by Judy Handley | Dec 24, 2011 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 46, Year 7: Christmas Eve in New Mexico
Date: Saturday, December 24, 2011
Weather: Frigid Night, Sunny Day with Temps in the 20’s
Location: At Home with JJ&Z in Ojo Sarco, New Mexico
What a great day we had getting ready for Christmas. While visiting here, we are staying in Justin and Jo’s bus which is just a short walk from the house. We got up and immediately started getting things ready for Christmas morning. I still had loads of wrapping to do and while working on that, Justin came to drop Ziggy off with us so he could meet a guy bringing a delivery of firewood. Justin and Jo heat exclusively with wood and we are also heating the bus with wood. And with these frigid temperatures, we are going through a lot of firewood. After the firewood was delivered, we all walked to the house for breakfast. Jo was already baking bread and fixing a hearty New Mexican breakfast of eggs and bacon with rice, beans, and red and green chili sauce. It was spicy, but it was delicious. After breakfast, all of us continued wrapping presents and then we went on a walk. Justin and Jo are renting an adobe house on 20 acres of land. The woman that owns the property keeps horses. There are five of them, three male and two female. We walked down the lane between two pastures that are not in use for the winter and then ducked under the fencing to make our way down to the stream. It is tiny right now and frozen over, but at least we got to see where Ziggy goes to pretend fish. He’s calling the area his ice palace right now as all the fields are covered in snow and ice. We also spent a good part of the day, as we did yesterday, having Justin and Jo open boxes of things we brought to them from storage There were toys for Ziggy and all sorts of goodies for Justin and Jo, so it has seemed a little like Christmas Day since we arrived. This evening Jo made a fantastic chicken curry for dinner with bright red peppers and greens making it look very Christmassy. Justin helped with the curry making but focused his attention on making apple and pumpkin pies for tomorrow. Yummy!
We talked with Heather a couple of times today. She really wants us to fly home, as do Justin and Jo, but we have decided to stick with our not-so-smart decision to save money and go ahead and take the Greyhound bus back home. Since we had to rent the car to drive from Texas to here, we have now spent the almost same amount of money as we would have if we had booked flights in November instead of booking bus tickets. But booking one-way tickets now just costs more than we are willing to pay. So we are going to hope for good weather and leave here early enough that we have extra days in case of a delay. We will probably leave here on Friday, spend New Year’s Eve on the bus, and then arrive in Boston on New Year’s Day. We have to watch the weather carefully and the threat of a big snowstorm anywhere across the country could change Wednesday afternoon. Next time we’ll listen to our kids when they tell us they think we are crazy. And we really appreciate their worries about our choice of travel, but we’ll be fine-we promise.
I’ll end with a grandparent story of joy and pride. Ziggy was tired from a very active day and when it came time to hang his stocking he got very particular about just where it was to be. I thought there was going to be a meltdown, but then he decided he needed to write a letter to Santa. Justin got him a piece of paper and a marker and he and Jo wrote the letter. They then brought in the plate with a huge carrot for Rudolph and some cookies and wine for Santa. Ziggy then insisted on some milk for Rudolph and then all on his own, he took a piece of paper and wrapped a heart in it for Santa. Well, wrapped is a bit of a stretch. He wadded it up and then said he needed a hook to keep it closed. By hook, he meant a ribbon to tie around it. But the whole scene was awfully sweet. And all of his happened while Ziggy was naked. After his bath he absolutely refused to put on the red Christmas pajamas we brought for him even though there was a reindeer on the pajamas and he loves Rudolph and all reindeer. He even took off his diaper. So if you see photos of a very cute little boy with no clothes on writing a letter to Santa, you now know why.
Here’s wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. And Sam and Jonah, we miss you very much and can’t wait to talk to you tomorrow to find out what Santa brought your way.
by Judy Handley | Dec 23, 2011 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 45, Year 7: Enjoying the Day with Ziggy, Justin, and Jo
Date: Friday, December 23, 2011
Weather: Sunny with Blue Skies, High Temp in the Teens
Location: At Home with JJ&Z in Ojo Sarco, New Mexico
Some things are just more important than others, and today’s priority was spending time with Ziggy. I’ll definitely have to go back and tell the story of the third day of our bus ride, but not tonight. I’m still tired from the trip and am just going to go to bed early. Both Mark and I had such a good time today playing with Ziggy. He is one beautiful kid and has quite an outgoing personality.
Just before noon we all took a ride to the post office and we got to see more of the beauty of this area. The ground is covered with snow and with nighttime temperatures hovering around 0 degrees F and daytime temps that get no higher than 20 degrees, we certainly don’t have to worry about the snow melting. Tomorrow will be a busy Christmas eve as we still have to wrap many presents, send out our Christmas greeting to family and friends, and, of course, continue playing with Ziggy. Then we can sit back and spend a relaxing Christmas Day.
We got a photo from Heather this afternoon showing Jed, Sam, and Jonah bringing the Christmas tree in from the woods. They arrived in Maine yesterday and will spend the holiday with Jed’s family. We are certainly going to miss being with them, but we want to take advantage of this special time with the New Mexico wing of our family. Maybe next year we can find a way to get all of us together for Christmas.
by Judy Handley | Dec 22, 2011 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 44, Year 7: On the Road, Day 3-We Made It!
Date: Thursday, December 22, 2011
Weather: Foggy, Very Windy with Gusts to 50 Knots, Blinding Snow in NM
Location: At Home with JJ&Z in Ojo Sarco, New Mexico
This will be short with details following tomorrow. It is 2 am and we just got to Justin and Jo’s a little bit ago. And not by bus. Three hour delay in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the night . . . no bus driver for the Amarillo, Texas to Albuquerque leg of the trip . . . rented a one-way car to drive to New Mexico . . . ran into blinding snow from the New Mexico border to Albuquerque and again from just north of Albuquerque. Justin had to wait around for hours to drive us north from Albuquerque, but it was all worth it. We made it safely and we will have a WHITE CHRISTMAS. It is really winter here. Their house looks great. We’re just sorry we got here too late to see Ziggy tonight, so we are looking forward to tomorrow morning. I have some great stories to share about the last 24 hours, but they will have to wait until tomorrow. To bed I go.
by Judy Handley | Dec 21, 2011 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 43, Year 7: On the Road, Day 2-The People on the Bus
Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Weather: Warm and Rainy, Some Snow During the Night
Location: Bus Passage to New Mexico, Currently in Missouri
Riding across country on a Greyhound bus reminds me of the children’s song, “The Wheels on the Bus.” The wheels on the bus go round and round, the wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish, but instead of the people going up and down, they go in and out of doors that open and close. We have changed buses three times now and I don’t think there is still anyone with us that started in Boston. But a number of characters who got on in New York are still with us. What kind of people ride the bus? The answer is all kinds. There’s a black woman with a blonde wig and inch and a half long fake fingernails that sends text messages constantly. I have no idea how she does this with those fingernails. There’s a man who runs around wildly in his wheel chair when we are at the stops and mutters to himself constantly. There was a blind man who got on in Boston and got off in Cleveland and there was another woman in a wheel chair. The drivers are very helpful with those that need it. But mostly there are a lot of people who appear to be completely normal and many of them are traveling longer distances than us. Then there were the two Hispanic speaking men who got on in New York and back off again in Columbus, Ohio. They acted more like Federal agents than mere passengers. One had on an Obama baseball cap and the other a NY Yankees hat and US Marine Corp jacket. They obviously spoke English but chose to speak Spanish to each other. Sometimes they acted like they were traveling together, but they didn’t sit together. Maybe my imagination was working overtime, but I somehow felt like they had something to do with the removal of two men by US Border Patrol in Buffalo last night. The Border Patrol officers got on the bus and checked everyone’s ID and then left with two men. It made for good midnight drama. But back to the song, the children on the bus do not go wah, wah, wah. During the night a young woman with a very young baby and a toddler were onboard, but I didn’t hear a peep out of the little ones. There was another young woman with a two year-old that boarded with us in Cleveland early this morning, and again, once on the bus we didn’t hear a peep. But I haven’t seen any little boys on the bus. I think it might not have been so quiet. A woman in the restroom in the Columbus station had her purse snatched during the night and lost $2,500. That was just before we arrived, but we got to watch the news report on the TV while waiting for our bus.
All buses we have been on have been filled to capacity. Lots of gray-haired mothers/grandmothers going to visit children in far flung parts of the US, children (in their fifties) going to visit retired parents in Arizona and place beyond, college students and young single moms with children headed home for the holidays, and young men in Army fatigues with matching backpacks headed somewhere. The color of the people on the bus reflects the color of America-red and yellow, black and white, but with a decided emphasis on the white. We learned early on in Boston that you don’t wait until the last minute to get in line or you won’t have a seat due to the high volume of people traveling. We were told to get in line thirty minutes ahead of time since there is no reserved seating, but the line started forming an hour and a half early. By the time we discovered this, it put us in the back of the bus. For the subsequent changes, we simply got off the bus, picked up our luggage, and headed directly to the next bus line. We then take turns watching the luggage while the other goes to the restroom or goes to buy a snack. Thankfully we made our last change in St. Louis early this evening. We have short stops between here and New Mexico, but we won’t need to deal with luggage. And we DO have luggage. One truck driver headed to Arizona to see his parents asked where in the world we were going with so much luggage. I explained that even after sending most presents ahead by US Post, we ended up with two big bags full of Christmas presents and items from our storage that we are delivering to Justin and Jo. The heaviest bag is 43 pounds and then there is the cardboard box suitcase we put together with duct tape to accommodate one particularly odd-shaped piece we are transporting. The Greyhound policy on luggage is that nothing can exceed 50 pounds. You can take one bag each and then pay $10 for one additional bag for each. Then you can carry on a person item and another small carry-on bag to store above the seating. They are much more generous than the airlines, but traveling with four large bags, two small bags, two backpacks, and winter coats makes the trip interesting.
The downside of the bus we are on until we reach Albuquerque is that it is an old one with very little room and no plug-ins. So no more videos, working on the computer, or playing on the phone. My computer will go for about three and a half hours, so Mark can use it to charge his phone. Not what we had come to expect, but you get what you get. We’ll have breakfast in Okalahoma City, lunch in Amarillo, Texas, and then we’ll arrive just after 4 pm. Can’t wait.
The weather has been dreary. Yesterday was not so bad as today as it was partly sunny with really interesting mid-level cloud formations. It rained and sprinkled snow all night long and today has been very cloudy. Just out of Columbus, Ohio, the man in front of us who just can’t keep his shirt buttoned and who is the most vocal character on the bus, exclaimed that he saw a tornado forming. We looked and did see some swirling clouds, but it didn’t look like a tornado forming-at least not by the time we looked. Nevertheless, the clouds looked threatening throughout the dreary, very warm day. It sure doesn’t look or feel like Christmas out here in America’s heartland. And unlike malls in the US, South Africa, Singapore and even in Malaysia, there is no sign of the holidays in bus stations. No music, no decorations-just more people traveling than usual life like any other time of year.
by Judy Handley | Dec 20, 2011 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 42, Year 7: On the Road, Day 1
Date: Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Weather: Partly Sunny Day, Clouds on the Horizon-Puffs and Ripples
Location: Bus Passage to New Mexico, Currently in New York
There has been nothing remarkable about our bus trip west to this point, and that’s the way I’d like to keep it. We left Boston at 12:15 pm, made a quick stop in Worcester, Massachusetts, and just completed a thirty-minute stop in Albany, New York. This was the first chance we have had to get off the bus. The Albany station lived up to my bus station expectations-ugly and dirty, but not filthy. There was a Greyhound restaurant where the pre-packaged salads and puddings secured with tape sported the Greyhound logo. Cute. The food also lived up to my expectations-bland but acceptable. We chose a chief’s salad that we shared and had to inhale as they called us to reboard almost as soon as we got off the bus. We have a turkey sandwich to eat later, so we will not starve. The restaurant did get a plus for having fresh bananas. Mark can now have his bedtime treat. We just pulled in and out of the station in Schenectady, and will stop in Amsterdam, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Batavia, and Buffalo, before changing busses at 3:30 in the morning in Cleveland, Ohio. Looks like any sleep we get tonight will be catnaps between stops. And I’ve already exceeded my ability to sit still comfortably and we have 47 hours to go. My numb bum will just have to endure. Whose idea was it to take a bus to New Mexico? On the plus side, Greyhound busses do have electrical plug-ins and this is keeping Mark’s phone charged so he can play solitaire and Sudoku. We can receive email, so send us a message. We’d love to hear from you. I’m getting ready to watch a video on my computer. Since the characters from the Cars video are so popular in the Goldstone household, I am going to finally get a chance to watch Cars 1. Mark and I watched Cars 2 with the boys, but we now need to go back and meet the Radiator Springs crew.
by Judy Handley | Dec 19, 2011 | Cape Cod, USA, Sailing Logs Year 7 |
Day 41, Year 7: Mark Meets Dr. Sylla
Date: Monday, December 19, 2011
Weather: Freezing Overnight, Weather Warming During the Day
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Before I get to the update on Mark’s visit with the surgeon today, I’ll just say that it was a very cold night and this morning at low tide, the knotted wrack and rockweed that grows on the rocks by the shore were frozen stiff and covered with ice. But by the end of the day, the winds had blown in much warmer weather. Later in the week it will be back in the 50’s-a little too warm for late December. But since we are leaving Windbird all alone for a couple of weeks, we welcome the unseasonably warm weather. John, the head of maintenance here at Fiddler’s Cove, will be checking on Windbird each day, which is a great relief, but still it is always a worry to be away.
Now to Mark’s day in Boston. Overall, we are feeling more positive about things at the end of the day than we did in the beginning. Mark’s surgeon, a young woman named Dr. Sylla, has a matter-of-fact manner with a bit of humor mixed in, and she exudes both confidence and expertise. Mark and I really like her and feel she is a perfect match for us. She has set the surgery date for January 6. Pre-op testing has to be done on the afternoon of January 4th and that means we have to return from New Mexico a little sooner than planned. But we’ll work that out with Greyhound. After looking at the results of the CT Scan, Dr. Sylla could tell us that there is no obvious evidence that the cancer has spread to other organs or to the lymph nodes. But as she explained, there is really no way to tell until the surgery. So we are going to be cautiously optimistic and hope that the “no obvious evidence” turns into “no evidence.” It will actually be a week to ten days after surgery before we get the complete report, so patience is the name of the game. We had second thoughts tonight about our decision to take off tomorrow cross country on a Greyhound bus, but after great deliberation, we have decided to go ahead with the trip. If Mark should start to have signs of stress, we will just get off the bus and head home on the next flight possible from wherever we may be. And we are seriously considering flying home. We will see how the trip is going on the way out before we actually make flight reservations, but we have checked out the possibilities and are ready to do that. Our hesitation is that the flights that we can afford would leave New Mexico on the 3rd of January and get us back to Boston on the 4th just in time for the pre-op testing. If there should be a delay due to weather, we wouldn’t make it. If we stick with the bus, we will leave New Mexico a few days earlier than planned and give ourselves a two-day cushion in case of weather-related issues.
When we returned from Boston, we stopped by Dick and Claire Wiklund’s to thank Dick for all he has done for us in terms of referrals to doctors at Mass General. We then went to Heather and Jed’s to do a little pre-Christmas celebration with Heather, Jed, Sam, and Jonah. After having a hellacious day where she had to change a flat tire with no help, Heather prepared an absolutely scrumptious dinner for us. She knows that scallops are one of her dad’s favorites, she we had the most gigantic scallops I have ever seen, and they were as delicious as they were big. It was a great dinner and afterwards we opened a few presents that were just too big for any of us to take with us for our Christmas destinations. I got the pressure canner that I have been wanting from both Heather and Justin, Jed got an organizing cabinet for his clothes and Heather got a Home Depot 5-gallon bucket with a tool organizer for her gardening from Mark and I, and the boys got a few Cars 2 Matchbox-sized cars and Cars 2 books from Oma and Granddad. It was a wonderful evening. Thank you to Heather, Jed, Sam and Jonah.
We leave early in the morning for Boston on a bus and there we will connect with our Greyhound bus headed west. We’re hoping to be able to send logs as we travel, so hopefully you will get the first “on the road” log.
