Austin, TX to Fort Hood

I arrived in Austin just about lunch time. I parked the car on South Capitol street, on the opposite side of Lady Bird Lake. I had lunch at a place called Doc's. Monday they had a $5 burger special, I had to stop. Wanting to try something a little different I had a green chili burger. It was a little different, but good. After lunch my plan was to walk down the hill towards the capitol building. Once I got to the capitol I decided to go inside and walk around. The capitol building in Austin is very beautiful. They also have a lovely park surrounding it. I even took a few pictures of the church that my moms friend was married in. After the capitol I needed to walk down sixth street. To see all of the bars and where the 'happening' spots are in Austin. It was a little underwhelming seeing sixth street during the day, but I am sure that it lights up in the evenings. I have heard good things at least. I continued to take photos on my stroll back up the hill towards the car. Austin is a beautiful city, unique in a lot of ways I see myself coming back for a linger period of time maybe for a country music festival. There were quite a few cranes in the sky so it looks like Austin is growing, but i hope it doesn't loose its small town feel.

On my long walk back up the hill I stopped and walked a little ways down the river. There are trails on either side, great paths for walking/running or riding your bike. A unique fact is that the bridge during the late spring and summer months is home to the largest bat population in North America.

After Austin I continued north. I had been working at CGI for the last two and a half years during this time we had opened an office in Belton, TX. All we heard about for a long time. I decided to make a stop. This proved to be more difficult than I expected. Neither the road nor the office park in which the office was located came up on google maps. How was anyone supposed to find this place? The plan that night was to stay with an old coworker who used to work in our Fairfax office, but left about a year and a half ago, married an Army man and moved to Fort Hood, TX. She currently works at the Belton, TX office so she gave me some nearby streets that would come up on Google maps so that I could find the office. The office was underwhelming, a nice building, but nothing special. I am certainly glad I do not work there:).

Next stop was Fort Hood. I believe it is the largest US army base in the world. Staying on an army base was  a first for me. It was quite a process to get in. I had to get a visitor pass, show proof of insurance, registration and my drivers licence. I was expecting as much, they can't just let anyone in right? The Fort Hood base looks alright. It is quite large, clean and organized as you would expect, but boring as anything, barely saw a sole outside. Not sure I could survive, but I am sure everyone that lives on base develops a close network of friends to make it more bearable. A unique thing about living on base, all the houses have a sign with the last name of the family living there. You cannot mistake the house, not sure why they have house numbers as well...It was great to catch up/see my old coworker again and meet her husband. They look like they are doing great! I am sure it was hard to get used to living on base, but they are making the most of it. They have an eight month old golden retriever and a cat to keep them plenty busy.

We all went out for dinner at a great BBQ place that night just off base. I of course ate way too much and spend the rest of the evening digesting sideways:) Another early night, wake up was at 5 something for the army guys. I stayed up for a little longer, but knew sleep was going to be important as I was to have some busy travel days coming up!

Houston, Texas!

As much as I would have loved to stay in New Orleans forever I had a schedule. I needed to make my way west.

After my last New Orleans breakfast on Sunday I packed up the car, thanked my buddy for the hospitality and hit the road. I had roughly a six hour journey traveling west on I-10 towards Houston, Texas. My mother, the day before forwarded me an email saying that I should stop and stay with one of her dearest friends from Perth. They now live in the greater Houston area which was right on my way, I gladly made the stop. The drive was uneventful, most of my drive was in Louisiana, but I did cross the border into Texas! One last thing I had to do while I was in Louisiana was stop at a Popeye's Chicken "Louisiana Fast." For some reason I wanted to see if their chicken tasted any better in Louisiana....it doesn't. Not worth the stop haha.

I arrived at their house, just outside of Houston around 5 pm dressed in Marti Gras beads (which I brought for the kids, I had seen enough beads). The children were adorable, twins, a boy and a girl, seven years old. Having more energy than they knew what to do with and a strange new comer to entertain I was quickly rushed out for a bounce on their trampoline. A much appreciated bounce after 6 hours in the car. Then we toured the backyard saw the kids vegetable gardens, played some basket ball and skated around in the driveway. Then it was inside to play. Similar to myself at this age the boy was very into his lego's and showed me all of his creations (very cool). I guess I haven't mentioned the house yet, it was incredible, art everywhere, large flowing rooms very nice/expensive fixtures haha (even commented on how much I liked their door handles, they were glad I noticed because they had to replace one the other week $300! what! for a door handle? ... they were worth it:)

Soon it was dinner time, my mothers friend had been slaving away in the kitchen all this time. I was once again spoiled. The dinner was amazing, we had chicken, ham, pasta, carrots AND salad. It was very gourmet with the spices and presentation. I believe I have a photo of it even. I will upload it. I have always been an early riser and being tired from the travel that day I was glad to have an early night. We all went to be shortly after dinner.

The next morning I stayed and walked the kids to school. They are first graders at the school across the street! How cool is that? They can literally leave three minutes before school starts. It reminded me of when I used to live in El Dorado Hills, CA. When I was in 6-8th grades I jumped a fence to get to school, livin the dream. After chatting for awhile with mom's friend I was off on the road again. Next stop was Austin, Texas. Being a big country music fan I needed to see Austin. I heard that 6th street was the place to be. Mom's friend also said that she was married in Austin in a church right next to the capitol and gave me some restaurants and sights to see. I was off toward Austin!

I did not see much of Houston, but driving through it looked like every other major city. With a unique difference there are oil refineries everywhere! Driving through Texas you notice how relatively inexpensive land is and how the cities never seem to end. It is just strip mall after strip mall, big box store after big box store. There is nothing wrong with that, but one day I would like to live in a city and not have a car! Doesn't look possible in much of Texas.

Impressions of New Orleans Post Marti Gras

New Orleans is a hard place to describe and nearly impossible to compare. New Orleans during Marti Gras is like nothing I have ever seen in my life. If I were to compare New Orleans post Marti Gras to places that I have spent time, I would say New Orleans is a mix between Virginia Beach, with all of the bridges and water ways and Las Vegas (need I say more). New Orleans is a place where you need self control because anything goes. People from all different walks of life can be found walking the streets, particularly in the French Quarter. New Orleans still has a strong French influence, some may classify it as a coffee and cigarettes city. Not to mention the incredible amounts of alcohol that get consumed daily.

Once I recovered from Marti Gras I made a point to head into the city to walk around. I wanted to see the city of New Orleans without Marti Gras. Thursday I was up early, I dropped my buddy at Law school grabbed a coffee and headed to the trolly. I took the trolley down town to the French Quarter. I did not have a good plan of what I was going to do, I really just wanted to walk around aimlessly. Having just recently had my first experience in Las Vegas Harrah's was calling my name. I wouldn't of gone to the casino if I planned my day, a casino would have been last on my list of things to do...but getting off on canal and walking towards the river the neon lights were too strong. I took out a couple hundred dollars and sat down at a ten dollar minimum blackjack table. I went up a lot to start, almost lost it all, climbed back cut my losses, ended up 30 bucks or so ran. I headed down the river to the French Quarter. Who said there is no such thing as a free lunch...haha (thank you Harrah's). I clicked a bunch of photos walking around and after staring at my phone for a bit trying to find a good lunch spot I walked past the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, I had to stop. I had my first shrimp po boy. The sandwich was good, but it was the french bread that made it. After walking a few more streets in the Quarter I decided to hop back on the trolley and head back towards Loyola and Tulane where my buddy lives. I got off right across the street from Tulane and walked around Audubon Park. A beautiful park with a golf course and all. I walked back home through Tulane, what a great campus. Thursday was also Valentines day:( No Valentine this year, but I did get to go out for a great dinner at a place called Bruno's with my buddy and one of his single law school friends. They have a college night on Thursdays where all food is half off and they had 2 dollar Sierra Nevada bottles, I had a few..

Friday I was determined to get active. Traveling now for the last few weeks I had noticed things I take for granted when having a place to live like working out, being able to do laundry or a schedule.. haha. My only real excuse for not working out on my travels is the inability to do laundry conveniently. I don't know about you, but when I work out I sweat a LOT. Its gross and laundry is a must. My friend had a washer and said I could use it so I took advantage. I went out for a run around Audubon Park. Being there the day before and seeing how beautiful it was I knew it would be a great run. I also wanted to run along the trolley line. I had seen many people, mostly students running on the trolley line in the days prior and looked like it would be fun. One thing I noticed on my run is everyone runs in the direction the trolley will be come from (makes sense). I will not say it was my best effort on my run I definitely noticed the weeks of traveling, eating, and not working out. Humans are supposed to put on a winter coat for when it gets cold right?..to keep warm. I am sensing a diet in the near future. After the run, my buddy was getting ready to go to his gym at school so I tagged along thinking the more exercise the better. He road his bike to the gym and I chased him, just trying to keep up. After the work outs I showered off, my buddy had some reading he had to do so I left and walked toward campus to hang out at a coffee shop and read the news (real mature right). Well that lasted for about fifteen minutes. One of my buddy's law school friends recognized me sitting outside and invited me to Cooter's Place. A true New Orleans experience, we drank beers outside ate oysters and CRAW FISH! In my opinion, eating craw fish is a lot like picking crab a lot of work for a little tiny piece of meat.

We had big plans for the evening, we started at the BOWLING alley. Yes, I went bowling in New Orleans. For those of you that do not know last year I was in a bowling league and now have my own ball and shoes. The fact that I am traveling cross country with everything I own..I had my bowling ball and my shoes in the car! The bowling alley was awesome, huge open space, full bar, and a stage for bands. There was not a band when we got there, it was only 4 pm,  but there probably was one later that night. Not that I am competitive or anything, but I lost EVERY game! The lanes had no oil, the ball curved WAY too much..excuses excuses (I don't want to talk about it). After bowling we headed to a nice Mexican restaurant, I do not recall the name, but it was a birthday party for one of my buddy's law school friends. There was close to twenty of us, we took over the restaurant. We may have been a little loud and obnoxious, but it was all in good fun and we tipped well. After the dinner we had birthday cake back a the house and then it was off to the bars! Well back to Bruno's a popular Loyola hang out.

Saturday was my last full day in New Orleans so I had to make it count! My buddy and I went to a place called Camellia a diner of sorts maybe you have heard of it. It is a New Orleans institution. It has been around forever and there is always a line. The diner is set up with a long wrap around bar, no tables, no chairs. After seeing the house special I knew what I was getting an omelet with everything covered in chili and home fries..heaven. Did I mention I have been eating very well on this journey. The omelet was amazing! If I am ever back in New Orleans, I do not care how long the line is I will go back to Camellias. After breakfast my buddy and I went back to his place to digest sideways:) We actually got into a new show on Netflix called House of Cards with Kevin Spacey, if you haven't seen or heard of it and have Netflix I highly recommend it. Needing to put a stop to the lounging and start the day I made my way back to the quarter. It was recommended that I take a walk down Magazine. A street filled with little boutique shops and great food spots. My initial plan was to goto The National WWII Museum, but it got to late. The museum closes at 5 and from what the website says you need a good three hours to get through it. After walking down Magazine away from the Quarter I hopped back on the trolley. We had plans to do the Witches Brew tour at 8. I wish I could leave this part out, but I did stop by the casino again...and well I guess the saying holds. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Depressed from losing I headed to a cigar bar, The Cigar Factory to take off some stress lol. I had never been to a cigar bar before. The place that I went to rolled all of their own cigars. They had a huge room size humidor and broke down their selection by intensity and the length of the smoke. I had about forty minutes before the tour so I got a cigar that fit. I met friends for the witches brew tour around the corner on the steps of the courthouse in the Quarter. It was a little underwhelming to be honest. Our guide was great, quite the character. He talked about is sleep apnea and the spirits, poltergeists and orbs he saw on a regular basis. He sold me on the fact that he was in fact a crazy person. He even wore contacts not for his eyesight, but to turn his eyes yellow (it was actually pretty cool). The tour was about two hours, we walked around the French Quarter and were explained some of the crazy deaths and sightings that have occurred over the past 300 years. I am not sure about ghosts or vampires, but man there are some real sickos out there. The tour ended at one of the oldest if not the oldest (and haunted) establishment in the quarter. The Lafitte's Blacksmiths Shop Bar is a great rustic old hole in the wall type bar. There is a piano bar in the back and wood fire place burning in the front. They say there is a ghost that haunts the place and taps people on the shoulder...yeah that's what I thought.

That was my New Orleans experience. The French Quarter on Fat Tuesday is like nothing I have ever seen before in my life! New Orleans as a city is one of the most interesting, colorful cities I have ever been to. If you have not been I highly suggest making the trip. Next time I am coming for Jazz Fest!

NEW ORLEANS!! Fat Tuesday and the recovery!

The drive was uneventful. Again it rained just about the whole way, looks like I have a knack for driving while its raining.  I arrived at my buddies in New Orleans around 5pm. He lives very close to Tulane and Loyola Universities.

Monday night my buddy and I met up with some of his law school friends and headed down to the French Quarter for dinner and a night out. We walked around the quarter a bit taking in the sites. First things first, adult beverages... I had my first hurricane (good lord). For those of you who knew me "way" back in my early college days, I am still nervous walking around with an open container;). I admit my first impression of Bourbon St. reminded me of the Red Light District in Amsterdam. We went to Coops Place for dinner. Naturally, I got the Jambalaya, my first authentic New Orleans meal. Needed a good base for the night;) After dinner we walked down the way and stopped at Cafe Du Monde. What a great new Orleans experience. What I believe to be a true French style cafe. We had a coffee and beignet's, a must have from what I am told. They were delicious.

After our little pick me up at Cafe Du Monde we headed to another of Justin's law school friends place. He lives right in the quarter and has an amazing place! What I would imagine a classic French villa would be like. Building in the front almost right on the street and a courtyard out back. The court yard is what made it, there was a fire pit, a table, a brick wall. haha We ended up at a friends place, close to the parade route. The parades started early in the morning, 830AM early.

The signature parade Tuesday was the Zulu parade. We were up early and out the door in plenty of time. We walked down the street and got a great spot right across from a radio station, they kept the music going. The Zulu parade was the first parade and very impressive. I immediately saw the obsession with the beads. People pushed and shoved to position themselves in the perfect spots to receive beads. Members of the parade would throw beads off the floats. There were cheap beads, just a plane band, single color. There were nice beads, complex beading with pennants. There was also huge beads ones, soft ball size beads, those were fought over. The item that was fought over the most however, were the coconuts. Everybody wanted a coconut. They were painted, some of them were real, some of them were fake. I didn't get one...

I would compare the parades to tailgating at a college football game (go HOKIES!). The only differences being, the party/tailgating never ends (you can drink during the parade/game), and you more or less have to pay to got to the bathroom. There are port a lu's around, but not near where we were, you needed to buy a beer to use the bathroom. After the parades were over we headed back threw our things in the car, ate a pizza and were off the Bourbon Street! To see it at its prime.

Bourbon street on Fat Tuesday was like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was amazing, all walks of life were there, drunk, dressed up, not dressed, on drugs, young, old, fake, real, I saw it all. After a few hours I would not have been surprised by anything. Now I honestly might be able to say I have seen it all, but we all know that's not true. We drunkenly stumbled to a few different bars checking out the crowds, ended up at a place called Fat Cats right on Bourbon Street. It was a karaoke bar, playing all the drunk classics. We ended up paying to get upstairs to use the balcony. One thing about the French Quarter that I really love is all the balcony's. On Fat Tuesday the balcony's were used to throw beads down at the passer byes and lets just leave it at, every one had to work for them:). After our balcony activities were over we went to a piano bar to grab a quick bite and listen to a battle. I think it was actually my first time at a dueling piano bar. Somehow after that we made it home...It was an experience I will never forget.

Wednesday was a too say the least a much needed recovery day. We went out for lunch around noon, I dropped my buddy at law school and then took a nap, a three hour nap.. I think the most I accomplished was connecting my devices to the internet.. That evening we did go to a birthday celebration at a really good local pizza place. They served good ol Chicago style, deep dish pizza, too say the least I was a fan.

I promised myself Thursday would be more productive! I needed to see the city!

Roswell/Atlanta!

The traffic on the ride was minimal. Took a little less than 2 hrs to travel from Athens to Roswell. When I arrived, I was greeted by the twins! Both burst into tears and ran for mother, apparently the little two year olds are afraid of (the "Red Santa" or the "Burger King") bearded men... After a few hours they warmed up a bit. It was just good to see them not screaming:)

We did not have many things on the agenda for Friday evening, but after the last couple days I was more than happy to relax. I was more interested in spending quality time anyway. We ended up having the neighbors over, they have a little one as well, I believe she is eight months older than the twins. We ended up making a run to the beer store and having "Italian" night. Pasta with venison meat sauce and pizza SOOO delicious. I must say I have been well fed on this trip, not getting near a scale anytime soon:).

*Side note on the beer store, Georgia does beer a little differently than Virginia. They do "growlers," large beers one liter or two and they fill them up via taps in the store. Allows you to purchase quality micro brew beer for a discounted price. VA needs to work on their beer laws, this should be everywhere! Apparently Georgian's did have some trouble with the licensing, but figured it out. In GA there are two types of alcohol licenses, one for in store consumption (bars, restaurants) and one for off site consumption. Being a beer store that sells beer for consumption off site, they are technically not allowed to give samples, but they are testing the water...

The night was perfect exactly what I was looking for. Low key catching up with family and spending quality time.

The next day was full of activities! We started out with breakfast, bacon, eggs, coffee. Then is was off to the park to feed the ducks. One of the twins favorite things to do. We had a great time feeding the ducks 'old bread' and playing on the jungle gym. I chased the kids around clicking pictures, too cute not to.

After the park we fed the twins and put them down for a nap. Then my cousin, her husband and myself went out on the town. It was 65 and sunny, we had to goto a brewery! Our first stop was to the Varsity a local Atlanta greasy spoon place "what'll you have!!!" I had the goto meal, a number two, chili cheese dog, chili cheese burger and fries. To say the least I left satisfied. Then it was off to the Sweet Water brewery!

The brewery was packed! Apparently we were not the only ones with the idea... The brewery was great, we sampled beers, went for a tour and enjoyed the sunshine out on the patio! The day was a little bitter sweet for us though. We have family in the Northeast and they just got "snowmaggeddon," Connecticut lost power and got over two feet of snow...we felt a little guilty enjoying the unusually warm temperatures in Atlanta. Little background on the brewery, Sweet Water was started by two guys who went to the University of Colorado together, one from Northern California and one from the north east. The Norther Californian came to Atlanta for work I believe and noticed the lack of micro brews. The rest is history I guess, Sweet Water capitalized on the niche market and has become a common name among the Atlantan's. Now, after a recent expansion, they will be looking to penetrate other markets. I hope they come as far as the West Cost, being a Sierra Nevada guy myself their 420 Ale and their Rye nailed it. I even got a 420 T-shirt from the brewery:)

After the brewery  we headed back home. Of course we had to fill the growlers back up, being on a beer binge. I have not had so much quality beer in a long time. I love how beer culture has evolved into almost what wine culture has been for so long.

Sunday, we went out to breakfast with the boys. We tried a new place in Roswell called the "Thumbs-Up" diner. I had my first true chicken and waffles breakfast. I must say that I am a fan, a southern soul food brunch type meal. After breakfast my cousin went to a baby shower and the men retired to the man cave and "watched movies"...passed out. I did get a chance to do laundry (much appreciated!) before I ventured further south in the morning. Monday, my plan was to make it to New Orleans! Marti Gras!!!!!

Athens, GA

I believe it rained five of the six hours I was in the car! Not hard rain, but constant. The traffic was moving so it was not the end of the world. In Athens, I was staying with a friend and UGA grad! She was the same year as me even studied finance, but she was not scared by the financial markets (like myself) and now works for a small financial planning firm right in Athens. True to the stereotype, people are more giving, kind, out going in the south. I arrived to appetizers, beers and a hot meal...SO AWESOME! After catching up for awhile, we decided to go out on the town. I wanted to see the local bars not the "UGA" bars. I wanted to see the little pubs that people go to when they just want to get a beer. We drove down the road to a little English pub, forget the name, but I do know it was in the five corners part of Athens right next to a liquor store. It was a shot and a beer type bar and they even had golf on! My kir and of place to say the least. Ont he way back from the bar we took a little driving tour around UGA. Major buildings and land marks were pointed out and routes for tomorrow were discussed.

My plan in the morning was to do the ol UGA walk about. I have never been one for very organized tours or museums. I enjoy walking, reading the signs, trying the local fare and asking questions later. I began my walking tout after some coffee and a breakfast casserole (I have some awesome friends!). I started by walking down the street to see the only tree, as far as I know, that actually owns itself. Leave it to William H. Jackson to will a tree and the surrounding 8 feet to itself. The tree actually owns itself... Not sure if that law still exists, I would be surprised, but I like the idea. 

After taking a few photos at the tree I continued my walking tour down the hill towards campus. I had my eyes set on the UGA football stadium;) I spent some time walking through the Tate student center and then over what they call "Ag Hill" a hill where many of the agriculture buildings are located. Then down the hill around the football stadium and through the Oconee Hill cemetery. Then it was off to Weaver D's. A local meat and two side soul food place which inspired REM's album Automatic For The People. The place has been a UGA institution for 25 years..I had to get the fried chicken! AND we sat next to the lead singer of Citizen Cope! Clarence Greenwood, he was performing at the Georgia Theater that night. 

I also got to make a stop at "Jittery Joe's" a local Athens, GA coffee roast house, pics below.

I got a ride down the road and was dropped off in the middle of campus. I was told I needed to make a trip to the Georgia Theater before I left town. The theater had burned down two years ago and was since completely renovated. There is a really great roof top bar, which I took advantage of:)

After a couple beers I was off back up the hill. Needed to gather a few things and pack the car and make my way to Roswell, GA. Just north of Atlanta where my cousin lives. I could not wait to see my little second/half/first cousins once removed...twins! 

Lynchburg

I was on the road in plenty of time to make it to Lynchburg by the time my friends were off work. I decided to make an impromptu stop in Charlottesville. Being a Virginia Tech grad it is a town that is hard to stop in, but I wanted to say a last goodbye to the CGI Federal college recruiting team who were in town for an engineering career fair. We met at a place right on a corner down town next to the university. Had a couple of beers and reminisced on past recruiting trips. I had done a few while I was at CGI. I left with a bag of CGI swag, they had recently changed the style of the logo after the Logica acquisition (its not the CGI I knew anymore HA, it's only been a week).

In Lynchburg I was staying with a friend I played golf with in college and Christopher Newport University. He had recently gone through a tough time and was getting back on his feet. I was very glad to see that he was doing so well in Lynchburg. Hate to see friends go through tough times. He has an awesome roommate true southern kindness type. A great person to be around. This was the same group that I did Vegas with in October. We kicked right back off where we left off. 

Thursday night was wing night at Bdubs. We were off to eat wings. Golf was on the agenda for the morning so we were not planning to stay out real late, but of course we did;).

I was a little hesitant about golfing in February, but it turned out to be such a beautiful day we played 30 holes! haha and if it weren't for the light issue we would have played more. I started birdie eagle, but quickly crumbled from there. Ended up shooting 80 and loosing money...dinner was on me. Hit some good shots though, enjoyed the day and only lost one ball (pretty good for me, half my golf game is just trying to keep it on the map). Wow am I excited to get to the southern hemisphere and play again!

We went to a place called The Neighbors Place that night, struggled through a couple of beers, listened to a really good live Jazz band and called it a night. Sleep is going to be precious for me (couch surfer) for the next few weeks so I had no problem calling it an early night.

Today, I am caught up! I have had to spend a lot of time on this blog to catch up, but I am finally there. I am going to be late to my next stop Athens, GA, but I needed to get this out. Photos to come.

Bfast/lunch was had at the T Room in Lynchburg with my buddies. Now south to Athens, UGA!!!

My Last Days in Northern Virginia

I landed in DC around 5PM. I am not sure if I am bringing the snow where ever I go, but when I landed it was coming down! Big flakes, it snowed pretty good for about 3 hours after I landed. A long time friend and high school gold buddy picked me up and drove me to his place. I have parked my car at his house while I was in Vail, to avoid the $100 parking bill.

We grabbed a bite in Clarendon, met up with a friend and did a little pre-gaming then we were out! Our first stop was this hilarious little bar called Hunan Number One. Still not sure what that means, but I do know they have the cheapest beer in town. We meet a bunch of other friends that were out on the town. We ended the night what will probably go down as my favorite beer in Clarendon called Mr. Days. Ran into some friends unexpectedly, danced for a while, but by that point we needed to call it a night. We were all a little passed our prime.

GAME DAY! Super Bowl Sunday was great! Woke up and went to the golf expo that was going on at Dulles Town Center. A terrible event that I always seem to end up going to. The highlight for me was the long drive contest. 352yrds was the long drive when I got up, but I thought I had a bit more in me and I did. I recorded a 362, but was eventually knocked off by a 372. I tried again, but I do not have a 372 in me "during the off season."

I watched the super bowl at a friends in Falls Church. What a GREAT game. This will probably go down as the BLACK OUT Super Bowl, but it was a great test for both teams. Too often is the Super Bowl a blow out and this one was close, but it got close at the end. Great dramatic ending and I hear Destiny's Child is getting back together. Life was good. I spent the night there showered and hit the road I needed to make one last stop by my parents house to grab the last of my things. I was in and out in less than an hour and that was it. I successfully managed to pack everything I own into a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta. Talk about a small foot print;).

The next day (Tuesday) I met a friend for lunch at noon and hit the road out of Norther Virginia for good! The Journey begins! First stop Lynchburg, VA.

I must say it was a strange, indescribable feeling leaving a place you have called home for so long, where virtually all of your friends live and a place you may never come back too again...It hasn't quite hit me yet, but I am sure it will.

Kick Starting Unemployment in Vail, Colorado

Wow, what can I say about Vail... It's like no place I have ever been, it's like no place on Earth.

I landed in Denver, Colorado Sunday, January 28th at 10:52AM local time. I collected my skies and snowboard, both of which survived the flight without a scratch (huge win for saran wrap everywhere) and headed to the Colorado Mountain Express counter. I had to take a shuttle to Vail which is roughly two hrs away. I would highly recommend the Colorado Mountain Express shuttle service for transportation to Vail from Denver. They have other routes around Colorado, I can only speak to the round trip route to Vail and back. I will say that the drivers were very knowledgeable to the area and pointed out "engineering marvels" along the way. Many I found very interesting and the free wifi was a huge plus as well. Having a tablet with out 3 or 4 G having free wifi was a huge plus.

We made the journey in roughly 2hrs. I was dropped off at the transportation center right in Vail village. I tipped the man collected my things and called my family to let them know that I had arrived. I had an address for the Austria Haus when I got there and after refreshing the phone GPS it estimated that I was 1 minute away walking! It was literally down the steps in front of me! My Aunt and family were at lunch and would meet me up at the room.

At this point I was running on fumes. I was coming off back to back to back (haha) parties, not to mention all the driving and the flying. Sleep was becoming very necessary! I was of course too excited to see my Aunt and Uncle and little cousins to sit down. I put my bags in what I assumed was "my" room (yes, I had my own room! I only slept in one, but there were two beds). The couch surfer got a BED! I was more than excited.

My family was on a shopping spree when I arrived. Everyone was getting re-outfitted. Clothes, skies, helmets, gloves etc.. my uncle had not bought ski pants in fifteen years and was due for a new pair. He needed to retire the old black stretch pants:). This was the year! I took the kids to the "Toy Store" and my aunt took my uncle to find new ski pants. We also walked around a pirate ship jungle gym, the cousins were very excited to show me and I must admit that I was impressed. We met back up with my Aunt and Uncle, no ski pants were purchased, but the search had narrowed. Making a 6/7 hundred dollar decision is a big deal, I understand taking your time. Food was a priority at this point, pizza and beer was the final decision! I may or may not been a big influence:) Just around the corner from the Austria Haus was this great pizza place Pazzo's Pizzeria. I highly recommend the pizza, we took it to go, but the atmosphere looked great! I am a huge fan of dive type places and Pazzo's is not far off. Sunday night had to be an early night for me, there was no late night rally to go out on the town. It was bed for this guy. Monday was going to be a big day my first day on the mountain, my first time skiing/snowboarding since visiting my cousin in Idaho (Schweitzer, mountain), four years ago.

*Little side note there, that was an amazing trip!! Anytime you get to hang out with you older cousin is a blast, but that trip was special. We stayed in a little motel just down from the mountain, both being in college at the time we were saving our pennies. We skied hard for two or three days, I honestly cannot remember. What I do remember was that the mountain received over 6 inches of snow accumulation the night before we got there! POW POW, First run my cousin led me to the top of the mountain strapped in and jumped off a cornice!! I guess expecting me to follow...I will never forget that. Thank the lord there was 6 inches or more of powder beneath my feet or I may not have survived that day. My trip to Schweitzer was my first experience with knee deep powder, what I thought was the best skiing on earth...then there was my trip to Vail!

Staying with my Aunt and Uncle for free (I love my family), I wanted to do my best to help out. I was an extra pair of hands for them. First order of business Monday morning was getting the kids fed and off to ski school. Breakfast was provided every day downstairs in the lobby, they had quite a spread as you can imagine. Waffles were a popular item, Tuesday was omelet day, of which I took advantage! However, for the most part we stuck to the cereal. Having a five day lift ticket to the mountain, I did not see the need to exhaust myself skiing 830 to 330 everyday. Not that I am in good enough physical condition to do that anyway. My Aunt, Uncle and I made it up the mountain around 1030/11AM and charged. We skied hard for a few hours. I was re-acclimated myself to the whole concept of snowboarding. It's more or less like riding a bike, but I did need a few runs to get my balance and style points back. My Aunt and Uncle are both very accomplished skiers, they both have a lot of grace through the moguls. Huge style points! One thing that I learned the very first day was the Vail is a skiers mountain. It's not that snowboarders are looked down upon or disliked on the mountain. It is the fact that Vail is literally FULL of cat tracks! Cat tracks are boring and hard on skies, but are ten times more difficult on a snowboard! By the end of the week or maybe the second day, my Aunt and Uncle were well aware of the pain snowboarders go through trying to hold an edge on a cat track:). We skied until around 330 when the lifts closed, we had to go get the ski schoolers. By the end of the day I was beyond tired, whether it was the snowboarding, the cat tracks, the altitude, or my general physical condition I do not know, I do know I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

Monday night was Cocktail night at the Austria Haus!! I am a huge fan off "free!" We made the cocktail hour dinner. We drank a few glasses of wine, a couple of beers, I even got a good scotch (well a 12 year old McClelland...I'm spoiled, thanks dad)! All of which put me closer to lights out:) We ended the night downstairs playing a board game "Would you rather." I have never been a huge fan of board games, but every time I start one I have so much fun! This game was hilarious, basically you roll the dice, move your peg and take a card. You read the "Would you rather" (there were some good ones) and write down what you believe the consensus will be of the group. If you are right, you go again, if you are wrong its the next players turn. We never actually finished the game, we got distracted with fire works, I believe which were for bringing in the Chinese new year, but not positive. And is true with any good young family rivalry, the game ended in water works. We decided to end the game at a tie, everybody wins:)

Tuesday was going to be another big day. We had to get the kids to ski school, ski all day and get ready for BOWLING that night. I hate to call going bowling the highlight of the day because the skiing was so good, but it was the nicest bowling alley I have ever been too (by far). The place was called Bol. You can hit the link for pictures it is worth a look. I didn't bowl particularly well, but I had an a great time! Bowling really is a great family activity. It doesn't matter how good or bad you are its just bowling. Even the little ones can knock down the pins. My little cousin 4 year old was killing it. It took a full minute for his ball to make its way down the lane, but the pins fell like dominoes. I believe one game he had three or four spares and a strike! We ate dinner at the alley and not like a bar food dinner, but like the second best gourmet pizza I have ever had (pork, peppers, garlic, rocket). Needless to say I wasn't tired anymore I was on a Rocky Mountain high. My Aunt, Uncle and I decided to put the kids to bed and go out on the town! We bar hopped through Vail village, we saw a couple classic bars, shot and a beer type bars, my kind of bars. I only remember the Red Lion name, but we did go to a couple. The Red Lion was a great bar there was a wasted singer taking request, old folks dancing, and everyone singing along (at the top of their lungs). What more could you ask for? It was quite an experience.

FYI since I have been in Vial it had not stopped snowing. The accumulation was not a ton, two to three inches a day, but the big snow was coming. Wednesday my Aunt and I got a chance to ski, just the two of us. We charged some of the harder runs on the mountain. We needed to tire ourselves out for lunch at the top of the mountain (we exhausted ourselves). I was told that the best pulled pork sandwich in all the land can be found at the top of a mountain in the Rocky's...."I don't know about that Aunti," I have been living in VA for the last few years and they do pulled pork pretty well, but I was willing to give it a try. The skiing was amazing we went down some of the longest most difficult runs I have ever been on in my life. We skied down huge moguls with tons of powder (easier for the boarder, harder for the skier). Wednesday was a great day, the best skiing day we had so far and one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have ever had. I admit it, it was amazing. The place was called Wildwood - "Authentic BBQ two miles high." I also found out that my Uncle proposed to my Aunt at the top of the mountain, just outside of the Wildwood restaurant! What a beautiful place! Uncle is a stud.

Wednesday night was the big snow accumulation night. We got over four inches that night, we were going to have knee deep powder until we left! Thursday we decided to to take my 8 year old cousin out on the mountain with us, he had been in ski school all week and I hadn't got a chance to ski with him. He also just graduated from level 5 to level 6 in ski school and well I needed some pointers. I decided to ski Thursday, figuring I would have more fun exploring the mountain, but in all honesty it was the because the cat tracks were killing me. My cousin did awesome, charged down every run we went on, even a few blacks that I was nervous on. He even gave me some pointers and helped me get some style points on skies, which I needed desperately. Thank you cuz!

Thursday night we were going to celebrate my little cousins Bday! I recently turned 25 and my cousin was turning 5! My Aunt and Uncle let their kids choose which restaurant they would like to go to for their birthday. My little soon to be five year old cousin choose a Hibatchi place! Good choice little cuz! I hadn't done hibachi in a long time, wow is it fun! We went to a place right in Vail village called Sushi Oka & Hibachi. I'll admit the service was not great, particularly for a birthday party, but the food made up for it. After putting the kids to bed, which was difficult because all they wanted to do was play with their new skylander toys. We decided to make another trip out on the town. Our last chance to party together in Vail!

We did a repeat of the night we did Tuesday. We ventured back out to The Red Lion. Funny story, we ordered our beers and the band played their last song... Then they asked us to leave:( Apparently, Vail doesn't or at least The Red Lion does not do a late Thursday night. We finished our beers and headed around the corner to a 'late night spot.' We actually ran into one of the band members that was playing the other night. Started chatting, little piece of trivia for you, he said that he was one of the first 50 babies born in the Vail hospital. Pretty cool I guess. We were all fighting to keep our eyes open so we decided to make our way back to the Austria Haus and get some shut eye. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day particularly for my Aunt and Uncle. Full day of skiing, packing for four, driving a couple hours to Denver..fighting the traffic, the flight AND then driving home and getting the kids to bed (LONG DAY).

Friday was of course another amazing day on the mountain! Visibility was good, slightly overcast and we were still finding foot deep untouched powder! "Living the Dream" my cousin decided to ski with us again. We had such a blast explored both the front side and spent time in the back bowls we had not yet had a chance to ski. I was snowboarding so the cat track to the Blue Sky basin (the back back bowls) was out of the question:). We ended the day at Wildwood, for one last savory pulled pork sandwich...tasted just the same..one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have ever had. We all had to race down the mountain to pick up the ski schooler and get back to the Austria Haus to pack. My cousin of course got hit on the last three turn on the last run of the day by an out of control skier. He was OK, just a bruised knee as far as I know and he got a free hot chocolate coupon. We made it back to the Austria Haus, took off our boots for the LAST TIME!! My feet had taken a beating all week, man did it feel good to get those boots off! I had never seen a family pack so fast. They were all showered, dressed and out the door in less than an hour, very impressive. I wished them well as they drove off and thanked them for everything. My flight was not until the next morning, I still had one more night in the Austria Haus. About an hour later I got a call from my Aunt saying that they might be coming back:) The traffic on the way down from the mountain was awful! They did end up making their flight however.

Our days had been full of activities since the day I landed I had not really had a chance to go just walk around Vail village. I took the opportunity (and my camera) and headed out for a walk. I was looking to get some sort of souvenir from Vail to remember this trip. Ended up with a really cool Vail t-shirt. Walking through the streets of Vail, it looks like such fairy tale. Every house or building was snow covered, the streets were clean, the stores were spic and span, just amazing. A very unique experience.

The next morning (Saturday) was my big travel day. I was up early, rushed to pack my bag as I was "too tired" to pack the night before. I made it to the shuttle in plenty of time. I was not traveling with my skies or my snowboard for this leg. I decided to leave all of my equipment for my Aunt and Uncle to use. It is possible that I may return one day to get them. Not sure the next time I will be skiing, so hopefully they will get some use while I am out of the country. The shuttle left promptly at 7AM, we had zero traffic (*I love being unemployed and traveling only in the "off" times) and arrived at the airport at 930AM and I made it comfortably to the gate by 11AM for the 1145AM departure.

The kick starting of my unemployment was a HUGE success!! No stress, no missteps, no delays, just quality time with my family. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I will never forget my trip to Vail, Colorado! Now for the SUPER BOWL and the cross country road trip.