Days 2 & 3

(Dateline: Denver, CO)

Well, I would say we've made it through the vast stretches of nowhere that make up so much of the United States, but there's still Kansas...

So far, the trip is going amazingly well. Days 1 and 2 went exactly as planned, with us ending in Ely, Nev., on the first night and Grand Junction, Colo., the second. Today is our easy day, with only a few hours of driving this morning to get to Denver, then plenty of socializing for us and our dog as we stay with a friend of Karen's.

A strange side effect of the journey: The animals are bonding. I mean, don't get me wrong, they still seem to get pissed at each other all the time, but the dog and both cats climb onto the bed at night and peacefully coexist. My best guess is that this is because we are now their sole remaining piece of "home." But it might just be because they're cold and tired.

Griner luck seems to be working for us. Tonight and tomorrow, heavy snows are expected to hit the Sierra, which we just skated through two days ago. Denver is expected to see a little snow tomorrow, but most will go north and west of us. After Colorado, it should be smooth sailing.

We've revised the schedule a little bit. We're hoping to make it to Columbia, Mo., tomorrow night. That would put us into our final destination on Friday night. It's a lot of driving in two days, but it sure would be nice to get all this done in five days, instead of six. Plus, since Columbia is my college town, I should be able to snag some free lodging.

Well, back to drinking beer and having fun.