Guilt Complex?

On my way to SFO on Monday I sat in an exit row in Economy Plus. At first I felt kind of guilty that as, easily, the shortest adult on the flight I had so much leg room I was able to straighten my legs completely without touching the seat in front of me...

A few hours later with a few hours still to go, I felt less guilty...

Then I walked back to the bathroom and saw these tall, larger men folded into regular seats and I felt guilty again...

Now facing a red eye back to IAD I'm bummed I can't secure the same seat!

Road Trip: Day 7

Thursday morning we woke up before the crack of dawn to try and catch the sunrise and get an early start to Las Vegas. Originally we had planned to do more in Las Vegas but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. It was freezing! Both days I wore 2 pairs of pants, a shirt, 2 sweaters, a scarf and sneakers. I definitely could have used more layers, I just didn't have any clothes left to put on!

After bundling up in the morning I ventured outside to check the weather. It had been raining a bit the night before and they were predicting a 100% chance of rain for that day. I was thrilled to learn it wasn't raining, only to learn it was snowing! Fortunately it didn't last very long and we made the trek to Yavapai Point for the sunrise. Unfortunately it was still very cloudy and freezing and I don't think the sunrise was everything it could have been.

Once we reached the point of worrying about frostbite we packed it in and made the trek to Las Vegas. The drive from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas was actually really nice, although we were bummed to not be able to see the Hoover Dam. Apparently after September 11th, the closed the road over the dam and there is now a bypass bridge with high concrete walls designed, apparently, to block any and all scenic views! If we weren't exhausted and just ready to get to Las Vegas we might have considered detouring, instead we powered through. Fortunately we got to Las Vegas early were able to save a bit on the rental car.

Speaking of the rental car...that might have been the best decision we made and our best luck of the trip!  In planning for the trip we realized it was significantly less expensive to rent from someplace other than airport. And at the last minute we decided to pick the car up a day early, even if it meant paying a bit extra. We knew we would be getting a late start on Friday with our work schedules and wanted to be able to just jump on the road as soon as we could. So Thursday afternoon we show up at the DoubleTree hotel outside of DCA at 6pm to pick up the car as per our reservation. Apparently the DoubleTree Hertz counter closes at 5pm and we would have to trek over to the airport anyway. At the airport the lovely woman at the Gold Counter felt bad for us and gave us an upgrade, a car with GPS (that we wouldn't have to pay for) and satellite radio, as well as a coupon for $45 off to more than make up for the increase in taxes you incur for picking up at the airport. This was on top of the discounts we received through my bank and a $25 off coupon. When we return the car they pumped the coupon up to $50.

The most difficult thing I've faced in this job yet...

is definitely my sister getting a puppy yesterday and me not being in DC until Friday to meet him!!

 Seriously, all I've been thinking about today!

 So freaking cute!

I want one!

Road Trip: Day 6

I had such high hopes for Day 6 of the road trip. Frankly, it was a bit of a disappointment. Still a great day, but not what I had expected. Allison had told us about the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta which would be taking place while we were there. I was so looking forward to watching hundreds of hot air balloons being released. Earlier in the week they set a record with 345 balloons! We even woke up at 5am, only to find it still raining and the Fiesta events cancelled.

We slept in a bit but still got an early start because we were headed to the Grand Canyon, another location I was very much looking forward to seeing. The drive was beautiful but watching the temperature drop...not so much!


The Grand Canyon was, in fact, impressive. We walked a bit along the South Rim and planned to catch the sunset. Unfortunately it was freezing, we weren't dress appropriately and so cloudy you couldn't see the sun! We did have a nice dinner in one of the lodges and then called it an early night with grand plans to catch the sunrise the next day.

 

Road Trip: Day 5

Day 5 of the road trip did, in fact, take place on October 5th, and not 6 days after Day 4 but towards the end of the trip we ran into a few places with either no internet or blackjack tables (which I was at instead of updating my blog). I'm going to pick up where I left off now...

The drive from Amarillo to Albuquerque was our shortest, only about 4.5 hours. We had a pretty leisurely morning and got a late start. Along the way we stopped at Cadillac Ranch which was only a few miles from the hotel and then drove through to our friend Allison's house where we would be staying that night. Unfortunately the end of our ride was very rainy and we didn't get to see much of Albuquerque. However we really enjoyed our night at Allison's. Her mom made a great dinner and we enjoyed meeting her pets and friends!

Road Trip: Day 4

Yesterday morning I called my mom to check in and we chatted about how Jenny and I were going to drive to Elk City, OK. Well in spirit of that of that new found flexibility, once we got on the road we made the executive decision to power through Elk City and end our day in Amarillo, Texas. We still stopped in Elk City because we were invested in the idea of stopped at the "National Route 66 Museum" and Old Town Museum Complex. But the drive through to Amarillo would allow us to stop at the Big Texas Steak Ranch, home of the 72 ounce steak dinner challenge. Much to our dismay no one was participating in the challenge while we were there, but it was still worth the trip!