The Next Chapter in Life Starts Tomorrow!

It's been a frantic week. 

I arrived home from San Jose Wednesday evening.  I took I-40 back and drove US 66 in both Barstow and Needles.  The stretch from Ludlow to Mountain Springs Road exit I-40 was closed, but I couldn't have driven that and made it back to Tucson that night.  I was worn out something good, and immediately had to start preparations for a long stay in Las Vegas.

I have booked a month at a residence inn a mile or so off the Strip.  Under Nevada law, if I stay 30 days there then I don't have to pay the 12% tax because then I'm considered a resident.  I will be spending some time looking for an apartment and I'm either going to land somewhere near Nellis or I'm going to land in Henderson.  Once an address is figured out, I'll apply for a Nevada driver license and get Nevada tags on the truck.  I might wait though until early January before I declare myself a resident there.

In addition to all of that, some things around the house decided to start self-destructing.  Sheila's pleased as punch with the new dishwasher, but it brought forth a problem that a needed a plumber to fix.  Sheila knew the right one.  We had to bring him back yesterday when the downstairs toilet started leaking, and while he was there we discovered roots returning to attack my cleanout line.  This guy was good; he charged me less than I was prepared to pay, and I told Sheila from here on out he's our plumber.

This afternoon the latch mechanism failed in one of the downstairs doors.  I've changed that lock a few times over the years I've owned the house, but this one defied every attempt at home repair.  I had to call a locksmith.......and this one was good too!  I got off with a $65 repair when I thought I was going to have to pony up two bills.  So we have a new locksmith of choice, if we decide to keep the house.  If.

The hot tub still needs fixing but that's a future repair. 

I needed new tires on my truck, that was taken care of yesterday.

Ring shopping has wrapped up. 

With all of the above and lodging stays in California, I am dreading what the credit card balances will be when the bill comes.  Fortunately I've got a good pile of money in the bank.  I can pay them off in full, but I'm thinking that I'm going to have to apply for a Southwest Airlines Visa to start racking up points.  I'll be flying back to Tucson once a month and perhaps driving once a month as well.

I would be lying to you if I told you that all of this was easy.  It isn't.  The relocation to Tucson was a whole lot easier since I wasn't moving a whole lot of stuff.  In fifteen years not only did I buy a house and live in it, I bought things to fill it up.  That stuff now has to be moved up to Nevada if we decide later next year that's our new home, or we sell it so it doesn't have to be moved. 

The job itself?  That I'm not worried about.  It literally is an area of engineering where I can make a difference that's going to benefit the planet.  It is advanced technology, innovative, and it's something that not everyone gets to work on.  It's better than being a satellite engineer, which I once was.  I'll be working on spacecraft.  It's going to be challenging.  It's also going to be a great deal of fun.  And, I'll be living in a city where most folks in the rest of the world want to visit.  I will actually get to live there.

Yes, I'm going to miss Tucson.  I'm going to miss a lot of the people here, even if over the next six months I'm back here.  I'm going to miss some fabulous Mexican restaurants and the southern Arizona attractions.

But I'll tell you what is really great. 

I have a fiancée who has literally surpassed every girl of my dreams that I could possibly have dreamt up.  She's been a wonderful source of support.  She's encouraging me to go forward with this venture.  She's prepared for a relocation to Nevada.  And she's going to become my wife early next year.  I'm getting two wonderful kids as part of the package too. 

I'm now going to sign. 

Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat.

Barstow, CA, 11/4/14

Greetings from Barstow, CA!  I started my drive home to Tucson this morning and decided to take I-40 on the way back.  I felt too tired to push on to Needles, so I stopped here while there was still some daylight left.  I exited CA 58 at Main Street, which is the old 66, and I think I will do one more drive down Main Street before the Interstate again as that it's neat seeing these old motels dedicated to the 66 buff.

It is tempting to jump off of I-40 at Ludlow and to repeat that stretch between there and Needles, but that would make for a longer day......and besides, Sheila's not with me to help me enjoy it.  I did feel a sense of joy taking Main Street in instead of I-15.  I think the old 66 is a neat road, whether you're on the main drag of a small town or out in the middle of the desert. 

* * * * * * *

The start date of my new job is 11/17.  I will be in Tucson for just a few days, before leaving for Las Vegas on Sunday.  Sheila is riding up with me and flying back to Tucson on Wednesday night.  The hope is to have a new apartment located and rented, but I anticipate staying in an extended stay inn for two weeks or so while I wait for utilities to be turned on.  I will drive home for Thanksgiving and for Christmas, and with each return to my new digs I'll haul more things up in my truck.

I will not be able to say very much about my new job.  Although I could identify my new employer, what we're working on is of a proprietary nature.  Yes, you could read about it on their website as well as in some trade publications, but you won't read about it here. 

* * * * * * *

I'm watching election returns on Fox News as I type this.  They are projecting that the Republicans will take control of the Senate, with at least 52 seats.  This isn't really a surprise, and it's not a final number until the Louisiana runoff, but no matter how you slice this it's a reflection of voter anger.

Some eck-spurts are saying that it's a referendum on incumbency, but Republican incuments seem to be doing very well as I type this (with the exception of the Kansas Governor).  I think voters are just plain angry at the White House.

Ebola's been deliberately imported into the country, and the President is refusing to follow the lead of several nations overseas who have closed their borders to the Ebola countries.  Putin has invaded the Ukraine.  ISIS terrorists are beheading American and British journalists.  Health care coverage is being dropped for more people and those who still have it are facing stiffer premiums. 

The Great Leader Messiah isn't leading, but is often seen smiling while riding his girlie bike and wearing mom jeans. 

Yes, this is a referendum on Obama.

The big question here is, are the Republicans capable of recognizing it?  Are they going to stop Obama?  Or are they going to roll over for him, like they have done for the last six years?

The Democrats have demonstrated that they shouldn't be allowed to remain in charge and the Republicans have not demonstrated that they should be trusted to take their place. 

In the meantime, look for an Imperial Presidency that hasn't been seen since the days of Nixon.

 

* * * * * * *

I'm now going to call it a night. 

End of Month Situation Report, plus Odds and Ends.

If there's one thing that this month has taught me, is that what you think might happen at the beginning of the month may not be the same as what you think might happen when you reach the end of the month.  I'm talking specifically about the machinations that have been going on behind the scenes that I can't talk about.  In and of themselves they do suggest a light at the end of the tunnel, but at this time I don't know where the other end of that tunnel is.

Once this is over, I'll go into more detail as to what took place.  I don't know when I'll be able to do that, so please stay tuned.

* * * * * * *

The monsoon season, I think, is over.  We had an extension of it thanks to the help of a hurricane which spared Tucson from the intense rain and flooding that other areas got.  Phoenix got some flooding at the front end of the month, and I've been told they got some more a week or so ago.

I should be better informed of things like these days as far as local events go, and I try to be, but my main source of information for southern Arizona now wants to start charging for that information.  As that most of their so-called "news" is editorial opinion in the first place, I'm not paying the charge.

* * * * * * *

I think Sheila and I will end up getting married shortly after the first of the next year.  I've been more focused on fighting my forced retirement than on most other things these days.  There isn't going to be a big wedding anyway.  She doesn't want anyone there except us and the pastor.  I'm not sure, but I think state law here might require a pair of witnesses, and there are about ten people I'd like to see show up for this one.  I'd like for Mark to be the best man, as he was for my previous wedding, but if he can't make it then I've got someone else picked out who will gladly do it.

 

* * * * * * *

The honeymoon won't happen right away after the wedding.  I haven't forgotten that we'd like to do US66 for this one.  If it can be arranged, I'd like to pick up the Main Street of America in Santa Fe, and then take as much of we can of it over to Kingman, and then swing up to Las Vegas for the finale.

* * * * * * *

And that is going to be it for this entry.

Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat.

The Odds and Ends as They Stand on 5/18/14

I've gotten some emails from some folks who want to know when the wedding is, or what our plans are.

All I can tell you is this:  we haven't really made any.  One possibility is eloping to Las Vegas and spending a few days there for a honeymoon, but we are leaning against that.  The other possibility, more likely, is a small private ceremony at my church.  Pastor has floated that as on option and I think that's where we're going to go.

Sheila doesn't want a big church wedding, and my first wedding was of that nature since that was more for my parents and friends than for anyone else, so I don't want on either.  This time, I figure on maybe twenty witnesses at the most.  Close friends, family, and that's it.

I'm guessing that my wedding night will be spent at my house, and then the next day we'll be on some highway somewhere.  We're thinking of Route 66, but we may drive up to Santa Fe first.  Or, maybe we'll do Vegas, then pick up 66 in Kingman and take that over to Flag (that's what we Zonies call Flagstaff).  (Zonies: people who live in Arizona).

* * * * * * *

Wedding plans have been somewhat hampered by waiting for my work situation to stabilize some.  It's taken some bizarre twists and turns over the past few weeks and it is threatening to get better.  I have returned to my old project, and I'm pleased as punch to be back; supporting a computer re-design.  I'm also helping out with some change packages.  That's all I will say at this time.

* * * * * * *

I need to post about some of my favorite eating places here in Tucson.  I have several; I  could do them all in one fell swoop but I think I will instead post reviews here and there. 

Yeah, I know, I need to post more on that "money series" I started, but I'm going through the house and re-arranging things.  Sheila and her kids will be living here.  What I have in mind for that will take some research, and what I ought to do is to start writing the essays in a Word document, and then when finished, post them here.

* * * * * * *

I've been doing a fair amount of reading lately.  I was introduced to Louis L'Amour a few months back and a friend of mine has been loaning me some paperbacks and I've been reading them.  What I've read so far has been of the Sackett series, coming to know the character of William Tell Sackett, and more recently, his cousin Logan Sackett.

I'm not one to watch westerns, nor have I ever read any until now, but I find myself enjoying them. 

I may have missed out on something for far too long, until now.

* * * * * * *

Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat. 

It will make you into a better person.  And, it's good for the dog or cat too.

Route 66! Part XVI: The Final Leg

After leaving behind the gas station at the Cadiz Summit, as you're traveling east towards Needles, the historic highway drifts closer and closer to Interstate 40.  You can almost sense that you're in the final leg of this segment as you have left behind what you saw.  Oh, you can still drive many segments all the way east to Chicago, but as you approach Needles you find that I-40 is now on top of what used to be Route 66.  There was also more than one alignment back to Needles.  This segment that I am presenting is the post-1931 alignment.

All photos in this post were taken 11/30/11.

My recollection is that this abandoned gas station is in what is called Danby.  I might be wrong, as that this might have been Essex.

I think this scene is from Essex.  This final stretch, in my opinion, didn't really provide that much in the way of photographical opportunities of relics.

I imagine that there might still be some hermits living in what's left of this place, but they're probably not very receptive to visitors as that I didn't see any open businesses in this part.

An abandoned old house, behind a chain link fence.

This abandoned gas station is behind a chain link fence.  These days you'd best leave Needles on a full tank if you're going west and wasn't smart enough to tank up in Arizona, as there's nothing on I-40 until you get to Ludlow.  Back in the day of US66, you had more options, though I can't state that gas was cheaper in this remote location than it was in Needles.

I'm not sure what this used to be.  I'm more sure of what it is now:  a graffiti magnet.

This was the last photo that I took on the 11/30/11 trip.  I didn't take any on the 7/16/13 trip.

* * * * * * *

As you're heading east from this point, you rejoin I-40 in ten miles or so, unless you turn off at Goffs Road and take what was the pre-1931 alignment of US 66.  National Trails Highway, which is now what 66 is called in this area, unceremoniously rejoins the Interstate, and you're on the way to Needles.  

As you approach Needles, there is an opportunity to turn off an exit that will take you back to "Historic 66".  We took that last July, and found ourselves going through the main drag of Needles; passing by a Best Western that I've stayed before on a few occasions.  I had no idea that the road in front of Best Western used to be 66, so I traveled the Mother Road without knowing it that time.....and, several years before that along I-15 in the Cajon Pass, as that I've read where southbound I-15 overlays what used to be US 66 until you're at the Cleghorn Road exit.

Passing through the main drag of Needles, you will see the historic shields painted on the road, like you would see in Victorville, Barstow, and along various points of what is now called National Trails Highway.  It's still a neat drive, and I regret not taking any photographs.  

When Sheila and I passed through Needles that day, having enjoyed a drive that both of us would do again in a minute, we followed what we could until we rejoined I-40.  It was time to return to Arizona, and we continued on to Lake Havasu City, and from there we were back home the next day.

As for this drive......I'm very glad that I got to share it with her.  

We both hope to see more of this historic road, and I'd like to think that it will happen later this year, from Kingman to Flagstaff.

* * * * * * *

One final note.  I haven't been posting here a whole lot.  Earthlink gave me another 48 hour Internet outage, the third in six months, and I have since switched to CenturyLink.  It took almost a full two weeks before that switch was complete.  I will post about my Earthlink experience in the near future, but in the meantime, my personal website is now gone, and I don't know if I will replace it on my new host.

Route 66! Part XV: Cadiz Summit

Some six miles east of Chambless, Route 66 does a small climb before it descends back to the desert floor.  At the summit was a gas station called Cadiz Summit Service of which there is slightly more online documentation about it than Road Runner's Retreat.  As far as I can tell this place is named Cadiz Summit but there was never any settlement there.

With this posting, I am going to start off with a photograph that was taken in 1948 by Burton Frasher, according to the source I got it from.  This can be found on more than one web page, and the one that I got was from a photo postcard collection that's at the Pomona Public Library.

The view of this is looking northeast.

Some years after Route 66 was decommissioned as a federal highway, this too was abandoned, and online research tells me that it fell victim to a fire.  What's left are the stone foundations and ruins.  The wooden structure is long gone, and has been replaced with a collection of debris that is typical of abandoned roadside stops in the Mojave Desert.

This is Cadiz Summit as it appears today.  Photograph taken 11/30/11.  This is the easternmost part of the ruins.

A closer look at the graffiti, 11/30/11.

Where the gasoline pumps once stood.  11/30/11.

At the western edge of this site are these ruins.  I would not have known that this was also a lodging site had it not been for that old photograph up above.  11/30/11.

The "entrance", if you will.  I did not go inside.  11/30/11.

Another view.  As I was to find out a year and a half later, there would be new graffiti here.  11/30/11.

Here's a view of the area, looking east, with my truck visible in the background.  11/30/11.

This was a particularly beautiful day that November, gifting me with an unforgettable blue desert sky.

This is one of my favorite shots of the historic shield, taken on 11/30/11; looking west.

When I came back here with Sheila on 7/16/13, I noticed the new graffiti, left by six Canadians (presumably from the Montreal area) the previous May.

Yes, Montreal.  If you look closely at the upper left corner, you'll see the logo of their favorite hockey team.

The eastern structure, from a different angle, 7/16/13.

Saving the best for last!  Sheila, standing alongside the Route 66 shield!

This series is just about over......one more post and we're done with this photo essay.  I will try to get that up here in a few days, so that I can tell you what's gone on in life at this end these past few months.

Route 66! Part XIV: Chambless

Chambless was another one of the stops along Route 66 that travelers back in the day frequented.  I'm going to guess that we came across this one some six miles after Road Runner's Retreat.  Online research suggests that there are still residents of Chambless, but only six of them.  The town, like Amboy and Ludlow, refuses to to die.  Amboy is being restored by a wealthy owner; Ludlow gets some life from having I-40 next to it (and providing an opportunity for gas if you don't have enough to make Barstow and Needles), but Chambless has no such blood to keep it going.  The only visitors are those who journey this historic highway who stop and take pictures, maybe rearrange some rocks, and then move on.

All photos from this post were taken on 11/30/11.

This is a historical marker in Chambless.  If you click on the photo, you'll be able to read what's on the sign.

I'm not sure what this used to be.  All this does now is tell you where you are in case you don't see the historical marker.

This is looking east.  Nearby this spot some folks have stopped to re-arrange rocks to spell their names.

Looking towards the north.  Stop and think for a moment......many people passed by this spot, in the harsh Mojave Desert, escaping the ravages of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.  They risked their lives in this journey.  How many people died not far from here; due to a breakdown, lack of water, and lack of help?  This road could tell you a lot of interesting stories if it could talk, but you might not want to hear some of them.

My last shot of this desolate place.  I'm now thinking that I could have taken more pictures, but there must not have been much there as that I didn't take any while I was with Sheila on the second trip.

Next up will be a series of photos further down the road.

Route 66! Part XIII: Road Runner's Retreat

On my first journey down this historic road in late 2011, I knew that I was in for an adventure, but I did not know just what it was that I would see.  I had seen the abandoned gas stations, the decaying structures, the old motel rooms, the Amboy Crater, but there was still more to see.  At this point Amboy had disappeared into the rear view mirror but the desertscape was still surrounding me.  I had seen this desertscape before on I-40 and now I was seeing it again but from a different vantage point.  I had been seeing several miles of the road and its attendant scenery when somewhere up ahead, there loomed this abandoned restaurant that has since, to me, come to embody what Route 66 was all about.

That restaurant is the Road Runner's Retreat.  I have tried some online research into this and even though you'll see some neat photographs of it, very little seems to have been documented as to its history.  When was it built?  When was it abandoned?  What kind of food was served there?  (I'm presuming hamburgers, fries, perhaps Reuben sandwiches.)

This post is solely dedicated to that interesting relic, which although is no longer in commission, it remains a favorite stopping point of the Route 66 buff.

A closeup of the sign as it appeared on 11/30/11.

Another closeup of the sign, taken on 7/16/13.  Notice the nest that's on the left support.

From further away, on 11/30/11.  In addition to being a stop for eats, one could also gas up here.

A view of what used to be the restaurant.  This is behind a fence, for which I am grateful as that it keeps this from being hit with graffiti.  Yes, I would love to have wandered up to it and gone inside, but this relic can only be enjoyed from a distance.  11/30/11.

A view of the gas station, 11/30/11.

This is the sign as you see it from the other side, looking west.  11/30/11.

Another view.  The gas station was in front of me at this point.  11/30/11.

The gas station, as seen on 7/16/13.

Again, the gas station.  There wasn't any lodging that was here.  This was out in the middle of nowhere, about six miles west of Chambless.  If you were on your way to Needles from Ludlow back in the day, this would have been a welcome sight.  I'd like to think that at one time billboards were advertising it so that the eastbound travelers would have known about it upon leaving Chambless.  7/16/13.

The view from the side of the road, looking north on 7/16/13.  Somewhere beyond those mountains, some twenty miles to the north, is I-40.

The gas station again, 11/30/11.

There was still more of US 66 ahead of me, but when I had first encountered this, I felt like I was really living.  I enjoyed seeing downtown Victorville as well as Amboy, but being here in this spot was therapeutic in its own way.  Even though the ravages of time had taken its toll on this, it made for an interesting stop.

Once again, I find myself wishing that I could go back in time and see Route 66 in its prime.

Route 66! Part XII: Amboy

Eastbound past the Amboy Crater is the small town of Amboy itself.  This location provides several photographic opportunities for the Route 66 buff as well as an opportunity to stop at Roy's, a small cafe that's still operational.  The motel that it's next to, however, is not offering lodging although I'm sure it was active in its prime.

As a reminder, if you wish to view larger photos, just click on one of them and you'll be treated to a gallery.  Unfortunately, the captions will not accompany the slideshow.  I've got a lot of these with this posting.  Enjoy!

Roy's Motel sign as it appeared on that clear blue skies day of 11/30/11.

The gas station is still operational, but in this remote location it's even more expensive than it is in Needles.  7/16/13.

This had to be where you checked in, if you were passing thru in the pre-I-40 days.  The motel grounds are to the right.  This view is looking north.  7/16/13.

The view from across the street, taken on 11/30/11.  The sign is out of the picture and to the right.

A look at the cafe in the westerly direction, 11/30/11.

These structures in the front are motel rooms.  Behind these is a chain link fence and a larger structure of more motel rooms, although that back building does not have the rooms detached from each other as they are here.  11/30/11.

On 11/30/11, I was able to go inside one of the front rooms for a look around.  A queen bed would have snugly fit in here.

The entrance to the bathroom.  Through the window, the back building is visible.  11/30/11.

A close-up of the electrical outlet.  This was long before the days of the three prong outlets that are now standard in North America.  I believe these sockets were last used in 1962.  11/30/11.

I took this photo through the chain link fence at the back of the front motel rooms.  The building to the right of this is the now-defunct Amboy School. 11/30/11.

Same building, other end.  11/30/11.

The row of front motel rooms, as seen on 11/30/11.  Did anyone famous stay in one of these a long time ago?

The Amboy Post Office is still in operation.  This is across the street from Roy's.  11/30/11.

Also across the street is this old church.  You can see the steeple leaning off to one side.  This was how it appeared on 11/30/11.

Sometime between November 2011 and 7/16/13, the steeple fell.

This shot, taken 7/16/13, shows the sign, the main lobby, the cafe, the Amboy Crater, as well as my truck (which as I write this, is very close to 400,000 miles!)

I have a weakness for photos with clear blue skies!  This is another one of the main lobby.  11/30/11.

The Amboy School, 11/30/11.

The Main Street of America, looking west.  As Jeff Healey once said in a song from 1990, "Winners and losers all travel the Highway of Dreams".

Our journey will continue in the next post.  My regret about our visit to Amboy is that I missed the "shoe tree" that's to the east.  We'll get that the next time we go down this road.