Home at last.

Okay, so Joe and I finally made it home. (Minus a mirror!) And unfortunately, my internet is not currently working, so the posting has been put on hold. I am currently sitting in the parking lot of Panera in Evansville IN. It's amazing what I'll go to for internet!!! At any rate, I am starting to pack for Europe - 3 days, people! I am having anxiety but not like I thought I would. I'm starting to develop a calm: the most important thing is to have fun. PLUS: I received my travel documents and it has a list of 10 commandments for traveling. #1: Thou shalt not worry. I'M CURED! The pics here are of random Seattle art that I meant to post before. Cheers!

Excitement. Awe. Disbelief.

So, my brother Joseph flew out to see me in Seattle. My assignment in Seattle is completed and Joseph came out to drive home to Kentucky with me. The trip started out well with a visit to the Experience Music Project in Seattle. This was followed by a visit to Twin Falls ID to see some much-missed friends of mine. We had a great time and Joe was treated to a great view of the scenic Snake River Canyon. Proceed to day 2 where we traveled through the Grand Teton National Park where we watched the sunset and stayed in cabin in the park. Translate to: almost complete solitude, no telephone, no internet, not even a television. Hello card games. Day 3: Today! We drove into Yellowstone where we proceeded to have a GREAT day. We made an impromptu decision to leave the park from the Northeastern entrance and travel slightly north into Montana to catch I-90. This was great in theory and turned out well but took a little longer than expected. The road was the Beartooth Scenic Highway and for those who don't know it, this road is only open for a few months out of the year. There was still several inches of snow in many places. So, gorgeous drive; we stopped in Billings MT to eat at Cracker Barrel. Sweet! Then we're (sing in tune) "ridin' along in our automobile..." and ... it's approximately 2215 about 20 miles west of Gillette WY and I say "Oh my God, Joe!" and Joe says "Oh my God!" Me "Oh my God!" Joe "Oh my God!" Well, he must have heard us because we got by with just a few scrapes. About 200 feet in front of us were 2 deer. The speed limit is 75mph here and I'm cruising at 82 mph. I slam on my brakes and by the time we get to the deer, I'm only going 30 to 35mph, but... at the last minute, the deer decides to turn into my car. To the point: I have a dent in the left side of my car and I am now missing a side mirror. No major damage and considering, I think we came out smelling like a rose:). Enjoy the pics here. A quick recap of the highlights of our trip: moose, buffalo, antelope, Old Faithful eruption, hitting a deer, a drive to the top of a gorgeous mountain. 2 days left... we'll see what happens!