Destination unknown.

Just returned from my folks, who asked the same two questions both friends and aquantenance have been asking alike.

"So, when are you leaving Gary?", and "Where are you going?"

I will now take a few moments to answer both.

The first one is easy. We have set a date in late June. We still live in the house overlooking Lake Springfield, but will be moving our post-garage sale belongings to a much smaller house just a few days before our departure. The "where we are going" part is not so easy to answer.

Let me explain.

Most nursing directors go to hospital administration for temp staffing because they needed it last week, not six weeks in advance. So then, there is often short notice between assignments.

Our interest is in the New England states because Molly's has dreamed of visiting the area museums, art and historical markers. We would prefer an area between Boston and New York City, though we are unfamiliar with the area and could be talked into other nearby locales, as long as they are more urban than rural.

Providence R.I. has been our stated preference, but that will only work out provided there is a need for travel nurses at that time. Connecticut is nearby and has been made available to me but I am willing to hold out for a few more weeks as additional positions will be available the closer in time we get to our departure.

Mum asks "So how does it feel to not know where you are going?"

"Like an adventure", I respond.

The garage sale happens this week, time to rid ourselves of all the stuff.

Wedding Pictures!

Just Married!


Dancing with Mum at the reception.


Mary says she forgot the figures to go on the cake.
We also forgot the forks, causing a delay in serving the cake.

Lydia trying to hide.


I love this picture! Look how B.J. the guy on the left is leaning away from
the garter even though it is right by him. He looks like he might of kicked
it further along. Come on B.J. marriage ain't that bad!

Our first glass of champagne being married.

Mary and my daughters and grandbaby. What a lucky guy I am!


Mary, Molly, and myself. The future traveling family.

What's Changed?

The first question put to me the day after the wedding was, "So how is married life?"
"No different really. " was my response.

Mary and I are driving home after the reception dance when she says, "I don't feel any different, it feels like we just finished a great night of dancing and fun."

Now that it has been a few weeks, we can both say we don't notice anything different.

We like to think over the past year we worked through a lot of issues and expectations that newlyweds work through. Now don't think that we are naive enough to believe that we have covered it all. We are not.

One thing that has changed is that there is less stuff at home. The second fridge is being sold tomorrow two TVs are gone and one stereo. This is all in an attempt to downsize before our July departure.

Last weekend I had a miserable time sitting at a friend's garage watching few people stop during a citywide sale. The weather was cold and wet, the shoppers were scant and the dollars were even rarer as most everything I had brought over went back into the truck and home. I spent five hours sitting in that garage just to make $60.

That following day, in the comfort of our own home Mary sold some of her plants to dinner guests for $40. Lucky for her.

I am done with garage sales, but Mary is gonna give it a try at the house we will be moving our belongings to. I am hoping for success as the rest of the stuff will be loaded on my pickup to be hauled to charity. So come on by and tell your friends about our big sale the first weekend in June.

Welcome

Its the day before the wedding. Aaron, my Best Man, and I have been running errands since that morning, delivering furniture to the reception, picking up the serving ware and such.

We had just finished lunch with Mary and the Bridesmaid, and saw a Smoothie King, when Aaron reminds me of how good a smoothie would taste. In a few moments a large protein packed coffee mocha is in one hand and the steering wheel in the other.

My belly is trying to make room for this extra treat when it occurs to me, "When is the rehearsal dinner?"

"Rehearsal dinner?" Aaron repeats. "Well surely its after the rehearsal, not before, cause I can't eat another bite."

A few miles down the road to our next errand the phone rings.

It's Mary.

"Where are you?", she says. "We are all on our way to the dinner"

"The dinner????" both Aaron and I say,"We're on our way"

Welcome to my first blog, Gary's Travels.

I have read that blogs should be singular in purpose and content.

This one won't be. Except to just share my adventures in a new marriage as I travel across the country working as a Travel Nurse, with Mary and have Molly, my youngest daughter join us for two months.

I have decided to start the blogging adventure with our wedding and will share aspects of marriage, parenthood, work, travel and the little oddities of life that happen along the way.

I hope you enjoy and look forward to your comments.