Leaving Phoenix

June 12, 2012

The next morning I try to have a discussion with Chris about the need for space, and that we should rent a trailer.  He is very much against that, he thinks it is too dangerous to pull it on that long of a drive, plus the added cost of the rental and gas.  We argue, and then go to our corners to work, no decision is made.  The property manager shows up, and we are embarrassed that we have left much more to to clean the place up than we had intended.  This will of course, cost us more money, but we have no choice.  We have to leave today! After keys are exchanged, agreements are signed, Randee is finally gone.  Chris is still busy with packing up some stuff, so I make a first attempt at getting everything into the cars.  I realize, it just isn't going to work. I don't even ask Chris, but I leave and come back with a trailer.  He tells me later he was happy I did that, he just couldn't spend that money himself.  *whew* At least I am feeling much less panicky, since this was the reason for most of it - now we can just get moving.  We take off and leave 76th Ave behind without even taking any last minute pictures.  We are just happy to be leaving I think, but now I kind of wish I had thought of capturing those last snapshots - the trailer, the empty house.


We meet up with Cassie and Tom in Chandler at a Taco Bell. It is hot, and I'm already worried about the dogs being in the back of the truck.  I know Cassie doesn't want to drive with them in the car, so I'm trying to put them in with us only as a last resort.  But we are waiting for Tiffany to stop by so we can have a last goodbye, and Chris is hanging out with the dogs in front of the store.  It seems to take forever to get food eaten, say goodbye again and finally get on the road.  We are going to make to Albuquerque tonight, even though we've started out later than we wanted.


Once we are on the road, Cassie and I are happy.  We spent lots of time in the truck as kids, and we love car rides together.  We have lots to talk about, lots of good music that we love. The two hours to Payson fly by so quickly. We only stop once to get some pictures at the Mongolian Rim, and I have an idea to post pictures of Herman at odd places so we take one of him at the rim.

 

We have so many memories camping in the forests of Arizona.  I can hardly imagine that this will likely be the last time we will see the Mongolian Rim.  We've been here a thousand times, but these pictures will be a special memory to us.  In Payson Cassie tells me she has an idea to buy us Starbucks cups that we can use on the trip, we will get markers to document everywhere we go.  What a wonderful idea! At the grocery store we buy the supplies, get our cups filled with tea, and write on them in the car.  The marker isn't working very well, it comes off when you touch it, so we decide to write it all down on paper and then we will try to think of something else that will stay on the cups and add it later.  We get back on the road and head for New Mexico.  The time we have to visit, sing, and just be together is precious. While on the road I find an app for La Quinta Inns, the hotel chain we will be staying on the road.  They are the only ones I could find that didn't have a weight limit for pets.

At our hotel that night, we of course were only able to get a room on the third floor! Cody has a fear of the stairs and it takes us forever to get him into the room.  We eat a late dinner and then crash.  After sleeping on the floor in our bedroom the last couple of nights, this bed feels wonderful and we sleep well.