T minus 10 days

Times flies when you're having fun, or so they say. I can't believe it's actually been 2 months and 12 days since I began my stint as a semi-retired person. Although I've been staying busy doing things for my family and traveling a little, the big adventures are just ahead and a reality now.

I've been trying to figure out the best way to document my adventures. So many cool things happen everyday in my life, a lot of which are forgotten and never shared. This time, I'm going to try to change that. So, here's my blog. It might be interesting and it might be one of those things like the Ford Edsel...a huge flop. Regardless, I'm going to try to document my adventures and share my experiences with you, of which I'm hoping none of them are of the near death type.

In 10 days, I will venture out on my first, well not really first adventure, if I count a trip to North Dakota for an amazing wedding for two of my closest friends, Angelique and Ben. I will never forget that it actually SNOWED on their wedding day. And that we were able to keep the food for the reception cold by stacking plates on ladders in the garage, in the middle of May. This also just happened to be the second road trip I've made to North Dakota this year and that HAS to be one for the record books. Both times with wonderful traveling companions, which made the trips quite enjoyable and also unforgettable.

The next weekend , I went to Houston where I got to hang out with my friends Tara Nara and Lee Martinez from college and also got to visit a former colleague, Wilhite. It's been a long time since I'd been on a dance floor (okay, maybe not a long time but it seemed like it) and I also got to go to a crawfish boil. Yummy!

For Memorial Weekend, I was fortunate enough to have another friend from college, Amy Jones, and her husband Patrick and daughters, Bailey and Caisey, come and hang out at the lake. I am proud to report that my cozy, 600 sq. ft. cabin will actually sleep 5 comfortably. Not as many as my old '30 sailboat but a good number nevertheless. The girls had a hoot tubing on Lake Hudson with Jason & Shellee Engles' three kids, Brittany, Nate, and Sam. My friends Nathan and Becky also stopped by for one of our many extravagant dinners alfresco. With Becky surprising everyone by doing all the prep work by herself. What a girl!

So this brings me up to T minus 10 days...my next adventure awaits. And since I know you're all in suspense, here's how my next adventure is shaping up....

Hank the Tank, a yellow lab, who was supposed to be a golden retriever, has his forever home awaiting him in Denver, Colorado. So, on June 17th, Hank and I will leave Adair, Oklahoma and head Northwest to Denver. The Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue told me they'd love to have this big boy so I'm taking a little road trip to deliver him and visit my friend Julie Brennan for a few days.

From there, I'll leave for Las Vegas, where I'll meet up with my friends Angelique, Ben, and Amy for some fun in Vegas and canyoneering in Utah. Next on the list will be Los Angeles to visit college friends, Amy Thomas Hall and Regina Hernandez. After a quick flight up to Sacramento after a week in Southern California, I'll get to spend some quality time with my friend Sheri Strenger Paydock, my cousin Holly, and my Uncle Lee and Aunt Minerva.

Then it's on to Bellingham, Washington, to stay with my cousin Liz and her family and my Aunt Susan and Uncle Raymond. From there, things get a little sketchy, maybe back to Denver, maybe to Oklahoma City, or even down to New Orleans to visit some more friends from college. That's the nice thing about traveling alone, I can make up my own schedule!

So, if you want to find out where I've been and where I'm going just check back and I'll try to update my blog every other day or so. If nothing else, it will be proof of life for my family.

Until then, ciao!