1.21.10
While my mom and I were enjoying our hour at the Athletic Club of Bend's Zumba class, my dad and brother Robert were in conversation about my drive home to Idaho. My dad didn't want me to travel by myself with sicko Treyman and his tummy issues. So, he roped Robert into driving back to Idaho with me and then taking the Greyhound bus back to Bend the following morning. Robert is always so willing to help, whether he is happy about it or not, I really wouldn't have known. He is always pretty mellow with the flow of events and willing to help. These were the major mishaps with our plans to travel together to Idaho.
*The Greyhound bus "station" in Bend (which is actually in the local bowling alley. CLASSY) does not sell bus tickets. You either have to purchase them on line, or, more preferably, in IDAHO where Robert would be picking up the bus and taking it back to Bend. (the Greyhound info desk did NOT know that Bend doesn't sell tickets and insisted we purchased them in Idaho. ROBERT purchase them in Idaho. HELLO, we were calling FROM Bend and couldn't make it to Idaho by the time the ticket counter closed. DORKS!) Poor Robert waited and waited at the Bus Station in Bend to sign for his tickets that we couldn't even purchase there. PLUS, Robert forgot his phone and had to used the bowling alley's phone over and over. Thank heavens for cell phones.
*We purchased the tickets on line but was unable to print off the ticket. The info lady who was the largest DORK of them all had to write up a note, giving Robert "permission" to aboard the bus. I guess Bend didn't have a printer EITHER, so he was supposed to hand this "permission" slip to the bus driver in Ontario, Oregon, where he would change buses and then print a pass in Ontario.
*Our drive to Idaho went pretty smoothly. I think we had to stop 3 or 4 times for Trey to "do his thing" on the side of the road. We only had to change clothes twice. Poor little guy got pretty good at squatting and changing within a matter of minutes before the next semi truck passed by. By the time we got home, he had NO modesty and was free to tell EVERYONE that would listen that he had "tummy issues."
*Robert was pulled over by a Police prior to entering into Burns, Oregon. Being the kind, HONEST, man he is, he told the Police the truth and said, "I am driving my sister and her sick child home to Idaho. I realized we were speeding." He was going 73 mph and the Police said, "Well, just to let you know, we have to pull anyone going past 65, BUT, you can drive at 75 mph and still dodge a ticket." NICE man I tell you. BTW, this was the trip for Police. We witnessed what we thought was probably a drug bust, with dogs and all, at a rest stop, and we passed about 4 other Police cars. Jokingly, I looked over at Robert and said, "If you are hiding anything in my luggage, will you please tell me now because I really don't want to be searched." He didn't answer; so I took that as a big 'NO.'
*We made our typical stop in Burns, Oregon at the McDonald's. Robert was so kind and sweet with the boys. He played with them in the playground and watched one of the boys while I took the other to the restroom!
*We got into Idaho about 8pm and Robert stayed up until 3am so he could sleep on the ride home to Oregon.
*Justin decided to stay home from work the next day; we didn't want Trey to go to school with his tummy issues! (Boy, that would have been really embarrassing for him!)
The next morning, I dropped Robert off at the Bus Station at about 7am. We were told he needed to be dropped off an hour prior to his boarding time. WHAT A JOKE! Our bus station is just the corner of a major road with no indoor building to wait in. It was raining and freezing. I waited as long as I could before I was off to work.
About an hour after dropping him off, I called his cell phone Robert didn't answer. I decided to call my Mom's cell phone and she seemed a bit frustrated. She said Robert was STILL at the bus stop because the bus wasn't coming. The weather was so bad from Twin Falls (where I guess they keep the buses?! WHATEV!) that the bus turned around and went back. Not only did Robert miss the bus in Idaho, he would have missed it in Ontario, Oregon as well. The kicker, he didn't even have a real printed ticket. THANKFULLY, someone was able to print a ticket for him for the following day.
The next crazy experience was that Robert was stuck at the bus stop and I was at work. Justin was at home, about 3 minutes from the Bus Stop, BUT, he wasn't answering his cell phone. THANKFULLY, I have GREAT friends who live just around the corner. So, I called my great, trusty friend JESSICA D. and asked if she could go to our home and ring the door bell. Even though she was still in her pj's and it WAS still very early in the morning, she was AMAZING and saved the day! THANK YOU Jessica! (Justin was upstairs with the boys and his phone was downstairs.) THANK YOU, THANK YOU Jessica!
So, Robert slept the day away and got on the bus the following morning. By the looks of the passengers on the bus, it looked like he would have a
fun, exciting bus ride.
Thank you Robert, Dad, Mom, Justin, and Jessica for making this whole experience possible!
Tian enjoying the snow in Burns, Oregon. Look at that cute tongue of his! Tian was so happy to be out of the car, to be playing in the snow, and to be eating some grub. LOOK AT THAT MULLET!
"Thank You Uncle Robert" for all you did for us and our travels. Picture taken in the parking lot of our favorite "restaurant" in Burns, Oregon! McDonald's.
Here is Trey AND Tian eating snow, AT THE SAME TIME. This was not staged AT ALL. I was sitting with Trey and looked over and saw Tian head down in the snow. After checking on him, I realized he too was eating snow.
