yay, thank you Mommy, hamburgers!! Veggies!

Eight o'clock...ahh, ready to sit and put my feet up and study my maps, plan this trip...but not yet! Suze needed a ride to a friend's house!

This morning, I had to bring Mirielle to town to pick up her car...then home long enough to sweep the floors and wipe down the counters, blend up a coconut oil coffee for breakfast, and out the door with Paul to look for...a new stove. We have vastly different opinions on what we should get, by the way. I want shiny, sturdy, whistle-whistle looks. He wants...a stove. He nicely walked past the marked down white one, but is perfectly fine with the bottom of the line-open-the-oven-door-and-it-feels-like-it's-going-to-fall-off model. We both rather liked a GE model, which he may be able to get a small discount on...it was on sale and is very attractive...but listen to the is: we stopped into Home Depot just for a look-see, and there in the entrance was a floor model marked down refrigerator, a Samsung beauty of a 'fridge...for $599. A two thousand dollar model, so shiny and new and no broken or cracked shelves, no leaking from the bottom...oh dear, I WANTED it. I even offered to not get the stove, just that new fridge. We don't need it, he said. Ours is nine years old, I said. I'm not sure it's really that old, but it looks old all of the sudden. ha. It's interesting how it gets when I WANT something. To get back into the thankful-for-what-I-have mode takes a work, but it's more comfortable here. It also helps to ward off jealousy when others have nice things, because that's just plain ugly...but oh ho it's in me!

We didn't buy one yet.

Anyway. Now, it's time to leave for the basketball game. You would think, since I am leaving early in the morning, that I'm all packed up and ready to go. HA. I am rather mostly packed...I bought a snow shovel, and it's in the car. That car is already packed to the brim with Aaron's stuff...I have to remember this computer so I can blog my across the country. I have an idea I would love to do, but I will probably wimp out, plus I don't want to advertise that Mare and I are stupid and traveling on our own across the country...I would like to interview locals, ask them about the area, how long they've lived there, what's their story...and take their picture, leaving out their name if they wish...doesn't it sound fun? Mirielle will probably kill me if I go around talking to everyone. ha. If I do it, I'll have to say my husband and the scary dogs are out in the car...

Ah well...I need to use these next few minutes to get some last minute things packed. Mittens? check. Warm boots? check. Sunglasses? check, two pair...I stopped at the dollar store specifically to get a second pair. I need to pack this Chromebook, the charger, my phone charger...and some coconut oil. And the one green pepper I bought for tomorrow in the car.

It's going to be challenging to eat healthily, but I'm going to try.

Anyway...off I go...maybe I'll write a little bit tomorrow night, when we get...hopefully...to Illinois! Or the next night in....Cheyenne Wyoming. Oh, this is fun.