Return of the Jedi

Been awhile, eh?
I've been on a bit of a road trip...trip. Two weeks ago was down to Portland for a day with Lyd, this weekend was cross-country from NC back home with Oscar. Yeah, I drive alot. Don't worry, I have a support group.
Since I didn't take time to yet, I think now will be the time for the sharing of the pictures from both trips. First up is P-town, followed chronologically by the cross-country trek.

Zoom zoom...

I don't have any pictures of me from the trips, so you get to see Lyd instead...Well, there's this one...But we don't talk about that one...

No Tax

The first trip, one week ago(ish), was Portland! City of...whatever they're the city of! The original plan was to ride the Amtrak down there, but the day Lyd found out she had the day off from work, tickets went up $12 each way! So, we instead decided to drive our own selves down there and save us some money and time (trains aren't fast...).
Our first stop was North 23rd Avenue (or something like that, I don't remember exactly). It was a decently longish street lined with independent shops and boutiques. They definitely had some cool stuff around there, including phone poles on the street corners absolutely Covered in staples and scrap paper from so many flyers being put up. I can't imagine what Seattle would look like if we had wooden poles on corners like this...
After a stop at Powell's City of Books (which is awesome), we proceeded to Lloyd Center; it's a big mall. We didn't really go in many stores at all, we basically just walk around the entire place then left :). On our way back to the Max (an above ground subway, you might say), we stopped for some sitting time in this little park. I found a ladybug on the bench we were going to sit on.
I also saw a cool tree from where we were sitting.
In all, a brilliantly fun trip. It was an excellent break to just not think about work at all and actually relax for once! There will definitely be a return trip...

I'm tired, let's ride the street car back...

"Your three is broken"

Being chronologically sound, the second trip was our XC excursion (that stands for cross-country).

After flying out to Charlotte on Thursday, we hit the road Friday morning at about 4:20am. Our first destination was Wichita, Kansas to visit Oscar's brother Jesse and to help install a transmission in this here truck. Well, we made it to about 100ish miles outside of Wichita before the serpentine belt and power steering pulley gave out (one first, which proceeded to incapacitate the other). No nearby auto stores had the pulley for which us to by (grammar intended), so Jesse was going to come pick us up. Then Jesse decided he was just going to bring out a truck and trailer and we would load up and just take the car back to Wichita and fix it out there (more places to find the part there than in Emporia). Jesse comes, we drive across the street to Wal-Mart to buy some straps to secure the car.
Jesse's truck won't start. We spend the night in the parking lot.
Saturday we get a tow to a nearby shop, they get us running, we make it back to Wichita and don't turn the truck off until necessary. We find the pulley at a junk yard, get a new belt and we're in business.
Day three; Sunday; we leave Kansas in our dust and head north, to home! Somewheres betwixt Kansas and Wyoming, I found this young robot on a gas station door. I liked it, so I took a picture. Fuelman!
This is I-90, just after crossing the Montana/Idaho border on the way home Monday. Yay almost home!

We made it back on Monday around 2pm to Sambica. I think we figured around 3000 miles (mas o menos) and 43ish hours for the trip.

E

A Fabor For Roy-O

Long time no see. Where have you been? It seems like it has been ages since I've seen you last!
I think quite a bit has happened since my last post. For starters, I fly out to North Carolina Thursday to drive cross country with Oscar. Lyd and I went to Portland this last Saturday; pictures coming to both blogs.
I made it through March and getting my credit card payed off with the whole alternator hoopla and God is continuing to provide for me.
I can't think of anything of consequence on my mind at the moment to write a good post about, so I think this shall be all for now.
Expect pictures soon.

Pretty woman, walkin' down the street...