Entries this day: Arizona Finding_Jeanette Kinkos Leaving_for_San_Diego california doh drive_to_Newport_Beach four_seasons zzz

Arizona

6:44am MST Friday 29 November 2002

Good morning, Arizona!

It was pitch dark as I left Gage rest area, and I've slowly watched the sky light up around me. I can now see the idea of colors around me, though they are night bright. Taller bushes like 15 feet tall dot the landscape; maybe they are juniper; I dunno. Dry brown grassess about 18 inches tall meet the roadway and seem to extend like a worn carpet into the distance around all the other vegetation.

On my left, mountains. And these look taller than the Guadalupe Mountains I saw back in Texas. Hard for me to judge how much taller they seem, but I'll say they seem 30% taller. And steeper to boot.

On my right a grove of trees. And by grove I mean trees all planted in countless rows. yellow leaves and then the last three rows had no leaves at all. Just passed a barn labeled Bowie Vineyards or something. More trees now, same rows, same yellow. Walnuts and pecans the sign said. Ah.

Okay, back to driving.

Oh, um, 1228 miles traveled since Dallas.

7:23am

I'm 70 miles from Tucson and in front of me is a hill that we're climbing. Not so tall, but then way ahead are some way taller looking mountains, and to my right are some tall-ish mountains. Not so tall that they've got snow on top, but they are thinking about it I'm sure.

oops. 80 mph down a hill. Not coasting.

The terrain is the same like a spotty puppy with brown grass for fur and yucca plants for spots. Almost all the yuccas have tall stalks growing from the top, presumably for mating purposes.

I-10 is divided highway two lanes each direction. Smooth asphalt.

Up another hill now, just about to pass Johnson Rd, which I think leads to Johnson (the city).

7:32am

Have arrived at the rest area I targeted this morning leaving my other rest area. 1272 miles traveled.

Let me assure you I would love to climb these rocks just behind the rest area, but there is a fence asking me not to.

7:40am

Driving again and now the terrain is big beautifully climbable relatively smooth boulders stack carefully about the area, with hearty trees growing between them, bushy trees up to 30 feet tall with small dark leaves. Fences in front of most of the rocks that beg me to climb them. Sorry, rocks. I'll have to climb some of your cousins and second cousins elsewhere.

Finding Jeanette

9:49am MST Friday 29 November 2002

I first tried going to the library at Arizona State University, but all the parking was tied up with a football game. So I drove around a bit and found the city's visitor center and they pointed the way to a Kinko's (near the university :-)

Looked up Jeanette and found a biography of hers via google and found out where she worked at the time the bio was written. She still works there so I asked them to call her at home and tell them her cousin Rob is at Kinko's.

There's another Rob here, so I said, "Hey Rob, I'm Rob, too and I'm expecting a phone call. So if someone calls and asks for Rob and it's not for you, it's for me."

Rock. Google rules!!!!!

Kinko's free internet access rules!!!!

9:59am

Wahoo! She called and we're going to lunch. Wheee!

11:58am

So awesome to see Jeanette and meet her husband Kim! We ate at the Blue Willow, a pretty nice restaurant plus giftshop of ridiculous items, mostly featuring Christmasy type stuff - ornaments shaped like anything one wants.

Anyway, conversation was great; they asked a lot about my adventure and Kim asked a bit about UUism; Jeanette asked about why I wanted to attend Houston Rally in January. I found it a bit hard to explain to someones who don't know the culture.

Jeanette asked where I'm going next.

"I dunno; what's the next thing on I-10?"

Kim goes, "San Diego."

"I better call my sister..."

- - - -

I learned they were married a year and a half ago; Jeanette can cook and likes spicier food than Kim; Kim is a teacher for high school - photography and scultping. Awesome. I'm guessing they met through photography somehow; Jeanette is my photographer of choice next time I need to hire one.

I'm thankful that Kim paid for my lunch, and I even have half a samwich left over. Eggplant on marbled rye. Awesome. Handshake and hug and we went our separate ways. They are cooking dinner for her mom & dad tonight; they have been traveling and were driving on Thanksgiving Day.

Oh, and we discussed spelling of onomatopoeia. That's how I think it's spelled. I'll look it up.

Yay! I was right!

Kinkos

2:00pm MST Friday 29 November 2002

I've gotten my entries syncrhonized, but no pics yet. I have a looming feeling that they won't get done for a while. eek.

Each time I've taken a picture I've thought about the entry I'd write with it. Pooh.

Just been working on Kim's website. Closer and closer to being done, but not done yet.

Going to scope out maps and may be in San Diego tonight.

Leaving for San Diego

2:10pm MST Friday 29 November 2002

Ah such blessed heat outside. I hope it's warmer wherever I sleep tonight than I've been on the past three nights.

Not much between here and San Diego besides I-8.

And a bunch of mountains a probably a lot of cactus.

3:29pm

75 miles or so from Phoenix (though I'm going to take I-8 before i get there) I'm going between these two big mountains and am overlooked by saguaro cacti (oops I don't know how to spell saguaro yet)

I'm thankful for the strength of my bike rack; there is plenty of wind whipping past at gusts are shaking my bike some. I may take off the back wheel as well (the fron has been off since I put it up after riding at Carlsbad)

3:51pm

I'm on I-8 now. :-)

It's also a divided highway with two lanes each direction, but the asphalt is a bit rougher grade than I-10 was. It's not cracked, just rough as it was designed apparently.

4:39pm

1477.5 miles driven. On I-8 now and it's vaguely dark because it's overcast and raining. Super thanks to Fred for giving me rain-x so I don't have to use windshield wipers. It just goes shwwee up the windshield in perfect drops.

After I took my bike's back wheel off, I have a sense that Scott is experiencing much less drag. Like significantly less to the point that I can feel the difference. I don't know how much is "real" vs "imaginied" (Morpheus in The Matrix: "what is real? how do you define real?")

Well, according to my sense of reality there are not as many saguara (sp) cacti standing around, but the freeway is pretty straight and flat for miles and miles between mountains. According to the map there is a restricted miliatary range to my left, but I wouldn't have known it otherwise. No planes visible. No explosions, nothing.

But that's cool; I'm still rolling well and listening to Eminem and have 91% battery on my computer. Oh that reminds me for some reason I can receive email, but not send email. I used my yahoo account to send a couple to Karina, but I did not reply to the couple of comments I got from Aisha and Josephine to my journal entries.

Got one anonymous comment saying I should go to White Sands. I've been to White Sands and know it's beautiful. My dad and I walked out into the dunes and camped overnight; it was awesome. But the penny said don't go right now.

One thing interesting is that I told Kim just today that I had gotten comments likek "ha ha" or "where are you now" or just random thoughts on stuff, but nothing like, "you should have..." or "you shouldn't write...." but now I have: "you should go to White Sands." funny.

Now I should pt both hands on the wheel.

5:00pm

Scott just turned over 150000 miles, and I've traveled 1500 miles on my trip so far. Nice.

5:46pm

OH MY GOSH!! How can I not have throught of this already?? Karina is a Mac Addict through and through; she can show me some cool ass shit with my Mac!! I just want to know what some good graphics manipulation programs are and maybe know if she knows of a PtP file (music) swapping thing for Macs.. Awesome!

california

5:45pm PST Friday 29 November 2002

one six zero four miles traveled. Welcome to Pacisfic Standard Time. Welcome to California.

5:52pm

Weird. Just got waved through (along with every othe car and small truck) through an inspection station ALL VEHICLES MUST STOP. Wow. Looked kinda like a military guy waving us through. I wonder who sponsors that station and why.... And when does it actually get used to inspect cars and not just wave them through?

6:06pm

Wow. I've just driven by a big, um, dune buggy race thing?? Something held at Imperial Dunes, with a bunch of trucks with bright ass lights and flags driving up and down steep dunes . racing maybe or just flat having a good time (in my estimation at the expense of the dunes). Plus a ton a trailers Tons of trailers and some fireworks and fragrance of barbecue or some varietyies of food.. Wow.

6:53pm

Okay. I'm not sure if this cat was trying to pick me up or what, but he was being all friendly like, which is no problem, but then when he was all, "you ever seen a big truck?" and nodding over toward his 18 wheeler, I was all... hmmm.

So I answered like "yeah" like seeing a truck ain't no big deal to me.

And he was telling me how it's all got a bed and TV and such. (as I'm writing this I know he was trying to pick me up)..

So I was all, "well have a good trip" and split toward Scott. He said, "well I'm going that way, so if you get in troble, just flash me down.." or some shit like that. Whatever, dude.

His truck is the one that says "Warner" on the side, he said. Hmmm.

I'm thankful that Scott will get us all the way to Sand Diego, all through California, Oregon, everywhere we wanna go and all the way back to Texas without a problem. Scott rules!!

8:54pm

Wow. How incredibly exciting to be hauling ASS down a 4000 foot hill and coating 83 miles per hour, Scott's new record!! But so scary to be coasting later or even braking at 75 mph with rain and wet all over the smooth asphalt road with plenty of cars hauling their own ass right on my ass and wow. any slip would be instant fuckedupness for lots of traffic. Whew. Made it safely to San Diego. And even made it to a gas station without running out of gas, all the way from Tucson.

doh

11:06pm PST Friday 29 November 2002

D'oh!

So, this is the part of my adventure where non-planning ahead makes things interesting. Karina isn't home; I'm guessing she is gone for the weekend since she didn't reply to my emails today. I left one of my adventure cards at her door.

I parked Scott in a little tiny space (for me)! Parallel parking, aww yeah.

Had to pay a dollar to call Sally since my cell phone battery is dead and neither of my chargers will charge it. I dunno what the problem is. Left a message with Sally and now I'm going to drive up almost to Los Angeles to try to find her. I have her address, but she's not home as of the time I called, but she often goes out, so she could just be out on a date or some such.

I hate to just drop in on her with no notice; my emails still aren't going out... so at least she's gotten one phone call.

- - - -

Driving around San Diego has been exciting. Like in Houston, everyone drives like maniacs, and there's hills everywhere, which makes the streets do weird things unlike in Houston. And since it's all new to me, and dark, and the streets are wet, it's all the more exciting!

drive to Newport Beach

11:15pm PST Friday 29 November 2002

Leaving now. 1800 miles on my adventure so far.

11:52pm

Holy shit. So far I really like California. Really Really Really.

Granted, I've only seen it at night, with therefore limited traffic, but I love the terrain!!! And the beach is right next door! And at any moment, the biggest earthquake ever could shake the shit out of everything... Wow!

1:26am

I'm here; I overshot the exit a bit and had to wind my way back to her place. Took a long time to park, and I dialed the apt number on the thing but no answer.

But then, the weirdest thing; Sally was talking to her guy behind me; he was dropping her off and they were having a fight of sorts it seemed. I'm *sure* it was her, but I didn't want to interrupt their deal, but then they drove off together. So I'm writing this little snippet. I wonder if it really was her; I'll find out within no too long I'm sure.

four seasons

2:33am PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Holy shit I can't believe how late it is.

One may decide eventually that one writes too much in one's journal.

I left Sally's place despite concerns that I would have less of a chance of getting a parking space; I figure as it got later on a Friday night, more people would be coming home.

After turning the wrong direction and winding along a one way narrow road around this bay, I spent several minutes lost lost lost in lots of empty lots, looking for a lost Kinko's cause I wanted to get internet access, but mostly because I had to poop.

No Kinko's in sight; nothing good at all. Drove back to where I saw gas stations, but they were closed (as far as their insides were concerned). So... What to do, oh what to do, I gots to pooh..

The Four Seasons.

It took a while for me to find its lighted tree lined entrance, but once I did, I was greeted by a valet, "Good morning, sir. Will you be checking in with us now?"

"Um, actually no. I just need to use the restroom."

"Not a problem.." he gave me directions to the restroom once I got inside.

Let me tell you, after being so desperate for an hour, finding the marble floored, cloth hand towels, enormous mirrors, actual working hot and cold water.. wow. What a great relief.

- - - -

I'm back at Sally's parking lot. Good luck, me.

zzz

2:45am PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Sock Monkey dialed first with his right paw. No answer. He flew around like supermonkey while the phone rang. Then he dialed with his tail, just for variety. No answer. (No variety.)

So Socks, Scott and I are going to go sleep down at that winding road by the bay. I'm thankful to have found it.

2:58am

Okay. Status: 1917 miles traveled so far. I've been awake since 5:05am MST, so that's basically 23 hours. In that time Scott and I have driven (1917 - 1137 = ) 780 miles.

Good night.

Oh wait. California, this is your big chance to really sell me on living here by keeping me warm tonight.