Up late

Up late in Philly wanting to catch up before we move on to London tomorrow. I can't believe that we aren't overseas yet! The suspense is getting to be to much.

We are staying with my step sister in law. I haven't ever spent much time in Philly and I am pleasantly surprised. Great old architecture, tree lined streets, east coast summer time. The first night we arrived the kids went out on the porch and caught fireflies, played in the downstairs rec room and experienced a real and new slice of americana. This sure is one great big different country. I feel like we just keep getting more Norman Rockwell the further we get. It's not just the fireflies, day before yester we actually found ourselves at the liberty bell. I know some of you have raised eyebrows since we didn't send Angelo to a good hippy school but that kid gave me a whole rundown on the liberty bell and it was pretty cool to have my 7 year old teach me about US history.

Yesterday we went to cousin Adams championship baseball game and I think I saw Norman painting at the edge of the field. I started feeling my east coast roots and we cruised home listening to Frank Sinatra on sirus.

You may start to notice a pattern of discontent a few days into a place and today must have been that day for me. I started seeing all the things that hold this city back from becoming a real world class destination. Love it but I have to say to live here I would need a little Marin in my Philly. We went to the children's Touch Museum today where there was an exhibit called something like mini Mc Donald's. Kids could actually play make your own burger and fries. I couldn't believe I payed money to have my children advertised to. Where is the bay area discovery museum when you need it? Oh yeah... Marin. Needless to say I will have another night sleep dreaming of a hilly city where the people are self righteous, colorfully dressed and seem to be having a whole lot of fun.

Tomorrow evening we fly to London. Let's see how England is. Apollonia and I were chatting at the cafe today and I was explaining how this may be her last Izzie soda for a while. She looked at my pensive face and said, "that's ok since everything will be fancier over there". "What makes you think that things are fancier in England Babe?" She rolled her eyes at me and waived an exacerbated hand in my direction, "you know." "no I don't", I explained. "ugh" she said,

"the queen! Everything is supper fancy for the queen". Sometimes I wish I were five.

I can't count the days anymore. Sometime CO Springs

Colorado Springs, before dinner this post was going to be all about how cranky I was getting. How i'm sick of nice people, non-coneccting sidewalks, strip malls, sprawl, driving everywhere. After a second encounter I also felt the need to trash Walmart. We'll now post divine meal experience I have a few nice words also...

Really the time here has been great on the family level. All six cousins playing non-stop, swimming, hiking, summertime BBQ's and all that jazz.

I'm not sure what to call my hormonal bitchyness, could it be snobbery, to many bad latte mornings, suburban confusion, to much camo? I suspect I may be suffering from being away from a real city to long. I just don't understand this strange townurbia type land.

Yesterday Josh went for a walk out of the apartment complex to get a latte for me. He had seen a sign at the strip mall where we turn to the appt, for Starbucks. Seemed simple enough but he got down the hill and couldn't find the Starbucks. He circled around till he wound up at the corner standing under the 20ft sign and still couldn't see it. Finally someone took pity on him and asked if he was looking for the Starbucks. Turns out it was in the King Sooper grocery store. We keep having moments like this so today we stayed around charming (really) Old Town. I felt somewhat normal being able to walk around from store to store with ought getting in the car. I must say I still get edgy in every store when the clerk is nice to me. The people around here are really, really nice. My city self keeps thinking the nice folk are trying to scam me somehow. You know how in a city to nice people are scammers? After days of niceness I've come to terms, out here they aren't out to get me.

This town offers up many shocking contrasts. Beside all the crazy nice people there all a ton of just crazy crazy people. I know San Francisco is full of the disturbed and eccentric but I'm not familiar with this brand. I actually saw a man running down the street in a riot vest with arms strapped to his body. No, he wasn't making a statement, believe it or not I think he was just out for a jog. The feeling of military is everywhere men in air force jump suits, dessert camo, green forest camo and today I saw a first, some sort of grass camo, a youthful fellow running up and down a busy street with fake grass and netting hanging of his forest camo gear. So much camo and so little time so I decided to give a special shout out for the best camo outfit... The winner is the Manitou Springs Man. Who is he? A perfectly strange CO man in his mid 50's walking his Australian shepherd in a camo miniskirt. Ok, you may be saying, we have seen those... but have you seen them packing a piece? Yes my friends a camo mini and a hand gun on his hip. Distinctly Colorado.

Watch out Philly here we come. Can we get more American?

Day 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 New Mexico

Our time in Santa Fe...

Day 4 we were happy to have a home cooked meal waiting for us, Josh's dad's special pasta and red sauce. It was a welcoming place to spread out after a cramped 8 hour non-stop drive. New Mexico is about as different as you can get to life in San Francisco. A state of only 2 million people, parking everywhere, dry and warm, spacious and open, big sky, relaxed, slow, and lots of bright sun.

We woke on day 5 ready to get things in order... car wash, laundry, cell phone shenanigans, a NM green chile lunch. Latter that evening we went to a event called music on the hill where the kids played with soccer on the grass.

Day 6 we tooled around canyon road art galleries and got food for Janie's (my mother in law) Birthday dinner. We planned a small gathering of Marianne, her friend Gordon and the gang of us (grandparents and BB's). At dinner hearing of our rogue journey Gordon shared his tale of how he wandered around Italy looking for a place to start an artist recency program. He told us of how he toured by car around Italy and finally found land in umbria. The purchase then took two years to buy from the catholic church. You could see on his face how wonderful his memories of seeking were. Gordon then explained how he felt let down after the purchase. He had so enjoyed the presuit. Hearing this was validating. Maybe we arn't crazy to just wander around as an family. Seeking might be the whole fun of it.... The no plan plan. I have to remember to embrace this fluidity we have given ourselves since I

know that settled life has many plans and obligations waiting for us.

We all rose early the next day. Josh, his Dad and the big kids were going rafting down the rio grand. They came back all excited, telling of cold water, perfected paddles and a cook out. While they were away Janie and I went to my favorite place for lunch, Casa Sena. Set in an old adobe courtyard you feel like a part of wild hispanic NM. I know i'm a sap for old ghosts but I love Santa Fe.

That evening Josh and I went out for a date with his SF friends Charlie and Karen. We were supper glad to get open table reservations at the new hot spot in town, Restaurant Martin. Special because the owner Martin had battled on iorn chef. We are food dorks and got a kick out of it. So nice to have undistracted conversation with friends.

Day 8 we had Tago and Odessa for brunch and then went with Nini

and Popop to the Thirsty ear Music festival at an old Western movie set. What a fun atmosphere, we all got blown around by dust storms, learned to two step, and Josh got to sit in with the african drum circle.

By the time the sun rose next morning it was time to leave. Josh and I felt nostalgic and sad to leave the old house for sale. We knew that this might be our last time to spend with all those smells and sounds. We left town and then decided to stay around for one last farwelle night.

This turned out great since we had a chance to take the kids to Bandallier National park. This a park with the former cliff homes of the Pueblo people. At the trail head some hikers pulled me aside to say they encountered a mama bear with two cubs on the path. After this news Josh and I took a moment to decide. I looked at him and said, "in our old life we wouldn't have gone on, F@#* that." I picked up a big walking stick and of we went on our new life of adventure. We didn't run into any bears and likely the bear ran from our noisy family. We sure did have fun doing the exhilarating clim up eight ladders on the cliff face to get to the ceremonial cave. Durham sleeping and hanging in the front pack around Josh was a show stopper.

After the hike we stopped at the tesuki village market and had a bite on the veranda. After we went for a run in the sculpture gardens and made it home in time for one last dinner at home.

It felt epic to leave the family home in the morning of day nine. What a great family home to miss. I know Josh feels similar to I that it will be a big loss for the kids. Out the slow gate and on the road to Colorodo Springs.

Scroll down for pictures...

Day 2, 3 and 4 Am I schizophrenic yet?

These three days have become a memory montage of highs and lows, dessert landscapes sweeping past me at 75mph, long moments of no ac, religious sky's, air conditioned dinners, a 1900's western hotel suit, 112 degree heat, leathery mechanics, one wonder of the world, tow trucks, fine dinning, rental car, Walmart barstow.

I'll begin at the morning of day 2, all innocent enough. We managed to sing with ought fighting and headed out by 7am. It was looking like a great day ahead just and easy day drive to flagstaff. We all were loving life, the scenery California farmland, rolling blond mountains, trains snaking around mountains. We snacked on fresh strawberries picked up at a local farm. This may sound so cheesy but I felt so proud of this fine land, so connected with classic americana, so glad to show this to my kids.

Then we hit the Mojave desert, old ghost towns, and yes heat. Josh suggested we pick up some water just in case and I agreed. We took some obscure exit of rt 66 and wound up at a small grocery store/ post office. I wanted pictures but felt it would have been an intrusion. Just think low 70's architecture, hand written signs, american flags and one or two of any item. In the fridge one carton of milk next to two packages of dark brown sausages, you get it. One thing in plenty water, make that three gallons of desert springs please. It was early maybe 10am but the heat was close to 95. We hoped back in the car and it happened that vibration that could be the road but you know isn't. We knew there wan't anything substantial until Barstow 2 hours away... I was a tad stressed but that would be a fine stop and chance for lunch. I got distracted by talks of bobcats and sure enough we made it to Barstow.

Thanks to the world of smart phones we looked up a mechanic. Josh took the car to get looked at while the kids and I ate at out new favorite Mexican restaurant... Casa Jimenez. A strange place one can only find in the dessert. I can see the owner coming up with the concept, "perfect, that's it let's fill the place with my trophy kills and serve up some bomb mexican food honey". We saw to Durham's delight Zebra, Elk, Deer, Bear and a Jackalope to name a few of the stuffed trophies.

Josh came back with the car at the end of our meal. News flash it was Sunday in the middle of nowhere, no parts and not worth stopping for a day to fix. Crap! All this and Durham was spiking a fever. We decided to fix the problem in Flagstaff the next day. I know what your thinking... mistake? We'll were hard core and just kept going.

Really everything was fine till 20 minutes outside the town of Needles. That's when I started feeling warm air blowing on my face. Josh and I were tense by this point and he proceeded to argue about how I was imagining things. A few minutes latter there was no denying it, 112 degree heat, no A/C, and a sick baby. I did what any Mother would, I panicked. I am a soft San Franciscan. I wasn't even sure if it was possible to live for long outside in these conditions. I tried to hide my panic... to Josh: "Get the water now! Start wetting the kids!" to the kids: " Okay, who wants to have fun and get real wet". The remaining 20 minutes to Needles was long. The heat felt like getting cooked, really cooked, like in the oven cooked. Raw fooders only heat there food to 105. By those standards we were spoilt.

Well we did make it to Needles and it turns out our San Franciscan bodies are more resilient than I knew. I pulled straight into the first place and nearly only place a Mobile station. Still panicking I grabbed all the kids out of the car and ushered them into the store to get cool. Josh went over to shop talk with the "leather boys" who worked there. I'm not sure what the interaction was but Josh came over to me pissed, " that guy is such an a****. They said they only did brakes and tires and to push on through an hour to Kingman." I looked over at the three mechanics on duty, all sitting on white plastic chairs, leathery and almost petrified. Before Josh could blink I had the hood of the car open ready to fix the dam A/C myself. Josh started getting pissed with my huffy antics. After a quick look he saw the problem, a twisted belt. I walked over to the leather boys, sick baby in one arm and asked them if they thought they could fix a bad belt. "Yup, but you'll have to pay an extra 40 buck to go get the belt". They got the air running again despite some tense looks after they noticed the Obama sicker on the back of our car.

We got back on the road and made it to Kingman. By the time we pulled up to the hotel the car was jerking so badly Josh couldn't drink with ought splashing his face. The car was undrivable but we were safe at the Springfield Mariott. Still Sunday and 147 miles to flagstaff but we had a plan...

On rising day three we cashed in our AAA 200 mile tow and had our nasty beast towed to Flagstaff while we popped in a rental. I must say that all the people we met minus the leather boys were so nice. Just plane nice, unguarded real people. I started to see why country folk think city folk are mean and hard. Next to them we kinda are. With a group effort somehow we got our car fixed with just enough time to get to the grand canyon before dark.

If you've never been to the Canyon go! We parked and managed to get out to the rim for the golden hour before sunset. Few things compare to how I felt looking out at that big sculptural land. We all got quite and watched, serenaded by an old asian man playing some stringed instrument in a classical soft whisper. For a second I eclipsed. We all walked up the ridge a way and we noticed it was dark, we were hungry and needed a place to sleep. Josh had fond childhood memories of the Trovar restaurant so we wandered up to it. The kids and I played in the old lobby full of more animal heads while Josh got a room. We walked up the stairs, down a hall and into what felt like heaven... the Santa Fe suit. We walked into a piece of 1900 southwest history, a grand room with two big beds and double doors opening into sitting room. We called room service and I smiled a big smile. We put the kids in the bath and managed to open every complimentary conditioner, lotion and soap we could find. I pulled two soft big robes out of the closet and wrapped Angelo and Apollonia up. They watched a movie and ate dinner in one room while Josh, Duham and I had a nice romantic dinner in the other. Yes, the Grand Canyon was good to us & worth the trek to get there.

In the morning, day four we just drove, drove and drove no stopping till we made it safe and sound to Santa Fe! Feeew! We get to stop for a while.

Day one

We have managed to get through and even enjoy our first day of driving. After hours of packing we have paired down our worldly possessions to, two duffel bags, a swim bag, a snack bag, a toy bag, a jacket bag, camera bag, computer bag, toiletries bag, and a multipurpose "important" bag. So much for my idea of two bags and nothing else. I just hope we start shedding our bags soon cause I'm not sure we could even make it to a airport gate with three kids and all these dam bags. Once finally on the road we continued with my childhood song line up, where on the road again, were on our way but we don't know where were going and a new one to the list... Make new friends. I'm sure you are all thinking we are a sacrine leave it to bever family... Well you havn't sang with us. By the third or fourth round of make new friends Angelo decided Apollonia was singing to load and tryed nicley to get everyone to sing in a whisper. The loud lady decided to challnge our quite singing and before I knew it chaos was loose in the car. The compeating yells of the kids sining at top volume with Josh trying to calm things almost drove me to pull over. Thankfully everone was calmed down by our arrival at in and out. Yes, my friends we were only as far as daily city. We enjoyed our last SF meal (per Apollonia's request) speeding down 280, geasy fingured but quite. Now at the end of a long day the kids are saked out in the car, all a bit desheveled but awfully sweet looking. Angelo is on the drivers side in zip off pants, topless (as he has gone all day) and looking very "country". Durham is in the middle and despite using half a bag of wet wipes on him today he looks as though he rumbled in some vomit, bean burritto, strawberrys and fake chesse smeared all down his front. Apollonia is behind me looking very normal and maybe even angelic. 40 miles to Bakersfield and it sure has been a full one. Love to you all & goodnight.