So we were preparing for the sequel. Part 2 of a three part play. We have Uno who is not necessarily thrilled about the whole cage thing. He's not thrilled about the whole ride in the car thing. He's not thrilled about 33 hour confinement thing .. well.. you're starting to get the picture right?
And, we have Drew, aka Poodle who will be singing songs, telling jokes, cleaning bugs from the windshield and all around merriment provider to keep Rob awake during his turns behind the wheel.
We start out at 8pm after a visit to Rocki and John's for a final farewell BBQ. What good food and few tears! Which is great because already it has turned into the longest goodbye recorded in human history.
My poor family. I feel so bad that they've had to endure, yet one more 'good bye'. But this time we mean it. At least, until part III but off we go.
We did well for the first 12 hours. Hour 12 brought a melt down of epic proportions. I tumbled from the backseat which I was laying across, onto the floor of the SUV. Not amused, Rob nearly got a egg-mcmuffin across his cheek. But we were back in no time singing showtunes (the only kind Poodle knows) and then we finally reached West Texas. After El Paso it was primarily open open open spaces. There was a tremendous storm though that was so close you could reach out a glass and catch water. It was right next to us and it provided miles of amazement. Rainbows, dark skies and lightening like we've not seen before, but all parallel to our path.
We made it and only in the last hour did it appear that we might be plotting each others demise. Even Uno who had been surprisingly happy (happy? well 'not distressed') up until now seemed as though he were plotting his leap at our throat once the gate was open.
But we're recovering now. We're tired. In fact, I'm writing this just prior to going to bed and can hardly keep my eyes open. But - we'll catch up with you soon.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Austin Move - Part II
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Sunday in Austin
I'm job searching hanging out at the Texpresso. I'm submitting resumes online and hanging out. Daniel and Eric just walked in (see their pictures on my flickr site. You can click the link on the right).
And, so I'm missing Rob because he is in California. I'll be there on Wednesday, and am looking forward to seeing some folks spending time with the family and heading out for the next leg of the journey.
See you soon.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Small But Scary
When driving in the middle of the night and in the last 100 miles of a journey the flash of a warning light is enough to send a shiver through all the way to the ventricles of your heart.
Especially when trying to dodge roaming deer through the back roads of Texas. Knowing that if something happens at 1 in the morning you'd be absolutely helpless. I mean,how would I even relate to a tow truck where the hell I'm at??
"Go down past three doe's and then the roadkill skunk. When you pass the abandoned gas station just three miles and you're there!!"
So, when this light flashed out of the corner of my eye, All I can say is ..
Blood.
Icy Cold.
I Want My Mommy.
But, thank goodness it was just washer fluid!! Rob and I laughed afterwards. It was no wonder we ran out of washer fluid. Trying to make sure we can see those deer we were using it every two seconds. One thing in Texas sure is bigger.. the BUGS!!
Especially when trying to dodge roaming deer through the back roads of Texas. Knowing that if something happens at 1 in the morning you'd be absolutely helpless. I mean,how would I even relate to a tow truck where the hell I'm at??
"Go down past three doe's and then the roadkill skunk. When you pass the abandoned gas station just three miles and you're there!!"
So, when this light flashed out of the corner of my eye, All I can say is ..
Blood.
Icy Cold.
I Want My Mommy.
But, thank goodness it was just washer fluid!! Rob and I laughed afterwards. It was no wonder we ran out of washer fluid. Trying to make sure we can see those deer we were using it every two seconds. One thing in Texas sure is bigger.. the BUGS!!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Did I Forget to Mention
To those of you who inquired.. what 'second' run in with the law?
Sorry, this was our first. Rob just inside Texas and just outside of El Paso. I was sleeping when Rob started to pull over to the side of the freeway which of course just sent me for a loop.
I asked "why are you stopping? Is something wrong with the truck?"
"No, I'm being pulled over".
Oh. I guess when they say 80mph maximum, they mean it. Rob was testing 90. Although I thought 'anyone' going 90 should get a ticket, our friend Dan in San Francisco is all 'down with the man'.. and has sided with Rob on this one.
It was not how we hoped to spend our first $200 in Texas, but whateverr.
Sorry, this was our first. Rob just inside Texas and just outside of El Paso. I was sleeping when Rob started to pull over to the side of the freeway which of course just sent me for a loop.
I asked "why are you stopping? Is something wrong with the truck?"
"No, I'm being pulled over".
Oh. I guess when they say 80mph maximum, they mean it. Rob was testing 90. Although I thought 'anyone' going 90 should get a ticket, our friend Dan in San Francisco is all 'down with the man'.. and has sided with Rob on this one.
It was not how we hoped to spend our first $200 in Texas, but whateverr.
Another Brush With the Law - This One Good
On the 4th Day of Austin, Our Adventure Brought To Us... la la.. isn't that how the song goes? This is a picture of a friendly Austin Police officer. This one we were happy to see. The wheel was knocking on Barnett which is a major street, like Watt Avenue in Sacramento.
When I came to a stop, the wheel fell off!! Uh oh. The officer was nice and diverted traffic for us, he also found the only lug nut (the locking one) that was holding the wheel on.
As of this writing the truck is at the Farr Stone (That's Firestone for you and I) finding out whether the wheel locked up or if someone tried to lift my wheel last night and got discouraged by the wheel lock, or heaven forbid - someone doesn't like California plates and was trying to send us a 'go home yankee' or would that be.. um go home California Yankee.. message.
So until we find out what the story is, we found a ride back to the Hotel Bailey's and we sit here in air conditioned relief waiting for the next chapter in our adventure.
I hope you're doing well! We consider ourselves very very grateful. This incident could have happened at highway speed, or even worse, at highway speed on the span between El Paso and San Antonio. If that had been the case, I wouldn't be sitting here updating my blog, I'd be spraying Polo cologne on myself to repel the coyotes to deter them from considering me food.
Take care and we'll check in soon!!
When I came to a stop, the wheel fell off!! Uh oh. The officer was nice and diverted traffic for us, he also found the only lug nut (the locking one) that was holding the wheel on.
As of this writing the truck is at the Farr Stone (That's Firestone for you and I) finding out whether the wheel locked up or if someone tried to lift my wheel last night and got discouraged by the wheel lock, or heaven forbid - someone doesn't like California plates and was trying to send us a 'go home yankee' or would that be.. um go home California Yankee.. message.
So until we find out what the story is, we found a ride back to the Hotel Bailey's and we sit here in air conditioned relief waiting for the next chapter in our adventure.
I hope you're doing well! We consider ourselves very very grateful. This incident could have happened at highway speed, or even worse, at highway speed on the span between El Paso and San Antonio. If that had been the case, I wouldn't be sitting here updating my blog, I'd be spraying Polo cologne on myself to repel the coyotes to deter them from considering me food.
Take care and we'll check in soon!!
Friday, June 08, 2007
In the Beginning
We were on the road. Sunscreen - check. Wallets - check. Checks - check.
We didn't know how much fun was in store, but we were sure it would be bearable. After hour 20 we weren't so sure. Now you I know I can get my roadtrip on. Daunting? Never. Scary? Mary please. But that was before we tried to fit two king-sized men into a mid-sized, standard cab, no-console, bench-seat, bouncy truck.
Oh my God. Can we book a stage coach next time? Can we? It would be far better than this. Riding a pogo stick would be less bouncy.
This, was Texas Torture. But, we made it. More to come.
We didn't know how much fun was in store, but we were sure it would be bearable. After hour 20 we weren't so sure. Now you I know I can get my roadtrip on. Daunting? Never. Scary? Mary please. But that was before we tried to fit two king-sized men into a mid-sized, standard cab, no-console, bench-seat, bouncy truck.
Oh my God. Can we book a stage coach next time? Can we? It would be far better than this. Riding a pogo stick would be less bouncy.
This, was Texas Torture. But, we made it. More to come.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
The Welcome Mat
Well we made it! We're here in Austin now and it is so pretty. It's overcast and hot and muggy. Although I'm sure there are those in Sacramento who are folding there arms with a HMPHH told you so!
Well. We never argued that it wasn't going to be muggy miserable. But it's still nice. We heard the cicadas tonight and everything is so green!
We had dinner with some nice folks this evening and tomorrow we'll start looking for a place. We're staying at the Hotel Bailey (our friend Wayne's) the most gracious place in all of Austin! For more pics, go to Rob's blog and flickr link.
As for now.. I'm happy to be here even if it wasn't without incident, since Rob got a ticket. Ouch.
Talk to you soon!
Well. We never argued that it wasn't going to be muggy miserable. But it's still nice. We heard the cicadas tonight and everything is so green!
We had dinner with some nice folks this evening and tomorrow we'll start looking for a place. We're staying at the Hotel Bailey (our friend Wayne's) the most gracious place in all of Austin! For more pics, go to Rob's blog and flickr link.
As for now.. I'm happy to be here even if it wasn't without incident, since Rob got a ticket. Ouch.
Talk to you soon!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Karaoke Trio
At Miss Petal's Birthday party (A fun, fabulous affair) we had a great time. We even managed to coax Poodle into singing a song but not without a cost. We had to agree to all sing together. We belted out "I Love You Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel. A perfect song since times like these together will be suspended here pretty soon once we move away. But for today - we're all together and having a great time. We also played poker after - but I should have stuck the microphone. Happy Birthday Miss Petals!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Oxidized Bad
We're preparing for the move to Texas. I had to get new tires and once my truck was off the ground with the tires removed, even I had to admit. How ugly this thing is.
Oh sure. Just under the oxidized exterior lies some potential but right now? Mmph. Just ugliness. That's ok. From this view you can see the worst of it. The hood is seriously oxidized and the sides of the truck are poor too. The clearcoat is peeling so some spots are shiny, others are unbelievably dull.
Can't drive all that way without new tires and of course, looking at the rack of bling-shoes, i.e. RIMS - I thought hmm. What would it look like if we went from these fugly stock 14" Dakota 'sport' wheels to these glam-look-at-me-18"-chrome-beacons?
Answer: A little like an ugly stepsister wearing cinderella's slipper, but here's the start of potential becoming reality. We'll see.
Oh sure. Just under the oxidized exterior lies some potential but right now? Mmph. Just ugliness. That's ok. From this view you can see the worst of it. The hood is seriously oxidized and the sides of the truck are poor too. The clearcoat is peeling so some spots are shiny, others are unbelievably dull.
Can't drive all that way without new tires and of course, looking at the rack of bling-shoes, i.e. RIMS - I thought hmm. What would it look like if we went from these fugly stock 14" Dakota 'sport' wheels to these glam-look-at-me-18"-chrome-beacons?
Answer: A little like an ugly stepsister wearing cinderella's slipper, but here's the start of potential becoming reality. We'll see.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Ford Pays New CEO 39.1M in Four Months
Oh uh uh. Ford Motor Company is in the worst downward spiral in the companies history and managed to negotate a salary fit for a king. They're still continuing to lose money and still authorized a bonus for the new CEO Alan Mulally. This would be absurd, if it wasn't so SAD.
The Bottom line is just this. Bring us fuel efficient cars. Bring us exciting cars to drive that are dependable AND green. Bring us mini class cars. Bring us some of the better products you're producing in Europe, rather than what you're currently making here. Redesign the Focus - it's old. Don't think that renaming the 500 "Taurus" is going to save the company. Don't put all your eggs in the Mustang basket. The sporty coupe demographic is fickle and will always want the 'next newist thing'. The Mustang, for this group, is already aging. Stop smacking retro grills on Lincolns and expect us to ooo and ah. Build a powerful, technologically innovative, competitive Lincoln sedan. With suicide doors. And a four-door convertible. Nobody is doing it. And nobody has done it as well as you once did. So reassert yourself.
Bring over the Mondeo and turn Mercury into your euro-taste division. Sort of the vision you originally had for Merkur which may have been ahead of it's time, or just a dumb idea for its day. But Saturn is having a reneissance bringing us opels - why can't you bring a german-tuned car, intact over the pond for us to drive? You should have kept Aston Martin and lost Jaguar. That being said, and being too late - don't put a dime more into that company. Tell them it's sink-or-swim. And, mean it.
Redesign the F-150. You went from jellybean to brick. How bout something in between? Where are the hybrids? You were once a great industrial giant and still a large company. How bout funnel some of that CEO bonus into putting a damn hybrid on the road? (I mean a prius competitor, not an Escape). Toyota is going to release it's THIRD generation passenger-car hybrid, before you've even released your FIRST.
There's no more excuses. There's no more time to waste. Either get off your ass and run an autocompany right, or be relegated to the biggest industrial failure in American history. We may just rename the whole company from Ford to Edsel and be done with it.
Bring over the Mondeo and turn Mercury into your euro-taste division. Sort of the vision you originally had for Merkur which may have been ahead of it's time, or just a dumb idea for its day. But Saturn is having a reneissance bringing us opels - why can't you bring a german-tuned car, intact over the pond for us to drive? You should have kept Aston Martin and lost Jaguar. That being said, and being too late - don't put a dime more into that company. Tell them it's sink-or-swim. And, mean it.
Redesign the F-150. You went from jellybean to brick. How bout something in between? Where are the hybrids? You were once a great industrial giant and still a large company. How bout funnel some of that CEO bonus into putting a damn hybrid on the road? (I mean a prius competitor, not an Escape). Toyota is going to release it's THIRD generation passenger-car hybrid, before you've even released your FIRST.
There's no more excuses. There's no more time to waste. Either get off your ass and run an autocompany right, or be relegated to the biggest industrial failure in American history. We may just rename the whole company from Ford to Edsel and be done with it.
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