At Break-Neck Speed

This is DAY 6 of our whirlwind BOOK TOUR for Today I Found God and I really have to apologize to all of you for not being prompt on my blog updates– we have been so busy that I have barely had time to breathe, much less blog, but it is late, the baby is asleep and we are going to be in town (Denver, CO) for one more day, so I finally have time to catch all of you up on this Awesome Road-Trip…

DAY 1  We left Thousand Oaks at 4:00pm.  We stopped in Topanga Canyon to pick up some adapters to help us keep our food cool and to allow us to use our computers while we drive.  A baby and a hyper-active dog make typing on a computer in a moving car extremely difficult.  We drove through Las Vegas all the way to St. George, Utah.  We got in late (2:00am) and were asleep as soon as we hit the pillows.

DAY2  We had a quick breakfast and were back on the road at 10:15am.  We drove through Salt Lake City– we were impressed by all the wholesome billboards.  There is a real sense of family and moral values in “The Beehive State” that we hope all of America can come to know soon.  We arrived in Idaho Falls, Idaho around 7:30PM.  We stayed at a Hotel in Idaho Falls called “Le Ritz”– It was ASTOUNDING!!  They had rooms for pets with hardwood floors, so they could keep the rooms SUPER-CLEAN.  The room even had a big Pillow bed for dogs and a welcome mat that said, “Wipe your Paws”.  LuLu loved it, and so did we. 

DAY3  I woke up early and had to be at the KIDK Channel 3 (CBS) TV station at 6:30am.  I did a quick 5 minute “live” interview in my “Wacky Word-o-logist” outfit, which includes a lab coat and a reflector headpiece– very clowny.  It was a small studio, but Tom, the anchor/metoerologist was great and the interview was a lot of fun. 
     I then raced back to the hotel and picked up Sean Marie and Douglas and we zoomed off to Hastings Books in Idaho Falls, where I performed the Wacky Rhyme Tyme Laboratory, read Today I Found God, and hosted an Autograph Party.  This was the debut of The Rhyme Tyme Laboratory and was a smashing success!  The kids had a lot of fun and we did to.  Hopefully this is the start of a wonderful run for the Wacky Rhyme Tyme Laboratory Show.
     After the show, We went back to Le Ritz, packed up the Xterra and were back on the road by 12:15pm.  I had never driven through Idaho and I was amazed!!!  It is one of the most incredible States I’ve ever driven through.  God is so awesome– His beauty is unsurpassed.  We pulled off the side of the road to take in the majestic views.  
     In Wyoming, we ran into a small storm.  It was kind of stressful driving in the mountains in the rain, but God made it worthwhile– He reminded us of His promise that He’d never flood the whole world again– we saw a beautiful rainbow.
     We stopped for dinner in a picturesque town called Pinedale, Wyoming.  We ate at The Patio Grill.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!  This was the most unexpected surprise so far on the trip.  The people who work there are so nice, genuine, and generous.  They even allowed LuLu to join us outside in the fenced-in patio while we enjoyed a perfectly cooked meal.  I had the Fried Chicken sandwich with hand-cut potatoe fries. (YUMMY)  Sean Marie had a “To-die-for” BLT, and Douglas had a grilled-to-perfection grilled cheese sandwich.  The cook (and manager– he does it all) then brought out a strip of bacon for LuLu– he quickly had a friend for life.  As we were eating, The cook then brought Douglas his first toy car– it was a Christian Race Car that said “Wisdom and Praise” on the hood of the engine.  Douglas loves his car and we love The Patio Grill.  We can’t say enough good things about the place.  If you are ever near Pinedale, Wyoming then please go to The Patio Grill and enjoy great food, wonderful people, and some of the biggest cookies you’ll ever see.
     We kept driving and at 9:30pm we arrived in Rawlins, WY.  WHAT A BUSY DAY!!!  God is great.  *whew*

DAY4  We woke up and were on the road at 10:20am.  We drove through Wyoming and honked the horn as we crossed the Colorado State Line.  As we got closer to Denver, all the familiar sights brought back feelings of nostalgia.  Denver is the town where Sean Marie and I fell in Love.  It is great to be here.  We arrived at the hotel at 2:30pm.  We are staying in Staybridge Suites– which is just 100 yards from Cherry Creek Bike Path– THE PLACE I PROPOSED TO SEAN MARIE AND SHE SAID, “YES!”  Needless to say, it is a very sentimental loacation for us– we love it. 
     We ate at The Bull and Bush Pub which is a pub located across the street from our first apartment together.  We then took a romantic stroll along Cherry Creek Bike Path with LuLu and Douglas.  This walk with our pack was a dream come true.   We have been talking about coming back to take this walk for years and now we were finally able to do it– this time with our two new pack members.  I love love.

DAY5  Greeted the day with a family prayer and went to Church– Good Shepherd Catholic Church.  Father James Fox is new to Good Shepherd and his homily was powerful and wonderful.  I was teary-eyed as I was reminded in the sermon how Jesus didn’t come to make the world perfect– He came to BE perfect.  God’s sacrifice should teach us all to feel humble and strive to be the perfect creation God intended us to be.  We took a nap (finally) and then took another walk along Cherry Creek Bike Path– Life is good.

DAY6  Worked out early and then at 8:30am I headed off to the KRKS 94.7FM studio and talked with Tom Moller.  Tom is an ex-Rock-n-Roll DJ turned Christian.  He was a lot of fun to talk to and we had a great time together.  The interview was taped and will air on Satuday- September 4th at 2:00pm MDT.  After the interview Sean Marie, Douglas, LuLu and I went to some Bookstores and got them to order copies of Today I Found God.  Slowly but surely Today I Found God is becoming more accessable to families.  Took another romantic walk along Cherry Creek Bike Path. 
     The baby is sleeping and we have a big show tomorrow at The Bookery Nook in Denver.  Stay tuned for more updates on the Today I Found God Book Tour…