tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16536476503537428662012-01-14T11:46:47.642-06:00Reducing our "Stuff": Relocated to a smaller town in an effort to create a quality-driven, simplified lifestyle.Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-68076673068935791272011-11-27T17:03:00.019-06:002011-12-09T15:42:40.742-06:00

As of last week I have officially lost 30 pounds. At first I considered whether to celebrate, because it has happened as the result of a disappointing development in my life. I visited some friends recently and one of them said, "You look GREAT!"  My response started off just how I wanted it to, with a genuine, "Thank you!"  I meant to stop there. But then, feeling guilty, I immediately tacked on

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-65689536321122660062011-11-14T17:25:00.017-06:002011-11-14T20:29:43.101-06:00

Here at Life Flipping, I frequently write about living deliberately. Most of the time, by “living deliberately,” I am referring to the importance of really thinking about our values and goals and inspirations - the elements in our lives that can bring us joy and peace - and continually actively making changes that will allow their realization. Living deliberately involves discipline. Often, it

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-37031975312661405312011-11-05T11:17:00.038-05:002011-11-23T15:38:36.016-06:00

As parents of a toddler, Randy and I encounter plenty of opportunities to disagree. We both keep an eye on articles about best parenting practices, and of course all parents operate on a certain amount of intuition as well. The separate child development information we both come across each week, combined with that with which we naturally arrived at this stage in our lives, is bound to lead to

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-35376401073149021942011-10-19T10:59:00.016-05:002011-11-23T15:46:36.082-06:00

Definition of THE FRANK : a warm but nearly suffocating one-armed embrace, similar to a headlock, affectionately administered after several libations. — Franked verb — the Frank noun  Randy and I attended his dad's funeral services last night. Frank Eccles was an incredibly kind, positive, fun, honorable and vibrant person. Over the few days since Frank passed away last weekend, the main thing

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-49277609484517834312011-09-15T12:08:00.021-05:002011-09-16T11:45:33.298-05:00

At 2:30 this morning I finally realized I have been receiving personal visits from the Big witch Karma on a nightly basis for several weeks now, and on an otherwise fairly regular basis for a little over a year. We were already well-acquainted, so it shouldn't have taken me so long to recognize her presence. Shortly after the birth of my daughter, I began attending a breastfeeding support group

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-85479607726803208822011-09-09T12:53:00.007-05:002011-09-14T17:07:19.964-05:00

I am enrolled in a couple of classes at our local university this fall.  A recent assignment for one required reading about the communication skills essential to effective leadership. (Click here to take a pretty cool personal online assessment.) Afterward, we were to reflect on and write about personal communication strengths and weaknesses.  Well, it turns out I had already been reflecting on

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-39099423677703658252011-08-17T15:16:00.007-05:002011-08-17T17:40:32.325-05:00

My blogging friend, Terri, from The Laughing Mom recently wrote about how important it is for writers to read.  I could not agree more.  While at times I have heard the advice, "Don't waste time reading others' work, write your own stuff," I would not be inspired to write, nor have any idea how to, if not for the written works that inspire me.  Some of my latest reading has been that of a

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-56081799003039967562011-08-15T10:21:00.122-05:002011-08-18T14:38:55.417-05:00

"'In this world... you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant." - Elwood P. Dowd Jimmy Stuart as Elwood P. Dowd in the 1950 film Harvey This week I find myself more aware than usual of the fragility and finite state of life.  So I have been considering the sort of impact I want to make with the time I have.  Despite the overwhelming

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-7334617515712903542011-08-08T14:35:00.038-05:002011-08-15T09:41:16.169-05:00

I recently read an article that defined joy – but not overall happiness – as being the small details in life that bring us fleeting but nonetheless real satisfaction. Whether because they have sparked my fascination, offered extra little conveniences, or dotted my life with moments of pleasure, following are several things that have floated my boat recently. (Maybe we will have an actual boat

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-53000931600566917492011-07-30T19:10:00.006-05:002011-07-30T20:24:12.880-05:00

Randy, our 15-month old and I arrive at the restaurant, and I am so prepared: Our diaper bag is fit for a government covert ops agent. The baby's milk cup is stowed in its own special temperature controlled pouch so it won't have gotten so warm in the hour since we left our house that she can possibly contract any sort of foodborne illness. I disinfect my hands with the large bottle of hand gel

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-18931669170097991742011-07-27T09:48:00.010-05:002011-07-31T03:45:06.988-05:00

I once had a coworker who was a great conversationalist.  Amanda was reasonable, funny and perceptive.  One day after work, Amanda and I headed to a nearby happy hour to have dinner and drinks and, although we had very little to drink, upon leaving the restaurant we were stunned to realize five hours had somehow passed as imperceptibly and briskly as a sea breeze. (Sea Breeze: A six count of

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-69245337776582516682011-07-16T10:09:00.025-05:002011-08-16T17:38:27.844-05:00

   A Typical Picture of Renovation. Yes, corporate FF and all - unfortunate but true.  When relocating, adjusting  to living in your new  home, let alone a new  city, takes longer than  expected! When Randy  and I were in the process  of our move from out-of-  state, friends who had  experience in this arena  advised us to be patient;  we were told that to even  start to feel settled and  

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-84463017559906910162011-07-09T14:06:00.008-05:002011-07-27T17:14:01.258-05:00

Like I talked about in The Future is Here, Randy and I are always intrigued by others' deliberate, drastic life changes - especially those that involve traveling or simplifying.  And Randy has recently stumbled upon (translation: become addicted to) a certain website that "knows" what sorts of things intrigue him and thus makes uncannily customized suggestions accordingly. If only I could

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-7165009960837032382011-07-06T21:22:00.024-05:002011-11-28T17:13:07.983-06:00

What is the best advice you have ever been given?  Perhaps it was a financial philosophy from a grandparent or romantic perspective from an older sibling.  Mine was from an unexpected source – a stranger – and at the time it seemed he had psychological x-ray goggles, saw right through my upbeat exterior, and dispensed his advice perfectly according to his uncanny insight.  It was great advice. 

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-84153397976893607532011-06-17T13:53:00.058-05:002011-07-31T04:02:42.935-05:00

The Laughing Mom If you haven't checked out The Laughing Mom yet, you should. She is sort of David Sedaris' blonde, maternal, straight, blogging counterpart. Don't know what I'm talking about? You definitely need to find out who David Sedaris is, then, and I assure you you'll never board another plane without one of his many gems tucked into your carry-on. Ms. Laughing Mom (a.k.a. Terri, right

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-61740146878907069802011-06-08T10:10:00.207-05:002011-07-21T11:43:14.427-05:00

Idaho was another favorite! Shown above: White Bird.  Since relocating to Springfield  from Phoenix, Arizona three  years ago, Randy and I have  frequently been asked, "Why  did you move here?"  Sometimes, the question is  posed by a native Springfieldian  who possibly hadn't considered  that the presence of the capitol  (which maintains a certain level  of economic stability), top-notch

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-45822002850521579982011-06-04T10:56:00.008-05:002011-06-19T09:10:22.382-05:00

When we moved into this house three years ago, we were both intimidated by the huge grass lawn. Neither of us are fans of the insensible American tradition of expending limited natural resources (including those of personal time and energy!) to maintain squares of grass simply because that is what decent people are supposed to do. But it is true that something has to be done with the yard and,

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-8787651194457218332011-06-03T11:48:00.006-05:002011-06-19T09:22:40.586-05:00

Now-Secretary Clinton offered an ill-worded response way back when to a question about motherhood, that of course she wasn’t just going to “stay home and bake cookies.” As an amateur baker and a full-time parent, recalling that stereotype now makes the feminist in me cringe. Although the statement was dismissive and insensitive, it doesn't personally bother me much, but it is a bit surreal that

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-3466991579682665982011-06-02T21:36:00.012-05:002011-06-19T09:11:47.801-05:00

(A.K.A. Too Much Information Runnin’ ‘Round My Head) I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test a couple of years ago, and found the results to be uncannily personalized. The main insight that helped me to better understand myself at the time, and frequently since, was that I am an “introvert.” Although the conventional use of the word implies a shy demeanor, in this context it

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-35171516954752994182011-04-11T21:28:00.012-05:002011-08-04T09:26:29.221-05:00

Randy and I got together nearly five years ago.  (By "got together," I suppose I mean that we started spending time together and couldn't stop talking, so decided to make the conversation lifelong.  It has been an awesome idea!)  At the time he owned a fairly large house, and I lived in a small apartment but was renting a storage space for the belongings I had kept from my previous ownership of a

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-5468149391071213132011-01-18T16:00:00.011-06:002011-11-28T17:14:04.851-06:00

My New Year’s resolutions are as follows: 1) I will STOP turning the water on full blast every single time I use the sink, and 2) I will master the technique required for liquid eyeliner to actually, once applied, look nice on me. That little bottle has helped clutter my cosmetic bag, mostly unused aside from a few disastrous first attempts, for at least two years. I know it can be done. I have

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-8348644984913251282011-01-14T19:51:00.014-06:002011-12-06T16:36:15.116-06:00

PARENTAL WARNING: NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN My husband may be even more of a feminist than I have turned out to be. In my defense, I am concerned and offended that our society is drenched in overly sexualized images of girls and women. I oppose the seemingly dominant idea, the lie, that youth and rail-thinness are essentials for female beauty and sexuality. I am bewildered that women “

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-6404972746116587082011-01-09T00:13:00.025-06:002011-11-30T12:30:39.514-06:00

Should Christmas Be a Conflict? I inadvertently caught tidbits of this conversation from news/talk formats in the weeks leading up to Christmas. (I think I heard the phrase “War on Christmas.”) But I almost always refuse to get drawn in to dramatic talking points. I think such conflicts tend to be manufactured, or at least overly fueled, by for-profit outlets to try and get people upset and

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-68206685426183754142010-12-21T11:15:00.029-06:002011-04-13T09:23:23.693-05:00

Randy and I live on Lake Springfield. There, I said it. I usually avoid divulging this fact if at all possible. As a native and resident of Phoenix's "Avenues" (in the west side of town) for most of my life, since moving to Springfield I have cringed at the thought that if I mention my neighborhood to a local I may sound like some of the East Side Phoenicians who are all too quick to provide “I

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-25442916995653339462010-11-11T21:08:00.004-06:002011-04-12T13:50:53.599-05:00

One of the most noticeable signs of our infant daughter’s emerging awareness has been a keen interest in her hands. One day a few months ago, she began to stare at them almost the entire time she was awake. She will take breaks from nursing just to check on her hands and then, upon commencing her meal, keep her eyes fixed on them while opening and closing her fingers over and over again. The

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-60140449592785290882010-11-03T18:38:00.019-05:002011-06-20T10:13:40.398-05:00

I am surely not the only one today who, regardless of political persuasion, is feeling a bit burnt out on politics and commentary thereof. It is fall. The breeze outside has carried a crisp, invigorating chill to town, each day the sky alternates between bright, sunny blue and a pensive, cozy gray, and I am surrounded by shocking tones of gold and red foliage. So how can I possibly sustain focus

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-12865206178439059132010-10-26T22:44:00.021-05:002011-08-18T18:29:02.858-05:00

“Imagine all the people…Living life in peace…Nothing to kill or die for… You may say that I’m a dreamerBut I’m not the only one.”                           - John Lennon Randy and I took a cross-country road trip three years ago to take a time-out from our daily lives, enjoy the freedom we all often forget that we have, and choose a small town to which to relocate. The journey was certainly a

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-12645913988518506412010-10-15T20:02:00.014-05:002011-06-19T09:23:41.964-05:00

My husband has been working extra hours lately. And for the first time in my life I am home almost all of the time instead of almost never. Furthermore, our budget is very tight now that I am parenting full-time. Thus, a great scenario for baking: I've always loved to, now I have the time for it, and baking is more affordable than purchasing already prepared foods. Plus, it makes the house smell

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-18313867490943283922010-10-13T11:46:00.029-05:002011-04-12T14:04:12.576-05:00

“The Sacred Feminine is a term we use for the mysterious source of all life, the wellspring of creation. The Big SHE. The Feminine Force that births both male and female forms. The Circle that contains both yin and yang” (The Sacred Feminine). When first realizing what I wanted to write about today, I thought it might come across as tangential. But then again, it has been recently pretty well

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-33885860333066997882010-10-09T17:37:00.016-05:002011-08-20T12:45:07.588-05:00

My husband really wants me to do a Mom-Blog. Perhaps he is worried that otherwise I will fade into oblivion. Not that I was whatever the opposite of oblivion is – terribly relevant? – before I was a full-time parent… Note that I refer to myself as a “full-time parent,” so even the term “Mom-Blog” fails to sit quite right with me; I think fathers are profoundly and consistently omitted from

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-60984187157557618592009-06-24T20:10:00.003-05:002010-10-11T14:07:08.512-05:00

Crushing walls again. One window left to go! - Randy

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-23606972752728862832009-06-22T19:43:00.002-05:002010-10-09T16:50:49.202-05:00

I'm melting... I have to get the AC connected!!!!- Randy

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-56944481767661290292009-06-17T22:20:00.002-05:002010-10-09T16:51:01.669-05:00

Felt like a kid at Christmas today. I bought a new cordless tool. Not seeing the fine print at Sears.com, I picked-up my order and got home to find... No battery! Another hour running around town to get one.- Randy

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-33240329143614591012009-06-09T18:43:00.002-05:002010-10-09T16:51:15.123-05:00

Is enjoying the thought of a second wonderful year married to Sarah!- Randy

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-29415798876103848492009-05-23T09:46:00.002-05:002010-10-09T16:51:32.043-05:00

Time too see what the madness is like at the home improvement store!- Randy

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-39331097388695247392009-05-21T18:08:00.002-05:002010-10-09T16:51:46.228-05:00

Time to check the muddin' & tapin'...- Randy

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-71520822021757561552008-09-02T15:22:00.008-05:002011-04-13T09:25:30.480-05:00

The first thing I was taught about setting goals is that they have to be flexible. This simplification process Sarah and I are starting has presented variables requiring adjustments "on-the-fly." First, the Phoenix house still hasn't sold. We couldn't predict when we started this process eighteen months ago that a mortgage crisis would erupt. Luckily, bad news like this is part of the reason we

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-35245103744294494492008-03-01T14:49:00.012-06:002011-04-13T09:25:00.879-05:00

Day 003: It's been a long time since we've posted an update and we have plenty of news! We've finally moved to one of our favorite small towns, Springfield, Illinois. The plan was for a moving company to transport our belongings while Sarah, our dog Nipper and I made the trip from Phoenix to Springfield in her Honda Civic. We added to the fun factor when my brother, Jeff, decided he'd also

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-70029062426793406382007-10-22T16:46:00.004-05:002011-04-13T09:26:01.614-05:00

Thanks to Tom Petty for a soundtrack to our past month (see title). Since closing on the house in Springfield, we've been in touch with architects and considered our plans. However, we're waiting to move forward until the Phoenix house sells. We had our first open house this weekend. We thought it best to get out of the way and head to visit my brother Jeff who moved to Long Beach, California,

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-2202753845095200122007-09-13T21:09:00.000-05:002007-09-20T20:30:49.170-05:00

We've been quiet over the last month as I superstitiously didn't want to foul-up the closing on a lake house we found. Springfield had always been a top pick although not number one. We love Marquette and Vermont along with all the other top 10 places. However, Springfield won out because of several factors:10. Springfield is within a three-hour drive of Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis (

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-88456497348844431032007-08-08T18:30:00.001-05:002011-07-09T12:54:35.342-05:00

"You're only lost if you stop." "If you don't stop for directions and a f*#$@&$! bathroom right NOW, the wedding is off." "Please turn off the Lionel Richie." "Where are we going now?" "Are you hungry yet?" "You're hungry again?" The number one question we have gotten during our trip and now that we have returned has been, "How's the relationship after sooooo much time together in a moving box

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-27890364650906789292007-08-07T18:30:00.000-05:002007-08-07T19:49:39.344-05:00

We have had little to no Internet access during the past week, so here is the condensed update:After saying goodbye to my Aunt Amy and Uncle George in Rockingham last Tuesday morning, we visited Randy's friend Mary June in Gastonia, a city adjoining Charlotte, NC. We had a nice time with Mary June over lunch that day, and then we had a decision to make. We felt we had seen enough of the United

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-16972416303261348372007-07-31T07:41:00.000-05:002007-08-07T18:31:44.381-05:00

We did a lot of research for this trip before we left Phoenix. As we near the end, we'll have some more to do on the finalists to make our decision. There are however a few places left we'll pass through that could still make the cut. Over the past couple days, we've been based in Rockingham, North Carolina at Sarah's aunt's and uncle's home. Amy & George have been generous and gracious hosts

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-38085556699154099362007-07-29T09:32:00.000-05:002007-07-29T11:10:40.616-05:00

Charlottesville, VirginiaDowntown Charlottesville’s many shops and restaurants were humming when we visited on Friday afternoon. The weather was also breezy and mild and perfect for strolling. Charlottesville had come highly recommended by more than one person, and it definitely held up to expectations. I Randy noticed a thriving music scene with many local bands playing and touring acts like the

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-64959464855022726842007-07-26T08:23:00.000-05:002007-07-29T10:49:21.180-05:00

Yesterday, we drove from Vermont, through Massachusetts and New York, to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where we camped for at least the fifth time on the trip. A couple days ago, in Herkimer, New York, they shut off the water in the bathrooms as we were showering. Sarah had to go to the nearby river to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. None of the little fish that visited her locks were harmed.

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-56315576199690353812007-07-24T09:53:00.000-05:002007-07-29T11:08:46.354-05:00

Bennington, VermontWe had to pick our jaws up off our seats as we entered Vermont. We thought central New York was fab. Vermont is exquisite. From the granite and quartz rock extruding along the shoulders and median of the highway to the mist covered rolling mountains and maple-treed valleys below we didn't think it could get this good. The first town we encountered was Bennington. It was

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-71926012239489128952007-07-22T22:24:00.000-05:002007-07-24T11:23:46.708-05:00

I realized today that this amazing adventure is nearing its end. We still have a lot of miles to go, but after 40+ days, we only have ten or so left to savor. That's what this trip has been, a tasty entree of life that we rarely get to order. The second part of the trip has been odd in that the hurdle to make our consideration list is so much tougher. We've seen some great places and so can

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-74213852638781556922007-07-21T11:04:00.000-05:002007-07-22T13:12:45.892-05:00

Kalamazoo, MichiganOur hotel set us off on the wrong foot. We've been reserving the least expensive hotel room on Hotwire for each stop on the trip or camping at the KOA site. This had served us well until Wednesday night. The Knight's Inn in Kalamazoo is a 1-star motel. As we arrived, there was a group of guys drinking on the second floor balcony. They stared at us unwaveringly from the

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-82648751111154771912007-07-18T13:50:00.000-05:002007-07-20T10:19:26.395-05:00

Today we start the 2nd half of the trip. We just left my Dad's in beautiful Crown Point, Indiana. It has great old homes and a surprising number of lakes. However, one of our criteria is that we live outside of major media markets so Crown Point is out of consideration.We had no idea we'd be taking this long. However, we wanted to make this a low-stress adventure so each day we decide what

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-80479588694864961192007-07-16T09:27:00.001-05:002011-06-22T21:48:24.138-05:00

You can't just drive by Chicago. At least I can't. The city has become a megapolis from Milwaukee to southwest Michigan. It's also my home town where I have many friends and my Dad still lives here. We've parked it for a couple days at my Dad's and his wife Lynda's home in Crown Point, Indiana. We could stay for days trying to catch up with friends but we want to get back on the road again

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-31109163752307033042007-07-12T16:07:00.000-05:002007-07-18T13:33:55.896-05:00

Stephenson, MichiganWe stopped here to see some friends I've known since childhood, Marylou & Andy. Marylou took care of me while my parents were at work until I was five. They live on a secluded lake of the Shakey Lakes outside of Stephenson. The Lakes are also where my family spent several summer vacations, so it was fun to revisit the area. During our visit Tuesday we went on a canoe trip

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-61568254757026543262007-07-10T03:38:00.000-05:002007-07-10T10:19:40.924-05:00

Marquette, MichiganToday we had a great time in Marquette. We found a great compact downtown and had brunch at an indie bakery with a localized menu. Afterwards we walked to the campus of Northern Michigan University, then to a beach on Lake Superior. These strong features surrounded about 10 blocks of early 20th century housing that has been maintained well and updated while also being

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-18715002261824996642007-07-08T22:26:00.000-05:002007-07-09T00:38:38.739-05:00

Yesterday we started the day by having lunch with Randy's friend Ian in St. Paul. They are old friends but I had never met him. I had also never been to St. Paul or the other of the Twin Cities - Minneapolis. It isn't one of the places we are considering (too big), but St. Paul was one of the coolest big cities I've ever seen. It made me even more interested in Eau Claire, which we had visited

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-70726528391221866792007-07-07T00:53:00.000-05:002007-07-09T00:43:05.235-05:00

After leaving Madison this morning we visited La Crosse and Eau Claire.Madison, WisconsinTwo nights in Madison allowed us time to take a good look around. We spent 4th of July downtown, which was beautiful. Then, yesterday we checked out the lakes, the university, and as many neighborhoods as possible. Madison is a great town with a diverse mix of people and a very cool downtown, but we agreed it

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-21245967020364414202007-07-05T13:07:00.000-05:002007-07-09T00:46:15.385-05:00

We fit a lot of experiences into our day yesterday...Dubuque, Iowa We woke up in Dubuque yesterday and got on the road, after having spent two nights there. Because it interested us, we had wanted to check it out thoroughly. We spent a lot of time walking downtown, which was clean with attractive buildings and housed plenty of business, but generally it neither deterred nor intrigued us. We also

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-22205190910229942532007-07-05T11:26:00.001-05:002011-07-08T09:27:57.023-05:00

The past couple days have been filled with fireworks. Both those that explode in the sky, as well as mental synapse firing; we have seen places we would love to live and establish a new kind of life. Quad Cities The border area called The Village or The Heights between Davenport and Bettendorf is active, affordable, beautiful and possesses a strong sense of community. The biggest question is

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-57409339720590947452007-07-03T09:54:00.000-05:002007-07-05T12:44:48.924-05:00

We said goodbye to Randy's family yesterday morning after a fun and action-packed week. Although we were technically taking a break from our road trip, we did a lot of exploring of Springfield and nearby areas during our stay. Mostly it was great to get to spend time with the family.Macomb, IllinoisWe made it to Macomb in time for lunch with Randy's aunts, Barb and Penny, and cousin Courtney.

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-8522684987776860732007-07-02T09:02:00.000-05:002007-07-02T23:40:47.165-05:00

We leave Springfield today. It's been a nice week break staying with my sister's family in central Illinois. The mix of Lincoln tourism, state government (Springfield is the Illinois capitol), and an emerging school (University of Illinois Springfield) along with Lake Springfield and classic neighborhoods (Washington Park) make this a town we'll definitely consider.We also explored two lake

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-11423427172049541512007-06-27T15:34:00.001-05:002007-06-27T16:51:36.546-05:00

Springfield, IllinoisAfter exploring Bloomington, Peoria, and Pekin on Monday, Randy's sister Michelle and her husband Joey gave us a tour of Springfield on Tuesday. Because Randy has family who live in Springfield, we are somewhat biased in its favor and kept our fingers crossed that we would like what we saw.First we were driven to Lake Springfield to see the homes and lush, wooded parks

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-25012420001448268362007-06-26T09:20:00.000-05:002007-06-27T15:34:13.140-05:00

We arrived at my sister's house in Springfield, Illinois Sunday night. We're staying with her and her family - husband Joey and kids Sarah, Jack, and Natalie - as we explore some towns in Illinois. It's great to see them all again. We took a drive through a nearby nature preserve at dusk and saw a number of deer and raccoons.Bloomington/NormalThis twin set of towns came up as a Best Place to

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-5829854631992878272007-06-24T23:58:00.000-05:002007-06-25T13:05:43.596-05:00

Iowa City, IowaWe really like Iowa City. Its Historic District homes are amazing turn of the century monuments. Near that area, we found a fixer-upper with potential for $89,000! Most homes were running in the $150,000-$215,000 range. The town is lush with trees and greenery. It looks to be dominated by the University of Iowa as there are many “For Rent” signs. There seemed to be some

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-2705897073799950252007-06-22T13:04:00.000-05:002007-06-22T15:04:08.674-05:00

Spirit Lake, IowaThe first thing Thursday morning a real estate agent showed us various waterfront properties around Spirit Lake. He helped educate us about different types of lakes and factors that affect water quality and property values. We thought the lakes were beautiful and some of the houses were very nice, but otherwise the town of Spirit Lake generally lacked interest for us. Mostly,

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-51952649349036445492007-06-20T23:29:00.001-05:002011-06-06T18:48:53.410-05:00

Sioux Falls, South Dakota This morning we woke up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We first looked high and low for a car wash because we could barely see past the buggy windshield (eew). We found one across the street from a Culver's, so we stopped at both. We had heard Culver's is famous for - brace yourselves - butterburgers (eew). We ate there. The service was great and the food was... sort of

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-28987104330495923162007-06-20T00:41:00.000-05:002007-06-20T23:28:22.270-05:00

We just arrived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 2 hours ago, we filled up the tank on the Civic and Sarah did her immaculate, full-service windshield cleaning job with the squeegee. As we drove in the twilight to darkness it sounded as if there were a light shower outside. Occasionally, a drop or two sounded heavy. In short order, we realized it wasn't rain (see photos). We felt bad so many

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-62610779993862083592007-06-19T01:32:00.000-05:002007-06-19T11:56:01.250-05:00

Casper, WyomingCasper came up in some research as having potential. However, it is too Western for me. The town was clean, but very much like the dusty desert in Arizona we're looking to leave. The University of Wyoming mascot is The Cowboys, and the town seemed to be more into rodeo than I am.Devil's Tower National Monument, WyomingDo, do, do, dooo, dooo... We were unexplainably driven to

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-86123155470250980542007-06-18T04:05:00.000-05:002007-06-19T01:43:05.159-05:00

Yellowstone National ParkFinally, I got to see Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo's home turf. No wonder they put up with Ranger Smith. The park would take several days to fully explore, but we got the picture(s). Old Faithful, geothermal mud pots, lakes, buffalo, moose, and bears are worth the $25 admission per car. The ranger at the gate to Yellowstone confirmed what the Ranger at the Grand Canyon told

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-72256900823153916042007-06-16T14:32:00.000-05:002007-06-20T12:19:51.583-05:00

Coeur D'Alene, IdahoI love Coeur D'Alene! We arrived sooner than I expected to (about forty minutes) after leaving Spokane. The weather was cloudy and mild, almost chilly, but would warm every now and then for a few moments when the sun would peek from behind the clouds. The lake area was beautiful and the surrounding park was well-planned for a variety of activities like boating, kayaking,

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-13991757153309892042007-06-16T12:10:00.000-05:002007-06-18T02:05:17.776-05:00

Spokane, WashingtonWe had arrived at our hotel Thursday night in Spokane just as it was getting dark, but were impressed by the views of mountains and trees and looked forward to exploring the next morning. Friday we woke with one goal: Food. So we drove in the general direction of downtown to see what we could find.We found traffic difficult to maneuver even though it was midday and morning rush

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-77772308594989681822007-06-15T03:10:00.002-05:002011-07-08T09:32:18.672-05:00

(Written Thursday night but posted Friday due to lack of Internet access) We've arrived at our hotel in Spokane, Washington at dark with plans to head to Coeur D’Alene tomorrow after exploring Spokane. We took route 55 north along the Little Salmon River most of the way here. The views became incredible shortly outside of Boise. As we got further north, the elevation increased and the

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-30201402433532238082007-06-14T11:53:00.000-05:002007-06-19T00:50:03.128-05:00

Thanks to everyone who has sent comments. It's great to hear from you. We'll respond in the comment area or send you an e-mail.Boise, IdahoBoise (BOY-see locally pronounced, not BOYZ-ee) is one of the largest towns in consideration at nearly 200,000 residents. It was recently name #3 in Forbes best place for business/careers, Money Magazine rates it #8 in its best places to live list, and

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-53075230342517856412007-06-13T13:47:00.001-05:002007-06-18T11:03:31.065-05:00

Yesterday was great. It felt like the first day of vacation. We slept until the ring, ring of the hotel desk calling awoke us. We requested a later check-out and they generously gave us 45 minutes. We took an hour and a half.Rested and refreshed, we had to make sure we relaxed and we wanted to make sure we keep updating this blog daily. We stopped at a Starbucks near the hotel. It was one

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-40619626718054056912007-06-12T17:29:00.000-05:002007-06-18T11:00:58.610-05:00

Although the title is taken from horse racing, Sarah and I are on a journey, definitely not a race. We are trying to find a quality of life (QoL) that is deliberate, somewhat simple, and on our terms. Phew! I am journaling about Day 1 of our trip around midday on Day 2, from a Starbucks in Salt Lake City. We planned to leave for the Grand Canyon yesterday at 5am, but didn’t start driving

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-26491698798352284502007-06-11T00:19:00.001-05:002007-06-11T01:40:32.629-05:00

Last night after our anniversary dinner, I asked Sarah to marry me... and she said yes! Our cross-country adventure is now a celebration in addition to an exploration. Today has been a mix of emotional afterglow and physical pain. I awoke with pink-eye. Arrgghhh! Luckily Sarah had some eye drops and throughout the day the pain has gotten more bearable.Much of the day we shared our good news

Life Flippinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558907057985198477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653647650353742866.post-87484308444188631022007-06-09T15:39:00.002-05:002011-07-09T13:02:15.832-05:00

We leave Monday! We're in whirlwind mode now. I thought it would be a good idea to have the house on the market while we're away. Now, that seems to be eating into trip preparation time. Regardless, we awoke early today and took several last loads of Stuff to Sarah's mom's house for her garage sale this morning. Luckily, our friends Sam and Karla swapped cars so we could use their Element.

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