Greetings from, we have no idea.

We are somewhere in New Mexico, Milan? Casablanca? Grants? We had a great day, gorgeous weather, beautiful scenery. We had planned on going through Colorado and Utah, but there was weather coming in and big mountains involved so we headed south down I25 for big mountains and no snow. It was a smart move even though it added a few hundred miles to the journey. I am just too tired to post pictures, but believe me, this is one amazing state. We are looking forward to coming back and visiting Jeff & Ella very soon.

We head out tomorrow, for the final leg, following route 66, either next to it, or near it or something. So long as it gets us to Hesperia before 9pm tomorrow its ok with me.

Team Solis Out.

Rocky Mountain High.

Greeting from the Mile High City. We stopped overnight in Denver so that we could have a quick visit with Sully's Honorary Auntie Stephanie and her Fiance, Casey.

Today the cold weather returned, we should have known yesterday was too good to be true. We were reminded of the strength of the wind across the plains on I-80, luckily we headed south to get to Denver and it was smooth sailing after we headed south.

We did make it to Nebraskaland though. Nebraskaland is what the sign over Heaven will say, but on earth it is a crappy little Sinclair gas station with a funky old promotional dinosaur in the front. There is a sign on the door to Nebraskaland that says "Smoking IS permitted throughout this building" and they aren't lying, its smelly in there. But whatever, its Nebraskaland, and its a new Epic road trip tradition, so there.

Sully really enjoyed his visit with Steph and Casey, especially Casey's Skateboards. Sadly, our batteries died, so we'll have to wait for pics from Stephanie.

Tomorrow, weather permitting we are either heading SW through Colorado and Utah or S to New Mexico, then west, we are still debating.

That's all, I am plum tuckered out. We are in the home stretch now though, should arrive in Cali Sunday afternoon or evening.

Team Solis Out

Nebraska, Heaven in the midwest

Greetings from the middle of Nebraska. We are snug in our Hotel room, after hitting the Yellow Submarine/Octapus' Garden themed kiddie pool. (which Sully sang his version of the song: "we all, we all, we all" to).

We are in my version of what the sweet hereafter will look like. The weather got a lot warmer today, 50! and the big Western sky was a marvelous site, especially as the sun was setting.

We also learned today that you can play the Counting Crows song Omaha exactly 3.5 times while driving through said city. We also learned that when you sing that song 3.5 times in a row, the words cease making any sense: "In the middle of the night, an old man runs his toes through a bucket of rain?" Say what?!

Enjoy the pics.
Team Solis Out

This poor boy his holding up so well, despite long hours on the road.

The Mighty Mississippi

We are snug in our Holiday Inn Express room, having our evening swim after a very productive day, we started off in Ohio and stopped in Iowa. We are literally right on the Mississippi River, back on the West side. I love this river, its so big and industrial and functional. I remember the first time I crossed it way back in '96, I couldn't believe how far west I was, like I was going to Mars or something. I was so goofy.

Sully is still holding up well, all though he is defiantly struggling to not get bored. We had a couple of tantrums today, both involving tearing him away from playing with cars (once in the hotel lobby's toy box and then later in Walmart). We dug out his matchbox cars and brought them to the room tonight so he could have as much, uninterrupted time playing cars as he wanted. He appreciated it. Now we get to crawl all over the place to collect them all, hope it pays off.

Team Solis out.

Holy Toledo

Greetings from Toledo, home of Klinger from M*A*S*H and I have no idea what else. No tires fell off the trailer today, but we did have one causality. Gritty the bear was left behind at the hotel in Pennsylvania. Not to worry though, the kind folks there will send him along to California for us. Team Solis leaves no man behind. OK, so actually we did, but we made it right in the end.

We geeked out on NPR Inauguration coverage on the road, but lost reception just before the actual swearing in, it came back towards the end of the speech, and as promised, I got all good and blubbery with patriotism rolling down the interstate. It didn't matter that we couldn't hear it happen since we have been imagining George Bush's last moments as president since January 20, 2001. What a day. Well done America, I must say, well done!

Tonight, we hit the pool, Sully's reward for being so awesome in the car all day. Tomorrow, its another long day as we continue our Western Re-Expansion.

Team Solis Out.

Why the Brooklyn U-haul sucks

The Brooklyn U-haul sucks ass.

So we started out early this morning but that additional time we planned for was swiftly chipped away by the inept U-haul employees. We rented the trailer at the same place we stored our belongings. The entire place is poorly run by people who seem to be proud of how rude they are. So after a frustrating morning of dealing with broken elevators, locked bathrooms, long lines and grouchy Puerto Ricans, we got the trailer loaded up and where on our way at a respectable 12 noon.

With the state line out of New York in sight, we heard and felt a shudder and Jen the eternally safe and alert driver quickly and smoothly moved off the interstate. What Jen saw from her vantage point was white pieces of pavement spraying from beneath the trailer. On my side I saw a shower of sparks and the tire from the trailer bounce by my window at eye level and then continue bouncing along the interstate, first crossing two lanes of traffic only to hit the barrier and bounce slowly and at times gracefully back across the two lanes of traffic to return about a hundred feet directly in front of us. What follows is proof that a team of monkeys are better suited to manage a u-haul emergency. After calling the emergency roadside assistance hotline supplied to me, I spoke to a few nice people until I finally spoke to someone who's responsibility it is to handle a U-haul emergency, specifically a fully loaded trailer sans wheel on NYC interstate. After I reported the emergency with the National office I was then called back by a U-haul - Brooklyn desk jockey. I struggled to hear or understand at times what this person was saying. Eventually I was called by 4 different towing companies and was told by three that I was not in there"territory". More then two hours later, the fourth tow man was Tommy, the lovable Jersey Guido, complete with neon windbreaker and gold chain, towed the disabled trailer all the way to Hackensack NJ to a U-haul repair facility. The first question from these U-haul representatives was "Is everyone OK?". I assured him no one was hurt in anyway and my son slept through the accident as well as the first 90 minutes we waited on the interstate to be towed. After the U-haul employees quickly transferred our contract we had to reload all of our neatly packed belongings into the new trailer, in a snow storm.

Miraculously, the reload completed, albeit not as neat and orderly as the first go round, we stopped at an old family style restaurant , full of folks straight out of the book of Jersey stereotypes and then were back on our way determined to get out of Jersey despite the snow storm, and that we did. So here we are in the Poconos of Pennsylvania, enjoying our warm room, and having enjoyed the indoor heated pool.

And now its time to sleep. Good night!

Team Solis Epic Road Trip: The Sequel

Team Solis' New York City adventure is nearing its conclusion, the job situation is just too hopeless. So like the Hillbillies and the Joads before us, we are packing up the jalopy and setting our sights on Californ-i-a, where the prospects are sunnier and more fruitful (both in a literal and a figurative sense).

We debated and pondered the idea of a return to the mountains, but neither of us have the heart to make that work. There is just not enough to stimulate the brain of our budding super genius and we feel like we have done all there is to do job-wise. Mike is excited that Sully will get to do some of the things he enjoyed doing as a kid. I am excited to be warm.

We head out on Monday, so we can celebrate Daisy's big 2 day (why we always leave town the day after a cousins birthday is a mystery).

I am really going to miss NYC. Its an amazing place and I was truly looking forward to getting very old here. Its full of remarkable people (like those who helped in yesterdays plane crash), and amazing sights. I am forever changed and forever glad that I got to call this place home, if even for just a few short months. I hope everyone who dreamed about visiting us here still follows through and comes here, you will never regret a trip to NYC. And of course you will all be welcomed to visit us in LaLa land, sunshine, movie stars, strip malls, urban sprawl.... uh oh, there I go.

Team Solis as always will make the most of it and love every second of our crazy adventures.

Team Solis out.

Raising Yousuf and Noor: diary of a Palestinian mother: hand in hand, Gaza stands

Mike and I have been following this woman's blog during the latest Middle East conflict. Its just such a heartbreaking situation. Hopefully reason and sanity returns to the region soon.

Raising Yousuf and Noor: diary of a Palestinian mother: hand in hand, Gaza stands