And just like that.......plans change.

Whoa.

So we were getting all ready for Brant to fly off to Maui this Friday, New Years Eve. We had to-do items listed out in order of importance for each day, all culminating in a dinner with family and friends Thursday night. He would fly out Friday morning.

Hahahahahahahhahahhahahahaha.

Yeah. Well.

He found out today that the shipping yard where his car is currently being stored will not be open on Friday. Nor will they be open the following Monday. Something about it being New Years Eve and then Monday being a 'recovery' day. :) Why we didn't think of this when we booked the car shipping and his airline ticket, I don't know!

So basically, unless he (or someone he authorized) picked his car up before 4 on Thursday, he wouldn't be able to pick it up until the following Tuesday. And would be charged a storage fee for each day. And would have to pay for a rental car to get around, since there's not a whole lot of public transportation options on the island. Needless to say, that adds up to quite a bit of money.

Turns out the cheaper option was to change his airline ticket. So we did. And now he leaves 6:50am Wednesday morning. As in, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.

He is not packed.

(That was on the list for Wednesday night!!)

The family and friends he was going to say goodbye to in person over the next couple of days, will now have to settle for a phone call.

The pile of junk sitting next to our house will have to be taken to the dump by someone else (me?!?).

Everything that was going to be fit into the next 3 days will now be fit into 1.

Many things probably just won't get done.

It is crazy and awesome and of course it will all be just fine.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I have to go start packing. :)












\

Christmas Aftermath

It's the day after Christmas and we are sitting here drinking coffee and eating microwaved eggs. Microwaved eggs are not as gross as they sound, I swear. We buy the carton of egg whites, pour some in a glass bowl (sprayed with PAM) and add in whatever toppings we have on hand - usually cheese, ham, turkey, chilis, whathaveyou. Microwave for 2 or 3 minute and whala, it turns into a yummy egg white omelette. Until recently, I never even thought to microwave eggs, but hey, when you don't have a stove, you learn lots of new tricks.

Anyway, enough about eggs. Let's talk holidays.



We spent Christmas in Idaho Falls with my side of the family. Sadly, we did not get to see my brother and his family because they've spent the last week or so cycling family members through the stomach flu. With Brant having so much to do before he leaves this next week, we couldn't afford to get sick. Not seeing them sucked.

But, we did get to spend lots of time with my mom and step-dad, and that was awesome. Pretty sure my mom spent all last week baking non-stop. We ate fudge, toffee, macarroons, gingerbread men, sugar cookies, all GLUTEN FREE!!!!!!! We keep telling my mom she needs to start her own gluten free bakery because you seriously can't tell the difference between her gluten free treats and the usual gluten filled stuff. And her homemade bread? To. die. for.

I wish I had pictures to post off all this, but my camera died after about two pictures Christmas morning. Lame.

Here's one caught before the camera died.

My nephew in his new Christmas jammies.

Ahh, so now we are home and it is Brant's and my last day to relax together before he leaves for Maui.

I cannot believe it is here already.

We are going to work out, watch movies, and just try to relax today. Because tomorrow, the work starts (or continues, really). Brant has about a million and one things on his list to finish before Thursday night. I have to work. Family will be arriving throughout the week. And then Thursday night we will all go to Brant's farewell dinner (um, at a pizza joint - would my husband have it any other way!?) and then 6:30 Friday morning he will be on a plane to Maui. Just like that.

So yeah, we've got a few things going on this week.

I have to say that I am mildly jealous that he will soon be in warm, tropical Maui, while I will be here in cold, gray Boise. :(

But, on the bright side............after his plane takes off Friday morning, my mom and I will be spending the whole weekend together - celebrating our birthdays!! Mine is New Years Day and hers is Groundhogs Day. We are playing it by ear - we might decide on an impromptu birthday roadtrip or we might hang around Boise and shop, shop, shop. Whatever we decide on, I am so excited to get to spend the weekend with my mama!!

My mom and Brant last summer.

Now I'm off to drink more coffee, think about lunch, and be LAZY with my man.


Cheers.

Can't turn back now

We drove to the Bay area this last weekend and dropped the coupe off. It was picked up by the shipping company today and should be headed to San Diego to board a boat and be shipped to Maui. It's done.

Gassing up.

Somebody was excited.

The road lay out before us.

The water we hit over Donner Pass 'pinstriped' the car. Sweet.

It was such an awesome trip. We ended up being able to spend the weekend with Brant's parents - drove down to Monterey Bay, Ca and spent Saturday and Sunday exploring. They go to Monterey often, but it was my first time. As a John Stienbeck fan, I was super stoked to see Cannery Row and especially stoked to see Ed Ricketts labaroratory and the tide pools he waded in, collecting his specimens.

It's all touristy now. But still cool.

Pretty. Wish you were here.

The opening section of the book Log From the Sea of Cortez is one of my favorites. Steinbeck talks about his friendship with Ed Ricketts and I've just always been in love with how he talks about and describes his friend.

"Knowing Ed Ricketts was instant."

I feel like I've been lucky enough in my life to experience meeting someone and having a connection that felt 'instant.' It was like that with my bestest girlfriend. We just connected, as sisters. We've lived on opposite sides of the country for more years than we lived in the same town now (and soon it will almost be opposite sides of the world). I have little idea what goes on in her daily life - we talk when we can, but when there are kids and husbands and jobs and geography  hurdles it's just different from the days we used to spend laying on the dock at the lake, talking for hours and HOURS. But, now matter the distance, I know I could see her tomorrow and that 'instant' connection would still be there. That's just how soul sisters are. She is my Ed Ricketts.

So the trip was wonderful. Good time with family we will miss very soon. An unexpected reprieve from the crazy moving, packing, schedule we've got going now.

Brant leaves in 23 days and one sleep.