C U Smile!: AMTRAK is flying us on a trip, and Mason is driving on his first ever Road Trip!

Wow, what a crazy last few weeks it has been!

First I want to send out a HUGE HUG to Amtrak for going beyond the call of duty and making it so I can fly out to see Sarah since I could not take a train trip anywhere because of my disability!

When I entered the "Journey to the Center of the Earth Contest", I was not this disabled. I don't enter contests I know I cannot use or take. That would be a waste of time! But, when I tried to tell them I could not accept because of my recent disability and the rules stating I cannot upgrade so that I could handle the long rides, have a place to stay for the day long layovers or ability to sit on long bus rides they would not take "No, I can't do it!" for an answer.

Lena was insistent that I won and that I was going to take a trip to be able to see my daughter like I had planned but had thought I would have to give up. So, Lena worked her magic and got a hold of Debbie and they gave Greg and I round trip tickets and a car rental to be able to fly to Ohio to see Sarah and Michael!

So, thank you Debbie and a SUPER HUG and thank you to Lena!! Sarah an Michael are ecstatic and cannot wait for us to come so I can finally meet Michaels side of the family and see their home.

Sarah and I are already planning on doing a LOT of swimming, going to auctions, touring Amish country and crafts. Then we are hoping that while we are there the trees will be turning into their fall colors. It has been so long since I have seen the fall colors on the East side of the country. It is also right at the time of Sarah and Michaels birthdays, WOOOHOOO, time for some fun. I bet we will have lots of Michaels family there for a reunion. I am smellin' the BBQ, it had better not be too cold!

And yes, you read it right! Mason is taking one of our cars and going on a road trip down the 1-5 corridor from here to AZ! He tried to tell me he can drive straight through for 24 hours without rest to get there.....Uh, NOT! If you are thinking like me which is "There is no way in this lifetime you will EVER drive that long" then be sure to comment so I can show him how much of a very, VERY bad idea this is. Papa tried to do it once coming back from Colorado. Let's just say, he was lucky he was not hurt, did not freeze to death and that the car was not too damaged to drive the rest of the way.

Sarah told me about this website called "Couch Surfers" and I will have to look it up before we try to reserve hotels for him. (I want him to stop at LEAST twice) But, Sarah says that people are put in touch with other people that need a couch for the night while they are traveling.

You know me, being a mom and of the era of never going with strangers. They can make it look good an then who knows, they might sell him off somewhere for hard labor, or kidnap him..ahhh!

I really gotta look closely into this. Any of you know about it? Any body living on the I-5 corridor? I think I would trust my bloggers before a "Couch Surfer" website!

Of course we are getting the car ready, and yes of course it is ending up costing us more then what is was suppose to. Gosh, taking your car in for a simple tune-up, new brakes or tires ALWAYS results in something else being wrong that costs a fortune. I remember my van a few years back, the engine light kept coming on, seemed like it cost us 3 grand each time we would take it in, then, then after they seemed to have fixed everything, it needed a new engine!! All in about a 6 month period! So, by the time we were done paying for everything, about 9k later, we could have bough another car!

At least the 4Runner is not in as sorry shape, but, still those unexpected costs when we want to save our money for the trips and those unexpected costs that pop up for college, it makes you dig in and do what we need to save and make more together. So, not only am I entering contests, having a garage sale, selling things on Craigs list hopefully on my blog by next month, we are looking for some "Couches."

I was also thinking that since he is taking the double bed with him and it will be tied on the top of the car. he could just camp out under the stars on top of the car with one of those pop up tents, at the rest stops! Or he can just sleep under the stars and hope the bugs don't get him.

He is going to be able to stuff the car full of his things which kinda has me feeling blue. I have just recently got those feelings of him not living here anymore. Especially when he said he can't stay very long when he comes. He has to get back because of starting training for Cross Country, having to move again into his permanent apt since he has been "couch surfing" with friends the last couple of months. He has grown up so much, not physically, but, mentally this past year since he has been gone. He is no longer the baby. He has learned a lot, some the hard way, some in a good way. But, he knows what it is to be an adult and how we cannot come rushing in to make everything better like we use to do or when we want to or HE wants us to. I am waiting for that phone call when he starts getting his utility bills in the mail and he calls me up like Sarah did and says "MOM! I don't LIKE being an adult anymore, I don't like getting all these bills, and they won't stop coming!" LOL!

It is terrifying, because we spend our whole life trying to protect them from the real, unfair world and now he is out there and it is slapping him in the face and there is nothing I can do. I only know that he hs the strength to handle it. He has done well and I know next year is going to go a lot smoother for him. He really grew up into a very mature adult, and learned from some really tough times on how to get through it and come out shining.

Oh, and it looks like Mason might be going to the US Championships the end of June. He is still only at about 80% healthy he says. But, hopefully he will recover even more by then. I am dying to go, but, we can't even if it is in Eugene. With the car costing us more, and who knows what will come up after this, we can't risk spending money. We are hoping he makes it past the prelims so that he is on TV so we can watch and record him racing. So please pray that he heals fast and gets back into shape so he can show everyone he is still the great runner he has always been!

OK, I had all these pictures taken so I thought I would at least share them. They are of Mason and others from AZ when they were at PAC-10 Championships. I did get a shot of Andrew Wheating who was the Champion by a lean in the 800m. He made the Olympic try outs. (One of these days, Mason will beat him, I know it) I also got some pictures of Garrett when they played the Championship game and lost to Squalicum. Garret is graduating this year, so I hope to hear about all the great things he is going to be reaching for. Now is the most important time to get those goals set and to start woring for them. He will, if he wants too. So, enjoy the pictures.