I'm a Traveling Man

I’m a Traveling Man

Do you remember that old Ricky Nelson song; “I’m a Traveling Man”?  That’s a little bit of what I feel like these days.  Don’t get me wrong, I love hitting the road, but this fall has really kept us, just like Willie Nelson; “On the Road Again”!

This has been a busy fall for us.  Besides our very first grandsons, who need to see us as often as they can (my words, not theirs), football weekends, weddings, and my two Spanish classes, I have been quite busy.  Work has been very hectic, too.  My boss has been assigned to a Special Project, since June (that will stay special until year-end), and guess who gets to do his job too?

Anyway, as you can see on the map below, we have covered lots of ground this fall, by land and by air.  Since mid-September, we have made the following trips:

Los Angeles area (Population = 3.8 million; 1,340 miles from Edmond) to meet our grandson, Troy Allen Tanner, who was born September 2^nd.  This included side-trips to Anaheim (pop = 329k), and the coastal towns of Encinitas and San Juan Capistrano.

Chicago area (Population = 2.8 million; 788 miles from Edmond) in late September.  This included a drive over to South Bend, Indiana (Eastern time zone, Pop. = 100k) to watch OU beat Notre Dame 35-21.  The weather was perfect, and the Notre Dame fans were very friendly and welcoming.  We also went on a fun bus tour of Chicago, and we got to eat at a really good Irish restaurant in South Bend.

Dallas/Fort Worth (Population >2.0 million; 215 miles from Edmond) To see our excellent grandson, Beckett Ryan Ratcliff, who was born July 16^th.  This included a side-trip to the OU - Texas game at the Cotton Bowl, in Dallas.  Oklahoma lost this one 36 – 20; partially ruining the year.  The many UT fans weren’t as classy as Notre Dame fans.  Go figure!  Despite this setback, Beckett was fun to be with (smiling and giggly).

San Francisco (Population > 1.5 million (including San Jose); 1,638 miles from Edmond).  This was a fun trip to visit the beautiful Napa Valley and attend a Crosby Stills, Nash & Young concert near San Jose.  The concert was a benefit for The Bridge School, for special needs kids, and also included Heart, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Fun, and others.  We love visiting the Napa Valley, and fall is the best!  We also took a brief tour of the Stanford campus in Palo Alto.  Vey pretty!

Houston (Population = 2.1 million; 457 miles from Edmond) to attend Stephanie’s wedding.  Steph is one of Erin’s best buddies from high school. Erin & Hutt were there, as well.  The wedding was outdoors, and the venue was fun.  Great weather, great food, and we got to see our Katy friends the Taylors!

I'm always ready for another roadtrip, but this weekend, we're staying home!