Where Ever Your Thoughts May Take You

When we got home, Sputnik was MORE than p*ssed-
He hissed at us and he'd been so mad that he'd pretty much torn up the old couch.
(That's OK, that couch still has to be moved to Caseys apartment). hehehe

The dogs were tired from flying, but were otherwise happy to be home again, being able to stretch out their legs after being kenneled up for half a day on the flight home.

But oh what a trip we'd had!

It had actually began late last year- with a phone call from DeeAnne.
That she swore me to secrecy right up front was no problem, until I found out that I had agreed to keep her winning a $25 MILLION Powerball jackpot under wraps.
OMG!!! That was SO unfair- I know plenty of people that would have rejoiced with her.

But "mum" was the word. And I complied.
"Difficult, but not impossible"
EXTREMELY difficult would be more appropriate.

I write of it now only because DeeAnne (My Little Sweet Pea/ Splat Pea), has finally decided to share her story.

Not a story of just herself; but one that rocks our blog world- and will, for years to come.

She'd shared her 1st big purchase-
And by "big" I mean in excess of 1.5 MILLION dollars.

She had ordered a bus...

 Not your normal every day bus...
It was a Prevost XLII Entertainer.
With her special order, extras, and accessorizing etc it had taken almost 9 months to build, customize, and be delivered.

In her own words, " It was neither truck nor semi. It was not a car nor was it an RV. It was in fact an RV on steroids."

In MY words, it seemed to be Heaven on Wheels.
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Over 45' of sheer bliss!

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I'd always wanted to see the United States in an RV...

Nor will I be as lucky as Sweet Pea to win the lottery! (I hear tell you have to actually BUY a ticket first).

I am still so happy for her!!!

She'd told me she would begin to 'road trip' as soon as she could-
That her and her beloved pup, Izzy B, were going to hit the highways...
Damn the torpedoes (and the price of diesel fuel)-
FULL SPEED AHEAD...

Sweet Pea also had bought (and towed) an enclosed 7 x 14' trailer to store everyones belongings that wouldn't even fit below decks on the bus in the under floor bays.
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Can you believe that with all of us, we had it filled up???
Somebody brought too many shoes!!!

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They pulled in to my humble abode... already coming across the better part of 3100 miles; filling half a bus of dogs, one cat, and 8 wonderful friends (so far) I had not yet met.
Miss Milly and Punk were excited to see everyone, but of course were more interested in Kona and IzzyB.
(Surprisingly they were even nice to Carlos the cat)!

They told Casey and I of their road trip so far... Said the vittles weren't very good and NO ONE liked stopping at McDonalds either.
Casey offered to do the cooking.
We agreed, even though she tried to poison Greg just last week
(CLICK HERE to read how bad Hamburger Helper really is)!
hehehe
Casey doesn't blog often but when she does it is worth a peek and a comment!

Go ahead click and read, I'll wait... Check her new pictures too too!
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Packed and having loaded our luggage into the slowly shrinking trailer everyone was ready to "Hit~the~Road~Jack" ...

And so we did, taking Punk and Miss Milly "along for the ride"

We also "Hit~the~Lake~Jake" And took 'The Badger' across Lake Michigan from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan.

It is a trip I have made many times in my life. Usually at night when the work was done; and usually renting out one of the berths to nap in.
For me, it was always nap for those 4 hours, or turn green. (And a very pukey shade of green too). 

But I didn't turn green this time!
And to see all the stars above with the water below was somehow wonderfully comforting in the presence of my daughter and my new friends.

We stopped to pick up Hyiidra and we were off to meet Sweet Pea's Dad and JMom.
I was very upset that I couldn't have hooked up Kelli's new trailer to take my old Simplicity tractor along. "Dad" would have had it fixed up by now and I would be driving to go pick it up already.
But Pea said her insurance would not cover two trailers.
Yes, we were already driving the better part of 75 feet down the road...
Sheesh, I wish I had a dollar for every time that trailer ran over a curb...

And on up to Cheboygan, MI.
What a small world, this is where my cousin Burt, his wife, and two daughters live! (They have horses).
To Caseys dismay we could not stop to visit-
But we picked up yet another friend, Jane!
Casey paid us back by refusing to cook dinner for us that night.
So we all stopped for pasties.
Wait, she LOVES pasties... Maybe it wasn't payback...
(I love them too; just no turnips or rutabagas for me).


In her blog today, Sweet Pea has asked what the most memorable part of the trip was...

My answer just HAS to be The "Ride" of The Karaoke.

Pea has dual entertainment systems (front, back, and sideways to Sunday)... Integrated within the 2 spacious lounges were these full Entertainment Systems including TV, DVD, CD, AM-FM Cassette, VCR, and in-motion Satellite Receiver.
We set every receiver to Karaoke Channel, cranked up the volume, and we all sang along.

Suddenly, a pause, and the bus quieted. Certainly there was more?!?
And there WAS more!

QUEEN came on the speakers...
Yeah you know, "Bicycle Race"
And DeeAnne sang the solo!
The rest of us joining in on the chorus... (Or should I say "chaos")???
Even the dogs sang along!
Great fun.

As we crossed the miles from state to state I'd napped and woke at one point-
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A sharp corner- enough to wake me, but not enough to throw me off of the king sized bed!
And just in time it was to see Waterbury, Connecticut!! This is where my daughter Jennifer had once lived and worked.
It is also where she and her husband became such very good friends-
(They would end up marrying in 2006, 2 years to the day before Caseys TP/AIT surgery).
It was nice to see where Jenne and Aaron had once lived and worked.

Later to have traveled South- Had I been blindfolded, I would have known when I was in The South. I love the accent!

Across the South- all the way to The Gulf of Mexico. Through Louisiana, then northward to Arkansas, to Missouri and then back south to Oklahoma and then to Texas...
We picked up more and more and more people as we went!
Straight south to Donna, Texas- which incidentally is only a few miles from The Rio Grand!
How cool to see everything in person instead of on the telly or in books.
I touched the water!

To drive west from there... Through New Mexico, through Arizona, to Nevada!
With a stop in Vegas, Baby! (And yes, "What happen$ in Vega$...").

Leaving Vegas the next day to travel to Southern California. And to end up at the beach. A beautiful powerful essence of life itself.

Before this trip I had never seen the ocean.
Now I have seen and touched two!
Without Sweet Pea in my life I still would not have.
Without Pea, I would not have met so many good friends either.

I love you always Sweet Pea.
Where ever you are, (and where ever your thoughts take you)!

XOXO
Anne



For Pea's blog, please CLICK HERE.
hehehe  
Maybe I should have sent you there first!

For Pea's Map, Please CLICK HERE

Now tell me, where have YOUR thoughts taken YOU?

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Originally posted on my Y! 360.