Finding Albuquerque & Dory

We have successfully travelled for four days! Today was our “short” day spanning only a 6 hour drive which somehow seemed longer than yesterday. It was the going 40 mph over the mountains I think. We had NO idea the terrain was going to be so extreme. It would be flat as a pancake then mega climb and my poor Yukon just doesn’t have the tork. So if I end up coming home in a new SUV you’ll know why. It’s struggling.

We saw more pinwheels today (turbines) and lots of cool landscape features. Alana even knew what plateaus and valleys were. I was impressed. She had the camera from the back seat so every once in a while you would hear it going off when we passed something beautiful. We saw some deer looking thing also, but only one.

Sadly as we approached Albuquerque we saw the devastating wildfires consuming the valley. Think our temp guage approached 112 today, so I cannot imagine those fire fighters and what they face when fighting these fire storms. I’ve never seen anything like it really. We watched some Weather Channel videos on where they were exactly and then went onto other videos. I get totally hooked on WC app videos.

We watched Finding Nemo on Alana’s lap top so we would be fabulously ready for Finding Dory and how much FUN that was. We were one of the last people in the theatre and only found 3 seats so Alana sat on the arm of the chair in between Skip and I, while holding Madison’s hand most of the movie. We all loved it and they did a great job. Alana has asked multiple times, “which one did you like better?” but I’m pretty sure I would have to watch it 49 more times, or until I knew every word, before I’d be capable of making that decision. But, probably Nemo. It’s just classic and not sure any movie will ever bump it out of my number one spot.

We tried to find some fun places to pit stop along the way, but it never happened. Actually, we were hunting Cadillac Ranch and planned to stop until we saw it from the highway. People are out of their minds! It was over 100 degrees and if I show you the picture you’ll laugh. Skip and I agreed we were allllll good.

When we finally made it back and all were settled I tried to blog on the porch after putting Alana to bed and half way through Madison pokes her head out, “Alana just punched me.” I should not have went in because you know what I don’t have any patience for their crap anymore. I lost my cool, and took Alanas laptop and Madisons phone away and then the tears flew. Oh it was madness but I’m tired of CONSTANTLY hearing, “madison, madison, madison, madison…” and Madison completely ignoring her, and then Alana losing her cool because Madison wont acknowledge her. It’s a viscous cycle of madness, but I got extra mad because we’ve been dealing with Madison not answering people ALL day.

Then I went back out and I hear running water. At first I think someone is peeing. Then I think huh, that’s weird its still going, and then I walk over to the side of the RV and water is pouring out of the bottom of the RV in like 4 places. Of course, Skip had left to try to get a photo op just up the road and I’m freaking out. I got the water shut off but it was still pouring!! I’m taking pictures, Skip pulls up and we both figure by now the water heater exploded but boy were we wrong, the shower knobs apparently leaked all through the wall and into this lower spot under Madison’s bed and inches of water were still draining out from Madison’s shower earlier. I told skip it was my punishment for saying the F word in front of the kids which I would never in a million years do, but you know what, I’m done. Eyes got big and I got the attention of them both. Oooh, I swear if we make it through this trip with all four of us alive, we will be able to conquer the world. Just being brutally honest here.

It is going to be so nice to finish our longest part of the journey into Flagstaff/Williams tomorrow. I told Skip we should probably add a day and take one away from Bryce only because I think we need more than 2 nights somewhere. One has been hard enough, two would be nice, three would likely have us ready.

We started looking at this elevation thing and now we may have to make some decisions because we are only going up from here. At the very least we will make it to the Grand Canyon. As for what we do tomorrow about the shower, I kind of don’t want to think about it, but how annoying and miraculous that there is a camping world like 2 minutes down the highway.

And so I lay here. Needing desperately to go to sleep and close my eyes. Sorry for the vent-age today, I kinda of needed it I guess.

Time to sleep.

XO