Dress Rehearsal

We've spent the last two days preparing for a roadtrip to the Midwest.  It was not a journey we wanted to make right now, but something cropped up last minute that required our presence in Kansas.  Specifically, there were buyers for my mother's house and it needed to be cleaned out pronto. 

I was planning on switching my blog header to the vintage red Arizona truck and surprising blog readers with a Where in the World is Saby? expose.  Perhaps some photos of Saby standing next to the Welcome to New Mexico or Welcome to Kansas sign?  Or maybe a photo of Saby at the glamorous Rodeway Inn in Tucumcari, New Mexico that allows dogs in the room?

Anyway, I pulled myself out of bed very early this morning -- 4 a.m. -- to get the house in order. I even wrapped some Christmas gifts to drop off with my mom.  We checked off chores from the list as we walked the dog, locked all the doors and windows, turned off the A/C, watered plants, loaded the car with our bags and Saby, pulled out of the driveway, pulled back in to make sure we'd unplugged the coffee pot, and finally were ready to head out on the highway.

Saby, in the meantime, bored with the wait, had rolled the back window on the Pilot all the way down and was hanging out the side with a big smile on her face.  When we first adopted Saby, our son had warned us about that talent.   We dismissed it as coincidence (having her paw in just the right place) until we noticed that yes, she DID have the ability to push the button and lower her window, usually when the car's barrelling down the freeway.  So we know now to use the child locks on the windows.

But back to the story.  We pulled out of the neighborhood once again and headed up Lindsay to the 202 Santan Freeway.  Once we turned east, Craig and I admired the sunrise while Saby, with the window locked in the 1/3 down position, enjoyed the wind in her face.  About 40 minutes later, just as we were exiting the interstate to head north out of Phoenix metro to Payson and points beyond, my cellphone rang.  It was my brother.  Roadtrip cancelled!  The buyers changed their minds and the big clean out is postponed!

So we turned around and took the slow road home in the early morning rush.  We left at 6:30 a.m. and pulled back in at 8:30 a.m.  Once home, we decided to quickly unpack and get everything put away.  As we  unloaded all the stuff in from the car, Saby, still shaking with excitement in the laundry room trying to get back to the garage and car, gave us a puzzled disgusted look that said -- this has to be a stupid human trick!

After destroying all the evidence, Craig and I both collapsed for a few hours to recover from our whirlwind roadtrip.  Unfortunately, this event was just a dress rehearsal for a required future trip, but we're glad to be back home again and more than a little relieved to postpone the ordeal. 

I do think Saby's a little pissed off.  She was really looking forward to all those cows, sheep, deer, horses, and various other animal sightings along the way!  She hasn't been on a long roadtrip in three years.

Anyway, we're back.  (After barely leaving.)