Life behind the wheel

It was 1,262 miles for me to get from Sterling to Minneapolis (and 1,220 for Cate to do the same, thanks to our odometers). Plenty was seen and much was remembered. More was forgotten, though, I'm sure.

Five years ago we drove to Minneapolis for vacation with just two kids in the back seat, Elizabeth, 5-1/2, and Robert, 1. At the end of that trip I turned to Cate and said, "the next time we drive to Minneapolis, it's going to be one way."

And this was it: No return trip coming.

Cellphone camera leaves a lot to be desired, so here's my pathetic attempt at documenting the journey.

Our preferred way to leave Virginia is over the Point of Rocks bridge on U.S. 15. The sign as you depart, however, is fairly understated.

Maryland is a little more glad to see you.

I only wish we could have gone 55 mph on I-70 when we entered Pennsylvania.

This was the view for much of the next two hours, however -- the back of Cate's car or one of a bunch of others. Turned out that after 70 was reduced to one lane, there was an accident, blocking traffic entirely and backing us up more than six miles. We were going 14 minutes per mile for a while.

I am almost always driving the Pennsylvania Turnpike at night. During the daytime it's almost pretty in spots.

We also entered and left West Virginia and entered Ohio, but that was after dark.

Actual PODS containers being moved! Not ours, however.


Yay, Indiana. The halfway point was here somewhere.

Some time after Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! faded out, we escaped Hoosierland.

We passed a pair of vintage cars in Illinois. Or maybe Indiana. Or Iowa. No, definitely Illinois.

Took us a long time to get through Illinois. We stopped for lunch and then had some panicky moments where gas stations were few and far between.

Final destination. Or final border stop anyway. After a bathroom break and a hail storm we finally got to Minneapolis, after 11 p.m. Not much of a sign on U.S. 52 after crossing the border into Minnesota.

A farewell to 406

As requested, took some pictures of our house in Sterling, literally on our way out the door.


In the master bath, I did most of the tearing up of the old (old!) linoleum tile and I managed to lay the easy tiles. Cate finished it off, though, doing all the hard parts.


The kitchen got new hardwood floors. Cate had done a deep clean on the cabinets a couple weeks earlier and we had replaced every appliance in here in the course of our five years in the house.


The living room has new hardwood floors as well. Note the incredibly disposable rug.


Another angle on the living room.


Cate stands in the entryway.


I don't have time to do a good photoshop job on this and the phone doesn't have a delay timer ... or a stand ... to get us both in the same picture.

We escaped!

It only came 22 hours later than expected, but Cate and I have departed Sterling.

We got everything on the list done ... more or less .. and are sitting in an Applebee's in Washington, Pa.

Lots to tell and when we stop for the night I'll try to get some words down. Cate is too tired to talk right now and I am running on adrenaline and caffeine.

Still in our old dominion

We seem to still be in Virginia, and with a fair amount of work left to do. We're about to attempt the jigsaw puzzle known as the PODS container and see what has to be put in the cars and what has to be put in the trash.

Obviously this puts our arrival in Dubuque on Saturday night in jeopardy. Gotta go, lifting now!

We have really great friends

Thanks, Jennifer and Kyle, for taking the time to look in on our kids (and give my parents a break) tonight! Sounds like everyone is having a great time.

August is here, both Eastern and Central time. We'll see how we do in the next 16 hours.