Island Nomads

New laptop day!! Since I'm a nerd, I couldn't not have a gaming machine with me on our adventures. And now that Char has commandeered my MBP, we agreed to get a "family" laptop that could pull double duty as a gaming machine. Enter my Razer Blade. Just a modest base model, but will be able to run any games I'm interested playing with EASE.  Also, said "so long" to my trust WRX this week. It was the first car Cat and I purchased together, and it's been a part of many memories. But it's just been sitting idle collecting leaves and bird shit for the last 6 months, so it was better that it left the nest. The girls liked watching the tow truck pick it up though! And of course, a neighbor called the cops about a car with no plates that sat on the street for less than an hour. Surrounded by a-holes, I swear...  Packing continues... TTFN

So Cat and I have both agreed we should take some PTO during the Denver trip,which opens up more possibilities for trips during our trip - likely either Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or maybe Zion. We've been to Zion, although very briefly, but Yellowstone and G.C. would be totally new.  The bigger challenge is Char still has school. We could maybe do a "morning check in" and asynchronously learn the rest of each day, or actually have her out of school for a few days. Unsure what we'll do so far, but I think the idea has some promise.  Packing is continuing but in fits and starts. Time to switch it into high gear! 

We're about 10 days out from our departure, so here are a couple thoughts... - COVID is spiking hard in many of the states we're planning to cross. Are there additional precautions we need to consider? The only time we plan to stop is for food/potty breaks, so likely going to need to strategize.  - We picked up a hitch bike rack that feels a bit (read: LOT) sturdier than the Seasucker, which admittedly has never failed us. It holds 2 bikes, and we can store Cel's bike easily, but that leaves Cat without a bike.  - Should we stop to see anything on the way out? The Arch in STL? Mount Rushmore? What else is there? - How the hell do we pack for this? Going to be an adventure... 

Denver house booked: check! Moab hotel booked: check! Tow hitch installed: check!  Excitement level: 9000+! The itinerary is coming together, and we are getting pumped! Our first full weekend there is a holiday weekend, so we figured it would be a great time to head back to Moab and show the girls the stone arches there seen pictures of so many times!  We're also hearing a lot of good things about Fort Collins, so thinking we need a day trip out there.  Also, Boulder is driving the hype train hard - what's the selling point for Boulder? I've always heard great things, but I'm lacking in specifics. Tell me more.  Choo choo, all aboard! TTFN

 We're back in Virginia for the moment, refueling and getting Char started with some virtual school, before we head West.  We have a LOT to do before we go...The current list is at 16 major items and counting. So its going to be a busy couple of weeks. We're also still trying to nail down the right rental in Denver, but prices are mile-high right now. Get it?  Likely some lighter blogging until we're on the road again, so TTFN

Wasn't able to post the last few days because the blogger app keeps crashing. But quick update: We went over to Mims to visit my Dad and Linda for the last 2 days. Lots of swimming and a great trip to the beach, plus a lot of good home cooked food! Rock shrimp are always delicious 🦐.  Today, we're on the road back to Virginia to refuel and pack a bit more, plus start Char off on her school before we head West to Denver. Can't wait - although they are having a freak snowstorm this week, hah.  Looking forward to it though..  TTFN

So it's looking like the pure nomad deal will be tough, so maybe we'll just go live somewhere for 9 months. Denver is at the top of the list, but California is also a contender. I think a real winter, with real snow, would be pretty awesome for the girls though. And if we could do it for <$2000/mo and save some money? Even better.  Where to go... Where to go... 

The girls all went off to the pool, only to return a soaked mess! Apparently there was a wall of storms moving through that the weather reports failed to capture. I get that weather reporting is tricky, and we've made some major enhancements (see predictions on when Hurricane Laura would hit) but this seemed like a big miss. 20% chance of scattered light showers turned into a wall of strong thunderstorms across the entire Florida peninsula. Shrug, what do I know.  So instead we spent a lot of time indoors today: reading, workbooks, drawing. We're keeping a close eye on activities to help us figure out what to bring with us for future legs of the trip. But honestly, some markers and a reem of printer paper seem to go a pretty long way.  Still up in the air on where we head next, but I'm definitely not interested in hearing back home. The drama there has continued unfettered even while we're not home. Ugh.  I know this country is in a weird spot right now, but