Broken Home...

The Facts

Things break. Sometimes all at once.

His Side

As you’ve discovered through reading this blog, I’m not much a Mr. Fix-It, but I am learning. I have installed a storm door, put together an entertainment center, hung a TV on the wall, installed a fence, revamped a side-yard, and even done some minor garage door repair work. I had never worked on a washing machine, though… until now. But I’ll get to that.

As you know, we’ve been having some garage door issues. First, we had a bracket break because the door was out of square. After fixing that )with some help), it broke again and we fixed it. Then it broke again and we put a whole new cable on there (which apparently was very dangerous as we found out later). We figured it was time to have the professionals check it out. 

The professional, however, looked at it and told us the bad news:  we needed a whole new system. Kristi dealt with them more than I did but, from what I understand, we had an old system and it would eventually stop working all together. So we had to remedy that.

During all that garage door stuff, we also found out that our washing machine was leaking and possibly ruining the wood floors underneath it. Kristi and her mom took the machine apart and got the replacement piece. I was working that Saturday or I would have helped, too. My only part in it was helping get the washing machine put back together once the new part was on. We couldn’t really get it back on the proper way, but it worked just fine. 

With a working, washer, we turned our attention back to the garage door and shelled out too much money to get it fixed. Normally, we are willing to fix stuff ourselves, but we let the professionals handle that one. The garage door is now in proper working order and we are content… well, we were until the washing machine started leaking again. It seemed like nothing could go right! So we took it apart again, and found another loose piece to replace. This piece only cost 30 cents or so, so it didn’t break the bank, but it was still quite annoying to have to deal with it again. 

When we tried to put the washing machine back together this time, though, it still didn’t quite work right. So we used the best thing you can use in a situation such as that… duct tape. Our washing machine may look ghetto, but it washes our clothes and keeps the floor dry for now. So, we’re fine with it. 

Sometimes being a homeowner is awful. Things keep breaking and it seems like nothing is going right. Sometimes it makes you envy the days you used to rent and were able to call maintenance when something broke. But, having a place to call your own is ultimately worth it and dealing with the issues that arise make you a stronger person and a stronger couple. 

Her Side

Murphy’s Law. It’s a real thing. It states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. And it certainly felt that way in our home recently.

Let’s start with the biggest thing first. Our garage door. I know, you’re probably thinking “why haven’t you guys figured that stinkin’ thing out yet?!” Those are my thoughts exactly. In our defense, we thought we had it all figured out until one day when it came to a screeching halt. The day started off a little outside of the norm. Not because we didn’t get up at the regular time, or some big part of our morning routine was off… it was because upon waking up and walking to the kitchen, I discovered our garage door had been open all night. This is something that is worthy of a slight freak out for me because I’m all about safety. So, naturally, Nolan took it upon himself to check out our entire house for any unwanted guests without any prompting from me (he’s a pretty great guy). I figured that we had accidentally forgotten to put it down the night before and assured myself it wouldn’t happen again.

Fast forward to later that same day. I came home at lunch to let Fletcher out of his crate. As I approached the driveway, I pushed the magic button to raise the garage door. It began to rise, but I immediately knew something was wrong. The cable came off of the track and I’m honestly not sure how the door made it all the way up without that key component functioning. It hit me, THAT’S why our garage door had mysteriously been open the night before… it was malfunctioning. Great! So, over the next couple of days, we did some do-it-yourself minor repairs (or, should I say, Nolan and my brother tackled those). After the main issue was fixed, we thought we were in the clear; but, of course, it’s never that easy. This time, it’s like we were having to coax the garage door so that it would even open. Sometimes it took six tries to open that thing. It got increasingly frustrating and we decided to call in the professionals to see if they could diagnose the problem.

The garage door repairman was set to come check out what the problem was. I met him at the house and, wouldn’t you know it, the garage door didn’t act up a bit. It was like an out of line child getting it together as soon as their parents approach. It felt a bit like a slap in the face… Ok, you’re going to act right as soon as the person who can fix you gets close to you? I see how it is. All the repairman could say was that the door looked fine, it was plumb and he didn’t see anything wrong with it. He did mention that we would eventually have to replace the whole system since it was rather old and it would only be a matter of time before it just decided to quit working. Nolan and I weren’t willing to risk that happening, so we immediately set up an appointment to get that baby fixed.

Now that we had the garage door in working condition, it would only make sense that our washing machine would spring a leak. To be honest, when I first noticed a suspicious liquid near the washing machine my immediate response was to get mad at the dog. After all he hasn’t quite mastered the whole using the potty in designated locations thing. Once I realized the dog was not to blame, I knew we needed to act quickly since a pool of water and hardwood floors are NOT a great mix. We took the “cabinet” off of the washing machine base and quickly found the culprit… a dry rotted hose. That was easy, right?! At least we didn’t have to search for long to find the cause. Something to note here is that if you have a hose on your washing machine break on the weekend, chances are you are out of luck at finding a part until the beginning of the week. We found that one out the hard way. After going to a few hardware and appliance stores we were told our dilemma wouldn’t be rectified until Monday.

Once Monday rolled around, we got the part and replaced it. Easy. What wasn’t easy was putting the stinkin’ cabinet back onto the washing machine. It was more complicated by the fact that we purchased a tray for the machine to sit on in case it decided to spring any more leaks, the wood floors would not be ruined. My mom came over to lend a hand at getting the washing machine back together. It would have been impossible for just Nolan and I to do. We tried the cautious approach, but that wasn’t working so we ended up beating the thing into submission and eventually into place… sort of.

After fixing the washing machine, I was paranoid it would begin to leak again. Each load we put in I’d check every few minutes to see if any water had broken free. It hadn’t… until a few days ago. I saw standing water and wanted to scream. Not again! Nolan and I quickly took the cabinet off so we could see where water was coming from. This will be a shocker:  there were no drips or runs of water - simply a lone pool of water sitting there.

The culprit, in the case of the runaway water, was a clamp on the new hose that we installed. It just wasn’t cutting it, so we had to get a new one. Thank goodness it seems as if that was the fix and it’s back in working order.

And, as if that wasn’t enough stuff that was going wrong, our doorbell got possessed. I don’t actually think our doorbell was possessed, but it sure felt like that for a brief moment. Imagine this… I got home after a long day at work. We had just dealt with the garage door, washing machine, and our lovely puppy who sometimes does things he’s not supposed to. I walk down the hallway to hear a strange humming noise coming from the gadget that projects the doorbell sound. I had encountered a similar situation a while back and knew the wire would need tweaked in order to fix the annoying noise. I walked back to the bedroom and the doorbell slowly began to ring. Now that I think about it, it was actually something right out of a horror movie. At first, it was one chime (indicating a guest at our back door). I knew this wasn’t possible since I had shut the garage door, but I decided to walk toward the back door just to be sure. As I approached the door, the doorbell switched it up and began a two tone ring (indicating I was being summoned to the front door). Now, I don’t know if the chiming got faster or if I was just imagining it, but it suddenly stopped and no one was to be found at the door. Creepy, right? Thankfully it didn’t do that again and I was able to tighten the wires to stop the humming noise.

So, if you have a garage door that needs repaired… we have a guy to call. If you have a washing machine that has a leaky hose, we are pretty much experts in that area. And if you have a possessed doorbell, uh… I suggest you get out of the house!

In The Mooooood For Food...

The Facts

We dressed up as cows. We got free food.

His Side

I may not be the most stylish guy in the world, but I know a little. I know you don’t wear navy blue or brown with black. If you wear brown shoes you’d better have a brown belt on. Socks with flip-flops is a no-no unless you’re over 60. And if you’re gonna tape cow spots on your shirt for free food at Chick-Fil-A, you have to wear a white shirt. Okay, so that last one may not be an everyday thing you should know, but it came in handy recently.

When Kristi told me that we could dress up like cows to get free food at Chick-Fil-A, I figured that purchasing the accoutrement to dress like a cow would make the free meal meaningless. But she told me that Chick-Fil-A provides a downloadable and printable cowification kit (I know cowification isn’t a word and I’m okay with it). With the free option of dressing up, I was 100% down with the idea. I learned in college to never turn down free food. It’s a scientific fact that food tastes better when it’s free.

As you can imagine, we looked ridiculous in our cow getups. But, I have never been one to care too much about what total strangers think of me. Kristi, however, was nervous. “I don’t wanna do it!” she proclaimed as we were about to get out of the car. Then her fears were alleviated because there were a lot of people dressed up. We would have looked out of place if we WEREN’T dressed up. Some people got pretty serious about it, too. My favorite was a guy with an inflated surgical glove sticking out from his belly to look like udders… free food makes people crazy.

We got our food, took some pictures, and immediately took off the annoying paper print outs. The short 10 minutes or so that we were dressed up was more than enough. We got free, delicious food and an interesting story out of it. That’s a win in my book.

Her Side

I love food. I also love saving money. So, if I can combine those two with minimal effort on my part, it’s a win! Let me preface this by saying that Nolan and I have been trying to cut back on eating out. We aren’t doing it for the health benefits (although, I assure you that we should). We are doing it for the sheer fact that we want to save money. It’s crazy how much money you can spend in a month just on going out to eat… and not because you don’t have food to eat- simply because you’re too lazy to cook any of it (at least that’s generally the case for us). So, when a co-worker (thanks, Morgan) alerted me to Cow Appreciation Day, I was all over it.

In case you have never heard of Cow Appreciation Day, it’s put on by the always lovely and delicious Chick-Fil-A. It’s pretty simple:  you dress up like a cow and you get free food. To be more specific, you get an entire meal free. When I heard about this, I knew we had to do it. I quickly texted Nolan of our new Friday dinner plans. When he realized we get a whole meal free, he, too, was on board. So, I prepared our “costumes” and we talked about it for the rest of the week. I was pumped. All we had to do was print out the “costume” pieces that they posted on their website, affix them to one another, and BAM we would be on our way.

Before we left the house for Chick-Fil-A, I asked Nolan which one he wanted to go to… our normal one, or the one slightly farther away since it might be less crowded. He opted for our normal one. This is going to sound ridiculous, but here it goes:  I was nervous to dress up like a cow. What would people think of me? Would they laugh? I would feel crazy walking into an eating establishment donning bovine threads. I fessed up to Nolan that I asked which one we would go to because, secretly, I wanted to go to the one we didn’t frequent. I mean, they wouldn’t recognize our faces and surely I wouldn’t see anyone I know there. After chuckling at the ridiculousness of that statement, we pulled into the parking lot.

At this point, I wanted out. I was doing that awkward laugh while taping each component onto my clothing. Then, I saw other people dressed up and I felt a million times better (no exaggeration here). As we opened the doors, I realized some of the other patrons took this cow thing to a totally different level… they were serious. I felt normal, like I was supposed to be a cow. Here I was worried about what people would think of me, only to realize that anyone not dressed up as a cow would be the ones getting the weird glances… I mean, why would you come in on Cow Appreciation Day without the appropriate garb?

I left Chick-Fil-A with food in hand a proud woman. I was proud that I just got a free, delicious meal, but I was more proud that I stepped outside of my comfort zone. So, while you’ll probably never see me dressed like a cow again, this was a baby step toward expanding my horizons. Don’t worry about what others think of you. If you are comfortable with your decision, own it… just like I did. 

Side Note: this is the only instance where Nolan allowed me to call myself a cow and he agreed. Not that I call myself a cow often, but we all have our days… Moooo.

Down on the Farm...

The Facts

We went to Idaho. We stayed on a farm.

His Side

Kristi’s dad grew up on a dairy farm. I had never been to a dairy farm… until now. We had been planning a trip out to the family farm in Kuna, ID for a while. I was excited about it because I would get to learn a little more about Kristi’s family (which has become my family). Also, I would get the chance to see a state I’ve never seen before which I have heard is beautiful.

We were staying at Kristi’s Aunt and Uncle’s house on the farm (a house which he built from floor to ceiling). Also on the farm lives her grandma and grandpa and another uncle. The house her grandma and grandpa live in is the house her grandpa grew up in… then raised his 8 kids in… and still lives in today. It is so cool to be in a house with so much history. It also has a scary basement, but that’s beside the point. Just walking around the farm and seeing all the old cars, historical farm equipment, silos, and old barns is neat. I just think about what used to happen in those barns and how it was a budding center of activity at it’s peak of milk production. 

Behind the farm is a canal. It has it’s own history including some skinny dipping (scandalous). But it is a beautiful spot. I fished (I’m not much of a fisherman) and almost caught a rainbow trout. I had him on the line, but the hook didn’t catch and he escaped right before I reeled him in. I was determined to not get defeated again. But I didn’t catch a fish the whole time. I did, however, gut and clean one, then cook it and eat it. It was rather tasty! My inner hunter-gatherer was pleased. 

The canal also was the spot where we held a touching tribute to Kristi’s dad. It was one of his favorite spots on the farm and he wanted some of his ashes sprinkled there. Over 20 of his relatives make the trek down to the canal and shared fun memories and touching thoughts about her dad and how important he was to them. It was a somber occasion but it reminded me how loved he was and how much he meant to everyone there. Also, hearing all the stories all week helped me get to know him better since I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing him for a long time. 

On the Fourth of July, the canal became a swimming spot. Many of the cousins and aunts and uncles took to jumping into the freezing cold canal. I didn’t join them because I was taking action shots of all the crazy jumpers. Kristi waded in at first, then decided she should jump in. She says that the cold water took her breath away both times. I probably should have jumped because it was so hot outside! But I was okay with staying dry, especially because I only had one more clean pair of shorts for the ride home!

Another important part of the farm is the back porch which became a sort of gathering place. The view is nice back there, it’s shaded for the most part, and there is room for lots of people to sit around and chat. I even played pinochle with some of Kristi’s cousins and uncle on the porch one night. I grew up on card games with my grandparents but hadn’t played pinochle in a long, long time. It was fun (and my team won, so that helps).

The biggest farm event was, by far, the July 4th picnic. Apparently they do this every year and Eichelbergers from all across the country travel to it. It’s basically a huge potluck with games for the kids, good conversation, these water rocket things, and more. Everyone there was related in some way but Kristi didn’t even know some of them. That’s how huge the Eichelberger family is. I come from a small family so it was foreign to me to see this large gathering of extended family but it was neat.

It wasn’t all sitting around the farm with family, though. We checked out the Kuna Cave, Snake River Canyon, the city of Boise, and more. I had never been in a cave before so I was excited about the Kuna Cave. It’s basically just a large lava bubble, but it’s pretty cool. Snake River Canyon is amazing as well. You drive for miles on flat, dry land then, all of the sudden… BOOM… there’s a big ravine leading down to a river. It’s strange how that happens but it’s beautiful.

We went into Boise a couple of times and I like it. It’s a college town much like Columbia and is even comparable in size to Columbia. We saw the famous blue field of the Boise State Broncos, ate at a really cool distillery place, checked out some souvenir stores, and more. I even went into the Jared there in Boise. Call me a loser if you want, but I enjoyed seeing another repair shop and talking to my fellow Sterling employees (Sterling is the overarching company that owns Jared, Zale’s, Kay, and more). Once I told them I’m a jeweler at the Jared in Columbia, SC, they tried to steal me away! I think I’ll stick around Columbia for now but, hey, maybe I’ll manage their shop one day down the road. 

Also in Boise, we went to Julia Davis Park where there is a tree under which Kristi’s dad proposed to her mom. Since then, every time they have gone to Idaho, they get a picture at that tree. It was a tough trip to the tree this time, though, since Kristi’s dad wasn’t there. But, we went to get some family pictures. We also gave her mom a family tree necklace with birthstones. There are plenty of spaces to add birthstones as grandkids come along, as well (she just so happens to know a jeweler, so putting new stones in isn’t a problem). It was an emotional experience, but everyone was glad we did it.

Her Side

Kuna, Idaho is a small town. If you go downtown, there is only one stop sign, and if you blink you might miss seeing the whole town. Kuna holds a special place in my heart because my dad was born and raised there on Eichelberger Lane on the family farm. As long as I can remember, my family has taken trips out west to the farm to see my dad’s side of the family. As young kids, we would go scavenging through all of my grandpa’s “junk,” although he would never call it that. We would spend hours outside enjoying the nice weather and ample space to run and play with cousins. As I’ve grown older, the trips have changed slightly. I began to grow out of the scavenging and running and have grown into sitting and enjoying the farm. This trip, a little more had changed from all previous times out west. This time, my dad wasn’t with us.

Dad always had a blast telling us what he did by that grain silo over there, at the canal at the back of the farm, or at the various places we passed on our drives to and from different locations. While they were vacations, they were always ripe with history… history of my dad. He would get the grin on his face and twinkle in his eye every time we would get to the farm. He couldn’t wait to snap photos or tell a new story about his childhood that had presumably never left his lips before.

While in Kuna, we took Nolan to a few of the staple places all tourists must go. We went to the Kuna Cave. It’s not so much a cave as a really big hole in the ground… a hole that I wasn’t willing to explore. We also took Nolan to the Snake River. It’s probably one of my favorite things to see. It’s amazing how you can go from dry, flat land for miles to suddenly a huge canyon. It comes out of nowhere and it is amazing to see.

Family Photo at "The Tree"

One thing you should know about the Eichelbergers is that they tend to be creatures of habit. So, as usual, they put on the annual 4th of July picnic on my grandma and grandpa’s lawn. Around 90 people showed up to the shindig… all related (although I’ve always been convinced that we might have had some folks just show up that aren’t related because they saw a line of cars driving down Eichelberger Lane). We ate tons of food, talked with tons of people, and even celebrated my grandma’s 90th birthday! I don’t think Nolan believed me when I said there would be a ton of people at the picnic, so he sure was shocked with the turnout. That evening a group of us sat on the back porch of Uncle Steve and Aunt Meg’s house and had a glorious fireworks show with wonderful music playing in the background… thanks to my cousins Amy, Mo, and Andrew!

We made a trip to Julia Davis Park, the place that my dad proposed to my mom many years ago. My brothers and I set up to have family photos taken at the very tree at which my parents’ relationship began. My cousin, Ben, met us there for the photo session (I am so thankful it was him who was able to take the photos). As we walked through the park toward “the tree,” we approached what we thought was the one. Upon arrival, we noticed a swarm of bees… one even flew into Mom’s hair. I’ll admit that my heart dropped at the site of the bees because I thought that our whole plan would be ruined… we couldn’t get pictures at just any tree, it had to be THE tree. But, just as we were all starting to walk away, my mom realized that we were at the wrong tree! Hallelujah! So, as we walked over to the new tree, we realized it was bee free and were all relieved. I’d like to think that those bees were my dad’s way of pointing us to the correct tree. Thanks, Dad! After our photos, we gave my mom a family tree necklace with all of our birthstones, Mom’s, Dad’s, and room for plenty more (as grandkids come along). After all, if it weren’t for that tree, none of our family would be what it is today.

The hardest thing about the trip, and the real reason we traveled out west was to spread my dad’s ashes. He wanted to go back to the farm, and that’s just where we took him. We had a small ceremony with family on the deck my uncle Steve built at the edge of the canal at the back of farm… a place where my dad had tons of childhood memories (most of which he probably wouldn’t want me to repeat… and I’m sure there are some stories he just never told). I couldn’t have picked a better place myself. It was a tough thing to do as it’s a final goodbye in a certain sense. Being able to share this special moment of spreading his ashes with his siblings and other extended family that meant so much to him was nice. Dad certainly was loved and still is loved.

Since this trip was very different from all others because Dad wasn’t with us, I knew it would be a tough one. I found myself thinking about what dad would have said about that sunset, or how he would have told Nolan about the mountain that looks like an Indian lying down, or even how he would have been taking pictures of all of the wildlife. Things I would have been embarrassed or annoyed at, I now longed for… It was Nolan’s first time visiting the farm and Idaho, Dean Lucas’s first time traveling by plane, a record setting number for the July 4th picnic, and we were missing one important person. But, as I’ve always said, even though he wasn’t physically there, Dad was still with us… I’m sure of it.

This trip was all about family, and that’s what I loved about it.

One Fish, Two Fish, Redfish Lake...

The Facts

During our trip to Idaho, we spent a few days at Redfish Lake Lodge.

His Side

During our trip to Idaho, we spent a good portion of our time at the Eichelberger family farm in Kuna, but took a three night trip to the gorgeous Redfish Lake near Stanley. I had heard a lot of things about the journey from the farm to Redfish Lake. Mostly, I heard that the “Idaho City Route” was long, windy, and treacherous. So, we decided to take the other route through Horseshoe Bend. As Kristi and I loaded up in my brother-in-law’s car (the car without the baby), he cranked up the GPS and we took off. On the way, I posted a status to Facebook and sent out a Tweet explaining to everyone how I would be “off the grid” because I had been told there was no cell phone service at Redfish. That’s not something I was thrilled about, but I didn’t complain or mind too much. There are worse things than not being able to check your fantasy baseball team or being able to keep up with entertainment news on Twitter for a few days. 

As the GPS led us on our journey, we ended up following a sign toward Idaho City. Kristi expressed her concern that we were going the wrong way but my brother-in-law was convinced it was fine. It turns out both of them were correct. Kristi was right that we were going the Idaho City route when we planned to go the Horseshoe Bend route, but my brother-in-law was right because it was fine. I actually liked it. That route winds you through some very scenic mountains and didn’t seem very treacherous to me. And, of course, I took some pictures.

Once we got to Redfish Lake, we checked in and got our stuff unpacked in our rustic cabin… rustic is relative, though. We had a stove, oven, electricity, hot shower, plumbing, etc. That’s roughing it, right? We did lose electricity for a few hours at one point, though, because of a small tree falling into some power lines. Those few hours felt a little more like roughing it because it was nighttime and we had to do things by candlelight.

The thing about Redfish Lake is that it is GORGEOUS. It’s a good sized lake nestled in the Sawtooth Mountains. I am reasonably well travelled and have seen a lot of things, but that ranks right up there near the top. Serene is a good way to describe it. I apparently didn’t have a strong enough reaction to everything, though, because Kristi thought I didn’t like it or wasn’t amazed by it. I kept telling her I was, but she wasn’t sure because I didn’t show it. I did, however, show it when we experienced the most awe-inspiring view of the entire trip:  the stars.

There isn’t a town (other than Stanley which boasts a population of 63) within 60 miles of the lodge. What that means is that there is very little light pollution. Light pollution is what most places have that prevents you from seeing all the stars that grace the night sky each evening. One night, after spending a great time around the campfire with a large group of Kristi’s cousins, we were walking back to our cabin and we looked up. I didn’t know there were that many stars. I saw the Milky Way. I know what you’re thinking:  “How can you see the Milky Way when we are in the Milky Way?” That’s what I was thinking and I don’t know how to explain it unless you’ve seen it. 

It wasn’t just seeing sights and taking pictures in Redfish, though. We also hung out with family. There were around 30 family members there spread between cabins and camp sites. The first two nights were spent with everyone at a camp site making s’mores and cooking exorbitant amounts of meat on the campfire. Two of Kristi’s cousins had been vegetarians and decided it was time to come back to the good side (the carnivorous side). And when they came back, they came back in a big way. For the camping trip to Redfish, they bought a huge stack of spareribs, a pork shoulder, three or so pounds of bacon, and more. It was delicious, too. I ate so many spareribs one night that I ended up feeling sick. It turned out fine, though. 

We also took a trip to Sun Valley and Ketchum (two of the closest towns). Ketchum was cool because they had some boutique art galleries with some stunning photography. And Sun Valley (a ski-resort town) featured some shops and such. One shop had a pair of pants on the CLEARANCE RACK for ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. This is a place Kristi’s relatives mentioned seeing Bruce Willis, Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck, and more. We didn’t see any celebrities, but that’s okay. It was still a nice jaunt.

Highlights of the Redfish Lake trip included made-from-scratch buckwheat pancakes two mornings, a paddle boat ride on the lake (which Kristi stepped out of her comfort zone to do with me), a trip to a cool ghost town, and the most serene view I’ve seen in a long, long time. That spot was a spot you get to by stopping on the side of the road, walking through some trees, and sitting on the small stone bench in front of a smaller lake near Redfish. There aren’t boats on it, the water is still, and the Sawtooths tower over it showing their reflection in the glasslike surface of the water. 

It was a great piece of the trip and I would go back in an instant. It turns out, though, that I did have cell phone service. Kristi wasn’t thrilled about that but it did turn out to be good because the few of us that did have service could get in touch with each other when needed. I guess Verizon isn’t kidding when they say they have the largest 4G network in the nation. I only had 3G most of the time, but that’s pretty good. I would have been more than okay without cell service, though. It’s a gorgeous place and I would recommend it to anyone.

Her Side

There is something satisfying about being alone with nature and the ones you love. That’s what I LOVE about Redfish Lake… for the most part. In every other excursion to Redfish Lake in the past, there was no such thing as cell phone service. If you wanted it you would drive into the closest town about 10 or so minutes away. But why would you need your cell phone when part of God’s beautiful creation is at your fingertips to admire and enjoy?

This year was slightly different as those with a particular cell phone carrier had coverage in the breathtaking Sawtooth Mountains. I suppose it’s a good thing on some level that a select few had access to their phones at any time since long gone are the days of making plans to meet up at 2 o’clock somewhere. Now it’s an age of “I’ll text you the time and place.” Nevertheless, the almost technology free trip to Redfish Lake was wonderful. 

We recreated one of our favorite family trips by renting the same big cabin and having an open door policy with all Eichelberger’s staying at Redfish (nearly 30). We had meals, toasted marshmallows, and sat around enjoying one another’s company. Not to be redundant, but it was wonderful.

I was especially excited to take Nolan to Redfish Lake because there is such a breathtaking ride and view up to it. While Nolan certainly found the beauty I have been telling him about for months, it wasn’t as awe inspiring to him as I had hoped (but I’ll chalk that up to the fact he’s traveled around the world a bit). What did take his breath away were the stars. That might sound weird, but they were amazing. Once the sun finally set around 10:30pm, the sky lit up with stars and the walk from a cousin’s campsite to our cabin was spent with necks bent to the sky. Millions and millions of stars… the Milky Way… gorgeous.

While at Redfish, we took a few little excursions. We went to a ghost town called Custer. It was an 1890s mining town and

full of history and neat artifacts. Not to mention it was down a super, super long dirt road. On said dirt road, we thought we might be encountering the likes of the Walking Dead (no joke…it was creepy) and we were ready to use the van as a bowling ball of sorts and take those suckers out. It turns out the “walkers” were merely a group of folks practicing scuba diving… honest mistake, right?

We went into Sun Valley (yes, the same one that boasts of having great ski slopes), which is a fair distance away from Redfish but well worth the side trip. Sun Valley is a town that I felt I wasn’t rich enough to even step foot in. When you walk past a sale rack and hear someone exclaiming how great a deal a sweater is…. at a mere $600, you know you’re a bit out of place. Nonetheless, it was a great little town to explore and its neighboring town of Ketchum had tons of neat shops and art displays (something that sucked Nolan in immediately).

This trip to Redfish made me realize that we tend to spend too much time dealing with the hustle and bustle of life. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and just be. Just be content with nature and all it brings. Just be at peace with wherever you are in your life. Just be with family and the ones you love.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

The Facts

We went to Idaho on a family vacation.

His Side

If you like traveling, you’re crazy. What I mean by “traveling” is the actual act of getting from one place to another. I love going and seeing other places that I’ve never seen, but getting to those places is awful. I can’t even choose a preferred method of travel because they are all terrible. Planes are quicker but very uncomfortable and way too expensive. Driving is cramped and takes forever but is cheaper and you can set your own pace. I think if I had to choose a preferred method of travel, I’d pick boat. I have only travelled by boat once and I had no complaints. Unfortunately that isn’t a feasible option most of the time. And, when you’re traveling almost 2500 miles, driving isn’t really feasible either. So, when Kristi and I were heading out to Idaho for our latest vacation, we were forced to fly.

In order to get the cheapest flights possible, we ended up with a three leg journey to and from Boise, ID. We also ended up with lengthy layovers (3 hours in Dallas and almost 4 in Seattle). Why we went to Seattle while en route to Boise is beyond me. They should’ve just given us parachutes and we could’ve jumped out as we passed over Boise… we have always wanted to skydive, so we could’ve killed two birds with one stone. The layovers weren’t as bad as I thought they’d be but the whole day of traveling took its toll. Fortunately, the third and final leg of the trip (Seattle to Boise) was the best leg; so we ended on a positive note. It was with Alaskan Air (which doesn’t only offer service to and from Alaska… weird). The flight attendants were very nice, there was a good bit of space (but we all know that’s relative when it comes to planes), and they actually offer a small snack like every airline used to back in the day. It’s just a little pack of pretzels but it’s the little things that count. Not only were we finally not going to be in a plane anymore, but the Boise airport has Police Trainer (the greatest arcade game ever which is also practically impossible to find anywhere) in a game room near baggage claim. I'm checking a bag every time I head to Boise!

Everyone knows the worst part of air travel is the other people you must share a plane with. Everyone dreads being stuck next to a large person who takes all of their seat and part of yours, the armrest hog who never lets you use the shared armrest, or the smelly person who doesn’t think it’s important to wear deodorant on a travel day. Luckily we didn’t have to experience the first two, but we did encounter some interesting smells. One guy passed gas about three times on the plane and it wasn’t pretty. I needed a gas mask. That’s not cool when you’re on a crowded plane… wait until you’re outside or something! And, while in the airport, a woman sat next to us in the terminal that smelled strongly of urine. It’s not like a dog peed a little on her leg… it’s like she bathed in it. It was rough. I’m not sure how she didn’t notice because everyone around her did. Luckily she wasn’t on our flight. We did get a nice view of Mt. Rainier poking up through the clouds, though so that almost made up for the noxious gasses we had to endure.

All of those unfortunate odorous incidents occurred on our trip to Boise. The trip back was reasonably uneventful in the annoying passenger department, but it was an even rougher set of flights. We left at 9:00pm on Saturday and arrived home at 11:15am Sunday. That’s especially rough when you have to change planes multiple times. If it was a direct flight, I could just doze the whole time and arrive home sort of fully rested. Needless to say we were exhausted when we got home. The rest of Sunday was spent with Kristi lying on the couch while I kicked back in the recliner and we fell asleep while watching TV and hoping Fletcher would stay calm. 

Traveling is rough but the places you get to see make it all worth it. And, when flying with your best friend, it becomes so much more bearable and… dare I say… even enjoyable.

Her Side

When traveling on a budget, sometimes you’ll have to make concessions… and that’s just what we had to do. No, I’m not talking about flying coach instead of first class or boarding in group 1 instead of priority access. I’m talking about having LONG travel days, 3 stops to your final destination, and even a little flying overnight. Since we are relatively young (although some days I think we are already to the old married couple category) we decided to opt for this method of traveling. We would do (almost) anything to save a few bucks!

So, we set out to travel west at the ridiculously early time of 4:30am. No, our plane wasn’t leaving at this hour, but I’m a stickler for getting to the airport in plenty of time to go through security and not have to run to your gate… even at the airport in Columbia… that I’m pretty sure no one ever goes to. That means we spent a good 45 minutes sitting around and waiting before we could even dream of getting on the small puddle jumper of a plane that would take us to Dallas. From this point on, the travel day only got more interesting.

Once in Dallas, we realized that the airport is HUGE (as in the airplane taxied OVER a freeway… that’s ridiculous), and that in order to make our way around this huge airport we would have to navigate the cavernous halls to get to a shuttle to then take us to the appropriate terminal if we had any hope of getting to our plane on time. Once seated on the plane to Seattle, we realized a few things. First, someone sitting in close proximity clearly didn’t believe in bathing and presumably that same person felt that passing gas was no big deal. Now, this was no ordinary gas… it was the kind that permeated everything and seemed to suck the oxygen out of the already thinning air. That kind soul let out gas not once, but approximately three times. Something to note here would be some airplane etiquette (not many people have it). If you feel the need to let out some gas, I understand, it’s a natural thing, but beware (especially in a vessel that is enclosed at 37,000 feet in the air). If it smells the first time, please hold it in or kindly walk to the back of the plane where the flight attendants have pointed out the lavatories.

After dealing with that stench the entire ride from Dallas to Seattle, I thought we were in the clear. We were not. While we experienced quite a few things in this airport, the most noteworthy was the woman who smelled as if she had bathed in urine. No, I’m not exaggerating… that’s exactly what it smelled like. She sat down next to me and I immediately gagged, as that’s not a pleasant smell to have wafting in your general direction. Now, I don’t know if she was afraid to fly and let a little leak out or if she had a legitimate problem with holding her bladder; but, in either case, she needed to get that in check. The final straw for me was when she got up to... surprise, surprise… go to the bathroom. There was a little puddle of liquid left on the seat. Now, I didn’t get close enough to see if my theory was correct but, based on all context clues, I was right on the money.

In case you were wondering, she did not end up on our flight.  Thank goodness.

Our trip home to Columbia was much less eventful. The only thing noteworthy is the fact that we flew red eye from Seattle to Dallas (something I wasn’t too fond of). I tend to like a window seat. Perhaps it’s because I like the scenery, but more likely it’s because I want to be abreast of what’s going on. If I see ground coming closer to me at a fast pace… we’re going down. If I see water below us, then I know to be on edge until dry land has appears. Basically, I just want to be aware… and I’m a little weird about it. However, unlike on our honeymoon, we were granted the privilege to sit next to each other on each leg of the flight, which was glorious. Nolan sure does make a great pillow!

Once we made it back to Columbia, the oppressive heat and humidity hit me like a brick wall. Home sweet home.

When traveling, I’ve found it’s best to do it with someone you can tolerate and, better yet, someone you actually like to be around. So, I’d say Nolan is a pretty good traveling partner, after all!