Bjorn wanted to get an early start today so we could get home in time to pack up their things and then have tomorrow (their last day) be a relaxing one. I woke up at seven and started cleaning out the cars, preparing the way for our long ride back home. We all pitched in and got everything loaded and the camping trailer cleaned and by 8:30 we were dropping off the keys and heading out for breakfast. It was a good start to another day of driving the endless roads in America.
I pointed out the “Goonies” house to Tobias and Kaleb as we headed out of Astoria. It was a movie, filmed mostly in Astoria 25 years ago and is still popular today. I bought that DVD last night so they both watched it on the ride back north. The twins rode with their parents in our Honda van, as we had so much stuff from all the shopping, we needed the entire back end of the van just to get it all home.
I thought they might want to detour off and see Mt. St. Helens on the way home, but they opted out of that, and it was a good thing they did. Right after we passed by Centralia, there was a huge accident involving many cars and trucks and they shut the freeway down for hours. The backup was 15 miles long. As heavy as the traffic was heading into Seattle, I wasn’t complaining when I heard on the radio about that accident behind us – we were just lucky we weren’t caught in its aftermath. God is good! And we even drove into sunshine on our way back home, so our bones started warming up and drying off a bit from all that fog we endured for days on end at the coast. Bjorn still doesn’t believe that the sun does shine down there, but I know better. (The photo today is looking across the Columbia River from Oregon over to Washington).
We followed each other up I-5 but then parted ways at Southcenter Mall, south of Seattle. Bjorn and Inger had “just a little more” shopping to do, so they kept the twins and we took Kaleb and Tobias on home. With all the Friday rush hour traffic, the trip home from there took three hours, instead of the usual hour and a half, so we were all pretty weary by the time we made it back. Kory called Bjorn and told him not to rush, since they’d just be sitting in traffic anyway, so they didn’t get back to our place until about eight o’clock. So much for getting home early. They did more than “just a little” shopping, but they were also more than pleased with the bargains they got and all the money they saved from not having to buy things in Norway. They got all the kids clothes for the school year, and at last count, they have now purchased 27 pairs of shoes. They bought towels and sheets, wall decorations and gifts. They bought electronics and toys, backpacks and crafting supplies. They are hooked on American consumerism and I think they’ve begun to drink the Wal-Mart kool-aid, as they just love the prices at that store as well.
We had a late chicken BBQ dinner waiting for them when they got back home, and after a few cold beverages, they settled down for the night. Tobias finally had time to show us how cool his new iPad is, and when he fired it up and turned on the “Kindle” feature (where you can read a book right on the computer), I recognized the art work displayed on the cover page as that of a friend of mine that lives here in the valley. Tobias was impressed, and even more so when I told him she had invited us over to her studio tomorrow, and if he wanted, we could go over there. I got a most definite YES on that one, so their last day here in America might not just be sitting around relaxing afterall, but hopefully, it will be a memorable one.
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