Wednesday after work Deb, Ian, and I headed to SGF for Eball's basketball game. The boys played the toughest game of the year, but came up a little short in the end. End of session #1 and we ended up 6-5 (much better than how we started last year). Everyone is looking forward to session #2, which starts the first week of January.
We got home late and while the boys headed to bed Deb and I loaded up the Durango so in the morning all we had to do is wake up the kids and immediately head out. There were several travel warnings for northern MO, and western NE and SD so we were working with Jim A to create alternate routes (just in case). I think it was a little after midnight when our heads hit the pillow.
4am and the alarm goes off (this is going to be a long day). Deb gets ready while I run to the office and get some daily requirements done quickly. Get home, load the boys, and we are on the road in the rain at 4:45am heading to western South Dakota at the northern point of the Black Hills (Deb's folks home) for a week.I'll preface the rest of this by saying the usual route to the Appleby Lodge (gorgeous house up on a small mountain side) is to get to KC then take 29 all the way to Sioux Falls, SD then straight across 90 to Rapid City then a quick run up to Spearfish. The whole trip from Bolivar usually takes around 15 hrs.
Everything is going well until we get a little north of St. Joe, MO; that's when the rain started freezing on the road and after a quick unplanned drift I back it down to 30mph (the flow of what traffic was on the road - very little). Less than a mile from that point we came upon a 'fresh' 5 car (one tractor trailer) wreck. Emergency vehicles were just on scene so we kept creeping. After a quick discussion with Jim A (monitoring weather/highway conditions all day for us) it was decided to shoot off through Lincoln, NE and get west before heading north again. After 3hrs of crawling along and just a little west of Lincoln one lane on 80 Hwy opened some so the pace quickened. The issue turned then from slick roads to white-out conditions and intense high winds. It was a fight to keep the rig driving straight. Another briefing with Jim had us jump off of 80 and take a smaller hwy (NE 2) heading west and a little north. At first this road was snow and ice packed, but after a little bit it cleared nicely. At Broken Bow, NE (about 9 hrs in) Deb took over driving for a spell to give me a break.
The boys have always been super travelers and they know the rule - we stop, I gas, they pee, then back on the road. We pack food before we leave and very rarely do we stop for food. We have got it down pretty solid and we can make great time. In the below clip Ian was still wearing his coat for a quick stop; it was so freaking cold outside he refused to take it off for most of the trip - funny.
So outside of Broken Bow as fast as things turned bad earlier the roads and skies cleared up (a relative term now) and it was fairly speedy travel across middle NE and the Sand Hills. At Alliance (west side of the state) I jumped back in the driver's seat (Deb's two hours break was AWESOME) recharged and ready for the push straight north. The roads quickly became patchy with snow and ice again and the sun was dropping fast. Hwy 385 is a good road that cruises straight into Black Hills foothills of NE and SD (would be scenic if it hadn't required 100% concentration). but we averaged probably 45-50mph for 2 1/2 hrs until we hit Hwy 79 outside of Hot Springs, SD. Open and clean roads were a nice change all the way to Spearfish and a lock into 4-wheel drive got us up the 'hill' to Jim and Linda's casa (a sweet sight!) around 8:15 mountain time (9:15 CST). 16 1/2 hrs was way faster actually then what we originally estimated considering the conditions and I credit that to the 'pit stop' like stops for gas and self-relief. Deb was great at keeping the conversation going, XM 80's and 90's station rocked, but the best time killer was the unexpected text picture of Ira in his undies that Deb intercepted on my Crackberry (CLASSIC moment) to say the least; all of us were dying with laughter.
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Many hugs were passed around, food was consumed, cookies were made and left for Santa, and not too long later the boys (and I for a short period) were deep in dreamland. Deb woke me and project SANTA went into full effect. All the presents were brought out, Santa's cookies and milk and reindeer carrots were eaten, and then it was time for the rest of us to hit the hay. It was a little past midnight and it felt like it had been a couple days since last relaxing with sleep.
Christmas morning '09 and I am up at 6am and can't go back to sleep. I get around, check Twitter, hit some core strength, then wait for the boys to come to life. Outside was absolutely beautiful as the snow was falling and the wind was whipping the white stuff around. Around 7:30 Deb and I finally give Ian a nudge, remind him what day it was, and he quickly springs to life. It was fun watching him try to figure where he was and how to get to the Christmas tree (since he was half asleep and in a different house)... Ian woke Jake and we all gathered by the tree for the reading of scripture. After the true Christmas story it was time to rip into the paper.
Above is pictures looking out their deck and usually the outside view is a mountain in the distance, but this morning it was nowhere to be seen.
Several items seemed to be a hit and for Ian it was the Texas Longhorns Colt McCoy jersey and Rock Band (with all the instruments). Deb snagged me Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 so say goodbye to sleep for Jake and I. We have nothing planned for the rest of the day, but to hang out, play some games, and chow on Jim's ribs this evening. I imagine more of the below will take place...
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