By the time you get to Austin, the landscape has changed from
desert to lush green. For the same reason, arthritis pain kicks back in.
Supper, breakfast and a drive around Austin with more cousins. We agreed that another time, it should be at least two nights so that we can make a proper day trip.
Friday, June 15, 2018
Day 7: Lubbock, Texas
Note to self for future journeys: Do not try to spend the night in Lubbock. There are four or five or six Laquintas in Lubbock, lodged like insects in a spider's web of intersecting highways.
Late, after dark, and tired, I roamed from one to the next in growing confusion until I gave up and checked into one, not the one I had already paid for.
There is a nice Best Western right on the highway just south of town. Just stay there. In general, I am learning, choose motels for easy freeway access if all you plan to do in a place is sleep.
Late, after dark, and tired, I roamed from one to the next in growing confusion until I gave up and checked into one, not the one I had already paid for.
There is a nice Best Western right on the highway just south of town. Just stay there. In general, I am learning, choose motels for easy freeway access if all you plan to do in a place is sleep.
Day 6: Coralles, New Mexico
Miss Eloise had a fine old time playing with my cousins' gentle giant of a pit bull mix:
This visit was cut short by waiting until Monday morning to buy a new tire.
A wonderful time was had by all, nonetheless. Big Bobby commandeered one of his cousin's comfy beds and just took it easy. His arthritis, like mine, is greatly helped by the dry weather.
This visit was cut short by waiting until Monday morning to buy a new tire.
A wonderful time was had by all, nonetheless. Big Bobby commandeered one of his cousin's comfy beds and just took it easy. His arthritis, like mine, is greatly helped by the dry weather.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Days 4 and 5: Holbrook, Arizona
The first mishap of the trip. Long ago, I made a bargain with the Gods that I do not expect never to have car trouble, but that my car will break down at times and places where I can cope. Over the years, this arrangement has consistently worked.
West of Winslow, some unidentifiable but not very large object hit the side of my rear right wheel with a clunk, and the tire started to go flat. I got to a the next freeway exit where there was a Mobil station and some shade, and called AAA. It was mercifully not even too hot, since we were at high altitude and a breeze was blowing. The AAA guy arrived in due time, helped unload the trunk and dig out the donut, and put it on. Bobby and Miss Louise actually enjoyed roaming about in the shade and having drinks of water.
Back on our way, we got to Holbrook as planned on a Saturday night. It doesn't look as though anyplace that sells tires is open on Sunday, though, so we will stay a second night in Holbrook and get the tire Monday morning, cutting short our visit to another cousin in New Mexico.
Both Bobby and I are feeling the salubrious effect of the hot, dry climate on our joints. So much so that a second floor motel room is not much of a trial. I did not think to specify a ground floor room because my Best Western mindset involved elevators, somehow. However, if somebody else schelps our stuff up the stairs, I can get up without too much trouble.
Bobby stood at the bottom of the stairs, either daunted by the climb for his tiny arthritic body, or not being able to clearly see what we were doing. But when I said, "up, up, up," he bounced up ahead of me like a rabbit.
I am coming to understand why so many cousins ended up in the southwest.
West of Winslow, some unidentifiable but not very large object hit the side of my rear right wheel with a clunk, and the tire started to go flat. I got to a the next freeway exit where there was a Mobil station and some shade, and called AAA. It was mercifully not even too hot, since we were at high altitude and a breeze was blowing. The AAA guy arrived in due time, helped unload the trunk and dig out the donut, and put it on. Bobby and Miss Louise actually enjoyed roaming about in the shade and having drinks of water.
Back on our way, we got to Holbrook as planned on a Saturday night. It doesn't look as though anyplace that sells tires is open on Sunday, though, so we will stay a second night in Holbrook and get the tire Monday morning, cutting short our visit to another cousin in New Mexico.
Both Bobby and I are feeling the salubrious effect of the hot, dry climate on our joints. So much so that a second floor motel room is not much of a trial. I did not think to specify a ground floor room because my Best Western mindset involved elevators, somehow. However, if somebody else schelps our stuff up the stairs, I can get up without too much trouble.
Bobby stood at the bottom of the stairs, either daunted by the climb for his tiny arthritic body, or not being able to clearly see what we were doing. But when I said, "up, up, up," he bounced up ahead of me like a rabbit.
I am coming to understand why so many cousins ended up in the southwest.
Day 3: Goodyear, Arizona
We drove east from San Bernardino to Goodyear, just west of Phoenix, through hot dry desert where interesting rock formations begin.
The necessary rest stops are a bit of ordeal in the blistering heat, and all three of us are glad to do our business and get back into the air conditioned car.
We had dinner and breakfast with cousin Lia, who is several years older than I and whom I haven't seen for many years--perhaps not since her son's wedding forty years ago. She and her husband moved here to retire and let the southwest climate work its magic on the osteoarthritis that plagues us all in our family. Now her husband has passed away, and she herself is facing health challenges.
Eloise matches cousin Lia's living room rug:
Over breakfast we cheerfully discussed illness, aging and death, observing that it was odd to be so cheerful about it all but that not being cheerful won't make it not happen.
Lia luckily had heard on the news about a raging brush fire closing roads on the route I planned to take to Holbrook. So I've readjusted the route to skirt the fire.
The little dogs stayed in the hotel room while we went out to breakfast. I have been leaving them for short periods. As it turns out, having me gone for ten minutes while I pack the car is OK, for fifteen minutes while I get a freebie motel breakfast in San Bernardino was OK, but for two hours while cousin Lia and I face death with equanimity over our benedicts--that is just too much. Miss Eloise expressed her opinion of the matter by deliberately peeing on an ottoman, and not on the pee pad in the bathroom. I know it was her because Bobby is too arthritic get up on an ottoman to pee.
I reported the damage at check-out and paid an extra $50. This amount suggests cleaning and not furniture replacement. Since there were stain traces on the ottoman to begin with, I wonder if Eloise is not the first dog to decide it smelled like the right place, and perhaps that ottoman has earned the hotel hundreds of dollars.
The necessary rest stops are a bit of ordeal in the blistering heat, and all three of us are glad to do our business and get back into the air conditioned car.
We had dinner and breakfast with cousin Lia, who is several years older than I and whom I haven't seen for many years--perhaps not since her son's wedding forty years ago. She and her husband moved here to retire and let the southwest climate work its magic on the osteoarthritis that plagues us all in our family. Now her husband has passed away, and she herself is facing health challenges.
Eloise matches cousin Lia's living room rug:
Over breakfast we cheerfully discussed illness, aging and death, observing that it was odd to be so cheerful about it all but that not being cheerful won't make it not happen.
Lia luckily had heard on the news about a raging brush fire closing roads on the route I planned to take to Holbrook. So I've readjusted the route to skirt the fire.
The little dogs stayed in the hotel room while we went out to breakfast. I have been leaving them for short periods. As it turns out, having me gone for ten minutes while I pack the car is OK, for fifteen minutes while I get a freebie motel breakfast in San Bernardino was OK, but for two hours while cousin Lia and I face death with equanimity over our benedicts--that is just too much. Miss Eloise expressed her opinion of the matter by deliberately peeing on an ottoman, and not on the pee pad in the bathroom. I know it was her because Bobby is too arthritic get up on an ottoman to pee.
I reported the damage at check-out and paid an extra $50. This amount suggests cleaning and not furniture replacement. Since there were stain traces on the ottoman to begin with, I wonder if Eloise is not the first dog to decide it smelled like the right place, and perhaps that ottoman has earned the hotel hundreds of dollars.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Day 2: San Bernardino CA
Greetings from Big Bobby and Miss Eloise--
We spent the day in LA traffic. It was very boring. But now we are at a motel off of I-10 headed east, and mom put chicken treats in our toys, so everything is OK.
Mrs. Drinkwalter's Diary of the Eastward Journey: Day 1 Kettleman City CA
At a last meeting at Brennan's the night before last, someone suggested I blog this trip to keep everyone informed.
So I have resurrected this blog, with some machinations involving a text message by cell phone with an access code since I couldn't remember very much about how I used to get into it.
But here we are in Kettleman City, or at least the cluster of freeway services by the exit from I-5. We got a late start, so late as to get stuck in rush hour traffic leaving Oakland on I-580.
The two little dogs were freaked out about the packing and preparations, but as I predicted, happier once we were on the move. Old Bobby rides on my lap in the car, and when we get to the motel is happy as long as he has his bed, his food, and can find the water and a place to pee. He is kind of confused on waking, and stands there looking vacant until I get up and go over it all again with him.
Eloise is bored, but she will get a walk after we check out.
Today, an easy three and a half hours to San Bernardino
So I have resurrected this blog, with some machinations involving a text message by cell phone with an access code since I couldn't remember very much about how I used to get into it.
But here we are in Kettleman City, or at least the cluster of freeway services by the exit from I-5. We got a late start, so late as to get stuck in rush hour traffic leaving Oakland on I-580.
The two little dogs were freaked out about the packing and preparations, but as I predicted, happier once we were on the move. Old Bobby rides on my lap in the car, and when we get to the motel is happy as long as he has his bed, his food, and can find the water and a place to pee. He is kind of confused on waking, and stands there looking vacant until I get up and go over it all again with him.
Eloise is bored, but she will get a walk after we check out.
Today, an easy three and a half hours to San Bernardino
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