So Uhhhh What's the Situation on the French Toast Makin...SItuation?

So today was interesting. We stayed with a guy who reminded me remarkably of Jake Jensen. This will mean nothing to the parents who are reading this blog, but will be really funny to everyone else. So, to explain. Lots of stories about music and very extroverted and lots of fun.

He was really cool and made us a really good dinner. Great conversation and wine and food and a good place to sleep. We were happy people indeed.

So I woke up this morning and spent the whole time uploading videos that take forever to upload just to make you all happy. I might have thrown down about dishes at some point...right as I was meeting our new hosts... It might have carried over into video format... I don't think I'll be doing dishes anymore.

Sooooo I was on the road to Fallon, NV because I got a call from Mike Pacella that we were staying in a palace. They have a pool, cows, pool table, lots of couches, food left over from yesterday's party and an amazing view. I figured I'd get right over there and check it out, but on the way I passed the twice recommending Virginia City and thought I'd check it out.

At a gas station, before this awesome decision, I got a call from a pastor in Ely (which I keep pronouncing wrong... I bet you're pronouncing it wrong in your head right now... Ely... Yup that's wrong... Ely... stop it.)

So looks like we get to crash at a church in Ely. Sometimes life works out. Anyway I get the call from him and I couldn't hear him at all because I was right by the highway. Hopefully I wasn't too irritating trying to sound coherent.

So on the road I see the sign for Virginia City and one U turn later, I am on the road to adventure. It was cool, it had a lot of the old buildings and board walks still intact. I took the three dollar tour of the museum in town which was neat because it had things like old phones and old mine carts and old everything.

I was going to take the 5 dollar tour of the town on a trolley, but not enough people were around for the last tour of the day for it to happen. While I waited I ran into some people who had a son who had gone on a mission trip to somewhere in Africa; he worked at an orphanage and the town he lived in lost their well. He fund raised the money in his own church to fix it, so me and his father and a nice chat about why water is so important and how it's going to be the thing we start wars over for the 21st century.

On the way back I saw a Dinosaur!!!! T-rex to be exact. Made out of scrap metal on the side of the road. Unfortunately I did not take a picture of it, so I can't prove that it's there. This is like trying to prove that you saw a banana shaving it's legs in the shower (shout out to Jim Thomas who will never read this), so you'll have to decide for yourselves if you believe me or not.

Coincidentally the guy we stayed with (Mike) that reminded me remarkably of Jake Jensen worked for the City and surveyed wells and things. Apparently when it comes to water it all comes down to how long you've been on the land. There are people in Carson City who get first rights to the water because their grandparent's grandparents or something or another lived there, so the water is bought from them... or something. I'm a real details girl.

So food, has been amazing. Mike G. bought something like 40 lbs of rice and 180 cans of tuna... and about the equivalent in oatmeal and peanut butter and jelly. So I was rather frightened, but turns out Mike is also really good at finding extra food to supplement this rather awful diet. THe guy in Carson City made us some awesome chicken and something or another deliciousness. We just rolled into Fallon and they people here are very very nice. They had a party yesterday and so we've been eating all of their leftovers. Basically Mike sort of pokes around until he gets an offer of food and we hop onto the mooch bandwagon.

This may be the last post for awhile because we're about to enter the middle of nowhere Nevada (It's Nevahhhda) and then the middle of nowhere Utah, where apparently there are some of the most beautiful dark sky parks you will ever find. Dark Sky parks just mean that there are conservatories around them and they have some of the darkest skies in the world for viewing stars. Things will pick back up in Colorado when we're not camping.

Mike G. is wandering around like a bear man. He's tried two different couches and is still too warm. He's just wandered off into the desert... or rather the patio on the desert to find cool air... now the basement. Maybe I'll just sit here and blog about his crazy movements as they happen like that English assignment that everyone gets. You know, the one where you're supposed to sit in a place like a cafe and write down everything that happens around you. Only mine will be the Mike German experience. Here he comes again. His Achilles tendon has been hurting him. He's hobbling around like an old bear man. Here he comes with a sleeping bag, who wants to bet that he's going outside? Oh no... the dining room.... oh! and the surprise by the balcony door decision. I did not see that one coming. He grabs a pillow and an extra blanket and he is outta here.

So, it's been great so far... Donna, the woman we're staying with gave me a drink because I have to travel with three boys and some great food. She also asked me if I was dating Mike German. This is because I rolled into her drive way, called Mike and started yelling at him on the phone and in person as I got out of the car about dishes left in a sink in Carson City... I may have over reacted just a tad, but hey sometimes a girl just has to throw down about dishes; all the girls from Antietam can back me up on this one. This was about the last four years; poor Mike and Jesse were just the straws that broke the she-demon's back. A shout out to Mike Pacella for being completely self sufficient and good at doing dishes. I've never seen the like before. I probably shouldn't put my crazy on the internet. Oh well. Deal with it.

Soooo yea. The next few days will be interesting. We're coordinating a drop off of Mike P. in Elko to catch a plane for a conference where he's presenting. I will be driving up to Elko to stay with the nice people the boys stayed with on the way out to San Fran. Then I will pick up Mike P. and head down to Eureka, Kansas where the other boys will be waiting for us so that we can pick back up again. If you have never tried to fly out of the middle of nowhere Nevada, I wouldn't recommend it. It is at least 3 planes and 1000 dollars. This is why I'm not making it to my brother's wedding party.

So far we are nearly ahead of schedule. It looks like they're going to cut out the middle between Austin, Nevada and here and just go straight to Austin. I'm not entirely sure why but, when Chem E's start to plan something, you just let them do crazy mathematical figure 8s and acrobatics until you can figure out what the heck they're trying to do, so you can suggest something obvious.

Actually now that I think about it the next time I'll probably be able to update is in Elko... maybe. Who knows. That's why this is an adventure.

Signed Most Irrevocably,
One Shelly Kessler, She-Demon