November 27, 2011

MASS Exodus: The Final Chapter

"Our house is a very very fine house
With one cat in the yard,
Life used to be so hard
Now every thing is easy, 'cause of you"
-Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

After arriving in Las Cruces on Tuesday evening, we set to work on the next part of our dream.we began the search for housing. We began right away on Wednesday morning by going to a over 55 gated community where some of our friends live.

We drove around the neighborhood for a while and ended up getting together with a realtor who we later learned was 75 years old. I swear I would have guessed 55 except for his toupee. We explained what we were looking for and found out there were a number of houses there on the market. Within a few minutes we were on Sable Circle looking at three different units. They were all nice but none of them caught our fancy. As we prepared to leave our realtor told us about two other units on this circle, a newer one, and a brand new one.

Thursday was Thanksgiving and we spent most of the day with our friends. Saturday morning, bright and early we were back looking at several more units. We saw one on a corner that was going to need some work, something we are not up to. The next home was newer, built in 2007, and in very good shape. There was a carport, covered porch front and back and it had a ramp. We entered through the back door and walked through a laundry room into the house. This is where I fell in love with the place. There was a bright dining area, a spacious kitchen with excellent appliances, an island and pass through to the living room. A formal dining room was next in a very open floor plan that was connected to the living room.

The bedrooms are split with master on one side with a great master bath -  garden tub, stall shower and there is a huge walk in closet, at least 10 feet long.on the other side of the house were the other two bedrooms and second bath. As we left I knew this was the place for us although Mrsfabp was a bit less enthusiastic about it although she had trouble expressing why. We then toured a new unit that was "cosy" which is realtor code for cramped. The bedrooms were all small, the colors too modern and there was a big warning sign about formaldehyde in the insulation causing some people to have an allergic reaction. Within five minutes of entering the house, Mrsfabp's eyes were watering and we were out of there.. 

We went to our friends house and asked them to come take a look at it with us. They did and loved unit too. We talked and decided to make an offer. Unfortunately, there were several other people looking at this particular place. It had only been listed for one day and at least four people had looked at it already. We put in a bid for it and after some negotiation, had a deal and a place to live in Las Cruces. We were with our friends when we got the news and celebrated with some fine local wine and a great shrimp salad dinner. Special thanks to Clair and Bill for their help, guidance, support and friendship. 

So, that"s it. Our dream has become a reality and the next two weeks will be a rush of planning, unpacking, and unwinding. Retirement has arrived. Our new address? 1051 Sable Circle, Las Cruces, NM 88001 . We have 2 spare bedrooms so feel free to come out to visit, to feel the warmth of the sun and dry crystal clear air. Oh, take a look at the mountains too.


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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 23, 2011

MASS Exodus-Day 10 & 11: Nothing and then a Big Surprise!

!Day ten was probably the day I most dreaded on the trip - the trek through the heart of Texas. I can sum up the next 600 miles by saying " nothing happened" nothing. After leaving Katy we were driving through some of the most desolate area I have ever seen. This was " slap my face to keep awake" driving. It was boring and we hated it. So we just put the miles behind and pulled into Ozona at dusk.

At the end of this day, We are now at 2815 miles,  which is just over 87% of the way, we have been in  12 states, cause Texas is one big state...

And now for the surprise. We awoke in Ozona, with a plan for about a 250 mile drive to Carlsbad but our plans chaged when Mrsfabp got a message from the people we were going to visit there. They were sick and wanted to postpone. Mrsfabp and I laid back in bed to consider our options - go to Carlsbad anyway, even though it was out of the way, stay in Ozona and do laundry and get organized or make a un for the border of New Mexico. I am happy to report we decided to make the run. Only 400 miles!

We went to a local place for a breakfast burrito and huevos rancheros and got on the road. About 5 miles out of town we realized that Mrsfabp did not have her cell phone so it was back to the motel and 10 more miles added to the trip.
We droves treacly for about 3 hours, stopped for lunch and got back on the road. We hit El Paso at rush hour, a gentile reminder of why I hate traffic so, and pulled into Las Cruces at about 7 pm. Tired and worn, a big king bed never felt so good! We made it!!!

On arrival in Las Cruces we had driven 3225 miles which is 100% of the total and had been in 13 different states... In order: MA, NY, NJ, DL, VA, NC, SC, FL, AL, GA, MS, TX  and NM... I case you wanted to know

Hope you enjoyed reading all about our adventures. Mrsfabp,  Kanye and I say a great big hi y'all to friends and family!

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 22, 2011

MASS Exodus Day 9 One Long Day



We only did 80 miles yestday so we paid for it today with a planned 375 mile day to Kady Texas. Mrsfabp's friends Sherrie and  Bruce live there. We arrived after dark and headed over to their house for a warm welcome and a "what have you been up to for the last 30 years" session. That is a lot of talking to do and Mrsfabp did her best along with Sherrie. We were welcomed in their home and enjoyed hearing about how that little farming town has become a metropolis over the last 30 years. 

We didn't  stay too long but had to deal with a construction issue that screwed with the GPS a bit but we made it back alive none the worst for wear...

At the end of this day, We are now at 2455 miles,  which is just over 75%  of the way, we have been in  12 states...


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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

MASS Exodus - Day 8: Party Time

When we first began planning this trip, there were a couple of things we wanted to do- visit family and friends, see Savannah, and spend some time in New Orleans, NOLA, for short. As such we only traveled 80 miles on this day, with a plan to enjoy our stay. We got a motel on the outskirts of the city, checked our cat in and headed downtown. We arrived at Jackson Square and let the party begin.

We started off just walking around for a while, people watching. Finally we went to an outside cafe for a Cajun plate - andouille sausage, Cajun chicken and cheeses. When done we walked a block further to visit Cafe du Monde  for beignets and coffee. As is the tradition, they come piled high with powered sugar which can be seen all over the tables, the floor and the patrons! After this we continued to tour the square, with the artists, saw a wedding procession from the church and walked over to Bourbon Street.

Bourbon Street is not for the faint of heart. NOLA has no open bottle laws so everyone is carrying beers and drinks out in the street. The bars serve drinks in to go cups to help . One end of the street contains the strip clubs and men's clubs, about one every eight feet. Mrsfabp saw a woman who was wearing a painted on shirt - no blouse, just a painted on short. Unfortunately, I missed that one. After a couple of blocks, the clubs gave way to bars and music clubs, again, one every 8 feet or so. There really is nothing else going on there but the party never stops.

We moved over to the St. James trolley and took a long ride to the other part of the city. This included the Garden district and Mansion district with beautiful homes and oak linrd streets. When we got back we were hungry and took a cab to Mulates, recommended by the visitor center people. It serves real Cajun food and live Cajun music. The meal was fantastic - I had shrimp bisque and a shrimp quarter platter with cocktail, grilled, fried and a shrimp casserole. When done, we sat in the front of the stage and listened to great music and were treated to some traditional dancing too. Special thanks to my family who gave us some gift cards which paid for the evening's entertainment

After supper we took a cab back to Jackson Square and went on a carriage ride. The driver was well versed in the areas history and pop culture and also displayed the gruff Cajun side when dealing with crazy pedestrians or crazier drivers. 

By this time we were exhausted but happy. We left the French Quarter and went back to the motel to collapse...

At the end of this day, We are now at 2080 miles,  which is just over 64% of the way, we have been in  11 states...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 21, 2011

MASS Exodus - Day 8: Party Time

When we first began planning this trip, there were a couple of things we wanted to do- visit family and friends, see Savannah, and spend some time in New Orleans, NOLA, for short. As such we only traveled 80 miles on this day, with a plan to enjoy our stay. We got a motel on the outskirts of the city, checked our cat in and headed downtown. We arrived at Jackson Square and let the party begin.

We started off just walking around for a while, people watching. Finally we went to an outside cafe for a Cajun plate - andouille sausage, Cajun chicken and cheeses. When done we walked a block further to visit Cafe du Monde  for beignets and coffee. As is the tradition, they come piled high with powered sugar which can be seen all over the tables, the floor and the patrons! After this we continued to tour the square, with the artists, saw a wedding procession from the church and walked over to Bourbon Street.

Bourbon Street is not for the faint of heart. NOLA has no open bottle laws so everyone is carrying beers and drinks out in the street. The bars serve drinks in to go cups to help . One end of the street contains the strip clubs and men's clubs, about one every eight feet. Mrsfabp saw a woman who was wearing a painted on shirt - no blouse, just a painted on short. Unfortunately, I missed that one. After a couple of blocks, the clubs gave way to bars and music clubs, again, one every 8 feet or so. There really is nothing else going on there but the party never stops.

We moved over to the St. James trolley and took a long ride to the other part of the city. This included the Garden district and Mansion district with beautiful homes and oak linrd streets. When we got back we were hungry and took a cab to Mulates, recommended by the visitor center people. It serves real Cajun food and live Cajun music. The meal was fantastic - I had shrimp bisque and a shrimp quarter platter with cocktail, grilled, fried and a shrimp casserole. When done, we sat in the front of the stage and listened to great music and were treated to some traditional dancing too. Special thanks to my family who gave us some gift cards which paid for the evening's entertainment

After supper we took a cab back to Jackson Square and went on a carriage ride. The driver was well versed in the areas history and pop culture and also displayed the gruff Cajun side when dealing with crazy pedestrians or crazier drivers. 

By this time we were exhausted but happy. We left the French Quarter and went back to the motel to collapse...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

MASS Exodus - End of Day 7: Getting Ready to Party

It has been difficult to post the last few days-I have a cold, Internet time has been sketchy. I am going to try and catch up today, so bear with me with 2 or 3 posts...

We left NC, traveled down I-95 to Jacksonville FL, hung a right turn onto I-10 headed west. We arrived in Biloxi MS, to warm, gentle ocean breezes, miles of white beaches and the neon and noise associated with casinos. Yes, Biloxi is the Foxwoods of the south, with no less than 9 of them, clustered at the beginning of the beach. We bypassed this, drove the beachfront ate a and watched a nice sunset over the Gulf. On a recommendation of the motel manager, we went to a local seafood place called White Caps. We were not disappointed! It was a local hang out with excellent food and a bit of atmosphere. I had shrimp gumbo to die for and blackened scallops with a local cream sauce that was put of this's world. Our waitress was friendly ( what a surprise) and we just enjoyed the atmosphere for a while. This left us ready to tackle the phenomena called New Orleans.

At the end of this day, We are now at 1990 miles,  which is just over 61%  of the way, we have been in  10 states...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 19, 2011

MASS Exodus: Day 7 - Questions, you have questions...



As we moved across the Florida Panhandle, I had plenty of time to think up good answers to the questions I know you are dying to ask. So inthe spirit of cooperation, I'll answer them all for you right now...

Can you describe The Florida Panhandle in 3 words?
Good question. Of course I can - try LONG, STRAIGHT and BORING. Yep, that is all there is to it. Scrub pine and State Police cars, cotton fields and some swamps. That' it! It is miles and miles of miles and miles. This makes me fear the long trek through Texas. This is "Set the phasers to stun" kind of boring, where you start to drool and contemplate sleep.

Was there any exotic  roadkill along the way?
Wow, that' s a tough one. Virginia had its dead dear, North and South Carolina less so. But when we reached Alabama, we got the mother lode. In less than a couple miles there was a hawk and 4 armadillos. Oooo wee, that is some good stew fixins if you know wh at I mean.

Do the people down there have speech  impediments or is it an accent?
Be careful there. It is an accent but believe me, a speech problem could not be much worse. I have to constantly ask people to repeat what they said. They speak fast and use different words. I asked for a club soda and got a blank stare. Said ok, a club soda and the stare continued. It's called soda Water down here and don' you forget it.

Are the people in Alabama friendly?
Nice recovery there. Friendly? Boy, they may not be the friendliest people on earth but they are close. We went to a restaurant in Alabama and while waiting 5 minutes for a table, 9 people, 9 people said hello, how y'all doing?And three didn't even work there.

Which is a better motel Best Western or Motel 6?
Ah, a trick question. Best Western costs more and has nicer pillows, but the accessibility left a lot to be desired. One grab bar in a regular tub is not accessibility. Motel 6 has sturdy benches, large bathrooms and grab bars all around. BW was NOT worth the extra $20' plus $10 more for Kanye.

What was the worst breakfast you had?
Good one. We tried the Waffle House before our friend Jim warned us. It could best be described as "meh!" But the worst was Best Western's continental breakfast. No coffee left, cold eggs, hard little muffins, stale biscuits, and a waffle machine that made undone blobs of batter. Worst.Breakfast.Eva!

We are now at 1990 miles,  which is just over 61%  of the way, we have been in  10 states...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 17, 2011

MASS Exodus-Day 6: A few random thoughts as we start this day...

-Charleston gave a great welcome last night, with a grand heat lightening display as we went over the bridge into the town. This was punctuated by a big thunderstorm with lots of rain about midnight

- A joke -What is the difference between traveling with an infant and traveling with Kanye? One only eats, poops, sleeps and cries all day. The other is the baby... Actually K has been better, less whining, eating, pooping and riding out of the cage sometimes. He still hides in the room when we want to leave however.

-We took a two hour tour of Savannah's historic district. Wonderful stories, wonderful archatecure and a wonderful city. Could spend weeks there, we spent 4 hours...

-Heard Jackson Browne on the radio today
"And when the evening rolls around,
I'll go home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in,
I'll get up and do it again,
Amen, Say it again, Amen"

Apropos words for this Clothes, Cat and Car tour...

-Did a recalculation on the mileage. Take off two points from my score for failing to carry the one...
We are now at 1675 miles,  which is just over 50% of the way, we have been in  8 states...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

MASS Exodus Day Five Summary: Where oh where did kitty kat go.....dammit!

Once again we got a late start to our day, but not because we over slept or were too involved talking, but rather because Kanye Kitty played Houdini and cost us an hour.

Our plan was for some breakfast, a quick tour of the old part of New Bern, then getting on the road by 11 am. But Kanye had different plans.

Bags were packed and we went on the drive, and when we returned we just needed to get him in the cage and go. But he was not anywhere to be found. A frantic search for almost an hour, including shaking the treat can revealed nothing. After combing the house meticulously, we found him asleep, in the back of a closet. Bad kitty!! (that's the g-rated version, you can imagine the x-rated version on your own.

So an expected arrival in Charleston SC, for 6 pm, ended up being closer to 8 pm. Add to this, problems with the iPad, problems in getting on a wireless network and lots of traffic early, not even a visit to the Piggly-wiggly could move us off the funk. Not our best day at all, but tomorrow will be better, we are going to the Waffle House for breakfast!!

We have now completed about 38% of our trip, approximately 950 miles...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 16, 2011

MASS Exodus: Day 4- A Long Days Journey Into Night

We were planning a quick escape from Gainesville in order to make our longest drive of the trip so far, about 325 miles to New Bern, NC, home of Mrsfabp's sister. Unfortunately, we ended up talking with Peggy over coffee and blueberry cobbler, for several hours so we did not get out of there u til late in the morning. Thanks to a tip from Peggy's neighbor, Mr. Bill, we saved maybe 30 or 45 minutes, but still had a long 7 hour ride ahead of us.

How do you know that you are in Virginia? It's the deer people. Driving through the woodlands of New Jersey, North Carolina or Maryland, we saw perhaps one dead deer on the side of the road. Once over the border of Virginia however, they came in droves. Like every 100 feet it seemed. Like they were just waiting to be hit and took turns stepping into traffic. As Mrsfabp"s sister Nancy says, "I hate dead animals!" 

Driving through the major part of North Carolina,  I experienced my first stretch of bored driving. You know, set the cruise control and wake me up in 45 minutes. Silence only broken by the GPS voice reminding us we had 93 miles to go, that kind of boredom. Unfortunately I expect there will be a lot more of this through the south and through the giant state of Texas. I'm also sure I will comment on this again...

The drive into New Bern would have been pretty if we could have seen it. We arrived at Mrsfabp's sisters house and were treated to a great home cooked meal- spicy sausage, peppers and onions over penne. Ya, my mouth is watering all over again

We have now completed about 38% of our trip, approximately 950 miles...


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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 15, 2011

Day 3 Summary: I haven't seen this much traffic since...yesterday

Our third day ended in the city/town of Gainesville, Virginia, with a visit to a friend we had never met but felt we knew. Peggy is a below knee amputee who writes a blog about her life, her family and especially raising her now 5 year old son, Robbie. Mrsfabp has been reading her blog for a couple of years and I picked it up a couple of months later. I enjoy it because it offers a unique perspective on amputation, on raising a family and on everyday life.

Peggy welcomed us I to hr home and made us feel comfortable. We talked for hours bout this and that and I really left today feeling better about myself, my situation  and my life. There really is no way to thank her for al, her encouraging words, her support and kindness. To Peggy, her husband Scott and son Robbie, I offer my thanks. I feel privileged to have met her, to have talked with her and to have her be a part of my life. Much thanks


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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

Day 3 Summary: I haven't seen this much traffic since...yesterday

This post is brought to you by the New Jersey State Police, the Maryland State Police, the Delaware State.Police, the Virginia State Police, at least 6speed traps along the way and a motorcycle cop with a bitchin" hog that looked like it could go 900 miles an hour. 

The drive from northern NJ to just outside Washington was one of the two most dreaded -the other being the six month journey through Texas. The I-95 corridor is the te of driving I wanted to get away from when I left NYC some 30 years ago. Traffic patterns have only gotten worse. A couple of random thoughts on this:

-Everything you have heard about Jersey drivers is true, in spades. They don't let you make left turns off major roads, instead making do a right handed circle to go across the road. Jersey drivers express their dissatisfaction in this policy by driving like crazed, madmen, with no regard for your life or your own

-Maryland, you need to kick it up a notch. We stopped at a rest stop there and found one positive -beautiful setting. On the negative side of the ledger was the fact that the wifi did not work, they had no handicapped stalls in the main bathroom, you had to go outside to a separate and ring a buzzer to get a non-existent worker, and the stalls had only half doors, giving you no privacy from anyone over 4 feet tall. Bad job Maryland

-Remember everything I said about Jersey drivers? That goes double for Washington Beltway drivers. In moderate traffic, riding in the extreme right lane, going 10 mph over the speed limit and within sight of a radar trap, I had a driver go into the exit lane, pass me and swerve back into the right lane. 

We drove through the bucolic suburbs of Manassas, through rolling farmland and Civil War battle sights, and arrived at our friend Peggy' s house with light to spare and prepared for a great night out...

Part 2 coming later...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 13, 2011

MASS Exodus Day Two: The Great Escape (almost) or Life Lessons Learned

We learned three very important lessons today. One, if you have a choice, go for the sturdier cat collar. Two, Mrsfabp looks good posing as a car mechanic. Three, when our friend Clair told us that traveling with a cat was easy, she lied. And now the rest of the story (Paul Harvey reference, kids ask your parents...).

We left Binghamton early and stopped at a Mickey D's for free wifi. Poor Kanye kitty was not to happy in his cage, I mean cat carrier, so we went to a grassy area, put on his collar and leash and took him for a walk. He was spooked, very nervous and tried to go under the car. Mrsfabp pulled on his leash, his collar unsnapped and he disappeared under the car. After several minutes of looking and not seeing him under the car, we realized he had climbed up under the spare tire wheel well and was not budging from his perch. We tried all the favored enticements, including treats, favorite blanket, whispering sweet nothings and loud cursing. None worked and so Mrsfabp laid the blanket on the ground, crawled under the car and snatched him barehanded. She was looking like a car mechanic working on a trans axle replacement including the large glob of grease in her hair. She is our hero.

With Kanye back in his cage, we continued our journey to New York City. We visited with my aunt and uncle then headed to a local place for a meal and chat with all my siblings, their kids and a few cousins. The restaurant had hired a band to play for us (no, it was a scheduled event), there were dancing girls (ok, they were all 4 and 5 year olds, and after the meal, posed for pictures with each other.

We then left, sprinted thru a quick tour of the five boroughs and into the Great Garden State to our favorite new home, Motel 6.

We have traveled about 475 of the 2500 miles to Las Cruces, about 17%...

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

MASS Exodus: Day One summary

It was a day filled with tears, cheers, and beers.

Nancy's show was great. It was so nice to see her smile and wave and then greet the family. A trip to Tully's for supper included the staff singing her happy birthday but I cannot believe that the manager would not let us put two tables together so all 11 of us could sit together. I was pissed and if I was running the show, we would have all walked out. Fuck them. The Yeungling helped me calm down a bit. Both of them.

We ended up in the motel with Jen and Maqz and talked for a while. Kanye hid most of the night but did seem to adjust better later on. He still hasen't pooped yet thought. Could this be our next problem?

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !
 

November 12, 2011

MASSExodus: Day 1 of our journey

Just a quick update. The day began with cheers and tears as we said goodbye to MillieJupiter and North Brookfield and began our trip. 30 minutes in, Mrsfabp needed to check Facebook to be sure she knew everything that was going on. Saw 3 radar traps on Mass Pike but escaped them all. Now in a Mickey D's parking lot just outside Albany, about 4% of our journey complete! Will provide more updates later, if you are on twitter check@tfabp, @mrsfabp or #headedtolascruces for up to the minute reports

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MASS Exodus: From Here to Serenity / "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"
Good friends, good food, good times!
The dream of Las Cruces, New Mexico is becoming a reality !