Moving Trip (Part 3) - Day 3

[staying at old home (Kingston) in Virginia Beach - farewell lunch & Norfolk Tides ballgame with buddies - got to spend some time with Twins in a Corporate Suite (with their friend's dad) - back to house for one more night (help from our neighbor, Floyd)]

Moving Trip (Part 3) - Day 2

[staying at old home (Kingston) in Virginia Beach - dropped off kids at their friend's house for a few days of sleepovers - work at the squadron all day - Club in the evening]

Moving Trip (Part 3) - Day 1

Found out that some of my buddies from Virginia were coming down to Texas on some business - with a plane. We had known about this for a couple of weeks, but confirmed it last night. Luckily, it meant we could get back to Virginia Beach today! Brenna, Erin and I packed our bags and met the crew at around 1100. Nicky was upset to see the kids go, but she will have some time with Mollie to figure out where things are in town - that should be good - and the twins can visit with their old friends in Virginia one more time. Our flight was quick and easy - just a few clouds. The kids enjoyed the ride. When we got back to VA, we had about 30 minutes of humid air before a huge thunderstorm. During that time, we worked out some issues with the mail and money. Had dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise - first time (finally). I had the signature meal and the girls tried gumbo, burger and fish & chips. It was fun to hang out while Jimmy Buffet played in the background... We drove back to our old home so Brenna and Erin could spend one more night in their rooms (I still plan to stay until the last day of our Lease).  The kids had several hours to play with their friends down the street while I worked on the mail. We all went to bed kind of early - no TV and little to do (it will be nice to get some sleep, though...).

Moving Trip (Part 2) - Day 4

[unpacking and setting up the new house in Fort Worth]

Moving Trip (Part 2) - Day 3

[unpacking and setting up the new house in Fort Worth]

Moving Trip (Part 2) - Day 2

[unpacking and setting up the new house in Fort Worth]

Hobbs Trip - Day 6

Left really early (0715) - we'll be losing an hour within the first 10 miles... We left Hobbs after saying our goodbyes to Bonnie and Chuck (this time with a full gas tank!). Drove with nice weather towards the East - but we could see the signs of Hurricane Dolly to the south. Stopped for an early lunch in Snyder (at the DQ). Great weather for drive on the way home - only stopped one more time (bathroom break). The only depressing thing was the 10 degree increase in temperature (F) - it is MUCH hotter in Fort Worth than Hobbs... Made good time and arrived in White Settlement around 1430. Picked up our cat - he's been in the kennel for two weeks - and drove the kids back to their new home! They were very excited and ran throughout the house to find their rooms. Erin and I got the car ready and then drove back to the U-Haul place to finish emptying it. Surprisingly, we got everything inside the car. What a relief - it only took four trips with the mini-van to get everything back to the house. Rest of the day spent unpacking and grocery shopping.

Hobbs Trip - Day 5

Woke up a little late - Chuck had already left for work. He told me we would get together for lunch before leaving for Hobbs in the afternoon. I didn't feel like exploring - I spent most of the morning paying bills and reading emails. Around 1130, Chuck called to tell me that he wouldn't be getting out of town for several more hours. We still met for lunch - at a Mexican restaurant on the north-side of town (Papa Juan's). It was very good (more of Chuck's co-workers and bosses were there), but Chuck tricked me into getting the combination platter (huge!!!). More green chili today - still not too spicy... After lunch, I left Artesia and headed back to Hobbs. It seemed like a shorter trip this time (same route, US-82 to NM-529 to US-180). Got gas and did some grocery shopping for tomorrow's drive to Fort Worth. Kids returned from Lubbock around 1600 - right after Chuck made it to Hobbs. Pool working good again - we spent a lot of the afternoon and early evening out there. Kids enjoyed the cooler day (around 25 C). Nicky went out to dinner with our cousin Kelly. Chuck and I entertained the kids with dives and flips and then we went out for ice cream at Kalidascoops. Chuck gave each of the girls a ride in his Nissan convertible - that was a highlight. Spent the rest of the night with Bonnie, Kelly, Chuck and Nicky. We planned to go to bed early, but we didn't (again...). We leave tomorrow.

Carlsbad, NM (USA)

When you go to Carlsbad Caverns, you get to take an elevator down 750 feet underground. It was 56 degrees (F) nearly all the time. Long ago, the first people that traveled inside the caverns were Indians. The first person to get credit for discovering the cave was Jim White. We learned about stalagmites and stalagtites. The difference between them is that stalagtites grow from the ceiling and stalagmites grow from the ground. When they meet, it is called a column. One day, Jim White saw the cave and thought he saw smoke coming out - but it was really bats flying out of the caverns. One of the rooms we visited was called the Papooseroom. Lots of stalagtites called soda-straws are growing there. Another room, the Queens Chamber, is cool because the Ranger did a "blackout." It was so dark you cannot see your hand at all! With the lights on, you can see lots of amazing things there called the Queen's Draperies, the Queen's Ice Cream Cone and the Queen's Orchestra. In the Bashful Elephant Room, there were small elephant formations. The Green Lake room has a pond called the Green Lake Dip Pond - it is eight feet deep. If you think this all sounds cool, you should go to the Carlsbad Caverns!!!

Hobbs Trip - Day 4

Called my cousin, Chuck, today and he agreed that I should make a trip over to where he lives in Artesia. I have been there a couple of other times - it is a real New Mexico oil town. There are thousands of wells and a refinery. I hung out in Hobbs until around 1600 - swimming (pool checks out OK) and working around the house for Bonnie (new energy efficient lights for the driveway). The trip to Artesia was pretty easy - arrived just after 1730. Chuck met me and we drove over to his place. I didn't know he had a nice Nissan convertible! With the temperatures in the mid-high 20s (C), it didn't seem like riding with the top down would be good - but when you run the A/C on high, it feels OK. We drove north for dinner - to the town of Dexter. Chuck knew about a great steak restaurant there - and it ended up being packed! There are probably only a little over 1000 people living close to the town center, but it seemed like most of the adult population was at the restaurant! Lots of Chuck's co-workers were having business dinners there - we were lucky to get a table. I had a lousy beer - it was from the tap and must have gone sour. Still, the steak with cheese and a green chili was delicious. After dinner, we drove back to Artesia and went to a bar called the Wellhead. I didn't realize that it was owned by Chuck's boss - and we ended up sitting in the back with him and his wife at their reserved table. The bar has its own microbrewery - great stuff. It was great to discuss flying, oil & environmentalists and politics. We stayed for several hours and I met some great locals. We went back to Chuck's house around 2300 - he has to be at work early...

Hobbs Trip - Day 3

Woke up around 0900 - Bonnie said we "won't stay up that late again right away!" While she was gone this morning (on errands), I ventured out to the pool. Bonnie said that the cover was broken, but it actually opened when I tried it. By 1100, the kids were splashing and having a great time. We ate some hot dogs on the back patio around 1300. More swimming after that, but the sun came directly overhead and I went inside so I wouldn't burn. We had a good dinner and then went out to see if we could swim in the dark. There ended up being something cloudy in the water, though, when the lights were on. It may only be air bubbles, but we didn't go in - Bonnie wants to have it checked first. Went to bed much earlier...

Hobbs Trip - Day 2

Slept very late - still recovering from the late night! Had a nice "brunch" of spaghetti with Bonnie and helped her around the house. Had some trouble with the TVs - they can get messed up pretty quickly if the remotes are used incorrectly... Kids glad to see us and spend time together. Spent most of the afternoon working on my computer and printing out lots of emails with important information. We had to fax a lot of things back to Fort Worth, too. We had dinner at Kathy's - she has a new house. The kids had been there before, but it was Nicky and my first visit. She treated us to pizza (the kind you buy prepared but uncooked). She prepared the food in her custom kitchen - and we explored her custom home. Her garden patio was very spacious and quiet. The pizza was good and we had a nice visit. As we were leaving, the first rain we have seen in a couple of weeks began. Discovered that we have a problem with our car's wipers... Stayed up late again with Bonnie - very relaxed and enjoyable. Bed after midnight.

Hobbs Trip - Day 1

With the movers getting done last night at 2345, Nicky and I slept in until around 1100. We are only beginning the unpacking process - it will be a long time before things are organized around our new home. In any case, we decided it was time to go get the kids again. After a few errands around town, we drove out of Fort Worth for the trip to Hobbs. It seems like just yesterday that we drove this trip, but it was nearly two weeks ago! The weather was good and the temperatures dropped from 38 down to 30 degrees C as we drove up into the high desert - a welcome respite from the heat. By the evening, it was actually in the high 20s! My favorite part of this trip is turning out to be the section between Snyder and Seminole (TX) on US-180. There is a huge valley/canyon with a sombrero looking "butte" on the south end. Cows are everywhere and the view is probably at least 50 miles in all directions as you come down into the valley. You can smell the oil (or, as Bonnie calls it, the smell of money) and there is lots of agriculture. Hobbs is a good destination, too, since they have some tall, shady trees there. We relaxed again this evening and enjoyed seeing the kids. Stayed up talking with Bonnie until after midnight.

Moving Trip (Part 2) - Day 1

[movers showed up very late and it took a few trips of their Penske Rental truck to get all of our household goods situated - it was a whirlwind day (and quite frustrating) but we managed to finish the entire move before midnight (barely) - whew! - slept at our new house]

Househunting Trip - Day 10

[checked out of NAS JRB Fort Worth CBQ "Texas Room" - took Nicky to the new house so she was officially moved - I still have to go back to Hampton Roads to check out of my old squadron - (we used sleeping bags for one night before movers get here tomorrow)]

Househunting Trip - Day 9

[NAS JRB Fort Worth CBQ - took care of items for the house - bought refrigerator]

Househunting Trip - Day 8

[NAS JRB Fort Worth CBQ - relaxed in the morning - went to new house to get things set up - ate celebratory dinner at (nearby) Saltgrass Steakhouse (had to join a club to be able to buy a drink in this "dry" section of Tarrant County)]

Househunting Trip - Day 7

[Staying at NAS JRB Fort Worth CBQ] Finished paperwork and got approval for our home this afternoon. What a relief. It will take a few more days for all of the signatures, utilities and our furniture to be delivered, but we have a new address to look forward to! After several weeks of racing around without certainty about where we could end up, it was nice to be able to relax at the hotel. Nicky and I spent some quiet time watching movies and resting.

Househunting Trip - Day 6

[Staying at NAS JRB Fort Worth CBQ] When the kids call us from New Mexico, it is clear they are having the time of their lives! They have seen a lot of cousins and have been swimming a lot. We miss them, but they are having a special time "alone." Hopefully, we can go back to join them soon... Started out today north of I-820: it was Fort Worth, but the school district is Saginaw. Prices for homes are much better there - especially in the Highland Station area. We started to get a lot of calls again for properties that we had wanted to see a couple of days ago. Some had rented over the weekend - too bad. We checked out an area called Fossil Hills and along North Riverside Drive. It looked nice. A realtor called around noon to tell us about another home we could see - one of our favorites up to this point. She told us to meet her at 1700. Meanwhile, we explored areas called Westover Hills and Monticello - prices are through the roof on rentals... Nice places, though. I guess people around that area don't send their kids to public school - we keep hearing this across the whole Fort Worth city. Stopped in to see our cat this afternoon. Late in the day, we met with the realtor and really liked the place - Nicky was getting really excited about the chance that this was over! I had some reservations because the schools were so far away - I don't want the kids on the school busses all day long. I asked the realtor if she had any more places to see - and she did. When she drove us into the neighborhood, Nicky and I were even more impressed than we had been earlier - it was one of those "wow" moments. House looked good inside and the price was right. It was pretty late, so we went back to the hotel to think about it for a little while. By the time we went to bed, we were both pretty sure we wanted to rent the place. It looks like our search may be over! Some paperwork to finish and other details to be completed... Went to bed feeling good about things.

Househunting Trip - Day 5

Checked out of the Springhill Suites this morning (1140) and decided to switch hotels. Hit the pavement pretty early - lots more calls for appointments. I bought a map book of Fort Worth that seems to correspond with all of the real estate listings (it has a grid and you can find addresses off the MLS with the grid). We really tried hard to see things in the TCU area again. One realtor really got us going with about six homes in the space of a few hours. Each one was old (1920s) and wasn't really up to date. We started hearing about some of the hit/miss schools around here, too. Drove out towards Aledo and saw some homes zoned for horses - drive seems iffy, though. Checked out Lost Creek area and then went back over to Blue Mound and Saginaw. The area north of I-820 is growing on me... Nicky really getting unhappy about the selection. If we were buying, we could get a great house. I don't want to take the gamble on the housing market now, though. Spent nearly all day looking at houses and driving around I-820 (back and forth). We did find a promising neighborhood up near Heritage Trace Parkway - couldn't get a showing, today, though. At our new hotel NAS JRB Fort Worth CBQ (in their fancy "Texas Room"!) tonight - met some folks who are also doing some househunting. They are convinced that Weatherford is the place to live. It seems awfully far away, but maybe we'll be joining them soon... More internet searching tonight - I'd like to wrap this up really soon.

Househunting Trip - Day 4

Woke up around 0800 - had breakfast at the hotel (Springhill Suites at University Center). Each night on the trip, I have done a ton of searching on the internet for places to visit. So, we have a large list of places to check out. Nicky made lots of calls this morning, hoping that we could get to see houses. Instead, we ended up leaving around 1030 with no confirmed tours. I took Nicky up to Lake Worth and we looked around there for anything that might be available (there wasn't). We looked around North Fort Worth and Saginaw again - saw some places with potential. One person wanted us to come back to see a house at 1700 - so we drove down to an area north of Crowley and explored homes in that area. Unfortunately, not much looked good. We did discover a really interesting (and pricey) neighborhood near Team Ranch BLVD - Wow!!! Too bad it is way out of our price range... Got bored in the afternoon, so we worked on arrangements for another hotel. Then got a showing at a home near TCU (I had visited in June and it was still available). Nicky wasn't impressed. Drove back out to Saginaw late in the day to see the place we had wanted to see earlier. Right as we got to the house, the realtor called and said he would be another hour. So we decided that $1.50 Margaritas were much more worth the wait and cancelled the showing. Another dinner at Pulido's was a better way to forget how much trouble it is to find a new house every three years... Bed around 2300.

Househunting Trip - Day 3

Woke up really early - had to get organized. Nicky and I had a nice breakfast and then headed out so I could show her some of the neighborhoods I found last time I was here (see May 2008). I had hoped to find a place in the TCU area of Fort Worth. In fact, there were fewer rental homes this time and the ones that were available were (to be frank) overpriced and tiny. Nicky began to get discouraged pretty early in the afternoon, but I took her on a tour of other areas: Heritage (near Keller), Saginaw, Blue Mound and Benbrook. Lunch was at a great pizza place in Keller. Looked around the area again all afternoon. Called it a day around 1730. Back at the hotel, we noticed that there was a restaurant called Pulido's across the street - that had $1.50 Margaritas! We decided to give it a try - and it was worth it, from the enchiladas to the sopapillas! We left around 2130 and enjoyed the restful room at the Springhill Suites at University Center. Bed early...

Househunting Trip - Day 2

Today, Nicky and I planned to head back to Fort Worth for some house-hunting but we stayed with Bonnie and the kids for as long as we could. We had a nice lunch at the Hobbs Country Club and a tour of the town (including seeing some prairie dogs near the College of the Southwest). It has really changed since I first visited here in the 1970s. The kids were very excited to have "summer camp" with the cousins but Nicky was very sad to leave them alone.  Actually, I think it's the first time in a long while since she and I were alone without them... After departing from Hobbs (1500), I realized we should have gotten gas (and I had joked about this early in the day) - we only had half a tank when we left. Around two hours later, we discovered that we had also missed the last gas station (near La Mesa, TX). Hoping there was fuel in Gail, we continued East. Nope - only a sign at the general store that said "NO GAS". It was very disconcerting to drive East with 32 miles to Snyder and a needle on empty... Nicky was sure we wouldn't make it and I imagined hours of walking. It wasn't any comfort that we never saw anyone on the roads, either. After about 30 minutes of sweating and worrying, we rolled into Snyder and got gas. Boy, I love that Chrysler! The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful - stopped for dinner in Abilene again. Arrived in Fort Worth around 2100 and were checked into our hotel at University Center Springhill Suites (by Marriott) at 2145. Relaxed for a little while, but very tired. We start looking for our "dream home" tomorrow...

Househunting Trip - Day 1

Leaving Nicky and the kids sleeping in our hotel (La Quinta Inn), I woke up (0600) and hurried to get the next step of our Do-it-to-Yourself move completed.  I first stopped at the Shell on Cherry Lane in Fort Worth and reset the gas tank in the U-Haul to its original level (0710).  Afterwards, I drove the truck rental place (nearby) to unload the truck. We got a free month of storage when we rented the truck - very helpful for our move. It only took about two hours to finish the job, but I had to drive about 10 miles to get the truck weighed again (I used Drivers Travel Mart on I-35W, Exit 54B/C). When I finally returned the truck to the U-Haul, I figured out I'd only driven 35 miles over the allotted distance - pretty good, considering I initially had to drive 155 miles from where I picked it up in North Carolina... Nicky picked me up around 1000 and we drove to a nearby vet to drop the cat off. Luckily, that didn't take long. Went back to the storage building to pack up the kids' fun gear (bikes, roller skates, balls, etc.). You'd think we'd take time to rest but NO - we still had a trip to New Mexico to complete!  We left Fort Worth around 1200 - on the way out to New Mexico! The kids are going to spend a week or so with their cousins. Stopped for lunch near Weatherford and then stopped for pretty cheap gas near Abilene. The drive was nice - used I-30 to I-20 and then got off at US-84 in Sweetwater. Up until then, it was actually very hilly. Drove up to Snyder and US-180 - enjoyed the scenery for the rest of the drive in the beginnings of the high desert. We saw hundreds of windmills - it was really amazing to see so many new windfarms. Made it in to Hobbs (with the time change) around 1730. Had a very nice dinner and some drinks - first time to relax in weeks! Bonnie, as always, was a good hostess. Went to bed early (time zone catching up...).

Moving Trip (Part 1) - Day 4

After a good night's sleep, our family got a much earlier start this morning.  We even made time for a short swim in the pool of the Double Tree Hotel! We checked out at 0945L and, after getting some gas at the Sam's Club (1005), departed Jackson (TN).  Heading west towards Memphis on I-40, we passed through the city at around 1100.  Kids liked seeing the big pyramid in the city.  The crossing of Mississippi River was easy and a HUGE sign welcoming us to Arkansas. After that, though, the welcome wore off - their roads were horrible, probably the bumpiest I have ever seen (except for I-80 in western PA). Still, we had very little traffic and speed limits were high. Kids continued enjoying the walkie-talkies and listened to more radio programs. I think they have almost had enough of the truck, though. We had so much in the other car that they really couldn't fit in there with Mollie.  We stopped for gas again in Brinkley (AR) at 1245 and that raised their spirits a little.  Next, we drove through Little Rock and saw the Clinton Presidential Library from the road.  Departing the city to the west, we switched to I-30 and drove down to Texarkana. Had ice cream near the TX-AR border. Also saw some great looking State and National Parks - we'll have to come back someday! Never saw a welcome sign for Texas...  As we continued west toward Dallas, we made pretty good time.  We made another gas stop in Mount Pleasant (1710) and then reached the Metroplex at around 1900. Nicky did her best to keep up in the busy streets of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Saw Six Flags, the Ballpark and a huge water park - all those things should be fun! We had a bit of a detour for one of the kids (she needed a bathroom break and we didn't see any easy places to stop).  We eventually arrived at our hotel(La Quinta Inn Fort Worth West Medical Center) in White Settlement (TX) at around 2000. The kids seem VERY relieved to be done with the big truck but excited to be at our new hometown. We went swimming for awhile tonight and walked over to a nearby mall for dinner. Bedtime was pretty early, considering. Cat still hasn't bit me...

Moving Trip (Part 1) - Day 3

We woke up early - but with breakfast and baths for the kids, we didn't leave until 1130. After checking out of the Hampton Inn (1115), the drive west from Martinsville was through pretty farm country. Eventually, we were climbing some big hills. Passed an unbelievable vista at Lover's Leap (elevation 3000'). Stopped for some fudge and produce at a market near the Blue Ridge Parkway (top of the mountain range). Kids really enjoyed riding in the truck. We had fun listening to the radio - there were some good serial radio shows: biographies and stories of adventure told in the first person. Reception wasn't always good, but when it was, the kids didn't want me to change the channel. We had fun with the walkie-talkies we brought, too. One went dead about halfway through the day. Mollie was with Nicky and I had the twins, so they talked back and forth for most of the trip (used the cell phone when there was reception). We stopped for gas in Wytheville (VA) at 1345 and made it to I-77 around 1500 - whew! Using this route saved about 45 miles and avoided the worst traffic on I-64. Still, I'm sure climbing 3000 feet and turning on all the country roads used up much more gas. Used I-77 to get to I-81 and then drove south into Tennessee.  We later intercepted I-40 and had made good time after that. After stopping for gas (1715)  in Crosville (TN), we missed most of the rush hour traffic in Nashville and made it to our lodging for the night, the Double Tree Hotel in Jackson (TN) by 2115. This is our second day with our cat travelling in his carrier - I'm sure he is going to bite me by the time this is all over... When I have to get him in and out, he tries to squirm away. We bought a little leash, but it is all I can do to hold him while his claws are scratching. We had a good room and everyone should get some good sleep.

Moving Trip (Part 1) - Day 2

We finished up loading the truck at 1800 - much later than I had wanted. This was due to rain, mostly, but also finding a way to organize the last boxes so we could actually find things on the other end... Drove out of our neighborhood with Nicky and Mollie (with our cat, Frosty) in the car and Erin, Brenna and I in the U-Haul. Leaving late turned out to be much better than I had expected - I guess the heavy rain scared off all the weekend tourists early in the afternoon. Our drive out of town was easy but also a bit sad: we enjoyed all the fun things to do in Hampton Roads. Used US-58 all the way to Martinsville (western Virginia). There are some nice paved four lane sections on this route (we used this way to save the miles on the U-Haul). Driving at night was harder, since there were no lights and few cars. When I stopped for a gas fillup in La Cross (VA) at 2120, I figured out that the U-Haul was only getting about 10 miles to the gallon - with $4.00 a gallon at stations all the way along our drive, that didn't bode well for my wallet. Directions to hotel (Hampton Inn) in Martinsville were not very good, but eventually got there (2350). We hit the mountains just before we stopped for the night - tomorrow will be lots of up/down driving.  Bed very late...

Moving Trip (Part 1) - Day 1

We had to drive down to North Carolina today - to pick up a U-Haul truck. It is amazing how the Law of Supply and Demand can drive up the prices for rental in an area where people move all the time (i.e. near Norfolk)... Anyway, there were much cheaper truck rentals down in NC. The drive was nice - US-58 to I-95. Took just over two hours to reach Sharpsburg, NC (got the truck at 1440). The kids were really excited about riding in the truck (a 14 foot, newer model). It had an Alaskan Osprey on the side and seating for three in the front. We had no problems getting home, although I took many back roads to get back to Hampton Roads - needed to save the miles for the drive to Fort Worth! We stopped to fill up the gas tank in the truck in Tarboro (1520).  With high gas prices (almost $4 a gallon) everywhere, I was only able to pay a flat amount (max allowed) of $100 at the station - this is going to cost a LOT...  The best part of the trip was when we were driving near the town of Ahoskie - lots of peanuts and cotton.  We then got on US-13 and drove through the Great Dismal Swamp.  I had expected to see some of the fires but all we got was heavy smoke. After searching for commercial scales for about an hour, we finally found one in Emporia - it turned out that there are actually only two in all of Hampton Roads!  We arrived in Virginia Beach around 1800 and I treated everyone to Dinner at Denny's.  After that, we back to the house to load up the truck.

Biloxi, MS (USA)

Left around 0830 for Pensacola, FL. Good flight down - some clear areas in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama. Around 75 miles northeast of Pensacola, we saw some huge thunderstorms. I don't miss those... We missed all of them and landed uneventfully. Our group was waiting and we took off around 30 minutes later. The flight over to Biloxi, MS, was quick - almost too quick as Eric had to go around after starting the approach too high. Still got in OK. Another quick turn - group waiting. Headed back home and made it pretty early (1530).