THE PLAN

WE WERE SITTING AROUND AT HEATHER'S HOUSE IN LA CROSSE SATURDAY AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO LAUGHLIN ON I-80 FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING.  THIS WILL BE FUN, WE GET TO DRIVE THROUGH THE ROCKIES IN WYOMING, THE WASATCH MOUNTAIN RANGE JUST EAST OF SALT LAKE, AND MADE RESERVATIONS TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN VEGAS BEFORE WE RETURN HOME.

WE EVEN CALLED DAVE, THE COLORADO KID, TO MAKE DINNER ARRANGEMENTS IN CHEYENNE, WY FOR TUESDAY NIGHT.  AN EXCELLENT PLAN !!!

IT'S BEEN FREEZING COLD IN LA CROSSE AND SUNDAY MORNING I CRANKED UP THE INTERNET TO CHECK MY E-MAIL, AND DECIDED TO CHECK ON THE WYOMING WEATHER FOR TUESDAY.  HOLY CRAP, THERE IS A 75% CHANCE OF SNOW!

THAT'S IT !! MARY, I'M SICK OF BEING COLD, PACK THE CAR, AND AFTER MOTHER'S DAY DINNER WE ARE HEADED STRAIGHT SOUTH.  SUNDAY NIGHT WE MADE IT JUST SOUTH OF DES MOINES, IOWA TO TERRIBLES LAKESIDE CASINO.

WE GOT AN EARLY START MONDAY MORNING AND WHEN WE GOT TO TOPEKA, KS HIT A COLD DRIVING RAIN STORM.  WE WERE SURE GLAD THIS WASN'T SNOW, BUT CARS WERE IN THE DITCH ANYWAY.  WE CLEARED WICHITA, KS TO LINK UP WITH THE OLD HWY 54 CUT ACROSS AND AVOID OKLAHOMA CITY.

AFTER THE OKLAHOMA PAN HANDLE, THE SUN CAME OUT AND IT WAS 75 DEGREES.  THAT'S MORE LIKE IT !!  THE CELL RANG, AND IT WAS HEATHER.  WHERE ARE YOU?  TORNADOS ARE RIPPING APART OKLAHOMA CITY......

WOW, WE DODGED THE BULLET ON THAT ONE.  WE CROSSED THAT LINE OF STORMS FAR ENOUGH NORTH THAT IT WAS JUST A HARD COLD RAIN AND NOT TORNADO'S. ARE WE LUCKY OR WHAT !!!

CROSSING NEW MEXICO WE COMMENTED THAT IF WE HAD THE CAMPER ON THIS TRIP THESE STRONG WINDS WOULD HAVE HELD US UP IN TUCUMCARI, NM AGAIN AND INTO THE LIZARD LOUNGE LIKE SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

WE'RE GOING TO BE HOME BEFORE DARK, A DAY EARLY.  SURE GLAD WE LEFT EARLY ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  AT NOON AS WE CROSSED THE ARIZONA BORDER WE HAD ONE OF THOSE ELECTRONIC FREEWAY SIGNS ANNOUNCING THAT I-40 WAS CLOSED 103 MILES AHEAD DUE TO A SEVERE DUST STORM.......

WE IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF THE FREEWAY AND LEARNED THAT I-40 WAS CLOSED AT 8:35 AM.  WINSLOW AND HOLBROOK WERE FULL OF STRANDED TRAVELERS.  AS WE TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK TO GALLUP, NM TO FIND A ROOM, THE STRONG WINDS WERE UPON US.  I MEAN SANDBLAST THE PAINT OFF YOUR CAR STRONG.

ONLY 350 MILES FROM HOME AND NO WAY TO GET THERE.  AS I SIT HERE IN THE SUPER 8 MOTEL IN GALLUP, TYPING THIS BLOG, AND WAITING FOR MILLER TIME I DECIDE TO CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR FLAGSTAFF, AZ FOR TOMORROW MORNING.

JESUS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS.  THE FORECAST IS FOR SNOW SHOWERS........

"IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE" AND MILLER TIME .......