We're Off!

Mel went to NM before the rest of us. He was lining up a new job, etc.. I got the exciting job of packing up a house full to be transported in another month when we'd found a place to send it (and received the money from the house sale). And, of loading, packing, and transporting myself, 3 kids, two dogs and enough of our belongings to last a month into a Gremlin (see picture—but mine was light green), and drive 1100 miles (18 hours). I think Mel had the easier end of that scenario! But I was young, and didn't have, "I can't" in my vocabulary. 

I thought that I was ingenious in loading the Gremlin. The back seat folded forward leaving enough room for two kids to lie down in the space between the bucket seats and the rear hatchback door. The third kid sat beside me, and they rotated. The dogs (both small) went wherever they were most comfortable—usually in my lap or at my feet. *sigh* As padding for the kids in back, I'd lined the floor with our clothing, and put bedrolls on top. With pillows, and driving at night they were sleeping much of the trip, and surprisingly comfortable. (easy for me to say)

We took off after school on Valentine's Day, Friday. Monday was a holiday—president's day, and I figured the extra day would be useful to acclimating, and give the kids a brief break before starting a new school. What I forgot to calculate was that I'd hit outbound L.A. traffic at rush hour on a 3 day week-end! We crawled along the freeway until I spied a place to eat. We lingered at the restaurant until traffic thinned enough to resume our journey. I drove for hours in very strong winds. It was really tough to keep the car under control. My mind was spinning with the enormity of leaving the only place I'd ever lived, and heading into a total unknown. That and the difficulty of fighting the wind had me so occupied that I failed to see the cop until the lights and siren came on! I was within a very few miles of the AZ border. So, my parting gift from CA was a speeding ticket! 

We finally arrived at Mel's parent's house, and lived there for a month! Ten of us in a 3 bedroom house! The kids got the pleasant surprise of snow the next day, and had a blast playing in it. They were still enjoying the snow on Monday, when a gentleman approached me wondering why the kids were not in school. It was a truant officer—and it was not a school holiday in NM! Busted! So, it was off to register and enroll the kids! When I got back to the house, another gentleman approached—animal control! Busted for leash law! Sheesh! What a welcoming committee!

To be continued.....   Hugs!