To the Metroplex and Back

 Sheila and I spent most of last week in the Dallas area.  I could have told you last March that we were intending to this, but I'm not known for announcing travel plans in advance, and plus it's not a sure thing that you're going until you pop for the tickets.  Even then it's not a sure thing.  Our airlines, as good as they are (or are not?) sometimes suffer from outages of one kind or another.  Sometimes you get stranded in airports.  Getting stranded from a missed connecting flight though was not an issue as that almost all cities that are big enough to heard of will have a flight to Dallas.

Anyway, there was more than one reason to do this.  Sheila's best friend from her high school days is living in the Metroplex.  Mark, my best friend from high school, visits the Metroplex on Thanksgiving.  I was thinking, we have an opportunity here.  Why not take it?  And plus, there's that Texas barbecue.  I was also figuring that we could play tourist and visit the Grassy Knoll to look for spent shell casings.

Well we got to see Mark and his wife.  We got to see Jody and her family.  We had some really excellent Texas barbecue, and there was a most unforgettable hot pot place in Plano called Sea Pot (I highly recommend them!).  We didn't get down to Dealey Plaza though.  (Aside:  I have my own unique theories about the JFK assassination.  One is likely, another highly unlikely, but neither tend to fit the prevailing mold.  Especially my second theory).  

As for that part of Texas, I really loved it.  I have been to Waco before, I've visited east Texas, I've been to El Paso, but I had never been to Dallas, outside of connecting in DFW more times than I can remember.  If the Metroplex is really representative of the rest of the state, I'd say that Governor Abbott is doing a fine job.  But, I'm hearing some bad things about San Antonio as well as Austin,  I don't have a favorable view of El Paso either.  

It was a nice getaway, we both needed it, we have standing invitations to visit again any time from both Jody and Mark's son-in-law, and if Mark makes it out there next April well then we just might go out there too.

No..........I did not apply for work at Strumdum Industries.

To San Jose and Back

Now that the trip is over, I can reveal that Sheila and I were up in San Jose within the past week so that she could meet my parents.  The trip was not foreseen at the beginning of the month as that I was involved in a hot project at work and that Sheila didn't think she could get the time off.  I decided to take the week after the Fourth off thinking that I would be spending it in Tucson, but Sheila made some inquiries at where she works and she learned that she could get a block of time off.

Since we didn't know when we would have this opportunity again, we took it.  We left Tucson on Thursday the 10th and we were up in San Jose the next afternoon.  We bypassed both Phoenix and L.A. on the way up, and with a detour at the Tehachapi Loop there were 892 miles on the trip odometer when I pulled into my parents' driveway.

We took three days to drive back as that I had my heart set on taking her down Route 66.  Ever since I did that drive in November 2011 I had been wanting to repeat it, and with some company this time.  I have to devote a separate post as to what we saw that day, as that there was more than one abandoned gas station between Victorville and Barstow.  Also, what I thought was once a truck stop east of Barstow was instead an agricultural inspection station.  The Spirit gas station next to I-40 is now a Valero station, and is operational.  And there's some new graffiti at the old gas station at Cadiz Summit.  I plan on posting some pictures of this trip and the previous one.

As for San Jose, there wasn't much time to play tourist.  There were my parents, some longtime friends, and we got to visit Mark's parents with the help of Skype.  I didn't get to see everyone that I wanted to see either.  That will have to wait until the next time.

I hope we can be back in San Jose for the holidaze, but all indications are that Christmas will be spent here in Tucson.

I do know one thing.  I really enjoy being with Sheila, and like me she thought that 66 was the "bomb".

On the road in Coralville, Iowa

We are now in Coralville, where my aunt Marge, uncle Tony, and cousins Kirk and Todd and their families live. Kirk and Todd have done very well with their families. I feel somewhat embarrassed upon admitting that it's been six years since I last saw them. I really need to get here to the midwest a lot more often than I have been. Perhaps next year I should do a long weekend here in Iowa, flying into Des Moines. Marge and Tony know plenty about family history and I feel the need to learn as much as I can.

Lynette is not doing very well; she's had the same nagging cough that I have had for the past four weeks, though mine is at the end. I'm thinking that we might have to go to an urgent care tomorrow morning. We have done a lot of running around on this trip and that can't be helping matters any. Yesterday we were at her brother Larry's up near Waukesha, almost a two hour drive to get there.

Marge and Tony are doing very well and are in very good spirits. Kirk, Todd, and their wives had some questions about the border situation in Arizona. Kirk didn't waste any time in telling me that he supports that new law (SB1070), and I do too. No one has a problem with legal immigration. We need every good American we can get our hands on, and those who come here via legal means are an asset. As I told Kirk, his wife, and the rest, the federal government isn't doing its job, and that's why Arizona passed this law. Oh well. Enough about politics.

Again, I need to do better at getting out this way.

Tomorrow I think we'll take a longer way to get back to Roscoe. I've heard tell of an Amish community here in Iowa, and I'd like to detour thru there on the way back.

Checking in from Roscoe, Illinois

I am here in the middle of "flyover" country.....where the skies are blue, the hills are rolling, the grass is green, and cornfields seem to stretch in all four directions. We are staying with Lynette's sister Luann, and her husband Jerry. Our flight into Chicago was without any adverse events, which is good, and our stay here has been great!

Roscoe is about three miles south of the Illinois/Wisconsin state line. Clinton, which is where Lynette grew up, is about three miles north of that line. We were over there meeting her parents. I found them to be very nice people, and I have a better understanding now of where Lynette got her "niceness" from. I think if you were to meet her that would be one of the first things you notice about her.....that she's nice, and she tends to brighten up the room around her. As I told Lynette's mother yesterday, I feel very fortunate to have found her.

Today we were in New Glarus, Wisconsin, a small town that's very Swiss. It was settled by a group of Swiss colonists and the town today reflects that heritage. We ate lunch at a Swiss restaurant where I enjoyed a bratwurst roesti and a local beer called Fat Squirrel. It was quite the meal, and I probably shouldn't have had all those carbs, so I think I will have to go out for a walk later on this afternoon/evening when it's cooler.

On Monday, if plans hold, it's off to Coralville, Iowa where we will visit with Aunt Marge and Uncle Tony. My cousins Todd (not the one in Gilbert) and Kirk, their sons, live there too. I don't think our stay there will be as long as I would like but that's how it is when available time off from work doesn't grow on trees.

I can understand why Lynette misses Wisconsin. The scenery is neat, and the people are real nice.

The midwest is a great place to be from.

I Knew the Way to San Jose

I can't say that I ever liked that song "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" nor can I even claim to know what inspired it, but I know it and used my knowledge to get here on the morning of the 18th. I woke up in Buttonwillow at 2ish, showered, and then it was back on the road under cover of darkness along I-5.

The early morning hours are when it's best to be on I-5. It used to be that it wasn't bad during the daylight hours but that was back in the mid-70s. California's population has grown a great deal since 1976 when I first saw I-5, but I-5 is still two lanes in each direction in the San Joaquin Valley and you really don't want to be on it at certain times during the year.

On one of these trips, I left San Jose on the 26th of December, and I-5 was sluggish all the way down to Buttonwillow. The maximum speed possible seemed to be 50, and that's because there were lots of RVs doing one inch per hour than the trucks they were trying to pass, and all of them wanted to pass the trucks. I wanted to jump off at CA46 and go inland, but the junction in those days did not have a stoplight and the long line waiting to turn left to get to Bakersfield had backed up into I-5 itself.

Since then, I never start the return home on the 26th. This year, like the last, will be on the 28th. I am having lunch with a group of friends of mine on the 27th that I know online from one of the websites dedicated to a hobby we all share.

Meantime, I have been busy here. I have some really good friends here and I've been spending time with them. I've also been treasuring an interesting situation in my heart that I can't divulge right now. All I can say about that is that I'm in for some interesting times next month, once the holidaze are behind us.

In years past I have dreaded this time of year. Right now I'm enjoying it. I really am.

However, when I wake up on the morning of the 1st of next month, I will be saying "Whew! Made it thru another one!"

Buttonwillow CA, 12/17/09

I left the driveway at 5:14 AM this morning. A few hours ago, I rolled here into Buttonwillow, which is right off of I-5. I am dog tired. It was a smooth drive.....I couldn't have asked for much better. L.A. traffic even moved at a fast clip! Well, it helps if you pass thru at noon and not during rush hour. There were some rude drivers.

Anyway, there was great weather! At least until I descended into the San Joaquin Valley which was full of tule fog. There was 400 yards of visibility so it was driveable. It's when the visibility is down to 40 yards or so that you don't want to be out there.

Along the way, I saw this neat bumper sticker:

What part of

SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT

don't you understand?

If I ever see that somewhere, I'm buying one. Left lane hogs are a real peeve of mine.

I'm very tired as that 632.8 miles were racked up on the trip odometer so and I'm going to sign now. I also need to get some supper.

Eve of the Trip!

This will be a short entry tonight. I've already packed one suitcase but some laundry has to finish processing before I can pack another. Then it's off to bed.

I don't know when I will start. If I pop awake at 1:00 AM, then I'm on the road when I'm done showering and getting dressed. Otherwise, I will try to sleep in if the cats will let me.

Some of the Christmas cards have been sent out. The rest will have to wait until I'm in San Jose.

I have a lot on my mind these days. There's a situation brewing that I dare not comment on, lest I jinx that situation. I will have some business to take care of when I get back.

Somewhere along I-10, when Buckeye is in the rear view mirror and Tonopah is beyond the horizon, I'll be playing some BTO.....specifically, "Roll on Down the Highway". It will be the version that is from their Trial By Fire album recorded in 1996, and not the version from Not Fragile, recorded in 1974.

I have a lot on my mind right now.

And........I need this trip.

Greetings from Portland!

Hello from the City of Roses!

Well, I'm not actually in the city limits of Portland itself, and I'm not even in the same county that Portland is in......but my hosts Ken & Gillian have their mailing address as being in Portland. They live about a mile or two north of Beaverton, in an unincorporated area of Washington County.

This is not my first time here. In fact, I can't remember how many times I've been here before now. I do know that I was not here last year, but was here the year before.

Years ago when Ken told me that he had gotten a job offer in Portland, I advised him to take it. His family moved up here in either late 2001 or maybe early 2002. The move was pending when I visited him in San Jose in October 2001, and I remember telling him that when you get on the freeway that takes you out of San Jose, it's going to be a weird feeling knowing that this time you're not coming back. I know all about that feeling, having experienced it on 2/23/99 when I left to start a new life in Arizona.

But getting back to Portland, I really like it here. I don't know if I would like living here since I'm better suited for sunshine and warmer temperatures, but at the same time I really appreciate the beauty of Oregon. I've been out to the coast before and have spent a few days in Neskowin. I've been up and down the Columbia River Gorge a few times, and across the river at Mount St. Helens. I'm thinking of driving down to Salem on Monday to check out the state capital, but the Multnomah Falls (which I've seen before) are tempting. It isn't every day in my life that I get to see another part of the country, and whenever I'm on trips I definitely like to play "tourist".

I think I can also understand why coffeehouses are popular in the Northwest. It's due to the climate. When it's overcast and cool, you don't feel like being on your back patio knocking off a beer. Instead you want to be on your back patio knocking off a cup of Joe, and with the view Ken has from his back deck I can hardly wait to be sipping a cup of that kind of brew sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Interestingly enough, microbreweries are big in Portland. I was up here twenty years ago at a brewer's festival during July. I enjoy a great beer now and then, and you can't beat a nice handcrafted brew on some days.

But in October, it's coffee weather, and even though it's rare for me to drink coffee, the thought of having a cup tomorrow is something I'm looking forward to.

* * * * * * *

It's really been interesting to have watched Ken's children grow up over the past several years. All three of them are musically talented and I'm hearing his oldest daughter practice the harp as I type this. They're also a real joy to converse with. They've asked questions that I wish more adults were capable of asking.

* * * * * * *

I return home to Tucson on Monday evening. Hopefully. Yesterday when taxiing away from the gate the pilot brought us back to de-plane us due to what may have been a computer glitch or a mechanical problem. I was re-booked on to a later flight, but I don't think I have the later flight option on the way home. I connected in Phoenix on the way up and will be connecting in Phoenix on the way back down.

* * * * * * *

That's it for now. Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat.

Back Home!

This is going to be a short entry, as that I am still somewhat jet-lagged.

Kathleen and I returned to Arizona two days ago, and we got here without complication. The folks at National Car Rental did manage to make up a little for what happened during our arrival: the guy who processed our return helped with moving our luggage over to where the shuttle bus was. I've never seen that kind of service from the other car rental companies so on this blog entry, I'm going to tip my hat to National.

We really had a lot of fun visiting with my cousin Jeanette and her family in Havertown. We have crossed paths several times since childhood, and life has been a whole lot better to her now than it was eight or ten years ago when she was undergoing some adverse circumstances. I can identify with that, having gone thru some of that myself.

I told Kathleen that if I ever end up winning the lottery, we'll have a summer home in Pennsylvania and a winter home in Arizona. Trouble is, is that I don't play the lottery, aside from a few scratcher tickets if I'm visiting another state. I could comment further on the lottery but that's going to have to wait for another time as that I'm starting to fade.

Greetings from Pennsylvania!

Kathleen and I arrived in Philadelphia late in the evening of the 19th. Our connecting flight out of Minneapolis was held up by twenty minutes, and upon arriving in Philly we were held up by National Car Rental for at least an hour......so much for their "Emerald Club". My employer has a corporate discount arrangement with them which saved us over $200 as compared to Avis, and in return I think we got over $200 worth of aggravation. I guess I could have gone with Hertz, but I have an aversion to them. I know it sounds silly, but it's due to O.J. Simpson having once been a spokesman for them.

We haven't had too much of a chance to play "tourist". Kathleen has had a lot of personal business in Abington to deal with and we've also been busy visiting with our relatives. We were up at my cousin's place in Slate Hill NY, and from there we drove to Harrisburg PA. We took in Hersheypark on Monday, and yesterday we spent some time in the Amish country of Lancaster County.

We are now in Willow Grove PA, and beginning tonight we will stay with another cousin of mine in Havertown until we leave Monday morning. I'm not sure we will get to the tourist sites in Philly or not. Kathleen used to live in Abington and me, I've visited Philly several times.

As for Amish country, I've seen that before too but I wanted to see it again. The area is beautiful and the food is good. We ate at the Stoltzfus Deli in Intercourse and that sausage sandwich that I had was excellent. I can see some rationale in how they live: they don't have to worry about corporate downsizing or their jobs being outsourced overseas.