Last night our good friends Keith and Melody had us over for the Last Supper. And brace yourself: She took our plants. Incredible. Those plants will actually live and perhaps even thrive.  While the plants live under our care, it can’t be credited with much more than survival. I think the plants got a much better deal than the dog. I just hope none of the plants try to blog. Too weird.  

My turn to write the blog today.  This is Sherri, aka Quilter Girl.  I realized through this moving process how different Kevin and I are.  My idea of getting ready to pack the house up is to finish my projects, use up all the food in the fridge and pantry then pack.  Then there will be less to pack.  Kevin started stressing about packing the first of April and I wouldn’t have started until yesterday.  Neither of us were right, nor were we wrong.  However we drove each other crazy. 

What isn’t the trip about?

We decided it isn’t a ‘windshield run.’ That is, all day riding, fast, seeing as much as possible.  Yes, we’ll see every state, but we won’t take in everything in each one.  Chances are good we’ll miss more than we’ll see.

We won’t sit around however. Sundays will be down days, and there may be some times when we’ll chill, but pretty much six days will consist of riding 60 or slower, and stopping at viewpoints. That goes against my grain. 

The goal? What’s the goal for ’50 States’? Well duh. Get through the 50 states in 50 weeks, right?

Not really. Or not only.

We want to see the United States. That doesn’t mean looking around at the vast, wonderful countryside. We’ll do that. But we want to really see America. People. Cultures. What makes this country tick? What makes Arkansas people different than Coloradans? Or from us? What makes us similar?  

Eight days. After a vision, a dream that birthed 42 years ago, 8 short days remain to pack up and move. Because of the writer’s conference, I haven’t done anything to move the trip forward for two plus days.

And yet… I’m not stressed. Really. We’ll get it. A couple trips tomorrow, a few on Monday through Wednesday and the movers on Thursday, and Friday is cleaning day. Shoot. No problem. Time with the kids on Saturday, and the big party on Sunday.

Speaking of party:

I taught a class yesterday, ‘How to Get The Most Out of the Conference’ at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference and mentioned the trip. At meals, I mentioned the upcoming voyage.  I pitched the upcoming nonfiction book about the trip to a publisher.

Ya gotta get the word out! I’m really shy (I know, that sounds stupid) about talking up what we’re doing. Yet people hear it and become captivated. And particularly at the Conference.

“Where are you from?”

“Alaska. ”

“Alaska. We’ll be there in June. ”

“Pennsylvania. ”

“Right . We’ll cruise through there around September. ”

I stared in horror at my hands. Attempting to rinse out a paintbrush with warm water, I discovered that ‘Kilz’ is mineral based and gets clean with paint thinner! The paint thinner that I packed and stored yesterday.

As the white goo coagulated on my stainless steel sink (and my hands), I ran to Lowe’s for some fresh paint thinner.

When you’re neck deep in alligators, it’s hard to remember your goal was to drain the swamp.

Yes, my liberal left wing friends, I’m giving it up to the Secretary of State. It does take a village! She wrote a book about ‘It takes a village’ to raise a kid. But I’m saying it takes a village to go on a trip around the country. Yes, you don’t just throw a leg over the bike and take off. You could, but imagine the mess when you returned! Perhaps you could throw a leg over and never come back.  Well we’re not doing that.