Whining In Wyoming

When I was a kid, we used to drive to Denver most summers for family vacations. We'd always take I-80 across the southern strip of Wyoming and I remember looking around at the emptiness and thinking, "Why do people worry about over-population? There's tons of room out here."

I had an inkling back then but now, as an adult, I understand fully why Wyoming is so vast and empty.

It sucks.

Seriously, this whole state is a hole. And not the useful kind like a manhole or a doughnut hole. Nope, Wyoming is the other kind of hole - and I know you know what I'm saying.

We're in Rawlins tonight. Avery's nose has been running for three days, Suzanne started developing the flu yesterday, and today I feel as though my chest is gripped by the chill, bony hand of death of itself. I think I'm developing pneumonia from walking around without a coat too much.

We originally planned to make it to Cheyenne tonight and then we shortened our plans to Laramie. Once we stopped for dinner here in Rawlins, though, it was a done deal. We checked in around 8, did a load of laundry, swam in the too-cold but supposedly heated swimming pool, watched Toy Story 2 on the Disney Channel, and then retired. The lights are out and everyone is asleep except for me and Parker. She's looking at me out of the corner of her glassy little eye. She'll be asleep in a matter of moments. Hopefully, I will too.

While it's nice to take it kind of easy for a night, it puts us way behind schedule. We're still a thousand miles from home so we won't be able to make it there by tomorrow night. We'll have to stay in Des Moines or something like that. Ah well, another day, another hotel room, right?