Moab 2015...and again and again

We spent our Memorial weekend with my friends down in Moab again.  This  year, I took over the group reservation process.  It was much easier than I thought it would be and it seems to have worked out well for everyone which is fantastic.  We had about 40 people there....plus.   Philip and I headed down Friday morning.  We were so impressed how easy it was to pack and load the car.  We meandered down to Moab and got unpacked and settled in by 4:00.  Whoosh! 

Coming into Moab.  I love the red rocks!

By 5:00, I realized we were missing our suitcase.  Unfortunately, we forgot to get it in the car.  No wonder we were impressed with the space.  I could work around the clothes and go get new clothes but my medication was in there and no way to get that and I couldn't go without it all weekend.   It is one of those moments where you have to evaluate the options.  We could either load up the car and head back home and skip the weekend (while still paying for the cabin because there are no refunds on a holiday weekend) or someone needs to get the suitcase.  I checked around and it appeared everyone was either there or well on their way.  So I made the decision to get back in the car and drive back to get the suitcase.  I left Philip in Moab (he couldn't face that drive again so soon).  I talked to my friends and asked them to look out for Philip.  My friend's Kimberlee and Aki agreed to take Philip to dinner with them.  The great news is I was going against the holiday traffic and was amazed to get home in 3.5 hours.  I grabbed the suitcase, some caffeine soda, and a protein drink and turned right around and headed back down.  I left the house about 8:45 pm.  Because it was so late, the roads to Moab were much more clear than earlier.  I decided to be safe, I should follow other cars as much as possible down the dark and empty roads.

Make this drive 3 times on Friday.  Whoosh!

I was laying down some miles and making good time.  I had my tunes cranked up and sang until I was sure I was going to lose my voice.  I followed a truck for over 100 miles.  In Helper, he slowed way down.  A SUV went past us so I decided to pass the truck.  As I was accelerating to pass, suddenly a police car jumped out.  I got back behind the truck as the police car pulled over the SUV and then stopped me and the truck in the middle of the road.  They let the truck through but made me pull over.  I knew I was in trouble.  Much to my surprise, he says he clocked me at 90 mph.  Now I don't drive 90....but I do know I had just accelerated to pass and that probably impacted the clocking device.  So I explained what had happened and that I was very sorry but was simply focused on getting back to Moab. He didn't care.  I got the ticket and a very animated and angry lecture about deaths on the highway, deer, flat tires, and crowded streets.  All true.  I know. I took the ticket and continued on my way.  The good news is I made it back to Moab by 12:30 am and was safe and sound.  Philip was such a sweetheart and waited up for me.  Needless to say, we slept in the next morning.

I decided to focus on the positive things and let go of the shitty Friday driving.  So Saturday, we got up and made some waffles and visited with people.  Then we got ready with plans to head into Arches.  Unfortunately, there was a long line to get into Arches.  It stretched down the highway and wasn't moving.  After waiting a bit, we decided it would probably be an hour or more just to get in and the park would be packed and frustrating.  So we jumped out of line and decided to head to Dead Horse Point instead.  We hadn't been there together before so it sounded like a great plan.  Once we got there, it was raining cats and dogs so we decided to enjoy our picnic lunch in the car and then we went to the visitor's center because they had a covered viewing deck.  But once we got to the viewing deck, it stopped raining and I felt like I wanted to walk out to the view point.  I was so happy I could navigate the path.  I certainly appreciated Philip's help up and down the path and across the slick rocks.  It was really pretty.

Waffles at our cabin

Wild flowers

So pretty!

Saturday night, it was my team's turn to make dinner.  We stay in an RV park that is similar to a KOA.  So there is electricity and running water.  We all bring crock pots and such to help with meals.  We made BBQ chicken sandwiches, baked beans, coleslaw, watermelon, chips, and strawberry shortcake.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it.  I decided to "tie one on" that night and brought a bottle of Petron Tequila.  Oh it was soo good and I really enjoyed it but as the non-drinker I am, it didn't take long for me to decide I should make it back to our cabin before I couldn't walk.  Philip and I played on the internet and listened to music while we giggled and sang.  Truly silly but I loved it.

The Saturday Dinner ladies - Me, Kimberlee, Stacy, and Kim
(missing is Allyson)

A view from the large pavilion we eat under

A collage of dinner Stacy put together.

Luckily I wasn't too hung over on Sunday.  We had massages in town at noon.  Then we went to lunch at Pasta Jays.  It is one of our favorite places to eat down there.  We headed back to the cabin and took a good much needed nap.  In the afternoon, the picnic table in front of our cabin was nice and shady so I got out my adult coloring books and started coloring and listening to music.  It wasn't long before the table was full of other people coloring with me.  It was great fun.  Before we knew it, it was time for dinner.  That group made Kahlua pork, rice, salad, watermelon, and macaroni salad.  It was delicious and the pork recipe was a diet recipe which is great! 

 

 

Speaking of diet, I won't even pretend I stayed in my calorie count.  I did eat a little pasta.  I had some rice.  I ate one cookie.  But no bread.  So hopefully I didn't do too much damage because I am only a few weeks out for my follow up at Johns  Hopkins.  I'm so close to my personal weight loss goal for that visit.

Saturday night, I laid off the alcohol and was a good girl and did my injection.  But we still had fun.  I brought some fake mustaches to play with, some Bean Boozles, and glow sticks.  Most people left after dinner but several of us stayed in and played.  Bean Boozles are Jelly Bellies that there is one good jelly bean and one icky one that look the same.  There are probably 10 different colors.  So you might get watermelon or get vomit.  Or tutti fruity or booger.  Or Licorice or Skunk Spray.  One was chocolate and the match was dog food.  Well you put them in a bowl and pass around.  You take one and eat it and then say what it is.  The faces were priceless.  It seemed people got more bad then good.  Pretty soon, us around the table refused to take anymore so the kids started offering them to unsuspecting people.  They would take a big handful and pop them in their mouth and then start spitting them out.  Before I knew it, the bowl had taken a journey never to be seen again which is good for me.  I still laugh if anyone was watching because people were spitting out the icky ones pretty fast.  I'm bad.  I know.  But I laughed so hard my stomach hurt today.

You want what?

Philip called this the pedophile 'stache.

Today we got up and got the car packed to head back home.  Philip was a sweetheart and unpacked the car when we got home before headed to his Dad's house.  I'm resting up before I jump into the big clean up task.  We had so much fun and I feel so lucky to have such great friends that include us in this trip.  It really is fun.  In fact, Philip said he had so much fun, he will come home from college next year to go with me again.  That is saying something!

Again and again is right!  It is too fun to not do every year!

Redmond's on the road.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I know Memorial Weekend isn't about vacations and camping.  I do have that awareness and thank those who fight to keep our country free.  Many have paid a dear price for our freedom.  Thank you.