Driven

Let me begin by saying that Denver is way too freaking far away. If someone could just hurry up and create a teleportal or pass me a Harry Potter wand so I could apparate and disapparate, that would be really nice.

I'm not complaining, I promise. I love going there. I love hanging out with my brother, and meeting the people who are taking care of him (he has a nurse named Kelsey!), and seeing all of the improvements he's been making there. Just, you know, teleportation would be real cool.

So we were told that Ty's car is most likely totaled, so we've been searching for a new vehicle for us. It had to be new enough that we wouldn't constantly be putting work on it, low enough mileage so we wouldn't have to buy a new car for a while (preferably never), safe because I am definitely not invincible, and family-friendly so when one day far down the road we have a child, a carseat will fit in the back seat. Well, commence about 10 hours on Craigslist research. We had a couple of ideas, but in a thirty second phone call, Ty's stepdad, Brian, found us a car.

 

It's a dark gray 2013 Chevy Malibu with 53,000 miles. And of course, since he's our hookup at Burtis Motors, we got a really good deal on it! If you're ever in the Garden City area and looking for a car, definitely go and talk to Brian. :)

He also gave me his and Tami's old GPS after I complained about getting lost every stinking time I drive through Oklahoma because I have no cell phone service. It came in really hand on my drive to Denver!

Our dear family friends/cousins, Mark and Angie Goudy, took me out to lunch at Tequilas and introduced me to some pretty (s)auceome cheese sauce. (See what I did there?) They actually picked me up from Tami and Brian's house, drove me to Garden, paid for my meal, waited around for all of my paperwork, helped me figure out the car, and gave me a 5 hour energy for the road. Do I even need to say that they're some of my favorite people?

Tami and Brian had let me stay at their house the night before so I was pretty well rested.. and cuddled up.

Extra points if you can find the dog.

There he is!

Their dogs, Bandit and Chopper, definitely made themselves comfortable.

I finally made it to Denver Friday evening, and my car drove like a dream. We hung out Friday evening and Tucker asked if I could hang out in the room with him. The hospital wants to have someone in there with him at all times, so since I was in there he didn't have to hang out with a CNA overnight. One of the CNAs brought me some heated blankets, and I slept pretty well on this chair that actually makes a better bed than a chair.

The next day was Tucker's first trip "off-campus." So, the plan was to take him out to lunch at a restaurant nearby. The weather was absolutely beautiful (much better than the storm they're having now). It was so warm, in fact, that we were all good without jackets. Anyway, we went to this super cheap and delicious Chinese place and then to Safeway for some snacks.

Sweet and sour chicken and peace signs FTW.

(He said I couldn't put the picture on Facebook, but

I'm pretty sure I got a loophole with the blog.)

We had some ice cream afterward, hung out some more, and I ended up leaving on Sunday with Mom in an effort to outrun the winter storm that was supposed to come that afternoon.

Here's a glance at our trip out of Denver.

We tried to take a picture together at the Kansas-Colorado

border, but it wasn't really profile picture material

to say the least.

Remember how awesome I was saying the Goudy's are? Well, I had been borrowing Grandma's old car from my aunt, and had left it in Denver so it would be there for her to get it, and Mom had let me borrow her car for this past weekend. Anyway, the Goudy's drove Mom's car from Tami and Brian's house to Leoti so it would be a little closer for us to get.

Mom hopped in her car and I drove off in mine to make the last stretch to Stillwater. It was AWFUL. 

I'm glad I made it safe, and I had a really scenic view of the sunset:

... but I had no cell phone service for most of it, and the GPS took me on a turnpike that cost a dollar... and they didn't take cards... and they didn't take the size of bill I had... so I got a bill. I turned off the GPS because I was annoyed with it, and I was only 20 miles from Stillwater... and I got lost. Stretched out my trip by at least 45 minutes. 

I stopped at Wendy's for supper at 11:30, pulled up to my apartment at 11:40, and got into bed with my 4 for $4 deal at 11:50. 

Not too much to complain about except for my one dollar bill and extended trip. I got home safe and was ready for a day off... and you all know how productive my day off really was. ;)

Thanks for reading!

Still love my tattoo. :)