Let's Go, Already!

Here is 2 weeks worth of clothing, plus toiletries.

At this point, I just want to be on the road. I'm tired of thinking and re-thinking about what to pack. Last night I did laundry, so now my favorite most comfy underwear is in good order. After following the weather closely for a few days, I've exchanged a couple of tank tops for a couple of long sleeved things. In Copper Harbor, one of the places we plan to stop, they've been having high temperatures of around 60. That's none too hot where I come from. And when you are on a motorcycle, things are much cooler.

Kate has a job interview today. I set up public transportation for her earlier in the week. When I got home yesterday, I had a message from someone over at the LINK informing us that the staff at the ARC was having a training day, and no one would be there, so she was canceling Kate's ride. Well, the staff of Employment Solutions also uses that building, and they will be there! I had to leave a message and hope that this can be straightened out before 9am, when the bus us supposed to come. (Update: It all went well and Kate thinks she's got the job.)

I drew up an extensive document with every piece of information I could think of that might be useful for my parents. I come from a family of people that don't worry that much. I present this document to my parents, with doctor's names and phone numbers, prescription names and dosages, health plan info, and all the info for Kate's ARC activities for the month. My mother says, "What do we need all this for? Do we have to take Kate to the doctor?" I say, Mom, what if something happens? She says nothing will happen.

At work, I'm trying to get all loose ends tied up. It has been quiet for a week, but yesterday a big job came in and I have to get everything organized with that. I have meeting notes to prepare and an evaluation to do. My goal is to not get any phone calls while on the road. The people where I work will not hesitate to call you. There was a question about a job and my boss made me call someone who was doing nature photography in a kayak in some wild location. Cell phones are of the devil. I remember my first major motorcycle journey. We were traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway. The scenery along that route is from God, (unlike cell phones) and we were gazing out over misty mountains, and my cell phone rings. I look at the number coming through, and it is work! I almost cried. I let it go to message and when I listen to it it is my co-worker calling me to ask if I had ordered blank CDs. Lord have Mercy, can't you figure that shit out for yourself? I always leave a list of all vendors. And, what if you order more CDs, and then find out that I ordered them as well? They don't have an expiration date. It's not like someone ordered gallons of milk and now we need to make a lot pudding to use it up. (I had to do that once to use up extra milk) I have since made it known that only a dire emergency merits a call on my vacation, which I consider almost sacred. I know, I could shut the phone off, and I would, were it not for Kate.

Meanwhile, my husband is taking a ribbing at work about taking an entire 2 weeks off. He's been with the company 3+ years and STILL only has one week vacation. That is of the devil, too, if you ask me. So not only is he taking 2 weeks, but he is taking one week unpaid. The people he works with think he has to be rich. We go through this a lot. My husband owns 3 motorcycles. They call him Joe Money. But I would bet that all of his bikes together cost less than one of those stupid SUVs they all drive. No credit card debt. He maintains an old Toyota pick-up as his 4-wheel vehicle. It is all about choices. People where I work are making a stink about how lucky I am to be taking 2 weeks, but they would be in Las Vegas or some Club Med destination. I couldn't do 2 weeks of that either! Most women I work with would never do this trip just based on what it would do to their hair. I will have bad hair for the next 2 weeks. I'm bringing 2 hats.

So I think this is likely my last post for a while. I'm thinking I will have a little bit of WWW withdrawal, not being able to look at CNN every half hour, not to mention any number of other time-killing sites plus blogs galore. Of course, I don't expect to be bored out of my skull all day either.

Have a nice 4th of July, OK?