I am not Erin!  Erin's in Hawaii!

This is Aaron.  I am Erin's boyfriend and new next door neighbor!  Erin asked me to write a guest entry while she's gone to let you all know what's up with her.  The following things (and quite possibly more!) are up with our dear Erin.

#1. She has found a place to live here in California, in the house that as I type is currently in a leftwardly direction from myself.  My friend Naomi's parents own two very nice multi-bedroom dwellings, which are segregated by gender.  Three of my old roommates live in the "boy" house, and I had a place secured there for quite a while, but we had not counted on the "girl" house even being a possibility for Erin and were quite surprised to learn there was a vacancy.  After scouring the Chapman University campus and surrounding areas for "room for rent" flyers with little tear-off phone numbers, calling said phone numbers, scoping out said rooms and much searching of her own soul, Erin decided that the "girl" house was the place for her.  She is a bit disapointed that they don't have a swimming pool, though.  And we're still trying to find a bed for the room.  But these are small things!  After almost two weeks, we were finally able to unpack her car, and I'd say she's settling in well to the place, but, um . . .

#2. As I mentioned before, she is in Hawaii.  I sort of think when you're just about to leave for Hawaii, you don't really have any reason to be looking for a house or appartment with a swimming pool, but Erin always has been interested at "long term liquid investments." Ha ha ha!  I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to get a gut-busting joke in there.  Liquid investments.  whooo boy!  I'm not sure if that joke will make sense when I read it again tomorrow, but at a quarter to three in the morning, it sounds pretty good to me!  Anyway, Erin is ditching me and her other new neighbors for a week to enjoy spme cross-generational galavanting around the Islands with her mom and grandma.  Last I heard, they were on their way to a luau and she was on the lookout for a coconut to bring back home for me!  I have never been to Hawaii or eatten fresh coconut, but Erin has done both, on a high school choir trip in her youth, two diplomas ago.  From what I understand neither of Erin's matriarchs accompanying her had ventured to those Pacific shores before and Erin has a great uncle that her grandmother was keen to get to visit.  They've been rising early and going to bed early, so I'm not too worried about Erin staying out all night and meeting shirtless surfers at tiki bars.  Not that I would be anyway, but it's nice to know she's getting a decent amount of sleep and is able to enjoy the beaches in the mornings when hardly anyone else is up.

Hopefully she'll come back with pictures.

We're in California!!  Yesterday (Thursday) we made the final trek on our road trip, from Southern Oregon to Southern California, and now we're here- it took 12 hours- which is a good time, L.A. wasn't too bad (but a lot worse than Minneapolis rush hour).
The apartment/room search is going well for me- I've got some leads- and I am soooo ready to settle down and empty my trunk.  I had thin mint candies for breakfast- it's the first time Aaron's let me get away with non-food as food this month.  We've eatten well-balanced meals.  He hasn't eatten breakfast.  Have you?  I love breakfast, just don't have the food for it right now.  We'll eat a good lunch.

It's been nearly two weeks since I've updated, and over 2,000 miles.  Here are some pics to show the great road trip Aaron and I have been on.
It all started in Chicago Friday the 7th- at least that's when Serpe and I picked him up, but there are no places of that state.  I did disguise myself, though- a big tan jacket, sunglasses, an old dress (jean w/ lace- definitely 70s- but looked like the 1850s).  We then proceeded to stay w/ my family for the weekend, and are at my parents' home in this first pic.
Next, we proceeded to Minneapolis, friends, and fun.  It snowed and was cold (see Aaron rubbing his hands together?)  To our regret, we took no pictures w/ friends- this is actually the only one we took in the entire state of Minnesota!
North Dakota was fine- we stayed w/ my cousin and his wife, and their dog and cat.  This was at the time when there was a freezing cold front coming- like negative 30s/40s without the windchill!  Luckily, we only had to get out to fill up gas, and that was only twice in ND.  The first time, it was in a small town- Buffalo, and we ate a ma-n-pa place w/ only one worker- it was great!! Highly recommended.  Anyways, on the other side of the railroad tracks was the gas station this pic was taken at.  It is supposed to depict the cold.
Montana was the longest state to get through.  It took sooooo long!  We got there Wednesday, ate dinner w/ my aunt, uncle, and cousin, had a good time, watched/listened to the weather, and when we got up the next morning to leave, my aunt said we can go back to bed (we didn't).  Because of the road conditions, even my uncle was sendign his workers home, and they wouldn't be on the road hearly as long as Aaron and I would have!  So we stayed inside, and played a lot of UNO-Rummy-Up w/ my aunt.  It was fun.  Aaron tried to fix their computer, which was infected w/ a lot of things.  So Friday morning, we headed out.  Here is a sampling of the land and mountains in Montana.
We finally made it through the state when it was getting dark, and I was freaking out when driving through Idaho, although I loved the hills- the weather was bad, it was dark, bright headlights, couldn't see the road-- to Aaron took over, and we made it to Washington state fine.  Here's a pic of when we're a little worn from driving.
We stayed in Spokane, Washington, the City of Lilacs, which was very exciting for me, since they're my second favorite flower (irises=1st).  When Aaron called his mom before we left Saturday morning, she reported about freezing rain, and how we won't be able to get through Portland (which is on the way to Dallas, Oregon).  So we drove though the most boring land I've ever seen, and it was very sunny out.  Before that was Spoakne, though.  Here's a shot as we left the city.
We made it into Oregon, and were behind a snow plw, and stopped for gas, and learned we needed chains to continue the trip, so we headed down to his aunt and uncle's instead, in Bend, which is in central Oregon, out og the way, but at least a safe, free place to stay.  The family was nice and laughed a lot, and Sunday morning, we went to a Nazarene church, which I'd never been to before, but it was great- more contemporary music, and a good message, and some people stood in front of teh church to represent an issue to pray about.  It was powerful.  We ended up taking smaller highways through national parks Sunday to get to Dallas, Aaron's hometown.  I drove (Aaron and I have driven about half each)- and stayed at the speed limit the whole time- the roads were still wet and crummy, and I didn't want a ticket, accident, or death, but cars ended up in a parade behind us.  Here's a photo of some beautiful trees in Oregon.  Don't you want to visit?
Now we're resting a couple days.  It has been a great trip- a lot of miles, talking, seeing people, not getting hurt- and I'm looking forward to finishing it up w/ Aaron this week.