Last morning...April 19, 2009

and....we are done. We spend our last night in San Diego. We'll be home in hours. Im gonna miss the RV. It's super fun. Here's our last picture. You should know Corey has taken all of our "family" pics himself. He insisted on it. Like a dogma.

Old married RV-er's....with a fluffy dog.

I drive....I do not like it

So after being in the RV for almost two weeks Corey finally lets me drive. Turns out these things are bulky and the wind blows it all around. I can't really figure out how wide I am. It makes my stomach ache. I last a little over an hour. Notice forced smile.

The Thing (see earlier post)

So if you've ever driven thru southern Arizona you've seen the signs for THE THING. There are maybe 200 of them. Ive never went in until now. Corey and I paid our $1 each for entrance and discover......THE THING is really........just a lot of random things. I felt I got my bucks worth.

Driving home

Mabel has finally gotten comfortable in the RV.

Walmart parking lot - We are officially RV'ers

Dont be jealous.

Demming, New Mexico

April 17, 2009 - Bye Marfa.

We leave Marfa. Im sad. I would like to stay another day in this hipster cowboy twilight zone. On the way out we see this. A fake Prada store some German artists built outside of Marfa. In the middle of no where. You can drive eitherway for at least 45 mins and not see a thing. It's super odd. It looks like a real store but ain't. And people leave their business cards on this little ledge that goes all the way around the store. Corey left his card. So did some computer tech from Juarez who stopped while we were there. Agian, it's very windy. Click on the picture to enlarge it and check out Mabel. Here's a tip: Always wear boots in West Texas.

Oh and if you do keep driving you'll see a blimp parked all by itself. Turns out it's used by the border patrol. Border Patrol and blimp never seemed like a match to me but...okay. I didn't take a picture but you can google it.

April 16, 2009

This is where we stayin Marfa. The Thunderbird. More things should be called the Thunderbird. Say it. It's nice right? The Thunderbird.

They were also nice enough to provide this camouflage for the RV.

Donald Judd REALLY liked Dan Flavin. He named his kid Flavin. Flavin Starbuck. For real.

Corey really likes Dan Flavin too. I have to admit I think it's all pretty too. I will not name my child Flavin. Sorry.

Judd

So, here's my short version of this. The Shelley Short Version. Donald Judd, artist, comes to Marfa. Likes it. Buys a ranch. Buys an old Army Fort and turns it into a gallery. Makes Marfa an artist mecca. Kinda of impressive honestly. End.

And we went on the tour. This is the worst photo Ive ever taken. It is very very windy in West Texas.

and ate ice cream

This town is so weird. It's all full of hipsters and cowboys and regular small town folks. And there are more galleries here than I've seen anywhere. And I have a lot of stamps in my passport. (okay, not a lot but a strong handful) It would take days to go to them all. There's no stop light. Just one flashing red light. You could walk the whole town. Then all the sudden there is a giant tour bus of old folks from somewhere. Oh, if you ever come here eat the pizza. Some super Jersey guy will make it and if crazy delicious.

P.S. I love Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Then we rode bikes....

Corey rides by some building:


and Padre's (the only bar in town):
The feed mill:

April 15, 2009

Everyday in Marfa the Food Shark pulls in and serves a crazy delicious lunch. I had the falafel plate. This town is crazy. What small southern town has a food truck that serves delicious falafel?!?! I had never even heard of falafel until I was, maybe, 20.

The Windmill in the Sunset

Then Corey took a picture of the sunset. And I took a picture of Corey taking a picture of the sunset.

Corey and the Cowboys

So we're driving into Marfa and see these guys roping calves. Corey being Corey...we pull in, make friends and spend the next hour taking pictures of them. Here's Corey:



And this sweet cat I met:


And this goat who was just hanging out:

Missing USB cord

I lost my USB cord somewhere in the RV. Turns out blogs aren't so interesting without pictures. Sorry. I will post as soon as I find it. Just to catch you up.....went to Marfa. Saw Rodeo guys training horses. Saw hipsters. Saw cowboys. Saw Judd. Left Marfa. Drove to Deming NM. Stayed the night at the Walmart with other RV'ers. Driving west now. Hope to find cord soon.

Marfa, Texas

Well, almost.....

it is very windy.

There Will Be Mabel

Lunch in the back of the Mercantile Store

Back Door cafe

http://www.backdoorcafe.net/

The cafe is in the back of an old working mercantile store. They sell everything you need.  And I mean everything. You need some mayo, they got it. Beer, they got it. Deer lick, they got it.  Set of antlers, they got it. They are also the post office:

The food was delicious. Thats Texas Toothpicks with my grilled cheese ( fried jalapenos and onions) We also had banana pudding but forgot to take a picture because we ate it so fast.

I will no longer be skinny.

April 15, 2009

Corey goes into the gas station to buy a cup of coffee and an orange. He goes up to the counter and the check out lady says "Uh-uh. That orange cost a 1.59." then she talks him into buying this bargain item for breakfast instead. 

Junction, Texas

So we leave out of Austin and head West. A few hours later we're in Junction, Texas. 

First, we have some supper:

chicken fried steak with  okra
Fried mushroom with some of corey's okra.  (if it makes you feel better we both had a side salad but it seemed boring to photograph that.)

Then we pull into the KOA and hook up. For the first time we hook up to everything. City water, sewage, cable and electricity. Full RV life.

Then we do some laundry:

(yes, completely staged laundry photo but ....cute.)

April 14, 2009 - Eric goes on the Honeymoon

Note to self: Buy some sunglasses.

April 13, 2009 - adios Fischer Hall

Fischer Hall.  Fischer, Texas. It's one of the oldest dance halls in Texas. Stop calling it a barn people! Its a dance hall. 

April 11, 2009 - Wedding

a wedding....

and some dancing....

Austin 8, 2009 - Wedding Prep

Me sewing booklets in the RV and Corey washing table clothes in the Laundrymat to soften them.

Lunch -ing at the Trailor Park Food Court

Hobby Lobby -ing

Willie Nelson's bus

Corey gets very excited because he thinks he sees Willie Nelson's bus. The perfect photo op! Turns it just some old travel bus with a odd hybrid of Rome and Utah airbrushed on the side. Come on, why  would Willie Nelson's bus be in the Walmart parking lot?! We take the picture anyway. 

April 7, 2009 - Austin

Corey fancies himself a good driver. Here he has backed into a parking space at some Mexican restaurant we went to to see a band. They promptly sent someone out to tell us there was no overnight parking there. After a short talk they said we could stay for the band but had to leave directly after. 

Half way official

After a few questions - No, we aren't related by blood or adoption. No, we haven't been divorced in the last 30 days. No, we have no outstanding child support - and 66 bucks....we got our marriage license in Fredricksburg. Mabel didn't get to come.

Note to self: never wear those jeans again.

April 6, 2009

Fredricksburg, Texas.  We left Las Cruces around 11a and 9 hours later we're in Fredricksburg, Texas whose down town square looks like a postcard. Fredricksburg is part of Hill Country. Its been a dry season and there aren't many flowers. Corey is bummed. Very bummed. On a different note, the speed limit on highways in Texas is now 80 which makes him very happy. We do NOT go 80 in the RV. 

Pray the rain pushes