Once we settled in our hotel rooms last night, I went to work on Neely’s suitcase.  Seemed that the zipper had jammed the night before and she couldn’t get it opened.  We had separate rooms Sunday night so I didn’t know she had a problem until the morning.  Poor kid, I felt so bad for her.  Luckily I had my trusty Avon Manicure kit complete with cuticle scissors and went to work on the zipper, pulling out bunched up threads.  After about 30 minutes I was finally able to get one side of the zipper to work so that half the bag was open and she could get clean clothes out!  YAY!!!  Avon not only helped me raise $500 for SSL this year but it helped me open Neely’s bag.  hehehe

We get a good nights sleep and hit the road at 9 am.  We go through the usual routine, gas up, food up and set off for Denver.  It’s going to be a long day on the road.  Yesterday I thought I had lost my MP3 player but I found it tucked in the back seat in the cave so I hand it over to Randy so we have music from DJ MaryLou for the morning ride which has a definite Boston theme to it.  🙂  During some of the songs, I shoot some fun video inside the van and of the passing landscapes.  At about 12:20 pm we finally leave Montana and enter Wyoming.  Yay!!!!  An hour later we stop and refuel, stretch and grab some food for the afternoon. While looking in the cooler section for a drink I spy a bottle of “Squirt”  I just have to have it!  Growing up my Uncle Dave was a salesman and Squirt was one of his products and this brings him up front in my mind.  I have to do this for him and I have Neely take a picture of me with it so I can show Lucy and Ma when I get home.  Uncle Dave was a very special Uncle and he is the one who died on my Birthday about 20 years ago.  My Aunt Angie told me at his funeral that there was a special bond between the two of us from the time I was a baby.  I miss him a great deal and this moment brought back a flood of fond memories.

A short bit later my tummy decides it’s not happy.  Not sure what set it off.  I’ve been carefully choosing my foods so as to keep the tummy problems at bay, but it finally decides to act up.  I take an Imodium just to be on the safe side and sit back and hope things quiet down.   Unfortunately it doesn’t help.  We have a very stressful afternoon ride once I tell the guys that I’m not feeling well.  We make a stop and rest for a bit and then hit the road again, but before long I am in agony.  This is not a normal stomach ache.  Damn!  I had prayed that there would be no incidents, but here we are about 70 miles from the next stop. UGH!  At one point, Randy pulled off the highway and we came to a strip club of all things.  LOL…Poor Randy went running to the building to find the rest room and the place was closed.  There were some vehicles around but the place was locked up.  He even offered to kick the door in but I wouldn’t here of it.  We get back in the van and head to the next rest area.  Here  Neely stands guard at the restroom door preventing anyone from invading my privacy.  LOL.. I was sooo sick it wasn’t funny.  We sit in the parking lot for awhile and I feel terrible that I am holding up the trip back to Denver, but Mike insists that I take all the time I need.  Once I start feeling better we are back on the road.  I try as best as I can to curl up in the back seat and stay strapped in with the seat belt and take a little snooze.  What a horrible afternoon but eventually I start to feel somewhat better.

When we hit Colorado, we decide to go to the Cracker Barrel for dinner before we hit the hotel.  We have come full circle.  We started at Cracker Barrel and we end the tour at Cracker Barrel.  When we get to the hotel we do our good bye hugs and it is very emotional for Neely.  She and Mike go outside and Randy brings his things to his room while I guard the rest of the luggage.  It has been an emotional filled day for all of us but now it is time to rest up for the journey home.  Neely is the first to leave in the morning for her trip back to Saint John, New Brunswick.  I’m not sure what time Mike left, maybe even before Neely, I’m not sure.  I head out on the shuttle to DIA at about 10:45 am and Randy sleeps in….he is staying an extra day to relax.

Randy is the only one in our group who witnessed both of the EF5 tornadoes in person.  I know he was deeply affected by them, and then when he got back to Scottsdale, AZ, his dad had surgery and was in the hospital.  Poor Randy never caught a break from the beginning of May until this trip.  I’m glad he was able to have a fun time and let this tour be more of a vacation for him than a job.  I hope that his Dad recovers quickly and can battle the road ahead of him in the coming months.  By 6:30 pm I am back in Boston and the dream is over.

I hope everyone has enjoyed my great adventure these past 12 days, I know I sure have.  It was the most amazing time in my life.  I took a risk going on a road trip with three people I had never met in person.  As a friend said to me…”hasn’t your Mother ever told you not to talk to strangers?”  LOL… These guys were not total strangers.  I have watched Mike stream his trips for over a year now and had a sense of how the trip would work.  I’d also had a chance to see Randy with Mike last July when he took Mike in after his last van died in Arizona and he was stranded for 10 days awaiting the outcome only to have to purchase a new van so he could get home.  And Neely was a complete joy to have as a room mate.

In the coming days I will pour through my photos and videos and will post some additional entries of my great adventure in the Northern Plains of the great USA.  For now I say Chow my Peeps!  I will bring you new adventures in the near future so stay tuned.  My camera is already begging to come out of it’s case again!  See you soon!! 🙂