Some One is Ready

Some one is ready for the "Game of the Century" (as at least one game a year is dubbed) tomorrow!

(In case you aren't from the South or live under a rock-- we're talking LSU vs Alabama. SEC Football. #1 vs #2. Kind-of-a-big-deal football game.)

He's been telling me about it all day... literally. He has made all sorts of noises today! Lots of "talking".

Here he is trying to "High 10" --

We're hoping LSU will give us a win for my birthday. We're also hoping for some stellar announcing from the likes of Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson. At least we will be entertained even if our team doesn't do well.

(By the way, click the link connected to "stellar announcing". It's worth the read, especially if you've ever watched a CBS Game of the Week.)

(Mostly) Happy Pup

Admittedly, this guy has not had the easiest time adjusting to the move. He looks at us a lot as if to say, "Hey, this has been a fun vacation, but when are we going home?" And, when we get ready to leave for work, or errands, or dinner, or whatever, he often gives us a look that says, "Hey, wait, don't forget me! I want to go home too! Don't leave me here!" 

In between woeful looks, he does give us some happy faces. Especially when he's playing with his yellow ball or his bone.

He's going to make it and we are confident that at some point he will realize that we are "home" and that we aren't leaving him forever when we go to the grocery store.

Lazy Bones

Two bags full of 'em--

Looks like these guys are getting settled in and claiming their space. The cat had to pick the nicest pillow we have to call hers. She has her own bed and even access to the pup's throne-like bed, but no, she prefers the one silk item we have in the house... What a princess. (I blame The Engineer for this.)

007

Just call him "Double O" for short. The pup is officially licensed! 

(Location and actual identifying information was removed to
 protect his safety in the field. When you're licensed
 you can't be too careful...)

From the Drive

Unfortunately there are not a lot of photos from the drive. There are two reasons for this:

1. We drove through 11 states in two days and that took roughly 24 hours of actual driving time. (We stopped off at the half-way point for a snooze and then hit the road again early the next morning.)
2. We drove in the middle of the remnants of tropical storm Lee for roughly 24 hours. It was like driving through a tunnel of white. All we could hope to see was the road in front of us and the fog and rain that surrounded us. Not too many scenic spots to pull off and take a photo in weather like that.

The pup and the cat settled in for the drive. Don't they look pitiful!?

The cat perked up when we made bathroom and refueling breaks. (She only thought she wanted out. We put her on the leash to see if we could get her to take a potty break and she panicked and just squatted her whole body as close to the ground as possible, presumably to try to "hide".)

One of most interesting stops happened just outside Charlotte, NC. We found ourselves a 2-seater!

Day two found us crossing the Mason-Dixon Line and formally entering "The North".

To be honest, not many of my Pennsylvania experiences have made me want to smile. I used to refer to it as "the state of no bathrooms" instead of the "state of independence". This goes back to an insane road trip from Knoxville, Tennessee to New York City. We left Tennessee around 6pm and drove through the night to NYC. Somewhere around 4 or 5am we were all in desperate need of a bathroom break. We were in Pennsylvania and must have stopped two or three places before we found a bathroom someone would let us use. I haven't really cared much for the state since. (The remainder of that trip included just over 24 hours in NYC, a parking ticket, our car getting broken into and a miserable 12-hour drive back with a busted out car window.

Back to my feelings on Pennsylvania-- In the midst of all the negative feelings, I must admit I had a very enjoyable visit to Lancaster County in 2010. (There's not much to dislike about the Amish.)

This trip through was, as mentioned, smothered in rain and fog. The state had some major flooding that closed down main interstates. Thankfully, we were just ahead of the flooding and were able to pass through before roads shut down. (The engineer and his dad in the 26-foot moving truck were not so lucky.)

I'm told the Poconos are beautiful. Maybe one day I'll see more than fog and rain and no bathroom stops in Pennsylvania.

More to come on the drives and the move before long! Stay tuned!

Filthy Paws

This guy...

...had some fun this afternoon digging holes in his new backyard and... he forgot to wipe his feet...

After a day of light rain the sun is actually peeking out from behind the clouds. It was in the upper 60s today, which wasn't bad even in the rain. Of course I could be seen sporting a jacket most of the day. Upper 60s is a bit cool where I came from.

The need for the jacket in "great weather" is one of the many things I'm finding that make us stand out here. I noticed a lot of them today while dealing with lots of government agencies. More on that later!