Keep Your Head on A Swivel

Keep Your Head On A Swivel (yes, another football reference)


Today started with an amazing home cooked breakfast at "Hotel Benjaminson".  Being in Colorado with my Aunt Janet and Uncle Bob was more of a blessing than we could have ever realized...  And here's why (Top 10 Style)

Beginning with, and in no particular order...

#10. Being on the road for an of 10+ a day is TOUGH (physically and mentally)
#9. We needed a mental break from seeing corn (who knew how much corn our farms had?)
#8. We needed a mental break from seeing cows
#7. We needed a mental break from driving by 18 wheelers
#6. We NEEDED to wash Kurt's truck (literally killed 1,000's of innocent bugs)
#5. Janet and Bob are the GREATEST hosts
#4.  The meals we eat while with family are ALWAYS better than anything else
#3.  We went on a beautiful hike up Flat Iron Mountain (Part of the Rockies)
#2.  We weren't driving
AND THE #1.  Blessing of stopping in CO...  Spending time with FAMILY!

Oh, so why the "Keep Your Head On A Swivel"/football reference?

While coming down Flat Iron, I had mentioned to Kurt that walking DOWN a mountain is the perfect metaphor for life:  you need to watch your step (looking down from time to time for safety), but it's also just as important to keep your head up, to look ahead, and to ENJOY THE BEAUTY all around! Life moves fast, and we need to see, do, and BE all we can be (while helping others along the way as well)!

All that being said, we're all feeling rested, and excited to hit the road in the morning!

More Cows, Corn, and Trucks

Up and out early.   We hit the road 80W.  Now I prepared myself as my dad had taught me to check the weather.  Holy crap,  red and yellow cells on the radar.  I am not one that likes storms in a safe location and here we were going into the flattest post of the US known to many as Tornado Alley. 

Abby and I were in my Camry because I need to make sure the car was still running correctly and no funky clanks or clunks.   We hit the storms after the first 15 min.  You can see the storms coming from miles away due to how flat it is out there in Iowa and Nebraska.  At 8:30 am the skies became black, like legit black.  Abby was my photographer, so photo creds to her!  The first drop of rain hit like a droplets the size of a baseball.  The wind picked up and Abby asked what do we do if we see a tornado?  I had no answer which didn't make us feel o comfortable as we saw a few swirls of the sky. 

After about an hour of crazy weather we saw the light.  My hands were cramped due to the white knuckling I had to do.

We finally made it to Nebraska, who knew they had major cities.  We cruised through  Omaha and Lincoln, yah that was it.  Back to corn fields and cows.  We stopped at at truck stop somewhere in Nebraska and things got a bit tense. 

Just say NO to drugs people!  We watched this young woman stumbling around the store and then the parking area. She was bruised, cut up, bikini top, frazzled hair and just brutal looking, very sad...  I said to Abby to be aware of her surroundings and in just a short few seconds things went down.  Kurt and Sophia just gassed up the truck and were waiting for Abby to hop back in my car.  This girl was getting closer to Kurts truck when Abby flew out of her seat because this girl was trying to open Sophia's door to get in.  Abby pushed the young woman and yelled at her.  This girl was clearly stung out and she said she thought it was her boyfriends truck... I think, not unless Kurt was her new "friend".   Talk about seeing one of your kids act in a way that she was the protector made me proud, but also made me nervous as this person could have retaliated.  Abby did say she had soft skin... Pass the anti-bacterial!

Our goal for Tuesday was to make it to Longmont, CO.  This is where my aunt and uncle live.  We needed a break from driving so we planned on staying for a bit and hike around the Boulder area.  Nebraska to Colorado was brutal.  Kurt was getting snippy and couldn't wait to get out of the truck. 

The girls were doing well, we would check our rear view mirror and see them singing away, laughing and arms out the sunroof.   It is tough to see your precious cargo driving and trying to keep everyone safe.  But we made it to Longmont to a home cooked meal! AWESOME

Kurt will be posting the adventures for Wednesday, so stay tuned!

Construction, Corn and Cows

Spent the night in Hubbard Ohio.  Sleeping in a double bed after having a king sized bed makes for a tough sleep (first world probs).  Kurt was all jacked up on Rockstar energy drinks and thought if he was up at 3:30am that we all should be.  He was like a child waiting for his parents to get up.  He left for the gym at the hotel like 4am.  Think he did more  Snapchatting then working out. 

Finally we hit the road.  Most of Ohio is under road construction  and  full of State Troopers.  Looking at the landscape much of the eastern part of Ohio is like NH.  The western part is not at all like NH.  Corn,  farms, and flat land.   We could see the storms brewing in the distance quick was beautiful yet a bit unnerving.  

We final got to Iowa and wanted to stay in a populate area so we hit Des Moines.   It was like a ghost town.  No traffic,  no one on the streets,  and nothing happening.  Found a hotel with a pool at the request of the girls.   Got settled in and ordered dinner.   

I understand each region or state at that matter has different ways of preparing food.  We chose Chinese,  can't be to off on that right?  So so so wrong.    First the delivery guy was  beyond high,  similar to Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  We gave him a cash tip and he panicked and asked us to call back the restaurant to let them know we were paying in cash.   OK,  I did,  but that was a first.  The girls go got back from the pool and we opened the boxes of food.  Um,  what is that...  I have never seen creations of this sort.   Not sure the  restaurant knows what wanton papers are as our crab ragoons were made like an apple turnover.  So brutal.  Oh an fried rice,  no burned rice with a random pea or onion.  

 Total fail.

We decided to just count on breakfast and called it a day. 

2nd and 9 (Football reference)

Day 2 and nine states to go. 
Left Bedford at 11 am after getting some spiritual nourishment and losing most of our water weight from our tears saying goodbye to our son Brock.  We bought "flat"  Brock with us on our trip.  He has been pretty quiet,  and great for photo shoots.  Always smiling...

Kurt and Sophia had the first leg.  What was I thinking going on the Mass Pike on a Sunday or any day at that matter.  Slow and steady with all the D-bag drivers from  NY and NJ.  Not sure why they think they don't need to follow the rules.  If you are from these locations and you are offended from my observations then you might be one of the drivers I am referring to. 

At the most random times I would just sob and poor Kurt would look helplessly at me hoping it would pass quickly.   I think he could have whiplash from the emotional changes I would go though in just a few short miles. 

Having our girls following us in my car was another stress.  Making sure we stayed together,  had to watch our speed,  communicating to what our plan was makes it a bit challenging, mostly when I jack on the blinker to find food. 

Found a great diner in NY by Marist College.  Great lunch/dinner.  The waitress asked us why we are moving to a state that was a financial mess.  Our response... It doesn't snow.  I think she got it.

Abby and I did the 2nd leg,  six hours.
So many beautiful sites and we are taking in the greens, rivers, lakes, and rolling hills.  The sunset last night was  beautiful.  We had light until about 9 pm. 

Driving highways at dusk and dark is so sketchy.  We had see so many deer and critters that had been squished  by cars and trucks.  We should of played Roadkill Bingo,  I would of totally won for sure.  Poor furry friends.  

Not knowing the area and the poorly lit roads made for a tough ride.  I think every 18 wheeler was  on the road and I seemed to always pass it them on corners.  Total white knuckling.  Oh ya the fog.  Did I mention the fog?  Yikes.  I was waiting for a deer to be kicking it in the roadway in all the fog banks we crossed. 

I have this thing I do where I have  a contest in my mind.  My challenge from last night was to make it to Ohio on day one.  We were  25 miles from Ohio and was losing my vision due to contacts that felt like potato chips in my eyes,  but had to push on.  The girls called to say they had to pee,  but I refused to stop because of that goal I had.  So they might have UTI's but I completed my goal.   We can see the Pennsylvania and Ohio state lines from our hotel, but I win in my mind. 
Goal for today,  Des Moines Iowa. 

Join us for Our Cross Country Journey NH to CA

So we had a 1-3 year plan to move to California to be with our 2 girls, son-in-law and new grandson.

We came home from February vacation in San Diego and with in 5 weeks Kurt had already landed a job at an elementary school teaching 4th grade and coaching high school football at a small Christian school (350 students).  How everything has fallen into place we know we are on the right path.  

I have applied for over 33 jobs, but realize the issues with trying to find a job for me from across the country.  I am not going to panic till mid August.  

Selling a home is quite a task.  We did have 3 offers on our place in 36 hours.  We have been getting the house ready for a family that we hope will make great memories like our family of 6 did.   The memories we have had in our 1700 sqft  home would have filled a 20,000 sqft home. 

We have lived in this home for 18 years and the amount of things we have done to this property has been a great feat.  We learned to install hardwood flooring, dig sump pump hole, install gutters, use a chain saw, build stone walls, paint, repair walls (thanks Brock), and build a huge composite deck.  

This home was a great place for us!  Now looking to leave the snow and owning a home has lead us to a new location. 

We will be living southeast of San Diego in Chula Vista.  This is 25 min from Kurt and Sophia's school.  They will be driving together each morning.  Still haven't figured out the return trip as Kurt has football into the evening.  We are really winging it, which we do best!  

So one of the toughes part of this new adventure for the Hines Crew has been leaving Bedford Football.  As you all know Kurt started this program and the amazing success it has had.  We really saw ourselves here forever and Kurt retiring from Bedford in 30 years.  

***Volume starts 14 Sec in...

We start driving across the U.S.A. on Sunday and will be documenting our travels.  I will be Blogging, Snapchatting, Facebooking, and Tweeting while Kurt is driving.  

Hoping to make it to Cleveland on the first day, Des Moines 2nd, Longmont to see family, Canyon lands in Utah, and then into San Diego.  That is the plan, but leaving a a day or two for weather or touring some cool places.  

Sophia and Abby will be following us in my car and Kurt and I will be in the Tundra.  I am sure we will rotate, but the music choice in the girls car might be a bit rough. 

Moving truck comes today, we will be "camping out" in our house for the next few days.  We have a going away party at Shorty's tonight, a wedding tomorrow night, Saturday to say goodbye to my parents, church on Sunday and then we hit the road.  

Bring on the memories and the new experiences ahead! Hope you will follow us and we plan to be back next July.  Can't miss the Chatham 4th of July or the RI garage party! 

Recap of a Few Years...

So I want to try the Blog thing again as it helped keep me somewhat sane and also kept a history of our family.

Here are a few pictures recapping a few years since my last post. 

Abby graduated 2013

Prom 2013 w Peter

Typical Kurt Hines and daughter pose

Halee's engagement party 2013 

Graduation 2013

Halee and Tyler married in Palm Desert 2013

122' during their wedding in June 2013

Abby enrolled in college 2014

Halee announced she was having a baby 2014

Sophia went to prom at Trinity HS

Kurt and Brock in PA at the FCA Camp

Apple picking in Oct 2014 Christmas photo

Baby shower in NH for Halee and TK 2014

New York City with the Uruguay crew

Last year of football for Brock

Martin came to live with us for 8 weeks in January

Cruz is born into a tough situation

Kurt's first meeting

Sunset Cliffs

Torry Pines, hiking the beach area

Cruz's first day home after 18 days in theNICU

CRUZER

Sunset Cliffs with the whole family

Happy and Healthy Cruz 

Let's give this Another Shot...

So it has been almost a year since I have posted something... Just proof that I have been busy. 
So much goes on in the Hines household in just one day that it would take me forever for me to catch you all up.  Seeing most (10 of you) follow me on Facebook you already know most of the craziness.

I have had a few people say I share way too much and put my family on display.  To them I say, don't read it, "unfriend" me, delete me.  I am who I am and my family is real and we put on no fake face.
I have been struggling with a few issues that included what others thought of me and knowing I was being judged for my choices.  MY Choices... Slowly I have let go and accepted myself. Can't make everyone happy but yourself, right? 

I figured I would come back to posting on my blog and not worry about others think.  So I am back and ready to take my blog back with the humor, sarcasm, and TMI's.