The End. The Beginning.

Four Lessons Learned

So as I sit in the airport on waiting to head home, I realized over the past week I learned a few things.

Number one:  I am YOUNG.  I entered this trip feeling old, fat and tired.  On this trip I realized I can walk, swim, lift, bend, and remember.  All jokes aside, my 90 year old Popsie is in fantastic shape because he never believed age mattered.  He surfs the web, reads his nook, watches his weight, and works from sun up to sun down. How many of us live like those from the Greatest Generation?

Number two: Do what you love, live where you want, and be BRAVE.  Popsie and Grandma left all that they knew to take a risk in living their last years the way they wanted.  How many of us think we are too old, too tired, too scared, too whatever to make a change.  So, it is on this blog that I will first announce that I am moving to a far away island to never have a chance of needing to assist in a cross-country road trip again,  oops, I mean if Popsie can move across the country at age 90, what can we do?

Number three: Family.  There is nothing more precious.  Our family, like most, is flawed. We could not be made up more different people. From conservatives to liberals, hunters to vegetarians, christians to jews, and old to the very young. In the world's eye we should clash.  And yet, we know that it is our deep love for each other, the pure bond of family that makes us special.  We do not let distance, differences or opinions sway the way we stand in the gap for each other.  If I have learned anything from being 1/2 Crackel it is that I got my fire, opinionated arguments and independence honestly...oops, I mean family sticks together.

Number four:  Endings always mean beginnings.  This is the final post and the end of our Epic Adventure, (HALLELUJAH) but is also the beginning of a new life of peace and community on the little side of the mountain called family for Popsie and Grandma (Notice I didn't say more peace for Vicki and John).  They lived an INCREDIBLE life in Illinois.  Just because that chapter needed to end, did not mean there wasn't a bigger, better beginning.  I love this. I am leaving California tired, but renewed. And very, very tired.

That's A Wrap!

Yesterday we unloaded.  Wow, that was a monumental task.  Surprisingly, we were able to completely unpack the kitchen, the bathrooms, Grandma's room, and most of the living room.  The guys also unloaded all of Popsie's woodworking tools to the garage.  Popsie still has a lot of boxes in his closet, and we need to hook up the computer, the scanner and TV. This morning as I walked down the little hill to join them for morning coffee at 6:30, Popsie was assembling his computer desk.

Everyone seems to be settling in and I wanted to share some pictures that will possibly give you a glimpse of the reward at the end of this long trip.

Vicki and John live in the beautiful area of Grass Valley, CA. They own 5 acres of gorgeous timber in the foot hills. It is hard to capture the beauty. Their incredible hearts to open their little part of heaven to Grandma and Popsie is one of the most loving and selfless things I can possibly imagine.  So grateful to have their example in my life.

I don't know if you can click on this and enlarge it?  But this is the best panoramic I could do.

This is when I stand on Vicki's front porch and look at Popsie's House.

This is the view when I stand on Popsie's front porch and look at Vicki's house.

This is what they have to do to protect their gardens from the deer!

The view from Vicki's deck.

Popsie's House...Look at those trees!!!

Sunday FUNday

The big question at the start of the day:  

Would the U-Haul make it through Donner's Pass?
Answer:  Yes, quite easily.  Yesterday must have been a fluke.

The big question should have been: 

How skilled is John at maneuvering a U-Haul, U-Haul trailer, a downhill grade, roughly 4-6 cars of traffic and a LUNATIC pulling into his lane?
Answer:  EXTREMELY SKILLED.  Our one and only incident occurred today only a couple hours from home.  Luckily, John had quick reflexes along with everyone's prayers and good thoughts coming our way today.

We left Nevada at 7 am (PST), and we arrived in Grass Valley, California at noon.  We only stopped for fuel and for the agricultural check at the border.

Our greeting committee, Shannon and Dylan were full of smiles and joy as we pulled in the lane.  I think they were both a bit shocked by the shape we were all in.  Our attitudes rivaled the grumpiest people you can meet at the DMV, and I can only imagine how we must have looked, and I am positive you could smell us coming. Today, while at a Love's truckstop, I was getting a soda.  The gentlemen behind me asked if I, 'had my own rig?' You know you look bad when a trucker assumes you are one them.

Once we arrived, we explored the new house, unloaded the beds for Grandma and Popsie, and ordered Pizza.  We ate dinner, christened the new home with Champagne and called it a day at 6 pm. John, Vicki and I headed up the hill to their house, sat in the spa and deflated.

I don't know what is more shocking to the three of us: the fact that we made it, or the fact that we have to unpack those trucks and put a house together tomorrow?

Nevertheless, we thank each of you reading this for taking the journey with us.  Hopefully tomorrow I can post some more pictures to try to capture how beautiful their new setting is.

This granddaughter is permanently trading her Shirley Temple in for something a bit stronger.

WE MADE IT!!!

Look at those hands!  90 & 88, toasting there new home across the country!

To Many Years of Life To Live In California!

The Big Arrival:

Shannon and Dylan were here to greet us!

IT IS WORTH IT!

Grandma and Popsie are moving into a house built just for them on Vicki and John's property.

A couple video clips of there first sights!  Sorry I could have done better!

Again, You have to copy and paste to see the video clips.

https://goo.gl/KxdwNL

https://goo.gl/3TBdyZ

ALREADY SETTLING IN!

Red Light District

June 13, Friday

How fitting that today is Friday the 13th.
(Hilarious, I was just corrected it is Saturday.  I knew this at the beginning of the day, but somehow lost a day).

Our day started out great.  We got our earliest start yet, we were on I-80 headed west by 6:30 am MST.  Grandma even posed for a selfie!

We drove about 100 miles and through Salt Lake City, and then stopped for breakfast at Denny's.  All was going great. As we passed through the salt flats the discussion centered around a sculpture. It was coming. Look to the right. You don't want to miss it.

WHAT?  A large cylinder with balls on it?  What does this have to do with Salt Lake, Salt Flats, Anything?  I have so much I could say, but I am so tired, and I'll just let you enjoy the sculpture.

Then we entered Nevada, the Pacific time zone, and trouble started to stir:

The Red Light District:

As you may know Nevada is known for a lot of things, along the side of the road, there was a big RED sign for ShowGirls.  Popsie told Grandma we were going to pull over so we could go in.  Grandma replied instantly, "You're not going in there."  Then after a few minutes almost to herself she said, "You can just sit back there and dream about it, but you aren't going in there."  Yes, I laughed my BIG laugh out loud.

Another reason we were seeing RED....

Yes, that is the check engine light.  It has actually been coming on often on this trip in Popsie's truck, but today it happened in the Big U-Haul.  The RED lights were warning John as well as the RPMS. With each hill (mountain) it took longer, and by the end of our day John was barely able to go 35 MPH uphill.  

You know the story of the Little Engine That Could....well, I think we can, I know we can, ...... RED Lights are not our friends.  We are checking, hoping and PRAYING we make it through Donner's Pass tomorrow.  We NEED, like really, really NEED for this truck to make it one more day.

Once we made it through the elevation, we were smooth sailing in the valley.  Or so we thought...

Can you see those whirlwinds on the left of the road?  It doesn't look like much until you compare the size to the semi in the same picture.   Never EVER have I wanted a pair of ruby RED slippers so bad in my life.  "There's no place like home. There's no place like home."  The wind was very strong and it seemed there were crazy gusts.  Luckily none of us were blown off the road.  It was so weird.

I have noticed a trend in my blog.  With each day that passes my humor wanes.  This is an accurate description of our trip.  We are all determined to be positive, but with each minute and mile that passes so does our patience.

Tomorrow, God willing, we will arrive to Grass Valley in the early afternoon.  Hopefully that will bring back our humor.  

Speedy GonJohn

Day 3, June 12th, The Epic Adventure

Today was actually uneventful.  It doesn't make for great blog material, but it makes for EXCELLENT travel time.

We left Sidney NE at around 7 am.  After being greeted by the local geese, we loaded quickly, and took off for the longest day. Loaded quickly is a phrase used by most people that travel with a grandmother in a wheelchair, 15 bags for 5 people per night, coolers, a lift and two trucks and trailers.

We set our sights on Evantston, Wyoming and we took no prisoners. In fact, at one point down a very steep hill (I would call mountain), Speedy Gonzales or Speed GonJohn pulled the U-Haul speedracer in front of a semi.  It was a battle of wills, but John held his own as Vicki, Grandma and I watched from the view of our truck.  To show our deep love, we decided that if he blew the engine during his great race, we would be kind enough to pull over and unload the lawn mower from our trailer. Eventually we were sure he and Popsie could make it to California!

Looks kind of like a race car, right?

The scenery did change today. The rock, hills and blue sky gave us new energy as we surely are headed west.  Popsie informed me he would be a much better Indian than Cowboy. When I asked why he said, "I can build a good fire, and I could run a really great casino."  Well, there you have it.  

Meet Popsie...Leader of the "We Are Crazy Tribe."

During the trip we saw antelope, horses and cows.  EXCITING! I know you are all jealous.  Actually we laughed because as a small child I was quite contrary (surprise), and I would see a horse and yell "cow" and I would see a cow and yell "horse"... Today with a 90, 88 and 40 year old, we had trouble deciphering which animals were which along the roadside.  Our eyes and the distance caused us to second guess ourselves. I think this was God's little joke.

We arrived to the hotel and as John checked in they told him they did not have the rooms we reserved.  The lift would not fit in the room we were given, and we do not have adjoining rooms.  To say that I was little upset would be a colossal error, since it took us over 4 hours to make reservations for adjoining first floor rooms that were handicap accessible. After a LOT of maneuvering the vehicles, unloading, using ramps and finding the ice machine so we could have a DRINK, I made my way to the front desk.  In true Crackel/Carder fashion I was going to explain their mistake and demand money off of our rooms.  Imagine the scenes from Planes Trains and Automobiles or Seinfeld explaining the purpose of a reservation.  So, I asked, "Is it true that you do not have ANY adjoining rooms?" and he responded, "No, it is true that the rooms you reserved are under repair and are not available due to a water leak."  To that I responded with a very whitty, "OH."

The easiest part of our days are in the vehicle on the road.  Of course our time is full of in depth conversations and thought provoking questions.  Just listen below and become very jealous of our trip. This first conversation is between Popsie and I and about who is the better driver. If you listen closely you can hear Gma giving her two cents. You have to copy the link below and put it in a new browser. I know. Annoying. I wouldn't do it either.  I'm too tired to figure it out.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ZqAkI9p-uuYi1zUXI1cFpXalk/view?usp=sharing

This video is funny if you listen close you can hear Popsie say a fellow was a pain in the butt.  He asks me if I remember him.  He means, a guy I met once when I was 10.  So of course my answer was yes.  Now if you know Popsie, he is a joker and a tad bit ornery, so to hear him describe a guy as a joker is entertainment enough. Again. The copy and paste thing.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ZqAkI9p-uuOEcxQ29ITmhwenM/view?usp=sharing

I recognize this post is not as humorous as the last few.  THANK GOD, we seem to be settling into a routine that works for us.  Thanks for your prayers, texts and well wishes.  We are over 1/2 way tonight.  

My Fun Meter is PEGGED!

Well, today started again at 5:30.  We woke up, and realized that the broken transfer board presented a much larger problem getting Grandma out of bed than it did getting her into bed.

The upside:  John and Popsie do not have a hernia.  John and Vicki decided to continue in their marriage and Grandma was not dropped.  We ate the hotel breakfast even though people couldn't tell if they were eggs or pancakes next to the sausage (no exaggeration).  We started to leave the hotel 3 hours after our wakeup call at 8 am, but there was rain.  On a normal trip that is a bummer. On the Epic Adventure that is an omen.  As we start our days, we must use the lift to place Grandma in the truck.  Our trucks have large trailers attached to them, so to pull them under the awning can present a problem.  We decided it was worth it to get Grandma in the truck, but poor John was not so lucky with the U-Haul.

After we loaded Grandma into the truck, backed the trailer and prepared to face the rain to load the U-Haul, we see Popsie taking the wheelchair to the U-Haul in only Popsie fashion.

After the lift, the luggage, and the wheelchair are all loaded, I see John with muddy knees and a smile.  I ask, "Are we having fun yet?" And John's response is....

My Fun Meter is PEGGED!

We decided to save some time today and have a "picnic" in the truck with Grandma.  That way we only had to use the lift to get her out of the truck for the hotel tonight.  This is the usual driving arrangement.  I am driving the truck with the BEST backseat driver on the planet directly behind me. It is a tight fit.

And that ladies and gentlemen, marked our second day, a 493 mile trip today.  Here were the highlights:

• Terrible downpours of rain for the first 2 hours. We traveled 50-55 MPH.
• We only stopped 3 times including lunch. (2 Better than Yesterday).
• We re-arranged some riding assignments.  Vicki and Popsie traded vehicles for a time period. Leaving the girls in one vehicle and the boys in the other.  
• We found a liquor store today. The liquor we packed ran out tonight.
• Popsie told Vicki that I am a good driver.  (In this family we don't give compliments to each other...we keep that on the downlow.)
• HALLELUJAH!  The lift wheels fit under the bed in the Hampton Inn.  Our morning should start stronger.

Best Quote of the Day:  Warning!  Some foul language involved!

"In my day you had to roll your window down and stick your arm out the window to warn someone you were turning.  Now, people won't even bother to turn on their Goddamn turn signal.  LAZY AMERICANS.  And, I'll tell you another thing! People won't even put their carts back in the parking lot.  LAZY AMERICANS!" Oh Popsie!  While I agree that we are lazy society, watch out!  Road rage could be at RED ALERT Levels with the Greatest Generation. I have no idea what shopping carts have to do with turn signals, but the conversation with a 90 year old is always random. 

I have some video and audio excerpts that will be fun to listen to, but I am too tired to figure out how to post it tonight.

Good Night. God Bless. And, Pray For Us!  Our longest day of travel is tomorrow.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Start Your Engines!

Wednesday, June 10th

Two Trucks. Two Trailers. Two Grandparents....... Here we go!

I have written a lot today in my other entries about where we have been, and where we are going. Today's highlights:

• We woke at 5 am and left at 8 am.
• We stopped 4 times and for lunch at Cracker Barrel.
• We arrived to our destination, Stuart, IA at 5 pm. (Yes Folks, we did not clear IA today, but that was our plan.)
• We only ran the wheelchair off the ramp once.
• The U-Haul trailer door jammed as our mattresses shifted.
• The lift won't fit under the bed and the BZ Board broke in transport.

HOWEVER, it was a success!  A lot of you have been asking, Yes, Popsie drove the first two hours, and I drove the rest.  With all of that said, traffic was light, the weather was perfect, and we ate dinner with a smile.  I was able to swim a few laps, take a hot shower, and enjoy some fun talks with Popsie.

I hope to post some videos tomorrow.  Thanks for all of your prayers.

Get Ready....

Tuesday, June 9th

Last Day at Charleston IL house!

Favorite Moment:  Box labeled: Grandma's leg 

So it is important to note that Grandma Putt is without her left leg. She cannot transfer on her own, so the prosthetic leg will not be of use on the trip. Thus, her leg went in a box. As I carried the box out to the Uhaul, Kaden said, " I hope this doesn't end up in a storage unit, can you imagine Storage Wars, 'Hey this box says Grandma's leg!'"

Later, while cleaning out the medicine cabinet I found three sets of teeth in a jar. When I asked Popsie if he wanted me to pack them he said,"No I don't know whose they are." hmmm... 

Despite all the body parts that needed to be packed (there were others). We seem to be loaded. I'm currently on an air mattress that is leaking. It is 10 pm, and we start tomorrow at 5 am.  Please God, Help Us.