Monday, May 28, 2012

Portland or Bust--Round Two!

Mile 298, how fast am I going? 75 mph at this speed I should be there in...4x7=280, 5x4=20, 20+280=300, so I should be there in about 4 hours. What time is it? 8:30 pm. I’ve been driving for about... maybe I should get in the right lane. Is there someone in my blind spot? It doesn’t look like it I don’t see any lights. Woo hoo that deer was the size of a cow woo! Good thing I changed lanes for no reason. Prrrrrrrrrr that’s the edge of the road, pay attention, Joel, pay attention. So if I left at 6:30 am and it’s 8:37 pm that’s 14 hours of driving and if I have 4 hours left that will be 18 hours. Can I make it? Yeah I should be fine. Oh here is another mile marker, what does it say? Mile 297.

This is what went on in my brain for sixteen hours of driving on day one, and then another eighteen hours on day two. I made it to Portland in two days, so the results are in and it seems like I am the fastest Guido of them all. Don’t listen to Karyn’s excuses of oh I’m pregnant, I towed a trailer, I got a flat tire. I won fair and square.
Beginning of the drive
Backseat packed to the max
The trunk
View from the rearview mirror
The trip was a nice mix of scenery, from the corn flats of Nebraska to the funnel cloud in Wyoming, from the salty air of Utah to the winding roads of Oregon. Overall the trip was uneventful. Most exciting was my stop at Jack in the Box, which I’ve missed dearly. I got so excited I "accidentally" ordered enough food for multiple adults.


Jack in the Box!
Funnel cloud in Wyoming

I also got to camp in Wyoming. I noticed a theme in responses when I mentioned my camping plans to folks in Chicago before I left. Aren’t you scared? Can you defend yourself? Are you taking a gun? To these I answered no, no, and yes--an airsoft gun. Either the great people of Chicagoland don’t camp much or they still think going out west is like the old Oregon trail computer game. No, I didn’t have to ford the rivers, Timmy didn’t get bitten by a rattlesnake, and I didn’t spend all of my shotgun shells on hunting bears. The west is civilized, even though it may not seem like it.


Tent
Campground
Since arriving in Portland, I have been studying for the NCLEX board exam and applying for jobs, while Karyn brings home the bacon. Please be praying for me to find a job, health for the baby (who is still healthy currently), an easy transition into our new apartment, and Timmy’s snake bite. 
My face when I arrived in Portland at 1:30 in the morning
P.S. I graduated. Yippee!
Creepy graduation picture



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3 comments:

  1. HalfmomMay 29, 2012 at 4:18 AM

    You continue to crack me up - glad to know about the bear and the rattlesnake - I was afraid you wouldn't stop at all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Craver ViiMay 30, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    The stuff outside Chicago isn't as scary as what's in Chicago... ME!

    Congratulations on making good time. I know it isn't a competition. It's not about winning or losing... unless you win. :-)

    Be nice to Karyn. We like her. Peace, Bro.

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  3. DemotoMay 31, 2012 at 6:17 AM

    If you're using the shotgun to hunt bear in Oregon Trail, we need to talk. There's no good reason to waste valuable resources on anything but a couple of good rifles, unless you decided to be a banker and are in for the finer things. The only good use for a shotgun is hunting the geese in Oregon Trail 3, and even then, you can hit those birds with a rifle if you're good.
    Sorry about Timmy. Administer smelling salts and rest for a week. That should take care of it.

    Glad you guys made it. You've got a good deal of my appreciation for staying awake on those drives. I would have died.

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